MARYLAND ELECTIONS OFFICES GET BOMB THREATS: More than a dozen local elections offices in Maryland received bomb threats on Friday night, as workers continue processing ballots and counting votes. The threats drew strong public rebukes from Gov. Wes Moore and Jared DeMarinis, the state elections administrator, who had posted online that he has “ZERO tolerance for threats against our elections officials.” Here’s what is known about the threats. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- DeMarinis said the threats were like those sent to other states including New York and Oregon. He added that election officials had prepared for potential disruptions and other emergencies and conducted “tabletop” drills in advance of the first ballots being cast. Despite the threats, DeMarinis said voting in Maryland was a relatively smooth during this election. He called the threats “an outlier.” Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
DEMS EYE WES MOORE AS STAR-POWER LEADERSHIP FOR THE PARTY: “The Democratic Party wants to make him a star,” says one political science professor of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. “There was already chatter of him running for president before he even made a name for himself.” The Democrat has batted away the thought whenever asked, but it’s picked up steam anyway. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
SHOWDOWN EXPECTED TO REPLACE ELFRETH IN STATE SENATE: State Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth’s election to Congress last week means a coveted seat in the Senate will be opening soon — and the two Democratic delegates who represent the same district as Elfreth – Shaneka Henson and Dana Jones – appear headed for a showdown to replace Elfreth. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
COLUMN: ELFRETH GETS EVERYTHING SHE WORKED FOR, ALMOST: Sarah Elfreth is headed to school on Tuesday. Elected the new representative of Maryland’s 3rd District, Elfreth is joining other first-time congressional winners around the nation in Washington for 11 days of tours, lunches, dinners and seminars. She’ll get a 300-page guide on being a member. Elfreth will take the oath of office Jan. 3 as a member of the 119th Congress. It’s almost everything she wanted. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
HARRIET TUBMAN MADE ONE-STAR GENERAL: Harriet Tubman was given the posthumous commission as a brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard on Monday by Gov. Wes Moore during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Dorchester County. The posthumous commission is just the latest recognition for Tubman, whose supporters have been fighting for years to have her represented on the $20 bill. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
COLUMN: TUBMAN HONORED, 160 YEARS LATE: Harriet Tubman was often dismissed, underestimated and ignored. That’s what made her such an effective spy and scout. It’s also the reason that it took our nation 160 years to honor her properly for her military service. They finally did this on Veterans Day, coming in entourages and motorcades to see Tubman posthumously became a one-star brigadier general in the Maryland Army National Guard. Petula Dvorak/The Washington Post.
TIGHT HOWARD SCHOOL BOARD RACES SLOW TO BE CALLED: One more seat has been decided in Howard County’s ultra-close school board race. Andre Gao conceded the District 1 seat to his opponent Meg Ricks in a Facebook post over the weekend. Two other races have yet to be called. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.
DPW WORKER DEATH CALLED ‘DRIVER ERROR;’ UNION SEEKS MORE SAFETY CONTROLS: The garbage truck incident that killed a Baltimore sanitation worker Friday was the result of what is believed to be “driver error,” according to two sources with direct knowledge who were not authorized to speak because of the ongoing investigation. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- As Maryland labor officials begin to investigate a second Department of Public Works employee death in Baltimore this year, union officials are calling on city leaders to do more for employee safety. Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
HARFORD PAYS OFF $220,000 IN STUDENT LOANS TO VOLUNTEER FIRST RESPONDERS: The Harford County government paid off $220,000 in student loans for 44 volunteer first responders this year. Student loan repayments from the county are paid directly to lending institutions through the county’s NEXT GEN Responder Student Loan Relief Program established under County Executive Barry Glassman in 2020. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
MALPRACTICE ATTORNEY TRIAL PUTS LIGHT ON TRANSPLANT PROGRAM:Medical malpractice attorney Stephen L. Snyder believed he had stumbled upon an enormous scandal: The University of Maryland Medical System’s organ transplant program was giving patients high-risk kidneys at by far the highest rate in the country, he alleged in 2018. What Snyder did next — allegedly demanding a $25 million payoff to keep quiet about his findings — resulted in an FBI investigation and federal criminal extortion charges. The case is scheduled for trial Tuesday. Justin Fenton and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
