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Emily Opilo Profile
Emily Opilo

@emilyopilo

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City Hall reporter for @baltimoresun . Formerly @mcall . Cuse alum and PA native. They call me the pit bull. They're being sarcastic.

Baltimore, MD
Joined February 2009
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
A charter amendment on recall elections bankrolled by Sinclair Chairman David Smith could appear on Baltimore ballots this fall. Smith spent $385,000 on the effort after his local affiliate repeatedly reported on the idea of recalling Mayor Brandon Scott
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 years
What happened in Annapolis is the worst nightmare of every journalist. None of our newsrooms are equipped to fend off an attack. We belong to the communities we serve. We can't be fortresses. Praying that as many people as possible make it out alive.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore Police Commissioner just confirmed that the department’s chief of fiscal services has been terminated and is a person of interest in a homicide investigation. He won’t specify which homicide.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
THIS shot from @baltimoresun 's Barb Taylor of this morning's fire at Urban Bible Fellowship Church. Wow. Read more here:
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
The first person in line to vote at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia was 19-year-old Armon Wilson. He woke up at 4 a.m. and walked an hour to get there per @AnaFaguy . The rest of us have zero excuses not to vote after that.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore will not lift its mask mandate completely until 65% of city residents have been vaccinated or received their first dose, Baltimore Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa just announced at a news conference
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Outgoing Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke notes she's retiring "without having committed a crime."
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
So here's a crazy tidbit: Maryland election officials found a bunch of ballots from South Carolina mixed in with their shipments to Baltimore. They use the same vendor. I just talked to an elections official in SC, and he says they're ready to dump the company.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
Baltimore is putting 5 large salt boxes in city parks for residents to decorate this year. Mayor Scott decorates the City Hall box with his initials and a Wu-Tang symbol. “Snow storms are temporary but Wu-Tang is forever,” he says.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Didn’t take long for this exchange to get deleted 👀
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is on hand to open Horseshoe’s sports book today. His 1st bets: -Lamar Jackson will be MVP -Ravens will win the Super Bowl - Orioles will be .500
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Harrison said the now terminated employee is indeed on the gun offender registry. “There was a background investigation, and it was missed,” he said
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Last run of @baltimoresun in Baltimore is underway. Thanks to our amazing press staff for their years of dedication (and for letting some nosy reporters watch them in action tonight.)
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 years
Susan Wild, a progressive, wins the dem nod for a traditionally centrist district held by a republican for 20 years
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
26,303 Marylanders used same-day voter registration this year, setting a state record -- 12,728 during early voting and 13,575 on Election Day. This is the first year where same-day registration was available on Election Day.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Most of you know by now, but today I'll say goodbye to @mcall and Allentown. It has been 7 great years, but I'm headed south for new challenges with @baltimoresun . They've got FBI raids and felon politicos too, so I should feel at home. Thanks for everything, Allentown.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announces he's suspending pre-employment drug screenings for public employees in "non-safety sensitive" city positions
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore City is one of 5 jurisdictions across Maryland that are still missing several precincts worth of Election Day returns. Director Armstead Jones said some of the flash drives with votes from polling places weren't turned in last night. They're looking for them.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Caption this pic of @MayorBMScott ... (Credit to the Sun's awesome Karl Ferron)
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore @MayorBMScott talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci during a visit by VP Kamala Harris earlier today (via The Sun's Amy Davis)
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is proposing a 911 diversion program to send some callers to behavioral health professionals. He's also introducing a bill to council to reduce the number of false alarm calls that require a police response. Currently you can call up to 15 times.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
New Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: “I am not a savior for our city. No one is coming to save us. But we have the ability to save ourselves.”
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Maryland election officials report final turnout was 74.5%. Half of voters voted by mail. (Usually it's 4-5%.) Return rate for mail in ballots was over 90%. 2/3 of mail in ballots were returned via ballot drop boxes.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
BREAKING: Baltimore @MayorBMScott just announced the city will begin requiring masks indoors again starting Monday at 9 a.m. due to increasing coronavirus infections
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore hospitality is a crab cracking demo for some Yankees fans
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Having the police escort me out of Baltimore City Hall was really a special kind of feeling.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
NEW: Baltimore's spending board just voted unanimously to terminate the city's surveillance plane contract. City police officials they're in the process of destroying all but 15% of the data collected. The remaining 15% is being kept for ongoing investigations.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Mayor Scott is asked how closing Baltimore restaurants, many of which are are minority-owned, squares with his pledge to govern with an eye on equity. “Keeping these people alive is equity,” Scott says.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
8 years
Pro-Trump trailer parked outside the @HillaryClinton rally in Scranton
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Rewatching season 3 of The Wire, and there are so many cicada references. Finally I looked up when it aired. Yep, 17 years ago.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
That was a whirlwind 10 seconds in Sparks. The Maryland Cycling Classic is underway.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
NEW: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has vetoed the security deposit alternative bill. Story to come shortly.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Update: the mayor has been told he can’t bet on the Orioles being .500 next year. Money saved.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Health commissioner Letitia Dzirasa gives Baltimore @MayorBMScott the COVID vaccine. He got J&J in case you’re wondering.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Northampton County has issued this statement about the incorrect vote totals we've seen all night, calling the situation "unfortunate" #lvelection
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
Democrat @BrookeELierman has declared victory in the race for Maryland comptroller. "We have finally elected a woman to one of our three top offices. I may be the first but I’m going to make sure that I’m not the last," she said at gathering of Dems in Baltimore.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
New: Baltimore @MayorBMScott announces he’s lifting the dining ban. Outdoor dining allowed at 50% capacity. Indoor at 25% capacity.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Just passed a dude completely naked save for a pair of running shoes at Pratt and Howard. You do you, Baltimore.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Newly sworn in Baltimore Councilwoman @odetteramos choked up as she spoke to me today about the importance of becoming the city’s first Latina councilwoman. “The Latino community is no longer invisible,” she said
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Today's results are up. Brandon Scott has taken the lead in the Baltimore mayoral race. He grabbed 7,469 new votes today to Dixon's 5,210.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
The pedestal is all that’s left of the Columbus statue on Eastern Ave. in Baltimore
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
SC's statewide primary is June 9. As of this week, an unknown number of Charleston's ballots were here in Baltimore. An SC official says they were losing confidence in the mail vendor even before this happened. An entire county didn't get presidential ballots in Feb.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Maryland National Guard is assembling a field hospital today including 250 beds at the Baltimore Convention Center. This is part of the effort to add thousands of hospital beds for #Covid_19
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Note to self: headed out of town on I- 83 tonight, must break personal speed record of 173 mph
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore @MayorBMScott has this message of caution for Super Bowl Sunday. "Even though the Ravens are not playing and the hated Tom Brady is, we still have to be sure we’re being safe."
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Did you know Baltimore makes and sells lumber from its dead street trees? Meet the guys at Camp Small, the city's little-known zero waste initiative that's recycling Baltimore's waste wood
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore’s strip clubs emerged from a nearly 3 month pandemic closure Friday. We take you inside the glitter-coated but socially distanced world of a COVID era adult entertainment business
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
I’d like to have a word with whoever designed the parking lot at Canton Crossing
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Baltimore @mayorbcyoung announces all public events in Baltimore are canceled through Aug. 31. That includes “everything,” he says, like the July 4 fireworks.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 months
FYI if you’re coming to Baltimore City Hall: Baltimore City Council will be requiring masks for the next couple weeks, per an order from Council President Nick Mosby. Free masks were distributed today at the door ahead of the lunch meeting
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Someone ripped the tree I planted out of the ground last night. It made it one month. Dammit, Baltimore.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 months
Not Sheila Dixon buying the $550 car seat/stroller combo on Mayor Scott's baby registry
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore @MayorBMScott responds to @GovLarryHogan 's statement that the city has received more doses of the coronavirus vaccine than it's entitled to
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Hundreds of people in line to get COVID tests this morning at the State Center in Baltimore. You’ll wait whether you have an appointment or not, so wear comfortable shoes
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore DPW Director Jason Mitchell is incensed. "While the city was telling their people to stay home for weeks and limit their time outside, our crews continued to show up for Baltimore. And with that we must exercise compassion."
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Seeing some funky looking results coming in from Norco that are cause for concern. With 11 precincts reporting, judge candidate Kassis has 0 votes. That seems improbable. Also hearing about voting machine problems in Williams, Upper Mount Bethel
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
9 months
Mayor Scott kicks off his 10 am press conference at 10:30 and apologizes for his lateness. “Sorry for the delay, I just closed on my first house,” he says, jingling a set of keys.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
149,140 ballots returned so far in Maryland for the Nov. election. That's out of the 1.4 million requested so far. Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties have the most. Balt. Co. will start counting next week. AA has already started.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
25 minutes into Baltimore City Council's meeting, and it was just now revealed that Councilwoman McCray is not present. Is there any way to know that from home? No. Members don't respond during virtual roll call or votes. AGAIN, virtual meetings don't cut it.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore official: “Today was a total Parks and Rec day, not a Veep day.”
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore Council members all received swag bags ahead of tonight’s meeting. Inside: a cell phone stand emblazoned with Council President Nick Mosby’s name
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
It turns out I can hear the national anthem at Camden Yards from my house. What a charming discovery.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
8 months
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s nominee to lead the city’s fire department once faced charges related to his possession of more than 50 homemade pipe bombs; Scott says it shouldn't be a disqualifier
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Baltimore postal facility sat on 68,000 pieces of election mail for 5 days ahead of primary, audit shows
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 years
PA AG Josh Shapiro says he's glad to "finally" be able to talk about the 2-year grand jury probe into priest abuse.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
As of 4 p.m., more than 113,000 people have voted across Maryland on the first day of early voting. That's before the typical after work rush, and on track to beat the first day of early voting in 2016. 600 new voter registrations statewide.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
FINAL results are in for Baltimore's Dem mayoral primary. Brandon Scott gets checkmark. He beat Sheila Dixon by 3,145 votes in the end.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore @MayorBMScott just announced a $50M allocation of ARP funds for violence prevention. That will include many pieces of his crime prevention plan including re-entry services, victims services, and 30 contracts for violence intervention programs
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
NEW: Election officials are scrambling to get correct ballots to 267 Baltimore voters, including some residents of a senior living complex who will receive three ballots this election cycle, after mistakenly mailing ballots for the wrong district
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
While I have a minute between stories, I may as well share that today is my one year anniversary with @baltimoresun . I blame everything that unfolded in 2020 on my poor decision to start on the unlucky 13th. Here's to hopefully getting back in the newsroom in 2021.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
On Dec. 10, 2020, the day the superseding indictment says Marilyn Mosby sent a letter claiming to have lived in Florida for the last 70 days, she was seen in Baltimore at Nick Mosby’s swearing in as Council President
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
I have officially seen it all on this job
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 years
Today is my 6 year anniversary with @mcall . I'll be celebrating by sitting through Allentown City Council's meeting tonight and live tweeting it for your enjoyment.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Big Poppa played by @BaltSymphony was not on my July 4th bingo card, but I’m here for it
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 years
I just did an interview with The BBC about meatballs. One of the more surreal moments of my life, I'd say.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
11 months
Someone is standing outside Baltimore City Hall bellowing “Braaaaaaandon, come out,” and for once it’s not Shorty
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
We're still hearing about long lines at Baltimore polling places. 75-80 min at Northwood right now. 2 hours at Edmonson. 3,968 ballots cast in-person in Baltimore as of 5:40 p.m.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott says the city will open a new COVID testing site starting tomorrow at the former police academy on Northern Parkway.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Maryland is reporting a problem with voters whose ballots were undeliverable. When they get to the polls to vote there, pollbooks are saying they already voted by mail even though they didn't receive a ballot. They don't know how widespread this is yet. Story to come.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
People are gathering to protest Vice President Pence’s visit to Baltimore tonight. Organizers say they have no hope he’ll see them but they want him to know he’s not welcome in Baltimore
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 months
We have a lease
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Boyfriend got home last night and initially thought my Pence protest notebook by the door was a note for him.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
6 months
Baltimore City Hall greeter Sid Grossman is being recognized for this 90th (!) birthday by the council tonight
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
Every PIA request I file in Baltimore makes me want to throw my computer out the window and find a new line of work
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
A two-term limit for Baltimore politicians got the OK from city voters Tuesday who approved the measure by 72% with most precincts reporting. Voters also approved a move to let the city control the Baltimore Police Dept. for the first time in 160 years
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
The Maryland State Board of Elections staff are reporting that they've processed 86,000 ballot applications at the central processing center in the last two weeks.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
In the first 4 hours of early voting, 45,000 people have voted across Maryland. All early voting centers opened on time statewide, according to @md_sbe . (In 2016, 123,623 people voted early on Day 1.)
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Signing off from the @baltimoresun election warehouse bureau
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Baltimore's BOE just voted to eliminate the city's pre-employment drug screening for non-safety sensitive positions. The city HR director says this will help attract candidates in a tight job market and speed up the hiring process. It also follows national trends, he says.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
🚨 We have a spider in the ballots. Repeat: a spider in the ballots 🚨
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
2 years
Anyone else hear those two loud booms in South Baltimore?
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore Mayor Scott: Too early to reopen city at Maryland Gov. Hogan’s pace for easing COVID restrictions
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
A Baltimore City Council committee advanced a bill this morning allowing city elected officials to receive a pension after 8 years instead of 12. The hastily scheduled meeting wasn't broadcast on CharmTV and there was no analysis from finance. The bill was 1st introduced Oct. 24.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore’s strip clubs were officially able to open at 3 pm today. At the Penthouse Club, where owners led the lawsuit to fight for the reopening, business is strong tonight. They’re at almost 25% of capacity, their new pandemic limit.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
Baltimore City Election Director Armstead Jones says the biggest problem he's witnessed today is senior citizens trying to cut in line. People had their chance to vote via mail and skip the line, he says. "Just because you’ve had two hips replaced? I've had two hips replaced."
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
4 years
Council President Brandon Scott now up by 1,385 votes on Former Mayor Sheila Dixon in the Baltimore mayoral race.
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
1 year
Remember when it wasn't raining?
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@emilyopilo
Emily Opilo
3 years
I think this is a first for me: shooting a Sunday A1 photo. I’d like to thank my iPhone 7 and the shoes I wore while running to Camden Yards
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