consumers

• Maryland

DWM Roofing wins customer service award

DWM Roofing wins customer service award Woodbine Certain Teed

• Maryland

Harford's Glassman calls his first year as county executive 'amazing'

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman says his first year in the top local elected office fulfilled a long-held dream.

• Crime

Marylanders' data exposed in scores of hacks

It was a typical winter morning on the Twitter feed of Eastern Shore television station WBOC: a stream of messages about snowfall and a reminder to download the station's weather app for the latest updates.

By Ian Duncan

Jan 17, 2015

• Finance

Five questions for financial adviser Jonathan Murray

With volatility in the stock market shaking up investors, Jonathan Murray, a financial adviser at Hunt Valley-based UBS Financial Services, says people should keep a long-term outlook and accept such corrections as normal.

• Howard County

Columbia business 'honest broker' between farmers and consumers

Philip Gottwals, of Columbia, and Tim Hosking, of Baltimore, aren't stockbrokers, but through their locally sourced grocery business Friends & Farms, the duo have carved out their own small place as the honest broker in what they describe as a rapidly devolving food distribution chain.

• Maryland

Library shows how food gets from Farm to Fork

• Consumers

Consumer spending high in Maryland, but so is income

Maryland might be a relatively pricey place to live, but the average resident can afford it — and then some. That's what a first-ever breakdown of consumer spending by state suggests.

• Consumers

Tax-free shopping starts Sunday

Comptroller Peter Franchot said the state's annual tax-free shopping week, which starts Sunday, gives a boost to consumers and Maryland retailers at the height of the back-to-school season.

• Opinion

The taxi wars [Editorial]

Prospects for Uber and other ride-sharing services in Maryland remain uncertain after the Public Service Commission's decision to treat them as common carriers

• Harford

Specs for new Havre de Grace High approved, final design next

The proposed new Havre de Grace High and Middle School advanced another step earlier this week after the Harford County Board of Education approved the basic educational specifications for the 240,000 square foot complex, to be built adjacent to the existing middle school off Lewis Lane.

• Opinion

Where was the beef? [Commentary]

A decision last week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, upholding federal regulations requiring that meat labels state where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered, is a win for consumers, public health and American meat producers.

• Carroll County Times

Customer service for new cellphone is never a direct line [For Better or Worse]

Co-pays, refurbished replacement and being placed on hold

• Harford

Emmy Dallam named Miss Harford Farm Bureau 2014

Emmy Dallam of the Bel Air area was named Miss Harford County Farm Bureau for 2014 Thursday evening at the Harford County Farm Fair.

• Opinion

Africa: an investment opportunity [Commentary]

Casual political observers often focus on Africa's natural resources, mineral wealth and conflicts as a strategic concern, but Africa is a massive and rapidly growing consumer market that is more fully appreciated by strategic investors with each passing day.

• Consumers

Agencies report top 10 consumer complaints in U.S.

Three Maryland agencies participated in the annual survey by the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators. The survey compiled the top, worst and fastest-growting complaints.

• Politics

Jon Cardin says he was victim of 'most negative smear campaign'

Lawmaker says he plans to return to private life

• Opinion

Build on rising consumer confidence [Letter]

Washington should support economic growth and reduce student loan debt

• Opinion

Are tax dollars paying for anti-alcohol advocacy? [Commentary]

This month, Maryland banned high-proof liquors like Everclear and other inexpensive tipples. Self-proclaimed public health activists claimed such "high octane" liquors increased the likelihood of binge-drinking and sexual assaults on college campuses. While the merits of the ban are debatable, one aspect of it is not: the use of taxpayer money to support a political agenda.

• Howard County

Food becomes policy initiative in Howard, not just something to eat [Editorial]

Howard County is staking out nutrition as an arena of government involvement to an unusual degree.

• Companies and Corporations

Dollar Tree/Family Dollar merger could create Wal-Mart rival but hurt consumers

An $8.5 billion merger of dollar stores to create North America's biggest discount chain could mean stiff competition for mass discounters such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. but less choice and higher prices for shoppers.

• Health

Practice safe eating during Farmers Market Week

Groups offer tips to prevent sickness from produce during Farmers Market Week

• New Products

Under Armour sales up 34 percent in second quarter

Under Armour's second-quarter profit remained unchanged, meeting analysts' expectations, while sales soared 34 percent, the Baltimore-based sports brand said Thursday.

• Opinion

Obamacare subsidy rulings highlight GOP intransigence [Editorial]

Congress could clean up any ambiguity about Affordable Care Act subsidies in an afternoon if Republicans put their constituents' interest ahead of politics.

• Opinion

Plant protein is a better alternative to seafood [Letter]

Plant protein is a better alternative to seafood

• Agriculture

Supermarkets boost sustainable seafood offerings

Mainstream supermarkets are starting to look a lot more like organic grocers. Brands such as Whole Foods Market have built a following with their all-natural offerings. But in the race to win over consumers concerned about health and the environment, traditional grocers such as Safeway are increasingly touting sustainable seafood and expanded natural product lines.

• Television Industry

Sinclair Broadcast will launch college sports network

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has launched a college sports network that will be broadcast on Sinclair-owned television stations, the Hunt Valley-based broadcaster said Thursday.

• Baltimore County

BGE should not get money for repairs before work has begun [Letter]

Sen. Delores Kelley's opinion

• Opinion

An undeserved debt [Commentary]

Students saddled with debt from fraudulent for-profit schools should have a way to challenge the situation in court.

• Plant Openings

Power plants coming to electricity-hungry region

Maryland hasn't had a new power plant of any significance built in over a decade — one reason it imports more electricity than almost any other state, racking up extra charges for consumers. But now new plants are coming.

• Opinion

Building a better BGE bill [Letter]

Energy-saving incentives

• Opinion

Government out of sorts [Editorial]

Late registration renewal notices from Motor Vehicle Administration may be a minor inconvenience — or one more sign of government indifference

• Opinion

Howard County making a healthy effort [Letter]

Restrictions on sales of unhealthy food and drink at county-sponsored events are necessary to promote good health

• Sun Investigates

Maryland to begin check of Medicaid rolls again

Maryland officials are poised again to review their Medicaid rolls for those who no longer qualify.

• Baltimore County

Some skeptical of new plans to develop VA site at Fort Howard

For the second time in a decade, federal officials say the historic former Fort Howard Veterans Administration Medical Center campus in Eastern Baltimore County will become a national model for housing former service members and their families.

• Business

Startup sees business in bitcoin, seeking to promote local uptake of digital currency

Baltimore startup Bitsie is seeking to boost uptake of digital currency bitcoin, beyond local businesses like bar Bad Decisions.

• Petroleum Industry

Highest gas prices since 2008 expected for July 4th weekend

Analysts are projecting the most expensive July 4th holiday weekend for motorists since 2008, attributing much of the rise to a surge of violence in Iraq. Gas in Maryland Monday averaged $3.69 per gallon, three cents more than the national average of $3.66, according to AAA, which tracks transactions throughout the state.

• Maryland

Fireworks safety emphasized

• Maryland

Fireworks safety emphasized

• Harford

Harford farms embrace sustainable agriculture without the 'organic' label

Harford County farmers are taking steps to protect the environment while running a healthy, thriving farm.

• Lifestyle and Leisure

McCormick reports strong sales in second quarter

McCormick & Co. saw its profit jump nearly 8 percent in the second quarter amid higher sales to both consumers and food service companies, the Sparks-based spice maker said Thursday.

• Opinion

Track seafood supply to eliminate fraud [Commentary]

According to a new study of the top U.S. seafood imports, an estimated 20 to 32 percent of the wild-caught seafood crossing our borders was found to have originated from illegal sources. Other recent research has have found that up to 33 percent of seafood samples tested in the U.S. were mislabeled, substituting one species of fish for another. The inability to distinguish between legally and illegally caught fish undermines progress being made both in the U.S. and abroad, puts law-abiding

• Maryland

Bill Kennedy: Be wary of bogus emails from scammers

Bill Kennedy: Be wary of bogus emails from scammers

• Maryland

District candidates discuss stance on environmental mandates

• Obituaries

Vernon J. Jones, car dealership owner

Vernon J. Jones, a former mechanic and auto salesman who established the Jones Junction Auto Group in Harford County, died Monday of complications from Parkinson's disease at his Bel Air home. He was 88.

• Opinion

Smart meters are a scam [Letter]

Smart meters are a scam

• Health

Doctor's sex assault case spurs talk of background checks

The revelation that a former Catonsville doctor accused of an alleged sexual assault previously went to prison for rape has lit a fire under lawmakers and regulators who plan to ensure the state screens physicians it licenses, a measure that has failed and been ignored in recent years.

• Maryland

Carroll County Farmers Market opens Saturday

• Baltimore City Paper

Goods & Services

• Maryland

Chateau Tanunda is redefining Australian wine

• Opinion

Cable merger is bigger than cable [Commentary]

The proposed deal between Comcast and Time Warner could keep the companies from going the way of Blockbuster.