BREAKING NEWS: Bomb Threat At Walmart

10:09 PM
The Salisbury Walmart is being evacuated because of a bomb threat.
 
An upset customer that was in a checkout line made the comment that he was glad that he placed a bomb in the store. A few minutes later an announcement was made for everyone to calmly leave the building.

Salisbury Police Department is on location and the building has been cleared of people. 
CORRECTION: The bomb threat was phoned into Walmart.

Liberal Hatemongers Mad BLM Didn't Attack Bundy Ranch

On Saturday, the Bureau of Land Management backed down in its effort to take cattle belonging to Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. A number of liberals, however, appeared angry the federal agency didn't attack the ranch in a manner reminiscent of Waco or Ruby Ridge.

"BLM stand your ground take these freeloaders down," one person said on Twitter.

"I hope the President orders the national guard to the #BundyRanch to deal with the terrorist occupying the land w/ a shoot to kill order," another person added.

The sentiment seemed to also be alive and well at some far left-wing websites, like Democratic Underground. According to one post there, so-called "militia bullies" and "tax cheats" forced the BLM to stand down.

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The Most Touching Speech Made by Bride's Father to the Groom

Illegally Parked BMW Smashed By Boston Firefighters Was Brand New

A man who ignored a fire hydrant put Boston firefighters at risk Wednesday night. The man who parked his new BMW in front of a fire hydrant slowed the battle to save East Boston homes.

Firefighters were forced to smash the windows and thread the fire hose through the car.
 

The fire on Lexington Street grew to eight alarms before crews were able to get control. No one was hurt, but nearly three dozen people have to find a new place to live.

The man had just bought the BMW and the registration was just two days old. He also got a $100 fine.

“He was mad,” Rafael Henriquez said.
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Eric Holder’s Race-Baiting Attack on Congress

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder played the race card in front a friendly audience at the annual convention of Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, held in New York on April 9th. He complained that members of Congress seeking to hold him accountable for his gross dereliction of duty were engaging in “unprecedented, unwarranted, ugly and divisive” attacks on him and the Obama administration. He delivered this poppycock a day after he sparred with Republican congressmen over his truth-challenged behavior.

“The last five years have been defined by significant strides and by lasting reforms even in the face, even in the face of unprecedented, unwarranted, ugly and divisive adversity,” Holder said. “If you don’t believe that, you look at the way — forget about me, forget about me. You look at the way the attorney general of the United States was treated yesterday by a House committee — has nothing to do with me, forget that. What attorney general has ever had to deal with that kind of treatment? What president has ever had to deal with that kind of treatment?”

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Parents Of Autistic Kids Sue Disney Over New Line-Waiting Policy

It’s never easy taking a child with disabilities to a theme park.

But since Disney changed its Guest Assistance Card program to crack down on rampant line cutting, some families with autistic children say taking them to the park has gotten worse.

Last week, 16 families with autistic children filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, claiming the new policy is too narrow for those with disabilities such as autism, and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, includes Anaheim’s Disneyland and Disney California Adventure and seeks an unspecified amount of money and a policy reversal.
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You are invited to Coastal Hospice's Hats for Hospice fundraiser

'Tonight Show' Host Jimmy Fallon Gets Caught In The Middle Of A Bar Brawl

A late-night talk show host walked into a bar and — luckily, this doesn’t end with a punch line.

But “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon was rattled Thursday when a brawl broke out around him at East Village rock club Niagara.

“Fallon was pretty shaken up,” a source close to him told the Daily News. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and chaos erupted around him.”

The popular haunt is operated by area musicians, including solo artist Jesse Malin and Johnny “T” Yerrington, who has drummed with Ryan Adams’ band. The grungy Avenue A hot spot is marked by an exterior mural of former Clash front man Joe Strummer with the caption “The future is unwritten.”
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Sebelius Resignation A Nightmare for Democrats

On Thursday, less than two weeks after telling the press she was going to "stick around," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced her resignation from the Obama Administration. The announcement caught Washington by surprise, as the chattering class had only recently convinced itself that the troubles for the health care law were in the rear-view mirror. The resignation, though, now triggers two words that could prove a nightmare for Democrats and their hope to stave off disaster in November: "Confirmation Hearing".

When the Sebelius resignation was announced, the White House indicated it would nominate OMB Director Sylvia Burwell to be the next HHS Secretary. Burwell seems a relatively competent technocrat, having held senior positions in the Clinton Administration and in the private sector at McKinsey and the Bill Gates and Wal-Mart foundations. Senators may question her, however, about her role in ordering parks and monuments closed during the government shutdown last year.

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How to Protect Yourself From the ‘Heartbleed’ Bug: Change These Passwords Right Now

The “Heartbleed” bug has caused anxiety for people and businesses. Now, it appears that the computer bug is affecting not just websites, but also networking equipment including routers, switches and firewalls.

There isn’t much that people can do to protect themselves completely until the affected websites implement a fix. And in the case of networking equipment, that could be a while.

Here are three things you can do to reduce the threat:

- Change your passwords. This isn’t a full-proof solution. It’ll only help if the website in question has put in place required security patches. You also might want to wait a week and then change them again.
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A Letter To The Editor 4-12-14

I have reported a problem with Kory Shiles (Mardela High School Softball Coach) to Rick Briggs, Principal of Mardela High School and Ryan Ashby, Wicomico County Board of Education. I was told the problem was being handled. The problem HAS not been handled. I am a tax paying citizen and I have the right to know what is being done since my tax dollars are paying his salary. Kory Shiles gets away with everything since his mother is the Dean of Students at Mardela High School. This man gets his hands slapped and nothing is done to him. This matter needs to be addressed immediately.

On Saturday, April 5th, 2014 Kory Shiles showed up at Parkside High School Softball Game and he stood behind home plate while my daughter was pitching and made faces at her, pointed at her, and laughed at her. Kory also questioned the umpire at home plate about my daughter not being at Parkside High School long enough to play softball and told the umpire she shouldn’t be playing and that she should be going to Mardela High School.

First, he should have not questioned the umpire because Parkside High School was not playing Mardela High School, they were playing Bennett. I was told by the umpire he had to question the coach. Kory Shiles should have never discussed the situation with anyone because he was not on the field playing in that game. My child has been at Parkside High School for more than 45 days. His behavior is unexceptable.

Then, Wednesday, April 9, 2014, as I came to the Mardela High School vs Parkside High School game at Parkside High School, I had a Deputy Sheriff waiting for me at the gate and telling me not to cause any trouble. I have done nothing wrong and I am being treated as the bad guy.

Kory’s actions started the problem. I don’t understand why no one at the Wicomico County Board of Education will handle the matter or pick the phone up and talk to someone. Stop avoiding the situation. I have talked with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department and my attorney. They asked me to try one more time to get this resolved before we had to go further.

After 4 reports this will be my last attempt. I am also aware of Kory Shiles going in front of the Wicomico County Board of Education for practicing Softball, with bats, balls, and gloves before the allowed time by School Board practice and tryout schedule. He was doing open practices at school in the gym during the winter and the batting stations were at the Harcum’s home on Tuesday nights. NOTHING happened to him then just another slap on the hand.

I am also very aware of Kory Shiles’ behavior at school that you have to be in his CLIQUE to make his teams. During soccer season he brought 3 girls and put them on the soccer team after tryouts and After the season started because he said the students wanted to play. They could have gone to tryouts like everyone else. This is not fair to the students that do what they are asked. Once again, this was reported and nothing was done, because he is the Athletic Director.

I believe if you are the Athletic Director of all sports then you should not be the coach of a team. I am aware that there were 8 senior girls who would not tryout for softball this year because Kory told them they would not play because he had new players coming in this year. Those girls had played softball for Kory Shiles for the past 3 years. School should be all about your senior year. I also have read the “ No Bullying Policy” of Wicomico County Schools and to me Kory Shiles has bullied my daughter and gotten away it. If this was someone else they would be in trouble. I don’t understand why Kory Shiles keeps getting his hands slapped and sent back to do it all over again.

Why Maryland Hospitals Are Saying 'No' To Mothers Who Want Early Deliveries

The number of babies delivered early in Maryland hospitals because their parents or doctor elected to induce for convenience rather than a medical reason hit a landmark recently.

Zero.

In December, the most recent month for which data is available, Maryland hospitals recorded zero early-elective deliveries before 39 weeks and came close to no elective caesarean sections before full gestation, according to the Maryland Patient Safety Center. The center and the Maryland Hospital Association had called late last year for hospitals to stop early-elective deliveries before 39 weeks.

“It’s so much safer for infants,” said Dr. Ann Burke, medical director of obstetrics and gynecology at Holy Cross Hospital. “Elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestational age are linked to increased complications for both mother and baby.”
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POODLE SHOW SCHEDULE

We are proud to announce that the Salisbury MD Kennel Club will again be host to the Poodle Club of America's POODLES-ONLY INTERNATIONAL DOG SHOW, to be held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center and other places in the area from April 18 through April 25. The public is invited to watch. There is no admission fee for any of the events. Unentered dogs are not allowed on the premises.

Friday - April 18 will be an AKC TRACKING TEST at Pemberton Park, 5561 Plantation Lane, Salisbury MD starting at 8:00 AM.

Saturday & Sunday - April 19 & 20 will be HUNT & WC/WCS TESTS at the Anatidae Farm, 4635 Maiden Forest Rd., Rhodesdale, MD starting at 8:00 AM.

Monday - April 21 will be an AGILITY TRIAL at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center beginning at 7:00 AM.

Tuesday - April 22 will be OBEDIENCE and RALLY TRIALS at The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center beginning at 8:00 AM.

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday - April 23, 24 & 25 will be BREED COMPETITION at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center for approximately 800 Poodles (Toy, Miniature, and Standard) from all over the world beginning at 8:00 AM each day.

SEMINARS AND CLINICS ARE OPEN TO PUBLIC ENROLLMENT: (Info: www.poodleclubofamerica.org)

Also, please note that the Salisbury MD Kennel Club will hold 3 ALL-BREED AGILITY TRIALS Friday, Saturday & Sunday - April 18, 19, & 20 at the Crown Sport recreational facility located on US Rt 13-B South of Fruitland. Trials will begin at 8:00 AM each day. Each day is a separate event.

This should be a welcome boost for our local economy. We will appreciate your attendance and support to help make our events successful.

Thank you,

Barbara Furbush,
Show Chairman, PCA & SMKC
b.furbush@comcast.net

Boston Marathon Victim Storms Off ‘Meet the Press’ After Being ‘Disrespected’

A survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing stormed out of a scheduled interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” in tears on Friday.

Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer who lost part of one leg during the attack, said NBC promised not to name alleged bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in her presence but did not follow through on the request.

She tweeted after the incident:

• I feel so disrespected @meetthepress I asked politely yesterday and you said yes. Now you choose to use the name instead.

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A Letter to the Editor: Chamber of Commerce Breakfast

Presented at Ocean City Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting where Worcester County School Superintendent, Dr. Jerry Wilson address members. 4/10/14

1) A recent study published by the Brookings Institution has concluded that the Common Core State Standards will have little to no impact on student achievement.

In fact, the report states, It will take 24 years for a noticeable improvement to unfold and that improvement would add up to just a 7.62 point increase on the National Assessment of Educational Progress scale.

2) Last month - Mike Cohen, President of Achieve which was was one of the original organizations that wrote the Common Core standards stated, "We don't have any kind of good metrics for measuring common-core implementation's success.”

Keep in mind that they have been working on this since 2009.

3) In Sept. Bill Gates who some say has spent over $2 billion on the promotion and implementation of Common Core said - “It would be great if our education stuff worked, but we won’t know for probably a decade”.

4) In December a report from MD State Dept. of Education stated that a large amount of schools in MD are not technologically prepared to give new online Common Core tests and that at least $100 million will have to be spent by 2015 to get ready. That’s not including the $100’s of million already spent. The report goes on to say, that the number of students being required to be tested will increase from 300,000 to 1.1 million. Costs of test will be between $34 - $68 million/yr.

Testing times will increase by an average of over 85%

For examples - 4th grader test times are going from 5 hr. to 9 hr.

Testing window will go from 2 weeks to 4 weeks.

Dr Wilson, given that there appears to be little or no evidence that common core will improve education, given the toll on students, parents and teachers due to the testing requirements and given the huge cost to taxpayers who never agreed to adopting this program. Why should we continue with the implementation of Common Core?

Dr. Wilson did not answer the question.

Fran Gebhart
Berlin, MD

Salisbury Man Sentenced 10 Years For Dealing Coke On The Eastern Shore

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—An Eastern Shore cocaine dealer has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.

Ranson Chandler Jr., 37, of Salisbury, is convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced Friday to 123 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Law enforcement say Chandler conspired with Terron Lamont Crump and others to distribute cocaine on the Eastern Shore during October and November 2012.
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Can You Name Our First Four Presidents?

Before peeking below, can you name the above presidents?

The U.S. Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789. Do you know who the first four United States Presidents were under the new constitution?

A 2010 survey found that more than 25% of Americans didn’t know that we had gained our independence from Britain. China, Japan and France were all given as incorrect answers.

The results were even worse in a study by the U.S. Mint, which found that only 7% percent of Americans could name the first four U.S. Presidents. Here they are in order:
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison

Did you know who they were?

Source

NY SAFE Act Allows for Warrantless Confiscation of Guns

Because the Second Amendment is for other states:

Lawyers representing Gabriel Razzano claim the process is a violation of the Fourth Amendment which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause.

The registration process, according to the summons, is secretive and “results in a mandatory, warrantless Penal Law 400 gun removal visit from police.”

The lawyers claim that these warrantless police searches are “the real purpose of the SAFE Act.”

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Minimum Wage Bill Freezes Tipped Workers At Current Level

BERLIN — As expected, state lawmakers this week passed legislation that will increase the minimum wage in Maryland by degrees over the next several years, but late amendments are expected to make the wage hike more palatable for local businesses.

The General Assembly on Monday passed the Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014, which will ultimately increase the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour in phases over the next four years. The bill is now headed to Gov. Martin O’Malley for approval. O’Malley and ranking legislators made the minimum wage hike a priority this year and the bill passed despite fierce debate on a wide variety of issues.

“This year, we are building on this record of strengthening the middle class by raising Maryland’s minimum wage to $10.10,” said O’Malley this week. “We worked hard to bring people together and forge the consensus necessary to make this important progress possible. I commend the General Assembly for giving so many Marylanders the raise they deserve.”

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New York Student Suspended for “Insubordination,” aka Opposing Common Core

We’re told that there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to Common Core. If that’s true, what’s with the intimidation and the punishment for those who oppose it:

A 13-year-old student at Orange-Ulster BOCES believes she was suspended from school this week as a result of telling other students they didn’t have to take the Common Core English test Tuesday.

The girl, eighth-grader Seirra Olivero, was suspended for two days for insubordination.

While she acknowledges the charge, she contends in a complaint filed with the district that she felt bullied by three administrators because she told other students they didn’t have to take the test.

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Family Dollar Closing 370 Stores

After posting lower-than-expected earnings in the second quarter, Family Dollar Stores (FDO) plans to close 370 stores, cut jobs and slash prices on nearly 1,000 basic items to boost results.

The discount retailer said Thursday its quarterly profit fell 35% to $90.9 million, or 80 cents a share, from $140.1 million, or $1.21 a share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue slipped 6.1% to $2.72 billion.

Family Dollar said a winter of snow and frigid temperatures dragged down earnings by at least five cents a share, and the year-ago period included an extra week. Selling, general and administrative expenses climbed 1.6%.

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SFD Calls For Service 4-11-14

• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 22:45:26Nature: OverdoseCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 21:08:25Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 20:13:45Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: N Salisbury Blvd and naylor St Salisbury, MD 21802
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 19:45:21Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 19:15:36Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 18:29:27Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 18:23:59Nature: StrokeCity: Salisbury
• Friday April, 11 2014 @ 17:50:04Nature: Structure FireAddress: 502 W Main St Salisbury, MD 21801

A Faculty Revolution Against Free Speech

“We must do away with all newspapers. A revolution cannot be accomplished with freedom of the press.” - Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

When I first started writing about campus free speech issues for Town Hall in 2003, I complained that most college administrators were ignorant of the constitution. One of my readers, Jim Collins from Colorado Springs, was quick to correct me. Jim pointed out that college administrators aren't just ignorant of the First Amendment. Instead, he insisted that they are hostile towards it. Time has shown just how right he was. In fact, administrative hostility towards the First Amendment has gotten worse since 2003.

Unfortunately, this hostility has spread from the administration to the faculty. In fact, just a few years ago, Dick Veit, our former faculty senate president here at UNCW, joined an administrative effort to punish faculty who dared to criticize the administration in opinion columns written in off-campus forums. This was done under the guise of promoting "collegiality."

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Republicans Raise 'Disturbing Concerns' About Cummings' Contacts With Lois Lerner's Office

(CNSNews.com) - The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the public "deserves a full and truthful explanation" for the actions of its ranking member, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), whose staff "surreptitiously contacted the IRS" about a conservative group that was seeking tax-exempt status -- and was subjected to inappropriate scrutiny.

Cummings never told committee Republicans about his contacts with the IRS concerning the group True the Vote. In fact, he has denied any such contact.

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The Greatest Story Never Told

It seems the majority of Americans have joined me in realizing what a crappy movie Noah is. Take the Bible out of it. In fact, as my friend Brian Mattson points out, Noah isn’t even based on the Biblical telling of Noah, but on a gnostic fantasy where the serpent was the hero.

Take all that out and Noah was still a pretty pathetic movie. There’s been a 61% drop off in viewership. And that disappoints me.

It disappoints me because Noah could have been one heck of a movie. In fact, there are a number of movies based on the Bible that Hollywood could tell. They’ve done it before. But in the past decade or so, Hollywood has taken the simple ideas of good and evil confronted by complex characters in moral conflict and turned the whole thing around. Now good and evil are complex and the characters are simple and flat. The characters are no longer believable, their situations often not very sympathetic, and the macguffin is no longer relatable.

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Passengers Ill On Cruise Ship That Sailed From Md.

Passengers sailing on the Grandeur of the Seas from the Port of Baltimore have been sickened on two consecutive trips, federal health officials say.

The most recent outbreak occurred on the Royal Caribbean International vessel, which left Baltimore on April 5 for a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas, Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said in an email Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that about 100 passengers and crew members fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea. Martinez said a norovirus was believed to be the cause.
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Stay Out of the Hospital

One in 25 Patients End Up with Hospital-Acquired Infections, CDC Warns

According to the 2011 Health Grades Hospital Quality in America Study,1 the incidence of medical harm occurring in the United States is estimated to be over 40,000 harmful and/or lethal errors each and every day.

Hospitals have become particularly notorious for spreading lethal infections. According to the most recent report2, 3 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital-acquired infections now affect one in 25 patients.

In 2011, an estimated 722,000 patients contracted an infection during a stay in an acute care hospital in the US, and about 75,000 of them died as a result of it.

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Chicago Brought Its Crime Stats Down the Old-Fashioned Way: Fraud

Here at PJ Media, we know a thing or two about faked crime statistics. Until we reported on the antics of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department on the Texas-Mexico border, the local and state media — never mind federal investigators — wouldn’t touch it. From conversations with several law enforcement officers not connected with Hidalgo County while working on that series, I learned something that bothers me still: Law enforcement agencies all over the country fake their crime statistics, and the federal government encourages them to do so. They falsify their statistics to make them look worse in order to attract federal grant money, and they continue falsifying their stats to make them look better to keep the federal grant money rolling in. They falsify statistics to make the sheriff or police chief look good, to serve the politics of gun control, and other reasons.

A big city police department like Chicago’s will have those motivations to fake statistics, plus others, notably that the city has a big-name mayor who wants higher office, that the city’s crime-ridden image harms the national gun control crusade, and that its image can hurt local industries like tourism. Ultimately, its image even hurts the president who claims it as one of his homes.

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Obama Backer Finds First 96 DOCTORS She Contacts Won’t Accept Her New Obamacare Insurance

What good is “insurance” if it means you can’t find a doctor to treat you?

I’m sorry, we are no longer accepting that kind of insurance. I apologize for the confusion; Dr. [insert name] is only willing to see existing patients at this time.”

As a proud new beneficiary of the Affordable Health Care Act, I’d like to report that I am doctorless. Ninety-six. Ninety-six is the number of soul crushing rejections that greeted me as I attempted to find one. It’s the number of physicians whose secretaries feigned empathy while rehearsing the “I’m so sorry” line before curtly hanging up. You see, when the rush of the formerly uninsured came knocking, doctors in my New Jersey town began closing their doors and promptly telling insurance companies that they had no room for new patients.

My shiny, never used Horizon health card is as effective as a dollar bill during the Great Depression. In fact, an expert tells CNN, “I think of (Obamacare) as giving everyone an ATM card in a town where there are no ATM machines.”

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Worcester County Liquor Operation Expects 25% Revenue Dip After Sunset Clause Kicks In

SNOW HILL — With the Sunset Provision on the horizon, the Worcester County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) is predicting a loss of about 25 percent of wholesale business when the provision comes into effect this July.

It’s a big hit to the department, but less than the county initially feared and the expectation is that buying from the county will still be important for many alcoholic beverage license holders in Worcester.

DLC Director Bobby Cowger reviewed the coming change to how wholesale will work in the county this week at Tuesday’s Worcester County Commission budget work session. When the Sunset Provision kicks in July 1, licensees will no longer be obligated to buy all of their wholesale liquor through the DLC as they are currently and have been for decades. This will likely lead to a loss of about $2.6 million in wholesale revenue, or 24.8 percent, from last year’s $10,642,500 for an anticipated total of $8 million in wholesale revenue for FY15, according to Cowger’s budget.
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Hillary, Obama and the media: Reducing politics to sex and race

Also ...

'View' from the Left?

Hillary, Obama and the media: Reducing politics to sex and race

We’ve apparently settled on what the 2016 presidential campaign is going to be about.

Sex.

Not sex as in Hillary Clinton’s gender, but sex as in sex scandals.

And by the way, the grand narrative of Barack Obama’s presidency is about race, and that won’t change until he leaves office.

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State Won't Enforce Donor Limit After Supreme Court Ruling

Maryland elections officials say they will no longer enforce a $10,000 limit on donors' contributions to state candidates during a four-year election cycle, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

A State Board of Elections memo distributed Friday states that while a person's contributions are unlimited, they can't exceed $4,000 to any one candidate.

The memo says the overall limit on donors' contributions during a four-year cycle is no longer enforceable after the court's decision last week in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. The court ruled that such limits violate constitutional protections of free speech.
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Report: 85% of pensions could fail in 30 years

You might have thought your public pension was on shaky ground, but you’re likely still being too kind.

Influential and well-regarded hedge fund Bridgewater Associates Wednesday warns public pensions are likely to achieve 4% returns on their assets, or worse. If Bridgewater is right, that means 85% of public pension funds will be going bankrupt in three decades.

Bridgewater came to these conclusions by stress testing the nation’s public pension plans, much the way banks need to be evaluated on what could happen given a wide range out outcomes.

Public pensions have just $3 trillion in assets to invest to cover future retirement payments of $10 trillion over the next many decades, Bridgewater says. An investment return of roughly 9% a year is needed to meet those onerous obligations.

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Pensions: by Delegate Kathy Szeliga

Maryland's public pension system is underfunded. Two years ago, teachers and state employees (through their unions) agreed to contribute 2% more from their pay checks in order to fund the public pension account. The State agreed to contribute $300 million per year to do their part. Taxpayers are required to fund the pension system so it is not an option to fund or not to fund.

The leadership in Annapolis has yet to keep their promise. Taxpayers can pay some now or a whole lot more later into the public pension system. The House Republican Caucus fought to make the leadership in Annapolis keep their promise and protect taxpayers from being on the hook for much more money in future years. However, the unions - AFSCME & the Maryland State Teachers Union- agreed to let the state put that money in the general fund account now and not pay their fair share! I'm sure the union members would be furious if they knew that their union leadership sold them out.

Why Obama’s Presidency Has to Be All About Race Now

Barack Obama’s presidency is failing.

Despite what he and his cheerleaders in the press think, he is still losing the argument over ObamaCare. The program has posted a few non-catastrophic enrollment numbers lately, but a lot of the public has already made up their minds. They never liked the program much to begin with, and now that they know what’s in it, they like it even less. The economic recovery, such as it is, continues to be slow, painful, and jobless. The president’s foreign policy is spinning out of control in all directions.

So the left is doing what they always do when their policies fail: make everything about race, instead. If the Obama presidency itself is what’s failing, then his whole presidency—the one that was supposed to usher in a post-racial era—must be all about race, too.

Hence a long article by Jonathan Chait in New York magazine informing us that yes, Obama’s term in office was really about race all along: “if you…set out to write a social history of the Obama years, one that captured the day-to-day experience of political life, you would find that race has saturated everything as perhaps never before.”

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Foreclosure Rates Remained High In March in Maryland

Even as the housing market recovers nationwide, echoes of the mortgage lending crisis continue to reverberate in Maryland, home to the nation's second-highest foreclosure rate last month.

One in every 527 housing units in the state was touched by a foreclosure filing in March, the 21st consecutive month of year-over-year gains and the second highest rate in the country behind Florida, according to a monthly report by RealtyTrac, a California real estate firm.

Meanwhile, median home prices in the Baltimore region remained flat, and distressed properties continued to make up an elevated share of sales, according to new reports on the regional housing market released Thursday.
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Obama to Spend $1.5 Billion Promoting ObamaCare

The promotional budget for ObamaCare alone would cover much of the actual medical expenses for the people involved. But this was never about paying for medical care, it was about taking over health care for political reasons.

New Congressional estimates show the Obama administration is requesting another $774 million for Obamacare “outreach” and advertising in the 2015 budget. This is on top of the estimated $684 million they spent this year and the $52 million they spent on high-profile ads with athletes and Hollywood celebrities. That means the combined total in taxpayer funded advertising will be over $1.5 billion.

Barack Obama said last week, “We didn’t make a hard sell. We didn’t have billions of dollars in commercials like some critics did.”

It now looks like that was a lie, too.

Rep. Jack Kingston said, “I could have told him about the $774 million he requested for advertising and outreach in his budget or the $684 million already spent and the additional $52 million spent on celebrity endorsements of Obamacare.”

Let’s see.

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Little Johnny - Priceless....

A teacher goes around her class asking each of the kids what they need at home. 
 Joey says, "A computer." 
 The teacher replies, "That would be very useful." 
 Jenny says, "A new lawn mower." 
 The teacher again replies, "That would also be very useful." 
 Little Johnny pops up and says, "At my house we don't need anything!" 
 The teacher asks him to think again carefully, as everybody needs something. 
 Little Johnny replies, "No I'm sure. When Obama was re-elected, I clearly remember my dad saying; well, that's the last  thing we needed!"

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 4-12-14

Sports in the ‘50’s

How many people remember the various sports leagues that flourished in the 1950’s, other than the Little League, which I have already covered? I remember when the grade school basketball league was around. I think the schools involved were St. Francis deSales Catholic School, North Salisbury Elementary School, Prince StreetElementary School and East Salisbury Elementary School. Maybe some readers will remember other participants and will comment. While St. Francis had eight grades compared to six for the other schools, they never seemed to dominate. Maybe they only let boys play up to the 6th grade. The gyms were tiny, but it didn’t seem to matter since all the players were tiny. The only grade school gym I can remember was East Salisbury. St. Francis didn’t have a gym. Most of the games were played at the gym of Wicomico Junior High School on E. Main St. This was also a rather modest venue. I often wonder what happened to that league that was so important to the boys of that era.

Another change has taken place in high school sports. Wi-Hi’s biggest competition in basketball back then was Crisfield. We always thought the reason they were so good at basketball was because they played all summer, not being able to raise nine players for a baseball team. They also had a boy that was 6’9” and that was a giant for the time. I think his name was Larry Tawes. The games were very well and enthusiastically attended and were always on Tuesday and Friday nights. Other games that were eagerly anticipated were the Laurel and Seaford games. You could observe many students at these events sporting their beloved school colors by wearing their school jackets. They don’t even have school jackets anymore. And the age of the “letter sweater” has also gone by the wayside. It used to be a real badge of honor to wear that sweater with the big letter sewn on it.

Football was always popular, and the Wi-Hi game with Cambridge on Thanksgiving Day was a highlight. The game in the afternoon and Thanksgiving dinner after the game made for a memorable day – especially if Wi-Hi won. Wi-Hi always had a good team, and it was because of Charlie Berry. It is said that he went down the school halls, and if he saw a boy with good size, he told him to report to the football field after school. I don’t think that his tactics would be politically correct in this day and age, but he sure got the most out of those boys. He also taught them valuable life lessons that I’m sure many of them carry out to this day.

Just as in major league sports today, the age of innocence has passed us by and we may never regain it. Sports for the sake of good, clean competition doesn’t seem to matter as much as winning at all costs. But, is the cost too high?

OC Bus Likely To Eliminate $1-Per-Ride Fare

OCEAN CITY – During a Transportation Department budget hearing this week, several changes were discussed within the department, starting with eliminating the $1-per-boarding fare on Ocean City’s buses and returning to a ride-all-day fare.

In February 2011, the bus fare was increased from $2 ride-all-day to $3 ride-all-day, or $1 per boarding. The Fiscal Year 2015 budget calls for eliminating the $1 per-boarding option, resulting in additional projected bus revenue of about $492,814 over the FY14 projected revenue, and reducing the required General Fund contribution from about $1.9 million to $1.37 million.

A public hearing will be held on April 15 before the Mayor and City Council to receive public input. If approved, the $1 per-boarding fare will be eliminated altogether, leaving only one option for Ocean City’s bus fare — a $3 ride-all-day pass starting the morning of Friday, May 23.

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GOVERNOR MARTIN O'MALLEY'S PUBLIC SCHEDULE

April 12, 2014 through April 18, 2014

Saturday, April 12, 2014

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Sunday, April 13, 2014

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Monday, April 14, 2014

10:30 am         Governor O’Malley to sign bills from the 2014 Legislative Session

Location: Governor's Reception Room, State House, Annapolis, Maryland

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 17, 2014

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Friday, April 18, 2014

OFFICE SCHEDULE

Thanks to MD Petitions for its scorecard on all Maryland legislators

by Judy K. Warner

Here's a handy scorecard from MD Petitions. It's based on votes on these bills over the past four years by every delegate and senator in the Maryland legislature:

SB 167 (Dream Act 2011)

HB 226 (Windmill Bill 2013)

SB 1 (Congressional Redistricting 2011)

SB 276 (Death Penalty Repeal 2013)

HB 438 (Same-Sex Marriage 2012)

SB 422/HB 667 (Mandatory Union Fees 2013)

HB 987 (Rain Tax 2012)

SB 281 (Gun Bill 2013)

SB 1 (Gambling Expansion 2012)

SB 212 (Bathroom Bill 2014)

HB 1515 (Gas Tax 2013)B 364 (Marijuana Decriminalization 2014)

Click on a delegate or senator and you'll get not just the score, but his or her vote on each bill with links to the text of each bill. Also contact information for each legislator. This is an impressive piece of work and it should prove valuable in this year's election campaigns.

Lost Dog, 4/12

Lost in the 2700 block of Old Ocean City Rd, Salisbury. - Female, yellow lab -Answers to Marley

Single Vehicle Fatal Near Gumboro Investigated by Sussex County Collision Reconstruction Unit

Location: Cooper Road (CR 415A) approximately .4 miles south of Millsboro Highway (SR26), Gumboro, DE

Date of Occurrence: Saturday April 12, 2014 at approximately 2:15 a.m.

Operator and Vehicle Information:

Operator #1: Donald F. Davis, 46, Millsboro, DE (Deceased)
Vehicle #1: 2011 Huzhou Daixi Zhenhua Technologies - Scooter

Resume:
Gumboro, DE- The Delaware State Police Troop 7 Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a fatal crash that occurred southwest of Gumboro.

The incident occurred around 2:15 a.m. this morning as Donald F. Davis was operating a 2001 Huzhou Daixi Zhenhua Technologies Scooter southbound on Cooper road just south of Millsboro Highway (SR26). Davis had just negotiated a sharp left curve, and in doing so had crossed into the northbound lane of travel where he lost control of the scooter and was ejected. Both Davis and the scooter traveled in a southeast direction, diagonal across the southbound lane, coming to rest in a deep ditch. In the process of being ejected, Davis, who was not wearing a helmet, struck his head on the pavement and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this collision. Alcohol may have been a contributing factor. Cooper Road south of SR26 was closed for approximately three and a half hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.

 

Meet Rep. Mike Rogers: Crony Capitalist & Warfare State Benghazi Blowhard

For those of you who don’t know Congressman Mike Rogers, he is the Representative hailing from Michigan’s Eighth District. He is also one of the biggest blowhard, chicken-hawk defenders of unconstitutional NSA spying in all of Washington D.C.

Back in 2012, he gave his support to internet spy bill CISPA by proclaiming: “Stand for America! Support this bill!” [8] Naturally, this clown would also serve as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Rogers is notorious for being one of the staunchest critics of Glenn Greenwald. For example, earlier this year he made up all sort of lies about Greenwald in an attempt to smear the journalist. In response, Greenwald had the following to say about Rogers back in February:

“First is that he’s not only lying, and he is lying, but he not only is lying but he knows that he’s lying. This what is Mike Rogers is notorious for in Washington is literally making things up and smearing political opponents and journalists he doesn’t like.

I defy Mike Rogers, if he wants to make that accusation, to come forward and present actual evidence that any journalist has stolen, has sold documents or stolen material or engaged in any kind of criminality. He has no evidence, he’s just making things up.”

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Salisbury Mens LAX Hands No. 2 Cabrini First Loss of the Season

SALISBURY, Md. – No. 5 Salisbury picked up a top-five victory on Friday night over No. 2 Cabrini, 15-11, under the lights at Sea Gull Stadium.

The Cavaliers put Salisbury in an early 2-0 hole in the first 5:08 of the game, with goals from Anthony DiSanzo and Mike Leyden.

The Sea Gulls answered with four straight to take the lead, which they would hold for the majority of the first half.

Junior midfielder Sean Fitzgerald drove left and ripped a high shot to put SU on the board. Less than one minute later, sophomore midfielder Thomas Cirillo tied the score, 2-2, with a score while driving down the right side.

With 5:41 left in the first quarter, senior attackman Rhett DePol gave Salisbury the lead, 3-2, with a shot from the left wing, before scoring from the same spot for a second-straight goal at the 1:59 mark.

Before the end of the first, Cabrini scored two more to tie the game, but two Sea Gull scores in the first five minutes of the second quarter put SU back on top.

Junior attackman Mike Kane took a pass on the crease for a turning shot to score just 1:10 into the frame, before senior midfielder Brandon Kendrick would drive right, dodge left and take a left-handed shot at the 12:06 mark to give the Gulls a 6-4 lead.

Cabrini cut the lead to 6-5 with 5:11 left in the half, but the Gulls took the lead into the break, while leading in shots, 20-11, and ground balls 16-12; both teams won 6 of 12 faceoffs.

Salisbury opened the second half on a 3-0 run to boost its lead to 9-6, on its way to a 6-2 third quarter to open up the score.

Senior midfielder Donovan Lange opened the half with a man-up score at the 14:43 mark, while senior attackman Luke Phipps and Cirillo followed with goals; SU scored the three opening goals in the first five minutes of the quarter.

After Cabrini grabbed its first of the second half, Phipps added his second on a running shot from 15 yards out. Kendrick then ripped a goal from the left wing with 4:36 left in the quarter.

The Cavaliers added their second with 2:42 left, but DePol gave Salisbury its 12-7 lead heading into the final frame, running around the left side of the crease, turning, and shooting.

Salisbury capped the win with two-straight goals from Phipps to start the fourth quarter and a score from senior midfielder Greg Korvin with 2:26 left in the game; Phipps led the team with four goals in the game, while DePol chipped in with three.

Senior goalkeeper Alex Taylor earned the win, playing all 60 minutes with six saves in the contest.

Salisbury now looks forward to Saturday, April 12, as the Sea Gulls will host Southern Virginia University at Sea Gull Stadium; the opening faceoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

Army goes to war with National Guard, seizes Apache attack helicopters

The National Guard is following a direct order — but it’s not happy with it.

All of the Guard’s AH-64 Apache helicopters are scheduled to go to the active Army, and there’s nothing its top brass can do about it.

“None of us like what we’re having to do,” National Guard Chief Gen. Frank Grass told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, the military website Defense One reported. “My big concern right now is figuring out how I’m going to move, and how many states I’m going to have an impact on, and what’s the cost of facilities and to retrain pilots. I’ve got to tackle that because the decision’s been made.”

Air Force Maj. Shannon Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Guard, reiterated the general’s position, the Army Times reported.

“These are very difficult decisions and there will be more difficult ones yet to come,” she said. “His focus now is to determine the impacts and how best to implement the decision.”

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Shoe thrown at Hillary Clinton during Vegas speech

LAS VEGAS – A woman was taken into federal custody Thursday after throwing a shoe at Hillary Clinton as the former Secretary of State began a Las Vegas convention keynote speech.

The incident happened moments after Clinton took the stage before an Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries meeting at the Mandalay Bay resort.

Clinton ducked, and she did not appear to be hit by the object. She then joked about it.

"Is that somebody throwing something at me? Is that part of Cirque de Soleil?" Clinton quipped.

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Dem’s $100K bet against ‘bunch of whites’ backfires in face of diversity rally

An Alabama state lawmaker, Rep. Alvin Holmes, who rocked national headlines with his perceived racist claim that few whites in the nation would ever adopt black children — and who then backed his view with a $100,000 bet — may now have to pay up, or at least shut up.

Faces of Families in Alabama started a Facebook page for families in the state to post their pictures and stories about their mixed-race adoptions. So far, the page has more than 7,000 “likes,” and the group is fielding new photos on a daily basis that show how families come in all colors and mixed races, The Blaze reported.

The group took their outrage to the steps of the State House this week as a more in-your-face demonstration to Mr. Holmes of just how diverse families in the state really were, the media outlet said.

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Report: Emperor Obama Arrives To Celebrate Racist Warmonger LBJ

His Lord and Majesty Barack Obama arrived moments ago. All taxpaying riffraff were corralled far from his eminence, regardless of the fact that the Constitution states Freedom of The Press and designates all of the land as public. The stormtrooper police only had meager threats about unleashing the feared secret service on us if we didn’t comply. His holiness is in Austin to honor Former President LBJ’s signing of The Civil Rights Act. More

Scheme to neutralize 36 states’ votes advances

Lawmakers line up behind plan that dumps Electoral College without constitutional amendment

The National Popular Vote effort, which could see the 14 states with the largest populations decide the presidency, is more than halfway to its goal of legally bypassing the Electoral College established in the Constitution.

Last week, the Maine state Senate voted in support of the plan one week after both houses of the New York legislature overwhelmingly supported it.

Now the governors of both states will need to decide whether to formally back the National Popular Vote, or NPV.

The plan is more than halfway to its goal of electing future presidents via the popular vote, after Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, signed on last July.

The NPV campaign seeks to obtain the consent of the majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College to award its electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

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Nevada officials blast feds over treatment of cattle rancher Cliven Bundy

Two of Nevada’s top elected leaders are riding to the rescue of a rancher whose decades-long range war with the federal government has reached a boiling point in recent days.

The federal Bureau of Land Management has surrounded the Clark County ranch of Cliven Bundy with armed officers, helicopters and four-wheel drive vehicles. Last week, they began seizing cattle found grazing on adjacent federal lands in violation of a law meant to protect an endangered desert tortoise.

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Are high frequency traders rigging stock markets? Split-second sharks accused of profiting at expense of ordinary investors

The financial world is in uproar over controversial claims that high frequency traders are rigging stock markets.

A cohort of US financial firms are being accused of using speed - an advantage of just a few thousandths of a second - to fleece big money rivals and by extension ordinary savers and investors.

The allegations made in Flash Boys: Cracking the Money Code by Michael Lewis have prompted the US Justice Department to say it is probing high-speed trading for possible insider trading violations. The FBI and US financial watchdogs are also investigating the industry.

The book focuses on Wall Street share trading, but one City insider has commented: 'The same players are in the UK and Europe – if it’s happening in America, it’s happening here too.'

Detractors, spearheaded by Lewis, believe high frequency trading firms are deploying a host of strategies which exploit speed - literally a few milliseconds, less than the blink of an eye - to jump in on share trades and manipulate prices in their own favour.

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2 N.C. women sentenced for Medicaid fraud

Two Charlotte-area women have been sentenced to prison for their roles in Medicaid fraud schemes that federal prosecutors say cheated the federal government out of millions of dollars.

Prosecutors say 39-year-old Victoria Finney Brewton of Shelby was sentenced Wednesday to more than nine years in prison. Twenty-seven-year-old Rodnisha Sade Cannon of Charlotte was sentenced to eight and a half years.

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Weather Channel Returns To DirecTV, But With Less Reality Programming

Three months after a standoff over fees left 20 million DirecTV customers without The Weather Channel, the station is making a return to the satellite service. But in order to get that large audience back, the Weather folks have had to agree to some changes in its programming, which some had criticized as being too focused on things other than just telling people about the weather.

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