Several hours later, Dixon's weekly newsletter The Dixon Report appeared in e-mail boxes with vague references to "challenges," including a pledge that "we will weather this storm" - which could be read as a reference to the city's tough fiscal situation.
Dixon's first event of the day yesterday - a 10:30 a.m. "boxercise" session to kick off a new citywide health initiative - was rife with political symbolism.
The embattled mayor donned a pair of red boxing gloves and climbed into a ring with a group of supporters, including Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke. The group practiced throwing punches to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger," a theme from later Rocky movies.
"Risin' up to the challenge of our rival. ... Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry ... They stack the odds 'til we take to the street."
It didn't go quite as planned. As Dixon and others jogged in a circle and then shadow boxed, the ring shuddered and then collapsed.
"It was a little shaky up there, and I was like, 'Wow, this is a little weak,' " Dixon said after leaving the ring.
When asked if she was thinking about State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh as she practiced her punches, Dixon said: "I wasn't thinking about anything except exercise."
The mayor and others continued their workout on the firmer ground of the gym floor after the collapse.
Clarke, viewed as an independent voice on the City Council, said Dixon was "in a fight for us as a city to pull through this budget crisis and she's in a fight for herself."
She called the indictment a "regrettable moment in our history" but said the charges laid out are "not a show stopper."
But others wondered.
"I was very upset just hearing it," said Loretta Warfield, who organizes a large holiday giving project each year for needy families in Curtis Bay, referring to the mayor's indictment.
"Everybody's talking about it. I just had to turn it off," Warfield said of the news. "It was shocking. It's a shame it had to happen. But then you have to ask yourself, 'Is it true?' Only God knows."
At the mayor's public events, most supported Dixon. "It just shows that she's human," said Natalie Onwuanaibe, 18, who worked out with the mayor in Upton.
Others at the gym felt that Dixon's misdeeds were no worse than those of previous city politicians. "There has always been a shady side" to political leaders, said Yvonne Logan, 55, a lab technician at University of Baltimore.
Across town, at the Boys and Girls Club in Brooklyn, Dixon had a frank talk with about 40 girls, touching on drugs, safe sex and self-esteem.
Television cameras from four stations followed as Dixon left the building.
"We're in a new year, and it is important that we stay focused on trying to improve one's personal space in life," said Dixon, before climbing into her city SUV. "Today's been a really positive day."
