Maryland
Commentary: Will Hogan's support help destigmatize nuclear energy? – Maryland Matters
By Jack Marino
The writer was raised in Chevy Chase and is a student at Dartmouth College. He is a member of the American Conservation Coalition Action, a group for conservative environmentalists. ACC Action has not endorsed a candidate in the Maryland Senate race.
Growing up in Montgomery County, I took the region’s natural beauty for granted. I didn’t see anything special in the cherry blossoms each spring, the ancient trees of Rock Creek Park, or the flourishing ecosystem along the Chesapeake Bay. However, as I grew older and spent more time away, I came to appreciate the natural beauty surrounding me at home.
When I drove home from the airport along Rock Creek Parkway, I would gaze out across the glimmering Potomac River before immersing myself in the forest of Rock Creek Park. Although experiences like this instilled within me an appreciation for Maryland’s natural beauty, I also noticed the impact of climate change on Maryland’s environment. From algae blooms on the Potomac River to changing weather patterns to smoke from forest fires, Maryland is unsurprisingly not immune from our failure to address climate issues.
In 2020, when then-Gov. Larry Hogan launched Maryland’s Clean and Renewable Energy Standard (CARES) plan along with a variety of initiatives aimed at Chesapeake Bay restoration, I grew optimistic about the future of Maryland’s climate. In Hogan’s proposed CARES plan, the state would subsidize nuclear energy companies by offering them clean energy credits to achieve the goal of 50% clean electricity generation by 2030. While Hogan’s plan was ultimately defeated in the Maryland Senate, it offered Maryland voters a pragmatic and achievable vision of a clean nuclear-energy-driven future.
Now that Hogan has launched a bid for one of Maryland’s U.S. Senate seats, he positions himself as an advocate for clean nuclear energy on a national level.
Hogan’s plan to promote nuclear energy as a complement to traditional renewable power offered a pragmatic solution to reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. While the energy output of traditional renewable energy options — like wind and solar power — fluctuates with changes in weather conditions, nuclear reactors provide a constant source of energy.
In fact, although wind and solar power normally require supplemental power from natural gas, Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear power station provides consistent supplemental power for the state’s renewable energy sector when it is not running efficiently. As a result, Maryland has reduced its natural gas consumption such that it now ranks among the 10 states with the lowest per capita natural gas use. Not only is Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor profitable, but it also supplies almost 40% of the state’s total energy production,demonstrating that nuclear energy can be economically viable in both Maryland and the wider United States.
Although nuclear energy has garnered the reputation of being unpopular and dangerous in American politics, nuclear energy ranks as the second safest method of energy production just above solar power in deaths per terawatt-hour of electricity. The same survey also ranked nuclear power, which produces nearly half as much carbon as wind power and almost a ninth of the carbon of solar power, as the cleanest method of energy production. This data is also supported by popular sentiment, as over 91% of residents who live near a nuclear power plant have a favorable impression of the energy source.
Young voters, especially young conservatives, are leading the charge to destigmatize, deregulate, and encourage the development of nuclear energy. A plurality of young conservatives want to see more action from Congress on climate change, suggesting that the next generation of Republican voters will push the party to search for pragmatic solutions to climate change. When asked about solutions to the climate challenge, young Republican voters listed nuclear and renewable energy sources as their two climate solutions, demonstrating that young conservatives embrace Hogan’s “all of the above” clean energy vision.
Larry Hogan’s U.S. Senate bid presents an opportunity to galvanize young conservative voters on pragmatic climate policy. Since many young Republicans embrace Hogan’s work on nuclear and renewable energy, Hogan’s candidacy paves the way for a new cohort of conservative leaders who are eager to tackle climate change with practical solutions.
By embracing Hogan’s approach to clean energy, young conservatives can bridge the partisan divide on climate issues and protect the environment for both Maryland and the nation as a whole.
Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
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Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
Why a fire blanket is a must-have for every kitchen
Learn how a fire blanket can smother flames safely and protect your home from grease fires.
A dog jumping onto a kitchen counter accidentally turned on a toaster and ignited nearby combustibles, sparking a fire that killed three pets inside a Belcamp, Maryland, home, according to multiple reports, citing local fire officials.
The blaze broke out July 10 while the unidentified family was away, prompting neighbors to rescue two dogs before fire crews arrived, WBAL‑TV and Fox 45 reported.
The Abingdon Fire Company responded at 5:35 p.m. ET to the home and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, according to the fire station’s Facebook post. There were no human injuries, but investigators reported extensive fire, soot, smoke and water damage throughout the single‑family home, Fox 45 reported.
Ring home security video captured the moments before the fire. Investigators said the footage showed one of the family’s dogs climbing onto the counter and pawing at items near the toaster, helping deputy state fire marshals determine the fire’s point of origin and ultimately rule its cause as accidental.
Three pets – a dog named Dakota and two unidentified cats – died in the blaze, according to Fox 45. Two other dogs, Bo and Addie, were rescued by neighbors. The family’s bearded dragon survived after spending 24 hours in critical care, officials said.
Neighbors rescue two dogs from burning home
Fire officials said Bo was the dog seen on video inadvertently turning on the toaster. The appliance ignited nearby materials, allowing the fire to spread rapidly through the kitchen before crews arrived.
Neighbors who saw smoke coming from the home reached Bo and Addie before conditions worsened.
Officials detail damage to home
Officials estimated the home sustained about $150,000 in structural damage and roughly $50,000 in damage to its contents, though some assessments place the total loss closer to $200,000, Fox 45 reported. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring properties, but the interior of the home was heavily damaged.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
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