Ballou

An 18-year-old man dressed in women's clothes was fatally shot in the head at a gas station in East Baltimore early Saturday morning, according to police. Desean Bowman, of the 200 block of Ballou Court, was pumping gas shortly after 2 a.m. at the Exxon gas station at the corner of E. Fayette and N. Caroline streets, near the Douglass Homes neighborhood, when a female friend of his got out of the car he was fueling and went to the station's cashier window, police said. At the window, the girl was approached by an unknown man who identified himself as "Tay" and attempted to talk to her, police said.

Boredom appeared to be Southern's most formidable foe in last night's opening round of the Southern Christmas Tournament.The Bulldogs took a 22-point lead over St. Mary's-Ryken midway through the second quarter, had twice as many points as the Knights at the half and then laughed their way to a 90-42 victory.Senior forward Scott Crandell stayed focused long enough to collect a game-high 20 points and junior Matt Thomas wasn't far behind with 18. Rico Gross rounded out the double-digit scorers for Southern with 10 and sophomore guard Jeff Crandell added nine.

It's a sad, haunting melody and listeners love it.Ashokan Farewell" -- the plaintive fiddle theme from the soundtrack of Ken Burns' documentary "The Civil War" -- is off and running on at least one local country music radio station.Greg Cole, music director for WPOC-FM, reports the cut, performed by J. Unger and the group Fiddle Fever, drew a couple dozen requests, more than any other number played during the week before Christmas."In comparison with the other songs we carried that week, it was by far and away the leader," he says.

Kenny Minor Dunbar, basketball The senior point guard helped Dunbar to three victories, including two upsets, lifting the Poets from No. 7 to No. 2 in The Sun rankings with a 13-1 record. Minor had 14 points, eight assists, and five steals in an 80-73 win over then-No. 1 Southern-B on Tuesday. His 19-point, eight-assist, seven-steal effort Friday helped Dunbar upset then-No. 3 Aberdeen in the Mayor's Academy Tournament, 70-66. Minor completed his run by posting 25 points, seven assists, and five steals in a 94-68 victory over Ballou in the tournament on Saturday.

A judge denied yesterday a request from a man convicted in the 1982 killing of a Baltimore County teenager that his punishment be reduced, seven years after the inmate's death sentence in the crime was voided in favor of a life term. Baltimore County Circuit Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts issued a written order denying the request from Michael Whittlesey, whose attorney argued during a hearing this month that a judge erred in 1984 in sentencing Whittlesey to consecutive prison terms of 10 years and 15 years for robbery and theft convictions stemming from the disappearance of 17-year-old Jamie Griffin.

City prosecutors have dropped attempted-murder charges against a 23-year-old Baltimore man after the state's lone witness was killed two weeks ago. Marvin Lucas, 21, of the 3800 block of Belair Road was fatally shot May 14 in Southeast Baltimore in a struggle with Donielle McCoy, 20, over a handgun, court documents say. Lucas was to testify in the attempted-murder trial of Brandon R. Allen, who was accused of shooting McCoy and another man in the 300...

BaseballBaltimore Orioles -- Traded P Mickey Weston (0-1, 7.71 ERA) to Toronto Blue Jays for P Paul Kilgus (0-0, 6.06). Declined to exercise 1991 option of DH Ron Kittle (.231, 18 HR, 46 RBI).Boston Red Sox -- Released 2B Marty Barrett (.226, 0, 13).Chicago Cubs -- Traded IF Greg Smith (Glenelg, .205, 0, 5) to Los Angeles Dodgers for IF Jose Vizcaino (.275, 0, 2).Cincinnati Reds -- Agreed to terms with P Ted Power (1-3, 3.66 with Pittsburgh Pirates) on one-year contract.Cleveland Indians -- Named Ken Duzich southern Florida scout.

Brian M. Savage, convicted of killing his girlfriend's 15-month-old baby during what prosecutors said was a vicious beating, has been sentenced to the maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Savage, who will turn 23 Wednesday, was watching his girlfriend's toddler Nov. 1, 2009, when the assault occurred. The child was later pronounced dead of what doctors called "severe internal injuries and heavy bruising from blunt-force trauma. " In December, a Baltimore County jury found Savage guilty of second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

A top Annapolis lobbyist could soon be facing a contempt citation in the latest chapter of a divorce case in which a judge and court-appointed master have concluded he has been misreporting his finances. Ira C. Cooke, whose clients include gambling interests and the state's bail bond industry, has been ordered by a Baltimore County Circuit Court judge to nearly double the amount he has been paying in alimony and child support. Although the judge ordered Cooke in December to increase the monthly payments from $4,000 to $7,130, his wife's attorneys have said that Cooke has yet to comply and they are asking the judge to find the lobbyist in contempt.

WOMAN, 26, RAPED IN AREA OF OLD MILLA 26-year-old Glen Burnie woman was raped Sunday, county police reported.Police said the rapist forced his way into the woman's car, which was stopped in the Old Mill area at about 5 p.m., and forced her to drive down a dirt road, where he raped her.The police described the rapist as a white man in his late 20s, more than 6 feet tall, with long blond hair. He was wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt, a black leather vest and gloves. He had a tattoo of the Grim Reaper on the inside of his forearm.