County Council Passes Juvenile Curfew Zone Bill
The County Council passed a bill, introduced by Council member Edward Burroughs (D- District 8), allowing the creation of additional juvenile curfew zones. These zones can be created by business owners who obtain a letter of support from their respective council members and then apply for the curfew zone with the county’s police department.
The curfew would be from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. in said zones.
“I think that the public should be reassured that this is going to be something that helps protect them, that helps protect young people, and doesn’t create records for your average kid who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and really should just be sent home,” said Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D- District 5). “We want to quickly allow other commercial areas in the county to apply for a curfew zone if they feel it’s needed. We want to make sure we’re in partnership with the business community, law enforcement, and the residents of our county who have all been strong supporters of these measures.”
The council bill follows the implementation of a youth curfew at the National Harbor after a fight with a large group of spectators broke out among local teens last month. Currently, youth ages 16 and under are required to have a chaperone at the National Harbor from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and weekends.
The council is also pursuing another countywide curfew bill, expected to be voted on before the summer break.
Solid State Battery Facility Opens in Beltsville
With a packed house that included Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D), ION Storage Systems announced plans to begin manufacturing batteries at their Beltsville location, one of the largest commissioned solid-state battery manufacturing facilities in the country.
The site is located adjacent to the company’s headquarters and is expected to begin manufacturing 1 megawatt-hour (MHw) of battery cells this year and 10MWh by early 2025. The company’s long-term goal is to produce 500MWh of capacity by 2028. For comparison, one MHw is enough to power the average home for just over a month.
“The world is increasingly reliant on batteries for our cars, personal and medical devices, for a more resilient power grid and for national defense. Traditional Li-ION batteries simply haven’t been up to the task,” said ION Storage Systems CEO Ricky Hanna. “From the outset, our goal has been to develop an advanced solid-state battery that delivers enhanced power, reliability, and safety, all while being scalable in Production.”
Rep. Ivey noted that the commissioning of the facility in Beltsville is a major step “forward for ION Storage Systems in safe green battery technology.”
I am proud that this company is born from the [research and development] of our flagship state school, the University of Maryland at College Park. Federal Grants from ARPA-E in the Department of Energy ensure that we give our warfighters made-in-America technology, which prevents adversaries from undercutting our national security capabilities,” Ivey explained.
The congressman also explained that such developments can help prevent and combat child and slave labor.
“This technology also helps to stop the use of child and slave labor across the world in the mining of nickel and cobalt which are the predominant components of old portable battery technology,” Ivey continued. “I commend ION in their innovation and look forward to more jobs generated and more green advances right here in the heart of my congressional district.”