Around Maryland

As Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias detailed what the next 12 to 18 months look like for left-hander John Means, another part of him looks toward the rest of the rotation, too. By the time Means returns from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery — Elias hopes Means will be ready in the first half of the 2023 season — the rotation around him will look different. There are arms currently in the rotation still developing, such as left-hander Bruce Zimmermann.

Transportation is one of the major reasons for economic inequality, according to county leaders throughout the region who participated last Thursday in the United Way of Central Maryland’s virtual Realities of Inequity Series. Leonard Parrish, director of community and economic development for Harford County, was joined by Mike Kelly, of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council; Cheri Cernak, of CRC Restaurants; and Joseph T. Jones Jr., of the Center for Urban Families; as they discussed the transportation challenges for people living in both urban and rural areas, as well as solutions to break down transportation barriers.

The Board of Education of Harford County discussed the future of Harford County Public Schools’ elementary school health curriculum, and the construction of a new Homestead/Wakefield Elementary School that will reduce overcrowding at the current school, during its board meeting Monday, which lasted more than three hours. The board was presented with updates to the career, technology and health curricula for the 2022-23 school year. Proposed changes to the health curriculum for grades Pre-K to 4th grade are being reviewed by the Maryland State Department of Education to ensure the material is age appropriate.

Baltimore County and state leaders will provide $20 million in funding for the community-driven revitalization of Security Square Mall and the surrounding areas — the mall’s first improvement since 1998. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski earmarked $10 million in county capital funding from fiscal 2022, and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat, secured an additional $10 million in the state capital budget, which was approved by the General Assembly.

Montgomery County’s school district and police department privately signed an agreement that would bring law enforcement back into schools effective last week, but they informed the public and county council of the finalized contract Tuesday. The school system pulled school resource officers out of school buildings last year, later creating a community engagement officer program in which officers patrolled areas around schools but were not stationed inside. But some families have pushed for a stronger police presence after a string of safety issues — including a shooting at Magruder High School in Rockville that left one student critically injured.