Residents seek damages from BGE; Target to close 9 stores

Good morning Baltimore, and happy Wednesday.

As mentioned in a previous edition of this newsletter, it has become clear that Taylor Swift is good for the economy. More specifically, she seems to be an economic kingmaker; should she grace you with her attention, so too will the world.

I won't get into speculating about her relationship status (you can surf Reddit if you're into that), but Taylor attended a Kansas City Chiefs game to watch tight end Travis Kelce play on Sunday. Lo and behold, mere hours later, a spokesperson for the fan apparel site Fanatics told the Associated Press that sales for Kelce's jersey nearly quadrupled that day. I doubt Kelce could have conjured such an event in his "Wildest Dreams."

We lead today with sad news.

Police identify suspect in murder of tech CEO Pava LaPere

The Baltimore Police Department has identified a suspect in the killing of a 26-year-old tech company CEO who was found dead in a Mt. Vernon apartment Monday, our Matt Hooke reports. Police have issued a warrant for arrest on a charge of first-degree murder for Jason Dean Billingsley, 30, of Baltimore. Officials said he is wanted on charges that he killed Pava LaPere, the founder of Baltimore startup EcoMap Technologies, who was found dead of blunt force trauma Monday morning, as the BBJ reported. Read on for more on the case and the impact it's having on those who knew her.

Homeowners seek damages from BGE over unwanted external regulator installations

The external regulator debacle is far from over, folks. The Baltimore Sun reports that in an amended complaint, homeowners suing BGE over its policy of installing external gas regulators despite residents’ protests are now seeking damages from the utility company. The accusations include “trespass to property, contract violations, public utility discrimination” and more, per the Sun. The plaintiffs request a remedy for the situation, which could include compensation or the removal of the regulators.

Target to close 9 stores in major cities, citing theft and safety concerns

Target Corp. is closing nine stores across four metropolitan markets as a result of theft and safety concerns, the Minneapolis-based retailer announced Tuesday, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports. On Oct. 21, Target (NYSE: TGT) will close one store in New York City, two stores in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco/Oakland area and three in Portland, Ore., according to a post on the company's corporate blog, A Bullseye View. In an August earnings call, CEO Brian Cornell said the company “continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime.” Read more on the closures.

Orioles legend Brooks Robinson dies at 86

Brooks Robinson — Hall of Famer, 18-time All-Star, MVP, two-time World Series champ and more — died at 86 years old, the Baltimore Orioles announced Tuesday evening. "We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson," the Robinson family and Orioles said in a joint statement. "An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball.” There's not enough space in a hundred of these newsletters to tally Robinson's accomplishments and impact on the game of baseball, so take some time to read any of the many obituaries that will be released in the coming days to celebrate a true legend of America's pastime.

Harford County readies for Maryland Italian Festival

As the public face of BBJ’s New Jersey and Italian caucuses, I am happy to share that the Galbani Maryland Italian Festival will be in Harford County this weekend. The three-day bash (Fri.-Sun.), sponsored by the Italian cheese producer Galbani Cheese and organized by the Society of Italian American Businessmen, will take place at the Harford County Equestrian Center in Bel Air. There will be food and drink, carnival rides and games, a bocce tournament and, I’m sure, an air of general merth and merriment. And to top it all off, Sunday marks the start of National Italian-American Heritage Month.

FTC, 17 states sue Amazon over competition concerns

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states, including Maryland, filed a lawsuit against Amazon yesterday, accusing the online commerce giant of strongarming sellers and favoring its own products, the Puget Sound Business Journal reports. Among the accusations are that Amazon prevented sellers from offering lower prices on other platforms and forced them to use Amazon’s in-house shipping service to be included in the Prime program. Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the country. The case is expected to move slowly, similarly to other recent FTC cases against Google and other conglomerates.

Baltimore to host global community space convention in 2024

International Placemaking week has chosen to make Baltimore its place for 2024. On June 5-8 next year, “public space leaders” from across the globe will convene in Baltimore for networking, learning and site exploration. Attendees will share strategies for building strong and useful public spaces. The previous conventions were held in Vancouver, Canada, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Baltimore-based nonprofit the Neighborhood Design Center and Baltimore City will serve as co-hosts for the convention.

Roland Park supports two local businesses after September flooding

After a nail salon and dry cleaners were severely damaged after flooding from storms on Sept. 12, Roland Park residents and other locals have come to their aid. Baltimore Fishbowl reports that the owner of Majestic Cleaners raised more than $35,000 on GoFundMe, and Lawndale Nail Salon raised $27,000 to help recover some of what was lost in the flooding. Both business owners told Fishbowl that there's a long road ahead to get back up and running and expressed gratitude to the community.

This newsletter was written by Joe Ilardi, digital producer for the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at jilardi@bizjournals.com.