ABC Capital files for bankruptcy

We began reporting on a Philadelphia-based developer, ABC Capital, that was attracting foreign investors to renovate and rent out formerly distressed or vacant Baltimore homes. Our investigation revealed dozens of homes were neither renovated nor occupied. The company recently filed for bankruptcy following our coverage.

Orleans Street crashes

An analysis of traffic crashes on Orleans Street published in July, voiced resident’s desire for increased action to address continuing traffic concerns. Our article was a factor in the Baltimore City Department of Transportation conducting a traffic calming study by the end of the year.

Improvements to city eviction prevention programs

Our reporting on rental assistance delays that left Baltimore tenants at risk for eviction led to Baltimore City announcing improvements to its eviction prevention programs including committing an additional $400,000 to a program that provides legal representation to tenants facing eviction and other improvements.

Maryland Park Service superintendent and park officials removed after investigation

In-depth coverage of the toxic work culture at Gunpowder Falls State Park has brought visibility to years of complaints and resulted in the removal of the superintendent of Maryland Park Service and two other park officials. The investigation by The Banner gave a voice to many staff who had followed proper channels without seeing any action taken.

Local family gets to see NASA spacecraft demonstration

Our West Baltimore neighborhood reporter profiled a local family’s heart-warming story about a dad who built a makeshift launchpad for his kids in a vacant lot. The story was shared with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the family was invited to a private event to watch a NASA spacecraft collide with an asteroid.

Dance lesson on the Park Heights Strut

The viral Park Heights Strut from TikTok got a new spin from West Baltimore native Bunkey Jr. who gave a dance lesson to The Baltimore Banner, showing off the many contributions of the Baltimore music and dance scene; even Sean “Diddy” Combs got in on the trend.

Emergency water contamination coverage

In September, West Baltimore residents were directly affected by E. Coli contamination in their water. The Banner provided extensive coverage including a Q&A and history of Baltimore’s water systems. Baltimore residents shared their gratitude for The Banner’s work on multiple platforms.

Hearing on SNAP benefits issues

The Banner wrote about the sharp decline in enrollment for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among the state’s qualified populations, which spurred an influx of engagement from our subscribers and validated the community’s authentic experiences. That led Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson to schedule a public hearing for September 20th about potential fraud and notification issues. A proposed bill was introduced to Congress in November that would reimburse federal funds to people whose assistance was stolen.

Reporting on food deserts and grocery store prices

A story on what it’s like to go shopping in a food desert in Baltimore’s Midtown-Edmondson neighborhood received tremendous positive reactions from the community. The accompanying video on TikTok and Instagram reached nearly 680,000 people. An accompanying story also compared prices at 10 different grocery stores to help readers find the lowest prices.

Coverage on compounding issues in childcare for Latino families

One of our neighborhood reporters wrote about the barriers that Latino families face in accessing child care. Highlighting one of the fastest growing populations in Baltimore, the story identifies compounding issues including lack of Spanish-speaking childcare providers, daunting voucher and scholarship programs, and highlights community groups such as the Esperanza Center that helps Latino parents fund daycare options.

Constructing local maps for election coverage

Our newsroom’s service journalism and data-first mindset were on display during the summer primary elections for several offices in Baltimore and the state’s gubernatorial race. As a result of a vastly delayed redistricting process, the Maryland Board of Elections did not release updated precinct-level maps prior to the primaries taking place on July 18th. The newsroom’s data team constructed approximations of precinct-level maps using polling locations as the points to establish voting regions, as a proxy for the new precinct boundaries. When readers wrote in suggesting the inclusion of neighborhood boundaries, the team added that data too. The Banner was also the only news organization to release precinct-level data in the general election.

Events, guides and a debate during the 2022 election

In addition to our political coverage, The Banner has hosted a number of promote the vote events this fall, provided a very extensive voter guide which received over 67,000 views and great feedback from our readers, participated in the Maryland governor’s debate, and provided Election Night analysis on partner WJZ-13 and the following day on WYPR.