Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from October 2006

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from October 2006

Does Starbucks set the price?
October 2, 2006... Byline: Louis Llovio Standing in line at Starbucks tomorrow morning, bleary-eyed coffee drinkers looking for their morning caffeine fix might be jolted awake after seeing the cost of a cup of coffee, as a much-ballyhooed price increase...

Despite deal, Towson development faces big hurdle.
October 2, 2006... Byline: James Mosher Lawrence E. "Larry" Schmidt saw things in his 13 years as Baltimore County zoning commissioner that makes him cautious about predicting the end of any development case. Now a land-use attorney in a firm that bears...

For those with enough cash, a way to hedge housing bets.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Jen DeGregorio Residential real estate sales have gone from hot to cold in a matter of months, and many home owners who last year could have picked among myriad offers now wait while their houses sit on the market. When the...

Third name change didn't work out for Advancis Pharmaceuticals.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckelew Maybe it is time for Germantown-based Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp. to consider changing its name to an unpronounceable symbol in the same vein as entertainer Prince. The pharmaceutical development firm has been...

News Summary.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports NexTone tops Fast 50 NexTone Communications, of Gaithersburg, a provider of advanced telecommunications network systems, topped the Maryland Technology Fast 50, a list of the fastest-growing technology...

Pigtown property owner fights city on condemnation.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Jen DeGregorio A Pigtown property owner last week filed suit in Baltimore City Circuit Court to stop the city from seizing its properties via eminent domain, calling the action an unconstitutional attempt to benefit a private...

Commercial lender keeps $26M award, may get more.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks The use of a former Sam's Club as a production studio for the HBO series "The Wire" might have been thrilling to Baltimore television fans -- but not to a commercial lender. The Court of Special Appeals on Friday...

Patient sues over gauze left in chest.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A patient with Parkinson's disease filed suit against the University of Maryland Medical System Corp. last week claiming a surgeon left gauze in his chest during an operation to install portions of a deep brain...

Lawyer waived right to cry fraud, Court of Special Appeals rules.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber A lawyer who signed a very unfavorable loan agreement against the advice of his attorneys, then lost his property and sued his creditors for fraud, is out of luck. In an opinion issued last week, the Court of...

Baltimore judges finds same-day credit counseling, filing OK.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A Chapter 13 petition can be filed the same day the debtor sought credit counseling, a bankruptcy judge in Baltimore has ruled. Judges in the District of Columbia and Tennessee have reached the opposite result...

Maryland Legal Briefs: October 2, 2006.
October 2, 2006... Byline: The Daily Record Staff $1.6M sanction The Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland attorney general's office issued a final order against a Baltimore-based home builder, Opportunity Investment Group Inc., and principals...

Talbot County considers giving more rights to renters.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Talbot County officials are considering an ordinance giving renters more rights against landlords. The proposal comes after 11 rental homes had to be evacuated for serious repairs. The bill may be voted on at the...

Maryland rejects proposal to bus poor people to work.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff The state rejected a Washington County proposal to use state funds to bus poor people to work. The Governor's Office for Children said the proposal lacked a means for continuing after the $246,000 grant is...

St. John Properties Inc. launches new Web site.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff St. John Properties Inc., a Woodlawn-based property developer, launched a new Web site, www.sjpi.com. The site's main feature is a search tool that allows users to search under categories of "flex," "office,"...

Chindex International's Healthcare Services Division introduces first preferred provider organization.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff Chindex International Inc., of Bethesda, a provider of Western health care products distribution and services in the People's Republic of China, said its Healthcare Services Division introduced the first...

NexTone Communications tops Maryland Technology Fast 50.
October 2, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff NexTone Communications, of Gaithersburg, a provider of advanced telecommunications network systems, topped the Maryland Technology Fast 50, a list of the fastest-growing technology companies in Maryland which is...

Townhouse development can proceed to next stage, rules MD Court of Special Appeals.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale Montgomery County's Planning Board, rather than its County Council, is responsible for deciding whether detailed plans for a Bethesda townhouse development comply with zoning ordinances, the Court of Special...

MD government planners hope water management law will promote manageable growth.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Jen Degregorio Starting this week, municipalities have to pay more attention to water supplies before they can allow new development, thanks to a law passed this year by the General Assembly. Government planners hope the extra...

MD Legal Briefs: October 3, 2006.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports EEOC sues McCrea The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday said it filed a lawsuit against McCrea Equipment Co. Inc., a Temple Hills-based heating and air conditioning contractor,...

Small business bankruptcies in Maryland up 82%.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Louis Llovio Small business bankruptcies, Chapters 7 and 11 combined, in Maryland jumped 82.3 percent in 2005 according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The annual State Small Business...

MD Court of Special Appeals rules that animal rehab center cannot keep primates on property.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks Operators of an animal rehabilitation center in Howard County cannot legally keep primates on their property, the Court of Special Appeals held yesterday. Colleen Layton and her husband Scott Robbins currently do...

Purse uncertainty shadows sales at MD's largest auction of harness racing horses.
October 3, 2006... Byline: James Mosher Sales at Maryland's largest auction of harness racing horses were down this year, with its chief organizer pointing to continued caution by buyers unsure about future financial returns from the sport. Thomas...

MD Court of Special Appeals lets educator sue Educational Testing Service.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A Montgomery County educator who was disciplined for allegedly continuing work after time was called on a standardized test is entitled to defend herself in court, the Court of Special Appeals held. Elba M....

News Summary.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Signal Hill expands Signal Hill Capital Group LLC, of Baltimore, a 4-year-old merger and acquisitions advisory boutique firm, said it expanded its existing investment banking business to build a...

Construction on D.C. building underway.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The JBG Cos., of Chevy Chase, a real estate development company, said construction has begun on 300 New Jersey Ave., NW, a 10-story, 255,000-square-foot office building across from the Capitol in...

Officials in Cumberland, MD, tout city as ideal site for state's second veterans nursing home.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Officials in Cumberland are touting the Western Maryland city as an ideal site for the state's second veterans nursing home. Mayor Lee Fiedler said he has asked federal elected officials to help...

American Occupational Therapy Assn. develops brochure on surviving handshaking on campaign trail.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The American Occupational Therapy Association, based in Bethesda, said it has developed a brochure called "Grip and Grin: Surviving Handshaking On the Campaign Trail," to help political candidates...

Signal Hill Capital Group LLC of Baltimore expands its investment banking business.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Signal Hill Capital Group LLC, of Baltimore, a 4-year-old merger and acquisitions advisory boutique firm, said it expanded its existing investment banking business to build a nationwide specialty...

Grace Davison creates BioFuel Technologies Group.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Grace Davison, an operating segment of Columbia-based W.R. Grace & Co., a specialty chemical company, said it created a BioFuel Technologies Group to oversee intensified product development in the...

Cdex Inc. of Rockville and Analytical Spectral Devices Inc. of Colorado settle patent lawsuit.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Cdex Inc., of Rockville, which develops chemical detection technology, and Analytical Spectral Devices Inc., of Boulder, Colo., a manufacturer of laboratory equipment, said they have settled a...

Hughes Network Systems of Germantown and Microsoft to open 5,000 tech kiosks in India.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Hughes Network Systems LLC, of Germantown, a supplier of broadband satellite services, said its Indian unit, Hughes Network Systems India, and Microsoft Corp. India Pvt Ltd will open 5,000...

Essex Corp. of Columbia completes acquisition of Adaptive Optics Associates of Cambridge, MA.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Essex Corp., of Columbia, which makes advanced signal and image processing equipment, said it completed its previously announced acquisition of Adaptive Optics Associates Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.,...

Gilead Sciences Inc. of California to buy Myogen Inc. of Westminster, Colo.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., maker of the world's best-selling AIDS medicine, will buy Myogen Inc., of Westminster, Colo., for about $2.5 billion to acquire experimental...

Marriott International Inc. to open at least five of its Courtyard brand hotels in Dubai.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Marriott International Inc., the biggest U.S. hotel operator, plans to open at least five of its Courtyard brand hotels in Dubai, Bloomberg News reported, citing a Dubai-based newspaper, Gulf News....

University of Maryland launches "Win in China-Smith Business Plan Competition".
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, a provider of executive education programs in China, announced the launch of the "Win in China-Smith Business Plan Competition," a...

Micros Systems Inc. of Columbia selected by Warwick International Hotels of Seattle.
October 3, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Micros Systems Inc., of Columbia, a provider of information systems to the hospitality and retail industries, said Warwick International Hotels, of Seattle, selected its property management, sales...

News Summary.(Company overview)
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Blow to Lockheed The U.S. Air Force has proposed cutting its weapons buying by about $13 billion between 2008 and 2013, in part by postponing the purchase of 21 Joint Strike Fighters built by...

Hunt Valley-based RealLife HR flies high.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record RealLife HR, of Hunt Valley, a provider of benefits management technology and outsourcing services, said it was selected by US Airways Group Inc. to provide complete benefits enrollment and administration services....

Blow to Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record The U.S. Air Force has proposed cutting its weapons buying by about $13 billion between 2008 and 2013, in part by postponing the purchase of 21 Joint Strike Fighters built by Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp., the...

Gain for University of Maryland University College.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record The Master's Degree in Distance Education program at the University of Maryland University College, the online and adult education arm of the University of Maryland, has been awarded CEL accreditation by the European...

Whirlpool picks Gaithersburg-based GXS Inc.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record GXS Inc., of Gaithersburg, which operates one of the world's largest business-to-business e-commerce services, said it has been chosen by Whirlpool Corp., a major manufacturer of home appliances, to support its...

Rockville-based MacroGenics Inc. awarded $50M contract.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record MacroGenics Inc., of Rockville, a biotechnology company focused on developing antibodies and vaccines to treat cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases, said it has been awarded a contract, valued at $50...

Baltimore-based FTI Consulting Inc. buys London firm.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record FTI Consulting Inc., of Baltimore, a national provider of consulting and technology services, said it closed its previously announced acquisition of FD International (Holdings) Limited, a London-based business and...

Bethesda company obtains ISO.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Innovative Neurotronics Inc., a subsidiary of Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc., of Bethesda, said it achieved ISO 13485:2003 and ISO 9001:2000 certification, verifying that it has in place quality management systems in...

Bethesda-based Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. gets bigger.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Bethesda, said it has completed the acquisition of all of the capital stock of its affiliated European and Asian operating companies, Sucampo Pharma Europe Ltd. and Sucampo Pharma Ltd.,...

Military contract for DRS unit in Calverton.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record DRS Technologies Inc., a New Jersey-based defense company whose Technical Services unit is located in Calverton, said it has been awarded a five-year, $143 million contract to provide lightweight, easily transportable...

Military contract for DRS.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record DRS Technologies Inc., a New Jersey-based defense company whose Technical Services unit is located in Calverton, said it has been awarded a five-year, $143 million contract to provide lightweight, easily transportable...

Baltimore-based Target Logistics Inc. expands.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Target Logistics Inc., of Baltimore, a domestic and international freight forwarder and logistics provider, said its wholly owned subsidiary, Target Logistics Services Inc., has acquired assets of Capitaland Express...

SWIFT selects Belcamp-based SafeNet Inc.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record SafeNet Inc., of Belcamp, which manufactures software to protect communications on the Internet, said it has been selected by SWIFT, a financial industry-owned cooperative, to furnish security modules and...

Maryland Jockey Club unveils 2007 Preakness logo.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record The Maryland Jockey Club, the subsidiary of Magna Entertainment Corp. that operates Baltimore's famed Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, unveiled the 2007 Preakness logo, designed for the eighth consecutive year by...

Baltimore County Public Library project underway.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Lutherville-based Mullan Contracting Co. is beginning a $2.8 million construction project to expand the Pikesville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library and an adjoining senior citizens center by about 3,500...

RealLife HR flies high.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record RealLife HR, of Hunt Valley, a provider of benefits management technology and outsourcing services, said it was selected by US Airways Group Inc. to provide complete benefits enrollment and administration services....

U.S. District Court rules U.S. must pay $5.2M for missed diagnosis.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks A woman who suffered severe and permanent neurological injuries after giving birth to her second child in 2000 has won a $5.2 million judgment against the federal government. Doctors at the Malcolm Grow Medical...

MD Court of Special Appeals rules net worth includes asset purchased with home equity.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Barbara Grzincic An asset secured by a home mortgage is still an asset in the eyes of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. The Court of Special Appeals agreed this week, upholding a ruling that James G. Bennett's...

U.S. District Court rules part of officer's suit must go - but not his lawyer.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber The lawyer for a fired Baltimore police officer may continue to represent the officer in his wrongful termination suit against police officials, even though the lawyer, a former attorney for the police department, is...

Owings Mill-based CareFirst unveils health care savings account program.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Louis Llovio Owings Mill insurance giant CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Inc. said yesterday it would fuse its HMO product with its consumer directed health plans to create a single plan called BlueChoice Healthcare Savings Account....

Catonsville development talks stall.
October 4, 2006... Byline: James Mosher Talks aimed at reaching a compromise on a Catonsville housing development have gone nowhere, with the project's leading foe headed to court this month looking to draw attention to a zoning issue he says has statewide...

High-speed Internet brings Hopkins to India.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Joe Bacchus Yesterday morning, doctors in India examined microscope slides in Maryland with the help of an Internet connection that puts regular broadband to shame. "It's almost as if they were right in the room," said Dr....

HIV treatment a boon to Rockville-based Human Genome's line.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckekew Human Genome Sciences Inc.'s HIV treatment product line, for which the company has released positive clinical results, focuses on one of the most closely watched new techniques in treating the virus that causes AIDS....

News Summary.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Detainee petition filed The nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights, of New York, said it filed a habeas corpus petition in federal district court in Washington on behalf of Majid Khan, a Maryland...

Detainee petition filed for Maryland resident.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record The nonprofit Center for Constitutional Rights, of New York, said it filed a habeas corpus petition in federal district court in Washington on behalf of Majid Khan, a Maryland resident who is one of the 14 "ghost...

MD prison guard indicted.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record A state prison guard employed at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Somerset County has been indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of engaging in predatory sexual conduct over the Internet, the U.S....

Murder retrial underway in Hagerstown.
October 4, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Jury selection began Monday in Hagerstown in the retrial of a man convicted in 2004 of beating a 68-year-old woman to death with a board during a home burglary. Jack L. Hammersla's conviction for premeditated...

News Summary.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Cyber-crime prevention The Office of the Attorney General said it has launched a new Web page (www.oag.state.md.us/cybersecurity.htm) to alert consumers on how to protect themselves against...

Maryland company and Georgetown University plan 'virtual teaching' conference.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Joe Bacchus A Maryland company that believes computers could some day replace flesh-and-blood teachers will team with Georgetown University to lay the foundation for that potential future. Juxtopia LLC and the university will share...

MD Court of Special Appeals rules parolee gets no credit for time served on vacated conviction.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Caryn Tamber A parolee is not "in custody" for purposes of crediting him for time served on a vacated conviction, the Court of Special Appeals held. That's because the statute that addresses credit for time served on a vacated...

MD Department of Transportation seeks private partners.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Dori Berman To overcome a shortage of cash available for transportation projects, the Maryland Department of Transportation is reaching out to the private sector for help in making improvements along the Interstate 270 corridor in...

Lawsuit: Prince George's school won't let girl read Bible.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Ann W. Parks As her champion tells the story, 13-year-old Amber Mangum had just been learning about the First Amendment in a history class. And the lesson was still fresh in her head when, after eating lunch on Sept. 14, the...

Prince George's County nightclub files federal suit against county over adult entertainment law.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale A Prince George's County nightclub filed a federal suit against the county this week, claiming a new law to regulate adult entertainment is unconstitutionally vague and limits free expression. The law, which...

Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences keeps '06 revenue guidance.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Karen Buckelew Human Genome Sciences Inc. is on track to have its first two drug candidates in Phase III human trials by the end of this year, without having to raise additional funds, according to the company. On the occasion of a...

MD Critical Area Commission nixes prime part of project on shore of Little Blackwater River.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Jen Degregorio The Maryland Critical Area Commission yesterday voted unanimously against a developer's plan to build a sprawling commercial and housing project along the shores of the Little Blackwater River in Cambridge. But...

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. of Baltimore unveils advisory services for retirement portfolios.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports T. Rowe Price Group Inc., of Baltimore, an investment management company, unveiled a new package of advisory services geared to investors with at least $100,000 in investment assets, who are...

James P. Schear named Baltimore/Washington International Airport's security chief.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports James P. Schear, currently general manager for plans and programs in the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's Office of Security Operations, has been named federal security director at...

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers have success with hay fever vaccine.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said its researchers successfully used an experimental DNA-based vaccine to protect against ragweed allergies, commonly known as hay fever, after...

Legg Mason Inc. of Baltimore names Donald E. Froude managing director & head of distribution.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Legg Mason Inc., of Baltimore, an asset management firm, said it named Donald E. Froude as managing director and head of U.S. distribution. Froude will be responsible for overseeing sales,...

HealthCare Resolution Services Inc. of Laurel awarded $6 million contract by U.S. Navy.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports HealthCare Resolution Services Inc., of Laurel, a provider of health care consulting, health information management and outsourcing services, said it was awarded a five-year, $6 million contract by...

Merkle Inc. of Lanham names Eric Kirby senior VP and general manager of Denver division.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Merkle Inc., of Lanham, a provider of database marketing services, said Eric Kirby has been named as senior vice president and general manager of Merkle's Denver-based e-mail marketing division,...

Cecil County to receive state grants to preserve thousands of acres.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Cecil County will receive about $3 million in state grants that will be used, in part, to preserve thousands of acres of land, the Cecil Whig reported. The county has a goal of preserving a total of...

Baltimore Development Corp. seeks plan for making 16-block long corridor pedestrian-friendly.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Baltimore Development Corp., Baltimore City's quasi-public economic development arm, said it issued a Request for Qualifications for consultants to develop a comprehensive concept plan for...

St. Mary's College of MD program offers donated, reconditioned bicycles to students and staff.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports St. Mary's College of Maryland officials said they launched a new program that makes free, reconditioned bicycles, donated by nearby Trinity Episcopal Church, available to students, faculty and...

University of MD Smith School of Business stages its own 'Idol' contest.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, said it is staging its own version tonight of "American Idol Meets the Apprentice," as undergraduate business...

Maryland's two Democratic U.S. senators applaud Homeland Security spending bill.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Maryland's two Democratic U.S. senators applauded yesterday's signing by President Bush of the 2007 Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Paul S. Sarbanes...

MD Attorney General's office launches cyber-crime prevention Web page.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The Office of the Attorney General said it has launched a new Web page (www.oag.state.md.us/cybersecurity.htm) to alert consumers on how to protect themselves against various forms of cyber-crimes....

Law Digest.
October 5, 2006... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports COURT OF APPEALS Constitutional Law, Separation of powers: Schisler v. State, No. 140, Sept. Term 2005. Legislation reconstituting the State Public Service Commission impermissibly usurped...