Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The ban is expected to pass the Maryland General Assembly.
Drivers in Maryland still using hand-held mobile devices on the road should be prepared to either make the move to hands free or simply keep their cell phones put away. The Maryland Senate voted 40-6 Monday to approve a bill that makes the use of hand-held electronic devices while behind the wheel a "primary offense," The Baltimore Sun reports. Currently, drivers in Maryland can only be cited for using a cell phone if an officer pulls them over for committing another offense — such as speeding. If the proposed ban is approved—which, according to reports, is likely—drivers could be pulled over for using their mobile phones without committing another offense. "A dozen states and the District of Columbia have laws banning use of hand-held …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
A letter to the editor about raising the speed limit on the Intercounty Connector and other state highways.
The following is a letter from Fred Flaharty, a Montgomery County school bus driver, in regards to a late January story about the Intercounty Connector potentially having a 70 mph speed limit: The bill that would raise the maximum speed limit on interstates and expressways statewide from 65 to 70 miles per hour is an incredibly BAD IDEA!....no...INSANE idea. As a regular daily driver of the ICC both in my personal car (twice per day) and as the driver of a Montgomery County school bus (4 trips per day) I protest in the strongest possible terms this proposed raising of the speed limit on the ICC. There are several important reasons for this the first of which is the road was never designed for faster speeds as are interstate highways. As is…
Monday, November 12, 2012
Three stations around Anne Arundel County need more personnel, according to a councilman and a key union leader.
An Anne Arundel County councilman and a top union official say that the response time to a recent Crownsville fire underscores the need for more staffing at the Maryland City Volunteer Fire Department and two other stations, the Capital Gazette reports. Jamie Benoit (D-Crownsville) and Craig Oldershaw, president of the Anne Arundel County Professional Firefighters Association, pointed to an incident last week in which responders took about nine minutes to reach a blaze in the 1300 block of Generals Highway. Firefighters from the closer Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Department were busy with a medical emergency at the time of the call, according to the paper, meaning West Annapolis firefighters were the first to reach the scene. A 75-year-…
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The award was among $6.3 million given to Maryland's state and local governments by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prince George's County has been awarded $432,311 in federal funding earmarked for violent crime reduction and other public safety activities, Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin announced Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice grant is one in a $6.3 million bundle given to the state, county, and local governments of Maryland. The county's share will be used on crime prevention, community corrections, and technological improvements in four of its five public safety agencies. At the community level, Laurel was awarded $11,933 for electronic control devices and associated equipment for officers; Hyattsville, $11,143 for equipment and accessories; and Greenbelt, $15,442 for ruggedized mobile data computers. The grant funding is based on a …
Friday, September 21, 2012
September is National Preparedness Month.
Officials in the City of Laurel are gearing up for a National Preparedness Event next week and are asking residents to be part of it. Mayor Craig Moe and Martin Flemion, the city’s Emergency Services director, are inviting the public to the Laurel Police Department’s Partnership Activity Center, 811 5th Street, for a preparedness evening on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 6:30pm. The City of Laurel’s First Responders, members of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad, CERT, and the Laurel Citizens Police Academy Alumni groups will be on hand with safety information and static displays of their equipment. Each group will have a table and members available to answer questions. There also will be a demonstration on how …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
City’s September Public Safety newsletter
It’s National Preparedness Month and the City of Laurel has issued safety tips for preparedness in its September Public Safety Newsletter. Tips include: Click here to see newsletter.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
The suspect is still at large, police told NBC4.
A gas station clerk is in the hospital recovering from a gun shot wound, after the gunman tried to rob the Tiger Mart Exxon Gas Station on Sandy Spring road in Laurel, according to an NBC4 report A man entered the gas station Saturday night and tried to rob the cashier who attempted to fight back with a chair, the tv station reported. Police said the robber then pulled out a gun and shot the cashier in the arm. The suspect fled the scene on foot. The victim is in stable condition and recovering at Prince George's Hospital, NBC4 reported. Police are still looking for the suspect, according to police spokesperson Carreen Koubek. The suspect is described as a heavy-set, six-foot-tall man with a beard. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt…
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Almost two-thirds of annual fireworks-related injuries happen in the 30 days centered on the 4th of July, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Fireworks are a traditional part of 4th of July festivities—but can also be dangerous. Area firefighters have warned of the dangers of consumer fireworks and in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, consumer fireworks are illegal. A recently released study from the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that last year, 65 percent of all fireworks-related injuries in the U.S. occurred in the 30-day period centered on the 4th of July. About 46 percent of those injuries involved the hands, and 34 percent affected the head, face or eyes, the agency reported. Injuries to the eyes are particularly serious. According to Dr. Michael P. Grant, director of Oculoplastic Surgery and of the Eye and Orbital Trauma Center at Johns Hopkins…
Saturday, June 30, 2012
A Montgomery County resident was killed in the severe storm, authorities say.
A 71-year-old Montgomery County woman was found dead Saturday, the apparent victim of a tree that fell through the roof of her house and onto her bed during a severe storm. Montgomery County Police were investigating the discovery by Fire and Rescue workers who responded to a call for a tree downed on a home in Silver Spring. Rescue workers had to force themselves into a locked home on the 10000 block of Grant Avenue. Once inside, they discovered the woman's body, unresponsive, in a bedroom on the second floor of the house, according to police. Authorities said she was apparently killed by a large Maple tree falling through the roof of the building and onto her bed sometime during the night. Police will release more information on the …
Sunday, May 27, 2012
A roundup of news and information from around Prince George's County, MD.
A look at the stories that made the biggest splash this week around Prince George's County. DC Fire Lieutenant Charged With Stealing Hay From Upper Marlboro Man DC Fire and EMS Lt. Kellene Davis is facing charges after she allegedly attached a chain to a pickup truck, ripped off the doors of a shed, and stole almost 20 bales of hay in Upper Marlboro. If convicted, she faces up to 15 years in jail. Police Warn Residents to Look Out for Fake Lottery Scams A New Carrollton woman was reportedly conned into withdrawing $8,000 for someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. Greenbelt Housing Co-op Passes Non-Smoking Directive GHI housing co-op members give their board the nod to come up with a proposal that would allow them to …
John Floyd II
2:21 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012
This is nothing new for Maryland City as chronic under-staffing has been a problem for as long as there's been a fire station there (circa 1969 or so). When I was a volunteer fireman in Laurel during the 1970s and '80s, Engine 27 from Maryland City seldom ever responded to a call here with more than either just a driver or two firemen aboard. For this reason, they were always ordered to stand by … more ›