No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball had a chance to earn the final shot Thursday night.
Maryland
Lawmaker pushes bill to prevent felony-charged teachers from working in Maryland schools
Hunt Valley, Md. (WBFF) — Calls continue to grow for Harford County Public Schools to investigate why the district hired a teacher who was charged with stealing $215,000 from taxpayers. Some lawmakers want answers.
“Parents are just like, ‘what has happened to our school system?’” Stated Delegate Lauren Arikan, a Republican representing Harford County.
On December 1, 2025, Arikan sent a letter to Harford County Public Schools calling on the district to investigate its hiring of Lawrence Smith.
“I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Arikan told Project Baltimore.
Arikan’s letter follows a similar request for an investigation, sent to the district last month, by Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly.
ALSO READ || Demands grow for investigation into Harford County Schools’ hiring of accused felon
“I think the public deserves to know when they’re hiring teachers, what are the protocols that are supposed to be used – were they actually followed?” Questioned Arikan.
In September 2023, Smith, a former Baltimore City Public Schools police officer and state champion high school football coach, was arrested and charged with 15 federal counts, many related to overtime fraud. This past August, as he awaited trial, HCPS hired Smith to be an eighth-grade English teacher on a conditional teaching license.
In October, Smith pled guilty to felony wire fraud and income tax evasion. He admitted to stealing $215,000 in overtime from Baltimore City Schools. After he pled guilty, HCPS placed Smith on administrative leave where taxpayers continued to pay him his $57,997 salary for about a month. Smith faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
HCPS Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson told Project Baltimore last month, when Smith was initially hired, he was not made aware. But he supports his district’s decision to hire Smith to teach at Edgewood Middle School.
Aaron Poynton, the President of the Harford County Board of Education, said Smith’s alleged crimes, at the time of his hiring, did not legally disqualify him from employment under current state law.
“It did not raise a red flag that prohibited him from being hired, and he was the most qualified person to be hired,” Poynton explained before a November Board of Education meeting.
This means, according to Poynton, the most qualified applicant to be an eighth-grade English teacher, was a person who was facing 15 federal charges and recently earned a conditional teaching license.
ALSO READ || Maryland school paying convicted felon/teacher who stole $215K, faces 25 years in prison
“We hire a lot of conditional teachers. The fact that he had charges that were pending did not disqualify him from being hired,” stated Poynton.
“It feels very much like to myself, and many other parents of young children, that the system is very broken,” explained Arikan.
Arikan told Fox45 News she is currently drafting legislation to help strengthen background checks for educators. Arikan believes if someone has been charged with certain felony crimes, that person should not be eligible to teach in Maryland public schools until the criminal charges have been resolved in court. The legislation, Arikan said, should be finalized by the start of the 2026 legislative session in Annapolis – which begins on January 14.
“If the teachers that they look up to are people who are scamming the system, ripping off the taxpayers, stealing money from people, I think most parents don’t want that kind of person teaching their children how to grow up,” Arikan told Project Baltimore.
Harford County Public Schools, so far, has not publicly agreed to investigate the hiring of Smith. The district says it did conduct a “formal review”, which Fox45 News has filed a public records request to obtain.
Follow Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst on X and Facebook. Send news tips to cjpapst@sbgtv.com
Maryland
No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round
Oluchi Okananwa drew an and-one opportunity to potentially cut the deficit to one point. But she missed the free throw.
No. 11-seed Oregon went the other way and head coach Brenda Frese decided not to foul. With 4.4 seconds remaining, guard Avary Cain knocked down a 3-pointer to end Maryland’s run in the Big Ten Tournament after just one game with a 73-68 loss in Indianapolis.
“It felt like deja vu,” Frese said.
Just like the last time it faced Oregon — in College Park in late January — Maryland led by a slim margin heading into the fourth quarter.
That night, the Terps were outscored 24-11 in the fourth. It was 21-11 in favor of Oregon on Thursday.
“They just made a few more plays than we did late game that sent us home,” Frese said.
Maryland’s offense didn’t come through when it needed it most — it made just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts on the night.
The Terps relied on interior scoring in the first half. Of its first 23 points, 22 came from inside the paint — the only other score was a free throw. The game finished with Maryland scoring 48 points in the paint. The other 15 points came from free throws.
But that was too one-dimensional offensively. The Terps attempted 21 layups and seven 3-pointers in the first half. It finished with 33 layups and 16 3-pointers, and made 20 layups compared to one 3-pointer.
As the first half progressed, Oregon adjusted to take away that gameplan. The second quarter started with an 11-2 Ducks run — they simply found more ways to score. Maryland could not find scoring outside of the paint or the charity stripe — its only 3-pointer came with 1:50 remained in the first half.
The Ducks weren’t dominating from deep, either; the game consisted mostly of back-and-forth layups. Still, the lack of success from beyond the arc was relatively uncharted territory for head coach Brenda Frese.
Early on, the Terps were overly cautious in avoiding foul trouble. But it backfired.
Oluchi Okananwa started the game on 3-of-3 shooting and scored six of Maryland’s first eight points. She has dealt with foul trouble in recent games. So Frese opted to have her sit for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter after committing a foul.
But amid the intention to avoid foul trouble, Yarden Garzon committed two quick fouls early in the second quarter.
The referees continued to call a tight game in the third quarter. Okananwa got up to three fouls, and so did Isi Ozzy-Momodu. The Terps were in the exact position they were looking to avoid.
Due to its cautiousness regarding foul trouble, Maryland’s rotations were altered. Breanna Williams had some extended playing time — though it started out well, it turned sour quickly. She made an early layup, but also had some defensive lapses and looked largely out of place.
Maryland relied on its freshmen for 35 collective minutes in the first half. They were impactful, but not as much as its senior leadership, which was hampered by foul trouble.
Okananwa finished with 27 points and was Maryland’s main workhorse. It didn’t end up being enough, but her ability to drive inside gave her team a fighting chance.
“Just be aggressive. Be my normal self. A lot of good things happen for me when I drive,” Okananwa said. “Whether it’s me getting to the line or finishing the bucket. So that was my mentality. Just be aggressive.”
With a loss in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, what seemed like a sure thing that Maryland would host NCAA Tournament games now looks in jeopardy.
1. A shocking loss. Since joining the Big Ten, this is the first time Maryland failed to reach the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Last year, the Terps lost their first game but had a double-bye; this was their worst outing ever in the Big Ten Tournament.
2. What now? With the Terps’ run in Indianapolis now over, they will wait to see if they will host in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland was not the only Big Ten team slated to host that lost on Thursday — Michigan State did too. It remains to be seen what that means for the Terps.
“It shouldn’t be judged off of one game, and I think our conference prepares you night in and night out,” Frese said. “I think you should be rewarded for your body of work.”
3. Garzon’s bad game. Maryland needed more from Garzon on Thursday and simply didn’t get it, as she shot 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. If she made one or two of those shots, there’s a good chance Maryland would have won.
Maryland
Maryland AG Brown announces $1.99M settlement with LifeBridge Health over hospital fees
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Thursday that his office has reached a settlement with LifeBridge Health, Inc. that will provide nearly $2 million in restitution to certain patients who paid outpatient facility fees before new state notice requirements took effect.
AG Brown said the Consumer Protection Division entered into a settlement agreement with LifeBridge concerning hospital fees known as outpatient facility fees that were charged prior to July 1, 2021, when the Facility Fee Right-to-Know Act took effect and established standards for notices about such fees.
The Consumer Protection Division alleged that consumers were not adequately informed they would be subject to the facility fees. LifeBridge denied that patients had been inadequately informed, but agreed to pay $1,985,198.90 in restitution.
ALSO READ | Maryland families ‘can’t even imagine’ impact of Gov. Moore’s disability funding cuts
The restitution is for patients who paid out-of-pocket for fees charged by certain LifeBridge hospital clinics for clinic services received before July 1, 2021, when those services also were available at a non-hospital facility owned or operated by a LifeBridge affiliate where the consumer would not have incurred a facility fee.
Eligible patients should expect to receive a refund check from LifeBridge over the next six months, according to AG office.
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Consumers with questions about the settlement can call 410-576-6571.
Maryland
Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 4, 2026
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 4-0-2
Evening: 7-1-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 0-6-9-0
Evening: 4-8-1-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 4 drawing
Midday: 5-6-2-1-8
Evening: 1-5-8-4-5
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 4 drawing
9 a.m.: 15
1 p.m.: 03
6 p.m.: 12
11 p.m.: 15
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from March 4 drawing
01-12-24-30-31, Bonus: 09
Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing
05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.
Claiming by Mail
Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.
Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less
Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:
- Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
- MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
- Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
- Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
- Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
- Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.
When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
- Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
- Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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