Target

Baltimore City Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts is still relatively new on his job, so it's probably unfair to make too much of his unfortunate response to a question last week about the recent spate of gun violence that left nine people dead on the city's west side. "Though we're having a spike in homicides," Mr. Batts said, "our organization is working better, faster and smoother, and you can see it in the overall stats. " There was nothing factually wrong in Mr. Batts' answer; department statistics show an 8 percent drop in crimes of all types over this time last year.

The Target opening in October in Canton will offer clinic services to shoppers, store officials announced. The Target Clinic inside the new store at Canton Crossing, one of the city's largest new retail developments, will offer more than 60 services by a licensed nurse practitioner or physician assistant, such as vaccinations. Target clinics are open seven days a week, including nights and weekends, and take most insurance plans. The Canton location will be the seventh clinic at a Baltimore-area Target.

With many important issues before the Maryland legislature this year, it is a shame to see time and effort being wasted on unnecessary proposals regarding natural gas development in our state. Pursuing such legislation right now is putting the cart before the horse — and could have a significant negative impact on our economy and efforts to create new jobs. Let's look at the facts. Today, there is no natural gas development under way in Maryland. In fact, there currently is a moratorium on gas development in place until summer 2014, due to an executive order signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Saint Agnes Hospital will work with local churches to screen for heart disease, using a $244,455 grant from The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. The hospital announced Thursday that it had received the award. The screening program will focus on African-American women, who have the highest risk for developing heart disease, the hospital said. Those found to have heart disease or risk for it will get access to educational programs, lifestyle coaches and exercise classes. The hospital will follow patients over time and measure improvements in health.

In her recent column, Marta Mossburg opines that the state pension system's assumed rate of return of 7.75 percent is unrealistic, pointing to last year's earnings of 0.36 percent as proof ("On state pensions, 'Everyone else is doing it' is no excuse," Feb. 13). Interestingly, she failed to mention the system's 20 percent earnings in fiscal year 2011 and 14 percent in fiscal 2010. That data didn't fit her narrative. Ms. Mossburg and other critics of the pension system seem to have difficulty acknowledging the reality that the assumed rate of return is based on a long-term horizon.

The release of new basketball prospect rankings from three recruiting services this week brought some significant moves for Terps targets. Dion Wiley , a 2014 Maryland shooting guard target from Potomac, is now a five-star prospect and the No. 22 player nationally according to ESPN.com . Rashad Vaughn (9), Dwayne Morgan (29), Phil Booth (35), Abdul-Malik Abu (53) and Obi Enechionyia (57) were other Terps targets that claimed spots on ESPN's Top 60 for 2014.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada realizes he's still a long way to go in his tedious return from Tommy John surgery, but the Japanese left-hander still hopes to make his major league debut soon. Wednesday was the Orioles' first workout for pitchers and catchers, and Wada leaned up against a gate and watched as his teammates opened with long-toss throwing sessions, but he was cleared to participate in pitchers fielding practice drills. It'll still be about three to four weeks before Wada will be able to throw his first bullpen session, and he's gradually building up his throwing distance in a long-toss program he began in November.

John Leck will never forget the look on the face of the paralyzed boy sitting in his wheelchair. When the arrow left the bow that had been strapped onto the eighth-grader's arm, a mixture of wonder and excitement was apparent as he watched it sail toward the target inside the gymnasium at Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg. "It was really cool," Leck, a science teacher at the Montgomery County school, recalled one day last week. "It showed him something that he didn't think he could do. " The student, who had been paralyzed months before in an automobile accident, was taking part in an in-school archery program that had been introduced in Maryland in 2005.

By virtue of last year's 7-1 record in the Centennial Conference, Washington bypassed perennial league powers Dickinson and Gettysburg en route to the school's first regular-season championship since 2004. And with just three starters gone, the Shoremen figure to be one of the teams considered a preseason favorite to finish first in the league again. That means that Dickinson, Gettysburg and other conference rivals like McDaniel, Haverford and Franklin & Marshall will place a target on Washington.

Legg Mason Inc. said it agreed to pay $80 million for European fund manager Fauchier Partners, plus as much as an additional $56 million in the next four years if certain financial targets are achieved. Though Legg announced in December its plan to acquire Fauchier from BNP Paribas Investment Partners, the Baltimore-based money manager only disclosed the terms of the deal in a regulatory filing Wednesday. Once the acquisition is completed in the current quarter, Fauchier will be merged into Legg's Permal Group affiliate in New York.