Hogan Orders Face Coverings in Public Maryland Businesses


Gov. Larry Hogan has signed an Executive Order requiring Marylanders to wear a face covering when visiting establishments.

This face covering requirement does not have to be a medical mask. That includes a bandana or a scarf as long as it covers a person’s nose and mouth.

This applies to Marylanders entering all Retail and Food Establishments such as carry outs and grocery stores. All staff at Retail and Food Establishments are required to wear face coverings ypp.

This executive order also applies to all operators and riders of public transportation.

Baltimore County to Hold COVID-19 Testing Drive-Through


In an effort to keep pace with the demand for COVID-19 testing, the Baltimore County Department of Health will open a drive-through clinic to test patients who have a medical order from a healthcare provider.

The clinic will be located at the Timonium Fairgrounds (2200 York Road, Timonium, Maryland 21093) and will open on Thursday, April 16. Testing will continue to occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays while test kits are available.

“Our response to this pandemic must include every effort possible to help reduce the spread of the virus and save lives, and testing is a critical component of those efforts,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski.

“Increasing testing capacity in Baltimore County is part of our comprehensive effort to keep our residents safe and healthy during this crisis.”

“In a matter of weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed life, as we know it,” said Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch. “Providing a testing clinic at this location will allow for both efficiency and safety, and is another example of Baltimore County working to meet the changing landscape brought about by this pandemic.”
Increased access to testing is a priority in helping to prevent the spread of the virus. The fairgrounds are easily accessible and able to accommodate multiple lanes of vehicles at once. Additionally, patients will not have to leave their vehicles during the testing process.

Schedule an Appointment
Patients must first get authorization from a healthcare provider to be tested.
Once authorization is obtained, the person to be tested must schedule an appointment using the state-designated Chesapeake Regional Information System (CRISP). Tested individuals will receive post-test instructions at the clinic and test results will be available within five to seven days.
People arriving at the site without an order from a healthcare provider and/or without a pre-scheduled appointment will not be tested.

COVID-19 Hotline
Residents with questions or who need assistance can call the Baltimore County COVID-19 Hotline seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 410-887-3816.

Baltimore County Launches Detailed COVID-19 Dashboard


Baltimore County Government has created an app with information about COVID-19.

The dashboard covers all the cases of the coronavirus throughout the county. It has a list of the cases in each Baltimore County by zip code. The app also breaks down each case by race, gender and age.

According to the first version on the county’s dashboard, 59.13 percent of the county cases have been female with 40.87 percent of cases listed as male.

The stats by race show African Americans with 555 cases, Caucasians with 417 and Asians with 31 cases. There were 224 cases listed as “other” and 148 cases were listed with no race reported.

The Dashboard listed that there have been 1,377 confirmed cases and 41 deaths as a result of the virus in Baltimore County. The site also lists the state of Maryland with 9,472 cases and 302 deaths.

Hogan Appoints Dr. Erin Hager to BCPS Board of Education


Dr. Erin Hager, an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), has been appointed by Gov.Larry Hogan to serve on the Board of Education of Baltimore County.

Hager was nominated by the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission and appointed by the governor to fill the remaining term created by the death of Board member Roger Hayden. She will officially join the Board as soon as she can be sworn in by the Clerk of the County. County courts are officially closed through Friday, May 1.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Hager as she joins the Board,” said Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “I am certain that the Board will benefit from her unique perspectives as a parent and as a health and higher education professional.”

Hager holds faculty appointments in the UMSOM departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology & Public Health and is the director of the UMSOM Program in Health Equity and Population Health. In her research, she implements and evaluates strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity among children in schools and communities. Since 2018, she has served as the elected chair of the Maryland State School Health Council. Hager (formerly Sterner) graduated from Lansdowne High School in 1996 and then earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola College in Maryland (now Loyola University Maryland) and a doctorate in human nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She lives in Catonsville with her husband and three children who attend BCPS elementary, middle, and high schools.

“We eagerly await welcoming Dr. Hager to the Board,” said Board Chair Kathleen Causey. “Her multiple connections to the school system – as a graduate, a parent, and as an advocate for children’s health – will enrich our discussions and decision-making.”

Perry Hall High Releases Senior National Signing Day List


Perry Hall High School released a list of all seniors that were a part of national signing day. These senior athletes will play sports at colleges during the fall.

“We are so proud of our Gators who are moving on to play their sport at the college level. Congratulations to these student athletes whose excellence in the classroom and on the athletic field deserves our celebration,” said a statement on the Perry Hall Athletic Booster page.

A celebration is traditionally held at the school, but had to be canceled because of COVD-19. Here is a list of Perry Hall seniors and where they signed to attend in the fall.

Aya Neal-Soccer to Charleston

Mackenzie Click-Lacrosse to LaSalle

Chris Peacock-Lacrosse to Wilmington

Logan Ryan-Lacrosse to Lee-Mcrae

Ellie Buckheit-Softball to Frostburg

Dylan Weiss-Golf to Stevenson

Caroline Warns – Lacrosse to Salisbury

Erin Marciszewski-Soccer York to College

Amanda Butz -Softball to McDaniel

Mary Tolentino-Basketball to Widener

Jake Schnepf-Lacrosse to Concordia (Chicago)

Justin Headley-Lacrosse to Concordia (Chicago)

Roman Auth-Lacrosse to Concordia (Chicago)

Paula Hernandez-Volleyball to Norte Dame of Maryland

Police Report Two Essex Men Shot & Killed Each Other


Police have identified two victims of a double shooting in Essex who shot and killed each other on Friday April 10.

Police responded to Norris Lane and Torner Road at 12:13 p.m. for a call of a shooting and located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where they later died.

The investigation has revealed that both victims, identified as Garrett Lucas Cox Jr. (18) of the 400 block of Torner Road, 21221 and Antione Baye Richards Jr. (20) of the 1000 block of Debbie Avenue, 21221, were passengers of the same vehicle when they began to argue, escalating to both retrieving firearms and shooting one another inside the vehicle. Both attempted to flee the vehicle but collapsed nearby.

Baltimore County Police Homicide Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information should contact detectives by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous.

Water Rescue Reported in Essex After Car Stuck in Flood


With heavy amount of rain expected this afternoon, Baltimore County Police are reminding motorists not to drive through standing water. Water may be deeper than it appears or obscure other hazards in the road.

Kingsville Volunteer Fire Company reported that their Swiftwater Team 48 was alerted for a flood rescue on Monday morning near Golden Ring Road in Essex.

Kingsville VFC reported that the driver able was to swim to safety, but they are telling drivers to turn around if they find these types of flooded conditions.

Maryland Releases COVID-19 Stats for East Baltimore County


The Maryland Department of Health released their daily stats of the outbreak of COVID-19 but Gov. Larry Hogan said the state is now releasing more of a breakdown by including zip codes.

According to the state’s daily numbers for April 12, the highest level of the cornavirus is in the 21215 zip code in Arlington, which encompasses both western Baltimore City and Baltimore County. There have been 137 cases recorded.

The next three highest zip codes came from the Silver Spring area out of Montgomery County. The 20904 zip code has 132 cases, 20906 had 126 cases and 20902 had 125 cases.

Eastern Baltimore County
* The most reported cases since the start of the cornavirus pandemic in eastern Baltimore County is the 21234 Parkville zip code with 109 cases. Parkville has the ninth highest amount of cases in the state per zip code.

* The Overlea 21206 zip code ranked 17th in the state with 89 cases.

* The 21224 zip code had 84 cases to rank 22nd. The majority of that zip code is in Baltimore City with a small portion in the Eastwood and Colgate communities.

* The Dundak area (21222) is 49th in the state with 55 cases.

* The 21236 Nottingham zip code (not to be confused with the 21128 Perry Hall zip code) had a report of 40 cases to rank 77th in the state.

* The 21128 zip code was reported with 16 cases, which was out of the top 100 statewide.

* Rosedale was an overall 86th statewide with 37 cases in the 21237 zip code.

* Middle River and neighboring Essex areas were ranked 93th and 94th statewide. The 21220 zip code had 36 cases and 21221 had 35 cases of the cornavirus.

* The Edgemere/Sparrows Point area has nine cases as the 21219 zip code was also ranked outside the top 100.

* There were no reported cases in White Marsh (21162) or Kingsville (21087) zip codes.

These rankings and cases were based on the amount of people that tested positive for the coronavirus. Baltimore County had 1,257 cases as of Sunday morning. There have been 30 deaths in Baltimore County, but there is no zip code breakdown of deaths as a result of COVID-1 at this time.

For the full listing, go to coronavirus.maryland.gov

Baltimore County Celebrates 146th Year of Police Department


Today marks the 146th anniversary of the Baltimore County Police Department. Established by the Maryland legislature on April 11, 1874, the Department has evolved into the 21st largest police agency in the United States.

The Maryland Legislature approved what became Chapter 374 of the Laws of Maryland, authorizing the Baltimore County Commissioners to “appoint such number of policemen as they may deem advisable…,” that number not to exceed thirty officers. Starting pay was two dollars per day, with the exception of mounted police officers, who received three dollars per day but had to supply and sustain their own horse and riding equipment. They were expected to work seven days a week until 1912 when officers were finally given 12 days off per year. There was no formal training for police officers until 1939 when a one week training program was instituted. According to historical census data from the Maryland State Department of Planning the population of Baltimore County was around 25,000 in 1870.

Today, Baltimore County Police Department is the 21st largest police department in the nation, with more than 1900 sworn officers serving a population of over 828,000 and growing (per 2018 estimated census data). Starting pay for a sworn officer today is $54,037. Officers must pass a rigorous 27-week training program. They’ve also been given a few additional days off since its inception.

In recognition of the Department’s anniversary, and in an effort to memorialize all of the changes that policing and the Department have undergone, the Department worked on an Anniversary Yearbook which was published earlier this year.

Police Investigating a Friday Double Shooting In Essex


Baltimore County Police are investigating a double shooting in Essex this afternoon.

Police responded to the intersection of Norris Lane and Torner Road in Essex at 12:13 p.m. for a shooting. The initial investigation determined that two men were shot and transported to local hospitals by medics. The ages and condition of the victims are unconfirmed at this time. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.

Baltimore County Detectives are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information should contact Detectives by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous.