Melissa Nocho was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries on Sept. 24 after Baltimore County Police responded to the crash near the accident-prone stretch of the road.

She died less than a week later.

Nocho was memorialized in social media posts during the past week as a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.

Police confirmed that Nocho was hit by a black Hyundai Elantra. Investigators are still trying to determine who was driving.

Anyone with any information about the hit-and-run can contact detectives at 410-887-4636.

Reisterstown Road is dangerous

The collision where Nocho was killed, along the 1700 block of Reisterstown Road, is just a two-minute drive from where more than 30 people were injured in another crash in July.

That’s when a bus struck multiple vehicles and slammed into a downtown Pikesville FedEx office at intersection of Reisterstown and Old Court roads.

County residents have long complained that the corridor is one of the most dangerous places to walk, bike or drive. State data shows that over a dozen crashes have caused injuries on a half-mile stretch of Reisterstown Road this year alone.

Dan Brody, president of the Pikesville Improvement Corp., a group working to revitalize the downtown, previously told The Banner that everyone in the community knows Reisterstown Road is a dangerous stretch of four-lane traffic.

“It’s just,” he said, “when are we going to fix it?”

Banner reporter Sapna Bansil contributed to this article.

Maryland is bracing for a wet, windy Sunday as the remnants of Isaias move into the mid-Atlantic, bringing 1 to 2 inches of rain, thunderstorms, wind gusts as high as 28 mph and a “small potential” for tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.

The first storm of the 2026 Atlantic season made landfall in Destin, Florida, around 9:30 p.m. Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with winds up to 105 mph, ravaging the Gulf Coast and killing two people. As the hurricane moved farther inland it dropped in both intensity and status — early Saturday morning it was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, which is powered by clashing warm and cold air rather than warm ocean waters.

“We’re currently expecting the remnants to slowly move into the region over the next 24 hours or so,” meteorologist Samantha Timmers said.

The NWS forecaster added that rain showers will likely begin early Saturday evening near the Allegheny Mountains, but the heaviest rain begins Sunday.

What Maryland can expect

So far, the storm has not caused any major disruptions across the region for air travel, but according to FlightAware — a global aviation tracking company — there have been 12 delayed flights in and out of the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and seven cancellations.

On Sunday, the Washington Commanders will be eyeing the forecast as they prepare to host the New York Giants at 1 p.m. at Northwest Stadium in Landover. Meanwhile, the Ravens are on the road against the Atlanta Falcons in a stadium with a retractable roof.

In Anne Arundel County, Annapolis’ Office of Emergency Management is forecasting coastal flooding in low-lying areas of the city and high tides on Sunday.

That moderate tidal flooding is possible along western shores of the Chesapeake Bay and alongside the Potomac, particularly Annapolis, according to the NWS’ 7-day weather hazard outlook.

⚠️With the remnants of Isaias headed toward the local area on Sun, a number of hazards may impact the region. This includes strong mountain winds, tidal flooding, quick spin-up tornadoes, and locally heavy rainfall.
Stayed tuned at https://t.co/yWNVw6QtsN#VAwx #DCwx #WVwx #MDwx pic.twitter.com/XIVMRU5BnX

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) October 10, 2026

Across the bay, Ocean City Police rescheduled Sunday’s Endless Summer Cruisin’ events due to forecasted strong winds and heavy rain, said spokesperson Ashley Miller.

The resort city recently cancelled their three-day rock music festival, Oceans Calling, after a nor’easter swept across the East Coast last month.

Meteorologists from WJZ, Baltimore’s CBS affiliate, issued a “First Alert Weather Day” for Sunday — a special designation to warn the public about hazardous weather conditions in advance.

“Just stay as safe as you can be with any impactful weather,” Timmers said.

This story has been updated.

Fight Back MD is spending “six figures” on text messages, mailers and a video ad that will air on TV and streaming services to urge voters to approve Question 3, spokesperson Luca Amayo said.

Question 3, if approved by voters, would change the state constitution to remove requirements that congressional districts be compact and respect natural and political boundaries. It could pave the way for a Democratic gerrymander of Maryland’s congressional districts, with the goal of ousting Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Harris.

The 30-second ad blames President Donald Trump for pushing Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to favor their party.

The ad goes on to claim that with Question 3, Marylanders can respond to those actions.

“This is how Democrats elect a Congress that will stop Trump’s corrupt agenda, which is making everything cost more,” the ad says.

It concludes: “Stop Trump. Vote ‘yes’ on Question 3.”

The mailer echoes a similar theme: “Question 3 puts Maryland voters, NOT politicians, in charge of how we respond.”

The mailers will go to likely voters across the state, starting with voters who have already requested and received mail ballots. Text messages and mailers will start going out Saturday, according to Fight Back MD, a committee backed by state Democrats.

Question 3 is Democrats’ latest attempt to redraw congressional districts after the Maryland General Assembly did not agree to approve a new map — largely due to concerns in the state Senate that it would not survive legal scrutiny. Question 3 would remove a legal hurdle that a judge previously cited to reject redistricting plans.

The redistricting debate has divided Democrats for nearly a year and has brought pressure from national party leaders seeking an edge in recapturing a House majority.

Republicans and those philosophically opposed to gerrymandering have raised concerns about redrawing Maryland’s congressional boundaries, which currently elect seven Democrats and one Republican, Harris.

An anti-Question 3 group, Protect Maryland Votes, is also active this election season but has yet to air ads.

Recent polling indicates that Question 3 is facing headwinds, possibly because voters know little about what it does. The ballot language can be confusing for those not following politics closely.

A poll from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County released this week found that 53% would vote against Question 3, with just 25% in favor and 19% undecided.

That mirrored a poll from Protect Maryland Votes, which indicated that 41% would vote no, 28% would vote yes and 31% were undecided. Bipartisan firms conducted the Protect Maryland Votes poll.

A poll from Fight Back MD showed more support for Question 3, but still not enough for it to pass: 40% yes, 35% opposed and 25% unsure. That poll was conducted by a firm that polls for Democrats.

Amayo pointed out that the group’s poll showed support rose to 53% after respondents were read “positive” messaging about Question 3.

“When voters understand that Question 3 gives Maryland the ability to push back against Trump’s efforts to rig congressional maps and shield himself from accountability at the ballot box, a majority support that,” Amayo said.

The statewide ad campaign “will make that case directly to Marylanders,” he said.

Doug Mayer, a spokesperson for Protect Maryland Votes, said the pro-Question 3 ads are misleading. If Question 3 passes and all Democratic-friendly districts are drawn, only voters in that party will effectively have a say in their representation in Congress, he said.

“This is beyond wrong and true Marylanders know this and will vote against it,” he said.

This article has been updated.

After a depleting, disjointed win Sunday over the Tennessee Titans, safety Kyle Hamilton had a message for his Ravens teammates. It was not all rah-rah. His words were laced with self-aware sarcasm, too.

“Let’s not be afraid to stack these games and go on a streak,” Hamilton remembered saying Wednesday. “It’s OK to go on a win streak, and we don’t have to regress every few weeks.”

The Ravens are 3-1 because they lost a game they shouldn’t have. They’re 3-1 despite nearly throwing away another win.

But this weekend, the Ravens head to Atlanta as “Sunday Night Football” underdogs. And the barriers to another winning streak are considerable: The Ravens will take on a 2-2 Falcons team that has won its past two games by a combined 80-38 margin, and they’ll do it without quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle). Top outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson (finger) will also be unavailable, coach Jesse Minter said Friday.

Here’s what to watch in the Ravens’ Week 5 matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. All stats are courtesy of Sports Info Solutions, Pro Football Focus and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, unless otherwise noted.

1. On Thursday, Ravens running back Derrick Henry called Falcons running back Bijan Robinson “the best in the game right now.” The burden to prove him wrong will fall largely on the Ravens’ run defense. And it’s a big burden.

In the Ravens’ two games this season against functional rushing attacks, they’ve struggled to defend outside-zone and stretch run concepts, which the Falcons lean heavily on. The Indianapolis Colts rushed for 62 yards (6.2 per carry) on those types of plays in Week 1, and the Dallas Cowboys went for 76 yards (5.8 per carry) in Week 3.

@gregcosell analyzes how the Falcons execute outside zone at an elite level to help Bijan Robinson break off huge runs.#DirtyBirds vs #Saints

Live on ESPN2 & Streaming on ESPN+@gregcosell | @DariusJButler | Sal Paolantonio! pic.twitter.com/YIDjIdxEKT

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 3, 2026

The Falcons have rushed for an NFL-high 512 yards (6.9 per carry) on the two horizontal run concepts this season — 162 yards more than the second-place Chicago Bears. Robinson, a first-team All-Pro last season, has a league-leading 376 yards (7.5 per carry) on outside-zone and stretch handoffs, with 15 first downs on 50 carries. The play of the Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike, one of the NFL’s best zone-run-stopping linemen before his neck injury last season, will be crucial.

“It all comes down to setting firm edges on the front side, thinking [about] knocking back [the blockers], and staying alive on the back side,” Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Thursday, calling it a “pack-hunting game” for the unit. “I think they have a really, really good group of athletic offensive linemen who work in cohesion and work well together. … Then, obviously, the back is special.”

2. Robinson will have the Ravens’ full attention on every play Sunday. But the most interesting chess matches might come on plays where quarterback Michael Penix Jr. fakes a handoff.

In his two games since returning from a knee injury, the 2024 first-round pick has feasted on play-action opportunities. Penix is 12-for-18 for 261 yards and a touchdown, with an elite 66.7% success rate and 0.91 expected points added per play. Star wide receiver Drake London has six of those 12 completions, racking up 154 play-action yards.

But Minter’s defense will pose a far stiffer test. With their variety of coverage changeups and the range of inside linebacker Roquan Smith and Hamilton, the Ravens have been one of the NFL’s best play-action stoppers. Opponents are a combined 16-for-30 for 129 yards, a touchdown and an interception after run fakes this season. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed fewer passing yards (107).

3. Under offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, the Ravens have built an explosive passing game around a reliable running game. But Atlanta could test that structural integrity.

The Falcons have the NFL’s best run defense, leading the league in yards per game allowed (48.3) and yards per carry allowed (2.7). Even more remarkable, Atlanta is averaging minus-0.13 yards before contact per carry this season, making them the NFL’s only defense with a typical line of scrimmage established, quite literally, in the opponent’s backfield.

But the Falcons’ defensive structure can leave them vulnerable. Atlanta has played single-high coverage on nearly two-thirds of its snaps this season, which means the Ravens should have one-on-one opportunities outside the numbers and throwing windows down the seams on Sunday. Doyle was optimistic Thursday that even a quiet run game wouldn’t significantly limit the Ravens’ opportunities on drop-backs. But backup quarterback Tyler Huntley will have to take his chances.

“If they can defend you in two-high shells and defend the run game, they are taking away a lot of the play-action opportunities,” Doyle said Thursday. “Now, if they are stopping you in the run game because they are playing one-high and they are playing a down safety and they are fitting it fast, a lot of times, that opens up some of those play-action opportunities. … Sometimes they’re stopping the run for a reason. Generally, when a defense does something, something else opens up. That is kind of the mindset.”

4. With the Ravens’ trade for Cam Jurgens, Vega Ioane’s second career start at center could be his last of the season. But the challenges he’ll face in Atlanta will be different from what he faced Sunday in Baltimore.

The first-round pick won’t just have to deal with the Falcons’ elite run defense. He won’t just have to worry about a pass rush that ranks among the league’s best in pressure rate despite rarely blitzing. Ioane will also have to deal with a lot more noise when the Ravens have the ball inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

As center, he’ll have a different role in the Ravens’ silent count, the nonverbal system the offensive line uses when it’s too loud to hear the quarterback’s cadence. Ioane, along with guards John Simpson, Emery Jones Jr. and Andrew Vorhees (foot), who’s questionable for Sunday, will have to manage the Ravens’ presnap operation smoothly. He also can’t be predictable with his snapping.

“He understands exactly how that works,” Minter said Monday. “Sometimes the silent count for a center is actually easier in a sense, because the guard is controlling a little bit more of the tempo of the count based on how you are doing it. There are a bunch of different ways you can do it. So, again, confident in Vega that whatever he puts his mind to for a week, that he will be ready to roll.”

5. Sunday will be a homecoming of sorts for a handful of Georgia-born and Georgia-raised Ravens.

Hamilton, who went to high school in the city’s suburbs, will have friends and family on hand. Smith, who grew up in the state and starred at Georgia, estimated that he’d have over 100 well-wishers in the stands. Cornerback Nate Wiggins and outside linebacker Zion Young are Atlanta natives.

But a return to the Peach State will be especially poignant for defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who played for the Falcons in 2023. Ciarre Campbell, Calais’ brother, was charged with murder this summer after Atlanta police found their 71-year-old mother, Nateal, dead at her home. Campbell was excused from training camp in July to attend her funeral service in Colorado.

Campbell did not speak to reporters this week, and Weaver acknowledged that Sunday’s game could be “difficult.”

“I know he is going to have those emotions out there,” he said. “I know he is going to want to put on a show for everybody in this stadium and watching from above. And ultimately, it is one of those things where you do not really get over it. You just learn to live with it. I know how much the guys in that locker room care about him, and I expect everybody to try to pick him up and lift him up during this trying time.”

The live-event ticketing and marketing company lists “Event Canceled” on its page for “The R&B Tour — Starring Usher Raymond & Chris Brown.”

The Baltimore concert date also does not appear on tour producer Live Nation’s list of cities for the R&B performers’ current tour, or on M&T Bank Stadium’s calendar of events. The pair are performing in Houston this weekend, followed by MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Oct. 15. The next concert date listed after that is Atlanta on Nov. 5.

Neither Ticketmaster, Live Nation nor M&T Bank Stadium provided a reason specific to the Baltimore cancellation or said whether the show would be rescheduled.

Live Nation and stadium officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday night.

The NBC affiliate in Cincinnati reported that the Usher-Chris Brown concert set for Oct. 24 at Paycor Stadium has also been canceled. Ticketmaster said on its page for that concert that it would issue a refund to the original method of payment, as soon as it received funds from the event organizer. It said the funds should appear within 14 to 21 days.

No such note appears yet on the page for the Baltimore show.

Concerts scheduled for Oct. 29 in Columbia, South Carolina, and Oct. 31 in Indianapolis also no longer appear on the pair’s list of concert dates, according to news outlets.

Lucas Oil Stadium, the venue for the Indianapolis show, said in a statement Friday:

”Following an extensive run of sold-out stadium shows on one of the year’s biggest tours, the event promoter has made the difficult decision to cancel select upcoming dates on the R&B Tour to prioritize the health and well-being of the touring party and crew. The demands of a tour of this length and scale are significant, and these adjustments will allow the tour to continue safely and sustainably through the remaining scheduled performances.”

“We sincerely apologize to fans affected by these cancellations and appreciate their understanding,” the statement continued.

The New York Times reported in July that Brown was to be sentenced this month after he pleaded guilty in London to a charge of affray, or threatening violence, stemming from an accusation that he hit a music producer with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in that city.

Sports columnist Kyle Goon contributed to this article.

She rounds a corner, following a scent she’s been trained on. And then, suddenly, Sophie hops on her back legs and gives three short, sharp barks.

She’s found the turtle.

Sophie and her handler, Carl Dunnock, work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. While this search was just for demonstration, the department’s — and Sophie’s — work has been critical as Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials work to safely return poached turtles to the wild.

Last year, DNR released seven wood turtles in an undisclosed location — they don’t want to encourage poachers.

The turtles were repatriated to Maryland after a bust in New York in 2018. In that case, state officials recovered 292 animals, including 53 wood turtles, three king cobras, 184 spotted turtles and six Gila monsters, a legally protected species native to the American Southwest.

It was, at the time, the largest bust of illegally possessed reptiles in New York history. Charges against William Engelder, the man at the center of the case, were dropped in 2020 because prosecutors didn’t file an indictment in time, according to the Olean Times Herald.

Wood turtles, which are native to Maryland and other areas along the East Coast, are considered endangered. One of their biggest threats is poaching.

Wood turtles, which have a 40- to 60-year lifespan, live in wooded areas near freshwater streams. They’re active during the day and often bask in the sunlight on logs or the banks of rivers.

According to the Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles, nine major trafficking cases were prosecuted in the United States between 2018 and 2022, involving more than 23,000 tortoises and turtles.

That number, the collaborative said, is “just the tip of the iceberg” because it doesn’t account for small cases, open cases, cases involving turtle parts, those that begin abroad or those that go undiscovered by authorities.

Many turtles — and other reptiles — are plucked from the wild and illegally sold because of a growing market for exotic pets, including in Asia. The trade is also fueled by demand for turtle meat, shells, blood and eggs that are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Brooke Talley, strategic coordinator for the collaborative, said she’s aware of more than 3,000 poached turtles seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service so far this year.

Asian “turtle populations can’t sustain that sort of demand, so they’re getting them from the U.S.,” Talley said. “It’s people in the U.S. that are grabbing them off the landscape. People in the U.S. are driven by money, or greed or desperation.”

Talley declined to share how much a poached turtle can sell for as an exotic pet, so as not to inadvertently encourage other poachers.

While no wildlife biologist likes to see any animal poached, the illegal turtle trade is especially disruptive to local ecosystems because of how turtles reproduce.

Turtles take a long time to reach sexual maturity, so removing even a small number of mature adults can cause “rapid declines” in the local population, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

That’s also why Maryland DNR officials are so careful before releasing turtles back into the wild. An unhealthy turtle, for example, could put a local population at risk.

Ellen Bronson, senior director of animal health, conservation and research at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, said it was important to repeatedly test the turtles for diseases and not to release them into the wild in areas that had not already been exposed to any illness the turtles might be carrying.

Officials also consider the size of the local turtle population when deciding where to release rehabilitated ones. A local population of 60 turtles would benefit more from the introduction of six adults than a local population of 120 turtles.

Beth Schlimm, a state herpetologist — or reptile scientist — said DNR knew that the turtles from the New York bust likely came from one of Maryland’s larger wood turtle populations, “not a population that necessarily needed the boost of seven additional turtles.”

That’s where Sophie comes in. DNR worked with the USDA detector dog to verify that the release site already had enough turtles to be viable.

“They are much better at finding turtles than us,” said Brian Durkin, a DNR turtle conservation specialist. “I can find a lot, but Sophie’s going to find the ones I just step over.”

Durkin and others, working with Sophie, were able to verify that their chosen location had a sufficiently large turtle population to support the repatriated ones.

In more ways than one, DNR’s mission is not complete after the release. Durkin goes back out and monitors the released turtles to make sure they’re surviving (so far, they have). Schlimm said the department has habitat management and restoration plans for the site, “so we’re in this for the long haul.”

And, significantly, the department is considering changes to the state’s rules on collecting turtles from the wild. Currently, a permit is required if a person wants to possess, breed, sell, offer for sale, trade or barter reptiles or amphibians native to Maryland.

It’s currently legal for a person to collect a turtle out of the wild to keep as a pet, said Karina Stonesifer, DNR’s director of the wildlife and heritage service.

The agency plans to propose a rule change within weeks that would make it illegal to take or possess any reptile or amphibian species that’s native to Maryland.

Once the “commonsense” rule is introduced and finalized after a public comment period, it would be enforceable by the Natural Resources Police, she said.

“A lot of people are shocked you can even take these from the wild now,” Stonesifer said.

With Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) and outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson (finger) sidelined, Atlanta is favored by 3.5 points as of Friday night, according to DraftKings.

It’s all about the big boys

Kyle Goon, columnist (3-1): It’s easy to look at the injury report, with Lamar Jackson and Trey Hendrickson out, and predict a loss. But even with those guys available, I think the Ravens would struggle a lot this weekend. In its past two wins, Atlanta has dictated the terms at the line of scrimmage. The Falcons have crushed teams’ attempts to run on them, and Bijan Robinson has stretched opponents to the limit on his outside-zone runs.

Both of these areas are big weaknesses for the Ravens so far this season. Derrick Henry has been limited by how much push the injured offensive line can create for him. Tyler Huntley is a serviceable backup, but it’s a big ask for him to create the vertical threat needed to lighten the boxes for Henry. On the other side, the Ravens haven’t been slowing down the run very effectively. It’s easy to see Robinson having yet another big primetime game against a defense still trying to figure itself out.

Falcons 24, Ravens 17

Ravens get run over

Giana Han, reporter (3-1): I’m happy to let offensive coordinator Declan Doyle prove me wrong in my pick. If he can scheme around Lamar Jackson’s absence against the Falcons’ stout run defense, then I will rethink how I make predictions.

But based on what I’ve seen from Tyler Huntley and what I know about this offensive line, I have real concerns about how explosive and efficient the Ravens can be Sunday. Will they be able to convert in the red zone, or will they have to rely on Tyler Loop to get on the board?

Meanwhile, the Falcons’ offense has been unstoppable on the ground, and the Ravens’ secondary presents an opportunity for their passing game to take off. Maybe the defense will be galvanized by all the Georgia guys returning home, but this is not the easy win it looked like it would be at the start of the season.

Falcons 24, Ravens 20

Ground control

Jonas Shaffer, reporter (3-1): If this game goes south for Jesse Minter’s defense, it could go really south. The Ravens don’t need to look back too far to see what happens when you show up to a primetime game with no run defense. The Detroit Lions ran them off the field in Baltimore last season.

But the Ravens should have the personnel to keep Atlanta’s rushing attack from a big game. And their pass defense is well equipped to limit the Falcons’ play-action potential. If the Ravens can handle Atlanta’s surprisingly potent pass rush, there will be opportunities for Tyler Huntley downfield.

Ravens 24, Falcons 23

Advantage in the trenches

Childs Walker, contributor (2-2): Tyler Huntley is starting at quarterback, which means the Ravens’ offense will lack the explosive element that sets it apart. That’s no knock on Huntley, who has won big games for this team. He, like most people, just can’t compare to Lamar Jackson as a big-play igniter. That will be a problem against the surging Falcons, who can score quickly and often with Bijan Robinson and Drake London as their featured playmakers. The worst news for the Ravens is how well both Atlanta fronts are playing. The Ravens are dealing with significant injuries on both lines and will be sorely tested. Jesse Minter will come in with a plan to limit Robinson’s breakaway chances, but he’ll need his own running game to help keep Atlanta off the field. This won’t be the licking some fans fear; it’s just the wrong matchup at the wrong time for the Ravens.

Falcons 24, Ravens 23

Bludgeoned by Bijan

Brandon Weigel, editor (3-1): Even before Lamar Jackson was ruled out, this game was trending in the wrong direction for the Ravens. Atlanta has looked like a juggernaut since Michael Penix Jr. returned to start Week 3. Merely competent quarterback play has allowed Bijan Robinson to go off — he’s rushed for 339 yards in the past two games and averaged 7.1 yards per carry.

Baltimore’s run defense is a top-10 unit but has not looked like the dominant unit it historically has been. In Week 1, the Ravens conceded 98 yards and two touchdowns to Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, the only back they’ve faced this season who’s in a similar class to Robinson. Atlanta, meanwhile, has dominated opposing running backs. With Baltimore’s patchwork interior line failing to open up holes for Derrick Henry, that trend should continue.

Falcons 27, Ravens 17

Guest pick

Daniel Flick, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Falcons have been a buzz saw in primetime games the past three seasons, and with the first “red-out” in Mercedes-Benz Stadium history looming Sunday night, the stars align for Atlanta to keep its wave of momentum rolling for another week. Tyler Huntley is 1-2 against Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski, with a convincing win in Cleveland two years ago, and the Falcons think Baltimore’s offense won’t be drastically different with its backup quarterback. The Falcons have the NFL’s best run defense, and while Derrick Henry certainly changes the calculus, I’ll give the edge to Atlanta’s trench play on both sides of the ball. That, ultimately, will be the difference.

Falcons 20, Ravens 13

Ashman, a Democrat, is favored to win in heavily blue Montgomery County, where he faces Republican nominee Ricky Mui. In Gaithersburg, the mayor sits on the City Council, so an Ashman victory would open a seat on the council, which has five members plus the mayor.

Ashman, mayor since 2014, said that if he wins he will resign on Nov. 9. He beat Rockville City Council member Izola Shaw in the June primary for the District 3 County Council seat.

“I’m truly honored by the support and confidence of my colleagues on the Council. Gaithersburg is home,” Henderson told The Banner in a statement Friday. “I grew up in this community, I am a product of this community, and I’ve had the privilege of watching Gaithersburg grow and blossom into the vibrant and diverse city it is today.”

Since Henderson would vacate her current council seat to become mayor, council members would appoint a new member to serve until the next city election in November 2027.

The council has selected seven finalists to move forward to public interviews on Oct. 9:

• Matthew Robert Amon
• Alyssa Todaro Krumlauf
• Laura Kathryn Winifred Searles
• Jayson Leslie Spiegel
• Christopher James Thoms
• Carla Tanguay White
• Shanika Tanise Whitehurst

The council plans to choose the new council member during an Oct. 26 closed session and swear their choice into office on Nov. 9 if Ashman resigns, according to a council press release.

Gaithersburg used the same process when District 3 Council member Sidney Katz left his mayoral seat to join the County Council in 2014. He is not running for reelection.

Family of woman who died in Silver Spring fire advocates for fire hoods

The death of 25-year-old Melanie Diaz in a Silver Spring apartment complex fire in 2023 spurred a slew of fire safety reforms locally and statewide. More than three years later, her family is still making the trek from Florida to advocate for legislation to prevent more fire deaths.

Council member Kate Stewart introduced a bill last month that would require property owners of multifamily residential rental buildings with five or more stories to provide smoke escape hoods. Each building would be required to have enough hoods for 5% to 10% of occupants — the fire department would determine how many for each building.

Investigators concluded that Diaz died of smoke inhalation while attempting to evacuate the high-rise building, which did not have a sprinkler system. Following Diaz’s death, her family donated several smoke escape hoods to the county fire department.

“Melanie only had a short amount of time to get out of the building and out of the smoke, but because there wasn’t any kind of respiratory protection for her, she unfortunately passed because of smoke inhalation,” Diaz’s brother, Cesar Alejandro-Diaz, said at a public hearing on the bill on Tuesday. “This bill would remedy that.”

Diaz’s father, Cesar Augusto-Diaz, said that he cries on holidays when he sees his daughter’s empty seat at the table and that property owners should put lives before money.

“You can replace a car, a house, anything, but you cannot replace a life,” he said.

Hoods cost between $265 and $450 each and average around $335 per unit. They have a shelf life of five to 15 years.

The majority of speakers at Tuesday’s public hearing supported Stewart’s bill. But representatives of some property management companies said the hoods should not be the responsibility of the apartment buildings.

Chris Bruch, the CEO of Bethesda-based real estate firm Donahoe, said that while he believes the fire hoods could save lives, they should be used by firefighters and not supplied by rental properties.

“Our rental housing industry is under real strain,” Bruch said. “This is not the time to impose another costly mandate that is unlikely to achieve its goal.”

The council’s public safety committee will hold a work session on the bill on Nov. 9.

Another opportunity to hear from at-large council candidates

The National Council of Negro Women, Inc.’s Potomac Valley and Montgomery County chapters will host a forum with at-large County Council candidates next week.

“Conversations with Our Candidates… Our Voices Matter” will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 at The People’s Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring.

The event is nonpartisan and focuses on issues affecting the county. Questions may be submitted during registration, upon arrival or during the event.

Candidates Karla Silvestre, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Scott Goldberg and Marc Elrich are confirmed participants.

Attendees should register in advance, as space is limited.

On Tuesday, the Orioles laid off 16 employees, including one who played the roles of Mr. Splash and the Oriole Bird. The team also struggled this week with the surprisingly sharp reaction to Hall of Fame pitcher and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network color commentator Jim Palmer sharing an anecdote about manager Craig Albernaz not answering his text.

Giving a sassy “tsk-tsk” to the Orioles on their latest round of follies feels like piling on. It’s hard to be any more punishing to a franchise that insists on punishing itself.

The Orioles have a listening problem — mainly that their fanbase and others around the franchise don’t feel like they’re being heard much at all.

For a franchise in a state of stagnation, even innocuous news items are fanned by the frustration people are feeling.

I get it. The Orioles haven’t really delivered the kind of joyful era that felt like it was just getting started in 2023. There’s a strong desire — I feel it myself — to knock ’em down a peg or two when they step on a rake.

But a few things worth getting straight: Neither the Oriole Bird nor Mr. Splash is actually going away. It’s no small thing that the person who played those characters (and whose face appeared on the team’s promotions and advertising in the role of Mr. Splash) lost his job, but the Orioles aren’t actually downsizing the fan experience or closing the Bird Bath.

The Orioles don’t comment on specific personnel decisions, but the organization is still posting jobs ahead of the 2027 season — if there is a season. While it’s tempting to draw a straight line between an impending lockout and the reduction in staff, there’s not yet enough real evidence that the layoffs are mere prep for a work stoppage.

Then, there’s the Palmer-Albernaz fiasco, a minor tiff blown out of proportion. Palmer has tried (unsuccessfully) to walk back his story as fans have called for Albernaz to be pilloried in the town square. It is just one episode between the two men, who have talked about plenty of things throughout Albernaz’s first year. It didn’t define the relationship — although given all the fallout in the last week, it might now.

Palmer probably would not have related this story if the Orioles had actually made the playoffs. Even Hall of Famers let frustration seep through the cracks if they have to sit with it long enough. Palmer spent this season watching the Orioles’ slumping offense and a defense that was among the league’s worst. Of course he wants to offer every little bit of help he can, because like everyone else in Baltimore, he wants to see the Orioles win.

Because winning seasons have been so few and far between since the Orioles’ last World Series win in 1983, Palmer and his cohort sit on a pedestal. The man pitched against Mickey Mantle. At the age of 20, he shut out the Dodgers in the World Series. At 81, he’s touched every great era of Orioles baseball, as a player or a broadcaster.

I think two things can be true: Albernaz knows how much his players need to work on fundamental baseball this offseason without Palmer’s advice. But also, Albernaz has underestimated the peculiar politics of Baltimore baseball.

Palmer will talk your ear off if you let him, but he’s someone you have to at least hear out, even if you’re busy.

But breaking down the particulars of these incidents doesn’t explain why the reaction has been so incendiary. I don’t think a lot of people are that concerned about who returns Palmer’s texts. While layoffs are always unfortunate, especially for the folks who have lost their jobs, it’s surprising that fans have such a strong interest in the corporate flowchart.

The perception that the Orioles simply aren’t listening reigns over everything right now, whether that’s fair or not. The fanbase is impatient, having watched the last two seasons wash out unexpectedly, leaving them underwhelmed and overcharged. They’re eyeing the Orioles like hawks, ready to swoop on the latest stumble no matter how small.

These frustrations stem from Mike Elias, a leader who crafted an insular franchise culture and operated within clear parameters defined by internal models and analytics and has only in the last year or so begun to reckon with the flaws in his early approach. They stem from the decisions overseen by president of business operations Catie Griggs, who got off to a rough start when she overhauled Birdland packages last year and has been critiqued ever since for an approach that many fans associate with private equity strategies (end-of-season layoffs fall under this umbrella as well).

Albernaz owns a mere offshoot of this phenomenon, but fans are impatient with sloppy fielding that didn’t get much better as the year went on and with platoon-driven lineups they saw often in the Brandon Hyde era, which failed to develop many of the franchise’s young players.

The Palmer incident invites a larger question about how the Orioles treat their alums. Former Oriole Mike Bordick, one of the hosts of the podcast where Palmer told the Albernaz story, told me that even when the organization invites former players to guest coach in Sarasota during spring training, they are advised to not actually offer, well, coaching.

You did not hear grousing from former Orioles about being held at arm’s distance when, for example, Buck Showalter was manager. What worked about that approach? The team should figure that out and make its own facsimile. Major League Baseball, Bordick said, is a special fraternity, and former Orioles would like the current group, including Albernaz and the coaches, to feel that connection.

“I think it would be cool to just have a powwow with the coaching staff and the players and talk shop,” Bordick said. “They’re all baseball guys at heart anyway. They all played the game. They all understand. I just feel like they are missing the heart and soul of what baseball is.”

If you asked the Orioles, they would tell you how much effort they actually put into listening. Griggs has commissioned surveys to direct improvements to Camden Yards, which honestly offers a better game-day experience than it did before the David Rubenstein ownership era. Elias seems set upon hiring a new general manager, which hopefully will inject new insights into a front office that needs them. And I’m guessing Palmer will never see a text go unanswered by Albernaz again.

The wheels may be in motion on some of these changes, but it’s hard to sell the fanbase on them right now. Fielding a competitive team is the only thing that can sway the crowd.

Inside the warehouse, the folks up and down the organization must feel like they just can’t win. Ultimately, that’s why this is happening — because that’s how the people feel outside the warehouse, too.

It’s how Pythagoras would have illustrated his famous geometric proof to his students some 2,500 years ago. But in this study-abroad class about 25 years ago, it was one of the many ways that Lewand, a longtime professor at Goucher College, made math fun.

He knew algebra inside and out, could solve even the most complicated of calculus problems. He knew 200-plus digits of pi. But what did it matter if his students weren’t learning? If they didn’t care? So he designed classes on cryptology and the history of time, and partnered with professors in other departments to make math more interesting and accessible.

His longtime colleague and friend, philosophy professor John Rose, always told him he could “teach math to dirt.” Eventually, Lewand jokingly asked him to put that on his tombstone, because that’s probably what he’d be doing six feet under.

The Parkville resident, also a computer science professor and adoring family man with hobbies ranging from pedal steel guitar to pickleball, died Sept. 29 of pancreatic cancer complications. He was 81.

Lewand was born in New York City on Dec. 5, 1944, the oldest of Regina and Edward Lewand’s three children. His mother so doted on him that a pediatrician once told her to “let this kid eat dirt once in a while,” said his daughter, Beth Lewand.

He was plenty mischievous with his younger siblings, Edward and Dorothy. When they played the board game Trouble, Bob always had time for another round if his sister was victorious. But if Bob won, he proclaimed that that was the championship game.

Lewand attended a Catholic high school, where he managed the football team and excelled in academics. He enjoyed the experience so much that he sought out a Catholic college. He majored in math at the University of Dayton in Ohio and minored in philosophy and physics.

There, he met the future Karen Lewand, a student a year below him. They both came from Polish immigrant families and were the first in their families to attend college. They spent date nights at the movies and bonded over shared values of helping those less fortunate than they were, Beth Lewand said.

After graduation, the couple moved near the University of Virginia, where Bob Lewand was pursuing a doctorate in math. They got married, and Karen taught a few classes while Bob volunteered for local youth committees and taught tennis, his daughter said.

He finished his doctorate in 1971 and started teaching in Vermont. Meanwhile, the Lewands started their family. Beth arrived that year, and another daughter, Stephanie, was born in 1975, when they were living in New Hampshire. Soon, the college Lewand was working at shut down.

It wasn’t long before Goucher came across his desk. He began working there as a math professor in 1977 and stayed until his retirement in 2015. He also had teaching stints at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and the Johns Hopkins University. He earned a master’s degree in computer science from Hopkins in 1985 to help establish a similar program at Goucher.

Rose, his longtime colleague, met Lewand in 1984 and remembers his intelligence and deadpan humor. He discovered that Lewand was one of the authors of “InnerNews,” an anonymous satirical newsletter about Goucher happenings that would find its way under professors’ office doors a few times a year.

Lewand always came to his classes prepared with material and patience, Rose said. Once, he asked a student to give him a random odd number for an exercise. The student looked back at him in horror. Instead of chastising her or poking fun at the gaffe, he reminded her gently: “You have a 50-50 chance of being right.”

“He put things up on the blackboard, moved step-by-step so everybody could stay right with him,” Rose said. “He was a brilliant, wonderful teacher, and he’d pause and say, ‘Are there any questions?’ And he’d always find some kind of folksy or fun example.”

He stayed involved in other university happenings, including faculty governance. He was also for many years the faculty representative to the NCAA.

Lewand wrote books on cryptology and intelligent systems design and completed research on early-stage artificial intelligence and robotics. When he retired from Goucher, the school created the Robert E. Lewand Beauty of Mathematics Prize in his honor.

He also had plenty of hobbies to keep him busy. He picked up pedal steel guitar some 30 years ago and was always up for a jam session. He ran 13 marathons and one ultramarathon. He picked up boxing in his 50s. He volunteered annually with Stephanie at the Franciscan Center. In recent years, he enjoyed traveling with his partner, Patricia Bereson, whom he met at grief counseling after his wife died in 2012.

His proudest achievement was his family. He was a devoted caregiver for his wife when she fell sick. While going through documents Bob had prepared before his death, Beth Lewand found a note he’d written saying how proud he was of his children’s strength and resilience.

She and her sister have fond childhood memories of their father taking them to see John Waters movies and bringing them camping and on beach trips. He hosted a pretend radio show with them. Once, on a road trip, he asked Beth to set a timer so he could scientifically test whether time actually feels slower on the New Jersey Turnpike (it does).

He was “somebody with a sense of humor,” Stephanie Lewand said. “He always had that, regardless of what was going on.”

Even on his deathbed, his children said, he maintained the lightheartedness and sincerity they’d come to know well. He teased his sister, Dorothy, like old times, and told Stephanie, as he always had, that he was praying for her friends.

A private funeral service is scheduled for Oct. 13.

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Exactly 364 days later, the Randallstown native and former St. Frances Academy star is there after helping Atlanta reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013 with a 22-point effort in the Dream’s 85-83 win over the New York Liberty on Friday night.

“Sat at home the last two years and watched it,” Reese said of the championship round. “I texted Kah (Kahleah Copper), just get me one game in the playoffs.”

Now Reese is playing on the WNBA’s biggest stage. The fourth-seeded Dream completed the three-game sweep of the Liberty and haven’t lost in the postseason this year. They will face the winner of the Las Vegas-Golden State series when the WNBA Finals begin on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Reese, who was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, came to Atlanta this offseason in a trade and proved to be a key reason the Dream advanced to the championship round. The Dream hadn’t reached the semifinals since 2018 before this season. Now, they’ll try to win the franchise’s first championship with four more victories.

“The job isn’t done,” Reese said. “Happy where we are right now. We’re not satisfied.”

Atlanta led 83-81 with 17.7 seconds left after turning the ball over, giving New York one last chance. But, Breanna Stewart missed a contested layup with nine seconds left. DeWanna Bonner hit two free throws with 6.2 seconds left to seal the win.

“I missed a bunny to tie the game which really stinks,” Stewart said. “Atlanta is a tough team. You know tons of credit to them for making it tough for us every single night and wish them the best in the Finals.”

Dream coach Karl Smesko was happy.

“We were able to make the last couple of plays and able to move onto the Finals,” Smesko said. “Excited about it and proud of the way our players competed and pull together and held on to win.”

Atlanta won it without leading scorer Allisha Gray, who has been sidelined with a finger injury sustained in Game 1. She missed Game 2 and warmed up before Friday night’s game, but was ruled out about an hour before the tip. She was on the bench cheering for her teammates in a Howard jersey.

Howard got the Dream going early with 11 points in the first quarter. Reese had 10 in that period, including hitting two 3-pointers.

Things got chippy in the second quarter. After Isobel Borlase scored twice in a row, Sabrina Ionescu went to set a screen on her and was called for the offensive foul. She and Reese then started jawing with each other before being broken up by officials. A few minutes later, Jones blocked Reese’s shot and the two bumped chests while talking trash. The referees stepped in and gave both a technical foul.

New York was able to get within 40-39 late in the half before Reese scored the final four points of the second quarter to give Atlanta a 44-39 lead.

The Dream scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a 51-39 lead. New York responded with a 16-4 run, including scoring the first 10 points in the outburst to take its first lead since 2-0 on a tip-in by Jones. The Liberty led 68-66 after the third quarter.

Atlanta was down four early in the fourth quarter before scoring the next eight points to take a 75-71 lead with 4:55 left as they held New York without a basket for over six minutes. The teams went back and forth before Atlanta moved ahead 83-79 with a minute to go.

Jonquel Jones hit a layup to make it a two-point game, but it wasn’t enough. Jones and Stewart finished with 26 points apiece.

The loss ended a frustrating season for New York, which returned most of the same core that won the franchise’s first championship two years ago. The team struggled for consistency this season and finished as the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. They knocked off top-seeded Minnesota in the first round, but struggled against the Dream.

“What I’m thinking about right now is a lost opportunity,” Stewart said. “It’s really hard to get to the Finals and it’s really hard to win a WNBA championship.”

This story has been updated.

Jenner scored on a wrist shot that made it a 2-1 game with 2:22 remaining in the second period. Tom Wilson and Timothy Liljegren also scored for the Capitals. Logan Thompson made 21 saves.

Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers.

Dylan Garand made 11 saves for the Rangers after entering the game for the injured Shesterkin, who had 13 saves.

Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice after an awkward fall into his own net. He came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter and fell as he scrambled back to the net midway through the second period. The 30-year-old Russian caught his skate on the post as he slid back into the crease and collapsed into the net.

Shesterkin lay on the ice for several minutes holding his right knee as he received medical attention. He did not put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by teammates.

The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner missed a month of last season with a lower-body injury, contributing to the Rangers falling short of the playoffs.

Up next

The Capitals host the Seattle Kraken on Sunday.

Maryland Natural Resources Police responded around 3:10 p.m. to a report of two boaters overboard, state officials said in a statement Friday night.

One man swam to shore, and a search for the second man was undertaken by DNR Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Baltimore County’s police and fire departments.

The missing man, a 63-year-old from Rosedale, was found around 5 p.m. and transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

Details: OPEN WATER RESCUE Peach Orchard Creek | Crews responded to 2 adults overboard with 1 still missing at 1448. One adult male swam to safety and 1 adult was rescued in cardiac arrest at 1707. Patient transported by EMS to area hospital. DT1448 ^TF pic.twitter.com/kYByHMCbSp

— Baltimore County Fire Department (@BaltCoFire) October 9, 2026

County fire personnel secured the boaters’ unmanned Carolina Skiff, which was “found in gear and circling before being taken under control,” state officials said.

Natural Resources Police are investigating the incident.

The first storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season will bring heavy rainfall as well as possible damaging wind gusts and flooding to several southern states, but will its remnants reach Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region?

Severe weather will mostly miss the area, according to Luis Rosa, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Baltimore/Washington office.

“We’re expecting rain to start over Maryland late Saturday toward early Sunday morning and probably continue all day Sunday,” Rosa said, adding that the weather service expects about an inch of precipitation.

Forecasts also show that Maryland should be safe from most of the severe weather conditions that could affect the Gulf Coast. Rosa expects the closest severe weather warnings will be in the Tidewater region of Virginia.

The weather service is warning of moderate tidal flooding along the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River, including Annapolis.

Annapolis’ Office of Emergency Management is forecasting coastal flooding in low-lying areas of the city and high-tides on Sunday.

Dry conditions today through early Saturday. The remnants of Hurricane Isaias are expected to bring rain to the region for the second half of the weekend, perhaps beginning as early as Saturday afternoon in central Virginia. Periods of rain and breezy conditions likely on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/KBwy5Lm6FY

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) October 9, 2026

Some areas east of the Blue Ridge Mountains could see severe storms.

Local sports teams are watching the weather. The Washington Commanders host the New York Giants at 1 p.m. at Northwest Stadium in Landover, while the Ravens are on the road against Atlanta in a stadium with a retractable roof.

As of Friday evening, the Category 3 storm was packing 115 mph winds, considered major hurricanes, are capable of causing devastating damage, the National Hurricane Center said.

Officials issued orders for tourists along the Gulf Coast to abandon beaches for safer spots inland, sending local residents scurrying for gas and groceries and leading fishing crews to secure their boats before the potentially destructive storm’s arrival.

Isaias was forecast to intensify rapidly and cause dangerous conditions in the western Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi when it makes landfall. Heavy rain and flooding were possible into the weekend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina.

“We are expecting Isaias to be a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Officers responded to the 2800 block of Ellicott Drive around 5:15 p.m. Friday for a reported shooting, Baltimore Police officials said in a news release. Upon arrival, they located an 18-year-old who had been shot, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three other men — ages 19, 21 and 22 — walked into a hospital with gunshot wounds shortly afterward, police said. Officials said the 19-year-old was pronounced dead by hospital staffers while the two other injured men were in stable condition.

Recent mass shootings

This is at least the second multi-victim shooting in Baltimore in less than a week.

On Oct. 3, 12-year-old Khloe Ishway was fatally shot and four other people were injured after two men who fought over a parking spot near Leon Day Park exchanged gunfire.

Hundreds of people marched to call for justice and an end to senseless violence, and community members held a vigil to memorialize Khloe.

Tyree Reynolds, 23, faces attempted murder, murder, assault, reckless endangerment and other related charges for the shooting.

Reynolds, who served time for his role in a 2021 shootout, was released from prison eight days before the park shooting after a senior official in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement vouched for him.

Last month, seven people were shot, including a 3-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, in a nonfatal incident in East Baltimore that police believe was connected to an ongoing gang dispute.

Ditka’s family announced his death on Friday in a statement.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” the family said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”

Nicknamed “Iron Mike” as a player, Ditka helped revolutionize the tight end position and in 1988 was the first to play at the spot to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He then moved to the sidelines and later took over as Chicago’s coach. His 1985 team featured one of the game’s most dominant defenses ever. It also had enough outsized personalities to record a rap video, “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” and back up their boasting in the championship game three months later.

He was arguably the NFL’s most recognizable — and imitated — personality during his time as Chicago’s coach with his thick but neatly groomed mustache and sweater vest with “BEARS” emblazoned across the chest. The iconic look is still mimicked by fans at Bears games decades later. That along with his fiery, red-faced sideline tantrums inspired the popular “Da Bears” skit on “Saturday Night Live” during the 1980s.

After retiring as a coach, Ditka became a restaurateur, pitchman and TV personality, as well as a forceful advocate for improved medical and retirement benefits for former players.

Ditka was tough and gruff, the quintessential Chicago Bear. He did everything from order off the menu to knock defensive backs on their butts with a growl. His adopted hometown reveled in every minute.

Revered as “Da Coach,” Ditka was the ringmaster of the 1985 Bears, one of the most dominant and perhaps the zaniest Super Bowl-winning team in league history.

“When I got to Chicago in the summer of 1985, Mike Ditka and the Chicago Bears were king,” former President Barack Obama wrote on X. “Coach Ditka set the tone for a team that was punishing, dominant, and fun — and the city loved him for it. I’m thinking of the Ditka family and Bears fans everywhere on the passing of a legend.”

Ditka was enshrined in the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Bears said during a ceremony in 2013 that his “No. 89” jersey will be the last one retired by the team.

“Player. Coach. Legend,” the Bears wrote in a tribute on social media. “Mike Ditka embodied the spirit of Chicago and will be deeply missed.”

Ditka was the first person enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, who had won Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Tom Flores, inducted in 2021, is the only other person to accomplish the feat.

ESPN’s tribute to the one and only Mike Ditka: pic.twitter.com/iNB8n6ElBj

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 9, 2026

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Ditka “epitomized football over so many years” during his career.

“He brought intensity, authenticity and an unmistakable personality to everything he did,” Goodell said in a statement. “As a Hall of Fame player, Super Bowl-winning coach with his beloved and iconic Bears, and as a broadcaster, Mike served as an ambassador for the game and inspired generations of fans. Through his work with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, Mike was a champion for taking care of those who helped build our game. We extend our deepest condolences to Diana and the Ditka family.”

‘Iron Mike’ grew up in western Pennsylvania

He was born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the son of a welder who changed the family name from Dyczko. He grew up in nearby Aliquippa — which also later produced fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers Ty Law and Darrelle Revis — close to the coal-mining and steel-manufacturing plants that dotted the western part of the state, a big, talented, three-sport athlete and All-American at Pitt whose bruising style made his first nickname, “Iron Mike,” a good fit.

“When our players see Mike Ditka’s name, I want them to understand how he competed,” current Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi said in a statement. “He gave everything he had and expected the same from the guys beside him. That’s Pitt. He showed us that tough people find a way through tough times and taught us to fight for the names on the front and back of our jerseys.”

Selected fifth overall by flinty Chicago owner George Halas in the 1961 draft, Ditka went on to Rookie of the Year honors, multiple Pro Bowl trips and the 1963 NFL Championship. He and Baltimore’s John Mackey changed the tight end position and offensive schemes forever. He was a battering ram of a blocker, but Ditka was just as likely to catch a short pass and pinball through an entire secondary or outrace a lone safety on a deep touchdown throw.

He left Chicago in 1966, playing briefly for Philadelphia and Dallas.

‘Da Coach’ of the Bears

Ditka moved to the sideline in 1973 as an assistant to the revered Tom Landry and stayed with the Cowboys for eight years, including winning the Super Bowl during the 1977 season, before returning to a hero’s welcome in Chicago as head coach in 1982.

Ditka’s return to the Bears lasted 10 tumultuous years, including five straight NFC Central titles, the Super Bowl win, a DUI conviction, a heart attack, a long-running feud with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and, finally, a new nickname — “Da Coach.”

To Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, the seeds of what was to come were planted in Ditka’s first meeting with the team. He laid out his vision, saying Chicago would be in the Super Bowl in three years — and many of the players in the room would not be around for it.

“When I first heard him when he walked in the room, to me Coach Ditka had the opportunity to be the greatest coach of all time because he had the fire,” Singletary said at the Bears’ 100th anniversary celebration in June 2019. “I don’t know how George Halas coached. But I can imagine that the fire and intensity and passion that Coach Ditka exuded that first day set the tone for exactly what he said: ‘Three years from now, we’re going to be in the Super Bowl.’ And that was 1982. In ’85, we were there and it was because of that vision.”

Leader of a colorful bunch

The public beefs with Ryan mirrored the behind-the-scenes battles that Ditka waged trying to contain a team bristling with outsized personalities.

“It was more than a team,” Ditka once said. “It was a team of characters that had character that played for a crazy man, who let him be crazy and had fun doing it and don’t apologize for it ever. I wouldn’t want to be one of these suits walking around on the sideline today.

“I have no desire to be that. I was what I was and they were what they were and, damn, it was fun.”

It wasn’t until two dozen players recorded “The Super Bowl Shuffle” — an audacious rap-styled video released three months ahead of the 1986 title game — that the rest of the football world wondered whether Ditka was losing his grip.

His players never did.

“We call him ‘Sybil’ after that girl in the movie,” quarterback Jim McMahon once explained. “You know, the one that had all those personalities. Mike will be calm one minute, then throw a clipboard the next. People don’t understand that, but we do.”

The Bears demolished the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl, but Ditka often said he regretted having McMahon and defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry run for touchdowns instead of Walter Payton, Chicago’s loyal and long-suffering running back.

Ryan departed for a head coaching job in Philadelphia soon after. While the Bears continued to be a contender for most of the next five years, a 5-11 season prompted Ditka’s departure in 1992.

Ditka’s last coaching tenure in New Orleans

After a five-year absence, he returned to coaching with the New Orleans Saints, but failed to revive the franchise. His tenure with the team might be best remembered for the trade before the 1999 NFL draft when he dealt a package of eight draft picks — including each one the Saints had that year and two of its first three selections in 2000 — to Washington to move up from 12th overall to No. 5 so New Orleans could select running back Ricky Williams.

After a miserable 1999 season ended with a 3-13 record — Ditka’s worst as either a player or coach — he left the sidelines for good.

“We proudly honor his chapters as a head coach in New Orleans,” the Saints said in a statement. “While his time leading our franchise on the field was brief in longevity, his presence left an indelible mark on our organization. Mike approached his tenure with the Saints with the same bold authenticity and relentless drive that defined his entire career.”

TV commentator and advocate for players

Ditka’s face and demeanor were so familiar by then that a second act became an easy segue. He began building a stable of restaurants and appeared as himself in TV sitcoms from “Cheers” to “Third Rock from the Sun,” as well as shows such as “L.A. Law.”

He also stayed close to the game as an NFL analyst and game-day show personality — first at NBC after his Bears tenure, and then at CBS and ESPN after his time with the Saints.

“Mike Ditka was larger than life, an iconic football figure whose presence commanded attention the moment he walked into a room,” ESPN VP and executive producer Seth Markman said in a statement. ”He was fearless and candid on the air, bringing the same authenticity and conviction that defined his football career.

“For those of us who worked with him at ESPN, we were able to experience another side of Mike: a kind, generous and genuinely caring colleague who treated everyone with warmth and respect, whether he knew you or not.”

Ditka’s high-profile status also made him an effective advocate to secure improved health and retirement benefits for former players.

His name also circulated for years in Illinois political circles. Though he never ran for office, Ditka described himself as a staunch conservative and was mentioned several times as a possible Republican candidate, including for a congressional race against then-state senator Obama for the U.S. Senate.

“Mike Ditka,” ESPN NFL host Chris Berman said in a statement, “was a national treasure.”

Litke is a retired AP Sports Columnist. AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr. and AP Sports Writers Jay Cohen and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington waited with bated breath for star quarterback Jayden Daniels to return.

If he came back, the thinking went, the Commanders might be able to stabilize their season.

Think again.

Daniels is back this week against the New York Giants, only to potentially play without his top two playmakers.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is out this week with a hamstring injury and Terry McLaurin is still nursing a hamstring strain he suffered last week. McLaurin popped up on the injury report last Friday and ended up missing the team’s game in London against the Colts. Diggs came up injured Wednesday and hasn’t practiced since.

McLaurin returned to practice on Friday, but it was a light day at the end of the week. Head coach Dan Quinn said he is trending in the right direction but is still unsure if he will play.

Can Washington scheme around that?

It will certainly take some creativity. If McLaurin joins Diggs on the sideline for the Giants game, the best remaining option at wide receiver is rookie Antonio Williams.

Head coach Dan Quinn has lamented how McLaurin and Daniels played less than 15% of the offensive snaps together last season. Now, if McLaurin doesn’t play again this week, they’ll be at 30%.

Here are other things to watch as New York comes to town.

Issues with tight ends

Washington’s biggest problem on offense and defense might revolve around the tight end position.

On offense, the Commanders have struggled to get one of their top offseason acquisitions going. They signed tight end Chig Okonkwo to a three-year, $27 million deal in hopes he would unlock their passing game. Instead, he’s been often injured and produced just four receptions for 21 yards in two games.

Former second-round pick Ben Sinnott has been similarly nonexistent with one catch for six yards this season. It’s already Year 3 for him, and time is running out on his rookie contract.

Offensive coordinator David Blough wanted the tight ends to be a key part of his offense. This week might be now-or-never to get them involved.

“As we build on this thing as we go throughout the entire season, just [want to] continue to see the consistent improvement in that room,” Blough said. “The opportunities will certainly come and we’re working on that.”

On defense, Washington has the opposite problem. Tight ends have killed the Commanders in the red zone. Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert and Dallas’ Jake Ferguson both accounted for multiple touchdowns in games the Commanders lost.

The Giants also have a dynamic tight end in Isaiah Likely. Can Washington contain him?

“I have to continue to point it out to the players and make the corrections,” defensive coordinator Daronte Jones said. “Show the awareness of where certain players are, certain looks, and gotta be dialed in. You gotta understand the situation of the game and how they’re gonna attack and what we’ve put on tape [that tight ends can have success]. Once you put something on tape, you gotta take it off. And so that’s been the focus.”

A dynamic backup

You might think that Washington will have it easy this week facing a backup quarterback.

But Jameis Winston is hardly just any backup quarterback.

He turns the ball over at a high clip, but also makes up for it with touchdowns at a high rate.

In New York’s win against the Arizona Cardinals last week, Winston had two interceptions. He also had three touchdowns.

Washington created five turnovers in the last two games. But can they limit the big plays?

“Jameis is a guy who is high risk, high reward,” Jones said. “Why [the Giants] are where they are right now [at 3-1] is because of him and providing those opportunities. We can be mindful of ‘Yeah, he’s gonna turn the ball over.’ He can also put four or five touchdowns on you in a heartbeat.”

Note: The Miami Dolphins claimed Washington sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen off waivers Friday. He played in all four of the Commanders’ games, but after rushing nine times for 40 yards in the first two weeks, Allen didn’t get a carry against the Seahawks and rushed three times for 1 yard against the Colts.

The Commanders waived Allen on Thursday.

Quinn said he still believed in Allen, but the move showed the franchise didn’t think he could be an immediate contributor. They went out and signed 31-year-old Austin Ekeler, who injured his Achilles tendon with the Commanders last season. And they could soon get Jeremy McNichols off injured reserve. Washington trusted them more than their young running back out of Penn State.

“We are investigating credible information that guards at Richwood Correctional Center ignored urgent requests for medical attention for Mr. Curo Churata,” attorney Max Schoening said in an email.

Schoening added that he wants to “hold accountable all those responsible” for Curo-Churata’s death.

Schoening’s firm Qureshi Law represents Curo-Churata’s wife, Verónica Ramírez, and their 6-year-old daughter.

“My husband was a loving and caring father and a hardworking man,” Ramírez said in a statement to The Banner through her lawyer. “We want justice because he didn’t deserve to die like this.”

ICE did not respond to a request for comment regarding Schoening’s statements.

Curo-Churata, who lived in Laurel for 17 years, died Sept. 29 after being transferred to Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center. ICE has said that Curo-Churata was found in “medical distress” the night before and that he received proper medical care while in custody.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland called for a “full independent investigation” into Curo-Churata’s death in a post on X.

Richwood Correctional Center has a history of alleged abuse and medical neglect.

In April, a Guatemalan-born woman detained at Richwood reported complications with her pregnancy and said she did not receive proper care. She was transferred to a hospital, and “in the presence of several federal guards, she delivered a stillborn fetus at about 23 weeks of pregnancy,” according to The Intercept. The agency said she “received prenatal care, including an ultrasound and OB-GYN visit,” but documents obtained by the outlet “show a lack of basic care needed for a healthy pregnancy.”

This is also not Schoening’s first interaction with Richwood. In October 2025, a federal jury awarded more than $40 million to the family of Erie Moore Sr., who died at 57 in 2015 after guards at the Monroe facility body-slammed him headfirst and fractured his skull. Schoening represented the family.

The cause of Curo-Churata’s death remains undetermined as the family awaits autopsy results.

Two GoFundMe accounts are assisting Curo-Churata’s family. One has raised nearly $17,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Friday afternoon. The loss for the family was described as “devastating,” leaving them “heartbroken.” Donations will be used to cover funeral expenses, the fundraiser said.

A second fundraiser, which has raised more than $8,500 of its $40,000 goal, is meant to help Curo-Churata’s son, Luis Curo, complete a bachelor’s degree in architecture.

“I am still trying to adjust to life without him,” Curo wrote. “My father was an important part of my life, and I hope to make him proud by completing my degree and pursuing my dreams.”

A vigil for Curo-Churata will be held Friday evening at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Laurel.

Banner reporter Antonio Planas contributed to this story.

Have a tip for our Prince George’s County reporters? Tell us here.

The winners will preside over jury trials for the next 15 years, deciding what justice means in everything from murder cases to child custody disputes.

Most voters likely know nothing about the candidates: sitting judges Ginina Jackson-Stevenson and Sidney Butcher and challenger Elizabeth Adams.

How do you choose? Attorney Ron Jarashow has some advice.

“The judge election is maybe the most important vote on the ballot,” he said. “They have a kind of unlimited power to affect your life.”

Anne Arundel is Maryland’s only jurisdiction with a contested judicial election this year. Voters will choose two of the 13 people who judge their fights, mistakes and tragedies when those matters reach a courtroom in Annapolis.

Jarashow is one of the few people to enter the process of selecting judges — only to get spit out the other end. He’s been a judge, a failed candidate, an election spoiler and an advocate for change.

“Well, it’s not a crusade,” he said.

Former Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed Jarashow, then 60, to the Circuit Court bench in March 2010. It was his professional dream job, planted while he clerked for an appellate court judge.

“It exposed me to the broad breadth of what being a judge was,” he said. “I always wanted to serve the public, always wanted to be a judge and serve in that way to resolve people’s problems.”

Governors usually base their judicial appointments on recommendations from one of 13 nominating commissions, which vet applicants for each opening. The governor’s picks take the bench — at least until the next election.

Jarashow wore the black robes for eight months. After each day’s courtroom proceedings and preparations for the next day, he campaigned.

Maryland gives voters an electoral veto over appointed trial judges. Any lawyer who is 30, a citizen and a county resident can run. In the past 50 years, challengers have won 17 times.

That’s how Jarashow stopped being a judge. He lost.

It was a rematch year. Republican Bob Ehrlich tried to win his job back from O’Malley, and linked Alison Asti’s campaign for judge to his campaign for governor.

Ehrlich lost. Asti won. So did O’Malley appointee Laura Kiessling.

“As with anybody who loses an election,” he said, “you find a way to go on.”

For him, moving on meant returning to private practice. It also meant working to end contested judicial elections. He testified five times before the General Assembly in favor of bills to eliminate them.

Ending contested elections would require a constitutional amendment.

Three years ago, he was named to a commission studying the system. It recommended replacing contested elections with retention votes, agreeing that voters struggle to make an informed choice but are unwilling to give up on democratic choice.

“You’re largely voting in the dark about what the candidates are and their backgrounds,” Jarashow said.

Voters also elect Orphans’ Court judges, who decide disputes over wills and estates. And they vote on retaining appeals court judges.

No one independently rates sitting judges or their challengers in an election. You can’t easily check an attorney’s history or a judge’s rulings.

Challengers usually post their resumes online, but rarely campaign on being tougher or wiser. Sitting judges do the same, but add that the system designed to pick the best-qualified judges picked them.

Adams started as an assistant prosecutor, then represented state and local governments. She applied for an appointment, but wasn’t chosen. Her campaign points out that she’s the only candidate born in Anne Arundel.

Butcher is a former prosecutor too. Gov. Larry Hogan appointed him to the District Court in 2018, and Gov. Wes Moore elevated him in December.

Moore also appointed Jackson-Stevenson. She began her career as a public defender, opened a private practice and later served as a family court magistrate.

Party politics always plays a role. Republicans are endorsing Adams. Democrats are campaigning for Butcher and Jackson-Stevenson.

The sitting judges accused Adams of ties to the Republican MAGA movement, which controls the party in Maryland and beyond. She denies it. Her campaign is largely self-funded.

The winner may be decided by things unrelated to the pursuit of justice, such as whose name comes first in the box for judge or campaign skills or the names on the ballot for governor.

Race may also play a role in who wins.

Moore first appointed Jackson-Stevenson in 2023, but challenger Tom Casey beat her in 2024.

It’s hard to ignore that she was among the few Black judges appointed in Maryland to lose to a white challenger, or that voters elected a white Hogan appointee, Christine Celeste, on a slate with Jackson-Stevenson.

Moore stuck by Jackson-Stevenson, taking the unusual step of reappointing her weeks after her loss. If she comes in third again, history will repeat itself.

Jarashow never sought another appointment. But he got involved with a second judicial election.

In 2016, D.C. Administrative Judge Claudia Barber ran against four appointed Circuit Court judges. It was a long shot, and race was a factor. Barber was Black and all sitting judges, even those not on the ballot, were white.

Jarashow wrote to her supervisors, claiming that Barber violated ethics rules by running in a partisan election. She lost the election, then her job.

The letter matched his convictions, yet he almost seemed obsessed with the system that ultimately rejected him.

“All I did was write a letter that an administrative law judge, somebody who’s seeking election to be a judge in Maryland, ought to follow their ethical rules,” Jarashow said.

He sees merit in voters correcting a governor’s omission. There are just no guarantees that voting in the dark does that.

At 77, Jarashow knows he won’t see the change he’s worked toward.

Asking voters to give up voting for a position that holds immense power over their lives is a hard ask.

All Jarashow can hope for is that voters seek answers.

“Somebody who just runs for election that’s never been evaluated and never been nominated is someone with a question mark,” he said. “That’s all.”

With neither Ravens nor Orioles games, some neighbors in Federal Hill were startled by the show, because they had no idea it was going to happen. While some people on social media said the display was beautiful, others said they would have appreciated more of a heads up.

“I had just put my son down, and I’m like, ‘What in the world is that?’” Caitlin Regan, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, said. “I looked at my watch and I thought, it’s not New Year’s Eve; it’s an October beautiful evening. So, I wasn’t sure what we were celebrating.”

Image Engineering, the Baltimore-based company behind the stadium’s fireworks displays, confirmed to WJZ the fireworks were part of its 30th anniversary celebration. The company said it was a private event for employees, clients, partners, family and friends.

“Baltimore has been at the heart of who we are at Image Engineering. Our work takes us around the world, but our roots remain here, in the city where we started, and the place we call home,” Image Engineering said in a statement. “We were proud to celebrate this milestone with those who have been part of our journey over the past 30 years.”

The company said the Baltimore City Fire Department supervised the show, in accordance with regulations.

“As a company specializing in special effects and pyrotechnics, it was only fitting that we concluded the evening with a laser and fireworks display inside the stadium,” the statement said.

Image Engineering designs fireworks displays for several NFL teams, as well as concerts and other live events. The company is headquartered in Curtis Bay.

Comments accompanying various social media videos show people debating the possible reasons for the fireworks, with some guessing it was a rehearsal for an upcoming concert, and others joking it was in celebration of the Yankees being eliminated from the MLB playoffs.

Neighbors in Federal Hill said they had no idea the show was going to happen Thursday night.

“It was like the Fourth of July,” Lisa Maslar, who recently moved to Federal Hill, said. “I love fireworks, so of course I ran out like a little kid, because I wanted to see what it was. I was very excited.”

“At first, I assumed … people just setting something off, but then it continued for a really long time,” Sara Stiles, who has lived in the area for 12 years, added.

Eric Eller was driving to work at the Horseshoe Casino when he saw the display from the highway. As he got closer, he realized this was a full show, so he grabbed his phone to film it once he parked.

“At first, I thought it’s probably just like one or two random fireworks. It’s nothing crazy. But then it kept going. I was like, ‘Wow, this is like a whole show,’” Eller said. “I thought it was a little bit strange that something that would cause such a commotion would happen randomly without warning.”

Some neighbors said they wished they had prior warning to prepare their families and pets.

“If you’re going to have a display like that, you might as well let people know so they can prepare. They can go see it if they want. That would have been cool,” Stiles said.

Pet owners said they would’ve preferred a heads up to make sure their dogs were ready. Stiles said her dog, Bo, hid under the coffee table during the fireworks. Maslar said her dog, Otto, went into a closet. On holidays, like the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, they take extra precautions.

“Usually, we make sure we’re inside, and then a lot of times she goes in her crate and she sleeps in there, or she might get one of her relax treats,” Stiles said.

Maslar works as a trauma therapist and said the stadium should provide a warning to neighbors about this type of event in the future, especially so combat veterans can be ready.

“The Fourth of July, that’s something we work a lot to prepare them for that. But when it’s something like this out of the blue, I’m imagining I’m going to have some calls about that, because it is hard when you don’t know when it’s coming,” Maslar explained.

Many neighbors said they stood in awe, trying to catch a glimpse from their front stoops. Next time, they hope they’ll know in advance about such a show.

“It was a really great show. It just kept coming. It was better than New Year’s Eve or Fourth of July, so it’s pretty cool,” Regan said. “Living in the city, you just have different surprises every day, and I guess that was a positive one. In my 20 years here, I’ve never seen that.”

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner

After missing practice all week, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play against the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Jesse Minter said.

The two-time MVP injured his ankle in the second quarter of the Ravens’ Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Baltimore will also be without outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson, who is still recovering from surgery on a finger he broke in the season opener.

“Both of them feel really good,” said Minter, who implied they could return next week. He said Jackson is doing everything in his power to get back.

Without Jackson, the Ravens will run with Tyler Huntley, who last season won the No. 2 job over Cooper Rush, now a reserve with the Falcons, and earned another contract with Baltimore.

“We’ve got a ton of confidence in Snoop,” Minter said. “He’ll play really well. I think everybody on the team’s excited to see that and [for] him to have this opportunity.”

Huntley did not know he was going to take over for Jackson last week until Baltimore hit the field after halftime. He went 8-for-9 for 63 yards and rushed four times for 16 yards. The Ravens were shut out in the second half.

He has started for an injured or resting Jackson 11 times since 2021, compiling a record of 5-6.

Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle reflected on Huntley’s biggest game last season, which came against the Chicago Bears, Doyle’s team at the time.

“Snoop did a great job in that game,” Doyle said of the Ravens’ 30-16 win in Week 8. “Obviously, we came in here, the Ravens had not had a ton of success early in the season and were kind of reeling a little bit. I felt like Snoop played in that game and was kind of a rallying cry.”

Huntley had more of a heads-up this week. He found out Friday he would start.

Minter also provided updates on wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who has a broken wrist, and newly acquired center Cam Jurgens, who arrived in concussion protocol.

Lane has been progressing well and will be “ready to roll when the time permits.” He is eligible to return from injured reserve next week. He had an impressive preseason and tallied one catch for 11 yards in the season opener before his injury.

Jurgens is on the “tail end” of his recovery, and he’s begun the process of learning the Ravens’ offensive schemes. When he returns, he’ll likely take over for rookie guard Vega Ioane, who has been the emergency center.

“Our hope and expectation is that he’ll be really ready to rock,” Minter said.

Starting wide receiver Zay Flowers (foot), starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey (hamstring/calf) and guard Andrew Vorhees (foot) were listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report of the week. Flowers practiced all week but was limited. Vorhees practiced in a limited capacity Thursday and Friday. Humphrey practiced only Friday and was a limited participant.

The Falcons have just one player out but four players who are questionable for the game.

Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) will not play, and starting linebacker Divine Deablo (hamstring) is questionable. Starting defensive ends Samson Ebukam (hamstring) and Za’Darius Smith (concussion/neck) are also questionable, but reserve defensive end Cameron Thomas (shoulder) is good to go. Starting left tackle Jake Matthews (groin) returned to full participation Friday but is still questionable.

Founder Brian Gaylor wrote on social media Thursday that it was time to “discuss the worst kept secret in Columbia.”

Gaylor wrote that after the birth of his first child this year, he realized he was “unable to give the brewery the attention it needs” as he approached the end of Black Flag’s 10-year lease on its space at 9315 Snowden River Parkway. So he made the decision to sell to a contract brewing brand based in Maryland.

However, that deal appears to be in jeopardy as the prospective buyers face hurdles getting the money together, and “we are just watching the clock tick down at this point,” Gaylor wrote in a text message.

“It is very possible that this sale does not go through,” Gaylor wrote on Facebook and Instagram. “It is very possible that 11/30 is our last day in business.”

The brewery “has been a true neighborhood staple in Columbia,” Kelly Dudeck, executive director of the Brewers Association of Maryland, wrote in a text message.

“They have consistently produced excellent beer and created a space, identity, and community that are are uniquely their own. This is not something that can simply be replaced. I sincerely hope they are able to find someone to carry the brewery forward.”

The potential closure on Nov. 30 comes at a rocky time for the local brewing industry, which is beset by rising costs and plummeting drinking rates. Last week, the parent company for Guinness announced that it would be closing the brand’s Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe.

“It’s really, really hard in the industry right now,” said Caroline Sisson, director of marketing and hospitality for Heavy Seas and president of the Brewers Association of Maryland, commenting on the Guinness departure. Every brewer she knows is “in survival mode.”

For his part, Gaylor is hopeful things could still work out for Black Flag Brewing Co., thanks in part to his own social media posts. A few potential investors have reached out to him since he shared the news online, and he’s been directing them toward the buyer, whom he declined to name.

“There is a chance everything is fine but I don’t want to be wrong and wait and give people 2 days to find new jobs, use gift cards, visit one last time etc,” Gaylor wrote in a text message Friday.

He’s open to other offers, too, and says he’s keeping the price reasonable to make sure Black Flag can stay in business and to ensure the livelihood of his current workers. The operation has a “profitable sales pipeline” and capacity to brew more.

Though he wouldn’t provide the exact sales figure, he said he’ll sell Black Flag for “less than the price of a lot of new homes in Columbia.”

The sheer number of celebrations is part of the fabric of Baltimore. Turn one corner and you’ll stumble into fans in town for a lineup of heavy metal bands; go around another and you might find rows upon rows of plant vendors giving their best gardening tips. The hard part? Trying to remember all that Baltimore and its surrounding counties have to offer.

We’re here to help you plan. From music-focused soirees to cultural parades, from small-town traditions to major East Coast events, here’s your monthly guide to some of the most notable Maryland festivals — including some worth making a day trip for. Use our handy calendar to browse what’s happening; scroll below to find details and map out your weekends.

Did we miss anything big? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to check back each month as we add more festivals and details that crop up.

Sept. 2026: Books, beer and more

Maryland State Fair

Aug. 27-30 | Sept. 3-7 | Sept. 10-13

Maryland’s largest celebration of agriculture unfolds over three weekends at the end of summer. The musical headliners have yet to be announced, but the Maryland State Fair will, as always, feature rides, food vendors and livestock exhibits and competitions. Check back closer to the event for more details.

Time: 5 p.m. Thursdays | 9 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day Monday

Price: $7 to $15

Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds (2200 York Road, Timonium)

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Renaissance Festival

Aug. 29-30 | Sept. 5-7, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27 | Oct. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25

Anne Arundel County’s sprawling ren faire returns to Revel Grove with nine weekends of turkey legs, live drama and music, artisans, crafts and vendors. Be warned: Tickets online sell out quickly.

Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price: TBA

Location: 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Comedy Festival

Sept. 2-7

The 10th annual Baltimore Comedy Festival — which features more than 75 professional performers from around the country, including Charm City comics such as Danielle “Woo Woo” Wooten, Kiragu Beauttah and Lyric — will bring the belly laughs to multiple city venues.

Click here for the full schedule, which includes performances at the Baltimore Comedy Factory (5625 O’Donnell St.), the Maryland Center for History and Culture (610 Park Ave.) and the Port Comedy Club (813 S. Broadway).

Time: 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday | 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday | 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday

Price: Many events are free; others range from $6.28-$31.75. Buy tickets here.

Location: Various locations

Family friendly? No, you know the places stand-up often goes

Afro Plus Fest

Sept. 4-6

This three-day festival celebrates global Black music and culture with performances from headliners like Tems, Davido, Wizkid and Alkaline, as well as special guests including Lil Baby, Latto, Sexyy Red and Chief Keef. And the concerts are just part of the equation: There will also be rides and games, dozens of food vendors, and art and fashion showcases.

Time: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday | 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday | 1 p.m to 11 p.m. Sunday

Location: Northwest Stadium Complex (1600 Ring Road, Landover)

Price: $149 and up

Family friendly? Yes

Greenbelt Labor Day Festival

Sept. 4-7

Enjoy a full schedule of things to do at Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival, including carnival rides, a table tennis tournament, walking tours, a diaper derby, a pie-eating contest, and the presentation of the Outstanding Citizen Award, for starters. There are no shortage of activities for kids and adults alike at the four-day festival.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $22.58 to $104.90 for carnival access

Location: 955 Shoppers Way, Largo

Family friendly? Yes

Charm City Live

Sept. 5

Boyz II Men and Case will headline Charm City Live, which is back for a fifth year this fall. DJ Keebee, Uncle E, DJ Tanz and Porkchop will also play sets at the free one-day event.

Time: 12 to 9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: War Memorial Plaza (100 Holliday St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Downtown Largo Festival

Sept. 5

Environmental stewardship and cultural inclusivity are part of the mission at the Downtown Largo Festival, which features a farmers market, gardening demonstrations and local vendors.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: 955 Shoppers Way, Largo

Family friendly? Yes

Afroflavour Food Festival

Sept. 5

Celebrate an afternoon in Frederick filled with African culture, including authentic cuisine by Aduke’s Kitchen and young performers who sing, dance and more.

Time: Noon to 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Creek Linear Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Towson Fall Festival

Sept. 5

Shop from more than 70 local vendors and food trucks while bands like Midnight Mimosa and Firekite perform at this all-day event at Towson Courthouse Gardens. The kids can tire themselves out in moon bounces, too.

Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Towson Courthouse Gardens (400 Washington Ave., Towson)

Family friendly? Yes

Prince George’s County Fair

Sept. 10-13

Maryland’s longest-running fair, which began in 1842, features livestock showcases, baked goods competitions, live music and carnival rides.

Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Price: $5 to $6, free for children 4 and under

Location: The Show Place Arena (14900 Pennsylvania Ave., Upper Marlboro)

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Songwriters Festival

Sept. 10-13

This fifth annual event puts music first with concerts featuring Young the Giant and Grammy nominees like Maggie Rose and Valerie June at various Annapolis venues like Rams Head on Stage and Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre.

Time: 2 p.m. Thursday | 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Price: Prices vary based on concert

Location: Various venues. Click here for the schedule.

Family friendly? No, this is more for an adult festival vibe

Maryland Seafood Festival

Sept. 11-13

Head to Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis for a seafood extravaganza. The annual festival dates to 1966 and features live music, with this year’s lineup headlined by cover bands Weird Science (Saturday) and Kelly Bell Band (Sunday). Food will be available for purchase from Sherri’s Crab Cakes, Old Fireman’s BBQ, King Cheffe and more.

Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: $14.26-$139.49

Location: Sandy Point State Park (1100 E. College Parkway, Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

In the Streets

Sept. 12

Come explore downtown Frederick with tens of thousands of others along several blocks on Market Street. Check out the art, live music, food and more that the area has to offer, including a craft beverage experience from the area’s breweries and distilleries from noon to 5 p.m. The real party starts at 5 p.m., when the In the Streets after-party ($5 cover charge) is hosted at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater for those 21 and over.

Time: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Creek Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Silver Spring Jazz Festival

Sept. 12

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will headline the 21st annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival, which features seven acts on two stages, including Washington bands Oh He Dead and the JoGo Project.

Time: 3 to 10 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Veterans Plaza (1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring)

Family friendly? Yes

Bowie International Festival

Sept. 12

Kick off the fall celebrating the food, music and dancing of cultures from around the world.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Allen Pond Park (3330 Northview Drive, Bowie)

Family friendly? Yes

Ukrainian Festival

Sept. 12-13

Join the 50th anniversary celebration of Baltimore’s Ukrainian Festival this year as they celebrate the culture and heritage of Ukraine. Enjoy a number of performances, including from live bands and traditional dancers, while perusing the vendors selling art, drinks and, of course, food.

Time: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday | Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church (2401 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Anne Arundel County Fair

Sept. 16-20

Say goodbye to summer with all the trademark fun at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. Pie-eating contest? Check. Pig races? Tractor pulls? You bet.

The five days of fun in Crownsville will feature two new shows this year: Dinosaur Takeover and the Firefighter Training Show. Live music acts scheduled to perform include 8 Ball Deluxe, Oracle Band and Zo Miller.

Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday | 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday | 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free (ages 9 and under) | $10.95-$16.95

Location: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds (1450 Generals Highway, Crownsville)

Family friendly? Yes

Great Frederick Fair

Sept. 18-26

From goat shows and carnival rides to a mullet contest and a beer garden, there’s something for everyone at Frederick’s annual nine-day fair.

Music fans can purchase separate tickets for the marquee concerts like three-time Grammy nominee Daughtry (Friday) and the Pop2000 Tour featuring 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons, LFO, O-Town and Ryan Cabrera (Saturday).

Time: Times vary based on day

Price: $10 online or $15 at the gate. Kids 10 and under are free. Parking is $10-$15.

Location: Frederick Fairgrounds (797 E. Patrick St., Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Washington Ukrainian Festival

Sept. 18-20

The 23rd edition of this three-day celebration of Ukrainian culture will feature live music from 2022 Eurovision Song Contest winner Kalush Orchestra, folk-rock band Gerdan and others. Attendees can enjoy Ukrainian cuisine such as holubtsi, a.k.a. stuffed cabbage, and the crispy meat pies called chebureki.

Time: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday | 11 a.m. to dusk Sunday

Price: Free Friday | $20 (Saturday; good for both days) | $15 Sunday | Free under 21

Location: St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (15100 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring)

Family friendly? Yes

Old Ellicott City’s Main Street Music Fest

Sept. 19

The Ellicott City Partnership decided to put the Main Street Music Fest on hiatus in 2025 amid competing events in the area, but the festival that typically features over 50 bands performing on six stages will return this year.

Time: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Main Street, Ellicott City

Family friendly? Yes

Hyattsville Arts Festival

Sept. 19

Over 100 talented artists, as well as food trucks, live bands and vendors, will come together for the 17th annual Hyattsville Arts Festival.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Hyattsville Municipal Building (4310 Gallatin St., Hyattsville)

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Book Festival

Sept. 19-20

In the City That Reads, this one’s a no-brainer. The 27th annual Baltimore Book Festival takes over Waverly for two days with speakers across stages at Red Emma’s, Peabody Heights Brewery, Urban Reads and more. Check out the full schedule for events with D. Watkins, DewMore Baltimore, Elizabeth Letts and other writers.

Time: 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Various locations along 30th to 32nd streets to the west of Greenmount Avenue in Waverly

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival

Sept. 19-20

Little Feat, the California band that developed a deep bond with Maryland while recording the 1974 classic “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” here, will be coming through the area for perhaps the last time on their farewell tour, headlining the Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival with the Yonder Mountain String Band and Béla Fleck.

Time: 10 a.m.

Price: $88.78 to $587.05

Location: Sandy Point State Park (1100 E. College Parkway, Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Festival of India: Namaste Maryland

Sept. 19-20

Over 20,000 members of Maryland’s Indian diaspora attend this festival every year to celebrate the art, culture and heritage of Bharat.

Time: 12 to 8 p.m. Saturday | 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Howard County Fairgrounds (2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship)

Family friendly? Yes

All Things Go Festival

Sept. 25-27

Columbia is one of three host cities for the annual All Things Go Festival, alongside New York City and Toronto. This year’s three-day concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion features alt-rock headliners such as Hayley Williams, Mitski and Lola Young, Swedish pop star Zara Larsson and Maryland native Rico Nasty.

Time: 3 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. Saturday | 11:30 a.m. Sunday

Price: $169.25 to $1,020.30

Location: Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Oktoberfest

Sept. 26

Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church, a historic German parish in Federal Hill, hosts the traditional autumn celebration of German food, beer and polka music with a silent auction, a raffle and games for children.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church (110 E. West St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival

Sept. 26

The Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival honors 50 years of Alex Haley’s “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” in Annapolis with food, music and Black history.

Time: Noon to 7 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (550 Taylor Ave., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Abell Community Street Fair

Sept. 27

Welcome fall’s arrival at this annual event, which since 1973 has celebrated the North Baltimore neighborhood known for its brightly painted rowhouses.

Local musicians set to perform “porch concerts” include emo band Still Bones, singer/songwriter Dominique Diglio and pop-electronic artist Pangelica. Aside from music, fairgoers can enjoy local food trucks, local vendors, a silent auction and more.

Time: Noon to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Abell Avenue and 32nd Street, Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes

Oct. 2026: Boats, lantern parades and more

New/Next Film Festival

Oct. 1-4

The New/Next Film Festival returns for its fourth iteration with more than 100 features and shorts. Opening night includes “Eternity One,” a documentary about a disappearing Chesapeake Bay island community made by Baltimorean Marnie Ellen Hertzler. You can buy tickets for individual screenings or all-access passes that gain you entrance to exclusive events.

Time: Various

Price: Various

Location: Charles Theatre (1711 N. Charles St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Depends on the film.

Fell’s Point Fun Festival

Oct. 2-4

The 60th annual Fell’s Point Fun Festival will once again bring upward of 50,000 attendees to the historic waterfront neighborhood for a weekend of live music, food trucks and shopping.

Time: 5 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Fells Point along Thames Street from Caroline Street to Wolfe Street, Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes

International Edgar Allan Poe Festival

Oct. 2-4

Shine a light on the darkness of Edgar Allan Poe at this free outdoor festival that includes readings (naturally), a costume contest and POErade (of course), and live music and performances. To keep the spooky vibes going at an additional cost, there will also be a masquerade ball and the world premiere of “Vincent Price: What Keeps Us Alive.”

Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for the outdoor festival; various for additional events

Price: Free admission to the outdoor festival; various for additional events

Location: Lexington Market (112 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore) for the outdoor festival; various for additional events

Family friendly? Your call.

Frederick Hispanic Heritage Festival

Oct. 3

Hispanic art, culture, food and music take center stage at the Centro Hispano de Frederick’s annual festival spotlighting the various cultures of the city’s Latin American population.

Time: Noon

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Creek Linear Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

College Park Day

Oct. 3

College Park Day, which has live music, food vendors, arts and crafts, and an Artist Alley, doubles as an opportunity to explore the College Park Aviation Museum with free admission.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: College Park Aviation Museum and Airport (1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park)

Family friendly? Yes

Takoma Park Street Festival

Oct. 4

Get your fill of Takoma from Maryland to Washington, D.C., with the Takoma Park Street Festival. Take in more than a dozen musical acts across three stages, shop artwork and check out food vendors, trucks and restaurants along the event route.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland, to Carroll Street NW in Takoma, Washington, D.C.

Family friendly? Yes

Waterfront Art Festival

Oct. 10

Art lovers can purchase works from local artists at this free Prince George’s County festival’s outdoor market while enjoying scenic views of the Anacostia River and food trucks. Attendees can also enjoy river boat tours, live music, art demos and more.

Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Bladensburg Waterfront Park (4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg)

Family friendly? Yes

Das Best Pumpkin Fest

Oct. 10

Look out below! Fall enthusiasts will gather at the Maryland State Fairgrounds to see a 700-pound pumpkin dropped from 100 feet in the air. Expect food trucks, carnival rides, face painting, a costume contest, a hay maze and more.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Price: $10; kids 12 and under are free

Location: Track infield at the Maryland State Fairgrounds (2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium)

Family friendly? Yes

Fiesta Baltimore

Oct. 10-11

Celebrate Latino culture, heritage and community at Patterson Park at Fiesta Baltimore. The eighth annual event, which is expected to draw 20,000 people from around the region, will feature authentic food, live music, arts, crafts and a kids zone. Don’t miss the Parade of Latino Nations at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Patterson Park (2900 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Sailboat Show

Oct. 15-18

Fleets of monohulls and catamarans will dock in Annapolis for an event full of deals and opportunities to book your next seafaring vacation.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Price: $32 for adults, $10 for children 7 to 15, free admission for children 6 and under

Location: City Dock (1 Dock St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Nigerian American Festival

Oct. 16-18

Celebrate Nigeria, one of Africa’s most culturally diverse countries, over three days at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery with authentic food, cultural performances, a special-edition beer and live music from Afrobeats artist Clive, the Purple Rush Band and more. This festival will also be one of the last events hosted by the Baltimore County brewery before it closes.

Time: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free; $34 for beer and food pairing

Location: Guinness Open Gate Brewery (5001 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe)

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Running Festival

Oct. 17

Be warned: The Baltimore Running Festival is no joke, challenging marathon runners throughout Charm City’s streets — particularly miles 17 to 19, our own version of Heartbreak Hill, the Boston Marathon’s grueling back-end stretch. (Don’t worry, there are 5K, 10K and half-marathon options, too.)

The annual race travels through downtown, Federal Hill, Fells Point and even the Maryland Zoo. Aside from athletic competition and punny cardboard signs of support, expect plenty of road closures, too.

Time: 8 a.m.

Price: $76.65-$224.48 based on run length

Location: Starts at McKeldin Square (intersection of East Pratt and Light streets, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

American Indian Festival

Oct. 17

In Prince George’s County, this annual celebration of Native American culture, heritage and traditions returns to Patuxent River Park with live music, dance performances, archery, demonstrations of traditional Indigenous tools and food vendors.

Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Patuxent River Park (16000 Croom Airport Road, Upper Marlboro)

Family friendly? Yes

Captain Avery Museum Oyster Festival

Oct. 17

Find out how oysters help create a healthier Chesapeake Bay at this annual festival in Anne Arundel County’s Shady Side. The family-friendly event will feature live music from Roots & Tides, Kenny Holmes and The Freebyrds. Naturally, oysters will be shucked on site by the Anne Arundel Watermen’s Association.

Time: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Price: $10-$20; kids 8 and under are free

Location: Captain Avery Museum (1418 E. West Shady Side Road, Shady Side)

Family friendly? Yes

Great Baltimore Lantern Parade & Día de los Muertos Festival

Oct. 24

The Mexican Day of the Dead tradition and good old Baltimore creativity march hand in hand for this annual event, with a parade featuring lanterns and costumes, plus live music and food trucks.

Time: 4 to 9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Patterson Park (2601 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

May 2026: Jazz, horse racing and more

Flower Mart

May 1-2

Baltimore’s oldest free public festival celebrates the blossoming of springtime with a marketplace for flower and plant vendors, arts and crafts, and other products made or grown by locals. Founded in 1911, Flower Mart has expanded in recent years to include an educational component that encourages Baltimoreans to appreciate the potential of urban green spaces. And, as always, there are plenty of food options, including the festival’s longtime signature snack, the lemon stick: half a lemon with a peppermint straw.

Time: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Mount Vernon Place (699 Washington Place, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Charm City Fringe Festival

May 1-3

Charm City Fringe was founded in 2012 to provide a stage for the bolder, less conventional side of Baltimore’s theater and performing arts scene, spanning genres from spoken word to dance to one-person plays. The nonprofit’s 2026 festival kicked off in April, and the second weekend will feature innovative works from playwrights Claudia Brown, James Bunzli, Thann Tolley and more.

Time: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday | 12 p.m. Sunday

Price: $18 to $98

Location: The Peale (225 Holliday St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Children under 14 admitted with a parent or guardian

Asia North Festival

May 1-31

Since 2019, Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center has presented the monthlong Asia North Festival in Baltimore’s unofficial Koreatown in Station North. The opening ceremonies for the Asian arts and cultural festival — taking place at the SNF Parkway Theatre from 5 p.m. to midnight on May 1 — will include live music from Plant Dad and Hello Fans, and the art exhibition “Shoes at the Door” curated by Dylan Kaleikaumaka Hill. Events throughout the month will include everything from art walks to food tastings to dances.

Time: Check out the schedule of events throughout May

Price: Free

Location: Various locations across Station North

Family friendly? Yes

M3 Rock Festival

May 2

Merriweather Post Pavilion revives the spirit and sound — and occasionally the big hair and glammy eyeshadow — of ’80s metal and hard rock with the annual M3 Rock Festival. This year’s headliners include Queensrÿche, Tom Keifer, White Lion, Faster Pussycat and Trixter.

Time: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Price: $55 to $625

Location: Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Kinetic Sculpture Race

May 2

You never know what feats of creativity and engineering you’ll see charging down the streets of Baltimore the first Saturday of each May. Dozens of teams build outlandish mobile works of art that travel a 15-mile route through the city and even float through the Inner Harbor. This year’s race, whose theme is “Fantasy and Folly,” begins and ends at the American Visionary Art Museum, with a midday gathering in Patterson Park.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: American Visionary Art Museum (800 Key Highway, Baltimore) and Patterson Park (2601 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Laurel Main Street Festival

May 2

Laurel’s historic downtown district hosts a day of food, shopping, games and live entertainment that kicks off with a morning parade.

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Main Street, Laurel

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Book Festival

May 2

Bestselling authors Brigid Kemmerer and Annabelle Gurwitch and local authors David Gendell and Erica L. Green are among the guests who will speak at the 23rd annual Annapolis Book Festival. Don’t forget to stick around for food, live music and a used book sale, too.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Key School (534 Hillsmere Drive, Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Sligo Creek Fest

May 2

For a few hours, Sligo Creek Parkway becomes a street festival with food, drinks, tree climbing and an electrofishing demonstration. Musical entertainment includes jazz and soul from DuPont Brass, children’s music from Rocknoceros, and crowd-pleasing covers from Capital Effect and Amy Andrews.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Sligo-Dennis Avenue Park (10200 Sligo Creek Parkway, Silver Spring)

Family friendly? Yes

Towsontown Spring Festival

May 2-3

Over 100,000 people typically turn up for Towson’s annual street festival, now in its 57th year, for carnival rides, a beer garden and food trucks. Festivities will kick off with an opening ceremony on Saturday, preceded by bagpipers, a color guard and a performance of the national anthem. Bands performing this year include Crushing Day, FireKite, Burnt Bridges and The Rocking Taco Cats.

Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday | 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free (rides require tickets, or a $35 wristband for unlimited rides)

Location: Baltimore County Historic Courthouse (400 Washington Ave., Towson)

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

May 2-3

Hundreds of sheep and their owners, some of whom will compete in shearing competitions, will descend on Maryland for one of the world’s largest festivals dedicated to sheep and wool. This year’s featured breed: the Scottish Blackface. The festival will also feature food, music and workshops focused on fiber arts and sheepdog training.

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday | 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Price: $12.50 per person per day, and free admission for those under 18

Location: Howard County Fairgrounds (2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship)

Family friendly? Yes

Wine Village

May 7-10 | 13-17 | 20-25 | 27-31

For the fourth year in a row, a green stretch of the Inner Harbor next to the Maryland Science Center will host a free daily event inspired by wine festivals in Germany. For most of May, 30 local and international wines will be on offer, along with bratwurst and pretzels, kid-friendly drinks, live music and picnic areas.

Time: 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays | 1 to 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day

Price: Free admission. Food and drink are sold individually.

Location: West Shore Park (401 Light St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes, although obviously many of the beverages are only for those 21 and over

VinylCon

May 8-9

VinylCon, an opportunity for music lovers and record collectors to buy and sell vinyl, began in Los Angeles before expanding to other cities. After a successful first outing in Baltimore last October, VinylCon will now be held twice a year, with another weekend to follow in the fall. Back Pay, a Baltimore nonprofit that recognizes session musicians of yesteryear and pays them based on what collectors have spent on albums they played on, will have a booth spotlighting Maryland-based Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Carl Cornwell.

Time: 3 to 10 p.m. Friday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Price: $8.23 to $30

Location: Union Craft Brewing (1700 W. 41st St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Remfest

May 9

The Greater Remington Improvement Association’s annual festival includes various vendors and food trucks. Bands curated by the Ottobar and Monozine will play on a main stage, and another stage will host kid-friendly entertainment.

Time: 12 to 9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Remington Avenue between 27th and 29th streets, Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes

Monkton Music Festival

May 9

An impressive bill of 10 rootsy regional favorites, including Baltimore singer-songwriter Caleb Stine, Annapolis indie folk ensemble Pressing Strings and Delaware jam band the Fitzkee Brothers, will perform on two stages in northern Baltimore County. Proceeds from the tickets will benefit Camp Puh’tok’s summer camp scholarship programs and after-school music programs for local students.

Time: 11 a.m.

Price: $60 for adults, $20 for ages 6-15, free for ages 5 and under

Location: Puh’tok in the Pines (17433 Big Falls Road, Monkton)

Family friendly? Yes

Books in Bloom Festival

May 9

The 10th annual celebration of storytelling in Columbia’s Merriweather District is emphasizing teen voices and local Maryland authors this year. Celebrate with book talks, author signings, spoken word performances, a children’s zone and food from local restaurants. Writers scheduled to appear include Jason Reynolds (“Coach”), Karen Outen (“Dixon, Descending”) and Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman (“For the Girls Who Do Too Much”).

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Color Burst Park (6221 Mango Tree Road, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Craft Beer Festival

May 9

IPAs, ciders and sours, oh my! Come thirsty for this rain-or-shine event put on by the Brewers Association of Maryland. Beer samples from dozens of breweries across the state are included in the ticket price. (Not drinking? Entry is cheaper if you’re just there for the live music, food and vendors.) Check out which businesses will be pouring — and what they’ll be serving — so you can plan your tasting route.

Time: 12 to 1:30 p.m. for VIPs | 1:30 to 5 p.m. for general admission

Price: $20 to $70, depending on ticket tier

Location: Carroll Creek Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Reisterstown Bloomin’ ArtFest

May 9

Every year on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, Reisterstown showcases local creativity with a juried arts and crafts festival, as well as live music, children’s activities and food vendors.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Franklin Middle School (120 Main St., Reisterstown)

Family friendly? Yes

Greenbelt Green Man Festival

May 9-10

The Greenbelt Green Man Festival is organized by the Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society, a nonprofit “dedicated to the health of all who share the Chesapeake watershed environment.” Enjoy family-friendly activities like face painting, sidewalk chalk, mosaic workshops and a drum circle as you take in live entertainment that includes bluegrass from The Duckpins, Afro-Brazilian music from Batalá Washington, and David Bowie covers from Totally Bowie.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Roosevelt Center (131 Centerway, Greenbelt)

Family friendly? Yes

Black-Eyed Susan Day

May 15

The George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes are a time-honored tradition that precedes Preakness; both events will be held in Laurel this year before returning to Baltimore in 2027. Dress up to watch 3-year-old fillies compete for the Black-Eyed Susan race’s $300,000 purse.

Time: 10 a.m.

Price: $145 to $297

Location: Laurel Park (198 Laurel Race Track Road, Laurel)

Family friendly? Yes

Preakness

May 16

While its longtime home at Pimlico Race Course is undergoing renovations, the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes will be held at Laurel Park’s racetrack. Some of the world’s top thoroughbreds will compete in the Triple Crown, with Preakness as the middle jewel after the Kentucky Derby and before the Belmont Stakes. Worth noting: There’s no accompanying InfieldFest this year because of the change in venue.

Time: 9 a.m.

Price: $495 to $2,168

Location: Laurel Park (198 Laurel Race Track Road, Laurel)

Family friendly? Yes

George ‘Spider’ Anderson Music & Arts Festival

May 16

George “Spider” Anderson was the first Black jockey to win the Preakness Stakes in 1889. And while the big race isn’t at Pimlico this year, the fifth annual festival named for Anderson will continue to bring food, live music, horseback rides and best-dressed contests to the streets of Park Heights.

Time: 1 to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: 4800 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes

Gaithersburg Book Festival

May 16

This year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival features poets Fran Abrams and Randall Amster, novelists Sarah Adler and Rabih Alameddine, family-friendly activities in the Children’s Village and workshops for aspiring writers.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Bohrer Park (506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg)

Family friendly? Yes

Wine in the Woods

May 16-17

Free samples from local wineries, breweries and restaurants are available along with food and drink for purchase at the 32nd annual wine festival in Symphony Woods outside Merriweather Post Pavilion. If you’re interested in more than libations, there will also be live music across genres on both days and artisanal vendors selling everything from clothes to candles.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $30 to $85

Location: Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Family friendly? Lower-priced “non-taster” tickets are available for attendees under 21

Arbutus Arts Festival

May 17

The 53rd annual Arbutus Arts Festival will feature a health fair, a children’s corner with a train ride and petting zoo, a beer garden, and local distilleries and food vendors. The bands Major Company and AcoustiCafe will perform.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: 5407 East Drive, Halethorpe

Family friendly? Yes

Spring Street Fair

May 17

This College Park event includes unique attractions like live cooking demonstrations and hobby horse races in addition to vendors, games and live music.

Time: 12 to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Davis Hall (9217 51st Ave., College Park)

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Deathfest 2026

May 21-24

The 21st edition of “America’s biggest annual metal party” will once again present four days of screams and sludge over Memorial Day weekend, with over 80 bands representing every possible subgenre of extreme music across five stages. Headliners this year include Grave, Rotting Christ, Pig Destroyer, Cephalic Carnage, God Dethroned and Mortician.

Time: 3:30 p.m. Thursday | 3 p.m. Friday | 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: $42 to $373

Location: Angels Rock Bar (10 Market Place, Baltimore), Baltimore Soundstage (124 Market Place, Baltimore), Market Place (121 Market Place, Baltimore), Power Plant Live! (34 Market Place, Baltimore), Nevermore Hall (20 Market Place, Baltimore)

Family friendly? All ages admitted, but attendees under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and the lyrics and decibel levels may not be appropriate for younger children

Artscape

May 23-24

Legendary hip-hop band The Roots and soul veteran Stephanie Mills will headline the main stage at America’s largest free outdoor arts festival. Alongside the usual sprawl of outdoor food and drink vendors, there will be indoor attractions including film screenings and In Conversation panels at Baltimore Center Stage, the second annual Scout Art Fair, a puppet-making workshop at Everyman Theatre and other family-friendly Kidscape activities.

Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Baltimore City Hall (100 Holiday St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Brew at the Zoo

May 23-24

The Maryland Zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year offers a chance to enjoy unlimited samples of over 80 craft brews, wines, ciders and seltzers while visiting with the animals, checking out live bands, and partaking in trivia competitions and family-friendly games. Who doesn’t want to see an elephant smash a watermelon while drinking a watermelon-flavored High Noon?

Time: 1 to 7 p.m.

Price: $40 to $70

Location: The Maryland Zoo (1 Safari Place, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Caribbean Wine & Music Festival

May 23-24

A festival at a winery means no shortage of vinos to try as you dance the day away. Linganore will offer over 40 of its wines at this celebration that includes dozens of boutique vendors and live music from DJ Sprang International, Pan Masters Steel Orchestra and Image Band. Tickets include a stemless wine glass for samples, and nondrinkers will receive two complimentary nonalcoholic drinks.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $40.27 to $81.43

Location: Linganore Winecellars (13601 Glissans Mill Road, Mount Airy)

Family friendly? Yes

Sowebo Arts & Music Festival

May 24

The award-winning Sowebo Arts & Music Festival, held in the streets around historic Hollins Market and staffed by volunteer Southwest Baltimore residents, shouldn’t be overlooked just because it now takes place at the same time as the much larger Artscape. In addition to an impressive list of food and arts and crafts vendors, four stages will feature an eclectic array of Baltimore bands and performers, including Femi the DriFish, Barnyard Sharks, MC Brooks and Mojo Collective.

Time: 12 to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Hollins Market (26 S. Arlington Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Memorial Day Meltdown

May 25

Amid a groundswell for hardcore punk in Baltimore, Soundstage will open up the pit for a summit of fast and loud bands from around the country. Los Angeles’ Terror headlines the fest, with New York’s Pain of Truth and Crush Your Soul sharing the stage with one of Baltimore’s top reigning hardcore bands, End It, as well as local upstarts Fightback.

Time: 4 p.m.

Price: $39

Location: Baltimore Soundstage (124 Market Place, Baltimore)

Family friendly? All ages

Greek Food, Wine & Culture Festival

May 28-31

Baltimore’s 54th annual celebration of Greek culture features authentic cuisine (this year with carryout options), a silent auction, traditional Greek music and dance groups.

Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday | 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation (24 W. Preston St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Irish Festival

May 29-30

Celtic rockers like Virginia’s Carbon Leaf and Annapolis’ Dublin 5 will perform, along with the Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes & Drums, at Anne Arundel County’s annual celebration of Irish culture.

Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday

Price: $30.73 to $221.31, or free for 12 and under

Location: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds (1450 Generals Highway, Crownsville)

Family friendly? Yes

Asian American and Pacific Islander Festival

May 30

Celebrate the last weekend of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Symphony Woods next to Merriweather Post Pavilion. A Parade of Cultures leads to the Chrysalis stage, where the live entertainment will span music, dance, fashion and martial arts.

Time: 12 to 4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods (10431 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Anne Arundel Asian American Festival

May 31

The Anne Arundel Asian American Festival will return for its third year to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage in Maryland. The stage program includes live music, martial arts demonstrations and traditional dance companies, along with educational exhibits and interactive workshops.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $13.92 to $19.95, or free for 12 and under

Location: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds (1450 Generals Hwy., Crownsville)

Family friendly? Yes

June 2026: Wine, air shows and more

First Thursday Festivals

June 4, July 9, Aug. 6 and Sept. 3

On the first Thursday of every month in the summer (or the second Thursday of July), WTMD curates a lineup of two indie bands often featured on the station’s airwaves — a mix of locals and national touring acts — for a performance on the waterfront in Canton.

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Canton Waterfront Park (3001 Boston St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Let’s Go! Music Festival

June 5-6

Alternative rockers Sublime and Fitz and the Tantrums and pop hitmakers Natasha Bedingfield and AJR will headline the sixth annual Let’s Go! Music Festival just outside Annapolis.

Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: $104.37 to $769.29

Location: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds (1450 Generals Highway, Crownsville)

Family friendly? Yes

Hampden Highlights Festival

June 6

When the long-running HonFest came to an end in 2024, the Hampden Highlights Festival emerged as a successor to kick off summers on The Avenue. Celebrate the neighborhood with a day of live music, food and fundraising efforts for local nonprofit organizations.

Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: West 36th Street, Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes

Marlboro Day Parade & Festival

June 6

Upper Marlboro’s annual celebration includes a parade, live entertainment, food, vendors and games for kids.

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro

Family friendly? Yes

Asia on the Creek

June 6

The Asian American Center of Frederick puts on this display of art, music, dance and food every year to celebrate the dozens of diverse countries that make up the Asian continent. Try new cuisine or take in a traditional cultural performance while you enjoy activities for the whole family.

Time: 12 to 5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Creek Outdoor Amphitheater at Carroll Creek Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore by Baltimore

Starting June 6

The Baltimore by Baltimore Waterfront Music & Makers Festival, or BxB, is the Waterfront Partnership’s way of showcasing some of the best music the city has to offer. Take in performances spanning a variety of genres on several Saturdays throughout the summer on the outdoor Inner Harbor stage.

Time: 2 to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Inner Harbor Amphitheater (201 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Wine on the Water Caribbean Wine & Arts Festival

June 7

Admission to the Middle Branch Park event includes a complimentary glass and wine tasting, plus live music from Kurlou Reggae Allstars and Strykers Posse.

Time: 12 to 6 p.m.

Price: $44.52

Location: Middle Branch Park (3301 Waterview Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? The event’s described as “an adults environment” for those 21 and up, though “children may attend if necessary”

Baltimore Pride Parade

June 13

Baltimore Pride Week, with events from June 8-14, is capped with marching bands, floats and special guests at the annual Pride Parade on June 13. “Charm City Homecoming” is the theme for this year’s celebration of Baltimore’s LGBTQIA+ community. Elsewhere in the state, Old Ellicott City Pride kicks off on June 6.

Time: 12 to 3 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Drive, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Fest of Spring: Wine, Food & Music Festival

June 13

Say goodbye to spring with wine tastings, local cuisine and live music at Fest of Spring. You can feel good about indulging, too: The team behind the festival advocates for autism awareness and donates a portion of proceeds to recognized autism initiatives.

Time: 1 to 9 p.m.

Price: $25 for ages 13 and up, free for ages 12 and under

Location: Carroll Park (1500 Washington Blvd., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Frederick Festival of the Arts

June 13-14

This outdoor art festival in downtown Frederick showcases work from local artists against the backdrop of gorgeous Carroll Creek Park. The town is worth the day trip as you ponder purchasing fine art and walk along the creek to shop, dine and drink at several stops.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Carroll Creek Park (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)

Family friendly? Yes

Columbia Festival of the Arts: LakeFest

June 12-14

The Merriweather Arts and Culture Center presents LakeFest, three days of live music, food vendors, and arts and crafts on the lakefront in downtown Columbia. This year’s eclectic musical lineup includes Canadian roots rocker Ariel Posen, Arizona soul singer and bassist Nik West, and Togolese singer and bandleader Dogo du Togo.

Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday | 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Columbia Lakefront (10275 Wincopin Circle, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Stars & Smiles Foodie Festival

June 13-14

Some of the region’s best food, drinks and desserts are on offer on the National Harbor waterfront. The rain-or-shine event will also feature a live DJ.

Time: 11 a.m.

Price: $23.18 to $87.21

Location: 137 National Plaza, Oxon Hill

Family friendly? Yes

AFRAM

June 19-21

This Juneteenth weekend, celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the East Coast’s largest African American festivals. This year’s lineup will feature Charlie Wilson, Tamia, The Lox and some of the greatest singers to ever come out of Baltimore, including Mario, Ultra Naté and Paula Campbell. Enjoy local eats, carnival mask making, African drumming, activities just for kids and more.

Time: 3 to 9 p.m. Friday | 12 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Drive, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

A Taste of the DMV: Food, Music & Culture Festival

June 19-21

A Taste of the DMV celebrates the sights, sounds and flavors of the region with three days of live music, art, shopping, drinks and more than 150 food vendors between M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards. Musical performers include Courtland Johnson, Wise Da God, Rebel Rose and Ikea Damone. There’s also a family day on Sunday with kid-friendly activities, but don’t worry: You can still escape to the beer garden, which is strictly 21-plus.

Time: 7 p.m. Friday | 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: $17.85 to $428.67 for ages 12 and up, free for ages 11 and under

Location: Camden Yards Sports Complex (1101 Russell St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes, other than Friday’s opening party, which is only 21-plus

Sail250 Maryland & Airshow Baltimore

June 24-30

For an entire week, the Inner Harbor will host U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships, flyovers by the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron, and other events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and the nation’s armed services. Watch ships arrive on Wednesday and leave on Tuesday. Associated festivals at the Inner Harbor, in Fells Point and on the Baltimore Peninsula will include farmers markets, movie screenings, live entertainment and a crab soup cook-off.

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday

Price: Free

Location: Inner Harbor Amphitheater (201 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Dundalk Heritage Fair

June 26-28

After coming back from the dead last year, the Dundalk Heritage Fair — organized by the Heritage Association of Greater Dundalk — will present three days of live music, rides, food vendors, a beer garden, arts and crafts, and activities for kids.

Time: 12 to 10 p.m.

Price: $10

Location: Heritage Association of Greater Dundalk (2717 Playfield St., Dundalk)

Family friendly? Yes

SummerFest

June 27

Celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday in Gaithersburg with live music, food trucks, local breweries and a fireworks display. Stay for the glow-in-the-dark after-party where LED-lit hula hoopers, jugglers and stilt walkers will make their way through the crowd.

Time: 6 to 11 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Bohrer Park (506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg)

Family friendly? Yes

July 2026: Independence Day, Caribbean culture and more

Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival

July 4

The ninth annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival is a great way to view the Fourth of July fireworks from South Baltimore without braving the hectic traffic and parking downtown. Mighty Mark and TT The Artist, two 21st-century champions of the city’s homegrown club music sound, are among this year’s performers.

Of course, there are multiple July 4 celebrations across Baltimore and in the surrounding counties, like Howard’s Columbia Lakefront festivities. Check back closer to Independence Day for a more thorough list.

Time: 1 to 10 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Middle Branch Park (3301 Waterview Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Washington One Carnival

July 10-12

The Baltimore and Washington area’s 45th annual celebration of Caribbean culture will include a street parade and three days of live entertainment and food vendors.

Time: 3 to 10 p.m. Friday | 12 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Drive, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Lake Arbor Jazz Festival

July 15-19

The 16th annual Lake Arbor Jazz Festival will debut a new format this year with meet-and-greets, workshops and a Sunday jazz brunch. Performers include Gerald Albright, Karen Briggs and Gerald Veasley.

Time: TBA

Price: $39.11 to $214.99

Location: MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino (101 MGM National Ave., Forest Heights)

Family friendly? Yes

Disability Pride Arts Fest

July 18

Make Studio, a collective of disabled artists, will present its fourth annual festival, with stage performances as well as mini art workshops for portraiture and sculpture.

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Enoch Pratt Free Library (400 Cathedral St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Clarksville Sunflower Festival

July 18-July 26

Talk about an Instagram moment. Soak up all the florals at this festival, where you’ll find sunflower fields, wildflower patches, animals and more. Brave the crowds on the weekends for live music, vendors and food, or take it easy with a weekday visit sans those amenities but likely with a lot more room.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Price: $11.37-$363.27

Location: Mary’s Land Farm (4979 Sheppard Lane, Ellicott City)

Family friendly? Yes

August 2026: Agriculture, Renaissance Festival and more

Howard County Fair

Aug. 8-15

Square dancing, a garden tractor pull, livestock exhibitions and other agricultural attractions at the Howard County Fair celebrate farm life in Maryland.

Time: TBA

Price: $10 general admission, $5 for senior citizens, free for children 7 and under

Location: 2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Latino Festival

Aug. 9

Dance to live music at the Maryland Latino Festival, which features a number of performances from acts such as El Chaval de la Bachata, Los Ilegales de Lempira, La Sonora Dinamita and more. Food will also be available, adding to the fun for the whole family.

Time: 10 a.m.

Price: $28.88

Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds (2200 York Road, Timonium)

Family friendly? Yes

Haitian Caribbean Festival

Aug. 11

Check out vendors, food, live music, dancers and more at the family-friendly, fourth annual festival celebrating Haitian and Caribbean culture.

Time: 1 to 8 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Patterson Park Observatory (Pratt Street and Patterson Park Avenue)

Family friendly? Yes

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

Aug. 14-22

Founded in 1949, the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair features livestock exhibitions, carnival rides, live music and food vendors.

Time: TBA

Price: TBA

Location: 501 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg

Family friendly? Yes

SubScape

Aug. 28-30

Wax Atlas Record and Stereo Exchange, Baltimore Showplace and Natural Velvet’s Kim Te first teamed up to launch SubScape in 2024 as part of a long tradition of festivals taking place the same weekend as Artscape that represented the more experimental and underground side of the Baltimore music scene. Now that Artscape has moved to earlier in the year, though, SubScape remains in the late summer. This year’s festival is relocating from Station North to downtown Baltimore, with Philadelphia hardcore band Soul Glo headlining a bill that includes great local acts like Combat, Dosser, Super City and the recently reunited Krack.

Time: TBA

Price: Free

Location: Le Mondo (406 N. Howard St., Baltimore) and Current Space (421 N. Howard St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? All ages are welcome, but it may get loud and/or weird.

Music City Maryland Festival

Aug. 29

The Reverend Horton Heat, Texas’ kings of the punk-rockabilly fusion known as “psychobilly,” will headline the seventh annual Music City Maryland Festival. The Dive Bombs, Ghost Town Radio and Mallow Hill are a few of the other bands that will perform on two stages on the beautiful 12-acre Catonsville festival grounds.

Time: 12 to 10 p.m.

Price: $15 to $25, or free for children under 12

Location: The Vortex at CAA Park (202 Ingleside Ave., Catonsville)

Family friendly? Yes

Love Groove Festival

Aug. 29

The 10th annual Love Groove Festival, founded by native Baltimorean and composer John Tyler, will see live musical performances from Robert Glasper, Saba, Alex Vaughn and a host of other acts. The event, which celebrates Black and brown creatives, will also have local food vendors, art galleries, a petting zoo and family-friendly games.

Time: 12 to 8 p.m.

Price: $29 to $209

Location: Point Park (1215 Willis St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

As fall settles in and the holiday season comes into view, I suspect many of us are feeling worn thin. The world feels heavy right now: in the headlines, here in Baltimore, and for plenty of us, closer to home. When life feels overwhelming, I lean on a handful of practices I picked up at my children’s school, the Waldorf School of Baltimore.

Waldorf education is more than a hundred years old, and it was never meant to stay inside a classroom. It’s a way of teaching, and also a way of living with children, rooted in close attention to how they grow.

At its heart is a simple idea: care for the whole child (mind, body, spirit) and to meet each child where they are. The world has changed a great deal in a century. What children need has not. That’s why these ideas still work, and why you can bring them home whether or not your child ever sets foot in a Waldorf classroom.

Here are six to start with. Think of them as a little balm for a busy season.

Simplify your space

Everything in a Waldorf classroom is there because it’s useful or beautiful. With less clutter competing for their attention, children sink into deep, imaginative play. Start with a single shelf. Box up some toys and books, then rotate them with the seasons. Choose open-ended objects like a basket of smooth stones or a length of silk that can become a cape, a river, or a roof. As Joan Almon, one of our school’s founding teachers, liked to say, “A good toy is 90% child and 10% toy.”

Tell stories

Telling a story instead of reading one sounds intimidating, but it comes more easily than you’d think. Little ones love simple nature tales (“Once there was a squirrel who couldn’t remember where she buried her acorns...”). Older kids love hearing about your childhood or theirs. Don’t worry about telling the same story twice. My children love repetition. Pick a regular time and place and enjoy the closeness that follows.

Light a dinner candle

At snack time in a Waldorf classroom, you’ll find a candle lit with care. At home, a candle at dinner creates a moment of cozy calm in one of the most hectic parts of the day. Repeated night after night, a small ritual like this brings meaning to the ordinary and sends a quiet message: this time together matters. One night I couldn’t find the matches anywhere, and to my surprise, my kids waited patiently until the candle was lit before digging in. In our home, it’s opened the door to reverence and gratitude. If you try only one of these suggestions at home, I hope this is the one.

Find your rhythm

In a Waldorf classroom, rhythm is the backbone of the day, the week, and the year, from baking bread on Mondays to dancing around the maypole each spring. Knowing what comes next helps children feel secure. At home, start by anchoring meals, quiet time, and bedtime. Then add the traditions that make a week or a year feel like yours. Maybe it’s Taco Tuesday. Maybe it’s apple picking in the fall, on your calendar right alongside WSB’s free community fair on November 15.

Say it with a song

Waldorf teachers often use a simple song or verse to smooth transitions. In my house, a sung “come to the table” works far better than a dinnertime shout, and “line them up, two by two” beats nagging about shoes. Make up the tune as you go. Children care much more about the warmth in your voice than perfect pitch.

Get outside

Rain, snow, or shine, Waldorf students spend time outdoors every single day. As the saying goes, children can’t bounce off the walls when there are no walls. The hard part is making room for it. Even twenty minutes after school, a puddle walk in rain boots or a visit to a nearby park, counts. The calmer kids who come back inside make it worth the effort.

Come see for yourself

These small practices are just a glimpse of what my family has found at the Waldorf School of Baltimore. The Waldorf Fair on November 15 is a free, joyful first taste of the school community. For a closer look, consider joining a parent-lead Open House tour of preschool and kindergarten, or grades 1-8. Register here.

The co-creator of the hit off-Broadway musical “Mexodus” is teaming with Black Girls Vote for an Oct. 10 concert at Center Stage for a voter registration event. The concert will evoke traditions of the Black church, organizers said, bringing the community together and, similar to Souls to the Polls events, encourage them to register and vote.

“Telling people things can sometimes become boring, and they won’t listen to you,” he said. “If I can’t tell you, I’ll sing it at you.”

The Center Stage voter registration initiative comes as efforts to preserve accurate history are under attack, cultural wars are prevalent and political ideologies divide.

And Baltimore holds a special place in the writer and actor’s heart. “Mexodus” premiered in Baltimore, and he credits Charm City with playing a major role in its success.

“It was a big part of its birth,” the North Carolina native said.

“Mexodus,” which Robinson co-wrote with Brian Quijada, who is Salvadoran-American, tells the story of an enslaved Black American who seeks freedom by heading south via the Underground Railroad into Mexico.

The show’s themes of history and race relations between Black and Latinos are politically relevant, Robinson said.

Black and Latino communities don’t always have the same political goals. That split widened during the 2024 presidential election when an overwhelming majority of Black people voted for Kamala Harris while nearly half of Latinos voted for Donald Trump.

Robinson primarily wants to attract Black people to Saturday’s concert, but he hopes that his theater work will help heal relationships among diverse groups.

“We all eat rice, beans and chicken. We just cook it different ways,” he said.

Center Stage Executive Director Ken-Matt Martin worked with Robinson on a holiday-themed musical called “CHARMZ: The Other Reindeer. It will premiere at the theater next month. Martin said Robinson is “one of the most important and decorated artists working in the American theatre.”

Many great artists used their music to remind people what’s important and what is at stake, Martin said, and the right to vote has not always been a given. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a portion of the Voting Rights Act that protected majority-Black districts.

“This concert honors them and that history while reminding people that the midterms are just as important as any other election period,” he said.

Martin said it is important to encourage voter participation even in decidedly blue states like Maryland with an established voting rights act. Just 45% of those eligible voted in the 2022 midterms, Martin said.

Nykidra “Nyki” Robinson, founder of Black Girls Vote, a nonpartisan national group founded and based in Baltimore, said the event reminds her of the Black church’s role in the fight for freedom and the right to vote.

Holding the event in such a large space like Center Stage — which also hosts weekly church services — is powerful because it ”is about gathering together, celebrating together and then carrying that same energy and sense of community to the polls,” she said.

It reminds her of the tradition of Black people organizing around the Black church, which has historically played an important role the fight for freedom and the right to vote, she explained.

“It is also a reminder that having the right to vote and actually exercising that right are two different things. We honor that history by continuing to show up.”

She calls Nygel Robinson’s undertaking “incredibly meaningful.”

Robinson “could simply entertain,” she said, “but he has chosen to use his voice and his talent to help move people to action.”

The city’s Department of Transportation is alerting drivers to several road closures and traffic changes. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning on driving.

It’s homecoming at Morgan State University. Festivities begin on Saturday morning with a parade from 9-11 a.m. and continue through the afternoon as the Bears football team hosts Robert Morris at noon.

Several roads around campus will be closed from 5 a.m.-4 p.m., including

• The Alameda between East Cold Spring Lane and East Belvedere Avenue
• East Cold Spring Lane between The Alameda and Hillen Road
• Hillen Road from East Cold Spring Lane to Argonne Drive

All of Hillen Road will close from the third quarter of the football game, likely around 2:30 p.m., until the area is clear around 8 p.m.

Near downtown, streets around Power Plant Live! will be closed for the Baltimore Taco Festival. Starting at noon Friday until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Market Place and Water Street will be closed between Lombard and Frederick streets.

Patterson Park is hosting the Fiesta Baltimore Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Linwood Avenue will be closed from Eastern Avenue to East Pratt Street on both days from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. For the event’s parade on Sunday, the following streets will be closed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.:

• Grundy Street between Gough and Fleet streets
• Eastern Avenue between Haven Street and South Linwood Avenue

On Sunday, the Race for Our Kids 10K at the Maryland Zoo starts at 8 a.m. and will close Beechwood Drive between Safari Place and Swann Drive from 5 a.m.- 12 p.m.

The Baltimore Farmer’s Market on Sunday will come with its usual road closures to parts of Holliday, Pleasant and Hillen streets under the Jones Falls Expressway from around 6 a.m.-2 p.m.

Federal contract data shows that the contract was awarded to LMD Agency on Sept. 19 for a “National Media Campaign.” The advertisements began running on television days later and were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

LMD Agency did not respond to requests for comment from The Baltimore Banner.

“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad,” the White House said in a statement to ABC News. “The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”

After outcry over the taxpayer-funded ads, Trump said his political action committee would pay for them. This week he clarified that they would not reimburse $10 million already spent to air the ad.

Federal records show that LMD was awarded contracts worth $43.2 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, including $18 million for a U.S. Coast Guard advertising contract. The company has won $266.4 million in federal contracts over the past decade.

In 2025, the company was named one of the Best Places to Work in Greater Baltimore by the Baltimore Business Journal. The company was recognized as part of the Top 10 Small Business category.

The company touts being woman-led and claims to be made up of “fearless thinkers, creators, and builders who know how to ignite change, transform brands, and deliver measurable results,” according to its website.

Holly Huntley leads the company, whose clients also include TEDCO, the University of Maryland, Catholic University, and Prince George’s County.

The company’s website includes a quote from self-described socialist historian Howard Zinn: “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

The attack took some of the company’s systems offline and temporarily caused the hospitals to divert noncritical cases from their emergency rooms.

The company continued to provide patient care during the outage, though it acknowledged that some appointments were taking longer than usual and some services remained unavailable.

“As we move forward, we remain focused on serving our communities and providing the safe, high-quality care you count on us for,” the company said on Facebook.

Luminis has been tight-lipped about the details of the attack and said it remains under investigation. It first acknowledged the cyberattack on Sept. 2.

The company said Thursday that it paused payment plans when its systems went offline and that those plans will be reset so patients will not be penalized for the system pause.

On the company’s website, Luminis said it’s evaluating its technology and is taking “appropriate steps to further enhance our systems in light of the evolving threat landscape.”

Luminis said it continues to investigate “what information, if any,” was affected by the attack. The company said previously that the system that stores patient records was not affected.

However, MyChart, an online patient portal where people can pay bills, view test results and communicate with their doctors, was unavailable as part of the outage.

Cybersecurity experts said healthcare systems are prime targets for cybercriminals. That’s because the systems tend to be large and complex and have not traditionally invested much in cybersecurity, and because patient medical information or financial information has value on the criminal market.

Maryland voters will go to the polls to elect the governor, as well as eight members of the U.S. House in races that could determine control of Congress. There are also open county executive races in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery counties.

All 188 members of the General Assembly are up for reelection in contests that could determine how the state deals with long-term budget shortfalls or whether Maryland joins the nationwide push for partisan congressional redistricting.

Other down-ballot races will determine sheriffs, state’s attorneys, clerks of court and other administrative roles across Maryland, while voters in Baltimore and Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will elect school board members.

There is a statewide ballot question that would expand lawmakers’ ability to draw congressional districts to benefit their political party, and most jurisdictions has local ballot questions on issues like housing, funding schools and recreation and more.

Who is allowed to vote in the general election on Nov. 3?

People 18 or older (or who will be 18 years old by the general election) can register to vote in the general election. You must also be a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of Maryland.

You do not need to be a member of a political party to vote in the general election.

You are ineligible to vote if a court has found that, because of a mental disability, you are unable to communicate a desire to vote, or if you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. If you have been convicted of a felony and have completed a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, you are eligible to vote. If you were convicted of buying or selling votes, however, you are not eligible to vote.

College students from out of state studying in Maryland can vote in Maryland elections if they register to vote using their Maryland address. More information for students can be found here on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Military personnel, military dependents and civilians living overseas may vote in Maryland elections if their current or most recent U.S. residence was in Maryland.

What will I be voting on?

At the top of the ballot is the governor’s race. Gov. Wes Moore is seeking a second term. He faces a rematch against Republican nominee Dan Cox, a former state lawmaker. Green Party candidate Andy Ellis is also running, as is Working Class Party nominee Cathy White.

Maryland voters will also elect comptroller and attorney general statewide.

State residents will vote for all eight of Maryland’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives, which could help determine control of Congress. U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer announced he will not seek reelection, creating an open seat for the 5th District, covering parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties and all of Southern Maryland.

In addition, voters will elect all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly.

In several counties, term-limited executives are leaving office, creating open seats to replace them. Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Baltimore counties all have open county executive races. In Prince George’s County, Aisha Braveboy won a special election for county executive last year and will be seeking a full term.

There are also contested races further down the ballot, including sheriff , state’s attorney and county councils.

A full list of general election races and candidates can be found here.

General election ballots have been approved by the Maryland State Board of Elections and can be viewed by jurisdiction here.

Am I registered to vote?

You can check your registration status via the Maryland State Board of Elections website’s Voter Lookup page.

How can I register to vote?

You can register online using Maryland’s online voter registration system, through which you can also request a mail-in ballot or update your name, address or party affiliation.

If you prefer not to register digitally, you can submit a voter registration application by mail or in person to your local board of elections or the State Board of Elections.

Do I need a government-issued photo ID to register to vote?

No. According to the Maryland State Board of Elections website, anything confirming your residential address will suffice. This includes a driver’s license but also bank statements, paychecks, utility bills, Social Security payments or any other government document with your name and address.

If you do not have a Motor Vehicle Administration-issued license or ID, you will need to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. Your application will not be processed unless you provide this information or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that you do not have a Maryland driver’s license, MVA ID card or Social Security number, according to the elections board.

When is the deadline to register?

The advance registration deadline for the general election is 5 p.m. Oct. 13.

It is also possible to register to vote during early voting and on Election Day, though elections officials recommend registering in advance to avoid delays. If you register on Election Day, you will need to bring a proof-of-address document, such as a state ID, paycheck, utility bill or other documentation.

How do I know if my voter registration was successful?

You should receive a voter notification card in the mail within three weeks of your application being processed. If you do not receive one, you should contact your local elections board or the Maryland State Board of Elections at 410-269-2840. You can also use the Voter Lookup page online to verify your registration.

Who can request a mail ballot?

If you cannot vote in person on Election Day, or don’t want to for any reason, you can request a mail ballot when you register to vote. This can be done online when using the online voter registration tool or via a mail-in voter registration application.

Your mailed request for a mail general election ballot must be received by Oct. 27.

Mail ballots can be requested in person from your local board of elections until Election Day.

How do I vote with a mail ballot?

There will be detailed instructions for voting included with your mail ballot. Review them carefully — improperly filled-out ballots are usually discarded.

Do not sign your name or identify yourself anywhere on your mail-in ballot. The barcodes on the ballot do not apply to you specifically but are instead used to make sure the correct ballot style is matched to the correct voter. More information on the identifying features of mail ballot packets can be found here.

Once you have properly filled out your ballot, it must be returned in person or by mail. You cannot submit a ballot online, by email or by fax.

If you submit your ballot by mail, ensure that it is postmarked no later than Election Day. If you use the envelope provided with your ballot, first-class postage is included and you won’t need to use your own postage stamps.

You may deliver your ballot in person by 8 p.m. to your local board of elections or a ballot drop box by the time polls close. You can also drop your ballot off at early voting locations. You cannot return a mail-in ballot to a standard polling place on Election Day.

If you vote by mail, you cannot vote during early voting or on Election Day.

How do I vote early?

There is no special registration required for early voting. Simply go to an early voting location and bring proof of address. If you are not registered to vote, you can do so at the early voting center.

As with mail ballots, there are no special circumstances that dictate eligibility for early voting. Anyone can participate, so long as they are eligible to vote in Maryland.

You can change your address at an early voting polling place, but not your party affiliation. If you changed your name, you will have to vote under your old name; you can fill out a form to change your registered name that will be processed after the election.

Early voting works the same as voting on Election Day. Once you arrive, you will check in with an election judge and be provided a ballot.

If you vote early, you cannot vote on Election Day or by mail ballot.

For more details on early voting, click here.

When and where is early voting?

Early voting will be held from Thursday, Oct. 22 through Thursday, Oct. 29 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., including weekends. You can vote at any early voting center in your jurisdiction.

A full list of early voting centers can be found here.

Where do I vote if I plan to vote on Election Day?

You must vote at your assigned polling place on Election Day in the general election. You can find your assigned polling place using this online tool.

The properties, situated between 407 and 417 N. Howard St., have been operating as the market-rate Howard Row Apartments. City officials plan to use the 52 units as bridge housing for families as they transition to long-term subsidized housing.

The buildings are owned by companies tied to Columbia-based Poverni Sheikh Group, which rehabbed them starting in 2018. All but 14 apartments are occupied, said Jessica Robey, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services. Units will be made available by the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services as tenants move out, she said.

Baltimore’s spending board was expected to consider the $8.57 million purchase this week. Shortly before the Wednesday morning meeting, the vote was deferred at the request of City Administrator Faith Leach.

The purchase is now expected to be considered Oct. 21.

Behind the scenes, however, some city officials are concerned about the business interests of the area.

The apartments are above the only freshly renovated retail space on Howard Street, a once-thriving business corridor that has fallen into a state of perpetual decay.

Council member Zac Blanchard, who represents the corridor, said he raised concerns with the administration about the location of the housing.

“This is an incredibly important way to support these families, and I fully support having it downtown,” Blanchard said of the proposed housing. “But the Howard Street commercial corridor is one of the most historic and brutally disinvested commercial corridors in the city, and probably the nicest retail space in the corridor is 407-415 North Howard.”

The buildings stand out amid neighboring properties. Each has new windows, fresh paint and matching cornices. Storefronts on the opposite side of the street stand largely vacant, some covered in murals, others tagged with graffiti. A vacant lot in the block was strewn with trash.

Otis Rolley, president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp., which once controlled the properties, also asked city officials to delay the vote.

“Given that economic development is our core competency, we wanted to ensure we could provide the Board of Estimates with the best possible recommendation on the particulars of the deal, and we needed more time to do that,” Rolley said in a statement.

Blanchard said he had concerns about the purchase price. The turnkey apartments are advertised online as having granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors and in-unit laundry.

For $8.5 million, potentially less, the city could pay to refurbish a nearby building from the ground up, Blanchard argued.

“I appreciate the urgency, but 50 units is not changing the situation of the city,” Blanchard said. “If it takes another six months to fix something up, then you’ve done meaningful work for a really disinvested neighborhood.”

If the city proceeds with the sale, it won’t be the first time Baltimore has owned the Howard Street properties. Land records show that the city bought the same buildings and lost money on them once before.

In 1998, Baltimore acquired all but one of the parcels from various owners for a total of $514,900. A sixth property was bought by the city in 2003, making the total purchase price $684,900.

Eleven years later, the Baltimore Development Corp. picked Poverni Sheikh to rehabilitate the dilapidated stretch. The company paid $175,000 for the properties after its plan to convert the buildings into modern apartments with ground-floor retail space beat several competing proposals.

Then-Mayor Catherine Pugh attended the groundbreaking, and officials pledged to be a part of Howard Street’s renaissance.

Poverni Sheikh did not respond to a request for comment.

Conditions in the Howard Street corridor have continued to decline since. The apartments, which are advertised as “just north of Federal Hill,” sit three blocks north of the city-owned Superblock, which has bedeviled officials for decades. Last year, a five-alarm blaze destroyed 11 buildings on the two-block site, many of them historic.

Robey, the city’s homeless services spokesperson, said the city plans to use the properties for short-term housing — up to three months — for people in need of housing until they can find a subsidized unit. Families will receive priority placement in the apartments, which range from studios to two-bedroom units.

Robey said the Howard Street properties have grown in value since their last sale due to the quality of the renovations.

CORE DC, which manages several city-owned hotels used as shelter space, is expected to manage the apartments, Robey said.

Initially spurred by health concerns during the pandemic, Baltimore has moved away from housing the city’s homeless population in traditional congregate shelters and has instead favored hotel spaces.

In February 2024, Baltimore’s spending board approved an $18.4 million deal to buy the former Sleep Inn & Suites Downtown Inner Harbor and the Holiday Inn Express Baltimore-Downtown, which are adjacent to each other along Interstate 83. The hotels have 132 beds between them.

In October 2025, a third hotel, the former Fairfield Inn & Suites on South President Street, was added to the portfolio for $13.3 million. That facility can house 145 women daily.

Find your congressional district here.

Democratic

Name: Dan Schwartz

Age: 38

Personal: Married, wife Megan, children Henry, 6, and Eddie, 3.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, political science, George Washington University; Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.

Experience: More than 13 years with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, including as lead staff for Multistate Money Service Business Examination Taskforce (MMET); senior director, Nonbank Supervision & Enforcement; senior director, Policy & Supervision; director, Policy Development.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

A: 1) Members of Congress should not be paid during government shutdowns.

2) Consider moving away from omnibus budget packages and require appropriations to move through individual committees.

3) If Congress doesn’t pass a budget in the required timeframe, funding should automatically continue at current levels.

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

A: We need comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform that secures our borders. Several components of that would include:

1) We need to restore and reform the asylum process. First and foremost, we need to address the backlog (of well over 1 million cases) by hiring more asylum officers and immigration judges. It is also critical that we depoliticize immigration courts. We should remove them from the DOJ’s jurisdiction and create an independent immigration court system with standardized training and case management.

2) Invest in modern technology at the border and crack down on smuggling networks that enrich criminal organizations and put people in danger.

3) Modernize the work visa system, especially for seasonal and high-need industries like nursing (J-1 program).

4) Nationwide standards for immigration enforcement with focus on due process, and humane standards for detention facilities.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

A: No, members of Congress, members of the Executive Branch and their families should not be allowed to trade individual stocks. In addition, they should not be able to trade options, cryptocurrency or the relatively new prediction markets. I also support reigning in presidential pardon power (which has been abused by both parties), strengthening the Office of Congressional Ethics, restoring the Public Corruption Unit of the FBI, and holding public hearings to expose corruption, conflicts of interest, abuse of power and misuse of federal funds.

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

A: In the latter years of my career at CSBS, I was responsible for coordinating state enforcement efforts for large money transmitters that were licensed in 40+ states. My team of state regulators (the MMET) got an $80 million settlement from CashApp for failing to comply with state and federal consumer protection laws and failing to perform the legally required steps to investigate fraud on their platform. We also took away the ability of Changpeng Zhao (CZ), CEO of the world’s largest crypto-firm, Binance, to do business in the United States, when state regulators and law enforcement determined that the company was facilitating money laundering. The president then gave CZ a full and complete pardon, undermining the work of myself and my team.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

A: Bipartisanship and nuance.

I spent my career working to get states like Maryland and Mississippi to agree on how to protect consumers. I know that the answers to the problems we face are never found at the extremes. It is important to get into the nuance of every issue. Answers are not necessarily found in the middle, but understanding both sides and working with those who hold opposing views are critical to finding a solution.

Republican

Name: Andy Harris

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

First elected in 2010, GOP Rep. Andy Harris, is seeking his 9th term in Congress.

The 1st District representative is one of the most powerful Republicans in the country. Harris leads the far-right House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans known to check the political positions of both parties.

Harris backs President Donald Trump’s policies, voting for the budget bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and supporting Trump’s mass deportation agenda. He has also sought to raise the number of guest visas for temporary foreign workers, a critical labor source for his district’s crab-picking houses.

In Congress, Harris sits on the powerful appropriations committee and chairs a subcommittee responsible for overseeing the country’s agriculture and rural development spending. Harris requested more earmarks this year than any other Republican House member for community projects such as creek dredging, Ocean City beach replenishment and equipment and trucks for local firehouses.

An anesthesiologist, Harris has a medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University, and has worked in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Memorial Hospital of Easton. Harris is a U.S. Navy veteran, serving as a doctor in the Naval Reserve. He has five children with wife, Sylvia “Cookie” Harris, who died in 2014. Harris lives in Cambridge, Maryland, with wife, Nicole Beus Harris, leader of the state GOP and a former political consultant.

Read The Banner’s coverage of Andy Harris.

Show candidates who did not advance past June 2026 Primary

Hide candidates who did not advance past June 2026 Primary

Democratic

Name: Victor Allen Guidice

Age: 43

Personal: Married, father of two.

Education: My skills and certifications were obtained through mentorship, self-education and hard work.

Experience: Commercial truck driver, heavy equipment operator, geo-structural engineering technician, mechanic, machinist, fabricator, blacksmith, gunsmith, bladesmith, and toolmaker.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

A: Promoting bipartisan dialogue, careful negotiations. I would put forth and support legislation for members of Congress to not be paid during government shutdowns.

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

A: Yes, I would support changes to the current immigration laws. I would seek to streamline a pathway to citizenship and the work visa process to recruit talent from around the globe. I would support the abolishing of ICE and fold the duties of Immigration and Customs Enforcement back into the Department of Justice. This would save literally billions of dollars of taxpayer money, and possibly save our Social Security and Medicaid systems, as most immigrants pay into these systems but cannot benefit from them, supporting our absurd pyramid scheme that we call the “Social Safety Net.”

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

A: Yes, members of Congress should be able to trade individual stocks, just like any other citizen of this country. However, insider trading is a felony, and I would support congressional oversight and the prosecution of felons.

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority.

A: During a call for a welfare check, a police officer attempted to detain and/or arrest my elderly, infirm mother for being “difficult.” After making it crystal clear for his own safety that he leave and never harass my mother again, the officer complied.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

A: Cojones

Name: George Walish

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Randi White

Age: 43

Personal: I was born and raised in Salisbury, a proud graduate of Wicomico High School’s class of 2001. I come from deep roots in this community. The majority of my extended family still calls the Eastern Shore home, and so do I. I am a single mother of two boys who are watching this campaign and learning what it looks like when you stop waiting for someone else to fix things and do it yourself. My grandmother raised me with one rule: don’t complain unless you plan to do something about it. That rule shaped everything about who I am and why I am running. Off the campaign trail I am a die-hard Ravens and Orioles fan, a proud Emerge Maryland alum, and someone who genuinely believes that the best part of this community is its people. I have spent my whole life fighting for my community throughout my career. Now, on the campaign trail, I continue that in neighborhoods that have never had anyone show up. I’m running because the people of MD-01 deserve someone who puts them first and fights for their rights every single day without permission nor apology. This fight is personal because it’s home.

Education: I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication Studies from Bridgewater College in 2005. That combination of understanding people and communicating effectively has been the foundation of everything I have done since, from two decades in media to organizing communities across MD-01.

Experience: I have been studying politics since I was 8 years old, writing letters to the editor of the Daily Times and to former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening about injustices in my community. That instinct to speak up never left. In high school and college I organized walkouts, advocated for women’s reproductive rights, and volunteered on political campaigns before I even knew what a career in politics looked like. I spent twenty years in radio and television as an on-air personality and marketing director, building the communication skills and community relationships that now power this campaign. Connecting with people across every background is not a strategy for me. It is second nature. In 2024 I put all of it to work as a Field Organizer for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign in Virginia, where I helped Democrats win up and down the ballot. Working alongside the VA-02 congressional campaign taught me how a competitive race is actually built and run. I came home to MD-01 ready to build one myself, without consultants and without corporate PACs. I am also a proud Emerge alum.

Questionnaire

Q: What would you do to restore predictability to the federal budgeting process and avoid shutdowns and threats of shutdowns?

A: Continuing resolutions are a symptom of a Congress more interested in political theater than governing. We have a job to do. Taxpayers entrust us with their money and their lives and too many members respond by positioning themselves for cable news hits instead of sitting down and doing the work. The federal budget process exists for a reason. When it fails, real people feel it. Government contractors lose paychecks. Federal workers get furloughed. Programs that feed families, fund healthcare, and keep infrastructure moving get caught in manufactured chaos that has nothing to do with them and everything to do with someone’s ambition. As a freshman member I have to be honest that there are things I can & can’t do. I can’t strong-arm leadership alone. But, what I can do is make noise loudly and consistently, hold my colleagues accountable publicly, and refuse to vote for continuing resolutions that kick the can without a clear path to a real budget. I will push leadership to return to regular order, pass appropriations bills on time, and stop using the full faith and credit of the United States government as a bargaining chip. Governing is not complicated in concept. Fund the government and help the people. Period.

Q: Do you support changes to existing immigration laws? Be specific on changes you would seek and how you would forge bipartisan support for them.

A: Yes, we need comprehensive immigration reform and we needed it 40 years ago. The specific changes I would fight for: hire significantly more immigration judges to clear the backlog, fund the courts properly, honor court dates, and build a process that actually moves. A pathway to citizenship for long-term residents and DACA recipients. Humane asylum processing that treats people with basic dignity. The paperwork is fine, the dysfunction isn’t. What we have right now is cruelty dressed in legal language, targeting people based on the color of their skin without legitimate public safety rationale. I’ll work to end that. On bipartisan support: the business community, the agricultural sector, and the military all have direct stakes in a functioning immigration system. I’m already building coalitions around shared economic interests and basic human decency, which is possible on both sides of the aisle even when leadership pretends otherwise. Immigration is broken because broken serves certain people politically. I will work every day to fix it because I understand the urgency of living inside a broken system yet deserving better.

Q: Should members of Congress be allowed to trade individual stocks? What policies would you support to ensure that members are acting in the public interest rather than their own financial interest?

A: No, members of Congress should not be trading individual stocks. When you have access to classified briefings, regulatory decisions, and legislative information before the public does; trading stocks is a conflict of interest at best and insider trading at worst. During the 2025 government shutdown, while constituents missed paychecks and drained SNAP benefits, lawmakers made nearly 200 trades worth millions. That’s absolutely insane and disrespectful. You can trust that I’ll never trade stocks because I don’t now and never have. I don’t have the kind of money that makes it tempting. Honestly, I think most people making decisions about other people’s lives should not be simultaneously watching their portfolio react to those decisions. That’s weird. The good news is this is genuinely bipartisan. The Restore Trust in Congress Act would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses, and dependents from owning or trading individual stocks. I’ll co-sponsor it because 86% of Americans across party lines support this ban. We, as a Congress, should probably listen to what the people want. Public service means serving the public.

Q: Describe a moment when you stood up to someone in authority?

A: My grandmother taught me early to ask questions and if people in power are uncomfortable, you’re on the right path. I never let that go. As a kid, I wrote letters to the editor and to Governor Glendening about Route 50 Bypass being built through my neighborhood in Salisbury. In college, I protested and published about my school’s inadequate and judgmental approach to sexual health resources. I have never waited for permission to speak up. The moments that show how I operate, happened in my career. Behind the scenes, management was creating a hostile work environment, asking employees to work for free, springing ridiculous deadlines on us, and look the other way while people in power benefited financially. My colleagues were frustrated but afraid to say anything. So I said something. I sat down with regional leadership, calm and prepared, laid out the problem, how we got there, and offered solutions. It did not move the needle immediately. So I followed up again & again until it moved. My superpower is that I will stand up for people even when I have to be persistent to the point of obnoxious about it. Which is exactly what MD-01 needs in DC.

Q: What will you bring to Congress that is missing?

A: Congress needs more people who understand what it actually feels like to stretch a dollar, rely on SNAP and Medicaid, and lie awake wondering how the bills get paid. That lived experience does not exist enough in those chambers and its absence shows in every policy decision that treats struggling families as a line item instead of a priority. I am coming to DC to WORK. There are members I deeply admire who show what that looks like. The relentless legislative work ethic of Lauren Underwood. The fearless truth telling of Jasmine Crockett. That combination, someone who drafts real bills, gets them passed, and refuses to sugarcoat what is happening to real people, is exactly what I intend to bring. What Congress is missing is someone solutions-oriented enough to show up with a full plan already built, humble enough to know it takes a community to execute it, and urgent enough to treat every day like the people of MD-01 are counting on it. Because they are. And I am already ready to work.

Republican

Name: Chris Bruneau

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

There was much to discuss after four decades in the art world — of making it, sharing it, promoting it, fundraising for it. Plus, the 76-year-old had her own art gallery in her Fells Point home.

“What else did you need in life besides art and friends?” said longtime friend Daniel Starr. “For her, that was it.”

Those friends are now mourning Bismark and remembering the impact she had in Baltimore and beyond. She and her husband, Wade Wilson, were holding hands as they left a breakfast date at Broadway Market last week when they were suddenly attacked by a stranger.

Wilson was left with a concussion, but Bismark’s head injury was fatal. Wilson has spent the days since in a blur, navigating police interviews and making funeral arrangements for his partner of more than three decades.

But her death and the events that led to it were just moments in her life — nowhere near its full story.

Now back to the art.

Since she moved to Baltimore in the mid-1980s, Bismark helped shape the city’s art scene at The Walters Art Museum, the mayor’s arts and culture office, and the Maryland State Arts Council. She was known for her creativity and contagious energy, her no-nonsense work ethic, her compassion and her warm demeanor.

That probably had something to do with her Midwestern roots, her husband said.

She was born to Bernetta and Claude Brackins on April Fool’s Day in 1950. Bismark and her younger sister, Anne, spent their early years in eastern Tennessee before their parents relocated to small-town Illinois. It was always a treat when their older half-brothers stopped by for a visit.

She danced ballet through high school, where she met her first husband, who gave her the surname Bismark. She moved with him to Alaska for a few years before returning to study art and English at Western Illinois University. She then followed her second husband to Hawaii, where she took classes at the University of Hawaii while working at the Honolulu Academy of Art.

After a few years, she got a divorce and a job offer from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

She fell in love with the bustling city and its robust arts scene. She studied at Hunter College and finished her degree in 1981. While doing administrative work for the museum, she was a freelance calligrapher.

She had no trouble making friends, including Starr, who joined the MoMA staff in 1979. Bismark didn’t care that Starr was gay, though others were less accepting at the time. Starr was touched by her kindness: After he spent a few months surfing couches, Bismark suggested he move into her apartment. It didn’t work out, but he never forgot the gesture.

“She helped me get over that initial loneliness and isolation,” Starr said. Bismark showed him “how to enjoy life in a big city, how to make art part of your life, how to nurture friendships.”

She continued growing her career in Northern California at the Asian Art Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where she learned how to fundraise and solicit volunteers. At SFMOMA, she established an artists-in-residence program pairing creators and collectors with corporate sponsors.

Bismark moved to Baltimore in 1986, where she began a decade-long tenure as head of special events at The Walters Art Museum. Among her greatest accomplishments there was launching the museum’s annual galas, said Kate Markert, a former coworker.

She also helped create “Artful Dining,” a dinner series inspired by the program she had managed in San Francisco. When the Walters stopped the series, she revived it at the Creative Alliance under the name “Art to Dine For.”

“She had all kinds of ideas, and the fantastic thing about Claudia was that she loved getting other people involved,” Markert said. Some people would come in just to stuff envelopes if it meant working with Bismark.

They stayed friends long after the two left the Walters, as Bismark went on to plan the city’s Artscape festival at what was then the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Art and Culture. She loved meeting people from different backgrounds and making art shows as diverse as possible, said Josh Kohn, a former committee colleague.

He called Bismark a “cheerleader for Baltimore.”

“She would have made a great mayor, because she didn’t put up with hooey,” Kohn said.

Bismark later held other events and development roles at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Maryland State Arts Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She and her husband decided to join the fun, launching the Bismark-Wilson Gallery (unofficially the Don’t Give Up the Day Job Gallery) in their home in the mid-1990s.

Michael Chandler, a former college classmate and longtime friend, was the first artist to show his work at the gallery. He sold 53 framed watercolor paintings that day and has returned every few years since to display different kinds of art.

Bismark never had an issue putting together a cohesive display relating each piece to the next, Chandler said.

“That’s a real skill and a gift: to take disparate elements and put them together and understand how they relate,” he said.

Chandler remembers Bismark as a curious, diligent and enthusiastic organizer who “didn’t suffer fools lightly.” Business was business.

That was actually how she and Wilson first connected in the ‘90s. Bismark went to a construction site to inquire about using a space Wilson’s family owned for an event.

A short time later, on a chilly October evening, he called her from a payphone to say hello. She told him she’d just started the first fire of the season. Would he like to join her?

The next three-plus decades were filled with love and laughter, Wilson said. Bismark supported him when he decided to become a lawyer. The couple took lengthy road trips, hosted art shows, and explored the restaurants and shops that made up their beloved Fells Point neighborhood.

The couple were near-daily regulars at Vikki’s Fells Point Deli in Broadway Market, where Bismark usually ordered an unsweet tea with lemon, two over-easy eggs, two “well, well-done” slices of bacon, wheat toast and fruit jelly, said owner Vicktoria “Vikki” Powers.

Powers recalled years of Bismark showering the deli’s staff with Christmas bonuses and birthday gifts and picking up the tab for service members. She always loved hearing Bismark’s boisterous laugh over meals with her husband.

At home, Bismark enjoyed watching British detective shows and playing Scrabble. There were three things Bismark never did, Wilson said — smoke a cigarette, drink a cup of coffee and pump gas.

She kept herself busy by printmaking. She made traditional linocuts by carving designs into linoleum sheets and watercolor monoprints by painting on plexiglass and then transferring it to paper. She was working on a watercolor piece the morning of the attack on Sept. 29, Wilson said. He came home afterward to find her materials still spread across the table.

She should be remembered as someone who “understands that the creativity of art is a wonderful thing, but it must be supported,” Wilson said.

Bismark’s injuries were too severe to treat, but doctors were able to keep her alive long enough to donate her organs. Her kidneys and liver saved three lives, her husband said. It’s a bit of comfort as he plans memorial services.

He spent a recent afternoon deciding what to engrave on his late wife’s headstone. It wasn’t long before he found the obvious answer: “Back to the art!”

The Banner publishes news stories about people who have recently died in Maryland. Our weekly obituaries newsletter shares these stories and death notices with you every Friday.

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The remaining candidates for the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners all skew blue, but “blue is a spectrum,” said incumbent school board member Ashley “Ash” Esposito.

School board races are officially nonpartisan. But as Esposito and other candidates noted, education is inherently political, especially in a place as historically underfunded and racially segregated as Charm City. And in Baltimore, there’s a different kind of politics at play: Only two of the adult school board members are elected, meaning they have to answer to the voters if they want their seats back. The rest are appointed.

There are four candidates for the Baltimore school board, and the two with the most votes win the race. Here’s what to know about their politics.

Incumbents

Ashley “Ash” Esposito

Endorsements: Baltimore Teachers Union; Charm City Indivisible; Metropolitan Baltimore Council of AFL-CIO Unions; Progressive Maryland; 3.14 Action; American Federation of Teachers Maryland; EducateUS; Greater Baltimore Democratic Socialists of America; Unite Against Book Bans; Advocates for Trans Equity; Baltimore Baby Fund; Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate; Democratic Municipal Officials; Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence; Sierra Club, according to Esposito’s campaign website.

Campaign contributions: Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO; Friends of John Bullock; Citizens for Raaheela Ahmed; Friends of Mark Parker; Citizens for Bill Ferguson; Leadership for Educational Equity Maryland PAC; Vote Mama Foundation; EducateUS; 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers union

In her words: Esposito said she would describe her politics as “blue-green” — she identifies with the Green Party’s focus on the environment and politics reform, but affiliates with the Democratic Party. She considers herself a Democratic socialist and once held a leadership position with the Greater Baltimore Democratic Socialists of America, she said. Esposito said she’s focused on supporting working-class families, along with empowering students with disabilities, foster care youth, students learning English and students experiencing homelessness.

Kwame’ Jamal Kenyatta-Bey

Endorsements: State Sen. Antonio Hayes

Campaign contributions: None

In his words: Kenyatta-Bey said he once told his father he wanted to be a politician, and his father told him to instead be a statesman because that transcends party affiliation.

The incumbent school commissioner said his political philosophy centers what his community wants and needs: “That has been really a very big push of mine, making sure that people are not forgotten,” he said.

A longtime theater veteran, Kenyatta-Bey likes to focus on how the arts bring people together.

Challengers

Jamar Day

Endorsements: Gov. Wes Moore; former Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young; SEIU Healthcare 11199NE, New Englands’ largest healthcare workers union; LGBTQ+ Victory Fund; Baltimore Baby Fund; Sierra Club of Maryland; Run For Something, according to Day’s campaign website.

Campaign contributions: 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers union

In his words: Day, who previously ran for a spot on the Baltimore City Council, described himself as a progressive Democrat, adding that he doesn’t think progressive is a “dirty word.”

“I think we need to make sure we’re innovating,” he said.

Day said healthcare, fair wages and housing are the issues most important to him. And on the school board, he would find solutions to unreliable transit options for students and guarantee benefits like extra planning time for teachers.

Domonique Flowers

Endorsements: Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate; Charm City Indivisible, according to Flowers’ campaign website.

Campaign contributions: None reported

In his words: Flowers said he identifies with “moderate liberalism.” He’s focused on equitably funding schools and drilling down on issues like juvenile crime. A former special education attorney, Flowers wants to make sure current special education services are properly funded.

Banner reporter Allan James Vestal contributed to this story.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.

“Banner Baseball Show” co-hosts Paul Mancano and Jon Meoli unpack all the drama.

Blue Moon Too is leaving the neighborhood after 11 years and relocating to Hampden, said owner Sarah Simington.

An offshoot of the original Blue Moon in Fells Point, the South Baltimore diner at 1024 Light St. will shut down in April 2027 and reopen the same month inside Hampden’s Meadow Mill, neighboring the restaurant La Cuchara.

Simington said she had originally planned for the Hampden location to become her third branch, but her landlord, a company called Key Tech, decided not to extend her lease on the Federal Hill space. “This interview was supposed to be my announcing of Blue Moon the third,” Simington said. ”It will now be a relocation of Blue Moon Too."

Key Tech, a medical device firm, purchased the building in 2019 and plans to convert it into additional office space for its 40 E. Cross St. headquarters, the Baltimore Business Journal reported in 2024. The company also owns the storefront next door to Blue Moon Too, formerly Himalayan Bistro.

But Simington was heartbroken to be leaving South Baltimore. “I’m devastated,” she said. “I feel like I’m letting Fed Hill down during its hard times.” The neighborhood has been facing problems with crime, she said, and “I know I’m a bright spot.”

But the new neighborhood of Hampden, Simington said, “kind of suits Blue Moon’s quirkiness.” The spot in Hampden will feature the same menu as Simington’s earlier location, including its “world famous” Cap’n Crunch French toast, cinnamon rolls and the Sweet Baby Jesus, a hash brown dish topped with eggs, crab meat, cheese and Old Bay.

Simington is hoping to get a liquor license for the Hampden restaurant. “I make a mean Bloody Mary,” she said. The branch will also feature something new for Blue Moon fans: a parking lot.

A California native, Simington moved to Baltimore at age 21, founding Blue Moon in Fells Point in 1996 together with her mom, who had run restaurants her whole career. “I grew up on a diner stool,” Simington said. Since then, Simington and her restaurant have appeared on multiple Food Network shows including “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Guilty Pleasures.” She’s hoping to do more television appearances soon.

As she prepares to close her Federal Hill location, Simington has a final message for its customers: “We’re there for six more months,” she said of the branch, which Simington designed and decorated in her own brand of gothic-meets-rock and roll. “Come see this beautiful gem that I built.”

The industrial fishing operation, based out of Reedville, Virginia, in the lower part of the estuary, has divided the bay community for more than a century. In recent years, the fight has driven campaign donations, warring news releases and countless hours of debate. This summer, for instance, industry groups have critiqued a College of William & Mary ecologist whose research ties plummeting osprey birthrates to disappearing menhaden in the bay.

The debate has even sparked confrontations at sea: Protesters have at points circled industrial fishing vessels to block the large purse seines they use to ensnare fish. Virginia lawmakers recently passed legislation making this kind of harassment punishable with up to a year of jail time.

An oily and nutrient-rich fish that doesn’t grow much bigger than a loaf of bread, the Atlantic menhaden is at the center of one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most deep-seated divides. Industry backers argue that the fishery has supported good-paying jobs for generations of blue-collar workers, many of them Black or Latino. Conservationists blame industrial fishing boats for killing off an important forage fish and starving other important species, such as osprey and striped bass.

Though the industrial fishing boats are based out of a single port in Virginia, critics say they deal widespread damage to the bay ecosystem.

The proposed catch limits, which regulators on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will consider at their annual meeting next month, wouldn’t be the first time managers have tightened controls on the menhaden fishery in the Chesapeake Bay, but they could mark the largest percentage cut yet.

The board will consider restricting the bay catch by as much as 50%, a decision that also comes as Virginia scientists are beginning a study that could finally provide answers to questions about the health of menhaden in the bay.

A public comment period on the proposed new bay limit closes Friday night. A year ago, the Atlantic fisheries board imposed a 20% cut to the coast-wide menhaden catch and could go farther at next month’s meeting.

The Reedville port site employs about 260 workers at the last outpost of an industry that once spanned much of the Atlantic coast. There, fishermen for the company Ocean Harvesters use spotter planes and huge trawling nets to catch schools of menhaden. That practice is banned in all Atlantic states save Virginia, which gets three-quarters of the whole East Coast menhaden catch allocated by regulators.

Ocean Harvesters provides its catch to the Canadian-owned Omega Protein, which processes menhaden into fish oil supplements or sends it to Canada to feed industrial salmon farms.

Kenny Pinkard, a former fisherman for Ocean Harvesters, said that if regulators approve cuts this fall, it will spell the end of the industry in Virginia. Since Pinkard started on the fishing boats in the 1980s, the Reedville fleet has shrunk from 21 boats to six.

A third-generation boat worker for Ocean Harvesters, Pinkard said groups like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation don’t care about the fishing industry’s importance for a diverse group of Virginia union workers and their families.

“Their biggest concern is having the Chesapeake as a playground, not as a workplace,” Pinkard said.

The latest fight in the menhaden saga comes as more ospreys are failing to reproduce in the Chesapeake, a grim sentinel for the health of menhaden, their primary food source.

Sometimes called “the osprey garden of the world,” the bay is a globally important breeding ground for these raptors. But recent findings from the College of William & Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology show that this year was the worst on record for the bird’s breeding.

Bryan Watts, the center’s director, found that in saltier waters of the bay, more than 80% of osprey pairs produced no surviving young. At this rate, the bay’s population of ospreys will halve in the next decade, Watts wrote last month.

The problem, he says is there aren’t enough menhaden.

Watts’ latest findings drew criticism this summer from the CEO of Ocean Harvesters, who argued that activists were likely to twist the research to fuel “an oversimplified blame campaign.”

Even civil rights leaders have waded into the fray. In a June letter, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference appealed to Gov. Wes Moore to not “place the Bay against working people” in the state’s approach to menhaden limits.

Will Poston, who leads the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s menhaden advocacy, said other environmental factors may contribute to menhaden declines, but restricting the fishery is the only option regulators have to address the crisis.

Poston and the Bay Foundation are asking regulators to cut bay catch limits 50%, to 25,500 metric tons. He also supports measures such as pushing much of the fishing operation into the fall, when ospreys are beginning to fly south for the winter.

“The warnings are so grave now that we can’t afford to wait,” Poston said.

A bipartisan group of Maryland legislators backed that sentiment in a letter to the Atlantic fisheries board last month, while dozens of residents turned out to a public input meeting in Annapolis to plead for regulation.

Among them was Alex Cregan, a recreational fisherman and outdoorsman, who said that in almost 25 years of fishing on the Chesapeake, he’s seen once-abundant schools of menhaden scatter from the bay.

“This fish has zero representation,” he said. “Nobody’s cared about it until we get to these points of absolute failure.”

Ocean Harvesters does most of its fishing outside the Chesapeake, but the bay catch makes up a large share of the company’s coast-wide quota. Fishery managers first capped the bay catch in 2006, and they’ve steadily tightened limits since.

Exactly how much industrial trawlers contribute to depletion of bay menhaden remains largely a mystery, as much for fishermen and conservationists as for scientists.

Rob Latour, a fisheries ecologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is leading a study that could soon begin to answer that question. After years of debate, Virginia and federal officials authorized funding for that research earlier this year, and Latour expects to have initial findings by the end of next year.

The Virginia scientist doesn’t think the industrial fishery is the only factor behind menhaden woes. Many fish have migrated north, and Latour believes warming waters from climate change play a major role.

To conduct his research over the next year, Latour said his team will need Ocean Harvesters to keep fishing. Regulators can impose new limits, he said, but for now that regulatory decision isn’t grounded in data.

“Which is fine,” he added. “But it means we probably don’t need the science anymore, because they’ve already made their decision.”

For almost two years, the Montgomery County Democrat has watched the Republican-led Congress do little to check President Donald Trump’s power.

The president, his family and their allies benefit from self-dealing and grow richer by the day while the country is mired in an affordability crisis, Raskin said.

But if Democrats win back the House in November, as polling shows they have a good shot at doing, Raskin could resume his position as Trump’s No. 1 antagonist.

Now the ranking member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, Raskin is likely to assume its chairmanship, and with it the ability to at least make a public show of accountability for Trump and his administration.

“We are seeing corruption on a scale and at a magnitude that America has never witnessed or experienced before,” Raskin said in an interview. “And the Trump administration has no plan for the people of America.”

Raskin, who’s in one of the most Democratic-leaning districts in the country, is almost certain to win a sixth term this fall.

So Maryland’s highest-profile member of Congress has spent the last year traveling the country — he’s been to 26 states, from Washington to Florida, his campaign says — to stump for centrists and socialists alike. And his campaign says he has raised $3 million for Democrats, with more to come, all in an effort to win back Congress in November and hold Trump’s feet to the fire.

That would be a familiar spot for Raskin. He led Democrats’ impeachment case in February 2021, Trump’s second, and became a Democratic star overnight. The Guardian described him as having “dominated” the Senate trial. The New York Times wrote then that he was “made for this moment.”

His fellow Democrats have only burnished that reputation since.

“Talk about someone who has stood tall for democracy, who is on the case with respect to the corruption in the Trump administration and the ability of Congress to reestablish checks and balances,” Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate in New Hampshire, said of Raskin at a campaign event there last month.

Would reestablishing checks and balances spur a third Trump impeachment? Not exactly. Raskin told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in early September that impeachment is “not a taboo,” but it’s “not a panacea,” either.

For Democrats to remain in power going forward, Raskin told The Banner, they’ll have to work on things beyond Trump. The tough work of addressing the price of gas and groceries, the lack of housing, and the specter of job losses because of artificial intelligence looms.

Taking over Congress ahead of the 2028 election would be both a blessing and a curse, said Kesicia Dickinson, assistant professor of political science and economics at Morgan State University. Get things done and the party could win the White House. Stall out and Republicans could come right back.

“It’s really important that whatever the message or the plan is, that the Democrats get it right,” Dickinson said.

To Raskin, affordability and accountability go hand in hand. Grocery prices are high because Immigration and Customs Enforcement is limiting farm labor and because the Iran war is pumping up the price of diesel fuel, which in turn increases the price of transporting food and other goods, he said.

“Affordability is just the flip side of accountability,” Raskin said. “The corruption is costing us billions and billions of dollars a year.”

Raskin said Democrats will push for accountability by holding hearings, issuing subpoenas and picking topics that will resonate with the public.

Historically, the Judiciary Committee has had wide latitude for what it can investigate and a range of tools at its disposal, according to Sarah Binder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of political science at George Washington University.

But history and norms aren’t good indicators of how oversight will work under this Trump administration, Binder said.

“We’re sort of in uncharted territory for what does oversight look like with a totally uncooperative executive branch,” she said.

Trump might direct staff and administration officials not to comply with subpoenas or other requests from a Democratic Congress, as he did in his first term.

Normally, Congress could seek to hold those officials in contempt, which could lead to federal prosecution. But given Trump’s hold over the Department of Justice, that also seems unlikely, Binder said.

That doesn’t mean Democrats’ hands are tied, though. So much has entered the public domain by way of news reports and whistleblowers that any oversight hearings will still have plenty of meat to work with.

“We’re going to be ready for them,” Raskin said.

“We’ve got lots of private actors who, contrary to Trump’s wishes, are not somehow draped in a blanket of presidential immunity because Trump doesn’t want anybody to interview them,” he added.

And the hearings themselves could be useful for messaging. Getting the public — already widely dissatisfied with Trump, according to polls — more outraged and engaged could help Democrats win the presidency, Binder said.

If these oversight hearings become the must-see TV that Democrats want, and if the party is able to address affordability concerns these next two years, Raskin could turn into something of a main character going into 2028.

Could Raskin consider throwing his name into the presidential hat ring that may already include fellow Marylanders Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Gov. Wes Moore?

“I don’t have any bloodlust for it,” he said. “I would literally do anything to get America through this process, and if I had, you know, my colleagues telling me that I need to do that, and there was a clamor for it, I would very seriously consider it.”

For now, he said, he’s focused on this November.

“I take these election cycles one at a time,” he said.

When Tennessee Titans defensive end Jermaine Johnson dove at the right foot of a scrambling Lamar Jackson late in the first half of Sunday’s game, he missed.

In Johnson’s attempt to corral the Ravens quarterback’s right foot from behind, he’d landed on the back of Jackson’s left foot. And as Johnson fell, Jackson’s ankle twisted.

Lamar Jackson is now questionable to return with an ankle injury pic.twitter.com/76w3ptv6PO

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 4, 2026

The human body is predisposed to inversion, a movement where the sole of the foot turns inward, toward the midline of the body. Imagine a typical rolled ankle in a pickup basketball game.

Jackson experienced the opposite. In an eversion of the foot, the sole turns outward, away from the body’s midline. The ankle ligaments at greatest risk are not the lateral ligaments, which start at the end of the fibula that forms the bony bump on the outside of the ankle, but rather the medial deltoid ligament, a strong triangular band of tissue on the inner side of the joint.

“Most people, when they are spraining their ankle, they are spraining the lateral side,” said Dr. Amiethab Aiyer, a professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Jackson is believed to have suffered a medial sprain, according to media reports, an uncommon ankle injury that could sideline him for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons — and perhaps longer. Coach Jesse Minter has not specified Jackson’s injury or recovery timetable, except to say that he’s not expected to be out “crazy long-term.”

“When he’s ready to play,” Minter said after Jackson missed practice Wednesday, “he’ll be ready to play.”

The deltoid is the ligament most responsible for stabilizing the ankle, Aiyer said. That also makes it harder to tear and potentially more significant when it is damaged.

The severity of a medial sprain depends on the damage to the two layers of tissue in the ligament — one deep in the ankle, the other more superficial. A Grade I sprain, the least severe, applies to a ligament that is stretched but not torn, resulting in mild pain and swelling. A Grade III sprain, the most severe, applies to a completely torn ligament and is associated with significant instability.

“The more of the ligament that is involved, whether it’s the more superficial part of the deltoid, or the deep part, or both, that is what will help to dictate to what extent is the ankle increasingly unstable,” said Aiyer, who is not involved in Jackson’s treatment.

High-ankle sprains, which typically sideline players for over a month, can also accompany medial sprains, Aiyer warned. Sprains can damage ankle structures such as the syndesmosis, the group of ligaments that connect the tibia and the fibula at the ankle joint.

Dr. Kyle Yost, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in orthopedics and family medicine, said medial sprains typically take longer to heal than low-ankle sprains.

“You tend to be more conservative, a little bit, in the beginning,” said Yost, who is also not involved in Jackson’s treatment. “So you’re talking more like weeks versus days for this type of injury.”

Jackson left the Ravens’ win Sunday over Tennessee in a protective boot, which Yost said would help relieve any potential stress on the syndesmosis and stabilize his injured ankle. Jackson then underwent an MRI on his ankle Monday; Aiyer and Yost said the results of the imaging would help guide his treatment and recovery, from range-of-motion exercises to physical therapy.

“With momentum here, it would be very easy [for the Ravens] to say, ‘Let’s just go,’” Aiyer said. But he urged caution, saying Jackson could “run the risk of making an injury, whatever it is right now, into a worse one.”

He added: “That is the very fine line that becomes a very important conversation between whoever the player is and their team physicians — and the coaches, for that matter — about, ‘Hey, how do we get this player back on the field?’ … I think that’s really the tough call here.”

If Jackson returns before his ankle is fully healed, the effect on his game could be noticeable. Yost, a team physician for Maryland and UMBC, said Jackson’s mobility would likely be limited “for a while” if he’s recovering from a medial sprain.

“That’s what really kind of gets zapped a lot of times with these ankle sprains on the medial side, is your explosiveness,” he said. “So he’s probably not going to be doing that as much.”

Minter indicated Wednesday that Jackson could play without practicing, but Aiyer said more deliberate ramp-ups would help with recalibrating his body’s readiness for certain movements: “OK, this is what you need to do. This is how you need to do it.”

Injuries were a hindrance last season for Jackson, who was limited to 13 games and career-low rushing numbers. But only Jackson knows how painful this latest injury is. And only Jackson knows how much pain he could play through. The challenge for him and the Ravens now is figuring out an acceptable level.

“You want to make sure that he’s doing well and that he’ll tolerate the load before you send him back,” Yost said. “You don’t want to make it worse or send him back too early.”

After weeks of negotiation, the County Council on Monday gave its initial approval to a set of agreements with the county executive and Sphere Entertainment for its plans to build a smaller version of its Las Vegas entertainment venue at National Harbor.

“My role is to just bring everyone together — to listen, to hear concerns, try to come to consensus. But, ultimately, we have to move projects forward,” Braveboy said in a press conference Monday.

The council’s decision comes after some of the state’s most powerful politicians pushed for a resolution to increasingly tense negotiations between the council, Braveboy’s office and Sphere executives.

It also marked a defining moment for Braveboy, showing that she can secure the votes necessary to advance important projects, and could provide momentum for the start of her first full term, if she wins the general election in November against write-in candidate Tonya Sweat, Braveboy’s allies said.

“This creates an open lane to show that Prince George’s County can handle a project of this scale‚” said Alexander Austin, president and CEO of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce. “And we want projects of this scale.”

The agreements, which one union president called a disappointment, include requirements for small and minority-owned businesses at a time when deep cuts to federal agencies under President Donald Trump have reduced or dismantled opportunities for contractors, including programs meant for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged groups.

Fears that the County Council would vote to require a labor agreement as a condition of public financing the county has promised, potentially prompting Sphere to pull out of Prince George’s, have for now been alleviated — though not without powerful intervention.

Amid rising concern that the council’s tactics and stalling negotiations could doom the project, Gov. Wes Moore, along with one of his top advisors and the administration’s lead on the Sphere project, Manny Welsh; his labor relations director, Dyana Forester; and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, among others, took an active role in negotiations.

They called or met with council members to stress the project’s importance and ensure a deal was reached that kept things moving forward, according to multiple people familiar with the negotiations who confirmed the officials’ involvement on the condition of anonymity.

Braveboy’s office did not make her available for an interview for this story, and her spokesperson, Brian Fischer, did not respond to a request for comment, including about state officials’ involvement.

Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the governor, said Moore and Braveboy partnered to bring the Sphere to National Harbor.

“The Governor and his team engaged in productive conversations with council members and stakeholders to ensure that this transformational project can continue,” Moussa said in a statement.

Peña-Melnyk couldn’t be reached for comment.

The stakes were high for Braveboy.

One of her predecessors, Rushern Baker, said any failure could have prompted state officials to rethink pitching Prince George’s County as a destination for future projects and investments.

“Your administration will rise or fall on getting that first significant deal done,” said Baker, who served as county executive from 2010 to 2018.

Several of Braveboy’s predecessors oversaw big-time developments at National Harbor.

Wayne Curry landed the deal that ushered in National Harbor, while Jack Johnson was at the helm for its groundbreaking and the opening of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center — National Harbor’s original anchor.

Baker led the negotiations to secure the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino.

Had the negotiations failed, and Sphere’s executives in New York decided to pull out, Braveboy, who has been in office since winning a special election in June 2025 after Angela Alsobrooks left for the U.S. Senate, would have carried the blame.

Attracting additional large-scale developments, including at the Six Flags America site in Bowie and at Northwest Stadium in Landover after the Commanders’ expected departure, could have become all the more difficult.

After advancing the Sphere project, officials and investors who are considering Prince George’s County will now see Braveboy as a leader “who can go to bat and get it done,” Baker said.

Some of the council’s most staunch union advocates abandoned their push for a labor agreement, which Sphere executives had identified as a red line, to provide the votes needed to advance a financing bill.

“We cannot afford to have Sphere walk away,” council member Wala Blegay, who spent years in the labor movement and worked as a laborattorney, said after voting against an amendment that would have added labor requirements to the bill.

She said that voting against the union priority made Monday “a painful day for me.”

In the weeks leading up to the council’s vote, Braveboy walked a tightrope.

She weighed competing concerns from longtime friends on the council, political allies in labor unions and Sphere executives, whose project is expected to create thousands of jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue for the county, which is currently staring down a $151 million deficit.

At a time when the FBI’s relocation to Greenbelt is stalled, the Six Flags site sits dormant and the Commanders are nearing the end of their time in Landover, the Sphere also represents a much-needed shot in the arm for Prince George’s County.

Negotiations were precarious in recent weeks, and frustrations spilled into public view during a tense hearing in late September, when council Chair Krystal Oriadha accused a Sphere executive of disrespecting and offending county residents.

Braveboy presented a united front during this stretch and after Monday’s council meeting.

“They are really good people, and I think we all care about the future of Prince George’s County. We all have different constituencies, different relationships,” Braveboy said of the council. “And so, sometimes votes are tough.”

Braveboy said Sphere has agreed to award at least half of construction dollars to county small businesses and 40% to minority-owned businesses. Many of the county small businesses are also minority-owned.

Braveboy has said the requirements for local and minority business participation “represent the largest percentage of any major project in Prince George’s County’s history.”

Sphere has pledged to allocate similar percentages of its operations spending to these businesses.

The deal also includes a labor peace agreement that Braveboy said will allow Sphere employees the opportunity to join a union.

A Sphere representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Edward Burroughs, Braveboy’s longtime friend and the council member whose district includes National Harbor, proposed an amendment Monday that would have required Sphere to hire a percentage of union workers. But his colleagues voted the measure down.

He still said the county executive “did a tremendous job” of balancing competing concerns, including those of 11 council members who are “very passionate about various aspects of the deal,” such as guarantees for minority-owned businesses, unions and, in Burroughs’s case, the communities surrounding National Harbor.

“There are a lot of moving pieces in a deal of this magnitude. And it’s not easy,” he said.

The council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the financing bill and must cast a final vote by the end of the month.

Greg Akerman, president of the Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades Council, which represents the region’s 22 construction trade unions, said his organization was disappointed that the project was moving forward without labor agreements for its workers.

He said in a statement that developments without such agreements “are often riddled with wage theft.

“Going forward,” he said, ”Prince George’s County must prioritize developments that guarantee good union jobs for local residents."

“I did try to vote this last time, but my absentee ballot didn’t come in,” said Humphrey, who is 30 years old and would have been eligible to vote in three presidential election cycles. “So I don’t really have any political beliefs. I do plan on voting the next time around.”

I would advise baby steps. The next time any political opportunity comes his way, Humphrey can start by thinking — as opposed to jumping first.

If you only know Humphrey by his decade-long career with the Baltimore Ravens, by his podcast or the oddball sense of humor captured on his postgame livestreams on Instagram, it might have surprised you to see him suited up to shake hands with President Donald Trump.

Trump, who swept in Tuesday during the opening of a submarine manufacturing facility in Sparrow’s Point, has mostly gone out of his way to insult Baltimore and its leaders throughout his presidencies. But he had sweet words for Humphrey, Tyler Loop, Nick Moore and Ryan Eckley, who met him moments after the Marine One helicopter touched down in our neck of the woods.

“Oh, these guys are making a lot of money,” Trump said. “They’re doing very well. I think they’re 3-1 or something like that. They’re doing good.”

Coach Jesse Minter said Wednesday that the contingent of players who met Trump don’t represent the Ravens, and “the guys have the right and freedom to represent themselves.” In that sense, I could not agree more. If those guys wanted to be there, that’s their choice.

But with Humphrey, who Loop said helped come up with the opportunity to meet Trump, it’s just another illustration of why the same cornerback who has helped make game-changing plays for the Ravens consistently makes the people around him roll their eyes.

Oh, that Marlon.

Every person has a right to express their political opinion, but a sniff test of Humphrey’s own explanation is that being red or blue has little to do with why he organized a Trump meeting that he had to know would draw attention. And though Minter denied that it was a distraction, Humphrey clearly took a risk that it could be one.

I’m not calling out Marlon Humphrey for being conservative; I’m calling him out for naked, thoughtless clout-chasing. It’s a trait that defines him far outside the political arena.

Off the field, he styles himself as a Renaissance man: globe-trotting, offering hardline opinions on food that no one asked for, recording podcasts that allegedly offer his “real talk,” which rarely result in any talk of note.

Humphrey’s entire production is based on spectacle, a theater where he is the star. The content doesn’t matter as much as the show.

If you have ever wondered why Humphrey, the longest-tenured Raven on defense, wasn’t voted as one of the team’s five captains this year, I suspect it’s related to this part of his personality. How else could you explain it?

On the field and in the weight room, Humphrey is a hard worker, and he is always in shape. He’s competent at corner, and at times he has been among the NFL’s best.

But his spotlight-seeking gimmickry gets tired fast. It threatens to color everything about him, even his football career. Last year, as the Ravens sunk to 1-5, Humphrey was one of the more disappointing leaders, talking circles around his own words. After saying the team’s Week 1 loss in Buffalo happened because the Ravens lacked maturity, he denied credit for the quote just weeks later. “I don’t know which one of you just put that out there, but that was not my quote,” he said before claiming he was repeating what someone else had said.

The backpedal only helped identify Humphrey as one of the players who, even though he’s this deep in his NFL career, still seems immature.

It makes sense to me that Humphrey is a natural admirer of Trump — a person who commands attention but has little substantive character to offer as a true leader. Trump loves leeching off the reputation of athletes and coaches, who help him associate with a physical prowess he never reached and a caliber of winning that he would never have the patience or the work ethic to achieve.

Loop spoke in reverent tones about his respect for “the office of the President,” which we’ve all heard before. I think it’s a little funny when athletes fail to see (or seem indifferent) that the Trump administration exploits their own image to reflect competence the administration itself lacks in the governance of our country. I don’t agree with the political worldview that led to those players appearing with Trump, but ultimately their personal political expression is their own business.

I don’t think Humphrey, though, is in that category — and if he is, he certainly didn’t admit it when asked directly on Wednesday. It does not surprise me at all that Humphrey would document a car ride with Trump with the same giddiness as his own locker room after a Ravens victory, because they have one thing in common: Both spectacles direct attention his way. The New York Post, after all, did not put Loop’s, Moore’s or Eckley’s name in a headline leaking the appearance.

If Humphrey cares so much about Trump and the jobs the president announced are coming to Baltimore, why doesn’t he vote? Was he just happy to glad-hand and backslap someone who has sped up arrests and deportations, who has approved massive cuts to federal funding in Maryland, and who has spoken viciously about Baltimore on several occasions?

Humphrey’s own words only fuel the argument that he was just basking in the light of Trump’s clout. And honestly, the more you know Humphrey, that kind of checks out.

I get the sense that he’s trolling us all, intentionally looking for ways to prod and provoke his online audience — and if that’s all that Humphrey got out of it, it tells us how vapid he is.

Looking at Humphrey’s shift into the media over the last few years, I’d say he’s angling to be a talking head whenever his NFL career is over. To him, stunts like this are how he builds the image of someone who gets paid to be on TV or streamed online (after all, Pat McAfee has done the same thing).

But if that is indeed his plan, I’d say it’s going to be an uphill battle. Even after all this time in Baltimore, for all his highs and lows in the NFL, it still feels like Marlon Humphrey has nothing to say.

Otis Rolley III, president and CEO of the city’s public-private economic development agency, said Monday that MCB Real Estate, Harborplace’s developer, submitted an application for the award. But on Wednesday, the city law department told The Banner in response to a records request that no applications exist.

The BDC’s board green-lit the tax break, known as a PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, in a closed-door session at the end of August.

The Board of Estimates, the city’s spending board, which is effectively controlled by the mayor, is expected to approve the tax break, though the timing is uncertain. The board will reconvene Oct. 21 and has the ability to call special meetings.

Once the tax break takes effect, MCB could avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in future property taxes as it remakes the Inner Harbor. Its plans call for demolishing the waterfront pavilions, reconfiguring the streetscape and building luxury residential towers, an office building, retail space and a new park. It’s unclear when the project — which was once estimated to cost $900 million — will break ground.

Alexandra Hughes, a spokesperson for MCB, declined to comment.

A statement provided by BDC spokesperson Tamarah Lawrence after the publication of this story described what MCB had sent as a “proposal,” since it arrived before the PILOT application process had been formalized.

“The process to evaluate proposals and review the impact they would have on the City has always been, and remains, an extensive one,” the statement said. BDC staff reviewed MCB’s proposal, which included a project overview, budget, cost estimates, funding sources, projected returns and “other extensive financial documentation.”

Tracy Lingo, president of a union representing Baltimore hospitality workers, said that while she is excited about the potentially transformational effects of the Harborplace redevelopment, she’s frustrated about the lack of transparency. She said she wants commitments from the developer about jobs and community benefits before the tax break is approved.

“We’re not going to get them after,” said Lingo, who spoke on behalf of With Us For Us, a coalition of left-leaning organizations in Baltimore. “You never got those commitments after.”

At the urging of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Rolley, state legislators gave the city the authority this spring to more easily award PILOTs for downtown projects. The idea was to spur development in the city’s struggling central business district, with officials specifically mentioning Harborplace.

At the time, Rolley called Harborplace an “ideal” candidate for the tax break. He said this new PILOT would turn what had been a nine- to 18-month process into a three- to nine-month process. He said Baltimore’s old system for awarding PILOTs — which required the sign-off of the City Council — was “too long and too convoluted.”

This new law routes the approval process away from the City Council and to the BDC. Final approval remains with the Board of Estimates. One of the law’s few requirements is an economic analysis of the project.

While the law does not require a formal application for the tax break, BDC officials said as early as March that there would be one.

“Our intention is to be really clear in terms of the rules of engagement going forward,” Rolley said.

The General Assembly passed the law creating the PILOT on April 10, and it went into effect two weeks later.

That month, Scott and Rolley touted it as a “big win” for Baltimore.

“You heard from the very beginning of Harborplace that in order for this to move forward, it was a desire for a pretty substantial public subsidy,” Rolley said. “The PILOT will advance that.”

The BDC held an information session in July for developers interested in the tax break.

“The PILOT application is officially going to open on the 29th (of July). Around that time, you’ll see some links on our website,” said Jeremy Watson, BDC’s chief real estate officer. “We’re going to do this all digital, so there will be no paper submissions. We’ll have an intake form with which you can submit your information, your models.”

On Aug. 28, the BDC gave preliminary approval for tax breaks on two projects: a $300 million “college town” development by Wexford Science & Technology on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the redevelopment of Harborplace.

The BDC’s board deliberated on the tax breaks in a closed session. It’s unclear what was discussed. The Banner’s request for meeting minutes was denied.

Rolley said Monday that the BDC formalized its application process for the tax break in late September — after MCB and Wexford applied — and no one has submitted since.

The 17-page application requires detailed information on financing, timelines, workforce diversity and feasibility, as well as more than a dozen attachments.

“It is not an easy process. There is a lot of due diligence that has to occur,” Rolley said. “As part of the application process, there’s a lot of work that has to be done.”

The case has drawn broad interest among Catholics in part because the ex-priest had once been a well-known advocate for victims, helping bring down a notorious child rapist before he himself was accused of similar crimes.

The 12-member jury deliberated for about an hour before breaking for lunch and later notifying Judge Dennis Robinson Jr. that they had reached a verdict. Mannion was handcuffed and taken into custody. He had been on home detention since his arrest last year.

“You know I didn’t do this,” Mannion, 64, told his wife, who was seated in the gallery.

Mannion had been on trial all week after a 42-year-old former student accused him of repeatedly pulling him out of class as a child and sexually assaulting him in the St. Agnes Church rectory during the school day.

The former priest, who later married, faces substantial prison time for his five felony convictions.

On Thursday morning, the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments. Prosecutors acknowledged there were some discrepancies — the dates provided by the victim may not add up, they said — but asked the jury to convict Mannion anyway.

The abuse started after Mannion accused the man of being disruptive during religious studies class, the man testified during the trial.

“The first time, he told me God had come to him in a dream,” the man said. “And if I didn’t do what he told me, my brother would burn in hell.”

The abuse stopped, he said, when his family moved out of state. But by then he had become withdrawn.

“I wasn’t the same kid I was when I was younger,” he said. “I was broken.”

As an adult, he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and seemed unable to control his explosive anger. He couldn’t hold down a job.

When the man disclosed the abuse to his therapist, he said it had occurred between first and third grades. But he later told a Baltimore County Police detective that the abuse occurred between second and fourth grades. On the witness stand, he testified that he only realized the discrepancy after Mannion was arrested last spring.

Defense attorney Christopher Luber zeroed in on the confusion about dates, which persisted throughout the four-day trial, as proof of reasonable doubt. Luber told the jury this was partly why they needed to find his client not guilty.

“Mr. Mannion was not there,” Luber said. “He did not commit these crimes.”

Mannion was assigned to Baltimore County’s St. Agnes parish in July 1994 and immediately established a reputation as a popular young priest. He was in his early 30s, and the other priests assigned to the parish at that time were elderly.

Prosecutor Lisa Dever said during her closing argument that the former student and altar server may have gotten his dates wrong. But she stressed that his account has been consistent since he first disclosed the abuse to his family on Easter Sunday in 2019 and that his otherwise specific memories of his suffering are visceral and real.

“If something traumatic happens, will you remember the calendar date, or the details of the nightmare?” Dever said.

She told the jury that Mannion started grooming the man immediately after he arrived at St. Agnes. Mannion and that the boy would talk about sharks, sports and music, she said.

The man and his mother both testified this week that Mannion gave him a shark tooth necklace that summer, and an August 1994 photo presented as evidence during the trial shows him wearing it.

Dever also asked the jury to closely read a letter Mannion wrote to Pope John Paul II in 2001, requesting to leave the priesthood. Baltimore County investigators obtained the letter from the Archdiocese of Baltimore during their investigation.

He wrote to the pope that he had a drinking problem, struggled to fulfill his vow of celibacy and was desperate to be popular after hardly dating as a teenager. He acknowledged other sexual activity, including with another seminary student, that appeared to violate church teachings.

“It was secretive, hidden and dark,” he wrote. “I refused to process the meaning of such feelings.”

Mannion later recalled affairs he had with a parochial school teacher and a parishioner and said he got caught up in an addictive pattern of life. He did not discuss child sexual abuse in the document, but Dever argued he didn’t have to. She said the letter speaks to his state of mind around the time the abuse occurred.

“That’s where he was in his life,” she said. “Is it so far-fetched to believe he would choose a young boy?”

Luber said prosecutors used the letter to humiliate Mannion.

“Go after him for whatever, but that is not evidence of child sex abuse,” he said.

He also stressed that the man who accused Mannion of abuse included details in his account that seem implausible. Luber said Mannion would have needed to walk the man back and forth past the principal’s office to exit the school, and the school principal at the time testified she never saw it happen.

But Dever praised the man and his account in her closing argument, ending her remarks by commending him for his courage in testifying.

“How brave he was to do that,” she said. “This is the first step toward facing his demons and taking back his life.”

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14.

This story has been updated.

Reynolds had been serving time for his role in a 2021 shootout, and the reduction in his sentence came after a senior official in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement vouched for him.

Mayor Brandon Scott told The Banner on Thursday that the letter vouching for Reynolds had not been approved.

“They won’t be writing any more letters for anybody f---ing else,” Scott said.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, didn’t oppose the sentence reduction at the time. State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said the modification had a “limited impact” on the time Reynolds was serving.

This week, though, Bates criticized the letter supporting the sentence reduction, saying it was the kind of decision that led his office to stop partnering with the mayor’s neighborhood safety office, with which he severed ties last year.

In a statement, Bates said the decision not to oppose the sentence reduction “was made in 2025 based on the information available to us at that time.”

But he added that “the subsequent conduct of this Defendant is deeply concerning and reinforces the importance of accurate, thorough assessments when considering whether an individual has truly been rehabilitated and is ready to return to the community.”

In the prior case, Reynolds accepted a plea agreement in 2021 for first-degree assault and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with seven years suspended.

A Baltimore judge agreed to reduce that to 15 years with 10 years suspended.

What happened at the hearing

At the sentence modification hearing on Aug. 13, 2025, Reynolds’ attorney, John Cox, described his request as “not a huge change.”

Cox presented a letter from Mark Mason, the chief of victim services at the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, in which Mason described himself as Reynolds’ mentor.

Reynolds read a letter in which he wrote that he had learned “life is not a sprint — it’s a journey.” Everybody makes mistakes, he said; the question is whether people learn from them.

He said he planned to start living his life in a positive manner to support his family.

“I don’t plan on making the same mistake that cost me my freedom, and I don’t plan on walking any path that leads me back to this point,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t see value in my life, love and freedom, which are all priceless.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Pillion said the shooting was a “very, very serious incident,” but noted that Reynolds did not open fire first.

Under the circumstances, Pillion said he did not object to the sentence reduction.

Pillion said he was moved by Mason’s letter and impressed with his lack of infractions while being incarcerated at Eastern Correctional Institution. Five years in prison, Pillion said, still fell within the sentencing guidelines.

“I truly wish him success and hope that he again surrounds himself with people who love him and appreciate him,” Pillion said.

Circuit Judge Cynthia Jones told Reynolds that it was great that he had someone who was “willing to put their credibility on the line for your future, and they did it on letterhead for a city agency.”

“There’s a lot of value out of relationships with mentors,” Jones said. “Somebody who’s willing to stick their neck out for you that’s not your blood, not your family, is important. But it’s up to you to take advantage of that relationship.”

Jones warned Reynolds of the consequences for violating the terms of his release.

“I can assure you: If you come back before me and you don’t comply with the conditions of your probation, what do you think will happen?” Jones asked.

“Back to prison,” Reynolds replied.

“For how long?”

“Fifteen years.”

“Exactly.”

Reynolds was released on Sept. 25, and Baltimore Police allege he was captured on video on Oct. 3 opening fire with a rifle at Leon Day Park. The girl, Khloe, was caught in the crossfire and later died.

Scott said earlier this week that Reynolds should not have been back on the street.

When you look at his record, “you see that this isn’t the first time we’ve arrested him for similar things only for him to be back out on the street and taking the life of a 12-year-old,” Scott told WJZ .

He added: “A 12-year-old baby should be here today not only because [Reynolds] should’ve known how to resolve his conflict in a better way, but also more importantly because he still should have been in jail.”

Role of mayor’s office

But the mayor’s office played a role in Reynolds’ release.

In Mason’s letter, dated Aug. 8, 2025, he said Reynolds was “one of the nicest most respectful young men that I have ever met.”

Mason said Reynolds had been robbed twice, which he believed prompted Reynolds to carry a gun.

“My advocacy for Tyree is so strong because I felt that I let him down,” Mason wrote. “He was never supposed to be in this current situation. He was never supposed to be involved with anything related to violence. His mindset was never anything other than making it in football and being the next Tavon Austin,” a reference to a Baltimore high school football standout who went on to play in the NFL.

“Again Judge Jones, this is all contingent on Tyree and his ability to choose to do right upon his return; however, I would not be going out on a limb writing this letter on his behalf if I felt that he is a violent offender and his plan is to come back into society to engage in more violence.”

Bates said prosecutors agreed to Reynolds’ release in part because of Mason’s “strongly supportive letter.”

Jack French, a spokesperson for MONSE, said in a statement that Mason’s letter was based on his “prior personal relationship” with Reynolds, “without the permission of MONSE’s Director or Chief of Staff.”

Reynolds, French said, “made the conscious decision to engage in violence,” and his “heinous and reckless actions, which resulted in the death of an innocent child, are the product of his own devastatingly bad decisions.”

“We will not be deterred from our mission of supporting Khloe’s family, the youth football teams present during the incident, and the broader community during this incredibly difficult time,” French said.

Reynolds, seated in a wheelchair after taking a bullet to the ankle in the shooting, appeared before a judge Wednesday for a bail review hearing in connection with Khloe’s killing . He was held without bail.

Police are still investigating the shooting, looking for the other man they believe was involved.

This story has been updated.

“Are you looking for me?” Ashar, 22, asked.

He was dehydrated, disheveled, scared and hungry, UMD Police Chief David Mitchell said at a news conference Thursday morning. Ashar told police he had been in the woods, but they believe he had been moving around given that the department had unsuccessfully searched hundreds of acres on foot and by drone.

Emergency medical services were on the scene immediately to treat Ashar’s dehydration and check his vitals, Mitchell said. The student’s family then arrived for an emotional reunion.

“It’s hard to put into words how touched he was and how touched that family was,” Mitchell said.

Hours before Ashar turned up, his mother made an emotional plea on social media for the public’s help in finding her son.

“Dilan is safe and our family is together again,” Ashar’s family said in a statement that was read aloud by Patty Perillo, UMD’s vice president for student affairs. “We saw firsthand how far this university will go for one of its students. Dilan especially wants to thank the students who put up flyers all over campus and the community.”

Ashar was later transported for more medical attention, which he continued to receive Thursday.

Mitchell said the fact that Ashar was without his phone, wallet or any identification was a major warning sign for police.

“We had reason to believe that he could be in grave danger,” Mitchell said.

Asked if he could share additional details about the circumstances of Ashar’s disappearance, the chief said he was limited by privacy laws.

“I can’t get into too many details of that except to say that based on my experience and our experience, what he left behind definitely led us to believe this was a young guy in need of immediate attention and assistance,” Mitchell said. “That’s why we were all hands on deck with our search.”

U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher sentenced Matthew Hightower to 40 years in prison for the May 27, 2016, fatal shooting of Latrina Ashburne, 41, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

“Witness intimidation strikes at the heart of our justice system,” Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said in a statement. “... Today’s sentence demonstrates our unwavering commitment to pursuing anyone who threatens or attempts to harm witnesses. We will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure that witness intimidation is met with firm and decisive accountability.”

At the time of her death, Ashburne, 41, lived next door to a federal witness whom Hightower wanted killed for providing information about his involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme. The men Hightower hired to kill the witness mistakenly shot and killed Ashburne instead.

Federal authorities arrested and convicted those men, but it would take three more years to bring the case against Hightower, who pleaded guilty last year.

The 44-year-old, originally from Baltimore, has been serving a 31-year prison sentence for healthcare fraud and the murder of another man, and his sentence for Ashburne’s murder will be served concurrently.

Federal prosecutors wanted a 60-year sentence in addition to the sentence Hightower was already serving, while Hightower’s defense attorney asked for a sentence of 30 years.

“This Court is not asked to forgive what happened to Latrina Ashburne, or to pretend that any sentence could restore what her family has lost,” defense attorneys Daniel Goldman and Teresa Whalen wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “It is asked only to impose a sentence that leaves open the possibility, not the promise, that Mr. Hightower will live some portion of his final years as a free man rather than dying in federal custody.”

Federal prosecutors called Hightower “a businessman, a hustler, a successful drug dealer” who “knew exactly what he was doing” when he hired the contract killers, Davon Carter and Clifton Mosley.

Hightower was initially charged in 2015 with healthcare fraud — a scam to overcharge Medicaid for adult diapers — and with killing a man named David Wutoh, who owed him money.

A search of Hightower’s prison cell on the day of Ashburne’s murder turned up a piece of paper containing a list of names and phone numbers that included Carter.

Carter and Mosley are serving life sentences for the killing.

An unidentified member of Ashburne’s family wrote to the judge before sentencing, saying the drawn-out nature of the case had been difficult, but the sentence would allow them some measure of closure.

Five years after a historic Sparrows Point shipyard was identified as a cradle of wind energy, that land will instead be used for a massive weapons manufacturing facility. Anduril, a defense startup, will construct components of nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy beginning in 2030, eventually creating thousands of jobs at Tradepoint Atlantic.

The move highlights a stark reversal of fortune for Maryland’s offshore wind industry, a favorite of the state’s Democratic leadership but a longtime punching bag for Republican President Donald Trump.

US Wind, a Baltimore-based offshore wind developer, began eyeing an old shipyard at Sparrows Point as the site for a steel manufacturing plant in 2016 and signed a lease there with Tradepoint five years later. Since then, political winds have turned, and the company’s plans have failed to get off the ground.

Jamie DeMarco, a lobbyist for the group Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said Trump has waged “an ideological war” on offshore wind at a time when energy bills are climbing and the country is desperate for new power sources.

Trump, meanwhile, has embraced manufacturing and shipbuilding, which he emphasized during a visit to Baltimore County on Tuesday. In Anduril, the president tapped a company whose founder, Palmer Luckey, is a frequent donor to Republican campaigns and whom Trump calls a “friend.”

US Wind’s plant was expected to create 500 permanent jobs — but Anduril’s plans call for 3,100 permanent employees once its 2 million-square-foot facility is completed.

The shipyard, which lies on the western edge of Sparrows Point, churned out ships during the 20th century, but the industry later declined.

“The storied grounds of Sparrows Point will never fall silent again,” Trump said Tuesday in a wide-ranging speech that boasted of America’s military might.

US Wind had a 90-acre lease with Tradepoint, the sprawling logistics hub at Sparrows Point. Anduril will now assume the entirety of that lease, plus the shipyard’s other 97 acres, which were not under any prior lease arrangement. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

“Tradepoint worked with all partners on an agreeable arrangement,” Aaron Tomarchio, a Tradepoint executive vice president, said via email.

In recent years, the White House sought to block offshore development, even paying developers billions of dollars not to build offshore wind farms. The Trump administration has asked a federal court to revoke US Wind’s permit for offshore wind development off the coast of Ocean City, and last year federal officials cancelled a $47 million grant for the Sparrows Point steel plant and other “doomed” wind energy projects.

Attorneys for US Wind said in a court filing last year that Trump’s opposition to its Ocean City wind farm could bankrupt the company.

In a news release Tuesday, US Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski painted the submarine facility as a win that will ensure manufacturing jobs for the Baltimore County port site while the country’s offshore wind industry remains largely on ice. The Anduril development will ensure that job creation can proceed “apace” at Tradepoint, he said.

“Our offshore wind plans, like many other similar projects in the U.S., are delayed due to legal disputes and uncertainty created by federal agencies,” Grybowski said.

“We are very bullish on Maryland and its future. This is an exciting development for the state, the region and the nation.”

US Wind spokesperson Dori Henry said the steel plant is not necessary for its offshore project to move forward.

Ørsted, another offshore wind developer, was also pursuing plans for a parts manufacturing center at Tradepoint. But the Danish company put its own Maryland offshore project on pause in 2023, citing challenging economics.

For some backers of Maryland offshore wind, the withdrawal of the two companies at Sparrows Point is disappointing.

US Wind may not need a steel plant to go ahead with its offshore wind farm, but DeMarco said Trump’s opposition to the industry has driven clean energy jobs out of Maryland.

“Trump campaigned on ending wars and lowering energy bills, and this is one more example of how he’s doing exactly the opposite of that,” he said.

Still, Anduril’s facility is expected to have a massive economic impact, much larger even than initial plans for US Wind’s $400 million plant.

The Navy has entered into a $2.9 billion contract with Anduril, which will spend $3.7 billion on the facility and receive about $500 million in county and state subsidies. The site is expected to pay $312 million in wages annually, Anduril said.

The federal government is often criticized for spending too much on defense — a proposed $1.5 trillion next year — but its contracts can mean economic stability for communities. Both Republicans and Democrats attended Tuesday’s announcement promoting the new site and praised the paychecks the facility would bring; Gov. Wes Moore and Trump sparred over who got to take credit for it.

Trump touted the potential of the site for building autonomous weapons. But at least initially, Anduril expects to construct components of Virginia-class submarines. Those vessels are now made in Connecticut and Virginia, and have generated thousands of jobs in each state for more than 25 years.

They are economically essential enough that U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut has been dubbed “Two-Sub Joe” for his push to ensure that the military continues to manufacture two Virginia-class submarines a year, rather than just one. (Each costs $5 billion and is up to 460 feet long.)

Anduril executives said they selected Sparrows Point for its proximity to potential workers and other points in the submarine supply chain. Plus, with waterside access and a “phenomenal” dry dock, company officials described it as an optimal site.

Pike, 50, has regained consciousness and is speaking a week after Tennessee gave her two lethal doses of pentobarbital. Outgoing Republican Gov. Bill Lee has ordered a review into what went wrong and the state has not said whether they will again try executing her, which experts say could wade into uncharted legal waters.

Pike, who was sentenced to die for torturing and killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, is one of at least eight condemned inmates in the U.S. who left their state’s execution chamber still alive because of problems carrying out the punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Pike is the only one who was actually administered lethal drugs before the process was halted, according to the organization.

Not all have faced execution a second time. Three of the inmates would die years later in prison, two remain alive and two were executed after another attempt.

The state of Maryland has banned the death penalty since 2013, but it has remained in effect on the federal level and applied sparingly.

Lethal injection failures in Ohio

Ohio unsuccessfully tried to put Romell Broom to death by lethal injection in September 2009. The execution was called off after two hours when technicians could not find a suitable vein, and Broom cried in pain while receiving 18 needle sticks.

Broom died in December 2020 of possible complications of COVID-19 while on Ohio’s death row.

Ohio also failed to execute another inmate, Alva Campbell, in November 2017 by lethal injection. The execution was halted after executioners couldn’t find a usable vein.

Campbell was found unresponsive in his death row cell in March 2018. It was determined that he died from natural causes.

Alabama executed inmates a second time after failed attempts

Alabama called off the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm in February 2018 because of problems getting the intravenous line connected. A doctor hired by Hamm’s legal team later wrote in a report, filed in court, that Hamm had to be carried back to his cell by correctional officers after the execution was called off because he was in so much pain.

Hamm died of natural causes on death row in November 2021.

In September 2022, Alabama unsuccessfully executed Alan Eugene Miller by lethal injection when executioners spent more than an hour trying and failing to properly insert the catheter, repeatedly puncturing Miller with needles trying to find a vein. At one point, they left him hanging vertically on a gurney before state officials made the decision to call off the execution, according to news coverage at the time.

Miller had originally asked for nitrogen gas, but the Alabama Department of Corrections told a federal district court that they could not complete the execution that way.

The state successfully executed him two years later in September 2024 with nitrogen gas.

Almost two months after failing to execute Miller, Alabama had a second failed execution, when executioners did not have enough time to get a second IV line in before the death warrant expired at midnight for Kenneth Eugene Smith.

Smith was the first person to die by nitrogen gas as an execution method in January 2024.

Idaho prisoner remains alive

Idaho halted the execution of Thomas Eugene Creech in February 2024 after medical team members repeatedly failed to find a vein to carry out the lethal injection. In some cases, they couldn’t access the vein, and in others they could but had concerns about vein quality. They attempted sites in his arms, legs, hands and feet. At one point, a medical team member left to gather more supplies.

After eight attempts, the prison warden told them to give up. Creech remains alive and on death row.

Pike was the 2nd failed execution in Tennessee this year

Four months before Pike’s execution went awry, Tennessee officials called off the lethal injection of Tony Carruthers in May after his executioners tried and failed for over an hour to establish an intravenous line.

Lee announced soon afterward that the state would not try to execute Carruthers again for at least a year. Tennessee prison officials have said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line but were unable to find a suitable vein for a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Efforts to insert a central line also failed.

Carruthers remains alive and on death row.

The group formed a campaign slate, which allows them to raise and share money among members. Already, the AAPI United in Action Slate has raised more than $60,000.

In an announcement, the AAPI United in Action Slate said they raised money “to expand representation and fight xenophobia.”

The slate, formed this summer, includes Democratic AAPI incumbents and candidates. But in recent weeks, the slate added candidates who are challenging the Republican lawmakers whose podcast targeted Del. Chao Wu, whose district includes parts of Howard and Montgomery counties.

Del. Mark Fisher, a Calvert County Republican, and Del. Brian Chisholm, an Anne Arundel County Republican, posted a 13-minute video on social media focused on Wu. Throughout the video, they engaged in racist stereotypes and insinuated that Wu, who immigrated from China, had Communist sympathies.

Fisher and Chisholm suggested that Wu had ulterior motives for sponsoring a bill that would have required companies that are developing generative artificial intelligence systems to disclose information about the data used to train them.

Chisholm, in a mocking Chinese accent, invoked a proverb: “Only catch fish in muddy water.”

The two refused to apologize for their remarks. Fisher and Chisholm could not immediately be reached for comment.

The AAPI United in Action Slate’s membership includes three Democrats running in Chisholm’s district, which elects three delegates: Joan Cole, Heidi Schmidt and Ryan Shaban. The slate also includes Jennifer Davidson, who is challenging Fisher in his single-delegate district.

Campaign slates are a common tool used by political allies during election season.

Under campaign finance laws, a campaign is limited to donating no more than $6,000 to another candidate. But members of a slate can contribute unlimited funds that can be used to support any of the members. That means candidates who are good fundraisers or facing little opposition can shift money to candidates who need it.

A campaign slate can also accept donations from individuals and groups.

The Maryland General Assembly currently has eight members who identify as AAPI and are members of an AAPI legislative caucus. The caucus has existed for a decade, but this is the first time members have branched out to form a slate to get involved in campaigns.

Del. Lily Qi, a Montgomery County Democrat and chair of the caucus, said the AAPI community has seen “tremendous growth.”

“Yet we continue to face xenophobia, including racist comments made against our members earlier this year,” Qi said in a statement. “So this felt like the right time to get to work by organizing ourselves and building a campaign structure not just for this election cycle, but for the future.”

Every member of the caucus has contributed, Sen. Clarence Lam, a Howard County Democrat, said in a statement, calling it a sign of their commitment.

The slate’s launch fundraiser in late August featured Democratic heavy-hitters, including Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee.

“Banner Ravens Podcast” co-hosts Paul Mancano and Jonas Shaffer are joined by NFL reporter Giana Han to preview the game.

Democratic

Name: Marlon Amprey

Age: 39

Personal: Married with two girls, 2 and 6.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, government and politics, certificate in African American studies, University of Maryland at College Park; certificate in business management, Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania; juris doctor, University of Pennsylvania Law School; master’s degree, education (curriculum and instruction), George Mason University.

Experience: Member, Maryland House of Delegates, District 40 (2021-present); attorney, SRD Legal Group.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: Maryland’s structural deficit is a product of major commitments made with the expectation our economy would grow more rapidly with a competent administration in Washington. The gap has grown due to Trump firing thousands of Marylanders, shutting down departments and refusing to fund hundreds of millions in projects previously promised.

To close the gap there should be strategic reductions in government agencies, without jeopardizing public safety or our environment. We must limit government support for institutions that have large endowments or other sources of large incomes. During these strained economic times as a result of Trump, private institutions who previously received state support have to understand and step up. We must remain committed to investing in our children, but we have to consider spreading the costs of the blueprint out to ensure the burden of new taxes and fees do not fall on the working and middle class. We should explore new progressive revenue sources that will ensure the ultra-wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes. Any new taxes or fees should be on luxury items or services that are not necessities such as alcohol, cannabis, events and game tickets, sit-down restaurants, food delivery etc.

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: The three most pressing issues facing Maryland are the Trump administration, costs of living and our housing shortage.

The Trump administration

The Trump administration has harmed Maryland more than any other state. Federal cuts have damaged our economy, with Black women and women of color suffering disproportionately. Attacks on civil rights, voting rights, and DEI undermine our greatest strength: diversity. The assault on science, a major Maryland industry, compounds this harm further. We must remain vigilant in thoughtful policy to counteract this dangerous administration.

Rising costs of living

Between utility costs, groceries, gas and prescriptions, the cost of living is out of control. While some increases stem from wars and tariffs, we can still act. I co-sponsored legislation to lower utility costs, stop predatory grocery price-fixing, and control prescription costs. We must also raise wages beyond just increasing the minimum wage.

Housing and Transit Accessibility

Housing is expensive and scarce. This is because we have a supply deficiency. We must fast-track new housing to increase supply and lower costs, while ensuring transit connects people to jobs, schools, and houses of worship affordably. We must also focus on making new housing available at every entry point and turn vacants into value.

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: Lowering costs for residents requires addressing two things, the costs of things like housing and utilities, and increasing income.

To lower costs, I would continue working with the PSC and PJM (agencies that control utility rates) to rework the energy system we have here in Maryland to lower the costs of energy. I would require the costs of infrastructure changes for energy providers to be placed on shareholders and executives, not the ratepayers. I will work to get more solar programing and other renewable energies available to all to lower utility costs. To combat childcare costs, I would explore more tax credits for childcare through age 5 to support working families. I would combat the rising costs of housing by getting more housing online as soon as we can. We need to explore more changes in our permitting and zoning processes that slow down and scare away developers. Rent and housing is high in Maryland because we make it hard to build here through challenging laws. Lastly, people need higher wages to match rising costs. We need more jobs and wages tied to the rate of inflation, so families are not caught flatfooted when costs rise.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: We must not choose an either or, we must do a combination of pausing or spreading portions of the blueprint plans that are least harmful to student growth while finding progressive ways to bring in new revenue. We made a commitment to our students, and we must try our hardest to deliver for them.

Our deficit is a product of a flat economy which is the result of an unforeseen Trump administration that will strip billions away from our budget. We cannot go backwards for our students, but we also can’t place the burden of new revenue with regressive taxes and fees that the working class and poor pay while the ultra-wealthy avoid them. We must ask the wealthy to pay their fair share and raise taxes and fees on luxury items like certain-sized houses, alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, restaurant dining, cooked food delivery, sporting events and concerts etc. We also need to explore how to use Combined Income Reporting to ensure large multinational companies are paying their fair share to support our students.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: I want my constituents to review my job performance based on the results of bills passed in Annapolis, money brought back to support the 40th District and the partnerships to solve real-time issues.

During my six years in office, I have brought back almost $175 million to the 40th District and have passed more than 20 bills, and co-sponsored or led on too many more bills to count. However, some of my most important work is solving things in real time with community leaders in the district. When a fire took five homes in my neighborhood, I was on the scene at 3 a.m. and helped several families get temporary housing that night. When the Hogan administration refused to provide more Covid-19 vaccines to Baltimoreans, I partnered with local pharmacies and organizations to do a vaccine clinic to save lives. This is the work I want to be measured by now and moving forward if given the opportunity to continue serving the 40th District.

Name: Tiffany Welch

Age: 42

Personal: Lifelong resident of West Baltimore’s Matthew Henson neighborhood.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, sociology, University of Michigan; master’s degree, social work, management and community organizing, University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Experience: Community impact leader and strategist; has helped launch and lead initiatives focused on economic opportunity, food access, youth empowerment, and the arts.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: Maryland should close corporate tax loopholes and require corporations doing business out of state to pay their fair share through combined reporting, so companies cannot shift profits out of state to avoid taxes. Additionally, Maryland should continue exploring responsible asset recycling strategies. Since fiscal 2022, the Maryland Department of Transportation has sold nearly $20 million worth of excess property, with those funds going directly back into supporting Maryland’s transportation infrastructure. The state should continue identifying underutilized public land and assets that can be strategically sold and leased. Maryland must also take a serious look at reducing waste and inefficiency at the state level. Taxpayer dollars should be spent responsibly, with regular reviews of programs, contracts and agencies to ensure funds are producing real results for residents.

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: Affordability, economic development, crime

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: To lower the cost of living I will focus on the everyday expenses that are putting the most pressure on working families: housing, utilities, and rising fees.

I will support stronger oversight of regulated utility costs to stop unreasonable rate increases while still ensuring reliable infrastructure. Families should not have to choose between electricity and groceries. Maryland must increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing while also addressing costs that are pushing longtime residents out of their communities. I will prioritize the redevelopment of vacant properties and underutilized land into housing opportunities. I also will encourage the state to review excessive fees and hidden costs that continue to burden residents, especially low- and middle-income families.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: Maryland should remain committed to the goals of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future while also ensuring that our schools are effectively meeting the needs of students and families. We must be accountable for how resources are used.

The state must be creative and responsible in how it raises revenue. Our first option to fund programs cannot be on the backs of working families and residents already struggling with affordability. I support exploring fair revenue strategies with accountable spending practices so we can protect educational investments without placing an unfair burden on everyday Marylanders.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: I believe in being accessible and having an open-door approach where residents can reach me directly to share concerns, and expect honest communication in return.

I am committed to creating a district advisory committee made up of residents and stakeholders from across the district whose role is to provide feedback and help keep me accountable to the decision I make.

Name: Melissa Wells

Age: 42

Personal: Married, Mt. Vernon resident.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, political science, University of California Riverside; master’s degree, public policy, American University.

Experience: Member, Maryland House of Delegates, District 40 (2019-present); chair, Government, Labor and Elections Committee; special assistant to the president, NABTU.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: Maryland’s projected structural deficit demands honest leadership, not political convenience. I support a balanced approach, but let me be clear about why.

We cannot cut our way out of this. If we cut too deeply, we remove the services and investments that make Maryland a place where people want to live, work, and build businesses. These cuts have consequences - for schools, for infrastructure, for the working families in District 40 who depend on state services most. The path forward is long-term economic growth. That means doubling down on organic industries where Maryland already leads, such as cybersecurity, defense, biotechnology, and our building trades. These sectors create good-paying jobs, grow our tax base, and strengthen our workforce pipeline without waiting for outside industries. It also means investing in the infrastructure and affordable housing that attract and retain workers. A state that cannot house its workforce cannot grow. New residents mean new revenue, organically generated, without punishing the middle class. Where new revenue is necessary, it should come from those with the greatest ability to contribute. Asking working families who are already stretched thin to absorb both service cuts and tax increases is not a balanced approach, it’s a burden shift.

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: Beyond housing, energy and economic growth, several other issues demand urgent attention in Annapolis, and I am already working on them.

Criminal justice and second chances matter deeply to District 40. I championed laws providing automatic expungement for non-convictions, giving individuals a real chance at a second start. Re-entry is an economic issue as much as a justice issue - when people can’t work because of their record, everyone loses. I will continue pushing to remove barriers that keep returning citizens from full participation in our economy. Education funding must be protected at all costs. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future represents a generational commitment to our children. As the federal government threatens to pull back from public education, the state must hold the line and ensure every child in District 40 attends a well-resourced school. Defending Maryland from federal overreach is now unavoidable. Whether it’s protecting workers’ rights, immigrant communities, or our state’s investments, I will use every tool available as chair of the Government, Labor and Elections Committee to shield Marylanders from policies that threaten their livelihoods and dignity. District 40 deserves a delegate who shows up for all of it, and I always will.

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: Energy costs are a real strain for families and small businesses across Maryland, and bringing them down requires both immediate relief and a long-term approach. We need stronger oversight of utility rates to ensure any increases are transparent, justified, and not placing an unfair burden on ratepayers. Maryland should also continue diversifying its energy supply and modernizing the grid to create a more stable and resilient system that protects consumers from price spikes over time. And we should expand access to community solar and shared energy programs so that renters and others who can’t install solar panels can still benefit from lower-cost energy options. Taken together, these steps can help make energy more affordable and predictable for Maryland households. Additional steps we can take are to reduce energy use through efficiency — expanding programs that help residents weatherize their homes, improve insulation, and upgrade outdated appliances can lower utility bills month after month.

Auto insurance fairness is a pocketbook issue. I introduced legislation to stop insurers from using credit scores to set rates, a practice that unfairly penalizes lower-income Marylanders for being poor, not for being bad drivers. I will bring that fight back until it crosses the finish line.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: The blueprint is a historic and essential investment in our children’s education. Upfront and meaningful investment in our children is the best and most effective way to ensure every child has an opportunity to success. For Baltimore City this is so necessary because the city has faced decades of underfunding and concentrated poverty, and the blueprint directs additional resources to the students and schools that need them most. It expands access to high-quality early childhood education, increases funding for schools with high needs, raises teacher pay, and strengthens college and career pathways — especially through career and technical education. We have already seen measurable improvement in our children’s educational progress in the first couple years of the investment. I believe strongly in data-driven policy, and we should be guided by this principle moving forward. Additionally, the concentration of poverty grants, as well as the investment in community schools and special education is essential to ensuring core program funding that ensures our students have the resources needed to succeed in District 40 and across Baltimore City.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: District 40 deserves a bold fighter in Annapolis, and I am up for the fight and have the track record! I am guided by the voices and concerns of my constituents; everything I do is in direct partnership and consultation with the communities and people I represent. Since 2018, I and Team 40 have secured more than $300 million in capital projects for the district and awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships to local students. We have introduced and supported legislation to improve the stability, health, education, and economic growth of residents, businesses, and institutions that call District 40 and Baltimore City home. But our work isn’t finished. As a labor leader and advocate for financial security, I’ve fought to protect workers’ rights, keep families in their homes, and ensure our community has the economic tools to thrive. I have also fought to expand access to healthy food through urban farming initiatives. As the former chair of the Baltimore City Delegation and now chair of the Government, Labor and Elections Committee, I’m in a stronger position to deliver for every neighborhood in our district. I’m running because District 40 deserves a delegate who always shows up, and I always will.

Working Class Party

Name: Alan Rebar

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Democratic

Name: Frank M. Conaway, Jr.

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Dianté Edwards

Age: 33

Personal: Pigtown resident, two rescue dogs.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, computer networks & cybersecurity, University of Maryland Global Campus.

Experience: Cybersecurity consultant, Parsons Corp. (2022-present); cryptologic technician, U.S. Navy Reserve (2022-present); chief of staff, Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway (2022); cryptologic technician, U.S. Navy (2012-2022).

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: I support closing Maryland’s LLC tax loopholes implementing progressive tax reform in order to bring us closer to filling the budget gap. At the same time, I want to work with our labor unions throughout the state to identify where we can find efficiencies and eliminate bureaucracy in order to reduce costs.

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: Affordability in housing, energy, and food costs; education funding; and transportation.

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: We must hold BGE accountable to providing energy at affordable rates. We should not be facing an affordability crisis in energy while BGE simultaneously claims record profits for its shareholders. I believe it has become necessary to provide a public power option in the State of Maryland. I also believe we need to aggressively invest in green energy production to meet the growing electricity demands of the state and keep costs down. Separately, to alleviate the high cost of housing and housing shortages, rehabilitating vacant housing and building new housing of all types in Baltimore is one of my highest priorities.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a transformational education reform that guarantees our state’s competitiveness across multiple sectors on the global scale for decades to come. I fully support finding new and creative ways to raise revenue to support the blueprint, while ensuring that we protect low- to moderate-income families from cost increases.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: My constituents can expect me to show up regularly to neighborhood meetings and events, host town halls, and knock on doors to keep them constantly informed about the work I am doing for them in the General Assembly. My progress will be measured by the legislation I introduce on their behalf, and dollars saved in their bank accounts because of it.

Name: Anderson Jean

Age: 35

Personal: Lifelong scholar of Haitian heritage.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, political science, University of Massachusetts; master’s degree, government and politics, St. John’s University (Queens, N.Y.)

Experience: Academic (history); worked on U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s reelection campaign; worked in the constituent services office of former representative Elizabeth Esty.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: Maryland’s structural deficit requires honest budgeting and tough choices. I would prioritize a full review of state spending, including consolidating duplicative programs and scaling back underperforming tax credits and incentives that do not deliver measurable job growth so we can reinvest in education and workforce development, while protecting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, public safety, and essential services.

I also support closing corporate tax loopholes, strengthening enforcement, and modernizing the tax code to include digital goods and services without increasing the burden on working families. This approach ensures fiscal discipline, fairness, and long-term sustainability.

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: Maryland’s biggest challenges are our structural budget deficit, ensuring education funding actually delivers results, and addressing ongoing public safety concerns. We can’t afford to ignore the fiscal reality that tough decisions are ahead, but we also have to demand accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent and focus on real outcomes. That means safer communities, stronger schools, and a government that is honest, efficient, and results-driven.

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: Lowering the cost of living in Maryland requires bold, practical action on housing, energy and taxes. We must expand housing supply by reforming zoning and fast-tracking development because we cannot lower costs without building more housing.

I support targeted relief for working families, including expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and reducing regressive fees. We should also lower utility costs by scaling community solar, investing in energy efficiency, and stabilizing rates. Affordability won’t improve with small fixes - we need to reduce structural costs and deliver real relief so working families can thrive.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: We should not roll back the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future but we do need to fundamentally rethink how we fund and deliver it. The real question isn’t whether we can afford this investment, it’s whether we can afford to keep spending without results.

This is a generational commitment. We should tie a portion of funding to measurable outcomes especially in literacy and career readiness with clear benchmarks and intervention when goals are consistently not met, while strengthening oversight and phasing implementation where necessary to remain fiscally responsible. I support identifying fair, sustainable revenue, like closing corporate tax loopholes, while protecting working families. If we’re asking taxpayers to invest more, then we have a responsibility to deliver more. Maryland doesn’t need bigger promises, we need better results.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: Elections shouldn’t be the only time constituents evaluate their elected officials. I believe in real-time accountability through regular public updates, consistent town halls, and a simple constituent dashboard where residents can track progress on key issues. Trust isn’t built every four years - it’s earned every day.

Name: Kevin Legacy

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Crystal Jackson Parker

Age: 59

Personal: Widowed, two children, four grandchildren.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, sociology, African American studies and Government, Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences; juris doctor, University of Baltimore School of Law.

Experience: Director of asset management, Coppin Heights Community Development Corp. (2023-present); president, North Avenue Hilton Street Business & Community Task Force; president, Gateway Resident Council.

Questionnaire

Q: Maryland’s state government is facing a structural deficit in future years. Please describe how you would approach closing the gap. Be specific about any spending cuts or revenue increases you propose.

A: I. Reform Tax Policy to Shift Burdens Off Working Families

Maryland’s high costs are compounded by inequitable tax structures. Options I would look to include are:

• Closing corporate tax loopholes so large institutions contribute fairly

• Exploring progressive revenue tools, such as higher brackets for top earners, to fund affordability programs

II. Health and Medicaid cost management

Target: $250–$350M/year

• Value-based purchasing and managed-care improvements to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and high cost utilization

• Aggressive drug price management using Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board and multi-state purchasing

• Eligibility and program integrity investments (better data matching, modernized systems) to reduce improper payments

III. Personnel, pensions and procurement

Target: $250–$350M/year

• Slow FTE growth in central administration through attrition and hiring controls, while protecting frontline roles

• Pension and OPEB tweaks for new hires only — slightly higher employee contributions and updated assumptions — so savings grow over time without breaking promises to current workers

IV. Suggestions for the REVENUE side

High-income personal income tax reform

Target: $500–$700M/year

• Add new brackets above current top rate for taxable income over, say, $500k–$600k (higher for joint filers), with a modest rate increase at the very top (e.g., 6.25–6.5% on income above $1M)

Q: What do you consider the 3 most pressing issues facing Maryland?

A: Affordability, public safety, education

Q: What would you do to lower the cost of living for Maryland residents?

A: Build more affordable units

• Expanding rental assistance and strengthening tenant protections to prevent displacement
• Increasing homeownership access through down-payment support and community land trusts, especially in historically disinvested neighborhoods

Reduce Utility Costs and Strengthen Oversight

• Stronger regulation of utility companies to prevent excessive rate hikes

• Accelerating energy efficiency upgrades for homes, including weatherization and appliance rebates

• Expanding community solar and renewable energy access to stabilize long term costs

Transportation Affordability

• Invest in reliable public transit, especially in Baltimore and surrounding counties

• Expand discounted transit passes for low-income riders, students and seniors

• Build safer pedestrian and bike infrastructure

Food Costs

• Support local agriculture and urban farming

• Expand SNAP matching programs at farmers markets

• Strengthen school meal programs to reduce family expenses

Lower Healthcare Costs

• Increase transparency in hospital and insurer pricing

• Expand access to community health centers and preventive care

• Support prescription drug affordability boards to cap excessive price increases

6. Raise Incomes and Reduce Inequality

Maryland’s cost of living is 17% higher than the national average, driven largely by housing and food. To help families keep up:

• Strengthen labor standards and support unionization.

• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

• Invest in workforce development for high-growth industries.

Q: The cost of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education plan will exceed the money available in the Blueprint’s fund over the next few years. Should the state raise new revenue for the programs, or should the programs be rolled back or adjusted?

A: Our children and our teachers are suffering. The state has to find ways to raise new revenue. Our young people need multiple levels of services and our teacher’s need support. The future of our children can’t support a service rollback.

Q: Besides an election, how do you want constituents to review your job performance?

A: I want constituents to be vigilant about holding me accountable. I want them to provide a quarterly if not yearly report card. My plan is to implement wellness checks to find out how we are doing. Finally, I want constituents to see themselves in the legislation. This only happens if they are at the table frequently.

“Can I open a restaurant in 30 days?” reads the text in a video featuring Lanasa as he sips from a mug and stares at a computer monitor. “Follow to find out!”

Over the past week, Lanasa has teased details about his new concept on Instagram as he’s brought viewers along on his quest, even documenting his trip to city permit offices.

Those city permit offices willing, Lanasa will open Pressed, a sandwich and panini shop in Hampden, on Oct. 29. The storefront at 3528 Chestnut Ave. was previously home to Maillard Patisserie.

In a neighborhood already dense with restaurants, Lanasa said he hopes to stand out by offering affordable and healthy options such as a tuna salad sandwich for just $7. “We’re trying to try to make a place for that area that is very quick, in and out, but always filling and kind of healthy,” he said.

Other options will include chicken salad sandwiches with craisins, tarragon and green apple; Italian cold cut subs that can be served hot or cold; and portobello mushroom paninis with goat cheese. He also plans to partner with local businesses like Cane Collective for beverage mixers to create custom drinks and to spotlight locally made goods.

He won’t be working alone: Tony Levan, who worked with Lanasa at Peabody, will join him as an employee and business partner.

Pressed will start with only lunch before adding breakfast and the occasional evening pop-up. Down the line, the father of two wants to offer customers meal plans that include a pack of five weekly lunches or cost-effective dinners for a family of four. After all, feeding his family was the inspiration to start the business.

“I need to make money within a certain period of time,” Lanasa said. “I’m literally betting on my experience and skills.”

The 30-day timeline is drawing on his experience in the business world, including opening his own business, Towson’s Court Towers Cafe, at 21, and then a Fleet Street eatery called B3. He later worked as a personal chef to former Ravens outside linebacker Matthew Judon, an experience he said was “a lot of fun.”

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A post shared by Chef Anthony Lanasa (@chefalanasa)

Lanasa joined Peabody Heights last year, running its Korean-influenced Concession Stand fare. But he and his former bosses had different visions for the operation, said Peabody co-owner Eddie O’Keefe. “We just wanted two different things,” O’Keefe said. “We wish him the best of luck.”

A frequent exerciser, Lanasa said he prioritizes nutrition in his diet and will do so at Pressed, offering calorie information for every sandwich he sells. “I put a lot of thought into trying to balance food for people,” he said, making meals that are both fun to eat and good for the body.

But the shop’s name isn’t a workout reference; rather, Lanasa said it’s about the panini press he plans to use. “I’ve come up with a couple slogans for it, too. ‘Whether you’re pressed for time or pressed for a good bite, come get Pressed,’” he said. “And I always say, ‘Don’t get depressed, get Pressed.’”

The coming weeks will tell whether Lanasa can stick to his whirlwind opening timeline, but “I am on track for everything so far,” he said, just after picking up the keys for his new storefront. He already has a health inspection scheduled for next week. “I’m kind of shocked myself.”

ASHBURN, Va. — Jayden Daniels is coming back this week without any limitations.

Offensive coordinator David Blough said Daniels will be a “full go” against the New York Giants and will not be held back as he returns from a dislocated elbow.

“Happy to have him back,” Blough said.

Daniels missed the last two weeks after reinjuring his elbow against the Dallas Cowboys. He consulted specialists about next steps after the injury and decided against season-ending surgery.

He will wear a brace on his elbow to protect his non-throwing elbow, which he has hurt in three of the last four games he’s played.

Yesterday, Daniels said he had to “embrace the brace” and acknowledged he will wear it the remainder of the year.

“It is a part of me now,” he said.

Washington is 1-3 and 0-2 against divisional opponents. A loss to the Giants would move them to 0-3 in the division and significantly behind in the playoff race.

Head coach Dan Quinn said Washington’s status in the playoff race did not factor into Daniels’ timeline to return.

It was 30 years ago Friday that a kid named Jeffrey Maier became a New York hero and a Baltimore villain. He reached over the right-field wall at old Yankee Stadium and turned a potential out into a game-tying eighth-inning home run for the Yankees in the first game of the 1996 American League Championship Series.

What could’ve been, if only umpire Rich Garcia had ruled fan interference rather than a home run for Derek Jeter.

If there was a shiver down your spine in Wednesday night’s Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third game of the American League Division Series, you’re forgiven. It was uncanny how similar it was — a game-tying home run for a Yankees infielder, this time Anthony Volpe in the sixth inning.

Except in those 30 years, video replay review has become a thing. And if it had been available in 1996 (Major League Baseball didn’t institute replay reviews until 2008), the Maier incident would have been overturned and maybe, just maybe, the Orioles would’ve won that game.

Garcia, the umpire, later admitted he got the call wrong.

“Nobody feels worse than I do,” Garcia said in 1996. “I had never had a controversial call in a postseason game. It hurts.”

Even at that early juncture in the seven-game series, the home run call felt like a pivotal moment.

“Meanwhile, here’s the kid receiving congratulations all around,” announcer Bob Costas said on the NBC broadcast. “He’s affected, possibly, the outcome of the game. Certainly he’s affected the course of the game.”

“And maybe the series, Bob,” commentator Bob Uecker chimed in. “Maybe the championship series.”

The Yankees won the series 4-1, but the first four games were all close, with Orioles pitchers surrendering runs late in Games 1, 3 and 4.

It’s all ancient history now, but it was no less poignant when a lengthy replay review Wednesday at Yankee Stadium ruled that a Yankees fan reached over the left-field wall and pulled Volpe’s hit over it.

The replay review judged that Volpe’s hit wouldn’t have been caught by Victor Mesa Jr., but the fan interference turned the game-tying knock into an RBI double. Then former Orioles right-hander Bryan Baker earned the save to eliminate the Yankees.

The moment wasn’t missed by Orioles fans on social media.

On X, Orioles fan Eric Arditti wrote, “Now you get the call right.” He hasn’t forgotten.

Now you get the call right -_-

— Barstool Are Dee Tee (@editti22) October 8, 2026

Added Cal Perry, the former Orioles senior vice president and chief content officer: “Jeffrey Maier. That’s the tweet. I see you Os nation. I see you.”

Even the Durham Bulls quipped: “Jeffrey Maier 2.0 has entered the chat.”

FanGraphs writer Michael Baumann, however, might’ve said it best over on Bluesky.

“If you’re old enough to compare this play to the Jeffrey Maier play, you should schedule a colonoscopy,” Baumann wrote.

That may be a better outcome than rewatching the Maier play, at least.

The survey from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Institute of Politics found that just 13% of respondents support new data centers in the state and just 16% support data centers being built near their communities.

The survey of 776 likely voters was conducted Sept. 22-27 via landlines, cellphones and text messages. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Data centers have become a hot political topic, as officials wrestle with whether and how to regulate their construction and operation.

The poll sends a strong message that Marylanders are concerned: Opposition to data center construction cuts across every demographic measured in the poll, with strong majorities opposing it regardless of party affiliation, gender, geography, age, education or income level.

Across the state and the country, residents have raised concerns that loud, unsightly data centers may compromise the electric power grid and have negative environmental impacts.

And data centers have become an issue in the race for governor.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who previously touted data centers as a potential economic engine, recently announced proposals including a set of standards for reviewing new data centers and a task force to study their impacts. He did not go so far as to propose a pause or ban on new data centers, as many local governments and some governors in other states have done.

The proposal is a change for Moore, who previously supported legislation to smooth the construction of data centers and vetoed legislation to study their impacts. His administration also warned against repealing a 2020 tax break for data centers.

Dan Cox, Moore’s Republican challenger, voted for that tax break when he was in the House of Delegates. But Cox now says there should be a moratorium on the largest data centers, known as hyperscale centers.

Green Party candidate Andy Ellis has made fighting data centers a central part of his platform.

“We’re demanding a ban,” Ellis said in a statement after Moore’s announcement. “A moratorium is a half-measure, but a task force is nothing. It’s lip-service, it’s cowardly, and it does nothing to stop extractive corporations.”

Cathy White, a Working Class Party candidate, told The Banner last month through her running mate, Cathy Permut, that they remained “skeptical” that the benefits of emerging technologies would be shared equitably.

The Grammy Award-winning band from Baltimore will perform a free concert at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 24, Turnstile announced Thursday.

The concert will close out part two of the “Never Enough” Tour; part one started in Baltimore on May 10, 2025, with an instantly memorable free show at Wyman Park Dell that raised tens of thousands of dollars for Health Care for the Homeless.

The Washington Monument show will raise money to support humanitarian efforts in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon in partnership with Human Concern International, according to a press release.

Fans can RSVP for the 3 p.m. D.C. concert here.

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The quintet — singer Brendan Yates, drummer Daniel Fang, bassist Franz Lyons and guitarists Pat McCrory and Meg Mills — has stayed busy in 2026, touring the world in support of “Never Enough,” their fourth album and the first to win Grammys for the group.

Turnstile made their “Saturday Night Live” debut last weekend, performing “Birds” and “I Care/Dull” on the famed New York City stage. In June, the band released “Never Enough: Versions,” a remix album featuring Elton John, Hayley Williams and Baltimore musicians.

It’s been a year of milestones for Turnstile, though the band has also had to deal with a legal matter involving a former member. Former guitarist Brady Ebert was charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder in an alleged attack on Yates’ father, William Yates.

Last month, Ebert was deemed incompetent to stand trial. He will be reevaluated in January.

Turnstile performed in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday evening. The act’s next show is Oct. 14 in Ventura, California, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Instead, the station house on Edmonston Road became the site of repeated sexual abuse by a senior fire official, Shade alleges in court filings.

According to a lawsuit filed in May 2025, then-Assistant Chief Randy Kuenzli groomed and sexually abused Shade from 2000 to 2003, while other firefighters subjected him to hazing and bullying.

When Shade reported the abuse, his bunk was moved to a lower floor away from Kuenzli but station leadership didn’t contact law enforcement or open an investigation, according to a sworn affidavit from a former chief officer at the fire station.

The case was slated to be one of the first instances when a jury would weigh in on a claim brought under Maryland’s Child Victims Act of 2023, which eliminated the statute of limitations for civil child sex abuse claims.

The trial was scheduled to begin Monday in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. But over the weekend the attorneys for the Bladensburg Volunteer Department asked to postpone, a request Shade’s attorney expects the judge to grant.

The lawsuit originally named Prince George’s County and the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad as defendants. But the county agreed to a settlement Friday evening.

If the case against the volunteer fire department goes to trial, jurors will be asked to determine whether Shade was a minor during the time of the alleged abuse and whether the department can be held liable for failing to protect young volunteers.

Tonya Sweat, the attorney for the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department, has argued there is no documentation showing the teen volunteered with the department before his 18th birthday.

“His application was filed in July of 2001, after his 18th birthday,” Sweat said. “The question then becomes where and how was he affiliated with the department before his 18th birthday. And there are no records to show that he was affiliated.”

Shade’s attorney and other lawyers who handle similar claims said this case could represent a test for jurors weighing accusations of abuse that occurred decades ago and for the new law that aims to hold institutions accountable.

“If the jury finds that he was 17, finds that these defendants were negligent and awards Mr. Shade a substantial amount to compensate him for a quarter century of pain and suffering, then I think a lot of defendants, a lot of institutions are going to take notice,” Shade’s attorney Kevin Docherty said.

Allegations of unchecked abuse

Shade began volunteering on weekends with the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department in 2000, just before his 17th birthday, according to his attorneys. He rode in the truck to emergency calls, laid out the hose and wore a red helmet. He also got to know Kuenzli.

Within weeks, the teen’s conversations with the then-assistant chief turned inappropriate as Kuenzli began asking him sexually explicit questions, according to the lawsuit.

When Shade moved into the firehouse, Kuenzli’s abuse turned physical.

(The Banner typically does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Shade granted permission for his name to be used in this report.)

Court filings allege Kuenzli repeatedly sexually abused and raped Shade in the bunkhouse where they both slept. On some occasions, the teen was awoken by the abuse.

“Sometimes, Mr. Shade was too shocked to react. Other times, Mr. Shade urged Mr. Kuenzli to stop. But despite those pleas, Mr. Kuenzli persisted,” the lawsuit says.

Other firefighters allegedly taunted Shade with homophobic slurs, according to the complaint, and put him through an initiation ritual in which they tied him to a flagpole, hit him with socks stuffed with bars of soap and sprayed him with a fire hose.

The final straw came after Shade was riding in a BVFD vehicle that was involved in a collision. While other firefighters went out drinking after the incident, according to the lawsuit, Kuenzli stayed behind at the station. “Mr. Shade was still in pain from the accident and did not have the same strength to fight off Mr. Kuenzli,” the lawsuit says.

Shade later left the firehouse on foot, “intending to take his own life by walking into traffic,” the lawsuit says. But he changed his mind after a phone call with his sister.

Shade and his sister separately reported the abuse to then-Chief Officer Bob Wells, the lawsuit says.

In a sworn affidavit from July, Wells acknowledged that Shade reported the abuse. He said Shade asked him not to contact police or the board of directors out of fear of retaliation. Wells also said he suggested the teenager move his bed away from Kuenzli’s, which happened the following day.

“In the early 2000s, Bladensburg VFD did not have formal procedures for handling reports like Anthony’s,” Wells said in his affidavit. “I was a young officer in the volunteer department. EEO [equal employment opportunity], harassment and sexual misconduct was not in regular training as it is today. Anthony wanted to keep the allegation out of the station.”

Kuenzli later became chief of the department and died in 2022. He was never criminally charged for the alleged abuse.

Sweat, the fire department attorney, said she hasn’t investigated what happened after Shade turned 18 because those allegations would not fall under the Child Victims Act.

“We don’t know whether it happened, and because the party who is accused is now deceased, we’ll never know what happened,” Sweat said. (Sweat is separately running a write-in campaign for county executive.)

Shade has spent years trying to cope with the alleged trauma. He has had suicidal thoughts, according to the complaint, and served multiple stints in jail. Shade’s attorney told The Banner his client is not ready to talk outside of court about the alleged abuse. His personal and family relationships have suffered, according to the lawsuit.

“He struggles to trust people because of the ways Mr. Kuenzli and BVFD betrayed him,” according to the lawsuit.

Statewide reckoning

About 12,000 claims across Maryland have been filed under the Child Victims Act. The law reopened courthouse doors to child survivors of abuse within churches, school districts, youth detention centers and local government agencies.

Some cases have been settled or were dismissed. Many others are tangled in delays or have outlasted the survivors who brought them.

State legislators revised the law in 2025 to reduce maximum payouts against public entities, from $890,000 to $400,000 per claimant; the cap for claims against private institutions is $700,000, down from $1.5 million.

Potential payouts were capped out of concern that thousands of claims could trigger devastating financial liability for the state, which was grappling with a budget shortfall.

Prince George’s County’s legal office declined to say how many Child Victims Act claims it’s facing and referred questions to the county executive’s office. A spokesperson for County Executive Aisha Braveboy acknowledged The Banner’s request but did not respond by publication.

Child safety advocates emphasize that the Child Victims Act remains one of the few mechanisms capable of forcing institutional accountability.

“We live in a society where money talks, and that’s what causes organizations to have to pay attention,” said Adam Rosenberg, vice president of violence intervention and prevention at LifeBridge Health and executive director of the Center for Hope. “And, if not, then they have to pay the penalty.”

Rosenberg said delayed disclosure of abuse is common, especially in cases involving minors and authority figures. In his view, laws removing civil statutes of limitations are critical.

“A lot of kids had come forward, and no one did anything,” Rosenberg said. “There are a lot of kids who are afraid to come forward with the fact that someone who is well respected and beloved did something terrible to them, and they end up feeling like they’re going to be in trouble too.”

Who’s liable?

Before Prince George’s County reached a last-minute settlement, a central question in the plaintiff’s lawsuit was whether the county could be held liable for abuse that occurred inside a volunteer department.

Although volunteer stations operate as independent entities, Docherty argued the county maintains administrative authority over emergency personnel.

“The abuser in this case was not an employee of the county, but the county regulates all of its volunteer fire departments and volunteer firefighters through a set of orders or regulations called general orders,” Docherty said. “So, even though he wasn’t an employee, he was still subject to and under the control of the county fire department.”

Have a tip for our Prince George’s County reporters? Tell us here.

Riparian Capital Partners and its associated management company, based in Mount Vernon, own portfolios of homes across the country. It’s one of Baltimore’s biggest landlords.

Last year, the firm bought 172 homes in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County, almost all of which are in Cleveland. But about 80% of them are visibly vacant, and many of the homes that are occupied are in disrepair, housing advocates in Cleveland say.

On Wednesday, members of Progressive Maryland, acting on behalf of the Cleveland-based Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council and ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, headed to Riparian to confront the company owners.

No one answered the door. The advocates instead dropped off a report produced by ACORN and the Cleveland vacant property council.

According to the news site Signal Cleveland, the city has issued 101 violation notices and 191 civil tickets against Riparian-owned properties and has repeatedly filed cases against the landlord in Cleveland’s housing court.

“If you think you can come in and buy properties and do nothing with them, think again,” Sally Martin O’Toole, Cleveland’s top housing official, told News 5 Cleveland.

Public records show that Riparian bought the Cuyahoga County portfolio of homes for about $9 million, or roughly $50,000 per home.

Shortly after acquiring those properties, Riparian used that portfolio and one in Michigan to take out a loan for $35 million, according to property records from Cuyahoga County.

Riparian CEO Kristoffer Garin said in an interview Wednesday that part of the loan was supposed to pay for improvements to the homes, but Riparian realized their condition was much worse than the seller had represented.

Garin said Riparian is working with a potential buyer for the Cleveland portfolio and will likely take a loss on the investment.

“This is a large fraud that we were the victim of,” Garin said.

Riparian began building the Baltimore portfolio around 2021, public records show, and the company currently owns or controls 683 homes in Baltimore through various limited liability companies.

Twenty of Riparian’s properties in Baltimore, or less than 3% of its portfolio here, have vacant building notices, an official designation from the city indicating that a property is uninhabitable.

On its website, Riparian describes itself as a group of “long-term investors” who are “committed to making positive, sustainable contributions to the communities we serve.”

“We focus on well-maintained homes located in stable, affordable communities across the cities where we operate,” the company says on its website, “and we’re committed to providing the best possible experience for our residents.”

Abandoned buildings of all sorts — a mall, a school, a theater — make for spooky settings. And then there are the terrifying trails. How about a 10-minute stroll through the woods as creepy clowns pop out every few steps?

The oddest place of all? Maybe it’s among the fabulous extra yard decor on Catalina Terrace in Silver Spring.

Here are some of the most unusual haunted places across Maryland.

Leech Woods

A 10-minute walk through a trail of clowns.

Scared yet?

Leech Woods in Damascus blends a house of horrors with glow-in-the-dark axe throwing and fire dancers in rural Montgomery County.

The newest attraction this season is Clown Carnage, a walking trail packed with clowns who pop out every few steps. Expect chain saws, clowns with teeth for eyes and other bits of circus horror that you never wanted to imagine.

Guests can take other perilous paths, including Leech Woods’ namesake trail, a 30-minute walk that features scenes starring more than 60 performers trained to scare the daylights out of you.

Leech Woods at 11201 Bethesda Church Road in Damascus is open weekends through Nov. 1. Tickets start at $44.99.

— Hau Chu

Bennett’s Curse at Eastpoint Mall

The zombie is the mall itself.

Eastpoint Mall has closed, but Bennett’s Curse still reigns across four featured hallows of horror: House of the Demons, Halloween 3D, Ravenbrook Asylum and The Crypt.

And, when the lineup is this tantalizingly macabre, why choose? A $35 ticket gains you entry throughout the entire venue.

Whether you’re itching to confront King Raum (a ruthless demon with Lucifer on speed dial), meet The Carver, who will immortalize your scream — and maybe your soul — onto his jack-o’-lantern canvas, convince the orderlies at Ravenbrook not to make you their next experiment or roam the catacombs, this place has you covered.

But the scariest prospect of them all?

It’s Bennett’s final season in Dundalk. The family-owned operation, with a quarter century’s worth of spooktacular success, is on the hunt for a new location. This season, though, it’s Night of Living Eastpoint Mall.

Bennett’s Curse at 7875A Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk is open weekends through Nov. 7, plus Oct. 29. Tickets start at $35.

— Céilí Doyle

North Carroll High School

At its peak, North Carroll High School had around 1,700 students. Now it’s filled only with school ghouls.

The high school, which was open for more than half a century, closed in June 2016 because of declining enrollment. But the 260,000-square-foot building remains and, as it happens, is up for auction this month.

You can spend 30-45 minutes walking through “real classrooms, corridors and places students were never allowed,” according to the attraction’s website.

“As the final bell echoed through the halls, a strange silence fell over the building,” the website warns, “one that staff say never lifted.”

The Final Bell Haunted Schoolhouse at 1400 Panther Drive in Hampstead is open Fridays and Saturdays through Halloween. Tickets start at $30.

— Julie Bykowicz

The Catalina Haunt

An elaborately decorated free haunted experience is on display in the front yard of a suburban family home.

For more than a decade, Holly Agouridis has drenched the yard and porch of her family’s Kensington house in upward of 150 creepy Halloween animatronics, towering skeletons, colorful lights and elaborate props for guests in the neighborhood and around Montgomery County to walk through — if they dare.

The Catalina Haunt at 11423 Catalina Terrace in Silver Spring is free and open through Halloween night.

— Hannah Yasharoff

Laurel’s House of Horror

Now showing: spookiness.

Because Laurel’s House of Horror is inside an abandoned cinema complex, which the attraction’s website claims may be haunted, it’s fitting that a roughly 20-minute walk starts with a short film. When you’re standing in a dark room, focused on a screen, an impending sense of doom sets in. Are the jump scares going to start right here? That dread intensifies as you navigate tight corners, bracing for new scares as your pace slows.

With elaborate — and sometimes cheesy — sets, this house is more visual spectacle than nightmare fuel. If you’re the friend who drags the group to haunted houses, this is a good option for vibes that won’t leave your less-than-enthusiastic pals feeling betrayed by the scare factor.

Laurel’s House of Horror at 935 Fairlawn Ave. is open weekends through Nov. 7 and some weekdays in late October. Tickets start at $29.95.

— Maya Lora

Legends of the Fog

At Legends of the Fog in Aberdeen, the haunted corn maze isn’t the usual predetermined path. You can choose your fate at a few forks as scare actors whisper and growl suggestions in an attempt to separate groups and isolate their victims.

As you wander the stalks, you can hear earlier groups screaming into the night.

At four attractions — including the infamous hayride, where by the time you’re scared enough to cry “Uncle!” it’s too late to get off — the use of dialogue, props and gore is top tier. Beware of Farewell Hotel, where a bellhop will usher you into the elevator ride from hell.

Legends of the Fog at 500 Carsins Run Road in Aberdeen is open weekends through Nov. 7 and some Thursdays in late October. Tickets start at $25 for just the hayride, but it’s worth doubling the investment for all four attractions.

— Maya Lora

Markoff’s Haunted Forest

Get your steps in and go on two haunted walk-through attractions at Markoff’s Haunted Forest: The Town and The Haunted Trail. The latter of which puts you on a mile-long walk through scary territory with real actors, frightening animatronics, mist, special effects and more. The former is an Old West-themed town where you’ll get “up close & personal with the zombies who inhabit Onslaught Mills,” according to Markoff’s website.

While you wait your turn for either event, you can hang out in the free Midway area, which features food, drinks, bonfires, a zipline and even a DJ.

Markoff’s Haunted Forest at 19120 Martinsburg Road in Dickerson is open weekends (with more days closer to Halloween) through Nov. 8. Ticket prices, which vary by date, start at $35 for just a Town pass or $45 for a Trail pass, or you can buy a combination.

— Caitlin Moore

The Nevermore Haunt

Late 19th-century Baltimore is the inspiration for this haunted house, which has been scaring Charm City denizens since 2016. Visitors “come face-to-face with mangled, undead factory workers, the ghosts of drowned sailors, unlicensed medical practitioners and strange, terrifying monsters,” according to their website.

And this event isn’t for those who are in for just a touch of the spooky with the family: Those under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult, and no children under 4 feet tall are allowed. But hey, there’s also an on-site bar and local food vendors, so perhaps this is an event best enjoyed by adults ready to be scared witless.

The Nevermore Haunt at 450 Mott St. in Baltimore is open Friday and Saturday the first two weekends in October, Friday through Sunday the second two, and open Oct. 29, 30, 31 and Nov. 1. General admission tickets start at $24, but prices vary depending on the day you choose to visit.

— Caitlin Moore

Fall is here along with the spooky season when countless kiddos and adults will test their courage at haunted attractions or run for the hills. But Halloween-leaning fun doesn’t have to be synonymous with bed-wetting fear.

Little tykes still have a chance to get in on the entertainment whether simply dressing up at an event or exploring a corn maze.

These attractions and events across Maryland allow kids to participate without the risk of getting too scared.

Maryland ZooBOO!

Attendees at the ZooBOO! Festival, which kicks off Friday, are encouraged to wear family-friendly costumes while participating in mostly free activities throughout the Maryland Zoo. There will be face painting, sack races, costume contests on Saturdays and Sundays, and food trucks and vendors.

ZooBOO!, which takes place most weekends in October, is included with the price of zoo admission or a membership. Children under 2 are free. Tickets range from $28 to $33.

The Maryland Zoo is located at 1 Safari Place in Baltimore.

AVFD Station 7 Terror Trail

Survival isn’t guaranteed at the Terror Trail in Davidsonville, which is recommended for courageous kids over 8 years old. The Boo Loop, where no one will jump out, is designed for the younger kids, with static displays and a scavenger hunt with prizes. These offerings are only open Fridays and Saturdays throughout October. Attendees are invited to dress up as they enjoy the attractions and food truck.

Terror Trail tickets are $30 and Boo Loop tickets cost $10. Proceeds support the Arundel Volunteer Fire Department Station 7, and ticket discounts are available to first responders, teachers, veterans, medical professionals and those who bring a canned food item.

The AVFD Station 7 Terror Trail is located at 2701 Davidsonville Road in Davidsonville.

Fall Harvest Days at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm

Until Nov. 8, families can head to Weber’s Cider Mill Farm in Parkville to experience all things fall with a smidge of spooky, including a family-friendly skeleton walk, a hay maze, farm animals and play structures. For an additional cost, kids can have their faces painted or get a glitter tattoo. And for your fall food fill, apple cider donuts, apple slushies and more are on the menu.

Tickets are required for anyone 2 years old and up. October’s weekday festival admission starts at $16, while the weekends cost $18.50. Or you can get unlimited entry on weekdays with a season pass that’ll run you $35. Admission pricing is subject to change throughout the season.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm is located at 2526 Proctor Lane in Parkville.

Westminster Hall and Burying Ground

For a controlled encounter with the dead, the Burying Ground at Westminster Hall is usually open daily for self-guided tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Westminster Hall’s website. Edgar Allan Poe’s large marble grave site is a popular stop within the grounds. There are also catacombs that can only be explored through a guided tour.

For $5 a person, Westminster Hall is hosting a catacombs tour on Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Baltimore Heritage also provides a tour of the catacombs for $10-$15.

Westminster Hall and Burying Grounds are located at 551 W. Fayette St. in Baltimore.

Park’d N Pumpkin

Baltimore City Recreation and Parks is offering an opportunity to drive through terror on Oct. 16 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pack the kiddos in the car, choose your time slot and schedule a date with horror as a portion of the 745-acre Druid Hill Park is turned into a roadway of doom. The event is open to all ages, and there are subtle ways to maximize or minimize the scares.

For an intense, scary experience, keep the doors unlocked and the windows down. For a less frightening time, make sure to do the opposite. Keep at least a half-gallon of gas in your tank since you’ll have to wait in line in your car to enter.

Each car costs $13.

Druid Hill Park is located at 3001 E. Drive in Baltimore.

The Maryland Corn Maze

For the last 20 years, the Maryland Corn Maze in Gambrills has invited families to try their luck getting out of acres of corn. The maze isn’t haunted, and flashlight nights on select Saturdays throughout October let you see for yourself. The corn maze is open Saturdays and Sundays with specific weekday openings through the first week of November. In addition to the maze, there are also pumpkins for sale.

Children 2 and under are free on weekends and do not need a ticket. Tickets start at $18. Paintball and pony rides will cost a little extra. There are also large-group rates and day-and-night combo tickets. Pack those closed-toe shoes, as well.

The Maryland Corn Maze is located at 389 Gambrills Road in Gambrills.

Fall Farm Festival at Old Maryland Farm

The annual event in Kettering takes place this season on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and has plenty of fall fun to explore for guests of all ages. Kids can explore a pumpkin patch and a barn full of friendly farm animals. Or try your hand at some games such as hobby-horse races and pumpkin bowling.

As a bonus, kids can fill out a bingo card of activities they’ve completed throughout the farm for a chance to win a prize. Admission is free.

Old Maryland Farm is located at 351 Watkins Park Drive in Kettering.

Montpelier Farms’ Fall Festival

This Upper Marlboro farm is offering up plenty of festivities to take you through spooky season and beyond. Adventurous parents can try to make it through a 7-acre corn maze that changes in shape and theme every year — this season’s is Noah’s Ark. (There’s also a smaller corn maze designed for families who may not want to wander and wander.)

Other activities included with your ticket are giant hill slides, hayrides and more. The festival runs through Nov. 8. Tickets start at $19.95, and the farm is closed on Mondays.

Montpelier Farms is located at 1720 Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro.

Trek or Treat

Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro will host a costumed walk on Oct. 23 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. aimed at children 12 and under. Families can expect to make a trek lasting 30-45 minutes where you’ll encounter spooky scenes and games while collecting candy and treats. The centerpiece of the walk is the park’s 50-foot Trick-or-Tree, which is adorned in glowing Halloween lights.

Tickets are $5-$7.

Watkins Regional Park is located at 301 Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro.

Markoff’s Haunted Forest: Lights on Night

Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Dickerson has a reputation for being one of the spookiest Halloween attractions in the state, but families looking for less of a fright can still join in the festive fun. Guests can book tickets for $25 on Oct. 28 between 5 and 9 p.m. for Lights on Night, a still-immersive, spooky experience walking through Markoff’s elaborately decorated forest trails — just with more lights, less intensity and no actors or jump scares.

The Markoff’s Midway, the free central hub of the sprawling haunted campus, is also advertised as family-friendly, with bonfires, concessions and live entertainment. Guests on the 28th are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and trick or treat along the path.

Markoff’s Haunted Forest is located at 19120 Martinsburg Road in Dickerson.

Banner reporters Hau Chu and Hannah Yasharoff contributed to this story.

This story has been updated with October prices for Weber’s Cider Mill Farm.

But partisan politics have crept into school board elections before.

During the last Howard County school board election in November 2024, support for some candidates split along party lines. One candidate was a former Republican state delegate who helped start a chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parents group that pushes to ban books from school libraries based on their content. Several other candidates had long lists of endorsements from Democratic organizations and elected officials.

Next month, Howard County voters will select two of three school board candidates for the board’s at-large positions.

There’s no party line split this election — the trio are registered Democrats — however, the Democratic Party is only supporting two of the candidates through endorsements and financial backing.

Here’s what to know about their political backing:

Mark Covington

Endorsements: Howard County Education Association, Columbia Democratic Club, Howard Progressive Project, Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate, Thurgood Marshall Democratic Club of Howard County, Indivisible HoCo MD and The People’s Voice Ethics Ballot. Democratic elected officials: State Sen. Clarence Lam, Del. Jessica Feldmark, Del. Gabriel Moreno, Register of Wills Byron MacFarlane, Councilmember-elect Jessica Nichols, Councilmember-elect Kevin Chin and Councilmember-elect Janssen Evelyn

Campaign contributions: Friends of Terri Hill, Friends of Clarence Lam, Friends of Courtney Watson (Democratic Delegate), Del. Courtney Watson, Register of Wills Byron MacFarlane, Councilmember-elect Kevin Chin, Cat Carter, Democratic candidate for District 5 of the Howard County Council, and Amy Brooks, Democratic candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates

His take on partisan politics in school board elections: A lifelong educator, Covington said that “politicians and politics have too much sway in the schools.” The focus should be on teachers and students, not culture wars like book banning, he added.

Covington said he’s open to having discussions with anyone but worries his endorsements may give some Republican voters a different impression. That’s a shame, he said.

Linda Frascarella

Endorsements: Sierra Club, Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate

Campaign contributions: None tied to public figures or organizations.

Her take on partisan politics in school board elections: Frascarella said that partisan politics have not played a role in the at-large election. That wasn’t the case in 2024, she said, when some school board candidates were clearly aligned with a party.

Lanlan Xu

Endorsements: Sierra Club, Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate, Howard County Education Association, Columbia Democratic Club, Howard Progressive Project, Indivisible HoCo MD and The People’s Voice Ethics Ballot.

Democratic elected officials: State Sen. Clarence Lam, state Sen. Guy Guzzone, Del. Chao Wu, Del. Natalie Ziegler, Councilmember-elect Jessica Nichols, former Howard County Councilmember Vernon Gray

Campaign contributions: Friends of Clarence Lam, Friends of Chao Wu, Democratic Del. Natalie Ziegler, Democratic Del. Terri Hill, Linfeng Chen, current at-large school board member, former Democratic candidate for Howard County Council

Her take on partisan politics in school board elections: Xu said she’s a proud Democrat, but her personal political leaning does not mean that politics are in play when she conducts her work. As she attends town halls, forums and community events, the types of questions Xu is asked are “not super politically charged,” she said. Instead, community members ask about local issues including the annual budget, class sizes, staffing shortages and crowded school buildings, Xu said.

Taíno tenor and clarinetist Dylan Aguayo will perform a recital at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, followed by a choral service with compositions by Charles Shadle (Choctaw) and Andrew Balfour (Cree). If you can’t make it in person, catch the livestream via YouTube or Facebook @stdavidsmusic.

There’s lots more to put on your weekend calendar, from Fiesta Baltimore and the Baltimore Taco Festival to Howard County’s first-ever Rainbow Pride Parade. Let’s dive in.

Thursday, Oct. 8

‘Depose: Luigi Mangione, the Right to Health, and the Unfinished American Revolution’

Luigi Mangione, who hails from a Baltimore County family, pleaded guilty in August to federal stalking charges in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The December 4 Legal Committee — an anonymous collective that has raised over $1.5M for Mangione’s legal fund — has a book out this month that explores the American healthcare system. Don’t expect the authors to reveal themselves; according to the tour flyer, spokespeople are showing up on their behalf.

Time: 7 p.m.

Price: Free without book; $24.56 with book preorder

Location: Red Emma’s (3128 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Use your best judgment

The Quality of Mercy: Shakespeare in Venice 1600

Four musicians close out the Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival with a performance of Italian chamber music played on instruments rarely heard these days: baroque violin, dulcian/renaissance bassoon, baroque guitar, theorbo (a large lute) and a Renaissance flute.

Time: 7 p.m.

Price: Free, with a suggested donation of $20-$30; 18 and under are free

Location: St. Ignatius Church (740 N. Calvert St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Friday, Oct. 9

Modest Mouse

Portland-based indie rock favorite Modest Mouse is on the road with their latest album, “An Eraser and a Maze.” Read what Pitchfork had to say about the album — or just go listen for yourself. Genre-defying Caroline Rose opens the night.

Time: 8 p.m.

Price: $95-$346

Location: Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

MICA Bicentennial Weekend

Maryland Institute College of Art is throwing a three-day bash to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Hear from renowned artist and alum Jeff Koons. Shop original works of art at the MICA Art Market. Witness a live edition of the Stoop Storytelling podcast with musical guests Micah E. Wood and Eze Jackson.

Time: 5-10:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Maryland Institute College of Art (1300 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Some activities are 21 and over only; be sure to check the schedule.

Lost in Dreamland Putt Putt Pop-Up

Round up your friends for this “pop-up putt putt fever dream” designed by teams of artists, carpenters and engineers. Far from your average mini-golf experience, expect to move through “sweet dreams” and “deadly nightmares.” Proceeds support the 26th Street Green pedestrian plaza.

Time: 8-10 p.m. Friday; 1-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday

Price: $5 for children; $15 for adults

Location: The Garage at R. House (301 W. 29th St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

‘Inviting Light’ Starlight Stroll

Take a nighttime tour of “Inviting Light” — five art installations in Station North — with the artists and curator Derrick Adams. Join them at Harmony Park for the full walk, or find a spot on the schedule to meet them along the way.

Time: 6:30-9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Harmony Park (1707 Barclay St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Saturday, Oct. 10

‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company kicks off its 2026-27 season with an adaptation of author Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel “Frankenstein.” On Saturday, take your seat in your best Halloween costume. On Sunday, arrive early for a pre-show talk with Orianne Smith, a professor of English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and expert in British Romanticism and Gothic literature.

Time: 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Price: $35-$80

Location: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Theater (7 S. Calvert St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Geared toward adults

Top of the Morning Fest

Early riser? Amp up your morning with this AM festival set to an Afro-Caribbean, R&B and hip-hop soundtrack. The party promises food, drinks and plenty of dancing to kickstart your day.

Time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Price: $57.50

Location: M&T Bank Exchange (401 W. Fayette St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? With a 9 a.m. open bar, this seems geared toward adults.

Baltimore Open Studio Tour Weekend

Drop into artists’ studios across Baltimore to see where creative minds bring their ideas to life. Plan your route with Create Baltimore’s handy online map complete with artist statements, social media links, detailed directions and more.

Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Check the map for locations

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Taco Festival

It’s a food extravaganza with over 30 taco vendors — plus margaritas, tequila flights and beer — spread across an entire city block. No festival is complete without entertainment, so look forward to hot chili pepper and taco-eating contests, lucha libre wrestling and mariachi and folkloric dance troupes. There’s also a pumpkin patch and piñata smashing for the kids.

Time: 2-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Price: $14.98-$78.99

Location: Power Plant Live! (34 Market Place, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Fiesta Baltimore

Spend two days celebrating Latino arts and cultures at Patterson Park. Now in its eighth year, the festival brings together over 50 local vendors, many serving traditional foods, while live music and exhibitions spotlight local artists and artisans. Storytelling and interactive cultural workshops keep the kids entertained. Community resource tables provide information on local bilingual services. Don’t miss the Latino Parade of Nations happening Sunday at 2 p.m.

Time: 11 a.m.–7 p.m Saturday-Sunday

Price: Free

Location: Patterson Park (2900 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Das Best PumpkinFest & Fall Carnival

Nothing says fall like a pumpkin festival. This one takes over part of the Maryland State Fairgrounds with pumpkin smashing and a pie-eating contest, carnival rides, face painting and a children’s costume contest. It’s all happening right next to Das Best Oktoberfest, serving up German food and all-you-can-taste international, domestic and local beers, domestic wines and more. Oktoberfest tickets ($51.30-$85.50) get you into PumpkinFest at no additional charge.

Time: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Price: $10 ahead of time; more on-site

Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds Infield (2200 York Road, Timonium)

Family friendly? Yes

Great Annapolis Pumpkins

Giant pumpkins weighing at least 1,000 pounds go on display all over downtown Annapolis. Snap pics with them and then swing by later in the month to see how local artists have carved them into jack-o’-lanterns. Stop by the Visitors Center for directions to each location.

Time: All day

Price: Free

Location: Annapolis Visitors Center (26 West St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Envisioning the Harbor

See the Inner Harbor of the future through the eyes of young Baltimore artists. Hear from the Baltimore Youth Arts’ Summer Studio apprentices who worked with National Aquarium conservationists and educators to envision a healthier harbor 25-100 years from now. Then get hands-on as senior apprentices lead a printmaking activity.

Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: National Aquarium (501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Disco Inferno: A 70’s Celebration

The symphony is going disco! Broadway vocalists and a live disco band will play hits from the likes of ABBA, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow. It’s a get-up-and-dance kinda night, so dress appropriately.

Time: 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday

Price: $29-$133

Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Pops concerts not recommended for children younger than 8 years old.

Sitting at the Feet of Our Elders

Soak up some wisdom at this afternoon gathering of local elders. You get to help set the agenda by picking two topics to dive into. It’s a good idea to register in advance, but not required.

Time: 2-4:30 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Harriet Tubman Cultural Center (8045 Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia)

Family friendly: Yes. Participants under 10 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Edgar Allan Row

Paddle the harbor to the words of Edgar Allan Poe. Bring your own boat or stand-up paddleboard to Pitango Bakery or launch from anywhere along the Baltimore Blueway and meet the group there. Don’t own a boat? Rent one along the harbor.

Time: 4–6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Pitango Bakery (903 S. Ann St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Paddlers under 18 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Sunday, Oct. 11

Crabs and Crushes

Tie on a bib for the last all-you-can-eat crab feast of the season at Phillips Crab Deck. You can also stuff your belly with unlimited steamed spiced shrimp and Maryland fried chicken with all the fixins’ — corn on the cob, coleslaw and potato salad. And don’t forget the Smirnoff Crushes in orange or grapefruit.

Time: Noon-3 p.m.

Price: $119.22

Location: Phillips Crab Deck (601 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Generally a family-friendly establishment.

Howard County Pride

Pride season isn’t over yet. Howard County Pride is back, this time with the theme “Exist, Persist, Love!” to recognize, as the organizers put it, “the strength, resilience, and joy of the LGBTQ+ community.” Get there by noon to see the county’s first-ever Rainbow Pride Parade.

Time: 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods (10431 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Ailey ll

Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1974, the Ailey II dance company showcases early-career dancers performing works with some of today’s leading choreographers. Called “second to none” by Dance Magazine, this is your chance to see them perform live.

Time: 7 p.m.

Price: $57-$98

Location: Maryland Hall (801 Chase St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

My Sunday Market

Stop by The Avenue’s last Sunday market of the season to shop creations by over 50 local artists and makers. Stay for an acoustic performance by local band the Mudbugs Duo, aka Howlin’ Mudbugs.

Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: The Avenue at White Marsh (8125 Honeygo Boulevard, Nottingham)

Family friendly? Yes

Monday, Oct. 12

Madi Diaz

Award-winning folk singer-songwriter Madi Diaz released her seventh album, “Fatal Optimist,” last October. Now she stops in Annapolis with her tour for the follow-up album, “Fatal Optimist (UN-unplugged).”

Time: 8 p.m.

Price: $47.68-$60.05

Location: Rams Head on Stage (33 West St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Nicole J. Caruth is a Baltimore-based freelance journalist covering the intersections of food, health and environmental justice.

The district’s top-scoring middle school students attend Hampstead Hill Academy, a charter elementary/middle school in Canton where 54.3% scored proficient on the state math test. That’s a 20.3-percentage-point lead over middle school students anywhere else in the city.

As one of Baltimore’s 30-some charter schools, Hampstead Hill is publicly funded but privately run, which gives it greater control over what and how it teaches. Principal Matt Hornbeck pointed to a few things his school does differently — there’s a dedicated math teacher per grade starting in third, end-of-year lessons focus heavily on state test material, and homework questions are written in the same format as those on state tests.

Points of distinction like those can help families decide if a charter school is right for their child, said Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, who has studied charter schools for over 10 years. The city boasts more charter schools than anywhere else in the state, giving families abundant options, including schools that serve special interests. But for all their flexibility and independence, not every charter school is high-achieving, and those that don’t meet the district’s expectations can be closed, disrupting students’ education.

Here’s what to consider before selecting a Baltimore charter school for your child.

How are charter schools different from traditional public schools?

Charter schools have greater flexibility to choose their curriculum, staff and teaching approach. Many, Valant said, are oriented around a particular theme or mission, which can appeal to students who want to pursue niches like fine arts.

And while some charters may be better at teaching or innovating, they “don’t have to be the best school for every kid. They only have to be the best school for the kids who choose,” said Jane Arnold Lincove, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who studies school choice.

“Neighborhood schools have to serve all the kids who show up,” she added.

Do students at charter schools perform better than their peers?

Elementary and middle school students in Baltimore’s charter schools slightly outperformed their peers in traditional public schools on this year’s state English language arts tests.

Among Baltimore elementary students, 31.7% of those attending charter schools scored proficient on the English test, compared to 27.1% of kids in traditional schools. Among middle schoolers, 36.3% of charter students were proficient, versus 34.8% in traditional schools.

While small, the charter schools’ lead in English scores is significant in Baltimore, a district where test scores in the subject trail the rest of the state.

However, high school students at traditional public schools scored higher than those at charters on the 10th-grade English test. Baltimore’s top traditional high schools have competitive entrance criteria that attract top students; charter schools aren’t pulling from the top crop, Lincove said.

School district leaders said in a statement that they’re focused on improving all students’ achievement regardless of what kind of school they attend.

What are the disadvantages of attending a charter school?

The relationship between Baltimore City Public Schools and charter school operators has often been strained, with tensions boiling over during the annual review of schools.

Charters have to be approved by the district and then are evaluated every three, five or eight years, depending on how well they did in the previous round. That review process means that struggling charter schools are often considered for closure.

There can also be logistical challenges. Charter school students can’t get district-provided yellow bus transportation in elementary school the way their peers who live a mile or more from their traditional public school can, according to the district’s website. And charter schools have to take on the financial responsibility of buying or leasing and then maintaining their own buildings, which can lead to budget crunches.

What are the charter school options in Baltimore?

Most of Baltimore’s charter schools — 17 — are elementary/middle schools. There are seven elementary, one middle, four middle/high schools and four high schools.

Fourteen of those schools have pre-K programs, which may be especially attractive for those who live near a popular public preschool that fills up fast.

But nine of the city’s charters are designated “neighborhood charter schools,” meaning students who live nearby get priority admission.

Valant advised parents to visit schools and talk to families and kids who attend the schools they’re interested in to get a sense of what might await their student.

“Kids thrive in district schools. They thrive in charter schools,” said Valant. “It’s largely about just finding that right school.”

How do you apply to a charter school?

Some charter schools require an interview or a portfolio for admission. The district provides information on how to apply to those schools and others under its universal choice process starting in middle school.

But most charters use a lottery to admit students. That means you apply to the schools you like, and if a school gets more applications than it has spots, school officials randomly select which students to admit. The school system lists charter schools on its website; however, the list has not yet been updated to reflect that the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys and New Song Academy have closed and Southwest Baltimore Charter School is now district-operated.

This year, the district is piloting a more centralized charter school admissions process that will allow families to apply to multiple schools at once. But not every charter school will necessarily participate, so families may need to apply to some directly via their website. You can also visit a school to pick up a paper application.

More information will be available before applications open in December, said district spokesperson Sherry Christian. Some schools offer programs like language immersion in Chinese and Arabic or a focus on the natural environment.

Charter schools typically use a separate application from the city’s universal school choice application that allows middle and high school students to select the public school they attend.

Prekindergarten programs at charter schools also require individual applications, separate from the pre-K registration process used at traditional city schools.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.

Give me apples straight from the tree, a pumpkin patch, a hayride and something warm from the bakery, and I am happy. Maryland has plenty of places to lean into the season, from longtime family farms to sprawling festivals packed with things to do. Here are seven farms and orchards where you can pick your own fun before fall is over.

Lohr’s Orchard

• 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville

A jug of freshly pressed cider is enough to get me to Lohr’s Orchard, where the family’s cider-making tradition stretches back more than 50 years. The family has been farming in Churchville since 1928, and fall weekends pair apple and pumpkin picking with free tractor-pulled hayrides through the property. Lohr’s shares its latest picking conditions on Facebook as the season progresses, so you know what’s available. Then there is the farm market, where choosing between an apple cider doughnut and a pumpkin doughnut seems unnecessary when you can just get both, as well as pies and other baked goods.

Butler’s Orchard

• 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown

Butler’s Orchard goes big for fall. The Germantown farm is celebrating its 46th annual Pumpkin Festival through Nov. 1 with hayrides, giant slides, jump pads, barnyard animals, a corn maze, a straw maze, a corn pool and access to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Weekends add pony rides, face painting and the pumpkin cannon. Apple picking is the one thing missing this year after a late spring frost damaged the 2026 crop, but the festival still gives you plenty to fill an afternoon. For lunch, the Farmer’s Porch serves sandwiches, pizzas and rotating seasonal dishes, while the Side Porch has caramel apples for dessert. Reservations are strongly encouraged, particularly on weekends, when dates can sell out.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm and PeachBerry Farm

• 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville; 11425 Harford Road, Glen Arm

Weber’s offers two ways to enjoy fall in Baltimore County. The original Parkville farm dates to 1908 and is home to Maryland’s oldest cider mill still in continuous use, where fresh apple cider is pressed using a mill purchased in 1947. Fall Harvest Days run through Nov. 8 this year, bringing hayrides, a hillside slide, duck races, farm animals and the returning Pumpkinland to the barnyard. Inside the market and bakery, apple cider doughnuts, pies, pumpkin crème rolls and other baked goods fill the cases. For the actual picking, drive about five miles north to Weber’s PeachBerry Farm in Glen Arm, where apples and pumpkins are offered on select dates throughout the season.

Larriland Farm

• 2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine

At Larriland, the day can start in the orchard, wind through a corn maze and end with a warm apple fritter. The family-run Woodbine farm grows more than 20 crops and 90 varieties throughout the season. The farm also posts a daily harvest report, making it easy to see exactly what is ripe for the picking when you plan to visit. Weekends include tractor-pulled hayrides, two different mazes, the kid-friendly Boo Barn and live music as part of its Fall Festival. The Red Barn Farm Market also has pre-picked produce, jams, baked goods and other local products to add to the mix.

Baugher’s Orchards and Farms

• 1015 Baugher Road, Westminster

Baugher’s is one of the places I associate most with this time of year in Carroll County. Tractor rides carry visitors into the fields for apples and pumpkins, though what’s ready to pick can shift with weather and crowds, so keep up with their current crop status online. Back at the main farm, there’s a free petting zoo that has pigs, sheep, emus, peacocks, rabbits and goats, along with playgrounds and the Orchard Market. My attention eventually ends up at Mrs. B’s sweets window, where warm apple cider doughnuts, slushies and floats are among the seasonal options.

Gaver Farm

• 5501 Detrick Road, Mount Airy

Gaver Farm is where fall starts to feel a little like an amusement park. Its Fall Fun Fest packs dozens of attractions into the Mount Airy property, including a seven-acre corn maze, giant slides, jumping pillows, pedal karts, a zipline and plenty of farm animals. Free hayrides head toward the pumpkin fields, where visitors can choose their own straight from the patch. There is no pick-your-own apple crop for 2026, although locally grown apples are still available in the market. The Donut Hut is another reason this attraction gets my attention: The Fall Shake Up layers cider slushy and ice cream, then tops it off with an apple cider doughnut. The festival runs daily through Nov. 1.

Montpelier Farms

• 1720 North Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro

Montpelier Farms is one of Prince George’s County’s biggest fall destinations, and its private campfires give you a reason to stay until dark. The Upper Marlboro farm’s Fall Festival runs through Nov. 8, with a seven-acre interactive corn maze, giant hill slides, hayrides, pig races, farm animals and a pumpkin patch where you can choose your own. You can also visit the patch without festival admission if pumpkins are your only mission, but I would be tempted to stretch the trip into the evening by reserving one of the campfires. Weekday Playdays offer a smaller slate of activities Tuesdays through Thursdays in October, while the seven-acre maze and public bonfire are only on weekends.

A forensic science student in a 2023 course on cold cases approached guest speaker Detective Wade Zufall, Howard Police’s one-man cold-case unit, with a question: Could the culprit be a serial killer?

The student’s hunch spurred the investigator to examine the possibility, identify a suspect and obtain a confession. It also launched an internship program with Loyola, which has propelled Howard investigators to make significant advances in other unsolved homicides.

In early 2025, Howard County Police announced that the nearly 50-year-old mystery of dancer Roseann Sturtz’s death had been solved. A month later, they arrested a man in connection with a cold case involving the 2020 shooting death of a pregnant woman. By the end of the year, investigators had also identified the Jane Doe victim in the county’s coldest case, reuniting two long-lost siblings in the process.

Authorities now say they’re actively working on leads in six unsolved homicides where previous investigations had turned up nothing but dead ends.

It’s a notable streak for a jurisdiction as small as Howard, which had just 31 cold cases when Zufall was hired in 2019 amid the county’s push to prioritize such investigations.

The definition of a cold case varies across agencies, but David Rivers, chair of Loyola’s forensic science department, estimates that Maryland has roughly 8,000 to 10,000 unresolved homicides.

Clues to these killings are scattered across the state in filing cabinets, evidence boxes, medical examiner records and memories. Connecting the dots to build cases can prove difficult for some resource-strapped investigators, which is why Howard County’s success stands out.

By tapping into the North Baltimore university’s pipeline of aspiring forensic sleuths, the department boosted its investigative resources and attracted more funding, which authorities hope will sustain the department’s momentum.

Zufall said he expects to hear about DNA testing in another case by the end of the year. A jury trial for another cold case — the 2020 killing of a pregnant woman, Rabiah Ahmad, and her baby, Ahja — is scheduled for April.

“Having the success that we’ve had over the last few years,” Zufall said, “I feel the pressure.”

The intern and the long-lost siblings

After the cold-case class concluded, Rivers and Zufall developed an internship program for Loyola students with Howard County Police in the spring of 2024. Since then, 10 students have worked on cold-case investigations with Zufall, significantly boosting the unit’s bandwidth to digitize and sort case records.

The work was tedious but important because it occasionally revealed forgotten investigative details that past detectives deemed irrelevant.

That was a lesson Zufall learned on the first cold case he reviewed in Howard County, the 1982 abduction and homicide of Laney Lee McGadney. Two witnesses told police that they saw a white Pontiac Firebird near the vacant lot where McGadney’s body was found, but the detail didn’t make it into later investigative notes.

It was, however, significant to Zufall. When police carried out a search warrant at the home of primary suspect Howard Jackson Bradberry Jr., they found a Polaroid photo of him in a white Firebird, Zufall said. He was arrested in 2021 and sentenced in 2023 to 25 years.

After authorities closed the McGadney case, original police reports, handwritten notes, and crime scene and surveillance photos for 30 unsolved killings remained in the cold-case unit’s seven filing cabinets.

The first Loyola intern, Julia Viveiros, set out to organize records for the oldest one, a Jane Doe case from 1971.

“All these years of evidence being stacked up and being moved from different places, it gets shifted, it gets mislabeled,” Viveiros said.

“There’s just so many small things that go into it that take an annoyingly long time,” she said.

Police records showed that there were four slides containing tissue from the woman’s heart, liver, lungs and kidneys. Zufall retrieved the samples from storage and discovered that there were duplicates of each, enough to risk expensive testing for a DNA profile.

The test generated a lead to a possible family member in Ohio named Charles Sharkey, who hung up on Zufall twice before finally agreeing to hear the detective out. Then came “the worst information that an investigator could ever hear,” Zufall said.

Sharkey’s parents put him in an orphanage at a young age, and the then-79-year-old knew little about his family. He’d gone looking for more information in Pennsylvania, where his birth certificate was issued, but struck out.

“That was a buzzkill,” Zufall said.

Still, Sharkey agreed to provide his DNA to help the investigation.

The cheek swab revealed that Jane Doe was his mother, Sarah Belle Sharkey.

He was shocked by the revelation and disappointed that he never got to meet her.

“All my life, I wondered where I came from,” Sharkey said. “It was weird, a weird feeling.”

Zufall continued piecing together the family’s genealogy and discovered that Sharkey had two sisters, one of whom lived in Illinois. Zufall recalled her telling him she’d been looking for her brother.

The detective connected the long-lost siblings and learned that another sister had died in New Orleans in 2020. Her ashes had never been claimed.

“Send her here,” Sharkey told Zufall. Her remains now sit on his shelf.

Although the Sharkey case remains open, the victim’s identification after 54 years paved the way for Howard’s cold-case unit to secure more DNA testing for other cases.

The department also hired Viveiros part-time, effectively doubling the number of employees in the unit.

Yes, a serial killer

It was a coincidence that the guest speaker in Loyola senior Kiliane Gateau’s cold-case class in the fall of 2023 happened to be the detective for the unsolved killing she chose as her term paper subject.

After class, Zufall met with Gateau and recommended that she review newspaper clips published around 1975, the year Roseann Sturtz died.

Sturtz was raped and strangled, news outlets reported. So Gateau looked for articles about similar crimes and found stories about a man named Charles William Davis Jr., who was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison for the killings of Kathleen Cook and Lydia Victoria Norman in 1975 and of Peggy Ellen Pumpian in 1976. After the sentencing, prosecutors dropped charges against Davis for a 1974 assault that the victim survived.

“I did exactly what Professor Rivers said not to do: I looked at serial killers in the area,” Gateau said. “I had to start somewhere.”

She noticed similarities between those cases and Sturtz’s. All three victims were sexually assaulted. Davis confessed to strangling Pumpian. He lured Cook and Norman from a Catonsville nightclub located not far from the Baltimore City club where Sturtz worked.

She told Zufall.

“He just turned out to be a really, really good suspect,” Zufall said.

The detective located misplaced investigative files dating back to the 1970s containing two pieces of forgotten evidence tied to Davis. One was an unmarked cassette tape of a 1981 police interview with Davis; the other was a prosecutor’s letter granting him immunity to discuss the Sturtz case.

The detective visited Davis at the Jessup Correctional Institution, where he’d been incarcerated since 1978, and obtained a confession. County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson reaffirmed Davis’ immunity from criminal charges, but the confession allowed police to close the county’s second-coldest case and provided closure to Sturtz’s surviving family.

Her sisters gathered with Zufall near where her body was discovered to leave red flowers and a photo in her memory.

Gateau and Zufall’s chance encounter was the spark that led to the internship’s creation.

“I’m one person working in the unit, so I could certainly use some help,” Zufall said of the program.

Gateau, who graduated and is now a producer for an Idaho television news station, said the benefit is mutual. Students gain academically and emotionally from working on these cases, she said.

“We get attached to these people we never met and want to bring closure to these families,” Gateau said.

Here’s your guide to the weekend in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ at Olney Theatre

Now through Nov. 1, times vary

Spooky season has arrived at the Olney Theatre Center, where D.C.’s Synetic Theater performs its creepy, wordless adaptation of Washington Irving’s famous gothic story about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.

Tickets range from $41-$101.

‘Hocus Pocus’ outdoor movie screening

Friday from 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Bring your own picnic blankets and lawn chairs for an outdoor screening of the witchy Disney classic “Hocus Pocus” (rated PG) at Twinbrook Quarter on Rockville Pike. Free popcorn, Halloween treats and face painting will be offered.

Reservations are free.

Waterfront Art Festival

Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Live music, river boat tours, art demos, a kids’ creative zone, food trucks, a local artist market and more are planned for Bladensburg Waterfront Park’s family-friendly outdoor art market and festival.

Entry is free.

Germantown October Fest

Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Germantown’s longstanding Oktoberfest got a makeover, focusing now on a “broader seasonal and cultural focus.” But it still clings to its original Oktoberfest roots. Hosted by BlackRock Center for the Arts and organized by the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, the day will feature live music, a spooky dance party, a parade, carnival, business expo and food trucks featuring specials from local restaurants.

Registration is free.

Good Booty Flea

Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

An outdoor market arrives in new Prince George’s County community Konterra. Guests can shop vintage clothing, art, handmade goods and more, curated by some of the area’s top vintage and artisan shops, including Vintage Vintage Vintage, Bmore Flea, Get Flee Marketplace, Street Market Gallery and Shop Made in DC. Live music and food trucks will also be on site.

Entry is free.

A Halloween fun run

Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

What’s scarier than running? The Montgomery Village Foundation is celebrating Halloween early with a Jack-O-Lantern 5K and 1-mile fun run at Lake Marion Community Center. Prizes will be given to the top three men and women in each age group, as well as those wearing the best costumes.

Tickets range from $15 to $40.

Dissonance Dance Theatre at Publick Playhouse

Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m.

D.C.-based dance troupe Dissonance Dance Theatre — one of the most prominent Black-led contemporary ballet companies in the country — celebrates its 20th anniversary at the Publick Playhouse in Hyattsville this month with “Through the Dark, the Light Beckons.” The original performance chronicles the African American experience with music from Earth, Wind & Fire; Nancy Wilson; October London; Angélique Kidjo and Hans Zimmer.

Tickets range from $20-$25.

The 47-year-old originally from Peru had volunteered to leave the country on his own, but a judge denied the request Sept. 18, according to ICE.

On Sept. 29, Curo-Churata died in ICE custody.

He is the 37th person to die while in ICE detention in the past year, according to the agency’s count, and is one of thousands of immigrants living in Maryland sent to ICE detention facilities far from their homes. A Banner analysis of ICE records found that people detained in Maryland are transferred greater distances than those detained in other states, due in part to the lack of a long-term detention facility here.

“He didn’t deserve to die ... far away from his family,” Curo-Churata’s friend Marxlin Bernedo told The Banner in Spanish.

Curo-Churata was arrested by ICE agents during a “targeted” operation on June 27, according to the agency. He was transferred two days later to the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana.

In a press release announcing Curo-Churata’s death, ICE cited “convictions for driving with expired vehicle registration” and an unspecified judgment against him in favor of the Maryland comptroller.

The agency said Curo-Churata was found in “medical distress” Sept. 28 and was transported to Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center. He was pronounced dead the next morning. ICE said Curo-Churata’s cause of death was unknown, pending an autopsy.

Bernedo, of Silver Spring, has been friends with Curo-Churata for more than a decade. They met at a park in Silver Spring where local Peruvians gather on Sundays to socialize, play soccer and share traditional Peruvian plates. Bernedo described Curo-Churata as a “hardworking” and “honorable” man who was dedicated to his family. She said Curo-Churata was a handyman who built decks and enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball.

Bernedo said Curo-Churata has a college-aged son, a daughter and a wife, Verónica Ramírez.

Ramírez declined The Banner’s request for an interview on the advice of her attorney, Max Schoening.

But in an interview with Telemundo 44 in Spanish, she said she last spoke with her husband two days before his death.

Ramírez told the news outlet that on the day her husband died, she called the detention center in Louisiana looking to talk to him and was told someone would call her back.

Twenty minutes later, a funeral home called her “to tell me that my husband died at 4:30 a.m. and that they had him,” Ramírez said through tears.

Ramírez said she wants answers that she knows she might not get for months — at least until an autopsy is completed.

“In the meantime, who is going to tell me what really happened?” she asked.

Bernedo said she was also shocked to hear of Curo-Churata’s death, and she questioned his treatment while in ICE custody.

ICE did not answer The Banner’s questions about Curo-Churata’s medical care. Instead, a spokesperson sent the agency’s press release announcing his death.

“While in custody, Curo received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals,” the release said.

Human rights organizations have documented a sharp rise in detainee deaths across federal immigration facilities.

A June 2026 report by Human Rights Watch found that the annual mortality rate in ICE custody surged by approximately 140% between January 2025 and January 2026, reaching its highest level in nearly two decades. The report noted that while the overall detention population grew substantially during that period, the rate of deaths increased far faster, pointing to widespread issues with medical oversight, delayed emergency care and facility staffing.

A vigil for Curo-Churata is scheduled for Friday in Laurel.

Have a tip for our Prince George’s County reporters? Tell us here.

On Thursday, families can expect an update from Montgomery County Public Schools leaders on what comes next in the district’s angst-inducing study of potential elementary and middle school closures.

Official moves are months away. First will be several sessions to solicit community feedback, which will be held virtually and in person during October, November and December.

“No decisions have been made, and this is not a process in which a list of schools has already been determined,” reads a district webpage. “The work begins with the data, the criteria and community input.”

In February, Superintendent Thomas Taylor is expected to make his recommendation to the school board. Then each campus that could face closure will get a public hearing.

Finally, on April 15, school board members will make their decision.

Families are eager for more information about how the process will unfold.

“MCPS has said the study will consider enrollment, building utilization, transportation, program models, and other factors,” parent Yetnayet Demissie wrote in testimony to the board. “That is an important starting point.

“But families need more than a list of factors. We need to know the criteria, the weighting, the assumptions, and the methodology behind the analysis.”

Why is MCPS considering closures?

This kind of conversation would have seemed unthinkable to previous Montgomery County generations.

The district saw steady enrollment growth for decades but now is struggling with declines. Further drops are projected.

The most recently presented numbers show that MCPS is serving just under 153,000 students. That’s down from about 156,000 last year — a figure that already represented a 10-year low.

Montgomery County is not alone in confronting this type of decline. Districts across the country are facing the consequences of lower birth rates and shifting demographic patterns.

Fewer students means less funding and more underutilized buildings, officials say.

“Resources are limited, and we need to make sure we are using our funding, staff and facilities where they can have the greatest impact for students,” reads Thursday’s MCPS presentation.

While parents are clear about the challenges, they want assurance that their voices will be heard. Closing a campus triggers major upheaval for kids, they say, and threatens to erase a community’s beloved hub.

“I understand that MCPS is facing declining enrollment and that no specific school has been identified for closure or consolidation at this stage,” Demissie wrote. “But before MCPS begins evaluating schools, families need to understand exactly how those decisions will be made.”

“Tonight we write to share good news: Dilan has been found!” President Darryll Pines and UMD Police Chief David Mitchell said in a joint statement. “Thanks to the immense efforts of UMPD and our entire community, Dilan has been reunited with his family. We thank all our Terps and community members who spread the word and supported this search.”

Ashar had been missing since Friday.

After days of searching, his family made a tearful plea for help.

“Dilan is a kind, thoughtful young man who cares deeply about people,” his mother said in a video shared by University of Maryland Police. “He loves sports and he loves to cook.”

She added that he didn’t have his phone, wallet or ID.

Ashar’s parents had last communicated with him Sept. 20, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.

UMD Police said in a campuswide alert this week that the 22-year-old left his residence around 2 a.m. Friday wearing a black university hoodie, gray sweatpants and white shoes.

He was seen on a surveillance camera about half an hour later at the Terrapin Trail Garage near the Xfinity Center.

UMD Police said officers searched a 110-acre site near the garage with a drone, nearly 50 first responders and nine dogs. Investigators also searched the University of Maryland golf course, as well as other parking garages, nearby parks, wood lines and Lake Artemesia.

“Dilan, we love you so much and we hope you’re safe,” his mother said before he was found. “We want you home.”

Wednesday night, she got the good news she was hoping for.

The tunnel remained empty until their voices faded. And then Ovechkin’s two sons, Sergei and Ilya, took the mic. A collective “aww” filled the air as they introduced their father, the Capitals’ captain and one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

“That was amazing,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “... I had no idea any of that was happening. And the pause. I think [the game operations team] nailed that moment.”

Loud “Ovi” chants are overtaken by an “AWWW” when his sons announce him for his last NHL home opener. pic.twitter.com/CkTPmljElm

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) October 7, 2026

Ovechkin said his wife and sons were nervous, but he told them not to be.

“You don’t have to be worried about it. Don’t get nervous. Just say it,” Ovechkin said he told his kids.

This is Ovechkin’s 22nd — and last — NHL season. Sergei and Ilya are a big reason he plans to retire when it’s over. He said it’s cool they’ll be able to watch this when they’re older.

“I’m not 20 years old, and I want to play with my kids when they’re growing up,” Ovechkin told reporters Tuesday. “Go play hockey, play soccer, play basketball, and I want to be healthy enough to do that kind of stuff.”

Ovechkin signed a one-year contract over the summer. Prior to signing, no one — including Ovechkin — knew whether he’d return after the 2025-26 season.

The Capitals didn’t qualify for the playoffs last spring. After their season finale against Pittsburgh, Penguins players lined up to shake Ovechkin’s hand.

He waved them off. So perhaps he at least suspected he’d see them again.

The Penguins were, in fact, waiting six months after that emotional introduction, and Ovechkin’s teammates made sure the mood stayed celebratory with a 5-2 win.

Ovechkin was held scoreless but appeared to take moments to relish the night — as he will have a chance to do throughout the season, Carbery pointed out.

“He hasn’t said this to me, but I would assume that you’re gonna observe O taking in a little bit more of what’s going on throughout the year,” Carbery said.

Caps coach Spencer Carbery didn’t know Alex Ovechkin’s sons were going to announce him and commended the game ops team for the moment. pic.twitter.com/XiZxfxXv3U

— Giana Han (@giana_jade) October 8, 2026

He won’t be the only one. There will be people in audiences in every arena who are watching Ovechkin live for the last time. Ticket prices spiked across North America for games against the Capitals following Ovechkin’s announcement.

“We should do a pool,” Carbery joked. “That’s a really good idea for our staff. Like, ‘Does it get to $1,500?’”

(Right now, the get-in price for his last home game is just over $700 on the secondary market.)

Every game will mean more to his teammates, as well, not just for the sentiment but for the results, Carbery acknowledged.

“There’s urgency every year in the National Hockey League, no doubt, but there’s a little bit of like, ‘I gotta make sure that I’m pulling my weight,’” Carbery said, comparing it to the way “The Chase” — Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record — galvanized the team.

The Capitals showed that urgency as soon as the puck dropped. Anthony Beauvillier scored 23 seconds in on a breakaway pass from Dylan Strome.

Although the Penguins scored less than a minute later, Ovechkin’s longest-tenured teammate, Tom Wilson, put the Capitals back ahead.

Wilson’s line put up two more goals with Pierre-Luc Dubois scoring the third and newcomer Alex Tuch adding a fourth before the Pens saw a second-intermission surge.

And when Ovechkin went tumbling to the ice in the third period — shortly after Ryan Leonard scored the Capitals’ fifth goal — his teammates were quick to shove the Penguins players near him. They also shoved off the Penguins’ comeback attempt.

While the Capitals refrained from showing Ovechkin tribute videos, other arenas will feature them throughout the season. Each arena Washington visits will thank Ovechkin for his contributions to the game.

The Capitals, meanwhile, will try to appreciate the spectacle while focusing on something else: creating one more lasting memory by playing into June and chasing the Stanley Cup.

“It’s a huge rivalry and we take two points, it’s a great moment,” Ovechkin said.

In a news release Wednesday, Silver Diner leaders said Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide executives ordered the restaurant to remove tabletop cards urging customers to “help save Silver Diner” by contacting the Maryland Aviation Administration, or risk a fine of $250 a day.

The warning followed an unannounced visit by a senior executive with the Germany-based concessions management company to the restaurant on Oct. 2, Silver Diner officials said.

The message on the tabletop cards read, “Our future at BWI is at risk as our airport landlord is threatening to replace us with a multi-national airport concessionaire which results in higher pricing to travelers.”

The cards display a QR code that takes customers to Silver Diner’s website, which provides an automated way to email state and BWI officials. The company says more than 2,000 people have emailed the state to show support.

Robert Giaimo, the chairman and cofounder of Silver Diner, said Fraport’s demand violates the First Amendment.

“We see this as an attempt to muzzle citizens and muzzle Silver Diner,” Giaimo said, according to the release. “Fraport could not silence us in the courts and is, therefore, attempting to silence us on our tabletops.”

The censorship accusation is the latest in a battle between Silver Diner, a regional restaurant chain that was launched in 1989, and Fraport, which has worked with BWI since 2004 and recently won a bid to manage retail concessions at the airport for the next 23 years.

Silver Diner sued Fraport in September, accusing the company of breach of contract and negligent and fraudulent misrepresentation of agreements. It asked a judge in Anne Arundel County to uphold a previously agreed-upon plan for a $1.5 million renovation, bar Fraport from seeking another tenant for its space amid the court fight and pay compensatory damages.

Silver Diner executives said in a news release that Fraport told them they’d need to gut and rebuild their restaurant at BWI, which they’ve operated since 2007, at a cost of $8-10 million. That condition, Silver Diner said, was invented by Fraport but blamed on the state. State officials, the news release said, denied making the demand.

Such a project would shut down the restaurant for a year, according to Silver Diner, and result in the loss of more than 120 jobs.

The airport is managed by the Maryland Aviation Administration, a division of the state Department of Transportation.

BWI spokesperson Jonathan Dean wrote in an email Wednesday, “The MAA did not make any statement to Silver Diner related to signs.”

A Fraport spokesperson recently told The Banner that the company “categorically rejects the claims asserted in the pending litigation as unfounded and without merit.” The company said it acted in good faith and vowed to fight Silver Diner’s claims in court.

Fraport did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday about the latest claim of censorship.

“We are not going away,” Giaimo said. “We will continue to fight for this space, for independent restaurants and for the interests of our employees.”

This story has been updated.

True Food Kitchen, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based restaurant chain with a location in downtown Bethesda, announced Monday that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It shuttered 12 of its 46 restaurants around the country on Sunday.

As a result, 41 people lost their jobs at the Bethesda location.

True Food Kitchen is searching for a long-term partner to sustain it in the future as part of a court-supervised sale process, the company said in a statement.

“This process is the best path forward to simplify the business and focus on what we do best: delivering craveable, health-forward food and genuine hospitality,” True Food Kitchen CEO Jeff Chandler said in the statement. “We are confident this step will help us build a stronger True Food Kitchen for the future.”

View this post on Instagram

“We know these decisions are especially hard on the team members affected, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions to True Food Kitchen and their communities,” Chandler added.

Rumors of a possible closure have been swirling since this summer, when building owner Solaire Bethesda listed the 6,500-square-foot restaurant space for rent.

When restaurateur Sam Fox and wellness author Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., opened True Food Kitchen in 2008 as a hub for tasty dishes with simple ingredients, wellness-centric restaurants were few and far between. Oprah Winfrey, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Nick and Priyanka Chopra Jonas were among its high-profile investors.

But as the wellness industry has skyrocketed over the last few years, Bethesda has welcomed a number of new successful, health-centric food spots, including vegan cafe Rooted3, juice spots Pure Green and Puree Juice Bar, seasonal comfort food shop Dig Inn, cafe Eat Sprout, plant-based restaurant Planta and healthy on-the-go chains Sweetgreen, Chopt and Cava.

Three days after an ankle injury sidelined him in a win over the Tennessee Titans, quarterback Lamar Jackson missed practice Wednesday as the Ravens began their preparation for a primetime game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Coach Jesse Minter left open the possibility that Jackson could play, saying that there is “a lot of time between now and Sunday.” Minter also acknowledged that Jackson could miss practice this week and still play.

Jackson sat out the second half of the Ravens’ win over Tennessee and left M&T Bank Stadium wearing a protective boot on his left foot, which he had hurt on a sack late in the second quarter.

“To his credit, he is putting in work and working with the trainers and things like that,” Minter said. “When he is ready to play, he will be ready to play.”

If Jackson is unavailable for “Sunday Night Football,” the Ravens would turn to backup Tyler Huntley, who went 2-0 as a starter last season and is 5-6 overall in his Ravens career.

Without Jackson, one of the NFL’s top players through the season’s first month, the Ravens’ offense took a conservative approach against the Titans in the second half. Jackson went 15-for-20 for 222 yards and two touchdowns as the offense rolled up 268 yards. Huntley finished 8-for-9 for 63 yards, leading a unit that had just 116 yards after halftime.

The Falcons rank No. 8 in defensive efficiency, according to FTN, and have won two straight games after an 0-2 start.

“We have a lot of confidence in ‘Snoop’ [Huntley], if that is the way it goes, to be able to really run our offense, to get the ball to our playmakers, move those guys around, find ways to get them the ball, find ways to create angles and space in the run game,” Minter said. “And I think our offense has proven that we will be able to do that.”

Along with Jackson, the Ravens practiced Wednesday without left tackle Ronnie Stanley (rest/toe/ankle), guard Andrew Vorhees (foot), defensive lineman Calais Campbell (rest), outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson (finger) and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf).

Tight end Durham Smythe was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending Achilles injury. Minter said Vorhees and Humphrey, who were knocked out of Sunday’s win, were not expected to land on IR, which would have sidelined them at least four games.

Wide receivers Zay Flowers (foot), Rashod Bateman (shoulder) and Chris Moore (ankle), left guard John Simpson (groin) and safety Kyle Hamilton (groin), were limited participants in Wednesday’s practice.

Reeling from injuries to their offensive line, the Ravens acquired center Cam Jurgens, a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 and 2025, from the Philadelphia Eagles in a trade Wednesday.

The Ravens sent a fifth-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028 to the Eagles. Baltimore will also receive Philadelphia’s seventh-round selection in next year’s draft.

Baltimore has lost three centers to injury this season and relied on first-round selection Vega Ioane, a natural guard, to handle the position in Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans. Longtime starter Tyler Linderbaum left in free agency this past offseason.

Jurgens, 27, was a second-round pick in 2022 and is under contract through the 2029 season. He’s primarily played left guard for the Eagles this season because of injuries to their line but is expected to return to center in Baltimore.

“Cam is a player we have long admired going all the way back to the draft process,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “He’s a young foundational piece along our offensive line — a great scheme and cultural fit who will contribute quickly in Baltimore. We are confident that Cam will significantly impact our team and community.”

Jurgens is not expected to make his Ravens debut Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, as he reportedly entered the concussion protocol after the Eagles’ loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams. But the hope is that Jurgens will be ready for a Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns.

Jurgens struggled in Philadelphia this season as injuries upended the Eagles’ once-stout offensive line. He allowed a sack and 13 pressures in four games, according to Pro Football Focus, and started the past three games at left guard. He also had four penalties and graded out poorly as a run blocker.

But Ravens coach Jesse Minter called him a “very high-caliber player” with experience in multiple offensive schemes.

“He has been really well trained, I would say,” Minter said. “He is a good athlete. Mentally, he is at a really high level, I would say. So I think it is a great opportunity for him to step in here. We will have to catch him up. Obviously, the terminology will be different for him. But with a guy like that — with the experience of having gone through a few different offenses — that will probably end up benefiting him now, rather than a guy coming from maybe one system.”

Appearing Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” former Eagles center Jason Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler, noted Jurgens “has been playing out of position” in recent weeks. He said he was excited for Jurgens to return to center and get “a fresh start in Baltimore.”

Jurgens signed a four-year, $68 million extension with the Eagles before the 2025 season, but analytically was underwhelming at center. His blown-block rate last season was 3%, according to Sports Info Solutions, tied for No. 33 among 37 qualifying centers. Jovaughn Gwyn, the Ravens’ Week 1 center, has a blown-block rate of 1.9% this season.

The Ravens’ investment in Jurgens, who is due a $14.5 million option bonus next spring, a $15.4 million option bonus in 2028 and a $14.3 million option bonus in 2029, underscores DeCosta’s commitment to reinforcing the team’s strengths on offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was under pressure regularly over the Ravens’ first four weeks, and running back Derrick Henry’s production has fallen off since a breakout season opener.

The Ravens have already lost centers Danny Pinter, Ethan Pocic and Gwyn to significant injuries this season, and right guard Andrew Vorhees could miss extended time after hurting his foot in Sunday’s win over the Titans.

Jurgens would be the fifth center Jackson has worked with since the start of training camp, but his arrival would allow Ioane to continue his development at right guard, where the team views him as a potential cornerstone player.

“I love it, man,” Ioane said. “Like Jesse just said, we just got better as a team. [Jurgens is] a great player. I watch his game a lot, too. It is a good thing for us. Unfortunately for me, I was just starting to like center, but hey, anything is better than me. So I love that for us. I love that for him.”

This story has been updated.

A day after cornerback Marlon Humphrey and three Ravens specialists met President Donald Trump at an event promoting a new submarine manufacturing facility in Sparrows Point, coach Jesse Minter said Wednesday that he didn’t consider the visit a “distraction.”

Trump acknowledged Humphrey, kicker Tyler Loop, punter Ryan Eckley and long snapper Nick Moore about 15 minutes into his speech at Tradepoint Atlantic, where weapons maker Anduril Industries announced plans to build a 2 million-square-foot shipyard that’s expected to create thousands of jobs.

The players’ appearance rankled some Ravens fans, as Trump had disparaged Baltimore in the past. Polling published earlier this year found that nearly two-thirds of Marylanders disapprove of the job Trump is doing.

“I think the guys have the right and the freedom to do it,” Minter said of the visit. “They’re representing themselves. They’re not necessarily representing the Ravens organization when they do stuff like that, or whatever the thoughts and the beliefs of the organization [are]. So guys doing that, having an opportunity to do that, that’s their own choice.”

Humphrey, who Loop said organized the visit, has been an outspoken defender of Trump on social media. But he said Wednesday after practice, “I don’t really have any political beliefs,” and that he couldn’t recall having ever voted. He said that when he tried to vote recently, he had problems with his absentee ballot.

“I do plan on voting the next time around,” he said. “I am extremely uninformed on what laws are going on, to be honest, but this next time the ballots are up, I will do my research and try to figure out what I like, what I believe in, and try to pick this side that kind of aligns with me.”

Humphrey, the longest-tenured player on the Ravens’ roster, said he was “pretty excited for the economy boom that could possibly come” from the high-tech shipyard. He shared footage on his X account Tuesday of himself riding in a vehicle at the event with Trump, along with Moore, but said Wednesday that he was largely unaware of the social media reaction to his visit.

Do yall know this guy? He claims that he’s a billionaire! pic.twitter.com/HXlplfEMBM

— marlonhumphrey.eth (@marlon_humphrey) October 6, 2026

“I was not going to turn down a ride with the president,” he said.

Loop told The Banner on Tuesday that it was “cool to meet a president.” He added after Wednesday’s practice that he relished the opportunity to “meet some of the nation’s finest in the U.S. Navy,” as his brother-in-law is an Air Force pilot.

“When you get a chance to go meet a sitting president of the United States, I respect the office of the president, so I didn’t want to pass up that chance to go shake a president’s hand,” Loop said.

Loop said Humphrey invited him and others to the event after a team meeting Monday. Loop said the invitation was “shared around a little bit,” but he wasn’t certain whether it was open to the entire team.

At the event, Trump said the 3-1 Ravens are “doing very well.” He complimented Moore’s long-snapping ability, asked the four Ravens to “say hello to your quarterback,” and called Lamar Jackson’s mother, whom he said he’d met a few times in Palm Beach, Florida, a “fantastic, beautiful woman.”

On Wednesday, the X account for Trump’s “War Room,” which has over 2.5 million followers, shared a photo of the players posing with Trump.

“They might play for the Ravens but they are also patriots,” the post said.

They might play for the Ravens but they are also patriots  https://t.co/YIIb4P1Hgk

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 7, 2026

Howard High Principal Allen Cosentino wrote to parents of JV football players Wednesday to inform them of the decision. He said that because of circumstances beyond the school’s control it has been “difficult to fully understand the extent of the behavior occurring among JV football participants in the school’s locker room and elsewhere.”

Seven junior varsity football players face second-degree assault charges following the incident. The students, aged 14 to 16, were charged with second-degree assault in the state’s juvenile justice system, Howard Police said.

Cellphone footage captured Sept. 25 in a school locker room shows a student grabbing at the corner of a locker room wall while another student struggles to pull him into another room. Other students have their cellphones out, recording the interaction and laughing. At one point, the student’s backpack is ripped off his back as another student lifts him off the floor and carries him upside down.

Others in the locker room can be heard in the video chanting “toilet, toilet, toilet.”

A second video shows the student on the ground after other students attempted to pull him by his legs and torso, pulling his shoe off.

Howard Police confirmed the authenticity of the videos last week.

The decision to end the season was made by Cosentino, Howard Schools Superintendent Bill Barnes and other school system officials, including the director of athletics, general counsel, chief of equity and innovation, and chief of schools.

“It is likely that the investigation will continue for at least several more weeks, making it impossible to safely and reasonably restart and complete the season,” Cosentino wrote in his email.

JV players will not be called up to play on varsity for the remainder of the season, Cosentino said.

In a community message Wednesday, Barnes addressed the recent “behavior occurring related to HCPSS extracurricular athletics that is concerning — to say the least.”

“At best, much of this behavior could be characterized as inappropriate and juvenile; at worst, some of it may constitute criminal conduct,” Barnes continued.

The superintendent said he is “deeply concerned” that social media trends, the ability to instantly record and publish content, and a desire for attention “are contributing to a culture in which inappropriate, and sometimes illegal, behavior is being acted out, recorded, shared, celebrated, and treated as entertainment.”

Barnes wrote that he expects every student to treat each another with respect, kindness and dignity, and to always conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in a school setting. He also expects adults to do their part in ensuring student behavior meets expectations and to intervene when it does not.

Barnes said that every county high school administrator, athletics and activities manager, and coach is expected to speak directly with student athletes about what behavior is appropriate and what isn’t; revisit appropriate locker room supervision expectations and procedures; remain diligent to ensure that students are protected in school-sponsored activities; and share with students the protocols of reporting bullying.

When asked if any students from the team are suspended from school, Brian Bassett, a school spokesman, said in a statement: “We don’t provide information related to ongoing investigations involving students and any discipline that may result.”

Cosentino said he plans to meet with the junior varsity team to discuss the decision and how they can prepare in a positive and productive way for next season. He invited all of the team members’ families to speak with him at a meeting Monday evening in Howard High’s media center. The meeting will be open only to Howard High junior varsity families.

“I understand that this will be extremely disappointing news, particularly for those student-athletes who were not involved in inappropriate behavior, were unaware of what was occurring, or may have reported concerns that were not adequately resolved,” Costentino said. “I am deeply saddened that these students are affected by this decision.”

He can search and search, but I doubt he’ll be able to find greener grass than he has had in Owings Mills.

There is a significant and vocal group of Jackson fans who shout that the Baltimore Ravens — and DeCosta chief among them — are not doing enough to support the two-time MVP. This contingent believes that the Ravens are being dragged to glory by Jackson (which, to some degree, is true), his brilliance managing to outshine a brutally incompetent and inflexible organization.

To which I’d counter: Have you seen what DeCosta has been doing for Jackson lately?

The Ravens’ latest move to trade for two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens from the Eagles is the most recent maneuver DeCosta has undertaken to protect and appease his quarterback. Think about all the ways in which this move cuts sharply against DeCosta’s grain. It’s a midseason trade for a starter, costing the Ravens two draft picks, including a 2028 second-rounder.

If you read the trade compensation aloud, you’ll be able to hear DeCosta’s teeth grinding from Owings Mills, sick over the thought of giving up so much valuable draft capital. It’s like planting a sapling, only to cut it down to replace shoddy planks in your house walls.

But the value of future Ravens pales in comparison to the importance of keeping the most important current Raven as protected as possible. This is one deal in which pundits grading the trade matters little: DeCosta had to make a move to help Jackson and give the 2026 team as much of a window to contend as possible. Winning now matters most — especially with Jackson only signed through the 2027 season and his future beyond a mystery.

Jackson made DeCosta’s offseason a lot harder in March when he didn’t sign an extension with Baltimore, the only pro team he’s ever known. DeCosta was able to restructure Jackson’s contract, but the resulting massive cap hit in 2027 will give Jackson all the leverage he wants whenever he decides to saunter back to the negotiating table.

If you want to ding DeCosta for not being able to sign Jackson to a new deal, that’s a fair critique. But consider all he has done since to try to improve the ecosystem for his star quarterback:

• He signed Zay Flowers, one of Jackson’s closest teammates, to a contract extension that made him one of the five highest-paid receivers in football. Though many observers felt it was too high a price, so far, DeCosta has looked prescient, as Flowers has been explosive and graded the third-best receiver in the league by Pro Football Focus so far.
• He went back on a trade for Maxx Crosby (a move that many people, including myself, have hammered him for) and used the first-rounder he got back to pick Vega Ioane, the consensus best guard in the draft. Ioane has been solid, and his emergency snaps at center have helped the Ravens win two games.
• He let Todd Monken, a highly competent playcaller who had worn on several players in the locker room, walk (even before the Browns hired him, the Ravens had already decided he was not coming back). DeCosta and Jesse Minter instead hired Declan Doyle, a playcaller who is Jackson’s age, that the quarterback has described in glowing terms. His concepts married with Jackson’s skill have produced tons of explosive plays when the supporting cast (and Jackson himself) is healthy.

It’s true that DeCosta’s offseason is not Ws straight across the board. He lost Tyler Linderbaum, who really tied the OL together but also signed with the Raiders at a price Baltimore could not afford. When he had an opportunity to sign a veteran receiver free agent in the spring, he did not — which has hurt the room overall, with injuries to Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane. Could he have had a better guard signing than John Simpson? The market wasn’t exactly flush, but maybe he could have.

All of those problems are characteristic of a franchise trying to compete with a mammoth quarterback contract on the books. They’re similar to problems that Buffalo, Kansas City or Cincinnati have, with similar fan base complaints that the front offices don’t do enough to support the star QB. It says something that the two teams in the last Super Bowl — the Patriots and the Seahawks — both didn’t have huge QB salaries, enabling their GMs to build more complete teams around passers who performed surprisingly well.

Building around a player like Jackson is a first-world challenge, but a challenge all the same. The Ravens brought in Derrick Henry, a pairing that has worked well. They’ve spent tons of capital on receivers and finally hit on one in Flowers. They also have spent draft picks on blockers, and the curse of picking a guy as good as Linderbaum is that you can’t always pay him when he starts getting expensive. It was brutal when Nnamdi Madubuike, one of the other players with a big salary, sat out most of last season with an injury because the Ravens couldn’t do anything about the sunk cost.

When the Ravens lost three centers before Week 4, DeCosta took a lot of flak, even though even the most sage GM could never have predicted such a hit at one position. After taking that shrapnel, DeCosta picked up the phone and swung a deal that will improve the chances of keeping this offense viable — and keeping Jackson upright.

DeCosta has not been, and is not, perfect. But he has very obviously worked hard to get Jackson as much support as feasible and tried a lot of strategies — even ones that the Ravens don’t usually consider.

A general manager’s efforts are never a guarantee of results. No one learned that more painfully than DeCosta last year, when he assembled a roster that everyone thought had a chance to go to the Super Bowl and failed to make the playoffs. But this year as much as any, DeCosta has centered his efforts on Jackson and getting the most out of him that he can.

As Jackson works to get healthy this week, he may even have some time to consider his future, whether he wants to re-sign in Baltimore or seek another team to play for. At this point, it feels nearly impossible that Jackson could find a GM more hell-bent than DeCosta on making things work for him.

Democratic

Name: Anthony G. Brown

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s questionnaire.

Anthony G. Brown was elected attorney general in 2022 and is seeking re-election.

A Harvard-educated lawyer, Brown began his political career in the House of Delegates, representing a Prince George’s County district for eight years.

He then served as lieutenant governor under Gov. Martin O’Malley for two terms, from 2007 through 2015. He made an unsuccessful run for governor in 2014.

Brown pivoted and won a seat in Congress, representing a district covering parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel County from 2017 through 2023.

As attorney general, Brown has been engaged in numerous lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s administration — sometimes as the lead attorney and other times supporting a coalition of Democratic attorneys general.

Brown’s office has been reviewing three dozen cases where people died in police encounters, after an audit raised questions about the medical examiner reports that often classified the deaths as accidental or natural causes.

During Brown’s tenure, the Office of the Attorney General finished a multi-year grand jury investigation into abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, releasing a report in 2023.

Read The Banner’s coverage of Anthony Brown.

Republican

Name: James B. Rutledge, III

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s questionnaire.

“Banner Ravens Podcast” co-hosts Paul Mancano and Jonas Shaffer break down the trade and discuss quarterback Lamar Jackson’s absence from Wednesday’s practice.

The Oriole Bird will be there next season. One of the employees who played the part won’t be, however.

The layoffs that hit the Orioles on Tuesday, which The Banner first reported, included an employee who played the part of Mr. Splash and sometimes donned the Oriole Bird costume, sources said. The tally was 16 team employees, sources said, plus a handful of off-air employees from Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

The layoffs were across departments on the business side of the organization, and they included the longtime team photographer, a senior graphic designer and multiple individuals in ticket sales, corporate partnerships and hospitality roles, sources said.

The Athletic first reported the departure of the employee who acts as Mr. Splash, and a source confirmed the Bird Bath Splash Zone is expected to return.

A spokesperson for owner David Rubenstein declined to comment further.

It isn’t unusual for a team to undergo offseason changes, and a team source said this isn’t an indication that the Orioles are preparing for the expected lockout in December, when the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players is set to expire. The source said the Orioles were still hiring and that this wouldn’t mark an overall reduction in the workforce.

President of business operations Catie Griggs wrote in a memo to staffers that the Orioles made “difficult changes to our business, reshaping some roles and reporting lines and saying goodbye to colleagues.”

Some of those employees had been with the team for over a decade.

“I know the past two years have brought a lot of change, and many of you have wondered when it would settle. The changes we made today are complete,” wrote Griggs, who joined the organization from the Seattle Mariners in 2024. “We are not planning additional organizational changes as part of this effort, and our focus moving forward is on supporting each of you in the work you do, with clear feedback and the help to keep growing.”

Griggs added in the memo: “These decisions were about making sure our teams are built and staffed for the work ahead, not about reducing headcount. We’re continuing to recruit for critical roles and will add talent in areas where we have clear needs.”

The Orioles are at a challenging juncture on and off the field. The team that erupted in 2023 to win 101 games is largely gone. Since 2024, when Baltimore won 91 games yet went winless in the postseason for a second straight trip, the Orioles have produced two losing seasons.

MASN has dealt with turnover before, particularly when the Nationals broke off from the network ahead of this season. The future of regional sports broadcasters is murky, too. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would like the league to take over all local broadcasting.

As the team struggles, Orioles ticket reps deal with the reality that fewer fans are spending their money to see a losing product. Baltimore’s total attendance of 1,829,252 this season ranked 24th out of 30 major league teams (the Nationals barely edged ahead of the Orioles to finish 23rd).

The Orioles have drawn more than 2 million fans only once in the last nine seasons, and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2014.

Mosby, 46, was found guilty at separate trials in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt of two counts of perjury as well as one count of making a false statement on a loan application. The convictions were related to her purchase of two luxury vacation homes in Florida.

U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Mosby to three years of supervised release, with the first year on home detention, and ordered her to perform 100 hours of community service.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2025 threw out her conviction for mortgage fraud but upheld the guilty verdicts for perjury.

The full bench refused to rehear the appeal.

In a lengthy statement, Mosby wrote she was disappointed but not surprised, saying she unequivocally maintains her innocence.

“I have spent my career fighting for justice, and I will not stop fighting now,” Mosby said. “I will continue every available legal avenue to protect my law license, defend my reputation, and ensure that my case is not the final word on what justice looks like.”

The Maryland Supreme Court in 2024 ruled that Mosby could continue to practice law while she appealed her convictions and put potential discipline on hold. The process can now resume. Mosby’s attorney, Tiffany Alston, has said they “intend to present evidence in support of a disposition other than disbarment.”

In 2020, Mosby, a Democrat, twice filled out forms to withdraw a total of $90,000 from a retirement account under penalty of perjury.

Mosby would not have been able to access those funds but for a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. She then used the money to buy a home in Kissimmee and a condominium in Longboat Key, both in Florida.

Jurors determined that she lied on the forms. They also concluded that she falsely claimed in a letter to the mortgage company that her husband at the time, Nick Mosby, had agreed to gift her $5,000 at the time of closing on the condo.

From the start, Marilyn Mosby maintained her innocence.

She unsuccessfully sought a pardon from President Joe Biden.

Mosby served as the city’s top prosecutor from 2015 to 2023. Ivan Bates defeated her in the Democratic primary in 2022 and then ran unopposed on Election Day.

This story has been updated.

ASHBURN, Va. — Jayden Daniels’ return to the field will include some added protections this time around.

Washington is putting their star quarterback through running back drills in practice. But instead of protecting the ball, they are urging him to focus on protecting his elbow.

“Think of it like a running back who clasps the ball [as he gets hit],” Quinn said. Daniels needs to “roll to the ground“ instead of extending his arm. “That’s the way we explained it to him and honestly, those are some of the drills we will be doing today.”

Daniels is returning this week after missing the last two weeks due to a dislocated elbow. He will wear a brace that doesn’t allow him to hyperextend his elbow, in theory preventing a recurrence of the injury.

This is the second time Daniels has dislocated his elbow. The first happened last year against the Seahawks. He tried to return after four weeks but aggravated the injury in his first game back. He took a block and fell on his elbow.

Quinn is hoping to avoid those unnecessary hits this time around.

“If he is scrambling, slide. Throw it out,” Quinn stressed.

Daniels was limited in all three practices last week in London. Quinn said he needed more time to be comfortable with the brace.

“It is definitely something we talk about,” Quinn said. “We are going to practice it. This is him moving forward on how we will play.”

Daniels will be without his typical backup quarterback, Marcus Mariota, this week after he sprained his MCL against the Colts. But the injury isn’t severe enough for him to go on the injured reserve, Quinn said, and they won’t sign another veteran backup. Quinn said he could return after Washington’s game against the 49ers.

“We are encouraged about what his return could look like,” Quinn said.

Nonpartisan

Name: Mark E. Covington

Age: 63

Personal: Married with two children and four grandchildren.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, school health education, Towson State University; Master’s degree, administration and supervision, Bowie State University.

Experience: Public school Educator, 1986-2017, serving as teacher, school-based administrator and principal; professor at Loyola University Maryland, 2019-2024; Prince George’s County school representative working with the Wallace Foundation, 2012-2016; member of the Hickory Ridge Village Board since 2025; chair for the Howard County Public School System Community Advisory Council since 2025; member of the HCPSS Operating Budget Review Committee since 2025.

Questionnaire

Q: Do you think the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is helping or hurting school districts?

A: As a research-based framework focused on effective instruction, I believe the Blueprint is an overall benefit to our schools. A central goal of this initiative is removing the obstacles that stand between students and rigorous learning opportunities. Schools nationwide are struggling to recruit and retain teachers, and the Blueprint addresses this by prioritizing competitive compensation for classroom instructors. We also know that students who read proficiently by kindergarten go on to achieve at significantly higher rates. By expanding Pre-K access, the Blueprint levels the playing field for our youngest learners while easing the instructional burden teachers carry in later grades.

Reflecting on my 32 years in public education, I believe these requirements are overdue. Maryland has a real opportunity to reset how our public schools operate, and many families are ready for that change. The Blueprint offers a roadmap for helping our schools become their best — and turning away from it means accepting a status quo that doesn’t serve every student well.We cannot pass up this chance to prepare all students for their futures. The Blueprint names the challenges we face and offers real solutions. That’s a responsibility we owe our children.

Q: Do you support restrictions on students’ personal devices, like cellphones, in schools? How much screen time should students be getting in class?

A: There is little question about how disruptive personal devices can be to the learning environment. Investigations into tech and social media companies have revealed just how deliberately these apps are designed to capture young people’s attention and keep them scrolling — often at the expense of everything else, including their education. It’s exceedingly difficult for any teacher to compete with technology engineered for that purpose. Current research also points to real benefits when young people take breaks from screens altogether.

As a retired public-school educator, I witnessed firsthand the distraction and lost instructional time that came with personal device use in the classroom. I held this view long before recent research confirmed the downsides of unlimited screen time, which is why I’ve long supported limiting personal device use during the school day. To date, I haven’t seen credible guidance suggesting there’s a “safe” amount of screen time for students during instruction.

If I’m fortunate enough to earn a seat on the Board of Education, I will support policies that minimize student screen exposure during the school day, so our classrooms can once again be places built for focus and learning.

Q: Math test scores are low across the state. What do you think your district should be doing differently to improve math achievement?

A: Howard County has scored relatively well on statewide math testing, but there is still real work to be done. I share the goal that every HCPSS student should meet the state standard, and I believe several Blueprint initiatives can help us get there. Expanding Pre-K access, offering high-impact tutoring, and using early identification for struggling students are all approaches that have shown consistent success across a range of school settings, and I’d like to see Howard County lean further into each of them.

At the same time, genuine improvement requires us to remember that a single test score is only a snapshot of a student’s ability at one moment in time. It tells us what skills a student has demonstrated on a given day, but it isn’t the full academic picture. Teacher-generated assessments, student presentations, classroom projects, and a child’s growth in tackling new challenges all matter just as much when it comes to understanding — and supporting — real achievement.

If elected, I’ll advocate for both stronger numeracy initiatives and a broader, more accurate way of measuring whether they’re working for every student.

Q: With public school enrollment trending down statewide, how would you approach the potential of campus closures and redistricting? And how do you think districts should be recruiting families back?

A: For decades, Howard County has attracted families from around the world by offering safe, diverse communities that value education — and that reputation shows in the numbers. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Places to Live rankings named Ellicott City the best place to live in Maryland, with Columbia also landing in the top three. Maintaining that standard has always been central to our appeal, and if we want to remain a destination county for families, we must continue prioritizing resources for our schools. That’s a major reason I’m seeking a seat on the Board of Education.

Despite statewide trends, there’s no indication Howard County will need to close facilities in the foreseeable future, though our enrollment projections do show a gradual decline. Rather than speculate on hypotheticals, any significant shift, including redistricting, must be handled with transparency and consistency — clear processes, regular updates, and objective decision-making, so families understand not just what’s decided but why.

As for recruiting families back, our best strategy is to keep investing in what already makes our schools exceptional, and to tell that story well. Community members may not have final say in large systemic decisions, but their voices should always be heard and valued.

Q: Should parents have more influence in how school library books are selected? How would you change the system for book selection?

A: HCPSS already has an effective, open system for addressing parental concerns about books, and I fully support every parent’s right to raise those concerns about any curricular material. Every book carries a message and a point of view worth discussing, but no library can hold every title, and no curriculum can include every text. Identifying the most impactful and relevant books is a responsibility that media specialists and curriculum specialists are uniquely trained to handle. Their expertise in child development gives them valuable insight into how students learn, process new experiences, and grow through what they read. Balancing academic merit with student interest is genuinely difficult work, and these professionals do it well, drawing on training most parents simply don’t have access to.

That said, I don’t believe expert-led selection and parental input are at odds. Parents should always have a clear, accessible way to raise concerns about specific materials, and I support maintaining and strengthening that review process. What I would not support is removing the decision-making role from trained professionals altogether. Every student deserves access to diverse, high-quality materials that build critical thinking, and I trust our specialists to keep delivering that.

Name: Linda Frascarella

Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.

Name: Lanlan Xu

Age: 49

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, German language and literature, Peking University; Ph.D., German studies, Georgetown University; Ph.D., public affairs, Indiana University.

Experience: Vice president of Health Policy at KNG Health; previously held senior policy roles at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including deputy director at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and evaluation lead at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; policy advisor and Mid-Atlantic Regional Co-Lead for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Q: Do you think the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is helping or hurting school districts?

A: Overall, I believe the Blueprint is helping move Maryland in the right direction by strengthening academics, supporting educators, expanding early childhood education, improving college and career readiness, and directing additional resources to students with greater needs. However, the Blueprint also presents serious financial and operational challenges. It was designed using assumptions that predated the pandemic, workforce shortages, inflation, and today’s higher costs. Its success requires adequate, sustainable state funding and sufficient flexibility for local school systems. Although the state provides significant funding through the Blueprint formulas, those dollars often come with specific mandates and may not cover the full cost of carrying them out or other urgent local needs. HCPSS must ensure that meeting Blueprint requirements does not crowd out core instruction, essential programs, special education, student mental health services, or critical staff.

Ultimately, we should judge the Blueprint by its results: whether it improves student achievement, expands opportunity, supports and retains excellent educators, and prepares students for life after graduation. Educators must have a strong voice in how it is carried out because they translate the Blueprint’s goals into classroom practice, and they need the staffing, resources, and tools to do that effectively.

Q: Do you support restrictions on students’ personal devices, like cellphones, in schools? How much screen time should students be getting in class?

A: Student success depends on minimizing distractions and protecting instructional time, which is why I support HCPSS’s current personal device policy. Cellphones should stay away and silenced during the school day, with appropriate exceptions for medical needs, IEP or 504 plans, and emergencies. For school technology, I believe the goal should be intentional use rather than simply more or less screen time. There is no single number that fits every grade, classroom, or learning activity. Age matters, as does what students are actually doing on the screen.

Technology can add real educational value when students are coding, conducting research, using simulations, creating digital content, or developing the technology and AI literacy they will need beyond the classroom. That is very different from passive consumption or replacing effective hands-on learning, reading, writing, and classroom discussion with screens unnecessarily. Our policy framework should therefore be strong restrictions on personal-device use combined with intentional, age-appropriate use of school technology. The goal is not less technology at all costs; it is more learning and fewer distractions.

Q: Math test scores are low across the state. What do you think your district should be doing differently to improve math achievement?

A: HCPSS students outperform the state in math: in 2026, 42.1% were proficient across tested grades and courses, compared with 27.1% statewide. But we should not be satisfied when 57.9% of our students are not yet meeting the proficiency standard. HCPSS is also falling short of its own targets, particularly in middle school, where proficiency was 44% in 2025, compared with a 48% target and an aspirational goal of 64% by 2029. Improving math achievement starts with strong foundational skills and catching gaps early, before they become harder to close.

We need a genuine multi-tiered system of support that identifies where students are struggling and provides timely, targeted intervention, while maintaining rigorous and advanced opportunities for students ready to accelerate. We also need engaging instruction that connects math to real-world problem-solving, STEAM fields, and skills students will need beyond the classroom. As HCPSS implements Maryland’s new math standards, teachers need strong curriculum, professional development, intervention resources, and support. We need to recruit and retain a strong teaching workforce. We should use assessment and student-growth data to identify what works and adjust accordingly. Early intervention, engaging and rigorous instruction, and excellent teaching are how we move math achievement forward.

Q: With public school enrollment trending down statewide, how would you approach the potential of campus closures and redistricting? And how do you think districts should be recruiting families back?

A: Families choose Howard County in large part because of the reputation of our schools. While public school enrollment is declining statewide, HCPSS enrollment has remained relatively stable after the pandemic, and Pre-K enrollment is projected to grow about 12.7% in FY27. Given this trajectory, school closures in Howard County are not justified based on current enrollment trends.Redistricting should be limited and targeted when schools are significantly overcrowded or underutilized, new schools open, or boundaries need adjustment to maintain stable feeder patterns and use facilities efficiently. Decisions should be guided by transparent data, clear criteria, and meaningful community input while minimizing disruption to students and families.

Recruiting families back is fundamentally about quality. Families need confidence in strong academics, safe schools, excellent teachers, manageable class sizes, advanced programs, special education, arts and athletics, career pathways, and responsive school leadership. HCPSS should protect these priorities, particularly during difficult budget decisions.We also need to understand why families leave. HCPSS should examine enrollment patterns and systematically seek feedback from families choosing private schools, homeschooling, or other alternatives. We cannot effectively recruit families back without understanding their decisions and ensuring our public schools provide the educational opportunities families want for their children.

Q: Should parents have more influence in how school library books are selected? How would you change the system for book selection?

A: HCPSS relies on trained library media specialists and established professional review sources to select library materials, and I believe that expertise should remain central to the process. Parents should also have a meaningful voice in their children’s education and in the policies governing our school libraries.What matters most is transparency, with clear, published selection criteria, including standards for age-appropriateness. Parents should be able to understand how materials are selected, provide feedback, and use HCPSS’s established process to request reevaluation of a resource. Parents should have reasonable tools to guide their own children’s reading, but no individual parent should determine what books are available to every student. HCPSS already has a structured process for selecting and reevaluating materials, so I do not believe a major overhaul is needed.

Instead, we should ensure that existing standards are applied consistently, monitor patterns in challenges, and continue relying on professional expertise and evidence. The goal should be balance: respecting parents’ role in their own children’s education while protecting intellectual freedom, educational value, and access to library collections that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of our students.

Democrat

Name: Brooke Elizabeth Lierman

Age: 47

Personal: Married, two children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, history, Dartmouth College; Juris Doctor, University of Texas Law School.

Experience: Comptroller of Maryland since 2023; served two terms in the House of Delegates from District 46; practiced as a civil rights and disability rights attorney at Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP; clerked at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Republican

Name: Sonya Dunn

Personal: Husband, Troy, and four adult children.

Education: Candidate for Doctor of Business Administration in Finance, Liberty University; Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisitions Management, Webster University; Master of Business Administration, American University; Master of Arts in Producing for Film and Video, University of Central Oklahoma; Bachelor of Arts in Film, Radio, and Television Production with a minor in Business, University of Central Oklahoma.

Experience: Sonya Dunn is the founder and chief executive officer of JEMH Enterprises LLC. She has served as a strategic partner to the U.S. Department of Defense, participated in U.S. Department of State international economic partnership programs, and supported military families in Europe as a senior advisor with the American Red Cross. For more than five years, Dunn produced and hosted MilitaryHomeLife, a radio program, television program, podcast, and magazine focused on the military life experience.

Question 1

Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 155 of the 2026 Legislative Session)

Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026

Providing that each budget submitted by the Governor shall include proposed expenditures necessary to implement wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment in each collective bargaining memorandum of understanding with State employees, whether the State and State employees reached those terms and conditions by mutual agreement or through a neutral decider’s order.

(Amending Article III of the Maryland Constitution)

A vote FOR this amendment means that the Governor has to include money in the proposed State budget to pay for agreements between the State and its employees. Agreements might include changes to wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Governor must put enough money in the State budget to cover the agreed upon pay and benefits for employees, whether those terms were negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker.

A vote AGAINST the amendment means that the law about funding agreements between the State and State employees stays the same.

Explanation:

This amendment would change the state constitution to require the governor to include in their proposed state budget an estimate for all state employee pay and benefits covered by collective bargaining agreements, whether those terms are reached through negotiations or decided by a neutral decision-maker. The amendment would also establish a deadline for a neutral decision-maker to issue a decision.

A vote FOR the amendment would add these requirements to the state’s labor and budget processes; a vote AGAINST would keep the current system.

Question 2

Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 878 of the 2026 Legislative Session)

Temporary Appointments on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities

Authorizing temporary substitute appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities when a member is recused or disqualified, or when a member’s term expires. In these situations, the Commission Chair may recall a former member of the Commission, or the Governor, at the request of the Commission Chair, may appoint a temporary substitute member or extend the term of a current member until a permanent replacement is appointed. Only individuals who meet the constitutional eligibility requirements may be recalled or appointed to the Commission.

(Amending Article IV of the Maryland Constitution)

A vote FOR this amendment means that temporary appointments to the Commission are allowed if a member is recused, disqualified, or if a member’s term ends without a replacement. The Commission Chair can temporarily fill an opening on the Commission with a former member. The Governor can, at the request of the Commission Chair pick a temporary substitute to fill an opening on the Commission or extend the term of a current member until a replacement is appointed. Only individuals who meet the constitutional eligibility requirements may be recalled or appointed to the Commission.

A vote AGAINST the amendment means that current membership rules for the Commission stay the same. Temporary appointments are not allowed if a member is recused, disqualified, or if a member’s term ends.

Explanation:

This amendment would change rules for temporary appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, an 11-member body that investigates complaints about judges. It would allow temporary appointments when a member is recused, disqualified or reaches the end of their term, but would prevent the governor from temporarily appointing someone whose nomination was previously rejected by the state Senate.

A vote FOR would allow temporary appointments under these rules; a vote AGAINST would keep the current rules.

Question 3

Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 881 of the 2026 Legislative Session (PDF))

Election Districts

The proposed Constitutional Amendment clarifies that certain standards in the Maryland Constitution apply only to districts used to elect members of the General Assembly; authorizes the General Assembly to grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plan of the State; and requires the criteria for boundaries of congressional districts to be determined by applicable federal laws.

(Amending Article III of the Maryland Constitution)

Explanation:

This amendment deals with congressional redistricting. The amendment would clarify that state constitutional language requiring compact districts that respect political and natural boundaries applies only to state legislative districts. A judge previously cited the language to reject a proposed congressional map, and amending the constitution is intended to clear the way for lawmakers to draw more partisan congressional districts. This amendment would not create new districts; lawmakers would still need to do that in the future.

A vote FOR the amendment would give state lawmakers more ability to draw more partisan congressional districts; a vote AGAINST the amendment would keep current redistricting rules.

Question A

Charter Amendment

Gender Neutrality

The County Charter uses gender-specific words like “he” and “she.” The Charter Amendment would replace these types of words with gender-neutral words like “they” and “them.”

A vote FOR the Amendment would make gender-neutral changes to the Charter.

A vote AGAINST the Amendment would leave gender-specific words unchanged in the Charter.

Explanation:

In 2025, Howard County’s LGBTQIA+ Commission called for a review of the county charter to implement gender-neutral language to reflect that all provisions apply clearly and equally to every individual, regardless of gender identity. This measure asks voters whether to amend the charter to replace gender-specific pronouns with uniform language, similar to Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Baltimore counties.

Question B

Charter Amendment

Affordable For-Sale Housing Projects

The County Charter only allows the County to use its capital budget to finance an affordable housing project in its Housing Opportunities Trust Fund if the County owns the project. The Charter Amendment would change this requirement by allowing the County to use its capital budget to finance some or all of an affordable housing project if the project meets certain criteria. The County is not required to own or construct the project, but the Howard County Housing Commission or another entity controlled by the Housing Commission must own the project. The project must only have housing units for sale. The County would repay the bonds for the project over a defined time period, typically 20-30 years, and the affordable for-sale housing units must remain affordable for that period.

A vote FOR the Charter Amendment would allow the County to use its capital budget to finance these affordable for-sale housing projects.

A vote AGAINST the Charter Amendment would require these affordable for-sale housing projects to be financed in ways other than the County’s capital budget.

Explanation:

This proposed charter amendment asks voters whether the county should be allowed to use bonds to finance affordable for-sale housing projects, similar to the way it funds capital construction for schools, roads and other infrastructure. The measure would not require the county to take on debt, but would give it the option to finance qualifying projects this way in the future. Montgomery and Baltimore counties similarly use bonds to fund affordable housing projects.

“We have seven more games left,” Durr said. “I don’t know if y’all think the season is over with, but still, there’s seven more games left to prove why we are a good team.”

“I feel like you’re asking the question as if our season is over,” added Scruggs later. “Our season isn’t over. A loss, we learn from those.”

Those two team leaders are correct. The Terrapins have only played five games. But Maryland (2-3) is also in a limbo period of sorts, with a matchup against No. 5 Ohio State arriving Saturday and the future of coach Michael Locksley in doubt.

So, yes, there are plenty of games remaining. But the reality around College Park is much more fluid, with a three-game losing streak preceding a matchup against the Buckeyes — in which the Terps will attempt to do something they’ve never done since joining the Big Ten in 2014.

Maryland has never won a game against a ranked conference foe since becoming a member, going 0-39. And while that ignominious record is not Locksley’s alone, he has been at the helm since 2019.

His seat is now warm, if not hot. According to a report from college football insider Josh Pate, Maryland has already begun the search for Locksley’s eventual replacement, even as he attempts to steer his players toward The Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.

For his part, Locksley approached Tuesday without showing that he is feeling the heat from his perilous position. He recounted the good and the bad from last week’s loss to Nebraska, and he emphasized that the three straight losses aren’t “the standard we need to have for our program.”

“Our players know it. We as coaches know it. Obviously, I know it,” Locksley said. “But nobody is hanging their heads, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re going to keep working through it.”

The position in which the Terps find themselves is far from what they hoped in December 2018, when Locksley returned home as a savior of sorts. The death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair from a heat-related illness suffered at practice and allegations of a toxic culture surrounding coach DJ Durkin’s program thrust the Terps into a spiral. Interim coach Matt Canada at least guided Maryland through the 2018 season, but the Terps needed rescuing.

Locksley, as a former Terps assistant coach who at the time led Alabama’s offense to great heights, was billed as a homecoming hero.

“This is the job I’ve coveted since the day I put a whistle around my neck as a coach,” Locksley said at his introductory press conference. “Some people grow up wanting to be the head coach of the University of Alabama, Michigan, all the storied programs. For Locks, this was it.”

Reality has been far less kind.

In eight seasons at the helm, the Terps have only been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll once, when they were No. 21 entering the third game of Locksley’s first season (Maryland promptly lost to unranked Temple). The Terps are 38-47 overall since Locksley’s return, and while they’ve won three bowl games, they haven’t been eligible since 2023, when Maryland won eight games for a second straight season.

The Terps won eight games combined in 2024 and 2025, however, and the Terps could be fortunate to reach four wins this year, too.

After beating Hampton and UConn to begin the season, the Terps lost to Virginia Tech, UCLA and Nebraska. In the latest defeat, Maryland looked competitive. Then quarterback Malik Washington threw his third pick six in two games while the Terps were blanked in the second half en route to a blowout.

“For the first time against a really talented team, I saw us look like a team I thought we could be, but only for about a half,” Locksley said. “I thought once we threw the pick six, the energy went out of our team. For me, that’s a coaching detail, being able to overcome negative things that happen in the game. We’ve got to be able to get that fixed, and the standard has to be the consistency of playing that way, not just for a half against a really good team on the road.”

In the meantime, as Locksley seeks consistency, it’s worth studying the terms of his contract. Maryland extended Locksley’s stay in College Park through the end of the 2028 season.

He is earning $6.4 million this season, according to a copy of Locksley’s contract obtained through a public records request ($600,000 base salary, plus $5.8 million in supplemental income). Locksley is due $6.7 million in 2027 and $7 million in 2028. If Maryland were to fire Locksley prior to the end of his contract, the university will owe him 65% of his remaining salary.

So, if the Terps fire Locksley at the end of this season (let’s say Nov. 29, the day after Maryland ends the season with a matchup against Penn State), Locksley will be owed about $8.9 million for 2027 and 2028, plus 65% of however much salary is remaining in 2026. The exact amount is hard to know without knowing his exact pay periods, which are not spelled out in the contract, but it would be at least a few hundred thousand dollars more.

Firing him midseason raises that price by another several hundred thousand dollars. The question, then, becomes whether Maryland has the booster base to eat that amount, be it now or later (although the Terps set a record fundraising tally in 2026 at $43.7 million).

All of that is swirling around the edges of the program. For the moment, Locksley and his players set their sights on Ohio State, not how much the buyout might set back Maryland’s most influential athletic boosters. Locksley spoke of the third-down drill he planned to run his first-team offense and defense through Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to mirror a game-like situation that has caused problems.

But that is far from the lone problem. Washington, the high-potential quarterback who has thrown six interceptions in his last two games, is dealing with the reality of a running game that has been lacking.

Maryland averages 146.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks 88th nationally. The Terps are passing more, and Washington, a Glen Burnie native, is learning on the fly. The results, as may be expected, haven’t been clean.

“He’s our quarterback, and there’s no doubt,” Locksley said. He later added that there is undue pressure on Washington because of the Terps’ “inability to run the football, which, going into this year, that was the focal point of the offense, how to take some pressure off of him.”

There is pressure on all of these players, in truth. They are not immune to the noise that is mounting against Locksley, and has been mounting for some time. They realize that they are stepping into a massive challenge Saturday, and despite Durr’s attempts to lessen the magnitude, the wide receiver’s sentiment was somewhat forced.

“The grass is green, the end zone is the end zone, the turf is the turf,” said Durr, who’s tied for second in the country with 42 receptions. “It’s going to be a regular game, and it’s a good opportunity to go out there and prove why Maryland belongs in the Big Ten.”

Maryland has tried to prove that since 2014. The Terps have yet to win a conference game against a ranked opponent.

And as they prepare for what could be Locksley’s final act as head coach at the only school he ever wanted to lead — any of these games could be the last — it’s impossible to think that this reality is lost on any of those playing for him.

“Staying in-house, staying where our feet are,” Durr said. “Being there for our coach. He’s our leader, and we’re always going to look for him to help us going into these games, going into practice. I don’t want Coach to leave, and I know we’re going to do what we can to make sure he stays.”

Question A

Charter Amendment (Bill 19-25)

Baltimore County Farmland Preservation Act (URDL)

Currently, the Planning Board changes the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL), which separates urban areas from rural areas in Baltimore County, largely in response to zoning changes or water/sewer designation changes enacted by the County Council. The Baltimore County Charter requires a simple majority of the County Council to approve changes by the Planning Board to the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL). This amendment to the Baltimore County Charter would require a vote of six (6) of the nine (9) members of the County Council rather than a simple majority of five (5) votes to approve changes to the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) recommended by the Planning Board. All other planning and zoning matters would continue to be approved by a simple majority vote of the County Council.

This would amend Section 522.1 of the Baltimore County Charter and add Section 1015 to the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the amendment requires six (6) of the nine (9) members of the County Council to approve changes to the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL).

A vote AGAINST the amendment keeps the current simple majority vote of 5 members of the County Council on changes to the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL).

Explanation:

This proposed charter amendment asks voters whether they want to approve the Baltimore County Planning Board’s recommendation that six out of the nine Baltimore County Council members are required to change the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) by vote — as opposed to five out of nine. The URDL (pronounced ur-Dell) is the zigzaggy border that divides Baltimore County’s 600-square-mile jurisdiction into one-third suburban land with accessible water and sewer and two-thirds rural zoning designed to protect air and drinking water. A FOR vote would change the threshold from five votes to six votes; an AGAINST vote would keep the threshold at five votes.

Question B

Charter Amendment (Bill 49-25)

Department of Agriculture – Establishment of Department

This Charter Amendment establishes a Department of Agriculture to promote and support farming and agriculture in Baltimore County as a viable component of the county’s economic section, including encouraging local food production and distribution to improve access to food for County residents.

This would amend Section 504 of the Baltimore County Charter and add Sections 542.9 and 542.10 to the Baltimore County Charter.

Various agriculture issues will continue to be handled by other County agencies depending on the subject matter. As an example, agriculture land preservation is currently handled by the Department of Planning; local food initiatives are currently handled by the Department of Health; and agricultural tourism is handled by the Department of Economic and Workforce Development.

A vote FOR the amendment would create a Department of Agriculture to support farming and agriculture in Baltimore County and encourage local food production and distribution to improve access to food for County residents.

A vote AGAINST the amendment does not create a Department of Agriculture, and the current County Charter would remain unchanged.

Explanation:

The proposed charter amendment asks voters to create a stand-alone Baltimore County Department of Agriculture, which would promote farming throughout the jurisdiction, encourage food production and distribution, and improve residents’ food access. Other departments would continue to manage agricultural land preservation, local food initiatives and agricultural tourism. A FOR vote would establish this new department. An AGAINST vote would prevent it from happening.

Question C

Charter Amendment (Bill 50-25)

Inspector General Appointment Board

The Inspector General provides oversight of County government by investigating fraud, waste, and abuse. This Charter Amendment establishes an Inspector General Appointment Board; provides for the appointment of members to the Appointment Board; provides authority for the Inspector General Appointment Board to appoint or reappoint the Inspector General and, if necessary, remove the Inspector General for cause. It replaces the current process under which the County Executive appoints or reappoints the Inspector General, and the County Council confirms the appointment. It provides for a residency requirement for the Inspector General.

The Inspector General Appointment Board will consist of seven (7) members, with the County Council and County Executive each selecting one member, and the Chair of the Ethics Commission electing the other five (5) members, each of whom must be from specific judicial, accounting, fraud examination or academic professions. There are also several requirements for members relating to potential ethical conflicts between their service on the Inspector General Appointment Board and their employment or business involvement with the County; candidacy for elected office or involvement in campaign finances; registration as a lobbyist; or criminal convictions.

This would amend Section 1014 of the Baltimore County Charter and add Section 1014.1 to the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the amendment transfers the authority to appoint or reappoint and remove the Inspector General from the County Executive to an Inspector General Appointment Board to be established.

A vote AGAINST the amendment keeps the current process, in which the County Executive appoints or reappoints the Inspector General and the County Council confirms the appointment.

Explanation:

This proposed charter amendment asks voters whether they want to create a seven-member Inspector General Appointment Board tasked with selecting Baltimore County’s inspector general. The board would have the responsibility to appoint, reappoint or, if necessary, remove the county’s inspector general. The board would replace the current process, in which the county executive makes a decision and the Baltimore County Council either confirms or denies the appointment.

A FOR vote would establish the Inspector General Appointment Board and grant the seven-member body the authority to appoint, reappoint or remove an inspector general. An AGAINST vote would retain the current process in which the county executive appoints or reappoints the inspector general and the council confirms the appointment.

Question D

Charter Amendment (Bill 52-26)

Charter Review Commission – Membership

This Charter Amendment increases the number of Charter Review Commission members appointed by the County Council from seven to nine for purposes of matching the expansion of the County Council.

This would amend Section 1203(a) of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the amendment increases the number of Charter Review Commission appointments made by County Council members from seven (7) to nine (9).

A vote AGAINST the amendment keeps the current Charter provisions, under which County Council members make seven (7) appointments to the Charter Review Commission.

Explanation:

The proposed charter amendment asks voters to increase the number of Charter Review Commission members that the Baltimore County Council is allowed to appoint from seven to nine — to match the council’s expansion from seven to nine members. The 11-member commission meets every decade to study and review the county’s charter. After doing so, the commission reports its findings and makes recommendations to the council and county executive.

A vote FOR the amendment would increase the number of members the council can appoint to the commission from seven to nine. An AGAINST vote would prevent that expansion.

Question E

Charter Amendment (Bill 61-26)

Board of Recreation and Parks – Membership and Duties

This Charter Amendment changes the membership of the Board of Recreation and Parks by increasing the number of at-large members from three (3) to four (4) and provides that district-level members are appointed based on recommendations from County Council members. The amendment also amends and modernizes the Board duties to reflect both current board practices and its role to serve in an advisory capacity to the Department of Recreation and Parks.

This would amend Section 533 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the amendment changes the membership of the Board of Recreation and Parks and clarifies that the Board is an advisory body to the Department of Recreation and Parks.

A vote AGAINST the amendment keeps the current membership and duties of the Board of Recreation and Parks.

Explanation:

This proposed charter amendment asks voters to increase the number of at-large members on the Board of Recreation and Parks from three to four. It would require the remaining members to be appointed based on recommendations from Baltimore County Council members. The Board of Recreation and Parks is currently an 11-member body designed to guide the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks. The amendment would update the board’s duties to serve the department as an advisory body.

A vote FOR the amendment would change the membership and clarify the board’s role. An AGAINST vote would prevent that.

Question F

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 42-26)

Refuse Disposal Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects.

Explanation:

This proposed ordinance would authorize Baltimore County to borrow $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects. Voting FOR the bond issue would allow the county to borrow the funds; voting AGAINST would preclude that.

Question G

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 43-26)

Community College Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $18,620,000 for community college projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, improvement, enlargement, alteration, maintenance, repair, modernization, and development of buildings and other improvements for community colleges; the architectural, engineering, and other services incident thereto; and the acquisition of land, furnishings, and equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $18,620,000 for community college projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $18,620,000 for community college projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would authorize the county to borrow $18,620,000 for community college projects. A vote FOR would authorize the borrowing; a vote AGAINST would disallow it.

Question H

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 44-26)

Public Works Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $54,380,000 for public works projects, including but not limited to: streets and highways, bridges, storm drain systems, sewer systems, refuse disposal systems, viaducts, environmental projects, grade crossings and parking lots and structures, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $54,380,000 for public works projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $54,380,000 for public works projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would allow the county to borrow $54,380,000 for public works projects. Those could include streets and highways, bridges, storm drain systems, sewer systems, refuse disposal systems, viaducts, environmental projects, grade crossings and parking lots and structures. A vote FOR the bond issue would authorize Baltimore County to borrow the funds; a vote AGAINST the bond issue would preclude Baltimore County from borrowing the funds.

Question I

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 45-26)

Parks, Preservation and Greenways Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $2,000,000 for the purpose of parks, preservation and greenways projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, maintenance, and equipping of playgrounds, parks, community centers, and recreational facilities; related engineering, architectural, and other services; and the acquisition and maintenance of equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $2,000,000 for parks, preservation and greenways projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $2,000,000 for parks, preservation and greenways projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would authorize the county to borrow $2 million for parks, preservation and greenways projects, including but not limited to the acquisition, construction, maintenance and equipping of playgrounds, parks, community centers and recreational facilities, as well as related engineering, architectural and other services. A vote FOR the bond issue would authorize the spending; a vote AGAINST would preclude it.

Question J

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 46-26)

School Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $200,000,000 for school buildings and site projects, including but not limited to: the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, improvement, extension, alteration, maintenance, conversion and modernization of buildings and sites for school purposes; architectural and engineering services; and recreation and pedagogical equipment for such buildings and sites, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $200,000,000 for school buildings and site projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $200,000,000 for school buildings and site projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would authorize the county to borrow $200 million for school buildings and site projects. This would include acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, improving, extending, altering, maintaining, converting and modernizing buildings and sites for school purposes, among other things. A vote FOR the bond issue would allow the county to borrow the funds for these projects; a vote AGAINST would preclude the county from borrowing funds.

Question K

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 47-26)

Agricultural and Rural Land Preservation Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $6,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects, including but not limited to the purchase of land, development rights, conservation easements and other real property approved by the County Council pursuant to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program and the Rural Legacy Program or other similar federal or state programs, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $6,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $6,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would allow the county to borrow $6 million for agricultural and rural land preservation projects. This would include purchasing land, development rights, conservation easements, and other real property approved by the council in accordance with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program, the Rural Legacy Program, and other federal or state programs. A vote FOR would allow the county to borrow for these projects; a vote AGAINST would preclude them.

Question L

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 48-26)

Community Improvement Project Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $4,000,000 for community improvement projects, including but not limited to construction, renovation, extension, alteration, repair or modernization of: street curbs; gutters; water; sewer and other utilities; sidewalk improvements; interior and rear access improvements; landscaping and lighting improvements; building and other structural improvements; and sidewalk and pedestrian system improvements, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $4,000,000 for community improvement projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $4,000,000 for community improvement projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would allow the county to borrow $4 million for a broad range of community improvement projects, including street curbs, gutters, water and sewer infrastructure, and sidewalks. The county would repay the money over time, with interest. A vote FOR would authorize the borrowing; a vote AGAINST would block it.

Question M

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 49-26)

Waterway Improvement Program Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $20,000,000 for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, alteration, repair and modernization of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects, including but not limited to: shoreline stabilization; shore erosion control; wetland restoration; streambank and riverbank restoration; stabilization and reconstruction; control and monitoring of nonpoint pollutants; landscaping; dredging; planting of trees and similar waterway improvement projects in residential, rural and commercial areas; and engineering and other services incident thereto, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $20,000,000 for acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, alteration, repair and modernization of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $20,000,000 for acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, alteration, repair and modernization of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects.

Explanation:

This ordinance would allow the county to borrow $20 million for a broad range of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects, including shoreline stabilization, shore erosion control, wetland restoration, and streambank and riverbank restoration. The county would repay the money over time, with interest. A vote FOR would authorize the borrowing; a vote AGAINST would block it.

Question N

Bond Issue: County Ordinance (Bill 50-26)

Operational Buildings Borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $81,750,000 for public operational buildings, including but not limited to: general, health, police, fire, recreation, library, senior center, and jail buildings or facilities, and necessary or desirable equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

A vote FOR the bond issue authorizes Baltimore County to borrow $81,750,000 for public operational buildings.

A vote AGAINST the bond issue precludes Baltimore County from borrowing $81,750,000 for public operational buildings.

Explanation:

This ordinance would allow the county to borrow $81.75 million for public buildings, including police and fire facilities, recreation centers, libraries, senior centers and jails. The county would repay the money over time, with interest. A vote FOR would authorize the borrowing; a vote AGAINST would block it.

Question A

Bond Issue

Affordable Housing Loan

Question A authorizes the City to borrow up to $22,000,000 to be used for the City’s Affordable Housing Program. The money may be used to acquire, redevelop, and dispose of property in the City for this purpose, along with related costs.

The money may be used to rehabilitate, construct, and operate rental and homeownership developments, including relocation assistance, rental payments, home purchase assistance, housing counseling, project financing, buyer education assistance, activities to support the development of economically diverse housing in the City, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The money may also be used to eliminate unhealthy and unsafe conditions, including blight, and may be used to improve land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities, and other structures, including all related costs.

Voting FOR this amendment allows the City to borrow this money.

Voting AGAINST the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Explanation:

This bond question would allow the city to borrow up to $22 million for the city’s Affordable Housing Program. The money could be used to buy or redevelop property or to help with housing programs that offer rental or relocation assistance, housing counseling, or buyer education. The funds could also be used for blight remediation.

Question B

Bond Issue

School Loan

Question B authorizes the City to borrow up to $60,000,000 to be used for school purposes. The money may be used to acquire property in the City for these purposes and to build new or improve existing school buildings, athletic facilities, and community health and recreation facilities, along with all related costs. The money may also be used to acquire equipment for such facilities.

Voting FOR this amendment allows the City to borrow this money.

Voting AGAINST the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Explanation:

This question would authorize the city to borrow up to $60 million for schools. Most of the money would be spent on systemic improvements including heating and air conditioning, windows, doors and fire safety. Renovations are also planned for Edmondson-Westside High School and Benjamin Franklin High School.

Question C

Bond Issue

Community and Economic Development Loan

Question C authorizes the City to borrow up to $50,000,000 to be used for the City’s economic development program. The money may be used to acquire, develop, and dispose of property in the City for this purpose, along with related costs.

The money may be used to eliminate unhealthy and unsafe conditions, including blight, and to create healthy, sanitary, safe, and green conditions in the City. It may be used to stabilize and improve middle neighborhoods and neighborhood retail corridors, as well as to improve land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks, utilities, parks, recreational land or facilities, and other structures, including all related costs.

The money may also be used as loans or grants to develop, improve, or construct buildings in the City for residential or commercial purposes, and as loans or grants for growing businesses, attracting and retaining jobs, encouraging homeownership, providing home repair assistance, promoting economic inclusion, achieving whole-block outcomes, improving the City’s cultural life, and promoting City tourism.

Voting FOR this amendment allows the City to borrow this money.

Voting AGAINST the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Explanation:

This question would allow the city to borrow up to $50 million for economic development. Money could be spent to acquire property or remediate unsafe conditions like blight. Funds could also be used to stabilize neighborhoods and retail corridors with investments in buildings, streets, sidewalks and parks. The city could use money to develop properties and offer grants to grow businesses, retain jobs or do home repairs.

Question D

Bond Issue

Public Infrastructure Loan

Question D authorizes the City to borrow up to $148,000,000 to be used for the development of public infrastructure owned or controlled by the City. The money may be used to develop buildings owned by the City, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and public parks and recreational land. It may be used to acquire property in the City and to construct new or improve existing buildings, structures, and auxiliary facilities for use by the City and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

The money may also be used to improve, construct, relocate, or repair buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities, and other structures, including information technology infrastructure, as well as to acquire and install trees, equipment, and fixtures, along with all related costs.

Voting FOR this amendment allows the City to borrow this money.

Voting AGAINST the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Explanation:

This question would allow the city to borrow up to $148 million to be spent to improve buildings or parks owned by the city or the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Planned projects include replacement of the Lillian Jones Recreation Center, replacement of the William McAbee Pool, façade restoration at the Bromo Arts Tower and improvements to sidewalk ramps to comply with a partial consent decree.

Question E

Charter Amendment

Contract Bidding and Awards

Question E amends the City Charter to remove the requirement of awarding a contract to the lowest bidder, removes the process for resolving tie bids, and removes provisions governing the bid bonds and performance bonds required by some contractors.

Voting FOR this Amendment removes these provisions from the Charter, which will become effective November 7, 2028, unless an ordinance or regulation governing the topic is adopted sooner.

Voting AGAINST the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing contract bidding and awards in place.

Explanation:

This charter amendment would remove the requirement to award city contracts to the lowest bidder. A FOR vote would eliminate the lowest bidder requirement; an AGAINST vote would maintain it.

Question F

Charter Amendment

Legislation, Budget, and Board of Estimates

Question F amends the City Charter’s legislative process, the annual budget process, and the role of the Board of Estimates. It shortens the amount of time in which the Mayor can veto legislation passed by the City Council and the amount of time the City Council has to override the Mayor’s veto.

The Amendment also eliminates the preliminary budget hearing process and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the responsibility to prepare and submit the proposed budget before April 30 each year. The City Council must then adopt the budget at least eight days before the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, and any veto and veto override process must be completed by then.

The Amendment removes the current $1 million dollar cap on the amount that may be used as a contingent fund for emergencies or other unexpected needs. It allows the Finance Director and the Planning Commission to make new recommendations about the proposed budget after it is submitted to the City Council and allows the City Council to add amounts based on those recommendations before final passage. The Amendment also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director or the Planning Commission the authority to make supplemental appropriation recommendations outside of the annual budget process.

The Amendment transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Department the responsibility to estimate revenues and formulate the annual rates for all property taxes, and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director the responsibility to estimate any surpluses. It also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the authority to increase or decrease the salaries of municipal officers in preparing the budget.

The Amendment removes from the Charter a number of other duties assigned to the Board of Estimates, including formulating and executing the fiscal policy of the City, advertising for contracts, establishing the process for professional services contracts and for bidder prequalification, approving emergency contracts, fixing salary and wage scales of employees, approving collective bargaining agreements, determining bonds of City officials, establishing procedures for paying or releasing claims against or claims held by the City, fixing the salary of officials in the State’s Attorney’s Office, and approving expenditures for new improvements. These roles could be given to other agencies or departments by City ordinance.

Voting FOR this amendment brings about the changes described above, with the following effective dates: November 7, 2028, for Charter sections that are removed, unless an ordinance or regulation governing that topic is adopted sooner; December 5, 2028, for changes to approving and vetoing legislation; and December 3, 2026, for all other changes.

Voting AGAINST the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing legislation, budget, and the Board of Estimates in place.

Explanation:

This charter amendment would clean up the city’s budget-making process to align with modern practice. The mayor would be responsible for presenting a proposed budget to the City Council by April 30. The amendment would eliminate the preliminary budget hearing process before the Board of Estimates, generally a formality, and rely on the City Council to hold budget hearings. The City Council would be responsible for adopting a budget eight days before the July 1 start of the fiscal year. The amendment would allow appropriate time for vetoes and overrides of vetoes before that deadline. Other minor financial responsibilities of the Board of Estimates would be delegated to various city agencies.

A FOR vote would adopt the new process; an AGAINST vote would reject it.

Question G

Charter Amendment

Legislation, Budget, and Board of Estimates

Question G amends the City Charter language governing how the City allows third parties to use certain City property. It adds the City’s stormwater system to the list of City property that cannot be sold or rented out as a franchise. It clarifies that space in the City’s conduit system can be rented out as a franchise, but the conduit system itself still cannot be sold. The Amendment also simplifies the general provisions governing franchise agreements and other such grants.

The Amendment updates the language for granting minor privileges to use a portion of City property by clarifying the definition of minor privilege, including temporary and permanent varieties, and permitting minor privileges to be further identified and defined by ordinance. It also removes the Board of Estimates’ authority to grant minor privileges, along with related processes, and instead allows minor privileges to be granted by an executive agency under a new process to be established by City ordinance.

The Amendment also eliminates certain obsolete provisions in the Charter pertaining to street railways and trackless trolleys.

Voting FOR this amendment brings about the changes described above with the following effective dates: November 7, 2028, for Charter sections that are removed, unless an ordinance or regulation governing that topic is adopted sooner; and December 3, 2026, for all other changes.

Voting AGAINST the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing franchises and minor privileges in place.

Explanation:

This charter amendment would bar the city’s stormwater system from being sold or rented as a franchise. It would clarify that the city’s conduit system, which holds electric, fiber and other cables, could be rented as a franchise but could not be sold. The amendment would remove the Board of Estimates from the process of granting minor privileges, such as encroachments on sidewalks.

A FOR vote would adopt the changes; an AGAINST vote would reject them.

Question H

Charter Amendment

Department of Water and Wastewater

Question H establishes in the City Charter a new Department of Water and Wastewater, which will be supervised and directed by a Director. It transfers from the Department of Public Works to this new Department the responsibility to oversee the City’s water supply system and its wastewater system, along with related duties.

The Amendment also removes from the Charter the requirement that bureaus within the Department of Public Works must be established or abolished by City ordinance.

Voting FOR this amendment brings about the changes described above, which will become effective January 1, 2029.

Voting AGAINST the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing water and wastewater systems in place.

Explanation:

This charter amendment would create a new Department of Water and Wastewater. Water and wastewater are currently managed by a bureau housed in the city’s Department of Public Works. The new department would have its own director overseen by the mayor.

A FOR vote would create the new Department of Water and Wastewater; an AGAINST vote would reject the new agency.

Question I

Charter Amendment

Baltimore Baby Fund

Question I is a charter amendment to create the “Baltimore Baby Fund” as a new, separate fund in City government. The City could use money in the Baby Fund only to enhance the economic stability of families with newborns in Baltimore City. The City could not use money from the Baby Fund to replace funding for newborn children that already exists in this year’s City budget.

The amendment would require each year’s City budget to include a contribution to the Baby Fund. The City’s required annual contribution to the Baby Fund will be $0.03 for every $100 in taxable property value in the City. The Baby Fund will also be able to accept grants and donations. Money in the Baby Fund will stay in the Baby Fund until the City spends it for the benefit of families with newborns. The City could not transfer money in the Baby Fund to any other purpose.

Voting FOR this amendment would create the Baltimore Baby Fund and require the City to fund it as described above.

Voting AGAINST this amendment would mean that the Baltimore Baby Fund would not be created.

Explanation:

The amendment would create a Baltimore Baby Fund that could be used only to promote the economic stability of families with newborns in the city, but it would not specify how the money would be spent. The projected $15 million in funding, which would be replenished by an annual contribution of $0.03 for every $100 in taxable property value, could not be used to replace funding for newborns that already exists in the city budget.

A FOR vote would create the Baltimore Baby Fund; an AGAINST vote would reject the Baltimore Baby Fund.

Question A

Charter Amendment

(Resolution No. 30-25)

Executive Branch – Merit System - Binding Arbitration

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to permit all authorized employee representatives to enter into binding arbitration to resolve labor disputes relating to the terms and conditions of employment.

Currently, only authorized employee representatives of uniformed firefighters and uniformed officers of the County Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, and Office of Detention Facilities may enter into binding arbitration with the County to resolve labor disputes relating to the terms and conditions of employment. There are several other labor organizations in the County that cannot enter into binding arbitration with the County.

A vote FOR the charter amendment would permit all authorized employee representatives to enter into binding arbitration to resolve labor disputes relating to the terms and conditions of employment.

A vote AGAINST the charter amendment would retain the current binding arbitration provisions in the County Charter, meaning only authorized employee representatives of uniformed firefighters and uniformed officers of the County Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, and Office of Detention Facilities may enter into binding arbitration to resolve labor disputes relating to the terms and conditions of employment.

Explanation:

Question A would allow all employee unions in Anne Arundel County government to enter binding arbitration to resolve labor disputes. Right now, the county charter allows only some employee unions to do so. A vote FOR the question would mean more unions could enter binding arbitration; a vote AGAINST the question would maintain the limit on which unions could do so.

Question B

Charter Amendment

(Resolution No. 15-26)

Legislative Branch – Officers – Specific Position Titles

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to remove specific position titles from the officers appointed by the Council.

Currently, the Charter provides that the County Council shall have an Administrative Officer appointed by the Council and other officers as provided in the County Council’s Rules of Procedure.

A vote FOR the charter amendment would remove from the County Charter the specific position titles of the officers the County Council may appoint.

A vote AGAINST the charter amendment would retain the current Charter provision that the County Council shall appoint an officer with the specific position title of Administrative Officer.

Explanation:

A vote FOR Question B would give the County Council more flexibility in who it could appoint or hire. The current charter language says the council shall appoint an administrative officer; the amendment would remove the specific position titles of officers the council could appoint.

Question C

Charter Amendment

(Resolution No. 18-26)

Executive Branch – Planning Advisory Board – Staggered Terms – Council Confirmation

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to establish staggered terms for the appointees to the Planning Advisory Board and to require County Council confirmation of County Executive appointments to the Planning Advisory Board.

Currently, the members of the Planning Advisory Board are appointed by the County Executive and serve terms coterminous with the County Executive or until their successors are appointed.

A vote FOR the charter amendment would require, starting December 2026, staggered initial terms for appointees to the seven-member County Planning Advisory Board and County Council confirmation of the County Executive’s appointees, meaning the County Executive, with the confirmation of the County Council, would appoint one member for a one-year term, two members for two-year terms, two members for three-year terms, and two members for four-year terms, with four-year terms for all members thereafter.

A vote AGAINST the charter amendment would retain the current terms of members of the Planning Advisory Board, meaning a term coterminous with the County Executive’s term or until their successor shall qualify, and retain the authority of the County Executive to appoint members of the Planning Advisory Board without confirmation of the County Council.

Explanation:

A vote FOR Question C would change the Planning Advisory Board. Currently, the county executive appoints members of the board, who serve the same period of time as the executive, or until a successor is appointed. A vote FOR the question would amend the charter so that the executive’s appointments would require County Council confirmation, and it would create staggered terms for Planning Advisory Board members.

He took people into dark coal mines illuminated by little more than a dusty headlamp; onto mounds of oyster shells where boys who should have been in kindergarten took turns holding a newborn so their siblings could work; and through thickets of berries in what is now suburban Baltimore, where whole families lived in shacks and earned only tokens to spend at the company store.

The photos, which Hine took for the National Child Labor Committee, eventually prompted changes in America’s child labor laws, although they are still a work in progress. In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, establishing both a minimum wage and setting a minimum age of 14 for non-agricultural employment.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is the caretaker of Hine’s collection – 5,400 photographs, many with notations of what he saw at child labor camps. The university’s Special Collections team has assembled a searing exhibit of his work, specifically focused on Maryland and Baltimore labor camps, that will be at the Albin O. Kuhn Library until Dec. 18. The closing reception is Dec. 3.

“Lewis Hine in Maryland” is the first comprehensive exhibit of his work in decades, said Beth Saunders, head of special collections. A grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities in 2022 made it possible. Those funds allowed archivists to digitize the notations and remove the photographs from the envelopes where they’d been stored. Adhesive strips on the back had begun to deteriorate and cause the photos to stick together.

UMBC is mounting the exhibition as the Trump administration attempts to weaken child labor protections. Just last month, the administration proposed relaxing the labor rules for 14- and 15-year-olds.

Hine’s work, Saunders said, came when the United States was swelling with poor immigrants and industries had an insatiable need for workers. But it was also a moment when Americans, particularly Gilded Age wives and mothers, began to advocate for kids to be kids.

“People start to think differently about childhood. That it’s not that children are just little adults, but that there are developmental stages to childhood, and that that’s something that we need to foster through education and even play,” Saunders said.

Also at work was a Progressive Era ethos that immigrants could rise above their station and contribute to society.

“It was this idea that you’re not born a king or born a peasant. That these are all changeable. That through social reform, through government, we could actually improve things,” she said. “And those progressive ideals are what start to fuel meaningful legislation in the 20th century.”

Hine is known for his newsboy images, including one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showing a sleeping child wearing the snap-top flat caps on city steps after an early-morning shift selling daily newspapers. At the UMBC exhibit, though, the photographs show child hawkers’ heights in relation to a stack of newspapers they were selling. This is not “Newsies,” the Broadway musical featuring spinning grown men singing about solidarity before the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. Hine’s newsboys are tired, tiny, and scared.

“I always think of these as working documents,” said Sarah Fouts, a UMBC ethnographer. “It’s almost overwhelming, what’s here in these spaces. I mean, these are little kids.”

Among the most heartbreaking photos are those from Bottomley berry farms in Pasadena, not far from Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Families would come to pick strawberries, lured by the promise of good wages and places where the family could live together. The accommodations, though, were little more than paper shacks, the work grueling, and the pay barely enough to cover expenses until the family had to move to the next place.

Hine also showed children engaging in adult vices like craps games and smoking. Elizabeth Patton, a UMBC communications studies professor, said these photos were particularly effective in mobilizing the Gilded Age matriarchs to fight child labor and keep low-income mothers at home or in domestic jobs like housekeeping. In so doing, she said, it solidified their importance in child-rearing and keeping house.

The National Child Labor Committee exhibited Hine’s work and collected donations to continue advocating for the laws to change. Success came in fits and starts. Congress established the Children’s Bureau in 1912 to safeguard the rights of young workers. In 1912, it passed the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act, which limited hours for child workers and blocked the interstate sale of goods that child labor produced. But the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.

Hine, who came from a working-class background in Wisconsin and found his way to the University of Chicago and later New York City, taught himself photography. The era’s style tended to be “pictorialist.” Photographers used soft light and brush strokes to mimic paintings. Hine, in contrast, employed what’s known as “straight photography,” playing with focus and lenses but not altering with brush strokes.

Though journalistic in style, Hine had a point of view, Saunders said; he was trying to change laws. Watching college students interact with the images, it’s clear how successful he was. The photos shock, provoke tears, prolong conversation.

The exhibit juxtaposes Hine’s work with that of New York artist Lisa Oppenheim. She enlarges his images and bifurcates them so the viewer can see how the repetitive work permanently curved the spines of adolescent textile workers who spent long days hunched over.

Of his own work, Hine said: “Perhaps you are weary of child labor pictures. Well, so are the rest of us, but we propose to make you and the whole country so sickened tired of the whole business that when the time for action comes, child-labor pictures will be records of the past.”

This wasn’t your first trip to Dundalk, where you appeared at Tradepoint Atlantic to promote a new submarine manufacturing facility expected to create over 3,000 jobs. It looks like you met some Ravens. You said some nice things about Lamar Jackson’s mother. Your White House also had Gov. Wes Moore barred from speaking at the event in his own state, which was not nice.

And you have been to Baltimore City before, including jaunts to Fort McHenry and the Army-Navy game at M&T Bank Stadium. Still, the city is a place you’ve characterized in the past as “a hellhole” and “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” That’s not cool.

But we’re trying to be positive here. I don’t know how much more of the area you saw, but I hope you did what those of us who love this flawed, proud place ask of our critics — that they give it a chance.

Here’s what I hope you noticed.

How much safer it is here

When Moore invited you last year to come here and walk through the city with him, you turned him down until he dealt with Baltimore’s “crime disaster.” The thing is, the city has largely done that. There are still too many deaths, too much violence, and too much tragedy for us to stomach. But Baltimore, under the guidance of Mayor Brandon Scott, has brought its homicide rate down, hitting another historic low in June. Maryland and Baltimore County are also seeing drops in violence, which you know because the White House took credit for them in a subsequent social media post Tuesday. I don’t know how much you had to do with that, but at least we agree about the effort being made.

How hard we work

Your visit was to Tradepoint Atlantic, the huge site that sits in the former home of Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point. That plant was not only an integral part of Baltimore’s contribution to our industrial history, but also a reminder that we have always been a tireless group of dedicated people who built things. You yourself said yesterday that the “workers of Baltimore, and the shipyard here, and Sparrows Point, have been a vital part of the American industrial strength for literally over 100 years.”

So you know that we are, at our core, not “a horrible deathbed” like you called us last year, but a place that’s still forging ahead. Like forging steel. See what I did there?

How friendly we are

I know you didn’t have a lot of time here outside of your official duties at Tradepoint Atlantic, but I wonder if you got a chance to look outside the car window as it drove around and locked eyes with a Baltimorean. We’re look-you-in-the-eye people, waving people. The kind of folks who ask strangers how they are and actually wait for the answer. We’re also straight-shooters, like you are. I think you might like us.

How we’re making the city prettier

The rat thing is something I’m not proud that we’re known for. Your hometown of New York is known for them as well, like that one that ate the pizza. But we’re working to beautify the place, all over the place, from the concerted effort to reduce the number of vacant homes to the newly renovated Rash Field Park, which with its pickleball courts and urban beach is revitalizing the Inner Harbor area. There are so many beautiful things here that are being intentionally created. I hope you saw some of them.

How smart we are

I know that your administration is dismantling protections and standards for all levels of education, from public schools to limits on loans for students studying certain majors — like social work and cosmetic certification programs — many of which are largely pursued by women. So I don’t know if you’d want to check out the many colleges, universities and well-regarded high schools in the area and see how those students are the future for our area and our world. There’s the Johns Hopkins University, which has faced cuts under your administration, and the Baltimore School for the Arts, which has spawned legendary minds — and is home to another academic concentration you want to limit funding loans for. That’s such a shame. Our great artists and thinkers are what’s going to make America great again, if only they’re given the chance. I wish you could have met them.

I don’t know when you’re going to be back in town, but when you are, the above could serve as a guide for your next visit. I don’t expect you to ever fall in love with Baltimore. We aren’t for everyone. I just want you to see more of it before you tell the world who we are.

Reynolds appeared virtually before Judge Noelle Newman from a pretrial detention center seated in a wheelchair and wearing a yellow jumpsuit. As the judge asked him questions, he answered with one-word answers and without emotion. His public defender waived the right to a bail review and did not immediately return The Banner’s request for comment.

Reynolds was charged with first- and second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and possession of a firearm.

The hearing came just days after Khloe was fatally shot at a youth football league’s homecoming game on Saturday. Four others were injured in the shooting, which police said stemmed from an altercation over parking.

Charging documents say surveillance footage collected by police showed Reynolds, carrying a black backpack, standing in the parking lot next to the football field when he exchanged words with two other men.

Reynolds reached into the bag, pulled out a short-barreled rifle and began shooting at the two men, according to the investigators’ account in the documents. One of the men returned fire, the documents said, and Reynolds continued shooting in the direction of the football field.

Reynolds was shot in the ankle and taken to Grace Memorial Hospital. He was interviewed by homicide detectives following his release from the hospital and, according to court documents, admitted to being at the scene of the shooting but “gave false information about what he was wearing and denied shooting.”

The documents also showed that police matched a bullet recovered from Khloe’s body to a rifle recovered from the park where investigators said camera footage showed Reynolds firing his weapon.

Police are still investigating the shooting, looking for the other man they believe was involved.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, community members pulled together to support Khloe’s family, marching for peace and holding a candlelight vigil in her memory.

On Tuesday night, Jacqueline Howell, Khloe’s grandmother, said she was pleased that police had arrested Reynolds.

“It gives me great peace knowing he’s off the streets,” she said. “That’s what we wanted, justice for Khloe.”

The message comes after five personnel associated with the command at the Anne Arundel County base died by suicide within a five-week span this summer. The $11 million funding was first requested by Gen. Joshua Rudd, who leads the command as well as the National Security Agency, out of concerns that cyber operators needed more resources to prevent burnout and force degradation.

The letter describes U.S. Cyber Command as central to Maryland’s national security community. The agency employs civilians and service members from across the state to conduct demanding missions in cyberspace.

“We are troubled by recent public reporting describing several deaths by suicide among personnel in cyber operations and the Fort Meade community over a short period,” said the letter, dated Monday. “The concentration of these tragedies within a small, highly specialized workforce demands sustained attention and an institutional response proportionate to the operational strain these personnel bear.”

People within the agency and working on the Cyber Mission Force, its operational arm, can be deployed in place for two- or three-year assignments without clear start or end points. The Cyber Mission Force must be available at all hours of the day to address threats and conduct operations, without the protected recovery breaks often found in military deployments. The classified nature of their work also makes it difficult to discuss stressors with family or most medical professionals, who may lack security clearances or access to secure facilities necessary to provide care.

The letter said such conditions isolate personnel and delay care. With a weakened workforce, operations at the command become more vulnerable and less effective.

Traditional models for care “do not always give cyber personnel timely access to appropriately cleared professionals in the facilities where they work,” the letter said.

In a previous interview, state Sen. Dawn Gile said she was concerned that a shortage of behavioral health practitioners in the state could also be contributing to the problem.

U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, who represents the area around Fort Meade, said she’s working with Gile and Ed Rothstein, secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families, to address state-level delays in care that limit the availability of mental health professionals on base.

She’s also pushing for the Defense Department to include civilian cyber operators, like those at Fort Meade, in their reports of suicide on bases.

Congress and the Department of Defense have already recognized that the resources available to workers in the cyber warfare agency do not fully meet the demands of the job, following a study resulting from a 2024 defense spending bill. And while the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which controls military funding, expanded mental health services by integrating behavioral health practitioners with security clearances within cyber units, the force still consistently fails to provide support teams or embed care within the command, the letter said.

The $11 million is intended to fund “High Performance Team Training” for Cyber Command as part of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which will be considered by the Senate. The funds would go toward embedding mental health professionals within the agency and funding an amendment to the 2026 defense spending bill that requires quarterly briefings on the availability of care providers with the necessary security clearances.

The letter said such support would improve access to care inside secure facilities and allow officials to identify concerns more rapidly. The professionals also would help commanders establish recovery periods and sustainable training for cyber operators. Other high-demand military communities work with similar models that are designed to treat psychological health as part of their readiness requirements.

“Recruiting, clearing and developing cyber operators takes years,” the delegation said in the letter, adding that losing experienced personnel increases costs, disrupts operations, damages the country’s ability to defend itself and hurts Maryland families.

The letter urged Congress to establish a system of care and suicide prevention, as opposed to relying on short-term interventions following tragedy.

The Banner previously reported that Kevin Stallings, 36, an Air Force technical sergeant at Cyber Command, and Kevin Paulson, 40, a captain in the Maryland Air National Guard and a cyber operations officer for the NSA, were among the five personnel who died in the suicide cluster. Their deaths occurred about a week apart.

“One loss of life is one too many,” the letter said.

Wayne Burnett III, 31, of Baltimore County, is charged in Baltimore Circuit Court with child abuse resulting in death, second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and related offenses. He’s being held in the Baltimore Central Booking & Intake Center without bail.

It’s unclear if he’s retained an attorney, and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender could not immediately be reached for comment.

Police were called to MedStar Harbor Hospital on Nov. 24, 2024, to investigate a “questionable death.”

Burnett walked into the emergency room with his son, Taheem, who was unresponsive. Just before 9 p.m., doctors pronounced him dead, police reported.

Medical staff told investigators that Burnett reported that he lowered the heat in his son, took a shower and then noticed that the boy was “cold and unresponsive.” Burnett turned up the heat, checked his son about one hour later and found him in the same condition, police allege.

When healthcare workers told Burnett that his son had died, police assert, he asked them whether he was in trouble. At the same time, police vehicles with their lights flashing pulled up to the hospital.

That’s when police claim that Burnett ran out of the hospital and left his 2-year-old daughter behind.

The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and ruled on May 15 that the death was a homicide by head injuries.

Police on Aug. 18 obtained an arrest warrant, according to court records.

Prosecutors took time to review the entire case and needed to answer investigative questions before signing off on the arrest warrant, James Bentley, a spokesperson for the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, wrote in a statement.

Officers took Burnett into custody on Sept. 16 as part of a joint warrant initiative during which police reported they made 86 arrests.

As part of that sweep, local and federal law enforcement said they apprehended those wanted on charges including homicide, attempted murder and robbery.

In a statement, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the success of the operation “demonstrates what we can accomplish when law enforcement agencies work together with a shared commitment to making Baltimore and our region safer.”

A new court date has not yet been scheduled in the case.

Tyree Reynolds faces murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and other charges in the shooting that killed Khloe Ishway and injured four others on Saturday, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley and Mayor Brandon Scott announced in a joint statement. Police said Reynolds was hospitalized after being shot during the incident and was arrested and charged upon being discharged.

Authorities said two men exchanged gunfire following a dispute over a parking space during the festivities at Leon Day Park in Southwest Baltimore on Saturday evening.

“Khloe’s tragic death is a painful reminder of the responsibility we all share to protect our children and keep our communities safe,” Worley and Scott said in their statement. “Young people and families should never have to fear becoming victims in places where they should feel safe.”

Police have not announced a second arrest in the case.

“This arrest represents an important step toward accountability for Khloe and her family, and we are grateful to everyone who contributed to this investigation,” the officials said.

Statement from Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Commissioner Worley on the arrest of suspect in Khloe Ishway Murder. pic.twitter.com/SZYFnIaeC4

— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) October 6, 2026

‘It’s unacceptable’

Hours later, at Leon Day Park, among pink balloons, brightly colored football jerseys, and white candles, dozens of community members gathered for a candlelight vigil for Khloe.

View this post on Instagram

Many expressed relief that an arrest had been made, but they said important issues remained: A little girl died, another young person could be incarcerated for the death, and another person suspected in the case remained at large.

Janae Custis, 26, a community member who attended the vigil, said that although an arrest has been made, the situation remains problematic.

“Locking someone up won’t change anything. A child died over something unnecessary,” she said. “It’s unacceptable. Weapons shouldn’t be at a children’s football game.”

Larai Gaither, another attendee, said Reynolds’ arrest potentially means that another young person doesn’t get to live their life.

“He’s only 23,” Gaither said. “He threw his life away.”

Eriyelle Arnold, a 15-year-old girl who was at the vigil, said it was “very devastating” to see what was happening in the community. She said she felt safer knowing that people were being held accountable for their actions. But her mom, Jasmine Thomas, stressed that the other suspect hadn’t been arrested yet.

“They still have to get one more,” Thomas said. “They’re both responsible.”

Community members stood together with their candles, not only in remembrance of Khloe, but also as a symbol of hope that the community can heal from this tragedy.

“Khloe Ishway should still be here,” said Pastor Jewel Allen from The ONE at Liberty Outreach Center. “Instead, we’re here lighting candles.”

As Allen prayed over the crowd, she promised to expand the parking area by the park and name the new lot in memory of Khloe.

Khloe’s mother told reporters Tuesday night she was overwhelmed by the support from the community.

“I love how everybody’s supporting my baby,” Kristiana Reese said. Asked about the news of the arrest, she said, “Thank God.”

‘Wonderful young lady’

Police were called to the 1200 block of North Franklintown Road around 6:15 p.m. Saturday for multiple reports of gunfire, authorities said at a news conference that night.

Officers found Khloe and a 25-year-old woman shot and transported them both to a hospital. Two men, 23 and 28, and a woman, 35, walked into nearby hospitals with gunshot wounds, police said.

Khloe was pronounced dead by hospital staff, Worley said Saturday. Her death has sparked outrage and heartbreak among community members, with hundreds marching from West North Avenue to Leon Day Park on Monday evening — many in custom T-shirts with her picture on them, while saying that one life lost is too many.

Counselors were sent to Khloe’s school to support her peers and teachers, Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Jermaine Dawson said at a school board meeting Tuesday. He said she was a seventh grader at Dream Academy, a new arts-focused charter school in West Baltimore that mentors younger students.

Khloe was a “wonderful young lady who would push through adversity while always putting a smile on her face,” Dawson said.

School district members were saddened beyond words at her untimely passing, he said.

Khloe’s death comes a month after a 3-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl were among seven people shot in East Baltimore and four months after an 11-year-old boy was shot on a playground in West Baltimore. Both the 3-year-old and 11-year-old remain in recovery.

Jacqueline Howell, Khloe’s grandmother, said Tuesday night that she was pleased that police had arrested Reynolds. Following her granddaughter’s death, many took to social media with threats of violence against those responsible, which she felt defeated the purpose of the vigils.

“We want peace. We don’t do that,” she said. “It gives me great peace knowing he’s off the streets. That’s what we wanted, justice for Khloe.”

Banner reporters Justin Fenton and Maya Lora contributed to this story.

Declan Doyle’s vision for this Ravens offense included Lamar Jackson — and three non-negotiables.

“We are physical, we are detailed, and we are explosive,” Doyle said at his introductory news conference in February. “Those are the three things that are the pillars that we want to hang our hat on.”

In the first half of the Ravens’ 24-18 win Sunday over the Tennessee Titans, he had all four. Jackson again looked like an NFL Most Valuable Player candidate. The Ravens’ pass protection was stout, their run blocking effective. The offense averaged an elite 8.2 yards per play.

Then Jackson hurt his ankle on the Ravens’ final drop-back of the half, and Doyle’s vision faded inside M&T Bank Stadium. The run game averaged 2.8 yards per carry after halftime. There were three more offensive penalties in the second half. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley had just two completions of at least 10 yards. An offense that had scored 24 points over the first 30 minutes was held scoreless over the final 30.

As the Ravens await Jackson’s return to health, Sunday’s game against the surging Atlanta Falcons will be the greatest test yet of Doyle’s adaptability. Can the first-time play-caller get a Ravens front missing even more top blockers to hold its own against a dominant Falcons defensive line? Can he smooth out the mistakes that led to six offensive penalties Sunday? Can he produce explosives with either backup Tyler Huntley or a limited Jackson leading the offense?

“Something Coach Doyle kind of preaches to us throughout the week is ‘No drop-off,’” offensive lineman Emery Jones said Sunday. “No matter who has to go in, no matter what happens throughout the game, nobody adjusts better than us. So guys go down, next guy up — we try to hold up to that standard that we have.”

Here’s a look at the big questions the Ravens’ rushing and passing offense will face this week.

How will injuries affect the ground game?

Running back Derrick Henry hasn’t rushed for 100 yards since Week 1, but not because of suboptimal running lanes. The Ravens have ranked in the top 11 in yards before contact per carry each week, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats:

• Week 1 vs. Indianapolis Colts: 4.37 yards (first)
• Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints: 1.23 yards (11th)
• Week 3 vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3.30 (fourth)
• Week 4 vs. Titans: 1.78 yards (sixth)

The second half Sunday, however, was a slog. With Jackson sidelined and the Ravens’ blocking in further disarray — a foot injury knocked out starting right guard Andrew Vorhees in the second quarter, and tight end Durham Smythe reportedly tore his Achilles tendon midway through the third quarter — Tennessee dominated in the trenches. The Ravens averaged just 0.06 yards before contact on their five carries for 11 yards in the third quarter and 0.94 yards before contact on their 14 carries for 42 yards in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens’ admittedly conservative approach didn’t help. But neither will injuries. Smythe was the Ravens’ top blocking tight end, reliable as an in-line presence and as an insert blocker on Doyle’s various presnap motions. Practice squad tight end Nick Vannett will likely be elevated to shoulder some of his workload as rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas grow more comfortable.

creates a seal and crease for the RB to hit with the C-LG now getting to work back.

essentially a delayed lead zone run. https://t.co/amNQvBSF4X pic.twitter.com/vViUiF4vLo

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 13, 2026

Jones is the Ravens’ third-string right guard and has barely played next to right tackle Roger Rosengarten. The 2025 third-round pick, a converted tackle himself, could struggle with the team’s presnap cadences in Atlanta, as others on the line already have elsewhere this season. The Ravens have been flagged a combined 15 times for false-start, illegal-shift and illegal-formation penalties.

Huntley is a mobile quarterback, but he does not have Jackson’s dynamism on designed runs or scrambles. Excluding kneel-downs and scrambles, Huntley had 12 carries for 72 yards and six first downs in his five appearances last season, according to Sports Info Solutions. As a scrambler, he had seven runs for 84 yards and five first downs.

Sunday’s road trip does not set up as a get-right game for the Ravens, either. Atlanta easily leads the NFL in run defense (48.3 yards per game allowed), and the Falcons are the only team in the league establishing first contact with ball carriers in the opponent’s backfield (minus-0.13 yards before contact per attempt).

Can the passing game remain explosive?

Jackson and Huntley have shared a locker room in Baltimore for six seasons. But as passers, their aggressiveness over the years has only diverged.

Entering Week 5, among quarterbacks with at least 30 pass attempts, Jackson ranks second in the NFL in air yards per attempt (10.2), according to NGS. He has completed eight passes at least 20 yards downfield; only three quarterbacks have more.

LAMAR TO FLOWERS FOR 51 YARDS

TENvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XDdpYuZ2IO

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

Huntley falls on the other end of that spectrum. Last year, he averaged an Aaron Rodgers-esque 6.2 air yards per attempt, a career low for Huntley. Of his 67 passes in 2025, just three were thrown at least 20 yards downfield — and only one was caught, a 36-yard completion to wide receiver Rashod Bateman against the Chicago Bears in Week 8.

Tyler Huntley opens the 2nd half with a 37-yard completion to Rashod Bateman

CHIvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/wyeP6CzRId

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

Huntley’s quick-strike approach could be an asset Sunday against Atlanta, which is third in the NFL in pressure rate (43.6%), according to NGS. Huntley averaged just 2.67 seconds before each throw Sunday, a top-10 mark in Week 4.

But with the Ravens’ apparent mismatch on the ground, Doyle and Huntley will have to find more first downs through the air. Of Huntley’s eight completions for 63 yards Sunday against Tennessee, just two moved the chains.

“We want to be an explosive offense,” said wide receiver Zay Flowers, who had six catches for 119 yards in the first half Sunday and two catches for minus-1 yard in the second half. “So we look for explosive plays, and when ‘Snoop’ [Huntley] came in, we still had confidence in [him]. We know what Snoop can do.”

The Ravens may just need him to do more. Huntley averaged 0.1 air yards per attempt Sunday (yes, less than 4 inches per attempt), his passing diet consisting primarily of check-downs and screens.

With Flowers, Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews all healthy, Doyle should be able to find favorable matchups against Falcons cornerbacks C.J. Henderson, Mike Hughes and Billy Bowman Jr. But he’ll need the Ravens’ reconfigured offensive line to hold up long enough, and Huntley to look downfield often enough, for the passing attack to find a sustainable supply of explosives.

“There is one Lamar Jackson,” coach Jesse Minter said Monday. “The guy is a two-time MVP, and so I think for anybody to have to say, like, ‘We are being compared to Lamar,’ is unfair and not realistic. I think Snoop as a backup quarterback in this league, and even as a starter, at times, has shown the ability to come in and really kind of run the offense, make plays with his legs and be able to make plays on third down. …

“He does not really get bothered, and so he keeps a pretty cool head about himself. [He] does not feel pressure too much. And to me, when a guy is needed to go in there and he has that type of mentality, that is what allows him to be successful.”

The more we learn about the team and its struggle to get on track, the more frustrating it is. Watching a week’s worth of playoff baseball has only reinforced the idea that the Orioles may have been tantalizingly close to joining the fun but miles off from a level that would allow them to advance very far.

Add in the massive negative reaction to Jim Palmer’s podcast anecdote about his advice to manager Craig Albernaz regarding Colton Cowser being left on read, plus this week’s workforce reduction, and there’s no getting around that things feel grim around the Orioles.

To call it an overreaction would be overly dismissive. I’d just say it’s a reaction that’s been building for months and could only really be let out once things were truly finished, and the state of the Orioles isn’t as bad as you’d think.

A lot, however, needs to get better. As I look out at the offseason landscape, I’m struck by how scant the opportunities are for that improvement to happen. That makes the Orioles’ hiring of a general manager to work under president of baseball operations Mike Elias perhaps the more impactful thing they’ll do this winter.

That has just as much to do with my expectations for the rest of the offseason agenda as it does with the selection itself. The Orioles are ramping up interviews for that role this week, and given the vacancies in their front office, my understanding is the candidate set includes up-and-coming player development leaders from other organizations who would be brought in to help reinforce Albernaz’s agenda of raising the standard we heard so much about at the end of the season.

That’s not exclusively the demographic the Orioles are interviewing, though. At least one candidate in the mix has both major league playing and executive experience in numerous roles, which would give Elias a seasoned operator who can help steady the ship in a number of areas.

The relative diversity of the candidate pool speaks to the number of directions they could go in — and it’s not impossible they could end up hiring more than one executive depending on the titles available to give out. That would probably be the best of both worlds, adding both a seasoned front office operator with meaningful playing and leadership experience plus a player development leader to work a rung below him. But whatever route Elias and the Orioles’ ownership group choose will speak volumes about what matters.

If the need is truly for a fresh perspective across player development and the candidate chosen comes from an organization that has more consistently produced quality major league talent, it shouldn’t matter whether that person’s a former player or former facility instructor, or looks 15 years old or 50. And if they want a more traditional GM to help implement the changes Elias and Albernaz see fit, they should choose one for that reason, rather than to check boxes and appease an any part of the fan (and, I suppose, alumni) base.

Whom they choose is probably going to be the first meaningful thing that happens in an offseason that’s hard to forecast. A lockout looms on Dec. 1, leaving about a month after the World Series ends for the Orioles to accomplish what they want to before the entire industry shuts down.

Trevor Rogers’ future will be the first thing addressed with the qualifying offer, and if he declines it, they’ll either need to re-sign him or replace him. Chris Bassitt is set to hit the open market, meaning the Orioles will need to fill two rotation spots. The free agent pitching market is headlined by Tarik Skubal, and there’s a steep drop-off behind him.

It was instructive when Elias was pressed on whether the success of Pete Alonso’s five-year, $155 million contract meant he’d be more inclined to spend like that again. He twice clarified that the Orioles will only do that when they see a player worth it on the market.

I took that to be a clear defense against any expectations that the Orioles would replicate that type of move, lest Elias’ own words be thrown back at him all winter long if they don’t accomplish it.

If anything is going to be replicated from last offseason, it might be something like the Shane Baz trade or the Taylor Ward trade, given the abundance of pitching prospects and high-upside Latin American talent in the organization. The Orioles traded some very good players away last offseason, including the Blaze Alexander deal, but are in a position to make those kinds of sacrifices for the major league team and may find the outfielder they want on another team’s roster.

If none of that sounds particularly exciting, that would explain why the front office additions are front of mind right now. I don’t think this is going to be a dormant offseason for the Orioles, but a realistic view is the 2026 season gave them just as much of a to-do list in terms of internal work as it did external additions. The club has total control over the former and is subject to who is a free agent or made available by another club in the latter. The upside of the 2027 team probably rests within the players and staff under contract at this moment.

I don’t know that a front office hire is going to be ease the collective minds of an agitated fan base either way. Like most things, it will likely reinforce whatever views are already held about the team and its direction.

That doesn’t make it any less important. The Orioles are in a pivotal offseason, without much time to make an impact for 2027. But locking out the players doesn’t stop the work of a front office, and their GM hire is going to have all winter to bring about the change pretty much everyone agrees is desperately needed.

The Orioles are laying off multiple people from business-side departments, sources told The Baltimore Banner.

The exact number of employees affected wasn’t immediately clear, although sources said the employees included members of the teams responsible for business operations, content production and in-game presentation.

One source with direct knowledge called it a “bloodbath.” Two sources said the number let go was at least in the teens.

Among those let go was the Orioles employee who played the role of Mr. Splash, the mascot-like figure who sprayed water on fans in the outfield at Camden Yards, sources said. That employee manned the Splash Zone since its inception in 2023.

The Athletic first reported his firing.

The special section came about because of Baltimore’s water-themed player celebrations, and catcher James McCann and others pitched the idea to the marketing team to create a section to include fans in the theme.

The Splash Zone will return, according to a source.

According to an internal memo sent to staff members from president of business operations Catie Griggs, no further staffing changes are planned.

“Some of the people leaving have been here for more than a decade, others for a much shorter time, and every one of them was part of our team. To many of you, they are friends as well as coworkers,” Griggs wrote in the memo, which was first obtained by The Baltimore Sun. “For those of you who have been here a long time, today may also feel like losing part of what this place has been. That history matters, and it remains part of who we are. We’re grateful for what each of them gave this organization.”

There is expected to be a lockout in December once the current collective bargaining agreement expires, although it’s unclear whether that played a role in these firings. Sources said these moves were not made with that in mind. The Orioles still have job postings open for multiple positions across the organization.

“These decisions were about making sure our teams are built and staffed for the work ahead, not about reducing headcount,” Griggs wrote in the memo. “We’re continuing to recruit for critical roles and will add talent in areas where we have clear needs.”

A spokesperson for principal owner David Rubenstein declined to comment. An Orioles team spokesperson confirmed that changes were being made within the business operations department but declined to comment further. The spokesperson said the team does not comment on employment matters.

It’s time to send a message, Maddox said. He sentenced 31-year-old Alexander Schultz, formerly of Pikesville, to two months in jail.

Schultz previously pleaded guilty to taking part in real estate deals using falsely inflated property values to get bigger loans. Proceeds from the buyers and sellers were then wired from one another to cover the down payments.

Jacob Rappaport, an attorney involved in the scheme, was sentenced earlier this year to 15 months in prison.

The transactions took place around 2021 and involved an apartment complex in Southwest Baltimore and a portfolio of 42 homes in East Baltimore.

That portfolio of 42 homes was later sold to a different investor, Eluzer Gold, at an even higher valuation. Gold was part of a small group of investors from New York who rapidly bought more than 700 homes in Baltimore, borrowing more than $100 million. Almost that entire portfolio is now in foreclosure.

The FBI is investigating, though no one has been charged with a crime.

At Wednesday’s sentencing, U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney described Schultz’s actions as “financial shenanigans.”

Schultz’s ex-girlfriend and a family friend spoke at the sentencing, describing him as a compassionate, smart, hardworking young man who had made a mistake.

Delaney, the federal prosecutor, called Schultz charismatic and talented. He urged the judge to sentence him to supervised release for his felony, or, at the most, a “short, very short” time behind bars.

The defense attorney, Andrew Alperstein, said family and friends wrote glowing letters in support of Schultz, and reading them he thought, “I wanna be more like my client.”

Schultz attended Boy’s Latin School of Maryland, did not graduate from college and found his calling in real estate, his supporters said in court.

In 2021, Schultz took part in two real estate deals that eventually led his to his criminal conviction. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in 2024, and his sentencing was delayed multiple times.

Midway through the hearing, the judge cleared the courtroom for a sealed 25-minute portion of the sentencing.

“I told myself, ‘Everyone does it,’” Schultz told the judge Wednesday. “I cut a corner that should’ve never been cut.”

The document, sent by the Pentagon’s top cyber official to Cyber Command’s leader, Army Gen. Joshua Rudd, orders the agency to create a framework by the end of October to address the psychological factors that are harming the mental health of personnel and their ability to perform.

First reported by online cybersecurity news site The Record, the memo was confirmed by a senior Defense Department official, who declined to be named, citing department policy. The Pentagon declined to share the memo with The Banner.

People working for the Cyber Mission Force, the command’s operational arm, can spend long hours in windowless, secure rooms, called SCIFs, which are designed to store classified information. Their work intensified this year amid the war with Iran and the race to integrate artificial intelligence.

According to The Record, the memo acknowledged that the “continuous, high-tempo nature of ongoing active cyber operations imposes a unique cumulative, cognitive and psychological toll.”

“Unlike traditional kinetic forces, cyber teams lack standardized periods of operational restitution, reconstitution between deployments which impact retention and long-term analytic performance,” read the memo written by Katherine Sutton, the Pentagon’s assistant secretary for cyber policy and principal cyber adviser to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

The memo came after five people working with Cyber Command took their lives between June and July. Work-related stress is considered a significant contributing factor to suicidal ideation, though it is unclear whether it played a role in the five deaths.

According to the memo, the command had to provide four years of exit interviews and surveys to the Defense Department within 30 days to help establish a health baseline for the mission force, The Record reported. Within 60 days, the command had to modify policies addressing how cyber operators serve tours consecutively by including either new career opportunities or new educational opportunities between missions to reduce stress.

The agency also must review and reprioritize its digital warfighting campaigns and finalize a memorandum of understanding with the National Security Agency, which is also headquartered at Fort Meade, to share behavioral health practitioners.

All the practitioners are required to have high-level security clearances that can take extended periods to obtain.

In recent years, the Defense Department has echoed longstanding concerns over the lack of mental health resources available to people within the agency and the mission force.

In 2024, the National Defense Authorization Act, which controls congressional military spending for the fiscal year, asked the Pentagon and Cyber Command to study the risks to those working in the mission force and their access to mental health resources. The goal was to improve the ability of personnel to “mitigate the unique psychological factors that contribute to the degradation of mental health and job performance,” according to the legislation.

The report found that the resources available were inadequate and that additional planning and investment were needed. Cyber Command promised to create a governance and cyber wellness working group as part of its response to the defense bill. Now, Sutton’s memo asks Rudd to appoint someone to co-lead the group and serve as the primary liaison between Fort Meade and Sutton’s office on wellness efforts.

The memo accelerates some initiatives in the Cyber Command 2.0 plan, launched in 2025 to improve the recruitment and retention of the cyber force and ensure the mission force is resilient, the Pentagon official told The Banner.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or behavior, call or text 988 to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.