Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD
54°
Cloudy
FOLLOW US:

Around Maryland

Montgomery Co. schools continue efforts to combat fentanyl use

There’s a concerning shift in how young people in Montgomery County, Maryland, are coming into contact with fentanyl, according to school officials. New information from health officials suggests that rather than accidental exposure to fentanyl, students are seeking out the drug themselves. “We had heard mostly that illicit fentanyl was ending up in counterfeit pills billed as something else,” Dr. Patricia Kapunan, medical officer for Montgomery County Public Schools, told WTOP.

 

Read More: WTOP
Carroll County has hired 16 lieutenants for its new Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services

Sixteen lieutenants started working in Carroll County’s new Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services earlier this month, following an extensive hiring process that involved combing through 92 applicants. The department has hired four shift commander lieutenants and 12 station lieutenants, all men, and eight of them from Carroll County.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
A Maryland school district stopped excusing therapy appointments. Parents were enraged.

Christina Gordon’s 9-year-old had been making progress with his mental health since he started his therapy sessions at Potomac Behavioral and Occupational Therapy nearly a year ago. Gordon went from having to call the police and paramedics once a week for her son to not calling at all. But last month, Gordon got a letter from Allegany County Public Schools stating that her son’s weekly therapy appointments would no longer count as excused absences.

Citing disruptions from teens, Mall in Columbia adopts weekend chaperone policy

Teenagers under 18 soon will need adult supervision to enter and shop at The Mall in Columbia on weekend nights, which the center hopes will discourage large gatherings of young teens and fighting that has escalated in recent months. The Howard County mall’s “Parental Guidance Required” policy, similar to one adopted several years ago at Towson Town Center, will be in effect Fridays and Saturdays after 4 p.m. starting March 31. Anyone under 18 will need a parent or 21-year-old or older adult accompanying them.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Arundel High School holds ‘mental wellness fair’

Students at Arundel High School held a “mental wellness fair” on Wednesday. The circumstances around the fair are a stark contrast to the first, held one month prior to the pandemic. Students today are still coping with pandemic losses. Students like Mozzy Walubita used the better part of their day reconnecting with classmates and staff members. “Coming off of COVID, it’s been really hard trying to re-adjust to school, re-adjust to interacting with people and everything,” Walubita said.

 

 

Mobile classroom trailer
Nearly a third of Baltimore County Public Schools are over capacity, frustrating parents, educators

Hampton Elementary School parents have asked the Baltimore County Board of Education to relieve their overcrowded classrooms for months. Teachers host class sizes well beyond state-recommended limits. The gymnasium cannot hold all students for assemblies. Lunch now spans three hours to fit each student into the cafeteria. By Baltimore County school system’s count, the Timonium school reached 112% capacity in September. Hampton Elementary parents say the current percentage is even higher. Across the school system, nearly one-third of schools are at or over capacity, according to August data.

 

Read More: Baltimore Sun
What does climate change mean for Baltimore?

Regular flooding that puts large swaths of Fells Point and the Inner Harbor underwater. Blistering heatwaves that target some of the city’s most vulnerable people. Stronger summer storms and winters without snowfall. This is Baltimore’s future unless the world takes drastic steps to mitigate some of the extremes of climate change, experts say. Even with immediate action, some change is baked in. We’re already living with climate change.

 

FAA: Departing Southwest plane comes within 200 feet of colliding with ambulance at BWI

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a Southwest Airlines plane and an ambulance came within 200 feet of a collision at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in January. In a statement released to WBAL NewsRadio, a spokesperson of the FAA said the driver of the ambulance crossed the runway without authorization.

 

More testing of nursing home staff would have reduced covid-19 deaths, study says
Maryland shares more information about Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant explosion

The “working theory” on the explosion last week at a building on the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant campus is that it might have been ignited after hot oil escaped from a leaking pipe, according to an inspection report from the Maryland Department of the Environment. The explosion blew holes in three walls of the building, which is operated by a private contractor called Synagro, and the firefighting efforts covered the first floor in 6 to 8 inches of water, according to the state’s report. No one was injured, but the building remains closed.

Read More: Baltimore Sun

The Morning Rundown

We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.