Sampling

The Legislative Black Caucus and civil rights activists criticized yesterday Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan for implementing a new program for collecting DNA samples from crime suspects, accusing the administration of turning its back on hard-fought compromises for safeguards and oversight. O'Malley made the DNA bill one of his priorities this year and worked hard to win passage of the legislation in the Maryland General Assembly - but only after significant changes during lengthy negotiations, particularly with the Black Caucus.

A BIG-CITY CRIME LAB DISCOVERS EVIDENCE IN ITS CUSTODY has been tainted by DNA from its own technicians. CSI script writers couldn't have crafted a more authentic plot -- it's playing out right now at the Baltimore Police Department. Call this episode: Sloppy Police Work. City crime lab director Edgar Koch got the ax last week because of the mix-up, which was discovered by a lab supervisor who was new to the job. She saw what others missed - DNA samples taken from lab analysts, a standard practice to check for contamination, hadn't been logged into the DNA database.

There is nothing simple about building an underwater robot to probe for salinity or look for water creatures. Wires come loose. Cameras fall off. Measuring string sinks to the bottom. "It's fun, but it's kind of frustrating," said Edwin Pena, who will enter eighth grade at Annapolis Middle School this month. Edwin and a dozen other rising seventh through ninth-graders spent the past two weeks building underwater devices made of PVC pipes, duct tape and small motors. The students sent the crude Remote Operating Vehicles, or ROVs, on missions to collect water samples and take pictures.

A bone fragment. A skull section. A molar. Such minuscule human remains as these recently enabled the United States military to identify service members missing for 36 years, ever since their AC-130 gunship named Spectre 13 was shot down during the Vietnam War. The tiny size of the fragments attests to the steep challenge faced by investigators, even with the power of DNA testing, to give families the certainty that their loved one did die. The bone...

An American original and a traditional favorite of Marylanders, rye whiskey can be as pricey as its better-known cousin, small-batch bourbon. Bottles of aged, 20-year-old rye fetch upward of $100 a bottle. Fortunately, there are a handful of flavorful rye whiskeys at lower prices. These are ryes, if you will, for recessionary times. Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky Heaven Hill Distilleries, Bardstown, Ky.$15.99 for 750 milliliters. 100 proof. Reliable Churchill, distributor Produced in what is known as the Pennsylvania style, which apparently is close to how the colonists made whiskey, this rye was named the top North American whiskey of 2006 in a blind tasting in San Francisco.

On March 30, 2008; BRENDLE L. SAMPLE; loving husband of Mrs. Mary A. Sample. On today, friends may call at Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Services (EAST), 4905 York Road, where the family will receive friends from 3 to 8 P.M. On Monday, services will be held at Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Chapel, 4905 York Road, where the family will receive friends from 10 to 10:30 with services to follow. Inquiries to 410-433-7500.

On February 15, 2008; ISIAH SAMPLE. On today friends may call at the VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICES, 5151 Balto. Nat'l Pike, from 4:00-8:00PM. On Monday, the family will receive friends at the Vaughn C. Greene West Chapel from 11:00-11:30AM with services to follow. Inquiries to (410)233-2400.

Sometimes the best pizza joints are the ones you've never heard of. GT PIZZA ADDRESS / / 10 W. Seminary Ave., Lutherville PHONE / / 410-821-9090 HOURS / / 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily The crust lining the bottom of this undercooked pizza, $11.65, was too thin. As a result, each slice was far too flimsy, and the cheese and pepperoni tended to slide off easily. The pizza could have used a couple more minutes in the oven. sam.sessa@baltsun.com PIZZA TIPS Here are some tips for ordering and reheating your Super Bowl pizza: Some restaurant / carryouts such as Gil's Pizza on Belair Road offer half-baked pizzas.

Lawmakers clashed yesterday with civil liberties advocates over a proposal to expand the collection of DNA samples to those who are arrested for serious crimes -- whether they are convicted or not. The debate was the first phase of what could be one of the most contentious issues in this year's legislative session. Gov. Martin O'Malley has made the idea a centerpiece of his agenda, and several delegates are sponsoring similar legislation. A hearing in the House Judiciary Committee yesterday over a bill sponsored by Del. Benjamin F. Kramer pitted those excited by the technology's potential to solve crimes against privacy advocates who worry that the genetic information could be misused.

Taking aim at Maryland's high violent crime rate, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced yesterday that he would seek legislation to expand DNA sampling to people arrested for violent crimes and burglaries. Flanked by Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and a bevy of state and local law enforcement officials, O'Malley said that taking DNA swabs from people arrested as well as those convicted of felonies or sex offenses would help police prevent violent crimes by solving old cases, interrupt serial criminals and clear some who have been wrongly convicted on other evidence.