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Thursday, May 12, 2016

House Fire In Salisbury

SFD has been dispatched to the 500 block Collins Street for a structure fire. Reporting party says smoke is showing and people are jumping out of windows. 

SFD on scene with fire showing on the first floor of a 1400 sq foot duplex.

Update: This is a 3 unit apartment building. 

The Fire Marshal has been requested.

Situation is under control at this time. 

MPT announces national entertainment lineup for LZ Maryland Vietnam veterans tribute event

National name acts from Vietnam era include The Association and The Lovin’ Spoonful

Motortown All-Stars, U.S. Air Force Band, and USO/Bob Hope style show on tap

OWINGS MILLS, MD –
Maryland Public Television’s public event saluting the region’s Vietnam veterans, LZ Maryland, will feature a variety of music and entertainment acts from the Vietnam era during its two-day run on June 18 - 19 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

The Father’s Day weekend event welcomes and honors Vietnam veterans and their families from Maryland and nearby states and is part of the multi-million dollar MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans initiative. LZ Maryland admission is free for veterans, active-duty military, Gold Star survivors, and those age 12 and under. Entry is only $5 for all other attendees. Free and paid tickets are available at mpt.org/lzmaryland.

The Association, one of the most popular bands of the 1960s, take the LZ Maryland stage on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Inducted recently into America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame, The Association had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts including "Windy," "Cherish," “Never My Love” and "Along Comes Mary" and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group The Lovin’ Spoonful performs its set on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Combining folk music and rock ‘n’ roll, with a touch of country, The Lovin’ Spoonful produced such memorable 1960s hits as "Do You Believe in Magic," "Daydream," "You Didn't Have to be So Nice," "Nashville Cats" and the 1966 anthem "Summer in the City."

The Motortown All-Stars perform on Saturday at 8 p.m. The group comprises vocalists drawn from several acts that made the Motown sound famous. The Motortown All-Stars features members of The Capitols, The Miracles (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees) and former members of The Temptations. In addition to their former groups’ hits, they perform songs made famous by The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder.

On Sunday, June 19, the LZ Maryland entertainment lineup includes the 50th Anniversary Tribute to the 1966 USO Show that featured Bob Hope’s troupe of Hollywood gypsies at Da Nang, Cu Chi, Pleiku, Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. The 11 a.m. show features Bob Hope tribute artist Bill Johnson, USO veteran performer Michelle DellaFave, as well as Kim Walters re-creating the role of Anita Bryant and Camron Robertson as Vic Damone as they visited the front lines during Christmas 1966. Robertson is an Elkton, MD, native.

The United States Air Force Band, one of the world’s most respected, versatile and accomplished musical organizations, performs at LZ Maryland on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. From its beginnings in 1941 to today's 179-member premier musical organization, The U.S. Air Force Band continues the tradition of representing the Air Force and its more than 400,000 dedicated active-duty and Air National Guard members to a global audience.

LZ Maryland also will feature solemn ceremonies to salute Marylanders killed or missing in action; the stirring conclusion of a nearly 1,100 motorcycle “Honor Ride”; a helicopter flyover; “The Wall That Heals,” the traveling half-size replica of Washington, D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial; a memorial of 1,017 empty white chairs on the racetrack infield in silent tribute to Marylanders killed or missing in action; a 120’ x 140’ “Tour of Duty” map of Southeast Asia manufactured so that veterans, family members and other attendees can walk on it, sign it, or make other notations; and displays of Vietnam-era aircraft, vehicles and other artifacts. Refreshments, reunion areas, and educational activities are also on tap.

Information on the MPT Vietnam project can be found at mpt.org/vietnam and at social media sites @MPTSalutesVets on Twitter and MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans on Facebook.

Governor Larry Hogan: State Government Needs to be Better Organized

Congressman Andy Harris Announces 2016 Congressional Art Competition Winner

Queen Anne’s County Student Wins Congressional Art Competition-

WASHINGTON, DC:
Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2016 Congressional Art Competition: Nuobing Amy Fan, a junior at The Gunston School in Centreville, Maryland. Amy’s water color painting, which is untitled, depicts a marsh scene on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year.

“I was impressed by Amy’s ability to illustrate the beauty of the Eastern Shore through her painting, and I am proud to see her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for all to enjoy,” said Congressman Harris. “All of this year’s participants were impressive and I thank every student who submitted their work. An abundance of imagination, creativity, and talent was evident in each piece.”

“When I was given this assignment to paint anything that I wanted, I thought about the local scenery. My hometown in China is surrounded by mountains. When I moved to Centerville, Maryland I was instantly drawn to the water views,” said Amy. “Every day on the way to school we cross a bridge that is surrounded by a marshy creek which inspired this painting.”

“As an artist, Amy works tirelessly on the details until she is completely satisfied. She often re-works an area several times until she is happy with it,” said Ben Dize, Amy’s art teacher at The Gunston School.

Both the Congressman and a professional artist from his district, Ric Conn of the Queen Anne's Arts Council, judged the artwork and the winner was decided by a vote by constituents on Facebook. The Congressman and Mr. Conn, with the help of constituents throughout the district, also selected a 2nd- and 3rd-place winner, while the Congressman’s Facebook followers voted for a “Social Media Fan Favorite” winner. They are as follows: “Spoon” by Matthew Hoffstetter of The Gunston School (2nd place), and “Angry Lewis” by Sydney Kay of Queen Anne’s County High School (3rd place). The “Social Media Fan Favorite” winner was “Eye of Nefarious Book Cover” by Dominique Ramsey of James M. Bennett High School. You can see all submissions and winning pieces on Congressman Harris’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AndyHarrisMD.

Since 1982, the U.S. House of Representatives has sponsored this competition to acknowledge the artistic talents of high school students from each Congressional district throughout the country. Each Congressional district selects one winner, and that student has the opportunity to display his or her artwork for one year in the U.S. Capitol building. The student’s pieces are displayed alongside other gifted high school artwork from across the country.

Massachusetts teacher killed in mall stabbing remembered as hero who confronted attacker

The Massachusetts school teacher killed in Tuesday’s stabbing rampage at a mall was remembered as a hero for confronting the knife-wielding assailant who was attacking a waitress.

George Heath, a 56-year-old teacher in New Bedford, was eating dinner with his wife at Bertucci’s restaurant when they were interrupted by screaming. A waitress was being stabbed by 28-year-old Arthur DaRosa.

Heath, a father of two, confronted DaRosa and after some grappling was stabbed in the head, Thomas Quinn, the Bristol County district attorney said. DaRosa was later shot in the abdomen by an off-duty sheriff’s deputy and died from his wounds at a nearby hospital. Heath died minutes later.

Heath’s wife, Rosemary, recalled the attack on WCVB-TV. She said DaRosa had the back of the waitress’ shirt in his hand and kept stabbing the woman.

“I think [Heath] went down low, to try and get him around the elbows, and [DaRosa] pulled her arm back and stabbed my husband in the head.”

“We lost a good man,” she said.

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Retired men are deep thinkers

I mowed the lawn today, and after doing so I sat down and had a
cold beer. The day was really quite beautiful, and the drink facilitated
some deep thinking. My wife walked by and asked me what I was
doing, and I said 'nothing'.

The reason I said 'nothing' instead of saying 'just thinking' is because
she then would have asked 'about what?' At that point I would have
had to explain that men are deep thinkers about various topics, which
would lead to other questions.

Finally I pondered an age old question:  Is giving birth more painful
than getting kicked in the nuts?  Women always maintain that giving
birth is way more painful than a guy getting kicked in the nuts, but
how could they "know"?

Well, after another beer, and some more heavy deductive thinking,
I have come up with an answer to that question.

Getting kicked in the nuts is more painful than having a baby, and
even though I obviously couldn't really "know", here is the reason
for my conclusion.  A year or so after giving birth, a woman will
often say, "It might be nice to have another child."

On the other hand, you never hear a guy say, "You know, I think
I would like another kick in the nuts."

I rest my case.  Time for another beer,
and then maybe a nap in that hammock.

USPS calls on Congress to fix its ‘fundamental financial challenges’

The U.S. Postal Service fared better this financial quarter than it did last year, but the Postmaster General says Congress has been slow to remove a weight around the agency’s neck.

USPS increased its “controllable” income in the second quarter to $576 million, compared to $313 million last year. These figures account for operational costs like workers’ compensation and benefits.

However, Postmaster General Megan Brennan said that progress shouldn’t “mask the fundamental financial challenges” that the Postal Service faces.

Factoring in the USPS’ obligation to pre-fund health benefits for future postal retirees, however, the agency actually registered a $2 billion net loss this quarter. Combined with the Postal Regulatory Commission’s reduction of postal rates on April 10, Brennan said the agency can’t go on like this without major postal reform from Congress.

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Senate panel keeps military pay raise at 1.6 percent, reforms TRICARE

The House and the Senate may have to do some compromising in the near future over funding for military pay increases in 2017.

The Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee is funding military pay raises next year to the President’s request of 1.6 percent.

That’s in contrast to the House Armed Services Committee’s 2.1 percent increase in its version of the 2017 defense authorization bill.

During a May 10 markup, the Senate personnel subcommittee unanimously passed its section of the 2017 bill.

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SHOCKING Fox Sex Scandal Just Got WAY WORSE

Married White House chief correspondent for Fox News Ed Henry’s future with the network is in doubt following a report that he sent a picture of his manhood to Las Vegas hostess Natalia Lima.

Henry — wed to NPR deputy Washington editor Shirley Hung — is off the air following a story saying he had an affair with Lima in 2015.

Now the National Enquirer‎ is reporting Henry sent Lima raunchy sexts plus a picture of his penis — which, mercifully, the publication pixilated.

Sources say Henry has a “morality clause” in his contract, which means he could be fired if he does anything to embarrass the network.

Source: Page Six

ISIS Sleeper Found in New York

I hope these young men like Guantanamo Bay:

An Uzbek citizen has become the sixth individual to be charged for participating in a New York-based conspiracy to provide support to the militant group Islamic State, U.S. prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Azizjon Rakhmatov, 28, was arrested earlier in the day and charged in an indictment filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to Islamic State and conspiring to use a firearm.

U.S. authorities have charged at least 85 people since 2014 with crimes related to Islamic State, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq and has claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people.

In court papers, prosecutors said Rakhmatov belonged to a domestic support network for individuals seeking to join Islamic State, donating his money and working to raise funds to help others to travel to Syria to join and fight for the group.

The investigation began when Abdurasul Juraboev, an Uzbek national living in Brooklyn, came to law enforcement's attention after making a post on an Uzbek-language website that supported Islamic State, prosecutors said.

The probe revealed that Juraboev and a Kazakh national living in New York, Akhror Saidakhmetov, planned to travel to Turkey and then to Syria to join Islamic State, prosecutors said.

Source: AAN

Broadway in Salisbury's 42nd Street Cancelled

Salisbury, MD – The May 16th performance of 42nd Street has been cancelled. Ticket holders who paid with credit card will be automatically refunded within five working days. Ticket holders who paid with cash will have to return their tickets to the box office to receive a full refund.

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions, please call 410-548-4911.

Detroit Public Schools principal: Kickbacks spent on jewelry, perfume

A former principal who spent 28 years working for the Detroit Public Schools pleaded guilty to bribery today, admitting she accepted roughly $22,000 in kickbacks from a vendor and spent the money two ways: buying jewelry, perfume and clothing for herself and helping her school.

"Other than the gift cards, it was used for the schools," ex-DPS principal Gerlma Johnson said today in U.S. District Court, where she sought to explain how she spent the rewards she received for helping a vendor submit phony invoices for paper and other school supplies.

Johnson, 60, former principal at Charles Drew Academy and Earhart Elementary-Middle School, admitted that she accepted $22,884 in kickbacks as a thank you for helping school supply vendor Norman Shy bill DPS for materials that were not delivered. Under the terms of her plea agreement, she faces 24-30 months in prison when she is sentenced in September.

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Subject: BREAKING: SMOKING GUN Docs Show What Hillary Clinton Knew About Benghazi All Along (WHOA!)

The conservative lawyers at Judicial Watch just blew the lid off of the massive Obama White House cover-up after the Islamic terrorist attack at the American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. This is Earth shattering news, and has devastating consequences for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.


The damning files obtained by Judicial Watch show State Department officials under Hillary Clinton’s command blatantly lied about the attack which killed four Americans in November 2012. It was not, as once stated, an escalation of a demonstration against an absurd YouTube video but rather a coordinated assault by Islamist terrorists on the US Embassy in Tunisia.

The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Command Center, also know DSCC, produced a memo obtained by the Washington-based government watchdog group entitled, “Emergency Message to U.S. Citizens: Demonstrations.” The DSCC would have known the true nature of the attack since it monitored the situation via drone.

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Man invents toilet seat that glows to help you go in the dark

LEBANON, Pa. (WENN) — When American man Dave Reynolds hurt himself in the bathroom one night, he decided that no one should ever have to go through the same ordeal. So, he invented the world's first glow-in-the-dark toilet seat that can be spotted and used safely in the dark. Thanks to his creation, you don't need to worry about fumbling with the light switch or tripping in the dark anymore.

"It eliminates the problem of not knowing where you are or where you're going," said Reynolds, a former employee of Virgin Records. "This could help anyone from a grandparent to children."

He first got the idea for the unique product when he suffered a bathroom mishap shortly after moving to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 2012. "I went to the bathroom one night and literally fell off the toilet in the dark," he recalled. "On my way down, I felt something was wrong. I bounced off the toilet, fell to the ground and halfway into the bathtub. The next morning I was all banged and bruised and I told my family what had happened and, of course, they all laughed at me."

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TRANSGENDERS PRESS VA TO COVER OPERATIONS

Transgender veterans have sent a petition to the Department of Veterans Affairs demanding the feds cover sex-change operations as part and parcel of their medical offerings.

“I served my country with pride and I should be treated just like my fellow veterans who have access to the treatment they need,” said Dee Fulcher, one of the petitioners, the Hill reported.

Lambda Legal joined with the Transgender Law Center to file the petition on behalf of Fulcher and another transgender who served in the military, Gio Silva. Other petitioners include the Transgender American Veterans Association, a group that boasts 2,200 or more members.

VA benefits already give some care for transgenders, including hormone replacement therapy and before-after surgical attention. But the feds don’t cover mastectomies or implants for transgenders and this is what petitioners are fighting to receive. Their argument: The VA covers mastectomies and penile implants for veterans suffering cancer and injuries, so why not for transgenders as well?

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Parents fight back after social worker confiscates newborn

Lawyers representing a Pennsylvania mom and dad whose newborn daughter was confiscated – reportedly without reason – when she was born are arguing a trial is needed in the case to assign liability, injury and damages.

The case developed a few years back when the social worker, Angelica Lopez-Heagy, came to the new mom’s hospital room and announced she was investigating.

When the mom wanted to know the allegations, Lopez-Heagy refused to answer, and when the mom said she couldn’t answer without knowing what was happening, the social worker called police and took custody of the newborn.

A judge returned custody to the parents within a day, but officials with the Home School Legal Defense Association have been fighting for the parents’ rights since then because of the egregious nature of the constitutional violations.
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Governor Larry Hogan: Fee Reductions & Eliminations Press Conference - May 12, 2016

Lawsuit: Annapolis police detained wrong man, beat him and used racial slur

A Hyattsville man sued the City of Annapolis and two city police officers in federal court Monday, claiming he was unlawfully detained, beaten and insulted with racial slurs by police officers in 2014.

Towhee A. Sparrow Jr. claims in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore that the incident has left him with lasting injuries and is part of a pattern of police abuse already the subject of three previous lawsuits dating back to 2008. He is seeking in excess of $75,000, the minimum threshold for a damage complaint to be filed in federal court.

Rhonda Wardlaw, city spokeswoman, said the city has not been served and has not seen the lawsuit. The Annapolis Police Department declined to comment on the pending litigation.

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Quarter Auction To Benefit Terry Franz




We are holding a Quarter Auction on Saturday June 1 1, 2016, at VFW in Federalsburg, MD. The purpose of this quarter auction is to raise much needed funds for medical treatment for Terry Franz.

Terry Franz is a hard working man,-husband, father, son, brother, uncle and much more who was diagnosed with bone cancer April of 2016. As a family and close knit community we have come together to fight this terrible disease with him. Terry was taken out of work for the time being as the bone cancer has made him weak and very ill. Since he was just di-agnosed 2 weeks ago this has been a life altering event and there is now only one income coming into the household. The family will be making trips for his appointments and depend-ing on where they send him may have to go across the bridge for those doctor's appoint-

ments. This quarter auction is to raise funds for medical treatments and mounting costs of di-agnostics. His medical insurance may not cover everything and the bills can get overwhelm-ing.

We are asking for any type of donation that we can auction off at this quarter auction. This could be in the form of a gift certificate, monetary, gift baskets or merchandise. No do-nation is too small.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer Henry at

410-603-2244 or Jessica Minton at 443-786-4547. The mailing address for items will be P.O. Box 24 Hurlock MD 21643 Attention Jennifer Henry or Jessica Minton or we can pick up items if we need to, just contact Jessica or Jennifer.

Thank you for taking the time to consider a donation!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Henry and Jessica Minton

Delmarva Power Launches New Easy-Access Solar Application



Improved process will assist customers and vendors 
interested in solar power

SALISBURY, Md. – Delmarva Power is making it easier for customers to install solar panels on their rooftops and connect them to the electric distribution system. The changes will allow customers, who are interested in installing solar panels, to bypass the paper process and instead complete a convenient online application. The other change allows an authorized contractor who is selling, leasing or installing the solar panels to quickly get customer information they need to enable installation.

“This quicker and easier access to solar power is another benefit of our company’s recent merger with Exelon,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “We’re responding to customer feedback and helping support the growth of solar power in Delaware and Maryland.”

As part of the merger, Exelon agreed to a number of commitments to foster the development of solar power in Delaware and Maryland.