Around Maryland

When her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, Cindy Perez of Southwest Ranches, Fla., learned about a new blood test that could help find early cancers. The 50-year-old said she felt fine, but her husband urged her to take the test anyway. To her surprise, the blood test — called Galleri — came back positive. Scans revealed a small tumor in her groin and a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer.

Across the country, authorities have been increasingly using genetic technology to solve decades-old cases that had captivated the public and confounded law enforcement. But in Baltimore, where there are thousands of unsolved homicides, it has yet to occur. The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office is hoping to change that, creating a new cold case division within the homicide unit that will pursue funding for forensic genealogy testing — which involves using DNA submitted to family tree websites and famously helped solve the Golden State Killer case — and work with detectives to better strategize around unsolved cases that may be ripe for a fresh look.

In early April, a WTOP staffer noticed an unusual number of streetlights were out along the Beltway in Maryland, with more than 60 spotted between Interstate 95 and the exit to Connecticut Avenue. This left large sections of the interstate where streetlights exist, in the dark. Was it just one section of highway being plagued by the outages?

The Frederick County Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to confirm the appointment of Anthony Rosano to lead the county’s Division of Emergency Management. Rosano, who previously served as the division’s deputy director, was named acting director of the Emergency Management Division in January following the retirement of former director Jack Markey in December 2023.

Chuck and JoAnn Anderika were up before dawn Tuesday to bring their sailboat back home. The Anderikas set out around 6 a.m. from Solomons Island, headed for Baltimore. The couple wanted to ensure they made it in time to take advantage of a one-hour window for recreational boats to pass by the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and into the harbor, where they have a slip.

Dozens of residents turned out for a community walk Wednesday evening with Baltimore County leaders. Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski took part in the walk. NAACP leaders said they helped organize it because they don't want people who live and work in the community to feel forgotten.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball’s proposed fiscal 2025 operating budget provides the school system with $47 million above its required minimum funding level, and would supply $5 million in one-time funding to schools, Ball told the County Council Tuesday evening. The $5 million in “pay-as-you-go” spending, which funds capital projects with money from the county’s rainy-day fund, will “support one-time school transportation needs,” according to the proposed budget.