amusement and theme parks
- About 60 children and adults decked out in costume to attend a launch party for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at the Bel Air Library late Saturday night. The Bel Air Barnes & Noble opened at midnight for the release and had sold out of all its copies by 3 p.m. Sunday.
- Brianna Benlolo left behind a child, Tyler Johnson, a cause. Families of the co-workers killed by Damon Marcus Aguilar, who then killed himself, remember the Jan. 25, 2014, Mall in Columbia shootings.
- Two dozen people were stranded atop the Joker's Jinx roller coaster at Six Flags America in Largo on Sunday afternoon.
- Aubrey Karoglan and Carlyn Wiedecker will be two of about 11,000 first- and second-year teachers participating in this year's crop through Teach for America.
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- Go to the rear of Mary Martin's shop in Havre de Grace, and you'll discover a vast history of the world — of nearby small towns but also farflung foreign cities — being collated in an assortment of 3x5 postcards.
- Bel Air resident Ryan Parks has received the 2014 William A. Humbert Memorial Scholarship for $5,000
- Enterprise Worldwide's highest honor, the Firm of the Year award, was presented to Weyrich Cronin & Sorra at the Enterprise Worldwide Annual Symposium on May 29, 2014 at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort.
- Ragin' Cajun is part of Maryland theme park's new Mardi Gras section.
- Jolly Roger Parks is celebrating 50 years in Ocean City on Tuesday with a ceremony at its flagship amusement park on Coastal Highway.
- Well-knit cast at Center Stage shines in Baltimore premiere of Colman Domingo's 'Wild with Happy' about a gay man, the death of his mother and a zany road trip.
- Kurt Bluemel, a perennial nursery owner and plants man who was called the "Johnny Appleseed of ornamental grasses," died Wednesday of cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Baldwin resident was 81.
- The story collection "Singapore Noir," explores a nation misunderstood by the West
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- You don't have to travel far to find a Hobbit hole, a lighthouse or other unique accommodations within driving distance of Baltimore.
- The Long Reach High School Band, Orchestra and Choir were invited to Disney World April 9-13 to perform in both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.
- Laurel mother knows what's best for her daughter as each opens business on the same street
- Of Towson High School's 1,400 students, 607, or 43 percent, have requested to enroll in a music class for the 2014-2015 school year. And that is a tribute to John Olin, department head Dave Rhen and chorus director Derrick Jackson. Olin, of Towson, recently organized a trip for nearly 200 students to perform at Disney World in Orlando.
- Matt and Wendy McDermott thought they had planned the perfect surprise for their five-year-old son, Ferris.
- Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is working with the city of Baltimore to hire about 1,700 people for jobs ranging from dealers to restaurant servers before it opens this summer. The city wants to help city residents get the jobs since its unemployment rate is currently about 8.3 percent.
- Maryland theme part launches season and new Mardi Gras section
- For these veterinarians, a mutual love for animals lead to a love for each other
- The Atlanta Braves are traveling down from Disney World today to play the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium for their only spring meeting.
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- The House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that would raise Maryland's minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, rejecting a flurry of amendments offered by opponents.
- Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed increase in Maryland's minimum wage to $10.10 cleared its first hurdle Monday night as a House committee approved the bill and rejected a proposal to set a different standard for rural areas.
- Maryland government officials should try to get more economic ripples from the Wallops Flight Facility — just over the line in Virginia — by capitalizing on space tourism and the potential from unmanned aircraft, according to a new study.
- Aberdeen's long-dilapidated historic train station might finally be moving forward with a new foundation, the Historical Society of Harford County said.
- Sharon L. Friedlander, a much beloved Baltimore County public schools special education teacher, died Jan. 24 of giant cell myocarditis, a rare disease that attacks the heart, at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
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- Seven Harford Countians completed a unique running challenge Sunday in Orlando, Fla., the Dopey Challenge.
- In the next few weeks, beginning Jan. 2, 13,000 immigrants in Maryland will take tests for drivers licenses. The so-called "second-tier" licenses allow undocumented immigrants who pay taxes to drive cars on Maryland roads, but the licenses cannot be used for federal identification. The MVA is seeing the greatest demand for these licenses in the Washington suburbs.
- The lobby at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort quickly emptied out as Major League Baseball's winter meetings ended Thursday. While the Orioles only added a pair of Rule 5 draft picks this week, the club continued efforts to land a free-agent closer.
- Throughout the month of December, Springer hosts gingerbread-decorating workshops in her lovely Phoenix home. Her kitchen — transformed into a veritable Candyland with bowls and bowls of gumdrops, M&Ms and Hershey's kisses — is the stuff of kids' dreams.
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is shopping for a closer, among other things, at this week's winter meetings here at the Walt Disney World Resort.
- We will know soon enough whether Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette strikes gold with the signing of former Giants top prospect Francisco Peguero, but Duquette is definitely making it clear how highly he thinks of the 25-year-old.
- Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Sunday evening that the club will stick to its original mission of trying to get better through high-value acquisitions.
- Join us at 10 am on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Temple Adas Shalom for an exclusive showing of All the King's Horses: The Story of Gwynn Oak Amusement Park.