Warning: Hackers Infect Websites To Dupe Internet Users

Computer security firm Websense on Friday was warning that hackers have infected a huge number of websites with malicious code crafted to dupe Internet users.

Hundreds of thousands of legitimate websites have been booby trapped to redirect visitors to "lizamoon" addresses where they are greeted with bogus warnings that their computers have been compromised, according to Websense.

The ruse is designed to frighten people into downloading and installing fake anti-virus software, referred to as "scare-ware," portrayed as a Windows Security Center.

People who fall for the ploy, perhaps even paying for downloads, are actually installing malicious software that hackers can use to their advantage.

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[If it happens to you, just close your browser, then go back on and continue as usual.  --Editor]

Lost Dog

My friend has lost his dog! I'm hoping we can count on you to help Abby get home!

Abby is a 13 year old black lab mix, weighing 38lbs. She is microchipped, and current on her vaccines (Rabies, distemper, and Bordetella). She needs medication daily for her liver.

She has been missing since Thursday 3/31/11.

She lives in Doe Run, in Salisbury, MD. The Wicomico County Humane Society and Salisbury Animal Control have been notified. Her family is posting multiple posters and calling neighbors.

If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, please contact Stephen Giarratano at 410-251-6232 or 410-860-8739.  You may also call her veterinarian's office, Healing Hands Animal Hospital at 410-742-4884.

Salisbury Fire Department Receives Grant Funding For Dive Equipment

The Salisbury Fire Department is proud to announce the awarding of grant funding to our department and the West Side Volunteer Fire Company through Wicomico Emergency Management.

The Salisbury Fire Department and the West Side Volunteer Fire Department, in a collaborative effort, applied jointly for funds for upgraded dive equipment several months ago. We were notified of our success and we have received the following equipment, four White’s HazMat Dry Suits with integrated gloves and four weight harness systems. The approximate cost of the equipment received is $8,000.00, none of which is to be absorbed by the City of Salisbury.

The value of the equipment is immeasurable due to the extra protection afforded to our divers, who provide expert service as a part of the Salisbury Fire Department Special Operations Dive Team. Along with the full face masks received in a grant last year, we now have the capability to totally encapsulate our divers, offering similar protection to that of a Level A or Level B Haz Mat suit.

The number one benefit of both the Salisbury Fire Department and the West Side Fire Department having the same dive equipment is inter-operability, plus the availability of additional equipment to both teams. This would also serve to enhance our response times as qualified divers arrive to a scene with familiar equipment.

The Salisbury Fire Department Special Operations Dive Team and the West Side Volunteer Fire Department Dive Team often train together and deploy jointly to assist on the same calls providing mutual support.

Fights Breaking Out At Bennett Middle School

Over the past few days at least two fights that we have become aware of have broken out at or around Bennett Middle School.

One was last night just across the street from Bennett and the other was in the bathroom.

BOTH fights were videotaped on cell phones. It's been reported that they have a look out in the bathroom while the fight takes place.

Salisbury News came to learn that the administrators are not only aware of the fights and videos, they allegedly are trying to keep parents from knowing about these fights through confidential letters to the Staff.

If your child has been a victim of one of these fights, (or others) please let other parents become aware of this by commenting on this Post.

Arpaio Rejects Napolitano’s Safer Border Claim—Sends In New Armed Forces

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio isn't buying Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano's claims that the U.S.-Mexico border is safer.

So Arpaio has announced the launch of one of the largest crime suppression sweeps in Arizona's history, “Operation Desert Sky,” targeting drug-smugglers using desert corridors in his county.

The sweep will include the use of 30 aircraft patrolling for at least 30 days, armed posse members, drug-sniffing dogs, and SWAT teams equipped with M-16s.

“I don’t go along with the theory that the border is more secure than ever before,” said Arpaio, whose Maricopa County includes the Phoenix area, refuting claims by federal officials that crime along the Mexican border has dropped.

His assertion is backed by the nonprofit Center for Immigration Studies' Mark Krikorian who told Newsmax that Napolitano's statements are "political spin," and her defense of administration policies along the border is becoming “something of a laughing stock.”

Under Arpaio's plan, airborne spotters will report suspicious activity to deputies on the ground.

“Given the level of danger posed by the smugglers, deputies and qualified armed posse volunteers including the SWAT team will be equipped to respond on the ground with M-16s and other firearms including the Sheriff’s 50-caliber machine gun,” Arpaio, who has been called “America’s toughest sheriff,” said in a statement.

The operation follows the recent arrests of 207 illegal immigrants in the county and the seizure of some 36,000 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines in the past year.

Read more

Making Good On Our Promise

Last summer, we stood outside a Baltimore County school and committed to expanding opportunity for Maryland students by waiving Advanced Placement test fees helping Maryland families save on college costs.  Today, I submitted our FY2012 supplemental budget, which includes more than $3 million to cover the cost of STEM-focused AP exams for all students and PSAT testing for all high school sophomores in Maryland.

With this appropriation, together, we can reduce the number of students in Maryland requiring developmental education, which will not only increase college readiness but also result in an overall savings for the taxpayers.

To continue moving our state forward and transition into this new economy, we must continue to create and save jobs – and the single most important tool we have in our state to grow Maryland’s economy is education.  We are committed to providing our children with a safe learning environment, making college more affordable, and giving our students the access and the opportunity to succeed.

OUTRAGE!-- Freddie and Fannie Execs Pocketed $35 Million In Taxpayer Money

Top executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were paid more than $35 million in the past two years while the two bailed-out mortgage finance giants were receiving $153 billion in support from taxpayers.

The huge payouts came to light in a new report published on Thursday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General.

“Although the Enterprises [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] have lost billions of dollars and continue to depend upon federal support to remain in business,” the reported states, “their senior executives continue to receive multi-million dollar salaries.”

At Fannie Mae [Federal National Mortgage Association], its chief executive officer received $9.3 million in total compensation in 2009 and 2010, the report reveals. The CEO is Michael J. Williams, who joined the company in 1991.

At Freddie Mac [Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association], CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr., former head of Putnam Investments, made $7.8 million in the two years since the company was taken over by the federal government.

Fannie Mae’s chief financial officer made $4.6 million, and its chief accounting officer/general counsel received $4.5 million.

At Freddie Mac, the CFO made $3.9 million, and the general counsel/secretary received $5.1 million.

In all, the top six executives made $35.4 million. Meanwhile, total losses at the two companies could reach $363 billion through 2013, according to government estimates.

The pay was approved by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which is charged with conserving the assets of Fannie and Freddie on behalf of taxpayers, the New York Times noted on Friday.

Read more on Newsmax

Battling Big Abortion

By Rep. Mike Pence

On Feb. 18, 2011, with bipartisan support, the House of Representatives passed the Pence Amendment, which would end taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. In response, Planned Parenthood used its vast resources to launch slick Madison Avenue television ads portraying the group — the nation’s largest abortion provider — as an altruistic organization that provides health-care services to the poor and has only an incidental interest in abortion.

Despite efforts to suggest otherwise, the Pence Amendment does not reduce funding for cancer screenings or eliminate one dime of funding for other important health services to women; the money that does not go to Planned Parenthood as a result of the Pence Amendment will go to other organizations that provide these services. If the Pence Amendment becomes law, thousands of women’s health centers, clinics, and hospitals will still provide assistance to low-income families and women.

The Pence Amendment would simply deny any and all federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood clinics focus mainly on abortion — and because money is fungible, there is no way to fund the useful services without freeing up money for the organization to spend on abortion. In 2009, the group made only 977 adoption referrals and cared for only 7,021 prenatal clients, but performed a record 332,278 abortions. In other words, a pregnant woman entering a Planned Parenthood clinic was 42 times more likely to have an abortion than to either receive prenatal care or be referred for adoption.

Planned Parenthood recently made plain the centrality of abortion to its mission by mandating that every one of its affiliates have at least one clinic that performs abortions within the next two years.

Advocates for the abortion industry have sought to portray efforts to defund Planned Parenthood as a “War on Women,” but the issue is big business, and that business is abortion. This legislative battle is about Big Abortion vs. American taxpayers. As Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director, recently said, “Planned Parenthood’s mission, on paper, is to give women quality and affordable health care and to protect women’s rights.  In reality, their mission is to increase their abortion numbers and in turn increase their revenue.”

Read more

How Do You Find Out Which Media Source Is Following Salisbury News

Just put up a Post stating you're shutting down and watch the phone lines light up! Thanks for caring, ALL of you!

Federal Auditor: Border Patrol Controls Only 129 Miles of 1,954-Mile Mexican Border

Richard M. Stana, director of homeland security and justice issues at the Government Accountability Office (which is responsible for “auditing agency operations to determine whether federal funds are being spent efficiently and effectively”), told the Senate Homeland Security Committee yesterday that the federal government can actually prevent or stop illegal entries into the United States along only 129 miles of the 1,954-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border.

That leaves 1,825 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border where the Border Patrol cannot prevent or stop an illegal entry.

Nonetheless, Stana told the committee, the Border Patrol itself says it has established “an acceptable level of control” along 873 miles of the 1,954-mile-long southwest border. This is because of the way the Border Patrol defines “an acceptable level of control” of the border.

“According to Border Patrol,” Stana told the committee, “an acceptable level of border control is established when it has the capability (i.e., resources) to deter or detect and apprehend incursions at the immediate border or after entry.” [Emphasis added.]

In addition to the 129 miles where the Border Patrol says it can actually “deter or detect and apprehend illegal entries” at the border itself, Stana told the committee, there are another 744 miles where the Border Patrol says it has the capability to deter or detect and apprehend illegal entrants after they have entered the county and penetrated U.S. territory to “distances of up to 100 miles or more away from the immediate border.”

More here

Some 5,000 Non-Citizens Voted In Colorado Election

The state of Colorado knows non-citizens are voting in its elections, they just don’t know how many, The Hill reports.

And that’s a “disturbing wake-up call” that should be the catalyst for every state in the country to review its voter registration records, according to Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, which heard testimony from Colorado officials.

According to The Hill, a recent study in Colorado found as many as 5,000 non-citizens in the state took part in last year’s election.

“We simply cannot have an electoral system that allows thousands of non-citizens to violate the law and vote in our elections,” Harper said as his committee called for a national review. “We must do more to protect the integrity of our electoral processes.”

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Barack Obama: Losing $84 Billion 'Big Success'

Barack Obama has some 'splaining to do about taxpayers' profitable "investment" in General Motors. It turns out the president is imagining things.

Though Democrats tout the auto bailout as a success, recent reports illustrate the taxpayer cost of the GM auto bailout was substantially larger than the Obama administration and a Congressional Oversight report has owned up to.

"American taxpayers are now positioned to recover more than my administration invested in GM,” President Obama said, according to a piece in USA Today last November. Steven Rattner, former head of the Treasury's auto task force agreed, telling CNN in November: “Recent progress at GM gives reason for optimism that it may be possible for taxpayers to get every penny back.”

In fact, Investor's Business Daily reported that even the White House’s Director of the National Economic Council remarked that the Treasury Department Department had a good chance in "recovering most, if not all, of its investment in" GM.

However, a March 16 Congressional Oversight report, tells a different story. It estimates taxpayers will be out of $25 billion. Additionally, the report points out that “full repayment will not be possible unless the government is able to sell its remaining shares at a far higher price.”

That's only the beginning. Both the White House and the Congressional Oversight report omit the fact that during its bankruptcy, GM got a $45 billion tax break, courtesy of the American people.

Read more

Hizbullah Fortifying Among Civilians In South Lebanon

According to the Israeli Defense Forces, Hizbullah has built bunkers and underground weapons depots in most southern Lebanese villages as it continues building its army, the Associated Press reports.

A memo from the IDF brass to Israeli embassies on Thursday to Israel details the acceleration of Hizbullah's fortification of the volatile border region since the end of the 2006 Lebanon war.

The memo says, "Hezbollah has built as many as 550 bunkers in the southern Lebanon region, holding various weapons. In addition, the organization has built 300 underground facilities and 100 storage units for munitions including rockets, missiles and other weapons."

"Many of these terror centers are located near hospitals, private homes and schools-- Hezbollah's way of taking advantage of the civilian population of Lebanon," the memo said, citing Hizbullah's well-established tactic of placing fighters and munitions among civilians - a war crime - in order to create bad press for Israel when civilians become collateral damage in strikes on such targets.

A military spokesman also confirmed a map published by the Washington Post detailing the exact sites of these facilities was supplied by the IDF.

During second Lebanon War, which lasted for 34-days in 2006, Hizbullah used similar tactics. But the current build-up takes the strategy to an all new level as Hizbullah seeks to work out of the reach of UN peacekeepers -- and into heavily populated civilian areas, Israel says.

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Tea Party Nation Joins Fight To Stop Borrowing

Tea Party Nation has emailed its members urging defeat of efforts to raise the debt limit and calling for a primary challenge to Republican House Speaker John Boehner in 2012 because of his insistence that continued borrowing is necessary.

"Boehner must go," wrote Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips. "The tea party must unite and make sure Boehner is replaced in the next election. Boehner is living proof of something I have said for a long time. It is not enough that we vote out bad leaders, we must replace them with good leaders. Getting Nancy Pelosi out of the speaker's seat was a good thing. Unfortunately, her replacement has not been very good. We need people in leadership who are committed to cutting spending and eliminating these programs."

Phillips called on all tea party activists to focus on the upcoming vote in Congress to raise the debt limit – which, if defeated by the Republican majority in the House, will mandate massive cuts in Washington spending – probably including the elimination of long-established bureaucracies.

"Our ultimate strategy here needs to be to make sure the debt ceiling is not raised," Phillips wrote. "If we can win this one, Congress will be forced to make changes.

Read more

WICOMICO COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES 5TH ANNUAL BUDGET ‘PREVIEW’ MEETING

Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., announced today that he will hold his 5^th annual budget preview meeting on Thursday, April 7^th beginning at 7:00 P.M. in the Flanders Rooms of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend.

“The budget for next year is still evolving,” commented Pollitt, “and I am eager to share the progress thus far with our citizens and solicit constructive ideas on how we might confront the formidable challenges that remain with us. As always, my primary goal and my highest responsibility is the delivery of quality government services at a price our community can afford and support.”

By Charter, Mr. Pollitt will submit his completed budget proposal to the Wicomico County Council on April 19^th. The Council may make cuts to the budget but cannot increase spending or move money between accounts.

LIBERAL LEFT - VICIOUS ATTACKS

Joe

BIll O'Reilly comments almost on a nightly basis about how vicious the liberal left is.  The attacks on conservatives are vast - and even Bill O'Reilly - who is an independent - has experienced these vicious attacks - with a liberal left agenda. 

You can hold your head high - as the corruption in and around Salisbury, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, and the State of Maryland is vast and extensive and the many examples that your news media has exposed would have never been uncovered if it were left to the vices of leftist media moguls like - The Daily Times.   

You've made the 'connections' that The Daily Times has had to special interest on many occasions and it is no wonder that they would like for you to go away.  They are near bankrupt - as their circulation numbers have dwindled - and SBYnews numbers have skyrocketed - just like FOX News. 

I say hang-in there AND DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING - NADA! 

Secretary LaHood And Governor O'Malley To Discuss President Obama's Plan For A Secure Energy Future

The White House

Office of Media Affairs

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Secretary LaHood and Governor O’Malley to Discuss President Obama’s Plan for a Secure Energy Future

With Gas Prices Rising, LaHood and O’Malley Will Discuss Energy Security and the President’s Call to Reduce Imports of and our Dependence on Foreign Oil

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Friday, April 1st, 2011, at 2:15 p.m. ET, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss President Obama’s plan for a secure energy future. This week, at a speech at Georgetown University, President Obama renewed his call to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and laid out steps that will lead to reducing our oil imports by one third by the year 2025. On Friday, President Obama will visit a UPS shipping facility in Landover, MD where he will view vehicles from AT&T, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon’s clean fleets and deliver remarks to the companies’ employees.

For more information on the President’s energy security initiatives, please click HERE for a fact sheet.  To read the President’s remarks from Georgetown, click HERE.

WHO: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

WHAT: Conference call with media to talk about the President’s plan for a secure energy future

WHEN: FRIDAY, April 1st at 2:15 PM ET

RSVP: Media wishing to attend this call should dial (800) 288-8967 and ask to join the

“White House call.” No passcode is necessary.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE FOR UNEMPLOYED HOMEOWNERS

Announces $40 million in federal assistance to continue fighting foreclosures in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 1, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced a $40 million program to assist homeowners in addressing back mortgage payments. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the goal of helping homeowners who are facing foreclosure due to job loss or a decrease in wages, including those who lost income due to illness.

“Even as we move beyond the fallout of the subprime mortgage and predatory lending crisis, there are still too many families in our State struggling to make ends meet,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. "Thanks to our federal partners, this program will strengthen an important safety net for unemployed homeowners and protect the investment they made in the American dream."

“The Emergency Homeowner Loan Program will provide limited and targeted assistance to help working families get back on their feet and keep their home while they look for work,” said Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan. “We are pleased to get the program off the ground in Maryland, which is already working to help keep families in their homes during difficult economic times.”

The new program provides assistance in the payment of up to 12 months of overdue debt, including delinquent taxes and insurance, and up to 24 months going forward, with a maximum combined total of $50,000.

 “This program is welcome news for the countless people in Maryland who are going through these difficult times,” said Congressman Elijah Cummings. “I helped create the bridge loan program to help everyday, hard-working Americans; the same folks who we all see everyday in our neighborhoods. Now, many of them will be able to get the help they have so desperately asked for, straight from the government.”

“Too many families are still struggling to find employment and hold onto their homes," said Congressman John Sarbanes. “This program will allow Maryland families to avoid foreclosure until they can get back on their feet.”

“This means that homeowners who lost their jobs through no fault of their own will may get the breathing room they need in order to find new employment and get back on track financially,” said Raymond S. Skinner, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Eligible homeowners include those who:

• Are experiencing a loss of employment income because of the economy or a medical condition.  Homeowner(s) must have a current income that is at least 15% less than it was prior to the loss of employment.
• Are 3-12 months delinquent on their mortgage payments and pending foreclosure. It must be the first mortgage on the principal residence of the homeowner.
• Have a total household income equal to, or less than, 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI), including wages, unemployment benefits, and other income.  (See www.mdhope.org for AMI chart.) 
• Have a reasonable likelihood (based on industry underwriting standards) of being able to resume mortgage payments within 2 years, when full employment has been regained.

Prospective applicants must meet certain prequalification requirements. Homeowners will be able to access assistance in this process through specially-trained housing counseling agencies approved by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and at various foreclosure prevention events.

Maryland will begin to take applications immediately. Homeowners can get more details on Maryland’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program by visiting the HOPE website at www.mdhope.org or by calling the HOPE hotline (877) 462-7555 to find a housing counselor in their area for free counseling and assistance.

Since 2007, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has aggressively worked to fight the foreclosure crisis. Maryland has passed what the Washington Post called some of the most “sweeping” legislation in the country, giving distressed homeowners more time to work out alternatives to foreclosure. The State has also taken the lead in enacting tough new laws against predatory lending practices. The Administration has reached agreements with multiple mortgage servicing companies to create a streamlined and transparent loss mitigation process; and through Judge Bell, over 1,000 pro bono attorneys have been recruited to assist vulnerable families. In 2010, DLLR secured $2.5 million in refunds from financial institutions for consumers. In February, Maryland foreclosures reached their lowest levels since April 2007. February foreclosures were down more than 15 percent from January and more than 77 percent compared to the same period last year, according to RealtyTrac. Maryland recorded the second largest rate of decline in the country. The MD HOPE Housing Counseling network has aided more than 55,000 homeowners at risk of foreclosure since the crisis arose.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY INTRODUCES FY12 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET, FUNDS NEARLY 1,000 YOUTH SUMMER JOBS

Governor also allocates $5 million for community mental health providers

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 1, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley introduced the Administration’s FY12 supplemental budget today, including $1.13 million dollars to fund 941 summer jobs for youth in Baltimore City, and $370,000 for the Civic Justice Corps, which provides conservation service opportunities for youth in Maryland State Parks.  

“As we work through the challenge of balancing our budget in tough economic times, we remain committed to creating and saving jobs, and that includes youth jobs that help build character and skills for our young people,” said Governor O’Malley.  “The FY12 supplemental budget provides funding for more than 900 Baltimore City youth to work this summer and help train young adults valuable conservation skills in our parks.”

Governor O’Malley also allocated $5 million for community mental health providers, which funds rate enhancements.  Last year, Governor O’Malley signed legislation that, for the first time, put into law annual inflationary cost increases for Maryland’s dedicated Developmental Disabilities Administration and mental health services community providers.

In addition to summer job funding, the FY12 supplemental budget provides $225,000 for the Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation, which promotes construction industry career opportunities and increases the supply of qualified construction workers.  The budget also includes $325,000 for system upgrades and staff training to implement a veteran-owned small business procurement goal which becomes effective next year.

The FY12 supplemental budget also provides $285,250 towards the Governor’s Wellmobile, restoring funding for the primary care services, health screenings, and health education provided by the Wellmobile to serve uninsured and underserved Marylanders at multiple community-based sites.  The budget also restores $25,000 for the Washington Center for Internships Rawlings Scholarship program.

For the complete supplemental budget, click here.

B & J Market Robbed At Gunpoint

The B & J Market on Walston Switch Rd. & Mt. Hermon Road in Parsonsburg was robbed at gunpoint. WBI & MD. State Police are on the scene.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Oh, come on now, did you really think for a split SECOND that I would let all those lost animals down!

While MANY have popped a cork and started celebrating, Joe Albero isn't going anywhere.

There is much work to be done. We have accomplished so much over the years, I'm NOT letting ANYONE down.

As for the Sheriff's Department, States Attorneys Office and Department Heads within the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County, I can't thank these fine people enough. They work tirelessly, some times throughout the night and even days at a time without any sleep. They're paid peanuts for their dedication and service to our communities and while we rag on them every so often, I personally respect what they do and the pressures their under.

In closing, NO ONE is going to try to scare me into calling it quits, I just don't work that way. Never have, never will.

To ALL You Cult Members Out There...

YOU'VE BEEN BLOGGED!

Now get back to work!

SALISBURY NEWS CALLS IT QUITS

Good Morning Everyone.

Today I will make an announcement many will not like. After 7 years of fighting many battles and bringing you real time news and information I have chosen to call it quits.

After this latest battle with the Foxwell Family, all of the Press we are receiving, it's just not worth it any more. I retired 9 years ago from the Corporate World and got so involved with this Blog that I simply haven't spent enough time at home.

At noon today I will have my final Post. I will share my feelings towards the Sheriff's Department, States Attorneys Office and I will go into in depth exposure to several other departments within Wicomico County and Salisbury.

I have been working very hard over the last 4 days preparing what will be a very long Post as a final hoorah.

I can't thank all of you enough for your support for so many years and I'm confident by the time you're done reading what I have to say at noon you'll completely understand why I have chosen to take this route.

Thank You & God Bless.

Joe Albero

Vest-A-Dog

This basket is for the walker that collects the most money on the walk. It is donated by Hometown Builders and Cathy's Pet Salon, Spa & Doggie Daycare.

Salisbury Kennel Club is raising money for a vest-a-dog for the Fruitland Police Department K-9.

The walk takes place Saturday April 2, 2011 morning at the Salisbury Kennel Club at Winter Place Park.

The registration is at 8 am to 9:30 am. The walk starts at 9:30 am.

Salisbury News will make up any shortfall in cost for this vest above and beyond what is raised. We have always supported Law Enforcement and as everyone knows, we LOVE animals.

Hey, who knows, maybe we'll even win a basket out of the deal. LOL

Orioles Great Brooks Robinson Hospitalized

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Brooks Robinson says he's on the road to recovery after the Hall of Fame third baseman was hospitalized with a fever and infection.

Robinson was scheduled for an outpatient procedure at Greater Baltimore Medical Center on Thursday, but on Wednesday night he became ill. In a statement, Robinson says doctors chose to admit him early "to aggressively treat the infection."

He says he is "responding well to antibiotics."

More

14-Year-Old Arrested After Grandmother Beaten With Hammer

Victim, 66, listed in critical condition after

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after he told police he beat his 66-year-old grandmother unconscious with a hammer when he became angry while getting ready for school.

The teen was being held at Central Booking, but was not identified by police because he had not been formally charged as of late Thursday.

More

Report: Md. Hispanic Population Far Exceeded Estimates

Census counted about 46,000 more individuals than had been anticipated, Pew says

The Hispanic population's growth in Maryland and several other states far outpaced previous estimates, according to an analysis of census data released this week.

In Maryland, the 2010 census counted about 46,000 more Hispanic individuals than the Census Bureau had estimated were in the state, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan group that studies the country's Hispanic population.

At 10.7 percent, Maryland's was the fourth-largest underestimate in the country, behind Alabama, Louisiana and Kansas, the center reported this week. Nationally, the 2010 census counted about 1 million more Hispanics than had been expected, according to the report.

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The Luckiest Soldier On Earth

12-Year-Old Genius Thinks He Can Prove Einstein's Theory Of Relativity Wrong

Could Einstein's Theory of Relativity be a few mathematical equations away from being disproved?

 Jacob Barnett of Hamilton County, Ind., who is just weeks shy of his 13th birthday, thinks so. And, he's got the solutions to prove it.

Barnett, who has an IQ of 170, explained his expanded theory of relativity — in a YouTube video. His mother Kristine Barnett, who admittedly flunked math, did what every other mother would do if her genius son started talking mathematical gibberish. She told him to explain the whole thing slowly while she taped her son explaining his take on the theory.

While most of his mathematical genius goes over our heads, some professors at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey — you know, the U.S. academic homeroom for the likes of Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Kurt Gödel — have confirmed he's on the right track to coming up with something completely new. For now, they're encouraging Barnett to continue doing what he likes to do, which is explaining calculus using a whiteboard marker and his living room windows as seen in the video above.

“I'm impressed by his interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far,” Institute for Advanced Study Professor Scott Tremaine wrote in an email to the family. “The theory that he's working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.”

“Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize,” he added.

Barnett's parents knew that there was something different with their son when he didn't speak until the age of two. He was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism, so they thought he might have problems in school.

Instead, they were astounded when he started solving 5,000 piece puzzles by the age of 3. The 12-year-old taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks, and can solve up to 200 numbers of Pi. He left high school at the ripe old age of eight and has been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes ever since.

Read more

House GOP Plan Gets Tough On Illegal immigration

House GOP members are mounting a hard-hitting campaign against illegal immigration, calling on the government to develop a plan to bring illegal entry into the country down to nearly zero in five years. Michigan Rep. Candice Miller’s Secure Border Act of 2011 has 11 co-sponsors, including Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., the Los Angeles Times reported.

The legislation, which could be introduced this week, would require the Homeland Security Department to come up with a five-year plan to decrease illegal entries and smuggling down to nearly zero and involve adding more fencing, sensors, agents and even drones. The plan would be submitted to Congress, which would then decide whether to fund it, the Times said.

Read more

Thank God Its Friday

What Will You Be Doing This Weekend?

Ohio Gov. Kasich Signs Controversial Union Bill

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a controversial collective-bargaining bill Thursday evening, a measure similar to the Wisconsin bill that spurred protests from coast to coast and that dramatically limits the bargaining power of unionized state workers, including firefighters and teachers.

The Senate voted 17-16 for the measure yesterday after the House of Representatives passed it earlier in the day. Kasich has backed the bill, which also would require government workers to make minimum payments for health-care coverage and pensions.

Ohio Democrats have pledged to ask voters to repeal Senate Bill 5. That would require more than 231,000 voters to sign petitions within 90 days of passage to prevent it from taking effect until the public vote, according to the secretary of state.

The measure and a similar bill sought by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker have spurred nationwide labor protests.

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Boehner Signals Compromise On Budget Talks

Despite fresh pressure from tea party conservatives, House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that Republicans "can't impose our will" on the White House and Senate Democrats on legislation to cut tens of billions of dollars in federal spending.

At a news conference, Boehner, R-Ohio, denied Democratic suggestions that he has already agreed to jettison nearly half of the $61 billion in cuts passed by the House a month ago.

But as was the case with Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., earlier in the week, he did not say the demand to reduce spending by the full $61 billion was non-negotiable. "Our goal is to cut spending, not shut down the government," he said.

The government is running on the second of two short-term spending bills, and at the insistence of Republicans, a total of $10 billion has been cut so far.

Without action by Congress, the money will run out on April 9. Lawmakers are seeking a compromise that will extend to the Sept. 30 end of the spending year.

Senior House and Senate aides, experts in the intricacies of spending legislation, met during the day to explore a possible compromise.

Yet officials in both parties said Democrats had not yet provided Republicans with a detailed list of their proposed cuts, an indication that negotiations were not far along.

Democratic officials added that some of their proposed reductions would cut $3 billion or so from the Pentagon budget. The House-passed legislation calls for an increase in defense spending, and reserves spending cuts for domestic programs.

Boehner spoke as tea party activists demonstrated within shouting distance of the Capitol and a pair of potential GOP presidential contenders injected themselves into the first big test for the GOP majority elected last fall.

A few hundred protesters bore signs demanding that the Republican majority they helped vote into office remain true to campaign pledges.

"Remember your promises — WE DO," read one. "Extreme spending requires extreme cuts," was another.

They drew encouragement from several Republican lawmakers.

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Maryland Falling Short On Energy Savings Goals

MaryPirg's chairman - Johanna Neumann was critical of O'Malley's administration for failing to meet Maryland Energy Conservation goals. "The mismanagement on the part of the PSC is a large reason why the utilities are not on track," said Johanna Neumann, PIRG's state director.

Governor O'Malley's campaign benchmarks regarding energy conservation have not been achieved partially because the state appointed regulators have done a poor job of managing the development of energy-efficiency programs by the utilities, the group said.

I also echo Neumann's opinion as I have read virtually all of the Maryland Legislature's House & Senate bill synopsis for each of the past 5 years - particularly renewable energy legislation. My general observation has been that the regulators have allowed the utilities to write the regulations rather than the regulators who are suppose to be watching them.

Hopefully - O'Malley's administration will make a course correction to alter their present path as the targeted goals are deficient. Click Here For More

While Nuclear Waste Piles Up In U.S., Billions In Fund To Handle It Sit Unused

Energy companies have been suing the government over a lack of a long-term fix for nuclear waste -- costing taxpayers millions and potentially billions.

While the nuclear crisis in Japan has focused attention on the risks of spent fuel piling up at the U.S.'s reactors, one curious fact has gone largely unnoted: There is $24 billion sitting in a "nuclear waste fund" that can't actually be used to pay for a safer way to store the waste at reactors.

In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, and the federal government effectively struck a deal with the nuclear industry: Reactor operators and their customers would pay a tax on the waste they produced, and the government would use the money to create a safe place to store it for generations. The idea at the time was to build a repository inside volcanic rock on Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. That plan proved to be wildly controversial and was eventually abandoned by the Obama administration in 2010. After 29 years, there are billions of dollars in the fund and no plan for the waste.

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Post Office To Streamline Process For Closings

WASHINGTON (AP) - The financially strapped Postal Service wants to streamline the process for closing local offices.

As many as 3,000 offices across the country may have their continued operations reviewed, postal vice president Dean Granholm said at a briefing. However, he said that doesn't mean all of those will close.

"I'm not certain that this is going to lead to wholesale closings," Granholm said. "We still need to make good business decisions."

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The Deficit Hawks Target Nurses And Firefighters

Many people might think that the country's problems stem from the fact that too much money has been going to the very rich. Over the last three decades, the richest 1 percent of the population has increased its share of national income by almost 10 percentage points. This comes to $1.5 trillion a year, or as the deficit hawks are fond of saying, $90 trillion over the next 75 years.

To put this in context, the size of this upward redistribution to the richest 1 percent over the last three decades is roughly large enough to double the income of all the households in the bottom half of the income distribution. The upward redistribution amounts to an average of more than 1.2 million dollars a year for each of the families in the richest 1 percent of the population.

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Legislature Targets Westboro-Style Funeral Protests

By Pamela Wood, The Capital (Annapolis)
Angered by what they call outlandish and offensive displays by the Westboro Baptist Church, state lawmakers are making a late-session attempt to rein in protests at funerals.

 

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Baltimore's First Electric-Vehicle Charging Stations Debut

By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Sun (Baltimore)Baltimore's first public electric-vehicle charging stations debuted Thursday in a Mount Royal parking garage, as places begin to pop up across the Baltimore-Washington area to plug in the new battery-powered cars trickling off automakers' assembly lines.

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Jury Fails To Reach Verdict In Retrial Of Man Accused Of Threatening Governor

By Nick Madigan, The Sun (Baltimore)A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday after a Baltimore County jury became deadlocked in the case of a construction worker accused of making a death threat against the governor.

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Radiation Found In US Milk Supply In Trace Amounts

Great, now kids have a new excuse for not drinking their milk: US milk samples from Spokane, Washington have tested positive for a radioactive iodine blown over from Japan, the EPA announced Wednesday. The amounts are small, only 0.8 pico-curies, according to tests taken March 25 by the agency, and are 5,000 times below the FDA's "intervention level."

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Ben Popken On NPR Talking About Shrinking Food, Higher Prices

I got to verbally joust with the wielders of the Grocery Shrink Ray yesterday on NPR on the Diane Rehm show. Scott Faber vice president, the Grocery Manufacturers Association talked about how food makers have to pass on their rising costs somehow and I agreed, but took issue with deceptively designed packages and the misleading marketing practices. Just be upfront about it!

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Tattoo Yourself With The Ecko Logo And Get 20% Off For Life

This could be a premature April Fools joke, but the folks at Ecko have launched a new marketing campaign that offers customers a lifetime discount of 20% off in-store purchases at Ecko Unltd. and Marc Ecko Cut & Sew... if they get either of the stores' logos permanently tattooed on their skin.

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GoDaddy CEO Shoots Elephant, Sparks Stampede Of Customers To Flee

The CEO of domain name registrar GoDaddy is facing an online furor after the video he posted of himself killing an elephant in Africa went viral. After the elephant dies and CEO Bob Parsons poses next to it, villagers from all around come out to strip and devour the carcass on the spot. Many of them are wearing day-glo orange GoDaddy caps. As these images play in the video, "Hells Bells" provides the soundtrack. Now a backlash movement has started for folks to switch their domain providers away from GoDaddy.

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TROOPERS CAPTURE TILGHMAN BANK ROBBER

(TILGHMAN, MD) – Maryland State Police have arrested a Talbot County man in connection with this afternoon’s armed robbery of a bank on Tilghman Island.

The accused is identified as James A. Welzenbach, Jr., 61, of the 100-block of Madison Avenue, St. Michael’s Md. He is being charged with armed robbery and related criminal charges. After processing, he will be taken before a court commissioner for an initial bond hearing.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m. today, Maryland State Police at the Easton Barrack received a call reporting that a robbery had just occurred at the Talbot Bank, located in the 5800-block of Tilghman Island Road, Tilghman, Md. Troopers and deputies from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect.

A description of the suspect was obtained from a bank employee. The employee said the suspect entered the bank brandishing a firearm and demanded money. The employee gave the suspect an undetermined amount of money and he left the bank. The employee was not injured.

Police check points were set up along Rt. 33 with the assistance of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, St Michaels Police Department and the Easton Police Department. Also assisting were officers from the Natural Resources Police and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Tilghman Island Elementary School was immediately locked down at the onset of the incident. Police worked with school staff and Talbot County School Board members to ensure the safety of the children.

Investigators also obtained information on the suspect and the vehicle he was driving through bank surveillance equipment. Staff at the Star Democrat newspaper immediately placed this information on their website to assist in alerting the public to the police lookout. Through diligent police work and with assistance from the community, investigators were able to identify the suspect and his vehicle. Investigators responded to the suspect’s residence early this evening and he was arrested without incident.

Investigators continue to work through the night authoring search warrants as they search for the stolen money, weapon and other evidence of the crime continues.

ONE CHARGED IN KENT HOME INVASION - ONE SUSPECT STILL IN HOSPITAL - THIRD MAN CHARGED ON RETAKE WARRANT

(ROCK HALL, MD) -- Maryland State Police have charged one man and charges are pending against another in connection with an early morning home invasion in Kent County that ended in a police pursuit and a suspect wounded.

The charges stem from a home invasion and robbery involving multiple suspects just before 12:30 a.m. today at a home in the 8300-block of Broadneck Road, Chestertown, Md. A subsequent police pursuit of one of the alleged suspects in a stolen truck ended in Rock Hall.

One suspect is identified as Jermaine B. Ancrum, of the 100-block of Winfield Drive, Hurlock, Md. He is charged with armed robbery, first degree burglary, first and second degree assault, and use of a handgun in commission of a felony. After processing, he was taken before a court commissioner and ordered held on $250,000 bond.

Charges have not yet been served against the suspect driving the stolen vehicle who sustained a gunshot wound after attempting to run down the Kent County sheriff. He remains under police guard at a Baltimore hospital where he is being treated for his wound. He is in stable condition and is expected to survive.

A third man was taken into custody during the investigation of the home invasion. He has not been charged at this time in connection with the home invasion, but he has been arrested on a retake warrant from the Maryland Division of Correction and violation of probation charge from Talbot Co. He is identified as Steven M. Lewis, 43, of Potts Road, Worton, Md.

Transportation Trust Fund Task Force Issues Report

MSP Press Release

DATE & TIME: Mar 31 1011 @ 2340 hrs C C. CARD NUMBER: 1154-002115

LOCATION: 31074 Dagsboro Rd, Salisbury, Wicomico County, MD

CRIME: Assault 1^st Degree.

Accused: William Franklin Wright

BRIEF RESUME:

On the date and time above Tfc Goldman responded to 31074 Dagsboro Rd in Salisbury, MD. Contact was made with William Franklin Wright. Wright had an open warrant for charges of 1^st Degree assault through Wicomico County, MD. Wright was arrested without incident and taken to WCDC for processing.

Top Middle, High School Musicians Represent Wicomico Schools At All Shore Band April 1-2

Congratulations to all of the 2011 All Star Band representatives from Wicomico County middle and high schools.

2011 All Shore High School Band, April 1-2, at Easton High School

James M. Bennett High School:

Kelly Okerblom, 11, flute
Chris Eyo, 9, flute
Christina Atchison, 10, flute
Nick Pino, 11, bassoon
Christina Rodriguez, 12, clarinet
Chandler Raffa, 12, clarinet
Elizabeth Crofoot, 12, bass clarinet
Minilik Addis, 12, alto saxophone
Ryan Greene, 11, alto saxophone
Abdulaziz Siddiqui, 11, French horn
Matt Bellistri, 11, trumpet
Beth Rosen, 10, trumpet
Matt Morris, 12, trumpet
Lizzie Weaver, 12, trumpet
Matt Lee, 11, trombone
Donald Burton, 11, trombone
Walker Skeeter, 11, trombone
Robert Reynolds, 12, tuba
Trey Mason, 10, percussion

Mardela High School:

Rebecca Early, 11, French horn

Parkside High School:

Emily Harris, 12, flute
Neve McClymont, 9, flute
Sarah Ha, 10, flute
Hannah Shockley, 12. oboe
Sarah Shockley, 12, clarinet
Kathryn Bryant, 11, clarinet
Kayla Judd, 10, clarinet
Molly Stephens, 10, clarinet
Sarah Skolka, 10, bass clarinet
Erick Miranda, 11, alto sax
Tiffany Biles, 11, trumpet
Mardelle Davis, 12, French horn
Zach Goodman, 11, trombone
Harry Mowery, 12, tuba

Wicomico High School:

Minee Ryum, 12, clarinet
Kyle Buchanan, 11, trombone
Christine Mesadieu, 11, flute

All Shore Middle School Band, April 1-2, at Easton High School

Bennett Middle School:

Catherine Skeeter, 8, percussion
Ryan Shannaha, 8, trombone
Sarah Stuchlik, 8, flute
Jamie Mandelson, 8, flute
Brandon Camarena, 8, clarinet
Nicole Schlegel, 8, clarinet
Kieran Murphy, 8, clarinet
Mariam Mahgoub, 8, bass clarinet

Mardela Middle School:

Megan Roy, 7, clarinet
Gabby Franks, 7, baritone saxophone
Samantha Rozaieski, 8, trumpet
Andrew Boltz, 8, trombone
Abigail Boltz, 6, oboe
Matthew Adams, 7, percussion

Pittsville Middle School:

Yunie Pak, 7, flute
Will Davis, 8, alto saxophone
Tylik Downing, 8, tenor saxophone
Hannah Lewis, 6, French horn
Ben Davis, 8, tuba
Zane Carter, 8, trombone

Salisbury Middle School:

Christian Frey, 8, mallets

Wicomico Middle School:

Zachary Fink, 7, alto saxophone
Soo Bum Jeong, 6, trumpet
Matthew Scott, 8, tuba

FRIDAY: Secretary LaHood and Governor O’Malley to Discuss President Obama’s Plan for a Secure Energy Future

With Gas Prices Rising, LaHood and O’Malley Will Discuss Energy Security and the President’s Call to Reduce Imports of and our Dependence on Foreign Oil

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Friday, April 1^st, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. ET, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss President Obama’s plan for a secure energy future. This week, at a speech at Georgetown University, President Obama renewed his call to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and laid out steps that will lead to reducing our oil imports by one third by the year 2025.  On Friday, President Obama will visit a UPS shipping facility in Landover, MD where he will view vehicles from AT&T, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon’s clean fleets and deliver remarks to the companies’ employees.

For more information on the President’s energy security initiatives, please click HERE for a fact sheet.  To read the President’s remarks from Georgetown, click HERE.