Baltimore

Baltimore City plans to blend Susquehanna River water with Loch Raven Reservoir water because of drought conditions. The Department of Public Works expects to start using the river as a supplemental source in early October. Montebello Treatment Plants customers may notice slight taste or odor changes, though officials say treatment stays consistent.

The Baltimore City Council approved a bill letting authorities padlock smoke shops that repeatedly break the law. The measure targets public health and safety concerns about unlicensed cannabis sales in the city. The bill now awaits Mayor Brandon Scott's signature, so it is not yet law.

Baltimore's inspector general asked a judge to hold the city in civil contempt over a court order on records access. The filing alleges the city did not restore certain computer systems as the court ordered. Mayor Brandon Scott said on social media that the city will always follow the law.

Mayor Brandon Scott and community leaders celebrated the Belvedere neighborhood reaching more than a year without a homicide. The Safe Streets Belvedere site has gone 379 days in a row without a homicide. This is the second time this location has reached that milestone during the current administration.