Robert W. Jackson III Executed Early Friday Morning

Smyrna —

While most of Delaware slept, a bleak chapter in the lives of a Hockessin family was finally put to rest after nearly two decades.

Robert W. Jackson III, the man convicted in the 1992 ax murder of 47-year-old Elizabeth Girardi during a botched robbery, was executed by lethal injection at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center north of Smyrna. He was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m.

Jackson’s last meal consisted of steak, a baked potato, potato skins, corn and a soda. During his final days, he has been sleeping, eating, reading, writing letters, talking with staff, and visiting with family and his attorneys, according to the Department of Corrections.

Governor Jack Markell denied Jackson’s request for a reprieve, and two requests Wednesday by his lawyers to delay the execution went ungranted.

At 12:02 a.m. the execution began in the execution chamber. Witnesses watched Jackson, dressed in all white, strapped down to table with intravenous lines in each arm. James T. Vaughn Correctional Center Warden Perry Phelps asked Jackson if he had any last words.

Jackson at first directed his words to Christopher and Claudia – the victim’s surviving children.

“Are the Girardis in there? If you are in there, I've never faulted you for your anger. I would have been mad myself," he said. "[But] I didn’t take your mother from you.”

Jackson then hinted that his accomplice, Tony Lachette, was actually the guilty party in the case. Indeed, his lawyers argues that Lachette privately confessed to the killing to a number of people, but those claims were never corroborated by investigators.

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Washington Spending 101

How to Stop the Explosion of Debt

Here’s a quick new online class for those wondering how to stop the explosion of debt. It’s Washington Spending 101.



As President Reagan said, “Only a constitutional amendment will do the job. We've tried the carrot, and it failed. With the stick of a balanced budget amendment, we can stop government’s squandering, overtaxing ways, and save our economy.”

Just a few weeks ago, the Balanced Budget Amendment wasn’t even a part of the conversation in Washington, despite the overwhelming support it has among the American public. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of House Republicans, it is now an integral part of the debate over how to solve America’s spending problem and stop the explosion of debt.

BREAKING NEWS: House Defeats Senator Reid’s Deficit-Reduction Bill

The Republican-held House rejects Democratic Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid’s deficit-reduction bill 246-173.
From Fox News

Rep. Harris Votes Against Smoke And Mirrors Reid Plan

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Andy Harris voted against the smoke and mirrors Reid Plan which includes over $1 trillion in imaginary savings. In addition, Senator Reid has repeatedly stated that his was the only plan that could pass both chambers, yet it was rejected by a bipartisan and  overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives.

“I came to Washington to end budget tricks, accounting gimmicks and empty promises,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “The Reid Plan has no Balanced Budget Amendment that would provide the permanent accountability America needs in Washington. In light of yesterday’s grim economic news, we need to end the uncertainty and fear that President Obama and Senator Reid continue to promote. We need to send a strong signal to job creators that we are serious about getting our wasteful spending under control.”

Currently, the U.S. Government has a national debt of $14.5 trillion and runs an annual deficit of $1.65 trillion a year

BREAKING NEWS: House Votes On Senator Reid's Deficit-Reduction Bill

House begins vote on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's deficit-reduction bill.

From Fox News

Today's Survey Question

Who has the best selection and prices of produce in the Salisbury area?

Daily Times To Raise Daily Rates To $1.00

"DAILY TIMES RAISING PRICES IN AUG. TO 1:OO FOR DAILY PAPER. Im done. Gonna stay with SBY NEWS."

This week the Daily Times took until Wednesday to report on a Monday night City Council Meeting. Their printed news is days behind. Their advertising rates are out of this world and God Forbid a Family Member dies, wait until you see what they charge you for an Obituary! Believe me, my Father in Law recently passed and it was a car payment on a Mercedes.

Salisbury News delivers you REAL TIME NEWS, not news that is two or three days behind and certainly not weeks behind either.

If we haven't proven to you that we're the most dedicated source of news, information, human interest and opinion, well, I've wasted 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the past 7 years. In other words, there's no convincing you anyway. Just pay the $1.00 a day rate for old news and I'm sure you'll be happy.

In the mean time, I agree with the comment above.

New Posts to fall below this one.

Judge: Time To Unseal Nixon's Watergate Testimony

WASHINGTON (AP) - Thirty-six years after Richard Nixon testified to a grand jury about the Watergate break-in that drove him from office, a federal judge on Friday ordered the secret transcript made public.

But the 297 pages of testimony won't be available immediately, because the government gets time to decide whether to appeal.

The Obama administration opposed the transcript's release, chiefly to protect the privacy of people discussed during the ex-president's testimony who are still alive.

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Maryland Adds 28,300 Government Jobs In Last Five Years

Maryland has added 28,300 government jobs in the last five years, the second most among the nation's 50 states.

So maybe the movement to shrink the size of government isn’t as strong as you might think. Some of Maryland's federal jobs, to some extent, have been under pressure as government leaders explore ways to reduce spending.

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St. Joseph Medical Center's CEO Resigns

Jeffrey Norman brought in during shake-up following stent scandal

The executive brought in to lead St. Joseph Medical Center as a crisis manager after a doctor was accused of placing unnecessary stents in hundreds of patients resigned Friday without explanation.

Jeffrey K. Norman became chief executive officer during a management shake-up in the fall of 2009, just months after Towson cardiologist Dr. Mark G. Midei stopped practicing at the hospital. Midei has since lost his license to practice medicine.

Norman plans to leave on Aug. 22. Hospital officials said they would begin a search for a successor immediately.

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Editor's Choice - 07/30/2011

These were the five (5) best, or most important, posts for July 29th, as judged by the editors of Salisbury News.

• Salisbury Council Members Vandalized
• Fredericksen Threatens Layoffs, Blames Council Members
• BOE Argues Over Funding
• Harris Urged to Compromise
• Moody’s Puts Maryland, Virginia Localities on Credit Watch

Sussex Council Split Over Variance Fees

GEORGETOWN — Sussex County Council is split over how much citizens should pay in board of adjustment fees.
Councilman Vance Phillips, R-Laurel, is pushing to have the fee reduced by $250. George Cole, R-Ocean View, and Joan Deaver, D-Rehoboth Beach, say the reduction is too drastic; they would prefer a smaller reduction or a tiered system based on what Kent County officials charge.
Under the proposed ordinance, the application fee for all variances would change from $400 to $150. The fee for special-use exceptions would remain at $400 except for a fee of $150 for certain cases: manufactured-home applications under emergency or hardship conditions when nonconforming homes are replaced or placement of more than one home on a farm of 10 acres or more.
READ MORE …

Budget, Debt Worries Plague Troops

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – A half a world away from the Capitol Hill deadlock, the economy and debt crisis are weighing heavily on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
And the top question on their minds Saturday even as bombings rocked the city around them, was one the top U.S. military officer couldn't answer.

Will we get paid?
"I actually don't know how the answer to that question," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a group of troops, while at the same time telling them they will continue to go to work each day.
But he offered a bit more optimism than defense officials have acknowledged when those questions have come up in recent weeks.
"I have confidence that at some point in time, whatever compensation you are owed, you will be given," said Mullen, who is making his 15th trip to Afghanistan, just two months before he retires. But, he noted, "There are plenty of you living paycheck to paycheck so if paychecks were stopped it would have a devastating impact very quickly."
Questions on military spending and how the ongoing budget struggles will impact them dominated the morning meeting at the Kandahar base, and it was the first one Marines asked when he moved on to Camp Leatherneck later..
READ MORE …

Judge Prohibits Texas From Denying Driver’s Licenses to Legal Immigrants

A judge this week ruled this week that Texas can no longer deny driver's licenses to legal immigrants with temporary visas and must issue standard licenses instead of non-standard ones approved by a state panel three years ago.
Judge Orlinda Naranjo said in a ruling Wednesday that the Texas Department of Public Safety exceeded its legal authority when it adopted a policy in 2008 as part of a crackdown on identity theft and fraud that requires immigrants applying for driver's licenses to prove they're in the country legally.

Gov. Rick Perry, a popular choice among Republicans looking for a 2012 GOP presidential contender, supported the policy that was a blueprint for a new law that is set to take effect at the end of this September. Under the law, all legal immigrants with visas authorized for less than one year or scheduled to expire in less than six months are still entitled to standard-issued driver's licenses.
READ MORE …

Are Internet Explorer Users Dumb?

CNN) -- Are users of other Web browsers smarter than the people who use Microsoft's Internet Explorer?
A new survey doesn't quite say so. But it sure as heck suggests it.

The survey by AptiQuant, a Vancouver-based Web consulting company, gave more than 100,000 participants an IQ test, while monitoring which browser they used to take the test.

The result? Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, while Chrome, Firefox and Safari users were slightly above average.

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New York State Passes 'Good Samaritan' Law To Fight Overdose

New York state last week became the largest state in the nation to adopt a “Good Samaritan” law to fight overdose. The law bars arrests and prosecution for personal possession of drugs, paraphernalia or underage drinking when someone calls for help to save the life of an overdose victim.

Overdose—now the leading cause of accidental death in New York and the number one injury-related killer of adults 35-54—is responsible for some 28,000 annual deaths nationally.

Most overdoses occur in the presence of other people and take several hours to cause death. But research finds that in up to half of cases, no one calls for help. 911 calls are also often delayed as witnesses try ineffective methods of reviving people such as slapping them or dousing them with cold water. The most common reason given for not calling 911 or for delaying help-seeking is fear of arrest and prosecution.
“Overall [the new law] really sends a very strong message to law enforcement and the general public that saving lives is much more important than putting people into the criminal justice system,” says Dr. Sharon Stancliff, medical director for the Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC), an organization that advocates for measures to improve the health and lives of drug users, whether or not they desire abstinence.

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Relatives Charged In Murder Of 10-Year-Old Found Locked In Box

CNN) -- Four members of an Arizona family have been charged with murder in the death of a 10-year-old girl whose body was discovered locked in a box outside her family's house. She had suffocated.
The charges were filed Thursday, a day after Phoenix police arrested the four.

Police released a statement saying the four relatives of Ame Deal had been entrusted with caring for her. The arrest came after police said they learned that the family routinely confined her inside the box when she misbehaved.

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World Population Predicted To Hit 7 Billion This Year

If this keeps up, things are going to get crowded.

A new study shows that the earth's population will hit 7 billion in 2011, which is double what it was in the 1960s, according to Discovery News. What's more, researchers predict that another 2.3 billion people will be added to our planet over the next 39 years. In case you were wondering, that's a lot of people in not a lot of time.

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Telomere Length Suggests Poor People Age Faster

CBS) Can being poor speed aging? How about eating poorly? A new Scottish study says yes to both questions, and the answer lies in a person's telomeres.

Which begs the question - what are telomeres? They are the cap-like molecular structures on the tips of the chromosomes that scientists say are closely linked to biological age.

"We know that people who are born with shorter telomeres than normal also have a shorter lifespan," Dr. Maria Blasco of the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, told The Independent in May. She created a $700 test that supposedly predicts aging by measuring telomeres.

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Alas, Gay Marriage Will Yield Gay Divorce. Prenups Are In Order

As gay couples in New York gear up for the first full weekend during which they're eligible to tie the knot, someone they hope they'll never run into has a few words of caution: be careful.

That someone is the divorce lawyer, the antidote to petits fours and place settings, with an admonishment to homosexual brides- and grooms-to-be to legally protect themselves before saying "I do." “Not to take a bloom off this romantic rose, but as people are lining up for marriage licenses, it's something to think about,” says Lois Liberman, a divorce attorney and partner at Blank Rome LLP, one of New York City's largest matrimonial firms.

Sometimes, the sheer act of getting married is enough to torpedo a relationship. “I would hate to call that a trend, but I've seen people together for 18 years, then they finally got married, and after several years, the chafing of legal bounds do a number on people,” says Liberman.

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