“The current quarantine notice is quite disturbing. We now have something like six to eight counties here in Maryland that are now quarantined for this rascal,” said the “Bug Guy” Mike Raupp, an entomologist and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland. “That indicates to me it’s spreading very rapidly and we’re getting better at detecting where exactly this very noxious pest is here in Maryland.”

The latest confirmed detections in Maryland’s Eastern Shore counties have led to quarantines being declared in Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. State agriculture officials said the moth was confirmed in Caroline, Cecil and Queen Anne’s counties, while Kent County was added because of its proximity to the affected areas and Delaware.

This comes after quarantines were put in place for Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. In December, Virginia declared a quarantine for the bug in Clarke and Frederick counties and the city of Winchester.

“This boxwood tree moth can actually be a killer of these boxwoods in a very, very rapid period of time,” Raupp said.

The quarantine zones are meant to slow the spread of the box tree moth by restricting the movement of boxwoods and related plant material out of areas where the pest has been found. The idea is to keep people from accidentally transporting the moth to new areas, even though the insect can also spread on its own by flying.

Raupp has been among those investigating the spread, and he said homeowners need to act quickly if their plants become infested. Boxwoods are common in residential landscaping throughout the region, but they’re also part of iconic landscapes, including Mount Vernon, Dumbarton Oaks and the National Arboretum.

“We’ve found that people who have discovered box tree moth, perhaps a month ago, come back to that plant and see that it’s 100% dead within the span of, let’s say, a month or two months,” Raupp said.

He added people not in quarantine zones should not ignore reports of the moths because they don’t stay within declared zones and they are “great fliers.”

“Don’t be at all surprised if it can jump great distances here,” Raupp said.

He recommends homeowners examine their plants frequently. Raupp said there is no preventive treatment available if your boxwoods aren’t infested, making early detection critical.

He said one telltale sign of the moth’s arrival is a change in your plant’s appearance.

“If you start to see browning in the canopy, dig a little bit deeper, see if you see silk,” Raupp said.

He said to next search the browning boxwood for silk webbing and dark green caterpillars with black and yellow stripes. If you suspect they’ve arrived at your home, take a picture of what you’ve found and report it to Virginia or Maryland’s agriculture departments.

If you’ve caught the infestation early enough, light infestations can often be treated with caterpillar-targeting insecticides, including Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), while heavily infested plants may need to be removed and destroyed to help prevent the pest from spreading.

If a plant is too far gone, it should be removed, and Maryland officials urge that the remains of the plant to be double-bagged and placed in the trash.

While Raupp said the spread is concerning, he stressed homeowners who catch an infestation early still have a chance to save their plants.

“If you’ve got boxwoods, look at those boxwoods right now. If you have box tree moths, and it hasn’t killed your boxwood, there’s redemption here. You can shut that thing down,” he said.

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That’s where D.C. software engineer Adam Stambouli comes in.

For years, he wanted to develop a tool that would make all that information easier to search, but he couldn’t overcome the technical hurdles.

“It’s a really tough data problem that I wasn’t able to solve,” Stambouli said.

This year, he tried again with the help of artificial intelligence. The result is , a website that lets you use a computer or phone to filter through offerings from hundreds of participating restaurants.

“If, you know, this week I’m in a mood to eat some good steak, I could easily search for that and find all the restaurants that are serving steak,” he said.

Once the site came to life, the results opened his eyes to just how much Restaurant Week has to offer, which includes close to 400 participating restaurants.

“Then thinking about, you know, every dish that is available, I think the current count is 7,000 or close to 8,000 different dishes that are available,” he said.

Not only can users filter by dish, ingredient and type of cuisine, they can also find restaurants that have earned critical acclaim, Michelin recognition, James Beard honors and other distinctions.

“This is a great opportunity to try out new cuisine, try out restaurants that are acclaimed that maybe, you know, you haven’t had the time to go try out,” he said.

The site also identifies restaurants offering Restaurant Week menus beyond Aug. 30.

Restaurant Week prices are set at $35 for brunch and lunch and $65 for dinner. Stambouli’s site also analyzes menus to show where diners may be getting the best value compared with what those dishes typically cost.

The website is not affiliated with Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week, but Stambouli hopes it will help people make plans and take advantage of the annual celebration of local restaurants. He said the feedback so far has encouraged him to continue improving the site.

“This really came from an idea to serve me, I mean, as a diner, so I’m glad it’s resonating with a lot of people,” he said.

Ultimately, he hopes more people use the tool to discover something new.

“All of this is, you know, comes from making it easier to find a restaurant that you maybe haven’t heard of yet, maybe find a place, your new favorite restaurant,” he said.

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Bethesda, Maryland, resident Jeffrey Bloch is helping lead Maryland’s effort through the campaign. The group is trying to raise $13,000 for a vehicle for use by a Ukrainian military unit.

Funds raised through 50 States for Ukraine are used by the organization Car for Ukraine to purchase, modify and deliver vehicles. According to the fundraising website, efforts in neighboring D.C. and Virginia have already raised enough money to fund multiple vehicles.

“These are not really the large military vehicles or tanks, things like that, that are normally associated with government aid packages, but they are a bit smaller vehicles that are not covered under these aid packages, but they’re very urgently needed on the ground,” Bloch said.

He said Maryland volunteers have raised nearly half the money needed for a truck. Similar fundraising efforts in neighboring Washington, D.C., and Virginia have already funded multiple vehicles.

Bloch said many of the people involved in the effort do not have personal ties to Ukraine.

“I don’t have a drop of Ukrainian blood, but let me tell you there’s a lot of people I have met through these organizations that are also similar to me, they don’t have any Ukrainian connection per se, but are very supportive of Ukraine and want to do what they can to help,” Bloch said.

In Ukraine, volunteer Rebecca Boone Wolf helps deliver vehicles obtained through the campaign. She is an American from Arizona who currently lives in Kyiv.

She said Car for Ukraine typically purchases and modifies vehicles that are no more than 10 years old before turning them over to military units.

“A lot of the times they are using the trucks to evac injured soldiers off the front line or to do what they call like a rotation, they drive in quickly, pick up people, drop people off, and then drive out quickly,” Boone Wolf said.

She said the vehicles also serve as a visible sign of support from Americans, with the name of the state that helped fund a vehicle added before delivery.

“The fact that I show up with a truck that has this 50 states symbol on it, right? It has all this American stuff,” Boone Wolf said. “They feel supported. They feel like they haven’t been forgotten.”

If Maryland reaches its fundraising goal, the vehicle purchased through the campaign would carry the state’s name before being delivered overseas, organizers said.

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As parents and educators raise questions about how much screen time kids are getting during the school day, school districts in the D.C. area are taking a closer look at classroom technology, adding guardrails around its use and putting renewed emphasis on teacher-led instruction, books, writing and face-to-face learning, especially for younger students.

In Montgomery County, Chief Academic Officer Niki Porter said concerns from parents and educators have led the school system to look at learning materials, particularly for elementary and middle school students, that rely less on technology.

“At the elementary level, we are really at the primary levels, kindergarten to second grade, really there’s no need to use technology,” she said.

Porter said elementary school teachers primarily use paper, pencils and workbooks, with technology used mostly for assessments.

“We are moving away from heavy reliance on technology,” Porter said.

Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia are also examining technology use in the classroom and has launched a pilot program to determine whether students in kindergarten through second grade need one-to-one devices.

“Maybe there are other ways to meet the needs of these classrooms instead of having a one-to-one device assigned to students,” said Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Neil Slevin.

For students in third through fifth grade, district-issued devices no longer provide access to YouTube and Gmail.

“It’s not so much about the removal of the technology, it’s is this the right moment in time to use the technology,” Slevin said.

In Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, students are increasingly being asked to go tech-free during parts of the school day, including lunch, recess and class transitions at elementary schools.

Chief Information Officer Andrew Zuckerman said the main concern he is hearing is that there is an overreliance on technology at schools.

“The thing that becomes an issue in schools is when that screen time becomes more recreational, more passive,” he said.

Zuckerman said the goal is maintaining a balanced instructional technology approach while limiting times when devices can become a distraction.

In Prince William County, Virginia, students are issued iPads for classwork, but Superintendent LaTanya McDade said those devices are not meant to take the place of time-tested classroom instruction.

“We still believe that every student should have a book in hand,” McDade said.

At Alexandria City Public Schools, Chief Information Officer Emily Dillard said the focus remains on in-person classroom instruction, with technology used as a targeted learning tool rather than the driver of instruction.

“We provide professional learning to staff regarding purposeful use of technology, rather than low-value technology usage.”

Dillard said the district’s 2023-28 Technology Plan called for creating an Educational Technology Advisory Group, which is launching this year to gather community feedback and help shape future technology use in classrooms.

While the approaches vary, the districts are trying to answer a similar question: How much classroom screen time is appropriate, particularly for younger students?

In D.C., the school system recently revealed plans to create grade-level guidelines for technology use, reduce unnecessary screen time and monitor how much time students spend on digital learning platforms, including i-Ready. The changes came in response to concerns raised by the advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens.

School leaders say technology remains an important classroom tool. The question is no longer whether devices should be used, but how much screen time is appropriate and when technology adds value to a lesson.

Montgomery County, Maryland, is among the systems taking a deeper look at that question. Porter said a recently approved comprehensive review will include surveys of schools and an examination of how technology is being used across grade levels. The findings will be used to develop more specific guidance on classroom technology use.

“Our goal is for the fall of next school year to be able to have very specific guidance in place for the district,” Porter said.

For Montgomery County, Porter said one principle will remain unchanged.

“The technology does not lead. That the teacher is the one that leads the instruction and is engaging the students,” Porter said.

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It’s promising news after concerns earlier this summer as the region came into the season following two years of drought, according to Renee Bourassa with the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

“We were a little anxious, I’ll be honest, going into this season coming off of two years of drought,” she said.

The group’s latest report shows that a week ago, 12% of the Potomac watershed was in a severe drought. Now, none of it is, and river flows are running above average for this time of year. Bourassa said the Potomac is a “flashy river,” meaning water levels can rise or fall quickly depending on weather conditions, so conditions can still change quickly.

“Our rain deficit has decreased by a couple inches just since last week. That’s also looking good, as well as river flows are pretty good for this time of year. They’re actually above average,” Bourassa said.

The improving conditions are also helping the region’s drinking water outlook. Bourassa said water supplies are where they need to be to meet the D.C. area’s needs, while reservoir levels have remained full throughout the year.

“The reservoir levels have been full throughout the year. We have not drawn down as far as water for water supply in the reservoirs, which is great news for us,” she said.

Even so, the region remains under a drought watch. More than 8 inches of rainfall is still needed to get back to average for the past year, and much of the watershed remains in moderate drought. Bourassa said more steady rain is needed to help recharge groundwater, and residents should continue using water wisely.

“Be careful of how much water you use. It’s really important to protect our water resources and the Potomac River, which is our source of water in the region,” she said.

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It comes as a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from ending an expected move of the headquarters to Greenbelt and instead relocate it to another D.C. building.

“The court’s ruling is really a victory for Greenbelt and Prince George’s County and Maryland, and for the FBI,” said Greenbelt Mayor Pro Tem Kristen Weaver.

The ruling restores the project to the site that was selected after a lengthy federal review process. Weaver said the courts backed up the importance of a selection process.

“I think it just emphasizes that there’s a reason for that process and a reason all the steps need to be taken,” she said.

“It’s important to respect that process and come to the outcome that is really the best-suited site for the FBI.”

The FBI headquarters project has faced uncertainty since plans emerged to instead move the agency into the Ronald Reagan Building in Downtown D.C.

But Weaver said she remained confident Greenbelt would ultimately remain the chosen location.

“I was always hopeful that we would make progress because it is the best site, and the process was rigorous and detailed, and took into account so many different factors,” she said.

Weaver said the site makes the most sense, with the site situated next to the Greenbelt Metro station.

“I think being at a Metro site and that close access is one of the key points. It is right by the Beltway. It’s right by the Baltimore-Washington Parkway,” she said.

City leaders also see the project as a major economic opportunity.

“It’ll be really a boon to the economy, not just in Greenbelt, but in Prince George’s County and all up and down the Metro and MARC line,” Weaver said.

In a statement, the FBI blasted the ruling as politically motivated, saying courts are interfering with the Trump administration’s efforts to find a more cost-effective headquarters solution. The agent vowed to remain focused on its law enforcement mission.

Weaver said the city hopes the project stays on the rails from this point forward and believes, once built, the headquarters will spur new development and improve transportation access around the site.

“I hope to see a reinvigoration of some of our empty office space, some new businesses come in, maybe better improvements in terms of access to the Metro, in terms of better bike and pedestrian access,” she said.

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Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority leaders addressed the questions during a meeting Wednesday at which the board approved the first $15.5 billion piece of the project.

“There have been statements out in the public that this is tax money. This is not tax money,” MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter said.

Funding will come from airport revenue sources such as parking fees and concession sales, along with airline payments, passenger facility charges and $14.2 billion in municipal bonds, said Andy Rountree, WMAA’s chief financial officer.

“Municipal bond funds to be issued by the airports authority, of course, are the primary source for the capital construction program,” he said.

The overhaul would unfold over roughly 15 years, officials said, reducing reliance on the airport’s signature mobile lounges, also known as people movers, through an expanded AeroTrain system and new passenger connections. The project would also replace the aging C and D concourses, renovating terminals and adding gates.

Potter disputed reports suggesting the airport’s cost per passenger could eventually reach $90, calling the figure erroneous.

“It was a number that was in an early projection before all the information that was needed to be received from the airlines was input into the model,” Potter said.

Potter said updated projections show that figure gradually rising to between $60 and $65 over the next 12 to 15 years.

“I just want to make sure that everyone understands that projection is a 12-year projection, so it’s not tomorrow,” he said.

Potter stressed that doesn’t mean travelers would see a direct surcharge added to their tickets.

“No, it is not added to the price of a ticket,” he said.

Potter noted that airlines supported the project before it came to the board for approval.

Airport leaders said they believe the overhaul will make Dulles more efficient, add capacity and improve the passenger experience.

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Now, music is returning to the historic venue, as organizers bring it back to life for three nights starting Thursday with the help of a temporary stage and some familiar local performers.

Built in 1950 as part of Washington’s 150th anniversary celebration, Carter Barron was one of only three locations in Washington that was not segregated when it opened, according to Rock Creek Conservancy Executive Director Dan Puskar. It later hosted everyone from Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington to Bruce Springsteen and D.C.’s own Chuck Brown.

“Some of the biggest acts in the nation came through Rock Creek Park, came through the Carter Barron Amphitheater,” Puskar said.

Puskar said the venue also played a role in music history, as Bruce Springsteen brought songs from his Born to Run album to the Carter Barron stage during a tour before the album’s release.

“Bruce Springsteen basically premiered Born to Run on the stage at the Carter Barron,” he said.

The amphitheater’s last full season was in 2016 before structural problems forced it to close. This week marks the first time audiences will return for live performances in nearly a decade.

“For the first time in a decade, we are able to open on a limited basis this site for people to hear the sounds of D.C. once again,” Puskar said.

Rock Creek Conservancy has teamed up with the DC Jazz Festival and Washington Performing Arts to host concerts this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The lineup includes local acts such as Black Alley and Sylver Logan Sharp.

“I think it was really important for us, knowing that Carter Barron for decades has been the soundtrack of Washington, D.C., to focus on incredible local artists,” Puskar said.

With that in mind, the lineup includes many D.C.-area based artists, some of whom have a connection to the venue.

“I think it’s also really special to us that a couple of the performers, like Black Alley and Sylver Logan Sharp, have previously performed at the Carter Barron,” he said.

Because the original stage remains structurally deficient, organizers are bringing in a temporary stage that will sit over the first several rows of seats. The concerts will also rely on portable restrooms and other temporary infrastructure as the venue operates in a limited capacity.

“The original stage itself is still not structurally sound enough, so we had to get creative, and it’s amazing what production companies can do these days,” Puskar said.

Organizers expect more than 1,500 people each night, well below the amphitheater’s historic capacity of more than 4,000 attendees.

“We still look forward to welcoming more than 1,500 people every night to come in,” Puskar said.

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While the return is temporary, Puskar said the effort is about reminding people why the venue matters and to build support for a larger restoration effort being developed with the National Park Service.

“The quest to reopen Carter Barron truly is not over. In fact, in some ways, we still feel like we’re in our early days,” he said.

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Officials with Prince George’s County Public Schools said this school year won’t be a repeat of the start of last year, when school buses arrived late for some families or didn’t show up at all.

This year, school system officials said the transportation department is entering the school year better staffed. They’re encouraging parents to take a few steps to help make sure their children get to school without issues.

“We learned a lot from last year,” said Prince George’s County Public Schools Transportation Director Keba Baldwin.

Baldwin said the school system has been communicating with families and encouraging them to verify their transportation information before school begins. He said parents should make sure their children are registered to take the bus and contact their school if they have questions about whether or not they’ve been assigned a bus.

“The biggest part is working with the school to make sure the correct information is in our ParentVue system so then it hits my transportation system where we can appropriately assign you a bus,” he said.

Parents are also being encouraged to download the Chipmunk bus-tracking app, which Baldwin said provides estimated arrival times and updates about a child’s bus. He said the app is one of the improvements made following last year’s challenges.

Last year, families complained about late buses, missed pickups and long waits for answers as the school system struggled with a bus driver shortage. By late September, school leaders said transportation service was improving, although some challenges remained.

This year, Baldwin said the transportation department is about 95% staffed. He said the district will operate roughly 1,000 buses each day with more than 1,000 drivers and about 300 bus attendants helping to get kids to class.

With classes set to begin next Tuesday, thousands of students are expected to rely on school buses to get to and from school.

One request he has for parents is not to drive children to school during the first days of the school year if they intend to have them ride the bus regularly.

“Please allow your students to ride the school bus because we need to be able to take a ridership count so that we can clean up our stops to maximize the use of our buses,” Baldwin said.

He said those early rider counts help the school system determine which stops are being used and make adjustments to routes.

Baldwin added that parents who encounter transportation issues on the first day of school should contact their child’s school first so staff can help resolve the problem.

He also had a message for students riding the bus this year: follow the code of conduct, respect fellow students and remember that drivers are responsible for safely transporting dozens of children each day.

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This story is part of ������Ƶapp’s 2026 Back to School coverage.

Thousands of Prince George’s County Public Schools employees turned the home of the Chesapeake Baysox into a back-to-school pep rally Monday, as the Maryland district held its first-ever Staff Fest ahead of the new school year.

The event at Prince George’s Stadium was designed to build excitement and strengthen connections across the school system before students return on Aug. 25.

The district’s new superintendent, Shawn Joseph, said the gathering was about building culture and reminding employees of their shared mission, one that includes keeping students and families at the center of everything the district does.

“We’re going to remind them that we’re here for children and we’re here for families,” Joseph said. “And we need all 22,000 people to be clear that we have an opportunity to transform children’s lives every single day.”

The event featured food, games and giveaways, but many employees said they’re mostly excited about seeing the students again.

“I miss my kids,” community school coordinator Rochel Jeffrey said.

“Seeing the kids come through the door, ’cause I know that, you know, with the times the way it is now, they’re hungry. They’re ready to eat. They’re ready to learn, and I love it,” Ladon Campbell, a food and nutrition services assistant, said.

Paraprofessional educator Angela Davis Sutton said the event boosted morale, and she was a little nervous but “very excited” about the first day of school.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all the little brains and just giving them everything that I have to make sure that they’re successful for college and life,” Davis Sutton said.

Teacher Monica Mayo-James also said bringing employees together before the first day of school helps create momentum.

“It boosts teacher morale, and it encourages networking, friendships,” she said.

Carolyn Marshall, a longtime Largo High School substitute teacher, said she’s excited about the first day of school “because I love our kids.”

But the 81-year-old had a warning for students who think they’re going to get away with more when she’s in charge.

“They know that I’m a no-nonsense teacher,” Marshall said. “They’re going to learn even if I am a substitute teacher in that classroom. OK? They’re not going to sit there and just do nothing.”

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Eight people were killed in crashes across the state between Aug. 10 and Aug. 16, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. Since the start of August, six drivers, five motorcyclists, three passengers and two pedestrians have died in crashes statewide.

“The Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland State Police continue to urge motorists to Slow the Fast Down” — a reference to an anti-speeding campaign launched in July — “and drive safely during the summer travel season,” the agency said.

Maryland roadway deaths declined in 2024 and 2025, and are trending lower again this year. As of Aug. 17, 255 people had died, compared with 296 at the same point in 2025, according to preliminary data from the state.

Among the deaths recorded so far this year were 114 drivers, 49 pedestrians, 37 passengers and six bicyclists.

But motorcycle deaths are on pace to exceed last year’s total.

The state said 49 motorcyclists had been killed on Maryland roads as of Aug. 17, matching the total recorded during all of 2025.

The other categories remain below last year’s totals. In 2025, Maryland recorded 234 driver deaths, 109 pedestrian deaths, 83 passenger deaths and 10 bicyclist deaths.

In response, the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland State Police are urging drivers to be especially cautious around motorcycles. The state recommends that drivers look twice before changing lanes or making turns because motorcycles can be more difficult to see, particularly in blind spots.

The agencies are also reminding drivers to obey posted speed limits, avoid distractions behind the wheel, never drive impaired and wear seat belts on every trip.

Additional safety reminders include moving over for vehicles with flashing lights, slowing down in work zones, sharing the road with pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, and pulling off to a safe location if a vehicle experiences a flat tire or other roadside emergency.

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City leaders said they’re already talking with developers of two recently sold federal buildings as they look at a potential major long-term redevelopment opportunity.

D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert told ������Ƶapp the city is already working with the buyers of the Liberty Loan Building and the Regional Office Building as discussions continue about what’s next for the area.

The James V. Forrestal Building, the massive Brutalist federal office building near L’Enfant Plaza, could create additional redevelopment opportunities in the years ahead as the Department of Energy plans to move out of the building.

“This kind of activity of these movements of federal agencies is incredibly important,” Albert said.

According to Albert, Southwest is one of five major federal enclaves in the District, alongside Federal Triangle, the area near Foggy Bottom, St. Elizabeths and NoMa. But she said Southwest stands apart because of the amount of underused office space there.

“I think it’s a big opportunity,” Albert said.

Albert said The Yards project serves as a model for what could happen. She pointed out the federal government helped anchor that redevelopment with a new Department of Transportation headquarters, while the District followed with a $600 million investment in Nationals Park. The result, she said, was more than 12 million square feet of private development along the waterfront.

Still, she cautioned against expecting quick change.

“This area is about the size of Downtown,” Albert said.

Any transformation would likely happen in phases over many years. Albert also said keeping federal agencies and workers in D.C. remains important because the federal government continues to be a major part of the city’s economy.

She said the challenge will be creating a neighborhood that gives people reasons to live, work and spend time there.

“We know that a mix of uses is the recipe for success,” Albert said.

The city is also working to support redevelopment. Legislation approved by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council that created a fund for reinvestment in Southwest, Downtown and the Golden Triangle, along with a tax abatement program aimed at helping buyers of former federal properties redevelop them. She said those tools could help support future redevelopment efforts in Southwest.

Redeveloping buildings alone won’t be enough, Albert said. The discussion also needs to be around attracting more residents, businesses and visitors to grow the city’s tax base and support future development.

Some of the large federal buildings could eventually be converted into apartments, while other oversized properties could attract museums, entertainment uses or other big tenants.

“There has to be a catalytic investment in that neighborhood so that people see the direction and have a clear vision of what could be achieved,” Albert said.

Looking ahead to the next administration, Albert said the next mayor should partner with the General Services Administration on a few major projects that signal Southwest’s potential to investors and residents alike.

She said an important part of that vision is creating a stronger connection between the National Mall and the Wharf.

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For many people in the D.C. region, summer memories include trips to Ocean City, Maryland. Now, some of those memories are up for grabs.

featuring retired Ocean City Boardwalk and street signs is drawing bids from longtime visitors, residents and collectors who want to take home a piece of the beach town’s history.

When Wyatt Harrison, owner of Plak That, got the job of replacing Ocean City’s Boardwalk signs, including the street signs with marlins on them and boardwalk regulation signs, he had to decide what to do with the old ones.

Rather than recycling the aluminum or dumping them, he came up with another idea.

“I didn’t want to just like give one sign to one person, and then have like other people on that street mad at me or mad at my company,” Harrison said.

Harrison’s company replaced hundreds of signs throughout Ocean City and decided to save and the retired signs.

“You’ve got the ‘leave only your footprint signs,’ which are real classic, have that big footprint on them from like the beach accesses, then you’ve got some like ordinance and rules,” Harrison said.

Part of the reason for the interest, he said, is the emotional connection people have to specific parts of Ocean City.

“Everyone kind of has their street,” Harrison said. “Even if you haven’t been to Ocean City in 40 years, you remember some street that something happened to you.”

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He said families, longtime visitors and collectors are all trying to claim a piece of Ocean City history.

“Some of them I know are pooling their money to just like outbid everybody and keep it at like the family house,” Harrison said.

The signs come with decades of memories and, Harrison suspects, more than a few stories.

Asked which sign might have seen the most over the years, Harrison pointed to one in particular.

“I would say, yeah, maybe like ‘North Division Street’ boardwalk sign has probably seen some stuff,” he said.

And when it comes to signs closer to where he grew up, he joked:

“I know the ones that we looked at every day at, you know, at Malibu’s (surf shop) on Eighth Street and Surf Avenue. I mean, I’m glad those things can’t talk,” he said.

Net proceeds from the auction will benefit Believe In Tomorrow, a nonprofit that helps children with serious illnesses and their families.

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“The reality is that each one of those submarkets could be having a completely different experience than other markets, some being very much skewed toward buyers, others very much being skewed toward sellers, and some of those markets are balanced,” Eldad Moraru, a D.C.-area real estate agent with Compass Real Estate, said.

Many people talk about the D.C.-area housing market as if it were one market, Moraru said, but that’s not really the case. He pointed to differences between neighborhoods, price points and housing types, saying conditions can vary dramatically from one market segment to another.

And buyers and sellers can run into trouble when they assume the market conditions in one neighborhood apply everywhere, he said.

Take, for instance, the condo market in the nation’s capital.

“The D.C. condo market is very much skewed in the buyers’ advantage. There’s a lot of inventory, and the rate at which these condos are going under contract is pretty slow,” he said.

But for those shopping at the top of the market, an entirely different picture is unfolding.

“If you happen to be in the ultra luxury market, that market is incredibly robust right now,” he said.

Moraru said those differences matter because buyers and sellers who rely solely on overall market headlines may end up making the wrong assumptions about their own situation.

“You might be lulled into believing that the market you’re in currently, you’re going to be able to negotiate. You’re going to be able to get a great deal and take your time. But if you happen to be in that market that’s favoring the sellers, you may be disappointed, and more importantly, you may miss out on some pretty important opportunities,” Moraru said.

So how do you know what your segment of the market is doing?

Moraru said that comes down to examining a few key indicators, including how long homes stay on the market, the number of properties for sale compared with those going under contract, and the pace at which available inventory is being absorbed.

“If a home has been on the market for two weeks or longer, the likelihood that it’s going to get snapped up in multiple offers goes down,” Moraru said.

Moraru’s bottom line: Buyers and sellers should focus less on broad housing headlines and more on what is happening in their specific neighborhood, price range and type of home.

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Patients across the D.C and Baltimore area have no shortage of highly rated hospitals close to home, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

A dozen hospitals in the D.C. area earned the magazine’s Best Regional Hospital recognition, while The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore again landed among the nation’s elite medical centers.

Johns Hopkins made U.S. News’ Honor Roll, which recognizes the nation’s top 20 hospitals overall. The Baltimore hospital was nationally ranked in 14 specialties, including No. 1 in obstetrics and gynecology and No. 3 in ophthalmology.

This year’s rankings put greater emphasis on patient outcomes, including survival rates, readmissions and complications, U.S. News senior health data analyst Chelsey Wen told ������Ƶapp. The shift helped more smaller hospitals earn recognition.

“This year the number of hospitals with less than 200 beds has doubled,” Wen said.

In the D.C. region, MedStar Washington Hospital Center ranked No. 1, followed by Inova Fairfax Hospital at No. 2 and VHC Health at No. 3. George Washington University Hospital and Inova Alexandria Hospital tied for No. 4. Other hospitals recognized as Best Regional Hospitals were MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Mary Washington Hospital, Inova Loudoun Hospital, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine-Sibley Memorial Hospital and Reston Hospital Center.

Wen said the rankings reflect the overall strength of healthcare in the region.

“It looks like D.C. also has some really high-resource hospitals that are high-referral centers as well,” she said.

Several area hospitals also earned national recognition in specialty areas.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center was nationally ranked in cardiology, heart and vascular surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.

Inova Fairfax Hospital was nationally ranked in obstetrics and gynecology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital was nationally ranked for cancer care, and MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital was nationally ranked in rehabilitation.

New this year are regional specialty rankings in cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation. U.S. News said the rankings are intended to help patients compare options for complex care closer to home.

For patients looking at , Wen said national rankings are only part of the picture.

“Even if a hospital isn’t nationally ranked, is not No. 1 or No. 5 in the country, there are still a lot of really great options,” she said.

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