Author: eastbaltco

Serious Bus Accident Reported in Sparrows Point


-photo courtesy of Baltimore County Fire Department-

Baltimore County Volunteer Firefighters Association have reported a serious accident involving a MTA bus and multiple vehicles in Sparrows Point. The accident was reported at the intersection of I-695 and Bethlehem Boulevard on Friday after 6:30 p.m. Multiple EMS crews were on the scene.

One person was trapped and several people are reported injured.

Baltimore County Fire Department reported that two vehicles were involved in crash with a bus.

There are a total of 13 patients. Two had serious injuries and five had minor injuries. Six patients refused to be transported. Fire Units cleared the scene at 8:14 p.m. Accident investigation still on going.

It was not clear if the accident was either on the Beltway or off the Beltway on Bethlehem Boulevard.

Parkville Retiree Wins $50,000 from Lottery


–Article & photo by Maryland Lottery–

A 67-year-old Parkville retiree from Johns Hopkins Hospital is now $50,000 richer from the Maryland Lottery.

“Midnight,” which is the nickname the anonymous winner selected for publicity, says she’s “living the dream.” She retired in February and then, on Nov. 5, found out she won $50,000 playing Bonus Match 5 for the first time.

On Nov. 5, “Midnight” was doing what she normally does since retiring. She was out, enjoying the day, stress free with no worries. On a whim, she stopped in Cork & Bottle located at 4305 Ridge Road in Mt. Airy and purchased a $6 quick-pick Bonus Match 5 ticket.

“I’ve played Pick 3 in the past, but I’ve never played Bonus Match 5,” she said. “I just had a hunch that I should try it.”

The mother of three sons purchased her ticket and went on about her lovely day. Later, she gave the ticket to one of her sons for safe keeping while she went out of town for the weekend. Her son, who accompanied her to claim the prize at Lottery headquarters, said he scanned the ticket on the Lottery App on his phone after the evening drawing and was blown away at what he saw.

He had to scan the ticket five or six times just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“I texted her the picture of the message on my phone and called her,” said the son. “I said, ‘Ma, you have a winning ticket, look at your phone!’”

“Midnight” said she looked at her phone that night in shock. “It’s funny, I was just telling my son we were going to win.”

The lucky player stayed calm and enjoyed her weekend. She came home on Sunday and stopped at her son’s house to retrieve her lucky ticket. “Midnight” told Lottery officials that she is engaged and will use some of the winnings toward a small, intimate wedding. She also plans to take a vacation and will save the rest of her windfall.

The store that sold her the lucky ticket, Cork & Bottle, earned a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning ticket in the game. The Lottery has sold 40 top-prize winning Bonus Match 5 tickets so far in 2021.

BCPS to Close Schools on Wednesday, Nov. 24


Baltimore County Public Schools announced it is closing all schools and offices on Wednesday, Nov 24.

Schools and offices will now be closed from Wednesday, Nov. 24 through Friday, Nov. 26. Schools and offices will reopen Monday, Nov. 29.

BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl Williams released a statement about the closure.

“BCPS staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure the safety of students and provide high-quality instruction, meals and support. In recognition of their tremendous efforts, and with support of the Board of Education, we will close all schools and offices on Wednesday, November 24, 2021.”

Elementary School conferences, currently scheduled for November 23 and/or November 24 will be adjusted as follows:

Monday, November 22

Preschool-3 and Pre-K Conference Day – No Preschool-3 or Pre-K sessions – Elementary, Middle, and High Schools in Session Full Day – Teachers on Duty

Tuesday, November 23

Preschool-3 and Pre-K Conference Day and Elementary Conference Day – No Preschool-3 or Pre-K sessions and Schools Closed for Elementary Students – Middle and High Schools in Session Full Day – Teachers on Duty

Wednesday, November 24

Schools and Offices Closed

Bear Creek Lighted Boat Parade Returns


– photo courtesy of Bear Creek Sailing –

The second annual Bear Creek Lighted Boat Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. Boater check-in is 5 p.m. Boaters that want to participate in the parade are encouraged to register their boat at bearcreeksailing.com.

This event is presented and organized by Bear Creek Sailing Association and hosted by the Hard Yacht Cafe.

The parade will start at the Hard Yacht Fuel Dock, located at 8500 Cove Road.

The parade can be viewed at Inverness Park, Wise Avenue Bridge, Watersedge Park and many other sites along the Dundalk Waterways.

For more information go to the parade’s Facebook page or website.

The Middle River area will also hold a boat parade on Nov. 27.

For a full listing of holiday events go to eastbaltco.com

New Northeast Area Middle School Design Revealed


Julie Henn, Vice Chair of the Baltimore County Board of Education, released a statement and the design of the new Northeast Area Middle School.

“Tonight the Board received a presentation on the design of the new school by Moseley Architects.
The new 1,410 seat school located at the Nottingham Park site will feature a Magnet Academy of Health Science program as well as a Regional Special Education program,” Henn said.

“Construction should begin by Summer 2022. The school is tentatively scheduled to open in September 2024.”

The new northeast middle school in Rosedale was approved at Nottingham Park on King Avenue in 2017 and but have seen delays over the last few years..

The Presentations to the Board are listed below:
Presentation (slides):
Presentation (video):

County To Treat Midge Problem in Back River


The Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability (EPS) is preparing to treat a small, targeted area of Back River next week as proof of concept that helicopter application is a feasible option for controlling nuisance midge populations.

The department expects to spray a naturally-occurring bacterial larvacide from a low-flying helicopter during daylight hours on or about Tuesday, November 16. EPS will monitor the area for midge larvae abundance prior to and after treatment with Bti.

EPS will treat a 50-acre open water area of Back River just southeast of the Eastern Boulevard bridge. A helicopter (black colored Bell, Model 206 L-3, tail number N651HA) will apply a Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti)-based larvacide. Bti is a naturally occurring bacteria that is found in soil, and is only harmful to certain organisms, specifically midge, black fly and mosquito larvae and a few other aquatic flies. It does not harm people, fish, crabs or other aquatic invertebrates.

More information about Bti is available on the Maryland Department of Agriculture website.

Midges are small non-biting aquatic flies that often swarm near water or marshy areas where they breed, creating a nuisance for homeowners, boaters, businesses and recreational activities. EPS is researching the midge issue in the County’s eastern waterfront areas.

More information about potential plans and funding for future midge mitigation efforts will be released as they become available, pending a successful test application. The test treatment will take place pending County Council approval of an agreement with the vendor

Perry Hall Apartment Fire on Cardor Court


-photo courtesy of Providence Volunteer Fire Company of Towson-

Baltimore County Fire Crews were called to an apartment fire in Perry Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Providence Volunteer Fire Company of Towson reported that first arriving units said “smoke showing” upon arrival at the apartments on Cardor Court after 9 p.m.

Crews took an aerial to contain the fire. It was reported that the fire was quickly knocked and contained to the room of origin.

County Announces Plan to Add Bus Drivers


Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Darryl Williams announced a plan to boost recruitment and retention of school bus drivers amid a nationwide shortage of bus drivers.

“I know Baltimore County families are relieved to have their children back in school buildings full time this year, but they also deserve to know that there is a safe, reliable way for their kids to travel to and from school,” Olszewski said. “The steps we’re taking in partnership with the school system help ensure we continue to provide this critical service in communities across Baltimore County.”

“BCPS is pleased to provide incentives and increased compensation for our staff who engage in mission critical work like transporting our students to and from school, providing nutritious meals and ensuring our facilities are prepared to receive students and staff every day,” Superintendent Darryl Williams said. “This would not be possible without the support of our Board of Education and the county government and we are grateful for their collaboration and commitment to Team BCPS.”

Under the plan, BCPS will provide recruitment and retention incentives to all AFCME employees, including bus drivers.  These incentives include:

$250 sign-on bonus
$250 employee referral incentive
$50 monthly attendance reward for on-time attendance every day
Retention bonus of up to $1,000

As a result of the bus driver shortage, drivers have been taking on additional routes during their standby time. BCPS will use funding from the American Rescue Plan to provide drivers with shift differential pay of $2 per hour.

In addition, Baltimore County government will use ARP funding to cover the costs of fingerprinting for bus driver and attendant applicants – a cost that was previously passed on to potential employees and could cost as much as $100.

The County will also cover the costs of physical exams and drug testing required by the Maryland Department of Transportation, as well as the cost of sleep apnea testing for designated candidates. Physical exam and drug testing fees can range from $160 to $220, and sleep apnea testing costs an average of $1,151 per test.

In addition, the County has facilitated an expansion of the list of eligible medical providers to provide pre-employment physicals. The expansion should reduce a backlog that has caused long wait times for applicants awaiting a physical.

Dundalk Community Cuts Ribbon to New Colgate School


BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, members of the Board of Education of Baltimore County and elected officials from the state and county gathered in Dundalk for a ribbon cutting of the new Colgate Elementary School building at 7735 Gough St.

A new replacement school was constructed at the site of the existing Colgate Elementary School, which was originally built in 1924.

The $46 million replacement school preserves the history and location of the original school but nearly doubles the learning space through a modern, state-of-the-art multi-story design. Featuring a “green” rooftop classroom garden and a technology-rich media center, the 530-seat school is designed for 21st century learning even as it honors the community and traditions that have nurtured generations of children.

The old school building was demolished and construction for the new school started in 2019.

Colgate students were sent to the Rosedale Center for two years and construction was completed.

The Dundalk community celebrated its second new school in the community within the last three weeks as Berkshire held a ribbon cutting on Oct. 20.