{thanks, The Baltimore Sun}

Towson Catholic shut down. City trash pickup was cut to once a week. Water main breaks were a weekly occurrence. And a Hopkins student killed an intruder with a samurai sword.
Signs of the apocalypse? No, just a typical year in Baltimore and environs.

Mayor Dixon convicted
The city was transfixed by the Sheila Dixon trial — and the wait for a verdict. Her conviction on an embezzlement count gave Baltimore a black eye and led a majority of its citizens, according to one survey, to say she should leave office.

Budget cuts stung
The dismal economy left Maryland and Baltimore facing budget gaps that resulted in layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts. The halting progress on slots parlors disappointed officials hoping they might soon provide revenue.

A drier Preakness
A ban on outside alcohol drove attendance at the Preakness down by a third, to its smallest size in 26 years. Meanwhile, Pimlico owner Magna Entertainment Corp. filed for bankruptcy.

No DWT
Legislators enacted a ban on driving while texting. The O’Malley administration also banned workers driving state cars from talking on the phone.

Senator sold
After years of near-closure emergencies, the 70-year-old North Baltimore theater was sold for $810,000 at auction to Baltimore City, which is now evaluating proposals from organizations looking to run the space.

Devastating violence
In three horrific incidents in Maryland, fathers killed their children, wives and themselves. An 88-year-old neo-Nazi in Annapolis was accused of killing a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. And a drug feud, police say, contributed to 18 shootings in one July day in Baltimore’s east side.

Inner Harbor struggles
After owner General Growth Properties declared bankruptcy, occupancy rates at Harborplace and the Gallery slipped. Development in Harbor East drew focus and tenants from the Inner Harbor. Police upped patrols over the summer after violent incidents.

A Nobel winner
Hopkins scientist Carol W. Greider’s groundbreaking research on the structure of chromosome ends known as telomeres earned her (and two fellow American researchers) a Noble Prize in Medicine.

Local color
The owner of an Utz stall in Lexington Market pleaded guilty to selling guns over the counter. Denise Whiting’s spat with the city over her pink flamingo only resulted in a newer, better flamingo hanging outside Cafe Hon. State Del. Jon S. Cardin involved Baltimore police in his mock police raid-cum-marriage proposal aboard a boat in the Inner Harbor. The unifying theme: Does this stuff happen anywhere else? The Baltimore Sun and Anne Tallent, b

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.