The Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) Scholarship Fund offers scholarship opportunities to any under-served student across the United States. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2013.

New York—Qualified applicants must be a high school senior, college student, and/or between the ages of 18-25, pursuing studies at a vocational or trade school. All applicants must be a United States Citizen and complete the on-line application not later than May 31, 2013.

The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation is unique in that it offers scholarships to single mothers, children who attend alternative schools, students who have earned a GED, students with grade point averages of 2.0 and students who have previously been incarcerated but have the desire for a higher educational opportunity. This group is generally not the recipients of college scholarships and is typically ignored by the Board  of Education.

The Shawn Carter Foundation offers scholarship opportunities to any under-served student across the United States who desires a higher education. One of the key questions asked by the Foundation when students apply for a scholarship is: What are your plans to give back to the community?

For more information or to complete the schoralship application form, visit: http://www.shawncartersf.com/apply/.

Debbie Freed lost her son in a drowning accident when he was just five years old. When Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones was five, he nearly drowned.

Every minute, more than two people in the United States drown, incidents that have proven to be the leading cause of accidental death in America.

For Freed and Cullen, they share a similar mission.

They wish to prevent as many accidental drownings as possible.

The duo has teamed up with the Connor Cares Foundation, which is named in honor of Freed’s late son, Connor Freed, to give swimming safety lessons to Baltimore City kids.

“The thought of swimming is more of an activity than a life skill, and that’s the first thing we need to do is change that perception,” Jones said during a foundation event April 27 at Callowhill Aquatic Center where he also donated life-saving defibrillators to the city’s aquatic program.

“With my son, it didn’t have to happen,” Freed said. “He was floating under an empty lifeguard chair and one problem in Baltimore is that you have one lifeguard, usually someone 16 years of age, responsible for 50 people and there was no requirement for them to know about defibrillators which could have saved my son’s life,” she said.

Freed started the foundation and its mission is to further the education and training of lifesaving personnel at all public and private pools.

Freed said it was important, especially for inner-city youth.

“Cullen Jones talked about the need for swimming lessons because swimming is recreation and it’s done all the time,” Freed said.

At the event, Jones spoke passionately on such topics as diversity, black heritage, overcoming adversity, his Olympic journey, motivation and the importance of learning to swim.

"The thought of swimming is more of an activity than a life skill, and that's the first thing we need to do is change that perception," said Jones, who became the first African American to win a gold medal in the 50 freestyle at the World University Games in 2005.

In 2006, he became the first African American to break a world record in swimming in an olympic contested event at the Pan Pacific Games.

"Every child needs to learn how to swim because children are going to get near the water," Jones said.  

Freed successfully lobbied to have legislation requiring every public pool in the state to have a defibrillator. The governor signed it into law last month.

The Connor Foundation had donated defibrillators throughout the state since its founding in 2006 and its goal is to have a defibrillator at every public and private pool nationwide, Freed said.

The Connor John-James Freed Scholarship Fund has sponsored over 400 children in Arlington Echo’s Drown- proofing Program in Anne Arundel County and the fund has provided an assortment of necessities for underprivileged children that otherwise could not afford the program.

A second scholarship fund, “Not One More Child Drowns,” helps to support the Infant Swimming Resource program, which teaches children 6 months to 6 years old life saving techniques.

A third program is currently underway that will benefit inner-city children in Baltimore.    

The new defibrillators from Cullen were a welcome gift, city officials said. “The city of Baltimore is delighted to accept such a vital piece of equipment, which could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency,” said Ernest Burkeen, the city’s Recreation Parks director. “This life-saving equipment will be a vital resource for our aquatics staff and the citizens who use and visit the city’s swim facilities,” he said.     

For more information on the foundation, visit www.connorcares.org.

Baltimore— Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) announced today that April is National Safe Digging Month and reminds all customers to always call Miss Utility at 811 to have underground utilities marked prior to beginning any digging project. Failure to call, before digging greatly increases the chance of striking an underground facility, which can cause injuries, costly equipment damage and lengthy service interruptions.

“It’s never safe to assume you know what is below ground, no matter where you plan to dig,” said Jeannette M. Mills, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE.  “Calling Miss Utility at 811 before you dig for any project, from home landscaping to construction, is the first step to take to avoid damaging underground lines and preventing injuries, fatalities and potential penalties.”

BGE maintains nearly 16,000 circuit miles of buried electric lines and more than 13,000 miles of underground natural gas pipes in central Maryland. In addition to BGE’s extensive underground system, there are buried lines for water, sewage, communication, steam and other utilities. The only way to safely excavate around this complex network of underground lines is to begin by having utilities marked in the area where you plan to dig.

After utility lines have been marked and a check-in with Miss Utility confirms the process is complete, excavators still must proceed cautiously. Mechanized equipment and hand tools such as shovels, post hole diggers, picks and digging bars can easily damage buried lines. It is always advisable to avoid digging near underground utilities whenever possible, especially if a project can be redesigned away from buried lines.

This National Safe Digging Month, commit to contacting Miss Utility at 811 before you dig and to learning more about safer excavation practices. For more information on the meaning of utility marks and 811 process, visit: www.bge.com/811 and watch BGE’s free Dig Smart video guide to safer excavation at www.bge.com/digsmart. Know what is below.  Call Miss Utility at 811 before you dig.

Annual ceremony provides opportunity to show appreciation for police/firefighters who risk lives daily

Timonium, Md.— On Friday, May 3, 2013, hundreds of law enforcement officers and firefighters, dignitaries and members of the community, family and friends will gather at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens for the 28th Annual Fallen Heroes Day, a day set-aside to honor and remember those who died in the line of duty. The 1:00 p.m. ceremony, which honors those whose deaths have been declared "line of duty" during the past year, is the only statewide ceremony in the nation that brings together all segments of the public safety community. Fallen Heroes Day salutes police, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical and rescue personnel who risk their lives everyday to protect the citizens of Maryland.

Since the May 2012 Fallen Heroes Day ceremony the deaths of five police officers, one correctional officer and one firefighter have been designated as line of duty. They are:

·Deputy First Class Teresa L. Testerman, Harford County Sheriff's Office, November 29, 2010*

·Firefighter Christopher M. Staley, Cobb Island VFD, August 6, 2011*

·Officer William D. Talbert, Montgomery County Police Department, January 27, 2012*

·Private First Class Officer Adrian Morris, Prince George's County Police Department, August 20, 2012

·Officer Forrest Taylor, Baltimore Police Department, August 29, 2012

·Corporal Charles B. Licato, Harford County Sheriff's Office, September 6, 2012

·Sergeant Ian A. Loughran, Harford County Sheriff's Office, September 13, 2012

* Line-of-duty designation declared since May 2012

The 28th Annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will begin with a procession of more than 25 honor guard units from across the state, police motorcycle and mounted units, bagpipers and drummers. Elected leaders including, Governor Martin O'Malley and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz will give memorial addresses. Former Baltimore Orioles catcher and 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey will be the special guest speaker and Mary Beth Marsden (WBAL Radio) will serve as the emcee. Additionally, Casey Brooks, the daughter of Corporal Courtney Brooks, honored as a Fallen Hero in 2008, will share a remembrance of her father. During the ceremony, the families of the 2013 Fallen Heroes will be presented with a replica of the Fallen Heroes memorial and the families of two previous fallen heroes (one police officer, one firefighter) will be presented with Governor's Proclamations.

"Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens is privileged to be the home of Maryland’s Fallen Heroes Memorial," said John O. Mitchell, III, chairman of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. "Beyond honoring those who have died in the line duty during the past year, Fallen Heroes Day provides an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland to take time to show appreciation and respect for the dedicated public servants who risk their lives each day when they report to work."

Keeping with tradition, Governor Martin O’Malley has issued a proclamation declaring May 3, 2013 as Fallen Heroes Day in Maryland and has ordered flags flown at half-staff at the State House and all state facilities. During the service, a replica of the Fallen Heroes Memorial and a resolution from the Maryland General Assembly will be presented to the families of the fallen heroes being honored this year.

The Fallen Heroes Memorial is located within Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 East Padonia Road, Timonium, MD 21093.