Around Maryland

COVID-19 cases are on the rise and the traditional flu and RSV seasons are coming. But when it comes to masking at the hospital or doctors’ office — where you may know someone who is sick or you may be sick ― there is little in the way of masking requirements. Many facilities’ official policies recommend, even strongly recommend, visitors and staff wear masks. And certainly, “Patients: Please wear a mask if you have upper respiratory symptoms or fever,” reads the Johns Hopkins Medicine policy.

In central Baltimore, children traverse through a maze of construction barriers and metal fences to reach City Springs Elementary/Middle School. Luxury developments have sprung up around Harbor East, Fells Point and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, areas surrounding the Washington Hill neighborhood, which is home to City Springs and abuts the Perkins Homes public housing community. Since 2021, however, the area has been undergoing a major overhaul as part of the Housing Authority of Baltimore’s $1 billion Perkins Somerset Oldtown Transformation plan.

Dueling protests regarding the rights of transgender students emerged outside the Baltimore County Board of Education’s meeting Tuesday night. A group of parents and children with the group P.A.S.S. (Parental Alliance for Safer Schools in Baltimore County) gathered to protest the county’s policy that follows federal mandates allowing transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. The group also wants Baltimore County to force trans athletes to compete on teams that match the gender on their birth certificates, rather than their gender identity.

Meet the Baltimore area’s leading voices in business, activism, research and more. Look for the 25 Women to Watch in a special magazine supplement in some editions of The Baltimore Sun on Sunday, Oct. 15. The women will be honored with a celebration at the Baltimore Museum of Art on Oct. 11.

With 2½ months left in the year, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday it has seized a record number of guns from travelers at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport. On Monday, TSA officers stopped a traveler from bringing a loaded gun through an airport checkpoint — the 36th gun found by officers this year. In 2022, TSA officers seized 35 guns from BWI travelers. The number of firearm seizures at BWI mirrors a national trend at the nation’s airports.

A week after a shooting on Morgan State University grounds, the school announced plans to enclose 90 percent of the campus to limit “unfettered access,” President David K. Wilson said during a campus town hall Tuesday evening. The plan includes an extension of the Morgan Wall, a physical barrier on Hillen Road. The construction is in progress around the west campus, and the proposal calls for an extension down Argonne Drive and Cold Spring Lane, Wilson said. It also calls for “strategic placement” of security personnel at entry and exit points, as well as more guard booths and blue security lights, Wilson said.

Baltimore County officials Tuesday announced the new Baltimore County Volunteer Center, an online portal that will connect individuals of all ages with opportunities to become more active and engaged residents. By partnering with area nonprofits and government agencies, this one-stop-shop center will promote and highlight ongoing volunteer needs and help organizations increase their capacity while harnessing the skills and talents of community members.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley was sworn in on Thursday, Oct. 5. The Baltimore Police Department has shared a video in which Worley provides a greeting to Baltimore residents and shares his vision for the Department. The message shared by Worley is as follows: “To the residents of Baltimore, I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to lead our police department and to work together in building trust and reducing crime.

The Greater Baltimore housing market continued to see high prices and low inventory in September but there are signs of a coming fall slowdown. The median home price in the Baltimore metro area was $379,000 last month, which was down from August’s record high of $385,000 but still up 4.1% compared to September 2022, according to a new report from Rockville-based Bright MLS released Tuesday. The year-over-year price growth is being driven by the low number of houses on the market, with inventory down nearly 60% compared to September 2019 and new listings at a two-decade low.