69th National Hard Crab Derby

National Hard Crab Derby

Labor Day Weekend September 1, 2, 3, 4 2016

Somers Cove Marina

Crisfield's National Hard Crab Derby is an annual Labor Day weekend event. The unique crab themed festival features crab races, crab cooking and picking contests, carnival rides, arts and crafts, vendors, live entertainment, beauty pageants, a parade, fireworks and more.

The festival begins Thursday evening with a carnival, runs through the weekend and ends Sunday night with a Gospel concert and fireworks. Many events are free. There is a $3 admission fee on Saturday and additional fees apply for the Saturday night concert and some of the other events.

Crab Derby Schedule

Thursday, September 1^st

Grounds Open 6 pm - 10 pm

For carnival only

Carnival grounds, Somers Cove Marina

Admission Free

Prices and times for wristbands will be announced.

No vendors

Miss Crustacean Pageant 7 pm more info

Crisfield High School

Admission $10

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Friday, September 2^nd

Crab Cooking Contest 9 am more info

First Baptist Church, Somerset Ave

Admission Free

Grounds Open 6 pm

Carnival 6 pm - 10 pm

Carnival grounds, Somers Cove Marina

Admission Free

Prices and times for wristbands will be announced.

Rides, games, food, vendors Various Prices

Crisfield Idol 6:30 pm

Crab Bowl

Admission $3

Navy secretary fires back at conservatives: Will name warships as I please; no politics involved

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus says in a letter that he has the power to name warships as he chooses, in response to a former Marine and congressman who charges he has politicized the process.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and House Armed Services Committee member, wrote Mr. Mabus to question the naming of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer after former Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The naming followed a pattern of Mr. Mabus, a former Democratic governor of Mississippi, of naming warships after Democrats and liberal activists, some of whom had little or no link to the military.

Mr. Mabus did not respond directly to Mr. Hunter. His public affairs officer spoke for him, sending a letter to Mr. Hunter which says the Navy secretary may deviate from official ship-naming conventions.

“The secretary gives careful consideration to every new ship name and is mindful of the established ship naming policy,” wrote Capt. Patrick McNally. “While the ship naming conventions provide a guideline for names, there have been a number of deviations from those conventions throughout the history of the U.S. Navy.”

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Ocean City Sandfest begins August 22-28

Ocean City, Maryland –: Back by popular demand! Experience all of the fun at the third annual Ocean City Sandfest August 22nd through 28th. OC Sandfest will feature giant sand sculptures along the beautiful Ocean City boardwalk with special free family activities.

August 22nd through August 26th watch as master champion sand sculptors transform the smooth beach sand into massive works of art. Sculptures will remain on display through August 28th. Stroll along the Ocean City Boardwalk from North Division Street to 4th Street to see these breath taking sculptures.

On Thursday, August 25th there will be a Sand Sculpting Class at 9am followed by a Family Sand Sculpting Competition at 10am. Prizes will be awarded at noon. Gather your friends and family and join the fun! On Saturday, August 27th there will be a Hands in the Sand Demonstration at 9am where you can learn some tricks of the trade from the pros. All events will be taking place on the boardwalk near North Division Street.

New this year spectators can vote for their favorite sculpture! Make sure to pick up a vote for ballot at the Sandfest information tent, stroll along the boardwalk to find your favorite sculpture and turn the ballot back in for a chance to win a prize.

The nights of Friday, August 26th, Saturday, August 27th and Sunday, August 28th see the Sand Sculptures like never before as they light up the night from 8pm-11pm. In addition the OC Beach Lights show will take place Sunday night on the beach at North Division Street with 3 different shows at 9:30, 10 and 10:30. These shows feature lasers, lights, music, special effects and more all displayed on a 5 story giant beach ball.

For additional OC Sandfest information visit www.ocsandfest.com, call 410-798-6304 or email infoevent@specialeventpro.com. These exciting events are brought to you by the Ocean City Mayor and City Council along with the Tourism Advisory Board and generous sponsors including 28th Street Pit & Pub, Dough Roller, Francis Scott Key Resort, Hotel Motel Restaurant Association, Layton’s Family Restaurant, OC Today and Seacrets.

Donald Trump's 'mental illness' disguised as CNN reporting

Another exciting week in the 2016 Trump Presidential Spectacular and another week of political obituaries predicting Donald Trump’s imminent demise.

Serious question: How many political obituaries have these people written about Mr. Trump since he descended into the fetid American political swamp on a glass escalator last summer?

But this time they really mean it!

Yeah, these people are about as credible and reliable as President Obama drawing red lines in Iran or Syria.

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Contractor further delays Rt. 113 stormwater pipe project

State Highway Administration Public Information Officer Charlie Gischlar confirmed the work originally scheduled to begin on July 25 to install four new stormwater drainage pipes on Route 113 will now proceed beginning next Monday.

Gischlar said the contractor on the project has experienced delays with the work they’re currently doing elsewhere.

However, the first night of work may not require a detour now, as crews will begin the work outside of travel lanes Monday night beginning around 6 p.m., he said.

The two following nights will likely require detours.

Three installations will be just south of Langmaid Road, and will use that street and Newark Road as bypasses. The fourth installation will take place north of Basket Switch Road, and drivers can use that road as well as Newark Road to get by.

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Hulu Kills Off Free Streaming Service, Goes Subscription Only

Once upon a time, TV was mostly a thing you watched for free, over an antenna. Commercials and corporate sponsorships made up the cost for networks. Then TV became cable. Then cable became your internet, and TV was once again briefly free, through streaming services with commercials. But then came subscription internet TV, and that’s where we are today, with Hulu finally pulling the plug on its non-subscription service.

As Variety reports, the ad-supported free service that millions of viewers have used to catch up on recent TV episodes has finally met its demise. Going forward, Hulu will only offer its two tiers of subscription service: $7.99 for the one with ads, and $11.99 for the commercial-free edition.

“For the past couple years, we’ve been focused on building a subscription service that provides the deepest, most personalized content experience possible to our viewers,” a Hulu exec said in a statement.

“As we have continued to enhance that offering with new originals, exclusive acquisitions, and movies, the free service became very limited and no longer aligned with the Hulu experience or content strategy.”

In other words: We like making money, because we are a business, and viewers that watch without paying do not generate money, so we’re getting out of that business.

However, it’s not exactly the end of all the catch-up episodes: Hulu is also partnering with Yahoo to launch Yahoo View, which… is basically a purple Hulu. It’s an ad-supported streaming site that lets you watch the five most recent episodes of shows from NBC, ABC, and Fox about a week after their broadcast airing.

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EVENT REMINDER: Breathing Under Dirt

Democrat-Controlled Board Cancels GOP Primary in Virgin Islands

Republicans in the American Virgin Islands claim that the territory’s Democrat-controlled government squashed their primary vote to keep the GOP off the November ballot.

The Virgin Islands Republican Party filed suit in the territory’s district court against the Joint Board of Elections for rejecting the party’s petition to hold a primary. The party says the board refused to recognize its call for a primary, nor did it notify Republicans about the state of its application until after the filing deadline had already passed. It is now suing to get the party’s nominee, Air Force veteran Gordon Ackley, onto the ballot.

“The Joint Board intentionally, maliciously and specifically waited until after the deadline for the submission of nomination petitions to notify the Republican Party of the Joint Board’s decision,” the suit says.

Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes told the Washington Free Beaconthat she is aware of the lawsuit, but declined to comment beyond saying that “the Joint Board of Elections made the decision.” Democratic Joint Board Chairman Arturo Watlington, Jr. did not respond to email seeking comment.

The Joint Board of Elections sent the GOP a letter on May 5 stating the “Joint Board would not allow the Republican Party to elect party officers at the primary election,” according to the suit, which also claims that the Board ignored an order from the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands that the “Election System is required to conduct a full primary election.” The suit says that the board purposefully waited until after the filing deadline to keep the GOP off the ballot.

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Atlantic hurricane season still expected to be strongest since 2012

In its updated 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, NOAA calls for a higher likelihood of a near-normal or above-normal season, and decreases the chance of a below-normal season to only 15 percent, from the initial outlook issued in May. The season is still expected to be the most active since 2012.

Forecasters now expect a 70-percent chance of 12–17 named storms, of which 5–8 are expected to become hurricanes, including 2–4 major hurricanes. Theinitial outlook called for 10–16 named storms, 4–8 hurricanes, and 1–4 major hurricanes. The seasonal averages are 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. 

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DOJ Declined FBI Request To Investigate Clinton Foundation

The Department of Justice declined a FBI request to open up a public integrity investigation into the Clinton Foundation, CNN reported on Wednesday.

According to the news network, the FBI made the request earlier this year, but the DOJ said it did not have enough evidence to open a formal probe. CNN reported:

The Clinton Foundation was not part of the recent investigation into her private server; it was separate. The FBI went to Justice Department earlier this year asking for it to open a case into the foundation, but the public integrity unit declined. The Justice Department had looked into whether it should open a case on the foundation a year prior and found it didn’t have sufficient evidence to do so.

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Woman Struck By Propeller in Ocean City Jet Ski-Power Boat Crash

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A 52-year-old Ocean City woman was airlifted to the hospital following a crash between a jet ski and a power boat in Assawoman Bay on Thursday afternoon, authorities told WJZ.

The vessels collided about 2 p.m. in Assawoman Bay, which lies behind Ocean City, Maryland Natural Resources Police spokesperson Candy Thompson said in a phone interview.

The jet ski’s operator was knocked from the jet ski and wound up underneath the 30-foot power boat, where she was struck by the propeller, Thompson said.

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Why I’m voting for Donald Trump – give me potential over platitudes

“Judge not lest you be judged” sayeth the Good Book and I believe far too many have already unfairly judged Donald Trump through a negative media filter and dismissed his candidacy.

The media is tiring of its shiny new toy which delivered such great ratings, so little wonder they are now castigating him as the polls slip and the ponderous experts explain why just a few months after explaining the exact opposite.

Back then the power of Trump’s independent vision had them swooning.

Yes, the man has made mistakes, is new to politics and politicking, has been rude, crude and abrupt, but we’re not voting for preacher of the year.

I’d still prefer his vision of working America and and a “get off your butt and stop complaining” America vision to the Mommy state and the tax and spend vision ofHillary Clinton.


It has become the prime battle between the two parties – tax your way out of recession or cut taxes and inspire job creation to end the recession.

Given that Barack Obama and his Democrats have had eight years to move America forward and yet close to 75 percent of folks think we’re heading in the wrong direction, I rest my case.

There are also the great moral issues, most notably abortion and the United States Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is over 80 and has had several health issues. Scaliamust be replaced; Kennedy is fast reaching the end of his long tenure, while Breyer is also getting up there. There are consistent stories that Clarence Thomas will retire sometime in the next term.

This is the oldest group of judges on the Supreme Court in history and the change brought about by the next president could be historic with perhaps three or four picks over a first and second term.

A Democratic court will find a way to allow partial birth abortion, there is nothing surer. It will also quickly forget the Scalia influence, which made prior law, or the lack of it, critical when making decisions.

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Longtime OC residents reflect on past and present

WASHINGTON — Things change at the beach all the time. Usually, and most noticeably to tourists, it’ll be restaurants and bars that might change hands or management from one summer to the next. It happens a lot with restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Ocean City, Maryland.

The condos and beach houses there change hands all the time, too, with no shortage of real estate agents ready to help you find an investment property or summer getaway.

But then there’s real change, which takes places over the course of several decades.

You may not be able to imagine it, but there are people whose families make up the fabric of the Delmarva beaches who can remember when the several miles of hotels, condos and restaurant buffets were nothing but spacious sand dunes and wide-open beach.

Bunky Dolle can recall it well. His family has lived on the coast for more than a century, running boardwalk stands famous for saltwater taffy and other candies.

“Oh gosh, as a kid, it’s totally different,” said Dolle.

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Obama’s forgiveness of gun crimes amid push for controls ‘incredible hypocrisy’

Richard Reid was already a two-time felon when authorities searched his Delaware apartment and found marijuana, crack cocaine divided into sales-size plastic bags, powder cocaine, a scale — and a loaded .32 caliber handgun, an unloaded .25 caliber pistol and ammunition for two other types of weapons.

Last week, President Obama commuted Reid’s 25-year sentence and made him one of the hundreds of drug users and dealers who the White House says have done enough time.

But at the same time, Mr. Obama forgave scores of gun crimes convictions for the offenders, raising thorny questions about whether the White House is serious about keeping guns out of “the wrong hands” — a refrain of the Obama administration in the wake of mass shootings.

Mr. Obama forgave six of Reid’s gun crimes, in addition to the drug trafficking and possession offenses for which he was convicted in 2007.

He is one of 107 federal inmates who have had gun crimes convictions pardoned or sentences commuted during this administration, including a number who used firearms while dealing drugs or who carried them despite having felonies on their records. Still others were caught lying to gun dealers or carrying weapons with the registration numbers filed off — suggesting an even deeper level of gun crime.

“This is the most incredible hypocrisy,” said Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. “The president has commuted the sentences of dangerous criminals who were convicted of gun-related charges. But then, he does everything in his power to block law-abiding gun owners from purchasing firearms.”

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If Maryland Were A Country, It Would Have The 2nd Most Gold Medals

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — With the likes of Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and other Olympians hailing from the Baltimore and D.C. metro areas, and still more Olympians having trained locally, if the state of Maryland were a country competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, it would hold the second most gold medals.

According to our media partners at The Baltimore Sun, the tiny “country” of Maryland would be trailing only China in gold medal count if medals won by local athletes were subtracted from the medal count for the U.S. as a whole.

Of course, that’s counting individual event medals from Phelps (200m butterfly) and Ledecky (200m freestyle & 400m freestyle), plus their medals from winning relay teams (men’s 4x200m freestyle relay & 4x100m freestyle for Phelps, women’s 4x200m freestyle relay for Ledecky), and the relay medals for three other athletes with local ties — Jack Conger (men’s 4x200m freestyle relay) , Cierra Runge (women’s 4x200m freestyle relay) and Allison Schmitt (women’s 4x200m freestyle relay).

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Governor Larry Hogan Requests Federal Disaster Declaration in Response to Historic Ellicott City Flooding

MEMA to Coordinate Request

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today requested that President Barack Obama issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Howard County as a result of the floods that ripped through Main Street in Ellicott City on July 30, 2016. An approved disaster declaration would bring federal assistance to Howard County and Ellicott City through state and local agencies and public safety partners that served them during the storm.

"Our administration has made it clear that we will do everything we can, and coordinate with all levels of government to help the residents of Ellicott City and Howard County rebuild their community after the disastrous flooding that occurred," said Governor Hogan. "These federal funds will go a long way in helping residents and local businesses rebuild infrastructure and will also help with some of the costs associated with the initial clean-up efforts.”

A storm cell dumped nearly six inches of rain in the area during a few hours on the evening of July 30, causing a wall of water to cascade down Main Street. Two people were killed in the storm, dozens of buildings – many a mix of business and residential – were damaged and about 200 vehicles were swept downstream or flooded. Ellicott City sits at the intersection of the West Branch of the Patapsco River and two smaller streams.

Eastern Howard County was severely impacted by this storm. Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman quickly declared a local State of Emergency for the county, and Governor Hogan followed with a Maryland State of Emergency for the county. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) coordinated the state response and recovery through the State Emergency Operations Center, and also coordinated the movement of resources from other jurisdiction in Maryland and from other states.

Governor Hogan designated MEMA as the state coordinating agency for the request. MEMA Executive Director Russell Strickland directed MEMA staff to work with Howard County staff and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to perform a damage assessment as the first step in seeking federal assistance. This process started several days after the storm, when building inspectors and public works officials declared the area safe.

“MEMA worked closely with Howard County and FEMA to jointly assess damages and costs incurred and initial estimates have validated the significant impact of this storm,” said Director Strickland. “Many long-time residents said this flooding is the worst they have ever seen in that area. The amount of damage that the storm caused in just a couple of hours was devastating.

Wicomico County to Open Cooling Center this Weekend

(Salisbury, MD) A cooling center will be opened at the Wicomico County Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday, Aug 13th and 14th, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Wicomico County Civic Center (Flanders Room) is located at 500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, MD 21804. No pets are permitted. Residents will need to bring their own food, beverages and medications. Anyone needing transportation to the Civic Center should call Shore Transit at 443-260-2300 (select “dispatch” option).

MAC Inc., Senior Center will not be open. Residents are also encouraged to go to any other public cooling spaces such as the Salisbury Mall or Wicomico County Library.

For additional information about cooling centers in Wicomico County, please call 211. For more information on heat and summer safety, please visit the Wicomico County Health Department website at www.wicomicohealth.org and follow @WicomicoHealth on Facebook andTwitter for regular updates.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

On 08/10/2016 at 1710 hours a Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputy, was monitoring traffic in the area of Worcester Highway and Woodside Lane, Snow Hill, Worcester County, Maryland.

The Deputy observed a black Buick sedan traveling southbound at 91mph in a 55mph zone. The Deputy stopped the vehicle and identified the operator as Thomas Michael Brown (51) of New Jersey. The Deputy smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown did poorly on field sobriety tests. Mr. Brown was placed under arrest and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Mr. Brown was released pending trial.

On 08/08/2016 at approximately 1747 hours, a Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputy, responded to Cathell Road, Berlin, in reference to a single motor vehicle collision.

The Deputy arrived on scene and located a vehicle overturned in a field with no driver. Through investigation, the Deputy determined the driver of the vehicle to be Thomas Edward Scaniffe (23) of Berlin, Maryland. Mr. Scaniffe had left the scene of the accident. The vehicle owner was identified as Ciarra Alexandra Chavis (21) of Berlin, Maryland.

Chavis, who is Mr. Scaniffe's girlfriend, advised that she had been driving the vehicle and crashed it on her way to work. Multiple witness's advised that Ms. Chavis had been at Shore Stop working since 3:00pm. A witness advised they saw Mr. Scaniffe leave Shore Stop in Ms. Chavis's vehicle. The Deputy located Mr. Scaniffe at Shore Stop.

The Deputy smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Scaniffe. Mr. Scaniffe refused to take field sobriety tests. Mr. Scaniffe was placed under arrest and charged with driving while impaired. Ms. Chavis was issued a Uniform Maryland Criminal Citation for Obstructing and Hindering. Both Ms. Chavis and Mr. Scaniffe were released pending trial.

Missing Juvenile (Cecil County)

Troopers from the North East Barrack are attempting to locate a missing juvenile who ran away from her residence in Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland. The juvenile may be traveling in a gold sedan, possibly a Nissan Maxima, with unknown registration plates. Anyone with information regarding Elizabeth Antoinette Vanreenen (16 years old) should immediately contact the Maryland State Police North East Barrack at 410-996-7800.

Carly Fiorina Readies Bid to Become Next RNC Chair

Former 2016 presidential candidate and Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is preparing a bid to become the next chair of the Republican National Committee, Time reported Tuesday.

Fiorina, who suspended her presidential campaign in February, is expected to spend the next few months traveling across the United States to help elect down-ballot Republicans while courting support from the nearly 170 RNC members.

The RNC will have to elect a successor to Reince Priebus in January if the current party chair decides against seeking a fourth term. Priebus has so far declined to confirm whether he will seek reelection.

A Fiorina adviser has written to multiple state party executive directors in the past few weeks informing them that Fiorina is willing to help with state Republican campaigns in “any way.”

“The past few months Carly has been helping out with major races around the country. I know she is planning to reach out to your party chairman in the next week or so, just to touch base and see if there is any way she could be helpful to Republicans in the [name of state] this fall,” the adviser said, according to Time.

More here

Busted: CNN Fabricated Secret Service Story About Trump

With Donald Trump’s gun rights comments already taken out of context by the liberal media, CNN attempted to keep this controversial narrative in the headlines, but they failed miserably.

Now the story is no longer about the liberal media’s first lie – about an ‘unstable’ Donald Trump’s rhetoric possibly endangering Hillary Clinton – now the story is about CNN being ‘outed’ and set straight by Reuters.

While CNN falsely claimed that the Secret Service spoke to Donald Trump about his comments and how they might endanger Clinton, Reuters reported instead that:

“A federal official on Wednesday said the U.S. Secret Service had not formally spoken with Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaign regarding his suggestion a day earlier that gun rights activists could stop Democratic rival Hillary Clinton from curtailing their access to firearms.”

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New Documents Show Top Clinton Aide Alerted On Email Inquiry

Judicial Watch today released 10 pages of new State Department records that include an email sent by State Department spokesman Brock Johnson alerting Cheryl Mills, Hillary Clinton’s then Chief of Staff, that a “significant” Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request had been made for records showing the number of email accounts used by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The documents were produced under court order in a March 2016, FOIA lawsuit against the State Department for all records “about the processing of a December 2012 FOIA request filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington [CREW]” (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:16-cv-00574)). Earlier this year, the State Department Office of Inspector General concluded that the “no records response” sent in response to this request was “inaccurate and incomplete.”

The documents show that at 4:11 p.m. on December 11, 2012, several State Department officials, including Brock and the Director of the Office of Correspondence and Records of the Executive Secretariat (S/ES-CRM) Clarence Finney were alerted of the request seeking Clinton’s email addresses.

In an email exchange labeled “Significant FOIA Report” Brock alerts Mills about the FOIA request:

Government Won’t Reclassify Marijuana, Allows More Research

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration isn’t going to reclassify marijuana and remove it from the list of the most dangerous drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration says in a lengthy notice in the Federal Registry that it consulted with the Health and Human Services Department and concluded that marijuana will remain in the class of drugs that have “no accepted medical use in the United States.”

The agency is opening the door to further medical research of the drug by expanding the number of agencies that can legally grow marijuana for research purposes. Currently only researchers at the University of Missouri have the government’s permission to grow pot.

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It's Always Nice To Get Feedback From Our Viewers

Thanks for continuing to publish the truth about so many aspects of our lives, not just locally, but globally as well. When I read what you publish, I really have to wonder how on earth so many other folks can just continue to "drink the Koolaid" and happily go about their lives?!? Glad my parents raised me differently and very glad we have your blog to get some real news from. Keep up the good work!

State data shows 180 percent spike in ODs

More than 7 percent of 12th graders in Worcester County have used heroin at least once, according to a recent Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Opioid and especially heroin abuse appears to be on the rise locally, as evidenced by the most recent data from the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.

According to a quarterly report on overdose deaths released in June, heroin-related deaths in the state have increased more than 180 percent during the last decade.

In 2007, 77 deaths were attributed to heroin use between January and March. Last year, that number was 190. This year, for the first time, more than 200 people have died in the state during the first three months of the year because of heroin use.

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Multifamily Yard Sale

Multifamily yard sale on Rising Eagle Road in Mardela Springs, Md. on Saturday, August 13, 2016. Several families will be selling your new treasures along the entire street. Lots of household items, some exercise equipment, homeschool curriculum, and lots more! Sales will begin at 7am and will be done by 12 noon.

‘Devastating bombshells’ in new Hillary emails

Rush Limbaugh: 'It's an intricately woven web of deceit'

Another batch of previously undisclosed emails involving Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state has been released, and they reveal multiple orders from the private Clinton Foundation to Hillary Clinton’s aides at the State Department.

Meanwhile, CNN reported the FBI asked the Justice Department to open a case into the Clinton Foundation earlier this year, but the department’s public integrity unit declined. One year prior to the request, the Justice Department had decided not to open a case into the foundation, claiming it lacked sufficient evidence.

One of the emails in the new cache, obtained by the Washington watchdog Judicial Watch, was an instruction for federal officials to find a job for an interested party, whose name was redacted. Another was for government officials to have someone contact a major Clinton Foundation donor personally.

“No wonder Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin hid emails from the American people, the courts and Congress,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “They show the Clinton Foundation, Clinton donors and operatives worked with Hillary Clinton in potential violation of the law.”

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Feds Loaned Billions To Start Obamacare Co-ops, Won't Repay

Affordable Care Act (ACA) — “Obamacare” — Co-Ops will likely never repay taxpayer money lent to them, according to an audit from the Inspector General’s office at the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS).

The investigators found that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) did not account for how the federal government would recover the loans if the Co-Ops failed.

Obamacare authorized the CMS to loan money to support Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans, or Co-Ops. The Co-Ops were to be treated like startups, and repay the loans once they received business through Obamacare’s glitchy online marketplaces.

At issue is a controversial rule which let struggling Co-Ops convert their loans into “surplus notes,” meaning they did not need not make payments on the loan if they were strapped for cash.

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Jack Nicklaus Explains What Donald Trump Is Doing To America

Nicklaus, who owns golf courses in many countries and has done business with Trump, is proud to support him:

Jack Nicklaus believes Donald Trump is “turning America upside down,” which apparently is a compliment. The legendary golfer told CBS Sunday Morning that he’ll vote for the New York businessman.

“He’s awakening the country,” Nicklaus said.

“We need a lot of that. Is he a politician? Is he as smooth and politically correct as he should be? Probably not. But he’ll learn,” the golfer said. “He’s not stupid. He didn’t get where he was being dumb. I like the guy. He’s a good man. And certainly — if he’s the one that’s on the ticket, I’ll be voting for him.”

Via NY Daily News

Clearly, Nicklaus is tired of business-as-usual in politics, where cautious politicians read tele-prompters to hide the truth. But Trump speaks from the heart, and as a patriotic American is willing to stand up for American workers and job-creating businessmen. Trump is running a presidential campaign like we’ve never seen before in America.

You have to watch this incredible interview from Nicklaus:

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Accused Twin Falls Muslim Was Used by Media as Example Two Months Ago

A Muslim Twin Falls man arrested over the weekend and charged with sexually assaulting a mentally retarded woman was quoted by local media in June as representative of Muslims opposing “bad things” and bemoaning the fact that the “picture of Muslims is getting worse.”

As reported by Breitbart News yesterday, Mohammed Hussein Ibraheim Eldai was arrested Saturday and charged Monday in an incident involving a mentally retarded woman.

As local TV station KMVT reported:

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Wicomico Monitoring Mosquito Populations

Flashback – Joe Biden: Obama's 'Got a Problem' If He Tries to Take My Gun

In light of the August 9 media feeding frenzy which twisted Donald Trump’s words to allege he was urging violence against Hillary Clinton, it is interesting to note words uttered by Joe Biden in 2008, that need no twisting: that Obama would have a “problem” if he tried to take away Biden’s gun.

Biden made the statement while campaigning in Virginia.

According to Bloomberg Politics, Biden said, “I’ll guarantee, Barack Obama ain’t taking my shotgun. So don’t buy that malarkey. They’re going to start peddling that to you.” He added, “I’ve got two, [and] if he tries to pull my Beretta he’s got a problem.”

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RICO: 'Classic Pay-to-Play'

Rudy Giuliani says that if he were still a federal attorney, he would open an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

He explained that money being given to the foundation in exchange for favors from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's State Department could constitute racketeering.

"You have tapes that they were hiding that show that millions of dollars were given to Clinton Foundation, and the State Department did favors for those people that they knew had given millions of dollars," Giuliani said.

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Report: DEA Monitors Americans' Travel Plans, Seizes Cash

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has a network of informants alerting it to suspicious travel activity, and though it seizes lots of cash, it rarely makes arrests, USA Today reports.

The DEA pays employees of airlines and Amtrak to report suspicious itineraries, such as one-way tickets to California, or passengers buying tickets with cash, according to the report.

The purpose is to seize cash and hurt drug cartels, though typically, arrests are rare, as are attempts to talk to suspects to find people higher up the chain.

"We want the cash. Good agents chase cash," George Hood, who was in charge of a drug task force at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago before he retired in 2007, told USA Today.

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Obama Ordered Jailed Illegals Be Freed in 2013

The Obama administration told immigration officials to release over 5,000 jailed illegal immigrants, some of whom had been accused of terror threats, drunk driving, drug and gun possession, and sexual assault, according to the Washington Examiner.

The Immigration Reform Law Institute made the findings after a Freedom of Information Act request, the Examiner reports.

The administration was forced to cut spending in 2013 under the congressional sequester at that time. Pressure to move quickly resulted in some criminals being released, in an attempt to cut $84 million from the budget.

Federation for American Immigration Reform spokesman Dave Ray said that it appears that "political theater" led to criminals being released. "These emails make it crystal clear that the administration was more concerned with the political optics of its immigration enforcement efforts than with its duty to keep American safe from criminal and illegal aliens."

The emails show that a reduction of 5,432 illegals was ordered. In the emails, officials called the immigrants "bodies."

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Surprise! Obamacare critics were right

Aetna announced in early August that it would not expand into additional Obamacare markets and that it might consider leaving existing markets. It's just the latest example of the failures of this massive healthcare law.

In an editorial, Investor's Business Daily declared: "Obamacare is failing exactly the way critics said it would." The outlet explained that Aetna had already lost $200 million thanks to Obamacare, but had expected to break even in 2016. That didn't happen, so the company will no longer expand into five additional states and is rethinking whether it will stay in the 15 states it already offers Obamacare plans.

Aetna is just the latest insurance company to deal a blow to Obamacare supporters and those who were forced to purchase plans through the exchanges. UnitedHealth Group announced in April itwould leave most Obamacare exchanges, after expecting to lose $650 million from the exchanges this year.

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Dr. Richard Land on Satanic Clubs: Fed Authority on After-School Groups Far Worse

After-school Satanic clubs are bad for elementary school students, but "to allow the government authority to decide which after-school religious clubs are kosher and which ones aren't" is far worse, evangelical leader Dr. Richard Land told Newsmax TV on Wednesday.

"If we start doing that, I can see them saying: 'Well, you can't have an evangelical Christian club. It's a hate group because it teaches that lesbian and homosexual behavior is immoral," Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, told "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth.

"When you start letting the government have that kind of control, it's pretty scary," he said. "That's more frightening to me than Satanic clubs are."

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Hillary Helps a Bank—and Then It Funnels Millions to the Clintons

The Wall Street Journal’s eyebrow-raising story of how the presidential candidate and her husband accepted cash from UBS without any regard for the appearance of impropriety that it created.

The Swiss bank UBS is one of the biggest, most powerful financial institutions in the world. As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton intervened to help it out with the IRS. And after that, the Swiss bank paid Bill Clinton $1.5 million for speaking gigs. The Wall Street Journal reported all that and more Thursday in an article that highlights huge conflicts of interest that the Clintons have created in the recent past.

The piece begins by detailing how Clinton helped the global bank.

“A few weeks after Hillary Clinton was sworn in as secretary of state in early 2009, she was summoned to Geneva by her Swiss counterpart to discuss an urgent matter. The Internal Revenue Service was suing UBS AG to get the identities of Americans with secret accounts,” the newspaper reports. “If the case proceeded, Switzerland’s largest bank would face an impossible choice: Violate Swiss secrecy laws by handing over the names, or refuse and face criminal charges in U.S. federal court. Within months, Mrs. Clinton announced a tentative legal settlement—an unusual intervention by the top U.S. diplomat. UBS ultimately turned over information on 4,450 accounts, a fraction of the 52,000 sought by the IRS.”

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Lou Dobbs Poll

‘Man Up’: A Vision of Male Spirituality

The book, "Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality," appears at a timely moment, in this Year of Mercy.

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers — a graduate of the University of Notre Dame who holds a graduate degree from the University of Dallas; he is considered by many to be one of the best Catholic preachers from the pulpit, as well as on radio and television, including EWTN — has written a highly readable and very practical book for men seeking an authentically Catholic male spirituality. As a bonus, Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Portland (Ore.) Archdiocese has contributed a long and excellent foreword.

Deacon Burke-Sivers draws from Scripture and the teaching of the Church to encourage men both to "man up" as the heads of their families and share their faith in their households and in their marketplaces.

Deacon Burke-Sivers roots Catholic male spirituality in the covenant relationship with God. Although all of us, male and female, are called to take up our crosses and follow Christ, modeling our lives on Jesus, in a particular way men are presented with Christ as the perfect example of how Christian manhood is to be lived.

Anyone picking up this volume should be prepared for a very sobering analysis of what ails modern culture, both inside and outside of the Church.

Deacon Burke-Sivers provides examples of the low state of popular culture and also the effect of the lack of deep and unapologetic commitment to faith on the part of many Catholic men.

Referencing a study that shows that if the father does not attend Mass regularly, only a small percentage of his children are likely to as adults, he challenges men to take a leadership role in living and passing on the faith. Also be prepared for what is ultimately a hopeful picture of men putting on the armor of faith, hope and charity in a meaningful and serious way.

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Another Health System Hacked

Banner Health, a non-profit organization that runs a chain of hospitals, said this month that hackers gained unauthorized access to millions of patient, physician, and other records — the latest in a series of data breaches that spotlights the growing risk of medical ID theft.

The Phoenix-based group said it notified 3.7 million patients, health plan members, food and beverage customers, doctors, and healthcare providers about the attack, which occurred between June 23 and July 7.

Banner Health — which operates in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming — said hackers accessed computer systems that process payment records at some Banner Health locations, the company said.

Security experts say the case points up the dangers of medical identity theft, which is on the rise in the U.S. According to a recent report by the Medical Identity Fraud Alliance, 2.3 million Americans are victimized by medical ID thieves annually, with total damages adding up to $20 billion. And the rate is growing by about 22 percent each year.

MIFA noted one-fifth of the victims suffered a decrease in their credit score, a third lost their health insurance, and the average cost to resolve those crimes cost consumers $13,500.

According to Twila Brase, president of the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom — a Minnesota-based organization dedicated to protecting patient privacy rights, such cases are being fueled at least in part by healthcare reform changes pushed by Obamacare requiring healthcare providers to convert paper medical records to digital files.

Such records can be stolen more easily and used to file fraudulent health claims with insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid.

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Twin Falls Refugee Rape: Why Are The Refugees Moving In?

UPDATE: Two recent sexual assaults by Muslims in this community of about 50,000 people have made national headlines and raised a wider question: why are the refugees in Twin Falls in the first place?

On June 2, there was the horrifying alleged video recorded gang rape of a developmentally challenged five-year-old American girl at the hands of three refugee boys that created shockwaves after the media and local politicians attempted to cover up the story and stifle local activists.

Then just this past weekend, Mohammed Hussein Ibraheim Eldai – who was previously lionized by the media – was charged with the alleged sexual assault of a 33-year-old mentally disabled woman who fled her house screaming and crying after he molested and then attempted to have sex with her.

The simplest part of the answer is that Muslim refugees are being used as cheap replacements for the middle-class Americans who want to work in Twin Falls’ government-boosted food processing industry.

Idaho is among the states with the largest population of refugees per American, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The state has been bringing in refugees for decades, but local activists, including Julie Ruf, grew concerned as they noticed that the rising percentage of Muslims among the refugees. “I started noticing the burqas,” said Ruf.

Ruf’s observation was correct. The program began in the 1980s with diverse refugees coming from Vietnam, Poland, and Russia. But is has shifted since 2012 to bring in refugees from Islamic Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, and Sudan, according to the webpage for the College of Southern Idaho’s refugee resettlement program.

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Photo: Hillary physically propped up in campaign speech

Image sparks fresh questions about Clinton's health

Fresh questions are being raised about Hillary Clinton’s health, including her mental well-being, after a new photo emerged that appears to show an aide holding her up at a campaign event.

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‘Lives Matter’ T-shirts defended, criticized

The assertion that some of the proceeds of the “Blue Lives Matter” T-shirts are being donated to the Fraternal Order of Police is news to local chapter President Shawn Jones, who said Tuesday neither he nor other officials of FOP Chapter 10 has any knowledge of that.

“We haven’t been approached about the shirts fundraising,” Jones said. “I also checked with our executive board and no knows anything about that. It could be for the lodge out in Berlin or in the county. Typically, this time of year, there are businesses that sell shirt and donate to charities.”

Even so, in spite of or perhaps inspired by the controversy attached to it, all 900 “White Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” T-shirts were sold out Monday at the end of the first full day of fishing for the White Marlin Open.

“We’ve ordered some more. They’ll be back on Wednesday and sold out on Friday,” said George Lamplugh, who designed the shirts.

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The Minimum Wage: Taking Away The Right To Work

Do you believe that a minority teenager, maybe a high school drop out, with very few job skills, has a right to work? Or do you believe that being low skilled, maybe so low-skilled that you can only command $8 or $9 an hour in the job market, means you should have this right taken away? Oddly enough, for the progressive left, those who claim to be the most compassionate in our society, have adopted the latter position.

In fact, the position that was adopted by the Democratic Party platform this summer argues that anyone whose skills are so low that they can’t command $15 and hour has no right to gainful employment. They argue that any employer who attempts to hire such a person at a rate that is commensurate with his or her skills will be breaking the law and subject to severe penalties.

This is the reality of raising the minimum wage. If you are in favor of a legal hourly minimum wage of $15 you are arguing that a person loses his right to be employed if his skills are not at a level where he can generate at least an equal amount in production for an employer. (It should be noted that you are actually saying more than this since to hire someone for $15 an hour it probably costs an employer about $17 or $18 given Social Security taxes and mandated benefits like, in some cases, health insurance.)

Of course, this is not how the minimum wage is typically described. When raising the minimum wage is discussed we typically hear moralistic platitudes like “no one should be forced to work for less than $15 per hour” or people “deserve to receive a living wage.”

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CROOKED: DOJ Shut Down FBI Investigation Of Clinton Foundation

A few weeks back, Attorney General Loretta Lynch made big news when she decided to have a media-free face-to-face with Bill Clinton, even as the FBI considered whether to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton over her private email server. Now she’s back in the news, and for good reason: according to CNN, the DOJ public integrity unit refused a request from the FBI to open an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, stating that they didn’t have enough evidence.

Didn’t have enough evidence?

The State Department and Clinton Foundation clearly colluded. The Clintons used Teneo, an advisory business, as a go-between; the firm hired Huma Abedin even as Abedin worked at the State Department. Teneo’s Chief Executive Declan Kelly worked as a special envoy for Hillary at the State Department. Former Clinton Foundation head Doug Band “formed the Teneo consulting firm” in June 2011, with “Bill Clinton as the paid honorary chairman.”

And, of course, the Clinton Foundation had corrupt dealings with countries and figures all over the world, trading favors from Hillary Clinton’s State Department for cash donations and speaking fees for Bill.

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Ivanka Trump: Critics 'scared' of Donald Trump presidency

"He raised me to be a strong woman and voice my opinion," Ivanka Trump told the Detroit Free Press in an interview. "I share with him when I agree and when I disagree."

She may be the campaign whisperer in an often-blustery realm of Donald Trump.

Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, offered a full-throated but soft-spoken defense of her father's sometimes-controversial candidacy in an interview following his speech Monday before the Detroit Economic Club.

"He raised me to be a strong woman and voice my opinion," she told the Detroit Free Press. "I share with him when I agree and when I disagree."

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And now you know the rest of the story

Maryland Air National Guard Training

Again the A-10s of the 104th Fighter Squadron, Baltimore, Maryland Air National Guard will be conducting some lower altitude training from 16 August through 26 August, vicinity of the following communities: Vienna, Mardela Springs, Nanticoke, Mt Vernon, Deale Island, Dames Quarter, Chance, Oriole, Venton, Upper Hill, Upper Fairmont, Fairmont, Rumbly, and Marion Station. Airspace has been coordinated with the FAA, and we will mitigate the impact to residents on the ground by avoiding populated areas and adhering to all FAA and US Air Force regulations.

There will also be ground personnel participating in the exercise that will maintain radio contact with all aircraft. This is excellent training that enables pilots and ground crew to maintain their combat capability. We are very grateful to have the opportunity to use this airspace and would like to continue doing so. Again, we will make every effect to mitigate the impact on our fellow MD residents. If there is anything else you require, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for your consideration!

Maryland air pollution: Compare yesterday's forecast with the reality

Thank God Its Friday 8-12-16

What will you be doing this weekend?

A Real Poll

Truth Be Told

BREAKING: Early morning explosion in DC allegedly leaves YET ANOTHER DNC staffer dead

At least two people died and several remained missing after a natural gas explosion and fire leveled an apartment building late Wednesday in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, Md., fire officials said.

Assistant Chief Russ Hamill of the Montgomery County Police told reporters Thursday that two bodies were found in the ruins and that the scene would be handled as a “death investigation.” The identity of one of the bodies has led some to speculate, especially following the revelations about murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich this week.

Immediately after the explosion, journalists and observers began to ask questions.

Hamill said 34 people, including three firefighters, were taken to the hospital. Many of the injuries were sustained by people jumping out of windows, according to Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein, WJLA-TV reported.

“People were dropping children and jumping out of other windows,” he said. “Everybody was getting out of the building as rapidly as possible.”

One source CTN spoke with said that 5 to 7 people are still considered to be missing, and it is believed that a long-time DNC staffer may be among the group.

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Publishers Notes: In that explosion in Silver Spring a DNC staffer was lost. Still unaccounted for. Seth Rich, now this? A month apart.

As of today, we have used up all the Earth’s resources for 2016

Earth Overshoot Day isn’t one of those fun holidays, like International Cat Day or Squirrel Appreciation Day. Instead, it’s a depressing reminder that we humans are living well beyond our means. Today (Aug. 8) marks the point when humanity as a whole has used up the resources needed to live sustainably for a year.

The day is declared every year by Global Footprint Network, a nonprofit research group that focuses on sustainability. The first Earth Overshoot Day was in Oct. 2006. It’s been creeping up the calendar ever since, landing on Aug. 19 in 2014, and just last year, reaching Aug. 13. The earlier Earth Overshoot Day falls, the more rapidly we’ve been using the planet’s natural resources.

The exact date of Earth Overshoot Day is determined by a simple formula. Global Footprint Network takes the planet’s biocapacity (pdf), or the amount of natural resources available, divides it by humanity’s ecological footprint, or how much of the planet’s resources we use up, and then multiplies it by the days in a year.

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Vote Trump 2016

Free Press Isn't FREE Any More

Like They Expect People To Understand This Message

Mooditation

Crime Family

Structure Fire In Salisbury 8-12-16

Stations 2, 1, 16 and 6 have been dispatched to a structure fire at 212 Tilghman Street.  At the corner of Tilghman Street and Church Street.

Small fire in the kitchen. The fire is out.  Situation is under control. 

Arkansas rape victim comes forward after 40 years to call Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’

A child rape victim says she cannot forgive Hillary Clinton for defending her rapist in court 40 years ago, saying the Democratic presidential candidate attacked her credibility despite knowing that her assailant was guilty – and later laughed about it in a taped interview.

Kathy Shelton was just 12 years old when a 41-year-old drifter raped her on the side of a desolate Arkansas road in 1975.

Now, four decades later, she has agreed to be named and pictured for the first time in this Daily Mail Online exclusive because she is furious that her rapist's defense attorney - Hillary Clinton - has been portraying herself as a lifelong advocate of women and girls on the campaign trail.

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