Emily Opilo

Is Remington’s dump a neighborhood asset, or someone else’s burden? “Don’t put a dump next to a stream for God’s sake,” one resident said.

Where should a Remington trash dump move to? Not next to the Jones Falls residents resoundingly told a task force this week. When it came to alternative plans, however, few agreed on what to do www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Man charged with arson in 3 Hampden fires that terrified neighbors Justin Reeves, 28, of Remington, is facing three counts of first-degree arson, along with one count of malicious burning and reckless endangerment. His trial is set for February.

Man charged with arson in 3 Keswick Road fires that terrified Hampden neighbors (w/ @dylansegelbaum.bsky.social & @halliemiller.bsky.social) www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

Mayor Brandon Scott reorganizes top advisers, names new chief of staff Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will reorganize his top staff for the second time in six months.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott is making staff changes at City Hall again, and @emilyopilo.bsky.social has the details:

www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

The Superblock blaze followed a generation of development failure. Now what? An ambitious plan to redevelop what’s called the Superblock, an area of downtown Baltimore, has been stuck in the mud for a quarter century. Much of the area was razed after a fire last month.

They tried the ritzy out-of-town developers. They tried local ones. They even tried breaking up the quagmire that is the "Superblock" into bite-size parcels.

All failed. Then, it burned.

What's next for the stagnant development?

w/ @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/economy/supe...

Nonprofits’ deal with Baltimore would pay city up to $12 million a year The total payment would increase from $6 million a year to $12 million a year over the five-year agreement for Baltimore nonprofits.

Baltimore has reached an agreement with local nonprofit institutions to gradually increase the payments each gives the city annually in place of taxes to cover the cost of services, reports @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore’s waters got ‘a little piratey.’ Now the harbormaster is back on duty. Baltimore, a city with 61 miles of shoreline, had no one minding the water.

Sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, it’s unclear exactly when, Baltimore ceased to have a harbormaster at all. A city with 61 miles of shoreline had no one minding the water www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore pushes to sell Sisson Street dump as developer closes in Legislation authorizing the disposal of the Remington property, technically known as the Northwest Citizens Convenience Center, is due to be introduced to the Baltimore City Council next week.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is moving to sell the Sisson Street dump to a developer, relocating the facility onto Falls Road (and into the flood plain). Remington residents are pushing back. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore Election Board picks fresh face to lead office, ending Jones era Tatum has worked for election agencies in Texas and Washington, D.C. as well as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

NEW: Baltimore's election board has picked the former head of elections for Harris County, TX to head the board here, marking the official end of the Armstead Jones era www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

How a MAGA school board takeover roiled an Eastern Shore county After a MAGA-aligned majority took control of Somerset County's school board, they tried to get rid of librarians and fire the superintendent. The community pushed back.

Joe Hylton sees the attempted firing of the Somerset County superintendent as a modern-day lynching, in the last Maryland county to record a lynching in 1933 (via @lizbowie.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...

Baltimore’s 19th-century underground pipes are literally bursting into flames The 19th-century pipes underground in Baltimore City are bursting into flames, and the city and BGE are pointing fingers instead of finding a solution.

Read @thebaltimorebanner.com on underground fires:
"There’s no consensus as to why. And there’s no clear answer as to whose responsibility it is to prevent it from happening again."
Deeply reported by @hayesgardner.bsky.social @emilyopilo.bsky.social
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore residents condemn police-related deaths at emotional hearing Baltimore residents crowded the City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting on police accountability to condemn police-related deaths.

Baltimore City Council met yesterday to talk broadly about police accountability, but emotions spilled over from residents dismayed by several recent police-involved deaths. More here: www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore sheriff probes courthouse employee for allegedly inviting ICE to detain someone ICE agents detained a man at the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse last week, sparking an investigation of a corrections department employee.

BREAKING: The Baltimore Sheriff's Office is probing a courthouse corrections dept. employee for allegedly inviting ICE agents in for a meeting, which led to someone being detained. Investigation is looking at potential crimes including misuse of state data. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...

Maryland’s juvenile services agency gets a leader with deep roots and high stakes Hard conversations will come, but Betsy Fox Tolentino said she’ll listen to law enforcement partners, community members and staff.

The new acting secretary of Maryland's juvenile services agency said she’s got Gov. Moore’s support. Betsy Fox Tolentino said she's ready to “lean in and listen” to get the best outcomes for kids and public safety she feels everyone wants.

tinyurl.com/muw2tcnf

It’s not just late buses: Baltimore kids face serious safety risks Baltimore students have been followed, harassed, assaulted and held up at gunpoint while crisscrossing the city on public transit to get to and from school.

NEW: Baltimore students told about their experiences with violence and harassment on the way to school in the state's only district without yellow bus service for middle and high schoolers.

@lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day

www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...

Baltimore's budget disagreements were about more than money The mayor and City Council were both trying to send a message

Who says budgets have to be boring? Take a peek behind the scenes at how the new faces at the bargaining table hashed out a deal to pass Baltimore's $4.6B spending plan www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore's budget disagreements were about more than money The mayor and City Council were both trying to send a message

Sunday read: @emilyopilo.bsky.social with a peek behind the curtain on Baltimore City Council budget negotiations. The budget passed 13-2, but here’s what it took to get there.

tinyurl.com/3w6zp8yw

Maryland juvenile services secretary Vincent Schiraldi resigns Gov. Wes Moore’s office announced Monday they’d appointment his replacement, Betsy Fox Tolentino, as acting secretary

Maryland DJS Sec. Vincent Schiraldi said on Monday he resigned from @GovWesMoore's cabinet.

Moore's office did not confirm the resignation.

Moore named Betsy Fox Tolentino of Roca, and former DJS dep. secretary under Hogan, as acting secretary.

Interview with Schiraldi:

tinyurl.com/y5dk96km

Baltimore's permit backlog was bad. A new system made things worse. So far, the promised overhaul of Baltimore's permit backlog hasn't worked, according to city data.

Want to build a house? Renovate your store?

You're going to need a building permit.

This year Baltimore has been worse at approving new ones than in any since at least 2015.

@halliemiller.bsky.social , @emilyopilo.bsky.social and me on the new process.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore's permit backlog was bad. A new system made things worse. So far, the promised overhaul of Baltimore's permit backlog hasn't worked, according to city data.

Baltimore officials said the revamped permit system would simplify and even accelerate the arduous process. So far, the promised overhaul has backfired, stalling development projects big and small (w/ @halliemiller.bsky.social & @invisibae.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

After councilwoman’s tearful plea, mayor’s office publicly commits to more immigrant aid Mayor Brandon Scott’s office has committed to adding more money for immigration services to the budget, but how much is still up in the air.

Baltimore Councilwoman Odette Ramos made an emotional plea for more immigrant assistance funding in the city's budget. The Scott administration called it a "public spectacle" www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Four unexplained fires on Keswick Road since October have neighbors asking what - or who - caused the destruction and hoping they’ve seen the last one.

@halliemiller.bsky.social & @emilyopilo.bsky.social took a deeper look.

A string of fires in Hampden has left neighbors suspicious and on edge Rumors are swirling in the aftermath of four fires on Keswick Road in the Hamden neighborhood in Baltimore City.

A string of fires in Hampden has left neighbors suspicious and on edge (w/ @halliemiller.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ho...

As BGE bills are about to rise again, utility commission demands a delay The Maryland Public Service Commission is ordering Baltimore Gas and Electric to mitigate the effects of an impending supply-side rate increase by shifting cost recovery to less expensive times of yea...

Your BGE bill is set to go up again June 1. The Maryland Public Service Commission has ordered BGE to flatten those bills ahead of costly summer months, reports @briaovers.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/bge-...

Scott picks Tennessee official to lead Baltimore’s health department Michelle Taylor is a doctor, breast cancer survivor, Hopkins grad and serves in the Air National Guard

NEW: After almost a yearlong vacancy, Baltimore has picked Michelle Taylor as the city's new health director. In her current role in Shelby Co. TN, she's been critical of leaders ushering in a massive proposed computing center from Elon Musk's xAI www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/pu...

Hacker who crippled Baltimore in 2019 ransomware attack pleads guilty The attack shut down Baltimore computer and communications systems for months and caused $19 million in lost revenue and expenses.

Hacker who crippled Baltimore in 2019 ransomware attack pleads guilty

At 11, she’s turned heartbreak into hope on the National Spelling Bee stage This week, Amelia “Bindi” Ray will take the national stage as the youngest Maryland competitor in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

At 11, she’s turned heartbreak into hope on the National Spelling Bee stage

Read the story by @kris10griffith.bsky.social on the @thebaltimorebanner.com ---> tinyurl.com/2rj9mrb5

The Las Vegas party Baltimore leaders hope might bring more shopping Baltimore is sending at least eight officials to the annual International Council of Shopping Centers convention at a cost of more than $27,000, according to publicly available travel requests.

Everyone's talking about Preakness ,but the real hot ticket this weekend for Baltimore politicos is ICSC in Las Vegas. Here's everything you need to know about who's going and what it will cost taxpayers www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Baltimore firefighter dies during training Friday Charles Mudra, an emergency vehicle driver for the department, suffered a medical emergency as he was training at an East Baltimore facility.

Baltimore Firefighter Charles Mudra died this morning after he had a medical emergency during a training exercise. He is the second city firefighter fatally injured in the line of duty this week www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...

Why is a rich doctor making his South Baltimore marina go bust? A minority owner of Harborview is suing his business partner, accusing him of a scheme to seize complete control of the South Baltimore marina.

Why is a rich doctor making his South Baltimore marina go bust? Tim Prudente has the details alleged in a new lawsuit www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/harb...

Baltimore’s top YIMBYs want to erase zoning rules blocking more housing A package of five bills will attempt to make it easier to build and redevelop Baltimore City properties.

Mayor Scott and YIMBY leaders on the City Council introduced bills today that would roll back Baltimore's restrictions on development density, allow people to build closer to their property lines, and do away with requirements for off-street parking www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ho...