With rampant inflation making raising children much more costly than usual, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family. Maryland was ranked 19th overall, coming in at 8th place for ‘affordability’ and 10th place for ‘education & child care.’

To determine the best states in which to put down family roots, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 51 key indicators of family-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median annual family income to housing affordability to the unemployment rate.


Over 1.9 million vehicles on the road have rolled-back odometers, a 7% increase from the previous year, according to Carfax research. That includes an increase of 18% in odometer scale in Maryland, a 6% increase in DC, and Virginia  leading the area– coming in 8th in the nation in odometer scams.

“Many people think odometer fraud disappeared with the invention of digital odometers,” said Emilie Voss, Public Relations Director for CARFAX. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re still seeing the number of vehicles on the road with a rolled-back odometer rise year-over-year.” According to Carfax data, consumers lose an average of $4,000 in value from unknowingly buying a car with a rolled-back odometer, and that doesn’t include unexpected maintenance costs.


Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Dwight Luis Clarke, age 32, of Germantown, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and four counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Clarke admitted that he sold crack cocaine and seven firearms, including five privately manufactured firearms, known as “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer.

According to his plea agreement, during late 2021 and early 2022, Clarke was identified as a suspected trafficker of narcotics and firearms.  In February 2022, an ATF Special Agent, acting in an undercover capacity (the UC) contacted Clarke, who agreed to sell the UC crack cocaine and firearms.  During three meetings that month, Clarke sold the UC:  two privately made firearms (PMFs) that Clarke referred to as “ghost guns,” specifically, Polymer80 Inc. 9mm semi-automatic pistols, bearing no apparent serial numbers; a.22-caliber semi-automatic AR-style pistol; a 33 round 9mm extended magazine, which contained one 9mm cartridge; a .22-caliber extended AR-style magazine loaded with three .22-caliber cartridges, a .22LR caliber mini mag ammunition box containing 95 cartridges; a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol; and 44.48 grams of crack cocaine.


Giant Food, the regional grocery chain, recently announced that 14 Giant Pharmacy locations throughout Maryland and Virginia, including two Montgomery County locations, are now offering on-site testing for flu A and B strains and strep throat for individuals three years of age and older. Testing is administered by Giant’s certified in-store pharmacists or certified technicians and results will be received within 10 minutes. If further consultation is needed, Giant Pharmacy offers an optional telehealth visit with a healthcare provider through Physician 360 ($29.95 fee applies payable to Physician 360 with discount code “GIANT”) to receive a consultation and any needed prescriptions, without ever leaving the pharmacy.

Per Giant: “Giant Food is committed to helping our customers by being a one-stop solution for not just their food needs, but also as part of their whole wellness package. By offering these new testing services, we are enabling customers to get their results instantly, speak to a doctor, and receive their medicine without ever leaving a Giant Pharmacy,” said Paul Zvaleny, Director of Pharmacy Operations at Giant Food. “Our Giant Pharmacy team is committed to keeping our communities in good health and we continue to keep our flu and cold products stocked for customers during this time of year when seasonal illness is often at a high.”


Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee announces the selection of Bernice D. Mireku-­‐North to fill the unexpired term within the 14th General Assembly legislative district created by the resignation of outgoing Delegate Eric Luedtke. Luedtke resigned effective January 2 to join the incoming Moore-­‐Miller Administration as Chief Legislative Officer. The Committee’s selection serves as a recommendation to be delivered to Governor Hogan, who must confirm the appointment.

The MCDCC would like to thank all of the candidates who applied for the District 14 delegate seat. Their passion, desire and commitment to serve the district’s residents demonstrates the energy and dedication found throughout Montgomery County for public service. The Committee will be sending its recommendation to Governor Hogan tonight, January 3, and asks that the Governor confirm the nomination as expeditiously possible for the nominee to be sworn-­‐in in time for the upcoming legislative session to begin.


The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association (MRSPA) will award three $2,000 scholarships to public school employees in Maryland who are enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification, or certification as a school counselor, speech and language pathologist, physical or occupational therapist, school social worker, administrator or supervisor, media specialist, supervisor or administrator, or school psychologist. Teachers who have a current certification and are enrolled in a program pursuing certification in another education-related area are also eligible to apply, as are uncertified teachers, teacher assistants or aides, or substitute teachers.

Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate. They must be current employees of a public school system in Maryland, and must intend to work in a Maryland public school while working toward certification and after completing their requirements for certification.The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Apply here. Winners will be notified in March. Frequently Asked Questions


With the unemployment rate at 3.7% and employers planning to hire 15% more new graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the Class of 2022, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Places to Find a Job, with nearby Columbia, MD (Howard County) ranked #2 on the list.

Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), $104,486, which is 3.5 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at $30,271. To determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 32 key metrics. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary. Top 10 and bottom 10 can be seen below:


Attorney General Brown also announced he will seek additional funding to attract and retain attorneys, ensure attorney salaries are competitive, and to provide the necessary resources for investigations, enforcement, training, and support.

The Office of the Attorney General provides counsel to the Governor of Maryland and all state agencies, the Maryland General Assembly, and the judicial branch. Its major functions also include consumer protection, criminal appeals, criminal investigations, and civil litigation.


Per the State of Maryland: Governor Larry Hogan today announced $100 million in funding through the Maryland’s Final FY 2023-2028 Consolidated Transportation Program to advance the I-81 Phase 2 project in Washington County into construction. The I-81 Phase 2 project has long been a top priority for Western Maryland and will support economic and job growth, improve safety, ease congestion, and reinforce supply chain reliability for Maryland and the entire region.

“Our administration has been committed to making these transformative improvements to the I-81 corridor from day one, because it is such a critical economic lifeline for the communities and businesses of Western Maryland, and it is vital to our interstate supply chain,” said Governor Hogan. “We are proud to move this project forward in spite of federal inaction, and look forward to seeing all the jobs and opportunities it will deliver for the region. This is another way we are keeping our promises and changing Maryland for the better.”


Six decades of delivering joy. Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring is one of the largest hospitals in Maryland. It was founded in 1963 by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and has led all Maryland facilities in new births since its inception. On January 10th, the hospital celebrates its 60th anniversary.

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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the January firearm deer hunting season opens Jan. 6, 2023, in Deer Management Region B, which includes all of the state except the westernmost counties. Hunters with a valid hunting license may use firearms to harvest sika and white-tailed deer during this season.

The winter firearm season is open Jan. 6-7 in all of Region B. The season is also open through Sunday, Jan. 8 on private and designated public lands in Cecil and St. Mary’s counties, and on private lands only in Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Washington (Zone 1), and Worcester counties. Shooting hours end at 10:30 a.m. in Kent and Montgomery counties.


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