Around Maryland

“New year, new me” social media posts are about to start popping up. While those resolutions may or may not hold up, you may still want to celebrate 2024 with new activities. Here’s a list of places for you to be when the clock strikes midnight — or maybe even a little earlier — on Dec. 31. The Inner Harbor decided to switch things up for this year’s New Year’s Eve. In addition to the annual fireworks, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts will put on a drone show.

Corliss Billips has lived in Baltimore near Morgan State University for 48 years. It’s where she’s owned her home, raised three children, and recently retired as a fraud investigator for the city’s state’s attorney’s office. It’s also where she wanted to stay, but her house was making her sick. “It wasn’t healthy. I didn’t have cold water upstairs, and I had to regulate my hot water to take a shower by turning down the water heater,” she said. “The upstairs toilet didn’t work, and I smelled gas when I turned on the stove.”

The Red Line isn’t the only new transit coming to town. The Maryland Transit Administration has completed a feasibility study that evaluated seven potential options for a new transit line between Towson and downtown Baltimore, eliminating some options but committing to further study of light rail, heavy rail and bus rapid transit (BRT). The new line would aim to build upon and improve transit service in one of the busiest corridors of the region for public transportation.

Five guns have been found inside Baltimore City Public Schools in the last two days. "It's very concerning that someone would bring an armed weapon where children are supposed to learn," said Devera Ruff, who has a granddaughter at Baltimore's KIPP Harmony Academy. On Thursday morning, an employee at KIPP Harmony Charter School was arrested for having a gun on the property.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell has proposed a $1.7 billion fiscal 2025 budget that would continue to fund the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, provide pay increases for teachers and bus drivers and compensate for the Elementary Secondary School Emergency Relief funding that will end next year. Bedell’s request represents a 3.71% increase over the current budget, which is the lowest increase in the last nine years. Nearly 61.5% of that increase would go toward compensation and benefits enhancements for employees.

Despite prior warnings, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future will not require Carroll County to move large numbers of teachers from some schools to staff others, Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Blueprint Coordinator Jon O’Neal told the county school board on Dec. 13. Superintendent Cynthia McCabe previously had said to expect teachers to be shifted to schools with higher concentrations of students who receive free or reduced-price meals and those deemed to have special needs to help recover from COVID-19 pandemic learning losses.

Allegany and Garrett counties will receive a combined $1 million in grant awards through the State Revitalization Program, including $750,000 for the Prichard Building renovation project in Frostburg, according to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Gov. Wes Moore said the program, which includes additional funds for other projects across the state, is designed to promote community development and economic growth.

Frederick County has launched more resources about strokes and stroke symptoms in Spanish as part of the county’s stroke awareness efforts and educating more community members on the signs and dangers of strokes. In addition to a Spanish version of the county’s public service announcement video on strokes, the county has also created a Spanish mnemonic, “AHORA,” for people to remember where to look for stroke symptoms.

Unique play features, including a sway glider, we-go swing and merry-go-all, as well as a sensory-friendly rock abacus with special textures and shapes, and innovative musical stations were installed recently at Centennial Park North in Ellicott City, designed to allow anyone with physical challenges to play freely by themselves or with others. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Recreation and Parks Director Nick Mooneyhan celebrated the opening of the park’s sensory trail loop and all-access playground area on Nov. 17.