Maryland

New Library, Recreation Center Planned In Baltimore County

Published

2 years ago

May 23, 2024

New Library, Recreation Center Planned In Baltimore County

May 8, 2024

RANDALLSTOWN, MD — Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced that the County plans to acquire a 90,000 square-foot property for a shared 21st-century facility that will house a new, expanded Randallstown branch of the Baltimore County Public Library and a brand-new Department of Recreation and Parks center.

The new joint facility, located in the heart of Randallstown at 8212 Liberty Road, will be supported by over $41 million in state and local funds. With its location in the heart of the Liberty Road corridor, this state-of-the-art facility will facilitate revitalization efforts and serve as a community hub in an area that ranks “high” on the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index.

“Libraries and recreational amenities play a crucial role in creating vibrant and thriving communities. This new, combined 21st-century space in Randallstown will be a hub for learning and social connections, as well as a space where residents of all ages can be active – together,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “I thank Speaker Jones for her leadership on this project, as well as the support from all of our state and local partners, on this first-of-its-kind project in Baltimore County.”

“Today’s announcement represents the State’s commitment to bring additional education and recreational opportunities to communities in Northwest Baltimore County,” said Maryland Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones. “This state-of-the-art facility will also provide critical community and social services to families, students, and seniors in the region.”

The current Randallstown library – built in 1967 – serves a community of approximately 50,000 residents and continues to see significant use with over 100,000 customers last year and the highest number of public computer users per square foot of all Baltimore County Public Library branches. The site currently has insufficient space to support much-needed program expansion at its existing location.

The proposed expanded Randallstown branch will provide approximately 50,000 square feet of dedicated, accessible space for library use — nearly twice the size of the current location.
The library portion of the new site will also offer:

Space to accommodate over 200,000 visitors annually,
Public meeting rooms to accommodate large-scale library and community events, as well as individual and group study rooms,
An all-age makerspace/creative arts space,
Separate teen and “tween” spaces,
Public desktop computers and laptop areas, and more.

The Randallstown library and recreation center will also continue to offer “Beyond the Bell” afterschool programming, teen projects for school service-learning hours, sensory programming, free summer lunches for school-age children, one-on-one access to social workers, “My Librarian” appointments and more. Additionally, the Randallstown Branch partners with the Cash Campaign for free tax-preparation during tax season.

“Based on the traffic levels and usage of the Randallstown Branch, it is clear that the community is clamoring for this 21st century library space with more technology and modern amenities,” said Baltimore County Public Library CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine. “This state-of-the-art, dual-purpose building will remove barriers and create access to a breadth of County resources for the community to learn, work and play all under one roof. It undoubtedly will help us fulfill our vision of empowering and engaging individuals for a more inclusive and connected Baltimore County. We are excited and grateful for the endorsement and financial support from the State of Maryland and Baltimore County to make this innovative project a reality.”

The new facility will also provide the Randallstown community with approximately 30,000 square feet in new recreation opportunities aligned with the community’s growing and changing needs and offer an open gymnasium area with flexible, modular programming space with a walking track and several indoor courts for year-round activities, including:

Pickleball
Basketball
Volleyball
Futsal
Soccer

“We are excited to get started on this transformational project along the Liberty Road corridor, and looking forward to a new and collaborative with Baltimore County Public Library,” Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks Director Bob Smith. “We often hear about the need for more recreational options in this community and this new space represents the County’s continued focus on meeting the needs of our residents. Many thanks to County Executive Olszewski, Speaker Jones, Councilman Jones and our other local and state partners for their tremendous support and vision for this project.”

By sharing, one centralized site, Baltimore County Public Library and the Department of Recreation and Parks will be able to provide increased access to shared services as well as cross-departmental and intergenerational collaborations.

The new shared Randallstown library and recreation center, which will be located approximately one mile from the current Randallstown Branch, is also conveniently located to public transportation and is in close proximity to Scotts Branch Elementary School other Baltimore County Public schools.

“I am thrilled to see Baltimore County moving forward with this innovative and exciting project to bring a new Randallstown Library and Recreation Center to Liberty Road,” County Councilman Julian Jones said. “This project will be a great addition and an exciting new resource for our residents in west Baltimore County. Thank you to County Executive Johnny Olszewski, House Speaker Adrienne Jones, BCPL Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, and Recreation and Parks Director Bob Smith for working together to move this project forward.”

To ensure this project best meets the needs of the surrounding community, County officials will host a community input meeting next month to seek feedback on the proposal. Additional details for the community input meeting will be announced in the coming weeks.

This press release was produced by Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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Maryland

Maryland family wants answers after boy with special needs breaks leg in class

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Maryland family wants answers after boy with special needs breaks leg in class

HYATTSVILLE, Md. — The parents of a 7-year-old first grader with autism are demanding answers from Prince George’s County Public Schools after their son suffered a severe leg fracture while at school — an injury no one has been able to explain.

Daevian Donaldson, a student at Felegy Elementary School in Hyattsville, is recovering from surgery after his femur was snapped and displaced during class last Friday, according to his parents, Daechele Kaufman and Anthony Donaldson.

RELATED | Prince George’s schools faces $150 million budget realignment: Superintendent explains

Kaufman said the day began normally as she dropped Daevian and his twin brother off for first grade. Around 9 a.m., she received an alarming phone call from the school.

“They just said he was on the floor screaming and didn’t want anyone to touch him,” Kaufman said.

She rushed to the school and found her son with obvious trauma to his leg. Neither staff nor Daevian — who communicates differently because he is on the autism spectrum — could explain how the injury occurred, she said.

Doctors later confirmed the severity of the injury through X-rays.

“When I saw the X-ray and one of the nurses said he was going to need surgery, all these wheels started turning,” Kaufman said.

Daevian Donaldson, a student at Felegy Elementary School in Hyattsville, is recovering from surgery after his femur was snapped and displaced during class, according to his parents. (7News)

The parents said they later learned Daevian’s regular teacher was attending a meeting at the time, and the special-needs classroom was being supervised by a substitute. They said no clear explanation has been provided for how a child could suffer such a serious injury without staff noticing what happened.

“It’s definitely neglect,” Kaufman said. “You can’t turn away and come back and say, ‘Oh, you fell,’ for a major injury like that. That’s not acceptable.”

After the family raised concerns publicly, Prince George’s County Public Schools issued a statement saying the district is investigating the incident and has placed the staff member involved on administrative leave.

Anthony Donaldson said that response does not go far enough.

“It needs to be more than one person on administrative leave,” he said. “Several people need to be evaluated on how they’re trained, or they need to be fired.”

Daevian is continuing to recover after surgery but is still experiencing pain, his parents said. As the interview concluded, the 7-year-old quietly asked for his medication.

The family said they want accountability — and assurances that other children, especially those with special needs, will be kept safe.

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Maryland

Man killed in Maryland barn fire believed to be ‘The Wire’ actor Bobby J. Brown

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Man killed in Maryland barn fire believed to be ‘The Wire’ actor Bobby J. Brown

The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that a 62-year-old man died in a barn fire at his home in Chaptico, Md. It’s believed that the victim was actor Bobby J. Brown, who starred on “The Wire.”

Posted February 27, 2026 12:59am EST

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Maryland

Maryland litigator convicted of tax evasion over income from high-stakes poker

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Maryland litigator convicted of tax evasion over income from high-stakes poker

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A prominent Supreme Court litigator who also published a popular blog about the nation’s highest court was convicted Wednesday of tax evasion and related charges stemming from his secretive lifestyle as an ultra-high-stakes poker player.

A federal jury found SCOTUSblog co-founder Thomas Goldstein guilty of 12 of 16 counts after a six-week trial in Greenbelt, Maryland. Jurors deliberated for approximately two days before convicting Goldstein of one count of tax evasion, four of eight counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, four counts of willful failure to timely pay taxes, and three counts of false statements on loan applications.

Goldstein was charged with failing to pay taxes on millions of dollars in gambling income. Justice Department prosecutors also accused him of diverting money from his law firm to pay gambling debts and falsely deducting gambling debts as business expenses.

Goldstein argued more than 40 cases before the Supreme Court before retiring in 2023. He was part of the legal team that represented Democrat Al Gore in the Supreme Court litigation over the 2000 election ultimately won by Republican President George W. Bush.

Goldstein’s indictment a year ago sent shockwaves through the legal community in Washington, D.C. Many friends and colleagues didn’t know the extent of his gambling.

“He lied to everyone around him,” Justice Department prosecutor Sean Beaty said during the trial’s closing arguments.

Defense attorney Jonathan Kravis said the government rushed to judgment and failed to adequately investigate the case. Goldstein made “innocent mistakes” on his tax returns but didn’t cheat on his taxes or knowingly make false statements on his tax returns, Kravis told jurors.

“A mistake is not a crime,” he said.

Beaty described Goldstein as a “willful tax cheat.” Goldstein raked in approximately $50 million in poker winnings in 2016, including roughly $22 million that he won playing in Asia, according to Beaty. The prosecutor said the tax evasion scheme “fell apart” when another gambler, feeling cheated by Goldstein, notified the IRS about a 2016 debt owed to the attorney.

“It was a textbook tax-evasion scheme,” Beaty said. “And Mr. Goldstein executed that nearly flawlessly.”

The trial, which started Jan. 12, included testimony by “Spider-Man” star Tobey Maguire, an avid poker player who enlisted Goldstein’s help in recovering a gambling debt from a billionaire.

Goldstein, who testified in his own defense, denied any wrongdoing. He has said he repeatedly instructed his law firm’s staff and accountants to correctly characterize his personal expenses. In a 2014 email, he told a firm employee that “we always play completely by the rules.”

Goldstein also was accused of lying to IRS agents and hiding his gambling debts from his accountants, employees and mortgage lenders. He omitted a $15 million gambling debt from mortgage loan applications while looking for a new home in Washington, D.C., with his wife in 2021, his indictment alleges.

“He was thinking only of his wife when he left off the gambling debts,” Kravis said.

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