The question of whether Donald Trump is eligible to appear on Maryland’s Republican primary ballot is under consideration by the secretary of state, her office said Wednesday, one day after a Colorado court disqualified the former president from that state’s election. Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee, a Democratic former state delegate and senator from Montgomery County, has wide latitude under Maryland law to determine who is recognized as a legitimate candidate. She was appointed secretary in January by first-year Democratic Gov. Wes Moore.

 

Thurmont has been awarded $50,000 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to continue funding its Main Street facade funding program. Two parts of the program — the Main Street interior facade grant program and Main Street community exterior facade improvement program — were each awarded $25,000 through different state revitalization programs for fiscal year 2024.

In the first three months that people could legally buy cannabis in Maryland, customers paid more than $12 million in taxes to the state government. Customers buying recreational cannabis pay a 9% point-of-sale tax on all flower, edibles, tinctures and other cannabis products, with the money parceled out to a variety of programs. A new report from Comptroller Brooke Lierman, a Democrat, lays out how the money is coming into the state and where it’s going. Lierman plans to issue reports every three months.

 

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is standing behind the head of the Department of Juvenile Services as state lawmakers said they are working on legislation for the upcoming 2024 session to modify some juvenile justice laws. Some have called for changes regarding how quickly juveniles are released after being arrested, and others have taken aim at the Child Interrogation Protection Act, which prohibits police from interviewing juveniles until the child has consulted with an attorney.

Standing with a portable oxygen tank slung across one shoulder, Sylvia Duvall stood in the pavilion at The People’s Park and recounted the tale of how she nearly lost her home in West Baltimore this year. Unable to work due to a disability, Duvall lives on a fixed income and relies on support from her partner, Abdul Muhammad, to make the monthly rent. Then in June, Muhammad’s car fell victim to the rash of auto thefts plaguing Baltimore City drivers. He lost his job, and the eviction notices began to pile up.

 

During a news conference Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott weighed in on a judge’s ruling to transfer an 18-year-old Brooklyn Homes mass shooting suspect to a juvenile detention facility. “The judge’s decision is the judge’s decision,” Scott said. “He’s having an adult trial and that’s where I wait for him to be held accountable for his adult actions.” Tristan Jackson, 18, was charged with with seven counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, and 41 related charges back in August with connection to the July 2 shooting.

Mayoral hopeful Sheila Dixon appeared on a Fox45 public safety town hall in South Baltimore with ally Councilman Eric Costello and local neighborhood leaders, giving residents a glimpse into the messaging her campaign will likely employ as the May 14 Democratic primary approaches. The panelists argued that, while violent crime is down under Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimoreans do not feel safe.

 

Residents along Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County are calling for higher fines for speeding drivers and repeat offenders. The 210 Traffic Safety Committee held a meeting Wednesday afternoon in Oxon Hill to garner support for a bill expected to be introduced in the new session of the Maryland General Assembly. The new legislation, PG/MC-102-24, would significantly increase speeding fines in some cases, depending on how fast the driver was going, from $40 to $90 or more than $500.

 

After their friend’s brother recently died of an overdose, a group of Watkins Mill High School students decided to create a video PSA about the dangers of fentanyl and submit it to the Speak Up, Save a Life student video contest. The students, Jabea Ewane, Thomas Pettit and Steven Santiago, secured first place in the contest and were awarded a $1,000 prize for their PSA titled, “Dangers of Fentanyl – Forever 16.”

Baltimore’s Board of Estimates voted to approve a $16 million extension of the city’s contract for speed cameras Wednesday, including two on Interstate 83. The extension, which will cover the cost of the 160 cameras through May 2024, was approved by the board over the objections of Council President Nick Mosby, one of the spending board’s five members. Mosby argued the city should maintain the speed cameras along the interstate in-house with Department of Transportation employees.