Union

The Steelworkers union local at Sparrows Point has been taken over by its parent organization, a standard practice when a steel mill closes. United Steelworkers Local 9477 was put into "administratorship" in January, according to Jim Strong, the Baltimore-area director for the USW International. Strong has been appointed to oversee the local while it winds down operations. "They've begun the dissolution process, basically," said Chris MacLarion, vice president of the local at Sparrows Point before it was taken over.

The first State of the Union address of President Barack Obama's second term offered a list of new initiatives if not new ideas. Mr. Obama focused on improving the economic lot of the middle class, reforming the nation's immigration system, addressing climate change and finding a balanced approach to solving our budget problems. Aside from gun control - an issue thrust on the president's agenda by the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre - and a new, ominous nuclear test in North Korea, all of the themes from the speech could have had a home in any of President Obama's previous State of the Union addresses.

North County High School student Jack Andraka was slated to be a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday night at the State of the Union address in Washington. Jack Andraka, of Crownsville, was invited to sit in the box with the First Lady and also Dr. Jill Biden during President Barack Obama's address at the U.S. Capitol, according to a release from the White House. In 2012 Andraka, a sophomore at North County, was awarded first place in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his discovery of a method to detect pancreatic cancer.

President Barack Obama used the first State of the Union address of his second term to try to breathe new life into his economic agenda, reviving modest measures to spur growth and trying to create fresh momentum in the all-but-stagnant talks over deficit reduction. Entering his fifth year presiding over a flagging economy, the president on Tuesday declared the restoration of a strong middle class "our unfinished task" and called on a deeply divided Congress to find "reasonable compromise" to solve the nation's lingering fiscal ills.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:  Fifty-one years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this Chamber that “the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress…It is my task,” he said, “to report the State of the Union - to improve it is the task of us all.”  Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report.  After a decade...

It has been a few weeks since we've seen our favorite Hamptons characters, especially since when we last saw them they were in sunny California. This week they were back on the chilly East Coast - even the middle of the summer can't warm the hearts of this crowd. The beach wedding of Jack and Amanda is overshadowed by Conrad and Ryan's business plans for The Stowaway, and Emily's flashbacks to her childhood wedding to Jack. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. When Emily discovers that Conrad has taken part ownership in The Stowaway she insists that she loan Jack the money to get out of debt.

I take issue with much of Lane Windham's recent commentary ("If not labor unions, then what?" Jan. 29) beginning with the fundamental premise that it was the unions that provided us with economic redistribution. Like many other academicians, Ms. Windham confuses correlation with causation throughout her thought process. The simple presence of unions in the United States during our rise as the undisputed economic world leader does not establish them as the cause of a better or fairer distribution of wealth.

A Baltimore County police union is suing the county retirement system's board of trustees over a $25 million loan the county took from the pension fund to update recycling facilities in Cockeysville. In a lawsuit filed last week in Circuit Court, the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 4 claims the deal reflects a breach of duty, and the board did not get enough advice on the consequences of the loan or obtain adequate security. "We have a responsibility to the people we represent, and quite frankly, all county employees should be concerned about this," said union President Cole Weston.

Founded just last year, Union Craft Brewing has established itself as a major player in Baltimore's craft-beer movement. Tours and tastings are given every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the brewery's headquarters in Woodberry, in the shadow of the Pepsi sign, The brewery is also developing into a popular venue for medium-sized events, indoor and out. Parking is easy, and the brewery is steps away from a light rail stop. On Friday, the brewery is hosting an event called the Truck Party Food Rally, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., featuring a group of popular food trucks, including Gypsy Queen , Kommie Pig , Kooper's Chowhound and Sultan . Guests at the event can buy $4 pints of Union Craft beers.

Super Bowl commercials are nearly as anticipated as the game, and local companies grabbing some of that attention Sunday included Royal Farms and Union Memorial Hospital. Advertisers know the Super Bowl is one of the best-watched programs of the year — and they're willing to pay for the opportunity, as much as $4 million this year for a 30-second spot. For area advertisers, it's arguably an even better opportunity when the local team is playing. "It's a chance to reach well over a million of their clients or customers," says Jay Newman, president of WJZ. "There's no event that will air on television that will come close to the numbers the Super Bowl will reach.