Officials from Baltimore's public works and finance departments are expected to attend a City Council committee hearing Wednesday to address water billing issues.

The 5 p.m. hearing, which will air live on the publicly owned CharmTV channel, will focus on affordability issues. The city switched to monthly billing this month for Baltimore customers, as officials continue a more than $160 million overhaul of the aging billing and meter systems.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump last week had a note delivered to be placed in the Western Wall in Jerusalem saying: "LORD: May you bless the United States, our armed forces and our allies. May your guiding hand protect and strengthen our great nation."

The short note was not written by Trump himself; it was written by David Peyman, his campaign director for Jewish Outreach.

Click on full article to see note.

Baltimore's spending panel is being asked to approve more than $1,800 for outgoing Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's security detail, which joined her on a trip to Martha's Vineyard for a political fundraiser and vacation.

The Board of Estimates is expected to approve Officer Kyle Gooden's meal and hotel expenses during a weeklong trip to the upscale Massachusetts island in August.

The old adage “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time” is lost on the city of Baltimore.

According to analysis by the Baltimore Sun, in cases against people caught in possession of a firearm illegally, sentences are either adjudicated or charges are dropped before defendants even go to trial.

In other words, criminals know they can do the crime without doing time.

Of the 100 illegal-gun cases, compiled with defendants arrested between November and March, the Sun found approximately one-quarter of the cases were dropped, a rate State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby calls ‘typical’.

It was very sad to hear about the  sudden loss of Lonnie Borck. Lonnie was just 47 years old, and he leaves behind his wife, Ronit and 5 children.

He will not only be remembered as a loving husband, father, son, and friend, but also a true mensch to all that bumped into him.Lonnie was also a senior Hatzolah member in Baltimore and no doubt saved many lives. Many are now recalling all the things that are unknown about all the times that Lonnie would help others, even those he did not know.

After Rosh Hashanah ended, I checked my emails, as I always do after a Shabbos or holiday, to find out what I missed during the two-day Yom Tov of restricted access to the outside world. I was rather shocked to receive an email dated October 3, 2016 from Governor Hogan’s press secretary asking me, “Can you come to the State House in Annapolis for a 15- to 20-minute in-person interview with the Governor this Friday, October 7, at 2 p.m.?” You may ask why I was surprised to receive this email. Precisely, it is because I had been requesting an interview with Governor Hogan since early August for the September edition of the WWW. However, the Governor’s staff informed me that he would not be available for an interview until some time in October, which led me to believe that perhaps the interview would never take place. I later learned that Governor Hogan was preparing to travel to Israel on a trade mission in September, which had not yet been made public. The Governor’s staff wanted to schedule the interview with the WWW for after his return from Israel so that he could discuss the highlights of the trade mission during the interview.

To the Shadchan:

My older daughter got married a few years ago. The whole shidduch process went very smoothly for all of us. She was a typical kind of girl. She went to a typical seminary in Israel, came back, and started to work and go out. She had lots of friends like herself, and she wanted a typical type of boy.

My second daughter now wants to start dating. She is more of a loner, who does not have a lot of friends. There is something a little atypical about her. For instance, she doesn’t seem to be aware of fashion. (She likes to wear hats in the winter, which makes her “different,” silly as that may sound.) She also tends to be moody and emotional.

Beets are back! Beets are the “hot new superfood,” claims a recent article in the LA Times. And with consumers wanting quicker and easier access to their versatile properties, many companies have been producing beets in an ever-increasing variety of forms, including vacuum-packed, peeled fresh beets and beets jarred in vinaigrettes. The vibrantly hued vegetables have become more popular than ever as an ingredient in colorful salads and side dishes. They have even found their way into dessert recipes, such as chocolate fudge cupcakes.

If you’re familiar only with red beets, you’ll be delighted to learn that beets can be found in array of shades. According to Molly Watson of localfoods.com, “Beets come in a range of colors and sizes, from red and yellow to stunning candy-cane-striped Chioggia beets.”

“Would a thinking human being drive on the Baltimore beltway?” asked a neighbor. “Would a non-gambler gamble?” was the response. Sometimes, however, “ehn brerah” (there is no choice). Whenever my vibel Shirley joins me for a trip involving the use of the beltway (aka as Route 695), her reaction shifts from panic to near hysteria. Nu, she’s right! Let me explain.

To enter the beltway you must increase the speed of your car from 40 miles per hour to 60 mph within a few seconds! This feat is accomplished on a narrow ramp leading to this raging river of cars, and as you enter, approaching vehicles keep you from moving into any space. The average speed on the Beltway is about 70 miles per hour. It is therefore in your best interest to have patience and wait for the traffic to ease up, when you will have a few seconds to act or to vehr tsuzetst (go bananas) waiting for the next opportunity to enter the race course.

So here we are, back at school, with excitement and dread all mixed together. As parents, we begin the year (not unlike the children) hoping for a teacher who’s a “match” for our child and will create the setting for healthy growth and learning. We daven for our child to be successful, to keep up with the work, and to feel socially and academically adept. And, as always, we think about the optimum ways to help this happen: How can we become a true partner in our child’s education? What happens if we have concerns? Is it best to keep quiet and hope things work out by themselves? Or is it better to be proactive? Is there a “best way” to advocate for our children?