Around Maryland

Community members came out in droves this week to share their comments regarding an offshore wind project near Ocean City. On Tuesday evening, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) hosted the first of two in-person public meetings regarding a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on US Wind’s offshore wind project. Lorena Edenfield, environmental protection specialist for BOEM, said the federal agency will continue to collect comments through Nov. 20.

Enrolling in a college degree program was attractive to Kyle Longerbeam only because of the extra time he’d get to spend outside his prison cell. The 37-year-old is originally from West Virginia but now resides in Anne Arundel County’s Jessup Correctional Institution, which houses nearly 2,000 men. He never took education seriously and didn’t intend to take Bowie State University’s program seriously, either.

Carroll County’s Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services has hired 28 new employees this month, adding staff to Reese, Sykesville, Taneytown, Mount Airy and Westminster fire stations. The hirings are part of the county’s efforts to build its first combination paid and volunteer fire and EMS service. “This will take the department up to 157 positions by late November, and we are now planning for the next budget year, where we anticipate the seven remaining stations to come on board with county staffing,” Michael Robinson, director and chief of the Department of Fire and EMS said.

The Maryland department that oversees the state’s 13 correctional facilities showcases “local reentry agreements” with nearly half the state’s counties, but an investigation into those memorandums show the overwhelming majority of state prisoners are staying put. The local detention centers, tasked in the agreements to facilitate a state inmate’s societal reentry, have only occasionally performed that function.

Lead found in drinking water more likely came from domestic pipes than a public source, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. During a random test last month, elevated lead levels were found in six of 21 water samples taken from Lonaconing homes.MDE requires all public water systems to collect and analyze water samples for lead and copper in accordance with a monitoring schedule.

Education officials maintain that schools are safe and cite a “gross failure” in communication as the reason for the current discord between the school system and local law enforcement. Following a trio of closed session meetings to discuss concerns shared by Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser and Sheriff Matt Crisafulli, Worcester County Board of Education President Todd Ferrante this week responded to law enforcement.

Lightbridge Academy, an early childhood education company, opened its 69th location with a grand opening for its newest facility in Timonium. The new center, located at 35-B East Padonia Road, was awarded to franchise owners and local residents Pratik Chandarana and Avani Patel. It will offer educational child care for ages six weeks through kindergarten.

The Jeremiah Program (JP) disrupts the cycle of poverty two generations at a time. In Baltimore, the program celebrates its one-year anniversary this week having impacted 43 single moms and 94 children, supporting both generations in their schooling with coaching, food, housing, and all the necessities needed to thrive.