Legislators struck a deal Saturday morning to create two more slots on the Maryland Stadium Authority board — a new seat for Prince George’s County and another pick for the governor — breaking a quiet deadlock that threatened a Senate floor fight Monday. Under a plan worked out among lawmakers and administration and county officials, a bill now being held in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee would be amended first thing Monday — the final day of the 90-day legislative session — to increase the size of the board so that Prince George’s County would have a vote.

While race, sexual orientation and religion are the most likely sources of bias incidents in the state, almost three-quarters of the verified events from the 2021 Maryland Hate Bias Report were based on race, with 61 of the 101 statewide verified incidents being anti-Black or anti-African American. The next most likely group to be targeted in Maryland was gay males with 11 incidents.

 

In a closed work session Tuesday, the mayor and City Council reportedly received legal advice for the Rolling Mill project. Under the Maryland Open Meetings Act, government officials may close a meeting according to certain statutory exceptions, such as to gain expertise from their lawyer, in which case the reason that permits the private session must be disclosed to the public.

Even after almost 40 years of news reports and investigations, of charges, denials, confirmations and prosecutions, of the disgusting details of extensive coverups, the pedophile sex abuse scandal that has stained the Catholic Church retains its power to shock. Thousands of victims in virtually every state in the country. Thousands of perpetrators. And a church hierarchy that for decade after decade chose to protect the abusers and the church itself rather than protect children.

 

The minds behind Silver Spring’s Quarry House Tavern are getting ready to open Charley Prime Foods, a steak-forward American bistro this month at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. Longtime business partners and Quarry House Tavern owners Jackie Greenbaum and Gordon Banks aim to recreate the lively bar scene they have in Silver Spring in Gaithersburg.

 

As a physician, I took an oath to first do no harm. Maryland’s lack of an assisted outpatient treatment law for civil commitment of those with serious mental illness, does not allow me to live up to that oath. This has left me and many of my colleagues disappointed, frustrated, demoralized and fearing for our patients’ lives. My passion lies in treating people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, who are often among the most disenfranchised and vulnerable.

The National Aquarium’s long-awaited floating wetlands project plans to debut next year in between Inner Harbor’s Piers 3 and 4. The floating wetlands idea was first announced in early 2016 with a completion date in 2022 but was derailed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project, which is still estimated to cost $14 million, is now back on track for a mid-2024 opening and will include 10,000 square feet of floating wetlands with a 5,000-square-foot dock.

A federal grand jury indicted Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, 66, of Thurmont, and Robert Justin Krop, 36, of Frederick on Wednesday on charges of conspiring and making false statements to illegally acquire machine guns. The Frederick News-Post consulted a firearms attorney and reviewed firearms laws to more closely examine the charges against Jenkins and Krop.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Thursday evening confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in Annapolis: That he’s nominating Del. Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery) for a slot on the Maryland Public Service Commission. Barve, who has served in Annapolis since 1991 and been the chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee since 2015, will bring his expertise on climate and technology to an important if obscure regulatory body that will play an increasingly prominent role in the state’s efforts to combat climate change.

There’s a new push to encourage more healthy food options for residents in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The county council is considering a bill that would bring more options to the county and support businesses that offer more balanced meals. Prince George’s County Council Vice-Chair Wala Blegay introduced the bill and said it would provide free advertising and promotion for businesses who choose to participate in the program. That means 30% of a restaurant’s menu would need to be deemed healthy by the county’s dietitian.