Training

Mel Gibson has been Hamlet. Kevin Costner has been Robin Hood. Woody Allen has been a romantic lead.Stranger things have happened in Hollywood than Demi Moore playing a Navy SEAL, as she does in "G.I. Jane." Director Ridley Scott's preach-athon doggedly insists women (especially surgically enhanced ones) can endure the military's most rigorous physical and mental program: Navy SEAL (sea, air, land) training.But the casting of Moore isn't what has retired SEAL Tom Hawkins up in arms about the movie.

The rail transport company CSX is suing the truck driver involved in last month's Rosedale train crash, arguing that he did not take proper care when crossing the railroad tracks. The suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, names John Jacob Alban Jr. and his company, Alban Waste LLC, as defendants. CSX's lawyers allege that Alban failed to slow his truck down and "exercise due care" as he crossed the tracks. The suit also cites federal safety violations by the company concerning drug and alcohol testing, driver qualification files and vehicle inspection reports.

The Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center will hold a five-week session of anger management training from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, April 5 through May 3. Classes are designed to help participants learn to channel anger in a positive direction. Classes include group discussions and exercises, and cover topics such as identifying anger triggers, conflict styles, coping strategies and taking responsibility. Classes, which will be held at the center's offices at 2666 Riva Road in Annapolis, cost $175 and include all materials.

After parting ways with former coach Fabrice Pellerin last month, swimmer Yannick Agnel has a new home in Baltimore. Agnel, who won three medals at the 2012 Olympics in London, recently moved from his native country of France to begin training at North Baltimore Aquatic Club with new coach Bob Bowman. The 21-year-old swimmer, who came from behind to beat the United States' Ryan Lochte in the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Olympics, arrived in Maryland this week and will train with Bowman in the city.

Air Force Airman Kathy M. Duong graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Duong is the daughter of Lieu Ho, of Columbia.

I strongly disagree with Dan Rodricks ' column on pit bulls ("Pit bulls: Own at your risk," May 1). I am a dog lover and I know all dogs are not dangerous. Dog owners have to know how to train their dogs appropriately. The dog is a follower; it follows its owner and what he/she tells the dog what to do. Dogs are innocent, people are guilty! I'll be so glad and appreciate if Mr. Rodricks changes his mind. Kayla Waters, Lannon, Wis.

CATCH OF THE DAY This award goes to defensive player Lamar Divens. During a full-team exercise, outside linebacker Antwan Barnes got his hand on a pass thrown by Marc Bulger. Divens, a 6-foot-3, 343-pound defensive tackle, tracked the ball in the air and dove to snatch it. BAD START FOR TROY Third-string quarterback Troy Smith's first pass of the morning session was deep to wide receiver Eron Riley along the right sideline and was intercepted by safety Ken Hamlin. On the next play, Smith threw the football directly at Barnes, who dropped it. Barnes did 10 push-ups as penance.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday it has awarded $4.6 million for "green" job training to dislocated workers and others in Baltimore and Prince George's counties. The grant recipient, H-CAP Inc., will provide training to prepare job seekers and entry-level environmental services for "new and emerging green occupations" in the health care industry, the department said. The grant also will cover workers in California, New York, Washington and the District of Columbia. Separately, the Associated Builders and Contractors announced it has received a $90,000 grant from the Turner Foundation in Atlanta to help provide training in green building and sustainability practices.

Fabian Washington expects to be ready for the start of training camp, the Ravens reported. Washington, a starting cornerback for the Ravens the past two seasons, is coming off a season-ending knee injury. He was lifting weights this week when the team began its voluntary offseason conditioning program. "The schedule is for me to be ready for training camp and we're definitely on schedule for that," Washington told the Ravens. "Right now, I'm not close. But I think by training camp, I'll be ready to rock and roll."

An employee at a scaffolding company next to the railroad tracks in Rosedale was one of the first people to see the train leave its tracks after it rammed into a truck last month. "There's just a train wreck in front of us and it's on fire," the man said, in one of more than 40 recorded 911 calls released Friday by Baltimore County police. "There's just like a fire and it's nasty. " "Did the train derail?" the dispatcher asked. "What type of train is it?" The questions would continue in 911 calls from Bel Air to Baltimore City, dozens of them, for nearly an hour.

The National Transportation Safety Board released new details Wednesday on its investigation into last month's train derailment and explosion in Rosedale, finding that more chemicals were released in the crash than originally reported. NTSB investigators also found that stop signs at the grade crossing where a truck and freight train collided were faded and had been taken off their original mountings. The report is preliminary, and the board has said its full investigation into the derailment could take a year or more.

When they left me outside my freshman dorm in the fall of 2009, my parents told me I could do anything. It was a wonderful compliment, a sign of confidence that made me feel just a little less guilty for the substantial investment they were making for me in a private liberal arts education. But a month or so later, when I sat down with my adviser, I realized doing "anything" wasn't an option. I had to decide on something: a major. I needed to choose a path to follow for the rest of my time at Washington and Lee. A lot of my friends already knew what their something was, and they directed four years of classes and internships toward being investment bankers in New York City or campaign managers in Alabama.

Among the 81 calls for medical and fire-rescue service the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department received during the period June 2-9 were the following: Hammonds Ferry Road at Railway Avenue, 7:58 p.m. June 7. Crews from the Lansdowne, Arbutus, English Consul and Violetville volunteer stations and Catonsville, Dundalk, Halethorpe and Westview career stations responded to the report of a train derailment in Lansdowne. Several CSX railway cars were found to be derailed. No hazards or injuries reported.

Over the past four months, the Ravens have certainly enjoyed the spoils of victory. They have hosted parties and attended parades in their honor. They have made appearances on "Live with Kelly and Michael", "Dancing with the Stars" and the "Late Show with David Letterman. " They shook hands with President Barack Obama. But late last week, even before he and his players attended the opulent ring ceremony that capped the post-Super Bowl XLVII offseason celebration, coach John Harbaugh made it clear that his team had already moved on. "We are focused on our season going forward," Harbaugh said.

Thousands of miles away in northern Iraq, the Upper Tigris River is fouled by a litany of problems: trash dumped in the river, raw sewage flowing into the water, streams diverted by gravel mining, dams that block fish passage. If the Upper Tigris Riverkeeper, Nwenar Fatih, has any chance at improving the health of the river, he needs solid scientific data. So after attending a Waterkeeper Alliance conference in Georgia over the weekend, Fatih and two colleagues spent Monday on the South River in Anne Arundel County, learning to use a $12,000 water quality meter.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is investing another $1 million in a program it launched six years ago to help train the next generation of nurse educators. The program gives nurses a stipend of up to $80,000 to pursue a master's or doctorate degree. In exchange, the nurses must agree to teach nursing classes for at least three years. The program is aimed at increasing the area's nursing ranks. One dilemma in addressing the problem has been the limited number of qualified faculty at nursing schools.

A CSX train carrying trash from upstate New York derailed Friday evening in Lansdowne, Baltimore County officials said. No injuries were reported, and police said the train was not carrying hazardous materials. "No injuries, no fire, no hazmat," said Cpl. Cathy Batton, a county police spokeswoman. Ten railcars left the tracks about 8 p.m., with four landing on their sides, CSX spokesman Gary Sease said. The derailment occurred on tracks that parallel Hammonds Ferry Road near Elizabeth Avenue.