Around Maryland

The Frederick County Council is considering five proposed amendments to the Frederick County charter, including one providing for the removal of a council member from office and another authorizing the legislators to remove an appointed department head. During a meeting on Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to send the five proposed amendments to a public hearing.

The state has acceded to public demand to retain all 36 of its commuter bus routes but at reduced frequencies, the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland Transit Administration said in a news release Wednesday. In February the department said it would cut eight routes and reduce service on 26 more, including 10 in the Baltimore region.

The Howard County Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a $2.4 billion operating budget for the coming fiscal year that holds the line on property taxes while increasing spending on public safety and schools. After a month of public hearings and legislative meetings, the council approved a spending plan that makes minimal changes to the one recommended by County Executive Calvin Ball.

The Maryland State Department of Education has received a $6.8 million grant that will allow teachers to take courses on the science of reading, an evidence-based instructional philosophy. The four-year grant will provide free professional development for more than 30,000 eligible teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals.

The search for a new Montgomery County police chief has reached a milestone with the nomination of one of the members of the Maryland county’s police department. Assistant Chief Marc Yamada has been tapped to replace Marcus Jones, who earlier this year announced that he will be retiring in July as head of the Montgomery County Police Department.

The 22 high-achieving University of Maryland students gathered in a loft-like classroom had to apply just to get into this class. And the class itself is a high-stakes competition. Over three semesters, they’re charged with inventing a workable technology to detect gunshots in school buildings, which could reduce casualties. In a year, they’ll gather for a “Shark Tank”-style competition to present their business pitches.

There are generations of young people who have never experienced Harborplace in its heyday, with lots of shops, eateries and fun places to hang out. They only know what’s left of the downtown waterfront and the mostly vacant green pavilions, slated for redevelopment by developer P. David Bramble and his company, MCB Real Estate. Like teenagers before them, today’s youths still meet friends there, most often during spring, summer and other school breaks.

The County Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a $981.5 million operating budget for the next fiscal year, with a property tax increase of about 4.7% to help support school construction. The council previously cut $442,120 from Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal. On Tuesday, the council decided that the surplus funds will go toward the Board of Education, which is trying to close a gap in its budget.

With a backdrop cleared of a container ship for the first time in eight weeks, Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday thanked the Unified Command and other officials for a quick and decisive response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. But the mission is far from complete, he said. “I will not be satisfied until I can look over this same site and see the Francis Scott Key Bridge standing again. That’s mission completion,” Moore said.