Salisbury News

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Pumping Station

Lots of activity late last night and early this morning at the sewage pumping station located at the end of South Blvd. and Ridge Rd.

Commentary: Taxes Are Sinking Maryland

Federal government data show that Maryland’s economic engine is sputtering. Taxpayers, businesses and jobs are fleeing the state in greater proportion to other jurisdictions in the region. To diagnose engine problems, mechanics first look under the hood, so let’s start there.

Maryland saw the largest taxpayer exodus in the region between 2007 and 2010, with nearly 31,000 residents having left the state, according to the latest IRS figures. Most of them, nearly 11,500 individuals in taxpayer households, went to Virginia. The net loss to Maryland — and Virginia’s gain — is $390 million in annual incomes. A surprising close second in attracting former Marylanders is North Carolina. Combined, that amounts to almost $700 million in annual incomes streaming down the Interstate 95 corridor.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reassured Egypt's new Islamist president on Monday that the United States would forge ahead with plans to expand economic assistance despite anti-American protests that cast new shadows over U.S. engagement with the region.

Clinton met Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in New York, where both are attending this week'sU.N. General Assembly meeting, and reinforced the Obama administration's continued commitment to provide both military and economic aid for Cairo, a senior State Department official said.

"What he heard from the secretary is that she is committed to following through on what she has said we will do," the official said following the 45-minute meeting.

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Howard Stern Exposes Obama Supporters 2012

Today's Survey Question 9-25-12

Are dollar store deals worth it?

Genes Determine How Fat Soda Makes You

Certain genetic markers may explain why some people who drink similar amounts of soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages are more likely to be obese than others.

Participants in a new study who had more of these markers were at a greater risk of obesity than those with fewer markers — and the more sugar-sweetened beverages

that people drank, the wider the gap grew between the groups, in terms of obesity risk.

These markers are not new to science — people who have them are thought to be genetically prone to obesity

But little was known about how lifestyle factors, such as the type of food and beverages that people consume, influence weight gain

for people with these markers.

Pepco Union To Vote On Contract; Strike Possible

Union workers at the Pepco utility company are scheduled to vote this week on a contract proposal.

The Washington Post reports that union members will vote on the offer Wednesday, and that the two sides haven't been able to agree on a contract despite help from a mediator. The workers could go on strike if they reject the deal, or Pepco could lock them out.

It would be the first strike at Pepco since 1985, when union members walked out for five days.

A 19-year-old cancer survivor from Towson developed a steadfast ritual that paid off in a short period of time with a $250,000 prize from Mega Millions.

For just more than a year, Nick Ruth has purchased Mega Millions tickets from the 7-Eleven store closest to his job in the 8500 block of Loch Raven Boulevard in Towson. On Friday, Ruth wasn't scheduled to work but he went to the store because it "just felt right."

Over the weekend, Ruth realized his ticket matched five of the six numbers drawn.

New lunch guidelines passed in 2010 as part of Michelle Obama’s health initiative (the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act) limit the amount of calories school lunches can provide.
The number, 850, is forcing many to go hungry, as the restrictions don’t account for active vs. inactive students or boys vs. girls.
One group of teens (with the help of teachers) in Kansas created a video mocking the restrictions called “We Are Hungry” and it’s gone viral.
Some Republican lawmakers are trying to get the calorie limits repealed.

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High School Grads’ Reading Skills Hit New Low; Most Not College-Ready

Most of the nation’s 2012 high school graduates aren’t ready for college, and their reading skills continue to steadily decline, hitting their lowest level in four decades, new data show.

Annual SAT results, released on Monday by the College Board, show that just 43 percent of college-bound students are prepared for the next level of their education and are likely to maintain a B-minus average or better during their first year of university classes. Fifty-seven percent didn’t clear the 1550 college and career readiness benchmark, the figures show.

WCSO Press Releases 9-25-12

Incident: Assault on a Deputy
Date of Incident: 13 September 2012
Location: 2702 N. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Michael D. Conaway, 19, Mardela Springs, MD

Narrative: On 13 September 2012 at 3:40 PM, an off-duty deputy was inside the Wal-Mart on N.
Salisbury Blvd when his assistance was requested with a shop lifting in progress. The deputy approached
an individual identified as the suspect in the parking lot who allegedly had stolen a knife. Upon contact
with this individual, later identified as Michael Conaway, the deputy retrieved a knife from the pants
Conaway was wearing and placed him under arrest for theft. In Conaway’s other pocket, the deputy
located what the deputy recognized as marijuana. Even though Conaway was handcuffed, he became
extremely belligerent while yelling out curse words to the disruption of other patrons. The deputy had to
assist Conaway to a stationary position, during which Conaway kicked the deputy.
Conaway was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the
District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Conaway in the
Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2
nd
Degree
Possession of Marijuana
Disorderly Conduct
Theft

Incident: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 23 September 2012
Location: Nanticoke Road at Westbrook Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Andre Gaskins, 39, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 23 September 2012 at 2:43 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office
stopped a vehicle that the deputy observed travelling northbound on Nanticoke Road. What drew the
attention of the deputy was that the operator of this vehicle was flashing its high beam headlights and
honking the horn. Upon stopping the vehicle, the deputy detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from
within the vehicle that was operated by Andre Gaskins. Due to the suspicion that Gaskins was under the
influence of alcohol, the deputy administered sobriety testing that Gaskins performed poorly on. The
deputy subsequently placed Gaskins under arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.
The deputy transported Gaskins for processing, during which Gaskins did not provide a breath sample.
Gaskins was released upon the issuance of citations.
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident: Violation of a Protective Order
Date of Incident: 23 September 2012
Location: 700 block of Gunby Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Pete E. Truitt, 42, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 23 September 2012 at 8:49 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office
responded for a report of a Protective Order violation in the 700 block of Gunby Road in Salisbury. Upon
arrival, the deputy learned that Pete Truitt had come to residence in violation of a Protective Order that
had been issued and served on Truitt back in June of 2012. The deputy located Truitt nearby who
admitted to the deputy that he had come to the residence prior to the deputy’s arrival. Truitt advised the
deputy that he was well aware of the order as he had just completed serving a period of incarceration the
previous week that had been imposed after he violated the order back in June.
The deputy placed Truitt under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was
processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the
Commissioner released Truitt on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Violation of a Protective Order

Hopkins Gets $7.4M Grant For Math, Science Ed

Johns Hopkins University has been awarded a $7.4 million grant to help boost science and math learning in Baltimore elementary schools.

The grant was announced Monday by members of Maryland's congressional delegation.

The money will be awarded over a five-year period. It comes from the National Science Foundation.

Bands Will Take The Field Saturday, Oct. 13 For The 2012 Delmarvacade Of Bands

Lights. Music. Marching. One of the most exciting and uplifting nights of the marching band season is coming up Saturday, Oct. 13, when Parkside High School and the Parkside Band Boosters present the 2012 Delmarvacade of Bands at Wicomico County Stadium.

High school marching bands from throughout the region will fill Wicomico County Stadium that night with the exciting sights and sounds of their field show as bands tune up for the impending championship events.

Between bands, parents, and spectators, the Delmarvacade is expected to draw thousands of people to the stadium. Bands will compete starting at 6:30 p.m., with each band performing the kind of field show people are accustomed to seeing at halftime of football games. Each performance will last seven to 12 minutes, and a new band will take the field about every 15 minutes. (Rain date for this event is 2 p.m Sunday, Oct. 14.)

The event is sponsored by Parkside High School and its Band Boosters. It will be adjudicated by professional judges of the National Judges Association. Bands will be judged on every aspect of their field show, including both musical and visual elements, individual and group elements, as well as the overall general effect of the show. Each band will receive a score based on a 100-point scale, and a trophy.

Bands will compete in four categories, depending on the number of instrumentalists in the band. Parkside High and Bennett are in Group 3 and Wicomico is in Group 2. Parkside, as host, will perform in exhibition. There will be an awards ceremony at the end of the night.

Marching bands often stay all evening, even after they have competed. "They support each other, even though they are rivals," says Gary Beauchamp, supervisor of fine and performing arts for Wicomico schools and the founder of the event in 1977. Students know they are competing not just against each other, but against their own previous performances, trying to make this one just a little bit better.

Admission to Delmarvacade of Bands is $5. A program detailing the participants, with a score sheet to keep track of how the bands are doing, is $5. The Parkside Band Boosters will donate $1 from each program sold to Women Supporting Women of Salisbury.

For information call Kevin Zaczkiewicz, Parkside High School band director, at 410-677-5161.

Student Volunteer Trains Service Guide Dogs

Between class, homework and staying active with the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, senior government and politics major Emily Zier has one more responsibility on her hands — raising a 1-year-old black labrador named Rhonda.

And Rhonda — or Ronnie, as Zier likes to call her — is no ordinary canine; Zier is training her to be a service guide dog to assist the blind and visually impaired.

As a volunteer for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc., Zier’s job is to socialize, house train and teach Ronnie commands for about a year until she’s ready to be paired with an owner. And because the dog cannot be left alone for more than one hour, the busy student has to take Ronnie with her everywhere she goes — to class, to work and even to social events.

Raise Federal Salaries

Two government-focused think tanks are urging the next president to raise federal salaries. They cite the 60 percent of federal workers eligible to retire in the next few years. The recommendation comes in the latest policy memo from the American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration. They say the government should reduce the disparity between federal and private sector pay. One way is widening the range of salaries available to individuals within their GS category.

Police Investigate Bomb Threat At Dulles Airport

Two garages at Washington Dulles International Airport have reopened after police investigated a bomb threat Monday night.

No bomb was found.

First reports about a problem came through just before 9 p.m. Monday as people on Twitter began expressing concern and asking questions while several passengers called into WTOP.

MWAA spokeswoman Kim Gibbs told WTOP they and police were investigating a bomb threat.

Hospitals Now On Radar Screen

The Obama administration has sent letters to hospital trade associations. It warns their members not to use electronic medical records to jack up Medicare payments. The letters came from Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Published reports have said some hospitals use online systems to overstate the severity of patient conditions so they get higher payments. Hospitals say Medicare lags in updating its computerized coding system.

MUST WATCH: ARMY WIFE AND SOLDIER HUSBAND HAVE TEARFUL REUNION ON STAGE AT TOBY KEITH CONCERT

In arguably one of the most touching moments of the year, country singer Toby Keith surprised the wife of a soldier fighting in Afghanistan by reuniting her with her husband on stage during one of his concerts.

After pulling the surprised woman on stage during a Sept. 8 show in Houston, Texas, Keith began to play his hit song “American Soldier,” dedicating it to her husband, Maj. Pete Cruise (or Cruz, spelling wasn’t provided), who the woman thought was still in Afghanistan.

Home schooling does have its merits

I was eating breakfast with my 10-year-old Granddaughter and I asked her, "What day is tomorrow?"; She said "It's President's Day!"

She is a smart kid. I asked "What does President's Day mean?"
I was waiting for something about Washington or Lincoln .... etc.

She replied, "President's Day is when President Obama steps out of the White House, and if he sees his shadow, we have 4 more years of Bull S*!t."

You know, It hurts when hot coffee spurts out your nose!

Unlikely Predators Helping To Control Stink Bugs

An unlikely ally will help keep stink bugs out of many regional homes this fall, according to one bug expert.

Many indigenous insect species are "switching over" and dining on stink bugs, says Mike Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland. More effective insecticides with specific purposes are also proving successful in controlling the spread of this bothersome invader.

"This may be part of the reason we've had fewer problems with our crops so far," he says. "The good news here is we've come up with a lot of solutions."

Attention