Salisbury Police Make Arrest in Hammond Street Shooting

On October 5, 2009 at approximately 4:20 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the five hundred (500) block of Hammond Street for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival officers located a single victim inside the front door of the residence. The victim was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries. The victim was identified as 24 year old Brandon Jamal Jones of Salisbury.

On October 6, 2009, Detectives of the Salisbury Police were able to positively identify the suspect in this homicide and obtained an arrest warrant charging 19 year old Derrien Brett Douglas of Salisbury with the homicide of Jones. On the same date at approximately 5:00 pm, Douglas was taken into custody without incident.

ARRESTED: Derrien Brett Douglas, 19 years of age

Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: First degree murder

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking

This investigation is continuing and if anyone has any information regarding this incident they are asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165 or to contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.

CC # 200900035444

Porn In The Public Schools - UPDATE

UPDATE:  It appears that the Daily Times is going into "Damage Control" mode for their pals over at the WCBOE.  While not confirmed, we have been told that the Daily Times is preparing another article regarding this issue for Thursday's paper that will defend the WCBOE and possibly attack Wicomico County Councilman Joe Holloway (who brought this issue to the public's attention).  It should be noted that the communications director for the WCBOE is the wife of Daily Times Managing Editor Erick Sahler.  Perhaps the Daily Times will prove to be a genuine newspaper in regards to this issue.  Let's see on Thursday.

How would you react if your 9 year old child came home from school with a book that had a picture like this (yes, I did edit it a little)?  Well, that’s exactly what happened to the parent of a Pittsville Elementary student recently.  FYI – this isn’t the worse panel in the “book”.

Molesting teenage girls, teens flashing adults, nudity – these are just some of things you’ll find if your child checks out this book.  Someone thought that this was “APPROPRIATE” content for an elementary school library.

There’s more.  A lot more.  However, if you choose to read the rest of this article YOU MAY BE OFFENDED.  While the Wicomico County Board of Education doesn’t feel an obligation to warn you (or your children), we do.

READ MORE …

Devenyns Resigns As Corrections Chief

Doug Devenyns has resigned as head of the Wicomico County Department of Corrections.  His resignation takes effect November 6, 2009.

While a press release put out by the office of Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt heaps praise on Devenyns and his service to the county, the DOC has also been embroiled in numerous lawsuits during Devenyns’s tenure.  Included in these is a suit filed by Devenyns against Salisbury News publisher Joe Albero.

Devenyns Resigns

Douglas Devenyns has resigned his position as Warden at WCDC, his last day will be November 6, 2009. More to come.

The People Have Spoken

And I have heard you. I thank you for bringing me out of my anger. I apologize for the post. It has been removed.

UPDATE

Good Morning Everyone:

I want to start off this message by thanking everyone for your wonderful support as well as understanding. I kind of expected this time to be a trying time and unfortunately I was right.

Just over two weeks ago Mom was diagnosed with cancer. We weren't aware of just how bad, just that she had a hip problem. Once we noticed she was really having a difficult time getting around we took her to a specialist and they determined something was wrong. They admitted her to the Hospital and ran additional tests and that's when we knew there was cancer.

At first we learned it was in her liver, her hip and perhaps elsewhere but without additional tests it was a guessing game for the first few days. Sadly, Mom has deteriorated, losing her motor skills yesterday and she was rushed back to the Hospital. The cancer had spread very rapidly, ultimately to the brain.

Her calcium levels were once again at a critical stage, even though we were taking her in for tests to make sure that wasn't the case. Things simply changed overnight. Last night at around 2:00 am we almost lost her. I will obviously be making yet another trip back to Annapolis today to be by Mom's side. Unfortunately for us, Mom probably will not survive much longer. The shot they gave her last night, they claim, they won't give her again.

Thank God, Mom is in no pain and is surrounded by those who love her most. I have to run but I thank all of you for your kind wishes and prayers. Mom is God's best friend and I'm confident she'll teach him a thing or two.

That being said, comments will get moderated as they did yesterday and I'm told our contributors will be pitching in throughout the day with fresh posts.

SALISBURY FILES WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT LAWSUIT

Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Jr., is announcing that the City has filed a lawsuit against O’Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc. seeking damages for repair of Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) design defects, corresponding increased cost of operation, recovery of any monetary penalties imposed by the State of Maryland and/or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for non-compliance with the City’s wastewater discharge permit and/or sanitary sewer overflows. The City is claiming that thirteen (13) design defects may result in as much as $18 million of repair costs and increased operational expense.

The City is also claiming that O’Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc. misrepresented the capabilities of the WWTP design, the operating costs, and the difficult operational issues to the City. The lawsuit claims damages of $10 million as a result of these misrepresentations.

“The City continues to work with its consultants to improve the daily operation of the WWTP in order to improve its performance,” said Mayor Ireton. “As the City moves forward with WWTP repairs, I will keep the rate payers of the City informed of those improvements.”

EDITORS NOTE: It should be known by all that within their contract there's a $1,000,000.00 Liability clause on behalf of the Engineering Firm. A lawsuit, (IMO) is useless. Whomever allowed such a contract should be held, (perhaps criminally) liable.

WHY DO LIBERAL'S FEAR GLENN BECK?

To be fair, Liberal's not only fear Glenn Beck, but they also fear Rush Limbaugh. When Bill Buckley presented the Conservative view liberal's were not very worried. You see, Buckley was an intellectual and not too many Americans fit into the intellectual category. It was, therefore, more difficult to understand him. Rush, being a radio personality can not present visual evidence, but does a great job with words.

To Liberal's, Glenn Beck is the most dangerous man in America. Glenn not only speaks directly to the common man, but thanks to Fox, he is able to present video and other visual evidence to support his comments. What is making it difficult for Liberal's to destroy Glenn is he calls himself a "Rodeo Clown", he makes no pretense of being well educated, he is just a common man, asking questions.

Glenn is also a threat to elitist Republicans. Those Republicans that masquerade as conservatives, but in fact are only pursuing the same Liberal agenda. Ronald Reagan had the ability to speak to the common man. I am not equating Beck with Reagan, but both could ignore the main stream media and reach the people. I only hope a leader will emerge among Conservatives that can combine these talents.

Joel

Lawyers Are Not Linguists

The country has nine lawyers, on the Supreme Court, interpreting the meaning of the Constitution. To my knowledge not one is a linguist. Lawyers are adept at extracting words from a sentence, which had a particular meaning, and using those words (out of context) to create an entirely new meaning.

A group of words is merely a group of words, until it is formed into a sentence. Article 8, section 1, known as the "Welfare Clause" is a prime example of lawyers distorting the Constitution. It reads, including punctuation, -
"The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties Imports and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imports and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States."

The Congress and the Supreme Court have taken the words, "general welfare" out of context and used it as justification for a host of laws intruding into the lives of the people. While I am neither a Linguist nor a Lawyer, I believe anyone with an eighth grade education would understand, this is wrong. It is difficult to fathom that James Madison, the father of the U. S. Constitution and a strong advocate of States rights, could have intended those two words to authorize a national health care plan.

Joel

Speaker Pelosi Hints At Massive Tax Hike

Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined a growing liberal chorus calling for a massive tax hike through the implementation of a value added tax (VAT). A VAT is similar to a national sales tax. Businesses would pay it at each stage of the production process and consumers at the cash register. European countries have had VATs for years.
As we pointed out earlier this year, Congress should not pass a VAT to pay for a government takeover of the health care system or expand the size of government. If it does so, it will be a massive tax hike:

Just a 1 percent VAT on all goods and services in the economy would raise $63 billion for Congress to spend each year. Some suggest the VAT rate should be set as high as 20 percent. At that rate, a VAT that covers all goods and services in the economy – including food, clothing, housing, and health care – would collect an additional $1,260 billion a year and cost every U.S. household $10,680 annually.

Even if Congress passes a VAT that has a rate of just a few percentage points, it would likely lead to higher rates in the future. Evidence from other countries that already have VATs show once it is on the books the rate tends to rise over time.

The American people would be better off if Congress stopped spending and instead reformed existing entitlements to make them more affordable and effective. Adding a new entitlement will only make the country’s fiscal situation worse and make painful tax hikes more likely.

Unfortunately, that might have been the plan all along.

Source

Humerous Look At Health Care Reform

The new Health Care proposal

As seen by the Medical Association


The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves. The Gastroenterologists had a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve!

The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception. Ophthalmologists considered the idea short-sighted. Pathologists yelled; “Over my dead body!” while the Pediatricians said, “Oh, Grow up!”

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it. Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing. The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic surgeons said, “This puts a whole new face on the matter”.

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea. The Anesthesiologists thought the idea was a gas, and the Cardiologists didn’t have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the a$$holes in Washington!

Questions To Congressman Frank Kratovil, Part 2

Rt. 90 Closing

A press release will be sent out later today regarding MD 90. Our plan is to close the bridge as early as next week and keep it closed for two months. We will bere moving the center span, replacing the steel beam and installing a concrete overlay. This work should take two months.

Life Summarized In 4 Bottles

Oh crap, I am already on the 3rd one!!!

Today's Wildlife Photo By Scott Phoebus

To Purchase Photos Email Me At ksphoebus@gmail.com

Former AMA Presidents Offer Second Opinion

President Barack Obama pitched his health care reform plan, again, this time in front of 150 doctors in the White House Rose Garden. Despite the fact that the invitation-only guest list drew heavily from a pro-government-run health plan group, Obama still took no questions and allowed no doctors to speak. Not invited to this health care discussion were Drs. Donald Palmisano, William Plested, and Daniel Johnson, who are all former presidents of the American Medical Association. They offered a slightly different diagnosis in the Wall Street Journal today:

We aren’t among the doctors invited to a Rose Garden event today to “join the President in pushing for health insurance reform this year and [who] have offered their help and support,” as a White House press release put it. It’s unfortunate only supporters of the president’s plans will be there. Mr. Obama has missed an opportunity to learn more about the real issues facing patients and doctors and to formulate a plan that truly puts patients in control with doctors as trusted advisers.…

It is true that there are Americans who fall through the cracks of our medical system every day—and as a caring nation, we must do what we can to expand access to medical care to those who need it. But this can be accomplished without a costly and inefficient government overhaul of the entire system. One easy reform would be to enable individuals to buy policies offered in any state, not just where they live. This will enhance competition. But more government-run health insurance will only lead to disaster.

GO HERE to read more.

Circle Flies

A cowboy from Texas attends a social function where Barack Obama is trying to gather more support for his Health Plan. Once he discovers the cowboy is from President Bush's home area, he starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.

As he was doing that, he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head. The cowboy says, "Y'all havin' some problem with them circle flies?"

Obama stopped talking and said, "Well, yes, if that's what they're called, but I've never heard of circle flies."

"Well Sir," the cowboy replies, "circle flies hang around ranches. They're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."

"Oh," Obama replies as he goes back to rambling. But, a moment later he stops and bluntly asks, "Are you calling me a horse's ass?"

"No, Sir," the cowboy replies, "I have too much respect for the citizens of this country to call their President a horse's ass."

"That's a good thing," Obama responds and begins rambling on once more.

After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Texas drawl says, "Hard to fool them flies, though."

MSP Arrests

The Maryland State Police has reportedly arrested three juveniles related to the malicious destruction of the four trolleys owned by the Town of Ocean City. MSP tracked the path the subjects took when leaving the scene which led them to the suspects. More to come.....

SENATOR MIKULSKI, GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO HOLD CONFERENCE CALL ON CELL PHONE JAMMING

WASHINGTON, DC – At 2:45 p.m. Yesterday, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley will hold a conference call to discuss cell phone jamming legislation.

The Safe Prisons and Communications Act of 2009, which allows state and federal prisons to petition the FCC to jam cell phone signals at their prisons, passed the Senate last night – a first step towards becoming law. The bill allows states to petition the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the authority to “jam” – or block the use of cell phones from prison. Under current law, the FCC does not allow cell phone jamming of any kind.

WHO:
U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

WHAT: Conference Call on Cell Phone Jamming

WHEN: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, at 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 pm

CALL-IN INSTRUCTIONS: Call (712) 451-6025. Enter participant access code: 302253#

BACKGROUND: The illegal use of cell phones by prison inmates is a significant public safety threat affecting every state in the country. Two years ago in Maryland, Carl Lackl, a young father of two, was killed after a prison inmate used his cell phone to order a hit on his life.

Despite prison officials’ attempts to detect and locate all illegal cell phones, enterprising prisoners have continued to find new ways to evade detection. Giving prison officials the ability to jam cell phone signals in prison will help stop this illegal activity which threatens the safety of our communities.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY HONORS LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR PROGRESS IN CHILD WELFARE

Nine local departments receive accolades for exceeding child welfare standards


ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley today honored directors of nine local departments of social services for progress they have made in reforming Maryland’s child welfare system. Governor O’Malley honored directors and staff from Allegany County; Baltimore County; Carroll County; Charles County; Queen Anne’s County; Washington County; Wicomico County; and Worcester County. Last month, Secretary Donald named Baltimore City Department of Social Services the outstanding local department of the year for making impressive strides in reforming child welfare practices.

“Nothing is more important to a child than having a place to call home. I want to thank the directors here today for the work that they do in reforming Maryland’s child welfare system,” said Governor O’Malley. “Since the launch of the Place Matters initiative, we’ve been able to reduce the number of kids placed in group homes by nearly 39% while decreasing the number of children in foster care by 15%. Working together with our local partners, we are putting our children first, ensuring that they receive access to the services they need and the care they deserve.”

“Two and a half years ago, we launched our Place Matters initiative to reform child welfare in Maryland by focusing on finding permanent families for foster children,” said Secretary Donald. “Today, we can take collective pride in the impressive progress we’ve made thus far.”

Local departments were grouped in categories of small, medium and large jurisdictions based on their respective number of foster children.

Award: Reducing the number of children in foster care

Presented to jurisdictions that exceeded the state’s goal of reducing the number of children in foster care by the largest percentage in fiscal year 2009.

Large-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Baltimore County Department of Social Services reduced its number of children in foster care by 13 percent.

Medium-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Wicomico County Department of Social Services reduced its number of children in foster care by 29 percent.

Small-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Carroll County Department of Social Services reduced its number of children in foster care by 25 percent.

Award: Increasing the number of children reunified within 12 months

Presented to jurisdictions that exceeded the state’s goal to increase the number of children reunified with their families in less than 12 months by the largest percentage.

Large-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Baltimore City Department of Social Services increased family reunifications by 22 percent.

Medium-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Charles County Department of Social Services increased family reunifications by 75 percent.

Small-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Queen Anne’s County Department of Social Services increased family reunifications by 67 percent.

Award: Meeting fiscal year 2009 adoption goals

Presented to jurisdictions that exceeded their adoption goal for fiscal year 2009 by the highest amount.

Large-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Baltimore County Department of Social Services helped 73 children find permanent families through adoption.

Medium-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Washington County Department of Social Services helped 34 children find permanent families through adoption.

Small-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Carroll County Department of Social Services helped six children find permanent families through adoption.

Award: Reducing the number of children in group homes

Presented to jurisdictions that realized the highest percentage reduction in the number of children they place in group homes from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

Large-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Baltimore City Department of Social Services reduced the number of children placed in group homes by 32 percent.

Medium-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Washington County Department of Social Services reduced the number of children placed in group homes by 33 percent.

Small-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Worcester County Department of Social Services reduced the number of children placed in group homes by 63 percent.

Award: Increasing the number of children in family settings

Presented to jurisdictions that exceeded the statewide average of placing 73 percent of children in family settings by the largest percentage.

Large-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Baltimore City Department of Social Services placed 79 percent of its children in family settings.

Medium-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Allegany County Department of Social Services placed 86 percent of its children in family settings.

Small-sized Jurisdiction Winner: Worcester County Department of Social Services placed 85 percent of its children in family settings.

Amber Alert Hoax

Date of Occurrence: Tuesday, October 6, 2009


Resume:

State Police and local law enforcement are receiving numerous calls concerning an Amber Alert involving a 3year-old boy or infant that was abducted from a Sussex county hospital. The alert is being circulated via cell phone texts. The text indicates the vehicle being sough is a 2006 Mitubishi displaying a Delaware registration. Several different registration numbers have been disseminated through the ruse.

No Amber Alert has been issued at this time and no action should be taken be any citizen seeing a vehicle matching the description of the aforementioned text.

Anyone having any questions or concerns about the hoax should contact the Delaware State Police Public Information Office at 302-672-5352 or vis e-mail at dsp_pio@state.de.us.