Around Maryland

In the seconds Major Gen. Paula Lodi took to pass a burgundy command flag to the man facing her in Fort Detrick’s auditorium Wednesday morning, she completed her first act as the new commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and Fort Detrick. The action represented the trust Lodi places in incoming Command Sgt. Major Michael Dills II as the two begin their tenure.

Conducting a surprise visit to the Cherry Hill Solid Waste Yard this morning, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming found employees exposed to hazardous working conditions, including no functioning air conditioning, broken thermostats, inoperable water fountains and no ice. Cumming said about eight crews had already left the facility without access to cold water, ice or Gatorade to start their shift when she arrived.

Stepped up enforcement and community engagement are how police say they’ll be fighting crime this summer in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Police plan to focus their efforts in small, concise areas around the county where crime tends to proliferate, and if criminal activity shifts, police assets will shift with it. “Just recently in May and June, we implemented the 12-hour work shift, which put more people out on the street,” said Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz.

Each year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stop thousands of stolen vehicles from being exported and sold in other countries. Agents from CBP’s Baltimore Field Office stopped 343 stolen vehicles between October 2022 and September 2023, a 44% increase compared to the previous year. The vehicles — most of which were bound for West Africa — were valued at about $17.7 million, officials said Tuesday.

Baltimore has received the $45 million that pharmaceutical company Allergan agreed to pay as part of the city’s lawsuit over the opioid epidemic, but officials have not yet said how they plan to use the bulk of the money, or who will be making those decisions. The Department of Finance is processing the settlement, the mayor’s spokesperson Bryan Doherty said in an email. More information will be announced soon, he said.

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project is being met with stiff opposition. An informational meeting was held Tuesday on a proposal to build a 500,000-volt transmission line through three counties, but nearly all of those attending did not like anything they heard. Anger, worry and frustration dominated emotions. Residents said they don’t like any of the proposed routes, and they are upset about a lack of notice, but most importantly, they are worried about the impact the project will have on their lives and livelihood.

There were too many times during the last school year that simply transporting kids to Prince George’s County Public Schools turned into a fiasco. Buses were late, if they even showed up, and so many routes were essentially vacant because the county didn’t have enough bus drivers on staff. This fall, a series of moves the county put into place during the spring are going to make a positive impact, according to school leaders who briefed the Prince George’s County Council on Monday.

Former Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Monifa McKnight, who resigned amid the Maryland school system’s handling of accusations of bullying and sexual harassment, has a new gig. She will become the University of Maryland’s inaugural dean’s fellow and superintendent in residence, the university announced this week. The new position is in effect starting Aug. 23.

A grassroots organization that advocates for education equity in Maryland could soon be in a jurisdiction near you to talk about the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan. The staff with Strong Schools Maryland has already visited four counties this summer – Dorchester, Anne Arundel, Garrett and Prince George’s – to talk about the Blueprint plan with residents at local events.