Around Maryland

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.

The Carroll County Board of Education will be asked to approve the school system’s $45.9 million capital budget request for fiscal 2025 on Wednesday at its monthly meeting. The request is $2.1 million higher than the version presented last month to the school board, mostly to accommodate new classroom space at Sandymount Elementary School. The school board said last month that it would prioritize construction projects at Liberty High, Sykesville Middle, Freedom Elementary, Cranberry Station Elementary, Friendship Valley Elementary, Sandymount Elementary and Taneytown Elementary schools in the 2025 capital budget.

A former legal secretary is suing Tydings & Rosenberg LLP over the law firm’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees.The federal civil rights lawsuit claims the firm rejected a religious exemption for the ex-employee, Cheryl Shigley, and ultimately terminated her in September 2021. Shigley’s suit asks a judge to reinstate her job at Tydings and order the firm to provide back pay and punitive damages.