Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Andres Alonso has announced that he's retiring at the end of the current school year. Maryland lawmakers are planning to hold an expanded hearing into the corruption scandal at the Baltimore City Detention Center in June. Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke is objecting to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's plan to charge stormwater fees to local businesses. Petition drives now underway could put a gun reform measure and the repeal of the state's death penalty before voters in 2014. Plus: summer jobs for Baltimore youths, the future of Sparrows Point, a tugboat sinks at Locust Point, a look inside Anne Arundel County politics, and the winner of the Kentucky Derby -- Maryland-owned horse Orb -- is preparing for the May 18thPreakness Stakes.
Alonso Steps Down: Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Andres Alonso has announced that he's retiring at the end of the current school year. More here from the Baltimore Sun.
Prison Corruption Case: A legislative inquiry into the corruption scandal at the Baltimore City Detention Center that had been scheduled for this week has been postponed until June, and expanded. The Washington Post reports that a re-scheduled hearing will be held by a joint committee of legislators from the State Senate and House of Delegates. Lawmakers tell the Baltimore Sun that they'll use the hearing to look into the conditions that led to an alleged drug and cell phone smuggling ring in which 25 people -- including 13 corrections officers -- are facing charges. Meanwhile, some lawmakers are talking about a bill that failed in the 2010 General Assembly session that would have increased penalties for inmates and guards caught smuggling cell phones into prison; Republican Delegate John Cluster Jr. tells the Washington Post that the measure would have made a "huge impact" if it had been approved years ago.
Stormwater Fees: Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke is objecting to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's plan to charge stormwater fees to local businesses. Clarke wants the fees lowered in the first year by phasing them in. Councilman Bill Henry tells the Baltimore Sun that he expects a bill will be passed by July 1st, which is when Baltimore and nine Maryland counties are required to have stormwater fees in place.
Petition Drives: An overhaul of Maryland's gun laws and a repeal of the state's death penalty are facing petition drives which, if successful, would have MD voters decide whether the measures go into effect. Late last week, Delegate Neil Parrott said he'd use his website MDpetitions.com to gather the necessary petitions to put the recent repeal of Maryland's death penalty on the November 2014 ballot. And a Montgomery County woman won approval from the state Board of Elections for language to be used on petitions of a gun reform bill passed by the General Assembly, and set to be signed into law later this month by Governor Martin O'Malley. There's a deadline on the last day of this month for both petition drives; their leaders have to submit nearly 19-thousand valid signatures on that date for the process to move forward.
Summer Jobs For Baltimore Youths: Job fairs are in the works find employment for Baltimore's young people this summer. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake tells WJZ that the city's Youth Works summer jobs program is designed to help city youth aged 16 and 21 stay competitive. There's information at the Baltimore City website or by phone at 410-396-JOBS.
Inside Anne Arundel County Politics: WYPR's Fraser Smith and Allison Bourg of the Annapolis Capital talk about Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman's proposed budget and why it is getting positive feedback from lawmakers... on this morning's edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
The Investigation Into Anne Arundel's Police Chief: Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman says she'll meet with the County's police chief today to discuss his use of a slur in the workplace. The Capital Gazette reports that County Police Chief Larry Tolliver admits that while joking with officers he used a slur to describe homosexuals.
Sparrows Point's Future: There could be a renewed life for the now shut-down Sparrows Point steel mill complex in Dundalk; on Friday, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz called for a new shipping terminal and clean energy facilities at the site. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the project could create 10-thousand new jobs over 10 years.
Tugboat Sinks At Locust Point: A large tugboat sank beneath the waves Saturday night off Pier Three in Baltimore's Locust Point. A small fuel leak was reported after the sinking, and booms were set up around the site to stop the fuel from spreading. The Baltimore Sun reports that the boat now has to be floated and towed to a shipyard for repairs; it's unclear how much that will cost and how much time it'll take.
JHU's Biggest Fundraising Campaign: Johns Hopkins University has begun its largest fundraising drive ever; University officials announced a four-point-five-billion dollar goal over the weekend. Hopkins officials tell the Baltimore Sun that they want to use the cash to help find solutions to global problems like scarce water resources, and to revitalize parts of Baltimore. The University is pledging to spend ten-million dollars through 2017 on neighborhoods around its Homewood campus.
And in sports: The Orioles won yesterday's game against the Los Angeles Angels; the score was 8 to 4. The O's are now returning home; they'll play against the Kansas City Royals tomorrow night.
And: It appears more likely that attendance at this year's Preakness Stakes will set a record. This with the news that the Maryland-owned horse "Orb" will be running in the Preakness; "Orb" won the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, andthe Baltimore Sun reports that Preakness attendance often is up in years when there's a contender for the Triple Crown. The Preakness takes place on May 18th, at Pimlico Race Course.