The Godfather Of Blogs Has Passed Away

The Godfather of Blogs on the Eastern Shore, the honorable Bill Duvall peacefully passed away this morning.

Bill was the very first Blogger on the Shore with one of the most creative Blogs ever seen called, "Duvafiles".

Bill was a very creative local attorney respected in his profession and is survived by his Wife Sylvia, son Richard Duvall and another son in Hawaii.

Many feel we are losing all of the fine people who defined Wicomico County. Rest In Peace Bill Duvall. You have been missed yet will be remembered in the Blogosphere.

Bill truly enjoyed challenging the local Main Stream Media helping to define Blogs today.

New Posts to fall below.

Mayor & County Executive Read Proclamations At Library

WHAT: Proclamations regarding National Library Week

WHO: Mayor Jim Ireton, County Executive Rick Pollitt

WHEN: Monday, April 9th 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Lobby, Main Library

WHY: To celebrate National Library Week, April 8-14, 2012

Why Is Quitting Smoking Harder For Women? Blame The Nicotine

Women tend to find it harder to quit smoking than men, and a new study suggests why — women's brains respond differently to nicotine, the researchers say.

When a person smokes, the number of nicotine receptors in the brain — which bind to nicotine and reinforce the habit of smoking — are thought to increase in number.

The study found in men, this is true — male smokers had a greater number of nicotine receptors compared to male nonsmokers. But surprisingly, women smokers had about the same number of nicotine receptors as nonsmokers.

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Letterman’s CBS Contract Sets Late-Night Record

David Letterman, the late-night star of CBS, reached a new agreement with the network to continue hosting his program through 2014, setting the stage to break Johnny Carson’s record of 30 years.

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Have Rising Imports Cost 1.3 Million Jobs Since 2007?

If you go by the official data, U.S. workers have benefited from international trade in the past few years. The reported deficit in the trade of goods fell 25 percent from 2007 to 2011, adjusted for price changes. A shrinking trade gap is good for workers because it means more Americans are being kept busy producing things for domestic and foreign consumption.

But what if those trade numbers are wrong? After all, the U.S. lost 2 million manufacturing jobs from 2007 to 2011. A new research report from the Democratic-leaning Progressive Policy Institute says the trade deficit is worse than officially stated. It says the government is understating how much of what Americans consume is actually produced abroad, particularly in such low-cost nations as China. Report authors Michael Mandel and Diana Carew calculate that rising imports account for the loss of about 1.3 million American jobs from 2007 to 2011, or about one-third of all the job losses in the private sector outside construction over that period.

Mandel and Carew say the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis underestimates the value of imports from low-wage nations because of an “import price bias.” They say when a U.S. company switches to a cheaper supplier—such as a Chinese company—and its import bill falls, the government mistakenly assumes the American company is buying fewer items, rather than getting a lower price per item. So it understates imports.

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Obama's War On Marijuana Rolls On

On Monday, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Internal Revenue Service raided the campus of Oaksterdam University, a trade school of sorts—some call it the “Princeton of Pot”—in Oakland, Calif., that instructs students on the finer points of growing, harvesting, and selling pot. Oaksterdam was established in 2007 after the state legalized medical marijuana; it later expanded to Los Angeles and Michigan. The federal raid was the latest in a series of actions by the Justice Department to crack down on the “legal” marijuana business that’s permitted by such states as California, yet violates federal law.

I briefly attended Oaksterdam University a few years ago for this article in the The Atlantic about the growing business of medical marijuana—or “cannabusiness,” as its proprietors like to say. Although media coverage of the campus tends to indulge all the usual stoner stereotypes, Oaksterdam is at heart a business school. Somewhat to my surprise, most of my classmates were not dreadlocked trustafarians or Jeff Spicoli types, but earnest, clean-cut, night-school sorts who wouldn’t have looked a bit out of place managing an Applebee’s (DIN) franchise—a gauge of how promising the business of marijuana once looked.

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Dunkin' Donuts Breaks Up With Pepsi To Go Steady With Coke

If your world actually does run on Dunkin', you may notice a bit of a change at your local chain. The company announced Monday that they're switching from offering PepsiCo products to Coca-Cola in all Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins in the U.S.

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Cargill & Tyson Unafraid Of Pink Slime Backlash, No Plant Shutdowns Planned

While other producers of finely textured beef, now known to many as "pink slime," are dialing back their output of the controversial stuff, major beef processors Cargill and Tyson are all like, "Shrug! Business as usual." They will produce less of the stuff, but that doesn't mean they'll close plants or cut jobs.

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Tatt's Amazing! Man Has Dolphin Tattooed on his Stump

Heine Braeck, 33, hated his stump, caused by a childhood accident on a train track.

The Norwegian realised the shape of his stump was identical to a dolphin’s head.

So he asked Bulgarian artist Valio Ska to turn the stump into a 3D tattoo, with amazing results.

Valio spent over three hours on the meticulous ink job.

Heine said: “When I was 13 I tried to take a shortcut across the top of a stationary train which started moving.

“I lost my balance and grabbed hold of the wire that powers the train and got fried.

“The first thing I saw after surgery was how much my arm was shaped like a dolphin’s head.

“I finally decided to do something about it and got in touch with Valio and arranged to have the tattoo done.

“My friends think it is awesome and I love it because I don’t have to look at a tired old stump anymore.”

Source

YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET - PART TWO

Anyone who hasn’t sensed a mood change in this country since the 2008 financial meltdown is either ignorant or in denial. Millions of Americans fall into one of these categories, but many people realize something has changed – and not for the better. The sense of pure financial panic that existed during September and October of 2008 had not been seen since the dark days of 1929. Our leaders used the initial terror and fear to ram through TARP and stimulus packages that rewarded the perpetrators of the financial collapse rather than helping the middle class who lost 8 million jobs, destroyed by Wall Street criminality. The stock market plunged by 57% from its 2007 high by March 2009. What has happened since September 2008 has set the stage for the next downward leg in this Crisis. The rich and powerful have pulled out all the stops and saved themselves at the expense of the many. Despite overwhelming proof of unabashed mortgage fraud, rating agency bribery, document forgery on a grand scale and insider trading based on non-public information, the brazen audacity of Wall Street oligarchs is reminiscent of the late stages of the Roman Empire.

“Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity.”
― Tacitus, Annals

The actions of the governing elite have provoked the darkening mood creeping across the land. The rise of the Tea Party in 2009 was fueled by anger over the bank bailouts, out of control federal spending and ever increasing taxes. The anger spilled over into town hall meetings, as Congressmen felt the wrath of public dissatisfaction. The fury propelled Tea Party Republicans to being elected in large numbers in 2010. But the movement was hijacked by the Republican establishment and defanged. As 2011 progressed, with Wall Street continuing to pillage the American middle class, the Occupy Movement spread to cities across America and around the world. The movement, led by Millenials, claims that mega-corporations and Wall Street manipulate the world in an unbalanced way that disproportionately benefits a super wealthy minority and is undermining democracy. They have shone a light upon the fact the 1% has used their wealth and power to plunder the national treasury, while impoverishing the 99%. The audacity of the 1% was on display for all to see when former Goldman Sachs CEO and former U.S. Senator Jon Corzine absconded with $1.2 billion of his customers’ money and continues to hide it in the vaults of his fellow robber baron Jamie Dimon at J.P. Morgan. To this day, no one has been jailed for this heist or any of the thousands of other crimes committed by the Wall Street titans. These psychopaths will not be satisfied until nothing remains of our country but a barren desert.

“They have plundered the world, stripping naked the land in their hunger… they are driven by greed, if their enemy be rich; by ambition, if poor… They ravage, they slaughter, they seize by false pretenses, and all of this they hail as the construction of empire. And when in their wake nothing remains but a desert, they call that peace.” – Tacitus, The Agricola and the Germania

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Five-Year-Old Comedian Takes Aim at Lazy Parents

Five-year-old Zay Zay from Tacoma, Wash., may have found the fast track to internet fame.

The “world's youngest comedian” as he’s been called already has his own website, Twitter account and Facebook page, and has a following online with his comedy routines. He posted his first video, poking fun at growing up black, back in February which went viral and now is back with a new spin on parents today being “lazy, lazy, lazy.”

In the video “Lazy Parents,” which was posted on his dad’s YouTube page, Zay Zay makes fun of parents for Lunchable snacks (“How much time does it take to make lunch? Huh? Make me a sandwich!”), instant oatmeal (“Are you serious? Is it that hard to make oatmeal?”), and always asking kids to always get the remote control. Then he gets revenge on his dad.

“Parents are lazy nowadays. They always say kids are lazy, but parents are lazy too,” he says with a toothy smile and adorable red bowtie.

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Make sure you click on first video to see the other video.

WCSO Press Releases 4-4-12

Incident: First Degree Assault
Date of Incident: 2 April 2012
Location: 8000 block of Doris Street, Delmar, MD
Suspect: Kevin Wingfield, 54, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 2 April 2012 at 7:15 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded for a disturbance in the 8000 block of Doris Street. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that Kevin Wingfield was brandishing what appeared to be black handgun while threatening another man. The deputy learned that Wingfield was upset about a perceived problem between this other man and Wingfield’s daughter.

Investigation revealed that Wingfield allegedly pointed the handgun at the victim while pulling the trigger but it did not discharge. Wingfield dropped the gun and became involved in a physical altercation with the victim.

Investigation revealed the item being brandished was actually a .BB gun, but the victim perceived the threat of a real handgun. During an interview, the suspect admitted that he was trying to scare the victim away.

The deputy placed Wingfield under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Wingfield in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault 1st Degree

Incident: DUI / Leaving the scene of an Accident
Date of Incident: 1 April 2012
Location: 31000 block of Dagsboro Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Bryan G. Adkins, 26, Parsonsburg, MD

Narrative: On 1 April 2012 at 11:19 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported hit and run accident in the 31000 block of Dagsboro Road. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that Bryan Adkins was operating a truck when he ran off the road and struck a mailbox.

The property owner witnessed Adkins leave the scene and followed in a separate vehicle getting Adkins stopped down the road. When the deputy made contact with Adkins, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. The deputy conducted field sobriety testing which culminated in the arrest of Adkins on the suspicion he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

During processing, Akins was offered an opportunity to take a breath test which he declined. The deputy released Adkins after the issuance of citations.

Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident

MARIANA PADLEY RECOGNIZED AS 2012 OUTSTANDING PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER

(Salisbury, MD.) Mrs. Mariana Padley was recognized as the 2012 Outstanding Public Health Leader for Wicomico County at a ceremony held April 2, 2012 at Salisbury University. The award ceremony was held in recognition of National Public Health Week, April 2-8, 2012.

As a medically certified interpreter, Mariana spends countless hours with Spanish speaking patients, providing support and advocating for their needs, whether those needs are spoken or unspoken. She has been instrumental in securing primary medical care for patients who don’t know how to navigate the healthcare system. She has been known to stay with patients while in the Emergency Department and to visit them after admission, providing interpretation as needed. She has worked with the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Infants and Toddlers program to provide access to rehabilitative and medical services to clients with disabilities. When she discovered a need to help Spanish speaking clients through the judicial system, Mariana became a certified judicial court interpreter on her own time and at her own expense.

Mrs. Padley has worked with other community leaders to develop needed programs and services through partnerships with Catholic Services, Salisbury University and others. These new programs have resulted in better health habits, better health status and better use of our medical system and providers.

Mrs. Padley is to be commended for her tireless efforts to improve the health of Wicomico County residents and for her accomplishment on being recognized as Wicomico County's 2012 Outstanding Public Health Leader.

Wicomico County Health Department also recognized their 2012 Employee of the Year, Melba Malpass, a Resource Coordinator for the agency’s Developmental Disabilities Program.

Obama's Uncle Gets Mass. Driver's License Back

BOSTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's uncle has been granted a hardship driver's license by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles just a week after he lost the right to drive for 45 days in a deal in a drunken driving case.

The license granted Monday allows 67-year-old Onyango (ohn-YAHN'-goh) Obama to drive from noon to midnight to get to work as manager of a Framingham liquor store.

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Nabb Center 30th Anniversary Gala Fundraiser

“Step Back in Time” to the 1980s
Saturday April 21, 2012
Salisbury University . Commons Bistro
6-9 p.m.
Tickets- $75.00
Silent Auction, ( including one from Poplar Hill Mansion) Cool door prizes, Gnarly 80s music , Awesome Hors d’oeuvres!
Come as you were in the 80’s or come as you are.

Support the Nabb Center, Find your roots, discover your history!

Please call Aleta Davis for ticket information, 410-749-5168
Tickets must be purchased by April 13th!!!!!!

More Hidden Obama Administration Spending

UNITED NATIONS – While President Obama reportedly was outraged at the lavish party and gift spending by the General Services Administration, a controversy that prompted agency chief Martha Johnson to resign, the same White House blocked the GSA from releasing records related to questionable spending by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice.

Rice widely is reported to be on a short list to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state in a second Obama administration.

At issue is the construction of the new office complex hosting the U.S. mission to the U.N., which sits directly opposite U.N. headquarters on Manhattan’s First Avenue.

Insiders allege almost $250,000 was squandered by the U.S.
ambassador on cosmetic changes to her new suite of offices.

The 22-story complex officially opened in October 2011, at a cost of
just over $100 million, up from a projected price tag of approximately $95 million, explained Renee Miscione, spokeswoman at the GSA’s New York City
offices.

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Easter Egg Hunt

Breakfast with the
Easter Bunny
At Parsonsburg Fire Dept
Saturday, April 7th
8:30-10:00 a.m.
Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage
Buffet Style Breakfast
Benefits the
Parsonsburg Volunteer Fire Dept
Auxiliary
Admission:
Kids (ages 2-5) $3
Adults $7
Over 2000 EGGS
In the Easter Egg Hunt

A New Look For Oriole Park At Camden Yards

There will be some enhancements and upgrades to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for fans to enjoy for the 20th anniversary celebration of "The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball".

The Orioles will face the Minnesota Twins on opening day on Friday, April 6, at 3:05 p.m., 20 years to the day that Camden Yards hosted its first regular season game in 1992.

ROOF DECK

A new Roof Deck has been added on top of the batter's eye wall in center field, featuring drink rails, a bar and deck seating. This new area will showcase the view of downtown Baltimore and Eutaw Street, as well as provide a unique vantage point to watch the game. Any fan with a game ticket will be able to enjoy this unique vantage point to watch all or a portion of the game, as space permits. This area was previously inaccessible to fans.

FLAG COURT

The out-of-town scoreboard on the right field wall has been modified to reduce the height of the wall by approximately four feet and thus improve views of the game from the Flag Court and Eutaw Street. Food service and retail in the Warehouse has also been renovated to take advantage of this improved visual connection to the playing field.

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Updated Photo Of Kiera Bertrand Attached

DSP News Release: Troopers Seek Public’s Assistance

Location: Division of Family Services (DFS), Georgetown, DE

Date of Occurrence: Monday April 2, 2012 at approximately 6:00 p.m.

Victim:
Kiera Bertrand, 5, of Dagsboro, DE (Photo Attached)

Suspect and Charge Information:

Tara J. Bertrand, 39, of Dagsboro, DE (Photo Attached)
Interference with the Custody of a Child

Resume:
Georgetown, DE- The Delaware State Police are seeking the public’s assistance in attempting to locate a Dagsboro woman wanted in connection with Interfering with the Custody of a Child.

On Monday April 2, 2012, Detectives from Troop 4 in Georgetown assisted the Division of Family Services (DFS) with an investigation involving Tara Bertrand, 39, in reference to the neglect of her child, Kiera Bertrand, 5. On the same day, DFS was awarded custody of Kiera Bertrand through Family Court in Sussex County. Tara Bertrand did not appear at the hearing, nor did she bring her child to the hearing as requested.

The whereabouts of Tara Bertrand and her child, Kiera Bertrand, are unknown, but there is a possibility the two may be in or traveling to Pennsylvania. Tara Bertrand is wanted for Interfering with the Custody of a Child and Kiera is currently listed as a Missing Child.

If anyone has any information on the location of Tara Bertrand and Kiera Bertrand, they are asked to contact Troop 4 at 302-856-5850 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. The public may also contact the Division of Family Services Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-292-9582.

Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com

Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Houston Cop Goes CRAZY

WARNING: There is some foul language in the beginning but this is a must see video.

Senate Candidate Richard Douglas On Primary Loss

"I want to congratulate my opponent on a hard-fought race in the Republican primary. Republicans and Democrats challenging Ben Cardin know that defeating elite royal family rule in Annapolis and incompetence on Capitol Hill is an enormous undertaking. I
urge like-minded Democrats and Independent voters to close ranks with Mr. Bongino to replace Ben Cardin in November. It is time for a strong Maryland voice to be heard in the U.S. Senate. Today was the first step toward that goal."

The Supreme Court And Obamacare

Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning the constitutionality of the Obamacare law, focusing on the mandate requiring every American to buy health insurance or pay fines enforced by the IRS. Hopefully the Court will strike down this abomination, but we must recognize that the federal judiciary has an abysmal record when it comes to protecting liberty. It's doubtful the entire law will be struck down. Regardless, the political left will continue its drive toward a single-payer, government run health care system.

The insurance mandate clearly exceeds the federal government's powers under the interstate commerce clause found in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. This is patently obvious: the power to "regulate" commerce cannot include the power to compel commerce! Those who claim otherwise simply ignore the plain meaning of the Constitution because they don't want to limit federal power in any way.

The commerce clause was intended simply to give Congress the power to regulate foreign trade, and also to prevent states from imposing tariffs on interstate goods. In Federalist Paper No. 22, Alexander Hamilton makes it clear the simple intent behind the clause was to prevent states from placing tolls or tariffs on goods as they passed through each state – a practice that had proven particularly destructive across the many principalities of the German empire.

But the Supreme Court has utterly abused the commerce clause for decades, at least since the infamous 1942 case of Wickard v. Filburn. In that instance, the Court decided that a farmer growing wheat for purely personal use still affected interstate commerce – presumably by not participating in it! As economist Thomas Sowell explains in a recent article, the Wickard case marked the final death of federalism: If the federal government can regulate "anything with any potential effect on interstate commerce, the 10th Amendment's limitations on the power of the federal government virtually disappeared."

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Al-Qaeda Sites Go Silent in Possible Cyber Attack

Al-Qaeda's main Internet sites have gone silent for more than a week in an unprecedented outage for the extremist network's online forums, analysts said Tuesday.

"All of them essentially went down" as of March 23, said Aaron Zelin, a researcher at the politics department at Brandeis University.

The outage hit a number of online forums including two "flagship" sites, al-Fida and Shamukh al-Islam, which serve as a channel for Al-Qaeda forums, providing a stamp of approval for any associated sites, Zelin said.

"The forums authenticate Al-Qaeda's message, therefore they're very important," said Zelin, who writes about extremist Islamist sites on jihadology.net.

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US Internet Criminalization Now Pursued At State Level - Conn. Attacked

ACLU Blasts 'Electronic Harassment' Bill; Says It Criminalizes Free Speech ... The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut is blasting a bill proposed by state prosecutors that would make "electronic harassment" a crime — including such acts as posting information on the Internet that "has the effect of causing substantial embarrassment or humiliation to [a] person within an academic or professional community." The bill, which comes up for a public hearing by the legislature's judiciary committee Thursday, "criminalizes speech that is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution," said Sandra Staub, legal director for the state ACLU. "It's vague. It's overbroad." For example, Staub said, it contains "no standards for substantially interfering with someone's academic performance." – N Hartford Courant

Dominant Social Theme: Now SOPA moves to the states. Good.

Free-Market Analysis: These bills are all about the criminalizing of the Internet. Now that SOPA has been pushed back on the federal front, the action is turning to the states. The idea, in our view, is to whittle away at the Internet bit by bit. Create precedent at the state level and then move in again at the federal level.

The powers-that-be don't like the Internet or what we call the Internet Reformation that has changed the context of the power debate in the US and throughout the world.

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Obama Prepares to Sue Sheriff Joe

WASHINGTON – On the heels of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s challenge of Barack Obama’s constitutional eligibility for the presidency, the Obama administration announced today it’s preparing to sue the Arizona elected official for alleged civil-rights violations against Latinos in a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The administration’s Justice Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have been in settlement talks for months over Obama administration allegations that officers made unlawful stops and arrests of Latinos, used excessive force against them and failed to adequately protect the Hispanic community.

Those negotiations broke down about the time Arpaio held a news conference in Phoenix announcing that preliminary findings of a six-month law-enforcement probe found the birth certificate Obama posted on the White House website was fraudulent.

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Canadian Oil Going To Asia, No Matter What: Harper

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Even if President Barack Obama approved the controversial Keystone XL pipeline tomorrow, at least some Canadian oil would still flow to Asia, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In a public one-on-one interview here with Jane Harman, head of the Wilson Centre think-tank, Harper said Obama's rejection of the controversial pipeline -- even temporarily -- stressed Canada's need to find other buyers for oilsands crude.

And that wouldn't change even if the president's mind did.

"Look, the very fact that a 'no' could even be said underscores to our country that we must diversify our energy export markets," Harper told Harman in front of a live audience of businesspeople, scholars, diplomats, and journalists.

"We cannot be, as a country, in a situation where our one and, in many cases, only energy partner could say no to our energy products. We just cannot be in that position."

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Maggots Make For An Unsavory Airline Snack

WASHINGTON - The ingredients in trail mix are known to be hit-or-miss -- usually nuts, raisins or some dried fruit.

However, for a passenger traveling Australian airline Qantas, maggots were truly unexpected.

Victoria Cleven of Australia was traveling from Los Angeles to Melbourne when she noticed her in-flight snack, provided by the airline, tasted strange.

"When I turned the light on and looked down I saw white stringy bits. Then I saw maggots crawling inside the pack," Cleven told Melbourne's 7News.

The maggot infestation wasn't limited to Cleven's food. Her 15-year-old son found maggots in two more packets of trail mix.

Sydney Biscuit Company, which makes the trail mix, says the airline is responsible and Cleven is currently negotiating with Qantas on monetary compensation. Unfortunately for Qantas, Cleven already captured the unsavory snack on video.

Video Here

Sanford PD Issues Partial Report That Backs Up Zimmerman's Claims

Today the Sanford PD released a partial police report that contains the written descriptions of what the officers on the scene of the TrayVon Martin shooting found when they got there:

http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2012-03/69081607-29132322.pdf

Delaney Scores Upset Victory in Maryland Primary

Potomac businessman John K. Delaney lodged a convincing victory Tuesday in Maryland’s 6th District Democratic congressional primary, beating a candidate who was backed by many of the state’s most powerful Democrats.

Mr. Delaney, who has never held public office, defeated state Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Garagiola in the race for the district’s Democratic nomination, setting up a November showdown with incumbent Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett who easily won the GOP race.

The district — which includes Western Maryland and much of Montgomery County — has long been one of the state’s few conservative strongholds but was redrawn last fall by Democrats to give them a better shot at winning its congressional seat, which Mr. Bartlett has held since 1993.

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Question: What Takes 4 Years, $139,000, And Makes You Sleep In A Tent?

Answer: A gender studies degree from Kentucky.

You can spend four years earning a degree in “Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies” at the University of Kansas or a degree in “Gender and Women’s Studies” at the University of Kentucky.

But the degree will cost you more at Kansas if you are an out-of-state student than it will at Kentucky.

At Kansas, according to the College Board, tuition plus room and board is currently $21,446 per year for an in-state student and $34,832 for an out-of-state student.

At Kentucky, it’s $22,142 for an in-state student and $31,754 for an out-of-state student.

That works out to a cool $139,328 for an out-of-state student to earn an undergraduate degree in gender studies at Kansas versus just $127,016 for an out-of-state student at Kentucky. That’s assuming the tuition and board and room costs don’t increase–and the student finishes in four years.

Why spend so much time and money earning a college degree in gender studies?

KU’s Web site gives a very short explanation of why this is not only a major but a department which grants doctoral degrees (Ph.Ds): “Because much of what people think they know about women, gender, and sex is myth.”

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Maryland Unveils Orioles Cartoon Bird License Plate

Maryland will begin selling Baltimore Orioles-themed license plates featuring the team’s popular cartoon bird logo.

The plates, obtained through the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration, cost $50, with $25 going to the Orioles’ charitable arm.

The plates will have a randomly assigned 4-digit number.

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Flea Market In Hebron

Where Are Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, And Obama On This?

A week ago, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a black kid named Tyrone Woodfork severely beat an elderly couple, a Mr. & Mrs. Strait, who had been married for 65 years. Tyrone RAPED Mrs. Strait, and she died of injuries received at his hands. Mr. Strait served in the 101st Airborne during WWII. NO national media carried the story. Tyrone was arrested yesterday.

I supposed that if Mr. Strait had shot Tyrone, the whole country would know about the story. As it is, only Mrs. Strait died, so it's not of interest to Brian Williams and the rest of the main stream media media.

Think about it. After 65 years of marriage. After serving our country. After 90 years of life, Mr. Strait has lost his wife to a rapist/murderer. NO ONE in the national media gives a flip. They're interested in their wonderful hero, Trayvon Martin.

Tyrone Woodfork, 20, was charged in Tulsa County District Court with felony first-degree murder, two counts of robbery with a firearm and first-degree burglary.
Bob and Nancy Strait were assaulted March 14 in their home in the 3300 block of East Virgin Street. Nancy Strait died March 15 from injuries related to the assault. She was also raped. Bob Strait is still recovering from multiple injuries and has been re-admitted to a hospital.

Woodfork was arrested March 15 after witnesses reported seeing the couple’s stolen 2001 Dodge Neon in the 3500 block of East Fourth Street. He remains in the Tulsa Jail without bond.

Story HERE.

Aging Baby Boomers Take Wheel for Rules of the Road

The nation’s baby boomers, now entering into their golden years in record numbers, are not giving up the car keys without a fight.

As the leading edge of the massive boomer generation turned 65 in 2011, a study suggests that America’s roads will be facing a “silver tsunami” of older drivers determined to hold on to to their driver’s licenses even as their reflexes slow and eyesight dims.

A survey of more than 500 older drivers released Tuesday by AAA finds that senior citizens worry about their driving abilities but insist that having a car is a necessary part of their lives. Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed said being forced to surrender their license would pose a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem.

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SHHHHHH, Don't Tell Anybody

Interim Fire Chief Rick Hoppes is in New York today for the FINAL inspection of Salisbury Fire Boat.

The boat should be in Virginia by the end of the month for its sea trial.

And you people wonder why Salisbury and Wicomico County have so many financial problems. Wait until the upkeep bills start coming in on this puppy and don't you ever say you weren't warned.

Leave it to the Democratic Leaders to break the Bank.

Good News! Reno Wind Turbine That Cost $21,000 Saves $4!

(Power Engineering) The electricity produced by NV Energy’s $46 million wind rebate program has fallen far short of expectations.

In a startling example, the city of Reno’s wind turbines — for which the city received more than $150,000 in rate-payer funded rebates — produced dramatically less electricity than the manufacturers of its turbines promised.

“These manufacturers, when they gave us the turbines, they said they were designed to be mounted on a parapet at this height, and that’s what we did,” said Jason Geddes, who runs the city of Reno’s renewable energy program. “But when we started getting actual wind flow patterns, we realized their claims were wrong.”

As first reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal , one turbine that cost the city $21,000 to install saved the city $4 on its energy bill. Overall, $416,000 worth of turbines have netted the city $2,800 in energy savings.

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Authorities Probe Online Terror Threat

Gotham's top cop on Tuesday said authorities are looking into the possibility that an Egyptian writer may have been responsible for an online posting that pictured a New York cityscape with the words "Al-Qaida. Coming Soon Again in New York."

"The use of language indicated that," said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "Its many different dialects in Arabic and our analysts thought that this was Egyptian in nature.

"He said that the graphic image, which surfaced Monday on a few jihadist Web forums and featured the words in the English, did not coincide with any specific online chatter about a potential threat and that it was unclear whether one or multiple individuals was responsible for the posting.

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Thank You For The Republican Nomination

Thank you for your support! I am humbled by your faith in me to carry your banner forward.

Now the second phase of our fight begins. We are going to carry our message to every nook and cranny in the 5th District. The future of our country is at stake and we look forward to discussing these issues with citizens from every county, town, and village in this district. Join us in this endeavor--contact our Headquarters to find out how you can help.

I would also like to thank Mr. David Hill and Mr. Glen Morton for running in the Republican Primary with me. Their sincerity, honesty, and sportsmanship are commendable and made the race enjoyable. I invite them to join our campaign in our effort to give the citizens of the 5th Congressional District a congressman who will better represent everyone.

Once again, thank you for your vote of confidence.

Sincerely,

Tony O'Donnell
Minority Leader
Maryland House of Delegates

How To Explain Government To An Alien (From Outer Space, Not Mexico)

Alien (A): “I’ve traveled across space to check on the progress of your species.”

Human (H): “Cool. Shall I take you to our leader?”

A: “Your what?”

H: “Our leader. The guy in charge.”

A: “The guy in charge of what?”

H: “Well, in charge of everything.”

A: “You have one guy in charge of everything?”

H: “No, no. He’s in charge of Government.”

A: “What is ‘Government’?”

H: “Well, Government makes the rules for us. It tells us what we can do, and what we can’t do.”

A: “So, Government is really smart? They come up with wise rules for you to follow?”

H” “Well, mostly. But some of its rules really are stupid.”

A: “Do you disregard those rules?”

H: “No we have to follow the rules, even if they are stupid or we disagree with them. Government punishes anyone who disobeys the rules.”

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Humbled By Primary Support, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Is Confident Of Victory In November

Frederick, MD – Congressman Roscoe Bartlett issued the following statement this evening after he was declared the winner of Maryland's Republican Primary for the Sixth Congressional District of Maryland.

“The race for the Sixth District Republican Primary has been called and the outcome reaffirms what I have always known; that the great wisdom in our country comes from we, the people, not the powers that be in Annapolis. I am even more confident of victory in November because voting for my democrat opponent is a vote for Obama's and Pelosi's liberal policies which are barkrupting our government and killing American jobs"

“I want to thank each of my seven opponents. I've always run as if I were 20 points behind. It would have been impossible for me to run hard without my opponents. They deserve the thanks of every Republican for having the courage to get into the political arena and to seek the support of voters to become the Republican nominee for the Sixth District of Maryland.

“I look forward to contrasting my record of diverse experiences inventing the future for decades with 20 patents and 20 years of bipartisan accomplishments in the Congress to prove it. My old school American values of devotion to faith, family, our Constitution, hard work and individual responsibility will always be in style. No candidate running for Congress came from more humble beginnings than I did. I literally grew up as a dirt poor farmer. I worked full-time as a caregiver for a sick, elderly man to put myself through college. I am very proud that I was hired as a professor at the University of Maryland while I completed work on my doctorate. I am very proud that the success that I enjoyed from my research, inventions, and teaching came from serving and enriching others, rather than myself. I don't have to reinvent myself as a public servant or a citizen-legislator, because I've always been one.

“Voters face a clear choice in November. Compared to my opponent, I have a consistent record of voting to reduce government spending and to reduce your taxes. I support a balanced budget amendment. I oppose and voted against all of the bailouts. I voted against Obama's spending sprees, his trillion dollar annual deficits and Obamacare. As a senior myself with children who are baby boomers, I am fighting to save our Social Security and Medicare programs rather than hurtle them faster to bankruptcy and an impoverished future for younger Americans. I owned and operated my own business for 10 years and made payroll every week for all of my employees. I'm the only candidate who is a scientist and engineer and an early adapter and personal user of solar and wind energy. I was the first Member of Congress to buy a hybrid-electric car. When I hear some candidates talk about making the 1% pay their fair share, I think about the 1% of Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I know that if Members of Congress don't understand the equipment that our men and women in uniform need to maintain our national defense, then nothing else may matter.”

Big Rigs Sucked Into Storm

Truck trailers are thrown around violently as a tornado rips through North Texas.

Video Here

Kill A Snakehead, Get A Prize

To state fish and game officials, the only good snakehead is a dead snakehead.

Maryland is offering fishermen prizes worth up to $200 for killing snakeheads.

The Department of Natural Resources says prizes in its second annual snakehead contest include a $200 gift card from Bass Pro Shops. Fishermen can also win a Maryland State Passport that allows entry to state parks and boat launches as well as discounts on boat rentals.

Three winners will be picked in a random drawing in November.

Fishermen can enter by submitting catch details and a photo of their dead snakehead online on the DNR Angler's log.

DNR officials say the snakehead was illegally introduced into the Potomac and has since been found as far away as the Rhode and Nanticoke Rivers. The voracious predator can harm native fish populations.

Source

Obama Touts His Record

In his excellent daily Web news summary, “The Transom,” Ben Domenech says that President Obama’s speech at the Portland Museum of Art on Saturday “is likely to be Obama’s campaign speech from here on out.” He’s probably correct, so let’s take a look, with an eye to whether it’s likely to work.

Obama’s template is nothing new. He first repeats his claim as to the catastrophic conditions he inherited from President Bush. “It’s hard to remember sometimes how perilous things were when I was sworn in.”

So Obama took immediate action “to save the auto industry, to get the banks lending again” and to make sure state and local governments didn’t lay off teachers and first responders. Indeed, he moved so fast that “people didn’t fully appreciate the scope and magnitude of what got done in those first six months, that first year.”

He acknowledged he destroyed millions of jobs and presided over the worst unemployment rates in modern times, which at their best are still more than 60 percent higher than the norm and much worse when you factor in people who have quit looking for work. I mean he said that he “created almost 4 million jobs” and that “we have seen the unemployment rate start ticking down.” Companies, he said, “are hiring and investing again.”

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Accident US 50 E. Bound Just Prior To Vienna

There was recently collision on route 50 just prior to the exit for Deanna's eastbound EMS is arriving on scene probably backup 10 or 15 minutes at this point.

5 Reasons Liberals Are Such Unpleasant People To Be Around

Don’t get me wrong. Not every conservative has a winning personality and not every liberal is a toothache in search of a mouth to inhabit. In fact, one of the single nicest people I know is a liberal (Hi, Julie Joyce!) Yet and still, it’s not a reach to say that most liberals, especially the ones that are politically active, are just generally difficult to get along with.

It’s not just me saying that either. I’ve interviewed more than one big name conservative who has told me that they moved over to the right in large part because the other liberals they were around were such insufferable human beings.

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Constitution Check: Is There A Constitutional Right To “Stand Your Ground”?

“The stand-your-ground law is one portion of justifiable use of deadly force. And what that means is that the state must go forward and be able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt…It makes the case in general more difficult than a normal criminal case.”

–Angela Corey, State Attorney in Jacksonville, Fla., who has been appointed to lead the investigation into the February 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. Corey commented to ABC News on March 26 about the possible prosecution of the individual who has said he shot the youth in self-defense.

We checked the Constitution, and…
“Justifiable use of deadly force” is another way of talking about a right of self-defense. That right is a very curious thing in the law: it is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution, yet it has ancient roots in legal theory and history, everyone probably assumes they have such a right, and perhaps half the states make it a specific right under their own constitutions.

And all of that is why State Attorney Corey may have a tough time getting a guilty verdict if she were to file criminal charges against George Zimmerman, the “neighborhood watch” volunteer at the Retreat at Twin Lakes subdivision in Sanford, Fla., for allegedly killing Trayvon Martin.

At this point, if he is charged, his defense very likely will be based in part on a Florida statute now widely known as the “Stand Your Ground” law. But behind that law, initiated by the National Rifle Association and now imitated in more than 20 other states, is an argument that such a right to defend one’s self in the face of imminent danger ought to be treated as constitutional in nature.

That is based on a theory that has been talked about for years in academic circles and among gun-rights advocates, and, if one could discuss it without the emotion of the kind stirred up by Trayvon Martin’s tragic death, the theory is not entirely frivolous.

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Today's Fill In The Blank 4-4-12

The last time I visited Washington, D.C. was ______ (days/weeks/months/years) ago.

Law Hot On The Trail Of Criminally Forged Obama Documents

Did Obama Really Graduate From Law School?

APPARENTLY OUR BRILLIANT LEGAL SCHOLAR AND PRESIDENT DOES NOT UNDERTAND THAT A FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF THE SUPREME COURT IS TO DETERMINE IF A LAW IS, OR IS NOT , UNCONSTITUTIONAL PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE, EDITOR OF THE HARVARD LAW REVIEW AND TAUGHT LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. YET HE QUESTIONS THE BALANCE OF POWER AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL LEGITIMACY OF THE SUPREME COURT BECAUSE ITS MEMBERS ARE UNELECTED..

President Obama on Monday warned the Supreme Court against overturning his health care law, saying such a decision would set a dangerous precedent that gives the nation's highest court veto power over Congress.

"Ultimately I'm confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress," Obama said, employing some of his strongest language to date as the Supreme Court's contemplates the constitutionality of 2010 health care law.

Obama argued that conservatives, the strongest critics of his health care reforms, should share his concerns over the potential power grab by politically appointed justices.

"I'd just remind conservative commentators that for years what we've heard is the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint -- that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a duly-constituted and passed law," he said. WHAT IS HE SAYING???? IS HE A BULLY OR A COMPLETE IDIOT?

The power of judicial review -- the Supreme Court's authority to judge the constitutionality of laws -- was established in Marbury v. Madison in 1803! That "unprecedented" authority has been used more than 150 times as a central part of our system of checks and balances.

Soldier Says Bank Of America Won't Help Him Get His Stolen $25K Back

While we've heard enough bad things about Worst Company In America finalist Bank of America to fill some kind of super ginormous complaint bucket, it's never surprising to hear that they continue to not learn from their mistakes and treat customers like poo. A U.S. Army Reservist who was stationed in Afghanistan says BofA is shirking any responsibility for $25,000 stolen from him while he was on "R & R" in Greece.

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Teacher's Aide Claims She Was Fired For Refusing To Give Up Facebook Password

It's not just students that are getting in trouble for having Facebook accounts — one teacher's aide says she was fired from her elementary school for refusing to hand over the password to her social networking account. The teacher is now embroiled in a legal battle with her former employers.

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Today's Advertiser Of The Day 4-4-12

Response To Your Question

Mr. Albero,

To answer your question this morning about Sarah Lake’s claim in today’s Daily Times story about the Open Meetings Compliance Board ruling, “Council President Terry Cohen declined to comment and City Attorney Mark Tilghman did not respond to requests for comment,” I did respond to Ms. Lake’s request for a comment. Here is what happened.

Ms. Lake sent an email marked 10:33 a.m. asking for “a comment from you or from Mr. Tilghman.” She sent another email at 11:21 a.m. containing remarks she attributed to Mr. Bright, the attorney who filed the complaint, “hoping it will assist you in providing me with a comment for my story.”

I was available to send an email to Ms. Lake at 1:18 p.m. that said, “’The Open Meetings Compliance Board ruled there was no violation.’” That simple comment emphasizes that the board’s ruling speaks for itself.

My comment was confined to the facts. The Wastewater Treatment Plant issue is in litigation and I don’t feel it is in the best interest of our citizens for me to address second-hand reports of opinions from an opposing attorney in the press.

In response to the comment I provided, Ms. Lake sent another email at 1:22 p.m. asking, “Can you elaborate?” By that time, I was engaged in other matters.

Also later in the day, I saw Ms. Lake sent me another email, marked 1:56 p.m. In that one, she said, “Terry, Because this is a statement of fact, not a comment, I'll mark you down as declining to comment. I also never heard from Mr. Tilghman.”

As noted above, I did send Ms. Lake a comment. Ms. Lake did not hear from Mr. Tilghman because he knew I was responding. Ms. Lake had asked for me OR Mr. Tilghman to respond, not both of us, and I complied with her request for a comment.

I hope this fully answers your question.

Terry E. Cohen, President
Salisbury City Council

410.845.0296

New Posts to fall below.

Ghost Rider Returns

Trooper Injured In One Vehicle Crash

Location: DE Rt. 1 southbound at Drawyer’s Creek (north of DE Rt. 299) Odessa, DE

Date and Time of Occurrence: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 at 5:00 a.m.

Operator and Vehicle:
23 year old male Delaware State Trooper assigned to Troop 3, Camden
2006 Ford Crown Victoria

Resume:
Odessa, DE- The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a one vehicle personal injury accident involving a Delaware State Trooper that occurred this morning in Odessa.

The incident occurred at approximately 5:00 a.m. this morning (4/4) as a Delaware State Trooper was operating a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria and was traveling on southbound DE Rt. 1 north of Rt. 299 in Odessa. For an unknown reason the Trooper’s vehicle began to travel off of the east edge of the roadway while entering a curve in the road. The Trooper then overcorrected and then traveled off of the west edge of the roadway where his vehicle struck a ditch and several trees before coming to rest.

The Trooper was trapped inside of his vehicle for a period of time until he could be extricated by responding emergency workers. He was then removed from the scene and flown to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Unit where he is currently being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Southbound DE Rt. 1 was closed for approximately 1.5 hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit.

Daily Times Lies In Another Article Today

"Council President Terry Cohen declined to comment and City Attorney Mark Tilghman did not respond to requests for comment."

NO, the Daily Times didn't like Terry Cohen's reply, so they simply stated she had no comment. This case is in litigation and the Council/Attorney must be very careful in their reply.

After Council President replied with the following, "The open meetings board ruled there was no violation". The Daily Times replied, this is a statement of fact, not a comment. They went on in the paper today stating Mrs. Cohen had no comment.

I'd say the board's OPINION speaks for itself. The Daily Times also asked that they'd like a response from either/or, Tilghman or Cohen. Well, they got what they asked for. To IMPLY the City attorney "declined to comment" is again a load of crap.

This has got to be one of the most disgusting examples of Main Stream Media Yellow Journalism. Without Salisbury News the public would not be aware of the political games the Daily Times continues play.

Do we need a daily tit for tat page here on Salisbury News, defending the three Council Members the Daily Times continues to lie about and defame? All too often I get calls saying, where's the positive news Joe? Well, YOU TELL ME, where is it.

We don't receive numerous letters from citizens sick and tired of all the lies the Daily Times puts out there. However, I want you to think about something here, especially the nay sayers.

What if Joe Albero were to mislead our readers with such statements. How would you feel about that. The Daily Times and other bloggers would be out there screaming and yelling that we're liars. Well, tell me, what is the Daily Times? Are they really held to a higher standard in journalism? They just throw out there whatever they want and the only time they correct anything is when we bring it to the public attention, several days later.

The Daily Times is on a witch hunt over Terry, Debbie and Tim. Now, I do not always agree with the three of them but I think it's completely wrong that they Mayor, Laura Mitchell and the Daily Times continue to put out there just how horrible these three are. The paper publishes quotes they know are lies and then come back stating it wasn't their words.

The Daily Times is far worse than a Blog because they know that they are misleading the public. They have become a tabloid newspaper with an Obituary section. It would seem, (to me anyway) that unless you respond with what the Daily Times wants to hear, your comment and time is not worthy of their tabloid.

New posts to fall below.

Allegiant Air Bag Fee: Airline to Start Charging For Carry-On Bags

Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier based in Las Vegas, says they're going to start charging for carry-on bags on Wednesday, AirlineReporter.com says.

Passengers traveling on the airline, which does not serve any of the Washington area's three major airports, will start having to pay $35 for a carry-on bag. Purses, backpacks and laptops will still be free.

However, Airline Reporter says that fees will be discounted if you book travel through the airline's website.

Allegiant will become the second domestic carrier to charge for carry-on bags. The other, Spirit Airlines, charges $30 for a carry-on bag.

The airline's website already lists various, "optional" fees for travel, including seat assignment, priority boarding and other services.

Source

Maryland's Business Competitiveness At Stake With Sales Tax Hike

As the General Assembly prepares to adjourn April 9, Maryland tax advocates are attempting a last minute "hail mary" to justify the spend and tax policies of this administration. Transportation spending proponents are holding press conferences today in Annapolis, Baltimore and Potomac to complement Governor Martin O'Malley's most recent proposal to hike the sales from 6% to 7%.

An attempt earlier in this legislative session to apply the sales tax to gasoline proved politically impossible, and the Governor has signaled his intent to instead raise the sales tax across-the-board to provide additional government revenues, purportedly for transportation.

" As the Governor said himself, all this proposal does is delete the word 'gas' from ' tax.' A sales tax increase is an easy, unacceptable short- term fix to the longer term problem of business competitiveness," said Maryland Business for Responsive Government President Kimberly M. Burns. "Just like the gas tax, it hits every Maryland working family and business right in the wallet."

With a 7% sales tax, Maryland would join a group of states with the second-highest rate according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation. Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Tennessee, with a 7% sales tax, fall in a second-tier just below California as states with the highest taxes on purchases. If Maryland were to adopt a 7% sales tax, moreover, it would have the highest such tax in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Virginia has one of the lowest sales tax structures in the country and Delaware has none.

"Say hello to more factory outlet stores near Maryland's borders in Delaware and Virginia," said Burns. "When you're a small state like Maryland, sandwiched between two low-tax states, it's foolish to think increasing the sales tax won't effect Maryland's competitiveness and the behavior of consumers."

Maryland Business for Responsive Government favors a fiscal approach that addresses budget cost savings instead of tax increases. As an example of many such opportunities, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Department of Business and Economic Development have received scathing audits for wasteful and sloppy procurement practices.

Foodstamp Usage Remains At All Time High, Record Number Of Households Receive $277 In Poverty Assistance Monthly

While we do not know if foodstamp usage is seasonally adjusted, we do know that in January it was virtually unchanged at 46.5 million recipients. And while the actual number of recipients declined by a whisper, the number of households actually receiving benefits increased to a new record of 22.2 million. Lastly, the average monthly benefit per household slide to a multi-year low of $277.27 [2]. First the quality of jobs gets diluted, next the poverty benefits. All in line with the continued dilution of real wealth, simply so nominal indexes can hit fresh 5 year highs - today the S&P hit an intraday high not seen since December 31, 2007. Luckily, soon everyone will be rich and can retire.

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Today's Survey Question 4-4-12

Do you think we should get rid of the penny?

Arizona Official Considering Banning Ethnic Studies In Universities, Too

Two years ago, Arizona outlawed the teaching of ethnic studies in K-12 schools, and now it may expand the prohibition to universities too.

Just weeks after the state passed its infamous immigration law, it also passed a law aimed at scuttling Tucson’s Mexican-American studies program, which critics claimed taught kids to resent white people. The argument, at the time, was that teaching subjects like critical race theory to kids in high school amounted to indoctrination because they were not old enough to question the teaching critically, like university students.

But now, Arizona’s chief education official sees university-level Mexican-American sudies programs as a danger too:

Arizona’s superintendent of schools, John Huppenthal, says Tucson’s suspended Mexican American studies curricula teaches students to resent Anglos, and that the university program that educated the public school teachers is to blame.

“I think that’s where this toxic thing starts from, the universities,” Arizona Superintendent of Schools John Huppenthal said in an interview with Fox News Latino. “To me, the pervasive problem was the lack of balance going on in these classes,” Huppenthal said.

Not surprisingly, a long list of Latino groups and education activists have protested the move, as they did when the state shut down Tucson’s program, decrying the imposition on free speech. “What we’re trying to do is expose children to a much broader perspective, so that we’re not indoctrinating,” said Augustine Romero, the former director of Tucson’s Mexican American Studies Department.

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D.C. Primary 2012: Marion Barry Easily Wins

D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry, a former four-term mayor, easily held off four Democratic challengers for his Ward 8 Council seat.

Barry, 76, has only lost one election in his career - in 1990, after he had been sentenced to six months in federal prison on a drug charge.

In the Democratic primary for an at-large Council seat, Councilmember Vincent Orange held a slim lead over former interim councilmember Sekou Biddle.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Orange led by 523 votes, or 1 percentage point.

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While We're At It......

The Daily Times did another article today suggesting the Council has stalled the redistricting AGAIN.

Well, no, that's not really the case. The City Council received a huge number of legal documents from the ACLU just hours before the meeting and Council/Attorney didn't have a chance to review it.

Nevertheless, leave it to the Daily Times to ignore such legal information and use the title, (once again) to bash the Council leadership.

Look, let's just get it over with and start calling them the "Ireton Times" from here on out.

A New Energy Third World In North America?

The “curse” of oil wealth is a well-known phenomenon in Third World petro-states where millions of lives are wasted in poverty and the environment is ravaged, while tiny elites rake in the energy dollars and corruption rules the land. Recently, North America has been repeatedly hailed as the planet’s twenty-first-century “new Saudi Arabia” for “tough energy” -- deep-sea oil, Canadian tar sands, and fracked oil and natural gas. But here’s a question no one considers: Will the oil curse become as familiar on this continent in the wake of a new American energy rush as it is in Africa and elsewhere? Will North America, that is, become not just the next boom continent for energy bonanzas, but a new energy Third World?

Once upon a time, the giant U.S. oil companies -- Chevron, Exxon, Mobil, and Texaco -- got their start in North America, launching an oil boom that lasted a century and made the U.S. the planet’s dominant energy producer. But most of those companies have long since turned elsewhere for new sources of oil.

Eager to escape ever-stronger environmental restrictions and dying oil fields at home, the energy giants were naturally drawn to the economically and environmentally wide-open producing areas of the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America -- the Third World -- where oil deposits were plentiful, governments compliant, and environmental regulations few or nonexistent.

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Howard Most Healthy, City Least, In New Study

A new report finds that Howard County is the healthiest place to live in Maryland, while Baltimore city is ranked as the worst.

The report was released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

It ranks counties in each state by several health factors, as well as other areas such as education, access to health care and unemployment.

The top five healthiest counties in Maryland are Howard, Montgomery, Queen Anne's, Frederick and Carroll.

Among the unhealthiest areas are Baltimore City, and Allegany, Dorchester, Somerset and Caroline Counties.

City residents had three times the number of premature deaths than residents in Howard County.

Source

Justices Approve Strip-Searches For Any Offense

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that officials may strip-search people arrested for any offense, however minor, before admitting them to jails even if the officials have no reason to suspect the presence of contraband.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, joined by the court's conservative wing, wrote that courts are in no position to second-guess the judgments of correctional officials who must consider not only the possibility of smuggled weapons and drugs but also public health and information about gang affiliations.

About 13 million people are admitted each year to the nation's jails, Justice Kennedy wrote.

Under Monday's ruling, he wrote, "every detainee who will be admitted to the general population may be required to undergo a close visual inspection while undressed."

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More Lawmakers Support Benefits To Same Sex Partners

More lawmakers are supporting a bill to open federal employees' benefits to their same-sex partners. Twenty senators — all Democrats — have signed onto legislation from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee leaders. The lone Republican sponsor is Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). She said the government competes for job applicants with companies that offer domestic partners benefits. Federal personnel officials told a health insurance company last week to enroll the partner of a gay federal worker right away. But that decision applied to just one person: the wife of Karen Golinski, who had brought a lawsuit.

Robo-Call Scheme Gets Fined $30 Million

A telephone robo-call scheme is on the hook for a $30 million fine. A federal judge imposed the fine following a Federal Trade Commission investigation. It was the largest civil penalty ever against violators of the FTC Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. The operation called millions of people. Many numbers were listed on the do-not-call list. Calls told of free money available from the government, and directed victims to a phony website calling itself the Cash Grant Institute.

Troopers Seek Public’s Assistance

Location: Division of Family Services (DFS), Georgetown, DE

Date of Occurrence: Monday April 2, 2012 at approximately 6:00 p.m.

Victim:
Kiera Bertrand, 5, of Dagsboro, DE

Suspect and Charge Information:

Tara J. Bertrand, 39, of Dagsboro, DE (Photo Attached)
Interference with the Custody of a Child

Resume:
Georgetown, DE- The Delaware State Police are seeking the public’s assistance in attempting to locate a Dagsboro woman wanted in connection with Interfering with the Custody of a Child.

On Monday April 2, 2012, Detectives from Troop 4 in Georgetown assisted the Division of Family Services (DFS) with an investigation involving Tara Bertrand, 39, in reference to the neglect of her child, Kiera Bertrand, 5. On the same day, DFS was awarded custody of Kiera Bertrand through Family Court in Sussex County. Tara Bertrand did not appear at the hearing, nor did she bring her child to the hearing as requested.

The whereabouts of Tara Bertrand and her child, Kiera Bertrand, are unknown, but there is a possibility the two may be in or traveling to Pennsylvania. Tara Bertrand is wanted for Interfering with the Custody of a Child and Kiera is currently listed as a Missing Child.

If anyone has any information on the location of Tara Bertrand and Kiera Bertrand, they are asked to contact Troop 4 at 302-856-5850 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. The public may also contact the Division of Family Services Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-292-9582.

Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com

Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Solar Trust Files for Bankruptcy Protection

BLYTHE, Calif. — The latest setback in a stalled 1,000-megawatt solar plant in the Southern California desert came nearly 10 months after Interior Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar and Gov. Jerry Brown broke ground on what was then touted as the world’s largest solar project and a keystone of the Obama administration’s solar-energy efforts.

Blythe plant developer Solar Trust of America sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court on Monday because the Oakland-based firm was unable to meet a deadline for an Energy Department loan guarantee.

Solar Trust listed assets of up to $10 million and debts of up to $100 million. The company’s two main assets are the Blythe project and a proposed 500-megawatt Palen solar project in Riverside County. The Palen project 10 miles east of Desert Center hasn’t gotten Bureau of Land Management approval.

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Canada May Back Out Of F-35 Fighters

Canadian defense officials are deciding whether to cancel a commitment to buy F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Canada agreed to buy 65 of the new planes from Lockheed at a total price of $9 billion. But Reuters reported Canada's conservative government is under budgetary pressure, and it's concerned about the increasing costs and delays of the new planes. An auditor's report is due out this morning that will help officials make their decision.

Redskins New Uniforms To Lessen Controversy

WASHINGTON - D.C.'s home team is in desperate need of a makeover on the gridiron. One new plan might be enough to attract the attention of RGIII, and perhaps even quell the belief by some that the Native American mascot is inherently racist.

The mantle of NFL apparel manufacturer will soon pass from Reebok to Nike, which plans to begin a five-year stint as the exclusive provider by releasing new designs for all 32 teams on Tuesday, according to BleacherReport.com.

The sports blog listed the 'Skins as one of the teams in most need of a retooling.

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Flush Tax Increase To Cover Up For Bay Restoration Fund Raids, Some Say

As the lid closes on the 2012 legislative session, lawmakers will likely double the flush tax from $30 to $60 to cover a projected $385 million shortfall in the Bay Restoration Fund, but some lawmakers say the tax hike aims to cover repeated raids on the fund that triggered a downgrade by Moody’s Investor Service 14 months ago.

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'Flash Blinding' Pilots Becoming Growing, Dangerous Trend

A dangerous trend is emerging in the air. Pilots are seeing a big increase in the number of times someone has "flash blinded" them in mid-air with lasers.

The lasers light up a cockpit, bounces off the gauges, disorients pilots and can even temporarily blind him.

It happened to pilot Chris Lovejoy one night as he was trying to help troopers on the ground who were involved in a high speed chase.

"Did we get shot at? I've been in combat in Iraq and the first couple of seconds you're going, 'What is going on?'" Lovejoy says.

Last year alone in Maryland, pilots were "flash blinded" by lasers 63 times. Someone even did it to ABC7’s own NewsChopper 7 pilot in 2009 as he was flying in Silver Spring.

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The Most-Valuable Motorcycle Feature: Antilock Brakes

Sure, most motorcycle shoppers probably focus on style and price, but there is compelling research that points to antilock brakes as being a crucial, potentially life-saving feature. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) revealed that motorcycles equipped with antilock brakes are 37 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than models without ABS. That is a tremendous risk reduction, with no compromise to the rider, beyond purchase price.

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Budget Conferees Cancel Meeting: O'Malley Calls For Gas Or Sales Tax

A committee of lawmakers has put off meeting to resolve budget proposal differences between the state Senate and House of Delegates.

Warren Deschenaux, the legislature's chief budget analyst, said lawmakers canceled their Tuesday meeting because they are still at odds over differences in the two versions of the budget legislation.

Deschenaux says the lawmakers are largely divided on how to address a revenue package that includes varying attempts to increase the state income tax.

The House version of the plan raises less money than the Senate's tax proposal, but would affect fewer taxpayers.

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As Weather Warms, Experts Renew Call For Window Safety

Every day 14 children in the U.S. are injured from window falls resulting in 5,200 children and adolescents 17 years of age and younger being treated in emergency rooms. "Window fall injuries are serious. In fact, one out of every four children was hospitalized as a result of their injury," said Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in a study published in Pediatrics last fall. That's why the National Safety Council sets aside the first week of April to call attention to window safety.

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Firefighters donate Mega Millions winnings to ailing fellow fireman

Five Albuquerque Station Eight firefighters who won a $10,000 share of the Mega Millions jackpot last week have decided to donate an unspecified part of their winnings to fellow fireman Vince Cordova, who is suffering from a life-threatening tumor.

"We decided to get tickets ten minutes before the sales closed," said Capt. Jed Hyland told local news affiliate KOB. "I ran in shouting that we hit 5 of the 6 numbers."

After convincing their fellow firemen that it wasn't an April Fools' joke, Hyland and his four fellow winners (Steve Keffer, Paul McClure, Clinton Anderson and Si Do) decided to donate part of their winnings to the local firefighters Survival Fund. "Everybody at the station agreed that this would be a good opportunity," Hyland said.

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NBC Issues Apology For Edited Zimmerman 911 Call

NBC News issued an apology Tuesday for the way it handled the broadcasting of the 911 conversation between George Zimmerman and a police dispatcher in the Trayvon Martin case.

Following reports that NBC aired audio of the call was edited in a way that implied Zimmerman was racist, the network launched an internal investigation.

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BREAKING NEWS: Blast Kills Presidents Of Somali Olympic Committee And Soccer Federation

The president of Somalia's Olympic committee and the head of the country's soccer federation have been killed in a suicide blast at Mogadishu's newly reopened national theater that left at least 10 dead, according to reports.

Sports official Shafici Mohyadin said the two were killed on Wednesday when the blast hit the first anniversary celebration of Somalia's television station, according to the Associated Press.

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Local Restautants and the Minimum Wage

I just learned from a friend that she had been working for a restaurant/diner for about 2 years and learned that she was under paid by her employer. While the minimum wage for tipped employees in Maryland is $3.63 an hour, she (and apparently every other waitress there) has only been receiving $3.29 an hour. After learning this she demanded to be paid in full for past due pay. While I won't mention the names of the people involved because of a possible lawsuit against the restaurant by it's employees, I won't stop the comments from mentioning the names of any and all restaurants who treat their employees poorly. Do you think people should patronize restaurants that don't pay their employees the minimum wage and break the law? What do you think?