//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js Baltimore’s farewell to local rap artist Tyriece Watson took a New Orleans flavor Friday; a somber funeral in the morning at the Empowerment Temple AME Church in Park Heights and an upbeat community repast in the afternoon at Pennsylvania Avenue and McMechen Street. But instead of jazz, the music was hip-hop. Watson, known as … Continue reading Baltimore celebrates Lor Scoota

Story originally posted on news.wypr.org on Feb. 25, 2016.   Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake often talks of her commitment to police reform. She says her background shows she’s "very meaningful" and "intentional" about "getting [it] right." But her record is a mixed bag of pushing her own ideas for reform and avoiding a definitive stance on a … Continue reading SRB’s Mixed Record on Police Reform

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Jan. 28, 2016. Some residents in East Baltimore did not heed the pleas from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to be patient as city crews work to clear streets after the biggest snow storm in city history. Individually or, in some cases, as a block, people shoveled their streets out. Mark Pash shoveled … Continue reading D.I.Y. Snow Removal In East Baltimore

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Jan. 8, 2016.   While 2016 is a new year, the public frustrations and political criticisms from 2015 that followed high profile police incidents - like the deaths of Freddie Gray locally and Sandra Bland in Texas – continue to plague officers.  Many of them are worrying over whether or not … Continue reading Cops Ask If They Can Do Their Job This Year

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Sept. 11, 2015. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced Friday she will not seek re-election in 2016; leveling the playing field for mayoral candidates.  Political observers said her decision will limit some of the clout she has while she’s still in office. The mayor said she thought about whether to pursue re-election … Continue reading Countdown Clock Begins On Rawlings-Blake Administration

Story originally posted at news.wypr.org on Aug 27, 2015. There are three options to pay for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s $136 million plan to overhaul aging city rec centers. But no matter which one city leaders choose, at least one economist says they should choose wisely. The mayor prefers her plan to sell four downtown parking garages, which … Continue reading Making Dollars And Sense Out Of City Rec Center Funding

In the span of 24 hours, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called for an end to homicides in the African-American community and supported holding police more accountable. At the same time, some criticized the mayor over her call to action and questioned how serious she is about police accountability. During her State of the City address … Continue reading The Mayor’s Juggling Act On Black Violence and Police Reform

The deaths of African-Americans Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Tyrone West in Baltimore in confrontations with police have rubbed raw emotions in the black community and again raised questions about trust, or lack of trust, African-Americans place in their police. The Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the Empowerment Temple AME Church in Northwest Baltimore, … Continue reading The Relationship Between Blacks And Cops: It’s Complicated