A small cut of Baltimore’s hundreds of millions of dollars in federal pandemic stimulus will go toward initiatives by nine nonprofits, Mayor Brandon Scott said Wednesday, in the first of multiple funding rounds expected for the city’s nonprofit sector. The grants include programs for workforce development, educational opportunities for refugee youth and violence prevention in Baltimore’s LGBTQ community. The $7.3 million in funding comes out of Baltimore’s total $641 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act, President Joe Biden’s massive pandemic recovery package.
Baltimore awards $7.3M in federal pandemic stimulus grants to nonprofits
BSO cancels 10 concerts for the 2022-23 season as it seeks to fill seats at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
In response to a precipitous slide in attendance during the 2021-22 season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has canceled 10 concerts originally scheduled to be performed next season at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The schedule change will affect about 800 subscribers and will reduce the total number of BSO concerts next season from 123 to 113. Of those, 81 will be performed at the Meyerhoff and 32 will be performed at the symphony’s second home at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda.
Maryland’s 6 Casinos Rake In $162.7M In June
Maryland’s six privately run casinos brought in $162.7 million in revenue last month, with the state receiving a contribution of $68.4 million, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency said Wednesday. June’s revenue figures were a slight bump from the same period a year ago, increasing by $1.2 million, or 0.8%.
New York software company aims to hire around 100 people for new Baltimore office
New York City software company Diligent is looking to open a hub in Baltimore, with plans to hire around 100 people and launch a free training program for local residents. The company has not yet decided on a specific location in Baltimore, but is currently looking for a space downtown, said MarKeith Allen, senior vice president and general manager of mission driven organizations. He hopes to establish a permanent physical presence in Baltimore by next summer.
Baltimore bars lose constitutional challenge to limited hours of operation
A Maryland statute requiring bars in a predominantly Black area of Baltimore to open later and close earlier than most others in the city does not violate the constitutional guarantee of equal treatment under the law, the state’s second-highest court ruled last week. In its reported decision, the Court of Special Appeals said the General Assembly did not intentionally discriminate on the basis of race when it enacted the law known as Chapter 389 in 2020 in an effort to reduce alcohol-fueled violence in an especially crime-ridden area of the city.
Oil prices fall sharply as recession worries grow
The end of the Fourth of July weekend arrived with a blast of troubling economic developments as bonds flashed signs of a coming recession and oil prices plunged, suggesting that millions of consumers who have spent more than a year rocked by rising prices could face even more upheaval. Tuesday’s events suggest that gasoline prices could be poised for a sharp descent, though there could be a multiweek lag. While the U.S. average has pulled back from its June peak above $5 a gallon, further declines might not be of much consolation to consumers because they could run into an economic downturn that further pressures stocks and could spill into the labor market.
IG report: Baltimore County ‘appeared to give’ developer David Cordish special treatment over planned personal tennis facility
Baltimore County officials “appeared to give” prominent developer David Cordish preferential treatment when handling plans for an indoor tennis facility, he wanted to build next to his Greenspring Valley home, an investigation released Tuesday by the county’s inspector general concluded. The report by Inspector General Kelly Madigan said the county issued a building permit without requiring Cordish to go through a special hearing before an administrative law judge. However, county officials dispute that, saying a building permit was “never fully approved or issued.”
Corporate Profits May Be the Next Thing to Break
‘Catastrophic failures’ at wastewater treatment plant have triggered a state takeover, a lawsuit and outrage
Sara Bundy, her husband and 12-year-old son moved to Sparrows Point near the Back River in Baltimore County four years ago for the allure of a waterfront home. “We are a boating family. We love to fish and kayak and our lives are very much based around water,” said Bundy, 43, who owns a dog walking and pet sitting business. “So, when we came across this waterfront home, it was perfect for us.”
BWI Fares Well Amid Mass Flight Delays, Cancellations Over Holiday Weekend
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport fared well over the Fourth of July weekend, as thousands of flights nationwide were delayed and canceled. “It does not seem like there’s enough staff. That’s what I’m hearing from them. The pilot was really frustrated,” Ryan Webb said after her Albany flight was delayed four hours. “Got on the plane, backed up, and apparently, the Check Engine light came on.”