Around Maryland

Starting next week, drivers heading to the Eastern Shore over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge will encounter a new automatic lane closure system during two-way traffic on the westbound span of the bridge. The system will roll out March 6 on the Western Shore near U.S. 50/U.S. 301, the Maryland Transportation Authority announced. This system is aimed at improving safety for motorists and road crews by using overhead signals and automatic gates to close lanes, instead of barrels.

Dozens of upset Eldersburg residents packed the South Carroll Senior Center on Tuesday night, speaking out against a four- or five-story storage facility proposed for their neighborhood. Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies parked outside the senior center in Eldersburg as the meeting inside at times became contentious and heated. Carroll County Commissioners’ President Ed Rothstein, who represents District 5, which includes Eldersburg, and storage facility developer representative Mike Castellitto were peppered with questions and concerns from angry residents.

As Maryland finalizes its school star ratings this month, education leaders are forecasting a majority of the state’s public schools have held steady even as a quarter of them lost a star in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. State board of education members on Tuesday reviewed preliminary results for the state’s school rating system, known as the Maryland Report Card, offering a new glimpse at the pandemic’s lingering impact on public education during the 2021-

A ruling from the Supreme Court against the White House’s student debt relief program could impact more than 800,000 Maryland student loan borrowers who are currently eligible for relief according to data from the federal Department of Education. So far, about 320,000 Maryland borrowers have had their loans forgiveness applications approved by the Education Department. Maryland ranks second in the nation for average student loan debt burden, according to data from the Education Data Initiative, a nonprofit research group that examines data from the federal government.

Maryland will pay $7 million to settle the pending state Supreme Court appeal of a man who was savagely beaten while in state custody and whose jury award of $25 million had been slashed to $200,000 under the Maryland Tort Claims Act. The Board of Public Works on Wednesday unanimously approved the settlement with Daquan Wallace before the high court could hear arguments that MTCA’s damages cap violates the state constitution’s guarantee of a just legal remedy for the 2014 beating he suffered at the Baltimore Detention Center.

Opened in fall 2022, the 70,000-square-foot Thurgood Marshall Hall dramatically enhanced the student experience with its multifunctional and high-tech spaces. (File photo) The University of Maryland on Wednesday celebrated the naming of Thurgood Marshall Hall, home of its school of public policy, with an event that brought together faculty, staff, students and alums, Gov. Wes Moore and the son of Thurgood Marshall, Thurgood Marshall Jr.