Author: eastbaltco

Golden Ring Barrack Sobriety Checkpoint


Troopers from the Golden Ring Barrack and allied law enforcement agencies will be targeting impaired drivers.

On Sept. 14, troopers in Baltimore County will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint. The goal will be to locate impaired drivers and to promote public awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.

If your weekend plans include alcoholic beverages, The Maryland State Police ask to have a designated driver. The Maryland State Police Golden Ring Barrack wants to emphasize the preventable nature of drunk driving reminding everyone all it takes is a little planning ahead. Designate a sober driver or call a cab. But whatever you do, don’t drink and drive.

Crash on Belair Road Kills Elderly Woman


A single vehicle crash on Belair Road on Thursday afternoon killed an elderly passenger.

The driver suffered a medical emergency while heading northbound on Belair Road near Silver Spring Road at approximately 2:15 p.m. The vehicle, a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, jumped the curb and struck a BGE pole.

The driver, a 61-year-old-man, was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries and treated for the medical emergency. He is expected to survive. The front passenger, identified as Phyllis Ann Cloud (90) of the unit block of Powhurst Court, 21236, was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where she later died.

The Baltimore County Police Crash Investigation Team responded to the scene and is continuing their investigation into this fatal crash.

BCPS celebrates 25 Eastern Tech AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar and Research Certificate recipients


Eighteen 2019 graduates of Eastern Technical high schools have earned the Advanced Placement® (AP®) Capstone Diploma, and seven 2019 graduates of Eastern Tech earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ during the 2018-19 school year.

AP Capstone™ is a College Board program designed to prepare students for college and career success through the development of critical thinking, academic research, collaboration, presentation, and time management skills. To receive the AP Capstone Diploma™, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.

The AP Capstone Diploma program allows students to develop critical thinking, research, and presentation skills, both individually and as a team. Students conduct academic research on topics of personal interest in two interdisciplinary courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.

The Eastern Technical High School graduates honored – and their research topics – are:

AP Capstone diploma recipients:

Chetan Adupa, Determining the Relationship Between Fuel Efficiency and Car Safety
Leo Cha, Impact of Overwatch on Reaction Time
Josef Chamera, The Future of Land Surveying
Timothy Chun, Data Privacy for Facial Recognition
James Comotto,Social Media and Politics
Ryan Cummings, Dietary Habits: A Closer Look into the Animal Within
Alyssa Foster, Subjective and Objective Health Literacy of High School-Aged Adolescents: Insurance, Medicine Safety, and Prescription Literacy
Francis Maglaqui, The Most Destructive, Yet Romanticized Path: Suicide
Paulo Manalo, Video Games and Exercise: To What Extent Pokemon Go Improves Physical Activity in High School Students
Andrew Naiman, Finding an Optimal or Suboptimal Combination of Hands in Rock-Paper-Scissors
Kiet Nguyen, Exploring the Role of Naag In Cancer Metabolism
Phuong Dinh Nguyen, To What Extent Do the Practices of High School Students Impact their Online Safety on Instagram
Amy Peshku, Applying Preventive Care Practices to the Opioid Crises and Addiction Treatment
Claire Reitenbach, The Epidemic of Teen Smoking: How the Shift Away from Traditional Cigarettes Increases the Use of Electronic Cigarette Smoking in the Pediatric Population
Hunter Sheils, The Centrifugal Method: A Possible Solution to the Growing Problem of Kidney Failure
Neyla Sherrod, Effective Measures Schools Could Take to Help Students Manage Stress Levels
David Suraj, Student Stress in American High Schools
Cayla Waterman, What is the Main Factor that Makes the United States Health Care System Less Effective in Comparison to Health Care Systems in High Ranking Countries?
Ryan Weeks, How Can Running Belts Be Altered to Allow People to Take Part in the Exercise of Running with a Lower Chance of Dehydrating Their Bodies?

Eastern Technical AP Seminar and Research Certificate recipients:

Jeily Bonilla, The Transparency of the Office of Food & Nutrition Services and School Lunches
Deepti Ghimire,Positive Psychology Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders
Chiamaka Ibe,Foreign Parents Versus American Parents: What Are the Emotional and Social Affects that Students Face When Feeling Pressure from Their Parents?
Samantha Maina, Stress and Mental Health Management Through Mobile Apps
Kelvin Nyaluki, Protecting Our Privacy Among Virtual Assistants
Fortune Ogungbe,The Impact of BCPS Laptops in Eastern Tech
Jocelyn Vanschoorisse,Is Exercise a Cure?
“The AP Capstone Diploma program provides an outstanding opportunity for our students to do in-depth research and writing about a subject of interest,” said Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “We are so proud of these students for their excellent achievements in this program. AP Capstone, as well as other initiatives in our school system – such as independent research projects, Career and Technology Education programs, AVID, and magnet programs — enable students to build college-level academic and collaboration skills.”
Over 1,500 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2018-19 school year when approximately 7,800 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 4,100 earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

“Congratulations to the AP Capstone award winners, who conduct, present, and defend academic research on topics they are passionate about,” said Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Their ability to manage long-term projects, collaborate with teams, and deliver effective presentations will accelerate not only their academic careers, but their professional careers as well.”

Driver of Suspicious Vehicle Arrested is Identified


The man arrested during an investigation into a van filled with diesel fuel at Royal Farms on Pulaski Highway is identified as Tyrone Gerard Uyaha Strickland (30) of the 400 block of Patuxent Court in La Plata, MD 20646.

Strickland was arrested after the officer stopped the van as it attempted to leave the Royal Farms store and the driver was not able to produce a driver’s license or registration card for the vehicle. A check through the Maryland Vehicle Administration revealed his license was revoked in 2016.

Strickland was arrested and charged with driving on a revoked license and issued other relevant traffic citations. He was also charged with five felony charges involving the misuse of the Royal Farms gift cards. He is held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $5000 bond pending a bail review hearing. Criminal charges for the incident are pending further investigation.

Eastern Tech & Perry Hall Student Named Semifinalists in National Program


Mary E. Kumcheva of Eastern Tech High School and Erick Y. Kim of Perry Hall High School are among 20 BCPS high school students to have been named semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program coordinated by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

“Congratulations to these outstanding BCPS students for their academic achievement and to the teachers, families, and administrators who taught, challenged, and supported them,” said Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “These students represent schools from across our district and represent the potential we see every day in all of our students, in all of our schools. Recognitions such as this inspire all members of the BCPS family to set and reach higher goals.”

More than 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools applied for the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by participating in the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NSMQT®). The highest scoring entrants in each state create the national pool of 16,000 semifinalists, which represents less than 1 percent of high school seniors in the nation. Most semifinalists advance to the finalist level (based on their academic records, recommendations and SAT scores) and compete for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships.

Through its longstanding partnership with the College Board, which administers the PSAT/NSMQT, BCPS provides funding so that all students in Grade 9 can take the PSAT 8/9, all students in Grades 10 and 11 can take the PSAT/NSMQT, and all Grade 11 students can take the SAT – all at no charge to the students or their families. The PSAT test provides practice for the SAT and provides BCPS educators with important assessments of student strengths and challenges

Driver of Suspicious Vehicle Arrested in White Marsh


Baltimore County Police arrested a man following a suspicious vehicle call at a Royal Farms store after he was seen filling tanks inside a van with fuel.

Police were dispatched to the Royal Farms at 10740 Pulaski Highway in White Marsh near Ebenezer Road for a call of a suspicious vehicle at 3:34 p.m. The call indicated that a white van was filling two large tanks inside the cargo area with diesel fuel. When the officer arrived on the scene he observed the van, bearing a Virginia registration plate, stopped at the diesel fuel pump. As the officer approached the van it pulled away and left the parking lot. The officer conducted an investigative traffic stop on the van and determined that the driver had committed an arrestable traffic violation and was taken into custody.

The investigation determined that the suspect, a 30-year-old man, paid for the gas using Royal Farms gift cards, but where and how he obtained those cards remains under investigation. The suspect indicated he was given the cards by the owner of the van, a Virginia man, who asked him to fill the fuel tanks using the gift cards. The owner of the van indicated he rented the van to the suspect with no fuel tanks inside, and denied any knowledge of the gift cards.

The Maryland Department of the Environment responded to collect the fuel, while the van was seized by Baltimore County Police. A search warrant yielded the discovery of a total of 68 Royal Farms gift cards and a credit card inside the van, the validity of which remain under investigation.

The identity of the suspect and charges will be released following formal charging. The incident remains under investigation by officers from the Essex Precinct and detectives from the Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit.

Marks Gives Update on Improvements to Recreations System


I am proud of the work we have done to expand our recreational system- eight new parks since 2010 – but also the improvements being done to our existing sites. Here are some highlights of the changes made throughout the area.

Chapel Hill Elementary School – Ball diamonds are scheduled to be delipped in September.

Cromwell Valley Park – two sinkholes will be repaired this month.

Eastern Regional Park – the artificial turf field will be rebuilt starting this fall. Work should begin on October 7th, weather permitting. This field is ten years old.

Honeygo Regional Park – maintenance was done on the turf field; a new field is budgeted for next year. The county finished stormwater enhancements.

Joppa View Elementary School – Ball diamonds will be delipped this fall.

Kingsville Park – lower ball diamonds have been added to the fall slipping list.

Northeast Regional Recreation Center – two indoor carpet fields will be replaced with artificial turf fields this September.

Overlook Park – Graffiti was removed and minor repairs made to the park.

Pedestrian Killed in Essex Over Weekend


A crash in Essex killed a pedestrian Friday evening.

Police responded to Eastern Boulevard and Volz Avenue at 8:01 p.m. on Sept. 6 after the pedestrian stepped off of the median into eastbound traffic and was struck by a Kia Rio. The pedestrian, identified as Robert Thomas Baker (55) with no fixed address, was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where he later died. The driver remained at the scene.

The Baltimore County Police Crash Investigation Team responded and is continuing the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fatal crash.

Stemmers Run Middle authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School


In a letter to Principal Bryan Thanner, IB’s Director General Siva Kumari wrote, “As an IB World School offering the MYP, you are part of a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring young people who will be ready to negotiate their futures successfully and make contributions resulting in a more harmonious and peaceful world. We commend your school’s educators, administrators, students and families for their active roles in choosing to offer the MYP. The positive results of this choice will become evident in your community as classes of MYP students graduate and undertake activities that enhance social, cultural and economic environments locally, nationally and, perhaps, internationally.”

Thanner explains that MYP enriches instruction for every Stemmers Run student. “We still implement the Baltimore County Public Schools curriculum,” Thanner said. “MYP is a layer we put on top, bringing in global perspectives and real-world relevance to every subject area. MYP is inclusive of every student in the school, at every level. It is how we teach. We have already seen it improve engagement and rigor.”

Two other aspects of MYP are particularly noteworthy, according to Thanner. “IB requires that we explicitly teach skills, like collaboration, that students will need for success,” he said. “It also requires a strong character education program that culminates with every Grade 8 student planning and implementing a community service project.” The projects range widely, based on students’ interests – from marker and toothbrush recycling to food drives and volunteering at animal shelters.

“Seeing what middle school students are able to do through service gives them a lot of perspective and helps them realize their ability to make change,” Thanner said.

The process to become authorized by the IB started three years ago and involved the entire Stemmers Run Middle community. “It began,” Thanner said, “with completing a candidate school application that was more than 75 pages long. In it, we needed to demonstrate that our school had the ability to implement the program. After being accepted as a candidate school, we then needed to implement the program and train staff for the next two years. The training requirements were significant. During the second year, the IB sent a team of representatives to Stemmers Run to determine if the school should be authorized. They spent two days in the school, meeting with every department, parent groups, and central office administrators.”

The IB is a highly rigorous academic program focused on critical and independent thinking and logical inquiry. It is offered in almost 5,000 schools globally in more than 150 countries. The MYP is described by the IB as “a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world.” It prepares students for the Diploma Programme (DP), which is offered in Baltimore County Public Schools at Kenwood High (an IB World School for the DP), for which Stemmers Run Middle is a feeder school.

“The Diploma Programme is an advanced program,” Thanner explained, “only open to students who qualify for it. It is our hope that the MYP at Stemmers Run will help all students learn more about IB and encourage more students who qualify to pursue the Diploma Programme.”

International studies programs, based on the IB framework, are also offered at Wellwood International and Woodmoor elementary schools, Middle River and Windsor Mill middle schools, and New Town High School.

Dundalk Shooting Victim Dies at Area Hospital, Police Investigating


A man has died after checking into a local hospital with an apparent gunshot wound.

Police were dispatched to the hospital at 5:43 p.m. after the man was dropped off by an unknown person and died shortly thereafter. The preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting occurred in the 100 block of Center Street in Dundalk. Detectives are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Anyone with information should contact the Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward when submitting tips through Metro Crime Stoppers.