REMNANTS OF KEY BRIDGE DISMANTLED BIT BY BIT: Sixteen months after the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s main span was knocked down by a massive container ship, killing six construction workers, demolition of the remaining structures has begun. Crews aren’t using explosives but are removing remnants bit by bit. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.

• Workers are methodically peeling away the decking from what remains of the span. Each slab weighs between 5 and 7 tons. Onlookers could feel the remaining bridge shake as heavy construction equipment moved chunks of the decking. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
• The demolition process is predicted to carry on into next year, and construction work will begin later this year when crews start driving test piles into the water, according to Maryland Transportation Authority officials. Dan Belson and Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
• In this 24 minute video, Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen as well as other local elected officials visit the Baltimore Key Bridge demolition zone Wednesday, touring remnants of the structure destroyed in the deadly March 2024 collapse. Staff/Fox 5 Washington, D.C.

NUMBER OF MINORS KILLED IN B’MORE FALLS TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 10+ YEARS: The number of people under 18 killed in Baltimore during the first six months of 2025 fell to the lowest level in more than a decade — two — mirroring the city’s broader decline in violence. The decline comes as Baltimore and the state have begun treating gun violence as a public health crisis. Brenda Wintrode and Sahana Jayaraman/The Baltimore Banner.

MDE BEGINS RENOVATIONS AT OLD MONTGOMERY WARD BUILDING: In the months ahead, the Maryland Department of the Environment’s offices at Montgomery Park in West Baltimore will begin a transformation, from a drab maze of cubicles to an airy, modern office space. Here’s hoping employees like it. Because the agency will be there until at least 2044. The lease is expected to be scrutinized in a forthcoming independent report being prepared for the General Assembly. Christine Condon and Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

RASKIN AMONG CONGRESSFOLK SUING TO ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES: U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland along with other members of Congress are asking a federal court to let them in — without advance notice — to facilities where the Trump administration is detaining immigrants facing deportation so they can conduct lawful oversight, according to a complaint filed Wednesday. Raskin and 11 other Democratic members of Congress filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

HOWARD HIKES CIVIL PENALTIES FOR PAID HOUSE PARTIES: Howard County Council voted Wednesday to hike the civil penalties for paid house parties that residents say are disrupting otherwise quiet suburban neighborhoods this summer. Although the vote was unanimous, council members backed down from raising the fines from $250 to $5,000 and instead opted for a tiered structure of $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for subsequent offenses. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.

COMMENTARY: MONTGOMERY FACES SPACE GLUT, LEADERSHIP VOID: The Montgomery County Council should focus on trying to attract more bioscience-related businesses to fill vacant space, before it goes to seed and becomes unusable. Rather than sitting around wringing their hands and moaning “woe is me,” it’s time to get off their collective behinds and get busy with ways to attract new business to the county. Marc King/Maryland Reporter.

BA CO COUNCILMAN ENDANGERED POLICE, FAMILY, RECORDS SAY: Baltimore County Council Member Todd Crandell endangered police inside his Eastpoint Mall office in June 2024, an incident that came to light after his wife took out a protective order against him in May, according to court and police records. Céilí Doyle and Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.

BA CO COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR INCUMBENT IG STANDS: The wall of support for Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan is holding firm on the County Council following IG nominee Khadija Walker’s Tuesday appearance before the body. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

• Peta Richkus, a former top official in the administration of Gov. Parris Glendening who organized a rally in support of Madigan, questioned County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s move to replace Madigan, who was named “fraud fighter of the year” by her peers in April. Rona Kobell/The Baltimore Banner.

NOMINATED IG SAYS SHE’LL MAKE THE DAILY FIVE-HOUR ROUND TRIP COMMUTE: Making her first public appearance after a contentious selection process, Khadija Walker said she could do the job of Baltimore County inspector general while commuting daily more than 200 miles from her home in Virginia. It’s about a five-hour round trip commute. A rally in support of incumbent IG Kelly Madigan was held before the hearing by about 90 people sweltering in the heat outside of the Historic Courthouse in Towson. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.

McCLAREN LUXE CAR FACILITY EXPECTED TO OPEN IN LATE 2026: British luxury carmaker McLaren Automotive will open its first U.S. vehicle processing center at Tradepoint Atlantic, just miles from where the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last year. The $10.5 million facility, announced last week, will be built in Sparrows Point and is expected to open in late 2026. It will serve as the final stop for McLaren supercars—built in England—before they’re shipped to 26 dealerships across the country. Wambui Kamau/WYPR-FM.

The post State Roundup: Removal Of Remnants Of Key Bridge Begins; Number Of Baltimore Minors Killed In Gun Violence Drops; Howard Raises Penalties For Paid House Parties appeared first on citybiz.

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