Daily News Brief | June 21, 2024

Give us about fifteen minutes a day, and we will give you all the local news, sports, weather, and events you can handle.

SPONSORS: Many thanks to our sponsors… Annapolis Subaru, the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Solar Energy Services, and Hospice of the Chesapeake!

Today…

The Anne Arundel County School Board passes the budgets. The Governor and Attorney General announced a new system to track Sexual Assault Evidence Kits. The MVA announced digital IDs for Samsung are now available. The Public Utilities Commission ordered energy companies to give a longer grace period before turning off utilities. We have a list of events for you to consider this Juneteenth Weekend. Our Local Business Spotlight drops at noon on Saturday with HERE. a pop-up shop; and be sure to catch the bonus pod we dropped with Monarch Weather + Climate Intelligence. And of course, we have our Canines & Crosstreks segment with FIVE puppies!

DAILY NEWSLETTER LINK: https://forms.aweber.com/form/87/493412887.htm

And like we do every Friday, Annapolis Subaru and I met up with some animals from the SPCA of Anne Arundel County. Check out this week’s Canines & Crosstreks!

And as usual, George from DCMDVA Weather is here with your local weather forecast! Please download their APP so you can keep on top of the local weather scene!

The Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief is produced every Monday through Friday at 6:00 am and available wherever you get your podcasts and also on our social media platforms–All Annapolis and Eye On Annapolis (FB) and @eyeonannapolis (TW)

NOTE: A full transcript is available on Eye On Annapolis for hearing-impaired subscribers.

Good morning, it’s Friday, June 21st, 2024, and THIS is your Eye On Annapolis Daily News Brief presented by Annapolis Subaru and the SPCA of Anne Arundel County!

So, what did you do on the longest day of the year yesterday? Me? I just waited for today when the days get shorter–I am more of a fall/winter person! But for now, it is summer, and it is Friday, so we better get into it, shall we?

Link for Daily News Email: https://forms.aweber.com/form/87/493412887.htm

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education has approved its final fiscal year 2025 budgets, totaling $1.69 billion for operations and $184.4 million for capital projects. The operating budget passed 6-1, funding salaries and school services, while the capital budget passed unanimously, focusing on construction and renovations. Funds have been reallocated to address teacher shortages and planning period losses, as well as to staff new schools. The capital budget includes significant investments in new school buildings and renovations, with $1.32 million allocated for bus replacements through an EPA grant.

Governor Wes Moore and Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the launch of a statewide tracking system for Sexual Assault Evidence Kits (SAEKs) in Maryland. The new online system, Track-Kit™, allows survivors to monitor their kits’ status and location throughout the criminal justice process. This initiative aims to enhance transparency and accountability, giving survivors more control over their cases. The system is designed by InVita Healthcare Technologies and will be used by over 150 agencies, including medical facilities and law enforcement. The program is part of a broader effort to improve support for sexual assault survivors and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

Maryland’s Public Service Commission has mandated an additional 15 days’ notice before utilities can disconnect customers denied energy assistance, effective through July 31. This decision follows a funding shortfall in state energy assistance programs, which ran out of funds in April due to high demand and increased eligibility. While most utilities have voluntarily halted disconnections, the commission stopped short of a full moratorium. Utilities are required to report back on the status of assistance programs and disconnection practices. The Office of People’s Counsel continues to advocate for a moratorium on shut-offs during the summer heat and has recommended additional protections for affected customers.

The Motor Vehicle Administration has launched Maryland Mobile ID in Samsung Wallet, making Maryland the second state to offer digital IDs through this platform. Marylanders can now use their digital driver’s license or ID at select TSA PreCheck checkpoints, including Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. This initiative follows the successful integration of digital IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Maryland Mobile ID serves as a companion to physical IDs and prioritizes user privacy and security. And it is amazing! I use it all the time at BWI and security is literally less than a minute.

Let’s talk events.. really only two major ones and two repeating ones.

Juneteenth–tonight is a VIP reception, but the big day is tomorrow. The parade kicks off at noon, running from Calvert Street to Maryland Hall, and then the festival takes over at 2 pm to 9:30 pm with live music, games, celebrations, and fireworks–and it is all free. But you’ll need to park and you can do it at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for $10 and a free shuttle!

On the other side of the creek, Eastport A Rockin gets underway at noon at the Maritime Museum on 2nd Street in Eastport. Tickets are $40 at the gate for 4 stages and more than 40 bands all day long! But you know what… you can save $10 just by buying tickets online today at EastportARockin.com, and you can save an ADDITIONAL $5 by using the code EOAEAR24. So that is the equivalent of 2 beers, I think! And I happen to have a pair of tickets to give away, so if you want them, reach out, and I might get them to you!

On the repeating but no less fun side of things, Saturday is Dinner Under the Stars on West Street from 5 pm until late! Ad Sunday at City Dock is the Art in Public Places Commission’s Summer Concert Series that gets underway at 6:30 pm.

Whatever you do this weekend–if you are outside, stay hydrated and use sunscreen!

And, of course, you want to be sure to catch our Local Business Spotlight this Saturday at noon. This week, we speak with El from HERE. a pop-up shop. And if you missed it last night, check out that cool bonus podcast we did with Kathryn and Crystal from Monarch Weather + Climate Intelligence–good stuff and I learned what snirt is!

Today on Canines & Crosstreks–we didn’t meet but heard about five adorable (and soon-to-be big) puppies, all named after your favorite Grease characters! Kenickie is my fave! Listen to our spot now, and then check out EyeOnAnnapolis.net at noon for some irresistible photos and get all the information on how you can adopt one (or more) of them.

And again, don’t forget, we have our DAILY newsletter that features only the top LOCAL NEWS stories of the day. We send it out to your inbox at 7 pm every night–yes, 366 days this year- all without a paywall. It’s perfect for keeping up with the weekend’s news since we don’t release a DNB on Saturday or Sunday. Here’s a link right here in the show notes!

https://forms.aweber.com/form/87/493412887.htm

Whew! That’s it! Now it’s time to say thank you for listening and putting up with us every day. I do hope we add some value to your world. And if we do–please leave a review somewhere or tell a friend to give us a listen! We also want to thank our sponsors — Annapolis Subaru, the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Solar Energy Services, and Hospice of the Chesapeake.

It’s Friday. The weekend is here and now it’s time to just say have a great weekend, be nice to others, do something fun, and keep shopping local! Now, hang tight; George Young from DCMDVA Weather is here with the ONLY locally forecasted weather report. And of course, Canines and Crosstreks–so do hang around for that. All that is coming your way in a minute!