I have two articles in today’s paper. One was about the afternoon I spent in Anne Arundel District Court yesterday, where court officials had their first-ever docket of all natural resources cases. It ended up on the front page.

I rarely spend time in court, so it was interesting to witness the cases. The judge, Megan Johnson, was interesting. She moved quickly and she had little patience for some of the defendants. She wasn’t overly hard, though, some people with minor violations got probation before judgment. And most defendants found guilty walked away with only fines. (Though one man has to pay nearly $1,000 for a deer he shot illegally. The judge pointed out it was a very expensive deer!)

I also have an article in the “Our Bay” section of the newspaper, which is the biweekly page we have devoted to the Chesapeake Bay and the environment. My article today explores the tough road that environmental activists are facing in the annual 90-day General Assembly session, which began earlier this week.

Covering the General Assembly can be taxing, but it’s interesting to see our government at work. And occasionally, it’s fun. I expect to have a light General Assembly load this session due to the budget cuts and the election coming up.