Around Maryland

The idea behind the WB&A Trail goes back nearly 30 years, and for more than a decade, parks and rec departments in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland have worked to make it a reality. The Patuxent River has been a sticking point since day one, but on Friday, local officials and advocates gathered to break ground on work to finally literally bridge that one dividing line. On the Prince George’s County side, the trail runs from Lanham past Horsepen Park in Bowie, and ends right on the banks of the Patuxent. In Anne Arundel County, the trail meanders through woods and new developments in Odenton and down about a mile-long incline, stopping right on the other side of the Patuxent.

A new round of bonuses could be on the way for Anne Arundel County school bus drivers — an effort to help a system that has suffered from inconsistent service in the past year. County Executive Steuart Pittman submitted a supplemental budget request Thursday for fiscal 2023 seeking to amend the $2 billion fiscal plan that he proposed earlier this year to include new federal funding for both bus drivers and crossing guards.

Annapolis City Council members plan to vote Friday on whether to restore a $5,000 community grant for Eastport United Methodist Church. While the money may be only a drop in the bucket in the city’s nearly $175 million budget, which is scheduled for adoption Friday, the grant has been cause for considerable debate. Both the church and some council members have pushed back against City Attorney Mike Lyles, who has advised against giving the Methodists money to help fund a “community coordinator” position at the church.

Maryland has ordered 65,400 doses of a pediatric coronavirus vaccine that will be ready for children on June 20, pending federal approval, state health officials said Thursday. Deputy Health Secretary Jinlene Chan said at a news conference that the state “will have this important vaccine available for families right away” if it is approved during meetings of federal regulators late next week.

The average price of regular gas in Maryland is inching closer to $5 per gallon.   AAA reported that the average price of regular in Maryland was up to $4.98 on Wednesday, an increase of nearly 40 cents from a week ago. “It’s frustrating for everyone. No one can afford to pay gas like this,” said a man named “K” from Northeast Baltimore. As the price of fuel gets higher, the cost of goods and services is increasing on some goods, like in the landscaping industry.

Perryman residents have filed suit against Harford County, the Mitchell family and the developers of the proposed Mitchell property warehouse project. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, where the developers are based. This is the latest move in the Perryman community’s efforts to block the plan to build 5.2 million square feet of warehouse space in their neighborhood.