Barge

Every once in a while, a bar comes along that you know is going to be an instant hit. Though it's only been open less than a month, I'm willing to bet the new Tiki Barge is going to go down as one of the best things to happen to Baltimore's nightlife scene this summer. The Tiki Barge is just that: A barge with a swimming pool, palm trees and two bars, floating at the end of a pier in Harborview Marine Center, just off Key Highway in South Baltimore. It sounds random, but once you see it, you get it. Every waterside neighborhood could use a Tiki Barge.

Sunken barges removed from lower Shore marina Maryland Natural Resources officials say two barges have been removed from the bottom of a Crisfield marina. The Department of Natural Resources says the barges, which sank about 20 years ago, were removed from a marsh near Somers Cove Marina. Somers Cover Marina Commissioner Ladell Dorman says the barges were a potential hazard to navigation and a possible pollution source. DNR officials say the removal was funded with $13,500 from the Waterway Improvement Fund, which is supported by a five percent excise tax paid by boaters when registering a vessel in Maryland.

The body of a man reported to have fallen off a barge about 12 days ago was found Monday morning at the mouth of the South River, Maryland Natural Resources Police said. Gregory S. Luckett, 49, of Pasadena, was found in the chilly waters near Mayo Beach about 11:30 a.m. Anne Arundel County police recovered the body. Luckett was reported missing about 4:05 p.m. Nov. 5 from a 25-foot barge. U.S. Coast Guard officials, joined by several other agencies, had searched for him through the night after they were told he fell into the water while returning from a work site.

The body of a man reported to have fallen off a barge about 12 days ago was found Monday morning at the mouth of the South River, Maryland Natural Resources Police said. Gregory S. Luckett, 49, of Pasadena, was found in the chilly waters near Mayo Beach about 11:30 a.m. Anne Arundel County police recovered the body. Luckett was reported missing about 4:05 p.m. Nov. 5 from a 25-foot barge. U.S. Coast Guard officials, joined by several other agencies, had searched for him through the night after they were told he fell into the water while returning from a work site.

My husband and I live in Baltimore and we recently returned from a bike and barge trip down the Mosel River in Germany. This picture was taken after we left our barge to go to the Reichsburg Castle in Cochem, Germany. The vineyards and scenery were spectacular, but I thought this was one of our best shots. The Baltimore Sun welcomes submissions for "My Best Shot." Photos should have been taken within the past year and be accompanied by a description of when and where you took the picture and your name, address and phone number.

A St. Mary's County man has been charged in connection with illegal fireworks that police seized June 28 from a barge anchored in the Patuxent River off the Calvert County community of Patuxent View, the state fire marshal's office said yesterday. Jack R. Beckwith, 58, of the 28000 block of Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville, was charged Friday with possession of fireworks without a permit and possession of fireworks with intent to discharge. Both charges are misdemeanors and are punishable by fines of up to $250.

Baltimore City Federal Hill Victim of fatal shooting identified A man who was shot in a car, dumped on a street in Federal Hill and later died at a hospital Friday night was identified yesterday as Keyva Bluitt, 35, of North Baltimore's Waverly neighborhood, according to a city police spokesman. Police said detectives knew of no motive and had made no arrests in the case. Witnesses told authorities the victim was shot inside a blue Toyota that had been double-parked about 9:15 p.m. in the 800 block of Battery Ave. The witnesses reported that several people jumped in the car and that they heard a shot fired as the car sped away.

FORT MADISON, Iowa - If roads, rivers and railroad tracks are the arteries of commerce, then the flooding in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin add up to a heart attack to the nation's midsection. The closure of bridges along a 300-mile stretch of the Mississippi River yesterday was just the latest blow in a weeklong run of road closures, bridge shutdowns, levee breaks and washouts that are scrambling traffic, disrupting distribution plans, forcing businesses to close operations and hurting the farm economy.

ABOARD THE YNOT MABEL - A massive front-end loader wrestled more than 40 stainless steel New York City subway cars off a barge yesterday, swinging them one by one over the gray, choppy water before releasing them with a splash. Some of the cars lingered briefly on the surface before heading for the ocean bottom 85 feet below. Others rolled on their side, emitting hisses as water rushed in and air escaped, creating tiny geysers like whales exhaling. One by one, they became Maryland's most-ambitious offshore artificial reef project to create homes for fish and an underwater playground for divers.