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Friday, January 07, 2011

Woman Raped Boy, 13, She Met Online

Authorities say she flew to Maryland to see victim at his home

A 36-year-old California woman has been arrested on suspicion of child molestation and rape for allegedly flying across the country to have sex with a 13-year-old boy she befriended online, authorities said Friday.

Rachel Ann Hicks, of Lake Forest, was taken into custody Friday by Orange County sheriff's investigators.

A Maryland state trooper contacted an Orange County sheriff's investigator on Tuesday and reported that the woman initially "met" the boy in September in an X-Box live chat room. The online relationship progressed to phone calls, texting, e-mails and sending sexually explicit images and movies between one another, the sheriff's office said in a press release.

GO HERE to read more.

Some Snow Tonight And Tomorrow. And Then...

Suddenly Delmarva and many neighboring areas are becoming quite the rage as far as snow is concerned.

A disturbance rolling in from the Midwest will spark another round of snow in the eastern mid-Atlantic late tonight into Saturday.

The same system may gel fast enough to bring the Baltimore/Washington area a coating to an inch of snow as well. While most non-weather weenies in this area are not exactly waiting in line for their first real snowfall, the snow nuts have become quite feverish about the lack of snow so far.

Pretty much anybody in the Northeast is fair game for a sneak attack from a coating of snow into Sunday.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists continue to monitor a potentially big storm for next week. That storm may visit the mid-Atlantic and other East Coast locations with heavy snow or perhaps a wintry mix long about Tuesday, depending on the storm track.

According to Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "While the main storm next week is likely to bring the heaviest precipitation along the coast, a trailing feature over the Midwest could allow snow to fall in areas west of the I-95 corridor as well."

Current thinking says the precip could include a rain/sleet/snow mix, or maybe not, depending on the track and temps.

But COLD weather is coming behind the system next week, so there could be icing and very slick roads to deal with.

We're on it for you. Stay tuned.

More at Accuweather

Vehicle Hits Train In Fruitland

They have three priority one's heading to PRMC right now. Its a mini van into a train. I believe cedar Lane, (near WalMart in Fruitland) and Rt. 13.

Why You Will Not See WBOC, WMDT Or The Daily Times Report On Sarah Foxwell Case

I have read many of the comments on the articles we have provided referencing the Thomas Leggs/Sarah Foxwell hearings and I'd like to take this opportunity to explain just why you will not see anything produced by the local MSM on this matter.

EVERYONE involved in this case is under a gag order NOT to speak to anyone about the case. That being said, IF they made any statement it would mean that someone at the States Attorneys Office, WBI, MSP or WCSO violated that gag order. Unless those reporters were there, anything they provide is here say.

Now maybe you'll start getting some coverage from the MSM from here on out. Heck, it's the ONLY way you're going to get outside coverage other than Salisbury News. Wouldn't that be most interesting! They would actually have to go there and be a part of the case, (which they've never done) and stop relying on family members to fill them in.

That's what happened in Annapolis. WBOC rang their phones off the hook because they refused to invest the time to go there and instead relied on a family member to feed them the information. And why didn't WBOC get the information the evening of in Annapolis. Because the family agreed that they did nothing to EARN it. Therefore they refused to answer their phone.

Now let's see. Salisbury News is run by ONE person. If I can find the time to travel 2 hours away to cover such a case while the local MSM has hundreds of people working for them, what's wrong with this picture. Do THEY really care about the most important story to ever hit the Eastern Shore, NO! That is, unless it's handed to them on a silver platter.

So to those of you who challenge me as to WHY I go after the local MSM on occasion, now you know why. They don't give a crap about WORK. Especially when local organizations FEED them information so they don't have to do anything. If one guy can beat the crap out of three MSM companies and deliver stories 2 or 3 days before they even get around to it, well, Salisbury News is "Delmarva's News Leader" where we deliver "More News In Less Time". They can SUGGEST they're number one but they're just slogans and FAR from the actual truth. Salisbury News will force the local MSM to get off their tails and start doing their own work. To fall asleep on the biggest story to ever hit the Eastern Shore simply proves they continue to fail while a local Blog continues to cross the finish line on 95% of the daily stories well ahead of the MSM.

We have become not only the come to place for local news and information. We are also the come to place for the local MSM to get their stories for the day too. It's a proven fact. They have no shame nor pride any more. That is, unless they're covering a story about one of their advertisers.

UPPER FERRY CLOSED FOR EQUIPMENT REPAIR

The vessel used in crossing the Wicomico River at Upper Ferry is out of service due to a damaged prop.

Officials at Wicomico County Roads said that the ferry may be closed until Tuesday but that “every effort will be made to return the ferry to service as soon as possible.”

Ferry service at Whitehaven is unaffected.

Package Addressed To Homeland Security Chief Ignites In D.C.


A piece of mail addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ignited Friday at a U.S. Postal Service facility in Washington, a day after suspicious letters "flared up" at state government buildings in neighboring Maryland, authorities said.

Police said no one was injured.

FBI spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said initial information indicated the parcel that ignited in northeast Washington about 2:45 p.m. was similar to the two packages opened in Maryland on Thursday.

A postal worker at the D.C. facility tossed the package into a sorting bin, and when another package was tossed on top, it "flashed" and then quickly went out, an official told NBC News.
The postal facility was evacuated and no one was hurt.

Federal officials confirmed to NBC News that the package was addressed to Napolitano.

The postal facility handles government mail in northeast Washington, a law enforcement official told WRC-TV.
 
Earlier Friday, investigators revealed that two packages sent to Maryland's governor and transportation secretary that ignited when they were opened contained the same note railing against highway signs urging motorists to report suspicious activity.
 
The message read: "Report suspicious activity! Total Bull----! You have created a self fulfilling prophecy."

GO HERE to read more.

LARGE QUANTITY OF PRESCRIPTION NARCOTICS STOLEN FROM PHARMACY

On December 31, 2010 Ocean City Police responded to a commercial burglary located at Bailey’s Pharmacy, 714 Philadelphia Avenue.

The on-scene investigation revealed that the perpetrators entered the business through a blocked alley window. Once inside, the thieves stole a large quantity of prescription narcotics as well as other property.

Police are asking anyone with information about this burglary to contact the OCPD Criminal Investigation Division or Detective Simpson at 410-723-6604.

Wi Hi Violence And Sheriffs

Joe,

I have a family person who works at Wicomico High.  For 2 days they have been under threat of gun violence and possible gun located within the school.  If you look around at 3PM.  There are over 8 sheriffs in the proximity to that school.  This has been completely hidden by the BOE and local media.  Many of these children are in fear and in serious danger from Gang and youth violence and the people who pay the bills do NOT even know.  Something needs to be researched soon.  Incidents go on at this school at least every 2 weeks and the tax payer, the Parents or parents, most do not know.

Gunman Suspended Before School Shooting

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Hours before he opened fire on two principals at his high school, a Nebraska teenager calmly accepted a suspension for driving on an athletic field. He went home to speak with his father and some friends - all the while giving no hint of turning violent, police said Thursday.

But after his father left to run errands, 17-year-old Robert Butler Jr. took a handgun from a closet and headed back to the school to confront the administrator who had punished him.

Butler, whose father is a detective for the Omaha Police Department, asked to see the assistant principal and fatally shot her in her office with his father's service weapon. He then wounded the principal and fled before killing himself.

Authorities on Thursday outlined the events that led up to the shooting, which unfolded at Millard South High School on the first day of class after holiday break.

Butler had transferred to Omaha in the fall from a school in Lincoln, about 50 miles away. On New Year's Day, he had been cited for criminal trespassing after driving his car on the school's football field and track, police said.

Butler was called out of class at 8:10 a.m. Wednesday to meet with Assistant Principal Vicki Kaspar. The two talked in her office, and he was escorted out of the school at 9:23 a.m., police said.

GO HERE to read more.

Maryland Delegate Mike Smigiel Presents Plaque To Blogger Joe Albero From Sex Offender Bill


Yesterday I was honored to meet with Maryland State Delegate Mike Smigiel at his Office in Elkton, Maryland where he presented me with the above plaque that included the pen Governor O'Malley used to sign the new Sex Offender Laws.

I was absolutely surprised as I had no knowledge it ever existed or that it was ever considered on my behalf. Thank You Mike and Thank You Governor O'Malley. I will forever cherish this in memory of Sarah Foxwell and her entire Family.

Child Sex Abuse Arrest

Date & Time:  11/27/1992  -   12/01/2002                   Case #:10-0270

Location Occurred:  202 Maple Avenue, Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland

Crime or Violation:   Assault Second Degree, Child Abuse: Custodian, Sex Offense
Second Degree, Rape Second Degree, Sex Abuse-Continuing Course of Conduct,
Perverted Practice, Sex Offense Third Degree

Victim:  Not Disclosed
Accused:  Gregory Donzell Bailey  B/M - 03/20/1958 (Current Residence) Onancock,
Va.
        
Narrative:
On 12/23/2010
, investigators from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation initiated a sexual offense/rape investigation that took place from 1992 through 2002.  Investigation revealed that the suspect, Gregory Donzell Bailey, initiated a sexual relationship with the female victim who was a juvenile at the time. 

During the relationship, Bailey sexually touched and had sexual intercourse with the victim.  The victim has disclosed the sexual acts to her mother since the last incident in 2002.  Investigators have charged Bailey with Assault-Second Degree, Child Abuse, Sex Offense-Second Degree, Rape Second Degree, Sex Abuse Continuing Course of Conduct, Perverted Practice, and Sex Offense Third Degree.  Gregory Bailey was extradited back to the State of Maryland on 01/06/2011 and served with the arrest warrant. 

Gregory Bailey is currently being held at the Worcester County Jail on $30,000 bond.

Sarah Foxwell Case In Very Good Hands

After spending two days in Elkton, Maryland, if there's one thing I can confidently come home with is that the Sarah Foxwell case is in very good hands. Present on the first day was Sarah's Father Tommy, Sarah's Aunt Tracey and Sarah's Grandmother Joanne and her husband Fred. On the second day, Jennifer Foxwell attended. Sarah's Aunt Amy was not present on either day.

Let me assure you, the defense attorneys, (4 of them) are extremely long winded and day after day of listening to repetitive questions asked and answered by Detectives and Officers in this case, (in my honest opinion) the defense attorneys are attempting to make a mockery of this case.

Yesterdays suppression hearing, (which was supposed to be completed in one day) has now been extended until January 26th. Quite a bit of arguing went on because the defense attorneys representing Thomas Leggs continued to challenge the key eye witness testimony, claiming they had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other major disabilities. Once this information came out, Sarah's mother Jennifer Foxwell became very emotional and excused herself from the Court Room.

Their defense was, how could this witness pick Leggs out of a line up, (all named Tommy) when he was familiar to that household and family. While this may be true, the State stated that the witness hadn't seen Thomas Leggs for a minimum of 30 days AND that the witness testified Leggs was the person who removed Sarah Foxwell from the home the evening of December 22nd 2009.

The defense wanted the lineup removed from the case but a final decision couldn't be made by the honorable Judge as this hearing was simply going on too long and couldn't be completed that day.

There was a lot of time spent on the cell phone issues as well. While the defense kept picking at straws on a total of three cell phones, two of them were non working cell phones. There's still much more to cover in this suppression hearing and one can only wonder how long this trial will actually take, especially when you have so many long winded defense attorneys.

This is just the beginning and let me assure you, sitting on hard oak benches for several hours at a time is just not something many would be very comfortable with. That being said, I sat and wondered why the accused was allowed to sit in a cushioned and comfortable seat while the victims were subjected to hard oak benches. It just doesn't seem very fair.

More to come........

MENSA INVITATIONAL

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding,  subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the  subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxication : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you  realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a  hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about  yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
.

8 Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these  really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16 Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n.. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5 Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, v.. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has  been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16.. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men
. 

How To Use The Constitution

Dr. Tibor Machan

Many in the just seated House of Representatives have been clamoring for a return to the Constitution. This is what appears to underlie to planned challenge to Obama care, the massive piece of legislation that President Obama has been eager to make a part of the law of the land, legislation that contains provisions that toe many in the new House appear to be in violation of the U.S. Constitution. In particular, objections have been raised against forcing citizens to buy insurance, something that clearly goes against several principles associated with the American political tradition, such as freedom of contract, freedom of trade, etc. Some of these principles have found a way into the Constitution but it isn't always crystal clear just where in the Constitution they appear – the fifth, the fourth, the ninth, the first or which amendment or which ruling that contains precedents should constitutional watchdogs rely as they to issue the proclamation: "Unconstitutional."

The plain fact of the matter is that while the U.S. Constitution – specifically the Bill of Rights – contains some very laudable provisions, all of them require a fairly nuanced interpretation and application to contemporary issues (such as government coercing people buy health insurance). While for some citizens this is all a piece of cake, no problem at all, for others it isn't a slam dunk by a long shot. That's because these folks focus on the fact that the principles incorporated in the Bill of Rights are stated in terms that had a slightly different meaning back when the Constitution was ratified from how we understand them today.

Such development in the meaning of terms is often used as an excuse for evading constitutional principles but it could also be legitimate. Terms do change their meaning, more or less drastically or radically, even in the physical science – the term "atom" as used today doesn't mean what it had been used to mean a hundred years ago. The more people involved in the study of those matters for which such terms were coined come to know – the more information comes to light about the surrounding facts – the more likely some alteration of meaning is probable.

Now this doesn't mean the ridiculous idea that nothing is constant in the world, nothing stands still, nothing is stable and dependable, only that one needs to be sure what is and what isn't. Some constitutional scholarship would track just such developments – have the crucial terms of the constitution kept the meaning they had back at the time of ratification or did they change a bit or a lot? The changes wouldn't be arbitrary, with the result that anything goes – which is the result some of the avid skeptics about the Constitution would try to make us all believe. They hold to the doctrine originally ascribed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus who held that everything is always in flux – he is famously held to have said "You cannot step into the same river twice" because, well, the river is always changing. And if all of reality were like the river, we could never count on anything to be stable or solid, certainly not principles that are supposed to govern human community life.

But the American Founders and Framers disagreed and had spelled out some – few? – principles that do apply to human community life precisely because it is, after all, human communities that are at issue, not communities of ants or birds or cows. And these beings, human ones, are not all that changeable even over the time span of centuries. We know this from anthropology, archeology, history, philology, and other disciplines that study various aspects of humanity's past and make pretty good progress understanding them.

So there could well be certain invariable principles, ones that need to be considered in dealing with or governing people and once these make it into a constitution, that document could come in very handy in figuring out public policies and plans. But none of this would be happening automatically, not certainly from simply reading the Constitution, not by a long shot. Honest constitutional study and understanding would be needed. Only then would the imperative to pay heed to the Constitution come to something valuable, important.

The reason that objecting to Obama care would appear to be not just constitutionally misguided but a misguided way of dealing with citizens is that people are the kind of beings in the world who may not be pushed around by other people – they must have their sovereignty or rights to life and liberty well respected and protected. Unfortunately this idea is so often and widely violated around the globe and, of course, throughout human history, that it is difficult for anyone to be loyal to it.

Many people are bent on pushing other people around – always, of course, for lofty purposes – and so bringing up a constitutional objection to their doing so would be annoying for them, even undermine their philosophy of life and their aspirations to be influential in the world. So they will then commit to the philosophy of Heraclitus, a philosophy that gives them carte blanche about how to interpret the U.S. Constitution or any other document containing principles by which communities must be governed. It's a living document, you see, which can be taken to mean whatever one wants it to me, pragmatically and not according to common reason.

Yes, it is good to refer to the Constitution but it is even more important to keep in mind the underlying philosophical clashes and to make sure which side is right.

Proposed CA Insurance Rate Increase Not Part Of Obamacare

A Blue Cross Blue Shield of California proposed rate increase might mean health insurance rate hikes of 30 to 60 percent for customers, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says this is not a result of the health care law, also known as Obamacare.


Blue Shield of California is seeking health insurance rate hikes of almost 60 percent for certain customers. If the rate increases are approved, they would take effect on March 1 and roll out over a period of five months.

According to ABC News, about 193,000 policyholders would be affected by the change. The average rate increase, if approved, would be 30 to 35 percent.

The news surprised many policyholders. They were guaranteed the same rate for a year. At one time, they got notice of three rate increases.
Complaints about the increased rates have already been filed with the California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
This attempt to raise rates comes less than a year after Anthem Blue Cross attempted and failed to raise rates up to 39 percent for about 700,000 California customers.

Last month, the Blue Shield told customers, “We raise rates only when absolutely necessary to pay the accelerating cost of medical care for our members.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, 1 in 4 affected customers will see cumulative increases of health insurance rates of over 50 percent over 5 months.
Jones stated the move by Blue Shield underscored a need for legislature to give the insurance commission the legal authority to regular insurance rates, just as he does vehicle coverage.
As customers marvel at the large rate increase, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated about the proposed rate increase, “The people of California have a right to be concerned when they see this kind of rate increase month after month. We have reached out to California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and know he is doing everything in his power to help consumers. We stand ready to assist him and the people of California in any way that we can.”

Sebelius further said, “Some have incorrectly claimed that this increase were the result of the health care law.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Blue Shield pointed out in their statement this morning that their increases are not the result of the Affordable Care Act.”
Source

Recipe For A Successful 2011

Dr. Ron Paul

The year 2011 brings in a host of opportunities and challenges to America. Will we accelerate toward economic insolvency by continuing the policies that have created this crisis, or will a new Congress elected on the energy of the Tea Party movement find the courage to change course?

With the new Republican majority in the House I will have the opportunity as a subcommittee chairman to take a careful look at our domestic monetary policy. I am excited by the prospect of real oversight of the Federal Reserve, but I also hope to focus on the important ways in which our foreign policy and monetary policy are related. Just last week the Financial Times reported that the limited oversight of the Federal Reserve allowed by the passage of a watered-down version of my Audit the Fed bill revealed that approximately 55 percent of the loans made available under the largest Federal Reserve bailout program, the Term Auction Facility, went to foreign banks! This is but one example of the real cost to Americans of maintaining its empire overseas, and it cries out for more transparency and oversight.

This is why it is key for us to understand that our foreign policy and current economic crisis go hand in hand. Some have promised to lead us back to fiscal responsibility while asserting that any reduction in our foreign and military spending is off the table. They would like us to believe that we should not only continue spending as much on the military as the rest of the world combined, but they actually call for an even more aggressive US policy abroad. They believe we should continue to bomb Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, and elsewhere; that we must impose even more crippling sanctions on countries like Iran while moving steadily on to yet another Middle East war that is not in our interest. They represent the failed policies of the past and they would like to lead us down a dead-end street. We must resist the temptation of their neo-con inspired scare-mongering.

There will be much work for us to do in the next year and in the next Congress. We need look no further than the grossly unconstitutional and immoral policies of the Transportation Security Administration – demanding that we either be irradiated or fondled to travel in our own country – to see that those who would deprive us of our civil liberties on the empty promise of full security will not be giving up easily. We must continue standing up to them and we must not compromise. We must not allow the out-of-control Department of Homeland Security to impose an East German-like police state in the US, where neighbors are encouraged by big brother or big sister to inform on their neighbors. We must not accept that government authorities should hector us via television screens as we go about our private lives like we are living in Orwell's 1984.

I am optimistic that the incoming Members of Congress understand the importance of what they have been entrusted with by the American people. But I do hope that those who elected them will watch their actions -- and their votes in Congress – carefully. An early indication will be the upcoming vote on re-authorization of the anti-American PATRIOT Act. Defeat once and for all of this police-state legislation will be a great way to start 2011 and the 112th Congress. We must move ahead with confidence. Our numbers are growing. Happy New Year!

Top Shrink Says Leftists Are Mentally Ill

'Strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions' cited by veteran forensic psychiatrist

Just when liberal-leftists thought it was finally "their time" to lead center-right America, kicking and screaming, into a stifling socialist "utopia," a veteran psychiatrist is making a powerful case that the "hope-and-change" ideology motivating them is actually a mental disorder.

For more than 40 years, Rossiter has diagnosed and treated over 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases, both state and federal, as a board-certified forensic psychiatrist retained by numerous public offices, courts and private attorneys. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.

Rossiter explains with great clarity why the kind of liberalism being displayed by Barack Obama can only be understood as a psychological disorder.

"Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Rossiter. "Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."

GO HERE to read more.

Joel Dixon And Gordy Connection


Dixon drove all the way down to North Carolina for Jeremy Gordy's graduation from a fire academy as seen in the dress uniform picture. Only a close friend would do that.

A Letter To The Editor On Elected School Board

Elected School Board – No Thanks!

GA Harrison’s post earlier today calling for an elected school board in Wicomico County was well intentioned, but off the mark even though it’s one of his pet peeves.  We agree on many/most issues, but not on this one.
He is entirely correct in stating that an elected board is not a panacea; on that we agree.  I concur that our current process is not completely ideal, but contend that substituting one form of projected imperfection for another is not the way to optimize the use of finite resources, nor is it the way to maximize results (from students, staff and administrators).

Our current WCBOE system has those interested in board appointment contact their respective political party when an opening occurs for one of the positions reserved for it; the opening is advertised.  The seven members on the board are split between the two parties; the positions themselves are apolitical.  The local party interviews candidates and forwards recommendations to the Governor, who then makes a 5 year appointment of one of the candidates.  The board member may be re-appointed for an additional 5 year term and after that someone else will be appointed.  This ensures that board members don’t turn into “lifers” and that the board is refreshed on an ongoing basis.  I find no record indicating that WCBOE members are paid for their service, but could be wrong.
The positions expire on a rolling basis minimizing effects of a mass exodus or influx.  This selection method does not cost the potential board member money out of pocket and is conducted quietly and efficiently.  Potential members are not required to have a specific agenda and don’t have to campaign; a desire to serve can remain their motivation.

I spent several decades living where local boards were elected and I find our current, albeit imperfect, system to be superior.  Shortly after I graduated high school one of my homeroom teachers ran as part of a ‘reform’ slate of candidates and was elected.  The slate’s election was a prelude to very tumultuous times on the board and within the community because of their agenda (and not because he was a teacher).

There are several compelling arguments against an elected board:

1.   Inevitably turns political and creates friction rather than unity.

2.    Many otherwise excellent board candidates will shun the campaign experience and associated electioneering and expense; their skills and contributions will be lost to the district.  Here’s an interesting challenge: survey all folks who’ve previously been on the board during the past 20 years and see how many would have been willing to mount an election campaign for the post.  My prediction- very, very few.

3.     Locally, (within the city, towns and county) we’ve seen many, many candidates who ran well enough to be elected but who were/are complete disasters as elected officials.  We can offer the same conjecture about any number of folks who ran but were defeated at the polls.  The cautionary statement “Be careful what you ask for, you might get it” clearly applies.  Imagine a board comprised of your personal list of elected duds and defeated duds….it could happen.

4.    Cost to staff the board.  The current system imposes no selection costs on the populace.  An elected board will require at least one and perhaps two county-wide elections whenever a vacancy occurs, depending on the fine points of the final scheme.  If the current staggered terms are retained, this could happen every year since one or more member terms expire each year.  Someone will have to pay for all elections which don’t coincide with normal election schedules.

5.    Potential establishment of electoral districts for the board versus our current all members-at-large makeup.  Opens the door to a wide array of decisions driven toward “my local district” wants/needs as opposed to what is best for the school district as a whole.  Recall that the member wants to be re-elected so they have to bring home ‘bacon’ of some sort or another to their local district voters.

6.    All of the tasks required of the Superintendent and lesser officials will continue; most of them are driven by state or federal mandates as opposed to local preferences.  In other words, changing the board selection process won’t change most of the tasks the board oversees.

7.    Our current County Council already has the functional equivalent of a veto pen for a wide array of board spending proposals since it can cut funds from the budget proposed by the County Executive; he in turn assembles his budget numbers after reviewing the requests from the Board of Education.  So if the county council has a genuine objection they can delete the funds from the executive’s budget and he, in turn, can trim the WCBOE funds.

Public education generates lots of discussion; parents want what is best for their kids (me, too; mine went to Wicomico schools and have done well in college and beyond) and want an education that is comprehensive and cost-effective; those without kids in school still pay and want cost-sensitive management.

Each WCBOE board member is listed on the district’s web site, along with contact information.  When was the last time you shared your concerns in a calm, collected fashion?  I served on appointed public boards for a number of years, and resigned when the time commitment dug too deeply into time with my young family.  I think we are fortunate to have talented folks willing to devote personal time to public ventures for no personal gain.  Those who abuse our trust are deserving of scorn, of course.

We have many significant public and quasi-public boards without publicly elected board members; think PRMC, Wor-Wic, SU and UMES, Library, Zoo, etc. They also tend to function well. Most welcome volunteers who are interested in their ‘mission’ and would welcome the extra, motivated assistance from folks who would like to be part of a solution to any perceived shortcomings. 

An Interested Reader

Dead Animals Everywhere!

Joe,

Here's a map that shows the locations and numbers of reported bird and fish kills around the world. Yes, this is a global event. This map is as of 1/6/11 in the morning hours. It has now been reported that New Zealand is discovering hundreds of dead penguins. And Manatee in Florida. The affected animals seem to be getting larger. Keep your eyes on this one.

GO HERE to view more.

Uncle Steny: Deficits Caused By Reagan And The Bushes

In his last day as House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) put much of the blame for America’s growing debt on past Republican administrations, including former President Ronald Reagan.

“Ronald Reagan came in and adopted an economic program that created $1.4 trillion in deficits over the next eight years,” Hoyer said in a Capitol Hill press conference on Tuesday, where he appeared with other members of the Democratic House Leadership.

“George Bush continued those policies and added another trillion dollars to the deficit," said Hoyer.  "Bill Clinton came in 1993 and we adopted a PAY-GO (pay as you go) process.”

Hoyer warned that new rules that will be adopted by the incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives will lead to an increase in the federal deficit. (The new Congress is scheduled  to be sworn-in today, Jan. 5.)

Hoyer went on to say that the policies of Ronald Reagan not only increased the deficit, but also did nothing to grow the economy and were responsible for the recent economic downturn.

“We will oppose these rules that will unfortunately return us to the fiscal irresponsibility that was practiced under President Reagan, President Bush, and the second President Bush, which put us deeply, deeply into deficit and -- contrary to the researchers -- not only did not grow the economy but gave us the worst economy we’ve seen since Herbert Hoover,” said Hoyer.

“There is no free lunch," said Hoyer. "Supply-side economics that is argued so fervently for by so many simply means that if you do less, you get more. Nothing that I have done in my lifetime showed me that if I did less, I got more. Nothing.”

Hoyer did not mention the $3.2 trillion that the Congress has added to the federal debt since President Obama took office in January 2009.

But Hoyer claimed that repeal of Obamacare would add to the deficit, even though the policy will not be fully implemented until 2014.

More here

Axed From Panel Name, 'Labor' On High Alert

The GOP’s decision to drop “labor” from the name of a House committee is being interpreted by some union officials as the curtain-raiser to their efforts to pressure the Obama administration on workplace laws and regulations.

Several labor leaders contacted by The Hill said changing the name of the House Education and Labor Committee to the House Education and the Workforce Committee shows that a new boss is in town, and one not friendly to unions.

“During the [Newt] Gingrich Congress, they used the committee to gut [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration], to weaken overtime laws and undermine the rights of the workers who want to bargain for a better standard of living,” Bill Samuel, the AFL-CIO’s director of government affairs, told The Hill.

“It really does mean something,” he said of the name change. “More than the rhetoric, they have a different agenda.”

Other top figures in the labor movement agreed.

“We basically think this name change is symbolic of the new majority’s hostility toward the rights of everyday working Americans,” said Chuck Loveless, director of legislation at the American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Alexa Marrero, a spokeswoman for the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said the union officials’ claim that the name change reflected hostility toward workers is “bizarre,” since union members are part of the workforce.

She said Republicans changed the panel’s name to reflect its “broad jurisdiction over polices that affect American students, workers and retirees.”

“The committee oversees a wide range of policies, programs, agencies and offices that affect the American workforce as a whole, and this name reflects that broad responsibility and inclusiveness,” Marrero said.

Relations between labor and House Republicans will likely be contentious this Congress.

AFSCME, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and other unions spent tens of millions of dollars in the last election cycle trying to prevent the GOP takeover of the House.

More here

Russia: Obama Signed Away Missile Defenses

Russia’s legislature says the New START nuclear arms treaty ratified last month by the U.S. Senate restricts the U.S. from building and operating missile defenses against nuclear attacks. President Obama says the opposite: that the treaty “places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs.”

There may never have been such a huge dispute on such a fundamental
aspect of a high profile treaty between two major world powers. As reported by the Voice of Russia on Monday, Russia’s Duma, the lower house of parliament, “plans to confirm the link between the reduction of the strategic offensive arms and the restriction of antimissile defense systems’ deployment in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START),” according to the lawmaking body’s foreign policy chief.

The Russian news agency quoted the chairman of the Duma Committee on
International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev, who was apparently sneering that U.S. negotiators had been tricked. Kosachev claimed, “our American colleagues do not recognize the legal force of the treaty’s preamble. The preamble sets a link between strategic offensive arms and defensive arms.”

The text of New Start’s preamble recognizes an “interrelationship between strategic offensive arms and strategic defensive arms” which it declares “will become more important as strategic nuclear arms are reduced.” And while the introductory portion of the pact adds that “current strategic defensive arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of the strategic offensive arms of the Parties,” it gives no license for future defensive systems.

According to Kosachev, the U.S. belief “that the link between strategic offensive armed forces and antimissile defense systems is not juridically binding for the parties” because “this link was fixed only in the preamble of the document” is an attempt on the part of the United States “to find an option to build up its strategic potential”– and the foreign policy committee chairman warns, “the Russian lawmakers cannot agree with this.”

Interestingly, Voice of Russia also quotes Alexei Arbatov,scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Moscow Center and a leader of Russia’s liberal democratic Yabloko party, accusing U.S. senators of false “unilateral interpretations” of the treaty.

Read more

WICOMICO COUNTY NEWS BULLETIN

The Wicomico County Department of Public Works is lowering Coulbourn Mill Pond by 6 feet to allow residents to perform shoreline maintenance. The pond will remain lowered until February 15, 2011. The work is being performed at the request of the pond's Home Owner's Association.
DPW has also lowered Leonards Mill Pond by 6 feet for the same purpose. The water level there will be restored on January 24, 2011.

Delegate Norm Conway Makes 360 Degree Turn On Slots

Joe -
Sometimes life continues to amaze me.  While Ehrlich was Governor and right after the legislative session had ended - Norm Conway gave a town hall meeting held at Salisbury University.  Right after he was mistakenly introduced by SU's President - Janet Dudley Eshbach - as Salisbury's former Mayor - he went on to give his analogy of the just ended Maryland Legislative session. 
After his introduction - Norm Conway told a full house audience that he was opposed to slots in Maryland.  So it took me by surprise when I opened yesterday's DT newspaper and saw where he had officially taken credit for the opening of the slots parlor at Ocean Downs.
It is interesting to witness when a person espouses one view and then does a 360 degree flip.  

PUBLIC NOTICE

CANCELLATION OF CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

The Salisbury City Council’s work session for Tuesday, January 18, 2011, has been cancelled. The work session will be rescheduled – date to be determined.

SHOREBIRDS RELEASE GAME TIMES FOR 2011 SEASON

All Ticket Packages Currently On Sale

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds are pleased to release all game times for the 2011 regular season.  

Similar to year’s past, the vast majority of home games will begin at 7:05 p.m.  Sunday games will commence at 2:05 p.m. during the first half of the season and 5:05 p.m. during the second half of the season.  Arthur W. Perdue Stadium will open the curtains on the 16th season of Shorebirds baseball on April 5 with a special exhibition game against Salisbury University. 

The Shorebirds will play 7:05 p.m. games every Monday through Saturday in 2011.  There are six exceptions which are detailed below:
*Tuesday, May 3 – 10:35 a.m. (Field of Dreams)
*Thursday, May 19 – 10:35 a.m. (Field of Dreams)
*Wednesday, June 29 – 10:35 a.m. (Camp/Day Care Day)
*Sunday, July 3 – 6:05 p.m. (July 4th Celebration)
*Saturday, July 16 – 6:35 p.m. (Mountaire Faith & Family Night)
*Monday, September 5 – 2:05 p.m. (Labor Day, last game of season)

“Over the years, we have found our 7:05 p.m. start times to be most convenient and accommodating for our fans, so it’s a no-brainer to stick with it for 2011,” said general manager Chris Bitters.  “The special game times provide a nice change-of-pace to the season that I hope everyone enjoys.”

The 10:35 a.m. morning games on May 3 and May 19 are Field of Dreams days.  The Shorebirds will combine baseball and education with schools from across the Eastern Shore.  For more information on the Field of Dreams program and/or to sign your school up, contact Mike Steinhice at 410-219-3112 ext. 147.

The Wednesday, June 29 game is designed for camps and day care programs to come out and enjoy a morning Shorebirds game together. 

The Shorebirds will host their annual Independence Day Celebration on Sunday July 3 at 6:05 p.m.  The night will conclude with the most spectacular fireworks show of the season.

On July 16, the Shorebirds will host Mountaire Faith & Family Night with a special start time of 6:35 p.m.  Following the game, there will be a concert which precedes a postgame fireworks show. 

The final special start is September 5, which is the final game of the regular season.  The game will begin at 2:05 p.m. 

Exactly like last season, the Shorebirds will play at 2:05 p.m. on Sundays from April through June.  Therefore, games on April 10, May 1 and May 15 will be played at 2:05 p.m.  During the second half of the season, the Shorebirds will play 5:05 p.m. Sunday games.  The following games will be played at 5:05 p.m.: July 17, July 31 and September 4.

All four ticket plans (full season, half season, 22-game plan, 12-game plan) are now available for purchase.  The full season ticket package includes a ticket to all 70 home games plus the exhibition against Salisbury University and the 2011 SAL “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game.  The half season ticket plan guarantees you a ticket to 35 home games in addition to the exhibition game and the all-star game.  Both mini-plans also guarantee holders the exhibition game and the all-star game plus the number of regular season home games attached to the mini plan.

South Atlantic League “Strike Out Hunger” All-Star Game tickets and individual game tickets will not go on sale until March 12th.  The only way to secure seats in advance for the all-star game and regular season home games is by purchasing a ticket package.

Rep. Andy Harris Hears Message Sent In November, Votes To Cut Spending

Symbols of Change
- Rep. Andy Harris hears message sent in November, votes to cut spending -

WASHINGTON, DC – This afternoon Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01) voted for HR 22, a resolution that cuts five percent from his own congressional budget also known as the Members Representational Allowance (MRA).  The spending cuts include, but are not limited to, staff salaries, office rent and travel expenses.  According to the Congressional Research Service, this resolution will mark the first time the House of Representatives has ever authorized a cut to the individual allowance level.
“Maryland families have been tightening their belts during this recession, and it is about time that Congress does the same,” said Rep. Harris.  “The people of the district sent me here to make government run more efficiently and be a responsible steward of their hard-earned tax dollars.  This vote is the second of many that I will take to accomplish those tasks.”
The first vote for government efficiency occurred yesterday shortly after swearing in. HR 5 was a resolution to make it more difficult to increase spending and taxes and easier to implement tax cuts. 
The MRA cuts are real cuts – Rep. Harris’ MRA budget will be five percent less than the previous congressman. 
Rep. Andy Harris represents Maryland’s 1st Congressional District which includes, Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Harford Counties.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO HOST ‘MARYLAND FORWARD’ FORUM ON SUSTAINABILITY

ANNAPOLIS, MD  – Governor Martin O’Malley will convene the third in a series of five forums today to shape policy as Maryland continues to move towards a more sustainable future.  Tomorrow’s forum will focus on sustainability, bringing together stakeholders and experts, generating concrete actions and recommendations that support the Administration’s strategic goals.

Today’s “Maryland Forward” forum on sustainability will be held at Chesapeake College.  Lt. Governor Brown will open the session in the morning, along with Dr. Don Boesch President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.  Governor O’Malley will facilitate a discussion in the afternoon surrounding the major recommendations from the day’s work sessions.

As Governor O’Malley prepares for a second term, the “Maryland Forward” forum series includes stakeholders and experts in five broad areas that have served as priority areas for the O’Malley-Brown Administration.  The forums gather the input of various stakeholders, including recommendations for legislative in areas including jobs and the economy; skills and education; sustainability; children and health; and public safety and security.

Jobless Claims Rise, But Positive Trend Intact

Economist: The jobs market, 'the recovery's caboose, is starting to catch up'

More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but not enough to reverse a downward trend that suggests employers will accelerate hiring in the coming months
.
Applications remain slightly above the lowest level in two years and the four-week average of applications, a less-volatile measure, dropped last week for the eighth time in nine weeks.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications rose by 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 409,000 in the week ending Jan. 1. They fell to 391,000 in the previous week, the lowest point since July 2008.

Even with the gains, the number of people applying for benefits was fewer than 425,000 — a threshold that signals modest job growth. And applications are far below their peak during the recession of 651,000, reached in March 2009. Still, economists say applications need to fall consistently to 375,000 or below to substantially bring down the unemployment rate.

The four-week average fell to 410,750, its lowest level since late July 2008. It has fallen by more than 76,000, or 16 percent, in the past four months. That drop has led many economists to forecast that December's jobs report, to be released Friday, will show a big increase in hiring. Employers may have added 145,000 net new jobs, analysts project, while the unemployment rate is expected to dip to 9.7 percent.

"It does look like the economy is gaining momentum, and the labor market, which has been the recovery's caboose, is starting to catch up," said Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Securities.

GO HERE to read more.

SPD Makes Arrest On Recent Shooting

January 5, 2011 at approximately 12:08 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the four hundred (400) block of Newton Terrace for the report of shots fired. During the response to the area, the officers received further information that a victim of the shooting was at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Officers that arrived at Newton Terrace found that a Bailey’s taxi cab had collided with a parked vehicle and was still running, but unoccupied. Officers responded to the hospital and met with the victim, 49 year old Donald Hall of Salisbury, an employee of the Bailey’s Cab Company. The victim advised the officers that he had picked up two (2) subjects for a cab transport to the area of Newton Terrace. Upon arrival, below listed suspect # 1 exited the cab then produced a handgun and fired the handgun striking the victim in the right arm and right side. The second suspect exited the vehicle then fled from the area, with the first suspect, on foot. The victim called for assistance on his cb radio and was transported to the hospital by another Bailey’s Cab driver. A k-9 track for the suspects was attempted with the assistance of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department with negative results. The victim was admitted to the hospital in stable condition with non life threatening injuries.

On the same date, Detectives of the Salisbury Police were able to positively identify the below listed suspect and obtain an arrest warrant charging him with the assault. Members of the Maryland

State Apprehension Team located the below listed suspect and took the suspect into custody.

ARRESTED #1: Shamale Dontae Goslee, 20 years of age

Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Attempted first degree murder
Attempted second degree murder
First degree assault
Second degree assault
Handgun on person
Handgun use in a violent crime
Reckless endangerment
Handgun in a vehicle

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking

The Salisbury Police are asking anyone that may have information concerning this incident to call the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165 or to call Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Information may be left at both locations anonymously.

CC # 201100000471

Possible Snowstorm Early Next Week

We will be watching for the possibility of significant snowfall beginning Monday night into Tuesday.

A low pressure system may strengthen off the coast over the warmer Gulf Stream waters (our typical scenario for trouble in these parts), bringing with it lots of moisture and windy conditions.

From the NOAA forecasters:

LONG TERM   (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
AN UPPER LOW RETREATS FROM THE NORTHEAST TOWARD ATLANTIC CANADA
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...PLACING THE MID ATLANTIC IN A COLD
ADVECTION PATTERN. LOWS SUNDAY MORNING SHOULD DROP INTO THE UPPER
TEENS TO LOW 20S INLAND...WITH MID TO UPPER 20S ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COASTLINES. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES SUNDAY AFTERNOON ARE ONLY EXPECTED
TO RISE INTO THE MID 30S NORTH...TO AROUND 40 SOUTH.

DURING THIS TIME PERIOD HIGH LATITUDE RIDGING DEVELOPS OVER ALASKA
WHILE THE GREENLAND BLOCK REMAINS IN PLACE. THIS WILL FORCE THE
POLAR JET SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE UNITED STATES
FORMING A BROAD LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE NATION.

AN UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH...AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW DRIFT ACROSS
THE GULF COAST SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. MEANWHILE...THE GREENLAND
BLOCK IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AND A NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH IS EXPECTED
TO DIG INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL
ALLOW THE SYSTEM OVER THE GULF TO BEGIN TO TURN NORTHWARD ALONG THE
COAST BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER WINTER STORM FOR THE MID
ATLANTIC SOMETIME LATER MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.

Of course, it's too early to say what will actually happen, but we've learned to be ready, haven't we?

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

LSLT Press Release

Public invited to attend Stewardship Volunteer Information Session

Ocean Pines - With your help, our local landowners will know that their conserved properties will continue to promote healthy water quality, wildlife habitat, and working landscapes throughout communities of the Lower Eastern Shore.

Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) and Mac Incorporated’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) invite the public to learn more about land conservation in our region and volunteer opportunities with LSLT at the Ocean Pines Library for a Volunteer Information Session on Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

Participants will enjoy snacks and beverages while learning about Lower Shore Land Trust’s work to preserve local lands, RSVP’s success at connecting volunteers with nonprofit organizations needing assistance, and stewardship volunteer opportunities to monitor protected properties throughout Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.

Presentations will be provided by LSLT’s Executive Director, Kate Patton, LSLT’s Volunteer Maryland Coordinator, Krista Hozyash, and MAC Inc. RSVP’s Project Director, Valerie Wagner.

For more information about this event, please contact Krista Hozyash, Volunteer Maryland Coordinator of Lower Shore Land Trust at 410-641-4467, or khozyash@lowershorelandtrust.org.

HEBRON COMMISSIONERS CANCEL MEETING

Hey, it was just the day before yesterday that we posted that we would be watching Hebron at Thursday night's meeting and suddenly, they cancel that meeting!

Coincidence? Have the Commissioners started to internally question Waller Landing?

We're still watching,,,,,,,,,,

Howard County Executive Gets New Statewide Visibility As MACo President

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, the state’s youngest county executive, becomes the key spokesman for local officials across Maryland after he is inaugurated as president of the Maryland Association of Counties tonight.

MACo is always a major player in Annapolis, but this is a particularly crucial year for the counties as they try to fend off further attempts to cut their state aid or dump more costs onto them.

In a December interview, the 36-year-old Ulman said the top issues for counties are “budget, budget, budget. It’s all about future pension shifts and budget. We have some other issues, but that is the real issue.”

“The state has pretty much dried up all the aid to the counties. Now they’re dipping into counties even deeper,” Ulman said.

GO HERE to read more.

"King Steve" $3.5 Million Richer After NY State Settles


UTICA , NY— Not much has changed yet for Steven Barnes after recently receiving a check for $3.5 million from the state as payback for all those years he was wrongfully blamed for killing 16-year-old Kimberly Simon in 1985.
The humble Marcy man still goes to work everyday helping youths through Oneida County Workforce Development, and he still eats the same turkey sandwich and homemade soup his mother packs daily for lunch.
Having spent more than 19 years behind bars, 44-year-old Barnes said he is just grateful to be enjoying all the day-to-day routines that most people take for granted. And while the multi-million dollar settlement he received through the state Court of Claims last month for his wrongful imprisonment will certainly make his life easier, Barnes said it’s not nearly enough to make up for lost time.
“I’m glad it’s over with, but after spending 20 years of your life in prison, I don’t think you could ever put a figure on that – but this helps,” Barnes said Thursday. “Now I can go on with my life, enjoy my life and live my life, which I couldn’t live for all those years.”
Former state Court of Claims Judge Norman Siegel in Utica awarded the settlement on Oct. 8, but Barnes and his mother, Sylvia Bouchard, wanted news of this windfall to remain hushed for as long as possible. On Thursday, Barnes’ New York City-based attorney, Debi Cornwall, finally disclosed the settlement.

More here.

Pittsburgh Man's House Gets Demolished By Accident

A Pittsburgh man came back home after the holidays to find his house was completely gone. Where it stood was an empty lot, covered in hay. It turns out the city had demolished it, by mistake. They really meant to tear down the house next door. Whoops!

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Should Economists Have A Code Of Ethics? They're About To Vote On It

Most professions, like lawyers, doctors, scientists, and sociologists adopted a code of ethics long ago but that could change soon for one of the lone holdouts, the curmudgeonly economists. Their big conference kicks off today in Denver. On the agenda is whether they should adopt such a code. A little movie called Inside Job might have something to do with it.

More »

112th Congress: Behind The Scenes

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

After a long, bitter campaign season, the House of Representatives has a new GOP majority and speaker.

Vaccines May Cause Autism Study, An ‘Elaborate Fraud’

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

The British Medical Journal released an article calling a 12 year old study about MMR vaccines, being an ‘elaborate fraud.’

Sanchez Named To CollegeSoccerNews.com Freshman All-America Team

 
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy men's soccer defenseman Martin Sanchez was named to the CollegeSoccerNews.com freshman All-America second team, the website announced recently. Sanchez was the lone Patriot League representative and was one of 33 players named to one of the three teams.
 
Sanchez, a freshman from Salisbury, Md., was named to the freshman All-American second team after a stellar rookie season in the defensive end. Sanchez, who earlier in the year was named to the NSCAA Division I All-Mid-Atlantic Region third team, appeared in all 16 games starting every one of them. Sanchez led a Navy defense that ranked 22nd nationally in team goals against average while leading the Patriot League. The Navy defense allowed just 13 goals all season (16 games), one year after allowing 28 tallies in 19 games. Navy held 12 of its 16 opponents to one or fewer goals, while recording seven shutouts. In addition, Navy allowed just 11.6 shots per game. Earlier during his freshman campaign, Sanchez was named the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 13) and was selected to the UMBC / Navy Kick-Off All-Tournament Team (Sept. 7).

GO HERE to read more.

Health Care Spending Increase Is Smallest In 50 Years

Washington - U.S. health care spending in 2009 grew at the slowest rate in 50 years, as the recession and high unemployment caused outlays for nearly all medical goods and services to slow or decline, according to a new government report released Wednesday.

Unlike previous recessions, when spending for health services began to slow some two years after an economic downturn, the effect of the Great Recession was swift and profound on insurers, health care providers and patients in both 2008 and 2009.

Total public and private spending for health services grew by 4 percent to $2.5 trillion, or $8,086 per person in 2009.

GO HERE to read more.

The "Undo Everything" Congress Begins With Health Care

Did you think that, having regained control of the House, the GOP will stop being the "party of No" and start governing, or at least doing something about the challenges facing the country? Think again.

The 112th Congress will not be the "Do Something" Congress that the 111th was. It would be a relief if this turned out to be the "Do Nothing" Congress that the new House "one-week-off-for-every-two-weeks-worked" schedule suggests. Instead, it's already shaping up to be the "Undo Everything" Congress, working hard to rewind the clock to 2008 or earlier.

Topping the GOP's "undo list" — right after investigating the New Black Panther Party and asking business which reforms to repeal — is health care reform.

When it comes to health care reform, the "Undo Everything" Congress is still the "Party of No," or — to borrow from John "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To" Boehner — the party of "Hell no you can't!" The problem is, the GOP is hell-bent on saying "no" to the very reforms to which Americans keep saying "yes."

GO HERE to read more.

Why Is Jeff Sessions Blocking A Child Sex Trafficking Bill?

In the waning days of the lame duck session, the Senate had the opportunity to pass the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act. Aimed at creating “a comprehensive, victim-centered approach to addressing the sex trafficking of minors,” the bill is “the first of its kind to deal with young trafficking victims domestically” by providing $12 million in off-set funding for state and local law enforcement to shelter, rehabilitate, prevent, and protect child victims of the sex trade.

Originally introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and John Cornyn (R-TX) in 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee adopted, amended, and passed the House version of this bill last summer which then passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 9, 2010. The bill returned to the House, underwent further revision, and finally passed by voice vote on December 21, 2010. But when the Senate attempted to pass the bill again by unanimous consent, Sen. Jeff Sessions put a hold on the bill. The sole objector, Sessions effectively defeated its passage in the 111th Congress.

Sessions is pushing back against claims that he believes child victims deserve to be arrested as prostitutes, something the conservative Concerned Women of America alleged. In defending Sessions’ decision, a Republican Judiciary aide told ThinkProgress that Sessions was instrumental in helping the bill clear the Senate Judiciary Committee but had to object after the House removed two of his amendments that he said toughened the bill. One measure required a mandatory minimum sentence “for transporting, receiving or distributing” child pornography. The other expanded subpoena authority to the U.S. Marshals Service over unregistered sex offenders. But because the House removed these measures in its final revision, the Senate aide indicated several members opposed the new version. Thus, the staffer told us that, as the Ranking Member of the committee, Sessions had to be the one to block the bill.

GO HERE to read more.

More Marines Headed To Afghanistan

The additional 1,400 Marine combat forces could start arriving in Afghanistan as early as mid-January, and would mostly be deployed in the south, around Kandahar.
GO HERE to read more.

Senate GOP Leader To Propose Civil Union For Gays And Straights

Senate Republican Leader Allan Kittleman said Wednesday he will introduce legislation establishing civil unions between both heterosexual and same-sex partners.

“I’ve always felt that we should have equal rights for same-sex couples,” Kittleman said in an interview. “I also think it’s important we protect marriage as an institution.”

The Republican who represents part of Howard and Carroll counties said he was introducing the legislation on his own behalf, and not as caucus leader, though he had phoned the other 11 members of the GOP caucus to inform them. He emphasized this is “not a Republican leadership position.”

Bills to establish marriage by same-sex couples have been introduced several times in the last three sessions of the General Assembly, generally sponsored by liberal Democrats. None of them have even had a vote to bring them out of committee.

Kittleman’s stance might not sit well with the bulk of House Republicans, who have several times sponsored a constitutional amendment that said “a marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only domestic legal union valid or recognized” in Maryland. Those efforts died in committee.

GO HERE to read more.

Snow Falls, Schools Delayed, (not here) Crews Await

Two Maryland school systems -- Frederick and Howard -- are opening two hours late because of snow.
WASHINGTON -- Snow has begun to fall in parts of Montgomery County, and some schools are delayed, kicking off a day the National Weather Service predicts will see accumulation throughout the Washington region.

NWS forecasts light snow across the entire D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan area moving from west to east.
 
Accumulations should be on the light side, they say in a Special Weather Statement, from a coating to a half inch.
Frederick County schools are delayed two hours Friday morning, as are Howard County schools, where there is also no morning pre-K.

GO HERE to read more.