Mayor Jim Ireton is now proposing a new $19 million dollar tax to clean the River. It's been four years Jimmy, according to the above pictures, how's it working for you? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, February 22, 2013
IRETON ANNOUNCES NEW $19,000,000.00 TAX
Mayor Jim Ireton is now proposing a new $19 million dollar tax to clean the River. It's been four years Jimmy, according to the above pictures, how's it working for you? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Where Was The Media’s Love For ‘Transparency’ The Last Four Years?
President Obama took yet another vacation last week and while Marie Antoinette Michelle took the kids on a fabulous ski trip in Aspen- her 16th vacation since moving into the White House, Barack went golfing with Tiger Woods in Florida.
But the lavish leisurely pursuits of Barack, the “Man of the People,” are nothing new. The real story here is the press’ response to being left out.
The president kept the press at bay and they went crazy. “Legitimate” news organizations snuck around the links like paparazzi looking to grab a picture of Lindsay Lohan on a bender. And when Obama returned to work, the press was not amused and called for “transparency.”
“The decades-old conflict between the press’s right to know and the White House’s desire for effective messaging reached a flash point over the weekend with the White House Press Corps being excluded from President Obama’s golf outing with Tiger Woods.
‘This isn’t about the president’s golf score or having a beer on the 19th hole,’ said Rick Blum, director of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a group promoting policies for government accessibility and accountability. ‘This really gets to the president being responsive to the public. Sure the president deserves a vacation, but as president you cannot just disappear for four days.’
For some in the press corps, the question of Obama’s accessibility is especially pointed. Longtime White House correspondent Anne Compton of ABC News told Politico recently: ‘The way the president’s availability to the press has shrunk in the last two years is a disgrace. … This White House goes to extreme lengths to keep the press away.’”
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But the lavish leisurely pursuits of Barack, the “Man of the People,” are nothing new. The real story here is the press’ response to being left out.
The president kept the press at bay and they went crazy. “Legitimate” news organizations snuck around the links like paparazzi looking to grab a picture of Lindsay Lohan on a bender. And when Obama returned to work, the press was not amused and called for “transparency.”
“The decades-old conflict between the press’s right to know and the White House’s desire for effective messaging reached a flash point over the weekend with the White House Press Corps being excluded from President Obama’s golf outing with Tiger Woods.
‘This isn’t about the president’s golf score or having a beer on the 19th hole,’ said Rick Blum, director of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a group promoting policies for government accessibility and accountability. ‘This really gets to the president being responsive to the public. Sure the president deserves a vacation, but as president you cannot just disappear for four days.’
For some in the press corps, the question of Obama’s accessibility is especially pointed. Longtime White House correspondent Anne Compton of ABC News told Politico recently: ‘The way the president’s availability to the press has shrunk in the last two years is a disgrace. … This White House goes to extreme lengths to keep the press away.’”
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Summit: Fixing Tax Policies Will Attract, Retain Businesses
Maryland’s businesses will continue to leave for surrounding states unless the state changes its tax policies.
That was the conclusion of panelists at Thursday’s business summit, at which participants listed corporate and inheritance taxes as major reasons businesses leave. A Change Maryland study found roughly 6,500 businesses have left the state since 2007.
Virginia has a significant lead in attracting the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies. Last year, Virginia had 24, compared to Maryland’s three.
“We’re slipping in terms of our demographics. We’re slipping in terms of our business community, both small and large,” said panelist Anirban Basu, CEO of Baltimore consulting firm Sage Policy Group.
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That was the conclusion of panelists at Thursday’s business summit, at which participants listed corporate and inheritance taxes as major reasons businesses leave. A Change Maryland study found roughly 6,500 businesses have left the state since 2007.
Virginia has a significant lead in attracting the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies. Last year, Virginia had 24, compared to Maryland’s three.
“We’re slipping in terms of our demographics. We’re slipping in terms of our business community, both small and large,” said panelist Anirban Basu, CEO of Baltimore consulting firm Sage Policy Group.
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Is Anyone Going To Notice The Left's Hysterical Hysteria Over Guns?
Somewhere a dentist is missing his laughing gas. Because the absolute hysteria of the American Left Intelligentsia on guns has now reached a new level of laughable. No longer (as if they ever were) engaged in serious conversation about mental health in America, the Hysteria-Merchants now find guns (and lawful gun owners) to be The Problem. They've gone mad. You gotta laugh.
While most can point to Piers Morgan's almost immediate crack-up on guns (always remember, Morgan never cared about people, their lives, and the kids at Sandy Hook. Morgan cares about ratings. Nothing else comes close,) people on both the local and national level have accelerated the race to the bottom on the concept of life, personal responsibility and mental health.
In Milwaukee County, Sheriff David Clarke made a Public Service Announcement telling the residents of the county that they should not rely on the police to protect them:
With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. But are you prepared? Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there.
More
While most can point to Piers Morgan's almost immediate crack-up on guns (always remember, Morgan never cared about people, their lives, and the kids at Sandy Hook. Morgan cares about ratings. Nothing else comes close,) people on both the local and national level have accelerated the race to the bottom on the concept of life, personal responsibility and mental health.
In Milwaukee County, Sheriff David Clarke made a Public Service Announcement telling the residents of the county that they should not rely on the police to protect them:
With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You could beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. But are you prepared? Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there.
More
Conservatives Blast Calif. Lawmaker's Effort to Strip Boy Scouts of Tax Exemption
State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach), announced legislation on Tuesday that he says would remove the state tax exemption for any youth group, including the Boy Scouts, “that discriminates against members and leaders on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“SB 323 seeks to end the unfortunate discriminatory and outdated practices by certain youth groups by revoking their tax exemption privilege should they not comply with our non-discrimination laws,” Lara said.
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Thank You, Mr. President
America is fed up with GOP obstructionism. So undoubtedly, everyone is hopeful that Republicans will allow President Barack Obama’s sequestration plans to proceed unhindered. It’s only right.
The GOP, in fact, should quit while it’s ahead. Rather than penning editorials and appearing on Sunday morning talk shows to try to pin the blame on others, leadership would be far better off simply saying: “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for dreaming up a plan that implements some minimal spending cuts. Thanks for signing it into law. It’s not much, but we sure appreciate it.”
It’s been a while since the GOP held the upper hand in any skirmish, and this situation holds the special distinction of asking nothing of Republicans — a tactic that meshes well with their present skill set. No arguing over “revenue.” No threat of a government shutdown. No default. No need for a protracted surrender.
How will it play out? “Are you willing to see a bunch of first responders lose their job? … Are you willing to have teachers laid off or kids not have access to Head Start?” asks the president. Don’t forget firemen, TSA agents and mental health workers — a chilling proposition if any of it were true. We’re about a week away from a White House press release warning that sequestration would mean your kid’s disabled preschool teacher would have her wheelchair repossessed.
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The GOP, in fact, should quit while it’s ahead. Rather than penning editorials and appearing on Sunday morning talk shows to try to pin the blame on others, leadership would be far better off simply saying: “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for dreaming up a plan that implements some minimal spending cuts. Thanks for signing it into law. It’s not much, but we sure appreciate it.”
It’s been a while since the GOP held the upper hand in any skirmish, and this situation holds the special distinction of asking nothing of Republicans — a tactic that meshes well with their present skill set. No arguing over “revenue.” No threat of a government shutdown. No default. No need for a protracted surrender.
How will it play out? “Are you willing to see a bunch of first responders lose their job? … Are you willing to have teachers laid off or kids not have access to Head Start?” asks the president. Don’t forget firemen, TSA agents and mental health workers — a chilling proposition if any of it were true. We’re about a week away from a White House press release warning that sequestration would mean your kid’s disabled preschool teacher would have her wheelchair repossessed.
More
Snow Hill’s Opera House Renovation Eyed
SNOW HILL -- The town of Snow Hill is “coming back alive” in terms of economic and community development, according to Mayor Charlie Dorman. Meeting with the Worcester County Commission Tuesday, Dorman requested for fiscal year 2014 $700,000 in grant funding, an increase of $300,000 from last year with $200,000 of that earmarked for Old Opera House renovations.
“I want to say the town of Snow Hill is coming back. It’s a wonderful place to live,” he said. “The council and myself and the town manager are all on the same page. We have a vision for Snow Hill that we want to put forward.”
Dorman outlined a few of the new events and attractions Snow Hill is building to try to become a “destination” on the Eastern Shore. Come this spring the town will be hosting its first annual “Cupcake Chunking,” an unusual variation on the traditional pumpkin chunking. Couples are also being targeted by town leadership.
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“I want to say the town of Snow Hill is coming back. It’s a wonderful place to live,” he said. “The council and myself and the town manager are all on the same page. We have a vision for Snow Hill that we want to put forward.”
Dorman outlined a few of the new events and attractions Snow Hill is building to try to become a “destination” on the Eastern Shore. Come this spring the town will be hosting its first annual “Cupcake Chunking,” an unusual variation on the traditional pumpkin chunking. Couples are also being targeted by town leadership.
More
If You’re A Taxpayer, You’re With Stupid
If President Barack Obama, the Republican House and the Democratic Senate cannot cut $85 billion from this year’s $3.8 trillion budget without laying off first responders, tying up airport security lines and furloughing food safety inspectors, what good are they?
The answer is: Not much. It turns out we elect lawmakers so they can hold our time and safety hostage. When Congress passed and the president signed the 2011 Budget Control Act, all parties agreed that the act’s $1.2 trillion in “sequester” cuts over 10 years would be so terrible that a bipartisan supercommittee would be forced to present a better plan for deficit reduction.
But the committee failed. The “sequester” cuts were designed to be too terrible for taxpayers, but not for Washington insiders embroiled in the blame game.
You see, the 2011 budget act didn’t simply mandate $85 billion in cuts this year — $46 billion from the Pentagon, $39 billion in discretionary spending. The law also required that the cuts be administered under an across-the-board formula that imposes cuts, as one White House aide put it, “at a granular level.” The Department of Agriculture cannot decide to balance its books simply by cutting farm subsidies or other forms of corporate welfare. No, the cuts have to shave every agency account.
More
The answer is: Not much. It turns out we elect lawmakers so they can hold our time and safety hostage. When Congress passed and the president signed the 2011 Budget Control Act, all parties agreed that the act’s $1.2 trillion in “sequester” cuts over 10 years would be so terrible that a bipartisan supercommittee would be forced to present a better plan for deficit reduction.
But the committee failed. The “sequester” cuts were designed to be too terrible for taxpayers, but not for Washington insiders embroiled in the blame game.
You see, the 2011 budget act didn’t simply mandate $85 billion in cuts this year — $46 billion from the Pentagon, $39 billion in discretionary spending. The law also required that the cuts be administered under an across-the-board formula that imposes cuts, as one White House aide put it, “at a granular level.” The Department of Agriculture cannot decide to balance its books simply by cutting farm subsidies or other forms of corporate welfare. No, the cuts have to shave every agency account.
More
Sequester: Is Your Airport On The Chopping Block?
Automatic, across-the-board cuts in federal spending will cause the delays, Transportation secretary says
WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned Friday of massive delays in flights and the closing of 100 smaller air-traffic control towers as part of automatic spending cuts scheduled March 1.
Because of furloughs for air-traffic controllers, LaHood said flights from New York to San Francisco could be delayed 90 minutes. He says once airlines understand how flights are delayed, they will begin canceling flights.
He said the control towers at the 100 smallest airports will be closed, from a list including those in Boca Raton, Fla., Joplin, Mo., and Hilton Head, S.C.
"These are harmful cuts with real-world consequences that will cost jobs and hurt the economy," LaHood said from the White House briefing room.
WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned Friday of massive delays in flights and the closing of 100 smaller air-traffic control towers as part of automatic spending cuts scheduled March 1.
Because of furloughs for air-traffic controllers, LaHood said flights from New York to San Francisco could be delayed 90 minutes. He says once airlines understand how flights are delayed, they will begin canceling flights.
He said the control towers at the 100 smallest airports will be closed, from a list including those in Boca Raton, Fla., Joplin, Mo., and Hilton Head, S.C.
"These are harmful cuts with real-world consequences that will cost jobs and hurt the economy," LaHood said from the White House briefing room.
Publishers Notes: Salisbury Airport is on the list.
SBY Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Salisbury, Md.
Medical Examiner: Woman Died Of ‘Natural Causes’ After Abortion
The state medical examiner has determined that a New York woman who had an abortion at a Germantown clinic earlier this month died of natural causes.
Jennifer McKenna Morbelli, 29, was pronounced dead at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital on Feb. 7. Morbelli had sought a late-term abortion from a local clinic, Germantown Reproductive Health Services. The clinic has attracted controversy and weekly protests since hiring Dr. Leroy Carhart, a Nebraska-based physician who began performing abortions there in 2010.
The clinic declined to comment.
Bruce Goldfarb, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, said there were three causes of death: “disseminated intravascular coagulation,” “amniotic fluid embolism following a medical termination of pregnancy” and “fetal abnormalities.”
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Jennifer McKenna Morbelli, 29, was pronounced dead at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital on Feb. 7. Morbelli had sought a late-term abortion from a local clinic, Germantown Reproductive Health Services. The clinic has attracted controversy and weekly protests since hiring Dr. Leroy Carhart, a Nebraska-based physician who began performing abortions there in 2010.
The clinic declined to comment.
Bruce Goldfarb, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, said there were three causes of death: “disseminated intravascular coagulation,” “amniotic fluid embolism following a medical termination of pregnancy” and “fetal abnormalities.”
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On Guns, Obama Finally Talks About The Culture Of Fatherlessness
President Barack Obama said it recently in Chicago, a city on track for 600 murders this year, the equivalent of two Sandy Hooks per month. Too bad he still does not understand that his left-wing ideology is the problem.
After the Sandy Hook tragedy, Obama, much of his party and much of the media have been calling for further gun control and advocating “common sense” measures such as limiting the number of rounds in a magazine, “universal” background checks and restrictions on “assault weapons.”
But there is an 800-pound politically incorrect elephant in the room.
Most gun murders in America are committed by people of color, with the victims almost always people of color. Whites have the same access to firearms, listen to the same “urban” music and play the same violent video games. Why, then, do the murders disproportionally involve racial minorities, principally blacks and Hispanics, usually young men in urban settings, many with gang ties?
Obama, in Chicago, finally talked about the lack of fathers and the impact this has on crime rather than complain about the number of rounds in a magazine: “For a lot of young boys and young men in particular, they don’t see an example of fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up in respect. And so that means that this is not just a gun issue; it’s also an issue of the kinds of communities that we’re building. When a child opens fire on another child, there is a hole in that child’s heart that government can’t fill. Only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole.”
More
After the Sandy Hook tragedy, Obama, much of his party and much of the media have been calling for further gun control and advocating “common sense” measures such as limiting the number of rounds in a magazine, “universal” background checks and restrictions on “assault weapons.”
But there is an 800-pound politically incorrect elephant in the room.
Most gun murders in America are committed by people of color, with the victims almost always people of color. Whites have the same access to firearms, listen to the same “urban” music and play the same violent video games. Why, then, do the murders disproportionally involve racial minorities, principally blacks and Hispanics, usually young men in urban settings, many with gang ties?
Obama, in Chicago, finally talked about the lack of fathers and the impact this has on crime rather than complain about the number of rounds in a magazine: “For a lot of young boys and young men in particular, they don’t see an example of fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up in respect. And so that means that this is not just a gun issue; it’s also an issue of the kinds of communities that we’re building. When a child opens fire on another child, there is a hole in that child’s heart that government can’t fill. Only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole.”
More
OC, Cat Groups Plan Partnership
OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City officials this week agreed to provide support for a coalition of private sector groups in the interest of better controlling a growing stray or feral cat crisis in the resort.
On Tuesday, the Ocean City Mayor and Council agreed to support the Community Cats Coalition and its partners, Delmarva Cat Connection and Town Cats, in an effort to get a handle on the growing stray or feral cat problem in the resort. Community Cats Coalition spokeswoman Susan Coleman told the town’s elected officials the stray and feral cat population in the resort continues to soar and advised them of the relatively new program to humanely and safely curtail the population growth while allowing the town’s cats to remain in their colonies.
Coleman explained her agency’s ongoing partnership with Delmarva Cat Connection and Town Cats, along with the OCPD’s Animal Control officers, the Humane Society and private sector volunteers to implement a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. Under the TNR program, stray and feral are humanely trapped, taken to a vet to be vaccinated, spayed or neutered and then returned to the same areas.
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On Tuesday, the Ocean City Mayor and Council agreed to support the Community Cats Coalition and its partners, Delmarva Cat Connection and Town Cats, in an effort to get a handle on the growing stray or feral cat problem in the resort. Community Cats Coalition spokeswoman Susan Coleman told the town’s elected officials the stray and feral cat population in the resort continues to soar and advised them of the relatively new program to humanely and safely curtail the population growth while allowing the town’s cats to remain in their colonies.
Coleman explained her agency’s ongoing partnership with Delmarva Cat Connection and Town Cats, along with the OCPD’s Animal Control officers, the Humane Society and private sector volunteers to implement a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. Under the TNR program, stray and feral are humanely trapped, taken to a vet to be vaccinated, spayed or neutered and then returned to the same areas.
More
DNREC To Hold March 21 Public Hearing On Proposed Summer Flounder Regulation Changes
DOVER – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21 to consider proposed amendments to the state’s tidal finfish regulations on summer flounder. The hearing will be held in the DNREC Auditorium at 89 Kings Highway in Dover.
Summer flounder are managed cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), and the National Marine Fisheries Service through the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. ASMFC and MAFMC approved a coastwide recreational summer flounder harvest limit for 2013 resulting in an allowable catch of 78,512 fish to Delaware. Although this is a reduction from the 2012 allowable catch, the 2013 allowable catch is nearly double Delaware’s 2012 actual recreational harvest of 38,470 fish.
As a result, Delaware is considering liberalizing its management measures for the 2013 summer flounder fishery, pending approval by the ASMFC’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board. Four options were developed and approved by the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Technical Committee as the basis for the proposed regulatory changes. The options are:
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Summer flounder are managed cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), and the National Marine Fisheries Service through the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. ASMFC and MAFMC approved a coastwide recreational summer flounder harvest limit for 2013 resulting in an allowable catch of 78,512 fish to Delaware. Although this is a reduction from the 2012 allowable catch, the 2013 allowable catch is nearly double Delaware’s 2012 actual recreational harvest of 38,470 fish.
As a result, Delaware is considering liberalizing its management measures for the 2013 summer flounder fishery, pending approval by the ASMFC’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board. Four options were developed and approved by the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Technical Committee as the basis for the proposed regulatory changes. The options are:
More
SNAP Trafficking: No More Food Stamps For Cash, USDA Says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cracking down on food stamp “trafficking” with new rules that make it illegal to indirectly trade food stamps for cash.
The USDA is targeting abuse of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, as part of its “campaign to cut waste.”
It’s already illegal to trade food stamps for cash, but the USDA wants to make it harder for people to get around the rules by cashing food stamps indirectly. One common method is what’s called “water dumping,” using SNAP benefits to buy water bottles and other containers that can be returned for refund deposits.
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The USDA is targeting abuse of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, as part of its “campaign to cut waste.”
It’s already illegal to trade food stamps for cash, but the USDA wants to make it harder for people to get around the rules by cashing food stamps indirectly. One common method is what’s called “water dumping,” using SNAP benefits to buy water bottles and other containers that can be returned for refund deposits.
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PLEASE, MR. IRETON: THAT’S NOT AN “ACCOMPLISHMENT”
In his latest campaign event, crudely disguised and promoted as a “state of the city” speech (which it wasn’t), Jim Ireton portrayed as a major accomplishment of his current term the City’s settlement of its lawsuit claim against several firms for badly designing and building Salisbury’s $60 Million plus new, but dysfunctional waste water treatment plant. In point of fact – never mentioned by Ireton or the Daily Times – the settlement amount was much less than 50 cents on the dollar, and a substantial part of the money was paid to the special legal counsel that the City retained because the former City Attorney could not handle the task, as well as legal fees of the latter.
As a result the City still needs many millions (and more than that so-called “surplus” of $16 Million that Ireton touts) to fix the WWTP to satisfy the state requirements. Can you guess where those bucks will come from?
This scenario may be something to brag about to like minded people in Rehobeth Beach, but not to Salisbury residents who now must pay to clean up the mess, along with the new “stormwater utility” tax that he wants to impose.
Although he isn’t responsible for the bad engineering, design and construction of the WWTP that occurred under Barrie Tilghman, who insisted on using the engineering firm, “O’Brien and Gere,” and its recommendations (for which it was paid millions by the City), Mr. Ireton is culpable for the debacle that has occurred on his watch. And he cannot take credit for the good riddance of the City officials who were involved in the design-build process for the WWTP.
Barrie T. decided to forgo seeking reelection, in which she would have been crushed at least a soundly as her stand-in compatriot and chief cheerleader during her tenure, Gary (“on time, under budget”) Comegys. John (“GI”) Jacobs, the former City Engineer, left for supposedly greener pastures elsewhere, and then there’s the saga of the former City Attorney – who Ireton kept on the WWTP case in court despite his involvement in the contracts with the engineering firm, which put a cap on the amount that the City could recover!
Mr. Ireton, like his role models in the state and federal governments, believes that political pandering of the sort that he sponsored at Holloway Hall, liberally laced with unsupported self-serving statements such as that exposed above, will mask his real record. Don’t be deceived – yet again -- by such duplicity.
As a result the City still needs many millions (and more than that so-called “surplus” of $16 Million that Ireton touts) to fix the WWTP to satisfy the state requirements. Can you guess where those bucks will come from?
This scenario may be something to brag about to like minded people in Rehobeth Beach, but not to Salisbury residents who now must pay to clean up the mess, along with the new “stormwater utility” tax that he wants to impose.
Although he isn’t responsible for the bad engineering, design and construction of the WWTP that occurred under Barrie Tilghman, who insisted on using the engineering firm, “O’Brien and Gere,” and its recommendations (for which it was paid millions by the City), Mr. Ireton is culpable for the debacle that has occurred on his watch. And he cannot take credit for the good riddance of the City officials who were involved in the design-build process for the WWTP.
Barrie T. decided to forgo seeking reelection, in which she would have been crushed at least a soundly as her stand-in compatriot and chief cheerleader during her tenure, Gary (“on time, under budget”) Comegys. John (“GI”) Jacobs, the former City Engineer, left for supposedly greener pastures elsewhere, and then there’s the saga of the former City Attorney – who Ireton kept on the WWTP case in court despite his involvement in the contracts with the engineering firm, which put a cap on the amount that the City could recover!
Mr. Ireton, like his role models in the state and federal governments, believes that political pandering of the sort that he sponsored at Holloway Hall, liberally laced with unsupported self-serving statements such as that exposed above, will mask his real record. Don’t be deceived – yet again -- by such duplicity.
Is It A Crime To Plant A Seed?
Vernon Hugh Bowman, a 75-year-old farmer from rural Indiana, did something that got him sued. He planted soybean seeds. But Monsanto, the ag giant, insists it has a patent on the kind of genetically modified seeds Bowman used — and that the patent continues to all of the progeny of those seeds.
Have we really gotten to the point that planting a seed can lead to a high-stakes Supreme Court patent lawsuit? We have, and that case is Bowman v. Monsanto, which is being argued on Tuesday. Monsanto’s critics have assailed the company for its “ruthless legal battles against small farmers,” and they are hoping this will be the case that puts it in its place. They are also hoping the court’s ruling will rein in patent law, which is increasingly being used to claim new life forms as private property.
Have we really gotten to the point that planting a seed can lead to a high-stakes Supreme Court patent lawsuit? We have, and that case is Bowman v. Monsanto, which is being argued on Tuesday. Monsanto’s critics have assailed the company for its “ruthless legal battles against small farmers,” and they are hoping this will be the case that puts it in its place. They are also hoping the court’s ruling will rein in patent law, which is increasingly being used to claim new life forms as private property.
Watershed Plan Costs Staggering
SALISBURY -- Costs for developing a Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) in Salisbury seem intimidating right now, admitted Wicomico County Transportation and Long Range Planner Keith Hall, but he told the City Council that the current estimated $225 million cost will likely be reduced substantially in the years before the WIP is required to meet final goals in 2025.
“I understand the price tag is daunting,” he said. “It’s something that we hope through various creative and innovative solutions and critical thinking and appropriate planning that those costs can be significantly reduced. However, at this time, that’s what we’re working with.”
The WIP will be required by executive mandate and is aimed at reducing nutrient levels in the Chesapeake Bay. Generally, the plan covers a number of different criteria, though Hall told the council that Salisbury’s urban nature means it will only have to focus on a few of those.
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“I understand the price tag is daunting,” he said. “It’s something that we hope through various creative and innovative solutions and critical thinking and appropriate planning that those costs can be significantly reduced. However, at this time, that’s what we’re working with.”
The WIP will be required by executive mandate and is aimed at reducing nutrient levels in the Chesapeake Bay. Generally, the plan covers a number of different criteria, though Hall told the council that Salisbury’s urban nature means it will only have to focus on a few of those.
More
The Catch-22 Of Obama’s Preschool Plan
Early childhood advocates were elated by Obama’s State of the Union proposal to vastly expand our infrastructure of early childhood programs. Economists like Nobel laureate James Heckman have long argued that early childhood education is the best financial investment a society can make. Gaps in ability that predict future life outcomes tend to open wide at an early age, so the call to level the playing field for young kids is both welcome and overdue.
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A Message From Andy Harris
I wrote an op-ed that was published in today's Star Democrat Easton with my thoughts about President Obama's State of the Union address last week and where I see the First District. http://bit.ly/YIr2cK
I think President Obama missed a golden opportunity to set forth a plan to deal with America's out of control spending, something that is evident from the President's current inaction to replace his sequester.
I hope you have a chance to check it out and be sure to let me know what you think.
I think President Obama missed a golden opportunity to set forth a plan to deal with America's out of control spending, something that is evident from the President's current inaction to replace his sequester.
I hope you have a chance to check it out and be sure to let me know what you think.
For-Profit Businesses Have Right to Religious Liberty Too, Lawmakers Tell Court in Hobby Lobby Case
Eleven senators and congressmen filed an amicus brief, also known as a friend-of-the-court brief, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Tuesday in support of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., a Christian-owned and operated corporation that opposes the mandate based on its owners’ religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby filed suit against Health and Human Services and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Rep. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was one of the lead sponsors of the Religious Freedom Reformation Act of 1993, which he said was designed to protect the religious liberty of all Americans, even those who own corporations or other for-profit businesses.
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Maryland House Passes Dog Bill
ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland House of Delegates on Thursday unanimously passed legislation rendering moot a court decision singling out pit bulls as inherently vicious and dangerous dogs.
The bill would require a dog owner to prove that his or her dog is not dangerous if the owner is sued when the animal bites someone. Maryland currently operates under the so-called "One Bite" doctrine, where a bite victim has to prove a dog is dangerous and has bitten somebody before if he or she want to sue its owner. Critics have said this gives all dogs one free bite.
The measure would hold the dog owner solely responsible in any lawsuits stemming from a bite, protecting landlords or dog walkers or anybody else from being sued when a dog bites somebody.
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The bill would require a dog owner to prove that his or her dog is not dangerous if the owner is sued when the animal bites someone. Maryland currently operates under the so-called "One Bite" doctrine, where a bite victim has to prove a dog is dangerous and has bitten somebody before if he or she want to sue its owner. Critics have said this gives all dogs one free bite.
The measure would hold the dog owner solely responsible in any lawsuits stemming from a bite, protecting landlords or dog walkers or anybody else from being sued when a dog bites somebody.
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A Bionic Breakthrough: A Hand That Lets Amputees ‘Feel’
Scientists have moved closer to enabling amputees with artificial limbs to feel what they are touching. The first bionic hand that will allow the wearer to experience touch again will enter trials later this year, thanks to the work of scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and their partners at Project TIME (Transverse Intrafaciscular Multichannel Electrode System) — a program focused on the treatment of phantom limb pain.
Silvestro Micera, one of the lead scientists at the EPFL, made the announcement at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston earlier this month. The new prosthetic is based on an interface tested in 2009 on an amputee, 26-year old Pierpaolo Petruzziello. Intraneural electrodes – small pieces of polymer wiring that can deliver electrical impulses directly to the nerve – were implanted into Petruzziello’s median and ulnar nerves. By analyzing his motor neural signals, researchers found that the information specific to grasping could be isolated among these signals from the nerves, and by feeding these back to the prosthetic hand, it was possible to flex and control it.
Silvestro Micera, one of the lead scientists at the EPFL, made the announcement at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston earlier this month. The new prosthetic is based on an interface tested in 2009 on an amputee, 26-year old Pierpaolo Petruzziello. Intraneural electrodes – small pieces of polymer wiring that can deliver electrical impulses directly to the nerve – were implanted into Petruzziello’s median and ulnar nerves. By analyzing his motor neural signals, researchers found that the information specific to grasping could be isolated among these signals from the nerves, and by feeding these back to the prosthetic hand, it was possible to flex and control it.
Four Arrested In Worcester Now Headed To Federal Court
BERLIN -- Four men arrested and charged initially with drug distribution and weapons charges in Worcester County last year, including a Berlin man, had their cases forwarded to U.S. District Court this month.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office last Wednesday announced four suspects arrested on drug and gun charges in Worcester last year have had federal criminal charges filed against them, essentially moving their cases from Worcester County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court. The first criminal complaint involving a local case was filed this week against Tony Lamont Mills, 32, of Berlin, who has now been charged in federal court with possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.
In July, the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team began a heroin distribution investigation and identified Tony Lamont Mills, 32, of Berlin, as a suspect. The investigation revealed Mills was distributing heroin throughout northern Worcester County. As the investigation progressed, an undercover officer was able to conduct hand-to-hand purchases directly from Mills on two separate occasions, including one transaction during which Mills was holding an infant on his chest.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office last Wednesday announced four suspects arrested on drug and gun charges in Worcester last year have had federal criminal charges filed against them, essentially moving their cases from Worcester County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court. The first criminal complaint involving a local case was filed this week against Tony Lamont Mills, 32, of Berlin, who has now been charged in federal court with possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.
In July, the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team began a heroin distribution investigation and identified Tony Lamont Mills, 32, of Berlin, as a suspect. The investigation revealed Mills was distributing heroin throughout northern Worcester County. As the investigation progressed, an undercover officer was able to conduct hand-to-hand purchases directly from Mills on two separate occasions, including one transaction during which Mills was holding an infant on his chest.
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DNREC Division Of Fish And Wildlife Announces Spring 2013 Trout Stocking Plans For Downstate Ponds
DOVER – The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife today announced that its spring 2013 downstate trout season will begin Saturday, March 2 with the opening of two downstate ponds stocked with rainbow trout. On that date, Tidbury Pond near Dover in Kent County and Newton Pond outside of Greenwood in Sussex County will open for trout fishing beginning at 7 a.m.
“As in past years, we expect to stock these ponds in the two weeks before opening day, and we plan to do a second stocking later in the month,” said Fisheries Administrator John Clark. “Again this year, as an added attraction for trout anglers, we will include some trophy-sized trout.”
Trout anglers planning to ply the waters of Tidbury and Newton ponds will want to note regulation requirements and recent clarifications:
· For Tidbury and Newton ponds, a trout stamp is now required from the first Saturday in March through April 1, unless otherwise exempted by law.
· Following the season opener, trout fishing at these two ponds is permitted one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset, unless otherwise restricted by area rules.
· The daily possession limit is six trout.
· Both ponds are closed to all fishing for 14 days prior to the season opening, with this restriction now in effect.
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“As in past years, we expect to stock these ponds in the two weeks before opening day, and we plan to do a second stocking later in the month,” said Fisheries Administrator John Clark. “Again this year, as an added attraction for trout anglers, we will include some trophy-sized trout.”
Trout anglers planning to ply the waters of Tidbury and Newton ponds will want to note regulation requirements and recent clarifications:
· For Tidbury and Newton ponds, a trout stamp is now required from the first Saturday in March through April 1, unless otherwise exempted by law.
· Following the season opener, trout fishing at these two ponds is permitted one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset, unless otherwise restricted by area rules.
· The daily possession limit is six trout.
· Both ponds are closed to all fishing for 14 days prior to the season opening, with this restriction now in effect.
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Dalai Lama To Speak At University Of Maryland In May
The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development lecture series has been sending out invitations to global leaders from its small university office since 1997. The chair’s goal is to provide a platform for world peace advocacy leaders to reflect on divisions and paths to peace, said Shibley Telhami, lecture organizing chair.
“He is an inspiration and a new voice for the campus community, sending a message of nonviolence and compassion from a revered world leader with millions of followers,” Telhami said. “The campus community has much to learn from this extraordinary figure.”
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Delaware’s 2012-13 Deer Harvest Down Slightly From Last Season
DOVER – Delaware hunters harvested 13,302 deer during the 2012-2013 season, a 1.9 percent drop from the previous season’s take of 13,559, but well within the average harvest totals for the past five years (13,551), the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife announced today. The 2012-2013 deer harvest ranks as the eighth all-time highest deer harvest for Delaware.
“We expected the harvest to be lower this season compared to last year, because over the past few years we made several changes to the deer management program in an attempt to reduce Delaware’s overabundant deer population,” said Deer and Furbearer Biologist Joe Rogerson of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Delaware’s highest deer harvest occurred during the 2004-05 season, followed by a gradual but steady drop in numbers that mirrored the declining deer population. As a result we expected hunters to harvest fewer animals because they would be encountering fewer deer while afield.”
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“We expected the harvest to be lower this season compared to last year, because over the past few years we made several changes to the deer management program in an attempt to reduce Delaware’s overabundant deer population,” said Deer and Furbearer Biologist Joe Rogerson of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Delaware’s highest deer harvest occurred during the 2004-05 season, followed by a gradual but steady drop in numbers that mirrored the declining deer population. As a result we expected hunters to harvest fewer animals because they would be encountering fewer deer while afield.”
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Police Surround Home On Riverside Drive
Governor Markell, Lt. Gov. Denn, AG Biden Unveil Bill To Require Reporting Of Lost, Stolen Firearms
(Newark, DE) Surrounded by members of the Delaware State Police and other law enforcement agencies, Governor Jack Markell today joined Lt. Gov. Matt Denn and Attorney General Beau Biden to unveil legislation that would require gun owners to notify police whenever their firearms are lost or stolen.
The bill is one of five gun safety measures being proposed by Gov. Markell, Lt. Gov. Denn and Attorney General Biden in the wake of the Newtown, CT massacre and other recent mass shootings. The prime sponsors of the bill are Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington East) and Rep. Michael Barbieri (D-Newark).
“Far too often, guns that are stolen or lost wind up being used to commit crimes,” said Governor Markell. “If we’re serious about keeping guns out of the wrong hands, we need to do a better job of accounting for these weapons. Reporting a lost or stolen weapon is easy, it’s responsible, and it makes our streets safer.”
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The bill is one of five gun safety measures being proposed by Gov. Markell, Lt. Gov. Denn and Attorney General Biden in the wake of the Newtown, CT massacre and other recent mass shootings. The prime sponsors of the bill are Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington East) and Rep. Michael Barbieri (D-Newark).
“Far too often, guns that are stolen or lost wind up being used to commit crimes,” said Governor Markell. “If we’re serious about keeping guns out of the wrong hands, we need to do a better job of accounting for these weapons. Reporting a lost or stolen weapon is easy, it’s responsible, and it makes our streets safer.”
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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.
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.
At Least 20 CIA Prisoners Still Missing
In one of President Barack Obama first acts in the White House, he ordered the closure of the CIA’s so-called “black-site” prisons, where terror suspects had been held and, sometimes, tortured. The CIA says it is “out of the detention business,” as John Brennan, Obama’s pick to head the agency, recently put it.
But the CIA’s prisons left some unfinished business. In 2009, ProPublica’s Dafna Linzerlisted more than thirty people who had been held in CIA prisons and were still missing.
Some of those prisoners have since resurfaced, but at least twenty are still unaccounted for.
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But the CIA’s prisons left some unfinished business. In 2009, ProPublica’s Dafna Linzerlisted more than thirty people who had been held in CIA prisons and were still missing.
Some of those prisoners have since resurfaced, but at least twenty are still unaccounted for.
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Man Shot to Death in Queen Anne's Co.
An 18-year-old man was shot and killed on his birthday Thursday, according to the Queen Anne's County Sheriff Department and the man who killed him was wanted on the county's 'most wanted' list, said police. Police said they were called at around 4 PM Thursday to the 300-block of Sawmill Road, Grasonville.
They said 18-year-old Bryan Flamer and 18-year-old Bruce Dareen Johnson got into some sort of fight when Johnson shot Flamer several times. Flamer then ran away and collapsed in a nearby yard. Police said Johnson then took off.
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Taxing Winds Blowing Offshore
by Delegate Mike McDermott
There is a lot of hot air blowing around Annapolis these days regarding the viability of Offshore Wind. The governor and his acolytes would have you believe that the cost will be limited to less than two bucks a month for ratepayers, and we should be thrilled with the prospect.
It would be bad enough if this was the only electricity tax we had to pay over the next 25-years, but it is just the beginning. While Businesses in Maryland will be charged the lion’s share of the taxes and fees associated with this boondoggle, it is the consumer who will actually be footing the bill. As a result, you will be paying much higher prices for every quart of milk and every piece of clothing you buy from a store as a result of the wind tax.
It was interesting to see the paper defend (and even call it straight up) “crony capitalism” when it comes to wind development. The billions spent building these 50-story behemoths would only provide enough energy on a windy day to power 60,000 homes. Given that just one reactor at Calvert Cliffs provides enough clean energy for over half a million homes (with no surcharges or taxes), it is quite clear that offshore wind power is just not a good investment.
We refuse to develop our vast natural gas reserves or even include them in our “green” portfolio. Having a politically correct approach when crafting your energy policy has served to provide our people with rates which are 500% greater than we can purchase from other green sources.
I offered an amendment to this bill which would have required our energy providers purchase their green energy mandates from the cheapest source available so our families could be spared the high costs. This was rejected by those who are under their own mandate from the governor to advance this bill no matter the cost.
Instead of focusing on real energy policies that could move Maryland forward and make our region energy independent, those in charge will strap our future to a horse that can’t win, place, or show. These folks would not even allow us to pass an amendment that would require the equipment be manufactured in America, and they tell us this is a “jobs bill” for Maryland.
There is green energy that makes sense, and it is being produced without the need for subsidies which only serve to stymie innovation and limit our resource development.
Marylanders, don’t get “blown away” by the rhetoric…take back your state!
Comcast Testing Out Prepaid Internet Access
Given that millions of consumers choose to use prepaid wireless plans for their phones, is it that much of a stretch to think the prepaid model will work for home Internet access? That’s what Comcast is trying to figure out with its new Xfinity Prepaid service.
Just like prepaid wireless, the Comcast offering doesn’t require a contract. Instead, you fork over $70 for a “starter kit” — modem, coaxial cable, Ethernet cable, power cord, user guide and activation code for 30 days of service.
Just like prepaid wireless, the Comcast offering doesn’t require a contract. Instead, you fork over $70 for a “starter kit” — modem, coaxial cable, Ethernet cable, power cord, user guide and activation code for 30 days of service.
Martin O'Malley Wants To Run For President In 2016
GO HERE to see more.
BREAKING NEWS: : South African Judge Grants Bail For Oscar Pistorius
Olympian is granted bail and will be freed from custody pending his trial in the Valentine's Day shooting death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Md. Swim Coach Pleads Guilty To Sex Abuse Charge
WASHINGTON - A local swim coach who used to train swimmers bound for the Olympics is now facing 15 years in jail and will have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child he coached in the 1980s.
Richard J. Curl of Vienna pleaded guilty Thursday morning to one count of child sexual abuse in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Curl will be sentenced May 23.
Police say 63-year-old Curl turned himself in on Thursday to face the charge, which came after police in August interviewed 43-year-old Kelley Davies Currin who said she had been abused by Curl when he coached her as a child.
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Richard J. Curl of Vienna pleaded guilty Thursday morning to one count of child sexual abuse in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Curl will be sentenced May 23.
Police say 63-year-old Curl turned himself in on Thursday to face the charge, which came after police in August interviewed 43-year-old Kelley Davies Currin who said she had been abused by Curl when he coached her as a child.
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Walmart Worker Treated Store Shelves As Personal Snack Pantry For 4 Years
Most workers like to take a break in the middle of their work day and have a meal or a snack. That’s a nice idea, as long as it’s your break time. You’re not supposed to help yourself to snack food from the shelves of the retailer where you work, but a woman who has worked in maintenance at Walmart stores in two different states has been caught after a seven-year on-the-job crime spree. Now she’s been charged with a felony after getting caught on camera munching Oreos.It all began in Arizona, where she began working nights on the maintenance crew. She claims that at her pay level ($11.40 an hour), she couldn’t afford snacks like cookies, chips, and gum, so she would take them off the shelves and snack. When she moved to Indiana last year, she stayed with the company and continued the practice. Until loss-prevention staff caught her on camera with a package of Oreos, and she admitted years of similar snack thefts.
Wicomico Hosts National Speaker On Crowd Management for Address To All Bayside Conference Schools
Wicomico County Public Schools will host a national speaker on athletic contest management for a Feb. 21 school safety training session for representatives from all Bayside Conference schools and representatives of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and Salisbury Police Department.
The topic of speaker Jay Hammes’ presentation will be athletic contest management. Nearly all school districts have security measures in place during school days. However, similar risk management policies are too often overlooked for evening events. Safe Sport Zone has developed plans to assure safer environments for activities occurring at times other than during the regular school hours.
For interscholastic athletics to survive, the games kids play have to be enjoyable, entertaining, safe, and educationally driven. Safe Sport Zone is committed to these principles. Safe Sport Zone has developed a staffing model for athletic administrators to adopt as a best practice. Spectator issues, identifying all fans, athletic concerns, facilities maintenance, evacuation procedures, and applications for almost any emergency are all part of the exercises.
Hammes has been involved in athletics his entire life as a player, a coach, a P.E. teacher and is presently in his 20th year of athletic administration, both at the high school and collegiate level. His passion for high school athletics has him currently speaking throughout the country on maintaining a safer environment for after-school events.
He is currently working with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and is the chair and lead instructor of the leadership training course called “Contest Management”, which covers athletic event security. He has been published numerous times and endorsed by both the NIAAA and the NFHS to instruct schools/school districts on after-school safety training throughout the country.
The topic of speaker Jay Hammes’ presentation will be athletic contest management. Nearly all school districts have security measures in place during school days. However, similar risk management policies are too often overlooked for evening events. Safe Sport Zone has developed plans to assure safer environments for activities occurring at times other than during the regular school hours.
For interscholastic athletics to survive, the games kids play have to be enjoyable, entertaining, safe, and educationally driven. Safe Sport Zone is committed to these principles. Safe Sport Zone has developed a staffing model for athletic administrators to adopt as a best practice. Spectator issues, identifying all fans, athletic concerns, facilities maintenance, evacuation procedures, and applications for almost any emergency are all part of the exercises.
Hammes has been involved in athletics his entire life as a player, a coach, a P.E. teacher and is presently in his 20th year of athletic administration, both at the high school and collegiate level. His passion for high school athletics has him currently speaking throughout the country on maintaining a safer environment for after-school events.
He is currently working with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and is the chair and lead instructor of the leadership training course called “Contest Management”, which covers athletic event security. He has been published numerous times and endorsed by both the NIAAA and the NFHS to instruct schools/school districts on after-school safety training throughout the country.
Teachers Union Treasurer Sentenced In Theft Scheme
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In August, Denise Inez Owens, 58, was charged with two counts of theft over $500 and one count of theft scheme over $500 for alleging bilking the WCTA out of $433,784 while acting in the capacity of the association’s treasurer. In February 2012, Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) detectives began an investigation into theft involving the WCTA.
On Tuesday, Owens in court admitted taking the money to cover her long-time gambling addiction. She pleaded guilty to one count of theft scheme over $500 and was sentenced to five years with all but two suspended. She was also ordered to pay $211,545 in restitution to the National Union Fire Insurance Company.
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Marijuana Could Become Legal In Maryland
Officials say Delegate Curt Anderson introduced the measure in the House of Delegates on Thursday. The measure would make marijuana legal for adults 21 and older as well as create a system to regulate and tax it, like alcohol.
According to the Baltimore Democrat, the measure would also direct the Maryland comptroller to license marijuana to be placed in retail stores, wholesale facilities, and testing facilities.
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Fruitland Little League
Only 2 days of registration left:
Sat Feb 23rd 9am-Noon
Tue Feb 26th. 6pm-8pm
All registrations will be held at Fruitland City Hall located at 401 E. Main Street.
Please visit our website for more information.
Smithfield Packing Company Recalling Pork Sausage
Virginia Firm Recalls Pork Sausage Product That May Contain Foreign Materials
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2013 - Smithfield Packing Company, a Smithfield, Va. establishment, is recalling approximately 38,000 pounds of pork sausage that may contain small pieces of plastic, likely from gloves, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following products are subject to recall: [View Label]
1-lb. chubs of "Gwaltney mild pork sausage roll" with a use-by date of Mar. 12, 2013
Cases containing chubs of "Gwaltney mild pork sausage roll" with a case code of 78533109741
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2013 - Smithfield Packing Company, a Smithfield, Va. establishment, is recalling approximately 38,000 pounds of pork sausage that may contain small pieces of plastic, likely from gloves, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following products are subject to recall: [View Label]
1-lb. chubs of "Gwaltney mild pork sausage roll" with a use-by date of Mar. 12, 2013
Cases containing chubs of "Gwaltney mild pork sausage roll" with a case code of 78533109741
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Senate Panel Amends, Approves Gun Control Measure
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —A Maryland Senate committee approves changes to a sweeping gun-control measure before sending it to the full Senate.
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 7-4 to approve the bill after approving a change that would prohibit someone from owning a handgun if the person has been involuntarily committed for any duration for mental health reasons.
The committee approved the amendment backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley in a late-night voting session on Thursday. The bill is a top priority of the governor this session.
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