City/county Digest

In Baltimore City

23-year-old man fatally shot on east-side street

A 23-year-old man was fatally shot last night on a street in East Baltimore's Oliver neighborhood, the city's 20th homicide victim in the first 18 days of the year, police said.

About 6 p.m., Eastern District officers responding to a report of a man shot in the 1400 block of N. Central Ave. found Pierre Forrester lying in the hallway of his grandmother's house with multiple gunshot wounds.

Forrester was pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Hospital, police said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call homicide Detectives Michael Hammel or Robert Cherry at 410-396-2100.

Small basement fire forces elementary school to close

A small basement fire late yesterday afternoon will result in the closing of Steuart Hill Elementary School in West Baltimore at least for today, a city schools spokeswoman said.

The fire was reported about 4 p.m. and was quickly extinguished by firefighters, but thick smoke filled upstairs classrooms and halls, a Fire Department spokesman said. It was unclear last night how the fire was started or what burned. Children had already been dismissed for the day and no injuries were reported.

The schools spokeswoman said Steuart Hill staff should report to Harford Heights Intermediate School No. 37. She could not say when Steuart Hill, at 30 S. Gilmor St., would reopen.

MARC schedule altered slightly for inauguration

The Maryland Transit Administration has slightly altered the schedule of a Washington-to-Baltimore MARC train for this afternoon, and announced that all of its trains will operate on a normal schedule tomorrow -- the date of the presidential inauguration.

MARC Train 852 will leave Washington's Union Station at 2 p.m. today instead of its regular 5:51 p.m. departure. Some trains on the Brunswick and Penn lines will operate with more cars than usual to accommodate anticipated heavier passenger loads.

Passengers were warned that some entrances at Union Station, including the main hall, may be closed for inauguration events, and recommended allowing extra time for travel. Information: www.mtamaryland.com.

Author Patricia Williams to speak at Loyola College

Award-winning author Patricia J. Williams will deliver the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. convocation address at Loyola College today.

Williams -- a professor at Columbia University School of Law and a writer who has delved into issues of racial inequality, politics, law and feminism -- will deliver her lecture at 7 p.m. in McGuire Hall in the Andrew White Student Center on the college's North Charles Street campus.

The lecture, and a reception and book signing that follow, are free but tickets are required. For more information and to receive complimentary tickets: 410-617-5138 or visit www.loyola.edu/convocation. The ticket office is on the first floor of the student center.

In Baltimore County

Pipe obstruction causes overflow of sewage in park

TOWSON -- A 15,000-gallon sewage overflow occurred from Monday evening through yesterday afternoon in Patapsco Valley State Park between U.S. 40 and Interstate 70, the county Department of Public Works reported.

An obstruction in a 12-inch sewer main behind Three Willows Court in the Ellicott Mills area occurred about 6:45 p.m. Monday. Crews stopped the discharge at 12:45 p.m. yesterday, officials said.

The overflow entered Cedar Branch. The county has posted warning signs near the stream, and health officials urged people to avoid the area until the signs are removed.

Parks official Bendler announces his retirement

TOWSON -- Robert H. Bendler Jr., deputy director for the Department of Recreation and Parks since 1997, has announced his retirement.

Bendler began his career as a Baltimore probation officer. He then served as planning director for the Governor's Commission on Law. Bendler joined Baltimore County government more than 25 years ago as the executive officer for the Fire Department. He then served as deputy director of the Office Planning and Zoning.

Bendler will be succeeded by John D. Markley. Markley joined county government in 1981, in what is now the Office of Budget and Finance, and served most recently as capital budget manager.

Poet/rapper Toni Blackman to perform at Towson

TOWSON -- Toni Blackman, a poet and rapper, will perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Chesapeake Room in Towson University's Student Union.

Admission is $3. The performance will benefit the Motheread/Fatheread curriculum being taught to families in Baltimore through Let's Start Baltimore.

The event is supported by the Maryland Humanities Council and the Open Society Institute.