Monday, December 31, 2012
If you're out celebrating on New Year's and don't have a designated driver, here are some choices for getting home.
The highest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the last decade occurred on New Year's Day, according to Michael Green, AAA spokesman. But once you start your 2013 pre-celebration, you may not be thinking about statistics. So right now while you're thinking clearly, consider your options. Getting a designated driver or hailing a cab are some of your choices. But if you find yourself with empty pockets and no driver, you have options. Sober Ride Call Sober Ride 1-800-200-TAXI (1-880-200-8294) for a free ride home (up to a $30 fare) from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP). It says rides started Dec. 14 and are available every night until Jan. 1, 2013. People using the service must be 21…
Make sure your property is registered by Dec. 31.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Have you registered your home for the Maryland Homestead Tax Credit? If not, you have only a few days left; the deadline to do so is Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. The Homestead Credit limits the potential increase in taxable property assessments to 10 percent or less each year. Applying for the credit would prevent you from having to pay taxes on any increase above that 10 percent cap. The Department of Taxation and Assessments website offers the following example: Assume that your old assessment was $100,000 and that your new phased-in assessment for the 1st year is $120,000. An increase of 10% would result in an assessment of $110,000. The difference between $120,000 and $110,000 is $10,000. The tax credit would apply to the taxes due on …
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Patch rounds up the weird news headlines from around Maryland.
Globetrotting Street Dog Found, Returns To Germantown Home A while ago Patch wrote about a Germantown couple who fell in love with a street dog in Egypt and arranged for the animal to be flown to Dulles only to have the reunion cut short in the parking lot when the dog, Ralph, ran away. Patch is happy to report that Ralphie was found in Virginia on Christmas Day and is back with his new family in Germantown, MD. The full story is at Germantown Patch. Man in Medical Mask, Gloves Robs Bank in Bowie A suspect wearing a medical mask and rubber gloves robbed the PNC Bank located in the Giant grocery store on Crain Highway in Bowie. The masked suspect opened his coat to reveal what appeared to be a gun to the bank teller, and demanded money, …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
A series on local breweries around the state, Capital News Service reports.
- BUSINESS
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Reporting by Capital News Service's Matthieu Drotar, Sydney Carter, Anna Weaver and Greg Kohn. Despite being traditionally dominated by states like Colorado and California, craft brewing has become an increasingly important industry for Maryland. With 31 microbreweries and brewpubs currently recognized by the Brewers Association and another 15 in the planning stages, Maryland is beginning to gain national recognition as a new hotspot of beer. From Franklin's Brewery in Hyattsville to Union Craft Brewing and Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore to those along the Eastern Shore and in Frederick, MD, the craft beer business is not only growing in Maryland, but becoming profitable. Patch's Nick Gestido has covered Maryland's breweries in his …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Only 13 state licenses qualified but other states were granted a deferral.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Drivers licenses issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration are considered valid ID for gaining entrance to certain federal facilities and for boarding commercial aircraft under the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) "REAL ID" Act. A press release issued by DHS identified Maryland and 12 other states meeting the minimum standards. The other states were Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Some states did not submit sufficient information for DHS to determine whether their identifications met requirements. The release also said that a temporary deferment will be granted to those states that did not meet the requirements at this time. The …
Additional revenue could fund state transportation projects.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
While gas prices have been lower since Hurricane Sandy, a Blue Ribbon Commission has recommended increasing taxes on gas to help raise $800 million in annual funding for the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund, according to a recent WTOP story. Each gallon of gasoline carries a $0.235 state tax, a figure that has been level since 1992, but with the transportation fund being raided to help balance the state's budget, lawmakers may consider raising it during the 2013 General Assembly, according to the report. Gus Bauman, who chaired the commission that recommended the increased tax (in addition to upping roads tolls and fares, fees to trains and busses, as well as vehicle registration licensing and titling) told WTOP: "I'm absolutely …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
AccuWeather is warning of a storm possibly bringing snow, power outages and coastal flooding next week.
A "substantial" winter storm could blow its way through Maryland by the middle of next week, according to the weather website AccuWeather. The website’s current forecast predicts a potential for rain that could turn into snow, with coastal flooding and power outages. “While the details are still uncertain, a larger, slower-moving and more powerful storm could slam the mid-Atlantic and New England with heavy precipitation, strong winds and above-normal tides Tuesday (Dec. 18) into Thursday (Dec. 20),” according to an email from AccuWeather. The current forecast from the National Weather Service calls for a chance of rain through the early part of next week, but doesn’t currently predict any snow for the area.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Three Maryland casinos hauled in a combined total of $43 million last month.
With another casino on its way in Maryland, possibly in Prince George's, a new report shows that gambling revenue is down. Although the three Maryland casinos—Hollywood Casino Perryville, Maryland Live Casino and The Casino at Ocean Downs—brought in a revenue of $43 million last month, the gaming revenue is still down 28.5 percent—or $3.478 million—from last year. This number doesn't factor in Maryland Live, since it opened earlier this year. Hollywood Casino Perryville generated more than $5 million in November, while Maryland's three casinos combined to generate $43 million. Still, the Cecil County facility continues to see a major dip in revenue over last year. Hollywood Casino saw a 40.5 percent decrease in money earned compared with …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Almost 90 percent of Marylanders have gambled in their lifetime with 22 percent gambling monthly, CNS Maryland's Kelsey Pospisil reports.
TELL US: Do you think gambling addiction will grow in the state of Maryland if a new casino opens in Prince George's County? Join the discussion in our comments.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Increased alcohol taxes in Maryland may be forcing customers to drive to Delaware.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sales of distilled spirits have increased only .2 percent in Maryland since last year—far below the national average of 3.1 percent, according to figures stated in a recent Washington Post blog post. The post cites the Distilled Council of the United States, which linked the stagnating sales to the increase in taxes on alcohol—from 6 percent to 9 percent. The chief economist for the council, David Ozgo, is quoted as stating that “Maryland consumers are voting with their feet and making their purchases in Delaware.” A Capital News Service article reported that sales of distilled spirits near the border of Maryland and Delaware in Cecil County are down 57 percent. Do you venture to other states like Delaware to purchase alcohol?
jnrentz1
8:11 pm on Monday, December 31, 2012
Thank you, I guess, for letting us know on the last day, December 31, 2012. I tried to apply online on behalf of my elderly mother, but could not, because of the "access" code. What is the access code? more ›