The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:
STANFORD IN STAFFORD!
Accused of cheating investors out of $8 billion, Texas financier R. Allen Stanford could've been anywhere when he dropped out of sight earlier this week. He has extensive business ties in Latin America and the West Indies, and dual citizenship in the United States and the Virgin Islands. He was even knighted in Antigua and Barbuda, where he resides and is better known as Sir Allen. So where does a guy with those kinds of connections go to get away from it all? Apparently, Stafford County. That's where FBI agents from Richmond caught up with him yesterday after officials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asked for help tracking him down, according to FBI spokesman Richard Kolko. (Free Lance-Star)
BALTIMORE'S LARGEST DRUG BUST
Baltimore police announced that they made the biggest cocaine seizure in the city's history — nearly 91 pounds of the drug worth between $2 million and $3 million — early today. (Baltimore Sun)
REVERSE 9-1-1
In response to a series of daytime residential burglaries recently in Waldorf, the Charles County Sheriff's Office has activated its reverse 911 system, a program that enables the sheriff's office to leave voice-recorded messages about public safety issues on home and business phones within a targeted geographic location. The calls, which will reach about 24,000 homes by Friday, when the process is expected to finish, notify residences of the burglaries and encourage them to be cautious and make an extra effort to ensure doors and windows are locked. The recording asks citizens to call the sheriff's office if they observe suspicious activity. (The Independent)
PROPERTY TAX INCREASE ON HOLD
Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) backed off from his call Thursday to raise the Homestead Property Tax Credit in the General Assembly as support among legislators continued to slip away. (Gazette)
SMILE FOR THE ARLINGTON COUNTY RED LIGHT CAMERAS
The Virginia Department of Transportation gave the county the OK to turn the red light cameras back on. Arlington is the first jurisdiction to receive VDOT approval, although Fairfax City also plans to have the cameras. (WTOP.com)
THIN SALES FOR THIN MINTS!
Sales are a little thin for mint and other Girl Scout cookies so far this year. National numbers are not yet in, but regional Girl Scout councils nationwide are seeing the impact of the down economy, as well as bad winter weather, in declines as large as 19 percent in pre-order sales, which took place January through early February. Pre-order sales -- mostly door-to-door and workplace -- make up about 70 percent of cookie sales, council leaders say. Councils are hopeful they will make up for the drop-off with sales at shopping center booths through early spring, says Michelle Tompkins, spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Among the councils reporting declines: Nation's Capital Council, in northern Virginia, Washington and parts of Maryland, sees 5 percent fewer pre-sales, down to 3.7 million boxes, says public relations and marketing director Nancy Wood. (USA Today)
RECESSION TAKING A BITE OUT OF RESTAURANTS
Bill Christopher, owner of Portside Seafood Restaurant, has laid off a daytime cook, cut back on the hours of his other part-time employees and is looking at adding new specials to lure cash-strapped customers. While business at his Cambridge restaurant was down about 6 percent last year from 2007, other restaurants in Dorchester County are facing even tougher times. Restaurant revenues were down $79 million across the state in 2008 from 2007, but nowhere did they fall as much as in Dorchester. (Gazette)
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
LICE REMOVAL SERVICE OPENS
A lot of new businesses try to capitalize on the so-called "it" factor. Annapolis neighbors M.J. Eckert and Nancy Fields hope to cash in on the "ick" factor - and if everything goes right, they never want return customers. Referrals, however, are another matter. (The Capital)
FISHING LINE RECYCLING IN FAIRFAX
The Fairfax County Park Authority is launching a monofilament fishing line recycling program at local waterfront parks. The recycling effort is part of a statewide program started by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Marine Resources Commission. (Sun Gazette)
