Despite a new administration, Frederick Sheriff doesn’t expect a big change

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpRukLJe_y0&feature=youtu.be by Christie Wisniewski Despite a remarkable shift in policy plans with the new presidential administration, The Frederick County Sheriff’s Department believes that not much will change in terms of the county’s law enforcement. If anything, they believe that the Trump administration will further aid their cause. According to Lieutenant Colonel Scot Hopkins, the three largest current issues in Frederick are the heroin crisis, public unrest with police, and diminishing recruit numbers. However, the Sheriff’s Department believes that the Trump administration will help battle those issues. Still, Hopkins admitted that there is “a lot of unrest” with new president. “Police are getting shot and there’s growing unrest with police,” he said. “We have to remind deputies that we don’t have what’s happening in other cities.” Hopkins added that there is also a lack of trust with the government, which doesn’t help the police’s relationship with skeptical citizens. “We’re the first representative of [the government],” he said. “We have uniforms and guns and that intimidates some people.” He continued...
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Anonymous tip line bill for public schools dominates the Maryland Senate

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By Kristina Hong The Maryland General Assembly and Senate committee passed an anonymous two-way texting bill on Wednesday, March 29 designed to fight against bullying. The bill offers an optional public school system implementation that introduces the use of a private alert system within schools to report bullying, harassment and other forms of suspicious activity to authorities. “In short, it is a two-way text messaging bill geared to assist in identifying bullying in our schools,” Delegate Steven Arentz, R-Queen Anne’s County said. Passing unanimously through the Maryland House of Delegates, the bill saw many changes in order to reach the Senate. Originally, it was introduced through a companion bill and placed emphasis on one-way sending of information but was not effective enough. “The bill changed from purely a texting bill due to the way the State does business,” Arentz said. “As a texting-only bill, it would preclude competition, as products that can actually perform this application are limited.” Alvin Butler, the software developer, affirmed the changes to...
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Maryland bill updates law regarding rape and physical resistance

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By Christine Wisniewski A bill that would establish that evidence of physical resistance is not required in order to prove sexual assault has held favorable reports and passed its second reading at the Maryland General Assembly as of March 31. The bill was returned to the Senate as of April 5 with no additional amendments and will become effective as of Oct. 1 of this year. Sponsored by Sen. Delores Kelley of Baltimore, the legislation would aid those who have been sexually assaulted but may not have physical signs of resistance on their body. This comes after a shift in view about what constitutes sexual assault, recognizing that some victims may not physically resist assault due to being intoxicated or fearing that resisting may make the attacker angry, resulting in more severe injuries. “Maryland’s law is still archaic,” said Kelley in an article written in January for Baltimore’s ABC2. Kelley continued to say that Maryland is still one of the few states that...
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Young sponsors bill allowing alcohol in barbershops

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
Timothy Sylvia In another instance of alcohol and business partnership in Frederick county, a bill that would allow licensed barbershops to serve beer and wine to customers has passed its third reading in both the House and Senate and is expected to become law. The bill would allow barbershops in Frederick County to acquire a license to provide up to five ounces of beer or wine per serving to customers. The bill is in response to a similar law, which has been effective since last July and allows beauty salons in Frederick County the same guidelines. This bill would effectively open up alcohol serving to shops with more male-oriented customers. The bill, which was sponsored by Democratic Sen. Ron Young and Republican Sen. Michael Hough, doesn’t allow for the barbershops to sell beer and wine themselves. The shops are allowed to provide beer and wine to customers who have paid for a certain service or are attending a fundraising event held by the...
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Maryland “Right to Try” bill gains momentum

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By: Kaylene Wright A bill that would permit eligible patients to receive investigational medical treatment has passed several readings in the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland Senate. The Right to Try Act would attempt to save lives by allowing eligible patients in need to try new investigational drugs, medical products, or treatments. These drugs must have completed Phase I, the safety phase, of a clinical trial, but have not yet been approved for general use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is a companion bill in the House of Delegates that is sponsored by Delegate Karen Lewis Young. The bill currently faces no opposition. Both bills have been deemed favorable with amendments and have switched over to the other chambers. There are also specific requirements for those who would use these products. An “eligible patient” is an individual that has: a terminal illness; considered all other treatment options currently approved by the FDA; received a recommendation by the treating physician; given...
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One Step Closer to Passing Marijuana Expungement Bill

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By: Brandon Green After a swift deliberation Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee ruled in favor of a marijuana expungement bill. The bill will allow people convicted for possession, of less than 10 grams of marijuana, the ability to expunge it from their record. If signed by Gov. Larry Hogan, the bill will take effect Oct. 1, 2017, and would be added to other expungable violations such as acquittals, dismissal of charges, and entry of probation before judgment. According to Democratic Sen. William Smith of Maryland, under current law, in order for a convicted marijuana violator to be eligible for expungement, they cannot commit a violent crime for 10 years. Smith said this bill was made to speed up the process, which is why individuals will be eligible for expungement five years after conviction. According to the Department of Legislative Services’ fiscal and policy note, prior to Oct. 1, 2014, a person in possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana was subjected to a penalty of...
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Growth Affect on the Fire Department

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
by Ellie Blaser Over the last five to 10 years, various types of growth have occurred in the city and county of Fredrick, Maryland, including population growth and comprehensive plan and zoning growth. As a result of this, the Frederick City Fire Department has had a larger population to respond to, and at times has had trouble responding to fire on time. “We are currently one of the second largest regions in the state behind Baltimore, and with that comes the increase call wave,” says Kevin Fox, Battalion Chief with Division of Fire Rescue Services. (more…)...
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Suicide Rates Are Growing With Frederick’s Population and Public Funding Can’t Keep Up

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By Logan Samuels The Frederick County Board of Health and Mental Hygiene wants to focus on treatment and research for specific health issues, but budgeting for the public health system prevents this. Frederick County Health Officer Dr. Barabara Brookmyer explained that a hot topic issue in Frederick is the suicide rate. For the last 12 years, Frederick County has had a higher suicide death rate than the state. Henry Westray, Jr., the former chair of the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention, said that Governor Martin O’Malley established an executive order to focus on suicide awareness and prevention as a severe health issue in 2009. For three years, the Governor’s Commission on Suicide actively fought to establish services, hotlines, plans, support groups, and advocacy groups for at-risk groups. There are various Maryland based foundations and groups that focus on suicide prevention and intervention like the Mental Health Association of Maryland, the National Alliance on Mental Illness: Maryland and the American Foundation for Suicide: Maryland. O’Malley planned to...
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Drug Treatment Court Programming for Heroin Abusers

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By: Chloe Scott Heroin overdoses and fatalities are happening at an alarming rate in the state of Maryland. According to the sheriff's office, 32 people in Frederick County died in 2014 from overdosing on heroin and the number is still increasing. The Frederick County Drug Treatment Court aims to decrease the drug abuse in Frederick County with their redirection programming that holds all substance abusers accountable. Providing a solution to the increasing fatalities occurring in the county is shifting. The shift is staying away from harsh accountability arrests to redirection programs that still hold abusers accountable, but take into consideration their rehabilitation. Currently 255 participants are in the Frederick County Drug Treatment Court program. 102 have graduated and 82 have not made it through the program. 60 of those participants are heroin abusers. Frederick County Drug Treatment Court Coordinator, Paul Wolford states “We have seen a daily average increase in participants by 10,” Wolford said. The Frederick County Drug Treatment Court (DTC) is a voluntary,...
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