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July 19, 2010 - By Patrick Madden
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty is tapping a prosecutor in the D.C. Attorney General's office to take over the District's juvenile justice agency. Former Deputy Attorney General Robert Hildum replaces Marc Schindler as the new interim head. Fenty says Schindler's six month appointment was wrapping up and a new director was needed.
It's been a turbulent year for the District's Department of Youth Rehabilitation services. Two high profile incidents, the drive-by shooting on south capitol street and the murder of D.C. middle school principal, have focused scrutiny on the agency and raised questions about whether the city is too lenient on or protective of juvenile offenders.
By hiring a prosecutor, the city may be sending a message that it is getting tougher on juvenile crime, but at the same time, Hildum says he has always believed in the reform effort, which emphasizes rehabilitation over incarceration.
"I have been hand in hand with DYRS with the public defenders service with the courts, in making sure that youth who get in trouble are not locked up for long periods of time in pre-trial," says Hildum.
Still, some juvenile justice advocates immediately criticized the move. They say it jeopardizes five years of reforms and want an investigation into the role Attorney General Peter Nickles played in the decision.
July 19, 2010 - By Kate Sheehy
While almost no one likes feeding a parking meter, D.C. is trying to find ways to make it easier to pay for that parking space.
Over the next few months D.C.'s Department of Transportation will be testing different ways to pay for parking. In a few neighborhoods drivers will be able to pay using a smart phone; another program lets drivers use credit cards instead of coins.
One idea that could help drivers find a place to park is to put embedded sensors in spaces to tell if they're occupied. John Lisle, with D.C.'s Department of Transportation, says the city will be reviewing the pilot programs and will develop long range plans based on user feedback.
"We're really trying to look at as much technology that's on the market today to see what works for Washington D.C.," he says.
DDOT is also currently testing solar-powered single space meters that take credit cards as well as coins.
NBC4 Video:
July 19, 2010 - By Jessica Gould
More than 5,000 Ahmadi Muslims have come to the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia to celebrate their community and promote their message of peace.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has millions of members across the world. Ahmad Chaudhry is one of them, and he says nonviolence is central to the Ahmadi faith.
"That means that Jihad of the sword is no longer applicable," he says. "Instead, it’s about communicating through words and ideas the peaceful nature of Islam."
That’s why, he says, the theme of the community’s convention this year is Muslims for Peace. It’s also the name of a new campaign, which the community launched after the attempted Times Square bombing in May.
Chaudhry says New York City buses now carry Muslims for Peace posters, and young people have been going door-to-door distributing pro-peace pamphlets.
"The overwhelming majority of Muslims are for peace and are of a peaceful nature," he says. "The radical violent form of Islam that is preached is from a small minority. But I also think it’s time for the moderate Muslims to speak up and take back the true essence of Islam, which is a peaceful nature."
Chaudhry says he expects a similar campaign to hit Washington-area streets sometime soon.
Ahmadi Muslim men pray at the community's annual convention in
Chantilly, Va.
Courtesy of: Jessica Gould
July 19, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly 9,000 customers in Maryland are without power after thunderstorms toppled trees and branches, bringing down electrical wires. A Pepco spokesman says utility lines at locations in Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville were affected.
WASHINGTON (AP) D.C. officials are seeking volunteers to adopt streets and water the trees to help them survive during the hot summer months. The D.C. Department of Transportation is asking for people to join its Canopy Keeper program.
WASHINGTON (AP) District transportation officials will test new ways to pay for parking over the coming months. Pay-by-phone, pay-by-space and pay-by-plates are some of the methods that will be tested beginning today in select areas.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) Maryland's gubernatorial candidates hit the weekend campaign trail, braving temperatures in the 90s to court voters. Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich was in Washington County on Saturday, where he had lunch with fire and rescue personnel before visiting the Washington County Ag Expo + Fair. Gov. O'Malley made the rounds yesterday at Baltimore's ArtScape arts festival.
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) Frederick police say a Monrovia man was killed when the vehicle he was driving struck a building. Police say two passengers in the vehicle also were injured in the crash early Sunday morning.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia is set to hold hearings on plans for high-speed rail between Richmond and Raleigh, N.C. Hearings on the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor will be held in Richmond tomorrow, in Petersburg on Wednesday and on Thursday in McKenney.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) Local transportation officials say thousands of people could be stranded if a major hurricane hit Hampton Roads because the state's evacuation plan is inadequate. State studies show it would take 36 hours to evacuate at-risk residents in South Hampton Roads.
HAMPTON, Va. (AP) The Air Force is deactivating its 71st Fighter Squadron, and the last F-15 jet will leave Langley Air Force Base in mid-September. The F-15C Eagle has been a familiar sight in the skies over the Hampton base for 34 years.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - By Greg Peppers
Algae, bacteria and other microorganisms at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay's food chain are the focus of a federally funded study.
Researchers from the University of Maryland will study the genetic makeup of the microorganisms and learn how they are affected by pollutants and other environmental factors.
"We hope to find novel species in the Chesapeake Bay, and we will establish the new research baseline for the micro-algae, which some of these data can be used for other eco-systems as well," says Dr. Feng Chen, an associate professor of Biotechology.
The $100,000 year-long study will be conducted by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science at its Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore.
The Bay's Blue Crab and oysters have been studied for years, but the microorganism study will be the first of its kind and will help researchers better understand the environment in which such species live.
University of Maryland researchers are focusing on the environmental factors in the Chesapeake Bay's food chain.
Courtesy of: Sylvia Carignan
July 19, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson
Today, much of the nation's landscaping industry united in Northern Virginia to do its part to care for America's most sacred ground: Arlington National Cemetery.
Vietnam Veteran Jim Barrett is watching a crew of workers roll a high-tech plow back and forth on a patch of grass on top of a hill in the cemetery.
"It's called a vibratory plow and it installs pipe in the ground without having to open up a trench, so there's a lot less physical work, and it's a lot neater and cleaner when it's finished," he says.
Barrett is a professional irrigation consultant. He came here from New Jersey, and nearly 500 other landscaping professionals from across the country joined him.
They're here for the Professional Landcare Network's 14th annual Renewal and Remembrance day. The group has donated an estimated $2 million worth of landscaping work to the cemetery over the years.
David Snodgrass, the group's president, says to be able to offer their expertise to the cemetery's green space is special.
"We create beautiful green spaces, and to be able to do it here is amazing, and for such a good cause," says Snodgrass.
Barrett says this year may be even more special, considering the recent run of bad news about poor management and mismarked graves emerging from the cemetery.
"My first reaction to that was a little bit of disappointment, and you also feel, is there something we can do to help," he says. "This is not much, but it's a little bit."
This week, leaders in the group also head to Capitol Hill to speak with legislators about issues such as water restriction and immigration laws.
July 19, 2010 - By Matt Bush
Budget woes in Montgomery County, Maryland have scrapped plans for a mental health court...for now. The court would deal exclusively with those arrested that test positive for mental illness.
Dr. Raymond Crowel is the chief of the county's behavioral health and crisis services. He says they had high hopes for such a court, but then came the county's major budget deficit.
"At present time, it does not look like a mental health court is feasible in the county," he says.
Close to a quarter of those arrested in Montgomery County are tested for mental disorders, according to Athena Morrow, who is a supervisor for the county's clinical assessment and triage services. She says such a court would help detainees receive treatment more quickly, which is important since many repeat offenders have untreated mental health problems.
Morrow says such offenders get more violent as they get older, citing one man who's been arrested more than 130 times since 1992.
"They were all mostly all alcohol related: disorderly, open containers, trespassing charges in the past," she says. "Until recently when this individual came in on arson."
Councilman George Leventhal says he understands the budget is limiting them, but he feels a mental health court could save the county money by keeping more people out of prison.
"Why we can't we understand what it's costing us to incarcerate these people and assume some savings there," he says.
Jurisdictions nationwide, 175 of them, have some sort of mental health court, including Prince George's County in Maryland.
July 19, 2010 - By Cathy Duchamp
I met Mary Young at the John Booth senior center in Baltimore’s Highlandtown. She says her house has ceiling fans but no air conditioning. So, does anyone check in on her when it gets hot?
"My neighbors and my niece that live right around me," she says. "They come over and see if I need anything from the store or something like that."
That’s not the case for Lillian Douglas.
"I’ve been in my house, over 65 years," she says. "And I only know three people in the neighborhood now because it’s all moved out."
Douglas says new neighbors wave at her when she’s out on her stoop. But her son is the only one who checks on her. That’s why she hangs out at the senior center most days, hot or not.
"All us seniors need a place like this because it's awful lonesome at home when your family is gone," she says.
Baltimore has had more than nine Code Red Heat Alert days so far this summer. That’s three times more than all of last year.
Baltimore seniors beat the heat with bingo at the John Booth Senior Center in Highlandtown.
Courtesy of: Cathy Duchamp
July 19, 2010 - By Meymo Lyons
Maryland may soon allow condemned prisoners to choose their own spiritual advisor to accompany them in the execution chamber when they die.
Most of the 35 states with capital punishment allow an inmate to meet with the clergy of their choice in the hours before an execution, but the majority of them require spiritual advisers to watch the execution from an adjoining room.
Maryland currently allows an official prison chaplain to be in the room during the execution, but the state chooses that person. The measure is being considered by Maryland legislators at a time when the death penalty is essentially on hold.
In 2006 the state's highest court determined the way the state lethally injected its inmates wasn't properly reviewed by a legislative panel as required.
July 19, 2010 - By Jessica Gould
College isn't just about learning new things; it's also about meeting new people. One nonprofit in D.C. is urging students to make the most of the opportunity.
At a District of Columbia College Access Program seminar, Michael Andrews is giving students a glimpse of what life might be like in the so-called Ivory Tower.
"Predominantly white college; That means predominantly white people around at all times," he says. "Ok. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a great environment. But you ever been in a room with 500 white people and you? If you haven’t, that’s what it’s going to be."
Rebecca Ouedraogo just graduated from Bell Multicultural High School. She says the D.C. public school wasn’t as diverse as you might think.
"I think we only had one white student," she says.
Ouedraogo says she’s excited to meet new people when she goes to Penn State this fall. But she’s nervous too. That’s why she signed up for the program's seminar on predominantly white colleges. Janaya Thompson teaches the course.
"Some of the concerns that students have is how to fit in on a campus where they don't look like everyone else both socially and academically," she says.
Thompson advises students to keep an open mind and embrace the chance to meet people from a variety of backgrounds.
Hundreds of D.C. students and their parents attended D.C. College Access Program's pre-college seminars for incoming freshmen.
Courtesy of: Jessica Gould
July 19, 2010 - By Michael Pope
Some members of the Virginia General Assembly are pointing fingers at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, saying they've focused too much on revitalizing Tysons Corner at the expense of Richmond Highway.
One of those legislators is Delegate Scott Surovell.
"The discussions that have taken place in Tysons Corner have involved thousands and thousands and thousands of hours of discussions with people and consultants and professionals and politicians and Metro, and a lot of other people to make that happen, and those kinds of discussions have not happened in our part of the community," he says.
But Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay disagrees. He says there have been improvements to Richmond Highway and points to countdown pedestrian crosswalks, the creation of a development corporation and millions of dollars for various studies. Besides, says McKay, there's no comparison.
"The difference between Tysons Corner and Route One is everything," he says. "The starting point is different. The future end point is different. The revitalization challenges in both places are different."
But one point both sides agree on is that a major source of frustration is the Virginia Department of Transportation, which is slow to approve permits to improve infrastructure and perennially underfunded.
July 19, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) A White House spokesman says BP's ruptured oil well is leaking at the top, along with seepage about two miles away.
Robert Gibbs also says officials are monitoring bubbles that can be seen on an underwater camera.
Leaks could mean the cap on the well has to be opened to prevent oil and gas from escaping elsewhere.
The mechanical cap on the well stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Federal and local authorities have arrested 30 suspected gang members and associates over the weekend in northern Virginia as part of a three-day enforcement sweep.
Officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the arrests were part of an ongoing effort to target foreign-born gang members.
Of those arrested, 21 are facing only administrative immigration violations. The remainder face criminal charges.
All but one of the 30 are foreign nationals who face deportation. ICE says those arrested include 10 from Honduras, seven from El Salvador, nine from Guatemala and three from Mexico. Those arrested were associated with the MS-13, Mexican Pride and Southside Locos gangs.
Fairfax County Police and the county sheriff's office also participated in the arrests.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt
A Vietnam Veteran from Woodbridge, Virginia will receive a Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross today, 39 years after he risked his life to rescue a group of Vietnamese Marines.
The former Army lieutenant and helicopter pilot was wounded on two separate missions. The first was to resupply and rescue wounded Vietnamese Marines, under siege by the North Vietnamese Army. The second, three days later, allowed troops to recover downed helicopter crews.
Ronald Markiewicz piloted his chopper through anti-aircraft fire to complete both rescues, while suffering wounds of his own.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) will present the honors for gallantry in action and extraordinary achievement at a ceremony in Annandale, Virginia.
July 19, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore officials say bulk trash collection, which was suspended at the end of June because of budget concerns, will resume in August.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says that starting Monday, residents can call 311 to schedule bulk trash collection, which will resume Aug. 2.
Funding for the operation was restored to the Department of Public Works. The Bureau of Solid Waste has rerouted the service, so residents should confirm the date when calling 311.
Residents can put up to three items out for collection.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
July 19, 2010 - (July 19-August 22) MARY POPS IN The Perfect Nanny is available every evening through August at the Kennedy Center. Mary Poppins the musical is surprisingly psychedelic, keeping adults and kids entertained with her practically perfect brand of Broadway magic.
(July 19-October 10) CHECKMATE!! MEDIEVAL PEOPLE AT PLAY Meanwhile, you may want to check out Charm City's Walters Art Museum for Checkmate! Medieval People at Play on display through mid-October. The exhibit sheds some light on the Dark Ages, with paintings that explore the whimsical side of medieval life - from Dupont Circle-style snowball showdowns to afternoon sessions of "Ring around the Rosie."
(July 21-August 7) DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN Or, opt-out of the kids games during artist/filmmaker Karen Yasinsky's latest exhibit, I Choose Darkness at G Fine Art on Florida Avenue in Northeast D.C., with reflections on social interaction and repression in three stop-motion animation films Wednesday through Sunday until August 7th.
July 19, 2010 - By Garrett Browne
A one-day free medical clinic is coming to D.C. next month. It's part of a national organization's effort to help Washingtonians who can't afford the care they need.
When the uninsured need health care and they can't afford a doctor, there aren't many places in D.C. where they can go for help.
Recognizing that, the National Association of Free Clinics will offer a no cost medical clinic on August 4th in Northwest D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux says many Americans don't realize that being employed doesn't automatically mean a person has access to medical insurance.
"Eighty-three percent of the people who come to our clinics have a job or come from a working household," she says. "They just don't have access to affordable health care."
She says free clinics, rely on volunteers to provide many of the general medical services they offer.
"We need those doctors and nurses and nurse practitioner, medical students, nursing students," she says. "But we also need those people that just want to give back their time."
The free clinic at the convention center in August will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
July 19, 2010 - By Cathy Carter
A team of Alexandria teenagers are spending their summer gathering information about their community. Sixteen-year-old Grand Roberson is at the Boston Market in Alexandria's West End. She's here to conduct an interview with the store's supervisor. It's all part of her job as one of the city's youth mappers.
"Would you be interested in providing Alexandria youth with employment opportunities, volunteer opportunities, internship opportunities, training, mentoring?," she asks.
The manager says yes, and Roberson checks a box on her survey. The data collected will identify what resources and opportunities exist for teenagers in Alexandria and how the city can improve youth services.
So, does Roberson think the project will help?
"I think it will, because it's like getting the word out that we need more activities," Roberson says.
The youth mappers are also asking people about their perceptions of Alexandria teenagers, and Roberson thinks some of the responses are unfair.
"They really underestimate us," she says. "They look down on us and we want to change that. That's our goal."
Once the project is completed, mappers will develop a presentation and make recommendations to public officials in Alexandria.
July 19, 2010 - Having arrived as FEMA Administrator from a top emergency management post in Florida, Craig Fugate knows a thing or two about hurricanes and other major disasters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has had its share of problems. One thing Fugate has focused on is getting FEMA up on the latest technology.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports...
July 19, 2010 - By Cathy Duchamp
The Obama Administration is deciding whether to extend tax breaks designed to make it cheaper for small businesses to hire new employees. Since the president unveiled his initial plan in Baltimore six months ago, the results have been mixed.
Chesapeake Machine Company owner Terry Sims gave President Obama a tour of his shop floor last January.
"Yeah, I gave him a really cool pair of blue safety goggles, he looked like Bono," he says.
A few weeks after removing those goggles, the Mr. Obama signed a job creation tax credit into law. It gives business owners a break on payroll taxes, and some cash back for each new employee hired. But Sims says that hasn’t been incentive enough for him to add new staffers to his payroll.
"It's only going to be when industry and manufacturing picks up," he says.
Sims says moreso than tax credits, the government should increase spending on infrastructure and renewable energy.
"The more the government and private industry is spending, that stuff has to get made," he says. "We make stuff and we would be hiring people."
The Treasury Department said last week it’s too early to tell whether job creation tax credits have had any effect.
The credits are set to expire at the end of the year.
Terry Sims runs Chesapeake Machine Company in Baltimore, a shop that makes everything from submarine tail cones to solar panel factory parts.
Courtesy of: Cathy Duchamp
July 19, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
WEEKEND CAMPAIGNING Ehrlich, O'Malley spend weekend out and about on the campaign trail, the Associated Press reports in The Carroll County Times. Don Aines from the Hagerstown Herald Mail reports on Ehrlich's appearance at the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair.
PARTISAN POLLS The race for governor has been dominated so far by partisan polls, writes Julie Bykowicz of The Baltimore Sun.
KANE BACKGROUND Gus Sentementes of the Sun takes a close look at Republican lieutenant governor candidate Mary Kane -- and the federal lawsuit filed against her husband. This is the third major article on the issue, following Friday's story in the Gazette and the July 4 article by John Wagner in the Washington Post.
TOP SECRET The Washington Post begins a mammoth multi-part series on the intelligence work that funnels billions into Maryland -- with no public scrutiny due to the classified nature of the spending. The paper posts multiple resources on the web.
WELFARE Federal stimulus dollars help Maryland reduce its welfare backlog, writes Brent Jones of the Sun.
MARC Hot weather strains service, but that's no excuse for bad behavior from riders, writes the Sun's Michael Dresser.
FEDERALLY FUNDED STUDY Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger will announce federal funds for a new University of Maryland center to study Chesapeake Bay microorganisms, according to an Associated Press article in the Sun.
JOHNSON SUED A homeowners' association in Kettering sued Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife for more than $1,500 in outstanding payments, writes The Washington Post's Jonathan Mummolo.
RESIDENCY QUESTIONED Anne Arundel County Democrats question the residency of state's attorney hopeful Eric Grannon, who owns a second home in Washington, D.C., writes Scott Daugherty in The Capital.
1ST DISTRICT REMATCH Liam Farrell at the Capital offers an update on Rep. Frank Kratovil's tough congressional re-election fight against state Sen. Andy Harris.
FUNDRAISING STATS In all federal races -- except for the 1st Congressional District -- Democratic incumbents have out-raised Republicans by far, Liam Farrell writes in The Capital.
ELECTION CHANGES The Frederick News Post's Bill Pritchard's column looks at changes to rules for residency and political affiliation from the Frederick County Board of Elections.
HAGERSTOWN CANDIDATES The Herald-Mail profiles Orphans' Court judge candidate Robert Adair, and delegate candidate Michael Hough.
FREELAND RETIRING Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Secretary Ronald Freeland announced he is retiring next month, writes Daniel J. Sernovitz of the Baltimore Business Journal. The Baltimore Sun's Michael Dresser also reports the story.
FARM GRANTS The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Maryland more than $120,000 in agricultural grants, reports Joanna Sullivan of the Baltimore Business Journal.
CASA GETS POLITICAL Publicly funded immigration advocacy group Casa de Maryland establishes a political arm to back Hispanic candidates, writes The Washington Examiner's Brian Hughes.
MONTGOMERY CO. SCHOOLS As he begins the last year of his third four-year term, Montgomery County Superintendent Jerry Weast has several detractors, reports Leah Fabel of The Washington Examiner.
BALTIMORE COUNTY Four-term councilman and county executive candidate Kevin Kamenetz is thinking about making county schools run more efficiently, reports Patuxent Publishing's Bryan Sears.
POTOMAC CENTER AUDIT An audit states that the Potomac Center in Hagerstown, run by the Department of Mental Health and Human Hygiene, must return $80,000 it improperly kept to the state, reports the Sun's Matthew Brown.
MIKULSKI CAMPAIGN U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski has spent nearly $250,000 on consultants in the second quarter of 2010, reports the Sun's Paul West.
EHRLICH SIGNS Most Baltimore County election sign complaints are about Ehrlich signs, reports the Sun's Arthur Hirsch.
AAA BOND RATING State Treasurer Nancy Kopp talks about Maryland retaining its AAA bond rating in the Conduit Street blog. The Sun's Annie Linskey also writes about the rating.
TEACHER EVALUATIONS The state tries to figure out how to use test scores to evaluate teachers, reports Liz Bowie of the Sun.
ROCKY GAP SLOTS ROUND 2 The state, seeking for a second time to award a gaming license in Western Maryland, hopes to entice casino developers to take another item off its plate — the struggling Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort, writes Nicholas Sohr of the Daily Record.
VOTER INTIMIDATION Carroll County Times columnist Rob Spring urges all to stand up against all voter intimidation.
FREDERICK COMMISSIONERS Frederick County Commissioner candidate Elaine Kessinger will go to great lengths to promote the City of Frederick. And Walkersville Burgess Ralph Whitmore wants to take his leadership to the next step by becoming a Frederick County commissioner. Meg Tully reports both stories for the Frederick News-Post.
SUPER MAJORITY Republican lawmakers and a group of citizens are trying to get Howard County voters to approve a change in the county charter that would require a "super majority" of members of the County Council to approve any future tax hike, Robert Lang reports for WBAL-Radio.
UNSAFE WATER Kate Yanchulis writes in MarylandReporter.com that Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a picturesque setting, but visitors should think twice before trailing an arm along the water's edge: A water sample revealed that the bacteria level was almost five times the safe limit for human contact.
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