Police seek cause of fatal house fire in Edgewater

1

Anne Arundel County fire investigators were working to determine the cause of a two-alarm house fire that killed one person Sunday afternoon in Edgewater. The fire at the two-story home in the 800 block of Bayview Drive was reported just after 2:30 p.m., said Division Chief Michael Cox, a county Fire Department spokesman. The first fire unit arrived within seven minutes and saw smoke coming from the second floor, where the fire was believed to have started, Cox said. Firefighters searching the home discovered the body on the second floor, according to Cox. Authorities have not released the person's identity or further details about the victim. It took 83 firefighters about 25 minutes to bring the fire under control, Cox said. The area is not serviced by fire hydrants, so crews had to truck water to the scene using tankers, according to the spokesman. It was unclear whether the home had working smoke detectors, Cox said.

- Liz F. Kay

$5.6 million appropriated for road projects tied to BRAC

2

Members of Maryland's congressional delegation announced Monday that they had secured $5.6 million to help pay for road projects related to expanded employment at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground under the Pentagon's base realignment program. Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Frank Kratovil, along with Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin, made the announcement near Route 175 and Rockenbach Road at Fort Meade - one of the intersections scheduled to be improved to accommodate increased traffic. The money was included in an appropriations bill passed by Congress last month.

- Michael Dresser

State comptroller bust nets $140,000 of illegal tobacco

3

The Maryland Comptroller's office says agents have busted an underground tobacco smuggling operation that could involve up to 54 Baltimore businesses, confiscating nearly $140,000 in illegal tobacco products from one person. Anne Arundel County resident Kyun Hong has been charged with transporting and possession of contraband tobacco. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot announced the sting Monday, and said the seized items - including more than 2,600 packs of illegal cigarettes and other untaxed tobacco products such as cigars - represent tens of thousands of dollars in lost tax revenue. So far six Baltimore retail stores have been charged with various violations, but dozens more are still being investigated.

- Associated Press