Firefighter injured in Edgemere blaze
A Baltimore County firefighter was injured yesterday in a fire in Edgemere, authorities said.
The fire started shortly after 10 a.m. in a home in the 3000 block of Wells Ave., county fire officials said.
The firefighter, who was not named, was treated for a minor injury and released from Franklin Square Hospital Center, officials said.
Fire officials said no one was home at the time of the fire.
An electrical short in a heating pad was believed to have caused the fire, the officials said.
Damage was estimated at $100,000, they said.
Nick Shields
Police Department
20 officers to be promoted today
County police officials will hold a ceremony today to announce the promotion of 20 members of the department, authorities said.
Sgt. Joseph Conger, Sgt. Cliff Hisker III, Sgt. John M. McGann and Sgt. Michael Pasko III will be all be promoted to lieutenant, officials said.
Eight corporals will be promoted to sergeant, and eight officers will become corporals, officials said.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the theater of Villa Julie College in Stevenson.
Villa Nova
Fire damages assisted living center
Four residents and two employees fled unhurt from a fire last night in an assisted living center in the county's Villa Nova section.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, traced to a malfunctioning exhaust fan in a third-floor bathroom at Comfort Villa Assisted Living in the 4100 block of Essex Road, said Elise Armacost, a county Fire Department spokeswoman.
Reported at 7:38 p.m., the fire quickly spread to the attic, causing extensive damage, Armacost said.
The fire was reported by a neighborhood resident who saw flames coming out of a third-floor window. "The staff and residents didn't know there was a fire until they saw the fire apparatus arriving," she said, adding that the residents and staff left the building on their own.
Armacost said the four displaced residents - ages 40 to 50 - were taken to the home of the center's manager, where they were expected to stay until the building is declared safe.
Richard Irwin
Pikesville
Library will be closed for work
The Pikesville Library, 1301 Reisterstown Road, will be closed to staff and the public from Monday through Jan. 21 to permit structural steel for the facility's addition to be put up.
During this time, the book drop will not be available and people will not be allowed on the property.
Library materials may be returned to any other Baltimore County Public Library branch.
The library will reopen at 9 a.m. Jan. 22 on its regular schedule of hours.
When the $4.18 million project is completed, the Pikesville Library's total space will be increased from 18,000 square feet to 21,500 square feet.
Towson
UMBC professor, legislator to speak
Thomas F. Schaller, a political science professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and state Sen. James Brochin are the scheduled speakers at the Central Baltimore County Democratic Club's January meeting in Towson.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at the East Towson Community Center, 300 Lennox Ave., Towson. It begins at 7 p.m. with a social/networking opportunity and the general meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Schaller is expected to discuss the political strategy outlined in his book, Whistling Past Dixie: How the Democrats Can Win Without the South.
Brochin is to talk about legislation to watch in the General Assembly session.
Events or news items for the Baltimore County Digest may be submitted to baltco.news@baltsun.com. Information should be sent at least 10 days in advance of the event.