Baltimore news

• Maryland State Police Stepping Up Patrols For New Year’s Weekend

  29-12-2017 23:49
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — While Marylanders celebrate New Year’s Eve, state troopers will be on high alert with increased enforcement, cracking down on drunk drivers.
  Authorities are trying to make sure New Year’s Eve fun doesn’t turn deadly on the way home.
  “It’s sometimes like, ‘Man, this could have all been avoided.’ Or this person could have still had their life if they could have only had a plan or paid attention, or not involved drinking in part
  
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• Alleged MS-13 Member Killed Days After Release From Jail

  29-12-2017 23:28
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — An 18-year-old alleged gang member was shot and killed on Christmas Eve, but federal officials say it could have been avoided if local authorities had followed the advice of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  Despite an ICE detainer, Jose Herrera was let out of jail multiple times, only to be shot in the head on Christmas Eve.
  Police arrested Herrera in October for squatting in an abandoned building reportedly used as a MS-13 safehouse.
  ICE lodged a deportation det
  
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• WJZ’s 2018 Black History Oratory Competition

  29-12-2017 22:51
  WJZ’s Black History Oratory Competition is open to students in grades 9-12 residing in Maryland.
  
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• Weather Blog: Snow On The Way

  29-12-2017 22:50
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Snow showers will arrive in central Maryland as we sleep.
  Western Marland will start to see flakes around midnight.
  For Charm City and surrounding areas, the snow holds off until around 3 or 4 a.m.
  The snow will be light, with totals expected between one and two inches.
  With morning temperatures in the upper teens and low 20s, the ground will be cold enough for the snow to stick.
  Even the light coating will make for very slick travel.
  Expect frigid and blustery condi
  
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• Potential For Snow Ahead Of New Year’s Eve

  29-12-2017 22:13
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Parts of Maryland may get up to two inches of snow this weekend as Baltimore remains under a Code Blue Alert.
  WJZ’s Meg McNamara says snow will move into central Maryland early Saturday morning and taper off later in the day.
  Snow totals will be light, with accumulations expected between one and two inches.
  “With morning temperatures in the upper teens and low 20s, the ground will be cold enough for the snow to stick,” McNamara says.
  The light
  
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• Florida Trucker Killed In Hit And Run In Western Maryland

  29-12-2017 21:10
  FRIENDSVILLE, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland say a Florida tractor-trailer driver was hit and killed as he stood alongside his disabled rig on a highway in Maryland’s westernmost county.
  State police it happened early Friday on Interstate 68 in Friendsville in Garrett County. Troopers say 32-year-old Christopher Valencia of Jacksonville, Florida, was standing next to his tractor trailer when he was hit. Valencia was pronounced dead at the scene.
  Troopers say the vehicle that hit Valen
  
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• Md. Elected Officials ‘Disappointed’ In FBI’s Refusal To Take Over Suiter Investigation

  29-12-2017 20:46
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Both of Maryland’s U.S. Senators along with three U.S. Representatives said in a joint statement they are “disappointed” in the FBI’s refusal to take over the investigation into the murder of Baltimore City Detective Sean Suiter.　“We were disappointed because clearly, we want justice in this case and we want to find out the circumstances of what happened, and the FBI can give additional resources,” Senator Ben Cardin told WJZ Inv
  
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• Obituary Partially Blames ‘Hopeless Condition Of The Cleveland Browns’ For Man’s Death

  29-12-2017 20:10
  HURON, Ohio (WJZ) — The family of an Ohio man certainly has a sense of humor even as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, and grandfather.
  In his obituary, they wrote that Paul Stark “passed away on December27, 2017 of complications from a brief illness, exacerbated by the hopeless condition of the Cleveland Browns, at Stein Hospice, Sandusky.”
  The Browns, in case you don’t know, are one loss away from a win-less season.
  Stark, a Mansfield, Ohio native, was a con
  
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• ‘Hot Cop’ In Viral Selfie Resigns Amid Probe Into Racist Posts

  29-12-2017 19:59
  GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WJZ) — A selfie taken during Hurricane Irma turned a Gainesville police officer into the “Hot Cop;” now an investigation into his social media activity has officially cost the officer his job.
  Michael Hamill resigned from the Gainesville Police Department amid a probe into complaints that he posted anti-Semitic comments on Facebook and allegedly had sex with a woman while on duty. The department announced that Hamill resigned on December 6th, shortly before t
  
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• Man Accused Of Rigging Door To Electrocute Pregnant Wife

  29-12-2017 19:31
  PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man is accused of rigging the front door of a home in an attempt to electrocute his estranged pregnant wife.
  In a Facebook post Friday, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley called the case one of the “most bizarre domestic violence cases” he’s seen.
  Officials said 32-year-old Michael Scott Wilson was arrested Thursday in Knoxville, Tennessee, and charged with attempted aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and grand theft of a firearm. He&
  
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• $135K Fine Against Bakers Who Refused Gay Couple Upheld By Court

  29-12-2017 18:56
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) —A $135,000 fine against an Oregon bakery who refused to make a cake for a lesbian couple has been upheld by the state’s Court of Appeals.
  Melissa and Aaron Klein refused to bake the cake for Rachel Bowman-Cryer and her wife in 2013 because of their religious objections to same-sex marriage. After taking the fight to court, a judge ruled that “Sweet Cakes By Melissa” discriminated against the couple and ordered the bakery to pay for Bowman-Cryer&rsquo
  
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• Keidel: This Year’s Eagles Are Last Year’s Cowboys

  29-12-2017 18:39
  By Jason Keidel
  Had I told you the Cowboys and Eagles would enter the final week of December with 13-2 and 8-7 records, you’d nod your head. But not if I told you which team had the better record.
  Indeed, the Eagles had blazed through the NFL, entering Sunday with a chance to end up 14-2, a record normally reserved for special (see: Super Bowl) clubs. Some folks thought the Eagles would push for a playoff spot, but no one saw this coming. Nor did anyone see Dallas, who were a rob
  
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• College Basketball Games To Watch: Let The Conference Clashes Begin

  29-12-2017 18:07
  By Steve Silverman
  All the preliminaries are out of the way, and the meat of the college basketball season is about to begin in earnest.
  It’s all about conference play at this point. Earlier in the year, teams wanted to make impressions on the poll voters by taking on impressive non-conference opponents. A couple of months from now, it will be about conference tournaments and then the Big Dance itself.
  However, the conference schedule is where teams show what they are all about, and this i
  
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• Comcast Accused Of Charging Thousands Of Customers For Services Without Consent

  29-12-2017 18:05
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) —The attorney general of Washington is leveling new allegations against Comcast, claiming the telecommunications giant enrolled thousands of customers in unnecessary plans without their permission.
  Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed an amendment to an ongoing lawsuit against the cable and internet provider, saying Comcast engaged in, “even more deceptive conduct than previously alleged.” The lawsuit – which was originally filed in August of 2016
  
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• New York City Fire Kills 12, Investigators Say Child Was Playing With Stove

  29-12-2017 18:00
  NEW YORK (AP) — A preschooler toying with the burners on his mother’s stove accidentally lit New York City’s deadliest fire in decades, turning an apartment building into an inferno that killed a dozen people as smoke and flames swept up the stairwell in minutes and blocked the main route to safety, the fire commissioner said Friday.
  The 3 ½ year-old-boy, his mother and another child were able to flee their first-floor apartment. But they left the door open behind them,
  
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• Vending Machines For The Homeless Coming To U.S. In 2018

  29-12-2017 17:40
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) —A British charity that has designed a special vending machine that dispenses goods to the homeless is bringing their creation to the United States in 2018.
  Action Hunger unveiled their new machine in a Nottingham shopping center on Dec. 19. The unique invention is believed to be the first vending machine tailored specifically to the needs of the homeless. According to the charity, the free dispenser provides essential items like food, water, and even clothing to
  
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• SportsLine’s Top Weekend Picks: College Football Playoff Match-Ups

  29-12-2017 17:28
  Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia EaglesSunday, December 31, 2017, 1:00 pm ET
  PHILADELPHIA -3
  The Eagles likely won’t play their starters the whole game, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to hop on the Cowboys. The Eagles need to go into the playoffs on a positive note after the offense fell flat on Christmas, and the defense has largely shined at home, where the team is 7-0 this year. The Cowboys just lost a must-win game at home against the Seahawks and figure to be deflated for
  
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• Police Need Help ID’ing ‘White Female In Her 60s’ Who Stabbed Dog

  29-12-2017 17:20
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) —Baltimore Police are trying to identify the person who stabbed a 2-year-old dog Wednesday morning.
  Police say Clawd was out walking in the 2600 block of East Baltimore Street around 6:45 a.m. when a person described as a white female in her 60s attacked him.
  Witnesses say the woman had a medium build, was approximately 5-foot-2, and had on a tan overcoat, a scarf wrapped around her head and a tan knit hat. She also had a “small white scraggly haired dog.”
  Anyon
  
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• New York City Fire Kills 12, Investigators Believe Child Was Playing With Stove

  29-12-2017 16:26
  NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s deadliest residential fire in decades spread through every floor of a Bronx apartment building within a matter of minutes, city officials said, killing 12 people and sending other residents scrambling outside into the cold and down fire escapes to safety.
  The dead include girls ages 1, 2 and 7, and a boy. His age was not given. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a briefing late Thursday that four more people were fighting for their lives.
  d
  
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• Maryland State Trooper Breaks Record For Number Of DUI Arrests

  29-12-2017 16:22
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Maryland State Trooper First Class Anthony Wallace has made state police history by breaking the record for the number of DUI arrests made in a year.
  For the past four years, Wallace has made at least 100 DUI arrests each year, for a total of more than 450. According to State Police, he makes an average of 120 to 140 impaired driving arrests annually as a member of the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) team.
  Wallace graduated in the 140th Maryland St
  
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• Viewing To Be Held For Slain Morgan State Student

  29-12-2017 15:18
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A viewing for a Morgan State student who was described as a promising sophomore is scheduled to be held on Friday afternoon.
  19-year-old Jonathan Tobash was killed on December 18 when he was walking to a corner store in the 3500 block of Pelham Avenue in Northeast Baltimore.  The store was in the process of being robbed. Police say the two people holding up the store turned their attention toward him. After a struggle, authorities say Jonathan was shot in the to
  
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• CBS Sports’ Boomer Esiason on Week 17 Jaguars-Titans Matchup, More

  29-12-2017 15:00
  By Matt Citak
  The Jaguars enter Week 17 in unfamiliar territory. Jacksonville has already clinched the AFC South and will be heading to the postseason for the first time since 2007. Led by the surprisingly strong play of Blake Bortles, the Jaguars are 10-5 and will enter the postseason as the AFC’s No. 3 seed, guaranteeing them at least one home playoff game. Over the last four games, Bortles has thrown for 1,285 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. All three picks came in Jack
  
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• 27-Year-Old Man Shot And Wounded In Southeast Baltimore

  29-12-2017 14:58
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Police are investigating a shooting that took place Thursday night in Southeast Baltimore.
  Officials were dispatched at 9:01 p.m. to the 1700 block of Monument Street to investigate the shooting. When officers arrived, they found a 27-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds. Police say the man was shot in the 400 Block of North East Avenue. The victim was taken to an area hospital to get treated.
  Anyone with information on this shooting is being told to contact th
  
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• Tightest Security Ever For New Year’s After Deadly Attacks

  29-12-2017 14:48
  NEW YORK (AP) — Police are promising a bigger security detail than ever before in Times Square for this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration, which will cap off a year that saw a number of deadly attacks on innocent crowds, including a vehicle rampage at the very spot where revelers will ring in 2018.
  In addition to its usual army of snipers, bag-inspecting officers and metal detectors, the department this year is relying on help from a growing corps of “vapor wake” do
  
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• Apple Apologizes For Secretly Slowing Older iPhones

  29-12-2017 14:31
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple apologized for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue.
  Many customers had interpreted the move as a way to for Apple to juice demand for newer iPhone models, their suspicions fueled by the fact that the company didn’t initially disclose the slowdowns or its reasons for them.
  Apple also said it will cut the price of a battery replacement by $50 to $29 through next year. New b
  
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• Weather Blog: A Small Break From The Bitter Cold

  29-12-2017 14:27
  T.G.I.F.
  Hi Everyone!
  The long New Years weekend is upon us! It’s been a  great holiday season for long weekends! This year the calander was in our favor.
  Weather wise much the same conditions but with a bit of a, temperature, break today and tomrrow. (High’s in the low to mid 30’s.)  Then right back to the freezer. Here is what is going on. There is a HUGE High over Alaska. A BIG Low just East of Hudson Bay. Between the High’s clockwise flow, and the Low’
  
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• New York City Fire Kills 12, Sends Residents Scrambling

  29-12-2017 14:07
  NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s deadliest residential fire in decades spread through every floor of a Bronx apartment building within a matter of minutes, city officials said, killing 12 people and sending other residents scrambling outside into the cold and down fire escapes to safety.
  The dead included a child around a year old, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a briefing late Thursday, adding that four more people were fighting for their lives.
  Fire Commissioner Dani
  
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• Maryland To Sue EPA To Force Other States To Cut Pollution

  29-12-2017 12:36
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Maryland is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to hold other states accountable for pollution that blows into the region, creating summertime smog.
  According to our media partners at The Baltimore Sun, Maryland joins seven other states including Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont  in a lawsuit filed last week appealing the Trump Administration’s decision to not expand the number of states in the Ozone Tr
  
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• Contraceptives To Become More Affordable In Maryland In 2018

  29-12-2017 12:17
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — On January 1, people in Maryland will have more access to getting birth control as a new law is set to go into effect.
  According to our news partners at The Baltimore Sun, the new law requires insurers to provide most forms of birth control with no out-of-pocket costs to the patient. The law also requires insurers to cover vasectomies, or sterilization for men without charging out-of-pocket expenses. Insurers must also pay for the over-the-counter birth control, incl
  
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• Trump Says East Could Use Some ‘Global Warming’ This Weekend

  29-12-2017 10:26
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says the East Coast “could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming” as bitterly cold temperatures are expected to freeze large swaths of the country this holiday weekend.Trump wrote on Twitter Thursday, “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record.” He added: “Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going
  
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• Baltimore First Responders, Outdoor Workers Brave The Cold

  29-12-2017 05:22
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Another frigid day means plenty of people bundled up — but that’s not as easy for people like firefighters who were certainly busy Thursday.
  As temperatures dip into the teens and wind chill makes it feel like single digits, the city’s Code Blue Alert has been extended into the new year.
  The cold isn’t just a concern for people, but cars, too. Dead batteries, overheating, frozen radiators, belts and hoses breaking are all things AAA says can a
  
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• Vigil Held For Victims Of Baltimore Violence

  29-12-2017 05:13
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — More than 340 people have been murdered in Baltimore this year, making the city one of America’s most violent and breaking a per capita record. Hundreds attended a vigil Thursday night at the Baltimore War Memorial Building for the victims.
  Mayor Catherine Pugh has urged patience, saying stopping the violence is not a sprint but a marathon. Many people, though, are fed up after federal and state help — and a lot of funding — has yet to reduce the ki
  
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• Morgan Stanley: Bitcoin May Actually Be Worth $0

  29-12-2017 04:42
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A top financial services firm is making the case that, despite soaring stock prices, the popular digital currency Bitcoin may actually be worth nothing at all.
  Morgan Stanley executive director James Faucette has reportedly sent a memo to his group’s clients that suggested the true value of Bitcoin was $0.00. Faucette’s team of analysts argue that not only is Bitcoin hard to equate to real world money, less online retailers are accepting the cryptocu
  
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• Baltimore Police Increasing Security Measures For New Year’s Eve

  29-12-2017 02:06
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The New Year’s Eve spectacular will draw thousands to downtown Baltimore on Sunday, and police in the city are gearing up to make sure everyone stays safe.
  The bitter cold is certainly hitting the Baltimore area hard, but despite the nasty temperatures, large crowds will flock to the Inner Harbor to ring in the New Year.
  The city is in the midst of one of its most-violent periods on record. Just weeks ago, a string of random attacks by teenagers at the Inn
  
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• Tractor Trailer Overturns On I-70, Closes Lanes During Rush Hour

  29-12-2017 01:41
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — An overturned tractor trailer caused some major traffic problems during rush hour Thursday night.
  The truck overturned on I-70 East near I-695 in Woodlawn around 4:45 p.m., according to Maryland State Police. Eastbound lanes were blocked and Westbound lanes were stalled for more than two hours.
  Officials say the driver refused treatment following the single-vehicle crash.
  Here is a look at the overturned tractor trailer I-70 EB @ I-695, only the s
  
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• Weather Blog: Dangerously Cold Thursday Night

  29-12-2017 01:27
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Frigid temperatures will set in overnight Thursday with a low around 12. Northwest wind from 5 to 7 mph will become calm in the evening.
  Scattered flurries are expected between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday. Clouds will move through the area, gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high near 31.
  Light snow is likely after 2 a.m. Saturday with increasing clouds and a low around 21. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60
  
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• Baltimore Businesses Gear Up For New Year’s Eve

  29-12-2017 01:06
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Tickets have been purchased, hotel rooms have been booked — and with days until New Year’s Eve, Baltimore businesses are looking to finish the year strong.
  “You know, Baltimore likes a good party,” says Patrick Petrides of Rye Street Tavern.
  At the brand-new restaurant in Port Covington, a $135 ticket will score you a spot at their first ever big holiday celebration.
  “We have an awesome band that is set to perform all night long, an
  
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• 7 Hurt, 1 Critically, In Virginia Crime Rampage, Car Chase

  29-12-2017 00:47
  HERNDON, Va. (AP) — Police in northern Virginia have arrested a man they say carjacked two vehicles and led officers on a chase that ended when the man ran a red light and collided with a van.
  Fairfax County police said in a statement that seven people, including the suspect, were hospitalized. They include a child who was ejected from the van and is in critical condition.
  Police say the rampage began Wednesday night in Herndon, when a man driving a car that had been stolen in a carjacking
  
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• Fun Resumes At Disneyland After Power Restored

  29-12-2017 00:10
  BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The power is back on at Disneyland after sections of the park went dark during one of its busiest weeks of the year.
  Many visitors were left stranded on rides at the California theme park during the outage, which was caused by a transformer failure just after 11 a.m. Wednesday. It took several hours for the amusement park to get everything back up and running.
  “There were a lot of crying children and unhappy guests,” one park visitor told KCBS.
  
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