DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, July 03, 2015
Enjoy Your 4th Of July Weekend
Phil Mickelson's money tied to money laundering case: report
Phil Mickelson may have more explaining to do after a report by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” named him as the bettor whose $2.75 million led a former handicapper to plead guilty to three federal counts of money laundering.
Although Mickelson is apparently not under investigation and has not been charged with any crime, “Outside the Lines” is citing two sources that say the five-time major winner used Gregory Silveira of La Quinta, Calif., as a conduit to place bets on sporting events with an illegal offshore gambling operation.
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Although Mickelson is apparently not under investigation and has not been charged with any crime, “Outside the Lines” is citing two sources that say the five-time major winner used Gregory Silveira of La Quinta, Calif., as a conduit to place bets on sporting events with an illegal offshore gambling operation.
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Cop Buys Lemonade At Girl’s Stand; Returns Next Day, But Not To Buy More
“I talked to the little girl, gave her a speech about how courageous and admirable I think her efforts were to save up her money. I asked her how much she saved up, and she said she only had a few dollars,” Ropos told ABC News.
The girl said that she had more money, but her mom’s car ran out of gas. The girl then gave her mother the money she had so she could fill up her gas tank. Apparently, that struck a chord with the officer.
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In 'first', IS beheads two civilian women in Syria: monitor
The Islamic State group has beheaded two women in Syria on accusations of "sorcery," the first such executions of female civilians in Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.
"The Islamic State group executed two women by beheading them in Deir Ezzor province, and this is the first time the Observatory has documented women being killed by the group in this manner," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.
The Britain-based monitor said the executions took place on Monday and Sunday and involved two couples.
In both cases, the women were executed with their husbands, with each pair accused of "witchcraft and sorcery".
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"The Islamic State group executed two women by beheading them in Deir Ezzor province, and this is the first time the Observatory has documented women being killed by the group in this manner," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.
The Britain-based monitor said the executions took place on Monday and Sunday and involved two couples.
In both cases, the women were executed with their husbands, with each pair accused of "witchcraft and sorcery".
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11 Family Dollar Stores in Maryland Will Be Sold To Ensure Competition, Protect Consumers
"So many Marylanders rely on these stores for daily necessities like food and toiletries," Attorney General Frosh said. "This agreement ensures that in places where a Dollar Tree store and a Family Dollar store are close to each other, there will be two different companies operating them, with a built-in incentive to keep prices low."
The 11 stores will be sold to Sycamore Partners, which will be purchasing about 330 similar stores nationwide under the settlement. The stores will then be renamed "Dollar Express." Four of the stores are in the Baltimore City, six are in the DC suburbs, and one is in Salisbury.
This strange, glowing fish is more abundant than rats, chickens, and humans combined
With a global population of more than 7 billion, humans like to think they're a pretty big deal.
But in the race for the most abundant animal there's one little aquatic vertebrate that absolutely blows its competitors away.
There are likely thousands of trillions of bristlemouth fish in the world's oceans, according to The New York Times.
That's 18 zeros.
By comparison an estimated 24 billion chickens strut around the globe.
In some parts of the world rats seem like they outnumber everything. While no one has made an exact estimate on how many rats there are it's believed to be in the billions. But they probably outnumber humans.
Just for arguments sake say rats outnumber humans two to one, that puts them at 14 billion.
Then add on humans and chickens and that's 45 billion land vertebrates.
That's a lot.
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But in the race for the most abundant animal there's one little aquatic vertebrate that absolutely blows its competitors away.
There are likely thousands of trillions of bristlemouth fish in the world's oceans, according to The New York Times.
That's 18 zeros.
By comparison an estimated 24 billion chickens strut around the globe.
In some parts of the world rats seem like they outnumber everything. While no one has made an exact estimate on how many rats there are it's believed to be in the billions. But they probably outnumber humans.
Just for arguments sake say rats outnumber humans two to one, that puts them at 14 billion.
Then add on humans and chickens and that's 45 billion land vertebrates.
That's a lot.
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Turtle Derbies Pose Dangers for Humans and Herps
Some turtles raced in derbies are collected from the wild and, if diseased, can infect pet or other wild turtles when released. A particular concern is Ranavirus, an emerging infectious disease that has caused localized die-offs in Eastern Box Turtles, other native turtles, and some frogs and salamanders.
“We hope all Marylanders have a safe and happy holiday, and that they enjoy the wonder of wild turtles and frogs without the health risks associated with these events,” said Jonathan McKnight, associate director of DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service. “However, if you are planning to participate, we urge that you help protect Maryland’s wild reptiles and amphibians from disease by using only pet turtles, and not releasing them into the wild.”
County Health Agency Issues Reminders About Rabies; Rabid Raccoon Recently Killed In Berlin
BERLIN – A rabid raccoon in downtown Berlin served as proof of what health officials have been saying all along — the deadly disease can show up anywhere.
“We never know where the next call’s going to come from,” said Janet Tull, rabies coordinator for the Worcester County Health Department.
Tull said the county documented its sixth confirmed case of rabies this year when a raccoon carrying the disease was picked up off Main Street. According to Tull, the health department was contacted by a resident whose dog killed the rabid raccoon.
The dog’s rabies vaccination was up-to-date, but by law the animal was still required to receive a booster shot and had to remain in quarantine at the owner’s home for 45 days.
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“We never know where the next call’s going to come from,” said Janet Tull, rabies coordinator for the Worcester County Health Department.
Tull said the county documented its sixth confirmed case of rabies this year when a raccoon carrying the disease was picked up off Main Street. According to Tull, the health department was contacted by a resident whose dog killed the rabid raccoon.
The dog’s rabies vaccination was up-to-date, but by law the animal was still required to receive a booster shot and had to remain in quarantine at the owner’s home for 45 days.
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Why you should stop waving the rainbow flag on Facebook
This past weekend, I saw more rainbow flags than I had previously seen in the 26 years of my life combined. Everything – the White House, corporate logos, and especially my Facebook feed – suddenly was covered in the colors of gay pride. Since Friday, an astonishing 26 million people have overlain their profile pictures with semitransparent rainbow stripes, a feature Facebook created to celebrate gay pride after the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.
But the more flags I saw last weekend, the more uncomfortable I felt.
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Healthy 24-Year-Old Granted Right to Die in Belgium
Doctors in Belgium are granting a healthy 24-year-old woman who is suffering from depression the right to die, as she qualifies for euthanasia, even though she does not have a terminal or life-threatening illness.
The 24-year-old female, known simply as Laura, has been given the go ahead by health professionals in Belgium to receive a lethal injection after spending both her childhood and adult life suffering from "suicidal thoughts," she told local Belgian media.
Laura has been a patient of a psychiatric institution since the age of 21 and says she has previously tried to kill herself on several occasions. She told journalists: "Death feels to me not as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that was unsuccessful." The date of Laura's death is yet to be decided.
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The 24-year-old female, known simply as Laura, has been given the go ahead by health professionals in Belgium to receive a lethal injection after spending both her childhood and adult life suffering from "suicidal thoughts," she told local Belgian media.
Laura has been a patient of a psychiatric institution since the age of 21 and says she has previously tried to kill herself on several occasions. She told journalists: "Death feels to me not as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that was unsuccessful." The date of Laura's death is yet to be decided.
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Here’s One Rape Culture The Media Wants To Be Fake
With that colorful statement two weeks ago, Donald Trump declared his views on illegal immigrants. Since then, several media outlets have spent countless ounces of ink and innumerable seconds of air time raging at the real estate mogul for his comments — particularly his rape assertion.
Whenever The Donald is invited to defend his views for the umpteenth time, the questioning usually veers to the rape angle, as it did when Trump was interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon Wednesday night. During the interview, the presidential hopeful brought up a Fusion article that reported that 80 percent of women coming into the U.S. illegally are sexually assaulted.
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Google apologizes for mis-tagging photos of African Americans
Jacky Alciné, a Brooklyn computer programmer of Haitian descent, tweeted a screenshot of Google's new Photos app showing that it had grouped pictures of him and a black female friend under the heading "Gorillas."
"Google Photos, y'all f****d up. My friend's not a gorilla," Alciné wrote.
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Toyota's top female executive resigns after arrest in Japan
TOKYO — Julie Hamp, Toyota's most senior female executive, has resigned following her arrest in Japan on suspicion of drug law violations, the automaker said Wednesday.
Hamp tendered her resignation through her attorneys on Tuesday, and Toyota Motor Corp. accepted it because of "the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders," the company said.
Hamp, a 55-year-old American who was Toyota's newly appointed head of public relations, was arrested on June 18 on suspicion of importing oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer, into Japan. The drug is tightly controlled in the country.
Toyota declined to disclose other details, noting the investigation was ongoing.
Hamp, who previously worked for Toyota's U.S. operations, remains in custody and has not been available for comment. Police have said she denied she tried to bring in an illegal drug.
Hamp tendered her resignation through her attorneys on Tuesday, and Toyota Motor Corp. accepted it because of "the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders," the company said.
Hamp, a 55-year-old American who was Toyota's newly appointed head of public relations, was arrested on June 18 on suspicion of importing oxycodone, a narcotic pain killer, into Japan. The drug is tightly controlled in the country.
Toyota declined to disclose other details, noting the investigation was ongoing.
Hamp, who previously worked for Toyota's U.S. operations, remains in custody and has not been available for comment. Police have said she denied she tried to bring in an illegal drug.
We Talk To The Owner of a Massive Car Hoard About Why Things Aren’t For Sale
There’s a lot of resentment against people who have our dream cars. It’s intensified if the cars appear to just be sitting around, subject to the harsh realities of time. As we rant and rage about the waste, we all love those photos of vehicles sinking back into the earth, sun faded and wrapped in vines. What’s the deal? Why do people hold on to things they don’t use, and why does it make us so mad, yet unable to look away?
I didn’t set out to answer that question when Brandan and I stopped at a hilly property somewhere along State Route 41 in Mississippi during our Power Tour prerun this week. We stopped because we spotted a buttery yellow 1950s Mercury parked behind a white 1930s Dodge and when we got closer, we saw numerous rusting machines of various vintages in a field loosely ringed with barbed wire. As we poked around, trying to gauge at exactly which point our curiosity would become justified-shooting trespassing, a sleepy-looking man came out of the main house with a cup of coffee in his hand and a puzzled expression on his face. I explained who we were (HOT ROD Magazine), and why we had stopped (big car show coming through), and suddenly we were not suspicious characters up to no good on his property, we were fellow car nerds, and welcome to roam through the field, pet the horse, and ask about all the vehicles sitting in the weeds.
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I didn’t set out to answer that question when Brandan and I stopped at a hilly property somewhere along State Route 41 in Mississippi during our Power Tour prerun this week. We stopped because we spotted a buttery yellow 1950s Mercury parked behind a white 1930s Dodge and when we got closer, we saw numerous rusting machines of various vintages in a field loosely ringed with barbed wire. As we poked around, trying to gauge at exactly which point our curiosity would become justified-shooting trespassing, a sleepy-looking man came out of the main house with a cup of coffee in his hand and a puzzled expression on his face. I explained who we were (HOT ROD Magazine), and why we had stopped (big car show coming through), and suddenly we were not suspicious characters up to no good on his property, we were fellow car nerds, and welcome to roam through the field, pet the horse, and ask about all the vehicles sitting in the weeds.
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“Traditional Basket Making To Be Taught In Class In Mardela Springs”
On August 2, Sunday you can try it for yourself! Westside Historical Society will be offering a class in basket weaving , taught by master basket-maker Susan Taylor, in Mardela Springs. This class is part of the Saving Our Traditions Series, and not only will you learn to make a beautiful basket, but you get to keep your work of art! Taylor, a New Jersey native, now lives in Hurlock. She has a well earned reputation as the skilled weaver of traditional baskets, enthusiastic teacher of the art, and serious defender of this traditional craft. The mother of three and grandmother of five generously shares her talents to share this important art form and piece of our cultural history.
The study of basket making as art was virtually ignored until the 20th century ; many thought it to be ordinary and simply a part of domestic life and functional use. But historians see it as a key to learn about the daily lives of people and their lifestyles and very worthy of study and research. And in recent years, basket making has been elevated to a fine art, with exhibits of beautiful hand-woven baskets featured in the Smithsonian and other major museums. The National Basketry Organization promotes basketry as contemporary art nationally. In Maryland, those who hope to save this craft and art form have realized we are losing our basket-making traditions and cultures. The skills, patterns, materials, and forms of baskets woven by Native Americans, watermen, and farmers are being saved and passed on to new generations. The functions of baskets vary widely, from containers for fish and eels, apples and eggs, flowers and herbs to drying tobacco and a host of other items.
Traffic Alert: Rt 113 and Bishopville Road
Traffic Alert. Deputies are assisting State Police with a serious motor vehicle crash involving a motorcycle at Rt 113...
Posted by Worcester County Sheriff's Office on Friday, July 3, 2015
Va. County Imposes Transgender Lessons On Middle Schoolers
The school board vote happened one day before the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to legalize same-sex marriage across the country.
Those protesting the curriculum changes wore red t-shirts and bright stickers with the phrase, “Respect parents’ rights” while others supporting the board wore stickers that said, “Teach the facts.”
Changes to the Family Life Education curriculum spanned across each grade level, but the move of the more sensitive material from one section of the curriculum to another has opponents more than upset, despite the board’s insistence that students can opt out of such classes, if their parents choose to do so.
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Ohio Court Denies Inalienable Community Rights
Refuses to hear arguments in support of the people’s right to local self-government while deciding in favor of corporate “right” to frack
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OH: Yesterday – in time for the July 4th celebration of American Independence and democracy – the Cuyahoga County Court dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by residents of Broadview Heights to protect their inalienable right to local self-government. The suit was filed against the state of Ohio and the oil and gas industry, as fracking is being forced into communities without their consent.
In November 2012, Broadview Heights residents, with 67% of the vote, adopted a Community Bill of Rights codifying their right to local, democratic self-governance, and rights to water and a healthy environment – banning fracking as a violation of those rights.
In June 2014, two oil and gas corporations sued the City to overturn the bill of rights, claiming it violated their corporate “right” to frack. When City residents attempted to intervene, they were denied by the judge, who indicated residents had no legal interest in the case. In deciding the outcome of the case this spring, the judge agreed with the corporate frackers: that their claimed right to frack claimed “right” to frack was superior to the rights of the people of Broadview Heights. The will of the people, as expressed through their democratically adopted bill of rights, was nullified by the judiciary.
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OH: Yesterday – in time for the July 4th celebration of American Independence and democracy – the Cuyahoga County Court dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by residents of Broadview Heights to protect their inalienable right to local self-government. The suit was filed against the state of Ohio and the oil and gas industry, as fracking is being forced into communities without their consent.
In November 2012, Broadview Heights residents, with 67% of the vote, adopted a Community Bill of Rights codifying their right to local, democratic self-governance, and rights to water and a healthy environment – banning fracking as a violation of those rights.
In June 2014, two oil and gas corporations sued the City to overturn the bill of rights, claiming it violated their corporate “right” to frack. When City residents attempted to intervene, they were denied by the judge, who indicated residents had no legal interest in the case. In deciding the outcome of the case this spring, the judge agreed with the corporate frackers: that their claimed right to frack claimed “right” to frack was superior to the rights of the people of Broadview Heights. The will of the people, as expressed through their democratically adopted bill of rights, was nullified by the judiciary.
Yesterday’s decision in the class action lawsuit further reveals what more and more people are coming to realize: our existing structure of law denies local, democratic self-governance, it denies communities the authority to protect themselves from fracking, and it denies communities the authority to protect their water and the natural environment.
Naked Green Beret Kills Armed Robber, Saves Wife
Lynne Russell, a former CNN reporter and the first woman to solo anchor a primetime network news show, along with her husband, Chuck de Caro, a retired Special Forces (20th Special Forces Group) soldier turned security consultant, were involved in a deadly shootout at a motel as they were enjoying a cross country road trip.
The pair stopped for the night at a Motel 6 in Albuquerque, NM. When Russell went to retrieve something from their car, an intruder slipped into their room.
According to the NY Post, what happened next was a wild west shootout:
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The week in review, with perspective
If you dutifully read the weekend newspapers and watched the Sunday morning gasbags on television, I suspect you departed the chaos with a terrible headache. Possibly, you departed for the bar.
Typical of the news stories was one that The Washington Post headlined: "GOP Struggles For Footing As Cultural Ground Shifts Leftward." Who was doing the shifting? Well, a couple of delusional Supreme Court justices supported by a homicidal maniac, seated in someone's backyard, flying the Confederate flag over his puny shoulder, and a narcissistic self-promoter who recently changed his/her name to Caitlyn. Such are the dynamic forces driving history in America today — at least in the eyes of the Hollywood-New York-Washington axis.
Actually there is a more subtle, albeit more significant, transformation stealing across America, and it has been at work since 2010. It is the consequence of what our Founding Fathers embedded in our Constitution more than 200 years ago. It is federalism, working through the democratic process, and it cannot be stopped by a politicized court, a crazed gunman or a narcissist.
After the wave elections of 2010 and 2014, 24 states opted for Republican government, lock, stock and barrel.
After the wave elections of 2010 and 2014, 24 states opted for Republican government, lock, stock and barrel. In those states the governorship and the legislatures are all Republican, conservative Republican. As for the Democrats, they claimed only seven states lock, stock and barrel in 2015, and that is down from 13 states in 2014. As it stands now the Republicans control 24 states lock, stock and barrel, in addition to numerous state legislatures and governorships. At the federal level they hold both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Is there a trend here? I think there is.
What is more, a dozen or so Republicans are vying for the 2016 presidential nomination. In the Democratic Party one 67-year-old grandmother supposedly has the Democratic nomination sewn up, though her closest competitor, a 73-year-old socialist, is gaining on her. Will this Republican trend sweep a Republican into the White House? I think it will.
Let us return to what our mainstream news sources this weekend called a national leftward "shift." It was begun by an Olympian whose gold medal was won almost 40 years ago. He calls himself a Republican and now claims to be a woman. This spells electoral trouble for the Republicans? And the "shift" continued with the aforementioned homicidal maniac killing nine African-Americans in South Carolina while they were at prayer. In so doing, he brought such discredit to the Confederate battle flag that Republicans, starting with South Carolina's governor, demanded the flag be retired. This spells more trouble for Republicans? I think not.
Finally, what about last week's Supreme Court decisions that the media adduced as part of the nation's seismic shift to the left? Two conservatives on the Supreme Court refused to return some shoddily written legislation to Capitol Hill for a rewrite in one decision. In the other decision, one conservative justice played sociologist and claimed to spot a trend that allowed him to lead the court in pre-empting the democratic process throughout the states. Frankly, two wobbly conservatives on the court do not make a national shift to the left, but let my liberal friends believe that it exists. Let them rave on about same-sex, about the Confederate battle flag that almost no one wants hanging from a statehouse, and about Obamacare that is increasingly unpopular, catastrophically expensive, and will bankrupt America.
I return to the real electoral shifts that have been creeping across America. They stem from big government that an increasing number of Americans believe mucks everything up. They involve personal freedom that more and more Americans are fearful of losing. They conduce to government spending that a growing majority of Americans throughout the states recognize as unsustainable. Throughout the country, at the state level, there is a growing awareness that the Hollywood-New York-Washington axis is washed up.
This next election, a presidential election, will turn on serious issues rather than sad issues: the reach of government, the cost of government and foreign policy. On these matters Democrats increasingly say all the wrong things.
• R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. is editor-in-chief of The American Spectator. He is author of "The Death of Liberalism,"
Shooting Suspect Pleads To Assault
SNOW HILL — A local man, charged initially with attempted murder after shooting a man with a shotgun twice during a dispute over a deer, was found guilty of first-degree assault this week and now awaits his fate pending a pre-sentence investigation.
Around 1 a.m. on Jan. 30, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) was notified of a shooting victim at PRMC in Salisbury. The investigation revealed the victim had been shot twice near in the intersection of Whitesburg Rd. and Five Bridges Rd. in southern Worcester County.
The investigation revealed the victim and two others were traveling on Whitesburg Rd. and stopped near the intersection of Five Bridges Rd. to assist a motorist who had struck a deer with their vehicle. Witnesses told police an argument broke out between the victim and the driver of the vehicle who had struck the deer.
The driver, identified as Kenny George White, 18, of Fruitland, got a shotgun from his vehicle and fired at the victim standing in the roadway. The victim turned to flee and was shot again by the suspect. The victim sustained injuries from shotgun pellets below his torso. The victim was able to get back into his vehicle and he and his group were able to get a partial license plate number that ultimately assisted the police in finding the suspect.
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Around 1 a.m. on Jan. 30, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) was notified of a shooting victim at PRMC in Salisbury. The investigation revealed the victim had been shot twice near in the intersection of Whitesburg Rd. and Five Bridges Rd. in southern Worcester County.
The investigation revealed the victim and two others were traveling on Whitesburg Rd. and stopped near the intersection of Five Bridges Rd. to assist a motorist who had struck a deer with their vehicle. Witnesses told police an argument broke out between the victim and the driver of the vehicle who had struck the deer.
The driver, identified as Kenny George White, 18, of Fruitland, got a shotgun from his vehicle and fired at the victim standing in the roadway. The victim turned to flee and was shot again by the suspect. The victim sustained injuries from shotgun pellets below his torso. The victim was able to get back into his vehicle and he and his group were able to get a partial license plate number that ultimately assisted the police in finding the suspect.
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NAACP TO HOLD 10th ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL RALLY
Salisbury, MD… Wicomico County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (WCNAACP) will host its 1oth annual Back-to-School Rally from 12:30pm to 3:00 P.M. on Thursday, August 6th, at the Salisbury Middle School, Morris Street, Salisbury, MD.
This program encourages each child to begin the school year ready to work and learn. In addition to entertainment and a motivational speaker, each student will be given a bag of school supplies. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible to receive school supplies. For more information, contact Mary Ashanti at 410-543-4187.
The WCNAACP is accepting monetary donations or school supplies, with the goal of providing
at least 300 students with supplies. Supplies can be delivered to Sojourner-Douglass College at 408 Coles Circle, Suite D, Salisbury; you may write a check out to Wicomico County NAACP and mail to P.O. Box 1047, Salisbury, MD 21802.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in public and private sectors.
This program encourages each child to begin the school year ready to work and learn. In addition to entertainment and a motivational speaker, each student will be given a bag of school supplies. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible to receive school supplies. For more information, contact Mary Ashanti at 410-543-4187.
The WCNAACP is accepting monetary donations or school supplies, with the goal of providing
at least 300 students with supplies. Supplies can be delivered to Sojourner-Douglass College at 408 Coles Circle, Suite D, Salisbury; you may write a check out to Wicomico County NAACP and mail to P.O. Box 1047, Salisbury, MD 21802.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in public and private sectors.
Fairfax, VA Updates Transgender Sex Ed Curriculum
A school system in Virginia is planning to teach about the gender identity spectrum and the fluidity of sexuality beginning in the fall of 2016.
The sex ed curriculum for grades 7-12 in Fairfax County, Virginia, will be teaching gender as a social and psychological spectrum, upon which there are infinite gradations. Most people are cisgender, meaning that they identify with the gender assigned to them at birth, but others are transgender, meaning their feelings don’t sync up with the gender they were assigned at birth. The world may see them as male when they are really women, or vice versa. Others may feel themselves to be androgynous, different genders at different times, or no gender at all.
Many contend that gender is biological, and that any gender system that isn’t divided into two categories is unscientific, but this curriculum will give students a greater understanding of transgender people, who face some of the highest rates of hate crimes.
They also plan to teach that sexuality is fluid, and orientation can change over the course of one’s lifetime, writes Howard Portnoy of the Examiner.
These policies are based on the work of a group called Gender Spectrum, which works with educators to raise awareness of these topics, writes Inquisitr.
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The sex ed curriculum for grades 7-12 in Fairfax County, Virginia, will be teaching gender as a social and psychological spectrum, upon which there are infinite gradations. Most people are cisgender, meaning that they identify with the gender assigned to them at birth, but others are transgender, meaning their feelings don’t sync up with the gender they were assigned at birth. The world may see them as male when they are really women, or vice versa. Others may feel themselves to be androgynous, different genders at different times, or no gender at all.
Many contend that gender is biological, and that any gender system that isn’t divided into two categories is unscientific, but this curriculum will give students a greater understanding of transgender people, who face some of the highest rates of hate crimes.
They also plan to teach that sexuality is fluid, and orientation can change over the course of one’s lifetime, writes Howard Portnoy of the Examiner.
These policies are based on the work of a group called Gender Spectrum, which works with educators to raise awareness of these topics, writes Inquisitr.
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Punkin Chunkin lawsuit dismissed before trial
The 2013 suit filed by volunteer Daniel Fair of Lewes against the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association and Wheatley Farms Inc. was dismissed with prejudice on June 26 with the consent of all parties, meaning Fair cannot later file another suit for the same complaint.
In the suit, Fair alleged that the association and landowner were liable for a serious spinal injury he suffered when the ATV he was driving as a spotter overturned on him.
He sought in excess of $4 million in damages setting off a chain reaction that eventually led to the event vacating the Wheatley farm, missing its 2014 chunk date and moving to the grounds of Dover Intentional Speedway in Dover after nearly 30 years in Sussex County.
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Obama greeted with Confederate flags in Tennessee
If there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that some people in the South love their Confederate flags, so a bunch of people in Tennessee decided to greet President Barack Obama’s the only way they know how.
Obama was at the Stratton Elementary School in Madison to deliver a speech on his health care law, and several people lined the street, waving Confederate flags.
Some also were holding the flag along Obama’s motorcade route as he returned to the airport after his speech,according to The Hill.
Obama, along with a number of other political leaders, have called for the flag to be removed from government grounds in the South.
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Obama was at the Stratton Elementary School in Madison to deliver a speech on his health care law, and several people lined the street, waving Confederate flags.
Some also were holding the flag along Obama’s motorcade route as he returned to the airport after his speech,according to The Hill.
Obama, along with a number of other political leaders, have called for the flag to be removed from government grounds in the South.
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Here comes The Tourists!
Traffic on Route 90 is slow moving and was backed up almost to Route 589. Stay safe!
If you are in traffic please send let us know and send us a picture so we can help those in this area try to get around that area by using other roads. You may email text or call Joe when it is safe to do so! Please don't text and drive.
alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Court Rejects Woman’s Manslaughter Conviction Appeal
OCEAN CITY — A Maryland appeals court last month denied a bid by a Pennsylvania woman to overturn her criminally negligent manslaughter conviction for the death of her 12-year-old child in a crash on the Salisbury bypass.
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals denied an appeal filed by Tabitha Dobrzynski, now 41, who was convicted in 2013 of criminally negligent manslaughter in the death of her 12-year-old daughter in an accident on Route 50 and the Salisbury bypass on Aug. 5, 2012. Dobrzynski was heading from West Virginia to Ocean City in a Jeep Wrangler with her four children, one of which, the 12-year-old victim, was not restrained by a seatbelt.
Dobrzynski, had been awake for 28 hours and on the road for 14 hours while popping a variety of painkillers and other prescription medications when she rolled the Jeep multiple times on the Salisbury bypass on the way to Ocean City. She was convicted of criminally negligent manslaughter and sentenced to three years in jail, but appealed the conviction asserting she did not understand the implications of the combination of medications she had taken during the trip. The Court of Special Appeals denied the appeal and upheld the conviction handed down by the Wicomico County Circuit Court.
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The Maryland Court of Special Appeals denied an appeal filed by Tabitha Dobrzynski, now 41, who was convicted in 2013 of criminally negligent manslaughter in the death of her 12-year-old daughter in an accident on Route 50 and the Salisbury bypass on Aug. 5, 2012. Dobrzynski was heading from West Virginia to Ocean City in a Jeep Wrangler with her four children, one of which, the 12-year-old victim, was not restrained by a seatbelt.
Dobrzynski, had been awake for 28 hours and on the road for 14 hours while popping a variety of painkillers and other prescription medications when she rolled the Jeep multiple times on the Salisbury bypass on the way to Ocean City. She was convicted of criminally negligent manslaughter and sentenced to three years in jail, but appealed the conviction asserting she did not understand the implications of the combination of medications she had taken during the trip. The Court of Special Appeals denied the appeal and upheld the conviction handed down by the Wicomico County Circuit Court.
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Intel Experts: Obama's 'Benign Neglect' of Terror Groups Has 'Disastrous' Consequences
With al-Qaida and the Islamic State group enjoying safe havens across parts of Yemen, Syria and Iraq, and with terror attacks on the rise worldwide, doubts are growing about the effectiveness and sustainability of the Obama administration's "light footprint" strategy against global extremist movements.
A strategy predicated on training local forces and bombing terrorists from the air is actually making the situation worse, some leading intelligence analysts. Many are arguing for deeper U.S. involvement, if not with regular ground troops, then at least with elite advisers and commandos taking more risks in more places.
"What they are doing now is making it more likely that there will be a bigger, more disastrous catastrophe for the United States," said David Sedney, who resigned in 2013 as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"Drone strikes are not creating a safer, more stable world," Sedney said, and neither is the limited bombing campaign the Pentagon is running against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Both are creating new enemies, he added, without a plan to defeat them.
More here
A strategy predicated on training local forces and bombing terrorists from the air is actually making the situation worse, some leading intelligence analysts. Many are arguing for deeper U.S. involvement, if not with regular ground troops, then at least with elite advisers and commandos taking more risks in more places.
"What they are doing now is making it more likely that there will be a bigger, more disastrous catastrophe for the United States," said David Sedney, who resigned in 2013 as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"Drone strikes are not creating a safer, more stable world," Sedney said, and neither is the limited bombing campaign the Pentagon is running against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Both are creating new enemies, he added, without a plan to defeat them.
More here
Three Signs You're at Risk for Dementia
Despite massive research efforts, there is still no diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease. However, recent studies have uncovered three surprising early warning signs of the brain illness.
No. 1: Weak handshake. Scientists at the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, Ontario, found that poor hand grip is predictive of dementia, heart problems, and stroke.
Researchers looked at 140,000 people from 17 different countries and found a clear and consistent link between weak grip strength and death from any cause, including Alzheimer’s.
“This study really strengthens the case for using grip strength as a marker for health problems,” says Bob McLean, of Harvard Medical School’s Institute for Aging Research.
In fact, the American Academy of Neurology reports that people with firm handshakes are 42 percent less likely to suffer from dementia or stroke.
Researchers theorize that cardiovascular weakness causes weakness in the extremities, which is evident during a handshake. The same weakness can reduce cognitive functioning, they believe.
No. 2: Slow walking gait. Researchers at Boston Medical Center found that middle-aged people with slower walking speeds were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia.
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No. 1: Weak handshake. Scientists at the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, Ontario, found that poor hand grip is predictive of dementia, heart problems, and stroke.
Researchers looked at 140,000 people from 17 different countries and found a clear and consistent link between weak grip strength and death from any cause, including Alzheimer’s.
“This study really strengthens the case for using grip strength as a marker for health problems,” says Bob McLean, of Harvard Medical School’s Institute for Aging Research.
In fact, the American Academy of Neurology reports that people with firm handshakes are 42 percent less likely to suffer from dementia or stroke.
Researchers theorize that cardiovascular weakness causes weakness in the extremities, which is evident during a handshake. The same weakness can reduce cognitive functioning, they believe.
No. 2: Slow walking gait. Researchers at Boston Medical Center found that middle-aged people with slower walking speeds were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia.
Read more
Iran Violates Past Nuclear Promises on Eve of Deal
VIENNA—Senior Obama administration officials are defending Iranian nuclear violations in the aftermath of a bombshell report published Wednesday by the United Nations indicating that Iran has failed to live up to its nuclear-related obligations, according to sources apprised of the situation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) disclosed yesterday that Iran has failed to meet its commitments under the interim Joint Plan of Action to convert recently enriched uranium gas to powder.
While Iran has reduced the amount of enriched uranium gas in its stockpiles, it has failed to dispose of these materials in a way that satisfies the requirements of the nuclear accord struck with the United States and other powers in 2013.
Secretary of State John Kerry declared last summer that Iran would be forced to comply with such restrictions, and State Department officials were assuring reporters as recently as last month that the Iranians would meet their obligations.
More here
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) disclosed yesterday that Iran has failed to meet its commitments under the interim Joint Plan of Action to convert recently enriched uranium gas to powder.
While Iran has reduced the amount of enriched uranium gas in its stockpiles, it has failed to dispose of these materials in a way that satisfies the requirements of the nuclear accord struck with the United States and other powers in 2013.
Secretary of State John Kerry declared last summer that Iran would be forced to comply with such restrictions, and State Department officials were assuring reporters as recently as last month that the Iranians would meet their obligations.
More here
OPA Seeking More Information On Smart Meters
BERLIN – Ocean Pines residents want more information on smart meters before they see the electronic devices installed outside their homes.
Several homeowners shared their worries regarding smart meters with the Ocean Pines Association’s elected officials during a board meeting last week. Concerns ranged from the health risks of the meters to the amount of control they had to give Choptank Electric, the community’s electric provider.
“I’m not saying I’m against technology,” resident Pamela Dameron said. “I just want more information. We don’t want this to be the new asbestos.”
Dameron said Pines residents hadn’t been provided enough information on smart meters, which Choptank plans to install in the community this summer. She said the meters would be emitting radio waves like cell phones did and could create health problems.
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Several homeowners shared their worries regarding smart meters with the Ocean Pines Association’s elected officials during a board meeting last week. Concerns ranged from the health risks of the meters to the amount of control they had to give Choptank Electric, the community’s electric provider.
“I’m not saying I’m against technology,” resident Pamela Dameron said. “I just want more information. We don’t want this to be the new asbestos.”
Dameron said Pines residents hadn’t been provided enough information on smart meters, which Choptank plans to install in the community this summer. She said the meters would be emitting radio waves like cell phones did and could create health problems.
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The Dock In Crisfield Looks Awesome!!!
Our city dock.....thank you American Legion for putting up the flags! And thank you to our military.....God Bless the USA!!
Posted by Crisfield, Maryland on Friday, July 3, 2015
Episcopalians Vote To Celebrate Gay Marriage In Churches
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Episcopal Church has completed its embrace of gay rights, changing church law to allow same-sex religious marriages throughout the denomination, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.
The new policy won overwhelming approval from the top Episcopal legislative body Wednesday, following decades of debate and conflict. It came 12 years after the denomination blazed a trail by electing the first openly gay bishop.
"To finally get to this day is an incredible moment," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years. "It is the beginning. It is not the end. There will still be people excluded, but at least we've gotten to this point."
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The new policy won overwhelming approval from the top Episcopal legislative body Wednesday, following decades of debate and conflict. It came 12 years after the denomination blazed a trail by electing the first openly gay bishop.
"To finally get to this day is an incredible moment," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years. "It is the beginning. It is not the end. There will still be people excluded, but at least we've gotten to this point."
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Supreme Court Finally Makes A Ruling On Obama’s Birth Certificate In Landmark Decision
According to recent reports, the Alabama Supreme Court has just ruled in favor of President Obama, claiming that the Secretary of State in Alabama has no jurisdiction to look into the president’s eligibility. In a 7 to 2 vote, all birther arguments have been dismissed.
One of the seven who voted claimed that the position of Alabama’s Secretary of State is “a non-judicial office without subpoena power or investigative authority or the personnel necessary to undertake a duty to investigate a non-resident candidate’s qualification, even if such a duty could properly be implied.”
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One of the seven who voted claimed that the position of Alabama’s Secretary of State is “a non-judicial office without subpoena power or investigative authority or the personnel necessary to undertake a duty to investigate a non-resident candidate’s qualification, even if such a duty could properly be implied.”
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Everyone Who Changed Their Facebook Photos To Rainbow Just Got DUPED
New reports reveal that the “Celebrate Pride” tool may not have been the best idea…
According to Daily Mail, this tool was actually Facebook’s way of performing psychological testing on their users.
MIT network scientist Cesar Hidalgo wrote on Facebook yesterday. “The question is, how long will it take for people to change their profile pictures back to normal.”
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Tree Hugger
A woman from Los Angeles who was a tree hugger a liberal Democrat and an anti-hunter purchased a piece of timberland near Colville WA. There was a large tree on one of the highest points in the tract. She wanted a good view of the natural splendor of her land so she started to climb the big tree.
As she neared the top she encountered a spotted owl that attacked her. In her haste to escape the woman slid down the tree to the ground and got many splinters in her crotch. In considerable pain she hurried to a local ER to see a doctor. She told him she was an environmentalist a Democrat an anti-hunter and how she came to get all the splinters.
The doctor listened to her story with great patience and then told her to go wait in the examining room and he would see if he could help her. She sat and waited three hours before the doctor reappeared.
The angry woman demanded "What took you so long?" He smiled and then told her Well I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management before I could remove old-growth timber from a "recreational area" so close to a waste treatment facility. I'm sorry but due to ObamaCare... They turned you down.
Tree Huggers
As she neared the top she encountered a spotted owl that attacked her. In her haste to escape the woman slid down the tree to the ground and got many splinters in her crotch. In considerable pain she hurried to a local ER to see a doctor. She told him she was an environmentalist a Democrat an anti-hunter and how she came to get all the splinters.
The doctor listened to her story with great patience and then told her to go wait in the examining room and he would see if he could help her. She sat and waited three hours before the doctor reappeared.
The angry woman demanded "What took you so long?" He smiled and then told her Well I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management before I could remove old-growth timber from a "recreational area" so close to a waste treatment facility. I'm sorry but due to ObamaCare... They turned you down.
Tree Huggers
Delaware State Police Honors Those Who Helped Camp Barnes
When: Thursday, July 2, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Camp Barnes – 37171 Camp Barnes Rd. Frankford, De. 19945
Description: The Dedication of Camp Barnes Bathhouse and a Night to Honor Those Who Have Given So Much to Camp Barnes.
Organizations and Individuals To Be Honored
Atlantic Concrete
Atlantic Community Thrift Shop
Bruce & Sharon Schoonover
Fenwick Island Lions Club
Harry & Linda Kent
Herbert Barnes Jr.
Jimmy Hitchens
Kent County Levy Court
Matt Haley Companies- Global Delaware Fund
Millville by the Sea
Millville Volunteers
Schagrin Gas
Sussex County Council
The Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation
WSFS Bank
Where: Camp Barnes – 37171 Camp Barnes Rd. Frankford, De. 19945
Description: The Dedication of Camp Barnes Bathhouse and a Night to Honor Those Who Have Given So Much to Camp Barnes.
Organizations and Individuals To Be Honored
Atlantic Concrete
Atlantic Community Thrift Shop
Bruce & Sharon Schoonover
Fenwick Island Lions Club
Harry & Linda Kent
Herbert Barnes Jr.
Jimmy Hitchens
Kent County Levy Court
Matt Haley Companies- Global Delaware Fund
Millville by the Sea
Millville Volunteers
Schagrin Gas
Sussex County Council
The Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation
WSFS Bank
July 4th
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
F ive signers were captured by the British as traitors , and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned . Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes , and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. .
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton , Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed . The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and h is children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
"IN GOD WE TRUST"
F ive signers were captured by the British as traitors , and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned . Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes , and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. .
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton , Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed . The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and h is children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!
I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism i s NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer picnics, and baseball games.
I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism i s NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer picnics, and baseball games.
"IN GOD WE TRUST"