Cecil County

The three children who were trapped in a burning townhouse in Cecil County a week ago died of smoke inhalation, according to a preliminary investigation by the state fire marshal's office. Bruce D. Bouch, a deputy fire marshal, said Friday that investigators "have a couple of hypotheses" about the cause of the fire but were waiting to speak with the children's 29-year-old mother, Jewel Johnson, when she is well enough, perhaps early next week. Johnson was badly burned in the fire and is being treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for smoke inhalation and burns on at least 17 percent of her body.

I read the article written by Michael Dresser "Increases in bridge, tunnel tolls cruel but fair" (June 13) and, although I rarely respond to articles I read in the paper, felt a needed to respond to this one. I was born and raised in Baltimore City but moved to Cecil County in 1973. I am a huge supporter of the city and its sports teams and always wish the best for it in the eyes of outsiders. However, Mr. Dresser's one-sided view of the proposed toll increases elicited a response.

Commuters between Harford and Cecil counties will soon have a public transit option for crossing the Susquehanna River, one with a fare that is $4 less than the toll motorists pay to use the bridge. Maryland Transit Administration and county officials launched the first inter-county public transportation route Monday with the oldest crossing, an aging railroad bridge, and the newest transit bus models from each county in the background. "Two jurisdictions have partnered for the first time to bring this great opportunity to their citizens," said Elizabeth Kreider, MTA director of local transit support.

Grove Point worries about APG vibrations GROVE POINT - Residents in this waterfront community in southern Cecil County believe ordinance testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground may be harming the environment. It is not the noise that has residents concerned, but the vibrations. Residents worry that the land between their homes and the water could crumble away over the next few years, damaging septic systems and uprooting trees. Grove Point resident Donald Palmer says a portion of the cliff in front of his house recently collapsed onto the banks of the bay, and he believes testing was the cause.

One person was killed in a two-vehicle accident in Cecil County early Saturday morning, according police. The accident occurred just before 2:30 a.m. along Route 273 near Blue Ball Road in Elkton. A Mazda3 sedan was backing up along the westbound shoulder of Route 273 when a Chevy Silverado pickup truck driving west hit its rear. The driver of the Mazda was killed, police said. The driver of the truck and a passenger in the sedan suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

One day last winter the Balunsats carried home a gangly baby goat. They named the fuzzy thing Snowbird, cradled her while she slurped a bottle and allowed her inside to snuggle under a heat lamp. With Chesapeake City grass, hay and the occasional potato chip, Snowbird filled out into a handsome animal with a thick white coat, ridged horns that curl between her ears and lips that seem ever-pursed in an ironic smile. When she bleats "Meh, meh, meh," Lisa Balunsat - who will tell anyone she raised that goat as a child - hears, "Ma, Ma, Ma. " Cecil County officials mainly hear a zoning violation.

EARLEVILLE - A Philadelphia man died in an early morning fire yesterday in Cecil County that destroyed his vacation camper, state fire marshals said. Robert James Hillman, 51, was unable to escape his camper when it caught fire about 2 a.m. at Indian Acres Campground in the 600 block of Knight Island Road.

NORTH EAST - State Forest and Park Service officials announced yesterday that the public swimming area at Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County has reopened. The area was closed last Friday after high concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria were detected in the North East River side of the park. The state reopened the swimming area after county health department workers retested the water and found that the levels of bacteria had subsided.

A woman was flown yesterday from Chesapeake City to Baltimore for medical treatment after suffering burns during a boat fire, a Cecil County Emergency Services employee said. About 4:30 p.m., employees of the Chesapeake Inn in the 600 block of 2nd St. reported a boat on fire at the inn's marina, said Capt. Robert Muller, a Cecil County Emergency Services worker. A woman was flown to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center with serious burns, Muller said. Her name and condition were not available last night.