A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: State Board withholds city, county school money over air conditioning dispute
"The state Board of Public Works has voted to hold back millions of dollars in school construction money from Baltimore and Baltimore County unless officials there install air conditioning in all classrooms by the start of the next school year.
"The vote, led by Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot, was the latest salvo in a battle over cooling hot classrooms in the city and the county — and prompted the resignation of the state's top school construction official.
"The city and county are the only jurisdictions in Maryland with a significant number of schools that lack air conditioning. Officials in both have said they plan to install central air conditioning over several years. Hogan, who chairs the Board of Public Works, and Franchot have urged immediate spending for portable air-conditioning units in the interim.
"Hogan, a Republican, said 'it is outrageous and it is disgraceful' that the two school districts still have classrooms without air conditioning.
"He was supported by Franchot, a Democrat.
"The third member of the board, Treasurer Nancy Kopp, a Democrat, voted against withholding the money. She said the action smacked of political theater.
"The 2-1 vote to withhold the money prompted the resignation of David Lever, executive director of the Interagency Committee on School Construction — a nonpartisan state agency that recommends which projects the state should fund.
"The board meeting included testy exchanges between Franchot and Hogan on one side and Kopp on the other. More than a dozen parents and students spent an hour detailing conditions in hot classrooms and their frustration in trying to get the problem fixed."
From the AFRO American: Easing Reentry for the Newly Freed
“'I had no respect for the police until I met Officer Horne,' said Hall. The two crossed paths at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC), where she was a detainee, preparing to transition back into the community. Officer Robert Horne was there to help her. As reentry coordinator for the BPD’s Reentry Program, his job is to assist returning citizens with accessing the resources they need to meet with success on the outside.
"The Reentry program is one of four community outreach initiatives established by the Community Collaboration Division (CCD) of the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD). The purpose of the program is for the BPD to collaborate with community and faith-based organizations to deliver evidence-based transitional services behind the wall as well as accountability and services beyond prison walls.
"One of the services provided is ELEVATION, a 12-week life skills training program that “teaches men and women detainees to set personal goals and be accountable for life choices.” Officer Horne is among four officers assigned to facilitate group sessions in collaboration with workers of Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign, a movement launched in 1996 to improve the lives of children, youth, and families. Classes address anger management, drug education, parenting, relationships and spiritual growth. The spiritual aspect of rehabilitation is critical to transition, said Horne, who has volunteered with the Department of Corrections as chaplain for the Muslim population for 18 years.
"The CCD has also established partnerships with the Center for Urban Youth and Families’ STRIVE program to provide workforce readiness and retention services and Baltimore Cares, an organization that provides treatment for mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
"When Hall was released two months ago, a team of reentry officers showed up to assist with the transition. She had no food, no money, and an overdue electric bill. These are among some of the barriers people face when reentering the community following incarceration. Unaddressed and exacerbated mental health issues, housing, and unemployment are others. But because of her participation in the reentry program, most of those barriers were removed.
“'I heard about what they do while I was in the detention center, but I actually experienced it once I got home,' said Hall. 'I was dazed and confused; I called them as soon as I was released and they were there. I was taken care of. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have their support.'
"Success stories have created a buzz among inmates at other correctional facilities and are advocating for the expansion of the program. Out in the community, however, tensions are high and trust is low between the police and the people.
"Horne said he believes the media continues to fuel the public’s fear and mistrust of law enforcement. 'There’s more to policing than writing tickets and locking people up. Unfortunately, people get their information from the te‘lie’vision, and the media will take every opportunity to dehumanize the police. There are many of us out here working to win the heart of the community. It makes our job easier and reduces recidivism,' he said."
From the Washington Post: Company that reaped inline from deals with Baltimore’s lead-poisoning victims violated law, authorities say
"A Chevy Chase company that reaped millions of dollars from deals with poor, disabled victims of lead-paint poisoning in Baltimore has been accused of committing fraud and deceiving court officials, according to a lawsuit filed this week by the Maryland attorney general’s office.
"The civil suit alleges that Access Funding violated state law when it aggressively pursued scores of mentally impaired lead-poisoning victims, persuaded them to sell the settlements they received in personal injury lawsuits for a fraction of their worth and then withheld vital information from the courts that approved the deals.
"The agency asked that the Baltimore City Circuit Court order Access Funding to repay the victims the millions of dollars they lost when they sold their settlements — which in most cases were their only assets.
"'The conduct that we lay out in the complaint is disturbing,' said state Attorney General Brian Frosh. 'It is infuriating. It lays out a strong case that you have people who took advantage of a vulnerable population, who almost by definition are cognitively impaired, and stripped them from the support that would take them through the rest of their lives.'
"In all, the vast majority of the 189 transactions Access Funding filed in Maryland between March 2013 and August 2015 involved victims of lead-paint poisoning, authorities said. According to the complaint, the company targeted them with a barrage of phone solicitations, telling them that they had the right to immediately receive a lump-sum cash advance.
"Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh calls for reforms to structured settlement cases for victims of lead-paint poisoning at a news conference in Annapolis on Feb. 25."