Month: July 2020

Officer Rescued From Vehicle in Parkville


Baltimore County Police have reported that a police officer was trapped in an overturn vehicle in Parkville.

Baltimore County Police received a high-priority call in the Parkville area. An officer responding to the call activated his emergency equipment on the marked police car and was traveling northbound on Harford Road near Acton Road

At the same time, a 2015 Acura TLZ was traveling northbound on Harford Road and attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot along Acton Road. Several cars were stopped behind the turning Acura.

As the police vehicle approached the stopped traffic, the officer continued north into the southbound lane of Harford Road, striking the Acura.

After the crash, the police vehicle rolled over and struck the front door and wall of a business located in the 8500 block of Harford Road

Both the officer and the driver of the Acura were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Baltimore County to Start Recycling Glass


Baltimore County announced that the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste Management has started a new glass recycling program in partnership with Cap Glass, Inc. of Connellsville, PA.

Under the new 10-year agreement, the County will deliver glass from the Cockeysville Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to the Cap Glass facility in Baltimore City. Cap Glass will process the glass to remove contaminants (such as paper and other items) and recover marketable glass. The marketable glass will be sent to OI Glass, Inc. to make new glass containers.

“A better Baltimore County is one where sustainability and the future of our planet is a top priority, and this new agreement puts that commitment into action as we make our County’s recycling even more efficient,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski.

“I’m proud that our team was able to find an innovative solution to resume glass recycling in Baltimore County, reducing waste output in the process.”

The glass recycling program will expand both the number of products and the volume of material that the County will be able to market. The County started delivering glass loads on July 20.

“This is an important initiative to expand the County’s current recycling efforts,” said Michael R. Beichler, C.P.E Chief of the Baltimore County Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Solid Waste Management. “We’re thankful to engage in this productive partnership with Cap Glass and are looking forward to working together for years to come.”

Until 2013, Baltimore County directly processed glass recycling. Like most jurisdictions across the country, Baltimore County experienced both technical and financial limitations that prevented efficient glass recycling at municipal facilities.

This new agreement is the result of Baltimore County’s multi-year search for a sustainable glass market. Olszewski, who took office in December 2018, provided new funding in the County’s FY21 budget to help support County efforts to pursue a cost-efficient glass recycling initiative.

This is the latest effort from the Olszewski Administration to promote environmental sustainability.

Shortly after taking office, Olszewski created the County’s first Chief Sustainability Officer who is leading the development of county-wide Climate Action Plan, covering topics such as reduced energy consumption, promotion of green infrastructure, and sustainable growth policy. Earlier this year, Olszewski convened a Youth Climate Working Group to ensure youth voices and recommendations are included in the County’s Climate Action Plan and other sustainability efforts. The Youth Climate Working Group presented their recommendations to the administration in April 2020.

Shooting Reported at Gas Station on Honeygo


Police responded to the 8400 block of Honeygo Boulevard near White Marsh Boulevard for a call of a shooting on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

There are multiple reports on social media that the shooting took place at a gas station in the area.

When police arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was transported to a local hospital and his condition is unknown.

Detectives from the Baltimore County Department’s Violent Crime Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and ask anyone who may have additional information to call 410-307-2020.

Man Pronounced Dead in Rosedale Shooting


Baltimore County Police have provided an update on the Tuesday night shooting in Rosedale.

The preliminary investigation determined that when the victims arrived home, an unknown suspect shot both of them in the parking lot and then fled the scene.

The victims, Trevor Hamlet (31) of the 2000 block of Kelbourne Road in Rosedale and a second man, were transported to a local hospital. Hamlet succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The second victim is expected to survive his injuries. Detectives believe the victims were targeted and this is an isolated incident.

Detectives from the Baltimore County Department’s Homicide Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding this murder and asks anyone who may have additional information to call 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward when submitting tips through Metro Crime Stoppers.

Two Men Shot in Rosedale Tuesday Night


Baltimore County Police are investigating a shooting in Rosedale on Tuesday night that left two men hospitalized.

Police responded to the 2000 block of Kelbourne Road for a call of a shooting.

When police arrived, they found two adult males suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper body. They were transported to a local hospital and their conditions are unknown.

Detectives from the Baltimore County Department are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and ask anyone who may have additional information to call 410-307-2020.

Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward when submitting tips through Metro Crime Stoppers.

State Announces Recovery Plan for Schools


Baltimore County Public Schools announced last week that all classes will operate remotely until Jan. 29.

There is still uncertainty on how this school year will be conducted but Maryland State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon provided some clarity at Tuesday’s state of Maryland Board of Education meeting.
Salmon announced the Recovery Plan Stakeholder Committee’s guiding principles for reopening plan.

Some of those guidelines include requiring attendance in all classes and assigning grades to students.

All BCPS grades were pass/fail in the third and fourth quarters and there were reports that some online classes did not take attendance. Here is a full list of the state’s guidelines:

• Equity is the underlying basic principle.
• Ensure safe learning and working environments for students and staff.
• Consider family choice in student learning format.
• Ensure that all students receive instruction that meets state standards and has the
necessary supports for success including:
o Access to technology and connectivity.
o Socio-emotional wellness and health supports.
o Additional supports to meet needs of special populations.
• All school operating scenarios will ensure consistent implementation of instructional schedules that provide significantly more synchronous student-teacher interactions via a
reliable, safe, and secure virtual learning platform.
• Provide training, time, support, and flexibility necessary for staff to prepare for a successful school year.
• Provide proactive, clear communication to all families, staff, and stakeholders.
• Attendance will be required in all school operating scenarios.
• Grading will be required in all school operating scenarios

Pedestrian Struck By Car in Essex Tuesday


Police reported a 38-year-old man was struck by a car attempted to cross Eastern Boulevard near Orville Road in Essex. He was attempting to cross against the pedestrian signal at a crosswalk on Tuesday, July 28 around 5 a.m.

He was hit by a 2020 Nissan Sentra that was traveling east on Eastern Boulevard. The man was transported to a local hospital by medics. He is in critical condition. The driver of the Nissan remained at the scene.

The Baltimore County Police Crash Investigation Team continues to investigate the crash. Any witnesses are asked to call the crash team at 410-887-5396.

County Offers Grants to Chambers of Commerce


Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski a $600,000 grant program designed to assist chambers of commerce and business associations in their missions to support businesses in their communities.

The grant program will fund initiatives that support local businesses by providing educational programming and marketing efforts to help sustain the viability of this important economic sector that has been hit especially hard by the pandemic.

“Our independent small businesses and our neighborhood business corridors are an important element of our local economy and they add to our overall sense of community,” said County Executive Olszewski. “These grant funds will quickly go where they are needed to provide critically-needed support to help our small businesses districts.”

The COVID-19 Business Corridor Sustainability Grant Program is narrowly focused on providing financial support to Baltimore County’s small business associations and chambers of commerce so that they can provide professional-level services to support member and nonmember businesses in their communities.

A total of $600,000 will be awarded to eligible applicants, capped at $20,000 per organization. Applicants will be required to submit a proposal that demonstrates how the organization plans to utilize these funds to support small businesses in Baltimore County by providing COVID-19 related services.

These grant funds will enable the County’s chambers and small business associations to pay staff or outside experts to conduct virtual educational programming on COVID-19 related recovery efforts such as accounting requirements for government assistance programs or negotiating forbearance agreements with landlords and financial institutions. Funds could also be used for marketing campaigns to help promote community patronage and support for local “Main Street” businesses.

Apply Now

Applications are open now and available.

Applicants must be a not-for-profit business association or chamber of commerce that:
•Serves businesses located in Baltimore County
•Has been in operation as of January 1, 2020
•Has at least one paid staff member, and provides an employee roster listing all employees as of January 31, 2020
•Is registered and in good standing with the State of Maryland, if required to do so by law
•Is not currently in default on any loans, or out of compliance with any grants from Baltimore County, or delinquent on any taxes owed to Baltimore County
•Submits a complete and acceptable application and proposal by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 31

Baltimore County staff will review the application to ensure proper completion, and an inter-agency committee will be responsible for reviewing each application submitted to determine eligibility.

Police Report Airbag Thefts as Latest Trend


Police are investigating a series of airbag thefts in Baltimore County since late June, targeting mostly Honda vehicles.

Since June 26 there has been a general increase in thefts from autos, but specifically airbags. Police have determined that most of the vehicles being targeted are Honda Civics and Honda Accords. The department has experienced thefts of airbags in the Lansdowne area of Precinct 1 Wilkens, the Rodgers Forge area of Precinct 6 Towson, and additional incidents in Precinct 4 Pikesville and Precinct 12 Dundalk.

Most of the thefts are occurring during the overnight hours and involve the suspect breaking out the driver side window of the vehicle and stealing the airbag out of the steering wheel.

Avoid These Thefts

In a number of cases where the suspects did not succeed in stealing an airbag, some type of anti-theft device was used. While most car alarms will not sound if only the glass window is broken out, a sounding alarm has prevented the theft in some instances. In cases where a steering wheel locking device has been used on the car, the thief was not able to steal the airbag. Police are recommending the use of these devices to deter the theft of airbags, and the theft of your vehicle. Make sure that your doors are always locked and try to park in a well lit area.

If you see a vehicle driving through your neighborhood slowly during the overnight hours, safely try to get a description of the vehicle and call 9-1-1 immediately. The sooner you call police, the sooner we are able to respond and are more likely to locate and stop the suspicious vehicle to determine if there is any criminal activity at foot.

If you are the victim of a theft from auto or theft of your airbag, contact police immediately by calling 410-887-2222. Make sure you have your airbag replaced by a dealership or certified repair shop as criminals are known to sell stolen airbags to less reputable auto repair shops.

BCPL to Hold Police Relations Forum on Race


Baltimore County Public Library is hosting an online forum about race and community & police relations on Tuesday, July 28 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Farajii Muhammad, host of For the Culture with Farajii on WEAA 88.9, will moderate a discussion on ongoing issues surrounding policing in the region.

Panelists include DeRay Mckesson, civil rights activist; Melissa Hyatt, Baltimore County Chief of Police; and Adam Jackson, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle; Anthony Fugett, Baltimore County NAACP; and Deneisha Seaman, VP, Blue Guardians.

The forum is presented by Baltimore County Public Library, Baltimore County Human Relations Commission and Baltimore County Office of Diversity and Equity, in collaboration with WEAA 88.9.

Registration closes one hour before the start of the program. A valid email address is needed at registration to send a Zoom link to the program 30 minutes before scheduled start.

To register go to https://bcpl.info/events-and-programs/list.html#!/register/188157