Around Maryland

County officials approved emergency legislation regulating cannabis establishments this week. On Tuesday, the Worcester County Commissioners approved legislation amending the Public Health Article to establish regulations for certain cannabis establishments. Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said the regulations needed to be in place before the state began issuing new business licenses. “It’s coming and we want to be prepared when it gets here,” he said in an interview.

Uninsured residents will be given priority when it comes to government distribution of the new COVID-19 booster, county Health Officer Dr. Kisha Davis said during a Tuesday presentation to the Montgomery County Council in Rockville. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer and Moderna that is formulated to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the virus. But for the first time, the federal government will not be covering the cost of the vaccine.

Five young people, including four Morgan State University students, were shot Tuesday night on the institution’s campus in Northeast Baltimore, leading the school to cancel classes and homecoming festivities for the week. University police heard the gunshots around 9:30 p.m. Responding officers, including Baltimore Police and federal agents, found five shooting victims near a campus residential building and a fine arts facility. Those five — four men and one woman, who range in age from 18 to 22 years old — suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

A new poll found that most Maryland residents, including Black Democrats, support a tough-on-crime stance toward youth violence, favoring laws that include detention and boot camps for juveniles over laws that prescribe social programs and counseling. Fifty-nine percent of Maryland residents said strict laws would “ultimately better help children under 18 who commit crimes” while 35 percent said laws characterized as more lenient, which acknowledge society bears responsibility for much of the behavior, would be the best strategy, according to a Gonzales Research poll released Tuesday.

Baltimore City officials are partnering with the Enoch Pratt Free Library to hand out 30,000 free Chromebooks — a Google laptop popularly used in classrooms — to increase accessibility for low-income residents. Baltimore families with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, families enrolled in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, and families participating in assistance programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and free or reduced-price school lunches are eligible for a laptop.

Bolstering resources for mental health and special education were among the priorities mentioned by Frederick County Board of Education members last week during their first discussion of the fiscal 2025 budget.n The discussion, which came during a work session Sept. 27, marked the kickoff to the upcoming budget season.

P. David Bramble, managing partner of MCB Real Estate, has said his firm and team of architects are aiming for a uniquely Baltimore gathering spot that mixes retail, housing, office and possibly hospitality while showing off the waterfront. There is no timeline for demolition, as the project is still in the community engagement and design process, Alexandra Hughes, a spokesperson for MCB Real Estate, said.

While acknowledging that a few issues will need to be worked out, resort officials and business owners this week are celebrating the success of the Oceans Calling Festival. Roughly 50,000 attendees descended on downtown Ocean City last Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the first-ever Oceans Calling Festival. Highlighted by more than 30 performances across three stages off the Boardwalk, officials say the successful event demonstrated Ocean City’s capability to host large-scale festivals in the years to come.