A digest of news and stories about Baltimore from local sources.
From The Baltimore Sun: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Will Not Seek Re-Election
"Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, beleaguered by the death of Freddie Gray and the protests and rioting that followed, announced Friday she won't seek re-election.
She said she is stepping out of the race to focus on "work to move our city forward," and not out of any concern she might not win the race against a growing field of challengers.
'It was a very difficult decision, but I knew I needed to spend time, the remaining 15 months of my term, focused on the city's future and not my own,' she said at a news conference at City Hall.
Rawlings-Blake, 45, has no plans to seek another office. She briefed her Cabinet and staff on the decision this morning.
She spent recent months ramping up her campaign by building a field organization in the city, hosting fundraisers and courting voters with events such as 'Mondays with the Mayor' at local bars and restaurants. But she said she felt it would be inappropriate to ask donors for money while the city copes with the aftermath of the April riots.
She is not endorsing any one for mayor right now."
From The Baltimore Sun: Freddie Gray Trials Likely to Cost City Millions
“Using high-profile trials elsewhere as a benchmark, Baltimore can expect to spend millions of dollars on police overtime, courtroom security and logistics to prepare and protect the city for the six trials in the Freddie Gray case.
The cost surrounding the five-week trial for George Zimmerman — the neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida who was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin — climbed to nearly $1 million.
Baltimore is now bracing for six such trials.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said Thursday that she has no estimate of how much it might cost the city to host the court proceedings for the six police officers charged in connection with Gray's death in April. The city has already spent at least $450,000 on police coverage during two days of largely peaceful pretrial hearings last week and Thursday.
From WBAL TV: Obama To Mark Sept 11 Anniversary at Fort Meade
President Barack Obama is scheduled to observe the anniversary with a visit to Fort Meade, Maryland, in recognition of the military's work to protect the country.
In Washington, some members of Congress plan to spend part of the anniversary discussing federal funding for the ground zero memorial. The House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a hearing Friday on a proposal to provide up to $25 million a year for the plaza.
The memorial and underground museum together cost $60 million a year to run. The federal government contributed heavily to building the institution; leaders have tried unsuccessfully for years to get Washington to chip in for annual costs, as well.
Under the current proposal, any federal money would go only toward the memorial plaza. An estimated 21 million people have visited it for free since its 2011 opening."
From The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Resettlement Center Plans for Influx of Syrian Refugees
“President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered his administration to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees for resettlement in the United States next year, amid international pressure to act as heartbreaking images emerge of sometimes-deadly attempts to escape to Europe.
California is the top resettlement destination, but some likely will come to centers in the Baltimore area, where refugees will be provided with furnished apartments, classes in English and American culture and help finding work.
The International Rescue Committee office in Highlandtown, which has helped to resettle 26 Syrian refugees this year, anticipates receiving many more. The agency helps to resettle about 800 refugees each year, including large numbers in recent years from Burma, Iraq, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
David Miliband, the IRC's chief executive officer, called the White House announcement Thursday "wholly inadequate" and "cold comfort" to victims of the Syrian civil war.
"With 4 million living in limbo and tens of thousands making desperate choices to reach safety, the U.S. has a moral responsibility to lead and is fully equipped to respond in a far more robust way," he said.
The advocacy group said the increase amounts to only 2,000 more refugees than were planned to be admitted in 2016.
"They could be us," said Ruben Chandrasekar, executive director of the IRC in Baltimore. "We need to recognize their humanity and think, 'What would we do in their place and how would we want to be treated?’"
From The Baltimore Times: Local Artist to Exhibit Rams Head Photos
It’s a bit of a struggle for Renita R. Clarke to come up with a short list of her favorite artists. Herb Ritts; Jonathan Mannion; Chan Andre’; Jemal Countess; and even her dear friends and mentors Leslie Alessandro and Mike Quain can’t be forgotten, she said.
However, for anyone planning to attend Clarke’s first open exhibit on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at the Red Lion Hotel in Baltimore, she might just make a few lists with an array of photographs taken during visits to some of her favorite local venues.
Clarke’s Exhibition “Rams Head in Black & White” features photographs of concerts and events she has covered as a photographer at Rams Head locations like Rams Head Live in Baltimore and Rams Head Onstage in Annapolis.
“Being born and raised in Maryland, Rams Head was the go-to spot for me growing up and seeing concerts and great local bands,” Clarke said. “I was so excited to be able to shoot at venues in which I grew up, so this is why I decided to make my first exhibit about some of my favorite moments from the Rams Head Group venues.”
Clarke has worked with such high profile clients as Pepsi, YouTube and BET.