Kids would rather play Xbox than make money shoveling. It’s pitiful.

Snowzilla has gone, leaving behind confused snowfall estimates, regrettable junk food decisions, an incubating October baby boom and a lingering sense of dread for many parents.

The work ethic of our kids: Where is it? Where are the entrepreneurial snow shovelers?

For generations of enterprising children, snowflakes might as well have been dollar bills, y’all, falling from the sky.

Ding-dong, scoop, shovel, scrape, ka-ching!

Kids jostled to be the first to ring the doorbells of the snowed-in, the $5 driveways added up and that new Atari Defender game cartridge, those rainbow Vans — yours and yours.

More

FEC Commissioner: Everyone Else Should Quit

A member of the Federal Election Commission is calling for all of her colleagues to leave the agency, saying on Thursday that it would be a "simple fix" for eliminating stalemates in voting. She also proposed an ideological litmus test that would prevent disagreements among future commissioners.

"To say that the FEC was intended to stalemate is absurd," Commissioner Ann Ravel said in a speech at the Brookings Institution. "Congress established the FEC in the wake of the biggest scandal and constitutional crisis in this country since the Civil War," she said, referring to its 1975 formation in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.

"There's ... a simple fix," Ravel said. "The term of every other commissioner has expired," she said, insinuating that they should quit or get fired.

Members of the commission are appointed by the president to six-year terms, subject to approval by Congress. In the event the president and Congress cannot agree on appointees, incumbent commissioners retain their positions, something has happened under Presidents Obama and Bush. By law, no more than half of the commission's members may come from one party.

Ravel has objected to the rule dividing the commission, saying it allows half of the members to "vote as a bloc," and argued that Congress should reconstitute the commission by firing her colleagues and building it back up in a manner that allows one party to dominate.

More here

Monster Trucks Winternationals Returns to the WY&CC this Friday & Saturday

Monster Trucks Winternationals Returns to the WY&CC this Friday & Saturday

SALISBURY, Md. - Monster Trucks Winternationals returns to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Md. for three shows on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. “This year we threw away the rule book and we’ll let the drivers turn the horsepower up on their trucks. No maximum engine size, no weight minimum - this will let the trucks really get some big air, which is what the people want to see,” said Big Ed Beckley, owner of Checkered Flag Productions.

Glenn Beck Endorses Ted Cruz

Conservative political commentator Glenn Beck officially endorsed Ted Cruz for president on Saturday.

Beck, a nationally syndicated radio host, founder of TheBlaze and best-selling author, made the announcement with the Texas senator at a rally in Ankeny, Iowa, adding that the U.S. needs a "new George Washington."

"Today's Washington will not be found in the garish light of gold, but rather, in the bold service of a man who stands tirelessly for what he deeply believes — that government should be of the people, by the people and for the people. That is why I am endorsing Senator Ted Cruz as the next president of the United States of America," Beck said.

On Twitter, Beck announced that Cruz is to become the "first Hispanic president."

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Somerset County Sheriff's ofice reports most recent arrests

• Dwight Alex Sampson of Princess Anne, arrested 1-3-16 for theft less than $100.00, consuming an alcoholic beverage in a vehicle, driving on a suspended driver’s license, and driving without a license. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies in the area of Crisfield Highway, where Deputies recovered an open container of alcohol, and the vehicle’s validation tab had been reported stolen earlier from the Princess Anne area. Sampson was later released on signature pending court actions.

• Jonathan Charles Vansant of Crisfield, criminal summons served on 1-4-16 for theft less than $1,000. Vansant was later released on signature pending court actions.
• Mark Nelson Sneade of Crisfield, arrested 1-8-16 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Sneade was later held on a $500.00 bond.
• Rodney William Burke of Crisfield, arrested 1-11-16 on a warrants for failing to appear in court. Burke was later held on a $1,000 bond.
• Margaret Lamboin Palua of Chance, criminal summons served on 1-12-16 for passing bad checks over $500.00. palua was later released on signature pending court actions.

Merkel's Party Plunging in Polls as Germany Overwhelmed by Refugees

A senior figure in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party has proposed setting up "border centres" along the frontier with Austria to speed up the repatriation of those asylum seekers deemed unqualified to stay.

Julia Kloeckner, leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, said she thought the chancellor's push for a European solution to a large influx of asylum seekers into Europe was still the right decision, adding that her proposal was meant to "complement it".

"On the German-Austrian border, border centres will be set up," Kloeckner wrote in the paper, a copy of which Reuters obtained. It has been endorsed by the Christian Democrats' (CDU) secretary-general.

The proposal highlights the frustration in Merkel's party with the slow progress in achieving a European Union-wide solution to the refugee crisis, which is straining the infrastructure of many German municipalities.

Germany attracted 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, leading to calls from across the political spectrum for a change in its handling of the number of refugees coming to Europe to escape war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

More here

Drug dealers get high and call the police on themselves! Hilarious phone call!!!

Drug dealers get high and call the police on themselves! Hilarious phone call!!! Lmao
Posted by Knuckles on Thursday, January 21, 2016

What You Need To Know About The Supreme Court’s New Immigration Case

Twenty-six states have sued the Obama administration for making regulations that directly contradict law and inflict taxpayers with millions of dollars in costs for illegal immigrants.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear argument in United States v. Texas, the case in which 26 states are challenging the Obama administration’s authority to grant temporary lawful presence for up to 5.5 million illegal aliens.

This will be one of the biggest cases of the Supreme Court term ending in June, both for its legal and political outcomes. Here is what you need to know.

At the most basic level, this case is about stopping yet another President Obama end-run around Congress. In accordance with its constitutional authority, Congress has established an elaborate immigration scheme governing which aliens may enter the United States, how long they may stay, and which aliens must be removed. Obama and the Democrats do not like Congress’ immigration scheme, but they lack the votes to change it.

Obama’s solution to his immigration proposals’ lack of popularity was to simply ignore Congress. On November 20, 2014, at Obama’s direction, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a memo purporting to lay out a new form of immigration relief called Deferred Action For Parents of Americans, also known by its acronym, “DAPA.”

Legalizing and Subsidizing Anchor Babies

Under DAPA, certain aliens unlawfully present in the United States could obtain temporary lawful status if, among other things, they have a child who is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. In other words, for the first time, the Obama administration brought the “anchor baby” concept into practice in the United States.

More about this here

SFD complete training on the new Wicomico County Mass Casualty Trailer

Members of the SFD complete training on the new Wicomico County Mass Casualty Trailer. The trailer has the ability to provide basic life support services such as oxygen therapy, backboard/spinal stabilization, infection control, trauma mitigation, and other disciplines.
The unit was funded by tax dollars and grant funds.

Photos of Ocean City After Winter Storm Jonas

Posted by Nick Denny Photography on Saturday, January 23, 2016

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SPD Press Release 1-25-16 (Armed Robbery Investigation-McDonalds)

SPD Press Release 1-25-16 - (Shooting Investigation)

SPD Press Release -1-25-16 (Weekly Shoplifting Arrests)

State Dept. Requests Delay of Final Release of Clinton Emails Due To Storm

State Department officials are asking for an additional month to complete a review of the final batch of Hillary Clinton's private emails for release.

In court documents filed Friday, the State Department said it unintentionally "overlooked" the need to send a number of Clinton's emails to other agencies for review and would need more time to complete those "consultations."

However, the agency said the process of asking other agencies to look over more than 7,000 remaining pages of emails will be "interrupted by the storm" and delayed the release of the rest of the emails until Feb. 29, a full month after a federal judge originally ordered the emails to have been posted online.

The State Department is releasing all 55,000 pages of Clinton's emails through a Freedom of Information Act filed by Jason Leopold of Vice News. Leopold's attorney said Friday he "vigorously opposes" the requested delay.

If the U.S. District Court grants the State Department's request, the release of the final trove of emails will come after the first wave of Democratic primaries in February.

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MEMA Submits Letter of Intent to FEMA to Pursue Disaster Assistance

MARYLAND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SUBMITS LETTER OF INTENT TO FEMA TO PURSUE DISASTER ASSISTANCE

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (January 25, 2016) — MEMA Executive Director Russell Strickland has sent a letter of intent for the State of Maryland to pursue federal disaster assistance and to request that FEMA begin the coordination for joint damage assessments following the winter storm that covered Maryland in snow this past weekend. While response efforts, including snow removal, are continuing, Maryland agencies are also focusing on a comprehensive recovery effort.

“Our administration is committed to accelerating the recovery process in every way possible following this historic snowstorm,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “I have directed MEMA to work with the federal government and seek all available assistance to support our public safety partners and the communities they serve.”

Federal assistance could potentially be made available through the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. MEMA will work closely with local governments and FEMA to jointly assess damages and costs incurred due to the storm.

“Reaching out to our federal partners is one step MEMA is taking as part of a comprehensive recovery effort following this unprecedented winter storm,” said MEMA Executive Director Russell Strickland. “We will also be working closely with local officials, businesses, and other State agencies to assess damages caused by the storm and decide how to move forward.”

News Alert: OPM aims to decide Tuesday's status of DC-area government by 10 p.m. tonight

OPM says a call of the Metropolitan Council of Governments is happening at 9 p.m. Monday to help it decide whether to open the government on Tuesday or not.

Read the full story.

Who Do You Side With? Take The Quiz

CLICK HERE to take the quiz.  Let us know who you side with in the comments section.

Answers To Today's Puzzle 1-25-16

 Find the 6 hidden words

Click 'Read More' below to see the answers

No.

OBERLIN, Ohio – Oberlin College’s black students demand segregated spaces, specific professors promoted and others fired, curriculum changes, buildings renamed and an ex-con student recruitment program.

The demands and others were included in a petition submitted to Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov before the winter break, and The Chronicle-Telegram reports Krislov posted his reply to the school’s website Wednesday:

No.

Krislov wrote in a prepared statement that the demands “contravene principles of shared governance.”

“I will not respond directly to any document that explicitly rejects the notion of collaborative engagement,” he said.

The president said he’s receptive to “frustration and the desire for change at Oberlin contained in the document which echoes national themes and concerns about racism and justice.”

But the solutions proposed through the 50 demands in the 14-page document produced by members of Oberlin’s Black Student Union, known as ABUSUA on campus, are “deeply troubling,” Krislov wrote.

The document “contains personal attacks on a number of faculty and staff members who are dedicated and valued members of this community,” Krislov wrote, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Students want specific increases in black student enrollment, an increase in black administrators in seven departments, “race consciousness,” free housing on breaks for new black international students, black student orientation, black student financial aid workshops, four buildings renamed, more grants for black students, special spaces for black students, an extreme home makeover of the “Afrikan Heritage House,” eight professors fired and numerous others promoted, among other things.

More here

SPD Press Release 1-25-16 - (Armed Robbery Investigation-Domino's)

Closings & Delays For Tuesday January 26th 2016

The Delmar School District will have a 2-hour delay, tomorrow, Tuesday, January 26. The Academic Challenge Program is cancelled for tomorrow and will be rescheduled at a later date. Again, the Delmar School District will have a 2-hour delay tomorrow. Have a great evening.


Queen Anne's County Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 26. All 12 month employees are to report on time.
Information about finals will be sent by each high school by 5 pm today.
Elementary and middle school parents will receive further information in a separate message by 5 pm today.
Talbot County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday January 26, 2016. 

Nurse's kind act lets sick girl play with storm's snow

While snowflakes fell during the massive snowstorm in the Northeast Saturday, 7-year-old Lucy Wiese, like most children her age, was eager to frolic in the winter wonderland outside and build a snowman.

However, Lucy is not your ordinary 7-year-old girl. She has a rare immune deficiency called Job syndrome and is recovering from a bone marrow transplant she had in December at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland.

The persistent winds and harsh, blizzard-like conditions prevented Lucy from going outside the NIH hospital.

When one of the nurses on duty noticed just how badly Lucy, along with other children at the hospital, wanted to play outside, she ventured into the cold, filled up tubs with enough snow to have a proper snowball fight and brought them back to the children.

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Federal Utility Regulator On Course To Be GOP-Free

The nation's utility regulator is losing its Republican commissioners, in a GOP hemorrhage that doesn't look like it will be corrected any time soon.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, charged with governing the nation's electricity supply and reliability, is supposed to be comprised of an equal share of Republicans and Democrats as part of a five-member panel, with the chairman holding the party of whomever is in the Oval Office. Most believe a fully staffed commission functions the best, no matter the party in control.

But the Republicans on the commission have been dropping off, beginning with the long-serving Philip Moeller, who moved on last year after serving since the George W. Bush administration. He is now with the Edison Electric Institute, representing the investor-owned utility industry.

Commissioner Tony Clark is the next to go. Clark announced via Twitter a week ago that he would not seek another term on the commission. His term ends at the end of June, after serving a five-year term. His office confirmed his planned departure.

More here

Sheriff's Office : Dear Citizens

To whomever is setting these non-permitted traps, please stop. We've already had to free Deputy Vannatter twice this week. Also, as Deputy Fly found out, the powder on the powdered doughnuts you're using for bait is very hard to get out of our green uniforms.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this very delicate matter.

Benewah County Sheriff's Office

Governor Hogan Announces Continued Statewide Recovery Efforts for Winter Storm

State Remains in Recovery Mode, Governor Urging Marylanders to Remain Cautious

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan continues to direct all state agencies in a coordinated effort to keep Marylanders safe and informed in the aftermath of the recent historic winter storm. The state response and recovery efforts are well underway and the governor is urging Marylanders to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, and to be patient as crews work diligently to clear roads.

The state of emergency enacted by Governor Hogan last Friday remains in effect and will remain in effect until further notice is provided. The executive order signed by the governor continues to allow the Maryland National Guard to assist law enforcement and local communities across the state.

"I want to thank the thousands of dedicated state employees, members of law enforcement, National Guard, emergency first responders, highway workers, as well as our local governments and officials, utilities and line workers, and the countless volunteers who have been working around the clock in response to this historic winter storm," said Governor Hogan. "I ask that Marylanders continue to be cautious, safe, and be on the roads as little as possible. Local authorities particularly, will need time to dig out from this storm, and clear local and neighborhood roads."

Yesterday, Governor Hogan held a press conference at the State Highway Administration Statewide Operations Center to update Marylanders about the statewide recovery efforts being conducted. He was was joined by Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn, Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Bill Pallozzi, Maryland National Guard Adjutant General Linda Singh, and State Highway Administrator Greg Johnson. Following the press conference, the governor toured the Maryland State Police Glen Burnie Barracks with Colonel Pallozzi and thanked troopers and guardsmen for their service during this emergency.

The Maryland Unites hotline, 1-888-756-7836, is still available for public inquiries into Department of Human Resources services including emergency shelter information and other human service needs.

Dole Fresh Vegetables Announces Voluntary Withdrawal for Salads

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., is temporarily suspending operations at its Springfield, Ohio production facility, and is voluntarily withdrawing from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads processed at that location (see the product list at http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/) Products subject to the voluntary withdrawal are identified with a product code beginning with the letter “A” in the upper right-hand corner of the package (see example below), and are sold in the following states and Canadian provinces noted below. This suspension and withdrawal is being performed voluntarily by Dole out of an abundance of caution, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control. See more about this withdrawal at www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/

No additional Dole facilities are affected. Other Dole products, including fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and packaged salads from Dole’s other processing facilities (with product codes beginning with the letters “B” or “N”), are not part of this voluntary withdrawal.

53% of Dems Say Hillary Should Stay in Race EVEN IF INDICTED

A prediction was made recently by a former federal prosecutor that Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton could be indicted at any time because of her actions in transferring classified information through a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. The big question now is whether or not a criminal indictment should freeze Clinton’s presidential campaign. More than 50% of Democrats say it should not.

46% of potential American voters believe a presidential candidate charged with a felony should not be campaigning any further. According to a new national telephone poll by Rasmussen Reports, 47% of American voters believe a presidential candidate should be allowed to campaign until they are found “guilty” in a court of law.

Rasmussen Reports did not specify any particular candidate, although one can presume that Hillary Clinton was on the mind of most of the respondents.

54% of Republican voters believe a presidential candidate should stop campaigning if they are charged with a felony, while 41% think they should continue campaigning.

As for Democrats, the results are the opposite with 40% saying the candidate should stop and 53% thinking they should keep on campaigning until they are proven guilty in a court of law. Voters who identify as “unaffiliated” are split on this opinion.

More here

Blast From The Past: Who remembers this song?

DSP S.O.A.R. Arrests Man for Failing to Register

Georgetown, DE - The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (S.O.A.R.) has arrested a Federalsburg, Maryland man after he failed to verify his employment status as required by law.

On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, S.O.A.R. unit detectives responded to the Georgetown Airport, located at 21553 Rudder Lane, Georgetown, and apprehended Charles N. Drenth, 48, of Federalsburg, Maryland, without incident. Drenth, who is a Moderate Risk Tier 2 sex offender, was ordered to register as a sex offender after a court conviction in the Kent County Superior Court in 2002. Drenth complied and registered as a sex offender as ordered, however, he then moved to Maryland and subsequently failed to verify his employment status in the state of Delaware as required by law.

Detectives arrested Drenth and charged him with Failure to Register, Re Register or Provide Verification as a Sex Offender and Failure to Re-Register as a Sex Offender within 3 Days after an Address or Place of Employment Change. He was arraigned at JP Court 2 and released on $4000.00 unsecured bail.

Click or copy and paste to view profile and the community notice poster:

https://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/?/Detail/00002521

ICE Investigated for Failing to Deport Illegal Before He Killed Woman

The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to a request from several Connecticut officials to investigate the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s failure to deport convicted felon Jean Jacques before he murdered a Norwich woman.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy, the Nutmeg State’s senators, and Connecticut Congressman Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) had urged the inspector general to determine why ICE released Jacques, a 41-year-old illegal immigrant from Haiti, even though his prison file was marked “Detainer: Immigration.”

Jacques was released on parole into ICE custody in January of 2015 after serving a 17-year sentence for attempted murder. In fact, he was remanded to ICE twice. Instead of deporting him, though, ICE simply released him back into the public. Unfortunately, by June he had been arrested by local police again for the stabbing death of 25-year-old Casey Chadwick of Norwich, CT.

Jacques is being held in lieu of $1 million and is charged with the woman’s murder.

The elected officials banded together to ask the IG how Jacques was free to be in a position to allegedly commit the murder. With the IG’s announcement, the three officials released a statement celebrating the investigation.

Murphy, Blumenthal, and Courtney said:

Md. National Guard Performed More Than 100 Missions During Storm

BALTIMORE (WJZ)–The National Guard performed an invaluable service during the storm–getting first responders where they needed to be–and rescuing stranded drivers.

The Humvee rolled through Carroll County.

Conditions are better now, but the National Guard is still on duty.

WJZ went along for ride with the National Guard, just one of many miles logged during this record-breaking storm.

“Visibility was really low. It was easy to get disoriented and lose your positioning on the road,” said Sgt Steven Fichthorn.

Sergeant Stephen Fichthorn’s home has been the state police’s barracks in Westminster, along with staff Sergeant Alyssa Tavernia who piloted a hummer for more than a dozen rescues.

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Breach of Trust: Why Obama's Visa Plan Ticked Off the GOP

House Republicans on Thursday accused the Obama administration of going against an explicit understanding between Congress and the White House on how to implement a new law that limits visa-free travel to the U.S., a charge that could eradicate any remaining trust that might still exist between the two branches on the critical issue of homeland security.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it would start implementing new limits on access to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, according to a law passed one month ago. The law is aimed at preventing visa-free travel for foreign nationals who recently visited Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria, over fears that those travelers may be looking to commit acts of terrorism.

The law gives the executive branch a national security waiver. DHS said it would use that waiver to consider exemptions to the tighter visa rules for several categories of travelers.

They include people traveling to any of the four countries for humanitarian or journalism purposes. It also said it may exempt people who traveled to Iran for "legitimate business-related purposes."

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said immediately after the DHS announcement that whatever the law says, the White House is doing exactly what it said it wouldn't do.

"The administration plans to include waivers that were explicitly rejected during negotiations with the White House, State Department and Department of Homeland Security."

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What's For Dinner: One-Pan Salmon And Veggie Dinner

One-Pan Salmon And Veggie Dinner
Posted by Tasty on Saturday, January 16, 2016

Click on the title of this post if video fails to load  

Here's what you will need:
Aluminum foil
Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
2 pounds New potatoes (small red and yellow potatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
2 salmon fillets
1 bunch of asparagus, about 1 pound

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread out your potatoes on the pan and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle 1 clove minced garlic and 1/2 Tbsp. thyme over the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime, create your salmon glaze. Combine 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tsp ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 Tbsp. thyme. Set aside.

Take the potatoes out of the oven and push them to the top or side of your pan. (Don’t cramp them — Make sure to still space them out a bit.) Place your salmon fillets on the pan. Season both sides with salt and pepper and brush on the glaze onto both sides. Place your asparagus on the pan and top with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, salt and pepper, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1/2 Tbsp. thyme. Bake for 8-10 minutes. (The salmon should flake easily with a fork when it’s ready.)

Enjoy!

WBOC Anchor Calls Reporter "BITCH"

Reporter is called a bitch and his name is Bill Mich.....hilarious!!!!
Posted by James Desmond on Friday, January 22, 2016

Click on title if video fails to load

Session Week #2

Session Week #2 The second week of the Maryland General Assembly Legislation Session began on Martin Luther King Day. To honor his memory I joined my colleagues at the Memorial Oak Tree named in his honor that is located on the State House Grounds for the annual wreath laying ceremony. Legislatively, there were two big news items this week. The first was the override attempt of Governor Hogan’s veto of six bills. The House voted to override all six. The Senate voted to override five and the sixth will be voted on at a later date. I was consistent in my original votes on these bills and continued to agree with the Governor by voting against the override attempts. The second was the budget, which was made public on Wednesday. The Governor’s budget is a work of art. It simultaneously addresses our structural deficit, funds education, infrastructure, public safety, the environment, and healthcare, while offering tax breaks to seniors and working families. It also offers tax incentives to manufacturing companies to open or relocate to specific areas of the state that are struggling economically, including the Lower Eastern Shore. Now it is up to the General Assembly to debate the budget and uphold initiatives that will help improve our region, our state, and every Maryland taxpayer. (l-r Wes Hanna, Julie Salvas, Crisfield Councilman Erik Emely, Delegate Charles Otto and Ryan Johnson) Thursday, Governor Hogan held a free event that celebrated the anniversary of his inauguration last year. It was a wonderful evening that took place at the Navy Stadium in Annapolis. Thousands of people came in spite of the preparations for the snow storm that were taking place all over the state. Friday night I was back home and issued a citation to Pamela Hendren, who was retiring after 11 years of service to Maryland children. This weekend my staff and I will continue to read bills that have been submitted to prepare for their upcoming hearings. Next week our session intern, Brittany Finamore, begins on Tuesday. If you call our office in Annapolis this session she might be answering. We’re proud to have a Salisbury University student give us a hand this session. Finally, our Delegate scholarship application will be release the first week of February. If you are a Maryland resident that is or will be attending a Maryland college or university (or you are a Maryland resident going out-of-state for a unique major not found in our state) and would like to apply, email the office and we’ll send the forms as soon as they are released. I want to stress that you do not have to be a high school senior to be eligible for this scholarship. Our office takes pride in extending the scholarships to returning students, graduate students, working adults, and lifelong learners. Below is a link that provides more information about the scholarships. For more information about the Delegate scholarship: http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_delegate.asp For more information on the Martin Luther King, Jr memorial tree located on State House Grounds: http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc5600/sc5604/html/king_memorial.html

China's Culture of Student Cheating

SAT testing planned for Saturday has been cancelled in China and Macau, the Associated Press reports. The cancellation marks another episode in a series of Chinese plagiarism and cheating scandals.

Allegedly, some students have already seen copies of the test that was to be administered Saturday. To be safe, the test was cancelled by The College Board at 45 testing centers. The College Board would not explain how students may have seen the test in advance, out of fears future cheaters would try to get around the method test administrators used to discover the alleged cheating. "Canceling tests is the most serious step taken if cheating is suspected," Stacy Caldwell, the College Board's vice president for college readiness assessments, told the AP.

Chinese students "are known to have fabricated personal essays and inflated grades when applying to American schools," according to Jiang Xueqin, a Chinese education researcher.

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This Lost Dog Needs Your Special Attention

Chiwawa name is Pedro 14 yrs old lost in Crisfield area down from the Food Lion. Please contact #410 726 9491

Publishers Notes: Pedro has been missing since last Tuesday. It's possible someone has taken him in. Let's help reunite Pedro with his Family. 

Media Continue To Sideline March For Life Coverage

Journalism 101: when a crowd of thousands gathers to demonstrate or protest, it is news. When members of the crowd come from across the country despite and eventually through a blizzard, it’s not just news, it’s a great story.

Yet, looking at the front pages of major American news websites yesterday, you’d have no idea this massive gathering was taking place.

This event, of course, is the March for Life. Thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of people, gathered Friday in Washington DC to speak out against the United States’ abortion policies and to promote pro-life ideals.

But like in recent years past, there has been a noticeable absence of coverage of the march on the part of the mainstream media.

According to the Alliance for Fair Coverage of Life Issues, 200,000 people turned out for the march last year, but the big three American TV networks (CBS, ABC, and NBC) devoted only 15 seconds to covering the march. In 2014, it was 46 seconds.

The media’s lack of coverage of the march is problematic in two ways. At its most fundamental level, it is an egregious violation of basic journalistic principles. Any young student of journalism knows that when a crowd gathers and plans to march, it’s a news story.

When a crowd of 200,000 gathers with a historic blizzard pending, it’s definitely a story. The basic journalistic drive to “get there” and get the story is a powerful one, and not easily ignored.

More here

GOP: Labor Board, Labor Dept. Coordinated On Joint Employer Rule

Evidence uncovered by the House Education and the Workforce Committee indicates that the Labor Department and the National Labor Relations Board coordinated on their new controversial new "joint employer" rules, which vastly expand legal liability for large businesses. Department officials have said there was no contact between the two entities on the subject.

"The committee has received new information that raises concerns about the veracity of the department's Nov. 18 response, as well as subsequent communications," committee Chairman John Kline, R-Minn., said in a Jan. 19 letter to Labor Department Secretary Tom Perez.

Kline's letter referred to data provided to the committee by the labor board, an independent agency that is the main enforcer of federal labor laws. The data included messages that indicated that on at least two occasions last year officials from the department and the board's general counsel's office discussed joint conferences regarding the rule. It is not clear if the meetings were held.

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Snow Scouts popping up all over Delmarva

Delmarva Boy Scouts are building "SnowScouts" for a chance to win a free week at summer camp.

The challenge was issued by Del-Mar-Va Scout Executive/CEO, Jason Pierce and the submissions are are pouring in from far and near.

More

Judicial Watch: Healthcare.gov Had No ‘Authorization to Operate’

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch has released over 1,000 pages of new documents that show federal health care officials knew that the Obamacare website, when it launched in 2013, did not have the required “authorization to operate” (ATO) from agency information security officials. These documents, obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), come in two productions of records:  a 143-page production and an 886-page production.  The email records reveal that HHS officials had significant concerns about the security of the Healthcare.gov site leading up to its October 1, 2013, launch.

Judicial Watch obtained the HHS documents in response to a court order in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 1:14-cv-00430)).  The lawsuit was filed in March 2014, after HHS failed to respond to a December 20, 2013, FOIA request seeking the following information:

    All records related to the security of the healthcare.gov web portal including, but not limited to, studies, memoranda, correspondence, electronic communications (e-mails), and slide presentations from January 1, 2012 to the present.

On September 21, 2013, 10 days before the launch of the Obamacare website, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Information Security Officer Tom Schankweiler discussed with Deputy Chief Information Officer Henry Chao 17 initial “moderate” security issues findings and two “high” security issues. 

Two high findings and 3 moderate findings were resolved, according to the documents.  The emails also show that a separate security analysis found 17 “high” security issues, prompting Chao to ask, “What are we actually signing off on…?” 

Schankweiler responded that the numerous security issues resulted in CMS Security Officer Teresa Fryer’s refusing to approve the “ATO” (Authorization to Operate), something he indicated he found out belatedly.

The documents also show that on September 30, 2013, the day before the website launch, Blue Canopy, a contractor that was testing the security of the Healthcare.gov system, reported that the “parsing engine did not properly handle specially crafted messages.” The vendor added, “As a result, consumption of these messages would cause the service to crash.”

Over six weeks later, a November 6, 2013, email to colleagues George Linares, the acting chief technology officer of CMS, said that Healthcare.gov “is operating without an ATO [Authorization to Operate].”  Further, he added, “Operating without an ATO is a serious issue and it represents a high risk to the agency.”

More here

Cruz Launches Homeschool Coalition, Slams Common Core

The Ted Cruz presidential campaign launched a homeschool coalition with a new video explaining why the Republican candidate is a strong supporter of school choice options.

“Being a dad is the most important job I have. That’s why I admire each parent educator so much, because you’re not only parenting, but you’re teaching your sons and daughters to know and love what is right and good.

“That is an irreplaceable gift, and our country is stronger because of it,” Cruz said in the two and a half minute video posted to his campaign’s YouTube page Monday.


Cruz also condemned politicians and labor union special interests who work to maintain the public education monopoly, as well as the one-size-fits-all national Common Core education standards opposed by many parents.

“Some on the left want to shut down those who don’t abide by the Common Core agenda, but mark my words that is not going to happen,” Cruz said. “If I’m elected president, I will direct the U.S. Department of Education – which should be abolished … I will direct the Department of Education that Common Core ends today.

“Instead, I will restore power back to the states and to the local governments and ultimately back to the parents – those closest to our kids who have direct responsibility for raising our children, each and every one mom and dad.

“It’s time to champion school choice, and especially homeschooling,” Cruz said.

More info and video here

Working Hard On Salisbury News

This weekend a friend snuck a picture of me working on comments in Delmar. There were 41,800 people hammering Salisbury News on Saturday. You kept us extremely busy, that's for sure. 

Thanks for all the great pictures and tips. I can assure you it helped a lot of people make up their minds to stay home.  

Chicago Union Instructs Teachers How To Recruit Student Protesters

CHICAGO – The Chicago Teachers Union is recruiting high school teachers to goad students into protesting for the union’s self-interests through a workshop held this past weekend.

The CTU workshop “Teachers Empowering Students for Social Change” was scheduled to help teachers learn the best ways to convince their students to take action for the union’s causes.

A Wednesday email endorsed by the CTU and sent by Teachers for Social Justice – a far-left radical faction of Chicago teachers – encouraged teachers to attend if they want to “empower” students to “express purposeful dissent,” or “engage in civic action to bring about desired social change,” or “become involved in solutions to CPS’ teaching and learning problems.”

In essence, the union is calling on teachers to learn how to recruit students to protest on its behalf because, as the CTU wants the public to believe, “teacher issues are student issues!” according to the event flyer.

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Storm Clean-Up and Restoration Continues; Army Corps to Survey Beach Damage

OCEAN CITY- Ocean City officials on Monday continued clean-up efforts and began to assess the condition of the beach following the weekend storm perhaps best characterized as a snowstorm, followed by a violent nor’easter followed by another snowstorm. 

With the sun shining and the seas subsiding, Ocean City crews on Sunday began the tedious clean-up and restoration process following Winter Storm Jonas, which hammered the resort over the weekend. It began with a moderate snow storm on Friday the dumped several inches on the resort and surrounding area.
By early Saturday morning, the snow changed over to rain and while it washed away much of the initial snowfall, the middle section of the storm included a classic nor’easter with heavy surf, moderate to severe beach erosion, moderate property damage and flooding of low-lying areas. By Saturday evening, the resort continued to take a beating from the storm, but the situation was complicated when the heavy rain changed back into snow, dumping several more inches on the area.

By Sunday morning, the storm had subsided for the most part and the sun was shining, allowing Public Works crews and other departments to begin the ominous clean-up and restoration efforts. On Monday morning, Public Works crews were bulldozing sand from the Inlet lot back into place on the beach, while other crews were piling up debris including dune fences, posts and pilings from the Wicomico Street pier, the end of which was smashed off again for the third straight storm. City Engineer Terry McGean said on Monday the end of the pier was destroyed again and it will be the responsibility of the pier operator who leases it from the city to repair and restore it.

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Day after reveals dune damage in Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach's mayor says a section of the north end of the Boardwalk will need to be completely rebuilt after heavy damage from winter storm Jonas.

Mayor Sam Cooper said a section of the Boardwalk between Grenoble Place and the Henlopen Hotel suffered major damage after the dunes protecting the boards was breached. Cooper said once the dunes were overcome, water was able to get underneath the Boardwalk structure and lift the boards loose. The city has closed the Boardwalk in this area to foot traffic.

Cooper said besides the north end of the Boardwalk and some spots near Maryland Avenue, the Boardwalk was largely undamaged other than washed up sand. However, the dunes have been almost completely eroded by the storm.

City officials will be holding discussions in the coming days as to how to repair the damage. The Boardwalk was mostly built with federal stimulus money in 2009, and Cooper said money for rebuilding could come as a result of federal disaster funds. He said the city would work through Sussex County to get a damage assessment to determine what kind of help Rehoboth could get for recovery.

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WCSO Press Releases January 22, 2016

 

Kieper, Nicholas

Incident: Fugitive from Florida
Date of Incident: 15 January 2016
Location: 100 block of W. Market Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Nicholas Kieper, 27, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 15 January 2015 at 12:00 PM a deputy responded to an establishment in the 100 block of W. Market Street in Salisbury and arrested a wanted fugitive. Authorities from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (FL) contacted the WCSO regarding Nicholas Kieper who was wanted on charges of Sexual Battery. Authorities in Florida had been searching for Kieper since 2007 and had received information where he could be found in Salisbury.
Upon arrest, the deputy transported Kieper to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Kieper in the Detention Center without bond pending extradition back to Florida.
Charges: Fugitive from Florida.

Jones, Chavar

Incident: Warrant Arrest
Date of Incident: 19 January 2016
Location: 1000 block of Fairground Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Chavar Lashay Jones, 23, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 19 January 2015 at 11:00 PM a deputy arrested Chavar Jones on a District Court bench warrant that was issued after she failed to appear for a Driving Without a License case. Jones was located at a residence in Salisbury.
The deputy transported Jones to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Jones on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Failure to Appear.

Davis III, James

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 21 January 2016
Location: 800 block of Shad Point Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: James William Davis III, 29, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 21 January 2015 at 1:00 PM, a deputy arrested James Davis in connection with an assault that had occurred earlier that morning. In this incident, Davis and his girlfriend became embroiled in an argument after Davis reportedly looked through her cell phone and that altercation turned physical. According to Davis’ girlfriend, Davis threw her phone into the wall before throwing her across the bed. She stated when she tried to call for help; he grabbed the phone from her to prevent it. She was ultimately able to leave the residence and respond to the Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
Upon arrest Davis was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Davis in the Detention Center in lieu of $30,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree, Malicious Destruction of Property and Reckless Endangerment.

Locals Fled Pool After Migrants Defecated In Kid’s Pool, Invaded Girls Changing Rooms

A German swimming bath has banned migrants from entering the premises after a group of men went on an obscene rampage, laughing in the faces of pool staff when challenged about their grotesque behaviour.

A group of migrant men and women were caught on security camera at the Johannisbad baths in Zwickau, Saxony engaging in unacceptable behaviour, including m*sturbating into the jacuzzi. In separate incidents other groups of migrants were caught “contaminating” the children’s training pool by “emptying their bowels in the water”, and sexually assaulting other bathers, reports Bild.

The allegations against the migrant bathers have come to light, thanks to a leaked internal letter from the Zwickau Town Hall, between the chief clerk and his department head.

Writing of the historic swimming pool’s decision to close their doors to migrants until further notice, Rainer Kallweit wrote this week of the shocking incident which has left the baths abandoned by local swimmers.

In his report, the authenticity of which has since been confirmed by the city administration, Mr. Kallweit wrote:

Find The 6 Hidden Words In The Picture

Answers will be posted at 6:15pm

Bill Kristol: Don't Underestimate Ted Cruz

The Donald Trump-Ted Cruz battle for the GOP presidential nomination is a "good heavyweight fight" — but while most believe the brawling billionaire will trounce the Texas senator, Cruz in no way should be underestimated, Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, tells Newsmax TV.

"Cruz has a little better chance to win this fight with Trump than most people think. Most people think Trump is going to steamroll him," Kristol said Tuesday.

"I think Cruz is pretty tough and pretty able at this kind of infighting, but it's a heck of a fight I got to say. As just an observer, Trump, Cruz going at it — that's a pretty good heavyweight fight."

Kristol said he was impressed by Trump's performance in the sixth GOP presidential debate last week.

"I'm not pro-Trump, but I thought he had just objectively probably done a pretty good job in the debate and avoided any big blows … and he won the initial round on 'New York values,'" Kristol said referring to Cruz's controversial crack about Trump's ideology — a remark the businessman threw back in his face.

"Cruz looked a little surprised. People thought, probably correctly, that Trump sort of won that first round."

But, he added, "Cruz has done a pretty good job of prosecuting the 'New York values' [controversy]. 'I'm not attacking a city, I'm not attacking the people in the city, I'm attacking a certain political mindset and people know what I mean.'

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Another Viewer Sends In Local Images

Priebus: Hillary Wants Email Delay 'Until After Votes Are Counted'

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus scolded the Obama administration Friday after the State Department asked a federal court for a one-month extension in releasing the last of Hillary Clinton's emails, accusing the White House of protecting the Democratic front-runner ahead of voting in critical early states.

"It's clear that the State Department's delay is all about ensuring any further damaging developments in Hillary Clinton's email scandal are revealed only after the votes are counted in the early nominating states," Priebus said.

"The American people should be outraged at the Obama administration's gamesmanship to protect someone who recklessly exposed classified information on more than 1,300 occasions, including highly sensitive top secret intelligence."

Citing a complex review of emails across different federal agencies, the State Department asked the court for the additional time to publish the last of Clinton's messages during her time as secretary of state.

The department wouldn't be able to meet its court-mandated goal of Jan. 29, spokesman Mark Toner said.

About 9,400 of 55,000 pages are left, but he said those remaining "contain a large amount of material that required inter-agency review."

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Celebrities and Politics: Do they really mean what they say?

By Thornton Crowe

We often see in the news and TMZ, celebrities becoming more vocal about their personal politics. This phenomenon only provokes the question, “Do they really mean what they say or are they just saying these things to keep their names out there in the airwaves?”

It seems the Liberal celebrity gets away with saying some of the most hateful rhetoric while the Conservatives are scorned. For example, Whoopi Goldberg released a statement about relocating out of the US if Donald Trump becomes president as well as other liberal celebrities and you have to wonder, where would she go?

In the commentary of a recent post, someone raised this very question. She certainly couldn’t move to any communist country, as free speech is not something their citizens are allowed. This runs counter to Goldberg’s continual weighing in on government affairs. She would be seen as a person who would be on the government radar with a short period of time. When looking at the other options, she is in the only free country where her view (pardon the pun) would be acceptable or even allowed by law.

Whenever the Conservative celebrities are forthright with their views, like Stacey Dash’s endorsement of Romney and now her speaking out against her fellow black actors’ Oscar boycott, are often demonized by the MSM and the public. They stay relatively quiet with the exception of people like Rob Lowe, who tweets his conservative witticisms and pays dearly in counter tweets. Believe it or not, many have a misconception about Hollywood’s seemingly Liberal bend. Much of Hollywood’s high-powered stakeholders are Republicans, yet you seldom see them weighing in on any media outlet because it’s simply not their style.

The downside to this uber-liberal celebrity pontification is that many young, under-informed voters look to them as modern day heroes and take their opinions of our governance as fact not opinion. They look to the pop culture pundits and let their views be dictated by these celebrities that may or may not be really weighing in on subjects, but trying to drum up their fan base and planted news articles during ‘down’ times in their careers.

What they don’t realize is, their opinions are based firmly in hypocrisy because if it weren’t for capitalism, they would not be rich. The fact that they invest money, pay for large mansions and buy extremely expensive cars is demonstrative of their own use of the same ‘capitalistic system’ they vilify.

Therefore, can we really trust these celebrities and their views or should we look at candidates and our government more objectively, ferreting out the information and facts for ourselves?

How say you?

UPDATE: Police called because Kids playing basketball Loudly in the street

On January 22nd we posted this story about kids playing basketball in the street and someone called the police. Officer White showed up and played basketball with them. He vowed that he would return another day with back up. He was true to his word. Even Officer White was surprised at who his backup for the game would be. This is a great video that you will want to watch and share.

Good Job Gainesville Police Department and especially Officer White!  

Here is a few more things you may not know about Shaq

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Call Him Dr. Shaq: Shaquille O’Neal Earns Ph.D

Oscars 2016: Charlotte Rampling says diversity row is 'racist to white people'

The British actor, who is nominated for the best actress award, says black actors may not have been good enough to make the list of Oscar nominees

Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling has claimed the current campaign to boycott the 2016 Academy Awards over claims of a diversity deficit is racist to white people.

Rampling, 69, is up for the best actress prize for her role in the British drama 45 Years, from director Andrew Haigh, where she will compete against Room’s Brie Larson, Carol’s Cate Blanchett, Joy’s Jennifer Lawrence and Brooklyn’s Saoirse Ronan. Asked for her take on the current furore over all-white lists of nominees on French Radio network Europe 1 on Friday morning, the British actor did not mince her words. “It is racist to whites,” she said.

“One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list,” added Rampling. Asked if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should introduce quotas, a proposal which no current advocate of increased diversity has mooted, she responded: “Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted ... People will always say: ‘Him, he’s less handsome’; ‘Him, he’s too black’; ‘He is too white’ ... someone will always be saying ‘You are too’ [this or that] ... But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?”

When the interviewer explains that black members of the film industry feel like a minority, Rampling replies: “No comment.”

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