Around Maryland

Prince George’s County has long been known as an enclave for middle-class African Americans, a place of cul-de-sac neighborhoods and golf courses that is Maryland’s second-most-populous county. As the area becomes more diverse, a new population is on the rise: African immigrants. That community in Prince George’s has grown from about 41,200 residents in 2010 to about 71,335 residents today, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

The Baltimore County Police Department is joining the FBI’s Cyber Task Force as the first local agency to take part in the law enforcement effort. Police Chief Robert McCullough announced the new partnership at a news conference Friday morning. He said county police and the FBI are partnering to establish a new cyber investigative team in the police department.

Frederick’s Board of Alderman imposed new conditions on Thursday that could derail an affordable housing project at Wormans Mill. Bruce Dean, a lawyer representing the developer, said in an interview on Friday that the conditions “could very well destroy the economic viability of the project.” The Wormans Mill apartment project calls for 315 multifamily units and 5,000 square feet of commercial space near Md. 26 and U.S. 15.

A few dozen Howard County residents protested Friday afternoon outside the headquarters of W.R. Grace & Co. in Columbia in response to the chemical company looking to build a pilot plastics recycling plant close to their homes. They worry about the air quality and byproducts of recycling plastic, known as forever chemicals, finding their way into the water supply.

Anne Arundel County residents have been blown away by noisy leaf blowers, prompting the County Council to introduce a bill to leave combustion engine-powered blowers behind. The bill will be withdrawn Tuesday, however, due to pushback from small businesses. The bill was introduced in July by District 6 County Council member Lisa Rodvien.

Barbara Nicklas, the former chair of the city of Frederick’s Planning Commission, was confirmed on Tuesday to a vacant seat on the Fredrick County Planning Commission. The vacant seat was previously held by Robert White, whose term was set to expire on June 30, 2027. Joel Rensberger, the chair of the Frederick County Planning Commission, said in an interview on Aug. 21 that White’s departure was announced in May.

Six state senators and 12 delegates representing Baltimore County have written Maryland’s power grid operator to demand more transparency about its plan for a 70-mile power transmission line that would slice through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. The bipartisan group of legislators is also asking PJM Interconnection, which manages the power grid for Maryland and several other states, why it cannot use existing lines and infrastructure for the $424 million project, instead of building new lines that will cut through farmland, wineries, and homes.