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Maryland county ending jail immigration screening contract

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Maryland county is ending its contract with federal officials to screen detainees in county jails for immigration status. Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman made the announcement about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program Thursday. He was joined by county Police Chief Timothy Altomare and Terry Kokolis, the superintendent of the county’s detention facilities. After a review of statistics on the program that went into effect in the county last December, Pittman says it doesn’t make the county safer. Under the program, detention staff screen people taken into custody for allegedly committing crimes to determine their immigration status. Pittman says staffers should focus on local law enforcement responsibilities, instead of “furthering controversial immigration policy.” Only two other Maryland counties, Frederick and Harford, have similar contracts with ICE...

Investment fraud case in US expands to 4 women from Israel

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — They followed a call script for reassuring investors: A broker boasted of winning up to 95 percent of his trades. Sales representatives promised a client she would be a millionaire within a year if she didn’t withdraw her five-figure investment. “If you win, I win,” the broker told the woman, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit. Those were just some of the lies told to victims of a multimillion-dollar investment fraud scheme that has led to federal charges in Maryland against four women who worked for an Israel-based company, authorities say. Yukom Communications employees pretended to be from other countries, lied about their professional qualifications and adopted “stage names,” authorities say. They falsely guaranteed returns of up to 40 percent. And they didn’t tell investors that the company handling their “binary options” trades only made money if its customers lost money...

Trump administration seeks to dismiss cities’ ACA lawsuit

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency BALTIMORE (AP) — The Trump administration is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by several cities for allegedly sabotaging the Affordable Care Act. The Daily Record reports that the defendants argued in a motion filed Monday that the dispute is a political disagreement outside federal court’s jurisdiction. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in August on behalf of Baltimore, Chicago and Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. A Charlottesville, Virginia, couple is also part of the lawsuit. The complaint asserts the administration is trying to discourage enrollment and reduce choices, and will destabilize the health insurance marketplace. The complaint accuses the president of violating a clause requiring the faithful execution of laws, but the defendants argue the court can’t instruct the president how to perform official duties. ___ Information from: The Daily Record of Baltimore, http...

Christmas Eve kennel fire kills 9 beagles in Maryland

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency MIDDLETOWN, Md. (AP) — A fire at a Maryland kennel on Christmas Eve has killed nine beagles. News outlets report the fire originated at Middletown Valley Beagles, in a building used as a dog kennel on a farm. The Frederick News-Post reports that the Office of the Frederick County Fire Marshal ruled the fire accidental. WRC-TV reports that six dogs died in the fire and three dogs had to be euthanized. Veterinarian Brooks Ahalt says the dogs had suffered significant burns and smoke inhalation. There were around two dozen dogs in the building. Kennel operator Alasdair Storer tells WRC-TV that the organization still has a hunting pack of beagles, and will rebuild. Source from http://bit.ly/2EUJIpb Digital Marketing Agency in Maryland

Nancy Grace Roman, involved with Hubble telescope, dies

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency GERMANTOWN, Md. (AP) — Nancy Grace Roman, the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA and who helped with development of the Hubble Space Telescope, has died. Laura Verreau, a cousin, confirmed Thursday that Roman died on Christmas Day after a prolonged illness. She was 93. The NASA webpage said Roman was the first chief of astronomy in the office of space science at NASA headquarters and was the first woman to hold an executive position at the agency. She had direct oversight for the planning and development of astronomy-based programs including the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman retired from NASA in 1979. Throughout her career, she advocated for women and young people to become involved in science. A memorial service is being planned. Source from http://bit.ly/2ER0mVW Digital Marketing Agency in Maryland

Stories of the year: Good news for insurance exchange, but opioid crisis worsens

Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency Following a 2017 best described as tumultuous, 2018 was the year health care in Maryland, in some ways, got its groove back. A new reinsurance program helped lead to lower premiums and more enrollment on the state’s individual market. Doctors and hospitals celebrated the approval of a new contract for Maryland’s unique hospital global budget ... from http://bit.ly/2Q61A1s Digital Marketing Agency in Maryland

Ellicott City gets ‘Safe and Sound’ plan

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Grow Your Business in Maryland with digital marketing services from The W Agency ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — After two back-to-back, devastating floods, the most recent in May of 2018, signs that say “EC Strong” for Ellicott City still appear in storefront windows. On Thursday, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced a plan to help historic Ellicott City deal with the threat of flooding. Ball held a news conference in an upstairs room at Tersiguel’s restaurant on Main Street, where he explained that, as a younger man, he’d saved up money to take his then-girlfriend, now his wife, out to dinner. “This is a special place, and we will continue to always protect it,” he said. Related Gallery PHOTOS: After flooding, Ellicott City embraces Small Business Saturday Ellicott City, Maryland, is still reeling from flooding earlier this summer. But for the businesses trying to hang on, Small Business Saturday offered a crucial test ahead of a very uncertain future. Ball made clear his ...