Latest news with #CBSNewsBaltimore
CBS News
29-04-2025
- CBS News
Harford County pastor charged for allegedly stealing $100K from church
A Harford County pastor is facing several charges after investigators say he stole more than $100,000 from his church. Pastor Daniel Champ is charged with theft of over $100,000 and embezzlement from the First Baptist Church. Pastor Daniel Champ is charged with theft of over $100,000 and embezzlement from the First Baptist Church. CBS News Baltimore "They would talk about holding meetings and not say why, and then all of a sudden the pastor was gone, he was just gone," said an anonymous member of First Baptist Church in Bel Air. Suspicious bank charges noticed According to the Harford County Sheriff's Office, church officials noticed suspicious bank charges and missing money last October. According to the indictment, the theft began in January 2019 and continued until he was caught in 2024. Investigators say Pastor Champ took more than $135,000 for personal use, such as DoorDash, PayPal, and sports betting. A member of the church, who didn't want to be identified, said the church still has not addressed the crime. "I was very disappointed that they didn't come out honestly and tell us what was happening, why they weren't forthcoming and honest," the church member said. "Because money goes to that church, that's the people's money. And why weren't they honest? Why didn't they just tell people?" Multiple attempts to reach the church were unsuccessful "I think they need to come clean and be honest with the people. I think the people need to know," the church member said. Pastor ordered to move off church property The Harford County Sheriff's Office says Champ was removed from the church account and has 60 days to move from the residence on church property. He is set to appear in court next month.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pay increases, worker safety top issues for Baltimore DPW workers after two deaths on the job
Several members of the Baltimore City Council and union leaders remembered two workers who died on the job in 2024 and vowed to improve safety and increase wages. Baltimore sanitation workers have long complained of low pay and unsafe working conditions. "We've had huge challenges with worker safety at DPW. We know that we've had workers die at DPW. We've had over 1,600 injuries in five years in the sanitation department at DPW," Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen said. DPW workers voice union concerns Conditions became so bad, some workers did not even have access to toilet paper or proper bathroom facilities. ore CBS News Baltimore The unions have come under fire from some workers who claimed they were out of touch. Several who spoke to the inspector general criticized AFSCME, saying their "presence has been non-existent, and the union has not advocated for the workers in the last few years. One worker opined that Local 44 is absent until something drastic happens, like when a worker dies…" "They're lying to you all. We are tired of them. That's why we're here," said Stancil McNair, at a heated city council legislative oversight hearing on March 20. "More of us came to this hearing than we do to a union meeting. That's sad. And they're still playing games. Still playing games." WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren asked the unions about these concerns. "Our goal is to protect all of you," said Antoinette Ryan-Johnson, President of City Union of Baltimore, which represents DPW supervisors. "If that means that I need to take the bow, I will do so, but we need you to be our eyes and ears." Two DPW deaths raise alarm After the deaths of Baltimore DPW employees Ronald Silver II and Timothy Cartwell in 2024, union leaders said Monday they will follow through on their promises to keep workers safe. "Today, we mourn the dead, but mourning is not enough. We fight for the living—for every worker who has been ever told to suck it up instead of speak up," said Courtney Jenkins, the president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council of AFL-CIO unions. The city has not provided substantive updates in months on the death of Cartwell. He was crushed by a trash truck. Silver died after repeatedly begging for help in the extreme heat. "He was not replaceable," Faith Johnson, Silver's mother, said last month, her voice breaking. "He was not replaceable to us. I'm still trying to figure out how life looks without him." New safeguards are already in place statewide. The city is also implementing new heat standards. "This summer, Maryland will be only one of six states in the country that offers these protections" said Scott Schneider, the former director of occupational safety for the Laborers International Union. "It came too late for Ronald Silver, but we hope that as we remember him today on Workers' Memorial Day, his death helped prevent others from having to suffer or die of heat exposures." Fighting for pay raises Right now, union leaders and the city are negotiating pay raises. The average sanitation worker earns just 15 cents an hour in hazard pay and a little more than $42,000 annually, which many said is not enough to feed their families. Right now, union leaders and the city are negotiating pay raises. CBS News Baltimore "It is the expectation of this city council that those workers will get a raise, and it will be a meaningful raise," Cohen said. Last week, the city council president joined sanitation workers on the job. Several members of the Baltimore City Council and union leaders remembered two workers who died on the job in 2024 and vowed to improve safety and increase wages. CBS News Baltimore "It is hard work. It is backbreaking work, and they deserve more," Cohen said. The negotiations are private, and union leaders declined to comment on specific progress Monday, but Cohen noted the DPW director has committed to providing a pay increase. Just weeks ago, Baltimore City signed new contracts with top leaders, with several earning more than $250,000 a year.
CBS News
23-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Howard County Yom HaShoah commemoration aims to ensure Holocaust history is not forgotten
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is one of the most important days for Jewish communities worldwide. In Howard County, Temple Isaiah is hosting an event for the occasion, marking 80 years since the concentration camps were liberated. Two Maryland men -- Steve Salzberg and Steve DiBiagio -- are sharing their story for the Yom HaShoah event at Temple Isaiah on Wednesday. The event begins at 7 p.m. Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is one of the most important days for Jewish communities worldwide. CBS News Baltimore The event is put on by the Howard County Holocaust Remembrance Committee and the Howard County Board of Jewish Clergy. "Your father liberated my father" Like many Jewish Americans, Steve Salzberg has had family members live through the Holocaust. He lost some, like his grandfather, but his father survived. "He came to this country and established a wonderful life for himself," Salzberg said. Years ago, Salzberg attended and spoke at a Holocaust remembrance event at The John Carroll School in Harford County. That's when he heard how Steve DiBiagio, the school's president, was one of the soldiers who liberated those at the Hannover-Ahlem concentration camp. That's the same camp Salzberg's father was held in. When DiBiagio finished, Salzberg went to ask a question. "I never heard anyone else mention [that concentration camp]. My question [to DiBiagio] was more of a statement, 'I just realized your father liberated my father,'" Salzberg said. The two hugged and cried. DiBiagio said you could hear a pin drop in the room in that moment. "We were experiencing something 80 years in the past, but it was present in that moment for us," DiBiagio said. "It will be for as long as we're around to share that experience." Salzberg and DiBiagio have become good friends since realizing their shared history, and it's something they'll share for years to come. "We have a responsibility to share the story, tell the story, as long as we're able," DiBiagio said. Keeping history accurate Rita Cohen and Larry Cohen, members of the Howard County Holocaust Remembrance Committee, say these events are critical to ensure history isn't forgotten. "There are very few survivors left, and it's kinda up to people like me, people like my husband, people that are connected somehow, to continue the story," Rita Cohen said. "If there's no witness, the story can change, and it's already happening." Larry Cohen said the story's already changing, making events like this even more important. "There are people who say it didn't happen," he said. "That's wrong, that's disastrous. The fact is it did happen, and we can't let history change."
CBS News
23-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Howard County Yom HaShoash commemoration aims to ensure Holocaust history is not forgotten
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is one of the most important days for Jewish communities worldwide. In Howard County, Temple Isaiah is hosting an event for the occasion, marking 80 years since the concentration camps were liberated. Two Maryland men -- Steve Salzberg and Steve DiBiagio -- are sharing their story for the Yom HaShoah event at Temple Isaiah on Wednesday. The event begins at 7 p.m. Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is one of the most important days for Jewish communities worldwide. CBS News Baltimore The event is put on by the Howard County Holocaust Remembrance Committee and the Howard County Board of Jewish Clergy. "Your father liberated my father" Like many Jewish Americans, Steve Salzberg has had family members live through the Holocaust. He lost some, like his grandfather, but his father survived. "He came to this country and established a wonderful life for himself," Salzberg said. Years ago, Salzberg attended and spoke at a Holocaust remembrance event at The John Carroll School in Harford County. That's when he heard how Steve DiBiagio, the school's president, was one of the soldiers who liberated those at the Hannover-Ahlem concentration camp. That's the same camp Salzberg's father was held in. When DiBiagio finished, Salzberg went to ask a question. "I never heard anyone else mention [that concentration camp]. My question [to DiBiagio] was more of a statement, 'I just realized your father liberated my father,'" Salzberg said. The two hugged and cried. DiBiagio said you could hear a pin drop in the room in that moment. "We were experiencing something 80 years in the past, but it was present in that moment for us," DiBiagio said. "It will be for as long as we're around to share that experience." Salzberg and DiBiagio have become good friends since realizing their shared history, and it's something they'll share for years to come. "We have a responsibility to share the story, tell the story, as long as we're able," DiBiagio said. Keeping history accurate Rita Cohen and Larry Cohen, members of the Howard County Holocaust Remembrance Committee, say these events are critical to ensure history isn't forgotten. "There are very few survivors left, and it's kinda up to people like me, people like my husband, people that are connected somehow, to continue the story," Rita Cohen said. "If there's no witness, the story can change, and it's already happening." Larry Cohen said the story's already changing, making events like this even more important. "There are people who say it didn't happen," he said. "That's wrong, that's disastrous. The fact is it did happen, and we can't let history change."
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
A 10-Year-Old Girl Was Killed. Then The Funeral Director Opened Fire At Her Burial
A Maryland funeral director was found guilty of second-degree murder for fatally shooting a pallbearer at a burial service for a 10-year-old girl, who herself had been shot to death. Wilson Chavis, 50, was also convicted of use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence and reckless endangerment, Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Feb. 14. 'When acts of violence occur at places that should be sacred like funeral homes and cemeteries, it's horrific,' said State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy. 'With this guilty verdict, Mr. Chavis will be held accountable for his reckless, callous actions.' Chavis went to the Washington National Cemetery in Suitland on June 6, 2023, where the funeral home he owned, Compassion and Serenity, was hosting a service for 10-year-old Arianna Davis, who was fatally shot on Mother's Day in 2023. Authorities said Chavis allegedly got into a confrontation with two people from another funeral home that Chavis had a long-standing business dispute with. Funeral attendees confronted Chavis about his behavior and at one point he pulled out a gun and fired. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Thirty-year-old Ronald Banks, who was a pallbearer, was fatally shot. A second victim suffered a graze wound. Chavis left the area and was later picked up during a traffic stop, CBS News Baltimore reported. 'The saddest part about that day was that the mother of Arianna Davis said she never got to see her daughter be buried and lowered into the ground,' said Assistant State's Attorney William Porter, per WUSA9. 'Someone had to tell her where her daughter was buried later.' According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Arianna was a passenger in a car with her family when she was hit by a stray bullet in Washington, D.C. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11. Read the original article on People
