Around Maryland

The Baltimore City Fire Department is making some progress on a variety of efforts to dig out from under the burdens of abnormally high call volumes, a staffing crunch and public health challenges such as the opioid epidemic. In a series of updates given to City Council’s public safety committee Wednesday, fire department leaders pointed to signs of slight improvement, particularly around restoring the depleted vehicle fleet and the ongoing challenge of long wait times that medics routinely face when dropping patients off at area hospitals.

A popular streetery created during the pandemic in Bethesda, Maryland, not only appears to be here to stay, it may get some improvements. The Norfolk Avenue streetery, which has turned two blocks of the street into an open eatery and seating area with just a few small tables and folding chairs, may be raised up to sidewalk level, have the intersections nearby raised to slow down traffic and be enhanced to deal with standing water issues.

Baltimore City Council members are planning a hearing with city school officials over the system’s recent problems with late payments to vendors. Councilmembers Robert Stokes and John Bullock proposed the hearing during Monday’s City Council meeting, which followed reports by vendors who say Baltimore City Public Schools hasn’t paid them for their contracted services, some of which have amounted to thousands of dollars. Other vendors were paid late.

Each Fall, images appear online showcasing some of the most stunning examples of foliage. However, many Americans are perhaps unaware of alternative ‘hidden gems’ to see Fall’s foliage. Mixbook, a #1 rated photo book brand, carried out a survey of 3,000 respondents, asking them which under-the-radar destinations they would most like to visit to see fall foliage this year.

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced on Tuesday that the county had purchased a 119-acre plot of land for a future high school. The site, which Fitzwater, D, called the Burall Farm Property, sits at the intersections of Md. 80 and Md. 75 between New Market and Urbana. The county purchased the land for $2.2 million, which she said was “well below market value.”

Young adults packed Montgomery County Council chambers in Rockville on Sept. 12 to voice their objection to proposed changes to the county’s Policing Advisory Commission, including eliminating a requirement to have one person age 25 or younger and one person between the ages of 25 and 35 serve on the body.

For the very first time, on Wednesday, Sept. 20, judges from various Maryland courts will visit elementary schools to read to third-grade students as part of the Reading & Robes program. The judges participating are from the Supreme Court of Maryland, the Appellate Court of Maryland, local circuit courts and the District Court of Maryland. Making this event even more monumental is the fact that judges will be dressed in their official robes.