As the former chair of the Maryland Economic Development Corp. under Gov. Martin O’Malley, I couldn’t be more excited about the vision that John Angelos has for areas around Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. Visionary developer James Rouse was quick to remind us that you can’t create places with parking lots. Instead of those stadium-area parking lots, we need a place connected to our Inner Harbor that can entertain thousands of people, whether they come for games, concerts or conventions.

That number is larger than the Gross Domestic Product of more than 33 countries. It is also the dollar amount needed for the Prince George’s County Public School (PGCPS) system to rebuild schools and make repairs to bring our facilities up to an acceptable level. And it is more than 30 times the annual budget that the Capital Improvement Program office gets to conduct these rebuilds and repairs.

The condolence calls and texts started coming in Tuesday night, steady and sad. “Just wanted to send a note letting you know I was thinking of you.” “I just heard.” “I just wanted to say I’m so sorry. I know what he meant to you.” The messages were about Brooks Robinson — Mr. Oriole himself — who died Tuesday at 86, taking an entire city’s heart with him. I only met him once, years ago, and corresponded with him briefly.

As Sherrod Davis looked out over the crowd that gathered Wednesday night in front of the Washington Monument to remember his business partner Pava LaPere, he recalled how the 26-year-old could see things that most people miss. “Where the world saw a Black kid from Northeast Baltimore,” Davis said. “She saw her co-founder and COO.“

Jason Billingsley, the 32-year-old man accused of killing Baltimore entrepreneur Pava LaPere, has been arrested, police said early Thursday morning. Officials were scheduled to announce details regarding the arrest at a news conference later Thursday morning, Baltimore Police said in an invitation sent after midnight. The police department said Tuesday that Billingsley was the suspect in LaPere’s killing, and added Wednesday that it was also searching for the 32-year-old in connection with a rape and arson investigation that followed a fire in Upton earlier this month.

After a four-year hiatus, the Baltimore Book Festival is coming back in 2024. Todd Yuhanick, interim CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA), announced on Wednesday that his organization is planning to produce the festival next May as one of its signature events for fiscal 2024. “The Book Fest is coming back,” he told his board. “The Book Fest is going to be in Waverly this year.

 

The number of child care providers, especially in-home child care providers, was on a steady decline before the pandemic. But the pandemic only exacerbated the problem, driving some out of business while dissuading others from starting new child care businesses, since no one wanted extra people inside their homes. In 2021, the federal government set aside $24 billion in stabilization funding to help keep child care providers in business.

The Berlin Town Council agreed this week to apply for federal funding that could be used for design of a pedestrian bridge over Route 113. On Monday, elected officials authorized an application for funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods for Community Planning Project. The funding could help the town plan for a variety of connectivity projects, including a pedestrian bridge over Route 113.

Despite years of efforts in Baltimore and around the country, Black women remain more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes. But researchers at Morgan State University are pretty sure they know a way to reduce the disparities. They want to train more doulas from Black communities.

Thanks to a break from tradition, the usually sweltering summer heat at the J. Millard Tawes Crab & Clam Bake now offers a cool, comfortable fall breeze, where Maryland’s political establishment can still campaign, catch up and congregate in Crisfield. On Wednesday in the town of 2,500 in Somerset County, the energetic level of politicking didn’t overtake the aroma of fish sandwiches, fried clams and oysters.