Reid: Sorry For ‘Negro’ Remark About Obama

Top Democrat says he used ‘poor choice of words’ during 2008 campaign

WASHINGTON - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate apologized on Saturday for comments he made about Barack Obama's race during the 2008 presidential bid which are quoted in a yet-to-be-released book about the campaign.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada described in private then-Sen. Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." Obama is the nation's first African-American president.

"I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments," Reid said in a statement released after the excerpts were first reported on the Web site of The Atlantic magazine.

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Government Insurance Option Appears Doomed

Democrats push for other measures to rein in private insurers

WASHINGTON - Senior House Democrats have largely abandoned hopes of including a government-run insurance option in the final compromise health care bill taking shape, according to several officials, and are pushing for other measures to rein in private insurers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats told President Barack Obama in recent meetings they want the legislation to strip the insurance industry of a long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws, officials said. That provision is in the House-passed measure, but was omitted from the bill that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve.

They also want the final measure to include a House-passed proposal for a nationwide insurance exchange, to be regulated by the federal government, where consumers could shop for private coverage. The Senate bill calls for a state-based system of exchanges.

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Its A Slow Process But Salisbury News Just Keeps Growing

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SALISBURY NEWS

Salisbury Firefighters Go Door To Door To Help Save Lives

Salisbury Fire Department crews spent a quiet, cold Saturday afternoon going door to door to help save lives. Firefighters walked the neighborhoods of Second Street and Upland Drive today, both which recently experienced structure fires. Crews spoke to residents about fire safety in the home; most occupants allowed the crews inside to test their smoke detectors or install one if they lacked one. Crews also helped the residents by looking for any obvious fire hazards, such as blocked exits or objects that may be too close to heating devices. Firefighters went over practicing escape plans with families, and reminded everyone if they should have a fire to get out and stay out.

The Salisbury Fire Department “After the Fire” Program was created to go back to the neighborhoods recently affected by the tragedy and destruction of fire to help educate and promote fire safety. The overall goal is to remind everyone of the basics and help save lives. The “After the Fire” program is a supplement to our Home Fire Safety Inspection Program.

Salisbury Fire Department crews visited a total of 68 homes in the Second Street and Upland Drive area, with 32 residents asking our firefighters to talk with them and check for hazards. A total of 10 smoke detectors were given to residents who did not have a working smoke detector. A total of 22 batteries were replaced in homes with non-working smoke detectors.

An invaluable service was performed today and has helped to prevent loss of life. The Salisbury Fire Department urges everyone to test their smoke detector monthly, change their batteries twice a year and practice their escape plan monthly. If you, or someone you know is in need of a working smoke detector, please contact the Salisbury Fire Department at 410-548-3120.

The next “After the Fire” program is scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 1pm, on Richmond Avenue in Salisbury, where a fire occurred early Friday morning. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating that fire to determine the cause.

Police Arrest Man In Newark Security Breach

Chinese student faces $500 fine; senator says punishment should be worse

NEWARK, N.J. - A man believed to have breached security to bid his girlfriend goodbye, triggering the shutdown of a busy Newark Airport terminal that led to snarled flights worldwide, was arrested in New Jersey and faces a trespassing charge and a fine of up to $500, punishment a senator says should be much harsher.

Haisong Jiang, 28, of Piscataway was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. Friday at his home, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. He was questioned at the airport by Port Authority police, who arrested him, and released shortly after midnight.

The Port Authority said in a statement that Jiang will being charged with defiant trespass, and that the charge was determined in coordination with the Essex County prosecutor and federal officials, though it's not a federal charge. A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration referred all questions to the Port Authority.

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"The Joe Albero Show" Special Edition

Prescription Fraud Suspect, Who Also Impersonated Police Officer, Sought

Location: Acme Pharmacy, Lantana Drive, Hockessin, Delaware

Date of Occurrence: December 29th and 31st, 2009

Suspect(s): Adam Sawransky, 35, with a last known address of Stevens Forest Road in Columbia, Maryland


Resume: Investigators from the Delaware State Police Office of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs are seeking the whereabouts of Adam Sawransky.

This subject is wanted for a late December incident in which he responded to the Lantana Square Shopping Center Acme, on Lantana Drive in Hockessin, where he presented a fraudulent prescription and obtained the controlled substance Lorazapam.

Strangely enough, two days later, Adam allegedly called back to the ACME, presented himself as a “Newark Police Officer” named “Detective Castlebeck” and inquired about ongoing prescription fraud investigations. (It should be noted that the Newark Police Department does not have a Castlebeck on their staff)

Warrants are on file charging Sawransky with felony Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud and felony Criminal Impersonation of a Police Officer.

Attempts to locate Sawransky have proven futile and the address on file in both Delaware and Maryland are not correct. He has ties to the Dover, Wilmington and Columbia, MD areas. Anyone who may know of his whereabouts is asked to call ONDD investigators at 302-834-2630 ext. 347.

Homicide Suspect Turns Himself In

Resume: Late last evening, Charles Perry responded to Troop 3 in Woodside to turn himself in on the charges of Murder 1st (f) and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (f). Detectives were contacted the day before by a member of Perry’s family who told them he was going to surrender on Friday.

Mr. Perry was arraigned and ordered held at the Vaughn T. Correctional Institute without bail.

This will be the final release in regards to this case. Several of the previous news releases, including Perry’s photograph have been included below.

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Update #3 DSP News Release: December 22, 2009, 7:55 pm, Homicide Suspect remains at large

Location: 200 Block of Jury Drive, Magnolia, DE

Date of Occurrence: 12/17/2009, at approximately 9:46 am

Suspect: Charles A. Perry, 21 years old, of Dover, DE.

Resume: Charles A. Perry is wanted in connection with the murder of Michael Savage, of Dover, DE, on 12/17/09. Through continued investigation State Police Homicide Detectives have information that Charles A. Perry was last seen in the area of Harrington, DE, after the homicide. Perry is a white male 5’7”, 130 pounds.

Delaware State Police Homicide Detectives currently have a warrant for Charles A. Perry for, Murder 1st (f) and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (f).

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Charles A. Perry is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Citizens are advised not to contact or approach Charles A. Perry, and to call the authorities immediately if he is spotted.

Millsboro Teen Charged With Multiple Counts Of Rape

Location: Undisclosed residence in Millsboro, Delaware, Sussex County

Date of Occurrence: Various Times between 2001 and 2007

Suspect(s): William “Daniel” Smith, Jr., 18, of Millsboro, Delaware


Resume: Yesterday afternoon, Delaware State Police Detectives from Troop 4 in Georgetown arrested William “Daniel” Smith with multiple sexual related offenses that date back to 2001.

Recently, a juvenile female disclosed to a trusted adult allegations of sexual abuse by a person known to her family- William Smith- between 2001 and 2007. This information was shared with Troop 4 detectives, on January 5th, 2010, who launched an investigation.

It had been alleged that between 2001 and 2007, Mr. Smith had committed multiple accounts of rape against the victim at an undisclosed residence in Millsboro. The offenses initially occurred when the victim was 6-years-old and continued until she was 12.

Subsequent the investigation, warrants were completed and Smith was formally charged yesterday with two counts of Rape 1st (felony), two counts of Rape 2nd (felony), Rape 4th (felony), Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child (felony), four counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact (felony) and two counts of Offensive Touching (misdemeanor).

William “Daniel” Smith was committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute in lieu of a $192,000 secured bond.

As to protect the victim in this case, the above captured information is all that will be released. The media’s understanding is appreciated.

Solei Watson Funeral Fund

A donation was presented to the Bennie Smith Funeral home on yesterday, January 8, 2010, in the amount of $81.00, on behalf of the UMES Child and Family Development Center. Others have attempted to donate to the account number provided via PNC bank, 5558506804, but this is a savings account and can only receive cash donations. A memorial fund has been set up by the father Tavon Watson at PNC bank and is ready for any type of monetary funds, the account number is 5556046752. Please share as many are willing and ready to donate for this cause. Due to the first account number being a savings account, some with checks, who were trying to donate were turned away yesterday at the PNC bank in Princess Anne.

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Amusing Memories



In the early days of the 20th Century, courting was done on a very different level than it is today. I won’t even try to go to the present methods and I wasn’t around 100 years ago. I did hear from my grandparents that they courted in her mother’s parlor. My grandfather would walk the two miles in from where he lived out on Anderson Rd. (now Pemberton Drive) and sit with my grandmother until her mother would turn on a certain light. That was his signal to leave. It was usually early by present day standards.

That leaves us with the mid-20th Century. The end of WWII brought about economic changes from which America has yet to recover. The women had gotten used to bringing home a paycheck and when the men returned from the war, the two incomes allowed them to purchase their first home. As economic situations increased, maybe a second car was in the budget. This car was usually the vehicle in which the children learned to drive and used for the “parlor”. Houses built in the 1950’s were usually constructed with a living room, dining room, kitchen, bath and three bedrooms. They didn’t have “family rooms” or “parlors”.

The only place that a young couple could expect any privacy was in the family car. In those days, there were many out of the way places for just such a quiet moment. These were affectionately known as “parking places”. Anyone that grew up in the 1950’s has many memories of their favorite spot. This was in the age of innocence when you didn’t have to worry about being mugged or worse. Leaning on the horn ring was about as bad as it got. What a mood breaker! There was also a thing called “grasshopping”. This was when somebody found your favorite spot and a group of boys would sneak up on the car and pound on the trunk and scare the bejeebers out of you. It was all done in fun and usually never led to anyone seeking physical retribution. There are stories about a road near Hebron that was known as Ghost Light Road. I have heard stories about strange thumping noises underneath the car from some people who blamed it on the “ghosts” and I have heard the same thing from some former “grasshoppers” who did the thumping.

I have recently heard a story that a young married couple had determined that the spark had gone out of their marriage. Even though they had a house, they decided that the spark could possibly be fanned by returning to the origin of their courtship. They went “parking” and found the old spark again. True story.

The drive-in theater was another destination for a young couple seeking some measure of solitude with the family car. Drive-in theaters were great in the summer and you didn’t even have to turn the sound on that metal speaker that used to hang on your window. All the cars were parked so that they tilted slightly up in the front for better viewing. Some kids even had their own jalopy. They were revered by their peers. Visiting other cars was common if you knew the occupants and they were otherwise “unoccupied”. Also, the car’s trunk provided entrance for a couple more guys on “dollar night”. As the song goes: “Those were the days, my friend. We thought they’d never end.”

Parker Family Fire Information Update

Thank you for your response. The family is over whelmed with the outpouring from the community. At the present time they have more than enough clothes. What they need right now are gift cards (Wal-Mart, Kohls, Target, Dicks, Gander Mountain, Connection or any grocery store in Salisbury).

If you want to make a money donation you can make the check payable to Trinity United Methodist Church and in the Memo put "Parker Family Fire Fund" (this will be a taxable donation for you).

Trinity address: 112 High St., Salisbury, MD 21801

Any gift cards can be mailed to Parker Family, c/o Sandcastle Mtg, PO Box 4672, Ocean City, MD 21843.

Thank you so much for your help.

Debbie

Budget Busting Compensation Packages Plague States

There are two distinct sectors in the economy: the private sector and the government sector. The private sector is the productive part of the economy. Competition in the private sector promotes greater efficiency, productivity and innovation than the public, or government, sector is capable of. Yet it is government employees who are the highest paid and have the most job security. This helps explain why so many states are facing acute, budgetary crises.

A new report by Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute highlights the sharp disparity between public and private compensation. Despite producing very little compared to their private counterparts, public sector employees of state and local governments averaged 45 percent more per hour in wages and benefits. And because government never shrinks, public employees are “rarely terminated for cost-cutting or job performance reasons.”

Unionization appears to be a factor in public sector pay. With a few exceptions, Edwards shows that the states with the highest public pay advantage also have the highest share of union workers. But whatever the cause may be, the excessive pension plans provided by states has placed taxpayers in a virtual stranglehold. Unless cuts are made, they are the ones who will have to pony up to provide for public sector workers.

Rather than make the hard choices necessary to reduce these costs and alleviate the burden on taxpayers, states are increasingly turning to the federal government to bail them out. “The federal government is part of our budget problem,” California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger complained while making a pitch for federal dollars in his recent State of the State address. While it’s true that unfunded mandates can be burdensome for state budgets, they are ultimately just a scapegoat for reckless state spending.

Rather than heed the Governor’s call from California – and it is hardly the only state looking to Washington D.C. for aid – the federal government should make it clear that states must clean their own houses. Only when the spigot of federal dollars is turned off will state lawmakers find the political will to make drastic changes. A good place to start will be to reign in the excessive pay and pension plans of public employees.

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Fraudulent Sports Jerseys

Hey Joe...

I recently encountered an unfortunate situation involving authentic Reebok NFL Jerseys. I purchased a couple of jerseys at a local sportscard store at a decent price which I believed to be authentic. They are the "top of the line" jerseys with sewn on letters, numbers & patches which retail @ Dick's Sporting Goods for $110/each.

Unfortunately, after I wore one of the jerseys and had it cleaned at a local dry cleaner it began to deteriorate which arose my suspicions as to their authenticity. Upon research of several websites including YouTube, I discovered they were fraudulent bootleg jerseys. Below is an informative link on YouTube which is very helpful, as far as how to spot the difference between an authentic and fake jersey:

Upon further research, I also discovered many Chinese websites that sell bootleg NFL (as well as most of the other professional sports) jerseys in the $20-$29 range. The following links are just two of SEVERAL Chinese websites that I am referring to:

http://www.xingfantrade.com

http://www.amoyhy.com

There are a ton of shysters who sell these fake jerseys made from inferior materials who are fully aware that they are not authentic. There are also others who compund the problem by selling fake jerseys with signatures of professional athletes...which are also fake!

These frauds know that they are ripping off the unsuspecting public and are charging anywhere from $50-$110 jersey to trustworthy people who work hard to earn their money. They not only sell them from their stores, but also at shows, flea markets, eBay, etc.

I would appreciate you posting this on your site so that others are aware of this fraudulent scheme and do not have to experience the same misfortune that I did, especially during these tough economic times.

Thanks,
Andy In O.C.

'Gumby' Creator Art Clokey Dies

Art Clokey, whose iconic Gumby entertained generations of children, died Friday morning.

Gumby – the slender, green clay character partly modeled after Clokey’s father – was a fixture on television through the decades, starting with an appearance on the “Howdy Doody” show in 1956. Through the years, the stop motion star made several comebacks, including a new show in the 80s, after a “Saturday Night Live” skit with actor Eddie Murphy made the character popular again. Throughout Gumby’s long run, Gumby toys – most notably, the bendable – have been a staple of toy stores everywhere.

Clokey, who lived in Los Osos, was 89.

READ MORE HERE.

Suspect Arrested For Multiple Burglaries In Sussex County

Locations and Dates:
Wash and Vac 4, (across from Grotto Pizza) Longneck Road, Long Neck, DE. Friday, December 18th, 2009, at approximately 11:05 am

Donut Connection, 26850 Lewes-Georgetown Highway, Harbeson, DE
Thursday, December 31st 2009, at approximately 9:00 am

Harbeson Deli, 26454 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Harbeson, DE
Friday, January 1st, 2010, at approximately 2:00 am

Defendant: Gary Gordon, 31 years old, of Millsboro, DE

Resume: With the assistance of various media outlets Delaware State Police Detectives have identified and arrested Gary Gordon, 31, of Millsboro, DE. Gary Gordon was wanted in connection with 3 Burglaries in Sussex County.

Gary Gordon was arrested today by Toop4 Detectives while he was at a family member’s home in Sussex County. Gary Gordon’s identity was determined after Detectives received several tips following the Monday press release with Gary Gordon’s photo. Detectives successfully linked Gary Gordon to the, Wash and Vac, Donut Connection, and Harbeson Deli Burglaries.

Gary Gordon was formally charged with, 3 Counts of Burglary 3rd (f), 3 Counts of Possession of Burglary Tools (f), 5 Counts of Criminal Mischief (m), and 2 Counts of Theft (m). Gary Gordon was arraigned, and committed to Sussex Correction Institute in lieu of $4,300.00 secured bail.

PEPCO Wants To Suspend MAPP Proceedings

And just now, hot off the press… er… inbox, is notice that PEPCO has asked that the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway, MAPP, be suspended:

PEPCO letter 1.8.09 to suspend MAPP, includes 1.8.09 letter from PJM’s Herling

They’re saying it’s because MAPP is reliant on PATH in the modeling, but they already withdrew the Indian River to Salem leg and delayed the rest due to LACK OF NEED, and now… well, we know it’s not needed. So whatever, I just wish they’d be honest about it.

Again, remember that all three of these, PATH, MAPP, and Susquehanna-Roseland were promoted based on the 2007 RTEP, which was based on those inflated peak figures from 2006!

PJM’s 2007 RTEP

Here’s the sensitivity analysis from PATH that is applicable to other projects:

PATH - Cover letters & sensitivity analysis

Transmission falling like dominos in a hurricane… I love it when this happens!

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Men And Intelligence

'Well you see, Norm, it's like this .... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.'

Shopping While Husband In ICU

A woman was in town on a shopping trip. Her day began with finding the perfect shoes in the first shop and a beautiful dress on sale in the
second. In the third everything had just been reduced by 50 percent when her cell phone rang. It was a doctor notifying her that her husband had just been in a terrible car accident and was in critical condition in ICU.

As she hung up she realized she was leaving what was shaping up to be her greatest shopping day ever. She decided to hit a couple of more shops on the way to the hospital.

After a cup of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake, compliments of the last shop, she was in an absolutely jubilant state when all of a sudden she remembered her husband. Feeling guilty, she dashed to the hospital. She saw the doctor in the corridor and asked about her husband's condition.

The doctor glared at her and shouted, 'You went ahead and finished your shopping trip didn't you!? I hope you're proud of yourself! While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself in town, your husband has been languishing in the Intensive Care Unit! It's just as well you went ahead and finished, because it will more than likely be the last shopping trip you ever take! For the rest of his life he will require round the clock care. And taking care of him will now be your career!'

The woman was feeling so overwhelmed with guilt that she broke down and began sobbing.

The female doctor then chuckled and said, "I'm just pulling your leg. He's dead. Show me what you bought."