For beach-goers who struggle to get across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the need for a new, wider span might seem like a no-brainer. Westbound traffic leading to the bridge on Labor Day, the unofficial end to the summer vacation season, stretched 14 miles at its peak. In June many transportation advocates applauded Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to set aside $28 million to advance the state’s pursuit of a new Bay crossing. He called the move an important step in reducing summertime and commuter traffic in Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties. But Maryland Transportation Authority officials cautioned on Wednesday that the…

Gas prices continue to drop here in Maryland with the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded $3.54 per gallon, which is almost 20 cents below the national average. Allegany County has among the highest prices in the state at $3.94 per gallon with Garrett even higher at $3.96.

Hogan announced Thursday that he will take the trip from Sept. 12-24. He says it will include diplomatic engagements and economic announcements. The term-limited governor noted that his administration’s first overseas trade mission in 2015 included stops in Korea and Japan. He says for eight years his administration has worked to expand partnerships with key allies. It will be the seventh and final overseas economic development mission of his two terms in office. Hogan will lead a delegation to Seoul and Jeju Province. The governor’s office says he will sign a memorandum of understanding with Jeju Province to expand cooperation…

Baltimore Raven's general manager Eric DeCosta released a statement Friday announcing a contract extension was not reached with Lamar Jackson and the team. “Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson," DeCosta said in the statement. "We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way. We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.” Jackson is entering his fifth-year option season.

Several changes to traffic patterns in the downtown area will occur Saturday and Sunday during Heritage Days, according to the Cumberland Police Department. The festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and the changes will take effect one hour prior to the start each day. • Motorists traveling south on Mechanic Street will be diverted onto Frederick Street where they can access Queen City Drive to bypass the closed portion of Mechanic Street. • Motorists traveling north on Mechanic Street will be detoured onto Harrison Street to Queen City Drive….

Gaming revenue for Maryland’s six casinos in August was relatively flat compared to last summer, but among the three largest, MGM National Harbor was the only casino with an increase in gaming revenue. MGM National Harbor raked in $71.8 million in August gaming revenue, up 6.5% from August 2021. Live! Casino & Hotel, the state’s second-largest casino, had August gaming revenue of $56.8 million, down 4.5% from last August. Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino had $17.2 million in gaming revenue last month, down 4.2% from a year earlier. Hollywood Casino’s gaming revenue was down 7.4% from a year ago. Gaming revenue at…

The Allegany County Health Department has announced that it is now offering the recently-approved Moderna and Pfizer updated COVID-19 booster vaccines at their COVID vaccination clinics.   The updated booster dose is a bivalent formula that both boosts immunity against the original coronavirus strain and also protects against the newer Omicron variants that account for most of the current cases. The bivalent vaccine is approved for emergency use as a single booster following completion of the primary vaccine series (Moderna or Pfizer 2 shots, or a single Johnson and Johnson or Novavax), or a single booster if it has been at least 2 months since…

Governor Larry Hogan today visited the 141st Maryland State Fair in Timonium and spoke to farmers and producers at the annual Ag Day Luncheon. Before visiting the fair, the governor joined cabinet secretaries and agricultural leaders from across the state at the annual Ag Day Luncheon. Over the past eight years, the Hogan administration has provided more than $7 million to modernize and improve the Maryland State Fairgrounds, including $2.5 million in the FY23 budget to replace the Farm and Garden Building with an updated Agriculture Education Center. Following the luncheon, Governor Hogan toured the fairgrounds, starting with the Cow Palace, and…

A Mississippi man died early Friday when he jumped out of a tractor-trailer that lost its brakes on state Route 160 near Wellersburg. Pennsylvania State Police said Alexander Johnson, 42, of Amory, was traveling south near Palo Alto Road about 1:35 a.m. when the truck ”experienced a mechanical failure with its braking system.” After Johnson jumped, the truck traveled off the right side of the road, struck multiple trees and caught on fire, police said. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers were assisted at the scene by firefighters from Wellersburg, Meyersdale and Corriganville, EMS units from Allegany County and Berlin, the Somerset…

Sheriff's deputies called to a northeastern Maryland home Friday morning for a report of a shooting found five bodies, an official said. Cecil County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Michael Holmes said five people were found dead inside the home on a cul-de-sac in Elk Mills, a few miles from the Delaware state line, The Cecil Whig reported. Deputies were called to the home just after 9 a.m. and made entry to find the bodies, Holmes said. “We got a call indicating multiple people were shot,” he said, adding that investigators were still inside the house. There was no threat to the public, Holmes said.