This checks out

Cooler and cloudy today, with highs in the low 80s and rain moving in this afternoon. More rain tomorrow.

police

The company tasked with performing psychological evaluations for new Baltimore Police officers is under investigation for not really doing them. Psychology Consultants Associated, based in Lutherville, is accused of half-assing psych evaluations for prospective officers, completing screenings in 15-20 minutes instead of the hour required by their $730,000 contract with the city. Experts say it’s impossible to do an evaluation for a police recruit that quickly, potentially placing psychologically-unfit officers on the force. What could possibly go wrong?

PCA is also a contractor for BPD’s other, ongoing psych needs: traumatic incidents, violent tendencies, domestic problems, alcoholism. The city has not dropped the contract, pending the investigation. PCA also contracts with Baltimore schools police, Maryland State Police and other agencies around the state. The company denies everything.

city

A five-foot python got swept up by the Inner Harbor garbage-collecting Water Wheel following Wednesday’s overnight storm. The non-native, tweeting snake was likely a pet that escaped or was abandoned. A curator from the nearby National Aquarium helped rescue the snake (he’s giving it to his niece).

business

Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino raked in $24.3 million in July.That’s a little better than June, and millions better than May, when the fledgling casino’s revenues slumped following unrest in the city and a week-long curfew. The casino is still way off initial revenue promises of over $30 million a month – making less money available for schools and neighborhood improvements.

tech

Entrepreneur magazine named Baltimore one of the nine hottest startup cities (that aren’t San Francisco or New York).The list cites Baltimore’s edge for education companies like Laureate Education and Citelighter, plus the influence of Johns Hopkins.

orioles

Wrap it up: with a Chris Davis grand slam in the 10th, the Orioles took down Oakland, 7-3, yesterday.