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Montgomery Co. bill would prohibit police from stopping drivers for some minor traffic offenses

There’s a new bill being considered in Montgomery County, Maryland, that would prevent police officers from making stops for certain minor traffic offenses. It’s called The Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing, or the STEP Act. The bill, introduced Tuesday, would limit traffic stops for low-level moving violations as primary offenses, such as window tinting or defective taillights.

Read More: WTOP
Breathing new life into Maryland’s former all-Black schools

Bessie Bordenave said she cried in September when her beloved Harriet Tubman High School was reopened as a cultural center. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this is happening.’ Just thinking about it makes me emotional. I think about how great it turned out to be,” she said. “The children from the various schools come and get a taste of what it was like going to the school back then. … I think the children do need to know.”

 

New task force could change how Baltimore’s water system is run, but some worry it’s too exclusive

A General Assembly bill that could transform how the Baltimore area’s water and wastewater infrastructure is operated will get its first hearing Wednesday. A few local politicians and water advocates are raising questions about the proposal, which would set up a task force charged with determining the best governance for the systems, which are largely owned by Baltimore City but also serve Baltimore County and others in the region.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Frederick Co. deputies to start wearing body cameras Tuesday

Deputies in Frederick County, Maryland, will be wearing body cameras starting Tuesday as part of their duty uniform. Deputies will be outfitted with Axon body cameras, and the rollout to 180 officers will be phased in over the next 60 days, said Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Balsley, in a Facebook post.

Read More: WTOP
Baltimore County Public Schools teachers rally for raises ahead of school board meeting budget vote

Baltimore County Public Schools educators wanting better compensation upgraded their public pleas to a rally outside the school board meeting Tuesday, the night the board is set to vote on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2024.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Three Maryland HBCUs to receive $3 million in STEM scholarships, University of Maryland honors Thurgood Marshall

On the last day of Black History Month, Gov. Wes Moore appeared at two events: one to honor the legacy of Thurgood Marshall and another announcing funding for three Maryland HBCUs.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore launches new public safety accountability dashboard with crime, arrest, conviction metrics

The new dashboard will offer the public a view of police and court data broken down by neighborhood, police district and crime types.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
The use of hard drugs has been an epidemic for over a decade and there are no simple or easy solutions.
How Montgomery Co. schools plans to crack down on students’ fentanyl use

The Montgomery County Public School system has released a plan to combat the rise in opioid use and overdoses in the Maryland county’s over 200 schools — including a crackdown on how long and when students can be in the restroom. In a statement released Friday, the Maryland school system announced it would take immediate and strategic actions to inform the community about the dangers of fentanyl — which has, as of Jan. 24, resulted in over 11 cases of youth overdoses in the county’s schools since the beginning of the school year, according to the school system’s spokesperson Jessica Baxter.

Read More: WTOP
Black student loan borrowers at risk as U.S. Supreme Court weighs forgiveness plan

As the Biden administration prepares to defend its student debt cancellation program before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, data shows that Black borrowers have the most to lose should the justices strike down the policy. Black borrowers hold a disproportionate share of student loan debt, and many likely were recipients of Pell Grants, federal aid to help low-income students pay for higher education. Those federal student loan borrowers who received Pell Grants could qualify for up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness under the administration plan.

Carroll Community College students get help in unlocking federal aid for groceries and other necessities

Carroll Community College students will have an easier time accessing free funds for groceries and other necessities thanks to a new partnership between the college and Benefits Data Trust, a national nonprofit organization. Benefits Data Trust is helping the college to use student data the college collects to identify those most likely to be eligible for untapped support. About 820 students received texts and emails within the last month notifying them that they may be eligible for about $100 per month to help defray grocery costs. The organization Share our Strength, which works to address hunger-related issues, helped provide data analysis funding.

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