Count ’em up

The sunny-not-humid streak continues today, with highs in the upper 80s. It stays sunny over the weekend, but mugginess creeps in, with highs in the low 90s.

cityhall

With primaries about eight months away, plenty of people are hoping that more candidates get in the race for mayor, besides current mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and former mayor Sheila Dixon. City council members Carl Stokes, Nick Mosby, and Brandon Scott are said to be considering runs, as is state Sen. Catherine Pugh. A Facebook group with over 2500 members favors state delegate Jill Carter. Behind closed doors, some local business leaders have been meeting to discuss alternative candidates they could support.

murder

Late last night, three men were shot to death near Guilford Elementary School in North Baltimore. Police patrolling nearby came across the scene after hearing gunshots. This brings the city to 16 homicides in August, following a record 45 in July and a continuing surge of violence since April’s unrest.

city

After police in riot gear shut down a weekly dirt bike gathering near Druid Hill Park, the mayor says her team is reaching out to dirt bikers. Rawlings-Blake believes something needs to be done about dirt bikes in the city, but is unsure of proposals to build a dirt bike park or to close of a section of mostly-empty Route 40 on Sundays would work.

Rawlings-Blake: “The challenge of a dirt-bike park is there are no guarantees that if you build this park, they will come.”

development

Corporate Office Properties Trust announced development plans for its 10 acres of land along the Canton waterfront. The proposed billion dollar project includes 13 buildings, featuring an apartment tower, hotel, over a million square feet of office space, and a marina. Construction could begin as early as next year, but COPT will require a string of approvals from the city – the proposed development goes against previous land use agreements (restricting building size, residential space, etc) for the property.

calendar

Blues, beer, and Back to the Future II on an outdoor screen in Baltimore magazine’s weekend lineup. More options, like free outdoor fitness classes, food trucks, plenty of concerts, and an Italian Festival in SouthBmore.com’s city-wide weekend event listings.