The trail is meant to boost greenspace access and active transportation routes for residents of Northeast Baltimore, providing pedestrian and bicyclist connection to Morgan State University, Lake Montebello and Herring Run Park, in addition to other neighborhoods.

Local officials and community leaders gathered on the park’s basketball court Monday for a celebration of the grant and the park’s revitalization hosted by Rails to Trails Conservancy, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD) and the Northeast Community Organization (NECO). The Morgan State Marching Band played cheerful music and danced before speakers took turns at the podium beneath a basketball hoop with a missing backboard and rim.

“We are able to come together today because we got a new vision and a new dream for our community,” said Father Joe Muth of Notre Dame of Maryland during the opening prayer, echoed by “Amens” from the crowd. “And we are grateful that we’ve come together today to make that dream a reality.”

About two years ago, the Rev. Cat Goodrich of Faith Presbyterian and some of her colleagues in Northeast Baltimore started having conversations about bringing residents together to see if there were common concerns, she said.

Of the issues raised, Goodrich said, “We heard a lot about Chinquapin Run Park.” She said people remembered when there were picnic tables and benches in the park, sports programs and children playing in the stream, noting the missing basketball rim and overgrown trail. The group had several meetings, held a walkthrough with City Councilmember Mark Conway and did some door-knocking, connecting with more than 100 residents, Goodrich said.

“It feels good and right that we are here today to celebrate because this park is a connector. It cuts through six different neighborhoods,” Goodrich said. “It runs all the way from the city-county line down to Morgan State. It cuts across lines of neighborhood and race and class, connecting us as one community.”

A clean, safe and well-kept park for families in the community is essential, said Angie Winder, president of NECO, reflecting on her elementary school teacher who “stood in the gap for us.”

“We, too, are standing in the gap for the next generation just by being here, affirming to them I’ll fight for their future,” Winder said. “Revitalizing this park is just one example of that, we will not see it be neglected or let it be disinvested.”

Grants and donations from the France-Merrick Foundation, Kentfields Foundation and Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, as well as private donors, comprise the investment funds according to the Rev. Kate Foster, a Baltimore resident and mid-Atlantic director of trails development for Rails to Trails.

The investment will support the preliminary planning of the trail, but Rails to Trails doesn’t own trail projects or build them, according to Foster. The group will continue working alongside partners to receive city and state funding for the project’s final design and construction.

“To get this park back and get it back better, we’re going to need resources. To get this trail built and to complete the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, we’re going to need city leadership and a lot more money,” Foster said. “So we’re here to work with you, Baltimore City, but we need you to make it a priority too.”

The project is part of the vision to connect the area to the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, a city-adopted plan for a 35-mile network of paths for city residents to “walk, bike or roll” between 75 neighborhoods and safely access green spaces, according to Foster.

Director of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Reginald Moore emphasized the city’s commitment to all parks. Moore explained that benches will be replaced and a new basketball goal has been ordered, along with a fence to prevent people from doing donuts on the court with their vehicles, motioning to the marks on the ground. He also said the city will support a 2025 application for more funding to complete the full project.

Amidst many calls to action, Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry reminded the crowd that the mayor is responsible for delegating city spending, so people must call on the mayor to prioritize funding for the park.

“We have to make it clear that this is important and that we prioritize this. Are we good?” Henry said. “Yes,” the crowd cheered. “Do we understand the assignment?” Henry asked. “Yes,” the crowd cheered again.

Officers responded to Pulaski Highway and Middle River Road at about 11:30 p.m. about a pedestrian crash, police said. Crash Team detectives determined a gray Honda CRV struck the pedestrian, and the individual was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police said Monday morning that the victim is in serious but stable condition.

The Honda CRV did not remain at the scene, police said. The vehicle will have damage to the front bumper, a missing passenger-side mirror and possibly a broken passenger-side window.

Police said the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information can reach Baltimore County Crash Team detectives at 410-887-5396 or 410-887-INFO.

The suspect is a student at Joppatowne High School and has been charged as an adult with murder, first and second-degree assault, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/crime of violence. The Baltimore Sun does not name minors accused of crimes.

Officers responded to the school at about 12:36 p.m. Friday after a single shot struck 15-year-old Warren Curtis Grant in the chest, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said. Grant was dragged out of the bathroom by other students and the suspect fled school grounds.

School personnel and students tended to Grant before county medics transferred him to Maryland State Police medics who then airlifted him to Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital, where he later died.

Authorities from several agencies secured the school and surrounding areas while searching for additional victims as those who sheltered in place were evacuated. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division began an investigation and identified a person believed to be the assailant, providing the information to law enforcement searching the surrounding neighborhoods.

At around 12:50 p.m., individuals contacted the Emergency Operations Center to report a suspicious person attempting to break into a house, according to the release. Deputies responded immediately, making an arrest without incident and taking the 16-year-old suspect into custody at 12:52 p.m.

Officials are investigating the events that led to the shooting and the relationship between the suspect and the victim, but it was indicated that the two, both of Edgewood, knew each other before the shooting, according to the release. It’s believed there aren’t any outstanding suspects or threats to the school and the community, the sheriff’s office said at the time of the release.

The suspect is being held in the Harford County Detention Center, according to the release, and is awaiting his initial appearance before a judicial officer.

Joppatowne High School Principal Melissa Williams described Grant as an “amazing young man” on Friday.

“Joppatowne is a loving and strong community who will without a doubt rally around our families, support one another and continue to support our community and our families,” Williams said.

Madai Gamaliel Amaya, 36, from Honduras was removed from the U.S. and reentered twice before his apprehension Aug. 29 in Montgomery Village, ICE said in a news release.

Amaya was arrested and charged with rape in the second degree by Montgomery County Police in January 2009, according to the release. In August that same year, the Circuit Court for Montgomery County convicted Amaya and sentenced him to 10 years in prison with three years of probation, later suspending two years and six months of his sentence.

ERO Baltimore lodged a detainer request with the Maryland Correctional Institute-Hagerstown in July 2010, ICE said, and the next month, ERO Baltimore served a final administrative removal order to Amaya.

Amaya was transferred to ERO Baltimore’s custody in 2013, and the agency removed him to Honduras, ICE said in the release. About three years later, U.S. Border Patrol officials apprehended Amaya near Hidalgo, Texas, issuing a notice of intent/decision to reinstate the prior removal order, ICE said.

In 2017, Amaya was convicted of unlawful entry after removal by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in McAllen and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, the release said. ERO Dallas took custody of Amaya in September 2018 and removed him to Honduras in November that year.

Amaya reentered the U.S. at an unknown date and location. He remains in ERO custody, the release said, after he was apprehended in August and received a notice of intent/decision to reinstate the prior removal order.

Amaya’s arrest marks ERO Baltimore’s 153 “noncitizen sex offender apprehension” in Maryland this fiscal year, the release said.

Maryland became a hotbed of political discourse about immigration after the death of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, in August 2023 and the arrest of a suspect from El Salvador. The debate between federal lawmakers in Maryland grew, with Republicans blaming President Joe Biden and Democrats noting Republicans rejected a bipartisan border security deal.

Warren Curtis Grant died in a hospital Friday afternoon after being shot during the dispute in a first-story bathroom, Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said at a Friday afternoon news conference. Police did not identify the suspect, a 16-year-old Joppatowne High student, noting they would release his name once he is formally charged as an adult, which Gahler said could be expected later Friday or Saturday morning.

Officers responded to the school at about 12:36 p.m. after the single shot struck the teenaged victim in the chest, Gahler said. The suspect fled the school grounds, and Grant was dragged out of the bathroom by other students. The wounded 15-year-old was tended to by school personnel, including a nurse, a resource officer and Principal Melissa Williams, before being airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in serious condition, Gahler said during another news conference earlier Friday afternoon.

Gahler said later that he was notified of the student’s death shortly after the initial news conference in the parking lot of Redner’s Warehouse Market. His family was notified at the hospital, he said.

The shooting took place shortly after a class change near the principal’s office, said Harford County Superintendent Sean Bulson.

In brief remarks following Gahler’s, Williams said her thoughts and prayers were with the family and friends of Grant, who she described as an “amazing young man,” as well as the school’s students and staff.

“Joppatowne is a loving and strong community who will without a doubt rally around our families, support one another and continue to support our community and our families,” she said.

The suspect was “quickly” apprehended after traveling a “short distance away to some houses,” and residents called the police, Gahler said, also noting that Friday was the suspect student’s first day attending school, despite Tuesday being the first day of classes for Harford County Public Schools.

Bulson remarked about the “sea of lights” from emergency responders that he saw after arriving after the shooting.

“Our hearts are breaking for the victim, and this victim’s family,” Bulson said, thanking first responders. “The circumstances are absolutely terrible, and this should not be happening in schools.”

Just two days before the shooting in Joppatowne, a 14-year-old student opened fire at a Georgia high school, killing two students and two teachers.

“We prepare for things like this, but it’s never the same as when it actually happens,” he said.

Parents with worried looks rushed through the grass to get to a reunification center at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church where students waited to get picked up. School staff in light purple shirts manned lines separated in alphabetical order, communicating by walkie-talkie and shouting out the names of different students.

People waited from the front door down to the parking lot of the church, many on the phone, some holding young children. Law enforcement officers stood by as the sun beat down and some people passed out water bottles.

As students came out, some were met with tears and big hugs. Others were on the phone.

Joppatowne High School shooting | PHOTOS

Daniel Cornitcher, a junior, said students had to wait in line to get into the church after leaving the school. He said some students were told to walk through the woods to get to the church.

The incident happened during the third lunch period, Cornitcher said. He decided to take his lunch in his classroom, which is near the cafeteria and the main exit, he said, but was instead rushed into an office.

While huddling together and hiding, Cornitcher said they were able to see about 20 to 30 sheriff and state trooper patrol cars arrive through a window.

Cornitcher said communication was unclear at first. Students weren’t aware of what was happening, he said, and initially thought it was a stabbing or “a really big fight.”

“We did see a lot of people run out,” Cornitcher said. Students scattered as others broke down from emotions in front of the school’s steps.

Closer to 1:13 p.m., the students were told to leave their belongings and “get out, get out,” Cornitcher said. He walked to the reunification area.

“I don’t believe everybody fully took it seriously until the rumors of it being a gun really got around,” Cornitcher said, noting that if communication was more clear, “we would have had a better shot at knowing what the safe move was to do.”

Afternoon traffic was snared by the shooting, with a series of roads closed as distraught parents made their way to the church and the school. Reunification is “one of the hardest parts of any significant issue like this,” Bulson said.

Mandy Mcready waited near Redner’s Market in the early afternoon for updates on when she could pick up her son, a tenth grader at Joppatowne High. The shooting took place “right outside his classroom,” she said.

“He’s very shaken up,” she said.

Jamie Myers said that she had received an email and a voicemail to pick up her son at the church, but she was unable to get to him quickly.

“We can’t get to them yet, it’s so frustrating for us and frustrating for them,” she said.

When the reunification process had mostly wrapped up at around 3 p.m., school staff walked back to a corner near the school, waiting for the OK to reenter, and later got approval to head to their cars. Sheriff’s deputies stood outside of the apartments across the street from the school as an officer led a search dog around one area.

Bulson said Friday afternoon that school officials had not decided on an exact approach for school on Monday, but noted that “a great deal of support,” including counseling will be available.

Some roads near the school were still closed later Friday afternoon as police continued to investigate the shooting, which had at that point, become a homicide. Gahler said that there was “overwhelming evidence” linking that 16-year-old suspect to the shooting, but police had not yet located a firearm and detectives had not determined what prompted the altercation.

The sheriff said investigators had not interviewed the suspect, bemoaning a state law requiring for juveniles to consult with an attorney about their rights before being interrogated by police.

“There are families of every other student at that school, and the parents of the shooter, who have a right to know why we all stand here today,” Gahler, a Republican, said.

The sheriff said the teenage suspect was known to police from prior interactions, later adding that the sheriff’s office had handled more than 10 “incidents” since 2022 where he had was listed as a victim, witness or suspect. He also said there was an “incident involving some Joppatowne High School students” on Thursday, but he had not heard the event was related.

Reporters Tony Roberts and Matt Hubbard contributed to this article.

In a text message sent to Dumbarton Middle School families, Principal Amanda Shanks said several staff members received an anonymous email with a threatening message directed toward the school. The school activated lockout protocol and contacted the Baltimore County Police Department, which responded to the school to conduct a building search.

All students and staff were safe, Shanks said, and the middle school would remain in a lockout until cleared by police. During a lockout, regular instruction continues and students and staff can move about the building, but no one is allowed to enter or leave the building without the permission of an administrator.

“I want you to be assured that the safety of our students is our top priority. I also want to thank BCoPD for their quick response and partnership,” the text message from Shanks read.

Police concluded their search of the building and investigation of the email and have identified a person they believe is responsible for sending the message, according to an update sent by Shanks. If the individual is determined to be a student at the middle school or in BCPS, they will receive consequences through the Student Handbook and possibly additional legal action, Shanks said. The middle school was cleared to lift the lockout.

“Please remind your child(ren) that threats of violence against the school will not be tolerated, even if those threats are made in a joking manner. It takes all of us working together and making good choices to ensure our school remains a safe and secure learning environment for all,” the update read.

Rodgers Forge Elementary School went on lockout at about 9:45 a.m. due to its proximity to the middle school, according to a letter from Principal Michele Rowland. Police determined the threat was not credible, the letter said, and the school was cleared to lift the lockout at 10:24 a.m.

On Thursday, federal authorities announced charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy against the six in what’s known as the “WhisperGate” campaign, expanding the indictment of one Russian civilian announced in June.

The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday adds to the charges against 22-year-old Amin Stigal, who allegedly conspired with five officers of Russian military intelligence agency Main Intelligence Directorate, of the General Staff, or GRU, to conduct cyber operations on systems in Ukraine and its allies — including the U.S.

Officials from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and the FBI Baltimore field office announced the indictment at a news conference Thursday, as several agencies continue working to thwart Russian cyber attacks. The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program has maintained a reward of up to $10 million for information on each individual in the case.

“The message is clear to the GRU and to the Russians, we are on to you. We penetrated your systems,” said Matt Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security.

On Jan. 13, 2022, a month before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the alleged hackers targeted computer systems of Ukrainian government entities for emergency services, agriculture, education and science agencies unrelated to the military defense sector. These WhisperGate attacks were conducted using services from an unknowing U.S. company.

“Seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public, the defendants also stole and leaked the personal data of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including by posting patient health information and other sensitive private data for sale online, and then taunting those victims,” Olsen said.

The same day, the alleged hackers displayed a message on compromised websites reading, “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.”

To “cover their tracks,” Olsen said, the alleged hackers then posed as criminals engaged in ransomware attacks. They left ransom notes, Olsen said, demanding Bitcoin payments to return the victim’s data, knowing that the data and computers had already been destroyed.

“Through strokes on a keyboard, these criminals crossed over borders into countries hunting to find weaknesses and seeking to harm,” said Bill DelBagno, special agent in charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “The WhisperGate malware attack in January of 2022 could be considered the first shot of the war.”

The military officers, identified as Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Yuriy Denisov, Dmitriy Goloshubov and Nikolay Korchagin, are alleged members of Unit 29155 of GRU, and the indictment alleges that their cyber operations began around 2020. They scanned the computer systems of 26 NATO countries seeking to find vulnerabilities or ways to gain access and hacked transportation infrastructure for a Central European country that offered aid to Ukraine, the indictment alleges.

A U.S. government agency based in Maryland was among the systems probed by the alleged hackers, getting scanned 63 times. Authorities did not name the agency impacted by the hackers.

According to DelBagno, the alleged hackers also illegally accessed bank accounts in the U.S., committing fraud. However, DelBagno said he does not have reason to believe the average American citizen was affected by the cyber attacks.

The public deserves to know about the threats caused by cybercriminals, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek Barron said, and cyber criminals should know their actions will not be ignored.

The FBI, government partners and other countries are launching a joint cyber security advisory to detail how cyberattacks are conducted, and how they can be prevented, DelBagno said, and Interpol will partner in bringing the indictment “to fruition.”

The indictment sends a message to the alleged hackers, but the erasure of Ukrainian’s data is also a reminder of the vigilance required to protect valuable information of individuals and companies from cyber attacks, DelBagno said.

“That’s why this is important for all of us to include, from Maryland to Americans across the U.S. to our NATO allies, to understand that these vulnerabilities need to be protected and that the potential of your personal information is the job of the FBI and our partners to help protect that,” DelBagno said.

After reviewing the draft literacy plans focusing on K-5 for each of the 24 school systems under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future implementation plans, MILE visited schools to assess their literacy implementation.

Schools submitted plans for the secondary grades, with pre-K-12 plans a few months later. MILE, a joint institution between the University of Maryland and Morgan State University, plans to review the revised versions by the end of September.

“All 24 of our LEAs (local education agency) of our districts, the leadership is working hard, these individuals are working tirelessly. I feel that they are not sleeping at all but they are really working hard on this initiative,” Donald Bolger, director of MILE, said in the meeting.

The Maryland State Department of Education approved the literacy plans of all 24 education agencies, and State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright sent a recommendation that the AIB do the same.

Within its review, MILE found a lack of teacher preparation, misperceptions around the science of reading concept and a lack of engagement for secondary grades with evidence-based teaching practices, among other findings.

All of the local school systems provided training on the science of reading and evidence-based teaching practices, which refers to a method meant to effectively teach reading based on scientific evidence about how children learn.

In January, Wright introduced a resolution requiring Maryland districts to teach reading through the science of reading approach, something she focused on in Mississippi, where she had success in raising the fourth-grade literacy level as the former superintendent. For the 2023-2024 school year, 48.4% of Maryland students were proficient in English language arts, up from 47.9% the previous year, according to MSDE.

However, there are misperceptions or simplifications of foundational literacy skills and culturally responsive practices, Bolger said. Often, people think the science of reading is only about phonics, Bolger noted, but really the process is using evidence-based practices, including comprehension, expression and other skills.

There has been inconsistent access to training regarding the science of reading between grades three through five or ESOL, Bolger said, as most efforts have been focused on kindergarten through third grade, rather than intermediate or secondary grades. New teachers were also found to be “ill-prepared” to teach literacy, Bolger said.

Recommendations for training include engaging with institutions of higher education for how they instruct teacher candidates and a statewide approach to science of reading training. It was also recommended training occur during contracted hours and opportunities for professional development including writing, comprehension and vocabulary skills for intermediate students.

Personnel, like literacy specialists and coaches, are also an important aspect to moving literacy forward, Bolger said.

Other recommendations centered on support for teachers to gain a deeper understanding of the science of reading and the curriculum, using data to differentiate lesson plans depending on the student and including writing instruction in science of reading training.

“It’s important that teachers not only understand the why of how children learn to read, we talked about the science of reading or the science of learning, but they also need a depth of knowledge about the curriculum that they are presenting to students,” said Simone Gibson, director of MILE at Morgan State University.

Culture and engagement with the community is an area “in need of a lot of love and support,” Gibson said. Title I schools were taking part in a lot of the work in this area, Gibson said, and it is an opportunity to learn how they get engagement and buy-in from families for literacy efforts.

“These school systems are rolling. Even the ones that are just rolling it out this year, for instance, they are fully and wholly committed,” Gibson said. “I have no doubt that you’re going to see some change.”

Friday was mostly cloudy during the day and reached a high near 80. Temperatures cooled off into the low 70s and mid-60s through the night.

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A cold front made its way across the region Saturday, bringing some showers in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The sun is forecast to come back out Sunday, with a high near 75 and an evening low around 57.

Monday will be sunny with temperatures warming to a high around 81, dropping into the 60s at night.

Dry and sunny conditions are expected to remain next week with temperature highs in the upper 80s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

More than 200 Baltimore housekeepers, front desk agents, dishwashers, cooks, servers, bellmen, bartenders and other unionized workers at the Hilton voted with 97% in favor on Aug. 9 to let their contract expire and authorize a strike.

The union is calling for fair wages that close the gap with nearby cities, and protections like hiring temporary workers for full-time positions that could turn into careers in hospitality.

At a membership meeting Saturday, people were making signs, preparing strike benefit cards and testing out a potential music playlist for the strike, said Tracy Lingo, president of UNITE HERE Local 7, the union representing the hotel workers. Workers are determined to go on strike if needed to “be able to win the benefits that we need,” Lingo said.

“There’s a lot of workers at the Hilton who have been there since it opened, so that’s 14 or 15 years, really dedicated workers who welcome people to our city all the time,” Lingo said. “And I think people really are determined that they want to make sure that we’re treated with dignity and respect.”

UNITE HERE Local 7 represents about 2,000 hospitality workers in hotels, stadiums, food service and casinos, such as Horseshoe Casino and Ocean Downs Casino, as well as food service workers in universities, according to Lingo. Over 40,000 workers with the UNITE HERE union are renegotiating contracts this year across the U.S. and Canada. UNITE HERE Local 7 also represents workers at the Hyatt Regency downtown, who are currently bargaining.

The contract with Hilton expired Thursday as an agreement has yet to be reached between the union workers and the company. The groups bargained this week, but Lingo said while there was movement, there are still obstacles in ensuring Baltimore won’t fall behind.

The city has invested a lot in the hospitality industry, Lingo said, but wages are falling behind other unionized hospitality workers on the East Coast and in neighboring cities Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

After conducting a contract survey, 97% of housekeepers said they had trouble paying their rent or mortgage at least once in the past year, Lingo said. Over 60% said they use public benefits, which include state and federal programs.

“What we’re saying, especially in a property that’s owned by the city, it’s just not acceptable for the wages to be so low that people are qualifying for food stamps,” Lingo said. “Why are we subsidizing these giant corporations like Hilton and paying for them out of our tax dollars instead of actually having workers have a dignified salary?”

Hotels have also been cutting back services and staff since the coronavirus pandemic, leading to increased workloads and temporary employees who are not being hired permanently, Lingo said.

Even though the union is asking to close the gap in wages with nearby cities, not to fully erase the gap, Lingo said companies have “just been saying it’s more money than they can afford in Baltimore.”

The wages the union seeks aren’t outrageous, Lingo said, and are “actually kind of a minimal amount” for people to pay their bills.

A Hilton spokesperson previously pointed to successful negotiations in a statement released after the Aug. 9 vote. In a statement sent to The Baltimore Sun on Saturday, a Hilton spokesperson said the company remains committed to reaching an agreement.

“Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor makes every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with Unite Here Local 7 that represents some of our Team Members. We respect the union and Team Members’ right to express their points of view and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued Team Members and to our hotel,” the spokesperson wrote.

The next bargaining date with the company is set for Thursday, Lingo said, as negotiations have been ongoing since November.

“I think particularly for workers who live so close to the poverty line, it is a really difficult decision to go on strike, and I am really proud of our members for making that decision, and inspired by their strength and their resolve,” Lingo said. “I’m really inspired how often it comes up in these discussions that this fight is not just about us, but about the kind of legacy of jobs that we want to leave for the next generation of workers.”