mary pat clarke

Sweating in the 95-degree heat, Ralph Stewart guided the excavator's giant claw through the rowhouse's porch roof at 2783 Tivoly Ave. on the city's east side. As the structure crumbled, the assembled crowd of politicians, neighborhood leaders and city housing officials cheered.

Bill would allow police to issue citations directly on the scene of private events that disturb "the quiet enjoyment of others."

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake plans to announce Monday that $4.2 million in additional funding will be allocated for after-school and summer school programs, potentially affecting several thousand Baltimore students.

Baltimore city school staff began receiving pink slips Wednesday, a promised cost cutting measure in Baltimore city schools CEO Gregory Thornton's first budget.

Urban farmers would qualify for property tax breaks of 90 percent, under a bill the City Council sent Monday to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's desk.

The City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would grant a large tax break for urban farmers in Baltimore.

After hearing complaints from residents about potholes and other quality-of-life issues, City Council members demanded answers Monday from the Cabinet official whose agency uses data to monitor city services.

Just because your city councilman doesn't bother to vote doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Baltimore's business and political leaders set shining example on solar power

A couple dozen protesters rallied outside City Hall Monday to call on officials to reverse a decision to begin turning off service for water customers who are behind on their bills.

The director of Baltimore's floundering CitiStat agency has been operating a private legal practice that works for state government under a five-year contract worth up to nearly $1 million.

A City Council bill that would have required Baltimore eateries to post grades based on health inspections was defeated Monday night, failing by one vote after three council members switched their positions amid intense lobbying by restaurant owners.

Baltimore's spending panel agreed Wednesday to send a city pension director to London for a week — the latest of nearly $100,000 in travel expenses for top pension officials since 2013.

Several elected officials are calling for closer scrutiny of CitiStat, the data-driven Baltimore agency that has been faltering in its mission to monitor the performance of the government's work.

Baltimore police have replaced the commander of the agency's northern district for the second time in about a year and a half.

About 300 customers of Baltimore's water system remained without service Friday with the threat of a continued breakdown of the antiquated infrastructure as temperatures were expected to remain below freezing through mid-Saturday.

Baltimore councilwoman needs to extend parking privileges to all her constituents

The Baltimore city school board heard from the public on whether police officers should be able to carry their weapons on school grounds.

Hundreds of people, including top city and state officials, on Monday mourned the death of longtime Baltimore Circuit Court Clerk Frank M. Conaway Sr. at a funeral held at Morgan State University's Fine Arts Center.

City Council members reacted with shock Wednesday to the news the Baltimore City school system has run up a deficit of more than $60 million — even before $35 million in proposed state budget cuts. And they said they will hold hearings on the matter.

Resident parking permit zone approved by City Council is going to make life difficult for Hampden residents and merchants alike

Visitors to popular Hampden restaurants, bars and shops this spring would find new parking limits on some local streets under a plan approved Monday by a divided Baltimore City Council.

A proposal to limit parking outside homes near a major shopping center redevelopment in Hampden won preliminary approval in a tight vote by a divided Baltimore City Council Monday night.

It's worth re-examining the balance of power between the mayor and council.

Serving alcohol to minors on recent, separate occasions led to Liquor Board's decision last week

The Baltimore City Council is once again trying to ban most stores from giving plastic bags to customers — only a month after Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake shot down their last attempt at a ban.

Organizer Tom Kerr is watching the weather as the 42nd annual — make that 41st annual — Hampden Mayor's Chistmas Parade draws near. Last year's 41st annual parade was snowed out, for the first time in its history. Kerr and other parade planners are anxiously awaiting this year's parade. "It's the 42nd one but we're calling it the 41st," Kerr said. His optimistc forecast for parade day Sunday, Dec. 7: "It's gonna be 72 and sunny."

The Baltimore City Council overwhelmingly voted Monday to require all of Baltimore's nearly 3,000 police officers to wear body cameras recording their interactions with the public — despite arguments from the mayor's office that the council's bill is "illegal."

City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke pays tribute to June Wing.

A new parking problem in Hampden is surfacing: residents of the Union Mill apartment complex are parking on the street, not in the complex's parking lot, because on-street parking is closer to the main entrance. Area residents are complaining and City Councilman Nick Mosby said he will call the apartment complex's management, Seawall.

The 20-year-old man who police believed was a suspect in the killing of 3-year-old McKenzie Elliott was expected to be released from jail Wednesday after two months without being charged in the murder.

The two men accused by police of killing a rival gang member and a bystander in downtown Baltimore were ordered held without bond.

Administration moves to take responsibility, but some question city¿s ability to do the job

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake leads the money race against potential future political opponents with more than $350,000 on hand, a review of the most recent campaign finance reports shows.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts sailed through a confirmation hearing before the City Council Wednesday morning, with members of the council and residents praising his accessibility and moves toward reform.

Elmer A. "Peck" Jones, who had been chief clerk of the Baltimore City Council and earlier was a chauffeur, died Sunday of kidney failure at Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie. He was 101.

Profile of Antonio Hayes, the new state delegate from the 40th District. He was by far the leading vote-getter. He reps the Hampden area as part of the huge district.

The local branch of the NAACP was premature last week when it announced that the organization's 2016 national convention will be held in Baltimore, a spokeswoman from the national headquarters said Thursday.

Hampden Column is about Hampdenfest and toilet races being back on again

The development firm working on one of downtown¿s biggest conversions of offices to apartments wants to erect another 362-unit building across the street, city development officials said Thursday.

Hampden needs more parking, not a permit system that makes money for the city

A proposal to sharply limit parking in part of Hampden is drawing concern from some who think the new restrictions would merely shift parking woes to other streets in the popular Baltimore neighborhood.

Hampdenfest 2014 has been canceled because it conflicts with Sailabration downtown and police say they don't have the resources to patrol it,. This is posted on the Hampdenfest Facebook page.

Cover story on a typical day at Roland Park Pool, a longtime pool that Roland Park Civic League runs and shares with Friends School, which owns the land. General Manager Kim Mudge also teaches religion and science at the St. Thomas Aquinas School in Hampden.

Previous effort died in committee in 2011