Author: eastbaltco

Adult, Juvenile Injured in Shooting on Radecke Avenue

Baltimore County Police are investigating a shooting on Radecke Avenue in Overlea on May 29 that injured a man and a juvenile.

Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Violent Crimes Unit were called to two separate area hospitals for walk-in victims with gunshot wounds after Baltimore City police determined that the injuries were sustained during the incident in Baltimore County. A 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old male both suffered at least one gunshot wound to the upper body during the incident in the 6000 block of Radecke Avenue. Both are expected to survive their wounds.

BCoPD responded to an assault call in the area around 8:45 p.m. but found no victims when they arrived in the area. Detectives were contacted by the Baltimore Police Department about an hour later in reference to the victims, and are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous. Callers submitting tips through Metro Crime Stoppers may also be eligible for a reward. Anonymous tips can be sent to Metro Crime Stoppers by phone, online or via mobile app.

Strong Storm Hits Northeast Baltimore County

The Parkville and Perry Hall areas were hit with a strong storm on Wednesday night.

Many trees and powerlines were down, which resulted in road closures. Silver Spring Road was closed down near Perry Hall Blvd. after a tree fell on the entire road. (picture below).

Councilman David Marks reported many homes were without power.

“I communicated with my BGE representative and there were nearly 28,000 customers out of service due to [Wednesday night’s] severe storms, hail, winds, and possible tornado event,” Marks said on his Councilman Facebook page.

-photo courtesy of Maryland State Game and Fish Protective Association


-photo courtesy of White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company-

Saturday Fire Destroys Perry Hall Home

Baltimore County Firefighters called to the 8500 block of Hanf Avenue off Belair Road in Perry Hall to battle a house fire on Saturday, May 25 at 11:30m a.m.

When firefighters arrived there were flames on the 1st & 2nd floors of a single family dwelling. No one was home at the time and multiple social media reports claim that the possible cause of the fire was damaged clothes dryer.

-photos courtesy of Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company-

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Shooting on Kingston Road Injures Woman

Police are investigating a shooting in Essex that injured a woman early this morning.

The woman, 21, had been dropped off to the rear of a home in the 100-block of Kingston Road when she was shot at least once in the upper body, suffering life-threatening injuries.  She was transported to an area hospital for treatment. 

The suspect(s) fled the area prior to police arrival. Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Violent Crimes Unit are continuing to investigate this incident. Anyone who may have information concerning this shooting is asked to call police at 410-307-2020. 

Fontana Lane Shooting Kills Woman, Injures Man

The woman shot in an early morning shooting on Fontana Lane in Rosedale last week has died.

Kitera Alishia Bishop (23) of the 8800 block of Fontana Lane in Rosedale, died Friday after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body around 1 a.m. Thursday morning. A 26-year-old man also suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound during the incident.

The suspect(s) fled the scene prior to police arrival. Police are asking anyone who may have additional information regarding this shooting or who can help identify the suspect to call 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips can also be submitted through Metro Crime Stoppers and may be eligible for a reward:

BCPS announces the selection of Dr. Darryl L. Williams as its new superintendent

Beginning July 1, Dr. Darryl L. Williams will begin his four-year term as superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, the 25th largest school system in the nation and third largest in Maryland.

Elected by the Board of Education of Baltimore County at its May 21 meeting, Williams will join BCPS after spending more than 24 years with Montgomery County Public Schools, where he began as a teacher and advanced through the organization serving as an assistant principal, principal, community superintendent, and associate superintendent. He is currently the area associate superintendent of schools in eight clusters. In this role and in concert with his leadership team, he supports and manages eight high school principals, two specialty school principals, 15 middle school principals, and 44 elementary school principals. As area associate superintendent, William participates on the superintendent’s Executive Leadership Team and a variety of workgroups committed to enhancing academic achievement. Prior to joining Montgomery County Public Schools, Williams began his career in education as a mathematics teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools.

“I am honored to have been chosen as the new superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools,” said Williams, “and I am excited to serve our students, leaders, staff, and communities. I will focus on the needs of our students and staff and work to maintain a positive and effective learning environment for all. We have to continue to move our district in a positive direction and listen to stakeholders and students about our successes and areas of improvement and make necessary changes. Our students come first and our work as a unified team will positively impact the lives of the students in BCPS.”

Williams earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Hampton University, his Master of Arts degree in educational administration from American University, and Doctor of Education degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. A native Washingtonian, he was a member of the first graduating class of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.

Interim BCPS Superintendent was not selected by the school board. She released a statement on the hiring of Williams.

“Serving the children of Baltimore County has been the greatest honor of my professional life. I am grateful to have worked with dedicated educators, staff, and community members for the past 24 years. While I am disappointed in the Board’s final decision, I am appreciative of their consideration,” White said.

” I would like to congratulate Dr. Darryl L. Williams on his appointment. In the coming months, I will work closely with him to ensure a smooth transition and to continue supporting the school system that I love so dearly.”

Police Seek Identity of Overlea Burglar

Baltimore County Police are asking for the public’s help identifying this burglary suspect, responsible for at least one burglary in the Overlea area.

Detectives obtained this surveillance video of the suspect, who broke into a home in the 4500 block of Springwood Avenue, 21206 around 1 p.m. on the afternoon of Friday, March 29. Detectives have not succeeded in identifying this burglar by traditional investigative means and are now asking for help from the public.

If you recognize this suspect contact Burglary Unit detectives by calling 410-307-2020.

Nude Man Rescued at Cowenton Ridge Park

The White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company reported that Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County Fire Department responded to The Trails at Cowenton Ridge Park for a person wading in a small abandoned rock quarry on May 14 around 4 p.m.

Initial reports from the 911 caller indicated a nude male screaming in the water. Police arrived first to the park, located at 8941 Cowenton Ave, and reported the subject would not exit the water. Clothing found on a rock ledge approximately 30 feet high led responders to believe the person jumped into the water.

The first arriving fire unit requested an inland water rescue assignment since the person was not following commands, could not be reached, and appeared to be ill or under the influence. Additional resources were dispatched including boats, water rescuers and a dive team. Shortly after the arrival of Engine 202, the subject was talked out of the water and taken into the care of EMS.

Overlea High SRO named SRO of the Year

When DJ Moore became a police officer, chances are that she never envisioned being seen as a “transformational leader” at a high school. But that is how Overlea High School Principal Monica Sample describes her. And that is why Officer Moore has been named the high school level School Resource Officer of the Year for Baltimore County Public Schools.

BCPS administrators surprised Officer Moore with the news today.

According to Sample, Officer Moore is Overlea High’s “biggest cheerleader” and someone who “demonstrates commitment, loyalty, empathy, discipline, and diplomacy” and interacts with students “in a positive and restorative manner.”

“Many female scholars,” Sample wrote, “consistently approach Officer Moore for guidance, support, and mentorship with social-emotional issues. She is viewed by many as an honorary mother who represents confidence, optimism, and hope.”

Three of the many ways that Officer Moore contributes to the school culture are by serving as co-coordinator of the female mentoring Group IT Girls, as a member of the Overlea student support team, and as a member of the Restorative Practices team. According to Sample, Officer Moore has “conducted over 100 restorative conferences,” thereby preventing numerous physical altercations in the school and community.

“SRO Moore is non-judgmental in her role and gives each scholar endless opportunities and support despite their disciplinary histories. She inspires and gives hope to our scholars that each day is a new day and that our scholars are all capable of being model citizens who will make a great impact on society.”

K. Hawthorne-Jones, clinical school social worker and student mentoring coordinator, wrote that Officer Moore “has immersed herself in the culture of the school seamlessly. She has built strong relationships with students and staff. She knows how to be confident, firm, and compassionate at the same time. She believes in the good in people first and extends mercy when appropriate.”

Hawthorne-Jones concluded her recommendation: “With the addition of Officer Rawleigh, Overlea is grateful to have the best SROs a school could have. They work well together and balance one another out. You would never think that [Moore] has only been doing this job for a little over a year. She has hit the ground running and hasn’t turned back.”

Overlea High students to perform in groundbreaking Baltimore Choral Arts Society production

OOn Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day, 22 members of Overlea High School’s Honors Chorale will perform in the U.S. premiere of a groundbreaking “community opera” – Jonathan Dove’s The Monster in the Maze – presented by Baltimore Choral Arts Society.

The Monster in the Maze is one half of a show, titled Captivity to Liberty, which will feature a total of 200 performers. The show will also feature Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. Tickets for the 3 p.m. show are available at the Choral Arts website, and the show will be presented at Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., 21204. (A pre-concert Choral Conversation will begin in the auditorium at 2 p.m.)

“The production is pretty intense, and our students have a major presence,” said Kellie Zephir, Overlea High’s choral director and piano instructor. “They will be portraying Athenian youth who must cross Crete so that Theseus can kill The Minotaur and thereby save them from being sacrificed. As they sing, they will also be carrying a rope that becomes a labyrinth and becomes the arena for the major battle. It’s a very innovative production.”

Zephir, a former member of Choral Arts, explains that the group normally produces concerts and sings symphonic works with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Taking on such a large and complex production as Captivity to Liberty is outside its norm. However, “its musical director, Anthony Blake Clark, is trying to press the limits of what singers in Baltimore do.”

In addition to the singers from Overlea High, the production involves several lead singers as well as the Baltimore Choral Arts Orchestra, Larks of the Junior League of Baltimore, Maryland State Boychoir, Muse 360 (a youth arts organization), and Peabody Youth Orchestra. (Overlea High French teacher Laura Redfurn is a Choral Arts member and will be singing in the show.)

According to Zephir, Clark approached her last May to invite the Overlea Honors Chorale to be a part of the production. “I organized this school year around it,” Zephir said. “The students have been learning music and staging all year, and we have been going offsite to practice with others in the show. This week, every evening, we take a van over after eating dinner so that we can rehearse.”

Even before the big day, Zephir can see that this experience is having a significant impact on her students. “It is blowing their minds,” she said, “expanding their horizons about what is possible with singing. Experiencing the diversity of music and particularly what is happening in classical music is exciting for our students.”

Zephir notes that every year a few Overlea students think about pursuing music professionally. “But in my nine years at the school, only three students have pursued further studies or careers in classical music. That might expand because of the exposure to this experience.”

Because the production is taking place on Mother’s Day, Choral Arts offered each Overlea High performer one free ticket for their mothers and a discounted price for their family members.

The relationship between Choral Arts and Overlea High extends beyond this performance. Members visit the school each year to host a workshop to help students prepare for their singing adjudication.

Students from Overlea High School’s Honors Chorale singing as the Athenian Youth inJonathan Dove’s The Monster in the Maze on Sunday, May 12, 2019:

Benedicta Ajagunna

Raven Askins

Jose Avila-Zepeda

Dasia Biggers

William Brown

Jessica Carpenter

Christopher Cooke

Tyekeir Davis

Kandice Dowell

Ashley Gomez

T’Asia Hall

Teddana Hobbins

Victor Iheanacho

Nia Johnson

Olivia Johnson

Sanaa’ Jones

Ericka Lowery

Mason Mahon

Daniel Miller

Blessing Onuegbu

Nasir Perry

Kaitlyn Rhodes

Kellie Zephir, Choral Director & Piano Instructor…