Early voting continues through Thursday; more than 1½ percent of eligible Maryland voters have already cast their ballots. The Baltimore City Council is poised to pass the city’s $2.49-billion budget for the next fiscal year. Plus: the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s race, “Ms. Miller’s Classroom,” and more.Early Voting: Early voting for Maryland’s primary election started on Thursday of last week… and there are four more days to cast an early ballot before the early voting period is done. Voting centers will be open in every county in the state, and here in Baltimore City, through Thursday of this week. The polling places will be open from 10 am until 8 pm each day. Maryland’s Board of Elections says that more than 53-thousand ballots have been cast during the first 4 days of early voting – that’s more than one and a half percent of eligible voters. More ballots have been cast in Baltimore County than in any other jurisdiction – with more than 8-thousand people there getting involved in early voting. The highest turnout, percentagewise, has been in Talbot County… where nearly 3% of Democrats and more than 5% of Republicans have cast early ballots. Primary election day itself is a week from tomorrow, on Tuesday, June 24th.
Under The Radar This Year: The Race For Baltimore State's Attorney WYPR's Fraser Smith and Ian Duncan of the Baltimore Sun talk about the Democratic primary for State's Attorney and why the race has thus far been under-the-radar. It’s this morning’s edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
Baltimore’s Budget: When the Baltimore City Council meets this afternoon, it’s expected to adopt Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s $2.49-billion budget for the coming fiscal year. WYPR’s Kenneth Burns talks with Nathan Sterner about what is and is not in the spending plan.
Ms. Miller's Classroom, Pt. 3: Rookie Teacher Survives First Year For Baltimore County teacher Danielle Miller, today is not only the last day of school, it’s the end of her rookie year. The Holabird Middle School teacher says discipline issues have tested her more than anything else. In the last installment of our series “Ms. Miller’s Classroom,” WYPR’s Gwendolyn Glenn captures a bit of the behavior problems she faced.
O’Malley Visits New Hampshire: Governor Martin O’Malley is widely considered to be mounting a bid for President of the US in 2016. Over the weekend, O’Malley was in New Hampshire – which holds the nation’s first presidential primary election. On Friday, he was the featured speaker at the Manchester Democrats’ annual Flag Day dinner. Later this month, O’Malley will speak at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention and Hall of Fame celebration. Iowa’s caucuses are the first electoral event in the presidential nominating process. The Baltimore Sun has more.
Cardin To Speak With MD Defense Community: Senator Ben Cardin will be in Crownsville this morning to meet with members of Maryland's defense community. Cardin plans to discuss a number of issues currently facing the state's military members, veterans and related industries. The Democrat says he needs to hear from folks working at Maryland's military installations so he can make sure Congress remains a strong partner in their success.
Early Sunday MTA Service To BWI: The Maryland Transit Administration is now offering two early morning trips to BWI on the MTA’s local 17 bus line. The service replaces the BWI Business Partnership’s Sunrise Shuttle Service, which comes to an end at the end of this month. On average, more than 150 people used the sunrise shuttle each weekend. This is just one change by the state, part of a broader attempt to double the amount of passengers using public transit.
Baltimore County Contributes More To MD Food Bank: Baltimore County is pumping $75-thousand into the Maryland Food Bank's Pantry on the Go Program. The supplemental cash has allowed the organization to distribute an extra 126-thousand pounds of food to Baltimore County residents in need. The county had already appropriated $325-thousand to support the Maryland Food Bank during the current fiscal year.
Free Summer Lunch For Anne Arundel Students: Students in Anne Arundel County will be able to get free breakfast and lunch this summer. The school system estimates 100-thousand meals will be served over the summer at ten school sites. Anne Arundel officials say serving hungry students nutritious meals means they'll be more prepared to learn once the new school year starts. Federal and state funds will be used to pay for the program.
Cat Adoptions: Three Baltimore-area animal shelters are waiving all fees to adopt a cat or kitten this month. The goal of the Baltimore 500 campaign is to adopt out 500 cats through the BHS, Maryland SPCA and the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. The cost of spaying and vaccinations are also covered in the special. WJZ has more.
Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles lost yesterday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The score was 5 to 2. Tonight, the O’s will be in Florida, to start a three game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Washington Baseball: The Washington Nationals lost their game against the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday; the score there was 5 to 2.
