Around Maryland

Civil rights groups and residents in Wicomico County filed a federal voting rights lawsuit late last week against the county on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, alleging that its system for electing school board and council members is racially discriminatory and unlawful. The Wicomico County NAACP, the Caucus of African American Leaders and the Watchmen With One Voice Ministerial Alliance joined four Wicomico residents in charging the county with violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which the plaintiffs say extends from “a long and disgraceful history of discrimination against Black residents.”

A surprise wintry mix entered the D.C. area early Monday morning as the roads are expected to be slick when you drive into work. Here’s what you need to know. WTOP meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts reported that there are “snow-covered roads” and some stickage on roads. Crews are currently working to shovel out the snow from the roads.

Baltimore will be switching up its New Year’s Eve celebration at the Inner Harbor this year by introducing a “custom designed drone show” to go along with a traditional fireworks display. The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA), which is co-producing the New Year’s Eve festivities with the City of Baltimore, announced Friday that Image Engineering, a global events company that specializes in laser entertainment and is based in Curtis Bay, will coordinate the drone portion of the event.

It began as a pandemic-era tool bookmarked by internet browsers, crawling along television news chyrons and cited in local public health updates. More than 2.5 billion views later, the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard’s lasting, yet lesser-known, legacy may be how it helped attract monumental funding to build an artificial intelligence hub in Baltimore.

When the Maryland Transit Administration launched Baltimore’s light rail service in 1992, it was with the understanding that its railcars would need a midlife overhaul after about 15 years. The recommended maintenance date came and went, and it wasn’t until 2013 that the MTA awarded a $150 million contract to multinational rail manufacturer Alstom to make the needed improvements on the fleet of more than 50 railcars.

The Baltimore Ravens flock faced some frustration after Sunday’s game amid a complete Light Rail shutdown. “It’s a long process. It’s confusing, and I’m ready to go home,” shuttle bus rider Marcere Brightman said. It was a sentiment felt by many Baltimoreans as they navigated a shuttle bus system in place of the Light Rail.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued an advisory about eating certain types of fish from local waterways over concerns about “forever chemicals.” The new advisory covers largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, bluegill and white perch, according to the department. Officials say people do not need to avoid consuming these fish entirely, but should eat them in moderation.