IN BALTIMORE CITY
Board of Estimates scheduled to vote on west-side site
The Board of Estimates is scheduled to vote today to purchase a west-side building from a seafood business owner who has refused to move for more than two years to make room for a major redevelopment project.
The $200,000 purchase of 110 N. Eutaw St. had originally been rejected by the building's owners, Mark Devine and Michelle Devine, according to city documents. Devine Seafood has operated out of the building since 1997.
"This property has the potential of being consolidated with other buildings in this block of Eutaw Street to attract a restaurant or another use that will complement projects such as The Hippodrome, Centerpoint, Lexington Market, the Redwood Tower and others that are already underway or completed," says a report from the Baltimore Development Corp.
Television reporter to lead police information office
A local television reporter has been named director of the city police public information office, the department said yesterday.
Matt Jablow, 40, a Towson resident who has been a reporter at WBAL-TV for the past three years, will join the department Aug. 4. He will replace Ragina C. Averella.
Jablow graduated from Tufts University in Boston in 1985 with a degree in history and has spent much of his career as a television reporter and anchorman in Denver, Houston, Long Island, N.Y., and Baltimore.
Man sentenced to 70 years in killing, attempted murder
A Baltimore man was sentenced yesterday in city Circuit Court to 70 years in prison for murder and attempted murder.
Marcellus Harris, 26, of the 1700 block of Guilford Ave. was convicted in May of murdering Dana McCollough and shooting Tarus Ennis. A co-defendant, Willie Adams, 20, of the 1200 block of N. Montford Ave., is serving 40 years for second-degree murder in the killing.
On June 10 last year, Harris and Adams shot McCollough at Ashland Avenue and Rose Street, according to Assistant State's Attorney David L. Goldberg, who prosecuted the case. When McCollough fell, Adams continued to shoot him, Goldberg said. Ennis was shot when he tried to intervene, prosecutors said.
UAW endorses O'Malley as a show of appreciation
The United Auto Workers union endorsed Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday as a show of appreciation for his assistance in helping the group persuade General Motors Corp. to continue production at its Broening Highway plant.
"The mayor's economic development team has produced a very attractive incentive package, and has offered us the opportunity to travel to Detroit to meet with General Motors representatives," said Darren W. Petty, the UAW's political director in Maryland, in a statement released by O'Malley's campaign.
The UAW has more than 12,000 working and retired members throughout Maryland.
IN BALTIMORE COUNTY
Training exercise tests response to a severe storm
TOWSON -- County emergency personnel had to decide how they would handle a severe wind and rain storm with major flooding, damaged buildings without electrical power and interrupted transportation during a three-hour training exercise yesterday.
Next month, in another exercise, the county's emergency staff will confront a scenario dealing with the aftermath of such a storm, said Elise Armacost, a Fire Department spokeswoman. Government agencies met last month at the Emergency Operations Center at the old courthouse in Towson to plan the evacuation of certain neighborhoods and to respond to other situations that could arise in a major storm.
The emergency operations center is activated during events such as a hurricane, chemical disaster or terrorist attack.
Sign language classes offered starting next week
TOWSON -- Baltimore County will offer basic and intermediate sign language classes for adults and children starting Tuesday.
The beginner class, meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will introduce students to the manual alphabet, finger spelling, basic vocabulary and deaf culture. The intermediate class will meet from 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The cost of the five-week courses is $25, $45 per family. The registration deadline is Friday. Information: 410-887-5370 or 410-887-5319 (TTY).
Police begin new edition of cable TV program
The new edition of the Baltimore County Police Department's cable television program Police Report, began this week and will run through Aug. 1.
This month's program focuses on summer activities at the Police Athletic Leagues, safety measures for all-terrain vehicles and neighborhood crime trends.
The program airs four times a week on Comcast Channel 25 in Baltimore County at 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
