BREAKING NEWS: Dozens Of Tornadoes Reported In Midwest States

The National Weather Service says more than three dozen tornadoes have been reported Saturday. As of 8:00pm ET there were 48 tornado sightings across four states, with the first wave clustered in southwest Kansas. There were reports of damage to homes in the town of Hanston and Kansas-based KWCH-TV reported a number of overturned cars and downed power lines in three counties. There is high risk for severe weather into the overnight hours extending into Sunday when the same storm system moves east, the Fox Extreme Weather Center says.

Car Accident On The Bypass

There's been an accident just off Naylor Mill exit on the Bypass. The vehicle flipped off the roadway and caught on fire along with the field it stopped in. The driver was assisted out of the burning vehicle by other drivers on the Bypass who witnessed the accident.

Dullihan Edges Hansen In Kentucky Bluegrass Stakes

One hour ago -

Dullihan edged out Hansen in the Toyota Kentucky Bluegrass stakes race.
Dullihan is Mine that Bird's half brother and was the horse that previously won the Kentucky Derby. Dullihan ran down Hansen in the final stretch to win the $750,000 stakes race.

Today's race is the last stakes race before the infamous Kentucky Derby - slated in May.

Alert - Counterfeit Currency Showing Up Around Delmarva

At the Shell station on Route 13 - a $50 counterfeit bill just passed and was discovered to be counterfeit. This is not the first time this has happened in and around Salisbury in recent months. There have been reported $5, $10, $20, and $50 dollar denomination bills. The currency appears to be laundered and washed out in an attempt to mask the counterfeit bills.

So keep you eyes on anything that looks to be laundered as it is not real currency.

You Can't Handle The Truth

I expect this piece might be a bit more lengthy that our usual Posts but I felt it necessary to publish.

I started Salisbury News more than 7 years ago. My goal was to get information out to the public the rest of the Main Stream Media, (MSM) wouldn't, or were too afraid to publish.

While there are many examples of what we have accomplished, I'll use a quick one because it will help every one to better understand where I'm going.

One area that bothered me was all the crime going on, yet we weren't seeing any of it show up in the MSM. So I started publishing Press Releases from all of our local law enforcement agencies. The next thing we knew, all of a sudden comments were flying in, where the heck did all this crime come from.

I tried to explain that it had always been here, the local media simply refused to publish it. Then we came out with Salisbury being the 4th most dangerous city, (per capita) in America. Well every one went nuts over that, especially our former Mayor and Police Chief. The information we published came right from the FBI, yet they, (the Mayor and Chief) immediately denied it as being fact. They came up with every possible excuse, similar to there are NO GANGS in Salisbury and we're 99% compliant with the MDE at the Waste Water Treatment Plant, all untrue, all lies.

OK, all that being said, I have always expressed to every one of you that Salisbury News would NEVER be influenced by our advertisers or politicians. Even though I had been sued by the former Mayor, the Police Chief and even the Warden of the Detention Center, I fought back and ultimately won each case. My own legal fees were over $40,000.00 and every day I run Salisbury News it cost me a small fortune in personal expenses. I say this not to gain any pity from any of you. I say this because I know what I'm doing and I personally believe that what I'm doing does in fact and has in fact made a huge difference keeping politicians in check AND the public more aware of the TRUTH.

There's no denying, you do NOT want to be on the bad side of Joe Albero and they all know that. Because of you, (thank you, by the way) the power of Salisbury News is now stronger than ANY local MSM outlet. So much so, now they are publishing the crime information and quite a bit more of what we put out there every day.

Yesterday I received a phone call from one of our advertisers stating they didn't like an article I recently published about Sheriff Mike Lewis. Mind you, this advertiser has always been somewhat skittish about certain articles we have published and we have always held at length discussions over the intent of the article, (at the time) and yesterday was simply going to be different.

I will not, nor will I ever, be encouraged by ANY advertiser as to the content we put on Salisbury News. We do not put up naked pictures of people, we are not racist, heck, we even publish ALL of Governor O'Malley's Press Releases because I believe it is only fair that each and every one of you know what's going on in our state.

I may not agree with everything we publish, (just like many of you feel) but in order to make good solid judgement decisions as to how we all make decisions or even vote, I feel its important we get it out there.

Nevertheless, while I was on the phone, (knowing what was coming) I instantly removed that advertiser from Salisbury News before they could ever say anything. I then told them while we were on the phone I was no longer going to take any more crap from them as we have NEVER done any of this for the money and we will NOT be influenced as to what we do based on their ad.

Now, I could have sat back and never said a word about any of this to you. However, I feel it is extremely important that every one of you know that I do this at my own expense for all of you. I haven't mentioned all of the time, (YEARS) this has taken away from my Family and the price they pay for the personal attacks, threats and even loss of employment because of the Anti Albero people. We have paid a heavy duty price to do what I do.

If you do not like what we do, do NOT return. Don't stand face to face with me at an event, shake my hand or even speak to me IF you're going to talk behind my back when I walk away. I do NOT need your friendship/association to feed my ego. As many of you know, we live a very good clean life. I can shut down Salisbury News in an instant and happily move on with our lives. However, I'll do so on my own terms and not because I'm being pressured into it.

Because of all of you we have achieved so many great things. Because of our advertisers we have been able to "Pay It Forward" by feeding families and so many great things too numerous to mention. You have stood by my side ringing bells and volunteering to do so many uplifting things for our communities and I truly can't thank you enough.

I created this Post to insure that I will not only continue to publish Salisbury News, I will do so the way I see fit. I will never be influenced by politicians or advertisers and I apologize for being repetitive but I must make it very clear.

In closing, sure, I'd love to publish far more uplifting news and information. Unfortunately, trust me, if it was out there we'd be publishing it. I can't be everywhere and in some cases we have to depend on YOU to deliver us such uplifting news and events. If an organization doesn't deliver us their Press Releases there's a very good chance we're not going to know about it. We do our best to keep you up to speed with these type of events and information and we have never denied any one from publishing fundraisers and events for FREE.

So I thank you for taking the time to allow me to vent. Many may not like the Howard Stern's of the world but top Fortune 500 Companies advertise there because they're SMART. They know a huge volume of people listen to the guy and where better to spend your advertising money than where every one truthfully goes.

Most Expensive Sprinkler System

A Salisbury News Viewer just called to inform me that Salisbury Fire Station 1 is out on Rt. 50 and Tilghman Road, (get this) watering the grass and plants in the median strip near K-Mart. Your tax dollars hard at work.

A Letter To The Editor On Downtown Parking

Joe,

I thought I would pass this along to you. I am a disabled veteran that just had a multi level spinal fusion. I recently visited downtown Salisbury to run into a store to get a present for my wife. There was no HandyCap parking available where I needed to run in, so I spotted a parking lot located next to the Powell Building that had about 40-50 spots with only about 5 cars parked. I put my HandyCap tag up and went into the store, I was in and out in no more than 3-4 minutes. When I came back I had been ticketed for a parking violation from the City of Salisbury. Someone must have run out and stuck it on my car in a 4 minute period and ran away. I was really disappointed in the City for not allowing parking for HandyCap and then ticketing me. I understand now why the growth of Downtown Salisbury will never happen, and I have no interest in returning to downtown Salisbury.

Disappointed Citizen

Publishers Notes: I couldn't agree with you more. Allow me to expand on your concern. I think most of our readers here will agree, parking and especially metered parking Downtown needs to end. The Downtown businesses are suffering enough with this economy and quite frankly if they eliminated the parking meters to encourage more traffic the City would easily make up the difference in tax revenue.

As a property owner Downtown, believe me when I tell you, I pay outrageous taxes already. The meters need to go, better handicapped parking needs to be put in place and there are quite a few businesses operating Downtown that are not ADA compliant.

Please contact your elected officials and express your thoughts and concerns on this matter. Maybe with enough pressure we can get them to change their minds on parking meters and handicaped parking spaces, in which there really are next to none and not one of them is convenient.

Hoodies

Women Supporting Women Donation

Rota Knott, Worcester County coordinator, accepts a check for a $200 donation from Shelly Bruder of Bruder Hill boutique in Berlin for Women Supporting Women, the local breast cancer support and awareness organization. Bruder Hill donated a percentage of jewelry sales for one month to the WSW Worcester County Chapter.

2 Maryland Petitions For Your Consideration

We have the opportunity to allow voters in Maryland to cast their ballots on two very important issues this year. The only way we can get them on the ballot is to gather enough signatures on a petition. If you have not already done so, I URGE you to get your ballots signed and mailed in. It's easy.

#1. Traditional Marriage: You've heard from me on this issue in the past. Regardless of your opinion on marriage, we all agree that voters should have the final say by voting on this issue. You can view the peition here.

#2. Congressional Redistricting: Maryland has some of the worst gerrymandered congressional districts in the country. Maryland should have districts that represent communities and groups of people, not crafted for purely political purposes.The map needs to give fair representation to all, and we have the power to overturn this severely gerrymandered map through the referendum process. Let’s demand true representation and overturn the current map by signing the petition TODAY.

Please go to https://mdpetitions.com/ and do your part for these very important issues.

Thank you for your time.

Andy Harris

24 TAX FACTS TO PISS YOU OFF

The U.S. tax code is a complete and utter abomination and it needs to be thrown out entirely. Nobody in their right mind would ever read the whole thing – it is over 3 million words long. Each year, Americans spend billions of hours and hundreds of billions of dollars trying to comply with federal tax requirements. Sadly, it is the honest, hard working Americans in the middle class that always get hit the hardest. The tax code is absolutely riddled with loopholes that big corporations and the ultra-wealthy use to minimize their tax burdens as much as possible. Many poor people do not pay any income taxes at all. The dishonest are rewarded for cheating on their taxes (if they can get away with it) and the ultra-wealthy have moved trillions of dollars to offshore tax havens where they can avoid U.S. taxation altogether. Our system is incredibly unfair to the millions of hard working people in the middle class and upper middle class that drag themselves out of bed and go to work each day and try to do the right thing. In addition, the current U.S. tax system is incredibly inefficient, it diverts a tremendous amount of resources away from more valuable economic activities, and it has chased thousands of businesses and trillions of dollars out of the United States. The U.S. tax code is such a complete and utter mess at this point that it can never be “fixed”. The only rational thing to do is to abolish it completely, and any politician that tells you otherwise is lying to you.

The following are 24 outrageous facts about taxes in the United States that will blow your mind….

1 – The U.S. tax code is now 3.8 million words long. If you took all of William Shakespeare’s works and collected them together, the entire collection would only be about 900,000 words long.

2 – According to the National Taxpayers Union, U.S. taxpayers spend more than 7.6 billion hours complying with federal tax requirements. Imagine what our society would look like if all that time was spent on more economically profitable activities.

3 – 75 years ago, the instructions for Form 1040 were two pages long. Today, they are 189 pages long.

4 – There have been 4,428 changes to the tax code over the last decade. It is incredibly costly to change tax software, tax manuals and tax instruction booklets for all of those changes.

5 – According to the National Taxpayers Union, the IRS currently has 1,999 different publications, forms, and instruction sheets that you can download from the IRS website.

6 – Our tax system has become so complicated that it is almost impossible to file your taxes correctly. For example, back in 1998 Money Magazine had 46 different tax professionals complete a tax return for a hypothetical household. All 46 of them came up with a different result.

7 – In 2009, PC World had five of the most popular tax preparation software websites prepare a tax return for a hypothetical household. All five of them came up with a different result.

8 – The IRS spends $2.45 for every $100 that it collects in taxes.

9 – According to The Tax Foundation, the average American has to work until April 17th just to pay federal, state, and local taxes. Back in 1900, “Tax Freedom Day” came on January 22nd.

10 – When the U.S. government first implemented a personal income tax back in 1913, the vast majority of the population paid a rate of just 1 percent, and the highest marginal tax rate was just 7 percent.

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Most Americans Back Gun Lobby, Right To Use Deadly Force

(Reuters) - Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves - even in public places - and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

However, there was also strong support from respondents for background checks as well as limiting the sale of automatic weapons and keeping guns out of churches, stores and workplaces.

The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday.

Eighty-two percent of Republicans saw the gun lobbying group in a positive light as well as 55 percent of Democrats, findings that run counter to the perception of Democrats as anti-NRA.

Most of the 1,922 people surveyed nationwide from April Monday through Thursday said they supported laws that allow Americans to use deadly force to protect themselves from danger in their own home or in a public place.

"Americans do hold to this idea that people should be allowed to defend themselves and using deadly force is fine, in those circumstances," said pollster Chris Jackson. "In the theoretical ... there's a certain tolerance of vigilantism."

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Some Things Detwaddled

Nobody starts a fist fight with a man holding a gun. Nobody holding a gun starts a fist fight with his left hand. Nobody who is winning a fist fight pulls a gun.

Journalism in America, and perhaps everywhere, works according to unacknowledged templates in which the reporter fills in blanks, thus saving him the nuisance of thought, for which he is generally not well suited anyway. In matters of race, it also saves him from being drawn and quartered for Crime Thought. If he follows the template, he is safe. Stupidity, sloth, and cowardice are thus fertilized.

A favorite template is: evil racist white cop shoots meritorious black because the cop hates blacks.

This is twaddle. Why is it twaddle? Because every white cop knows that if he shoots a black, he will first be savaged in the local and quite likely the national media. He will then be suspended and probably fired, losing both income and years toward retirement. An ambitious prosecutor will charge him with murder and, in the cities, a black jury will lynch him. A civil suit may follow, led by a lawyer seeking a national reputation. The cop, freshly fired, will not be able to pay his legal bills or his mortgage.

Do you really think he is going to do this to himself intentionally?

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What If The Government Rejects The Constitution?

What if the government never took the Constitution seriously? What if the same generation – in some cases the same human beings – that wrote in the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech," also enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it a crime to criticize the government? What if the feds don't regard the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land?

What if the government regards the Constitution as merely a guideline to be referred to from time to time, or a myth to be foisted upon the voters, but not as a historic delegation of power that lawfully limits the federal government? What if Congress knows that most of what it regulates puts it outside the confines of the Constitution, but it does whatever it can get away with? What if the feds don't think that the Constitution was written to keep them off the people's backs?

What if there's no substantial difference between the two major political parties? What if the same political mentality that gave us the Patriot Act, with its federal agent-written search warrants that permit unconstitutional spying on us, also gave us Obamacare, with its mandate to buy health insurance, even if we don't want or need it? What if both political parties love power more than freedom? What if both parties have used the Commerce Clause in the Constitution to stretch the power of the federal government far beyond its constitutionally ordained boundaries and well beyond the plain meaning of words?

What if both parties love war because the public is more docile during war and permits higher taxes and more federal theft of freedom from individuals and power from the states? What if none of these recent wars has made us freer or safer, but just poorer?

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PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION’S ACTION TO CONSTRUCT NEW NATURAL GAS PLANT IN CHARLES COUNTY

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Martin O’Malley issued the following statement on the Public Service Commission’s action to construct a new natural gas plant in Charles County:

“The Public Service Commission is required to ensure an adequate supply of electricity so that Maryland families and businesses can live and prosper. In light of the fact that 70 percent of Maryland’s existing power plants are more than 30 years old, I applaud the decision by the Public Service Commission that will lead to the construction of a new natural gas plant in Charles County.

“Expected to be operational by June 2015, this plant will be the first of this size to be built in Maryland since June 2003. This new facility will bring a new energy supply to a significantly congested area of Maryland, create at least 350 jobs during construction and an estimated 30 jobs when fully operational, and directly save Marylanders over $170 million throughout the life of the contract. Analysis by state agencies indicate that new generation in central Maryland can also bring hundreds of millions of dollars of savings in lowered energy, capacity, and congestion prices in the State. The PSC’s action helps diversify Maryland’s power supply.

“With this new addition, natural gas will account for over nine percent of Maryland’s energy generation.”

Reality?

Justice Department Settles American Indian Tribe Case

The Justice Department settled a long-standing case brought by American Indian tribes.

The 41 tribes altogether will receive more than $1 billion. Some of their claims date back more than a century. The tribes said the Interior and Treasury departments mismanaged the money and natural resources held in trust for them. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the settlements would strengthen the government's relationships with tribes.

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Maryland's Budget Not Balanced

Enacting a balanced budget is General Assembly's primary constitutional requirement

Maryland's General Assembly failed to pass a balanced budget, according to a memo obtained by The Baltimore Sun. Enacting a balanced budget is the legislature's primary constitutional requirement.

"The [fiscal year] 2013 budget is nearly $70 million out of balance," wrote Budget Secretary T. Eloise Foster in a memo to all of Gov. Martin O'Malley's Cabinet secretaries. She recommended that the governor not sign any legislation that reduces revenues "until the imbalance is addressed."

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Unusual Amount Of Naval Officers Being Fired

The Navy has seen a disturbing trend in the number of commanding officers fired because of behavioral issues. About 22 were dismissed last year. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said the specific causes run the gamut — from drinking to fraud to adultery. In response, the service is boosting leadership training at command schools. It's using the recent firings as case studies. Greenert said sexual assault also continues to be a problem among all ranks. The Navy averages one or two episodes daily.

Budget Secretary: "Doomsday" Budget Not Balanced

It turns out the budget that lawmakers approved before ending their session Monday night is not balanced.

That conclusion comes in a memo sent to all state department heads on Friday, by Budget and Management Secretary T. Eloise Foster.

Governor Martin O'Malley's office provided a copy of the memo to WBAL News.

In it, T. Eloise Foster tells agency heads that the budget is still $70-million out of balance, and the Board of Public Works will have to make further cuts to the budget before June 30, to fulfill the state constitutional requirement for the budget to be balanced.

The memo reads in part, "...despite the inclusion of $512 million of doomsday cuts in the budget approved by the General Assembly on Sine Die , the FY 2013 budget is nearly $70 million out of balance. Given the imbalance and the uncertainty about the ultimate resolution, DBM is recommending to the Governor’s Office that it defer the signing of any bills that will reduce general fund revenues in FY 2013 until the imbalance is addressed."

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Mail Volume Has Plummeted

A new Government Accountability Office report said the Postal Service has more mail processing centers than it needs. But the watchdog agency stopped short of making new recommendations to Congress. Mail volume has plummeted with the growth of email and online bill payments. The Postal Service wants to close at least 200 processing facilities starting next month. Many lawmakers don't like the idea, however. They may consider legislation to help the Postal Service when they return to Washington.

FBI Checking Out Coast Guard Murders

FBI agents are trying to unravel the shooting deaths of two Coast Guard members on an island off of Alaska. A coworker found the two Coast Guard members dead Thursday at their work areas inside the Kodiak Island communications station. A spokesperson said it appears to be a double homicide, and officials believe a third person was involved. Security was increased at the base after the shooting, which is located about 8 miles from the island's largest city of Kodiak.

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 4-14-12

The Jewish Merchants

Salisbury has had many merchants come and go throughout the years but three of the first Jewish families in Salisbury left an indelible mark. None of them are still in business but they are certainly remembered by many people in Salisbury.

Probably the most influential in the community was Israel Benjamin. Not only did he have a retail outlet that expanded to other communities on the Shore but he was instrumental in the building of the first free standing synagogue on the corner of Camden and Wicomico Streets. Having moved up here from Exmore, Virginia, he made the Benjamin name synonymous with women’s fashion for a hundred years.

Another Jewish name familiar to many around Salisbury is Feldman Bros. They sold furniture to several generations of families in the area. Started in 1906 by two brothers, Sam and Bill, their first store was located on East Church Street. They moved to Market Street when their business grew and over the years other members of the family operated a section of the store as Ethan Allen furniture. Just recently has the last business at this location closed, that being Market Street Antiques.

Probably the most enduring of the first Jewish families were the Ulmans. The brothers, Simon and Isaac, had come to Salisbury in 1868 and opened their establishment in January, 1888. By the fact that several traveling opera companies put on shows there, it became Ulman’s Opera House. The arrangement was for the opera company to receive 70% of the proceeds and the opera house receiving the remaining 30%. It remained the only place in Salisbury to have permanent seating, so it was used for a variety of occasions such as high school graduations, plays and even the dedication ceremony for the new hospital in 1905. The first floor was originally a saloon and retail liquor store. When alcohol was prohibited in the County in 1900, they opted to change their operation to selling furniture, carpet and other sundries. When they opened again, they made a movie theater out of it. The building burned down in 1968, but not before it had given many a youngster in Salisbury their dose every Saturday of cowboys, cartoons, serials and news. The original seating for 610 occupants was far surpassed on a Saturday when a Roy Rogers film was on the marquee. Roy Rogers’ films were the only westerns shown in color and this was quite marvelous to a young fan in those days.

So, looking at the history of these three businesses, it is obvious that they had a long and successful run in downtown Salisbury.

The 7 AM Post Has moved To 1:30 PM.

HERE