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Family and parenting

    Best family-friendly winter events in Howard County
    Winter brings a season of cozy charm and festive fun to Howard County, creating the perfect backdrop for family memories.
    The Rev. Martin Demek prepares for the second-to-last Sunday mass at the Corpus Christi church in Baltimore on Nov. 17.
    Saying goodbye to a Catholic church — and a link to my family’s past
    There are places that become part of us, and places where part of us of remains. Corpus Christi, one of dozens of Baltimore-area Catholic parishes set to close at the end of the month, is that kind of place for my family.
    8 great gifts for sleep-deprived new parents
    Leave the crying to the infant and treat the sleep-deprived grown-ups to these local gifts this holiday season.
    10 Maryland-made gifts that put Amazon to shame
    Jeff Bezos doesn't need your money, but local artists, artisans and shopkeepers do.
    Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said his office does not release evidence to the public when an investigation is ongoing or a trial is pending.
    Baltimore state’s attorney won’t release records on child who starved to death
    Despite pressure from lawmakers, the Byrd family’s interactions with Child Protective Services remain confidential.

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    Zona Byrd
    A little girl starved to death in Baltimore. Why did no one help her?
    Five-year-old Zona Byrd’s parents face first-degree murder and child abuse charges.
    Jasmine Vaughn-Hall holds her son for a portrait inside of their home in Baltimore, Monday, October 28, 2024.
    Commentary: Breastfeeding is a personal choice, not a public debate
    The expectation of breastfeeding can be debilitating, persistent and intimidating for a new mom.
    Hyper Kidz indoor playground Columbia on Friday, July 12, 2024.
    Police investigating after loaded gun found at a Baltimore County play place
    Baltimore County Police are investigating after a loaded firearm was discovered at the Hyper Kidz indoor playground in Owings Mills over the weekend.
    A sign in support of Question 1, a ballot measure that would enshrine reproductive rights in the Maryland constitution.
    Letter: Don’t be fooled — abortion is still under threat
    The president of Planned Parenthood Maryland and president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., say more needs to be done to protect access to abortion care in Maryland.
    Alma Geddes, 3, enjoys a visit from her older brothers while hospitalized with pneumonia at GBMC.
    Is your kid coughing? Walking pneumonia surging in Maryland
    The bacteria infecting children right now, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, typically triggers a spike in pneumonia cases in children every 3-7 years. However, like so many other things, the COVID pandemic disrupted the cycle.

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    An illustration depicts a woman being burned at the stake for the crime of engaging in witchcraft, circa 1692. (Photo by Kean Collection/Getty Images)
    These Maryland women were accused of witchcraft. Their crime? Having power.
    Women who possessed special knowledge, such as midwives or herbalists, were more likely to be accused of witchcraft, as were women in need, including widows and beggars.
    Victoria Richardson plays with her daughter Khalani, 1, and  son Zakari, 3, who both live with her.
    These kids have never done drugs. They’re still being treated for addiction.
    Opioids have devastated not just individuals in the rural Cecil County, but impacted children so heavily that officials are now treating addiction as a family affair.
    Bonnie Marquez shows a missing persons poster to a passerby, in Baltimore, July 26, 2024.
    When someone goes missing in Baltimore, these moms go looking
    When the Baltimore Police wouldn't help find her missing daughter, Tammy turned to Bonnie, who had created a Facebook group years earlier for her own missing daughter.
    The Snallygaster is not just a cute cryptid from Western Maryland, but a reminder of the region’s racism.
    The racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster
    The Snallygaster appears to have been invented by the staff of a small newspaper to terrorize and control Black people in the early 1900s.
    One of the 3 procedure rooms at Partners in Abortion Care, a women-owned and operated abortion clinic providing abortions in all trimesters, based in College Park, Maryland.
    Maryland is a safe haven for abortion care — with one obscure exception
    Women who qualified for Medicaid because they are pregnant may have to foot the bill for an abortion.

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    Alissa Byrne Scibelli made the difficult decision to leave Greater Grace World Outreach. “It was extremely isolating,” she said.
    Ex-Greater Grace members describe despair, isolation, then healing
    Former members of Greater Grace World Outreach were shunned after leaving the controversial megachurch. For many, it took decades to build a new life outside.
    Rachel Morin’s family members are engaged in an escalating dispute over who speaks for them and over the proceeds of fundraisers in her name.
    Rachel Morin’s children sue grandmother, aunt over GoFundMe proceeds
    Rachel Morin's five children have filed a lawsuit alleging their grandmother and aunt have kept the proceeds from a GoFundMe and four other fundraisers.
    Many varieties of pumpkins, pictured last fall at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm in Parkville.
    Five Maryland fall events that could help you go viral
    Here’s how to celebrate fall at Maryland events — while perhaps making your mark on social media.
    Mandy Gordon of Cumberland pulls her wagon full of food she received from Western Maryland Food Bank.
    Rural Marylanders faced more food insecurity this summer
    Food insecurity in rural Maryland has been especially pronounced this summer, local advocates say. Low-income families are grappling with soaring grocery prices and unusually high temperatures that hit at the same time as federal reductions in food assistance programs.
    The renovated Catonsville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library features new furniture, new windows that let in more light, a dedicated teen area and two recording studios.
    New Catonsville library goes beyond books with recording studios, video games
    “This is the library they’re going to remember, but a thousand times better," Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, the CEO of the Baltimore County Public Library, said of the renovated Catonsville branch.