Dover -- As of Thursday, August 25th, weather forecasters indicate that Hurricane Irene is likely to have an impact on Delaware's weather over the weekend. Preparations are being made by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to respond to the potential for damage caused by the hurricane and any possible evacuations that may be ordered.
DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt has issued reminders to all divisions within the department to review emergency procedures, ensure readiness of staff and equipment and to be ready to take action, if needed.
Crews at some construction sites have been told to begin securing loose objects and to make sure signs have been weighted with sand bags to protect them against winds. Crews began working Thursday morning at seven locations to remove a total of twelve overhead signs. The signs, located on SR 1, are wire-mounted fire signs that span the roadway and have the potential to be damaged or cause damage in sustained winds. The span wires and flashing lights at the locations will remain. Sign removal began on Thursday so that crews would be out of the way in the event of a decision to evacuate resort areas later in the week.
At the Indian River Inlet Bridge, crews have engaged hurricane tie-downs on each side of the inlet which help anchor the structure to a piling in the ground. Construction cranes and other supplies and equipment are being re-positioned as necessary. The south side form traveler will remain in its current position, tied to the structure.
DelDOT is working in close conjunction with the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and officials continue to monitor the changing weather conditions. In the meantime, the department urges Delaware residents and visitors to familiarize themselves with potential evacuation routes for their area and to begin planning for their own well-being in the event of a major storm over the weekend. Those people living in or visiting low-lying areas or along beaches should be prepared to move early should an evacuation notification be issued. If the state experiences tropical force winds it may become necessary to close some bridges to traffic due to safety considerations. Designated evacuation routes are indicated by signs along the roadways and can be viewed - by county - on DelDOT's web site.
Those interested in viewing actual maps of the designated evacuation routes can click on www.deldot.gov, go to "Traffic Information", then click on "Evacuation Routes" (http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/tmt/evac_map.shtml). Detailed information on evacuation routes and plans are posted at that site.
Visitors and residents are urged to continue to monitor local radio and television stations and the internet for the latest weather information. DelDOT will post important information on the department's web site, distribute information via Facebook and Twitter, and make announcements on WTMC-AM (1380).
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Poll Finds Disapproval Of Congress At All-Time High
Many voters are untrusting of the government since the debt-crisis
WASHINGTON — Americans are plenty angry at Congress in the aftermath of the debt crisis and Republicans could pay the greatest price, a new Associated Press-GfK poll suggests.
The poll finds the tea party has lost support, Republican House Speaker John Boehner is increasingly unpopular and people are warming to the idea of not just cutting spending but also raising taxes — anathema to the GOP — just as both parties prepare for another struggle with deficit reduction.
To be sure, there is plenty of discontent to go around. The poll finds more people are down on their own member of Congress, not just the institution, an unusual finding in surveys and one bound to make incumbents particularly nervous. In interviews, some people said the debt standoff itself, which caused a crisis of confidence to ripple through world markets, made them wonder whether lawmakers are able to govern at all.
"I guess I long for the day back in the '70s and '80s when we could disagree but we could get a compromise worked out," said Republican Scott MacGregor, 45, a Windsor, Conn., police detective. "I don't think there's any compromise anymore."
BREAKING NEWS: Delaware Schools Open Tomorrow
Even though Delaware has called a state of emergency, all Delaware Schools will be open tomorrow.
Irene By The Numbers
Hurricane Irene is a huge storm with unusual power, and it's heading for cities seldom hit by hurricanes. Here's a by-the-numbers look at Irene's potential punch:
3: Category of Irene Thursday afternoon. Meteorologists believe the storm could reach Category 4 before reaching land.
5: States that have declared States of Emergency -- Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia and New York -- as of 4:15 p.m. Thursday.
15: Number of inches of rain estimated to drop on the East Coast.
5: Number of hurricanes since 1851 whose centers passed within 75 miles of New York City since 1851.
10: Number of hurricanes to pass within 75 miles of Boston during the same span.
26: Years since the last major hurricane, Gloria, passed through the New York City area.
80: Miles from the storm's center that hurricane-force winds are blowing, making Irene an unusually large storm.
290: Miles from the storm's center that tropical-force winds extend.
115: Irene's winds, in miles per hour, as of 8 a.m. Thursday morning.
135: The expected speed of Irene's winds, in miles per hour, as the hurricane travels off the coast of Florida early Friday morning.
1882: The year New York City received its wettest month ever. Hurricane Irene could dump enough rain on the city to break that record.
Salisbury MD Kennel Club Agility Trial Canceled
Joe:
I wanted to inform the readers that in the interest of the safety to everyone that would be traveling to Salisbury for our 3 day Agility trial at Crown Sports Center, we feel it is necessary to cancel all 3 days. Thanks for getting the word out to everyone as I am certain some of the readers were planning on coming this weekend to watch great dogs in action. Unfortunately, the action is going to be with Mother Nature.
I wanted to inform the readers that in the interest of the safety to everyone that would be traveling to Salisbury for our 3 day Agility trial at Crown Sports Center, we feel it is necessary to cancel all 3 days. Thanks for getting the word out to everyone as I am certain some of the readers were planning on coming this weekend to watch great dogs in action. Unfortunately, the action is going to be with Mother Nature.
***TOMORROW***GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO GIVE HURRICANE IRENE UPDATE
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 25, 2011) – TOMORROW at 10:00 a.m., Governor O’Malley, joined by Lt. Governor Brown and members of the Executive Cabinet will hold a press conference to give an update on Hurricane Irene.
In preparation for the storm, the Governor has declared a state of emergency for Maryland.
The press conference will also be live streamed here.
WHAT: Governor O’Malley to hold press conference on Hurricane Irene
WHEN: TOMORROW, Friday, August 26, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
5401 Rue St. Lo Drive
Reisterstown, MD
"A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing"
Anyone that has read these pieces for a while knows where I stand on Warren Buffett. Namely I can’t stand him. It has nothing to do with the fact that he has so much money. I am not an envious person and moreover I think having wealth anywhere near his is more of a curse than a blessing. The reason I can’t stand him is because he is a fraud. While he may have been a great investor at one point, he is more of a great actor than anything else. Here is one of the richest people in the world. He sits there in Nebraska, chuckling, drinking his cherry coke and eating hamburgers in this pathetically obvious attempt to convince the masses he is “just like us.” The term wolf in sheep’s was invented for guys like this. Like most people out there I don’t like bad guys. The trick; however, is that the most dangerous bad guys don’t come out and tell you they are bad guys and how they are going to fleece you. What they do is pretend they are the good guys. Pretend that they are on the side of the little guy or working for the “collective good,” which is a preposterous statement because there is no such thing. Human desires and notions of what is a good life are as varied as the stars in the sky. Once we start allowing officials or rich people to define “collective good” you can be sure we are finished.
I am currently rereading Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Thoreau has been described as “an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist.” In other words, in my mind a true American hero. I was struck by this line as I was reading it the other day:
If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life, as from that dry and parching wind of African deserts called the simoom, which fills the mouth and nose and ears and eyes with dust till you are suffocated, for fear that I should get some of his good done to me – some of its virus mingled with my blood. No – in this case I would rather suffer evil the natural way. A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much.
Thank you sir.
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I am currently rereading Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Thoreau has been described as “an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist.” In other words, in my mind a true American hero. I was struck by this line as I was reading it the other day:
If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life, as from that dry and parching wind of African deserts called the simoom, which fills the mouth and nose and ears and eyes with dust till you are suffocated, for fear that I should get some of his good done to me – some of its virus mingled with my blood. No – in this case I would rather suffer evil the natural way. A man is not a good man to me because he will feed me if I should be starving, or warm me if I should be freezing, or pull me out of a ditch if I should ever fall into one. I can find you a Newfoundland dog that will do as much.
Thank you sir.
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Obama's Latest Stimulus: Handing Out Jobless Benefits To Striking Workers
One of the oddities that seemed out of whack in this morning [13]'s weekly Unemployment Claims update was the explanation for the spike in this week's receipents of government generosity: apparently it had to do with the BLS handing out weekly benefits checks to striking Verizon workers. We will repeat the key word from that sentence because it bears repeating: "striking." Now, we may be wrong here, but if one is striking, one is not u-n-e-m-p-l-o-y-e-d, and hence the US government should probably not be using taxpayer money to double pay such individuals who have singlehandedly decided to forgo pay in return for making a labor statement. Otherwise, it kinda kills the whole "sacrifice" thing. And, lo and behold, as it turns out, we are not wrong. From JP Morgan: "Striking workers are generally not eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits, but it looks like about half of the total amount of striking workers filed claims over these two weeks to formally determine their eligibility." Generally... except when the administration is willing to hand out money to anything and everything with a pulse. After all, there is that massive $2.2 trillion Bank of America balance sheet that has to be funded. And with direct reserve funding already failed, as per QE1 and 2, the only other possible way is via deposit increases. Alas, by the time this money could possibly be saved, it has been spent 5 times, the other 4 hitting Bank of America's bad credit card receivables department.
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BANK OF AMERICA WAS LYING – SHOCKING!!!
This is a bailout. Buffett is part of the US government. I’d like to see Timmy Geithner’s phone records for the last two weeks. I’d bet it would show a few phone calls between himself and his old buddy Warren. You can be sure that Timmy has guaranteed they won’t let Bank of America go under. Buffett’s investment is nothing but another part of the ongoing confidence game.
This $5 billion investment is chicken feed compared to how bad Bank of America’s balance sheet looks. Here is a link to Bank of America’s balance sheet:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=BAC
I tried to access Bank of America’s latest 10Q. I was shocked to find they haven’t filed their 10K for 2010 or their 10Qs for the first two quarters of 2011. How can a public company be 8 months into the next year and not submit their 10K for last year? That tells me everything I need to know about their books.
Here is the poop:
This $5 billion investment is chicken feed compared to how bad Bank of America’s balance sheet looks. Here is a link to Bank of America’s balance sheet:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=BAC
I tried to access Bank of America’s latest 10Q. I was shocked to find they haven’t filed their 10K for 2010 or their 10Qs for the first two quarters of 2011. How can a public company be 8 months into the next year and not submit their 10K for last year? That tells me everything I need to know about their books.
Here is the poop:
- BAC has $222 billion of equity.
- BAC has $1.5 TRILLION of current liabilities
- BAC has $1.7 TRILLION of supposed assets (mortgages, credit card receivables, home equity loans, etc.)
- If BAC had to mark those assets to market and had a proper allowance for losses, the $222 billion of equity would disappear in an instant. That is a fact. Their balance sheet is filled with toxic debt that will not be repaid.
Bank of America Is Back Under $8, And Why BAC Shareholders Should Be Selling Into This Strength
And BAC retraces 50% from its pop. An 81 year old Buffett should really stick to washing himself while in the bathtub, flying in private jets with Becky Quick, and contemplating ways to have everyone in America pay more taxes, and maybe even consider retirement every now and then, than making "Long-Term" investment decisions.
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Invitation To Meet Our Next United States Senator for Maryland, Saturday, September 17th, St. Michaels, MD
Judd and Mary Van Dervort cordially invite you to
An Afternoon Reception with Daniel Bongino
Republican Candidate
for the United States Senate
From the NYPD to the Secret Service to Small Business, a History of Leadership!
Saturday, September 17th
24025 Lynnewood Drive
St. Michaels, MD
4-6pm
$50 per guest
Please make contributions payable to: Bongino for Senate
Republican Crab Feast Postponed
Wicomico County Republican Club crab feast, originally scheduled for this Saturday (8/27) , has been postponed to next Saturday, Sept. 3--still Schumaker Park, 1-4 p.m. Tickets are still available. Contact treasurer Tom Hughes at tjhughes42@verizon.net.
Ca. husband: I Don't Blame Wife For killing Son
(AP)
ORANGE, Calif. - The husband of a woman accused of tossing her disabled 7-month-old son off the fourth story of a hospital parking structure said Wednesday that his wife suffered from postpartum depression and he doesn't blame her for her actions.
The baby, Noe Medina Jr., died of his injuries earlier in the day at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, the same day that his mother was charged with murder and felony child abuse.
The Lawrence King Case: In Court, Has The Bullied Become The Bully?
Emotions have run high since the very first day of Brandon McInerney's trial for murder. Perhaps that's because the killing of his gay middle-school classmate Lawrence King was as emotionally jarring as it was appalling.
When McInerney, then 14 years old, shot 15-year-old King twice in the back of the head in a school computer lab three years ago, the incident jolted the coastal city of Oxnard, California, thrust two unstable households into the spotlight, and made King a rallying point for the gay community across the nation. The shooting exposed a multitude of sensitive subjects all at once: issues regarding gays, transgender people, bullying, white supremacy, child abuse and school violence came to the surface.
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NAACP Wants Md. Redistricting Plans Released Early
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The NAACP and other groups are asking Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley to release redistricting plans early so that the public can review them.
The NAACP held a news conference in Annapolis on Wednesday with the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus and representatives from Latino and Asian political groups.
They are urging O'Malley to release his plan for new congressional districts 30 days before a special session convenes in October. They also want the state legislative redistricting plan made public 60 days before the regular 90-day session in January.
Italy To Unfreeze $505M In Libyan Assets
MILAN – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Thursday that Italy plans to release $505 million in frozen Libyan assets, as Britain pressed South Africa to drop its opposition to U.N. Security Council moves to unfreeze $1.5 billion.
Berlusconi made the announcement following a meeting Thursday in Milan with the leader of Libya's rebel Cabinet, the second stop of a European diplomatic tour to push for the urgent release of billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets.
Paving The Way For Condoning Child Rape
There were those who scoffed at my contention that Abercrombie and Fitch, the edgy retailer, was paving the way for mainstream pedophilia when it began marketing breast enhancing bikinis to girls as young as eight.
There were those who railed against my contention that the French edition of Vogue was kindling pedophilia and embracing it with its racy depictions of 10-year-old Thylane Lena-Rose Loubry-Blondeau in heavy makeup, a plunging neckline and stiletto heels.
Ocean City Initiates Phase Three Of Emergency Plan
Ocean City Emergency Management officials will initiate phase three of the hurricane action plan in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Phase three will go into effect at midnight tonight.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan has signed a proclamation declaring a local State of Emergency.
All persons other than identified emergency personnel are ordered to evacuate. Visitors are asked to return to their principle residences. Ocean City residents are asked to seek shelter elsewhere.
Utilizing the authority under a local State of Emergency, the Mayor is banning the sale of all alcohol in Ocean City and requests that all businesses close beginning at midnight.
All incoming traffic to Ocean City, Maryland, will be limited to emergency personnel. No other vehicles will be permitted entry to the island, except by approved authority (Mayor, City Manager and Emergency Services Director).
Ocean City Municipal Transportation System is providing transportation for special needs individuals. For special needs transportation, please call Ocean City Transportation at 410-723-1606. International student workforce evacuation continues and will be completed by tomorrow morning.
The Ocean City Government Cable Access Channel 4, the Ocean City website www.ocmdemergency.com, recorded emergency management line, 410-723-6666 and Ocean City advisory radio station 1670 AM will remain operational for further advisories.
Ocean City is expected to receive a significant impact from Hurricane Irene.
Easterly gale force winds should start affecting the area on Saturday, August 27 at 5 p.m. with hurricane-force winds arriving around 4 a.m. and lasting for a period of eight
hours. The highest wind speeds from Hurricane Irene should occur near 9 a.m. when top sustained winds, from the north, could reach 90 mph with gusts near 120 mph. Winds should decrease below hurricane force shortly thereafter.
Sustained winds will fall below gale force after 3 p.m. and generally be from the north during this period of decreasing winds. Expect gusts above gale force level for several more hours thereafter.
The total rainfall for the Ocean City area over the next three days is forecast to be 9.5 inches. This can vary significantly as tropical storm and hurricane rainfall is very difficult to predict.
Storm surge is expected to be six-feet above normal high tide cycles resulting in significant flooding in low-lying areas.
NEW POSTS TO FALL BELOW THIS ONE.
A Monument To Jobs And Freedom
This weekend, our nation will recognize the enduring power of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream with the unveiling of a monument on the National Mall, the site of his 1963 March on Washington.
“The March on Washington”—that is how the event is remembered in our children’s history books, but the name is shortened from the event’s original title, “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”
As we come together to dedicate this monument, let us also rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s life and legacy. Let us also build a living monument to jobs and freedom. A job is the root of our freedoms as Americans. Dr. King understood this, asking, “What good is the right to sit at a lunch counter if one can’t afford the price of a meal?”
It is true still today: a job is freedom and freedom is a job. And in all the many difficult decisions that we have to make as a people, job creation has to be our number one priority, always.
To create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments. Indeed, no government program is as empowering for a family as a job. There is no amount of tax cuts that any government can pass that can substitute for a job. There is no better way to expand opportunity, to grow our economy, and to strengthen and grow the ranks of an increasingly diverse and upwardly mobile middle class than by creating jobs. And the most important one we create is the next one.
We live in a time of rapid economic change, and we need to find the will to balance and move forward at the same time. In our State last month, Maryland businesses created 10,400 new private sector jobs—the sixth best job growth of any of the fifty states. But during that same period, our public sector eliminated, 2,300 jobs. That’s 2,300 moms and dads in Maryland, jobs that we could not afford to lose, because every job’s important. Public sector job losses can hurt this fragile jobs recovery just as surely as private sector job losses can hurt this jobs recovery.
Over the past couple of years, we've made the tough, but fiscally responsible decisions needed to protect our priorities while maintaining our state's AAA bond rating. We need Congress to do the same. As a nation, we need to stop cutting our children's future. We need to start rebuilding America and we need to return to the urgent work of building up our children's future.
Someone once said, “The struggle of men against power is the struggle of memory over forgetting.” There is a sense in our country, that as a nation, we’ve lost our direction forward, that we’ve lost our balance, and that we’ve become disconnected from one another, from nature herself, and from the future we aspire to give to our children. We must find that direction. We must rebalance. We must, as Dr. King said, “be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” We must become reconnected.
When Dr. King shared his dream on the National Mall forty-eight years ago, he spoke of standing in the symbolic shadow of President Lincoln. Today, with this monument, it is we who stand in his shadow, and today, it is we who must make his dream for equality and opportunity, jobs and freedom, a reality.
Thank you,
Governor Martin O'Malley
“The March on Washington”—that is how the event is remembered in our children’s history books, but the name is shortened from the event’s original title, “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”
As we come together to dedicate this monument, let us also rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s life and legacy. Let us also build a living monument to jobs and freedom. A job is the root of our freedoms as Americans. Dr. King understood this, asking, “What good is the right to sit at a lunch counter if one can’t afford the price of a meal?”
To create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments. Indeed, no government program is as empowering for a family as a job. There is no amount of tax cuts that any government can pass that can substitute for a job. There is no better way to expand opportunity, to grow our economy, and to strengthen and grow the ranks of an increasingly diverse and upwardly mobile middle class than by creating jobs. And the most important one we create is the next one.
We live in a time of rapid economic change, and we need to find the will to balance and move forward at the same time. In our State last month, Maryland businesses created 10,400 new private sector jobs—the sixth best job growth of any of the fifty states. But during that same period, our public sector eliminated, 2,300 jobs. That’s 2,300 moms and dads in Maryland, jobs that we could not afford to lose, because every job’s important. Public sector job losses can hurt this fragile jobs recovery just as surely as private sector job losses can hurt this jobs recovery.
Over the past couple of years, we've made the tough, but fiscally responsible decisions needed to protect our priorities while maintaining our state's AAA bond rating. We need Congress to do the same. As a nation, we need to stop cutting our children's future. We need to start rebuilding America and we need to return to the urgent work of building up our children's future.
Someone once said, “The struggle of men against power is the struggle of memory over forgetting.” There is a sense in our country, that as a nation, we’ve lost our direction forward, that we’ve lost our balance, and that we’ve become disconnected from one another, from nature herself, and from the future we aspire to give to our children. We must find that direction. We must rebalance. We must, as Dr. King said, “be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” We must become reconnected.
When Dr. King shared his dream on the National Mall forty-eight years ago, he spoke of standing in the symbolic shadow of President Lincoln. Today, with this monument, it is we who stand in his shadow, and today, it is we who must make his dream for equality and opportunity, jobs and freedom, a reality.
Thank you,
Governor Martin O'Malley
US Government Asset Seizures On The Rise
The Wall Street Journal published a disturbing article earlier this week entitled “Federal Asset Seizures Rise, Netting Innocent With Guilty.”
You can already imagine the crux of the article.
In the United States, there are hundreds of regulations which authorize dozens federal agencies to confiscate private property– homes, cars, bank accounts, gold, company shares, and even personal effects.
Ironically, most Americans still think that they live in a country where you’re innocent until proven guilty.
Nothing could be further from the truth, and it’s just another clear example of how the US Constitution has become a worthless piece of toilet paper for the federal government.
The Fifth Amendment states that “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Tell that James Lieto, a New York businessman who was relieved of $392,000 when the armored car company used by his check-cashing firm was taken down by the FBI.
Lieto was innocent and not implicated in any wrongdoing, but the FBI took his money regardless as it just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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You can already imagine the crux of the article.
In the United States, there are hundreds of regulations which authorize dozens federal agencies to confiscate private property– homes, cars, bank accounts, gold, company shares, and even personal effects.
Ironically, most Americans still think that they live in a country where you’re innocent until proven guilty.
Nothing could be further from the truth, and it’s just another clear example of how the US Constitution has become a worthless piece of toilet paper for the federal government.
The Fifth Amendment states that “No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Tell that James Lieto, a New York businessman who was relieved of $392,000 when the armored car company used by his check-cashing firm was taken down by the FBI.
Lieto was innocent and not implicated in any wrongdoing, but the FBI took his money regardless as it just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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BREAKING NEWS: Looming Hurricane, Economic Fears Strike; Dow Tumbles 171
Fears over the financial impact of the hurricane that is forecast to barrel up the Eastern seaboard this weekend, coupled with dreary economic sentiment, sparked a broad selloff that snapped a three-day winning streak for Wall Street.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Washington Monument Damages
Cracks found in Washington Monument
The Washington Monument was damaged in the 5.8 earthquake that impacted D.C. August 23. Damage to the monument was greater than initially thought. Follow-up inspections found more cracks in the topmost pyramidion section. The monument remains closed to the public as the Park Service works with engineering firms to determine repair efforts. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.)
GO HERE to see images.
Virginia: For Lovers, And Divorcees
WASHINGTON - There's something to the saying "Virginia is For Lovers" -- especially if you're a man. But the state is also a hotbed for divorce.
When comparing marriage and divorce rates per 1,000 people in the region, men in Virginia get married more frequently than Virginia women. Those marriage rates also beat what's going on in D.C. and Maryland.
Virginia has the highest number of men in the region who have married three or more times. The commonwealth also has the highest divorce rate.
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When comparing marriage and divorce rates per 1,000 people in the region, men in Virginia get married more frequently than Virginia women. Those marriage rates also beat what's going on in D.C. and Maryland.
Virginia has the highest number of men in the region who have married three or more times. The commonwealth also has the highest divorce rate.
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U.S. Leads World Car Population; China, India Close Behind
WASHINGTON -- No wonder it takes you so long to get to work. For the first time ever, more than 1 billion cars are now rolling across the planet.
That mark was actually it last year, according to Ward's Auto, but recent number crunching led to the discovery.
The biggest jump in vehicle registrations last year was in China, with India close behind. But no where in the world are there more cars than right here in the U.S.
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That mark was actually it last year, according to Ward's Auto, but recent number crunching led to the discovery.
The biggest jump in vehicle registrations last year was in China, with India close behind. But no where in the world are there more cars than right here in the U.S.
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List Ror Rental Assistance Opens Up
First time since '06 for Newark to take Section 8 applications
NEWARK -- Hundreds of people lined up outside the housing authority here as early as 6 a.m. Tuesday, hoping to score a hard-to-get voucher for rental assistance.
The list of applicants topped 475 by early afternoon, but officials expect just 25 to 50 families will ultimately receive one of the federally funded Section 8 vouchers, as demand far exceeds availability.
Among those waiting Tuesday was Beverly Hinson of Newark, who stood outside from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., she said.
Indian River School Board Plans To Appeal Ban On Prayer
Members begin latest meeting with a moment of silence
Members of the Indian River School Board bowed their heads for a moment of silence at the start of Tuesday's board meeting -- a departure from their typical practice of joining in a board-member-led prayer.
Then they made a unanimous decision to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of the recent Third District Court of Appeals ruling that the district's policy of opening board meetings with a prayer -- often a Christian one -- was unconstitutional.
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Then they made a unanimous decision to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of the recent Third District Court of Appeals ruling that the district's policy of opening board meetings with a prayer -- often a Christian one -- was unconstitutional.
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New Castle County Again Ends Fiscal Year With Surplus -- $1.3M For '11
Factors include budget cuts, revenue from sheriff's sales
For the second year, New Castle County closed out its books for the fiscal year
that ended June 30 in the black.
Continued cost-cutting -- including a 2.5 percent pay cut for all employees -- and an unexpected spike in revenue from sheriff's sales on foreclosed property helped the county end fiscal 2011 with $1.3 million in cash on hand, said Ed Milowicki, the county's acting chief financial officer.
Census: South, West Lead US In Marriages, Divorces
WASHINGTON — Singles, take note: With marriages at an all-time low, states in the South and West rank among the highest for couples hearing wedding bells. But many of these states also have higher rates of divorce.
The first-of-its-kind analysis by the Census Bureau, released Thursday, also finds that people are waiting longer before marrying for the first time. In particular, the percentage of women who wed as teenagers has dropped precipitously since 1970, while many men are postponing marriage past their college-age years.
In all, there were 19.1 weddings performed per 1,000 men and 17.6 per 1,000 women across the U.S. in 2009, while divorces became final for 9.2 of every 1,000 men and 9.7 of every 1,000 women.
By region, the South and West had the most marriages, with rates of roughly 19 per 1,000. But they also led in divorces, each at about 10 per 1,000.
Md. Democrats, Va. Republicans Exchange Barbs
Maryland's Democratic Party shot back at the Virginia Republicans this morning, taking the Old Dominions to task for a news release they issued assailing Gov. Martin O'Malley's ability to handle the state budget.
"Bob McDonnell and Virginia Republicans tout their accomplishments but – as often with the GOP - the facts tell another story," said Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director David Sloan in a statement. "Rather than investing in Virginia’s future, McDonnell has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from schools, colleges and universities, and cut funding by a third for EMTs, police officers and firefighters. "
The cross-border bickering bubbles up about a week after Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell became the head of the Republican Governors Association, an arrangement that sets up a natural rivalry with O'Malley, who heads the Democratic Governors Association.
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"Bob McDonnell and Virginia Republicans tout their accomplishments but – as often with the GOP - the facts tell another story," said Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director David Sloan in a statement. "Rather than investing in Virginia’s future, McDonnell has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from schools, colleges and universities, and cut funding by a third for EMTs, police officers and firefighters. "
The cross-border bickering bubbles up about a week after Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell became the head of the Republican Governors Association, an arrangement that sets up a natural rivalry with O'Malley, who heads the Democratic Governors Association.
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The Proposed UN Small Arms Treaty; Pushed By Hillary Clinton
The greatest gun grab in world history is in the midst of debate in the UN and is being pushed by Obama, Holder, Clinton, and all of Obama's Czars. Citizens of the United States, in fact citizens around the world, deserve to know what this treaty, if ratified by the Senate, would mean to Americans. Here is a brief synopsis:
• If ratified by the Senate the treaty would void the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.
• The Treaty would violate the Tenth Amendment transferring and federalizing gun ownership, regulation and licensing nationally.
• Require the establishment of a national data bank (federal) of all gun owners.
• Ban the sale, transportation and trade of all semi-automatic guns that have been in use since the 1890s.
• Confiscate all "UNAUTHORIZED" (a word not defined in the document) civilian firearms.
• Require a federal license for the purchase and ownership of any gun.
The fact is that were this treaty to be ratified it would fundamentally change America, giving it the appearance of Australia and England where gun ownership is restricted and crime statistically has risen drastically since their gun bans. England has clearly demonstrated the failure of this during the recent riots in which merchants were unable to defend their property, which the police were unable to do.
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• If ratified by the Senate the treaty would void the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.
• The Treaty would violate the Tenth Amendment transferring and federalizing gun ownership, regulation and licensing nationally.
• Require the establishment of a national data bank (federal) of all gun owners.
• Ban the sale, transportation and trade of all semi-automatic guns that have been in use since the 1890s.
• Confiscate all "UNAUTHORIZED" (a word not defined in the document) civilian firearms.
• Require a federal license for the purchase and ownership of any gun.
The fact is that were this treaty to be ratified it would fundamentally change America, giving it the appearance of Australia and England where gun ownership is restricted and crime statistically has risen drastically since their gun bans. England has clearly demonstrated the failure of this during the recent riots in which merchants were unable to defend their property, which the police were unable to do.
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There They Go Again
Picking up where they left off in 2008, the media is in the midst of a campaign to ignore and undermine the presidential candidacy of Ron Paul (they gave me even rougher treatment during my 2010 Senate run). Political pundits just do not know what to do with a candidate who fails to fit into the blue and red boxes that form the simple narrative of American politics. They are perturbed by the grass roots nature of the campaign, by the strange honesty and earnestness of the candidate and his supporters, and the odd mixture of conservative values and liberty-minded policies. And like most adolescents, they reject what they don't understand.
The media's revulsion reached a fever pitch in the wake of the August 12 Iowa Straw Poll, the first test of the strength of Republican Presidential candidates. Objectively the results were a dead heat between Michelle Bachman and Ron Paul, who captured 28% and 27% of the votes respectively. But you would never have known that based on the subsequent media coverage.
The story that almost all news outlets ran with was that the poll produced a "top-tier" of candidates that included Bachman, Mitt Romney, and Rick Perry (both Romney and Perry received less than 5% of the Iowa vote). There was almost no mention of Congressman Paul's strong performance. The media also ignored how Perry's entrance into the race will draw votes away from Bachman, thereby benefiting Paul. The media silence even prompted comedian Jon Stewart to issue a hilarious and scathing indictment.
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The media's revulsion reached a fever pitch in the wake of the August 12 Iowa Straw Poll, the first test of the strength of Republican Presidential candidates. Objectively the results were a dead heat between Michelle Bachman and Ron Paul, who captured 28% and 27% of the votes respectively. But you would never have known that based on the subsequent media coverage.
The story that almost all news outlets ran with was that the poll produced a "top-tier" of candidates that included Bachman, Mitt Romney, and Rick Perry (both Romney and Perry received less than 5% of the Iowa vote). There was almost no mention of Congressman Paul's strong performance. The media also ignored how Perry's entrance into the race will draw votes away from Bachman, thereby benefiting Paul. The media silence even prompted comedian Jon Stewart to issue a hilarious and scathing indictment.
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SHARED SACRIFICE
Lady Obama Spends $10 MILLION on Vacations In the Past Year
President Obama needs your help. In a July 15, 2011 briefing he told the American people that we have to be willing to seize the moment, but that it would take shared sacrifice to do it:
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And so during the course of these discussions with congressional leaders, what I’ve tried to emphasize is we have a unique opportunity to do something big. We have a chance to stabilize America’s finances for a decade, for 15 years or 20 years, if we’re willing to seize the moment.While Americans are chipping in by sacrificing their jobs, homes, kid’s college tuition, and their retirement plans, Ms. Obama apparently missed her husband’s speech:
Now, what that would require would be some shared sacrifice and a balanced approach that says, “We’re going to make significant cuts in domestic spending.”
-Barack Obama July 15, 2011 (video)
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BREAKING NEWS: OCEAN CITY TO BE EVACUATED
Pre-Release Unit Administrator Asks For Jury Trial
CENTREVILLE A former facility administrator for the Eastern Pre-Release Unit in Church Hill, charged with three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of fourth-degree sex offense in Queen Anne's County District Court, requested a jury trial Wednesday afternoon.
William "Buster" Theodore Blackiston Jr., 63, of 729 Round Top Road, Chestertown, is charged with assaulting two women in three separate incidents in May and September 2010. The case is expected to be tried in Queen Anne's County Circuit Court at a date not yet determined. Blackiston was represented in court Wednesday by Centreville attorney Sandra Reno. Judge Douglas H. Everngam, with Queen Anne's County State's Attorney Lance Richardson present, closed the district court case with a jury trial prayed disposition.
***TODAY***GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO GIVE HURRICANE IRENE UPDATE
ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 25, 2011) – TODAY, at 3:30 p.m., Governor O’Malley will hold a press conference to give an update on Hurricane Irene.
In preparation for the storm, the Governor has declared a State of Emergency for Maryland.
Please also note that the Governor will no longer be attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of the Brandywine Interchange Project.
WHAT: Governor O’Malley to hold press conference on Hurricane Irene
WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
5401 Rue St. Lo Drive
Reisterstown, MD
ATTENTION ALL WOMEN INTERESTED IN A NIGHT OF FUN WITH THE GIRLS!!!!!
Bryan's Bowling Center in Laruel Delaware Thursday evenings women bowlers league needs women to bowl...
No experience necessary..
Learn as you go...
The cost is $16 per night of 3 games of bowling for 35 weeks...
First night is Thurs Sept 1st practice starts at 6:30 pm..
You can contact League Secretary Christi Williams 443-235-0100 with any questions or concerns....or just show up on Thursday and we will figure it all out for you...
A team consist of 3 women...
If you don't have a team of 3 no worries we will match you up...
Austrian Probed For Sexually Abusing Mentally Disabled Daughters For 41 Years
VIENNA, Austria --Austrian officials said Thursday they are investigating allegations that a man locked up his two mentally disabled daughters in a small room in their home, sexually abused them for 41 years and kept them subservient with repeated beatings and threats to their lives.
Police said that the women have accused the 80-year-old of repeatedly raping them between 1970 and May 2011. The alleged victims are now 53 and 45 years old.
Payless Lets Other Shoe Drop, Closing 475 Stores Over Next 3 Years
Customers of Payless ShoeSource have apparently taken the name of the business to heart, giving the company so little money that it has decided to shut down 475 poorly performing stores over the next three years. Of the shops — including sister franchise Stride Rite — being set up to be stomped, 300 are scheduled to be closed by the end of the fiscal year.
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Too Cute To Fail: Grandparents Bailing Out Their Grandchildren
When times get tough, big banks and auto companies have the government to bail them out. Kids have their grandparents.
No kidding. One in four grandparents stepped up their financial support of grandchildren during the recession, a MetLife survey found. And not all of them could afford it. According to the survey:
MoreMicrosurfacing
Microsurfacing is a thin, tough layer of asphalt emulsion containing aggregate (rocks), water and mineral fillers. It is used to seal cracks and prevent moisture from penetrating the road base. It is primarily used for preservation of existing hot-mix roadways, which is important as transportation officials look for cost-effective ways to stretch their pavement funding. Typically half a road is closed for microsurfacing at a time. The length of time the road is closed depends on air temperature and humidity and whether one or two passes of microsurfacing is applied. Once this material is applied to the road, plan on approximately an hour delay before it can be ridden or walked on.
This process is often most effective when the existing hot-mix surface is five-seven years old and showing minimal signs of distress. Residents may wonder why a road is being rehabilitated when it appears to be in good condition, but this is the ideal time to do a preservation technique that will further extend the life of the underlying pavement and decrease the maintenance cost over the lifetime of the roadway. If the roadway does exhibit signs of distress, patching and crack-sealing will be done prior to the microsurfacing layer. Microsurfacing is being used on roads throughout Delaware and provides a smoother road surface and less loose material than traditional surface treatment (a.k.a tar and chip). When a road is first microsurfaced, it may present an initial rougher driver surface. This somewhat abrasive surface creates a more skid-resistant surface, thus increasing the safety of the road itself. However, as cars travel over the road, the stones and materials become compressed and smoother, ultimately resulting in a road surface that is nearly as smooth as traditional asphalt hot-mix overlay, but still course enough to improve skid resistance.
The microsurfacing material is also being used to patch rutted roadways in Delaware. The material creates a smoother surface on the road without having to do a large scale and costly asphalt overlay project. In addition, this material is typically applied during daytime hours but can be applied during nighttime hours and on roads with high traffic volumes.
This process is often most effective when the existing hot-mix surface is five-seven years old and showing minimal signs of distress. Residents may wonder why a road is being rehabilitated when it appears to be in good condition, but this is the ideal time to do a preservation technique that will further extend the life of the underlying pavement and decrease the maintenance cost over the lifetime of the roadway. If the roadway does exhibit signs of distress, patching and crack-sealing will be done prior to the microsurfacing layer. Microsurfacing is being used on roads throughout Delaware and provides a smoother road surface and less loose material than traditional surface treatment (a.k.a tar and chip). When a road is first microsurfaced, it may present an initial rougher driver surface. This somewhat abrasive surface creates a more skid-resistant surface, thus increasing the safety of the road itself. However, as cars travel over the road, the stones and materials become compressed and smoother, ultimately resulting in a road surface that is nearly as smooth as traditional asphalt hot-mix overlay, but still course enough to improve skid resistance.
The microsurfacing material is also being used to patch rutted roadways in Delaware. The material creates a smoother surface on the road without having to do a large scale and costly asphalt overlay project. In addition, this material is typically applied during daytime hours but can be applied during nighttime hours and on roads with high traffic volumes.
BREAKING NEWS: No Buffett Bounce; Dow Tumbles 170 Points
Selling on Wall Street gained momentum as traders reacted to gloomy economic news, and worried about the impact of the looming hurricane that is forecast to slam the Eastern seaboard this weekend.
From Fox News
From Fox News
THANK YOU SALISBURY NEWS READERS!
Today we re-posted Haus and wouldn't you know it, my phone started ringing off the hook. He's here, he's there! We were running Salisbury Animal Control all over the place. Finally, Haus got so overheated he finally laid down in some one's back yard in the shade and a dear friend called me to tell me she knew where he was.
I immediately got in the truck and headed over to Riverside Road and wouldn't you know it, Haus was exhausted and thirsty. This animal is just huge and only 14 months old. We just kept filling the water bowl and he'd drink everything in it and look up with those eyes saying, can I have a little more please.
Nevertheless, I called Animal Control and the owners to let them know we had him secure. A very special thanks goes out to Mrs. Marshall who went more than the extra mile to rescue this wonderful dog. Let me assure you, the owners couldn't be more excited and grateful to all of you for helping find him.
I have always stated, this is the greatest feature Salisbury News provides. Again, thank you all for helping out. It takes a community to make such positive results and as always you came through again.
Sussex County Releases Proposed Redistricting Maps, Invites Public Comment
Georgetown-Sussex County has released the proposed maps for Sussex County Councils five districts and is accepting written and email correspondence from the public until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
Residents and property will have a chance to further weigh in on the proposal as the county's decennial redistricting process moves forward, including a public hearing that will be scheduled later this fall.
Residents and property will have a chance to further weigh in on the proposal as the county's decennial redistricting process moves forward, including a public hearing that will be scheduled later this fall.
World Trade Center Memorial Info Now Available Via iPhone App
The arrangement of nearly 3,000 names at the World Trade Center memorial is now available as a free iPhone app. The guide will include biographical information about the victims and will pinpoint each name's location at the memorial. It will also be available on electronic kiosks when the memorial opens next month on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The memorial designed features waterfalls in the footprints of the towers surrounded by bronze parapets bearing the names. It opens to family members on Sept. 11 and to the general public on Sept. 12. A museum housing thousands of artifacts from the attacks will open in 2012.
Stocking Up On Light Ahead Of Bulb Phase-Out
Consumers hoarding before traditional incandescents start disappearing from shelves
Karen DeCoster is thinking of entering the lighting business.
DeCoster, a certified public accountant from Detroit, has no experience in the field, but after hoarding 100-watt incandescent bulbs for months, she’s hoping to sell them on Craigslist for a profit
.
Starting in January, the traditional 100-watt incandescent bulbs that many Americans look to when lighting their homes will become a hot commodity. New federal efficiency standards, passed as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, will make the production of these bulbs illegal then, followed by 75-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs in later years.
FEMA Gears Up For Irene
Hurricane Irene is now a category three hurricane barreling toward the eastern seaboard. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for North Carolina's Outer Banks. Meanwhile, FEMA is coordinating federal efforts and has already deployed disaster assistance teams to Georgia and Virginia. The FCC has also sent teams to help manage emergency communications systems in affected areas. Irene is expected to make landfall in the next thirty-six hours.
NASA Satellite Shows Hurricane Irene Lashing Bahamas
Want to see what a major hurricane looks like chewing through a nation of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets? NASA's TRMM satellite has the goods, displaying Hurricane Irene—white tendrils of tropical fury stretching hundreds of miles north and south of the island chain—as it whips over Crooked Island in the Bahamas.
TRMM, which stands for Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, also has its eye on Irene's moisture output. According to NASA, the satellite's been able to track rainfall rates, cloud heights and "hot towering clouds that act as hurricane heat engines."
Cheney Says He Urged Bush To Bomb Suspected Syria Nuke Site
Ex-VP seems to relish criticism by liberals and defends Bush administration's 'tough interrogations' in pugnacious memoir
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Dick Cheney says in a new memoir that he urged President George W. Bush to bomb a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor site in June 2007. But, he wrote, Mr. Bush opted for a diplomatic approach after other advisers — still stinging over “the bad intelligence we had received about Iraq’s stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction” — expressed misgivings.
Botox Now Approved To Keep Your Overactive Bladder Wrinkle-Free
Before it became a party favor passed around by the vanity-obsessed set, Botox was considered to have several non-cosmetic therapeutic purposes, many involving the treatment of muscle spasms. And today it was announced that the popular wrinkle-fighting drug has been approved for use by some people suffering from overactive bladder.
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Gas Prices Drop Before Labor Day Weekend
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – There’s good news if you’re hitting the road for the Labor Day holiday. Kai Jackson explains the reason behind the falling gas prices.
Even a slight drop in gas prices is good news to those on a tight budget.
It’s news that any driver would welcome: gas prices appear to be dropping.
Survey: Most Parents Require Kids Maintain B Grades Or Better If They Want To Keep Getting Support
No more free rides for you, underachievers! A new survey says two-thirds of American parents say they'll only pony up the cash for their kids' college education if they can maintain a B average.
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Are You Ready?
AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center meteorologists continue to forecast Hurricane Irene will strike the Outer Banks of North Carolina after bringing life-threatening conditions to much of the Bahamas.
Next, Irene will past close to or over the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey, then move on to the New York City area, the Hudson Valley and interior New England. The northern portion of this track is farther west and a bit slower than forecast earlier this week, and will result in more serious problems with heavy rain and damaging wind gusts farther west in New England and the northern mid-Atlantic.
Ky. Jury Rules Against Penis Amputation Patient
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky truck driver who was wheeled into surgery for a simple circumcision but awoke without part of his penis lost his multimillion-dollar lawsuit Wednesday against the urologist who cut off a cancer-riddled section of the organ.
A six-man, six-woman jury deliberated briefly before saying it didn't agree with 64-year-old Phillip Seaton and his wife, Deborah, that Dr. John Patterson had failed to exercise proper care. Seaton also sued because he said he hadn't consented to the amputation.
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A six-man, six-woman jury deliberated briefly before saying it didn't agree with 64-year-old Phillip Seaton and his wife, Deborah, that Dr. John Patterson had failed to exercise proper care. Seaton also sued because he said he hadn't consented to the amputation.
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Ocean City Emergency Services Release
Ocean City Emergency Management officials have initiated phase one of the hurricane action plan in preparation for Hurricane Irene.
All persons desiring to travel to Ocean City are asked to postpone their visits until the existing situation improves.
Mobile home residents in Ocean City and those living in known flood-prone areas should secure their homes and prepare for possible evacuation.
Persons should secure or move all watercraft.
All persons are asked to tune into Ocean City Government Access Channel (Channel 4) for further detailed information or advisories. Updates will also be provided on recorded emergency management line, 410-723-6666, http://www.ocmdemergency.com/ and on 1670 AM.
Missing Dog
PUBLISHERS NOES: Considering this dog has not been located there's a good chance someone has taken the dog. If you know of someone who has recently taken in an animal that looks like this one please make contact with the owner above or send me an e-mail at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com.
UPDATE: The dog was just seen 5 minutes ago on Somerset and Riverside in Salisbury. Folks, if you can catch this animal this would be fantastic. The owners are really doing their best to get Haus back.
Dog Stay Loyal To Dead Owner
While family and friends mourn the death of Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, his dog remains beside the casket. KIMT reports.
Holder: Phone Hacking Report 'Disturbing'
(WASHINGTON) — Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday called a report of possible phone hacking targeting 9/11 victims and their families very disturbing and he assured them in a lengthy meeting that the department will pursue a preliminary criminal investigation of the matter.
At a news conference outside the Justice Department after the 75-minute session, the family members and their lawyer said they were pleased that the attorney general made the commitment for a preliminary probe into whether Sept. 11 victims or their families were the focus of phone hacking by journalists at Rupert Murdoch's now-shuttered News of the World.
Two Men Fall From Baltimore Avenue Balcony
Rehoboth Beach police are investigating an accident early Aug. 21 when two Rehoboth Beach men fell from a second-story balcony at 46 Baltimore Ave.
The men said they were leaning on a railing when it gave way, and they fell, said Rehoboth Beach Police Department Chief Keith W. Banks.
Cheney Kept Secret Signed Resignation Letter While Vice President
Former Vice President Dick Cheney kept a signed letter of resignation locked in a safe throughout most of his eight years in the White House, he revealed in an interview to air next week on NBC.
Cheney, who will be promoting his forthcoming book "My Time," told NBC's Jamie Gangel that he kept a secret, signed letter of resignation locked in a safe at all times in the event that something happened to his health.
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