Baltimore Checkbook

Buy-one-get-one free offer at Blaze Pizza

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155344448602/buy-one-get-one-free-offer-at-blaze-pizza#_=_

Happy New Year! Let’s kick 2017 off with a free pie from Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza.

Take the chain’s 2017 pledge to “keep it real” and get a coupon code good for a free pizza when you buy one. The offer is redeemable through the Blaze mobile app, which is free to download.

The chain uses no chemicals…

8 things you need to know this morning

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155343289552/8-things-you-need-to-know-this-morning#_=_

Happy 2017! The extended New Year’s weekend is over and it’s back to reality. Expect rain to continue throughout Tuesday, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees. Here are eight things to know as you get the work week started. • Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. says it’s elevated its cyber monitoring in light of news regarding alleged Russian hacking of a utility company in Vermont. [WBAL-TV] • As the Ravens cleared out their lockers on Monday following a disappointing 8-8 season, players seemed…

Podcast: What Baltimore's waterfront could look...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155342155847/podcast-what-baltimores-waterfront-could-look#_=_

Baltimore’s waterfront perhaps got more attention in 2016 than it had in any year since the 1980s. Between the start of renovations to Harborplace, Sagamore Development Co.’s plans in Port Covington and the continued development of Harbor Point and Harbor East, the city’s waterfront has been set on a new course. It’s Laurie Schwartz’s job to make sure all of the projects work together. As president of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Schwartz works with city government, developers and residents…

My 10 favorite "5 minutes with..." from 2016

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155341851897/my-10-favorite-5-minutes-with-from-2016#_=_

From food, to real estate, to sports, I tried to cover a variety of topics with my new weekly feature, “5 minutes with.” Throughout 2016, I completed a number of short getting-to-know you interviews as part of the new series, designed to bring people who usually work behind the scenes to the forefront. These profiles will continue into 2017, and run every Monday morning in the daily newsletter. Since I first launched “5 minutes with” this summer, I have published just under 40 interviews. Of those,…

UMd., UMB part of new pharmaceutical research,...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155170638457/umd-umb-part-of-new-pharmaceutical-research#_=_

The University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland, Baltimore will be partners in a new institute to advance U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing, supported by a $250 million investment. The creation of the National Institute for Innovation of Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals was announced by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker this month. A team of more than 150 companies, educational institutions — including the two Maryland universities — nonprofits and state governments…

Days before New Year's Eve, Montgomery County...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155168115432/days-before-new-years-eve-montgomery-county#_=_

Montgomery County’s Department of Liquor Control is running low on champagne and the like, at a particularly bad time of year. Bethesda Magazine reported Thursday that the DLC, which manages the wholesale stock and oversees the retail sale of all liquor, beer and wine, “had limited amounts” of some champagnes and sparkling wines at its warehouse in the days before New Year’s Eve. While items such as La Marca Prosecco, Andre champanges and Cupcake Prosecco were scheduled to be received Thursday,…

Hogan confirms Robbyn Lewis as new Baltimore state...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155168114502/hogan-confirms-robbyn-lewis-as-new-baltimore-state#_=_

Gov. Larry Hogan appointed Robbyn Lewis on Friday to fill the state delegate seat vacated by Pete Hammen in the Maryland General Assembly. The appointment follows a recommendation by the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee. Hammen’s House District 45 seat became available after he accepted an appointment by Mayor Catherine Pugh to become chief of operations for Baltimore City. District 45 covers an eastern portion of the city and into midtown north of downtown. Lewis, a Democrat, is currently…

All hands — and security cameras — on deck for MGM...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155163484492/all-hands-and-security-cameras-on-deck-for-mgm#_=_

The more than 300,000 people who have entered MGM National Harbor since it opened Dec. 8 have taken away casino winnings (or empty wallets), high-end clothing purchases, fancy pastries and new memories. What they have left behind: their faces. Behind the towering lobby, sparkling decor and $1.4 billion of other accoutrements is a sophisticated German security camera system that takes a high-def picture of everyone that walks through the resort’s entry points. As MGM gears up for its first New Years'…

Newcomers make list of top SBA lenders in Greater...

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155162956632/newcomers-make-list-of-top-sba-lenders-in-greater#_=_

Only one thing remains the same on this year’s List of Baltimore-area SBA lenders, ranked by value of local 7(a) loans in fiscal year 2016. M&T Bank retained the No. 1 spot on the list with $39.5 million in Baltimore-area lending, a 9.3 percent increase over last year. This year’s List of SBA lenders in Greater Baltimore has plenty of movement and nine newcomers. Live Oak Banking Co. moved up a spot to No. 2 with $19.2 million in Baltimore-area loans, up 21.6 percent from last year. New to the…

8 things to do to celebrate the New Year

http://baltimorecheckbook.tumblr.com/post/155162956547/8-things-to-do-to-celebrate-the-new-year#_=_

Most of us are ready to kiss 2016 goodbye. From celebrity deaths to a heated election cycle, there was certainly a lot to dislike about this year. But, as Editor Joanna Sullivan points out here, there were plenty of things to like about this year. No matter which side of the fence you fall on, you’re sure to want to ring in 2017 with a bang. Here are eight things to do this weekend to say hello to 2017. If you’re bored of watching fireworks on TV from New York City, the city’s Office of Promotion…