State Officials

State health officials are reviewing Maryland's tanning bed regulations. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Friday it wants public input on the regulations, which require anyone under 18 to have permission from a parent or guardian before using a tanning bed. A consent form must be signed in the presence of a tanning bed owner or operator. The regulations were created in response to a 2008 law. DHMH didn't say whether it was seeking to strengthen or weaken the law, only whether it should be "updated.

When state officials sent out a recent news release to detail their success providing 20,600 more Marylanders with drug and alcohol treatment, the description appeared vastly different than what some providers on the ground were saying.  The Baltimore Sun was already investigating a tip that three treatment centers in Baltimore County were closing their doors this summer and others were at risk. To find out how both scenarios could be true...

The Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America has won approval from state officials to buy 19 acres in Harford County to expand the Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation through an unusual method known as a land patent. After conducting a public hearing this spring, the state's Commissioner of Land Patents Edward Papenfuse ruled that the land had never been deeded to a private owner and that the scouts had the right to purchase it. His decision marks the first time since 2002 that a private entity has received approval to secure a land patent from the state, after proving that no one else owns the land it wants.

The preliminary approval of an extension and increase in Baltimore's bottle tax is a welcome sign that the city is committed to addressing one of the most significant long-term drains on its vitality: a system of decrepit school buildings desperately in need of renovation, modernization and replacement. But as important a step as the City Council is taking, it must not be the last one for the city. The bottle tax by itself is expected to raise about $10 million a year - a pittance compared to the system's estimated $2.8 billion in needs.

Maryland Live Casino's opening night drew such a crowd that thousands didn't make it inside before the doors closed early Thursday morning, and traffic slowed to a crawl for miles on nearby highways. State officials warned motorists to brace for delays in the coming days, both on site at the Arundel Mills complex in Hanover and on nearby roads, particularly Routes 100 and 295. But the State Highway Administration said the short window that the casino opened to the public Wednesday into Thursday — 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. — intensified the gridlock.

As Morgan State University has been splashed across the news because of a sensational homicide involving a student's alleged cannibalism, Stephanie Morgan worries about how the world will view her alma mater. In recent days, the East Baltimore woman has observed students communicating online about feeling unsafe or being teased about attending a school where "Only crazy people go. " "While this is most likely an isolated incident, it does not help with the image of the school or Baltimore in general," said Morgan, a 2002 graduate.

Air quality will be poor in Baltimore on Sunday, according to state officials. Higher than normal air pollution concentrations could threaten sensitive groups like children, the elderly and people with asthma, heart disease or lung disease. People who may fall into these categories should avoid strenous activity or exercise outdoors. Late Saturday, the Maryland Department of the Environment issued Sunday's code orange air quality alert for the Baltimore metro region. More information about the alert can be found on the Department of the Enviornment's website or by calling the Maryland Air Quality Hotline at 410-537-3247.

A Chinese bank will establish its first U.S. office in Maryland, state economic development officials announced Friday. The Export-Import Bank of China and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development signed a cooperative agreement allowing the bank to open an office at the World Trade Center Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. The bank will focus on business development, project evaluation and building relationships in the U.S. market as well as consider providing funding for Chinese companies looking to invest in the United States.

Update on my Tuesday column about "forced bundling," where an insurance company requires you buy an auto policy from it if you want a homeowner's policy. Maryland wants to ban this practice.  I mentioned that Florida-based Merastar Insurance Co. notified Maryland officials of its intention to require consumers to buy both homeowner's and auto insurance from it if they want any coverage. State officials say Merastar has withdrawn its filing.

Aramark will lay off 64 workers in Silver Spring in May when it stops managing the Kirkland Conference Center at the National Labor College, the company told state officials Tuesday. Aramark filed a notice with the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The company said it would stop providing management services as of May 21. Lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com Text BUSINESS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun Business text alerts