Around Maryland

Thousands of migrant children are coming to Maryland every year. One ZIP code in Southeast Baltimore saw an influx of nearly 1,800 migrant children from 2015 to 2023, among the most in the country over that time. ZIP code 21224, home to parts of Canton, Brewers Hill and Greektown, saw more children from other countries — most of them in South America — than all but 13 other ZIP codes in the United States.

Under a deal up for approval next month, two power plants in Anne Arundel County would continue to burn coal at least three years longer than planned — potentially costing Marylanders $250 million or more every year. PJM Interconnection, the region’s power grid operator, has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue an order approving its deal with power plant operator Talen Energy by June 18, according to a tariff filing last month.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit focusing on patient safety, released its spring hospital safety grades. The grades reflect how well hospitals prevent medical errors, accidents and infections. In the Baltimore area, three hospitals received “A” grades, including MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital and the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center.

State and federal officials are warning commuters about a scam involving the E-ZPass toll payment method. The Maryland Transportation Authority and the FBI local field office said there’s a text messaging swindle taking place at tolling booths across the state asking customers to enter their personal data and financial information into a fake website, where it is accessed by cybercriminals.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman on Wednesday proposed a $2.31 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 that increases spending, boosts the starting pay of police officers and provides funds to staff three new schools. The spending plan represents an 8.2% increase from the $2.14 billion budget approved for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

As Maryland public school leaders continue to work on the massive Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan, documents from local school systems that are being turned in this week must provide data to show how officials are putting it in place. That information is based on the Blueprint’s five priorities — early childhood education, hiring and retaining high-quality and diverse teachers, preparing students for college and technical careers, providing additional resources for students in need and governance and accountability.

There was a time when the Potomac River was a political fault line dividing two great powers. Shifting alliances, political maneuvers, betrayals, and turnarounds – this was not the Civil War but the time of the Powhatan and Piscataway paramountcies and the tribes loyal (or not) to them. It was a time of kings and emperors, ambition and downfall.

The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office published the office’s first-ever strategic plan on Tuesday aimed at creating a number of tools for victims and witnesses and modernizing aspects of the office. The 23-page plan will guide the agency’s priorities over the next three years and “embodies the office’s commitment to justice, integrity and rebuilding the public’s trust” to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates said.

Baltimore Police and city leaders are not in a rush to shut down a pro-Palestinian protest at Johns Hopkins University unless it gets out of control. Police said in a statement that the “City of Baltimore strongly stands with every person’s First Amendment rights.” Protesters set up an encampment and organized rallies on Monday and Tuesday on the Homewood campus.