Around Maryland

Jovay Sweeney, a 21-year-old Hyattsville, Md., resident with cerebral palsy, had been making good progress toward someday living on her own. She had practiced answering questions for a job interview, and learned how to dress for a job, too. But when the coronavirus pandemic forced the D.C. region to shut down in-person schooling, Sweeney’s learning nearly stopped, said her mother, Karen Sweeney. More than two years later, the family is hoping a local nonprofit’s program can help make up for lost time.

The ethics panel that produced a controversial set of findings against members of the Prince George’s County Board of Education is stepping down en masse. The panel notified board chair Juanita D. Miller of their intention to resign as a group in an April 3 letter that was obtained by Maryland Matters. The departures will take effect on Friday and will leave the board, which has been dogged by allegations of misconduct, without ethics overseers.

With work zone-related crashes injuring hundreds of people each year in Maryland, state transportation officials are challenging drivers to take extra care when they see orange cones on the road. From 2016 to 2020, Maryland saw more than 7,700 such crashes, which killed 46 people and injured 3,263 others, according to figures compiled by the state. Nearly half of those killed were drivers of vehicles involved in the wrecks.The Maryland Department of Transportation said the leading factors contributing to those crashes were distracted drivers, speeders and tailgaters.

Anne Arundel County officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for an apartment complex intended to provide transitional housing for residents experiencing homelessness. Using $3.19 million in American Rescue Plan grant funding, the county purchased the Doll Furnished Apartments off Crain Highway in Glen Burnie, which will be renovated into a new community known as the Heritage at Madison Park. The goal is to provide a stable source of shelter and resources for county residents experiencing homelessness and those coping with other issues such a mental health or substance abuse crises.

Speed cameras on Interstate 83 in Baltimore will start clocking speeding drivers Thursday, but motorists will receive only warnings in the mail until fines begin in July. The two cameras located northbound and southbound at the West 41st Street exit will flag motorists who travel 12 or more miles over the speed limit. Motorists caught speeding in the next 90 days will receive a warning citation in the mail. Once the three-month grace period ends, that citation will include a $40 fine.

Three hours before first pitch, Kristen Swader, her husband, Mike, and their 4-year old son, Michael III, stood in line awaiting entry to Oriole Park at Camden Yards.Mike, 28, has been to every Orioles Opening Day since he was a newborn, Michael III has yet to miss one, and Kristen’s passion is so permanent that she has a classic Orioles logo tattooed on her side.