It appeared to be fun for the whole family Friday evening at this year’s Salisbury Festival. From the rides of the Midway to the block party across the river, folks from Salisbury and beyond seemed to be enjoying themselves.
More pictures to follow.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sailboat Flips Over, Body Missing
The Cactus Club In Salisbury To Close Their Doors For Good, TONIGHT
The Cactus Club in north Salisbury will be closing their doors for good tonight. They did not renew their liquor license and we will see yet another business close their doors for good. While some might see this as a good thing, no matter what is said, the economy is taking its toll on the shore as times just continue to get tougher.
I know, lets give the Daily Times ANOTHER $400,000.00 CITY tax cut while they too go from 200 employees down to 15, move their printing to Wilmington, DE. and depress the local economy. That number does NOT include the tax breaks they got from the County as well.
Thanks Louise, Gary and Shanie. More importantly, thanks Paul Wilber for not speaking the TRUTH at the City Council Meeting 11 days ago. Wilber stated the tax break was mandatory and that is NOT the truth.
I know, lets give the Daily Times ANOTHER $400,000.00 CITY tax cut while they too go from 200 employees down to 15, move their printing to Wilmington, DE. and depress the local economy. That number does NOT include the tax breaks they got from the County as well.
Thanks Louise, Gary and Shanie. More importantly, thanks Paul Wilber for not speaking the TRUTH at the City Council Meeting 11 days ago. Wilber stated the tax break was mandatory and that is NOT the truth.
Prom Promise 2011
Downtown Salisbury Gets Face Lift Today
Salisbury Festival
Don’t Miss the fun this WEEKEND!
Friday, April 29th (1 PM – 11 PM)
Saturday, April 30th (10 AM – 10 PM)
Sunday, (12 Noon – 5 PM)
Admission is FREE!
Free Parking in the Downtown Parking Garage all weekend!
Fernando Guerrero Has A New Fight Televised On ESPN
Hello Everyone,
Prizefight Promotions, Team Guerrero and our great sponsors Pohanka Automotive group and Yard Designs Inc. are pleased to announce that Fernando Guerrero 21-0 will fight on June 17th in Austin TX. The bout will be a 10 round main event televised live on ESPN Friday Night Fights. Guerrero will face Michael "Murder Man" Medina 24-3-2 from Montery Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This will Guerrero's first fight in TX and is looking forward to the test.
Guerrero is coming of a dominating win over Derrick Findley in an ESPN fight that was held here in Salsibury at the Wicomico Civic Center.
"Medina is one of those very busy fighters, he comes at you and throws a lot of punches. When he fought John Duddy he made a good fighter look bad and caught him with a lot of shots. Duddy eeked out the win, but it did not help in making Duddy look like the prospect so many feel he is.
Certainly we can not afford a loss, that's for sure, but we also can no afford anything other than a great performance. Boxing has to be one of the most unforgiving sports." said Guerrero's manager, Hal Chennoff. "Recently there have been a lot of major upsets in boxing. It seems like the guys climbing the ladders finally understands how hungry you have to be and what happens when you lose. So many people were very high on James Kirkland and Middleweight David Lemieux of Canada, yet both were stopped by guys they were expected to beat. Andre Berto lost his world championship to Victor Ortiz and there are more.
We are getting very close to a world title bid, but you can not look past the guy you face next. That's the biggest fight, the most important fight, so that's how you prepare for it. There is a reason Medina is 24-3-2. That means he has his eyes set on the same things we do. He's hungry and we're hungry, so I expect a great fight. ESPN also likes the matchup or they would not apporve.
With the help of Yard Designs Inc and Pohanka Automotive Group of Salisbury, Clear Channel Outdoor will be putting up a couple billboards to announce the fight and remind them when it is, and where they can watch it.
Wicomico County Sheriff's Department Press Release
Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: Ocean Gateway at Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: 1. Montgomery T. McCastle, 30, Quantico, MD
2. Ramon N. Soto, 24, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 11:51 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for displaying an expired registration tag. Upon approach to the vehicle, the deputy made contact with the driver, Montgomery McCastle, and passenger, Ramon Soto. During the encounter, the deputy was standing on the passenger side of the vehicle and observed that Soto appeared extremely nervous because of the deputy’s presence. The deputy also thought it was odd that the passenger stared straight ahead while refusing to look at him. During a subsequent conversation with McCastle, he made incriminating statements that led the deputy to believe there were drugs hidden in the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, the deputy located a baggie of what the deputy recognized as marijuana in the glove box. The deputy opened up a box of KFC Fried Chicken that the passenger had been holding and found two packages of rolling papers inside with the fresh and hot chicken.
Also during a later search, Soto was discovered to be hiding more marijuana in his crotch.
Both subjects were placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After their initial appearances, both were released on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Incident: Theft Investigation
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: 7000 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspects: Pending
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 4:59 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate a reported theft in the 7000 block of Maple Street in Pittsville. Upon arrival, the deputy met with the resident who told the deputy that he returned home from work to discover his Xbox gaming system missing from the residence. The victim in this case had not given anyone permission to take the system and a suspect has been identified in this case. The investigation is continuing.
Anyone who has information about this crime is asked to contact either the Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Reference case 11-1650
Incident: Burglary Investigation
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: 1200 block of Flamingo Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Pending
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 4:43 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate an attempted residential burglary in the 1200 block of Flamingo Drive. Upon arrival, the deputy met with the resident who stated she returned home to discover the screen on one of the windows had been cut and there were obvious pry marks on the same window.
Believing that someone attempted to burglarize the residence; the deputy began investigating the crime and has spoken with neighbors in an attempt to identify possible suspects.
Anyone who has information about this crime is asked to contact either the Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Reference case 11-1648
Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 28 April 2011
Location: Forest Grove Road, Parsonsburg, MD
Suspects: Fitzroy Emanuel Padmore
Narrative: On 28 April 2011 at 3:20 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a vehicle that had left the roadway on Forest Grove Road in Parsonsburg. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the operator of the vehicle, Fitzroy Padmore and some friends who were in the process of pulling the vehicle back out onto the road. Fitzroy told the deputy that he had swerved to avoid a deer in the roadway. While speaking with the driver, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him. The deputy began to investigate whether Padmore had been operating his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. After the administration of Field Sobriety testing, the deputy concluded that was in fact the case and placed Padmore under arrest for DUI.
The deputy transported Padmore to the Maryland State Police barrack for a breath test, following that Padmore was processed and released upon signing citations.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 28 April 2011
Location: College Avenue at Roger Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Jamal NMN Lewis, 21, Dover, DE
Narrative: On 28 April 2011 at 1:59 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Jamal Lewis for driving erratically in the area of College Avenue. Upon stopping the vehicle and making contact with Lewis, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from within the passenger compartment of Lewis’ vehicle/ Lewis, who was alone, exited his vehicle in order for the deputy to gauge Lewis’ level of sobriety. After a battery of field sobriety testing, the deputy placed Lewis under arrest for DUI.
The deputy transported Lewis to the Maryland State Police barrack for a breath test, following that Lewis was processed and released upon signing citations.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: Ocean Gateway at Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: 1. Montgomery T. McCastle, 30, Quantico, MD
2. Ramon N. Soto, 24, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 11:51 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for displaying an expired registration tag. Upon approach to the vehicle, the deputy made contact with the driver, Montgomery McCastle, and passenger, Ramon Soto. During the encounter, the deputy was standing on the passenger side of the vehicle and observed that Soto appeared extremely nervous because of the deputy’s presence. The deputy also thought it was odd that the passenger stared straight ahead while refusing to look at him. During a subsequent conversation with McCastle, he made incriminating statements that led the deputy to believe there were drugs hidden in the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, the deputy located a baggie of what the deputy recognized as marijuana in the glove box. The deputy opened up a box of KFC Fried Chicken that the passenger had been holding and found two packages of rolling papers inside with the fresh and hot chicken.
Also during a later search, Soto was discovered to be hiding more marijuana in his crotch.
Both subjects were placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After their initial appearances, both were released on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Incident: Theft Investigation
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: 7000 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspects: Pending
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 4:59 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate a reported theft in the 7000 block of Maple Street in Pittsville. Upon arrival, the deputy met with the resident who told the deputy that he returned home from work to discover his Xbox gaming system missing from the residence. The victim in this case had not given anyone permission to take the system and a suspect has been identified in this case. The investigation is continuing.
Anyone who has information about this crime is asked to contact either the Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Reference case 11-1650
Incident: Burglary Investigation
Date of Incident: 27 April 2011
Location: 1200 block of Flamingo Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Pending
Narrative: On 27 April 2011 at 4:43 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate an attempted residential burglary in the 1200 block of Flamingo Drive. Upon arrival, the deputy met with the resident who stated she returned home to discover the screen on one of the windows had been cut and there were obvious pry marks on the same window.
Believing that someone attempted to burglarize the residence; the deputy began investigating the crime and has spoken with neighbors in an attempt to identify possible suspects.
Anyone who has information about this crime is asked to contact either the Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Reference case 11-1648
Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 28 April 2011
Location: Forest Grove Road, Parsonsburg, MD
Suspects: Fitzroy Emanuel Padmore
Narrative: On 28 April 2011 at 3:20 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a vehicle that had left the roadway on Forest Grove Road in Parsonsburg. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the operator of the vehicle, Fitzroy Padmore and some friends who were in the process of pulling the vehicle back out onto the road. Fitzroy told the deputy that he had swerved to avoid a deer in the roadway. While speaking with the driver, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him. The deputy began to investigate whether Padmore had been operating his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. After the administration of Field Sobriety testing, the deputy concluded that was in fact the case and placed Padmore under arrest for DUI.
The deputy transported Padmore to the Maryland State Police barrack for a breath test, following that Padmore was processed and released upon signing citations.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 28 April 2011
Location: College Avenue at Roger Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Jamal NMN Lewis, 21, Dover, DE
Narrative: On 28 April 2011 at 1:59 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle operated by Jamal Lewis for driving erratically in the area of College Avenue. Upon stopping the vehicle and making contact with Lewis, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from within the passenger compartment of Lewis’ vehicle/ Lewis, who was alone, exited his vehicle in order for the deputy to gauge Lewis’ level of sobriety. After a battery of field sobriety testing, the deputy placed Lewis under arrest for DUI.
The deputy transported Lewis to the Maryland State Police barrack for a breath test, following that Lewis was processed and released upon signing citations.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
DP&L Rebates To City
Mayor James Ireton, Jr. is pleased to announce the City received $59,235 in rebates from Delmarva Power and Light through the Commercial and Industrial Energy Savings Program. This rebate offsets the costs of improvements made to the Paleo Water Treatment Plant as part of the Salisbury Potable Water Storage Tank project. During this project, the City installed two new pumps with energy efficient motors, seven variable frequency drives to control the motors of the distribution pumps and two well pumps in the Paleo Well 2, and a new HVAC system. The rebate will be deposited into the Water/Sewer Fund.
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 9:36 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Barb’s Hallmark Store on South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a robbery. Upon arrival the officers met with employees who advised that a lone suspect had attempted to rob the store. Victims advised that a lone suspect had entered the store and approached the counter. The suspect told the employee that he was armed and demanded U.S. Currency. The employee alerted a witness, which resulted in the suspect leaving the business without receiving any property. There was no weapon displayed by the suspect, and there were no injuries. Responding officers received suspect information from an employee of the Super Giant and responded to a residence on Roger Street to search for the suspect. Upon arrival the officers located the suspect, who was positively identified by the witnesses and taken into custody. A search of the suspect, incident to arrest, revealed a quantity of suspected heroin and paraphernalia containing suspected heroin residue.
ARRESTED: Kenneth Wade Baden, 26 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Attempted armed robbery
Possession of heroin
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100016140
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 10:21 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Safe Streets Team executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence on the four hundred (400) block of Pinehurst Avenue for a controlled dangerous substance investigation. During the execution of the warrant, the below listed suspects were located in the residence. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of quantities of suspected marijuana and smoking devices containing suspected marijuana. Also located during the search was equipment used to process suspected marijuana for consumption and sale.
ARRESTED #1: , 22 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #2: Eric Eugene Christenson, 24 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #3: Colin Travis Campbell, 21 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #4: Adam McDonald Clarke, 22 years of age Ashton, Maryland
CHARGES (All):
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: All suspects released to Central Booking CC # 201100016140
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 4:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Booth Street and conducted a traffic stop on the below listed suspect who was riding a motor scooter. A routine records check of the scooter revealed that the scooter had been reported stolen on April 6, 2010 from a parking lot at University Terrace.
ARRESTED : Anthony Shane Vinson, 23 years of age Hebron, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 1,000)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000013636
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 4:37 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Delaware Avenue and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by below listed suspect # 1 for traffic violations. A routine records check of the operator revealed that he was driving on a suspended and revoked driving privilege. Contact with suspect # 2, the front passenger, resulted in the officer requesting a K-9 to scan the vehicle for possible controlled dangerous substance violations. During the K-9 search, suspect # 2 fled on foot from the vehicle stop. After a foot chase, the suspect was taken into custody. A search of suspect # 2 was conducted and resulted in the recovery of a quantity of suspected cocaine and several smoking devices, each containing suspected cocaine.
ARRESTED #1: Wallace Vincent Carnegie, 58 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Driving on a suspended license
Driving without a license
DISPOSITION: Released on signature of citation
ARRESTED #2: Janice Louise Oney, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (8 counts)
Obstructing and hindering an investigation
Resisting arrest
Failure to comply with a lawful order
Disorderly conduct
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100016027
ARRESTED: Kenneth Wade Baden, 26 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Attempted armed robbery
Possession of heroin
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (2 counts)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100016140
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 10:21 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Safe Streets Team executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence on the four hundred (400) block of Pinehurst Avenue for a controlled dangerous substance investigation. During the execution of the warrant, the below listed suspects were located in the residence. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of quantities of suspected marijuana and smoking devices containing suspected marijuana. Also located during the search was equipment used to process suspected marijuana for consumption and sale.
ARRESTED #1: , 22 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #2: Eric Eugene Christenson, 24 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #3: Colin Travis Campbell, 21 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
ARRESTED #4: Adam McDonald Clarke, 22 years of age Ashton, Maryland
CHARGES (All):
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: All suspects released to Central Booking CC # 201100016140
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 4:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Booth Street and conducted a traffic stop on the below listed suspect who was riding a motor scooter. A routine records check of the scooter revealed that the scooter had been reported stolen on April 6, 2010 from a parking lot at University Terrace.
ARRESTED : Anthony Shane Vinson, 23 years of age Hebron, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 1,000)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000013636
On April 28, 2011 at approximately 4:37 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Delaware Avenue and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by below listed suspect # 1 for traffic violations. A routine records check of the operator revealed that he was driving on a suspended and revoked driving privilege. Contact with suspect # 2, the front passenger, resulted in the officer requesting a K-9 to scan the vehicle for possible controlled dangerous substance violations. During the K-9 search, suspect # 2 fled on foot from the vehicle stop. After a foot chase, the suspect was taken into custody. A search of suspect # 2 was conducted and resulted in the recovery of a quantity of suspected cocaine and several smoking devices, each containing suspected cocaine.
ARRESTED #1: Wallace Vincent Carnegie, 58 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Driving on a suspended license
Driving without a license
DISPOSITION: Released on signature of citation
ARRESTED #2: Janice Louise Oney, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia (8 counts)
Obstructing and hindering an investigation
Resisting arrest
Failure to comply with a lawful order
Disorderly conduct
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100016027
Kayaks And Canoes Open Salisbury Festival!
Mayor James Ireton, Jr. will lead a kayak and canoe expedition on the East Prong of the Wicomico River beginning at 4:45 p.m. today, May 29, 2011. The expedition will study the East Prong of the river including existing storm drains, bulk heading, and soil erosion. A report will be given to the Wicomico River Project. The expedition will end at the Salisbury Festival opening ceremony at 6:00 p.m. with the ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m.
Mayor Ireton, State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello, Deputy State’s Attorney Ella Disharoon, Safe Streets Prosecutor Rich Brueckner, local business owners and environmental groups are slated to participate.
Please be sure to come out and enjoy the festivities all weekend. Check out:
http://www.salisburyfestival.com/ScheduleofEvents.aspx for the schedule of events.
Mayor Ireton, State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello, Deputy State’s Attorney Ella Disharoon, Safe Streets Prosecutor Rich Brueckner, local business owners and environmental groups are slated to participate.
Please be sure to come out and enjoy the festivities all weekend. Check out:
http://www.salisburyfestival.com/ScheduleofEvents.aspx for the schedule of events.
Some Blacks See Racism In 'Birther' Questions
'It's partly American tradition of paranoia, and partly just plain old racism,' says one professor
WASHINGTON — Shortly after President Barack Obama declared himself an American-born citizen with papers to prove it, Baratunde Thurston declared himself a disgusted black man.
"I find it hard to summarize in mere words the amount of pain and rage this incident has caused," Thurston said.
"This" would be the nation's first black president standing in the White House, blue power suit and all, going on TV to debunk, in more detail than before, the persistent, he-ain't-really-an-American rumors fanned anew by Donald Trump, the developer and might-be presidential candidate.
Obama's Victimhood Rests On False Claims About Bush Tax Cuts
| When President Obama unveiled his newest debt reduction plan at The George Washington University, he said once again that George W. Bush’s tax cuts were to blame for the fiscal mess he’s in. In a speech that sounded more like the kickoff to his reelection campaign than a plan to cut deficit spending, Obama could not resist blaming Bush and the Republicans for all of the economic and fiscal woes that still afflict his presidency, a tactic that worked for him in his 2008 campaign but is growing threadbare and tiresome in his third year in the Oval Office “We increased spending dramatically for two wars and an expensive prescription drug program—but we didn’t pay for any of this new spending. Instead we made the problem worse with trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax cuts,” he said. In “the last decade, if we had simply found a way to pay for the tax cuts and the prescription drug benefit, our deficit would currently be at low historical levels in the coming years,” Obama said. Whenever Obama talks about paying for tax cuts, he means, but does not say, raising taxes on someone else. It never occurs to him, nor does he say, that the tax cuts can pay for themselves through increased economic growth and higher employment. That is exactly what President Bush’s 2003 accelerated tax cuts did in the remaining years of his presidency, a five-year period when the unemployment rate fell well below 6%, and tax revenues rose by hundreds of billions of dollars, cutting the budget deficit in half, according to government revenue and budget deficit statistics. When Bush was running for office in 2000, the economy was in the midst of a high-tech, dot-com economic boom, until the bubble burst in 2001 and the economy fell into recession. In his first year in office, Bush pushed through an across-the-board income tax cut agenda that would be phased in over several years. But as the recession worsened, unemployment—then at a low 4.7%—rose to 5.8% in 2002 and 6% in 2003. Federal tax receipts, which had hit a high of $2 trillion in 2000, fell to $1.99 trillion in 2001, to $1.85 trillion in 2002, and then to $1.78 trillion in 2003. Deciding that the economy needed a faster booster shot, Bush and Congress accelerated the Bush tax cuts in 2003, and the nation’s economy responded. Contrary to Obama’s anti-tax cut, zero-sum ideology, federal tax revenues didn’t fall as a result of Bush’s across-the-board tax rate cuts that affected every income bracket—including a new, lower 10% tax rate for low-income workers—they rose to the following: —$1.88 trillion in 2004 —$ 2.15 trillion in 2005 —$ 2.4 trillion in 2006 —$ 2.6 trillion in 2007. In other words, tax revenues rose by more than $800 billion in just four years by cutting tax rates and boosting economic growth that pushed the Dow to a record 14,164 points on Oct. 9, 2007. Meantime, unemployment fell sharply as the economy expanded, dropping to 5.55 in 2004, 5.1% in 2005, and 4.6% in 2006 and 2007. This also helped reduce Bush’s soaring budget deficits. They rose substantially during the first half of his presidency as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the deepening recession, but as federal tax revenues increased, the yearly deficits began to shrink, falling to a modest $161 in 2007—a record that Obama can only dream about. More |
Home Sweet Home
NetFlix Has More Subscribers Than Comcast
The Rubicon has been crossed. Netflix now has more people subscribed to it than Comcast. Netflix reported 23.6 million subscribers at the end of the 2011 first quarter, while Comcast ended 2010 with 22.8 million. (They could still possibly report more but considering that they've been dropping the past few quarters, it's unlikely). See, we don't need to worry about hegemony or legal monopolies, they'll just obsolete themselves out of business.
from The Consumerist
Do It, OR?
The government is pressuring food companies to cut back on marketing unhealthy foods to children. The voluntary guidelines would phase out advertisements on TV, in stores, and online. Companies are urged to market foods to children ages 2 through 17, but only if those foods are low in fats, sugars, and sodium and contain healthy ingredients. In 2009, Congress directed the Federal Trade Commission, Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form a working group and develop the recommendations.
Man Beheads Girlfriend In Front Of Classmates At Indian University
RANCHI, India -- An engineering student was in police custody Thursday after allegedly slicing his girlfriend's head off with a ceremonial dagger in front of her classmates at an Indian university.
Bijendra Kumar, 23, a diploma student at St. Xavier's College in Ranchi, in eastern India, allegedly beheaded his 18-year-old girlfriend, Khushbu, with a blade known as a "khukri" as she left the classroom with her friends.
The Hindustan Times reported that Kumar was overpowered by students and security guards, beaten and then arrested by police after the attack Wednesday.
Airline Actually Reduced A Fee
Airlines have tacked on more and more fees over the years as a way to recoup costs without having to raise their base fares as much, but Frontier has broke with these seemingly relentless upward tradition and actually reduced some fees this week. Thunderclap!
Frontier is cutting the fee for changing an economy from $100 to $50. Also, travelers paying online will pay $15 for checked bags instead of $20. And the $75 flat fee for bike transport is gone. Instead, bikes will be charged the same fees as luggage.
Why would they do this? Airfarewatchdog's George Hobica told Consumerist, "Frontier is probably responding to competition from Southwest, which doesn't charge for change fees at all, and allows passengers to check two bags for free."
That's a nice use of competition, because until now I thought airlines were in a race to see who could have the most and highest fees.
from The Consumerist
Trump: 'Our Leaders Are ... Stupid People'
When told he should run for White House, tycoon says 'I think I am going to make you very happy'
LAS VEGAS — Real estate developer Donald Trump unleashed a tirade of profanity in a speech at a boisterous Las Vegas casino as he assured a crowd of adoring supporters Thursday night that he is seriously weighing a presidential run and will make a decision soon.
During a 30-minute stump speech focused mostly on foreign affairs, Trump sprinkled in a number of insults directed toward the nation's leaders.
"Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people," he said. "It's just very, very sad."
Rasmussen: Huckabee Dropping Out Will Help Dark Horse Emerge
Mike Huckabee’s camp has sought to refute a new report that the former Arkansas governor won’t seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. This latest report comes on top of assertions by political experts that Huckabee won’t run.
A Huckabee withdrawal could bring a dark horse to the front, says pollster Scott Rasmussen, and leaves the Christian evangelical vote looking for a candidate.
The Process Story blog reported that Huckabee “is giving his former S.C. supporters the nod to seek work on other presidential campaigns. The word is that he’s told South Carolina staffers that they have his blessing for them to peddle their wares elsewhere.
“If this is true as it appears, it’s the second major shakeup. On Monday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour surprised everyone but himself when he announced that he would not seek the GOP nod.”
Process Story points out that “Huckabee had a strong effort in South Carolina during the last run, and would have been the favorite to win the primary if he had fully committed to a run.”
Results of the latest Rasmussen Reports nationwide poll, released on Thursday, show Huckabee in third place among potential GOP candidates with 15 percent of the vote. Donald Trump leads the pack with 19 percent, followed by Mitt Romney with 17 percent.
But Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports, tells Newsmax that a Huckabee departure from the race would not likely benefit any of the current leading contenders, and instead might help a dark horse who is yet to emerge.
Read more
A Huckabee withdrawal could bring a dark horse to the front, says pollster Scott Rasmussen, and leaves the Christian evangelical vote looking for a candidate.
The Process Story blog reported that Huckabee “is giving his former S.C. supporters the nod to seek work on other presidential campaigns. The word is that he’s told South Carolina staffers that they have his blessing for them to peddle their wares elsewhere.
“If this is true as it appears, it’s the second major shakeup. On Monday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour surprised everyone but himself when he announced that he would not seek the GOP nod.”
Process Story points out that “Huckabee had a strong effort in South Carolina during the last run, and would have been the favorite to win the primary if he had fully committed to a run.”
Results of the latest Rasmussen Reports nationwide poll, released on Thursday, show Huckabee in third place among potential GOP candidates with 15 percent of the vote. Donald Trump leads the pack with 19 percent, followed by Mitt Romney with 17 percent.
But Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports, tells Newsmax that a Huckabee departure from the race would not likely benefit any of the current leading contenders, and instead might help a dark horse who is yet to emerge.
Read more
EPA Proposes Stricter Controls On Wetlands, Streams
Tough new pollution controls will be imposed on thousands of miles of streams and millions of acres of wetlands under a proposal by President Barack Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency. The new rules could make it into federal regulation by the end of the year, The Washington Post reported.
The issue over what streams and wetlands should fall under the Clean Water Act has simmered for a decade. The George W. Bush administration issued rules in 2003 and 2008 to limit the reach of the act and the Supreme Court has weighed in twice, according to the Post.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson downplayed the extent of the new rules, saying, “This is not some massive increase, as far as we can tell.” Environmentalists hailed the decision but livestock owners and builders said it will impose an economic burden.
The House GOP included a provision to block the EPA from instituting the rules in their continuing budget resolution this spring but later dropped it, the Post reported.
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s environment subcommittee Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, expressed disappointment with the EPA.
Read more on Newsmax
The issue over what streams and wetlands should fall under the Clean Water Act has simmered for a decade. The George W. Bush administration issued rules in 2003 and 2008 to limit the reach of the act and the Supreme Court has weighed in twice, according to the Post.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson downplayed the extent of the new rules, saying, “This is not some massive increase, as far as we can tell.” Environmentalists hailed the decision but livestock owners and builders said it will impose an economic burden.
The House GOP included a provision to block the EPA from instituting the rules in their continuing budget resolution this spring but later dropped it, the Post reported.
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s environment subcommittee Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, expressed disappointment with the EPA.
Read more on Newsmax
US: 61% Support Defending Israel
A poll shows that 61percent of Americans support defending Israel if it is attacked – more than those who support defending all but three other countries.
Polls on this topic are carried out by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, on behalf of Rasmussen Reports. The most recent of these surveys, taken last week, dealt only with nine countries – not including Israel, which was asked about in an earlier survey.
The most recent findings show that Canada, Great Britain and Australia enjoy the greatest support among Americans in terms of willingness to come to their defense. Eighty percent said they would support coming to Canada’s defense, 74% would for Great Britain, and 65% for Australia. Next on the list was Israel, with 61%, as opposed to 26% who said they would oppose supporting Israel if it was attacked.
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Polls on this topic are carried out by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, on behalf of Rasmussen Reports. The most recent of these surveys, taken last week, dealt only with nine countries – not including Israel, which was asked about in an earlier survey.
The most recent findings show that Canada, Great Britain and Australia enjoy the greatest support among Americans in terms of willingness to come to their defense. Eighty percent said they would support coming to Canada’s defense, 74% would for Great Britain, and 65% for Australia. Next on the list was Israel, with 61%, as opposed to 26% who said they would oppose supporting Israel if it was attacked.
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Stay Tuned For 10:30 AM Post
SURPRISE! SURPRISE!…OBAMA IS A LIFETIME CRIMINAL!…
Obama may [...DOES] have a criminal past…
Trump is correct, Barry Soetoro, AKA Obama is hiding something in his past that is very bad… and it may not be his citizenship. (Trump would not say this if he did not know something and he has the money to get the dirt…)
As an IRS tax examiner,one of many former federal jobs, I have seen what it appears Barry Soetoro has done, mostly by illegal aliens attempting to acquire a new identity in the U.S and/or criminals looking to acquire a new ID.
Barry, AKA Obama, was lawfully adopted by a foreign national, Lolo Soetoro, and Barry’s name was legally changed to “Barry Soetoro”. (Barry’s own admission) Barry Soetoro was also made an official legal Indonesian citizen. (again Barry’s own admission) The adoption would be noted in Barry’s vital statistics record in Hawaii on his original birth certificate…
OR Lolo Soetoro may have always been Barry’s legal birth farther. The public does not know for sure at this point who Barry’s father really was and Barry himself may not know.
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Trump is correct, Barry Soetoro, AKA Obama is hiding something in his past that is very bad… and it may not be his citizenship. (Trump would not say this if he did not know something and he has the money to get the dirt…)
As an IRS tax examiner,one of many former federal jobs, I have seen what it appears Barry Soetoro has done, mostly by illegal aliens attempting to acquire a new identity in the U.S and/or criminals looking to acquire a new ID.
Barry, AKA Obama, was lawfully adopted by a foreign national, Lolo Soetoro, and Barry’s name was legally changed to “Barry Soetoro”. (Barry’s own admission) Barry Soetoro was also made an official legal Indonesian citizen. (again Barry’s own admission) The adoption would be noted in Barry’s vital statistics record in Hawaii on his original birth certificate…
OR Lolo Soetoro may have always been Barry’s legal birth farther. The public does not know for sure at this point who Barry’s father really was and Barry himself may not know.
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Christina Schools to Continue with Reforms
The Christina School District is continuing to move forward with its plans to restructure two low-performing schools, despite the state's decision to freeze grant money intended to pay for that work, the district superintendent said Wednesday in an email to the staff.
"I want to communicate that we are moving forward with the belief that the issues we are currently facing will be resolved," Superintendent Marcia V. Lyles said in the email. "We are continuing to plan for our two Partnership Zone schools. We know we have strong plans for both Glasgow High School and Stubbs Elementary School that were developed collaboratively over many months. We believe that these plans will significantly transform these two schools and accelerate student achievement."
But some district activities would be postponed until more is known about the funding. A staff information session on Race to the Top and a parent and student "Academy Showcase" meeting -- both scheduled for May 5 -- have been put on hold.
The district's Board of Education and state government are embroiled in a dispute over a local choice to retain 19 educators at Glasgow High School and Stubbs Elementary who were to be transferred -- retaining full pay and benefits -- to new schools. The two schools are part of the state's Partnership Zone, a program that makes intensive changes at failing schools.
Checking Account Disclosure Docs Longer Than Romeo & Juliet
We recently wrote about the PIRG study showing how fewer than 40% of banks were willing to clearly disclose checking account fee schedules. Now a new report from the Pew Charitable Trust demonstrates just how far banks are willing to go to make it difficult for consumers to know what they are getting with their checking accounts.
The Pew's study looked at more than 250 types of checking accounts offered online by the ten largest banks in the United States and found that the median length of disclosure documents to be 111 pages, "consisting of account agreements, addendums to account agreements, fee schedules... Many of these documents are not user friendly, with much of the text densely printed, difficult to decipher, and highly technical and legalistic...
"In addition, the banks often used different names for the same fee or service; put the information in different documents, different media (Web or hard copy), or different locations in a document; and did not summarize or collect key information anywhere."
According to the Pew folks, the amount of text in these documents comes out to around twice what you'd find in a copy of Romeo & Juliet.
Among the other findings in the study:
• Overdraft fees will cost American consumers an estimated $38 billion in 2011—an all-time high.
• Banks reserve the right to reorder transactions in a manner that will maximize overdraft fees. "Banks can maximize the number of times an account 'goes negative' by reordering deposits and withdrawals to reduce the account balance as quickly as possible. Posting withdrawals before deposits and posting withdrawals from largest to smallest have the effect of maximizing overdrafts."
• More than 80 percent of accounts examined contain either binding mandatory arbitration agreements or fee-sharing provisions that require the accountholder to pay the bank's losses, costs, and expenses in a legal dispute regardless of the outcome of the case.
Birth Certificate: Pixels Don't Lie
A scanner will not pixelate what it picks up at different scale
A very simple review of Barack Obama's long form birth certificate, which was released on the whitehouse.gov website on 04/27/2011, indicates that the document was altered. Anyone can review this finding, and I urge them to do so.
Simply go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf and open the purported birth certificate. If your browser opens the document and not a pdf viewer, I suggest you save the document on your computer, browse to the location of the document, right-click on the document, selecting "Open with" and open it with a pdf viewer. A free copy of a pdf viewer can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com/.
MoreThere are a great many places to view the anomaly that I'm about to show you on the document. I chose to look at the letter "D" in the signature of Ann Dunham Obama. Using the tools in your PDF viewer, zoom in on the letter "D" as close as you can - just before the pixels in the letter "D" become illegible and blurred. Now, observe the size of the pixels in the letter "D". Compare the size of the pixels in the letter "D" to the size of the pixels in the background of the document. They seem to be the same size, correct?
Petition For Senate Bill 167
PETITION DRIVE TO GET VOTER REFERENDUM ON THE 2012 MARYLAND BALLOT BEGINS TUESDAY!
LET CITIZENS DECIDE FATE OF IN-STATE COLLEGE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT STUDENTS!
LEARN HOW YOU CAN BE AN ACTIVE PART OF THE PROCESS!
Washington County Delegate Neil Parrott, his assistant Kari Snyder & a team of volunteers, a host of organizations & concerned citizens across Maryland, in coordination with Baltimore County Delegate Pat McDonough, are leading the petition initiative.
A website for this Statewide Referendum Petition on In-State College Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students is now up, but not completely running. That will change on Tuesday April 26, 2011.
Family Told Frazier's Remains Will Stay In Landfill
LAUREL, Md. (WUSA) -- The family of apparent murder-victim Latisha Frazier is trying to cope with a judge's ruling this week that authorities to not have to search for Latisha's remains.
Police believe the 18-year-old mother was lured to a D.C. apartment last year, imprisoned there, murdered, and dismembered before her remains were dumped into a garbage bin and then likely trucked to a large landfill in Virginia.
Police had argued it could take millions of dollars to conduct the search through hundreds of tons of garbage with no likelihood of success and also argued the search was too dangerous to conduct. On Wednesday, a judge agreed.
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Police believe the 18-year-old mother was lured to a D.C. apartment last year, imprisoned there, murdered, and dismembered before her remains were dumped into a garbage bin and then likely trucked to a large landfill in Virginia.
Police had argued it could take millions of dollars to conduct the search through hundreds of tons of garbage with no likelihood of success and also argued the search was too dangerous to conduct. On Wednesday, a judge agreed.
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Delaware personal income taxes due
DOVER, Del. (AP) -- It's tax time, again.
Delaware residents' personal income taxes are due Monday, and Division of Revenue Director Patrick Carter is reminding that they can file online.
Taxpayers who request refunds using the online filing system receive their refund two weeks earlier than those filing a paper return. The online system allows taxpayers to file electronically and then schedule their payment closer to the May 2 deadline. Taxpayers may pay with a credit card or by debiting their bank account.
This year, more than 80 percent of taxpayers have filed online.
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Delaware residents' personal income taxes are due Monday, and Division of Revenue Director Patrick Carter is reminding that they can file online.
Taxpayers who request refunds using the online filing system receive their refund two weeks earlier than those filing a paper return. The online system allows taxpayers to file electronically and then schedule their payment closer to the May 2 deadline. Taxpayers may pay with a credit card or by debiting their bank account.
This year, more than 80 percent of taxpayers have filed online.
More
Former United Way Employee Indicted On Fraud Charges
Prosecutor say she stole $400,000 from nonprofit
A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a former United Way of Central Maryland employee on charges that she bilked the nonprofit out of more than $400,000 by steering deposits to a bank account she had allegedly commandeered.Dorothy Shields Talbot, 48, who lives in Woodlawn and worked in United Way's finance department from 2001 through 2010, was charged with wire fraud. A statement from the Maryland U.S. attorney's office says she had been responsible for depositing donations into a corporate bank account.
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Yard Sales
CLICK HERE for upcoming yard sales.
If you have an upcoming yard sale, please email me, SunnyInOC, at atlanticjw@aol.com by Thursday afternoon for Friday morning's post. Be sure to include all important information, such as address, time, date, directions, items for sale, etc. All yard sale ads are absolutely FREE!
Enjoy the weekend! It's gonna be a beautiful one!
If you have an upcoming yard sale, please email me, SunnyInOC, at atlanticjw@aol.com by Thursday afternoon for Friday morning's post. Be sure to include all important information, such as address, time, date, directions, items for sale, etc. All yard sale ads are absolutely FREE!
Enjoy the weekend! It's gonna be a beautiful one!
Chinese Census Highlights Problems With One-Child Policy
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
The Chinese census results revealed on Thursday show some alarming trends that appear to be rooted in the country’s one-child policy.City Council Agenda - May 2, 2011 Revised
SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA
Revised
- - - - - - - - - - -
MAY 2, 2011
COUNCIL CHAMBERS (ROOM 301)
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING
3:00 p.m. - Closed Session
- Pending litigation/consult with legal counsel as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland Sections 10-508(7)(8)
Work Session (following conclusion of closed session)
- Proposed easement abandonment and relocation (Walgreen Company - 917 Mt. Hermon Rd.) – Teresa Gardner
- Lord’s Prayer issue – Paul Wilber
- Manufacturing exemption request
- Mandatory vs. discretionary treatment of requests
- Spartech Polycom
- DiCarlo Precision Instrument
- Tenants Bill of Rights
Individuals or organizational representatives may come prepared
to give or submit brief comments.
- Financial results quarterly report – Pam Oland
- U.S. 50E/Moore Annexation – Chris Jakubiak
- Items for reconsideration:
- “The Bricks”
- Linens of the Week property (CDBG funding)
- Onley Road/Bateman Street/S. Division Street project
- Health care for elected officials
- Other
- City Council Rules of Order
- General discussion/upcoming agendas
The Council reserves the right to convene in Closed Session
as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland 10-508(a)
Win Big At Bingomania On Saturday, May 7
(Salisbury, MD) Be the first to shout bingo at Bingomania, which returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Saturday, May 7. Doors open at 5:00pm for early bird games and regular games begin at 7:30pm.
Admission to Bingomania includes all regular and special games, including the Jumbo Jackpot Game. Regular games offer a $500 prize while special games pay out $1000. The Jumbo Jackpot Game pays a maximum of $10,000 depending upon attendance.
Increase your chances of winning and help a local food bank at the same time by bringing three non-perishable food items to the game. Those that do will receive 3 additional cards for the first early bird game, which has a payout of $500.
Tickets are $45 per person in advance and $55 per person at the door. Tickets are on sale now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Ave. Salisbury, MD), online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.
Admission to Bingomania includes all regular and special games, including the Jumbo Jackpot Game. Regular games offer a $500 prize while special games pay out $1000. The Jumbo Jackpot Game pays a maximum of $10,000 depending upon attendance.
Increase your chances of winning and help a local food bank at the same time by bringing three non-perishable food items to the game. Those that do will receive 3 additional cards for the first early bird game, which has a payout of $500.
Tickets are $45 per person in advance and $55 per person at the door. Tickets are on sale now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Ave. Salisbury, MD), online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.
All proceeds benefit the Mardela Middle and High School Bands. For more information contact the Mardela Band-Aides at 410-677-5170.
Man in Cow Suit Steals Milk
Call him the Hamburglar for the dairy crowd. An 18-year-old Virginia man was arrested earlier this week after somehow managing to slip past the Walmart greeters and loss-prevention staff with 26 gallons of milk... all while crawling around in a cow suit.
"This is probably one of the most unique efforts of shoplifting I've seen," a spokesman for the Stafford County Sheriff told InsideNova.com. "It might've been a prank that went wrong, but it isn't as funny when [the suspect] breaks the law."
While no one in the store did anything to stop the cow-suited culprit when he was strolling around the Walmart on all fours, he was spotted near the store handing out the stolen moo juice to passersby.
The belligerent bovine was later spotted "skipping down the sidewalk" in the cow suit by Walmart staffers.
He was later apprehended, out of his costume, at a nearby McDonald's (perhaps he is in cahoots with the Hamburglar?). Police found the cow garb in the suspect's car but just to make sure it wasn't the world's biggest coincidence, they took the teen back to Walmart where he was identified as the suspect.
The greatest crime here is that there is no surveillance footage of the theft.
from The Consumerist
POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING IN WICOMICO CO. DURING ARREST OF WANTED MAN
(SALISBURY, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating a police involved shooting that occurred late this afternoon in Wicomico County when a member of a fugitive task force shot the tire of a vehicle containing a wanted fugitive that was attempting to flee while another police officer was partially in the car.
The driver of the car containing the fugitive is identified as James D. Brown, 41, of the 2500-block of Castle Street, Salisbury, Md. He is charged with second degree assault and failure to obey a lawful order of a police officer. He will have an appearance later tonight before a court commissioner in Wicomico County.
A passenger in the car, who was the subject of the police search, was also arrested. He is identified as Clarence Cornish, 32, of the 100-block of Willis Street, Cambridge, Md. He is charged on a Kent County Grand Jury indictment with 16 criminal charges including armed robbery, burglary, assault, and use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. These charges stem from a home invasion that occurred on March 31, 2011 in Kent County. Cornish is being taken to Kent County where he will be held without bond.
This afternoon, members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team/Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the Salisbury area searching for Cornish. The fugitive team included Deputy Gregory Simpler from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and Officer Kevin Larkin of the Salisbury Police Department.
Shortly before 4:00 p.m. today, members of the fugitive task force spotted Cornish riding in a car northbound on Rt. 13 near Salisbury. Task force members attempted to stop the vehicle at the red light on Rt. 13 at Connelly Mill Road. As they approached the car, Officer Larkin opened the passenger door and ordered Cornish out. Cornish did not comply and the officer reached in the car, attempting to remove him. As he did, the driver, Brown, pulled off with Officer Larkin partially in and out of the vehicle.
In fear for the life of Officer Larkin, Deputy Simpler fired one shot from his department-issued .40 caliber pistol at the rear driver’s side tire in an attempt to deflate the tire and disable the vehicle. The car continued about 70 yards until it stopped. Officer Larkin was able to disengage himself from the moving car without injury.
When the vehicle stopped, the fugitive team approached the car again and arrested Cornish and Brown without further incident. A third person in the back seat of the car was not arrested.
No one on the scene was injured in the incident. As is procedure, the police involved shooting is being investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit.
Deputy Simpler is an eight-year veteran of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. He has been placed on routine administrative leave by his department while the investigation continues.
The driver of the car containing the fugitive is identified as James D. Brown, 41, of the 2500-block of Castle Street, Salisbury, Md. He is charged with second degree assault and failure to obey a lawful order of a police officer. He will have an appearance later tonight before a court commissioner in Wicomico County.
A passenger in the car, who was the subject of the police search, was also arrested. He is identified as Clarence Cornish, 32, of the 100-block of Willis Street, Cambridge, Md. He is charged on a Kent County Grand Jury indictment with 16 criminal charges including armed robbery, burglary, assault, and use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. These charges stem from a home invasion that occurred on March 31, 2011 in Kent County. Cornish is being taken to Kent County where he will be held without bond.
This afternoon, members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team/Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force were in the Salisbury area searching for Cornish. The fugitive team included Deputy Gregory Simpler from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and Officer Kevin Larkin of the Salisbury Police Department.
Shortly before 4:00 p.m. today, members of the fugitive task force spotted Cornish riding in a car northbound on Rt. 13 near Salisbury. Task force members attempted to stop the vehicle at the red light on Rt. 13 at Connelly Mill Road. As they approached the car, Officer Larkin opened the passenger door and ordered Cornish out. Cornish did not comply and the officer reached in the car, attempting to remove him. As he did, the driver, Brown, pulled off with Officer Larkin partially in and out of the vehicle.
In fear for the life of Officer Larkin, Deputy Simpler fired one shot from his department-issued .40 caliber pistol at the rear driver’s side tire in an attempt to deflate the tire and disable the vehicle. The car continued about 70 yards until it stopped. Officer Larkin was able to disengage himself from the moving car without injury.
When the vehicle stopped, the fugitive team approached the car again and arrested Cornish and Brown without further incident. A third person in the back seat of the car was not arrested.
No one on the scene was injured in the incident. As is procedure, the police involved shooting is being investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit.
Deputy Simpler is an eight-year veteran of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. He has been placed on routine administrative leave by his department while the investigation continues.
DE Auditor Fails to Pursue Kickbacks
More than a year after receiving complaints about kickbacks from a contractor to Delaware State University employees, the state auditor's office has failed to adequately investigate the allegations, according to an outside review.
Auditor R. Thomas Wagner's office requested subpoenas for bank records to explore complaints that DSU facilities staff members accepted free services on their cars and homes from a heating, ventilation and air conditioning vendor, according to the documents.
DSU's facilities and purchasing are run by fellow Republican Richard C. Cathcart, a powerful former legislator and political friend of Wagner's.
The Attorney General's Office executed several subpoenas at the request of auditors and opened an investigation in early 2010, said Timothy P. Mullaney Sr., the attorney general's chief of staff. But the auditor's office never reported back, Mullaney said.
Wagner blamed the lack of progress in the investigation on sloppy work by his staff, led by former Deputy Auditor Robert Hicks. Hicks, fired by Wagner in January, said Wagner stalled the report to protect Cathcart, a former House majority leader.
Cathcart said he would not comment.
The Hidden Tax: Regulation
We see what Uncle Sam makes us pay every April. But a new edition of an annual report shows there’s an insidious fee we pay on a daily basis.
We all know what last Monday was. As many of us paid Uncle Sam’s toll — mine was almost a wash, which worked out about how I wanted it — one had either a sour mood knowing that Fedzilla took more of one’s hard-earned salary or that giddy feeling of having absconded with free money because a refund was due. (In many cases, of course, that was just the money loaned to Beltway bureaucrats — interest free! Try finding a bank who will give you those terms!)
Yet we forget there’s a hidden tax which gnaws at our pocketbooks and the economy at large every day. It was pointed out by the Competitive Enterprise Institute in their “Ten Thousand Commandments” report, released on Tax Day.
Regulations cost $1.75 trillion in compliance costs, according to the Small Business Administration. That’s greater than the record federal budget deficit — projected at $1.48 trillion for FY 2011 — and greater even than all corporate pretax profits. Says report author Wayne Crews, CEI’s vice president for policy:
Trillion-dollar deficits and regulatory costs approaching $2 trillion annually are both unsettling new developments for America. … Every year, the federal government blows past previous deficit, debt, and regulatory burdens with no end in sight. No wonder Americans are fed up with Washington.
Just think of the handicap that sucking over $1 trillion annually out of the national economy places on job creation, for regulations that normally have little to do with safety but a lot to do with selecting winners and losers. There’s a school of thought out there which believes that big business (and by that I mean Fortune 500 multinational corporations) is in bed with government to promulgate new regulations in order to discourage competition — a sort of trust-busting in reverse. Since start-up businesses have great ideas but little capital behind them, creating a maze of red tape they need to navigate before they can begin making their mark tends to discourage competition.
Editor’s Note: This excellent piece was authored by local writer / blogger Michael Swartz.