🌱 Local Pleads Not Guilty To Power Grid Plot + MD School Report Card

Morning, everybody! Rose Mendez here with your Saturday edition of the Catonsville Patch newsletter, filled with all the community news you need to know right now.

Also, FYI: I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Catonsville Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Catonsville long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Mostly cloudy and windy. High: 46 Low: 27.
• Sunday: A couple of afternoon showers. High: 45 Low: 37.

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Here are the top three stories today in Catonsville:

1. On Friday morning, Mar. 10, Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Catonsville and Brandon Russell of Florida plead not guilty to conspiring to attack an energy facility and to cause more than $100,000 in damages. The two were arrested on Feb. 3 for attempting to destroy five energy facilities in the Baltimore area. According to the FBI affidavit, the two suspects planned to "completely destroy this whole City [of Baltimore]" with their attacks. (Subscription: Baltimore Sun)
2. The recently released 2022 Maryland School Report Card shows the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students throughout the state. According to the report, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) graduation rate decreased by 1.7 percent and the dropout rate increased by 1.1 percent from 2021 to 2022. BCPS Superintendent Darryl Williams said that the small decrease in graduation rate mirrors the graduation rate decreases in the state and nation, probably due to the class of 2022 having pandemic-related disruptions and challenges for most of their high school career. Unlike most of the schools, Catonsville High School saw an increase in its graduation rate and a decrease in its dropout rate. (WBAL-TV)
3. Deborah St. Jean, director of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s Juvenile Protection Division, recently wrote a letter to county, state, and federal officials asking for the immediate transfer of all youth from the Baltimore County Detention Center (BCDC) to juvenile facilities. Youth charged as adults can be held at adult facilities but must be separated, which leads to many spending 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. Jean described the unsanitary, dangerous, and unlawful conditions for youth at the BCDC, including cells flooded with "contaminated toilet water and debris" and infested with rodents. (WYPR)

Today and tomorrow in Catonsville:

Saturday, March 11

• St. Patrick’s Day Event At The Stafford Hall (6:00 PM)
• Weather Ames: Live At El Guapo (9:00 PM)

Sunday, March 12

• Catonsville Rails To Trails Annual Meeting At Baltimore County Arts Guild Clubhouse (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Learn how to create a beautiful painting step-by-step at "Paint Nite: Irises in Bloom" on Mar. 14! Lauren Carlo Art will host the painting party at Jennings Cafe at 7 p.m. Visit the link to purchase tickets. (Paint Nite)
• Would you like to "turn an ordinary cigar box" into your own "whimsical mix media piece of art?" Join Jennifer Pernia at the Catonsville Clubhouse on Mar. 18, to learn how to create unique mixed-media shadowboxes! Click here for details and to RSVP. (Baltimore County Arts Guild via Instagram)
• "Staub Art Studio: Teachers as Artists" exhibit is open now through Apr. 9 at the Catonsville Clubhouse! The opening reception is 3-5 p.m. on Mar. 19. Click here to RSVP. (Baltimore County Arts Guild via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Catonsville Rails To Trails Annual Meeting (March 12)
• Maryland Day Festival (March 25)
• Add your event

Featured announcements:

• For U.S. Military Veterans: FREE *Intro to Acting* Class at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Co., in Balti (Details)
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That's it for today. I'll see you back in your inbox soon with another update!

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!