Around Maryland

Leo Shorten, 18, dove into the Potomac River Monday afternoon, donning only a T-shirt, shorts and shoes. He dunked himself in the frigid river a second time and splashed water into the air. About 20 other people joined him for the 2024 Freezin’ for a Reason plunge in Brunswick, though not all of them were as keen as Shorten to submerge themselves in the frigid water.

As public school officials continue implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan, behind-the-scenes work remains on how colleges can help. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) is an integral part of the Blueprint plan to work on strategies to assess college and career readiness, to expand dual enrollment opportunities for high school students with classes offered at community colleges and to attract more students to teaching and keep them in the profession.

Hundreds in and around the D.C. Metro area have reported feeling the effects of a small earthquake between Gaithersburg and Rockville, Maryland, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Here’s what you need to know. WTOP listeners throughout the region, including those living in Northwest D.C. and Montgomery, Prince George’s and Howard County, Maryland, reported shaking just before 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

As the head of the philanthropic arm of the NBA players union, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake attended the 2023 NBA draft at Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets, in New York. As she watched 58 players get selected over two rounds, the 53-year-old Baltimore native felt something unexpected. “When I was at the draft and looking at all of these young people that were venturing into their lives as basketball players, I felt like a proud auntie because I realized that these young people could be my sons,” she said, adding that some of the athletes she saw in June were the same age as her 20-year-old daughter.

James Crudup has vivid memories of traveling to Seagull Beach in Charles County during his teenage years. “I remember that water being just as clear as if we were in Florida … that’s the way it was back then,” Crudup said. “Now you cannot see. Now the water is so dark and dirty and is really filthy.” For Crudup, this type of degradation hasn’t just been visible at Seagull Beach.

A three-minute viral video shows an irate Baltimore police officer berating a teenager because he ignored orders to stop skateboarding and called the officer “dude.” “Obviously your parents don’t put a foot in your butt quite enough because you don’t understand the meaning of respect,” he shouted at the skateboarder, who remained relatively calm.

The big astronomical event in 2024 is a Great North American Eclipse in April. In Maryland, the moon won’t cover the sun during the eclipse, but it will come close. Read on for viewing tips, as well as other skywatching highlights and key astronomical dates for the next 12 months. For most events, the best viewing will be from rural areas with less lighting, and during clear weather. But some can be seen despite city lights.

About an hour after the morning bell at Northwood Elementary School in North Baltimore, a boy came to the health suite looking for a mask. A few more kids streamed in with minor needs, like bandages. A second grader with butterflies pinned in her hair wanted someone to yank a wiggly baby tooth. “I gave her some ice and wrote a note home to mom,” said said Brianna Gibson, a registered nurse who says she sees about eight kids a day.

Picture this: You’re a student at Morgan State University, cramming for exams in the library during finals week. You’re starving, but you hardly have time to grab a bite. You could order food online from an off-campus restaurant, but that might take awhile and it’s probably not covered under your meal plan. At Morgan, along with a growing number of colleges across the country, there’s another option: Log in to the campus food provider’s app on your phone, choose an option from the menu and select delivery.

Teachers and staff at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland are strongly urged to watch what they say on social media and make sure it “aligns” with the “system’s values” after four teachers were put on administrative leave. According to a letter sent by the school system’s chief operating officer, Brian Hull, there has been a rise of “staff accounts being reported on,” which Montgomery County Public Schools had to follow up on.