Maryland Archives - Page 371 of 406

Governor Hogan Announces Donation of Medical Supplies and Body Armor to Ukraine

Published May 10, 2022 at 2:52PM

The governor made the announcement at an MDH warehouse facility in Hanover, joined by Yaroslav Brisiuck, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Ukraine; Karina Mandell, chair of the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee; Dr. William Chester of the Paul Chester Children’s Hope Foundation; and Maryna Baydyuk and Boris Levonenko of United Help Ukraine.

“The atrocities taking place in Ukraine have served as a reminder to all of us of exactly why strong ties and alliances are so critical, and why it is so important that we do whatever we can to support our allies in their time of need,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to thank our entire state government team for working around the clock over the past week to make this possible, along with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, which has been indispensable in helping us coordinate efforts on the ground.”

Maryland Updates Stalking Laws to Include Modern Technology

By Patrick Herron

Published May 10, 2022 at 10:36AM

The criminal definition of stalking has been updated by the Maryland General Assembly to include electronic communications that can track individuals without their consent, such as geotagging. Previously, an individual would have to be physically followed by a stalker in person. House Bill 148 was signed by Governor Larry Hogan on April 21 and alters the definition of stalking to include “conduct that occurs in person, through electronic communication, or through the use of a device that can pinpoint or track the location of another without the person’s knowledge or consent.” The new law will go into effect on October 1.

According to the law, “stalking” means a malicious course of conduct that includes approaching or pursuing another where the person intends to place or knows or reasonably should have known the conduct would place another in reasonable fear of serious bodily injury; of an assault in any degree, rape or sexual offense, false imprisonment, death, or that a third person likely will suffer any of the acts listed, or the person intends to cause or knows or reasonably should have known that the conduct would cause serious emotional distress to another. A person who violates this could be found guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both.

Reminder: Civil Penalty Waiver Grace Period For Video Tolls Until November 30

By MCS Staff

Published May 10, 2022 at 8:42AM

In February, MDTA started a civil penalty waiver grace period for tolls paid in full and has ceased referring toll bills to the Central Collection Unit (CCU) and MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) temporarily. The grace period will end at 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2022, and the MDTA will resume referrals of unpaid toll bills and civil penalties to CCU and MDOT MVA on December 1.

If you have unpaid Video Tolls and/or Civil Penalties, the MDTA will waive the Civil Penalties if your toll balance is paid in full between Feb. 24 and 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022. After the grace period ends, customers will remain responsible for all unpaid tolls and civil penalties and referrals will resume.

Montgomery County Sends Over $4 million in Tax Refund Checks to Homeowners After State Error

By Patrick Herron

Published May 9, 2022 at 10:11AM

Montgomery County has sent out over $4,000,000 in tax refund checks after a tax error by the state of Maryland. The mistake was first discovered by Olney resident Louis Wilen back in 2016, which FOX 5 first reported on in 2020. Maryland had been miscalculating the Homeowner Tax Credit, which is for seniors and low-income residents. Montgomery County has issued over 5,000 checks to homeowners eligible for the $346 senior supplement, according to FOX.

Per Montgomery County, “Homeowner tax credit refunds for the County portion (issued by Montgomery County Treasury Office in Finance), have now been completed and refund checks are being mailed out to taxpayers now. Refunds are being issued because of a State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) error that was made in the calculations. Checks and letters for the State portion of the refund have already been mailed out to taxpayers from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. The refunds cover levy years 2017, 2018 and 2019, however, not all homeowners will receive refunds for all years, it just depends on what the homeowner applied for and were deemed eligible for.”

Maryland is 2022’s ‘5th Best State for Police Officers’, According to WalletHub Study

By MCS Staff

Published May 9, 2022 at 9:00AM

Personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer. Maryland was ranked 5th overall in the report, behind Connecticut, California, Illinois, and the District of Columbia.

Per the report, “Law enforcement is a career that is always in the public eye, whether for heroic reasons or scandal. Currently, our nation’s 800,000 law enforcement officers have even more of a spotlight than usual, though. To start, for the past two years they have been in charge of enforcing COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, there have been quite a few recent high-profile police brutality cases, including officers found guilty for federal civil rights violations leading up to the death of George Floyd. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech also called for the nation to “fund the police” with better training and resources.”

Less Than a Year Left to Get Your REAL ID

By MCS Staff

Published May 9, 2022 at 7:34AM

If you haven’t gotten your REAL ID yet, you have less than a year as enforcement of the REAL ID Act at the card level begins on May 3, 2023 (Maryland has been Real ID compliant since 2011). On May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.

The REAL ID Act is a federal law passed by Congress after Sept. 11, 2001, that establishes specific minimum federal standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards to be accepted for certain federal purposes, like entering a federal building or boarding a domestic commercial flight.

Maryland’s ‘Move Over’ Law Will Expand Again in October

By MCS Staff

Published May 7, 2022 at 8:47AM

Based on a recent bill (SB0147) signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan on April 21, Maryland’s “Move Over” law will expand once again on October 1, 2022. In Maryland, the law was originally enacted in October 2014 requiring motorists to move over for emergency vehicles, law enforcement vehicles and tow trucks. The law was expanded in 2019 to include service vehicles such as transportation, service and utility vehicles, as well as waste and recycling trucks that have their lights flashing.

The expanded law that will be enacted on October 1st, later this year, will require a driver to make a lane change or slow the speed of their vehicle when approaching from the rear any stopped, standing or parked vehicle displaying hazard warning lights, road flares or other caution signals including traffic cones, caution signs or non-vehicular warning lights. The expanded law is aimed toward protecting all road users.

557 Fatalities on Maryland Roadways in 2021

By MCS Staff

Published May 7, 2022 at 8:11AM

MDOT, law enforcement partners announce 2021 figures and urge commitment to safety; Survey indicates 93% of Marylanders consider unsafe driving a major problem

While states across the country experienced an increase in roadway fatalities in 2021, Maryland saw a decline of nearly 3% compared to 573 fatalities in 2020. State transportation and law enforcement officials gathered in April to announce the data, and said despite the decrease, Maryland still saw an unacceptable number of crashes – 519 – resulting in 557 fatalities, including 129 pedestrians and six bicyclists.

Montgomery County Woman Wins $50,000 VaxCash 2.0 Prize

By Patrick Herron

Published May 3, 2022 at 3:06PM

“It helps save lives. Mine, as well as others – like my family,” she said. Milagro told Lottery officials that she is looking for a house and the $50,000 prize will go toward her dream of home ownership. “I’m also appreciative of the program and what it has done to encourage others to get the vaccine,” she said. Milagro is one of 11 VaxCash 2.0 winners so far, and one of 10 winners of $50,000. The promotion’s first drawing on Feb. 15 awarded a $500,000 prize to a Dundalk woman. On May 3, a single winner will be selected for a grand prize of $1 million.

The VaxCash 2.0 promotion, which was announced by Gov. Larry Hogan on Feb. 8, is awarding $2 million in cash prizes in weekly drawings from Feb. 15 through today, May 3. VaxCash 2.0 aims to incentivize Marylanders to get COVID-19 booster shots. All Maryland residents 18 and older who had received an initial shot(s) and a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine at eligible facilities in Maryland at any time were eligible to win. No registration or entry was needed.

Governor Hogan Announces 211 Maryland Campaign to Expand Multilingual Access to Services and Support

By Patrick Herron

Published May 3, 2022 at 11:44AM

Per the State of Maryland:

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced a new partnership between the Office of Immigrant Affairs and 211 Maryland to expand multilingual access to services and support, including reporting hate crimes and finding resources for victims. “This new partnership with 211 Maryland is an important collaboration to overcome language barriers in serving everyone who calls Maryland home and who works to make great contributions to our state,” said Governor Hogan. “It will further expand our outreach and resources to make it easier to report hate crimes and connect victims with services. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to help provide additional support for those who are affected by these heinous crimes.”

Germantown Couple Facing Federal Indictment for a Series of Fraud Schemes, Including Passport Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Bankruptcy Fraud

By MCS Staff

Published May 2, 2022 at 8:06PM

Defendant Allegedly Used a Stolen Identity to Receive Child Care Subsidy Payments for Taking Care

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland: A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Andrews Oduro Brown, a/k/a Andrews Oduro, age 39, and Charmaine Miesha Brown, age 43, both of Germantown, Maryland, for conspiracies to commit passport fraud and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, bankruptcy fraud, and making false statements in a bankruptcy proceeding. The indictment was returned on April 28, 2022, and unsealed upon the arrest of the defendants.