Wednesday, November 27, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
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Around Maryland

After ‘Serial,’ thousands continue to ardently follow the case of Adnan Syed

Melissa Binkley first learned of Hae Min Lee’s killing from local news media, shortly after the 18-year-old’s body was found in Baltimore’s Leakin Park in 1999. The Lancaster County resident was struck by the tragic details — the conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed for her murder, a grieving high school — but didn’t delve into the case herself until years later, when she first saw Sarah Koenig discussing her podcast “Serial” on television. “I thought, ‘Podcast? What’s a podcast?’ ” she remembered. “And then it just exploded.” The 2014 blockbuster of a podcast, when the medium was still novel, made Lee, Syed and Koenig herself household names.

Maryland sends task force to assist with Hurricane Fiona recovery in Puerto Rico

A Maryland task force made up of firefighters and civilians is set to leave Monday to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requested the assistance of Maryland Task Force 1 on Saturday, but the departure of the 35 personnel was delayed twice over the weekend by problems finding a plane and weather on the island. The team is set to fly out Monday morning in a chartered plane from BWI Marshall Airport, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Daniel Ogren.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Frederick community gathers to celebrate melting pot of Latino culture

Men waved their sombreros and women flapped their colorful skirts as they danced “Jarabe Tapatío,” or the Mexican hat dance, Sunday afternoon at the 14th Annual Latino Festival. “Jarabe Tapatío” is the national dance of Mexico, and at Frederick Community College, spectators were clapping, and some were dancing along as they watched the pairs weave through each other. “We would like to have everybody to join with us, not just the Latino community, but we want to invite everybody to be here all together and enjoy all the different things that this melting pot allows us to have,” Ana Maria Pinzon, an organizer, said.

From helicopter pilots to ‘hotel nerds’: Navy grads aim to expand luxury accommodations in Annapolis

A pair of Naval Academy graduates have highflying dreams for the Annapolis hotel scene, a vision that earned them both friends and enemies in a town rich with tradition, but dependent on tourists. Over the past three years, former helicopter pilots Cody Monroe and Clint Ramsden, who are both in their early 30s, have purchased five properties with the goal of boosting the city’s “luxury” accommodations. “The city has been longing for a higher-end option for a long time now,” Monroe said. “We are looking to increase the number of offerings that Annapolis has on the high-end of the hotel spectrum.”

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Starting Monday, some Camden Line MARC trains suspended the rest of September due to CSX freight congestion

Beginning Monday, service on four Camden Line Maryland Area Regional Commuter trains will be suspended for two weeks, the Maryland Transit Administration announced Sunday. The changes aim to avoid service disruptions stemming from “severe freight train congestion” on the CSX Transportation rails, according to the MTA, with particular delays expected between Dorsey and Camden Yards. CSX owns the railroad and dispatches Camden Line MARC trains.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maryland launches outreach to speed up rollout of new COVID boosters

After a relatively slow start to the rollout of the new COVID-19 booster, the Maryland Department of Health began an outreach program this week, aimed at increasing the booster vaccination rates in the state. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the state’s already established “COVIDReady” campaign will focus on encouraging residents to get the updated COVID booster and flu shot at the same time to maximize protection against the upcoming flu season and the omicron variant.

Read More: Times-News
Baltimore City Schools apologizes for scheduling parent-teacher conferences on Yom Kippur

Baltimore City Schools apologized to students, families and staff Thursday afternoon for scheduling parent-teacher conferences on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, begins this year at sundown Oct. 4 and ends at sundown Oct. 5. Observance of the Day of Atonement involves fasting and attending services.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
As court considers freeing Adnan Syed, Baltimore Police to reinvestigate Hae Min Lee’s killing

At the request of prosecutors, Baltimore police will assign a detective to reinvestigate the murder of Woodlawn High School student Hae Min Lee, whose killing two decades ago was examined in the hit podcast “Serial” and a popular HBO documentary. A spokeswoman for the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office said police agreed to reinvestigate Lee’s killing in light of new evidence of alternate suspects. That police will review the case further validates the work of defense attorneys, activists and internet fans who argued over the years that Lee’s imprisoned ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, is innocent.­

Anne Arundel public schools take steps to curb violence at sporting events with new rules

Following several altercations at sporting events in the first two weeks of school, Anne Arundel County Public Schools is implementing new rules regarding student and fan behavior. Starting Friday, anyone engaging in violent behavior will be banned from attending games for 90 days, Superintendent Mark Bedell wrote in a letter to parents Wednesday.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Carroll school board tables decision on limiting number of speakers and topics at public meetings

In an effort to add more transparency to its Citizen Participation Policy for public school board meetings, the Carroll County Board of Education opted not to vote Wednesday night on policy changes and instead asked staff to tweak certain sections of it. Ten people spoke against the policy changes Wednesday night and the school board received numerous emails from the public during the last month, stating opposition to changes that included limiting the number of speakers at each meeting to 15 and allowing the board president to decide who could speak at meetings when requests exceeded the maximum 15.

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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