Maryland Archives - Page 369 of 420

DC and Baltimore Named Among ‘Worst Cities For Driving’ in New Report

Published October 11, 2022 at 7:16AM | Updated October 11, 2022 at 6:02PM

With Americans losing an average of $564 per year in wasted time due to traffic congestion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Cities to Drive in. Washington DC and Baltimore, the two closest major cities included in the list, were both ranked among the worst cities to drive in, ranked in the bottom 7 of the 100 cities listed.

To determine the most driver-friendly places in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.

Maryland Governor Candidate Debate to Take Place on Wednesday, October 12

By MCS Staff

Published October 11, 2022 at 6:10AM | Updated October 12, 2022 at 3:32PM

The first, and likely only, debate between the candidates for Maryland governor will take place at 7pm on Wednesday, October 12th. Republican candidate Dan Cox and Democratic candidate Wes Moore will participate in the debate, which will last an hour and will take place at the Maryland Public Television studio in Owings Mills. It can be watched locally on NBC 4.

Cox released the following statement ahead of the debate, “I am glad Wes Moore has finally accepted an invitation to debate with me… I look forward to letting the voters of Maryland see the candidates live, in person and unfiltered.” Moore released the following statement ahead of the debate, “I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s debate, where I’ll share my vision for Maryland built on unity, hope, and the values we embrace as Marylanders. Together, we can build a state where we leave no one behind.”

Greivis Vasquez, Who Moved to the U.S. to Attend High School in Rockville, is Inducted Into Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame

By MCS Staff

Published October 11, 2022 at 4:31AM

Greivis Vasquez, who attended Montrose Christian in z Rockville, was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame this past weekend, joining seven other former UMD student-athletes in the ceremony.

The 2010 ACC player of the year was born in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to the United States to attend high school and play basketball at Montrose Christian School in Rockville in 2004. During his senior year at Montrose he committed to the University of Maryland to play under head coach Gary Williams. Below you’ll see some of his accomplishments at the University of Maryland and in the NBA after that:

Beyond MoCo: Columbia, MD (Howard County) is ‘Safest City in America’, According to Report

By MCS Staff

Published October 10, 2022 at 3:28PM

Personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Safest Cities in America, and nearby Columbia MD (Howard County) was ranked the safest city in America. It appears that only Baltimore and Columbia, the two areas in MD with a population over 100,000 were the only places in Maryland included in the report.

Per WalletHub, To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics. The data set ranges from the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

Maryland Listed as One of the “10 Least Popular States to Move to in 2022” According to Report

By MCS Staff

Published October 8, 2022 at 8:26AM

A recent report from moveBuddha, a relocation tech company, ranked the least popular states to move to in 2022. According to the article, “Roughly 13% of Americans moved each year before the pandemic. So, it makes sense that Americans have attacked COVID-19 as they’ve resolved so many other challenges: by hitting the road. Since the pandemic, 22% of Americans have moved in response to the virus or know someone who has.” Maryland came in as the 7th least popular state to move to in 2022.

moveBuddha uses proprietary data collected from 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Jan 1 through July 5th) to analyze moves trends. The data comes directly from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator. In-to-out ratio: “We rely primarily on the in-to-out ratio equation in our analysis to see which cities are earning more residents by moves in than losing them via moves out: [Number of queries for moves in] ÷ [Number of queries for moves out] = [in-to-out ratio].”

Connect Maryland: Governor Hogan Announces Applications Open Today for $95 Million to Further Expand Broadband Access

By Patrick Herron

Published October 7, 2022 at 11:45AM

Internet Service Providers, Local Jurisdictions Can Apply for Grants to Connect Unserved and Underserved Areas

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan announced that applications open today for $95 million in funding to expand high-speed internet access across the state through Connect Maryland, an initiative to supercharge the state’s investment in broadband and address the digital divide. Through the program, an historic $400 million in funding has been dedicated to address broadband access in unserved and underserved communities.

Governor Hogan Announces Maryland Exceeds Energy Efficiency Targets For State-Owned Facilities Years Ahead of Schedule

By Patrick Herron

Published October 6, 2022 at 9:51AM

“By reaching and exceeding our energy efficiency goals for state buildings several years ahead of schedule, we are lowering both costs and emissions,” said Governor Hogan. “In addition to leading by example, we continue to encourage families and businesses to look at ways to become more energy efficient.”

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has ranked Maryland among the best states in the nation for efforts to reduce energy use through efficiency. Prominent in ACEEE’s report was Maryland state government’s lead-by-example initiatives, including HB 662, which was enacted in 2020 and incorporated into statute the governor’s 2019 Executive Order setting new energy savings goals for state-owned buildings and calling for 10% savings by 2029 over a fiscal year 2018 baseline.

Gov. Hogan Announces Hiring of Netta Squires, Former MoCo Emergency Management Specialist, As Director of Local Cybersecurity

By MCS Staff

Published October 5, 2022 at 10:27AM

Governor Larry Hogan announced that the State of Maryland has hired Netta Squires, Esq. as the Director of Local Cybersecurity. The position was created as part of an overarching cybersecurity legislative package passed early this year. Squires will work at the Department of Information Technology and report to the State Chief Information Security Officer.

Netta Squires, Esq. has over 14 years of experience in emergency management and incident response as well as almost 8 years of specific experience in cybersecurity. She previously worked as an Emergency Management Specialist for the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security where she managed multiple projects and teams in various emergency support functions. Ms. Squires has her Juris Doctorate from George Washington Law School and a Masters of Science in Law in Cybersecurity from UMB School of Law. She is also a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) by the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Governor Hogan Announces New State and Local Directors of Cybersecurity

By Patrick Herron

Published October 4, 2022 at 6:27PM

Today’s appointments come as the state marks October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Earlier this year, the governor announced a new $102 million cyber readiness and workforce initiative to modernize, strengthen, and expand our cyber infrastructure and threat response activities; expand cybersecurity education; and provide universal and equitable access to Advanced Placement computer science classes.

“Maryland is the cyber capital of America, and these two extremely qualified individuals will help continue that leadership and build on the incredible progress we have made to protect our state’s critical infrastructure,” said Governor Hogan. “As we mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I want to continue to encourage Marylanders to remain vigilant about the security of their data and information at home and at work.”

Governor Hogan Announces New Application Round for Opportunity Zone Microgrants

By Patrick Herron

Published October 3, 2022 at 4:45PM

Governor Larry Hogan has announced that the next round of Opportunity Zone microgrant funding will open on October 4. The grants will allow eligible small businesses seeking to expand within designated Opportunity Zones (distressed communities) to apply for microgrants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. Below is a map of “Opportunity Zones” in Montgomery County, courtesy of www.Maryland.gov

Maryland has 149 designated Opportunity Zones, and each of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions has at least one designation. The first two rounds of Opportunity Zone microgrant funding have invested $1 million in 20 businesses across the state.

Governor Hogan Proclaims Walktober, Encourages Marylanders To Walk For Health, Recreation, and Transportation

By Patrick Herron

Published October 3, 2022 at 11:33AM

“Walking is one of the most beneficial ways to support better physical and mental health, and fall is the perfect time to get outdoors and experience the beauty of our great state,” said Governor Hogan. “Research shows that people who take part in daily physical activity live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, and other health issues. Walking is an activity available to people of all ages and abilities, and I encourage Marylanders to take part in our annual Walktober celebration.”

On this year’s Walk Maryland Day, residents can become “sole mates” by joining one of many official walks that will take place across the state, or register a walk they plan to take by themselves or with others in their community. Registration is available at mdot.maryland.gov/walktober.