Around Maryland

Stanley Black & Decker, the industrial tool and hardware manufacturer, has teamed with the Baltimore County Volunteer Firefighters Search & Rescue Mission to send a large supply of hand tools, accessories and storage to Ukraine to support the nation’s own search and rescue operations. About 10 pallets of tools were pulled and packed to be taken to Ukraine by a team of 63 firefighters, including 10 volunteer firefighters from Baltimore County. The team of firefighters is not only delivering the tools but also joining in the rescue efforts.

A May 29 encounter between Howard County Council member Deb Jung and a group of young men has some county leaders asking for an apology. Representatives from the NAACP Howard County, Council of Elders of Howard County, Howard County African American Community Roundtable, other organizations and residents gathered outside the George Howard Building in Ellicott City Wednesday to address the encounter.

America’s summer travel season is running headlong into the inflationary and supply-chain pressures upending many sectors of the economy — and it looks like passengers, particularly travelers on the West Coast, will be the ones footing the bill. Recently released Consumer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found airline prices increased 12.6% in May on a month-to-month basis. Compared to May 2021, average airfares had increased 37.8%. According to data from Hopper Inc., a provider of online travel services and data, airfare for the nation’s busiest airports are at recent highs. Data provided to The Business Journals found the average domestic roundtrip ticket at the 50-largest airports this summer is $431.

In a legal case closely watched by libraries and the publishing industry, a federal judge in Maryland struck down a state law requiring publishers to make e-books available on “reasonable terms” to libraries if they were also being offered to the general public. The Association of American Publishers, the industry’s trade organization, had contended that the bill violated the United States Copyright Act by allowing states to regulate publishing transactions. The Maryland law was passed with overwhelming support a year ago and included provisions for fines up to $10,000 and higher.

Myles Frost, who grew up in Rockville, Maryland, took home the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of pop icon Michael Jackson in “MJ: The Musical.” Frost was studying at Bowie State University before he dropped out to take this role on Broadway. The last time he performed as Jackson was at a high school talent show. He was nervous at first about taking the role, but following advice from his mother and grandmother, he decided to accept the challenge.

Several communities in the D.C. region are food deserts — areas with little or no access to fresh food. However, some new grant money will soon help alleviate the problem. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Reinvestment Fund, awarded more than $4About $200,000 will go to open a grocery store in the town of Indian Head in Charles County, Maryland. Agriculture Department Rural Development State Director for Delaware and Maryland David Baker told WTOP the community has no place within a 7-mile radius to purchase fresh food.