Washington
Washington Co. delegation reflects on judge privacy, water study, vehicle fees
Del. William Valentine, R-Frederick/Washington, was the last of six Washington County state legislators to speak at a forum Wednesday hosted at Hagerstown Community College by the area’s chamber of commerce, but he summed up the recently concluded 90-day session deftly.
His list of three concluding items turned into four while thanking the staff (including an intern), which does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for members of the Maryland General Assembly.
Regarding Washington County, the second-year delegate referenced legislation that passed named after slain county Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, designed to shield judges’ personal information; he relayed fellow legislator’s compliments regarding the community’s Day in Annapolis, held at the state’s capital in January; and repeated a sentiment shared by several delegation members.
REVIEW: Transportation top issue
as Washington County comes to capital for ‘Day in Annapolis’
“Working with this delegation is second to none,” Valentine told the early morning crowd of several dozen people packed into two rooms in the college’s career programs building.
“It made me feel really good that you guys are working together,” said Hagerstown resident Mary Ann Keyser, during a concluding question-and-answer period. “For Washington County, we need to see more of that,” she said.
Regional water study bill falls short. Study receives some funding.
The chair of the Washington County delegation to the General Assembly, Del. William Wivell, R-Washington/Frederick, referenced successes like the legislation paying homage to Wilkinson and a new law with residency requirements for Washington County Board of Education members. He also acknowledged instances where the delegation fell short with proposals this year.
More: After attack on Maryland judge, bill brought to protect judiciary members, their families
“The one that we were not successful in establishing was the regional study on water and wastewater in the county,” said Wivell, alluding to an issue he brought up during the pre-legislative session forum held in the same room about six months earlier. “Hopefully, we can work together to get a similar bill to that in a future legislative session.”
Sen. Paul Corderman, R-Washington/Frederick, also brought up the water and wastewater issue, one where a Hagerstown/Washington County disagreement caused a bill that would have studied the area’s needs to be withdrawn during the latter part of the legislative session.
More: Key for Washington County community growth, state water bill turned off for this year
“We encourage the city and county and other municipalities to work together to hopefully be able to come to the table and come up with a study that’s hopefully amenable to all,” he said, while also noting an approved $250,000 operating grant to Hagerstown for a future study.
Increase in vehicle registration fees discussed. Education funding, too.
Critical to the budget at the state level are two topics — transportation and education — that delegation members discussed with the Chamber crowd.
Corderman alerted those on hand that fees for vehicle registrations, including for electric vehicles, are going to be going up. (In 2023, the Legislature backed a multi-year commission to study transportation funding to pay for roads and other projects as revenue from the gas tax declines as cars become more fuel-efficient and more electric vehicles are on the roads.)
He said the current typical vehicle registration fee is between $135 and $187, every two years.
“That is going to be about double here in about two or three years,” said Corderman, while also noting a surcharge of several hundred dollars on registrations for electric vehicles.
More: With days left in session, Maryland Senate and House leaders agree to budget deal.
According to reporting last month from Maryland Matters, cars weighing under 3,500 pounds will pay $92 more for the two-year registration, and cars over 5,000 pounds will pay an additional $151 every two years. (A Ford F150 pickup, for example, weighs about 5,000 pounds.)
A spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration responded to an inquiry regarding fees with a link to the legislation that includes the proposed schedule for specific vehicle weights and fees.
Del. Brooke Grossman, D-Washington, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the delegation’s sole Democrat, discussed a different aspect of the state’s budget: education.
“That budget that we passed this year funded the Blueprint for Maryland’s (Future) through 2027,” she said. “That included an additional $457 million to local government to help support and offset the cost.”
She also noted money in the budget for the state’s Child Care Scholarship program.
Bipartisan local initiative that became law lauded
Corderman and Grossman, who both represent Hagerstown while members of different political parties, also discussed working together on legislation to allow students at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts to play on their local sports teams — a historic practice that had been discontinued around last year because of a law.
“We were told that bill was dead a variety of times, but we were able to work together and get that over (into law),” Corderman said. “The kids over at Barbara Ingram, if they choose to play athletics, can play back in their home communities.”
“That deserves applause,” an audience member said.
More: Funds shifted by MD for roads that received federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law cash
“You don’t get things done at the extremes. You get things done in the center,” Keyser explained in an interview after the forum. “That was a very positive, for the most part, presentation. They complemented one another, they worked together on bills. We need more of that, at all levels of government.”
Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.
Washington
18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown
An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.
Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.
Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.
Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.
An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
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Washington
Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education
Updated:
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.
“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”
The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.
Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”
Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.
The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.
Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.
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Washington
Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role
A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top justice department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.
The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and US attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the 25 April event at the Washington Hilton hotel when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.
In a court filing late on Thursday, Allen’s attorneys argued that it created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.
“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder – how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.
Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged US district judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen’s case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other justice department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.
“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.
Pirro said her office would respond to the defense lawyers’ arguments in its own court filing.
“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.
Allen is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on further charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.
The charges include attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the justice department last year. Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro’s office. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts.
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