Around Maryland

The historic Oldfields School, a small all-girls boarding school in Sparks Glencoe, will close at the end of this academic year. The school, which became the first girls boarding school in Maryland when it was founded in 1867, said in a Wednesday news release the decision to close is due to “recent trends and obstacles” that have challenged independent schools nationwide.

More than 200 construction workers took park in a “unity ride” Wednesday to raise awareness about work zone safety, nearly a month after six people were killed at a site in the median of the Baltimore Beltway. Participants began their hourlong afternoon ride at noon at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and ended at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, traveling on I-97, I-695 and I-83. Workers made a point to drive the posted speed limit along the route.

The Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education discussed closing Golden Ring Middle School, lowered graduation rates and increased dropout rates at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening. This is the first meeting of the academic year where new appointed board members Tiara Booker-Dwyer, Tiffany Frempong and Emory Young have taken their seats. The trio, all selected by Gov. Wes Moore’s office, were sworn into their positions Friday and Monday.

Baltimore police Commissioner Michael Harrison said enforcing the city’s youth curfew is a work in progress. During the C4 and Bryan Nehman show on Tuesday, Harrison explained how to enforce the youth curfew and what the police department’s role in it will be is up for discussion. “We’ve been meeting several times a week,” Harrison said regarding the pending curfew regulations.

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously last week to enact an expedited bill to create the Friendship Heights Urban District that will, among other things, create an advisory committee with the aim of strengthen the commercial and public spaces in the Friendship Heights area of the county. Friendship Heights straddles Montgomery County and the District of Columbia, and the county bill dovetails with legislation introduced by D.C. Ward 3 councilmember Matt Frumin to create a business improvement district for the D.C. side of Friendship Heights.

Officials in Berlin are expected to consider a two-cent property tax rate increase as the budget process moves forward. Following discussion at this week’s work session, Mayor Zack Tyndall instructed staff to include a rate of $0.835 per $100 of assessed valuation in the tax rate ordinance to be considered by the council following a public hearing April 24. While council members have mixed feelings on an increase, Tyndall said it would help balance the budget.

Baltimore County will have a new police chief this afternoon. Robert McCullough is returning to lead the force where he spent 35 years in uniform before he retired in 2020. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski told C4 and Bryan Nehman on Tuesday that even before last night’s unanimous council vote to confirm him, McCullough had already hit the ground meeting with community groups and laying the groundwork for his first day as chief.