Topless beaches, not in Ocean City

The Ocean City Council passed an emergency ordinance Saturday that prohibits females from baring their breasts in public.

The public hearing on the ordinance took place at a hastily convened special meeting after regional and national media picked up a story about a Beach Patrol memo issued Tuesday saying lifeguards were not to take action against women sunbathing topless on the beach.

The essence of the memo was that since neither Maryland nor Ocean City appeared to have a law that addresses that particular aspect of undress, lifeguards were to focus on protecting lives while the division sought guidance from the Maryland Attorney General.

That memo, however, ignited a frenzy of phone calls from more than 80 news outlets from across the country asking city officials if some kind of major policy change was in the offing.

In response, the council announced a special session to clear up any legal confusion by passing a new ordinance.

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EVENT ALERT: Congressman Andy Harris Announces Second June Tele-Town Hall

WASHINGTON, DC: After connecting with more than 3,200 constituents during his June 6 event, Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) will hold another telephone town hall this month for the residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties. The Congressman’s office will automatically call out to nearly 80,000 constituents living in these counties, pulling phone numbers from the constituent services database. If constituents prefer to be called on a certain phone number, they can list that number through the link below.

· Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2017
· Time: 5:30 PM
· Sign Up: https://vekeo.com/andyharrismd/

Questions about the event can be directed to Congressman Harris’ DC office at (202) 225-5311.

Conagra Brands, Inc. Recalls Spaghetti and Meatball Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens

WASHINGTON – Conagra Brands, Inc., a Milton, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 700,125 pounds of spaghetti and meatball products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product(s) contains milk, a known allergen which is not declared on the product label. 

The spaghetti and meatball products were produced on Jan. 5, 2017 and Jan. 12, 2017. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]

• 131,718 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with “Libby’s Spaghetti and Meatballs MADE WITH PORK, CHICKEN AND BEEF IN TOMATO SAUCE” on the label with package code 2100701200 and Use By Date 01/02/19.
• 71,614 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with “Del Pino’s SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS MADE WITH PORK, CHICKEN AND BEEF IN TOMATO SAUCE” on the label with package code 2100701200 and Use By Date 01/02/19.
• 38,330 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with  “Hy-Top Spaghetti and Meatballs Made with Pork, Chicken and Beef in Tomato Sauce” on the label with package code 2100701200 and Use By Date 01/02/19. 
• 22,064 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with “Food Hold Spaghetti & Meatballs MADE WITH PORK, CHICKEN AND BEEF IN TOMATO SAUCE” on the label with package code 2100701200 and Use By Date 01/02/19.
• 21,975 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with “Essential EVERYDAY Spaghetti with Meatballs Made With Pork, Chicken and Beef in Tomato Sauce” on the label with package code 2100701200 and Use By Date 01/02/19.
• 414,424 lbs. of 14.75-oz. cans with “Chef BOYARDEE Mini pasta shells & meatballs, Pasta and Meatballs made with Pork, Chicken and Beef in Tomato Sauce” on the label with package code 2100700500 and Use By Date 12/26/18.

Piers Morgan: Dear Theresa, you're a discredited dead duck

You’re toast, Theresa.

It’s over.

Kaput.

Finito.

The fork has been well and truly stuck firmly in your political back and there’s no possible way you can now try to cling onto power.

As Monty Python put it in their Dead Parrot sketch, your position is not just ‘pining’, it has ‘ceased to be’.

You’ve just waged the worst campaign in British political history and as a result, been spectacularly humiliated.

Yet extraordinarily, as I write this, you’re insisting you WILL stay on and you’re actively plotting a desperate, dirty coalition government with the dinosaur DUP bigots in Northern Ireland to save your own skin.

Please spare us, and yourself, this absurd farce.

It’s far too an important a time for the country to have such a severely damaged, weakened leader.

The European leaders must be laughing their heads off.

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Strawberry Moon Over OC last night

Lori Martin Photography captured several great shots of the moon last night.  Check out other pictures on her Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/lorimartinphotography/

New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand drops two F-bombs

A Democratic New York senator with a reputation for making bleep-worthy remarks dropped a pair of F-bombs on Friday during a speech to an audience of hip, young liberals.

At the Personal Democracy Forum in New York City, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand rattled off a list of President Donald Trump's campaign pledges, asking: 'Has he kept any of these promises?'

'No,' she said. And then with an impish grin: 'F*** no.'

As laughter and applause broke out, Gillibrand, 50, said: 'Sorry. I understand this is a younger audience. It's okay.'

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Obama granted her clemency. Less than a year later, she’s going back to prison.

A Houston-area woman who was given a second chance at freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016 has been ordered to return to federal prison after violating the terms of her supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said Thursday.

Texas City resident Carol Denise Richardson, 49, was originally convicted in 2006 for “conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine as well as two counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base.” At the time, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison sentenced her to life in federal prison, noting that she had an extensive criminal history.

Richardson had already served about a decade of her life sentence when she received a reprieve last year: She was being granted clemency by Obama under an agreement that her release would be supervised for 10 years.

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VA Head Comes out in Support of Marijuana for Vets with PTSD

President Donald Trump’s stance on legalizing medical cannabis is a big question mark, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions hates marijuana and has expressed his intent to stiffen drug penalties. But there is at least one person in the government who sees the potential of marijuana as a medicine, and that person is Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin.

Shulkin, a holdover from the Obama administration, told reporters on May 31, 2017, that he’s “interested” in exploring how cannabis can benefit veterans wrestling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [1]

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More Footage Leaks Of CNN’s ‘Staged’ Muslim Anti-Terror Protest [VIDEO]

Early this week, CNN was accused of staging a Muslim-led anti-terror protest after the London terror attacks. Now, more footage has dropped that shows what happened on the scene before the CNN shot was taken.

A Youtube video taken by Claire Jordan shows her milling around the scene and “protest” prior to CNN lining up the protesters for their on-air shot.

There is a group of people in the area, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and some of them can be seen handing out bouquets of flowers and posters.

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COMEY TESTIFIES AG LYNCH ‘PRESSURED’ HIM TO USE CLINTON CAMPAIGN LANGUAGE; “IT GAVE ME A QUEASY FEELING”

In perhaps the most stunning section of former FBI Director Comey’s testimony today, he detailed his interaction with then Attorney General Loretta Lynch about his specific language about the Clinton Email “investigation.”

For the first time, former FBI Director James Comey, who is testifying today before the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that President Obama’s Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked him to downplay the Hillary Clinton’s email scandal…

As DailyCaller notes, Comey said Lynch instructed Comey not to call the criminal investigation into the Clinton server a criminal investigation. Instead, Lynch told Comey to call it a “matter,” Comey said, “which confused me.” Comey cited that pressure from Lynch to downplay the investigation as one of the reasons he held a press conference to recommend the Department of Justice not seek to indict Clinton.

Full Transcript…

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New illegal immigration numbers reveal Trump’s incredible impact on the border

One of President Donald Trump’s central (and most controversial) campaign promises was to shut down the flow of immigrants illegally crossing into the United States, especially from Mexico. Newly released figures show Trump appears to be making good on his promise.

An analysis by the Daily Caller News Foundation found that from February through May in 2016, 188,000 people were caught attempting to illegally enter the United States from Mexico. During the same period in 2017, only 76,000 were captured or deemed inadmissible, a decline of 59 percent.

In May alone, the number caught in 2017 was less than half (19,967) that recorded in 2016 (55,442), a truly remarkable turnaround considering Trump’s much-talked-about border wall has still yet to be financed by Congress.

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Suspect Sought In Second Salisbury Shooting

(SALISBURY, MD) — State and local police are searching for the person or persons responsible for a second overnight shooting in Wicomico County that left a Salisbury man dead.

The victim is identified as Jaquanta S. Walton, aka Jaquonta Walton, 20, of Salisbury, Md. He was pronounced dead early this morning at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

A suspect or suspect description is not known at this time. Investigators are continuing attempts to develop information about the individual involved.

At about 1:48 a.m. today, officers from the Salisbury Police Department were dispatched to Peninsula Regional Medical Center after personnel there reported a person suffering from a gunshot wound was at the hospital. Officers responded and were told the victim was deceased. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was requested to assume the investigation.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a friend had been attending a party last night at the VFW, in the 800-block of West Main Street, Salisbury. The establishment closed at 1:00 a.m. and dozens of people, including the victim, were out on the parking lot.

The investigation has developed preliminary information indicating that while the victim was on the parking lot, he was approached by an unknown suspect who shot him at least once in the torso, before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim got into a private vehicle and was driven to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, where he was dropped off. No one else on the parking lot when the shooting occurred reported being injured.

Maryland State Police crime scene technicians responded to the scene and processed the area for evidence. Investigators continue to conduct interviews and follow-up on leads as they work to determine what happened and who is responsible. The victim’s body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

A motive for the shooting is unknown at this time. Investigators have no indication at this time that this shooting is in any way related to the other fatal shooting in Salisbury that occurred about 45 minutes earlier.

A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in this case by the Lower Eastern Shore Crime Solvers. Persons with information should call 410-548-1776 and may remain anonymous.

Anyone with information about this murder is urged to call Crime Solvers, or contact police immediately at either the State Police Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101, or the Salisbury PD at 410-548-3165. Information may also be provided confidentially on-line at salisburypd.com

Nevada just legalized cultivation of industrial hemp; feds still consider hemp agriculture a felony crime

(Natural News) Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has recently signed into law Senate Bill 396, which will allow the cultivation of industrial hemp for commercial purposes. The bill would also authorize the production of agricultural hemp seed in the state. The law’s approval meant that Nevada has nullified a federal prohibition in hemp products in practice and effect within the state. The federal government currently bans hemp seed acquisition.

The bill was introduced in March by a bipartisan group of 12 legislators. The bill’s recent approval will expand current law passed in 2015 that allows only institutions of higher education or the Nevada Department of Agriculture to grow industrial hemp for research purposes through an agricultural program or for other agricultural or academic research. The new law will enable Nevada to develop separate licensing initiatives for hemp seed handlers, producers, and growers. Russell Wilhelm, manager of the state industrial hemp program, noted that there are currently 19 Nevada producers that grow about 500 acres of hemp for research purposes in the state.

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Marsh grass mostly cleared by tide, some buried in sand

It’s been a week since mounds of marsh grass floated up on Ocean City’s northern beach, and some of it is still coming ashore in other areas.

“It’s a thin line in areas from 20th to 50th Street, but it’s nowhere near to what we had last week,” Ocean City Beach Patrol Lt. Ward Kovacs said. “That stretched 30 feet wide and was 2 feet deep. Now it’s less than a foot wide.”

The high tide on May 31 brought in phragmites, an invasive grass found in wetlands, and washed it up on the beach from 70th Street to the Delaware line. Public Works Director Hal Adkins said that each piece was uniformly cut to the size of a drinking straw. His staff collected it with a 16-foot rake attached to a beach tractor last Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

“It’s the weirdest thing. It looks like a maintenance effort and someone just dumped a lot of it out in the ocean,” Adkins said.

Maryland Coastal Bays Program representatives agreed.

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South Carolina Legalizes Industrial Hemp Cultivation -- Hemp, Inc. Reports

SPRING HOPE, NC--(Marketwired - May 24, 2017) - Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) is pleased to announce South Carolina farmers can apply for licenses to grow hemp now that South Carolina has legalized industrial hemp cultivation. Gov. Henry McMaster signed off on the bill earlier this month. State Senator Greg Hembree said, in an article, "Any agricultural crop we can cultivate here and make a profit for our farmers, we should try." According to the news source, the licenses in South Carolina will be "issued to growers who have passed a State Law Enforcement Division background check. The growers also have to work with an in-state research university to develop products and a market for them. And they must have a contracted buyer for the hemp."

Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) commented, "Hemp, Inc.'s 70,000 square foot industrial hemp processing facility is right in North Carolina so we are ecstatic that South Carolina has joined the other states that have legalized industrial hemp within their borders. As a leader in the hemp industry, Hemp, Inc. will gladly contract with South Carolina farmers to buy most, if not all, of the hemp grown. This creates a win-win for both Hemp, Inc. and the farmers. Partnering, or joint venturing, with South Carolina's farmers is a sound business strategy that benefits both parties."

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the State Law Enforcement Division expects to issue 20 licenses to grow crops on up to 20 acres as a pilot program to ascertain its value to the state's farmers. Since hemp is relatively easy to cultivate and can be a very lucrative crop, officials believe this will prove to be very beneficial for the state. In fact, after the first year, the program would expand from 20 licenses to 50 licenses for 50 acres each. After that, the Agriculture Department and the state's research universities would make a determination whether the program would be expanded further.

"We have a lot of experience with farmers here in North Carolina. Many farmers believe 'hemp' is the new 'cash cow'. It's an easy crop to cultivate. It doesn't need that much water and it grows in all soil types. Not to mention, hemp can be used to make over 25,000 products, from food and clothing to car composites and airplane parts and even dietary supplements," said Perlowin.

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OC Air Show ends parking on Baltimore Avenue early

Parking along Baltimore Avenue in the days leading up to the OC Air Show on June 17-18 will become more difficult, as the City Council has ordered sections of the road closed a day earlier than originally planned.

As part of the city’s memorandum of understanding with event promoters, the resort closes parts of Baltimore Avenue from 12th Street to 20th Street for vendor setup and parking on Friday morning before the show. This year, streets will be blocked off by 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 15.

Special Event Superintendent Frank Miller told the council at Monday’s session that this would be the best method to keep the spaces open for setup the following morning.

“We looked to close it at an earlier time, but after discussion, we felt closing at 6 p.m. was a better way for us, the police, and the air show staff to best address the issue … before the streets have become truly active with traffic,” Miller said.

Signs will be posted warning drivers of the closure and barricades will also be placed in advance on Baltimore Avenue.

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Search Underway For Suspects In Wicomico Co. Murder

(SALISBURY, MD) – State and local police are searching for multiple suspects believed to have been involved in the overnight murder of a man who was shot after being confronted by the suspects at a Wicomico County home.

The victim is identified as Anthony (NMN) Cropper, 57, of Salisbury, Md. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Information regarding suspects is vague at this time. Investigators have been told there was more than one suspect, but further descriptive information is unavailable at this time.

The preliminary investigation indicates that just after 1:00 a.m. today, officers from the Salisbury Police Department responded to a call for a shooting in the 1100-block of Middleneck Road, Salisbury, Md. Upon their arrival, officers and EMS personnel found the victim had sustained what appeared to be at least one gunshot wound and was deceased. Salisbury Police Department detectives responded and a request was made for the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit to conduct the investigation.

Preliminary investigative information indicates that shortly before the call was made to police, the victim had answered a knock at the door. He was apparently confronted by several suspects and words were exchanged before shots were fired and the suspects fled the scene.

The victim was at the home of a friend when the shooting occurred. There were several people in the home who came to his aid and called police. No one else in the home was injured in the incident.

A motive is unclear at this time. State Police investigators obtained a search warrant for the scene and crime scene technicians have been processing for evidence throughout the day. Investigators have conducted numerous interviews and will continue to contact individuals to develop additional information. The victim’s body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to verify the cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information about this murder is urged to contact police immediately at either the State Police Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101, or the Salisbury PD at 410-548-3165. Callers may remain anonymous. Information may also be provided confidentially on-line at salisburypd.com

AS WE INCH TOWARD SOCIALISM, POVERTY BECOMES THE RULE, NOT THE EXCEPTION

In areas where socialist policies, such as high taxes and major wealth redistribution take place, poverty is taking a hold. As the United States inches closer to socialism in terms of policy, poverty is becoming more prevalent. The only thing that communism and socialism apply equally to everyone is poverty, and according to doctors in the UK, it’s becoming the rule, not the exception.

Let’s take a look at the socialist UK overseas. Nearly one in three children in the UK (a total of four million) live in poverty. It’s a statistic that perhaps many people find shocking, but they shouldn’t. They just don’t understand that the complete control of the UK economy by the government is hampering the ability of civilians to earn money. It’s easy for the government to earn money – they simply steal it. Of course, civilians cannot just take things from others.But it’s becoming a concern for doctors, and driving up the cost of healthcare causing, even more, government interference.

Poverty makes children sick and those living in the most deprived areas have far worse health outcomes than children from the most affluent. They are more likely to be overweight or obese, suffer from asthma, have poorly managed diabetes and experience mental health problems. Infant mortality is more than twice as high in the lowest socio-economic groups compared with the highest groups. Comments from more than 250 pediatricians across the UK on the impact of poverty on child health were gathered as part of a survey by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). It certainly highlights the issue of poverty, but it won’t be blaming the stranglehold of government regulations and taxation.

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Water rates set to rise in Worcester County

Though the resolution formally adopting the changes isn’t coming until the next Worcester County Commissioners’ meeting on June 20, all seven commissioners agreed in concept to increase user and other fees at eight of the county’s 11 water service areas following a public hearing on the topic this past Tuesday.

The changes will show on customers’ September bills, Jessica Wilson, enterprise fund controller for the county, said.

The county Water and Wastewater Department is classified as an enterprise fund, in that the rates paid by customers are supposed to cover the cost of operations. How much or how little that ends up being true is decided at budget time.

Worcester County operates water and wastewater service areas throughout the area, though not all wastewater treatment plants in Worcester are operated by the county.

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Selma Police Employees Under Investigation for Running Gun Mill Operation

State and federal investigators are looking into an illegal gun mill operation that was orchestrated by several current and former employees of the Selma Police Department.

“With the cooperation of Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are conducting a joint investigation of current and former employees of the Selma Police Department,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in a recent statement.

Last month, police discovered 200 firearms in a storage locker belonging to an evidence technician, identified as 34-year-old Adrianne Michelle Canterbury, and her husband, 43-year-old Richard Canterbury.

“What we found there was probably the largest stash of guns from a criminal perspective. It was a little overwhelming to see that amount,” Chief Collier told the Selma-Times Journal. “There may be others that weren’t [taken from evidence] but we’re trying to work that. The bulk were taken out of the evidence room.”

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Resort, county ready to help with Folk Festival

Beating 34 other cities vying for the chance to host the National Folk Festival for the next three years, Salisbury Mayor Jake Day announced Tuesday the event would be coming to the crossroads of the peninsula beginning in September 2018.

The National Folk Festival is the nation’s longest-running traditional arts event: a three-day, free, outdoor, multicultural celebration of music, dance and traditional arts and culture, which historically draws upwards of 150,000 visitors, along with an economic impact of approximately $30 million a year.

During the festival and while the visitors are here, Worcester County tourism officials and business leaders stand ready to help them find places to stay, eat, shop and play.

“People come from all 50 states and many countries every year for this event,” Day said. “Hotels in every town will fill up, and we are grateful to the Town of Ocean City and Worcester County for partnering so well in the planning and timing for the event once we found out we won.”

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Gregg Jarrett: Why Robert Mueller should resign as special counsel

Robert Mueller has a serious conflict of interest that should disqualify him from serving as special counsel.

He has had a long and close relationship with someone who will surely become a pivotal witness -- James Comey.

No one doubts Mueller's sterling credentials. That is not the issue. He is eminently disqualified. The problem arises in his duty to fairly and objectively evaluate the evidence he gathers.

How can Americans have confidence in the results if they know the special counsel may harbor a conspicuous bias? They cannot. The conflict inevitably discredits whatever conclusion is reached. It renders the entire investigatory exercise suspect, and it only elevates the controversy surrounding it.

For this reason, Mueller should not serve as special counsel.

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"It's A Perfect Storm": List Of Retailers In Danger Of Bankruptcy Hits Record 22

The US retail sector continues to sink at an alarming rate, and according to the latest iteration of Moody's list of retailers who are in danger of filing for bankruptcy, there are now 22 distressed retailers whose troubled financials the rating agency believes could make them potential bankruptcy candidates in the near future, up substantially from just two months ago, and topping the 19 recorded at the peak of the Great Recession.

According to Moody's analyst Charles O'Shea, legacy retailers such as Sears, Neiman Marcus and others on the rating agency's retail distress list, face a "perfect storm" and warned that "you're on the Andrea Gail right now, and the water's starting to get very choppy." The worst could be yet to come as the Moody's analyst writes that "the ranks of distressed retailers is set to keep growing over the next 12 to 18 months amid a secular shift in the industry."

Moody's list consists of all retailers which have ratings of Caa or lower. That number has grown to 22, or approximately 15%, of the firm's retail and apparel universe. "When you're down there in C-a land, bankruptcy is a real possibility," O'Shea said.

"The majority of retailers remain fundamentally healthy," said O'Shea, "But as select groups of retailers continue to deteriorate -- in particular department stores and specialty retailers -- we believe the distressed ranks will keep growing, fueled in part by distinct vulnerabilities within the B2/B3 retail population."

Focusing on those retailers with imminent default risk, Moody's adds that of 42 B2/B3 rated issuers (as of April 30, 2017), seven face $1.1 billion of maturities for asset-based loans and revolving credit facilities over the next year- elevating the risk of default for already-stressed and distressed issuers should the strong refinancing pace driving recent high-yield issuance recede. Such a risk is underscored by Moody's US speculative-grade default forecast, which predicts a decline in the overall US speculative-grade default rate to 3% by April 2018 from 4.5% today, even as spec-grade retail and apparel default forecasts trend significantly higher, at 6.7% and 6.8%, respectively.

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Driver Wears Tire Rubber Off On OC Median

OCEAN CITY — A Norfolk man was arrested on drunk-driving and numerous traffic violations this week after getting his vehicle stuck on the raised median on Coastal Highway and making a frantic attempt to get it off to the point he wore the rubber off his tire.

Around 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to a single-vehicle crash on northbound Coastal Highway at 129th Street in the area of the north-end fire station. The officer and a witness observed the driver, identified as Robert Ridgwell, 63, of Norfolk, behind the wheel of a 1998 Volvo that was stuck on the raised median facing north.

According to police reports, Ridgwell had the gas pedal depressed and was furiously attempting to get the vehicle off the median. The front end of the vehicle was in one of the southbound lanes, while the rear end was in the northbound left turn lane.

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Adam West, Straight-Faced Star of TV's 'Batman,' Dies at 88

Adam West, the ardent actor who managed to keep his tongue in cheek while wearing the iconic cowl of the Caped Crusader on the classic 1960s series Batman, has died. He was 88.

West, who was at the pinnacle of pop culture after Batman debuted in January 1966, only to see his career fall victim to typecasting after the ABC show flamed out, died Friday night in Los Angeles after a short battle with leukemia, a family spokesperson said.

West died peacefully surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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How an Eco-Friendly Rideshare Is Changing Life in a Tiny Rural Town

Residents of a California farm community have come up with a model solution for an all-too-common transportation problem.

Cantua Creek is a tiny unincorporated community in rural California, some 45 miles from the city of Fresno. It’s surrounded by open space and farmland; there are no doctors or grocery stores, no large retail shops or lawyer’s offices.

Of its 466 occupants, 461 identify as Hispanic or Latino, and most of them work in the nearby fields as pickers or doing other agricultural work. Many don’t have daily access to a car, making simple trips to the grocery store or a doctor’s appointment punishingly complicated.

“This is the life we lead, this is what it is to live in the countryside,” says Julia, a resident of Cantua Creek who speaks only Spanish and asked to be identified by first name only. “It’s at least 20 minutes to get to the store, and it never has everything you need. I travel 35 minutes to get to the doctor. It’s an hour to the nearest city.”

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Ocean City Council Passes Emergency Ordinance While Awaiting AG Opinion

Ocean City, Maryland – (June 10, 2017): While the Worcester County States’ Attorney waits for an opinion from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, the Ocean City Council has passed local legislation after a woman expressed her desire to be bare-chested on Ocean City’s beach. The woman, an advocate to “normalize bare-chestedness,” believes it is her constitutional right under equal protection to be bare-chested in public.

Ocean City officials disagree. The Council met on Saturday, June 10, to pass an emergency ordinance that prohibits offenses involving public nudity or those in a state of nudity. The ordinance states “there is no constitutional right for an individual to appear in public nude or in a state of nudity. Whatever personal right one has to be nude or in a state of nudity that right becomes subject to government interest and regulation when one seeks to exercise it in public.”

Further, the ordinance reads, “equal protection clause does not demand that things that are different in fact be treated the same in law, nor that a government pretend there are no physiological differences between men and women.”

The council voted unanimously in favor of the emergency ordinance.

Source

New Documents: Hillary Clinton Ignored ‘Security Hawks’ to Use ‘Highly Vulnerable’ BlackBerry

Hillary Clinton went against the advice of security experts by continuing to use an unsecured BlackBerry smartphone while serving as secretary of state, new documents reveal.

Clinton was made aware that "unclassified BlackBerry is highly vulnerable in any setting," but nevertheless persisted in using her phone, Judicial Watch reportedThursday. The conservative watchdog group obtained an email in which Clinton spoke openly about retaining her phone contrary to counsel.

"Against the advice of the security hawks, I still do carry my berry but am prohibited from using it in my office, where I spend most of my time when I'm not on a plane or in a ‘no coverage' country," Clinton wrote in an email.

Judicial Watch submitted the email record as evidence to the U.S. District Court. The organization obtained the record through a court order as part of the ongoing case Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Department of State.

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Don't delay giving your baby peanuts, eggs and milk

Delaying giving babies potentially allergenic foods such as milk, egg or peanuts could be doing them more harm than good, experts warn.

New research suggests avoiding these foods until after they turn one increases their chance of developing a food allergy.

Infants who were not fed milk in their first year were nearly four times as likely to become sensitive to it at age one. The risk was double for egg or peanuts, a Canadian study discovered.

The number of children with allergies in the UK is reaching epidemic levels in the UK – with one in 50 schoolchildren suffering from the allergy.

At present, the NHS advises delaying the introduction of eggs and peanut products such as peanut butter until six months of age, with the intention of preventing allergies.

But the scientists writing in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology suggest this may be leading to an increase in allergies, and children should be exposed to peanuts, eggs and cow’s milk earlier – between four to six months.

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Smoking Tickets Jump In Resort’s Early Season

OCEAN CITY — After a clear directive was issued for the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) to begin aggressively enforcing the town’s smoking ordinance, a significant spike in citations has been seen this early season.

Three years ago, the Mayor and Council approved an ordinance banning smoking on the Boardwalk and on the beach except in certain designated areas. In the first year, the approach was to educate residents and visitors on the law change and direct them where to legally light up.

In the second year, the council issued a directive in the midst of the summer season to step up enforcement with the learning curve over and the number of citations spiked up late last summer.

This spring, the council instructed the OCPD to adopt an even more stringent approach to enforcing the smoking ordinance and the department has responded with a spike in citations. During Monday’s meeting, a private citizen questioned the enforcement of the smoking ordinance.

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Morgan Stanley Warns Of "Unprecedented Buyer's Strike" In Autos; Slashes Car Sales Forecast

Morgan Stanley's auto team, led by analyst Adam Jonas, seems to be convinced that the auto trade is officially over prompting him to slash over 11 million units from his North American SAAR forecast over the next 4 years. Jonas attributes his controversial call to the fact thatOEMs have been so aggressive in implementing policies designed to pull forward sales (e.g. longer loan terms, higher loan mix to subprime borrowers, etc.) that they've actually started to pressure used car prices to the point that they're cannibalizing new sales.

We had held to a ‘higher-for-longer’ thesis on the assumption that the OEMs could keep pulling forward demand from the future… For several years, we have expressed our concern over the sustainability of used car values and powerful forces that could drive a multiyear cyclical decline, impairing the ability for consumers to transact and the willingness of financial institutions to lend as aggressively as in the past. Up to this point, we had believed that competitive forces, particularly the ability of the captive finance subs to find new ways to lower the monthly payment and put 'money on the hood’, would help extend the US auto volume cycle a few more years to new heights.

8 years into the biggest auto cycle on record, we appear to be hitting a point of diminishing returns where the tactics required to attract the incremental consumer may be putting even more pressure on the second hand market, leading to adverse conditions for selling new vehicles…

As such, for the first time this cycle, we are directly incorporating our views of used car value erosion into our US light vehicle sales forecasts, resulting in substantial SAAR reductions of several million units per annum through 2020.

So just how bad does MS see new car sales getting? In aggregate, they cut 11.3 million units out of their 4-year forecast and slashed their 2019 estimate by 4.2 million units, or 22%.

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Former Official: Obama Admin ‘Systematically Disbanded’ Units Investigating Iran’s Terrorism Financing Networks

The Obama administration "systematically disbanded" law enforcement investigative units across the federal government focused on disrupting Iranian, Syrian, and Venezuelan terrorism financing networks out of concern the work could cause friction with Iranian officials and scuttle the nuclear deal with Iran, according to a former U.S. official who spent decades dismantling terrorist financial networks.

David Asher, who previously served as an adviser to Gen. John Allen at the Defense and State Departments, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday that top officials across several key law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the Obama administration "systematically disbanded" law enforcement activities targeting the terrorism financing operations of Iran, Hezbollah, and Venezuela in the lead-up to and during the nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

"Senior leadership, presiding, directing, and overseeing various sections [of these agencies] and portions of the U.S. intelligence community systematically disbanded any internal or external stakeholder action that threatened to derail the administration's policy agenda focused on Iran," he testified.

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Trump: No collusion. No obstruction. Comey's a leaker

President Donald Trump said Friday that James Comey's testimony yesterday absolved him of colluding with the Russians to disrupt the election and did not show that he obstructed justice.

He also also said he did not ask for Comey's loyalty and that he never asked him to halt an FBI investigation into Mike Flynn, relying on his former FBI director's credibility and tearing it down again whenever it suited him.

Trump said during a news conference that he'd be willing to attest to his version of the story under oath and that he'd tell the Department of Justice's special counsel the same thing.

'No collusion. No obstruction. He's a leaker,' Trump said in a summary of his position.

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2017 Best & Worst States For Business

For the 13th year in a row, CEOs weigh in on what each of the 50 states has to offer your business.

While there is a level of constancy when it comes to the very best and very worst states for business as ranked by CEOs, there is plenty of jockeying for position within the ranks, and even some leaping and plummeting.

Because of how CEOs view business climates, because states themselves have varying priorities and because of the slow pace of change in many state governments, the same states have held top five spots for six years running.

Texas was ranked No. 1 for the 13th straight year in 2017 by the hundreds of CEOs surveyed by Chief Executive. Florida was No. 2 for the fifth year in a row. Five of the remaining eight top-10 states were the same as in 2011, albeit shuffled a bit. On the other end of the spectrum, California anchored the bottom of the list at No. 50 for the sixth consecutive year, New York wallowed at No. 49 and Illinois listed at No. 48.

Rankings here

[You will note that the bottom of the list is full of Democrat-controlled states, with Maryland at #41. --Editor]

Batman has left the Gotham City for the last time

Adam West, best known for his television role Batman on the 1960's hit series has died at the age of 88, after a short battle with leukemia in Los Angeles. He was surrounded by his loved ones when he passed away.

Prison visit leads to charges against sister of Freddie Gray

HAGERSTOWN, Md. —A visit to a Maryland prison has led to criminal charges alleging drug smuggling against a sister of Freddie Gray.

Investigators said this again underscores the problem of drugs and other contraband being smuggled into Maryland correctional facilities. Carolina Gray is accused of trying to deliver suboxone to someone held at a prison in Hagerstown.

Investigators told the 11 News I-Team that evidence includes the observations of corrections officers and surveillance video. While visiting an inmate at the Maryland correctional facility in Hagerstown on Oct. 22, 2016, Carolina Gray is alleged to have dropped a small package containing suboxone on the floor.

"They saw a package being delivered to the floor. The inmate placed his foot over the package to conceal it. That was the observations of the correctional officers," said Gary McLhinney, director of the Office of Professional Standards for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

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Judicial Watch: Clinton Knowingly Used Unsecure Device After Being Warned

(CNSNews.com) – The legal watchdog group Judicial Watch on Thursday submitted new evidence to a U.S. District Court showing that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used an unsecure Blackberry phone after being warned of the risk of doing so by “security hawks.”

The newly released Clinton email was sent to Susan Kennedy, the chief of staff to former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On March 7, 2009, Kennedy wrote to newly minted Secretary of State Clinton: “Just in case you are still allowed to carry your blackberry, your friends are watching with great pride.”

Clinton responded the following day: “Against the advice of the security hawks, I still do carry my berry but am prohibited from using it in my office, where I spend most of my time when I’m not on a plane or in a ‘no coverage’ country.”

(According to the State Department, Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while visiting Geneva, Switzerland March 6–7, 2009. She traveled to Turkey on later on March 7, the final stop of her overseas tour.)

Judicial Watch said the email exchange confirms that Hillary Clinton “reviewed or was at least informed about a March 6, 2009, Information Memo from Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Eric J. Boswell to Ms. Mills.”

The memo stated that Boswell “cannot stress too strongly…that any unclassified BlackBerry is highly vulnerable in any setting..."

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Pop Goes The Car Bubble... And It May Not Be a Bad Thing

Almost every negative thing happening in the car business – in particular, ludicrous technical complexity for the sake of electronic gimmickry and also to cope with diminishing returns from federal “safety” and emissions mandates – could be gotten under control by the simple expedient of cutting off the monopoly money/debt-financing that makes it all possible.

The seven year loan.

“Free” money (zero or very low interest).

Give-away leases.

The car industry is riding a bubble that’s proportionately as large as the housing bubble of a decade ago. And it is going to pop. For the same reason that a wave has to crest and wash ashore, once set in motion.

Signs of trouble abound. They build them – but no one comes. Not without inducements that amount to give-aways.

For several years now the car manufacturers have been resorting to truly desperate measures to prop up new car “sales” – in air quotes because it’s a dubious proposition to describe as a “sale” a transaction that involves exchanging the item for a sum insufficient to cover the cost of its manufacture, plus a profit sufficient to make the exercise worthwhile.

Yet that is exactly what is going on.

As new car prices rise, the cash back offers, dodgy leases and other “incentives” necessary to move them off the lot also rise in frequency and inanity. Examples include the leasing of electric cars for less than the cost of a monthly cell phone contract (Fiat made just such an offer; see here) and “below invoice” transactions that rely on the manufacturer (e.g., Ford) paying a dealer to “sell” a car (e.g., manufacturer to dealer incentives) for the sake of getting rid of it, getting it off the books.

Or rather, onto someone else’s books.

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Subject: Alan Dershowitz Says Comey Was a 'Coward' For Leaking to Press; Says Obstruction Case Non-Existent Against the President

Content originally published at iBankCoin.com

Get in here shills. It's time for your daily lesson on the sacred documents of the U.S. Constitution. Following up on his emphatic belief that the President can, essentially, do whatever the hell he wants with the FBI head -- the famed Harvard Law professor called the former director a 'coward' for leaking his notes to the press, saying "I thought it shows a lot of cowardice. The head of the FBI (audible laughter), the guy is supposed to be a strong and powerful guy and he's afraid of a couple seagulls (referring to Comey's depiction of the press outside his home to seagulls)."

He added, "He should have had the courage to get on television and release the memos and talk about it or not talk about it. But to have some friend become his surrogate was absurd."

Dershowitz then reiterated his thoughts about the non-existent obstruction case against the President.

"We should just stop talking about obstruction of justice, there's no plausible case there."

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SPD: 51yoa Male Drowning 6-10-17

Book Deal Offered to Disgraced Former FBI Director

By Thornton Crowe

That didn't take long. James Comey offered $10M by an unnamed publisher to write the dirt on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

There's only one glaring problem...

As he's about to learn the hard way, in his capacity as a former FBI Director, he is bound by law to keep investigation details and other privileged information confidential. Oopsy Daisy.

Should he take such a deal and attempt to write some spin on it, the people involved will have to sign off on it. Releases will need to be signed by both Clinton and Trump as well as the legal departments at the White House and the Department of Justice. Additionally, would his best friend forever Mueller be happy about this, considering now his situation is precarious given Comey's love tap during hist testimony.

Could calling the President a liar put the kibosh on Jimmy the Weasel's big cash in? Abso-frigging-lutely! Hence, why even if you're fired and disgruntled, it's always a better track to take high roads rather than wallow in Mudville.

Guess, like so many things these days, we'll just have to wait to see how it all shakes out. However, if I were Big Jim, I wouldn't be cashing any publisher advances or contracts just yet.

Why? Because you can't profit from such things while you're incarcerated, especially if it involves the subject matter like the crimes which led you to such incarceration.

Jimmy should've done his homework!

"Nothing Else Matters": Central Banks Have Bought A Record $1.5 Trillion In Assets In 2017

One month ago, when observing the record low vol coupled with record high stock prices, we reported a stunning statistic: central banks have bought $1 trillion of financial assets just in the first four months of 2017, which amounts to $3.6 trillion annualized, "the largest CB buying on record" according to Bank of America. Today BofA's Michael Hartnett provides an update on this number: he writes that central bank balance sheets have now grown to a record $15.1 trillion, up from $14.6 trillion in late April, and says that "central banks have bought a record $1.5 trillion in assets YTD."

The latest data means that contrary to previous calculations, central banks are now injecting a record $300 billion in liquidity per month,above the $200 billion which Deutsche Bank recently warned is a "red-line" indicator for risk assets.

This, as we said last month, is why "nothing else matters" in a market addicted to what is now record central bank generosity.

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Battle over bare-breasted women brews at one of Maryland’s busiest beaches

A battle over bare-breasted women at one of Maryland’s most popular vacation spots is heating up as summer hits without a clear answer on whether women are free to be free at the beach.

With the heat approaching, authorities in Ocean City issued a memo this week directing the beach patrol not to confront bare-chested women or ask them to cover up regardless of complaints. The policy is to stand until the Maryland Attorney General’s Office opines on state indecent exposure laws after a local beachgoer declared that if men can go sans tops, then women can, too.

“It’s about equality, it’s about positivity, and it’s against body shaming and the forced sexualization of the female form,” said Chelsea Covington, a self-described “topfreedom” advocate who wrote a legal brief arguing that Maryland law allows women to go bare-chested in public. “It is most certainly about equality under the law.”

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A Viewer Writes: Someone signed petition using YOUR name

Someone signed this using YOUR name. There is a "report" button you can report it to have it removed. This is the petition SURJ aka black lives matters has started to have the sign removed.

Joseph Albero

Delmar, DE

7 hrs ago

I support this and I have poop breath

Obviously I did not sign the petition but this goes to show just how low Liberals will go. Perhaps I should say, desperate? Just remember back when Jim Ireton took my name and created a Website in my name when we were running for Mayor. Then the alleged phone spoof. Let's not forget Jake Day saying we don't get the traffic we claim to get. Well, how'd you like the numbers from yesterday alone Boy Mayor? 

All I can say is, obviously we're getting under their skin and that's a really good thing.

A Viewer Writes: News Tip From Delmar

Are you aware of a bit of a scandal at Delmar High School? A (now resigned) Chorus teacher is under a cloud of possibly absconding approximately $15,000. This is a clear case of misappropriation of funds or possibly grand theft.

Rumor has it that charges are pending. The teacher's incompetence, or possibly her intentions are at fault in this case. However, the administration's weak supervision is also at fault.

Something to look into? I think so, before it goes under the rug to prevent embarrassment to the school administration.

LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 6-10-17

“FLASH GLASS”

(The glass on the left is from the Salisbury Fair of 1911, in the center is a toothpick holder from Salisbury and the glass on the right is from Salisbury in 1904.)

Flash glass is the name given to glassware that was originally clear and “flashed” with a thin coat of color, usually red, but pieces are found in green, blue and yellowish-orange. These items fall into the pressed glass category and were very inexpensive when originally sold. The most often seen pieces were from the 1890-1915 period. With the flashing being thin, it was relatively easy to cut through it to the clear glass with an engraving tool. An itinerant artisan would go all over the country setting up at county fairs and other annual events. He would engrave anything you wanted on the piece of glassware. The ones that are most sought out by collectors are the ones that have the name of the town and a date engraved on it. Usually the date will correspond with an event in the town named on the item. Sometimes, the buyer would have “Mother” engraved on it and give it as a present. What could be put on it was endless, leaving us with every piece being truly unique.

People collect flash glass in a number of categories. As previously stated, the name of a certain city or town is at the top of the list. Some people collect certain items - such as glasses, cups, toothpick holders or small pitchers. A dated piece helps to place the item to a certain event. The quality of the engraving has a lot to do with some people’s interest in an item. Usually, the earlier the item, the better the engraving. In the Victorian 1890’s, a more skillful, decorative script was used. The first artisans that engraved flash glass had a truly skillful hand. As time went on, the engraving became more amateurish and the desirability to the modern collector lessened.

Governor Larry Hogan and Governor John Carney React to PJM’s Alternative Financing Methods for Artificial Island Project

Governors Thanked PJM and Urged FERC to Consider Cost Allocation that Will Not Unfairly Burden Delmarva Ratepayers

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Delaware Governor John Carney on Friday thanked PJM's Board of Managers for presenting alternatives to financing the $279 million Artificial Island transmission line project, and urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider a new cost allocation that will not unfairly burden electric ratepayers on the Delmarva Peninsula.

"It is encouraging that PJM listened to the concerns of the citizens of Maryland and Delaware and developed alternative cost allocation methods that are much more equitable to Delmarva residents and businesses," said Governor Hogan. "This is a significant step in the right direction, however we will continue to push for FERC to adopt this new plan in a timely manner so the project can move forward in a way that treats Maryland ratepayers fairly."

"This is a positive first step, and we're optimistic that PJM has presented alternative financing for the Artificial Island project that would not unjustly burden Delaware electric ratepayers. We're hopeful that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will seriously consider these newly-proposed alternatives. And we will continue to work closely – alongside Delaware’s Public Advocate, the Public Service Commission, and Delaware’s federal delegation – on this issue," said Governor Carney. "As we have said all along, Delawareans and Delaware businesses should not be forced to finance this project through higher monthly electric bills, while receiving little in the way of a direct benefit. We're thankful to the PJM Board for their thoughtful consideration of this issue."

As currently funded, Delmarva Peninsula ratepayers would fund 90 percent of the cost of the project through higher electric bills, while receiving few direct benefits. Under PJM's alternative methods for cost allocation, Delmarva ratepayers would fund approximately 7-10 percent of the project costs.

Governor Hogan and Governor Carney previously appealed the cost allocation to FERC, and urged PJM to support a more equitable cost allocation.

It's 7:00 AM, Do You Know Where Everyone Is This Morning?

It's impossible to deny it any more but we want to crush the rumors about "Fake Numbers" the Boy Mayor keeps spreading about Salisbury News. That being said, I'll ask, can any Liberal politician ever tell the truth, or are they just that afraid of it? Well anyway, you just believe what you want, I'll just keep delivering proof every so often.

And This Is Living Proof America Is Screwed

SPD/MSP Investigating Homicide In Salisbury

A Trail of Suspicious Deaths

Liberals Can't Handle The Truth

When Are We Going To Take Back Our Country From These Idiots?

Liberal Media

Truth Be Told

Hypocrisy

BREAKING: SHOOTING

Reported by a commenter on another post:

Just heard on the police scanner that there was a shooting on Middle Neck Drive at about 1:00am. City police and EMS responding - let's see how Jake twists this one. 

Logic

Delmarva Bikers Escort Wounded Warriors

It was a day like many recent days here on Delmarva. Heavy clouds and a chance of rain were in the forecast but that did not stop the large number of bikers from all over the Eastern Shore to show up at the weigh station just outside of Mardela Springs, MD. They were eagerly awaiting for the three charter buses carrying some of our nation's Wounded Warriors and their families to converge at this meeting point just off Rt. 50 east.

These Warriors were on their way to a multi-day retreat in Ocean City, MD, but first, a stop for a Hero’s welcome lunch at the Princess Royale Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland which was organized by the Maryland State Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). These bikers were going to make sure the veterans arrived in style by providing a multi-jurisdictional Police escort for the final 45 miles to their beach destination as a sign of honor and respect for what they and their families had sacrificed for our country.

It all started back in 2012, as a ride organized by Hogs and Heroes Foundation of America, but it soon became an event that belonged to all of Delmarva's biker community. It eventually started to not only draw motorcycles, but also Jeep clubs and locals in their cars and trucks decorated in patriotic banners and flags. A Delmarva Tradition was born and it became known as the event that would always fall each year on the First Tuesday of June and one that once attended, you would be sure to mark on your calendar for the next year.

When the buses pulled into the weigh station the Warriors and their families had a chance to stretch their legs and mingle among the riders and their bikes. It was such a rewarding experience to get a chance to shake hands and hug some of these amazing people.

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