Local government

When it came to Johns Hopkins, Maryland HBCU Advocates said that despite the university being about 100 miles away from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a duplicate of a doctoral program could do detrimental harm to the HBCU.

Annapolis unveiled its long-awaited design for a maritime welcome center Wednesday, part of an $88 million reimagining of its waterfront public square to protect the historic city from rising seas and climate change. It now faces an ambitious timeline and uncertain public response.

Acting Fire Chief James Wallace, a 33-year veteran of the department, is expected to get a vote before the full council next month.

“If we don’t make any changes, someone else is going to make the changes for us,” City Councilwoman Danielle McCray said at Thursday’s hearing.

Dozens of Baltimore City and Baltimore County residents who spoke to greater Baltimore’s state's attorneys, police chiefs and councilmen want to undo General Assembly changes that eased statutes surrounding juvenile court action and limited probationary terms for kids who commit certain offenses.

A vital Baltimore City permit process used by hundreds of street festivals, block parties and races has moved online this year.

The City Council is slated to hold back-to-back confirmation hearings Thursday night for Mayor Brandon Scott’s nominees, acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley and acting Fire Chief James Wallace.

A pair of civic activists experienced in quixotic campaigns have a new idea: Could city government seize control of the Orioles and run the team in a way that more benefits Baltimore and the community?

Those who violate the ordinance will face a civil penalty of $1,000 a day, according to the draft, with each violation considered a separate offense. The violation carries with it a misdemeanor charge.

The proposed map redrawing council district lines across the city is required ahead of next year’s election. With the mayor’s draft in hand, the City Council has 60 days to adopt it or submit its own alternative.

Jason Groth, the acting director of the county’s Department of Planning and Growth Management, is paraphrased as saying the county will “hit a point within a decade where it doesn’t have enough water.” But the situation is much more nuanced, Groth told the Banner.

“The man is very generous with his time and absolutely gives back to the party,” said Adam Wood, executive director of the Maryland Republican Party. “It seemed like it made sense to do something for him; he’s doing so much for us.”

DPW says the housing authority owes $8 million in water bills, while HABC says it only owes $1 million. The inspector general says the true amount owed is up for dispute.

For some, the decision to bring the hearing to a close reflected sensitivity and humanity. For others, it exposed a blind spot of local government.

Organizers behind Hampdenfest and neighboring Remfest have canceled their events completely, citing Artscape’s move to September as one of several contributing factors.

Representatives from Sagamore Ventures said the whiskey company’s signature “grain-to-glass” concept won’t change under new majority ownership.

Howard County government funding priorities and questionable school system budget management are to blame for chronic school bus service failures, Hiruy Hadgu, president of Progressive Democrats of Howard County, says.

The report highlights many problems agencies had already been dinged for in previous years, with numerous issues surfacing in audits dating back as far as 2017.

Staff turnover, fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, has affected how efficiently the office runs, the homeless agency’s leader told City Council. The agency is tasked with overseeing large amounts of money from the federal government, a challenge even with more staffing and resources than the office has now.

This massive bill has accrued because, while the housing authority has been paying some of its water bill to the city it has not been paying them in full, staff from both the housing authority and the Department of Public Works told the inspector general’s office.