The year 2024 was big for The Baltimore Banner and the largest county we cover. Rona Kobell joined the staff in March and immediately began reporting on all manner of developments in Baltimore County government. Danny Nguyen joined in October and hit the ground running with election coverage, a dispute over a proposed crematorium, and the race to fill County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s post come January. Here are some of the stories that changed our lives.

1. Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse — We will likely all remember where we were when we saw the Francis Scott Key bridge fold like an accordion on a cellphone video. Six people died in the early morning tragedy on March 26, including several county residents. The Port of Baltimore stopped all commerce for weeks. Baltimore-area traffic is still being disrupted. The bridge will be rebuilt with federal funds, but the Essex, Sparrows Point and Turner’s Station neighborhoods will never be the same.

2. Luigi Mangione arrest — No one who was paying attention to the news that a young man assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, then fled on a bicycle, would ever have thought the prime suspect would be from Towson. And yet, Luigi Mangione — scion of a Baltimore County family known for their investments in real estate — was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He faces charges in New York and Pennsylvania.

3. Loch Raven shooting — Violent crime is still rare in the county, and especially in Towson, so we were shocked to be covering an incident this month in which 10 people were shot, one fatally, near Loch Raven Boulevard and White Oak. At press time, police were still gathering information, but many of the victims were teenagers.

4. Expanding the County Council — Though politicians have talked about expanding the seven-member County Council for decades, it finally happened in 2024. A charter amendment passed, allowing for two new seats. The council is now all-male and with one only member of color; the aim is to have one that more closely resembles the increasingly diverse county. The new districts are still being worked out, but the council will look different in 2026.

5. Olszewski elected to Congress — Johnny Olszewski Jr. was six years into his tenure as county executive when he ran for, and won, an open seat to represent the area in Congress. He will succeed U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a fellow Democrat who is not seeking reelection. Olszewski governed as a progressive, focusing on housing, diversity in government and more recreation space. Meanwhile, Baltimore County, like every other jurisdiction, shifted to the right. University of Maryland, Baltimore County students conducted exit polls to see what animated the region’s voters on Election Day. They found residents crossed party lines on their ballots. Baltimore County’s large Jewish population, meanwhile, moved slightly to the right in the election; we dug in to explain why.

6. New county executive — Olszewski’s departure opened up an unconventional race for a candidate to finish the last two years of his term. The council has narrowed the field of applicants to five finalists, and will announce its pick at a Jan. 6 meeting. At press time, we don’t know who the candidate is, but whoever takes the reins will face major challenges. Among them: a budget shortfall, a county losing population, and the needs of many immigrants.

8. Millions for marshes — The Olszewski administration spent $2.25 million to buy a marshy slice of waterfront property two blocks from Olszewski’s house to build a park with a kayak ramp. The county almost always uses state Open Space money for such purchases, but they didn’t in this case. The administration also provided $6.5 million for renovations to a clubhouse at Rocky Point Golf Course, even though the agency that oversees the courses has $18 million in its budget for such things. We are trying to get more information, but the Revenue Authority meetings are not entirely open as required by law.

7. Catholic Church closings. Baltimore County was not spared in the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s church merger plan, which is reducing the number of parishes in Baltimore and parts of the county, from 61 to 23. Several churches just outside the city were affected, including St. Pius X in Towson, which has appealed its planned closure to Rome. Meanwhile, the Burmese community helped spare Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus.

9. Powerless over power lines — Many Baltimore residents joined with fellow landowners in Carroll and Frederick counties to express frustration about a project to build power lines on farms and preserved land in Baltimore County. They finally got the attention of Gov. Wes Moore, who expressed concerns about the project.

10. Zoning battles. Baltimore County’s autonomous council zoning decisions continue to vex and frustrate residents. Among the issues this year: Boring fought to keep out a construction site; White Marsh is still fighting a proposed crematorium; a local church and day care is upset about a gun shop next door; and a boardinghouse that’s a lifeline for seniors may have to close.

This story has been updated to give the correct number of seats on the Baltimore County Council.