Around Maryland

The ship that caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse in March, killing six construction workers, is expected to move soon, with officials setting a target of early next week for the refloat. Moving the ship out of its current position is a critical step in Key Bridge Response Unified Command’s current efforts to reopen the Patapsco River’s main 50-foot-deep, 700-foot-wide shipping channel, which has been closed since March 26.

Maryland drivers have felt the impact on traffic in the weeks following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. There’s new federal data that supports that feeling. “The rush hour now starts at, I would say 2:30 p.m., instead of the 3 o’ clock hour,” a driver named Kris said. “I do notice a lot more traffic on I-695,” driver Edward Brunson said.

On the opening day of striped bass fishing in Maryland, recreational anglers and charter boats ventured out onto the Chesapeake Bay, but not all were enthusiastic about the start of the season. New regulations set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) aimed at bolstering the struggling rockfish population in the Chesapeake have left some captains and guests apprehensive.

Frederick County’s Board of Education has narrowed the school district’s budget deficit to about $6.4 million after approving multiple cuts on Wednesday, which included reductions in average raises for district employees. Frederick County Public Schools’ proposed expenditures for fiscal year 2025’s operating budget were about $988 million — about $50 million higher than its projected revenues, according to a presentation from Heather Clabaugh, associate superintendent of fiscal services.

Without raising taxes, the Montgomery County Council voted to add $26.3 million dollars to the Maryland county executive’s proposed budget plan for FY2025. While the 11-member council was able to reach a consensus in its “straw” vote — the action before next week’s final decision — some concerns about the $7.1 billion spending plan were also voiced.

At the Maryland Institute College of Art’s graduation on Monday, interim President Cecilia McCormick asked the undergraduate class of 2024 to look into a mirror. “To be an artist, you have to be true to who you are,” McCormick said. The 200-year-old art and design school, which promotes itself online as “an institution that continually re-invented itself to meet the challenges of changing times,” has had its own self-reflecting to do in recent years.

The day has finally arrived, we now know when the Washington Commanders will face each of their opponents for the upcoming 2024 NFL Season. Since Draft night, Commanders fans have been waiting to find out which team rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will take his first snaps against. The NFL released the official schedule Wednesday night, it includes all 17 games set for the Commanders’ upcoming season.

Living alone in downtown Silver Spring and no longer able to drive because of a disability, Cynthia Goodman was feeling increasingly isolated when her doctor suggested in 2015 that she join a local organization that connects residents who need help with others who are willing to provide it. So Goodman signed up to become a member of Silver Spring Village, one of 30 such groups in Montgomery County.

Asma Naeem, director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, has an unexpected take on the climate protests that have shaken the art museum world in recent years. The protests, meant to convey the severity of climate change, have seen precious works of art from Sweden to Washington, D.C., doused in paint and cans of soup by impassioned climate activists. They’ve caused thousands of dollars in damage and prompted some museums to step up security for delicate artwork.