There’s new life in Back River — thoughnot quite what folks had been hoping for.

The eastern Baltimore County waterway,long degraded by sewage and development,has been humming the past few summerswith hordes of midges, gnat-like insectsthat swarm over the water and along theshoreline.

They don’t bite, though they look likemosquitoes. But their mating swarms arebedeviling waterfront residents, boatersand marina operators because the bugs aredrawn to lights and light-colored objects.They get into people’s hair, ears and eyes —and even occasionally get inhaled.

“It was insane,” recalls Brian Schilpp, ofa daytime infestation of Rocky Point duringa recent fishing tournament. “It looked likelocusts. … Every leaf of every tree was cov-ered with these midges,” and, he added, thewind was blowing them about “like con-fetti.”

Midges are clouding the waterfront,harassing boaters and residents

Bugs bedeviling Back River

Adultmidges

LLOYD FOX/BALTIMORE SUN PHOTO

By Timothy B. WheelerTHE BALTIMORE SUN

See MIDGES, page 13

bridge sports 7 ● lottery news 4 ● crime & courts news 5 ● business news 8 ● obituaries news 14 opinion news 11 ● puzzles at home 5, sports 7 ● tonight on tv at home 5 ● comics at home 4

inside

Informing more than 1 million Maryland readers weekly in print and online SATURDAYPrice $1. Our 173rd year, No. 184 July 3, 2010

baltimoresun.com

SPORTS

RED SOX 3ORIOLES 2Replacing pitcherBrad Bergesenwith Will Ohmanin the eighth in-ning was a risk,and it didn’t workout well. Bostonbroke a tie andwent on to win.SPORTS PG 1

IN HEALTH TODAY

LOOKING FOR COVERAGE? The federalgovernment has launched a website to helptake the guesswork out of finding a health careplan. HealthCare.gov will explain insuranceoptions and the provisions of the new healthcare reform law. PG 9

MARYLAND

RELIEF FOR COMMUTERS: Rep. C.A.Dutch Ruppersberger has announced that hewill introduce a Commuter’s Bill of Rightswhen Congress reconvenes, to provide for thesafety and comfort of transit riders. PG 2

TODAY’S WEATHER

SUNNY AND WARM

88HIGH

67LOW

Heat without relief for days PG 3

SUMMARY OF THE NEWS

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July 4th Event!

Steele’s commentsdraw criticism PG 5

Just ahead of the July 4th weekend —when temperatures could rise close to 100degrees — the state reported another heat-related death.

It is the sixth death in the state this sea-son, and the same number of heat victimsas in all of 2009. It is also the first case thatdoes not involve the elderly, though the vic-tim was an adult. Theperson, who was iden-tified only as a Mont-gomery County resi-dent, was found out-side in May and wasthe first person to diewho had no seriousunderlying health con-ditions.

The death has stateofficials warning residents to take precau-tions.

“It’s hotter than normal,” said John M.Colmers, secretary of the state Departmentof Health and Mental Hygiene. “This is seri-ous business for people, particularly thosewith chronic conditions and the elderly.We’ve seen it lead to fatal consequences.”

Colmers said the latest reported deathserves as a warning that anyone can be-come dehydrated and fall ill. That meansresidents need to drink plenty of fluids,seek shade and air conditioning, take iteasy when outside and check on their petsand neighbors.

In general, the heat is the biggest threatto those with chronic illnesses and the eld-erly. All of the other victims in the statewere seniors who were found inside with-out air conditioning, except for one senior

6th deathfrom heatreportedin state With temperatures to risethis weekend, a reminder tostay hydrated, take it easy

By Meredith CohnTHE BALTIMORE SUN

See HEAT, page 12

InsideFive foodsthat can helpprotect youfrom the sun.PG 3

Multipurpose, and so trendy AT HOME

In the latest of a string of Baltimore-area killings involving servicemen, aMarine about to be redeployed to Af-ghanistan was shot early Friday at adowntown hookah bar.

Chase Love, a 26-year-old from NewOrleans, was shot once in the chest afteran altercation in the lounge between3:15 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., said Baltimorepolice spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.He said Love was celebrating with fellowMarines before returning to Afghani-stan.

Guglielmi said police are interview-ing bouncers and other witnesses buthave identified no suspects or persons ofinterest in the shooting.

“Chase was one of the funniest, mostloving people I’ve ever known,” saidKathey Early, who knew him from theRoad Runners Club, the summer trackteam she and her husband run in Louisi-ana. “We’ve had many kids come and go,but Chase was one that my daughters ac-cepted as a brother and that I thought ofas the son I never had.”

Early said Love’s mother died ofbreast cancer when he was a senior inhigh school and that he entered the Ma-rines shortly after graduation.

“He felt that as the man of the house, itwas an opportunity for him to take careof his [two] sisters,” Early said. “Heloved it. He knew he was going to make a

Marine, 26,is killed athookah barnear BlockHe was celebrating beforegoing back to Afghanistan

See SHOOTING, page 12

By Childs WalkerTHE BALTIMORE SUN

Your Fourth of July resourceGet information about all the things to do —

parades, fireworks, sightseeing — and the places to gotoday and Sunday — Inner Harbor or Catonsville?Dundalk or Towson? Howard County or Carroll County? All this and more at baltimoresun.com

Donald Manning of Phillips Seafood outfits Logan Muggli, 5, of Abingdon with a crabhat as part of the 30th-anniversary celebration of Harborplace, which Phillips hasbeen a part of since the beginning. SEE JACQUES KELLY’S COLUMN, PG 2

LLOYD FOX/BALTIMORE SUN PHOTO

Have hat, will party