Around Maryland

For a number of young kids, getting caught up in the juvenile justice system can cause damage to their lives for years to come.  It’s why many are calling for system reform and paying more attention to their needs instead of strictly punishing them. It’s the general theme of Youth Justice Action Month, which is being recognized nationally and also here locally. “We are very committed to making sure that we create supportive environments that allow young people to be themselves,” says Kisha Webster, founding director of the Greenmount West Community Center. The nonprofit located in central Baltimore has a number of programs supporting Black young people, their families and neighborhood seniors.

As a boy in India, Neeraj Verma experienced Diwali the way Indian children have for centuries: as that magical day on which lamps are lit, friends and family visit bearing gifts, and everyone is encouraged to stuff themselves with sweets. The Clarksville resident still loves the enchantment of the biggest holiday on the Hindu calendar, which millions will celebrate around the world Monday. But he’s equally drawn to the religious elements of this festival of lights, and he’s looking forward to sharing both with hundreds of his fellow Hindus on Tuesday night.

Maryland residents will have an opportunity on Tuesday to give their opinions on a transportation project that aims to fix a tangle of highway where the Baltimore Beltway west of the city hits I-70, a major interstate, and that causes severe delays. The “Triple Bridges” project is part of Gov. Larry Hogan’s Traffic Relief Plan, which focuses on improving traffic congestion in the Baltimore region. Designed 50 years ago, the I-695/I-70 Interchange can’t handle the amount of traffic that currently flows through the interchange, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration.

The Baltimore Circuit Court clerk’s office has not fixed “longstanding deficiencies” and failed to refer accounts that owed more than $7 million in outstanding criminal court fees to the state for collections, a new audit has found. The Maryland Office of Legislative Audits released the report on Monday and looked at the period of Sept. 26, 2017 to Oct. 15, 2021. As allowed under state law, the Baltimore Circuit Court clerk’s office is responsible for billing people, mailing them letters about overdue payment and referring delinquent accounts to the Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Central Collection Unit, according to the audit.

Due to problems with the city’s newly reconfigured procurement system, the Baltimore Police Department has been unable to secure a key chemical component necessary for DNA tests, which left them scrambling to find it elsewhere. The department has borrowed as much as a six-month supply of analytical reagent, the compound used to cause a chemical reaction in DNA testing, from other labs in the state. Two sources, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak about the matter, told The Baltimore Banner that the shortfall of reagent would not have been solved without the assistance of other agencies.

Adnan Syed was imprisoned for more than two decades for the murder of his teenage ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, but he was freed in September and charges were dropped this month. The decision by prosecutors hinged on a lot of factors, including a new analysis of genetic material that they said wasn’t available at the time.

The historic USS Constellation will move from the Inner Harbor to Tradepoint Atlantic at Sparrows Point for significant restoration, according to a news release from Living Classrooms. It will depart from berth at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Pier 1, 301 E. Pratt St., and will arrive at 1 p.m. the same day at Tradepoint Atlantic, 6995 Bethlehem Boulevard, Sparrows Point. The ship will undergo hull repairs to stop water leaks, according to the release.