Salisbury News: 08/14/12

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mayor Jim Ireton Throws Yet Another Major Hissy Fit Tonight

At tonight's City Council Meeting the Mayor and his Administration made a $400,000.00 mistake on a Grant for the Salisbury Fire Department. However, what you don't know is how this all came about. Once again the Mayor at the last minute demanded that the Council President place this item on the agenda as an emergency. While he made it sound like it was an emergency, language and the financial mistake were found in these contracts in which the Council could NOT move forward until the mistakes were corrected and the public was fully aware of the problems.

So don't you think for a second that the entire Council doesn't want to move forward with this, as the Mayor would like you to believe. It will be brought forth in the next Council Meeting CORRECTED and it will move forward at that point. ALL of this I learned tonight. I have never once spoken to ANY Council Member AT ALL about this matter.

Because the Mayor was being so rude to the Council, (especially the women) Council President Cohen had to ask him to stop speaking. Mayor Ireton then asked ALL Department Heads to leave the room. While outside he said to the Department Heads, because you all are professionals I don't want you a part of that part of the meeting. I replied, then practice what you preach Mayor and stop being so disrespectful towards the women on Council.

WMDT was present when the Council voted down moving the Grant onto the agenda and went out in the hallway to interview the Mayor. HOWEVER, the Mayor stood there and pointed his finger at me and said I refuse to do an interview while my political opponent is standing here, are you going to interview him as well. She replied, yes. He said, then I won't do the interview in front of him. I said, I don't have to do an interview with WMDT Jim. He said, I WASN'T SPEAKING TO YOU. I said, Jim, I am NOT one of your children students you can talk down to. I too am in the news business and this is a public building, I have every right to be here. He replied, I will not do this interview, we can go outside if you like. (Like that makes any difference in or out of a public building)

Ireton went on with WMDT and Sarah Lake, (go figure, the alleged phone spoof girl) downstairs so I made a trip on my way back from the GOB to speak to WMDT.

The Mayor stated on camera, "This is the Terry Cohen/Joe Albero cost the taxpayers show". WMDT refuses to air ANY portion of his interview in which he attacked me several times. I had absolutely NOTHING to do with this decision tonight, yet Ireton constantly wants to tie everything into a political game.

I hope many of you watched his behavior tonight. I personally am sick and tired of his attacking innocent women and twisting things to make it LOOK as if everything he brings to the Council is their fault. IF Jim Ireton and his STAFF were in fact professionals they would have never brought this information forward tonight.

Ladies & Gentlemen, it is all a game. I've said it many times in the past, he constantly does this in order to make the Council look bad. It is NOT the Council that is the problem, it is the Mayor, seriously and honestly.

Now let's see how Sarah Lake and others twist it.

PARENTS OUTRAGED OVER SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT FORCING KIDS ‘TO READ PROFANITY’

At least two parents in West Knoxville, Tennessee, are up in arms over an “inappropriate” reading assignment that was given to high school students at Hardin Valley Academy over the summer. The book at the center of the debate, “Robopocalypse,” written by Daniel H. Wilson, is said to be, at times, both profane and violent.

One of the lines in the book, for instance, allegedly reads , “I swear to God and all his cronies, darling I’ll f**king kill you.” It is this sort of sentiment that has parents outraged.

Biden To Southern Audience: Romney Financial Plan Would ‘Put Y’all Back In Chains’

Vice President Biden drew a tough retort from Mitt Romney's campaign Tuesday after telling a Virginia audience that the Republican presidential candidate's plan to lift financial regulation would "put y'all back in chains."

Romney's campaign responded by claiming the rhetoric marked a "new low" in the 2012 race.

Biden made the remarks during a stop in Danville, Va . He took a swipe at Romney's plan to ease financial regulations, by recycling a Romney bank analogy and creating an analogy of his own.

"He said in the first 100 days, he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules," Biden said. "Unchain Wall Street! They're gonna put y'all back in chains."

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Record 164-Pound, 17.5-Foot Python Caught in Florida

Scientists say they've caught the biggest Burmese python ever recorded in Florida.

The python weighed in at 164.5 pounds and measured 17 feet, 7 inches long. It was pregnant with 87 eggs.

"This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide," said Florida Museum herpetology collection manager Kenneth Krysko, in a press release . "It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble."

The top Homeland Security official accused of cultivating a "frat-house"-style work environment has "voluntarily placed herself on leave" amid an internal review, the department told FoxNews.com late Tuesday evening -- just hours after FoxNews.com contacted the agency about new allegations against her.

Two more Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees came forward this week to complain about "lewd" conduct inside the agency, submitting sworn affidavits that depict graphic comments made by two top officials working under DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The affidavits were given as part of a discrimination and retaliation suit filed earlier this year by James T. Hayes Jr., the head of the New York office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

U.S. Auto Bailout Will Cost Billions More Than Previously Thought: Treasury

The U.S. Treasury Department has said the auto industry bailout will cost taxpayers $3.4 billion more than previously thought.

Treasury now estimates the 2009 bailout will eventually cost the government $25.1 billion, according to a report sent to Congress on Friday.

That is up from the last quarterly estimate of $21.7 billion.

Since the $80 billion bailout of the auto industry, Detroit's big automakers have moved from crisis to profit. GM and Chrysler were put through government-funded bankruptcies that slashed costs and debt.

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EVERY MEMBER OF THIS MINNESOTA INDIAN TRIBE MAKES AT LEAST $1 MILLION A YEAR

Thanks to the massive profits generated by their luxury casino and resort operation, the 480 members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Tribe in Minnesota live a comfortable life of luxury and ease.

“The payouts are the windfall from lucrative casinos and resorts that the tribe runs on its reservation in Scott County — about 45 minutes southwest of Minneapolis-St Paul,” the Daily Mail reports.

Military To Test Hypersonic Jet That Could Zip Across The U.S. In Less Than 1 Hour

A superfast jet that could fly from L.A. to New York City in less than an hour may be one step closer to reality after a key test this week.

The X-51A WaveRider, an unmanned aircraft that could reach speeds up to Mach 6 will be launched from the wing of a B-52 bomber high above the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports .

The WaveRider is expected to zip up into the atmosphere and fly at hypersonic speeds—3,600 mph—for 300 seconds, before breaking up into the ocean.

Dell spends $2.7 million per year to protect founder Michael Dell's family, but tweets and blogs from the billionaire's kids describing where they are and what they're doing don't make the job any easier.

An Instagram account linked to the Twitter postings of Dell's daughter, Alexa, 18, divulged where she was shopping and where she stayed on a recent trip to New York. Alongside that, her tweets detailed GPS information that could track her exact location; she even tweeted the location of her high school graduation dinner, which her family attended.

A photo of Zachary Dell, 15, appeared on a Tumblr blog called "Rich Kids of Instagram," showing the scion devouring a grand buffet just before departing for Fiji on the family's jet.

Federal Appeals Court Sides With Texas Against EPA

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency violated the Clean Air Act by rejecting a Texas program for approving air permits.

The ruling by a divided three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concerns the EPA's 2010 rejection of the state's flexible permitting program. That decision forced more than 100 industries, including some of the nation's largest refineries, to work directly with the EPA to get operating papers.

By a 2-1 vote, the 5th Circuit struck down the EPA's rejection of the flexible permitting program and told the EPA to reconsider it.

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Why Your Local MSM Just Can't Get It Right

To the best of my knowledge and belief, all data submitted in this application are true and correct.

This application has been duly authorized by the governing body of the applicant.

The applicant will comply with the Assurances and Certifications if assistance is awarded.

Incompetency & Dishonesty are the FIRST things that come to mind. The words you see above came from the FEMA document the Mayor and his Staff attempted to pass off on the City Council. First of all, the document is dated in February. This means the Mayor and Department Heads had MORE than enough time to bring this to the Council and NOT a day before in the hopes of passing off an illegal document.

It would seem Shanie and Laura have no problem supporting Department Heads with dishonest behavior.

We were told today that WBOC went after the three Council Members who rejecting placing this grant on the agenda. Actually, they blamed the Council for turning it down, they did no such thing. The Council, (again) refused to place it on the agenda and that is all they voted on. The Mayor would like you to believe differently. The Mayor would like you to believe I had something to do with their decision as well, that is untrue and defamatory. The Mayor has NO evidence of any such action and will clearly say ANYTHING to smear my name into a lie.

Keep in mind, there was a $400,000.00 mistake in the numbers Hoppes delivered and IF the City were to have to consider furloughing employees again, guess what, according to the grant the City would have to REFUND almost every penny given to the City. The grant ties ALL Firefighters into that agreement. So if ONE Firefighters is furloughed at any point and time during the grant term the City would have to refund some pretty big bucks.

The Council made the right decision. The Mayor should have put this on the table months ago. The Mayor should have had the Council sign off on the application months ago, he did not.

Shanie Shields statement last night was not only outrageous, it was sickening. She said, "To me, it can be forgiven". Shields wanted to move forward with pushing the grant through, as did Laura Mitchell.

So WHY isn't your local MSM telling the whole story? Why is the local MSM suggesting this is the fault of the City Council? One could easily charge Rick Hoppes with perjury as well as anyone else who signed that document along with the many others Shields and Mitchell claimed are done on a regular basis WITHOUT Council permission.

This is what we call the Good Old Boys. We have a Council majority that is willing to do what is right, what is legal. Why on God's Green Earth would anyone be upset with the City Council when they are truly doing their jobs right.

Jim Ireton stated in his Don Rush interview, the truth is the truth and the truth will always win in the end. Well Jim, the truth WON in the end on this one because YOU even said so.

Expect Mayor Ireton to bring this back to the Council again, even after he said he will NOT do so.

By the way, Mr. Hoppes stated they needed this grant to improve response time. Is there really a problem with response time???? I've never heard someone say, the Fire Department took too long to get here, have you?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A ‘PANSEXUAL’ IS? A TX STATE REP. JUST CAME OUT AS ONE

Democrat Mary Gonzalez was the first lesbian to openly serve in the Texas House of Representatives, and now she’s becoming the first “pansexual,” too.

“During the campaign if I had identified as pansexual, I would have overwhelmed everyone…Now that I’m out of the campaign, I’m completely much more able to define it,” she explained.

So what, exactly, is a “pansexual”? And how is it different from “bisexual”?

DEMINT: U.N. TREATY THREATENS U.S. HOMESCHOOLERS

In the past few weeks, two proposed United Nations treaties failed to advance. The small-arms treaty failed at the U.N. while opponents of the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) amassed enough votes to block it in the U.S. Senate.

Now, Sen. Jim DeMint,R-S.C., says another U.N. treaty that threatens American sovereignty has been put back on the table by foreign diplomats and their internationalist allies in the federal government. It’s called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Disabled, which calls for government agents to supersede the authority of parents of disabled children and even covers abortion.

Proponents, including many Republicans, claim it will help to expand rights and opportunities for disabled people in all nations, but DeMint isn’t buying it.

Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II, who has been accused of having an affair with a 23-year-old Chesapeake, Va., woman and faking his death as a means of ending it, has been relieved of his duties as the commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh, just one week after he was put in command.

The woman said she met Ward, 43, on a dating website in October. She said Ward, who is married with children, told her her he was separated and that he worked in "special ops." She said he got her pregnant then, in an effort to end the relationship, faked his death in an email communication in July.

Obama Hosts Iftar Dinner, Notes Thomas Jefferson’s Koran

The Romney campaign let loose with the announcement that their VP pick would soon be announced late Friday night, just as President Obama’s Iftar dinner was still settling.

Obama hosted the Ramadan dinner at the White House after sundown, serving garden salad, thyme-roasted natural chicken, farmstand vegetable ratatouille, and vanilla peach sesame halvah crunch to guests who had been fasting all day.

Attendees includes the two Muslim members of Congress, Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.). Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), whose district includes part of Dearborn, Mich., also came.

Answering Your Survey Questions Today

11:02, Cookie Dough

11:05, We must focus on jobs and bringing businesses BACK to Salisbury.

11:07, I owned a manufacturing company, (ITI Illumination Technology, Inc.) for more than 25 years and retired at 40.

I played Professional Pool for many years and owned a chain of Upscale Billiards rooms as well as a bar/restaurant.

We are raising our Grandson and I have been the owner of Salisbury News for the past 8 years.

In 1979 I was in a very bad car accident that took me away from finishing High School. Because my family was very poor at the time there was absolutely no way I could go back to school for an additional year so I chose to go to work to help support my Mother and siblings. Clearly I made the right decision.

anonymous 11:18, While supporting Jim Ireton for Mayor, I stated early on in that race if he did not do the things he assured he was going to make happen in his platform I would run against him in the next election.

anonymous 11:28, great question. Last night surprised me quite a bit when the City Council dropped the impact fees 64%. In my honest opinion, they gave the City away last night, so I guess Jim Ireton is simply proving it is much easier to GIVE things away, (as well as the Council) than it is to work hard at rebuilding.

We need to STOP going into debt. We need to stop taking things like a Fire Boat that will cost us dearly and we simply do not need it. When we pay off debts, we do NOT need to use that monthly spending just to go into debt on other things that are not necessary.

I will NOT be your feel good Mayor. I will be the guy that tightens the belt like no other Mayor has. We need road improvements and so many upkeep things this Mayor and the former Mayor ignored for more than a decade.

anonymous 11:28, No. This Mayoral term is only 2 years. I will not uproot my Family for a 2 year part time job and neither would you. If I choose to continue I'd certainly consider it. Keep in mind, I do own and live in my property in Salisbury. I'm paying my dues more so than anyone else you know.

anonymous 11:24, Are you sure your on the right Blog? Suggesting such would make me want to challenge your mental frame of mind.

anonymous 11:42, From what I've gathered, Barrie Tilghman somehow locked any hope away from that ever happening again. While I think property owners should have the right to vote, I highly doubt I can make that happen in the next 2 years.

anonymous 11:55, I have a plan to revitalize ALL of the Downtown area. I'd like to work close with the Chamber of Commerce to encourage property owners in feeling good again about Salisbury and reinvest in their properties. The problem as I see it right now is that too many property owners are renting these properties far below market value. This will take time to bring things back to where they need to be and I'm asking ALL of you to work with me. I say that because my plans are for 40 years down the road. Of course there will be immediate changes but in 40 years I'd like Salisbury to be known like San Antonio, Texas with a River Walk, Hotels, shops along the river, the whole nine yards.

Unfortunately we live in an instant gratification society. Salisbury is just too big for that and has too many issues.

anonymous 12:03, it will come from the taxpayers, unfortunately. You can thank Barrie Tilghman every chance you see her for that. Come on now, you know there's no other way around that.

anonymous 12:18, January.

anonymous 12:58, I have proposed charging a $1.00 fee at the Zoo for all NON residents. This will help reduce tax liabilities in the City. Again, we have to stop spending on frivolous things. I understand and respect your position and will do so for my entire term as Mayor.

I'm very surprised none of you have questioned CRIME in Salisbury. If elected I will make the SPD priority #1 in Salisbury. No, this is not just talk, I mean it. We must reduce crime, period. If we want to bring businesses to Salisbury as well as new home owners, we must bring forth a business plan to encourage businesses to relocate here. The Eastern Shore is a fantastic place for manufacturing and good paying jobs.

We need an Economic Development Director who understands Salisbury's needs and turn things around.

We need to STOP ECI from dropping off the majority of their inmates in Salisbury. We need to work closely with Matt Maciarello to eliminate the Gangs in Salisbury.

I'll await more questions from you...

To see the questions, GO HERE.

ANTI-POLICE BRUTALITY JOURNALIST JAILED FOR RECORDING PUBLIC OFFICIALS

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to just under three months behind bars for secretly recording conversations with Manchester police and school officials.

The recordings made by 30-year-old Adam Mueller (Miller) were posted on a blog affiliated with a website that claims to police the police. The Huffington Post describes the background of the case:

Last October, video surfaced on CopBlock.org of 17-year-old Frank W. Harrington being lifted from his seat in the school cafeteria by a school police officer and slammed face-first into a table.

The Places In The World That Are Running Out Of Water

About 1.7 billion people rely on aquifers that are rapidly being depleted and would take thousands of years to refill, according to a new study in the journal Nature.

The report, "Water balance of global aquifers revealed by groundwater footprint," identifies aquifers in the U.S., Mexico, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and China as crisis zones where groundwater resources and/or groundwater-dependent ecosystems are under threat because the use of water vastly exceeds the rate at which aquifers are being refilled by rain.

The underground reservoir in northwestern India, for instance, would need 54 times more rainfall to replenish the water that’s currently being used by farmers and the local population.

In the map below, the blue areas mark where rain can replenish the amount of water being used by humans. Orange or red areas indicate places where people draw out more for irrigation and drinking water than rain can refill.

The gray areas show the extent of the "groundwater footprint" by representing how much water people are drawing from the aquifers compared with how much water each holds.

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The Facebook Camera That Can Recognise You Every Time You Walk Into A Shop

Could be used by shops to offer discounts to customers
System already being trialled in Nashville shops and bars
Users must sign up to take part and 'teach' system what they look like

Shoppers could soon be automatically recognised when they walk into a shop using a controversial new camera.

Called Facedeals, the camera uses photos uploaded to Facebook to recognise people as they walk in.

Shoppers who agree to use the system, which has not been developed with Facebook, will be offered special deals.

$100,000 UNION METER MAIDS - WONDERING WHY CALIFORNIA IS BANKRUPT?

When contemplating the many reasons cities in California and elsewhere are venturing closer to bankruptcy, look no further than the relatively lucrative and often-unjustifiable salaries bestowed on municipal employees – and the lofty pension benefits attached to the high pay.

One of the latest examples comes from the California coastal city of Hermosa Beach, where some community service staffers who collect money from parking meters and manage their operations – positions once widely known as “meter maids” – are making nearly $100,000 a year in total compensation, according to city documents.

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Arnold Horshack Dies At 63

Ron Palillo, actor who played nerdy teen Arnold Horshack on ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ dies at 63

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ron Palillo, the actor best known as the nerdy high school student Arnold Horshack on the 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter,” died Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. He was 63.

Palillo suffered an apparent heart attack at his home about 4 a.m., said Karen Poindexter, a close friend of the actor. He was pronounced dead at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

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Officials: Pa. Abortion Clinic Deaths No Accident

Prosecutors pursuing a Philadelphia abortion doctor charged with killing a patient and seven babies want the jury to hear evidence he allegedly ran a pill mill and let unskilled workers practice medicine, saying breaking the law was "standard operating procedure" for him.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell's lawyer hopes to keep any such evidence out of his March murder trial. Gosnell, 71, faces a second trial on federal drug charges, which allege he distributed painkillers like candy at his busy West Philadelphia clinic.

City prosecutors say the deaths were no accident but the result of dangerous medical practices that went on for decades at his filthy Women's Medical Center.

QUOTE OF THE DAY 8-14-12

“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.”
Jane Austin (1775-1817)

0.006% OF ABORTIONS TO SAVE MOM'S LIFE

A report to Parliament has revealed abortions performed in the United Kingdom to save the life of the mother are a stunningly low 0.006 percent of procedures.

David Alton, who for 18 years was a member of the House of Commons, wrote, “When the case for allowing legal abortion was first placed before Parliament it was argued that the law needed to be changed to deal with extremely serious situations.

“More than six million abortions later the figures reveal that in 99.5 percent of the cases where an unborn child’s life is ended there is no risk to the health of the mother,” he said.

Steak Salisbury At The Fountains

Dear Joe,

I just wanted to shoot you an email and see if you would post something on your blog about a local restaurant called Steak Salisbury at The Fountains. My wife and I have been there only a couple of times and their food and service goes above and beyond. I actually had a chance to sit and talk with the owner, Gus and his son Ulysses for a couple of minutes and let me tell you, you will never meet a nicer couple of guys. From what I can gather, they are trying to rebuild the business after an unsuccessful launch and bad reviews from the previous owners. I just know alot of people read your blog, as do I, and we all know the power of social medias. So I was just wondering if all the good people in and around Salisbury would please give this restaurant and this nice family a shot. I know alot of people here like big box stores and all, but these guys are the real deal! Some of the best food I've had in a while locally. Their homemade dinner breads are the best too! Thank you everyone!

Cordially,

Eric Ludwig
Downtown Barber

Wife of Md. Man Held In Pakistan Urges Release

The wife of a Maryland man abducted in Pakistan is pleading for his safe return on the one-year anniversary of his kidnapping, saying her husband is in poor health and is missed by grandchildren who ask for him every day.

Warren Weinstein, a 71-year-old aid worker from Rockville, Md., was kidnapped last August after gunmen tricked his guards and broke into his home in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. Al-Qaida released a video in May in which Weinstein said he would be killed unless President Barack Obama agreed to the group's demands. It was not clear when the video was recorded.

The White House has called for Weinstein's immediate release but has said it won't negotiate with al-Qaida.

Obama: "A New Vision Of An America In Which Prosperity Is Shared"

"Too many folks still don't have a sense that tomorrow will be better than today. And so, the question in this election is which way do we go?" President Obama asked at a fundraiser in Chicago on Sunday.

"Do we go forward towards a new vision of an America in which prosperity is shared?" Obama asked. "Or do we go backward to the same policies that got us in the mess in the first place?"

"I believe we have to go forward," Obama said. "I believe we have to keep working to create an America where no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can make it here if you try. That's what's at stake in November. That's what is why I am running for a second term as president of the United States of America."

GO HERE to view video.

GTF Seizes Heroin Cache And Weapons At Days Inn Hotel, Newark

Location:
Days Inn Hotel, 900 Churchmans Road, Newark, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:10 p.m.

Defendant/Charges/Bond Information:
Samuel Cocke-28 of Newark, DE

Possession of Heroin in a Tier 5 quantity
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited (2 counts)
Possession of a Weapon with Obliterated Serial Number
Committed to HRYCI on $69,000 Secured Bond

Resume:
Newark-The Delaware State Police Governor’s Task Force has arrested a Newark man on drug and weapons charges after discovering a cache of heroin and weapons located in a vehicle at the Days Inn Hotel, Newark, DE.

The incident began on Monday, August 13, 2012 at approximately 11:10 p.m. as members of the Delaware State Police Governor’s Task Force (GTF) were conducting routine patrols at the Days Inn Hotel located on Churchmans Road, Newark, DE

As Task Force members were checking the area, they observed Samuel L. Cocke-28 of Newark, DE walk out of room #245 and also smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from within the room. Task Force members entered and discovered three additional subjects in the room and evidence indicative of drug use. A computer check discovered that Samuel Cocke is an active level II probationer. A Probation and Parole administrative search of the room was initiated and yielded a single bag of heroin in a dresser drawer. Task Force members located a 1996 Honda Accord belonging to Cocke in the hotel’s parking lot and subsequent search of the vehicle yielded 520 bags of heroin totaling 10.4 grams (Total street value of heroin seized is approximately $5200.00), .38caliber six shot revolver, and a .22 caliber five shot revolver with an obliterated serial number.

Cocke was taken into custody without incident and charged with the above crimes and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $69,000 Secured Bond. The three other occupants of the hotel room were not charged and released.
Troopers continue to investigate this case.

P.G. Fire Station Now All-Volunteer

Prince George’s County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor has transferred all career firefighters out of a Riverdale station, leaving volunteers to provide service after a series of conflicts between career employees and volunteer firefighters reached a boiling point, fire officials said.

Beginning Monday, four career firefighters who staffed the station for eight hours a day during weekdays were transferred from the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department to the nearby Riverdale Heights fire station in order to allow for “some cooling-off time,” Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department spokesman Mark Brady said.

Department officials declined to discuss the reason behind the transfers, announcing the transfers in a statement that only says the station was the site of “several ongoing conflicts between career and volunteer members.” Union officials said the conflicts stemmed from a female career firefighter’s complaints of harassment.

Student Loan Debt: It’s Not Just For Poor People Anymore

While upper-income and upper-middle-income families have historically not needed to drink from the financial aid fountain to pay for their kids' college educations, soaring tuition costs (and declining net worth) have forced even the well-off into taking out loans, adding to the already enormous $1 trillion ocean of student loan debt in the U.S. Surprisingly, this may end up being a good thing for the next generation.

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FDA Approves Flu Vaccine For Coming Season

The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved the new flu vaccine for the season beginning this year.

Each year the FDA works with other federal agencies and global health experts to design a vaccine to protect against the three viral strains most likely to cause the flu. This year's vaccine has one strain in common with last year's vaccine, plus two new viral strains.

Vet’s Office Says Shopping Online Endangers My Pet, Won’t Approve Prescription

Pets are excellent companions. The Consumerist K-9 Unit is snuggled up against me right now as I type this. But keeping your kritters healthy and parasite-free can get expensive. Sean just adopted a new puppy (pictured at left) and shopped around for a heartworm and flea preventative medication. That's common enough, and a number of sites offer the products. What was unusual was that the vet's office refused to fill the prescription, saying that they were happy to price match the online price (that's good) and that he was taking his pup's life in his hands by purchasing medications online, since they could be expired or counterfeit or poisonous or who knows what?

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DELEGATE MIKE MCDERMOTT - On The "Pit Bull Law"

DELEGATE MIKE MCDERMOTT

(ANNAPOLIS) -- “The House Judiciary has produced a bill which will address problem dog owners who allow their pets to run at large, while offering significant legal protections to responsible dog owners”, stated Delegate Michael McDermott (R-Wicomico & Worcester Counties)

Today, the Judiciary Committee made major amendments to SB-2 titled “Civil Actions – Liability for Personal Injury or Death Caused by Dog”. It has been the subject of intense debate in the wake of the recent court ruling from Tracey v. Solesky. In that case, Pit Bulls were declared an “inherently dangerous” breed and their owners liable for any bites, even if the dog had never shown a propensity for being aggressive. Under the amended bill, only owners of dogs who are running at large and injure someone will be held to the strict liability standard irregardless of breed. Common Law liability limits will still apply in all other cases.

“This bill will put the liability and responsibility where it lies--on irresponsible dog owners. The amendment I offered ensured that police and military K-9 units will be protected, while the sunset provision insures the bill will be reworked during the 2013 Regular Session.” said Delegate Michael McDermott.

$100K KARMA HYBRID REPORTEDLY ‘BURSTS INTO FLAMES’ IN CA PARKING LOT

In yet another example of a federally funded “green energy” failure, Fisker has confirmed that its Karma hybrid “burst into flames” in a California parking lot last Friday, in the words of Reuters .

The car was not charging at the time, and Fisker said the fire was not caused by problems with the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery pack, new technology components or exhaust routing.

JFK Airport’s $100 Million Security System Thwarted By Lone Jet Skier Swimming Ashore

Security is taken very seriously at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, to the tune of $100 million to make sure the state-of-the-art system keeps unwanted intruders out. But all it took was one man on a jet ski in Jamaica Bay seeking dry land to throw a major kink into that elaborate set-up.

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Doc Discusses Suspected Mercy Killing

The man charged in the suspected mercy killing of his wife at a hospital intensive care unit asked the doctor who confronted him, "Please tell me she's dead," the doctor said Monday.

In his first interview about the shooting at Akron General Medical Center, Dr. Michael A. Passero Jr. said he repeatedly asked John Wise, 66, to give up his weapon after the shooting.

Florida Seniors Should Be Thrilled By Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan is committed to radically changing Medicare into a voucher program, and Democrats are hoping that they can turn this fact into an issue that destroys Romney's chances in Florida, a state filled with entitlement-happy seniors that is a must win for the Republicans.

But if Florida seniors were thinking rationally and self-interestedly, this Democratic attack would flop.

Paul Ryan is proposing no changes to Medicare for another 10 years, so anyone currently 55 or older wouldn't be affected at all.

And if you assume that the law won't get passed for a couple years, you can safely assume this issue is 100% irrelevant to anyone 53 or older.

The distinguishing characteristic of Florida is old people, but if the law doesn't even affect anyone who is older than their early 50s, it really shouldn't be a problem in Florida at all.

But wait! There's more!

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FCC Ruling Will Save Verizon Wireless Customers Big Bucks

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission handed down a decision that could save millions of Verizon Wireless subscribers up to $240 a year.

Smartphones now account for more than half of the mobile phone subscriptions in the United States, and adoption is accelerating. But that computer in your pocket doesn't come cheap. Recent data from J.D. Power and Associates indicates that the average monthly wireless bill in 2011 was $86 — representing a twenty-five-percent jump over four years.

But thanks to the innovation created by the open Internet, consumers now have more options and choices today for how they use their connections. To the relief of everyone who has stared in horror at their monthly voice and text bills, there are apps like Viber, Skype and Google Voice that help consumers replace or reduce their use of their carriers' overpriced texting and voice plans.

This growth in the use of "over-the-top" voice and text alternatives shows that with today's technology, data is, well, just data — whether it's a voice or video chat, a text message or a webpage. And since we're all paying our cellphone carriers ever-higher prices for our monthly buckets of data, we might as well make the most of what we're paying for.

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Nine Reasons Romney's Choice Of Paul Ryan For Veep Is Smarter Than You Think

When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney tapped Paul Ryan, the 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman, to be his running mate, progressives went on a happy-thon. That Romney chose the House Budget Committee chairman known as the architect of draconian budgets that would make huge cuts in every aspect of the safety net -- not to mention his quest to turn Medicare into a voucher program -- just seemed like a major blunder. My colleague, Joshua Holland, called it Romney's biggest mistake. Many were gleeful and shocked that Romney would seemingly play right into the Obama message on how the Romney agenda harms the middle class.

But I wasn't so happy. The Romney decision signals several things about the future, and none of them good -- rather scary and ugly, as a matter of fact. My gut told me that, for the Republican vice presidential candidate, I would much rather have a non-entity like Portman or Pawlenty as the Republican than a right-wing rock star. Any day.

Progressives are right when they say Ryan represents everything that shows how out of touch the Republicans are with the needs of the country. But they are not looking at Romney's Ryan decision for what it is -- a hugely dangerous step toward getting the Koch brothers' hand-picked star right to the verge of the presidency, which, if it should it come to pass, could dramatically transform the nature of American politics for our lifetimes. Whether Romney wins or loses, the Ryan pick poses a threat to the well-being of the nation.

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Today's Fill In The Blank 8-14-12

I stay at my job because ____.

WCSO Press Release 8-14-12

Incident: Underage Party
Date of Incident: 11 Aug 2012
Location: 21000 block of Nanticoke Road, Bivalve, MD
Suspect: John F. Jones, 49, Bivalve, MD

Narrative: On 11 August 2012 the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office received information about a
large party that was taking place in the 21000 block of Nanticoke Road in Bivalve. Information was also relayed that many of the party patrons would be high school aged teenagers. Deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Bivalve area and located the party easily in the 21000 block of Nanticoke Road at approximately 10:30 PM. Vehicles were parked on both sides of the road on both Nanticoke Road and Cedar Hill Parkway. An extremely large crowd, estimated at approximately 300 was on the scene and many began running from the property upon the arrival of the deputies. The deputies observed a large amount of both beer and liquor in plain view and gauged that most of the crowd appeared to be teens and young adults. The deputies managed to positively identify 50 patrons in the 16 to 20 year old range. It was impossible for the deputies to conclusively know the full extent of those present that were under age due to the amount that ran from the scene. Sheriff’s Office personnel identified the homeowner and host of the party as John F. Jones, 49 years of age. It appeared to the deputies present that Jones was well aware of both the party and the ages of those present. Jones was placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Jones was
released on Personal Recognizance.

All subjects under 21 found to have consumed alcohol were charged on a citation. Subjects charged were from Bivalve, Salisbury, Delmar, Fruitland, Snow Hill and as far away as Harrington, Milton and Lewes, DE

Charges: Contributing to the Condition of a Minor
Disorderly House
Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor

2012 Wicomico County Girls Fall Softball

Registration is now open for the Girls Fall Softball Team Entry League

(Salisbury, MD) Wicomico County is offering a Team Entry Girls Fall Softball League for 2012. The league is open to Recreation level and “C” level teams only with three age divisions; 12U, 14U, and 18U. Games will be played at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex beginning the week of September 10, 2012. Teams will have the option of playing one or two games a week.

This is a team entry league only so Coaches and Parents are encouraged to put a team together and enter them into the league. The team entry fee is $450 which includes the 8 game season and entry into a Fall season tournament on October 20. Coaches will be given game balls and will have the opportunity to check out equipment for the season to use if needed. There is no individual player participation fee. Coach/team packets and registration information can be picked up at the Civic Center Box Office or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. The registration deadline is Tuesday, September 4.

For more information contact Program Director, Kelly Rados at 410-548-4900 ext. 108 or email krados@wicomicocounty.org or League Coordinator, William Teagle at 410-251-8968.

THE 20 STATES WITH THE WORST TOXIC AIR POLLUTION FROM POWER PLANTS

The National Resources Defense Council's latest annual "Toxic Power" report contains good news for air quality, namely that toxic air pollution from power plants decreased roughly 19 percent from 2009 to 2010. The improvement came as many plants switched to burning natural gas instead of coal and as some plants installed new pollution controls looking to meet anticipated health protections set by the Environmental Protection Agency. "I was very pleased to see a drop of nearly 20 percent between 2009 and 2010, even before the EPA standards were fully finalized or the dramatic shifts had occurred in the gas market," says John Walke, the clean air director for NRDC. "We just lived through 2011 and I know that those trends only accelerated during that year. This is a good news story with isolated aberrations like Kentucky."

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012