Around Maryland

The unexpected shutdown of Maryland’s light rail system last month cut many commuters and sports fans off from downtown Baltimore, and left many with questions. The Maryland Transit Administration did not give a time frame when making the suspension announcement for safety reasons but resumed light rail services about two weeks later. Now, here’s what to know about the suspension, the resumption of services and how it’s affecting potential future projects.

Baltimore County will perform safety audits along 17 roads, many in the western part of the county, thanks to a $3.5 million federal grant, officials recently announced. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, or SS4A. A yet-to-be-determined external contractor will perform the audits. The contractor will not make infrastructure changes to the roadways but will develop proposals aimed at increasing safety for drivers and pedestrians.

With one in four Baltimore EMS positions currently vacant, the city’s spending board approved a recruitment and retention bonus of $7,500 per employee Wednesday. The bonus, which is expected to cost the city about $2.2 million, requires employees to remain with the city for three years in exchange for the payment. Eligible employees, who agree to remain with the force for the next three years, will receive the retention bonus over three installments in January, March and July.

Whether it’s a textbook or a library book, it won’t be allowed in Carroll County Public Schools if deemed sexually explicit by school officials. That’s thanks to a new policy passed unanimously by its school board Wednesday. The vote came after a monthslong campaign by the conservative parent group Moms for Liberty, whose members challenged dozens of school library books they say are inappropriate for students.

City officials this week approved the return of Ocean City Jeep Fest. On Tuesday, the council voted 6-0, with Councilwoman Carol Proctor absent, to approve the return of Ocean City Jeep Fest Aug. 22-25. Live Wire Media’s Brad Hoffman told officials the event was a great fit for the resort. “Last year, we ran a very successful event,” he said. “The vendors we have, the participants we have, enjoy the event. It fits very well the end of summer, the weekend before Labor Day, and I’m excited to once again bring a great event to Ocean City. It’s well-run, it’s safe and it’s significant in its economic impact to the Town of Ocean City.”

Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez opened her remarks Tuesday at at a joint meeting with the Washington County Commissioners by recounting a list of projects she said would not have been possible without the collaboration of the county government. They included everything from the construction of the new parking deck on Antietam Street and the new field house project on the former site of Municipal Stadium to the Hagerstown Police Department’s “groundbreaking” drone program.

If you are looking for places to visit this year, you might not have to look far, according to an influential travel list released on Tuesday. Baltimore made the New York Times’ annual “52 Places to Go” list for 2024. The list encompasses places across the globe, from major cities like Paris to more remote areas such as Ladakh, India.

Shavani Greene was making her 27-mile morning commute when her mom texted that all Prince George’s County Public Schools would be closing early Tuesday because of inclement weather. The 30-year-old accountant typically drives an hour from her home in Laurel, Md., to her office in Rockville. When she got the notification from her mom, she began planning a conversation with her boss to leave early so she could pick up her son from school.

Brandon Gruszczynski, who manages the LGBTQ Baltimore Eagle Bar & Nightclub in Old Goucher, fondly remembers a once-vibrant gay scene in Baltimore. It was during the ’90s and early 2000s when patrons could hop from bar to bar for hours on any given night or attend other activities, such as house parties, drag bingo or game and trivia nights throughout the week.