Older Brother

As Maryland stumbled its way through the 2011 season, Jarrett Ross watched intently from afar to keep up with his freshman brother's progress and try to gauge whether or not he'd like to eventually join the Terps. Ross, a Charter School of Wilmington (Del.) cornerback and wide receiver, had picked up a scholarship offer from Maryland last summer - one year after Brandon Ross , his older brother by two years, committed to the Terps. While Maryland's 2-10 season was a major disappointment to all parties involved, the younger Ross wasn't dismayed.

Neil Reagan,88, the older brother of former President Ronald Reagan, died Wednesday of heart failure in Los Angeles."We will miss him terribly," Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, said in a statement. Mr. Reagan, the former president's only sibling, mostly kept a low profile during his brother's two terms in the White House.He was born in Tampico, Ill. When Ronald Reagan went to Eureka College in Eureka, Ill., he encouraged Neil Reagan to join him. The older brother graduated with a degree in economics in 1933 and married Bess Hoffman in 1935.

City police were investigating two overnight homicides yesterday, including the stabbing of a 17-year old boy allegedly at the hands of his older half brother, a police spokeswoman said. The two brothers, one age 17 and the other 27, got into an alcohol-fueled brawl outside their mother's house about 3:42 a.m. in the 3700 block of Liberty Heights Avenue in Northwest Baltimore, Officer Nicole Monroe said. At one point, their mother tried to break up the fight, but she was unsuccessful, Monroe said.

''Mystery Date'' is an attempt at mystery-comedy, one that never really makes it as either.The mystery is sparse, the comedy is erratic, and we never really learn what the older brother is up to.The older brother in question is played by Brian McNamara. The younger brother is played by Eric Hawke. At start, Tom (Hawke) has returned home from college and is eyeing, via telescope, the girl next door. Enter older brother Craig (McNamara), who arranges for Tom to take the girl (Teri Polo) out on a date.

A man charged with robbing a Dash In food store Monday morning falsely identified himself as his older brother when he was arrested, county police said.Timothy Lee White, 34, who has no fixed address, was charged '' with making a false statement Wednesday.His brother went to the Western District station after reading his name and address in a newspaper article about the robbery, police said.The older brother showed his driver's license and birth certificate to prove his identity, police said.

From the time he was 17, entrepreneur Ben Cohen had only himself as a boss -- becoming with his partner and brother Herman a liquidator and builder, and a pioneer in Baltimore television broadcasting.But most of all, he was a noted sportsman -- co-owner for 34 years of Pimlico Race Course, and owner with his wife, Zelda, of many thoroughbreds, including 1965 Belmont Stakes winner Hail All.On Monday at Sinai Hospital, less than a mile from the Pimlico backstretch, Mr. Cohen died of complications of old age. He was 94."

A 12-year-old Crofton boy was killed in a bizarre accident yesterday afternoon when his toy cart, being towed by his brother in a pickup truck, struck a curb at 30 mph, sending the boy head-first into a tree. Killed in the accident was Andrew Thomas Gawthrop of the 2600 block of Waltham Court. The driver of the pickup, his older brother, Mitchell Bennett Gawthrop, 16, was not harmed, according to Anne Arundel County police. About 3:30 p.m. yesterday, the brothers and two friends were playing a game in which Mitchell, who was driving his father's 2001 Ford truck, used a 15-foot rope to tow Andrew, seated on a toy called "The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile," along the street.

Quote: "They will take a piece of my heart with them when they tear down this place."-- Hank Aaron on Milwaukee's County Stadium, which will be host to its final home opener today when the Brewers take on the Cubs in expected 30-degree temperatures.It's a fact: The Cubs avoided a potential 900th all-time loss to Cincinnati when the game was postponed by rain. They are 926-899 in the series.Who's hot: The Giants' Barry Bonds had two doubles, going 2-for-3 to raise his average to .412.Who's not: Expos right fielder Vladimir Guerrero committed two errors against the Brewers.

I wondered for a moment how life might have been had the moment of violence not happened. Perhaps 9-year-old Mystery Toma Hillian and his older brother could still have been playing on the stairwell landing. But on this night, just outside the sealed door of their second-floor apartment in Forestville, there was no fun and games. Instead, there was a memorial service honoring Mystery Toma and his mother, Katrina Denise Powe, both killed for reasons as yet unclear. Mystery's 12-year-old brother has been charged with first-degree murder.

"Up Against the Wall,'' a cautionary tale against drugs, dropping out and loose sex, is deficient in almost every department, but it means well. It means to be constructive and it is -- for that, we are inclined to forgive the movie its ineptitude, bad photography, some bad performances and less than even direction.The direction was done by Ron O'Neal, who has been around a long time and can probably do better work, given more funds.O'Neal also appears in the film. He plays a high school track coach who has two sons.