Around Maryland

Worcester County officials are scrambling for options — and money — after learning that state transportation officials are pausing a top transportation priority — the widening of Route 90 and the replacement of its two bridges. Worcester is just one of the counties given tough news in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s release of an updated draft of the Consolidated Transportation Plan, the state’s six-year transportation plan.

Sometime in August, dump trucks delivered the final load of Patapsco River mud, dredged from the sea bed during the cleanup of the Key Bridge collapse, to the Kinsley landfill in Deptford Township, New Jersey, about 15 miles outside Philadelphia. The mud, which contained random debris that came up with it and had to be picked clean, was the last of the materials contractors disposed of after the remnants of the bridge were dismantled and removed.

Dozens of noisy protesters greeted the business leaders, elected officials, union members and other interested parties who were gathered at Frederick Community College Thursday for a conference on data centers in Maryland. The demonstrators were there to express outrage over a proposed power transmission project that would run from a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia, the biggest hub for data centers in the world.

The University of Maryland has revoked the ability of student organizations to hold on-campus demonstrations on the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel after at least one group reserved a location for a vigil commemorating Palestinian victims of the war. University President Darryll Pines wrote in a letter Sunday that only university-sponsored events would be permitted on Oct. 7 “out of an abundance of caution.”

Growing up in Baltimore, Tavon McGee had limited exposure to camping sites and hiking trails — let alone national parks. That all changed in 2022 when he was introduced by a longtime friend to Congaree National Park in South Carolina. Although he had hiked on trails and camped in the wilderness, this was the first time he went to a national park. He liked it so much he got a national park passport and now is a regular visitor.

Metro riders can now ride all five Red Line Metro stations that were closed during the summer due to construction on Sunday. Here are the four stops opening up this week: Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glenn, Silver Spring. The fifth station, Takoma Park, reopened in late June, two days earlier than its expected opening date.

Life sciences are big business in Frederick. How big? They have an economic impact of $12 billion, according to the industry profile produced by the county. The International Economic Development Council recognized the county’s Office of Economic Development with the 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Level award, on Thursday, for its profile of the many facets of life sciences in Frederick.

Hundreds of high school seniors in Anne Arundel County wrestled with the decision to attend the brand-new Severn Run High School over returning to their previous school. Severn Run High was built to offset overcrowding in Old Mill, North County and Meade high schools. The new facility boasts plenty of windows, state-of-the-art athletic amenities and 3D printers.