Charges against Dale Lawton, Renard James, Dante Green, and Howard Smith-Cook were dropped and the men were released from jail Aug. 10. According to officials with the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services, the release took place the morning of their scheduled pre-trial hearing. They four Baltimore men accused of rape and arrested July 19 […]
Author Archives: Melissa Jones
Special to the AFRO
Posted inBaltimore News
Local Currency Set to Debut in Baltimore
Baltimore may soon have its own local currency, or scrip, if Jeff Dicken of the Baltimore Green Currency Association has his way. Next spring Dicken, with partner Michael Tew, is planning to launch the BNote, a form of money that can only be spent locally. The object, Dicken said, is to have the money stay […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Balt. Co. Councilman Proposes Ban on ‘Spice’
Baltimore County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz announced plans yesterday to ban the sale, possession and distribution of synthetic marijuana sold on the market as “Spice” and “K2.” Kamenetz said he will introduce legislation at the county council’s legislative meeting on September 7 and the proposed measure will go up for a vote on October 4. Spice […]
Posted inNational News
Obama Signs Bill to Save Education Jobs
President Obama signed legislation on Aug. 10 that would save an expected 160,000 jobs nationwide for public school teachers. The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act passed the House of Representatives by a 247 to 161 vote, with only two Republicans voting with majority Democrats to support the bill. Funds allocated through a federal $10 […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Violent Weekend Leads to More Police on Streets
A violent weekend in Baltimore came to a close with a heightened police presence across the city. According to the Baltimore City Police Department, 13 shootings – three ending with deaths and two involving police – occurred from Aug. 13 – 15. Police officials said the recent shootings bring the city’s estimated total to 136 […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Gadget Census Reveals Md. Loves High-Tech Toys
Maryland households own the most flat-panel televisions and smartphones of any state in the U.S. per capita, according to a new survey. The data was gathered in the 2010 Retrevo Gadget Census, the self-proclaimed largest study of people and the electronics they own and use. The census was conducted via an online survey from March […]
Posted inNational News
Textile Training Center Means Hope for Haiti
Months after the devastating earthquake that ravaged Haiti, new economic hope is beginning to emerge for the people of the impoverished country. A U.S.-backed textile training center formally opened for business August 11 and will train about 2,000 people per year to make sheets, T-shirts and high quality clothing items. More than 80 percent of […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Generous Benefactors Help City Keep Some Pools Open
Most Baltimore City swimming pools were closed for the summer season on Aug. 8, at least four weeks too early for city residents looking for a fun way to beat the heat. But the mayor’s office announced Wednesday that generous unsolicited donations totaling $507,000 have managed to keep the larger outdoor facilities – Cherry Hill […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Local ACLU Files Information Request for FBI Records
Offices of the American Civil Liberties Union in 29 states, including Maryland and the District of Columbia, filed Freedom of Information Act requests on July 27 to have access to records compiled by the FBI in accordance with its Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide issued to agents. The ACLU says the collection of race and […]
Posted inBaltimore Community, Baltimore News
The House That ‘Extreme Makeover’ Built
Thousands of volunteers toiled in the sweltering Baltimore heat. Vendors and contractors donated supplies, raw materials, food and water. And within a week the television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition in partnership with Excel Homes and the Maryland Community Builders Foundation completed the largest home ever built on the series for eight deserving and grateful […]
Posted inNational News
Hatch Amendment Would Require Drug Tests to Claim Unemployment
While 14.6 million unemployed Americans await a decision from Congress that could extend unemployment benefits until November, a proposal by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) would add another step to claiming those benefits. In June, Hatch introduced a controversial amendment to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 which would require persons seeking […]
Posted inNational News
Farewell, Facebook
Since the latest changes to its privacy controls, Facebook has faced serious criticism from industry watchers and users. Among the site’s biggest critics are Canadian-based Web architects, Joseph Dee and Matthew Milan. They created quitfacebookday.com in protest, and have over 15,000 users committed to leaving their Facebook accounts behind on May 31. On their Web […]