Schools chief in Arundel gets a bonus of $6,000
The Anne Arundel County school board unanimously approved yesterday a $6,000 bonus for Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell, boosting his salary to $237,750.
Maxwell, a veteran of the Prince George's and Montgomery school systems who took over Anne Arundel schools last year, was praised by board members for a staff restructuring at Annapolis High School and for his work promoting specialized "signature" programs and magnet schools.
The performance bonus follows a 3 percent cost-of-living salary increase that became effective July 1. Maxwell is the fifth-highest paid superintendent in Maryland.
Justin Fenton
Baltimore
: Derailment
CSX crews place engine back on tracks
CSX railroad crews used a crane last night to place a diesel locomotive back on the tracks after it derailed yesterday morning near Carroll Park, said a railroad spokesman.
Garrick Francis, the spokesman, said that the derailment occurred about 11:15 a.m., two blocks south of the 2500 block of Wilkens Ave. near the Mount Clare railroad yard, and that diesel fuel spilled onto the ground.
He said CSX crews and members of the state's Department of the Environment removed the spilled fuel. Francis said that the locomotive was not pulling any cars when it derailed. CSX officials are investigating the incident, he said.
Francis said that the derailment caused little or no delay along the line, and that neither the engineer nor the conductor aboard the engine was injured.
Immunizations
Compliance rate for schools nears goal
About 99.4 percent of city students had received state-required immunizations by Sept. 30, a figure that put the school system close to its targeted goal of at least 99.7 percent compliance.
City school system officials say 460 youngsters remained barred from school for failing to get vaccinations for Hepatitis B and chickenpox.
Tom DeWire, the system's SchoolStat director, said school officials expect to get the number down to 290 students by the end of next week, which would be about 99.7 percent of the 82,451 student enrollment.
Brent Jones
City Council
Curran is honored for smoking-ban effort
City Council Vice President Robert W. Curran received an award yesterday from the American Lung Association of Maryland for his work in getting Baltimore's smoking ban approved this year.
Curran, 57, sponsored the smoking-ban legislation, which was approved Feb. 26 and which prompted the General Assembly to pass a statewide smoking ban for bars and restaurants this year. Both bans will take effect Feb. 1.
The Jack Lodge Award recognizes people who help advance the goals of the association. The award was presented at a ceremony in Ellicott City.
John Fritze
West side
Blaze extinguished in vacant rowhouse
City firefighters extinguished a fire that started in a vacant rowhouse in West Baltimore early yesterday morning, and the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Firefighters responded to the house in the 2000 block of McCulloh St. about 2:30 a.m. and began fighting a fire in a rear bedroom on the second floor, authorities said. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes, authorities said. The house was not occupied, and no one was injured while fighting the fire.
Gus G. Sentementes
Road closures
Detours, snarls due along Madison Street
Baltimore transportation officials announced yesterday the beginning of overnight closures of a portion of Madison Street through Nov. 1. The closures - set to take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Thursdays through Sundays - are needed for construction of the Kennedy Krieger Garage and Building. Madison will be closed between Rutland Avenue and Broadway, and motorists should expect congestion during the construction work, officials said. Westbound traffic along Madison will be directed north on Rutland, west on Ashland Avenue, south on Broadway and west back onto Madison.