According to the body camera footage of the incident, it is clear that there is no violent struggle.
Athens, GA — In June, Athens-Clarke County police officer Jonathan Fraser was responding to a call about a drunk college kid.
If you read the report that Fraser, who has a long and tarnished history filed, you would think that this hero cop diffused a dangerous situation and successfully defended himself against an intoxicated attacker. And, that’s exactly what his fellow officers thought — until the body cam footage was reviewed.
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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, August 13, 2015
Recent Fire Results in Multiple Charges for Easton Man
According to the caller, at approximately 5 a.m., an unknown person poured gasoline on the porch of the two-story, six unit apartment building and lit it on fire. Occupants of several ground floor units noticed the odor of gasoline, and after discovering the fire, extinguished the flames prior to notifying authorities. At the time of the fire, the building was occupied by over 30 people, many of whom were asleep.
An investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the Ocean City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, found that the fire was incendiary in nature. Investigators identified Luke Vincent Howard III, 18, of Easton, MD, as a suspect. On August 12, 2015, investigators charged Howard with first degree arson, second degree arson, second degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property (under $1000) and reckless endangerment.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Howard is scheduled to appear in District Court for a preliminary hearing on September 9, 2015.
'Beyond Unacceptable': Judge OKs Uranium Mine at Grand Canyon
In June, the Grand Canyon was named one of the "Most Endangered Places" in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. But the designation came just two months too late to possibly influence U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell. In April, he denied a request by the Havasupai tribe and a coalition of conservation groups to halt new uranium mining next to Grand Canyon National Park, just six miles from the Grand Canyon's South Rim.
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Our Government, Destroyer Of Jobs
If our government can't destroy all the private-sector jobs directly, it will do so indirectly by borrowing so much money the system collapses.
Conventional economists and pundits are puzzled why jobs growth has been so anemic in this "recovery." Here's one factor they overlook: our government. In theory, our government is supposed to encourage private sector job growth. In reality, all the hundreds of pages of regulations are killing job growth, one small business and one job at a time.
Correspondent/entrepreneur Ray Z. was kind enough to share his experience of trying to open a bagel shop and create six jobs:
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Conventional economists and pundits are puzzled why jobs growth has been so anemic in this "recovery." Here's one factor they overlook: our government. In theory, our government is supposed to encourage private sector job growth. In reality, all the hundreds of pages of regulations are killing job growth, one small business and one job at a time.
Correspondent/entrepreneur Ray Z. was kind enough to share his experience of trying to open a bagel shop and create six jobs:
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Poll: Sanders Now Leads Hillary in New Hampshire
Sen. Bernie Sanders is leading Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton by seven points in the latest survey out of New Hampshire, a Boston Herald and Franklin Pierce University poll shows.
Sanders leads Clinton 44 to 37; Joe Biden follows at 9 percent support, even though he has yet to announce his candidacy. All other candidates -- former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former Virginia Gov. Jim Webb-- got 1 percent or less.
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Sanders leads Clinton 44 to 37; Joe Biden follows at 9 percent support, even though he has yet to announce his candidacy. All other candidates -- former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former Virginia Gov. Jim Webb-- got 1 percent or less.
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An Economic Earthquake Is Rumbling
While the people sleep, an economic earthquake rumbles underneath. The day that they begin to feel the quake draws near.
History will record that in this decade more people will lose more money (forget about the trillions of dollars already lost) than at any time in our history, including during the Great Depression.
At the same time, a very small group has made and will make huge sums of money.
During the Y2K scare (a real hoax) many people stored food. Then, after Y2K, many people wanted to dump their cache; and some did.
We advised readers at the time to store food simply because of the crisis world we live in, but to store those foods that you could rotate and consume. Stored food is a hedge against inflation. It’s a hedge against natural disaster. It’s a hedge against economic collapse. It was our advice before, and it has been our advice since.
This advice is still valid. People who don’t have some stored food don’t realize how dependent they are on the system and government. Of course, the system was designed and created to make the people dependent on government. That makes them easier to control.
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History will record that in this decade more people will lose more money (forget about the trillions of dollars already lost) than at any time in our history, including during the Great Depression.
At the same time, a very small group has made and will make huge sums of money.
During the Y2K scare (a real hoax) many people stored food. Then, after Y2K, many people wanted to dump their cache; and some did.
We advised readers at the time to store food simply because of the crisis world we live in, but to store those foods that you could rotate and consume. Stored food is a hedge against inflation. It’s a hedge against natural disaster. It’s a hedge against economic collapse. It was our advice before, and it has been our advice since.
This advice is still valid. People who don’t have some stored food don’t realize how dependent they are on the system and government. Of course, the system was designed and created to make the people dependent on government. That makes them easier to control.
More
Recent Fire Results in Multiple Charges for Easton Man
OCEAN CITY, MD – (August 13, 2015): Local law enforcement officers recently charged a seasonal resident for an apartment building fire last week. On Sunday, August 2, 2015 at 5:22 a.m., the Ocean City Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the 400 block of Lark Lane, for a report of a fire.
According to the caller, at approximately 5 a.m., an unknown person poured gasoline on the porch of the two-story, six unit apartment building and lit it on fire. Occupants of several ground floor units noticed the odor of gasoline, and after discovering the fire, extinguished the flames prior to notifying authorities. At the time of the fire, the building was occupied by over 30 people, many of whom were asleep.
An investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the Ocean City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, found that the fire was incendiary in nature. Investigators identified Luke Vincent Howard III, 18, of Easton, MD, as a suspect. On August 12, 2015, investigators charged Howard with first degree arson, second degree arson, second degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property (under $1000) and reckless endangerment.
According to the caller, at approximately 5 a.m., an unknown person poured gasoline on the porch of the two-story, six unit apartment building and lit it on fire. Occupants of several ground floor units noticed the odor of gasoline, and after discovering the fire, extinguished the flames prior to notifying authorities. At the time of the fire, the building was occupied by over 30 people, many of whom were asleep.
An investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the Ocean City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, found that the fire was incendiary in nature. Investigators identified Luke Vincent Howard III, 18, of Easton, MD, as a suspect. On August 12, 2015, investigators charged Howard with first degree arson, second degree arson, second degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property (under $1000) and reckless endangerment.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Howard is scheduled to appear in District Court for a preliminary hearing on September 9, 2015.
Indian Tribes Plan To Make Marijuana A Cash Crop
American Indian tribes are looking to become the beneficiaries of the “green gold rush” as the legalization of marijuana spreads from state to state.
With four states and Washington DC already allowing the recreational use of pot, and more expected to follow, cannabis cultivation is on the cusp of becoming very big business, especially with another 23 states already allowing pot to be used for medicinal purposes.
This is very good news for American Indians with as many as 200 tribes understood to be considering growing cannabis on their land.
They are able to do this because of tribal land’s unique legal status, which has enabled them to cash in on the lucrative casino business for over two decades.
Now it is marijuana which is seen as a way of generating jobs on reservations and generating money for tribal administrations.
The taxes on what is certain to be a lucrative cash crop will be used to support social services on tribal land such as schools, health clinics and old people’s homes.
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With four states and Washington DC already allowing the recreational use of pot, and more expected to follow, cannabis cultivation is on the cusp of becoming very big business, especially with another 23 states already allowing pot to be used for medicinal purposes.
This is very good news for American Indians with as many as 200 tribes understood to be considering growing cannabis on their land.
They are able to do this because of tribal land’s unique legal status, which has enabled them to cash in on the lucrative casino business for over two decades.
Now it is marijuana which is seen as a way of generating jobs on reservations and generating money for tribal administrations.
The taxes on what is certain to be a lucrative cash crop will be used to support social services on tribal land such as schools, health clinics and old people’s homes.
More
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Planned Parenthood founder spoke at Ku Klux Klan rally
“She [Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood] even presented at a Ku Klux Klan rally in 1926 in Silver Lake, N.J. She recounted this event in her autobiography: ‘I accepted an invitation to talk to the women’s branch of the Ku Klux Klan … I saw through the door dim figures parading with banners and illuminated crosses … I was escorted to the platform, was introduced, and began to speak … In the end, through simple illustrations I believed I had accomplished my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak to similar groups were proffered.’ (Margaret Sanger, ‘An Autobiography,’ Page 366).” — The Washington Times, “Margaret Sanger, racist eugenicist extraordinaire,” May 5, 2014, by Arina Grossu.
Here is a fuller version of that Sanger quote:
“Always to me any aroused group was a good group, and therefore I accepted an invitation to talk to the women’s branch of the Ku Klux Klan at Silver Lake, New Jersey, one of the weirdest experiences I had in lecturing. […] Never before had I looked into a sea of faces like these. I was sure that if I uttered one word, such as abortion, outside the usual vocabulary of these women they would go off into hysteria. And so my address that night had to be in the most elementary terms, as though I were trying to make children understand. In the end, through simple illustrations I believed I had accomplished my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak to similar groups were proffered. The conversation went on and on, and when we were finally through it was too late to return to New York.” (Sanger, Chapter 29, “While the Doctors Consult”, p. 366.)
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Lawmakers tells feds to return Md. dairy farmer's money
Randy and Karen Sowers, who own the South Mountain Creamery in Middletown, had their account taken by the government after repeatedly making deposits of just under $10,000, a practice used by criminal organizations to avoid reporting requirements triggered by larger sums.
The couple has long denied wrongdoing and ultimately settled their case with Internal Revenue Service in 2012.
Their story has captured national attention from groups who have raised concerns about asset forfeiture. Randy Sowers testified in February at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Nine members of that committee signed a letter Wednesday calling on the IRS to return the money taken from the Sowers family under their settlement.
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JOSHUA HUFFMAN CONVICTED OF 2nd DEGREE SEX OFFENSE AND RELATED OFFENSES SENTENCED TO LIFE IN D.O.C.
The Honorable Leah J. Seaton sentenced Huffman to serve a Life sentence in the Division of Corrections. He will also have to register for life as a Tier III Sex Offender. Huffman was previously convicted in 2012 of the same offenses, but the Court of Special Appeals reversed the conviction in December 2014 and awarded Huffman a new trial.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the members of the Child Advocacy Center and Detective Seichepine of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Mr. Maciarello also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney, Karen M. Dean, who prosecuted the case.
For more information or for an interview please call the Office of the State’s Attorney at (410) 548-4880 or go to www.wicomicosao.com.
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
Charley Reese's final column for the OrlandoSentinel. He has been a journalist for 49 years. He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN. Be sure to read the Tax List at the end. This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral,neither anti-republican or democrat. CharlieReese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs . 300,000,000 People-By CharlieReese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyistpromises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this commoncon regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. (The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.)
BREAKING NEWS: Alleged Sexual Assault At A Worcester County School
A press release should be forthcoming soon.
A Letter To The Editor: Bridge Repair?
Detective catches 50 pounds of cocaine while fishing
Last week on August 5, a Charlotte County detective caught more than he planned on while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico -- 50 pounds of uncut cocaine.
The uncut cocaine has a street value of 2.5 million. After it's been cut it has a value between 10 and 12 million. The cocaine has been turned into the fed for further investigation into its point of origin.
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Drone Hovers Outside Woman's Bedroom-- 'No Laws Broken'
It sounded like a loud fan blowing right outside her second floor bedroom window. The Hawaii Kai woman, who didn't want her name used, says it woke her up early Monday morning.
"There were these green and red LED's that were coming from the whirring thing and I quickly realized it was a drone outside my bedroom," she says the drone hovered above the privacy curtain for a few seconds. When she walked toward it, it flew off.
The woman called Honolulu Police and the officer did a police report, but what happened wasn't a crime.
"She was very empathetic and pretty mortified also," says the woman about the officer, "I could tell she really cared, but I could tell that she felt the same helplessness that I felt."
There are federal laws that deal with drones but those are height restrictions and no fly zones. There are Fourth Amendment issues if a drone videotapes someone in a bathroom, or changing, but nothing regarding drones hovering outside a home.
"You're watching somebody sleep, that's pretty incredible what an invasion of privacy that is," says the woman, who is concerned about the operator's motives, "Were they looking at us, or looking at the house to maybe burglarize it later?"
"For a drone, nothing is enforced yet except height restrictions and (using it) in crowds," says Shane Lawler, owner of Drones Plus Hawaii, "As far as you going and spying on someone there's no specific rule on that."
More here
"There were these green and red LED's that were coming from the whirring thing and I quickly realized it was a drone outside my bedroom," she says the drone hovered above the privacy curtain for a few seconds. When she walked toward it, it flew off.
The woman called Honolulu Police and the officer did a police report, but what happened wasn't a crime.
"She was very empathetic and pretty mortified also," says the woman about the officer, "I could tell she really cared, but I could tell that she felt the same helplessness that I felt."
There are federal laws that deal with drones but those are height restrictions and no fly zones. There are Fourth Amendment issues if a drone videotapes someone in a bathroom, or changing, but nothing regarding drones hovering outside a home.
"You're watching somebody sleep, that's pretty incredible what an invasion of privacy that is," says the woman, who is concerned about the operator's motives, "Were they looking at us, or looking at the house to maybe burglarize it later?"
"For a drone, nothing is enforced yet except height restrictions and (using it) in crowds," says Shane Lawler, owner of Drones Plus Hawaii, "As far as you going and spying on someone there's no specific rule on that."
More here
Christian Refugees Get the Cold Shoulder
One of the great traditions of American foreign policy has been to protect the oppressed against those who would do them harm. Yet throughout Barack Obama's presidency, we have seen time and again how that policy has been abandoned for the sake of politics and The One's own personal aggrandizement.
The most recent example is the revelation that 28 Chaldean Christians have been sitting in a San Diego immigration detention facility while bureaucrats decide whether to let them seek asylum in America or be returned to Iraq, where Christians are facing widespread persecution under the Islamic State and an indifferent and corrupt Iraqi regime.
The Chaldean Christians hail from one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and the more than two dozen people who now sit in a barbed wire compound in San Diego faced a perilous trek to avoid being jailed and murdered at the hand of barbarians who seek nothing less than their conversion to Islam or their death. Twelve have already been given deportation orders, though their final destination and fate remains unknown.
While illegal immigrants with horrendous criminal records run rampant on American streets committing heinous crimes that the administration and the Leftmedia try to downplay, Christians who want nothing more than the freedom to practice their faith are being detained.
“In Iraq, they only had three choices: convert to Islam, death by the sword or leave the country,” Mark Arabo, head of the Minority Humanitarian Foundation, told Fox News.
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The most recent example is the revelation that 28 Chaldean Christians have been sitting in a San Diego immigration detention facility while bureaucrats decide whether to let them seek asylum in America or be returned to Iraq, where Christians are facing widespread persecution under the Islamic State and an indifferent and corrupt Iraqi regime.
The Chaldean Christians hail from one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, and the more than two dozen people who now sit in a barbed wire compound in San Diego faced a perilous trek to avoid being jailed and murdered at the hand of barbarians who seek nothing less than their conversion to Islam or their death. Twelve have already been given deportation orders, though their final destination and fate remains unknown.
While illegal immigrants with horrendous criminal records run rampant on American streets committing heinous crimes that the administration and the Leftmedia try to downplay, Christians who want nothing more than the freedom to practice their faith are being detained.
“In Iraq, they only had three choices: convert to Islam, death by the sword or leave the country,” Mark Arabo, head of the Minority Humanitarian Foundation, told Fox News.
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Courts Keep Ruling Obama Labor Officials Serve Illegally
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Lafe Solomon, the former acting general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board from 2011 through 2013, had been serving in violation of the law governing federal appointments. It was the latest example of a federal court throwing out President Obama's picks for the board, which is the main federal labor law enforcement agency.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Noel Canning v. NLRB that three of Obama's 2012 recess appointments to board were unconstitutional. The decision voided an entire year's worth of agency decisions.
Friday's ruling is unlikely to be as far-reaching as the Supreme Court decision. A three-judge panel for the circuit court was careful to say the ruling was specific to the case in question, which involved a business that had directly challenged the legality of Solomon's appointment at the time he was serving, and would extend only those that had made the same challenge.
"[T]his case is not Son of Noel Canning and we do not expect it to retroactively undermine a host of NLRB decisions. ... We doubt that an employer that failed to timely raise (the same) objection — regardless whether enforcement proceedings are ongoing or concluded — will enjoy the same success," the judges wrote.
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Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Noel Canning v. NLRB that three of Obama's 2012 recess appointments to board were unconstitutional. The decision voided an entire year's worth of agency decisions.
Friday's ruling is unlikely to be as far-reaching as the Supreme Court decision. A three-judge panel for the circuit court was careful to say the ruling was specific to the case in question, which involved a business that had directly challenged the legality of Solomon's appointment at the time he was serving, and would extend only those that had made the same challenge.
"[T]his case is not Son of Noel Canning and we do not expect it to retroactively undermine a host of NLRB decisions. ... We doubt that an employer that failed to timely raise (the same) objection — regardless whether enforcement proceedings are ongoing or concluded — will enjoy the same success," the judges wrote.
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Maryland localities mixed on new federal immigration program
Corrections officials in Baltimore, Anne Arundel County and elsewhere have agreed to notify federal agents before releasing certain immigrants, but have opposed requests to hold them in jail beyond their scheduled release so Immigration and Customs Enforcement can pick them up.
Local officials are hoping to strike a balance over what to do when undocumented immigrants wind up in jail, particularly in cases involving minor infractions. The July 1 killing of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco — allegedly by an immigrant who was in the U.S. illegally and was released from jail — has brought new scrutiny to the effort.
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Governor Larry Hogan Announces Maryland Grand Slam
$3 Million Allocated to Encourage Home Buyers
in Baltimore City
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced Maryland Grand Slam, a $2 million program to build stronger communities in Baltimore through homeownership. These funds will be maximized with an additional $1 million from the City of Baltimore following today’s approval by the city’s spending board. Both state and city funds will provide grants to home buyers purchasing through the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state’s premier home loan product.The new Maryland Grand Slam will help make homeownership more accessible by offering prospective buyers four ways to reduce the cost of buying a home, including $7,500 in down payment assistance grants. The initiative builds upon the governor’s comprehensive and ongoing efforts to help the city rebound from the civil unrest in April.
“Maryland Grand Slam will help change Maryland for the better by giving hardworking families that extra boost they need to get into the home of their dreams,” Governor Hogan said. “This initiative will revitalize neighborhoods in our state’s largest city while helping families build a lasting financial legacy for their children and their children’s children. A strong housing market is key to a strong economy. This program will help more families become homeowners and will improve our economy.”
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City to Dedicate Janice A. Cook Memorial Tennis Courts
Salisbury - Mayor James Ireton, Jr. is pleased to announce that the City will dedicate the public tennis courts in the Salisbury City Park in honor of local tennis enthusiast and community stalwart, the late Janice A. Cook. The ceremony will be held at the tennis courts on Wednesday morning, August 12th, at 9 a.m.
For over 30 years, Janice Cook was a fixture on the City’s tennis courts. Her passion for the sport kept her playing into her 70’s. Mrs. Cook received her undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and her graduate degree in in Library Science from Syracuse University in New York. She was married in 1950 to her husband of 59 years, Col. Robert Winfield Cook, USA (Ret.) Bob Cook is well-known and respected throughout the community as the founder of the Greater Salisbury Committee, a mentor to local youths, and a volunteer member of various boards and committees.
“Mrs. Cook, and the Cook family are part of Salisbury history. The family’s connection to the Camden neighborhood, the Greater Salisbury Committee, and the public tennis courts in the City Park is synonymous. Mrs. Cook was an integral part of all these things, and that is why we honor her today,” said Mayor Ireton.
In May, Salisbury Public Works completed the placement and upgrade of the City Park’s existing tennis court lights with 16 new metal halide units.
For over 30 years, Janice Cook was a fixture on the City’s tennis courts. Her passion for the sport kept her playing into her 70’s. Mrs. Cook received her undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and her graduate degree in in Library Science from Syracuse University in New York. She was married in 1950 to her husband of 59 years, Col. Robert Winfield Cook, USA (Ret.) Bob Cook is well-known and respected throughout the community as the founder of the Greater Salisbury Committee, a mentor to local youths, and a volunteer member of various boards and committees.
“Mrs. Cook, and the Cook family are part of Salisbury history. The family’s connection to the Camden neighborhood, the Greater Salisbury Committee, and the public tennis courts in the City Park is synonymous. Mrs. Cook was an integral part of all these things, and that is why we honor her today,” said Mayor Ireton.
In May, Salisbury Public Works completed the placement and upgrade of the City Park’s existing tennis court lights with 16 new metal halide units.
Ecosystem, Community Group, and Municipal Authority File for Intervention in Lawsuit to Defend Community from Injection Well
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, PA: Today, an ecosystem in the United States filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit to defend its own rights to exist and flourish.
Rights of the Crystal Spring Ecosystem were secured in law by Highland Township in Elk County, PA, in January 2013. The Highland Township Supervisors enacted the Community Bill of Rights ordinance, establishing the rights of human and natural communities to water and a healthy environment – including the rights of ecosystems to exist and flourish – and banning frack wastewater injection wells as a violation of those rights.
The ecosystem filed a motion to intervene in Seneca Resources Corporation vs. Highland Township, Elk County, PA, in which Seneca is suing Highland Township to overturn the Bill of Rights. Seneca claims that the Bill of Rights violates the constitutional right of the corporation to inject frack wastewater in the Township.
Pennsylvania communities are increasingly threatened by injection wells, which are used to store fracking waste, endangering drinking water and local aquifers. Injection wells have also been linked with earthquakes in neighboring Ohio.
Seneca sued Highland Township in February 2015, followed by a unanimous vote of the Highland Township Supervisors to defend their Community Bill of Rights ordinance, and to retain the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) as legal counsel to defend the ordinance.
The Crystal Spring Ecosystem is joining with local nonprofit Citizens Advocating a Clean Healthy Environment (CACHE) and the Highland Township Municipal Authority in filing the motion to intervene. The Municipal Authority provides drinking water within the Township.
CACHE President Marsha Buhl stated, “This lawsuit, brought by a bullying corporation, is an attempt to overturn our community's democratically enacted law. We will not stand idly by when it comes to protecting our water and our quality of life."
Chad Nicholson, Pennsylvania Organizer for CELDF, added, "Communities across the country are recognizing that we cannot protect the environment with environmental laws that legalize fracking, injection wells, and other harmful activities. Communities such as Highland Township are recognizing the rights of nature in law as part of creating a new system that elevates rights for communities and ecosystems above the claimed "rights" of corporations."
The Crystal Spring Ecosystem is the second ecosystem in the nation to file for intervention in a lawsuit to defend its own rights to exist and flourish; the Little Mahoning Watershed, which filed for intervention in Grant Township, PA, in 2014, was the first.
Since 2006, communities in Pennsylvania and around the country have recognized the rights of ecosystems and natural communities in law with the support of CELDF.
Through grassroots organizing and public interest law, CELDF works with communities across the country to establish Community Rights to democratic, local self-governance and sustainability. CELDF has assisted nearly 200 communities to ban shale gas drilling and fracking, factory farming, water privatization, and other threats, and eliminate corporate “rights” when they violate community and nature’s rights. This includes assisting the first communities in the U.S. to establish the rights of nature in law - as well as assisted Ecuador to draft rights of nature provisions for its constitution in 2008 - as well as the first communities to elevate the rights of communities above the “rights” of corporations.
Summer Tiki Party
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Join your friends at Boonies this Saturday night!
SUMMER TIKI PARTY starts at 3:00pm...
Live Music on the STEEL DRUMS from 3-6pm!
Followed by DJ tunes and Karaoke until 10pm!
Enjoy delicious Island-Inspired food and tiki drink specials. Wear your hula skirt and Hawaiian shirts! LEGENDS 'Beer Tasting' from 4-7pm.... Features Maui Coconut Porter & Mana Wheat Call for large group reservations... 410.873.2244 |
$8 Growler Fills at SG
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Ladies Night Summer White Party
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Sobo's invites all ladies to our next special event...
SoBo's SUMMER WHITE PARTY
Tues. August 18th 6:30pm ~ $45pp (plus tax & tip)
Supporting Coastal Hospice
Call today for reservations... 410.219.1117
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1015 Eastern Shore Drive Salisbury, MD | www.soboswinebeerstro.com
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Wednesday, August 12, 2015
6th Annual Chefs for Habitat Culinary Celebration
Please join Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County for our
6th Annual Chefs for Habitat Culinary Celebration
Date: September 19, 2015 at 5:30
Location: Dove Pointe
1225 Mount Hermon Road
Salisbury, MD 21801
Tickets: $75 per ticket
Sponsorships: start at $250 and include event tickets!
Extraordinary chefs will prepare samplings of their signature dish to be shared with our guests. The evening will consist of the live music, a lively waiters race, and chances to bid on an array of Live and Silent Auction prizes featuring sumptuous dinners and parties catered by some of the Shore’s best chefs.
For more information contact our office: 410-546-1551
Heavily armed 'Oath Keepers' inject disquieting element in Ferguson
FERGUSON, Mo. (Reuters) - Four white men carrying military-style rifles and sidearms added a disquieting element to riot-torn Ferguson, Missouri, when they began patrolling the streets before dawn on Tuesday, which police quickly labeled "inflammatory."
The men said they were part of a group called "Oath Keepers," which describes itself as a non-partisan association of current and former U.S. soldiers, police and first responders who aim to protect the U.S. Constitution. They told reporters on the street that they were in Ferguson to protect a media organization.
The men attracted immediate attention in the mostly black neighborhood, which exploded into violence on Sunday night as protesters marked the one-year anniversary of the killing of an unarmed black teen by police.
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The men said they were part of a group called "Oath Keepers," which describes itself as a non-partisan association of current and former U.S. soldiers, police and first responders who aim to protect the U.S. Constitution. They told reporters on the street that they were in Ferguson to protect a media organization.
The men attracted immediate attention in the mostly black neighborhood, which exploded into violence on Sunday night as protesters marked the one-year anniversary of the killing of an unarmed black teen by police.
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Photos of this morning's Terrier-Improved Malemute launch
Some photos of this morning's Terrier-Improved Malemute launch from our optical systems group. Congratulations to the RockSat-X team!
Posted by NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Why the Fox Debate is taking hits from Donald Trump’s fans
The attacks by Donald Trump and his followers on the Fox News debate have raised a really important question:
What, exactly, is the role of moderators in a presidential debate?
Or to take a broader view: What is the role of journalists, period?
Many in the mainstream media, including such luminaries as Katie Couric, Andrea Mitchell and Jeff Greenfield, have praised the tough questioning by Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier and Chris Wallace. Perhaps most striking was this piece by liberal New York Times columnist Frank Bruni:
“They took each of the 10 Republicans onstage to task. They held each of them to account. They made each address the most prominent blemishes on his record, the most profound apprehensions that voters feel about him, the greatest vulnerability that he has.
“It was riveting. It was admirable. It compels me to write a cluster of words I never imagined writing: hooray for Fox News.”
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What, exactly, is the role of moderators in a presidential debate?
Or to take a broader view: What is the role of journalists, period?
Many in the mainstream media, including such luminaries as Katie Couric, Andrea Mitchell and Jeff Greenfield, have praised the tough questioning by Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier and Chris Wallace. Perhaps most striking was this piece by liberal New York Times columnist Frank Bruni:
“They took each of the 10 Republicans onstage to task. They held each of them to account. They made each address the most prominent blemishes on his record, the most profound apprehensions that voters feel about him, the greatest vulnerability that he has.
“It was riveting. It was admirable. It compels me to write a cluster of words I never imagined writing: hooray for Fox News.”
More
Man catches record-breaking Snakehead on Potomac River
Todd Murphy shot a Northern Snakehead with a bow and arrow early Saturday in Mattawoman Creek in Charles County, which is a tributary of the Potomac River.
The fish officially weighed in at 17.47 pounds and is almost 36 inches long.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Biologist Branson Williams certified the catch.
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What happened to the lost colonists of Roanoke?
For more than 400 years, researchers have been attempting to uncover the fate of the 'lost colonists' who disappeared from a sandy outpost on Roanoke Island.
Queen Elizabeth I and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh had hoped the 1580s expedition would create a capital in the New World, but something went terribly wrong.
The men, women and children somehow vanished, along with any sign of a settlement, and the infamous 'lost colony' became rooted in American folklore.
Now, two teams of archaeologists say they have uncovered fresh evidence that could reveal what happened to the inhabitants of the 'Lost Colony.'
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Queen Elizabeth I and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh had hoped the 1580s expedition would create a capital in the New World, but something went terribly wrong.
The men, women and children somehow vanished, along with any sign of a settlement, and the infamous 'lost colony' became rooted in American folklore.
Now, two teams of archaeologists say they have uncovered fresh evidence that could reveal what happened to the inhabitants of the 'Lost Colony.'
More
Beaten Pomeranian found with note: ‘We beat it 2 death lol’
Fox’s owner says the 13-year-old dog’s body was discovered by a “frantic” neighbor outside the owner’s condominium less than 24 hours after Fox disappeared. The note was on top of the dog.
Pembroke Pines Police are looking for the attackers. The owner, Ronald Boisvert, says he doesn’t know why anyone would want to hurt Fox.
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Recession Imminent As Wholesale Inventories Surge, Sales Disappoint; Autos Worst Since 2009
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A phenomenal Perseid meteor shower peaks this week — here’s how to watch
The shooting star spectacle peaks on the night of Wednesday into Thursday morning, with as many as 90 to 100 shooting stars an hour, according to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society in the U.K. In the eastern U.S., the most prolific cosmic bombardment will likely be around 4 a.m. Eastern time.
This year’s peak could be phenomenal because the Perseids won’t compete with moon light, since the waning crescent moon sets at 6:44 p.m. on Wednesday. This will create a nice dark, moon-free heaven for meteor observers.
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Horrifically, GOP defends NSA’s illegal surveillance of U.S. citizens
Washington establishment wants to fool the American people with a false choice
As late as Thursday night, establishment Republican leaders are still eager to defend government surveillance of U.S. citizens even two years after Edward Snowden exposed illegal, domestic snooping of U.S. citizens. This establishment is using typical Washington double-talk, false choices and games to try to bamboozle Americans into accepting abuses and domestic spying by the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Government’s invasion of your privacy was a topic in Thursday’s two crowded debates among the 17 candidates for the Republican nomination for president. Looking beyond the focus on Donald Trump and “theatre of the absurd” reviews of “The Donald’s” Twitter messages, the national security of the country and how to provide for the common defense did eventually become a serious topic. There was strong condemnation all around of President Obama’s failed diplomacy with Iran and the role of China and Russia in hacking of U.S. government computers.
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As late as Thursday night, establishment Republican leaders are still eager to defend government surveillance of U.S. citizens even two years after Edward Snowden exposed illegal, domestic snooping of U.S. citizens. This establishment is using typical Washington double-talk, false choices and games to try to bamboozle Americans into accepting abuses and domestic spying by the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Government’s invasion of your privacy was a topic in Thursday’s two crowded debates among the 17 candidates for the Republican nomination for president. Looking beyond the focus on Donald Trump and “theatre of the absurd” reviews of “The Donald’s” Twitter messages, the national security of the country and how to provide for the common defense did eventually become a serious topic. There was strong condemnation all around of President Obama’s failed diplomacy with Iran and the role of China and Russia in hacking of U.S. government computers.
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Hopeful For Acquisition, Berlin To Conduct Feasibility Study On Former Tyson Property
Following a clean environmental report, the Berlin Town Council voted to spend $34,500 to have EDSA, a Florida-based architectural services company, do a feasibility study to determine the best uses for the old industrial property. Town officials first announced plans to buy the land, which has been vacant for more than a decade, and turn it into a public facility in late 2014.
“As the study concludes, we’ll know what the recommended uses are,” Mayor Gee Williams said. “We’re making the right decision in bringing in top notch experts to help us decide the best options.”
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Chart Of The Day: The Rise Of The Regulatory Leviathan, 1936-2011
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BREAKING NEWS: Former US President Jimmy Carter says he has cancer
Former President Jimmy Carter, 90, who served as the nation’s 39th commander-in-chief, says he has cancer and will undergo treatment in Atlanta.
Governor Larry Hogan Announces Maryland Grand Slam
$3 Million Allocated to Encourage Home Buyers
in Baltimore City
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today announced Maryland Grand Slam, a $2 million program to build stronger communities in Baltimore through homeownership. These funds will be maximized with an additional $1 million from the City of Baltimore following today’s approval by the city’s spending board. Both state and city funds will provide grants to home buyers purchasing through the Maryland Mortgage Program, the state’s premier home loan product.The new Maryland Grand Slam will help make homeownership more accessible by offering prospective buyers four ways to reduce the cost of buying a home, including $7,500 in down payment assistance grants. The initiative builds upon the governor’s comprehensive and ongoing efforts to help the city rebound from the civil unrest in April.
“Maryland Grand Slam will help change Maryland for the better by giving hardworking families that extra boost they need to get into the home of their dreams,” Governor Hogan said. “This initiative will revitalize neighborhoods in our state’s largest city while helping families build a lasting financial legacy for their children and their children’s children. A strong housing market is key to a strong economy. This program will help more families become homeowners and will improve our economy.”
The four benefits of Maryland Grand Slam are:
- $5,000 for down payment assistance in the form of an outright grant from the state. The Hogan administration has allocated $2 million from Maryland’s rainy day fund for this initiative, a decision affirmed by the state’s Board of Public Works in June.
- $2,500 for additional down payment assistance from the City of Baltimore, also in the form of a grant. Baltimore’s Board of Estimates approved the program on Wednesday.
- A federal tax credit through the Maryland HomeCredit program that can save the homeowner tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. In addition, Maryland is waiving its usual fee for a savings of as much as $450.
- A 0.25 percent discount on the already low Maryland Mortgage Program interest rate.
For more information about Maryland Grand Slam and other Maryland Mortgage Program products, visithttp://mmp.maryland.gov.
More evidence that fried food raises heart attack risk
Miami (AFP) - People who eat lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who eat healthier, according to US researchers.
The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.
Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet -- fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and sugary drinks -- faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.
"Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat a Southern-style diet you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet," said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Division of Preventive Medicine.
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The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.
Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet -- fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and sugary drinks -- faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.
"Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat a Southern-style diet you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet," said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Division of Preventive Medicine.
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Jeb Worked With Bloomberg Amid $50 Million Anti-Coal Push
Presidential candidate and former Gov. Jeb Bush got into some hot water recently over his past work with a foundation run by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for its funding of Planned Parenthood.
What went unnoticed, however, was that Bush worked with Bloomberg as he gave millions to environmental groups to take down the coal industry.
Bush, who’s looking to win the Republican presidential nomination, served as a founding director of the Bloomberg Family Foundation — now called Bloomberg Philanthropies — from 2010 through 2014. During Bush’s second year with the organization, Bloomberg donated $50 million to the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign.
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What went unnoticed, however, was that Bush worked with Bloomberg as he gave millions to environmental groups to take down the coal industry.
Bush, who’s looking to win the Republican presidential nomination, served as a founding director of the Bloomberg Family Foundation — now called Bloomberg Philanthropies — from 2010 through 2014. During Bush’s second year with the organization, Bloomberg donated $50 million to the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign.
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Media Company Drops Appeal In Drowning Victim Name Suit
Last September, Gannett filed suit in Worcester County Circuit Court against the town and its police department seeking to force the town to release the name of a 17-year-old victim who drowned in the ocean off 92nd Street in June 2014. That incident marked the second time in less than two weeks a teen visiting the resort died in the ocean.
The Ocean City Police Department did not release the victim’s name, citing a request for privacy from the teen’s family. Most local media outlets did not pursue the issue any further, respecting the family’s wishes and deciding instead releasing the victim’s name would not serve any public purpose or contribute to the newsworthiness of the story.
Following the incident, Gannett Company Inc. submitted a Public Information Act (PIA) request to the OCPD seeking the victim’s name, but were denied by the department, which stood behind the wishes of the family not to release the information. Gannett then filed a second PIA request asking the resort to point out where in the law a special exception based on privacy was included.
Rebuffed again, Gannett last September filed suit in Worcester County Circuit Court against the Mayor and Council and the police department seeking to force the resort to release the victim’s name. By that point, the media outlet’s quest became less about the release of the individual drowning victim’s name and more about the town’s ability to pick and choose what information it chooses to release or withhold.
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HHS announces an additional $169 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 266 community health centers
“Across the country, health centers have provided a source of high-quality primary care for people in rural and urban communities for 50 years,” said Acting Deputy Secretary Mary Wakefield. “These Affordable Care Act funds build on the strong legacy of the health center program and provide even more individuals and families with access to the care they need the most.”
This investment will add to the more than 700 new health center sites that have opened as a result of the Affordable Care Act, including those awarded earlier this year. What started with one clinic in rural Mississippi and another in South Boston is today a national program that supports 1,300 community-based and patient-directed health centers with 9,000 sites serving nearly 23 million people.
Traffic Advisory
Troopers Investigating Serious Crash on Sussex Highway North of Seaford
Seaford, DE - The Delaware State Police are currently on the scene of a serious crash on Sussex Highway (US13) southbound, south of Cannon Road (SR18) that occurred around 12:50 p.m.
Preliminary investigation indicates the crash involves a tractor trailer and a car. The extent of the injuries to the operators and any passengers are unknown at this time.
US13 southbound at south of SR18 is currently closed at this time.
Further details will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Seaford, DE - The Delaware State Police are currently on the scene of a serious crash on Sussex Highway (US13) southbound, south of Cannon Road (SR18) that occurred around 12:50 p.m.
Preliminary investigation indicates the crash involves a tractor trailer and a car. The extent of the injuries to the operators and any passengers are unknown at this time.
US13 southbound at south of SR18 is currently closed at this time.
Further details will be released upon the conclusion of the investigation.
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