Stream

UPDATES WITH RESPONSE FROM NETWORK SPOKESMAN: NBC said Monday that the problems experienced over the weekend with its Olympics live stream had been worked out. Not exactly. But after a morning of signing in and getting bounced offline repeatedly, and then spending long stretches looking at freeze frames instead of action while the little wheel on the screen went round and round in the afternoon, I have to admit I saw both of Phelps' races in real time Tuesday -- sort of. I didn't actually see him touch the wall at the end of 4X200 freestyle relay where the American men took the gold and made Phelps the most decorated Olympian in history.

LAUREL -- Runaway Stream rallied in the final jump to edge Silver Survivor by a nose yesterday in track-record time in the $182,250 Baltimore Budweiser Breeders' Cup at Laurel Race Course.Runaway Stream gave jockey Rick Wilson his 2,998th career victory by completing 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute, 48 seconds, shaving a fifth of a second off the previous mark, set by Slew City Slew in 1988.Silver Survivor, who took the lead early in the stretch, finished six lengths ahead of Tricky Creek.Wind Splitter, carrying 121 pounds as top weight and slight favorite in the field of eight, finished seventh after setting the pace for the first six furlongs.

LAUREL -- On a day when runaways seemed fashionable, Runaway Stream continued his dominance yesterday at Laurel Race Course.Nearly three hours before the gelding won the Walter Haight Handicap, a previously unraced filly captured the attention of horsemen and fans. Mixed Appeal won a maiden race by 18 lengths with frightening ease and in fast time, perhaps giving a glimpse of future stardom.In the Haight, uninitiated fans may have thought they were seeing a runaway. Learned Jake hit the wire nearly seven lengths ahead of Runaway Stream, but there was a problem: He had no jockey.

Water is very important to photographer Gregory W. Blank."Water is the most important resource there is," said the Westminster resident. "Without water, there would be no life."Mr. Blank, 30, has made it a personal goal to shoot photographs of every stream in Maryland. About 30 of his pictures will be on display at the Carroll County Arts Council Gallery, 15 E. Main St., Westminster, beginning with an opening reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. today.The show, "Tributaries: Photographic Viewpoints," is a labor of love for Mr. Blank, who has been taking photos for 10 years.

A Finksburg construction company is under a federal agency's order to repair environmental damage to a stream and adjacent wetlands on its property. But a spokesman for the company says it hasn't caused any damage.Sandra A. Mues, an Army Corps of Engineers enforcement officer, issued a stop-work order to Kibler Construction Co. late last month. The order barred the company from doing any more grading near the stream and wetlands until it removes fill dirt that Ms. Mues said was improperly dumped there and repairs the damage.

Carroll County has lifted an advisory against swimming, fishing or other activities in a tributary of Piney Run after water samples showed no increased health risks lingering from a sewage spill last month. About 2 million gallons of raw sewage flowed into the stream, county officials said, after vandals pried a 100-pound manhole cover off a sewer line and jammed it and other debris into the line. Drinking water was not affected. County health officials said advisory signs along the stream will be removed.

More than a dozen Carroll countians have decided to work RTC together to improve the quality of the unnamed stream that runs along Westminster's Railroad Avenue.They are assuming the job that Monroe Haines, the stream's self-appointed guardian, started years ago. This fall, Mr. Haines announced he was relinquishing his responsibilities and expressed the hope that someone else would pick up the challenge.The newly formed stream task force -- composed of Westminster and Carroll County officials, business people and educators -- has had one meeting and outlined an impressive plan of action.

The state has proposed new environmental regulations to protect a beleaguered trout stream in Gambrills.If approved this spring, the regulations would restrict activity along the banks of the Jabez Branch, a Department of Natural Resources official said yesterday.Frank Dawson, a section chief for DNR's non-tidal wetlands division, said the new rules would create a 100-foot buffer around the stream bank's non-tidal wetlands. Non-tidal wetlands provide habitats forwildlife and filter pollutants before storm-water runoff enters the stream, he said.

The Maryland Department of the Environment will hold a public hearing at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow for Browning-Ferris Industries' application to put treated water from the Solley Road hazardous waste landfill into an intermittent stream that leads to Marley Creek.The hearing will be at the fire station at Solley and Fort Smallwood roads in Riviera Beach.POLICE LOG* Pasadena: Someone pulled back the vinyl top of a 1989 Chevrolet parked in a driveway in the 3400 block of Old Crown Drive and stole a $250 Sherwood car stereo and a $200 Pioneer converter Friday night.

State environmental officials say latex paint that washed into a stream Wednesday near a footpath along White Acre Road in Columbia's Oakland Mills village poses no threat to the surrounding environment.About 7: 30 p.m., Howard County fire officials responded to a call of a "white chemical" floating in the stream near Talbot Springs Elementary School.Firefighters couldn't contain the mixture with dikes because it was solvent. But water samples revealed the liquid had "minor indications" of mercury -- which is used to prevent paint from molding in cans -- said Quentin Banks, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment.