Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from February 2008

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from February 2008

Maryland technology firms announce staffing changes: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Northrop Grumman Corp. has hired Joseph J. Ensor as vice president and general manager of the newly created Space & ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) Systems Division within the company's...

Maryland real estate firms announce staffing changes: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Opus East LLC has promoted Steve Cohen to vice president of real estate. He is responsible for sourcing new development opportunities for the company in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. Cohen...

The Humane Society of Harford County hires manager of technician department.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Humane Society of Harford County announced that Christine Morgan-Cochran has joined the organization as the manager of the technician department. Morgan-Cochran is a Maryland licensed and registered...

Baltimore-based Weinberg Harris & Associates hires account executive.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Weinberg Harris & Associates, a Baltimore-based marketing and public relations agency, announced a firm expansion by hiring Patricia Mager Wise as an account executive. Wise will provide account service,...

Towson's St. Joseph Medical Center appoints department head of OB/GYN.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Judith Pratt Rossiter, M.D., has been appointed department head of OB/GYN at St. Joseph Medical Center. Dr. Rossiter, who is also director of the Perinatal Center at St. Joseph Medical Center, has been a...

Baltimore-based Vertis Communications hires president, direct marketing.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Vertis Communications has hired Charles Miotke as president, direct marketing. Miotke brings to Vertis more than 30 years of experience in printing, direct marketing, sales and marketing leadership. He joins...

Maryland boards announce staffing changes: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Ryan F. Ogden, senior vice president of Bozzuto Acquisitions in Greenbelt, has been named to the board of directors of the Casey Cares Foundation. The foundation is a charity headquartered in Baltimore which...

Maryland-based BioReliance Corp. names vice president of operations.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff BioReliance Corp. announced that James J. Kramer has been named vice president of operations, U.S. Biologics. In his new position, Kramer is the US Biologic Services Value Stream leader for the company and...

Value City leaving Cumberland.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Value City in downtown Cumberland is expected to close in the next six to eight weeks. Robin Hepler, with the Columbus, Ohio, public relations firm Paul Werth Associates, said the store is one of more than...

Maryland-based Polk Audio products to be available at Best Buy.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Polk Audio's home audio entertainment products will be available in June at more than 900 Best Buy locations throughout the U.S., according to an announcement by Directed Electronics Inc., which acquired the...

Owings Mills-based Avatech Solutions aids Texas company.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Avatech Solutions Inc., of Owings Mills, a provider of design automation software and technical support for the manufacturing, building design and engineering markets, said it added Houston-based Veristic...

Marylanders receive awards: February 1, 2008.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Community College of Baltimore County has named Charlyn Cassady (assistant coordinator, reading) as its Teacher of the Year for an award sponsored by the Essex-Middle River-White Marsh Chamber of Commerce....

Maryland's new living wage law may pinch small businesses.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Maryland should have its living wage law for state service contractors fully in place by the end of the month, but some worry that the way it is enforced could put smaller businesses at a disadvantage. The law,...

News buildings, including the Baltimore Sun building, change hands.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Tribune Co., acquired last month by real estate billionaire Sam Zell, agreed to buy offices that the publisher leases for its newspapers and sell a broadcast location in Los Angeles once used by Warner Bros....

Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin to cut jobs in Texas.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, the world's largest defense company, said it will cut about 650 jobs at a plant in Fort Worth, Texas, as engineering and development work begins to conclude on its new F-35...

Northrop Grumman to add jobs in Maryland.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Los Angeles-based defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. said it will add 500 jobs to its Electronic Systems sector in Linthicum. Sector President Jim Pitts said the new workers will fill mostly engineering...

Mixed picture for banks in Maryland.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Banking companies in Maryland that released their fourth-quarter earnings for 2007 include Shore Bancshares, of Easton, which reported earnings of $3.34 million, or 40 cents per diluted share, compared to...

Michelle L. Whelley, Baltimore economic development official, headed to New Haven.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Michele L. Whelley, a veteran economic development official in Baltimore, has been named chief executive officer of the newly formed Economic Development Corporation of New Haven, according to an announcement...

Timonium-based Omega Healthcare Investors improves bottom line.
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Omega Healthcare Investors Inc., of Timonium a real estate investment trust that invests in the long-term care industry, said its fourth-quarter results grew by more than 23 percent on higher rental revenue,...

Week in Review.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports New Legg CEO Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc. ended its search for a president and CEO Monday when it appointed company executive Mark R. Fetting to the role. Fetting stepped into the position immediately,...

Commentary: Charitable Giving: Find the keys to financial literacy at Money Power Day on Feb. 16.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Betsy Nelson Financial literacy is the ability of individuals to make appropriate decisions in managing their personal finances. Having the right information is key to this decision-making process. Over the years, corporations...

Commentary: Tech Talk: Super Bowl advertisers mix medias.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Larry Fiorino The Super Bowl is one of the most highly anticipated television events of the year and this year fans will tune in to not only see the New England Patriots attempt to make history, but also to watch the just as famous...

Conflicting evidence on whether the Super Bowl really drives big TV purchases in Maryland.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook With the Super Bowl being played Sunday, retailers haven't been shy about barraging consumers with advertisements offering deals and discounts in an effort to get them to plunk down hundreds -- if not thousands -- of...

Maryland ratepayers will bear $850M cost of 15% energy use reduction plan.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Regulators, lawmakers and utilities agree that energy conservation is the cheapest, quickest way to reduce pressure on Maryland's power system, but selling a conservation plan to the public might be tough given the...

4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says smell of marijuana not enough for warrantless search.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Police who entered an apartment after smelling marijuana coming from it violated the Fourth Amendment even though they later obtained a warrant to confiscate the drugs and other evidence used at trial, the 4th U.S....

Baltimore-based Under Armour profits soar.(Financial report)
February 1, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc., the maker of sweat-wicking athletic clothes, said fourth-quarter profit rose more than analysts estimated on higher demand for training apparel. Net income climbed 42...

MedStar Health adding Montgomery General Hospital to its system.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Karen Buckelew Ninety-year-old Montgomery General Hospital officially gives up its independence Friday, becoming the eighth hospital in the MedStar Health system. At the same time, Columbia-based MedStar and Montgomery General...

Prince George's County jury awards $1.4M to spied-upon workers.
February 1, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A Prince George's County jury has awarded nearly $1.4 million to two longtime Pepco employees who were surreptitiously tracked by private investigators hired by the Washington utility. After a three-day trial...

Place to Be.
February 2, 2008... Ongoing Starting Feb. 2, 200 real human body specimens will unveiled in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, and Maryland Science Center visitors will see a newly added component to this...

Commentary: Web Watching: Remember the Milk is a to-do list organizer worth remembering.
February 2, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook While there is no shortage of Web sites that help you organize to-do lists, RemembertheMilk.com, with its ease of use and compatibility with a number of online services, stands out as one of the best options. Remember...

Law Digest.
February 4, 2008... MARYLAND COURT OF APPEALS Labor & Employment, Overtime compensation: Correctional supervisors are exempt administrative employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act not entitled to overtime compensation. Joseph Colburn, et al. v....

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Appeals: February 4, 2008.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Labor & Employment Overtime compensation for under FLSA BOTTOM LINE: Correctional supervisors are exempt administrative employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act not entitled to overtime compensation....

Legal Opinions - U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals: February 4, 2008.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Criminal Law Ineffective assistance of counsel BOTTOM LINE: Failure to introduce evidence of the defendant's character and history of a bad childhood during the defendant's murder trial did not constitute...

Legal Opinions - U.S. District Court, Maryland: February 4, 2008.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Civil Procedure Motion to compel discovery BOTTOM LINE: District court denied motion to compel information on immigration status of plaintiffs where the probative value of the information sought was...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings: February 4, 2008.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL DECISION AND THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES SHALL NOT BE DISCLOSED Child Abuse & Neglect Evidence credibility Appellant v. Baltimore City Department of Social Services OAH No.:...

Week in Review - Legal Edition.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Wright, Zarnoch appointed to CSA The governor has appointed former Judge Alexander Wright Jr. and Robert A. Zarnoch to the Court of Special Appeals. Wright, 58, who will replace now-Court of Appeals Judge...

My First/Maryland attorney discusses his ride to the tide.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer It seemed like a unique thing to do -- a handful of 30- and 40-somethings hopping on their bicycles and riding the 125 miles out to Ocean City for the 1984 Maryland State Bar Association Annual Meeting. Little did...

Maryland law firms announce staffing changes: February 4, 2008.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff With the recent announcement of three new female principals, Stein, Sperling, Bennett, De Jong, Driscoll & Greenfeig P.C. is a law firm ahead of the curve. According to the Commission on Women in the...

From seminars to shoe shopping, female-only events gain a foothold in Maryland.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber Susan D. Baker has nothing against golf, really. It's just that playing 18 holes while schmoozing with clients can turn into an all-day activity. It's time the Niles, Barton & Wilmer LLP partner has noticed she and...

Heard this week.
February 4, 2008... “The governor feels that it's pretty sad and appalling that on the same day Constellation would announce 37 percent profit in this quarter, they would also try to stick Maryland ratepayers with an additional $386 million.” Rick...

Profile in Leadership: From Baltimore judge to jet-setter for a cause: Ellen M. Heller.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney For Ellen M. Heller, former administrative judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court, retirement from the bench was no retreat to a gated community in Boynton Beach for bridge and bingo. Rather, it was a career...

Maryland's Court of Special Appeals says law firm not liable for malpractice.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff A lower court's finding of contributory negligence in a legal malpractice action will stand, the Court of Special Appeals has held. Thomas van der Heyden and Taiwan Digital Broadcast Services Ltd. (TDBS)...

Retired Prince George's County judge offers an online alternative for ADR.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber Monty Ahalt believes that most civil cases can be resolved without the parties ever being in the same room or even on the same phone call. The retired Prince George's County Circuit Court judge runs...

Maryland family reaches settlement in fatal Comair crash suit.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber The family of the only Marylander aboard the Comair plane that crashed in Lexington, Ky., in 2006 has settled its lawsuit against the airline. Fifty-seven-year-old Steve McElravy, along with everyone else aboard...

Court of Special Appeals: Md.'s tobacco settlement to go to arbitration.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber The Court of Special Appeals has backed tobacco companies in their fight to have an arbitrator hear their disagreement with Maryland over the amount of settlement money they were required to pay to the state in 2003....

Maryland Court of Special Appeals finds drunk driver not just 'sleeping it off'.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer The Court of Special Appeals has rejected a challenge to a driving-while-impaired conviction, holding there was enough circumstantial evidence to conclude the appellant had driven the car while in an intoxicated state...

Baltimore jury awards $15.3M in asbestos exposure case.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A Baltimore jury has awarded $15.3 million to a 73-year-old Halethorpe man whose terminal cancer was linked to asbestos exposure while working at a South Baltimore shipyard in the 1950s. After a two-week trial...

Emotions run high in Maryland's wind farm debate.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman When the Department of Natural Resources crafts its policy on whether to build wind turbines on public land, the testimony of emotional citizens will weigh heavily in its decision. At issue are the proposals by a...

Recent foreclosure crisis nearly cost Notre Dame of Md. grad, real estate agent her house.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan Mary J. Klipa, a 36-year-old mother of two, has a degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and a real estate license. She doesn't fit the stereotype of the average victim of the current foreclosure crisis....

Collector cars to be sold in Ocean City.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Express Auctioneers, of Baltimore, announced it will hold a Collector Car auction for the second consecutive year on Feb. 9-10 at the Ocean City Convention Center. Express officials said they anticipate...

New sickle cell unit to open at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff A new urgent care center specifically geared to treat sickle cell patients experiencing acute pain will open Feb. 5, physicians at Johns Hopkins Medicine announced. A formal opening celebration is scheduled...

Eight Maryland companies participate in Northeast Food Buyers Mission.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Maryland Department of Agriculture said eight Maryland companies participated in the annual Northeast Food Buyers Mission in Philadelphia in January. The companies showcased clams and seafood soups, wine...

Students from U of Maryland biz school ring bell at NY Mercantile Exchange.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Students from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park participated in ringing the bell to open trading Friday morning on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The...

Beltsville-based SunEdison LLC, Constellation Energy announce pact.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff SunEdison LLC, of Beltsville, a provider of solar energy services, announced a 15-year agreement to sell an estimated four megawatts of solar renewable energy credits in Maryland to Constellation Energy...

Hunt Valley-based Tessco Technology adopts anti-takeover plan.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Tessco Technologies Inc., of Hunt Valley, a supplier of wireless communications equipment, on Friday said its board of directors unanimously adopted a stockholders rights plan aimed at preventing an...

Maryland-based Constellation Energy's ratings eyed.
February 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Citing objections by Constellation Energy Group to several recent reports of the Maryland Public Service Commission, Fitch Ratings said Friday it has placed investment-grade ratings of Constellation and its...

Baltimore office of EEOC sues farm operators.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Paul Samuel The Baltimore office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Thursday it has sued a Phoenix horse-breeding farm's operators for firing a female employee after she complained of sexual harassment. The...

Transit authority not liable for slip and fall, Maryland Court of Special Appeals finds.
February 4, 2008... Byline: Christian Doran The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is not liable for injuries sustained by Myra Jackson at the Landover Metro station parking lot, the Court of Special Appeals has held. Jackson slipped and...

Federal judge in Baltimore reduces punitive damage award in funeral protest case.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A federal judge in Baltimore on Monday reduced the punitive damage amount awarded to the father of a U.S. Marine whose 2006 funeral was picketed by Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. Westboro and three of its...

News Summary - 2/5.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Integral earnings triple Integral Systems Inc., the maker of Epoch Client satellite systems and software, said first-quarter profit more than tripled and raised its earnings forecast for the year ending...

Maryland's energy chief says agency needs more staff to cut power use.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Gov. Martin O'Malley's energy policy chief is "deeply troubled" by recommendations that the General Assembly eliminate five of seven new state jobs intended to help reduce electric consumption in the state, he told...

Court ruling means Maryland students may be entitled to refunds.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber Some state school students and alumni denied in-state tuition could be reimbursed for the difference between the in-state rate and the price they paid. In a case that has been ongoing for six years and even made it...

Maritime Institute's realistic simulator helps commercial sailors.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Speeding through the Inner Harbor in a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter at about 25 mph, the boat pitches back and forth rhythmically, just enough to make a person seasick. The ride feels like a video game played over an...

Community mourns death of Towson attorney.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney Towson attorney John W. Browning, shot to death with his family Friday night, was remembered by stunned associates Monday as an affable man who kept an eye on his firm's and clients' business details, and committed...

Lanham-based Integral Systems earnings triple.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Integral Systems Inc., the maker of Epoch Client satellite systems and software, said first-quarter profit more than tripled and raised its earnings forecast for the year ending in September. The...

France may buy Hellfire missiles from Lockheed Martin.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest defense company, may sell Hellfire II missiles to France for use on its Tiger attack helicopter fleet after an agreement was reached between the U.S. and...

Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association partners with makers of Old Bay.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) Monday announced a new partnership with the makers of Old Bay. The marketing program is one of the first in a series of strategic...

Gaithersburg-based MedImmune announces name for protein inhibitor.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:INFI) and MedImmune Inc. today announced that the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council, in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO)...

Shares of Columbia-based Sourcefire fall.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Shares of Sourcefire Inc. tumbled Monday--at one point hitting their lowest since the company went public last March -- after an analyst said 2008 will likely be a tough year as large corporations...

Germantown-based Weather Bug to introduce GPS.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports WeatherBug, the Germantown-based operator of the world's largest weather network, announced Monday an agreement with Magellan to introduce a connected portable auto navigation solution to include...

Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation selects site for youth baseball complex.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation has selected 48 acres on the Rappahannock River for a youth baseball complex for young people in need. Philanthropist Doris Buffett, who committed $1 million in...

Real estate investment trust acquires Baltimore South Travel Center in Jessup.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports According to CoStar Realty Information, Hospitality Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust, has acquired the Baltimore South Travel Center in Jessup from a private investor for $24.9...

Group sues Maryland Dept. of Agriculture.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports A water protection group is suing Maryland officials to open records on pollutants coming from state farms. The Waterkeeper Alliance sued Monday, calling for the state Department of Agriculture to...

Two Cascade teens charged in school theft.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Washington County Sheriff's Office says a report of suspicious activity in a wooded area in Cascade led deputies to a hiding place for stolen electronic items. A caller late Sunday afternoon...

Maryland State Police charge man in video store slaying.
February 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports State Police have charged a Westminster man in the shooting death of a Carroll County video store employee. Police say 26-year-old Michael Ryan Anderson is charged with first- and second-degree...

News Summary - 2/6.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Developer gives $3M to UM The University of Maryland announced a $3 million gift from Baltimore developer John B. Colvin and his wife Karen. The money will be used to establish the Colvin Institute of...

Downtown Partnership taking on Baltimore's pigeons.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Amanda Munsie The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore wants to purge the city of pigeons. The group isn't sure where the birds will go, though, and it doesn't much care. "Pigeons will go where they find food," said Mike...

City of Baltimore expected to approve sale of Hendler Creamery for $750K.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan City officials are expected Wednesday to approve a land disposition agreement for the sale of 1107 E. Fayette St., a 115-year-old building that was once the warehouse for one of the nation's first mass-producers of...

Foreclosure reform bills take stage in Maryland legislature.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Fixes proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley for the state's rising number of foreclosures met with little outright opposition at their first legislative hearing Tuesday, but business groups took issue with some aspects of the...

Cameras at sentencings receive mixed reviews in Annapolis.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer News directors and lawyers butted heads in Annapolis Tuesday over a bill that would allow television stations to broadcast criminal sentencing hearings, with proponents calling for more public access while opponents...

Maryland bill targets paint manufacturers.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Victims of lead-paint poisoning may soon be able to recover against a party that in the past seemed almost untouchable: paint manufacturers. A bill is to be introduced in the General Assembly on Wednesday, according...

Baltimore developer gives $3M to UM.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The University of Maryland announced a $3 million gift from Baltimore developer John B. Colvin and his wife Karen. The money will be used to establish the Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development in the School...

Bond sale to finance hospital in Hagerstown.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Washington County Health System plans to sell its first bonds in 14 years this week to finance construction of a replacement hospital. Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown, Western Maryland's largest...

Downtown Baltimore hotel improvements slated.
February 6, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Baltimore International College, which offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in culinary arts and hotel and restaurant management, said its Mount Vernon Hotel at 24 W. Franklin St. in downtown Baltimore will...