Popular Posts

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Update On Bomb Threat At Wor-Wic

Salisbury News has been informed they have in fact found a suspicious toolbox located somewhere just outside the cafeteria. This just came in Folks.

Here I thought they had already cleared the scene but that is absolutely not the case.

It's Snowing In Delmar

I recently arrived home after an AFP Meeting tonight. As I turned onto Spring Hill Road the large flakes started coming down. Bummer!

Credit Card Scam Call

Hey Joe! Great Job as always. :)

Just wanted to let you know that my husband got a call from a girl on phone # 410.749.6900 on his cell phone. She said she was from a credit card fraud company calling about fraudulent charges on our account (even though we have no credit cards). My husband asked why they were calling and she said they had seen outrageous charges on our account. He then asked who she was and with and she just kept talking. He ended up hanging up on her and calling the number back. Someone answered from Dominoes Pizza. When my husband explained what was happening, he said that someone has been tapping into their line and we weren't the first ones to call and tell them that someone was calling claiming to be a credit card fraud protection company from their number. He called and spoke to someone at the police department to let them know but I didn't know if you could post this on your site so others will know that this is a scam. Police said that we were the first to report it and they would be checking into it.

Bomb Threat At Wor-Wic


We have been informed there has been a bomb threat at 7:00 PM At Wor-Wic. The campus is being evacuated as we speak. We're told the threat is on the administrative building.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON ATTORNEY GENERAL’S SAME SEX MARRIAGE RECOGNITION OPINION

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 24, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement today following an opinion released by Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler on the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages in Maryland:

“I want to thank Attorney General Gansler for his hard work and thoughtful consideration. Having reviewed the 45-page opinion, we will be guided by the Attorney General’s thorough analysis and legal advice on this matter.

“I am confident that the Attorney General and his office will provide all necessary advice to State agencies on how to comply with the law, and I expect all State agencies to work with the Attorney General’s office to ensure compliance with the law.”

Where's The Justice?

Yesterday we produced a Press Release from the Fruitland Police Department.

Essentially, this was an 83 year old woman who lived in her own home with Family Members who allegedly did not care for her for some 2 years. Her 82 year old Husband was arrested along with her two Daughters. A Granddaughter also lived in the home. A Grandson who was not living in the home visited the property and noticed what he felt was an unusual amount of blood on the Grandmother's sheets.

He called for the Fruitland EMS Units and that's how the investigation started. It's been reported that these people just didn't take care of this 83 year old woman and she was hospitalized due to her current condition.

Commissioner Timmons placed a $100,000.00 Bond on one of the Family Members and a $15,000.00 Bond on another Family Member, after they were arrested.

Today, Judge R. Scott Davis released both these individuals on their own recognisance. It's also my understanding that they had seven cats in the home, (around 1,200 sq. ft) that may have actually had better care than the 83 year old woman.

Be Prepared: Winter Storm Watch


With this most recent image, be prepared for yet another serious storm. We will have our snow blower ready for those most in need.

Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
1007 AM EST WED FEB 24 2010

DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE...SALISBURY...CRISFIELD...PRINCESS ANNE...SNOW HILL...OCEAN CITY
1007 AM EST WED FEB 24 2010

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST TODAY...AND WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS LATER TONIGHT. THE STORM WILL RAPIDLY INTENSIFY THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...AS IT MOVES UP THE EASTERN SEABOARD. RAIN
WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW MAY FALL HEAVY AT TIMES WITH 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR....WHICH COULD RAPIDLY REDUCE VISIBILITIES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE). SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF
3 TO 6 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS THURSDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY.

IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH WILL DEVELOP LATER THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES...AND MAY WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

Accident On Rt. 50

Car hits pole on 50 across from National Guard.

Another Success Story!



"YOU ROCK!! I JUST GOT A CALL ON THE CAT YOU POSTED LESS THAN 1/2 HOUR AGO. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO.

THANKS SO MUCH.."

Cat Found In Delmar


Hi Joe, I wanted to know if you could post these pictures of a beautiful orange cat that has been staying around my home since the last snow storm. Its in the neighborhood of Foxwood off of Foskey Lane in Delmar. The cat is male with a bell around its neck.

They can call me @ 443-359-0103

A Comment Worthy Of A Post

"Joe I have to chime in on this. I was a sex abuse victim for 7 years. I was molested and raped repeatedly throughout those 7 years. I was also forced to go to counseling to "renew" the family bond (it was my brother that abused me). I hated him but I was told not to hate but to forgive..well guess what I tried to forgive and you know what happened? 4 years later he forced me repeatedly to perform sex acts. By that time I had no faith in anyone, not even my parents, because I was supposed to just forget it all. He never served time, he never had to face what he did or be judged by public opinion, he never registered as a sex offender, but I will always be the little girl who's brother damaged her so severely it was thought she would never be able to bare children. Do I hate him...absolutely. Do I hate my parents..not so much because they were blue collar workers that were easy to influence by a quack psychologist.

Fast forward to 2008 my children were abused for a very short period of time. I had a feeling something was wrong and I acted on that feeling to reveal what was happening. The perpatrators therapist contacted me under false pretenses, saying he wanted to get all the information on how the person was caught and what was done. However, after I made the 2 hour drive to meet him in hopes smoeone was finally willing to hear the truth, I was shocked to learn the true reason he called me in was to try to convince me to make my children face their abuser. I was furious. He said it was essential that I allow it so his client (the abuser) would be able to move forward in his therapy and treatment so he would be closer to "recovery"..sorry but a sex offender DOES NOT recover. I refused to allow it and I stand strong that he will never have the opportunity to abuse or even contact my children again.

So please make it known that these practices DO still exist and the courts are backing the therapists that allow and encourage these types of "treatment" attempts. These are not practices that exclusively happened years ago, they are still used to this day. If, and I stress IF,my children ever decide they wish to confront him I will stand at their sides so they can say whatever needs to be said but they will never be forced to do anything.

Any parents out there who are going through anything similar please please know you have the legal right to say NO if a therapist requests a meeting of this type. Please keep the child as the center of focus regardless of who the abuser was/is. Your child is and always should be the only person you are concerned with assisting through an ordeal such as sexual abuse."

Remember All That Wet Snow On The Trees? Be Ready!


They're using some pretty colorful terms to describe the storm that's firing up tonight and tomorrow..

"Monstrous".., "hurricane-like blizzard".. "a storm of "historical proportions"..

Do you get the drift? :-)

Be ready. Most of it should go north of us, but you never know for sure...

Wednesday Night, Feb 24
1-3 inches of wet snow; breezy late
Low: 30 °F RealFeel®: 16 °F

Thursday, Feb 25
Mostly cloudy; strong winds could down trees and power lines
High: 36 °F RealFeel®: 21 °F
Low: 29 °F RealFeel®: 11 °F

Accuweather

Hat Tip To Delegate Mike Smiegel (R)




Delegate Mike Smiegel has been one of the Delegates who has been on top of the sex offender issue for years now. In fact, the Speaker yesterday shot Mike down after he confronted the panel asking WHY they are proposing new legislation he had already drafted two years ago, it passed, yet it has never been enforced.

The Speaker refused to allow the panel to answer his question, (which I felt was more than fair). If you'd like to see more on his history on this matter, GO HERE.

HEBRON’S SPECIAL ZONING ATTORNEY TO PRESENT LECTURE

An upcoming seminar will include a discussion of “Strategies for Local Governments,” in which the “Eastern Shore perspective” will be presented by the attorney who advised and represented the Town of Hebron in its “Waller Landing” rezoning fiasco that was recently struck down by the Wicomico County Circuit because of the mistakes made by the Town in the matter. Apparently the attorney, Anthony Gorski, is also advising the Town on legal aspects of its sewer and water system, in which it has encountered substantial concerns raised by Wicomico County and State of Maryland according to news reports, and other land use issues. The regular Town Attorney is Steven Cox.

As reported on this blog last summer (June 23, 2009) a federal judge in Baltimore recently slapped Mr. Gorski with a $10,000 sanction for filing frivolous appeals. The Town of Hebron is now considering whether to file an appeal from the ruling on the Town’s rezoning errors that the judge pointed out in his opinion.

Is “Tony” Gorski the proper person to be lecturing others or counseling the Town of Hebron regarding an appeal that involves a situation that he helped to create while charging substantial fees for his services? And how much more will be charged for an appeal? If you live in Salisbury, does this have a familiar ring?

If you want to attend the seminar mentioned above you will need $995 for the full tuition, but there are better deals for certain persons. For details use this link: http://www.lawseminars.com/detail.php?SeminarCode=10CLMD

Republicans Propose $829,630,000.00 Reduction In Governors Budget




Since I was already in Annapolis yesterday and I had arrived early, I decided to go to another meeting that was being held. Maryland Democrats asked the Republicans to propose an alternative Budget to the Governors and that's exactly what they did. So much so they discussed unbelievable items that Governor O'Malley still has in his budget. In the end their proposal was the legitimately reduce O'Malley's Budget by $829,630,000.00!

One of the things that stuck in my head was O'Malley's Highway User Revenue of $131,000,000.00. Believe it or not, $121,000,000.00 of it was going to Baltimore City and the remaining $10,000,000.00 was going to the rest of the entire state of Maryland. Now what can you do with $10,000,000.00 in an entire state?

The republicans proposed dropping the $100,000,000.00 from the budget and remove Baltimore completely out of the picture this year. They talked about how Maryland's corporate tax rate is around 8.25% while Virginia is in the low 6% rate. Maryland rates 49th out of 50 states in employment tax.

Did you know that YOU the taxpayer fund $2,100,000.00 in abortions in Maryland?

One of the other items that caught my interest was the Governor has a salary of $150,000.00. I'm cool with that. HOWEVER, the republicans stated that while the Governor is the top leader in the state, other people working below him make more money than he does and this just isn't right. Now, if they reduced those other salaries to just $1.00 below his, (are you ready) that would save the state of Maryland $2,300,000.00! And yes, there would be some republicans who would take a loss as well.

Officials spend $1,300,000.00 in out of state travel. Did you know that there are not one but THREE Chef's at the Governors House? They mentioned a $300,000.00 reduction if they changed that, so these Chef's must be paid an absolute fortune!

It looks to me like the state of Maryland needs some serious help. What do you think? All of the information provided was just too overwhelming but to think we could cut $829,630,000.00 from the budget just amazes me.

Wicomico County AFP Meeting TONIGHT at 7pm: Brew River


Americans for Prosperity, Wicomico County is fighting against big tax increases here in Wicomico county and in the state of Maryland. Please join us, this Wednesday at 7pm (2/24) at Brew River in Salisbury.

We are starting to plan the Tax Day TEA Party on April 15th. We need your help!

Tonights meeting features speakers regarding the recent 1.5 million dollar parking lot for the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center as well as John Palmer from VOICE who will detail Wicomico county legislation that affects us all, as well as plans for our testimony for the Maryland budget.

Please plan on attending this important meeting and put the 4th Wednesday of every month on your calender through the 2010 election!

Amazing Website

Remember the address of your house when you were born?
This is really amazing....Check out some of your old"haunts."
When you enter an address you will see a picture of that place.
There's a little map with a little man on it - you can move the little man up and down the block if you need to.
Really nice website!
Editors Note: I took the journey back in time and to my absolute amazement saw the home I grew up in and it just blew me away.

Middletown Teacher Found NOT GUILTY Of Rape

Joe,

Robert Schumacher is a very good friend of mine I met when I went to SU. You posted on your blog when he was falsely charged of raping a student at Middletown high School (it WAS newsworthy, I don't fault you for reporting it, BTW).

He was found not guilty on all counts today. I was hoping you could post the outcome to the story and remind folks that EVERYONE should be treated as innocent UNTIL proven guilty. I'm sure he would appreciate it.

http://www.middletowntranscript.com/breaking/x1498217467/Middletown-High-teacher-found-not-guilty-in-rape-case

How Long Before You Wake Up, Politicos?

I'm going to write today about a very somber subject. It will be, as it usually is here in one form or another, about math.

First, some background. If you believe that we have "escaped" from the mess that gripped this nation in 2008 and 2009, or that said mess "suddenly appeared" and "nobody saw it coming", stop reading now and have your Thorazine dosage checked. It's way off.

Assuming you accept the truth - that this mess was 20 year or more in the making, that it involved creating credit (that is, debt) which the debtor could never pay, and that it still exists because our government policy has been to extend, pretend and allow lies that should be considered accounting fraud and result in prison sentences, then you're on the right page to understand the rest of this missive. Again, if not, go check your Thorazine dosage.

Yes, I know all about the stock market rally from last March. I know all about the claimed GDP "improvement." But I also know that we got both by adding more than $2 trillion in debt to the United States - or roughly 14% of GDP - over the space of the last 18 months. That's about 10% of GDP annualized, and incidentally, a 10% GDP contraction is the common economist's definition of an Economic Depression.

So let's cut the crap - we are in a Depression right now. We are pretending we are not, just like you can pretend you didn't really lose your job so long as your credit card does not reach its limit. We have been in that depression for about 18 months and there is no evidence that we will exit it, as we have yet to find a way to pull back the deficit spending without an instantaneous collapse in the economy.

Yet at some point we must and will stop. We will either do so of our own volition, or we will do so when the cost of borrowing skyrockets, as others get tired of funding our profligacy. If we attempt to "print" our way out of it the cost of petroleum products will shoot the moon and destroy our economy anyway.

GO HERE to read more.

Raped 300 Times & Forced To Go To Therapy With Sexual Offender




The woman above in the tan coat was raped 300 times in Maryland years ago. Back when the laws were quite different, she was actually forced to go through therapy with the man that had raped her "to help heal him." If you haven't gathered it yet, he got a slap on the wrist by the Judge years ago and this is how things were handled back then.

Today, while things are somewhat different, the laws need to be tougher and these criminals need to be stopped immediately. As it has been said many times before, by the time you catch them they've probably done it a hundred times before.

My visit to Annapolis yesterday was an eye opener. Even though they had stated yesterday that the hearings I had attended set a record for people attending, the room was so full they had to actually send people to another room set up with TV's and audio. The Maryland State Police would not allow people to stand in the hearing room and my guess would be that at least 80 to 100 people had to go to the other room, (room 170) to watch the hearing.

I strongly suggest, (if you ever have the time) you contact your representatives and ask to participate in these hearings. It's an experience you'll never forget.

The House Of Delegates Considers Tougher Sex Offender Laws






Because I felt the laws in Maryland SUCK when it comes to sex offenders, I spent the day yesterday in Annapolis to participate in the next level of government, as compared to local legislation. It was well worth the trip, with a few exceptions.

With the Sarah Foxwell murder in late December, several things really got to me on this trip. Let me start with the following. WHERE WERE THE REPUBLICANS? I can't think of ONE politician, (especially from the Eastern Shore) that wouldn't want to make the laws tougher on such criminals as Thomas Leggs but where were they.

The Democrats, (for what it's worth) have moved forward with newly proposed legislation, yet our republican officials haven't said a word and haven't done a thing. That bothers me quite a bit.

That being said, no Daily Times. No WBOC or WMDT. Congressman Frank Kratovil sent out a Press Release recently so I know the local Media was aware of the proposed legislation being presented today, yet the local media was not present.

More importantly, where the heck was Jennifer Foxwell and her Mother. Look Folks, there were parents from Cleveland Ohio there and others from all over the East Coast. The majority of discussion was based around Sarah Foxwell, yet not one representative from the Family was present. It has been reported that Jennifer Foxwell is trying to retain an attorney to get back custody of her children. Well, this would have been a great step forward for her to be there and support this legislation.

Much was discussed and even one member of O'Malley's Staff was there to speak on his behalf and their testimony was quite convincing. Many stated this is a no brainer, getting the new legislation passed. However, in my honest opinion the closing deal would have been Jennifer Foxwell being present to speak in support of her own Daughter.

And don't feed me that crap that it's too soon because she has been attending all sorts of events and is not shy by any means. Nevertheless, Mathias and Conway did a fine job presenting their case and the Eastern Shore can be comforted in knowing at least SOME of their elected officials were doing their part to introduce new legislation.

It should be noted that Tuesday was pretty much dedicated to all sorts of sex offender law changes. I can't say just how much influence Salisbury News played in waking up our elected officials but we certainly did our best to let them know we were all listening. In fact, Norm Conway stated he had never received so many e-mails and letters on any single issue than the Sarah Foxwell murder. The images below shows you the entire schedule for Tuesday in the House of Delegates.


Regardless of what some people think of Mathias and Conway, my hat is tipped to them for introducing this legislation and with any hope some time within the next two weeks we should know if and what was proposed actually passed.

Stricter Laws Asked For Sex Crimes


Delegates hear calls for more monitoring; O'Malley would list juvenile offenders

Almost every aspect of Maryland's sex offender laws is receiving scrutiny this year as state lawmakers respond to the December killing of 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell on the Eastern Shore at the hands, authorities believe, of a registered child sex offender.

On Tuesday, a panel of delegates reviewed 30 proposals, including a contentious plan backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley that would add juveniles to the state sex offender registry.

Opponents said such a change would unfairly stigmatize young people who are often abuse victims themselves. The same measure would require more information of homeless registrants, something lawmakers have previously rejected.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch made a rare visit to the House Judiciary Committee, a signal that the push to toughen sex offender laws has support from the highest levels of the General Assembly.

"Despite all of our efforts, we have flaws in the system," said Busch, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, telling lawmakers that as the father of an 11-year-old girl, he was particularly moved by the death of Sarah Foxwell. Laws that protect children, he said, are "the ultimate issue of why we're here in office."

GO HERE to read more.

Rutledge For US Senate Press Release Feb 23


FOREST HILL, Maryland- Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Jim Rutledge announced his opposition to the Obama Health Care Plan that was released yesterday. Barbara Mikulski and Barack Obama continue to rush health care reform at the expense of the American people.

Rutledge stated, “Liberal Democrats like Obama and Barbara Mikulski have basically said the public be damned. Obama and Mikulski insist on spending billions of dollars for new bureaucracies in spite of overwhelming opposition by the taxpayers.” The President’s proposal calls for spending a billion dollars in the first year alone to implement the proposed health care policy changes.

Barbara Mikulski and the liberal bureaucrats in Washington refuse to address the urgent priorities that face our Nation. The American people want Congress to focus on rebuilding the economy by reducing spending and entitlement programs. Rutledge said, “Lifetime politicians like Barbara Mikulski have spent decades putting our nation in debt while telling us about everything they have done for us. The reality now is not what Washington has done for us, but what people like Barbara Mikulski have done to us.”

Jim Rutledge joined fellow Conservatives this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Rutledge said, “They were so enthusiastic about engaging the American people for the cause of freedom and the Constitution.” The Conservative event which boasted a record attendance provided a platform for the Rutledge for Senate Campaign to convey and share the outrage felt by Marylanders. Jim Rutledge summed up the event by saying, “They impressed me with their energy to challenge the failed thinking of leftist leaders in the Democratic Party and to advance the Republican Party based on the Constitution and Reagan- conservative principles.”

Followup To The Laptop Spying Case

School spying: infected laptops mandatory, jailbreaking grounds for explusion

Here's an excellent investigative post on the surveillance technology and policy that Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District employed against its students. Two security researchers, "Stryde" and Aaron Rhodes, read through the web-posts and other material made public by the school administrators who maintained the laptop surveillance as well as student accounts of its use and reports on the policies that surrounded it:

* Possession of a monitored Macbook was required for classes
* Possession of an unmonitored personal computer was forbidden and would be confiscated

* Disabling the camera was impossible

* Jailbreaking a school laptop in order to secure it or monitor it against intrusion was an offense which merited expulsion

Stryde also reverse-engineered "LANRev," the spyware that came installed on all student laptops:
During our testing, we infected a laptop with LANRev, then closed the lid, hoping to activate the LANRev feature which takes a webcam picture when the computer wakes. As my colleague Aaron opened the lid of his Mac, the green webcam light flickered, ever so briefly. It wasn't a glitch. It was a highly sophisticated remote spy in his system. And even though he was in control, the effect was still very creepy.

GO HERE to read more.

Michael Steele's Spending Spree Angers Donors


Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is spending twice as much as his recent predecessors on private planes and paying more for limousines, catering and flowers – expenses that are infuriating the party's major donors who say Republicans need every penny they can get for the fight to win back Congress.

Most recently, donors grumbled when Steele hired renowned chef Wolfgang Puck's local crew to cater the RNC's Christmas party inside the trendy Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, and then moved its annual winter meeting from Washington to Hawaii.

For some major GOP donors, both decisions were symbolic of the kind of wasteful spending habits they claim has become endemic to his tenure at the RNC. When Ken Mehlman served as the committee chairman during the critical 2006 midterm elections, the holiday party was held in a headquarters conference room and Chic-fil-A was the caterer.

“Michael Steele is an imperial chairman,” said one longtime Republican fundraiser. “He flies in private aircraft. He drives in private cars. He has private consultants that are paid ridiculous retainers. He fancies himself a presidential candidate and wants all of the trappings and gets them by using other people’s money.”

When Steele took over the chairmanship last winter, he inherited a $23 million surplus. Since then, the former Maryland lieutenant governor has raised $10 million less than the party collected in 2005 and has spent $10 million more. By the end of 2009, the committee’s surplus had shrunk to $8.4 million, according to campaign finance reports.

Here's more

White House Accused Of Federal Crime in Specter, Bennet Races

"Whoever solicits or receives … any….thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both." -- 18 USC Sec. 211 -- Bribery, Graft and Conflicts of Interest: Acceptance or solicitation to obtain appointive public office

"In the face of a White House denial, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak stuck to his story yesterday that the Obama administration offered him a "high-ranking" government post if he would not run against U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary."
-- Philadelphia Inquirer
February 19, 2010

"D.C. job alleged as attempt to deter Romanoff"
--Denver Post
September 27, 2009


A bombshell has just exploded in the 2010 elections.

For the second time in five months, the Obama White House is being accused -- by Democrats -- of offering high ranking government jobs in return for political favors. What no one is reporting is that this is a violation of federal law that can lead to prison time, a fine or both, according to Title 18, Chapter 11, Section 211 of the United States Code.

The jobs in question? Secretary of the Navy and a position within the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The favor requested in return? Withdrawal from Senate challenges to two sitting United States Senators, both Democrats supported by President Obama. The Senators are Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Michael Bennet in Colorado.

On Friday, Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak, the Democrat challenging Specter for re-nomination, launched the controversy by accusing the Obama White House of offering him a federal job in exchange for his agreeing to abandon his race against Specter.

In August of 2009, the Denver Post reported last September, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Jim Messina "offered specific suggestions" for a job in the Obama Administration to Colorado Democrat Andrew Romanoff, a former state House Speaker, if Romanoff would agree to abandon a nomination challenge to U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Bennet was appointed to the seat upon the resignation of then-Senator Ken Salazar after Salazar was appointed by Obama to serve as Secretary of the Interior. According to the Post, the specific job mentioned was in the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Post cited "several sources who described the communication to The Denver Post."

The paper also describes Messina as "President Barack Obama's deputy chief of staff and a storied fixer in the White House political shop." Messina's immediate boss is White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

More on this story

He Said He Would Call His Own Shots

A month after being crowned the darling of national conservatives, Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts is being branded "Benedict Brown" for siding with Democrats in favor of a jobs bill endorsed by the Obama administration.

Like the four other GOP senators who joined him, the man who won the late Democrat Edward Kennedy's seat says it's about jobs, not party politics. And that may be good politics, too.

The four other GOP senators who broke ranks — Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, George Voinovich of Ohio and Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri — also were criticized on Tuesday. But Brown was the big target on conservative Web sites, talk shows and even the Facebook page his campaign has promoted as an example of his new-media savvy.

"We campaigned for you. We donated to your campaign. And you turned on us like every other RINO," said one writer, using the initials for "Republican-In-Name-Only."

The conservative-tilting Drudge Report colored a photo of Brown on its home page in scarlet.

The new senator responded by calling into a Boston radio station.

"I've taken three votes," Brown said with exasperation. "And to say I've sold out any particular party or interest group, I think, is certainly unfair."

The senator said that by the time he seeks re-election in two years, he will have taken thousands of votes.

"So, I think it's a little premature to say that," he said.

More

Just Wondering

I have always wondered why NO ONE ever has come forward from Obama's past saying they knew him, attended school with him, was his friend, etc.

NO ONE, not one person has ever come forward from his past. VERY, VERY STRANGE!!

This should really be a cause for great concern. This is very interesting stuff. Sort of adds credence to the idea of The Manchurian Candidate thing having happened here!

Stephanopoulos of ABC news said the same thing during the '08 campaign. He too, was a classmate of BO's at Columbia, Class of 1984. He said he never had one class with him.

Was Obama even there?

While he is a great orator, why doesn't anyone in Obama's college class remember him?
Maybe he never attended classes? Maybe he never attended Columbia???
(He won't allow Colombia to release his records either.) Hm-m-m.

NOBODY REMEMBERS OBAMA AT COLUMBIA !!!!!!!

Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox News contacted 400 Columbia University students from the period when Obama claims to have been there, but none remembered him.

Wayne Allyn Root was, like Obama, a political science major at Columbia who also graduated in 1983. In 2008, Root said of Obama, "I don't know a single person at Columbia that knew him, and they all know me. I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia. Ever! Nobody recalls him. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not kidding."

Root adds that he was also, like Obama, "Class of '83 political science, pre-law" and says, "You don't get more exact or closer than that.... And I never met him in my life and don't know anyone who ever did. At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me.
No one ever heard of Barack or Barry Obama! And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was.

The guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York, "the macha who knows everybody", has yet to find a person, a human, who ever met him. That's very strange.

"Obama's photograph does not appear in the school's yearbook and Obama consistently declines requests to talk about his years at Columbia, provide school records, or provide the name of any former classmates or friends while at Columbia.

HEARING TO BE HELD TODAY WHERE DEAL ISLAND MAN SHOULD BE ORDERED TO CUT HIS GRASS IN WINTER

Princess Anne MD-Craig Webster will be in court in Princess Anne today at 1:30 in distric court regarding a summons issued to his dead parents Elwood and Ruth Webster ...The ticket which carries a $250.00 fine will be heard in distric court.

The case was dismissed by Judge Mumford on Jan 11 and within one hour Somerset Planning officals issued a new citation asked Webster to cut his grass with snow on the ground. Webster said it is pretty strange to be asked to mow your grass in the winter..but anything is possible in Somerset County.

Judge Paula Price will be presiding over the case today. It is a civil infraction based on County Zoning Ordianance 913

PUBLIC NOTICE SPECIAL MEETING


In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority of the City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Monday, March 1, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. for consideration of Ordinance No. 2099 (amendment to FY10 Sewer Fund Budget) for second reading.

The meeting will be held in Conference Room 306 of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases



On February 21, 2010 at approximately 9:58 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of South Division Street and South Salisbury Boulevard and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by below suspect # 1 for traffic violations. When the officer approached the window of the vehicle the officer detected the scent of suspected marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The vehicle was checked and a quantity of suspected marijuana was located. In addition, the officers located smoking devices with suspected marijuana residue, scales, and quantities of prescription medication. Both suspects were checked and did not have prescriptions for the medication that was found.


ARRESTED #1: Jerry Lee Howell, 19 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of marijuana
Possession of hydrocodone
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)

ARRESTED #2: Katelyn Allison Bertier, 20 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of marijuana
Possession of oxycodone
Possession of hydrocodone
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)
DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking
CC # 201000007286

On February 22, 2010 at approximately 2:30 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding Wicomico County District Court Bench Warrant for violation of a court order.


ARRESTED: Sherwood Elton Cannon, III, 48 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Wicomico Co. District Court Bench Warrant-
Violation of a court order
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201000007351

TROOPERS ARREST MAN ON CDS CHARGES


On February 22, 2010 at 11:32 am, A Trooper from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Powellville Road at Perdue Road in Willards. The Trooper detected an odor of marihuana in the vehicle. The front seat passenger of the vehicle, William Edward Tubbs, 18, of Willards, advised he had marihuana in his possession. Troopers recovered a baggie of marihuana and a partially burnt marihuana cigarette from Tubbs. Tubbs was taken to WCDC where he was awaiting a hearing with a commissioner.

TROOPERS ARREST MAN ON CDS CHARGES

On February 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm, A Trooper from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Snow Hill Road at Locust Street in Salisbury. The Trooper subsequently arrested the driver, Harold Snead III, 25, of Salisbury for driving while suspended. A search incident to his arrest revealed a baggie of marihuana. Snead was taken to WCDC where he was awaiting a hearing with a commissioner.

“MARPSA GoodSports” Award Recipients Honored

(Salisbury, MD) The Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism selected two county residents to represent local sports at the annual “Mid-Atlantic Recreation and Parks Sports Alliance GoodSport Awards Ceremony” held on February 15 at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The event included a reception co-hosted by the Alliance and Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Michael Busch followed by recognition of all recipients at the evening’s General Assembly session.

The MARPSA GoodSports Award program provides an opportunity for member agencies to recognize both young athletes and coaches who have modeled GoodSports behaviors in local athletics. Katie Seaton, a participant in the Wicomico County Junior Girls Softball League, represented County athletes and William Teagle, a Junior Girls Softball coach and Softball Federation member represented County coaches at the ceremony. Both were awarded Sportsmanship awards at the Wicomico County’s 2009 Annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet held in December.

Seaton was recognized for her commitment, dedication, and for always being a team player. She is an athlete that is dedicated, dependable, performs any skill, and gives 100% all the time. She is a player that will do anything you ask, maintain composure at all times, and treat adults, teammates, and opponents with kindness and respect. Her willingness and team first attitude would make any coach proud.

Teagle displayed outstanding morals and values when coaching his youth Softball teams. He is both a patient teacher and an encouraging, supportive coach. He has a way of motivating his players and making sure that the game is fun for his team. He is respectful to the other coaches and umpires in the league, and he demands the same from his team and his parents. He exemplified the positive approach expected of youth coaches during games and practices.

The Mid-Atlantic Recreation and Parks’ Sports Alliance is a consortium of Recreation and Parks Departments, organizations representing sports officials, and sport governing bodies in the region. Each member organization designates one player and one coach to represent their community as a model of GoodSports.

The mission of the Alliance is to develop and communicate a consistent message that organizations and their players, coaches and spectators will be held accountable to a code of conduct that promotes GoodSports and keeps recreational competitive and non-competitive sporting activities in proper perspective.

Detectives Identified Subject In Surveillance Photo


Resume: Delaware State Police Detectives have Identified the subject in the below surveillance photo released on February 20th 2010. The subject has been contacted by Detectives and is no longer wanted for questioning in the Missing Persons Investigation of Greg Forte.

Anyone with information in regards to the location of Mr. Forte is asked to contact the State Police at Troop 4 by dialing (302) 856-5850 ext 208.

Toll Collectors Gone Wild


Drivers complain about "road rage" from New Jersey Turnpike workers

FEBRUARY 22--The overwhelming majority of New Jersey state employees are courteous, hard-working individuals eager to aid the public for whom they work. And then there is the small number of toll collectors employed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority who regularly go rogue on motorists. On the following pages you'll find an entertaining selection of complaint letters sent to turnpike officials by motorists who ran into assorted trouble when trying to pay their way on the Garden State Parkway or the New Jersey Turnpike. More than 550 letters--covering the past 18 months and addressing a variety of types of complaints--were released after TSG filed a freedom of information request with the state authority. Toll collectors ("T/C"), it seems, can be set off by a variety of slights, from the provision of change by a motorist to a patron's demand for a receipt. As a result, threats of violence, vulgarity, and racial slurs have allegedly been directed at drivers (but only on occasion, of course, since most toll takers are of a sunny disposition, as most motorists can attest). And then there are the booth inhabitants who woo female motorists with sexy talk about strip searches and flashing. While it has been more than five years since we last examined the reported shortcomings of some Jersey toll collectors, one thing has remained constant: No motorist should pay the toll with pennies and expect to drive away unscathed. (30 pages)

GO HERE to view letters.

Bayside Basketball Championships Return To The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center

(Salisbury, MD) The Bayside Boys and Girls Basketball Championships return to the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center tomorrow (Wednesday, February 24). The Girls game is scheduled for 6:00pm and will feature Mardela vs. North Caroline. The Boys game will start at 8:00 pm and will feature Snow Hill/Stephen Decatur vs. North Caroline.

Both games will be played in the Normandy Arena. Tickets will only be sold at the door and are $5. The gate will open at 5:00pm. There will be no re-entry allowed.

Arrested Made In Smyrna Homicide


Date of Arrest: 2/23/2010

Defendant: Juan C. Restrepo- Duque, 18, of Newark, Delaware

Resume: Delaware State Police Homicide Unit has made an arrest in the February homicide of Kenton W. Wolf, 61, of Smyrna, DE. State Police Homicide Detectives were able to identify Juan C. Restrepo-Duque, 18, of Newark, DE as the suspect in this case. Juan C. Restrepo-Duque was taken into custody early this morning while at his residence in Newark, DE.

Juan C. Restrepo-Duque has been formally charged with Murder in the First Degree (f), Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony (f), and Theft of a Motor Vehicle (f).

Juan C. Restrepo-Duque has been committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institute and is being held without bail.

PUBLIC NOTICE


The Central City District Commission (CCDC) has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 12:00 noon.

The meeting will be held in Room 306 of the City/County Government Building (125 N. Division Street).