Around Maryland

A new poll found that most Maryland residents, including Black Democrats, support a tough-on-crime stance toward youth violence, favoring laws that include detention and boot camps for juveniles over laws that prescribe social programs and counseling. Fifty-nine percent of Maryland residents said strict laws would “ultimately better help children under 18 who commit crimes” while 35 percent said laws characterized as more lenient, which acknowledge society bears responsibility for much of the behavior, would be the best strategy, according to a Gonzales Research poll released Tuesday.

Baltimore City officials are partnering with the Enoch Pratt Free Library to hand out 30,000 free Chromebooks — a Google laptop popularly used in classrooms — to increase accessibility for low-income residents. Baltimore families with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, families enrolled in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, and families participating in assistance programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and free or reduced-price school lunches are eligible for a laptop.

Bolstering resources for mental health and special education were among the priorities mentioned by Frederick County Board of Education members last week during their first discussion of the fiscal 2025 budget.n The discussion, which came during a work session Sept. 27, marked the kickoff to the upcoming budget season.

P. David Bramble, managing partner of MCB Real Estate, has said his firm and team of architects are aiming for a uniquely Baltimore gathering spot that mixes retail, housing, office and possibly hospitality while showing off the waterfront. There is no timeline for demolition, as the project is still in the community engagement and design process, Alexandra Hughes, a spokesperson for MCB Real Estate, said.

While acknowledging that a few issues will need to be worked out, resort officials and business owners this week are celebrating the success of the Oceans Calling Festival. Roughly 50,000 attendees descended on downtown Ocean City last Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the first-ever Oceans Calling Festival. Highlighted by more than 30 performances across three stages off the Boardwalk, officials say the successful event demonstrated Ocean City’s capability to host large-scale festivals in the years to come.

Orioles fans cheered Thursday night when the club announced in a videoboard message that the team had agreed with the State of Maryland on a deal to keep the club O’s in Baltimore for the long term. The current stadium lease extension is set to expire Dec. 31. No details were provided at the game. On Friday, representatives of the club and Gov. Wes Moore said they had signed a “memorandum of understanding,” containing a series of agreed-upon terms as a precursor to a lease.

You’ve heard about putting money away for retirement, but there’s another key financial milestone for many of us. By the time it happens, we’re left with nothing in the bank. It’s having a child, and when that baby arrives, if you haven’t already started setting money aside, you are behind. Raising a child is a marathon, not a sprint, as any parent knows.

When she was a kid, Bianca Collins was shy and flew under the radar. She was bullied about her appearance in elementary and middle school, which damaged her self-esteem in ways that persisted into her adult life. She was “too afraid to open up” at the time, Collins said, and teachers and other school staff mostly failed to pick up on her internal struggle.

The first cheer from those gathered Monday morning at Camden Yards for Brooks Robinson’s public memorial came when, during a replaying of the legendary third baseman’s Hall of Fame speech, he thanked the city of Baltimore. Robinson once said that the greatest highlight of his career was not any of his individual accolades — of which there were plenty, including his famed 16 straight Gold Glove awards — but having played for one team, Baltimore, each year of his career.