Around Maryland

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.

There have been several instances of violent crime between Baltimore City Public School students in 2023, and there’s also been an uptick of guns being recovered at schools. Baltimore City Schools Police Sgt. Clyde Boatwright spoke with C4 and Bryan Nehman on Wednesday. He said officials recovered 13 guns so far this school year and on pace to surpass the 15 recovered last school year.

Whitman-Walker Health System is seeing change at the top — again. Ryan Moran, who was appointed CEO in fall 2021 of Whitman-Walker Health System, one of the D.C. nonprofit’s two sibling entities, is stepping down for a post with the Maryland Department of Health, Whitman-Walker announced Tuesday. Cindy Lewin, a former D.C. partner at the law firm Venable LLP and, before that, general counsel of AARP, will step in as interim chief executive of Whitman-Walker Health System, a philanthropic and research institute, starting April 10, according to the organization.

Calling all early birds and night owls. Amtrak has announced new low train fares from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for travelers going from New York City to Washington, D.C., and stops in between. Passengers on the Northeast Regional and select routes can get fares as low as $15 (New York to BWI), or $5 (from Baltimore to Philadelphia). But you may have to be willing to wake up at the crack of dawn — or just never go to bed.

With the release of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s fiscal year 2024 budget, Morgan State University has secured an additional $6.8 million in state funding to support the launch of two new research centers that will develop and drive innovation in the design and fabrication of semiconductors and address the challenges facing public school education.