By: Jon Sham

The two five-alarm downtown fires in Baltimore and the aftermath swept headlines on The Daily Record.com this week, but our exclusive interview with former Mayor Sheila Dixon is making a late run for the top spot.

1. 2 downtown fires leave business owners, workers with questions – By Ben Mook

The final impact on businesses affected by the two five-alarm fires in Baltimore over the last 24 hours — one in the city’s cultural district and the other in its adult entertainment district — remained uncertain as firefighters and emergency personnel worked to shore up the properties and find a cause.

Yellow crime scene tape was plentiful at both sites Tuesday, keeping passersby and onlookers with cell phone cameras from getting too close. The tape, though, also limited business owners’ access in some places as they tried to gauge how much damage there was, which ranged from total losses to minor smoke and water damage.

2. A year later, former Mayor Sheila Dixon is taking it one day at a time – By Melody Simmons

One year after the misdemeanor embezzlement conviction in Baltimore City Circuit Court that led to her resignation, former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon offered a long-awaited apology for the scandal and said she still holds political aspirations that include a possible run for mayor.

In a wide-ranging interview Wednesday at The Daily Record, Dixon said she is performing community service at Our Daily Bread and smaller city nonprofits, working as a consultant to help pay a $45,000 charitable donation mandated in her plea agreement and trying to rebuild her life.

“I disappointed the city, my family and myself,” Dixon said of the conviction on Dec. 1, 2009, that led her to resign on Feb. 4 as part of a plea agreement with the Maryland State Special Prosecutor’s office.

3. Donna’s preparing for 6- to 12-month hiatus due to fire damage – By Ben Mook

A little more than a day after a fire ripped through a historic building in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon district, the owners of at least two affected businesses in the building that suffered the bulk of the damage said they remain committed to reopening as soon as repairs are complete.

Park Place, a 109-year-old building at 800 N. Charles St., was heavily damaged both from the fire that broke out early Tuesday morning and from the efforts to contain it. The roof collapsed on the building, which in turn buckled portions of floors on the top levels.

4. Hollywood Casino Perryville’s November revenue down 33 percent – By Jon Sham

Hollywood Casino Perryville generated $7.6 million in revenue in November, a decrease of about 33 percent over the $11.4 million generated in October.

The Maryland Lottery reported Monday that each slot machine averaged $168.64 in revenue per day, which is significantly less than the $210 per machine per day the state said it would eventually average. Since the casino opened in late September, it has averaged $215.99.

5. After meeting, Maryland racing future still uncertain – By Ben Mook

The fate of Maryland’s horse racing industry remained in question Monday, but state officials and representatives of the racing industry met behind closed doors in an effort to open up a dialogue.

Stakeholders from the racing industry, including racetrack owners Penn National Gaming Inc. and MI Developments Inc. met with state officials at the Maryland State House to hammer out details for the 2011 racing season at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course. After 3½ hours though, the consensus was that there was no consensus yet.