Loch Raven

Hess Corp. has agreed to buy eight duplexes in Loch Raven and demolish them to settle homeowners' claims of contamination from a nearby gas station, the company said Friday. Residents of Yakona Road had filed more than a dozen lawsuits against the company over the past two years. Terms of the settlement were confidential, but a Hess spokesman said the agreement includes razing the buildings - likely in the spring - to make way for green space. The gas station, which is still open, is located in the 1600 block of E. Joppa Road.

Loch Raven's visit to the Class 2A state semifinals didn't last long. Forty-six minutes after opening introductions, the Raiders had to fight back tears as they walked off the court. They were ushered out quickly by Williamsport, 25-4, 25-5, 25-7, yesterday at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum. "We were really overmatched," said second-year coach Matt Smith, whose program was making its second straight appearance after a four-year absence. "Williamsport was faster, taller.

Marching bands from Towson, Dulaney and Loch Raven high schools, as well as several others from Baltimore County, will perform in the Baltimore County Public Schools' 24th annual Marching Band Showcase, to be held Sunday, Oct. 28, beginning at 4 p.m., at Mustang Stadium, Stevenson University, 11003 Owings Mills Blvd., Owings Mills. Those schools, as well as Franklin, Milford Mill, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Sparrows Point, Woodlawn and New Town high schools, will join for a mass band performance to conclude the event.

To help mark the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, tree plantings are scheduled this weekend, and also in November, in the Loch Raven and Prettyboy watersheds. Both the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy and the Prettyboy Watershed Alliance will each host plantings on Saturday, Oct. 20, and the Prettyboy group will also conduct a planting on Saturday, Nov. 10.  The new trees are intended to help protect both the Loch Raven and Prettyboy reservoirs from runoff, and will also absorb pollutants that would otherwise enter the water supply. Together, the two reservoirs provide drinking water to 1.8 million people in the region every day. The Prettyboy Watershed Alliance received two grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, totaling $5,666, which will be used to plant 500 trees.

There's a new face at Arnolia United Methodist Church - but a familiar face to the area. Keith Derrickson recently became the church's director of music, and brought with him years of experience and creativity. A Baltimore County Public Schools music teacher from 1978 until 2008 - at Overlea, Hereford and Parkville high schools, as well as Pleasant Plains Elementary - he most recently served as an interim professor at Towson University teaching music education classes and serving as a student intern supervisor.

Deborah Gibson grew up on a dairy farm near Allentown, Pa., and learned at a young age how to hunt for deer and other animals. Skeet and trap shooting - the art of shooting clay pigeons out of the air - were not among her family's outdoor pursuits. Even when Gibson moved to Maryland years ago and met her husband, Steve, her father taught him how to shoot with a hunting rifle. Their interest in shooting eventually extended to pistols, and they now participate in local competitions.

Students from Calvert Hall College High School's Peer Ministry group were honored at the Ravens' season opener on Sept. 10, and received free tickets to the game, T-shirts, a pre-game on field visit and recognition on the "Ravensvision" screens. The Honor Row award, given by the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank and the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, honors "youth groups or organizations which provide outstanding service to their communities. " Calvert Hall's Peer Ministry group was selected for the award by a panel including representatives from the Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Ravens and M&T Bank.

Click here for Friday's scoreboard Saturday scores: The Baltimore Sun's Top 15 Penn Charter, Pa. 13, No. 8 McDonogh 0 No. 11 Mount St. Joseph 24, Landon 14 Other scores from around the area John Carroll 28, Delmar, Del. 7 Marriotts Ridge 41, Oakland Mills 13 Mount Carmel 50, Carson Long, Pa. 0 New Town 40, Chesapeake-B 0 Parkville 6, Milford Mill 0 Perry Hall 48, Towson 6 Pikesville 20,...

Austin Frederick, Matt Linardi and Conor Smith scored two goals each as No. 1 McDonogh defeated Loch Raven, 4-0, in boys soccer action Monday. The Eagles' win over the visiting Raiders improved their record to 3-0. Also, George Campbell and Jeff Weingart each had two assists. Girls soccer No. 2 Archbishop Spalding 6, No. 13 Bel Air 0: Madeline Ostrowski and Julia Heck scored three goals apiece as the Cavaliers (2-0-1) shut out the Braves (0-2) in interleague play Monday. Leah Lozzi had 11 saves for Bel Air. No. 14 Patterson Mill 3, Towson 0: Goals by Ramona Schueler, Gabby Samra and Jenna Staton powered the Huskies (4-0)

Another Baltimore County speed camera has been vandalized. County police received a phone call at 7:25 a.m. Aug. 17 to report that the newly installed camera on Cromwell Bridge Road near Loch Raven High School had been spray-painted, said police spokesperson Elise Armacost. The camera was not damaged. She said light red paint was used to spray expletives on the camera casing, and the lens was also painted. But the camera has been cleaned and is back in operation. "People need to remember that this is a crime," Armacost said.