Beyond MoCo

Per the State of Maryland (4.3.23): Governor Wes Moore today announced a new partnership between the Maryland Department of the Environment and The Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland to model Maryland’s pathway toward ambitious climate goals. The announcement came during a roundtable discussion at the State House with climate goal stakeholders including representatives from the Maryland Department of the Environment, University of Maryland, League of Conservation Voters, Maryland Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, and Blink Charging.

“We face an historic challenge – and we will tackle it with an all-of-government, an all-of-community, and an all-of-state approach,” said Governor Moore. “We cannot win this fight alone. It will take partnership, it will take collaboration, it will take teamwork; that includes this partnership with the University of Maryland and all of the stakeholders today.”

For the second time in the last couple months, the expected opening date for Great Wolf Lodge, North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, has moved up. Great Wolf Lodge will be opening its newest resort in Perryville, MD (located in Cecil County, northeast of Baltimore City) this summer. Originally scheduled to open in August, construction has been ahead of schedule and the lodge announced it would open on July 15. Now, it has moved opening day up again and is currently scheduled to open on June 29.

Great Wolf Lodge Maryland will be the company’s 20th resort in North America, and their largest. It will offer 700 family-friendly suites, a 126,000-square-foot indoor water park, a 57,000 square-foot entertainment center, and 12,000 square-feet of conference space. Perryville is about 70 miles and a little less than an hour and a half away from most parts of MoCo. The company has released additional information about the water park and is offering a 25% discount on reservations.

Per the Federal Bureau of Investigation: The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in locating fugitive Roy C. McGrath (photo below), age 53, of Naples, Florida, who is the ex-chief of staff to former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. An arrest warrant has been issued for McGrath after he failed to appear in Baltimore, Maryland, for trial on March 13, 2023. McGrath is now a fugitive and considered an international flight risk.

On October 5, 2021, McGrath was indicted in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland for violations of 18 USC 1343 (wire fraud) and 18 USC 666 (theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds). During his October 2021 court appearance, McGrath entered a plea of not guilty on all charges and was released pre-trial on the condition that he appear at all scheduled court dates.

A six-year-old giraffe named Willow has died at the Maryland Zoo, the zoo announced via social media on Tuesday afternoon. The giraffe, born at the zoo in 2017, had shown signs of illness for several days. Full statement by the Maryland Zoo below:

“It is difficult to put into words the impact Willow the giraffe has had since she was born here in 2017. If you’ve followed us for a while, you know. Our Zoo family is truly broken as we share with you that Willow has passed on. Several days ago, Willow’s care team noticed something was off when she didn’t eat her typical meals and showed other signs of illness. Since then, Zoo veterinarians and other team members have been working together, taking steps to treat the gastrointestinal issues Willow was experiencing. Last night, Willow’s condition significantly worsened, and after every effort was made to save her, the team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize her.