The Banner Montgomery – 草莓传媒 草莓传媒 Washington's Top 草莓传媒 Mon, 18 May 2026 21:32:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Wtop草莓传媒Logo_500x500-150x150.png The Banner Montgomery – 草莓传媒 草莓传媒 32 32 Prince George鈥檚 County planning chair resigns, avoiding showdown with County Council /prince-georges-county/2026/05/prince-georges-planning-chair-resigns-avoiding-showdown-with-county-council/ Mon, 18 May 2026 20:17:57 +0000 /?p=29267182 Darryl Barnes resigned over the weekend as chair of the Prince George鈥檚 County Planning Board amid investigations into his alleged misconduct during his 10-month tenure, according to an internal message from the acting executive director of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

His resignation took effect Saturday, wrote Bill Spencer, the commission鈥檚 acting executive director, in a message to staff reviewed by The Banner.

鈥淚t should be noted that any ongoing investigations remain underway, and it is important that we allow our processes to move forward without interference or speculation,鈥 Spencer wrote.

Barnes could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Braveboy moves to oust beleaguered Prince George鈥檚 planning board chair /prince-georges-county/2026/05/braveboy-moves-to-oust-beleaguered-prince-georges-planning-board-chair/ Sat, 16 May 2026 01:40:07 +0000 /?p=29258909 Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Aisha Braveboy on Friday moved to oust planning board Chair Darryl Barnes, whom she appointed last summer.

The move came one day after three planning board members removed the vice chair from his leadership position and just hours after The Banner published a story detailing misconduct听听dating to his appointment in July.

Barnes, reached by phone Friday, declined to comment on Braveboy鈥檚 push to remove him.

The County Council will have the final say over Barnes鈥 removal, and it has scheduled a virtual meeting for May 22 to vote, according to a notification letter sent from council Chair Krystal Oriadha to Barnes and reviewed by The Banner.

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NBC 草莓传媒 correspondent helps rescue teen driver from burning car on Capital Beltway /montgomery-county/2026/05/nbc-news-correspondent-helps-rescue-teen-driver-from-burning-car-on-capital-beltway/ Fri, 15 May 2026 13:55:44 +0000 /?p=29256802 A veteran NBC 草莓传媒 correspondent helped rescue a driver from a burning car after the teenager crashed into a concrete barrier on the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County at high speed.

The journalist, Tom Costello, told NBC 草莓传媒 he was driving home Tuesday when he witnessed a 鈥渉orrific crash鈥 as the car broke into pieces, flipped and landed on the ground.

鈥淚t was smoking. It was crushed,鈥澨.

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Wes Moore replaces campaign manager weeks before primary /maryland/2026/05/wes-moore-replaces-campaign-manager-weeks-before-primary/ Thu, 14 May 2026 01:51:51 +0000 /?p=29251089 Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is replacing his campaign manager less than two weeks after听听to kick his reelection effort into high gear.

Ron Owens, who had been the Democratic governor鈥檚 campaign manager since last summer, will exit at the end of the week.

He鈥檒l be replaced by Dylan Arant, who currently works in the governor鈥檚 State House office and ran Attorney General Anthony Brown鈥檚 successful campaign in 2022.

The change comes roughly six weeks before the June 23 Democratic primary, in which Moore faces token opposition from Eric Felber, a Montgomery County doctor.

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Montgomery County Council passes progressive income tax plan /montgomery-county/2026/05/montgomery-county-council-passes-progressive-income-tax-plan/ Wed, 13 May 2026 20:14:50 +0000 /?p=29250018 In the lead-up to a June primary, the Montgomery Council Council Wednesday narrowly approved a progressive income tax hike.

The plan passed 6-5 following a heated debate over whether the council should increase taxes amid rising unemployment and inflation.

The current income tax rate for all residents is 3.2%. Under the new tax rates, residents making more than $150,000 annually will pay a 3.3% income tax 鈥 a 0.1% bump.

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Washington Nationals team dog Natty to make major league debut Friday /washington-nationals/2026/05/washington-nationals-team-dog-natty-to-make-major-league-debut-friday/ Mon, 11 May 2026 19:46:30 +0000 /?p=29242219 The Washington Nationals will debut their new team dog, Natty, an 8-week-old golden retriever and Labrador retriever mix, this Friday at home against the Orioles.

Born March 5, Natty and his five siblings will train to be service dogs to help people with disabilities. Natty will be the club鈥檚 first-ever team dog and will train alongside Nationals players, staff and fans as he prepares for the next step in his development.

He arrived in D.C. on May 4 and met volunteers Jackie and Laura, who鈥檒l teach him manners, basic cues and a proper diet to prepare him for professional training with Canine Companions instructors in 18 months.

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Bowie State University to lay off employees amid $18 million deficit /education/2026/05/bowie-state-university-to-lay-off-employees-amid-18-million-deficit/ Thu, 07 May 2026 17:11:14 +0000 /?p=29225631 Bowie State University will eliminate 79 jobs through reorganization, vacancies and layoffs as the university deals with its second multimillion-dollar deficit in two years.

Maryland鈥檚 oldest historically Black university is facing an $18 million deficit, President Aminta Breaux announced in a message to the campus. That follows last year鈥檚 $13.6 million budget shortfall, which was corrected through hiring delays and eliminating vacant positions, she wrote. Bowie State employs 1,175 workers, according to public data, so the workforce will shrink by about 6%.

鈥淲e recognize that this period may bring uncertainty and want to assure you that we are approaching each decision with care, thoughtfulness and deep respect for our faculty, staff and students,鈥 Breaux wrote.

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Maryland is under a 鈥榙rought disaster.鈥 What that means for you /maryland/2026/05/maryland-is-under-a-drought-disaster-what-that-means-for-you/ Mon, 04 May 2026 17:01:47 +0000 /?p=29212878 Federal officials have placed Maryland under a 鈥渄rought disaster鈥 designation. But that doesn鈥檛 mean the state is experiencing a water shortage 鈥 at least not yet.

It can sound confusing, Samantha Borisoff, a climatologist for the Northeast Regional Climate Center, said. There are 鈥渁 lot of nuances鈥 when it comes to drought, and different departments 鈥 say, agriculture and environmental officials 鈥 use different parameters and thresholds when issuing guidance to the public.

Still, Marylanders should use water wisely because rainfall has been below average and groundwater levels are below normal.

Here鈥檚 how drought conditions could impact Maryland.

What it means for agriculture

Most of the state is experiencing moderate or severe drought conditions, according to the Department of Agriculture, which takes many indicators into account. Precipitation, soil moisture and groundwater levels are only a few pieces of the puzzle, Borisoff said.

The Department of Agriculture monitors droughts to issue disaster declarations and loan eligibility 鈥 which is what officials did April 17 after designating disaster status to nine Maryland counties. Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George鈥檚 and Washington counties are eligible for assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency.

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Howard County kicks off Ellicott City flood tunnel construction this summer /howard-county/2026/04/howard-county-kicks-off-ellicott-city-flood-tunnel-construction-this-summer/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:17:38 +0000 /?p=29191344 Construction on the massive, mile-long tunnel designed to divert flash flooding from Old Ellicott City will begin this summer, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said Monday.

The 18-foot tunnel will collect stormwater along the steep-sided valley to keep it out of the historic mill town, which experienced catastrophic, deadly floods in 2011, 2016 and 2018, and carry it down to the Patapsco River.

Ball announced that work would start this summer while standing 150 feet under Old Ellicott City in an access shaft for the project. He was joined by Del. M. Courtney Watson, state Senators Guy Guzzone and Katie Fry Hester, and Heather Owens, who survived the 2016 flood.

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Former US Rep. Eric Swalwell placed on leave from U.Md. law school board /maryland/2026/04/former-us-rep-eric-swalwell-placed-on-leave-from-u-md-law-school-board/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:26:18 +0000 /?p=29189068 Former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has been placed on leave from an advisory position at the Maryland law school he attended amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell, a Democrat first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013, suspended his California gubernatorial campaign and resigned from Congress earlier this month after听. He has denied the allegations.

鈥淚 am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I鈥檝e made in my past,鈥 Swalwell said in an April 13 social media post announcing his resignation from Congress. 鈥淚 will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.鈥

The Iowa native completed undergraduate and law studies in the University of Maryland system and has served on the Board of Visitors for the Francis King Carey School of Law since at least 2023. Swalwellreceived his law degree from the school in 2006, then began his career as a prosecutor in California.

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The Key Bridge took her daughter鈥檚 father. Now, ICE is moving to deport her. /baltimore/2026/04/the-key-bridge-took-her-daughters-father-now-ice-is-moving-to-deport-her/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:17:38 +0000 /?p=29178977 Roughly two years after the father of her daughter died during the听, Zoila Guerra Sandoval faces the possibility of deportation.

Guerra Sandoval, a native of Guatemala who has lived in Maryland for nearly two decades, is the former partner of听, one of the workers repairing the Key Bridge overnight when the Dali struck it in March 2024.

The six men who died were immigrants from Central America and Mexico, survived by dozens of immediate and extended family members left not only to grieve but also to navigate new financial pressures and other demands resulting from the loss.

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Washington County ICE facility construction limited by federal judge /maryland/2026/04/washington-county-ice-facility-construction-limited-by-federal-judge/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:55:57 +0000 /?p=29147051 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot proceed with retrofitting a warehouse in Western Maryland into a detention facility, pending further court proceedings, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson said there are 鈥渋nternal inconsistencies鈥 in the federal government鈥檚 report concerning possible environmental impacts on the surrounding area, including local water and sewer infrastructure.

Hurson鈥檚 injunction prohibits building and operating detention space inside the facility while awaiting further arguments in the federal court case. But the ruling still allows ICE to proceed with certain construction activities like erecting an eight-foot security fence around the property, installing security cameras, fixing the HVAC system and creating office space inside.

The ruling comes as Hurson鈥檚 previous stop-work order was set to expire.

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Democrats outline deal to save Marylanders $150 on energy bills /maryland/2026/04/democrats-outline-deal-to-save-marylanders-150-on-energy-bills/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:30:43 +0000 /?p=29140709 Top Maryland Democrats outlined a deal Monday to offer consumers swift, albeit limited, relief on soaring energy bills, finalizing a sweeping legislative package hours before the legislative session鈥檚 close.

Senate President Bill Ferguson and Speaker of the House Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk stood with Gov. Wes Moore on Monday for a news conference laying out their agreement, which they听. The savings come via a temporary rollback to an energy efficiency surcharge on customer bills.

鈥淲e have spent these past weeks staying laser focused on making life just a little bit more affordable for the people of Maryland, because we鈥檙e all very clear of the complete onslaught that we鈥檙e enduring here,鈥 Moore said.

The Democrats who dominate the General Assembly spent the session telegraphing a plan was in the works for what has become a dominant issue, but agreement on the details proved more challenging than they suggested when they first announced the bill,听, a month ago.

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As energy costs soar, Pepco wants to raise rates again /local/2026/04/as-energy-costs-soar-pepco-wants-to-raise-rates-again/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:56:21 +0000 /?p=29108436
Pepco Director of Regulatory Strategy Lusha茅 Cook speaks with 草莓传媒's Shawn Anderson and Anne Kramer about a potential rate hike.

Pepco customers can bring their concerns over a proposed rate hike directly to the state鈥檚 utility regulator in the coming weeks.

The Exelon subsidiary, which serves more than 600,000 customers in Montgomery and Prince George鈥檚 counties, is seeking state approval to increase the fees it charges to deliver electricity to homes and businesses.

The Maryland Public Service Commission announced Wednesday that it will hold virtual hearings on April 14 and 17 to provide people a chance to comment on the proposal.

Pepco representatives have said the company must bring in more revenue to pay for hundreds of repair and maintenance projects, such as upgrading substations and replacing underground cables, to prevent power disruptions.

If the Public Service Commission approves the proposal, customers would see an average increase of $11.73 in their monthly bills, likely beginning in August. The five-member commission must issue a decision by Aug. 10.

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Ex-guitarist of Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile accused of attempted murder, targeting singer鈥檚 dad /baltimore/2026/04/ex-turnstile-guitarist-accused-of-attempted-murder-targeting-singers-dad/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:32:05 +0000 /?p=29108213 A former guitarist of the Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile is accused of intentionally hitting the lead singer鈥檚 father with a car and leaving him with severe trauma to his legs.

Brady Ebert, 33, of Silver Spring, was taken into custody on Wednesday on charges of attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, and a district court commissioner ordered him to be held without bond.

Turnstile 鈥渃ut ties鈥 with Ebert in 2022 due to 鈥渁 consistent pattern of harmful behavior affecting himself, the band and the community,鈥 the band said in a statement on Thursday. Ebert 鈥渂egan threatening violence鈥 around that time, and those threats 鈥渆scalated further鈥 over the past few months, the band said.

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