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Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Stone Celebrates A Half Century At The State House

First elected in 1962, Sen. Norman Stone is the longest serving member in the current Maryland General Assembly and the longest serving state senator in Maryland history. He is historical artifact in other ways: one of the last remaining fiscally and socially conservative Democrats – an opponent of tax hikes, abortion and gay marriage, a supporter of labor unions and the rights of workers and crime victims.

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Woo Hoo, We're Now A More Weather Ready Nation

NOAA says a new tool is helping the United States become a more "weather-ready nation." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency deployed it yesterday. It says in tests Rapid Refresh has delivered more accurate predictions of fast-developing weather emergencies, like heavy rains that pummeled the Midwest last summer. It updates every hour with an forecast for the next 18 hours. NOAA says that's important for pilots, as well as weather forecasters. The United States is the only country that updates computer model forecasts every hour using a mix of sensors, radars and aircraft.

Buyouts Are Proving Popular At The IRS

Federal Times reports, more than 1,200 employees took early retirement and buyout offers in fiscal 2011.That represents more than 1 percent of the agency's total workforce. The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents IRS workers, says the agency has lost 5,000 employees over the past two years, and the cuts are hurting the agency's ability to help customers. Meanwhile, the number of tax returns being filed is growing.

Dog Found: UPDATE



I found this dog running around the intersection of Rt 50 and Nanticoke Road. It had a collar and a leash on it. I swerved through traffic when I saw him so close to the road and cars wising by him and I picked him up. If you could post this picture to help find the owner. I'm sure they are missing him, he is one great dog.

Lost Dog 5-2-12


Dear Joe HELP!!!

A male Shepherd Lab 8-yrs-old, neutered, no collar, about 80 lbs.
Dakota lost since Saturday 4/28 from St. Luke's Rd. His owner, Jessica, brought him here to give him to a new family. She left & he got out of his collar & got away from the family NO ONE KNOWS where he is. He could be trying to get home to Wilmington. (302) 722-1773 or (410) 430-5448

Lawmakers Want More Time

Lawmakers are asking the Postal Service for more time to pass a bill to restructure the agency. The Postal Service has put more than 3,000 post offices on the chopping block, but it has agreed not to close any of them until May 15. Backers of a bill that just passed the Senate say they need more time than that to convince the House to go along with their plan. They warn the Postal Service that any attempts to close offices before the bill becomes law — or "get in under the wire" — would be counterproductive and violate their intent. The bill would make it harder for the agency to close post offices. And there's no guarantee the House will go along with it. A radically different overhaul bill is moving through that chamber.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 5-2-12

Worcester County Animal Control Announces Spay and Neuter Clinic

Two days each month, the Worcester County Animal Control hosts a spay/neuter clinic for cats and dogs. The cost is only $100.00 for dogs and $50.00 for cats. Rabies vaccination service will be provided for a $10.00 fee. Appointments are required.

Call Worcester County Animal Control at 410-632-1340 to make an appointment.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO HANDGUN VIOLATION

On Sunday, April 29, 2012, at approximately 12:15 p.m., Ocean City Police stopped a vehicle in the area of 33rd Street andCoastal Highway for a seatbelt violation. Officers conducted a K-9 scan of the vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of small amounts of controlled dangerous substance.

During the search of the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun from a suitcase behind the passenger seat. The passenger of the vehicle, who was determined to be the owner of the handgun, was identified as Lance Montral Hawkins, 22, of Norfolk, VA.

Hawkins was arrested and charged with a possessing a handgun in a vehicle. He was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and released on personal recognizance.

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Obama Creates "Green Jobs"--In Other Countries

Secret Files Missing at National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration has lost track of dozens of boxes of confidential and secret government files at its records center just outside of Washington, the latest in a series of such incidents spanning more than a decade.

The missing classified materials include four boxes of top-secret restricted files from the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as records from several U.S. Navy offices, documents obtained by The Washington Times show.

The problems came to light after a three-year investigation by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Office of Inspector General. While the investigation ended last year, officials recently provided a copy of the report on their findings in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Michelle Obama to America: ‘We Are Blessed to Have Him’

- First Lady Michelle Obama said at a campaign event in Tucson, Ariz., on Monday evening that ‘we are blessed” to have her husband as president, telling the audience that when he sits down in the evening to read letters that people have sent him about their troubles he sometimes turns to her and says: "Michelle, this ain’t right.  We’ve got to fix this.  We have so much more to do."

“We need to keep moving forward,” Mrs. Obama said.

In the speech, she also pointed to her husband’s accomplishments in health care, including making sure children get treated for “things like diabetes and ashtma,” ensuring women get “prenatal care, mammograms, contraception at no extra cost,” and guaranteeing that “our children can now stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26 years old."

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Obama’s Watch: 39 Months, 69 Percent of Afghan War Casualties

Although President Obama has only served 39 months in office, 69 percent of the U.S. military fatalities in the more then 10-year-old war in Afghanistan have occurred on his watch.

Through April 30, the Defense Department had reported that 1,844 U.S. military personnel have been killed in and around Afghanistan while deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched in October 2001 after al Qaeda terrorists attacked the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.

According to CNSNews.com’s comprehensive database on Afghan war casualties, at least 1,275 of the 1,844 U.S. troops killed in Operation Enduring Freedom have been killed since Jan. 20, 2009, when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president.

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The Ride Of A Lifetime For A Local Favorite In The Kentucky Derby


Done Talking is taking a longtime Maryland trainer, 3 Maryland friends and a leading Maryland jockey on the ride of a lifetime this week as the 3-year-old colt trained at Laurel Park prepares for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

"This is my first experience doing it," says Done Talking trainer Hamilton Smith, a Maryland mainstay for more than 30 years, who is saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter this week. "This is the race you want to win,. You know it's the most prestigious race in America, in the world for that matter, It's really exciting and I'm just glad to have one going."


The 67-year-old has 1,644 career winners and has conditioned runners such as Gin Talking, Case Of The Blues and Blind Date, all multiple stakes winners.

"We are going there to represent Maryland and hopefully we can make a good showing," Smith told WBAL's Scott Wykoff standing with Done Talking at his stall 33 in Smith's barn at Laurel Park.


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Citizens Oppose Breaking Talbot County's Property Tax Cap; Second Hearing Tonight

Citizens packed in the Bradley Meeting room and flowed out into the hall today for the first of two public hearings on Talbot County's proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget.

The budget proposes to break the county's property tax cap to pay for state-mandated education funding. Talbot citizens five times voted for that cap, and several spoke out against breaking it.

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Bullies: Obama and Savage Two Peas In a Pod

President Obama’s administration has embraced Dan Savage over and over and over again. He’s their chosen anti-bullying expert, invited to the White House, feted with links on the White House page, directed traffic by the highest and the mightiest in American government.



And yet he’s also the biggest bully in American politics, as we’ve shown over and over and over and over again.


That’s to be expected. After all, this is an administration that bullies on a regular basis.

Barack Obama is a Chicago thug who threatened during 2008, “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” Obama surrounded himself with the worst sort of hatchet men – guys like Rahm Emanuel, who sent dead fish to political opponents and reportedly accosted unfriendly Congressmen naked in the House showers; people like Van Jones, who suggested that Republicans were “a**holes,” and that the Bush Administration “may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen”; people like Robert Gibbs, who said that Obama would have to put his foot on the neck of British Petroleum; people like Eric Holder, who have allowed groups like the New Black Panthers to intimidate voters. During the 2012 campaign, Obama ratcheted it up -- as one aide reported, Obama was “putting the bully in bully pulpit.”

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Jonathan Bailey Promoted To BM2


He will be going to Charleston SC to teach law enforcement.

A Few Headlines About Occupy May Day

NYPD Scuffles With #Occupy Resisting Arrest  More  More

Tear Gas In Oakland  More

Occupy Squatters Arrested in Brooklyn  More

OccupySF: May Day Riot Starts Early  More

Occupy's 'Black Bloc' in Shoving Match with Police  More

Labor Unions Occupy LAX Airport  More

OCCUPIERS SMASH WINDOWS IN SEATTLE  More

Owner Has Business Trashed By Occupy, 'We're Not The F****** "Man"'   More



21 QUESTIONS THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO ASK

Do you ever get the feeling that the mainstream media is feeding you a very watered-down and twisted version of the news? Do you ever get the feeling that the federal government does not believe that the American people can actually be trusted with the truth? It is exasperating to realize that the news that the public is being fed every single day is very heavily filtered and very heavily censored. In a world where “spin” is everything, simply telling the truth is a revolutionary act. Fortunately, the Internet has helped fuel the rise of the alternative media, and millions of Americans that are starting to wake up are turning to the alternative media for answers to their unanswered questions. Increasingly, people are becoming willing to question the orthodoxy that is being shoved down their throats by the major news networks, and that is a very good thing. The world is becoming an incredibly unstable place, and it is more imperative than ever that we all learn to think for ourselves. We live during a time of great deception, and the lies are going to get even bigger and even more bold in the years to come. If we don’t know why we believe what we believe, then we are in danger of falling for just about anything.

It is those that seek the truth that end up finding it. If you just accept the version of reality that the system wants to feed you, then you are probably going to become what the system wants you to become.

But if you are not afraid to question everything, then you will have a chance to become everything that you were always meant to be.

So what are some things that we should be questioning right now?

The following are 21 unanswered questions that they don’t want you to look into….

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CNN Tanks in April, Hits Ten-Year Low

The era of the old media is over. CNN had the lowest rated month in eleven years in April; the last time CNN had ratings this bad, the date was August 2001. CNN had a grand total of 357,000 viewers, and just 108,000 in the crucial 25-54 age group. That puts them off 21% in total viewership and 29% in the 25-54 age group for the year. Fox News, by contrast, was up 2% to 1.1 million viewers overall and 1% to 273,000 viewers in the 25-54 group. MSNBC held steady with 425,000 viewers and 139,000 in the 25-54 age group.



All of CNN’s shows have taken a massive hit. John King USA lost 41% in its 25-54 age group. The shining star of the group was Piers Morgan, which was down only 14% at 9 p.m. In primetime, CNN was down to a two-year low. Fox News was even from last year, and MSNBC was down slightly.

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It Can't Happen In America. Oh, Really?

If there are two things that can be said with all confidence they are that throughout American history the American public has had and continues to have an enduring commitment to owning firearms. Second is the government’s unerring ability to be the sole cause of economic calamities, regardless of how vibrant the markets.

War and the market place are strange bedfellows. A case in point is the Spencer Repeating Rifle.

On March 6, 1860 the Spencer Repeating Rifle was patented in the United States. This rifle was developed for the sole purpose of brother using it against brother during the War Between the States. In the words of Warren Fisher, Jr. treasurer of the Spencer Repeating Rifle company:

"…In the hands of scouts or sharpshooters, or regular troops – taking into consideration all the elements of range, rapidity of firing, and facility of reloading, the Spencer Rifle is so effective as to render one man with it fully equal to half a dozen men armed with single-loading muskets…"

Of this rifle and in conjunction with testimony of a great many within the Federal Army’s General staff, George Armstrong Custer wrote:

Mr. F. Cheney,

Dear Sir: – Being in command of a Brigade of Cavalry which is armed throughout with the Spencer Carbine and Rifle, I take pleasure in testifying to their superiority over all other weapons. I am firmly of the opinion that fifteen hundred men armed with the Spencer Carbine are more than a match for twenty-five hundred armed with any other firearm – I know this to be true from actual experiment.

Very respectfully, &c.,

G.A. Custer

Brigadier General

(An admonition that Custer seems to have either forgotten or through his arrogance rejected when on June 25, 1876 he pitted his greatly divided and ill prepared 7th Cavalry using slow firing breach loading Springfield Model 1873 45-70 rifles against a greatly superior force; many of whom pressed the battle at the Little Bighorn with Spencer and Winchester repeating rifles.)

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Many Blacks Beat White Couple, Media Bury Attack

There’s outrage in Norfolk, Va., today after a white couple was attacked by dozens of black teenagers, and the local newspaper did not report on the incident for two weeks, despite the victims being reporters for the paper.

Even today, the Virginian-Pilot did not cover the crime as news, but rather as an opinion piece by columnist Michelle Washington.

“Wave after wave of young men surged forward to take turns punching and kicking their victim,” Washington wrote, describing the onslaught that began when Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami stopped at a traffic light while driving home from a show on a Saturday night. A crowd of at least 100 black young people was on the sidewalk at the time.

“Rostami locked her car door. Someone threw a rock at her window. Forster got out to confront the rock-thrower, and that’s when the beating began. …

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Revolution Is Alive

Anybody who thinks Republican nominee Ron Paul has lost his core support obviously wasn’t driving down Cullen St. around 6:30 p.m. Friday.

“I’m sure glad the revolution is alive and well in Houston,” Ron Paul said to thousands of supporters as cheers echoed off the walls of Hofheinz Pavilion.

Hours before Paul’s speech, a line of supporters sporting their favorite Ron Paul T-shirts and buttons snaked around the block, eagerly waiting to hear the man of the hour make his case for liberty. People of all sorts and ages were in attendance, and the mood was lively to say the least.

As you may have expected, throughout his speech Paul carried the same tune he’s been singing since the start, and it seems like nothing is ever going to change that.

His consistency is truly impressive, and as far as I’m concerned, Paul demands and deserves respect, no matter what ideology you have.

It’s a shame that he doesn’t get the proper amount of attention, because while some of his ideas may be out there, a lot of what he says makes sense.

Thanks to a neglectful media, one of Paul’s biggest setbacks has been his inability to connect with undecided crowds that are already skeptical of him. The delivery of his speeches unfortunately doesn’t seem to match the power of his ideas, and for that reason, crowds that aren’t immediately moved by a rehearsed speech sprinkled with key persuasive words refuse to give Paul a shot.

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County Executive Unveils Wicomico's 2012 - 2013 Operating Budget

Last night Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, County Administrator Wayne Stausburg, and Finance Director Andy Mackel unveiled Wicomico County's 2012 - 2013 proposed Operating Budget. The biggest line item for the budget is the BOE. The proposed BOE budget is $36,920,830 and includes an increase of $723,938.00 over the 2011 - 2012 Operating Budget of $36,196,892.00. According to the County Executive - he informed the Wicomico County Council that an amendment had been provided to SB-152 (BRFA) - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act - so that when a special session is called - it will eliminate the re-basing of Wicomico County's MOE budget gap of more than 14 million dollars. The 2012 - 2013 proposed Operating Budget shows an increase in the projected local income tax revenues to the tune of $39,340,000. The projection represents a significant increase of 4.96 million dollars over the 2011-2012 Budget of $34,376,000.

However, Wicomico might not be entirely out of the woods as the unemployment rate spiked at the end of February to 9.7% from its previous December figure of 8.3%. In fact, its net change from year to year - (02/11 to 02/12) - was the highest among all Maryland jurisdictions. Moreover, the budget did not include ramifications for a proposed Schoolteacher Pension shift where projections show that the State general fund expenditures on pensions for both State employees and teachers will grow at twice the annual rate of general fund revenues between fiscal 2012 and 2015. While general fund revenues are expected to grow 4.9% annually during that time, pension costs are projected to grow 9.9% annually. These trends make the current structure of State pension benefits unsustainable.

Total State expenditures for employee and teacher pensions is projected to be $1.54 billion in fiscal 2012, of which $975.6 million is projected to be for teachers, community college faculty, and librarians employed by local governments. Of the total figure, about 84% is projected to be paid from State general funds, with the remainder evenly divided between special and federal funds.
The State further subsidized the teacher retirement benefits with Federal Stimulus money to the tune of $329 million dollars - however - it is unclear how much economic stimulus is provided by retiree spending, especially, with Wicomico's unemployment rate skyrocketing to its recent high of 9.7%. The $329 million basically provides temporary relief from the ill effects of state lawmakers neglecting to make a difficult financial decision in 2006 - and it is unlikely that the covering of fiscal irresponsibility will help get the economy moving again.

What is clear is that boosting the pension of currently retired teachers does nothing to improve Maryland schools.

Fox News Anchor Declares Obama is Eligible

Prominent Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier has posted an explanation on the network’s website of why he believes Barack Obama is eligible to be president.

“Here’s the deal,” wrote Baier, host of “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “The Constitution requires that the president be a ‘natural born citizen,’ but does not define the term. That job is left to federal law, in 8 U.S. Code, Section 1401. All the law requires is that the mother be an American citizen who has lived in the U.S. for five years or more, at least two of those years after the age of 14. If the mother fits those criteria, the child is a U.S. citizen at birth, regardless of the father’s nationality.”

However, Harvard-educated Jerome Corsi, author of Where’s the Birth Certificate? says Baier isn’t quite on track yet.

“Baier incorrectly interprets that 8 USC Section 1401 was written to define ‘natural born citizen,’ as specified in Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution,” he said. “The purpose of 8 USC Section 1401 is to define ‘nationals’ and ‘citizens’ of the United States ‘at birth.’”

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The Velocity Of Money Is Coming, Along With Big Price Inflation?

Bernanke: Be Humble! ... "Humble" is typically not an attribute associated with the Federal Reserve (Fed), especially in light of the trillions of dollars recently printed. Yet, in his latest press conference Fed Chairman Bernanke called for humility: we must be humble in setting monetary policy! The problem is, Bernanke's definition of the word "humble" appears to be something entirely different from what – in our humble opinion - common sense might expect. – Axel Merk/Merk Funds

Dominant Social Theme: "We are humble because we are aware of the great monetary forces at work and will do all we can to triumph over them. Thank you. I am Ben Bernanke."

Free-Market Analysis: Axel Merk of Merk Funds is out with another good analysis of the tremendous monetary inflation now inherent in the Western dollar reserve system and its eventual impact.

We have always argued ... wait. Sooner or later there will be tremendous price inflation.
Does Merk agree? He is troubled, at least by the language that US Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke is using in calling for "humility" and points out that Bernanke's sense of it and a normal person's is not the same.

This is, in fact, a kind of elite dominant social theme, in our view. It is the presentation of a fear-based meme that only top money minds like Bernanke's can successfully manage what's going on.

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Drunken Grandparents Towed Child in Toy Car

The grandparents of a 7-year-old girl gave her a car ride Sunday, but sheriff's deputies say there were two major problems: they towed the girl in a plastic car behind their SUV, and the driver of the vehicle was drunk while they towed her.

Paul J. Berloni, 49, of the 3300 block of Clark Road East in Sarasota, is charged with driving under the influence, child endangerment and driving with a suspended license. Sheriff's deputies say he has been convicted three times prior for DUI.

Belinda Jean Berloni, 47, of the same address, faces a child endangerment charge. Deputies say the granddaughter was not injured.

At about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a deputy eastbound on Clark Road reportedly saw the SUV on a parallel access road near Rockefeller Avenue. The SUV was pulling a plastic Hot Wheels car with a girl dressed in a swimsuit but wearing no protective gear such as a helmet. The toy car was tied to a trailer hitch with two dog leashes. The deputy estimated the SUV's speed at 5 to 10 mph.

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Vietnam Wall - THIS IS AMAZING

This is really sobering. Click on the link and find the city you went to high school and look at the names.


Click on the name and it will give details of the death.


Vietnam Wall


First click on a state. When it opens, scroll down to the city and the names will appear. Then click on their names. It should show you picture of the person, or at least their bio and medals.


This really is an amazing web site. Someone spent a lot of time and effort to create it.


I hope that everyone who receives this appreciates what those who served in Vietnam sacrificed for our country. The link below is a virtual wall of all those lost during the Vietnam War with the names, bio's and other information on our lost heroes.


Those who remember that time frame, or perhaps lost friends or family can look them up on this site.


GO HERE

BREAKING NEWS: Police Reportedly Investigating Possible Suicide Of NFL Great Junior Seau

Police in Oceanside, Calif., reportedly are investigating the possible suicide of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau.

From Fox News

Maryland Teen Saves Neighbors

FORESTVILLE, Md. - A 16-year-old Maryland boy is being called a hero rescuing his elderly neighbors when their house caught fire.

Thankfully Louise Seegars and her husband got out of the burning house in time.

No one was hurt and its all thanks to 16-year-old Justin Bowman.

Best Moms In The World

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY, SENATE PRESIDENT MILLER, SPEAKER BUSCH HOLD BILL SIGNING FOCUSED ON A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR MARYLAND

Governor signs environmental bills to protect the Bay, create a more sustainable future for the State

ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 2, 2012)
– Governor Martin O’Malley today joined Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., House Speaker Michael E. Busch, and Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown to sign legislation to protect Maryland’s environment and the health and prosperity of the Chesapeake Bay.

“This session, we made some important choices to further our progress on protecting our land, water and air,” said Governor O’Malley. “Progress is not inevitable; it is the product of the good choices we make together so our children will inherit a better, more sustainable future. We’ve had one of the more successful sessions in recent memory for the Bay and our environment because we choose together to create a Maryland that is Smart, Green and Growing.”

The Governor signed into law the Sustainable Growth and Preservation Act of 2012, which assists local communities in moving septic growth away from areas where it will contribute to wasteful land development practices and pollution, restores the Chesapeake Bay and protects the State’s rural landscape; the Bay Restoration Fund, which doubles the Bay Restoration Fee by providing funding for upgrades to wastewater treatment plants that dramatically reduce levels of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Atlantic Coastal Bays, the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries; and the Stormwater Management – Watershed Protection and Restoration Program to require local counties and municipalities to establish a watershed protection and restoration program to pay for stormwater management, and stream and wetland restoration projects to improve water quality and reduce phosphorus and nitrogen levels entering Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

At a later date, once a budget agreement is reached, the Governor will also sign the Family Farm Preservation Act of 2012, which secures a sustainable future for Maryland’s family farms by reducing the current estate tax rate from 16 percent to 5 percent to protect Maryland’s farms valued over $5 million through a mandate requiring recapture of the tax obligation if the farm is taken out of agricultural use within 10 years.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the crown jewel of Maryland’s natural resources and we must do everything we can to protect it,” said Senate President Miller. “The passage of important environmental priorities this session will ensure that Maryland continues to be a leader in the protection of the Bay and the environment, while making certain that we can continue to sustain agriculture, promote smart growth and have a greener, healthier state for future generations.”

“The big winners this session were a cleaner environment, cleaner waterways and a cleaner Chesapeake Bay, thanks to legislation supported by Governor O’Malley and the General Assembly,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. “Taken together, these bills will result in significant pollution reduction to the State’s waterways and protect Maryland’s crown jewel – the Chesapeake Bay. I am pleased that we were able to make significant progress towards a better quality of life in the future, without jeopardizing investments in the State’s economy today.”

Recently, the Governor announced the Chesapeake Bay’s juvenile blue crab population is at the highest level on record, and the overall blue crab population is at its highest level since 1993. Governor O’Malley’s 2013 capital budget includes more than $211 million in funding to help the Chesapeake Bay, including $38 million in GO Bonds for grants to fund stormwater projects through the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and $8 million for oyster recovery.

For a full summary of the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s 2012 Legislative Agenda, click here.

Since taking office, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting the Bay and creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for Maryland’s children. The Administration has many strategic goals that work together to produce a state that is smart, green and growing, including a commitment to Restore the Health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025; Double Transit Ridership in Maryland by the End of 2020; Reduce Per Capita Energy Consumption in Maryland by 15% by 2025; Increase Maryland’s In-State Renewable Generation to 20% by 2022; and Reduce Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 25% by 2020.

The Governor also recently received the first-ever Vision Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for his outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship.

For a full list of bills signed today, click here.

Official: Polka Dots Painted on ND Home an Eyesore

Jim Deitz believes he's creating a Grand Forks landmark, but the downtown apartment house he's painting one polka dot at a time is making a city planner cringe.

The retired house painter on Tuesday was putting the final polka dots on his home-turned-apartments, where passers-by have been gathering to watch him work and to request colors from his palette of a dozen cans of brightly colored paint.

"Pizza delivery drivers won't have any trouble finding this place," Deitz said of the century old-two story home that houses six apartments. "You can't miss it."

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Would you mind this house in your neighborhood?

"Shut Down By Twitter"

This Isn't China: Why Did Twitter Suspend Free Market Environmentalist Account?

Just as it was gaining momentum and attracting attention, Twitter shut down and silenced an account that promoted a free market vision for environmentalism timed with Earth Day. Special credit here belongs to Eric Bolling, who used his own twitter account and his program "The Five" on Fox News to bring attention the cause.

The account, @FreeMarket_US, a project of Americans for Limited Government (ALG), went live a few days before Earth Day and proceeded to pick up considerable steam. On Earth Day, the official website for Free Market America was launched and its Facebook and Twitter components started to come to life as well. The first video put out by Free Market America, "If I wanted America to fail," got over 120,000 hits in less than 36 hours -- that's not too shabby.

Adam Bitely, an editor for Net Right Daily, the official website for ALG, described what happened after the Twitter account was suspended mid-way through Earth Day.

"After numerous attempts to contact Twitter and see what the story was behind the suspension, ALG launched a twitter campaign against twitter," he wrote. "Urging all of our followers to contact @twitter to ask why the Free Market America site has been suspended, thousands came to our defense."

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New Service Takes The Guesswork Out of Clothes Shopping

A new, free service seeks to eliminate the hours shoppers spend in dressing rooms in search of the perfect fitting clothes.

It's called Me-Ality, and it's essentially a digital dressing room that scans your body at a "matching station" and then uses your exact measurements to find clothes that will best fit and flatter your body.

Each matching station, located locally and throughout the country, will use a "vertical wand" that rotates around the fully clothed person inside to get their precise measurements. The wand measures over 200,000 points of reference on each body. It takes about 15 seconds.

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HOT OFF THE PRESS



I just returned from the screen printers with a new load of tee shirts. This time we have men's and women's shirts ranging from women's small, medium, men's medium, large, XL, XXL and XXXL, short sleeve AND long sleeve.

We went through the first 50 in only 3 days and I don't expect this load will take much longer. Nevertheless, if you'd like a free tee shirt I will be here until at least 5:00.

I look forward to seeing/meeting you.

Not America's Future, REALITY



Man Arrested As Frosty The Snowman Charged Again

CHESTERTOWN, Md. (AP) — A man who was arrested while dressed as Frosty the Snowman during a holiday parade has been charged again.

Chestertown police say 53-year-old Kevin Walsh of Chestertown, was arrested Sunday and charged with disorderly conduct and other offenses. He was released on his own recognizance.

Police tell the Star Democrat of Easton that Walsh yelled profanities on the sidewalk and cursed at an officer who told him to quiet down.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide, Online And For All Budgets

All year, mothers make their children breakfast, forward (hilarious) spammy emails, help translate tax returns, teach proper dinner party etiquette and lead the never-ending quest for a perfect roast chicken. Or maybe that’s just my mom. Regardless, mothers work tirelessly every day making their kids’ lives a little better.

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your mom how much you care. So spend the day appreciating her. And don’t forget a gift! Whether you simply put a fun spin on breakfast in bed or splurge on something pricey, these ideas will make make mom’s day.

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DoD Calls off Annual Procurement Conference

Defense Department officials have called off large annual contracting-focused conference just weeks before it was set to begin.

The invitation-only DoD Procurement Conference and Training Symposium was to have taken place in Orlando, Fla. Between May 21 and May 24. A notice posted on a department website said officials had decided they needed more time to better align the training programs with DoD acquisition policy. It wasn't immediately clear whether recent backlash against agency-sponsored conferences in the wake of the General Services Administration scandal played a role in the decision.

An industry source who had planned to participate in the conference said attendees weren't notified of the cancellation by DoD, but rather by the Orlando hotels where they had booked rooms. Participants were told they would not be charged for conference fees or hotel rooms, but would be on the hook for any airfare they had already booked. 

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Ordering Appliance At Lowe's Results In Cascade Of Incompetence

The employees at his local Lowe's store were pretty great, reader Tony tells us, but ordering his stove online with multiple store gift cards wasn't such a good idea. When he hit "Submit," the order didn't go through, and the Lowe's customer service buffoons weren't able to tell him what had happened. A visit to the local store resolved the situation, resulting in the actual delivery of the stove. Which was damaged.

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Caption This Photo 5-2-12



A Beating At Church And Brambleton

Wave after wave of young men surged forward to take turns punching and kicking their victim.

The victim's friend, a young woman, tried to pull him back into his car. Attackers came after her, pulling her hair, punching her head and causing a bloody scratch to the surface of her eye. She called 911. A recording told her all lines were busy. She called again. Busy. On her third try, she got through and, hysterical, could scream only their location.

Church and Brambleton. Church and Brambleton. Church and Brambleton.

It happened four blocks from where they work, here at The Virginian-Pilot.

Two weeks have passed since reporters Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami - friends to me and many others at the newspaper - were attacked on a Saturday night as they drove home from a show at the Attucks Theatre. They had stopped at a red light, in a crowd of at least 100 young people walking on the sidewalk. Rostami locked her car door. Someone threw a rock at her window. Forster got out to confront the rock-thrower, and that's when the beating began.

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Today's Fill In The Blank 5-2-12

I would like to lose ___ pounds this year.

Troopers Arrest Greenwood Man For Double Homicide


Location:
Residence located in the 28000 block of Liden School Road, Greenwood, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

Victims:
Harvey Cashwell-76 of Greenwood, DE
Carolyn Cashwell-66 of Greenwood, DE

Defendant, Charges, and Bail Information:
Michael P. Emory, 32, Greenwood, DE (Photo Attached)
Murder 1st (2 counts)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (4 counts)
Burglary 2nd
Theft >$1,500.00

Arraigned at JP Court 2 and currently being held without bail at Sussex Correctional Institution

Resume:
Greenwood, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Greenwood man in connection with the double homicide.

The investigation into this incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday April 26, 2012, after Troopers were called to a residence located in the 28000 block of Liden School Road in Greenwood. Concerned neighborhood residents called State Police after they had not seen the elderly couple or observed any activity from the house since Sunday, April 22, 2012. Upon arriving at the residence, Troopers attempted to make contact with the couple to check on their welfare, but received no response. Troopers then made entry into the home at which time they located the couple deceased. The couple is identified as Harvey Cashwell-76 and his wife Carolyn Cashwell-66, both of Greenwood.

Through further investigation, detectives learned that the defendant, Michael P. Emory, 32, of Greenwood had been evicted from a residence he rented from the victims approximately six month ago. On Friday April 27, 2012, Emory was apprehended at the Greenwood Inn and arrested for Theft by False Pretense after it was determined he had allegedly pawned a ring belonging to Carolyn Cashwell. He was subsequently committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on the Theft by False Pretense charge as well as a violation of probation warrant.

On Tuesday May 1, 2012, Detectives obtained a warrant charging Michael Emory with the above listed crimes. He was arraigned at JP Court 2 and is currently being held without bail at the Sussex County Correctional Institution.

This investigation is continuing.

Man Charged With Murder Try Is No-Show At Trial

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A man charged with attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend failed to show up at his trial, and police are looking for him.

Thirty-nine-year-old LaJaune McCoy did not show up at a hearing in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court on Tuesday. His public defender said his client indicated he would not appear at trial.

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Royal Family Accused Of Hypocrisy Over Wind Farm Plans

Dozens of wind turbines could soon turn profit for the royal family despite them being criticised by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Up to 45 turbines are planned for construction on Crown Estate land, which could reap £1 million in subsidies for the royal family.

The Prince has previously reportedly described wind farms as a “horrendous blot on the landscape” while the Duke has referred to them as “useless” and “a disgrace”.

Residents living next to the proposed wind farms in Wales and Lincolnshire last night accused the royal family of hypocrisy.

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Today's Advertiser Of The Day 5-2-12



Vice President Hosts Delaware Women's Hoops Team

NEWARK, Del. (AP) -- The University of Delaware women's basketball team has been treated to one final highlight following the most successful season in school history.

The News Journal of Wilmington (http://delonline.us/IUcCj4 ) reports that Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday gave the Blue Hens, their coaches and school administrators a personal tour of the White House and then hosted them for a poolside dinner at the vice president's residence in Washington.

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QUOTES OF THE DAY 5-2-12

Prejudices are what fools use for reason. Voltaire

How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child’s board. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak which he has planted. Voltaire

Edible – good to eat and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. Ambrose Bierce

NO GAS!


"If any of the transports that come into the Port of Salisbury were ever stopped, and the ability to bring oil, natural gas, ethanol and other fuel needs stopped, it would take two-and-a-half days for the entire Delmarva Peninsula to run out of oil," said Mayor Jim Ireton.

We live on the river, have not seen an oil barge since Sunday. Guess Delmarva will shut down this afternoon.

Princess Anne Ambulance Repossessed

While Wicomico County faces extreme financial difficulties, surrounding municipalities are experiencing difficulties as well.

Princess Anne ordered a brand new Ambulance. In fact, representatives from the Fire Department made two trips to inspect their new Ambulance, going as far as Canada to see it as part of the contract, paid for by the manufacturer and included in the final price.

The Ambulance was finished and was set to be delivered. The manufacturer got to Princess Anne with the Ambulance but could not get the Fire Department to pony up the check to pay for it, therefore they repossessed the vehicle and took it back.

One of the Princess Anne Ambulances is broken down at this moment, leaving citizens in a serious jam as Princess Anne is a pretty busy Fire Department. However, it gets worse. FIVE of the SEVEN vehicles, (Fire Trucks, etc.) they have in house have FAILED their DOT inspections. This means Firefighters are subjected to serious risks should they attempt to fight a fire.

One of the vehicles has no tail lights. Salisbury News has also learned that the Fire Department actually owes the Town of Princess Anne money for LEOPS, money in which the Town fronted but cannot seem to collect. We also learned the Town only provides around $7,000.00 a year towards the Volunteer Department and has no control over what the Fire Department does.

Princess Anne citizens have a serious problem on their hands with so many pieces of emergency equipment being down. Perhaps it's time the citizens contact the Fire Department to get some answers.


New Posts to fall below.

Today's Survey Question 5-2-12

It's been years since the majority of registered voters actually voted here in Salisbury. Do you believe this election will finally get people excited enough to get out and vote, either way?

Your Support Is Overwhelming


"I remember telling you we need more happy and good news in the news....well you topped it when you said you may run for mayor."

"Hi Mr. Joe! I'm so happy to see that you are FINALLY running for Mayor! Salisbury needs a new fresh start and I believe that you are the man to do it!"

"Good luck with the election and I can promise you 3 votes from our house."

I'm getting messages like the above all day long. E-mail, text messages, phone calls and even drop by visits from many people I have very much enjoyed meeting.

There is a limited supply of tee shirts left and you're welcome to stop by and get one. Thank You for your support!

Md. AG Files to Halt DNA Collection Decision

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland's attorney general wants to keep a state law that allows police to collect DNA from people charged with a violent crime, burglary or attempts to commit those crimes.

Attorney General Doug Gansler filed a motion Tuesday to stay the Maryland Court of Appeals decision striking down the measure.

Gansler said he would file an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if the state court does not reconsider its decision.

"We're not optimistic that they're going to change their ruling," he said.

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God's Wife

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the Contest was to find the most caring child.

The winners were:

1. A four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry.'

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

2. Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One
little boy in the picture had a different hair color than the other members. One
of her students suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, 'I know all about adoption, I was adopted..'

'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child.

'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!'

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

3. On my way home one day, I stopped to watch a Little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was 'We're behind 14 to nothing,'
he answered with a smile.

'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you don't look very discouraged.'

'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face... 'Why should we be
discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet.'

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

4. Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen..

On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'

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

5. An eye witness account from New York City , on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought
the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks.. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now..'

As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her.

'Are you God's wife?'

Navy SEALs Are Hammering Obama For Taking Credit For Their Work

It's been a year to the day since President Obama announced the heroic mission of the Navy SEAL Team Six that killed Osama bin Laden. But Navy SEALs aren't taking too kindly to Obama reminding everyone about it in the past few days.

Surprise, surprise: Today is all about politics.

Current serving and ex-Navy SEALs spoke with The Daily Mail for a story published last night, and boy did they have a lot to say. A sampling: Some said the mission was a no-brainer for any president. Some accused Obama of taking credit for their work. Some said it was an attempt to use them as "ammunition" for his re-election campaign.

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NYPD THUGS USE INTIMIDATION TACTICS TO CRUSH DISSENT

A day before Occupy Wall Street hopes to shut down New York and cities across the country in massive May Day protests, the NYPD visited at least three activist homes in New York and interrogated residents about plans for tomorrow’s protest.

Today “there was definitely an upswing in law enforcement activity that seemed to fit the pattern of targeting what police might view as political residences,” said Gideon Oliver, the president of the New York Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which offers legal to support to Occupy Wall Street. “They were asking what are your May Day plans, do you know who the leaders are—these are classic political surveillance questions.”

Oliver said the National Lawyer’s Guild is aware of at least five instances of NYPD paying activists visits, including one where the FBI was involved in questioning. (He wouldn’t elaborate.) We spoke to three of these activists.

In the first case: activist Zachary Dempster said that six NYPD officers broke down the door of his Bushwick, Brooklyn apartment at around 6:15am this morning. Dempster said they were armed with a warrant for the arrest of his roommate, musician Joe Crow Ryan, for a six-year-old open container violation. But Dempster believes this was an excuse to check in on him, as he’d been arrested in February at an Occupy Wall Street Party that was broken up by cops, and charged with assaulting a police office and inciting a riot.

After running his ID, a detective questioned Dempster in his bedroom for about five minutes about tomorrow’s May Day protest, he said.

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European Banks Risk New Global Financial Crisis, IMF Warns

European banks risk creating a new global financial crisis as they shrink their balance sheets by more than $2 trillion through the end of next year, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

Without careful oversight by euro-zone authorities, the potential consequences of a synchronized and large-scale reduction in banks’ portfolios could cause “serious damage to asset prices, credit supply and economic activity in Europe and beyond,” the IMF said in a new report.

The fund outlined a raft of policies it said are necessary to avoid a worst-case scenario, including furthering central-bank support, expanding the use of the region’s emergency funds to invest in banks as a way to inject needed capital and soften the impact of banks unwinding their risky assets, and accelerating financial-sector reforms.

Without action, the fund said Europe risks forcing an international fire-sale of bank assets, with banks rapidly shrinking their portfolios by an estimated $3.8 trillion. Besides a credit crunch and a resurgence of default risk in the euro zone, that would likely spark a chain reaction across the globe. Emerging markets would be whip-sawed as capital flooded out of their economies. The U.S. derivatives markets could likely face another meltdown. And near-term prospects for a global economic recovery would be shattered.

“Through derivative markets, stress could be transmitted to U.S. banks, even though their direct exposures to European banks and sovereigns are relatively low,” the fund said.

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Two Words - Screw That

Friedrich von Hayek, a major figure in the Austrian school of economics, wrote in his seminal work the Road to Serfdom,

“By giving the government unlimited powers, the most arbitrary rule can be made legal; and in this way a democracy may set up the most complete despotism imaginable.”

It’s hard to ignore Hayek’s prescient warning when you hear about the US government’s newest (and 17th) spy agency that it wants to roll out [8]… because hey, 16 spy agencies just isn’t enough.

Or the Transportation Security Administration ‘aggressively screening’ a 7-year old girl with Cerebral Palsy at JFK Airport in New York (causing the family to miss their flight [9])… and then later issuing a statement defending its agents’ actions.

Or Congress authorizing the IRS and State Department to revoke US citizens’ passports on suspicion of tax delinquency; as of last week, the bill has passed both the House and Senate, and is now awaiting a final agreement before going to the President for signature.

Then there was the National Defense Resources Preparedness executive order that President Obama signed last month– an order which gives the federal government autocratic power to seize and redistribute all agricultural resources in the event of a national emergency.

When you step back and look at the big picture, the writing on the wall seems so clear, so obvious. In Western Europe and the United States in particular, bankrupt, insolvent governments will resort to any means necessary in order to maintain the status quo: keeping them in power at our expense.

This means continuing to reduce personal liberty, eliminate economic freedom, vanquish privacy, debase the currency, stifle innovation, eradicate financial opportunity, and destroy the savings and livelihoods of millions of people.

These tactics are not new, this time is not different. Empires on the slide have always resorted to cannibalism– feeding off the productive class in order to keep the party going a little while longer.

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3 Md. Waterways Opened for Shellfish Harvesting

BALTIMORE - The Maryland Department of the Environment has lifted shellfish harvesting restrictions in portions of three waterways following a decline in bacteria levels.

Officials said Monday that an area of the Wicomico River at the border of Wicomico and Somerset counties has been approved for harvesting.


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HOME PRICES AT 1895 LEVELS


Why U.S. house prices won’t recover
Taking inflation into account, home prices are down to 1895 levels
By Jack Hough

When will U.S. house prices recover? Likely never. But that’s no reason not to buy.

The latest S&P/Case-Shiller numbers, reported last week, show that prices in 20 major markets declined 3.5% over the year through February. They’re now back to 2002 levels. If we subtract for inflation, they’re back to 1998 levels.

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WCSO Press Releases 5-2-12

Incident: DUI
Date of Incident: 29 April 2012
Location: E. Lincoln Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Morris Timothy Batdorf, 31, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 29 April 2012
at 6:18 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded for a reported motor vehicle accident at the intersection of E. Lincoln Avenue and Edgar Drive in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy met with the at fault driver, Morris Batdorf, and detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from him. The deputy began a battery of field sobriety testing on
Batdorf, after which the deputy placed Batdorf under arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

Batdorf refused to submit to a breath test.

The deputy transported Batdorf to the Sheriff’s Office for processing. Batdorf was released upon the issuance of citations pending a future court appearance.

Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident: Burglary Investigation
Date of Incident: 30 April 2012
Location: 11000 block of Riverton Wharf Road, Mardela Springs, MD
Suspect: Pending

Narrative: On 30 April 2012
at 5:35 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office investigated a residential burglary in the 11000 block of Riverton Wharf Road in Mardela Springs.

Investigation revealed than an unknown suspect entered the residence during daytime hours taking jewelry and household electronics. It is believed entry was made through a door that was left open.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891.

Information can be reported anonymously through Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.
Charges: Burglary
Theft

Feds To Outlaw Farm Chores For Kids


The U.S. Department of Labor is here to help farmers and their families with new regulations on what their kids can do to help around the farm. The proposed rules have provoked in me a little stroll down nostalgia lane.

I grew up on a dairy farm in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia. Helping out the folks was not optional - our house was heated by wood stoves, so a good bit of my summers was spent wielding an axe and stacking cords of wood. Milking cows happened twice a day every day, holidays and weekends not excepted. I carried the milk cans to the big refrigerator for storage until they were picked up by the dairy company trucks. I was sometimes tasked to cut down timber using a chain saw.

I rarely got to drive the tractors since as a teenager with a strong back I was expected to do labor such as hoisting bales of hay onto trailers in the field and off the trailers into the barn's hayloft. I once got chased by a very annoyed sow that was building a nest in which to farrow. I planted, cut, and hung burley tobacco in barns to dry and then graded it for sale. I applied various pesticides and cleaned the equipment afterwards. Over their strenuous objections, I sheared sheep. I mention all these farm chores because while many them were apparently outlawed in 1970, most of the rest will be under the new regulations.

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Scout Develops Device to Make Reloading Gun Easier

Brian Nelle is only in seventh grade, but his ingenuity has already made a difference in the life of a wounded veteran.

The Brunswick Middle School student wants to be a physician's assistant, but his latest innovation has him thinking about a part-time career as an engineer, he said.

Brian, a Boy Scout, has made a device that makes it easier to reload a 9mm pistol magazine one handed.

"I have airsoft guns," Brian said, referring to replica guns that fire plastic pellets. "Those always interested me."

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FBI: 5 Men Charged in Ohio Bridge Bomb Plot

Five men described by federal authorities as anarchists angry with corporate America and the government were charged Tuesday with plotting to bomb an Ohio bridge linking two wealthy Cleveland suburbs.

The men were arrested Monday night after unknowingly working with an FBI informant for months, a strategy that federal investigators have used repeatedly in recent years to nab alleged terrorists.

"They talked about making a statement against corporate America and the government as some of the motivations for their actions," U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach said in announcing the arrests with the head of the FBI in Cleveland, Stephen Anthony.

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Stinging Gas Sends May Day Protesters in Oakland Fleeing

OAKLAND – Hundreds of activists across the U.S. joined the worldwide May Day protests on Tuesday, with Occupy Wall Street members in several cities leading demonstrations and in some cases clashing with police.

In Oakland, Calif., stinging gas sent protesters fleeing a downtown intersection where they were demonstrating. It was unclear whether police fired the gas, but officers took four people into custody.
Black-clad protesters in Seattle used sticks to smash small downtown windows and ran through the streets disrupting traffic.

In New York, police in riot gear lined the front of a Bank of America, facing several dozen Occupy activists marching behind barricades. "Bank of America. Bad for America!" they chanted. About 50 demonstrators in Chicago rallied outside another of the bank's branches.

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BREAKING NEWS: Chinese Activist Leaves US Embassy

Blind Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng leaves US Embassy to receive medical care in Beijing and be reunited with this family, US official says.

From Fox News

Key Finally Decides Not To Make Family Pay Dead Student's College Loans

When a person dies and their estate is settled, any remaining debt dies with them, including student loans. But there's an exception: if a parent or other responsible grown-up co-signs a loan and the borrower dies a tragic young death, that co-signer is on the hook for the entire amount of the loan. That's how co-signing works, after all. But after a Rutgers student died in 2006 after two years in a coma, most of his lenders (credit cards and student loans) deferred, then forgave his debts. Key Bank was the holdout, since the student's father had co-signed his college loans at Key. Since 2006, the family has paid $20,000 of the $50,000 balance. It took an awful lot of negative publicity, but Key says that they will forgive the debt, and might not even put future families in the same terrible situation.

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