Brandi Bottalico

Multimedia Journalist

Annapolis

Brandi Bottalico

Multimedia Journalist

Annapolis

Fire repairs to Arundel buildings don't require sprinklers
Matthew Friesen wonders if it will be safe to move back into his Cromwell Fountain condominium. Repairs have begun at the Glen Burnie complex, which was destroyed by fire in February. But there are no plans to add sprinklers, even though having them might have limited the $465,000 in damage caused by a careless smoker.
The Capital
Fatal robberies a rarity in Anne Arundel crime
At a police press conference, posters portray stills from video surveillance footage believed to show the murderer of Rajinder Kumar, who was shot Thursday, August 7th, at his job at an Exxon gas station in Hanover. A customer at the Hanover Mobil put a newspaper and a soda on the counter around 5:30 p.m.
The Capital
'He was working hard to pay his kid's school fee'
Jagdeep Singh looked at police and media gathered at the Exxon across the street Wednesday and asked if they had caught the man who killed his roommate. Rajinder Kumar, 49, was working the night shift at the Hanover gas station Aug. 7, when a man walked in around 1 a.m. and shot him, taking an undisclosed amount of cash.
The Capital
Schools' bilingual facilitators have busy days with growing Hispanic population
Norma Rivera wouldn't have known she had the power to care for her special needs son without Jaclyn Muñoz. Rivera is now able to participate in her son's education. She says she's learning a lot, even about herself. Muñoz is a bilingual facilitator at Tyler Heights Elementary School, where her daily tasks include translating, organizing, scheduling, registering, listening to students and talking to dozens of parents.
The Capital
Anne Arundel overdoses could double in 2014
Deaths from drug and alcohol overdoses are on pace to almost double this year, according to new data compiled by the Anne Arundel County Health Department. In the first seven months of this year, according to the latest data available, the county saw the second-highest rate of increase in overdoses in Maryland.
The Capital
Family of Meade High student killed in 2012 forgives driver
A Laurel man was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine at a plea hearing Tuesday, almost two years after his car hit and killed Meade High School freshman Jaelin Ashe. Abraham M. Evans, 34, pleaded not guilty with a statement of facts to two of six counts for exceeding the speed limit and negligent driving.
The Capital
Nic Queen's passion is all bottled up
Nic Queen traced the origin of the bottle he was holding to a Pasadena dairy in the late 1940s. "Almost every small town had their own dairy," he said. "Everything came in a glass bottle at one time." To the Glen Burnie man, collecting bottles is a peek into life hundreds of years ago, a fragile link to history.
The Capital
Hispanic community greets Obama's immigration plan
The Annapolis restaurant fell silent Thursday night as President Barack Obama’s speech was translated into Spanish on Univision. About 30 immigrants were at the Taqueria Juquilita for a watch party hosted by the Anne Arundel Committee of CASA de Maryland, the state’s largest immigrant advocacy group.
The Capital
Christie campaigns with Hogan in Glen Burnie
William Niner drove over an hour to the Honey Bee Diner in Glen Burnie Tuesday to show his support for Larry Hogan’s bid to be Maryland’s governor and to meet New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He got there at 7 a.m., snagging a booth next to the entrance and ordered cream chipped beef. After he finished he waited for the Republican candidate’s campaign bus, scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m.
The Capital
Body found in water of Baltimore Inner Harbor identified
The Edmondson Heights resident was last seen leaving a friend's house on Dec. 27 on Glenmore Avenue in northeast Baltimore. It was believed that he was heading toward the Maryland Transit Administration bus stop at Harford Road and Glenmore Avenue, according to Baltimore County police. Homicide detectives are still investigating the cause of death.
The Baltimore Sun
Featured
Baltimore Office of Sustainability teaches emergency preparedness
Earl Johnson and his neighbors were more serious about emergency preparedness after they experienced a power outage and no running water at the same time a few years ago, he said. "We had elderly people who needed water," he said. "We went to the community association first but they weren't open yet, then we went to a church."
The Baltimore Sun
Two convicted in abduction-murder plot
A Baltimore jury convicted two men on murder, extortion and false imprisonment charges Wednesday for abducting a man and taking his girlfriend's ransom money before killing him and dumping his body in the Patapsco River. Eric Pendergrass went missing in early 2009 and turned up dead soon after. The jury convicted Donta Vaughn, 37, and Darryl Nichols, 38, of the abduction plot after about a day of deliberation.
The Baltimore Sun
Police investigating whether incendiary device caused Essex house fire
Baltimore County police are investigating whether an incendiary device might have caused an Essex house fire Tuesday morning that sent three people, including a firefighter and a police officer, to an area hospital. A female resident on the first floor of the home in the 700 block of Essex Ave. told investigators she heard a loud noise and immediately saw flames and broken windows.
The Baltimore Sun
Sustainability numbers reflect poor performance
When Clara Fang was hired as Director of Sustainability in 2012 she looked forward to increasing awareness across campus and helping the University reach its sustainability goals. While she has implemented many programs such as Recyclemania, Eco-reps and the sustainability film series, she said it wasn’t with much help from the department she was under, Facilities Management.
The Towerlight, Towson University
Featured
SGA loses power to grant University affiliation
27 February 2013 By Brandi Bottalico, Associate News Editor 8 Comments. The Student Government Association no longer possesses the power to grant University affiliation to student groups. In Tuesday’s meeting, the senate voted to enact a new system that would require all prospective student groups to meet with a representative from Student Activities, who would allow the affiliation.
The Towerlight
Featured
YWC Straight Pride Day at Towson University
Youth for Western Civilization's "Straight Pride Day" - Matthew Hazlett/ The Towerlight. On Thursday night, Youth for Western Civilization held a talk on the importance of traditional marriage, which caused controversy with many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and supporters. Before the event began, students met on the second floor of the University Union to sit with protest signs.
The Towerlight

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Brandi Bottalico

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Brandi Bottalico is a general assignment reporter at the Capital, a daily newspaper covering Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Md.

She writes about subjects ranging from politics to community events to crime.

She holds a journalism degree with a minor in Spanish from Towson University. Bottalico was senior editor for the university's independent, student-run paper, The Towerlight. She also studied in Spain to work toward language fluency and traveled to Honduras on a service trip to help build a school in San Pedro Sula.

She won two Mark of Excellence awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. One was for news coverage of a proposed white student union at her college, which gained national attention. The other recognized her Bad Luck Brandi column for The Towerlight.

Bottalico grew up outside of Washington, D.C. and now lives in Annapolis.