Meghan Curtis – Baltimore Sun

FOX45: Suspended BPD officer stripped of volunteer firefight status in Harford County

Meghan Curtis — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 22:43:00 +0000

Suspended Baltimore Police officer Robert A. Parks is no longer an active volunteer with the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company in Harford County, company President John Cooney confirmed to FOX45 on Saturday.

Parks, who has been on the force since 2020, was suspended and placed on administrative duty by the Baltimore Police Department on Wednesday after a viral video showed him attempting to run over a man with his police cruiser.

The incident happened Tuesday evening on Wylie Avenue near Park Heights Avenue.

“[Parks’] membership status was changed to inactive as of Oct. 1,” Cooney said in an email.

Have a news tip? Contact Meghan Curtis at mcurtis@sbgtv.com.

FOX45: Baltimore schools CEO Sonja Santelises named Maryland Superintendent of the Year

Meghan Curtis — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 02:14:44 +0000

Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, has been named the 2026 Maryland Superintendent of the Year, the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland announced Thursday.

Each year, the award is given to a Maryland superintendent who demonstrates “excellence in educational leadership, communication, professionalism and community involvement,” the district said in a news release.

“Being chosen by my peers for this recognition is both humbling and inspiring,” Santelises said in the release. “It reflects the collective work of our students, educators, families and community partners who believe in what is possible for Baltimore’s young people. This honor belongs to them as much as it does to me.”

Board Chair Robert Salley said Santelises’ selection “embodies our district’s belief in high expectations, hard work and the limitless potential of our students.”

“This honor recognizes not just her excellence, but the collective strength of a community committed to helping every child thrive. We could not be more proud of our CEO,” Salley said.

Since becoming CEO in 2016, Santelises has guided Baltimore City Public Schools through a period of academic reform and investment, emphasizing literacy, equity and access to rigorous coursework.

District achievements under Santelises’ leadership:

On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, literacy proficiency in English language arts has grown more than 13.6 percentage points since 2015-16, outpacing the statewide gain of 8.9 points.
The district has nearly doubled the number of fine arts teachers, from 174 in 2017-18 to 328 in 2025-26, and implemented the community schools model at all 154 campuses.
City Schools students have shown the second-largest reading growth nationally since 2022 among large urban districts and are one of only five performing better in reading than before the pandemic.
The number of schools without air conditioning has been reduced from 75 in 2016 to zero in 2025, alongside construction on more than 30 new schools.
On the Maryland Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, the share of students demonstrating readiness in pre-K and kindergarten improved 16 percentage points between 2021-22 and 2023-24, nearly four times the statewide rate.

The district achieved a 100% increase in students taking Advanced Placement coursework and a 300% increase in students earning qualifying scores on AP exams, according to City Schools.

Have a news tip? Contact Meghan Curtis at mcurtis@sbgtv.com.

FOX45: Carmelo Anthony visits Baltimore students at ‘House of Melo’ exhibit

Meghan Curtis — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 23:40:52 +0000

Carmelo Anthony joined Harlem Park Elementary School students and staff in visiting the "House of Melo:Where Tomorrows Are Promised" on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles)

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Carmelo Anthony joined Harlem Park Elementary School students and staff in visiting the "House of Melo:Where Tomorrows Are Promised" on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles)

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Baltimore native and 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony joined students and staff from Harlem Park Elementary School on Friday in visiting the “House of Melo: Where Tomorrows Are Promised,” an interactive experience located at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Central location.

The trip was made possible through the Baltimore Orioles’ Adopt-A-School program, announced in April 2024, and is “grounded in the belief that unwavering support and impactful opportunities can play a pivotal role in accelerating student and school success.”

“House of Melo” celebrates the life and legacy of the basketball star throughout his childhood in Charm City and his NBA career, according to the Orioles.

Anthony also met with students, took photos and signed copies of his book “Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised: A Memoir of Survival and Hope.”

A ribbon-cutting and block party for the exhibit was held on Saturday at the Central Library on Cathedral Street.

For more information on “House of Melo: Where Tomorrows Are Promised,” click here.

Have a news tip? Contact Meghan Curtis at mcurtis@sbgtv.com.

FOX45: PSEG submits motion to ban Marylanders from hunting on their own property during surveys

Meghan Curtis — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:05:10 +0000

Public Service Enterprise Group, the developer of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, filed a motion Friday to prevent landowners from hunting on their own property while PSEG conducts survey work, according to court documents.

The documents say, “PSEG respectfully submits that the statements of two property owners suggesting that they intend to engage in, or permit, hunting on their properties during days for which PSEG has given notice that it intends to conduct surveys, raises significant concerns about the safety of PSEG surveyors.”

The motion follows PSEG’s third lawsuit in the transmission project saga this month, in which the company argued that some landowners “have refused permission” for developers to enter their property to conduct surveys. The case affects 64 landowners: 13 in Baltimore County, 22 in Carroll County, and 29 in Frederick County.

In the previous two lawsuits, a federal court granted PSEG access to private property for land and environmental surveys deemed necessary in the state approval process for the project.

Maryland residents and officials have long opposed the project, arguing it will primarily benefit Virginia data centers while Marylanders bear the cost. Residents have also raised concerns about the transmission line affecting their farmland, homes, and livelihoods.

“A $40 billion New Jersey company that hasn’t even been approved to build in Maryland is trampling our rights — first our Fifth Amendment right to private property, and now our Second Amendment traditions of hunting and self-reliance,” Joanne Frederick, President of Stop MPRP, Inc., said in a statement to FOX45.

Have a news tip? Contact Meghan Curtis at mcurtis@sbgtv.com.

FOX45: Baltimore City DPW employee injured after falling off sanitation truck

Meghan Curtis — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 02:10:58 +0000

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works is investigating after one of its employees fell from a city sanitation truck Friday.

Officials said the truck was traveling near the 1600 block of Pentwood Road when it drove over a speed bump, causing two solid waste employees to lose their balance.

One employee regained footing on the truck, while the other fell to the ground and was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital for evaluation, according to DPW.

“The safety and well-being of our staff remain the highest priority for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works,” the agency said in a statement to FOX45. “The incident is currently under internal review in accordance with city safety protocols. No further details are available at this time.”

The employee’s condition was not immediately known.

The incident comes as the department continues investigating the death of DPW employee Timothy Cartwell, who died on the job in November 2024. Cartwell’s death occurred three months after DPW worker Ronald Silver II died on the job from overheating.

FOX45: Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office’s new eviction laws in effect

Meghan Curtis — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:37:22 +0000

The Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public this week of new requirements for evictions, mostly impacting landlords, that are now required by law.

Eviction orders require a landlord to post notice 14 days in advance of the sheriff’s office being allowed to perform the eviction, according to the new language in state code.

The Baltimore City Sheriff's Office oversees evictions. (Baltimore City Sheriff's Office photo)

The eviction order would be for a failure to pay rent, tenant holding over or breach of lease judgment.

Wrongful detainers, including squatter cases, are not impacted by the law change.

Every Maryland landlord is required to give the following notice to their tenant: “You could lose all your personal belongings left inside your home when the eviction occurs. Local laws and practices about disposal of any of your personal belongings upon eviction vary. You may seek advice by calling 211 for a legal referral or by contacting the District Court Help Center at (insert the telephone number for the District Court Help Center) or (insert the address for the website of the District Court Help Center) to speak to an attorney.”

The Baltimore City Council is currently considering a bill that would address this issue in further detail.

Property owners/managers can find general information and updates by clicking here, or by calling 410-396-7412 or emailing evictions@baltimorecitysheriff.gov with specific questions related to a warrant of restitution case.

FOX45: Former Maryland Department of Labor contractor pleads guilty to accepting bribes, fraud

Meghan Curtis — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:02:44 +0000

A former Maryland Department of Labor contractor pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud in connection with a bribery scheme where she authorized more than $250,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Between June 2020 and approximately November 2021, Natonia Johnson, of Baltimore, allegedly executed a scheme to defraud the department and the United States. Johnson, 52, helped friends, family members and strangers with fraudulently filing and obtaining unemployment benefits they were not eligible to receive, according to investigators. This was done in exchange for bribes and kickback payments.

Unemployment insurance payments provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded eligibility and increased such benefits.

Initially, Johnson assisted individuals with uploading fraudulent documents in support of their unemployment claims. She then claimed the individuals were self-employed. Later, Johnson removed flags and holds on several co-conspirators’ unemployment insurance accounts that demonstrated they were ineligible to receive benefits.

In addition, Johnson is accused of backdating claims and removing fraud holds. Authorities said she received between $200 and $500 from each co-conspirator.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Her sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 6.