WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- A Delaware bankruptcy judge is resuming a hearing to determine whether he will approve the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's reorganization plan.
The plan centers on a $77 million settlement with some 150 alleged victims of priest sex abuse. In return, the diocese, its parishes and affiliated entities would be released from legal claims related to the church sex abuse scandal. The plan also requires church officials to turn over internal documents detailing how the diocese handled pedophile priests.
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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
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Final Public Hearing on Toll Hike Tonight in Berlin
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) will hold its final public hearing on the proposed toll increases this evening at Stephen Decatur Middle School. Sign up begins at 5:30 PM. The hearing is scheduled to go until 8PM. However, if the board holds to past practice, they will hear all speakers who have signed up by 7:45 PM.
Stephen Decatur Middle School is at 9815 Seahawk Rd., Berlin, MD, directly behind Stephen Decatur High School.
This is your LAST chance to speak publicly on this matter. You can continue to submit written comments HERE or mail them to:
MDTA Toll Comments
2310 Broening Highway
Baltimore, MD 21224
Written comments will be accepted until 5PM, August 1, 2011.
Chrysler Workers In Michigan Reportedly Caught Smoking, Drinking During Lunch Breaks
Workers at a Chrysler plant in Michigan have reportedly been caught on video smoking and drinking during lunch breaks.
Just ten months after revealing how some workers at the Chrysler Jefferson North Plant in Detroit spent their lunch hour drinking beer, another investigation by MyFoxDetroit.com found more of the same at Chrysler's Trenton Engine Plant in Trenton, Mich.
At least two workers told the station's investigative reporter they do not want to work with people who have been abusing drugs or alcohol prior to returning to work.
"It's dangerous," one employee reportedly said.
The latest video shows workers roughly a mile from the plant, but just steps away from a United Auto Workers hall.
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Smith Island Awaits 125th Summer Camp Meeting
EWELL, Md. (AP) -- Smith Island is preparing for its 125th summer camp meeting.
The church meeting on the lower Eastern Shore island draws people every summer to services in an aging white, wooden tabernacle. They sit on pine pews and stand on wood shavings while listening to sermons and singing hymns. Residents, former residents and friends gather this year beginning July 31 for a week of
old-time camp meetings.
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The church meeting on the lower Eastern Shore island draws people every summer to services in an aging white, wooden tabernacle. They sit on pine pews and stand on wood shavings while listening to sermons and singing hymns. Residents, former residents and friends gather this year beginning July 31 for a week of
old-time camp meetings.
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Ft. Miles Has Sites on Long Missing Giant
At a quarter-million pounds each, the two 16-inch guns that protected the entrance to Delaware Bay during World War II provided maximum firepower and could hurl a one-ton shell 26 miles.
At 66 feet long, they dwarfed a man, a Jeep -- even a tractor-trailer.
Like those on the battleship USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945, such great guns are hard not to notice.
The two guns at Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen probably were cut up and sold for scrap after the war, said Cape Henlopen State Park historian Michael Rogers. The lore among the vets who had been assigned to Fort Miles is that the Gillette Co. bought the scrap and made it into razor blades, he said.
For years, state park officials and the members of the Fort Miles Historical Association have been looking for a replacement for the long-vanished 16-inchers. As part of a plan for a $6 million WWII museum at the park, officials and volunteers would like the gun to help tell the story of coastal defenses, the very real threat of German U-boat attacks and how the army planned and prepared for it.
Should Obese Children Be Put In Foster Care?
Do you agree with a proposal to put dangerously obese children into temporary foster care?
The government is crossing into dangerous territory when it begins to remove children from parents for things like obesity! This would be a good situation to enforce some type of mandatory counseling, but nothing as drastic as removal from custody. The trauma of separation would outweigh any benefit in physical improvement Kevin in Edgewood.
I am confused. Right before the question aired, there was a tv ad asking money for 'one quarter' of US children who are hungry. Why not put the over weight kids and all the 'hungry' kids in foster care so the rest of us can bear the cost of raising other people children. James- Rosedale
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The government is crossing into dangerous territory when it begins to remove children from parents for things like obesity! This would be a good situation to enforce some type of mandatory counseling, but nothing as drastic as removal from custody. The trauma of separation would outweigh any benefit in physical improvement Kevin in Edgewood.
I am confused. Right before the question aired, there was a tv ad asking money for 'one quarter' of US children who are hungry. Why not put the over weight kids and all the 'hungry' kids in foster care so the rest of us can bear the cost of raising other people children. James- Rosedale
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Today’s Survey Question – 07/14/2011
Do You Think That Congress Should Raise the Debt Ceiling Without Large Spending Cuts?
Pipkin Wants Outside Look at Bridge Finances
State Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R-36) wants an independent investigation launched into the Maryland Transportation Authority's accounting to determine how the agency arrived at its proposed rates for toll increases.
Last month, the MdTA formally proposed raising tolls across the state, including the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge crossing the Chesapeake Bay. The department wants to increase the $2.50 toll for the Bay Bridge to $5 this Oct 1, then to $8 in July 2013.
Pipkin has called the bridge a cash cow, a claim refuted by Secretary of Transportation Beverly Swaim-Staley, who said the bridge brought in $140 million over the last four fiscal years but had $139 million in expenses. Swaim-Staley's figures match those listed in revenue and expense sheets on the MdTA's website.
Pipkin said in a press release he has asked for the figures and the documentation on which the MdTA based its need for a massive toll increase. He described what he received as a "muddled presentation" of the last four years' revenues and expenses.
MdTA Communications Director Cheryl Sparks said Wednesday the Department of Legislative Services has regularly asked for toll increases and other independent agencies are used to generate annual traffic forecasts and audit the MdTA's books.
Kids Get A Taste Of Law Enforcement At Police Camp
FREDERICK, Md. - At least 50 children received a closeup look at police work on Tuesday as part of the Frederick Youth Police Academy.
The kids, ages 5 to 14, saw everything that is involved with police work at the three-day camp that's hosted by the police department every summer.
The police demonstrations on Tuesday included K-9 work, where one officer played a criminal trying to escape and a SWAT team information session where kids heard from SWAT team members and felt how heavy their equipment is by picking it up themselves.
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The kids, ages 5 to 14, saw everything that is involved with police work at the three-day camp that's hosted by the police department every summer.
The police demonstrations on Tuesday included K-9 work, where one officer played a criminal trying to escape and a SWAT team information session where kids heard from SWAT team members and felt how heavy their equipment is by picking it up themselves.
More
Serial Wife?
A Gloucester woman has been sentenced for embezzling money from her 10th husband.
Shirley Smith-Smart pleaded guilty in June to taking more than $11,000 from Kenneth Smart's bank account.
The Daily Press reports that Visiting Judge Joseph E. Spruill sentenced Smith-Smart to five years in prison on Tuesday in Gloucester County Circuit Court. If she pays restitution, she will only serve one year.
Smith-Smart is already serving a year in Western Tidewater Regional Jail on a bigamy conviction. In January, she entered an Alford plea to a bigamy charge in Isle of Wight. The charge stemmed from the eighth of her 10 marriages. Prosecutors say she was already married when she wed again.
I know, this may not seem particularly newsworthy. But c’mon – TEN husbands and bigamy to boot! – Ed.
Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" Bill Ignites National Controversy
On Sunday, May 20, 2011, the Tennessee State Senate passed bill SB0049, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, that would outlaw any discussions on homosexuality in classrooms from kindergarten to eighth grade. An additional last-minute amendment would also outlaw any discussions on "natural reproductive science." The bill, having passed 20 to 10, will now advance to the State House of Representatives, which will reconvene in January 2012 to vote on the bill.
SB0049 has attracted national attention from celebrities, including George Takei, and continues to generate discussion nationally, spurred by the efforts of organizations, including the Courage Campaign, a California-based LGBT group that has launched the "Don't Say Gay? We Just Did!" campaign, using personal video testimonies to show support against SB0049.
The bill was introduced to the State Senate on January 14, 2011, by Stacey Campfield, who was elected in 2010 to the Senate in the State's Seventh District, primarily representing the Knoxville area.
Cost of Breaking Law in Delaware Poised to Rise
The price of a speeding ticket is about to go up -- along with fines for any other violation of Delaware law.
Gov. Jack Markell is poised to sign legislation to levy a new $15 fee on every criminal, civil, traffic and Family Court violation on the books -- creating millions in new revenue for police agencies.
For a speeding ticket for driving 10 miles over the limit, add-on fees of $32.40 earmarked for various expenses already outweigh the cost of the actual $30 ticket.
State lawmakers just added another $15 to the bill.
The new fee, passed by the Senate on the last night of the legislative session, will go toward hiring and equipping new state troopers and paying municipal police officers overtime for combating violent crime, officials said.
Proposed Change: Speed Up Or Move Over
Montgomery County is asking the Maryland General Assembly to amend a driving law and require drivers in the left lane to yield to faster cars, even if the faster car is over the speed limit.
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A Religious Test for 2012?
Our Constitution is specific when it prohibits a "religious test" for "any office or public trust" -- Article VI, Paragraph III.
That doesn't mean that voters are prohibited from taking a person's faith (or lack thereof) into account when deciding for whom they will vote. No law could stop them.
Past elections have been decided when some Catholics voted for a Catholic politician because of their shared religion and Protestants voted against a Catholic because they did not share that faith.
Now come two Mormons -- former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman -- and two evangelical Christians -- former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann. There is confusion and division within once nearly solid evangelical ranks over what to do.
Some evangelicals say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president, even though Romney and Huntsman seem, on the surface, to fit with many of the political viewpoints of the majority of politically conservative Christians on social issues such as abortion and same-sex "marriage" (though Huntsman favors "civil unions" and Romney has been on both sides of this issue, as well as abortion, more than once).
Congressmen Vow To Fight For Your Right To Wasteful Light Bulbs
There are only a few months to go before a long-awaited ban on inefficient light bulbs kicks in. And even though Congressional opponents of the regulation failed yesterday in their bid to stop it, they have vowed to continue to fight for your right to buy cheap light bulbs that run up high electric bills.
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Dodge Recalls 242,000 Ram Pickups Over Steering Concerns
Because they don't want you possibly smashing up your truck — or anyone else's vehicle — the folks at Dodge have issued a recall on more than 240,000 Ram pickup trucks over concerns about the tie rod assembly in the front steering system.
According to NHTSA, the left tie rod ball stud may fracture — typically during a "low-speed parking lot type maneuver when the customer is making a tight turn — which could result in the loss of directional stability in the left front wheel. All of which could lead to your truck going crash boom bang.
Reports Of Suspected Elder Financial Abuse On The Rise
A state law mandating that bank and credit union employees report suspected financial abuse of elders has resulted in a rising number of reports, including one that led investigators to a Sacramento-area attorney accused of squandering a 94-year-old man’s wealth while gambling, golfing and dining out.
The 2005 law, which is scheduled to fall off the books in 2013, requires bank employees to report suspicious financial activity to a local Adult Protective Services office.
Such reports filed with the county offices are on the rise, with 1,730 filed in the first four months of 2008 compared with 2,132 filed during the first four months of this year, according to data compiled by the state Department of Social Services. Since 2005, the number of confirmed cases of elder financial abuse went from 1,375 to 1,654, records for the first four months of each year show.
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The 2005 law, which is scheduled to fall off the books in 2013, requires bank employees to report suspicious financial activity to a local Adult Protective Services office.
Such reports filed with the county offices are on the rise, with 1,730 filed in the first four months of 2008 compared with 2,132 filed during the first four months of this year, according to data compiled by the state Department of Social Services. Since 2005, the number of confirmed cases of elder financial abuse went from 1,375 to 1,654, records for the first four months of each year show.
More
National Archives Hires Wikipedian in Residence
Without the National Archives' new "Wikipedian in residence," the only way anyone would be able to see Ansel Adams' collection of 220 photos would be to visit the archives in person.
But now, thanks to a new partnership between the archives and Wikipedia, the entire collection can easily be viewed on Wikimedia Commons, part of an effort to make information housed at the nation's repository more easily accessible.
Dominic McDevitt-Parks bears the title Wikipedian in residence, and it's his job to organize and publicize collections — even ones already online but sometimes all but hidden on the official archives website — from his cubicle at an archives' office near the University of Maryland, College Park.
"My nerdy side is attracted to the idea of spending my free time writing for an encyclopedia," the 24-year-old said. "They've really emphasized open access. In the past, [information] was in the public domain, but it wasn't in the public."
SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
JULY 18, 2011
1:30 P.M.
CONFERENCE ROOM 306
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING
1:30 p.m. Briefing on agreement with the Community Foundation – Barbara Duncan
• K-9/Mounted Unit Fund • Scholarship Fund
2:00 p.m. Loading zone at Sandi’s One Stop (Delaware Avenue) – Barbara Duncan
2:10 p.m. Exemption from sprinkler requirement – Bill Holland
2:50 p.m. Towing licenses (Fee collection) – Council/Gerri Moore
3:05 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Follow-up on Ethics Ordinance – Council/Paul Wilber
4:00 p.m. Follow-up on Tenants’ Rights Lease Addendum /Ordinance– Council/Paul Wilber
4:30 p.m. Inspection issues – Tom Stevenson
Foreclosed property registry – Tom Stevenson
5:15 p.m. Dinner Break
5:45 p.m. Follow up discussion on Ordinance No. 2162 – amending Chapter 15 Housing of the Salisbury Municipal Code relating to the Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals – Council
6:15 p.m. General discussion/upcoming agendas (open discussion on breaches of confidentiality,workflow/
council rules, member priorities, etc.)
Adjournment following open discussion
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