The Montgomery County police department has not properly overseen the contractors that handle red-light and speed camera citations, leading to questions concerning revenue collection, according to an audit report released Thursday by the county inspector general’s office. The Office of the Inspector General audited the department’s financial transactions and processes for the first time after the 2020 passage of a county law that expanded its responsibilities, the office said in an email to MoCo360.

Like many states and local jurisdictions, Maryland has experienced a spike in auto thefts, carjacking, possession and use of firearms, and other violent and nonviolent offenses. While the data reflects that adults still represent the bulk of arrests for violent crimes, a significant number of these offenses have been perpetrated by juveniles..

We all drive, or at least most of us do. Here’s a funny thing about that. In the age of the automobile, when a car is an extension of ourselves, where you drive is probably a bigger part of what defines you than what you drive. If you crossed the Francis Scott Key Bridge daily on your way to work and back, the 1.6-mile erector set confection that served as an entrance to the outer harbor was a frame of reference on the world.

In early 2023 an increase in serious crime by young people was creating panic in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. While the hysteria may have been somewhat exaggerated, data from the first quarter of the year did show a significant uptick in some kinds of youth crime, including serious offenses like juvenile-involved shootings and armed robberies.

For nearly two decades, the EmPOWER program has served Maryland well. By helping residents and businesses access and install more efficient appliances in their homes and buildings, the popular program has saved ratepayers in the state more than $4 billion, helped thousands of low-income households lower their utility bills, reduced strain on the power grid and created thousands of jobs.

Organic growth is the most attractive type in the financial world, where new Orioles owner David Rubenstein made his fortune — the kind where a clear plan and strategy allow a company to live within its means and grow at a sustainable rate. In many ways, that’s what he acquired in his newest asset. The Orioles have proved general manager Mike Elias’ data-driven strategy to unlock value and develop homegrown talent could work, as evidenced by a 101-win season and a division title after years in the baseball wilderness.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg outlined Wednesday the immediate and longer-term priorities the Biden administration is pursuing in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse outside Baltimore that left six people presumed dead. While many questions remained roughly 36 hours after a massive cargo ship struck the bridge and caused the deadly collapse, Buttigieg at a White House press briefing reiterated President Biden’s pledge a day earlier for the federal government to fund the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.

Even before the collapse of an iconic piece of Maryland infrastructure Tuesday, finding the money needed to sustain the state’s critical transportation network was the largest hang-up left in the General Assembly session barreling toward its finish line. The crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge has only added to the complexity.

David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles was approved Wednesday by Major League Baseball owners, clearing the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team. Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein and his investor group were expected to close the purchase later Wednesday.

Federal investigators have obtained data that is “consistent with a power outage” onboard the freighter Dali before it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the National Transportation Safety Board’s chair said Wednesday night, and have begun interviewing the cargo ship’s crew. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy cautioned that the agency could not confirm that the ship had lost power, saying that a full investigation would take one to two years. Photo Credit: Peter Knudson/NTSB