Suspended

Fallout over the racially insensitive comments by radio talk-show host Don Imus intensified yesterday as MSNBC announced that it will immediately cease simulcasting the Imus in the Morning radio program. Meanwhile, two major sponsors suspended their advertising from the show, and a former NAACP president who is on the CBS board joined those who have urged Imus' dismissal. A week after Imus referred to the mostly black Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" following the team's second-place finish in this year's NCAA tournament, opposition to the longtime radio personality continues to mushroom.

Of his team's six losses this year, BayRunners coach Herb Brown was most disturbed about last night's defeat during his post-game news conference.The primary reason? His team played its best basketball for about 1 1/2 quarters before going on to play its worst the rest of the game in an 82-72 loss to the Trenton Shooting Stars before 3,537 at Baltimore Arena.Then there are a host of secondary reasons, including having to start Charles Thomas in place of Shawnta Rogers, suspending Keith Booth indefinitely at halftime for breaking a team rule, and season lows in field-goal shooting percentage (35.5)

BasketballWizards: Placed G Laron Profit (Maryland) on the injured reserve. Activated G Richard Hamilton from injured reserve.CBA: Suspended Grand Rapids coach Mark Hughes one game for player dress code violations.CollegesSouthern Conference: Suspended College of Charleston F Derrick Miller for one game because he received a flagrant technical foul during Dec. 21 game.North Carolina: Named Rick Steinbacher assistant to the athletic director.Radford: Suspended basketball players Jamar Betz, Byron Hall, Lamar King, Camara Mitz and Jason Williams for three games for failing to return to the team on time after a holiday break.

BaseballReds: Released 1B Eduardo Perez.HockeyNHL: Suspended Kings D Rob Blake for at least one game for slashing Canucks' Harry York on Saturday night. Suspended Rangers RW Todd Harvey one game for roughing Sabres' Vaclav Varada.Pub Date: 12/14/98

A New Windsor woman who was an accomplice in two convenience store robberies in Carroll County was given a suspended five-year prison sentence yesterday.Deidra M. Richards, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery; other charges were dropped.As part of a plea agreement, Circuit Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. placed Richards on three years of supervised probation.He ordered her to complete 25 hours of community service, pay restitution of $402 and participate in any drug and alcohol program recommended by probation officials.

BaseballBlue Jays: Released P Shannon Withem. Purchased contracts of P Leoncio Estrella from Single-A Hagerstown; P Isabel Giron from Double-A Knoxville; and P John Bale, IF Joe Lawrence, IF Casey Blake and OF Peter Tucci from Single-A Dunedin.Mets: Re-signed OF Andy Tomberlin and C Pedro Grifol to minor-league contracts. Named Tim Teufel, Larry Doughty and Erwin Bryant scouts.CollegeNational Field Hockey Coaches Association: tion: Named Maryland's Kasey Heiser, Ellen Wolf, Emily Ward (Centennial)

BaseballPirates: Released OF Mike Kingery.Mariners: Signed P Rusty Meacham to a one-year contract.Padres: Waived 1B Jason Thompson.Rangers: Named Alex Smith player development assistant.Reds: Signed P Noe Najera, who was selected in 1996 Rule 5 draft.Tyler Wildcatters (Texas-Louisiana League): Named Darrell Evans manager.BasketballHawks: Activated F Tyrone Corbin from injured list. Waived F Willie Burton and F Darrin Hancock.Celtics: Waived C Brett Szabo.Heat: Activated F Tony Farmer from injured list.

A Reisterstown man, who has failed to comply with conditions of his probation since receiving a suspended term in a 1991 arson case, was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison.Jason Citroni, 24, was 18 in June 1991 when he and three juveniles set fire to a house that was being built in the 2800 block of Constellation Way in Finksburg, court records show.Citroni was convicted and given suspended sentences of five years for arson and three consecutive years for malicious destruction of property.

A Baltimore police officer was suspended yesterday after being charged with shooting at his wife at their home in White Marsh.James Edward Keller, 53, a sergeant in the Central District, was indefinitely suspended without pay after a hearing stemming from an incident involving his wife, Bonnie, 51, police said.According to city police officials, he is suspended pending a criminal investigation in Baltimore County and a city police internal affairs investigation.Keller, a 28-year veteran of the police force, was arrested on first-degree assault charges at 7: 30 p.m. Thursday.

BaseballAstros: Named John Tamargo manager of Triple-A New Orleans.BasketballNBA: Suspended Timberwolves F-C Clifford Rozier two regular-season games and fined him $10,000 for Oct. 12 altercation; suspended Cavaliers C Vitaly Potapenko one game and fined him $5,000. Suspended Timberwolves G Doug West and Cavaliers F Henry James and F Shawn Kemp one game and fined each $2,500 for leaving bench area during fight.Bulls: Waived C Thomas Hamilton.Mavericks: Signed F Adrian Caldwell.Raptors: Signed C Ed Stokes.

USA Swimming has suspended Michael Phelps for three months after a photo of him with a marijuana pipe was published last weekend. The sport's national governing body also cut off financial support for three months to the Olympic gold-medal winner. Sports

Tens of thousands of students are being suspended in Maryland for relatively minor infractions each year, the result of zero-tolerance discipline policies that critics say are harming some of the most vulnerable children. One in 11 students in the state was suspended last year - enough to fill every seat in Anne Arundel County's public schools. The rates were much higher for African-Americans, special-education students and boys - who were twice as likely as girls to be sent home. "What we see is that suspension and expulsion are overused and actually push kids who need education the most out of school," said Jane Sundius at the Open Society Institute, a nonprofit that has studied suspensions and expulsions in Baltimore schools . The rate of suspensions in Maryland has risen over the past 15 years, as school systems responded with stricter discipline codes to rising violence in their communities and the fear fanned by the shooting deaths at Columbine High School in 1999.

Moves Baseball MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL -- Suspended Orioles P Daniel Cabrera six games for intentionally throwing pitch at head of Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia on Friday. Suspended Orioles manager Dave Trembley three games for actions after ejection against Angels on Wednesday. TWINS -- Announced resignation of Terry Ryan, general manager, effective Sept. 30. Ryan will stay with team as senior adviser. Named Bill Smith GM. Basketball HORNETS -- Signed F-C Melvin Ely to two-year contract.

Fallout over the racially insensitive comments by radio talk-show host Don Imus intensified yesterday as MSNBC announced that it will immediately cease simulcasting the Imus in the Morning radio program. Meanwhile, two major sponsors suspended their advertising from the show, and a former NAACP president who is on the CBS board joined those who have urged Imus' dismissal. A week after Imus referred to the mostly black Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" following the team's second-place finish in this year's NCAA tournament, opposition to the longtime radio personality continues to mushroom.

Blast midfielder Jonathan Steele, the youngest member of the team at 20, has been suspended for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, president-general manager Kevin Healey announced yesterday. Steele became argumentative during halftime of Saturday night's loss in Philadelphia and lashed out at his teammates and coach Danny Kelly. He was suspended earlier this season for two games, also for behavioral reasons. "It was an unfortunate situation," Healey said. "We like Jonny as a player and person, but he cut across the line and we made a stand that we weren't going to stand for that after he had been warned about it."

50-year term imposed in 17-year-old's killing A 30-year-old West Baltimore man was sentenced to 50 years in prison yesterday for the 2003 killing of a 17-year-old boy who had witnessed another homicide, the city state's attorney's office announced. Baltimore Circuit Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter sentenced Cedric Stancil of the 1000 block of Poplar St. to life in prison for first-degree murder, suspending all but 50 years. Stancil also received a 20-year concurrent sentence for use of a handgun in a crime of violence, prosecutors said.

Board acts to advance financing of city hotel City officials are expected to wrap up financing of a new convention center hotel in the next 30 to 45 days after the Board of Estimates yesterday approved a series of documents needed for the closing. Construction could begin in a month, officials said. The board, which oversees city spending, unanimously approved borrowing $305 million for the new Hilton Hotel, which will have 756 rooms and approximately 62,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space.

Buffalo Bills receiver Eric Moulds, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was suspended without pay for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, apparently for a sideline dispute with an assistant coach during last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins. "Eric hasn't practiced this week so he won't be ready to play Sunday. He is suspended for one game without pay," owner Ralph Wilson said yesterday after a meeting with Moulds and head coach Mike Mularkey. "From there on, he'll be back and will play the final three games of the season, which I hope we'll do better than we have so far."

Maryland regulators announced yesterday that they suspended the license of CashPoint Network Services Inc., a New York-based payment service being forced into bankruptcy by creditors and facing suspensions by other states. CashPoint, which transmits consumers' payments to utilities and other companies, operates nine locations in check-cashing and convenience stores in Maryland, including sites in Frederick, Cumberland and several Washington suburbs. In an annual report submitted to Maryland regulators, the privately held company said it had transmitted $1.7 billion in payments through 18.5 million transactions nationwide in 2002.

Moves Baseball BLUE JAYS: Agreed to one-year, $850,000 contract with free-agent P Valerio De Los Santos, who had been with Phillies. Agreed to minor league contracts with P Jayson Durocher and OF Chad Hermanson; invited them to major league camp. RANGERS: Signed free-agent OF Brian Jordan (Milford Mill), who had been with Dodgers, to one-year, $1,375,000 contract. Basketball HEAT: Activated F Samaki Walker. Placed F John Wallace on injured list with right knee tendinitis. Colleges BOWLING GREEN: Agreed to two-year contract extension through 2008 with football coach Gregg Brandon.