Around Maryland

President Joe Biden will return to Baltimore next week to tout federal funding to replace the roughly 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, a project the administration says will address the largest bottleneck for rail commuters between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. The Democratic president will visit Jan. 30 as part of a two-day trip with a New York City stop, as well, to showcase funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Sen. Chris Van Hollen will join Morgan State's faculty and students later this Monday morning to celebrate the enactment of his HBCU Rise Act, which became law this past December. The bipartisan bill creates a new program within the U.S. Department of Defense to make it easier for historically Black colleges to achieve r1 status -- which is very high research activity status. For Maryland's HBCUs, that means more money will flow in for research.

City officials are hoping to facilitate improvements in customer service for local cable customers by striking a new franchise agreement with current provider Breezeline. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss and the City Council discussed the possibilities of a new arrangement with the provider at a work session held at City Hall on last week. The city and Breezeline are currently operating on terms outlined in a contract that expired at the end of 2020.

Maryland 529 board chair Peter Tsirigotis turned in his resignation Friday, one day after facing withering criticism from state lawmakers for the agency’s handling of problems with one of Maryland’s college savings plans. Tsirigotis, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, appeared before the Maryland House Appropriations Committee on Thursday to explain why hundreds of families have been unable to access all of the money in their Maryland Prepaid College Trust accounts. “As a parent of college-age children, I can relate to and share the frustrations expressed by the account holders,” Tsirigotis told lawmakers. “We are focused on resolving the issues for the account holders as swiftly as possible. However, we realize in retrospect that more could have been done to provide account holders with updated information.”

The oldest continuously operating African American community theater in the country has received $5.2 million in state and federal funding to upgrade its aging building. Arena Players Inc., located at 801 McCulloh St. in Baltimore, will use the funds to upgrade its building, which the theater has used since 1962 and bought in 1969, according to its website. U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin along with Congressman Kweisi Mfume helped secure the $4 million in federal funding as part of the recent omnibus funding legislation. The theater was also allocated $1.2 million for the project through the state's fiscal year 2023 capital budget last year.

As Maryland’s official state dessert, Smith Island Cake is a standout dish on any chef’s table. Now, the famed cake is set to receive a new sign marker in recognition of its historical significance. Smith Island United was recently awarded a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, whose mission is supporting and celebrating the preservation of community history. The Pomeroy Foundation, through the Hungry for History Program, is funding a new sign marker for the Smith Island Cake. As Maryland’s official state dessert, Smith Island Cake is a standout dish on any chef’s table. Now, the famed cake is set to receive a new sign marker in recognition of its historical significance.

As well-wishers gather in Annapolis on Wednesday for the inauguration of Gov.-elect Wes Moore and Lt. Gov.-elect Aruna Miller, the Maryland Department of Health will have more than 14,000 at-home COVID-19 tests on hand “to encourage Marylanders attending the event to stay COVIDReady through the winter,” the department said Friday. The historic inauguration of Moore, soon-to-be Maryland’s first Black governor, and Miller, who will be the first woman of color as lieutenant governor, will occur at the State House on Wednesday. Maryland Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader emphasized the importance of the capitol’s COVID testing site, calling it “an essential continuity of government service offering legislators and the general public convenient access to both rapid and PCR testing.”