Maryland
Maryland lawmakers urge Congress to spend more on Chesapeake Bay restoration – Maryland Daily Record
WASHINGTON – Citing encouraging signs of improvement, five Maryland lawmakers expressed their support Wednesday for increased funding of the federally backed Chesapeake Bay restoration program.
“We’ve made progress,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, said at a luncheon hosted by the Choose Clean Water Coalition. “We have the least amount of dead zones that we’ve seen since the 1980s on the bay. We have underwater grasses that are coming back in the Chesapeake Bay. We have oyster crops that we never thought we’d be able to see starting to bloom in the Chesapeake Bay. We’re not at our historic levels, not even close. I understand that. But we’ve made progress.”
The coalition, which was started in 2009, hosted its 13th annual Chesapeake Bay Day on Wednesday with nearly 100 of its members and nine members of Congress in attendance. Made up of over 290 nonprofit organizations from the Chesapeake Bay region, the non-profit advocates maintaining or increasing spending on clean water programs.
“I think the Chesapeake delegation in Congress is just so passionate about this work, and they understand the benefits to their districts and the people that live there,” Kristin Reilly, director of the coalition, told Capital News Service.
“I think that’s also why there’s such wide bipartisan support for these programs because they can actually see the benefits in their communities,” Reilly added.
The Chesapeake Bay Program, which receives funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, was started in 1983, with its main efforts directed towards reducing pollution and restoring the bay’s ecosystem.
The program encompasses six states that surround the bay as well as the District of Columbia, and its funding needs were at the forefront of the coalition’s lobbying day. Over 70% of the program’s funds are spent on projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including planting trees, reducing runoff from farmland and boosting the crab and oyster populations.
The coalition highlighted the recent introduction of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024, which authorizes funding for various programs, including $93 million in funding for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program for the 2025 fiscal year and $100 million for 2026 and beyond.
“This bill (the ACE Act) is going to get the bay on track,” Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Maryland, said. “Some of the things that these grants do, like sediment reduction, really make a difference in helping the Chesapeake Bay.”
The coalition also is backing $15 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) program, which provides grants to local organizations in the Chesapeake region that focus on restoring or protecting wildlife habitats.
The coalition recognized Ruppersberger, Cardin and Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, as “Chesapeake Champions” for their contributions to the restoration efforts throughout their careers.
Rep. David Trone, D-Maryland, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said he plans to continue working to protect the bay if he wins the seat.
Pollutants need to be kept out of the bay and the efforts towards no-till farming have not been as successful in Pennsylvania and Virginia as in Maryland, Trone said. No-till farming is a technique used to grow crops without disturbing the soil.
“The environment is top of the list,” Trone told CNS. “So the environment and the bay, that’s the very very top of the list. If you don’t get that right, nothing else matters.”
After the luncheon, coalition members had scheduled 44 meetings with members of Congress, presenting letters from 169 organizations that endorsed the coalition’s appropriations requests.
“We have to both maintain the momentum, but we also need to accelerate our efforts even further,” Sen. Van Hollen, D-Maryland, told CNS. “That means making sure that we protect and expand the resources that go to protect the bay from all the federal agencies.”
Yesenia Montenegro and Brennan Stewart report for Capital News Service.
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.
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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.
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.
MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Maryland man and his California accomplice both pled guilty to drug trafficking charges involving the concealment of drugs within auto parts at a repair shop, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Authorities reported that Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, California, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In 2023, an investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization that was transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.
The investigation began after police seized a parcel containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was mailed from Los Angeles with an intended delivery to Clarke’s auto-repair shop in District Heights, Maryland.
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During the investigation, Cruz was linked to the narcotics in the parcel, as well as to its source, authorities reported.
In January 2024, postal inspectors, along with other investigators, identified a freight shipment from Los Angeles intended for delivery at Clarke’s auto-repair shop, and officials said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off that shipment at a shipping company in California.
After that, authorities observed Cruz traveling to Maryland to track the shipment’s delivery.
Cruz and Clarke were then seen by investigators meeting at the auto-repair shop several days after the shipment occurred.
Investigators tracked the fright shipment to Dulles, Virginia, where authorities executed a search warrant and recovered two automobile transmissions inside, as well as 20 one-kilogram bricks secreted in both transmissions.
Officials reported that laboratory forensic tests confirmed that the bricks were over 16 kilograms of cocaine.
A search warrant was then also executed for Clarke’s District Heights auto-repair shop, Clarke’s Clarksburg residence, and Cruz’s hotel room in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
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At the auto repair shop, officials recovered 502.4 grams of cocaine, and then at Clarke’s residence, officers found two-kilogram bricks of cocaine and $45,730 in cash.
Furthermore, investigators later found another nine historical freight shipments that resembled the original shipment containing cocaine, which Cruz sent to Clarke’s auto repair shop.
In plea agreements, officials said both defendants agreed to have been involved in possessing around 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Both also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum life in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release
Cruz’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 1 p.m., and the sentencing for Clarke is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.
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