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Thursday, June 09, 2011

Critical Holes In Windows, IE, MS Office

This months’ batch of security patches from Microsoft will be a huge one:  16 bulletins covering a wide range of security holes in the Windows operating system.

Nine of the 16 bulletins are rated “critical” because of the risk of remote code execution attack.


According to an advance notice from the Redmond, Wash. software maker, two of the critical bulletins will address high-severity vulnerabilities in the Internet Explorer browser.

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Canceled Closed Session Addressed

This morning, a closed session of the Salisbury City Council scheduled for 9 a.m. was canceled due to an 8:50 a.m. email from Mayor Jim Ireton stating the city attorney would not attend (per the mayor’s direction). The purpose of the closed session was to meet with the city attorney for an update the council on pending legislation.

“It was my intent to employ a window of opportunity for council, particularly our new members, to have a simple information session, not for the purpose of taking any action. Hence, I did not make special notification to the mayor or administration for attendance because it was my impression that they are already up to date on what cases exist and would not need duplicate use of their time,” said Council President Terry Cohen.

“I apologize if any action I took with all good intentions of furthering the business of city was misconstrued. This update has been on the pending list for months, if not more than a year, so I am disappointed that the mayor did not allow it to continue,” she added.

After the meeting was opened and Cohen read the email to council to explain why the closed session was being canceled, council had discussion pertaining to the situation. Cohen adjourned the meeting at 9:28 a.m., citing concerns that the discussion might not be compliant with the Open Meetings Act.

“I called the attorney general’s office today and spoke with the legal counsel to the Open Meetings Compliance Board to discuss whether or not there was any deficiency, given our unusual circumstances. The conversation was positive and helpful,” Cohen noted.

Cohen asked the city clerk’s office to put the audio of the meeting on the city’s website (www.ci.salisbury.md.us) and said that minutes of the meeting will be produced in a reasonable time frame, in further accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

“This release is to ensure that the public is made aware of the situation in keeping with the goal of the fullest disclosure and transparency possible,” Cohen said.

PEDESTRIAN RELATED HIT AND RUN LEADS TO ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

On Thursday, June 9, 2011, at approximately 12:20 p.m., Ocean City Police responded to the area of 139

The suspect, who was driving a white Cadillac Escalade, hit and seriously injured a
pedestrian in the parking lot of the 7 Eleven and then fled the scene. Officers located the driver of the Escalade, who was later identified as Richard Lee Edwards, 64, of Ocean City, shortly after the collision. Edwards was arrested and charged with attempted first degree murder.

The victim, who was an employee of 7 Eleven, sustained serious injuries and was taken by Maryland State Police helicopter to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. At the time of this release, Edwards was awaiting an appearance in front of an Ocean City District Court Commissioner. Ocean City Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
th Street and Coastal Highway for a hit and run involving a pedestrian. The initial investigation revealed that an altercation took place at the 7 Eleven between an employee and the suspect.

Senate Confirms Governor's Transportation Secretary Nominee

Shailen Bhatt, Associate Federal Highway Administrator, to become Delaware's Ninth Transportation Secretary

Dover
-- Governor Jack Markell's nominee for Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation, Shailen Bhatt (pronounced "SHAY-Linn BAT"), was confirmed by the Delaware Senate this afternoon.

"I would like to thank the members of the Delaware Senate, including the Executive Committee, for their confidence in Shailen to lead the Department of Transportation," said Governor Markell. "Transportation plays a part in the lives of all Delawareans, and DelDOT plays an important role in the vitality of our state. Shailen understands the opportunities that await him - and he has the experience, intelligence, energy and integrity to move DelDOT forward."

"Every Delawarean depends on a well-managed transportation system that moves people and goods efficiently and safely as they go about their daily lives. They also want a system that is accountable, transparent and managed with adherence to the highest ethical standards. As Secretary, I will bring about greater collaboration between the residents of Delaware and our excellent staff in meeting these standards and addressing our state's varied transportation needs," said Mr. Bhatt, who has served in senior transportation posts at the local, state and federal levels.

Mr. Bhatt currently serves as Associate Administrator at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation. Through the Federal Aid Highway Program, the FHWA supports State and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the nation's highway system.

For the last two years, Mr. Bhatt has been responsible for setting policy and managing relationships with members of Congress and has been leading FHWA's efforts in re-authorizing the nation's surface transportation legislation. He also played a key role in establishing the Federal Highway Administration's signature initiative on accelerated project delivery, called Every Day Counts (EDC).

Before joining FHWA, Mr. Bhatt served as a Deputy Executive Director with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Prior to that, he was Director of the Bowling Green/Warren County, Kentucky Metropolitan Planning Organization. He holds a degree in Economics from Western Kentucky University. Mr. Bhatt intends to reside in Delaware with his wife, Neelam.

BREAKING NEWS: Gingrich Campaign Staff Quits

Fox News confirms sweeping resignations of top campaign staff for Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

POLLITT ISSUES BURN BAN FOR WICOMICO COUNTY

Due to extreme heat and drought conditions, County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., has issued a burn ban order for Wicomico County effective immediately. Pollitt took the action on the advice of his Burn Ban Committee. The group is composed of representatives of the County Health Department, the Forestry Service, Emergency Management Services, fire fighters and a local meteorologist.

The executive has the authority to issue a ban for 7 days. Pollitt said that he expects the hot, dry conditions to continue into the foreseeable future and anticipates recommending that the County Council extend the ban indefinitely until weather conditions warrant a re-assessment by the Burn Ban Committee.

All outdoor burning is prohibited with the following exemptions:

1)       Supervised burning in the presence of a volunteer or paid fire department on site with equipment, qualified personnel and available water supply for the duration of the event, as provided by State law;
2)       Gas and charcoal grill for their proper use;
3)       Campfires at Roaring Point and Sandy Hill campgrounds which must be monitored at all times. All such campfires shall be confined to designated fire rings, grills, fire pits, fireplaces or other facilities constructed for fires. Before breaking camp, fires should be drowned and completely extinguished.
4)       Recreational campfires on private property and public campgrounds are permitted. The campfires are limited to a size of 2 feet in width and 3 feet in height;
5)       The staging of professional fireworks displays.

Burn ban violations carry a $500 fine per incident. County Planning & Zoning administers Burn Ban enforcement. Citizens may call 410-548-4860 to report violations during regular business hours. At other times, citizens may call the Sheriff’s Department at 410-548-4827.  

Pollitt urged all residents to practice caution while engaging in the exempted burning practices, saying, “I suggest that citizens keep a garden hose and fire extinguisher nearby while using their gas or charcoal grills or enjoying a recreational fire. Also, all fires should be completely extinguished and should never be left unsupervised.” 

Pollitt added that all burning permits are voided for the duration of the Burn Ban and that the Health Department will not be issuing burning permits until further notice.

Breaking News


West Ocean City is having a large power outage. The Outlets and all businesses in the area are closed due to the power outage. Several stop lights are not working so please use caution when driving through the area. It has been out over 2 hours.

Call To Cut US Funding To UN If It Approves PA State

U.S. Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Middle East subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, has introduced a non-binding resolution to cut U.S. funding to the UN if it unilaterally approves a Palestinian Authority state.

The resolution calls on the Secretary of State to withdraw American funding for the UN General Assembly if it “adopts a resolution in favor of recognizing a state of Palestine outside of or prior to a final status agreement negotiated between, and acceptable to, the State of Israel and the Palestinians.”

Chabot’s measure has not yet garnered co-sponsors, but Chabot says he expects a “significant number” of his colleagues to support it when Congress returns to session next week.

Jonathan S. Tobin, editor of Commentary Magazine, wrote this week a strong endorsement of the resolution – but added that it should be merely “the first shot” fired in the struggle to ensure that the UN does not approve the controversial PA state.

Instead of simply “worrying about what will happen” in the UN General Assembly this September, Tobin writes, and instead of threatening only to veto the resolution, the U.S. must take concrete steps to make sure that the UN body does not approve a unilateral PA state. In addition to threaten to cut funding to the UN, Tobin states, the PA itself must be targeted:

“Congress should also be focusing on the fact that by signing a unity pact with the Hamas terrorists, the Palestinian Authority has rendered itself ineligible for the hundreds of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars that it continues to receive.”

IsraelNationalNews

Grocery Prices Are Up, But Farmers Aren’t Raising Them

Earlier this year economists began predicting retail food price increases of 2 percent to 5 percent. Prices have gone up, but the extent and causes—both domestic and global—remain topics of discussion.

In the United States, retail food prices in general are expected to increase about 4 percent this year, and beef, pork and poultry product prices are likely to increase more than that, according to Dr. Corinne Alexander, a Purdue University agricultural economist. She credited grain shortages, turmoil in the Middle East and extreme weather in critical crop-producing regions.

"We’re returning to a period of food price inflation after coming off a period where we saw food price deflation," Alexander said. "We don’t expect this to be a long-term, permanent higher food price period. We’ll see these higher food prices until we rebuild global stocks of the primary crops."

Grain shortages affect livestock prices because many grains—among them corn and soybeans—are used in animal feed.

Supply and demand are major factors, as are costs such as fuel that are associated with transporting and processing food.

"The cost of food in more developed countries has risen less than in under-developed countries where food has less processing. The underlying commodity price rise has a greater impact on the cost of food in poorer nations," said Jonah Bowles, agriculture market analyst for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Americans spend about 10 percent of their annual income on food, while people in under-developed countries spend as much as 50 percent or more.

Are U.S. farmers seeing any more of what consumers spend on food? It depends on the food, Bowles said. "It’s generally established and agreed upon that less than 20 cents of each dollar consumers spend on food finds its way back to farms where that food was produced," he noted. But the prices of food products that require more processing, like breads, cereals and soda, are affected less by commodity price changes than the prices of less-processed foods like eggs, milk and carrots.

"The price of wheat has little to do with the price of a loaf of bread, but the price of Class III milk from the dairy has a lot to do with the prices of a gallon of fat-free milk," Bowles said.

He cited recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture findings from this spring that show farmers receiving an average of 15.8 cents per consumer dollar.

Based on Safeway store brand sales, the USDA found farmers receiving 2 percent of money spent on bread and cereal, 6 percent on potato chips and 10 percent on soda, while they received 13 percent on potatoes and lettuce, 23 percent on sirloin and ham, 39 percent on eggs and 42 percent on milk and carrots.

Source

BREAKING NEWS–Argument Leads to Hit and Run in OC

An argument at the 7-11 at 139th Street in Ocean City leads to a clerk being backed over in the parking lot.  The assailant then fled the scene.  The assailant was apprehended near by by the Ocean City Police.

Woman Sentenced In Massive Child Porn Case

Prosecutors: Fiancé Wanted To Have Children To Abuse

A Middle River woman will spend three decades in prison for sexually exploiting children to make child pornography.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that Shannon Leigh Honea, 28, was sentenced by a federal judge to 30 years in prison followed by supervised release for life. Honea was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

"Nothing that we say can really convey the horror of this case," federal prosecutor Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.

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Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On June 8, 2011 at approximately 6:08 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the area of Wailes Street for the report of a suspect possibly in possession of a controlled dangerous substance. During the response to the location, the officers were given a description of the suspect. Upon arrival the officers located the suspect and made contact. The officers were given consent to search his person and as a result of the search recovered a plastic baggie containing a quantity of suspected cocaine.

ARRESTED: David Wayne Bailey, Jr., 41 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100022202

On June 8, 2011 at approximately 9:05 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Second Street and West Main Street and observed the below listed subject acting in a suspicious manner. As the officers approached the subject, the officers observed the subject manipulating an object in his pants pocket. When the officers began to check that area of the subject, the subject struck the officer then fled from the officers on foot. The officers pursued the subject and were able to apprehend the subject in the area of West Main Street and Germania Circle. During the chase of the subject, the officers observed the subject remove an item from the same pants pocket and attempt to discard the item. The item was recovered by pursuing officers and found to be a bag containing smaller baggies, a total of nine (9), each of which contained a quantity of suspected “crack”/cocaine.

ARRESTED: Damien Mariuce Height, 20 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia (10 counts)
Resisting arrest
Obstructing and hindering an investigation
Failure to comply with a lawful order
Disorderly conduct
Second degree assault on a police officer

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100022214

Tiger Woods Pulls Out Of U.S. Open

Tiger Woods is taking a pass on next week’s U.S. Open. He says his left knee and Achilles are not fully healed, and that it’s time to listen to his doctors.

At first glance, this is another missed opportunity for Woods, 35, to close the gap on Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 professional majors won. On a broader scale, this may be the tipping point toward breaking the Golden Bear’s record.

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Baltimore County Council Voices Supprt fro MDPetitions.com

A majority of the Baltimore County Council plans to issue a statement as early as Thursday morning expressing support for a petition that seeks to halt a new state law giving discounted in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, according to Republican Todd Huff.

Republican David Marks said he has already signed the petition.

Huff said he is "strongly opposed" to the bill and supports efforts to put the issue to a referendum.

"I do feel it's going to have an economic impact on local jurisdictions," he said. "We depend on tuition to help fund our community college. Where they lack the funds, we have to supplement, and in these economic times that's not good."

from Raven Hill @ the Baltimore Sun

Lead-Paint Email Discusses Potential 'Big Embarrassment' To Gansler

AG dismisses suggestion that Baltimore lawyer was his good buddy

It was late one afternoon when the email went out, warning of "hot front page news" that could be a "big embarrassment" to Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler.

The message came from an assistant attorney general, writing to alert her supervisor that a Baltimore lawyer was angry at the state health department lab for destroying blood test records of children with lead poisoning. This private attorney wasn't just any lawyer, her email said, but "a great supporter of the AG's governor aspirations" and "a good buddy" of Gansler's, who is widely viewed as harboring higher political ambitions.
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Delta Bag Fees For Soldiers Ignites Backlash

WASHINGTON (AP) - Delta Air Lines hastily changed its baggage fees for troops Wednesday after a YouTube video showed soldiers complaining that they had to pay $200 apiece to check extra bags as they made their way home from Afghanistan.

The video was posted Tuesday and was viewed almost 200,000 times before it was removed the next day by the person who put it up. By Wednesday afternoon, a Facebook page called Boycott Delta for Soldiers had sprung up, and the airline was backpedaling and apologizing to the soldiers.

In the video, titled "Delta Airlines Welcomes Soldiers Home," two Army staff sergeants say their unit was told it would cost $200 apiece to check a fourth bag on a Tuesday morning flight from the Baltimore-Washington airport to Atlanta _ a total bill of more than $2,800.

The Defense Department typically reimburses such costs, which the soldiers may not have known before they made their displeasure known. The airline said late Wednesday that it would refund the fees if the government doesn't cover the bill. By then, the public relations damage to Delta was done.

In the video, one sergeant, Robert O'Hair, wearing a camouflage uniform and sitting inside the plane, says his fourth bag was a weapons case containing an M4 carbine rifle, a grenade launcher and a 9-millimeter pistol that he had used in Afghanistan.

"The tools I used to protect myself and Afghan citizens while I was deployed," O'Hair says.

With a bite to his voice, the other sergeant _ Fred Hilliker of Allendale, Mich. _ closes the video: "Good business model, Delta. Thank you. We're actually happy to be back to America. God bless America. Not happy, not happy at all. Appreciate it. Thank you."

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Obama Wants $10 Million To Varify Who Should Or Shouldn't Receive Federal Funds

The Obama administration wants $10 million to expand a website that lets agencies know who should receive federal funds, and who shouldn't. The site is called VerifyPayment.gov. It combines several databases to ensure that payments aren't going to people who have died, are in prison or to businesses and contractors barred from working with the federal government. Federal Times reports the project is slated to go government-wide next year.

Today's Survey Question

Have you ever had, or considered, cosmetic surgery?

Osama bin Laden Information 95% Complete

Everyone Osama bin Laden ever wrote to, spoke to or even mentioned is under new scrutiny, U.S. officials say. Material seized from his Pakistan compound has yielded a treasure trove of information about the slain terrorist's methods and contacts. Sources tell the Associated Press that the job of translating the information is 95 percent finished. Items taken by the SEALs from bin Laden's office included a handwritten journal, five computers, 10 hard drives and 110 thumb drives. FBI Director Robert Mueller tells a congressional hearing, it's clear al Qaida hoped to continue attacks on the United States.

Two Commercial Fisherman Charged With Rockfish Violations

Maryland Natural Resources Police say two commercial fishermen have been charged with striped bass violations.
Natural Resources Police say 67-year-old Dolan Lee Hurley of Cambridge has been charged with failing to tag striped bass within 200 yards of his net. Natural Resources Police say Hurley was charged after officers found 500 pounds of untagged striped bass onboard a commercial vessel more than 1,000 yards from the net.
The charges against 52-year-old Robert Hodge Newberry of Crumpton include possession of untagged and undersized striped bass. Natural Resources Police say Newberry was charged after the commercial fishing vessel Open Ticket was boarded Tuesday near Sharps Island.
An Aug. 17 trial date was scheduled for both in Dorchester County District Court.
from WTOP / Associated Press

Daily Times Fails To Educate Subscribers Again

Today's Daily Times (website) seems to have nothing about the veto override. -- The article yesterday about the veto does not even have a "related story link -- although there was a very brief item on the override vote yesterday evening that seems to be removed now. Have not seen the print version of today's Daily Times.
 
I just learned yesterday for the first time that they are now charging $1.00 per day for that paper and $1.50 for Sundays paper.  I'm sorry Folks but I am absolutely amazed that people are willing to pay $1.00 for that paper when they are regularly 2 days behind Salisbury News.

The OC Air Show Is Here!

(June 9, 2011) – It’s time! The 2011 OC Air Show and the “Year of Extreme Flight” are here,
and they will be unlike anything ever seen over the beaches and Boardwalk of Ocean City,
Maryland!

Co-headliners for the June 11-12 event, the F-18 Super Hornet and the AV-8B Harrier jet demo
teams, will show you what marvels of aeronautical engineering can do when pushed to their
limits! Other military performers include the A-10 Warthog, the C-17 Globemaster III, the
gigantic C-5 Galaxy and the sleek B-2 Spirit “stealth bomber.”

The Red Bull Helicopter and pilot Chuck Aaron, the only civilian certified for helicopter
aerobatics, will dazzle spectators with flips and turns like you’ve never seen. Aaron will be
joined by the wing-suited skydiving team of the Red Bull Air Force!

Civilian stunt pilots Rob Holland in his Veterans Home Loan MX-2, pilot Mike Goulian in his
A-36 Bonanza, will fly head-to-head in a spectacular crowd-pleasing set. Other civilian
performers include Tim Weber in his skywriting GEICO Extra 300, pilot Sean Carroll in his
Yak-9, and the precision group flying of Team RV.

The U.S. Army Special Ops Black Daggers and the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles will
perform a joint night jump over the beach for the Miller Lite Saturday Night Beach Party, held
June 11 on the beach at 16th Street. General admission is free!

Performances will take place over the Ocean City beachfront beginning at noon both Saturday
and Sunday. The air show will be visible along the majority of the Boardwalk, creating an
inspiring experience for visitors while they enjoy the hospitality of Ocean City’s beach and
attractions. Practice runs will be held Friday.

Show Center Beach, extending from 14th to 17th streets, will offer premium viewing in the Drop
Zone, Waterfront Clubhouse and the new VIP Penthouse on the rooftop of the Quality Inn 16th
Street.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit
http://www.ocairshow.com/ or call (888) 695-0888.

Ocean City, Md., hosts America’s premier air show for 2011

Boy Rescued From Chester River In Md.; Man Missing

CHESTERTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Authorities say they have rescued a boy who was swept away by a current in the Chester River and are searching for his uncle.

Maryland Natural Resources Police say they will continue searching for 47-year-old James Joseph Schmidt on Thursday. Police say Schmidt was trying to rescue his 7-year-old nephew from the river when he too was swept away by the current Wednesday afternoon.

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More Men Getting Plastic Surgery

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

More than 1.1 million men admitted to getting work done in 2010. The number has jumped 13% this year.

Fruitland SC Tryouts June 15th & June 23rd

The Fruitland Soccer Club will be holding tryouts for the 2011-12 soccer season. The tryouts will be to add players to our existing 5 Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) travel teams as well as to create additional travel teams.

The tryouts will be held at Crown SportsCenter in Fruitland from 6-7:30PM on both evenings.

FSC is looking to double their amount of travel teams for the upcoming season and is hoping to have both a boys and girls travel teams in the U10, U11, U12, U13 & U14 age divisions.

All FSC travel team coaches have at least the MSYSA required "E" Certificate coaching designation.

In 2010-11 FSC travel teams have competed in the Maryland State Cup and highly ranked Mid-Atlantic tournaments.

New players are encouraged to send an email to fsctryouts@comcast.net and give the players name, birth date and experience. Existing players will be contacted by their current coaches.

GOP Plan To Run Fake Democratic Candidates

Madison, Wisconsin - The gears of government tend to grind slowly. But in Wisconsin lately they are racing at turbocharged speed.

In just the last few weeks, Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, has signed legislation to require voters to show photo identification cards at the polls and to deregulate elements of the telecommunications industry. And the Republican-dominated Legislature is now in the midst of advancing provisions to expand school vouchers, to allow people to carry concealed weapons, to cut financing for Planned Parenthood and to bar illegal immigrants from paying in-state tuition at Wisconsin’s universities.

Why the urgency? Republicans, who suddenly swept into control of this Capitol in last fall’s elections, face a deadline of sorts. Though the lawmakers insist that their hurry-up offense is just living up to campaign promises, there is a threat looming: They are at risk of losing their newly won majority in the State Senate as early as next month.

New, special elections are expected in as many as nine Senate districts (six of which are now held by Republicans) as part of the largest recall effort against state lawmakers in Wisconsin’s history — an effort that grew out of yet another controversial measure Republicans pushed through this spring, a sharp reduction to collective bargaining rights for public workers.

“There has been not even a pretense of trying to find a bipartisan agreement on important issues,” said Senator Mark Miller, the Democratic leader, who added that some measures were introduced and passed through committees in just a week’s time — a warp-speed timetable for any state government. “It’s the Republican agenda, and that’s it. The only negotiations now are among themselves.”

And so Wisconsin — which garnered national attention earlier this year because of its Republican leaders’ aggressive efforts to cut collective bargaining — is again being watched closely as a testing ground, this time for potential backlash from the Republican sweep to power in statehouses last fall, when they won control over more legislative seats than they have had since 1928. Republicans also gained complete control of more than half a dozen other state Capitols.

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Chesapeake Bay Lots Sold To D.C. Investors

A team of Washington, D.C.-area investors has acquired 357 lots on 72 acres surrounding the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge.

The partnership is between Herndon, Va.-based Crimson Partners and D.C.-based real estate investment companies Rock Creek Property Group and the Bernstein Cos.

The team, called River Marsh LLC, bought the land for an undisclosed sum in an ...

Read the full story at Baltimore Business Journal

Harlequin Novel - 2011 Version


 
He grasped me firmly, but gently, just above my elbow and guided me into his
room.

Then he quietly shut the door and we were alone.  He approached me
soundlessly,
from behind, and spoke in a low, reassuring voice close to my ear.

"Just relax."

Without warning, he reached down and I felt his strong, hands
start at my ankles, gently probing, and moving upward along my calves,
slowly but steadily. My breath caught in my throat.

I knew I should be afraid, but somehow I didn't care.  His touch was so
experienced, so sure.  When his hands moved up onto my thighs, I gave a
slight shudder, my pulse was pounding.

I felt his fingers caress my abdomen, my ribcage.  And then, as he
cupped my firm, full breasts, I inhaled sharply.

Probing, searching, knowing what he wanted, he brought his hands to my
shoulders, slid them down my tingling spine.

Although I knew nothing about this man, I felt oddly trusting and
expectant.  This is a man, I thought.  A man used to taking charge.  A man
not used to taking 'No' for an answer.  A man who would tell me what he
wanted.  A man who would look into my soul and say . . . .
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
 
> 
> 
> 
>
>
>
>
"Okay ma'am, you can board your flight now."

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Trade Gap Narrows In April

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $43.7 billion in April as U.S. exports climbed to a new record and imports from Japan fell in the wake of the nation's deadly earthquake.

Anthem Blue Cross To Start Charging $15/Month To Pay Bill By Credit Card

Anthem Blue Cross, along with its parent company, perennial Worst Company In America contender WellPoint, is known for many things — trying to jack up rates on policyholders by upward of 30%, practicing rescission on breast cancer patients, and leaking customers' credit card information online. Basically everything except for providing quality health insurance. You can soon add another item to Anthem's long list of qualifications when it stops allowing credit card payments, except for those willing to pay a $15 convenience fee.

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How The Word "Boob" Was Created

AND DON'T SAY I DO NOT SEND YOU ANYTHING EDUCATIONAL!

Boonies Thursday Night Special

Thursday nights at
Boonies Chop House & Pub
Buy any 12oz Ribeye
or Stuffed Flounder receive the
second for just a penny!

BREAKING NEWS: Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Rise

The Labor Department reports new claims for unemployment benefits rose by 1,000 to 427,000 last week. Economists had expected claims to decline to 415,000.

Ireton’s “Rhetoric” is Ridiculous

Ireton is doing precisely what his idol Obama does – vilifying in public those who don't agree with him. His personal attack on at least two members of the Council warrants a public apology, as does his recent meltdown outside the Council chambers that was reported in detail on this blog.

It is ironic that he ran against Barrie Tilghman (actually it was Comegys) and now he is following in her wake. No doubt he would be using slurs like "dirty dozen" if she didn't hold its copyright. Instead, his mantra is "turn their backs."

Probably, he also sends nasty and threatening e-mails to those on his enemies list. We have seen that tactic used in City Hall by another mayor.

We are fortunate to have Council members who will face the assault by the mayor, aided and abetted by certain news media and bloggers, that comes with standing up to autocrats such as Tilghman and Ireton who have made Salisbury the laughingstock of the Lower Shore.

Tacitus is a Salisbury resident and frequent contributor to SbyNEWS.

Fundraiser

Click on image to enlarge.

Sussex County Opens Cooling Stations

Sussex County is designating four public buildings as "cooling stations" during this week's heat wave.

Residents without air conditioning can go to the County Administration Building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; the South Coastal Library, 43 Kent Avenue, Bethany Beach, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; the Milton Library, 121 Union Street, Milton, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and the Greenwood Library, 100 Mill Street, Greenwood, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Free bottled water will be available at the County Administration Building in Georgetown. County paramedics will check in at all four sites regularly. Residents should bring any medication and special items they need.

Temperatures are expected to near 100 degrees today and Thursday, but should slide into the 90s and 80s over the weekend.

"High body temperatures and dehydration will make other medical conditions such as heart and breathing problems much worse," said Sussex County Emergency Medical Services Director Robert Stuart. "It is very important to stay cool and hydrated when the heat index reaches these dangerous levels."

from Dan Shortridge @ the Wilmington News-Journal

Wicomico County Kickball Classic Tournament July 2

Kickball Tournament to include games, BBQ lunches & more

(Salisbury, MD)  The Wicomico County Department of Recreation, Parks & Tourism will host its first annual Kickball Classic tournament on Saturday, July 2 at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex in Salisbury, MD.  In addition to a four game guarantee kickball tournament, participants will receive a BBQ chicken lunch including fresh chicken off the outdoor grill, chips and a drink.  The tournament is open to any participant age 14 years & older and the top two teams will receive tournament awards.

The tournament will take place on Saturday only and individual registrations will also be accepted.  Individual registrants will be grouped with other individual players to form teams.  The cost for individual entry is $15 per player and a team registration is $165/team that includes 12 BBQ lunch tickets.   The registration deadline for this event is Friday, June 24.

For more information on the Wicomico County Kickball Classic, please contact Steve Miller at 410-548-4900 ext. 105 or email at mailto:smiller@wicomicocounty.org If If you would like to learn about other upcoming programs offered by Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism sign up for email alerts at http://www.wicomicorecandparks.org/.

Excessive Heat Warning for New Castle County

An excessive heat warning has been issued for New Castle County, Del., and portions of southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

The warning, issued by the National WeatherService, is in effect from noon today to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the mid- and upper 90s, with heat index values around 100 degrees.

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120,000 Baltimore Area Homes Underwater

The number of homeowners underwater on their mortgages has -- at least temporarily -- stabilized at 120,000 in the Baltimore metro area, according to new estimates from CoreLogic.

The real estate data company says that amounts to 19 percent of all mortgaged homes in the first three months of this year, essentially the same as at the end of last year. Last spring, by contrast, just over 100,000 homeowners owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth, the company said.

Home prices have continued to drop since the beginning of the year, though, so the next underwater figure might show a return to the upward climb. (About 33,000 Baltimore-area homes were on the edge of negative equity in the first three months of the year, CoreLogic says.)

Maryland remains in the top 10 for its share of underwater borrowers, ranking 8th with just under 24 percent. But the hardest-hit states are much worse off.

Nevada is top of the heap -- more than 60 percent of its mortgaged homes are worth less than the loans on them, CoreLogic estimates.

So how much money are we talking about? The average underwater American is upside down to the tune of $65,000, about the same as the average underwater Marylander.

By the way, it's getting really lonely shouting into the void, which is what we bloggers are having to do while the commenting system is down due to spammers. If you email your comments to jhopkins(at)baltsun.com, I'll post a round-up with links to any relevant posts. Let me know how you'd like to be identified.

from Jamie Smith Hopkins @ the Baltimore Sun

GOP Lays Out 2012 Electoral Map

As President Obama prepares to visit Northern Virginia on Wednesday, the Republican National Committee is making the case that the Commonwealth — as well as a handful of other swing states — have moved away from the incumbent over the past three years.

In a memo obtained by The Fix, RNC political director Rick Wiley notes that Virginia is one of nine states — Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa and Florida are the others — that Obama won in 2008 and President George W. Bush carried four years earlier.

“His path to re-election must go back through those states, but his prospects there are far from certain,” wrote Wiley. “In only two and a half years, his position in those states, and in many others, has deteriorated dramatically, and Republican strength is in plain view.”

As evidence of the GOP’s momentum in those states, Wiley pointed out that in the three years since Obama won them, Republicans have won a Senate seat, four governor’s races, seven state legislative chambers and 17 House seats in the nine states combined.

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E-Mail Discusses “Potential Big Embarrassment” to MD AG

It was late one afternoon when the email went out, warning of "hot front page news" that could be a "big embarrassment" to Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler.

The message came from an assistant attorney general, writing to alert her supervisor that a Baltimore lawyer was angry at the state health department lab for destroying blood test records of children with lead poisoning. This private attorney wasn't just any lawyer, her email said, but "a great supporter of the AG's governor aspirations" and "a good buddy" of Gansler's, who is widely viewed as harboring higher political ambitions.

    The lawyer also told the government attorney to tell the state's lab director to stop destroying records, according to the email. And so she did, leaving a voice message that conveyed the private lawyer's "instructions," the email said.

    Attorneys for the state never intended for the email to be made public. Details of it were contained in a report from the health department's inspector general about the lab's destruction of records, but were blacked out by government lawyers before the document was released. The redacted language was easily restored by The Baltimore Sun, by copying and pasting the document into a new file.

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    VA Secretary of Education Applies for FL Position

    Virginia Education Secretary Gerard Robinson, who took that job just last year, has applied to be Florida's next education commissioner after being courted by officials there. He is one of nine new applicants announced Wednesday.

    The State Board of Education, meanwhile, appointed former Commissioner John Winn to his old job on an interim basis until the panel names a permanent replacement for outgoing Commissioner Eric Smith, who resigned under pressure from Gov. Rick Scott.

    Robinson is the only current top state education official among the applicants.

    Another new applicant, Bret Schundler, was fired as New Jersey's education commissioner last year by Gov. Chris Christie. Stacia Smith also is a finalist for appointment as Ohio's education superintendent. She currently is superintendent of the Clark County Educational Service Center in West Liberty, Ohio, and a former associate school superintendent for Dayton, Ohio.

    Tom Gallagher, Florida's second-to-last elected education commissioner, has also applied. Winn has not.

    Florida officials approached Robinson about the job, said Tucker Martin, a spokesman for Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

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    Delaware Passes Election Law Changes

    The House voted narrowly Tuesday to award Delaware's electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, despite critics' condemnation of the bill as an end run around the U.S. Constitution.

    House Bill 55, sponsored by Rep. Dennis E. Williams, D-Talleyville, squeaked through with the bare minimum of votes, 21, following debate that centered on electoral politics with a healthy dose of American history.

    Williams said the bill will give Delaware, which has three votes in the Electoral College, more clout than it currently has. The media already are reporting that the 2012 presidential election will be decided in six states, Williams said, meaning Delaware essentially has been written off.

    But Rep. Lincoln Willis, R-Clayton, said the bill would make Delaware even more irrelevant.

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    Putney to Seek Re-Election

    Del. Lacey E. Putney, I-Bedford, is going for 50.

    Believed to be the longest-serving legislator in the country, Putney said Wednesday he will seek another term in the House of Delegates. He has served since 1962. Re-election would allow him to serve in the House 50 years or more.

    Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee,Putney said he had traveled throughout the 19th House District and received encouragement from Democrats and Republicans alike to run again.

    He will turn 83 this month.

    In redistricting, the General Assembly addedAlleghany County and Covington to the 19th District, which also includes the city of Bedford and parts ofBedford and Botetourt counties.

    Putney said he will use his years of seniority and committee assignments to fight against what he expects will be attempts by urban legislators to change funding formulas for transportation and education.

    "As always, I will continue to follow a common sense, conservative approach to state government, sound fiscal policies and legislation that focuses on sound family values," the Bedford lawyer said.

    from Tyler Whitley @ the Richmond Times-Dispatch

    Maryland Ranks Dead Last in Personal Freedom

    The Free State really isn’t very free, according to a new report from the Mercatus Center in Northern Virginia, a libertarian research group.

    According to a study from Mercatus Center scholars who looks at how truly free each state is, Maryland ranked 43rd, seventh from the bottom. Done by two scholars with the George Mason University-based group, the study ranks Maryland dead last in personal freedom, 44th in regulatory freedom and 28th in economic freedom.

    But one surprise in the study was how well Maryland ranks on fiscal issues, coming in 11th among the states on its freedom rankings.  The Tax Foundation, business groups and Republicans typically beat up Maryland for high taxes.

    Surprise on taxes, spending

    Jason Sorens, a political science professor at SUNY Buffalo who co-authored the study, was “a little surprised ” too, given Maryland’s poor rankings in other categories.

    The main reason for the good ranking on government taxes and spending is the way the Mercatus study calculated the fiscal burden. Maryland’s state “debt ratio to personal income is very low” compared to other states, Sorens said. “Its ratio of government spending to personal income is also low.”

    “On tax collection, Maryland is about average,” he said.

    Sorens noted that the Tax Foundation, which ranks Maryland as the 12th highest taxed state, counts taxes paid to other states. The Mercatus study puts Maryland “right there in the middle.”

    Maryland’s tax burden looks higher because personal incomes are higher, Sorens said.

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    Dodson to Seek Senate Seat in New 22nd District

    Bert Dodson, a Lynchburg businessman and former city councilman, will run as a Democrat in the new 22nd Senate District in central Virginia.

    "We need more people with a business background in the state Senate," Dodson said.

    He is president of Dodson Pest Control, which employs more than 500 people in five states. He was on the Lynchburg City Council from 1998 to 2010, including six years as vice mayor.

    He pledged a renewed state commitment to K-12 and higher education.

    The new district, which was created recently by theGeneral Assembly, runs from northern Lynchburg through central Virginia to Goochland and Louisacounties.

    Five Republicans are seeking that party's nomination to run for the seat. They will face one another in an Aug. 23 primary.

    One of the Republicans, Tom Garrett of Louisa County, challenged the other four Tuesday to a series of debates. Garrett, the commonwealth's attorney in Louisa, proposed 10 debates weekly throughout the sprawling district.

    Those debates, he said, should show who is the true conservative and who is the triangulator.

    from Tyler Whitley @ the Richmond Times-Dispatch

    Europe Is Warning Us

    by Victor Davis Hanson

    If Americans think fuel and food prices are high, they should try Europe, where both can nearly double those in the United States -- while salaries here are often lower.

    Italians, like most now-broke Southern European countries, are desperate to privatize bloated public-owned utilities. Politicians are trying to curb pensions, and to encourage the private sector to hire workers and buy equipment, as a way of attracting wary foreigner parents to lend such perpetual adolescents more bailout money.

    In theory, Italians accept that they are going to have to be a lot more like the Germans, and less like the Irish, Portuguese and Spaniards. In fact, they may end up like the Greeks, who are still striking and occasionally rioting because too few foreigners wish to continue subsidizing their socialist paradise. Red graffiti on Italian streets still echoes socialist solidarity, while Italian politicians talk capitalism to foreign lenders.

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    Walk Your Family to the Plane

    A lot of big dramatic scenes in movies where there's a last ditch effort by one lover to make it right with another lover by grabbing them just before they get on the plane don't seem like they could happen these days with new restrictions that make it so you have to buy a ticket in order to go past security. But it turns out they could still happen, we would just have to have an explanatory side-scene where they ask the ticket counter for what's called a "gate pass."

    Lifehacker explains how these gate passes work. Basically they allow you to go through security and go all the way to the gate, just not get on the plane.

    They're free and all you have to do is ask for one. It will help if you have the ticketholder standing next to you at the counter at the time - sorry, Hollywood - and securing yours at least an hour in advance of the flight is a wise move too.

    Family Going on a Trip? You Can Walk them All the Way to the Boarding Gate if You Ask [Lifehacker]

    from Ben Popken @ The Consumerist

    Cantor Says Nation Is At Crossroads

    The nation is at a crossroads and facing unprecedented challenges, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-7th, told a friendly audience in Henrico County on Wednesday.

    "I do believe that there is a big choice in front of us, and that choice is almost one of an existential nature," he told the Rotary Club of West Richmond. "It is what kind of country do we want to be, and it is squarely based, I think, on the economy today … of what are we going to do to get back in the mode to grow?"

    Cantor talked up the recently released GOP jobs plan and the budget proposal put forth by House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which includes changes to Medicare.

    The Medicare trust fund for seniors is projected to run out of money in 2024, according to a summary released in May by the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees.

    One man in the audience asked how to fix a Medicare system "that far out of whack." Under Ryan's plan, recipients would choose a plan subsidized by the government. It would not change benefits for people age 55 and older, Cantor said. Democrats call the plan extreme and cite it as a reason that Republicans recently lost a New York congressional seat in a special election.

    "My question back to them is, 'If you don't like our plan, what is yours?'" he said.

    After the program, Cantor, who has called on Republican presidential candidates to embrace the House budget plan, replied "yes" when asked if he'd like to see Republican U.S. Senate candidates do the same.

    "Yes," he said. "I believe that the proposal that we've put forward is a credible plan to reduce spending and to reform the system so that we can see a return to prosperity."

    Many candidates were reluctant to back it even before the GOP lost the New York seat.

    U.S. Senate candidate George Allen has offered tepid praise for the plan, calling it a "constructive" starting point, but he avoided a wholesale endorsement.

    Allen "commends Congressman Ryan for offering a thoughtful plan that has started a very important debate," said Allen spokeswoman Katie Wright.

    from Olympia Meola @ the Richmond Times-Dispatch

    ObamaCare Meets Skeptical Judges in Atlanta Appeals Court

    If the Obama administration had any doubt that its signature healthcare law faces a severe challenge in court, it was erased soon after Chief Judge Joel Dubina opened the proceedings here.

    "I can't find any case like this," Dubina said. "If we uphold this, are there any limits" on the power of the federal government?

    Judge Stanley Marcus chimed in: "I can't find any case" in the past, he said, where the courts upheld "telling a private person they are compelled to purchase a product in the open market.... Is there anything that suggests Congress can do this?"

    After nearly three hours of argument Wednesday, the three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals seemed prepared to declare at least part of last year's law unconstitutional.

    The law's requirement that nearly everyone buy health insurance by 2014 is the question at the heart of the constitutional challenge. The argument that the mandate exceeds Congress' power initially was waved aside by many legal commentators, but it has now sharply divided the federal courts.

    Three federal district judges have upheld the law and two have ruled it unconstitutional. Three cases have reached appeals courts, with a fourth appellate panel scheduled to hold a hearing in September.

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    Carrico to Seek Seat of Retiring VA Sen. Bill Wampler

    Del. Bill Carrico, R-Grayson County, said Monday that he will seek the state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican William Wampler of Bristol.

    Carrico has served in the House of Delegates for nearly 10 years, representing territory that overlaps Wampler's sprawling Senate district. Wampler announced last week that he will not seek re-election this fall and will leave the Senate after 24 years in office.

    "I have worked closely with Senator Wampler on behalf of our region, and I am very familiar with the issues and challenges facing the people of Southwest," Carrico said.

    Under a redistricting plan that Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law in April, the 40th Senate District will stretch from Lee County to Wytheville. Carrico is the first candidate to declare for the seat following Wampler's retirement announcement.

    "I understand the challenges and issues facing the families of Southwest because my own family has lived them," Carrico said. "Southwest has always been my home, and I have always stood up and fought for the people of our region."

    Carrico, 49, is a retired Virginia State Police trooper who was first elected to the House in 2001. He ranks second in seniority on the House Transportation Committee and chairs two House subcommittees. He made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2006.

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    SNAP! McCotter Disses Mitt Romney

    Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) has a message for Masschusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is headed to Michigan tomorrow. McCotter declared in a statement, “Motor City hospitality dictates a Michigan message to Mitt that our struggling families, entrepreneurs and workers can’t afford policies that make Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama less than rivals, and more like running mates.” He also held a rally in Plymouth on the “Mitt Romney Obama Ticket.” McCotter is himself considering a presidential bid.

    from Chris Cillizza @ the Fix

    10 Dying US Industries

    If you work in one of these fields, it might be time to start buffing your resume and taking night classes.

    According to a report by IbisWorld, these are the top 10 US industries in the "decline" phase of their life cycle.

    1. Manufactured Home Dealers
    2. Record Stores
    3. Photofinishing
    4. Wired Telecommunications Carriers
    5. Apparel Manufacturing
    6. Newspaper Publishing
    7. DVD Game and Video Rental
    8. Mills
    9. Formal Wear and Costume Rental
    10. Video postproduction services

    Basic business theory says that all companies go through three-stage cycle of growth, maturity, and then decline. If they don't reinvent themselves and enter a new growth phase, eventually they are liquidated and dissolved. Or maybe they just fade out to a whisper, then a trace, and then a footnote. According to the work of the consultants at IBISWorld, even after the economy improves, these businesses are still not long for this world. There goes my dreams of running my own grain mill.

    Ten Key Industries That Will Decline, Even After the Economy Revives (PDF) [IBISWorld]

    from Ben Popken @ The Consumerist