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Today…A look back on the top stories of 2020. Some new changes to minimum wage and tolls in Maryland. Congressman Jamie Raskin’s son has died. The Annapolis Maritime Museum begins their Winter Lecture Series this week. Plus a snippet from a new local podcast–Loud Women’s Club.
Ann Alsina from CovingtonAlsina is here with us today for her always outstanding Money Monday Report!
And of course, 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!
NOTE: For hearing impaired subscribers, a full transcript is available below.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Good morning, it is Monday, January 4th 2021 this is John Frenaye and THIS is your Eye On AnnapolisDaily News Brief.
Boy it feels SO great to say 2021. I hope you had a fantastic long weekend, and a safe and happy New Year. On the 2nd, I went up to Susquehanna State Park near Havre de Grace for a hike up to the Conowingo Dam and if you get the chance–highly recommended. Well, it IS Monday and it IS a new year, so let’s get into it!
Well with a New Year, it’s always fun to take a look at the past year. And we did just that with a look back at some of the top stories that populated 2020. It should be no surprise that COVID topped the charts and among the COVID stories the top reads were the one when Governor HOgan relaxed the restrictions on boating, when they finally decided to close the schools for the remainder of the year, and oddly enough that the Greene Turtle at the Annapolis Mall was not re-opening.
Pull the COVID out of the mix and the top story was the additions of Fright Nights at the Annapolis Town Center which is VERY surprising because it was so late in the year…a pre-COVID story about a South River teacher having sex with a student, and another Town Center story about three new businesses opening. You can check out the entire list at Eye On Annapolis dot net.
But as we closed out 2020, we saw more than 2.5 million unique visitors come to Eye On Annapolis for their news, more than 130 thousand to our All Annapolis Facebook Page and more than 50 thousand to our twitter feed. As for this little Daly News Brief, 2020 saw more than 350 thousand downloads to phones and tablets across the region. ANd for that… thank you.
As we roll into 2021, a few reminders and changes. First up, tolls across Maryland. If you will remember, during all this mess, Maryland moved to a cashless tolling policy statewide. If you didn’t have an EZPass , you got a bill in the mail called a video toll to pay which was the same as the old cash rate. Well, it costs more to send you a bill, so that rate has gone up. Example… the Bay Bridge used to cost you $4…today it’ll cost your $6. Similar increases will be found at other toll facilities throughout the state. The moral of this story— go to EZPASSMD dot com or any local Giant grocery store and pick up an EZ Pass for free.
Another big change for 2021 is a a sharp double edged sword. One edge is giving minimum wage employees a significant increase from $11 to $11.60 or $11.75 per hour. If you work for a company with fewer than 15 employees it is the $11.60, more than 15 is the $11.75. Next increase is January 2022. But the other side of this is that with the pandemic still out of control and businesses still restricted, a forced raise is another cost that will make recovery that much more difficult. As for the service workers who work for tips–same base rate stays at $3.63 but your tips have to bring you up to the new minimum wage or your employer will need to make up the difference.
Some tragic news from Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin’s office on New Years Eve. The COngressman’s son passed away earlier in the day. Thomas Raskin was a 2nd year law student at Harvard. Leaders from across the State and country offered condolences including Governor Hogan who offered his and the First Lady’s ” deepest sympathies over the heartbreaking loss. I ask all Marylanders to keep the Raskin family in your prayers.” Congressman Raskin has represented Carroll, Frederick, and Montgomery Counties since 2016.
And finally as we wrap up, with the New Year comes a time for learning and the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park has the solution. Their annual Winter Lecture series begins on Thursday January 7th at 7pm and will continue every Thursday through the end of February. Up this week, Dave Gendell is speaking on the history of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. Of course it is virtual, and if you want to get in on it.. A MARITIME dot org. If you are a first mate or higher member .. and you should be… the series is included. If not…it’s only $10. I love these every year and cant tell you ho much I learn.. so see you Thursday!
OK that wraps up the news for us today. As always, thank you for listening and if you are somewhere where you can leave a rating or a review, please do. And make sure you let your friends, family and colleagues know about us.
A quick thank you to the sponsors for this Daily News Brief– Solar Energy Services up in Millersville and to the Kristi Neidhardt Team of Northrop Realty, a Long and Foster Company.
It is Monday, so of course we have Ann Alsina from Covington Alsina with your Monday Money Report; and as we do every day, George Young from DCMDVA Weather is here with your locally forecast weather report, and a little something extra you want to check out– some info on a new local podcast hosted by Melissa Huston called the Loud Women’s Club–we have a snippet from Mel on that. All of that and more…in just a minute.
