February 03, 2006
6 men charged with illegal harvesting, The state Natural Resources Police has charged six men with taking oysters from an area closed to oyster harvesting at the mouth of the Severn River near Tolly Point, according to a news release.
On Jan. 24, the Natural Resources Police charged the following men with taking shellfish from closed waters: Eric S. Cantler Sr., 57, of Annapolis; Guy E. Spurry, 41, of Easton; John E. Hambleton, 42, of Bozman; and James B. Haddaway Jr., 42, William T. Cummings, 51, and Michael C. Larrimore, 53, all of Tilghman. The charges carry a maximum penalty of a $3,000 fine and a yearlong suspension of a tidal fishing license.
Trial is scheduled for March 21 in Anne Arundel County District Court.
Water pressure may weaken near airport
Beginning Wednesday, and over the next seven weeks, water pressure may weaken in buildings along the West Nursery Road business corridor near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, according to an Anne Arundel County news release.
For maintenance, Baltimore City will shut off a 54-inch water main that runs through the city and Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties.
Neither water quality nor fire protection will be affected, the release said.
Matthew Mirenzi, utility operations administrator for the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, said nearly all customers will remain above the county's acceptable water pressure standard at 40 pounds per square inch.
"Although some may notice a decrease in pressure, all customers will receive adequate service," he said in the release.
Mirenzi advised businesses with a booster pump or fire protection system in their building to make sure it still works after the pressure weakens.
The affected area includes both sides of West Nursery Road south to Dorsey Road and up to the county line at the Patapsco River.
On the day that the city shuts down the water main, some customers may notice discolored water, which is a normal result of shifting the water flow, the release said. If the discolored water persists for more than an hour, call 410-222-8400.
Funds will go to homeless services
Anne Arundel County will receive more than $1 million in federal funds to help house and provide services to the homeless, County Executive Janet S. Owens announced last week.
The county made the competitive application for funding together with the Annapolis City Community Partnership to End Homelessness, a coalition of nonprofit and government agencies.
"I am delighted to know that we will be receiving funds to help address the issue of homelessness in the county," Owens said in the release.
The county and coalition will develop a comprehensive plan to address the needs of the more than 270 homeless people living in the county, about 50 of whom live on the street.
The comprehensive plan will include the following steps:
Increasing and sustaining the supply of permanent supportive housing for the homeless by funding Arundel House of Hope and the county's Mental Health Agency
Funding county transitional housing programs, such as Sarah's House at Fort Meade
Funding programs that provide services to the homeless, such as the Shelter Mental Health Assistance Program, which provides mental health services.
"The new grant funding is vital in that it addresses the issue of finding housing for those ready to leave a shelter," said Kathleen M. Koch, executive director of Arundel Community Development Services, Inc., in a statement.
Information: 410-222-7600.
Web site allows permit requests
The Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits has launched an online inspection request system that will allow permit holders to schedule required construction inspections on the Web, a news release said.
Previously only available by phone, permit holders can now request inspections for building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and utility permits.
The system is available at www.aacounty.org. Users should go to the "Quick Links" box and click "Request Permit Inspection," after which they will be prompted for their permit number. A date will be selected and confirmed in the process, and users should record the authorization number because it will be a record of the request and will be needed if a permit holder needs to cancel a request.
For those without access to a computer, the telephone system is still available at 410-222-4432 or 301-970-1948 in the Washington area.
Compiled by Bradley Olson
