Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from August 2006

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from August 2006

Is the state comptroller important to Maryland businesses?
August 1, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman With the state comptroller's race heating up -- somewhat unexpectedly -- you might be asking yourself if it really matters. Everyone knows the comptroller collects taxes, but what power does the office have to...

Pimlico parent buying Hunt Valley-based AmTote.
August 1, 2006... Byline: James Mosher Controlling interest in a Hunt Valley-based wagering technology provider to the horse racing industry is being acquired by the parent of Maryland's two largest racetracks, a sign of the increasing importance of new...

Residential real estate experts in the Baltimore region remain bullish.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Joe Nathanson Bubble? What bubble? That was the dominant theme expressed by industry leaders in real estate and development, commenting on the prospects for the area housing market. The sentiments were a composite of the views...

Industrial investment sales piling up in Harford County.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Jen Degregorio Hartz Mountain Industries Inc. purchased the Aberdeen distribution center of Pier 1 Imports Inc., adding to a flurry of industrial investment sales this year in Harford County. The New Jersey-based company paid...

MD Court of Appeals upholds conviction for distribution of 'rock-like substance'.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber A man charged with selling fake drugs as the real thing was properly convicted even though the substance was only tested for -- and shown not to be -- one kind of illegal drug, the state's top court has held. ...

Annapolis-based homeland security incubator rebounding.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Ben Mook A little more than a month after an abrupt change in management, the Chesapeake Innovation Center, has rebounded with a new tenant, a new partnership and deals in line to make the homeland security-focused business...

Gun bias questions not needed in robbery case, rules MD Court of Appeals.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A gun-wielding Prince George's County bank robber was not entitled to question potential jurors about gun bias since an affirmative response would not have provided a basis for a strike for cause, the Court of...

Baltimore City defends arrest policies in lawsuit.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Daniel Ostrovsky Baltimore City has asked a federal judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit that accuses the police department of creating a system of "perverse incentives" for officers to make "illegal arrests." The city also...

IL-based Synergy Brands ads 'Better Valu'.
August 1, 2006... Byline: Henry E. Powderly II Synergy Brands said Tuesday it signed a deal with Federated Group to carry Federated's "Better Valu" grocery and health and beauty products on its "dealbynet" retail and wholesale distribution Web site. ...

Towson Chamber of Commerce wants to fill up old gas station.
August 2, 2006... Byline: James Mosher The Towson Chamber of Commerce wants to buy a former gasoline station and move its offices to the property near the busy Towson Circle traffic rotary, although Baltimore County's top elected official yesterday...

MD Legal Briefs: August 2, 2006.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Ex-state worker pleads Deborah A. Davis, 46, of Baltimore, a former employee in the Revenue Administration Division of the Office of the Comptroller, was sentenced in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to six...

MD COA rules husband may pursue divorce while residing under same roof with wife.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks A husband who sued his wife for limited divorce based on constructive desertion is entitled to pursue that action -- and to seek custody and visitation of the parties' children -- even though the couple continued to...

News Summary.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Earnings downturn United Therapeutics Corp., of Silver Spring, a developer of pharmaceuticals to combat chronic and life-threatening cardiovascular, infectious and oncological diseases, said...

Silver Spring-based United Therapeutics Corp. earnings down.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff United Therapeutics Corp., of Silver Spring, a developer of pharmaceuticals to combat chronic and life-threatening cardiovascular, infectious and oncological diseases, said second-quarter profit fell 37 percent...

Baltimore-based FTI Consulting Inc.'s profit drops.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff FTI Consulting Inc., of Baltimore, a provider of forensic accounting and litigation support services, said its second-quarter profit fell 12 percent, hurt by higher amortization, net interest expense and...

Hunt Valley-based United Industrial Corp. reports earnings.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff United Industrial Corp., of Hunt Valley, a producer of defense, training and energy systems, reported second-quarter net income of $10.3 million, or 72 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $149.2 million,...

Baltimore-based Vertis Communications Inc.'s profit slides.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Vertis Communications Inc., a privately owned provider of targeted advertising, media and marketing services, said at the end of its second quarter on June 30, it had a net loss of $5 million compared to a net...

Fort Myers, FL-based Radiation Therapy Services Inc. under new ownership.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Radiation Therapy Services Inc., of Fort Myers, Fla., a Nasdaq-traded company that operates radiation treatment centers for cancer patients primarily under the name of 21st Century Oncology, said it has acquired...

More than half of visitors to MD are day-trippers.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman Nearly 28 million people traveled to destinations in Maryland last year, with more than half of them visiting for day-trips and nearly a quarter traveling on business, according to numbers released yesterday by Maryland...

BGE promotes Woerner to vp of electric transmission and distribution.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., a subsidiary of Constellation Energy Group, said Stephen J. Woerner has been promoted to the post of vice president of electric transmission and distribution. Woerner succeeds Mark...

The Mills Corp. moves headquaters to Chevy Chase.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Mills Corp., a real estate investment trust that owns more than 40 mega-malls across the country, said in a cryptic note on its Internet site that it is in the process of relocating its headquarters from...

Baltimore-based Thomson Prometric has a Danish connection.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Thomson Prometric, of Baltimore, a provider of educational testing and assessment services, and SimCorp, a Danish provider of software to financial institutions and corporate finance departments, announced a...

Columbia-based COPT announces staff promotions.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Corporate Office Properties Trust, a suburban office real estate investment trust headquartered in Columbia, said Roger A. Waesche Jr. has been promoted to chief operating officer, effective Aug. 14, moving up...

The Maryland Lottery begins selling scratch-off tickets at Laurel Park.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Maryland Lottery has begun selling scratch-off tickets aimed at promoting the Maryland Million horse racing program to be held Oct. 14 at Laurel Park. The tickets cost $5 each, according to a release from the...

Vacancies in Maryland health care worsen.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckelew The nursing shortage continues in Maryland and vacancies in allied health professions such as physical therapy and respiratory therapy are worsening, according to the Maryland Hospital Association's annual personnel...

Bel Air attorney suspended from practice.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A solo practitioner in Bel Air has been indefinitely suspended from practicing law in Maryland after three investigations yielded proof of repeated inattention to his clients' cases. The Court of Appeals...

4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules FBI agent won't get qualified immunity.
August 2, 2006... Byline: Daniel Ostrovsky The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week declined to extend qualified immunity to a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who shot a man he mistakenly believed to be a suspect in a bank robbery. Agent...

Owner of former Towson gas station expects six-figure cleanup cost.
August 3, 2006... Byline: James Mosher The corporate owner of a former Towson gasoline station expects an environmental cleanup to cost several hundred thousand dollars and take another five years to complete, adding that it's not trying to drive off from...

Law Digest.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports COURT OF APPEALS Civil Procedure, Collateral order doctrine: County Commissioners for St. Mary's County, Maryland v. Lacer, No. 85, September Term, 2005. Interlocutory order permitting...

News Summary.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Sinclair's earnings drop Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., of Hunt Valley, an owner of television stations in cities including Baltimore, said second-quarter profit dropped after a year-earlier gain...

Business groups hit the campaign trail.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman The U.S. Chamber of Commerce rolled into Maryland in style yesterday with its "Vote for Business Bandwagon," a bus tour aimed at educating voters about business issues and mobilizing the business community during the...

Developers buying golf courses to use the land for residential or commercial projects.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Jen Degregorio The 140-acre Cross Creek Golf Club in Beltsville is on the selling block for $6 million at a time when such properties are being scooped up by developers who want to use the land for residential projects. Earlier...

Gaithersburg-based Gene Logic to slash 80 jobs.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Louis Llovio As a way to save $8 million in salary and benefits, Gaithersburg-based Gene Logic Inc. announced this week that it will cut 80 jobs from its genomics division. The layoffs will become effective Oct. 5. In a news...

Health care controversy at University of Maryland goes public.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckelew The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Public Health doesn't exist, and yet its prospective staff already has created something of a stir. The proposed public health institution is to be a combination of the...

MD Court of Appeals rules family not barred from suing asbestos companies.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks A wrongful death action brought by the family of a man who died of mesothelioma can go forward, even though he died in 1997 and the lawsuit was not filed until 2003. The Court of Appeals held yesterday that Elsie...

Coupon dispenser in restaurant qualifies as illegal gaming device, rules MD Court of Appeals.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A coupon dispenser in an Ocean City restaurant qualified as an illegal gaming device because the discounts offered were incidental to games of chance, the Court of Appeals affirmed. Ad-Tab coupons could be...

Deal spares wrecking ball for historic downtown Baltimore apartment building.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Ben Mook Opponents of a plan to tear down a historic downtown Baltimore apartment building to make way for a prayer garden won a slight reprieve yesterday when the owner of the property, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, agreed to...

Sex-offender bill settles detention debate.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daniel Ostrovsky Federal prosecutors around the country are hailing a new law that will allow them to seek pretrial detention for defendants in felon-in-possession cases. A little-heralded provision of the Adam Walsh Child...

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. of Hunt Valley reports second-quarter earnings drop.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., of Hunt Valley, an owner of television stations in cities including Baltimore, said second-quarter profit dropped after a year-earlier gain from the sale of a...

Opnet Technologies Inc. of Bethesda reports net income for its fiscal first quarter.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Opnet Technologies Inc., of Bethesda, a manufacturer of network management software, reported net income for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30 of $1.6 million, or 8 cents per diluted share,...

Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp. of Rockville reports second-quarter net loss.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp., of Rockville, a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported a second-quarter net loss of $10.7 million, or 35 cents per diluted share, on $336,357 in revenue,...

Annapolis Bancorp Inc. reports second-quarter net income.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Annapolis Bancorp Inc., parent company of BankAnnapolis, reported second-quarter net income of $694,000, or 17 cents per diluted share, versus net income of $672,000, or 16 cents per diluted...

Thomas & Herbert Consulting of Silver Spring selected by U.S. Air Force Medical Support Agency.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Thomas & Herbert Consulting LLC, of Silver Spring, an information technology and management consulting services company, said it is one of four companies selected to provide a range of technology...

Optelecom-NKF Inc. receives contract from Saudi Technical Engineering Systems Associated.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Optelecom-NKF Inc., of Germantown, which designs and manufactures communications products that transport data, video and audio over the Internet and fiber optic cables, said it received a contract...

Towson community input meeting slated.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports A community input meeting for a proposed 380-unit apartment complex known as Towson Promenade has been set for Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, 320...

Mercy Health Services Inc. leases space in the Bank of America tower.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Mercy Health Services Inc. has leased 19,201 square feet of space in the Bank of America tower at 225 N. Calvert St., becoming the first third-party tenant in the office building, which is...

Dentist's wife sentenced in Baltimore City Circuit Court.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Nelinee Deonarine, who handled financial matters in a Silver Spring dental practice operated by her husband, was sentenced in Baltimore City Circuit Court to 15 months of home detention and...

Micros Systems' European subsidiary retained by Arsenal Football Club in Great Britain.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Micros Systems Inc., of Columbia, a provider of information systems to the hospitality and retail industries, said its European subsidiary, Micros-Fidelio UK Ltd., has been retained by the Arsenal...

Commentary: We know more but understand less.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Satish B. Parekh Swami Vivekananda, the great 19th-century spiritual leader from India, said some 125 years ago that "civilization is the manifestation of divinity in man. Therefore the world is waiting for this grand idea of...

Commentary: Job growth abounds throughout Md.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Christian S. Johansson While the anticipated economic impact of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process has dominated headlines in Greater Baltimore, the growth of our region's economy in a number of industries also...

New Owings Mills firm offers protection on high seas.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckelew Tzviel "BK" Blankchtein is not your average, run-of-the-mill bodyguard. The 30-year-old Owings Mills resident was a sergeant first class when he left the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in 1997 after four years of...

Commentary: So you want to be a rock star? There's a place for you on the Web.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Larry Fiorino With the rising popularity of social networking sites, coupled with singing shows like "American Idol," it was only a matter of time before someone blended these ideas together on the Web. Billing themselves as "The...

Retired MD physician tells how to protect yourself in the hospital.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Dr. Bob Sheff, a retired Maryland physician and author of "The Medical Mentor," has graciously agreed to answer questions from Daily Record readers every Friday. To ask a question, e-mail Dr. Sheff at...

Economic revitalization of neighborhood home to Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course moves forward.
August 4, 2006... Byline: James Mosher With Baltimore's planning director at the reins and a swashbuckling British entrepreneur dropping in a rock concert for good measure, the economic revitalization of the neighborhood home to world-famous Pimlico Race...

Choosing between kids and work.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman Stephanie Green had a good job as a financial analyst for Northrop Grumman Corp. when she became pregnant with her second child. Her first son was only about 10 months old and she was paying about $225 per week for day...

MD accounting firms announce staffing changes: August 4, 2006.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Clifton Gunderson announced that Joe Willett and Greg Bara have joined the firm as managers, and Emily Brown and Melanie Brown have joined as associates in the firm's Baltimore office. Willett...

MD banks announce staffing changes: August 4, 2006.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Barbara Copeland has been named vice president of commercial banking for The Columbia Bank. She was formerly senior vice president in the Credit Products Office for Bank of America and brings more...

MD boards announce staffing changes: August 4, 2006.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Brian L. Oliner, a principal of the Howard County law firm of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny LLC, has been elected to the board of directors of the Foreign-born Information and Referral Network...

On the Move.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports BOARDS Brian L. Oliner, a principal of the Howard County law firm of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny LLC, has been elected to the board of directors of the Foreign-born Information and Referral...

James G. Morgan Jr. appointed by Gov. Ehrlich to MD Higher Education Commission.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports James G. Morgan Jr., a founding partner of Heritage Financial Consultants LLC, was appointed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to the Maryland Higher Education Commission. As a commissioner, his...

Loiederman Soltesz Associates Inc. welcomes eight new employees to its team.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Loiederman Soltesz Associates Inc., an award-winning civil engineering company specializing in land development, has welcomed eight new employees to its team. John Chavez, project engineer, John...

Amy K. Chase joins Conference & Logistics as an account manager.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Amy K. Chase has joined Conference & Logistics, one of the top 20 meeting planners in the Washington area, as an account manager. Chase most recently served as manager of events and promotions for...

Abuse-of-process claim no help to lawyer in disbarment case before MD Court of Appeals.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A lawyer who moved a $7,500 settlement into his operating account, then some of it days later to help pay for his wedding, was disbarred yesterday by the Court of Appeals. The top court rejected Quinton Delmer...

Due to a change in MD's three-strikes law, some inmates get chance to apply for parole.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber Robert William Davis has been in prison for 13 years and was supposed to serve another 12. In 1993, Davis was sentenced under Maryland's "three strikes" law, also called the "career criminal" or "three-time loser" law,...

Tax-free shopping week to cost state of Maryland about $5.5M.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman It's almost back to school time and Maryland will once again offer a week-long sales tax holiday for certain apparel items, an event both consumers and retailers relish. But while state officials and industry...

St. Mary's County plans largest redevelopment in its history.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Jen Degregorio St. Mary's County is getting closer to bringing commercial development to Lexington Manor, a now-defunct housing complex built more than 60 years ago for employees of the nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station. In...

MD Court of Appeals rules using cocaine while pregnant is not reckless endangerment.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks Women who use cocaine while pregnant cannot be prosecuted under the state's reckless endangerment statute for harming the children they are carrying, the state's highest court held yesterday. The Court of Appeals...

Md Court of Appeals rules Lacer can proceed with suit against St. Mary's County commissioners.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale Nearly three years and two appellate decisions after a circuit court ruled that he was improperly fired and had a right to ask questions about it, a former St. Mary's County administrator hopes his case against...

Washington, D.C., office of Bovis Lend Lease announces promotion of Kimberly Rhodes.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports The Washington, D.C., office of Bovis Lend Lease announced the promotion of Kimberly Rhodes to project executive. As project executive, Rhodes will continue to be responsible for all Bovis Lend...

Alex LeBlanc named market leader for Aon Consulting's Baltimore and Bethesda offices.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Aon Consulting, the human capital consulting organization of Aon Corporation, announced that Alex LeBlanc has assumed the role of market leader for the firm's Baltimore and Bethesda offices....

MD real estate firms announce staffing changes: August 4, 2006.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Manekin LLC has promoted Robert D. Lentz from divisional controller to corporate controller. Lentz now oversees the firm's entire accounting function. Working from the Columbia headquarters, he...

RealLife HR has four new regional sales directors.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports RealLife HR, a national leader in benefits management automation and outsourcing services, has four new regional sales directors with almost 60 years of experience combined. Shane Stone joins...

Commentary: Help wanted: Equal justice under law.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Robert J. Rhudy When U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. delivered a speech in Cambridge to Maryland's judges in May, he described the awe foreign judges express when visiting the Supreme Court -- that "judges in our country are...

Juror's nondisclosure, combined with incomplete record, warrants trial, rules MD Court of Appeals.
August 4, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber When a juror fails to reveal information sought by a voir dire question and the court record does not show whether the juror did so on purpose or inadvertently, the defendant is entitled to a new trial, a slim majority...

Commentary: Play your way out of water hazards.
August 5, 2006... Byline: Joe Rahnis Here's the scenario: You hit your tee shot on a short par 3 over a pond. Unfortunately, the shot hooks a bit and you didn't take enough clubs. The ball splash-lands in a water hazard, bouncing once and ending up on the...

Commentary: Emerald Island worth the trip.
August 5, 2006... Byline: Mary Medland Even those who have never set foot in the Emerald Isle are familiar with the Blarney Stone, Trinity College, Guinness and leprechauns. But for a country of its size, Ireland offers everything from thatched cottages,...

News Summary.
August 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Funds for the arts Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced that $12 million will be distributed to 225 Maryland arts organizations in FY 2007 to support their general operations, ongoing programs and...

Towson to select developer for $40M dorm this month.
August 5, 2006... Byline: James Mosher Towson University administrators say they will soon select a developer to build an on-campus dormitory for as much as $40 million. Meanwhile, a developer that created a dorm along the same lines is considering...

Salisbury University buys 9.5 acres of land.
August 5, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Salisbury University said it bought 9.5 acres of land near the school's athletic fields for a new parking garage and fieldhouse, paying $6.2 million, said Greig Mitchell, vice president of administration and...

Ocean Downs Racetrack reports increase in wagering and attendance.
August 5, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Ocean Downs Racetrack, an Eastern Shore harness horse racing venue, reports wagering and attendance are up at the halfway point of its 40-day summer meet. Total attendance over the first 20 days rose by more...

Heavyweight boxing champ to appear at Baltimore County mall.
August 5, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Heavyweight boxing champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman will appear at Baltimore County's Security Square Mall on Aug. 26 as part of the shopping center's promotion of Maryland's tax-free shopping week. The...

Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources announces regulations to conserve diamondback terrapin.
August 5, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that commercial harvesting regulations to conserve Maryland's diamondback terrapin population took effect Aug. 1. The new rules shorten the commercial...

Maryland to give $12M to 225 arts organizations throughout the state.
August 5, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced that $12 million will be distributed to 225 Maryland arts organizations in FY 2007 to support their general operations, ongoing programs and projects and the activities of...

News Summary.
August 7, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Tuning in Legislation that would award a Baltimore County cable television franchise to Verizon Communications Inc. is scheduled to be introduced at tonight's County Council meeting. Approval by...