Henry “Box” Brown contorted himself to fit inside the 3-by-3 foot cargo box with only a bladder of water and a hand drill in case he needed holes for air. The box was loaded onto a train headed north. He was hoping to set himself free. After mailing himself to Pennsylvania in 1849, Brown continued to advocate for abolition, later living in England and Toronto as a speaker and touring musician. Jonathan Goldman, chief curator at the B&O Railroad Museum, figured Brown’s journey to freedom brought him through Baltimore. The only train from the south to Washington D.C. was the B&O, so therefore if Brown took the train to Washington, he may have continued on to Baltimore.
New B&O Railroad Museum exhibit shows for some on Underground Railroad, there was an actual train
Sheriff Sam Cogen ends predecessor’s billboards urging child support payments
Baltimore’s new Sheriff Sam Cogen has instructed an advertising company to remove his predecessor’s billboards telling city residents to pay child support, Cogen told The Baltimore Banner. Cogen unseated longtime Sheriff John Anderson in the Democratic primary in July. Anderson’s office paid for batches of the billboard advertisements throughout his three decades in office as sheriff. The $22,000 purchase of this batch of the billboard ads in May was the first such purchase in three years.
She spent years fighting for accountability. Anna Borkowski hopes Baltimore County has ‘changed for the better’ for sexual assault survivors.
In the video, Anna Borkowski snuggles with her dog Remi after waking up, their faces touching. The only sound is Remi’s breathing and a sigh as the dog shifts her position. “When you know mommy is sad,” the caption reads. Though it could have been taken yesterday — Remi and her two siblings still cuddle on Borkowski’s lap whenever they can — the saved Snapchat footage is from five years ago this past October, the day after Borkowski reported a sexual assault by three University of Maryland, Baltimore County baseball players.
Brittney Griner is free: Latest updates on WNBA star’s release in prisoner swap with Russia
Phoenix Mercury center and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been released from a Russian penal colony and is in United States custody after a prisoner exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday morning. Senior administration officials said Griner had been released from the penal colony within the last 48 hours and taken to Moscow before flying to the United Arab Emirates and is currently on her way back to the United States.
Parents facing shortage of children’s OTC medicines across Baltimore area
Three respiratory illnesses flu, RSV and COVID-19 are all circulating right now among children. The so-called triple-demic is straining pediatric hospital capacity, and, in some areas, parents are noticing a shortage of over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen for kids. It’s a demand issue. Children are getting sick, parents are looking for relief for them, and so those medicines are flying off the shelf.
Maryland’s largest county just banned gas appliances in most new buildings — but not without some concessions
Montgomery County, home to more than a million residents, has passed landmark legislation requiring new residential and commercial buildings to be all-electric — barring some exceptions — starting in 2027. While advocates celebrated the significance of the legislation, it came with an asterisk. Passed unanimously by the County Council on Nov. 30, the amended “Comprehensive Building Decarbonization” legislation — or Bill 13-22 — requires the county executive to issue all-electric building standards for many newly constructed buildings within the jurisdiction by Dec. 31, 2026.
Anne Arundel County school board approves 2023-24 academic calendar that starts before Labor Day
The Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted Wednesday to adopt a 2023-2024 school year calendar that starts before Labor Day. Under the calendar, which passed by a vote of 6-2, public schools will begin Aug. 28, 2023, and end June 13, 2024. This schedule was one of two options provided by the Calendar Committee. The other option had classes starting after Labor Day.
Baltimore to expand Group Violence Reduction Strategy in 2023
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and community leaders on Monday announced the expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. Starting in 2023, the strategy will go beyond the western police district. It will be citywide by mid-2024. The strategy “engages directly with those most intimately involved in and affected by violence, leveraging an intentional collaboration between law enforcement, social services, and community members who collectively co-sign and deliver an anti-violence message to stop the shooting,” according to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
How Baltimore’s MOMCares is working to close the gaps in Black parental health
While pregnant with her firstborn, Ana Rodney looked forward to a nine-month journey that culminated with a joyous return home from the hospital with her baby. Then reality hit, and Rodney found herself suffering alone. Rodney, 37, delivered Aiden, 7, under traumatic circumstances. He was born three months premature, weighed one pound, five ounces and spent six months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center. All the while, she endured personal tragedy, unemployment and homelessness.
Md. students show progress toward pre-pandemic levels; concerns remain in some areas
Maryland students have shown improvement in English, but show some dips in math on the state’s most recent assessments administered in spring. According to the state department of education, the scores on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program showed students approaching pre-pandemic performance on the English and language arts segments, with 53% of 10th graders scoring proficient. The year before, 57% were found to be proficient.