Around Maryland

Starting Monday in Baltimore County, drivers who pass a stopped school bus with red flashing lights will face a $250 ticket. “It’s a much-needed program so that we can protect our students when you consider the number of kids struck by motorists,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said. School buses in the county are equipped with four cameras that capture video and photos of license plates, allowing authorities to identify violators.

The Maryland Energy Administration Monday announced the opening of the new Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Commercial Solar Grant Program, which offers major incentives to Maryland businesses and organizations to help pay the costs of solar energy systems that benefit Maryland’s low-to-moderate income, overburdened and underserved communities.

Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire and Emergency Services fought uncontrolled fires Sunday as a strong smell of smoke and smoggy conditions set in across the Route 40 corridor. The proving ground’s fire and emergency services posted on Facebook at 3:30 p.m. that the National Guard was assisting them in fighting “range fires” — fires burning uncontrolled on a range of land. At least dozens of county residents posted images on social media of the smoky conditions along the Bush River and in numerous neighborhoods stretching from Aberdeen to Edgewood. A putrid, smoky smell also filled the air Sunday.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources issued a statewide ban on open-air burning Friday. Open-air burning – such as campfires and charcoal grilling – are not permitted under the burn ban, but state law does permit the use of propane grills. The ban comes amid a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service, which cited dry conditions, low humidity and strong winds making conditions favorable for the rapid spread of fires.

While many farmers across Delmarva have the resources to weather the drought, some small farmers aren’t as fortunate. Floyd Pugh of C.P. Farm in Westover, Md., says he does not have a working irrigation system, which is why a fourth of his planted seeds did not germinate. “We got a well drilled in,” says Pugh. “The well was pretty expensive to put in here, but the electric company wants $10,000 to run electric from the highway back to our well, and that’s a little too far out for me to reach.”

Right now, without getting up from your chair or leaving your house, you can search and review court records related to the 2020 Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Minnesota courts provide online access to a plethora of documents such as complaints, arrest warrants and jury verdicts. But in Maryland, it’s a different story.

A Maryland law passed earlier this year requires the Maryland Center for School Safety to study the effectiveness and the mental health impacts of active shooter drills and trainings on students and staff. Kim Buckheit, director of strategic initiatives at the Maryland Center for School Safety, explained that simulated sounds of gunfire or explosions, banging on classroom doors and having individuals posing as assailants or victims are banned under the guidelines for drills carried out during the school day: “All of those types of simulations are not allowed in Maryland.”

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy hosted the free Pharmapreneurship Summit Oct. 8, bringing together thought leaders to engage with the university community, to propose bold and innovative ideas to address challenges and opportunities for the pharmacy world and to celebrate its successes.