State contracts coming to the Board of Public Works with inadequate participation from historically disadvantaged business owners will face additional scrutiny from at least one board member. Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) vowed to provide additional review after the board was asked to approve a $17 million tobacco cessation services contract.

Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments. The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month. Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled a new repayment plan for those with federal student loans, known as Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE.

Talk of litigation is among responses from folks and organizations that reject a decision the Maryland Department of Natural Resources issued Friday. DNR granted conditional approval for Garrett County and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration to replace the bridge on Swallow Falls Road in the state-designated Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River Corridor.

Frontier Airlines is making it easier for Baltimore travelers to visit the west coast of Florida, with new frequent flights starting this fall. The Denver-based airline announced Thursday that it will add daily flights between Tampa and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport starting Nov. 16. Introductory fares start at $39, according to a press release from the airline.

Johns Hopkins University is planning to build a life sciences center in East Baltimore, but graduate students are concerned about how the demolition of several academic buildings to make way for the center could impact their working conditions. Hopkins is demolishing the Hampton House at 624 N. Broadway and two nearby facilities to make room for the new building. A university spokesperson did not disclose the estimated size of the upcoming building or its cost but confirmed that demolition will start in 2024.

In the end, a cellphone gave Roy McGrath away. The former top aide to Gov. Larry Hogan had eluded federal authorities for three weeks and traveled hundreds of miles. Federal agents were searching for his white Cadillac Escalade across the Southeast. Their break came on the afternoon of Monday, April 3. FBI agents in Baltimore detected a signal from a cellphone that belonged to McGrath in a Costco parking lot outside Knoxville, Tennessee.

Baltimore is undergoing a once-in-a-generation revitalization that is building an economy for the future. While we are having remarkable success in bringing new businesses to the city, attracting residents, and bringing life to our streets, our community needs strong partners to help move us forward. When I heard about JetBlue’s merger with Spirit Airlines and its plans for Baltimore, I realized this is another opportunity for our city to grow and thrive.

The Frederick Charter Review Committee is considering a wide range of interesting ideas to improve the governance of the city. A term limit for mayors is one of the ideas, but not one we would recommend. A subcommittee on elections has recommended to the full panel that mayors be limited to two terms in office as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the city’s election laws.

As I return from a summer vacation with my family, I am always grateful for our time on the Chesapeake Bay. Yet, the sweltering temperatures and warmer than usual waters brought another reminder of our deepening climate crisis in the air and sea. In addition to warming water temperatures, coastal flooding and shoreline erosion, our U.S. seafood supply is in jeopardy.

Could a “land bank” help turn thousands of vacant properties across Baltimore into good, lasting homes? A proposal in front of the City Council would create such an entity, used around the country to acquire blighted or neglected properties and get them into responsible hands. And a coalition of housing advocates believe it could be an efficient tool for resolving a problem the city has struggled for decades to address.