At the end of the first week of the 2024 General Assembly session, the House Health and Government Operations Committee had been assigned dozens of bills involving changes to Maryland’s health system. But a couple of proposals would affect an area of health that often goes overlooked: dental care. And more legislation involving dental care will likely be filed as the session continues, according to Del. Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s), chair of the committee.

The Board of Education of Harford County unanimously voted on Jan. 8 to adopt an inclement weather policy that replaces three traditional snow days with asynchronous learning days for students during the 2023-24 school year. The Maryland State Department of Education requires local school boards to submit their inclement weather plans annually.

It’s budget season for local governments, and on Tuesday, Hagerstown Community College was the first agency to make its pitch to the Washington County Commissioners for their Fiscal Year 2025 budget. And it was the kind of budget request the commissioners don’t often hear. HCC President Jim Klauber’s presentation was comparatively short and sweet. The community college is not seeking any increase from the county for its operating budget this year, he said.

 

When Joanne Martin embarked on an ambitious project to display wax replicas of some of the best-known Black Americans, she knew that her centerpiece figure had to be Martin Luther King Jr. King’s display is the culmination of the museum tour at The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, which opened on North Avenue in 1988. The slain Civil Rights leader is also mentioned several times throughout the museum, a three-story former firehouse.

The Baltimore Sun, the largest newspaper in Maryland, has been acquired in a private deal by David D. Smith, executive chairman of Hunt Valley-based television station owner Sinclair Inc. Smith said Monday that he acquired Baltimore Sun Media on Friday from investment firm Alden Global Capital, marking the first time in nearly four decades that The Sun will be in the hands of a local owner.

When her son, Izaiah Carter, was killed nearly a year ago outside Patterson High School, Michelle Hines couldn’t bear to let her other two children go back to city schools in person. So they began attending the city’s virtual school, a holdover from the pandemic. While most families were more than ready to ditch virtual learning after the pandemic, a small number of families saw it as a perfect fit for their children — and they don’t want to let it go.

Former U.S. Senate candidate Juan Dominguez, a Severna Park business executive, has joined a large field of candidates — including five state lawmakers and a former U.S. Capitol Police officer — vying for the 3rd Congressional District seat being left open by the retirement of Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes. Dominguez, 56, a Democrat and Gulf War veteran whose parents emigrated from Cuba, had previously announced for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is not seeking reelection.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, the state government was so awash in money that Gov. Wes Moore and state lawmakers were able to sock away hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and for future education and transportation needs. But what was once a surplus has turned into a deficit, forcing leaders in Annapolis to make difficult decisions about how to make the math work.

At my recent birthday party, several of my grandchildren spoke about how I had impacted their lives. One common theme was that they mentioned that I had taught them to ride a bike and, for those old enough, how to drive. Even my own children, now grown up with families of their own, mentioned the bike and driving lessons.\

Hooters has had enough. The longest-tenured restaurant at Baltimore’s Harborplace has endured protests, multiple landlords and years of neglect. After a break-in this fall, Hooters sued the former and current ownership of the Inner Harbor pavilions, calling them “unkempt, dirty and poorly maintained.” Hooters claims the disrepair at Harborplace — hanging wires, cracked floors and ceilings, dripping air ducts, burnt-out light bulbs and much more — harms its business and is a violation of its lease agreement.