Around Maryland

A reimagining of the long-awaited Red Line transportation system could connect Howard County to eastern Baltimore County. The proposed expansion is part of a 25-year regional transportation plan released by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. The plan also includes a multibillion transit corridor connecting Towson to Baltimore City.

The Maryland State Department of Education has returned more than $800,000 in federal grant money earmarked for salaries and professional development amid complaints of a toxic work culture and staffing exodus. Assistant State Superintendent Justin Dayhoff said about $844,000 was returned to the U.S. Department of Education.

Truleo, a provider of automated body camera review and analysis technology for law enforcement, Thursday announced the Elkton Police Department has signed on to utilize the company’s body camera data analysis platform. Truleo processes body camera videos for departments across the country to help automate supervision, facilitate coaching, and promote police professionalism.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky surprised graduates at Johns Hopkins University’s commencement on Thursday, speaking to them in a live stream about his country’s fight to restore freedom and the students’ own futures. “I will not be too long,” said Zelensky, telling the crowd that time is of the essence, more valuable than even oil, uranium and lithium.

The Howard County Council added a competitive bidding process to access state funds for a new lakefront library in Columbia, a project for which the Howard Hughes Corp. had been selected. County officials revealed plans for the new library in March and said they expected it to become the community’s crown jewel. At 100,000 square feet, the library will cost around $144 million and will include other amenities such as an auditorium, a literacy classroom and a digital lab, officials said.

Children and teens gathering in Baltimore during nighttime hours this summer could be ordered to vacate or be transported to what officials are calling a Youth Connection Center, according to a memo from the Baltimore Police commissioner. The police document outlines how officers who encounter a crowd of 10 or more school-aged residents should instruct them to disperse in three successive announcements, before members of the group could be relocated by a Youth Connection Center employee.

Local political and civil rights leaders gathered in Severn Wednesday morning to condemn the young man whose neighborhood walks with a semiautomatic rifle have garnered national attention this past week. Together, they called for the armed demonstrations to stop, saying they’re inciting fear in the community, and suggested his actions may inspire further gun control regulation next year.

There’s been a big effort to repair roads across Baltimore City. Mayor Brandon Scott’s ‘Build-Better-B- More’ initiative was launched in June with the goal to repair 9,000 potholes and resurface miles of city roads over the next 90 days.