Recent stories by Lorraine Mirabella

7:46 PM EDT, June 13, 2013

Bank buys Inn at the Black Olive for $3.9 million

The Inn at the Black Olive, a boutique hotel in Fells Point, was sold at auction for $3.9 million Thursday to mortgage holder 1st Mariner Bank.

12:59 PM EDT, June 13, 2013

S.D. lender that claimed tribal immunity ordered to stop making loans in Md.

State regulators have ordered a South Dakota-based payday lender to stop making consumer loans in Maryland after finding the company used predatory tactics and charged excessive interest rates.

10:32 PM EDT, June 11, 2013

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake dips into reserves to pay debt

The state-owned Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort in Cambridge continues to deplete a reserve fund to cover its semiannual debt payments because it is not making enough money.

5:19 PM EDT, June 5, 2013

Jos. A. Bank first-quarter earnings fall 45 percent

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said Wednesday its first-quarter earnings slid 45 percent as store sales slowed, inventory costs rose and the men's apparel chain sold more items at clearance prices.

12:16 PM EDT, June 4, 2013

Sinclair Broadcast agrees to buy Titan Television for $115 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. announced Tuesday it has agreed to buy Titan Television Broadcast Group, owner of four television stations in three markets, for $115.35 million.

8:50 PM EDT, June 3, 2013

Regus 'flexible workplace' centers expand in Maryland

Technology company Hope LoanPort could have signed a conventional lease for its new headquarters in Baltimore.

6:09 PM EDT, June 1, 2013

Five questions for Toby Bozzuto

Toby Bozzuto seemed headed for a career in the music industry.

6:03 PM EDT, June 1, 2013

Professionals buying into perfect jobs

Annette Walter was chief operating officer of a fast-growing Baltimore real estate company. Her husband, Shawn, a former construction project manager, had launched a successful career in sales.

6:31 PM EDT, May 21, 2013

Protesters oppose possible sale of The Baltimore Sun to Koch brothers

Ten protesters gathered Tuesday morning in front of The Baltimore Sun's office on North Calvert Street, rallying against a possible sale of the newspaper to Koch Industries.

1:16 PM EDT, May 20, 2013

M&T Bank executive named chair of Baltimore Convention and Tourism Board

M&T Bank Corp. executive Atwood "Woody" Collins III has succeeded Edwin F. Hale Sr. as chair of the Baltimore Convention and Tourism Board, city officials said Monday.

12:14 PM EDT, May 20, 2013

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers' CEO earned $2.9 million in 2012

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.'s top executive, R. Neal Black, earned $2.9 million last year, a decrease from the $4 million in compensation Black earned in 2011, the Hampstead-based men's apparel retailer said.

7:16 PM EDT, May 17, 2013

Md. sheds 6,200 jobs in April, Labor Department says

Maryland employers slashed 6,200 jobs in April, cutting short a string of gains, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday, as the state began feeling the pinch of federal budget sequestration and cutbacks in consumer spending.

8:26 PM EDT, May 17, 2013

Gay marriage law boosting wedding-related business in Maryland

The gay couples who've booked Rouge Fine Catering in Hunt Valley for their weddings have appreciated not only good food and stylish events, but something less tangible.

7:26 PM EDT, May 10, 2013

New college grads face difficult job market

Jackie Carter had it all mapped out. She would attend college year-round and graduate early, land a job in criminal justice, start paying off student loans, move into her own apartment and invest in her first smartphone.

1:51 PM EDT, May 13, 2013

Jos. A. Bank expects drop in 1Q earnings per share

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. expects first quarter earnings of 27 cents to 30 cents per diluted share, down from 53 cents per share in the first quarter of 2012, the Hampstead-based retailer said Monday.

8:10 PM EDT, May 10, 2013

H&S plans expanded Whole Foods, department store, apartments for Central Avenue sites

H&S Properties Development Corp. plans to push its Harbor East development east across Central Avenue with an expanded Whole Foods Market, a possible department store and apartments on two sites, baker-turned-developer John Paterakis Sr. said Friday.

6:31 PM EDT, May 6, 2013

Employers face deadline to use new worker eligibility form

Employers in Maryland and across the United States face a deadline Wednesday that some may not know exists but that could prove costly if ignored.

10:00 AM EDT, May 4, 2013

Comcast starts charging monthly fee for digital adapters

Comcast Corp. cable TV subscribers might have noticed a small new charge in their bills recently.

1:03 PM EDT, May 1, 2013

Barcoding Inc. has acquired Illinois technology company

Baltimore-based technology company Barcoding Inc. said Wednesday it has acquired Lake Zurich, Ill.,-based Miles Technologies Inc. for an undisclosed amount in a move to increase its presence in the central United States.

2:16 PM EDT, May 3, 2013

Baltimore nanocrystals maker raises $5.1 million in funding

Pixelligent Technologies, a maker of miniscule crystal additives used in electronics and plastics products, said Friday it has raised more than $5.1 million in new funding from the Abell Foundation and others.

8:25 PM EDT, April 30, 2013

With Michael Phelps on hand, Under Armour pledges new jobs, growth

Under Armour plans to hire hundreds of workers at its Locust Point headquarters this year, expand facilities on its campus and bring its brand of sports apparel and footwear to new markets in the U.S. and around the world.

5:35 PM EDT, April 29, 2013

Sinclair Broadcast reports lower first-quarter profit as expenses rose

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. reported a 42 percent drop in profit for the first quarter, as operating and interest costs rose and revenue increased but fell short of analysts' expectations.

6:08 PM EDT, May 2, 2013

Sinclair Broadcast closes on four Cox Media TV stations for $99 million

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Thursday it has closed on the planned purchase of four television stations owned by Cox Media Group for $99 million in cash.

9:38 PM EDT, April 27, 2013

Mikulski to propose bill in wake of alleged Harford payroll firm tax fraud

Small businesses would be protected from the type of fraud allegedly committed by Harford County payroll firm AccuPay Inc. under legislation being proposed by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.

8:04 PM EDT, April 25, 2013

Micros Systems says third-quarter net income rose 2.4 percent

Micros Systems Inc., a maker of software for the hospitality and retail industries, reported third-quarter net income of $44.3 million Thursday, a 2.4 percent increase compared with the same period in 2013 and a record for a third quarter.

8:16 PM EDT, April 24, 2013

Synagro Technologies' bankruptcy will bring jobs to Baltimore

A Wednesday bankruptcy filing by Synagro Technologies Inc. means growth and new jobs for the Baltimore area as the waste recycler consolidates its headquarters in White Marsh.

April 20, 2013

Sinclair Broadcast to become country's largest TV station owner

When Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. completes three deals announced in the past two months, it will own more television stations across the country than any other company.

4:50 PM EDT, April 15, 2013

Federal and state taxes due today

At some Baltimore-area tax preparation offices, deadline day was proving anticlimactic.

5:56 PM EDT, April 12, 2013

Hannon Armstrong aims to raise $250 million in IPO

An Annapolis-based financier of clean energy infrastructure amended its plans to sell stock to the public, more than doubling its target to $250 million.

4:19 PM EDT, April 14, 2013

Five questions ... for Bill Burwell

Bill Burwell wants to see more Maryland firms competing globally.

8:00 PM EDT, April 11, 2013

Sinclair will acquire Fisher Communications for $373.3 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.'s shopping spree continued Thursday with the announcement of a $373.3 million deal that extends its television reach to a third of U.S. viewing households.

6:48 PM EDT, April 1, 2013

Unions focus organizing efforts on service sector workplaces

After spending three decades at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Kevin Hux eagerly joined efforts this past year to unionize his workplace.

1:39 PM EDT, April 12, 2013

BGE warns customers about phone scam

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. is warning customers about scams in which people pose as BGE employees in person or over the telephone to steal money, valuables or credit card information.

7:09 PM EDT, March 28, 2013

BDC recommends Harbor Point's $107 million tax increment financing request

The board of the Baltimore Development Corp. is recommending the city approve a developer's request for $107 million in tax increment financing to pay for roads, utilities and parks for the $1 billion mixed-use Harbor Point development on the waterfront between Harbor East and Fells Point.

2:39 PM EDT, March 28, 2013

Fire at Perdue Farms research facility kills 8,000 chicks

Officials in Worcester County are investigating the cause of a fire at a Perdue Farms research facility that destroyed two poultry houses and killed 8,000 chicks.

7:24 PM EDT, April 10, 2013

W.R. Grace announces preliminary 1st-quarter net income of $52M to $53M

Chemical maker W.R. Grace & Co. on Wednesday announced preliminary first-quarter net income of $52 million to $53 million, or 68 cents to 69 cents per diluted share.

7:24 PM EDT, April 9, 2013

AccuPay president refuses to testify in bankruptcy court

The nearly two dozen creditors of payroll firm AccuPay Inc. who jammed a hearing room in Baltimore's federal courthouse Tuesday left with no more answers than when they arrived.

6:27 PM EDT, March 26, 2013

T-Mobile launches 4G LTE network in Baltimore, six other metro areas

T-Mobile USA Inc. launched its 4G LTE network in seven metropolitan areas Tuesday, including Baltimore and Washington.

12:35 PM EDT, March 25, 2013

Workshops set for Arundel unemployed

Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corp. is planning a month-long series of free workshops and networking events designed to help the county's unemployed residents find jobs.

8:58 AM EDT, March 24, 2013

Some 2,000 diners sip soup to benefit the homeless

Richard Bell hardly had time to look up during the first hour of ladling rich cream of crab soup into bowl after bowl at a fundraiser to benefit Baltimore residents struggling with homelessness, hunger and poverty.

8:13 PM EDT, March 21, 2013

Bill proposes regulating payroll service companies in state

A bill introduced in the Maryland Senate Thursday would create a commission to look into regulating payroll service companies in the wake of allegations of fraud at AccuPay of Bel Air.

6:56 PM EDT, March 26, 2013

Columbia tech company Lotame Solutions gets $5.5 million loan

Columbia-based technology company Lotame Solutions Inc. has been awarded a $5.5 million venture loan that's expected to help boost sales and marketing.

4:46 PM EDT, March 22, 2013

T. Rowe Price CEO earned $8.4 million in 2012

The top executives of T. Rowe Price Group Inc. saw their compensation rise last year, the Baltimore-based investment firm reported.

7:50 PM EDT, March 21, 2013

IRS files tax lien against Berger cookies maker

Add the Internal Revenue Service to the list of Berger cookies' woes.

10:18 PM EST, March 4, 2013

Payroll firm AccuPay is investigated for allegedly stealing clients' tax payments

Police investigating whether Harford County payroll company AccuPay stole years of tax payments rather than sending them to tax collectors on behalf of clients warned Monday that potential victims might number in the hundreds.

7:45 PM EDT, March 25, 2013

Jos. A. Bank stock downgraded by Zacks

With Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. likely poised to announce year-end and fourth-quarter results this week, investors and analysts wonder just how bad it will be.

6:32 PM EDT, March 25, 2013

Shoe company accuses Under Armour of trademark infringement

California footwear maker Gravity Defyer Corp. accused Baltimore-based Under Armour of trademark infringement in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court.

4:36 PM EDT, March 19, 2013

Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank earned $1.53 million in 2012

Under Armour CEO and president Kevin Plank earned $1.53 million in total compensation last year, a 35 percent jump over 2011, the Baltimore-based sports apparel company reported Tuesday.

6:33 PM EDT, March 22, 2013

AT&T rolls out 4G network in Catonsville and Ellicott City

AT&T has upgraded a mobile Internet cell site in Catonsville that will expand 4G LTE mobile coverage for Catonsville and Ellicott City residents and businesses.

4:32 PM EDT, March 20, 2013

Amvets awarded $250,000 grant to open veterans career centers

Lanham-based veterans group Amvets has been awarded a $250,000 grant to bring veterans' job services to 20 new markets around the country.

9:16 PM EDT, March 18, 2013

Inn at the Black Olive slated for auction Thursday

The Inn at the Black Olive, a 12-suite boutique hotel in Fells Point known for eco-friendly amenities, will be offered for sale at a foreclosure auction Thursday.

8:01 PM EDT, March 13, 2013

Transit-oriented development concept proposed for Penn Station

Homes, offices and shops would sprout around Baltimore's Penn Station under a preliminary plan developed for Amtrak for the midtown site.

6:57 PM EDT, March 21, 2013

Auction of The Inn at the Black Olive canceled as business files for bankruptcy

The family owners of The Inn at the Black Olive in Fells Point hope a bankruptcy filing Thursday will give them time to try to attract investors and keep operating the 2-year-old boutique hotel, their bankruptcy attorney said.

8:21 PM EST, March 5, 2013

Mikulski urges IRS to help potential small-business victims of Harford payroll firm AccuPay

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski urged the Internal Revenue Service to quickly investigate the potential fraud at a Harford County payroll company and called for the agency to protect "honest small businesses" that might have had their payroll tax payments misdirected or delayed.

12:20 PM EDT, March 14, 2013

Bel Air payroll company AccuPay files for bankruptcy protection

A Bel Air payroll company under investigation for allegedly not forwarding clients' tax payments to tax collectors has filed for bankruptcy.

1:21 PM EST, February 26, 2013

Maryland exports reach record $11.8 billion

Exports of Maryland merchandise rose 9 percent last year to a record $11.8 billion, the International Trade Administration said Tuesday.

11:36 PM EST, March 8, 2013

5 questions…

Joe Mechlinski, CEO and co-founder of Canton-based management consulting firm entreQuest, has worked with more than 400 businesses since starting the company 12 years ago.

4:31 PM EST, March 1, 2013

Sinclair to acquire 18 TV stations for $370 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.'s stock soared a day after it announced plans to buy 18 television stations owned by Barrington Broadcasting Group for $370 million.

8:12 PM EST, March 1, 2013

Bel Air payroll firm sued for allegedly keeping clients' tax payments

A Bel Air company that handled payrolls for many employers in the area is being sued by clients for allegedly stealing years of tax payments rather than sending them on to the tax collectors as required — leaving the companies on the hook.

5:09 PM EST, March 1, 2013

Yahoo's ban on working from home prompts criticism

It didn't take long for the talk at this week's national work-life conference in Baltimore to turn to Yahoo Inc.

February 24, 2013

Retailers may charge fee to customers paying with credit cards

Customers at Towson Hot Bagels usually pay with credit, not cash, when buying a bagel or a bottle of water, triggering fees the merchant must pay to process each transaction.

5:31 PM EST, February 6, 2013

Sinclair Broadcast says profits soared in fourth quarter

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said profits soared in the fourth quarter, capping a presidential election year in which the Hunt Valley TV station owner saw record levels of political advertising, a rebound in auto advertising sales and rapid growth through acquisitions.

7:32 PM EST, February 25, 2013

Gas prices post big jump since last month

As gas prices soared toward $4 per gallon, Fred Price has sought out the best deals at the pump.

6:32 PM EST, February 13, 2013

BWI food, retail workers protest wages, benefits

Food and retail workers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport protested working conditions on Wednesday and attempted to deliver a proposed "Bill of Rights," to AirMall USA, BWI's concessions manager.

2:32 PM EST, February 20, 2013

Fox 45 and The CW may disappear from DirectTV

Sinclair Broadcast Group is warning DirecTV customers in Baltimore and other markets they could lose access to Sinclair-owned stations starting March 1 because of an inability to reach agreement over the amount the satellite company pays to carry the stations and their programs.

8:03 PM EST, January 24, 2013

W.R. Grace adjusts asbestos-related settlement costs to $2 billion

Chemical maker W.R. Grace & Co. said Thursday it will adjust the estimated cost of settling its asbestos-related liabilities to $2 billion from the previous estimate of $1.7 billion.

12:30 PM EST, February 26, 2013

Sinclair will buy four Cox Media TV stations for $99 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has agreed to buy four small-market television stations owned by Cox Media Group for $99 million, the latest deal for Sinclair in a string of acquisitions over the past year and a half.

1:04 PM EST, February 15, 2013

Maryland and 29 states reach $29 million consumer protection settlement with Toyota

Attorneys General in Maryland and 29 other states have reached a $29 million settlement with Toyota Motor Corp. designed to strengthen protections for consumers impacted by safety defects and prevent miscommunication over faulty equipment.

6:00 AM EST, February 18, 2013

After years of debate, Sparks poultry farm wins approval to build farmer's stand

For 17 generations, members of Catherine Webb's family have worked or lived on Springfield Farm in northern Baltimore County, where chickens and turkeys roam the hilly ground and, three days a week, Webb sells eggs and chicken meat from a farmhouse garage-turned-store.

4:07 PM EST, February 6, 2013

Home Depot plans to hire 750 temporary workers at Baltimore stores

The Home Depot is hiring 750 workers to fill seasonal spring jobs at Baltimore-area stores.

10:04 AM EST, January 31, 2013

Four Baltimore-area companies among nation's best workplaces

Four companies in the Baltimore area are among the best places to work in the nation, according to a list released Thursday.

7:22 PM EST, January 28, 2013

Jos. A. Bank profit will fall 20 percent in fiscal 2012

Shares of men's retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. fell nearly $7 per share on Monday after the Hampstead company said its profit for the current fiscal year will be down 20 percent.

9:02 PM EST, January 23, 2013

National Aquarium sees first attendance increase since recession

Attendance at the National Aquarium's Inner Harbor and Washington venues rose 2.4 percent last year, the first increase since the recession, thanks to an improving economy and a more interactive aquarium experience, CEO John Racanelli said.

7:44 PM EST, January 21, 2013

Carroll plumber ordered to pay $1 million had history of violations

When the water heater went out at his Pasadena home, Steven Stafford called his home warranty company, which sent a plumber from All State Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to replace it. Stafford paid the plumber $175 in cash to obtain a permit. When the plumber asked for more money, Stafford began to sense something was amiss.

8:19 PM EST, February 18, 2013

Workplaces offer electric car charging for employees

Employees at General Motors' plant in White Marsh have an unusual workplace benefit. Anyone who drives an electric car can plug it in to charge while they work.

1:33 PM EST, February 13, 2013

Retailers see big boost from Valentine's Day candy sales

Customers lined up outside Rheb's Candy early Monday, even before owner Wynn Harger opened the doors of the Southwest Baltimore shop his family has run for three generations. People, mostly men, crammed into the tiny, cottage-like store for much of the morning for one purpose — securing the handmade chocolates for Valentine's Day.

8:14 PM EST, January 31, 2013

Paid sick-leave bill unveiled in Annapolis

Workers in Maryland would be guaranteed seven paid sick days a year under a bill introduced Thursday in Annapolis, eliminating what advocates say is an "impossible choice" that thousands of mostly low-wage employees are forced to make between preserving their health or their jobs.

7:01 PM EST, January 23, 2013

Towson physical therapy center must pay $29,000 to the company 401 (k) plan, court judgment says

Towson Rehabilitation Center LLC, a Towson physical, occupational and speech therapy provider, must restore more than $29,000 in interest to the company's 401(k) retirement plan, according to a consent judgment obtained in federal court by the U.S. Labor Department.

6:00 PM EST, January 18, 2013

Five questions for … Terry F. Hickey

As a University of Maryland law student in the late 1990s, Terry F. Hickey looked for ways to reach troubled teens before they ended up in the juvenile justice system. In 1997, he took a course that had been created to determine whether lawyers and law students, who typically work with children after they get in trouble, could help youths improve their neighborhoods. Hickey and a group of high school students in Park Heights began mapping vacant houses in their community and presenting findings to city leaders. More than 20 houses identified by the students were demolished.

7:34 AM EST, February 5, 2013

Harris Teeter, Old Navy, Loft to open with Target at Canton Crossing

The Target opening this fall in Canton at one of the city's largest new retail developments will be joined by a Harris Teeter grocery store and a lineup of stores and restaurants that includes Old Navy, Michaels, Loft, ULTA Beauty and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

7:07 PM EST, January 13, 2013

A taste of victory with free burgers offered after Ravens win

To get a free hamburger, cheeseburger, turkey burger, bacon burger or veggie burger at Z-Burger in White Marsh, all a customer had to say was "Super Bowl."

8:04 PM EST, January 10, 2013

Panel approves preliminary design of Exelon's proposed Harbor East headquarters

Energy giant Exelon Corp.'s regional headquarters in Harbor Point would rise 23 stories and 350 feet, reshaping Baltimore's skyline with a futuristic glass tower, under a preliminary design approved Thursday by a city advisory panel.

10:57 AM EST, January 3, 2013

Flooring distributor Haines acquires Allied Products of Baltimore

Haines, a national floor covering distributor based in Glen Burnie, said Thursday it has acquired Allied Products of Baltimore, a 72-year-old flooring supplies distributor.

February 2, 2013

Local pizzeria expects Super Bowl boost

Growing up in the industrial city of Gujrat in Pakistan, Khawar Ghafoor played cricket but knew little about American football.

1:47 PM EST, January 14, 2013

Force 3 of Crofton names new CEO

Crofton technology company Force 3 said Monday that founder and CEO Rocky Cintron is stepping down after two decades and will be replaced by the company's chief operating officer.

4:19 PM EST, January 3, 2013

David B. Simon, former editor at The Gazette in Gaithersburg, will become editor of The Daily Record

The publisher of The Daily Record announced Thursday that a former editor at several Maryland newspapers will become editor of the Baltimore-based business and legal affairs newspaper on Jan. 14.

7:44 PM EST, January 9, 2013

Harbor East developer splits into two companies

The developer of the Harbor East neighborhood on Baltimore's waterfront has split into two companies, one that will focus on building at the adjacent Harbor Point and a second company that will manage Harbor East properties.

January 12, 2013

Workers, lacking time or money, leave vacation days unused

Tisa L. Silver-Canady, who counsels University of Maryland, Baltimore students about loan repayments and runs other financial education programs at the school, realized toward the end of last year that she had not used about a third of her vacation time.

5:38 PM EST, December 20, 2012

Mind Over Machines acquires The Seva Group

Mind Over Machines Inc., an Owings Mills-based consulting and information technology firm, announced Thursday it has acquired the assets of technology firm The Seva Group, making the combined company one of the largest IT consulting firms in the mid-Atlantic.

6:24 PM EST, December 10, 2012

Gift card sales booming during the holidays

Cheryl Knauer has a restaurant gift card in mind for her in-laws, a massage gift card planned for another family member and intends to pick up cards in smaller dollar amounts to Chick-fil-A and Starbucks for kids' stockings and teachers' gifts.

7:33 PM EST, December 12, 2012

Raytheon acquires SafeNet's government solutions business

Defense contractor Raytheon Co. said Wednesday it has acquired the government solutions business of Harford County-based SafeNet Inc., a cyber security company that had previously announced the sale of that piece of the business to an undisclosed buyer.

9:07 PM EST, December 17, 2012

UPS holiday rush is fueled by technology with local roots

When Keith Short began delivering packages for UPS in Glen Burnie 23 years ago, he used bulky pads of paper to track parcels and pens that froze in the cold. Today, Short scans packages on and off his truck with a handheld computer that tells him what to deliver where and when, and can even direct him turn-by-turn.

8:33 PM EST, December 3, 2012

Retailers test new formats during holidays

At GameStop Kids at White Marsh Mall, shoppers will find plush Mario book bags and Angry Birds hats mixed in with the Lego Star Wars and other kid-friendly video games, a mix meant to attract both serious "gamers" as well as those who've never played but want some gift-giving advice.

6:25 PM EST, November 23, 2012

Black Friday brings out crowds, some slopping over from Thursday

Diane Townes waited in line for 12 hours to get her door-buster deals — printers, a laptop and a 50-inch television — so imagine her chagrin when it looked like she wouldn't be able to squeeze it all into her car Friday morning.

5:30 PM EST, December 7, 2012

Maryland 'B' corp. formed to help site search for proposed gay heritage museum

Organizers of a proposed Washington, D.C., museum focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender heritage have formed a benefit limited liability corporation in Maryland that will work to find a museum site.

2:53 PM EST, December 8, 2012

Driver of SUV killed after hitting tractor and trailer on I-95

The driver of an SUV was killed after the vehicle hit a tractor and trailer on I-95 near Aberdeen, Maryland State Police said.

6:42 PM EDT, November 3, 2012

Annapolis takes back the tug

It came down to the final round of the world's longest tug-of-war over water, but the city of Annapolis delivered Saturday on its vow to save face against rival Eastport and win the annual match billed as the "Slaughter Across the Water."

7:58 PM EST, November 16, 2012

Hostess shutdown prompts snack cake buying binge

Soon after hearing that Hostess Brands Inc. was shutting down for good, Lisa Renee Clark wasted no time dashing out to the Wonder Hostess Bakery Thriftshop in Glen Burnie.

2:50 PM EDT, October 24, 2012

Harborplace sold to New York real estate firm

The Baltimore waterfront's iconic Harborplace is being sold to a New York real estate investment firm that has a reputation for purchasing distinctive retail centers, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced Tuesday.

December 29, 2012

Five questions with…Patrick Donoho

Retailers have had a difficult few years, especially the small shops that make up the bulk of the Maryland Retailers Association's membership. As the trade group's president since June 2010, Patrick Donoho has seen the effects of the recession as many longtime members were forced to close shop. Now with about 250 members, including hardware stores and other independent merchants, grocers, department stores and national chains representing 1,200 locations, the trade group is rebuilding.

8:36 PM EDT, November 1, 2012

Sinclair Broadcast sees third-quarter profit up 33 percent

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. saw its profit grow 33 percent in the third quarter as political campaigns and automakers ramped up spending on advertising, the Hunt Valley-based company said Thursday.

6:22 PM EST, November 28, 2012

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. profits down in 3rd quarter

Men's retailer Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said profits took a more than 11 percent dive in the third quarter, hurt by extra markdowns that drove the apparel sales and by Hurricane Sandy's strike to the East Coast.

November 25, 2012

Small toy shops expect bright holiday

Just as Tom and Claudia Towles were opening their second Baltimore toy shop four years ago, the recession hit. The owners of aMuse Toys decided to cut back — not on staff or selling space — but on the number of manufacturers whose products they carry.

8:27 PM EDT, October 25, 2012

Under Armour sees 25% jump in third-quarter earnings

Booming Under Armour Inc. announced Thursday that it earned $57 million in the third quarter, a 25 percent jump over the year-earlier period that was driven by strong demand for men's, women's and youth apparel and growing acceptance of the brand's footwear.

December 15, 2012

House on Annapolis waterfront sells for $4.4 million

The contemporary home overlooking Weems Creek in Annapolis was packed with custom touches, thanks to its former owner, a builder.

11:25 AM EDT, October 30, 2012

In aftermath of Sandy, some stores, businesses reopen

As the Baltimore area deals with the loss of power and closed and flooded roads in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, some stores and businesses plan to reopen Tuesday but others remain closed.

October 27, 2012

Annapolis waterfront home sells for $1.77 million

The Annapolis waterfront house with a $1.77 million price tag, the second-most-expensive property sold in the Baltimore region in September, was under contract after just one week.

5:27 PM EDT, October 10, 2012

Business owner pleads guilty to failing to pay employment taxes

A Landover business owner pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to failing to account for and pay employment taxes, leading to a more than $2.2 million tax loss, federal authorities said.

3:26 PM EST, November 19, 2012

Research finds money isn't everything when it comes to choosing a workplace

Asked what makes a great place to work, employees focus a lot less on pay and benefits than you might think.

7:45 PM EDT, October 29, 2012

Sandy prompts many closures, but some are open for business

As much of the Baltimore region shut down, some businesses made sure they could stay open — come hurricane and high water.

9:19 AM EST, November 17, 2012

Stores entice Black Friday shoppers with earlier openings, more sales

Consumers have come to expect the deep discounts that define Black Friday, but retailers hope to entice shoppers this year with more choices in how and when they buy.

6:23 PM EDT, October 30, 2012

Marshalls plans to open Inner Harbor store in early 2013

Discount retailer Marshalls plans to open in the former Filene's Basement spot at the Inner Harbor early next year.

October 20, 2012

Talking politics at work

Keeping your opinions to yourself at work might not be easy in today's supercharged political climate.

November 10, 2012

Same-sex marriage law good for business, employers say

As a longtime Federal Hill business owner, Penny Troutner cheered the passage of Maryland's same-sex marriage law.

9:14 PM EDT, October 23, 2012

Harborplace sold to New York real estate firm

The Baltimore waterfront's iconic Harborplace has been sold to a New York real estate investment firm that has a reputation for purchasing distinctive retail centers, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced Tuesday.

6:44 PM EDT, October 15, 2012

Baltimore TV stations get boost from gambling ads

Baltimore television stations expected little in the way of political advertising this election year. Then the fight over expanded gambling in Maryland erupted, pitting deep-pocketed casino companies against each other.

7:39 PM EDT, October 11, 2012

Vertis Holdings files for bankruptcy reorganization, agrees to sell firm

Baltimore-based Vertis Holdings Inc., at one time the largest U.S. producer of advertising inserts in newspapers, plans to sell itself to a Wisconsin printing company for $258.5 million through an auction in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

3:56 PM EDT, September 26, 2012

McCormick appoints Lilly executive to board

McCormick & Co. Inc. has appointed an Eli Lilly and Co. executive to its board of directors, the Hunt Valley spice and flavoring company said Wednesday.

5:28 PM EDT, October 12, 2012

5 questions

Anthony Hucker became president of Giant Food just over a year ago, taking the reins of the Baltimore area's biggest supermarket chain.

September 15, 2012

Out of service? Online hiring systems frustrate applicants

The emailed rejection came as no surprise to Bill Skibinski, though the Abingdon resident believed he was more than qualified for the entry-level job he'd applied for online.

5:20 PM EDT, October 5, 2012

Shoppers flock to reopened Boscov's at White Marsh Mall

Hundreds of Baltimore-area shoppers packed into the newly reopened Boscov's on Friday morning, welcoming back the department store as if they were greeting an old friend.

3:26 PM EDT, September 10, 2012

Smyth Jewelers will manage Bailey Banks & Biddle chain

Baltimore-based Smyth Jewelers has been hired to manage the Bailey Banks & Biddle Group jewelry chain, which has nine locations in seven states, the retailers announced Monday.

9:16 PM EDT, September 24, 2012

Giant Food puts Jessup warehouse on the market

Giant Food has put its former dry goods warehouse in Jessup on the market, the real estate firm handling the listing said Monday.

August 28, 2012

Online grocer Relay Foods launches service in Baltimore

Online grocer Relay Foods of Charlottesville, Va., is rolling out service Tuesday in Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia and plans to offer groceries from local suppliers and farms through home delivery and, eventually, at pick-up sites.

4:57 PM EDT, September 28, 2012

Marquardt, head of Capital Gazette Communications, will retire after 35 years at Annapolis newspaper

The editor and publisher of Capital Gazette Communications, which publishes The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, will retire at the end of the year after more than 35 years at the daily, the publishing company's owner said Friday.

September 8, 2012

Monkton Colonial on 160-acre spread sells for $3.1 million

A brick Colonial in Monkton set on 160 acres with an historic stone guest house sold for $3.1 million in June.

10:00 AM EDT, October 5, 2012

Boscov's reopens in White Marsh Mall

Boscov's department store returned to its former spot in Baltimore on Friday as an anchor of White Marsh Mall.

8:10 PM EDT, August 14, 2012

Online post about refusal to pay fatal accident claim goes viral

An online rant by a man whose sister was killed in a car crash in Baltimore went viral this week after he accused Progressive Advanced Insurance Co. of siding with the driver whose car hit his sister's vehicle in June 2010.

12:43 PM EDT, September 24, 2012

Under Armour executive J. Scott Plank retires

Under Armour executive J. Scott Plank has left the Baltimore-based sports apparel company founded by his brother Kevin Plank, the company said Monday.

5:53 PM EDT, September 6, 2012

Vision Technologies of Glen Burnie acquires Government Telecommunications Inc.

Vision Technologies Inc., a Glen Burnie-based information technology firm, said Thursday it had acquired Government Telecommunications Inc. in a move to strengthen the company's IT telecommunications services to the federal government.

6:27 PM EDT, August 31, 2012

The Interview: Roxie Herbekian of Unite Here

Getting fired propelled Roxie Herbekian into three decades of work as a labor organizer.

8:15 PM EDT, August 23, 2012

Visit Baltimore reports healthy hotel bookings last year

City convention officials booked the third-highest number of convention room nights ever over the past fiscal year, Visit Baltimore, the city's tourism and convention bureau, announced Thursday. The room nights are reserved for future years.

6:19 PM EDT, August 9, 2012

Exelon agrees to sell 3 Md. coal plants for $400 million

Exelon Corp. plans to sell its three Maryland coal-fired power plants for $400 million to a subsidiary of private equity firm Riverstone Holdings LLC, the Chicago-based energy giant said Thursday.

5:33 PM EDT, September 27, 2012

McCormick profit up more than 13 percent in third quarter

Spice maker McCormick & Co. Inc. said Thursday that its profit grew more than 13 percent in the third quarter, thanks to new products, acquisitions and strength in emerging markets.

6:50 PM EDT, August 29, 2012

McCormick World of Flavors opens at Harborplace

At McCormick & Co.'s new Inner Harbor store — the first retail venture by the spice maker — shoppers can stock up on Old Bay and grilling marinades, learn their personal "flavor profile" and discover an array of international spices.

4:33 PM EDT, September 10, 2012

White Marsh Distribution will shut down, lay off 120

A White Marsh retail distribution center is to close and will lay off 120 workers beginning Nov. 30, the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation reported Monday.

7:12 PM EDT, August 13, 2012

Agreement between Sinclair, Dish Network set to expire

Hunt Valley-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Monday that it was continuing to negotiate with Dish Network over a soon-to-expire agreement that allows the satellite TV provider to carry dozens of Sinclair-owned television stations.

8:46 PM EDT, August 7, 2012

West Baltimore family moves out on eviction deadline

As Jean Thomas helped her husband load furniture and boxes into a U-Haul truck parked outside their West Baltimore home Tuesday afternoon, she worried that she'd run out of time.

7:28 PM EDT, August 1, 2012

Political advertising boosts Sinclair earnings

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. saw its second-quarter income jump 61 percent and raised its quarterly dividend as political advertising far exceeded company expectations, the Hunt Valley broadcaster said Wednesday.

9:16 PM EDT, August 22, 2012

With plan for new hotel, Harbor East glitters even more brightly

Plans to create an upscale hotel with shops and restaurants on the edge of Baltimore's Harbor East neighborhood are reinforcing city leaders' belief that the thriving waterfront community will continue to spur growth east of the Inner Harbor.

6:56 PM EDT, August 1, 2012

Political advertising boosts Sinclair earnings

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. saw its second-quarter income jump 61 percent and raised its quarterly dividend as political advertising far exceeded company expectations, the Hunt Valley broadcaster said Wednesday.

6:22 PM EDT, August 29, 2012

Jos. A. Bank to expand chain to 800 locations

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc.'s stock surged Wednesday after the retailer announced a nearly 13 percent increase in second-quarter profit and plans to expand the chain to 800 locations.

6:51 PM EDT, July 30, 2012

Sales of RVs rise as consumers seek vacation homes on wheels

After slumping during the recession, sales of recreational vehicles are on the rise as U.S. consumers give in to the lure of the open road — with amenities — and are once again able to get credit to buy what many consider an affordable second home.

6:17 PM EDT, July 23, 2012

Ex-Wings to Go CEO pleads guilty to embezzlement charges

The former CEO of Severna Park-based Wings to Go pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud for embezzling more than $885,000 from the franchise company to pay for prostitutes and phone sex, the U.S. attorney's office in Baltimore announced.

8:48 PM EDT, August 6, 2012

West Baltimore family of seven braces for Tuesday eviction

Even after Jean Thomas lost her job and her husband, Sherman, became ill, she said she never missed paying the rent on the West Baltimore house the couple shares with their daughter and four young grandchildren.

8:52 PM EDT, August 20, 2012

New Perry Hall Giant to serve as a prototype for chain

Giant Food's newest Baltimore-area store offers a glimpse of the future for the region's dominant grocer, when shoppers increasingly rely on technology, demand more organic foods and expect a wide selection of prepared meals.

7:34 PM EDT, August 8, 2012

Franchot kicks off Maryland sales tax holiday

After two years of enjoying a break on the state sales tax every August, many Maryland consumers now plan theirback-to-schoolshopping around the weeklong event.

1:27 PM EDT, July 19, 2012

Sinclair will buy six TV stations for $412.5 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. announced an agreement Thursday to buy six television stations from Kansas City, Mo.-based Newport Television for $412.5 million.

12:06 PM EDT, July 13, 2012

Sports drink maker sued by Under Armour calls trademark lawsuit "ridiculous"

A Beverly Hills sports drink maker being sued by Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. says the trademark infringement lawsuit is without merit, according to court documents filed Thursday.

5:19 PM EDT, July 23, 2012

STX forms partnership with USA Field Hockey

Lacrosse equipment maker STX LLC has formed a one-year partnership with USA Field Hockey, the Baltimore-based company said Monday.

July 15, 2012

Retailers hope back-to-school season will boost spending

It's the height of summer, but inside many Baltimore-area stores, fall has arrived.

7:12 PM EDT, July 24, 2012

Under Armour reports earnings gain, beats Wall St. estimates

Under Armour Inc. scored a touchdown Tuesday with its second-quarter profit rising 7 percent, which sent its stock soaring.

6:29 PM EDT, July 12, 2012

Shoppers Food workers at some Maryland stores ratify two-year contract

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy workers at some Maryland and Virginia stores ratified a new, two-year contract Thursday that increases wages, maintains pension benefits and funds health benefits without raising workers' costs, the union local representing the workers said Thursday.

3:17 PM EDT, July 28, 2012

The Interview: Robert L. Wallace on minority entrepreneurs

Robert L. Wallace, CEO of Baltimore-based Bithgroup Technologies, has spent more than two decades building a minority-owned business into a multimillion-dollar success and writing and lecturing about entrepreneurship.

7:09 PM EDT, July 22, 2012

Artscape ends with weekend's biggest crowds

The city's three-day Artscape festival came to a close Sunday as the rain held off and the biggest crowds of the weekend jammed streets transformed into galleries, performance space and picnic areas.

3:28 PM EDT, July 21, 2012

A global helium shortage leaves businesses deflated

The second most-abundant element in the universe is in short supply.

4:03 PM EDT, July 16, 2012

Industrial employment in Baltimore-Washington area falls 2.3%

Industrial employment in Maryland and Washington, D.C., fell 2.3 percent in a year-over-year period ending in May, with layoffs at defense contractor AAI Corp. and the closure of the Solo Cup plant in Owings Mills contributing to job losses, Manufacturers' News Inc. reported Monday.

5:42 PM EDT, July 18, 2012

Rawlings-Blake creates minority business advisory council

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has created an advisory council to help improve the city's minority and women-owned business enterprise program, the mayor's office announced Wednesday.

7:46 PM EDT, July 9, 2012

Roadside vendors, a sign of summer, fill demand for locally grown produce

Cars pulled off Ruxton Road, one after another Monday morning, almost as soon as the first crates of fruits and vegetables were unloaded from the large white truck parked on the shoulder.

4:52 PM EDT, July 3, 2012

11 Md. firms make list of top-grossing black-owned companies

Eleven Maryland companies rank among the nation's top-grossing black-owned businesses, according to Black Enterprise magazine.

7:29 PM EDT, June 20, 2012

Towson mall's luxury wing to get influx of tenants

The luxury wing of Towson Town Center will get its biggest influx of new or relocated stores since the upscale addition opened nearly four years ago, with cooking shop Sur La Table and resort-wear retailer Lilly Pulitzer among those planning to open by late August.

5:13 PM EDT, July 5, 2012

City opposes conversion of Tremont Plaza to Embassy Suites

A new owner's planned conversion of the Tremont Plaza Hotel in downtown Baltimore to an Embassy Suites, a Hilton Worldwide brand, would threaten the city-owned Hilton Baltimore hotel as it struggles to reach stability following the recession, city development officials have told Hilton executives.

3:07 PM EDT, June 26, 2012

Shoppers Food workers' union files suit against grocer

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy workers at some Maryland and Virginia stores have filed unfair labor practice charges against the grocer, accusing store managers of retaliating against workers whose union is negotiating a labor contract.

7:45 PM EDT, July 2, 2012

Baltimore grocers, restaurants cope with power outage losses

Patrons at Tark's Grill were eating in the dining room and drinking at the bar when the ferocious storm struck Friday night and the Brooklandville restaurant went dark.

8:01 PM EDT, July 2, 2012

Logo artist files copyright lawsuits against Ravens, NFL

All Frederick E. Bouchat says he wanted years ago was recognition for his idea for the Ravens team logo.

June 16, 2012

Grocery retailers compete with mobile shopping tools

Plenty of shoppers at a Baltimore Safeway have started checking their cell phones while pushing carts and scanning shelves.

7:48 PM EDT, June 11, 2012

Under Armour approves first stock split

Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. approved a two-for-one split of its outstanding common stock, the first since the sports apparel maker went public in November 2005, the company said Monday.

9:31 PM EDT, June 25, 2012

Furniture retailers see opportunity in Baltimore market

When Kevin Luskin decided to fill a vast, long-vacant spot in a shopping center he owns in Towson, he envisioned a "category killer" store that would specialize in sofas and other seating — a store that would defy customers to leave without finding what they wanted.

5:55 PM EDT, June 27, 2012

Under Armour appoints two new members to its board

Under Armour Inc. has appointed a Turner Broadcasting System executive and a top retired naval officer to its board of directors, the Baltimore-based sports apparel company said Wednesday.

3:06 PM EDT, June 19, 2012

Merchants set records as Sailabration boosts city business

Jimmy's Restaurant in Fells Point ran out of hot dogs, potato salad and macaroni salad and scrambled to replenish all weekend as hordes of hungry Sailabration visitors jammed the popular diner.

7:13 PM EDT, June 12, 2012

Safeway unveils "Just for U" mobile app

Safeway, with 30 Baltimore-area stores, is launching a new online and mobile shopping tool Wednesday that offers customers access access to hundreds of digital coupons and weekly specials and allows them to download personalized deals to their Safeway rewards card.

6:30 PM EDT, June 11, 2012

Giant Food lays off 20 warehouse support workers in Jessup

Twenty Giant Food workers will be laid off by the end of the month after a dry-goods warehouse in Jessup that supplies Giant stores closes, union locals representing workers said Monday.

6:51 PM EDT, June 6, 2012

EBDI protesters appear in court as their allies picket outside

Three of four protesters arrested during a jobs march this spring at the site of a $1.8 billion East Baltimore urban renewal project appeared in Baltimore District Court Wednesday as demonstrators outside demanded charges be dropped against the "East Baltimore 4."

9:52 PM EDT, June 7, 2012

BGE will seek distribution rate increase

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. plans to ask Maryland regulators later this year to allow it to raise rates for the distribution of electricity and natural gas, Chicago-based Exelon Corp., the utility's new owner, said Thursday.

3:49 PM EDT, June 4, 2012

Jos. A. Bank customers file suit, claiming deceptive marketing

Two customers of Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Hampstead-based men's apparel chain, accusing the retailer of using deceptive marketing by claiming merchandise is on sale when it is actually being offered at regular price.

7:51 PM EDT, May 31, 2012

Sparrows Point mill owner files for bankruptcy

The Sparrows Point steel mill stumbled into bankruptcy for the second time in 11 years as its owner filed Thursday for Chapter 11 protection from creditors as it prepares to idle operations and cut nearly 2,000 jobs at the plant next week.

May 28, 2012

Lacrosse stick maker STX invests in new ideas

Inside a converted warehouse in Pigtown, off limits to most company emplyees, designers and engineers dream up and test equipment for one of the nation's fastest growing sports.

8:43 PM EDT, June 5, 2012

Baltimore among areas hardest hit by organized retail crime

Baltimore is among the regions hardest-hit by organized retail crime, a growing national problem in which gangs steal and sell goods, a retail trade group reported Tuesday.

6:43 PM EDT, May 17, 2012

Boscov's will reopen at White Marsh Mall

Boscov's department store will return to White Marsh Mall Oct. 7, filling the empty anchor spot the regional chain vacated nearly four years ago after it filed for bankruptcy.

7:22 PM EDT, June 1, 2012

RG Steel has until July 27 to sell Sparrows Point, agreement with lenders says

The owner of the struggling Sparrows Point steel mill faces a tight deadline — late July — to sell the plant and other assets under the terms of an interim loan for up to $50 million that a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved Friday.

7:17 PM EDT, May 12, 2012

Block party breaks down West Baltimore boundaries

A grass-roots idea to bridge the gaps among racially divided neighborhoods has blossomed into an annual block party in West Baltimore that drew hundreds Saturday to a triangular park in Upton.

5:50 PM EDT, June 4, 2012

Lottery approves operations license for Arundel casino

The Maryland Lottery approved the operations license for the Maryland Live casino late Monday, allowing the slots facility to open its first phase at 10 p.m. Wednesday as scheduled.

9:53 AM EDT, May 30, 2012

Jos. A. Bank reports 17 percent drop in 1Q net income

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. reported a nearly 17 percent drop in net income during the first quarter, prompting the Hampstead-based retailer to alter its marketing strategy, the company said Wednesday.

8:14 PM EDT, May 8, 2012

Reisterstown synagogue facility to be sold

Leaders of a Reisterstown synagogue facing foreclosure said Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with lender Susquehanna Bank to allow the sale of the building on Cockeys Mill Road.

5:57 PM EDT, June 4, 2012

More sponsors join War of 1812 commemoration effort

Nearly two dozen companies will sponsor Maryland's bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812, contributing more than $5 million, the nonprofit group planning the events said Monday.

7:44 PM EDT, May 15, 2012

Sinclair renews Fox affiliations, has option to buy local station

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. will renew Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliations with 19 of its television stations in an agreement that also allows Sinclair to purchase a Fox-owned station in Baltimore.

2:09 PM EDT, June 12, 2012

Manekin, Chicago firm join forces in Mid-Atlantic area

Manekin LLC, a Columbia-based real estate firm, has formed a partnership with Chicago-based Brennan Investment Group to acquire, develop and manage industrial properties in the Mid-Atlantic region.

12:45 PM EDT, May 29, 2012

Under Armour retail VP resigns

The vice president of retail for sports apparel maker Under Armour has resigned, the Baltimore-based company said Tuesday.

7:34 PM EDT, April 30, 2012

Reisterstown synagogue faces foreclosure

A Reisterstown synagogue facing foreclosure is one of an increasing number of U.S. houses of worship suffering in the continuing financial slump.

9:42 PM EDT, May 30, 2012

East Baltimore delegation calls for stop to EBDI project

Elected officials from East Baltimore want to block the $1.8 billion urban renewal project in Middle East until more neighborhood residents and minority contractors are hired and displaced residents can benefit from the revitalization.

May 20, 2012

Pigtown resident launches electronic Rohous Magazine

Pigtown resident Daryl Landy believes he's one of a growing number of Americans striving for better, not bigger, living quarters, and last week he launched a new online magazine devoted to living, working and playing in small spaces.

7:16 PM EDT, May 1, 2012

Under Armour poised for greater growth with new products

The Under Armour brand is poised for continued growth with a soon-to-be-released football cleat that's expected to drive footwear sales, as well as plans to keep expanding into international markets, executives told stockholders Tuesday.

8:29 PM EDT, April 27, 2012

Nonprofit plans to rehab 500 city homes

A North Carolina nonprofit group launched an ambitious affordable housing program Friday to rehabilitate 500 vacant or foreclosed homes in Baltimore near Johns Hopkins Hospital — an area with desolate stretches in the shadow of the world-renowned institution that the city has long sought to redevelop.

3:09 PM EDT, May 5, 2012

Groceries seeking ways around wine sales ban

Unlike most other states, Maryland shoppers have to make one extra stop for a cabernet to go with that steak they bought on sale at the supermarket —grocery stores in the state are generally banned from selling alcohol.

2:39 PM EDT, April 23, 2012

Superblock tax subsidy bill to come before City Council

A bill authorizing a tax subsidy for developers of a west side revitalization project is expected to be introduced during Monday's Baltimore City Council meeting.

8:32 PM EDT, May 21, 2012

Sparrows Point owner considers selling plant

The struggling Sparrows Point steel mill could be sold within the next six months, mill owner RG Steel said Monday.

3:11 PM EDT, May 7, 2012

Under Armour sues Beverly Hills sports drink maker

Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. is accusing Beverly Hills sports drink maker Body Armor Nutrition LLC of trademark infringement for using a brand name and logo that confuses consumers, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.

4:36 PM EDT, May 11, 2012

Jos. A. Bank CEO earned $4 million last year

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said Friday its CEO and president, R. Neal Black, earned $4 million last year, with nearly half the compensation in stock awards.

3:18 PM EDT, May 7, 2012

COPT sells two office buildings in Rockville for $48.7 million

Corporate Office Properties Trust said Monday that it had sold two office buildings and land in Rockville for about $48.7 million, part of the Columbia-based real estate investment trust's strategy of selling off non-core assets.

3:56 PM EDT, April 17, 2012

Under Armour expansion proposal goes to mayor

Under Armour's proposal to double the size of its Locust Point headquarters in South Baltimore has been sent to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for final approval.

April 22, 2012

Gender-based wage gaps persist in state and nation

Women make considerably less money than men in Maryland: 83 cents to the dollar, according to a study released last week.

8:18 PM EDT, April 26, 2012

West Side apartment tower proposal sent to mayor

Developers have proposed building a $19 million apartment tower in an area slated for revitalization on downtown's west side that would include 92 affordable and market-rate rentals but would require city and state tax subsidies.

7:47 PM EDT, April 25, 2012

C&S shuts down dry goods operation in Jessup

A dry-goods warehouse in Jessup that supplies Giant Food grocery stores and employs about 250 people will close in June, the operator, Jessup Logistics LLC, said Wednesday.

1:58 PM EDT, April 2, 2012

COPT CEO sees compensation fall by nearly half in 2011

Annual compensation dropped by nearly half last year for Randall M. Griffin, who retired last month as chief executive of Corporate Office Properties Trust. Griffin earned $3.04 million in 2011, down from $6.05 million in 2010, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed.

2:26 PM EDT, April 16, 2012

AT&T to be top sponsor of Md.'s War of 1812 bicentennial

AT&T has signed on as the top sponsor of Maryland's upcoming bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812 with a more than $1 million contribution, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Monday.

May 12, 2012

Life after college: high unemployment and depressed wages

They're facing high unemployment, depressed wages and loads of debt — and they're only in their 20s. Welcome to life after college.

4:02 PM EDT, April 4, 2012

Pompeian Inc. becomes first olive oil maker to get USDA approval

Baltimore-based Pompeian Inc. has become the first olive oil maker to have the quality of its products backed by the United States Department of Agriculture, the company announced.

7:58 PM EDT, March 12, 2012

Balto. firm to build world's tallest indoor roller coaster in China

When it opens next year, the Great Mall of China near Beijing will be the biggest retail and entertainment center in the world, with 15 million square feet of shops, a theme park, a water park — and the world's tallest indoor roller coaster, imported from Baltimore.

7:22 PM EDT, April 13, 2012

Cordish/Giants team to redevelop San Francisco waterfront

The Cordish Cos., known for pairing urban-style entertainment districts with sports venues, will work with the San Francisco Giants to build a $1.6 billion waterfront development near the club's ballpark and is planning three more sports-anchored projects in Las Vegas, Portland, Ore., and St. Louis.

6:27 AM EDT, March 27, 2012

BDC plans Tuesday hearing on Enterprise Zone change

City economic development officials will hear from the public Tuesday night on a proposal to reduce the size of a city zone in which businesses or developers get property tax breaks for making investments.

7:52 PM EDT, April 17, 2012

As tax deadline looms, last-minute filers finally buckle down

On deadline day at Liberty Tax Service on Harford Road, a young woman in a green Statue of Liberty costume stood out front waving frantically at passing cars.

5:53 PM EDT, March 27, 2012

Aramark to lay off 64 conference center workers

Aramark will lay off 64 workers in Silver Spring in May when it stops managing the Kirkland Conference Center at the National Labor College, the company told state officials Tuesday.

April 1, 2012

City considers shrinking size of tax-break zone by one-third

Harbor East, Harbor Point and most of Locust Point would be removed from a state enterprise zone that offers businesses tax breaks under new maps drawn up by the Baltimore Development Corp.

6:01 PM EST, March 7, 2012

Village of Cross Keys sold to retail and property investor

The Village of Cross Keys, an upscale North Baltimore shopping center and one of the earliest projects of Columbia founder James W. Rouse, has been sold by General Growth Properties to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., a retail and office property investor, according to a notice to tenants delivered Wednesday.

2:46 PM EDT, May 5, 2012

Groceries seeking ways around wine sales ban

Unlike most other states, Maryland shoppers have to make one extra stop for a cabernet to go with that steak they bought on sale at the supermarket —grocery stores in the state generally are banned from selling alcohol.

7:30 PM EDT, April 23, 2012

Under Armour: Missing data was in auditing firm's hands

A computer thumb drive that was lost in the mail with the names, Social Security numbers and salaries of some Under Armour employees was being sent between two offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers, an auditing firm used by the Baltimore-based sports apparel company, an Under Armour official said Monday.

6:23 PM EDT, April 11, 2012

PSC rejects taxi company's request to use security cameras

The Maryland Public Service Commission turned down a request Wednesday that would have allowed taxi companies to put security cameras instead of bullet-resistant shields in Baltimore cabs as a form of protection.

March 11, 2012

Sinclair aims to provide local TV news on the go

The head of Sinclair Broadcast Group has a definite idea about television's future: It will be a mobile medium. And he doesn't need industry research to tell him so.

6:52 PM EDT, March 28, 2012

Mega Millions: Mega jackpot sparks buying frenzy

Luck was on Grantland Jackson's side.

12:34 AM EDT, April 10, 2012

Ship delivers largest sugar cargo ever to Domino plant

With the wind whipping granules through the sweet-smelling air, Monday could have been just another day on the Domino Sugars docks in South Baltimore.

4:34 PM EDT, April 7, 2012

German gummi bear maker aims for bigger share of U.S. market

Chew on this: Adults — not children — account for 65 percent of gummi candy consumption in the United States.

5:47 PM EDT, March 22, 2012

Mayor to consider $35M financing tied to Under Armour project

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will consider a request for up to $35 million in city tax increment financing for infrastructure projects related to the proposed doubling of Under Armour's Locust Point headquarters in South Baltimore.

5:19 PM EDT, April 17, 2012

Sinclair CEO's compensation rose 16 percent

Sinclair Broadcast Group's chief executive, David D. Smith, earned $4.2 million last year, a 16 percent increase that included more than $2 million in stock option awards, the Hunt Valley-based broadcaster reported.

6:43 PM EST, March 8, 2012

Waesche to become COPT's CEO at end of March

Columbia-based Corporate Office Properties Trust, an office developer that specializes in government and defense tenants, said Thursday that President Roger A. Waesche Jr. would become chief executive officer at the end of the month. The transition plan was previously announced.

3:04 PM EST, March 8, 2012

Big Lots opening stores in Middle River and Hanover

Big Lots Inc. plans to open two Baltimore-area stores on Friday, the retailer announced Thursday.

6:38 PM EDT, April 11, 2012

PSC rejects taxi company's request to use security cameras

The Maryland Public Service Commission turned down a request Wednesday that would have allowed taxi companies to put security cameras instead of bullet-resistant shields in Baltimore cabs as a form of protection.

5:28 PM EST, March 6, 2012

Sparrows Point to restart galvanizing line in April

RG Steel Sparrows Point plans to restart the No. 2 galvanizing line in early April, expanding the plant's product offerings, the steelmaker said Tuesday.

6:07 PM EDT, March 15, 2012

Council panel passes Under Armour expansion bill

The Baltimore City Council's Land Use and Transportation Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would enable sports apparel maker Under Armour to double the size of its Locust Point headquarters, hire hundreds more workers and help retain the city's last major corporate headquarters.

7:33 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

Developers vie to restore Parkway Theatre in Charles North

The Maryland Film Festival would transform the historic and long-shuttered Parkway Theatre into a venue for small independent films and concerts under one of three proposals to enliven a key intersection in Baltimore's Charles North neighborhood.

1:55 PM EDT, March 19, 2012

Compensation for Under Armour CEO fell 14 percent last year

Total compensation for Under Amour CEO Kevin A. Plank fell 14 percent last year after the company failed to significantly improve its operating efficiency, the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

1:58 PM EDT, April 4, 2012

COPT sells office suburban Baltimore buildings

Corporate Office Properties Trust said it sold office buildings in White Marsh, Hunt Valley and Hanover as part of $61 million in property and land sales in the first three months of the year.

March 4, 2012

The Interview: Kerry Stackpole on Maryland's printing industry

To anyone who might believe printing is a dying industry in a digital age, Kerry Stackpole says this: Look in your cupboard.

6:50 AM EDT, March 22, 2012

Downtown loses jobs, while demand for offices, housing grows, report shows

Downtown Baltimore lost 9.4 percent of its jobs in 2011, according to a study to be released today by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.

7:07 PM EST, February 14, 2012

$40 million Fells Point project gets new developer

A Massachusetts-based apartment developer has taken over a $40 million project to transform the blocks around Broadway Market in Fells Point into new housing and shops.

9:00 PM EST, February 23, 2012

City economic development chief Brodie to retire

M.J. "Jay" Brodie, who has headed Baltimore's economic development agency under four mayors and helped shepherd projects such as the Harbor East redevelopment, said Thursday he plans to retire.

9:35 PM EST, March 5, 2012

Study: New arena, larger convention center would transform city

A $900 million proposal to build a downtown sports and entertainment arena linked to an expanded Baltimore Convention Center would appeal to national and international convention planners seeking a "destination package" and could transform the city, according to a Maryland Stadium Authority study released Monday.

7:10 PM EDT, April 12, 2012

New apartments planned for Barclay

A developer working to transform vacant, city-owned properties in a North Baltimore neighborhood into hundreds of new and rehabbed homes received city design approval Thursday for 69 new apartments that will get under way this fall.

4:44 PM EST, March 6, 2012

Asian market to open in Catonsville this summer

Lotte Plaza, an Asian market, will open a store this summer in the One Mile West Shopping Center in Catonsville in a former Toys "R" Us space, the shopping center owner said Tuesday.

7:50 PM EDT, March 13, 2012

Md. adds 5,000 jobs in Jan. as unemployment hits 3-year low

Maryland's unemployment rate in January fell to the lowest level in three years, reflecting an improving economy that spurred the state's employers to add 5,000 jobs during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday.

2:57 PM EST, March 8, 2012

Mall owner to increase stake in two Mills shopping centers

Mall owner Simon Property Group said Thursday it would increase its ownership in Arundel Mills Mall and Arundel Mills Marketplace in Hanover as part of a $1.6 billion deal to acquire its joint venture partner's stake in 26 Mills malls and shopping centers nationwide.

April 1, 2012

The Interview: Catherine Mahan

Catherine Mahan founded a landscape architecture firm in 1983 on the first floor of a Mount Vernon rowhouse. She had four employees and scraped by at first doing jobs for local architects and designing backyards for homeowners.

2:17 PM EST, February 9, 2012

COPT posts $87.2 million fourth-quarter loss

Columbia-based office developer Corporate Office Properties Trust, or COPT, posted an $87.2 million loss in the fourth quarter, the company reported Thursday, blaming a weak economic recovery and uncertainty over federal budget cuts.

4:48 PM EST, March 6, 2012

Tryko Partners buys 253-unit apartment complex in city

Tryko Partners LLC, a Brick, N.J.-based private equity real estate group, said Tuesday it purchased the 253-unit Park Raven apartments in Baltimore from Continental Realty Corp.

February 25, 2012

M.J. "Jay" Brodie: Economic development chief will retire after 16 years

When asked 16 years ago to head Baltimore's economic development agency, M.J. "Jay" Brodie really didn't want the job.

6:11 PM EST, February 21, 2012

Planned BWI-Cuba flights delayed until October

Plans to begin weekly flights to Cuba from Baltimore have been pushed back to October because of lack of demand, the head of the travel company offering the service said Tuesday. The flights were to begin next month.

1:55 PM EST, February 21, 2012

Towson Social Security office to move in March

The Towson Social Security office will move on March 6 to 28 Allegheny Ave., the Social Security Administration said Tuesday.

7:07 PM EST, March 8, 2012

Nine Maryland billionaires on Forbes list

The world's billionaires include nine from Maryland, according to Forbes magazine's latest ranking of the world's richest people.

9:03 AM EST, February 8, 2012

Sinclair's quarterly income falls 31%, earnings miss estimates

Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group said net income fell 31 percent in the fourth quarter, with earnings missing analysts' estimates by 4 cents per share.

3:57 PM EST, February 29, 2012

City set to demolish skywalk at Hopkins Plaza

Baltimore City officials will start a long-planned, $2 million demolition of a skywalk over Baltimore Street at Hopkins Plaza as part of an effort to make downtown plazas more inviting and to attract office and retail tenants.

5:32 PM EST, February 27, 2012

St. John has started new building in APG office park

Baltimore developer St. John Properties Inc. has started work on the 10^th building in an office park at Aberdeen Proving Ground to meet strong demand driven by the federal base realignment process.

9:36 PM EDT, March 16, 2012

Bankruptcy judge appoints trustee to run Alter

A trustee will run Alter Communications Inc., publisher of the Baltimore Jewish Times, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge ordered late Friday after determining the company had exhausted all avenues to reorganize under Chapter 11.

7:47 AM EST, February 16, 2012

New GM plant will bring jobs from Mexico to Baltimore County

Workers peered through safety goggles as they fitted together parts of the electric motors they were building on a General Motors assembly line in White Marsh.

12:41 PM EST, January 26, 2012

Under Armour reports earnings boost in fourth quarter

Sports apparel maker Under Armour Inc. reported a 42 percent gain in fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday and said the company experienced its highest overall annual growth rate since 2007 as it continues to roll out new products.

7:43 PM EDT, March 15, 2012

Parkville woman accused of insurance fraud

A 35-year-old Parkville woman has been charged with three counts of insurance fraud stemming from allegations that she filed three fraudulent claims and was paid a total of $21,563, the office of the Maryland attorney general said Thursday.

2:37 PM EST, February 17, 2012

Verizon Wireless workers get bonuses

Maryland's more than 2,500 Verizon Wireless workers have been given bonuses of 6 percent to 10 percent of their base salaries in their Friday paychecks, the company said. The yearly bonuses, which are paid to employees companywide, are based on the annual performance of both the company and individual workers.

7:42 PM EST, February 14, 2012

Audit: Md. firms got state tax credits without documenting costs

Eight Maryland businesses approved for $34 million in tax credits for job creation from 2007 to 2010 failed to document their project or startup costs, a legislative audit of the state's economic development agency has found.

1:32 AM EST, January 24, 2012

Second Chance moving to a new home of its own

Things have always been a bit uncertain for Second Chance, a salvage depot and nonprofit organization that has built a loyal following among homeowners, interior designers, commercial builders and art students seeking one-of-a-kind home items — bathtubs, shutters, mantelpieces, you name it — from old structures.

6:31 PM EST, February 28, 2012

Ripley's Believe it or Not! lease at Harborplace finalized

Ripley's Believe It or Not! has finalized plans to open an "odditorium" museum at the Inner Harbor by June.

7:45 PM EST, December 14, 2011

Blockbuster to pay $2 million to settle discrimination suit

Blockbuster Inc. has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle a lawsuit in which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused the retailer of subjecting female employees to sexual harassment, the agency's Baltimore office said Wednesday.

6:09 PM EST, February 13, 2012

Valentine's Day helps drive sales of luxury goods

It's no longer taboo to spend money lavishly if sales of high-end goods are any indicator. And that bodes well for retailers this Valentine's Day.

5:28 PM EST, February 8, 2012

BGE heating bills expected to decrease from last winter

Customers ofBaltimore Gas and Electric Co.can expect to pay $100 to $200 less to heat their homes this winter if the warmer-than-normal weather continues, the utility said Wednesday.

8:16 PM EST, January 4, 2012

Sparrows Point to restart some steelmaking operations

A letter from the owner of the idled Sparrows Point steel mill assuring customers that some operations are to resume will be welcome news, at least in the short term, an industry observer said Wednesday.

9:12 PM EST, January 26, 2012

Developer seeks tax break to lure Exelon

The owner of one of the last undeveloped sites at the Inner Harbor is seeking a property tax break from the city to allow it to compete with the developers of four other sites that have proposed or considered building a downtown headquarters for Exelon Corp.

9:35 PM EST, January 7, 2012

The Interview: Dianna Wilhelm

Dianna Wilhelm, a developer based in Annapolis Junction, was elected this month to head the Maryland chapter of NAIOP, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

8:32 PM EST, January 19, 2012

Ravens' win could mean big bucks in endorsements

The American Football Conference championship and a trip to the Super Bowl are at stake for the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, but a win could also mean big bucks for players seeking endorsements.

5:58 PM EST, December 22, 2011

Expansion planned for Hopkins' Bayview campus

Johns Hopkins Health System plans to open a $35 million expanded emergency department at Bayview Medical Center by January 2014, followed by a new oncology wing for its lung cancer treatment program.

6:31 PM EST, January 17, 2012

Northrop Grumman to lay off 90 in Maryland

Northrop Grumman Corp. will lay off 90 workers in Maryland as part of a nationwide cutback of 400 workers in the company's Electronic Systems sector, the company reported Tuesday. Plans to eliminate as many as 800 jobs nationwide were announced in October.

7:25 PM EST, December 14, 2011

State Center foes argue state lawsuit violates their rights

Opponents of the $1.5 billion State Center project asked a Circuit Court judge Wednesday to dismiss the state's legal action against them, arguing that they have a First Amendment right to go to court to protest plans to redevelop the aging government office complex in midtown Baltimore.

6:43 PM EST, January 25, 2012

Frederick News-Post to revive Monday edition

The Frederick News-Post plans to revive its Monday edition, which was suspended nearly three years ago in a cost-cutting move, and will return next month to seven-day publication, the newspaper announced Wednesday.

1:16 PM EST, February 4, 2012

Unemployed workers train to rebuild E. Balto. — and their lives

Just north of the Johns Hopkins medical campus, in the Middle East section of East Baltimore — an area where hundreds of families were moved out and hundreds of homes were razed as part of a $1.8 billion urban renewal project — a new neighborhood is beginning to sprout.

8:49 PM EST, November 25, 2011

Early start to Black Friday for shoppers, stores

This year, the packed-house madness that is Black Friday had petered out well before dawn.

11:47 PM EST, January 30, 2012

Baltimore suburbs rank third lowest in suburban office vacancy rates

Thanks to demand from the defense sector, the vacancy rate for office space in Baltimore's suburbs is lower than anywhere else in the United States except for two suburban markets in California, a new commercial real estate report shows.

1:26 PM EST, February 4, 2012

The Interview: Robin Budish, community organizer for Baltimore Streetcar Campaign

Robin Budish spends her days rallying support for an idea she says will make downtown Baltimore more livable — building a streetcar line along Charles Street.

8:18 PM EST, February 7, 2012

McCormick to open store at Inner Harbor this summer

More than 20 years after it left the Baltimore waterfront, McCormick and Co. plans to open a store this summer at the Inner Harbor that will sell spices as well as an updated image of the homegrown company.

7:28 PM EST, December 16, 2011

Court dismisses state's challenge to State Center lawsuit

A Baltimore Circuit Court judge dismissed a legal challenge Friday filed against opponents of the $1.5 billion State Center project, allowing the court fight to continue against the midtown Baltimore redevelopment.

4:40 PM EST, January 6, 2012

Wegmans to begin hiring for new Columbia store

Wegmans Food Markets has started hiring to fill about 250 full-time jobs for its new Columbia supermarket, which is set to open in mid-June, Wegmans announced Thursday.

7:24 PM EST, January 9, 2012

Tremont Plaza Hotel to become apartments

Responding to growing demand for more apartments in downtown Baltimore, owners of the Tremont Plaza Hotel will start converting the all-suites property later this year into a mix of rental units and long-term guest suites, the hotel's developer said Monday.

7:25 PM EST, December 12, 2011

FedEx predicts busiest shipping day in its history

On a day expected to be the busiest in FedEx's 40-year history, Diane Maleski got to work extra early — at 4:30 a.m. That was long before the first trucks arrived from the airport bearing parcels that would be piled onto conveyor belts, sorted by code number, and then reloaded into delivery trucks heading for Baltimore-area homes and businesses.

6:41 PM EST, January 3, 2012

Mission Place apartments completed in Howard County

Developers have finished work on a $53 million apartment and retail complex that is expected to help revitalize the Route 1 corridor in Howard County.

7:14 PM EST, January 9, 2012

Baltimore's downtown public spaces get a face-lift

A vision for the "greening" of downtown Baltimore is taking shape after city leaders proposed ambitious steps to keep and attract businesses and residents by making public areas more inviting.

7:19 PM EST, January 5, 2012

Wells Fargo agrees to pay restitution to mortgage borrowers

Under an agreement announced Thursday by the Maryland attorney general's office, Wells Fargo has agreed to make loan modifications and pay nearly $1 million in restitution to customers of two lenders acquired by the bank.

8:20 PM EST, January 12, 2012

City gets decked out for what may be purplest Friday yet

For months, Ravens fans have been trading in their Friday business attire, work uniforms and school clothes for purple-hued garments — flaunting their support for the team. But this Purple Friday could be the most extreme yet.

6:45 PM EST, January 5, 2012

Wells Fargo agrees to pay restitution to mortgage borrowers

Under an agreement announced Thursday by the Maryland Attorney General's Office, Wells Fargo has agreed to make loan modifications and pay nearly $1 million in restitution to customers of two lenders acquired by the bank.

3:38 PM EST, December 13, 2011

Under Armour, NBA deal allows use of uniforms in ad campaigns

NBA players sponsored by Baltimore-based Under Armour will be sporting their professional jerseys in upcoming ad campaigns for Under Armour footwear, under a partnership between the company and the National Basketball Association.

6:49 PM EST, December 8, 2011

Anthropologie unveils design for Harbor East store

Architects for apparel and home décor retailer Anthropologie have been asked to return to the Baltimore Planning Department with revised preliminary designs for a store slated to open next year at the base of the Four Seasons Hotel in Harbor East.

6:30 PM EST, January 3, 2012

Sinclair buys Four Points Media TV stations for $200 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has finalized a planned purchase of Four Points Media for $200 million, the Hunt Valley-based broadcaster said Tuesday.

8:08 PM EST, December 8, 2011

Church group urges construction jobs for E. Balto. residents

A job advocacy group in East Baltimore plans to demand that the developer of a $1.8 billion redevelopment project north of Johns Hopkins medical campus hire more local residents for the next phase of construction, including work on a new public school and a state public health laboratory.

6:38 PM EST, November 7, 2011

Stalled Baltimore hotel project to be auctioned Nov. 30

A former downtown Baltimore office building that was being converted to a Staybridge Suites Hotel is scheduled to go on the auction block Nov. 30.

8:39 PM EST, November 10, 2011

Most of Owings Mills Mall to be demolished, redeveloped

Most of the long-struggling Owings Mills Mall will be torn down starting in 2013 to make room for a $65 million retail development, a move that Baltimore County officials hope will complement other burgeoning projects in an area targeted for growth.

November 6, 2011

West side's story: A new approach to development

From his 14th-floor office on West Saratoga Street, Jay A. Perman, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, surveys the urban campus on downtown's west side and envisions the future.

1:59 PM EST, November 29, 2011

Columbia office complex sells for $16.1 million

First Potomac Realty Trust has bought two fully occupied office buildings in Columbia for $16.1 million, commercial real estate firm Cassidy Turley said Tuesday.

7:44 PM EST, December 23, 2011

COPT plans to sell non-core office buildings

Corporate Office Properties Trust plans to sell an additional $312 million worth of properties over the next three years under a previously announced strategy to shed non-core holdings.

4:54 PM EST, December 5, 2011

Retail development heats up in Baltimore

The shelves have been stocked and the cash registers tested for Wednesday's opening of Harris Teeter's upscale supermarket in Locust Point — part of a broader development push that is likely to bring Baltimore as much retail space as a regional shopping mall.

6:02 PM EST, January 10, 2012

Maryland builders pay penalties to settle violation claims

More than two dozen Maryland home builders have agreed to pay penalties totaling $26,000 to settle allegations that they violated state building laws, Maryland's Attorney General said Tuesday.

3:26 PM EST, November 19, 2011

Retailers will kick off Black Friday on Thursday

As retailers prepare for the traditional start of the holiday season this coming week, some of the nation's biggest chains plan to pre-empt Black Friday with shopping hours and special events on Thanksgiving Day — a move that has triggered a spate of online protests.

1:41 AM EDT, October 19, 2011

Survey: Grand Prix fell short of spending projections

Baltimore Grand Prix attendees spent as much as $25 million — far short of the $70 million projected by race organizers, according to an economic impact survey released this week.

9:08 PM EDT, October 26, 2011

Ripley's Believe It or Not! plans for Harborplace draw concern

If Ripley's Believe It or Not! opens a proposed "odditorium" museum at the Inner Harbor, it will be hard to miss.

October 4, 2011

Report: Agency failed to stop foreclosure abuses

The federal agency overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac failed to stop abuses by the mortgage giants' network of foreclosure attorneys for years before problems surfaced in news accounts, according to a report released Tuesday.

9:41 PM EST, November 9, 2011

East Baltimore residents criticize nonprofit development at hearing

The nonprofit group leading the $1.8 billion redevelopment of 88 acres north of the Johns Hopkins medical campus has failed to deliver on promises of jobs and housing after razing most of the neighborhood and relocating hundreds of families, a Baltimore City Council panel was told Wednesday night.

November 19, 2011

The Interview: Randall M. Griffin has overseen growth of COPT

He's led the Columbia-based company through two recessions and overseen its growth into a nationally known developer with $5 billion in assets and a specialty in high-security buildings for defense agency and defense contractor tenants.

9:48 PM EDT, October 17, 2011

Lowe's drops plans to build store in Remington

Lowe's, the national home improvement chain, has pulled out as an anchor of the proposed 25th Street Station, a retail and housing development in Remington that won Baltimore City approval nearly a year ago but has been stalled by court challenges.

7:20 PM EDT, October 10, 2011

Group to seek state funding for convention center, arena project

Backers of a proposed Inner Harbor arena linked to an expanded convention center expect to ask the state to provide funds for preliminary planning and design for the project's $420 million public portion.

6:52 PM EDT, October 7, 2011

North Baltimore apartment high-rise sold for $26.1 million

An affiliate of Harbor Group International LLC has purchased a 234-unit apartment tower on the northern edge of Baltimore City for $26.1 million, the Norfolk-based real estate firm said Friday.

8:14 PM EST, November 14, 2011

Four Seasons Baltimore offers luxury, boost for tourism

As the Four Seasons Baltimore opened to its first guests Monday, the city's newest waterfront hotel looked forward to many more.

1:02 PM EDT, October 7, 2011

Hackerman proposes retail or warehouse project at former incinerator site

The former site of a waste incinerator in Northeast Baltimore could be developed into a big-box store or warehouses or a combination under a plan being proposed by construction magnate Willard Hackerman, who has a contract to purchase the vacant, 19-acre site on Pulaski Highway from the city for more than $1 million.

September 24, 2011

Students help dream facelift for Cross Street Market

The cardboard models showed what a new town hall near Cross Street Market in Federal Hill could look like.

3:22 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

Under Armour's growth worries some neighbors

On a sunny fall day in Locust Point, neighborhood residents are out in force. Toddlers frolic in Latrobe Park's playground as tennis players trade volleys on a nearby court. Joggers thread through narrow streets lined with Formstone facades and renovated rowhouses with rooftop decks, while bicyclists pedal along the waterfront promenade outside Under Armour's Tide Point office complex.

8:46 PM EDT, September 7, 2011

Court battle over State Center intensifies

A court battle over the State Center development, a $1.5 billion project that would put offices, apartments and shops in midtown Baltimore, has intensified with a series of legal volleys in recent days.

9:03 PM EDT, October 27, 2011

Design panel reviews new vision for East Baltimore redevelopment

A new vision for the redevelopment of 88 acres north of Johns Hopkins Hospital moves the East Baltimore project in the right direction but should focus more on attracting families and improving community life for existing as well potential new residents, members of a city design panel and area residents said Thursday.

9:36 PM EDT, September 8, 2011

Officials: Grand Prix boosted hotel, parking revenue

The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix gave the local economy much of the boost officials hoped for — though organizers say they will seek to spread the benefits to more businesses next year.

7:38 PM EDT, September 8, 2011

Sinclair agrees to buy 7 TV stations for $200 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has agreed to buy the television station assets of Four Points Media for $200 million, the Hunt Valley-based broadcaster said Thursday.

6:42 PM EDT, September 9, 2011

Exelon-Constellation announces leadership team for merged firm

Several top Constellation Energy executives would hold senior leadership positions in the combined company if its planned merger with Exelon Corp. is approved, Exelon said Friday.

5:54 PM EDT, August 17, 2011

Home builder ordered to pay more than $124,000

The office of the state attorney general ordered an Anne Arundel County home builder on Wednesday to pay more than $124,000 in refunds to customers who were building a home in Baltimore County, penalties and costs.

2:55 PM EST, November 7, 2011

Md. casinos bring in $12.9 million in October

Maryland's two casinos brought in a total of $12.9 million in October, the Maryland Lottery reported Monday.

August 14, 2011

RTKL wins contest to design iconic building in China

Baltimore-based RTKL Associates Inc. recently beat two international rivals to win a contract to design an iconic structure for a city along the Yangtze River in China.

8:54 PM EDT, October 20, 2011

Northrop Grumman to cut 800 jobs, most in Md.

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s plan to eliminate as many as 800 jobs — the second steep reduction for the Linthicum-based Electronic Systems division this year — could presage cutbacks by other federal contractors and further blows to the state's economy.

8:22 AM EDT, August 30, 2011

Irene's impact on Md. businesses mixed

Hurricane Irene did not inflict as much damage in Maryland as officials and residents had feared. But the storm came at a bad time for many businesses.

3:29 PM EDT, August 8, 2011

Design panel reviews Canton shopping center proposal

A city design panel reviewed plans Monday for a proposed 500,000-square-foot shopping center at the Canton Crossing mixed-used development.

8:10 PM EDT, August 18, 2011

A vision for North Avenue

Where the passengers on the tour bus rolling west on North Avenue saw blocks of crumbling and abandoned buildings and overgrown lots, Lou Fields envisioned another Pratt Street in the making.

7:21 PM EDT, September 27, 2011

Developer pays fine over election law case

A Baltimore developer has paid a $55,000 fine to settle a case in which the Federal Election Commission found the company used corporate funds to make campaign contributions in the names of company executives during the 2006 election cycle.

2:18 AM EDT, September 7, 2011

Grand Prix boosts some businesses, disappoints others

Profits and losses have yet to be counted. But among the businesses that had hoped to capitalize on the crowds at the first Baltimore Grand Prix, it's clear that there have been winners and losers.

2:28 PM EDT, September 9, 2011

Local builder embarks on new apartment construction

An Owings Mills group is launching work on five new apartment complexes in the mid-Atlantic at a cost of $186.5 million, all in areas it says have high demand but little new construction.

5:41 PM EDT, July 13, 2011

Judge denies state's motion to dismiss State Center suit

Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy on Wednesday denied a state motion to dismiss a lawsuit over the $1.5 billion State Center proposal, a controversial redevelopment of a state government complex in midtown Baltimore.

1:41 PM EDT, July 18, 2011

City to pay part of arena, convention center study

Baltimore City will pay a third of the $150,000 cost of a Maryland Stadium Authority study to determine whether the city should build a new downtown arena linked to an expanded Baltimore Convention Center.

3:41 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

N.Y. investor Peltz buys a bigger share of Legg Mason

New York investor Nelson Peltz has acquired a bigger share of Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc., buying 2.65 million shares of the Baltimore money manager for $76.5 million between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing shows. The Baltimore Business Journal first reported the news.

8:53 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

BDC hears 2 plans to renew historic E. Balto. building

A historic former school in East Baltimore that has been vacant for years could be transformed into college classrooms or offices under proposals heard by city officials Wednesday.

3:12 PM EDT, September 1, 2011

Closed ice rink sold at foreclosure auction

The shuttered Northwest Ice Rink in Baltimore's Mount Washington neighborhood was sold Wednesday at a foreclosure auction to a top bidder for $490,000, including a mortgage payoff amount.

6:28 PM EDT, August 8, 2011

Phillips wins key approval for Power Plant sign

A city design panel on Monday approved Phillips Seafood's plans for new signs and windows at the Inner Harbor's Power Plant, where the company plans to open a 500-seat restaurant by early October in former ESPN Zone space.

6:30 PM EDT, August 2, 2011

Tech firm Salar Inc. is acquired for $11 million

Baltimore technology company Salar Inc. was acquired by Atlanta-based Transcend Services Inc. in an $11 million cash-for-stock transaction that closed Friday, Transcend announced Tuesday.

October 1, 2011

The Interview: Manpower's Andrew Francis expects a boost in 4Q hiring in Baltimore region

Hiring will likely continue at a slow pace through the end of the year, the job placement firm Manpower reported in its latest quarterly survey. Of the 18,000 employers who participated in the study, only 7 percent plan to expand their workforces.

7:42 PM EDT, October 6, 2011

Under Armour gets preliminary OK for waterfront projects

Under Armour received city Planning Commission approval Thursday to pursue waterfront improvement projects near its Locust Point headquarters with the help of tax-increment financing.

7:55 PM EDT, August 24, 2011

Court clears way for foreclosure on stalled city hotel project

An order by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has cleared the way for a lender to foreclose on the Jefferson Building, where work on a planned Staybridge Suites Hotel stalled during the financial downturn.

7:10 PM EDT, August 1, 2011

Legg Mason notifies state of 35 job cuts in Owings Mills

Legg Mason Inc. said Monday that it would lay off an additional 35 workers by January as part of a previously announced plan to shut down the money manager'sOwings Mills facility.

4:22 PM EDT, September 9, 2011

Local builder embarks on new apartment construction

An Owings Mills group is launching work on five new apartment complexes in the Mid-Atlantic at a cost of $186.5 million, all in areas it says have high demand but little new construction.

7:01 PM EDT, September 20, 2011

McCormick & Schmick's sued over firing of deaf prep cook

A lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Baltimore accuses McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant in Oxon Hill of firing a disabled prep cook in violation of federal law.

2:43 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

COPT lowers third-quarter earnings expectations

Corporate Office Properties Trust, a Columbia-based owner and developer of office parks, lowered its third-quarter earnings expectations because of a loss on an investment in a cybersecurity firm, the company said Friday.

6:03 PM EDT, July 26, 2011

Legg Mason investors approve executive pay package

Legg Mason Inc. shareholders approved a $5.9 million pay package for Chairman and CEO Mark R. Fetting in an advisory vote announced Tuesday at the Baltimore-based company's annual meeting.

4:47 PM EDT, August 1, 2011

Md. Lottery breaks sales record for fourteenth year

The Maryland Lottery broke a sales record for the 14^th consecutive year in fiscal 2011, generating $1.7 billion in sales, the agency said Monday. The lottery contributed $519 million to the state's general fund, an increase of $8.86 million over the last fiscal year, to go toward education, public safety, health and environmental programs.

10:26 AM EDT, August 10, 2011

Senator Theatre's operators get OK on renovation

Operators of the Senator Theatre won approval from the city's historical preservation board Tuesday to renovate the North Baltimore landmark and expand it with three new screens and a wine bar.

4:45 PM EDT, June 22, 2011

New York publisher buys Maryland Pennysaver

All Island Media, a New York-based publisher, has acquired Pennysaver Inc., the Hanover-based publisher of the Maryland Pennysaver shopping circular, All Island Media said Wednesday. The sale price was not revealed.

5:25 PM EDT, August 3, 2011

Sinclair profit rises 7% on more auto ads

Profits at the Sinclair Broadcast Group rose more than 7 percent in the second quarter as local auto dealers increased spending on television advertising, the Hunt Valley-based TV station owner reported Wednesday.

7:08 PM EDT, September 2, 2011

Local contractors cash in on Grand Prix

Television watchers can thank Peter Larsson and his fast-growing Hanover company for one of the best views available for Sunday's race through downtown Baltimore — and for just about any car race anywhere in the U.S., for that matter.

7:37 PM EDT, July 19, 2011

Franchot pulls support from $1.5 billion State Center project

Comptroller Peter Franchot has told state officials he will no longer support the proposed $1.5 billion State Center project, arguing that redevelopment of the aging state government complex in midtown Baltimore would plunge Maryland taxpayers into deeper debt and threaten the state's fiscal health.

2:14 PM EDT, July 23, 2011

State Center backers dismiss recent setbacks

A vision to create a 21st-century urban village in midtown Baltimore has faced more potential setbacks in the past month than perhaps at any time in the decade-long effort to transform State Center, the aging state government office complex along Preston Street, into a $1.5 billion mix of offices, homes, shops and plazas.

June 26, 2011

The Interview: Aaron Greenfield, attorney for Holocaust survivors and families

Baltimore attorney Aaron Greenfield's work representing Holocaust survivors and their families earned him an invitation last month to join a special committee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

5:04 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

New plans for Canton Crossing retail to be presented

Developers expect to present their concept for a shopping center at the Canton Crossing mixed-use development to a city design panel on Monday.

8:00 PM EDT, May 19, 2011

Fewer Marylanders reported behind on mortgage payments

Fewer Maryland homeowners were in foreclosure or behind on mortgage payments in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, reflecting a loan crisis on the mend, statistics released Thursday show.

11:45 AM EDT, July 28, 2011

COPT reports 6 percent rise in funds from operations

Corporate Office Properties Trust, an owner and developer of office complexes for government agencies and contractors, said Thursday its second-quarter funds from operations rose 6 percent because of gains on investments and properties the company acquired or opened last year.

6:01 PM EDT, July 13, 2011

Cordish set to make announcement at Power Plant

Phillips Seafood, an original Harborplace tenant that is closing its restaurant there Sept. 30, will show a city design panel plans Thursday for a new establishment at the Power Plant, in space left vacant by ESPN Zone when it closed last summer.

6:40 PM EDT, August 2, 2011

WellDoc set to raise $5M to expand mobile apps

Health care technology company WellDoc Inc. is close to raising $5 million from individual investors that will allow it to expand its mobile applications for disease management.

2:41 PM EDT, September 4, 2011

Downtown businesses rev up for Grand Prix

Managers at the Pratt Street Alehouse tend to keep their expectations low for Labor Day weekend, typically a sleepy affair in the city.

8:43 PM EDT, July 14, 2011

Phillips finalizes plans for move to Power Plant

Phillips Seafood will open a 500-seat restaurant by early October at the Inner Harbor's Power Plant, in space left vacant last summer by ESPN Zone, Phillips and landlord the Cordish Cos. announced Thursday.

5:24 PM EDT, May 4, 2011

Sinclair profit up 33 percent in first quarter

Sinclair Broadcast Group reported Wednesday that profit jumped 33 percent in the first quarter, thanks to double-digit gains in spending by automotive advertisers and revenue generated by the 2011 Super Bowl.

1:34 PM EDT, June 22, 2011

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake names new CEO

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Inc. said Wednesday that Lisa Rusyniak will take over as president and chief executive officer in December.

1:56 PM EDT, May 28, 2011

Competing for conventions

If Baltimore manages to build the $900 million convention center expansion and arena proposed for the Inner Harbor, business and civic leaders say, the city will join a growing list of destinations competing to woo lucrative convention business with bigger, better facilities.

1:23 PM EDT, June 29, 2011

Wm. T. Burnett & Co. to redevelop site in S.W. Baltimore

Baltimore manufacturer Wm. T. Burnett & Co. and a subsidiary have won a city bid to redevelop property on Wicomico Street in Southwest Baltimore to expand the company's operations, the Baltimore Development Corp. reported.

9:16 PM EDT, June 13, 2011

Travel agents, fewer in number, say business on uptick

Whether they're planning to travel to Italy, Tibet or Argentina, Larry and Bonnie Ohler call Lynda Maxwell first.

10:57 PM EDT, June 3, 2011

Southwest CEO sees growth, opportunity at BWI

Now that Southwest Airlines has completed its $1 billion purchase of AirTran Holdings, executives have launched the longer-term process of merging the two brands, retraining employees, rolling out larger aircraft, giving makeovers to AirTran planes and positioning Southwest for international expansion.

6:28 PM EDT, May 3, 2011

Sun circulation on Sunday reaches over 340,000

The Baltimore Sun had total average circulation of 195,561 copies daily and 343,552 on Sunday in the six months that ended March 31, according to an Audit Bureau of Circulations report released Tuesday.

July 31, 2011

Charles Street corridor sees post-recession resurgence

Walid Hajj is happy he followed his instincts and bought an incomplete condo redevelopment in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood last fall.

July 3, 2011

Opportunities grow for veteran-owned businesses

Wading through swamps and running up mountains taught Patrick McCormack more than how to survive punishing conditions without much food or sleep. His grueling Army Ranger training, along with several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, taught the Ellicott City native important business lessons as well.

June 5, 2011

Turnover at the workplace is on the rise

A year ago, Washington marketing associate Tara Miller felt lucky just to have a job in her field.

May 1, 2011

No building slowdown on campus

Johns Hopkins is building a 45,000-square-foot addition to its centerpiece Milton S. Eisenhower Library.

10:14 PM EDT, September 27, 2010

Southwest merger with AirTran combines biggest BWI rivals

Southwest Airlines' $1.4 billion bid for AirTran Holdings would combine the two largest carriers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, cementing Southwest's dominance at BWI but possibly ushering in higher passenger fares amid decreased competition.

1:12 PM EDT, April 25, 2011

Regal Cinemas plans theater in Gambrills development

Regal Cinemas will open a theater at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, a planned mixed-use development in Gambrills in West Anne Arundel County, project developer Greenberg Gibbons said Monday.

9:05 PM EDT, July 6, 2011

Verizon to pay $20 million to settle discrimination suit

Verizon Communications has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a discrimination lawsuit charging the telecommunications giant with failing to accommodate hundreds of workers whose absences were caused by their disabilities.

4:52 PM EDT, June 2, 2011

Sinclair shareholders approve executive pay

Shareholders of Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. approved the company's executive pay package in a "say on pay" nonbinding vote Thursday.

February 6, 2011

The Interview: Kristen McGuire on the importance of internships

With the Baltimore area firmly in the grip of winter, it's time for the area's 120,000 college students to start thinking about summer. Internships, that is.

9:19 PM EDT, May 9, 2011

Job outlook brightens for new college graduates

Heather Prosser will have more than a college degree when she accepts her diploma from Stevenson University on Friday. By then, Prosser also will have the first week of her first job under her belt.

4:42 PM EDT, May 4, 2011

State seeks developer for mixed-use project on Eastern Shore

State officials are seeking a developer to build a mixed-use project on 12 waterfront acres in Cambridge on the Eastern Shore.

6:21 PM EDT, May 23, 2011

Sinclair buys Ring of Honor wrestling franchise

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has acquired wrestling franchise Ring of Honor and plans to start airing the original television wrestling match programs on its network of stations in September, the Hunt Valley broadcaster said Monday.

6:57 PM EST, January 15, 2011

After spectacular fall, Struever reappears on the radar

Two years after C. William Struever's real estate empire collapsed and the once-ubiquitous developer dropped off Baltimore's radar, the urban visionary has reappeared as a managing director of a new company, working on the same kinds of projects that helped make his name.

7:41 PM EST, February 14, 2011

Number of black-owned firms grows 61% in Baltimore area

The number of black-owned businesses in the Baltimore area grew three times as fast as Baltimore-area firms as a whole between 2002 and 2007, statistics released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau show.

8:37 PM EST, February 7, 2011

Jobs grew 6 percent in downtown Baltimore in 2010

As the economy improved, the number of jobs in downtown Baltimore rose 6 percent last year — the first gain in three years and a much faster pace of employment growth than in the entire city, statistics to be released Tuesday by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore show.

12:39 PM EST, January 29, 2011

Employers increase flexible workplace options

Employees at Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield, the region's largest insurer, can work from home several days a week.

10:06 PM EST, January 12, 2011

State Center faces delay because of pending lawsuit

The planned $1.5 billion transformation of the aging Maryland government complex in midtown Baltimore is facing a delay on the first phase of construction because of a pending lawsuit against the developers.

12:28 AM EDT, November 6, 2010

Builder taps East Baltimore roots to transform housing, neighborhood

From a window of his family's longtime North Bond Street rowhouse in East Baltimore, Lloyd Williams videotaped the activity on the street. A builder and home remodeler who grew up in the Oliver neighborhood, Williams was shocked by how the area had deteriorated since he left in the early 1990s.

10:10 PM EDT, May 10, 2011

Solo Cup to begin corporate layoffs at Owings Mills in June

Solo Cup Co. will begin laying off some Owings Mills-based corporate workers June 30 as it prepares to shut the Baltimore County manufacturing plant at the end of September, sooner than the company had anticipated, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday.

February 16, 2010

The high cost of storm parking: tow truck fees

Bolton Hill resident Matt Steen found out the hard way that neighborliness during a snowstorm only goes so far.

6:18 PM EST, December 11, 2010

Small retailers struggle in tough economy to stock up for holidays

Beth Hawks' cozy Federal Hill boutique is so chock-full of earrings, scarves, ornaments and other merchandise that customers taking it all in might never guess to what lengths she has gone to stock the shelves.

February 9, 2010

Stores race to restock their shelves

Santoni's Super Market, an independent grocery in East Baltimore, closed early for the first time in its 80-year history Saturday afternoon after a major delivery from its supplier didn't arrive and employees couldn't get through the snow to work.

12:55 AM EST, February 28, 2011

Cubicles, offices are shrinking, while space for teamwork grows

Your office cubicle may be feeling more cramped than ever.