Inmate In Correction Officer’s Slaying Eligible For Death Penalty. A jury has determined that an inmate convicted of killing a corrections officer is eligible for the death penalty.Lee Stephens was found guilty last week in the stabbing death of Cpl. David McGuinn in 2006.This marks the first case involving the death penalty since Maryland’s law changed.It now reserves the death sentence to those convicted of murder with biological evidence or a videotaped confession.
Several Private Colleges Cut Tuition. At least six private colleges in the U.S. are reducing tuition costs for the upcoming school year.School officials said by lowering the cost of higher education, they hope to attract more students from middle-income families.The six colleges are Cabrini College near Philadelphia, which is cutting tuition by 12.5 percent; Lincoln College in Illinois, which is cutting tuition by 24 percent; and West Virginia’s University of Charleston, which is making a 22 percent cut.
MD Housing Market Drops, But Not For Long. A new report on the status of the Baltimore-area housing market shows a drop in sales and inventory in January, but things may be turning around partially due to the government’s recent foreclosure settlement with the nation’s five biggest banks.Mortgage lenders are starting to loosen their restrictions on loans because of it.Numbers just released from the Metropolitan Regional Information System show January sales dropped nearly 5 percent from January 2011. Marylander Realtor Genie Schwind said that could be because of the homebuyers’ credit that was offered by the government.
Grade School Reverses Ban On Valentines. Paper hearts are welcome again at a Frederick County elementary school after parents protested a ban on Valentine’s Day cards.Walkersville Elementary School Assistant Principal Diana Sargeant said Monday that students can exchange valentines as long as no food or candy is attached.She said those who choose to bring valentines must have one for every student in the classroom.School officials dropped the Valentine’s Day celebration last year to avoid what Principal Stephanie Brown called “inappropriate interactions between boys and girls.”
