BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Authorities have arrested a Florida woman who they say tried to stab a deputy with a large sword or machete inside a mobile home filled with thousands of knives, swords and bladed instruments.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that deputies went to Nickole Dykema's home Tuesday night to assist probation and parole officers who were trying to issue felony arrest warrants. Authorities say they fired several bean bag rounds at her after she tried to stab the deputy and refused to surrender.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, September 19, 2015
MIT To Ahmed Mohamed: 'You Are The Kind Of Student We Want'
The budding engineer is exactly the "kind of student we want at places like MIT," said astrophysicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein.
Budding engineer Ahmed Mohamed has called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) his “dream school.”
Well, Ahmed, it seems the positive feelings are mutual.
During an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Wednesday, the 14-year-old, who was arrested in his Texas high school earlier this week for bringing in a homemade clock, was introduced to a surprise guest: MIT astrophysicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein.
The scientist, who works in the university's top-ranked Department of Physics and the California-based Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, told Ahmed that he was exactly the “kind of student we want at places like MIT and Harvard.”
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Budding engineer Ahmed Mohamed has called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) his “dream school.”
Well, Ahmed, it seems the positive feelings are mutual.
During an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Wednesday, the 14-year-old, who was arrested in his Texas high school earlier this week for bringing in a homemade clock, was introduced to a surprise guest: MIT astrophysicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein.
The scientist, who works in the university's top-ranked Department of Physics and the California-based Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, told Ahmed that he was exactly the “kind of student we want at places like MIT and Harvard.”
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Muslim migrants target nations with higher wages
“And for what job are they being paid?” writes Islam expert Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch.
“Proving Europe’s multicultural bona fides?”
His retort came after the London Express reported migrants from Syria “are demanding they are allowed to go to Sweden or Finland because the terms of asylum are more favorable for them.”
The report quoted asylum seeker Marwen el Mohammed giving his reasons.
He said he wants to avoid Denmark because “the salary for refugees decreased about 50 percent from 10,000 kroner, about $1,500, to about 5,000 kroner.
Further, he said in the report, Finland and other countries allow families to join together “within two or three months,” but Denmark requires them to wait a year.
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Dog stands guard for week protecting second dog trapped in water tank
Tillie, a setter mix, only left Phoebe's side to try to alert people of her trapped friend.
Amy Carey of Vashon Island Pet Protectors says the two were found Tuesday after they were reported missing by their owners last week. Vashon Island Pet Protectors says volunteers looking for the pair received a call about a reddish dog being seen on someone's property a few times before promptly heading back into the ravine.
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Suspect returns to burglary scene for lost keys, cellphone
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A man is charged with burglary after police say he returned to a Twin Falls, Idaho, home for his forgotten car keys and cellphone.
The Times-News reports a woman called police when she found her home ransacked on Saturday, with a stranger's cellphone on the bed and a strange car parked behind the property.
Police were at the scene when 22-year-old Caleb Shay Funke was dropped off near the vehicle. Officers say Funke told them he loaned the car to a friend and the keys got locked inside.
Keys found inside the burglarized house unlocked and started the vehicle.
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The Times-News reports a woman called police when she found her home ransacked on Saturday, with a stranger's cellphone on the bed and a strange car parked behind the property.
Police were at the scene when 22-year-old Caleb Shay Funke was dropped off near the vehicle. Officers say Funke told them he loaned the car to a friend and the keys got locked inside.
Keys found inside the burglarized house unlocked and started the vehicle.
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Hogan, Franchot criticise speaking payments to O’Malley
As part of a $140,000 speaking contract, O’Malley delivered the keynote address at Environmental Systems Research Institute’s annual user conference in San Diego in July, said Christian Carlson, a representative from the company who addressed the board.
“Hope that was a hell of a speech,” Hogan remarked.
A spokeswoman for O’Malley would not directly address the speech-contract details, but said ESRI’s relationship with the city of Baltimore and state of Maryland predate the former governor’s tenure.
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VALERIE JARRETT MEETS WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER LEADERS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
President Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett met with Black Lives Matter activists yesterday at the White House, the latest sign that the Obama administration is involved with the controversial protest group.
Jarrett met with three organizers for Campaign Zero. DeRay Mckesson, Brittany Packnett, and Johnetta Elzie as well as Phil Agnew of the Dream Defenders and Jamye Wooten, an organizer for Baltimore United for Change were there, according to a senior White House official who confirmed the visit to Buzzfeed.
After the meeting, Packnett tweeted a selfie with Jarrett thanking her for engaging the movement.
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Jarrett met with three organizers for Campaign Zero. DeRay Mckesson, Brittany Packnett, and Johnetta Elzie as well as Phil Agnew of the Dream Defenders and Jamye Wooten, an organizer for Baltimore United for Change were there, according to a senior White House official who confirmed the visit to Buzzfeed.
After the meeting, Packnett tweeted a selfie with Jarrett thanking her for engaging the movement.
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Tickets On Sale For Annual Sandcastle Home Tour
Ten homes in Bishopville, Ocean Pines and Ocean City will be open, plus a bonus oceanfront designer condo at the Gateway Grand. The tour benefits the non-profit Art League of Ocean City that operates the Ocean City Center for the Arts and its many community programs.
First Lady Hogan believes the tour is an opportunity for people to come together to support the local arts community and the two-year-old Arts Center on 94th Street, which was constructed in part with funds raised by the home tour and continues to be funded by ticket sales to the event.
“Truly, art has a way of bringing people of all areas together under one roof,” Hogan said. “In this case, the many roofs of those who kindly volunteered to open their homes for a great cause.
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Check out Latinos share why they're voting for Donald Trump
Presidential candidate Donald Trump has become notorious for his anti-Mexican comments throughout his presidential campaign. During various speeches and debates, he has called Mexicans drug dealers, rapists and killers. He also asserts on a somewhat regular basis that Middle Eastern terrorists are illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Thus, one would assume that Latino people in the United States plan to vote against Trump in the presidential election. Not only has he generalized the culture, but he also preaches inaccurate claims about Mexicans and undocumented immigrants to the media. Nevertheless, he asserts that he "loves the Mexican people" and that they love him in return.
It seems the latter claim is more accurate than one might think, though. As it turns out, Trump has garnered a significant amount of support from within the Latino community in the United States. Several Latino people took to Whisper, the popular app that provides an anonymous platform for people to share their most honest thoughts, to speak out about why they support Donald Trump for president.
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Thus, one would assume that Latino people in the United States plan to vote against Trump in the presidential election. Not only has he generalized the culture, but he also preaches inaccurate claims about Mexicans and undocumented immigrants to the media. Nevertheless, he asserts that he "loves the Mexican people" and that they love him in return.
It seems the latter claim is more accurate than one might think, though. As it turns out, Trump has garnered a significant amount of support from within the Latino community in the United States. Several Latino people took to Whisper, the popular app that provides an anonymous platform for people to share their most honest thoughts, to speak out about why they support Donald Trump for president.
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Split 4-3 Vote Dissolves Shoreline Comm.
SNOW HILL – After months of consideration, the Worcester County Commissioners have formally abolished the Shoreline Commission.
On Tuesday, the commissioners voted 4-3 to dissolve the group tasked since the 1970s with reviewing shoreline construction plans.
“We’re the only county that does a commission like this,” said Bob Mitchell, the county’s head of environmental programs.
Mitchell and his staff first suggested the elimination of the commission as a cost saving measure this spring. In spite of the staff recommendation, the commissioners voted in July not to abolish the Shoreline Commission. That decision forced them to rescind a companion bill that would have given the county’s board of zoning appeals authority to consider appeals of staff decisions regarding construction along shorelines.
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On Tuesday, the commissioners voted 4-3 to dissolve the group tasked since the 1970s with reviewing shoreline construction plans.
“We’re the only county that does a commission like this,” said Bob Mitchell, the county’s head of environmental programs.
Mitchell and his staff first suggested the elimination of the commission as a cost saving measure this spring. In spite of the staff recommendation, the commissioners voted in July not to abolish the Shoreline Commission. That decision forced them to rescind a companion bill that would have given the county’s board of zoning appeals authority to consider appeals of staff decisions regarding construction along shorelines.
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Captive snake with no male companion gives birth _ again
Officials at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center say a female yellow-bellied water snake reproduced on her own in 2014 and again this summer. The snake has been living in captivity, without a male companion, for nearly eight years. An intern who cares for the snake found the freshly laid membranes in July.
This year’s offspring didn’t survive, but the two born last summer are on display at the nature center, about 100 miles south of St. Louis.
Conservation Department herpetologist Jeff Briggler said virgin births are rare but can occur in some species through a process called parthenogenesis. It occurs in some insects, fish, amphibians, birds and reptiles, including some snakes, but not mammals.
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Fraternity pledge killed in hazing ritual had 'bad attitude', brothers told police
Mike Deng ‘got it worse’ because ‘he got the bros mad’, according to grand jury report released Tuesday after 37 Pi Delta Psi members were charged in killing
Blindfolded and wearing a 30lb pack of sand on his back, Mike Deng did not readily submit to the blows of his would-be fraternity brothers on a December night in 2013. The “bad attitude” of this resistant pledge made him a target, the brothers later told police after hours of panic, hiding fraternity gear and trying to get their stories straight over how and why a 19-year-old was bludgeoned into a wheezing, non-responsive body as the result of a hazing ritual in the Pocono mountains.
In its announcement that 37 members of Pi Delta Psi, as well as the fraternity itself, face criminal charges over the death of Chun “Mike” Deng, a Pennsylvania prosecutor’s office also revealed details of the investigation in a grand jury reportreleased on Tuesday.
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Blindfolded and wearing a 30lb pack of sand on his back, Mike Deng did not readily submit to the blows of his would-be fraternity brothers on a December night in 2013. The “bad attitude” of this resistant pledge made him a target, the brothers later told police after hours of panic, hiding fraternity gear and trying to get their stories straight over how and why a 19-year-old was bludgeoned into a wheezing, non-responsive body as the result of a hazing ritual in the Pocono mountains.
In its announcement that 37 members of Pi Delta Psi, as well as the fraternity itself, face criminal charges over the death of Chun “Mike” Deng, a Pennsylvania prosecutor’s office also revealed details of the investigation in a grand jury reportreleased on Tuesday.
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HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE & E-CYCLING COLLECTION DAY ON OCTOBER 10
Gather up those old or unusable cans of pesticides, pool chemicals, gas and other fuels, oil-base paints, thinners and everyday hazardous wastes accumulating in and around the home and bring them to the recycling center for safe disposal. Electronic items, such as computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, radios, televisions and VCR’s, will be collected and later recycled.
Household hazardous waste and electronics don’t degrade readily, and recycling them saves much-needed landfill space. Many of the items also contain poisonous materials that could seep out of the landfill and contaminate surrounding soil and groundwater. Proper disposal of these items is among the many simple tasks we can practice to help protect the environment and ultimately our own health.
This event is open to Worcester County residents only. A representative from Maryland Environmental Services will be on-site checking vehicle registration. Clean Ventures of Baltimore will be responsible for the safe disposal of all hazardous waste collected. The electronics will be shipped to an electronics recycler for dismantling. For more information, contact Worcester County Recycling Manager Ron Taylor at (410) 632-3177.
The biggest economic decision of the year, explained
Sometime this year, the Federal Reserve is likely to do something it hasn't done in nearly 10 years: raise interest rates. The decision, which could come as soon as Thursday afternoon, sounds wonky, but it is momentous for the nation's economy. Whether the Fed acts Thursday or later this year, as many expect, hiking rates would mark the end of an historic effort to lift growth and create jobs -- an effort that has had decidedly mixed results. Unemployment is down, but workers aren't getting meaningful raises, and there's still a general sense that the economy isn't as strong as it could be.
When the Fed does move to raise interest rates, the cost of all sorts of other loans, from mortgages to credit cards, will likely also go up. Lending is the lifeblood of the economy, so any change could affect not just the price to borrow but the stock market, the jobs market and the value of the dollar. It will also mark a new chapter in the nation's economy, and a sign that nation's economic stewards believe it is relatively safe from the risk of a sudden downturn. Not everyone agrees, however.
Understanding what the Fed is, and why the Fed does what it does, can be pretty complex. Here's what you need to know.
What exactly is the Fed?
When the Fed does move to raise interest rates, the cost of all sorts of other loans, from mortgages to credit cards, will likely also go up. Lending is the lifeblood of the economy, so any change could affect not just the price to borrow but the stock market, the jobs market and the value of the dollar. It will also mark a new chapter in the nation's economy, and a sign that nation's economic stewards believe it is relatively safe from the risk of a sudden downturn. Not everyone agrees, however.
Understanding what the Fed is, and why the Fed does what it does, can be pretty complex. Here's what you need to know.
What exactly is the Fed?
Let Troopers Dispose of Unwanted Prescription Drugs on National Drug Take Back Day
State police barracks throughout Maryland will be participating in the National Drug Take Back Day. Each barrack will act as a collection station giving citizens an opportunity to dispose of all unwanted and unused prescription drugs. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
Second only to marijuana, non-medical prescription drugs are the most commonly used drug in the country. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs are finding an unlimited supply in their family’s medicine cabinet.
Locally during the last initiative in September 2014, troopers collected over 1,300 pounds of prescription drugs. Nationally, 618,000 pounds (309 tons) of prescription medications were collected from members of the public. When added to the collections from the previous Take-Back events, more than 4.8 million pounds (2,411 tons) of prescription medications have been removed from circulation.
WHAT: National Drug Take Back Initiative
WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: ALL MARYLAND STATE POLICE BARRACKS
CONTACT: BARRACK DUTY OFFICERS
VISIT MDSP.MARYLAND.GOV FOR YOUR LOCAL BARRACK CONTACT INFORMATION
State did not charge Martin O'Malley sales tax on mansion furniture
The department is required to charge sales tax on the sale of surplus government property but did not apply the 6 percent levy — the increased rate O'Malley pushed into state law in 2007 — to the Democrat's discounted purchase of 54 furnishings from the Annapolis mansion.
"Sales tax wasn't paid" by O'Malley, Therese Yewell, a department spokeswoman, said in an email. Yewell confirmed that charging sales tax on such transactions is department policy. Asked why sales tax was not charged, Yewell said the agency could not say because the employees involved in the deal no longer work for the state.
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‘The View’ Loses 3 More Advertisers Over #NursesUnite Controversy
“The View” has lost three more major advertisers in the wake of the ongoing #NursesUnite controversy.
Party City, Snuggle and McCormick all removed their ads from the ABC daytime talk show. All three companies announced their withdrawals on their respective Facebook pages.
They join Eggland’s Best and Johnson & Johnson, who removed their advertising earlier this week following backlash from nurses over mocking comments made about a contestant in Sunday’s Miss America pageant.
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Event to Help Wounded Combat Troops-- TOMORROW
Wondering how to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon? You are not too late to enjoy good food, drink and entertainment for a worthy cause – helping our troops. Come meet Taya Kyle, wife of The American Sniper. Tax deductible tickets WILL be available at the door.
Dear Friend,
I trust your summer has been filled with fun—vacations, barbeques, trips to the beach – legs and arms intact. When you woke up this morning, you probably climbed out of your own bed, got into your own shower, went downstairs toyour own kitchen to eat breakfast, and walked out your own front door.
For many of our combat veterans their summer was filled with painful surgeries and months away from loved ones because they chose to offer their all to protect our freedom. It is disgraceful that the government does not adequately meet their needs. But it doesn’t and we can help fill the void.
Here is something you can do.
For the more than 52,000 U.S. soldiers who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, the journey back home doesn't end once they set foot on American soil. The recovery process is often long and difficult, and can keep them from returning to their hometowns for months, or even years. Many of these men and women receive treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
To raise money to build temporary residential housing for wounded soldiers and their families, the Republican Women of Baltimore County are hosting theVineyard & Valor event at Dejon Vineyards on Sunday, September 20th, 2015, from 3:00pm-7:00pm.
With the purchase of a $100 (tax deductible) ticket, you gain access to the event, which features Taya Kyle, widow of Chris Kyle and author of American Wife: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith and Renewal, as the guest of honor, as well as food (donated by Mission BBQ), drinks, wine, and entertainment.
The proceeds from each ticket sale go directly to Feherty's Troops First Foundation and help fund the construction of the Leroy Petry Village of Honorfor wounded veterans and their families.
If you have not yet gotten your ticket PLEASE consider the debt of gratitude we all share and order your ticket today. The deadline for mailing tickets is September 10th to ensure that you have receive your ticket in time. Tickets purchased after September 10th can be picked up at the registration tables at the event. We still have tickets available at the door.
or mail a check payable to Troops First Foundation to :
Vineyard and Valor
Care of RWBC
PO Box 507
Stevenson, MD 21153
Thank you for supporting our wounded war fighters.
Sincerely,
Ellen Sauerbrey
PS I know there are many demands on our pocketbooks, but what could be more worthy?
U.S. ‘Justice’ Department Proclaims Big Banks Have A License To Steal
First we had “too big to fail”. Then came “too big to jail”. Now, finally, the U.S. Department of “Justice” is letting us know what it really thinks: U.S. Big Banks simply have a license to steal.
The most amazing thing about the Justice Department’s new guidelines on prosecution of corporate crime is that the DOJ is effectively acknowledging there was a big problem with how it did things before.
Yes. As these criminalized institutions now perpetrate financial mega-crimes measured (literally) in the $trillions, we have the so-called Justice Department claiming it has been too hard on this financial crime syndicate. Yes. Presumably if the DOJ hadn’t taken its previous, supposed “tough love” approach to these financial criminals, they would now already be perpetrating multi-QUADRILLION dollar crimes. And the U.S. government certainly won’t stand in the way of “progress”.
The most amazing thing about the Justice Department’s new guidelines on prosecution of corporate crime is that the DOJ is effectively acknowledging there was a big problem with how it did things before.
Yes. As these criminalized institutions now perpetrate financial mega-crimes measured (literally) in the $trillions, we have the so-called Justice Department claiming it has been too hard on this financial crime syndicate. Yes. Presumably if the DOJ hadn’t taken its previous, supposed “tough love” approach to these financial criminals, they would now already be perpetrating multi-QUADRILLION dollar crimes. And the U.S. government certainly won’t stand in the way of “progress”.
Supposedly, giving these fraud-factories microscopic fines as their sole punishment was being too harsh – when it comes to enforcing the law. Let me reiterate; we have the U.S. Department of Justice effectively implying that even its previous, token enforcement of laws against financial crimes was impeding the (crimes of the) financial sector. In the United States of Crime, any time there is a conflict between “law” (the Rule of Law) and “profit” (the proceeds of crime), the U.S. Department of Justice sides with profit -- i.e. the criminals.
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Why America's Deadly Love Affair with Bottled Water Has to Stop
Last year, Americans drank more than 10 billion gallons of bottled water. Wildlife and the environment paid.
This spring, as California withered in its fourth year of drought and mandatory water restrictions were enacted for the first time in the state’s history, a news story broke revealing that Nestlé Waters North America was tapping springs in the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California using a permit that expired 27 years ago.
And when the company’s CEO Tim Brown was asked on a radio program if Nestlé would stop bottling water in the Golden State, he replied, “Absolutely not. In fact, if I could increase it, I would.” That’s because bottled water is big business, even in a country where most people have clean, safe tap water readily and cheaply available. (Although it should be noted that Starbucks agreed to stop sourcing and manufacturing their Ethos brand water in California after being drought-shamed.)
Profits made by the industry are much to the chagrin of nonprofits likeCorporate Accountability International (CAI), a corporate watchdog, and Food and Water Watch (FWW), a consumer advocacy group, both of which have waged campaigns against the bottled water industry for years. But representatives from both organizations say they’ve won key fights against the industry in the last 10 years and have helped shift people’s consciousness on the issue.
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This spring, as California withered in its fourth year of drought and mandatory water restrictions were enacted for the first time in the state’s history, a news story broke revealing that Nestlé Waters North America was tapping springs in the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California using a permit that expired 27 years ago.
And when the company’s CEO Tim Brown was asked on a radio program if Nestlé would stop bottling water in the Golden State, he replied, “Absolutely not. In fact, if I could increase it, I would.” That’s because bottled water is big business, even in a country where most people have clean, safe tap water readily and cheaply available. (Although it should be noted that Starbucks agreed to stop sourcing and manufacturing their Ethos brand water in California after being drought-shamed.)
Profits made by the industry are much to the chagrin of nonprofits likeCorporate Accountability International (CAI), a corporate watchdog, and Food and Water Watch (FWW), a consumer advocacy group, both of which have waged campaigns against the bottled water industry for years. But representatives from both organizations say they’ve won key fights against the industry in the last 10 years and have helped shift people’s consciousness on the issue.
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Appeals Court: Contraception Mandate Violates Religious Freedom
A U.S. appeals court has ruled that President Barack Obama's healthcare law violates the rights of religiously affiliated employers by forcing them to help provide contraceptive coverage even though they do not have to pay for it.
Parting ways with all other appeals courts that have considered the issue, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Thursday issued a pair of decisions upholding orders by two lower courts barring the government from enforcing the law's contraceptive provisions against a group of religiously affiliated employers.
The split in the circuit courts created makes it more likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue in its coming term, which begins in October and runs through June. Several employers have already filed petitions with the court.
The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, requires employers to provide insurance for their employees, including access to contraception, sterilization and other preventative services for women.
The law allows religiously affiliated non-profit employers to opt out of paying for contraceptive coverage directly. Once they do, insurers must provide the coverage separately at no extra cost to the employee. Employers that do not follow the opt-out process face a financial penalty.
Many employers have filed lawsuits against the government, claiming that the opt-out process makes them complicit in providing contraceptive coverage. Before Thursday, however, every appeals court that considered the issue has rejected that argument.
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Parting ways with all other appeals courts that have considered the issue, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Thursday issued a pair of decisions upholding orders by two lower courts barring the government from enforcing the law's contraceptive provisions against a group of religiously affiliated employers.
The split in the circuit courts created makes it more likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue in its coming term, which begins in October and runs through June. Several employers have already filed petitions with the court.
The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, requires employers to provide insurance for their employees, including access to contraception, sterilization and other preventative services for women.
The law allows religiously affiliated non-profit employers to opt out of paying for contraceptive coverage directly. Once they do, insurers must provide the coverage separately at no extra cost to the employee. Employers that do not follow the opt-out process face a financial penalty.
Many employers have filed lawsuits against the government, claiming that the opt-out process makes them complicit in providing contraceptive coverage. Before Thursday, however, every appeals court that considered the issue has rejected that argument.
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Transgender Student’s Restroom Battle Continues to Divide Virginia Town: ‘Where Does It End?’
GLOUCESTER, Va. (AP) — Amid the cornfields and marinas dotting this conservative tidewater Virginia enclave between the York River and Mobjack Bay, people are divided over what one local pastor calls “the civil rights issue of this generation” – how to deal with a transgender student’s demand to use the boys’ restrooms at the local high school.
“If they’re not fixed like a man, they should not use the men’s bathroom,” Gary Pilkinton, a 56-year-old movie special effects worker, told a reporter recently outside the local Wal-Mart.
Another shopper, Cheryl Walker, took the opposite view.
“I don’t care what bathroom he uses,” the 71-year-old retiree said. “Just don’t go potty on the hallway floor.”
Gavin Grimm, who was born female but identifies as male, sued school officials over a policy requiring him to use either the girls’ restrooms or a single-stall, unisex bathroom open to all students. The 16-year-old Gloucester High School junior claims it’s stigmatizing and discriminatory. Some classmates and their parents argue that his presence in boys’ bathrooms would be disruptive and a violation of privacy.
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“If they’re not fixed like a man, they should not use the men’s bathroom,” Gary Pilkinton, a 56-year-old movie special effects worker, told a reporter recently outside the local Wal-Mart.
Another shopper, Cheryl Walker, took the opposite view.
“I don’t care what bathroom he uses,” the 71-year-old retiree said. “Just don’t go potty on the hallway floor.”
Gavin Grimm, who was born female but identifies as male, sued school officials over a policy requiring him to use either the girls’ restrooms or a single-stall, unisex bathroom open to all students. The 16-year-old Gloucester High School junior claims it’s stigmatizing and discriminatory. Some classmates and their parents argue that his presence in boys’ bathrooms would be disruptive and a violation of privacy.
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HMRA cries foul after vendors list used by agency
The association sent out an email with the subject “Scam alert with our OCHMRA Trade Expo info” to members last week to advise partner organizations of the situation. But the company that sent out the reservation information, Convention Housing Authority, denies any wrongdoing.
“I’m assuming, since we’re having this conversation, the e-mail in question is from an unaffiliated mailing,” Dan Holloway, one of the principals at the Convention Housing Authority, said.
Holloway said his e-mail solicitations are clearly marked at the bottom to allow users to determine if they are being contacted by the vendor as an affiliate of an event or if their bid was unsolicited.
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Texas Mom Goes to Battle Against High School When Her Son Is Punished for Wearing American Flag Shirt
Seems the North Texas school penalized Jaegur with an in-school suspension — because his American flag T-shirt was violating the dress code.
Goode should have been asleep Monday but promptly got herself together and headed to the school to get to the bottom of what seemed to her like a ridiculous punishment.
What’s more, Jaegur is in ROTC, hoping to earn a college scholarship through the program — and with all that on the line, the junior isn’t given to breaking the rules, Goode said.
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Obama Set to Deport 12 Iraqi Christian Refugees
Detained for 6 months while criminal illegals allowed to stay
More than half of the 27 Iraqi Christians the Obama administration has been holding at an ICE detention center in Otay Mesa, California, are set to be deported in coming weeks, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced earlier this week.
An immigration judge ordered the deportation of 15 of the Christians, ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
If the European nations receiving these Christians decide to send them back to Iraq they will face almost certain death.
The 27 Iraqi Christians — also known as Chaldeans — have been detained in Otay for about six months as their immigration cases proceeded, activists and family members told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Chaldeans were detained by immigration authorities after they attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border through the San Ysidro Port of Entry without documentation several months ago.
At the same time the Obama administration is deporting Christians, it has over the years allowed in hundreds of Muslim migrants from Africa and the Middle East who crossed the Southern border the same way the Chaldeans did.
More here
More than half of the 27 Iraqi Christians the Obama administration has been holding at an ICE detention center in Otay Mesa, California, are set to be deported in coming weeks, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced earlier this week.
An immigration judge ordered the deportation of 15 of the Christians, ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
If the European nations receiving these Christians decide to send them back to Iraq they will face almost certain death.
The 27 Iraqi Christians — also known as Chaldeans — have been detained in Otay for about six months as their immigration cases proceeded, activists and family members told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Chaldeans were detained by immigration authorities after they attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border through the San Ysidro Port of Entry without documentation several months ago.
At the same time the Obama administration is deporting Christians, it has over the years allowed in hundreds of Muslim migrants from Africa and the Middle East who crossed the Southern border the same way the Chaldeans did.
More here
Judge: It’s Not Nice To Leave Nasty Notes On Speeding Tickets, But It’s Your Constitutional Right To Do So
No one gets a speeding ticket and rushes out to pay it with glee, at least, no one who likes holding onto their money. But even if it’s pretty rude to scrawl an obscene message when paying that ticket, it’s speech that’s protected by the First Amendment. That’s according to a judge who said a man’s civil rights were violated when he was arrested for writing a nasty note on a speeding ticket in New York in 2012.
The Connecticut man was driving in the town of Liberty, N.Y. when he received a speeding ticket for going 82 mph in a 65 mph zone, with a $175 fine attached. He sent back the payment form with a message written on it, “F**k your sh***y town, bitches,” and also crossed out the word “Liberty” and scrawled “Tyranny” in its place.
Local authorities ordered him to show up in court, where he was lectured by a judge, arrested and held for several hours on charges of aggravated harassment, reports the New York Times.
He sued the village, whose officers had arrested him, and last week a federal judge in White Plains ruled that the arrest had violated his First Amendment rights, and allowed his lawsuit to proceed.
“People use language like this all the time,” his lawyer told the Times. “They send letters like this to customer service at Verizon, the I.R.S. When people are unhappy, they vent on forms like that,” he added. “You shouldn’t have to get arrested for it.”
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The Connecticut man was driving in the town of Liberty, N.Y. when he received a speeding ticket for going 82 mph in a 65 mph zone, with a $175 fine attached. He sent back the payment form with a message written on it, “F**k your sh***y town, bitches,” and also crossed out the word “Liberty” and scrawled “Tyranny” in its place.
Local authorities ordered him to show up in court, where he was lectured by a judge, arrested and held for several hours on charges of aggravated harassment, reports the New York Times.
He sued the village, whose officers had arrested him, and last week a federal judge in White Plains ruled that the arrest had violated his First Amendment rights, and allowed his lawsuit to proceed.
“People use language like this all the time,” his lawyer told the Times. “They send letters like this to customer service at Verizon, the I.R.S. When people are unhappy, they vent on forms like that,” he added. “You shouldn’t have to get arrested for it.”
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Obama Rushing to Bestow Citizenship on Immigrants
The White House announced a new campaign Thursday to get the 8.8 million legal immigrants in the United States on U.S. citizenship rolls – a message presidential staffers are sending across the nation just in time for voting season.
Specifically, the Obama administration is pressing for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to make it easier for the legals to pass the test, the New York Times reported. The agency is going to provide practice tests via cellphone, as well as hold study and preparatory workshops in key spots around the country.
The fee to take the citizenship tests will remain at $680, but can be paid by credit card, the newspaper said.
Team Obama has reached out to regional immigration groups for assistance with the more than 70 workshops that have been organized, the New York Times said. The administration’s also planned about 200 naturalization events in the next week.
But that’s not all.
Specifically, the Obama administration is pressing for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to make it easier for the legals to pass the test, the New York Times reported. The agency is going to provide practice tests via cellphone, as well as hold study and preparatory workshops in key spots around the country.
The fee to take the citizenship tests will remain at $680, but can be paid by credit card, the newspaper said.
Team Obama has reached out to regional immigration groups for assistance with the more than 70 workshops that have been organized, the New York Times said. The administration’s also planned about 200 naturalization events in the next week.
But that’s not all.
From Baltimore to Berlin; Maryland National Guardsman, German military exchange experience
The Military Reserve Exchange Program, established between the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense Reserve Affairs and German Ministry of Defense in 1985, promotes unique training experiences and cultural education for reserve component officers. Each year both the U.S. and German military sends approximately 22 reserve component officers to receive training and share experiences within their individual skill sets. The United Kingdom and Denmark military also has an exchange program partnership with the U.S. military.
I found the program invaluable in the sense of enabling U.S. military members to see and participate firsthand in another country’s military operations and best practices. This was one of those opportunities which not only develops a military officer professionally, but promotes personal friendships and building relationships abroad.
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Here's Why The Status Quo Is Doomed
The problem is the Status Quo only works in a world with plenty of room to expand.
The central illusion of this era is that the Status Quo can be reformed or saved. All we need to do is (or so we're told):
1. Get money out of politics
2. Re-impose the Glass-Steagall Act on banking
3. Close the tax loopholes exploited by corporations and the wealthy
4. Overturn the Supreme Court decision giving corporations personhood
5. Restrict the Imperial War Powers of the president
6. Restore the civil liberties stripped by post-9/11 legislation and so on. All good-governance, all prudent, all necessary.
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The central illusion of this era is that the Status Quo can be reformed or saved. All we need to do is (or so we're told):
1. Get money out of politics
2. Re-impose the Glass-Steagall Act on banking
3. Close the tax loopholes exploited by corporations and the wealthy
4. Overturn the Supreme Court decision giving corporations personhood
5. Restrict the Imperial War Powers of the president
6. Restore the civil liberties stripped by post-9/11 legislation and so on. All good-governance, all prudent, all necessary.
More
Police/Courts 09/18/2015
Ed Hughes, 29, of Delray Beach, Fla. was arrested on Sept. 12 for disorderly conduct and indecent exposure.
Ocean City police went to a domestic dispute and found Hughes completely unclothed, the report stated. Police said the naked Hughes began yelling profanities and climbed on top of the roof, thereby exposing himself to the public.
Multiple charges
Ocean City police officers arrested Gregory Burley, 20, of Bowie, Md. for breaking into a liquor store, causing substantial damage to the building and fleeing from the scene on Sept. 11.
After arrival at the scene of a suspected burglary uptown, police said they saw Burley inside but that he quickly ran away. A subsequent search for the suspect found Burley in a nearby parking lot.
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Special Report: The New Clinton Chronicles 2015
Insider tears open the Clinton machine
From Bill Clinton’s bizarre sexual history and involvement with trafficking cocaine into the U.S. too Hillary’s trail of death as secretary of state and her rise to the presidency: the blood is spilled as the gloves come off.
From Bill Clinton’s bizarre sexual history and involvement with trafficking cocaine into the U.S. too Hillary’s trail of death as secretary of state and her rise to the presidency: the blood is spilled as the gloves come off.
Hillary’s Campaign Has Already Begun to Derail
Hillary Clinton’s second race for the presidency is only about a quarter through, but she already seems to be causing general fatigue.
The lurid revelations about the Clinton Foundation proved that it was not so much a charity as a huge laundering operation. Quid pro quo donations from the global rich and powerful fueled the Clintons’ jet-setting networking.
In between political campaigns, the foundation provided sinecures for out-of-work Clinton politicos. This is hardly proof of Hillary’s grass-roots progressivism.
Then came Clinton’s e-mail fiasco. No one knows how the current investigation of her alleged misuse of e-mail accounts, servers, and classified information will end up. But most people accept that it was an unnecessary and self-induced scandal, brought on both by her paranoia and habitual expectation of being exempt from the law.
ABC News just disclosed that ex-president Bill Clinton sought huge speaking fees from foreign governments (well over a half-million dollars per talk), while Hillary was secretary of state. Unfortunately, some of his proposed speaking deals involved odious regimes like those of Congo and North Korea. This year, Hillary herself routinely charged universities $200,000 to $300,000 for brief talks — after decrying the cash-strapped status of indebted students. What will the Clintons not do to make money?
All these imbroglios raise more issues. Was Senator Barack Obama, largely a political unknown at the time, really all that unstoppable in 2008? Or did Hillary simply blow a 30-point lead in the polls because then as now she proved a lousy candidate?
Can’t Hillary Clinton turn voters’ attention to her recent stewardship of American foreign policy?
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The lurid revelations about the Clinton Foundation proved that it was not so much a charity as a huge laundering operation. Quid pro quo donations from the global rich and powerful fueled the Clintons’ jet-setting networking.
In between political campaigns, the foundation provided sinecures for out-of-work Clinton politicos. This is hardly proof of Hillary’s grass-roots progressivism.
Then came Clinton’s e-mail fiasco. No one knows how the current investigation of her alleged misuse of e-mail accounts, servers, and classified information will end up. But most people accept that it was an unnecessary and self-induced scandal, brought on both by her paranoia and habitual expectation of being exempt from the law.
ABC News just disclosed that ex-president Bill Clinton sought huge speaking fees from foreign governments (well over a half-million dollars per talk), while Hillary was secretary of state. Unfortunately, some of his proposed speaking deals involved odious regimes like those of Congo and North Korea. This year, Hillary herself routinely charged universities $200,000 to $300,000 for brief talks — after decrying the cash-strapped status of indebted students. What will the Clintons not do to make money?
All these imbroglios raise more issues. Was Senator Barack Obama, largely a political unknown at the time, really all that unstoppable in 2008? Or did Hillary simply blow a 30-point lead in the polls because then as now she proved a lousy candidate?
Can’t Hillary Clinton turn voters’ attention to her recent stewardship of American foreign policy?
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GAY LOBBY TRIES TO CONTROL MEDIA COVERAGE OF POPE’S ACTIONS
A gay lobbying group is pushing its preferred script for media coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States.
GLAAD’s guide, titled “The Papal Visit: A journalist’s guide to reporting on Pope Francis and the LGBT community,” sets its preferred terms for covering homosexuality. It also suggests a series of story lines and plots to portray the lives of gays, lesbians and transsexuals as happy and positive, except when they’re supposedly victimized by the Catholic church.
The “talking points” suggest reporters tell the “stories of people being fired for being LGBT,” to highlight statements from the hierarchy that are “out of step with Catholics” and to explore the relationship between homosexuality and “other important Roman Catholic issues.”
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GLAAD’s guide, titled “The Papal Visit: A journalist’s guide to reporting on Pope Francis and the LGBT community,” sets its preferred terms for covering homosexuality. It also suggests a series of story lines and plots to portray the lives of gays, lesbians and transsexuals as happy and positive, except when they’re supposedly victimized by the Catholic church.
The “talking points” suggest reporters tell the “stories of people being fired for being LGBT,” to highlight statements from the hierarchy that are “out of step with Catholics” and to explore the relationship between homosexuality and “other important Roman Catholic issues.”
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Worcester stadium moves to phase I market analysis
That was the message the Worcester County Commissioners received Tuesday in Snow Hill from county personnel during an update on the proposal.
The field of possible locations was somewhat narrowed as DBED requires, as part of its funding agreement, the facility to be located within a “priority funding area,” which, it turns out, still covers a lot of ground in Worcester.
According to Ed Tudor, director of development review and permitting, these areas were established in 1997. Municipalities automatically qualify at their 1997 borders and annexations since then could qualify if they meet certain criteria, Tudor said.
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SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS TO CATCH KIDS ‘STEALING’ EDUCATION
“It’s a problem that every school district has if you’re a good town..."
A New Jersey news site is highlighting a growing “problem” with parents who fudge enrollment documents to send their children to schools outside of their home districts.
The Asbury Park Press recently spoke with private investigator Jimmie Mesis, who earns a living tracking down parents who commit “fraud” against school districts by using fake addresses and documents to enroll their children in better schools.
“Taxpayers want to make sure that they’re paying for kids who live in their town and they’re not subsidizing kids who live in another town,” Mesis told the site. “Fraud is fraud.”
The problem stems from imaginary geographic boundaries that trap students in specific school districts or schools that do not take into consideration academic performance or student needs. In New Jersey, schools receive about $19,000 per student through local property taxes, and state and federal funding, and school officials are employing investigators like Mesis to root out “boundary hoppers.”
Read more
A New Jersey news site is highlighting a growing “problem” with parents who fudge enrollment documents to send their children to schools outside of their home districts.
The Asbury Park Press recently spoke with private investigator Jimmie Mesis, who earns a living tracking down parents who commit “fraud” against school districts by using fake addresses and documents to enroll their children in better schools.
“Taxpayers want to make sure that they’re paying for kids who live in their town and they’re not subsidizing kids who live in another town,” Mesis told the site. “Fraud is fraud.”
The problem stems from imaginary geographic boundaries that trap students in specific school districts or schools that do not take into consideration academic performance or student needs. In New Jersey, schools receive about $19,000 per student through local property taxes, and state and federal funding, and school officials are employing investigators like Mesis to root out “boundary hoppers.”
Read more
America’s Descent into Lawlessness
Do you remember Lewis “Scooter” Libby?
In 2003, the Department of Justice appointed a special counsel to investigate allegations that Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, unlawfully disclosed the covert status of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
Yet Plame may not have been a covert undercover agent, based on the formal government definition of that role. And even if she were, it was widely known at the time that Secretary of State Colin Powell’s subordinate, Richard Armitage, had most likely disclosed her status earlier.
In other words, Libby was in an Orwellian position of being accused of a crime that may not have existed. But if it had, it was more likely committed by someone else.
Publicity-seeking special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald persuaded a Washington, D.C., jury to find Libby guilty of obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements to federal investigators — not the supposed crimes for which he was originally targeted by the media.
Apparently, the very suspicion of improper behavior by high public servants once warranted vigorous legal inquiry — by supposedly independent and autonomous prosecutors.
In the eight-plus years since the Libby trial, the Obama administration has blown up the law as we have known it for centuries.
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In 2003, the Department of Justice appointed a special counsel to investigate allegations that Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, unlawfully disclosed the covert status of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
Yet Plame may not have been a covert undercover agent, based on the formal government definition of that role. And even if she were, it was widely known at the time that Secretary of State Colin Powell’s subordinate, Richard Armitage, had most likely disclosed her status earlier.
In other words, Libby was in an Orwellian position of being accused of a crime that may not have existed. But if it had, it was more likely committed by someone else.
Publicity-seeking special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald persuaded a Washington, D.C., jury to find Libby guilty of obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements to federal investigators — not the supposed crimes for which he was originally targeted by the media.
Apparently, the very suspicion of improper behavior by high public servants once warranted vigorous legal inquiry — by supposedly independent and autonomous prosecutors.
In the eight-plus years since the Libby trial, the Obama administration has blown up the law as we have known it for centuries.
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Statistics Don't Support Fear Of A 'War On Police'
The ambush-style murder of Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth at a gas station in suburban Houston on Aug. 29 has added new urgency to warnings about a growing "war on cops" in America. After the arrest of the suspect, an African-American man named Shannon J. Miles, the local district attorney called for more public support for law enforcement.
"It is time for the silent majority in this country to support law enforcement," said Devon Anderson, the Harris County DA. "There are a few bad apples in every profession. That does not mean there should be open warfare declared on law enforcement."
The notion of growing "warfare" against police stems in part from a statistical jump in the number of law officers murdered — "feloniously killed," in the jargon of the FBI's numbers.
In 2014, the year of the Ferguson protests and increased media attention on police misconduct, 51 officers were killed nationwide. That was a jump from the 27 killed in 2013 and many took it as a sign of greater danger for police.
Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and an assistant law professor at the University of South Carolina, calls that interpretation "nonsense."
"It's misleading to compare one year to another year," he says.
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"It is time for the silent majority in this country to support law enforcement," said Devon Anderson, the Harris County DA. "There are a few bad apples in every profession. That does not mean there should be open warfare declared on law enforcement."
The notion of growing "warfare" against police stems in part from a statistical jump in the number of law officers murdered — "feloniously killed," in the jargon of the FBI's numbers.
In 2014, the year of the Ferguson protests and increased media attention on police misconduct, 51 officers were killed nationwide. That was a jump from the 27 killed in 2013 and many took it as a sign of greater danger for police.
Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and an assistant law professor at the University of South Carolina, calls that interpretation "nonsense."
"It's misleading to compare one year to another year," he says.
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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 9-19-15
Becky Lee Tourist Home
The era before a large number of motels dotted our highways saw a number of larger homes turned into “tourist homes”. Before the Salisbury Boulevard was built in 1939, Route 13 ran from N. Division St. to Camden Ave. through Salisbury (or from Camden Ave.to N. Division St. if you were heading north).
Along this route was the Becky Lee Tourist Home. It was listed at 1307 Camden Ave. The number of the address was changed by the City of Salisbury in October, 1952, to 1008 Camden Ave., when all the street numbers in Salisbury were changed. The home is now cut up into five apartments. It is on the north corner of Somerset Ave. and the west side of Camden Ave.
The Becky Lee Tourist Home was established around 1930 by Mrs. T. H. Pusey. It was described as being situated in the best suburban section of the city.
Some of the amenities offered were shower baths, spacious porches, shade trees and telephone service.
Most of the old tourist homes have been converted in apartments now due to their size. One family could not possibly heat a house of such dimensions – many rooms, high ceilings, etc. When these homes were built, they probably provided living quarters for the father, mother, several children and other family members such parents, aunts or uncles.
People do not rent out rooms by the night anymore. If they rent a room, it is probably to someone for an extended period.
Mysterious Trains Explained Along Route 113; Excursion Train Study’s Second Part To Offer Financial Data
“I don’t know where they came from or how they got there, but that track has been offline for a few years,” said Fisher. “They just appeared out of nowhere a few days before the 4th of July and I never heard a thing.”
Fisher says the train cars have been there ever since, tucked back just behind the tree line just a few steps from Route 113 south, and he has now gone from wondering how they got there, to worrying what their presence means for the future.
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Troopers Investigating Serious Motorcycle Crash on Coastal Highway and Hudson Road, Milton
Milton, DE- The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a serious motorcycle crash that occurred last night at the intersection of Coastal Highway (SR1) and Hudson Road.
Preliminary investigation indicates the incident happened around 7:00 p.m. Friday September 18, 2015 as Amanda L. McDonald, 27 of Lewes, was operating a Mercury Montego eastbound on Hudson Road stopped at the stop sign waiting to cross over Coastal Highway (SR1) southbound lanes. Kenneth R. Tarburton Sr., 54 of Wilmington, was operating a 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle southbound on SR1 in the right lane approaching Hudson Road. McDonald failed to see the motorcycle and proceeded into the southbound lanes where the motorcycle struck the left rear of the Mercury, ejecting Tarburton and his passenger.
Kenneth Tarburton, who was wearing an approved DOT helmet, was airlifted from the scene by Delaware State Police Aviation (Trooper 2) to Christiana Medical Center where he was admitted in critical condition.
Elizabeth A. Tarburton, 53 of Wilmington (Wife), was transported by EMS to Beebe Healthcare where she was admitted with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Amanda McDonald and a juvenile passenger, were both properly restrained and were transported to Beebe Healthcare where they were treated and released as a precautionary measure without injuries.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this case and charges are pending. SR1 southbound lanes at Hudson Road were closed for approximately two and a half hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.
With the Ocean City, Maryland Bike Week in full swing, troopers are offering tips to motorists and motorcyclists alike to "Share the Road."
Motorcycles are vehicles with the same rights and privileges as any motor vehicle on the roadway. Drivers of other passenger vehicles should always remember to follow these steps to help keep motorcyclists safe:
- Allow a motorcyclist the full lane width. Although it may seem as though there is enough room in a traffic lane for an automobile and a motorcycle, the motorcycle needs the full room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.
- Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows the motorcyclist to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.
- Remember that motorcyclists are often hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look due to their smaller size. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
- Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals usually are not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed.
- Remember that road conditions which are minor annoyances to passenger vehicles pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Be aware that motorcyclists may need to change speed or adjust their position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.
- Allow more following distance, three or four seconds, when following a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. And don’t tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
Motorcyclists have responsibilities too, by following the rules of the roadway, being alert to other drivers, and always wearing protective gear.
But too often, in a crash, the drivers of other vehicles involved say they never saw the motorcyclist and failed to respond in time. This is no excuse. Too many lives are being lost.
Our message to all drivers is: “Share the Road” with motorcycles. Look twice before pulling out or making turns. The headlight of a motorcycle may appear far away, but they can be deceiving.
Arizona freeway shooting suspect apprehended
The suspect in the Phoenix-area freeway shootings has been caught, Gov. Doug Ducey announced late Friday.
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Is Obamism Correctable?
Here and abroad, the Obama administration damages whatever it touches.
The next president and Congress will inherit what President Obama left behind. Whether Democrat or Republican, the president will have no choice other than to try to undo much of what Obama has wrought. But can he or she?
THE MIDDLE EAST
The policy of “leading from behind” and the crudity of “We came, we saw, he [Qaddafi] died” have left a human tragedy in Libya. Backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was an inexplicable choice, and it almost ruined the country. The United States did not need to hound and jail an innocent video maker in order to concoct a myth to cover up the culpable lax security in Benghazi. Yemen was strangely declared a model of our anti-terrorism efforts — just weeks before it ignited into another Somalia or Congo. ISIS was airily written off as a jayvee bunch as it spread beyond Syria and Iraq. There is little need to do a detailed comparison of Iraq now and Iraq in February 2009 (when it was soon to be the administration’s “greatest achievement,” a “stable” and “self-reliant” nation); the mess in between is attributable to Obama’s use of the aftermath of the Iraq War for pre-election positioning. Ordering Assad to flee while ignoring the violence in Syria and proclaiming a faux red line has now tragically led to a million refugees in Europe (and another 4 million in the neighborhood) and more than 200,000 dead. Israel is now considered not an ally, not even a neutral, but apparently a hostile state worthy of more presidential invective than is Iran. We have few if any reliable friends any more in the Gulf. Iran will become a nuclear power. The only mystery over how that will happen is whether Obama was inept or whether he deliberately sought to make the theocracy some sort of a strategic power and U.S. ally. The Middle East over the next decade may see three or four additional new nuclear powers. The Russia of kleptocrat Vladimir Putin is seen in the region as a better friend than is the U.S. — and certainly a far more dangerous enemy to provoke.
There is no easy cure for all this; it will take years just to sort out the mess.
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The next president and Congress will inherit what President Obama left behind. Whether Democrat or Republican, the president will have no choice other than to try to undo much of what Obama has wrought. But can he or she?
THE MIDDLE EAST
The policy of “leading from behind” and the crudity of “We came, we saw, he [Qaddafi] died” have left a human tragedy in Libya. Backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was an inexplicable choice, and it almost ruined the country. The United States did not need to hound and jail an innocent video maker in order to concoct a myth to cover up the culpable lax security in Benghazi. Yemen was strangely declared a model of our anti-terrorism efforts — just weeks before it ignited into another Somalia or Congo. ISIS was airily written off as a jayvee bunch as it spread beyond Syria and Iraq. There is little need to do a detailed comparison of Iraq now and Iraq in February 2009 (when it was soon to be the administration’s “greatest achievement,” a “stable” and “self-reliant” nation); the mess in between is attributable to Obama’s use of the aftermath of the Iraq War for pre-election positioning. Ordering Assad to flee while ignoring the violence in Syria and proclaiming a faux red line has now tragically led to a million refugees in Europe (and another 4 million in the neighborhood) and more than 200,000 dead. Israel is now considered not an ally, not even a neutral, but apparently a hostile state worthy of more presidential invective than is Iran. We have few if any reliable friends any more in the Gulf. Iran will become a nuclear power. The only mystery over how that will happen is whether Obama was inept or whether he deliberately sought to make the theocracy some sort of a strategic power and U.S. ally. The Middle East over the next decade may see three or four additional new nuclear powers. The Russia of kleptocrat Vladimir Putin is seen in the region as a better friend than is the U.S. — and certainly a far more dangerous enemy to provoke.
There is no easy cure for all this; it will take years just to sort out the mess.
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Jon Stewart Joins 9/11 Workers in Pressing Congress to Extend Benefits
Jon Stewart, the recently retired host of “The Daily Show,” exhorted Congress on Wednesday to permanently extend a law providing treatment and compensation to rescue workers who were injured or sickened by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The bill, which is set to start expiring next month, has long been a favored cause of the comedian, whose shows in 2010 criticizing the law’s Republican opponents and showcasing emergency medical workers with health problems helped prompt its passage.
The law, called the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, pledged federal money for the health care of rescue workers who had for years been forced to depend on mix of short-term federal, city and private money.
With rescue workers and advocates growing nervous that they will be left shouldering the burden for expensive treatment, a bearded Mr. Stewart, flanked by law enforcement officials and New York lawmakers, spoke at a rally in front of the United States Capitol.
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The bill, which is set to start expiring next month, has long been a favored cause of the comedian, whose shows in 2010 criticizing the law’s Republican opponents and showcasing emergency medical workers with health problems helped prompt its passage.
The law, called the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, pledged federal money for the health care of rescue workers who had for years been forced to depend on mix of short-term federal, city and private money.
With rescue workers and advocates growing nervous that they will be left shouldering the burden for expensive treatment, a bearded Mr. Stewart, flanked by law enforcement officials and New York lawmakers, spoke at a rally in front of the United States Capitol.
More