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What do you do when the state wants to build a coal burning power plant just miles from your home? This Swan Point, MD couple decided to to try and fight it. When that didn't work, they opted instead to cut back on their energy usage by installing a wind turbine.

Watch the video:

On 'Today's Pet' segment, Jill Rappaport interviewed the founders of 'Pets with Disabilities'. The Prince Frederick, MD couple take in dogs with a varying disabilities - even from as far away as Russia.

Here's the video:

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The state's congressional reps along with Gov. O'Malley have launched an effort making the case that Maryland is fertile ground to become the home of the new U.S. Cyber Command. Should his nomination as leader of the command be approved by the Senate, Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander has already designated Ft. Meade, MD as home to the new command.

Here's an excerpt.

"On Monday, Democratic members of Maryland's congressional delegation and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) launched perhaps the most coordinated effort since their party took control of the White House to harness a stream of federal funding and a growing job sector, billing Maryland as the logical destination for thousands of new cybersecurity posts.

California, Texas, Massachusetts and other states have concentrations of high-tech security workers, but, O'Malley said, "we not only think that Maryland can be the national center for cybersecurity; the fact of the matter is our state already is the epicenter of cybersecurity."

The governor appeared with Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin and Reps. Chris Van Hollen and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, all Maryland Democrats, at the Gaithersburg headquarters of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

They said that since the National Security Agency -- as well as high-tech defense and intelligence installations -- are based in the state, Maryland should become the home of the fledgling U.S. Cyber Command, which could bring 24,000 to 28,000 jobs."

Read the entire article here.

Tourists seeking a taste of the "real" Baltimore beyond the coiffured confines of the Inner Harbor will want to head up Eutaw Street to Lexington Market, according to this visitor from Maine.

Here's an excerpt:

"Lexington Market, a historic food market on the western edge of Baltimore's downtown, is the world's largest continuously operating marketplace. It's also about the closest thing to a snapshot of Baltimore itself that I have found yet. In a city divided by lines, all ages, ethnicities and classes can be found within the throng around its many stalls.

Stepping into the busy marketplace is an assault on the senses. With the many aromas, the noise of the crowd, and all of the different things to look at, it can be hard just to keep from being run over, much less choose what to eat. All around me I see food: fish markets, fried chicken, butchers, delis, fruits, vegetables, collard greens, barbecue, Chinese cuisine, bakeries, sushi, okra, tilapia � everything from simple pizza and fries to oddities like chicken necks and, yes, muskrat. A sea of people and vendors hawking their wares flows around me."

Read the full article here.

Three city's are vying to lay claim as the true home of the Poe legacy. The battle over his legacy will soon be over, however. During the 201^st birthday celebration honoring Edgar Allen Poe, the Poe Foundation will finally put an end to the fight, announcing the city to claim his legacy.

Here's an excerpt:

"Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia all want a piece of the Poe � master of macabre Edgar Allan Poe, that is. But as the bicentennial of his birth winds down (his 201st birthday is Tuesday), the debate over which city can claim his legacy will be laid to rest.

Poe descendant and Poe Foundation president Harry Lee Poe will settle the matter during a 24-hour birthday bash at the Poe Museum in Richmond, Va."

Read the full article here.

The University of Maryland Baltimore County's chess team dominates once again as it takes the top prize in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships for the ninth time over the past 14 years.

Here's an excerpt:

"At the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships, held Dec. 27-30 in South Padre Island, Tex., the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, swept to victory with a perfect score of six wins. It was the ninth time in 14 years that a team from the university had won or tied for first in the annual tournament.

The only real rival to Baltimore County has been the University of Texas at Dallas, which has won or tied for first seven times in the last 14 years. This year, two Dallas teams tied for second, along with a team from Texas Tech."

Read the full article here.

Maryland schools make the grade with a B and taking the honors as the state with the best schools in the U.S., according to a new report from the publishers of Education Week.

Here's an excerpt:

"The nation earned a C on the 14th annual Education Week report card, which measures how well states have delivered a high-quality education to all students, with Maryland earning the best overall grade of any state and Virginia placing in the top five, with a B minus.

With University of Maryland College Park at  leading the way, five Maryland universities have made it on to Kilplinger's list of "Best Values in Public Colleges." The annual list, included in the magazine's February issue, gives the lowdown on the top 100 schools that give students - and their  cash-strapped parents - the most for their hard earned loot in this fractious economy.

Joining College Park on the list were: St. Mary's College, Salisbury University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Towson University.

Here's an excerpt:

"Over the past few years, the University of Maryland at College Park has made its way with tortoise-like tenacity (and hare-like speed) into our top ten, jumping from number 28 in February 2008 to number 8 in 2010. This flagship institution, known for its engineering, journalism and computer-science programs (and, of course, its terrapin mascot), has risen to the top by keeping in-state costs virtually unchanged while improving on quality, especially in its graduation rates.

That success comes largely from an ongoing campaign to reduce waste and boost efficiency, including the efficiency with which students collect a degree. The university spends thousands more than it charges to educate in-staters, says President Dan Mote, making perennial students costly to both their parents and the university. "It's a lose-lose situation," says Mote. To keep the kids on track, the university has boosted counseling, encouraged students to settle on a major and insisted that they take full course loads. Says Mote, "We told them that it's time to achieve.""

Read the entire article here.

Whether you're a Volt devotee or just want a unique dining experience, for a price you can pull up a chair at the restaurant's kitchen table and watch "Top Chef" runner-up, Bryan Voltaggio in action.

Here's an excerpt.

"Don't expect coddling from "Top Chef" contestant Bryan Voltaggio just because you've paid $121 to sit two feet away while he runs the kitchen at Volt in Frederick, Maryland.

The owner/chef isn't being rude. He's just concentrating on preparing the 21 delightful dishes served to diners at Table 21, inside the kitchen of his restaurant about 50 miles from Washington and Baltimore."

Read the entire article here.

Area farmer's markets may have little to offer in the way of fresh veggies as local farmers' fields lay fallow in the winter months, but students at the Entrepreneur Training University, a community school on the Lake Clifton campus, are learning the joys of growing crops of fruits and vegetables in hoop greenhouses.


Here's an excerpt:

"Three portable greenhouses outside a Baltimore high school campus provide a model that could be repeated around the city, bringing locally grown food to schoolchildren and to poor neighborhoods where fresh produce is rare, urban farming advocates say.

The plastic-skinned hoop greenhouses are known as Hoop Village, and supporters gathered there recently to celebrate the harvest of its first crops � including arugula, kale, radish, Swiss chard, and spinach.

The greens will be provided to the cafeterias at some city elementary schools starting this winter. And students at the three schools on the Lake Clifton campus are helping to raise the food they'll be eating.

"I love my vegetables," Michelle Simpson, a Heritage High School senior, told visitors as she showed off the kale and cabbage she helped plant.

Hoop Village is a joint project of two local nonprofits, Safe Healing Foundation and Civic Works. It's also getting funding from the state and city, as well as several foundations and individual donors."

Read the entire article here.

For those interested in becoming an expert on the Fed's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in Maryland, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and the BRAC Subcabinet have released a detailed progress report on BRAC-related goings on in the state in 2009. At 120 pages, the report is nothing if not comprehensive.

Here's an excerpt:

"The Governor's BRAC Subcabinet developed a BRAC Action Plan in 2007 to ensure the State's preparedness for incoming
residents and jobs. Working in tandem with our county and local government partners and the DoD's planning phase for military
mission moves, the State of Maryland continued to move forward in 2009 with its programs and initiatives to meet the BRAC
federally mandated completion date of September 2011.

The BRAC Action Plan set forth initiatives, programs and other measures necessary to address the needs of incoming residents
and opportunities BRAC presents, while preserving the coveted quality of life enjoyed by Marylanders. As we continue towards
the September 2011 deadline, we look forward to working with our local, federal and private sector partners as we begin to realize
the steady upswing in jobs and population created by the military mission moves to DoD facilities in Maryland.

This year the Subcabinet interacted with regional, federal and local partners as well as military installation leaders to continue to
calibrate Subcabinet efforts with BRAC needs. The Lieutenant Governor and Subcabinet members met on numerous occasions
throughout the year with Senior Leadership of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (C4ISR), the organization relocating to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) which is relocating to Fort George G. Meade from northern Virginia."

Read the entire report here.

Baltimore SmartCEO's has released it's list of the fastest growing companies in Baltimore. Did your favorite make the cut?

See which companies made it here.

Dr. Freeman Habrowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County appeared on the CBS Evening news last Wednesday in its 'Where America Stands' offering his take on what needs to happen with education to help prepare the U.S. workforce to be competitive in the future.



Click ahead to 5:00 minutes.

It just never gets old. The Aquarim is still bringing 'em in and wowing 'em!

Here's an excerpt:

"Got Fish? The National Aquarium Baltimore has tons of fish and we were lucky enough to go last week since the kids were off from school. The kids love to go to the aquarium and we always have a great time when we go.

The kids were really excited to get in the aquarium and right up the escalator is the first exhibit, an open tank which is filled with rays, fish and turtles. The kids loved looking at the rays and at the time when we arrived there were scuba divers in the tank feeding the rays and fish which the kids thought was really cool. We hung out at this exhibit for a little while before taking the escalator to the next level which in my opinion is where Shae was the most excited. On this level is where they have salt water exhibits and they were filled with fish like the ones from the Disney movie, Finding Nemo. I am sure you can figure out what fish Shae was excited to see, Nemo (clown fish). After dragging her away from the clown fish we headed over to the amphitheater to watch the dolphin show called Our Ocean Planet which was very good. That show lasted about 30 minutes and after that we headed down to the new jelly fish exhibit called Jellies Invasion:Oceans Out of Balance. This was one of the coolest exhibits we visited during our trip in my opinion. It was really cool to see so many different varieties of jelly fish and to read all about them."

Read the full blog post here.