Latest Maryland and Delaware news, sports, business and entertainment

Latest Maryland and Delaware news, sports, business and entertainment
April 09, 2012 12:06 GMT

%reldate(2012-04-09T12:06:10

LAST DAY

Lawmakers begin final day without finished budget

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland lawmakers are heading into the last scheduled day of the legislative session without a finished state budget.

The General Assembly's 90-day session is scheduled to adjourn at midnight.

Usually by this point in the session, a panel of House and Senate negotiators has already finished reconciling differences between budget measures passed by the two chambers. But that hasn't happened yet.

This year has been difficult, because of tax increases and different views about how to balance the books for the next fiscal year and cut an ongoing $1.1 billion deficit in half.

If they don't finish the budget, the session could be extended.

Some other high-profile measures also face uncertain prospects, including Gov. Martin O'Malley's offshore wind measure and measures to expand gambling to allow table games in Maryland.

O'MALLEY APPEARANCES

O'Malley to make Sine Die radio, TV appearances

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to appear on radio and television shows as the Maryland General Assembly wraps up its 90-day session.

O'Malley is scheduled to appear on WYPR-FM and Maryland Public Television on Monday as the legislature works toward its midnight deadline.

Several pieces of the governor's legislative package, including measures to increase the state's tax on sewer bills and develop offshore wind energy, are still before the General Assembly.

NEGLECTED NATIONAL MALL

AP Exclusive: National Mall ideas released

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Associated Press has an early look at the finalists in the design competition to overhaul neglected sites on the National Mall in Washington.

The plans include lakeside gardens, underground pavilions at the Washington Monument and grassy new amphitheaters.

The competition was conducted by the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall to help restore sites for the National Park Service. The finalists' concepts go on display Monday through Sunday at the Smithsonian Castle and National Museum of American History.

Since last September, architects and designers have been competing for the chance to make over areas near the Capitol, Washington Monument and Constitution Gardens.

Each of the designs would bring major changes, adding amenities including food options and restrooms.

INMATE SLAIN

Md. seeks to block $18.5M award in inmate's death

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Maryland Attorney General's Office is asking a Baltimore judge to cancel or reduce an $18.5 million award stemming from the murder of an inmate aboard a state prison bus.

The hearing is scheduled Monday afternoon in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

A jury awarded the damages in October to the parents and estate of Philip Parker Jr.

He was strangled in 2005 by inmate Kevin Johns during a bus ride from Hagerstown to Baltimore.

The jury found three correctional officers negligent and one grossly negligent for failing to prevent the murder and rendering little first aid afterward.

The state contends they're immune from liability because they're public officials.

Other motions seek to reduce the total award to $845,000. The state says that's the most it's required to pay.

HAGERSTOWN STABBING

Pr. George's man charged in Hagerstown stabbing

(Information in the following story is from: The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., http://www.herald-mail.com)

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Authorities say a Prince George's County man has been charged in the stabbing of a Hagerstown man.

Police say says 34-year-old Brian Cornelius Driver of Suitland was charged with attempted second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and assault in the stabbing Saturday on Harmon Avenue, between Church and Bethel streets.

Hagerstown Police Sgt. Stewart Heckman tells the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown newspaper that Driver and the victim got into an argument after Driver began talking to the victim's wife. Heckman says the victim was stabbed in the neck with a short knife, and suffered a non-life-threatening injury.

Police say Driver left the scene on foot, but was found nearby a short time later.

Driver was being held on a $500,000 bond Sunday at the Washington County Detention Center.

SEXTORTION-CHARGES

W. Ind. man charged with `sextortion' of teen

(Information in the following story is from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say a western Indiana man might have coerced teenagers across the country into sexual activity that he recorded online.

Court documents say that FBI investigators found sexually explicit videos showing hundreds of teenagers on 39-year-old Richard Leon Finkbiner's computer. The documents say Finkbiner estimated to FBI agents that he had coerced at least 100 individuals into such videos.

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett tells The Indianapolis Star that investigators are trying to figure out how broad the case is and whether others are involved as perpetrators.

Finkbiner was arrested Friday at his home in the Clay County city of Brazil on charges he extorted teenage boys in Maryland and Michigan by threatening to post sexually explicit videos of them online. Court records don't list an attorney for Finkbiner.

ANNAPOLIS SAILOR

Annapolis sailor close to completing 25K-mile trip

(Information in the following story is from: The Capital of Annapolis, Md., http://www.hometownannapolis.com/)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A sailor from Annapolis is close to finishing a 25,000-mile solo journey around the Americas.

The Capital of Annapolis newspaper reports that 31-year-old Matt Rutherford is scheduled to return April 21 aboard the ST Brendan, his 27-foot-long Albin Vega sailboat.

He hit a few rough patches: He was almost run over by a freighter and once had to fire his shotgun to ward off some drunken fishermen from crossing their boats into his path. He also struggled with weather and boat maintenance.

He's blogging about the trip to raise money for Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, a non-profit sailing program for people with disabilities.

As of last week, he raised $70,000, but about $40,000 went to two emergency resupplies.

TRUCK COMPLEX-REZONING

Neighbors prepare to fight proposed truck complex

(Information in the following story is from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com)

SMYRNA, Del. (AP) -- Neighbors of a Smyrna site where a waste management company hopes to build a center for trash-hauling trucks say they weighing their options to oppose it.

The News Journal reports that Waste Industries Inc. wants to rezone an area between U.S. 13 and Del. 1 just north of the North Smyrna interchange.

Company officials say the facility would serve as a maintenance and administrative hub for up to 75 trash haulers. But there would be no waste at the site.

Residents of an adjacent neighborhood met Saturday to look at the plans and decide their next move. They worry about increased traffic, noise and smells.

An attorney for the company says he has been unable to arrange a meeting with residents and they're opposed with having all the information.

FORT WASHINGTON-MAN KILLED

Police investigate killing of man in Pr. George's

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (AP) -- Prince George's County police say they are investigating the shooting death of a 26-year-old man in Fort Washington.

Police say officers found the man suffering from a gunshot wound in the driveway of a home in the 7300 block of Webster Turn about 7 a.m. Saturday. The man, identified as Matthew Cedric Bovell, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say it appears Bovell was in the process of stealing property from a vehicle when he was shot by someone. Detectives are trying to identify the suspect and a motive in the case.

SANTORUM-DAUGHTER

Santorum to stay with ailing daughter Monday

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rick Santorum plans no campaign events on Monday and will spend time with his wife and ailing daughter Bella.

Campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley said this weekend that the former Pennsylvania senator "will not hold any campaign related events on Monday so that he and Karen can remain in the hospital with their daughter Bella." Gidley said the Santorums are grateful for the many prayers and messages of support from people.

Santorum's campaign said Friday that 3-year-old Bella had been returned to the hospital. She has the rare genetic condition Trisomy 18 and was hospitalized earlier this year with pneumonia. Bella's condition typically proves to be fatal.

NEWARK ELECTIONS

2 vie for open District 5 seat on Newark council

(Information in the following story is from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com)

NEWARK, Del. (AP) -- A candidate running for an open seat on the Newark City Council has dropped out, leaving two other candidates to compete for the spot this week.

The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., reports that William "Ed" Smith IV, a 75-year-old retired physicist, cited family and health issues for his decision to leave the race last week. Election Board Chairman Samuel Burns says Rick Celeste, a DuPont engineer, and Luke Chapman, a financial planner, will appear on Tuesday's ballot for the District 5 seat.

Councilman Ezra J. Temko is leaving the seat to pursue a doctorate in political science.

Councilmen Douglas F. Tuttle in District 3 and A. Stuart Markham Jr. in District 6 are both running unopposed.

TERRORISM FUNDING

Fund panel for Del. terrorism preparedness meets

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- A subcommittee of a state terrorism preparedness group is holding a special meeting to review spending plans from previous years.

The Funding Subcommittee of the Delaware Homeland Security Terrorism Preparedness Working Group has scheduled the special meeting for Monday afternoon at the Department of Agriculture offices in Dover.

The agenda includes a review of the fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2009 spending plans and reallocation of funds from those years.

Minutes from the panel's March meeting indicate that projects from those two years must be on order before July of this year for compliance reasons. All goods for those two years also must be delivered and received by Sept. 30 in order to use fiscal `08-'09 funding to pay for them.

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