Maryland Archives - Page 370 of 420

Maryland Department of Transportation Launches Campaign to Address Sexual Harassment on Transit

Published October 3, 2022 at 11:15AM

“There is no place for sexual harassment on transit or anywhere else,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “We want everyone to know we take incidents of harassment seriously and are launching this campaign so that we can improve the overall experience for all who take transit.”

The campaign is focused on educating the public on what constitutes sexual harassment and how it can be stopped. Ads that aim to shift the culture in that direction are being deployed on buses and rail vehicles in addition to social media. In conjunction with the ad campaign, MDOT MTA is launching a safety and security webpage at mta.maryland.gov/safety. The webpage highlights resources and a reporting form for individuals experiencing harassment on an MDOT MTA transit vehicle or at an MDOT MTA stop or station. The webpage also identifies the “3Ds” (Distract, Delegate and Direct) – strategies that bystanders witnessing harassment can use to help the victim.

The Act of Declawing Cats is Now Illegal in Maryland

By Patrick Herron

Published October 1, 2022 at 9:06PM

Maryland has become the second state in the county to ban the act of declawing cats, unless deemed necessary for therapeutic purposes. It was banned in New York in 2019. The bill was approved back in April and Governor Hogan signed it for the law to go into effect on October 1. Sen. Cheryl Kagan and Del. Lorig Charkoudian, both Montgomery County Democrats, were the lead sponsors for the bill in their respective houses.

According to the Humane Society, declawing involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

Maryland State Police Reminding Motorists Move Over Law Expands To All Vehicles Beginning Oct. 1

By Patrick Herron

Published September 30, 2022 at 1:53PM

The intent of the Move Over law is to provide an extra barrier of safety for motorists, along with police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel and utility workers working on Maryland roads. It is hoped that drivers will become more aware of police and emergency workers and others stopped along the road and move away from them or slow down as they pass by the traffic stop or incident scene.

This movement should only be done if another lane in the same direction is available and the move can be made safely and without impeding other traffic. If moving to another lane away from the stopped vehicle is not possible, the law requires drivers to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions.

Governor Hogan Announces Statewide Preparedness Efforts For Remnants of Hurricane Ian

By Patrick Herron

Published September 30, 2022 at 1:16PM

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced statewide preparedness efforts as the remnants of Hurricane Ian move up the mid-Atlantic, leading to coastal flood and gale warnings in the region. Earlier this week, the governor announced the deployment of an Incident Management Team to the State of Florida to assist with the response.

“In addition to sending personnel to Florida to help with the response to Hurricane Ian, we have been preparing on all fronts to deal with the remnants of the storm,” said Governor Hogan. “As we always emphasize with potential flooding events, it is critical for drivers to avoid rising waters—‘turn around, don’t drown.’ We advise Marylanders to watch the forecast closely throughout the weekend and heed local warnings.”

Remodeled Under Armour Store Now Open in Montgomery Mall

By Patrick Herron

Published September 30, 2022 at 11:44AM | Updated September 30, 2022 at 2:49PM

Under Armour has reopened its newly renovated location in Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) and is offering a 20% discount promotion throughout the weekend. The store now features a youth clothing section, 3D foot scanner, digital boards, and upgraded fitting rooms.

Kevin Plank, founder of Under Armour, grew up in Kensington. He is the youngest of five brothers born to William and Jayne Plank. His father was a prominent real estate developer who passed away in 1993. A local project of his was the Al Marah subdivision off River Road, just off of exit 39 on the Beltway. His mother was the mayor of Kensington for 8 years, from 1974-1982. She went on to direct the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of State under President Ronald Reagan, and was a real estate broker until the early 2000s. Read more about Kevin’s story here.

Governor Hogan Announces 4.5% Cost of Living Adjustment Increase For All State Employees

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 2:52PM

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that all employees across state government will receive a 4.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA )increase— effective November 1, 2022—as part of a series of measures to enhance statewide workforce recruitment and retention efforts.

The governor’s action follows official budget projections from the Board of Revenue Estimates showing that, for the second consecutive year, the state is reporting a multi-billion dollar surplus. Overall, after inheriting a $5.1 billiion structural budget deficit, the governor will leave office with a record $5.5 billion in reserves—a more than $10 billion swing in the state’s fiscal fortunes under the Hogan administration.“

New Law Takes Effect This Saturday, October 1; Governor Hogan Proclaims October as Move Over Awareness Month

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 1:46PM

“Moving over and slowing down when passing a vehicle stopped on the highway isn’t just a matter of following the law—it is about saving lives,” said Governor Hogan. “This is especially critical to protect the crews and first responders who are working on the roads within inches of fast-moving traffic. We can all do our part to make sure that everyone gets where they’re going safely.”

The governor is issuing this proclamation today as part of a unified statewide effort—including an event being held this afternoon in Upper Marlboro featuring attendees from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), the Maryland General Assembly, and AAA Mid-Atlantic.

New 227 Area Code Coming to Maryland

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 10:38AM | Updated September 29, 2022 at 11:33AM

The addition of the ‘227’ code is due to the dwindling supply of existing 240/301 phone numbers. According to the PSC, “the remaining supply of available telephone numbers in the 240/301 area is estimated to be exhausted in the second quarter of 2023 – requiring the establishment of a new area code to support future demands in the region. Customers with a 240 or 301 area code will maintain their existing area codes and their phone numbers will not change. Under the implementation plan approved by the PSC, no new 227 numbers will be assigned in the area until the remaining 240/301 numbers are completely exhausted.”

Virginia Declares State of Emergency in Advance of Hurricane Ian; Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Monitoring Storm

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 9:53AM

On Wednesday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to start impacting parts of DC, Maryland, and Virginia on Friday evening. According to a press release, the State of Emergency “allows the Commonwealth to mobilize resources and equipment needed for response and recovery efforts. Virginians should be prepared for the potential of severe rainfall, flooding, wind damage, tornadoes, and other storm-related impacts.” The full text of Executive Order 22 is available here.

Governor Hogan Announces Additional $10 Million in Funding Now Available Through “Re-Fund The Police” Initiative

By Patrick Herron

Published September 28, 2022 at 3:15PM

“Community Safety Works is an important component of our our Re-fund The Police Initiative, providing resources to local business owners and community organizations for crime prevention efforts in neighborhoods across the state,” said Governor Hogan. “This additional $10 million in funding will help residents and other stakeholders who are actively trying to make their communities safer and more secure.”

Improvements include:

Attorney General Frosh Brings Action Against Crypto Interest Account Provider

By MCS Staff

Published September 28, 2022 at 9:33AM

Per The Office of the Attorney General’s Securities Division: The Attorney General Securities Division announced it was announced that it has filed a Cease and Desist against a cryptocurrency interest account provider, Nexo Group and its co-founder Antoni Trenchev (collectively, “Nexo”), ordering them to cease and desist violating Maryland law in connection with the offer and sale of Nexo’s Earn Interest Product (EIP) accounts. The Securities Division alleges that Nexo, operating as an unregistered broker-dealer, offered and sold unregistered securities in the form of its EIP accounts. In the course of offering these accounts, the Securities Division also alleges that Nexo misrepresented and omitted material facts such as its regulatory compliance and information related to interest generation.

Maryland has been participating in a working group of state securities regulators focused on interest-bearing cryptocurrency accounts. Through this coordinated effort, Maryland participated in the investigation of Nexo. The Nexo Order follows a string of similar state actions filed against BlockFi, Celsius, and Voyager. Celsius and Voyager are currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy following a sharp decline in the cryptocurrency market over the summer.