Credits

Filming of the second season of the Netflix production “House of Cards” began in the Baltimore area Monday, and with it came an announcement from Gov. Martin O'Malley that the first season of the political thriller starring Kevin Spacey had brought $140 million in economic impact and 2,200 jobs to the state. The state's Film Production Tax Credit helped bring “House of Cards” here, according to O'Malley. “Together with our leaders in the General Assembly, we've expanded the Film Production Tax Credit,” O'Malley said in a statement, “and as we welcome the cast and crew back, we also look forward to more job creation and economic opportunity to come.” Both the dollar figures and the politics behind them in O'Malley's statement were quickly called into question by critics of the incentives program.

Four Maryland organizations won the right to raise $135 million for community development projects by selling federal tax credits, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The New Markets tax credits help developers fund projects intended to add jobs and bring other improvements to distressed areas. Investors purchasing the credits from New Markets recipients receive a break on their federal income taxes. The local recipients are Baltimore-based CDF Development, a Cordish Cos. affiliate that intends to invest in retail and mixed-use projects; Baltimore-based Harbor Bankshares Corp., which will offer below-market-rate loans to projects in low-income neighborhoods; Columbia-based ESIC New Markets Partners, which focuses on health care centers, healthy-food options and mixed-use developments; and Bethesda-based Mid-City Community CDE, whose investments will include transit-oriented businesses.

Millions of people put their lives on Facebook, but thanks to the site's convoluted and ever-changing privacy policies, they often have little idea who else can see the information they provide or what the company itself is doing with all the personal data it collects. For that reason, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's effort as president of the National Association of Attorneys General to partner with Facebook on a public information campaign is welcome - so long as it doesn't give the public the impression that the problem of Facebook privacy has been solved.

We've all seen them on the road - people driving too slowly, drifting out of their lane or oblivious to a changing traffic signal. Chances are, these distracted drivers are using a cellphone. The days of doing so with impunity in Maryland are just about over. The General Assembly has passed a new, tougher bill cracking down on this dangerous behavior and much of the credit goes to a delegate whose district includes both Baltimore and Howard counties, James E. Malone Jr., along with a state senator, James Robey of Howard County, the co-sponsor.

Gov. Martin O'Malley last week signed a law extending the deadline for homeowners to apply for the Homestead Tax Credit. Homeowners now have until Dec. 30, 2013, to submit an application. The credit is intended to keep property taxes on homeowner-occupied residences from increasing more than 10 percent (or less, depending on the jurisdiction) each year. Some owners of vacation and rental properties have been receiving the homestead credit improperly. In order to reduce the number of taxpayers receiving the credit on ineligible properties, more than five years ago the legislature instituted a one-time application requirement.

APG Federal Credit Union honored Louise Oldland, operations analyst, in February with an award for 25 years of dedicated service to the credit union. In 1987, Oldland was hired as a teller at APGFCU's Aberdeen Proving Ground branch and was later promoted to support services representative. Since then, Oldland has held positions as member service representative and administrative assistant. In her current role as operations analyst, information technology, Oldland is responsible for identifying, prioritizing and resolving issues within APGFCU's technological infrastructure.

Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore Inc. announced Thursday that it had agreed to acquire Advance Bank, another Baltimore-based institution. A sale price hasn't been determined and will be based on which Advance assets regulators say MECU can acquire, said Dorothea Stierhoff, senior public relations manager with MECU. MECU, a state-chartered credit union, and Advance Bank, a mutual savings bank, are each owned by their depositors. MECU has about $1.2 billion in assets and nine locations.

Lawmakers approved $25 million in tax credits for the film industry Tuesday, expanding and extending a program that was set to expire in 2014. Tuesday's vote sends to Gov. Martin O'Malley a bill that increases subsidies to film companies by $17.5 million over this year. O'Malley proposed the increased tax credit, along with credits for biotechnology and cyber security industries. Since the credits were first approved in 2011, they have gone to several projects including the popular Netflix series "House of Cards" that stars Kevin Spacey and was filmed in Baltimore.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office is seeking a woman in connection with the use of stolen credit cards at local drug stores and eateries in the Bel Air and Edgewood areas. The suspect may be driving a white Lexus or Infiniti or a green Mazda, the Sheriff's Office said. Surveillance photos of the woman and the two vehicles were released to the media Friday by the Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information regarding the suspect in the photo is encouraged to contact Det. Chris Rothlingshofer of the Sheriff's Office, 443-409-3328.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office is seeking two men in connection with theft from a car and the fraudulent use of the victim's credit card. According to the Sheriff's Office, the card was stolen around Jan. 29. The men are believed to be driving a red or maroon Oldsmobile or Buick. Surveillance photos of the suspects were released by the Sheriff's Office Friday. Anyone with information regarding the suspect in the photo is encouraged to contact Detective Chris Rothlingshofer of the Sheriff's Office, 443-409-3328.