- Andrea F. Siegel
Bel Air day care center fire caused by faulty light fixture
A faulty ceiling fan light fixture caused the fire that damaged a children's day care center Sept. 3 in Bel Air, according to state fire marshals. The fire started in the bathroom of an unused room at the Celebree Learning Center in the 1200 block of Agora Drive. Staff members evacuated the building, and none of the 55 children inside at the time was injured. The blaze caused an estimated $175,000 in damage to the one-story building and its contents, fire marshals said.
- Liz F. Kay
Professor gets grant to study dementia among seniors
Elizabeth Galik, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, has received a $350,000 grant for research on improving the physical activity and quality of life for seniors with dementia. Galik was one of 15 nursing scholars nationwide to receive a three-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She will study residents of four Maryland assisted-living facilities to see if they are granted enough independence to take care of themselves. Galik believes that patients move too quickly from assisted living to nursing homes in part because they're not given enough responsibility for their own care.
-Childs Walker
City reviewing development stimulus funds applications
Baltimore development officials are reviewing 19 proposals for development projects that might qualify for some of the more than $30 million in federal stimulus funds allocated to the city. Baltimore Development Corp. President M.J. "Jay" Brodie said Thursday the city received the proposals in response to a request issued last month and that the BDC expects to make recommendations within several months. Brodie said he could not discuss the specific projects. The city is doling out $30.8 million in recovery zone bonds made available through the federal stimulus legislation for new construction, expansion or rehabilitation of commercial projects, some of which may have stalled amid the recession.
- Lorraine Mirabella
