Good Morning, Baltimore: Need to know for Thursday

Here's what you need to know to start your day.

WEATHER

The National Weather Service has evoked the word SNOW in today's forecast which routinely strikes fear into the hearts of Baltimoreans and Marylanders. But relax. It's only for snow showers which will come this afternoon and evening, so there is no need to race to the grocery store for toilet paper and milk. No accumulation is expected. Feel better, now? Today will be cloudy with periods of sun. There is a 25 percent chance of precipitation and northwest winds will be a gentle 3-6 mph.

TRAFFIC

Get the latest on delays for this morning's commute from baltimoresun.com.

TRENDING ONLINE THIS MORNING

Philae, the European probe that landed on a comet in a first for space exploration, successfully attached to the surface despite technical problems. 

It may seem too early to think about Christmas shopping, but Walmart and Best Buy—two popular retailers on Black Friday—are among the latest to announce special store hours on Thanksgiving.

And Kim Kardashian bares all, literally.

FROM LAST NIGHT

Republican Gov.-elect Larry Hogan has named Robert R. Neall, a widely respected former state senator and Anne Arundel County executive, to his transition team.

The FBI has joined the search for Jasmine Leighlin Baker, 12, a Perry Hall sixth-grader who was last seen Tuesday morning.

A five-story apartment building proposed for West Aylesbury Road in Timonium is off the table at least for now, according to outgoing Baltimore County Councilman Todd Huff, who represented the area.

TODAY'S FRONT PAGE

Lt. James Bethea, 62, a veteran Baltimore firefighter who responded to a blaze at a vacant row house in the 700 block of E. North Ave. Wednesday, was found dead hours later in the home next door. Baltimore police and fire officials are investigating the incident.

The O'Malley administration backed down from its controversial proposal to lease a Kent County farm to a politically connected nonprofit for a $1 a year, and promised to rebid the contract competitively.

The Maryland Board of Physicians had been alerted to red flags about Dr. William Dando by officials in two states but still allowed him to practice medicine, an inspector general's report has found.

Flower farms could take root in the city's 14,000 vacant lots, according to the city's spending panel who agreed Wednesday to contribute $5,000 for a consultant's study of the potential for leasing empty lots to flower farmers.