Arundel Digest

Army officer found not guilty

FORT MEADE - An Army officer from Odenton was found not guilty of several sex crimes late Friday night, military officials said.

Capt. Michael A. Parks, 28, had been accused of trying to force sex on a woman in a hotel room following a wedding at West Point a year ago.

Following a two-day court martial at Fort George G. Meade, an eight-member panel - the equivalent of a civilian jury - found Capt. Parks not guilty on all counts, said Mary Doyle, a post spokesman. The verdict came in at about 9:30 p.m.

Capt. Parks maintained that he had no sexual contact with the woman. His defense lawyer said the accuser may have been delusional because she drank alcohol and took pain medication. He also highlighted inconsistencies in witness testimony.

Capt. Parks, who faced up to eight years in prison, will now be able to return to work. He was not being held in custody, Ms. Doyle said.

Woman injured in bedroom fire

GLEN BURNIE - A 53-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation after a fire in her home yesterday morning, fire officials said.

Either a cigarette or candle sparked a fire a bedroom in a home in the 100 block of Highland Road in the Marley neighborhood at about 11 a.m., said Capt. Debbie Bowen, a Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters responding to the scene found heavy fire burning through the roof of the split-foyer home. Thirty-four firefighters brought the blaze under control at about 11:30 a.m., Capt. Bowen said.

There were no working smoke detectors near the bedrooms of the home, only one in the kitchen, Capt. Bowen said. Because of the lack of smoke detectors, there was a delay before residents were alerted to the fire by the kitchen smoke detector, Capt. Bowen said.

The incident was further worsened when the resident tried to put the fire out with cups of water, Capt. Bowen said. Several neighbors called 911 and one tried to break through the front door to see if anyone was inside.

The woman was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie for treatment of minor smoke inhalation. A man was unharmed.

The fire caused $60,000 in damage to the home and $25,000 to the belongings. The fire was contained to a bedroom, but there was smoke and water damage throughout the house, Capt. Bowen said.

State auctions off more carbon credits

Maryland and nine other Northeast states took part in the second auction of carbon dioxide credits last week.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initative auctioned off more than 31.5 million carbon dioxide emissions allowances at $3.38 each.

Starting in 2009, companies in the 10 states that emit carbon dioxide - such as power plants - will have caps on their carbon emissions and must buy allowances equal to their emissions. Companies that go over their limit must buy allowances from other companies or investors that own credits. Each allowance represents one ton of carbon dioxide.

The auction raised $106.5 million that will be split among the 10 states in RGGI. In Maryland, the money is used to promote energy efficiency and clean energy.

The first RGGI auction in September sold 12.5 million allowances at $3.07 each. Maryland received $16.3 million for energy programs from that first auction. The next auction is scheduled for March.

- From staff reports