Maryland Archives - Page 7 of 50

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

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.

Maryland

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:

Maryland

Governor Hogan Statement on Early Canvassing For 2022 General Election

By Patrick Herron

Published September 23, 2022 at 6:20PM

“We welcome Judge Bonifant’s decision allowing the State Board of Elections to institute early canvassing for the general election, as I did in 2020 during the pandemic. It worked well in that election, but partisan legislators dropped the ball on adopting our successful approach, making this step necessary. We thank the court for acting swiftly, and encourage Marylanders to take part in the electoral process, make sure their registration is up to date, and consider volunteering to serve as an election judge.”

Beyond MoCo

Governor Hogan Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Maryland’s Sister State Partnership with Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan

By Patrick Herron

Published September 23, 2022 at 12:30PM

“Maryland and Japan share many connections that are perhaps most apparent through our sister state-prefecture relationship with Kanagawa, which continues to be one of our oldest and most important sister state relationships in the world,” said Governor Hogan. “We are so pleased to have the chance to finally celebrate the 40th anniversary milestone of this thriving partnership.”

The Sister State relationship, which was established in 1981, was initially inspired by the common geographic features of the two regions: both have mountains, beaches, a large bay, and are located in close proximity to their respective nation’s capital. Since then, Kanagawa and Maryland have built strong ties through business cooperation and academic exchange.

Beyond MoCo

Governor Hogan Kicks Off Asia Trade Mission By Signing Memorandum of Understanding with Jeju Province

By Patrick Herron

Published September 14, 2022 at 12:36PM

“I have always believed in the importance of looking outside of Maryland’s borders to build productive and mutually beneficial international partnerships,” said Governor Hogan. “I can think of no stronger ally than the Republic of Korea, and no better place to continue building those new partnerships than right here in Jeju Province.”

The memorandum of understanding seeks to promote information sharing, best practices, and policy initiatives between Maryland and Jeju. Long-term goals of the agreement include intergovernmental visits and delegations involving policymakers, academic institutions, and businesses, and joint participation in seminars, workshops, and meetings to raise awareness of potential new economic development opportunities.

MCDOT

Maryland’s ‘Move Over’ Law Will Expand Again October 1

By Patrick Herron

Published September 13, 2022 at 5:39PM

Based on 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, 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.

Health

COVIDReady Maryland: State Expands Fall Outreach Campaign For COVID-19 Bivalent Boosters

By Patrick Herron

Published September 13, 2022 at 2:26PM

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the state continues to expand its COVIDReady campaign to encourage Marylanders to maximize their protection against COVID-19 and the flu this fall and winter.

The bivalent boosters—which contain “tools” (spike proteins of the virus) to target the original COVID-19 virus as well as its omicron variants—are available at more than 850 pharmacies, clinics, and local health departments statewide. Find a clinic at covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-MDGOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

Beyond MoCo

Several Maryland Universities Ranked in U.S. News’ 2022-2023 Best List

By Patrick Herron

Published September 13, 2022 at 12:08PM

Several Maryland schools were ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best National University list that was released earlier this week. Some of the factors that U.S News uses when compiling the list include graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, “expert opinion”, student excellence, and standardized test results. John Hopkins University (Baltimore) ranked #7, University of Maryland (College Park) #55, University of Maryland Baltimore County #137, and Morgan State University (Baltimore) #317. According to U.S. News, “these rankings and the other school information and data on usnews.com are based on many months of data collection and analysis. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings expose users to the broad range of four-year degree options available. U.S. News recommends prospective students explore the rankings to create an initial list of schools based on academics, and then use the website’s search tools and data to more closely examine other factors based on their personal priorities and interests.”

Announcing: U.S. News ranks the Best National Universities for 2022-2023. https://t.co/pC308Ska9D #BestColleges

Maryland

Governor Hogan Announces More Than $13 Million in Highway Safety Grants, Including Over $150,000 to the Montgomery County Police Department

By Patrick Herron

Published September 12, 2022 at 10:40AM

“Since the beginning of our administration, we have worked to ensure safety on our highways through innovative projects and partnerships,” said Governor Hogan. “These grants will continue to help reduce crashes and fatalities all across the state and ensure highway safety remains a top priority.”

In 2021, there were 562 traffic deaths on Maryland roadways, including 131 pedestrians and six bicyclists. While that number is a decrease compared to 2020 when the state had 573 fatalities, including 138 pedestrians and 15 bicyclists, police reports continue to show speed, impairment, and inadequate or improper seat belt use as the most common contributing factors in motor vehicle fatalities.

Education

Governor Hogan Announces New Grant Program For Maryland Non-Public Schools

By Patrick Herron

Published September 8, 2022 at 6:27PM

The governor established the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program in 2016 to provide scholarships for low-income students from areas with under-performing schools to attend non-public schools. Through BOOST, the state has provided more than $50 million to fund scholarships for low-income students.

Last year, the governor announced two rounds of Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) funding to provide financial assistance to support safely reopening schools and helping students recover from learning loss associated with the pandemic. With the leftover funding from that program, the governor is establishing a $1.6 million grant program that will cover a range of eligible expenses, including:

Beyond MoCo

Governor Hogan Statement on the Passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

By Patrick Herron

Published September 8, 2022 at 5:53PM

“The Queen took great care over the last seven decades to deepen the meaning of the Special Relationship between the United States and Great Britain. Maryland was proud to welcome Her Majesty during her first state visit to our country in 1957, and again during her last state visit here in 2007.

“The First Lady and I send our condolences to the Royal Family and to the British people.”