AFGHANS SAY JOINT US-AFGHAN BASE UNDER ATTACK

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan officials say joint US-Afghan base has been attacked in eastern Afghanistan.

Blasts sounded inside the military airfield at the edge of Jalalabad city early Sunday morning. Afghan officials briefed on the situation say helicopters were firing down into the base at what appeared to be militant gunmen inside. The officials spoke anonymously because fighting was still going on and details were unclear.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an email to reporters.

AAA Warns EPA To Halt Sale Of E15 Gas

Back in August we told you about the courts rejecting a challenge to an EPA mandate to start using 15% ethanol blends in fuels. The industry said we weren’t ready for it, consumer guides were nervous and the testing pointed to likely problems to come. Naysayers claimed that the tests were being done by partisan groups with a vested interest in the energy companies or… whatever. Either way, the EPA wasn’t going to listen.

This weekend, a decidedly non-partisan organization sent up a distress signal on the subject which just might garner a bit more attention. The AAA has warned the EPA that E-15 fuels will have a detrimental effect on the current fleet of cars, fuel distributors and just about everyone else.
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Merry Christmas: This Tax Increase is for You, America

Let’s cut right to the end of the story: Ordinary people have already tumbled off the precipice.

There will be no dramatic rescue at the height of the tension, with crashing, ominous music turning to a sunshine ditty, a government handout straining to reach you, to save you from tumbling over the lip of the cliff.

Instead the government is going to intentionally bump into you, making it look like an accident, head turned away, mumbling an apology, much like a pick-pocket does in a crowd, with the object to lift your wallet. 
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Obama Slaps States That Don't Comply With Obamacare

Residents of states that refuse to set up health insurance exchanges under Obamacare are set to be hit with higher premiums under new rules announced by the Health and Human Services Department.

Insurance companies will be charged 3.5 percent of any premiums they sell through the federal exchanges, the department announced Friday.

And insurers are likely to pass that surcharge on to clients, leaading to higher premiums.

The only states to be affected are those that refuse to set up their own exchanges because of opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. They are almost certain to be those under Republican control. In those states, HHS will set up the exchanges
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Senate Bill Blocks Obama’s Plot to Transfer Gitmo Bay Terrorists to US

Obama did not set out to kill Osama bin Laden. He set out to capture him in order to give him a civilian trial and dismantle Bush’s War on Terror infrastructure. But like his plan to give Khalid Sheikh Mohammed a civilian trial, there was a hitch. Bin Laden was killed during the operation. The American people did not want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to get a civilian trial. And New Yorkers did not want him here.

Now a Democrat controlled Senate has dealt another blow to Obama’s terrorist dreams by barring the transfer of Gitmo inmates, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to the United States, at a time when there has been a push underway to finally shut down Gitmo for Obama’s second term.
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No Help After Superstorm Sandy? Angered Staten Island Resident Tells President Obama: “You Lied”

President Obama promised to help victims of Hurricane Sandy after the storm ravaged the East Coast. But after meeting with the president, one Staten Island family says he has broken that promise. Scott and Deidre McGrath joined Fox and Friends to tell their heartbreaking story.

Scott spoke to the president after the storm, in what he described as a “staged” meeting. He said, “They put us into this tent and they wanted to make believe we were shopping for our products. Most of the residents that live in that area were never up there.”
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Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico Schools (By Date)

Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico Schools (By Date)

(Upcoming events appear first. Once the event has already occurred, it can be found at the bottom of this listing.)

Sunday, Dec. 2

The Salisbury Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. and will feature many entries including marching bands from all Wicomico County Public Schools middle and high schools.

Monday, Dec. 3

The 1st-grade students of Westside Primary School will present a holiday program on Monday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. Santa and his elves go on a sleigh ride to check on all the good boys and girls around Westside Primary. As he does, Santa learns that families celebrate the many holidays of December in a variety of ways.  Yet, one theme seems to be prevalent in all holidays.  We won't say what, but you can stop by Westside Primary at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 and find out. Free. 410-677-5117

Pinehurst Elementary presents its Winter Band, Orchestra and Chorus Concert at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, in the school gymnasium. The concert will feature fourth- and fifth-graders in in chorus, strings, and band. (There will also be an afternoon performance just for students.) Students will sing and play a variety of winter-themed songs. Free.  410-677-5810

Tuesday, Dec. 4

Fruitland Primary second-graders will help kick off the holidays in Fruitland by singing for the city’s tree-lighting event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. The second-graders will perform holiday favorite songs during the festivities. Free. 410-677-5171

The Bennett Middle 6th Grade Band and 8th Grade Chorus Holiday Concert, "Christmas around the World," will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the James M. Bennett Auditorium. Tickets are $2 (children under 5 free of charge) and must be purchased in advance through the school. 410-677-5140

Pittsville Elementary’s band, strings and chorus will present holiday favorites during a program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the school cafeteria. Free. 410-677-5811

Thursday, Dec. 6

The Wicomico County Middle School Orchestra, made up of students from Bennett Middle School, Pittsville School and Wicomico Middle School, and the Wicomico County High School Orchestra, made up of students from James M. Bennett High School, Parkside High School and Wicomico High School, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 in the James M. Bennett Auditorium. Free, but $1 donations will be accepted at the door to offset the cost of future events. 410-677-5145 or 410-677-5811

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Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico County Public Schools (By School)

Beaver Run Elementary

Beaver Run Elementary School’s PTA Winter Holiday Program “Holiday Celebration around the World” will be presented Monday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. The holiday celebration will feature students performing songs from various world cultures. Free. 410-677-5101

Charles H. Chipman Elementary

Charles H. Chipman Elementary School presents its holiday program, “Holiday Sounds,” at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in the school cafeteria. Second graders from Chipman will perform a variety of music from a variety of holiday traditions and celebrations. Free. 410-677-5814

Delmar Elementary

Delmar Elementary School’s Delmar Bobcat 4th Grade Chorus will perform a winter program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17 in the school cafetorium. Since the Delmarva Festival of Lights is in Delmar, our theme will be December in Delmar focusing on our special town that is "too big for one state." Free. 410-677-5178

The Delmar Bobcat Chorus will also participate in the Delmar Community Sing on Sunday, Dec. 9, will sing for fellow students during assemblies on Friday, Dec. 14, and will perform at the Delmar Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Saturday, Dec. 15. 

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GOP Senator Cannot Support U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice For Secretary Of State

A moderate GOP senator said she cannot support U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice for Secretary of State. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) met privately with Rice yesterday. Collins said she needs more information about what Rice knew about the September attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya and the bombing of the U.S.embassy in Kenya in 1998. That's when Rice was assistant secretary of state for African Affairs. If President Barack Obama nominates Rice to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, he would need support from moderates like Collins to avoid a filibuster. Obama praised Rice during a cabinet meeting calling her "extraordinary" which earned a round of applause from cabinet members.

Homeless Vets To Get Jackets From Airports

Leave a jacket behind at an airport checkpoint and it could find its way to a homeless veteran. The House has passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) requiring the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to donate unclaimed clothing to homeless veterans. The bill now goes to the Senate. TSA has its own agreements with states over what to do with leftover items. The agency told The Washington Post that travelers forget about 850 pieces of clothing each day at airport checkpoints. Meanwhile, VA said about 75,000 vets are homeless. 

Protests Flare in Bahrain For Kim Kardashian Visit

MANAMA, Bahrain — Just hours after reality TV star Kim Kardashian gushed about her impressions of Bahrain, riot police fired tear gas to disperse more than 50 hardline Islamic protesters denouncing her presence in the Gulf kingdom.

The clashes took place just before Kardashian opened the Bahrain branch of her Millions of Milkshakes shop.

An Associated Press journalist saw protesters chanting "God is Great" near the shopping complex in Riffa, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital Manama. The demonstrators were cleared before Kardashian appeared late Saturday. 
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What To Do With Terrorists?

What would the United States do with terrorist suspects if it shut down Guantanamo Bay? That question has mystified leaders since President Barack Obama promised to close the military prison back in 2009. There are alternatives, although none are easy. The Department of Defense has six prisons in the U.S. On average, they are just half full. The Government Accountability Office report said leaders should study cost and legal considerations plus security and space issues. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) requested the GAO report. There are 166 detainees at Guantanamo.

A Pit Bull Perception Problem: What's A Dog Owner To Do?

(MNN.com) -- On any given Saturday, you'll find a motley crew assembled outside the nondescript gray building on Hollywood Road, west of downtown Atlanta. An elderly couple walks tentatively behind a large black Labrador, a kid with chubby cheeks totes a feisty Chihuahua, and a trio of teens bound out of their parent's minivan with a brindle pit bull named Kola in tow.

They join at least a dozen other pet owners for free obedience classes offered by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) through its Pets for Life program. Designed to support people and pets in underserved communities, Pets for Life welcomes all breeds.

But an overwhelming majority of the four-legged students that arrive each week are pit bulls or pit mixes.

On busy days, cars slow their pace and kids peer through the chain link fence to watch these muscular dogs work for treats alongside cocker spaniels, Jack Russell terriers, and even an occasional poodle. The six-week training program ends with dogs taking the Canine Good Citizen test, followed by a graduation party where neighbors gather to watch students demonstrate new tricks. In less than a year, HSUS has begun to chip away at the city's perception of pit bulls as dog-fighting monsters. But the D.C.-based organization faces a bigger battle in its own backyard.

Maryland's Court of Appeals ruled in August that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous."

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This Is Neat iPad Salesman - Very Clever!

Very Clever!
You do not have to understand a word of German to appreciate this guy.

The most impressive iPad salesman ever!

His intense involvement of the "customer" in his (sleight of hand)
movements and German spiel is really clever.

Remember, You don't have to understand one word of German to appreciate his skill.

Click the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=32bUIa--6GM&feature=youtu.be

DC To NE - Drop Dead!

 [2]

If you’ve lived in NY for a long time, it is very hard to forget this now famous, headline. I think the Daily News will be able to reuse this title page again sometime over the next month or two. NY and NJ have stuck out their hands, and requested a very lumpy $80B from Washington to cover the cost of the clean up from Sandy.

 [3]

Man is this bad timing. If granted, the cost to the Feds would be reflected in the 2013 budget. Good-bye to any hope of improvement in the overall deficit picture if this nut has to be paid. The $80b that has been requested is more than the revenue from a reversal of the +$250k Bush tax cut. It comes to $530 for every worker in America.

The 2011 Budget Control Act limits annual payments of disaster relief to $11B. So the $80B is going to require a special spending bill. That’s not going to be easy to achieve in Washington with all the Cliff/money issues that are now on the table.

NY’s big Democratic Senator, Chuck Schumer is very much in the middle of this. He knows he has problems with this request. From The Hill (Link) [4].

“There is no doubt this is going to be a hard fight. It comes in the middle of strenuous negotiations around the fiscal cliff.”

Schumer is a weasel; he also had this to say about the process of getting the necessary legislation passed:

I am working to keep the quest for Sandy aid separate from the talks and to preserve a tradition of not offsetting disaster relief.

Separate? How can you keep $80B separate? The issue of not offsetting the cost of a disaster by reducing other spending is not going to come easy. Some Republicans are going to insist that there be cuts in the budget to offset a big portion of the Sandy clean up. An aide for Eric Cantor chimed in with this:

Cantor has made clear that needs beyond the $11 billion allotted by the Budget Control Act will be properly considered.

Properly considered? That is Washington speak for, “No way in Hell”.

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A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

It’s almost December and the Christmas spirit has not entered my soul yet. It’s not like the old days when I didn’t realize what was going on in the world. The magic went out of Christmas when the last of my kids stopped believing in Santa Claus. Now, buying the tree, putting up the lights and buying the presents are just another chore. Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown at Christmas.

Last night I was at the YMCA with Avalon and my son, trying to work off the cruise weight. As I was pedaling away on the stationary bike, A Charlie Brown Christmas came on the TV. I watched it for the first time in years. I loved it as a child and loved watching it with my kids. It first aired in 1965 when I was two years old. I’d forgotten that the theme of the cartoon was the over-commercialization and secularization of Christmas. Imagine that. Charles Shultz thought Christmas was too commercialized in 1965. Think how far we’ve come, with hordes of ignorant dumbasses knocking each other to the ground on Black Friday. The scene that made me laugh was when Charlie Brown’s little sister asks him to write her letter to Santa Claus: 

Sally: Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?

Charlie Brown: TENS AND TWENTIES? Oh, even my baby sister!

 

Sally: All I want is what I… I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

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The US Is Building Secret Site 911 In Israel

Leave it to legendary Walter Pincus from the Washington Post to flesh out a Request for Proposal construction project planned for Israel called Site 911.

The oddly named project will cost up to $100 million, take more than two years to complete, and can only be built by workers from specific countries with proper security clearances. Palestinians need not apply.

When complete the well-guarded compound will have five levels buried underground and six additional outbuildings on the above grounds, within the perimeter. At about 127,000 square feet, the first three floors will house classrooms, an auditorium, and a laboratory — all wedged behind shock resistant doors — with radiation protection and massive security.

Only one gate will allow workers entrance and exit during the project and that will be guarded by only Israelis.

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What Is Obama So Afraid Of?

I saw this memo on the official whitehouse.gov website the other day, but I was traveling and never had a chance to post it.  I figured it would be too late by now, yet I am still not seeing it being widely discussed.  It implies that the Obama Administration may be very worried about the truth getting out about all of their crimes, potentially via leaks from high places.  Read it for yourself, but the language is pretty clear.  Here are some excerpts:

This Presidential Memorandum transmits the National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs (Minimum Standards) to provide direction and guidance to promote the development of effective insider threat programs within departments and agencies to deter, detect, and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security.

The resulting insider threat capabilities will strengthen the protection of classified information across the executive branch and reinforce our defenses against both adversaries and insiders who misuse their access and endanger our national security.

BARACK OBAMA

Oh and this came out the day before Thanksgiving.  How cute.  As someone said on twitter today, if telling the truth endangers “national security,” then we are doing national security wrong.

Full memo here 

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Median Family Wealth At 43 Year Low

The idea that poor and middle-class Americans are suffering is nothing new: Anyone with access to the news (or, for that matter, to an ordinary suburban neighborhood) is likely to notice that it has gotten harder for average families to make ends meet.

Beyond that, a veritable army of economists, politicians and pundits has spent the past few years pointing out the growing gap between the rich and everyone else.

Now, a recent study by New York University economics professor Edward N. Wolff has put the decline of the American middle class in a whole new perspective: According to Wolff's calculations, the median net worth of American households has now reached a 43-year low of $57,000 (in 2010 dollars).

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Caption This Photo 12-1-12

Christmas Cookie Rules

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.
 2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.
 3.      If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend.  Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also.  It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.
 4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move.  This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
 5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue. 

 6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories.  Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter.  Make more red ones!
 7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street " have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

 8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking Causes calorie leakage.

 9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.  We all know how calories like to CLING! 

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. 

It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

“Extreme Website Makeover 2012” Finalist

Wicomico County In The Running For A New Website

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt is pleased to announce that Wicomico County is a finalist for the CivicPlus “Extreme Website Makeover 2012” contest. CivicPlus is the leading provider of government website and community engagement software, and is in its 10^th edition of the contest.

Executive Pollitt said, “This is an exciting opportunity to expand our growing community outreach through modern technology.  An ‘extreme website makeover’ would complement our on-going use of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to reach a wide range of our citizens.”

This year, citizen participation and involvement will be a factor in determining the Grand Prize winners, so we would like to encourage citizens to go to http://bit.ly/Srt1jE or access the Citizen Engagement Survey from our website, www.wicomicocounty.org, to nominate our community for a chance to win a free, interactive website. 

A new CivicPlus website will serve as a beneficial tool for the entire community. Citizens can stay up-to-date on important news and events, learn more about local government from enhanced transparency and increase engagement.

Finalists will have from now, through Friday, January 11, 2013, to gain as much citizen feedback and support as possible. Winners will be notified by Monday, January 21, 2013.

Grand Prize winners will receive:

·         A Premium CivicPlus website with custom design, full development and three days of on-site training, for free

·         The first two years of annual fees will be waived

In addition to the Grand Prize, there will be runners-up chosen across the country that will receive a $5,000 discount towards their project development fees of a Premium CivicPlus website.

Wicomico County looks forward to our citizen commitment in promoting our county’s website for the “Extreme Website Makeover 2012” contest, provided by CivicPlus.  The new website will enhance community engagement and communication between citizens and government.

Somerset County Sheriff's Office 12-1-12

Travis Johntel Coulbourne of Princess Anne, arrested 11-23-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Coulbourne was held on a $ 16,000 bond.

Jennifer Lynn Pickerell of Crisfield, arrested 11-25-12 for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol per se, and driving while impaired. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by deputies on Crisfield Highway, Kingston after deputies saw a suspicious vehicle leaving the Great Hope Golf Course around 1:30 am.

Shirrell A. Fennel of Salisbury, arrested 11-27-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court.  Fennell was held on a $ 500.00 bond.

Aaron Terrell Bingham of Crisfield, criminal summons’ served for two counts of second degree assault. Bingham was released on signature pending court actions.

Savanta Craig Selby Sr. of Mappsville Virginia, arrested 11-27-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Selby was held on a $ 500.00 bond.

Anna Christine Allen of Princess Anne, Criminal summons served for second degree assault. Allen was released on signature pending court actions.

Deborah Ann Bragg of Delmar Delaware, arrested 11-27-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Bragg was held on a $ 500.00 bond.

Crystal Lynn Ashbrook of Crisfield, arrested 11-29-12  on a warrant for violation of probation. Ashbrook was held on a $ 50,000 bond.

2nd Person Dies in Overpass Bus Crash at Miami International Airport

A private bus collided Saturday with an overpass at the entrance of Miami International Airport, killing two people and sending dozens of passengers to area hospitals, officials say.

The body of one dead passenger was pulled from the bus late Saturday morning while a second person died after being taken to a hospital, Miami-Dade police confirmed. Three people were at hospitals in critical condition. The other 27 passengers had been hurt, but their injuries were less extensive, authorities said.

The bus driver apparently took a wrong route during a trip not intended to include the airport as a destination, according to Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Lt. Rosanna Cordero-Stutz.
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Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher and a woman believed to be his girlfriend are dead, after Belcher apparently shot and killed her, then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and shot and killed himself.

A statement released by the Chiefs said only, “We can confirm that there was an incident at Arrowhead earlier this morning. We are cooperating with authorities in their investigation.” But PFT has confirmed with multiple sources that it was, in fact, Belcher who was involved in the incident.

Belcher apparently shot his girlfriend at around 8 a.m. on Saturday and then committed suicide a short time later.
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Wicomico Labor Force Data 02-11 Through 10-12

Publishers Notes: this upcoming budget cycle & public budget hearings should prove to very interesting - in light of the fact - that in Pollitt's budget he projected a 5.6 million dollar increase in State & local income tax revenues for Wicomico County.  This was all predicated on his interpretation that our local economy 'was beginning to pull out of this recession'.  Of course - the facts are not bearing this out.  If anything - it looks as though we going back into yet another recession.

Wicomico County Labor Force Continues Downward Spiral for 3rd In A Row - 91 Less Jobs In October 2012 verses October 2011

---

Labor Force Data By County, Not Seasonally Adjusted - 02/11 through 10/12
Source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics
					Unemployment
County	Period	Labor Force	Employed	Unemployed	Rate (%)
Wicomico	11-Feb	52506	47333	5173	9.9
Wicomico	11-Mar	53116	48391	4725	8.9
Wicomico	11-Apr	52961	48485	4476	8.5
Wicomico	11-May	53444	48877	4567	8.5
Wicomico	11-Jun	53825	48951	4874	9.1
Wicomico	11-Jul	54139	49273	4866	9
Wicomico	11-Aug	53423	48706	4717	8.8
Wicomico	11-Sep	53821	49172	4649	8.6
Wicomico	11-Oct	53384	48809	4575	8.6
Wicomico	11-Dec	53213	48619	4594	8.6
Wicomico	12-Jan	51255	46321	4934	9.6
Wicomico	12-Feb	52614	47554	5060	9.6
Wicomico	12-Mar	53120	48371	4749	8.9
Wicomico	12-Apr	52802	48379	4423	8.4
Wicomico	12-May	53608	49253	4355	8.1
Wicomico	12-Jun	54151	49465	4686	8.7
Wicomico	12-Jul	54904	50340	4564	8.3
Wicomico	12-Aug	53291	48917	4374	8.2
Wicomico	12-Sep	53140	48995	4145	7.8
Wicomico	12-Oct	53293	48147	4146	7.9
p = preliminary.					SOURCE: BLS, LAUS
					28-Nov-12

Communist Party Praises Obama Victory

Praises blacks, Hispanics, women for working together to defeat 'white people'

“An enormous people’s victory.”

That’s how the political party of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels jubilantly celebrated the results of the 2012 presidential election in the United States, which will put Barack Obama in the White House for another four years.

The comment was in a report to the Communist Party USA national committee from the party’s chairman, Sam Webb.

“We meet on the heels of an enormous people’s victory. It was a long and bitterly contested battle in which the forces of inclusive democracy came out on top. The better angels of the American people spread their wings,” he wrote in the online report.

He said blacks, Hispanics and women worked together to defeat “racist … white people” and that it now is time for the Communist Party USA to work on the foundations established by Obama on issues regarding the environment, homosexual marriage and minorities to its potential.

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2 More Accomack County Arson Fires Reported

Virginia State Police are investigating the 22nd and 23rd Eastern Shore arson fires since Nov. 13.

About 12:02 a.m. Saturday morning, police received a call of an abandoned structure on fire, according to a news release. State police said the fire occurred on Saxis Road and no injuries were reported. It was the second arson fire of the night.

About 9 p.m., emergency crews were called to Church Road where an abandoned structure was on fire, a news release from Virginia State Police said.
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THIRD TEMPLE BEING REBUILT 11.28.12!!!

Holiday Charity Scam Advisory 2012

Every holiday season, criminal charity scams seem to reach a feverish peak.  The Ocean City community’s reputation for its generosity is well known and therefore disreputable, deceptive opportunistic scammers often target local citizens.  Since the creation of the Internet and e-commerce technology, most citizens have enjoyed a new wonderfully convenient way to communicate, shop, book travel, and be charitable, however; there is a dark side as well. 

The Ocean City Police Department is reminding citizens to be cautious when giving to charities and when shopping, particularly on-line.

According to Scambusters.org, (http://www.scambusters.org/charityscams.html) there are 4 popular holiday charity scams to avoid:

• The Donate a Car Deal - Action: The best way to donate a vehicle is to identify a charity that actually uses vehicles in its programs, for example, delivering meals to the homebound, taking elderly or blind people to the doctor or on errands, or training future auto mechanics.
• The Email Charity Scam - Action: If you want to help the charity mentioned in the email, contact them directly with a phone call or use a Google search to find their real website.
• Police and Firefighter Charities - Action: Before you give, make sure you know whether the group is a local, state or national organization. Get specifics on the programs your donation will fund and make sure you understand how they will help your local officers.
• Prospect Fundraising - Action: Before you give, make sure you know whether the group is a local, state or national organization. Get specifics on the programs your donation will fund and make sure you understand how they will help your local officers.

Ocean City police remind citizens not to provide anyone, particularly persons you have no affiliation with, personal or bank information either over the telephone or internet.   Scam artist often target persons who they have obtained some information about and then try to confirm the information or even obtain what they need to falsify a person’s identity and or access to personal banking and credit card information.

Never use credit cards that are directly linked to checking, savings or money market accounts.  Citizens should be particularly weary of a charity asking donors to you use a wire transfer service such as “Western Union” to send donations, especially overseas.  The OCPD reminds citizens when they use the Internet or telephone to make and monetary transactions either donations or purchases, only make it to a reputable well-established charity or businesses or internet site.  If you use a credit card to make donation or purchase check your statement and ensure that your charges are legitimate.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends that consumers review the credit history annually to ensure they have no unauthorized credit accounts. For additional credit and purchase safety information go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit.shtm.

If you believe there has been suspicious activity involving a charitable donation or a purchase you have made, immediately contact your bank and local police.

THE REAL LINCOLN

To be sure, this was a mind-bending experience. I watched Steven Spielberg’s movie Lincoln on the same weekend that I read Joseph Fallon’s Lincoln Uncensored, the e-book of the week released by the Laissez Faire Club. Worlds collided.

Fallon’s book, which is brilliant and the most useful Lincoln book I’ve read, sticks to the facts by organizing material from the 10 volumes of collected writings and speeches of Lincoln. The reader is given Lincoln’s own words on subjects like slavery, secession, Fort Sumter, equality of blacks and Mexicans, habeas corpus, war power, free speech, tariffs, debt, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Union, and vastly more.

Fallon (educated at American University and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs) is, obviously, a master researcher. His editorial notes take advantage of all modern scholarship and are carefully cited.

Lincoln emerges as the consummate politician, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Political power was his driving principle. All else was malleable, words and rhetoric formulated as means to an end, and that end was centralization of the state. This is sadly true of his late-life sympathies to the abolitionist cause. They served his purposes well.

Fallon has added to each section some background discussion of the core issues. Just as an example, he assembles Lincoln’s pro-secession statements, such as:

“Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better… Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can may revolutionize and make their own of so much of the territory as they inhabit.”

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PRACTICE PROACTIVE CRIME PREVENTION DURING THE HOLIDAYS

It that time of year again, the Christmas holiday season is upon us.  We shop for gifts and make plans to visit family and friends. For most, our homes and its contents contain our most valuable assets, heirlooms and memories and protecting it with the following crime prevention tips is an inexpensive way to maintain value and safety.  In addition to taking steps to protect your home, the Ocean City Police Department asks you to remain vigilant and alert by reporting any suspicious people, activities or circumstances in your neighborhood. 

It is important to continue following simple crime prevention techniques that will protect you and your property from being a victim of a crime.

• Remember to lock all doors and windows to your home and vehicle.
• If you have an alarm system, please make certain you use it, even at night when you’re sleeping and when you leave your home unattended for short periods of time.
• Keep inside and outside of your home well lit.  Lighting is an inexpensive crime prevention strategy and often deters criminals, so keep your lights on.
• Keep trees and bushes trimmed below windows.
• Never post vacation or travel plans on social media sites, Facebook, Twitter etc.  Instead, share your plans with a trusted neighbor, family member or friends who will keep an eye on your property while you are away. 
• If you are away from your residence, don’t “check-in” on social media sites indicating your location.
• Consider notifying your trusted neighbors of your travel plans and providing them you’re your emergency contact information.

Citizens should consider becoming an active member of an Ocean City Neighborhood Watch Association.  Currently, Ocean City boasts eight Neighborhood Watch Associations, including Caine Woods, Caine Keys II, Bayshore Drive, the Boardwalk Association, Edgewater Avenue, Little Salisbury, Montego Bay and Sundowner Park.  Neighborhood Watch groups have been instrumental in reducing crime and keeping citizens informed of various public safety issues.

If you plan on leaving the area for any extended period of time, the Ocean City Police Department encourages residents to take advantage of the “Residential Security Check Program.”  This free program is available to all Ocean City residents whether you own or rent, live in a condominium or single-family home.  To participate in this program, call the OCPD Public Affairs Office at 410-723-6663. Registration may also be done online by visiting the OCPD website at: http://oceancitymd.gov/Police/securitycheck.html

The OCPD knows a well-informed citizen and a proactive community is the best form of crime prevention. Please join the team to keep Ocean City a safe and fun place to live, work and visit.

Delmar Police Station Should Be Complete In July

Contractors are trying to get in all they can before the weather changes and hope to complete the new addition to the old City Hall building. They are converting it to the new Delmar Police Station.

Now without a hitch though. The Delmar Maryland side wasnt certain upgrades like removing the old paneling and replacing it with drywall. However, the Delaware side claims they can't afford even a small upgrade so some walls will remain paneling.

Anyone who knows construction knows it's a LOT cheaper to quickly take down the paneling and put up drywall while your under construction but Delaware will have nothing to do with it. It's a shame because this building will be spectacular once it's complete.

As you can see from the image above, half of the walls will remain paneling and the rest will have sheet rock. The plan is to paint the paneling. We're talking about a $4,000.00 increase to finish the entire building with sheet rock. I just can't believe Delaware won't budge and pony up $2,000.00 to do it right.

Activists Warn US Women Of Sharia Law Threat

Colonel Robert M. Coupe Announces State Police Promotions

Location: 

• Wilmington University Dover, Delaware

 

DATE and TIME:  

• Thursday November 29, 2012, 1:30 p.m.

 

Promotes:

• From Lieutenant to Captain
• Daniel K. Meadows (Headquarters – Dover)
• From Sergeant to Lieutenant
• Tracy L. Y. Condon (Troop 4 – Georgetown)
• Robert M. Jones (Troop 2 – Newark)
• John J. Laird Jr. (Troop 1 – Brandywine Hundred)
• Charles A. Sawchenko III (Troop 3 – Woodside)
• From Corporal to Sergeant
• Christy E. Ballinger (Troop 4 – Georgetown)
• John S. Evans Jr. (Troop 4 – Georgetown)
• Jeremiah J. Lloyd (Troop 3 – Woodside)
• William R. Nottingham III (Troop 9 – Odessa)
• Joseph M. Parker (Troop 2 – Newark)
• Jerry L. Weller II (Troop 4 – Georgetown)
• Kelly A. Wells (Troop 5 – Bridgeville)

 

Resume:

        Delaware State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert M. Coupe Thursday November 29, 2012 announced the division’s most recent promotions.  The promotional ceremony was held at Wilmington University around 1:30 p.m. 

 

        Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues 12 Delaware State Troopers were promoted to new ranks.