Around Maryland

The Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center was temporarily on lockdown after a potential security threat occurred Monday afternoon, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services officials said. Around noon, correctional staff became aware of a “potential security risk” at the facility via the camera and video systems, DPSCS spokesperson Mark Vernarelli wrote in an email.

Howard County will soon begin offering students and their families free meal options, according to government officials. There will be several opportunities to access free meals this summer, officials said. “During the school year, many of our children in Howard County receive free or reduced-price meals, but when school is out in the summer, our children and families relying on those meals still need options,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “Plus, as we’re seeing the costs of groceries increase, it’s making it harder for folks in our community to make ends meet.

Maryland’s top court has reinstated a man’s double-murder conviction, saying an expert’s trial testimony regarding the killer’s height based on video surveillance was validly admitted despite unknown variables — such as whether he was standing on level ground — and strict new limits on the admission of expert testimony. The Court of Appeals decision marked its first on the admissibility of expert testimony since it abandoned in 2020 its long-held “general acceptance” standard of admission in favor of a “reliability” standard in Rochkind v. Stevenson.

As law enforcement agencies across the country struggle to recruit officers and strengthen community trust, the Baltimore Police Department has announced an internship program in partnership with two historically Black universities in Baltimore. A group of eight students and recent graduates of Coppin State and Morgan State universities, who have started their summer internships with the department, attended a news conference Tuesday at Coppin State. The pilot program, which could become a nationwide initiative by next year, focuses on exposing participants to all aspects of police work, including its inherent complexities and ongoing reform efforts.

As inflation soars and Maryland legislators debate whether to suspend state gas taxes for a second time this year, an anticipated bump in fare price for Baltimore’s public transit services will start Sunday. The cost to ride city buses, light rails and metro subways will cost 10 cents more in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The Maryland Department of Transportation’s transit administration is required by law to increase fares for core services by at least 10 cents every two years.

Dozens of people attended the Baltimore Pride Parade Saturday, marking a joyous reunion for the queer community after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While attendees danced and cheered as the parade marched by, some expressed concern over the future of gay rights given recent opinions from the Supreme Court. People from all walks of life, many dressed in pride colors and carrying pride flags lined the sidewalks at North Charles Street between 33rd and 23rd Streets to watch the parade. They shouted, “Happy Pride!” as revelers walked by.

Several schools within the University System of Maryland are looking to expand their degree options by offering health- and technology-based programs. The USM board of regents voted June 17 to allow five of its institutions to adopt new degree programs, with the majority of the programs being related to the tech and health industries. The 12 new programs were introduced to the regents by Coppin State University, Towson University, Salisbury University, Frostburg State University and Bowie State University. Each university introduced its own programs.