Around Maryland

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.

Tucked away on a quiet street, Frederick's Overlook Park is easy to miss. With a pavilion, a basketball court, tennis courts, and a sloping asphalt trail, the park off Himes Avenue has many of the amenities of other parks in the city. But behind the tennis courts, six brown rectangles sit near the tree line.

The Baltimore County Police Department collected over 200 guns during Saturday's firearm buyback event. Police partnered with the NAACP, Baltimore County chapter to host the event. Participants exchanged the guns for gift cards. Officials said the goal was to make communities safer. "It doesn't matter if the guns come from any other state, any other county, we just want to get the guns off the street because guns can travel to Baltimore to kill individuals. We just want them off the street," said Danita Tolson, president of the Baltimore County NAACP branch.