Morning Roundup

A Baltimore man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, including grabbing a police officer’s riot shield and dragging him down stairs. (Baltimore Banner)

Students in Maryland are making progress since the pandemic. The state Department of Education says proficiency rates in English literacy are now at their highest in almost a decade, with the largest surge among 3rd to 8th graders to 47%. The largest gains in math were seen for students in grades 3 and 4, with a 4% increase in each. Across all grades, a substantial percentage were on the cusp of achieving proficiency in both areas, and a lower percentage of students are scoring at the lowest performance level in both. (WBAL 1090)

National and Maryland-based hunger relief organizations are grappling with the fact that millions in federal dollars for food assistance programs are no longer available low-income families who relied on them through the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that many families still struggle to afford basic needs. (Maryland Matters)

In May, Governor Wes Moore signed a bill into law allowing a Baltimore County student board member the right to vote on the county budget. A senior at Parkville High School is the BCPS board’s newest addition. (WMAR) 

Baltimore City Public School System has hired a record number of new teachers just in time for the new school year. (Baltimore Sun)

Baltimore Circuit Judge Robert K. Taylor Jr. has approved lifting the redactions of 43 of 46 names that were blacked out in the grand jury report into allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. (Baltimore Banner)

Suspects inside of a stolen vehicle in northeast Baltimore shot at officers while fleeing from them Tuesday night and then possibly barricaded themselves in a home. (WJZ)

Baltimore Police have made an arrest in a murder that occurred in West Baltimore back in March.

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP STORIES – AUGUST 23

Members of the Montgomery County Department of Police were called to a private school in Maryland on Tuesday afternoon to investigate a reported bomb threat. Investigators say that the reported call may be linked to a swatting call that was phoned in to the Montgomery Mall over the weekend. (Anne Arundel Daily Voice)

Two Montgomery County Council members requested that state and county watchdogs investigate the county school system’s handling of reported allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and retaliation by former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman. (Washington Post)

Deliberations continue by the Maryland State Board of Education on whether to reappoint Mohammed Choudhury as superintendent. (Maryland Matters)

Montgomery County schools are trying to put the brakes on chronic absenteeism. (WTOP)

An Odenton Volunteer Fire Company trainee was charged with texting a false fire alarm to 911 operators in May. (Baltimore Sun)

Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley and Mayor Brandon Scott were in west Baltimore Tuesday night for the latest stop on their town hall-style tour of Baltimore ahead of Worley’s confirmation hearing. (WBAL)

METRO CRIME STOPPERS

Baltimore City Police are looking for help solving the murder of Johnathan Williams.

Mr. Williams was shot and killed in the 1800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue around 2:40am in the morning on July 11. The 37-year-old was found shot in the head. He died at the scene. (Metro Crime Stoppers)

An $8,000 reward is being offered for information on an August 18 murder in the 1000 block of South Curley Street. Darrell Benner, 57, was shot and killed during a robbery. (WMAR)

A $2,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest of Rachel Morin’s killer in Harford County on August 6. (WJZ)

A teen was fatally stabbed Monday afternoon at a McDonald’s in Havre de Grace. (Baltimore Sun)

A gas station fire in Berlin in Worcester County is under investigation. (WBOC)

Police say a “couple of drinks” led to a Maryland man being locked up in Virginia for alleged drunk driving with a child in the car. (Anne Arundel Daily Voice)

About 45 acres of land surrounding the former Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Halethorpe have been put up for sale. (Baltimore Business Journal)

A long-simmering legal dispute over vacant waterfront land in Westport could be resolved without a trial, as the developer planning a community there and the operator of proposed high speed rail said Tuesday they hope to reach a settlement. (Baltimore Sun)

Could a ‘land bank’ help solve Baltimore’s vacant housing crisis? (Baltimore Banner)

In an announcement late Tuesday, Mayor Jack Heath said he will bow out of Salisbury’s mayoral election. (Delmarva Now)

Charles County bus drivers and the county school board have reached a short-term agreement, meeting many of their demands for increased pay and giving the school system more time to negotiate a contract. (WTOP)

It will now be easier for you to find out how your local school district spends its federal, state and local tax dollars thanks to a new online database. (Maryland Matters)

A Baltimore historical preservation commission has rejected BGE’s plan to install gas regulators on Baltimore’s historic homes. (WJZ)

In the last two years, Baltimore County developers received almost 1,000 exemptions from having to pay fees that would have gone toward building public infrastructure, generating far less money than the county expected to recoup. (Baltimore Sun)

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is mailing 145,000 postcards to homeowners and renters who may qualify for “forgotten” tax credits but haven’t yet applied. (WMAR)

Alerts were issued in Washington and Anne Arundel counties on Tuesday as they dealt with technical difficulties involving emergency 911 calls. (Anne Arundel Daily Voice)

Authorities have recovered the body of a man from Deep Creek Lake, according to The Department of Natural Resources police. They responded to the area Sunday evening looking for a man who had been reported missing while tubing. (WTAE)

The Worcester County Special Hazards Response Team responded to the Ocean Pines Yacht Club Tuesday afternoon for a reported chemical spill. (WDRE)

THIS DAY IN HISTORY – AUGUST 23

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Oof.

Orioles reliever Mike Baumann allowed a game-winning home run in the tenth inning at Camden Yards last night giving the Toronto Blue Jays a 6-3 win. Grayson Rodrigues went six innings as the starter with three runs earned. (Camden Chat)

PENNANT WATCH: The Tampa Bay Rays easily handled the Colorado Rockies in St. Petersburg last night, 12-4, allowing them to gain a little ground in the division race. (MLB)

Orioles minor league report. (Baltimore Sun)

A total ban on smokeless tobacco could be coming for Baltimore stadiums. (WYPR)

Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 29-28 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders. (Baltimore Sun)

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This week marks the 90th anniversary of what many consider to be the most significant event in the history of Ocean City: the 1933 storm that created the inlet that forever changed the landscape of the area. (MD Coast Dispatch)