The Daily Record News Briefs: September 23, 2008

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Sep 23, 2008

Baltimore attracts Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises, a cruise line owned by Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., announced that it has altered its cruise schedule for late 2009 and 2010 to make Baltimore an origination point for winter cruises to the Caribbean. Among other changes, the line said the 1,898-passenger Celebrity Mercury will sail from San Diego to Baltimore via the Panama Canal in October 2009, and thereafter sail from Baltimore to the Eastern Caribbean in a series of 12-night cruises from November 2009 to February 2010. Separately, there will be 9-night cruises from Baltimore to Charleston, S.C., Key West, Fla., and two ports in the Bahamas.

License design up for vote

Ocean City tourism officials are offering Internet users the chance to vote online for one of three designs for a new specialty Maryland license plate honoring the resort. Town spokeswoman Donna Abbott says resort officials chose not to design a new resort logo for the license plate. Instead, the three contenders are established logos: a wave logo from the official town flag, an "OC" logo used by the tourism office and a 1970s-era logo from the Inlet water tower. The voting ends Oct. 10. The winning design will require Town Council approval.

Killer gets 18 months in prison

A brother-in-law of Garrett County Sheriff Gary Berkebile has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a 2006 slaying. A Washington County judge suspended the remainder of Norris Rush's 10- year sentence. After his release, Rush, 52, of Accident, will be on supervised probation for three years followed by two years of unsupervised probation. Rush pleaded guilty in July to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the shooting death of David Lancaster, 29, of New Saltzburg, Pa.

Losing gambler loses lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a $20 million racketeering lawsuit against seven casinos by a former New York City attorney who said they had a duty to stop her from gambling. In a ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Renee Bumb wrote that Arelia Margarita Taveras failed to support her claim that gambling is a hazardous endeavor worthy of special protections. "Playing blackjack, roulette or the slots bears no likeness to dumping toxic waste," the judge wrote. "She spent money on the bona fide chance that she might win more money. In short, she gambled." Taveras, now living in Minnesota, said she lost $1 million in less than two years.

Suit against investment chief dropped

The former personal assistant of a New York investment firm chief has withdrawn a sex harassment lawsuit against him. Her ex-boss said she had filed it to deflect attention after she embezzled from him. Fatima Monahan, 36, of North Arlington, N.J., told a judge Monday she was withdrawing her lawsuit against Frederick Iseman. Monahan did not say the accusations were false, but Iseman said he has evidence she lied. Iseman is founding managing partner of Caxton- Iseman Capital LLC, a private equity investment firm in Manhattan. Monahan pleaded guilty last month to grand larceny, admitting she stole money and property from Iseman. She was given five years probation and ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution.