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In Annapolis, researchers say Marylanders can avoid looming blackouts in 2011 by cutting energy usage now. Gov. Martin O’Malley’s urging us to reduce per-capita electricity usage by 15 percent in 2015 seemed like a long shot last spring. Now, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has brainstormed specific ways to cut our energy appetite while creating some 8,000 new jobs in the process.

The report highlights Maryland’s need for more efficient lighting, home energy audits and higher electricity efficiency standards for new buildings and appliances. Recapturing heat lost through power generation, too, would replace the need for separate heating systems in buildings. The average Californian uses 42 percent less energy than a Marylander, so if we get serious about saving energy, says Maryland Energy Administration director Malcolm Woolf, “O’Malley’s 15 percent reduction goal is achievable, and may even be too conservative” …

In Calvert County, Cheryl Emery, of North Beach, told her frightening experience with Lyme disease in Bay Weekly’s pages nearly 10 years ago. Now her story joins 79 others in the just-published paperback It’s All In Your Head, Around the World in 80 Lyme Patient Stories: Valid Reasons to Debate Current Treatment Guidelines …

And again in Calvert, pass on your stories of local veterans. The Office on Aging seeks military photos, copies of photos, stories and other memorabilia or tributes from now until the end of August to create a veteran memory board to be displayed first at the Court House in Prince Frederick. Send your remembrances to Calvert’s local senior centers. No military connection? Volunteer to help or donate scrapbook items: 410-535-4606 …

Our Creature Feature comes from Britain, where a rare white deer described as a mythical and ghostly creature has been photographed in the Scottish Highlands.

In many cultures, a white stag is regarded as a magical force that brings profound change to the lives of people who see it. Fran Lockhart, who filmed the deer, told Reuters that she’s still waiting for something to happen. She added that her dog, which usually scampers about, sat transfixed for 45 minutes watching the ghostly sight.

The creature’s whereabouts are being kept secret so as not to tip off poachers.