Local government

The proposed Lakefront Library project in Columbia has raised concerns among community organizations and residents about cost and who will benefit from it, says Hiruy Hadgu, president of the Progressive Democrats of Howard County and a Howard County Citizens Association board member.

As thoroughbred horses thundered around Pimlico Race Course at Preakness 2023, politicians considered what could — or should — be done about the future of the track and the racing industry.

Merchants in the business corridor surrounding Pimlico Race Course want to expand business and community development opportunities on Preakness day and beyond, Yeshiyah Israel, president of the Pimlico Merchants Association, says.

The annual International Council of Shopping Centers conference may not sound like one of the most fascinating weekends in the Baltimore and Maryland political scenes, but when else has a sitting mayor officiated the wedding of two top lobbyists?

From dispensing graduation advice to raising funds, here’s this week’s look at what Maryland politicians are up to.

A reader asked The Baltimore Banner to investigative what techniques schools are using to diffuse violence.

The EPA cited last September’s E. coli scare in West Baltimore as among its justifications for the end-of-year deadline and required the city to complete monthly tests for bacterial contamination.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has ruled out creating an oversight board for the county inspector general. That puts to rest a controversy that has dogged Olszewski for two years.

Baltimore County residents will see a 4.9% hike in rates for their water consumption.

When the new Hillman garage opens next month, it signals the next phase of remaking City Dock. Some details are still being finalized.

The Moores will be featured as a couple who successfully found their match. A two-minute video clip shows the Moores on a couch in the governor’s mansion, holding hands and giving advice about finding a lifetime partner.

The departure of Director Shantay Jackson, who has led an office with tens of millions in federal funds for alternative approaches to violent crime, marks the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the mayor’s administration.

Wednesday’s discussion touched on unsolved homicides, staffing issues, youth gun violence, the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and a newly proposed arsonist registry.

The city’s historic preservation board issued an initial vote against a proposal to demolish five buildings as part of a downtown redevelopment plan.

The scope of the problem in Baltimore is enormous, city documents show.

A ceremony Friday capped 40 years of struggle to open a waterfront park in Anne Arundel County, involving historic forces that continue to limit public access to the Chesapeake Bay, difficult negotiations with neighbors and disagreement over the right way to balance 340 acres of impossible beauty as both an environmental treasure and recreational jewel.

Maryland students should graduate with knowledge about handling their personal finances, Julie Weaver, executive director of the Maryland Council on Economic Education, says.

Comptroller Bill Henry has endorsed Zeke Cohen in his bid for City Council president, marking the first major endorsement of a challenger in Baltimore’s 2024 election season.

Black residents of the Deal Island peninsula endure hardships to cling to the land where their enslaved ancestors once lived, says Rona Kobell, a Banner contributor and co-founder of the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, which produced the film “Eroding History.”

James and Doherty will fill roles that opened Monday, when the mayor asked Chezia Cager and Cirilo Manego to resign from their positions.