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New law: Maryland highway safety change in effect Jan. 1

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1 year ago

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New law: Maryland highway safety change in effect Jan. 1


If you speed in a Maryland highway work zone, be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
A new tiered system of fines will go into place Jan. 1, and drivers could pay as much as $1,000.

Maryland lawmakers passed the Road Worker Protection Act after a driver crashed into a construction zone in Baltimore County in 2023, killing six workers.

“The speeding has got to stop,” said John Seng, who chairs Safe Roads Maryland

That’s what lawmakers are hoping will happen. The new tiered system of fines will be based on how much the driver exceeds the speed limit.

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For example, if you’re going between 12 and 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, the fine will be $60. Fines get progressively higher from there — for super speeders going 40 or more over the limit, the fine is $500, if workers are present, it’ll cost you a grand.

“When it’s a work construction zone with a concentration of people simply trying to do their jobs, it sends the message to people that, again, enough is enough,” Seng said. “Well, you pay and you’re going to pay until you slow down.”

The law also requires signs and blue flashing lights when workers are present so drivers will have plenty of warning the work zone is ahead.

“We want everyone to travel safely through our work zones,” said Teri Soos of the State Highway Administration. “Travel at a safe speed, move over when possible and really pay attention to those barrels and those lights and those signs.”

The new law also allows for more cameras in larger work zones and better camera technology to detect speeders.

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Advocates say the point is to slow drivers down, but if they won’t, they’re hoping the fines will encourage them to let off the gas.

Last year, nearly 336,000 citations were issued for work zone speed camera violations in Maryland.



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Washington

Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history

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3 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history


The iron gate to Woodlawn Cemetery is almost always locked shut, but Toni White-Richardson was more than happy to let News4 inside.

As president of the Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, she was excited to talk about what makes this resting place so special.

“It is major D.C. history, first. Then it’s also major Black history, second,” White-Richardson said.

More than 30,000 people, mostly African Americans, are buried among the 22 acres of Woodlawn Cemetery, which opened in Southeast D.C. in 1895. And like so many cemeteries that date back to the 1800s, particularly African American cemeteries, this one has fallen into disrepair, is overgrown and has headstones tumbled over, like those of Wilhelmina and her husband James, and Eliza Spencer, a mother who died in 1887.

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“Let me do a very upfront disclaimer,” White-Richardson said. “We have no idea where these stones go. And when we looked at the grid, it became even clear as mud, it became less clear as to where these stones should really go. Unfortunately, when we look back, we can tell there was a plan, but we could see we never got totally completed. Even back then, there are no markers saying this is Section H or this is Section G or this is 102 and this is, none of that.”

One of the most notable Washingtonians laid to rest here is John Mercer Langston, Virginia’s first Black congressman.

“Langston University came one year because they had a grand reunion in D.C., and we arranged for them to come to see […] John Mercer Langston, the university that was named after this man,” White-Richardson said.

And Blance Bruce, the first Black U.S. senator to serve a full term and register of the treasury, is also buried in the cemetery.

“He’s the signature on our dollar bill, you know, back in the late 1800s,” White-Richardson said. “So, oh, it’s history. It’s capital letters. No getting around it.”

Woodlawn is also the resting place of several of the original founders of two of the country’s most prominent Black sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. Both organizations volunteer to help with clean ups.

The Perpetual Care Association recently received a grant from the D.C. Office of Planning to help with upkeep of the grounds and preserving the history here.

“These are important individuals who’ve made contributions to the District a century ago, but today still their history and their stories reverberate and really influence the trajectory of our city,” said Anita Cozart, director of the D.C. Office of Planning.

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The cemetery tucked away off Benning Road is only open to the public five days a year, but groups can request tours anytime. The next chance to visit Woodlawn when it will be open to the public is Labor Day.

They’re always looking for volunteers and donors to help with the upkeep of this sacred ground.



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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool

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13 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool


US President Donald Trump wanted to mark the US’s 250th birthday with a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.

The makeover, including a new coat of “American Flag blue,” cost taxpayers $16 million (€14.1 million).

But the water is covered in green algae. The blue paint is already peeling. Trump has blamed vandals, while his critics question the project’s transparency and cost.

DW’s Brent Goff and Washington correspondent Janelle Dumalaon unpack the whole fiasco.

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Washington

Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft

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23 hours ago

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June 23, 2026

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft


Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa fulfilled his dream of going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first pick.

Immediately after the pick, reactions poured in on social media about the Wizards drafting Dybantsa.

Social media reactions to the Washington Wizards selecting BYU star AJ Dybantsa

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up to date on all your favorite teams.

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