State police and federal regulators are planning to audit the trucking firm whose vehicle was involved in a crash that caused Tuesday’s train derailment in Rosedale. There’s a deadline tonight for groups gathering signatures in an effort to put newly-signed laws before voters. Sequestration-related furloughs are being announced for the civilian employees at Frederick’s Fort Detrick. Plus: a look at Governor O’Malley’s speech at the Center for American Progress, the latest on the 2014 Governor’s race, the latest installment in our series on chronic school absenteeism in Baltimore, a report on controversial plans for a Royal Farms store on Baltimore’s Harford Road, a coordinated traffic enforcement effort on I-83, and more.
Rosedale Train Derailment: The investigation into Tuesday’s train derailment in Rosedale is continuing… and state police and federal regulators now say that they plan to audit the trucking firm whose vehicle was involved in the crash. A surveillance video shows a trash truck owned by Alban Waste crossing the tracks without stopping moments before a CSX freight train plowed into it.Officials tell the Baltimore Sun that Alban Waste had safety violations in the past, and a top to bottom compliance audit will be conducted. The driver of the truck remains hospitalized in serious condition.
O’Malley’s Center For American Progress Speech: Governor Martin O’Malley trumpeted Maryland’s economy, in a major speech yesterday at the Center for American Progress… during which he argued that Maryland made it through the recession better than most other states because it invested in infrastructure, education, and workforce development. The Washington Post says the address could serve as a template for a stump speech if O’Malley decides to run for President in 2016. The address also touched on the federal spending cuts known as sequestration; the Baltimore Sun reports that O’Malley said that the sequester will likely have an increasing economic impact every month it is in effect.
Furloughs / Sequestration: Furloughs are coming to Frederick’s Fort Detrick; yesterday, the post’s spokesmen told the Frederick News Post that as many as 1350 civilian workers there will be forced to take unpaid time off between the beginning of July and the end of September. Earlier this week, officials at Fort Meade announced that more than 500 of its civilian workers would be furloughed. The furloughs are a result of the federal spending cuts called sequestration.
Petition Drives: the petition drive that could let voters decide whether to repeal Maryland’s death penalty appears to be in trouble. The Washington Post reports that the group MDPetitions.com may not be able to raise the nearly 19-thousand signatures necessary to keep the process going by tonight’s deadline. Meanwhile, a separate group is collecting signatures in the hopes of putting Maryland’s new gun law on next year’s ballot; the Baltimore Sun notes that it also faces a midnight deadline for submitting the first batch.
Empty Desks: Nearly a quarter of Baltimore City’s public school students are considered chronically absent; that is, they miss more than 20 days of school every year. Their days out of class put added pressure on teachers to bring them up to speed without boring everyone else. In this installment of our series “Empty Desks: The Effects of Chronic Absenteeism,” WYPR’s Gwendolyn Glenn talks with teachers about the issue – and how they deal with it.
2014 Governor’s Race: WYPR's Fraser Smith and Michael Dresser of the Baltimore Sun talk about Harford County Executive David Craig's Republican candidacy for governor and what Attorney General Doug Gansler has to do now that Howard County Executive Ken Ulman has joined Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown's Democratic ticket.It’s today’s edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
Plans For A Harford Road Royal Farms: Many residents of Northeast Baltimore say the last thing they need is a 12-pump, 24/7 Royal Farms store at one of the most accident-prone spots on Harford Road. Doesn’t matter how good the chicken is, they say, they don’t want it. WYPR’s Mary Rose Madden has more.
PG County Budget: A $2.7-billion budget plan for Fiscal Year 2014 has won the unanimous approval of the Prince George's County Council. The Washington Post reports that the spending plan represents a one-point-four-percent increase from the current fiscal year. The plan avoids furloughs, keeps the property tax rate stable, and sends more money to the county’s public schools.
I-83 Traffic Enforcement: Maryland State Police are teaming up with their counterparts in Pennsylvania in taking aim at dangerous drivers on Interstate-83 today. The Carlisle Sentinel reports that troopers in both states are launching an aggressive and coordinated traffic enforcement effort on the highway between Baltimore and York.
Independence Day Festivities: Baltimore is gearing up for Independence Day; details are out on the Ports America Chesapeake Fourth of July Celebration, which will run from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Inner Harbor. Reggae band Jah Works and a U.S. Naval Academy Band, Electric Brigade, will perform ahead of an 18-minute fireworks extravaganza.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles took down the Washington Nationals 2 to nothing in yesterday’s game. In all, the O’s won 3 games of the 4-game interleague series. Tonight, the Detroit Tigers come to Baltimore… the game starts at 7:05 at Camden Yards.