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A Baltimore woman has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for her part in a three-month string of gun store burglaries across the state. Mahkiya Mcquinn-Woodley pleaded guilty on Dec. 4 to five of the 200 charges filed against her earlier this year by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and was sentenced the same day. Court records show her conviction included three felonies: participation in a criminal organization and two counts of second-degree burglary of a firearm. She was also convicted of misdemeanor counts of possession of a stolen, regulated firearm and reckless endangerment. Mcquinn-Woodley, 21, is the oldest of four people indicted in the burglaries, which resulted in 81 firearms being stolen. The only other defendant named by authorities was Cy’juan Hemsley, a District Heights man whose case has made little progress in the court system. Two boys, aged 16 and 17 at the time of their arrests, were also charged. Because they are juvenile defendants, information on their cases is not available. When announcing the indictments in August, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said only six of the stolen weapons had been recovered. Many, state officials said, were sold “well above fair market value” to other juveniles or people not allowed to possess them. Despite her plea, Mcquinn-Woodley has asked the court to modify her sentence, which was reduced from 12 years of incarceration, according to the Maryland Judiciary. A review hearing is scheduled for May 7. Public defender Anne Stewart-Hill, who is representing Mcquinn-Woodley, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon. According to the indictment, the first burglary took place on Christmas Eve last year in Prince George’s County and led to the theft of 35 firearms. Though Mcquinn-Woodley was accused of participating in that burglary, the next day, other members of the “enterprise” canvassed or attempted to break into six other gun shops, authorities said, including three in Glen Burnie. Between Christmas Eve, 2023, and March 4, the group committed or tried to commit break-ins at eight businesses during 10 separate incidents, authorities said. All of the stolen firearms, except for 10 airsoft guns, were taken from the first gun shop in Prince George’s County, according to the indictment. Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets instead of bullets and are typically used recreationally. Authorities said some of the 81 weapons were used in other crimes, including a shooting in District Heights in which no one was injured. In early January, a little more than a week after the first burglary, an individual was accidentally shot through both feet and soon after, the weapons were stolen by a rival group, law enforcement said. Beyond break-ins, Mcquinn-Woodley is named in the indictment for firing a handgun into the air, as well as posting several videos of herself online either holding or dancing with firearms. State officials said in August that social media played a critical role in their investigation. According to the indictment, messages and posts from the defendants reference the burglaries, show stolen guns and depict firearm sales. Mcquinn-Woodley will serve her sentence in an Anne Arundel County detention center, according to court records. The investigation involved police departments from the affected counties, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Baltimore Field Division. In August, during his announcement, Brown described the indictments as the product of a “two-part mission” — finding those responsible for the burglaries and finding the guns. “It’s when these guns fall into the hands of those who are banned from possessing them, that’s what creates the greatest danger in our community,” Brown said. “We must put a stop to this and get these guns off our streets.” Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the stolen firearms is asked to contact either the anonymous tip lines for Anne Arundel County Police at 410-222-4700 or Prince George’s County Police at 1-866-411-8477. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office was not immediately available for comment Monday. Have a news tip? Contact Luke Parker at lparker@baltsun.com , 410-725-6214, or on X @lparkernews .
The Aurora City Council on Tuesday night approved a roughly $660,000 project to renovate the fourth floor of Aurora City Hall that would bring together the city’s full Finance Department on one floor. The item was passed as part of the consent agenda, so the item was not discussed at Tuesday’s meeting. A $659,674 contract with a 10% contingency was awarded to Lite Construction Inc, the lowest responsible bidder, for the construction work. At a City Council I nfrastructure and Technology Committee meeting last week, Aurora Chief Public Facilities Officer Jim Birchall said the renovation would “demo everything” on the fourth floor and rebuild from a “clean envelope,” including bringing in completely new furniture, redoing the bathrooms and upgrading the lighting to LEDs. The Finance Department’s current offices, most of which are on the first floor of City Hall, are “antiquated, with awkward allocation of space, and inadequate infrastructure” to meet the city’s needs, according to a staff report included with the City Council’s meeting agenda. The fourth floor’s offices are also currently “hodgepodge,” with some being too big and some being too small, so the plan is to take down the walls and build back up six private offices and 14 cubicles, Birchall said at the time. The bathrooms on the fourth floor will also be remodeled, and the bathrooms on the third and fifth floors will be brought up to the current building code, which requires floor drains. The heating and cooling system would be controlled by a rooftop unit dedicated to the fourth and fifth floors, so the temperature could be adjusted down when people are not in the offices to avoid heating a vacant space, Birchall previously said. The city is currently working with Lite Construction on a different project, the renovation of 745 Broadway, according to Birchall. Although they aren’t too deep into the project, he is happy with the work they are doing, he said last week. Also, when they checked Lite’s references, some architecture firms that have worked with them in the past have been “very, very happy with them,” Birchall said at the time. The staff report from the City Council meeting agenda said the empty space on the first floor left when the Finance Department moves out can be repurposed or combined with the city clerk’s office. rsmith@chicagotribune.com
Though inflation is slowing down nationally, Marylanders could expect higher Christmas tree prices than 2023, as macroeconomic and environmental stressors to the tree supply chain may be baked into the cheer this year.Deluxe Corp CEO Barry McCarthy purchases $53,975 in stock
'Tone deaf': Campbell River cuts non-profit funding, expands grant access
Tedmos Launches its New Line of Rechargeable Puck Lights, Picture Frame Lights and Ceiling Lights. A Perfect Blend of Technology and Design for Modern HomesMARKET REPORT: Investment trust bosses must go, says hedge fund By HUGO DUNCAN Updated: 22:00 GMT, 18 December 2024 e-mail View comments There could be a shake-up in the world of trusts after hedge fund Saba Capital Management called for managers to be axed in seven of the firms in which it invests. In a letter to shareholders, Saba, founded by former Deutsche Bank banker Boaz Weinstein, urged them to vote out bosses after poor returns. The investment trusts called out are: Baillie Gifford US Growth, CQS Natural Resources Growth & Income, Edinburgh Worldwide Investment, European Smaller Companies, Henderson Opportunities, Herald Investment and Keystone Positive Change Investment. Saba is the largest investor in all of them, with stakes of between 19 per cent and 29 per cent, and is requisitioning general meetings for each trust, which it says should be scheduled for early February at the latest. The London benchmarks were higher ahead of interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England The FTSE 100 closed ahead 0.05 per cent, or 3.91 points, at 8199.11, while the FTSE 250 ended up 0.29 per cent, or 59.13 points, at 20,601.99. Melrose was among the blue-chip risers, gaining 2.9 per cent, or 15.6p, to 553.6p, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer restated his pledge to increase defence spending. Shake-up: Saba Capital Management urged shareholders to vote out the current bosses after underwhelming, and in some cases disastrous, returns British Airways and Iberia owner IAG rose again, adding 1.9 per cent, or 5.5p, to 302.8p, after analysts at Jefferies hiked their price target for the airlines group to 350p from 270p. And Kingfisher edged up 0.5 per cent, or 1.2p, to 253.9p as the DIY retailer announced the sale of its Brico Depot business in Romania for £58million. Unilever lost 1 per cent, or 44p, to 4608p after the consumer products giant said it has received a binding offer for its Unox and Zwan meat and soup brands from Zwanenberg Food Group. And National Grid shed 1.1 per cent, or 10.4p, to 926.2p as the energy distributor released a plan detailing investments of up to £35billion over five years from April 2026. Transact platform owner IntegraFin was among the big FTSE 250 fallers, dropping 12.7 per cent, or 49.5p, to 340.5p, as caution about rising administrative costs next year offset full-year results which showed a 17 per cent improvement in funds under direction to £64.1billion. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Hawkish cut for Fed as 'foggy night' lies ahead: America's... UK is 'taxing London stock market out of existence': Rachel... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account On AIM, Active Energy surged 218.2 per cent, or 0.12p, higher to 0.18p as trading resumed following a temporary suspension. Hardide jumped 29 per cent, or 1.38p, to 6.13p as the surface coating technology provider signed a ten-year supply deal for the coating of cargo door components with a major customer. And Windar Photonics gained 10.9 per cent, or 5.5p, at 56p as the technology firm said it has secured a £2million order. Digitalbox held steady at 4.85p as the owner of The Daily Mash website acquired the online assets of Walford News, which writes about TV soap EastEnders. But Zotefoams fell 5.2 per cent, or 17p, to 308p as the packaging specialist said it is halting investment in a new product, after the firm failed to secure a partner for the project. Stock Watch - Artisanal Spirits Investors raised a dram to Artisanal Spirits after the whisky specialist said it was on track to meet its full-year 2024 earnings forecast of £1million, a swing from a loss last year. The AIM-listed firm reported a 5 per cent rise in members to 42,000, with strong UK growth. It expects further profitability in 2025 and 2026, driven by cash flow improvements and efficiency measures and is investing £500,000 to take full control of its US business from January. It rose 2.7 per cent, or 1p, to 38.5p. 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LISBON For the first time in its history, Türkiye has signed a contract to export military ships to a member of both the EU and NATO, Portugal. Under the agreement, signed Tuesday in Lisbon, Türkiye will design and build two auxiliary oiler replenisher and logistics vessels for the Portuguese Navy, with Ankara-based defense technologies company STM serving as prime contractor. The contract signing ceremony was attended by STM General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz, as well as the head of Türkiye's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Haluk Gorgun, Portugal's Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Henrique Gouveia e Melo and Carlos Felix, representative of the Portuguese Defense Industries Agency. Speaking at the event, SSM Secretary Gorgun emphasized Türkiye’s priority to strengthen defense industry cooperation with NATO allies. Türkiye, one of the world's 10 countries capable of building its own warships, is now exporting them to friendly and allied nations, Gorgun said. "These two ships will enhance the Portuguese Navy’s operational effectiveness at sea, improve its resilience, and enable it to respond swiftly to various missions, including humanitarian efforts, training exercises, and joint operations with other allies," he added. Adm. Gouveia e Melo highlighted the potential for deeper defense collaborations between Türkiye and Portugal, particularly in maritime and unmanned systems. "These collaborations can help both nations reach new markets and contribute to their economies, technological sovereignty, and capacities as allied countries," he said, also underscoring the strategic importance of Türkiye's Black Sea gateway and Portugal's position at the Mediterranean’s western entrance. STM’s Guleryuz noted the company’s significant contributions to the Turkish Navy via locally designed and produced platforms, as well as its involvement in naval projects for Ukraine, Malaysia, and Pakistan. Ship features and capabilities With their innovative design and versatile mission functionality, the logistics support ships will be capable of performing joint power transfer, amphibious operations, and replenishment at sea. The construction of the replenishment at sea and logistics support ships, regarded as a milestone in showcasing Türkiye's advanced military naval engineering, will feature a modular design. Thanks to their modular, unique, and adaptable structures, the ships will also support tasks such as humanitarian aid, search and rescue missions, and serving as hospital ships during crises. Equipped with an integrated communication system, the ships will provide command and control capabilities. The construction of the vessels, which will feature higher speed and cargo capacity compared to other ships of similar size, will begin in Türkiye in 2025 under STM's leadership as the prime contractor. The ships will measure 137 meters in length, have a displacement of 11,000 tons, and achieve a maximum speed exceeding 18 knots. They will be capable of continuous operation at sea for up to 90 days, accommodating 100 onboard personnel and an additional 100 external personnel. The ships will also have the capacity to carry up to 20 light tactical armored vehicles and will be equipped with sensor and weapon systems for various combat scenarios, particularly air defense. Key armaments will include close-in air defense systems, 12.7-millimeter remote-controlled weapon systems, and chaff/decoy systems. Additionally, the ships will feature platforms and hangars to accommodate helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).NoneIn addition to getting J.T. Miller back in the fold , the Canucks will also have defenseman Derek Forbort in the lineup Thursday against the Panthers, head coach Rick Tocchet told Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 . He’s coming off injured reserve, which the Canucks have the roster space to do without a corresponding move. Forbort has spent most of his brief time in Vancouver on the injured list. After signing a one-year, $1.5M deal in free agency, Forbort played three games before taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. He then sustained a knee injury in his return to the lineup on Nov. 2 that did not require surgery but has nonetheless kept him out since. He began skating with the team in a regular jersey earlier this week, per Batchelor, signaling a return was imminent. The veteran shutdown presence averaged 16:30 per game when in the lineup earlier this season, posting an assist and a -2 rating. Vancouver did control 51.8% of shot attempts with Forbort on the ice at even strength, but his minutes were quantity over quality — they lost the expected goal battle 2.7 to 1.4. Before signing in Vancouver, the 2010 first-round pick had spent the last three years with the Bruins. His final season in Beantown was nothing to write home about, posting just four assists in 35 games while averaging under 18 minutes per game for the second season in a row. He joined Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen as UFAs who left Boston for Vancouver. Forbort will play a bottom-pairing role alongside Mark Friedman in his return to the lineup, multiple reports indicate. Erik Brännström and Vincent Desharnais are projected to be healthy scratches. This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.
