The latest on Tuesday afternoon’s train derailment in Rosedale, where the investigation will likely have members of National Transportation Safety Board on the scene for several days. The former security chief at the Baltimore City Detention Center is fighting her termination. Former Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith appears poised to take the reins of the Maryland Department of Transportation. Plus: Frederick County Commissioner David Gray is out of the hospital, after a heart attack… MARC ridership hit a record level in April… and more.
Rosedale Train Derailment: The investigation of yesterday’s CSX train derailment and explosion in Rosedale will likely have members of National Transportation Safety Board on the scene for several days. The derailment occurred when the train struck a commercial garbage truck yesterday afternoon, causing fifteen cars to leave the tracks, and leading to a blast of flame and smoke. Officials say that no buildings collapsed and no evacuation was ordered. WYPR’s Mary Rose Madden has more here; additional coverage is here from the Baltimore Sun.
Prison Corruption Case: The former security chief at the Baltimore City Detention Center is fighting her termination. Shavella Miles was fired after the scandal broke over correction officers smuggling contraband to gang members; shes was charged with overseeing correction officers at the jail. Miles is facing no charges in relation to the case, and no other employees have lost their jobs… and Miles’ attorney tells the Baltimore Sun that she was made a scapegoat “to appease the public.”
Jim Smith To Become MD Transportation Secretary: Former Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith appears poised to take the reins of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The Washington Post says O’Malley will formally appoint Smith to the job today. The State Senate will need to confirm Smith’s nomination, butthe Baltimore Sun reports that he could serve in the position until lawmakers meet for next year’s General Assembly session. Smith will take the post as Maryland starts bringing in more money for transportation projects, with a series of gas tax increases, set to begin this July – which will raise the price of gas by about 4 cents a gallon.
Gray Discharged From Hospital: Frederick County Commissioner David Gray was discharged from Frederick Memorial Hospital yesterday, where he’d been since Sunday, after suffering a mild heart attack.The Frederick News Post reports that this is the first heart attack that the 73-year old has experienced.
Royal Farms Settlement: Convenience store chain Royal Farms has agreed to pay a 600-thousand dollar penalty for fuel leaks that took place at two of its locations in Maryland – one in Rosedale and the other in the Cecil County town of North East. The Baltimore Sun reports that the settlement will prevent a court fight that state regulators had threatened. In related news, the Baltimore Brew is reporting that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has committed the city to spend $500-thousand to realign an intersection in Baltimore’s Hamilton neighborhood to allow a large Royal Farms store and gas station to go up.
Stormwater Fees In Anne Arundel: WYPR's Joel McCord and Allison Bourg of the Annapolis Capital talk about why Anne Arundel County isn't finished passing all of its stormwater fee laws, on today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
MARC Ridership: More people rode MARC trains in April than in any month EVER. More than 38-thousand passengers took to the Penn, Camden, or Brunswick lines last month… that’s more than a thousand more folks than during MARC trains’ previous best month. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the biggest ridership increase was on the Penn Line – which saw 5.4 percent more passengers in April of this year than April of last.
Police Activity Over The Memorial Day Weekend: State Police are tallying the results from a Memorial Day weekend initiative targeting impaired, distracted, aggressive and speeding drivers, and those not wearing their seat belts. Police say troopers stopped nearly ten-thousand drivers over the four-day weekend and issued more than 68-hundred citations and 51-hundred warnings. More than 100 motorists were arrested for impaired driving, 51 for drug offenses and 73 for other criminal violations.
Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles fell 9 to 3 to Washington Nationals; putting the teams at one game each in their interleague series. That series comes to Camden Yards tonight, where the first pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.