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Friday, January 09, 2015

Labor Participation Rate Drops To Fresh 38 Year Low; Record 92.9 Million Americans Not In Labor Force

Another month, another attempt by the BLS to mask the collapse in the US labor force with a goalseeked seasonally-adjusted surge in waiter, bartender and other low-paying jobs. Case in point: after a modest rebound by 0.1% in November, the labor participation rate just slid once more, dropping to 62.7%, or the lowest print since December 1977. This happened because the number of Americans not in the labor forced soared by 451,000 in December, far outpacing the 111,000 jobs added according to the Household Survey, and is the primary reason why the number of uenmployed Americans dropped by 383,000.

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Report: Baltimore Ravens team bus gets in fender-bender with Providence taxi

A Baltimore TV sports reporter has tweeted that the Ravens team bus got into a minor accident with a taxi in downtown Providence.

Mark Viviano, a reporter with WJZ-TV Channel 13 in Baltimore, said there we no injuries, and team members didn't even realize it had happened.

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President Scott Walker? Unions Start Panicking in 5…4…3…

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is rightfully feared by labor unions and the left that so heavily relies upon the deep pockets of the professional extortion rackets that, too often, serve as America’s labor unions.

The Wisconsin Republican successfully stripped unions of substantial power in his state and though the left mounted a fiery recall effort, the effort failed and Gov. Walker emerged a hero of the right: a man who took on the powerful unions and won.

The strong-willed Republican has long been rumored to be considering a 2016 presidential run and on Thursday, those rumors became stronger.

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Credit Card Debt Tumbles Most In 1 Year As US Households Resume Deleveraging

Once upon a time the health of the US consumer was gauged by one simple thing: how much credit card debt did US households take on in any given month. Which makes sense: American consumers would not go out and spend on credit unless they felt strongly about their future job, income and overall wealth prospects. In simple terms, rising credit card debt was synonymous with confidence and prosperity. In recent years, however, this metric has quietly fallen out of favor with the punditry, for one simple reason: that reason is shown on the chart below, which very likely also shows where the S&P would trade if it weren't for $11 trillion in central bank liquidity injections.

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Country Music Star Slams Left’s Pro-Muslim Agenda AND DEFENDS Gun Owners in One AWESOME Tweet

It was sadly all-too-predictable. Before the gunsmoke had cleared in Paris and as 12 brave Parisians laid dead because they refused to bend to demands to censor their speech, the left got to work to try and highlight the historical violence that has occurred on all sides of various religions.

What they so often neglected to mention, however, is the fact that while the Christian crusades are over, the Muslim world’s jihad against the Western “infidels” is happening.

The terrorist attack in Paris is indicative of Islam’s pattern of violent intolerance.
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Payday Lenders Find Loopholes in Law to Gouge Troops

Payday loan firms have been exploiting loopholes in the Military Lending Act capping interest rates at 36 percent to gouge troops and their families, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) charged in a report released Monday.

"The current rules under the Military Lending Act are akin to sending a soldier into battle with a flak jacket but no helmet," said Richard Cordray, the bureau's director. "To give our troops full-cover protection, the rules need to be expanded."

The 36-percent rule of the legislation, which is implemented by the Defense Department and enforced by the bureau, doesn't currently apply to payday loans with initial terms in excess of 91 days, or to auto title loans in which the covered duration is less than 181 days.

"This means creditors can easily avoid the Act's interest rate cap by simply making the initial term of a payday loan longer than three months," the report said.

Unscrupulous lenders can also get around the auto loan provisions of the Act by making the contract term for an auto title loan longer than 181 days.

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HARRIS, RUBIO FIGHT TO PREVENT TAXPAYER BAILOUT OF OBAMACARE

WASHINGTON, DC: Today, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) and Senator Marco Rubio (FL) introduced the “Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Prevention Act” in the House and Senate, which will repeal section 1342 of the President’s health care law to stop bailouts of insurance companies. Section 1342 of Obamacare allows the President to use taxpayer dollars to bailout insurance companies if they lose money on the sale of insurance plans to Americans through the Obamacare exchanges.

“The American people should not have to shoulder the burden of the President’s failed health care plan and bailout insurance companies, while millions across the country have lost their coverage and seen increased health care costs. President Obama continues to sit back and force taxpayers to foot the bill for a law that is crippling the economy, killing jobs, and weakening health care in the United States,” said Dr. Harris. “Section 1342 is just another example of presidential overreach and the President’s complete disregard for the Constitution. Its repeal will protect taxpayers from future costs brought on by his disastrous law.”

Stewart Mocks NYPD Slowdown: ‘To Protect and Serve’ Now ‘To Chill and Reflect’

Jon Stewart tonight addressed the tension between NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD. And he couldn’t resist making fun of the NYPD slowdown, or as he put it, “a public safety staycation.”

In fact, Stewart said, “to serve and protect” has now been changed to “to chill and reflect.”

Then correspondent Jason Jones took to the streets to show off “the new New York,” where you can drink outside, park wherever the hell you want, make a drug deal just feet away from a cop, and even sell illegal DVDs on the street or punch the crap out of a dude in an Elmo suit.

All of which he did.

Watch the video below, via Comedy Central:

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California newspaper office vandalized over use of 'illegal' immigrant label

A California newspaper will continue to use the term "illegals" to describe people who enter the U.S. without permission, despite an attack on its building by vandals believed to object to the term.

The Santa Barbara News-Press's front entrance was sprayed with the message "The border is illegal, not the people who cross it" in red paint, sometime either Wednesday night or early Thursday, according to the newspaper's director of operations, Donald Katich. The attack came amid wider objections to a News-Press headline that used the word "illegals" alongside a story on California granting driver's licenses to people in the country illegally.
"It is an appropriate term in describing someone as “illegal” if they are in this country illegally." - Statement from Santa Barbara News-Press
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Pres. Admin. Attempting to 'Redistribute' Teachers

President Obama is attempting to redistribute high quality teachers to low-income neighborhoods. States will be required to submit plans to address teacher distribution by April of 2015 in exchange for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers. Of 41 states approved for NCLB waivers, 35 are currently eligible to request extensions.

There is new data out from the Education Department that shows differences in children’s access to fully qualified and experienced teachers. In Pennsylvania, for instance, more than 20 percent of teachers are unlicensed in the schools with the largest concentration of minority students. In largely white schools, just 0.2 percent of teachers lack a license, the data show. In New York, students in high-poverty schools are nearly three times more likely to have a rookie teacher and 22 times more likely to have an unlicensed teacher than their peers in more affluent schools, according to Politico.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with this initiative, there are reasons why it's unlikely to be successfully implemented.

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Worcester County Briefs 01/09/2015

The Worcester County Commissioners also discussed the following issues during their most recent regular meeting.

Solid waste overview

EA Consulting provided the commissioners with a snapshot “state of the union” presentation highlighting the county’s solid waste program.

The overview explained how the current system operates and what measures will need to be taken in the short and long term to sustain it. 

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Did You Visit One of These 6 Major Websites Last Week? If So, You Might Have a Virus

The Huffington Post, along with several other major websites, displayed advertisements laced with malware in late December through early January, according to an Internet security company.

According to cyber-security firm Cyphort, their labs detected an infection on Huffington Post Canada on Dec. 31 that was confirmed on the main U.S. edition of the news website on Jan. 3.

The ad, from an AOL ad-network, was displayed and ultimately directed users to an “exploit kit” that deployed a trojan virus.

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Md. Falls From Top Of School Rankings But Leads Mid-Atlantic

A new report says Maryland fell two spots from leading the nation in school performance, though it's still ahead of the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region and most of the country.

Education Week's Quality Counts report ranked Maryland No. 3, down from its spot at No. 1 between 2009 and 2013. Massachusetts and New Jersey topped the list.

Citing state officials and Education Week, The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland's downgrade is because of a change in the ranking criteria, not a performance dip.

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ISIS HACKER GROUP ‘CYBER CALIPHATE’ UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR HACKING US NEWS ORGANIZATIONS

A hacking collective that goes by the name “Cyber Caliphate” and claims to be affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, IS) terrorist group has hacked two news organizations in the United States–one in Maryland and one in Albuquerque–and threatens many more similar breaches of privacy in coming months.

The New York Daily News reports that the group hacked into the Twitter accounts of both news organizations, the Albuquerque Journal and Maryland’s WBOC 16 television stations, posting private information on Tuesday morning. The hackers replaced the Twitter backgrounds with jihadist designs with their name on it and published what the newspaper described as “several confidental [sic] documents including driver’s licenses, corrections records and spreadsheets with hundreds of names and addresses.” The art on the Albuquerque paper’s Twitter page read, “I love you ISIS.”

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Investigator: NFL Should Have Sought More Info In Rice Case

Former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III conducted a four-month long investigation in which he found no evidence that the NFL received the in-elevator video before its public release.

“We found no evidence that anyone at the NFL had or saw the in-elevator video before it was publicly shown. We also found no evidence that a woman at the NFL acknowledged receipt of that video in a voicemail message on April 9, 2014," Mueller said in a statement.

“We concluded there was substantial information about the incident – even without the in-elevator video – indicating the need for a more thorough investigation. The NFL should have done more with the information it had, and should have taken additional steps to obtain all available information about the February 15 incident.”

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Judge in Jesse Matthew case won't let cameras in courtroom

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - A judge has rejected a request from news organizations to allow cameras at the upcoming attempted murder trial of Jesse Matthew in Fairfax County.

Matthew is also charged in Charlottesville with the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, whose remains were found last year after an extensive search.

In Fairfax, Matthew is charged in connection to a 2005 sexual assault.

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Boston chosen over D.C. as U.S. candidate for 2024 Summer Olympics

DENVER, Colo. (AP) - The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Boston to bid for the 2024 Games in an attempt to bring the Summer Olympics to America after a 28-year gap.

During a daylong meeting at the Denver airport, USOC board members chose Boston over Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, all of which have been lobbying to become the American choice for more than a year.

Boston joins Rome as the only other city that has officially decided to bid. Germany will submit either Hamburg or Berlin, with France and Hungary among those also considering bids. The International Olympic Committee will award the Games in 2017.

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Powellville Vol. Fire Co. Annual Bull and Oyster Roast


UNA ANNOUNCES DEADLINE FOR LISS GRANT “ROUND TWO” APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

SALISBURY, MD. The Low Intensity Support Services grant, better known as “LISS”, are grant funds made available from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with oversights from the Developmental Disabilities Administration. The application period for the 2nd round of funds available is from January 1 – 31, 2015. United Needs & Abilities has been allocated $532,000 in LISS grants to Maryland residents with intellectual developmental disabilities. Funds will be distributed based on a lottery system. Completed applications must be received at United Needs & Abilities by January 31, 2015.

For more information about this program or to obtain an application, call Anita Disbrow, Support Program Specialist/LISS Coordinator at 410-543-0665 ext.118. Applications may be mailed or hand delivered to UNA, 688 East Main Street, Salisbury, MD 21804 but must be received by January 31, 2015.

SFD Calls For Service 1-8-15

  • Thursday January, 8 2015 @ 23:13Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday January, 8 2015 @ 21:13 Nature: Flood With Electrical HazardsAddress: 203 Kinsdale Ct Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Thursday January, 8 2015 @ 18:56Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday January, 8 2015 @ 18:53Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday January, 8 2015 @ 16:17Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury

Ohio museum apologizes for gunman figure in Lego model city

A central Ohio art museum has apologized after a visitor examining a Lego model of Columbus noticed it included a Lego figure with a gun pointing at the front door of the model police station.

It wasn't part of the design for the exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art, and it upset the Columbus firefighter who spotted it a week after two New York policemen were gunned down in their patrol car.

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Teaching Children How to Think Instead of What to Think

Right now our education system is doing more to indoctrinate our children than to educate them. In fact, that has been the case for quite some time. Our young minds are being told to accept authority as truth instead of truth as authority, and teachers talk at the students instead of with them.

Teachers have become repeaters of information. They are merely regurgitating everything they once learned from their own teachers, and perpetuating the recycling of information; information that has managed to evade scrutiny for generations. Children are no longer the masters of their own learning, and instead, their minds are being treated as storage containers.

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You're more likely to be murdered, raped or robbed in ALASKA than any state

The latest national crime statistics show there's more to fear than just bears in Alaska.

The Land of the Midnight Sun tops the country as the state with the most violent crimes, according to the FBI's recently-released Unified Crime Report for 2013.

Violent crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery and they happen at a much higher rate in Alaska than the bustling city of Los Angeles.

Though the violent crime rate dropped an extraordinary 4.4 per cent across the country in 2013, the top 10 most dangerous states remained pretty much the same - with Arkansas replacing Oklahoma to enter the list.

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'Every single French Jew I know has left Paris' says editor

Jews are fleeing terror-hit Paris because of growing anti-Semitism in France, one of Britain's most influential Jewish journalists said today.

Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, spoke out after an Islamic terrorist took six people hostage and held them captive in a Kosher supermarket in the French Capital.

Mr Pollard says the current terror attack in Paris, linked the the massacre of 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, will force more French Jews to flee the country.

Many are moving to Britain or to Israel, according to a report published in the newspaper last year.

He said the fact that a terrorist had chosen to target a Jewish store was no 'fluke'.

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BREAKING NEWS: Paris hostage situations end, 3 terrorists dead, reports of fatalities among hostages

French police kill 2 Islamic terrorists wanted for massacre of 12 people at Paris satirical magazine, hostage freed; Islamic terrorist holding hostages at Paris kosher deli also killed by police, conflicting reports say three -- maybe four -- hostages dead.

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Martin Armstrong Asks "Are We Headed Into Fascism?"

Banks in the USA now are required to report any wire of $3,000 or more and any cash withdraw as well. If you want to withdraw $5,000 in cash, you have to now fill out a form.

Your money is no longer yours.

Big Brother and his entire Family is now here to stay. Little by little, government needs money so desperately to keep funding their pensions at the expense of the people that they have now put in place a stranglehold on the global economy.

This is setting the stage for the worst economic decline since the birth of Capitalism during the 14th century. It does not get any worse than this.

They are destroying everything that has been built in a fraction of the time it took to create it. This is what happens when lawyers control the state. They know how to write laws, but not run a country.

Our crisis is simply Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand. Government also acts only in its self-interest and therein lies the problem. They are INCAPABLE of even contemplating that what they are doing is killing the world economy.

Source

Maryland Public Schools Salary Schedules 2013-2014

Police, probation officials heighten security after suspected gang threat

Law enforcement officials in Baltimore moved Wednesday to increase protection of officers and others who work in the city's police stations.

They suspended a program that brought violent offenders into police facilities, and they put armed officers at the front desks of every station.

They ordered the measures a day after police said officers wrestled a loaded gun from a man who had come to the Northeastern District station for a meeting with a probation agent. The man told detectives that Black Guerrilla Family gang leaders had ordered him to bring the gun in to test police security.

Jason Armstrong, 29, faces several gun and drug charges. He remained in a Baltimore City jail without bail Wednesday.

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Why do McDonald's and Taco Bell meals appear 'fresh' after YEARS in the open air?

A doctor's office left a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries along with a Taco Bell chicken taco in the open-air for two years to monitor what happened. The answer? Not a lot.

As the fast-food approaches its two-year anniversary on the counter of the chiropractors' surgery in Waterford, Michigan, the meals appear weirdly unchanged - with no decay and no funky smells.

Dr Jacqueline Vaughn, of Vaughn Chiropractic, told Daily Mail Online on Wednesday that she hoped to make people think about what they were putting in their bodies - especially her fast-food loving younger patients.

A doctor's office left a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries along with a Taco Bell chicken taco in the open-air for two years to monitor what happened. The answer? Not a lot.

As the fast-food approaches its two-year anniversary on the counter of the chiropractors' surgery in Waterford, Michigan, the meals appear weirdly unchanged - with no decay and no funky smells.

Dr Jacqueline Vaughn, of Vaughn Chiropractic, told Daily Mail Online on Wednesday that she hoped to make people think about what they were putting in their bodies - especially her fast-food loving younger patients.

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Rutherford Institute Defends 4-Year-Old Pre-Schooler Who Was Handcuffed, Shackled and Transported to Police Station for Allegedly Acting Up in Class

STANARDSVILLE, Va. — The Rutherford Institute has come to the aid of a four-year-old Virginia student who, after allegedly acting up in class, was turned over to police, who handcuffed and shackled the preschooler and transported him to the sheriff’s office. While at the sheriff’s office, the police forced C.B., the four-year-old, to speak with prison inmates in an apparent attempt to “scare straight” the preschooler. The child was left in handcuffs or shackles for about 20 minutes.

Pointing out that handcuffing and shackling a four-year-old is excessive, unwarranted, and unnecessarily traumatizing, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have asked that public school officials take steps to assure the child’s family and the rest of the community of parents and concerned citizens that what happened to C.B. will not happen again to him or other students of similar age. Specifically, Institute attorneys have asked that protocols be established to guide school personnel and allow them to deal more appropriately with students who are acting up or have become upset, preventing such incidents from escalating to the point where use of law enforcement is considered an option.

“That it was a sheriff’s deputy and not a public school official who handcuffed and shackled this four-year-old does not detract from the fact that this mother entrusted her son to the care of school officials, trusting them to care for him as she would, with compassion, understanding and patience,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. “That such extreme restraints would even be contemplated in a case such as this points to a failure by those in leadership to provide the proper guidance to school personnel in what forms of restraint and force are appropriate when dealing with students, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.”

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Study: Mideast Immigrants to US Pose Huge Security Threat

A new study shows that the number of immigrants in the United States jumped 3 percent in three years — to a record 41.3 million in 2013 — and that the nearly 300,000 who came from Muslim countries pose a major national security threat, the report's co-author told Newsmax on Thursday.

"All of that does raise national security concerns, and I don't think there has been any consideration of that," said Steven Camarota, research director for the Center for Immigration Studies.

The Washington-based nonprofit organization released the study on Thursday. It is based on an analysis of Census data from 2010 to last year. Camarota conducted the study and co-authored it with CIS demographer Karen Zeigler.

"The primary threat from a group like ISIS to the homeland is through our immigration system," Camarota said, referring to the Islamic State terrorist group that has beheaded three Westerners in recent weeks.

"No one's suggesting that they're going to launch a missile and hit New York, but rather they're going to board an airliner and blow it up," he added. "They're going to park a car in a public place, they're going to go on a shooting spree, or any one of those things.

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When Rebuilt, Berlin Library Will Relocate To Nearby Site Purchased By County For $430K

BERLIN – Planning is underway for a new Berlin library to be built on Harrison Avenue.

Mark Thomas, director of the Worcester County Library, said land for the new building has been purchased and an architect has started putting together details of the building and its features.

“It’s the basic planning of the building and where it sits on the site,” Thomas said.

Worcester County purchased a 6.11-acre piece of land on Harrison Avenue for $430,000 last year, according to Kim Moses, the county’s public information officer. In the fall, county officials accepted a proposal from architect Jeff Schoellkopf and JSD Inc. of The Design Group to perform pre-design services at a cost of $39,000.

Thomas said that work was expected to last another month or two, after which library officials will seek funding for a complete building design.

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Troopers Arrest Georgetown Woman for 6th Offense DUI

Georgetown, DE - The Delaware State Police have arrested a Georgetown woman after she was found to be operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol for the 6thtime.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. Thursday January 8, 2015 as a trooper parked stationary in the parking lot of the Delaware State Police Federal Credit Union observed a red Chevrolet Trailblazer completely stopped facing northbound on Donovans Road north of North Bedford Street. The trooper observed the vehicle accelerate rapidly causing the tires to spin before a traffic stop was initiated on the SUV in a private driveway a short distance away. Contact was then made with the operator, Ginger L. Velasquez,34 of Georgetown, and an odor of alcohol was detected. A DUI investigation ensued and Velasquez was taken into custody and transported back to Troop 4. A computer check revealed she had five previous DUI convictions (01/18/02, 07/18/05, two convictions on 09/20/11, and 02/01/12); this arrest would make #6.

Ginger Velasquez was charged with 6th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While Suspended or Revoked, and Spinning Tires. She was arraigned at JP3 and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $5,600.00 cash bond.

BREAKING NEWS: Gunfire, explosions at site where Paris massacre suspects holding hostage

Gunfire and explosions have been heard at the print plant northeast of Paris where police have cornered two Paris massacre suspects holding hostage.

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New York family left homeless after 18 police agencies destroy entire home while serving DUI warrant

A New York family has been left homeless after law enforcement agencies effectively destroyed their entire house in the process of serving a warrant for a DUI.

The Ithaca Journal reported this week that 36-year-old David M. Cady Jr. had died after being barricaded in his home for three days.

After Cady missed court dates for a DUI over the summer, a warrant had been issued, and the Tompkins County Sheriff Ken Lansing said that the suspect was convinced that he would go to jail. Authorities said that they had reason to believe that Cady had been traveling to Pennsylvania to purchase ammunition so he would be ready when deputies arrived.

Deputies attempted to serve the warrant at around 7 p.m. on Dec. 30, which led to a three day standoff with Cady. Autopsy results later indicated that Cady died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect’s wife, Melissa, and two sons were not harmed.

Video that began circulating on Tuesday showed the damage caused to the Cady home when the 18 law enforcement agencies decided to go in after the suspect.

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Additional Document - 01/12/15 - Council Meeting - Ordinance No. 2310

Additional Document - 01/12/15 - Council Meeting - Ordinance No. 2310 

Good afternoon all, Please see the attached document, *REVISED ORD. NO. 2310 (COUNCIL CHANGES REDLINED) FOR 1/12/15 PUBLIC HEARING,* which should be reviewed in conjunction with Ord. No. 2310 that was approved by the Planning Commission on 12/22/14 and included in the Agenda Packet.

Salisbury City Council Meeting Agenda and Packet For 1-12-15

Fire And Multiple Explosions At A Delaware Storage Facility This Morning

Soldiers Die in Vain

“In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.”
.
The Battle of New Orleans ended with an American victory on January 8, 1815. The last major battle of the War of 1812, it made former congressman and future president Andrew Jackson a national hero.

The United States had declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812. Of the five occasions when the United States issued a declaration of war (the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, & World War II), it was the closest vote in Congress to declare war.

The only thing that most Americans know about the War of 1812 is that the British burned the White House and Capitol building in August of 1814. I shudder to think how few Americans know that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

The Battle of New Orleans will no doubt be commemorated on this its 200th anniversary. But there is just one problem with the Battle of New Orleans: the War of 1812 was already over.

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Strange metal found in shipwreck may be proof of Atlantis

A mythical metal said by ancient Greeks to be found in the lost city of Atlantis has been recovered from a ship that sunk 2,600 years ago off the coast of Sicily.

Marine archaeologists found 39 ingots of what they believe is 'orichalcum' on the sandy seabed among the wreck of a trading vessel that sank 1,000 feet off the coast of the town of Gela, in sourthern Sicily.

The wreck is the fifth ancient ship to be recovered off the coast of the town.

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There Are No Limits on Government

A British author, residing in the United States for the past 30 years, created a small firestorm earlier this week with his candid observations that modern-day Americans have been duped by the government into accepting a European-style march toward socialism because we fail to appreciate the rich legacy of personal liberty that is everyone’s birthright and is expressly articulated in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Os Guinness, the author of more than a dozen books defending traditional Judeo-Christian values and Jeffersonian personal liberty, argued that we should embrace individual liberty and personal dignity and reject the “no givens, no rules, no limits” government we now have. He went on to opine that the government today is not the constitutionally restrained protector of personal freedoms the Framers left us, but rather has become the wealth-distributing protector of collective interests the Founding Fathers never could have imagined.

Yet the problem is a deep one. The Framers believed in the presumption of liberty, which declares that we are free to make personal choices, and the government cannot interfere with our liberties unless we violate the rights of others. Stated differently, the federal government cannot interfere with our personal choices by writing any law it wants; it can only regulate behavior or spend money when the Constitution authorizes it to do so.

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2015: Everything Can Be Fixed By Printing More Money

To question money-printing as the one-size-fits-all solution to every economic problem is to question the power structure of the status quo.

It is tiresomely obvious that we live in an era dominated by the idea that virtually all economic difficulties can be fixed by printing more money. There are various means of distributing the new money, but the dominant ideology is really very simple:whatever the problem might be, the solution is to print more money and/or issue more credit.

If the problem persists, clearly, we didn't print enough money/credit.

That such a simplistic formula might not work cannot be questioned, as money-printing is the source of all political and financial power. To question money-printing as the one-size-fits-all solution to every economic problem is to question the power structure of the status quo.
And that, of course, is not allowed.

Today's essay on money-printing and power was written by longtime contributor/essayist Jeff W. Jeff titled his commentary How You Can Tell If You Are Living under the Rule of Money Printers.

How You Can Tell If You Are Living under the Rule of Money Printers
by Jeff W.

Touch Screen Votes No More For Md.

SNOW HILL — With the 2014 mid-term election in the books and preparations for the 2016 General Election already underway, voters in the state will have to adjust to another change in the voting system the next time around.

Late last month, the State of Maryland inked a $28 million-plus contract with a Nebraska company to replace the existing touch-screen voting system with an innovative and secure paper ballot scanning and vote tabulation system. After concerns were raised with security and accuracy of the paperless touch-screen system following the election in November, the state has contracted with Elections Systems and Software LLC to switch back to a paper ballot system for 2016 and beyond.

As a result, jurisdictions all over the state including Worcester County will make the switch back to a paper ballot system. Worcester County Board of Elections Director Patti Jackson said this week her department is already preparing for the change.

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Activist critical of police undergoes use of force scenarios

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - We've seen protests all across the country after police officers have been accused of shooting people who aren't armed.

But what would happen if one of those protesters looked at what it's like to wear a badge, and be put in a life or death situation.

Jarrett Maupin has been very vocal during the recent protests, leading marches on the Phoenix Police headquarters after officers shot an unarmed man who reportedly fought with them.

He agreed to go through a force on force training with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and went through three scenarios where you have to decide to shoot, or not to shoot.

Scenario one is a call of a man casing cars in a parking lot. Maupin approached the man and started asking questions. The suspect in the drill shot Maupin, who was asking him what kind of car he drove. It happens that fast.

FOX 10 asked him when he thought it was time for him to address the scenario with the use of force. "When he came to the back of the vehicle and started hiding, I could sense something was wrong," said Jarrett Maupin.

Scenario two is a call of two men fighting. "What's going on today gentlemen, what are you doing?" he said. He fired at the suspect in the scenario.

FOX 10 asked him why he shot the suspect. "Hey, he rushed me... I shot because he was in that zone, I didn't see him armed, he came clearly to do some harm to my person," said Maupin. "It's hard to make that call; it shakes you up."

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Sean Renfro hailed by black family as ‘guardian angel’ after he died helping them

DENVER — It didn’t matter to Chauncey and Kenneth Tate that Sgt. Sean Renfro was white, just like it didn’t matter to him that they weren’t.

What matters is that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Renfro, 40, gave his life Saturday to help rescue the Tate siblings and Chauncey’s 9-month-old son Angus after their SUV slid into the side of a mountain during a Colorado snowstorm.

The juxtaposition of Sgt. Renfro’s death and national news coverage depicting officers as threats to the black community wasn’t lost on the Tates’ father, Derwood Tate, pastor of the Upper Room Church in Lakewood, Colorado.

“There’s been a lot of bad publicity lately,” Mr. Tate told The Washington Times. “Sgt. Renfro was Caucasian and we’re African-Americans, but he died protecting my kids.”

Mr. Tate is black and his wife, Nancy Tate, is Hispanic. Their children, one of whom is adopted, are both black and Hispanic.

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Teenager Pleads Guilty in Beating Death of WWII Veteran

A 17-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in the beating death of 88-year-old Delbert Belton, a World War II veteran who survived the battle of Okinawa but was killed in a robbery outside a Washington state bar in 2013.

Kenan Adams-Kinard pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for two lesser charges being dropped. He faces a standard sentence of 20 to 27 years in prison when he is sentenced at a later date.

Adams-Kinard and Demetruis Glenn were both 16 when they were charged with severely beating Belton in his car on Aug. 21, 2013, during a robbery. The veteran died of his injuries the next day.

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Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht SHUTS DOWN All Nonsense in Michael Brown Case

Man Gets One Year In Jail For 11th DUI Arrest

SNOW HILL — A Selbyville man, characterized by prosecutors this week as “perhaps the most dangerous driver” in Worcester County, was found guilty of driving while impaired this week and sentenced to one year in jail for his 11th drunk-driving arrest.

A Worcester County Circuit Court jury deliberated for about a half an hour on Wednesday before returning a guilty verdict for driving while impaired for Gerald Lusby, 42, of Selbyville. The jury had the option of convicting Lusby on the lesser driving while impaired charge or driving under the influence, a more serious offense that carries stiffer penalties in terms of jail time, fines and probation.

What the jury did not know and could not have known when it went back to deliberate is that it was Lusby’s 11th drunk-driving arrest in a span dating back to 1991. After the jury returned the guilty verdict for driving while impaired, Executive Assistant State’s Attorney William McDermott made that information available just prior to the sentencing phase.

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BREAKING NEWS: SECOND HOSTAGE SITUATION IN PARIS

Paris police are responding to dual hostage situations: one at a kosher market in eastern Paris where five hostages were being held by a gunman, and a second at a printing facility about 25 miles from the city where the suspects in the Charlie Hebdo magazine attack are surrounded by police.

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Thank God Its Friday 1-9-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

Sony Password


Hogan Taps Former Rival For Cabinet

There are some familiar names in the latest list of cabinet picks by Governor-elect Larry Hogan.

Hogan named the four appointments at a news conference today.

David Craig served from 2005-2014 as Harford County Executive, and he finished second to Larry Hogan in last year's Republican primary.

Craig is Governor-elect Hogan's choice to be the secretary of the Department of Planning.

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Wisdom

Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes, come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller?

Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven't met yet...

I don't trip over things, I do random gravity checks!

I don't need anger management. I need people to stop pissing me off!

Old age is coming at a really bad time!

When I was a child I thought Nap Time was a punishment... now, as a grown up, it just feels like a small vacation!

The biggest lie I tell myself is... "I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it."

Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!

I don't have gray hair. I have "wisdom highlights". I'm just very wise.

My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.

Teach your daughter how to shoot, because a restraining order is just a piece of paper.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would've put them on my knees.

The kids text me "plz" which is shorter than please. I text back "no" which is shorter than "yes".

I'm going to retire and live off of my savings. Not sure what I'll do that second week.

When did it change from "We the people" to "screw the people"?

I've lost my mind and I'm pretty sure my wife took it!

Even duct tape can't fix stupid... but it can muffle the sound!

Why do I have to press one for English when you're just gonna transfer me to someone I can't understand anyway?

Of course I talk to myself, sometimes I need expert advice.

Oops! Did I roll my eyes out loud?

At my age "Getting lucky" means walking into a room and remembering what I came in there for.

Chocolate comes from cocoa which is a tree... that makes it a plant which means... chocolate is Salad!!!

Now don't you feel better with all this new wisdom?

Video: Wicomico County Council Meeting 1-6-15

 
Video Courtesy of Pac14

First Steps in Starting Your Own Business

When: January 21, 2015 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Where: One Stop Job Market, Conf. Room #025

31901 Tri-County Way Salisbury, MD 21804

Registration: Pre-registration is required. To pre-register or for more information regarding this course or other general inquiries, please contact Lisa Twilley, Outreach Coordinator Of Maryland Capital Enterprises by telephone: 410-546-1900 or via email: ltwilley@marylandcapital.org. Sign up Online at www.marylandcapital.org

Course Fee: FREE

Course Description:

Decide if entrepreneurship is for you. Find out about pros and cons of small business ownership, what skills and resources are needed, State of Maryland requirements to start a business, why is the credit important, why a business plan is needed.

*This class is offered every third Wednesday of the month at the same location and time.

Hoosiers and Michiganders See Gains Since Roll Back of Union Bosses’ Special Privileges

As the National Right to Work Newsletter reports in detail elsewhere in this issue (see the article starting on page eight), state public officials who helped pass the two most recent Right to Work laws in Indiana and Michigan and/or promised to help keep these laws on the books were rewarded by voters on November 4.

Many of the Hoosiers and Michiganders who lobbied for enactment of their state Right to Work laws and continue vigilantly fighting to protect them from Big Labor attacks have always believed their states would benefit economically from rolling back union bosses’ special privileges.

And more and more data are now coming out that indicate Right to Work is indeed furnishing much needed boosts for employees and businesses in the two Midwestern states.

One compelling example pertains to manufacturing employment.

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Want an Easy Way To Feel Better?

If you are still searching for a great health related New Year’s resolution, consider giving up white flour and products made from it. You might be amazed at how much better you feel.White flour made from refined wheat is one of the most common food allergens today. Almost everybody who lives in the United States has some sensitivity to white flour and / or wheat.

Wheat used to be considered the staff of life, but now, thanks to processing, it is a dead and detrimental food. When you compare white flour to the wheat berry, processing removes 66 percent of the B vitamins, 70 percent of the minerals, 79 percent of the fiber, and 19 percent of the protein.

What is left is a “food” that forces the body to rob itself of essential minerals in order to be digested. Once these mineral stores are depleted, the “food” will ferment into the perfect environment for yeast, bacteria and parasites to grow, leading to indigestion, gas and bloating.

One of the biggest reasons to not eat white flour and products made from white flour is that it tends to cause inflammation in the intestinal tract which leads to a condition known as leaky gut. Leaky gut is the precursor to many of the autoimmune disorders that are becoming more common. These include chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia – both of which have been shown to improve when wheat is excluded from the diet.

Arthritis and acid indigestion are some other conditions that can improve greatly when wheat is removed from the diet. Allergies from airborne substances such as pollen, dust and pet dander also benefit from restricting wheat as do conditions such as eczema and diverticulitis.

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MCE Women's Business Center hosts 2nd Annual Women in Business Conference 2015


Swap & Shop Ladies Night!

Tuesday, January 20th at 6:30pm... 
SoBo's is bringing back the SWAP & SHOP!
Only $45* per person, Reservations Required.
Four Course Dinner w/ Wine & Cocktails...

MENU:
1) "Meatless" Antipasto Cheese Dip (Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, Artisan Bread, Grilled Asparagus, Pickles)
2) Endive Salad (Winter Salad) - Apples, Pecans, Tomatoes, Lemon-Pepper Vinaigrette
3) Grilled Portabella w/ Chimichurri & Shaved Parm, Cauliflower Mash w/ Cheddar Cheese, Roasted Brussels, & Potato Hash
4) "Whole" Apple Pie ala Mode w/ Local Ice Cream
Don't miss out on our SWAP SHOP NIGHT...
Bring 1-3 items for trade... new or gently used.
Purses, Jewelry, Scarves, Giftware & Accessories!
"Swap" your unwanted items, for something new!

Call today for reservations...
410.219.1117    www.SobosWineBeerstro.com
*Tax & Gratuity Not Included.

First haunting pictures emerge of AirAsia plane on the sea floor

Eerie photographs have shown the wreckage of AirAsia flight QZ8501 lying on the bottom of the Java Sea.

Images show pieces of the jet including what appears to be the tail fin showing the AirAsia logo and possibly an interior section of the cabin. Divers and an unmanned underwater vehicle spotted the missing plane's tail. It's here that also usually houses the 'black box' flight data recorders which will be crucial to determining the cause of the crash.

The haunting pictures revealed on Wednesday come as Indonesian aviation authorities denied officials took bribes to allow airlines to alter their flight schedules amid allegations some were paid to approve unscheduled take-offs, including that of crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501.

ABC News reported that Bambang Soelitsyo, the chief of Basarnas, Indonesia's search and rescue agency, confirmed that recovery teams found the tail of the plane in the Java Sea.

'We have successfully obtained part of the plane that has been our target. The tail portion has been confirmed found,' he said.

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