A STATE has pulled the plug on its program of building new electric vehicle charging stations after the scheme was plagued with several issues.

The program, which had been in operation for the past five years, allowed four major power companies in Maryland to set up EV charging stations at government buildings across the state.

MDTA

A scheme to fund EV charging stations in Maryland is on hold[/caption]

MDTA

Drivers complained about broken stations that weren’t always functional[/caption]

But now the future of the scheme is in jeopardy after the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered it to be stopped.

Authorities had raised concerns about low usage and ongoing maintenance issues.

Under the scheme, four companies pumped millions into installations, with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) alone spending approximately $15.5 million on charging stations.

Of the 372 chargers commissioned by BGE, 127 are located in areas termed “environmental justice” communities.

These are neighborhoods traditionally affected more than others by environmental issues.

Utility companies have defended their involvement in the program.

BGE spokesman Richard Yost said the scheme was started at the request of the state to fill gaps in the private charging market.

But authorities have said the returns can’t be justified for the amount of public money being spent.

“We’re dealing with ratepayer incentives here, not free resources,” Benjamin Baker, a senior commission adviser leading the electric vehicle working group, told Baltimore commercial radio station WCBM.

“It’s crucial that we ensure these installations are making a real impact.”

The program has faced multiple issues since it started almost five years ago.

A 2022 survey revealed operational problems, with only 71% of the 69 fast chargers installed by BGE being fully functional.

Many reportedly failed to meet the federal standard of 97% uptime, reflecting the percentage that the station is functional in a 24-hour period.

Other issues included physical damage and network connectivity issues.

BGE has admitted that just over a third of its chargers currently fall below the required uptime standard, although the company says it is actively working to improve the figure.

Maryland now has more than 100,000 registered EVs, representing a 59% increase from the start of last year.

The state hopes to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.

EV drivers are still encouraged by other means in Maryland, including tax credits and rebates.

Maryland is also expanding its charging infrastructure through federal programs such as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which installs chargers along major highways.

It comes after a survey this summer found nearly half of EV drivers regret their purchase and want to return to gas.

LEE CORSO has sparked more calls for him to retire from College GameDay after a worrying appearance in Week 8.

The 89-year-old was back on the hit ESPN show on Saturday after missing two weeks for health reasons.

College GameDay / ESPN

Lee Corso was on the show with Pat McAfee (left) and golf star Scottie Scheffler[/caption]

College GameDay / ESPN

He appeared alongside the usual crew of host Rece Davis and NFL cult hero Pat McAfee at the University of Texas.

Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howar and college head coach legend Nick Saban were also on the panel.

But it was Corso’s return to the broadcast that had everyone talking – and not for the right reasons.

He put in a concerning performance on College GameDay, appearing to be forgetful at times.

And fans took to social media to raise the issue – calling for the icon to call it a day and retire after the “worrying” appearance.

One said: “I’m gonna say it.

“You HAVE to get him off the show. He means too much to everyone’s nostalgia, childhood, and really the college football fan in general.

“Make Pat put on a Corso head and pay homage to him every weekend.

“It’s getting worse by the week and we all hate it

Another added: “I wonder if he announces his retirement at Army vs Navy this year.

“Would be the best place for it. If so, they need all the major mascots to show up for the announcement.”

A third replied: “I think you let the headgear go when Corso goes.”

And a fourth said: “It’s time for him to retire. What a run.”

A fifth commented: “I don’t think it would be bad if they had said this would be his farewell tour this season.”

However, some fans want Corso to stay, insisting he’s earned the right to decide when he retires.

One supporter said: “Honestly, I say let him go when he feels it’s ready to go.

“Let him enjoy his time on the show, even if that’s for the rest of his life.

“He’s deserved it no?”

Another added: “I agree it sucks and I hate it for him but what if it still brings him genuine joy?

“Like don’t take that from him if it does.”

Corso had sent the Texas crowd wild after picking the Longhorns to beat their rivals, the Georgia Bulldogs.

But he got his prediction wrong, as they lost 15-30 at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

Corso has been an analyst on College GameDay since it first started on ESPN in 1987.

PETER Sutcliffe murdered thirteen women during a terrifying rampage across the North of England in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Many of his victims were sex workers, which led the media to brand him The Yorkshire Ripper. Here’s everything you need to know about the women that Peter murdered. 

PA: Press Association

Getty Images

Wilma McCann 

Wilma was Peter’s first victim, whom he murdered on October 20, 1975. 

The mum-of-four was reportedly seen leaving her home at 7:30pm, before heading to a pub for a night out with some friends. 

She is believed to have been picked up by Peter in his car, who then killed her in the Prince Philip Playing Fields just five minutes away from her house.

After a search involving 150 officers from the West Yorkshire Police and 11,000 interviews, the authorities still had no idea about who might have killed Wilma. 

Emily Jackson 

Emily Jackson was just 42-years-old when she was murdered by Peter on January 20th, 1976. 

She was working as a part-time sex worker when Peter drove her to an area near Manor Street Industrial Estate. 

Like Wilma, she was killed by a hammer and then stabbed with a screwdriver. 

Emily was then found by a workman the next day. 

When Peter died in November 2020, Emily’s son Neil told Yorkshire Live: “I’m quite happy with the news. 

“It should have been 42 years ago – they should have hung him.”

PA: Press Association

Irene Richardson 

Like Emily, Irene was a sex worker who was killed with a hammer by Peter but her death came almost a year after Peter had claimed his second victim. 

She was a mum-of-three who was last seen near the Gaiety Pub, which was the same pub that Peter had kidnapped Emily.

Irene was killed on February 5, 1977, in Soldier’s Field before being found the next morning by a jogger. 

This time, the police were able to start building a case as tire marks belonging to Peter were found at the site and the killer’s patterns were beginning to become clear.

Patricia Atkinson 

Patricia was Peter’s fourth victim, but the first to be killed in his hometown of Bradford. 

This forced the police to consider that the killer may be operating in a larger area than Leeds.

Patricia, known by friends as Tina, met Peter in the Red Light District before being killed with a hammer in her flat on Oak Avenue. 

A boot print matching the one left near Emily’s body was found at the scene.

Tragically, Patricia’s body was found by a friend who visited her the next morning.

Getty Images

Jayne MacDonald 

Jayne was just 16-years-old when she became Peter’s youngest victim. 

She had been working as a shop assistant in Grandways Supermarket in Leeds before her death on June 26, 1977. 

Jayne was returning from a night out when Peter followed her home and killed her. 

Her body was found by a group of school children the next morning, who came across her body in the playground. 

Jayne’s death caused another shift in the investigation, which had largely focused on Peter’s targeting of sex workers.

Three years later, the killer’s identity was still unknown which led Jayne’s mother to challenge the murderer’s friends and family to “turn him in”. 

She added: “This man is a coward, but the biggest coward of them all is the person shielding him. 

“It is his mother, wife, sister or indeed a male, they should put themselves in the position of we women who have lost someone they loved. 

“It makes my stomach churn to think that someone is saving his neck.”

PA: Press Association

Jean Jordan

Jean was Peter’s first victim to be killed outside of West Yorkshire.

He met Jean in Moss Side, Manchester, on October 1, 1977, before killing her.

She was found eight days later by a local worker named Bruce Jones, who fans of the show Coronation Street may recognise as Les Battersby. 

A £5 note, which Peter had given Jean under the pretense of wanting to hire her as a sex worker, allowed the police to determine which bank branch the killer had visited. 

For the first time, Peter was a true suspect but his alibi cleared him of suspicion. 

Getty Images

Yvonne Pearson

Peter’s crime spree continued into 1978, when he murdered 21-year-old prostitute Yvonne Pearson. 

He killed Yvonne in his home town Bradford, on January 21, leaving her two-year-old Colette and five-month-old Lorraine without a mother. 

They had been staying with a neighbour on the night that she was driven to a waste ground and killed.

Her body was hidden with a sofa and wasn’t found until March 26, just over two months after her disappearance.

PA: Press Association

Helen Rytka 

By the time of Helen’s death, Peter was being referred to by the media as “The Yorkshire Ripper”. 

He murdered Helen on January 31, 1978, just over a week after he murdered Yvonne. 

Helen was only 18-years-old when she was killed in a timber yard but it took days for her body to eventually be found.

She had been working as a prostitute at the time of her death, just like her twin sister Rita.

Vera Millward

Vera lived in Hulme in Manchester, where Peter was only known to have struck once.

She was a mother-of-seven who had serious health problems, including only having one functional lung. 

Vera was killed just outside Manchester Royal Infirmary, before her body was found the next day. 

She had left home to meet a regular client, but instead got into Peter’s car on May 16, 1978.

Josephine Whitaker

Josephine worked as a clerk in Halifax, before Peter killed her with a screwdriver on April 4, 1979. 

She was the tenth person to be killed by The Yorkshire Ripper, but her case was another turning point for the police. 

A boot print, matching the ones left at Patricia Atkinson and Emily Jackson’s murders, was found next to her body which confirmed that the killer had struck again after a year of silence.

Getty Images

Barbara Leach

Barbara was a student at Bradford University and was just 20-years-old when Peter murdered her. 

She left a shared home belonging to some friends in Grove Terrace on the night of September 1, 1979, when Peter began following her. 

Barbara was then dragged into an alley and stabbed, but it took two days for her to be reported as missing. 

PA: Press Association

Marguerite Walls 

Marguerite left her office in Leeds later than usual on August 20, 1980, since she was preparing to go on holiday the next day. 

The civil servant walked home through Farsley, which she knew was a brightly-lit way home. 

However, unbeknownst to her, Peter had begun following her.

After killing her with a hammer and rope, Peter hid her body in the grounds of Claremont House where she was later discovered by some gardeners. 

Jacqueline Hill 

Peter’s final known victim was Jacqueline Hill, who was a student at Leed University. 

The Yorkshire Ripper murdered her just 100 yards from her flat, with the hammer and screwdriver that now typified his crimes. 

Her body was found a day later.

Ian Whittaker- The Sun

Peter’s killing spree ends

Peter was stopped by police on January 2, 1981, and was taken in for questioning due to a suspicion that he might have information about the Yorkshire Ripper case. 

After only two days of questioning, he confessed to being the killer and his crime spree was brought to an end. 

Peter had been terrorizing women since 1969, when he committed his first crime – the assault of a female prostitute. 

While in custody, he referred to his murder of Helen Rytka as being motivated by an “urge to kill any woman”. 

He added: “The urge inside me to kill girls was now practically uncontrollable.”

The psychology behind Peter’s chilling motive has been debated for years by psychologists, with some pointing to his brother’s allegation that their abusive father would whip his children with a belt. 

According to Harper’s Bazaar, he also posed as his wife’s lover and brought his children, including Peter, to a hotel to watch her affair being exposed. 

By the age of 15, Peter was working as a graveyard digger which he was said by colleagues to enjoy too much and had also developed a voyeuristic fascination with prostitutes. 

He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia before being sent to Broadmoor Hospital in March 1984. 

Peter stayed in Broadmoor until 2009, when he tried to appeal his sentence.

It was decided that he would remain in custody, but a transfer to HM Prison Frankland was reportedly approved in 2016. 

He died from a diabetes-related illness in November 2020

CBC president Catherine Tait claimed $6,000 in expenses for attending the Paris Olympics. Tait told MPs questioning the costs that she was at the Games in an official capacity

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