Salisbury News: 05/18/15

Monday, May 18, 2015

‘We gonna just **** you up’; #Ferguson Activists Threaten Liberals for Protest Pay

Liberal organizations made a fortune raising money off of various Ferguson related protests. Now, the people who actually did the protesting that they profited over want their cut.

#CutTheCheck. That’s the hashtag for Black activists demanding payment from white liberals for taking part in the months-long protests in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting death of unarmed Black teenaged criminal Michael Brown in a confrontation with white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson last August.

Black activists held a sit-in at the office of MORE (Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment) on Thursday to press their claim that groups led by whites have collected tens of thousands of dollars in donations off of the Black Lives Matter movement without paying the Black participants their fair share.

I have to be honest, they have a point. It also goes to show how much liberals actually care about the inner city.

Source

CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN RETURNS TO MARYLAND

Hundreds of passengers die every year in horrific car crashes. Avoid being one of those passengers.

Starting today, the Maryland State Police along with other law enforcement agencies will be participating in the Click It or Ticket Campaign (May 18th - 31st), which promotes safe driving.

Police will be targeting those violating Maryland's seatbelt laws. Seatbelt violations may result in an $83 fine. REMEMBER as of October 2013, all individuals in the vehicle must be seatbelted, including the back seat.

Girl Scouts of America Welcomes Cross-Dressing Boys into their Ranks

Well, that tears it… no more Girl Scout cookies. And I love those cookies. We’ll support the American Heritage Girls here locally instead. GSA has lurched so far to the left that their membership has plummeted by about one million girls since 2003 – about 27% of their membership has left over this and I don’t blame them in the least. If I had a small daughter again, there is no way I would allow her anywhere near the homosexual agenda-driven, abortion supporting, cross-dressing enabling organization of the Girl Scouts of America. They have embraced perversion in the name of diversity. The latest move is mind blowingly in the ultra-conservative state of Utah. Allowing little boys to pretend they are girls is sick and twisted. I contend it is a form of child abuse. This is yet another slap in the face to Christians and like so many others, I’ve had enough of it.

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Under Armour Pulls ‘Band of Ballers’ Shirt From Shelves After Receiving Criticism

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — After receiving criticism over a T-shirt’s design, Baltimore-based Under Armour has pulled the ‘Band of Ballers’ from its shelves.

The company released a statement via Twitter on Saturday:

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Biker Threatened with Jail if He Doesn’t Apologize for Swearing at a Cop, He Stands his Ground

MSP DUI Press Release 5-18-15 (Berlin Barrack)

Atheist Demands Catholic Imagery be Removed from Catholic School… Because of Islam.

Once again, those evil Catholics are up to no good. At least that’s what one George Washington University Professor wants you to believe. Washington DC’s Catholic University of America is facing a complaint for hanging crosses in their classrooms, and having a cathedral on their campus. Apparently, such Christian displays have the potential to offend Muslim students. (Thank goodness there’s a liberal George Washington University Professor here to save everyone from Christian imagery. Right?)

Crosses in every room at Washingon D.C.’s Catholic University of America are a human rights violation that prevent Muslim students from praying.

That’s the complaint to the Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights filed by a professor from rival George Washington University across town.

GWU Law School Professor John Banzhaf takes the Catholic institution to task for acting “probably with malice” against Muslim students in a 60-page complaint that cites “offensive” Catholic imagery all over the Catholic school, which he says hinder Muslims from praying.

Baffled Catholic University officials say they have never received a complaint from any of the schools Muslim students.

He alleges that the university, “does not provide space – as other universities do – for the many daily prayers Muslim students must make, forcing them instead to find temporarily empty classrooms where they are often surrounded by Catholic symbols which are incongruous to their religion,” according to the Tower, Catholic University’s student newspaper.

The complaint further objects that Muslims must pray at the school’s chapels “and at the cathedral that looms over the entire campus – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.”

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Memorial Day Tribute Sunday May 24th

Amtrak is a Government Failure

The bodies had barely cooled from Tuesday’s deadly Amtrak derailing when the usual sources began agitating for bigger government in response. The rush to campaign for more federal spending on infrastructure was so swift that it preceded any indication of the actual cause of the crash.

The New Yorker‘s John Cassidy finger-wagged that “it’s time to get serious about transportation infrastructure,” claiming “for decades now, the United States has been allowing its public infrastructure to decay.” Meanwhile, MSNBC breathlessly reported that “House Republicans vote to cut Amtrak funding one day after crash,” bemoaning that, “the House committee repeatedly voted down Democratic amendments aimed at boosting funding for Amtrak.”

Subsequent revelations, in an investigation that is obviously still in the early stages, that the train attempted to take a bend going more than twice the 50 mph speed limit for that section of track ought to provide these commentators some reason for pause, but is unlikely to halt the ideologically driven narrative of underfunded infrastructure.

My colleague Dan Mitchell has an axiom that he immodestly calls Mitchell’s Law. It holds that: “Bad government policy begets more bad government policy.” The truth of that statement is on display now, as opportunists take a tragic event that, if it has any policy causes at all was brought about by too much rather than too little government, and attempt to turn it into a rallying cry for more government.

First let’s dispatch with the primary charge. Specifically, that infrastructure spending is too low.

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Wicomico County Council Agenda For May 19 2015

Bill’s Gotta Pay Bills

CareFirst seeks 28 percent average increase to 2016 individual health plan premiums

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the region's largest health insurer, is seeking an average premium price increase of 28 percent for individual health plans in 2016.

The Maryland Insurance Administration on Friday released CareFirst’s and other insurers’ proposed rates for individual and small group health plans. Proposed individual rate changes ranged from a 3.2 percent decrease to a 30.4 percent increase. Small group rate increase requests ranged from a 16.6 percent decrease to a 14 percent increase.

Proposed rates are subject to a public comment period, and review and approval by the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Baltimore-based CareFirst said its proposed individual rate hike — by far the largest among its competitors — reflects the cost of caring for the older and sicker population that has newly been buying individual health plans under the federal Affordable Care Act.

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NYC Anti-Censorship Event ‘Censored’ to Prevent Muslim Outrage

There was supposed to be a serious of one-act plays in New York City to address censorship issues. It was cancelled because one of the plays might offend one particular group of people. Guess which one?

The “Playwrights for a Cause” event was set to feature four new short plays about censorship of the arts on June 14 at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in Greenwich Village.

While the event was intended to combat censorship, William Spencer Reilly, the executive director of the non-sectarian venue, essentially censored it over an act regarding Mohammed, which is sexual in nature.

The title in question: Mohammed Gets a Boner.

When you stop giggling over the title, ask your self this question: doesn’t cancelling the entire show prove the point the playwrights were trying to make?

Source

SEARCH FOR SUSPECTS IN WICOMICO CO. MURDER CONTINUES

(SALISBURY, MD) – No one has been arrested in connection with yesterday’s murder of a Wicomico County man, but state and local police are working around the clock to identify and apprehend those responsible.

The victim, James L. H. Skinner, 20, of the 1000-block of Bryn Mawr Avenue, Salisbury, Md., was found lying in the doorway of his residence shortly after 3:30 a.m., when police responded to an emergency call at the home. An autopsy conducted today at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore determined the cause of death was a gunshot and the manner of death was homicide.

Investigators have learned Skinner had been living at the address for the past two months. The homeowner is reportedly a friend of his family, who lives there with her two sons and one daughter, all teenagers. At this time, the investigation indicates Skinner, the homeowner and her daughter were in the residence when multiple persons entered the home. Investigators have not located evidence of a forced entry.

Evidence indicates one or more of the suspects was armed. Some type of confrontation occurred between the victim and the suspects, during which he was fatally wounded. The homeowner was not injured and, when she found the victim, called police.

A motive has not been determined at this time. Investigators continue to interview associates and friends of the victim. Forensic evidence has been forwarded to the Maryland State Police crime laboratory for examination and analysis.

Anyone with information about this murder is urged to contact Crime Solvers of the Lower Easter Shore immediately at 410-548-1776. Crime Solvers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime.

The investigation is continuing.

Bikes fell off of car

Joe,could you post if anyone saw my son's 2 bikes on a bike rack that came off a car going from Fruitland RT13 bypass to Ocean City RT50 between 1:00 and 2:00 today, thanks call Brandon 410-726-7099

140th Preakness Stakes sets attendance record at Pimlico Race Course

A record crowd turned out to see American Pharoah capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

In total 131,680 fans turned out for the 140th running of the Preakness, trouncing last year’s attendance record of 123,469. The infield at Pimlico Race Course was packed with revelers raving to the beats of Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, celebrities mingled in the corporate village, and the grandstands were swimming with pastels and frilly hats.

Local business leaders, celebrities and athletes mingled between about a dozen tents in the corporate village. Domino Sugar, Dewalt and Transamerica were among the companies hosting corporate parties, and Under Armour Inc.’s tent was a hot spot for big names in professional and college sports. Guests at the sportswear maker’s tent included downhill skier Lindsey Vonn, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and University of Maryland Maryland men’s basketball coaches past and present — Gary Williams and Mark Turgeon.

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Rockawalkin Ruritan Club's annual Memorial Day Barbecue

Monday, May 25
Rockawalkin Ruritan Club:

Time: 10 am until 3 pm

Location: Rt 50 west and Rt 13 south

Description: Rockawalkin Ruritan Club's annual Memorial Day Barbecue will be held on Monday May 25th from 10am until 3pm at two locations; Rt 50 at Guy Farms Produce Stand west of the Salisbury bypass and on Rt 13 south at the Redman Lodge near Fruitland. Half a Delmarvalous barbecued chicken, baked beans, chips, and pickles all for just $8.00. Proceeds Benefit: Ruritan Club service projects

For more information contact: Tom Field 410-430-4516 or tfield44@yahoo.com

Can Maryland Become the Next Great Wine State?

In the mountains of Western Maryland, a world away from the Chesapeake Bay that dominates so much of the state’s industry and culture, is a man on a mission to change Maryland’s signature drink.

Lowbrow Natty Boh beer paired with bushels of blue crabs or chugged at a local bar? Forget it.

Joe Fiola Ph.D. ’86 wants you to drink Maryland wine.

But you might think: Does Maryland even make wine? (Yes, in every county.) Is it any good? (It wins gold medals.) Why should I try it? (To save the environmental costs of shipping your preferred Australian or French wine, and to make good on that locavore pledge.)

“We can compete with anyone in the world,” says Fiola, principal agent and extension specialist at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center (WMREC). “Taste the wines. There’s the proof.”
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Special Weather Statement for Wicomico County, MD

... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN WORCESTER AND SOUTHEASTERN WICOMICO COUNTIES...
AT 243 PM EDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR DELMAR... OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF SALISBURY... MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... DELMAR AROUND 250 PM EDT. SALISBURY... SALISBURY UNIVERSITY AND PARSONSBURG AROUND 315 PM EDT.
OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE MELSON... WILLARDS... CHESAPEAKE HEIGHTS... PITTSVILLE... SALISBURY-WICOMICO... POWELLVILLE AND LAKEWOOD.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM... AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

York school changes American flag policy after demonstration

YORK COUNTY, S.C. -- Controversy at a York High School prompted a demonstration of patriotism.

York Comprehensive High School student Peyton Robinson was not happy after being told to remove his American flag from the back of his truck.

Robinson posted this comment on his Instagram account:

"I've been told by 2 administrators at my school this morning that I can't have an American Flag on my truck because other people have complained about it. Well let me tell you something, I have every right to fly an American flag. It will not be coming off of my truck. This really pisses me off. I ask that everyone that sees this post that attends York Comprehinsive flys an American flag of some sort on whatever they may drive to school tomorrow to prove a point. I will not let this go down without a fight. "#America #fightforourright

"It's America you should be able to fly your flag anywhere. I was pretty upset about it," student Cheyenne Lane said.

Many students felt the same, prompting a community-wide show of support. "Any student that has pride in their country should stand up for something like this," Robinson said.

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What the Pope said this week should absolutely terrify you

While many in the media have reported on Pope Francis’s remarks this week, much of that coverage has been focused on his naming of Palestine as a state. His comments about Christian martyrdom, however, have received much less attention.

The Catholic News Agency reported: [Pope Franis] encouraged Christians to turn to the Holy Spirit to remind them of Jesus’ words, and guide them in preparing to be witnesses “with small every day martyrdoms, or with a great martyrdom, according to God’s will.”

… “They will expel you from the synagogues: in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.”

“I saw that and I thought, okay, that’s probably the important part of the story, not the Palestinian recognition thing,” Glenn said. Glenn hoped that he was speaking to Christians in the Middle East and warning them to prepare for martyrdom if they were to face ISIS.

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Who does this? So disrespectful

Who does this? So disrespectful Daria Behn-Hall Rachel Behn Humphrey Kevin W. Behn Frederick Behn Deidré Behn
Posted by Tasha Powers on Saturday, May 9, 2015

You can read more about this HERE

Greenwood Man Dies from Injuries He Sustained in a Motorcycle Crash

Greenwood, DE – A Greenwood man has died from the injuries he sustained in a crash that occurred on Blanchard Road earlier this month.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Friday May 8, 2015 as Edward B. Plummer, 58 of Greenwood, was operating a 2001 Yamaha XVS 1100 northbound on Blanchard Road attempting to negotiate a slight right curve. For unknown reasons, Plummer failed to negotiate the curve and exited the west side of the roadway continuing in a northerly direction before the motorcycle entered Shirley's Road. There, the motorcycle rotated onto its left side and slid across the roadway until it struck a drainage ditch on the north side of Shirley's Road. Upon striking the drainage ditch, Plummer was ejected from the motorcycle and landed on the north side of the ditch.

Edward Plummer, who was wearing an approved DOT helmet, was transported by Delaware State Police Aviation (Trooper 2) to Christiana Medical Center in Stanton where he was admitted with undetermined injuries until he died on Saturday May 9, 2015 at approximately 12:33 p.m.

The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident.

SPD Press Release 5-18-15 (Shoplifting)

Asian groups file federal complaint against Harvard over admission practices

An alliance of Asian American groups filed a federal complaint Friday against Harvard University, claiming that the school and other Ivy League institutions are using racial quotas to admit students other than high-scoring Asians.

More than 60 Chinese, Indian, Korean and Pakistani groups came together for the complaint, which was filed with the civil rights offices at the Justice and Education departments. The groups are calling for an investigation and say these schools need to stop using racial quotas or racial balancing in admission.

"We are seeking equal treatment regardless of race," said Chunyan Li, a professor and civil rights activist, who said they'd rather universities use income rather than race in affirmative action policies.

Harvard says its admissions approach has been found to be “fully compliant federal law.” Officials also say the number of Asian students admitted increased from 17.6 percent to 21 percent in the last decade.

"We will vigorously defend the right of Harvard, and other universities, to continue to seek the educational benefits that come from a class that is diverse on multiple dimensions," said Robert Iuliano, Harvard's general counsel.

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Obama: Chlorine Gas Not 'Historically' a Chemical Weapon

Widespread reports of chlorine gas attacks in Syria have not been prevented - or acted upon - because chlorine is not "historically" considered a chemical weapon, US President Barack Obama stated Thursday.

Obama was forced to answer the chlorine question during a press conference from a summit at Camp David with leaders of the Gulf states. Syria and Iran were key issues at the conference.

However, when pressed about chlorine, Obama evaded defining it as a "weapon," noting that it has many other non-threatening uses.

"Chlorine itself is not listed as a chemical weapon," he insisted, referring to the US's pledge against chemical weapons use in Syria.

In his response, Obama made reference to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which indeed supervised the liquidation of Syria's sarin gas over a year-long process that ended in late 2014.

However, the chemical watchdog indeed concluded in January "with a high degree of confidence" that chlorine gas had been used in attacks on three villages in Syria last year.

More here

Amtrak Could Pay No More Than $200 Million To Crash Victims

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, Amtrak could face a $200 million payout to train crash victims — the limit set by Congress. But that may be too low to cover the costs of the eight lives lost and more than 200 people injured in last week’s derailment in Philadelphia.

That payout cap for a single passenger rail incident was part of a late effort in 1997 to pass a law that would rescue Amtrak from financial ruin and help it one day become independent.

Adjusted for inflation, which the law does not consider, that amount would be just under $300 million now. And Amtrak is still far from independent.

An Associated Press review of past cases found that Amtrak never before has been liable for a $200 million payout for a single passenger rail incident. The Philadelphia crash could be the first time the liability ceiling — designed specifically for Amtrak — would actually apply to the railroad.

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Just How Many More Generations Will Have To Face This Question?

A Viewer Writes: Vacant Properties

Joe,

Ireton has it in head to go to the City Council for $45k to buy up to 45 properties at the upcoming CITY tax sale. He wants to either tear them down and put in a neighborhood park, or at least get them into the City’s control to get them cleaned up and not such an eyesore.

Get this, On the WBOC news video, the two streets mentioned were Philadelphia and New York Avenues, or, in other word, his own immediate neighborhood.

This is not only a conflict of interest using City funds to increase the property values in his own neighborhood, but a mathematically impossible move!

First of all, the banks that now own the houses need to pay their taxes, and if they are exempt, then they need to be fined for uncut grass and general blight. The City’s ONLY interest here is to collect the back tax monies owed.

NOW YOU HAVE OUR Village Idiot wanting to dig out $45k that we don’t have (FD, & Rain tax) to buy, say, just ONE house and he gets it for $2,500.

City owned properties do not pay taxes, either.

Title & deed work, closing costs $5k

Tear down the house, $13k

Install pieces of playground equipment $45k

Landscape, bushes, trees, mulch, sod $15k

Annual maintenance costs $5k

Total costs $85.5k

TOTAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT <- k="">

Total original monies started with, $45k, so now the City is out another $41k!

Well, that plan doesn’t work, as the property is still off the tax rolls, and is now not saleable to the private sector.

Scenario #2, flip a house:

Buy the house with tax money, money is collected by the City and put back into the City tax fund $0

Closing costs, title & deed work, Legal fees $5k

Bring property up to a saleable standard & list $75k

Total invested in property $82,500

Last 5 home sales in that neighborhood (average) $82, 500

Total profits from a’’ that hard work -$10k - +$10k , or $0.

All the while waiting for it to sell with no taxes coming in.

Joe, this is how Liberals and Democrats work. Oh, getting rid of blighted properties sounds like such a good cause and people rally to the cry until a Conservative stops to do the math, and ask HOW, without any money to put in even ONE storm drain and needs money from the County for a crippled, blind, dragging one leg Fire Department that it can justify getting into the house flipping business?

Aside from the fact I’m sure I’ll find in the Charter, using taxpayer money to run a real estate venture on the side has got to be beyond illegal.

But, to a Democrat libtard, the law must not matter…

GOP Has Waited Two Years For IRS Correspondence with Dem Senators

Washington Republicans said this week that their requests to the IRS for correspondences between the agency and congressional Democrats remain unfulfilled after two years, raising questions about whether the Obama administration is trying to withhold information for a third-straight election cycle.

“Instead of holding the IRS accountable, Democrats are trying to cover-up their involvement in the IRS targeting scandal,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said Friday.

The group, which focuses on getting Republicans elected and re-elected to the Senate, provided documents earlier this week showing 10 letters in which the IRS has asked for more time to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests since May 21, 2013.

Republicans and others have speculated about whether the administration is stalling on providing information until Obama retires from office after the November 2016 elections.

Thursday will mark the second anniversary of the requests.

The agency could not be reached Saturday for additional comment.

The group has specifically asked for records of correspondence between the IRS and Sen. Mike Bennett, a Democrat seeking a second full term next year in the swing state of Colorado.

The NRSC is also looking for correspondence between the IRS and New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.

More here

Coats, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Roll Back “Clean Power Plan”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, today joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce a bill to roll back President Obama’s “Clean Power Plan.” The ARENA Act, which takes into account EPA’s proposed regulations for both new and existing power plants, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit a report to Congress describing the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions the “Clean Power Plan” will reduce. The EPA would also have to conduct modeling to show the impacts of the rule on climate indicators used to develop the rule.

“The Obama Administration’s proposed plan to cut CO2 from new and existing coal-fired power plants will raise the cost of electricity for Hoosier families, farmers and business owners and will degrade grid reliability,” said Coats. “This bill would empower states to protect jobs, wallets and industries from the Obama Administration’s war on coal and ensure the availability of affordable and reliable energy for our communities.”

Key provisions of the bill include:

Preventing mandates for unproven technology: Before EPA can set a technology-based standard for new power plants, the standard must first be achieved for at least one year at several separate power facilities throughout the country. The bill also prevents the EPA from using any demonstration projects –projects that are reliant on federal support – from being used to set the standard.

Extending compliance dates: The bill would extend the rule’s compliance dates pending final judicial review, including the dates for submission of state plans.

Holding EPA accountable: This bill would require EPA to issue state-specific model plans demonstrating how each state could meet the required GHG emissions reductions under the rule.

Enabling states to protect ratepayers: The bill would provide that no state shall be required to implement a state or federal plan that the state’s governor determines would negatively impact economic growth, negatively impact the reliability of the electricity system or negatively impact electricity ratepayers.

Protecting highway fund dollars: The bill would prevent the EPA from withholding highway funds from any states for noncompliance with the “Clean Power Plan.”

More here

Exchange student gored by bison in Yellowstone Park

A Taiwanese exchange student visiting Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming with her host family was gored by a bison while turning to have her picture taken, the National Park Service said Saturday.

The sixteen-year-old girl, whose name was not released, was hiking near the Old Faithful Geyser when the family stopped to look at bison grazing near the trail, the park service said.

The group was just three to six feet (1-2 meters) away from the animals, the park service said, and when the girl turned her back on the bison to have her picture taken, one of them attacked, goring her in the buttocks with a horn, said spokeswoman Traci Weaver.

The girl was treated at the park's Old Faithful clinic and then airlifted to a hospital, the park service said in a news release about the incident. Her injuries were not life-threatening.

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Welcome To The Bury' Yesterday Alone

5/17/15 3:42 AM 1123 Bryn Mawr Dr Murder & Non-Neg Mans 201500018079 Under Inv

5/17/15 5:24 AM 801 College Ln Robbery: Knife, Resid 201500018081 Under Inv

5/17/15 10:27 AM Rape By Force 201500018086 Clrd By Arrest

5/17/15 6:05 PM Other Sexual Offenses 201500018121 Under Inv

5/17/15 6:50 PM Light St/Newton St Assault: Knife 201500018127 Under Inv

Publishers Notes: Interesting how they mention two different times "Knife" but they don't say they were stabbings. And everyone wonders how crime stats are down. It's the way they REPORT each incident. There's a big difference between a "knife" and a stabbing.

'There's No Such Thing as Boys or Girls'

One of the nation’s largest public school systems is preparing to include gender identity to its classroom curriculum, including lessons on sexual fluidity and spectrum – the idea that there’s no such thing as 100 percent boys or 100 percent girls.

Fairfax County Public Schools released a report recommending changes to their family life curriculum for grades 7 through 12. The changes, which critics call radical gender ideology, will be formally introduced next week.

“The larger picture is this is really an attack on nature itself – the created order,” said Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council.

“Human beings are created male and female. But the current transgender ideology goes way beyond that. They’re telling us you can be both genders, you can be no gender, you can be a gender that you make up for yourself. And we’re supposed to affirm all of it.”

The plan calls for teaching seventh graders about transgenderism and tenth graders about the concept that sexuality is a broader spectrum --- but it sure smells like unadulterated sex indoctrination.

Get a load of what the kids are going to be learning in middle school:

Obama limiting military hardware to police departments

The White House on Monday announced new limits on federal programs that supply local police with military-style equipment.

After four months of study, a Cabinet working group tasked by President Obama to reform the initiatives unveiled eight categories of military supplies local law enforcement will be banned from acquiring from federal agencies or with federal funds.

The list includes grenade launchers, tracked armored vehicles, armed aircraft, bayonets, and guns and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher.

There is a “substantial risk of misusing or overusing these items,” which “could significantly undermine community trust,” the group’s report reads.

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JUST IN:Supreme Court rules Maryland income tax law is unconstitutional

A divided Supreme Court said Monday that Maryland’s income tax law is unconstitutional because it does not provide a full tax credit to residents for money earned outside the state, a ruling likely to cost Maryland counties and localities across the country millions of dollars in revenue.

The court voted 5-4 to affirm a 2013 Maryland Court of Appeals decision that the state’s practice of withholding a credit on the county segment of the state income tax violated the Commerce Clause because it might discourage individuals from doing business across state lines.

In most states, income from outside is taxed both where the money is made and where taxpayers live. To guard against double taxation, states usually give residents a full credit for income taxes paid on out-of-state earnings.

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Worcester County State's Attorney's Office Press Release

Two Sexual Predators Found Guilty

SNOW HILL – On May 13, 2015, Daniel Brynan Kerstetter, age 56, of Berlin, Maryland was found guilty after a jury trial of 28 counts of Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography. Mr. Kerstetter was sentenced to 10 years with all but 5 suspended in the Department of Corrections.

That same day, Gregory James Carr, age 41 of Ocean City, Maryland was also found guilty after a trial in the Circuit Court before the Honorable Thomas C. Groton, III of secretly recording his girlfriend’s minor child as the juvenile used the bathroom in his house. His bond was revoked pending a pre-sentence investigation. Mr. Carr’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but he will be required to register as a Tier I Sex Offender for the next fifteen years since the victim was under the age of 18.

In the case against Mr. Kerstetter, members of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with The Department of Homeland Security and The Worcester County Criminal Bureau of Investigation executed a search and seizure warrant at the residence of Mr. Kerstetter following an online investigation. At his home multiple hard drives and computers were recovered with images and videos depicting minors involved in sexual acts. Judge Richard R. Bloxom of the Circuit Court for Worcester County described the images as “probably the most revolting images I have ever seen”.

State’s Attorney for Worcester County Beau Oglesby stated “In no corner of our community will these types of detestable individuals be allowed to corrupt and victimize the most vulnerable among us. Let these cases, and the many like it that we prosecute be a reminder to those who may think that their computer screens and secret cell phone recorders keep them anonymous – you’re not, and we’re watching.”

State’s Attorney Oglesby continued, “These victories are testament to the outstanding and tireless efforts of law enforcement.” He then offered congratulations to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation, The Department of Homeland Security, The Page County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, The Child Advocacy Center and Assistant State’s Attorney Diane Cuilhe.

Great White Shark Cruising East Coast Becomes Twitter Star

They’re gonna need a bigger Twitter.

An organization studying great white sharks is enjoying some welcome attention after one of the creatures they’ve been monitoring started gaining a loyal social media following. @MaryLeeShark is the fake Twitter handle for a very real, nearly 3,500-pound great white whose movements can be tracked online and in real time.

She’s drawn over 44,000 followers with her playful updates and witty replies as real life shark cruises up and down the East Coast.

“Oh heyyyyy…. you’re right by my house, come by for a nightcap?” invited one recent Twitter commenter as she popped up off the coast of Long Island, New York.

“I would settle for an ice bag to put on my aching Twitter fin. -:()” Mary Lee replied.

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Breaking News: Vehicle Drives Into UPS Store

Billy Graham's Daughter: The Rapture Is Coming

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, warns the Rapture is coming and will cause "mass chaos."

In a recent blog post on her website titled "Is God’s Judgment Coming?" Graham Lotz wrote God's "judgment is coming on America and on our world, and it's going to be ugly."

"I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in what is referred to as the Rapture," she wrote. "While this will be deliverance for His people, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears?

"Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger … judgment."

Graham Lotz advocates for Christians to pray and "cry out to God" from May 15-23, the nine-day period between the Day of the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost:

"... Just as God allowed the Israelites, His people, to go through three of the ten plagues He sent in judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt in Exodus 6-8, God may allow His people today to go through a time of distress and trouble before The Rapture takes place. I believe we are in that time now. I believe it’s time to not just pray. It’s time to cry out to God on behalf of our nation and our world..."

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Obama administration restricts military-style equipment for local police forces

The White House announces that it will no longer allow federal programs to supply local police forces with some military-style equipment amid an outcry over police treatment of minority communities and protesters.

Mosby Announces New 'Jobs Instead of Convictions' Program

A group of first-time felony drug offenders will get the chance for a clean slate and job training under a new program that Baltimore's top prosecutor said will ease a cycle of incarceration and unemployment.

The Aim to B'More program for people convicted of nonviolent crimes will place 30 participants on three years of probation. State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby's office will help expunge their records if they complete the program, which also requires community service, a five-month internship and finding employment.

Mosby said young people seeking "instant gratification" don't always realize that a felony conviction on their record can prevent them from getting a job or housing.

"So what other recourse do they have but to go out doing what they were doing in the first place?" she said as she announced the program Thursday at the Center for Urban Families in Mondawmin. "I can tell you as the state's attorney for Baltimore City, this presents a public safety concern."

Participants in Aim to B'More will attend the center's STRIVE program, which teaches job-readiness and other skills.

Mosby said the court system is clogged with cases and that she wants to focus on prosecuting violent offenders. Those in Aim to B'More will receive probation before judgment.

"I would prefer to utilize the inundated courts for the worst of the worst and give our young people a second chance at redemption," Mosby said. "People talk about Baltimore's crime problem, but what isn't talked about is the real issue at hand: systemic poverty."

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ISIS Chief: 'Islam Is The Religion of War'

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi sent out a chilling message to fellow Muslims in an online post, calling on followers of the faith to get in the religious war and that Islam has never been about peace.

His message, titled “March Forth Whether Heavy or Light,” was posted at the online site Downrange and points to a single verse in the Quran calling on believers to “strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah,” Jihad Watch reported.

Baghdadi’s post: “O Muslims, Islam was never for a day the religion of peace. Islam is the religion of war.”

He then appealed directly to fellow believers to get in the fight.

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Terrorists Could Bring Down U.S. Grid With Radio Waves

Terrorists armed with inexpensive radio frequency weapons that can emit powerful electromagnetic microwave energy could cause blackouts that would offer operational advantages over assault rifles and bombs, according to an EMP expert cited in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

Peter Pry, executive director of the congressional advisory Task Force on National and Homeland Security, told G2 that radio frequency weapons, or RFWs, are a non-nuclear EMP weapon capable of emitting a pulse similar to an E1 EMP from a nuclear weapon, except with less energy and a much shorter radius, out to a distance of less than a mile, Pry said.

“Thanks to RF Weapons,” Pry said, “we have arrived at a place where the technological pillars of civilization for a major metropolitan area could be toppled by a single individual.”

He gave an example of how terrorists armed with RF weapons could use unclassified computer models, duplicating a recent U.S. study by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to coordinate attacks on each of the nation’s three separate electrical grid systems to collapse the entire power network.

In all, the U.S. has some 55,000 electric transmission substations with about 200,000 miles of transmission lines that comprise the U.S. power grid system.

In duplicating computer models of the system from open source FERC data, Pry said, terrorists could identify nine crucial transformer substations which, if attacked, would black out the entire national grid for weeks or months.

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Bill To Restore Ex-Felon Voting Rights Await Hogan's Signature

Governor Larry Hogan has yet to decide whether he will sign or veto a bill that would restore the voting rights of ex-felons once they get out of prison, rather than wait until they have completed parole.

On Maryland's News This Week, Baltimore City Delegate Cory McCray, who sponsored the bill said this measure has bi-partisan support and helps ex-offenders get back into society.

He notes much of the frustration that led to the unrest in Baltimore last month stemmed in part from people who did not feel they had a voice in their community.

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Prison Next Step For American Christians?

Former Congressman Frank Wolf warned that Americans’ freedom of conscience is under attack and it’s mainly Christians with conservative values who are in the crosshairs of the new champions of political correctness.

Wolf, 76, said Christians may have to resort to civil disobedience because their views are increasingly considered “intolerant.”

“When tolerance is demanded, when orthodox Christianity is deemed intolerant and when government and even society fails to extend tolerance to people of faith, we are headed down a perilous path,” said the former 17-term congressman from Virginia.

Wolf was a champion for religious freedom throughout his time in Congress. Since his retirement in January, he has become a senior fellow at the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, which advocates for religious freedom worldwide.

Wolf delivered the May 7 speech at an event hosted by the Petrie-Flom Center and the Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Initiative on Religious Freedom and its Implications at Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies.

His address was titled “After Hobby Lobby: What is Caesar’s and What is God’s?” at the center’s 2015 Annual Conference, “Law, Religion, and Health in America.”

The Christian Post reported that Wolf’s main point was that freedom of conscience has long been understood as important for religious freedom, but recently there has been a trend of violating the conscience protections of conservative Christians, particularly over the issues of abortion and marriage.

“Our conscience is not ultimately allegiant to the state, but to something, and for many people, Someone, higher,” Wolf said, citing a resolution adopted by the Continental Congress to protect the conscience rights of pacifists. This is important “because if our conscience belongs to the state, the state can choose to violate it or compromise it at will.”

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How Would Reagan Have Answered the Iraq War Question?

Scott Walker is the latest entrant into the "would you have invaded Iraq" sweepstakes.

"Any president would have likely taken the same action [President George W.] Bush did with the information he had, even Hillary Clinton voted for it, but knowing what we know now, we should not have gone into Iraq," the Wisconsin governor and likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate told the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin.

Walker went on to praise Bush's surge and criticize President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a hasty withdrawal in 2011.

This question has been giving Republican presidential candidates fits since former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flubbed his response to Fox News' Megyn Kelly at the beginning of the week. The consensus seems to be that the Iraq war was a mistake based on what we know now about the weapons of mass destruction, but a mistake that was understandable at the time and compounded by the Obama administration's error in bugging out before the gains made during the surge could be consolidated.

For a party that often talks about a "neo-Reaganite" foreign policy, there's a difference between how most Republican presidential candidates are talking about Iraq and how Ronald Reagan talked about Vietnam, another war that was more popular with the GOP base than the public at large.

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Gotcha Questions for Democrats

The 2016 presidential campaign season has begun in earnest, and so has the season of presidential gotcha journalism — at least it has for Republicans.

Gotcha journalism is the attempt by journalists to ask questions that make interview subjects seem uncompassionate, incompetent or otherwise unqualified for office.

Sometimes, gotcha questions really do reveal a lot about the candidate — their values, policy prescriptions and other things that provide citizens with a window into their character or competency.

More often, however, gotcha questions aren’t directly relevant to the duties of the office the candidate is seeking and thus are seen as coming from a hidden agenda.

I’ll confess to a degree of ambivalence when it comes to political gotcha questions. Perhaps it is because I recognize that they are disproportionately asked of conservative candidates, and meant only to embarrass them.

Recently, Republican presidential candidates have been asked whether they would attend a same-sex marriage, whether they believe in evolution, and whether they would outlaw contraceptives. Before that, there were gotcha questions about infidelity, the use of illegal drugs, and which newspapers they liked to read.

In the interests of fairness, here is a list of questions honest journalists should consider asking Democratic candidates, especially those running for president.

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Young Conservative Dynamo Motivates Students to Lead GOP

The founder of Turning Point USA — a group of young, conservative political activists on more than 800 college and high school campuses — tells Newsmax TV his group is thriving because "people are tired of government telling them how to live their life."

Charlie Kirk said he created the nonprofit three years ago to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.

"When I was 18 years old, I felt that the conservative movement was not doing adequate work in the grassroots arena, especially on college campuses across the country," Kirk said Friday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."

"I saw what 'Obama for America' was able to do, I saw what MoveOn.org was engaging in, and I took it upon myself to first engage some people in the traditional Republican circles.

"I wasn't taken too seriously being an 18-year-old, but I got some great advice and the inner entrepreneur in me decided to take my graduation money in hand and start this organization with the core belief that we must build a ground game on a 24/7/365 basis."

That ground game: to show college students of the next generation they play a significant role in the "revitalization" of the United States.

"I stumbled across some very generous people … They provided the seed funding and now we're on 800 campuses nationwide with 31 people on staff. We were able to raise $1 million last year and we're going to add another 20 people to our full-time staff this July," he said.

"It's been an incredible journey, but I can't take credit for it, nor can our team. We're just tapping in to a trend that's going across the country. People are tired of government telling them how to live their life.

"They're tired of government being inefficient and corrupt and wasting their money, and we're just plugging in to that movement that I see growing every single day in this country."

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Al Sharpton’s Daughter Is Suing New York for $5 Million

Dominique Sharpton, daughter of the famous Rev. Sharpton, is suing New York City for $5 million.

The reason: She sprained her ankle last year.

The New York Post reported early Sunday on the lawsuit, in which the 28-year-old Sharpton claims to have been “severely injured, bruised and wounded” when she stumbled over uneven pavement in New York City last October.

But how badly injured is her ankle, really?

News of the lawsuit comes a day after Sharpton, who is currently vacationing in Bali, posted a mountaintop photo on Instagram with the caption, “We hiked UP the mountain.”

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Mayor Jim Ireton, Coming To Take A Home Near You

Publishers Notes: This is not just Jim Ireton's own neighborhood, it's on the street where he lives.

Friends,

More great news for Salisbury residents—this time in the Johnson’s Lake neighborhood—where the City has just been granted receivership of the derelict property at 204 W. Philadelphia Avenue.

Vacant since 2008, and condemned for lack of maintenance and disrepair in 2011, the property has been on the City’s radar from some time now. Multiple previous attempts to obtain receivership were unsuccessful due to the owner avoiding service of notice from the Court. On this latest attempt, Susan Phillips, Director of Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance was able to successfully petition for “alternative service”. The City was awarded receivership today, May 15th, 2015.

We need your help to keep the momentum going! I hope you can join me this coming Monday, May 18th at 4 p.m. in Council chambers to let our Council know the time to take back our neighborhoods is NOW.

Always doing what you sent me to City Hall to do,

-Jim

Call the Cops - Rob Hustle ft. Bump

This Summer’s Gas Prices Predicted To Be At Their Lowest In Six Years

As if there wasn’t enough to celebrate with the impending arrival of summer, road trip vacations will be even better this year with gasoline predicted to be at its cheapest in at least six years. Perfect for when you finally decide to drive across the country to visit that giant ball of [insert weird thing to make a giant ball out of] in [state far away from where you live].

Prices have been up a bit recently but gas prices will be moderate this summer and hover around $1 cheaper a gallon than last year, reports USA Today (warning: link has video that autoplays).

“This is cheapest driving season since the summer of 2009,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service.

The national average gas price went up $0.20 in a month to $2.69 a gallon for regular after a hike in crude oil prices and issues at West Coast refineries, according to the Energy Department.

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The Inevitable Comes To Pass: Pedialyte Targeting Hungover Adults

Although we acknowledge the fact that all of our readers are surely shining examples of fun in moderation, perhaps you may have known someone in your adult life who, after having had a few too many Brandy Alexanders, has attempted to rehydrate the next morning with the same drink your mom gave you when you stayed home with a stomach bug. Pedialyte feels your pain, and it’s definitely taking of its popularity among adults.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of, after all — it’s like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo: Just because it’s for babies doesn’t mean parents can’t use it too.

And mom, dad and friends are drinking it, Pedialyte says, with adult consumption growing by almost 60% since 2012, accounting for more tan a third of the company’s sales, Heather Mason, an executive vice president at Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer told the Wall Street Journal.

The company doesn’t disclose sales but said that retail sales tracked by Nielsen have gone up 22% to $102 million in 2014 from 2013, giving it a 58.2% share in the $167 million U.S. oral electrolyte market.

The historical average of adult drinkers was more in the 10% to 15% average range, she noted.

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SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A quarter has 119 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the
back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child
reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line
would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears
never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and
"lollipop" with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are
read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
There, now you know everything!

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