Branch

A man robbed the BB&T Bank branch on Baltimore Pike in Bel Air yesterday, authorities said. Bel Air police said the man entered the branch about 1:10 p.m. and presented a note to the teller, demanding cash. No weapon was displayed. Police said the man fled with an undisclosed amount of money. He was described as 5 feet, 9 inches to 6 feet tall; 25 to 30 years old, with a medium build.

M&T Bank to open branch at BWI BAA Maryland, developer and manager of the AIRMALL at BWI Marshall Airport has announced that M&T Bank will open its first full-service branch at BWI this year, near the Southwest Airlines Terminal. The new branch, which is to be in an area accessible to passengers before they pass through security screening, will offer the opportunity to open new accounts, service existing accounts, cash and deposit checks, apply for loans, buy insurance, make investments and obtain financial advice.

Warren Branch lost three votes to incumbent Vernon E. Crider when dozens of absentee ballots were counted yesterday. But he still appears set to take the District 13 seat in the Baltimore City Council. Branch led Crider by 48 votes with fewer than an estimated 100 provisional and absentee ballots left to be tallied next week. At the start of yesterday's count, Branch held a 51-vote lead over Crider. Of the 64 ballots tallied, Crider gained 18 votes, followed by Branch's 15. The other three candidates split the remaining 31 votes.

When the American Idol competition was in its earliest stages, Lakisha Jones offered a tantalizing plum to four of her friends from a Millersville bank branch -- tickets to a live broadcast. For March 27 and 28. So as far back as late February, the 27-year-old former bank teller from Fort Meade with the powerhouse voice thought she could make it into the Top 10 contestants. ON TV American Idol airs at 8 tonight and 9 p.m. tomorrow on WBFF (Channel 45).

Six years after the Carroll County chapter of the NAACP disbanded for lack of leadership, members of the newly reorganized branch met last night to choose officers who will continue the rebuilding process in the fast-growing county.Leon B. Dorsey, 34, of Westminster was elected president of the chapter.Dorsey, coordinator for the Responsible Fatherhood Program in Frederick County, promised to focus his efforts on getting members involved in projects that would help the county's children."We have to prepare for them," he said.

Taylor Branch's second narrative of the civil rights era, "Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-1965," has won the 1999 Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association.The book, published last year, is the second in a planned trilogy by the Baltimore historian. Branch has said that he "hopes to sustain his thesis that [Martin Luther] King's life is the best and most important metaphor for American history in the watershed post-war years."The ABA award goes annually to writers who best illustrate the legal system.

SINCE WE MOVED to northwest Carroll several years ago, the library has become our favorite place to escape whenever we need to get out of the house and break the monotony of routine.It's where we go to stock up on cookbooks, picture books, novels and magazines (sometimes dozens at a time) before a storm hits and we anticipate a few days of hunkering down. It's where we run into neighbors to catch up on the local gossip or read the bulletin boards for local events. We've made many wonderful discoveries, from art work by area students to continuing education classes offered around the region.

The U.S. Postal Service plans to relocate its Ostend Street branch, prompting community concerns that the South Baltimore peninsula could be left without a post office.Baltimore Postmaster Mike Furey said postal officials are meeting with neighborhood groups and elected officials for suggestions for a new site. Furey said the branch will remain in the 21230 ZIP code, but it could move from South Baltimore to Southwest neighborhoods such as Morrell Park, Pigtown or Westport.Some residents enjoy the ambience of the cramped branch at 146 W. Ostend St., but postal officials say it is too small to accommodate the growing number of customers -- and mail -- in the area.

First Union National Bank will close its landmark branch at Charles and Baltimore streets downtown this summer, but is attempting to buy the historic property as it expands its Baltimore work force by nearly 200 jobs.Bank officials said they would consolidate the 1 E. Baltimore St. financial center with a branch a block away at 7 St. Paul St., which also houses the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank's Maryland headquarters. The Baltimore Street branch's last day will be Aug. 10."We considered which of the two facilities would best meet our needs," said J. William Knott, First Union National Bank regional president for Maryland.

THE HOLIDAY trees displayed at Savage Mill announce the approach of a new festive season. The trees are decorated by schools and community agencies and highlight the services they offer.Check out the tree by Bethel Christian Academy of Savage, which won third place in a competition last week.The names of the school's teachers are written on miniature blackboards tied to the branches.First-place winner Fidos for Freedom has a tree decorated with glass, plastic and porcelain pooches and dog biscuits -- just the right thing for these helpful dogs.

Baltimore County's busiest library will become its smallest this week as the Cockeysville branch undergoes a $2.2 million renovation that will add space, materials and equipment. The library, in a 23,000-square-foot building on Greenside Drive since 1982, will close Monday through Friday and reopen as a mini-branch Saturday in what had been its meeting room. The condensed space will offer basic services, allowing patrons to borrow, return and reserve items. Eight computer stations will be available, and patrons will have use of two self-serve check-outs.

On September 5, 2009, MILTON E. BRANCH, JR.; beloved husband of Bernice M. Branch; dear father of Milton Branch, III, Angela Hawkins and Venetia Latimer and her husband Jerome. Also survived by nine grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren and a host of family and friends. The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 13 from 1 to 4 P.M at the Howell Funeral Home, 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue, the Wake will be held on Monday, September 14 at 10 A.M at Emmanuel C.C. Church, Carrollton Avenue at Lanvale Street with funeral service to follow at 11 A.M. Interment Garrison Forest Veteran Cemetery.

On September 5, 2009, MILTON E. BRANCH, JR., beloved husband of Bernice M. Branch; dear father of Milton Branch III, Angela Hawkins and Venetia Latimer and her husband Jerome. Also survived by nine grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great-grandchildren. And a host of family and friends. The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 13, from 1 to 4 P.M. at the Howell Funeral Home, 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue, the wake will be held on Monday, September 14th at 10 A.M. at Emmanuel C. C. Church Carrollton Avenue at Lanvale Street with funeral service to follow at 11 A.M. Interment Garrison Forest Veteran Cemetery.

Shawn Mullins could not withdraw money from his bank this past weekend. That's because his Provident Bank ATM card was denied, and he did not receive a new one from M&T Bank Corp., the Buffalo, N.Y., institution that bought Provident and completed its takeover during the Memorial Day weekend. "I'm a little frustrated because I didn't have access to my money," said Mullins, who stopped by a former Provident branch in Hampden on Wednesday for some help. Still, Mullins, a 13-year Provident customer, said he is willing to give M&T a chance because "you may end up having something better than before."

A herd of goats coming to the rescue of a handful of imperiled turtles may sound like the plot of a Saturday morning children's cartoon show, but that's just what's happening in the Carroll County town of Hampstead. The State Highway Administration has enlisted the help of about 40 goats to devour invasive plant species in wetlands along the path of the soon-to-open, 4.4-mile Hampstead Bypass to protect the habitat of the bog turtle - a species listed as threatened in Maryland. State highway officials decided to give the goats a tryout as four-legged lawn mowers rather than to attack the unwanted vegetation with mechanical mowers that might have killed the diminutive reptiles or damaged their boggy habitat on the fringe of Hampstead.

A "Picture Book Parade!" for ages 2-5 with an adult, is offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. "Pajama Time" for all ages is at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Pajamas, teddy bears, and blankets welcome. The branch is at 9525 Durness Lane in Laurel. Around town Volunteers needed : The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, in cooperation with the Community Emergency Response Network, is recruiting community members to assist nonprofit agencies in need of volunteers. 410-715-3179. Figure skating coaches : Special Olympics Howard County is seeking figure skating coaches.

Walking through a blighted East Baltimore neighborhood on a recent snowy morning, Del. Talmadge Branch pointed at an empty, boarded-up warehouse on Biddle Street and shook his head. The building should be a multimillion-dollar gym called Hoop City, he said. Children from the neighborhood and members of nearby Israel Baptist Church should be dancing and practicing karate in its studios and kicking soccer balls on indoor courts. That was the vision Branch sold to his pastor at Israel Baptist and the pitch he delivered to colleagues in Annapolis seven years ago. It seemed like a good idea then, and state lawmakers secured $800,000 in two state bond bills to pay for the gym. The administration of then-Mayor Martin O'Malley got on board, buying the building for $200,000 in taxpayer dollars in 2002, selecting Ronald H. Lipscomb as the developer.

On Thursday, October 9, 2008, LIZZIE E. BRANCH beloved wife of Edward Branch; dear mother of Roslyn Branch. Friends may call at the family owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST on Monday after 8:30 a.m. The family will receive friends at Sheppard Community Baptist Church, 3001 Iona Terrace on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Funeral Service will follow at 11.

On August 28, 2008, COLLIN J. BRANCH; beloved husband of Sandra Branch. On Wednesday, friends may call at VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICES (RANDALLSTOWN), 8728 Liberty Road, from 3:00-8:00pm. On Thursday, Mr. Branch will lie instate at New Antioch Baptist Church-Randallstown, 5609 Old Court Road, where the family will receive friends from 10:00 - 10:30am with services to follow. Inquiries to 410-655-0015.

Commencement exercises for the 37th Howard Community College graduating class will begin at 4 p.m. Friday on the college campus, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Graduates from the spring 2008 semester and 2007 summer and fall semesters will receive their degrees. HCC benefactors Patrick and Jill McCuan will receive honorary degrees. The Boyd Commencement Address will be delivered by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The Graduate Address will be given by HCC student Amena Ali. The ceremony will be broadcast live by HCC-TV and can be seen at www.howardcc.