Around Maryland

It began as a pandemic-era tool bookmarked by internet browsers, crawling along television news chyrons and cited in local public health updates. More than 2.5 billion views later, the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard’s lasting, yet lesser-known, legacy may be how it helped attract monumental funding to build an artificial intelligence hub in Baltimore.

When the Maryland Transit Administration launched Baltimore’s light rail service in 1992, it was with the understanding that its railcars would need a midlife overhaul after about 15 years. The recommended maintenance date came and went, and it wasn’t until 2013 that the MTA awarded a $150 million contract to multinational rail manufacturer Alstom to make the needed improvements on the fleet of more than 50 railcars.

The Baltimore Ravens flock faced some frustration after Sunday’s game amid a complete Light Rail shutdown. “It’s a long process. It’s confusing, and I’m ready to go home,” shuttle bus rider Marcere Brightman said. It was a sentiment felt by many Baltimoreans as they navigated a shuttle bus system in place of the Light Rail.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued an advisory about eating certain types of fish from local waterways over concerns about “forever chemicals.” The new advisory covers largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, bluegill and white perch, according to the department. Officials say people do not need to avoid consuming these fish entirely, but should eat them in moderation.

The Maryland Transit Administration announced Thursday that it was indefinitely suspending light rail service on its north-south line starting Friday, citing recent mechanical issues that necessitate inspection of the entire fleet of 53 rail cars. The agency will begin shuttle bus service at all light rail stations starting Friday, pulling about 30 buses off their regular routes to fill the gap. MTA Administrator Holly Arnold acknowledged at an emergency news conference Thursday evening that this could have a ripple effect on service levels for other bus lines, and she said members of her team are doing everything they can to fix the light rail fleet quickly.

Peake ReLeaf Executive Vice President Tracey Lancaster Miller and Founder and CEO of Standard Wellness Maryland Christina Betancourt Johnson joined Good Day DC to explore the question, are edibles actually good for sleep?

The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County elected Robert Silkworth for a one-year term as its president and Corine Frank as vice president for the upcoming year. Silkworth, of Olde Mill, has served as the eight-member board’s vice president for the past two years and represents District 2. He and Frank, of Pasadena and representing District 3, both were elected to four-year terms on the board in November 2020.

For decades, Maryland hospitals have sued patients with unpaid bills, amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments since 2000. But this year, something curious happened. The judgments virtually stopped, according to an analysis of court data by The Baltimore Banner. Why is not entirely clear. Bad publicity could be a factor — hospitals have scaled back legal action in the past when under scrutiny for suing some of their poorest patients. There’s also a new state law requiring hospitals to offer payment plans patients can afford before they sue.