On the side of every Baltimore firehouse, a white sign adorned with flames presents a stark record: 10 people dead in fires already in 2023. The count serves as a reminder of how lethal fires can be, a reality that city and state officials seek to emphasize since Maryland experienced more deaths in the first quarter of this year than in the same period each year for the past two decades.
Maryland state fire marshal raises alarm over rapid increase in fire deaths: ‘You’ve got to be ready for it’
Baltimore luxury hat designer Ashley Clark says that’s this year’s horse racing fashion trend.
Clark, who owns Soigne Luxury Accessories in Fells Point, makes luxury hats for those attending the three horse races that make up the Triple Crown — the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Her 2023 couture hat collection, which debuted in April, is now getting closer to selling out as Preakness approaches on Saturday.
DOT increasing patrols after uptick in bike lane violators
The Department of Transportation is increasing patrols around the city after an uptick in bike lane citations. Bikers around common in Baltimore. Louisa Benatovich likes to ride her bike around the city when it gets warm. “I like that you can feel very connected to your surroundings and that you’re not using your vehicle and it’s a little extra workout,” she said.
Gov. Moore addresses book banning, curriculum restrictions in graduation speech
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stepped into national political issues Sunday, using a graduation speech in Atlanta to blast conservative attempts at book banning and curriculum restrictions. “I look around our country and I see book banning. I look around the country right now and I’m seeing people being censored, teachers being censored. I see curriculum with the truth being taken out,” the Democratic governor said to graduates of Morehouse College, an all-male historically black college.
Anne Arundel residents advocate for higher salaries for teachers, school nurses, library staff at budget hearings
Across two budget hearings this month, residents urged the Anne Arundel County Council to consider raises for school nurses and library staff similar to those slated for teachers in the upcoming fiscal year. County Executive Steuart Pittman’s proposed fiscal 2024 budget of $2.14 billion includes fully funding Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ request for teacher raises and exceeds state requirements from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education overhaul.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoes 3 bills, lets repeal of sexual acts statute and others go into effect without his signature
The work of the 2023 legislative session came to a close Friday when Gov. Wes Moore vetoed three bills and decided which others he will allow to go into effect without his signature, including the repeal of a law formerly used against the LGBTQ community. Of the 810 bills passed by the General Assembly in the Democratic governor’s first session, he only vetoed three.
Montgomery Co. police chief discusses new late night safety plan to combat crime
On Tuesday, the council in Montgomery County, Maryland, voted 9-2 to pass legislation requiring safety plans from businesses that stay open late. The bill applies to businesses open between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. that allow, or provide “on-site consumption of tobacco, alcohol, food or cannabis.” The new rules also apply to businesses open between midnight and 2 a.m. that have had two or more police service calls in response to serious incidents.
Top contenders for U.S. Senate appear together at Democratic Party function in Montgomery County
The top three Democrats who’ve announced their intentions to run for U.S. Senate appeared together at a Maryland Democratic Party event Wednesday. Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D) and Rep. David Trone (D-6th) gave brief remarks before a packed crowd at the New Fortune Restaurant in Gaithersburg.
‘Horse racing’s on eggshells’: Caution prevails at Preakness as sport weathers its latest storm
At about 7:01 p.m. Saturday, eight of the most scrutinized horses in thoroughbred racing will take their posts inside Pimlico Race Course, bolt from the starting gate and cover 1 3/16 miles on a dirt track before a massive crowd and national TV audience. The hope around the sport is that Preakness will be run without incident, that the second leg of the Triple Crown will be all anyone wants to talk about this weekend.
Baltimore County’s new schools superintendent must be bold
It’s no surprise that the decision to name Myriam Yarbrough the next superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools drew a standing ovation at Tuesday’s school board meeting. This was a vote for stability, experience and sound judgment after so much turnover at the top — Yarbrough will be the fourth person named to the post in six years — as well as disenchantment with some of the outsiders who previously filled that role.