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The Scoreboard feature that usually runs in MBW was unavailable for publication this week.

Carroll County prosecutors have dropped reckless-endangerment charges against five former juvenile facility staff members in the death of a Baltimore teenager because the main detective on the case is being investigated for perjury. "It's devastating right now," said Felicia Wilson, the mother of Isaiah Simmons III. The 17-year-old died in 2007 at Bowling Brook Preparatory School, a facility for juvenile offenders in Keymar. The five defendants, whose trial was scheduled for May, were accused of pinning Simmons to the floor and delaying calls for help.

There were so many boats (108) yesterday on Day 1 of the Laser Atlantic Coast Championships at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis that race organizers had a qualifying series to determine competitors for the championship or Gold Fleet this weekend.Entrants, among the top U.S. and Canadian sailors, will vie to become the top five finishers who will be named to the U.S. Sailing Team; the top 12 will be eligible to train and compete this summer in Europe.Yesterday, the fleet was halved into Red and White classes, with the top-seeded competitors evenly split between the two. The two fleets started as separate flights in the first race of the day. The top 18 qualified for the weekend's Gold Fleet.

Although state lawmakers are unwilling to grant Anne Arundel County the authority to impose a car-rental tax, County Executive John R. Leopold said yesterday that decision will not greatly affect the budget he will propose in five weeks. Leopold said he can balance the $1.1 billion budget through cost-cutting and proposed increases to developer impact fees and the commercial-bingo tax. The car-rental tax could have raised up to $5 million annually, Leopold said. While Anne Arundel faces significant budget challenges, two vital revenue sources appear to be holding up. The government is expected to net at least $105 million in real estate taxes for fiscal 2007 - which is in line with projections from the county budget office, according to Charles Mannion, an analyst for the county auditor.

FiresSykesville: Firefighters responded at 5: 26 a.m. Thursday to arcing electrical wires in the 5500 block of Strawbridge Terrace. The time out was unavailable.Sykesville: Firefighters responded at 1: 38 p.m. Thursday to a fire alarm in the 6400 block of Ridge Road. The time out was unavailable.Pub Date: 2/20/98

FireReese: Firefighters responded to a cleanup detail on Route 140 at 4: 23 p.m. Wednesday. The period of time firefighters were at the scene was unavailable.Pub Date: 3/31/97

FireWinfield: Firefighters assisted Howard County at 4: 13 p.m. Tuesday, responding to a six-alarm building fire on Main Street in Ellicott City. Time out was unavailable.

FireUnion Bridge: Harney firefighters assisted Union Bridge at 1 a.m. yesterday, responding to a barn fire on Motter Station Road. Time out for units was unavailable.Pub Date: 12/12/96

PoliceEldersburg: A resident of Four Points Court told police that two men stole her 1993 Jeep Cherokee bearing Maryland license tags 87767M while it was parked at her home Thursday. The amount of loss was unavailable.Pub Date: 9/18/96

PoliceMount Airy: A Dogwood Drive resident told police someone stole a propane gas grill from his property between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday. An estimate of the loss was unavailable.Pub Date: 5/27/97

Privately held PharmAthene Inc. will get a stock symbol and an infusion of cash through a merger announced yesterday with an Iowa investment firm. It's the second time that the Annapolis-based company, which develops countermeasures for anthrax and other biological and chemical weapons, has agreed to pair with a suitor. Another potential merger unraveled last year, but this time PharmAthene is hopeful its engagement to Des Moines-based Healthcare Acquisition Corp. will end with a trip to the altar.

Howard County Library's catalog will be unavailable tomorrow and Tuesday because the catalog will be upgraded. Changes are being made in preparation for a much larger upgrade next spring. Customers will not be able to get replacement library cards until Wednesday -- driver's licenses and other forms of identification will be accepted in lieu of library cards. Other services that will be unavailable include e-mail access; Telecirc and online catalog renewal; downloadable e-books and audiobooks; live homework help and self checkout.

James Baldwin was in Ottawa on Friday, preparing to face former major league teammate Frank Thomas and the rest of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, when he was told that his night was over 30 minutes before it was supposed to start. As a 33-year-old veteran who has spent 16 seasons in the professional ranks, Baldwin has pretty much seen it all, but even he was a bit taken aback. "I didn't know what was going on," said Baldwin. "You never know in this game. I was just waiting to see what happens."

Anne Arundel County police were investigating yesterday an incident in Severn Friday night in which a man was shot in the stomach, police said. Officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of Arwell Court at 10:21 p.m. and found the wounded man, police said. The victim, whose identity police did not disclose, told police he was shot in the 8500 block of Pioneer Drive by someone he knew. The victim was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. His condition was unavailable yesterday.

Man injured when SUV flips over in Pasadena A man was listed in fair condition yesterday after his sport utility vehicle flipped over near Routes 100 and 10 in Pasadena. Damien M. Farren, 30, whose address was unavailable, was traveling west on Route 100 about 10:15 a.m. when he lost control of his SUV, crossed three lanes of traffic and tumbled about 200 feet down an embankment, said state Trooper Frank Logsdon. Farren was the only person in his car. Farren was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

The Anne Arundel school system began a strict hiring and spending freeze this week, saying it needs to start saving money to give teachers a 1 percent pay raise because the county might not allow it to dip into a schools reserve fund. Superintendent Eric J. Smith warned that "more aggressive" budget cuts loom unless the county authorizes the system to pay for the $1.8 million in pay raises using a reserve fund it amassed last school year through spending reductions. "We have the money available," Smith said.

Howard County Library's catalog will be unavailable tomorrow and Tuesday because the catalog will be upgraded. Changes are being made in preparation for a much larger upgrade next spring. Customers will not be able to get replacement library cards until Wednesday -- driver's licenses and other forms of identification will be accepted in lieu of library cards. Other services that will be unavailable include e-mail access; Telecirc and online catalog renewal; downloadable e-books and audiobooks; live homework help and self checkout.

NEW YORK - Rather than continue to be manipulated by a supposed curse, the kind that can torment a franchise for 85 years and be used to explain away every failure, the Boston Red Sox appear determined to pound it into submission. They took a few more swings last night, raising some welts and the expectations of their loyal following. Unwilling to yield to an unfavorable pitching matchup, a weakened lineup and constant reminders of their postseason glitches, the Red Sox hit three home runs off Mike Mussina and seized early control of the American League Championship Series with a 5-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

Fall is here, and it's not just people who are starting to pull up the covers and cocoon. Crickets are singing in the basement. Ants are invading many homes. Spiders are spinning webs in the corners of the living room. As the days and nights turn cold, other crawling things will be looking to get into the house for food and warmth. The best plan of attack starts now, early in the fall, with an autumnal version of spring cleaning. Maintaining a level of cleanliness through the winter will uncover insects before they can reproduce and will help reduce the need for chemical use. Here are some tips for keeping the house snug and free of pests.