Gov. Wes Moore’s signature plan to create a year-of-service program for recent high school graduates is scheduled to begin next month after state officials received hundreds of applications. The Democratic governor pitched the idea — first on the campaign trail and then during his inaugural legislative session earlier this year — as a way to connect young adults with jobs and inspire long-term dedication to public service.

Retail center operator Edens has drawn in a half-dozen new tenants to Cabin John Village, including a new Mediterranean restaurant to replace Augie’s Mussel House, as part of a larger repositioning of the 1950s-era shopping center into a more vibrant mixed-use center. Alexandria’s Common Plate Hospitality, behind restaurants like Mason Social and Urbano Mexican Fare, plans a fall opening for The Grove.

Picket signs have lined the gates of Hollywood’s studios for nearly five months, as the industry’s writers and actors rally for AI protections, better wages and a cut of streaming profits. The problem is streaming isn’t yet profitable for many studios. Sparked by the creation of Netflix’s direct-to-consumer platform in 2007, streaming has upended the economics of the media industry. Yet, it’s still unclear whether it’s a sustainable business model for the future.

 

During Mountain Maryland for ALICE, an event hosted by the United Way of Frederick County on Thursday, United Ways in Maryland came together to discuss issues that financially struggling households face and how community organizations can help with those struggles. The event, which featured keynote presentations on the 2023 ALICE Report and two panels, focused on ALICE Report statistics in Garrett, Frederick, Allegany and Washington counties.

 

California and Florida have become the first states to require later public school start times, a response to reams of research showing significant advantages for high school students who can get more sleep by beginning their day at 8:30 a.m. or later. But such changes come with difficult ripple effects — upended bus schedules, later starts for extracurriculars and new schedules for teachers and staff — making many other states and localities hesitant to change.

 

As the fog lifted from the Middletown Valley on a stunningly beautiful day on Sept. 8, the Frederick County Farm Bureau, in partnership with the Frederick and Catoctin Soil Conservation Districts, hosted the third annual Soil Smart Farm Tour for federal, state and local government officials. Attendees enjoyed a bus tour of four agricultural operations in western and southern Frederick County, to learn about each farm operation, explore the unique challenges each farm faces, and view their natural resources conservation practices.

The Baltimore County Council will vote Monday on legislation that, if passed, would curb residential construction near White Marsh Mall and halt hundreds of housing units from being built. Due to concerns about overcrowding of schools and roads, Baltimore County Councilman David Marks proposed a bill last month to remove regulations allowing certain kinds of residential construction in the manufacturing light zone.

The invasive spotted lanternflies are popping up all over Maryland, and one expert says the issue is only going to get worse. After hatching in May, the bugs are now fully grown, hungry, mating and on the move, making them more noticeable. University of Maryland entomologist Michael Raupp, AKA “The Bug Guy,” knows this all too well.

 

While crime among young people is a point of emphasis in mainstream media in Baltimore, homicides and non-fatal shootings are down. Community-based organizations like We Our Us and the Baltimore Peace Movement have been at the forefront of violence prevention efforts over the last several years, but the media does not do the work of exposing the community to the work these organizations do so we can build on their success.

A federal appeals court has tentatively scheduled oral arguments in a case over an Anne Arundel County law requiring gun sellers to distribute pamphlets on safe gun storage and suicide prevention at the time of sale. Between Dec. 5 and 8, arguments are set to take place in Richmond, Virginia, in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, according to a court order released Wednesday. Attorneys have until Wednesday to file motions that would affect the scheduling, the order states.