A food fight quickly turned into a brawl involving hundreds of students at a Minneapolis high school on Thursday, forcing police to use chemical spray to break up the melee. Students are saying the melee was the result of tensions between 8 percent of students who are Somali Muslims and the 20 percent who are African Americans.
“I know it’s a pride thing between Muslims and black people,” student Symone Glasker said. “They want their pride back for something. I don’t know.”
Four people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, including a staff member who was hit in the head with a bottle, according to the school and police.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Meet Stingray Surveillance: The "Unconstitutional, All-You-Can-Eat Data Buffet"
It’s getting impossible to keep track of all the new spy tools being rolled out by the police state in the name of “fighting terrorism”, aka spying on innocent American citizens unconstitutionally. I thought that I had my hands full the other day with ARGUS: The World’s Highest Resolution Video Surveillance Platform, but this “Stingray” system is already being deployed illegally in cities throughout the United States. As the EFF states: “The Stingray is the digital equivalent of the pre-revolutionary British soldier.” From the EFF:The device, which acts as a fake cell phone tower, essentially allows the government to electronically search large areas for a particular cell phone’s signal—sucking down data on potentially thousands of innocent people along the way. At the same time, law enforcement has attempted use them while avoiding many of the traditional limitations set forth in the Constitution, like individualized warrants. This is why we called the tool “an unconstitutional, all-you-can-eat data buffet.”
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GROUP OF SECOND AMENDMENT-SUPPORTING GUN MAKERS NOW REFUSING TO SELL ARMS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NEW YORK (AND OTHER GUN-RESTRICTING STATES)
Since New York State enacted its restrictive new gun laws, many manufacturers have sent that state (and others) a message: If local governments are going to severely restrict the ability of citizens to own guns, then these companies will not be selling to law enforcement in those areas.
Among the gun manufacturers sending that message:
Olympic Arms posted a press release on the company’s Facebook page earlier this week. Their intentions were quite clear.
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Among the gun manufacturers sending that message:
- Olympic Arms, Inc
- La Rue Tactical
- EFI, LLC – Extreme Firepower
- York Arms
- Templar Custom
- Cheaper Than Dirt
Olympic Arms posted a press release on the company’s Facebook page earlier this week. Their intentions were quite clear.
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Terps Student-Athletes Given Free iPads; Cost University Of Maryland $281K
The athletic department distributed new gadgets to all student-athletes this week, but they weren’t new cleats, sticks or uniforms.
Instead, the athletic department spent more than $281,000 from the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund on iPads for each team member, said athletics department spokesman Zack Bolno. The fund’s aim is to benefit student-athletes and has traditionally been used for academic purposes. University officials said the iPads are to help student-athletes in the classroom, noting the money could not have been used for other purposes, but that hasn’t prevented questions from some members of the seven athletic teams that were cut last summer in an effort to balance the department’s budget.
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Instead, the athletic department spent more than $281,000 from the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund on iPads for each team member, said athletics department spokesman Zack Bolno. The fund’s aim is to benefit student-athletes and has traditionally been used for academic purposes. University officials said the iPads are to help student-athletes in the classroom, noting the money could not have been used for other purposes, but that hasn’t prevented questions from some members of the seven athletic teams that were cut last summer in an effort to balance the department’s budget.
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Jesse Jackson Jr., Wife Agree To Plead Guilty
Federal prosecutors filed one charge of conspiracy against the former Chicago congressman and charged his ex-alderman wife, Sandra, with one count of filing false joint federal income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2011 that knowingly understated the income the couple received. Both agreed to plead guilty in deals with federal prosecutors.
Both face maximum penalties of several years in prison; he also faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and forfeitures. But the government did not immediately release the text of its plea agreements. Such agreements almost invariably call for prosecutors to recommend sentences below the maximum.
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Registration Open For Wicomico Recreation's Youth & Adult Team Entry Spring Soccer
Youth Team Entry Spring Soccer
Registration is currently open for Wicomico Recreation's youth team entry soccer. This league is open to girls and boys ages 4-16 and is broken into six age divisions; U6, U8, U10, U12, U14 & U17. The eight game season will begin April 14. Weekly games will be played on Sunday afternoons at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
This league is team entry only. Coaches and parents are encouraged to put a team together and enter them into the league. The registration fee is $325 per team (plus referee fees) and includes an end of the season tournament. There is no individual player participation fee. All divisions will play an 8 v 8 format. Coach/team packets and registration information can be picked up at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm) or teams can register online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Registration deadline is April 1.
Adult Team Entry Spring Soccer
Registration is also open for adult team entry soccer. This league is open to men and women ages 16 and older. The six game season will begin April 4. Games will be played Thursday nights at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
The registration fee is $275 per team (plus referee fees) and includes playoffs. There is no individual player participation fee. Games will be played in an 8 v 8 format. Registration is available at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm) or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Registration deadline is March 26.
Registration is currently open for Wicomico Recreation's youth team entry soccer. This league is open to girls and boys ages 4-16 and is broken into six age divisions; U6, U8, U10, U12, U14 & U17. The eight game season will begin April 14. Weekly games will be played on Sunday afternoons at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
This league is team entry only. Coaches and parents are encouraged to put a team together and enter them into the league. The registration fee is $325 per team (plus referee fees) and includes an end of the season tournament. There is no individual player participation fee. All divisions will play an 8 v 8 format. Coach/team packets and registration information can be picked up at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm) or teams can register online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Registration deadline is April 1.
Adult Team Entry Spring Soccer
Registration is also open for adult team entry soccer. This league is open to men and women ages 16 and older. The six game season will begin April 4. Games will be played Thursday nights at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex.
The registration fee is $275 per team (plus referee fees) and includes playoffs. There is no individual player participation fee. Games will be played in an 8 v 8 format. Registration is available at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm) or online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org. Registration deadline is March 26.
Breaking News Robbery At Quiznos
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BMW Recalls Nearly 570,000 Cars To Fix Cables
DETROIT (AP) - BMW is recalling almost 570,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall.
The recall affects 3-Series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years. Also included are 1-Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012, and the Z4 sports car from 2009 through 2011.
Federal safety regulators say the connector and a fuse box terminal can degrade over time. This can break the electrical connection and cause the cars to lose electrical power and stall unexpectedly.
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The recall affects 3-Series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years. Also included are 1-Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012, and the Z4 sports car from 2009 through 2011.
Federal safety regulators say the connector and a fuse box terminal can degrade over time. This can break the electrical connection and cause the cars to lose electrical power and stall unexpectedly.
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Court Rules School Bus Driver Who Failed Drug Test Should Get Job Back
The driver on the bus goes puff, puff, puff…
How comfortable are you with a marijuana smoking bus driver bringing your kids to school? Students at a school in upstate New York are being forced to deal with it.
Cynthia DiDomenicantonio, a bus driver for the Shenendehowa School District in Clifton Park, was fired from her job for failing a drug test.
An Appeals Court however, decided the firing was “too severe a punishment”, and have ordered the school to reinstate DiDomenicantonio.
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How comfortable are you with a marijuana smoking bus driver bringing your kids to school? Students at a school in upstate New York are being forced to deal with it.
Cynthia DiDomenicantonio, a bus driver for the Shenendehowa School District in Clifton Park, was fired from her job for failing a drug test.
An Appeals Court however, decided the firing was “too severe a punishment”, and have ordered the school to reinstate DiDomenicantonio.
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Deadbeat Doctors: Doctors/Dentists On List Haven't Paid Back Thousands Of Your Tax Dollars
Anyone with student loans knows writing those checks months or even years after you're out of school is painful. But even while you pay, others are stiffing the feds, failing when it comes to paying back loans you funded for lots of money.
One group of deadbeats may surprise you, because we assume they have the potential to make a big income.
Doctors and dentists may end up with more student loans than most of us, but they also have the potential to make big money. ABC2 News Investigators wanted to know, if that's the case, why are we still paying their debt?
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One group of deadbeats may surprise you, because we assume they have the potential to make a big income.
Doctors and dentists may end up with more student loans than most of us, but they also have the potential to make big money. ABC2 News Investigators wanted to know, if that's the case, why are we still paying their debt?
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Gay Rights Activists Demand DC Comics Fire Mormon Superman Writer
A writer for DC Comics‘ Superman series has come under attack by homosexual rights activists, who view his work as anti-gay and want him fired.
Orson Scott Card is one of a team of writers and artists to create the new digital DC Comics product, “Adventures of Superman,” according to a report from Fox News. Mr. Card is a Mormon and vocal opponent of gay marriage. Fox News reported he once referred to same-sex marriage as the end of democracy in American and suggested “the left is at war with the family.”
Mr. Card also wrote: “Same-sex attraction is not a strait jacket; people’s desires change over time; gay people still have choices; a reproductive dysfunction like same-sex marriage is not a death sentence for your DNA or for your desire to have a family in which children grow up with male and female parents to model appropriate gender roles,” Fox News reported.
Orson Scott Card is one of a team of writers and artists to create the new digital DC Comics product, “Adventures of Superman,” according to a report from Fox News. Mr. Card is a Mormon and vocal opponent of gay marriage. Fox News reported he once referred to same-sex marriage as the end of democracy in American and suggested “the left is at war with the family.”
Mr. Card also wrote: “Same-sex attraction is not a strait jacket; people’s desires change over time; gay people still have choices; a reproductive dysfunction like same-sex marriage is not a death sentence for your DNA or for your desire to have a family in which children grow up with male and female parents to model appropriate gender roles,” Fox News reported.
Gov. Bob McDonnell Cuts State Employee Hours To Avoid Obamacare Costs
Both the Virginia House and Senate passed budget amendments that will cap part-time state workers at 29 hours a week to avoid complying with a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires businesses and governments to offer health insurance to any wage employee that averages 30 hours a week. A final budget compromise will come next week and is likely to contain the language.
By ensuring no employees reach that threshold, the state estimates it will save $110 million a year that otherwise would have gone to provide benefits to workers and their families starting next year. Businesses like national pizza-maker Papa John's have threatened similar action.
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Creating The Jobs Of Yesterday, Tomorrow!
Does it bother anyone else that the president of the United States seems to believe that our collective future entails assembling battery parts in a government-subsidized factory for $9 an hour? Is that really what Americans envision for their kids — an assembly line? Because when you look past Barack Obama’s mesmerizingly hollow rhetoric, what he’s proposing is a return of jobs that progress and prosperity have left behind.In his State of the Union speech, the president laid out a vision that we’ve heard countless times. In his world, billionaires and their high-powered accountants are sticking it to the middle class. It’s a place where wealth is static and one person’s success always diminishes another’s fortunes. The president explained that “it’s not a bigger government we need but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth.”
Many news accounts of the SOTU focused on the first part of the president’s contention, not the second. “Set our priorities”? So Washington is not only regulating safety and keeping an eye on big banks and making things fairer but also planning the economy now? Seems like an awfully outmoded way to approach a dynamic and unpredictable world.
What are Obama’s priorities, anyway? The president proposes that politicians set up “manufacturing hubs” to assist the private sector in “restoring” and “bringing back” low-paying manufacturing jobs. And who better to create centers of inefficient production and unsustainable boondoggles than an institution that spends $1 trillion more than it brings in every year? Can’t think of anyone.
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Many news accounts of the SOTU focused on the first part of the president’s contention, not the second. “Set our priorities”? So Washington is not only regulating safety and keeping an eye on big banks and making things fairer but also planning the economy now? Seems like an awfully outmoded way to approach a dynamic and unpredictable world.
What are Obama’s priorities, anyway? The president proposes that politicians set up “manufacturing hubs” to assist the private sector in “restoring” and “bringing back” low-paying manufacturing jobs. And who better to create centers of inefficient production and unsustainable boondoggles than an institution that spends $1 trillion more than it brings in every year? Can’t think of anyone.
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O’Malley 2016? Some Voters Say They Support A Run For White House
But as political reporter Pat Warren explains–he would have some distance to cover.
Many are tested, but who will run?
Governor O’Malley is showing up in polls around the nation, the latest in New Hampshire–where the first primary is held. Among Democrats, the University of New Hampshire Survey Center reports Hillary Clinton with an 80% favorability rating this far out of 2016, Joe Biden with 51%.
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Does Sarah Palin Have A New Gig?
Well, that depends on who you ask. The Washington Post is "refutiating" its own report, that the former vice-presidential candidate and Fox News contributor signed on with Al Jazeera America. The paper fell hook-line-and-sinker for a fake "interview" posted by The Daily Currant – an outlet that describes itself as "the global satirical newspaper of record." The Post's Suzi Parker cited the story, saying, "Fox News and their once-upon-a-time darling Palin recently parted ways after three years. But it appears that Palin is still trying to find ways to stay relevant, while her 15 minutes fades into the political history books." It looks like The Washington Post now needs to issue another correction... for falsely implying Sarah Palin was ever actually relevant in the first place.
Charlie Sheen: Actor Pays For Injured Teen’s Therapy Dog
The actor wired $10,000 to Teagan Marti and her family on Thursday for a therapy dog to help in her rehabilitation from injuries sustained when she plummeted 100 feet from a Wisconsin amusement park ride in 2010.
“I think he’s a very kind person for helping me and my family and very generous,” Teagan Marti said by phone Thursday from her home in Parkland, Fla.
Teagan Marti suffered brain, spine, pelvis and internal injuries in July 2010 when nets and air bags that were supposed to catch riders on a free-fall ride were not raised. She had convinced her family to make the trip from Florida to Extreme World in Wisconsin Dells after seeing the amusement park’s Terminal Velocity ride on the Travel Channel.
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Maryland Lawmakers Work To Ban Fake Pot
ANNAPOLIS — Synthetic marijuana is giving Maryland lawmakers real problems, prompting some to make the manufacture, possession or distribution of the drug illegal throughout the state.
Synthetic cannabinoids, more commonly known, as Spice, K2 or synthetic marijuana, are typically sold as a mixture of herbs and spices. They have been sprayed compounds that are not derived from the marijuana plant but mimic the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient. The mixture can be smoked or ingested in tea.
“The compounds of synthetic marijuana are easy to obtain and easy to manufacture,” said Delegate Cathleen Vitale, R-Severna Park.
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Synthetic cannabinoids, more commonly known, as Spice, K2 or synthetic marijuana, are typically sold as a mixture of herbs and spices. They have been sprayed compounds that are not derived from the marijuana plant but mimic the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient. The mixture can be smoked or ingested in tea.
“The compounds of synthetic marijuana are easy to obtain and easy to manufacture,” said Delegate Cathleen Vitale, R-Severna Park.
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City Of Salisbury Receives 61K For Homeless Initiatives
Mayor James Ireton, Jr. is pleased to announce that the City of Salisbury received $61,501.00 from the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Emergency Solutions Grant Program to address homelessness issues. The funding will be utilized to assist with operating costs at four shelters and to provide homeless prevention funding.
Service providers receiving these funds include Diakonia, in the amount of $32,813.00. Diakonia, located in Ocean City, serves the tri-county area of the Lower Eastern Shore to include Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties. Facilities are available to serve 350 individuals and 25 families. Persons served at this location are usually those with very low income, poor, undereducated, marginally employed and/or physically or mentally disabled, mentally ill, chronically ill, or have multifaceted issues that require emergency shelter and support services. Service recipients are allowed to remain for a minimum of 30 days to assist them in moving closer toward self-sufficiency. Diakonia also serves as the Homeless Prevention Rapid Rehousing Provider of financial services for the City of Salisbury. The Executive Director, Claudia Nagle, may be reached at (410) 213-0923.
Samaritan Shelter will receive $10,938.00. The shelter, located in Pocomoke City, serves individuals from the tri-county area to include the City of Salisbury. Individuals are provided with case management services and connectivity to resources to assist them to become self sufficient. Clients are encouraged and assisted to become gainfully employed to assist then to return to independence and to become stably housed. Clients are also provided with assistance to develop skills to help them to combat and overcome poverty and other risk factors that can lead to homelessness. Individuals and families are allowed to stay 30 days up to 5 months at the shelter. This is the seventh year that Samaritan will be funded. The Executive Director, Shelly Daniels, may be reached at (410) 957-4310.
Village of Hope will receive $9,625.00 to assist with operating costs. This is the second year of funding to this organization from the City of Salisbury. The Village of Hope is a transitional shelter program that provides services to homeless women, either single or with dependent children. Clients typically are women who become homeless due to separation, divorce, abuse or death of a spouse. They are usually dependent on the financial support of the significant other and are unable to maintain economic self-sufficiency. Clients usually have low educational achievement and limited job skills or work experience. The Executive Director, Don Clark, may be reached at (410) 860-4806.
Cathedral of Love’s Second Chance Help Emergency Shelter will receive 8,125.00 to assist with operating costs. Second Chance Help is a transitional shelter that provides services year round. This facility has been in operation for 16 years and provides emergency/crisis shelter services, temporary shelter up to three years, food and clothing assistance. Clients typically have low educational levels, emotional challenges and economic limitations. This is the 7th year the Second Chance Help organization has applied for assistance through the City of Salisbury. The Founder/CEO, Reverend Annette Wilson, may be reached at (410) 742-5386.
The City of Salisbury has applied for Emergency Shelter Grant Funding for the past 10 years from the Department of Housing and Community Development. Applications have been funded in varying amounts each of these years. For more information on the Emergency Shelter Grant Program, contact Dr. Loré L. Chambers, Assistant City Administrator at (410) 548-3100.
Service providers receiving these funds include Diakonia, in the amount of $32,813.00. Diakonia, located in Ocean City, serves the tri-county area of the Lower Eastern Shore to include Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties. Facilities are available to serve 350 individuals and 25 families. Persons served at this location are usually those with very low income, poor, undereducated, marginally employed and/or physically or mentally disabled, mentally ill, chronically ill, or have multifaceted issues that require emergency shelter and support services. Service recipients are allowed to remain for a minimum of 30 days to assist them in moving closer toward self-sufficiency. Diakonia also serves as the Homeless Prevention Rapid Rehousing Provider of financial services for the City of Salisbury. The Executive Director, Claudia Nagle, may be reached at (410) 213-0923.
Samaritan Shelter will receive $10,938.00. The shelter, located in Pocomoke City, serves individuals from the tri-county area to include the City of Salisbury. Individuals are provided with case management services and connectivity to resources to assist them to become self sufficient. Clients are encouraged and assisted to become gainfully employed to assist then to return to independence and to become stably housed. Clients are also provided with assistance to develop skills to help them to combat and overcome poverty and other risk factors that can lead to homelessness. Individuals and families are allowed to stay 30 days up to 5 months at the shelter. This is the seventh year that Samaritan will be funded. The Executive Director, Shelly Daniels, may be reached at (410) 957-4310.
Village of Hope will receive $9,625.00 to assist with operating costs. This is the second year of funding to this organization from the City of Salisbury. The Village of Hope is a transitional shelter program that provides services to homeless women, either single or with dependent children. Clients typically are women who become homeless due to separation, divorce, abuse or death of a spouse. They are usually dependent on the financial support of the significant other and are unable to maintain economic self-sufficiency. Clients usually have low educational achievement and limited job skills or work experience. The Executive Director, Don Clark, may be reached at (410) 860-4806.
Cathedral of Love’s Second Chance Help Emergency Shelter will receive 8,125.00 to assist with operating costs. Second Chance Help is a transitional shelter that provides services year round. This facility has been in operation for 16 years and provides emergency/crisis shelter services, temporary shelter up to three years, food and clothing assistance. Clients typically have low educational levels, emotional challenges and economic limitations. This is the 7th year the Second Chance Help organization has applied for assistance through the City of Salisbury. The Founder/CEO, Reverend Annette Wilson, may be reached at (410) 742-5386.
The City of Salisbury has applied for Emergency Shelter Grant Funding for the past 10 years from the Department of Housing and Community Development. Applications have been funded in varying amounts each of these years. For more information on the Emergency Shelter Grant Program, contact Dr. Loré L. Chambers, Assistant City Administrator at (410) 548-3100.
How The Seven Dwarfs Of Auschwitz Fell Under The Spell Of Dr Death: The Hideous Experiments Carried Out By Nazi Josef Mengele On Seven Trusting Brothers And Sisters
Five were women — each no taller than a girl of five, yet wearing make-up and elegant dresses. They looked like painted dolls.
Huddled together in a circle, the seven dwarfs made no attempt to join the teeming mass of passengers being herded up a ramp by soldiers with alsatians straining at the leash.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
DUE TO THE PRESIDENT’S DAY HOLIDAY
THERE WILL BE NO CARDBOARD, BULK OR
LEAF/YARD DEBRIS PICKUP ON MONDAY
FEBRUARY 18, 2013
THE NEXT SCHEDULED PICK UP FOR
CARDBOARD, BULK AND LEAF/YARD DEBRIS
IS MONDAY
FEBRUARY 25, 2013
PLEASE CALL THE CITY SERVICE CENTER
AT 410-548-3177
TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST
Great Clue-Caper 4!
SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday, April 14, 2013 for Great Clue Caper 4!
Team registration is now open!
Our committee has been busy planning, coming up with new ideas and new twists to make it even more fun for our teams.
What is the Great Clue Caper?
Only the most fun you'll have raising money for a good cause. Teams of 2 to 5 players will be solving puzzles and searching for different locations in Wicomico County, all in hopes of winning $1,000 for their team, and $1,000 to donate to the charity of their choice.
Check out the video Outdoors Delmarva did on our event last year Here, and go Here to see some pictures of last year's fun.
More information available HERE
CITY OF SALISBURY NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION AND LOCATION OF POLLING PLACES
A Primary Election is scheduled for registered voters who live
in the CITY LIMITS of DISTRICT 1 and DISTRICT 2 of the City of Salisbury on
TUESDAY – FEBRUARY 26, 2013
Between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM at the polling locations listed below:
DISTRICT 1
Fire Station #16 – 325 Cypress Street - Salisbury, MD 21801
Note: This is a new polling location
The following Districts/Precincts are assigned to this location:
05002.31, 09001.31, 09002.31, 09004.31, 09006.31, 13001.31, 13002.31
CANDIDATES:
April Renee Jackson
Cynthia M. Polk
Eugenie Pinkett Shields
DISTRICT 2
Harvest Baptist Church – 119 South Boulevard – Salisbury, MD 21804
The following Districts/Precincts are assigned to this location:
08001.32, 08002.32, 08003.32, 13001.32, 13002.32, 13003.32, 16002.32
and
Wicomico Presbyterian Church – 129 Broad Street - Salisbury, MD 21801
The following Districts/Precincts are assigned to this location:
05002.32, 05003.32, 05004.32, 05006.32, 09001.32, 09002.32, 09003.32, 09004.32, 11002.32
CANDIDATES:
Deborah Campbell
Jacob R. Day
John R. “Jack” Heath
Please contact the Wicomico County Board of Elections at 410-548-4830 if you have any
questions regarding your eligibility to vote in the City of Salisbury Primary Election.
This is a nonpartisan election; therefore, ALL registered voters in DISTRICT 1 and DISTRICT
2 in the City of Salisbury are entitled to vote in the Primary Election to nominate qualified
candidates to serve for a term until the General Election of November 2015.
Can’t get to the Polls? Vote by Absentee Ballot
Any qualified registered voter in the City of Salisbury may request an absentee ballot
if unable to be present and personally vote at the polls on Election Day.
An absentee ballot application may be obtained in person or by calling the
Wicomico County Board of Elections at 410-548-4830.
Deadline for requesting absentee ballots is Tuesday, February 19, 2013.
An application form may also be printed from the City of Salisbury’s website at
www.ci.salisbury.md.us/ and delivered, mailed or faxed to the Wicomico County Board of
Elections.
Specimen ballots will be mailed to all registered voters who live
in the CITY LIMITS of the City of Salisbury by the week of February 18
th
117 Drug Shortages
The Food and Drug Administration said there are 117 drug shortages and it's asking for fresh ideas for combating the number. The agency requested public comments as it drafts a strategy with few resources. FDA said it's hard to predict which drugs might run out and when. It also doesn't have the money to pay manufacturers to ramp up production and can't guarantee that the drugs would be bought. So FDA wants to know what other incentives it could offer, how it can better communicate with stakeholders and better work with other agencies.
Ocean City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Date Set
Sponsored by the Delmarva Irish-American Club, the Ocean City tradition has grown to become the second largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the state, in addition to a seasonal kick-off for many local businesses.
Leading the parade are grand marshals Molly and John O’Brien. They have been active members of the Delmarva Irish-American Club for more than 10 years. He is the vice-president of the club, serves on the board of directors and runs the DIAC website. She works behind the scenes, serving as the parade-day face-painter as well as hand-making Irish-inspired crafts to sell at the parade.
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You Just Have To Love This!
Employees of one company played games, watched movies and twiddled their thumbs all while being paid with stimulus dollars. LG Chem Michigan received $150 million in Recovery Act Money but the company has little to show for it, according to an investigation by the Energy Department Inspector General. The IG was tipped off by a whistleblower that the company which was supposed to build a factory to produce car batteries had only managed to build some samples and didn't generate any commercial sales in three years, the IG found. Plus, some employees had little to do while being paid with public money. LG Chem has spent more than 90 percent of its federal funds.
23% Of America Is Illiterate
Following on the heels of the dumbing down of the State of the Union speech we noted yesterday, we thought a simple visualization of just how stunningly poor our nation's reading skills really are would be useful. One in five Americans lacks the basic reading skills beyond a 4th grade level - are you one of them?More
IRS Whistleblowers
The IRS received fewer whistleblower tips about tax offenders who owe at least $2 million.The agency said 332 people approached the whistleblower office last year, down from a high of 472 in 2009. It's alarming to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) one of the program's most passionate watchdogs. He said proposed regulations could make a bad situation worse. Already, the delayin awards and the way the IRS treats whistleblowers are turn offs, he said. The whistleblower office responded that it takes years to analyze, investigate, audit and collect proceeds in the cases and the more money owed, the longer it takes.
Don’t Forget The Sunscreen: Vacation For Obama, Lawmakers Trumps Problems Facing Nation
Mr. Obama is heading to Florida for a four-day, President’s Day weekend of golf lessons and relaxation with a wealthy campaign donor who was once the target of anti-minority bias complaints, while first lady Michelle Obama reportedly will vacation separately in the ski mecca of Aspen, Colo.
Congress will be in recess for the next 10 days, not returning to work until Feb. 25, four days before the “sequestration” cuts are to take effect.
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DELEGATE MIKE MCDERMOTT PRESS RELEASE
‘HB-104: Promoting a More Business Friendly State’(Annapolis) -- “If the governor is serious about growing business, let’s start by saving the ones that are here. HB-104 provides for penalty forgiveness on first time offenses of minor violations of the code. After all, the point is to make the corrections, not tax our hard working business owners through a system of petty fines and overregulation” said Delegate Mike McDermott (R- Worcester & Wicomico) when discussing his proposed bill, HB-104.
HB - 104, entitled ‘Occupational Safety and Health - Good Faith Actions by Business Owners - Penalty Forgiveness,’ prevents the Commissioner of Labor from charging a civil penalty, or fine, against an employer who unintentionally violates the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act. Penalty forgiveness will only be given to employers for non-serious violations. Under this bill, the employer will still receive a citation regarding the violation, but will not receive a civil penalty when the violation is not willful or repetitive, the violation is not serious, and the employer corrects the violation within the timeframe set in the citation.
“It’s tough being a business owner in Maryland, and it is getting tougher to recruit new businesses into our state. The restrictions imposed on both small businesses and major manufacturing giants bring Red tape that costs business owners precious capital they need to maintain their viability during tough financial times. Penalizing and fining these hard working folks for minor violations that can be immediately corrected does not make us a very business friendly state.” concluded Delegate McDermott.
Delegate Mike McDermott’s bill, HB 104, was heard in the Economic Matters Committee on February 12th.
HB - 104, entitled ‘Occupational Safety and Health - Good Faith Actions by Business Owners - Penalty Forgiveness,’ prevents the Commissioner of Labor from charging a civil penalty, or fine, against an employer who unintentionally violates the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act. Penalty forgiveness will only be given to employers for non-serious violations. Under this bill, the employer will still receive a citation regarding the violation, but will not receive a civil penalty when the violation is not willful or repetitive, the violation is not serious, and the employer corrects the violation within the timeframe set in the citation.
“It’s tough being a business owner in Maryland, and it is getting tougher to recruit new businesses into our state. The restrictions imposed on both small businesses and major manufacturing giants bring Red tape that costs business owners precious capital they need to maintain their viability during tough financial times. Penalizing and fining these hard working folks for minor violations that can be immediately corrected does not make us a very business friendly state.” concluded Delegate McDermott.
Delegate Mike McDermott’s bill, HB 104, was heard in the Economic Matters Committee on February 12th.