More Mexicans leaving US than arriving

More Mexicans are now leaving the U.S. than are coming into the country.

While tougher enforcement of immigration laws has been a significant factor in the reversal, most of the departing Mexicans are leaving on their own, a Pew Research Center report said Thursday.

Citing Mexican census figures, the report found that 1 million Mexicans and their families (including U.S.-born children) left the U.S. for Mexico from 2009 to 2014. It said that U.S. census data for the same period shows an estimated 870,000 Mexicans entered the U.S.

Pew's findings accounted for both documented and undocumented immigrants.

Among the most common reasons Mexicans are saying adiós to the USA are a slow economic recovery here and the fact that they miss their families back home, the study found.

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Paris terror siege: Police dog Diesel killed by woman suicide bomber

The seven-year-old Belgian shepherd dog, or Malinois, was “killed by terrorists” when French special forces raided an apartment building in Saint-Denis early on Wednesday morning.

A Twitter user who paid tribute to Diesel said he had "died to defend our colours" while one police handler said it was "a little like losing one of our colleagues".

Police National tweeted:"Diesel, a seven-year-old Malinois, police dog for RAID [France's anti-terrorist police unit], was killed by terrorists in the ongoing operation."

The police spokesman said that dogs such as Diesel who are trained to assist on operations where there is a risk of explosives were “indispensable” to the elite unit.

The brave dog was reportedly the first to be sent into an apartment, which was used by at least six jihadis in the run up to the attacks, to assess the level of danger before they stormed it.

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23,000 Deer Harvested in Maryland during Early Hunting Season

Maryland hunters harvested more deer during early hunting season compared to this time last year. Department of Natural Resources biologists attribute the increased harvest to a scarcity of acorns across most of the state, causing deer to move more in search of food.

Hunters wrapped up the early portions of the archery and muzzleloader deer seasons by harvesting an estimated 23,048 deer during September and October ─ five percent higher than last year’s harvest of 21,965.

The two-month harvest includes 12,213 deer taken during the archery season (7,107 taken with vertical bows and 5,106 taken with crossbows) and 10,715 harvested during the October muzzleloader season. An additional 120 deer were reported during managed deer hunts.

Compared to last year, the antlered harvest increased 16 percent from 6,604 deer to 7,637, and the antlerless harvest increased from 15,361 to 15,411. Included in these totals are 523 antlered and 550 antlerless sika deer.

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Sen. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees

Fish Kill In Middle River Continues To Escalate

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The largest fish kill of the year in Baltimore County continues to escalate. Hundreds of thousands of fish are dead in Middle River. Authorities first said algae was the reason why, but are now expanding their investigation.

Rick Ritter has more from devastated people in that community.

What started as 100,000 dead fish is now closer to 200,000. Some say algae is not the problem.

In pictures, it’s one dead fish after the other. In person, it’s the same story, but even tougher to take in.

“To see something like this just angers the hell out of me. It really does,” said Scott Sewell, conservation director, Maryland Bass Nation.

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US State Dept Reps Caught in Obvious Lie

Seaford Woman Arrested for Passing Bad Checks

Seaford, DE – Financial Crimes Detectives have arrested a Seaford woman after a series of checks she wrote came back with insufficient funds.

The incidents occurred over a seven month period of time starting in March of 2015 when Michele L. Somers, 34 of Seaford, began writing checks to various businesses in the Seaford and Laurel areas. When the checks were deposited, the businesses were informed of the insufficient funds in Somers’ account and provided her with a 10 day period to pay the balance of the funds which she failed to do. The balance of these payments totaled more than $3,800.00. In one incident in October 2015, Somers removed four checks from a family member, signed them, and attempted to make payments for rent, electric bills, and other items which totaled more than $3,200.00.

Michele Somers was arrested on November 13, 2015 and charged with nine counts of Issuing a Bad Check, four counts of Forgery 2nd, Attempted Theft over $1,500.00, and two counts of Theft under $1,500.00. She was arraigned at JP2 and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $3,400.00 secured bond.

If anyone may have been a victim of Somers they are asked to contact Sergeant L. Weller at 302-752-3802. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Baltimore woman's critical role as an American spy

BALTIMORE —Virginia Hall's upbringing in Baltimore helped shape her future as a spy.

The Central Intelligence Agency is the nation's clearinghouse for foreign intelligence. The seeds for its current, coordinated mission were planted during World War II, and a Baltimore woman played an important role in its development.

Hall ran an agent network in Lyon, France, during World War II to build up the French resistance. The fact that she knew every Allied agent who passed through made her a target of the Nazis, so much so that local Gestapo Chief Klaus Barbie, known as "The Butcher of Lyon," tried to hunt her down, complete with wanted posters.

Hall was born in Baltimore in 1906. She grew up in the city and her family had a summer home at a farm in Parkton.

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Majority of Nurses Satisfied with Pay but Would Choose a Different Practice

Pay Tops $170,000 for Advanced Practice Nurses, But Majority of Nurses Make Less than Half that Salary

Male Nurses Paid More than Female Peers, Regardless of Type of Nurse

Up to 88 Percent Would Choose a Different Practice Setting; Approximately Half A Different Career

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Farmers Appeal To Supreme Court On Bay Plan

BERLIN — Farmers across the Eastern Shore this month joined a growing coalition of farmers and developers in lobbying the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that allows the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to micromanage land-use decisions along the Chesapeake Bay.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) last week added its name to a challenge of the EPA’s proposed Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, which encourages Eastern Shore counties and other counties in Maryland and throughout the watershed to closely follow guidelines to set pollution limits that would restore water quality in local rivers, streams and other tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.

While environmental advocacy groups call the blueprint a pathway to a restored Chesapeake, farmers, developers and some local jurisdictions view it as an attempt by the federal government, through the EPA, to micromanage local land use and development decisions under the guise of the Clean Water Act. The AFBF, a coalition of local farming advocacy groups in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, along with the National Association of Homebuilders, has challenged the EPA’s blueprint for the Chesapeake Bay and has been denied at different levels of the federal court system. Last week, the coalition petitioned the Supreme Court to review the lower court’s decision on the blueprint, which it believes “opens the door for dramatic expansion of federal power and must be overturned.”

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Clinton Foundation Running Private Equity Fund in Colombia

The Clinton Foundation is operating a $20 million private equity firm in Colombia, raising concerns from government and consumer watchdog groups who say the practice is unusual and could pose a significant conflict of interest.

The Bogota-based company, Fondo Acceso, could also lead to uncomfortable questions for Hillary Clinton as she criticizes the private equity industry on the campaign trail.

Fondo Acceso was founded by Bill Clinton, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, and mining magnate Frank Giustra in 2010, financed with a $20 million joint contribution from the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton-Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative and the SLIM Foundation.

According to the firm’s Spanish-language website, Fondo Acceso is “a Private Equity Fund that seeks investment opportunities in the small and medium Colombian compan[ies] with the purpose of obtaining economic and social returns.”

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Homeless Veteran Asks Man for Spare Change to Buy Food — What He Gets Instead Leaves Vet Breaking Down in Tears

Max Zahir was in his vehicle at a gas station earlier this week when a homeless man approached him and asked if he had any change he could spare.

“What do you need the change for?” Zahir said he inquired.

Turns out the homeless man is a veteran who told Zahir he hadn’t eaten since the previous day.

But instead of giving the man change, Zahir did him one better: He said he asked the man to hop in his vehicle so Zahir could buy him a meal.

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PURE EVIL: ISIS Gutted Wounded Victims at French Concert Hall As They Lay Dying on Floor

They slit their stomachs and watched them die

Two British women who survived the Paris concert hall massacre, Christine Tudhope and Mariesha Payne hid in the cellar while the terrorists went on their bloody rampage on the floor above them.

The two women hid in the cellar of the Bataclan as the Islamists shouting “Allahu Akbar” slaughtered 100 innocents on the floor above them.

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Have A Great Weekend Everyone!

Many Marylanders Support Hard Options For Overhauling The USPS

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Some hard options for overhauling the U.S. Postal Service apparently have the support of most Americans.

Pat Warren has the results of a recent survey many hope will help steer Congress in the right direction.

The USPS is reporting a $5.1 billion net loss for 2015. It’s been an ongoing problem. Now a new survey is asking Americans how they think it should be dealt with.

Marylanders don’t want to see their local post offices close.

“I think it’s horrible because I depend on this every day,” one woman said.

But what could you do without?

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Honduras Stops 5 Syrians With Fake Passports Headed to the US

Authorities in Honduras have detained “five Syrian nationals who were trying to reach the United States using stolen Greek passports” and, as Fox reports, the five “Syrians were trying to arrive in the U.S. by land, presumably by traveling through Mexico:”

The group of Syrian men was held late on Tuesday in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on arrival from Costa Rica and they were planning to head to the border with neighboring Guatemala. The passports had been doctored to replace the photographs with those of the Syrians, police said.

Also according to Fox, the five “suspects remain in police custody.”

The newspaper reports that the passports were stolen in Greece and doctored to insert the photos of the Syrians into the document. Authorities have stated they are “on alert” for any additional suspect activity.

More here

Government Seizes Sheriff’s Tracked Armored Vehicle At Behest Of Obama

Under orders from President Obama, military surplus vehicles were seized from Calhoun County, Alabama Sheriff Larry Amerson Wednesday.

For over 20 years, under the federal government’s 10-33 program, the Defense Department distributed military surplus equipment and vehicles to local law enforcement, such as the Calhoun County sheriff’s department.

However, following the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, over local law enforcement controversies, President Obama halted the program through an executive order. All vehicles from the program that were deemed too “militaristic looking” were to be confiscated from local law enforcement all over the country.

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By Nearly 2-to-1 Americans Oppose Obama’s Syrian Refugee Plan

For five days a coordinated DC Media has been attacking as racists anyone opposed to President Obama’s plan to resettle thousands of Syrians refugees here in America. A new poll shows that the emotional blackmail being hurled by both Obama and his DC Media allies has failed miserably. By nearly 2-to-1 (53% to 28%), Americans oppose the resettlement program.

Bloomberg:

Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults in the survey, conducted in the days immediately following the attacks, say the nation should not continue a program to resettle up to 10,000 Syrian refugees. Just 28 percent would keep the program with the screening process as it now exists, while 11 percent said they would favor a limited program to accept only Syrian Christians while excluding Muslims, a proposal Obama has dismissed as “shameful” and un-American.

When you add in the 11% who only want Christian refugees, that adds up to 64% who do not want Muslim refugees from Syria.

The American people are compassionate but they are not stupid, nor are they suicidal. They know ISIS is cunning and effective, they also know that Obama and the federal government are inept.

More here

Former Hagerstown dentist gets probation in sexual solicitation case

A former Hagerstown dentist on Thursday was sentenced to a five-year suspended prison term and ordered to serve two years of probation for trying to solicit sex from a minor at a Washington County motel in 2013.

Before making his ruling in Washington County Circuit Court, visiting Judge James L. Sherbin suggested Vaqar Choudry, 44, of Germantown, Md., had suffered enough.

The judge said Choudry already lost his dental practice, paid a $35,000 fine and spent more than 90 days in jail as a result of the crime.

"Your life is over," Sherbin said.

Choudry also was ordered to stay away from children unless they are in the presence of other adults.

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Black Wednesday: Day of Campus Walkouts Ends In Abject Failure

An attempted follow-up to last week’s chaos on U.S. campuses ended in failure after the Black Justice League at Princeton’s call for a day of “national walkouts” failed to gather steam.

At Princeton, student activists from the Black Justice League staged a walkout demanding that the college’s Woodrow Wilson School be renamed. Their justification? Wilson was a racist. Of course.

The students also demanded “cultural competency training” for all staff members and “a cultural space on campus dedicated specifically to black students.”

Unlike protests at Yale and Missouri, however, the faculty refused to back down and rejected the Black Justice League’s list of demands.

The Black Justice League’s failure comes amidst a backlash against campus crazies.

More here

Kohl's New Commercial With Same Sex Couple Is A Hit On Social Media

The best part of the holidays? Being together with family and friends of course! Get your home ready for holiday guests and entertaining at Kohl's and Kohls.com. #AllTogetherNow

Marchers want relief for millions of immigrant families

ARLINGTON (WUSA9) -- Around 40 marchers are walking from Arlington to the White House Friday in honor of immigrant families and to end deportations.

The group is made up of mostly immigrants - walking on the one year anniversary of President Obama's announcement on immigration relief. Marchers say they want relief for the millions of immigrant families including those with children in the US, who could be deported. They call themselves "dreamers," and are part of an organization based in Virginia.

"Having a proper documentation makes a huge difference in your life. Gives opportunities to move on as a citizen," Edgar Arnda, president of Virginia coalition of Latina organizations said.

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Ted Cruz Challenges President Obama to Debate on Syrian Refugees

One day after President Obama assailed the “political posturing” of Republicans who have called for barring the Syrian refugees from entering the United States, Senator Ted Cruz delivered this retort: “Come back and insult me to my face.”

Speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday, Mr. Cruz, a Republican running for president, challenged Mr. Obama to a public debate on refugee policy, criticizing Mr. Obama for having made his remarks on a trip to Manila.

“I prefer it in the United States and not overseas, where you’re making the insults,” Mr. Cruz said of the unlikely debate. “It’s easy to toss a cheap insult when no one can respond.”

Mr. Cruz’s office said he is preparing to introduce a bill this week that would bar Syrian refugees from coming to the United States, but it is not yet clear if it would apply to all refugees or only to Muslims.

Mr. Cruz, a Texas senator, has expressed an openness to welcoming Syrian refugees in the past, but since the Paris terrorist attacks last week, several Republican candidates have taken pains to establish a hard line on accepting refugees.

“It is the height of lunacy for a government official to welcome in tens of thousands of refugees when we know that among them will be ISIS terrorists,” Mr. Cruz said Wednesday.

More here

Enjoy The Boat Parade From Brew River

Christmas Craft & Vendor Show Tomorrow

JAMES M. BENNETT ULTIMATE BINGO

Saturday, November 21, 2015

JMB Cafeteria

Doors and Kitchen open at 5:00 pm

Bingo games begin at 6:00 PM

Cost: $20

Missing Person Gregory Dyess Located

DATE: November 19th 2015
CBI Case #: 15-0231
LOCATION: Berlin, Maryland
CRIME: Missing Person- Gregory Dyess
SUSPECT: N/A

NARRATIVE: On November 4th 2015, the Berlin Police Department was contacted by a family member of Gregory Dyess who reported him missing. Dyess left his residence on the morning of November 4th, never reported to work, and did not return home. 

Berlin Police interviewed family members and co-workers to determine the whereabouts of Dyess to check his welfare. 

Numerous attempts were made to contact Dyess with negative results. The case was forwarded to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation

Investigators determined that Dyess was no longer in the area and with the assistance of several police agencies in surrounding states, Dyess has been located and is in good health.

Petulant Obama Mocks GOP on Refugees

In 2013, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev detonated two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 264. The Tsarnaev brothers were Islamist radicals and “refugees.” In July 2015, five military personnel in Chattanooga were murdered by Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez — an Islamist Palestinian immigrant. In other words, refugees and immigrants committing terrorism in the U.S. is not some theoretical hypothetical. It’s already happened. It happened in Paris, too — at least one attacker was a Syrian “refugee.”

But that makes no difference to the man-child in the Oval Office. Rather than assaulting the Islamofascists who commit such heinous acts, he turned his rhetorical fire on Republicans. Again. Still.

“I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric coming out of here in the course of this debate,” Obama said of his plan to bring in the Islamic Trojan horse via Syrian refugees. “Apparently [Republicans] are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America. At first, they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of three-year-old orphans. That doesn’t seem so tough to me.”

Obama has never said a word in regard to the long list of orphans left in the wake of Islamist attacks in the U.S. and worldwide. Instead, he prefers hurling insults at his political opponents. That’s what narcissists do.

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Clinton Foundation: Oh, THAT Foreign Money.

The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation has refiled six years' worth of amended tax returns to more properly account for revenue sources for the “charity.” Much of that revenue just happened to come from foreign governments — while Hillary was secretary of state.

The returns include tax years 2010 through 2013 for the Foundation and tax years 2012 and 2013 for the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Foundation president and longtime Clintonista Donna Shalala said that the organization was under no legal obligation to refile the forms but was motivated instead by the desire to be transparent. (They keep using that word…)

“There is no change in our bottom line numbers: assets, liabilities, and net assets,” Shalala wrote in a statement. “There is nothing to suggest that the Foundation intended to conceal the receipt of government grants, which we report on our website.”

There is also nothing to suggest that Shalala or the Foundation is telling the truth. The fact that these amended returns come during a period of intense scrutiny of Hillary Clinton’s White House run cannot be coincidence. Neither can it be mere chance that the years in question coincide with her term as secretary of state.

We’ve reported previously about the mounting evidence that the Clinton Foundation was set up mainly as a means of greasing the skids for Clinton’s inevitable White House run. We also explored how the Foundation continued to do business with countries that were simultaneously working with the State Department while Clinton was secretary.

Neither the State Department nor the Clinton Foundation found any conflict of interest or any impropriety in the arrangement after independent internal reviews. Well, isn’t that a load off our collective minds?

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Common Core: ‘A Comprehensive Dumbing Down of American Education’

(CNSNews) – “The Common Core is supposed to be improving state standards in education, but its bigger effect has been a comprehensive dumbing down of American education at every level, from kindergarten through graduate school,” Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, said in an interview with CNSNews.com.

Wood is a co-author of Drilling Through the Core: Why Common Core is Bad for American Education, published in September by Pioneer Press. The book includes Wood’s history of the Common Core controversy and critical essays by more than a dozen mathematicians and English scholars.

“The major criticism coming from the scholars is that it’s lowered standards in both math and English language arts, the two parts of the K-12 curriculum that the Common Core covers,” Wood told CNSNews.

“When the Common Core was being put in place, there was a large promise that it would be ‘internationally benchmarked’, meaning the standards would be as high or higher than the highest standards found around the world. And if you go into Common Core materials, you will still find that phrase.

“But the math standards are set way below all of the Asian nations, and the U.S. language arts standards are not matched to international standards,” Wood pointed out.

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Black Michigan Student Charged In Threat To ‘Shoot Every Black Person I Can’

Police at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan have arrested a black man who allegedly posted on the social media site Yik Yak a threat to “shoot every black person I can on campus.”

Emmanuel D. Bowden, a 21-year-old Delta College student living on the SVSU campus, is charged with making a false report or threat of terrorism, a felony that carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison, The Saginaw News reported.

According to SVSU University Police reports, after the post to shoot blacks received multiple “negative replies,” the original poster replied with four additional messages that read, “Its [sic] a joke,” “I’m black,” “I was going to give it an hour to see how you all would react,” and “Right. I could be angry and just expressing myself lol.”

Following an FBI investigation, police arrested Mr. Bowden Friday inside a residence hall on SVSU’s campus in Kochville Township on an unrelated warrant, The Saginaw News reported. Police said they were able to connect Mr. Bowden’s cellphone to the Yik Yak threat while carrying out the warrant.

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It is Confederate Liberation Day

Clinton Goes After Laugh Factory Comedians for Making Fun of Her

In what appears to be a first for a serious presidential contender, Hillary Clinton’s campaign is going after five comedians who made fun of the former Secretary of State in standup skits at a popular Hollywood comedy club.

A video of the short performance, which is less than three minutes, is posted on the website of the renowned club, Laugh Factory, and the Clinton campaign has tried to censor it. Besides demanding that the video be taken down, the Clinton campaign has demanded the personal contact information of the performers that appear in the recording.

This is no laughing matter for club owner Jamie Masada, a comedy guru who opened Laugh Factory more than three decades ago and has been instrumental in launching the careers of many famous comics.

“They threatened me,” Masada told Judicial Watch. “I have received complains before but never a call like this, threatening to put me out of business if I don’t cut the video.”

Practically all of the country’s most acclaimed comedians have performed at the Laugh Factory and undoubtedly they have offended politicians and other well-known personalities with their standup routines. Tim Allen, Jay Leno, Roseanne Bar, Drew Carey, George Carlin, Jim Carrey, Martin Lawrence, Jerry Seinfeld and George Lopez are among the big names that have headlined at the Laugh Factory. The First Amendment right to free speech is a crucial component of the operation, though Masada drew the line a few years ago banning performers—including African Americans—from using the “n-word” in their acts.

More here

Drug Smugglers Flow Across Our Border, Syrian Christians Don't

Who should Americans see as worthier candidates for entering our country? Syrian Christians fleeing persecution — and possible beheading by the Islamic State — or smugglers moving drugs across our Mexican border?

Under existing U.S. law, a Christian fleeing from regions in Syria threatened or controlled by the Islamic State could claim asylum here. A smuggler moving drugs across our border has no justification at all.

Yet the way our federal government operates today, drug smugglers routinely cross our border while Christian refugees from Syria almost never do.

A recent report and a data set released by the Obama administration put this in perspective.

Gingrich: De-fund Obama's Syrian Refugee Program

(CNSNews) - The Obama administration’s plan to bring thousands of Syrian refugees into the U.S. should be de-funded, according to Newt Gingrich. The former House Speaker says Congress “should cut off the funding and say – absolutely no.”

Gingrich made the comments while appearing on WMAL’s "Mornings on The Mall" radio program on Tuesday.

“This is a clear case where Congress should cut off the funding and say – absolutely no. We’re not going to allow the president to spend taxpayer money bringing in people who may well be terrorists,” Gingrich said.

“Let’s start with the number one fact about the Paris attack –there were eight terrorists who killed 129 people and wounded over 300 – eight.”

“Now the president says, ‘well we can bring in 20,000 because we’re going to vet them’ – first of all, that’s a lie, we do not have the intelligence information to vet these people,” Gingrich continued. “Let’s say we have only a one percent error rate –that would be 200. That’s 25 times the number it took to commit the Paris massacre.”

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BREAKING NEWS: Mali hostage crisis reportedly ends, captives' fate unknown

The hostage situation at a hotel in Mali's capital where as many as 90 people were being held captive is now over, The Associated Press reports, citing Malian state TV, but the fate of the hostages is unclear.

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Securing The Electrical Grid

ISIS could kill millions by switching off America’s power

Three vitally important lessons are immediately apparent in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks:

First, the Islamic State, or ISIS, is planning more attacks against Europe and also the United States. ISIS-affiliated websites threaten that Washington, London and Rome will be attacked next and that their preference is “to taste American blood.”

Second, ISIS is adept at waging asymmetric warfare. Their goal is to leverage their limited resources and get the “biggest bang for the buck” by spectacular acts of terror that will psychologically demoralize the civilized world. The victims of Paris are not only the 129 killed and 352 injured, but millions worldwide who were witnesses through mass media.

Third, the combined intelligence resources of the United States and Europe, and police and security forces even when on heightened alert as they were in Paris, cannot prevent every act of spectacular terrorism. ISIS, al Qaeda, or other terrorist groups will, sooner or later, achieve another surprise attack.

Therefore, one of the most important parts of U.S. counter-terrorism strategy must be to anticipate and protect our nation’s greatest vulnerabilities in order to defeat terrorism’s strategy of asymmetric warfare.

More here

The history of the first and last man killed in every major US conflict

From Isaac Davis during the American Revolution to Martin J. Wyatt and Ramon S. Morris in Operation Enduring Freedom, 1.1 million U.S. soldiers have died in combat since 1775.

John Kerry famously asked in a 1971 congressional testimony on Vietnam, “How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”

As the war in Afghanistan continues to rage on after 14 years, and with the recent resurgence of violence in Iraq and now in Syria, a question like that undoubtedly weighs heavy in the minds of service members, veterans, and military decision makers.

The first soldier death marks the place where a war begins, at least for the troops. The last death bookends the war and earns that soldier a particular place in our nation’s history that is a dignified but dubious honor.

Here is a breakdown of the first and last fatalities of major U.S. wars.

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#GivingTuesday 2015

What is #GivingTuesday Anyway?

We are all familiar with Thanksgiving. Most of us are also familiar with Black Friday. Then there is Small Business Saturday and then still, Cyber Monday. What to do on Tuesday you ask? How about giving. Because now, in its' fourth year, is GivingTuesday. Begun as a social media campaign to drive charitable donations and gifting to non-profits and charitable organizations, #GivingTuesday has grown into a global effort of showcasing the impact of participating in and giving toward an organization you believe in.   This year, GivingTuesday will occur on December 1st.  The Del-Mar-Va Council, BSA has established a special "Campership Fund" to assure No Scout's Left Inside due to any financial barriers in attending Summer Camp.  This past summer the Del-Mar-Va Council awarded over $30,000 to 234 Hard Working Scouts so their outdoor adventure dreams could come true.    On December 1st,  #GivingTuesday,    give the gift that will last a lifetime... Send a Scout to Camp

Rubio Skips Two Classified Briefings on Paris to Raise Money on West Coast

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio missed two classified briefings on the Paris attacks Wednesday because he was raising money for his Republican presidential campaign in California, though staffers told Newsmax that he attended a Senate committee meeting on the assaults on Tuesday.

Rubio, who has been under fire for missing more than 100 votes in the last year, skipped a morning meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The Tampa Bay Times reports.

The first-term senator also bypassed an afternoon briefing with Obama administration officials for all senators that was requested by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans.

A Rubio staffer told Newsmax that the senator had attended a Senate Intelligence Committee session regarding the attacks on Tuesday.

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Fraternal Order of Eagles Salisbury

This Saturday night we will be featuring 

FRONT PAGE NEWS 

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Band will be from 9-1 am 

$6.00 pp or $10.00 a couple 

107 Alexander Ave Salisbury MD 

Cheapest drinks around 

SAVE THE DATE: Small Business Saturday November 28th

Downtown Stores Offer Big Specials for 

Small Business Saturday

Salisbury - Mayor Jake Day says, “Mark your calendar for Small Business Saturday on November 28th!” The City is once again encouraging citizens to shop local and support small businesses during the holiday season.
Downtown Salisbury is a hub of locally-owned businesses of all sorts, and the City is working closely with them to make Small Business Saturday a success. Take a stroll in Downtown Salisbury on November 28th and do your holiday shopping at one of the local art galleries, retailers, or restaurants!

“Small Business Saturday is a key piece of the economic puzzle Downtown,” said Mayor Day. “Every holiday shopping dollar spent in a locally-owned business is a dollar which stays right here in our community. I encourage holiday shoppers to come find a unique gift, stop for a bite to eat, and take advantage of the big specials being offered by our local businesses on November 28th.”

Currently, there are 11 Downtown businesses which will be offering special deals, discounts, and giveaways on Small Business Saturday.

Montgomery County Grappling With Spike in MS-13 Gang Activity

Officials in Montgomery County are reporting a jump in recruitment by the MS-13 gang, leading to a spike in violent gang activity.

A wave of MS-13 members were arrested for heinous crimes three years ago and "that specific gang was substantially dismantled," Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said. Recruitment of the El Salvador-based gang now appears to be on the rise.

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Attkisson: Obama Won't Read Intelligence on Groups He Doesn't Consider 'Terrorists'

Emmy-winning television journalist Sharyl Attkisson told Newsmax TV on Wednesday that her sources say that President Barack Obama does not read intelligence reports from his staff on jihadist groups that he does not consider terrorists.

"I have talked to people who have worked in the Obama administration who firmly believe he has made up his mind — closed his mind, they say — to their intelligence that they've tried to bring him about various groups that he does not consider terrorists, even if they are on the U.S. list of designated terrorists," Attkisson told "The Steve Malzberg Show" in an interview.

"He has his own ideas, and there are those who've known him a long time who say this dates back to law school," she said. "He does not necessarily listen to the people with whom he disagrees."

"He seems to dig in — and why I would suppose is because he thinks he's right. He is facing formidable opposition on this particular point."

Attkisson said the sources could not explain Obama's reasoning for his approach to terrorism intelligence.

"I've only been told by those who have allegedly attempted to present him, or have been in the circle that has attempted to present him, with certain intelligence that they said he doesn't want it," she told Malzberg. "He said he doesn't want it or he won't read it, in some instances."

Read more here

Obama Threatens to Veto House GOP Bill on Syrian Refugee Screening

President Obama threatened late Wednesday to veto legislation aimed at improving screening for Syrian refugees, potentially putting the White House and Congress on a collision course in a matter of days.

The veto threat came as the House was preparing the bill -- which sets high hurdles for refugee admission including FBI background checks and sign-offs by top officials -- for floor action as early as Thursday. In a committee meeting, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, accused the president of confusing the public about the intentions of the legislation.

Moments later, the White House issued a statement defending the current screening process and claiming the changes called for under the bill would create "significant delays and obstacles" for the existing vetting program.

"Given the lives at stake and the critical importance to our partners in the Middle East and Europe of American leadership in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis ... [Obama] would veto the bill," the White House said.

But House Republicans touted the legislation as a common-sense answer to security concerns.

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5 Ways to Wage Spiritual Warfare against ISIS

This is a battle against evil—we know what to do

In the face of such strong attacks by the enemies of the Church of God, are we to remain inactive? Is that all we can do, complain and cry? No! Every one of us has a holy obligation to build a trench and personally hurl back the assaults of the enemy.

—St. Maximilian Kolbe

When I heard the news about the ISIS attack in Paris, I felt numb and scared. The Paris attacks, the bombing in Beirut, the earthquake in Japan. It all created a vortex of silence in the world, a heartwrenching pause in the world’s affairs in which all that could be heard was the wails of suffering people.

So many people have eloquently and forcefully responded to this news. But Pope Francis’ response caught my attention. He said these attacks are “not human.” This reminded me that more than a battle against ISIS,this is a battle against evil.

So, how can we respond? Calls for peace are meaningless if it is not joined with the power of prayer. Evil must be combated. With prayer andsometimes with force.

If you want to join in the cosmic battle that is raging, here are some suggestions from Jesus and the saints:

1. Give Alms

Where alms are, the devil dares not approach, nor any other evil thing.—St. John Chrysostom

Spiritual warfare involves not just prayer but action. We can help the people who are suffering at the hands of ISIS.

Catholic organizations providing aid in areas where ISIS is active:
Aid to the Church in Need
Catholic Relief Services
List of several other organizations active in the area

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AAA: Gas Could Fall Below $2 Per Gallon Nationwide Just In Time For Christmas

While we’re not sure how Santa Claus will be able to bring this present down the chimney, everyone with a car could be getting something very special this year: AAA says the national average for a gallon of gas could fall below $2 just in time for Christmas. 

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Although No Decision Imminent, Ocean City To Explore Possible Styrofoam Ban

OCEAN CITY — Although only in its infancy, Ocean City officials this week began a discussion about possible banning or at least regulating environmentally harmful Styrofoam in the form of plates, cups and carryout trays.

Several progressive communities across the country are already banning polystyrene in the form of Styrofoam cups, plated and carryout boxes, for example. Closest to home, Montgomery County implemented a phased-in ban on polystyrene products with the county government’s ban going into effect on Jan. 1 and a private sector ban implemented a year later.

Ocean City is considering following suit, although the process would likely be a long one and what the final product on a ban or increased regulation might look like is not entirely clear. Mayor and Acting City Manager Rick Meehan broached the subject this week during a subcommittee report from the Coastal Resources Legislative Committee, or Green Team.

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Wayne Knapp Not Truthful In Daily Times Article

And the drama continues. Wayne Knapp resigned his council position on 11-18-15 at approximately 10:00 AM. We published that information while he was at Town Hall turning in his resignation HERE. 

However, Knapp dated his resignation letter on the 16th and then claimed to the Daily Times he had resigned on the 16th, (not true) before the Delmar election. No, he was snagged big time and the Daily Times knew it, yet they published the lie anyway. WHY, because Knapp told them what to say and rather then investigating it, (calling Town Hall) they just published what he said. 

Knapp then sent a letter to the Town of Delmar declining his seat to the Council to "avoid drama". No, more like he didn't want to get charged with perjury. 

Clearly the entire Delmar Town Council were going to investigate him and he knew that he was not legally serving the Town of Pittsville while claiming he is a Delmar resident to Wood Creek residents.

Nevertheless, the drama is over. Mr. Knapp is no longer involved in local politics. One still has to wonder if the Town Council in Pittsville will now investigate if Knapp was or was not qualified to be on the Council for the past two years. It's been reported that other Council Members were well aware of Knapp living in Delmar and not Pittsville. The Town attorney claims he had no idea. Yeah, right. 

In the end, many people complain about this Blog exposing such information. They claim no one wants to serve in these positions because their names might get splattered all over social media. Well, you can no longer have the Good Ol' Boys here on the Shore and the TRUTH is finally being exposed, while your Liberal News Media continues to misrepresent the public. 

Did this information come from ANY other news source, NO. That is, until we exposed it. So don't shoot the messenger for telling the truth. We provide a much better service than the rest of your local media and that is why our traffic is so great. 

Finally, IF you want to serve the public, (like I offered to do) then just be TRUTHFUL and HONORABLE. Not everyone is going to like you and or the decisions you make but as long as you respect that you are serving the public and making decisions YOU feel best serves your community, well, we thank you for your service and we'll show our thanks in the very next election.  

Well I'll Be

Employees pay 130% more for health care than a decade ago

Employees of midsize and large companies in 2015 paid an average of $4,700 for their health insurance, up from $2,001 in 2005, according to recent analysis fromAon Hewitt.

Because they are looking for solutions to high costs, companies are changing the design of their benefit programs, Aon Hewitt Senior Vice President Mike Morrow said, moving toward leaner plans. In fact, 38% of employers have increased their participants’ deductibles and/or copays in the last year, and another 46% may do so in the future, the report from Aon said.

Companies are also beginning to offer high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) more frequently, an option that didn’t really exist for employers until the last decade, said Gerald Kominski, the director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; they are now the second-most popular plan choice, surpassing health-maintenance organization plans (HMOs).

Employers are making cutbacks in health coverage in other ways, too. Some 18% of companies are reducing subsidies for covered dependents, and 17% are adding a surcharge for adult dependents who have access to other health coverage. Plus, 43% of companies are considering using unitized pricing, in which employees pay per person instead of individual versus family.

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What Do We Do Now In America The Same Way We Did It 100 Years Ago?

Can we crowdsource a history story?

Often you add insightful information to stories I have posted and sometimes you suggest new stories for me to write. I feel like we are in a partnership.

So, I wondered further, if you would like to help me brew up a story ...

If not, that's OK. No pressure. I will probably write it anyway. This is just an experiment, using tools that weren't available only a few years ago.

Here is the idea: Some people believe that the old ways are the best ways and so they are carrying on traditions that otherwise might be tossed into the dumpster of obsolescence.

Working title: The Same Way It Was Done in America 100 Years Ago

Some inspiration: Recently Reddit triggered a conversation around the question, "What is something better the old-fashioned way?" Redditors replied with — among the expected wisecracks — some more thoughtful answers, including "hanging up on someone" with an old-fashioned phone, car radios with knobs instead of touch screens, and homemade applesauce. Perhaps this thread can prompt some possibilities.

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Objections of governors and members of Congress

Some officials, including FBI Director James Comey, worry there are what Comey has called "gaps" in the vetting process. Experts say U.S. intelligence in Syria isn't very good, because the U.S. lacks much of a presence on the ground. So there's no way to compile a thorough watch list of possible terrorists from Syria against which refugees can be checked. Administration officials are briefing governors and members of Congress about the process, but lawmakers may try to pass legislation calling on the administration to suspend its refugee resettlement efforts.

I wonder just how President Obama can stand in front of the American people and flat out say they will do a very thorough background check when there are no records and their government is basically shut down.

Obama holds the pin on this live grenade and there is no way on earth I am going to believe any one of us should feel safe on his word alone. 

THINK, would the likes of a Ronald Regan ever consider allowing these people into the United States? As if we as a country aren't in enough debt, so many Americans on unemployment, disability, food stamps, homeless veterans and the cost of living skyrocketing, this is NOT the time to open our border. How many tens of thousands of jobs will disappear to honest, legal Americans?

Enough is Enough!

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Holds Firm on Barring Syrian Refugees

Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Thursday that the Hoosier State would continue its ban on accepting Syrian refugees until "we have absolute assurance" that the federal government has strengthened its vetting process.

"As governor of the state of Indiana, and as you can see governors all across the United States, my responsibility is to see to the safety and security of my people," Pence told Jake Tapper on CNN. "And unless and until we have the absolute assurance that steps have been taken to determine the background, the identity and the intentions of people who are coming in as Syrian refugees, we'll keep that policy in Indiana in place."

Pence joined with governors from more than 30 states this week to halt Syrian refugee resettlements after last week's deadly Paris attacks.

Indiana has since turned away two families — one of which was accepted by Connecticut on Wednesday and another whose status remains in limbo, The Indianapolis Star reports.

That family of four was expected to arrive on Dec. 10.

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The US consumer has borrowed over $1 trillion for cars

Balances on auto loans grew 11 percent year-over-year, or $101 billion, in the third quarter, according to report this week from TransUnion, a credit reporting company. The total for auto loans is now $1.008 trillion. Nearly 75 million consumers have an open car loan account, 5 million more than the same period last year.

The average car loan balance also rose to $14,515, up 2.7 percent from the second quarter, while the delinquency rate remained flat at 1.16 percent.

“When people feel good about their job prospects and finances, they go on vacation, they buy a new car,” says Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion’s financial services unit. “When balances go up, it’s not necessarily a harbinger of doom.”

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Smith College Protesters Ban Reporters Who Don’t ‘Articulate Their Solidarity’

Hundreds of Smith College students gathered Wednesday to voice solidarity with University of Missouri protesters, only journalists were reportedly barred from the event unless sympathetic to the cause.

A sit-in from noon to midnight at the Northampton, Massachusetts, campus reportedly drew 300 to 500 students and Black Lives Matter activists who chanted and shared their own experiences with racism and discrimination. Similar to rules enforced at the University of Missouri and other campuses nationwide, media members were not allowed to cover the Smith College sit-in unless they openly supported the movement, MassLive reported.

Organizer Alyssa Mata-Flores said the no-press rule was in place because “media has historically painted radical black movements as violent and aggressive.”

“We are asking that any journalists or press that cover our story participate and articulate their solidarity with black students and students of color,” she told MassLive. “By taking a neutral stance, journalists and media are being complacent in our fight.”

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Hillary Clinton: Muslims Are 'Peaceful and Tolerant,' Have 'Nothing Whatsoever to Do With Terrorism'

Hillary Clinton focused on her real enemy – Americans who disagree with her – in a campaign speech on Thursday.

In a statement her own campaign Tweeted out as her marquee comment, Clinton declared: “Let’s be clear: Islam is not our adversary. Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people and have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism.”

The UK Daily Mail describes Clinton as “reading her speech at a brisk clip from a teleprompter at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City,” but slowing down to mock Republicans over the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism,” which “Republicans often accuse President Barack Obama of purposefully avoiding.”

The Daily Mail cheekily notes that Clinton “referred repeatedly to ‘radical jihadism’ as a global scourge, but didn’t explain how the concept of jihadism is consistent with the notion that adherents of the world’s second largest religion are wholly uninvolved.”

The rest of her remarks are summarized as follows:

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Middle Schoolers Sing ISLAM ODE In Class

A social studies teacher at a taxpayer-funded middle school in Orange County, Calif. has incensed some local parents by instructing her seventh graders to learn and sing a song all about how great Islam is.

The site of the singing was Spring View Middle School in Huntington Beach. The teacher made up the verses and set the ditty to the rousing tune of “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, reports CBS Los Angeles.

Here’s a snippet of the lyrics:

Like a sandstorm in the desert, sending camels into motion,

like how a single faith can make a heart open,

they might only have one god,

but they can make an explosion.

“This is their fight song,” the catchy ditty declares. “Spread Islam now song.”

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Three arrested in Montgomery death; Police say suspects may have gang ties

The killing of the man found Nov. 2 in the Montgomery Village area was believed to be gang related and three suspects have been arrested, the county police said.

Police said the arrests were made in the death of Roberto Gutierrez Cruz,22, of Montgomery Village

The suspects were named by police as Luis F. Avelar Morales, 17, of Girard Street in Gaithersburg, Daniel Adonai Ramos, 19, of Lost Knife Circle in Montgomery Village, and Juan Espinal Rapalo, 18, of Summit Avenue in Gaithersburg.

They have been charged with murder, police said. They said the 17-year-old was charged as an adult.

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Thank God Its Friday 11-20-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

"Refugees" Eh?

Troopers Arrest Suspects in Multi-State Theft Scheme

(North East, MD) Maryland State Police have arrested three men after a call for a theft from a local Walmart led to an investigation revealing possible thefts from multi-retailers in four other states.

The suspects are identified as Jerikson Pena, 35, of the unit block of Amberson Avenue, Yonkers, NY, Nelson Hidalgo, 35, of the 200-block of West 233rd Street, Bronx, NY, and Juan Linares, 34, of the 200 block of West 232nd Street, Bronx, NY. Investigators have charged all three suspects with theft under$10,000 and theft scheme. Hidalgo was also charged with two counts of possession/use of a false government identification. Pena is awaiting his initial hearing before a court commissioner. Hidalgo is being held at the Cecil County Detention Center on a $5,000.00 bail. Linares was released pending trail after posting a $2,500.00 bail. Additional charges are pending.

Just after 3:00 p.m. yesterday, troopers received a call for a theft in progress at the Walmart located in the North East Plaza, North East, Md. The asset protection associate at Walmart advised three males were altering the bar codes to obtain a much lower price than the actual price.

Any Doubts?

Tyson Recalls 50,000 Pounds Of Chicken Wings Because They Don’t Smell Right, Could Cause Illness

If those Tyson hot wings sitting in the freezer don’t smell quite right, then they might be part of the company’s latest recall of more than 50,000 pounds of cooked chicken wings that could cause people who eat them to become sick. 

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Gunmen take 170 hostages at Radisson hotel in Mali

The hotel group which operates the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Mali capital of Bamako confirms that gunmen have taken 170 hostages. The U.S. Embassy has urged Americans in the area to seek shelter.

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Boy Scout Troop 225 Turkey Shoot

Delta No Longer Allowing Large Animals To Be Flown As Checked Baggage

Flying your favorite furry friend on Delta Air Lines is about to get a little less convenient, and more expensive, starting next year, as the carrier announced that it will no longer allow travelers to ferry their pets from one place to another as checked baggage. 

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Which Stores Will Have The Best Black Friday Deals?

How do you quantify what the “best” deals are, on Black Friday or any other day of the year? The most important factor should be whether the retailer sells stuff that you actually want, of course, and the value that those items provide for the money. Yet the sport of deal-hunting is all about the discounts, and WalletHub decided to compile raw percentages to figure out the best places to shop after Thanksgiving this year. 

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Addyi, Libido-Boosting Pill For The Ladies, Not A Big Hit

Once the Food and Drug Administration approved Addyi, a failed antidepressant repackaged as a libido pill for women, drug-maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals bought the company selling Addyi for $1 billion. If they were expecting to cash in on a blockbuster drug, early sales aren’t very promising: in the first month, only 227 prescriptions for the drug have been written. 

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Will Pet Food Meats Spoil like Human Food Meats?, Forgotten...raw bones

Just three generations ago, almost every pet owner gave their dog or cat table food and raw bones. Today, the greatest majority of pet owners have forgotten what their grandparents or great-grandparents fed to their dogs or cats. It’s time to remember.

Like so many of you, I don’t have the money for regular dental cleaning for my pets, plus the anesthesia involved for each procedure is something I’m not comfortable with. A video from Dr. Tom Lonsdale of Australia was a wake up call, and it caused me to remember what the pets of my childhood ate on a regular basis – raw bones.

The video that sparked my memories…

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Celebrate Great American Smoke Out (GASO) on November 19, 2015

(Salisbury, MD) – Every year, on the third Thursday of November, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout. They may use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and then quit smoking that day. The Great American Smokeout event challenges people to stop using tobacco and helps people know about the many tools they can use to help them quit and stay quit.

The American Cancer Society started this event in the 1970’s and continues to encourage people to quit. Each year, the Great American Smokeout event draws attention to the deaths and chronic diseases caused by smoking. Because of anti-tobacco efforts, there have been significant landmarks in the areas of research and policy change.

Are you or someone you know ready to quit smoking for good? Do you live or work in Wicomico County?

The Wicomico County Health Department offers smoking cessation classes. Every Thursday at noon at the Wicomico County Health Department located at 108 E. Main Street. The program offers free education and support for groups as well as individual counseling. Participants are eligible for FREE quit smoking medications which include nicotine replacement patches, nicotine lozenges and Chantix. Confidential one-one counseling is also available for all residents including pregnant women.

For more information on the program call (410) 334-3480 or www.wicomicohealth.org.

Wicomico Recreation’s Indoor Community Yard Sale Returns January 9

Table & Booth Rentals Available Now

(Salisbury, MD) Clean out your house and fill your wallet at Wicomico Recreation's Indoor Community Yard Sale on Saturday, January 9 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Table and booth rentals are available now at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804, M-F, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.), online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org (online fee may apply) or by phone at 410-548-4911.

Tables are $15 and booths are $40 (10' space including three tables). Set-up for sellers will begin at 5 a.m. on the morning of the sale.

Doors will open to the public at 7 a.m. Shoppers will be admitted for just $2 at the door. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For more information, visit www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org.

We're Coming ISIS