Thursday, October 31, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD
75°
Fair
FOLLOW US:

Around Maryland

Harford County to hold Second Chance Job and Resource Fair on Wednesday

Harford County will open its doors for previously arrested or incarcerated adults, their families, and/or anyone affected by incarceration with its fifth annual Second Chance Job and Resource Fair on Wednesday from 12-4 p.m. at The Epicenter, 21 Aberdeen Shopping Plaza in Aberdeen. The goal of the fair is to connect returning citizens with employers and important resources to help reduce barriers to success.

Read More: The Aegis
Montgomery adds safety rules for school sporting events after football fight

Montgomery County Public Schools announced more stringent safety protocols around athletic events Wednesday following a brawl that erupted at a football game last week. Under the new rules, students and spectators will be required to remain in the stands during games, and reentry will not be allowed. The rules also prevent anyone from being admitted after halftime.

grocery store, market, supermarket
Md. officials: SNAP helped thousands during pandemic, but challenges navigating system remain

Mark Griffin had a good-paying job as an ophthalmological assistant for two decades, earning enough to purchase a $150,000 home in Baltimore. But a catastrophic car accident a few years ago eroded his financial stability dramatically. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Annapolis on Tuesday, Griffin described how he was able to piece together a subsistence living using several government assistance initiatives. Griffin qualified for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)  — commonly known as food stamps — but gradually saw his monthly benefit decline from about $170 a month to $11 a month.

Read More: WTOP
Monkeypox cases slow, but disease hit Maryland’s Black communities harder

The spread of new monkeypox cases is slowing in Maryland and the District of Columbia. However, newly released data from the Maryland Department of Health shows that monkeypox cases in Maryland are disproportionately affecting Black communities, mirroring national demographic data as health officials grapple with how to stop cases of the viral disease. Most cases are affecting gay men, bisexual men and men who have sex with other men. Individuals of any gender or sexual orientation can contract monkeypox through close personal contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black and Latino individuals are disproportionately affected nationally.

New ‘Serial’ episode on Adnan Syed case drops; victim’s family, advocates respond to his release from prison

A day after a Baltimore City judge overturned Adnan Syed’s murder conviction, a new episode of the hit podcast “Serial” that first made his decades-old case famous details the decision to free him. The approximately 17-minute episode, “Adnan is Out,” opens with Syed attempting to make collect call from prison before fading out to news reporters announcing, “a major development” and “a stunning reversal” in his murder case. Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn vacated Syed’s conviction for the 1999 killing of ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee and ordered his release Monday after prosecutors found there were alternative suspects and unreliable evidence used at his trial.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Anne Arundel school redistricting project could be getting bigger

With plans to add two schools and replace six others over the next five years, Anne Arundel County Public Schools will consider redistricting nearly half the county to balance attendance as capacity is added. The system is also replacing several aging school buildings. Replacements for Quarterfield and Rippling Woods elementary schools will open in 2023. A renovated Meade High School will open in September 2024, as will a replacement for Old Mill Middle School South. A replacement for the Center for Applied Technology North will open in September of 2026, as will a replacement of Old Mill Middle North.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Country Club to host two USGA tournaments

The U.S. Golf Association has tapped Baltimore Country Club to host two tournaments — the 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2031 U.S. Women’s Amateur. The club last snagged a USGA tournament in 1988 when it hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, the fourth time it has attracted one of the golf organization’s championships. Tuesday’s announcement by the private Baltimore County club comes a year after Caves Valley Golf Club’s successful BMW Championship, part of the PGA Tour, and has local golf officials touting the region’s golf-friendly reputation.

Annapolis City Council brings anti-addiction nonprofit to the Stanton Community Center

The Annapolis City Council settled a prolonged dispute between a community activist and a major Anne Arundel County nonprofit Monday night by taking away city-owned office space from a third group and awarding it to the activist. Shirley Gordon, founder of the community support services Street Angels Project, will be returning to Stanton Community Center, but she said the pyrrhic victory comes only after she made repeated public information requests and threatened to sue the city for civil rights violations.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Is the COVID pandemic over? President Biden says so, but Maryland experts say there are still a lot of cases and more may be coming.

A new booster shot just became available to protect against newer and older versions of the coronavirus. Public health officials in Maryland just launched a campaign to get people to roll up their sleeves for it. President Joe Biden may have just muddied the message. “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over,” Biden declared in seemingly off-the-cuff remarks on the “60 Minutes” television program Sunday night.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Adnan Syed, featured in ‘Serial’ podcast, released from prison

A judge on Monday vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed, whose murder case drew wide attention after it was featured on the true-crime podcast “Serial”, and ordered him released from prison. The last time Syed walked free, he was 17 years old and in high school. His shackles came off in the courtroom to audible applause. The decision by Baltimore City Circuit Court judge Melissa M. Phinn comes after prosecutors told the court they had lost faith in Syed’s conviction, citing a nearly year-long investigation that uncovered new information about “the possible involvement of two alternative suspects,” and violations in the government’s turning over evidence to the defense.

The Morning Rundown

We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.