4 Day Trips You Can Plan for Memorial Day

Didn't plan a whole weekend away? Here are a few places where you can go to for just the day.

Not everyone plans a getaway for Memorial Day weekend. But if you don't want to be stuck in the house with the kids for three days, a solidly-planned day trip with the family may do you some good. To avoid traffic, don't travel Friday evening through Saturday morning and Sunday evening through Monday. Which leaves Saturday and Sunday as days to take one of these day trips. There's lots to do Memorial Day weekend in Annapolis. You could take a boat out onto the water, feast on crabs, or check out a free concert. If you go you may want to take a look at the hours of operation of the museums you might want to visit and plan your day around that since some places may be closed this weekend. However, City Dock is open, full of shops, …

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Neuman Brings More New Blood to County Government

Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman continued to change the leadership in Anne Arundel this week.

Panel Addresses Mental Health, School Security in Anne Arundel

Several agencies from across the county will meet at Anne Arundel Community College on Tuesday to discuss solutions to preventing tragedies close to home.

Maryland Reacts to Sandy Hook School Shooting

Counties across the state took measures to deal with the Newtown, CT school shooting.

Communities across Maryland have been reeling in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Some residents said they feared dropping their children off at school while others demanded action from legislators. Hyattsville Elementary School's new principal, Julia Burton, addressed her students Monday before Prince George's County schools observed a minute of silence to honor the victims of Friday's school shooting in Newtown, CT. "Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. And take care of the place," she told students. In Wheaton, parents reacted to the tragic news and talked about school safety in Montgomery County. Frances Frost, a contributor to the Local Voices section on Wheaton Patch, wrote in an email: "As a mom of 4…

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Early Voting Up in Anne Arundel County

The county is on track to break its 2010 early-voting numbers, but it lags behind most Maryland counties that have already surpassed their previous numbers.

Early voter turnout in Anne Arundel County is on track to be higher than 2010, despite the interruption of Hurricane Sandy. As of Thursday night, 8 percent of the county's registered voters had voted compared with an 8.74 percent early-voting turnout for the midterm elections—a difference of 644 fewer votes. With early-voting continuing through Friday, Anne Arundel County was expected to exceed the 2010 early figures. "Wait until we have the final numbers," said Joe Torre, the director of Anne Arundel County's Board of Elections. "As of 2:20 p.m. today we already had 4,569 votes cast. Those are unofficial numbers of course." He said waiting times on Friday have consistently been around the two-hour mark with an average of 700 ballots being…

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Annapolis Residents Scoop Up Sand Ahead of Hurricane Sandy

City residents and business owners lined up Saturday morning to fill as many sandbags as Annapolis would give them ahead of Hurricane Sandy.

A steady stream of Annapolis residents and business owners lined up on Market Space on Saturday to fill sandbags they hope will keep the water out during Hurricane Sandy. "I had four feet of water inside of Mangia after [Hurricane] Isabel," owner Charlie Priola said. "I've got plastic wrap. I need to get everything unplugged and up off the floors." Hurricane Sandy, also known as the Frankenstorm, is expected to hit the Chesapeake Bay area Monday. It's severity will depend on which way the storm turns. If it turns west, the counterclockwise rotation would pull water into the Bay creating destructive storm surges and flooding. If the storm stays to the east, the Bay communities could be spared. Priola and Bob Schwartzberg, the owner of The …

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Be Prepared: List of Important Phone Numbers, Information

Print out this guide with phone numbers and other information for Anne Arundel County residents before the next storm.

Tropical Storm Irene was not as strong as some thought it would be in our area, but it still caused power outages and problems with downed trees across Anne Arundel County. And the effects of the derecho—and the power outages that followed—are still fresh in the minds of some local residents. Both storms serve as a reminder to be prepared and have emergency and other useful information at the ready. Patch has created a short, printer-friendly guide for Anne Arundel County residents with phone numbers and websites to help get started and handle electric outages, water emergencies, communications (phone, cable and web) outages and more. Click on the PDF (right) to access it. Print it out, review it and add it to your emergency kit before you…

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Where To Vote Early In Annapolis

Early voting in Maryland starts Saturday for the 2012 presidential election.

Early-voting for the Nov. 6 general election starts Saturday and runs through Nov. 1. Early voting centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and then from Monday through Thursday. On Sunday, the center will be open from noon to 6 p.m. People wishing to vote early in Annapolis should go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County located at 121 South Villa Ave. Voters who prefer to vote on Election Day can vote on Nov. 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at their polling place. The Anne Arundel County Board of Elections recommends that people try to vote between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to avoid long lines. To find your polling place, click here. Voters can also review a sample ballot before going to vote by clicking here. …

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Speak Out: How Much Was Gas When You Started Driving?

The average gas price in Maryland is $3.39 per gallon.

When I first started driving in 2002 gas cost about $1.49. Before you start calculating how young that must make me, you should know I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20 years old. No, I wasn't a deviant child whose parents forbid me, or anything like that; I was an inhabitant of the island of New York City. Licenses aren't conferred there until you are 18, and I delayed this right of passage, frankly, because I had no need for it. It was an ex-boyfriend who taught me how to drive in his 1995 Nissan Sentra. He even taught me the art of parallel parking in the Big Apple, which is a sign of someone with endless patience. I suspect he did it mainly because he wanted someone else to help him move the car every other morning to avoid…

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County Offers Dumpsters for Storm Waste Removal

Community and homeowners associations can call Anne Arundel County to order a Dumpster.

The derecho that swept through the county on June 29 has left many Annapolis residents' yards and driveways full of storm debris. If residents are still in need of a safe way to dispose of the tree limbs, community and homeowners associations can request a Dumpster from the county. Storm debris removal assistance may be requested through the Office of Community and Constituent Services, according to a press release. To make the Dumpster request, a representative of the association should call 410-222-1795 or email ccservices@aacounty.org. Yard waste, including storm debris, placed at the curb for recycling must be bagged or put in a container and marked with an "X." If not in a container, branches must be tied into bundles (not to exceed 4…

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