Stephanie Shonekan vividly remembers the moment she unwittingly violated an unspoken social norm of the art form she loved. It was 1996, and Shonekan, who grew up in Nigeria, had just attended her first classical music concert at Indiana University, where she was a graduate student. “The first piece was so amazing that I stood up and started clapping,” Shonekan told an audience last month at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, where she is dean of the College of Arts & Humanities.

Don’t be alarmed if you see airmen wearing gas masks and chemical warfare gear around the Martin State Air National Guard Base in Middle River. The Airmen of the Maryland Air National Guard’s 175th Wing is participating in “Operation Frosty Strike,” a readiness exercise. “I think the big thing folks in the local area will hear is the giant voice sound yelling out ‘exercise, exercise, exercise’ and they’ll hear sirens and tones, and you might see flashing lights from simulated exercises, with our emergency services,” Major Ben Hughes said.

 

The board of directors of McCormick & Company Inc. announced Wednesday an increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.39 to $0.42 per share on its common stocks, payable Jan. 8, 2024, to shareholders of record Dec. 29. This marks the 38th consecutive year that the company has increased its quarterly dividend. The Hunt Valley-based McCormick & Co. has more than $6 billion in annual sales across 170 countries and territories.

A request to move forward with code amendments that would allow habitable attic space turned into a deeper discussion this week about parking and rentals. On Tuesday, the Mayor and Council had before them a favorable recommendation from the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission to approve code amendments that would allow habitable areas in the attics of residential dwellings.

A federal watchdog will investigate how the Biden administration chose a site in Greenbelt for a new FBI headquarters following a contentious competition marked by allegations of conflict of interest. The Inspector General for the General Services Administration is probing the decision to locate the Maryland facility over a site in Virginia., according to a letter released Thursday by Virginia lawmakers. The new building would replace the FBI’s crumbling headquarters in nearby Washington, D.C.

As the opioid crisis continues, efforts to combat the problem are likely to be a point of interest in the upcoming 2024 Maryland General Assembly session. “The opioid epidemic persists, though the primary substances involved in overdose fatalities are evolving. State efforts are in place to address continued behavioral health needs,” Department of Legislative Services analysts wrote in a report previewing likely topics of legislation.

A new diaper donation program will distribute more than two million diapers over the next few months to families in Frederick County. The first set of 90,000 diapers arrived at Frederick Health Village on Wednesday morning. The program is a collaboration between Frederick Health, Family Connects Frederick County, the Frederick Rescue Mission and the Ausherman Family Foundation.

 

Nobody asked me, but people who claim that the late James Rouse faced virtually no opposition when he set out to build Harborplace 40-plus years ago are just plain wrong. I’ve seen this claim made in defense of Baltimore-based developer David Bramble and his plan to remake Harborplace with four large buildings, including apartment towers. “Bet y’all didn’t ask or question Jim Rouse and his vision,” a woman wrote on Facebook.

In the next week, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is expected to decide how best to deal with the Nov. 21 federal appeals court decision overturning key provisions in a decade-old gun safety law requiring handgun purchasers be fingerprinted, trained and face a waiting period of up to 30 days. A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that these restrictions failed the standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen last year that such limits must be “consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

Two of Baltimore’s most recognizable buildings and brands are its two pro stadiums, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, and the teams that inhabit them. The Orioles and Ravens bring attention, pride and joy to Maryland — and Maryland gives a lot of taxpayer dollars back to the teams. A large public investment The state of Maryland built and financed both of the Baltimore stadiums and, last year, agreed to earmark at least $1.2 billion to improve the stadiums — $600 million for each. The principal and interest on the bonds sold to cover those costs ultimately would be paid off with lottery revenue.