Heat

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. said it is offering new incentives for nonresidential electric customers' "combined heat and power" projects — up to $2 million apiece. Combined heat and power systems use waste heat from hot exhaust gases for space heating and other purposes, BGE said. Customers planning to install such a system could be eligible for the utility's new Combined Heat and Power Program incentives, available first come, first served. Proposals must be submitted by Dec. 21. BGE is holding a webinar about the incentive at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Summer may technically be over with, but summer-like sticky weather is expected to last through the week in Baltimore. Dew points haven't fallen below 70 degrees at BWI Marshall Airport since Saturday. With temperatures only in the 70s and 80s mostly since then, that meant thick, wet air over Labor Day weekend. The dew point takes into account both the relative humidity and the air temperature, giving a better picture of how humidity feels -- and anything above about 65 feels pretty uncomfortable.

Hot weather contributed to the death of a 13th Baltimore resident earlier this summer, state health officials confirmed Tuesday. The city man, who was between the ages of 45 and 64, brings to 42 the number of heat-related deaths in the state so far this summer, the deadliest since 2005, when heat was a factor in 47 deaths across the state. The fatality was included in a weekly update on heat-related health concerns the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released late Tuesday.

Horse racing Alpha, Golden Ticket in Travers dead heat In an electrifying finish, favored Alpha came back to hit the wire alongside 33-1 shot Golden Ticket on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., resulting in the first dead heat in the Grade I, $1 million Travers since 1874. Seemingly beaten as Golden Ticket began edging away inside the eighth pole, Alpha dug in through the final yards and, with his last lunge, hit the finish line in tandem with Golden Ticket.

Summer heat played a role in the death of a Baltimore County man under the age of 45 earlier this summer, state health officials have confirmed. The man is the youngest to have died of heat-related causes in Maryland so far this year. He brings the tally of heat-related fatalities to 41 for the year, the deadliest since 2005. His death was included in a weekly report state health officials released late Tuesday. Additional details on the death were not immediately available. The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is responsible for confirming deaths as heat-related.

A new Maryland State Department of Education policy aimed at better acclimatizing student athletes to the heat during the early days of practice nearly brought teddy bears and trash cans to the football field this week. While much of the model heat acclimatization policy is straight forward -- limiting practice time for all athletes and gradually increasing padding and contact for football players over the first six days of the preseason -- some of the guidelines remain open to interpretation.

CAMP BATTLE?: The first official fight of training camp took place Wednesday -- the last camp practice that will be held at the Under Armour Performance Center this summer -- and it was a good one. Defensive end Arthur Jones and center Gino Gradkowski wrestled each other to the ground during one play. Jones wound up on top and both started swinging. Then offensive tackle Jah Reid was swarmed by a group of defenders, including safety Bernard Pollard, and dozens of players jumped in to either get a few shots in or attempt to play peacemaker.

A Baltimore City woman and Montgomery County man have been added to the tally of heat-related deaths this summer, bringing the total to 40. That makes this summer's heat the deadliest since 2005, according to state health officials. The fatalities were reported in a weekly update from state health officials released Tuesday. The deaths occurred earlier this summer but were just confirmed as heat-related in the past week. The casualties surpassed the total from 2006, when 39 heat-related deaths were confirmed.

To title behind Howard Baxter Holmes Los Angeles Times The Lakers and Celtics have been knotted at 17 championships each, but Dwight Howard will lead the tiebreaking charge. Yes, Virginia, Kobe Bryant will have as many rings — six — as Michael Jordan. Oh, there's a season to be played? Semantics. Howard's back will be fine and the Lakers will roll through the West before meeting the Heat for it all. And there, you won't see LeBron James and company in the paint nearly as much as they are accustomed.

Two cool summertime art exhibits located in different neighborhoods, and very much in different financial brackets, provide welcome diversion from the heat. C. Grimaldis Gallery in Mount Vernon offers a show that brings together several notable artists who have long been associated with the gallery, including Grace Hartigan, Eugene Leake and Anthony Caro. The price tags: $1,500 to $90,000. School 33 in Federal Hill has the diverse "Magically Suspicious" show on one floor, and two spaces devoted to individual artists upstairs.