Invasion

Dr. Joshua Zimmerberg says he's careful not to publicly disclose any personal information that could be of use to identity thieves. But soon, he might not have any choice but to have his finances published on the Internet for the world to see. Zimmerberg, a researcher and manager at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, is one of 28,000 federal employees in the executive branch who come under last year's Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge...

There is an invasive species in the United States responsible for the deaths of an estimated 14.7 billion birds and mammals each year. If that's not shocking enough, consider this: There's a good chance that one of these invaders is living in your house. Another in a long line of scientific studies documenting the impact of outdoor cats on our natural environment has just been released, bringing national attention again to the issue. This study was published in Nature Communications and authored by scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Zebra mussels have finally made their way down the Susquehanna River to the Chesapeake Bay, though it's unclear what if any harm the invasive aquatic species might do there. This month, state biologists found 20 of the non-native shellfish attached to three channel marker buoys off Havre de Grace as they were removing the buoys from the water for the winter, the Department of Natural Resources reported. Native to the Caspian and other seas in eastern Europe, zebra mussels were first discovered in the United States in the Great Lakes region in the 1980s, likely transported there in the ballast water of ships.

Three people were robbed, and one of them was injured, during an armed home invasion in the Aberdeen area Sunday night, the Harford County Sheriff's Office reported. According to a media release from the sheriff's office, three men were watching football in a home in the 1300 block of Loflin Road around 9:35 p.m. Sunday when three black men forced their way into the home. Two of the occupants, Paul Brian Hartman Jr., 23, and Walter Jack Liles Jr., 22, who were visitors in the home, were ordered to lie on the floor, according to the sheriff's office.

Are invasive plants invasive in their native country? I have to tackle the porcelain berry vines growing up my trees. Is fall a good time to do this? Most alien invasive plants are already aggressive plants before they get here, with many strategies for outcompeting other plants. For example, they may be first to green up in spring, last to go dormant, and have outrageously high seed production and germination rates. But what makes them invasive on U.S. soil is that they have left all their predators and diseases back in the old country.

In an age when there are "baby apps" for the iPad and HBO is reissuing classic children's books as made-for-TV musicals, it's nice just to take the kids to visit some goats. Some hard-working, big-eating goats. My husband and I spent a weekend soloing as handlers for Mikey, the 22-month-old grandson with the halo of blond curls, and when a friend spotted a herd of goats along the side of a road, we were off. There's nothing toddlers like more than barnyard animals that are roughly the same size they are. "Goats!

Anne Arundel police have charged a teenager as an adult and are looking for four others in connection with a home invasion in Glen Burnie Tuesday. Terance Johnson Jr., 17, of the 100 block of Henson Road in Glen Burnie, faces multiple counts of armed robbery, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, assault and theft. The victims, who were not injured, told police that five men broke into their home in the 100 block of Southbridge Drive about 2 a.m. The suspects, who were armed and masked, ran from the home after taking money and property.

James F. Barlow, a retired masonry contractor who drove a weapon carrier at Omaha Beach during the World War II Allied invasion, died Sept. 1 at St. Agnes Medical Center after suffering a fractured hip at his Academy Heights home. He was 87. Mr. Barlow was co-grand marshal of this year's Catonsville July 4th parade and was the commander of two veterans posts. He also led the parade in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Born in Baltimore and raised near Union Square, he attended 14 Holy Martyrs School and was a 1942 graduate of St. Martin's High School, where he was the center on the school's basketball team.

As authorities continued to investigate the shooting at Perry Hall High School, about two dozen students gathered at a church Monday night, recounting their fears during the incident - and a reluctance to go back to school. "You just think, if it happens once, it can happen again," said senior Kyle Ritter. He said he would welcome more security on campus: "If it's going to stop all this craziness, I think it'd be a good idea. " School safety experts say that while it's understandable for some to want metal detectors and other visible signs of beefed-up security, less invasive measures usually offer the best way to keep out guns and other dangerous weapons.

Baltimore County Police say they've arrested a 38-year-old Cockeysville woman and charged her with armed robbery, first-degree assault and 12 other counts in connection with a July 30 home invasion robbery in the unit block of Valley Crossing Circle. Lenny Carela, 38, of the unit block of Breezy Tree Court, charged with breaking into the home of a woman while the woman was walking her dog. According to the initial police report, the incident occurred between 8:10 and 8:26 a.m. July 30, when the victim returned home to find an intruder inside, holding the victim's purse and cell phone.