Region Digest

Charges placed in school sexual assault

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — Frederick police have placed charges against an adult and three juveniles in the sexual assault of a student at the Maryland School for the Deaf.

The four, all students at the school, have been charged with fourth-degree sex offense, second-degree assault and conspiracy.

Police identified the adult as 20-year-old Tyler Dilks of Whiteford. The others are all 17 years old. Two are from Baltimore and one is from Frederick.

Police said a male student was assaulted on Oct. 27 in one of the school's dormitories.

Greenbelt elects first black council member

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Greenbelt has elected its first black council member, a victory that followed expansion of the council amid complaints the Prince George's County town had not had minority representation in its 71-year-history.

Emmett V. Jordan was among the seven candidates elected to the seven-member council. All five white incumbents were re-elected Tuesday.

In other elections, Rockville voters ousted Mayor Susan R. Hoffman and replaced her with City Council member Phyllis R. Marcuccio. In Annapolis, Democratic Anne Arundel County Council member Joshua J. Cohen narrowly defeated Republican David H. Cordle Sr. for mayor.

State parks open on Thanksgiving, New Years Day

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland's state parks are closing to participate in the state's furloughs plans to help balance the budget.

But state parks will be open on Thanksgiving, Native American Appreciation Day and New Year's Day.

On the days before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve, parks will be closed. Christmas is a state holiday, so the parks will be closed.

Any reservations for campgrounds or cabins will be honored when the parks are closed. Law enforcement personnel tied to state parks will be working on holidays and furlough days.

Montgomery Co. traffic signal issues continue

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Montgomery County officials say despite efforts to fix its central traffic signal computer, the system is still not operating properly.

The computer that controls the automated system for 750 traffic lights began malfunctioning Wednesday, causing problems for commuters. Crews worked through the night to isolate the glitch, but officials say issues are expected to continue Thursday with many lights failing to go into rush hour mode.

In some cases, traffic engineers are manually adjusting lights. The county's Ride-On buses will be free all day Thursday.

The county is two years into a six-year, $35-million program to upgrade the computer system.

Man pleads guilty to stealing Ripken monument

BALTIMORE (AP) — One of four young men accused of stealing a monument to Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken has pleaded guilty to theft.

Baltimore prosecutors say 19-year-old Jason Stoneburner of Essex received a two-year suspended jail term Wednesday and was ordered to pay restitution to the Orioles. If he completes all the terms of his sentence, the conviction could be turned into probation before judgment, effectively wiping it off his record.

Three other defendants in the case have opted for jury trials, which are scheduled to begin Friday.

Police say the men ripped the 3 1/2-foot aluminum No. 8 from its base outside the Camden Yards ballpark on Sept. 9, then threw it into the back of a pickup truck. They were arrested about two hours later.

Pagans defendant due to enter guilty plea Thursday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man accused of conspiracy, drug and firearms crimes in a federal racketeering case targeting the Pagans Motorcycle Club is due to plead guilty.

Donnie Ray "Hoss" Workman is scheduled to enter the plea Thursday before U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston in Charleston.

Workman is the sixth defendant to agree to plead guilty in the case accusing Pagans members and associates from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida of murder conspiracy, kidnapping and other charges. Four have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate. Court records don't indicate whether Workman or another defendant scheduled to plead guilty next week are helping prosecutors.

Police: Off-duty Baltimore officer stabbed at bar

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore police say an off-duty officer has been stabbed in the neck and back during an altercation at a bar in unincorporated Baltimore County.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi (goo-lee-EHL'-mee) says it happened just after 2 a.m. Thursday, and the 42-year-old male officer then shot the suspect. He says both men were taken to the Shock Trauma Center, where the officer was in stable condition after surgery. No update was available on the suspect.

Guglielmi did not identify the suspect or the officer, who he said has been with the department since 1994 and was in a unit that targets violent crime.

Guglielmi said he had no information on what started the altercation. Baltimore County police say they are at the scene investigating.