Mall owner looks to aid minority-owned firms; local insurance company merger

Good morning Baltimore!

Today will be cloudy with periods of rain and a high of 45 degrees. Tomorrow will be slightly warmer with a high of 52 and lots of wind in the afternoon. Sunday will probably be the best day of the weekend with a high of 59 and mostly sunny skies.

Now, here's the news you need to know ahead of the weekend:

Maryland lawmakers debate whether to tie automatic minimum wage increases to inflation

Democratic lawmakers seem to be uniting behind a portion of a bill proposed by Gov. Wes Moore that would raise Maryland's minimum wage to $15 an hour starting in October, over a year ahead of the scheduled increase in 2025. The current rate is $13.25 and proponents say the increase is needed due to the impacts of the pandemic and inflation. What still seems up in the air is an element of the bill that would enact yearly minimum wage increases to keep pace with inflation starting in 2025. [Baltimore Sun]

Brookfield Properties opens applications for minority-owned business program

Brookfield Properties , the mall giant that owns Mondawmin Mall, the Mall in Columbia and Towson Town Center, has opened up applications for its Partner to Empower program, which seeks to help local, minority-owned businesses open stores in its malls by providing resources, funding and retail expertise. Applications are now open through March 24.

Harford Mutual Insurance Group to merge with Kentucky firm

Bel Air-based Harford Mutual Insurance Group is merging with Louisville, Kentucky-based Clearpath Specialty Insurance Co., the firms announced late Thursday. ClearPath Mutual, formerly known as KESA of Kentucky, was formed in 2018 and provides monoline workers' compensation coverage in Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia. Following the deal, ClearPath will keep its name and its Louisville office will serve as Harford Mutual's midwest regional office. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed. ClearPath does over $52 million in direct written premiums and Harford Mutual wrote $327 million in premiums in 2022, according to the release.

Former Bo Brooks owner turns focus to Canton liquor store

BBJ reporter Morgan Simpson caught up with the former owner of Bo Brooks Crab House, the Canton staple that shut down last fall. He co-owns a liquor store, Lighthouse Canton, just around the corner from the old Bo Brooks spot and filled her in on his plans to make the business "a Baltimore institution." [BBJ]

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Report finds promising results for Baltimore anti-violence program

A study released Thursday found promising results for the anti-violence program Roca in its first four years in Baltimore. The young men and boys in the program who are most at-risk of being victims or perpetrators of violence are seeing lower arrest and recidivism rates, more connections to employment and improvements in mental health assessments. [Baltimore Sun]

10 tax credits small business owners should know

It's tax season so we've rounded up the most notable (and lucrative) tax credits small businesses should know. They range from the popular Employee Retention Credit to some that tend to be under-utilized by small businesses but are worth taking a look at. [Playbook]

What's the latest with the Lamar Jackson contract situation?

There has been a lot of (mostly digital) ink spilled in the last few weeks over star quarterback Lamar Jackson's ongoing contract negotiations with the Ravens and all the different ways this situation could shake out. If you're looking to get caught up, the bottom line is that there is no long-term deal yet and the Ravens have until Tuesday to use the franchise tag on Jackson to keep him off the free agent market. Most NFL observers expect the Ravens will do that to buy time but after that there are still lots of questions that need to be answered about what comes next.

Mr. Trashwheel's 'Order of the Wheel' returns

We'll end the roundup today on a fun note, with some good news for those who are fans of Mr. Trashwheel. For the first time in three years, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is opening up applications for Mr. Trashwheel's "Order of the Wheel," a not-so-secret society that encourages members to take grassroots action around trash pollution. To join the Order of the Wheel, applicants need to complete a community cleanup challenge and submit proof to Mr. Trash Wheel. First installed in the Inner Harbor at the mouth of the Jones Falls in 2014, Mr. Trash Wheel is the patriarch of a family of Baltimore trash wheels spread throughout local waterways.

This newsletter was written by Jessica Iannetta, Managing Editor at the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at [email protected].?