Transportation has a significant impact on economic inequalities in Harford County, county leader says at United Way session

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.

Howard County Investing $2.1M To Expand Student Access To Mental Health Resources

Howard County will use $2.1 million to expand mental health services in its public school system, which educates a total of nearly 58,000 students. During a Wednesday news conference at Patapsco Middle School in Ellicott City, County Executive Calvin Ball said the funding will fill a gap for children and families who have historically had difficulty getting access to mental health resources. “Everyone deserves the same access to mental health care,” Ball said. Of the funding, $1.7 million will go toward the school-based mental health program over the next two years. Among other things, the program aims to make social workers available in all 77 of the county’s public schools to increase access.

Harford County Public Schools discuss health curriculum amid backlash for age-appropriate content

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, state leaders announce $20 million to redevelop dilapidated Security Square Mall

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 finalizes deal to bring police back into schools

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.

#DaysBetween: The Legacy of James Rouse

As we remember and honor James Rouse on his birthday, we reflect on his legacy. From the first residents of Columbia, or those who saw the vision of Harborplace, people across the country were moved by the Rouse vision. Now, whether it’s David Bramble, the local developer looking to breathe new life into the Inner Harbor and Harborplace, or Greg Fitchitt and the Howard Hughes Company completing the dream of Columbia with an invigorated downtown, it’s a new generation who are working to build destinations that adhere to the Rouse ideals to “uplift, inspire, stimulate.”

Baltimore Police Commissioner Touts Department Successes On Day Of ‘We Own This City’ Premiere

Police Commissioner Michael Harrison sent an email to Baltimore’s officers about the HBO series We Own This City on Monday. The series is based on a book about the police department’s corrupt Gun Trace Task Force, which was written by Justin Fenton. Fenton was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun during the arrest and court trials surrounding the fallout of the niche police unit.

Harford County Public Schools looks to fix overcrowding at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary with new building

The Board of Education will make a decision tonight on the Homestead/Wakefield Elementary School Replacement Project, which will replace the overcapacity three-building school with a single building on the Wakefield campus. The project has been planned for phased construction over fiscal years 2022-2024 with funding provided by the county and state, according to agenda documents. In November 2021, the Interagency Commission on School Construction approved the project for state funding through the Built to Learn Act. The county has also committed to the local portion of capital funding, according to agenda documents.

Filming starts today in Baltimore on Laura Lippman’s ‘Lady in the Lake,’ starring Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o

Attention celebrity stargazers! A TV series based on local author Laura Lippman’s “Lady in the Lake” began filming Monday in Baltimore with its stars, two Academy Award winning actresses: Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o. Apple TV ordered a limited television series based on Lippman’s New York Times bestselling novel, which is set in 1960s Baltimore.

With Implicit Bias Hurting Patients, Some States Including Maryland, Train Doctors

In a groundbreaking study, Dr. Lisa Cooper, a leading researcher on racial health disparities at Johns Hopkins University, found that nearly all 40 participating Baltimore-area primary care doctors said they regarded their White and their Black patients the same. But that’s not what her testing on their unconscious attitudes revealed.