A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From City Paper: Charles Theater Closed Following a Shooting Threat at a Screening of “Black Panthers” documentary
Saturday: "The Charles Theater was evacuated and then closed due to a shooting threat, sent via Twitter to the theater, that was connected to a screening of the Stanley Nelson documentary, 'Black Panthers: Vanguard Of the Revolution.' The screening was going to have a panel following the 1:15 p.m. showing with director Nelson and activist Deray McKesson.
"Deray McKesson has highlighted the tweet that contained the threat. At 11:05 a.m., Twitter user @Black_MCHII tweeted "There will be some shootings there" and mentioned the accounts of McKesson, Stanley Nelson, and the "Black Panthers" documentary."
From Baltimore Business Journal: Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to Propose Tax Breaks for Supermarkets in Food Deserts
"In an effort to boost food access in Baltimore, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake plans to introduce legislation Monday offering 10-year tax breaks to supermarkets in parts of the city where dedicated grocery stores are scarce.
"If passed by the City Council, the proposed bill would give new or renovating supermarkets in certain areas of the city an 80 percent discount on their personal property taxes for 10 years. Personal property taxes are assessed against large pieces of equipment businesses own like freezers — they are separate from taxes on real estate. Baltimore's personal property tax rate currently stands at 5.62 percent.
"To qualify for the tax breaks, opening or remodeling supermarkets would have to spend $150,000 or $25 per square foot of floor space, whichever is greater, on new personal property. They would also have to be in or adjacent to a food desert, an area where supermarkets are scarce, incomes are low and many households do not have automobiles to get to the grocery store."
From The Baltimore Sun: 100 Women March For Immigration Reform
100 immigrant women from around the country are walking 100 miles from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., to humanize the debate over immigration reform in the United States.
"They timed their 100 Women 100 Mile pilgrimage — organized by the group We Belong Together — to coincide with the much-anticipated trip of Pope Francis to several U.S. cities this week. They are trying to echo his call for countries to have more compassion for and open arms to immigrants. The first pope from Latin America is expected to make it a major point during his visit.
"On Saturday — the fifth day of their 10-day trek — the women ambled from Goucher College in Towson, heading down Dulaney Valley and York roads until they reached downtown Baltimore. Residents in an apartment complex blew kisses and shouted support. Cars honked in solidarity.
"Local community groups, including the immigrant advocacy group CASA and students from the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Fells Point, joined the women for the Baltimore leg of the trip."
From The AFRO-American: Mayoral Candidate Young Looks to Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Baltimore
"Mayoral candidate Calvin Young III believes that he has what it takes to unify Baltimore. During a sit-down interview with The Afro, the 27-year-old engineer and Harvard grad said that the city is at a crossroads, and the new energy he would bring to the job might be just what the city needs.
"Young said that one of his main priorities as mayor would be improving community-police relations by emphasizing something he calls 'process control.'
"'In order for the police department to gain trust with the community it requires process control within the police department. What that looks like is making sure that any individual who works for the police department follows processes and procedures that are set out for them to do.' He says that his engineer’s brain is perfect for the task.
"Another priority, he said, would be eliminating lead from city homes. 'One thing I’ll guarantee as mayor is to eliminate lead in homes in the city. There should be no lead paint anywhere. If it requires walking in everybody’s house who says they have lead and doing an assessment and then sending somebody in to get rid of the lead then we’ll do that.'
"Education is another priority – specifically the fields of science, technology, engineering and math commonly known as STEM. 'The focus for me is going to be on STEM education because of the economic impact that it would have on young people,' Young said. 'I want to make sure that every young person who wants to be an engineer or scientist in Baltimore knows what that’s about. There’s nobody better at that than me, I’ve been doing it for 10 years with the National Society of Black Engineers.'"
