DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, August 14, 2015
FY2014 DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AIRPORT Rehabilitation of Runway 5-23 The Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico County Airport (Airport) was able to proceed with rehabilitation of all paving and subsurface, improvements in edge lighting and airfield signage, safety areas and drainage. Rehabilitation of Airport Terminal Road The Airport received a grant from MAA for $186,400 for the rehabilitation of the Airport Terminal Road. The project is scheduled to begin construction in March 2015. Rehabilitation of Vehicle Parking Lot The Airport began resurfacing of the Terminal Building Vehicle Parking Lot and completed two-thirds of the project before work had to be stopped in anticipation of winter weather. The project will resume in March 2015.
CORRECTIONS Jail Information Management System A new information management system for the jail was launched. The system captures all offender information from booking to release. Variable Drive Chiller Unit A new 160-ton chiller unit installation was completed. The efficiency of this Technology will reduce operating costs and resulted in a $40K plus rebate from the utility. Turnover Rate Recent data reflected that hiring initiatives and new salary structure appear to have had a significant impact on Corrections ability to hire and Retain qualified individuals reducing the turnover rate.
EMERGENCY SERVICES Continuity of Operations Emergency Services completed plans for the continuance of operations at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center if operations cannot be continued at normal locations.
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Report: Al Gore insiders chatting potential 2016 bid
“They’re figuring out if there’s a path financially and politically,” the Democrat told BuzzFeed, which noted Gore hasn't made any moves toward running. “It feels more real than it has in the past months.”
ABC's Rick Klein tweeted that a former Gore adviser confirmed that a "circle of his former aides are talking about" a potential 2016 bid though they are still in the very early part of the discussion.
Gore starting trending nationally on Twitter shortly after the reports emerged Thursday.
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A Letter To The Editor: 6th annual BMBF Bookbag Giveaway
Thank you, Sir. Your support enabled us to achieve our goal of donating approximately 1,200 bookbags to local kids in need living on the Eastern Shore.
Naval Academy Increasing Security After Deadly Shootout In Tenn.
Rick Ritter with the steps being taken in Annapolis, just 24 hours before Plebe Parent Weekend.
The Naval Academy is staying very tight lipped about the extent of the security changes, but experts believe the campus is a prime target for terrorists.
Just weeks ago, gunfire erupted in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The target — military recruiting centers. Four marines were murdered. Their families — left shattered.
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The Other Side of The Thin Blue Line
Call it Karma – or maybe just payback.
Either way, it’s bad news.
Last Friday, an Alabama cop pulled over a guy – apparently, over a traffic infraction. The guy argued with the cop; a fight broke out.
The guy got the upper hand and beat the cop senseless.
What’s remarkable about this incident – which got very little to no coverage outside of Birmingham – is the reaction of bystanders to the beating. Instead of coming to the cop’s aid – or even just calling 911 to summon more cops – they laughed, took pictures and posted the pictures of the cop lying bloody and unconscious in the street on social media sites like Facebook.
The natives (that’s us, by the way) are becoming restless.
Respect and deference are fading. Contempt – and something much stronger – are replacing them.
This should not come as a bolt out of the blue given the almost daily deluge of badged bullies strutting their stuff all over YouTube. Perhaps you saw the one of the California cop who unholstered his pistol on a guy who was standing beside his own vehicle, parked in his own driveway, in a suburban cul-de-sac? The cop was threatening the guy’s life because the guy had taken out his camera and was filming this cop, who just rolled into the cul-de-sac and sat there in his cop car, watching. If an ordinary citizen did this, it’d be stalking. If an ordinary citizen drew a gun, as this cop did, it’d be felony brandishing – and in many states, sufficient legal pretext to defend oneself with deadly force. But because the thug was in costume, he was legally able to stalk and threaten another human being and then just drive away.
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Either way, it’s bad news.
Last Friday, an Alabama cop pulled over a guy – apparently, over a traffic infraction. The guy argued with the cop; a fight broke out.
The guy got the upper hand and beat the cop senseless.
What’s remarkable about this incident – which got very little to no coverage outside of Birmingham – is the reaction of bystanders to the beating. Instead of coming to the cop’s aid – or even just calling 911 to summon more cops – they laughed, took pictures and posted the pictures of the cop lying bloody and unconscious in the street on social media sites like Facebook.
The natives (that’s us, by the way) are becoming restless.
Respect and deference are fading. Contempt – and something much stronger – are replacing them.
This should not come as a bolt out of the blue given the almost daily deluge of badged bullies strutting their stuff all over YouTube. Perhaps you saw the one of the California cop who unholstered his pistol on a guy who was standing beside his own vehicle, parked in his own driveway, in a suburban cul-de-sac? The cop was threatening the guy’s life because the guy had taken out his camera and was filming this cop, who just rolled into the cul-de-sac and sat there in his cop car, watching. If an ordinary citizen did this, it’d be stalking. If an ordinary citizen drew a gun, as this cop did, it’d be felony brandishing – and in many states, sufficient legal pretext to defend oneself with deadly force. But because the thug was in costume, he was legally able to stalk and threaten another human being and then just drive away.
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AG Frosh: Marylanders Recover $11.9 Million with Help of Consumer Protection Division
Mediators, volunteer advocates assisted more than 9,000 Marylanders resolve disputes with businesses, health insurers and others in fiscal 2015
Salisbury, MD -- Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division assisted more than 9,000 Marylanders who filed complaints during the most recent fiscal year, reclaiming $11.9 million for them.
Attorney General Frosh made the announcement of Fiscal Year 2015 recoveries during a visit to the Salisbury office of the Consumer Protection Division. The $11.9 million figure represents a significant increase over Fiscal Year 2014, when the Division recouped $8.7 million for consumers.
"I wish Marylanders didn't need our help, but unfortunately, that's not how the world works," Attorney General Frosh said. "Every day, Marylanders face challenges and have questions about transactions that are part of daily life. They might sign up for phone service that doesn't work the way it was promised. Or they have trouble getting a warranty repair, or a medical bill paid by their insurance company."
Oath Keepers Reportedly Attacked By Law Enforcement And Rioter
As previously reported by Truth In Media in an exclusive interview with Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers helped Ferguson businesses from the arsonists and looters ransacking Ferguson, Missouri last November.
Oath Keepers are back in Ferguson and their presence has gained world-wide attention.
Oath Keepers is an organization focused on defending the Constitution and includes former police officers and ex-military. Members of Oath Keepers kept guard of four Ferguson businesses last year at the permission of the business owners.
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Oath Keepers are back in Ferguson and their presence has gained world-wide attention.
Oath Keepers is an organization focused on defending the Constitution and includes former police officers and ex-military. Members of Oath Keepers kept guard of four Ferguson businesses last year at the permission of the business owners.
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Lottery Applications for Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Areas Now Available
Waterfowl hunting within the managed impoundments is by permit only, and is valid only for the opening day of each of the three separate splits of duck season. After each opening day, hunting is restricted to select days of the week and/or select holidays through the remainder of each split season. The schedule of open hunting days can be found in the 2015-2016 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping.
Applications to hunt during one of the permit-only dates can be downloaded here and must be returned prior to September 11, 2015. Permits will be issued through a lottery drawing, with assignments based on the hunters’ stated preference for each area and/or date.
Justice Department Intervenes in Private Discriminatory Policing Lawsuit Against Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joseph Arpaio
In October 2013, the court issued an injunction setting forth specific reforms for MCSO’s law enforcement practices and appointed an independent monitor to oversee implementation of the injunction. In June, the U.S. District Court of the District of Arizona granted the department’s motion for summary judgment on its discriminatory policing claim, based on the court’s findings in Melendres. The department filed for intervention in Melendres so that it may enforce the court’s injunction and any future remedies ordered by the court to address Sheriff Arpaio’s and MCSO’s alleged violations of the court’s orders.
The Spy Satellite Secrets in Hillary’s Emails
These weren’t just ordinary secrets found in Clinton’s private server, but some of the most classified material the U.S. government has.
After months of denials and delaying actions, Hillary Clinton has decided to turn over her private email server to the Department of Justice. As this controversy has grown since the spring, Clinton and her campaign operatives have repeatedly denied that she had placed classified information in her personal email while serving as secretary of state during President Obama’s first term. (“I am confident that I never sent nor received any information that was classified at the time it was sent and received,” she said last month.) Her team also denied that she would ever hand over her server to investigators. Now both those assertions have been overturned.
Hillary Clinton has little choice but to hand over her server to authorities since it now appears increasingly likely that someone on her staff violated federal laws regarding the handling of classified materials. On August 11, after extensive investigation, the intelligence community’s inspector general reported to Congress that it had found several violations of security policy in Clinton’s personal emails.
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After months of denials and delaying actions, Hillary Clinton has decided to turn over her private email server to the Department of Justice. As this controversy has grown since the spring, Clinton and her campaign operatives have repeatedly denied that she had placed classified information in her personal email while serving as secretary of state during President Obama’s first term. (“I am confident that I never sent nor received any information that was classified at the time it was sent and received,” she said last month.) Her team also denied that she would ever hand over her server to investigators. Now both those assertions have been overturned.
Hillary Clinton has little choice but to hand over her server to authorities since it now appears increasingly likely that someone on her staff violated federal laws regarding the handling of classified materials. On August 11, after extensive investigation, the intelligence community’s inspector general reported to Congress that it had found several violations of security policy in Clinton’s personal emails.
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22nd Ocean City Lacrosse Classic Invades Resort This Weekend
OCEAN CITY- Ocean City will become the center of the lacrosse universe this weekend when some of the top men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in the country descend on the resort for the 22ndAnnual Ocean City Lacrosse Classic.
The annual tournament got underway on Wednesday with the Rolling Surf Wheelchair Lacrosse division playing games at Northside Park. On Thursday, opening round games were played in the Masters and Grand Masters divisions at the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex in Berlin. Northside Park in Ocean City continues to be tournament headquarters and most of the action all weekend will take place there, but because of the growth of the tournament in recent years, some early round games will be played at the other venues including Most Blessed Sacrament School, the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex and the Ocean City fields downtown at 4th Street.
From modest beginnings in 1993, the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic has grown to become one of the sport’s most highly anticipated events. Last year, over 100 teams participated, but that number will likely grow again this year including two divisions of men’s elite teams, a women’s elite division, along with men’s masters teams. In addition, the Men’s Trident Division will feature players 45 and over and the King Neptune Division featuring players over 50 still interested in playing competitive lacrosse.
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The annual tournament got underway on Wednesday with the Rolling Surf Wheelchair Lacrosse division playing games at Northside Park. On Thursday, opening round games were played in the Masters and Grand Masters divisions at the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex in Berlin. Northside Park in Ocean City continues to be tournament headquarters and most of the action all weekend will take place there, but because of the growth of the tournament in recent years, some early round games will be played at the other venues including Most Blessed Sacrament School, the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex and the Ocean City fields downtown at 4th Street.
From modest beginnings in 1993, the Ocean City Lacrosse Classic has grown to become one of the sport’s most highly anticipated events. Last year, over 100 teams participated, but that number will likely grow again this year including two divisions of men’s elite teams, a women’s elite division, along with men’s masters teams. In addition, the Men’s Trident Division will feature players 45 and over and the King Neptune Division featuring players over 50 still interested in playing competitive lacrosse.
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Now the cultural cleansers want to ban a familiar Southern word
Cultural progressives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina want to change the name of the Dixie Classic Fair.
They say the word “Dixie” is offensive.
Councilman James Taylor told FOX8 that some folks find the word “offensive” and some folks are “angry” with the name. He said that as a progressive city – they need a name that “everyone can appreciate.”
The fair is just the latest victim of a cultural cleansing of the Southern States by angry liberals wound up tighter than a pair of Daisy Dukes.
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They say the word “Dixie” is offensive.
Councilman James Taylor told FOX8 that some folks find the word “offensive” and some folks are “angry” with the name. He said that as a progressive city – they need a name that “everyone can appreciate.”
The fair is just the latest victim of a cultural cleansing of the Southern States by angry liberals wound up tighter than a pair of Daisy Dukes.
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Ocean City Tax Rate Suit Headed To Fed Court; Resort Appealing Ruling
OCEAN CITY — The battle over the property tax rate petition in Ocean City will be heard in federal court after a judge last week ordered the town’s case against the Ocean City Taxpayers for Social Justice (OCTSJ) be removed from Worcester County Circuit Court and consolidated with a concurrent civil case filed by the plaintiffs in U.S. District Court.
In July, OCTSJ organizer Tony Christ filed a request in U.S. District Court for the emergency removal of the Town of Ocean City’s Circuit Court case in Worcester County to the federal level, asserting the property tax rate issue as it relates to the constant yield should be considered a federal question because the alleged arbitrariness of the tax rate change falls under First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment violations. Essentially, the OCTSJ argues the case should more appropriately be heard in federal court because it doesn’t believe it would get a fair hearing at the local level.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Bennett concurred and ordered the town’s petition for declaratory judgment against the OCTSJ to be removed from Worcester County Circuit Court and consolidated with a OCTSJ’s existing case against the town filed in U.S. District Court on July 1. In simpler terms, the town’s action against the OCTSJ filed in Worcester County Circuit Court, and the OCTSJ case against the Mayor and Council filed in U.S. District Court, which were proceeding on parallel paths, will now be consolidated into a single federal case.
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In July, OCTSJ organizer Tony Christ filed a request in U.S. District Court for the emergency removal of the Town of Ocean City’s Circuit Court case in Worcester County to the federal level, asserting the property tax rate issue as it relates to the constant yield should be considered a federal question because the alleged arbitrariness of the tax rate change falls under First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment violations. Essentially, the OCTSJ argues the case should more appropriately be heard in federal court because it doesn’t believe it would get a fair hearing at the local level.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Bennett concurred and ordered the town’s petition for declaratory judgment against the OCTSJ to be removed from Worcester County Circuit Court and consolidated with a OCTSJ’s existing case against the town filed in U.S. District Court on July 1. In simpler terms, the town’s action against the OCTSJ filed in Worcester County Circuit Court, and the OCTSJ case against the Mayor and Council filed in U.S. District Court, which were proceeding on parallel paths, will now be consolidated into a single federal case.
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Baltimore pawn shop operator indicted in $1 million eBay scheme
An Owings Mills man who operated a Baltimore pawn shop has been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling $1 million in stolen goods and fraudulently obtained gift cards on eBay.
Noel Erick Anshel, 48, of Hilltop Cellular at 5450 Reisterstown Road, is accused of buying stolen items from "boosters," or shoplifters, then selling the items on eBay, often for less than full price, according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.
The stolen merchandise included faucets, garbage disposal units, drills, saws, digital cameras and televisions sets, the indictment said.
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Noel Erick Anshel, 48, of Hilltop Cellular at 5450 Reisterstown Road, is accused of buying stolen items from "boosters," or shoplifters, then selling the items on eBay, often for less than full price, according to the indictment unsealed Thursday.
The stolen merchandise included faucets, garbage disposal units, drills, saws, digital cameras and televisions sets, the indictment said.
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JUST IN: Firefighter injured in double shooting in Baltimore
The shooting happened in the 3900 block of West Garrison Boulevard at Liberty Heights Avenue on Friday afternoon.
An on-duty firefighter was reportedly shot and is expected to be OK, 11 News reporter Lisa Robinson said. It's not clear where the other person was shot.
No further details were immediately available.
Source
WCSO Press Releases - August 14, 2015
Incident: Burglary
Date of Incident: 12 August 2015
Location: 6000 block of Quantico Road, Quantico, MD
Suspect: Ralph Lee Pusey, 54, Quantico, MD
Ralph Pusey
Narrative: On 12 August 2015 at 3:34 PM a deputy arrested Ralph Pusey in connection with a burglary to a shed that had occurred in the 6000 block of Quantico Road in Quantico. Investigation revealed that Pusey entered the shed without permission and stole a kayak that he subsequently sold at a pawn shop in the Salisbury area.
The deputy transported Pusey to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Pusey on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Burglary 2nd Degree
Theft under $1,000.00
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Incident: “Most Wanted” Apprehension
Date of Incident: 13 August 2015
Location: 700 block of Buckingham Circle, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Shawn Lawrance Alexander, 33, Salisbury, MD
Shawn Alexander
Narrative: On 13 August 2015 at 2:30 PM, Shawn Alexander, a wanted fugitive, was located hiding inside a residence in the 700 block of Buckingham Circle in Salisbury. Alexander had been sought since March 2015 on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant that had been issued after he violated the terms of his probation in a burglary case.
Alexander had been featured on several different occasions on multiple different media outlets as one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” which generated many tips to the Crime Solvers line. These tips proved extremely beneficial in locating Alexander.
Upon arrest, Alexander was transported to the Detention Center where he was held on $25,000.00 bond pending an appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.
Charges: Violation of Probation
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Incident: Possession of Heroin
Date of Incident: 13 August 2015
Location: 9000 block of Gumboro Road, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: 1. Jerome Torres Hicks, 29, Dagsboro, DE
Jerome Hicks
2. Leontya William Davon Adkins, 33, Seaford, DE
Leontya Adkins
3. Travis Leroy Irving, 27, Selbyville, DE
Travis Irving
Narrative: On 13 August 2015 at 6:39 PM a deputy stopped a Chevrolet Pick-Up truck towing a trailer carrying a motorcycle for speeding on Gumboro Road. During the stop, the deputy discovered that the individual driving the truck, Jerome Hicks, had his driver’s license revoked by the State of Delaware. While standing next to the open window, the deputy also detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana emanating from within the vehicle which caused the deputy to initiate a search. During the search, the deputy did locate marijuana, but further search revealed 13 individually wrapped baggies that contained heroin.
A query conducted on the motorcycle on the trailer revealed that it had been reported stolen in Montgomery County, MD back in July.
Due to the amount of heroin and its individual packaging, the deputy arrested Hicks and his two passengers, Leontya Adkins and Travis Irving, for possession of Heroin with the intent to distribute. All three were transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following their initial appearance, all three were detained on bond in the Detention Center, Jerome Hicks in lieu of $55,000.00 bond and both Leontya Adkins and Travis Irving on $50,000.00 bond each.
Charges: Possession of Heroin
Possession of Heroin with the intent to Distribute
Theft
*************************************************
Incident: Violation of a Protective Order
Date of Incident: 13 August 2015
Location: 32000 block of Shavox Road, Parsonsburg, MD
Suspect: Hope Milicent Glinowiecki, 48, Parsonsburg, MD
Hope Glinowiecki
Narrative: On 13 August 2015 at 9:51 PM a deputy responded to a reported complaint of a subject being inside a residence in defiance of a protective order. Upon arrival, the deputy located Hope Glinowiecki inside the residence. The deputy verified that Glinowiecki was barred from entry into the residence by a protective order that was issued back in July.
The deputy placed Glinowiecki under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Glinowiecki in the Detention Center in lieu of $40,000.00 bond.
Charges: Violation of a Protective Order
Releasing Authority: Lt. Tim Robinson Date: 14 August 2015
Local leaders concerned over zoning of medical marijuana dispensaries
OCEAN CITY, Md. —Zoning and locations of medical marijuana dispensaries are major concerns amongst local lawmakers.
Maryland state lawmakers approved the use of medical marijuana to bring relief to patients suffering from a variety of ailments, but what role will cities and counties play in overseeing the facilities that provide it?
The topic garnered a standing-room only crowd Thursday morning at the conference of the Maryland Association of Counties in Ocean City. County and municipal leaders wanted to know more about the regulation, growing, distribution and dispensing of marijuana for medicinal use.
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Maryland state lawmakers approved the use of medical marijuana to bring relief to patients suffering from a variety of ailments, but what role will cities and counties play in overseeing the facilities that provide it?
The topic garnered a standing-room only crowd Thursday morning at the conference of the Maryland Association of Counties in Ocean City. County and municipal leaders wanted to know more about the regulation, growing, distribution and dispensing of marijuana for medicinal use.
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Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford At Assateague's 50th Anniversary Celebration
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| "Took a tour of the island and saw some of the wild horses!" |
It was an honor to attend the Assateague Island 50th Anniversary Celebration today and deliver an official proclamation...
Posted by Boyd Rutherford on Friday, August 14, 2015
‘Climate Change Industry’ Now a $1.5 Trillion Global Business
The plaintive calls about global warming and loss of polar bear habitats, the stern warnings about rising seas and flooded coastlines - this is what the public hears about. Then there’s this pesky, inconvenient truth they don’t hear about: $1.5 trillion.
“Interest in climate change is becoming an increasingly powerful economic driver, so much so that some see it as an industry in itself whose growth is driven in large part by policymaking, notes Don Jergler, an analyst for Insurance Journal, an industry publication.
“That also includes the climate change consulting market, which a recent report by the journal estimates at $1.9 billion worldwide and $890 million in the U.S.,” Mr. Jergler says.
More here
“Interest in climate change is becoming an increasingly powerful economic driver, so much so that some see it as an industry in itself whose growth is driven in large part by policymaking, notes Don Jergler, an analyst for Insurance Journal, an industry publication.
“That also includes the climate change consulting market, which a recent report by the journal estimates at $1.9 billion worldwide and $890 million in the U.S.,” Mr. Jergler says.
More here
Resurgence of Tropical Disease In US
One rainy Friday morning in March 2015, Dr Laila Woc-Colburn saw two patients with neurocysticercosis (a parasitic infection of the brain) and one with Chagas disease, which is transmitted by insects nicknamed 'kissing bugs'. Having attended medical school in her native Guatemala, she was used to treating these kinds of diseases. But she was not in Guatemala any more – this was Houston, Texas.
For half a day each week, one wing of the Smith Clinic's third floor in Houston is transformed into a tropical medicine clinic, treating all manner of infectious diseases for anyone who walks through the door. Since it opened in 2011, Woc-Colburn and her colleagues have treated everything from dengue and chikungunya to river blindness and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Their patients are not globetrotting travellers, bringing exotic diseases back home. The Smith Clinic is a safety net provider, the last resort for healthcare for people on low incomes and without insurance. Many of their patients haven't left the Houston area for years.
This suggests that what Woc-Colburn sees in the clinic may be just the leading edge of a gathering crisis. Diseases once associated with 'elsewhere' are increasingly being found in the southern states of the USA. Infectious disease physician Peter Hotez was so concerned that he founded a school of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, well within the territory that Hotez argues is one of the world's ten hotspots for so-called neglected tropical diseases.
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For half a day each week, one wing of the Smith Clinic's third floor in Houston is transformed into a tropical medicine clinic, treating all manner of infectious diseases for anyone who walks through the door. Since it opened in 2011, Woc-Colburn and her colleagues have treated everything from dengue and chikungunya to river blindness and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Their patients are not globetrotting travellers, bringing exotic diseases back home. The Smith Clinic is a safety net provider, the last resort for healthcare for people on low incomes and without insurance. Many of their patients haven't left the Houston area for years.
This suggests that what Woc-Colburn sees in the clinic may be just the leading edge of a gathering crisis. Diseases once associated with 'elsewhere' are increasingly being found in the southern states of the USA. Infectious disease physician Peter Hotez was so concerned that he founded a school of tropical medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, well within the territory that Hotez argues is one of the world's ten hotspots for so-called neglected tropical diseases.
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FINALLY: A Transsexual Teddy Bear Teaches Your Children About Transgenderism
Worried that American culture isn’t indoctrinating your children with the LGBT agenda enough? Well, have no fear! A lesbian mother, and daughter of a transgender father, has written a book featuring a transgender teddy bear so that all the children everywhere can learn about how denying biology is actually not a mental illness.
Out Jessica went in search of a bedtime tale which would explain to her son how his grandfather was now his grandmother, even though the Shegrandfather (as he/she/it shall henceforth be known) still has a pecker. Still with me?
Soon after her dad’s transition began, Walton and her partner had their own child, and they started looking for children’s books that reflected their family. And, whereas they did find “great books” that featured gay parents, they had real trouble finding books featuring transgender and gender-fluid characters. So she decided to “write the book we wanted to read to our son.”
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Out Jessica went in search of a bedtime tale which would explain to her son how his grandfather was now his grandmother, even though the Shegrandfather (as he/she/it shall henceforth be known) still has a pecker. Still with me?
Soon after her dad’s transition began, Walton and her partner had their own child, and they started looking for children’s books that reflected their family. And, whereas they did find “great books” that featured gay parents, they had real trouble finding books featuring transgender and gender-fluid characters. So she decided to “write the book we wanted to read to our son.”
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PEOPLE OF SPOKANE TO VOTE ON WORKER BILL OF RIGHTS
Mayor of Spokane loses court challenge attempting to strike a duly qualified
citizens’ initiative from the ballot
citizens’ initiative from the ballot
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON: Judge Salvatore Cozza from the Spokane County Superior denied a preliminary injunction brought by the Mayor of Spokane to block the vote of a Worker Bill of Rights initiative, which is on the November ballot. The Worker Bill of Rights was duly qualified by the local community rights group, Envision Worker Rights. The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) has provided legal assistance to the community group, including legal defense against the challenge brought by the mayor.
This first-in-the-nation Worker Bill of Rights would secure a right to a family wagewhen working for a large employer, right to equal pay for equal work, right to not be wrongfully terminated, and that corporate powers shall be subordinate to people’s rights.
To CELDF’s knowledge, this will be the first time in the United Stated that citizens will vote on a true living wage, which is provided for in the Worker Bill of Rights through the right to a family wage provision.
“We are very happy that the people of Spokane had their right to vote protected,” said Brad Read, Campaign Manager for Envision Worker Rights.
In today’s decision, the judge repeatedly referenced the need to protect the citizens’ initiative process. He spoke of how the initiative process was developed in the early 20th century as a means for the people to bring forward ideas “outside of the box” that would not be entertained by “traditional” legislative bodies whether it be at the local or state level.
The judge concluded his decision by saying the “heart of the matter” was whether the Worker Bill of Rights fell within the very narrow realm of a pre-election challenge. He felt that it did not and that he was compelled to follow what he called a “general principle” that the right of the people to vote needs to be upheld.
“This legal challenge was clearly a calculated attempt by the mayor, goaded and backed by Spokane’s corporate powerbrokers, to thwart the right of the people to vote”, said Kai Huschke, CELDF organizer for Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. “That move has blown up in their faces, so the corporate interests will now see if they can buy a campaign to kill the passage of a very popular proposal in the Worker Bill of Rights.”
The mayor’s attorney, Michael Ryan from the international corporate law firm K&L Gates, said that the not decision has been made on whether the mayor will appeal the preliminary injunction.
SSA: Phased retirement’s not right for us now
The Social Security Administration has informed its workforce that a phased retirement program will not be implemented at the agency, at least not anytime in the foreseeable future.
“For now, we’ve opted not to pursue a phased retirement program. As we looked at the options and the impact on the agency, to try to launch a program like that at this time, it might destabilize us in ways that we really can’t afford,” Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources Reginald Wells told Federal News Radio’s Lauren Larson during an interview for Ask the CHCO.
Social Security has seen a significant amount of it’s workforce retire in recent years, topping the list of large independent agencies in the last 10 years with 26,586 employees leaving between 2005 and 2014. NASA came in second at 5,628 workers retiring. Roughly 25 percent of the workforce at SSA say they expect to retire within the next five years according to results from the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Wells said the Reemployed Annuitant Program, which allows retired employees the opportunity to be rehired, gives them flexibility and has helped them tremendously with knowledge transfer and training.
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“For now, we’ve opted not to pursue a phased retirement program. As we looked at the options and the impact on the agency, to try to launch a program like that at this time, it might destabilize us in ways that we really can’t afford,” Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources Reginald Wells told Federal News Radio’s Lauren Larson during an interview for Ask the CHCO.
Social Security has seen a significant amount of it’s workforce retire in recent years, topping the list of large independent agencies in the last 10 years with 26,586 employees leaving between 2005 and 2014. NASA came in second at 5,628 workers retiring. Roughly 25 percent of the workforce at SSA say they expect to retire within the next five years according to results from the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Wells said the Reemployed Annuitant Program, which allows retired employees the opportunity to be rehired, gives them flexibility and has helped them tremendously with knowledge transfer and training.
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Exclusive: Jeb Bush Linked to Cartel Money Laundering While Serving CIA
Jeb should explain his association with violent cartels
During the recent Republican presidential candidates’ “debate” in Cleveland, former Florida Governor John Ellis Bush (JEB) wanted to recount his eight years as governor of the Sunshine State; however, it is not Bush the politician who should be of interest to voters but Bush the Central Intelligence Agency “non-official cover” banker in Venezuela and Miami-based real estate businessman/money launderer who should alarm the American electorate.
While Jeb’s brother, George W. Bush, glossed over his AWOL status with the Texas Air National Guard, Jeb does not have a military record to defend but he does have a CIA employment record to fess up to.
Jeb’s early work in Venezuela and south Florida is much more troubling than Dubya pretending to be on active duty in Texas while he was actually off in Alabama helping a GOP U.S. Senate campaign and getting sloppy drunk in redneck bars. Jeb should fully explain his relationship with Alberto Duque, a Colombian national who laundered drug money for the Medellin and Cali narco-cartels and Nicaraguan contras while serving as owner of City National Bank of Miami and president of the General Coffee Company of Colombia.
Apparently, there was more than coffee arriving in sacks of coffee coming into Miami from Colombia. Duque financed a $30 million real estate development project run by Jeb Bush.
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During the recent Republican presidential candidates’ “debate” in Cleveland, former Florida Governor John Ellis Bush (JEB) wanted to recount his eight years as governor of the Sunshine State; however, it is not Bush the politician who should be of interest to voters but Bush the Central Intelligence Agency “non-official cover” banker in Venezuela and Miami-based real estate businessman/money launderer who should alarm the American electorate.
While Jeb’s brother, George W. Bush, glossed over his AWOL status with the Texas Air National Guard, Jeb does not have a military record to defend but he does have a CIA employment record to fess up to.
Jeb’s early work in Venezuela and south Florida is much more troubling than Dubya pretending to be on active duty in Texas while he was actually off in Alabama helping a GOP U.S. Senate campaign and getting sloppy drunk in redneck bars. Jeb should fully explain his relationship with Alberto Duque, a Colombian national who laundered drug money for the Medellin and Cali narco-cartels and Nicaraguan contras while serving as owner of City National Bank of Miami and president of the General Coffee Company of Colombia.
Apparently, there was more than coffee arriving in sacks of coffee coming into Miami from Colombia. Duque financed a $30 million real estate development project run by Jeb Bush.
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MAJOR Book Publisher BANS The Use Of ‘Pig’ And ‘Pork’ So They Don’t Offend Muslims
I don’t care how big a publisher they are, I would highly recommend boycotting Oxford University Press. This is reason 10,237 you need to get your children out of public schools. Those textbooks, if I’m not mistaken, are also used in our schools. The level of political correctness here is insane in the extreme. Banning the mere mention of ‘pigs’ and ‘pork’ to avoid offending Muslims is just obscene. What next? Are you going to ban any mention of gays? How about women’s clothing, dating, freedom of speech? Are you going to go out and kill off all pigs because the Muslims find them distasteful? Get a grip! But the Oxford University Press is doubling down and defending their pandering to Islam. They must have Islamists in their upper corporate structure. It’s a manipulative move worthy of the Muslim Brotherhood. This just ticks me off.
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Bay Island Lovers Seek Solution With DNR To Prevent Recreational Closing
When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged the navigation channels around the coastal bays last winter, the resulting 40,000 cubic yards of sand and dredge spoil were used to restore some of the islands in the coastal bays that had not been seen since the 1930s, including the famed Dog and Bitch Island. Approximately 18,000 cubic yards of sand were specifically pumped onto Dog and Bitch Island, essentially accomplishing the dual goals of finding a home for the dredged material and re-creating the historic small island once essential for migratory bird habitat.
However, a funny thing happened on the way to creating a quiet reserve for threatened or endangered migratory birds, such as terns and skimmers. From the beginning, recreational boaters were drawn to the sandy spit in the Isle of Wight Bay and hundreds of boat operators drop anchor and wade ashore creating a weekend retreat for their families and friends.
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Not Everybody Likes Kissing
Such on-screen behavior seems romantic if you were raised in a culture that practices romantic kissing. But that type of culture may not be the majority. In a studypublished this month in American Anthropologist, researchers propose that romantic kissing isn't something everybody does; in fact, not even half the cultures surveyed lock lips in romance.
Scientists have at least a couple of ideas about why we kiss people we are attracted to. We might be doing it to evaluate a potential mate, evolutionary biologists say, or to maintain a bond, or to arouse the other person. Kissing behaviors have been observed in chimpanzees and bonobos, though how romantic the animals were feeling at the time is unknown.
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Carly Catches Jeb For Third Place In Poll As Trump Falters
In the first poll to show troubles from his debate performance, Donald Trump has tumbled from 26 percent to 17 percent, with insurgent Republican business leader Carly Fiorina skyrocketing into third place.
Rasmussen Reports said that Trump remains the leader of the GOP pack, but his support has fallen by more than a third over the past week-and-a-half.
Fiorina, on the back of her strong "happy hour" pre-debate last week, has surged to near the top. She is third in the new poll at 9 percent, even with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and virtually tied with Bush and just behind Florida Sen. Marco Rubio who are slightly ahead at 10 percent.
From Rasmussen:
Rasmussen Reports said that Trump remains the leader of the GOP pack, but his support has fallen by more than a third over the past week-and-a-half.
Fiorina, on the back of her strong "happy hour" pre-debate last week, has surged to near the top. She is third in the new poll at 9 percent, even with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and virtually tied with Bush and just behind Florida Sen. Marco Rubio who are slightly ahead at 10 percent.
From Rasmussen:
Devastating Bird Flu Threatens US Poultry Farmers
Amish chicken farmer Ura Gingerich begins each day by lantern light, but his simple life of tradition is threatened by a modern scourge that has devastated the US poultry industry.
More than 48 million turkeys and chickens have either died by the bird flu virus or been killed to stop its spread since it emerged on the west coast in December and swept across the nation.
Egg prices have doubled as farmers work to rebuild their flocks in 20 states, prompting some restaurants to take the breakfast favorite off their menus.
Meanwhile, a handful of countries have banned US poultry imports and rural life has changed as farmers implement strict biosecurity measures and state fairs cut back on exhibits.
While it's been more than a month since the last case was detected, Gingerich and other farmers worry the outbreak could return with autumn's cooler temperatures and the migrating water fowl that spread the virus.
"We're just hoping God protects us from getting it," Gingerich told AFP.
Unlike most US poultry farmers, the Amish won't accept financial aid from the government and don't use insurance programs that would help compensate for the loss of their flock.
Gingerich, 58, and his wife Mary support 16 children by raising around 12,000 chickens and selling vegetables and flowers from their farm in Baldwin, Wisconsin. He is an elder in a group of 32 Amish families in the area.
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More than 48 million turkeys and chickens have either died by the bird flu virus or been killed to stop its spread since it emerged on the west coast in December and swept across the nation.
Egg prices have doubled as farmers work to rebuild their flocks in 20 states, prompting some restaurants to take the breakfast favorite off their menus.
Meanwhile, a handful of countries have banned US poultry imports and rural life has changed as farmers implement strict biosecurity measures and state fairs cut back on exhibits.
While it's been more than a month since the last case was detected, Gingerich and other farmers worry the outbreak could return with autumn's cooler temperatures and the migrating water fowl that spread the virus.
"We're just hoping God protects us from getting it," Gingerich told AFP.
Unlike most US poultry farmers, the Amish won't accept financial aid from the government and don't use insurance programs that would help compensate for the loss of their flock.
Gingerich, 58, and his wife Mary support 16 children by raising around 12,000 chickens and selling vegetables and flowers from their farm in Baldwin, Wisconsin. He is an elder in a group of 32 Amish families in the area.
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The Truth About Hillary's Email Server And The Law
“I did not email any classified material to anyone…” proclaimed Hillary Clinton at her March press conference in an attempt to quell questions about the unsecure server she used for all State Department business. Cleverly, Clinton dodged the fact that she received classified email on that vulnerable server, conduct also in violation of 18 USC 1924, which makes it a crime to have classified information at an “unauthorized location.” Just ask General David Petraeus.
This week’s disclosure that Clinton’s unsecured emails contained Top Secret material — one of the highest classifications — calls into question just about every phrase the former Secretary of State and her campaign staff have uttered to excuse her conduct. Let’s cut the spin and identify her email transgressions for what they are: gross mismanagement of classified material that happens to violate the law.
One Clinton spokesperson proffered that because the material was not specifically marked, Clinton could not have been aware that the material was classified. In that same March news conference Clinton bragged that she was “certainly aware of the classified requirements.” Apparently not.
Government officials are required to keep their correspondence on the appropriate government server so the material can be classified before it is mistakenly sent to an “unauthorized location.” Clinton’s argument ignores her actual misconduct. The reason the documents were not marked is because she never submitted them for clearance.
As former intelligence professionals, we are well aware that strict guidelines are required for handling classified information. Briefings that include classified information are held in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, rooms with elaborate protections to minimize eavesdropping. Telephone conversations of classified information are conducted via secure phones. Emails that might contain classified information are sent only through secure networks, not through – heaven forbid – a personal server in a basement.
More here
[Republican Pete Hoekstra represented Michigan's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives. He is the former House Intelligence Committee chairman. Victoria Toensing is a former Chief Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General.]
This week’s disclosure that Clinton’s unsecured emails contained Top Secret material — one of the highest classifications — calls into question just about every phrase the former Secretary of State and her campaign staff have uttered to excuse her conduct. Let’s cut the spin and identify her email transgressions for what they are: gross mismanagement of classified material that happens to violate the law.
One Clinton spokesperson proffered that because the material was not specifically marked, Clinton could not have been aware that the material was classified. In that same March news conference Clinton bragged that she was “certainly aware of the classified requirements.” Apparently not.
Government officials are required to keep their correspondence on the appropriate government server so the material can be classified before it is mistakenly sent to an “unauthorized location.” Clinton’s argument ignores her actual misconduct. The reason the documents were not marked is because she never submitted them for clearance.
As former intelligence professionals, we are well aware that strict guidelines are required for handling classified information. Briefings that include classified information are held in Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, rooms with elaborate protections to minimize eavesdropping. Telephone conversations of classified information are conducted via secure phones. Emails that might contain classified information are sent only through secure networks, not through – heaven forbid – a personal server in a basement.
More here
[Republican Pete Hoekstra represented Michigan's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives. He is the former House Intelligence Committee chairman. Victoria Toensing is a former Chief Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General.]
Cannery Village application day set for Saturday
The affordable housing complex on Flower Street broke ground earlier this year and recently set up an office in the Berlin Visitor’s Center.
Osprey Property Company Vice President Andrew Hanson, who is overseeing the project, said response has been strong.
“We had a huge response in the first couple of hours,” he said. “Probably 25 or more people came within hours of opening. Even before we opened the leasing office and put a sign up, we probably had over 200 folks express an interest and we’re really excited about the process.”
Hanson said the applicants have been diverse.
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