Baltimore to unveil squeegee worker plan; City says weekly recycling pickup won't resume soon

Ever wonder how much money you'd have to make to live in Greater Baltimore's wealthiest ZIP code?

About $586,000 annually, according to Zillow.com.

In fact, it takes more than $200,000 in annual income to afford a home in Greater Baltimore's 10 wealthiest areas. Take a look at the full ranking of the area's wealthiest ZIP codes, and how much it takes to buy a home there, in today's free edition of '8 things'.

Now, for the news of the day.

• Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will hold a press conference this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. to reveal a highly-anticipated plan developed by a group of local officials and stakeholders dubbed the "squeegee collaborative." The report will detail proposals for how to address the high number of young people who look to make money by washing windows at city intersections. WMAR2
• In the aftermath of the election yesterday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Don Cox conceded to Democratic governor-elect Wes Moore and his running mate, Aruna Miller. Cox had not conceded Tuesday night after the race was called, asking that all ballots be counted but acknowledging that it was "not looking good" for his campaign. Leading up to the election, he had declined to say whether he would accept the results. Ultimately Cox called Moore to give well wishes, which Moore described as "kind and cordial." Baltimore Sun
• Three Baltimore City council members voiced concerns during a virtual town hall last night about a plan to create a The Johns Hopkins University police, stating that so far the highly-watched process has not been transparent enough. The meeting was hosted by council members Odette Ramos and Antonio Glover to discuss a memorandum of understanding with the city's Police Department. It was nearly a repeat of an event hosted by the university in September, however, Ramos said this event would not be cut short in terms of community input, even if the meeting went past its scheduled time. Baltimore Sun
• Some Maryland races are still too close to call. Anne Arundel County still has to count more than 40,000 mail-in ballots, beginning today, to help determine three key races. In the County Executive race between Republican County Council member Jessica Haire and incumbent Democrat Steuart Pittman, Haire holds an 11,000 vote lead. In the state senate District 33 race, Democrat Dawn Gile trails two-term Republican Del. Sid Saab by less than 2,000 votes. And incumbent Democrat Del. Heather Bagnall is a little more than 1,000 votes behind Republican Keith Gillespie. WYPR The race for Maryland's 6th congressional district between U.S. Rep. David Trone and state Del. Neil Parrott is also still too close to call. WYPR
• I suppose this is more no news than it is news, but Baltimore won't resume weekly curbside recycling pickup any time soon. The director of the city's Department of Public Works, Jason Mitchell, said yesterday that there's no timeline to resume the service that was scaled back to every other week at the start of this year. Mitchell added that even if they are able to increase staffing, they're "still going to have some challenges returning to a weekly recycling schedule." Baltimore Banner
• Another change in City Hall, Mayor Scott has appointed a new chief of staff, Chezia T. Cager. She will oversee legislative affairs, communications and constituent services in the mayor's office. Cager, 38, previously worked for the city between 2007 and 2010 answering constituent mail for former Mayor Sheila Dixon and later interned at the Obama administration. She founded a small public relations and events consulting firm in 2019, and got a PPP loan during the pandemic as a "single-member LLC." Baltimore Brew
• The Pigtown Community Garden is facing an uncertain future. The group has farmed the lot on West Ostend Street for the past 11 years and was not required by the property's former owner to pay rent as long as they kept the area clean. Now, under a contract with the new landlord, the group's director has been paying a $250 monthly fee herself since August, but she won't be able to keep paying when it goes up to $750 at the end of the year. The farm, which donates fruits and veggies to the community, is now looking for a new space to do its work. Baltimore Sun
• Looking for something to do this weekend? I've got two local events for you. In Baltimore City, the 5th Annual Patterson Park BrewFest will take place Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the park's Bull Circle. The event will feature local beers for tasting, local eats and a main stage with bands. The event is a fundraiser for Friends Of Patterson Park . In Baltimore County, the 48th Annual Irish Festival is being held at Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The event will include Irish cuisine and beverages, dancers, cultural exibits, vendors, live music and more. The festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through Sunday.