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Crime & Safety

Patch On The Police Beat

Patch reports on those whose jobs are to serve and protect.

It was a week of mourning for Baltimore County as thousands honored fallen firefighter Mark Falkenhan. A teenage driver collided with a Howard County Fire and Rescue vehicle, the City of Laurel warned drivers in school zones to slow down and a dentist was sentenced to prison for selling hydrocodone out of his office.

Honoring a man who gave his life to save the lives of others, the Baltimore County Fire Department’s Commendations Board posthumously awarded its highest honor this week to fallen firefighter Mark Falkenhan. Along with the Medal of Honor, the board awarded Falkenhan with the Purple Heart. Essex Local Editor Ron Snyder explains how the fire department remembers Falkenhan, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Father of two. Husband. Navy football fan. Secret Service employee. Rescuer. Fallen firefighter. Mark Falkenhan was all this and more. Mourners gathered to remember Falkenhan, who died from injuries sustained while battling a fire in Hillendale. Diana Soliwon, Owings Mills Patch local editor, and Adam Bednar, North Baltimore Patch local editor, attended the funeral.

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A Montgomery County teen was found safe and unharmed in Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, less than three days after her family reported her missing.

True or false: Beer and wine are safer than liquor. False, along with dozens of other myths teenagers believe about drugs and alcohol, says HC DrugFree, a Columbia-based nonprofit dedicated to keeping youth free of drugs. On Monday, the group hosted its “Mythbusters” program at Centennial High School, with police officers and a substance abuse counselor dispelling those myths. Columbia Patch Local Editor David Greisman reported the story.

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A teenage driver collided with a Howard County Fire and Rescue vehicle Saturday night on Route 40 when the teen failed to yield right-of-way, despite flashing emergency lights and an activated siren, officials said.

Slow down! That’s what the City of Laurel is urging drivers to do, especially around school zones. And if the verbal warnings aren’t enough, new speed cameras will reinforce the law. The city recently placed five mobile speed cameras near schools, where speed limits are 35 mph or less. Michael Blankenheim, Laurel Patch reporter, has the details.

Catonsville dentist Dr. Kenneth Riley will serve 30 months in prison for selling hydrocodone out of his dental office. According to police, Riley illegally sold pills for five years. Penny Riordan, Catonsville Patch local editor, has the scoop.

Police evacuated a North Laurel auto parts store Monday after receiving reports of a suspicious package. The Maryland State Fire Marshal assisted in the investigation.

Fire raced through an Elkridge recycling plant Wednesday, causing the evacuation of 40 employees. No one was hurt in the fire, which firefighters contained with water and foam – especially effective in battling fires in which chemicals, fuels and plastics are involved. Elizabeth Janney, Elkridge Patch local editor, reports.

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