Politics

Tommie Broadwater Jr., the late “godfather” of Prince George’s County whose grip on power endured long after his political star had faded, exited public life on Monday as he had entered it nearly 50 years ago: making history. His casket flanked by police in dress uniform, Broadwater lay in repose at the county’s Upper Marlboro offices — a first for a state senator — signaling his impact on the county he’d helped transform over his 81 years.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s administration is considering two potential paths to redevelop Security Square Mall: one that retains the half-century-old mall, another that demolishes it. Either way, experts say, public officials and private developers have to decide — and residents and business owners want to know — whom will the multimillion-dollar project benefit?

Frederick police are beginning to enforce rules that the city’s aldermen approved in July, restricting large commercial vehicles on residential streets. The aldermen amended the city’s code on July 7 to restrict vehicles of more than 26,000 pounds on city streets with signs posted prohibiting commercial traffic, according to a news. release from the city.

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins on Friday appealed a federal judge’s decision that denied his request to get his department-issued guns back, court records show. Two days earlier, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner denied Jenkins’ initial request, stating that Jenkins did not offer new arguments since she ordered him in April to surrender his firearms while facing federal charges.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating allegations made by County Council member Aaron Penman that the administration of County Executive Bob Cassilly violated the state’s wiretap statue. Penman said he received evidence, which he has passed on to law enforcement, showing the Cassilly administration monitored email communications between himself and five others, and phone records, said Penman, a Forest Hill Republican.

The Federal Regulatory Commission on Thursday finalized long-awaited new rules intended to reform how power generation projects get connected to the electric grid, seen as a major step in smoothing the path for thousands of mostly renewable power projects currently waiting to plug in. “This rule will ensure that our country’s vast generation resources are able to interconnect to the transmission system in a reliable, efficient, transparent and timely manner,” FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said, adding that there are 2,000 gigawatts of power projects stuck in interconnection queues across the nation.