Politics

The Frederick County government has hired three contractors to evaluate what is now Hillcrest Park as a potential location for a new west side library branch. County and city officials announced the project during a joint press conference in July. The proposed location of the new library came as a shock to some Frederick residents, since the site was not presented as an option during previous community listening sessions.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks is attempting a feat: to become only the third Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. To do it, the Democrat must quickly raise money to help build statewide name recognition in a contest that includes a congressman who is self-funding his campaign — to the tune of $10 million so far, July finance reports show.

A federal appeals court in Richmond ruling struck down a lawsuit on Monday that challenged Montgomery County Public Schools’ gender identity guidelines, ruling that the case lacks legal standing. The parents of two MCPS students filed the lawsuit in 2020, alleging that the school district’s gender identity guidelines, which advise staff not to disclose a student’s gender to their parents without permission, violate federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

After three years, Artscape will return to Baltimore, and the City Council got a preview of what to expect. Artscape will be held in Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill and Station North. More than 1,000 vendors have applied to take part. “Going to be the cultural hub of the arts,” Todd Yuhanick, interim chief executive officer of the Batlimore Office of Promotion & The Arts said. “I know it’s going to be a busy weekend, but that’s what real cities do.”

The murder trial of Draquan Smith had been set to begin in Baltimore, and prosecutors wanted to reschedule it because the assistant state’s attorney assigned to the case was out sick. The state had opposed an order to have a different assistant state’s attorney handle jury selection as to not delay the case. When a judge denied a second request to postpone the trial, or, at a minimum, pause the court proceedings for 24 hours, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence against Smith.

Frederick’s mayor and aldermen will determine the fate of plans to rezone a shopping center along West Patrick Street, following a vote by the city’s Planning Commission. The commission voted unanimously Monday night to recommend approval of the master plan to redevelop the Westridge Shopping Center along Frederick’s Golden Mile to the mayor and aldermen.

Polish up your ruby slippers. In six weeks, a much talked-about Broadway-bound production of “The Wiz” will ease on down the road and into the Hippodrome Theatre for its world premiere — pouring millions of dollars into the local economy and potentially elevating Baltimore’s importance nationwide as a theater destination. The revival of “The Wiz,” the iconic, 1975 all-Black musical retelling of “The Wizard of Oz,” will be the first show to take advantage of financial incentives the Maryland General Assembly approved last year.

One member of Maryland’s eight-man congressional delegation, Rep. David Trone (D-6th), is running for U.S. Senate. Another, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th), thought seriously about a Senate bid before deciding to seek reelection. Two members of the delegation, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), who is 84 years old, and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-2nd), who is 77, are the constant objects of retirement speculation.