Water Main Breaks, Home Sales, The General Assembly's New Website, and A Policy Designed To Encourage MD Hospitals To Promote Breast-Feeding To New Mothers

The Baltimore Area saw two more major water main breaks yesterday. A 30 inch water main broke on East Madison Street near Guilford Street, sending water into the roads and causing water pressure drops for homes and businesses in the area. Also, a 16 inch pipe on Philadelphia Road in Essex failed, cutting water to MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and CCBC's Essex campus. Repairs are underway; Department of Public Works officials are urging motorists to avoid the areas while repairs continue. There's more here from the DPW, and more here and here from the Baltimore Sun. 

State health officials today are set to unveil a new policy designed to encourge Maryland's hospitals to promote breast-feeding to new mothers (via the Baltimore Business Journal).

Home sales and home prices are up in the Baltimore area. Metropolitan Regional Information Systems says the median home price last month was up about ten thousand dollars over the same month in 2011. Also, almost two-thousand homes were sold last month, about a 22-percent rise over October of last year (via our wire service, the Baltimore Business Journal, and the Baltimore Sun).

The General Assembly is offering Marylanders a chance to preview its redesigned website, which it's planning to officially launch in December (more here from marylandreporter.com).

Three advocacy groups are joining forces in an effort to bring paid sick days to all employees in Maryland (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

An effort is underway to have a statue of Baltimore's first African American mayor Clarence "Du" Burns erected on the west side of the Inner Harbor (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun). 

A Baltimore City Police officer has suspended without pay after allegations of a sexual assault that occurred while on duty. City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts made the announcement yesterday, saying his department will not tolerate instances of police misconduct (via our wire service and WJZ).

Carroll County is looking for ways to deal with its trash, other than the planned waste-to-energy incinerator that it's in a partnership with Frederick County to build. Carroll County Commissioners President Doug Howard has formed a study group to explore alternatives for waste disposal -- including building a different plant. The group will report its findings today. If Carroll County withdraws from its partnership with Frederick County to build the incinerator, it'll have to find another partner to replace it, or face a penalty of up to $3-million. Prince George's County has reportedly expressed some interest in getting involved (via the Frederick News Post).

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan says that the resort town's iconic fishing pier will be rebuilt in time for tourists to enjoy it by summer of 2013 (via the Daily Times).