A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From The Baltimore Sun: City Council Calls on School System to Change Charter School Funding Formula
"Members of the Baltimore City Council are calling on the school system to reconsider a proposed formula that would reduce budgets of several public charter schools.
"Councilman Bill Henry introduced a resolution Monday calling for equitable funding of the city's charter schools — several of which are at an impasse with the school district over a new way city schools CEO Gregory Thornton has proposed funding them next year.
"'Charter schools are public schools,' said Henry, vice chairman of the council's education committee. 'This is a fight between charter schools and the Baltimore City school system.
"'There are people making decisions, trying to make the best decisions, but the answer is not to hurt the schools that are doing well in their efforts to try to do better for all schools.'
"Last week, a group of five operators representing eight schools filed a lawsuit against the district, contending that it had failed to fund the district's 34 charters in accordance with state law."
WBAL TV: City Council Continues Debate Over Davis’ Status as Police Commissioner
"The process over whether to remove the interim tag from Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis continued during Monday's City Council meeting.
"Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced her push for Davis to get the job, which came a few days after she announced she would not seek reelection.
"As is protocol, the formal nomination was presented to the City Council, and then assigned to committee. It appears that most of the City Council members support Davis being named commissioner, the big focus will likely be on the terms of a contract.
"The sticking points for the decision will likely come down to the length and terms of Davis' contract. The mayor has 15 months left in office and some council members are wondering how Davis' status could impact the next mayor.
"'Usually when another mayor comes in, they have the right to appoint their own police commissioner,' Welch said. 'And if they appoint someone different, then his contract is still in place, and he needs to be compensated for the remainder of his contract while the new commissioner would be compensated as well.'"
Washington Post: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to 2013 Casino Robberies
"A Baltimore man who held up several people by gunpoint as they left a Maryland casino pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to commit robbery, authorities said.
"Jose Hector Laguerre, 47, admitted to robbing eight people in 2013 with an accomplice, according to a press release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.
"All of the robberies took place at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover, and authorities said Laguerre’s accomplice instigated the robberies to pay for his gambling and marijuana trafficking debts.
"Laguerre faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prision. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5.
"Fleming also pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies and was sentenced to 137 months in prision, the release said."
From The AFRO-American: Special Commission Focuses on Baltimore’s Confederate Monuments
"A special commission to review Baltimore’s Confederate Statues held its first meeting Sept. 17.
"The group is charged with figuring out what to do with the four Confederate monuments currently located on Baltimore city property. They include the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument located on Mount Royal Avenue near Mosher Street; the Confederate Women of Maryland monument located at Bishop Square Park; the Roger B. Taney Monument located on Mt. Vernon Place in North Park; and Lee & Jackson Monument, located in Wyman Park Dell.
"The group will decide if the monuments should be left alone, eliminated completely, altered in some way or moved somewhere else. During the meeting, the group of seven members debated specifics of what the group should be named, approved the timeline for how long their job should take and determined some of the best ways to encourage input from the public.
"The timeline for the project includes an opportunity for public testimony on Dec. 15. They hope to make their final recommendations to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake by Jan. 14."