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Justin Fenton

@justinfenton.bsky.social
7.4K followers 195 following 505 posts

Investigative reporter at the Baltimore Banner

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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Update we also broke last night: Baltimore school commissioner resigns after FBI searches site of his nonprofit www.thebanner.com/education/k-...
thebanner.com
Baltimore school commissioner resigns after FBI searches site of his nonprofit
FBI agents on Wednesday searched a building where Baltimore City School Commissioner Mujahid Muhammad operates a nonprofit mental health organization, according to the FBI’s Baltimore press office.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
LATE BREAKING: FBI searched site of Baltimore school commissioner’s nonprofit today www.thebanner.com/education/k-...
thebanner.com
FBI searches site of Baltimore school commissioner’s nonprofit
FBI agents on Wednesday searched a building where Baltimore City School Commissioner Mujahid Muhammad operates a nonprofit mental health organization, according to the FBI’s Baltimore press office.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
BREAKING: The Baltimore Police deputy commissioner in charge of integrity and discipline has resigned, less than 2 weeks after he was suspended amid allegations that have not been publicly disclosed www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Suspended Baltimore Police deputy commissioner resigns, councilman says
Brian Nadeau, the Baltimore Police deputy commissioner who oversaw integrity and discipline before he was suspended pending a misconduct investigation, has resigned.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
‘Most wanted’ suspect’s suicide stokes tension between Bates and police www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
‘Most wanted’ suspect’s suicide stokes tension between Bates and police
Police and Mayor Brandon Scott say they were following protocols in a high-profile case involving an elusive suspect. They accused Bates of disrespecting the privacy of the families of the victim and ...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott must restore direct access to city records for the city’s inspector general and fulfill a dozen subpoenas she has filed since last year, a judge said Wednesday, @emilyopilo.bsky.social reports www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Baltimore mayor must restore inspector general’s records access, judge says
The decision brings to a close the first chapter in a legal dispute between Mayor Brandon Scott and Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming over access to city records. A city appeal is now likely.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
More: Commissioner Richard Worley told The Banner that the allegations did not involve Nadeau’s work overseeing investigations, discipline or any cases. But he declined to characterize the accusations further www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Baltimore deputy police commissioner suspended
The Baltimore Police Department’s deputy commissioner overseeing internal affairs and officer discipline, Brian Nadeau, has been suspended.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
BREAKING: The Baltimore Police deputy commissioner who has overseen the public integrity bureau since 2019 has been suspended www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Baltimore deputy police commissioner suspended
The Baltimore Police Department’s deputy commissioner overseeing internal affairs and officer discipline, Brian Nadeau, has been suspended.
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Pamela Wood @pwoodreporter.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
MARYLAND REDISTRICTING: Supreme Court of Maryland rules that voters will get to decide on changing the rules for congressional redistricting. The court orders a tweak to the ballot language. This is a win for pro-redistricting Dems. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Maryland Supreme Court puts redistricting question back on ballot
The Supreme Court of Maryland issued its ruling just hours after hearing oral arguments for and against the proposed constitutional amendment.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
New: The small office within Baltimore Housing that placed the 6 kids found in an unsafe home this week was already under investigation for potential fraud www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Baltimore agency that placed mom and 6 ‘malnourished’ kids in rowhome investigated for fraud
Three workers were fired from the Baltimore housing office that placed a mother and six children in a rowhome later condemned as unsafe.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A Maryland immigrant who helped DOJ in a case against cartel members was ordered not to be returned to Mexico; in an “extremely rare” move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened to have sent back anyway. A judge has ordered his return www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
A Maryland man helped the feds crack down on a drug cartel. Marco Rubio still wanted him deported.
An immigrant living in Maryland cooperated with law enforcement officials in their investigation of a drug cartel. Then, an immigration judge ruled he should not be deported to Mexico, finding that he...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Recall the 6 children found alone in a filthy home w/o electricity or water yesterday? The family had been put there *by the city* as a crisis placement. Mayor Scott is pledging his "full wrath" for employees involved, reports @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
thebanner.com
Mayor warns of 'full wrath' for failures that left 6 kids in unsafe row home
“It’s unacceptable that those children were living in a condition like that,” Mayor Scott said. “Everybody that had an opportunity to do something that did not will feel the full wrath of me in city g...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Mayor Scott is using ‘aggressive’ legal tactics in his dispute with Inspector General Cumming, seeking a unusual mid-case appeal to higher court and releasing new documents they say show IG has been abusing her access to city records www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Mayor Scott is using ‘aggressive’ legal tactics in his IG dispute. Here’s why.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is escalating his dispute with Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming by asking a state appellate court to intervene and releasing documents that allege Cumming abusin...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
While at Agora, the city’s now-ethics director predicted Obama’s election “will be the worst day for democracy since January 30, 1933,” when Adolf Hitler became chancellor and called Al Gore’s climate change movie “science fiction” that should have won the “Leni Riefenstahl award”
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
My latest: Baltimore is suing publishing giant Agora for deceptive marketing practices. Few seem to know one of the company’s former employees is the city’s ethics director www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
City Hall has an Agora expert: The ethics director worked there for 20 years
Baltimore ethics director J. Christoph Amberger’s past at Agora Companies resurfaces as the city pursues a consumer protection lawsuit against the Baltimore-based publishing company.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
New: Baltimore state’s attorney taps former federal corruption prosecutor for witness leak investigation www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Baltimore state’s attorney taps former federal corruption prosecutor for witness leak investigation
The Baltimore state’s attorney’s office has tapped a former federal corruption prosecutor to investigate the leak of witness information in a high-profile murder case.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
A Columbia woman has been feeding vultures on her property to the tune of as much as 200 pounds of chicken per day; county health officials are taking action, reports @lillianreed.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
thebanner.com
Vultures flock to a Columbia neighborhood where woman won’t stop feeding them raw meat
Vultures have descended on the Glenmont community in Columbia, where a woman won’t stop feeding them raw meat despite repeated orders.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Update: Man charged in Inner Harbor fatal drowning was ‘Good Samaritan,’ attorney says; judge orders held without bail www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Man charged in Inner Harbor fatal drowning was ‘Good Samaritan,’ attorney says
The 36-year-old Parkville man charged with second-degree murder for shoving a man into the Inner Harbor, where he drowned, had intervened as a “Good Samaritan,” a defense attorney said Tuesday.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
ICYMI: A federal judge on Friday afternoon threw out most charges in state Sen. Dalya Attar’s criminal case www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Judge throws out most charges in state Sen. Dalya Attar’s criminal case
Two counts, conspiracy and intercepting electronic communications, remain.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
As Baltimore continues to hit new lows in gun violence, the city saw 7 homicides in July. It’s the lowest on record (since 1970) for the month of July, historically deadliest month of the year For context: 2015: 45 homicides in July 2019: 38 2022: 34 2024: 25 2025: 15 2026: 7
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
A fight in the middle of the afternoon sent two men into the waters off Harbor East; a 37 year old man died and homicide detectives are investigating www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
thebanner.com
One man dies, another arrested in separate Baltimore water rescues
Two men were pulled from Baltimore waters in unrelated incidents Sunday afternoon. A 37-year-old man died after being rescued from the Patapsco River in Harbor East.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Breaking:
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Brenda Wintrode @brendawintrode.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The company responsible for Maryland’s mail ballot error took full responsibility on Thursday and assured the election board they’re ready for November. By @emilyopilo.bsky.social & me www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Mail ballot mishap that irked Trump ‘fixed’ ahead of fall election, company says
Taylor Print & Visual Impressions, the company responsible for a Maryland mail ballot printing error that led to the reissue of about 447,000 ballots, assured state election officials that new safegua...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Update: Baltimore prosecutors investigate witness leak as defense attorneys deny involvement. Judge: "This is very upsetting to me. This isn’t just about a YouTube video. People get killed over things like this.” www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
NEW: Prosecutors scramble after Baltimore rapper’s name leaked in YouTube video as cooperator in murder-for-hire case www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Prosecutors scramble after Baltimore rapper’s name leaked as cooperator in trial
Baltimore prosecutors are seeking emergency court action after documents identifying rapper Keith Ambush as a cooperating witness in a high-profile murder-for-hire case leaked online.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
New from @pwoodreporter.bsky.social: Gov. Wes Moore says Maryland prison killings a ‘tragedy,’ backs corrections head in light of our reporting that the state has one of the highest prisoner homicide rates in the country www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Moore says prison killings a ‘tragedy,’ backs DPSCS head
The Banner reported this week that Maryland has one of the highest rates of killings in state-run correctional facilities in the nation. Since 2023, 32 incarcerated people have been killed in state in...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
New: We knew there’s been a spike in killings inside Maryland prisons; but how bad is it? We sought data from every state, and Maryland’s prisoner homicide rate was second among the 42 that responded www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Maryland prisons rank among nation’s worst for killings
Since 2023, Maryland has had more prison homicides than all of its neighboring states combined. Its homicide rate last year was nearly four times the national average, based on available data gathered...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The deans of Baltimore’s two law schools have stepped down from the board overseeing city Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming amid an escalating legal fight with the mayor over the power of her office, @emilyopilo.bsky.social reports www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Amid conflict, law school deans quit Baltimore inspector general oversight board
The deans have been part of the inspector general advisory board since it was created in 2018.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
"WE’RE READY, ARE YOU? LET’S DIG": Banner transportation reporter Danny Zawodny got his hands on the Baltimore Ravens' proposal for a tunnel that Elon Musk's company said it would fund but which has now been abandoned www.thebanner.com/community/tr...
thebanner.com
The tunnel that wasn’t: Inside the proposal for ‘Ravens Loop’
In March, a tunnel-boring company founded by Elon Musk announced winners for a contest in which cities, organizations and individuals could pitch tunnel projects to be built on the company’s dime. Amo...
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Ben Conarck @conarck.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
NEW: In one of my last stories @thebaltimorebanner.com, I dug into an unusual arrangement at the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office, where a political supporter of the sheriff acknowledged she is taking payments from landlords to help coordinate evictions. www.thebanner.com/community/ho...
thebanner.com
A political ally of the sheriff schedules evictions in Prince George’s — for a fee
Known as the “mayor of Suitland,” Elsie Jacobs has gained an outsize but informal role at the sheriff’s office.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
NEW: A Maryland prisoner may have been dead for days before he was found decomposing in his cell; now the warden is out, 19 corrections officers have been charged, and state police are conducting a "potential criminal misconduct" investigation www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Warden’s out, 19 officers face discipline after Maryland’s 9th prison killing this year
State police and corrections officials are conducting a “potential criminal misconduct” investigation into staff at a Western Maryland prison after the latest in a rash of killings of prisoners across...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
“…bringing the Baltimore County staff to six journalists”!
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
‘Is this a prank?’: Bon Jovi played secret shows in Baltimore ahead of world tour, reports Wesley Case They were shown in the crowd at the Orioles game on Tuesday, now it makes sense www.thebanner.com/culture/musi...
thebanner.com
‘Is this a prank?’: Bon Jovi plays secret shows in Baltimore ahead of world tour
Bon Jovi performed two secret, invite-only concerts this week at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena ahead of the band’s “Forever” world tour — its first live run since 2022.
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Andrew Golden @andrewgolden.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
In late April, a Baltimore City high school baseball team worried their season was crumbling. They asked for help from an unlikely source. But by month’s end, the team’s season was canceled anyway. On a team’s heroic efforts and the barriers they face:
thebanner.com
A lost season: Inside the struggle of a Baltimore City high school baseball team
Digital Harbor students worked to recruit an additional coach and save the season. Instead, it was canceled.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
In 2022, Baltimore saw its *most ever* homicides for the first half of a year - 179 people were killed through June. Just 4 years later, the city has seen an *all-time low* for the first half, with 50 homicides www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Baltimore's homicide rate hits another historic low
Homicides were down 23% as of June 20, the most recent data Baltimore Police submitted to the FBI, with violence overall having decreased over the same timeframe.
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Cody Boteler @codyboteler.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Dispatch from a harrowing sentencing hearing in Annapolis today. 19-year-old given life in prison for killing the owner of a koi pond store. Judge said she was looking for any reason to reduce the sentence, given his young age, but couldn't find anything. Read more in @thebaltimorebanner.com:
thebanner.com
Teen who killed koi pond store owner given life sentence
Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Cathleen Vitale called Jonah Poole’s conduct “violent” and “unthinkable.”
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
New: Baltimore Sheriff Sam Cogen has formally conceded the election to Sabrina Tapp-Harper and has offered a "full and open transition process" (unlike his predecessor did for him) www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Sabrina Tapp-Harper wins Baltimore sheriff race as Sam Cogen concedes
Tapp-Harper as sheriff is the agency’s first female leader after a contentious election.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Analysis by Giacomo Bologna: Being a developer is like conducting a symphony. Right now, with Harborplace, we are somewhere in the buildup to the crescendo www.thebanner.com/economy/balt...
thebanner.com
Analysis: The redevelopment of Harborplace faces crucial financial hurdle
MCB Real Estate announced its intention to redevelop Harborplace more than four years ago. The most crucial piece of the redevelopment of Harborplace — financing — is yet to come.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
ICYMI: Baltimore Sheriff challenger Sabrina Tapp-Harper celebrates apparent victory over Sam Cogen www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Baltimore Sheriff challenger Tapp-Harper celebrates apparent victory over Cogen
The election was a bit of a grudge match, with Sabrina Tapp-Harper suing Sam Cogen for alleged discrimination and retaliation.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Man cleared in 2010 Phylicia Barnes killing gets 2 life terms in rape case www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Man cleared in 2010 Phylicia Barnes killing gets 2 life terms in rape case
Michael Maurice Johnson, who was convicted and later cleared in the high-profile 2010 killing of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, was sentenced Monday to two consecutive life terms plus 25 years for rapin...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
My seven children and my wife all forgot Father’s Day again, so I trudge out to the driveway to pick up the print newspaper, the only thing that still brings me joy, and it’s the same headline stripped across the top again
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The Banner Montgomery @bannermoco.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Union leader files assault complaint against Maryland delegate after fight at early-voting site
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Maryland delegate and Montgomery County union rep involved in fight days before election
A Maryland delegate and a Montgomery County union representative physically fought at a Gaithersburg Park on Thursday, days before the primary election.
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Adam Willis @adampwillis.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Last fall, an energy mogul begged Wes Moore to back his data center complex. It worked. Records offer a rare window into how a wealthy & politically connected businessman won the governor’s endorsement for his controversial foray into Maryland data centers: www.thebanner.com/community/cl...
thebanner.com
A data center developer wanted a power plant. He needed Moore’s help.
Emails obtained by The Baltimore Banner offer a new window into Gov. Wes Moore’s approach to an emerging data center industry. His decision to back a controversial development in southern Maryland rai...
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Jasmine Vaughn-Hall @jasminevaughnhall.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Three generations. One AFRAM. How 50 years of the festival has resonated with attendees! www.thebanner.com/culture/arts...
thebanner.com
3 generations reflect on AFRAM, 50 years later
These AFRAM attendees remember their experiences, both personal and professional, at the annual Baltimore festival.
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Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · 17/06/2026
Van Hollen ‘kicking the tires’ on a 2028 presidential run
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Van Hollen ‘kicking the tires’ on a 2028 presidential run
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen has spent the last year and a half raising his national profile.
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Pamela Wood @pwoodreporter.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
You may have seen mailers or TV ads blasting Del. Frank Conaway Jr. (Baltimore) and former Del. Jay Jalisi (Baltimore County). Who is behind them? Not their opponents. They're from a super PAC funded by sports gambling companies. www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...
thebanner.com
Sports betting firms are buying attack ads in Maryland House of Delegates primaries
A super PAC funded by sports betting companies has poured nearly $1.9 million into Maryland’s Democratic primary elections, including $645,000 against two House of Delegates candidates.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Before she died this week, Joni Holifield made a plea to city officials - a "once-in-a-lifetime at the end of a lifetime request" to provide sustainable funding to her heralded youth non profit: www.thebanner.com/obituaries/j...
thebanner.com
Baltimore youth advocate and HeartSmiles founder Joni Holifield dies at 47
Joni Holifield, the founder and executive director of the youth-focused nonprofit HeartSmiles, died this week after a battle with ovarian cancer.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
I’m sorry, this is hilarious: @baltimoresun.bsky.social today refers to The Banner as a “small local online-only news outlet.” 😂😂😂 The Banner now has FAR more newsroom staff than The Sun, and even its local Baltimore Sun Media Group and Spotlight on Maryland outfit combined
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
New: ‘Enough is enough’: Dali crew members who have been 'marooned' here since Key Bridge collapse ask court to return home. w/ @hayesgardner.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
‘Enough is enough’: Dali crew members ask court to let them go home
The companies that own and operate the container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge are demanding that its crew members be allowed to leave after more than two years “marooned” in the...
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
New: Dali’s chief engineer latest to face criminal charges in Key Bridge disaster; prosecutors say they’ve agreed to “deferred prosecution agreement” www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Dali’s chief engineer latest to face criminal charges in Key Bridge disaster
Federal prosecutors have filed additional criminal charges in the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, adding as a defendant the chief engineer of the Dali container ship.
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Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
New: In 2014, the FBI recorded a Baltimore cop talking to an informant about drug dealing & money laundering. They kept it to themselves, and he went on to work in BPD's internal affairs - including on the Freddie Gray case www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Baltimore cop was caught by FBI source talking about drug dealing
Former Baltimore Police officer Alexi Correa was caught on tape talking to an FBI confidential source about his own involvement in drug dealing.
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