Spanky and Our Gang

Only us vintage people would remember. SPANKY & OUR GANG

 

"Something I bet a lot of you didn't know, I certainly didn't!"
These pictures are great.

What ever happened to those people?

In case you forgot who is who.

 Well, here it is...
The Our Gang Curse

Alfalfa --

 Carl Switzer was shot to death at age 31.

IPCC’s doom-and-gloom global warming apocalypse is political theater, not real science

The IPCC has just released its latest “Apocalypse Now” report(1), threatening all humankind with imminent self-destruction if industrial output of CO2 is not immediately and drastically curbed. The UN global government report concludes that global warming is “severe, pervasive and irreversible,” a position which seems to be little more than a foregone death sentence for the human race, even if drastic changes are made right now.

As head of a research laboratory myself — I was the first scientist to discover industrial tungsten contamination in superfoods – I share the overall concern about humankind’s impact on the global ecosystem. Yet an intelligent look at the IPCC’s report reveals it to be based on selective, cherry-picked science, the wild exaggeration of Earth’s historical cycles, a bizarre ignorance of plant physiology and how CO2 helps restore deserts to farmlands, and the willful ignoring of far greater threats to humankind such as GMO pollution, heavy metals contamination and the resource extraction model driving our entire global economy.

The IPCC’s doom-and-gloom report, in other words, looks like theater, not science. As part of that theater, the National Science Foundation actually awarded $700,000 for the production of what’s being called “Climate Change: The Musical!

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Smores Shortage This Summer

Tribute to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium- Colts & Orioles - Largest Outdoor Insane Asylum

Florida City Fires Their Entire Police Force

One Florida town has been hit by corruption and it is so bad, the entire police force has been fired. The most corrupt city in the state has been exposed for its unlawful ways during a recent audit. All cops and elected officials in office have been let go or will be soon as this is just one of the stipulations that had to be followed to spare the city of Hampton, as its corruption runs deep.

The one horse town celebrated its victory in a church this past Friday night. The townspeople broke out into smiles after finding out two Florida policymakers quit their journey to take away Hampton’s cityhood. The 89-year-old city, with a population of 477, was on a tight rope after an audit came out in February revealing a plethora of violations. It found 31 federal, state, and local codes were broken, with allegations surrounds double-dipping and using city property for personal reasons.

The quaint city was already known as an infamous speed trap zone but gained even more publicity as a small-town with big corruption when lawmakers threated to pull its city charter a month ago. However, the townspeople persevered. Within a matter of four weeks, they had come up with an outline that persuaded Representative Charles Van Zant and Senator Rob Bradley to allow them to keep their city. They won the tough battle with all odds against them.
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Gov’t spent $700M promoting ObamaCare, despite Obama claim

President Obama contended that the government did not "make a hard sell" for Obamacare, despite his administration spending nearly $700 million to promote the law.

"We didn't make a hard sell," Obama said in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, praising the 7.1 million sign ups for the Affordable Care Act. "We didn't have billions of dollars of commercials like some critics did."

However, last July the Associated Press reported that Obamacare's marketing campaign would cost at least $684 million.

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STUDENT FELL TO DEATH AFTER EATING POT COOKIE

A Wyoming college student visiting Denver on spring break jumped to his death after eating a marijuana cookie that his friend legally purchased in one of Colorado's recreational pot shops, authorities said Wednesday.

An autopsy report lists marijuana intoxication as a "significant contributing factor" in the death of 19-year-old Levy Thamba Pongi, a native of the Republic of Congo who fell from a motel balcony on March 11.

It marked the first time the Denver medical examiner's office has listed a marijuana edible as a contributor to a death, said Michelle Weiss-Samaras, a spokeswoman for the office.

"We have not had that," she said.
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Cash for the Ukrainian Junta

Last week Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill approving a billion dollars in aid to Ukraine and more sanctions on Russia. The bill will likely receive the president’s signature within days. If you think this is the last time US citizens will have their money sent to Ukraine, you should think again. This is only the beginning.

This $1 billion for Ukraine is a rip-off for the America taxpayer, but it is also a bad deal for Ukrainians. Not a single needy Ukrainian will see a penny of this money, as it will be used to bail out international banks who hold Ukrainian government debt. According to the terms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-designed plan for Ukraine, life is about to get much more difficult for average Ukrainians. The government will freeze some wage increases, significantly raise taxes, and increase energy prices by a considerable margin.

But the bankers will get paid and the IMF will get control over the Ukrainian economy.

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Air Force Base Flushes Bible After Objections

The U.S. military long has honored troops who did not return from their assignments with a permanently set table in military base dining rooms, similar to the missing man formation Air Force jets fly to honor a downed pilot.

The elements of the memorial have special meaning, including the round table, the white cloth, a single red rose, a slice of lemon and a Bible.

According to the POW-MIA Families organization, the Bible “represents the strength gained through faith in our country, founded as one nation under God, to sustain those lost from our midst.”

But not at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.
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Obamacare: 1st class-action lawsuit filed

Consumers claim health-care coverage denied after paying premiums

(LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL) A Las Vegas man who had trouble getting coverage through the state exchange’s Nevada Health Link website is a co-plaintiff in the first class action lawsuit filed over the troubled insurance marketplace.

Local personal-injury law firm Callister &Associates filed the lawsuit on behalf of Larry Basich, who went uncovered even after paying premiums as far back as November, and a local woman named Lea Swartley, who also has gone without coverage despite paying for a plan and was due to give birth Tuesday night.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court of Nevada on Tuesday afternoon against the state of Nevada, Xerox and the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, which runs Nevada Health Link.

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After Much Deliberation, Resort Church Decides To Raze Rectory Damaged By Fire

OCEAN CITY — A little over four months after the fatal fire at a historic downtown church that claimed the lives of two individuals, the leadership of St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City has decided to demolish the rectory building where the tragic blaze occurred.

On Nov. 26, 2013, Ocean City Communications received a call in reference to a fire at the St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church on Baltimore Ave. at 3rd Street. First arriving units found fire coming from the church rectory. The investigation revealed a suspect, later identified as John Raymond Sterner, 56, of Ocean City, had purchased gasoline at a nearby gas station, doused himself and ignited the fire in front of the church rectory and its Shepherd’s Crook and then walked into the facility fully engulfed in flames.

Sterner then came into contact with a female church employee, Dana Truitt, 42, of Ocean City, and attempted to hug her while engulfed in flames. The employee was able to push by Sterner, but not before catching on fire and sustaining severe burns. Truitt survived and is on the long road to recovery. Sterner died during the incident, as did the beloved church pastor Rev. David Dingwall, who was discovered unconscious on the second floor of the rectory and later succumbed to his injuries at AGH.
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Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release 4-3-14

On Wednesday April 2, 2014 around 6:25 pm Deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle crash on Lewis Road near Dicarlo Lane. The Berlin Fire Department was also dispatched as the crash was reported to be serious.

First arriving units located a 2 vehicle crash involving a 2005 Hyundai and a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. Preliminary investigation reveals that the Hyundai was traveling north around a curve and the operator lost control of the vehicle striking the Chevrolet sideways.

The operator of the Hyundai, Eltee Thomas Shockley Jr, 63 of Snow Hill, was pronounced dead on the scene. The operator of the Chevrolet as well as the 2 young passengers were transported by Berlin EMS to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for minor injuries.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the crash that closed Lewis Road for 5 hours. Shockley’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for a autopsy and toxicology test. If you have any information about the crash contact Cpl Chris Larmore at 410-632-1112 or clarmore@co.worcester.md.us

CIA takes bullet for Obama on Benghazi

Key witness defends decision to withhold key info

WASHINGTON — Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell testified before Congress this morning that the CIA ignored a key piece of information that was the exact opposite of what then-U.S. ambassador to the U.N Susan Rice told the American public about Benghazi, Libya shortly after the attack on the U.S. embassy compound.

The CIA’s station in chief in Libya wrote an email on Sept. 15, 2012 to Morell that the attack was “not an escalation of protests” and there was no anti-American demonstration that sparked the attack.

That was one day before the White House dispatched Rice to tell several Sunday talk shows that the attack on Benghazi began as an anti-American protest against an anti-Islam video.

The talking points used by Rice were written by the CIA, but the email to Morell indicates the agency ignored the assessment of its own station chief inside Libya that what happened was an intentional assault and not an escalation of a protest.

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Putin & Sarah Palin Phone Call on "Tonight Show"

JUST IN: David Letterman Announces 2015 Retirement

Three Firefighters From SFD Attended The Boston Fire Department Funeral Services

FF DJ Hoster, FF Luke Turnell, and FF Jon Ulrich attended the Boston Fire Department Funeral Services

Barks in the Forest Event this Saturday at Furnace Town

Oregon State University Pays $101,000 To Settle Suit Over Trashed Conservative Paper

Oregon State University has paid $1,000 plus $100,000 in legal fees to a former student to settle a lawsuit over the confiscation of distribution boxes for a conservative-leaning student newspaper.

Supporters of the newspaper called The Liberty sued the school in 2009, alleging the university president and other school officials granted the official campus newspaper numerous bins while restricting The Liberty's distribution.

The suit alleged that school officials confiscated distribution bins for The Liberty and tossed them onto a trash heap. The bins, which contained copies of the paper, were allegedly removed without notice and thrown next to a dumpster.
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Winners and Losers in the War on Poverty

Progressives and liberals love William James’s idea of a “moral equivalent of war.” As Jonah Goldbergdefines this concept, “The core idea, expressed in myriad different ways, is that normal democratic capitalism is insufficient. Society needs an organizing principle that causes the citizenry to drop their individual pursuits, petty ambitions, and disorganized lifestyles and unite around common purposes. Naturally, the State must provide leadership and coordination in this effort, just as it does in a war.” The redefining of social problems as battles in a “war” also expands the regulatory and intrusive power of the federal government, and justifies its appropriation of wealth in order to finance the programs that are de facto redistributions of property. The fundamental purpose of the Constitution, limiting the government in order to allow problems to be solved at the closest possible level to the people, is gutted by a false analogy.

Up until Obamacare, no greater example of costly failure of this idea has been Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” a congeries of various federal programs legislated 50 years ago. Johnson’s grandiose utopian aim for his “unconditional war on poverty” was the “total victory of prosperity over poverty.” Recently the House Budget Committee issued a report surveying this effort, and its conclusions are stark: after spending $15 trillion, the war on poverty has led to an expensive stalemate at best. But it has been a winner for the party of big government.

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Watchdog: EPA Human Test Subjects Not Always Told About Lethal Risks Of Studies

The Environmental Protection Agency has been testing the impact of pollutants on human subjects without always telling them about the risks of heavy exposure -- risks that include cancer, and even death.

The findings were included in a newly released EPA inspector general report, which urged the agency to overhaul its guidelines to make sure test subjects understand all the risks before signing up.

"[E]vidence suggests that at least some human study subjects would like to know if a study involves risk of death, even if the risk is very small," the report said.
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SPD Press Release 4-3-14

High-Frequency Trading Is Kind Of Like What Richard Prior Did In 'Superman 3'

Bloomberg Businessweek's Sam Grobart has a great little presentation this morning comparing one of the plot points of 'Superman 3' to high-frequency trading, which is in the news thanks to Michael Lewis' blockbuster new book about how the practice may be distorting markets.

The comparison isn't perfect, but it works pretty well.

In 'Superman 3,' Richard Pryor works as a computer programmer. He realizes that everyone's paychecks are being round down to the nearest cent. So he begins diverting away those fractions of cents into his own account. This is called "salami slicing."

Money is made similarly in high-frequency trading: a computer uses trading information to zoom in and capture fractions of cents in fractions of a second.

"Salami slicing" is also features in the plot of "Office Space" as well as "Hackers."

Check it out Grobart's piece below:

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Maryland wants you to drive safe in work zones

Throughout the past 14 months, nine people have died in Maryland work zones, including five highway workers.

At an event kicking off Maryland Work Zone Safety Awareness Month, state transportation officials, police and the wife of a highway worker killed in 2007 spoke about why drivers need to be safe in work zones.

"Every time I receive word that there's been another highway death, my heart just stops. I think of what the families are about to experience, the journey they're about to experience without their consent or control," says Laurie Moser.
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Another Accident In Berlin

Berlin Fire EMS units on scene with injuries, Rt. 50 and Racetrack Rd. Van vs car with entrapment. One patient. Elderly female transported to PRMC with non life threatening injuries.

‘National Day of Prayer’ Events in Salisbury on Thursday, May 1

Salisbury, Md. – The 4th Annual ‘National Day of Prayer’ Breakfast will return to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, May 1 at 7 a.m. The breakfast will feature speaker Donald Meeks, a contemplative pastor, teacher, Psalmic intercessor and songwriter. Tickets for this event are $20 per person or $160 for a table of eight. Tickets are available at the Country House and Chamber of Commerce in Salisbury or by calling 410-430-4189. To purchase by mail, send check payable to Salisbury Area Prayer Breakfast Committee c/o The Magi Fund, P.O. Box 521, Salisbury, MD 21803.

Following the breakfast, the 63rd Annual ‘National Day of Prayer’ Observance will be held at the City / County Office Building in downtown Salisbury at 12 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

SFD Calls For Service 4-2-14

• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 23:11:40Nature: Chest PainCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 22:35:19Nature: Abdominal PainCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 20:01:28Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 19:24:39Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 17:08:40Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 16:04:16Nature: Abdominal PainCity: Salisbury
• Wednesday April, 2 2014 @ 15:23:08Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE MARYLAND SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE’S FAVORABLE VOTE TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE

Annapolis, Md. -- Governor O’Malley issued the following statement in connection with the Senate Finance Committee’s favorable vote to raise the minimum wage:

“We’ve worked hard to forge consensus and bring people together in order to achieve progress for middle class families by giving Maryland a raise.”

80 Amish men pick up, move a house

Obamacare Architect: 'This Is Bipartisan Once We Get Past the Election'

(CNSNews.com) - Obamacare's first open enrollment period technically has ended, but efforts to improve the Affordable Care Act and the entire health care system aren't over -- and Republicans eventually will join the effort to fix things, says former White House health adviser Ezekiel Emanuel.

"This is bipartisan once we get past the election, or whenever the Republicans are going to say all right, we're going to move off health care and onto something else."

Emanuel spoke with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Monday night, both of them jubilant over the final surge of healthcare.gov applications, which reportedly will bring the total open-enrollment number to around 7 million, higher than many people expected.

"If you don't have enough people in the system, it will collapse of its own weight, and other exchanges and other places did collapse," Emanuel said. "And you know, fortunately, the 7 million...will be reached by the end here pretty comfortably -- and I think that shows it's been a major -- there's really pent-up demand. People really want insurance, and they want affordable insurance, and when offered that possibility, they will come out of the woodwork.

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Fruitland Chamber Easter Parade

Audit Finds Guitars, Plane Tickets Among $255,000 Of Improper Purchases On State Credit Cards

Four Maryland employees made about $255,000 in improper purchases — including guitars, plane tickets and toy soldiers — with state credit cards intended for business spending, a state audit of the program found.

The audit concluded that agencies could prevent workers from abusing the 17-year-old, $260 million credit card program by using more comprehensive data to better monitor the purchases. Rather than viewing only where purchases were made, like a bank statement, state officials should regularly monitor data that shows exactly what was bought, said Thomas Barnickel, the legislative auditor.

The auditors used the more detailed data to identify the illegal purchases in the report. They also recommended that state agencies better coordinate with banks to identify circumstances or trends that may indicate inappropriate use.
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Is a 1987-type Market Crash 37 Days Away?

Investors marveling at the striking similarities of the bull market today to the one that ended in 1987 are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.

If it does, the market could be in some serious trouble in 37 trading days. In 37 trading days, the ongoing bull market would be 1,311 trading days old, says Jim Paulsen of Wells Capital Management. That is a scary date because it was on the 1,311 trading day after the start of the 1982 bull market that the Standard & Poor’s 500 suffered its biggest one-day crash in history on Oct. 19, 1987. That crash snuffed out what had been a powerful market rally starting in 1982.

Normally these kinds of things are just market oddities. But investors are taking this one seriously since there are such strong similarities with the 1982 bull market and the one the market is currently in. For instance, the current bull run has marked a 175% rally from the low, which is where the 1982 bull was at this point in its run, Paulsen says.

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Obama Administration Admits Use Of "Warrantless Searches" Of US Citizens

Just over a month ago, we reported on the Supreme Court's ruling that police may search a home without obtaining a warrant thus denigrating the Fourth Amendment to the funeral pyre under the Obama Administration's totalitarian might. Today that decision (and the end of the 4th) were confirmed when the country's top intelligence official confirmed in a letter to Congress that the Obama administration has conducted warrantless searches of Americans' communications as part of the National Security Agency's surveillance operations. While efforts were made to suggest agencies do not deliberately track Americans' emails, phone calls, and online activity without a warrant, as Sen. Wyden notes, "the facts show that was misleading."

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George Soros’ real crusade: Legalizing marijuana in the U.S.

Billionaire philanthropist George Soros hopes the U.S. goes to pot, and he is using his money to drive it there.

With a cadre of like-minded, wealthy donors, Mr. Soros is dominating the pro-legalization side of the marijuana debate by funding grass-roots initiatives that begin in New York City and end up affecting local politics elsewhere.

Through a network of nonprofit groups, Mr. Soros has spent at least $80 million on the legalization effort since 1994, when he diverted a portion of his foundation’s funds to organizations exploring alternative drug policies, according to tax filings.

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FBI seizes trove of cultural artifacts at 91-year-old Indiana man's home

INDIANAPOLIS – FBI agents have seized thousands of artifacts from Native Americans, Russia, China, and other nations from a 91-year-old man's private collection in rural central Indiana.

The items, which also came from Haiti, Australia, New Guinea and Peru, were collected by Donald Miller of Waldron over eight decades, FBI Special Agent Robert Jones said at a news conference.

"The cultural value of these artifacts is immeasurable," Jones said while refusing to disclose details of any of the individual items taken from Miller's property.

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Report: U.S. Releases 1 in 3 Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Crimes

Federal immigration officials last year charged only one of every four “deportable” illegal immigrants and released more than a third of those convicted of crimes, according to a new report based on data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) itself.

ICE agents last year “charged only 195,000 or 25 percent, out of 722,000 potentially deportable aliens they encountered,” the report by the Center for Immigration Studies said. ICE released 68,000 illegal immigrants convicted of criminal offenses, “or 35 percent of the criminal aliens encountered by officers.”

Although the Obama administration frequently cites record-breaking deportation numbers, the report reflects what Republican lawmakers have said is a 40 percent drop in deportations from the interior of the country (as opposed to turn-backs at the border) since 2009.
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America's Wealthiest Counties: Six Of Top 10 Richest Counties In D.C. Area

The D.C. area is rich with history. Or just rich.

Six of the 10 wealthiest counties in the U.S. are in the D.C. metro area, according to Forbes.

Fall Church City, Va., ranked No. 1 on the 2014 list with a median household income of $121,250. Fall Church was incorporated as a city in 1948, giving it county-equivalent status. With a population of about 12,000, about half of its homeowners reside in houses valued at more than $500,000, according to Forbes.

Falls Church City, Va. has county status in Virginia.

It's no coincidence that Falls Church recently ranked as the most expensive housing market in the D.C. area.
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David Craig: Time for new Leadership on Maryland Health Exchange Board

As the oversight board charged with implementing Obamacare is expected to formally announce ditching the existing website today, Harford County Executive and Maryland candidate for Governor David Craig said much-needed reforms are still missing. Craig called on the Governor to appoint a new chair of the Board and replace others with individuals who have IT, healthcare and insurance-industry experience.

"For starters, the state health secretary needs to be replaced as Chair of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board," said Craig, referring to Joshua Sharfstein. "His responses to the botched roll out of Maryland's exchange have been feeble and his leadership weak, and the Governor needs to take action that acknowledges this serious shortcoming."

The nine-member Exchange Board, which administers the Maryland Health Connection website, is weighted heavily towards government officials and university professors.
"When an organization is failing, leadership is replaced," said Craig. "I am deeply troubled that O'Malley believes people aren't the problem here - of course they are. The health secretary admits he couldn't control the contractors, so how is he going to control the new ones? The Governor would be doing everyone a favor by appointing an individual with experience in taking over troubled ventures.”

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO PERMANENTLY PRESERVE 22,000 ACRES OF MARYLAND WILD AREAS

Governor O’Malley will sign legislation expanding the State’s Wildlands system by 50 percent

Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation (SB 336/HB 296) to expand Maryland’s Wildlands system by 50 percent, permanently protecting the wilderness character of 22,000 acres of sensitive State-owned lands. Governor Martin O’Malley formally proposed the legislation at the beginning of the General Assembly session in January.

“Maryland’s Wildlands are the last remaining untouched landscapes and waterways of their kind, supporting sensitive ecosystems and many rare and vanishing plants and animals,” said Governor O’Malley, who will sign the legislation into law. “It is our responsibility to preserve these areas today, so there can be no question about how they will be used or developed in the future. The passing of this bill is another significant step forward in securing the health and prosperity of our natural world.”

Texas woman, 85, killed by 2 aggressive pit bulls in home, police say

The body of an 85-year-old Texas woman was found in her home Monday after police say she was apparently attacked by two large and aggressive pit bulls in the home.

Dorothy Hamilton's body was discovered in the home Monday by her son, police said. The dogs belonged to her son and were normally locked in a bedroom. Police believe the dogs broke through the door to get at the woman, Kaufman police told MyFoxDFW.com.

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No. 2 Salisbury Stunned by Christopher Newport in Overtime

NEWPORT NEW, Va. – No. 2 Salisbury fell in Capital Athletic Conference action to Christopher Newport, 8-7, on Wednesday afternoon in overtime at Captains' Stadium.

Senior midfielder Donovan Lange put the Sea Gulls ahead, 1-0, with the first goal of the game at the 13:54 mark of the first quarter.

The Captains would answer with a two-goal run to take the lead, but junior attackman Jesse Rabishaw tied the game just before the end of the first, taking a pass from sophomore midfielder Thomas Cirillo and ripping a shot from 15 yards out.

Just over one minute into the second quarter, Cirillo planted a shot in the top of the cage from the left side to regain the lead for the Sea Gulls; Cirillo led the team with three goals in the game.

CNU tied the game, 3-3, but SU scored two-straight to take a 5-3 lead at halftime. Senior attackman Luke Phipps scored from the right wing, and junior attackman Mike Kane took a pass on the crease from Cirillo, turned, and shot to get the two-goal cushion.

At the half, Salisbury led in shots, 21-10, ground balls, 15-13, and caused turnovers, 13-9.

Christopher Newport opened the scoring in the second half with a man-up score to get within one goal, but Cirillo scored his final two goals within one minute to rebuild Salisbury's lead to three, 7-4.

John Thompson, who led CNU with three goals in the game, scored with 2:29 left in the third quarter, before scoring both of the Captains' goals in the fourth to tie the score, 7-7; Christopher Newport outscored the Gulls, 2-0, in the final frame to force overtime.

The Captains' scored the winning goal just six seconds into the overtime period, with Nick Kirschke winning the faceoff, running into the box, faking a pass, and putting the ball into the top right corner for the score.

Senior goalkeeper Alex Taylor took his first loss of the season, taking his record to 10-1, while making eight saves in the game; with the saves, he now takes ownership of the No. 4 spot in Salisbury's all-time saves list with 482 saves, passing former Sea Gull Johnny Rodriguez.

Salisbury looks to get back into the win column on Saturday at Sea Gull Stadium, as St. Mary's College of Maryland will visit SU; the Sea Gulls will be hosting their Lax for Leukemia Youth Day with the game set to start at 3:00 p.m.

Md. Minimum-Wage Bill Clears Key Senate Hurdle; Implementation Would Take Until 2018

Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposal to raise Maryland’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour advanced in the Senate on Wednesday, but only after a key committee stretched out the timetable two years beyond what the governor had proposed.

The Senate Finance committee amended the bill so that the statewide minimum would reach $10.10 by mid-2018, providing a boost in pay for several hundred thousand low-wage workers but increasing the payroll of many employers.

“We tried to help the business community by slowing it down,” said Sen. Thomas M. Midldeton (D-Charles), chairman of the Finance committee.

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SCAM Phone Calls Demand Money to Prevent Arrest

Scammers are now using the guise of a sheriff’s deputy to extort people into immediately sending money to avoid arrest. According to Montgomery County Sheriff Darren M. Popkin, a phone scam currently going around the country has reached Montgomery County, Maryland residents.

A caller, falsely claiming to be from the sheriff's office, says that a warrant has been issued for your arrest that will be served unless, of course, you pay up.

“Montgomery County Deputy Sheriffs will never call and threaten to arrest you unless you immediately send an electronic payment,” said Sheriff Popkin. “Deputies will never ask you to place funds for payment on a pre-paid credit card to cancel an arrest warrant.”

The scammer may get specific by giving you his name and “official” rank. The caller might also request personal information so he can clear your name and cancel the mythical arrest warrant.

The scammers may tell their victims to go to a store, get a pre-paid credit card, load it up with money, and then call a phone number with the card information.

Several Montgomery County residents have been targeted. After getting several concerned calls from the public Sheriff Popkin assigned a security deputy to investigate the phony calls.

This scam may not be limited to Montgomery County only.

People can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft by never giving out any personal information when getting an unsolicited phone call. Giving out sensitive information over the phone — both personal and financial — can put people at risk for fraud.

If you have received a scam phone call from someone claiming to be a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy or Montgomery County (Md.) Deputy Sheriff who is going to arrest you unless you immediately send money, contact the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office at 410-632-1111 or the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 240-777-7000. Please save any recorded messages, record the date and time of the phone call, the purported name of the caller, the call back number, and their phone number as displayed on caller ID.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press release 4-3-14

On Wednesday April 2, 2014 around 6:25 pm Deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle crash on Lewis Road near Dicarlo Lane. The Berlin Fire Department was also dispatched as the crash was reported to be serious.

First arriving units located a 2 vehicle crash involving a 2005 Hyundai and a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. Preliminary investigation reveals that the Hyundai was traveling north around a curve and the operator lost control of the vehicle striking the Chevrolet sideways.

The operator of the Hyundai, Eltee Thomas Shockley Jr, 63 of Snow Hill, was pronounced dead on the scene. The operator of the Chevrolet as well as the 2 young passengers were transported by Berlin EMS to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for minor injuries.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the crash that closed Lewis Road for 5 hours. Shockley’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for a autopsy and toxicology test. If you have any information about the crash contact Cpl Chris Larmore at 410-632-1112 orclarmore@co.worcester.md.us

Some Run For Office In Annapolis For Hot Chicks. Some, Well, Don't

Who is responsible for black mob violence in Louisville? YOU ARE.

Who is responsible for black mob violence in Louisville?

You remember, the 200 black people who were ramping, beating, looting, trashing, destroying and creating mayhem last weekend?

We now know who is responsible:

YOU ARE.

Just ask NPR:

“We really need to address white people’s bigotry,” says Chris Hartman, director of the Louisville’s Fairness Campaign. “That is white people’s work, it just has got to change.”

Source

Bills To Address Problems With Common Core Passed

The Maryland General Assembly has approved measures to address concerns with the education program known as Common Core.

The Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to three bills.

One measure ensures state test scores won't be used in teacher and principal evaluations for at least the next two years.

Another creates a workgroup to improve the implementation of Common Core, which is a set of standards defining what K-12 students should know in language arts and math by the end of each grade.
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Allergy Alert: Tidal Wave Of Pent-Up Pollen Could Be Headed Our Way

Goodbye, polar vortex. Hello, pollen vortex.

It turns out this brutally cold, miserably long, snowfest of a winter did more than wreak havoc on the bundled Mid-Atlantic masses. It also caused elms, cedars and other trees that typically flower early in the year to hold off for warmer weather.

Now, with more springlike days finally in the forecast, those trees are poised to pollinate alongside oaks, cottonwoods and pines, as well as some grasses. The result could mean a perfect storm of pollen in coming days — and an especially miserable stretch for allergy sufferers.

“Grab your Kleenex,” said Susan Kosisky, chief microbiologist at the U.S. Army’s Centralized Allergen Extract Lab. “It’s coming.”
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$10.10 Minimum Wage Passes Senate Committee

The Senate Finance Committee approved a $10.10 minimum wage for most Maryland workers, but extended the increases over the next four years, rather than three as the House of Delegates had done. The bill also ties the minimum wage to increased state reimbursement for disability support workers, who currently average $9.82 per hour.

With five days left in the session, the committee finally acted on the House version of the minimum wage hike, HB295, which passed the House nearly three weeks ago. The bill now heads to the Senate floor, and must eventually go back to the House to approve the changes.

The bill had been held up by Senate Finance Chair Thomas Mac Middleton, who used it as leverage to get a pay increase for support staff of individuals with disabilities.
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City Of Salisbury Work Session & Special Meeting Agenda For 4-7-14

Agenda Packet – 4-7-14 – Council Work Session

 Agenda Packet – 4-7-14 – Council Special Meeting

Preventing House of Cards Departure Might Not Be Legal

Legislative life mimicked legislative fiction last week when Del. Bill Frick successfully introduced an unforeseen amendment to the budget that stipulates the state could seize the property of “House of Cards” if its producers abandon the state, as they have threatened.

Frick freely admits that the measure to use eminent domain was a stunt, and unlikely to survive negotiations with the Senate.

But there’s a question if the use of this power is even legal.

Traditionally the government applies eminent domain, per the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, only in cases of “public use” — when the state officials want to construct a new school or highway, they can seize private property and reimburse its owner at fair market price.
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How Long Will It Take You To Notice There Is A Woman Camouflaged In This Painting?

Not only is it a Pandora Sphinx moth, but there's a female camouflaged with body paint inside. Do you see her? Watch the video to find out where she is.

Contempt Order Sought In Md. Public Prayer Case

The American Humanist Association is asking a federal judge to hold the Carroll County Commissioners in contempt for violating his order barring them from opening meetings with sectarian prayers.

The Washington-based group said Wednesday it's asking the U.S. District Court in Baltimore to fine the county $30,000.

Commissioner Robin Frazier opened last Thursday's meeting with an overtly Christian prayer that defied a preliminary injunction in a First Amendment case filed by the association and four county residents.
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GOVERNOR TO JOIN MARYLAND COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR VIDEO CONFERENCE ON STEM EDUCATION

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- TODAY, Governor O'Malley will host a Google+ Hangout with college students and faculty to highlight STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education as a critical tool for innovation and economic growth in Maryland. The Governor and Jennifer Frank, Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, will join students and faculty from University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) for this important conversation. The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the Governor's Reception Room in Annapolis, Md.

A Letter To The Editor 4-3-14

Joe

I apologize for sharing this in comments but I thought it was worthy to share again how the BOE is wasting our taxpayer money. They have now posted a new position of Facilities Planner online. Can anyone tell me why they need this position? They already have a Facilities Planner that makes over $90000. Why do we need another that will make $40k. This is ridiculous. If anything, they need to put the money in our kids classrooms.

What are they planning for that it take 2 people. I think more investigation is needed.

For more info, check out www.wcboe.org and click on Careers and then Classified.

$10,000 of ads target Perdue's insane Pa. plans

By Ray Wallace

Even before the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approves Perdue's application to release 208 tons a year of the hazardous neurotoxin hexane into public air, Perdue is already announcing:

     "Perdue AgriBusiness is constructing a soybean grain elevator and processing plant in Conoy Township in Lancaster County. The plantis being built on 57 acres...."

     -- From “About the Plant” at this current Perdue AgriBusiness site:

http://www.perdueagribusinesspa.com/#!about/c21r

__________    

That's not the most misleading thing about Perdue's above website, which doesn't honestly mention:

    

1.

     "Long-term exposure to hexane, a toxic air pollutant, can cause permanent nerve damage in humans....

     "Major sources are those that emit more than 10 tons a year...."

     -- From "Fact Sheet: Final Air Toxics Rule for Solvent Extraction in Vegetable Oil Production," at this current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency site:

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/vegoil/vegoil_fs.pdf

2.

     Perdue expects Pennsylvania to OK Perdue's being twenty times more than a major source of hexane by permanently releasing not just 10 but 208 tons a year of toxic hexane into public air! 

3.

     From 2000 to 2010 Perdue has already released at least 2,546 tons ofhexane into public air from only two soybean-processing plants in Virginia and Maryland!!!!!!!!!