The Emmes Co., a Rockville clinical research organization, has snapped up its fifth company in less than two years, and its CEO says it’s still on the prowl for more acquisitions. The company, which runs research for public and private sector customers, has purchased Clinical Edge Inc., a Milwaukee firm that trains and certifies examiners for ophthalmology-related clinical trials. A sale price was not disclosed. The deal, announced Wednesday, will expand Emmes’ reach in Europe and Asia and broaden its offerings to include more certification and training services, Emmes President and CEO Christine Dingivan told the Washington Business Journal.
Maryland life sciences firm Emmes continues buying spree — and it’s not done
Non-Tawes political notes: campaign finance miscreants, election timetable, new TV ads, new area code and more
About 15% of candidates for state and local offices failed to file their most recent campaign finance statements, which were due with the Maryland State Board of Elections on Aug. 30, on time. That’s almost twice the percentage of candidates that usually fail to meet the campaign finance reporting deadline, Jared DeMarinis, director of candidacy and campaign finance at the State Board of Elections, told board members Wednesday. Those latest campaign finance statements, known as “pre-general 1” reports, cover fundraising and spending activity from July 4 to Aug. 23 — a period that included the two weeks before the July 19 primaries and the month that followed them. DeMarinis said candidates fail to file their campaign reports on time for a variety of reasons, but that the number usually spikes immediately after a primary.
Opinion: As cannabis legalization looms, do you hear the screws turning again?
During the 2021 General Assembly session, the first comprehensive legalization bill, House Bill 32 — The Cannabis Legalization and Regulation, Inclusion, Restoration and Rehabilitation Act of 2021 — was introduced and championed by Del. Jazz Lewis. His legislation focused on racial and social justice, ended cannabis prohibition in Maryland, and replaced it with a system to tax and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older. In the last session, the legislature punted the issue to a referendum on this November’s ballot, which by all accounts appears to enjoy the support of 60%+ of voters.
Cheeseburgers, ‘emoji fries’ and fruit: Inside Baltimore City’s school lunch program
It’s 10:30 a.m. and the pre-K students at Curtis Bay Elementary School were lining up for lunch. Across a metal counter that rises to their shoulders, they cautiously slid compostable trays, staring wide-eyed at the staff who place cheeseburgers and smiley-faced “emoji fries” on their plates. “How can you not love ‘em?” asked cafeteria manager Patricia Newman, a 27-year veteran of the school system who attended this school as a child. As the kids teetered toward their lunch tables, trying not to spill, Newman made a note on a clipboard to ensure that every student grabbed a piece of fruit or a vegetable, as required by federal guidelines.
As prominent CEOs cast doubts on remote work, some employees worry about future of WFH
Earlier today, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon continued laying out the case for employees being in the office. Dimon, one of many prominent CEOs who have advocated for in-office work, said “management by Hollywood Squares doesn’t work well,” according to Triangle Business Journal’s Lauren Ohnesorge. Speaking before a group of business leaders at the University of North Carolina, Dimon suggested they look at “who’s getting ahead, who’s getting the plum assignments?” It’s the person going into the office every day, Dimon said. But a new survey shows a disconnect lingers between many top executives and front-line workers about the future of remote work — even after many businesses have embraced a hybrid setup.
As revenue projections increase, Hogan expands raise for state workers
With federal largesse continuing to rain on the states, Maryland’s fiscal leaders upgraded their revenue estimates for the next two fiscal years on Thursday, and Gov. Larry Hogan (R) used the economic forecast to expand a scheduled pay increase for state employees. But the fiscal officials also cautioned that the U.S. economy has entered a new period of uncertainty and warned that state budget-writers must prepare for an economic slowdown. “Amidst all these good vibes and another quick uptick in revenues, let me be very clear: The party’s over,” said state Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) at a meeting of the Board of Revenue Estimates.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox to appeal order allowing October ballot counting in Maryland
Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox has filed a notice of appeal and is seeking an emergency order to block the early counting of Maryland’s mail-in ballots, set to begin Saturday under an order issued last week by a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge. Ed Hartman, an attorney for Cox, said he filed a notice of appeal Tuesday morning. The appeal would challenge a ruling by Judge James A. Bonifant, who sided with the Maryland State Board of Elections in its request to begin counting ballots earlier than state law allows in hopes of avoiding delays in results like those Maryland experienced after the July primary.
Let’s dish: Wings for the Ravens vs. Bills, vegan eatery moving and changes at Columbia lakefront
Welcome back to “Let’s dish.” This week, I’ll recommend an Ellicott City spot for soup dumplings and give you the rundown on a Black-owned vegan restaurant planning to merge with a bookstore in Waverly, as well as a new seafood restaurant preparing to fill the hole left by Clyde’s in Columbia. But first, let’s prep for Ravens game day. Chicken wings are required eating for any football game in my book, but especially when the Ravens are playing the Buffalo Bills. Ahead of this Sunday’s matchup, I went on Twitter to ask readers where to eat wings near M&T Bank Stadium.
Here’s how much MCB Real Estate could pay for Harborplace as deal nears approval
The planned sale of Harborplace to Baltimore developer P. David Bramble is in its final stages, with the struggling downtown property potentially selling for dramatically less than its assessed value. Documents filed in the “motion to sell” by the court-appointed receiver with the Baltimore City Circuit Court signal that a private deal between the receiver, IVL Group, and Bramble’s MCB Real Estate, is imminent. Attorneys for IVL provided the documents to the Baltimore Business Journal on Monday. The court papers provide the first glimpse into a proposed sale that was announced five months ago by Mayor Brandon Scott. IVL and MCB have held details of the negotiations close ever since. Bramble, principal of MCB Real Estate, declined to comment Tuesday morning.
Kurtz: Two general elections that will tell us a lot about the state of Md. politics
Go ahead, pay close attention to the three general elections for statewide office. A recent poll suggests that Democrats are in pretty good shape in the races for governor, attorney general and comptroller, so we can begin to imagine what public policy is going to look like with Wes Moore as governor, Brooke Lierman as comptroller and Anthony Brown as attorney general. But if you want to know what the political future is going to look like in Maryland over the next several years, you might want to pay equally close attention this fall to the races for county executive in Frederick and Anne Arundel.