Find Your Daily Voice
Finksburg
Your Local News for Finksburg, Maryland
Monday, feb 17
28°
Follow
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Events
Traffic
Real Estate
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Finksburg
Follow
Find Your Daily Voice
News
Schools
Business
Obituaries
Police & Fire
Weather
Lifestyle
Politics
Sports
Events
Traffic
Real Estate
Tags
Jobs
Shop
Support Us
Home
About us
All sites
Advertise with us
Contact us
Terms of use
Privacy policy
Code of ethics
Site Map
© 2025 Cantata Media
28°
Monday, feb 17
Tag:
Facebook
Obituaries
Expectant Dad Killed During Dispute In Maryland
Courtney Zentz and Trevor Dean Van Devander were months away from their happy ending before he became one of Montgomery County's first victims of gun violence in 2025. In early January 2025, Van Devander was involved in a dispute with Benjamin Jack Dresbach in Kensington, resulting in the expectant 29-year-old father's murder. The unexpected death left Zentz and their 6-year-old son to fend for themselves as they continue to cope with a new normal following the fatal shooting. "I’m unemployed at this time and we don’t know when we will begin receiving survivor benefits," she wrote in a GoF…
News
Earn Your Scroll: New App Makes You Walk To Unlock Social Media
A new app is fighting against doomscrolling and helping users get active by turning steps into screen time. Steppin' blocks you from using certain apps unless you walk a certain number of daily steps. The app was founded by Boston entrepreneur Paul English, who's also a co-founder of travel search engine Kayak.com. Steppin' rewards physical activity by tying screen time to movement. For every 100 steps, users earn one minute of access to restricted apps, including social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, as well as other platforms like Netflix. The app's settings are fully …
Business
Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports
Meta will cut thousands of employees in the latest move for the controversial company that owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, according to reports. An internal memo sent to Meta workers said five percent of low-performing employees will be terminated, Bloomberg News reported. The company that also owns WhatsApp and Threads has more than 72,000 employees, according to Meta's most recent quarterly report. A five-percent reduction would mean about 3,600 people could lose their jobs. "I've decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,…
Business
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says
Meta is dismantling its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S. and aims to bring back political content as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the company said. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes in a video statement on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, will replace its fact-checking program with a Community Notes system similar to the one implemented on X (formerly Twitter). Zuckerberg said the new system's goal is to reduce bias and restore free expression. "Fact-checkers have be…
Police & Fire
Social Media Clue Cracks Case Of Arson At Maryland Church: Fire Marshal
An investigator randomly scrolling through Facebook was key in apprehending a man who set a tree ablaze at a Maryland church last month, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Shortly after 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, first responders were called to the Radiant Life Church in Cumberland, when a tree was found burning outside, which was extinguished within minutes. An investigation led by the Cumberland Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was intentionally set, prompting assistance from the State Fire Marshal, who were able to obtain surveillance footage that captured the suspect in …
News
ChatGPT Goes Down, X Users Coming In Hot With Memes
Hours after a Meta outage left Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp users in the dark, ChatGPT seems to be following suit. Users of the AI website began experiencing technical difficulties sometime around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11. A message on the website as of 9:20 p.m. reads: "ChatGPT is currently unavailable. Status: Identified - We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix." Naturally, X users had a field day. #ChatGPT is down. Looks like everyone will have to finish their assignments the old fashioned way. pic.twitter.com/68xVq9DNf8 — Xon Kurama (@XonKurama) Decemb…
Business
Meta Outages: Thousands Experiencing Issues With Facebook, Instagram, Other Platforms
Tens of thousands of Meta users are experiencing outages across its platforms. Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, there were numerous reports of outages on Downdetector.com, including 69,000 on Instagram, over 1,000 on Facebook, and 10,000 on WhatsApp. Meta issued a statement on the outages on X at around 1:45 p.m. "We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps," the statement said. "We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience." We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some use…
Business
Moderation Mess: Meta Admits Harmless Content Often Gets Taken Down
Meta is admitting that harmless content gets taken down amid criticism for its handling of moderation. “Too often, harmless content gets taken down, or restricted, and too many people get penalized unfairly,” the company's president of global affairs, Nick Glegg, told reporters on Monday, Dec. 2, according to a report in The Verge. Meta's platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. Despite advancements in AI moderation, Clegg acknowledged there is still “work to do” in ensuring fair and accurate enforcement, the report said. Meta has promised to refine its…
Business
Winning $50K 'Bonus Match 5' Ticket Sold At Carroll County 7-Eleven
If you’re a Maryland lottery player, check those tickets! This weekend saw a lucky streak with Marylanders raking in a combined $200,000 in draw game winnings, courtesy of Powerball and Bonus Match 5. In Charles County, a Powerball ticket purchased at NSR Mart in Hughesville matched the numbers 03-21-24-34-46, with a Powerball of 09 for the drawing on Monday, Nov. 11. The player opted for the Power Play multiplier, which was 3X for that draw, elevating the $50,000 prize to $150,000. Meanwhile, in Westminster, a Bonus Match 5 ticket sold at the 7-Eleven on Baltimore Boulevard o…
Politics
'Not What We Voted For:' Kamala Harris Delivers Concession Speech After Losing To Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris has addressed the nation for the first time after losing the 2024 Presidential Election to Donald Trump at her alma mater, Howard University. "The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for not what we voted for," the vice president said. "but hear me when I say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright." Harris urged her supporters to keep fighting before saying, "We must accept the results of this election." The veep said that she spoke to Trump and congratulated him on his victory, "and told him we will help him and h…
Weather
Persistent Dry Conditions, Gusty Winds Creating Elevated Risk Of Fire In DMV Region
There will be an elevated risk of fire danger in the DMV region on Saturday due to the continued dry conditions and expected gusty winds, according to the National Weather Service. An alert was issued cautioning that there will be increased fire conditions expected on Oct. 26, with relative humidity levels staying long, with winds hovering between 15 and 20 mph and gusts possibly reaching 30 mph in parts of Maryland and Virginia. The forecasted conditions "will result in the rapid drying of fine fuels like grass, leaves, and small shrubs." In response to the expected weather, forecas…
Business
Family Dinner Lands Lucky Lottery Player $1M Prize On Ticket Sold At Maryland Restaurant
What started as a routine family dinner turned into a million dollar meal for a Montgomery County woman who cashed in big on a Mega Millions ticket sold at a popular restaurant. Over the summer, the Lottery novice said that she was out with family at Quincy's Bar & Grille in Gaithersburg - a place they regularly frequent - but on July 19, they did something different. At the urging of her family, the woman said that she was coaxed into purchasing a $2 ticket for the drawing after being initially reluctant. This week, Lottery officials said that sure enough, she later returned to the re…
Obituaries
Truth Tillman, Rigger In DMV For Decades, Remembered As 'Bright Light Extinguished Too Soon'
A man who had his fingerprint on the pulse of the DMV is being remembered as "a bright light extinguished too soon following his unexpected death. Truth Tillman, 38, a beloved family member and friend to countless people throughout the region, was killed on Saturday, Sept. 7 in a reported crash on I-295. The Severn resident was described as "a rigger in the DMV since he was 17 years old" by a loved one, as his family looks to start filling the hole his unexpected passing left in their hearts. "(He) was a husband, father, uncle, brother, and friend to anyone who had the pleasure of spe…
Business
Winning $10K 'Mega Millions' Ticket Sold At Maryland Grocery Store; Jackpot Hits $527M
One lucky Lottery player in Maryland is sitting on a ticket worth $10,000 after picking up some groceries. A Mega Millions winner didn't hit the jackpot - which rolled to more than a half billion dollars - but won a five-figure prize on a ticket sold at the Shoppers grocery store on Smallwood Drive in Waldorf. The winning numbers for the Tuesday, Aug. 20 drawing were: 05-20-26-49-51 with a Mega Ball of 24. It was one of 23 third-tier winners of $10,000 across the country. The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Aug. 23 has an estimated annuity value of $5…
News
Two Siblings May Have Been Abducted In Baltimore, Police Say (
Developing
)
Police in Maryland are probing a possible abduction of two young siblings who were reported missing in Baltimore over the weekend. An alert was issued by the Baltimore Police Department regarding 10-year-old Alexis and 8-year-old Alex, who may have been taken late on Sunday afternoon. According to investigators, the pair were last seen shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 getting into a white or cream-colored SUV in the 4900 block of Edgemere Avenue. Alexis was last seen wearing a white and blue top, black pants, and black, red, and gray Jordan sneakers. Alex was last seen wearing a gr…
Lifestyle
Maryland Man Critically Injured In Pool Accident Was Days From 22nd Birthday
Hunter Palak planned to celebrate his 22nd birthday on Friday surrounded by friends and family. Instead, there will still be loved ones with him, but it will be around a hospital bed in a Baltimore ICU as he recovers from traumatic injuries suffered in a tragic pool accident. On Sunday, July 28, Palak was injured in an incident and flown to a Baltimore shock trauma center, where he remained as of Wednesday, according to his aunt, who says that the outlook for the 21-year-old is still in question as he continues his difficult battle and faces an uncertain future. "His injuries are ver…
28°
