Safety Belt

Howard County police will work with their counterparts in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to ensure safer shopping and traveling along the busy Route 40 corridor this holiday season.The joint effort, beginning today and continuing through New Year's Day, will cover shopping plazas and intersections in Ellicott City, Catonsville and communities along Edmondson Avenue in the city.Police say Route 40 provides an easy escape route for car thieves, convenience store robbers and other criminals in all three jurisdictions.

A 69-year-old Baltimore man died early yesterday from injuries he received hours earlier in a two-car accident on Owings Mills Boulevard in Baltimore County.Hassan Khan of Fordleigh Road was one of three area residents who died in separate weekend traffic accidents.Mr. Khan was a passenger in a 1985 Nissan driven by Daphne Khan, of the same address. A witness told police that the car ran a red light and struck another car at Owings Mills Boulevard and Timber Grove Road, east of Reisterstown.

The state Medical Examiner's Office has ruled out alcohol as a factor in the drowning of a 18-year-old South Carroll High School graduateduring an illegal late-night swim June 23 with friends in Liberty Reservoir.Paul Sumpter Marcum of Mount Airy had "a very, very smallamount, . . . a trace" of alcohol in his body, said Dr. Margarita Korell, an assistant medical examiner. She said there were no other apparent injuries.Divers recovered the youth's body about an hour after he disappeared while swimming near the Morgan Run Bridge on Route 32.Although state police at the Westminster barracks said the group of teen-agers had been drinking alcohol, Mr. Marcum's family and friends said the football player was very health conscious about alcohol and drugs.

Lethal WeaponsThe cover of the "Maryland Live" section published on May 15 trumpets the latest in the "Lethal Weapon" series in red two-inch letters. Inside, film critic Stephen Hunter trashes the movie, calling it "slapstick with automatic weapons" and asking, "When is Hollywood go [sic] to learn that kids want guns because they see them in movies? The first two 'Lethal Weapons' probably sold more Berettas than all the ads in Guns and Ammo combined."It's no secret that our culture exults in crime, in fact and fantasy, and craves it as a staple of popular entertainment.

More crashes than auto racing, more body parts than an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, the toy industry's newest smash hit involves a lot of smashing and hitting.They are the Incredible Crash Dummies, action figures modeled after the talking crash-test dummies featured in television ads for seat belts. Introduced into stores just two months ago, the toys have become an overnight sensation.The object is for children to put the unlucky characters inside their "student driver crash car" and fling them into walls.

Finksburg man graduates from U.S. Naval AcademyNavy Ensign Andrew F. Palm recently graduated from the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned to his present rank in the United States Navy.He was awarded a bachelor's degree with a major in political science.Ensign Palm is a 1986 graduate of Westminster High School and is the son of Robert H. and Charlotte M. Palm Sr. of Finksburg.Westminster City Police honored at luncheonFor the fifth consecutive year, the Westminster City Police Department won first place in their division for the 1993 Maryland Chief's Challenge.

Memorial Day closings announced Carroll County Government offices will be closed tomorrow for Memorial Day. Carroll County public libraries, senior centers and public schools will be closed tomorrow. Northern Landfill and the Recycling Center also will be closed tomorrow. Motorists reminded to buckle up Carroll County Sheriff's Deputies will be out in extra force during the Memorial Day weekend to protect motorists from impaired, aggressive and unsafe drivers. The Sheriff's Office is alerting motorists that in addition to the "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement initiative, a saturation patrol will be in place throughout the weekend to identify and remove impaired drivers from the road.

State and local police officials yesterday kicked off the 1993 Maryland Chiefs' Challenge for seat belt use by announcing a two-month enforcement effort in Carroll County.Westminster Police Chief Sam Leppo said his department will conduct seat belt surveys this month at Main and John streets, Railroad Avenue and Willis Street, and Washington Road and Green Street.Lt. Roy Neigh, commander of the Westminster state police barracks, said his troopers will spot check cars throughout the county to ensure that all occupants -- drivers, passengers and children -- are properly restrained.

In a story published Wednesday, the channel responsible for producing "Howard Daily" was identified incorrectly. The show is produced by Channel 15 and appears on CNN's Channel 16. News anchorwoman Pia Jordan was also misidentified.Channel 16 has launched a news program for county residents that will focus on area issues and events."Howard Daily" is a five-minute segment aired hourly (although on no particular schedule) on the same station that Howard Cable Television Associates uses to carry CNN "Headline News."

State troopers in Westminster will use stuffed black-and-white toy cows this week to promote a crackdown on motorists who fail to buckle up children or place them in child safety seats. The unrestrained children will receive the cow, its red shirt bearing the message: "Don't Moooove Until You Buckle Up." The driver will get a $48 ticket for safety-seat violations or a $25 ticket for seat-belt violations."It's national ABC [America Buckles up Children] Week leading into the Memorial Day weekend, and our troopers will step up enforcement of seat belt and child passenger safety laws," said 1st Sgt. Dean Richardson.