A New Jersey school district said Wednesday that it will no longer compete in matches officiated by a referee who ordered one of their students to cut his dreadlocks.
The Buena Regional school board made the announcement during an emergency meeting with school board members and the community.
A wrestler at the school, Anthony Johnson, had his dreadlocks cut off just minutes before the Dec. 19 event. He was told he’d have to trim the hair or forfeit the match.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, December 31, 2018
Baltimore trying to stem decades-long disappearing act
LaShelle Rollins’ rental house in West Baltimore is wedged between a line of derelict properties valued only by street gangs, drug addicts and firefighters conducting arson drills. And even though her family’s $700-a-month address sits across from a public school, they are among the only occupants of this desolate block.
Life in an emptied-out, rundown cityscape is a slog and Rollins is worn out by all of it: The sounds of late-night interlopers stomping down the stairs of a musty wreck next door; a constant fear of fire set by vandals; the social isolation; the rats. With no faith in a prompt police response, they keep a bat at the ready.
“It’s like we’re a forgotten population,” said Rollins, a Baltimore native who’s studying for a community college degree that she hopes will get her family out of this gloomy neighborhood — maybe even out of the city that part of her still loves.
The African-American woman with a bright-eyed 6-year-old daughter and a husband on disability isn’t the only one with leaving on her mind. At a time when rival cities are gaining population, Baltimore’s decades-long disappearing act is only continuing.
More here
Life in an emptied-out, rundown cityscape is a slog and Rollins is worn out by all of it: The sounds of late-night interlopers stomping down the stairs of a musty wreck next door; a constant fear of fire set by vandals; the social isolation; the rats. With no faith in a prompt police response, they keep a bat at the ready.
“It’s like we’re a forgotten population,” said Rollins, a Baltimore native who’s studying for a community college degree that she hopes will get her family out of this gloomy neighborhood — maybe even out of the city that part of her still loves.
The African-American woman with a bright-eyed 6-year-old daughter and a husband on disability isn’t the only one with leaving on her mind. At a time when rival cities are gaining population, Baltimore’s decades-long disappearing act is only continuing.
More here
Guess What These Four Fastest Growing States Have in Common…
Keep the federal government shut down and let the states set policy.
“Non-essential” government workers… well then what the hell are they doing there?
Every penny of federal spending should be only the most absolutely crucial, necessary cent to keep the country’s most basic functions going…
I know, I know, I feel stupid just saying it.
It would truly be better if everything was left up to markets–the people. I long for the day when no sector of the economy is violently monopolized, and funded via protection racket–security and courts included.
The whole thing is a farce, the system built to serve the elite. It’s disgusting that our tax dollars pay for a single politicians’, bureaucrats’, lobbyists’, or corporate cronies’ hors-d’oeuvres, let alone their salaries, kickbacks, bailouts…
At least at the state level, we can get out easily when the government gets too ridiculous. And that’s what people are doing.
4 out of the 8 fastest growing states have no income tax: Nevada, Washington, Texas, and Florida.
Those four, along with Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado saw the largest growth in population last year of all US states.
According to the Wall Street Journal, people are fleeing from restrictive high tax states like California and New York.
Since 2010, a net 710,000 people have left California for other states. One reason is high housing prices, fueled by onerous land and zoning regulations, which have driven out thousands of middle-income families.
Jobs and businesses have also fled the state’s high taxes and regulation. A study this month by business relocation consultant Joe Vranich estimates that 1,800 businesses shifted jobs or capital out of California in 2016 and about 13,000 companies have left the state since 2008. Over the last decade $76.7 billion in capital and 275,000 jobs have moved out of the state.
… New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently blamed cold weather for the state’s population exodus, but last year frigid New Hampshire with no income tax attracted 3,900 newcomers from other states.
…Cold weather? While Illinois’s population has declined by 0.8% since 2010, Indiana’s has grown 3.1% and Wisconsin’s by 2.2%.
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“Non-essential” government workers… well then what the hell are they doing there?
Every penny of federal spending should be only the most absolutely crucial, necessary cent to keep the country’s most basic functions going…
I know, I know, I feel stupid just saying it.
It would truly be better if everything was left up to markets–the people. I long for the day when no sector of the economy is violently monopolized, and funded via protection racket–security and courts included.
The whole thing is a farce, the system built to serve the elite. It’s disgusting that our tax dollars pay for a single politicians’, bureaucrats’, lobbyists’, or corporate cronies’ hors-d’oeuvres, let alone their salaries, kickbacks, bailouts…
At least at the state level, we can get out easily when the government gets too ridiculous. And that’s what people are doing.
4 out of the 8 fastest growing states have no income tax: Nevada, Washington, Texas, and Florida.
Those four, along with Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado saw the largest growth in population last year of all US states.
According to the Wall Street Journal, people are fleeing from restrictive high tax states like California and New York.
Since 2010, a net 710,000 people have left California for other states. One reason is high housing prices, fueled by onerous land and zoning regulations, which have driven out thousands of middle-income families.
Jobs and businesses have also fled the state’s high taxes and regulation. A study this month by business relocation consultant Joe Vranich estimates that 1,800 businesses shifted jobs or capital out of California in 2016 and about 13,000 companies have left the state since 2008. Over the last decade $76.7 billion in capital and 275,000 jobs have moved out of the state.
… New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently blamed cold weather for the state’s population exodus, but last year frigid New Hampshire with no income tax attracted 3,900 newcomers from other states.
…Cold weather? While Illinois’s population has declined by 0.8% since 2010, Indiana’s has grown 3.1% and Wisconsin’s by 2.2%.
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Why all you've been told about these polar bears could be WRONG: Inuits have a very different story
On the afternoon of July 3, Aaron Gibbons, a hunter from the Inuit hamlet of Arviat on the north-west shore of Hudson Bay, took his three children on a boat trip.
Gibbons, 31, had a well-paid job at Meadowbank, a gold mine deep in the Arctic tundra, which took him away for weeks at a time.
But when he was home, he loved to deploy the inherited skills of his ancestors.
‘He was an experienced provider of country food for his family,’ says his uncle, Gordy Kidlapik, 60, a hunting veteran. ‘His father had brought him up that way, and he was good at it.’
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Gibbons, 31, had a well-paid job at Meadowbank, a gold mine deep in the Arctic tundra, which took him away for weeks at a time.
But when he was home, he loved to deploy the inherited skills of his ancestors.
‘He was an experienced provider of country food for his family,’ says his uncle, Gordy Kidlapik, 60, a hunting veteran. ‘His father had brought him up that way, and he was good at it.’
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WTH? Pentagon Plan Offers Safety and Jobs to Taliban in Afghanistan in Peace Deal!
A proposed Pentagon plan will offer security and and jobs to Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
As of July 27, 2018, there have been 2,372 U.S. military deaths in the War in Afghanistan. 1,856 of these deaths have been the result of hostile action. Many of these deaths were a result of Taliban attacks on US soldiers and Marines.
Breitbart.com reported:
The U.S. is offering Taliban narco-jihadists — the killers behind most American military fatalities during the ongoing Afghan war — safety and job opportunities as part of a peace deal, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday, citing a Pentagon plan.
Dawn quotes the Pentagon’s plan sent to Congress this week as saying, “Although some members of the Taliban may be weary of fighting and ready to lay down their weapons, they will only rejoin society if they believe their safety and the safety of their families are guaranteed, and if they have an opportunity to earn enough money to provide for their families.”
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As of July 27, 2018, there have been 2,372 U.S. military deaths in the War in Afghanistan. 1,856 of these deaths have been the result of hostile action. Many of these deaths were a result of Taliban attacks on US soldiers and Marines.
Breitbart.com reported:
The U.S. is offering Taliban narco-jihadists — the killers behind most American military fatalities during the ongoing Afghan war — safety and job opportunities as part of a peace deal, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday, citing a Pentagon plan.
Dawn quotes the Pentagon’s plan sent to Congress this week as saying, “Although some members of the Taliban may be weary of fighting and ready to lay down their weapons, they will only rejoin society if they believe their safety and the safety of their families are guaranteed, and if they have an opportunity to earn enough money to provide for their families.”
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Subject: Federal Government Employees Won't Like The Executive Order Trump Just Signed That Will Impact Them
President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order which would halt a planned 2.1 percent pay increase for federal government workers, something that is done automatically. Currently, about 800,000 federal employees are on furlough or working without pay because of the partial government shutdown. The only workers who are exempt from the blanket order are members of the military who are scheduled to receive a 2.6 percent pay raise, The Daily Mail reported.
"We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases," Trump said back in August. “In light of our Nation's fiscal situation, Federal employee pay must be performance-based, and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing Federal employees and those with critical skill sets."
But not everyone sees it that way.
"This is just pouring salt into the wound,'"Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 100,000 federal workers, said in a statement. "It is shocking that federal employees are taking yet another financial hit. As if missed paychecks and working without pay were not enough, now they have been told that they don’t even deserve a modest pay increase."
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"We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases," Trump said back in August. “In light of our Nation's fiscal situation, Federal employee pay must be performance-based, and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing Federal employees and those with critical skill sets."
But not everyone sees it that way.
"This is just pouring salt into the wound,'"Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 100,000 federal workers, said in a statement. "It is shocking that federal employees are taking yet another financial hit. As if missed paychecks and working without pay were not enough, now they have been told that they don’t even deserve a modest pay increase."
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Trump urged to nationalize ‘E-Verify’ after 700 percent surge in arrests of illegal workers
President Trump is being encouraged to sign an executive order on E-Verify after immigration police said that arrests of illegal immigrant workers and employers surged 700 percent.
Led by advocates of tighter immigration laws, Trump is getting advice to nationalize the E-Verify system that the federal government uses to make sure that contractors are hiring employees that are legally allowed to work in the United States.
“There are many changes that could be made to the immigration laws that would enable the United States to gain control over its illegal population,” said Andrew R. Arthur, a former immigration judge.
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Led by advocates of tighter immigration laws, Trump is getting advice to nationalize the E-Verify system that the federal government uses to make sure that contractors are hiring employees that are legally allowed to work in the United States.
“There are many changes that could be made to the immigration laws that would enable the United States to gain control over its illegal population,” said Andrew R. Arthur, a former immigration judge.
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Court Axes Obama’s Pro-Union ‘Joint Employer’ Rule
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that an Obama-era labor law that made businesses responsible for labor violations committed by contractors was too broad, Reuters reports.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in 2015 that companies and franchisers with “indirect and direct control” of employees could be held liable for labor violations committed by contractors or franchisees. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the board did not sufficiently define “indirect” control and sent the 2015 decision back to the board for a more restricted explanation.
The 2015 NLRB ruling overturned more than two decades of precedent while placing businesses at increased risk of violating labor laws. The ruling also empowered unions to negotiate directly with a franchise’s corporate headquarters if franchise employees sought to unionize.
Franchisers, companies and pro-business groups have sought to have the ruling overturned. An attempt by President Donald Trump’s NLRB fell flat after Republican board member William Emanuel was forced to retroactively recuse himself from ruling in a case that would affect the 2015 decision.
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The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in 2015 that companies and franchisers with “indirect and direct control” of employees could be held liable for labor violations committed by contractors or franchisees. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the board did not sufficiently define “indirect” control and sent the 2015 decision back to the board for a more restricted explanation.
The 2015 NLRB ruling overturned more than two decades of precedent while placing businesses at increased risk of violating labor laws. The ruling also empowered unions to negotiate directly with a franchise’s corporate headquarters if franchise employees sought to unionize.
Franchisers, companies and pro-business groups have sought to have the ruling overturned. An attempt by President Donald Trump’s NLRB fell flat after Republican board member William Emanuel was forced to retroactively recuse himself from ruling in a case that would affect the 2015 decision.
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IRS Has More than 3K Handguns, 3M Rounds of Ammunition
A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows the Internal Revenue Service has more than 3,000 handguns and 3,000,000 rounds of handgun ammunition in its Criminal Investigation division alone.
According to the GAO, the Criminal Investigation side of the IRS also has 554 rifles, the majority of which are semiautomatic, but automatics are also included. They have an excess of 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition for the weapons, including the ammunition for the handguns.
Regarding the police division of the IRS, there are an additional 20 handguns, two shotguns, four rifles, and an additional 14,706 rounds of ammunition.
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According to the GAO, the Criminal Investigation side of the IRS also has 554 rifles, the majority of which are semiautomatic, but automatics are also included. They have an excess of 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition for the weapons, including the ammunition for the handguns.
Regarding the police division of the IRS, there are an additional 20 handguns, two shotguns, four rifles, and an additional 14,706 rounds of ammunition.
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Florida politician shoots intruder who crashed vehicle into another house while fleeing cops, police say
A Florida politician shot an alleged intruder who crashed his vehicle into another house while attempting to flee police officers, officials said.
Palmetto city commissioner Brian Williams opened fire after seeing Avelino Misreal Vasquez-Perez, 22, hiding in his garage and trying to enter the kitchen, Miami Herald reported.
“He was lawfully defending home and family,” Police Chief Scott Tyler said.
Officers attempted to pull over Vasquez-Perez about 10 p.m. Thursday after they spotted him driving recklessly and suspected he was impaired, police said. Vasquez-Perez sped off, crashed into a home in Palmetto and fled the scene with another passenger.
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Palmetto city commissioner Brian Williams opened fire after seeing Avelino Misreal Vasquez-Perez, 22, hiding in his garage and trying to enter the kitchen, Miami Herald reported.
“He was lawfully defending home and family,” Police Chief Scott Tyler said.
Officers attempted to pull over Vasquez-Perez about 10 p.m. Thursday after they spotted him driving recklessly and suspected he was impaired, police said. Vasquez-Perez sped off, crashed into a home in Palmetto and fled the scene with another passenger.
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Mugging Taxpayers in the Swamp
The big dollar muggings in Washington these days are not done with pistols. The sophisticated weapons of choice are “sole source contracting,” lobbyists, and insiders. And the victims are not tourists, but taxpayers.
Large multinationals game the system using the revolving door between government and the private sector, with the help of aggressive lobbying. There are so many examples, but one is the fourth largest privately- owned company in the United States, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, which originated as one of the biggest accounting companies in America.
Today they are masters of the D.C. contracting game with sole source contracting. They are not doing anything illegal, but the end result is that taxpayers and small entrepreneurs are shafted.
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Large multinationals game the system using the revolving door between government and the private sector, with the help of aggressive lobbying. There are so many examples, but one is the fourth largest privately- owned company in the United States, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, which originated as one of the biggest accounting companies in America.
Today they are masters of the D.C. contracting game with sole source contracting. They are not doing anything illegal, but the end result is that taxpayers and small entrepreneurs are shafted.
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Joe Donnelly: Democrats 'start losing the people' in the Midwest when they talk about 'Medicare For All'
Outgoing Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., offered a reality check to his party as some Democrats implore possible 2020 presidential candidates to adopt policy positions further to the Left in order to gin up the base.
"The talk on the coasts just doesn't get it done in the middle," Donnelly, who lost his re-election bid last month to Republican Sen.-elect Mike Braun, told CNN Friday.
Donnelly, a one-term senator who was defeated by more than double-digits thanks in part to President Trump's multiple visits to Indiana in the closing weeks of the campaign, warned that he didn't see a Democratic pathway to the White House without the Midwest. He also reminded his colleagues that "who wins the primary is not necessarily the best person in a general election," while refusing to name a specific candidate he believed could oust Trump.
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"The talk on the coasts just doesn't get it done in the middle," Donnelly, who lost his re-election bid last month to Republican Sen.-elect Mike Braun, told CNN Friday.
Donnelly, a one-term senator who was defeated by more than double-digits thanks in part to President Trump's multiple visits to Indiana in the closing weeks of the campaign, warned that he didn't see a Democratic pathway to the White House without the Midwest. He also reminded his colleagues that "who wins the primary is not necessarily the best person in a general election," while refusing to name a specific candidate he believed could oust Trump.
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Pedestrian Collision Results in Death of Pennsylvania Woman
OCEAN CITY, MD – (December 31, 2018): On Saturday, December 29, 2018 at approximately 8:50 p.m. Ocean City police were dispatched to the area of 28th Street and Philadelphia Avenue for a pedestrian collision in the southbound lane. The pedestrian was crossing the highway when she was struck by a BMW 328i. The driver of the vehicle remained on-scene. Maryland State Police Trooper 4 responded and flew the victim to Shock Trauma in Baltimore where she succumbed to her injuries Sunday afternoon. The victim was identified as Lorena D. Merris, 56, of Landisburg, PA.
Traffic on southbound Philadelphia Avenue was diverted to Baltimore Avenue for approximately 2-hours while investigators processed the scene of the crash and cleared debris.
The Ocean City Traffic Safety Unit is currently investigating to determine the cause of the collision. The driver of the vehicle was not impaired at the time of the incident.
Traffic on southbound Philadelphia Avenue was diverted to Baltimore Avenue for approximately 2-hours while investigators processed the scene of the crash and cleared debris.
The Ocean City Traffic Safety Unit is currently investigating to determine the cause of the collision. The driver of the vehicle was not impaired at the time of the incident.
TRUMP SUPPORTER TRIGGERS EPIC VAPE STORE MELTDOWN ... Gets Employee Fired
A Trump supporter who was refused service at a vape shop captured what might be one of the craziest meltdowns we've ever seen ... yeah, this is just nuts.
Georgia resident Ian Furgeson tried buying something at Xhale City this week in Tucker, GA -- about half an hour outside of Atlanta -- and was apparently told to GTFO by the store employee ... who didn't want to sell anything to a Trump supporter. Furgeson was decked out in MAGA gear, BTW.
Well, things escalated quickly from there. Furgeson started recording the encounter, and the employee told him to stop or he'd call the cops.
Furgeson egged the guy on, telling him to do it ... and then the employee exploded with a "F*** OFF!" The vape store worker's breakdown only got worse from there, but weirdly enough ... he eventually calmed down and agreed to sell to Furgeson just to get him out.
More/Video
Georgia resident Ian Furgeson tried buying something at Xhale City this week in Tucker, GA -- about half an hour outside of Atlanta -- and was apparently told to GTFO by the store employee ... who didn't want to sell anything to a Trump supporter. Furgeson was decked out in MAGA gear, BTW.
Well, things escalated quickly from there. Furgeson started recording the encounter, and the employee told him to stop or he'd call the cops.
Furgeson egged the guy on, telling him to do it ... and then the employee exploded with a "F*** OFF!" The vape store worker's breakdown only got worse from there, but weirdly enough ... he eventually calmed down and agreed to sell to Furgeson just to get him out.
More/Video
Lindsey Graham: I 'feel a lot better' about Syria pullout after lunch with Trump
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday he felt less concerned about President Trump pulling U.S. troops from Syria following a two-hour lunch with him at the White House.
"We had a great lunch. We talked about Syria and he told me some things that I didn't know that make me feel a lot better about where we're headed in Syria," Graham told reporters shortly after the meeting. "He promised to destroy ISIS. He's going to keep that promise. We're not there yet, but as I said today, we're inside the 10-yard line and the president understands the need to finish the job."
Graham is one of a plethora of lawmakers who opposed Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. military personnel from the war-torn country. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in part due to the announcement.
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"We had a great lunch. We talked about Syria and he told me some things that I didn't know that make me feel a lot better about where we're headed in Syria," Graham told reporters shortly after the meeting. "He promised to destroy ISIS. He's going to keep that promise. We're not there yet, but as I said today, we're inside the 10-yard line and the president understands the need to finish the job."
Graham is one of a plethora of lawmakers who opposed Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. military personnel from the war-torn country. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in part due to the announcement.
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Franklin Graham: Facebook ban was 'personal attack toward me'
Evangelist Franklin Graham on Sunday accused Facebook of personally attacking him after the company banned him from the platform for 24 hours over a post he published in 2016.
"Why are they going back to 2016," Graham, the president of the evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said on Fox News after discussing how the social media platform moderates content on a day-to-day basis.
"I think it was just really a personal attack toward me."
His comments came a day after a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to The Charlotte Observer that Graham had been banned from the site for 24 hours last week over the contents of a 2016 post.
The spokesperson said that Graham was mistakenly banned from the site after the post in question was flagged by its content review team for violating a company policy banning “dehumanizing language” and excluding people based on factors like sexual orientation and race.
The post had targeted Bruce Springsteen for canceling a North Carolina concert at the time due to the state's House Bill 2, or "bathroom bill."
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"Why are they going back to 2016," Graham, the president of the evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said on Fox News after discussing how the social media platform moderates content on a day-to-day basis.
"I think it was just really a personal attack toward me."
His comments came a day after a Facebook spokesperson confirmed to The Charlotte Observer that Graham had been banned from the site for 24 hours last week over the contents of a 2016 post.
The spokesperson said that Graham was mistakenly banned from the site after the post in question was flagged by its content review team for violating a company policy banning “dehumanizing language” and excluding people based on factors like sexual orientation and race.
The post had targeted Bruce Springsteen for canceling a North Carolina concert at the time due to the state's House Bill 2, or "bathroom bill."
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North Korea continues missile development
North Korea has continued its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles despite declaring a halt to launches, having conducted a missile-linked radio wave experiment early this month, it has been learned.
Despite sanctions limiting the North’s petroleum supply, the North Korean military is continuing to train at its usual levels. In response, the Japanese and U.S. governments plan to increase their surveillance of smuggling and other activities on the high seas, according to military and diplomatic sources.
North Korea conducted a launch test of its radio telemetry, which is transmitted from equipment in a missile’s components such as warhead. When a ballistic missile is launched, telemetry provides essential information about the missile’s angle, location, speed and other factors to observers on the ground.
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Despite sanctions limiting the North’s petroleum supply, the North Korean military is continuing to train at its usual levels. In response, the Japanese and U.S. governments plan to increase their surveillance of smuggling and other activities on the high seas, according to military and diplomatic sources.
North Korea conducted a launch test of its radio telemetry, which is transmitted from equipment in a missile’s components such as warhead. When a ballistic missile is launched, telemetry provides essential information about the missile’s angle, location, speed and other factors to observers on the ground.
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California organizers cancel Women's March: 'too white'
Organizers of the Women’s March in Humboldt County, California, announced Friday that they have canceled the local Jan. 19 event because the marchers are overwhelmingly white.
In a Facebook statement, the group said it opted to nix the third annual march “after many conversations between local social-change organizations and supporters of the march,” saying they would work on how to “broaden representation in the organizing committee.”
“Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” said the statement. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.”
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In a Facebook statement, the group said it opted to nix the third annual march “after many conversations between local social-change organizations and supporters of the march,” saying they would work on how to “broaden representation in the organizing committee.”
“Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” said the statement. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.”
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Local Media Ignore Immigration Status of Convicted Killer
At least five Oregon media outlets reported on the sentencing hearing on December 12 of a man convicted of stabbing his girlfriend to death. Not one of the articles found on a search mentioned the killer’s status as an illegal alien.
A Jackson County court in Medford, Oregon, found 39-year-old Enrique Solis-Garcia guilty on December 7 after he stabbed his estranged girlfriend 40 times. Solis-Garcia changed his plea from not guilty to no contest during the December hearing. The man stabbed the mother of his two children 40 times after laying in wait for her with a large knife, KOBI NBC5 reported. Solis-Garcia purchased the knife at a local Walmart the night before the murder.
A statement from ICE Public Affairs provided to Breitbart News confirmed that Enrique Solis-Garcia, a Mexican national, was illegally present in the U.S. at the time of the murder of Noemi Ruiz.
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A Jackson County court in Medford, Oregon, found 39-year-old Enrique Solis-Garcia guilty on December 7 after he stabbed his estranged girlfriend 40 times. Solis-Garcia changed his plea from not guilty to no contest during the December hearing. The man stabbed the mother of his two children 40 times after laying in wait for her with a large knife, KOBI NBC5 reported. Solis-Garcia purchased the knife at a local Walmart the night before the murder.
A statement from ICE Public Affairs provided to Breitbart News confirmed that Enrique Solis-Garcia, a Mexican national, was illegally present in the U.S. at the time of the murder of Noemi Ruiz.
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U of Cincinnati Pays $47K to Student Deprived of Due Process Rights
A student at the University of Cincinnati is about to receive a $47,000 settlement as a result of the university’s failure to allow him to defend himself against sexual assault accusations.
The male graduate student, named John Doe in the suit, sued the university in 2016 over their refusal to allow him to defend himself after he was accused of sexual assault by a classmate. In the lawsuit, Doe alleged that he was never given a real chance to defend himself against the allegations. Doe was suspended immediately following the investigation.
Doe’s attorneys argued that the school unfairly favored the female student to appease those who might accuse them of not protecting female students from sexual assault.
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The male graduate student, named John Doe in the suit, sued the university in 2016 over their refusal to allow him to defend himself after he was accused of sexual assault by a classmate. In the lawsuit, Doe alleged that he was never given a real chance to defend himself against the allegations. Doe was suspended immediately following the investigation.
Doe’s attorneys argued that the school unfairly favored the female student to appease those who might accuse them of not protecting female students from sexual assault.
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Mizzou Officials: Tall Men Asking Out Short Women Is Sexual Misconduct
A former vice chancellor at the University of Missouri argued in a deposition that it can be sexual harassment if a tall man asks a short woman out on a date.
According to a report from the St. Louis ABC affiliate, a former vice chancellor at the University of Missouri argued during depositions for a campus sexual assault case that it could be considered sexual assault for a tall male student to ask a short female student out on a date.
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs, who resigned from the university in 2017, argued that the alleged perpetrator had committed harassment simply as a result of his “power over” the female student. The power the alleged perpetrator had, according to Scroggs, came nothing more from his physical stature.
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According to a report from the St. Louis ABC affiliate, a former vice chancellor at the University of Missouri argued during depositions for a campus sexual assault case that it could be considered sexual assault for a tall male student to ask a short female student out on a date.
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs, who resigned from the university in 2017, argued that the alleged perpetrator had committed harassment simply as a result of his “power over” the female student. The power the alleged perpetrator had, according to Scroggs, came nothing more from his physical stature.
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Jesse Jackson lie busted by scrappy Chicago neighborhood website
Jesse Jackson was getting away with a big lie so well that the Chicago Sun-Times even wrote an editorial based on his phony claim. As the old, wry journalism joke goes, Jackson’s lie was so agreeable to the prejudices of MSM-ers, that it was “too good to check.”
Enter the brave and scrappy bloggers at CWB Chicago, a neighborhood blog that:
…was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings.
We knew from city data that robberies in our neighborhood had been soaring to record highs for three consecutive years. Yet public officials and police representatives at CAPS meetings continually said that crime was going down.
Telling the truth and calling BS on pols, papers, and people that perpetuate lies is a habit at CWB Chicago, which is why I read it so often, even though I have never lived in Chicago (though I admit a great fondness for the city, despite its many, worsening problems). Among the worst of those problems: criminals roaming the streets, far too many of them either out on low bail, or charged no bail at all, under the terms of the Illinois Bail Reform Act of 2017.
CWB reported:
Rev. Jesse Jackson made a pre-Christmas plea for 19 publicly-unnamed Cook County Jail inmates to be released. These individuals were jailed merely for being poor, Jackson said, adding that “liberating the poor” was in the spirit of Christmas.
More here
Enter the brave and scrappy bloggers at CWB Chicago, a neighborhood blog that:
…was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings.
We knew from city data that robberies in our neighborhood had been soaring to record highs for three consecutive years. Yet public officials and police representatives at CAPS meetings continually said that crime was going down.
Telling the truth and calling BS on pols, papers, and people that perpetuate lies is a habit at CWB Chicago, which is why I read it so often, even though I have never lived in Chicago (though I admit a great fondness for the city, despite its many, worsening problems). Among the worst of those problems: criminals roaming the streets, far too many of them either out on low bail, or charged no bail at all, under the terms of the Illinois Bail Reform Act of 2017.
CWB reported:
Rev. Jesse Jackson made a pre-Christmas plea for 19 publicly-unnamed Cook County Jail inmates to be released. These individuals were jailed merely for being poor, Jackson said, adding that “liberating the poor” was in the spirit of Christmas.
More here
Ice isn’t melting in the Arctic and Antarctic, yet big insurance hikes loom for purported sea level rise
The warmist fraud has a big problem: its predictions of doom have consistently failed to generate any serious pain. Yes, they blame hot weather in the summer in global warming, and if there are hurricanes, they must be caused by “climate change,” though when we have a year with few hurricanes, or, as in 2018 no tornadoes at all, nobody sings the praises of the benefits of “climate change.”
But they’ve hit a gold mine with their predictions of island nations being sunk beneath the waves, and coastal communities (especially in rich countries) forced to be abandoned. Their institutional clout is considerable, as they have Big Science, Big Education, Big Government, and Big Business all on board with their scheme to extract money from people for the crime of using energy (while exempting wealthy members of their elite from the strictures). Especially when there’s money to be made from fear-mongering.
The theory is that melting ice at the earth’s polar regions will swamp us. And that is triggering moves to raise insurance premiums on coastal properties that are supposed to be flooded, in low-lying coastal places like Florida, as the Sun-Sentinel writes:
"In just two or three years, Congress may change the way it sets rates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to reflect more realistic assessments of risk, including the expected impacts of sea-level rise.
"According to the chair of Miami’s Sea Level Rise Committee, FEMA officials believe the largest provider of flood insurance in the United States will be aligning the cost of premiums much closer to the heightened risks of flooding. And that the changes will come sooner than many expect."
More here
But they’ve hit a gold mine with their predictions of island nations being sunk beneath the waves, and coastal communities (especially in rich countries) forced to be abandoned. Their institutional clout is considerable, as they have Big Science, Big Education, Big Government, and Big Business all on board with their scheme to extract money from people for the crime of using energy (while exempting wealthy members of their elite from the strictures). Especially when there’s money to be made from fear-mongering.
The theory is that melting ice at the earth’s polar regions will swamp us. And that is triggering moves to raise insurance premiums on coastal properties that are supposed to be flooded, in low-lying coastal places like Florida, as the Sun-Sentinel writes:
"In just two or three years, Congress may change the way it sets rates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to reflect more realistic assessments of risk, including the expected impacts of sea-level rise.
"According to the chair of Miami’s Sea Level Rise Committee, FEMA officials believe the largest provider of flood insurance in the United States will be aligning the cost of premiums much closer to the heightened risks of flooding. And that the changes will come sooner than many expect."
More here
Stores increasing age requirement to buy guns raises legal questions
The last year saw a major surge in attempts to raise the minimum age for gun purchases, raising legal questions that have yet to be firmly answered.
The push for a higher age intensified after the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which spurred states and some companies — including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart — to impose a 21-year-old minimum age to purchase firearms.
Gun-rights advocates say the age of adulthood is 18 and, given the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to bear arms, any attempt to limit young adults amounts to illegal discrimination.
Tristin Fulton, 18, of Michigan, put that to the test, suing Dick’s in March after the store would not allow him to buy a shotgun.
That case recently was “resolved,” according to James Makowski, an attorney for Mr. Fulton.
Mr. Makowski declined to go into detail about the case itself, but said age is a protected class under Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws.
A spokesman for Walmart says the retail giant is confident in its age policy and feels it’s on solid legal and constitutional footing.
“We stand behind our decision, and we’re going to continue with that position,” said spokesman Randy Hargrove.
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The push for a higher age intensified after the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which spurred states and some companies — including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart — to impose a 21-year-old minimum age to purchase firearms.
Gun-rights advocates say the age of adulthood is 18 and, given the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to bear arms, any attempt to limit young adults amounts to illegal discrimination.
Tristin Fulton, 18, of Michigan, put that to the test, suing Dick’s in March after the store would not allow him to buy a shotgun.
That case recently was “resolved,” according to James Makowski, an attorney for Mr. Fulton.
Mr. Makowski declined to go into detail about the case itself, but said age is a protected class under Michigan’s anti-discrimination laws.
A spokesman for Walmart says the retail giant is confident in its age policy and feels it’s on solid legal and constitutional footing.
“We stand behind our decision, and we’re going to continue with that position,” said spokesman Randy Hargrove.
More
Intern, 22, is mauled to death by a lion which escaped a locked enclosure at a North Carolina zoo
The heartbroken family of a North Carolina preserve intern who was mauled to death by a lion that escaped its enclosure said the recent college graduate died 'following her passion'.
Alexandra Black, 22, was killed by a male lion named Matthai while working Sunday at the Conservators Center in Burlington.
Officials said an animal husbandry team led by a keeper was doing a routine cleaning when one of the lions managed to break free from a locked space.
Matthai then entered the area where the team was cleaning and quickly mauled Black to death.
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Alexandra Black, 22, was killed by a male lion named Matthai while working Sunday at the Conservators Center in Burlington.
Officials said an animal husbandry team led by a keeper was doing a routine cleaning when one of the lions managed to break free from a locked space.
Matthai then entered the area where the team was cleaning and quickly mauled Black to death.
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Dossier fails the test of time
Yahoo News’ Michael Isikoff, an early public conduit for Christopher Steele’s anti-Trump dossier, now says the former British spy’s sensational Russia collusion charges lack apparent evidence and are “likely false.”
As Election Day loomed in September 2016, Mr. Isikoff was the first Washington journalist to write about Mr. Steele’s memos. He focused on Mr. Steele’s contention that Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page met with nefarious operatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a publicly announced trip to Moscow in July 2016.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Mr. Isikoff this month told Mediaite columnist John Ziegler: “When you actually get into the details of the Steele dossier, the specific allegations, we have not seen the evidence to support them, and in fact, there is good grounds to think that some of the more sensational allegations will never be proven and are likely false.”
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As Election Day loomed in September 2016, Mr. Isikoff was the first Washington journalist to write about Mr. Steele’s memos. He focused on Mr. Steele’s contention that Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page met with nefarious operatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a publicly announced trip to Moscow in July 2016.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Mr. Isikoff this month told Mediaite columnist John Ziegler: “When you actually get into the details of the Steele dossier, the specific allegations, we have not seen the evidence to support them, and in fact, there is good grounds to think that some of the more sensational allegations will never be proven and are likely false.”
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Acting ICE director wants politicians in sanctuary cities charged with crimes
WASHINGTON -- The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says politicians who run sanctuary cities should be charged with crimes.
Thomas Homan said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto that the Department of Justice needs to file charges against municipalities that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities and deny them funding.
He also says politicians should be held "personally accountable" for crimes committed by people living in the U.S. illegally.
Homan says, "We've got to start charging some of these politicians with crimes."
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has repeatedly vowed to withhold federal money from localities that refuse to give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released.
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Thomas Homan said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto that the Department of Justice needs to file charges against municipalities that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities and deny them funding.
He also says politicians should be held "personally accountable" for crimes committed by people living in the U.S. illegally.
Homan says, "We've got to start charging some of these politicians with crimes."
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has repeatedly vowed to withhold federal money from localities that refuse to give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released.
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11-Year-Old Docked Points for Not Bashing Trump
It's so bad that now an 11-year-old in Annadale, New York, was docked 15 points on a homework assignment because she failed to answer a question demanding students bash Trump:
Vincent Ungro, a dad from Annadale, New York, has an 11-year-old daughter who attends I.S. (Intermediate School) 75. She asked him for help with her vocabulary homework last Friday night because she was trying to fill in the blanks from a word bank to complete her assignment -- and was really puzzled.
“President Trump speaks in a very superior and _________ manner insulting many people. He needs to be more __________ so that the American people respect and admire him,” read one homework sentence.
The next question was: “Barack Obama set a _________ when he became the first African-American president.”
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Michael A. Pretl
Mike was educated at St. Charles Seminary in Catonsville, Catholic University and received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law School.
He was a partner at Smith, Somerville and Case law firm for many years before starting his own firm to fight for women rendered infertile by the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device. He then became General Counsel to the American Urological Association where he remained for 17 years.
During all the years Mike practiced law, he was also active in the community. An early president of the Northeast Community Organization and Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc., Mike was involved in the fight to peacefully integrate Northeast Baltimore. During his time at NECO, Life Magazine designated Greater Northwood as one of the best integrated communities in the US. Mike was a longtime board member of the Community Law Center which continues to offer pro bono representation to communities in need of legal representation to fight vacant housing, liquor license violations and urban blight. One of the organizations of which he was most proud was Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse which fought for common sense laws to protect people from unlawful weapons.
When Mike and his wife, Michele Hughes, moved to the Shore, he began helping local groups to achieve their nonprofit status. To date, Mike has received nonprofit designations for more than 100 organizations. One of Mike's most important projects was the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative or Healthcare for All, a group of both local and statewide organizations working to make certain that all Marylanders had access to quality healthcare. He served as the secretary/treasurer and counsel to the board at the time of his death.
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Transgender wrestler wins second straight Texas girls' high school title
Mack Beggs, an 18-year-old senior from Euless Trinity High School near Dallas, entered the tournament in Cypress outside of Houston with an undefeated record. He beat Chelsea Sanchez — whom he beat for the title in 2017- in the final match Saturday.
Video posted online showed a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd following Beggs‘ win.
Beggs is in the process of transitioning from female to male and taking a low-dose of testosterone.
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Trump signs executive order canceling planned pay increase for federal workers in 2019
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday that cancels a planned pay increase for federal workers in 2019.
Trump previously called the raise, a 2.1% increase set to take effect in January, "inappropriate" and an unrealistic burden on the federal budget.
The order also cancels a yearly paycheck adjustment calculated in order with the region of the country where workers are posted.
When addressing lawmakers in an August letter, Trump cited his authority to adjust pay for federal employees as he sees appropriate considering "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare."
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Trump previously called the raise, a 2.1% increase set to take effect in January, "inappropriate" and an unrealistic burden on the federal budget.
The order also cancels a yearly paycheck adjustment calculated in order with the region of the country where workers are posted.
When addressing lawmakers in an August letter, Trump cited his authority to adjust pay for federal employees as he sees appropriate considering "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare."
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IRS unable to recoup nearly $1 billion in Obamacare subsidies
The IRS overpaid nearly $4 billion to Obamacare customers through tax credits last year, and because of the way the law is written it can’t even try to collect on a quarter of that, the Treasury Department’s inspector general reported this week.
All told, the Treasury Department paid out roughly $27 billion in Obamacare subsidies in the 2018 tax-filing season, with overages accounting for $3.7 billion of that. Only $2.7 billion was recaptured.
The $1 billion left over is small compared to the overall federal budget, but it is 20 percent of the president’s border wall funding request that’s spurred the current government shutdown.
Overpayments were built into Obamacare, with most people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges collecting subsidies through the IRS to help them afford their plan premiums.
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All told, the Treasury Department paid out roughly $27 billion in Obamacare subsidies in the 2018 tax-filing season, with overages accounting for $3.7 billion of that. Only $2.7 billion was recaptured.
The $1 billion left over is small compared to the overall federal budget, but it is 20 percent of the president’s border wall funding request that’s spurred the current government shutdown.
Overpayments were built into Obamacare, with most people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges collecting subsidies through the IRS to help them afford their plan premiums.
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It Was Dr. Paul Scott Who Drowned In West Ocean City Yesterday
Paul was a very kind and gentle soul who will be missed by the many people he touched in his lifetime.
*UPDATE-Victim Identified* Troopers Investigating Fatal Pedestrian Crash – Delmar
Delmar – The Delaware State Police have identified Brandon W. Kennedy, 33, of Delmar as the pedestrian who was struck and killed in a vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 12:16 a.m., Saturday, December 29, 2018, on northbound Sussex Hwy. (U.S. 13), north of Line Rd. in Delmar.
Click on the following link to view the original release:
https://dsp.delaware.gov/2018/12/29/troopers-investigating-fatal-pedestrian-crash-delmar/
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Cpl. A. Mitchell of the Sussex County Collision Reconstruction Unit at (302)703-3267.
Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet athttp://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com
Click on the following link to view the original release:
https://dsp.delaware.gov/2018/12/29/troopers-investigating-fatal-pedestrian-crash-delmar/
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Cpl. A. Mitchell of the Sussex County Collision Reconstruction Unit at (302)703-3267.
Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet athttp://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com
Troopers Investigating Shots Fired Incident – Seaford
Seaford – The Delaware State Police are investigating a shots fired incident that took place in Seaford Saturday evening.
At approximately 6:59 p.m., Saturday, December 29, 2018, Troopers responded to the 26000 block of Bethel Concord Rd. in Seaford, for the report of gunshots being heard in the area. The investigation determined that the exterior of an unoccupied residence had sustained damage as a result of multiple gunshots. An unknown make and model vehicle was seen fleeing the area at the time the shots were heard.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact TFC J. Hastings at Troop 5 by calling 302-337-1090.
At approximately 6:59 p.m., Saturday, December 29, 2018, Troopers responded to the 26000 block of Bethel Concord Rd. in Seaford, for the report of gunshots being heard in the area. The investigation determined that the exterior of an unoccupied residence had sustained damage as a result of multiple gunshots. An unknown make and model vehicle was seen fleeing the area at the time the shots were heard.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact TFC J. Hastings at Troop 5 by calling 302-337-1090.