Board Approves $49M To Buy Slot Machines. A Maryland board has approved buying 1,062 slot machines for the state’s first casino for $49 million. The Board of Public Works voted 2-1 on Wednesday to approve the contract to buy machines from six different vendors. The machines will be used at a casino in Cecil County, operated by Penn National Gaming. The casino, which would be off Interstate 95, is scheduled to open in October, but state lottery officials said it could open as early as late September.
Police: Man Holds Woman Hostage, Kills Self. An Anne Arundel County woman is recovering after police said she was held hostage by her estranged husband.It happened Tuesday in the 2000 block of Saint Stephens Woods Drive.Officials said that when police arrived, they found 47-year-old John James Dean sitting in a chair with a shotgun, holding his wife at bay.Police said Dean took his own life as officers forced their way inside.Dean’s wife said that he had doused the home with gasoline and threatened to burn it down.
Police: Girl, 12, Used For Prostitution. A Glen Burnie man is being held on $3 million bond and is charged with human trafficking after a 12-year-old girl was used for prostitution and was held against her will, police said.Derwin Samuel Smith, 42, is charged with human trafficking of a minor and prostitution, among other charges, Anne Arundel County Police said Wednesday morning.Investigators said the girl was found Monday night in a Laurel hotel room. She had been reported missing May 25, according to police.
Baltimore’s ESPN Zone To Close. Five ESPN Zone restaurants — including the one at downtown Baltimore’s Power Plant — will be closing.The Walt Disney Co. confirmed Wednesday it plans to close its ESPN Zone restaurants in Baltimore, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., saying the economics of the business were “very challenging.” About 140 employees at the Baltimore location will be affected. The business will close Tuesday.The company said the ESPN Zone restaurants in Los Angeles and Anaheim will remain open and operated by other companies.
