Baltimore Brew@BaltimoreBrew

Independent reporting and informed commentary about greater Baltimore. News tips editors@baltimorebrew.com

 Baltimore, MD
baltimorebrew.com
Joined August 2009
6,579 Photos and videos
A 2012 BREW sketch ("Wearing Baltimore politics on his back") of Robert Walter Curran, one of our favorite City Hall electeds because he never acted more than he was. R.I.P. Bobby, a good-hearted soul who died last Friday at 76. tinyurl.com/22h3caz3
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On Baltimore voters’ minds on Election Day: taxes, war, high gas prices and @realDonaldTrump. tinyurl.com/yrvn3t43 Swing states and places with competitive races may have all the drama in this mid-term election, but some city voters were pretty animated anyway.
George Jenkins talks about the votes he just cast at his polling place, the League for People with Disabilities at 1111 East Cold Spring Lane. (Fern Shen)

ALT George Jenkins talks about the votes he just cast at his polling place, the League for People with Disabilities at 1111 East Cold Spring Lane. (Fern Shen)
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Baltimore Mayor Scott cancels plans to travel to Spain where two top aides are attending a Smart City expo in Barcelona. Another top aide is headed for Switzerland for a 2-wk residency in Geneva. tinyurl.com/3w792nxr
Baltimore City Administrator Faith Leach will join in a panel discussion - "The Livable City: Inclusion First, Prosperity Follows" - at the Barcelona conference.

ALT Baltimore City Administrator Faith Leach will join in a panel discussion - "The Livable City: Inclusion First, Prosperity Follows" - at the Barcelona conference.

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City makes a change Baltimore basement sewage backup victims have sought for a decade. tinyurl.com/3mhka7bj Advocates are pleased eligibility for a cleanup program is being relaxed, but wary after years where they say assistance programs were mismanaged and poorly publicized.
Aftermath of an East Baltimore basement sewage back-up in November 2019. A sink is filled with ugly black sewage and so is a floor. (Brew file photo)

ALT Aftermath of an East Baltimore basement sewage back-up in November 2019. A sink is filled with ugly black sewage and so is a floor. (Brew file photo)

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Dubious resolution passed by the Baltimore County Council benefits a major developer tinyurl.com/4shvy7j2 A county program intended to help owners of properties in distressed commercial areas is quickly and quietly applied to an upscale project in Catonsville [OP-ED]
A benefactor of the County Council’s latest land-use gambit: Stephen Whalen’s proposed Promenade development in Catonsville. (whalenproperties.com)

ALT A benefactor of the County Council’s latest land-use gambit: Stephen Whalen’s proposed Promenade development in Catonsville. (whalenproperties.com)

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“This is an attempt to take banter between colleagues and turn it into a conspiracy,” @MayorBMScott's office said in response to Brew reporting about his declaration to fellow BOE members that he does not use the city email system. tinyurl.com/56f8dpm6
Mayor Brandon Scott. (Charm TV)

ALT Mayor Brandon Scott. (Charm TV)

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.@MayorBMScott says critical reaction to his statement about not using his city email account is “silly.” tinyurl.com/56f8dpm6 “What you saw at the Board of Estimates [meeting] was me saying something in jest to the Council President,” Scott said today.
Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming.

ALT Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming.

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Baltimore to pay $11 million to settle claims against its unconstitutional eviction law. tinyurl.com/336n4r2e A 2007 “abandonment ordinance” allowed landlords to lock out evicted renters and keep their clothes, furniture, family photos and other possessions.
Thomas Rudis lost his plants, some of his artwork and other personal belongings when he was evicted last July. (Fern Shen)

ALT Thomas Rudis lost his plants, some of his artwork and other personal belongings when he was evicted last July. (Fern Shen)

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Mayor Scott says he doesn't use his city email account to conduct city business. So what does he use? And what does it say about his office's relationship w Inspector General Isabel Cumming, now that she's regained access to city servers? tinyurl.com/smkzvwfc
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Administrator Faith Leach during last week's Board of Estimates meeting. (CharmTV)

ALT Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Administrator Faith Leach during last week's Board of Estimates meeting. (CharmTV)

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Senior Balto City official accused of bank fraud during the Covid pandemic pleads not guilty today. Despite federal indictment, Kara DiPietro apparently remains on city's payroll. Scott admin refuses to comment on her status, but cancels her trip to Texas. tinyurl.com/et3kctft
Kara DiPietro was arraigned today at the U.S. courthouse on West Lombard Street.

ALT Kara DiPietro was arraigned today at the U.S. courthouse on West Lombard Street.

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Many thanks to the Columbia Journalism Review for the nice write-up about the recent piece in @BaltimoreBrew by @MaddiONeill about ICE. tinyurl.com/23xmk64b Nayeli remains in @ICEgov detention more than a week after this story ran. #wegotalaurel @CJR
It’s easy to get inured to the haphazard absurdity and tragedy of so many ICE arrests, but every now and then, you read about one that sets a new low. A few weeks ago, an asylum-seeker named Nayeli showed up at a Maryland courthouse to resolve a $12.08 McDonald’s debt to her former employer. She had left the company, but had apparently forgotten to delete the firm’s credit card from the McDonald’s app; in any case, Nayeli’s mother had already paid the debt back. No matter. Her old boss took her to court, and once she was there, four plainclothes law enforcement officers took her away; she was then shuttled off to a detention center in Virginia, where she awaits a hearing. This brief laurel describes only the gist; for the full details, read Madeleine O’Neill’s excellent piece in the Baltimore Brew.

ALT It’s easy to get inured to the haphazard absurdity and tragedy of so many ICE arrests, but every now and then, you read about one that sets a new low. A few weeks ago, an asylum-seeker named Nayeli showed up at a Maryland courthouse to resolve a $12.08 McDonald’s debt to her former employer. She had left the company, but had apparently forgotten to delete the firm’s credit card from the McDonald’s app; in any case, Nayeli’s mother had already paid the debt back. No matter. Her old boss took her to court, and once she was there, four plainclothes law enforcement officers took her away; she was then shuttled off to a detention center in Virginia, where she awaits a hearing. This brief laurel describes only the gist; for the full details, read Madeleine O’Neill’s excellent piece in the Baltimore Brew.
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Why was yesterday's Board of Estimates mtg delayed? It was so members could go behind closed doors to discuss the 95% tax break deal they were giving to a public/private @UMBaltimore project that this OP-ED writer argues is way too weak. tinyurl.com/y5hr2nwc
Baltimore city Comptroller Bill Henry, City Council President Zeke Cohen and Mayor Brandon Scott at yesterday's Board of Estimates meeting. (Charm TV)

ALT Baltimore city Comptroller Bill Henry, City Council President Zeke Cohen and Mayor Brandon Scott at yesterday's Board of Estimates meeting. (Charm TV)
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Baltimore’s indicted Fleet Management chief is quietly allowed to travel to a South Texas conference. tinyurl.com/ctyr8ay6 Looks like it’s off to San Antonio, on the taxpayers’ dime, for Kara A. DiPietro, apparently still employed by Baltimore city.
Kara DiPietro and the San Antonio conference she will be attending next week with the mayor’s approval.

ALT Kara DiPietro and the San Antonio conference she will be attending next week with the mayor’s approval.

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Ridiculous. They're on a public sidewalk doing their jobs.
Nolan Rogalski@NolanRogalski
Oct 21
For @testudotimes, @JudeWilkenfeld and I were outside Jones-Hill House trying to get players to comment. An athletics staffer took pictures of us, and a police dispatch was called for suspicious activity; a cop and 2 cop cars pulled up, and officers ID’d us and asked us to leave.
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Judge who resigned amid unwanted touching allegations was quickly hired by Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates. tinyurl.com/2ujkatxu Other attorneys witnessed Kevin Wilson’s behavior at the 2023 event – leg stroking and more, the Commission on Judicial Disabilities charged.
In Maryland, the Commission on Judicial Disabilities is responsible for disciplining judges. (Stock photo shows judge banging gavel down)

ALT In Maryland, the Commission on Judicial Disabilities is responsible for disciplining judges. (Stock photo shows judge banging gavel down)

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Baltimore has spent $20,000 to partially remove toxic lead paint that fell from its bridges tinyurl.com/3u2ab5re The worst is gone. But there still are toxic flakes to be found on the ground, and three city-owned bridges remain covered with peeling paint.
Peeling lead paint remains on Baltimore’s city-owned 28th Street Bridge. (Mark Reutter)

ALT Peeling lead paint remains on Baltimore’s city-owned 28th Street Bridge. (Mark Reutter)
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SCHOOLYARD SPAT? @ElectRyanDorsey cancels a hearing on one of @MarkConway4th's bills in retaliation for his vote on Dorsey's bill. Conway calls this out as: "petty" "disgusting" tinyurl.com/53x5p22v @Zeke_Cohen: "We'll discuss this AFTER the Council meeting. In my chambers.”
Councilmen Ryan Dorsey and Mark Conway. (Charm TV)

ALT Councilmen Ryan Dorsey and Mark Conway. (Charm TV)
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UPDATE - A memo from @Zeke_Cohen's office goes out today confirming: the meeting date has been restored to what it originally was. tinyurl.com/53x5p22v 2/2
City Council President Zeke Cohen. (Charm TV)

ALT City Council President Zeke Cohen. (Charm TV)
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BREAKING - Federally indicted Baltimore city official continues to work at high-level government job. tinyurl.com/49f4637a
Baltimore Department of General Services welcomes Kara DiPietro as deputy chief of administration – since promoted to deputy chief of operations – at fleet management. (Instagram)

ALT Baltimore Department of General Services welcomes Kara DiPietro as deputy chief of administration – since promoted to deputy chief of operations – at fleet management. (Instagram)

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City Council’s approval of the Harford Road Overlay bill was no surprise, but the Conway-Dorsey blowup was tinyurl.com/53x5p22v “Disgusting!” @MarkConway4th scolds, after @ElectRyanDorsey cancels a hearing on one of Conway's bills in retaliation for his Overlay vote abstention
Tense moments between Councilmen Ryan Dorsey (left) and Mark Conway (right) after the Baltimore City Council passes the Harford Road Overlay bill. (Charm TV)

ALT Tense moments between Councilmen Ryan Dorsey (left) and Mark Conway (right) after the Baltimore City Council passes the Harford Road Overlay bill. (Charm TV)
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