Locks

Regarding Catherine Pugh's recent letter about Maryland's youth detention centers, I agree that there are alternatives to our current policies ("There are alternatives to locking up juveniles," June 4). I have a real good one: It's called "parental involvement. " In this scenario, the parents of juveniles are involved with their children and provide them with love, affection, direction, insight and discipline. I know that this is a radical proposal in that it doesn't place responsibility for juvenile misbehavior on society, or on the government, the school system or some other convenient scapegoat.

It would be nice to think the true litmus test that determines whether the Orioles have really turned a competitive corner this season would be a bushelful of victories over the big-money Yankees and Red Sox. If only it were that simple. The real test is taking place behind the curtain, where owner Peter Angelos is undoubtedly enjoying his team's recent resurgence and deciding whether he's willing to double down on the two players who have a chance to be the cornerstones of a new era of Orioles baseball.

An allegedly armed man robbed an Annapolis bank Monday and forced a lockdown at an elementary school, while police searched for him. The man entered Severn Savings Bank in the 1900 block of 1917 West St. at 10:45 a.m. A teller told police he displayed a handgun. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, police said. Mills-Parole Elementary School on Chinquapin Round Road was placed on lockdown for several hours, while officers searched the area. The suspect has not been found.

When a woman refused to pay the automatic 17% gratuity at a Houston seafood restaurant named La Fisherman, she says the restaurant locked her and her party inside the restaurant and threatened to call the police. The story, which was reported by KRPC , the NBC-affiliate in Houston and began spreading on Wednesday to other websites like the Huffington Post, goes like this: The customer, Jasmine Marks, decided that the automatic gratuity the restaurant applies to checks for  parties of five or more, and which is clearly stated on the menu, was null and void in her case.

Top-ranked Salisbury has a shot at capturing its 16th Capital Athletic Conference Tournament title in 17 attempts with a victory over No. 4 Stevenson this Saturday. Also at stake for the nine-time reigning national champion Sea Gulls is the No. 1 overall seed and homefield advantage in the upcoming NCAA Tournament - a prize that hasn't escaped the attention of Jim Berkman. “If we win, there's absolutely no doubt that we would be at home the rest of the way,” the Salisbury coach said Thursday morning.

Six Northeast Baltimore schools were on lockdown for about 30 minutes past dismissal because of police activity in the area Wednesday afternoon. The schools affected were City College; Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School; Abbottston Elementary; Waverly Elementary/Middle; Coldstream Elementary/Middle; and the Stadium School. Police officials said they notified the city school system of increased police activity around City College due to intelligence of a fight not involving school students or a school.

After missing the Patriot League tournament for the first time since joining the league for the 2004 season, Navy's mission was simple and straightforward: begin a new tradition of qualifying for the tournament. The Midshipmen are one win away from accomplishing that goal. With a win over longtime rival and No. 17 Army on Saturday, No. 20 Navy (5-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference) will ensure itself of finishing in the top four and earning a spot in the tournament. It's a prize that the players are fully aware of, coach Rick Sowell said.

After the Orioles optioned right-hander Chris Tillman to Triple-A Norfolk, the pitching staff the Orioles will bring north for Opening Day is beginning to take shape. There are 15 pitchers for 12 spots. The Orioles will bring 13 position players to Baltimore. The starting rotation looks clear: Jake Arrieta, Wei-Yin Chen, Tommy Hunter and Jason Hammel are locks. And left-hander Brian Matusz is the likely No. 5 starter, barring a surge from lefty Tsuyoshi Wada. Otherwise, Wada looks like he could open the season as a DL candidate and stay in Florida to continue his adapting to the big leagues.

"Top Gun: Hard Lock" Developer: Headstrong Games Publisher: 505 Games Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC Score: 6/10*   "Top Gun" is a film that, like many others, has never received the video game treatment it deserves. To be an American alive after 1986 is to have experienced, even if briefly, the chest-puffing, high-fiving jingoistic bravado that only an F-14 piloting Tom Cruise can deliver. This ethos hasn't translated well to a "Top Gun" game ever and there hasn't been a decent game tied to the film since the original Nintendo version.

An backpack left at a bus stop near an M&T Bank branch in Roland Park shut down streets, shops and a school Friday afternoon. The backpack, left in 700 block of Deepdene Road, was X-rayed and found to contain books, according to Sgt. Anthony Smith, a spokesman for police. Police blocked off several streets in the area during the evening rush hour and buses were re-routed. Roland Park Elementary/Middle School was put on lockdown. Businesses along Roland Avenue were evacuated.