Around Maryland

Though Maryland isn’t in the path of totality for the solar eclipse set for the afternoon of Monday, April 8, 2024, there will still be plenty of reasons to look to the skies in the Hagerstown area and beyond. Here’s a look at when the eclipse is coming, then more on events all around to enjoy the big event.

A heightened law enforcement presence took effect in Ridgely, Caroline County, Monday as sheriff’s deputies aim to enhance safety measures in the area more frequently. The entire Ridgely Police Department has been placed on suspension, prompting the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office to step in and assure residents of increased patrols starting Monday.

As the arduous task of cleaning up the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore continues, one environmental group said they are concerned about potential pollution impacts we could see from the process. Emily Ranson, the Chesapeake regional director for the advocacy group Clean Water Action, said some concerns include how any hazardous materials will be removed and sediment blooms caused by dredging.

A Montgomery County judge deemed Maryland’s Child Victims Act unconstitutional Monday in a child sex abuse lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Washington, prompting a swift promise of yet another appeal related to the landmark law. Circuit Judge Jeannie E. Cho’s ruling diverged from those of her colleagues in Harford and Prince George’s counties, who found the law constitutional.

Officials are planning to resume limited maritime traffic around the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The captain of the port is preparing to establish a temporary alternate channel on the northeast side of the main channel for commercially essential vessels, according to a news release Sunday night from the Unified Command.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was built the same year Steve Becker was born, so he has known it all his life. “On a clear day,” he said, “you can see it from all over the place.” Becker grew up in Dundalk, as did his father and one of his grandmothers, and still lives there, commuting to an office near the Inner Harbor where he works as a software engineer.

Montgomery County, known for its cultural and ethnic diversity, healthy residents and the state’s largest school system, now has something else to crow about: It’s a top spot for the fast-growing sport of pickleball. A new report has named Bethesda as the top community for pickleball in the state. Rockville was in second place and Potomac and Olney in ninth and 10th place, respectively.

A recent progress report on the county’s new budget draft led to a spirited discussion among the Washington County Commissioners over tax rates and finances. Bottom line, don’t look for a change in your local income tax rate this year. Here’s the background: Each year, the state of Maryland distributes “disparity grants” to jurisdictions whose per-capita tax revenues are less than 75% of the statewide average. And every year, Washington County seems to qualify.