Crest

Water levels at Liberty Reservoir have crested for the first time since June 1998, providing city customers a cushion in the event of a drought this year, according to Baltimore's Department of Public Works. By contrast, the reservoir dipped to 26 feet below crest during the drought in 1999. Loch Raven Reservoir crested March 30, and water levels at Prettyboy Reservoir are 2 1/2 feet below crest and rapidly rising, the agency said.

Horse racing Retired Hall of Fame trainer Kelly dead at 93 Hall of Fame trainer Thomas J. Kelly died Friday morning at St. Catherine's West Rehabilitation Hospital in Hialeah, Fla., after a brief illness, according to his son, Timothy D. Kelly . He was 93. Kelly, who was born in Pikesville, conditioned 65 stakes winners, including Plugged Nickle, 1980's champion sprinter who won that year's Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack,...

Oakland -- A lot of lips are flapping about restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Checks are being written, partnerships are being forged and promises are being made. That's as it should be. No feature defines Maryland more than that big expanse of water that runs from Susquehanna Flats down to Pocomoke Sound. Without a robust bay, the Free State ain't worth squat. A tool in the restoration effort is the O'Malley administration's BayStat program, which helps decide which pieces of land and water need to be bought and protected.

Dunbar junior quarterback William Crest verbally committed to West Virginia on Friday, according to multiple reports. Crest helped the Poets win the Class 1A state championship last fall, throwing for two touchdowns in Dunbar's 39-0 victory over New Town at M&T Bank Stadium. He threw 14 touchdown passes overall last season as the Poets went 13-1 to win their third straight 1A title. Rivals.com ranks Crest as a four-star prospect and the No. 205 overall recruit in the Class of 2014, while Scout.com has him as a three-star prospect and the No. 30 quarterback in the graduating class.

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Mayor Richard Schwartz worked his jaw nervously as he answered calls: No, the Bear Creek dam was not in danger. Yes, volunteer sandbag-fillers were welcome. Yes, he would take time to see visiting Missouri Sen. John C. Danforth.And then tapping one of the blinking phone lines he received news that made him exhale sharply: a local factory where workers had valiantly spent the past two weeks sandbagging and shoring up walls to keep roof-level water from entering had just imploded.

Carroll County commissioners will hold a meeting for residents of Maple Crest at 7 p.m. Monday in the public hearing room at the County Office Building. Staff from the county and city governments will address questions or concerns residents may have on the possibility of extending public water from Westminster to Maple Crest. Information: 410-386-2097. Police Westminster: An employee of the city of Westminster told police Dec. 27 that someone damaged a tree and a vending machine at the city playground.

This moderately priced, medium-bodied red wine from Washington state is a very appealing, widely available wine with a supple feel and fine varietal character. It delivers pure and penetrating black-cherry flavor tempered by sweet American oak. Ready to drink young, it will go well with a wide variety of foods from poultry to red meat. Serve with --lamb or beef

The pungent smell of chlorine bleach permeates the Hutchison home, a handsome four-bedroom split-level just outside Westminster. The Hutchisons, a family of four, struggle daily to conserve water. They fear their well will run dry. So they cook with bottled water. They wash their clothes at the public laundry. And they clean their kitchen with bleach rather than soap and water. "Water is a necessity of life. You can't flush the commode, cook a meal or bathe without it," said Alice Hutchison, 59. "Most people never give it a second thought.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Like some great watery pincer, the rampaging Missouri and Kansas rivers are closing in on Kansas City.Sometime today, a record flood crest coming down the Kansas and another record crest coming down the Missouri will collide at Kansas City, where the two rivers join.No one knows quite what to expect as Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., just to the west of the confluence of the two rivers, become the focal point of the great flood of 1993."Prayer may be the only answer," said Michael Koska, a fireworks wholesaler, as he struggled yesterday to move his inventory of whiz-bangs, cherry bombs and sparklers from a warehouse in the bottom land to higher ground.

About 35 homeowners in Maple Crest, a 30-year-old subdivision south of Westminster, met with County Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier last night to discuss extending city water lines to their neighborhood. The area has no public water, and residents rely on private wells. Some wells run low part of the year and others go dry during periods of drought. More than a few have dried up, forcing residents to bear the costly burden of trucking in water. "I've got a water-conditioning system that requires a lot of maintenance and costs me quite a bit of money.

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site. Highly touted 2014 quarterback William Crest didn't have to travel to College Park to get a good look at the Maryland football team. The Terps, who practiced at Dunbar on Saturday, came to him. Crest walked up and down the sidelines of the Poets' field Saturday, taking in the Terps' ninth spring practice and imagining what it might be like to suit up for the hometown school.

John Lurz of Bel Air has been promoted continuing care administrator Oak Crest retirement community. Previously, Lurz served as the assisted living manager at the Erickson Living community in northeast Baltimore County. Lurz brings 15 years of health care administration to his new leadership position. With Oak Crest since 2010, he has been a licensed nursing home administrator for more than six years. The extended care neighborhood at Oak Crest provides assisted living, respite care, post-acute rehabilitation and nursing care and outpatient rehabilitation services.

The residents and employees of Oak Crest retirement community in Parkville wanted to do their part to cheer on the Ravens before the Baltimore team plays in the Super Bowl this Sunday. What would be the best way to get their message out? YouTube, of course. The 90-second video called "Super Dreams" released Wednesday, captures the thrill of being introduced before the big game through the eyes of Gene Miller, a 71-year old resident of Oak Crest.  Miller roots for the Ravens with his fellow residents and then shows off his dance steps in the big moment, ala a certain future Hall of Famer middle linebacker.

Robert Larkin's association with Oak Crest retirement community in Parkville began long before he and his wife purchased a condo there in 2001. The 86-year-old retired Baltimore City police major had contacts with Oak Crest before it even opened its doors. "I used to walk over here from Perry Hall during construction," Larkin said. "I'd wear my hard hat, [and] I got to know all the workers. That was in 1994. " There was never any doubt that the he and his wife, Gloria, would move into Oak Crest when they felt the time was right.

Motorists who travel on the Route 1 bridge across the Susquehanna River in northern Harford County can expect temporary delays Tuesday and Wednesday. Crews from the Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station will move crest gates from the dam to the upper parking lot at the Conowingo Visitor Center for regular maintenance and repairs. Moving the large gates will temporarily delay traffic in both directions on Route 1 from Route 222 to Shures Landing Road, just south of Conowingo Dam on the Harford County side.

Erickson Living, manager and developer of Oak Crest retirement community, announced the promotion of Dr. Jeff Landsman, of Bel Air, to vice president and regional medical director. Landsman has served at Oak Crest for more than 10 years where he began as a staff physician and received prior promotions to associate medical director, medical director and regional medical director.  His current responsibilities include leadership for the medical group at Erickson Living communities in Virginia (Ashby Ponds and Greenspring)

Carroll commissioners are urging homeowners in water-starved Maple Crest, a 30-year-old subdivision south of Westminster, to attend a public hearing this evening to discuss extending city water lines to their community. The meeting is expected to be the final opportunity for homeowners to comment on the proposed project for the neighborhood, which has no public water. Residents rely on private wells, some that run low part of the year and others that go dry during drought. More than a few have dried up, forcing residents to bear the costly burden of trucking in water.

The Carroll commissioners are seeking bids to extend Westminster water lines to Maple Crest, a 30-year-old subdivision south of the county seat that has struggled with water problems for years. The neighborhood has no public water and residents rely on private wells. Some wells run low part of the year and others go dry during periods of drought. More than a few have dried up, forcing residents to bear the costly burden of trucking in water. The county is seeking bids that would show the costs of extending water lines under two scenarios.

There are 28 parks in Carroll County, including five in Westminster. The newest will soon have a name, to be chosen from suggestions by the public. "This is the first time we've had this promotion," said Jeff Degitz, the county's Director of Recreation and Parks. "It's not designed to be a popularity contest," he said. "Over 100 people have submitted ideas, and we've asked each of them to detail why their suggestion would be appropriate for the community. So far, a lot of people have come up with creative ideas and names.

Nine is a lucky number for Dunbar's football team this fall. In their ninth straight trip to the state semifinals, the Poets advance to their ninth title game in 18 years - more any other team during that span. A 42-6 victory over No. 15 and previously-undefeated Overlea Friday night sends the defending champion and No. 6 Poets into next week's state Class 1A final where they will go for their eighth title and their sixth in the eight years. Two long touchdown strikes by sophomore quarterback William Crest in the first quarter set the tone for the Poets (11-2)