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Best Media Watchdog Experiment: NewsTrust

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

City Paper - Sep. 21 (Editorial) - We got used to NewsTrust Baltimore’s e-mails very quickly. More than a thoughtful amalgam of Baltimore stories from around the web, the alerts came with an invitation to think about the stories in a critical way and comment via a strict form included on the site. Inveterate web commenters might at first be offended by this kind of formalism, but it worked: The idea of rating which news sources are “trustworthy” is, of course, not new. But in using this form to guide self-selected readers, NewsTrust helped its readers (and itself) understand something about the news ecosystem from the point of view of both newsmakers and consumers. NewsTrust, launched via a now-concluded six-month pilot program but with its site still active, was filled with thoughtful, constructive criticism of stories and articles both local and global, and was blessedly devoid of moronic flame wars. In this age of partisan rancor, that is no small thing.

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The Off Switch

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Sheilah Kast, Lawrence Lanahan - Sep. 13 (News Analysis) - Can protest movements keep moving when governments try to shut down wireless networks? Sheilahasks our social media analysts Nathan Jurgenson and P.J. Rey.

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Port Deposit: Worst Flooding In 39 Years Expected

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WBAL Radio - Sep. 09 (News Report) - Forecasters say the flood risk for the Baltimore area is not over. WBAL Meteorologist Tony Pann says the worst of the rain is over but the Baltimore area has received about 12 inches of rain this week coming on the heels of a hurricane last week. Pann says there is just no place for all this water to go. The threat of flooding will remain with us well into the weekend. Chuck Gischlar of the State Highway Administration says to allow extra time for commuting because of road closures and possible flooding. Heavy rainfall has flooded roads and swelled waterways in the mid-Atlantic region, and officials say the worst of the flooding is not over, particularly in communities in Cecil and Harford County along the Susquehanna River. Harford County officials evacuated the Citizens Care Rehabilitation Center in Havre de Grace Thursday. Harford County spokesman Bob Thomas told WBAL News that most of the residents of that center are staying with family members. Others have been moved to other facilities. The city of Havre de Grace says it has ordered the mandatory evacuation of hundreds of residents from low-lying areas as the Susquehanna River continues to rise. And Harford County, where Harve de Grace is located, has declared a state of emergency. ALL Harford County Public Schools evening and weekend activities are cancelled to include ALL Friday (9/9/11) afternoon/evening activities and all Saturday (9/10/11) and Sunday (9/11/11) activities as well. The county is asking the community to please stay off of all Harford County Public School athletic fields to minimize damage. A spokesman said Thursday afternoon that fire and rescue workers were going door to door, urging people to leave. Thomas says Aberdeen High School has been opened as an emergency shelter. Aberdeen High School will be closed to students Friday. Harford County Public School officials also Havre de Grace Elementary, Havre de Grace Middle, and Havre de Grace High School will also be closed along with Meadowvale Elementary. Charles County Public Schools are also closed Friday. Code Two for employees. In Port Deposit, Mayor Wayne Tome said a mandatory evacuation of that community went into effect at 8 p.m. Thursday. The community of nearly 700 people had been under a voluntary evacuation order all day. The mayor says an emergency shelter opened at 4 p.m. Thursday at Perryville High School. Port Deposit is about seven miles below the Conowingo Dam. Water levels there are forecast to reach near-historic levels due to heavy rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. The National Weather Service says the river will crest at 35.8 feet Saturday morning. That would be second only to the 36.8 feet measured at Conowingo after Hurricane Agnes in 1972. U.S. Route 222 into the town is closed, along with North Main Street. U.S. Route 1 in both directions around the Conowingo Dam is closed to traffic for clean up of flood debris. Landmark Restaurant To Open Days After Flooding Vernon Snyder is the owner of Snyder's Willow Grove Restaurant in Linthicum which saw five feet of flood water from the Patapsco River this week. In an interview with Maryland's News Now, Snyder put this week's flooding in perspective. "We've had two worse than this before, so we are a little bit used to it," Snyder said. He points out in Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 brought 17 feet of water, and Hurricane Eloise in 1975 brought 13 feet of water. He says most of the damage is in the basement which was used for storage, and he expects the restaurant to be closed only for "a day or two." The restaurant has been located along Hammonds Ferry Road since 1937. Snyder says his restaurant has a wedding reception booked in the banquet room on Saturday night, and he says that will go on as scheduled with the restaurant expected to reopen Sunday. Snyder admits the wedding couple are "on edge" about the situation, but he says the restaurant did not lose electricity, and there is no damage to the restaurant or banquet room. "We're in halfway good shape," Snyder said. Wall Collapsing Follows Flooding In Ellicott City In Ellicott City, Main Street is open to traffic after it was closed for much of Wednesday due to flooding. Officials say several walls along the Tiber River through town have collapsed. The walls are over 200 years old. Tim Kendzierski, owner of the Ellicott City Brew Pub along Main Street, told WBAL News that he has never seen flooding like this. He says many are comparing the flooding to that of Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. CLICK HERE to see a list of raods that are closed in Baltimore County.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.4 average (not enough reviews) - See Review » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Disasterocalypse

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Lawrence Lanahan, Sheilah Kast - Sep. 06 (News Analysis) - What a week. Today we look back at the hurricane and earthquake that struck Maryland the week before last, and Baltimore Gas and Electric spokesman Rob Gould addresses criticism of the utility's effort to restore power to over 750,000 of its customers.

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The Ethics of Triage

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Sheilah Kast - Aug. 24 (News Analysis) - In disaster situations in which there aren’t enough resources, how do caregivers decide who to save–and who’s beyond help?

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8-16-11: A Cop in Your Pocket

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Sheilah Kast, Stephanie Hughes - Aug. 16 (News Analysis) - A look at a new mobile app being used by the Baltimore police.

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A guide to Baltimore’s online news ecology

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

City Paper - By Michael Byrne - Aug. 09 (Special Report) - For six months, Baltimore was fortunate enough to have an organization here dedicated solely to analyzing the city’s journalistic output, NewsTrust Baltimore (the local pilot project of the larger NewsTrust organization). It was a bit like Yelp crossed with the Columbia Journalism Review. The project ceased operations on July 31 (it was always intended as a six-month pilot), leaving behind a collection of reports, one of which is a final comprehensive analysis of sorts. It eventually concludes, “The local news scene is in a state of flux with more than a little creative chaos. But patterns are emerging. As news startups and impassioned individuals become more rigorous and as traditional news organizations become more open and responsive to the public, there is a growing opportunity for collaboration across the local journalistic community.“

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Tech Talk

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Nathan Sterner - Aug. 09 (News Analysis) - Mike Subelsky on starting tech startups.

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A Time Share — with Pets

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Tom Hall, Stephanie Hughes - Aug. 09 (News Analysis) - Two Maryland dog-lovers talk about how they're making it work.

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To Be a Thirsty Tomato

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Sheilah Kast, Stephanie Hughes - Aug. 02 (News Analysis) - How the extreme heat and dryness is affecting the region's farmers.

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City youth become community organizers, promote change - baltimoresun.com

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Julie Baughman - Jul. 31 (News) - Kevin Smith, 15, excitedly began snapping pictures of an old, weathered tombstone he found after wading through tall grass just outside a fenced-in landfill near Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore.

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New solar farm will double solar energy on the grid, but return no cash to Maryland

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Maryland Reporter - By Megan Poinski - Jul. 28 (News) - Despite being a fan of renewable energy and jobs for western Maryland, Comptroller Peter Franchot voted against a long-term lease for the state’s largest solar energy farm at the Board of Public Works on Wednesday.

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Cool Spots

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

City Paper - Jul. 27 (News) - The city’s emergency cooling centers—air-conditioned places where free water is handed out—are set up “in the areas where we know there’s the greatest need in terms of vulnerable populations,” said Brian Schleter, spokesperson for the Baltimore Health Department on July 22, when temperatures in the city soared to 107 degrees. Asked if they’re still spaced a bit far apart, he says, “Exactly.”

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Maryland researchers help crack genomic code of bacteria in German E.coli outbreak

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Meredith Cohn - Jul. 27 (News) - Within days of the E.coli outbreak in Germany that officially ended this week, scientists at the University of Maryland Institute for Genome Sciences began cracking the genomic code of the bacteria responsible for infecting thousands and killing dozens.

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Under pressure, Harris changes clean water bill

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By John Fritze - Jul. 27 (News) - Legislation proposed by Rep. Andy Harris that would direct federal money to study oxygen-starved "dead zones" in the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico is facing criticism from some environmentalists who are concerned that the measure would prioritize research over action.

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A Time for Lilies–and Renewal

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

WYPR - By Tom Hall, Stephanie Hughes - Jul. 27 (News Analysis) - Did you know that mid-summer can be a time for new beginnings? In life, yes -- but specifically, in the garden. Maybe your tomato plants have died -- but you still have time to use that patch of soil for something else.

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BGE official: PeakRewards did its job

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Jeannette M. Mills - Jul. 26 (Opinion) - Last Friday was the first time in four years that we have had an emergency activation of BGE's PeakRewards program. We have had some non-emergency events with lower impact. The emergency electric load reduction, which was repeated across the region by other utilities to varying degrees, was taken at the direction of the PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission operator (power grid) serving Maryland and several other states. Emergency activations of the program have been infrequent in the past and are expected to remain infrequent in the future.

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BGE proposes changes after PeakRewards complaints

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Liz F. Kay, Julie Baughman - Jul. 25 (News) - As consumer advocates called for a review of BGE's PeakRewards program, the utility said Monday that more than 3,800 customers have dropped or modified their participation after seeing air conditioners cycled off for hours Friday — the hottest day in 75 years.

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Some Baltimore tourist attractions sizzle in the heat

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Business Journal - By Alexander Jackson - Jul. 25 (News) - As 100-degree weather bared down on visitors outside, there seemed to be no hotter destination than the air-conditioned comfort of Baltimore’s indoor attractions over the weekend.

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BGE to review PeakRewards program

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Andrea F. Siegel - Jul. 24 (News) - Baltimore Gas and Electric is reviewing its PeakRewards program, officials said Sunday, after emergency activation of the energy-saving program turned off air conditioning for hours during the hottest part of Friday, angering customers. The utility will try to avoid another systemwide emergency activation through Saturday, officials said, despite forecasts calling for temperatures to reach 100 degrees or higher Friday and Saturday.

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Alarming ‘dead zone’ grows in the Chesapeake

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Washington Post - By Darryl Fears - Jul. 24 (News) - A giant underwater “dead zone” in the Chesapeake Bay is growing at an alarming rate because of unusually high nutrient pollution levels this year, according to Virginia and Maryland officials. They said the expanding area of oxygen-starved water is on track to become the bay’s largest ever.

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Heat wave gets hotter

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Sun - By Frank D. Roylance, Meredith Cohn - Jul. 21 (News) - Maryland really began to turn in the roaster Thursday, joining much of the rest of the country, now deep in the summer's worst heat wave. The mercury reached 103 degrees in downtown Baltimore, with a heat index reading of 117 degrees. It was 100 at BWI-Marshall Airport, four degrees short of a record.

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Saving the Chesapeake Bay

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Daily Record - By Daily Record Staff - Jul. 21 (Editorial) - At long last, there are clear signs of progress in the interminable struggle to clean up Chesapeake Bay. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson recently told representatives of the six states in the bay watershed, including Gov. Martin O’Malley, and District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray that an ambitious plan to restore the health of the bay by 2025 is off to a positive start.

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Baltimore food trucks don't sweat the heat

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Baltimore Business Journal - By Alexander Jackson - Jul. 21 (News) - The heat may keep hungry Baltimoreans away from outdoor seating, but it won’t keep them away from the city’s food trucks. Despite temperatures expected to reach a sweltering 103 degrees today, Baltimore’s food trucks are rolling out and setting up shop as usual.

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When to Sell - A Conversation with Greg Cangialosi, Former CEO of Blue Sky Factory

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Citybizlist Baltimore - By Newt Fowler - Jul. 21 (Interview) - How do you know when to sell? What should your market look like? When is it too early, and of greater concern, when is it too late? How can you improve the odds that your value is recognized by suitors? I recently had lunch with Greg Cangialosi to explore his insights from the recent sale of his company, Blue Sky Factory.

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