Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Justin Fenton

@justinfenton.bsky.social

6.6K followers 190 following 330 posts

Investigative reporter at the Baltimore Banner

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 1d

Both of The Sun’s reporters who covered the governor and General Assembly - and did a good job I might add - have left

Reposted by Justin Fenton

Hayes Gardner @hayesgardner.bsky.social · 1d

They tried the ritzy out-of-town developers. They tried local ones. They even tried breaking up the quagmire that is the "Superblock" into bite-size parcels.

All failed. Then, it burned.

What's next for the stagnant development?

w/ @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/economy/supe...

The Superblock blaze followed a generation of development failure. Now what?

An ambitious plan to redevelop what’s called the Superblock, an area of downtown Baltimore, has been stuck in the mud for a quarter century. Much of the area was razed after a fire last month.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 1d

Baltimore County government lately:

Reposted by Justin Fenton

Ben Conarck @conarck.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: A few weeks ago, @muckrock.com
shared the Brady list for Baltimore County. Scanning it, I noticed the police chief was on there. I then spent weeks trying to figure out why. But no one — not the state's attorney, nor the police department — is explaining it. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

Baltimore County’s police chief is on a list of cops with credibility concerns

Robert McCullough, the Baltimore County Police Department chief, appears on a list of law enforcement officers whose potential credibility concerns require disclosure to defense attorneys if they’re c...

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 4d

Person stabbed outside of Towson Town Center in critical condition, suspect arrested www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

Person stabbed outside of Towson Town Center, suspect arrested

A person was stabbed and suffered critical injuries outside of the Towson Town Center on Saturday morning, police said. A suspect has been arrested.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 5d

The Sagamore Pendry’s striking Fernando Botero horse sculpture is gone - it belonged to Kevin Plank and was among art taken back after he sold his stake in the hotel www.thebanner.com/culture/arts...

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 6d

Baltimore Councilman Mark Conway files to challenge U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Councilman Mark Conway files to challenge U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume

Mark Conway is challenging Kweisi Mfume. In a heavily Democratic district that includes most of Baltimore and portions of the county, the winner of the primary election is all but guaranteed to win th...

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 6d

“Why would you take your eyes off her?”: Mom says state agency knew foster teen was ‘high risk’ before placing her in hotel, report @leeosanderlin.bsky.social & Jessica Calefati
www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

State knew foster teen living in hotel was 'high risk,' mom says

For years advocates had warned the practice of housing vulnerable children in hotels and hospitals could have tragic consequences.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 7d

A Baltimore-area serial rapist is appealing his case. One survivor is fighting back www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

A Baltimore-area serial rapist is appealing his case. One survivor is fighting back.

Serial offender Alphonso Hill is asking a judge in Baltimore County Circuit Court on Wednesday to let him receive post-conviction relief, overturn his 60-year sentence for raping eight women in Towson...

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 7d

Baltimore has reached an agreement with local nonprofit institutions to gradually increase the payments each gives the city annually in place of taxes to cover the cost of services, reports @emilyopilo.bsky.social www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Nonprofits’ deal with Baltimore would pay city up to $12 million a year

The total payment would increase from $6 million a year to $12 million a year over the five-year agreement for Baltimore nonprofits.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 7d

“The disagreement about what happened that morning at The Bun Shop has stretched over 4 years and cost county taxpayers $190,000 — legal fees and a settlement paid to Murray that the county requested remain sealed.” More great @rkobell.bsky.social reporting: www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

How a colleague coffee left Baltimore County taxpayers with a $190,000 tab

The most expensive breakfast in Baltimore County costs $190,000. How taxpayers got stuck footing the bill.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 8d

Tonight:

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 9d

Tuesday night at the Pratt Library I’ll be talking to Chicago economist Jens Ludwig about his new book on gun violence, “Unforgiving Places” calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/jens-l...

Jens Ludwig: "Unforgiving Places"

calendar.prattlibrary.org

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 9d

Just this morning in Baltimore County:
55 yr old man accused of fatally shooting his wife, 56, in Monkton www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
89 yr old man kills his 87 yr old wife & then himself in Timonium www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
A “suspicious death” of woman found in home in Sparks area

Man charged with murder in Monkton woman’s death

Anthony Lechner, 55, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 56-year-old Kimberly Lechner, Baltimore County Police said.

www.thebanner.com

Reposted by Justin Fenton

Pamela Wood @pwoodreporter.bsky.social · 9d

NEW: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore plans to shut down one of the state’s aging prisons in Jessup, moving inmates and staffers to other facilities rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars on repairs.

www.thebanner.com/politics-pow...

Maryland to close one of Jessup’s prisons

The Maryland Correctional Institution-Jessup will close and 700 men incarcerated at the facility, along with 300 staff, will be transferred to other facilities by June.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 9d

Tuesday night at the Pratt Library I’ll be talking to Chicago economist Jens Ludwig about his new book on gun violence, “Unforgiving Places” calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/jens-l...

Jens Ludwig: "Unforgiving Places"

calendar.prattlibrary.org

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 12d

Baltimore County investigators say they’ve solved 44-year-old cold case murder of Lochearn neighborhood’s “Mr. Fix It” www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

Baltimore County Police solve 44-year-old Lochearn murder

Baltimore County Police have identified 75-year-old Alan Bass as the man who killed 59-year-old Samuel Allen in his Lochlearn home more than four decades ago.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 12d

Baltimore fire investigators don’t know what caused the five-alarm fire that burned down the historic city-owned Superblock, with the once-vacant structures deemed to be too unsafe to inspect before they were torn down, documents show www.thebanner.com/economy/grow...

Superblock fire cause remains undetermined by Baltimore investigators

The fire broke out on Sept. 2, just before 3 p.m., with a witness reporting he saw flames on the rear roof of a building in the 200 block of W. Fayette St., according to the incident report.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 12d

Teen girl in foster care found dead at the Baltimore hotel where she’d been living; death comes week after publication of audit that criticized state for placing 100s of foster children in hotels instead of homes www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

Teen girl in foster care found dead at the Baltimore hotel where she’d been living

Her death comes one week after publication of a legislative audit that criticized the state for placing nearly 300 foster children in hotels instead of homes over a two-year period.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 12d

The prosecutor who oversaw the exoneration, Lauren Lipscomb, announced recently she’s running for state’s attorney of Baltimore County. She did not respond to multiple attempts to talk about the case.

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 12d

He got $1.6M from the state for being wrongfully convicted, but in his lawsuit against city cops, specialist lawyers brought on by city unearthed him discussing paying witness to recant. “We do not simply write checks,” city solicitor says www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

Baltimore man spent 20 years behind bars before his exoneration. Did he fool prosecutors?

Exonerated of the crime, Melvin Thomas, now 45, collected $1.6 million in wrongful conviction compensation from the state in 2021. But he wanted the city to pay, too, and filed a lawsuit against the p...

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 13d

Exciting Baltimore Banner news: Audrey Cooper, experienced newsroom executive, named to top editing job www.thebanner.com/community/au...

Experienced newsroom executive Audrey Cooper to lead Banner newsroom

Audrey Cooper helped usher the country’s most listened-to public radio station and the San Francisco Chronicle through integral change.

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 15d

Trump pressured Virginia’s top federal prosecutor to resign. Could Maryland’s be next? U.S. Attorney Hayes under pressure over Schiff, Bolton probes www.thebanner.com/community/cr...

Trump pressured Virginia’s top federal prosecutor to resign. Could Maryland’s be next?

Maryland U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes is facing Trump pressure as his allies push prosecutions of political foes. Will she be next to face the test?

www.thebanner.com

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · 21d

Sign up for the free Banner Book Club talk, which is tonight!, here: events.humanitix.com/bannerbookclub

Justin Fenton @justinfenton.bsky.social · Aug 18

FTC to Pikesville men who resold Taylor Swift tickets for profit: You need to calm down www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...

FTC sues Pikesville men who resold Taylor Swift tickets for profit

The Federal Trade Commission is suing two Pikesville men who they say have been illegally buying hundreds of thousands of tickets to concerts, plays and sporting events to resell at a profit.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

Reposted by Justin Fenton

Julie Bykowicz @bykowicz.bsky.social · Aug 18

Insightful profile by @justinfenton.bsky.social

Baltimore Banner @thebaltimorebanner.com · Aug 18

Killings in Baltimore are hitting historic lows. So why is Commissioner Worley scowling? www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...

Crime in Baltimore is way down. Here's the man behind the remarkable decline

Life in Baltimore always means a reversal of fortune could be right around the corner

www.thebaltimorebanner.com