Unload

As she struggled to unload groceries from the back of her car, Sherrie Schenning got an uncharacteristically queasy feeling. Her family's Essex neighborhood had always felt safe, but on this recent Saturday, she noticed two unfamiliar young men in a nearby schoolyard eyeing their home . "They looked like they wanted to steal something, but there was nothing valuable in the yard," she says - just her shopping bags and the family's beloved 12-year-old...

— Hundreds of industrial buildings in Maryland owned by the federal government — from warehouses at the Antietam National Battlefield to a machine shop in Curtis Bay — would be sold or demolished under a White House initiative to dispose of excess government property. In an effort to save billions of dollars annually in upkeep and energy costs on the often-vacant buildings, the Obama administration proposed last year ditching 14,000 properties the government no longer needs.

A Baltimore high school student was arrested Thursday after bringing an unloaded handgun to Carver Vocational Technical High School, school officials said. An investigation into the incident is under way, according to Edie House Foster, spokeswoman for Baltimore schools. The school did not release the student's identity or information on how he or she obtained the gun, what charges the student faces or how the incident unfolded. "The situation was under control promptly, without danger to any member of the school community," Foster said in an email.

There is nothing like a trip to the dump to pick up your spirits. After you have unloaded a pile of stuff that has been sitting in your house since the dawn of time, you feel on top of the world. One day this week, I had a great run. I dropped a load of trash at the dump, technically the Northwest Sanitation Yard on Sisson Street. I deposited a big box of reusable kitchen supplies at the Salvation Army, hauled some building materials to the Loading Dock and I finished off the day by dropping a couple boxes of books at the Book Thing.

Q: Several years ago, I briefly became interested in so-called penny stocks and purchased several different ones. They have turned out to be "cents-less" investments.I'd like to unload them this year for tax purposes, but for the most part, the proceeds won't even cover the broker commission fees. Is there a provision for reporting such stocks as tax write-offs without actually selling them?A: Yours is really a three-part question:1) What is the Internal Revenue Service definition of "worthless securities"?

Westinghouse Electric Corp. said yesterday that it was selling $1 billion of troubled real estate assets to a newly formed partnership between Westinghouse and a New York investment bank. The company said the move would not have a major effect on Westinghouse's Linthicum operations."It's in keeping with a plan we had already announced in November, just ahead of schedule," Westinghouse spokesman Jim Schmitt said.As part of the plan, Westinghouse would sell 250 to 300 real estate projects, located across the country, to LW Real Estate Investments L.P., a partnership between Westinghouse and an affiliate of the investment banking firm Lehman Bros.

CHICAGO -- Pessimistic about their chances of re-signing All-Star right fielder Ruben Sierra, the Texas Rangers have put themselves in position to trade him before the season ends.Two major-league officials said yesterday the Rangers have indicated a willingness to trade Sierra, who has one home run and seven RBI since the All-Star break and can become a free agent after the season. Another official confirmed the Rangers earlier this month obtained the waivers needed to trade Sierra.Any player traded after July 31 must first clear major-league waivers.

What should the Orioles do with David Wells?That's easy. Trade him.Bobby Bonilla?Same thing.Trade both players before they sign with other clubs next year.The Orioles' big four in the front office -- Peter Angelos, Pat Gillick, Kevin Malone and Davey Johnson -- met yesterday to discuss what to do. The trading deadline is Wednesday night.They're waiting to see what happens against the Indians this weekend, but why? Just do it, boys. Pull the trigger on those trades.No, the Orioles won't get blue-chip, can't-miss prospects in return; other teams won't give those up to improve their chances in the wild-card race.

A decision this week by the city to sell the troubled Harrison's Pier V at the Inner Harbor has increased Baltimore's liability on the hotel, which already has cost taxpayers $10.25 million in unpaid government loans, and $1.2 million in unpaid taxes.As part of the sale, the city has agreed to help finance the sale.The city last year assumed ownership of Harrison's, the nautical-style hotel-restaurant, after a development firm defaulted on the city-backed loans. During the time investors ran the hotel, they also did not pay $1.2 million in property taxes.

Scouts from other clubs followed Arthur Rhodes' progress early in spring training, hearing that the Orioles planned on dealing the left-hander by April 1. But shortly thereafter manager Davey Johnson and pitching coach Pat Dobson began to like Rhodes, and he was pulled off the market.This was a move the Orioles didn't make, and it has paid off so far. Rhodes has two wins and a save in four appearances, allowing just five hits and a run in 9 1/3 innings, with 10 strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA.Rhodes was the winning pitcher in the Orioles' 6-5, 12-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, striking out three in three shutout innings.