Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from June 2004

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from June 2004

Launch of Baltimore's juvenile reporting center delayed.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley The Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center now has a population of around 100 youths up an average of 60 from four months ago despite claims from the Department of Juvenile Services that it would keep numbers down...

College Park targeted by Virginia developer who wants to build mini town center.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser Looking to capitalize on the growing demand for rentals in Prince George's County, a Virginia developer wants to build 500 apartments around the Ikea store near College Park. McLean, Va.-based Summit Properties is...

Turning a class project into a product for sale.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Adam Minakowski Richard Chen, a 21-year-old biomedical engineering major at the Johns Hopkins University, wants more than an "A" out of the Engineering Design Project course he took last year. Chen, along with two other senior...

Md.'s newest anti-smoking campaign asks businesses to offer discount to card holders.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt Wes Flowers, owner of Long Green Valley Florist in Glen Arm, is one of 59 business owners participating in Maryland's newest anti-smoking campaign the Here Club Card. Flowers has agreed to offer a discount to card...

War spells economic opportunity for some.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Since Sept. 11, U.S. military personnel have been working longer and often odder hours, creating a huge demand for child care and multimillion-dollar opportunity. In addition to the $30 million contract it recently...

Defense wraps up in quadriplegic's excessive force case against three Baltimore police.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier A Baltimore jury could get a quadriplegic Baltimorean's excessive force case against three city police as early as this morning. Plaintiff Jeffrey A. Alston, 39, testified last week that one of the officers broke...

Objection was waived, but award of sanctions still falls.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A federal judge in Baltimore erred in awarding $15,000 in sanctions against the unsuccessful plaintiff in an action for defamation and tortious interference with business relationships, the full 4th U.S. Circuit...

Md. Legal Briefs: June 1, 2004.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Unanimous The board of trustees for the Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers voted unanimously on Wednesday to form a committee to study how to encourage legal...

Towson real estate company to auction off 138 investment properties.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Alex Cooper Auctioneers Inc. is holding a one-day auction today of 138 investment properties at its gallery at 908 York Road in Towson. Gallery officials said it is the largest one-day real estate sale in...

Md. Technology Development Corp. awards nearly $150,000 in grants to researchers.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Maryland Technology Development Corp. awarded nearly $150,000 in grants to researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for work in their various...

Elkridge-based General Physics selected by Pennsylvania to design nuclear readiness test.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports General Physics Corp., of Elkridge, a provider of training, e-learning, management consulting and engineering services, was selected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Emergency...

Bethesda-based MobilePro to acquire USI Telecommunications of Kansas City.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports MobilePro Corp., of Bethesda, a wireless technology and broadband telecommunications company, said it signed a letter of intent to acquire US1 Telecommunications Inc., of Kansas City, Mo. US1 provides...

Md. distributes $2.3M in federal bioterrorism grants to area hospitals.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced that Maryland is distributing $2.3 million in federal funds to 13 area hospitals for bioterrorism preparedness. The hospitals are Good Samaritan, $161,995; Johns...

Federal agencies help Montgomery County remain hub for tech companies.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Montgomery County has long been a bastion of technology companies, helped along by its close proximity to the nation's largest information technology consumer, the U.S. government. U.S. agencies in the Washington...

Homeland security firms cluster in Anne Arundel County around NSA.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner National security has been a key cause of technology growth in Anne Arundel County, especially following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. With homeland safety now a core concern, the National Security Agency...

Goddard Space Flight Center helps Prince George's County attract aerospace firms.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner The technology community in Prince George's County is concentrated in an area now called the High Tech Triangle. It goes from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to the USDA Beltsville National Agricultural Research...

Tech company growth costs less in Western Maryland counties.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Maryland's Western counties where technology companies haven't grown and expanded as they have in areas closer to Baltimore and Washington bill themselves to business executives as a cheaper alternative to, say,...

Baltimore City set to keep tech companies within its borders.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Visitors to Baltimore City's Inner Harbor now can check in with their home offices via their laptops and handheld devices without plugging in, thanks to wireless technologies installed from the Maryland Science Center...

Some of MD's Eastern Shore towns move from tourism to tech.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Maryland's Eastern Shore is known more for tourism than technology, but some companies are making their businesses there and enjoying life near the water's edge. In Kent County, many towns have job creation tax...

Biotechnology and computer games grow in Baltimore County.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Many technology companies are making quiet, suburban Baltimore County their home because of financing opportunities, a responsive market, strong talent, affordable office space and a supportive environment in which to...

Carroll County hopes tech park will boost its crop of companies.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner While agriculture remains the No. 1 industry sector in Carroll County, economic development officials there are trying to lure more technology companies to its fertile lands. The county already has about 70...

Harford County growing a technology community based on Aberdeen Proving Ground.
June 1, 2004... Byline: Liz Skinner Aberdeen Proving Ground, the U.S. Army's oldest facility for testing ordnance, also has proved to be a valuable tool for cultivating civilian technology in Harford County. Many private technology companies have spun...

U.S. Census Bureau offers job, wage facts online.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe The U.S. Census Bureau yesterday began promoting a new Web site with local employment data it promises will help job seekers and businesses alike. The site tracks quarterly changes to employment counts...

Convicted murderer fights execution on two fronts.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Death-row inmate Steven H. Oken yesterday filed a motion for stay of execution at the Court of Appeals, the latest in flurry of pleadings aimed at staving off his death. Oken also filed a reply yesterday in...

Baltimore County Chamber chairman brings group's goals to work.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck A main goal of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce is to push for the accelerated development of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore City, according to its newly appointed chairman. Gregory...

Reconfigured transit center proposal pleases team of public agencies.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos Montgomery County residents will soon have a peek at the latest concept plan for the Silver Spring Transit Center, a mixed-use development planned adjacent to and above the Silver Spring Metro station. The...

Towson swimmer attracts endorsement deals.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser He wears Speedo swim trunks, talks on an AT&T Wireless cellular phone, uses a Visa card and snacks on PowerBar supplements. In the world of athlete endorsements, Towson's Michael Phelps is being called one of the...

Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity launching for-profit business.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler With charitable donations slow to recover after the economic slowdown, the Baltimore-based Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity is launching its first for-profit business to make up for the shortfall. It is just one of...

Med-mal rates likely to soar.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt Maryland physicians are bracing for another hike in medical malpractice premiums as two of the state's insurance providers prepare to raise rates by as much as 68 percent this year. Indiana-based GE Medical...

Celsion restructures to hew to federal research guidelines.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb Celsion Corp. is beefing up the team that reviews its clinical trials after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the company violated rules during trials for its first and only product. The Columbia-based...

Murder convictions upheld.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove An out-of-court statement by a witness who recants at trial is not barred by the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause, the Court of Special Appeals has held. The decision affirms the convictions of Damon Cooley...

Jury instruction no basis for new murder trial.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley A Montgomery County man who participated in an armed robbery that left the victim dead from 10 gunshot wounds has failed to convince the Court of Special Appeals to vacate his murder conviction. The court held...

Jury gets excessive force suit, with request for $42.4M.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier A claim that excessive force by three Baltimore police officers left the plaintiff a quadriplegic went to the jury yesterday afternoon. Philip C. Federico, a lawyer for plaintiff Jeffrey A. Alston, 39, alluded to a...

Value of U.S. equity offerings up to $57.7B.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The value of U.S. equity offerings increased to $57.7 billion from $20.2 billion during the first five months from the year-ago period. The number of issues increased to 323 from 128 in the year-ago period....

Economy shows strong growth in May.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The economy showed strong growth in May from the perspective of credit and collections, according to monthly survey by the Columbia-based National Association of Credit Management. The survey asks credit...

Networking breakfast on electric choice planned.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports "Why June 30 is an important date? The next step in electric choice" will be the topic of discussion tomorrow at a networking breakfast tomorrow at M&T Bank Stadium. Ruth Kiselewich, a 14-year veteran of...

Montgomery County tax hike vetoed.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan has vetoed the admissions and amusement tax passed by the county council. The measure would have raised the tax from 7 percent to 10 percent. The revenue would...

Chestertown marketing co. lands two new accounts.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Mullin/Ashley Associates Inc., a marketing company headquartered in Chestertown, has two new accounts with Celeste Industries Corp. and CP Films Inc. Celeste of Easton supplies cabin products for the...

Rising Sun Bancorp declares 5% stock dividend.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Rising Sun Bancorp, the parent company of NBRS Financial of Rising Sun in Cecil County, has declared a 5 percent stock dividend payable to holders of its common stock as of June 11. The company's board also...

Manugistics Group downgraded to 'sell' from 'neutral'.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Manugistics Group Inc., the Bethesda-based provider of supply-chain management software, was downgraded yesterday to "sell" from "neutral" by analyst Andrey Glukhov at Southwest Securities. Glukhov was the...

Constellation Energy Group raised to 'outperform' from 'market perform'.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Constellation Energy Group Inc., the Baltimore-based energy company, was raised yesterday to "outperform" from "market perform" by analyst Thomas E Hamlin at Wachovia Securities. It was the second time...

Frederick Ward Associates sells Va. office.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Frederick Ward Associates, the Bel Air-based architectural, engineering and planning firm, announced yesterday that it will sell its branch office in Warrenton, Va., to DRH Design Group. It will continue to...

Maple Financial Group buys Stone Street Financial.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Maple Financial Group, the Bethesda-based life settlement firm, has acquired the remaining minority interest in Stone Street Financial, bringing it holdings to 100 percent. Financial terms of the deal were...

T. Rowe Price Associate announces retirement of president.
June 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports T. Rowe Price Associates Foundation yesterday announced the retirement of its long-time president A. C. Hubbard Jr. Hubbard, whose affiliation with T. Rowe Price spanned 42 years, was replaced by Ann Allston...

Parole Plaza plan draws fire for traffic, school congestion.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Erwin L. Greenberg Commercial Corp. yesterday unveiled its long-awaited plan for the redevelopment of the Parole Plaza Shopping Center near Annapolis, and immediately drew skeptics. If the plan is approved, over...

Baltimore-based Constellation Energy helps WBAL caption all newscasts.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler All of WBAL TV's newscasts will be in real-time closed captioning starting this week, making the station more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Group Inc. agreed to...

Approval expected for 500-acre Clarksburg mixed-use development.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb A group of developers are boldly going where no others have gone before, at least in Montgomery County. More than 500 acres of farmland in Clarksburg, which officials are calling the county's "final frontier," would...

Maryland hospitals try to prepare for bioterrorism attack.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt A grant of $2.3 million will help 13 Maryland hospitals prepare for a bioterrorism attack, but officials at some of the medical centers said they are continuing to look for resources to be better prepared. The...

Baltimore business leaders bemoan O'Malley tax plan.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser In the face of criticism that his tax plan will deter investment, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday called the increases the only way to avoid cutting basic city services. "We have cut and cut and cut,"...

US military orders two unmanned aerial vehicle systems from Hunt Valley-based AAI Corp.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Andrea Cecil AAI Corp., the Hunt Valley company that designs and produces defense and training systems, continues to reap rewards from the U.S. military. New York-based United Industrial Corp., AAI's parent, said yesterday the...

Power suppliers grow in Maryland.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Rising numbers of suppliers wanting to sell electricity in Maryland have helped heat up competitive markets this year, according to analysts and regulatory figures. Since the start of the year, state...

Health Care - Cutting-edge vascular treatment offers less-invasive procedures.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Robert S. Coplan, M.D., M.P.H. Union Memorial Hospital's Center for Vascular Intervention is carrying out innovative technologies that emphasize replacing conventional vascular surgery with less-invasive procedures. Dr. Frank...

Chertkof lien goes back to Baltimore County court for third time.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove A familial dispute over commercial property in Essex is headed back to Baltimore County Circuit Court for a third time, as the Court of Special Appeals held that one of the cousins was wrongly denied a broker's lien...

Suitland teen charged in murder.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Emmanuel Anthony McClain, 15, of Suitland, was charged yesterday as an adult with first-degree murder for the death of an 18-year-old killed following a dispute over his offer to buy a girl a 7-Eleven Slurpee....

Md. Court of Appeals considers grandmother's crime.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Ann Parks Afaf N. Khalifa, the grandmother who served 16 months in a Maryland prison for her role in illegally taking her grandson out of the country in August 2001, was deported to Egypt last month but the question of her...

Lawyer hopes quadriplegic client will soon be paid damage award against Baltimore police officers.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier A lawyer who won a $39 million jury verdict against three Baltimore police officers hopes his quadriplegic client will soon see the money. Philip C. Federico, an attorney for Jeffrey A. Alston, 39, whose neck was...

Economic Allliance of Greater Baltimore adopts new business plan.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore has adopted a new business plan that emphasizes industry-specific business develop strategies, the economic development group said yesterday in news release. The...

Innovative Biosensors joins tech program of Univ. of Md.'s company incubator.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Innovative Biosensors Inc., which is developing a portable system to detect pathogens, has joined the Technology Advancement Program, the University of Maryland's technology company incubator. Founded in...

Germantown-based Telkonet requests to be delisted from Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Telkonet Inc., the Germantown firm that uses existing electrical wiring to carry high-speed data communications, is being delisted from the Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange at the company's request. Telkonet says...

Bennett to take over as president and CEO of Sparks-based Trans Healthcare.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Trans Healthcare Inc. of Sparks announced yesterday that W. Bradley Bennett will take over as president and chief executive, replacing Anthony F. Misitano who resigned to pursue other opportunities. Trans...

Elkridge-based General Physics Corp. selected by The Hospital and Healthsystem Assn. of Penn.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports General Physics Corp., the Elkridge-based subsidiary of GP Strategies Corp., has been chosen by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania to provide consulting services to assist in the...

Germantown-based V-ONE Corp. wins contract with Argentine government.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Germantown-based V-ONE Corp. has won the contract to provide remote access capability to the Argentine government. The World Bank is financing the deal. V-ONE recently agreed to be acquired by SteelCloud.

Two Md. companies to participate in design of Navy's Littoral Combat Ship.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Two Maryland companies, BAE Systems of Rockville and Maritime Applied Physics Corp. of Annapolis, will participate in the final design of the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship as subcontractors and teammates...

US Postal Service to commemorate 150th anniversary of USS Constellation's launch.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The U.S. Postal Service will deliver stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the USS Constellation's launch on June 30. The Constellation, anchored at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, is the U.S. Navy's last...

Gaithersburg-based MedImmune to present at global health care conference.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports MedImmune Inc., the Gaithersburg-based biotechnology firm, announced yesterday it will make a presentation at the Goldman Sachs 25th annual global health care conference June 9 in California. The public can...

Morgan Stanley reinstates coverage of Constellation Energy Group.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Coverage of Constellation Energy Group Inc.'s was reinstated "equal-weight/cautious" by analyst Scott Soler at Morgan Stanley. His price target is $40 per share. Also yesterday, Constellation announced its...

Bethesda-based Marriott International tests automated kiosks for self-service check-in and check-out.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports At three of its properties, Marriott International Inc., the Bethesda-based hotel chain, is testing NCR Corp. technology that allows guests to check themselves in and out through automated kiosks. "We are...

500 to graduate from The Community College of Baltimore County.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports More than 500 students will graduate from The Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland's largest community college system, at 6 p.m. today at the University of Maryland Baltimore County activity...

Bethesda-based Chindex International to market public-access defibrillators in China.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Under a new multi-year deal, Chindex International Inc., the Bethesda-based company that exports western health care products to China, will market Cardiac Science Inc.'s public-access defibrillators.

Robert W. Baird and Co. lowers price target on Rockville-based Manugistics Group.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports One day after Manugistics Group Inc. announced that it expects to lose as much as $8 million this quarter, analyst Patrick A. Snell at Robert W. Baird & Co. lowered his price target on the Rockville-based...

Nine Maryland professionals to join Baltimore City Community College Foundation's board.
June 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Nine Maryland professionals, including executives from Legg Mason Wood Walker, M&T Bank and Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., will join the Baltimore City Community College Foundation Inc.'s board of directors...

Commentary: Eye on the Entrepreneur - On the edge.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Neil R. G. Young, CLU, ChFC Looking back, Michael and Patti Logsdon know it all began in 1998 with a champagne lunch alongside the banks of the Colorado River in Nevada. They had chartered a helicopter and flown in with their...

Analysts expect offer for Baltimore-based Neighborcare to go up.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser In the months leading up to a hefty $1.5 billion takeover bid from its Kentucky-based rival, NeighborCare Inc. quietly had produced a sound earnings report and moved into a highly-visible new office at Baltimore's Inner...

Economic Viewpoint - Four months in a row of growth for Md. Leading Index.
June 4, 2004... Byline: John Hopkins The RESI Maryland Leading Index increased by 0.4 percent in March, representing the fourth consecutive month of growth. Strong sales growth, as well as increases in building permits and decreases in the welfare...

Farmers in need of help hope federal agriculture immigrant worker program will be overhauled.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt In 1998, Bernie Kohl Jr. made the decision to participate in a federal program that guaranteed him quality immigrant workers able to work legally in the United States. Kohl, president of Angelica Nurseries Inc., saw...

Financial analysts discuss economy; predict good news on investing front.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Mark Cheshire From your professional perspective, where is the U.S. economy headed during the next 12 months and why? Jones: The economy seems to be moving ahead at a reasonable pace at this point. Jobs are coming back,...

Despite price, drivers still want premium service.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos As gas prices rise, consumer behavior seems to be adapting in kind, especially at the pump. More consumers are traveling out of their way and are waiting in long lines to save a few bucks when they fill up...

Budget cuts, competition force libraries to examine financial principles.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Running a library like a business is a concept the director of the Baltimore County Public Library has embraced for years. With a budget of $32 million, a work force of 700 people and 17 locations, James Fish said...

Web Sightings - How to save on fuel costs on the Web!
June 4, 2004... Byline: Larry Fiorino The Memorial Day holiday weekend at the end of May marked the traditional start to the U.S. summer driving season, when motorists take to the roads in greater numbers and account for roughly 12 percent of the world's...

Maryland's Delmarva Foundation on course to reduce medical errors.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt The Delmarva Foundation, a nonprofit health quality improvement organization, has been working with hospitals, physicians and nursing homes for more than 30 years in Maryland, and recently won a state contract to expand...

Md. state law puts podiatrists on equal footing with other doctors.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb While state legislators were clamoring over slot machines and tax loopholes, Maryland podiatrists were tip-toeing through their own battlefield to end payment discrimination. Now after a three-year fight they are...

Commentary: Raising the Bar - The character witness: A potent weapon.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Paul Mark Sandler Who is this man on the witness stand denying he stole his ex-girlfriend's gold watch? What sort of reputation does he have among his friends? Did he have a loving relationship with the woman? Has he been known...

Of Service - Allegany Law Foundation supported by local bar association.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz It's a given that providing free legal services to poor people is an extraordinary challenge in rural areas. Distance, poor-to-nonexistent public transportation and a multiplicity of court jurisdictions combine to...

Commentary: UB Viewpoint - Changing the face of Maryland family law - for the better.
June 4, 2004... Byline: Leigh Goodmark The Maryland General Assembly recently made an important change in family law, to very little fanfare. This past session, the General Assembly passed a bill permitting the courts to transfer possession of family...