Individuals

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland asked state regulators yesterday to approve rate increases, effective Oct. 1, for several plans covering individuals under the age of 65.The increases would affect about 25,000 Personal Comp policies and 6,100 hospital and medical/surgical plans, said Linda Benedict, vice president of Blue Cross' Individual Market Division. In addition, premiums would go up on 1,000 student policies."They are necessary due to continued increases in medical cost inflation and utilization," Ms. Benedict said, adding that the increases affect a small percentage of the 250,000 individual policies sold by the company.

Handing out individual awards can be a delicate affair as there is usually some gray area for interpretation and analysis. But it would seem that few would be able to question the individual honors announced by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association on Friday morning. For the second time in his career, Rob Pannell of Cornell was named the winner of the Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award, which is given to the Outstanding Player of the Year. The fifth-year senior attackman has 95 points -- which is 10 shy of the school's single-season record -- and 337 career points -- which is six short of former Duke attackman Matt Danowski's NCAA mark.

Federal, state and local arts and humanities grants-makers have recently awarded more than $180,000 to dozens of local organizations and individuals.The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded four grants to Maryland presenters of concerts and music festivals totaling more than $27,000.The Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation Inc. has been awarded $14,400 to support concerts in genres ranging from jazz to choruses in a seven-state region, including Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Maryland has become the third state to offer a voluntary system to restrict the ability to play the lottery, officials announced Tuesday. The program is an expansion of the casino exclusion program launched in 2011, several months after Maryland's first casino opened. People on that list agree to be cited for trespassing if found in one of the state's casinos. Once signed up for the lottery exclusion list, a person is required to forfeit any lottery prize winnings — including from scratch-off tickets — to the Maryland Problem Gambling Fund.

A retired educator was named Howard County volunteer of the year last night in a ceremony that honored more than three dozen individuals and groups for their volunteerism.Natalie Woodson, 67, of Columbia's Harper's Choice village, will represent the county in the annual statewide "Maryland, You Are Beautiful" ceremony Nov. 1 in Annapolis. One person or group will represent each county and Baltimore City in the recognition ceremony sponsored by Gov. Parris N. Glendening.The county has formally recognized residents and groups for their volunteer efforts for 22 years, said Kathy Sloan, coordinator of last night's ceremony.

IT'S FRIGHTENING to dismiss the possibility of a conspiracy in the burning of 30 mostly rural African-American churches in the past 18 months. If these acts of evil have been hatched by individuals, it means you can't simply point an accusing finger at one or two racist organizations. American society must instead take a collective look at itself in the mirror to find the culprits. In doing so, it must ask whether the contentious environment that spawned racial violence in the South 30 years ago has been reborn.

Washington - Rep. Elijah E. Cummings wanted more help for homeowners facing foreclosure. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett didn't want to reward the "bad behavior" of irrational lenders and borrowers. From opposite ends of the political spectrum, the two Marylanders reflected the range of opposition to the $700 billion financial bailout package rejected yesterday by lawmakers. "The thing that bothers me more than anything else about this deal is the imbalance," said Cummings, a liberal Democrat from Baltimore.

WASHINGTON -- Someone who runs when police arrive in a high-crime neighborhood may be stopped for questioning and a quick search if the person flees in a "nervous, evasive" way, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday. The justices decided unanimously that fleeing would not by itself be enough to justify a police stop. Nor would the fact that the area was known for frequent criminal activity. But when all the circumstances are taken into account, the court indicated, police may be justified in concluding that the person's actions in leaving a high-crime locale are enough to lead them to investigate further.

REGIONAL, ETHNIC and gender voting blocs -- their strengths trumpeted so proudly during the recent legislative session -- get headlines, but the legislative soul is lost or saved by individuals.One person, one precious vote.We are talking about the frightening power and responsibility riding on each yea and nay flashed to the electronic tote boards, House and Senate, during any General Assembly session.Votes and speeches that are of significance often are of no value to a politician in search of an accomplishment to run on. They come at moments of low drama and often when the lawmaker is struggling to keep pace with a torrent of bills.

Dozens of Maryland's most prominent corporations or individuals have violated a state law limiting political campaign donations, an analysis by The Sun has found. Almost a year before the next statewide general election, a review of records filed by campaign and political action committees last month shows that almost 40 companies or individuals have surpassed donation limits through ignorance, sloppiness or indifference to the law. The list includes such notable figures as Baltimore Ravens owner Arthur Modell, Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos and Manekin Corp.

It's hard to know where to begin when responding to Trey Kovacs' recent op-ed ("Unions do their business on taxpayers' dime," April 18), which is riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. So instead of talking about what recently passed Fair Share legislation isn't, as his article did, let's talk about what the legislation actually is. Fair Share is a common-sense way to protect equity and individual rights for Maryland's educators. It simply makes sure that all educators contribute to the negotiated benefits and legally required representation that they all enjoy.

Sitting alone at the edge of the parking lot outside Baltimore's 24-hour homeless shelter, Robin Bolden watched the dozens gathered nearby Saturday to remember her husband, Dana, who was stabbed to death at the facility earlier this month. Tears stained her face while she listened to Tony Simmons call on the homeless individuals and activists assembled to demand city leaders step up plans to find permanent homes for the more than 4,000 men, women and children who sleep outside and in shelters every night.

The House unanimously approved campaign finance reform Thursday, closing a loophole in state law that allows businesses to give far more than individuals can to political candidates. Without debate, delegates voted 136-0 to curb business giving while increasing donation limits for individuals.  The measure, HB1499 , was drawn up in response to changes recommended by a legislative commission that studied the state's campaign finance law. Under the bill, business owners would no longer be able to sidestep Maryland's campaign donation limits by giving to politicians through multiple "limited liability companies.

The 211 call center for United Way of Central Maryland answered more than 97,000 calls last year from individuals looking for tax assistance, housing, food and health services, officials announced Friday. The number of calls represents a 6.4 percent increase over the prior fiscal year. "The information we glean about the need in the community is very important to the work of United Way locally," the director of local help line Saundra Bond said in a statement. "It helps the organization understand who, where and what hurts the most during these difficult financial times.

Navy linebacker Brye French had never met Brendan Looney, only hearing stories about the former academy lacrosse star and his two brothers from longtime coach Richie Meade. Then one day during French's sophomore year, Meade told his team that the eldest Looney brother had died in Iraq. French, who had come to Navy to play both lacrosse and football, began to understand the reasons he was in Annapolis when he heard about Looney's death in a helicopter crash. It was further clarified for French when the lacrosse team attended the funeral of Navy SEAL from Silver Spring.

After battling stomach problems for years, Sarah Croessmann took action. On the advice of her doctor, she tried eating fewer fats, then removing dairy. Four years ago, she hit on a winner: She cut gluten from her diet. Croessmann, a 25-year-old Baltimore resident, is one of 1.6 million Americans on gluten-free diets who have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Celiac disease is triggered by the gluten found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats, which causes an autoimmune reaction and can lead to damage to the small intestine.

The state prosecutor issued more than $60,000 in fines yesterday to 15 individuals and companies he says violated Maryland campaign contribution limits. Most of the companies fined are involved in development or contracting, and some have completed high-profile projects for the state. The prosecutor, Robert A. Rohrbaugh, found that all of them had contributed more than the $10,000 limit for companies in a four-year election cycle. The fines are the first issued for such violations in recent years, and Rohrbaugh, who has been the prosecutor seven months, said he will continue pursuing the matter as much as his office's limited resources allow.

BEIJING -- Wen Liangxu slowly circles the dusty red Volkswagen sitting in the dealer's lot and asks the price. Then he checks himself: "Oh yes, Santanas are 140,000 yuan" -- $17,000. And no bargaining allowed.Car prices in China are set by government bureaucrats who are trying to create a modern auto industry, though the results aren't always pretty.Domestically produced cars are overpriced, while prices for imported cars verge on the absurd. Little attention has been paid to building a road network.

Add some personality to your meals with these oven-to-table cocottes from the Martha Stewart Collection, a fun way to personalize dishes from baked puddings to casseroles. Each lidded ceramic dish holds eight ounces. Sold in pairs, choose either the green cow/blue duck combo or the red chick/yellow rabbit. The cocottes are oven-safe to 450 degrees and dishwasher-safe. Each box also has a sample recipe. Set of two, $34.99 at Macy's stores and macys.com. — John-John Williams IV , The Baltimore Sun .

Reporter Yvonne Wenger 's article on the troubling reality of applying for federal disability benefits reflects what we see daily at Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore City ("After a disability, long waits for federal benefits," Oct. 28). As Ms. Wenger noted, around 31 percent of all initial applications for benefits are denied. But for individuals who are homeless, and who often have much higher rates of mental illness, the acceptance rate is even lower. Many of these individuals are uninsured and thus unable to access vital treatment and services.