Just one day after the 143rd Preakness Stakes, Baltimore County announced the grand opening of The Kevin Kamenetz Arena, an equestrian learning center at the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture and Farm in Cockeysville. It was named in honor of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who passed away suddenly on May 10.

“He loved horses and he loved veterans,” Kamenetz’s wife Jill said at the grand opening. “This is just doing what he loved best.”

The 12-acre equine grounds cost the county $2.96 million and includes two barns, pasture space, and more than 9,000 square-feet of arena with classrooms. The mixed-use facility will serve primarily as an equine arena and learning center with programs for veterans through programming provided by the New York-based nonprofit Saratoga WarHorse Foundation. The foundation, run by a Vietnam veteran, will assist veterans who are suffering from unseen wounds by providing a free experience with horses that will help those struggling with life after military service.

“[This] is a natural expansion of the educational mission of our agriculture center and it will provide powerful therapeutic and mental health resources to help veterans,” said County Council Chair Julian Jones in a statement. “Naming it the Kevin Kamenetz Arena is a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated his life to serving the public and making sure that government fulfills its role of helping those most in need.”

The arena will host two three-day sessions each month beginning today. It includes lodging, meals, and travel and veterans will undergo classroom and hands-on training with an instructor before meeting the horses.

The rotating herd of horses used in the program include 10 to 18 thoroughbred retired race horses from the local nonprofit horse rescue Foxie G Foundation and Sagamore Racing in Reisterstown. Although the program is ground-based, meaning there is no actual horse-riding involved, its meant to create a connection between the horses and the veterans. So far, the Saratoga Warhorse Foundation has helped more than 900 veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress and suicide.

“When most people hear about us they think, ‘What could a horse possibly do for me?’” Bob Nevins, founder of Saratoga WarHorse said. “Racehorses are pushed to their absolute limit and when their careers end, finding their way presents challenges very much like those we face when transitioning from military to civilian life. What we do helps to neutralize the effects these stresses present.”

In addition to the partnership with Saratoga Warhorse, the county is also in talks with EquiTeam Support Services in Pennsylvania and the Connected Horse project about the possibility of providing additional equine-assisted therapy for not only veterans, but also people with dementia.

“Kevin really wanted government to work to help people, and when I heard about this, how could I not be here?” Jill said. “This is just his legacy continuing on. He really truly cared about every person, and I just love this whole thing that’s happening with the horses.”

Two-term Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, among the leading candidates in this year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, died suddenly early this morning at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center following a heart attack.

The 60-year-old Kamenetz was asleep at his Owings Mills home when he awoke at about 2 a.m. and complained of feeling ill, according to a statement from Baltimore County. Kamenetz was transported by the Garrison Fire Station’s Medic 19 to the St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, where doctors pronounced him dead at 3:22 a.m.

He is survived by his wife, Jill, and the couple’s two sons, aged 16 and 14.

Additional details regarding Kamenetz’s death are expected to be provided at a briefing today at the Public Safety Building in Towson.

County Administrative Officer Fred Homan will assume the county executive role until the Baltimore County Council votes on an acting executive to serve out the remainder of Kamenetz’s term.

One of seven Democrats in a crowded primary field, Kamenetz had been a vigorous campaigner since joining the field last fall. Wednesday night, Kamenetz participated in a candidate forum in Bowie State College in Prince George’s County. Tuesday night, Kamenetz was in Baltimore for the Baltimore teachers’ union town hall. On Sunday, he and running mate Valerie Ervin knocked on doors in Montgomery County.

Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, a former Baltimore County Executive, knew Kamenetz well and had endorsed his bid for governor.

“I’ll have more to say once I have been able to process the devastating news of Kevin Kamenetz’s passing last night,” Ruppersberger said in a statement posted to his Facebook page. “Kevin was a friend to me, to Baltimore County and to Maryland. My heart is broken for his wife, Jill, and their two sons.”

Ruppersberger’s reaction to the unexpected news was echoed by political leaders across the state. In Annapolis, Gov. Larry Hogan ordered the state flag to fly at half-staff in honor Kamenetz’s public service.

“The First Lady and I are shocked and grieved by the sudden passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz,” Hogan said in a statement. “Our prayers go out to his family and many loved ones this morning.”

Kamenetz served 16 years as a Baltimore County council member prior becoming county executive.

Among his achievements as county executive, Kamenetz prioritized the revitalization of downtown Towson, pushed to renovate aging schools, and led the effort to transform Sparrows Point—once home to Bethlehem Steel—into the massive, ongoing redevelopment project known as Tradepoint Atlantic. In the process, Kamenetz never raised taxes, adding to his viability as a potential Democratic challenger to Hogan.

Kamenetz had been a supporter of Baltimore City’s effort to build the east-west Red Line transit line and the city’s pitch to land Amazon.

“Kevin was an ardent supporter of Baltimore City, who was a regular in our restaurants, cultural venues and at our major team games,” Mayor Catherine Pugh said in a press release. “I considered him a friend and colleague, and admired him for his commitment to pursuing the best interests of Baltimore County residents, even while advocating for all Marylanders in his pursuit to be governor. Our hearts go out to his wife Jill and their two sons, and the many who cherished his friendship, easy smile, and determined spirit.”

The son of a Lochearn pharmacist, Kamenetz attended the Gilman School, earned an undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and law degree from the University of Baltimore, and had some of the deepest local roots of any area politician.

Kamenetz was one of only three Democratic candidates—along with Prince Georges County Executive Rushern Baker and Montgomery County State Senator Rich Madaleno—with legislative experience. Kamenetz, according to most polling, was running third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary—scheduled for June 26—behind Baker and former NAACP president and CEO Ben Jealous.

“I’m incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz,” Jealous said in a statement. “He dedicated his life to public service, to making a difference—and he helped to move Maryland forward. My sincerest thoughts and prayers are with Jill and their two sons.”

Update September 5: On Tuesday, President Trump announced, via Jeff Sessions, that the DACA program would be suspended.

“I am here today to announce that the program known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 

The Department of Homeland Security will cease processing new applications for the program effective Tuesday, however the administration plans to continue to renew permits for those expiring in the next six months. No one’s status will be revoked before it has expired and many applications received on Tuesday will still be processed.

The move to end the program puts Congress on a deadline to come up with a solution that will protect DACA participants who—under this new ruling—begin losing their status March 5, 2018. 

If Congress does not act, nearly 300,000 people would lose their DACA status in 2018 and more than 320,000 more in 2019. 

President Donald Trump is expected to dismantle a program put in place by former president Barack Obama that allows hundreds of thousands of children brought to the U.S. illegally to live and work without punishment.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been under scrutiny since its creation in 2012 by members of the GOP. For weeks, President Trump has been deciding whether to continue the program or face legal reprimand from several Republican attorney generals who deem the program unconstitutional. 

A decision is expected to come as early as today—four days before the September 5 deadline set by the attorney generals. If Trump opts to terminate the program, he will let active DACA cardholders remain in the U.S. until their work permits expire, allowing him to fulfill his campaign promise to terminate Obama’s signature initiative while also keeping his inauguration pledge to “show great heart” to the young immigrants in the program.

In Baltimore, Mayor Catherine Pugh and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz have joined more than 100 civic leaders across the country in a Cities for Action campaign calling for President Trump to continue the program until a legislative solution is found.

“In Baltimore County, we are embracing the children who came here as youngsters, grew up as Americans, and are now contributing to the American dream,” Kamenetz said in a letter to the president. “We urge the President to continue our country’s support of America’s Dreamers.”

A September 2016 report by the Migration Policy Institute recorded approximately 17,000 DACA participants in Maryland. Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs (MIMA), says that there are currently 34,000 eligible DACA applicants waiting for entry to the program if it is not terminated.

“Our role in the mayor’s office is to use her platform to urge the president to continue DACA,” she said. “For us, it doesn’t only go against our most resilient professionals and students, it’s also an attack on our economy. A lot of these people have bought homes, go to school, are nurses, are lawyers, are business owners—they create jobs.”

All current participants of DACA have already been subjected to extensive background checks and pay income taxes. Without them, the economy would lose more than $460 billion from the national GDP and more than $24 billion from Social Security and Medicare contributions.

Hundreds of national business leaders—including Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and nearly 400 other companies—have also signed an open letter to Trump calling for him to preserve the program. 

“Unless we act now to preserve the DACA program, all 780,000 hardworking young people will lose their ability to work legally in this country, and every one of them will be at immediate risk of deportation,” the executives wrote. “With them, we grow and create jobs. They are part of why we will continue to have a global competitive advantage.”

“Trump must end DACA,” wrote the editors of the National Review. “If we are going to amnesty an entire class of people, it should obviously be done through the democratic process and, in our view, happen only in exchange for reforms to the immigration system. DACA contravenes the elementary principle that the legislative branch ought to pass laws and the executive branch ought to enforce them.” 

As the country awaits the president’s decision, Rodriguez-Lima and MIMA are encouraging local DACA cardholders to be proactive in the event that the program is suspended. She recommends applying for other immigration release programs besides DACA and consulting with legal professionals. 

“My hope is that if the program is terminated, congress can come together to develop a solution for these students who were brought to this country not knowing they were undocumented,” she said. “They shouldn’t be punished but accepted. The U.S. is the only home they’ve ever known.” 

Mayor Catherine Pugh, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz joined a host of national dignitaries by signing the “We Are Still In” pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emission in Maryland as detailed in the Paris climate change agreement.

The coalition, led by philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, is an “open letter to the international community” from local and national leaders declaring to continue the fight against global warming. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s June 1 announcement to remove the United States from the agreement of 194 nations to work to hold the warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

President Trump argues that the deal, as is, “hamstrings” the U.S. and said he plans to pursue renegotiation in an effort to make things “fair” for the country.

“In order to fulfill my solemn duty to the United States and its citizens, the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accords or a really entirely new transaction, on terms that are fair to the United States,” Trump said at a press conference.

As of June 9, there are 178 cities and counties, 272 colleges and universities, and more than 1,300 private companies that have committed to “working together to take forceful action and to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.”

The U.S. is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, and now joins Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries refusing to commit to the agreement. Although there is no penalty for withdrawing, the details of the agreement signed in 2015 by President Barack Obama, says that the earliest any country is eligible to withdraw is November 2020.

Among the list of private companies joining the “We Are Still In” pledge is Under Armour. One day after Trump’s announcement, CEO Kevin Plank released a statement asserting his disappointment with the decision.

“Climate change is real and must be taken seriously by our business community, our customers, our neighbors, and our elected officials,” he said. “Sustainability has always been part of our DNA: it’s integral to how we live and work and is essential to our environment. As a business leader concerned with creating American jobs, I disagree with the decision to exit the Paris accord.”

The impact on local jobs is also something that concerns Carl Simon, the interim executive director at environmental nonprofit Blue Water Baltimore. 

“The economic future of Baltimore is supported, strengthened, and enhanced by focusing on the rapidly growing renewable energy sector,” he explained. “There are thousands of jobs that could be, and are being, created due to strong environmental policies.”

He also added that climate change is an especially oppressing issue for a coastal city like Baltimore.

“Factually, the rate of flooding here is increased due to climate change,” he said. “Science shows the Inner Harbor, Dundalk, and other coastal parts of Baltimore flood more than they used to due to manmade climate change.”

Mayor Pugh said that Baltimore City would adopt a Climate Action Plan and Disaster Preparedness Plan that will focus on lowering the city’s impact on the environment.

“Our diverse natural ecosystems, including the Chesapeake Bay, are in serious jeopardy, yet remain the lifeblood of our region and the viability of our communities,” she said in a statement. “My endorsement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including goal thirteen, which specifically addresses climate action related to greenhouse gas reduction, recognizes the complexity of these challenges. As a city we cannot ignore the urgency of these issues.”

Kamenetz said he has been proactively taking steps to conserve energy in Baltimore County, converting traffic signals to LED bulbs, and using GPS routing programs for county fleet vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. He’d like to see the powers that be follow suit.

“I’m disturbed by Trump, but even more disturbed that Governor Hogan continues to remain silent,” he said. “I appreciate that he has accepted the general assembly initiatives to reduce energy, but by supporting the alliance, it would strengthen the commitment.”

Malls once reigned supreme as hermetically sealed bastions of youth culture, retail, and suburban convenience. But over the last 20 years, they have lost their place of primacy, challenged by the immediacy of the Internet and a yearning for experiences that feel personal and authentic. Now, in a supreme act of irony, malls are being supplanted by retail developments designed to ape the very thing malls were supposed to replace—the traditional Main Street.

“Everything old is new again,” says Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who is keeping tabs on a number of redevelopment projects in the county, including one on the site of the former Owings Mills Mall, which will be demolished soon and replaced with what Kamenetz calls an “open-air town center.” “I think that’s a reflection of how to reach today’s consumers,” he says. “The advantage of a town center is it has a flexible design—you can add new attractions to it.”

Nowhere is this more evident than at The Avenue at White Marsh, where redevelopment of the property will double the size of its central plaza, which will serve as a lawn in the summer and an ice-skating rink in the winter.

“What we’re going to be able to do is extend the activities in that plaza year-round,” says Dave Joss, a development manager with Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns The Avenue.

Within cities, suburban-type shopping centers are struggling, too. Earlier this year, The Gallery at Harborplace announced it was turning its fourth floor into office space. Then in May, its parent company, General Growth Properties, announced the complex was for sale.

Even the Village of Cross Keys is getting refreshed. “The shopping center is a little bit sleepy right now,” acknowledges Chris McSherry, the first vice president of the Roland Park Civic League, which must approve any renovations to the 51-year-old shopping center. The plans call for a brighter color scheme, a more inviting entrance, new signage, and improved pedestrian accessibility. “[Cross Keys] realizes they’re missing out on a huge opportunity,” she says. “If folks from Roland Park could just walk down there, it would be a lot better.”