Regional Digest
Judge refuses bond in Islamic State-inspired plot
A Maryland man accused of planning an Islamic State-inspired attack at a shopping and entertainment complex near Washington, D.C., intended to kill as many “disbelievers” as possible, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday before a judge ordered the man detained without bond. But a defense attorney urged the court to be skeptical of authorities’ claims about 28-year-old Rondell Henry, a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved here from Trinadad and Tobago about 11 years ago. Federal public defender Michael CitaraManis argued the government “is trying to fit certain facts into their narrative” that Henry intended to carry out a terrorist attack last month at the National Harbor, a popular waterfront destination just outside the nation’s capital. The defense lawyer asked for his client to be freed on house arrest, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas DiGirolamo in Greenbelt ordered Henry held without bond while he awaits trial. The judge agreed with prosecutors that the defendant poses a danger to the public. A court filing by prosecutors Monday says Henry watched Islamic State propaganda videos of foreign terrorists beheading civilians and fighting overseas, admiring their actions and considering them brave.
Md. public housing ranked last in U.S. by inspectors
Almost a third of public housing inspections in Maryland have resulted in failing health and safety scores. An analysis of federal data by The Associated Press shows that’s the worst performance in the country. Old, rundown complexes in Baltimore are the main culprit. Federal and city data show that 22 of 37 Baltimore sites failed their most recent inspections. The Housing Authority of Baltimore City blames the problems on long-term underfunding by the federal government. Statewide, public housing buildings failed 32% of inspections since 2013.
State board to discuss
cop in Black arrest, death
State officials plan to privately discuss Wednesday whether to proceed with an investigation into the hiring of a Greensboro police officer involved in the arrest and death of Anton Black. The Police Training and Standards Commission will discuss the matter during its routine meeting Wednesday morning in Sykesville. State officials had learned personnel records — including those documenting “use of force” — were omitted from the hiring application that Greensboro police sent to the state for Webster to be certified as an officer in Maryland. Black, 19, died in police custody last year in the small Eastern Shore town. Wednesday’s closed-door discussion is a preliminary step for the commission to decide whether it should conduct a hearing to consider revoking the police certification of Officer Thomas Webster IV. Any such hearing would be at least a month away, said Renata Seergae, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services.
Volunteer firefighter killed serving in Afghanistan
A U.S. Marine killed this week in Afghanistan was honored five years ago for rescuing a woman from a burning high-rise while serving with the Fire Department of New York, the city’s mayor and fire commissioner said on Tuesday. Christopher Slutman, a 15-year FDNY member, was among three American service members killed by a roadside bomb Monday. He leaves behind his wife, Shannon, and three daughters. He served in Maryland with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department.
Aberdeen Proving Ground commander to depart
Maj. Gen. Randy S. Taylor, the senior commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground and commander of CECOM for the past two years, will depart his current assignment in June for a new post with U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Taylor will serve as chief of staff for the Strategic Command, one of 10 Defense Department “unified commands” that brings Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps assets, as well as civilian workers, together to deter nuclear and other forms of “strategic attack” against the U.S. and its allies, according to the command website. The Army has not yet announced who will succeed Taylor, but that announcement is expected in the coming weeks, and a change-of-command ceremony should happen in late June, Philip Molter, a spokesperson for APG, wrote in an email Thursday.
Work on railroad will close part of Maryland Route 97
Because of scheduled improvements to the CSX Transportation railroad, a portion of Maryland Route 97 will temporarily close at the Howard County and Carroll County line for approximately five days, beginning Monday, according to a travel advisory from the State Highway Administration. The closure will affect all northbound and southbound lanes at the railroad crossing north of Interstate 70. The closure begins 9 a.m. Monday and, weather permitting, the roadway will reopen by April 20. CSX will work to improve the rail crossing and ride quality for more than 10,000 motorists who travel over the specific section of Md. 97 daily. The railroad operates in the eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
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