Key Bridge collapse has impact on Port of Baltimore, cruises

The Maryland Port Administration announced on Tuesday the suspension of vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore until further notice. The port is not shut down and it’s still processing trucks inside of the terminals.

As far as cruises go, Carnival Cruise Line sent a statement to 11 News, saying it will temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia. Carnival Legend was scheduled to return to Baltimore from its current voyage on Sunday. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided free bus service to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President (Joe) Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

WBAL-TV 11 News has also reached out to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and will update this article when a response is received. Royal Caribbean has a sailing scheduled to leave Baltimore in April.

The Cruise Lines International Association’s statement follows: “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted. We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind — to save lives. We are closely following this situation. Right now, the most important thing to do is to allow the emergency workers to do their work.”

Based on published itineraries, there are 12 ships making 115 ship calls in 2024. Baltimore is the 29th largest cruise port in the U.S. with 378,000 passengers scheduled to move through the port.

The Baltimore Water Taxi released a statement, saying its service continues in the harbor: “Today, the entire Baltimore Water Taxi team is thinking of all those impacted by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse – families and friends of loved ones who are missing and the first responders at the scene working under dangerous conditions. Baltimore is a tough, brave community. Together, we will come out of this tragedy even stronger.

“At this time, the Harbor Connector continues to provide public transit. We will alert the public if any impacts to our operations develop.”

Baltimore Police Commissioner Worley talks Key Bridge collapse

A container ship lost power and rammed into the Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, plunging a construction crew and several vehicles into the dangerously cold waters.

Rescuers pulled out two people, but six others are missing. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley told C4 and Bryan Nehman shortly after the accident that he “think this was purely an accident” and that an investigation will continue ” to make sure there was no terrorism. But we wanted to rule that out pretty quick.”

Synergy Marine, which operated the ship that hit the bridge, and the ship’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, have been sued at least four times in U.S. federal court on allegations of negligence and other claims tied to worker injuries on other ships owned and operated by the Singapore-based companies.

The most recent federal data shows the bridge was rated as being in fair condition overall before the crash.

“We got a ship that’s got an international flag, so there’s a lot of different rules as far as boarding the ship and going aboard the ship,” Worley said. “Even, this morning, we had to go through international rules for the waterways; and we got the Coast Guard.”

The bridge cuts across three jurisdictions: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County and part of Baltimore,  and it includes the waterway with the Coast Guard.

“We also have our partners from Howard County, PG County, all the other counties and federal agencies that sent dive teams,” Worley said.

Man suspected of killing 3 people in Philadelphia area arrested in New Jersey

A man suspected of fatally shooting three family members in their Philadelphia-area homes Saturday was arrested in New Jersey after evading law enforcement for hours as police mobilized across two states, shutting down a parade and an amusement park and ordering some residents to stay in their homes. Steve Wilson, police director for the city of Trenton, New Jersey, said the man was arrested near a house where officers had believed he was barricaded inside. He apparently left the home before the police cordon was erected,

Wilson said. Wilson added that he did not believe the suspect was armed at the time. The suspect was identified earlier as 26-year-old Andre Gordon Jr. Authorities said they believe he killed his stepmother, his teenage sister and the mother of his children in shootings at two homes in eastern Pennsylvania’s Falls Township in the morning, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. His children’s grandmother was injured when she was bludgeoned with a rifle.

Squeegee workers in Baltimore arrested after allegedly stealing money via CashApp

Baltimore police said three suspects are in custody after allegedly stealing money via CashApp at an intersection. Police said that on Thursday at around 6 p.m., officers were monitoring cameras at Dundalk and Holabird avenues when they saw multiple squeegee workers. One person, later identified as Dedric Colvin, 21, was seen reaching into the car and taking the driver’s cellphone. Two other people, Savionne Colvin, 23, and a 19-year-old, were seen repeatedly cleaning the windshield as a distraction. Officers responded to the scene. The driver reported noticing several CashApp transactions totaling $550, which were allegedly taken by the suspects. Police said all three suspects were taken to Central Booking. According to police, another driver told officers the same suspects had taken over $2,000 from their CashApp account.

All three suspects were charged.

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh discharged early from supervised release

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh was discharged early from supervised release. A federal judge found Pugh had complied with all the rules and regulations, which is why she recommended the end to her supervision. Pugh was federally indicted in 2019 and ultimately entered a guilty plea to four of the 11 federal charges filed against her — fraud and tax evasion — after she failed to disclose a business interest related to her “Healthy Holly” children’s books. She was sentenced to three years in prison in February 2020.

In 2022, Pugh was released from prison early and had been under supervision since April 2022.

3 dead, 1 critically injured in Falls Township shooting

Police sources described the shootings as domestic-related incidents. Falls Township police said the shootings happened at two separate locations in Levittown, on Edgewood Lane and Viewpoint Lane. SWAT teams were surrounding a home where 26-year-old Andre Gordon was believed to be hiding. It was not clear how many hostages were in the home.

A man barricaded himself in a home in Trenton, New Jersey, after killing three people in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, Saturday morning, according to local officials. The suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Andre Gordon, allegedly killed three people at two different homes in Pennsylvania before carjacking a driver and heading for New Jersey. In Trenton, he barricaded himself in a home. The residents of the home have been safely evacuated, according to New Jersey police.

The Saturday morning shooting in Falls Township in eastern Pennsylvania forced the cancellation of a St. Patrick’s Day parade and shut down a children’s theme park. Authorities in Bucks County issued a shelter-in-place order for the area for several hours, but it was canceled by early afternoon.

Police said the suspect, a 26-year-old man who was currently homeless, knew the shooting victims.

Falls Township police said in a statement that the shootings occurred at two locations in the township. The suspect then carjacked a vehicle and drove to Trenton, New Jersey, where he barricaded himself in a home with hostages.

Middletown Township police said the suspect has ties to addresses in Bucks and Trenton and “stays in Trenton primarily.”

Shaun Murphy, who lives in the Falls Township community of Levittown, said he was headed to the parade when he saw that the road had been blocked.

“All the neighbors were outside wondering what was going on and then we got the notice about shelter in place,” Murphy said.

“I did see ambulances coming up the street earlier without their sirens on,” Murphy said. “My neighbors were just outside with me last night, and we were just saying how great of a town and how great of a neighborhood it is.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in social media posts that he has asked the Pennsylvania State Police to assist local law enforcement agencies.

Police said Oxford Valley Mall and Sesame Place had been told to close until further notice, and the area’s Target store and other businesses chose to close as well.

Mayor Scott announces indictments of 12 alleged drug traffickers in Southwest Baltimore crackdown

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was joined by the police commissioner and other city officials on Thursday, March 14 to announce the indictments of 12 individuals allegedly associated with a drug trafficking organization (DTO.)

The activity took place in the southwest Baltimore neighborhood of Irvington. It was reported that the suspects were operating out of the 200 block of Collins Avenue and the 4100 block of Frederick Avenue. A four-month-long investigation that began in November, conducted by the State’s Attorney’s Office and Baltimore Police Department, led to 10 search warrants on a DTO. Detectives recovered nine firearms, 38 grams of suspected fentanyl mixture, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 256 grams of suspected heroin, and approximately 69 grams of suspected cocaine.

“GVRS’s core mission is to provide a choice to those responsible for driving violence in our city and inflicting harm upon our communities — take a pathway out of the life with our help or ultimately be removed from our streets and held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Scott said in a news release.

“We always want them to take the first option, but when we’ve exhausted efforts to make that happen, they must be held accountable. I want to thank the State’s Attorney’s Office’s Major Investigations Unit and BPD’s Group Violence Unit for their diligence in holding these group members accountable.

Together, we are sending a unified message that those who violate our anti-violence mandate and continue to be involved in group violence will be held accountable.”

Those indicted included a juvenile, Parris Harris, 19, Mikel Wilson, 20, Leaniel Collins, 22, Jamie Kesler, 28, Joseph Barnes, 30, Matthew Bahr, 30, Domick Williams, 31, James Taylor, 31 ,Chris Tomlin, 32, and 35-year-olds Larry Spriggs and Kevin Williams.

“This latest operation illustrates that GVRS is working and shows what we can accomplish when we collaborate,” Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a news release. “As the drug overdose epidemic rages on in our neighborhoods, we must use every resource and strategy available to dismantle the drug trafficking organizations and put them out of business. Thanks to the tireless efforts of BPD’s GVU/Anti-Crime Unit, the State’s Attorney’s Office, The Mayor’s Office, MONSE, and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we were able to do that in this case. We must all continue to work together to reduce crime in our city and improve the quality of life for all.”

Electronic surveillance and undercover officers were used during the course of the investigation to gather evidence. Based on the information they gathered, detectives believe Joseph Barnes and Chris Tomlin were the alleged leaders of the organization.

The searches were conducted at the following locations:

  • 4100 block of Woodbridge Road
  • 4300 block of Eldone Road
  • 4300 block of Garrison Blvd
  • 600 block of Brisbane Road
  • 4500 block of Manorview Road
  • 4700 block of Amberly Avenue
  • 1600 block of Bluffdale Road (Baltimore County)
  • 200 block of Collins Avenue
  • 2500 block of Gatehouse Drive
  • 500 block of Parksley Avenue

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank to return as company’s CEO

Under Armour on Wednesday announced that Kevin Plank, founder of the company, would return as the chief executive officer.

Plank, 51, stepped down as Under Armour’s CEO in 2020 to become the company’s executive chairman and brand chief. Stephanie Linnartz, the current president and CEO will step down but remain an advisor to the company through April 30.

“On behalf of the full team, I want to thank Stephanie for her contributions to Under Armour. We deeply appreciate her hard work and dedication,” Plank said in a news release. “During her tenure, she strengthened the leadership team with executive hires in critical areas, including product, design, supply chain, consumer connectivity, and regional management. Her prior experience leading major brands was instrumental in focusing our consumer strategy, including the launch of the U.S. loyalty program, UA Rewards. Her efforts have helped set us on the right path, and we wish her success in her future endeavors.”

Plank started Under Armour in 1996 in his grandmother’s basement. It has since grown into a multibillion-dollar company.

In addition to Plank’s appointment, Mohamed A. El-Erian, an independent director since 2018 and lead director since 2020, will become the non-executive chair of the board.

Dollar Tree to close nearly 1,000 Family Dollar stores

Dollar Tree will close nearly 1,000 stores and swung to a surprise fourth quarter loss as the discount retailer took a related $1.07 billion goodwill impairment charge.⁠ ⁠ Shares tumbled 15% before the opening bell Wednesday.⁠ ⁠ Dollar Tree plans to close about 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of this year and 370 Family Dollar and 30 Dollar Tree stores over the next several years.⁠ ⁠ Dollar Tree acquired Family Dollar for more than $8 billion almost a decade ago after a bidding war with rival Dollar General, but it has had difficulty absorbing the chain.⁠ ⁠

Years of mismanagement and poor conditions in stores have hurt Family Dollar’s brand. Family Dollar, which is owned by Dollar Tree, was recently fined more than $40 million for a rat infestation at a warehouse that forced hundreds of stores to temporarily close. Decades-high inflation has hit shoppers hard, and a general consumer pullback has impacted Family Dollar customers and the chain’s profits, exacerbating its battle with discount competitors such as Dollar General, Walmart and others.

Associated Press

House passes bill that could ban TikTok

The House passed a bill that could ban TikTok in a 352-65 vote Thursday, putting the spotlight on the Senate on how to handle the controversial legislation that has support from President Biden. The legislation, dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was introduced March 5 by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Two days later, House members on the Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to approve the bill, which refers to TikTok as a threat to national security because it is controlled by a foreign adversary. The bill now heads to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future as senators appear divided about the legislation, and other federal and state-led efforts to ban TikTok have stalled.