Around Maryland

When Marc DeOcampo spent an afternoon designing flags with his son, he didn’t expect one of his designs to become Frederick County’s new flag. DeOcampo, a county resident and City of Frederick employee, won the flag redesigning contest held by the county in honor of its 275th anniversary with his design titled “Frederick, the Crossroads of Maryland.” He won $1,275 and a full-size flag with his design.

As its enrollment continues to climb, Frederick County Public Schools is set to begin searching for a new high school site in the eastern part of the county. District administrators have for years talked about the eventual need for an 11th public high school in Frederick County. But this year’s draft Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP), a 200-page document that lays out the system’s construction priorities, includes the most concrete detail about the project so far.

The day after Baltimore City public school teachers called for higher salaries at Tuesday’s school board meeting, a new study by a local nonprofit found they reported being overworked at “unsustainable” levels as they work to recover from challenges exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers from the Fund for Educational Excellence interviewed 202 city teachers and nine former teachers about their classroom experiences.

The city won’t say when former Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison gave notice of his intent to resign, adding to questions surrounding his abrupt departure. According to Harrison’s contract, he was required to give 90 days written notice of his intent to resign. The Baltimore Banner requested a copy of that letter, and the city declined, saying it was a “personnel record.”uction Strategy, he said he is “determined to improve morale throughout the department.”

Joe Richardson stood in a subway station in downtown Baltimore and stared at the wall, imagining another rail line extending west, all the way to his neighborhood of Midtown-Edmondson. Today, it’s just an idea, but Richardson believes there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build an east-west rail line and create a regional transportation hub in West Baltimore.

Baltimore City and a network of community organizations are hosting a resource fair for immigrants and refugees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Christ Inner Harbor Lutheran Church at 701 S. Charles St., Baltimore. In October Mayor Brandon Scott allocated $4 million in federal pandemic assistance to the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to set up a benefit navigation program in partnership with the Central American Solidarity Association of Maryland, the Southeast Community Development Corporations, Maryland Hunger Solutions, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Catholic Charities’ Esperanza Center.

The Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education approved a $310,000 contract for the system’s new superintendent and delayed a vote on new middle school boundaries at its meeting Tuesday evening. Myriam Yarbrough, who will begin her four-year contract July 1, is the next superintendent, replacing the outgoing Darryl L. Williams. Tuesday was Williams’ last board meeting as head of the school system. He announced his departure in January.

The Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) voted unanimously Tuesday to demolish the remnants of the historic Hendler Creamery following a heated debate. The creamery on East Baltimore Street in the Jonestown Historic District, east of downtown, was partially demolished and marked for redevelopment many years ago, leaving it exposed to weathering elements.