Around Maryland

Spending your Earth Day Monday in Maryland means spending less on public transportation and more time saving the planet. In Montgomery County, Ride On buses, which includes Ride On, Ride On extRa, Ride On flex and Flash, will be free to use on Monday, April 22, in celebration of Earth Day, according to a statement from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

The Garrett County Health Department is searching for a new leader. Health Officer and Director Bob Stephens, 66, of Mountain Lake Park, plans to retire July 1. “Most of my peers are retiring and I want to pass the reins to someone who has more energy and additional ideas of how to improve the health and wellness of the community,” he said.

More than half of Prince George’s County public schools will shift their starting and ending times by up to 15 minutes in the next academic year as part of ongoing changes that school officials say could ease transportation issues. About 68 percent of the youngsters in Maryland’s second-largest school system, or about 86,000 students, use buses each day. But just over 800 drivers drive students to and from school, and 200 more are needed, according to a transportation audit released in January.

At a news conference to highlight the prosecutions of 20 young people on charges including armed robbery, carjacking and assault, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he had a message for parents and guardians. “I want you to listen closely. Because I’m talking to you,” Bates said. “If you don’t remember anything else about this press conference, just remember two words: parental accountability.”

Anne Arundel County has expanded the powers of its Human Relations Commission to further address discrimination at the county level, which could expedite the process of getting complaints heard. The County Council on Monday unanimously passed the county’s first extensive anti-discrimination law. It will empower the commission to investigate discrimination complaints in noncounty employment and public accommodations, in addition to housing.

Nonprofit organizations in Carroll County are advocating for a new county ordinance stipulating how they will use the tax revenue from the sale of adult-use cannabis in Maryland. The Board of Carroll County Commissioners heard from agencies at a public hearing Thursday describing how the tax revenue collected from Maryland’s Community Reinvestment Repair Fund, could be a financial benefit.

Five state agencies that are key stakeholders in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future have less than two months to submit documents for implementing that education reform plan. The June 15 deadline was set Thursday by the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), which oversees the $3.8 billion plan through 2032.

In March 2023, the Maryland Department of Health began sifting through almost 1.8 million Medicaid enrollees to see who still qualifies for the federal health care plan for low-income households. A year later, the department has processed over 1.5 million Medicaid enrollees, and has determined that most people still qualified, while hundreds of thousands of others were no longer eligible.