Baltimore News Archives

Baltimore Examiner photographer Arianne Starnes became the news last Thursday while taking pictures outside W.E.B. Dubois High School for a series on school violence. Dubois is connected to Reginald Lewis High School, where video showing a student attacking a teacher sparked outrage and gained national attention.

Starnes says a student grabbed her, pushed her backward and threatened her. Police arrested 18-year-old Preston Feaster at his home in the 3900-block of Frisby Avenue Wednesday morning.

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An elementary school student was arrested Tuesday after police say the child pointed an unloaded gun at a classmate.

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The attorneys for two of the Baltimore teenagers implicated in the December beating of a passenger aboard a transit bus say they intend to sue the Maryland Transit Administration, the bus driver and the city ...

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“And the phone number's right there”

The 'We Buy Houses' signs plastered illegally across the city drive Robert Strupp crazy.

It is not merely that they are ugly. Strupp, with the Community Law Center in Baltimore, sees them as neighborhood destabilizers that make it easier for real estate predators to find prey - but it is not just that, either.

No, it is that the city has yet to enforce a nearly two-year-old law allowing citizens who tear them down to take them to city officials so the authorities can fine the sign owners. Regulations have not been put into place to make it possible. Read more

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“The commission dedicated considerable staff time in conducting a review of this matter”

The State Ethics Commission has decided not to take any action on a complaint by a state senator, who criticized the manner in which Comptroller Peter Franchot offered to release names and salaries of state ... via WJZ Baltimore, Maryland News Weather

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Monday, April 21, 2008 WBAL Radio as reported by Scott Wykoff Baltimore City Police are investigating a shooting outside an early afternoon funeral today at One of the two people who were shot has reportedly ... via WBAL-AM Baltimore

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Discover Thomas the Tank Engine at the B & O Railroad Museum Bring the kids out to ride with Thomas the Tank Engie! Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum 901 West Pratt St. via WASH-FM Rockville

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Baltimore police have arrested a husband and wife in the slaying of an unidentified man whose burned body was found in a townhouse community in Middle River last weekend. via WMAR

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The Maryland Republican Party is looking for a new executive director. John Flynn resigned this week to become general counsel for Americans For Prosperity, a public interest group in Washington. via WMDT

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TEMPLE HILLS, Md. Maryland transportation officials are urging people to avoid the Capital Beltway in Temple Hills this weekend because of a major construction project. via NewsChannel 8

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Gov. Martin O'Malley is scheduled to travel to Israel in May to call attention to biotechnology research and business opportunities in Maryland.

The trip is scheduled for May 26 through June 1 in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, said Barry Bogage, who is executive director of the Maryland/Israel Development Center. The center is a nonprofit organization that promotes trade and joint ventures between Maryland and Israeli businesses and research institutions.

"He'll be talking basically about Maryland as a location for emerging biosciences companies," said Bogage, who is organizing the trip with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. Read more

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Police are investigating yet another incident of violence in Baltimore city schools after a student was stabbed Thursday afternoon. via WBALTV.com

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“My heart goes out to them. ... I just can't believe it happened.”

Baltimore police identified yesterday the two young brothers who were struck by a minivan, killing one, on a West Baltimore street during the weekend, while prosecutors said they are reviewing the incident for possible criminal charges.

The toddler who died was identified as Kyrell Sellers, 3. His brother, who was treated and released from a hospital, was identified as Kamian Vaughn, 4. Both lived in the 3100 block of Ripple Road in Gwynn Oak.

Police have said that the driver of a minivan that hit the children on West Fayette Street on Saturday was not at fault and might have been forced onto a sidewalk by the driver of another car. Read more

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Police say a boy was shot in the face near a school in West Baltimore. His injuries are said to be non-life-threatening. The boy was shot around 9:15 Wednesday morning. via WMAR

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“He's been charged with first-degree murder? Good.”

The 18-year-old man charged with shooting his 14-year-old girlfriend in the basement of his mother's rowhouse earlier this week told police that the killing was "a mistake," police charging documents say. via The Baltimore Sun

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A Baltimore City police officer was shot at least once in the leg this afternoon at W. Lanvale Street and Poplar Grove Street, police said. via Baltimoresun.com

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A 14-year-old girl was fatally shot yesterday morning in a rowhouse in East Baltimore, and police later arrested a suspect, according to a department spokeswoman. via Baltimore Sun

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A 23-year-old man was wounded in a shooting early this morning in North Baltimore and police are seeking information about the incident, authorities said.

Shortly after 2 a.m., officers found the man lying in the 6200 block of The Alameda, two blocks north of East Northern Parkway. He was suffering from a gunshot wound to his left thigh, police said, and was taken to an unspecified area hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the Northern District station at 410-396-2455. Read more

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“He's a big guy, so he really likes a big vehicle”

Most of Maryland's top elected officials say they're committed to helping the environment, yet many of them get around in large sport utility vehicles.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown , Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and the executives of Anne Arundel, Harford, Prince George's and Montgomery counties all say they are fans of energy savings and foes of global warming.

And all of them use vehicles environmentalists see as examples of excess.

While a few elected officials have turned to hybrid vehicles, O'Malley, Brown, and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett travel in huge, ethanol-fueled Chevrolet Suburbans. Anne Arundel Executive John R. Leopold and Dixon use almost-as-large Ford Expeditions. Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson travels in a Cadillac Escalade SUV; Harford Executive David R. Craig uses a slightly smaller Chevy Trailblazer; and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger relies on a GM Yukon Denali. Read more

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“Some are moving forward toward construction as early as next year”

Gov. Martin O'Malley was poised to announce on Saturday whether Maryland will allow wind power turbines on state land, a proposition condemned by all but the staunchest supporters of the green technology. via The Associated Press

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A Baltimore man has pleaded guilty to raping a woman at a light-rail stop in Linthicum. via WRC Washington DC Channel 4

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“We want to honor the people who have paid the supreme sacrifice by learning from those mistakes so we don't have this happen again.”

The last bell rang for Racheal M. Wilson, the city fire department recruit who died during a poorly executed training exercise.

When it sounded yesterday during a ceremony outside a firehouse in Northeast Baltimore, Wilson's little girl, an 8-year-old named Princess, covered her face. And Wilson's fiance, dressed in black, stood with his hand on his daughter's shoulders.

'It is just like it was yesterday,' said Priscilla Neal, Wilson's mother, as she wiped away tears. 'I miss her. I mean, I really miss her.' Read more

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“That's my guess -- she's gambling she won't be there very long. And in that sense, it can pay off sometimes.”

So is Sheila Dixon really mayor of Baltimore or what? Pretty much everybody but Circuit Court Clerk Frank Conaway has accepted that fact. via The Baltimore Sun

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“Teachers need to sharpen their observation skills to notice when trouble is brewing”

The grainy cell-phone video of a student hitting Baltimore City art teacher Jolita Berry in her classroom, replayed on the national news and the Internet, has reinforced the wide concern among school safety experts that teachers often don't receive enough training in how to defuse potentially dangerous confrontations with students.

Berry's case has angered local officials, who said they would hold a meeting to try find ways to give teachers skills to deal with disruptive students. Read more

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“You don't want to be ostracized.”

Standing at the corner of Maryland and North avenues, Megan Hildebrandt trained her tiny video camera on the passing pedestrians.

'I'm trying to make you feel safe and secure,' she spouted yesterday in a mildly creepy way. 'You're under my watchful gaze. I'm on every street corner.'

Her outfit completed the project: The 23-year-old performance artist wore a helmet with a blinking blue light, an oversized 'Believe' sticker and a Baltimore police shield.

Hildebrandt's turn as the human embodiment of the city Police Department's surveillance cameras was part of the fifth annual Transmodern Festival - the Baltimore art community's showcase of experimental theater, nontraditional creations and performance installations. Read more

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Baltimore police say an autopsy has concluded that a woman found dead last month in Gwynns Falls Park had been strangled. via WJZ Baltimore, Maryland News Weather

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“We don't want to wait for the federal government to act. We want to be ahead of the curve.”

An ambitious plan to address climate change by slashing carbon emissions in Maryland failed in the closing hours of the legislature Monday amid worries the bill would cost jobs.

A House committee considering the bill to cut carbon emissions 25 percent by 2020 voted not to forward the measure, killing it for the year. The measure narrowly passed the Senate and appeared headed toward passage, but environmental activists couldn't work out a compromise with unions and industry groups that feared the plan would cost jobs. Read more

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A Baltimore woman who was beaten by teenagers while riding a transit bus in December has pleaded guilty in a drug sting.

Twenty-six-year-old Sarah Kreager was arrested in October after trying to sell prescription drugs to an undercover police officer. Prosecutors say she pleaded guilty Monday to one count of attempted drug distribution. She was given an 18-month suspended sentence that includes probation and 35 hours of community service.

Kreager and her boyfriend made headlines after they were attacked Dec. 4 by students from Robert Poole Middle School while riding a city bus in the Hampden neighborhood. Kreager suffered two broken bones around an eye in the attack. Read more

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“Assuming we're realistic about it, I think we could have an agreement by the end of the day”

The most ambitious environmental proposal in Maryland this year hit do-or-die time Monday, with lawmakers trying to assemble a compromise on the plan before a midnight deadline to finish.

The legislature headed into its last day of work for the year with no agreement on a global warming bill that aims to address climate change by slashing carbon dioxide emissions.

The measure is a top priority for environmental activists in Maryland, but it has strong opposition from unions and industry, who say the bill would require pricey upgrades to factories, causing some to close. Read more

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A shootout involving two men and Baltimore City police ended with one man dead early this morning. via Baltimore Examiner

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“I've lost two of my tenants because of the shelter moving in”

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon met yesterday with members of a community group north of Little Italy who said they felt angry and 'ambushed' over the city's decision to open a homeless shelter in their neighborhood tomorrow.

Dixon and eight members of her senior staff tried to reassure the Albemarle Square Community that the shelter for 275 people in an empty city-owned building at 1001 E. Fayette St. would only be open for up to 90 days.

Then the former check processing center, located across from the city's main post office, will be occupied by the 250 professional employees of the Baltimore Health Department, which is moving its headquarters from 210 Guilford Ave. near City Hall, Dixon said. Read more

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“I'm frustrated about getting driven by the Senate”

The House Ways and Means Committee voted 13-8 this morning to repeal a 6 percent sales tax on computer services, sending the issue to the full House of Delegates for its final test.

The Senate has already approved the repeal bill backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, which would replace the unpopular 'tech tax' with a combination of cuts and a three-year surcharge on personal incomes over $1 million.

House leaders said yesterday that they have tallied votes on the floor and are confident they will have enough to pass the repeal measure. 'We are not going to lose this vote,' said Del. Talmadge Branch, a Baltimore Democrat and majority whip. 'Oh, no.' Read more

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A Baltimore developer made the winning $1.9 million bid on a slice of Baltimore County-owned land in the heart of Towson at an auction today.

The six-tenths-of-an-acre property, left over from the construction of Towsontown Boulevard, includes one of two historic railroad bridge abutments flanking York Road and a landscaped walking path.

Longwood Development LLC bid $1,955,000 on the land, said Shirley Murphy, chief of the county's Bureau of Land Acquisition.

The County Council must approve the sale, Murphy said. Read more

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“My nephews, they might have done some things wrong, but that's what teenagers do.”

Sherl Rogers sobbed yesterday when she talked about her two nephews, teenagers who were snatched from a Catonsville house in a kidnapping that appears to be linked to Baltimore's heroin trade.

'We just want our kids to come home,' Rogers said in an emotional phone interview. 'We're scared that something might happen to them. We don't know where they are. We don't know where they are.'

Authorities at all levels of government continued yesterday to search for Stephon Blackwell, 16, and his 15-year-old brother, Sterling Blackwell, the brothers and sons of convicted drug distributors from East Baltimore. Read more

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“Somebody, I never saw who, yelled at me down the street 'White boy,'”

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was dead, Baltimore was ablaze and four teens at Loyola Blakefield High School responded with their version of rebellion. They began asserting their racial identity, challenging authority and reading militant authors. They grew Afros.

In the days and months after King's murder 40 years ago today, consciousness spread nationwide as the word black replaced Negro and clenched fists were raised with pride. But the elite Jesuit school in Towson was caught off guard by the assault on its dress code. The Afros nearly got them expelled. Read more

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“I don't know what their deal is, but any house that has that much activity at night you should stay away from.”

Police continued to search yesterday for two teenage brothers who were snatched from their Catonsville house after a home invasion that sources familiar with the investigation said was related to Baltimore's drug trade.

Six masked gunmen forced their way into the house shortly before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, bound and gagged the home's 10 occupants and lingered for eight hours before taking off with the boys. One intruder fired a parting shot at a relative of the boys while fleeing in a BMW convertible. Read more

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Baltimore expects to pave 200 lane miles this year -- a slight increase over last year and more than double what was paved in 2006 -- Mayor Sheila Dixon announced today.

Standing on a newly refinished Ashton Street in Southwest Baltimore, transportation officials said street pavement will likely take place on Russell Street, Erdman Avenue, Belair Road and many other high-traffic routes.

'When we invest in our streets and the infrastructure of our city, it really makes a difference in how we perceive our communities,' Dixon said. 'Improving a street is one of the most visible signs of direct investment that a city can make.' Read more

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OCEAN CITY - Police have indentified the two victims of yesterday's fatal pedestrian crash on Coastal Highway. via The Daily Times

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“It doesn't address the issues we talked about in terms of re-regulation options _ long-term contracting, competition ... All the other stuff is still very much on the table”

A recent settlement between Maryland and Constellation Energy Group Inc. ends regulators' probes into costs from the state's 1999 deregulation settlement, but it doesn't mean the state can't explore re-regulation options, a key state regulator said Monday.

Steven Larsen, chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission, briefed lawmakers on legislation needed to seal the settlement, which Gov. Martin O'Malley announced last week.

The commission had been examining stranded costs, or money paid by utility customers to cover deregulation costs, but the PSC will no longer investigate them under the deal. Read more

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“If we don't put the money in conservation ... ratepayers will pay more”

The Maryland Senate voted down a major piece of Gov. Martin O'Malley's environmental agenda today amid a squabble by Democrats over how much money from a new fund should dedicate to rate relief for consumers and how much to energy efficiency programs.

The Senate voted 25-21 to reject the bill specifying how money from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative would be divided. Lawmakers estimate that the initiative could generate $140 million or more every year through fees on industry, which will have to buy pollution credits through auctions beginning this year. Read more

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“The Minot crash really got us looking at the issue”

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed what it calls 'sweeping' and 'revolutionary' changes in standards for the construction of the railroad tank cars that carry the most dangerous chemicals through American communities.

The new rules would strengthen the tankers to prevent penetration and ruptures at speeds up to 30 mph and slow some freights hauling dangerous cargo until the older tankers are replaced.

Railroads and chemical companies would have to replace half the 15,300 tank cars used to transport chlorine and anhydrous ammonia with stronger models within five years of the rules' enactment. The entire fleet would be replaced within eight years. Read more

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