Bye-bye, Billick?
December 31, 2007
WBAL-AM’s Steve Davis is reporting that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti fired head coach Brian Billick this morning.
Police perspective on combating gangs
December 31, 2007
After writing today’s feature on Montgomery County’s Gang Prosecution Unit, I had a chance to speak with 18-year veteran Capt. David Gillespie, director of the county police department’s special investigations division, about the police perspective on the prosecutor office’s new approach to gang crimes.
This fall, arresting officers were required to fill out a special alert form that is sent to the prosecutor’s office whenever a known gang member is arrested and charged with a crime.
He said the extra work has “not had much impact,” and in fact, he believes that most officers “are happy to do it” because they know the case will be sure to get attention.
“It’s imperative that we track those active gangs and the crimes these gangs are committing so that we are knowledgeable in both the crime activity and what motivates them,” he said.
Sphere: Related ContentThree… two… one… GREEN!
December 31, 2007
To those of you who cringe at the holidays’ blinding consumption of precious energy, you’ll be glad to hear that the 100 year-old Times Square ball is celebrating its centennial by going green.
Almost 10,000 energy-efficient replacement bulbs will use only about 10 toasters’ worth of electricity - and they are twice as bright as the previous lights.
And that’s not all: in the spirit of collaborative content, this year you can submit a wish to a Web site and have it printed on the multicolored confetti that is released at midnight.
Maybe Marylanders will ask that the jump in sales tax scheduled for Tuesday will magically disappear?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentCouple decides to raffle Hagerstown home
December 31, 2007
How’s this for a housing slump story?
After their four-bedroom farmhouse sat on the market for a year and a half, a Hagerstown couple has decided to take a gamble: they’re selling raffle tickets in a joint effort with a local charity with the grand prize being their home.
The raffle offers five prizes, several donated by local merchants: the home to the grand prize winner; a 2008 Toyota Camry; a Persian rug; furniture; and $1,000 cash, reports the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
The winners will be drawn at an annual dinner for the San Mar Children’s Home in Boonsboro, which will receive any extra money raised through raffle sales.
The farmhouse was listed at $425,000 in 2006; it’s now valued at $390,000.
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentBaltimore: 27th most-literate city?
December 28, 2007
Minneapolis may have ousted Seattle to be named the nation’s most literate city this year, but Baltimore wasn’t even in the running, coming in at No. 27 in the ranking by Central Connecticut State University.
The report compared the nation’s largest cities in terms of libraries, education, newspaper readership, local publishing industry and bookstores.
Seattle was weakened this year by the online element: online newspaper readership, Internet resources in libraries and Internet book orders.
Other placements: San Francisco at No. 7; Boston at No. 10; Los Angeles at No. 53.
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentNow you can confess to your (financial) sins
December 28, 2007
Have you heard about Geezeo? It’s certainly gotten enough press in financial circles. The site - er, “web-based application” - allows users to aggregate all their finances in one location and set monetary goals with other users for support.
And this week, the site launched “Confessions,” a section where users can spill their guts about guilty indiscretions. For example: “I have too much credit card debt” or “I’ve got to stop buying coffee at work.”
And since the site accepts Google logins, you needn’t set up a new registration if you have a Google account.
Do you think it would help you to have community support to reach a shared retirement goal?
Would you feel safe inputting all your financial accounts into one secure site?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentRavens fan on roof arrested in child support case
December 28, 2007
You may have seen a popular profile earlier this month of a die-hard Ravens fan who became a celebrity after camping out on top of a Canton bar to wait out the home team’s losing streak.
Well, Ron Stach was arrested this week, reports The Baltimore Sun, after his ex-wife exposed him as an alleged deadbeat dad.
The AP writes:
Kelly Stach says she thinks it’s horrible that he was being admired as a Ravens supporter but hasn’t supported his children.
She informed city police Wednesday that Stach was wanted on a Baltimore County warrant for failing to appear in court. Court documents say he owes at least $34,000 in child support.
Stach had already climbed down from the roof when he was arrested at a home in Southeast Baltimore. He was expected to have a bail review Friday.
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentMd. living wage law gets nod on top 10 public policies list
December 27, 2007
Coming in at No. 9 on Huffington Post’s The Ten Best Public Policies of 2007: Maryland’s statewide living wage law, which took effect October 1 and applies only to gov’t contractors and subcontractors.
As Andrea Batista Schlesinger writes, “For raising the standard of living for thousands of low-income workers and ensuring that public dollars don’t subsidize poverty-level jobs, the Maryland living wage law earns a place among the ‘Best of 2007.’”
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentAnimosity between Washington Post, Virginia bloggers?
December 27, 2007
A NoVa blogger posted over the holidays about the “simmering animosity that has been developing between the Virginia blogosphere and the Washington Post.” According to Prince William Co. blogger bvbl, WaPo is pushing sources not to talk to Virginia bloggers, threatening to cut off coverage.
The Post did launch LoudounExtra.com recently, but the site links to other area blogs run by bloggers not affiliated with the Post. They also have a “sponsored blogroll” on the bottom of the main post.com home page that links to blogs that participate in the ad sales program.
Why would WaPo do that if it felt blogs were competition?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related ContentDoes Maryland’s reluctance to enforce the death penalty disrespect the law?
December 27, 2007
I’d like to share an unusual argument with our legally-inclined readers.
A post on the blog Red Maryland states that “laws not enforced and punishments not imposed” contribute to a disrespect for the law, and “for that reason alone, without a lengthy discourse into its merits and flaws, the death penalty in Maryland should be abolished.”
Thoughts?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
Sphere: Related Content-
Business
Business postsLaw
Law postsRecent Posts
- In the market for a (used) car?
- DNA: What are the odds?
- Three Restaurant Weeks ahead
- Can the city support an NBA or NHL team?
- What’s in a name?
- A foot-stompin’ good time
Recent Comments
- Anonymous: Yes - Harry Johnson!
- Jeff: Of course it can’t. NBA ticket prices are outrageous, and the NHL isn’t any better. (Plus, it...
- Publicus: No.
- Aequitas: There are certainly many types of cases where some (but not necessarily all) people would...
- Anonymous: I think the recent rise in wine festivals is due to ever-increasing alcohol abuse. For some reason,...