Heavy Police Presence In Penn North
There's a heavy police presence again at North and Pennsylvania Avenues in West Baltimore, but police say reports of a man being shot at that location are unfounded. Police say they did confront a man armed with a gun and he was arrested. The scene is near where a CVS store was looted and burned during last week's demonstrations after the funeral of Freddie Gray.
City Begins Slow Return to Normal; Mondawmin Mall Reopens
As the city-wide curfew is lifted and the National Guard begins to roll out of town, Baltimore is trying to get back to normal after six officers were charged in the police custody death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. Hundreds gathered yesterday as Governor Larry Hogan called for a "day of prayer and peace,” and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake spoke yesterday outside of Mondawmin Mall, which re-opened after being closed for a week due to heavy damage sustained last Monday by looters. A few stores remained closed; others were still re-stocking shelves. The mall plans to operate on a reduced schedule this week, closing at 6:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m.
National Guard Troops Demobilizing
National Guard troops are beginning to pull out of Baltimore, and Governor Larry Hogan said the state of emergency will be lifted once the demobilization is complete. Authorities are advising those who live and work in Pikesville to expect a lot of activity around the Pikesville Armory for the next couple of days as the Maryland National Guard begins filtering out of Baltimore, and warn that soldiers will be demobilizing at the armory at all times of the day and night.
Police Turning Focus To Rash Of Shootings
Now that protesting has calmed in Baltimore, city police are beginning to turn their attention to curtailing a rash of recent shootings unrelated to the Freddie Gray demonstrations. Nearly 20 shootings have been recorded since last Tuesday, including more than a half-dozen homicides. Officials hope that officers returning to their normal beats will provide a calming effect for some troubled neighborhoods.
Mikulski, Cardin Host Roundtable At Urban League
The effort to unify the city is not stopping with the arrests of six cops in the death of Freddie Gray. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin hosted a roundtable discussion Monday morning at the Greater Baltimore Urban League called, "Our Baltimore: Unity in the Community." The lawmakers met with clergy and community leaders to talk about how to bring an immediate end to racial profiling and ways to best address the needs of the city's struggling neighborhoods.
Cummings Believes Reform Begins With Addressing Poverty
Congressman Elijah Cummings is calling for a thorough accounting of the Baltimore Police Department. The Democrat told ABC's This Week that systemic problems extend well beyond the death of Freddie Gray and need to be addressed immediately. Cummings added that lawmakers and authorities nationwide need to take a hard look at the roots of poverty, which he believes are behind the tragedies involving blacks and police over the past year.
Construction To Resume On Burned Apartment Building
Church leaders and developers are promising to rebuild a Baltimore senior citizen apartment building destroyed by fire during last Monday's unrest. Officials with the Southern Baptist Church and The Woda Group said today construction on the Mary Harvin Center will resume immediately. The building on North Chester Street was nearly half finished when it was destroyed in what the ATF is investigating as an arson fire. Originally set to open in November, officials say the center will now be ready next spring.
Historians Look To Document Freddie Gray Protests, Unrest, Cleanup
The Maryland Historical Society is looking for photos of the unrest in Baltimore. The society is asking professional and amateur photographers to submit their images in order to document the Freddie Gray protests, the uprising and cleanup efforts. The images will be part of a digital collection that it hopes to make available for viewing by the public, the Maryland State Archives and the National Archives. The collection will also include objects and oral histories from protestors and civil rights leaders in Baltimore.
Fund Set Up For Rebuilding Baltimore
Governor Hogan is reminding residents about a website set up last week to help with rebuilding efforts in Baltimore. MarylandUnites.org steers visitors to charities helping community members in need, and provides easy access to volunteer opportunities.
Increase In Mentorships Soars After Riots
Adults in Baltimore are stepping up efforts to become role models for the city's young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters says it has seen a 3,000 percent increase in inquiries about mentorships since last week's unrest was splashed all over local and national TV. The organization says the interest will help whittle down a waiting list of some 600 kids in Baltimore alone, many of whom are boys who don't have male mentors. Those interested in volunteering can get more info at www.biglittle.org.
Carson Opens GOP Presidential Campaign
Dr. Ben Carson is going after the Republican presidential nomination. The retired Johns Hopkins' neurosurgeon is a rising conservative star and is the only African-American so far seeking the GOP nod. In an earlier announcement, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina threw her hat in the ring for the Republican nomination. Fiorina, the only woman so far to enter the crowded GOP field, graduated from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in 1980.
"American Pharaoh" Turns Eyes To Pimlico
Baltimore is bracing for the hope of a Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby champion American Pharaoh appears set to join the field for the May 16 Preakness. The Bob Baffert-trained horse is likely to be joined by Dortmund, which is also trained by Baffert. Another contender, Firing Line, is also expected to join the field at Pimlico.
O's Rally Past Rays, Take Series
The Orioles are celebrating a series victory after taking yesterday's rubber game against the Rays 4-2 at Tropicana Field. Adam Jones went 4-for-4 and capped his day with a two-run single that put the Birds in front in the seventh inning. The O's improved to 12-and-11 and have the day off before heading to New York to start back to back series with the Mets and Yankees tomorrow.
