Anne Arundel County – Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimoresun.com Baltimore Sun: Your source for Baltimore breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:35:51 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/baltimore-sun-favicon.png?w=32 Anne Arundel County – Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimoresun.com 32 32 208788401 Lothian crash leaves motorcyclist dead, police say https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/28/fatal-lothian-crash-leaves-motorcyclist-dead/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:24:27 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11582103&preview=true&preview_id=11582103 Anne Arundel County Police are investigating a fatal crash in Lothian that happened Friday evening.

According to a news release from the police department, 43-year-old Katrina M. Prieur of Upper Marlboro died a day after the crash due to the injuries she sustained in the collision.

Police said that around 6:15 p.m., officers arrived at the intersection of Mount Zion Marlboro Road and Main Street in Lothian for a crash involving a motorcycle.

According to the news release, investigators determined a 2012 Honda Accord was turning left onto Mount Zion Marlboro Road from Main Street when it was struck by Prieur, who was driving a 2009 Yamaha Star motorcycle west on Mount Zion Marlboro Road.

Police said Prieur struck the Honda’s driver’s side rear quarter panel, causing Prieur to be ejected from the motorcycle and land in the road.

The Honda was driven by a 20-year-old man from Bowie who was not injured in the accident, according to the news release.

Prieur was flown to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with life-threatening injuries. She died the following day, police said.

The department’s Crash Reconstruction Team is investigating the collision.

Have a news tip? Contact Maggie Trovato at mtrovato@baltsun.com, 443-890-0601 or on X @MaggieTrovato.

]]>
11582103 2025-07-28T10:24:27+00:00 2025-07-28T10:52:44+00:00
FOX45: Father seeks justice for son murdered in Glen Burnie robbery attempt https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/28/fox45-father-seeks-justice-for-son-murdered-in-glen-burnie-robbery-attempt/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:27:33 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11582086&preview=true&preview_id=11582086 A father is seeking justice for his 18-year-old son, Johnny Guiliani, who was murdered during a robbery attempt May 4. Dan Guiliani reflected on the tragic day, saying, “Yeah it was horrible. Horrible day. Horrible day.”

Anne Arundel County Police responded to reports of shots fired along the B&A Trail in Glen Burnie around 5 a.m. Dan Guiliani, worried about his son’s whereabouts, arrived at the crime scene. “As soon as the detective rolled that blanket over man, I saw his shoulders, I saw his hair. And I knew,” he said.

According to charging documents obtained by the Capital Gazette, Johnny Guiliani and another person were walking along the trail when they were approached by several suspects in a stolen vehicle. Two individuals attempted to rob Guiliani, who fought back. “Johnny attacked the guy. Johnny knocked the guy on his ass,” said Dan Guiliani. Investigators say that is when Johnny was shot. “There’s where he died right there man,” he added.

Surveillance video and DNA evidence led investigators to 17-year-old Mactouko Ryan, who is charged with murder and other offenses as an adult. “My hope is they continue doing what they say they’re gonna do. They’re gonna try him as an adult,” said Dan Guiliani. However, Ryan’s attorney is seeking to move the case to juvenile court. “At that bail hearing they were requesting him to be moved to a juvenile facility and the judge said no,” Dan Guiliani said.

Police are still searching for at least three other suspects, whose ages are unknown. “My hope is uh, is uh that he’s held accountable for what he did, you know. And anybody else that was involved for that matter,” said Dan Guiliani.

Anne Arundel County Police confirmed the case remains active and ongoing.

Dan Guiliani cherishes the memory of his son, recalling a heartfelt conversation they had the night before Johnny’s death. “I was blessed. The night before he died I was able to sit with him for two hours and we had a very long conversation. Normal dad and son stuff,” he said. Remembering Johnny, he added, “Johnny was a good guy. He loved his family, loved his friends. Do anything for his friends.”

Have a news tip? Contact Vincent Hill at Vihill@sbgtv.com.

]]>
11582086 2025-07-28T09:27:33+00:00 2025-07-28T10:41:44+00:00
Epping Forest residents clash over proposed $1.5M marina expansion https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/28/epping-forest-residents-clash-over-proposed-1-5m-marina-expansion/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:00:50 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11579254&preview=true&preview_id=11579254 The Epping Forest neighborhood, nearly 100 years old and on the south side of the Severn River, has been divided over a proposed $1.5 million marina refurbishment, partly because the residents will be the ones to pay for it.

Epping Forest, Inc., the organization that administers the Epping Forest special community benefit district, an added fee on top of taxes collected by Anne Arundel County for reasons agreed upon by the district, wants to take out a loan to pay for the upgrade.

Both sides presented their cases to the Anne Arundel County Council on July 21, and at that meeting, Epping Forest President Stacy Korbelak said a vote held in the neighborhood ended 115 for the marina and 64 against.

Later, resident Delia Deschaine said there are more than 400 properties in the neighborhood and the vote does not necessarily represent its will. Mitch Glazier, another resident, later said it was one of the highest voting turnouts the neighborhood has ever had. According to the Epping Forest website, there are “nearly 300” homes in the special community benefit district.

Korbelak, when contacted, declined to comment on the grounds of pending legal action against the neighborhood, though as of Friday afternoon no such case appears in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.

To pay for the enhancement, the neighborhood corporation would have to take out a loan for $1.5 million and pay it off with equal amounts from each household over 10 years. Due to amortization, the neighborhood would be responsible for roughly $500,000 over that period, while the other $1 million is meant to be offset by marina boat slip fees.

Jeff Stockdale, who spoke at the meeting, said SCBD funding should be put toward fixing the neighborhood’s water supply — a wellwater system in disrepair operated by volunteers. Stockdale also said the new marina would extend nearly 140 feet into the river, potentially blocking the view of the private beach.

“The SCBD is meant to support shared community services. It’s not to subsidize luxury recreational infrastructure for a few, but if this bill passes, one-third of our annual SCBD budget will be tied up repaying this loan,” Stockdale said. “We are facing real infrastructure needs.”

Stockdale was one of a few people who spoke out against the project at the meeting.

“I appreciate all the concerns that were raised, but they were also raised within the community, within the process that was established. And at the end of the day, a vote was taken, and that vote ended up being two to one,” Glazier said at the meeting.

“The Boat Club has gone to large lengths to explain their program, their vision for the marina, and I think that there is a very small, few disgruntled people that don’t like the way the vote went, and they’re engaging in shenanigans and lawfare to try and delay, derail and kill this project, and I think it’s shameful,” said Denise Peterson, another resident.

District 6 councilmember Lisa Rodvien, who represents the neighborhood, called for the vote to be pushed to a meeting on Sept. 2 so she can review the situation. The postponement passed, with only District 2’s Allison Pickard dissenting and saying delaying the vote would harm the project.

Have a news tip? Contact Benjamin Rothstein at brothstein@baltsun.com, 443-928-1926.

]]>
11579254 2025-07-28T05:00:50+00:00 2025-07-28T11:35:51+00:00
Hopkins researching danger level of foul ‘pistachio tides’ on Magothy River https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/28/hopkins-researching-danger-level-of-foul-pistachio-tides-on-magothy-river/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:00:25 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11579800&preview=true&preview_id=11579800 Greenish, cloudy, and with a smell like rotten eggs, “pistachio tides” are causing concern among residents who live along the Magothy River.

Magothy River Association member Bob Moyer said he went out to photograph a particularly large pistachio tide on Cattail Creek in October, and was so overwhelmed by the sulfur smell that he collapsed to his hands and knees and had to crawl off the pier.

Pistachio tides occur when bacteria in the river produce hydrogen sulfide, which depletes the oxygen in the water and creates a rotten smell. The bacteria produce a bright green color, which is where the name comes from.

Working with the river association, Johns Hopkins University is researching the bacterial booms in Cattail and Old Man creeks this summer to identify where and when they occur. Pistachio tides usually develop between August and October, and Hopkins started collecting water samples in early July to get ahead of the blooms.

Paul Spadaro, president of the Magothy River Association, is concerned about people breathing in the sulfur, especially on Cattail Creek, where recreational activity often takes place. Without any monitoring or warning system, kayakers may paddle into a pistachio tide.

“I do think people need to know that when you smell that sewer gas, it’s time to move away,” Spadaro said.

Part of Hopkins’ research this summer is to determine if there is a danger to wildlife or humans. Sulfur bacteria are naturally occurring, but stormwater and fertilizer runoff entering the creek can increase the pervasiveness of these bacteria by depleting oxygen.

In October, Spadaro said 380 fish in the Town Neck region of Cattail Creek were found dead during the pistachio tides. In September, a bloom in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor killed 24,000 fish. The Department of Natural Resources deploys continuous monitoring of these blooms in the Inner Harbor.

“It’s the sulfur bacteria’s appetite for oxygen that makes it dangerous to fish, crabs, eels, and other aquatic life that need dissolved oxygen to breathe,” said DNR program manager Cathy Wazniak.

However, Wazniak said that without long-term data on pistachio tides in the Chesapeake Bay, she could not say whether any trends exist.

“We’re in here for the pistachio tides, because they’re kind of falling under the radar,” said Sarah Preheim, an associate professor at Hopkins who is leading the research project.

Hopkins received a $312,000 grant in 2024 from the National Science Foundation to research microbial processes in the Chesapeake Bay. About $2,000 is going toward pistachio tide research on the Magothy River.

Preheim said rising overall temperatures and nutrient pollution contribute to pistachio tides because warmer water holds less oxygen, based on monitoring data from the Inner Harbor in the past decade.

Moyer, a Berrywood resident, hopes Preheim’s research will help educate residents about the blooms and encourage them to rethink where the rainwater on their property goes. In the Berrywood neighborhood, storm drains open right into the creek.

He says homeowners should fertilize their lawns late in the fall, if at all, when colder water holds more oxygen and is less susceptible to the damage caused by the fertilizer chemicals. He also wants more waterfront residents to consider putting native plants as a buffer between their lawn and the creek.

Preheim said she is focusing this summer on collecting water samples to help determine what environmental factors are causing the blooms, so that next year she can create a predictive model to help warn people when these pistachio tides might occur.

One possibility is to provide sulfur measuring strips to citizen scientists, such as those at the river association, so they can test the water themselves for sulfur levels.

“The people need to know if it’s really toxic,” Spadaro said.

Have a news tip? Contact Tori Newby at tnewby@baltsun.com.

]]>
11579800 2025-07-28T05:00:25+00:00 2025-07-28T05:00:49+00:00
Baltimore weather: Extreme heat predicted into Wednesday with temperatures in high 90s https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/27/baltimore-weather-extreme-heat/ Sun, 27 Jul 2025 12:09:04 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11581254 Monday is expected to kick off a three-day stretch of high temperatures in the Baltimore area, with an extreme heat alert continuing into Tuesday.

The Code Red extreme heat alert was issued by the Baltimore City Health Department in preparation for the high-90s temperatures forecast at the beginning of the workweek. The department urged locals to reduce outside activities and stay in air-conditioned locations.

[Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News]

The Health Department also recommends people in the city drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine, make sure to not leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles, and check on older adults or sick neighbors who might need help responding to the heat.

Monday is expected to reach a high of 95 with sunny and clear conditions. It will likely cool down to a low around 75.

Tuesday’s high is projected to reach 97 degrees with a heat index of 101 in another sunny, clear day with light wind. The heat index is a measure of how hot the air feels to the body.

Wednesday is not included in the heat advisory but will likely also see a high of 97. There’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day, bumping up to 40% in the evening as temperatures cool down to 75.

Thunderstorms are likely on Thursday, with an 80% chance of precipitation and a high near 87, breaking from the extreme heat.

Friday is predicted to be mostly cloudy with a high of 79 and a low of 64, as well as a chance of showers during the day.

]]>
11581254 2025-07-27T08:09:04+00:00 2025-07-28T09:17:11+00:00
Naval Academy volunteer group amasses over 14k hours during school year https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/27/naval-academy-volunteer-group-amasses-over-14k-hours-during-school-year/ Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:48 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11579563&preview=true&preview_id=11579563 When asked to recall her best spring break memories as a U.S. Naval Academy student, Midshipman First Class Daisy Zamora described dozens of impromptu basketball games against a disproportionate number of six-year-olds.

Over the last three years, Zamora has grown accustomed to shooting hoops while wearing her dark blue service uniform, swarmed by youngsters from the Boys and Girls Club of Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe in northwestern Washington State.

Zamora, a native of Salinas, California, who’s preparing to start her final year at the academy, has volunteered to mentor kids during each of her one-week spring breaks.

“It’s one of the best things I’ve done at the Naval Academy and even just generally,” Zamora said of her three trips to the Lummi Nation. “They take our [hats] and run away or I give them the anchors that decorate my uniform. Just to foster that relationship is really important.”

Zamora is part of the Midshipmen Action Group (MAG), a volunteer service organization created in 1992. But the group’s impact extends beyond a spring trip to assist children from Native American tribes in STEM education.

Through MAG, hundreds of midshipmen volunteer their time in Anne Arundel County and Annapolis yearly, amassing more than 14,400 hours across 29 volunteer projects during the 2024-25 academic year.

Areas of service include environmental stewardship, veteran and convalescent assistance, donations and youth mentorship; 835 midshipmen volunteered a combined 1,783 times at 119 different events during the last school year.

“It is just an incredible amount of service,” said Commander Kyle Bandermann, who provides the group logistical support as its officer representative. “Our moniker is that ‘Service to the nation begins with service to the community.’ And that is what they’re choosing, that is what they’re prioritizing.”

Mids for Kids

MAG is most active during the middle twelve weeks of each semester. Midshipmen, led by a group of about 50 seniors — or first-class midshipmen — dedicate hundreds of hours to environmental care through nature cleanups, snow shoveling in Annapolis, planting trees and general landscaping for people in need.

To support veterans, MAG works with groups that organize memorial trips and ceremonies.

The flagship program, Mids for Kids, works with about 10 Anne Arundel County Public Schools to put volunteers in classrooms.

Zamora volunteers at Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary in Annapolis, assisting kindergartners and fifth graders with their studies.

MAG members also volunteer at the Anne Arundel County Food Bank’s warehouse, where they sort and box food for distribution, among several other projects. Over their 15-year partnership with the food bank, MAG has donated more than 400,000 pounds of food.

“MAG members demonstrate a deep commitment to service and community,” Anne Arundel County Food Bank CEO Leah Paley said. “We are lucky to have them in our corner.”

MAG is the largest extracurricular activity at the Naval Academy. While midshipmen are required to compete in athletics, there is no requirement for service-related activities.

“There’s no sense that people think midshipmen need to do more for their country, yet they are,” Bandermann said.

The Princeton Review ranks the U.S. Naval Academy number one in “Town-Gown Relations,” an analysis of a university’s relationship with its surrounding population. Elizabeth Wrightson, the academy’s director of media relations, credits that success to MAG.

There are nine other clubs at the academy that volunteer for various activities, like the Catholic Midshipmen Club, Latin American Studies Club and Black Studies Club. In total, 2,334 midshipmen volunteered on 189 different events, culminating in 16,943 total service hours from the 2024-2025 academic year.

MAG made up more than 85% of the entire university’s service hours.

“So many projects and so little time,” Bandermann said of midshipmen choosing to participate in area service projects. “The mids have an incredible amount to do here. There’s the task of making it through to the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and just matriculating through this university. And this is what they are choosing to spend their time on.”

Zamora will travel to Washington for the fourth time next spring. She says she’s compelled to return year after year because she comes from a similar background as students at the Lummi Nation, one with minimal exposure to STEM.

“I’ve developed such a passion for STEM and research,” Zamora said. “I think it’s so wonderful to be able to spark that with little kids.”

Have a news tip? Contact James Matheson at jmatheson@baltsun.com, 443-842-2344 or on X @jamesmatheson__

]]>
11579563 2025-07-27T05:00:48+00:00 2025-07-27T05:01:15+00:00
Energy bills could rise next summer in Maryland, but maybe not for BGE customers https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/27/energy-bills-could-rise-next-summer-in-maryland-but-maybe-not-for-bge-customers/ Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:03 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11578903 Consumers in Maryland and a dozen other states across much of the mid-Atlantic region could be hit with up to 5% higher electricity costs next summer, but customers in Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.’s footprint just might be an exception.

BGE bills are expected to decrease roughly $3.36 a month, thanks to some previously negotiated credits, but not until at least next June 1, an analysis by a state utility watchdog shows.

The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel on Thursday reviewed results of an annual “capacity market auction,” completed this week by PJM Interconnection, the operator of the wholesale electricity market and 13-state regional power grid. The auction, in which companies make competitive bids to offer power generation, sets the wholesale price for electricity and enables enough supply to meet the projected needs of more than 67 million people in 13 states and Washington, D.C., for a year starting June 2026.

Supply prices are separate from and in addition to the delivery fees that are paid to utilities and have rates regulated by the state’s Maryland Public Service Commission.

This year’s auction set a record high clearing price of $329 per megawatt-day, up from last year’s clearing price of $270 per megawatt day. Power generators and others offer a price per megawatt of power for each day. Each bidder is paid the clearing price times 365 days for each megawatt they bid at or below the clearing price.

Last year’s price, a nine-fold jump from the previous year, has helped send utility bills soaring this year. BGE customers are paying an average $16.49 per month more this year, as of last month, as a result of the last two auctions.

Maryland consumers are being forced to shoulder the cost of supporting the massive power needs of data centers, mostly located outside the state, Maryland People’s Counsel David S. Lapp said in the analysis. Data centers accounted for more than 5,400 megawatts of increased demand compared with last year’s level.

In several OPC filings before federal regulators, the office argues that Maryland customers must pay hundreds of millions of dollars for transmission projects driven by data center load growth occurring in Northern Virginia.

“Residential customers are not causing these excessive costs and should not be paying for them,” Lapp said in Thursday’s announcement. “Utility regulation is failing to protect residential customers, contributing to an energy affordability crisis.”

Despite the promise of slight relief by next summer, BGE customers have been squeezed by higher bills.

Annie Albert, a Fells Point resident, said she’s taken steps for several years to conserve energy and make her 235-year-old rowhome more energy efficient. She said she’s cut back on electricity usage but still finds herself paying $500 a month this year, about the same as last year. She’s cut back spending in other areas, such going out to eat less and taking fewer vacations.

“Our prices have gone up, for sure,” said Albert, who has lived in BGE territory for a decade.  “We’ve also seen an increase in the unreliability of the grid. This summer we’ve lost power more times than we have in the entire time I’ve lived here.

“But what are you going to do, it’s one of those necessities you just have to pay for,” she said.

PJM said wholesale capacity accounts for a relatively small portion of electricity bills and could translate into a year-over-year increase of 1.5% to 5% in some customers bills throughout the region.

Besides data center expansion, electricity demand is soaring because of electrification and economic growth, the grid operator said. Power generation included in the recent auction included 45% natural gas, 21% nuclear, 22% coal, 4% hydro, 3% wind and 1% solar.

PJM transmission costs per megawatt hour have more than tripled when adjusted for inflation from 2007 through last year, according to the 2024 State of the Market Report for PJM.

The People’s Counsel had advocated for changes to PMJ’s market auction rules that helped boost the amount of electric supply bidding into the market this year. In one change supported by Gov. Wes Moore and other PJM governors, a cap was set on the clearing price. But even increased electric supply could not offset higher demand, Lapp said.

Customers of Maryland utilities Pepco, Delmarva Power and Potomac Edison all can expect energy bill increases next summer, ranging from $2.50 to $5.24 per megawatt hour.

For the first time in several years, the price for the BGE zone cleared at the same price as the overall PJM regional price because the auction included two Anne Arundel County power plants that are shutting down but required by PJM to stay online until reliability measures are put in place.

Those plants were excluded from last year’s auction, driving the auction results up by as much as $5 billion, according to an Office of People’s Counsel report released last August.

Have a news tip? Contact Lorraine Mirabella at lmirabella@baltsun.com, (410) 332-6672.

]]>
11578903 2025-07-27T05:00:03+00:00 2025-07-25T18:05:28+00:00
Navy football welcomes high expectations entering 2025 season https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/25/navy-football-welcomes-high-expectations-entering-season/ Fri, 25 Jul 2025 20:30:30 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11579743&preview=true&preview_id=11579743 Expectations for Navy football have changed dramatically over the course of one year.

At this time a year ago, Navy was picked 11th in the American Conference preseason poll. That was the result of the Midshipmen suffering four straight losing seasons.

Now Navy is considered one of the top contenders in the recently rebranded American Conference by most national publications. Lindy’s College Football Magazine predicts that Navy will capture the conference championship. Meanwhile, Athlon Sports has the Midshipmen placing second behind Tulane in its preseason publication.

Navy changed the perception of its program by posting a 10-3 record, capturing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and upsetting Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl during the 2024 season.

“There has been a little bit of a paradigm shift in our program as far as what our expectations are. There is a different level of confidence based off what we did last year,” coach Brian Newberry said. “There is a different level of confidence with our team right now. It’s not arrogance or overconfidence, but it’s a little bit of a different feeling. There is a higher expectation within our program right now.”

For the first time in its history, the American Conference did not release its own preseason poll during the annual football media event, which this year was held Thursday and Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

During remarks to kick off the American Conference “media day,” commissioner Tim Pernetti said tat it has become increasingly difficult to produce accurate preseason polls amid the current landscape of college football. Pernetti pointed out that in the transfer portal era, most programs undergo significant roster turnover from one season to the next.

Nonetheless, recognition that Navy is among the preseason favorites came when Newberry sat for an interview with the ESPN broadcasting crew. Host Maria Trivelpiece asked the third-year coach about the “hype” surrounding the program.

When Navy was picked to place 11th in the conference last year, Newberry used that perceived slight as a way to motivate the players. With the Mids now rated at the top of the American, Newberry wants his troops to not pay attention to such praise.

“We talk about drowning out the noise all the time — whether good, bad or indifferent,” said Newberry, adding that he has never put much stock in preseason polls. “Obviously, I’m excited about what we did last season and how we finished. That was great momentum going into the offseason. At the same time, our guys understand that last year’s team has very little to do with this year’s team.”

Navy captains Landon Robinson, middle, and Blake Horvath, right talk with an ESPN broadcaster during the American Conference Football Media Day event. (Ronnie Gillis/Navy Athletics)
Navy captains Landon Robinson, middle, and Blake Horvath, right talk with ESPN broadcaster Hannah Brady during the American Conference football media day event. (Ronnie Gillis/Navy Athletics)

Quarterback Blake Horvath and nose guard Landon Robinson, the team captains, represented Navy at the American Conference football media event. While welcoming the higher expectations placed on the Midshipmen, they said players don’t care what outsiders think of the program.

“The only opinions that matter are the ones that are in the room, the people that are making it happen. The noise is just distracting. It can create turmoil, create egos. We just have to block all that out,” Horvath said.

Robinson said the Navy players have adopted Newberry’s mantra to not “choke on the sugar” and are “making sure to stay humble and hungry.”

Navy returns seven starters on offense, including every one of the skill positions. That total does not include right guard Hoke Smith II, who started the last three games a year ago. The Midshipmen bring back five starters on defense along with several experienced backups.

Newberry believes the four straight losing seasons from 2020 to 2023 left a psychological impact on the program. Based on that recent history, there was uncertainty about whether the Midshipmen could turn things around.

“Last year at this time we were a wishful and hopeful football team that did all the right things, but wasn’t sure who we were going to be,” Newberry said. “Now we’re a team that expects to win and it’s not based on hope, but on concrete accomplishments. After having success last season, we are hungry to keep it going.”

Newberry based that assessment on what he saw during offseason strength and conditioning workouts. He liked the way the Midshipmen attacked the winter workouts known as “fourth quarters” and how they got after it during spring camp. Navy football players spent most of the summer on campus working hard with the strength and conditioning staff.

During remarks delivered from the podium during Friday’s media event, Newberry said that he felt good about this 2025 Navy football team, and not just because there is so much returning production.

“It’s because of the identity of this football team and the chemistry we have developed. Our guys genuinely love and care about each other. Close teams are powerful teams,” Newberry said. “I’m excited about the work that’s been put in since January. We talk about deserving success and our guys have shown up every day and worked at a very high level on a consistent basis.”

Navy opened the 2024 campaign on a roll by winning six straight games and was ranked 24th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll entering a late October showdown with Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish routed the Midshipmen, 51-14, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Navy was upset by Rice (24-10) the following Saturday and routed by Tulane (35-0) two weeks later, but rebounded for three straight wins to close out the season. That stretch was highlighted by a 31-13 beatdown of archrival Army and a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma.

“You always want to finish the season on a high note like we did. When you look at last season, we got off to a really good start then there was a little bit of a lull,” Newberry said. “To bounce back and finish the way we did against a really good Army football team then put an exclamation point by beating Oklahoma at the end was awesome.”

Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at bwagner@capgaznews.com, 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz.

Navy head coach Brian Newberry speaks at the podium during the formal press conference portion of the American Conference Football Media Day event. (Ronnie Gillis/Navy Athletics)
Navy coach Brian Newberry speaks at the podium during the formal news conference portion of the American Conference football media day event. The Midshipmen enter 2025 with lofty expectations. (Ronnie Gillis/Navy Athletics)
]]>
11579743 2025-07-25T16:30:30+00:00 2025-07-25T17:05:16+00:00
South River High’s underwater robot deployed in search for oyster reef data https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/25/south-river-underwater-robot-oyster/ Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:00:29 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11577334&preview=true&preview_id=11577334 Equipped with a grasping arm attachment, video camera and 100-meter tether, the Power Hawks of South River High School deployed a 30-pound waterproof robot into the South River Wednesday to collect data from an oyster reef.

The robot — named Lil Blue Heron — maneuvered around an oyster reef in Glebe Bay, taking video in an attempt to monitor its growth. The Power Hawks Robotics Team 1111 and Arundel Rivers Federation worked together, taking two boats out on the river for the initial launch.

The Power Hawks had some technical difficulties, with the control panel’s chamber filling with water on its initial deployment. High schoolers Nick Pounds and Max Sprague pulled the robot out of the water and managed to fix the leak. They took out the temperature sensor, reconfigured the control panel and, in about an hour, the robot was ready to try again.

After maneuvering through the silty river water, Lil Blue Heron finally caught sight of the reef, where oyster shells have grown and attached to one another to form a combined underwater structure. The robot’s video was displayed on a laptop, and Pounds and Sprague controlled the robot’s movements with a video game controller. The Arundel Rivers Federation, which planted oysters on that reef earlier this year, will use the video to monitor the reef’s growth.

Pounds said despite the setbacks, the Power Hawks were able to “easily overcome” the challenges.

“It’s definitely a rewarding moment, being able to actually see our hard work going towards something,” Pounds said.

Due to a water leak the brains of the ROV has to be removed and repaired. The Arundel Rivers Federation has partnered with the PowerHawks Robotics team from South River High School, who designed, built, and tested an "Oyster Robot" a remotely operated vehicle created to monitor and collect data from our oyster sanctuary reef in Glebe Bay on the South River. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff)
Due to a water leak the brains of the robot has to be removed and repaired. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff)

The Power Hawks approached the Arundel Rivers Federation more than a year ago about working together, and the two organizations applied for funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Oyster reefs are habitats for organisms like small fish and crabs, and they serve as natural water filters, consuming algae that can pollute the bay. Collecting data near the oyster reef is important to understanding the overall health of the river, said Mairin Corasaniti, outreach coordinator at Arundel Rivers Federation.

The Arundel Rivers Federation gave the Power Hawks the type of data they wanted to collect, and the high school students began building the underwater robot in the fall. After a test run in an outdoor pool earlier this summer, Wednesday was the robot’s first river launch. The partners will send Lil Blue Heron out periodically to collect additional data.

The Power Hawks are a FIRST Robotics competition team — officially titled Power Hawks Robotics Team 1111 — with 15-30 students each year who build and compete with their robots at regional and national competitions. FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The Power Hawks most recently qualified for the FIRST Championship in 2022, where it competed against teams from all over the world and placed in the top third of the 100-plus teams.

The competition season is separate from this underwater deployment, which was the first scientific research-oriented robot the Power Hawks made.

“We see technology and the environment as almost being at opposites with each other, one coming at the cost of another, and I don’t think that really has to be the case,” Corasaniti said.

The Power Hawks apply for grants to fund their program, which can cost more than $35,000 per year, and they get some funding from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

But, the Power Hawks are now seeing funding cuts. Usually, AACPS funds the $6,300 competition entrance fee, but that money has since been revoked, and the team is looking to supplement that through community partnerships and donations.

“We’re actually kind of clambering right now to figure out where the rest of our registration money is coming from, because the current economy has tightened a lot of strings from a lot of the companies that would normally give,” head mentor Ronny Ashley said.

Have a news tip? Contact Tori Newby at tnewby@baltsun.com.

]]>
11577334 2025-07-25T05:00:29+00:00 2025-07-25T06:53:58+00:00
Businessman Tom Krieck runs as independent for Ward 1 seat in Annapolis https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/07/25/businessman-tom-krieck-runs-as-independent-for-ward-1-seat-in-annapolis/ Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:00:14 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11577605&preview=true&preview_id=11577605 Businessman Tom Krieck recently announced his campaign for Ward 1 alderman, running as an independent and joining the race with four Democrats.

Krieck says he wants to change city spending by lowering property taxes and eliminating “wasteful” spending. The four Democrats running for the Ward 1 seat are Ben Bramsen, Ron Gunzburger, Harry Huntley and Katie McDermott.

Sixty-one percent of city revenue comes from property taxes and Krieck wants to reduce what homeowners pay by combining Annapolis departments with Anne Arundel County departments where possible, such as Recreation and Parks.

Krieck also questions spending he thinks should be reallocated. For example, $105,000 for landscape companies and residents to purchase battery-powered leafblowers can instead go toward hiring an additional firefighter — a department Krieck said needs more staff. After banning gas-powered leaf-blowers last year, Annapolis began offering vouchers for electric-powered ones.

To cut down on costs at the ongoing City Dock renovation project, he wants the Maynard-Burgess House to serve as the welcome center rather than the current plan to build a Maritime Welcome Center. The Maynard-Burgess House is a historic home of two African-American families, and it is currently used for city offices and a preservation site.

Tom Krieck is running for Ward 1 alderman in the City of Annapolis. (Courtesy)
Tom Krieck is running for Ward 1 alderman in the City of Annapolis. (Courtesy)

Krieck worked as a business executive for most of his career, including nearly 20 years as owner of a company that helps seniors age in place. He’s managed budgets of up to $700 million, which he said has prepared him for the budget process as an alderman.

“I’ve been able to look at big numbers before, and not in any way shy away from making decisions,” Krieck said.

Besides spending, Krieck is focusing his efforts on flood solutions. He wants a Ward 1 flood mitigation program that would combine infrastructure development with stormwater management to protect the historic homes threatened by Spa Creek flooding.

He also wants to reallocate parking spaces downtown to give homeowners more priority parking near their homes.

Krieck said he is a “Democrat by nature” but he chose to run as an independent to give a voice to more of Ward 1’s residents.

“The problem is, is that we’ve gotten so partisan,” Kriek said. “We’ve got Democrats, Republicans, and we don’t have a fresh approach to trying to make things work real well.”

Kriek moved to Annapolis in 2019 after living in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania throughout his life.

“I’m real fortunate because I’ve lived in other parts of the country. I can appreciate what Annapolis has to deliver and what we offer,” he said.

The filing deadline for additional candidates to join the race is July 28. The primary election will be on Sept. 16, and the general election is Nov. 4.

Have a news tip? Contact Tori Newby at tnewby@baltsun.com.

]]>
11577605 2025-07-25T05:00:14+00:00 2025-07-25T05:00:30+00:00