Per the State of Maryand (3.2.23): Governor Moore today delivered the oath of office in an historic swearing-in ceremony of the Moore-Miller Administration’s cabinet secretaries, marking the most diverse cabinet […]
Maryland
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On Saturday, February 11, 2023, Madison Watts, a sophomore from Rockville High School, was elected as a finalist for the Maryland State Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB).
Over 300 student leaders from across the state of Maryland attended the Maryland Association of Student Councils annual Legislative Session hosted by the Wheaton High School Student Government Association and the Montgomery Regional Student Government Association. The other finalist is Abisola Ayoola, a junior from Wilde Lake High School (Howard County). Maryland Governor, Wes Moore, will select one of these finalists as the next Maryland State SMOB in late spring.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse – Internet Crimes Against Child Unit arrested a College Park man this morning for possession and distribution of child pornography. The suspect is 47-year-old Patrick Wojahn.
Per Prince George’s County Police: On February 17, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the PGPD that a social media account operating in the county possessed and distributed suspected child pornography. The image and videos had been uploaded to the social media account in January of 2023. Through various investigative techniques, PGPD investigators discovered the social media account belonged to Wojahn.
University of Maryland football coach Mike Locksley has been named the second most influential black figure in college football in a list written by Richard Johnson for Sports Illustrated, coming behind former NFL/MLB star and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
Locksley returned to Maryland in December 2018 as head coach, following the firing of D. J. Durkin. After serving as an assistant coach for several college football squads, he became the head coach of the University of New Mexico in 2009, coming back to Maryland as an offensive coordinator after his dismissal from UNM in 2011. In 2015, Locksley was named the interim head coach at Maryland after Randy Edsall was relieved of his duties. Locksley did not return to Maryland after that season, joining the University of Alabama as an offensive analyst. Locksley was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2018 season, and that year received the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
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On Thursday, February 23, 2023 fifty-one student leaders from the Montgomery County Regional Student Government (MCR) and the Montgomery County Junior Council (MCJC), the countywide high school and middle school student government associations, traveled to Annapolis to meet with legislators that represent Montgomery County. The students researched upcoming legislation in the general assembly, wrote a one-pager on their advocacy centered around the legislation, and scheduled meetings with the legislators to advocate for these bills and share the student experiences and youth impact related to them. The topics of legislation they supported were:
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller also met with the student leaders to hear their advocacy on these bills.
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“I believe that we can be a state that lifts up both workers and businesses. I believe that we can help families thrive economically, and help businesses to grow. Those who say it’s one or the other are offering a false choice,” said Governor Moore. “My legislative agenda rejects that false choice. It proposes new investments in Maryland’s economic competitiveness and invests in the innovation economy. These proposals will help Maryland businesses to grow and support the next generation of small business owners.”
The Fair Wage Act will also increase the family income of hundreds of thousands of Marylanders, including approximately 126,000 Maryland children. The bill indexes the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index beginning on July 1, 2025, capped at 5% per year. Indexing allows for employee wages to keep pace with inflation and provides more predictability for businesses who are able to plan around regularly scheduled, incremental increases in labor costs.
Maryland Vegan Eats is hosting a ramped up version of what was previously Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week, as it has now become Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month. “Maryland Vegan Eats welcomes back returning restaurants and invites new restaurants to participate in a compassionate campaign by encouraging them to offer healthy, plant-based, and/or vegan items as part of their menu selections.” As of now, there aren’t any Montgomery County restaurants participating, but many in nearby areas with the ability for your favorite MoCo restaurants to join, according to Maryland Vegan Eats.
“Maryland is an exciting and vibrant state full of unique counties, towns, and neighborhoods boasting incredible diversity. Nothing brings people and community together quite like good food. The mission of Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month (formally known as Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week) is to bridge the gap by increasing the awareness, benefits, and accessibility of a plant-based diet through a fun, innovative, and community-based experience.” Additional information can be found here. Below is a video of MoCo vegan restaurant, St. Veg, courtesy of Taste MoCo.
Per the State of Maryland (2.23.23): Governor Wes Moore today announced historic initiatives and investment in public safety to support rebuilding the State police force, promoting intelligence sharing and collaborative enforcement strategy, and reducing crime across Maryland. Joined by newly confirmed Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services Carolyn Scruggs and Secretary of Juvenile Services Vincent Schiraldi, the governor named Lieutenant Colonel Roland Butler as the next Maryland State Police Superintendent.
“To rebuild the State Police force, we must elevate the profession, invest in the training and development of our troopers, and do all we can to cultivate a culture that retains, advances, and rewards the most effective and ethical law enforcement professionals,” said Governor Moore. “The Maryland State Police is the vanguard of law enforcement in our state and at its best, that is what our State Police has done; and under my administration, that is the standard State Police will uphold.”
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Per the Maryland State Police: Maryland State Police are continuing to investigate a fatal crash that occurred Tuesday morning in Montgomery County. Shortly before 5:01 a.m. on Tuesday, troopers from the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack responded to the area of eastbound Interstate 495, prior to the Route 355 exit for a report of a crash involving injuries. According to a preliminary investigation, a Chevrolet Cobalt, for unknown reasons, traveled off the right side of the highway, striking an embankment and tree.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Tera King, 18, of Weejun Loop, Woodbridge, Virginia, was pronounced deceased at the scene by Montgomery County EMS personnel. The lone passenger in the car, a 20-year-old male, was transported by ambulance to Suburban Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Anyone with information related to this crash is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack at 301-424-2101. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Per the State of Maryland: Today, Governor Wes Moore joined California Governor Gavin Newsom, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Delaware Governor John Carney, Hawai’i Governor Josh Green, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, to announce the launch of a multi-state Reproductive Freedom Alliance (Alliance).
The Alliance is a non-partisan coalition of 20 Governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom in their states, the largest such coalition ever convened. The Alliance will work together to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an unprecedented assault on abortion access and other forms of reproductive health care by states hostile to abortion rights and judges who are advancing their ideological agenda. All Governors who support reproductive freedom are welcome to join the Alliance.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Council members, and representatives from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) welcomed Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller to the Pike District for a presentation and update on the UM-Institute for Health Computing project. The Institute for Health Computing is a planned research facility and academic presence at the North Bethesda Metro Station in the Pike District that will serve as an anchor and attraction to developers and businesses. The Institute will include research in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR).