December 30, 1990
Carroll ninth-graders sharpen their pencils and capture a county record on the state's functional writing test, outdistancing all Maryland students except their rivals next door. With a 95.7 percent passing rate, the county had the second highest number of students passing the test, following Frederick County at 95.9 percent. The state average is 88.2 percent.
Too young for AIDS?
Carroll's Curriculum Council grapples with questions of how and when to teach children about AIDS and approves the acquired immune deficiency syndrome instruction proposed for next year's fourth-graders. "In grade four is the unit on the immune system and communicable diseases," says Marjorie R. Lohnes, supervisor of health and economics instruction. "This was a natural place to implement AIDS instruction."
Airport gets grant
The Federal Aviation Administration grants $2.3 million for the expansion of Carroll County Airport, a project that has fallen five yars behind schedule because of limited federal financing. The county plans to extend the runway from 3,230 feet to 5,100 feet, which will allow more corporate jet traffic. The airport had 120,000 takeoffs and landings in 1989.
Johnson beats Moyer
In his first attempt at elected office, Gerald R. Johnson defeats Mayor Linda R. Boyer. The victory pleases the Mount Airy Citizens Coalition, which has been critical of Boyer.
Students suspended
Fourteen students are suspended from Westminster High School after they stage a sit-in to protest the expulsion of a freshman accused of raping a classmate. At least 20 students joined the protest, charging the administration was too swift to punish the boy. Principal Edwin L. Davis ordered the protesters to report to their classes; when they refused, he called the police.
Hickman leaves commission
Carroll State's Attorney Thomas E. Hickman says he will step down from the commission that appoints the state special prosecutor after Maryland's attorney general recommended that he resign to resolve an apparent conflict of interest. A special prosecutor could investigate the search of County Commissioner Jeff Griffith's car by the County Drug Coordinating Committee, which is run by Hickman's office.
Dixon decides
Delegate Richard N. Dixon, D-Carroll, announces he will run for a third term in the house. County Democrats are freed from having to choose between the party's two most widely known candidates in a Senate primary. County Commissioner Jeff Griffith had announced last fall he would run for the Senate District 5 seat, a post that had interested Dixon, too.
Boy dies in fire
Three-year-old Jerry McDaniel dies of smoke inhalation after he and his 9-year-old sister, Jenny, fail to escape their burning Taneytown apartment.
Initial reports said the children returned to the burning building after being rescued by firefighters. But in the confusion, the family and tenants believed the children were playing outside when they still were inside.
Jenny McDaniel is hospitalized for extensive treatment and rehabilitation and therapy.
Arbitrator says 5 percent
Carroll's more than 1,180 teachers would receive a 5 percent pay raise this fall under terms of a settlement recommended by an arbitrator chosen to end the impasse in contract talks. Teachers rejected a 5 percent raise three months ago, refusing to settle for less than 7 percent.
New psychiatric unit
Plans for a new psychiatric unit at Carroll County General Hospital grow from the renovation of one floor to a whole new wing. The price tag grows, too, from $400,000 to $2.2 million. The unit will offer acute psychiatric care within a community hospital setting, with the average patient stay lasting about 30 days, a hospital spokeswoman says.
Erosion persists
The Windsor Court tot lot in Westminster's The Greens still is barren, despite promises that the area would be roped off and seeded. Earlier this month, The Greens developer, Peer Construction, paid the state Department of the Environment $4,200 in fines for sediment control violations cited last summer, but the area still is eroding.
Police seek bank robber
State police in Westminster are searching for a suspect who robbed the Ashburton Savings and Loan Association. Police said the man -- described as black, 6 feet tall, with a thin build and short hair -- ordered two employees to open the bank safe, from which he took an undisclosed amount of money. Police said the robber, who did not display a weapon, locked employees in a bathroom and fled.
County to buy property
The County Commissioners announce plans to buy 1.6 acres and an abandoned church building to help ease overcrowding of government offices.
The property, located in Westminster, once served Jehovah's Witnesses. The 5,500-square-foot building will be renovated and used on an interim basis for general office space while the county develops a comprehensive plan to house its growing number of employees, says Steven D. Powell, director of the Department of Management and Budget.
Taxes stay same
