Dozens of people gathered in Annapolis to become US citizens, as the nation celebrated Independence Day. More on yesterday’s Fourth of July celebrations, plus a look at some lingering schedule changes today. Also, State Police say the airplane that crashed into the Atlantic off the coast of Ocean City last Sunday has been recovered, and the wreckage handed over to the National Transportation Safety Board. Ocean City’s boardwalk noise ordinance has been put on hold. Bad news for crab lovers -- availability of crabs in MD is down and prices are up. And more…
Charm City’s Independence Day: It was a relatively trouble-free Fourth of July in Baltimore according to the Baltimore Sun. UPDATE: "relatively trouble-free" may only apply to the Inner Harbor celebrations, where more than 100-thousand folks turned out. Elsewhere in Baltimore last night, at least four people were shot, one fatally. The Sun reports that one shooting victim whose injuries were reported as non-life-threatening was a teenage girl who suffered injuries to her arms and a leg when her grandfather shot a gun that he thought was loaded with blanks. The bullets went through a wall to hit the victim, who was in another room at the time.
Fourth Of July Deaths: Annapolis saw a tragedy last night, at its Independence Day parade – the Capital Gazette reports that a 7-year-old boy died when he fell from a vehicle that was queuing up to enter the parade. And the Anne Arundel County Fire Department tells the Capital Gazette that a man who jumped from a boat in the Magothy River yesterday afternoon has drowned.
Naturalization Ceremony In Annapolis: Dozens of people from around the state gathered to become US citizens in Annapolis yesterday. The Baltimore Sun reports that it was one of more than a hundred naturalization ceremonies being held this week around the country; this was the eighth year in a row that such a ceremony was held in Maryland’s capital on Independence Day.
MARC Schedule Changes: If you were planning on taking a Camden Line MARC train to work today… you’d better change your plans. Camden Line trains are not running today… and there’s limited service on the Penn and Brunswick Lines – trains on those lines are running on an “S” schedule.
Baltimore Trash Pickup: And a reminder to the Baltimore residents would have had their trash or recycling picked up yesterday, but didn’t because of the Independence Day holiday… your makeup day is TOMORROW. Anything you leave on the curb this morning will still probably be there when you get back home tonight.
Crashed Plane Recovered: Maryland State Police say the airplane that crashed into the Atlantic off the coast of Ocean City last Sunday has been recovered. The crash killed the pilot and a passenger, both of whom were Ocean City police officers. The wreckage was turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board; an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
Looking Behind Carnival's Move From Maryland To Florida: WYPR's Joel McCord and Candy Thompson of the Baltimore Sun talk about Carnival's recent decision to relocate its cruise boat Pride to Tampa, Florida, and what that means for Baltimore's economy. It's today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
Leopold Looks To The Future: Former Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold is looking towards the future after completing the community service portion of his sentence for misconduct. Leopold served a month in jail after being found guilty for using his paid staff to perform personal duties; he resigned from office shortly after the verdict was announced. The Baltimore Sun reports that Leopold is banned from running for public office for five years as part of his probation – but that could change, if his conviction is overturned; an appeal is set to be heard early next year.
OC Noise Ordinance Put On Hold: An Ocean City noise ordinance that’s being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union has been put on hold, for now. The law forbids playing of any musical instrument on the resort town's boardwalk that can be clearly heard at a distance of 30 feet. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, ordering Ocean City not to enforce the law, as applied to the Boardwalk only. The Daily Times reports that the judge’s opinion also says that the performances of a violin player – who’d challenged the law – are entitled to First Amendment protection.
Crab Prices Up: There’s some bad news for crab lovers this morning -- availability of crabs in Maryland is down and prices are up. The dearth of crabs is being blamed on the cold spring and a slow start to summer. But it’s not just the crab supply that’s ratcheting up the price… prices of everything involved in crabbing are up, including diesel fuel and crab bait – and that’s all passed on to the consumer. Seafood sellers tell WJZ they hope the crab season will get better by August.
Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles come off yesterday’s 3-to-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox, with an attempt to continue their season long success against the Yankees as they kick off a three-game series tonight in the Bronx. The O’s swept the Yankees at the end of June and is 6-and-3 against them this year.