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Sunday, May 13, 2018

Maryland governor plans to sign free community college bill into law

Maryland is set to become the latest state to cover the cost of community college tuition for its residents, as Gov. Larry Hogan (R) plans to sign into law a measure ushering in the program, his office said Friday.

“Since taking office, the Hogan administration has been committed to increasing access to quality, affordable higher education for Maryland students,” said Amelia Chasse, Hogan’s spokeswoman. “The governor remains committed to helping more students achieve their educational goals and looks forward to signing this bill into law.”

[Maryland lawmakers pass scholarship bill for community college students]

The legislation, approved by the General Assembly in the final minutes of the 2018 session, provides scholarships of up to $5,000 to students whose families earn less than $125,000 a year and adults earning less than $90,000. It is a last-dollar program, meaning the state would cover tuition left over after factoring in other scholarships and grants.

To qualify, prospective students must enroll in one of Maryland’s 16 community colleges within two years of finishing high school or obtaining a GED. Students must take 12 credit hours of courses and have a high school grade point average of 2.3. Lawmakers estimate the program will cost $15 million a year. It will go into effect in 2019.

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How Municipalities Are Destroying Local Businesses

Do you remember back in the day when locals used to come together for their local communities like "Save Seven For September"? Many of you won't recall that name but it ultimately became Sunfest, taken over by Ocean City. 

Back in the day events like Save Seven For September was all about local volunteers representing a multitude of non profits like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and numerous Volunteer Fire Departments and Ladies Auxiliaries. Oyster Fritters were battered by hand and were by far the most delicious. Women would do a tremendous amount of cooking and baking at home and bring their good out for sale to donate their revenue to all these organizations.

Everyone came together to support other local businesses and local businesses did everything they could to support this event.

When the event started growing and the word started spreading about how great the food was and how well attended it became, then came all the regulations and ultimately Ocean City started "sanctioning" this event, which ultimately became Sunfest. 

"Bike Week" was yet another event that started out as an incredible success until Ocean City decided they had to have their hands in the event but we can't ignore the Classic Car events and even the H20 event. The problem with ALL of these events Ocean City now has their hands in is the fact that the municipality has far more money to bring in national acts that compete with the likes of Seacrets and so many other local venues. 

Oh, it may sound like I'm complaining but I'm really not. I'm simply trying to educate everyone on what the future holds. You see, Bike Week, (more than likely) will end, (especially Spring Bike Week) because Ocean City and the people who head up this event refuse to properly organize the event and it has basically petered out. They have also raised their prices to vendors so high that it has driven vendors and customers away. It would be one thing if they had a ton of organized activities like bike rallies and so forth but that isn't in their interest at all. They have milked every single penny they could out of these events to a point attendance continues to drop and could disappear forever. 

It's a shame municipalities can't retain quality professionals to organize and manage these events properly. It reminds me a LOT about Jake Day's Folk Festival. You bring in a bunch of kids with absolutely no experience and the event will be very short lived. All one has to do is look at what Ocean City has done to destroy well intended events by "PAYING IT FORWARD" back to our very own local economy. 

The Jake Day's and Rick Mehan's of the Shore would rather watch such events disappear and or run at the cost of us local taxpayers while destroying Local Businesses who pay a tremendous amount of taxes just to stay alive. 

I actually watched some local West Ocean City businesses close their doors by 11 PM this past Friday and Saturday night. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a great weekend but we cannot ignore what Ocean City is doing to hurt these businesses. To watch the Town of Ocean City rake in such profits at the expense of VOLUNTEERS and watch the scraps leave our communities only to head back to other states, (vendors) is just shameful. 

I'll ask, when is the last time you heard funds, (profits) going to Little League, Volunteer Fire Departments on the Shore and so many other non profits from the multitude of events originally created by local businesses or organizations? Nope, the profits go right into the general fund of these municipalities so they can bring in even larger entertainers next year. In the mean time us small businesses will continue to try to stay alive and pay these taxes to keep these amateurs off our backs. 

Maybe the business owners and volunteers need to come together and exclude municipalities from competing with us with taxpayer money. 

Wicomico County woman caught trying to bring a gun through Salisbury Airport checkpoint

Woman was escorting her child to the flight

SALISBURY, MD. –
Transportation Security Administration officers at Salisbury Regional Airport stopped a Wicomico County. Maryland, woman with a loaded handgun as she was escorting her child through the airport’s checkpoint.

The Salisbury, Maryland, resident was not ticketed to fly, rather she requested that the airline provide her with a “gate pass” for the purpose of escorting her child to the gate for a flight. The woman was found to be in possession of a .38 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber. It was detected when the woman’s bag entered the TSA checkpoint x-ray machine, where the gun was spotted by a TSA officer who was staffing the x-ray monitor.

It was the first firearm detected at the airport this year. One firearm was detected at the airport in 2017.

TSA officers notified the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department, which responded to the checkpoint and detained her for questioning.

TSA officers prevented a woman from bringing this handgun past a TSA checkpoint on Wednesday, May 9th at Salisbury Regional Airport. (Photo courtesy of TSA.)

As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. Even travelers with firearm permits are not allowed to bring guns onto airplanes. In addition, TSA has the authority to assess civil penalties of up to $13,000 for weapons violations. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement.

Salisbury Area Chamber President submits letter to the Editor: "Wicomico must invest in education — now"

May 8, 2019

Dear Editor,

At the recent Wicomico County Council public hearing on the FY 2019 county budget, the council’s meeting room was standing room only for discussion on the Board of Education’s budget for the coming fiscal year.

A cross-section of business lead­ers, organization leaders and par­ents testified before the County Council, and listed abundant con­cerns.

Among those concerns ex­pressed were investing in a univer­sal Pre-K Program for the county schools, the state’s Maintenance of Effort funding measurements, school staffing and the future of the system — all as detailed in “Imagine 2022,” the outstanding blueprint created by schools Su­perintendent Dr. Donna Hanlin.

The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce is joining with partners including the Greater Salisbury Committee, United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, the Com­munity Foundation of the Eastern Shore and countless other individ­uals to implore our elected leader­ship to make bold decisions for our county as we move forward.

Terms such as “funding” and “spending” are out of touch with the reality of what public edu­cation demands in 2018. Invest­ment in public education — with a plan to measure that return on investment in human capital and economic impact — are the new norms.

Solid and sustained investment brings measured results in public education.

When Wicomico County allo­cates the “obligatory” state-man­dated of Maintenance of Effort figure, it will receive no a badge of honor — the county is merely following an arcane practice.

The business community under­stands that those who are pro-in­vestment in our schools are also pro-business.

These solid results, in commu­nities that invest in their public schools, include:

•Attracting the best and bright­est educators for our children.

•Securing educators who put down roots and stay in that juris­diction.

•Seeing graduation rates rise, achievement gaps narrow, test scores markedly improve and the school system rises in its statewide ranking.

Having these things happen would be very attractive to busi­nesses currently here, those want­ing to expand and businesses con­sidering Wicomico County as a place to locate their enterprise.

Before moving into a new terri­tory, businesses look hard at the quality of a jurisdiction’s public education system. They make busi­ness decisions based on a jurisdic­tion’s commitment to investing in a high-performing public school system.

Public education is the No. 1 driver of the economy in our coun­ty, city and state. Wicomico’s busi­ness and organizational commu­nity will no longer sit idly by and tolerate the continued commit­ment to obligatory funding.

We will demand our elected lead­ership make budget decisions that result in education investment.

We owe this to our children, families and our community.

Bill Chambers is the President & CEO of the Greater Salisbury Chamber of Commerce.

A Viewer Writes: K-Mart

It has come to my attention that Oak Ridge Baptist Church has started talking to possible businesses to replace Kmart.
How could the public influence the decision as to what businesses might move in?

We sure could use a WINCO which would bring jobs and give some competition to Acme and Food Lion.

A Wicomico County Man Is Wounded After Charging At Police With A Knife Early This Morning

(SALISBURY, MD) – A Wicomico County man was wounded this morning after charging at police with a knife early this morning.

The Wicomico County man is identified as Justin Marshall, 38, of the 200 block of Hall Drive in Salisbury. He is undergoing treatment for gunshot wounds at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Marshall will remain under police guard at the hospital. Criminal charges against him are pending.

At about 1:15 a.m. this morning, troopers from the Salisbury Barrack were dispatched for a welfare check to the 200 block of Hall Drive in Salisbury. Marshall’s mother, who lives at the residence, requested police assistance to help transport her son to the hospital. She told police that when she attempted to transport her son to the hospital earlier, he jumped out of the vehicle and ran away, eventually returning to their residence on Hall Drive.

When troopers arrived to the scene, Marshall had fled the residence. The troopers patrolled the area to look for Marshall, but were unable to locate him. Troopers advised Marshall’s mother to call police when he returned.

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. this morning, Marshall returned to the home. About five minutes later, troopers arrived back on the scene and encountered Marshall in the front yard with a knife. Without warning, Marshall charged the troopers while making verbal threats with an upraised knife in his hand.

The troopers gave several verbal commands for Marshall to drop the knife. Marshall continued to charge at them.

In fear for their lives, both troopers discharged their department-issued .40 caliber Glock handguns. Both troopers immediately rendered aid and called for emergency medical service personnel. There were no other injuries reported at the scene.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Internal Affairs Unit investigators are conducting an investigation into the police involved shooting. Police are also consulting with the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office.

State troopers from the Salisbury Barrack and investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division Lower Shore Region responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians responded to process the scene for evidence. Deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office also responded to assist.

A Viewer Writes: State retirees to lose drug insurance coverage on 12/31/18.

Joe, just confirmed with Maryland DBM, that retirees over 65 will lose their drug insurance coverage through the state as of 12/31/18. They will have to pay more for Medicare part D coverage. No explanation of how or when this was passed or approved. They expect retirees to live on less than 2% cost of living increases while costs keep going up.

Chelsea Manning vows to eliminate US borders, close prisons and abolish ICE before it commits 'ethnic cleansing' as she campaigns for Maryland Senate seat

Chelsea Manning is no longer living as a transgender woman in a male military prison, serving the lengthiest sentence ever for revealing US government secrets.

She's free to grow out her hair, travel the world, and spend time with whomever she likes.

But a year since former President Barack Obama commuted Manning's 35-year sentence, America's most famous convicted leaker isn't taking an extended vacation.

Far from it: The Oklahoma native has decided to make an unlikely bid for the U.S. Senate in her adopted state of Maryland.

Manning, 30, filed to run in January and has been registered to vote in Maryland since August. She lives in North Bethesda, not far from where she stayed with an aunt while awaiting trial.

Her aim is to unseat Sen. Ben Cardin, a 74-year-old Maryland Democrat who is seeking his third Senate term and previously served 10 terms in the U.S. House.

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Elderly Salisbury Maryland Couple Evicted From Their Rental Home

Question?
My neighbor just came home for lunch and knocked on my door asking me to watch his stuff. They are an elderly couple and being evicted. It sounds like they have been struggling and late on the rent, but have payment now and the rental company said there is nothing they can do. He is obviously choked up and asked if I knew what they could do. I said I have no idea other than maybe the Red Cross. The crew must have gone to lunch and are back now so he left? Does anyone know what resources are available to help someone get back in their home and stop the eviction process? They are putting the furniture on the lawn and all the smaller items are going in 55 gal. garbage bags. It breaks my heart to see this happen to anyone, especially an older couple.

UPDATE: Larry W. Dodd The good news is my neighbors were able to move back in and all their belongings are back in the house. Thank you to everyone that reached out to offer assistance and advice. He broke down and said it makes him feel good that there are still people out there that really care. Thank you again.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES NO TAX SALE THIS YEAR

Salisbury, MD Executive Bob Culver is continuing his practice in helping the citizens by foregoing a property tax sale this year. He believes this provides help to the citizens who are struggling to pay their tax bills. This year will be the second occasion during his term that he has chosen to offer this opportunity.

State law does not require a sale each year. Section 14-808 of the Tax Property Article mandates a tax sale no later than 2 years from the date taxes are in arrears.

"Not holding a tax sale this year does not mean the taxes owed are waived," said Culver. "Tax sales are more expensive for the property owners with the costs that accrue after the property is purchased. By working with the taxpayers, we are hoping more will find a way to pay the taxes by making payments throughout the year.

Properties not sold at the 2017 tax sale are available to be bought through the Finance Department presently.

For more information, contact the County Finance Department at 410-548-4840.

Retired general: Torture worked on John McCain, that's why they call him 'Songbird John'

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney on Thursday referred to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as "Songbird John" and said torture worked on the former POW.

McInerney, during an interview on Fox Business Network, was slamming McCain's refusal to support CIA director nominee Gina Haspel over her past work at the agency involving enhanced interrogation techniques that are considered torture.

"The fact is, is John McCain — it worked on John. That's why they call him 'Songbird John,'" McInerney said.

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Breaking News: President Trump formally pulled the U.S. from the Iran accord, calling it a "horrible one-sided deal" that didn't bring peace, and never will

President Trump declared on Tuesday that he was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, unraveling the signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor, Barack Obama, and isolating the United States among its Western allies.

“This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made,” Mr. Trump said at the White House in announcing his decision. “It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will.”

Michelle Obama Says She Won't Run For President In 2020

Despite the fact that many polls show her at or near the top of potential Democratic contenders in 2020 (polling even higher than Vice President Joe Biden)...

...former First Lady Michelle Obama again denied that she has ambitions to seek her husband's former office on Saturday during a speech at the United States of Women Summit. In response to a question form the audience, Obama said she isn't interested in running for office, adding that "it doesn't matter who runs" for the presidency until the US becomes unified.

Obama called the speculation about the Democrats' 2020 candidate "a distraction."

"Well, that's a whole other story because, that's not the answer either. And when I hear people say, 'you run,' it's part of the problem. We still didn't get 'yes we can' right," she said, referencing her husband's 2008 presidential campaign slogan. "It's not 'yes you can,' it's 'yes we can.' And until we get that right, it doesn't matter who runs."

She also correctly pointed out that voters across America - especially people of color - put so much hope in Barack Obama...but he didn't end racism.

"Change starts close to home. So looking for the next person to run … I don't mean to cut that off, but that's been our distraction," she said. "We're going to wait for the next person to save us. We thought it was going to be Barack Obama, but he didn't end racism."

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"To His Dying Breath": McCain Regrets Picking Palin, Wants Pence But Not Trump At Funeral

The New York Times has given John McCain (R-AZ) quite the sendoff - detailing a trip made by Joe Biden and his wife Jill to the dying senator's Arizona ranch last Sunday where the former Vice President "wanted to let him know how much I love him and how much he matters to me and how much I admire his integrity and his courage."

The NYT's longtime op-ed writer Frank Bruni, meanwhile, lauds McCain and trashes Trump in an article entitled Battling Donald Trump With His Dying Breaths.

As Bruni makes it quite clear, McCain may be near the end of the road, he's far from done making his mark.

Mr. McCain, 81, is still in the fight, struggling with the grim diagnosis he received last summer: He has been leading conference calls with his staff in a strained voice, grinding out three-hour physical therapy sessions and rewarding himself most days with a tall glass of Absolut Elyx on ice. -NYT

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SU Student Robbed

SU student ROBBED by a little troll. Watch! Do you recognize this loser? BEWARE... he did a parking lot in 2 minutes! POLICE looking. Share please to help catch him!

McCain Confirms He Gave Trump Dossier to Comey: ‘Duty Demanded I Do’ It

The senator describes that fateful decision in his upcoming book, ‘The Restless Wave.’

In his new book, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) defends his decision to give acontroversial dossier about President Trump to former FBI chief James Comey.

“I agreed to receive a copy of what is now referred to as ‘the dossier,’” McCain writes in the upcoming book, titled The Restless Wave, referencing information compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. “I reviewed its contents. The allegations were disturbing, but I had no idea which if any were true. I could not independently verify any of it, and so I did what any American who cares about our nation’s security should have done.”

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Scout Letter to the Edior

Joe,

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I’ve read the articles you shared about the Boy Scouts and I was somewhat surprised by the comments from your readers. There appears to be a sense that the move by the Boy Scouts to include girls is in some way watering down the program. This could not be further from the truth.

Boy Scouts have included girls since 1971 through the Explorer program. Since then, girls participate in Venturing, Sea Scouts, and STEM Scouts. The current move will make available the BSA’s character and leadership building experiences to more young people, and allow parents to choose what scouting program best suits their family.

Over the last few years, there have been several surveys, studies, and discussions about this change. The BSA determined that there is a strong demand from parents and girls to participate in the same program that their brothers do. Also, as families face less free time, quality time with children becomes a precious thing. Many families, when faced with the prospect of one child participating in Cub Scouts, and one in Girl Scouts, will choose to do neither.

Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops are “chartered” by non-profit organizations. Because the BSA wants to provide an experience that works well for all families, there will be several models that Cub Scout Packs can follow. Chartering organizations can choose to have an all boy pack, a family pack, or an all girl pack. For family packs, boys and girls will be in separate dens and each girls den will have a registered and trained female leader. The program and activities will be the same for all dens. In Cub Scouts, the majority of current volunteers are moms; and for most packs, any sibling is already welcome to attend campouts and other activities.

Once a child reaches Boy Scout age, there will be separate troops for boys and girls. This will enable girls to do the same work, have the same opportunities to achieve rank, including Eagle, maintain the integrity of the single gender model, while meeting the needs of today’s families.

The decision to welcome girls into expanded programs of the BSA presents opportunities for more families to participate in Scouting. Youth who participate in scouting show strong moral values and positive character attributes, allowing them to embrace new opportunities, overcome obstacles and become better prepared for future success. In my opinion, the more youth who have that opportunity, the better.

~ Anonymous

Hillary: Michelle Obama ‘So Right’—Voters Don’t Like ‘Professionally Successful’ Women

Hillary Clinton said on Monday in New Zealand that former First Lady Michelle Obama was “so right” over the weekend when she blasted women for not electing Clinton and said female politicians are held to a higher standard than men.

“The more professionally successful we are, the less people like us,” Clinton said. “Historically, people like me when I’m serving a supporting role… But the minute a women, at least in our country, stands up and says ‘I’d like a chance to lead’… everything changes.”

Clinton told the Auckland audience that “a few days ago Michelle Obama pointed out the consequences of holding women to impossibly high standards.”

“I think she’s so right,” Clinton said. “This is something we have to explore, understand and change.”

Over the weekend, Obama also said she hoped women could fail up as much as men after emphasizing that she was “concerned” that more women voters did not vote for Clinton.

“In light of this last election, I’m concerned about us, as women, and what we think about ourselves and about each other,” Obama reportedly said at the United State of Women summit in California. “What is going on in our heads where we let that happen. So I do wonder what are young girls dreaming about, if we’re still there?”

Obama continued, “When the most qualified person running was a woman and look what we did instead, I mean, that says something about where we are, if we as women are still suspicious of one another, if we still have this crazy, crazy bar that we don’t have for men … if we’re not comfortable with the notion that a woman could be our president, compared to what?”

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Soros-Financed Group Warns Trump of ‘Consequences’ for Bolting Iran Deal

A George Soros-financed organization that was previously identified by the Obama White House as central in helping to market the Iran nuclear deal to the news media has warned Donald Trump that he will “own the consequences” of bolting the international nuclear accord.

The Ploughshares Fund, with which former secretary of state John Kerry has been closely associated, sent out a tweet on Monday warning Trump about “consequences” “if and when he violates the international agreement.”

Kerry last June keynoted a Ploughshares confab in San Francisco where he staunchly defended the Iran deal. At the event, Kerry also implied that then-National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was the best bet at keeping the nuclear agreement alive, according to a Ploughshares Fund description of the June 5, 2017 event.

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California becomes first state to mandate solar panels on new homes

California has become the first state in the nation to mandate solar panels for all new homes, in a move to cut greenhouse gas emissions that critics say will end up raising home prices in the already expensive market.

In a unanimous 5-0 vote Wednesday, the California Energy Commission approved the policy.

The regulation will require all homes and apartments built after 2020 to have solar panels, adding an average of roughly $10,000 to construction costs for a single-family home. On the flip side, the commission says, the panels could yield much more in energy savings.

Spokeswoman for the Energy Commission Amber Beck told Fox News that under the new standards, new homes would be expected to reduce energy use by more than 50 percent. She argued that the change will lead to savings in the long run.

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Scientists confirm short-man syndrome is real

It seems short men really do act more aggressively than their peers to make up for their small stature.

Researchers used a money sharing conundrum, dubbed the Dictator Game, which tests how fairly individuals treat others.

It typically consists of two individuals, with one given a quantity of money which they must offer a portion of to a rival - even if the amount is zero.

They found that smaller men responded more aggressively when competing in the psychological test - so long as there were no repercussions.

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