Business

In response to the increasing demand for mental health services among young people, Luminis Health was awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission. The nonprofit regional health system will collaborate with Prince George’s County Public Schools by implementing comprehensive support services at six high schools. As part of the grant, Luminis Health will hire and deploy mental health providers directly to the schools, collaborating with school counselors to offer vital support to students and parents.

Developers of a new $1 billion container terminal at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County say they expect to break ground by the end of next year and open in 2028, creating 1,100 jobs. But much of that timeline depends on navigating a complex government permitting process and resolving environmental issues, such as how to safely dispose of dredge material. On Tuesday, the developers of Tradepoint Atlantic, a logistics hub on the former site of Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, discussed their vision with federal officials from an agency that works to keep major infrastructure projects from getting tangled in red tape.

If you filed your taxes early (good for you!) and have been wondering where your Maryland tax refund is, you’re not alone. The Maryland Office of the Comptroller stopped processing tax returns from Jan. 30 through Feb. 9 while it made software updates. The comptroller’s office didn’t make the upgrades as a surprise — it was announced ahead of time — but it still caused a delay. The state comptroller’s office on Wednesday said it had received about 530,000 returns so far, processed about 260,000 and initiated about 209,000 refunds. The office is expecting about 3.1 million returns total this year.

Over the past 10 years, Tradepoint Atlantic has worked to clean up the infamous remnants of the Bethlehem Steel Days to bring back new reimagined glory days to the Port of Baltimore. “This is the next major phase of redevelopment and clean up at Sparrows Point,” said Aaron Tomarchio, Executive Vice President of Tradepoint Atlantic.

Fans of fresh bread, rejoice. Kneads Bakeshop, the Harbor East bakery and cafe, plans to open a second location at the Village of Cross Keys later this year, according to a press release from Caves Valley Partners. The Cross Keys location will be a 1,300-square-foot grab-and-go bakery and coffee shop, significantly smaller than the 17,000-square-foot flagship.

American Airlines has raised the price to check a bag for the first time in more than five years and said it would limit which travel agency bookings are eligible to earn frequent flyer miles. Passengers will pay $35 to check a first bag for domestic flights if the service is booked online in advance, or $40 if they purchase the option at the airport, the carrier said Tuesday.

The year 2023 was a dynamic one for businesses across all sectors. Artificial intelligence went from a novel technology to a more widely utilized business productivity tool. Many companies invested additional resources in sustainable business practices. And digital business solutions helped companies thrive. Here are predictions for what current and emerging trends will further shape businesses in 2024.

Capital One Financial is set to acquire Discover Financial Services in a $35.3 billion all-stock deal. Under the agreement, Discover shareholders would receive 1.0192 Capital One shares for each Discover share or about a 26% premium from Discover’s Friday closing price of $110.49. The companies said they expect the deal to close in late 2024 or early 2025, after which Capital One shareholders would hold 60% and Discover shareholders would own 40% of the combined company.