Category:maryland

Maryland governor to announce almost $2B for roads and bridges statewide

“This investment not only will move long-awaited highway projects into construction, so that Maryland families and businesses will benefit from safer, smoother roads, but also it will address every single structurally deficient bridge in the state”. Critic argued it would be too expensive and soak up too much money from other needs.

Wearing a green cancer awareness pin and a purple tie, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan officially gave the go-ahead for the Purple Line this afternoon.

GRAPHIC: Katherine Shaver – The Washington Post. “Meanwhile, we look forward to working with the Maryland Transit Administration to ensure that this light rail-line is built quickly and offers the best possible service within these limitations”.

In announcing his favorable decision on the Purple Line project on June 25, Hogan also delivered disappointing news to advocates of a second light-rail project, saying he isn’t endorsing a proposed 14-mi. line in Baltimore.

Unemployment falls in Washington County, improves statewide

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Unemployment is down in Washington County and across Maryland, according to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations. The latest statistics also show that Washington County has experienced one of the biggest decreases at almost .6 percent.

The new data indicate that more than 14,000 Marylanders were able to find work between March and April 2015, dropping the overall number of citizens out of work from 167,665 to 153,109. Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington County all improved at least .4 percent over the month-long span, with Garrett County making the most significant jump – going from 7.6 to 5.8 percent unemployment.

Peter Thomas, the executive director of Western Maryland Consortium, said there’s a number of reasons to account for unemployment, including discouraged job searchers, education, and stay at home parents. However, he believes local employment is looking up.

Thomas said the FedEx Ground hub in Hagerstown is preparing to hire 500 new employees within the next six months, adding to a work force of 850.

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month with DNR!

Fun kicks off with National Trails Day June 6

June marks the last few weeks of school, the beginning of summer and the perfect time to get outside! The Department of Natural Resources makes celebrating Great Outdoors Month fun and easy with its network of beautiful state parks, a variety of educational programs and the AccessDNR mobile app.

From trekking the mountains of western Maryland, to swimming in Deep Creek Lake, to camping at Assateague Island, Maryland’s 66 State Parks offer recreation to satisfy all types of interests. And with the location-based AccessDNR app, users can easily discover and locate state parks, trails, boat launches and hunting lands, in relation to where they are.

For those in search of guided activities, DNR’s Calendar of Events lists a variety of scheduled opportunities including nature crafts, animal encounters, pontoon tours, educational hikes, stargazing, fishing trips and much more. Available throughout June, and all year long, most of these DNR-sponsored activities are extremely affordable, if not free. And don’t forget, June 6 and 13 (and July 4) are free fishing days in Maryland!

Fracking moratorium bill becomes law without Hogan's signature

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Hydraulic natural gas drilling, also known as fracking, will be banned in Maryland for the next two years.

This past Saturday, a fracking moratorium bill became law without Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature.

Under Article II, Section 17(C) of the Maryland Constitution, if the Governor decides to neither veto nor sign a bill, then the bill will go into effective by default.

This legislation passed with overwhelming support from the House and Senator, and it prohibits the state’s Department of Environment from issuing any fracking permits until October 2017.

It will also require the Department to adopt regulations for fracking and natural gas exploration on or before Oct. 1, 2016.

If fracking begins in Maryland, it would be mostly in Allegany and Garrett counties. Compared to Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Maryland would only be drilling into about two percent of the Marcellus Shale.

7 Ways for Maryland Boaters to Stay Safe

Natural Resources Police offer tips after deadly week on water.

By Elizabeth Janney(Patch Staff) May 31, 2015

7 Ways for Maryland Boaters to Stay Safe

Maryland Natural Resources Police urge safety on the water, particularly after two boaters died in Baltimore and Cecil counties this week.

A 22-year-old canoeist and a 40-year-old sailor perished in separate incidents on Maryland waters, their bodies located over the weekend.

No matter what nature does, there are ways people can protect themselves before heading out, or when deciding whether to step aboard at all. Here are some boating safety tips from Candy Thomson, spokeswoman for Natural Resources Police:

Wear a life jacket. That’s number one. Nothing else is even close when it comes to protecting yourself. And it can’t help you if you’re not wearing it. Make sure that the life jacket has a whistle so you can call for help.
Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.
Check the weather. If there’s a small craft advisory and you’re in a small craft, think twice about going out.
Never go out alone.
Have enough safety gear for everyone on board.
Carry a phone in a plastic bag or dry bag.
If you’re going to be out at night, carry flares and a light.

Natural Resources Police will be patrolling the state’s waterways and parks. Over the Memorial Day weekend, its officers reported they were out in force—they issued 386 tickets; gave 1,104 warnings; found seven boaters driving under the influence; responded to nine boating crashes, including one fatal in Calvert County; and handled one fatal swimming incident involving a teen in Garrett County.

Best Counties in Maryland

Check out who made the Top 20 Best Counties in Maryland!

https://local.niche.com/rankings/counties/best-counties/s/maryland/

We couldn’t agree more!!

Supreme Court strikes down Maryland tax law

WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court on Monday struck down as unconstitutional a Maryland tax that has the effect of double-taxing income residents earn in other states.

Maryland officials say the 5-4 ruling means the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues. It also could affect similar tax laws in nearly 5,000 local jurisdictions in other states, including New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The justices agreed with a lower court that the tax is invalid because it discourages Maryland residents from earning money outside the state.

The unusual split wasn’t along ideological lines. Writing for the court, Justice Samuel Alito said the tax “is inherently discriminatory” under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause. The court has interpreted that provision to ban states from passing laws that burden interstate commerce.

Alito was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

Free Maryland road maps available

CUMBERLAND — Newly released 2015-16 Maryland paper highway maps are free and available at state welcome centers or upon request, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. The maps can also be viewed online.

“This state map includes the latest changes to our evolving transportation system. Some of the new additions include the I-95 Express Toll Lanes and the recent extension of the Intercounty Connector,” said SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters.

Paper maps remain popular, SHA officials said.

It's a Beautiful Day at the Lake!

Fracking accidents will send tourists to the Shore

If I were to be a responsible Marylander or if I lived in western Maryland, I would think a three-year fracking moratorium would be an extremely good idea. In fact, if I lived in western Maryland and didn’t own mineral rights that made me rich, I would approve a hundred-year moratorium.

I have wondered, a little, about why, with the abundance of American oil and gas again, people think they need to start a new fracking rig right now. Seems it would be better just to relax and wait. Let the grandchildren or the great-grandchildren frack for oil after we are dead and everybody else is pumped dry. They would make real money.

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