Wednesday, April 24, 2013
A Coast Guard representative said it is extremely important to contact them regarding any false distress calls.
To raise awareness about false distress calls, the Coast Guard's second annual Operation Mayday is currently underway and will run through May 15. "During the operation, the Coast Guard will visit marinas to inform boaters about the dangers of making false distress calls—a felony punishable by law," according to a press release. Jim Stewart, dockmaster at Annapolis Landing Marina, said they received a visit last week. He said the false distress calls are a real issue, particularly with current economic conditions. "It is becoming a serious issue with budgets being restricted—they [Coast Guard] can't be wasting their time," he said. A distress call, said Stewart, is exactly that—it sends many, including fellow boaters, to aid and assist…
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Here are some of Patch's top Local Voices posts across Maryland this week.
Bevins Critical of Proposal to Tighten County Car Rules: Baltimore County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins said a colleague is only calling for the changes because he was questioned by a reporter for breaking a campaign promise not to take a county vehicle if elected. Sequestration to Have Serious Local Impact: Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young talks about what the impact of the sequestration's mandated federal budget cuts would be on city services. State of the River Address: The South River Report Card is discussed in this blog that details the health of one of the local waterways in Anne Arundel County. Anne Arundel 'School Hours Study' - Answers to the Questions: Blog reacts to a recent study as part of the ongoing …
Friday, February 8, 2013
In the absence of the real stuff, let's see your photos of winter wonderlands around Maryland.
Since we currently don't have any snow in Maryland, let's do the next best thing and see some winter wonderland pictures. If you have any pictures which feature snow (people and pets enjoying the snow) and let's say anywhere in Maryland, share them with us.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Sean Henderson and Julia Maldonado, Capital News Service
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, January 23
This interactive graphic shows the five people executed in Maryland since 1976, and the five people currently on death row in the state. Also includes an interactive map comparing the number of executions in Maryland since 1976 with the number of executions in other states in that period.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Start off your week with the news from around the state in crime, business and politics.
Public Safety: Naval Academy rape, gun control and school safety A Naval Academy professor is charged in the 2011 rape of a midshipman. Maj. Mark A. Thompson, 43, is undergoing an Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a grand jury hearing, at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC. Two gun vendors were arrested in Timonium after they were caught selling illegal, high-capacity bullet magazines to undercover police at a local gun and knife show. In light of the Sandy Hook shootings, some Maryland legislators are hoping to make their schools safer. Anne Arundel County's delegation is introducing a bill that would put an armed resource officer in all of Maryland's public schools, while in Montgomery County, a councilman is hoping to …
After the Newtown, CT school shooting, Maryland legislators are looking at a number of ways to make schools safer.
According to Annapolis Patch, delegates from Anne Arundel County are introducing legislation on Tuesday, Jan. 22 in hopes of increasing security and mental health services at public schools across the state. The proposed bill would also pay for an armed resource officer at each school. "If you really understand public schools in Maryland, you know this: They are becoming increasingly more difficult for classroom teachers because discipline is lacking at home and teachers are spending an increasing amount of time maintaining discipline in the classroom," said Del. Nic Kipke (R-Pasadena). In Montgomery County, Councilman Craig Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, a vocal advocate of school resource officers stationed in schools, told a room full …
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Patch rounds up the weird news headlines from around Maryland.
Globetrotting Street Dog Found, Returns To Germantown Home A while ago Patch wrote about a Germantown couple who fell in love with a street dog in Egypt and arranged for the animal to be flown to Dulles only to have the reunion cut short in the parking lot when the dog, Ralph, ran away. Patch is happy to report that Ralphie was found in Virginia on Christmas Day and is back with his new family in Germantown, MD. The full story is at Germantown Patch. Man in Medical Mask, Gloves Robs Bank in Bowie A suspect wearing a medical mask and rubber gloves robbed the PNC Bank located in the Giant grocery store on Crain Highway in Bowie. The masked suspect opened his coat to reveal what appeared to be a gun to the bank teller, and demanded money, …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A series on local breweries around the state, Capital News Service reports.
- BUSINESS
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Reporting by Capital News Service's Matthieu Drotar, Sydney Carter, Anna Weaver and Greg Kohn. Despite being traditionally dominated by states like Colorado and California, craft brewing has become an increasingly important industry for Maryland. With 31 microbreweries and brewpubs currently recognized by the Brewers Association and another 15 in the planning stages, Maryland is beginning to gain national recognition as a new hotspot of beer. From Franklin's Brewery in Hyattsville to Union Craft Brewing and Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore to those along the Eastern Shore and in Frederick, MD, the craft beer business is not only growing in Maryland, but becoming profitable. Patch's Nick Gestido has covered Maryland's breweries in his …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Only 13 state licenses qualified but other states were granted a deferral.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Drivers licenses issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration are considered valid ID for gaining entrance to certain federal facilities and for boarding commercial aircraft under the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) "REAL ID" Act. A press release issued by DHS identified Maryland and 12 other states meeting the minimum standards. The other states were Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Some states did not submit sufficient information for DHS to determine whether their identifications met requirements. The release also said that a temporary deferment will be granted to those states that did not meet the requirements at this time. The …
Initiative helps place more children in permanent homes.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Over the past five years, the number of Maryland children in foster care has dropped 35 percent, from 10,330 in 2007 to 6,709 in 2012, according to a story in the Baltimore Sun. Theodore Dallas, secretary of the Department of Human Resources told The Sun a statewide initiative called Place Matters is largely responsible for reducing the number of children in foster care. The program fosters better collaboration between the court system, better data analysis and works with birth families earlier in the process to more efficiently dissolve the rights of the biological parents. Dallas describes the program as "a dramatic sea change in the way we do things." Children in the foster care program leave via one of four methods—adoption, returning…
Adam
9:12 pm on Monday, April 29, 2013
Well said, Dustin! We have all heard kids making calls on 16, saying help or something similar. To us, we just think, "stupid kids", "where's their parents", or something of the sort. Those fast CG boats go zooming past us, to check out if those kids are really in danger. Each boat has more then one person on board. Then a CG helicopter shows up, while more DNR and County Police boats arrive to … more ›