BREAKING NEWS: Seven Killed In Shooting Spree In Grand Rapids, Michigan

Seven people, including a child, were found shot dead after two related shooting incidents, Michigan authorities said. The reported suspect is believed to be at large.

BREAKING NEWS: Texas Executes Mexican National Convicted Of Rape And Murder

Despite pleas from President Obama and the State Department, Texas executes Humberto Leal, who critics say should have benefited from international law.

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON THE PASSING OF BALTIMORE COLTS TIGHT END JOHN MACKEY

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 7, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley today issued the following statement on the passing of Baltimore Colts tight end John Mackey:

“Today, we reflect on the life of John Mackey, a great Baltimore Colt and one of football’s legendary players.

"His remarkable talents on the football field revolutionized the tight end position and earned him a place in history in the Hall of Fame, while his loyalty, determination and integrity off the field have earned him a place in our hearts.

“We are saddened by his passing and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.”

Elections Board to Continue Petition Signature Count

The Maryland State Board of Elections is scheduled to begin verifying the signatures turned in on June 30th for the petition to force the MD DREAM Act onto the 2012 ballot.  The results will be posted on their website at the end of each day.

According to Annie Linskey of the Baltimore Sun, less than 8,500 signatures from the June 30th batch are needed to place the petition on the 2012 (a total of 55,736 valid signatures are needed).  Some sources are reporting that the battle is already one.  After submitting almost 75,000 signatures on June 30, it is unlikely that enough signatures will not be verified.  However, several groups have vowed to mount a court challenge to keep the MD DREAM Act off of the ballot.  The legislation has proven to be very unpopular and advocates of the bill are fearful it would lose if brought to the ballot.

The State Board of Elections has until July 20, 2011 to verify the signatures.  These results must be certified by July 22nd.

Five Things to Buy in July

Here's five things to pick up in July because they're cheaper right now: butter, paint, suits, furniture, and big appliances. Here's why:

Learnvest says to pick up these items in June and July.

BUTTER
There's a boost in butter production in June and July. Guess it moves in conjunction with corn on the cob consumption. You can stock up on butter and then freeze it. It'll be good for up to half a year.

PAINT
Who the hell wants to pain outside in this heat? Nobody, which is why it's so cheap right now. Luckily most big box hardware stores are air conditioned, so drive up and grab your cans.

SUITS
Retailers are clearing out their inventory for the fall, keep an eye out for sales and discounts.

FURNITURE
Same as above, except that you sit on the results instead of wear them.

BIG APPLIANCES
Demand usually spikes before a big holiday weekend, similar to big screen TVs and the Super Bowl, and then drops off. The best time to buy is usually right after one of these weekends, like the recent 4th of July!

Your July Financial To-Dos [Learnvest]

from Ben Popken @ The Consumerist

TRAFFIC ALERT - Ashland Covered Bridge Damaged By Oversized Vehicle Will Require Daytime Closure For Repairs

Yorklyn -- In order to perform emergency repairs to the Ashland Covered Bridge, the Department of Transportation (DelDOT) will close Barley Mill Road from Creek Road to Brackenville Road at the Ashland Covered Bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Tuesday, July 12. The bridge beams were damaged by an oversized vehicle.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

*Northbound traffic on Barley Mill Road can turn left on Brackenville Road, right on Old Wilmington Road, right on Sharpless Road, and left on Creek Road.

*Southbound traffic on Barley Mill Road can head south on Sharpless Road, turn left on Old Wilmington Road, left on Brackenville Road, and right on Barley Mill Road.

DelDOT will post signs to alert motorists of the closure and the accompanying detour routes.

Body of Pasadena Man Recovered from Magothy River

The body of James Robert Kane, 25, of Pasadena, was recovered from the Magothy River near Dobbins Island by Maryland Natural Resources Police, officials said in a statement Thursday.

Kane went missing after a boating accident on July 4. Kane and a woman were thrown into the water after turning their 17-foot boat too sharply, police said. The woman was picked up, uninjured, by a second boat.

Kane's body, which was recovered Wednesday morning, was taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy.

from Steve Kilar @ the Baltimore Sun

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office – Arrest Warrants (06/27 – 07/03)

The Following individuals were arrested by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office on Arrest Warrants 27 June – 3 July 2011

Arrest Warrants

1. William Ernest Shrieves, 33, Mardela Springs, MD; Theft of Motor Vehicle, held WCDC  $25,000.00 bond.
2. Colin Peter Carroll, 38, Princess Anne, MD; Trespass, released on Personal Recognizance.
3. James Howard Brown, 32, Laurel, DE; Assault 2nd Degree, released on Personal Recognizance
4. Tiras Ja’von Dupont, 20, Salisbury, MD; Assault 1st Degree / Deadly Weapon, held WCDC   $75,000.00 bond.
5. Maurice Wayne Sann Jr., 50, Cambridge, MD; Violation of a Protective Order, held WCDC $15,000.00 bond.
6. Shawn Lee Stephens, 29, Parsonsburg, MD; Burglary 1st Degree, held WCDC  $20,000.00 bond.
7. Brittany Lanae Harris, 21, Salisbury, MD; Assault 2nd Degree, released on Personal Recognizance.
8. Ufuk Colak, 33, Berlin, MD; Assault 2nd Degree / threat of Arson, held WCDC   $15,000.00 bond.

Failure to Appear Bench Warrant

1. Jerry F. Harmon, 23, Onancock, VA; FTA –CDS Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held WCDC without bond.
2. Ronnell Decarlos Jacobs, 34, Georgetown, DE; FTA – Assault 1st Degree, held without bond.
3. Heather Levonde Wallace, 35, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Credit Card Fraud, held without bond.
4. David Charles Glacken, 45, Pittsville, MD; FTA – Child Abuse by Custodian, held   $5,000.00 bond.
5. Amy Lynn Donoway, 28, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Theft $1,000-$10,000, held WCDC   $50,000.00 bond.
6. Amy Lynn Donoway, 28, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Theft $1,000-$10,000, held WCDC   $50,000.00 bond.
7. Marvin Thomas Walker, 38, Salisbury, MD; FTA- Bad Checks / uttering, held WCDC without bond

Violation of Probation Bench Warrant

1. Marple Eugene Hull, 38, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Sex Offense 4th Degree, held WCDC   $25,000.00 bond.
2. Elizabeth Ann Keough, 35, Delmar, DE; VOP – CDS Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held WCDC $25,000.00 bond.
3. William Clifford Webster, Jr., 39, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Sex Offense 3rd Degree, held WCDC without bond.
4. Alexandria Joy Rittenhouse, 27, Salisbury, MD; VOP – CDS Possession, held WCDC without bond.
5. Alexandria Joy Rittenhouse, 27 Salisbury, MD; VOP – theft under $500, held WCDC without bond.
6. Alexandria Joy Rittenhouse, 27, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Credit Card Fraud, held WCDC without bond.
7. Alexandria Joy Rittenhouse, 27 Salisbury, MD; VOP – CDS Possession, held WCDC without bond.
8. Kyle Alexander Carey, 20, Salisbury, MD; VOP – CDS Possession, held WCDC   $20,000.00 bond.
9. Katie Louise Haas, 23, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Theft under $500 – held WCDC   $25,000.00 bond.
10. Walter Hilborn Shaffer, 24, Salsibury, MD; VOP – CDS Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held without bond.
11. Jeron Kevin Mitchell Jr., 21, Fruitland, MD; VOP – Assault 2nd Degree, held without bond.
12. Matthew Richard Tingle, 22, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Forgery / Theft, held WCDC   $200,000.00 bond
13. Walter James Johnson, 43, Williamsburg, VA; VOP – Assault 2nd Degree, held WCDC   $20,000.00 bond.
14. Valencia Rene Sessoms, 27, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Disorderly Conduct, held without bond

Child Support Body Attachment

1. Lamar Augustus Oliver, 40, Pocomoke City, MD; Child Support Non-Compliance, held $1,000.00 bond.

Circuit Court – Indictment

1. Leon Palmer Grant, 25, Salisbury, MD; CDS Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held without bond.
2. Lavaughn Clifton Price, 39, Salisbury, MD; CDS Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held without bond.
3. Maurice Kenneth Hardy, 35, Salisbury, MD; CDS –Drug kingpin, held without bond.
4. Jamy Eric Toadvine, 35, Salisbury, MD; CDS – Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held without bond
5. Irving Lawrence Polk, Jr., 36, Salisbury, MD; CDS – Possession with the Intent to Distribute, held without bond.

Circuit Court – Juvenile

1. Male Juvenile, 13, Salisbury, MD; Failure to Appear for Hearing, held Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center
2. Male Juvenile, 13, Salisbury, MD; Juvenile Re-take Order, held Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center

Misc.

1. Travis Wayne Shockley, 25, Delmar, MD; Failure to Pay Deferred payment, held WCDC   $557.00 cash bond.
2. Rodney Vernell Johnson, Jr., 24, Hebron, MD; Failure to Pay Deferred Payment, held WCDC   $357.00 cash bond.
3. Casey Lynn Prevett, 25, Princess Anne, MD; Failure to Pay Deferred Payment, held WCDC   $457.50 cash bond
4. Sheila Toritha Bell-Allen, 59, Salisbury, MD; Civil Attachment for Contempt, held $200.00 bond.
    

10 Brands That Might Disappear in 2012

The site 24/7 Wall Street makes an annual tradition of predicting which brands will disappear in the coming year. Next year, they predict the demise of such diverse brands as Saab, American Apparel, Sears, Kellogg's Corn Pops, and Soap Opera Digest.
Their list for 2012:
1. Sony Pictures
2. A&W (the fast-food restaurant, not the soft drink)
3. Saab
4. American Apparel
5. Sears
6. Sony Ericsson
7. Kellogg's Corn Pops
8. MySpace [the list was compiled before News Corp sold MySpace for just $35 million.]
9. Soap Opera Digest
10. Nokia
Now accurate are they? Well, last year's list included Borders and Blockbuster, and also predicted that T-Mobile was looking for a merger partner. Other list members Kia, Zales, and (sigh) Radio Shack remain with us for now, but 2011 isn't over yet.
Ten Brands That Will Disappear In 2012 [24/7 Wall St.]
from Laura Northrup @ The Consumerist

O’Malley Addresses Critical Highway Audit

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Wednesday his administration will move quickly to discipline personnel who commit serious ethical lapses in the state procurement process in the aftermath of a highly critical audit of the Maryland State Highway Administration.

O'Malley, who spoke to reporters about the audit after a Board of Public Works meeting, said the administration continues to work with auditors, and he pointed out that two employees cited in the audit no longer work for the state.

"A lot of these matters are still under review and fall short of what we would expect from people that work within this administration," O'Malley said. "There appears to have been certainly ethical lapses, and there seems to have been, how can I say it, there may well have been some corners cut in the procurement process that are unacceptable and that need to be addressed and that we need to tighten up."

READ MORE …

Hoyer’s District Must Shrink

Redistricting will cost House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D) the most constituents of any Maryland lawmaker, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings(D) will have to gain the most, according to data released Wednesday by a panel tasked with rebalancing population in the state’s congressional districts.
The population in Hoyer’s 5th district in southern Maryland has grown by almost 47,000, or more than twice as much as that of any other Maryland House member since the 2000 Census.
The shift reflects strong population growth in Washington’s Maryland suburbs, including a substantial increase in the numbers of minorities. Charles County, which sits entirely in Hoyer’s district, is now 52 percent minority, up from 32.7 percent in 2000.
By contrast, the shrinking population in Cummings’s 7th district, which has lost more than 57,000 residents, highlights the loss of tens of thousands of residents in Baltimore over the past decade.
Maryland’s meandering northern 2nd district, represented by C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, will also have to be significantly redrawn. His district lost 17,700 residents, the second most of any Maryland House member.
READ MORE …

Don’t Forget – Third Friday is ONE WEEK AWAY!

OK, it’s really eight days away.

It seems a little strange having Third Friday on the 15th of the month, but that’s when it is in July.  Turn out.  Stop by 300 West Main and see our newly renovated offices.  We’ll be serving refreshments and we look forward to seeing you.

Quote Of The Day

“Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have fewer desires.”

Lao Tzu

Chase Gets Man Thrown In Jail For Fraudulent Check. Except The Check Is Legit.

Ikenna, a 28-year old construction worker, went to deposit a $8,463.21 Chase cashier's check at his local Chase branch, only for the teller to decide that neither he nor his check looked right and he got tossed in jail for forgery, KING5 reports. The next day, a Friday the bank realized its mistake and left a message with the detective. But it was her day off, so he spent the entire weekend in jail.

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Portraits of the Insects Among Us!

Very up close Photo's of Insects that live among us! Very Cool!

Go Here To See.

Brothers, 3 And 4, Found Dead In Car In Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. – The dead bodies of 3- and 4-year-old Wisconsin brothers were found in a parked car early Wednesday morning and the boyfriend of the children's mother was arrested, Madison police said.

The children's names have not been released and a cause of death has not been determined pending autopsies, said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. He said investigators are treating the case as a double homicide and the boyfriend is their primary suspect.

Police said the boys' 22-year-old mother arrived at police headquarters Tuesday afternoon and reported she had an altercation involving a knife a day earlier with her 28-year-old boyfriend at their apartment. Police didn't offer any further details.

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Americans in Debt: Just How Bad Off Are We?

There are a number of possible reasons the recovery has been slower than expected. Foreclosures. Banks making fewer loans. American companies doing more of their hiring overseas.

The adoption of new regulations to stop another financial crisis. My colleague Roya Wolverson has discussed, here and here, the things that could be a continued drag on the U.S. economic recovery, or even send us back into recession.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal took a look inside the disappointing recovery and found a different answer for why the U.S. economy could continue to be weak: Consumer debt.

MORE

PETA Wants Miss Maryland Pageant To Stop Giving Furs As Prizes

HAGERSTOWN—

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has emailed a letter to the executive director of the Miss Maryland organization asking that it not give away fur prizes at future pageants.

PETA also is asking the current Miss Maryland, Carlie Colella of Hagerstown, to donate the fur coat she was awarded to PETA’s anti-fur campaign, according to a copy of a July 6 letter PETA sent to Colella.

Neither Miss Maryland Executive Director Sherry Rush nor Colella could be reached for comment Wednesday.

The Herald-Mail received an email Wednesday from the account of Miss Maryland board member Courtney Thomas that reads, “Miss Maryland is participating in a photo shoot today. Sherry Rush, Miss Maryland’s Executive Director, accompanied her to the photo shoot and has not had the opportunity to review any correspondence from PETA.

“The organization cannot comment at this time,” reads the email, which was signed “The Miss Maryland Organization.”

On June 26, the day after Colella was crowned Miss Maryland, Rush said Colella’s prizes included a $3,000 fox fur donated by Maryland Fur Trappers Inc.

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED NEO-CONS: IRAN CONTROLS IRAQ

I’m sure this is exactly as the three headed neo-con monster (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) planned it on September 18, 2001. The 9/11 attack provided these “wise” men the opportunity to change the face of the world. Dick “Deferrment” Cheney saw his chance to get Sadaam Hussein.

The neo-cons convinced our dullard president that he could go down in history as the man that spread Democracy across the Middle East. Well, we experienced a few glitches on the path to democracy. Maybe they should have concentrated on introducing democracy into our own corporate fascist country.

The law of unintended consequences has turned Mission Accomplished into Mission Impossible. Here is what the neo-cons have wrought:

1. 5,000 dead Americans and another 50,000 wounded
2. A total cost that will exceed $4 trillion – all borrowed
3. Destruction of families around the country as National Guard troops deployed multiple times
4. Over 100,000 Iraqis killed
5. No WMD found
6. No oil for the US
7. More terrorists today than there were on 9/10/01
8. Infrastructure of Iraq is still a shambles with limited electricity and oil production
9. Unemployment exceeding 40% in Iraq
10. Iran is now calling the shots in Iraq

Now the neo-cons, like the woman in this Op-Ed, declare that we need to leave our troops in Iraq to keep Iran from taking it over. Maybe the neo-con master plan is working to perfection. Cheney and his henchmen desperately wanted to attack Iran before they left office, but their economic policies destroyed the worldwide financial system first. Now they see this as their second chance.

Perry, Bachmann, Palin and Romney are itching for a fight with Iran. As the economy continues downward between now and the election, even Obama will be looking for a way to rally the masses behind him.

The neo-con wet dream of war with Iran grows ever closer. At least we have God on our side.

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Stop the Violence Kick-Off

Drop in to the Calloway Street Gym – 507 Calloway Street in Salisbury – and help kick-off this worthwhile project.
The Kick-Off event will begin at 6:00 PM on Thursday.

Letter to the Editor – GOB Heat Issue

I have friends in the  Government Office Building and they told me temperatures reached over 100 degrees in their office yesterday afternoon.   They are afraid of retaliation for sending to the media - but I am sending it in because I believe we are working with a very dangerous situation and the only way to improve things is to expose this via media.  The Wicomico County Health Department,  the Daily Times, and both TV stations have all visited the office and taken temperatures in the morning when temperatures are much lower.  The situation has been frequently dismissed by many as under control, but it is far from the case. 

It is now approaching two weeks with no A/C.  Employees are not allowed to work from home and if they choose to go home, they must use vacation time.   To me, this is beyond unreasonable and inhumane.   There is no timeline for getting the unit fixed or replaced, and no one seems to care.  The decision makers (executives) are upstairs enjoying full air conditioning since their A/C system is working properly.    The outcome would likely be very different if they were suffering through the heat like their lower-rank employees.

Obviously, the city/county officials are so concerned with saving money by not fixing/replacing the A/C unit ..they are not thinking about lost productivity (who can focus on desk work in 100+ degree heat?) as well as cost of probable lawsuits if someone gets very sick or dies. 

Thank you.

Name Withheld at Author’s Request

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

On July 4, 2011 around 11:30 pm a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy was on Golf Course Road and was nearly struck by a vehicle that ran the stop sign on Center Drive at Golf Course Road.  The vehicle was stopped and the driver was identified as Jonathan Chester, 21 years of age of Berlin Md. Mr. Chester appeared to have been drinking.  After doing poorly on field sobriety tests Mr. Chester was arrested.  Mr. Chester was charged with driving while intoxicated and released pending trial.

BREAKING NEWS: Casey Anthony To Be Released Next Week

Casey Anthony will be released from a Florida jail on July 13.

Former Easton Priest Admits Stealing From Delaware Parishes

The Rev. Cornelius Breslin pleads guilty to felony theft

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE A Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to felony theft after being charged with embezzling more than $350,000 from two parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.

The Rev. Cornelius Breslin entered the plea Wednesday in New Castle County (Del.) Superior Court, the same day he was to go to trial on charges of stealing from St. Patrick and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parishes.

Breslin, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft more than $100,000 and prosecutors agreed to drop a second theft count and two counts of falsifying business records.

Breslin will be sentenced Sept. 23, following a presentencing investigation. Sentencing guidelines call for up to one year in prison.

Breslin was indicted in February after diocesan officials reported suspicious financial activity to the attorney general's office.

The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington in February confirmed that diocesan officials did not find any missing money or financial records during the Rev. Cornelius J. Breslin's five-year tenure as associate pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Easton.

Diocese of Wilmington spokesman Bob Krebs said in February there is no investigation into Breslin's activities at Sts. Peter and Paul or the parish's two other churches during his assignment there from 2000 to 2005.

"We looked into it and did not find any financial abnormalities at Sts. Peter and Paul," Krebs said. "He did not have any access to money or financial records since he was only an associate pastor."

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Denied Credit? Lenders Will Soon Have to Provide More Information

If you've ever been turned down for a credit card, auto or student loan — or maybe your application was accepted but you didn't get the best interest rate — and wanted to see a copy of the actual credit score used in the lender's decision-making process, you were probably out of luck. But starting July 21 lenders will be required to show you the score.

The new regulation applies to decisions made using credit scores that could be used to underwrite a loan or line of credit. So in addition to the above-mentioned situations, the NY Times says this would include a landlord requiring several months advance rent after reviewing your FICO score, but it would not include utility companies that use their own scoring systems to decide whether or not to require security deposits from customers.

READ MORE …

NYC Offices To Open On A Sunday For Gay Marriage

City Clerk grapples with marriage equality bill that goes into effect July 24 in state

NEW YORK — New York City Clerk's offices will be open on Sunday, July 24, to accommodate gay couples wishing to marry on the first day the marriage equality bill takes effect in New York, city officials announced Tuesday.

Additionally, clerk's offices will extend hours the week before the law takes effect in anticipation of an increase in applications for marriage licenses and civil ceremonies, Mayor Bloomberg's office said in a statement.

On July 24, the first day gay marriage ceremonies can take place, clerk's offices will be open in all five boroughs, the statement said. The offices would normally be closed for the weekend.

"This is a historic moment for New York, a moment many couples have waited years and even decades to see — and we are not going to make them wait one day longer than they have to,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

Gay marriage became legal in New York on June 24. The state is home to an estimated 42,000 same-sex couples.

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Keep Your Dogs Away From Gum With Xylitol So Their Organs Don't Bleed

Icebreakers gum may be a great way to "break the ice," but you wouldn't want to use them to help your dog freshen his breath. Many pet owners aren't aware that the artificial sweetener inside it and many other products, Xylitol, can be acutely toxic to dogs if the canines eat it. KCBS has the tragic story of one corgi who suffered acute liver failure after he got into a bag of Icebreakers.

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DON'T MISS THE MELSON POWER SHOW THIS WEEKEND!

The TSA Is All Worried About Surgically Implanted Bombs

The threat of drinking water and toothpaste has been securely locked up in a plastic sandwich bag. And those new-fangled scanners can see if you're carrying a huge knife and/or grenade in your crotch. But a new threat has the TSA focusing its interest on something that its fancy electronics and grabby hands can't detect so easily: Surgically implanted bombs.

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Agencies Falling Well Short

A National Security Archive survey finds agencies are falling well short of the Obama administration's order to improve response time to FOIA requests. 17 agencies are working on requests that are 120 days old. The required response time is 20 days. Some FOIA requests have been in limbo for more than a decade. The Archive's 10 Oldest FOIA Requests belong to the the Army, Air Force, CIA, Energy and State departments. At least on dates back 50 years. But there was some good news. NSA found more than half of agencies took steps to improve FOIA response.

Today's Survey Question - 07/07/2011

Should the US Taxpayer Still Fund Manned Space Flight?

Is the End of the Space Shuttle Program a Tragedy?

As Friday’s launch of America’s last space shuttle flight approaches, we have all been exposed to the expected hand wringing. From a genuine concern for advancing science, to nostalgia, to economic self interest, various interests are bemoaning the end of US government - run manned space flight. Is the end of the the Space Shuttle program a tragedy; or simply government coming to its senses regarding one part of its bloated budget?

Don’t get me wrong, I love space exploration. For many years I lived across the river from NASA Langley. I have a cousin who is a retired astronaut. My boyhood heroes were men like John Glenn and Alan Shepard. I recognize that many of the products and technologies which, today, we take for granted had their roots in the space program. However, does that justify continuing a program (the Space Shuttle) which has cost the American taxpayer over $196 billion to date and has never lived up to expectations.

Let’s accept the argument that government funded research in the basic sciences and in technology development yield positive economic results in the future. We have to ask – What can we look back to in the Space Shuttle program that is part of our daily lives today? What technological advances in the program have yielded positive economic benefit to our economy (don’t include employment from the program or contractors)?

But didn’t you accept the argument that research in the basic sciences yields positive economic benefit? For the purposes of this argument, yes I do. That does not mean that we need to continue to shuttle program.

A great deal of basic science research can be conducted via robotic missions. If you want manned missions, it appears that private sector space missions are getting ready for prime time. Space X has launched, deployed, and recovered craft into earth orbit. It’s Falcon 1 system is geared to handle low earth orbit (LEO) deployments. It’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy systems can launch cargo and personnel in its Dragon recoverable module.

The International Space Station (ISS) will be serviced by Space X. In addition, there are private sector alternatives to the ISS in the works. Bigelow Aerospace plans to launch the Commercial Space Station in 2014. Other alternatives are in the research pipeline.

With these private sector alternatives, is it in our best interest to spend taxpayer dollars on a program that has NEVER met expectations?

Yes, I know that 62 astronauts will have to find employment elsewhere. So will many folks whose public and private-sector jobs depend on the shuttle program. Again, is there a valid reason to continue taxpayer funded manned space flight?

Fake Rentals Ruin Beachgoers' Vacations

Police: Scams Originate Overseas

OCEAN CITY, Md. -- Some Marylanders saving for a beach vacation have ultimately learned the rental they secured doesn't really exist or was never available to rent.


Getting burned at the ocean has taken on a whole new meaning. Becky Ray, of Parkville, told the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team that she had her eye on a three-bedroom Ocean City condominium that she found on Craigslist. She said she quickly contacted the individual who posted the ad.

"The price was good. The picture looked beautiful. It was oceanfront, right in the location. It was everything we were looking for," said Becky Ray, of Parkville.
In an email to Ray, a woman identifying herself as Lisa said she was the "agent for the rightful owner of the house," and despite the short notice of just a couple of days, the house was still "available."

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Feds Settle Discrimination Case On Grants From Hurricane Katrina

Federal officials have reached a settlement with a group of Homeowners who claim discrimination in the way federal grants were dispersed after Hurricane Katrina. At issue was the formula used in Louisiana's Road Home grant program. Two fair-housing groups and five New Orleans homeowners filed the suit in 2008 on behalf of 20,000 black homeowners. They say the program paid people based on the pre-hurricane value of their home or the cost of rebuilding. Under that formula, they say, people in poorer neighborhoods received far less than someone with the same home in a wealthier neighborhood. The New York Times reports, the group agreed to drop the suit in exchange for the creation of a $62 million fund to help people who came up short on trying to rebuild their homes.

O'Malley Talks About Critical SHA Audit

BALTIMORE (WJZ)–Gov. Martin O’Malley says his administration will move quickly to discipline personnel who commit serious ethical lapses in the state procurement process in the aftermath of a highly critical audit of the Maryland State Highway Administration.

O’Malley said Wednesday that the administration continues to work with auditors, and he pointed out that two employees mentioned in the audit no longer work for the state. The audit by the Department of Legislative Services was released Friday.

The governor says matters cited in the audit remain under review.

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White House Suicide Condolence Letters For Troops Exclude Most Deaths

A new White House policy to send condolence letters to the family of troops who go to war and commit suicide excludes the vast majority of those soldiers and their families, undercutting President Obama's stated effort to defray the stigma associated with mental health problems from combat. The loophole has also disappointed veteran advocates.

President Obama inherited a policy to send condolence letters only to soldiers killed in action, but not those who commit suicide. The White House says that has now changed. "The President ordered a review of a long-held administration policy of not sending condolence letters to the next of kin of service members who commit suicide," the White House said in a statement sent to TIME.

"As a result of this review, the President has decided to change the administration's policy and will now send condolence letters to families of service members that commit suicide while deployed to Operation New Dawn (OND), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and other combat operations."

The statement said the change in policy is designed to "destigmatize the mental health costs of war to prevent these tragic deaths, and changing this policy is part of that process."

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Restoring Liberty With Three Short Laws

Let us assume that at some point in the future, Congress will pass and the President will sign three bills. These three laws would strip power from the United States government on a scale inconceivable even to the Tea Party's hard core members. They would be very short laws.

The United States Government hereby abolishes the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and all subsequent laws relating to that Act.
The deadline for filing all Federal income taxes will shift in the next fiscal year from April 15 to the second Monday of November.
Withholding for all Federal taxes is hereby abolished.

Think of what this would mean. First, the central bank of the United States would become just one more over-leveraged bank – the most over-leveraged bank in the country. It would no longer possess a grant of privilege from the United States government. Members of the Board of Governors would no longer be paid by the U.S. government, nor would any other employees of the Board. The Board would have to abandon its Web address: www.federalreserve.gov. No more ".gov."

Second, the voters would be reminded in every Congressional election year just how much money the government is costing them. They would no longer have from mid-April to early November to forget.
If all Federal income taxes were due on the same day, this day would become the most feared and hated day of the year, assuming that it isn't already. I ask: Why not have this day fall on the day before Federal elections?

Personal income tax forms must be mailed by April 15. Think about this date. Before they vote in November, taxpayers have almost seven months to forget about tax misery day the previous April, and their next form-filing day will not come for almost six months. Out of sight, out of mind.

I say, let every citizen recall his previous day's tax filing and check-writing experience when he steps into the polling booth to cast his vote. Let democracy speak!

Third, taxpayers would have to adopt a program of personal voluntary thrift in order to set aside the money they owe to the government. Every payday, they would have to take steps to prepare for the Day of Reckoning. No longer would the government get the use of the public's money interest-free for a year. No longer would the government be able to position itself as a provider of nice refunds: "free money!" No longer would the government force people to reveal their whereabouts in order to get their refunds.

WITHHOLDING TAXES

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Why The Rich Shoplift More Than The Poor

Shoplifting costs U.S. businesses more than $30 billion a year, but studies show it remains an underreported crime — and one on the rise in the wake of an improving economy. While people seem to be drawn to more “ethical stealing” during a recession, one explanation for the rise in theft, says Rachel Shteir, author of the new book The Steal, is that people feel less guilty for shoplifting when they see the excess of celebrities and other wealthy people.

In a sense, people think it’s fine to steal because it’s seems so trivial compared to what others have. Shteir’s book examines the cultural history of theft, from the first major trial of shoplifting in London in 1800 to the cases of celebrities like Winona Ryder. TIME spoke to Shteir about shoplifting’s causes and effects, the most popular products stolen each year and the best method to combat the crime.

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Hey Teachers … Leave Them Kids Alone!

America's biggest teacher and principal cheating scandal unfolds in Atlanta ... At least 178 teachers and principals in Atlanta Public Schools cheated to raise student scores on high-stakes standardized tests, according to a report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Award-winning gains by Atlanta students were based on widespread cheating by 178 named teachers and principals, said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday. His office released a report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that names 178 teachers and principals – 82 of whom confessed – in what's likely the biggest cheating scandal in US history. This appears to be the largest of dozens of major cheating scandals, unearthed across the country. – Yahoo News/USA Today

Dominant Social Theme: How can this happen after all the billions poured into America's public schools? It seemed finally that the system was headed in the right direction. What a setback.

Free-Market Analysis: No doubt there will be thousands of articles written about this most recent "teacher and principal cheating scandal." (See excerpt above.) Yet, what is taking place is entirely predictable and, as the article reports further down, cheating is taking place throughout the country. This only happens to be largest outbreak and therefore is most newsworthy.

It was President George W. Bush who, in addition to presiding over several unsuccessful and questionable wars, pushed through "No Child Left Behind" legislation that mandates national testing on a regular basis. The only rational way to improve the educational system is through competition – the Invisible Hand. But the Bush Administration and Congress, loathe to open up the system to competition, substituted legislation for competition with predictable results.

There is no law in the world that cannot be subverted; most laws of any significance are disobeyed on a regular basis. This is why the more laws a society has the more corrupt it gets. This is happening in the US public school system, which was always dysfunctional and corrupt and is only more so now. Here's more about the scandal:

The article allegations point an ongoing problem for US education, which has developed an ever-increasing dependence on standardized tests. The report on the Atlanta Public Schools, released Tuesday, indicates a "widespread" conspiracy by teachers, principals and administrators to fix answers on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT), punish whistle-blowers, and hide improprieties.

It "confirms our worst fears," says Mayor Kasim Reed. "There is no doubt that systemic cheating occurred on a widespread basis in the school system." The news is "absolutely devastating," said Brenda Muhammad, chairwoman of the Atlanta school board. "It's our children. You just don't cheat children."

On its face, the investigation tarnishes the 12-year tenure of Superintendent Beverly Hall, who was named US Superintendent of the Year in 2009 largely because of the school system's reported gains – especially in inner-city schools. She has not been directly implicated, but investigators said she likely knew, or should have known, what was going on. In her farewell address to teachers in June, Hall for the first time acknowledged wrongdoing in the district, but blamed other administrators.

Brenda Muhammad, above, is "devastated" by the scandal, which she claims "cheats children." But American school children have been cheated since the inception of public schooling. Pre-Civil War literacy rates in America are said to have been very high; today, in America, a significant minority of students do not even finish high school and the literacy rate is abysmal.

The simple reason for this is lack of competition. By draining the school system of competition by creating a public school monopoly, the US educational powers-that-be virtually guaranteed the dysfunction that is currently taking place. Unionization has only made matters worse.

The Atlanta cheating scandal, the article tells us, is not by any means the first cheating scandal affecting schools. It is perfectly predictable. Set up a non-competitive system which does not reward excellence to begin with and then use testing to try to improve it and people will ... cheat: students, teachers and principals alike. Many schools now "educate for the test" – a situation in which rote memorization of test facts substitutes for learning.

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BREAKING NEWS: Casey Anthony Sentenced to 1 Year on Each Count for Lying

Casey Anthony sentenced to one year for each of four counts, with credit for time served, for lying during police investigation into the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Get A Good Night's Sleep

In our 24/7 society, far too many Americans see sleep as a luxury rather than a necessity. We have no problem spending long hours at work and then adding other activities that can turn a busy day into a positively grinding experience. Something's got to give, so we delay our mental and physical recharge and skimp on sleep. When we finally do lie down, our busy minds aren’t always so willing to rest.

“Insomnia is a complex condition often caused by a number of factors,” says Qanta Ahmed, MD, a sleep specialist at the Winthrop-University Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Mineola, N.Y. “Addressing those factors often requires lifestyle and environmental changes.”

No matter what its cause, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 30% to 40% of adults say they suffer from occasional insomnia. And 10% to 15% of Americans say they have trouble sleeping all the time.

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Baltimore Buys Equipment To Pave Roads

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — While many cities across the nation are privatizing services, the city of Baltimore is doing the opposite to get more streets re-paved.  Mary Bubala reports the city purchased a brand new piece of equipment to take care of business.

This is what $120,000 can buy: a new paver to smooth over rough city streets.

There are plenty of them in Baltimore and the city says the investment is paying off.  For every mile paved, the city is saving about $10,000 over what it would pay a contractor.

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How Nasty Is Your Bottled Water?

Does your bottled water taste funny? It's not just that it's probably only tap water. Environmental Working Group rated 173 brands of bottled water based on their sourcing information, purification, testing, and how transparent the information on their label and website was. Turns out, some of the biggest brands in bottled water are, well, a little murky.

Only three brands took high marks, the most well-known of which is Nestle Pure Life Purified Water. On a scale of A to F, where F is failing, the Nestle water got a B. Fiji only got a C, and both Dasani and Poland Spring got a D.

Better work on including more sources in your papers next time, guys! Your bibliography is too skinny.

Find your brand - Ratings for 173 bottled waters [Environmental Working Group]

from Ben Popken @ The Consumerist

The Essential Rules Of Liberty

There is nothing worse in this world than an enslaved man who naively believes himself free, except, perhaps, trying to explain to that same man his predicament. You can lay truth after truth before his feet. You can qualify your every position with cold hard irrefutable data. You can plead and scream and raise veritable hell, but before he will ever listen, he must first become aware of his own dire circumstances. As long as he views himself as “safe and secure”, as long as he imagines his chains to be wings, he will see no reason to question the validity of the world around him, and he will certainly never invest himself into changing his own deluded destiny.

Unfortunately, there are many such men crawling and scraping about here in what was once a land graced with a self sufficient and independently minded public majority. The great lie that has been perpetuated in this country over the past several decades is that we can defer our responsibilities of vigilance and place our well being and our futures into the hands of others for the sake of “collective efficiency”, or leisure. We have been conditioned to live in a state of constant indifference, a society which prizes compromise over principle and steadfast resolve. Those who refuse to compromise that which is honorable for the sake of ease and comfort are indicted as “extremist” or even criminal. The idea of personal revolution is treated with discomfort, and all we claim to stand for becomes muddled in a fog of inaction and cynicism. As Americans, we have forgotten what it means to earn and protect our own freedoms. We have forgotten that in liberty, there are standards that must be defended.

This, however, does not mean we cannot yet again remember ourselves. The desire for freedom is as inborn and natural as our own heartbeat, as our own breath. It is instinct. It cannot be erased from within, only oppressed from without. The tide has always been against tyranny, always, though we may find that hard to believe. If liberty was not ingrained into our very DNA, humanity would have succumbed to bondage and self destructed long ago. This is not the case. Stretching under the surface of our superficial force-fed mainstream culture are the roots of something real, and honest. Simmering beneath our so called “civilized” veneer, many Americans are finally rediscovering their wild and defiant origins. In the recent past we have been taught to feel ashamed of our rebelliousness. Now, we are learning to hold it quite dear.

For those of us who are awake, and for those who are on the verge of understanding, certain rules come into play that strengthen our stance and shield us from folly. Liberty is not a self perpetuating social condition. It requires guidelines, and effort, and sacrifice. Liberty will not survive without our willingness to maintain it. If you are not ready and willing to fight for your own independence, then you are not truly free.

Let’s examine some of the inherent laws and guidelines of free will and free action that will allow us to not only win back our self determination, but to keep it for generations to come. You want liberty? This is what it takes…

Rule #1: Never Take Anything For Granted

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Is Oyster Farming Headed For A Comeback?

Ed Lewandowski says it would be great if he could walk into a local seafood restaurant and see farmed Indian River oysters on the menu.

Oysters are tasty, and they're also known for their ability to filter vast quantities of water, while creating or improving key habitat areas for a plethora of game and feeder fish.

But, Lewandowski, executive director of the Center for the Inland Bays, might have to wait a while.

While Virginia's Chincoteague oysters and Maryland's Chesapeake and Choptank oysters are well known, Delaware is the only ocean-boardering East Coast state without commercial shellfish aquaculture. The Center for the Inland Bays views oyster farming as a way to improve water quality, but officials say opening the Inland Bays to commercial aquaculture will take some work.

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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

Worcester County Sheriff’s office

and The Maryland State Police

target criminal activity in Pocomoke City

     On June 28, 2011, members of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team, the Patrol Division, and the Canine Division, along with the Maryland State Police, conducted a saturation patrol initiative in Pocomoke City, Maryland. During this initiative a total of 6.5 grams of cocaine and 9.7 grams of marijuana were seized. The following individuals were arrested and charged with the following offenses:

Gerry M. Laws, Age 25, of  Pocomoke, Maryland

On View Arrest:

4^th Degree Burglary

Trespassing

Gil Milbourne, Age 53, of Girdletree, Maryland

On View Arrest:

Possession of Cocaine

Possession of Marijuana

Possession with intent to Distribute Cocaine

Antrea Doggett, Age 36, Pocomoke, Maryland

On View Arrest:

Disorderly Conduct

Fail to obey a lawful order

George Handy, Age 33, Pocomoke, Maryland

Arrest Warrant:

Possession of Marijuana

Possession with the intent to Distribute Marijuana

Raymond Holiday, Age 40, Pocomoke, Maryland

Bench Warrant:

Fail to pay deferred payment

Charles McBride, Age 34, Pocomoke, Maryland

Bench Warrant:

Violation of Probation

Wysheka Trader, Age 22, Withams, Virginia

Body Attachment:

Non-Support

Donald Dorsey, Age 29, Pocomoke, Maryland

Parole Retake Warrant:

Violation of Parole

Does Banning Porn From Prisons Violate The U.S. Constitution?

An inmate has sued the state of Michigan, arguing that his prison's ban on porn constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."

In a five-page, handwritten lawsuit, Kyle Richards, 21, claims that the Macomb County Jail is breaching his civil rights by refusing access to erotic material. "Such living conditions have been used as a method of 'psychological warfare' against prisoners, in order to both destroy the morale of inmates and break the spirit of individuals," he writes in the lawsuit, adding that he must cope with "sensory deprivation" and "a poor standard of living."

He also claims to suffer from "chronic masturbation syndrome and severe sexual discomfort," and says that pornography is an essential part of his treatment.

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Boonies Thursday Night Special

The Labor Department reports new claims for unemployment benefits slid to 418,000 last week from a revised 432,000 the week prior. Economists had expected a smaller decline to 420,000.

From Fox News

BREAKING NEWS: Casey Anthony Sentencing

Casey Anthony will be sentenced for lying to police at  9 a.m. ET.

Wicomico County Council Lacking in Transparency

After last evening’s Wicomico County Council meeting the council moved into a CLOSED work session. This isn’t particularly unusual, nor have we ever (I believe) questioned their actions before. Last night’s move was a little different.

The supposed purpose of the closed session was to discuss a personnel matter. This really isn’t true. The purpose of the closed session was to discuss a funding issue. Budget matters cannot be discussed in a closed session.

It appears that the county Health Department lost some grant funding. Because of this loss in revenue, they would have to lay off a particular employee UNLESS the county stepped in with more money.

How would I know this? Before you start accusing council members of telling tales out of school, that wasn’t the case. Councilman Bob Culver objected to the item being discussed in closed session. I overheard his discussion with both councilwoman Gail Bartkovich and county attorney Ed Baker. Both Bartkovich’s and Baker’s primary support for this being a “personnel matter” circled around the claim that a particular employee’s name would be used. SO WHAT!

Just because an employee’s name is said in a budget discussion does not give council the moral authority to hide behind closed doors. Frankly, I don’t believe the state’s I don’t care about the employee’s name. I don’t want to know it. Personally, I don’t think that they pay of each county employee should be public record. However, I also don’t think that the council should be meeting in closed session unless they HAVE TO.

I understand the reasoning behind discussing property acquisition in closed session. Ditto with litigation. Making such information public could potentially cost the taxpayers lots of money. I also understand the reasoning behind discussing CERTAIN personnel matters behind closed doors. If the council is hiring someone, a closed session promotes a free discussion. Closed interviews help protect a POTENTIAL employee who could lose his or her existing job if their current employee employer found out that they were shopping their services around. I also understand the legalities of discussing disciplinary matters behind closed doors. However, under our County Executive form of government, such personnel discussions are few and far between.

Is this much ado about nothing? I don’t think so. Does the Wicomico County Council wish to go down the same path visited by previous Salisbury City Councils? Anytime they didn’t want something discussed in public, they simply claimed that they were discussing an item that may potentially be litigated. Of course, we all know that ANYTHING could potentially be litigated.

If Mrs. Bartkovich and Mr. Baker wish to go down that path, we could even see legislation discussed behind closed doors. We know that the county’s personnel manual will have to be amended in order to accommodate County Executive Rick Pollitt’s “reorganization”. Why not do that behind closed doors. Simply cite this part of the Open Meetings Act:

Any other personnel matter that affects one or more specific individuals.

Why not? The county’s personnel manual is obviously a personnel matter. It definitely affects one or more specific individuals. Should this type of legislation be discussed in secret? I don’t think so. Yet, I would argue that there is a better argument for doing just that than what the council did Tuesday night.

Mrs. Bartkovich should be ashamed. Mr. Baker should hang his head for agreeing with her.

Body Found In Locked Truck At City Impound Lot

Homicide detectives investigating 'questionable death'

A body was found in the back of a locked box truck at one of the city's impound lots in Northeast Baltimore, police said.

Few details were immediately available, including whether police found signs of foul play.
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Publishers Notes: A body is found in a TRUNK and its considered a "QUESTIONABLE DEATH"?

Windows vs Ford

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated,

'If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.'

In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:

If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........Twice a day.

2.. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3... Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single 'This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation' warning light.

I love the next one!!!

7. The airbag system would ask 'Are you sure?' before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the 'Start' button to turn the engine off.

Owners Still Missing

Still no owner for this lost dog. According to vet she is a doberman/lab mix puppy. She is malnourished so she is enjoying a special treat today. Call Renee at 443 614 8727. We will contact a rescue tomorrow if not claimed.

Pedestrian Accident

DATE & TIME: 07/06/11 @ 1240 hrs
CC. CARD NUMBER: 11-54-004748
LOCATION: S/B Salisbury Bypass @ N/O Stockyard Rd , Fruitland, Wicomico County, MD

BRIEF RESUME:

On 07/06/11 Troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to the Salisbury Bypass S/B in the area Stockyard Rd for a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Preliminary investigation revealed the driver of vehicle #1 was conducting an unsafe backing maneuver on the shoulder of the roadway, subsequently colliding with the victim, whom he was attempting to pick up. Victim was transported to PRMC for serious physical injury. As of 1630 hours he is still listed in critical condition.

Driver#1: Mark Hastings, 29 yoa, of Salisbury, Maryland.
Vehicle#1: 2000 Chevy Venture Van, Tan in color

Victim: Next of Kin has not been notified at this time

CHARGES: Negligent Driving, Reckless Driving, and Unsafe backing of motor vehicle.

BREAKING NEWS: Private Sector Adds More Jobs Than Expected In June

The ADP employment report shows the private sector added 157,000 jobs in June, topping economists' forecast of 68,000.
From Fox News

New Study Scrutinizes Heart Stent Procedures

Emergency procedures deemed mostly appropriate, but 'elective' cases questioned

A new study of more than 500,000 cardiac patients who underwent recent cardiac stent or angioplasty procedures in the United States has found that up to 15 percent were either unnecessary or appeared to be of uncertain medical benefit.

However, nearly all of the procedures performed on cardiac patients experiencing acute symptoms such as a heart attacks appeared to have been medically appropriate, the study found.
About 75,000 cases were labeled as "inappropriate" or "uncertain" — almost entirely among the 144,700 patients with nonacute symptoms who underwent the procedures on an elective basis. The cases termed "inappropriate" made up about 3.5 percent of those studied.

Of the elective angioplasties, only about half were graded as clearly appropriate when scored against standardized "appropriate use" criteria.

The use of stents has been under scrutiny in Maryland after a doctor was accused of performing unnecessary procedures.
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Yard Sales Saturday

800 Brookmeade Ct. Salisbury MD

Yard Sale - Saturday July 9th 7AM til ?

Lots of Baby Items, Boys-Girls up to 24 months
Toys, Car seat, wipe warmer, exerciser Swing.
Misc. Household items, Men's clothes, small refrigerator.

off Barnsdale, off Parker Rd, north of Heather Glenn development.

Questions? 443-944-0412

********************************

Getman Drive, Salisbury, MD

Multi Family Yard Sale

Saturday July 9th at 6am

Getman Dr. (Off of S. Kaywood Dr) In Salisbury

70s Albums, Antique Iron Bed, Mark II Drum Set, Books and more books,Toys, glassware, and much more.

Call 302-462-1979 if you have any questions

States Told Not To Ban Phones While Driving

WASHINGTON - Much of the research on distracted driving is contradictory and unclear, and states that don't have a ban on using handheld cellular devices should hold off on enacting one, says a new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
 
Though significant research has been done on distracted driving, there has not been a "clear look at the collective body of research," according to the report, "Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do."
 
"Despite all that's been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know," says Barbara Harsha, executive director of the association. "More studies need to be done addressing both the scope of the problem and how to effectively address it."
 
But while the report finds that more research needs to be done, it does say some things are certain.
 
For example, distractions are estimated to be associated with 15 to 25 percent of all crashes, and texting increases crash risk more than cell phone use.
 
The report also found that drivers are frequently distracted, perhaps as much has 50 percent of the time.

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Eastern Shore Businesses Dread Bay Bridge Toll Hike

Just about daily, customers from Annapolis and points west stop in John Oertly's Kent Island outdoors store, stocking up on bait, fishing supplies and hunting gear.

But he's sure a good chunk of them will stop doing that if the Maryland Transportation Authority follows through on plans to raise the Bay Bridge toll to $8 within two years.

"They aren't going to come across," said Oertly, manager of Chesapeake Outdoors in Chester. "People come over (from Annapolis) to buy minnows and worms, because we're a bit cheaper … but you factor in that toll, and we're out. People aren't going to want to spend an extra $8."

According to the MTA's plans, passenger cars would pay $5 to cross the bridge starting in October and $8 by 2013. Tolls for vehicles with three axles would jump from $9 to $24 in two years, while the tolls for vehicles with four axles would jump from $15 to $36. That means people towing boats would face daunting tolls if they plan to launch from ramps on the Eastern Shore.

The price of commuter plans also would go up, from $1 per day to $1.50 by October and $2.80 by 2013.

The proposed increases at the Bay Bridge and other toll roads would be used for highway repairs, MTA officials say.

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The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die

It isn't enough simply to sign a bunch of papers establishing an estate plan and other end-of-life instructions. You also 45have to make your heirs aware of them and leave the documents where they can find them.

Consider: At least 10 states have been investigating whether some of the country's largest insurers are failing to pay out unclaimed life policies to beneficiaries. California and Florida have held public hearings on the issue in recent weeks.

Insurers say they are behaving lawfully. Under policy contracts, they aren't required to take steps to determine if a policyholder is still alive, but instead pay a claim when beneficiaries come forward.

You can avoid such problems by securing important documents and telling your family where they are stored.

Jean Parr is grateful that her mother obsessed about the subject. "I really didn't want to think about it," says Ms. Parr, 54 years old, a manager at the American Chemical Society in Washington. But when her mom died in 2005, she knew exactly where to look for the will, the key to a safe-deposit box and documents indicating her mother had paid and arranged for her own funeral.

READ MORE …

DE Route 1 Cleared

An accident that closed all southbound lanes of Del. 1 at Old State Road south of Odessa has been cleared, the Delaware Department of Transportation said.

Motorists should expect lingering delays in the area.

from the Wilmington News-Journal

Grizzly Bear Kills Man in Yellowstone National Park

A grizzly bear killed a man who was hiking with his wife in Yellowstone National Park's backcountry after the couple apparently surprised the female bear and its cubs on Wednesday, park officials said.

It was the park's first fatal grizzly mauling since 1986, but the third in the Yellowstone region in just over a year amid ever-growing numbers of grizzlies and tourists roaming the same wild landscape of scalding-hot geysers and sweeping mountain vistas.

The Wednesday morning attack happened just two days after the peak weekend for tourism in the park all year, on a trail close to Canyon Village near the middle of Yellowstone.

Details were sketchy but park officials said the bear attacked to defend against a perceived threat. They said the wife of the 57-year-old victim called 911 on her cell phone and other hikers in the area responded to her cries for help.

Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said the couple saw the bear twice on their hike. The first time, they continued hiking. The second time, the grizzly was running at them and the man told his wife to run.

READ MORE …

Editor’s Choice – 07/07/2011

These were the five (5) best, or most important, posts for July 6th, as judged by the editors of Salisbury News.

• Government Office Building Heat Issue 
  
• A Proposal for Downtown – Who Do You Market To? 
  
• Wicomico County Council to Tackle Humane Society 
  
• PORKULUS Cost Taxpayers $278,000 per Job 
  
• Armor Builder Turns Leftovers Into Lifesavers

Reader’s Choice – 07/07/2011

These were the most popular posts for July 6th, judged by the most approved comments.

• Government Office Building Heat Issue 
  
• Today’s Survey Question – Have You Ever Smoked Pot?
  
• A Proposal for Downtown – Who Do You Market To? 
  
• What Can Be Done Regarding the Wicomico County Humane Society 
  
• Wicomico County Council to Tackle Humane Society