Maryland Archives - Page 311 of 419

Maryland State Board of Education Appoints Dr. Carey Wright as Interim State Superintendent

Published October 13, 2023 at 6:48AM

The State Board voted unanimously on Wednesday evening to appoint Dr. Carey Wright as the interim State Superintendent of Schools for the remainder of the current term through June 30, 2024. Dr. Wright will begin her service as State Superintendent by October 23, 2023, pending the completion of onboarding logistics.

Most recently, Dr. Wright served for nine years as the State Superintendent of Schools in Mississippi leading successful educational reform efforts that guided Mississippi to lead the nation in improving student achievement outcomes. She has consistently demonstrated an ability to build consensus by developing critical relationships with key stakeholders to achieve results.

Governor Wes Moore Joins U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at Prince George’s Community College in Support of Job Opportunity Expansion Funding Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

By Patrick Herron

Published October 12, 2023 at 5:22PM

Prince George’s Community College

Per the State of Maryland (10.12.23): Today, Governor Wes Moore joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at Prince George’s Community College to announce funding for the Commercial Driver’s License program, highlighting President Joseph R. Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s job opportunity expansion. Governor Moore and Secretary Buttigieg were joined by former United States Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Prince George’s Community College External Affairs, Communications, and Advancement Vice President Dr. Sherrie A. Johnson to highlight investments in the future of the trucking industry in Maryland and across the country.

“Our administration is committed to investing in community colleges because our community colleges open new avenues for success for all, not just for some,” said Gov. Moore. “Today, we celebrate the important investment of the Prince George’s Community College Commercial Driver’s License program and we celebrate an economy that offers on-ramps to success and opportunity.”

MoCo Restaurants Dominate 2023 Yelp MD Burb’s “Top 25 Places to Eat” List

By Patrick Herron

Published October 12, 2023 at 10:56AM | Updated October 12, 2023 at 12:00PM

Yelp’s “Yelp MD Burbs” released its list of “Top 25 Places to Eat in MD Burbs” and 18 of the 25 restaurants on the list are in Montgomery County, including four of the top five. Yelp is a popular company that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses with a major focus on restaurants. According to Yelp, “The MD Burbs knows how to eat, and these locally-loved spots are proof of that! We’re excited to announce the MD Burbs’ Top 25 Places to Eat (2023), backed by Yelp data and approved by taste buds everywhere!”

https://www.facebook.com/tastemoco/posts/pfbid0GEXYRbUvfamiJfACVenm1maeQ87vw5UkPVRPWQxurXvabFqqQVYfnRwKNoaSn4pFl

Four $50,000 Winning Powerball Tickets Sold in Maryland; $1.765 Billion Winning Ticket Sold in California

By Patrick Herron

Published October 12, 2023 at 8:44AM

Last night’s drawing was the 2nd largest in lottery history. Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. Additional details below courtesy of MD Lottery:

Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.

WSSC Water Lifts Recreational Water Contact Health Advisory for T. Howard Duckett Reservoir; Remains in Effect For Triadelphia Reservoir

By MCS Staff

Published October 12, 2023 at 7:18AM

WSSC Water lifted the recreational water contact health advisory for the T. Howard Duckett Reservoir, which was issued earlier this summer due to high levels of blue-green algae. The end of the health advisory follows two consecutive weeks of extensive monitoring and testing showing algal concentrations and potential toxins well below advisory thresholds. Recreational users can safely resume allowable activities at the T. Howard Duckett Reservoir only. The contact health advisory remains in effect for the Triadelphia Reservoir.

The Triadelphia and T. Howard Duckett reservoirs, located along the Patuxent River in Montgomery, Prince George’s & Howard counties, serve as drinking water sources for WSSC Water and as a recreational area for hiking, fishing and boating. It is important to note that WSSC Water’s drinking water was not affected and continues to meet all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Governor Wes Moore Spotlights Biotechnology and Economic Development During Visit to University of Maryland BioPark

By Patrick Herron

Published October 11, 2023 at 3:10PM

Visit to University of Maryland BioPark

Governor Wes Moore today visited the University of Maryland BioPark for a discussion and tour focused on biotechnology, innovation and economic development. Governor Moore was joined by University of Maryland Baltimore President Bruce E. Jarrell, M.D., F.A.C.S.; Biotechnology Innovation Organization Chief Executive Officer Rachel King; and numerous biotech and life sciences industry leaders to discuss opportunities for collaboration and promoting the innovation economy in Maryland.

“BioPark isn’t just a hub for discovering new, breakthrough treatments and cures–it’s also a key piece of our state’s economic engine,” said Gov. Moore. “The biotech industry contributes $20 billion to our state’s economy each year, and average annual life sciences incomes are significantly higher than other industries in Maryland. The biotech sector is going to create jobs, drive growth, and build an economy fit for the 21st century.”

Governor Moore Announces New Conair Distribution Center to Bring 700 New Jobs to Hagerstown

By Patrick Herron

Published October 11, 2023 at 12:18PM

Per the State of Maryland (10.10.23): Governor Wes Moore today announced that Conair LLC—a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of health and beauty products and kitchen appliances—is planning to establish a distribution center in Washington County. The company will lease approximately 2.1 million square feet at a soon to be constructed facility at 10440 Downsville Pike and 17250 Sterling Road in Hagerstown, which is believed to become the largest single distribution center in the state.

“After meeting with Governor Moore, I am delighted to find a shared commitment to creating prosperity and fostering a thriving business environment,” said Conair LLC Chief Executive Officer and President Ronald T. Diamond.

One Maryland Town Included in U.S. News’ “Best Places to Live By the Beach in the U.S.“ List

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2023 at 7:32PM

U.S. News & World Report released its Best Places to Live in 2023-2024 list, which includes 20 places that are ranked according to the following factors; affordability, job market, morning commute, access to quality health care, and more. While places like Los Angeles, Miami, Charleston and others were expected on a list like this, one town in Maryland unexpectedly came in at 14– Salisbury, ranked a couple spots ahead of San Diego (16).

To add a little context, U.S. News includes popular beach destinations like Ocean City (MD), Rehoboth Beach (DE), and Bethany Beach (DE) in Salisbury’s “metropolitan statistical area”, per the U.S. Census. Salisbury is also home to Maryland’s only Cookout location– a popular fast food area focused in the southeast that has slowly expanded further north.

Governor Moore Announces New Annual Record for Chesapeake Bay Oyster Planting

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 4:07PM

“Planting 1.7 billion oysters this year shows the success of the broad partnership of watermen, scientists, academics, nonprofits, and state and federal government officials dedicated to this vital natural resource and economic driver for Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “I’d like to thank the partner organizations and our dedicated Department of Natural Resources staff who enabled the state to achieve this significant accomplishment.”

In 2014, Maryland committed to restoring oyster populations in five Bay tributaries, as part of the interstate Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The state embraced oyster plantings as a key component of its Chesapeake Bay restoration and replenishment strategy by deploying hundreds of millions of juvenile oysters on both sanctuary reefs and public oyster reefs annually. Oysters are beneficial because they filter excess nutrient pollutants from the bay, provide valuable habitat for other marine species, and boost the state’s commercial seafood industry through annual harvests and oyster aquaculture.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fall Foliage Report

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2023 at 12:34PM

Fall days are here – blue skies, clouds like giant marshmallows, and gobs of sunshine. The only thing missing is the cooler daytime temperatures characteristic of fall weather. Crisp autumn air causes leaves to stop making food or stop the process of photosynthesis, which turns the leaves green during warmer months. When the temperature drops, chlorophyll breaks down and the green color begins to disappear, revealing yellows, oranges and in some tree species, purple tones. Although daytime temperatures across the state have been in the 80s this week, nighttime temperatures are dipping into the low 50s and 60s, giving us the cooler conditions necessary for leaf change. Next week, temperatures drop across Maryland, setting the stage for fall’s colorful show.

Western Maryland: The western region of our state is taking the lead in gorgeous fall color. Forester Dakota Durcho reports near peak conditions in some tree species: “The trees we typically see change early – black walnut, black gum, and sassafras – have mostly changed at this point. However, most of the other dominant hardwoods in the area such as yellow poplar, hickory, and oak are just now starting to change, some of which can be attributed to dry conditions.”

Maryland Road Named One of America’s Top Autumn Foliage Road Trip Destinations

By Patrick Herron

Published October 10, 2023 at 12:33PM

MarketWatch Guides has released their inaugural Fall Foliage Road Trip guide and the The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway has been named one of the top destinations. The byway is located about two hours from Montgomery County. Per the article, “Scenic fall drives are often — and understandably – associated with the mountains. But the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway offers an alternative of catching the colors among the gentle terrain and lulling waters of the Chesapeake Bay region. The National Scenic Byway runs along Maryland Route 213 and Maryland Route 18 between the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

At just two-and-a-half hours from Washington, D.C. and an hour-and-a-half from Baltimore, Md., the byway is doable as a daytrip from either city. And while the fall colors and tideland scenery are worth the trip alone, fall color season is also still crab season in eastern Maryland. Make sure to set aside some time for the region’s famed crab cakes at one of the many waterside restaurants along the route in scenic towns like St. Michael’s and Cambridge.” Click here to read the complete top ten list. Featured image courtesy of Market Watch.