Baltimore County to begin recycling Christmas trees
Baltimore County will begin collecting Christmas trees for recycling Monday. Residents must place their trees, which must be free of decorations, stands and bags, at the front curb or street no later than Saturday to ensure pickup. Crews will not collect trees from alleys. County residents who live in apartments or condominiums should consult their property managers about tree recycling collections. Information: 410-887-2000 or go to baltimorecountymd.gov/recycling.
-Mary Gail Hare
Arundel officer, state trooper hurt in separate accidents
An Anne Arundel County police officer was hit by a pickup truck during a routine traffic stop Saturday afternoon and taken to Baltimore Shock Trauma Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Police said the driver, whom they declined to identify, was taken into custody under suspicion of being intoxicated. Police declined to identify the 38-year-old male officer. Steve Thompson, battalion chief for the county Fire Department, said the officer had stopped another vehicle on Route 100, near the intersection with Route 170 in Severn, and was hit by a pickup truck while outside his car. In a separate incident Friday night, a state trooper based in Bel Air was hit at Harford and Connolly roads near Fallston when a driver failed to stop at a stop sign and ran into Sgt. Scott Angstadt's car about 11:30 p.m. He was airlifted to Shock Trauma, where he was treated and released Saturday. Charges are pending against the driver, who also was hospitalized.
-Tricia Bishop
City police officer shoots aggressive Rottweiler
A Northern District police officer shot at least one "aggressive" Rottweiler about 8:45 p.m. Saturday in the 4000 block of Greenmount Ave., according to Detective Nicole Monroe, a Baltimore police spokeswoman. The officer, whose name was not released, was taken to Mercy Hospital with minor injuries. No further details were available last night.
- Tricia Bishop
Ehrlich urges Marylanders to protest O'Malley policies
Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. on Saturday urged Marylanders to join a conservative, free-market group in protesting what the organization calls "Gov. Martin O'Malley's fiscal mismanagement" during a march Wednesday in Annapolis, the opening day of this year's General Assembly session. Ehrlich, who is considering another run for governor, used the Saturday morning WBAL radio program he hosts with his wife, Kendel, to promote the march, which is sponsored by the Maryland chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Ehrlich said he hoped to see a minimum of "a couple of thousand" people descending on the state capital, according to a Washington Post politics blogIn an e-mailed statement, O'Malley's campaign manager, Tom Russell, said the governor has reduced state spending by more than $4 billion since taking office. Russell said Ehrlich "ignored spending affordability guidelines and increased state spending by over 20 percent during his last two years in office."
- From Sun staff and news services