Jump

One of the most popular topics for legislators today is restricting gun ownership in some form or fashion ("Guns: Old issue, new hurdles," Feb. 10). They have labeled some firearms as "assault" weapons and likened them to those used by the military. I spent 23 years in the U. S. Marine Corps, and I have never heard the term assault weapon used there. The fact is, the word "assault" is not an adjective. Second, only people who don't understand firearms believe that a gun purchased from a local firearms dealer has the same capability as those used by our military or police.

U.S. home prices last month saw their largest jump in more than six years, but the gains in metro Baltimore were much smaller than the national average. Nationwide, home prices increased 8.3 percent in December compared with a year earlier. In Greater Baltimore, the increase was 1.8 percent, according to a report released Tuesday by real estate data firm CoreLogic. The national increase was the largest since May 2006, according to CoreLogic's figures, and December marked the tenth consecutive month of U.S. home price increases.

In the six months that have passed since Margaret Fulcher received her most recent homeowners insurance policy, she has moved on from being shocked to simply incensed. The premium to fully insure her Baltimore rowhouse increased fourfold last year — to a sum she can ill afford and one that she thinks does not accurately represent the cost of replacing her home. "This is a case of homeowners insurance underwater," said Fulcher, comparing her premium to a mortgage that is worth more than the home to which it is attached.

Lyndsey Darling and Erin Stump huddled on the beach Friday at Sandy Point State Park, sipping cups of hot chocolate and looking skeptical. Both wore sweatshirts and boots, but within an hour they planned to swap their heavy layers for bathing suits and wade into the Chesapeake Bay, kicking off the weekend of the 17th annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. Stump, 15, said the swim was against her better judgment, but Darling, 16, had one idea to stay warm. "I'm going to wear my socks," she said, "because I've got another pair.

The junior had a personal best in the high jump and helped the Lions 1,600-meter relay team break a school record in an Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland league indoor track meet last week. Brown won the high jump at 5 feet, 2 1/2 inches which is the third best height in the Baltimore area this season and qualified her for the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet in New York in March. She joined teammates Morgan Ferrans, Parker Gray and Olivia Tauypen to run 1 minute, 53.35 seconds in the relay to finish second in the meet but set a new Lions record.

A 20-year-old Ocean City man awaiting trial on more than a dozen charges in connection to six house burglaries in the beach town this spring was arrested again this weekend for allegedly stealing a car and fleeing police, Ocean City Police said Monday. Alexander George Ellis, of the 100 block of Sandy Hill Drive in Ocean City , was eventually caught early Saturday morning after ditching the stolen vehicle and trying to escape police by jumping into the water, police said.

Athletes from Harford Tech, Fallston, Edgewood and Joppatowne captured a dozen victories in the CCBC-Essex Invitational high school indoor track and field meet Dec. 22 in Baltimore. Paige Chapman led the Tech girls with a win in the 55-meter dash. She clocked 7.61 seconds to edge teammate Marietta Corbin by 0.16 second. The two teamed with Cynthia Baublitz and Cierra Singleton to win the 4x160-meter relay in 1:30.12. Singleton won the 55 hurdles in 9.49 and tied for second in the high jump.

Much like most of the nation, I have been following and thinking about the horrific, monstrous slaughter of 27 people who did nothing to deserve their fate, during what is inarguably the season where peace should prevail. I have also been following the responses to this atrocity, be they from friends, residents,lawenforcement, media, and politicians at all levels. Several things have struck me as poignant, some heart-rending, and some infuriating. Twenty children, six educators, and a mother were slain in the most heinous way imaginable, at the hands of someone who appeared to be deeply disturbed.

Chris Johnson wasn't happy about surrendering the 11-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Pierre Garcon that helped the Washington Redskins tie the Ravens and then win, 31-28, in overtime last Sunday. At the same time, however, the cornerback said he had no regrets about trying to jump what he thought was an in route by Garcon. “As a vet, I gave up a play that I didn't want to give up. It stuck with me for a couple days,” Johnson said Wednesday.

Anne Arundel County Councilman John Grasso announced his candidacy for county executive two years ahead of the 2014 election in hopes that the extended campaign will give voters time to "build up a tab of likes and dislikes of John Grasso. " The first-term Republican said he declared this month in order to give voters ample opportunity to learn about him and to judge his actions while knowing he aspires to become county executive. "I want the people to have plenty of time," Grasso said.