Annapolis

Annapolis police have released the names of a shooting victim and two men who died of suspected drug overdoses on Sunday, all three of whom appeared to be from Calvert County. Police believe John Donnel Ray, 32, of the 4600 block of Rolling Hill Road, Huntingtown, was shot in his car in the 200 block of Victor Parkway, according to Detective Richard Truitt. He was found dead in the vehicle. He said detectives think there may be witnesses to the crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Charles Bealefeld at 443-986-5561.

A man was found fatally shot in a car in Annapolis on Sunday afternoon, a case detectives were investigating as a homicide, Annapolis police said. The man was shot in the 200 block of Victor Parkway in the parking lot of a condominium complex, police spokeswoman Detective Amy Miguez said. The shooting was reported about 4:30 p.m. Police on Monday identified the man as John Donnel Ray, 32, of the 4600 block of Rolling Hill Road in Huntingtown in Calvert County. Anyone with information about the homicide may call Detective Charles Bealefeld at 443-986-5561.

Sixty-six runners dashed, jogged and walked through the streets of Annapolis on Saturday to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and raised money for one of the hospitals that treated their wounds. "When I saw what happened in Boston, I knew we had to do something, and we had to run," said Caitlin Chapman, who organized the race and got quick permission from an Annapolis official to stage the start and finish at City Dock. "It could have been any of us running in that race in Boston," Chapman said, "and it could have been our family members who were standing there watching us finish.

Gov. Martin O'Malley picked an Annapolis veteran Thursday to oversee the waning years of his administration, appointing as chief of staff a man who has worked under four governors and earned respect in the environmental community for his candor. Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin will take over for the final 18 months of O'Malley's administration, as the governor decides whether to set his sights on the White House and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown launches a campaign to succeed O'Malley.

Rarely does a literary classic transfer from page to stage as eloquently as Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" does in the current production by the Annapolis Shakespeare Company at Bowie Playhouse. Everything works beautifully, beginning with Jon Jory's engaging stage adaptation, which is faithful to Austen's prose and yet holds its relevance to contemporary audiences. Sally Boyett-D'Angelo's smart direction of the dream cast she has assembled creates exciting theater, where every actor fully delivers.

Outside what was once a backyard garage, mugs, sponge holders and broad bowls are lined up on tables to dry. A peek inside the structure reveals dozens of butter dishes, teapots, toothbrush holders, bowls of every size, vases, trays and more, all in various stages of production, resting on racks of shelving. And by the windows, with sunlight illuminating their potter's wheels, Nevan Wise is turning brick-sized blobs of clay into pitchers, and her husband, Doug Wise, is shaping clay lumps into kitchen utensil jars.

First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to visit the Naval Academy and the State House in Annapolis today as she praises a new Maryland law as setting a national standard for legislation to help veterans get professional credentials, the White House said. Her arrival coincides with Gov. Martin O'Malley signing the bill, which passed the General Assembly unanimously this month. It aims to ease Maryland veterans' transition from the military to civilian jobs and universities, as well as help veterans and military spouses get professional licenses for more than 70 jobs when they move here.

Many parents have read, liked and tweeted Glennon Doyle Melton's popular essay " Don't Carpe Diem " about bucking traditional advice to enjoy every second with her kids. ("This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life - while I'm raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I'm not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I'm doing something wrong. ") The founder of momastery.com followed up that viral success with a book called "Carry On, Warrior" that describes overcoming her bulemia and drug and alcohol abuse to become the mother she is today -- imperfect, but who isn't?

Joseph "Zastrow" Simms, known as a colorful and compassionate community activist who helped bridge racial and social gaps in Annapolis from as far back as the turbulent 1960s, died Monday. Simms' niece Stacey Gaskin said Simms died of congestive heart failure, one month shy of his 79th birthday. He had been in home hospice care at her Arnold residence, she said. Simms grew up in Annapolis in the 1930s and 1940s, when the state capital was separated along racial lines, but became popular throughout the city because of his athletic prowess at Bates High School.