Around Maryland

Last Christmas, Robin “Robbie” Young filmed a short video on her phone showing off an elaborate Christmas setup at her East Baltimore rowhouse: silver tinsel, bright string lights, a small tree perched on a dresser. With music humming in the background, she points the phone toward wall mirror, smiles and waves. A year later, Young’s holiday season looks different. She and her adult son, Curtis, 26, were evicted from their home in October and moved into a long-term stay hotel near the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Curtis, who is autistic and has other health problems, has not adjusted well to the disruption of his routine, Young said.

Narcan — the medicine that counteracts an opioid overdose — has been administered twice in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) as of three months into the academic year, according to the school system’s medical officer. The medicine was administered 18 times during the last school year, with no deaths, MCPS Medical Officer Dr. Patricia Kapunan said during a joint council committee meeting Wednesday. Councilmembers received an update Wednesday on youth safety and crime as well as substance use and overdose trends.

The installation of a video camera system has begun on the Harford County hiking trail where Rachel Morin’s body was found in August. Morin, a mother of five, was found dead off the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail the day after she went to the trail for a walk. Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly directed his administration to develop the security system, which will be able to quickly detect unusual activity and locate a specific person or vehicle of interest.

Test scores for Maryland students in grades 3 to 8 show English proficiency has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, while math scores for 2023 have shown some improvement and science scores have declined, state education officials say. The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program tests are administered annually in public schools to assist educators in understanding student progression so that they can better tailor their methods of instruction.

Students at five Baltimore County middle schools will soon be able to call a hotline for mental health services, Superintendent Myriam Rogers said at a news conference Tuesday. The 24/7 hotline, called the Cigna Student Support Line, is expected to launch later this month and be available for students at Franklin Middle School in Reisterstown, General John Stricker Middle School in Dundalk, Northwest Academy of Health Sciences in Pikesville, Perry Hall Middle School in Nottingham and Stemmers Run Middle School in Essex.

A state board tasked with controlling prescription drug prices for Maryland workers said that they are likely to identify the first set of medications for cost reduction efforts in early next year, and the panel is finalizing procedures in order to get their work underway. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board put the final stamp on two rules outlining the initial procedures to start evaluating which drugs are not affordable for state workers during a virtual meeting Monday.

The Frederick County government is partnering with nonprofits The Safe Ride Foundation and the United Way of Frederick County to establish an affordable ride program for residents without access to a car. The new program, Rides for Good, was announced at a briefing on Tuesday. It is set to launch on Feb. 1. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said the goal of the program is to provide another option when public transportation does not suffice, such as during off hours or when people are traveling between jurisdictions.

The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday approved an increase in funding for security grants for nonprofits and religious institutions that may be susceptible to hate crimes in wake of the Israel-Hamas war. The council voted unanimously to add $311,700 to bolster the existing program, the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The funds are coming from undesignated reserves in the county’s budget. The grants allow organizations to pay for security guards, cameras and other safety measures.