Around Maryland

Howard County’s offer to purchase Camp Ilchester in Ellicott City from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland will allow the beloved camp’s land to be preserved for years to come, instead of being converted to a residential development, according to County Executive Calvin Ball. “It would be a great tragedy if this wonderful space was lost to bulldozers plowing over a legacy of the Girl Scouts,” Ball said during a news conference Wednesday.

The federal transportation mask mandate is being extended for another 15 days, meaning individuals traveling aboard airplanes, trains and on public transportation in the United States will be required to wear a mask until at least early May. The mandate, the federal government confirmed on Wednesday, is now set to expire on May 3. The Associated Press was first to report the extension. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that it was keeping its mask order in effect, and the Transportation Security Administration announced it was extending the mandate for an additional 15 days.

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.