Maryland has retained its AAA bond rating from the three major bond rating agencies, Maryland State Treasurer Dereck E. Davis said. Maryland is one of only 13 states to receive the highest possible rating from S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings, Davis said. “Today is a proud day for Maryland. Our economy and our citizens continue to demonstrate resilience despite many challenges to our collective way of life. Through the pandemic, global unrest, and record inflation, we have managed to maintain the rating agencies’ confidence in our fiscal management,” he said.

The Anne Arundel County Council approved a resolution Wednesday urging the Board of Education to hold off on changing school start times until after this coming school year. The school board has been working to change the start times for the developmental benefit of students for years, but implementation has faced delays due to COVID-19. The new start times are set to begin this upcoming school year. All high schools will start at 8:30 a.m., elementary schools will open at 8 a.m. and middle schools will open at 9:15 a.m.

Maryland health officials announced the first heat-related death reported in the state this year on Wednesday. A 65-year-old man died in Baltimore County, the Maryland Department of Health said. “As this tragedy shows, heat-related illness, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, can result in serious ailments and even death,” Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan said in a news release. “During hot weather, Marylanders are urged to take precautions to avoid overheating and check on friends and neighbors that may be susceptible to heat-related illness, especially older adults and people with chronic disease.”

A citizens group called the Livable Frederick Coalition has been formed in opposition to the proposed Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan. That document calls for rezoning almost 20,000 acres from the Monocacy National Battlefield to the border with Montgomery County to prevent it from being developed. “They downzoned almost 20,000 acres of land, removed some employment and commercial zoning on the west side of I-270 at Maryland 80,” says Rick Weldon, President and CEO of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. “Something like 600 acres that could be used for jobs and economic opportunity.”

The 4,000-seat event center at Maryland Live! Casino & Hotel will host thousands of Anne Arundel County Public Schools graduates next week, a long-awaited change that was to have started in 2020 but was delayed for two years due to the COVID pandemic. Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said the new venue has state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and large screens throughout, which should be an asset for attendees.

Schools in Baltimore without air conditioning will release early Tuesday in anticipation of sweltering heat, Baltimore City Public Schools said Monday. The district currently has 24 schools without air conditioning, including schools with air conditioning under repair, and one school with buildings not owned by the district.

 

Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens hosts a Memorial Day ceremony every year to honor those who pay the ultimate price. The ceremony specifically honors those with ties to Maryland who lost their lives while serving the country.