Baltimore didn’t see any homicides or shootings over the past weekend -- but that period of relative calm ended yesterday, with several shootings and two men killed in an apparent arson. Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown’s gubernatorial bid received dozens of endorsements yesterday, including those of US House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and State Senate President Mike Miller. Delegate Cardin announces campaign for Maryland Attorney General’s office. AAA calls for an NTSB review of the safety of the railings on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Plus: a water main break near Canton, Governor Martin O’Malley asks the federal government to maintain funding for aerospace research, the Anne Arundel County School Board will announce its pic for Interim Superintendent today, and more.
Baltimore Violence: A period of relative calm is over in Baltimore after a weekend free of shootings was shattered by a series of violent incidents yesterday. Police say the bodies of two men were found in the basement of a burned out restaurant in Mount Vernon. Police tell the Baltimore Sun that they’re also investigating several other shootings that occurred yesterday that left at least one person dead and four others injured.
Brown Campaign Garners New Endorsements: US House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and State Senate President Mike Miller were among two dozen federal, state and local government officials who endorsed Anthony Brown’s bid for governor yesterday, according to the Washington Post. Brown and Montgomery County Delegate Heather Mizeur are the only announced Democratic candidates in the race -- although Attorney General Doug Gansler has indicated that he’ll also run for governor. There’s more on the endorsements here from the Baltimore Sun.
Delegate Cardin To Run For AG: Baltimore County Delegate Jon Cardin announced that he’s running for Maryland Attorney General, a post that will be left open if Gansler does run for governor. Delegate Cardin is the first Democrat to get into the race, but the Washington Post reports that the field for the Attorney General’s post is expected to be crowded. Cardin joined the General Assembly in 2003; in the last session, he was lead sponsor of a new law to protect children from cyber bullying. Delegate Cardin is the nephew of U.S. Senator Ben Cardin; there’s more on this story here from the Baltimore Sun.
AAA Calls For NTSB Review Of Bay Bridge Railings: Triple-A Mid-Atlantic is asking that the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the safety of the railings on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the aftermath of a Friday crash that sent a driver and her vehicle into the Bay. The Baltimore Sun reports that AAA says the crash raises questions about whether there was a failure of the restraint system used on the bridge and whether it met federal specifications, or whether the specifications for bridge barriers are inadequate to restrain a vehicle in this type of crash.
Sexual Assault Policy Changing At Naval Academy: The Naval Academy in Annapolis says it's responding to concerns about sexual assault Commander Lyn Hammer leads the academy's new Sexual Assault Prevention Program; she tells WJZ that class of 2017 has already had four phases of sexual assault prevention and response training and calls that "unprecedented."
Water Main Break Near Canton: Baltimore’s Department of Public Works is saying thousands are affected by a water main break close to the Canton waterfront. Officials tell WJZ they’re not sure when the repairs will be done, and say they’re trying to shift water from other mains. The Baltimore Sun reports that the main that broke last night is near the 34-hundred block of Holabird Avenue and water outages were mostly in the areas of Canton, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn, Cherry Hill and Curtis Bay. Officials say if your water is cloudy or brown, you should NOT drink it.
Judge Intervenes In Case Of Same Sex Couple From Ohio Married in Maryland: A federal judge has ruled in favor of two Cincinnati men who were married last week in Maryland and are seeking to have their union recognized in Ohio. As the Washington Blade reports, the judge said it is unconstitutional for Ohio to treat legal same-sex marriages differently than marriages between opposite-sex partners. Same-sex marriage is legal in Maryland but it is not in Ohio. There’s more on the case here from the Baltimore Sun.
O’Malley Asks Federal Government To Maintain Aerospace Research Funding: Governor Martin O’Malley is calling on the federal government to keep up its funding of aerospace research… a sector that’s big business here in Maryland. The governor’s office tells the Baltimore Sun that some 145-thousand people work in the state’s aerospace industry.
AA Schools To Get Interim Superintendent: The Anne Arundel County School system will get an interim superintendent today. The county’s School Board will hold a public vote this afternoon to grant the system’s new leader a contract; the Board wouldn’t identify who that person is when questioned yesterday by the Capital Gazette. Whoever becomes interim superintendent will serve until July of next year; that person replaces Kevin Maxwell, who’s leaving Anne Arundel County schools to head up the Prince George’s County school system.
Grade Changes Under Investigation: School officials in Baltimore are investigating whether dozens of middle school students were given passing grades, even though they earned failing marks. The investigation is taking place at Booker T Washington Middle School. Officials tell the Baltimore Sun that they are investigating reports that some students who never attended class were given higher grades than those who attended daily and performed the course work.
Frederick County Home Sales: Home sales are up in Frederick County at rates that eclipse the national average. Between May and June, sales of existing homes increased by about 23 percent – during the same period, home sales nationally actually dropped, by about 1.2 percent. Year over year sales for June were up 24 percent, well above the national average of 15 percent. The National Association of Realtors tells the Frederick News Postthat the local economy has led to the higher home sales and prices.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals 9 to 2 yesterday… it was the O’s fifth win in a row. They’ll look to continue the streak tonight, when they take on the Royals again.