Around Maryland

For nearly two decades, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts functioned like the proverbial well-oiled clock. In recent years, that machine and its relationship with city leaders have fallen apart. Year after year, the quasi-governmental event-planning organization founded in 2002 by former Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley mounted Artscape and other successful festivals that attracted more visitors every year. Year after year, BOPA operated in the black.

For three long nights last week, Alexis Geddes sat by her daughter’s hospital bed, staring at the monitors tracking the amount of oxygen in little Alma’s bloodstream. Doctors at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson had warned Geddes they would need to transfer the 3-year-old to the pediatric intensive care unit if her lungs did not improve. For weeks, Geddes had heard stories swirling around their Rodgers Forge neighborhood of children with pneumonia.

As the dust settled after the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, as the initial shock wore off and the breaking news coverage subsided, residents of this tiny peninsula found themselves facing an uncertain future. Many had spent decades living in the shadow of the Key Bridge, an iconic landmark that placed the community of Turner Station firmly on the map.

As a service to the community, Atlantic General Hospital continues to host free community clinics, providing flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Today, at the Gudelsky Family Medical Center, community members gather early morning, at the clinic drive-thru. Populations Health Coordinator, Alyce Marzola said, this is an effort to protect the community. “You can get your COVID vaccine and flu vaccine at the same time.

All six candidates on the ballot for the Frederick County Board of Education discussed the increasing role of technology and expanding early education at a forum on Sunday. The forum was held at Hood College in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Frederick County; about 50 members of the community gathered to watch. Candidates Colt Morningstar Black, Josh Bokee, Jaime Kiersten Brennan, Veronica D. Lowe, Janie Monier and Chad King Wilson Sr fielded questions from moderator Betty Mayfield, a former math professor at the college and a past co-president of the League.

Stop sign camera enforcement near schools could be coming to Prince George’s County, Maryland. A bill to allow stop sign cameras in school zones is advancing in the county council. The measure was passed unanimously on Oct. 10 by the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee. At the meeting, the panel was told by council staff that the bill was needed to authorize the camera installations, which have been given the green light by the Maryland General Assembly.

The plans for a controversial power line seem to be one step closer to becoming a reality for many Marylanders. PSEG unveiled its route for the 70-mile transmission line that would cut through multiple counties in the state. From the moment the project was announced, it has been met with backlash. Hundreds of Marylanders have spoken out about the proposal, including many local leaders.

Superintendent Mark Bedell informed the Board of Education recently that early release days for elementary schools will not have recess built into the schedule, to the frustration of some board members. “When we talk about recess, we are talking about something essential to a child’s growth, like food,” District 3 representative Corine Frank said at a Board of Education workshop Oct. 7.

There’s a miniature Windsor Mill Road structure that looks like it belongs to elves — or maybe a good witch or Harry Potter wizard. Officially, it’s the gatehouse to the University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute, known for decades as Kernan Hospital. The gatehouse comes with one of those delightful Baltimore tales. James Kernan, a successful theater owner, ruled the northern part of Howard Street in downtown Baltimore with his “Million Dollar Enterprise.”

Some runners rounded the corner of Hopkins Place and hit the homestretch on Pratt Street with a head of steam. They practically glided across the Baltimore Running Festival finish line Saturday. Marathon winners Willy Fink and Sara Kenefick were a part of that group. Heck, so was Baltimore Banner reporter Adam Willis, who finished 20th overall in the half-marathon.