Around Maryland

The state of Maryland has unleashed a team of computer experts and enthusiasts on a number of the state’s websites. The mission: to see if they could find weak spots in the state’s domains that end in “maryland.gov,” “us.md.gov” or “state.md.us.” “We found more than 40 vulnerabilities,” said Chris Krawiec, senior director of cyber resilience with the Maryland Department of Information Technology.

In the budding but expansive effort to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Maryland Transportation Authority is looking to lease storage space at Tradepoint Atlantic for up to the next five years. The 2.7-acre space in Sparrows Point is needed “for storage needs related to the Key Bridge collapse,” according to the Maryland Board of Public Works, which is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its regular meeting Wednesday in Annapolis.

Maryland utility regulators want to overhaul the way the region’s electric grid operator ensures reliable service, saying the current process saddles customers with unfair and excessive rates. The Maryland Public Service Commission, a state agency that regulates public utilities, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform an auction process used by PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for the mid-Atlantic region.

The Salisbury Police Department (SPD) is celebrating a generous donation that will help ensure K9 units are safe in all weather. The Blue Heron Agility Association of Delaware (BHAD) is providing $4,000 to the department. Police say the money will help outfit two SPD vehicles with HOT-N-POP systems. “It gives me clarity in knowing that I can keep my partner safe, just like he keeps me safe,” said PFC Daniel Derasmo, a K9 handler for SPD.

Three Baltimore County Council members have proposed a resolution for Baltimore County to condemn a 70-mile power line project that they say will ruin farmland, seize private homes and lower property values. The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) was first announced in December, when regional transmission operator PJM awarded a contract to the New Jersey-based Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) for development.

A couple of special guests introduced Stevie Wonder in Baltimore on Tuesday night. Barack Obama, the nation’s 44th president, and former first lady Michelle Obama stood on either side of the legendary singer as he opened his show on the 11-city “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” tour at CFG Bank Arena. “This is amazing,” Wonder said before holding the mic for the former president.

Drivers in Montgomery County will soon see “noise cameras” on local roads after the County Council unanimously passed legislation Tuesday that aims to reduce vehicular noise emissions. The bill, sponsored by council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) with co-sponsorship from the rest of the council, is based on state legislation passed earlier this year by the Maryland General Assembly.