Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from February 2005

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from February 2005

Positive drug test doesn't establish on-the-job use, Court of Special Appeals finds.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Alisa Bralove The state lacked a sufficient basis for automatically firing a correctional services secretary who tested positive for marijuana, the Court of Special Appeals held yesterday. Gertrude Bond's test results, and her...

Wage bills seen jeopardizing Maryland's pro-business trend.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Jen DeGregorio Some Republicans in the state Legislature fear a new wave of "quality-of-life" legislation particularly a Senate bill to increase the minimum wage by $1 an hour will debilitate Maryland's business growth. ...

Little optimism for more med-mal bills in Maryland.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil Leaders in the Maryland House and Senate agree it will be difficult to pass any additional medical malpractice liability reform, given the issue's complexity. During the Greater Baltimore Committee's legislative...

Commentary: Finance - New tax rule may help military and speed home sales.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Gary Williams Military families and homeowners who live in their home fewer than a total of two years before selling it still may qualify for a valuable tax break under some circumstances, according to final rules issued by the...

Prince George's County tackles foreign trade status.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos Seeking to accommodate international businesses, the Prince George's County Economic Development Corp. wants to hire a consultant to determine the feasibility of activating and expanding its foreign trade zone. ...

Baltimore's Public Defender hails progress at center.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Public Defender Nancy S. Forster announced yesterday that her office is formally withdrawing its petition calling for the removal, on safety grounds, of inmates from Baltimore's juvenile justice center. She...

Hanover-based The Downtown Locker Room to open 10 East Coast locations.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler The Downtown Locker Room, the dominant urban apparel retailer in the Baltimore area, plans to open 10 East Coast locations this year as part of an expansion aimed at turning the 23-year-old company into a mid-Atlantic...

Maryland legislators to consider access to discounted drugs.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Robyn Lamb As Montgomery County moves ahead with plans to import cheaper drugs from Canada, state legislators will introduce legislation this week that would give the entire state access to discounted drugs. But the measure...

Jury awards Charles County man $2.8M for ATV injury.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Peter Geier A federal jury in Baltimore awarded $2.8 million yesterday to a Vietnam War veteran for injuries sustained when his Kawasaki Prairie 400 all-terrain vehicle flipped on a field of his South Carolina cow pasture. The...

MD Legal Briefs: February 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff Reports Atty. pleads in tax case Joe Carl Ashworth, 54, a recently disbarred attorney from St. Mary's County, pleaded guilty in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to three counts of failure to file state income tax...

Washington-area venture capital investors return in '04.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Washington area venture capitalists last year raised $598.5 million for new venture funds as interest returned to the investment vehicles that help private firms grow. Nationally, investors placed $17.6...

MD Democrats outline goals for 2006.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Terry Lierman, the new chairman of the Maryland Democratic Committee, has told party leaders on the Eastern Shore that his goal for the next election is "leave no county behind." At a strategy session with...

MD-based Visual Networks selected Clayton Services to supply real-time performance data.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Visual Networks Inc., of Rockville, a provider of wide area network management systems, announced yesterday that it has been selected by Clayton Services Inc., of Shelton, Conn., a provider of consulting,...

MD-based Lockheed Martin awarded $208.7M contract with U.S. Navy.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, also announced yesterday the award by the U.S. Navy of a $208.7 million contract to produce three Aegis Weapon Systems, which will be used on the Navy's next three Arleigh...

MD-based Lockheed Martin receives $532M order from U.S. Army.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, the nation's largest defense contractor, announced it has received a $532 million order from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Huntsville, Ala., for 156 PAC-3...

MD-based Merkle Inc. selected by The Arthritis Foundation to manage direct marketing program.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Merkle Inc., of Lanham, a provider of information-based database marketing services, said yesterday it was selected by The Arthritis Foundation, of Atlanta, to manage a direct marketing pilot program across...

MD-based Jos. A Bank Clothiers Inc. opens 60 new stories in 2004.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., of Hampstead, a manufacturer and retailer of upscale menswear, announced yesterday it opened 60 new stores in fiscal year 2004, which ended Jan 29, 2005, and intends to open 60 to...

MD-based CepTor Corp. raises $12M.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports CepTor Corp., of Hunt Valley, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of therapeutic products for neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, said yesterday it completed the private...

Annapolis-based Sleep Solutions to donate at-home testing services for Awake in America.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Sleep Solutions Inc., of Annapolis, which provides technology and services for at-home diagnosis, therapy and care management of sleep-disordered breathing, particularly Obstructive Sleep Apnea, announced...

MD-based Osiris Therapeutics receives permission to fast-track Prochymal.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Osiris Therapeutics Inc., of Baltimore, a biotechnology company that uses adult stem cell therapy to treat damaged tissue, announced yesterday it received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to...

MD-based Opnet Technologies profit drops.
February 1, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Opnet Technologies Inc., of Bethesda, a network management software manufacturer, yesterday reported net income for its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31 of $169,000, or 1 cent per diluted share, on revenue...

Smoking ban attempt, and opposition, return to Maryland.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil Proponents of a statewide ban on smoking in workplaces are worried about the strong lobbying efforts of the Restaurant Association of Maryland and are pitching the bill as a guard against second-hand smoke. Sen....

Tiny credit union still searching for merger partner after rebuffing MD's largest.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Baltimore's White Eagle Credit Union will continue to look for a merger partner after declining an offer by the largest Maryland-based credit union, according to an official involved in the deal. The...

MD Chief Judge Robert Bell presents State of the Judiciary speech.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Chief Judge Robert M. Bell used his State of the Judiciary speech yesterday to urge the General Assembly to give judges their first pay increase in five years. He asked legislators to accept the recommendations...

Consulting ban could chill Md. tech innovation.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Robyn Lamb Maryland companies could have a more difficult time developing their technology in the wake of a ban on National Institutes of Health scientists working as consultants for outside companies. The Bethesda-based...

Bill aims to boost Maryland's $700 million seafood industry.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Jen DeGregorio Maryland lawmakers hope to create a one-stop shop for all the state's seafood needs with a bill that would end the bureaucratic runaround for the aquaculture and seafood industries. The bill, introduced in the...

New York development team picked for key Baltimore project.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos A New York-based development team was picked yesterday to redevelop the largest chunk of the so-called superblock on Baltimore's West Side, but two other developers will also get a piece of the project.While it...

MD Legal Briefs: February 2, 2005.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Cushwa sworn in Patricia Cushwa, a former chairwoman of the Maryland Parole Commission, has been sworn in as a member of the U.S. Parole Commission, the agency said. Cushwa was the first woman to head the...

Court of Special Appeals says defendant properly convicted of aiding and abetting in shooting.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Ann Parks A Baltimore City man who aided and abetted a drug-related shooting in 2002 failed to convince the Court of Special Appeals that the earlier acquittal of the alleged shooter should have barred his own attempted murder,...

Court of Special Appeals declines to limit definition of stalking.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Peter Geier A Prince George's County man's attempts to contact a former girlfriend after he had pistol-whipped her in front of her Bladensburg home before work in fall 2001 constituted stalking, even though those attempts were not...

MD Technology Development Corp. adds univ. researchers to online database.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports In an effort to foster communication between Maryland technology businesses and researchers at the state's institutions of higher education, the Maryland Technology Development Corp. said yesterday it is now...

MD-based Vocus Inc.'s on-demand PR software chosen by Acucorp Inc.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Vocus Inc., of Lanham, which makes Web-based software for the corporate communications and public relations markets, said yesterday its on-demand PR software was selected by San Diego-based Acucorp Inc.,...

Comcast Cable donates $1M worth of broadcast air to safe driving campaign.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Comcast Cable, of Philadelphia, a cable television company, said yesterday it is donating $1 million worth of broadcast air time for a public service campaign entitled "Drive, Think, Live," aimed at reducing...

MD-based Opnet Technologies authorizes stock repurchase program.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Opnet Technologies Inc., of Bethesda, a network management software manufacturer, said yesterday its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 1 million shares of the company's common stock...

Baltimore-based nonprofit unveils marriage public awareness program.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Campaign for Our Children, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that promotes teen-pregnancy prevention, unveiled "Marriage Works," a first-of-its-kind, public awareness program aimed at 15- to 19-year olds. The...

International Rescue Committee's Baltimore office, NY-based Bowne Global Solutions reach agreement.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Under an agreement between the International Rescue Committee's Baltimore-Washington regional office and New York-based Bowne Global Solutions, the world's largest interpretation and translation company,...

Baltimore-based Eisner Communications report shows Super Bowl ads' appeal dropping.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Eisner Communications, of Baltimore, a full-service advertising and public relations firm specializing in brand development, yesterday released its annual Super Bowl Ad Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. It shows...

Baltimore Development Corp. chief operating officer steps down.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Sharon Grinnell, Baltimore Development Corp.'s chief operating officer, has left the agency to work with Baltimore developer Ronald H. Lipscomb. Her last day at the agency was yesterday. Lipscomb's projects...

MD-based TeleCommunication Systems granted patent for new mobile technology.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports TeleCommunication Systems Inc., of Annapolis, a developer of wireless messaging software and data systems, said yesterday it has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a technology...

MD-based Fandango Special Events retained by Reebok to create Super Bowl hospitality suite.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Fandango Special Events, of Baltimore, a provider of special event products and services, was retained by Reebok International Ltd., of Canton, Mass., a maker of athletic shoes, to create an upscale...

MD-based United Industrial Corp. subsidiary awarded $30.9M contract.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports United Industrial Corp., of Hunt Valley, said yesterday its wholly-owned subsidiary, AAI Corp., a manufacturer of high-tech mechanical and electronic systems, was awarded a contract, with a potential value of...

MD-based SafeNet inc. reports net income of $1.3M.
February 2, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports SafeNet Inc., of Belcamp, which manufactures software to protect communications on the Internet, yesterday reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.3 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $68.8...

Court of Special Appeals denies inmate's bid to overturn conviction.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Lawrence Hurley A man who assaulted a fellow jail inmate in a dispute over whose turn it was to use a pay phone has failed to convince the Court of Special Appeals to overturn his conviction. Anthony Gilmer was being held at...

Trailer maker pulling out of Western Md.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Recreational vehicle maker Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. said it plans to close its Hancock plant in Washington County, where 289 people are employed, in April. The company said it needed to consolidate...

Vehicle-emission standards at center of debate in Maryland.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil Environmental groups find themselves opposed, again, by hundreds of car dealers over instituting vehicle-emission standards in Maryland. Sen. Sharon M. Grosfeld, D-Montgomery, and Del. Elizabeth Bobo, D-Howard,...

Baltimore County principal accused to sexual assault files $8M lawsuit against accusers.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Alisa Bralove The Baltimore County elementary school principal accused of sexually assaulting two students more than 25 years ago has filed an $8 million lawsuit against the two sisters who made the allegations. In the...

Baltimore company lands long-term contract to promote MD tourism and biz opportunities.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler A long-term contract to promote Maryland tourism and business opportunities was awarded to the Baltimore company that created a series of television spots featuring the governor as a handyman. The Department of...

MD tree removers seek regulation, licensure.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Jen DeGregorio Some so-called "professional" tree removers have taken customers' money without completing work, let trees crash through roofs, and seriously injured themselves with tools or during a fall accidents for which...

Court of Special Appeals vacates double murder conviction.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Peter Geier A Bowie man convicted of killing a Lanham veterinarian and his wife will get a third trial because the findings on the record did not support the trial court's decision to allow his confession into evidence, the Court...

MD-based Telkonet Inc. signs agreement with GTSI Corp.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Telkonet Inc., of Germantown, which develops products for high-speed Internet access over electrical power lines, said it signed an agreement with GTSI Corp., of Chantilly, Va., a supplier of computer and...

MD-based Warschawski Public Relations retained by USA Swimming.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Warschawski Public Relations, of Baltimore, a full-service PR, marketing and branding firm, announced it has been retained by USA Swimming as the organization's public relations agency of record. USA...

MD-based Acterna Corp. supplying equipment to Infonet Services.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Acterna Corp., of Germantown, which provides instruments, systems, software and services for telecommunications and cable network operators, said it is supplying Infonet Services Corp., of El Segundo, Calif.,...

Verizon Communications launching high-speed broadband service in Montgomery County.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Verizon Communications Inc. said it is launching high-speed broadband service in several Montgomery County communities, and will add more as it extends a new fiber optic network. The new Internet access...

MD-based Digene Corp. reports net income of $300K.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Digene Corp., of Gaithersburg, a biotechnology company that manufactures and markets tests for diseases afflicting primarily women, reported net income for its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31 of $300,000,...

Riverside Business Park in Harford County sold for $25.6M.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports NAI KLNB, of Baltimore, a commercial real estate brokerage, said it represented both the seller, GE Capital, and the buyer, Realty Associates, in the sale for $25.6 million of a 600,000-square-foot,...

MD-based Sourcefire reports record sales.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Sourcefire Inc., of Columbia, a developer of Internet security technology, said it attained record sales of more than $10 million for its fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. The privately held company did not...

MD-based Accelovance buys assets of nTouch Research.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Accelovance, of Rockville, which provides Phase II-IV clinical trial services at more than a dozen research centers throughout the United States, announced it has purchased the assets of nTouch Research...

Towson-area hospital group and Towson Univ. to announce annual scholarship.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Towson Four Partnership, a group of three Towson-area hospitals and Towson University, said it will formally announce today its annual Towson Four Health Professions Scholarship at a legislative reception...

U.S. Rep. Bartlett introduces bill to end taxpayer subsidizing of political conventions.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Saying he sees "no justification for the taxpayers to pay for the political parties to party," U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., has introduced HR 45, The Political Convention Reform Act of 2005, to end...

MD-based Northrop Grumman reports net income of $294M.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., of Los Angeles, whose Electronic Systems sector is based in Linthicum, reported fourth-quarter net income of $294 million, or 80 cents per diluted share, on revenue...

Commentary: The Big Picture - War powers, war lies: A series.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Jack Gohn The United States is at war. Our soldiers die daily, our treasure is poured out, and our international prestige hemorrhages. No one has asked us citizens if we desire it. No one has asked Congress, or at least not...

Commentary: On Eminent Domain - Rethinking condemnation's effect on a going concern.
February 4, 2005... Byline: M. Albert Figinski Any business in the path of a proposed road, stuck in an urban renewal area, or in an area designated for "economic development" should be attuned to the work of the recently formed Task Force on Business Owner...

Commentary: Looking Back - New secretary of state stands on the shoulders of Ralph Bunche.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Jose Felipe Anderson With the world's focus on terrorism, Iraq, Israel and the continuing conflict in the Middle East, President George W. Bush has entrusted Dr. Condoleezza Rice, a former Stanford University professor, to take the...

Commentary: Raising the Bar - Reforming and revitalizing the jury trial.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Paul Sandler Many aspects of the American legal system are under assault, but the right to a trial by jury suffers from some of the harshest criticism. Juries are blamed for increasing the costs of insurance; for being...

Baltimore residents sue benefits district over secrecy.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Ann Parks Four Baltimore residents are suing the Charles Village Community Benefits District a quasi-public agency providing sanitation, security and other services to a 100-block area in the city for allegedly failing to comply...

Md. Legal Briefs: February 4, 2005.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Staff Reports Paying the toll The Maryland Transportation Authority will pay $100,000 to the family and estate of Josh Thomas Waterman, 42, of Raleigh, N.C., the manic-depressive man shot to death at the Fort McHenry Tunnel...

Parking firm weighs plans for aging downtown Baltimore theatre.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Ezra Fieser The Morris A. Mechanic Theater, an aging icon in downtown Baltimore, has been sold, raising hopes it can be turned into a retail center with a first-run movie theater. The theater, recognizable for its textured...

Charles County moves site of minor league stadium.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos Charles County Commissioners have moved the location of a proposed minor league baseball stadium to the southern fringes of Waldorf after failing to negotiate a sale for a site in Hughesville. The county was...

Law firms begin to gear up for the Vioxx battle.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Ann Parks The V-word is everywhere. You hear it in news reports and in the commercials in between, see it in phone books and ads on the Internet. "Injured by Vioxx? Heart attack, stroke? You may be entitled to a large cash...

Commentary: UB Viewpoint - Law and business students work together.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Special to The Daily Record The Maryland economy is starting to expand again. The reasons are many, and one fact is that business has found the right soil to grow the seeds of technology. The University of Baltimore and other...

Commentary - Maryland's minority business makeover.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Special to The Daily Record Minority and women business owners, the fastest growing segment of Maryland's business community, have much to celebrate this year as the changes to the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program mandated...

Commentary: Eye on the Entrepreneur - Networking tips are closer than you think.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Neil Young What comes to your mind when you hear the term "networking?" Do you think of networking events, where people hand out and collect business cards? Do you think of formal referral and networking groups? Common usage has...

Interview with Joan G. Hatfield, chief executive of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Mark Cheshire Shortly after taking over as president and chief executive of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce 22 months ago, Joan G. Hatfield put together a group to look into whether the chamber was doing everything it...

Lawmakers praise Maryland's longest serving Senate president, Thomas V. Mike Miller.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil When Maryland's longest serving Senate president is absent from the chamber's rostrum, it's noticeable. One Friday morning at the start of this year's General Assembly session, in the absence of Thomas V. Mike...

Maryland may use tax code to help film industry flourish.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler Watching "Annapolis" leave the state and move to Pennsylvania was a wake-up call for Maryland officials. It happened last year, when The Walt Disney Co. moved its production of the eponymous film based on the Naval...

Md.'s $6M incentive aimed at attracting filmmakers offers sense of fiscal stability.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil A $6 million incentive aimed at attracting filmmakers to Maryland is an anomaly because it is "pre-funded" and therefore will not spring any budget surprises in the way that tax credits do, said the state's chief...

Allegany County and Frostburg State Univ. count on incubator to build tech-related businesses.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos A business incubator on the campus of Frostburg State University represents Allegany County's latest effort to build the county's base of technology-related businesses. The first two incubator tenants moved in...

Commentary: Web Sightings - ifilm.com allows replays of past Super Bowl ads.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Larry Fiorino Looking forward to the latest Super Bowl commercials this Sunday? Well, one Web site is giving you a chance to look back at the commercials of Super Bowls past. Featuring all of the commercials which debuted from...

Md. lawmakers seek more control of foreign trade.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Andrea Cecil Two lawmakers have filed bills involving international trade agreements that put them directly at odds with the governor. Sen. Paul G. Pinsky, D-Prince George's, and Del. Pauline H. Menes, D-Anne Arundel and Prince...

Bush plan for reforming Social Security splits Marylanders.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Columbia resident Robert Blakey never counted on receiving Social Security. Since he was in his 20s, the baby boomer heard economists predicting his generation's size would crush the system. It was...

Nat. Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center to be built at Fort Detrick, Md.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has just completed an environmental review to establish the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick in Frederick, the governor's office...

United Way of Central Md. reaches its 2004 fundraising goal.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports United Way of Central Maryland announced it has reached its 2004 fundraising goal of $40.4 million, which was $1 million, or 2.5 percent more, than the amount raised in 2003. This is the first time since 2001...

Hampstead-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers reports record sales.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., of Hampstead, a manufacturer and retailer of upscale men's clothing and accessories, reported record sales for the fiscal fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended Jan. 29. Total...

CommerceFirst Bancorp Inc. of Annapolis reports net income for 2004.
February 4, 2005... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports CommerceFirst Bancorp Inc., of Annapolis, the parent company of CommerceFirst Bank, a 4-year-old commercial bank, reported net income of $1.1 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, for the year ended Dec. 31,...