Dixon jury sent home until Monday

The jury in the criminal theft trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon was dismissed for the day a few minutes before 4 p.m. Friday, with deliberations set to resume at 9 a.m. Monday.

O's claim catcher Tatum off waivers

In the continued pursuit of adding catching depth behind Matt Wieters, the Orioles claimed 26-year-old Craig Tatum off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and placed him on their 40-man roster.

Port of Baltimore to get multi-million-dollar upgrade

Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Friday that a company will invest hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the port of Baltimore -- a project likely to bring thousands of jobs to the city.

Police arrest Pikesville man in pharmacy robberies

Maryland State Police said a Pikesville man wanted for robbing pharmacies has been caught in the act.

SEC settles civil fraud claims against former SafeNet employees

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has settled civil fraud claims against five former SafeNet employees, including a chief executive officer who resigned in 2006 amid a stock option scandal.

Woman, 34, fatally shot at boyfriend's funeral gathering

Joseph H. Brown III's business is death.

Police sergeant's son arrested, marijuana seized in city raid

The 21-year-old son of a Baltimore police sergeant was arrested Thursday night after officers raided the family's rowhouse on North Luzerne Avenue and found a half-pound of marijuana, the department's chief spokesman said.

Gunman robs Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Linthicum

Workers at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant in the 900 block of International Drive in Linthicum were robbed at gunpoint shortly after midnight Friday, Anne Arundel County police said.

Four Arundel teens charged with armed robbery

Anne Arundel County police arrested four teenagers Thursday and charged them in connection with an armed robbery of a man Wednesday night in the Pumphrey area.

AAA forecasts 4 percent increase in Marylanders traveling for Thanksgiving

The staycation is no match for Grandma this Thanksgiving.

October unemployment at 7.3 percent in Maryland

Employers added jobs in Maryland last month, but not enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising, the federal government said Friday morning.

Former Edgewater resident found slain

Annapolis police are looking for any information that could lead them to whoever killed a 22-year-old California man Wednesday.

Council members in Balto. Co. say they wouldn't accept raise

A citizens advisory board believes that Baltimore County's councilmen merit a raise, but most of them said Thursday that they would not accept a pay increase.

Police identify woman's body found in East Baltimore

City police have identified the woman found dead in East Baltimore this week, not far from where police have been searching for suspects in a string of rapes. The body of Lykeisha Freeman, 35, was found Tuesday in the rear of the 900 block of E. Eager St., in a grassy area behind a convenience store. The cause of death was listed as blunt-force trauma. Freeman had a history of prostitution charges, and her death came amid a string of attacks that took place at bus stops and inside homes in East Baltimore, police said.

Sex offender charged after DNA is linked to 1993 rape

A former Annapolis man, a convicted sex offender who is serving a 15-year sentence for burglary, has been charged with first-degree rape and related counts after his DNA was linked to a 1993 sexual assault in Annapolis, officials said. An Anne Arundel County judge unsealed the indictment of James Albert Henson, 47, this week. Henson is charged in the rape of a 21-year-old woman who was attacked Oct. 21, 1993, in her apartment in the 200 block of Victor Parkway.

Psychiatrist's license suspension upheld

The board that oversees physicians in the state voted Wednesday after a lengthy hearing to continue suspending the license of a Towson psychiatrist who is accused of improper conduct with boys in his care. The Maryland Board of Physicians notified Miguel Frontera on Thursday of the continued suspension, which has been in place since early this month. The board began investigating the doctor in April after Baltimore County police passed along reports from two boys who said Frontera touched their genitals during physical exams. No criminal charges were filed. Frontera has 10 days to request a review by an administrative law judge on the suspension and cannot see patients in the meantime.

General Growth gets restructure accord

General Growth Properties Inc., the bankrupt owner of most of the region's malls, said Thursday that it has come to an agreement with its creditors to restructure $8.9 billion in debt on 70 loans in a move that could enable those properties to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of the year.

Mikulski: Measure would give mammogram access at age 40

U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski said Thursday that she will introduce an amendment to the Senate health reform bill guaranteeing women universal access to mammograms beginning at age 40.

Harford to put tax, fee payments online

Harford County residents will be able to view their local taxes and pay fees online through a new government Web site starting today.

Casino jobs expo a draw

The company hoping to bring slots to Arundel Mills mall held a career fair Thursday that was heavy on lobbying for the not-yet-approved project, asking prospective job-seekers to sign postcards addressed to the Anne Arundel County Council in support of the casino.

Halethorpe woman killed in crash while vacationing in Bermuda

A Baltimore County woman was killed in a motorcycle accident while vacationing this week in Bermuda, according to law enforcement officials.

Maryland's Dino Gregory will return to team Dec. 12

Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams announced Thursday that junior Dino Gregory will return to the team Dec. 12.

Officer replaces Toohey as Balto. Co. police spokesman

Bill Toohey, the public face of the Baltimore County Police Department since 1996, has been dismissed and will be replaced by a uniformed officer.

Dixon's fate in hands of jury

Jurors in the criminal theft trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon were sent home around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, having not reached a verdict on the five counts against the mayor.

PSC approves 50-megawatt wind farm in Garrett County

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Maryland Public Service Commission has approved an application to build a 50-megawatt wind energy farm atop Backbone Mountain near Oakland in Garrett County.

Balto. Co. water main break affects about 120 homes

A 12-inch water main break Thursday morning in eastern Baltimore County affected about 120 homes and caused traffic detours at the intersection of Back River Neck Road and Old Eastern Avenue, according to a public works spokesman.

Baltimore police track down 17-year-old held hostage

Baltimore police believe they may have thwarted a killing Wednesday when they tracked down a 17-year-old boy who had been abducted while on his way to school and was being held for ransom in a vacant dwelling in Southwest Baltimore.

LPGA Championship heads to Rochester

The LPGA Championship will be held at Locust Hill golf course in suburban Rochester for one year next June, with supermarket chain Wegmans replacing McDonald's as sponsor of the season's second major.

After 21 years, Mary Beth Marsden leaving WMAR

After 21 years on-air at Baltimore's WMAR-TV, Mary Beth Marsden, the face of Channel 2 news, is leaving the station, the veteran anchorwoman said Thursday.

Howard Community College plans to raise tuition rates

Despite already high tuition, Howard Community College's trustees are preparing to raise the rates in order to give faculty members at the growing college a pay raise next fiscal year.

A new, improved flamingo

The bird is back.

Suspended Towson psychiatrist undergoes hearing

The Towson psychiatrist whose license was suspended early this month after he was accused of improper conduct with boys he was treating faced the state board that oversees doctors Wednesday in a hearing.

Fire Department faces return of $164,000 to U.S.

The city might have to pay $164,000 back to the federal government after the money was mixed with funds in an "off-the-books" log intended to circumvent oversight rules, an audit of Fire Department spending revealed.

Baltimore fire unions voice concern over adding shifts in wake of cuts

Leaders of Baltimore's fire unions told the city's spending board Wednesday that they are concerned that the Fire Department is adding emergency medical shifts after the unions had recently agreed to cuts.

Body of Bel Air man found in Vermont

Years of pain and unanswered questions ended for two Bel Air residents this week with word that their son's remains have been found in Vermont.

2 shot in Catonsville robbery are named

Baltimore County police have identified the two men who were shot during a store robbery in Catonsville on Tuesday night - one of whom was a customer who lived nearby and died in the holdup.

Baltimore County police dismiss chief spokesman

Bill Toohey, the public face of the Baltimore County Police Department since 1996, has been dismissed and will be replaced by a uniformed officer.

Giant Ritz-Carlton condo goes for $12.6 million

The developer of the Ritz-Carlton Residences said it sold a huge penthouse unit for $12.6 million Wednesday, an important deal for the struggling Inner Harbor project - and one that smashes previous records for Baltimore condo sales.

Lowe's, grocery planned for lower Charles Village site

Baltimore's first Lowe's home improvement store and a supermarket would anchor a $65 million mixed-use project straddling Charles Village and Remington under a retail developer's plans to transform the site of Anderson Automotive, a fixture since the mid-1950s.

Negro League baseball museum proposed for Baltimore

Baltimore would become home to the first East Coast museum devoted to Negro League baseball teams and players, under a $4.1 million plan that has been approved by the Dixon administration.

Enrollment jumps 5.2% at state's colleges, universities

Enrollment at Maryland colleges and universities increased by a record 5.2 percent this fall, wiping away concerns that the recession might keep students from pursuing higher education, according to a report released Wednesday by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Though all sectors, public and private, saw increases, a 9.3 percent surge in enrollment at community colleges drove the record haul of students. "What it means is that people are beginning to see a lot of opportunities out there for those with less than a baccalaureate degree," said state Secretary of Higher Education James E. Lyons. "Two-year schools are looking like a good option for people who have been laid off or are retooling their skills." Enrollment at the state university system increased by about 3 percent and enrollment at private institutions increased by about 2 percent. Lyons said the report was an overall demonstration that Maryland remains an attractive place to attend college.

Shipbuilding firm to add up to 125 jobs, expand property

Chesapeake Shipbuilding said Wednesday that it has signed a contract to acquire about three acres of property adjacent to the shipyard. The acquisition would allow the company to expand and create as many as 125 new jobs. The land, located on the Wicomico River, is now an empty lot with a "derelict" bulkhead, the company said in a press release. The company designs and builds commercial steel vessels and has been in Salisbury for more than 30 years.

Man gets life in rape, robbery at Arundel laundromat

A Baltimore man with a history of psychiatric problems rambled about himself for nearly an hour Wednesday before Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge William C. Mulford II told him he was self-absorbed and sentenced him to life in prison for raping and robbing a 62-year-old woman as she was about to close the laundromat where she worked. Christopher Parr, 31, said nothing about the July 19, 2006, attack on the woman at the Village Laundromat in Brooklyn Park or about wanting mental health treatment, though his lawyer unsuccessfully sought a recommendation for an evaluation for services at Patuxent Institution. His trial had been delayed because in 2007 he was considered mentally unfit for trial. "I think that you showed no remorse. ... I think you are entirely self-centered," Mulford told him.

Overflow crowd mourns at funeral of slain city teen

An overflow crowd spilled out of the sanctuary and into the vestibule of a West Baltimore church Wednesday morning for the funeral of Jason Mattison Jr., a 15-year-old killed last week in a brutal attack.

O's will wait on Hendrickson negotiations

While the Orioles remain interested in re-signing Mark Hendrickson, a deal will not get done during the team's exclusive negotiating window with the free-agent pitcher.

Orioles add six players to 40-man roster

The Orioles announced today that they have added six players to the 40-man roster, bringing it to capacity.

Md. panel approves $362M in budget cuts

A state spending panel approved on Wednesday $362 million in budget-balancing measures proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley and decided to continue with the closure of a state-run psychiatric hospital that employees had fought to save.

NFL fines Quinn for low hit on Ravens' Suggs

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn has been fined by the NFL for his chop block on Baltimore's Terrell Suggs.

Ravens move forward with Cundiff

When the Cleveland Browns signed Billy Cundiff almost two months ago, the kicker put spending time with his wife and daughter and a job at a venture capital firm in Phoenix on the backburner.

2 injured in fire at Dundalk senior citizen complex

An early morning two-alarm fire at a senior citizen complex in Dundalk damaged several apartments and sent hundreds of resident fleeing from the building, according to Baltimore County Fire Department officials.