In Baltimore City
Judge halts sales of aloe treatment pending retrial
A federal judge has ordered a Baltimore businessman to stop selling aloe vera treatments to critically ill customers, pending his retrial in a major alternative-medicine case.
U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson, in an order Wednesday, blocked businessman Allen J. Hoffman from presenting himself as a doctor or scientist to promote his aloe and cesium chloride treatment. The judge also said federal authorities could inspect the offices of Hoffman's company, Astec Biologics of Hanover, Pa.
In June, a jury acquitted Hoffman of federal mail fraud but deadlocked on 19 charges. A second trial is to start April 16 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
Portions of JFX to close for weekend
Portions of the Jones Falls Expressway will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Monday to allow placement of steel on the Charles Street Bridge, the city Department of Public Works said.
The affected portions are the southbound JFX between North Avenue and Biddle Street and the North Avenue on-ramp to the southbound JFX.
To go south on the JFX, go southeast on Mount Royal Avenue, right onto St. Paul Street then left onto Eager Street.
Man is fatally shot in West Baltimore
A man was fatally shot last night in West Baltimore, and police said they knew of no motive or suspect.
Detective John Riddick said the victim was at North Carey and Mosher streets about 7:12 p.m. when an unknown assailant shot him several times in the torso and fled. The victim died nearly an hour later at Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Riddick said.
He said the west-side resident's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.
In Baltimore County
Bartenfelder will hold town meeting Tuesday
OVERLEA - 6th District Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder will hold a town meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Elmwood Elementary School, 531 Dale Ave.
Representatives of county agencies will present brief overviews of their departments.
The meeting is open to the public.
Work begins next month on White Marsh roads
WHITE MARSH - The State Highway Administration will begin an $857,000 construction project at White Marsh and Honeygo boulevards early next month.
Left-turn lanes will be improved, a landscaped gateway to the White March business community will be created, parts of White Marsh Boulevard will be widened and resurfaced, median curbs will be installed, and the timing of traffic signals will be adjusted.
Fifth District pupils win Engineering Challenge
UPPERCO - Fifth-grade pupils at Fifth District Elementary School took top honors recently at the 2001 Maryland Engineering Challenge at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
First place went to Bryan Botti, Gordon Covington, Eric Simmons and Adam Yates. Second-place went to Leo Hastings, Ryan Rock and Stephen Traylor.
Five teams from the school entered the Division II Theme Park Contest, which required pupils to build and demonstrate a working model theme-park ride based on a favorite storybook.