Honoring Those Who Protect, Serve

"Tasers allow officers to quickly gain control of dangerous situations and to manage dangerous people," Coffey said in a statement. "The Jaycees and the Lions are contributing greatly to officer and community safety."

Rural Service Grants

The 2008-09 Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund, administered by the Rural Maryland Council, is accepting grant applications through July 7 from nonprofit organizations and community colleges serving rural areas.

Applicants must be 501(c)3 nonprofit groups that serve a regional or statewide rural constituency and undertake projects related to statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, or agricultural and forestry education. Rural community colleges that support small and agricultural businesses through enhanced training and technical assistance also are eligible.

Eligible projects must serve more than one rural county, and preference is given to those organizations that have secured equal matching funds from non-state sources. The grant period runs from Sept. 1 to June 30, 2009.

Maryland designates the following counties as rural: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester.

Complete details and application materials are available on the Rural Maryland Council Web site at http://www.rural.state.md.us or by calling 410-841-5772.

Courthouse Expansion

Charles County has directed Facchina Construction to begin work to build the Courthouse Expansion Project.

The project entails the construction of a two-story Colonial Revival style building with 75,600 square feet of space. The garage and basement support areas account for 28,950 square feet, and the finished basement, first floor and second floor combined are 46,650 square feet.

Four courtrooms (two on each floor), the District Court clerk and commissioner and the judges' chambers (on the second floor) will be housed in the new building. Together, those District Court spaces account for 30,106 square feet that will be used by state-operated services.

For county government, the building will house the register of wills and the land records office, both on the first floor, and will occupy 9,594 square feet.

The county offices will be separated from the District Court space, and each will have its own entrance.

Also included in the project will be a limited amount of underground parking for officials. The structure will be in the area that currently serves as the main parking lot.