The Biggest Baltimore Stories of 2023

With just days left in 2023, we’re looking back at some of this year’s major Baltimore headlines. From the inauguration of Maryland’s first Black governor, to announcements about the Red Line transit project and redevelopment of Harborplace, to a rollercoastear year for the city’s arts and culture scenes, Baltimore was not lacking news over the past 12 months.

We’ve gathered some of the biggest stories that touched the lives of Baltimore residents in 2023. Rewind, revisit, and remember them with us:

Wes Moore’s First Year as Governor

Democrat Wes Moore became Maryland’s 63rd governor, and the state’s first Black governor, when voters elected him to the top spot last year. Since his inauguration in January, Moore released funding for abortion care, delivered his first State of the State address, revisited the Red Line project, and launched the state’s service year program.

He also testified to the Maryland General Assembly on bills — including his paid service year program for high school graduates, expansion of tax relief for military veterans, and a faster increase of the state’s minimum wage — something former Gov. Larry Hogan did not do.

But he also proposed $3.3 billion in cuts to Maryland transporation projects earlier this month, saying the state had “spread ourselves too thin.” The cuts will limit spending over the next six years, delaying money for electrifying the state’s bus fleet and improving highways and roads, among other projects.

Moore had a 60% approval rating in a poll conducted by Goucher College in September, up from 55% in the preceding Goucher poll in June. But Marylanders won’t see Moore joining the 2024 presidential race, as he told Semafor editor Steve Clemons this summer that he has no interest in seeking higher office.

Red Line Revival

Among Moore’s major moves this year was his announcement that he would be reviving the long-stalled Red Line transit project. The news came eight years after Moore’s predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan, cancelled the state’s plans for the east-west light rail. The Maryland Transit Administration released six potential options for the project, including possibilities for light rail, bus rapid transit, above ground or in a tunnel. The project aims to better connect Baltimore neighborhoods along the east-west line, as well as extend access to eastern Baltimore County job centers. The Red Line is unaffected by Moore’s transportation cuts, as funds have not yet been committed to the transit project.

Harborplace Developer Unveils Plans

MCB Real Estate, the development firm headed by Baltimore native P. David Bramble, officially took ownership of the Harborplace pavillions in July. And in October, the developer unveiled plans for the properties, involving a $500-million mixed-used development with two residential towers, offices, shops, restaurants, public space and a possible hotel.

Homicides Trend Down, Auto Thefts Rise

Baltimore City is currently on track to have fewer than 300 homicides for the first time since 2014. That’s in line with FBI data that show a downward trend of the murder rate nationally. But while Baltimore officials reported in November that homicides and carjackings are down 20% and 23%, respectively, vehicle thefts in the city increased by 229%. Both nationally and in the Baltimore area, Kia and Hyundai cars have been frequent targets for auto theft, as they lack certain anti-theft technology. In fact, Baltimore joined several other major cities in a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia over the car thefts. Local jurisdictions have offered steering wheel locks and AirTags/SmartTags to owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in efforts to prevent these thefts.

Baltimore Communities React to Israel-Palestine Conflict

On Oct. 7, Palestinian political and military group Hamas waged an attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. Since that attack, Israel and Hamas have been locked in an ongoing conflict, with the death toll nearing 20,000 Palestinians killed. Israel and Hamas have also been negotiating the exchange of Palestinian and Israeli hostages.

Residents in Baltimore and across the region have mourned the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis, and have worried for the safety of their loved ones in the Middle East. Demonstrations in support of both Israel and Palestine have taken place in Baltimore City and surrounding counties. Last week, more than 170 Baltimore-area organizations and small businesses called for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine in a letter to members of Maryland’s congressional delegation.

At the beginning of December, Baltimore City Councilmember Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer called on his council colleagues to back a late resolution condemning Hamas and denouncing antisemitism. The resolution failed, with two councilmembers absent and four others abstaining. The four councilmembers who abstained from the vote — Ryan Dorsey, Kristerfer Burnett, Phyllicia Porter, and Odette Ramos — explained later that they “unequivocally condemn” Hamas, but were disappointed that the resolution did not also denounce Islamophobia.

Baltimore Mayors of Past and Present Prepare to Face Off

Mayor Brandon Scott is campaigning for voters to return him to City Hall, after he was first elected to lead Baltimore in 2020. Entering the mayor’s seat in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott has guided Baltimore through restrictions amid Delta, Omicron and other variants, as well as the return of events that were paused during the pandemic. Under Scott’s leadership, the city has continued to navigate the vacant housing crisis, opportunities for squeegee workers, and a spike in auto thefts.

But Scott won’t be the only one in the mayor’s race to have held the position. Former Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon is running again for the city’s top spot. Dixon, who resigned from office in 2010 after she was convicted of embezzling gift cards intended for families in need, hopes to earn back voters’ trust. This is Dixon’s third time running for mayor since her resignation. She cites her track record as a mayor whose administration improved birth outcomes, early childhood education, conditions for the city’s unhoused population, a “cleaner, greener” Baltimore, the launch of weekly single-stream recycling pickup, and other initiatives.

Former Maryland deputy attorney general Thiru Vignarajah, who has been a frequent candidate for office in Baltimore (including previous bids for mayor and state’s attorney), is also exploring another run for Baltimore mayor.

Marilyn Mosby Trial

Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was found guilty of two counts of perjury in a trial this November. She was convicted of lying about COVID-related financial hardship to withdraw money early from a retirement account, which she used as a down payment on two Florida vacation homes. Mosby has not been sentenced yet for that conviction; that will come later, after another trial on mortgage fraud charges.

Keith Davis Goes Home

After being tried four times for the same murder, and spending seven years behind bars, Keith Davis Jr. was released this year as Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates dropped the charges against him. Davis had been charged in the 2015 murder of Pimlico Race Course security guard Kevin Jones, but he has always maintained his innocence. His wife, Kelly Davis, has been a staunch supporter and has championed the message “Free Keith Davis Jr.”

Baltimore Gets a New Police Chief — Again

In June, Michael Harrison stepped down as Baltimore’s police chief after four years. Harrison, who served from March 2019 to June 2023, was one of the city’s longest-serving commissioners in recent years.

Before coming to Baltimore, Harrison served nearly three decades in the New Orleans Police Department, including more than four as police chief. This month, he signed on as a consultant for the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.

At the time of Harrison’s departure, Mayor Brandon Scott named 25-year veteran Richard Worley as acting commissioner. The Baltimore NAACP called for a national search for Harrison’s replacement. But the Baltimore City Council confirmed Worley to the permanent position in October, drawing criticism from residents who said Scott’s selection lacked community input.

The change in leadership at the Baltimore Police Department comes at a time when the city is experiencing a decline in homicides, but a rise in auto thefts. The new police chief will also have to continue to keep BPD on track with consent decree reforms.

Deaths of Baltimore Firefighters

Two Baltimore City firefighters died in October after battling a blaze at a Northwest Baltimore rowhouse. The first, Rodney Pitts III, died from his injuries on the day of the fire. Nearly a week later, officials announced the death of a second firefighter, Lt. Dillon J. Rinaldo, who was injured in that rowhouse fire. Three other firefighters were injured. Loved ones remembered Pitts as having a “generous heart and spirit.” Rinaldo, who was said to have the “heart of a lion,” was remembered even as far away as Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where he grew up as a “firehouse kid” and the son of a former fire chief. In Baltimore, communities mourned both firefighters and extended support to their families and colleagues in the wake of the tragedy.

Federal Positions Up For Grabs

Maryland will get new federal representation, after U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin announced he will not seek another term. The race to replace Cardin has largely turned into a head-to-head race between U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

With Trone running for Senate, his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will also be open, attracting candidates to represent western Maryland and the suburbs around D.C.

Another congressional leader, U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes announced he, too, will not be running for reelection. That has sparked another race with candidates seeking to represent Howard County and parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties.

A Tumultuous Year for Artscape Organizer

Just days into 2023, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts drew attention when then-CEO Donna Drew Sawyer announced her office would not hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, and encouraged residents to participate in a day of service instead. The decision sparked condemnation from Baltimore residents and leaders, including Mayor Brandon Scott who said he had “lost confidence” in Sawyer’s leadership and called for BOPA’s board to remove her. Baltimore ended up putting on the parade after all, but not before Sawyer had resigned as the head of BOPA.

BOPA board chair Brian Lyles served as the agency’s interim CEO for the first five months of the year, after which Todd Yuhanick was announced as interim CEO. Even before Sawyer’s departure, BOPA had received criticism for its handling of city events — including its failure to produce several events in 2020, 2021, and 2022, despite the city appropriating funds for them. Breaking with tradition, Sawyer scheduled Artscape 2023 for September instead of July, seeking to avoid the harsh heat of summer.

The 2023 festival was initially planned for Sept. 12-17 until members of Baltimore’s Jewish community complained last year that its dates would overlap with Rosh Hashanah. The festival was then rescheduled to Sept. 20-24, overlapping with Hampdenfest and Remingtonfest, whose organizers called off their events this year to avoid the conflicting festivals. Still, residents welcomed the return of Artscape, despite Tropical Storm Ophelia forcing the cancellation of the middle day of the three-day festival.

As Baltimore looks ahead to 2024, BOPA has announced the dates of three festivals next year: AFRAM, Artscape, and Charm City Live. And while Mayor Brandon Scott did not say whether the city would extend its contract with BOPA past the end of its June 30, 2024 expiration, he indicated he has regained confidence in the organization.

Changing Leadership at Arts and Culture Institutions

BOPA wasn’t the only Baltimore arts organization in the spotlight this year.

In January, the Baltimore Museum of Art appointed Dr. Asma Naeem to be its new director, succeeding Chris Bedford, who left in 2022 to lead the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Naeem, who was previously the BMA’s chief curator, is the first person of color to lead the institution.

Jonathon Heyward officially kicked off his tenure as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, accepting the baton from his predecessor Marin Alsop. Heyward is the youngest and first Black conductor to lead the BSO. He told Baltimore Fishbowl he hopes to strengthen and expand partnerships with Baltimore cultural and educational institutions and the local community.

Meanwhile, the American Visionary Art Museum dismissed its director, Jenenne Whitfield, just over a year into her leadership of the museum. AVAM co-founder Rebecca Alban Hoffberger said Whitfield “was just not a great fit.” Whitfield was AVAM’s second-ever director, the first Black leader to hold the role, and she came to the Baltimore museum from the Heidelberg Project in Detroit. Hoffberger returned as the museum’s temporary artistic director, with other staff members fulfilling daily operational duties.

And just last week, Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Heidi Daniel announced that she will be stepping down at the end of February to become the CEO of the King County Public Library in Washington state. Darcell Graham, the Pratt’s vice president of public services, will serve as interim CEO while the library system searches for its next permanent leader.

Fifty Years Later, ‘The Wiz’ Returns to Baltimore

Nearly 50 years after “The Wiz” musical debuted in Baltimore in 1974, its revival production also launched from Charm City this fall, ahead of its return to Broadway in spring 2024. In the 1970s, disc jockey Ken Harper sought to create an all-Black musical inspired by the iconic L. Frank Baum classic “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Despite a shaky start, the musical went on to win seven Tony Awards, and was adapted into a 1978 film starring Diana Ross, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Richard Pryor and Lena Horne. In the revival, the role of Dorothy is played by Nichelle Lewis, whom casting agents discovered on TikTok. “The Wiz” ran from Sept. 23-30 at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore. It will continue its national tour into 2024, before returning to Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in Manhattan on March 29. But for fans here, when we think of home for “The Wiz,” we will always think of Baltimore.

Orioles Lease

The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a new extension to the Baltimore Orioles’ lease at Camden Yards. Under the long-awaited lease deal, the team will be able to stay for at least another 30 years. The Orioles will also have the option to end the lease after 15 years if state officials do not approve plans for development around the stadium.

Chris Rock Takes Aim at Baltimore Native Jada Pinkett Smith

After comedian Chris Rock mocked actor Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia at the 2022 Academy Awards, Will Smith dealt him a slap to the face. Nearly a year later, Rock took to the stage at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre to record his latest comedy special — and Netflix’s first-ever live program. The show was streamed to millions in their homes. But many Baltimore viewers found the choice to perform in Pinkett Smith’s hometown, almost a year after “the slap heard around the world,” to be in poor taste.

BGE Customers Protest Gas Regulators on Home Exteriors

This spring, Baltimore residents objected to Baltimore Gas & Electric’s installation of gas regulators on the outside of homes. Residents said the external regulators harmed the historic character of their neighborhoods, obstructed public walkways, and posed safety risks as the regulators were more accessible to vandalism or vehicle crashes. But BGE argued that the new regulators are safer than ones inside of homes because the external regulators are able to vent directly outdoors, and are easier to access during emergencies. Baltimrore residents in eight historic neighborhoods sued BGE over the regulators, and police arrested protesters in Federal Hill who physically blocked BGE workers from installing regulators. Ultimately, Maryland’s Public Service Commission ordered BGE to let residents choose whether to have the regulators installed on the exterior of their homes.

While you’re here, consider revisiting our Biggest Baltimore Stories from 2022.