Texas Gov. Rick Perry Is No Longer Permitted to Carry a Concealed Handgun, Buy Guns or Ammo — Here’s Why

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, is no longer permitted to carry a concealed handgun after being slapped with a felony indictment for alleged abuse of power, according to state law. Further, federal law also apparently prohibits the governor from purchasing firearms or ammunition.

The Austin American-Statesman brings up the federal law referred to as 18 USC 922(n):

“It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person (1) is under indictment for, or has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.”

Perry, who previously claimed he shot a coyote with a concealed firearm while jogging in 2010, is supposed to have his state-issued concealed carry license revoked if he still has one — at least until his case is concluded.

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Vacations and Vocations

As the president golfs the days away, Senator Paul puts his medical skills to use on behalf of others.

President Barack Obama is spending his vacation golfing on Martha’s Vineyard. Hillary Rodham Clinton is spending her vacation in the habitual Clintonian mode, making a vulgar spectacle of herself in the Hamptons. Joe Biden, not that anybody cares, is off to Grand Teton.

Senator Rand Paul, on the other hand, is spending his vacation in Guatemala, performing eye surgeries on poor children who need care. (Eliana Johnson wrote about the trip here.) As the Washington Post points out, this is not a new thing for the senator-surgeon; on this trip, he saw two patients he’d first treated 15 years ago.

For once, the Washingtonian term “optics” is entirely apt.

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Lois Lerner's Blackberry Deliberately Destroyed After Start Of Congressional Probe: IRS Lawyer

Lois Lerner’s Blackberry was intentionally destroyed after Congress had begun its probe into IRS targeting of conservative groups, a senior IRS lawyer acknowledged in a sworn declaration.

Thomas Kane, Deputy Assistant Chief Counsel for the IRS, wrote in the declaration, part of a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch against the IRS, that the Blackberry was "removed or wiped clean of any sensitive or proprietary information and removed as scrap for disposal in June 2012."

That date - June 2012 - is significant because by that time, ex-IRS official Lerner had already been summoned before congressional staffers who interviewed her about reports of the IRS' targeting of conservative groups.

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HELP US CLOSE THE 3 POINT GAP!

The latest poll shows that we've narrowed the gap in the Governor's race to just 3 points!

The Brown campaign went into "PANIC MODE" last week and launched a negative ad against our campaign...BUT...it backfired.

Since the launch of Brown's ad we've had a flood of people contact us to learn more about our campaign. Voters just don't trust or believe in the competence of Anthony Brown.

Obama's unlawful Bergdahl-for-terrorists swap

Trading five terrorists for a deserter isn’t just bad policy, it’s against the law

President Obama was wrong earlier this year to trade five hardened terrorists from the prison at Guantanamo Bay for a deserter. All but the president’s most dedicated supporters understood then that the trade was a really bad idea. Now, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has confirmed what many suspect, that the swap violated a “clear and unambiguous” law.

For this White House, the law is little more than an annoyance to be swatted away when inconvenient. Mr. Obama makes and remakes the law as he goes along. Congress has allowed itself to become irrelevant.

But Congress, in a rare fit of resistance, suspected that Mr. Obama might be tempted to release Guantanamo’s remaining prisoners. He had campaigned for president with a promise to shut down Guantanamo. To keep dangerous thugs locked up, Congress passed legislation that the president had to sign requiring the secretary of defense to “notify the appropriate committees of Congress … not later than 30 days before the transfer or release of the individual” from Guantanamo. This notification had to include “an explanation of why the transfer or release is in the national security interests of the United States.”

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FBI, DHS Bulletin Warns Of Retaliation For Airstrikes Against ISIS

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have sent out a bulletin to law enforcement officials warning that U.S. airstrikes in Iraq could provoke retaliation by Islamic State sympathizers in the U.S., Fox News has learned.

The warning on Friday comes shortly after U.S. intelligence officials said there is evidence foreign fighters have returned to their home countries and started Islamic State cells. While there is no evidence of a credible plot against the U.S. now, the latest bulletin warns that the lone wolf nature of the threat would make it difficult to thwart.

"It is difficult to predict triggers that will contribute to [homegrown violent extremists] attempting acts of violence," the bulletin said. "[Lone wolf terrorists] present law enforcement with limited opportunities to detect and disrupt plots, which frequently involve simple plotting against targets of opportunity."

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For sale: Systems that can secretly track where cellphone users go around the globe

Makers of surveillance systems are offering governments across the world the ability to track the movements of almost anybody who carries a cellphone, whether they are blocks away or on another continent.

The technology works by exploiting an essential fact of all cellular networks: They must keep detailed, up-to-the-minute records on the locations of their customers to deliver calls and other services to them. Surveillance systems are secretly collecting these records to map people’s travels over days, weeks or longer, according to company marketing documents and experts in surveillance technology.

The world’s most powerful intelligence services, such as the National Security Agency and Britain’s GCHQ, long have used cellphone data to track targets around the globe. But experts say these new systems allow less technically advanced governments to track people in any nation — including the United States — with relative ease and precision.

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Water Search Underway In Downtown OC UPDATE

Salisbury News has learned the young man mentioned in our earlier article was pronounced dead at AGH. 

We understand he was under water for a good ten minutes. They attempted CPR unsucesfully and the patient was an 18 years old male.  

Muslim Imam Angers Italian Government With Islamic Nonsense, The Italians Decide To Throw Him Out Of Their Country

A imam in Italy named Abd al-Barr al-Rawdhi, made a speech inciting violence against Jews, and the Italian government determined that he was a danger to society and that he will be deported. His remarks can be heard in a film of his speech:

The imam said:

What is happening in Gaza indicates that it is a delusion to think that Palestine can contain the Jews as well as its people. Palestine cannot contain the Muslims and the Jews…The Jews should not be in Palestine and they will not remain there. Any Jew living in Palestine is an illegitimate occupier… He is a target of Jihad, and will end up in the garbage bin of history. … The Jews will not thrive and will not live in safety because they are the slayers of the prophets…Wherever the Jews thrive, corruption abounds.

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano wrote:

It’s unacceptable to deliver a speech of clear anti-Semitic tenor, containing explicit incitement to religious violence and hate… For this reason, I have ordered his immediate expulsion from [Italian] national territory. My decision serves as a warning to all those who think that Italy is a place to preach hatred.

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The EPA’s Power Grab

The Clean Power Plan represents a federal takeover of the electricity market.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) mandates sweeping reductions of CO2 emissions from existing electrical-generation plants. The rule will dramatically increase federal regulation of the nation’s electric industry. It will impose devastating costs on working families across America — with hugely disparate impacts from one state to another. And if states comply with the CPP, the result will be a massive federal takeover of the state governments.

The assault on the dual sovereignty of the states — the federalism enshrined in our Tenth Amendment — is nothing new. Much of the battle over Obamacare turned on the attempt to force Medicaid expansion on the states, which the Supreme Court deemed a violation of the Tenth Amendment. However, with the CPP, the EPA is attempting to take federal control of states to a whole new level — perhaps hoping that the states will meekly comply rather than calling its bluff by challenging a rule based on very questionable statutory authority.

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Cops Point Guns At Innocent Mom And 4 Kids

New Jersey justice: Prison for telling truth

Garden State blasted as 'freedom hell'

Pennsylvanian Shaneen Allen’s honesty already has led to 46 days of jail, and she could face a minimum of three years in prison.

As a single mother of two young children, she obtained a concealed-carry permit to protect her family after she had been robbed twice in the past year, according to a National Rifle Association report. A social outing took her across the border to New Jersey, where she was stopped by a state trooper for an alleged lane violation.

Following Pennsylvania law, she informed the officer of her carry permit, the NRA said. But New Jersey doesn’t recognize the weapon permits of other states, and she was handcuffed, shackled and jailed.

Her attorney, Evan Nappen, wondered: “Is New Jersey that superior to the rest of the Untied States, that their license is so sacred and sacrosanct, that they cannot recognize a single other license based on a Second Amendment right?”

New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Carroll, calling the state “freedom hell,” says the law is “insane.”

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Water Search Underway In Downtown OC

The Dispatch

BREAKING NEWS: Water Search Underway In Downtown OC
Emergency officials are currently on the scene of a water rescue and search for a child who reportedly has not surfaced while swimming in the ocean off Worcester Street.

UPDATE: Child has been recovered. Condition working to be verified
Update: victim has been transported to hospital via ambulance. Police on scene taking witness statements

Local, State Democrats Go Rogue

In scattered state capitals and city halls around the country, a new group of elected officials is telling the federal government to take a hike: Up-and-coming Democrats.

Challenging federal power in sometimes-theatrical ways has been a hallmark of Republican politicians — particularly among the GOP’s more colorful governors — since President Barack Obama took office. But now, with Washington, D.C., in a state of permanent chaos and a host of liberal policy priorities frozen in place, leaders in Obama’s party are starting to stir up trouble of their own.

They’re defying the feds chiefly on social policy, with immigration and drug enforcement the key flash points of 2014.

Democratic mayors in cities such as Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as governors, including Maryland’s Martin O’Malley, have recently announced they will no longer cooperate with certain detainment requests from immigration authorities in Washington. Other heavily blue states and cities, including Chicago and New York state, endorsed similar policies in previous years.

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Many ObamaCare Enrollees Subject To Unexpected Tax Bite

Experts are projecting that perhaps as many as 2.3 million households "that received tax credits to help pay for their health insurance under Obamacare will lose all or a portion of their expected 2014 tax refunds."

If their actual 2014 income ends up higher than what they estimated it would be when applying for Obamacare, they'll be taxed on the difference. In essence, they'll have to make up for tax credits they may have received in error.


The Affordable Healthcare Act, known for its vague and ever-changing details, is sure to surprise many workers who underestimated their income or earned a larger income than estimated when they took Obamacare-related tax credits.

"More than a third of tax credit recipients will owe some money back, and (that) can lead to some pretty hefty repayment liabilities," said George Brandes, vice president for health care programs at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

ObamaCare may yet turn out to be the gift that keeps on taking and taking in the end.

Source

OCPD ARRESTS TWO IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF PA MAN

(August 26, 2014) –Ocean City Police Criminal Investigation Division detectives have arrested two suspects in connection with the August 24^th death of Justin D. Cancelliere of North Whitehall, PA. The two suspects have been identified as Caleb Edwin-Earl Ochse, 27, and Christopher Blake Kendall, 22. Both suspects are from Ocean City, MD. 

On August 24, 2014, Ocean City officers responded to the area of 109 North Atlantic Avenue to assist Ocean City EMS, for a victim of an assault that had already occurred. Upon arrival, officers located Cancelliere unconscious and unresponsive in the parking lot of an area hotel. After a thorough investigation, detectives determined the assault occurred during an altercation in the area of Talbot Street and Baltimore Avenue.

First responders from the Ocean City Police and Fire Departments initiated emergency lifesaving procedures on Cancelliere and transported him to Atlantic General Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland has ruled the cause of Cancelliere’s death a homicide. 

On August 26, 2014, Ocean City detectives with assistance from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team, arrested Ochse at his place of employment. Kendall turned himself in to police at the Ocean City Public Safety Building several hours later. Both have been charged with manslaughter, second degree assault, affray and reckless endangerment.

Ochse and Kendall are currently being held at the Ocean City Public Safety Building awaiting an initial appearance before a Maryland District Court Commissioner.

FERGUSON BACKLASH: RALLIES COAST-TO-COAST FOR OFFICER

Americans plan to take to the streets in nearly 100 U.S. cities this weekend in support of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson as well as a U.S. Marine being held since March 31 in Mexico and the families of two slain Border Patrol agents.

William Gheen of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, one of the groups organizing the rallies, said police, veterans and Border Patrol agents are “under siege” in America.

He said the mainstream media are promoting a “false narrative” regarding the teen killed while “surrendering” to police in Ferguson, Missouri, the imprisonment of U.S. Marine Andrew Tahmooressi in Mexico and the killing of border agents Brian Terry and Javier Vega Jr. 
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Eric Holder, Racial Profiler

The investigation of Darren Wilson is solely based on his race.

Why has a federal civil-rights murder investigation arisen out of the tumult in a St. Louis exurb? There is only one plausible reason: Eric Holder is guilty of racial profiling.

To be clear, we are not talking here about whether there was justification for the shooting of a young black man, 18-year-old Michael Brown, by a young white police officer, 28-year-old Darren Wilson. Was the shooting a legitimate exercise in self-defense by an officer under attack? Was it an overreaction for which Officer Wilson should suffer serious civil and criminal consequences? Such questions can only be answered by a thorough and fair investigation, the kind of due process owed to both the victim and the subject of the investigation — the kind that, as National Review’s editors point out, will be tough to mete out with political thumbs pressing on the scales.

Whatever the outcome, though, murder — including homicide caused by a policeman’s application of excessive force — is generally not a federal crime. It is a concern of state law. Only a few categories of murder are within the jurisdiction of federal investigators. In the main, they are far afield from Ferguson: the assassination of a U.S. government official, for instance, or a killing incidental to offenses that have interstate or international repercussions — racketeering, drug-trafficking, and terrorism.

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Martin O’Malley Sends Staffers To Support Campaigns In Iowa, New Hampshire

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will pay for more than two dozen staffers to work on Democratic campaigns in Iowa, New Hampshire, and several other states ahead of the midterm elections this fall, his spokesperson confirmed Monday.

The move to dispatch campaign workers, first reported by the Washington Post, signals the extent to which O’Malley is pursuing a possible White House bid.

The governor’s spokesperson, Lis Smith, would not discuss details about how many staffers would travel to which states. But she said the staffers would be helping Senate and gubernatorial campaigns across the country, including those races in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that host the first caucuses and primary.

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ICREACH: How the NSA Built Its Own Secret Google -The Intercept

The National Security Agency is secretly providing data to nearly two dozen U.S. government agencies with a “Google-like” search engine built to share more than 850 billion records about phone calls, emails, cellphone locations, and internet chats, according to classified documents obtained by The Intercept.

The documents provide the first definitive evidence that the NSA has for years made massive amounts of surveillance data directly accessible to domestic law enforcement agencies. Planning documents for ICREACH, as the search engine is called, cite the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration as key participants.

ICREACH contains information on the private communications of foreigners and, it appears, millions of records on American citizens who have not been accused of any wrongdoing. Details about its existence are contained in the archive of materials provided to The Intercept by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Earlier revelations sourced to the Snowden documents have exposed a multitude of NSA programs for collecting large volumes of communications. The NSA has acknowledged that it shares some of its collected data with domestic agencies like the FBI, but details about the method and scope of its sharing have remained shrouded in secrecy.

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Hard To Swallow? Burger King May Move To Canada

Some Burger King customers are finding it hard to swallow that the home of the Whopper could move to Canada.

Investors seemed to welcome the announcement by Burger King late Sunday that it was in talks to buy Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons and create the world's third-largest fast-food restaurant company. The news pushed shares of both companies up more than 20 percent.

But customers were already voicing their discontent with the 60-year-old hamburger chain because of its plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Canada in a deal that could lower its taxes. By Monday afternoon, Burger King's Facebook page had more than 1,000 mostly negative comments about the potential deal.

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Democrats Fear Nate Silver's Predictions for Midterms

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has issued an urgent appeal for funds in the wake of new predictions from statistician and forecaster Nate Silver that the DSCC calls "scary."

Silver is founder and editor-in-chief of ESPN's FiveThirtyEight, and his organization's new report predicts that Republicans are likely to pick up Senate seats in Montana, South Dakota, and West Virginia, putting them within three seats of a majority.

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Rep. Harris Releases Statement on OIG Investigation of MD Exchange

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., has learned that the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has issued subpoenas into the operation of the MD Health Exchange. Congressman Andy Harris and Congressman Jack Kingston had requested the OIG look into the failed MD Health Exchange. The audit has moved into a full-blown investigation, as evidence of fraud appears to be present. Lieutenant Governor Brown was in charge of overseeing the execution of the exchange.

Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., released the following statement:

“The Office of Inspector General has moved this from an audit into a full-blown investigation. The investigation has included the issuing of subpoenas. I called for the audit of the Maryland exchange because tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted, and those who wasted them should be held accountable. Now we know that fraud may have occurred and subpoenas have been issued. Lt. Gov. Brown was in charge of the exchange, and it appears fraud may have gone on under his watch. Those who wasted and abused taxpayer money, including politicians, must be held accountable."

JAMES ALLEN GUY SR. CONVICTED OF TWO COUNTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR

On August 26, 2014, James Allen Guy, Sr., age 65, of Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland, pleaded guilty and was convicted of sexually abusing two minors. The Honorable Kathleen L. Beckstead sentenced the Defendant to thirty (30) years in the Division of Corrections. The Defendant will serve half of his sentence before being eligible for parole. Upon his release, the Defendant will register as a Tier III sexual offender and be supervised for the remainder of his Life.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Wicomico Child Advocacy Center and its partners (Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury Police Department, Department of Social Services and Life Crisis Center). Mr. Maciarello also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes who prosecuted this case.

They're Watching Us (If You Use Apps On Your Phone This Is A Must Watch Video)

Post by Danny Nguyen.

Marijuana Is More Addictive These Days — Here's Why

One of the common misconceptions people have about marijuana is that it isn't addictive. Dr. Samuel Ball of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbia) explains how marijuana has evolved over the years and debunks the myth that weed isn't an addictive substance. More

SFD Calls For Service 8-25-14

• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 22:39Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 19:53Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 18:34Nature: Emergency UnknownCity:Salisbury
• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 16:11Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 15:40Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Monday August, 25 2014 @ 14:34 Nature: Automatic AlarmAddress: 201 Kiley Dr Salisbury, MD 21801

Pro-Israel U.S. Marine Manny Vega Attacked by Pro-Palestinians in Washington, DC

{WSW} Brews and a Band - Sept 13, 2014

Join us for a fun-filled event benefitting Women Supporting Women on Saturday, Sept 13th at Tall Tales Brewing Company! Wheels that Heal Car Club will be in attendance. Come out to enjoy good food, great beer and fun times!  Let us know if we can expect to see you by clicking on the "Register Now" link!

Get more information Register Now! I can't make it

Consumer Groups: Customers Will Be ‘Worse Off’ After Comcast Merger

Consumer advocacy groups are petitioning federal regulators to reject a proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable that they say would harm customers and hinder innovation, the Hill reports.

The groups Consumers Union and Common Cause sent a petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday:


“Consumers have expressed strong concerns about this merger, and how it would leave them worse off—with fewer choices, higher prices, less innovation and poorer service,” the petition said, warning of industry consolidation.

The groups pointed to widespread discontent among Comcast customers as a sign that the company is already too large.

“Widespread consumer complaints of high prices, poor service, and no choices are unmistakable hallmarks of an absence of meaningful competition,” the petition said.

“Comcast and [Time Warner Cable] already dominate television and broadband service in most of the key parts of the country, and this merger would only expand and strengthen and solidify that dominance.”

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Chicago crime rate drops as concealed carry applications surge

City sees fewer homicides, robberies, burglaries, car thefts as Illinois residents take arms

An 86-year-old Illinois man with a concealed carry permit fired his weapon at an armed robbery suspect fleeing police last month, stopping the man in his tracks and allowing the police to make an arrest.

Law enforcement authorities described the man as “a model citizen” who “helped others avoid being victims” at an AT&T store outside Chicago where he witnessed the holdup. The man, whose identity was withheld from the press, prevented others from entering the store during the theft.

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Democrat fortunes go down as Obamacare drives premiums up

Obamacare has hit a lull. The president's signature domestic policy program isn't causing quite as much chaos right now in people's lives as it did last October and November during the incompetent launch ofhealthcare.gov. The absence of an immediate crisis has prompted smug suggestions from the usual suspects in government, on campus and in the news media to declare that the law is working and people like it.

Obamacare is working only in the unlikely event that its goal is to deliver the Senate to Republicans this fall. Disapproval of Obamacare hit an all-time high last month, in part because premiums keep rising. PriceWaterhouseCoopers finds that the average insurance premium in the Obamacare exchanges will rise by 8 percent this year.

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District police say 3 sex assaults in 5 days may be linked

WASHINGTON — Three sexual assaults on women over five days may be connected, according to District of Columbia police.

All the attacks were in the Fourth District, which covers the upper Northwest and Northeast quadrants of the city

Police say the latest attack occurred early Sunday when a woman walking in an alley behind Park Road was groped.

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Why ‘Good Cops’ Stay Silent

“I can’t get killed for this job,” observed one of Adam Basford’s former colleagues in the Yakima Police Department, explaining why he had refused to come to Basford’s aid during a hand-to-hand struggle with an armed suspect. “I thought we were going to get killed, so I had to leave you there.”

That officer was one of three who were in a position to help on August 18, 2013 when Basford attempted to arrest Antonio Cardenas, a recently paroled felon who was suspected of aggravated assault with a firearm. Concerned over the safety of bystanders, including a young girl, Officer Basford didn’t pull his gun. He found himself grappling with a younger ex-convict who was several inches taller and at least sixty pounds heavier, while every other available nearby officer found something better to do.

Basford was able to subdue the suspect without killing him or risking the lives of people in the neighborhood. Rather than receiving a commendation, Basford is now off the force and facing criminal charges – not for taking down an armed, violent felon without using lethal force, but for filing a misconduct complaint against an erstwhile colleague.

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New Home Sales Drop To Lowest Since March As Northeast Craters; Biggest Supply Since October 2011

Following last week's housing starts data, everyone was expecting a new home sales number that was even better than the consensus 430K. Instead, the July print of 412K was not only the 5th miss in the last 6 prints, but also the lowest number since March's 403K.The biggest drop took place in the Northeast where the sequential plunge was some 31% to just 18K new houses, and a whopping 44% from a year ago. There were declines in the Midwest which dropped 8.8% and in the West, which dropped 15.2%, while the only increase was recorded in the South which rose 8.1%. In fact, of all regions, only the South posted an increase from July 2013, surging by 33%, with new home sales in all other regions dropping.

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Nearly 1,100 New Central American Students Join D.C. Area Schools

Since the beginning of the year, nearly 40,000 Central American minors detained after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border have been reunited with their parents or relatives in the U.S. About 6,000 of them are in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Hundreds will be attending local schools while they wait for their immigration cases to conclude, and most area school systems are gearing up to address the educational and emotional needs of these often traumatized kids.

The conference room in an Adelphi Elementary School is where Prince George's County residents enroll children who come from all over the world into the school system. As in years past, the largest number of foreign born students come from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

“We're seeing a very high number of students, they have all arrived either early in the spring or the last few weeks," says Dianne Yohi, a teacher in Prince George's County.

She helps assess the English language skills of the unaccompanied minors from Central America when they enroll.

"They don’t speak any English, many of them have not completed a grade level equal to their age," she says.

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Texas School District’s Sign Is Almost Sure to Irk the Left: ‘Please Be Aware That the Staff at Argyle ISD Are…’

New signs posted at the entry to campuses in a Texas school district warns possible evil-doers that their staff is armed and “may use whatever force is necessary” to protect students.

“Please be aware that the staff at Argyle ISD (Independent School District) are armed and may use whatever force is necessary to protect our students,” the signs say.

According to KDAF-TV, the district voted in favor of school marshals in January. Some teachers will now carry firearms under the state’s Protection of Texas Children Act.

“I trust that the administrators of this school district will put my kid’s best interest at heart,” parent Lacey Fenoglio told KDAF.

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Open Letter of Warning to Governor Nixon From Missouri Oath Keepers

Governor Nixon:

The events in Ferguson have shown us daily that the looting and violence by a few is not being stopped, while the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition government for redress of grievances is not being respected. The current riot control tactics of the local police, rooted in outmoded techniques developed in the 1950’s – and only made worse by the ongoing militarization of our police – are failing the people of Ferguson, giving them a false choice between rampant looting on the one hand, and hyper-militarized police and curfews on the other (which also fail to stop the looting, leaving the mistaken impression among many of the American people that even moremilitarization and curtailment of free speech and assembly is needed). Our local boots on the ground, made up of retired police officers, military veterans, and intelligence workers (with critical input from current serving Missouri police officers) have answers that could provide the people of Ferguson the relief they need and deserve while respecting their rights. It is time to change a losing game.

The militarized police response we saw in Ferguson did not work. All it did was violate the rights of peaceful protesters and media, alienate the community, and make our country look even more like a police state, with big, intimidating displays of heavily armed, militarized officers, in full “battle-rattle” and backed by BearCat type armored vehicles, firing CS gas and rubber bullets into peaceful protesters and even at media personnel, while failing to stop those relative few who were actually looting, throwing Molotov cocktails, and shooting.

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Palin: 'Washington' More Offensive to Americans than 'Redskins'

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin blasted the "Politically Correct Police" and said most Americans find "Washington" more offensive than "Redskins."

Americans do hate Washington, as Congress' approval rating, according to recent Gallup polling, is at 7%, which is a record low. Nearly 70% of Americans did not want the Redskins to change their name, according to a recent national poll conducted by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling. Palin has been at the forefront against crony capitalism and the bipartisan permanent political class that more Americans are loathing.

In a recent Facebook post, Palin praised Rush Limbaugh for always being "ahead of issues, including this one where he gives a heads up that Coach Ditka may actually get fired for exercising America’s First Amendment." On his radio show this week, Limbaugh wondered if ESPN may at least suspend Ditka for his remarks.
Nothing should surprise us lately; but when the Politically Correct Police bust Ditka, they hope the silent majority will cower under leftist control. My goodness, Ditka merely spoke his mind. This accomplished and esteemed coach knows there are big issues to be addressed in America today; there’s no intent to offend by referring to a team by the name they’ve proudly worn since day one and chose with pride in our native ancestry and obviously had absolutely no intent to insult; and the liberal media’s made-up controversies divide our country. The government’s intent to force any owner of anything, in this case an NFL entity, to change a name is the antithesis of the American way of working through differences. Ditka said he actually likes the Washington Redskins, and he’s a man full of commonsense and admired patriotism.

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Missing George Orell Update

At this time the search team has located a body 50 yards into the woods near the Pocomoke bypass and Cedar Hall Road. W.C.B.I. has contacted the MSP crime scene technician to respond out of protocol.

'It's all been a big lie!': Obama administration lawyer now admits 'missing' Lois Lerner emails WERE backed up but claims it's too hard to search for them

A U.S. government lawyer has conceded that tens of thousands of long-missing emails belonging to former IRS official Lois Lerner – messages the Obama administration has claimed were lost in a 2011 computer crash – were safely backed up along with the computer records of every other federal employee.

The documents are key to a congressional investigation into a political targeting scheme Lerner allegedly masterminded, which involved singling out conservative nonprofits for especially intrusive scrutiny – based on words in their names like 'tea party' or 'patriots' – when they applied for tax-exempt charitable status.

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton, whose group is suing the IRS over its failure to provide the records to Congress, said Monday that the revelation came on Friday from an attorney who works in Attorney General Eric Holder's Justice Department.

'All the focus on missing hard drives has been a diversion,' he said. 'The Obama administration has known all along where the email records could be – but dishonestly withheld this information. You can bet we are going to ask the court for immediate assistance in cutting through this massive obstruction of justice.'

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Nearly 500 Maryland Schools To Share $6.9 Million For Classroom Breakfasts

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has awarded $6.9 million in state funds to 481 selected schools to participate in the Maryland Meals for Achievement Program (MMFA). The funds supplement the federal reimbursement schools receive through the U.S. Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program and will allow the MMFA Program to reach 240,665 Maryland Students in school year 2014-2015.

Maryland Meals for Achievement provides in-classroom breakfast to all students in participating schools at no charge regardless of family income. Students eat at their desks while teachers take attendance and do other morning activities. State funding for the MMFA program was increased by $1.7 million for the 2014-2015 school year. The increased funding will provide in-classroom breakfast to an additional 66,738 students in 122 additional schools throughout Maryland. Since the 2007-08 school year, school breakfast participation among students who already eat a free or reduced-price school lunch increased by 37 percent.

The increase in funding is a result of Governor Martin O’Malley’s commitment to end childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015. The Governor’s Partnership to End Childhood Hunger works to fight childhood hunger through raising awareness and increasing participation in the federal child nutrition programs.

"We have made the choice to drive down childhood hunger in this State, and the Maryland Meals for Achievement Program is a proven winner for our students," said Gov. O'Malley. "Better nutrition means better learning, and better learning means a better future for all of our children."

With funding allocated annually, the participating schools are determined by the amount of state funds available. Maryland law requires the selection of schools to represent geographic and socioeconomic balance. The Maryland State Department of Education also considers previous participation in MMFA and the priorities of county food and nutrition service directors when making selections.

“Having access to a healthy, nutritious breakfast prepares students for their academic day and ensures they start the school day ready to learn,” said State Superintendent of Schools Lillian Lowery.

School administrators and teachers credit the MMFA program with improving student test scores, behavior and well-being. Parents praise the program as a way for their children to prepare for their academic day.

For more information on Maryland’s School Nutrition Programs and a list of participating schools visit:www.eatsmartmaryland.org.

Baltimore Sun - National Geographic depicts Baltimore as 'heroin capital of America'

Drug sales in broad daylight at Lexington Market. An addict telling viewers Baltimore "is where you want to be for heroin," and then, after she scores, letting the camera watch her cook and shoot up in her car on a street that appears to be in Hampden.

A masked drug dealer sitting at a table full of dope, pointing his gun at the camera and saying, "Coming to you live from Baltimore." An on-screen headline that says, "Baltimore is the heroin capital of America."

This is how Baltimore is depicted in the National Geographic Channel's "Drugs, Inc.: The High Wire," which premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday. The one-hour report is sure to re-open old wounds at City Hall, if nowhere else, about Baltimore's national and international media image as a drug-infested wasteland of vacant rowhouses, lost lives and dead bodies.

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Gold And Silver - Low Prices Are NOT The Reason To Own PMs

"ISIS poses a greater threat than 9/11. This is way beyond anything we have ever seen. We must prepare for everything. Get ready!" US Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel.

Whoa, Chuckie...back off a bit, here. Just who do you think it was that helped create the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, aka ISIS, fund them, train them, and provide the best weapons for them? Can you spell U S, as in a part of your title description as Secretary of
Defense? Are you really telling America, and the world, that you are actually that clueless?

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and primary world warmonger, Barack Obama, has been itching to start a war in Syria. Why? To stop Russia from achieving its flow of LNG from East to West, a fact to which Obama will not openly admit. Turns out, bloggers on the
internet can accept some credit for exposing Obama's false flag excuses for attempting to overthrow Assad. How did Obama's war machine, [mostly CIA-led], plan to oust Assad? By backing ISIS in every way possible: funds, training and weapons. ISIS is as much of
an outgrowth of Western [US] meddling in that part of the Middle East as anything else.

Is this a story familiar to most Americans? Hardly. Beyond watching reality TV programs, almost all of Americans watch mainstream media for their "news," those bought-and-paid-for organizations that spew whatever the administration wants the pablum-fed public to
hear, and nothing else. The truth is, an American is 100% more likely to be killed by some local militarized cop than any ISIS member. Not only is that truth, it is a stark reality.

Several articles have appeared about the slaying of unarmed Michael Brown from as many  responses written by Afghan and Iraqi veterans that admit while engaged in actual war,  they were not as heavily armed and geared as Ferguson local cops, those same local
militarized cops purposefully pointing their weapons at an unarmed, non-threatening public while perched atop a 14 ton armored vehicle, or while walking on the street, aiming at anyone within their range.

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Cornel West: Obama a 'Counterfeit'

'We Ended Up With A Brown-Faced Clinton. Another Opportunist.'

The first question West answers is, "how do you feel things have worked out since then, both with the economy and with this president?"

"[T]he thing is he posed as a progressive and turned out to be counterfeit," West says. "We ended up with a Wall Street presidency, a drone presidency, a national security presidency. The torturers go free. The Wall Street executives go free. The war crimes in the Middle East, especially now in Gaza, the war criminals go free. And yet, you know, he acted as if he was both a progressive and as if he was concerned about the issues of serious injustice and inequality and it turned out that he’s just another neoliberal centrist with a smile and with a nice rhetorical flair. And that’s a very sad moment in the history of the nation because we are—we’re an empire in decline. Our culture is in increasing decay. Our school systems are in deep trouble. Our political system is dysfunctional. Our leaders are more and more bought off with legalized bribery and normalized corruption in Congress and too much of our civil life. You would think that we needed somebody—a Lincoln-like figure who could revive some democratic spirit and democratic possibility."

That’s exactly what everyone was saying at the time.

That’s right. That’s true. It was like, “We finally got somebody who can help us turn the corner.” And he posed as if he was a kind of Lincoln.

Yeah. That’s what everyone was saying.

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Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Most Wanted 8-26-14

 
Markeeta Lateece Waters
· Black Female, 5’01” 200 lbs
· DOB 05/10/1995 19 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Waters’ last known address was Salisbury MD
· Waters is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District
Court Arrest Warrant issued for Escape 2nd when she failed to report to Wicomico Co Detention Center as ordered in July 2014
· Waters has history of DRUG ABUSE

Markee Terrell Dashiell
· Black Male, 5’11” 150 lbs
· DOB 08/13/1988 26 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Dashiell’s last known address was Salisbury MD
· Dashiell is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a
Circuit Court Bench Warrant issued in July 2014 on the charge of Criminal Child Support
· There is no preset bond, he must be brought before the court
· The state will extradite him from DE and VA
· Dashiell should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and
has history of DRUG ABUSE 
SBYNEWS

James Alfred Hill
· White Male 6’00” 215 lbs
· DOB 06/02/1980 34 years of age
· Brown hair, Blue eyes
· Hill’s last known address was Salisbury MD
· Hill is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit
Court Arrest Warrants issued after he Absconded from Treatment in May 2014 on the charge of Burglary 2nd
· And on a Circuit Court Bench warrant issued in May 2014 for Violation of Probation on the charge of Robbery
· There is no preset bond, he must be brought
before the court 

Robert Lee Brittingham
· White Male, 6’01” 290 lbs
· DOB 01/18/1974 40 years of age
· Brown hair, Blue eyes
· Brittingham’s last known address was Salisbury MD
· Brittingham is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on
a District Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation in July 2014 on the charges of Theft less $1000 and Theft Scheme
· There is no preset bond, he must be brought
before the court
· The state will extradite him from DE and VA
· Brittingham should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION

Dasia Antwaniesha Banks
· Black Female, 5’05” 120 lbs
· DOB 09/11/1988 25 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Banks’ last known address were Salisbury MD or Seaford DE but her current address is unknown
· Banks is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a Circuit
Court Bench Warrant issued for Violation of Probation in May 2014 on the charge of ROBBERY
· She is also wanted by Fruitland Police
· There is no preset bond, she must be brought
before the court
· Banks has history of DRUG ABUSE and should be
APPROACHED WITH CAUTION
· The state will extradite her from DE and VA 

Sean Edward Amos
· White Male, 6’01” 185 lbs
· DOB 12/06/1985 28 years of age
· Brown hair, Brown eyes
· Amos is a REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER who’s current whereabouts are unknown. He wanted by
the Sheriff's Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued in August 2014 for Failing to Re-register as required and Failing to Notify the Registry Unit
that he had moved and changed employment. The Registry has been unable to locate him.
· Amos should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION


Brett Alexander Owen
· White Male, 5’11” 150 lbs
· DOB 04/30/1982 32 years of age
· Brown hair, Green eyes
· Owen is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District
Court Arrest Warrant issued for Escape 2nd degree when he failed to report to the Wicomico County Detention Center as ordered in June 2014
· Owen has a history of DRUG ABUSE 

Shakisha Annette Lewis
· Black Female 5’03” 175 lbs
· DOB 03/04/1987 27 years of age
· Black hair, Brown eyes
· Lewis’ last known address was Delmar or Laurel DE
· Lewis is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District
Court Arrest Warrant issued in June 2013 for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
· The state will extradite her from DE and VA

Earl Wayne Taylor
· White Male, 5’09” 175 lbs
· DOB 11/09/1956 57 years of age
· Gray hair, Brown eyes
· Taylor’s last known address was Laurel DE
· Taylor also uses the name Earl Wayne Byrd, Steve Lewis, or Doug Owen
· Taylor is wanted by the Sheriff's Office on a District Court Arrest Warrant issued in November 2013 for Failure to Comply with a Peace Order
· Taylor may be ARMED, should be APPROACHED WITH CAUTION and has history of DRUG ABUSE
· The state will extradite him from DE and VA 
SBYNEWS

Sunny Mae Schrum
· White Female, 5’10” 185 lbs
· DOB 08/05/1990 24 years of age
· Brown hair, Hazel eyes
· Schrum’s last known address was Pittsville or Berlin MD
· Schrum is wanted by the Sheriff’s Office on a District
Court Arrest Warrant issued for Escape 2nd degree when she failed to report to the Wicomico County Detention Center as ordered in April 2014
· And on a District Court Bench Warrant issued for
Failure to Appear in August 2014 on the charge of DWI
· The preset bond is $10,000
· Schrum has a history of DRUG ABUSE

Ferguson: The War Comes Home

The increasing use of military equipment by local police is a symptom of growing authoritarianism, not the cause

America’s attention recently turned away from the violence in Iraq and Gaza toward the violence in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting of Michael Brown. While all the facts surrounding the shooing have yet to come to light, the shock of seeing police using tear gas (a substance banned in warfare), and other military-style weapons against American citizens including journalists exercising their First Amendment rights, has started a much-needed debate on police militarization.

The increasing use of military equipment by local police is a symptom of growing authoritarianism, not the cause. The cause is policies that encourage police to see Americans as enemies to subjugate, rather than as citizens to “protect and serve.” This attitude is on display not only in Ferguson, but in the police lockdown following the Boston Marathon bombing and in the Americans killed and injured in “no-knock” raids conducted by militarized SWAT teams.

One particularly tragic victim of police militarization and the war on drugs is “baby Bounkham.” This infant was severely burned and put in a coma by a flash-burn grenade thrown into his crib by a SWAT team member who burst into the infant’s room looking for methamphetamine.

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For St. Louis Gangs, Ferguson Has Become a Recruiting Tool

As they ran through a cloud of tear gas during demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday, Andre Ellis, 17, linked arms with Graig “Shine” Cook, a self-identified Bloods gang member who’d befriended him two nights earlier.

“What we doing now that they gassed us?” asked Ellis, the Bloods’s newest recruit, half his face covered with a red handkerchief traditionally worn by the gang’s members. “Should we go home?”

“Nah, we going to get more batch,” said Cook, using a slang term for the mixture of gasoline and nail polish remover that a handful of protesters had used to make the Molotov cocktails they’d hurled at police. “Then we coming back on them bitches.”

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FEATURE STORY: MAKE-A-WISH HERO SAVES THE WEEKEND

The Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter banked hard, flying around the last reported location of the distressed swimmer. The eyes of the helicopter crew were glued to the water, searching for any sign of splashing or movement. The crew's newest member, Isaac Simmons started pointing and yelling over the headset.

"I see him! I see him," shouted Simmons as he spotted the distressed swimmer.

"That's not what we say, what do we say Isaac?" asked Petty Officer 2nd Class Roderick Ansley, the crew's rescue swimmer.

"Oh yeah, mark, mark, mark," exclaimed Simmons.

Ansley was cutting Simmons a little slack as Isaac Simmons is only 7-years-old.

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Ex-CIA Officer: 'There Are ISIS Sleeper Cells In This Country'

A former CIA officer said Thursday he has no doubt Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells are already planted on U.S. soil.

An unnamed U.S. intelligence official told CNN there's already an indication of ISIS sleeper cells in Europe that could target U.S. embassies and other American interests.

But former CIA officer Bob Baer told the network ISIS is already on this side of the Atlantic.

"I have been told with no uncertainty there are ISIS sleeper cells in this country," he said.

Though CNN said two U.S. officials had refuted the claim, they're worried ISIS militants with passports might travel to the United States to launch attacks on American soil, CNN reported.

One ISIS fighter already has hinted as much.

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Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke: Eric Holder "Owes Every Officer In America An Apology"

A Comment Worthy Of A Post 8-26-14

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "12 People Applied To Fill Empty Council Position":

A list of people who are otherwise unelectable or have been cuddling up to those overseeing the demise of the city for years. Seth Mitchell, Jack Heath, and Muir Bodacious haven't been elected because the city voters don't want them. Don Catchcart has proven himself to be a disrespectful mouthpiece for Barrie Tilghman and his past council member wife. If I remember correctly, Hughes was the partner of Mike Dunn's father in a business deal that resulted in financial favors from the city and if not still, payments were delinquent for a long time. Nathan Long is a local attorney who wanted to be city attorney.
I don't think I know Sarah, Therese , Millicent, or Kevin. I do think that I recall Tom having a decent record of public service if he lives somewhere in Clairmont. Chad is a nice enough guy and has done great work to bring back a very dilapidated home.
Joe, if it's possible to publish copies of the applications, please do. While the council picks, to have some transparency around qualifications and backgrounds would increase transparency and accountability.

New York Woman Shot in the Head With Pellet Gun by Blacks Who Yelled “All White People Suck”

In the rare case that a black person gets shot by a white person, the race hustlers come out in force, shrieking about racism and race wars, ginning up protests that are often tinged with violence and unrest. But if a white person is a victim of violence perpetrated by a black person screaming racist epithets at her, which is what just happened to one New York woman, then there are crickets.

The shaken victim told the Daily News she was leaving the park at W. 60th St. and West Drive about 12:05 a.m. Monday when she strolled past a group of black youths.

The two men and three women — all in their late teens or early 20s — said nothing as they passed by. But moments later, the woman felt a “horrible pain” in the back of her head.

“My hand went up to my head, and there was blood gushing everywhere,” said the woman, who asked to be identified only as Hanna.

“I turned around, and I said, ‘What are you doing? Why are you doing this to me? What’s wrong with you people?’”

One of the women immediately unleashed a barrage of racial epithets.

“F—- you, you f—— white b—-,” the woman hissed, Hanna recalled.

Then one of the men popped his head out from behind a tree and joined in the racially fueled verbal attack.

“All white people suck,” the man hollered. “F— white people.”

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Program Your Radio Station to 99.5 FM – Ocean City’s New Emergency Advisory Radio Station

Pictured from right to left: MEMA Hazard Mitigation Planners William Carroll and Mark James and Ocean City Electronics Services Manager, Robert Dimaio.

Thanks to a hazard mitigation grant from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Town of Ocean City’s Emergency Services Department now has a new FM emergency advisory radio system. The FEMA sponsored Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures.

Ocean City’s HMGP grant award to install the new FM Emergency Advisory radio system is $55,000, with a Federal Share of $41,250, and a non-federal share of $13,750.

“We received a very generous grant that will help us better communicate to our residents and visitors during times of emergency,” commented Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald. “We were also very fortunate to receive two licenses from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and had our extraordinarily talented Electronics Services Manager, Robert Dimaio, and staff to build the station from scratch.”

A studio was constructed in the Ocean City Public Safety Building, located at 65th Street, by the emergency services personnel. “We have an amazingly experienced staff, who custom built the news station to fit our needs,” Theobald continued. “Thanks to their skill and dedication, we can now have a quality channel to provide Ocean City residents and visitors real time information, including public service announcements, evacuation traffic management, and alerts for weather and emergency alerts.”

Pre-Recorded and live programming will transmit on WPSB 99.5 FM from the 65th Street Radio Tower & WWOP 100.3 FM from the Race Track Road Ocean Pines Radio Tower. In addition, the radio station has the ability to automatically broadcast live dispatching and emergency responders operations.

“It is a very rare and valuable resource,” Theobald finished. “Now we need to make our residents and visitors aware of the tool and have everyone, including our business partners, program their radio’s to the 99.5 FM station. When the roadside alert lights are flashing, the public can tune in and be informed of emergency information.”

A Letter To Salisbury News

MISSING PERSON

LOCATION: 1449 Cedar Hall Road, Pocomoke, Worcester County, Maryland

Missing/Endangered: George (No Middle Name) Orell, (81 years old)

NARRATIVE:

On August 18, 2014, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded the Pocomoke Police Department in reference to a Missing Persons Report. The complainant, Joseph Waters advised the Sheriff’s Deputy his friend and resident of his home, George Orell, missing. It was learned that the Orell was missing outside of the town limits of Pocomoke City. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation into the missing/endangered man.

Once the Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence of 1449 Cedar Hall Road, Pocomoke, it was learned that Joseph Waters last saw George Orell on Monday, August 17, 2014 at approximately 7:00 A.M. He was last seen walking out towards the mailbox. Mr. Waters advised that George Orell has resided with him for the past 12 years.

Waters further advised that George Orell has been medically evaluated and diagnosed with Dementia and hallucinates often. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office put out “an all points bulletin” to surrounding Law Enforcement Agencies. The surrounding area had been searched with negative results. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office had brought in K-9 dogs and “Man Trackers” over the next several days searching the woods and surrounding fields all with negative results.

On Friday August 22, 2014 a search was organized by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office with negative results. The Worcester County Bureau of Investigations was requested to assist. The local hospitals were all checked with negative results. A check of his bank accounts revealed no recent activity. On Monday August 25, 2014, it was determined by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office that the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations would be assuming the case for further investigation.

An organized line/grid search is currently planned for Tuesday, August 26, 2014 beginning at 7:00 A.M.. The command post will set up outside the Pocomoke High School. Numerous search managers and members of search teams from the Natural Resource Police, Maryland State Police, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Pocomoke Police and volunteer search and rescue will be conducting the ground search in the area that George Orell went missing.

If anyone has seen this man please contact your local police department or the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation at 410-632-1111.

This Intense Video Shows What It’s Really Like for Police Officers in Life-Threatening Confrontations

On the Road: Ohio boy pays it forward with found fortune

Spike’s Lee War on Black Men and other myths that ignore, deny and encourage racial violence

Spike Lee says Ferguson is just the latest proof of a War on Black Men.

When just the opposite is true.

In this podcast, we show what happened around the rest of the country while all eyes were on Ferguson.

GO HERE to listen.

Go Figure

Back to School and Winning the Future

It’s back-to-school season and here in Maryland our schools have already begun welcoming students back for the new academic year. Initial estimates show there’s a good chance we’ll reach a new record enrollment this year with more than 860,000 students filling our classrooms – and we’re ready for them.

In Maryland, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has an eight-year track record of making smart investments in our schools and in our children. While 35 states have retreated on education funding during the Recession, we are one of only 13 states to increase funding per student, with a record $6.05 billion in FY15 funding. In fact, we’ve had the 4th highest increase in per student funding between FY08 and FY14. Working together with students, parents, teachers, legislators and school officials across our great State, we’ve built a top-ranked public school system — one that gives our children the knowledge and skills they’ll need to compete in our 21st century global economy.

From 2009 to 2013 — five years in a row — Education Week magazine ranked Maryland’s public schools #1 in the nation. In 2014, Education Week didn’t put out rankings, but Maryland retained Education Week’s #1 composite state ranking. We were one of only five states in the past decade to decrease the poverty achievement gap by more than five percentage points. And the College Board announced that Maryland students continue to be #1 in Advanced Placement (AP) success.

And we’re always innovating. This fall’s graduating seniors will be the first class to complete Maryland’s nationally recognized environmental literacy education requirement. At the same time, many of our schools are adding new STEM-oriented programs like computer science and natural resources. We’re also making new investments in quality Pre-K programs to make sure more our youngest learners will be ready for the challenges ahead. We’ve also invested in innovative solutions in our public schools – the Digital Learning Innovation Fund, the Maryland Longitudinal Data System and the Early College Innovation Fund.

But despite our successes, there’s always more work to be done, and more ways to improve.