Maryland and its 24 major local jurisdictions employ thousands of correctional officers to oversee, manage and try to maintain order in jails, prisons and other facilities. Notably missing in some county jails: windows. That’s because they aren’t required to install them in areas where employees work, said Amanda Tondin, a Talbot County correctional officer and a programs coordinator at the county jail.

Howard County’s longtime auditor, who faced opposition earlier this year for a report that critics said exceeded his authority and unfairly probed a historically Black sorority, is no longer in office. The county’s council, which appoints the local government’s auditor, had “decided to move in a different direction” from Craig Glendenning, who has held the locality’s watchdog post for 11 years, District 2 Councilmember Opel Jones said Sunday.

Like a driver caught in a traffic accident that was not his fault, Gov. Wes Moore finds himself in an awkward position when it comes to a projected six-year cumulative $3.3 billion shortfall in the state transportation budget. He could assert himself and singlehandedly devise a plan to clean up the mess, or he could, perhaps more strategically, offer to have a lot of those metaphorical vehicles scrapped to see if that prods his fellow motorists into action.

Conventional wisdom suggests Americans know little about foreign policy and care about it even less. Opinion polls regularly show that international issues take a back seat to topics more prosaic (economics, education) or provocative (culture wars, gun control). Next year’s presidential election, however, might be a bit different. Continued international crises could focus attention on the benefits and burdens of American global leadership, and our polarized politics may turn on battles and events far from home. We might experience the rare phenomenon: a foreign policy election.

Coach probably won’t make it to Foxborough on Saturday. That’s a shame, because U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville would learn something important by attending the 124th Army-Navy game. He could have learned the same lesson at Pearl Harbor remembrances in Annapolis and Baltimore on Thursday, but he’s a former football coach who brandishes his old job title as a sign of wisdom.

The state-owned William Donald Schaefer Tower — which holds a satellite office for Gov. Wes Moore and several agencies — is in severe disrepair and certain parts could be facing “catastrophic failure” that would result in the building having to be shut down. Decay at the 37-year-old structure include failing HVAC systems and damage to the underground parking garage, according to an emergency procurement request filed as part of the Dec. 13 state Board of Public Works agenda.

A Baltimore County kids’ shoe company started by a former Adidas and Mizuno executive has secured deals to get its shoes in several regional running stores. Jbrds, which focuses on making shoes built specifically for kids’ feet, will soon have its shoes in Charm City Run and Pacers stores. The deals are the first retail partnerships for the company that started selling its shoes online in August 2022 and will bring Jbrds to much of the mid-Atlantic.

Wood enthusiasts interested in sourcing timber from local trees will have a chance this weekend, when the Montgomery County parks department hosts its third annual urban wood sale, offering buyers the chance to purchase wood salvaged from area trees. Among the offerings — walnut, cherry, poplar, oak, mulberry, cypress and ash, according to a Montgomery Parks statement — will be celebrity timber: wood salvaged from Maryland’s historic Linden Oak, thought to have been more than 300 years old when it was felled in July.

Don’t look now, but Baltimore City’s economy is booming. Charm City’s economic output topped $50 billion last year, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis measuring real gross domestic product in each county in the United States. That’s a 5.9% increase between 2021 and 2022 in GDP, which measures the dollar value of all goods and services produced in a region. It is generally used to gauge the health of an economy.

The Maryland Transit Administration announced Thursday that it was indefinitely suspending light rail service on its north-south line starting Friday, citing recent mechanical issues that necessitate inspection of the entire fleet of 53 rail cars. The agency will begin shuttle bus service at all light rail stations starting Friday, pulling about 30 buses off their regular routes to fill the gap. MTA Administrator Holly Arnold acknowledged at an emergency news conference Thursday evening that this could have a ripple effect on service levels for other bus lines, and she said members of her team are doing everything they can to fix the light rail fleet quickly.