Maryland s 7.700 victims of COVID-19 were remembered at a State House ceremony Friday, March 5. In front of the illuminated steps were, from left, House Speaker Adrienne Jones, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Rev. Johnny Calhoun, Gov. Larry Hogan at podium, first lady Yumi Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford. Governor s Office photo
‘ADJUDICATION PURGATORY’ YEAR LATER IN JOBLESS SYSTEMS: It has been a year since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the state has made significant improvements to its unemployment call centers-such as beefing up staff and expanding hours of operation but substantial problems remain as many Marylanders have been waiting months to receive their benefits and some are even unable to get a claims representative on the phone, Bryan Renbaum of Maryland Reporter writes.
Ice rescue training by Howard County Fire and Rescue Services on Lake Elkhorn in Columbia. From the department s Facebook page
HOGAN INFRASTRUCTURE TESTIMONY ON HILL GETS PUSH BACK: Gov. Larry Hogan emphasized Maryland’s commitment to transportation infrastructure improvements in his virtual testimony to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning Bryan Renbaum reports for Maryland Reporter. During his time as chair of the National Governors Association from July 2019 to August 2020, he spearheaded a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the country’s roads and highways and transportation projects.
Hogan ran into surprising criticism during the hearing by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee about his decision in 2015 to cancel the Red Line light rail project, Daniel C. Vock, Danielle E. Gaines and Bruce DePuyt report for Maryland Matters.
State Roundup: State officials targeted in unemployment claim fraud; Covid-19 hospitalizations hit a new high
Johns Hopkins, founder of the university and hospital that bear his name, was long believed to be an abolitionist, but in 1850 he owned slaved, the university disclosed. From the JHU website
STATE OFFICIALS TARGET IN JOBLESS SCAM: Not even Maryland’s highest ranking officials are immune from scams, writes Bryan Renbaum for MarylandReporter. That includes Gov. Larry Hogan, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson and several other cabinet members, all of whom were targeted in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme, the state of Maryland announced on Wednesday.