Sign in

Emily Opilo

@emilyopilo.bsky.social
437 followers 101 following 84 posts

City Hall reporter for @TheBaltimoreBanner.com. Formerly at The Baltimore Sun. Cuse alum and PA native.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Adam Willis @adampwillis.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
After a developer's bid for a Remington dump backfired, he's thinking bigger. Seawall reached a deal this month that looks to some like a step toward a long-held Baltimore dream: to turn the banks of the beleaguered Jones Falls into a park. w @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
thebanner.com
How a screaming stranger got a developer to dream big about the Jones Falls
A Baltimore developer was at the center of a charged conflict over the future of a dump in the Remington neighborhood, a controversy that has gotten him thinking bigger about the future of the beloved...
088
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
If you live in Baltimore, make sure you check if you're parked on a snow emergency route. (There are more of them than you might expect.) The city will begin towing cars at noon tomorrow www.thebanner.com/community/tr...
thebanner.com
Baltimore drivers, beware of street parking during snow emergencies
As a snowstorm approaches Baltimore this weekend, you might want to think about moving your car before the city does it for you.
020
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Dylan Segelbaum @dylansegelbaum.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Baltimore Del. Caylin Young resigns from city job following assault charge. (w/ @emilyopilo.bsky.social) (via @thebaltimorebanner.com)
thebanner.com
Baltimore Del. Caylin Young resigns from city job following assault charge
Del. Caylin Young is not resigning from his elected post in the state legislature representing East and Northeast Baltimore.
011
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
You may be paying more soon for an Uber or Lyft ride in Baltimore. The City Council is considering a rideshare tax increase. www.thebanner.com/community/tr...
thebanner.com
To fix its budget hole, Baltimore wants to hitch a ride on Uber and Lyft
The proposal, spearheaded by Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration, calls for the city’s tax on ride-sharing services and taxis to increase from 25 cents per ride to 38 cents.
011
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Where should a Remington trash dump move to? Not next to the Jones Falls residents resoundingly told a task force this week. When it came to alternative plans, however, few agreed on what to do www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Is Remington’s dump a neighborhood asset, or someone else’s burden?
“Don’t put a dump next to a stream for God’s sake,” one resident said.
010
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Man charged with arson in 3 Keswick Road fires that terrified Hampden neighbors (w/ @dylansegelbaum.bsky.social & @halliemiller.bsky.social) www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Man charged with arson in 3 Hampden fires that terrified neighbors
Justin Reeves, 28, of Remington, is facing three counts of first-degree arson, along with one count of malicious burning and reckless endangerment. His trial is set for February.
012
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Pamela Wood @pwoodreporter.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott is making staff changes at City Hall again, and @emilyopilo.bsky.social has the details: www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Mayor Brandon Scott reorganizes top advisers, names new chief of staff
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott will reorganize his top staff for the second time in six months.
022
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Hayes Gardner @hayesgardner.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
They tried the ritzy out-of-town developers. They tried local ones. They even tried breaking up the quagmire that is the "Superblock" into bite-size parcels. All failed. Then, it burned. What's next for the stagnant development? w/ @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/economy/supe...
thebanner.com
The Superblock blaze followed a generation of development failure. Now what?
An ambitious plan to redevelop what’s called the Superblock, an area of downtown Baltimore, has been stuck in the mud for a quarter century. Much of the area was razed after a fire last month.
056
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Baltimore has reached an agreement with local nonprofit institutions to gradually increase the payments each gives the city annually in place of taxes to cover the cost of services, reports @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Nonprofits’ deal with Baltimore would pay city up to $12 million a year
The total payment would increase from $6 million a year to $12 million a year over the five-year agreement for Baltimore nonprofits.
032
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, it’s unclear exactly when, Baltimore ceased to have a harbormaster at all. A city with 61 miles of shoreline had no one minding the water www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore’s waters got ‘a little piratey.’ Now the harbormaster is back on duty.
Baltimore, a city with 61 miles of shoreline, had no one minding the water.
020
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is moving to sell the Sisson Street dump to a developer, relocating the facility onto Falls Road (and into the flood plain). Remington residents are pushing back. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore pushes to sell Sisson Street dump as developer closes in
Legislation authorizing the disposal of the Remington property, technically known as the Northwest Citizens Convenience Center, is due to be introduced to the Baltimore City Council next week.
000
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
NEW: Baltimore's election board has picked the former head of elections for Harris County, TX to head the board here, marking the official end of the Armstead Jones era www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore Election Board picks fresh face to lead office, ending Jones era
Tatum has worked for election agencies in Texas and Washington, D.C. as well as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
011
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Joe Hylton sees the attempted firing of the Somerset County superintendent as a modern-day lynching, in the last Maryland county to record a lynching in 1933 (via @lizbowie.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
thebaltimorebanner.com
How a MAGA school board takeover roiled an Eastern Shore county
After a MAGA-aligned majority took control of Somerset County's school board, they tried to get rid of librarians and fire the superintendent. The community pushed back.
000
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Julie Bykowicz @bykowicz.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Read @thebaltimorebanner.com on underground fires: "There’s no consensus as to why. And there’s no clear answer as to whose responsibility it is to prevent it from happening again." Deeply reported by @hayesgardner.bsky.social @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore’s 19th-century underground pipes are literally bursting into flames
The 19th-century pipes underground in Baltimore City are bursting into flames, and the city and BGE are pointing fingers instead of finding a solution.
023
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Baltimore City Council met yesterday to talk broadly about police accountability, but emotions spilled over from residents dismayed by several recent police-involved deaths. More here: www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore residents condemn police-related deaths at emotional hearing
Baltimore residents crowded the City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting on police accountability to condemn police-related deaths.
032
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Ben Conarck @conarck.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
BREAKING: The Baltimore Sheriff's Office is probing a courthouse corrections dept. employee for allegedly inviting ICE agents in for a meeting, which led to someone being detained. Investigation is looking at potential crimes including misuse of state data. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore sheriff probes courthouse employee for allegedly inviting ICE to detain someone
ICE agents detained a man at the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse last week, sparking an investigation of a corrections department employee.
16931
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Brenda Wintrode @brendawintrode.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
The new acting secretary of Maryland's juvenile services agency said she’s got Gov. Moore’s support. Betsy Fox Tolentino said she's ready to “lean in and listen” to get the best outcomes for kids and public safety she feels everyone wants. tinyurl.com/muw2tcnf
tinyurl.com
Maryland’s juvenile services agency gets a leader with deep roots and high stakes
Hard conversations will come, but Betsy Fox Tolentino said she’ll listen to law enforcement partners, community members and staff.
001
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Greg Morton @invisibae.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
NEW: Baltimore students told about their experiences with violence and harassment on the way to school in the state's only district without yellow bus service for middle and high schoolers. @lizbowie.bsky.social and I on what students are facing every day www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/k-...
thebaltimorebanner.com
It’s not just late buses: Baltimore kids face serious safety risks
Baltimore students have been followed, harassed, assaulted and held up at gunpoint while crisscrossing the city on public transit to get to and from school.
01016
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Who says budgets have to be boring? Take a peek behind the scenes at how the new faces at the bargaining table hashed out a deal to pass Baltimore's $4.6B spending plan www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore's budget disagreements were about more than money
The mayor and City Council were both trying to send a message
000
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Brenda Wintrode @brendawintrode.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Sunday read: @emilyopilo.bsky.social with a peek behind the curtain on Baltimore City Council budget negotiations. The budget passed 13-2, but here’s what it took to get there. tinyurl.com/3w6zp8yw
tinyurl.com
Baltimore's budget disagreements were about more than money
The mayor and City Council were both trying to send a message
002
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Brenda Wintrode @brendawintrode.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Maryland DJS Sec. Vincent Schiraldi said on Monday he resigned from @GovWesMoore's cabinet. Moore's office did not confirm the resignation. Moore named Betsy Fox Tolentino of Roca, and former DJS dep. secretary under Hogan, as acting secretary. Interview with Schiraldi: tinyurl.com/y5dk96km
tinyurl.com
Maryland juvenile services secretary Vincent Schiraldi resigns
Gov. Wes Moore’s office announced Monday they’d appointment his replacement, Betsy Fox Tolentino, as acting secretary
075
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Greg Morton @invisibae.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Want to build a house? Renovate your store? You're going to need a building permit. This year Baltimore has been worse at approving new ones than in any since at least 2015. @halliemiller.bsky.social , @emilyopilo.bsky.social and me on the new process. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore's permit backlog was bad. A new system made things worse.
So far, the promised overhaul of Baltimore's permit backlog hasn't worked, according to city data.
157
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Baltimore officials said the revamped permit system would simplify and even accelerate the arduous process. So far, the promised overhaul has backfired, stalling development projects big and small (w/ @halliemiller.bsky.social & @invisibae.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore's permit backlog was bad. A new system made things worse.
So far, the promised overhaul of Baltimore's permit backlog hasn't worked, according to city data.
002
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Baltimore Councilwoman Odette Ramos made an emotional plea for more immigrant assistance funding in the city's budget. The Scott administration called it a "public spectacle" www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
After councilwoman’s tearful plea, mayor’s office publicly commits to more immigrant aid
Mayor Brandon Scott’s office has committed to adding more money for immigration services to the budget, but how much is still up in the air.
012
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Brenda Wintrode @brendawintrode.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Four unexplained fires on Keswick Road since October have neighbors asking what - or who - caused the destruction and hoping they’ve seen the last one. @halliemiller.bsky.social & @emilyopilo.bsky.social took a deeper look.
014
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
A string of fires in Hampden has left neighbors suspicious and on edge (w/ @halliemiller.bsky.social) www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ho...
thebaltimorebanner.com
A string of fires in Hampden has left neighbors suspicious and on edge
Rumors are swirling in the aftermath of four fires on Keswick Road in the Hamden neighborhood in Baltimore City.
003
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Your BGE bill is set to go up again June 1. The Maryland Public Service Commission has ordered BGE to flatten those bills ahead of costly summer months, reports @briaovers.bsky.social www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/bge-...
thebaltimorebanner.com
As BGE bills are about to rise again, utility commission demands a delay
The Maryland Public Service Commission is ordering Baltimore Gas and Electric to mitigate the effects of an impending supply-side rate increase by shifting cost recovery to less expensive times of yea...
135
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
NEW: After almost a yearlong vacancy, Baltimore has picked Michelle Taylor as the city's new health director. In her current role in Shelby Co. TN, she's been critical of leaders ushering in a massive proposed computing center from Elon Musk's xAI www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/pu...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Scott picks Tennessee official to lead Baltimore’s health department
Michelle Taylor is a doctor, breast cancer survivor, Hopkins grad and serves in the Air National Guard
001
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 27/05/2025
Hacker who crippled Baltimore in 2019 ransomware attack pleads guilty
buff.ly
Hacker who crippled Baltimore in 2019 ransomware attack pleads guilty
The attack shut down Baltimore computer and communications systems for months and caused $19 million in lost revenue and expenses.
0166
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Jessica Gallagher @jessicagallagher.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
At 11, she’s turned heartbreak into hope on the National Spelling Bee stage Read the story by @kris10griffith.bsky.social on the @thebaltimorebanner.com ---> tinyurl.com/2rj9mrb5
tinyurl.com
At 11, she’s turned heartbreak into hope on the National Spelling Bee stage
This week, Amelia “Bindi” Ray will take the national stage as the youngest Maryland competitor in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
1617
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Everyone's talking about Preakness ,but the real hot ticket this weekend for Baltimore politicos is ICSC in Las Vegas. Here's everything you need to know about who's going and what it will cost taxpayers www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
The Las Vegas party Baltimore leaders hope might bring more shopping
Baltimore is sending at least eight officials to the annual International Council of Shopping Centers convention at a cost of more than $27,000, according to publicly available travel requests.
000
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Baltimore Firefighter Charles Mudra died this morning after he had a medical emergency during a training exercise. He is the second city firefighter fatally injured in the line of duty this week www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore firefighter dies during training Friday
Charles Mudra, an emergency vehicle driver for the department, suffered a medical emergency as he was training at an East Baltimore facility.
194
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Why is a rich doctor making his South Baltimore marina go bust? Tim Prudente has the details alleged in a new lawsuit www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/harb...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Why is a rich doctor making his South Baltimore marina go bust?
A minority owner of Harborview is suing his business partner, accusing him of a scheme to seize complete control of the South Baltimore marina.
000
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Mayor Scott and YIMBY leaders on the City Council introduced bills today that would roll back Baltimore's restrictions on development density, allow people to build closer to their property lines, and do away with requirements for off-street parking www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/ho...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore’s top YIMBYs want to erase zoning rules blocking more housing
A package of five bills will attempt to make it easier to build and redevelop Baltimore City properties.
054
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Organizers pushing for a second time to get the Baby Bonus on Baltimore ballots had hoped to head off a court challenge from the city like the one that killed their effort last fall. A judge rejected their request. @mayaklora.bsky.social has more: www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore ‘baby bonus’ advocates hit another roadblock
The Maryland Child Alliance is back to collecting signatures to create a fund for parents of newborns.
012
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Federal job cuts cost Baltimore tax revenue, punching $5.9 million hole in budget www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Federal job cuts cost Baltimore revenue, punching $5.9M hole in budget
City officials know of at least 12,000 federal employees who work in Baltimore, but there are untold more who commute to other locations or work from home in the city.
000
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 05/05/2025
Baltimore Banner wins Pulitzer Prize for coverage of overdose crisis
buff.ly
Baltimore Banner wins Pulitzer Prize for coverage of overdose crisis
The Baltimore Banner was awarded the Pulitzer Prize on Monday for groundbreaking local journalism that exposed Baltimore as the deadliest large city in the nation for drug overdoses.
27713134
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Before he took office, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates criticized Marilyn Mosby’s frequent travel. Now he’s disregarding the rules she inspired.🧵 www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Ivan Bates criticized Marilyn Mosby’s travel. He’s disregarding rules she inspired.
A Baltimore Banner analysis of city records and social media posts found that Bates spent at least 44 days outside the city since he took office, excluding personal travel which does not need to be ap...
166
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Camp Small was warned of fire and environmental hazards ahead of a massive Dec. blaze. Notices of blocked fire lanes and combustible mulch didn’t appear to contribute to the fire, but other violations remain www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Camp Small was warned of fire hazards ahead of massive blaze
The facility was faulted for blocked fire lanes and combustible mulch, but those don't appear to have contributed to the fire.
011
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Aberdeen’s mayor says the IronBirds will likely leave his city’s Ripken Stadium amid a long-simmering battle over costs. The owner of the Commanders has a potential plan for the site, @justinfenton.bsky.social reports www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/lo...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Arbitrator could soon decide IronBirds’ fate at Ripken Stadium
Aberdeen Mayor Patrick McGrady says the IronBirds will likely leave his city’s Ripken Stadium amid a long-simmering battle over costs.
010
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Baltimore is suing a group that received some of its federal coronavirus relief funds, alleging that they used money that was supposed to provide rental assistance and mental health resources to instead buy a neighboring property www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore sues group that used federal COVID aid to buy property
Baltimore City is suing Ahavas Chaim after the group used federal COVID-19 aid intended for rental assistance to buy property instead.
010
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
On Monday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott unveiled plans to lower property taxes to under $2 by 2028. On Tuesday, city finance officials revealed how they're thinking of paying for it -- a new trash bill for residents www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
A Baltimore property tax cut could come with a higher trash bill
Cutting Baltimore City property tax rates would come at a cost — about $120 million annually.
010
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Weeks after the Trump admin. seized Kilmar Abrego Garcia and stashed him in a Salvadoran prison, it was Maryland's genteel senator who grabbed the world by the collar to demand its attention. @brendawintrode.bsky.social examines Van Hollen's new spotlight www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Maryland’s Van Hollen stepped up to Trump — and into the national spotlight
The Trump administration has so far denied a unanimous U.S Supreme Court order to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return, and the president has called Chris Van Hollen a “fake” and a “grandstander” ...
022
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Taxes, test scores, the arts: 3 promises in Mayor Scott’s State of the City address www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
3 promises in Mayor Scott’s State of the City address
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott delivered his State of the City speech in a more casual, TED Talk-style format.
020
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
After a bumpy start, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market returns full force, reports Christina Tkacik www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/food...
thebaltimorebanner.com
After a bumpy start, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market returns full force
With Hula-Hoops and mini doughnuts in 40-degree weather, the city celebrated the return of its cherished Baltimore Farmers’ Market.
020
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
The Midtown Community Benefits District, imperiled by inaction of the Baltimore City Council last year, won a vote to keep operating. Property owners opted to keep paying a special tax for cleaning and greening the area www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Midtown Benefits District wins vote to keep operating
Out of 1,086 votes cast, 86% were in support of keeping the special taxing district that pays for trash pickup, economic development and other initiatives.
010
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Frustrated with the Trump administration, some federal workers and family members said they came to the overpass looking for catharsis, community and a form of validation that only dozens of car horns per hour can provide, @lillianreed.bsky.social reports www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Why federal workers are shouting from an I-95 overpass
Frustrated with the Trump administration, some federal workers and family members said they came to the Gorman Road overpass of I-95 looking for catharsis, community and a form of validation.
0157
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Jasmine Vaughn-Hall @jasminevaughnhall.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Fredricka Gray, Freddie Gray’s twin sister, sat down with me this week to talk about her older brother by 13 minutes. It’ll be 10 years this month since he was killed and Fredricka feels like half of her is gone. @kaitlinobscura.bsky.social 📸 www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/fr...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Freddie Gray died after his arrest by Baltimore police a decade ago. His twin now has words to share.
Ten years ago, Freddie Gray died at the hands of Baltimore Police. Now, his twin sister, Fredericka Gray, talks about his death.
07326
Emily Opilo @emilyopilo.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Baltimore freezes spending at over-budget police, fire and parks agencies as economy slides and tough budget year approaches www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebaltimorebanner.com
Baltimore freezes spending at police, fire and parks as economy slides
The freeze, which was announced to the City Council during a hearing Tuesday, was put in place two weeks ago.
131
Reposted by Emily Opilo
Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 07/04/2025
The General Assembly wraps up today! Maryland’s state lawmakers are literally counting down until midnight, when they’ll adjourn their annual 90-day session of lawmaking. Live coverage: They’ve got a lot on their final day to-do list
buff.ly
Live coverage: The General Assembly wraps up today
The budget is just about done, and lawmakers are looking to get a few other high-profile pieces of legislation finished before leaving Annapolis.
052