As the old saying goes, 90% of success in life comes from just showing up. For proof, look no farther than the devastating effect of absenteeism in kindergarten and the early grades on a child’s chance to succeed in school. In fact, chronic absenteeism in all grades — usually defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason — is all over the news these days. Students of all ages are missing school at record rates, including in Maryland, where 31% of all students were chronically absent in 2023.

A Senate committee delayed a vote on the nomination of another Republican nominee to the State Board of Elections over questions about emails she sent that may have questioned election integrity. The nomination of Diane Butler is the latest to stall in the Senate Executive Nominations Committee. The panel delayed a vote Monday night at the request of an unnamed member of the committee.

Home improvements are expensive, but the bills could cost even more if the contractor makes a mistake. And we’ve seen this happen many times before. Not only are homeowners left in bad spots, but if the contractor is unlicensed, it can be very difficult to recover their money. “If you work with someone that’s not licensed, your only recourse is to get a very good attorney, and make sure you have a physical address of this alleged contractor,” said Steve Klitsch, a home improvement contractor whose been in the industry since 1979.

 

This Women’s History Month, the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum in Baltimore is in the national spotlight. Experts and USA Today readers voted and ranked the museum No. 4 among the 10 best free museums in the nation. It’s a museum that celebrates the stories of several influential women, including the museum’s namesake Lillie Carroll Jackson. “Oftentimes, we hear about what men have done,” said Iris Leigh Barnes, the associate director and curator of the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum.

 

Baltimore City forced people without housing out of a public park in the Homewood neighborhood last week. Signs up for around three weeks in the Wyman Park Dell indicated that the city would require people to move Wednesday morning, but bulldozers and tractors were on-site two days earlier, March 4. City Councilwoman Odette Ramos, who represents the area, said people first started moving into the park sometime during the coronavirus pandemic, which began in March 2020, and the encampment continued as a moratorium on evictions was lifted in April 2021.

 

A leading maker of electric vehicle charging devices has formally established its global headquarters in Bowie following the grand opening of a new 30,000-square-foot manufacturing site located within Melford Town Center. At a Monday morning event attended by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and federal officials, Blink Charging Co. President and CEO Brendan Jones said the facility and the company’s nearby 15,000-square-foot corporate office condenses all of Blink’s operations to two locations going forward, down from the five sites it conducts business in throughout the country.

A former Under Armour Inc. executive is looking to take a locally founded clothing brand into resorts and country clubs across the country. Christine Maly, an apparel industry veteran, bought Spunkwear in 2021 after returning from four years working for Under Armour in Amsterdam. Spunkwear, a women’s apparel company, was founded by a lacrosse mom who sold the clothing at her children’s tournaments, but Maly has taken the brand to the next level by leaning into wholesale.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich says he is looking within the county police department for a candidate to replace retiring Chief Marcus Jones. Elrich announced his intentions in a letter sent Monday to the County Council, noting that he is considering internal candidates because he believes the department is “heading in the right direction,” though it is facing challenges, including with staffing and recruitment.

When Mélina Khansari moved from France to Maryland in 2017, she didn’t know any English but she spoke a common language: the desire to pursue a higher education degree that unlocks the potential for lifelong success. After learning English, graduating high school and earning her associate’s degree from Frederick Community College, she looked to transfer to an institution that prioritized her needs — such as the ability to balance work and school, and immediate connections to the business world.

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who is among dozens running for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, is up on air with the first TV ad in the race. In the 30-second ad, Dunn speaks about his background and motivation to run over images of him walking to the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. “For 15 years, I protected the promise that every one of us, no matter who we are, has a voice in our government,” Dunn says in the ad.