WEATHER
partly sunny skies and a high temperature around 60 degrees. The low temperature is expected to be around 46 degrees with rain expected tonight.
TRAFFIC
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FROM LAST NIGHT...
: On the longest night of the year, a crowd of about 200 gathered at the Baltimore Inner Harbor Amphitheater to remember the 111 people who died homeless in the city this year.
: The shooting took place just before 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of South Catherine and West Pratt streets, according to a statement from the Baltimore Police Department.
: An SUV flipped over in the 200 block of North Tollgate Rd. shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to Monica Worrell, spokesperson for the Harford County sheriff's office.
: Gov. Martin O'Malley and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp voted to approve the deal, with Comptroller Peter Franchot dissenting because of his longtime opposition to state-sanctioned slot machines.
TODAY'S FRONT PAGE
: In a deal hailed as a model for land preservation in lean budget times, a wealthy businessman has agreed to give up development rights to a 950-acre former wildlife sanctuary on the Eastern Shore that he bought 18 months ago.
: Stephanie and Erwin Greenberg volunteered to fly Sgt. Michael Frazier and his fiance, Monica Montes, home for the holidays on their company plane to spare Frazier the hassles he would have encountered on a commercial flight.
: City officials awarded the rights to run four city recreation centers to three nonprofit groups Wednesday despite fiery opposition from City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young.
: Baltimore's free New Year's Eve fireworks are back this year, but with an added wrinkle: The Inner Harbor festivities will be encircled by a metal fence, with access restricted to nine points of entry during much of the celebration.
[Compiled by Dean Jones Jr.]