March 30

I'll come out and say it: PG County rep Joe Vallario is a big fudgeclown for single-handedly blocking the witness intimidation bill. I hope anyone reading will give his office a call at (410) 841-3488, (301) 858-3488, or toll-free at 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3488 and ask him what this reasons are, because he won't even comment to the press (?!). I guess he doesn't care about the public as he's about to retire. Meanwhile, his home district remains a cesspool of violence. Here's his web site, if you care to know what sub-par schools he attended. Hope your PG County pals are happy, because the rest of us who are terrified to report our drug-dealing neighbors certainly are not. Jerk.

The murder trial of Martay Delvon Powell, 18, of Elmley Avenue, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before Judge Allen L. Schwait at 400 Mitchell Courthouse East on 110 N. Calvert Street. The Baltimore City Grand jury indicted Powell May 28 of last year for first-degree murder. Court documents allege Powell shot and killed Damon Martin in the 200 block of Collington Avenue on March 11, 2004.

At a hearing today, Victor Vanderheiden, 45, of South Bond Street pled guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of Langford Woodhouse, 49. Judge David Mitchell sentenced Vanderheiden to 10 years in prison, with all but two years suspended (if you're paying attention you'll note that's one year dude has to serve). On October 17, 2004 in the 900 block of North Broadway Street Vanderheiden, Woodhouse and some other friends, who were homeless, got into an altercation. Vanderheiden pushed Woodhouse into the water, where the victim drowned. An autopsy showed the victim had been heavily drinking and had a blood-alcohol level of .38.

Albert Mosley has filed a $40 million brutality suit against the city, claiming officer Bryan Kershaw attacked and paralyzied him while he was in a holding cell. Isn't it kind of bad news when your own lawyer refers to you as "a drunk?"

"Gee, rilly?" story of the day: apparently Frederick County's legacy as a KKK stronghold is making it difficult for the police to recruit minority applicants.

Do not miss this week's City Paper cover story about Baltimore's gunshot-wound survivors, a stunning photo essay by Jefferson Jackson Steele. When you live in this town and read and hear every day about the violence, it's easy to forget the human toll behind the numbers, and this piece poignantly brings eight of these victims to life.

And here's the link to the murder ink.

A man's been murdered in Randallstown... Eric Ronnell Keith, 20, was found shot to death last night. This is murder #11 for Baltimore County.

Anyone who's ever had to pay $63 in late fees for Happy Gilmore will be happy to hear that O'Malley's father-in-law and 46 other attorneys general have squeezed a $630,000 settlement out of Blockbuster for those deceptive "No Late Fees" ads.

Only day after the Hickey School settlement, there's now tales of abuse at the Baltimore Juvenile Justice Center and the Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center. Naked groin-punching, hey, they're kids, not liberated Iraqis!