Around Maryland

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced in his State of the City address that city residents would be eligible for a one-time 5% discount on water bills for enrolling in paperless billing. City residents have until May 31 to sign up for the program, and after enrolling, they will see the one-time 5% discount, capped at $150, applied to eligible water bills within two billing cycles. Customers who already have paperless billing will automatically qualify for the discount.

After hearing concerns from local seniors, the Prince George’s County Council moved to block retaliation from landlords seeking an end-run around rent stabilization legislation that became effective April 17. The emergency action, taken Tuesday, clarified elements of the bill, such as who constitutes a “preexisting tenant,” after council members heard reports that some landlords — upset by a new 3 percent cap on rent increases — were attempting to oust renters.

Larry Zarzecki, a resident of White Marsh, has Parkinson’s disease. Over the span of three years, he went through his IRA and sold his house in order to cover the out-of-pocket costs for his drugs. “Each year, prescription drugs became more and more and more expensive,” Zarzecki said. “Over the past few years, it’s gotten so out of hand with the cost of the other prescription drugs that I take to function.”

Amid a rise in incidents of hate bias, racism, antisemitism and LGBTQ+ prejudice across Montgomery County Public Schools in recent months, the district is hosting a virtual event at Rockville High on April 27 where Superintendent Monifa McKnight will announce new “districtwide actions in response,” according to a press release.

Two institutions of higher learning in Maryland have partnered in hopes of addressing the state’s nursing shortage. Notre Dame of Maryland University signed an agreement Tuesday to make it easier for students at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg to enroll in the former’s fast-track nursing program. Any student who earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences at Mount St. Mary’s can now earn their second bachelor of science in nursing degree at Notre Dame of Maryland in fewer than 15 months.

Some schools in the Baltimore region are ending the academic year earlier than originally scheduled after a mild winter led to fewer inclement weather closures than expected. Public school systems in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll and Harford counties have announced an earlier end to the school year.

All stations on the Baltimore City Metro Subway system will temporarily close for an entire weekend. The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration will close all stations on the Metro Subway system beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, May 5, and will reopen them at 5 a.m. Monday, May 8.

Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, received $5.495 million in capital funding for 13 projects from the state of Maryland during the 2023 legislative session. The funding will be used towards park projects in six legislative districts in Montgomery County that include trail and bridge projects, playground and athletic field improvements, sports court and skatepark amenities, community garden and picnic facilities, environmental restoration, and ADA enhancements.