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With Independence Day falling on a Friday this year, many Marylanders are gearing up to travel and take advantage of the entire weekend to celebrate, according to Christine Delise, public affairs specialist for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

As one of summer's busiest weeks for holiday travel approaches, officials in Baltimore are warning visitors and commuters of multiple construction projects causing major congestion on several city thoroughfares.

Josh Hader was about 5 when he joined his Anne Arundel County youth baseball team on the field at Camden Yards in an annual pre-game ceremony.

In recent years, Maryland has been making significant progress improving the status of the thousands of bridges it maintains, according to the State Highway Administration — in part thanks to dramatic increases in annual funding under the state's new transportation tax structure.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Friday that he doesn't expect resolution of Manny Machado's suspension appeal until after the club's weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Left-hander T.J. McFarland was prepared to make his scheduled start for Triple-A Norfolk on Friday when he received a call telling him he was headed to Baltimore to give a depleted bullpen an extra arm.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was not in the starting lineup for Friday¿s game against the Cleveland Indians at Camden Yards, but manager Buck Showalter said the team believes Machado can avoid going on the disabled list.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he hopes that reliever Tommy Hunter, who was placed on the disabled list before Thursday's game against the Cleveland Indians with a left groin strain, will be able to return when he's eligible to be activated June 5.

After an unusually cold and snowy winter, many Marylanders are expected to take advantage of the sun forecast for this holiday weekend by getting out of town.

Kevin Gausman gets the call to start Wednesday afternoon versus Detroit

After missing Wednesday night's game, Matt Wieters returned to the Orioles' starting lineup Thursday as the designated hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

MINNEAPOLIS -- In Manny Machado¿s second game back from offseason left knee surgery on Friday night, he recorded his first hit, scored his first run and made his first diving play at third base in the Orioles¿ 3-0 win over the Twins.

The Orioles already faced looming roster decisions before they officially placed first baseman Chris Davis on the 15-day disabled list before Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. And now the club's roster management is about to get trickier.

The Maryland General Assembly approved legislation Thursday that will provide new protections for motorists from erroneous tickets and other speed camera abuses, sending the bill to the governor for his expected signature.

Friday¿s series opener in Detroit will be the first of five straight day games for the Orioles.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman knows it will be a special moment Monday afternoon when he takes the mound at Camden Yards to officially open another baseball season in Baltimore.

After a driver from Green's Garage stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 795 in Reisterstown in January to help a motorist, she ended up needing a tow truck herself.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter has talked often this spring about the challenge of selecting the club¿s Opening Day roster ¿ and saying the best 25 players might not necessarily be the right 25 players to start the season with.

The way the Orioles' current roster is shaking out, infielder Ryan Flaherty seems assured of starting somewhere in the Opening Day lineup against the Boston Red Sox on March 31.

Gas prices in Maryland reached a six-month high of $3.54 per gallon on Friday, a price last seen at local pumps in September, according to AAA.

Less than an hour after the Orioles' team bus pulled into Bright House Field on Monday afternoon, the team was on its way back to Sarasota.

Zach Britton hasn't been told that he will pitch out of the bullpen this season, but all signs point to the Orioles left-hander heading in that direction.

Richard A. Hartman, former president and CEO of the Automobile Club of Maryland who fought at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, died Feb. 28 of complications from cancer and renal failure at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. He was 91.

Canton resident Emily Fusting knew right away that Baltimore County had the wrong person when she got a $40 speed camera ticket in the mail recently. She drives a gray Hyundai hatchback. The car nabbed by the county camera on Kenilworth Drive? A dark-colored sedan.

Maryland speed camera programs came under scrutiny in Annapolis and Baltimore Tuesday, with the General Assembly considering reforms ranging from a ban of the so-called "bounty system" to levying heavy fines against operators that issue erroneous tickets. Meanwhile, a city councilman leading an investigation into a secret audit of Baltimore's speed camera system said the administration has agreed to turn over hundreds of pages of documents..

As many refineries slow production of gasoline in February as they conduct seasonal maintenance, gas prices are likely to rise in Maryland and across the country, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The following is the text of Harford County Executive David Craig's State of the County Address delivered to the Harford County Council on Feb. 4, 2014:

More people called AAA Mid-Atlantic for emergency roadside assistance in January than in any previous month on record, the organization said Monday.