Maryland

Maryland’s new lieutenant governor winds up a speech at a Baltimore high school, touching on the importance of hard study, of perseverence

ANNAPOLIS – With state law silent on how frequently schools should be inspected for fire hazards, policy and practice vary in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS – Among the ethics bills passed in the final hours of the 1995 legislative session was a measure tightening rules for trips lawmakers take at the expense of special interest groups

ALONG U

ANNAPOLIS – State lawmakers received $43,000 worth of trips from special-interest groups in 1993, state records show

WASHINGTON – Irene Viti first touched a computer in high school, where she learned how to program it using punch cards

WASHINGTON – The bridge rating system used in Maryland was established by the Federal Highway Administration following the fatal 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge between Ohio and West Virginia

WASHINGTON – More than a third of Maryland bridges requiring replacement are located along the state’s Eastern Shore

WASHINGTON – Every time a heavy truck drives over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the catwalk beneath the deck shivers from the impact

WASHINGTON – Climbing over large spans, whacking them with hammers, listening for hollow sounds, and examining every foot for defects, Maryland’s bridge inspectors try to ensure what motorists may take for granted: safe bridges