With a legislative hearing on alleged corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center scheduled for next week, Governor Martin O'Malley has formed a new task force to investigate. A violent Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore saw 12 people shot. About 16-thousand Anne Arundel County residents have been paying too much for sewer service, and their bills are now set to go down. Plus: an update on yesterday's boat fire near Edgewater that injured 8 people... and on yesterday's fire on a cruise ship near the Bahamas that's prompting their return to Baltimore today. Also, the interleague series between the Orioles and the Nationals continues today; the O's won yesterday's game.
Prison Corruption Case: A new team has been formed to investigate the alleged corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center. Yesterday, Governor Martin O’Malley announced that he’s forming the “City Correctional Task Force;” the Baltimore Sun reports that it’ll be led by a city assistant State’s Attorney, and include investigators from the State Police and the Department of Correctional services. Next Thursday, Maryland lawmakers will hold a joint hearing to further investigate what led to the corruption at the jail.
Memorial Day Weekend Violence: 12 people in Baltimore were shot over the long Memorial Day weekend... including a one-year old boy, who died of his injuries on Friday night. Two people have been arrested in that case, and are facing murder charges, and the investigation is ongoing. City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts tells the Baltimore Sun that city residents need to work “collaboratively with the [police department] to help rid our communities of gang activity and gun violence."
Thousands Of AA County Homeowners Overcharged: More than 16-thousand homeowners in Anne Arundel County have been paying about 50% too much for their sewer service... and as the Baltimore Sun reports, those people will soon start seeing their wastewater bills drop by more than 160 dollars a year. The homeowners affected are those who pay for unmetered sewer service but not public water. A recent audit said that the County had been estimating their water usage as far higher than it actually was.
Edgewater Boat Fire: Eight people were burned or injured yesterday afternoon, when the boat they were riding caught fire. The Capital Gazette reports that the incident took place on the South River, near Edgewater. WJZ reports that the boat was about 100 yards off shore when the accident occurred; an investigation into its cause is underway. Officials tell the Baltimore Sun that all the people injured are expected to survive.
Cruise Ship Fire: More than 22-hundred passengers from a cruise ship that set sail from Baltimore on Friday are now being flown back; this after the Royal Caribbean ship “Grandeur of the Seas” caught fire near the Bahamas. The Baltimore Sun reports that all passengers received a full refund and a certificate for a future cruise. Royal Caribbean is working to repair the damage and get the ship put back into service.
North Laurel Drowning: A 15-year-old boy is dead, hours after vanishing while swimming in the Rocky Gorge Reservoir in North Laurel. Howard County Fire and EMS officials tell the Baltimore Sun that the incident started yesterday afternoon and at one point bystanders on the shore heard a scream for help near Scott's Cove. The teen's body was brought to shore shortly after 7 p.m. and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Stolen Documents Returned: Some documents that had been stolen from the Maryland Historical Society nearly two years ago have now been returned. The 60 documents that had been stolen from the institution were among thousands that had been pinched from museums and libraries all along the east coast; the Baltimore Sun reports that about 20 percent of the MD Historical Society’s documents are now back; investigators hope to return the rest in the coming months.
Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles triumphed over the Washington Nationals in yesterday afternoon’s game; the score was 6 to 2. The O’s look to do it again tonight when the two teams play again in DC… and then, to keep the performance up on Wednesday and Thursday, when the series shifts to Baltimore.