NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS — For Friday May 2
[Scroll down for full week’s compendia]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — IN BRIEF
A Voice of Baltimore compendium, local and beyond. Your weekday morning look (with links) at late-breaking news, current events, and what will be talked about wherever you may go on Friday:
A 26th St. retaining wall in Charles Village collapsed Wed- nesday, causing landslide onto CSX railroad tracks below.
Area residents and even some politicians have warned for years of the landslide that occurred on 26th Street in Charles Village Wednesday. An investigation is underway.
Read More at: WJZ-TV (Channel 13)
• . . . AS CLEANUP FROM LANDSLIDE CONTINUES
The heaviest personal damage was to cars that tumbled off 26th Street, down 75 feet to the CSX railroad tracks below — whose owners may not be insured for an “act of God.” No injuries were reported.
Read More at: WBAL-TV (Channel 11)
• THE SUN BUYS ANNAPOLIS CAPITAL, CARROLL COUNTY TIMES
Tribune Co, which owns the Baltimore Sun among other newspapers, and is barely out of bankruptcy, announced Thursday that through its subsidiary, the Baltimore Sun Media Group, it has purchased two other Maryland newspapers, The Capital in Annapolis and the Carroll County Times, as well as their associated publications and websites.
In February the group purchased the Baltimore City Paper, a free alternative weekly with a circulation of about 50,000 in the local area.
Read More at: Maryland Daily Record
• CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR TO DEBATE ON RADIO; MPT TO CARRY TV DEBATE MAY 7
The four Republican candidates vying to succeed Martin O’Malley as Maryland’s next governor will hold a one-hour debate Saturday morning, beginning at 8:30 a.m., on WBAL-Radio’s Jimmy Mathis Show.
The three Democrats will also debate on radio, to be moderated by former State Sen. Larry Young. Their first televised debate, May 7th, will be moderated by NBC’s “Meet the Press” host David Gregory and will be broadcast statewide on Maryland Public Television.
Read More at: WBAL-Radio (1090AM)
• ARUNDEL EXECUTIVE PROPOSES $1.35B BUDGET
As proposed Thursday by Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman, the budget includes a slight decrease in property taxes and 20 additional police officers, while cutting the county’s property tax rate from 95 cents per $100 of assessed value to 94.3 cents.
Read More at: Baltimore Sun
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NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS — For Thursday May 1
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — IN BRIEF
A Voice of Baltimore compendium, local and beyond. Your weekday morning look (with links) at late-breaking news, current events, and what will be talked about wherever you may go on Thursday:
A 26th St. retaining wall in Charles Village collapsed Wed- nesday, causing landslide onto CSX railroad tracks below.
• HEAVY RAINS CAUSE LANDSLIDE, STREET COLLAPSE IN CHARLES VILLAGE
A 120-year-old retaining wall collapsed Wednesday, dumping sidewalks, street lights and a half-dozen cars onto CSX railroad tracks below.
It occurred along 26th Street in Charles Village, between St. Paul and Charles Streets. No injuries were reported.
More than two days of heavy rains additionally closed roads, flooded streams and caused power outages throughout the region.
Read More at: WBFF Fox45-TV
• EXELON PLANS $6.8B ACQUISITION OF PEPCO
The Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. parent said Wednesday it would acquire Washington, D.C.’s Potomac Electric Power Co. for nearly $7 billion, giving Exelon control over utilities in most of Maryland.
Read More at: WBAL-TV (Channel 11)
• MICA ADJUNCT FACULTY VOTES TO UNIONIZE
The vote was 163 in favor to 75 opposed, just slightly above the 50 percent required for recognition, creating the first union in Maryland to represent part-time faculty members at a four-year college. The adjuncts will form their union with SEIU Local 500, joining George Washington, American, and Georgetown Universities and Montgomery College.
Read More at: Baltimore Sun
• GANSLER, MIZEUR ACCUSE BROWN OF DUCKING DEBATE
In a rare joint statement, the Gansler and Mizeur campaigns said frontrunner Brown had agreed to a third televised encounter but was backing out.
Read More at: ABC/WJLA-TV Washington (Channel 7) | Baltimore Sun
• RAVENS RB RAY RICE PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN N.J. COURT ON ASSAULT CHARGE
The Ravens running back pled not guilty early Thursday in an Atlantic City court on charges of third degree aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury to his then-girlfriend in an elevator at the Revel Casino Hotel in February. He faces three to five years in prison if convicted.
The prosecution however is offering a plea deal which includes anger management classes and probation, with no jail time.
The couple were married a day after Rice was indicted on the charge. A simple assault charge against Janay Palmer was dropped.
Read More at: WJZ-TV (Channel 13)
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NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS — For Wednesday April 30
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — IN BRIEF
A Voice of Baltimore compendium, local and beyond. Your weekday morning look (with links) at late- breaking news, current events, and what will be talked about wherever you may go on Wednesday:
The Brewer’s Art beer company is changing the name of its popular ‘Ozzy’ pale ale to ‘Beazly.’
• BREWER’S ART RENAMES ‘OZZY’ BEER ‘BEAZLY’
After being hit with a cease and desist order by rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, the Brewer’s Art is renaming its “Ozzy” Belgian strong pale ale “Beazly” in honor of the restaurant and beer bar’s popular 17-year tenured bartender Mark Barcus, affectionately known to patrons and staff alike as Beazly.
Co-owner Tom Creegan says the ingredients will not change and that new artwork for the Beazly can will retain the silver, red, black and blue colors of Ozzy Ale.
Read More at: Baltimore Business Journal
• NBA BANS CLIPPERS’ OWNER STERLING ‘FOR LIFE’
Commissioner Adam Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million for his racist remarks — recorded in a private conversation at his home during an argument last weekend with his girlfriend, and released publicly by TMZ — and said he will push NBA owners to “force a sale” of the Los Angeles team.
In addition, Silver said Sterling will be prohibited from attending NBA games or practices, stepping foot inside any Clippers facility, taking part in business or personnel decisions, or having a role in league activities such as attending NBA Board of Governors meetings.
Donald Sterling is the league’s longest-tenured owner, having purchased the Clippers for $12.5 million in 1981. The team is now valued at $575 million by Forbes magazine; however, bidding is expected to soar over $1 billion.
Read More at: CNN
• HARBOR POINT’S THAMES STREET WHARF SELLS FOR $89 MILLION
KBS Realty Advisors announced Tuesday that Beatty Development Group has sold the office building in Harbor Point to a California-based real estate company for $89 million.
Read More at: Maryland Daily Record
• MARYLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NAMES NEW CEO
He’s Brien Poffenberger, the head of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce for the past decade. He’ll take over on June 16 from Kathleen T. Snyder, who has led the Maryland state organization for nearly 15 years.
Read More at: Hagerstown Herald-Mail
• LEGISLATORS SEEK REFERENDUM ON TRANSGENDER RIGHTS
A conservative group founded and led by Republican Del. Neil Parrott of Washington County said Tuesday it will attempt to collect enough signatures to force a referendum on a law approved by the Maryland General Assembly this year regarding the rights of transgender individuals.
Read More at: WBFF Fox45-TV
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NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS — For Tuesday April 29
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — IN BRIEF
A Voice of Baltimore compendium, local and beyond. Your weekday morning look (with links) at late-breaking news, current events, and what will be talked about wherever you may go on Tuesday:
Baltimore job seekers no longer have to tell prospective employers up-front if they’ve been arrested and/or convicted of a crime.
• BALTO. CITY COUNCIL PASSES
‘BAN THE BOX’ BILL
Job seekers in Baltimore will no longer have to check the box on applications indicating whether they’ve been arrested or convicted of a crime. The new legislation also prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal background until after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.
Read More at: WBAL-Radio (1090AM)
• FISH KILL IN BALTIMORE HARBOR
A wide-ranging fish kill stretching from Fells Point out into the Chesapeake Bay was spotted Monday and is being investigated by state officials.
Read More at: Baltimore Sun
• CELEBRITY CHEFS TO OPEN RESTAURANT AT HORSESHOE CASINO
Currently under construction, the casino’s new restaurant will be known as “Johnny Sánchez,” named for its collaborating headliners, celebrity chefs John Besh and Aarón Sánchez.
Read More at: Maryland Daily Record
• U of M, U of B SET ATTORNEY GENERAL DEBATES
The three candidates running for the Democratic nomination for Maryland’s attorney general will face off in two party-supervised debates — May 19 at the University of Maryland College Park and June 9 at the University of Baltimore Law School.
Read More at: WBFF Fox45-TV
• KERRY WARNS ISRAEL COULD BECOME ‘APARTHEID’ STATE
The Daily Beast obtained a recording of the Secretary of State’s remarks to world leaders at a closed-door meeting where the stalled Mideast peace process was being discussed.
Kerry’s use of the term “apartheid” has been widely criticized as inflammatory, and is contrary to President Obama’s stated position on Israel and the peace talks.
Read More at: CNN Politics
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NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS — For Monday April 28
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — IN BRIEF
A Voice of Baltimore compendium, local and beyond. Your weekday morning look (with links) at late-breaking news, current events, and what will be talked about wherever you may go on Monday:
Pope Francis, center, canonized predecessors John Paul II, shown at left, and John XXIII Sunday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
• POPE BRIDGES CATHOLIC DIVIDE
BY CANONIZING 2 PREDECESSORS
Joint canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II made history Sunday as Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass together at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
It was the first time two popes were declared saints at the same time, canonized at a first-of-its-kind mass celebrated jointly by two living popes.
Read More at: New York Times
• CITY RENAMES STREET TO HONOR 8-YEAR-OLD BOY KILLED IN EXPLOSION
The 2700-block of Jefferson Street in East Baltimore, at the corner of North Lakewood Avenue, Sunday was renamed “Troy Douglas Way” to honor the eight-year-old boy who was killed there while walking home from school in February when a wall collapsed following a gas explosion.
Read More at: WBAL-TV (Channel 11)
• JOHNS HOPKINS PUTS GRAD STUDENTS’ ID’S AT RISK TO HACKERS
The university confirmed over the weekend that an employee mistakenly put files on a server that could have given hackers access to more than 2,100 former students’ names and social security numbers.
However there is no evidence that anyone with malicious intent accessed the files that belonged to graduate students at the Homewood campus from 2007 to 2009.
Read More at: WJZ-TV (Channel 13)
• COUNCILMAN CRITICIZES CITY TOWING PRACTICES
Bob Curran wants Baltimore to rein in unscrupulous towing companies that remove cars from parking lots for questionable reasons. So he’s sponsoring legislation to spell out a narrow list of conditions for which a vehicle can be removed from private property — and he would cut the towing fee by nearly half.
Read More at: Baltimore Sun
• JHU RAISES UNDERGRAD TUITION TO $47,000
Hopkins announced the increase at week’s end, representing a 3.5 percent increase, or $1,590, over the past year’s bill.
Read More at: Maryland Daily Record
