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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Incident: Assault on Deputies
Date of Incident: 17 February 2011
Location: 1400 block Jersey Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: 1. Terrell B. Finney, 20, Salisbury, MD
2. Terrance L. Finney, 19, Salisbury, MD
3. Tammy R. Finney, 42, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 17 February 2011 at 2:36 PM, deputies responded to an altercation occurring in the roadway in the 1400 block of Jersey Road. Upon arrival, deputies learned that an altercation had taken place between Terrance Finney and Tammy Finney, during which Terrance broke out the window of their vehicle, lacerating his hand. EMS had responded due to the injury but had requested a law enforcement response due to Terrance’s agitation and his alleged assault of EMS personnel.

Upon the arrival of the deputies, Terrance began walking away from the scene while cursing at them. One of the deputies noticed his injuries and attempted to detain him until the situation was straightened out. Terrance twice tried to push one of the deputies away which led to his arrest. During the arrest of Terrance, he struggled against the deputies efforts and had to be forcibly taken into custody. While this was happening, Terrance’s brother, Terrell, attempted to intercede in an attempt to get the deputies away from Terrance. After Terrell assaulted one of the deputies, he too was placed under arrest. During the arrest of Terrell, his mother, Tammy, tried to interfere with the arrest by grabbing hold of the arresting deputy. She too was placed under arrest.

All three members of the Finney family were transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained all three in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond each.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Disorderly Conduct
Resist Arrest

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 18 February 2011
Location: 1700 block of Wilson Lane, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Trayonne M. Rodwell, 18, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 18 February 2011 at 6:15 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate a reported altercation at a residence in the 1700 block of Wilson Lane in Salisbury. Investigation revealed that Trayonne Rodwell became embroiled in an argument with his father when Trayonne allegedly pulled a knife and began swinging it at his father. Trayonne was gone upon the arrival of the deputy but a knife was located in the front yard.

Responding deputies located Trayonne on an adjacent street where he was taken into custody. Trayonne 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 Trayonne in the Detention Center in lieu of $75,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault 1st Degree

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 20 February 2011
Location: 400 block of Dorsey Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Deaundre A. Simmons, 35, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 20 February 2011 at 1:15 AM, a deputy investigated a 911 open line call with no communication, only a lot of yelling. Upon arrival, deputies met with Deaundre Simmons and his girlfriend and learned that they became involved in a verbal altercation over Facebook. During the ensuing investigation, deputies learned that Simmons allegedly struck his girlfriend in the face with a shoe. She then tried to leave but was pulled from her vehicle by Simmons and drug back into the house where Simmons supposedly tried to choke her. Deputies on scene observed signs of injury on Simmons’ girlfriend that corroborated the accounts of the assault.

Simmons was placed under arrest and 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 Simmons in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
False Imprisonment

Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 19 February 2011
Location: 600 block of West Salisbury Parkway, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Jason D. Cotton, 26, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 19 February 2011 at 10:30 AM, a deputy was in the parking lot of the Salisbury Police Department taking a report for a theft that occurred in the county when the deputy asked the operator, Jason Cotton, for information regarding the investigation. When Cotton opened the door of his vehicle to retrieve the information, the deputy who was standing in close proximity smelled the odor of burnt marijuana drifting out from the interior of Cotton’s vehicle. The deputy observed that Cotton was cupping something in his hand in an apparent attempt to conceal it. Upon further investigation, the deputy recovered marijuana from Cotton.

The deputy placed Cotton 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 Cotton on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 19 February 2011
Location: 500 block of Walnut Street, Hebron, MD
Suspects: Male Juvenile, 17, Hebron, MD

Narrative: On 19 February 2011 at 4:28 PM, a deputy observed subjects on a property in the 500 block of Walnut Street in Hebron that was posted “No Trespassing” and has been the subject of repeated incidents of trespassing complaints. Upon approaching the group who were all identified as juveniles from Hebron, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana emanating from one later identified as a 17 year old. Upon further investigation, the deputy recovered a pill bottle holding what the deputy recognized as marijuana.

The juvenile was arrested and subsequently released to a parent pending formal adjudication by the Department of juvenile Services.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

American Red Cross Lower Shore

Meadow Bridge Road House Fire 22 February 2011

The American Red Cross Lower Shore Chapter Disaster Action Team #7 responded to assist a family of 5, 2 adults & 3 children displaced by a house fire on Meadow Bridge Road, Worcester County, MD. 

Wisconsin Update

Joe,
 
Here’s the latest from Wisconsin: Democrats are continuing to stand up to Gov. Scott Walker and the radical Republican agenda, and people from all over are voicing their solidarity with Wisconsin’s teachers and other workers. But Walker is pushing back hard. The billionaire Koch brothers have even gotten involved – busing in tea party protesters.

I wanted to make sure you had the chance to sign our petition.

Click here to join the more than 47,000 people who are standing with Wisconsin’s workers. Budgets shouldn’t be balanced on the backs of people who teach our children and keep our communities safe.

I’m inspired by what I’m watching in Wisconsin. Let’s make sure they know we’re in the fight, too.

Guy Cecil

Oil Shock Fears As Libya Erupts

The spectre of full civil war in oil-rich Libya and reports of the creation of an Islamic emirate in country's "Barqa" region has moved the Mid-East crisis into a more dangerous phase, setting off an explosive rise in US crude prices.
"This is potentially worse for oil than the Iran crisis in 1979," said Paul Horsnell, head of oil research at Barclays Capital. "That was a revolution in one country, here there are so many countries at once. The world has only 4.5m barrels-per-day (bpd) of spare capacity, which is not comfortable."

US oil contracts jumped $6 a barrel on Monday to over $95, chasing Brent crude, which traded as high as $108, as the global oil system is drawn into the vortex. While Egypt is a minor oil player, Libya's Sirte Basin holds Africa's largest reserves and supplies 1.4m bpd in exports, mostly to Italy, Germany and Spain.

BP, Statoil, Total and ENI have begun evacuating families and non-essential staff from Libya. BP chief Bob Dudley told Sky News that the company has only limited exploration in Libya but "remains committed to doing business" there.

Germans oil explorer Wintershall said it was winding down its Libyan operations, but Italy's ENI has most to lose from its pipeline to Libya. ENI's stock tumbled 5pc in Milan, leading a 3.6pc fall in the MIB index.

Global oil inventories are higher than before the 2008 price spike, and OPEC can raise output if needed. It has refused to act so far despite pleas from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that the supply picture is already "alarming".

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Two-Thirds Of Wis. Public-School 8th Graders Can’t Read Proficiently

Two-thirds of the eighth graders in Wisconsin public schools cannot read proficiently according to the U.S. Department of Education, despite the fact that Wisconsin spends more per pupil in its public schools than any other state in the Midwest.

In the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests administered by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009—the latest year available—only 32 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned a “proficient” rating while another 2 percent earned an “advanced” rating. The other 66 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned ratings below “proficient,” including 44 percent who earned a rating of “basic” and 22 percent who earned a rating of “below basic.”

The test also showed that the reading abilities of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders had not improved at all between 1998 and 2009 despite a significant inflation-adjusted increase in the amount of money Wisconsin public schools spent per pupil each year.

Read more here

Libya Remains On UN Human Rights Panel As It Bombs Civilians

Libya remains on UN Human Rights Council as it continues to pay mercenaries and use tanks, planes and helicopters to massacre hundreds of protesters.
Mass exodus of foreigners. Obama silent. Oil prices soar.
Two leading Republic senators called on the president to speak out against Libya, and he might take a more public stand Tuesday, following the weekend and the Presidents’ Day holiday Monday.

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State Police Remind Citizens Of When To Call 9-1-1

Resume:  
Dover-The Delaware State Police Communication Section would like to remind the citizens of the state to call 9-1-1 in emergency situations only. Calls for complaints such as a barking dog, loud music, or vandalism are not considered emergencies. Calls for complaints of this nature can be made to the non-emergency numbers also maintained by the Delaware State Police Communication Section in each county. The numbers are available for non-emergency calls and keep the 9-1-1 lines available for true in-progress or life threatening situations. The non-emergency number is an ideal way for residents or visitors of the state of Delaware to report events that do not need an immediate response by a public safety agency. However, if anyone is ever unsure as to which number to call, they should use 9-1-1.
 
Non-Emergency Numbers
 
New Castle County: 302-573-2800
Kent County: 302-739-4863
Sussex County: 302-855-2980
 
 
Text Keyword “DSP” and your message to 274637 (CRIMES)

One Year Ago Today




It was one year ago today Delegates Norm Conway, Jim Mathias and Mike Smigel introduced new sex offender legislation in Annapolis. My hat is tipped to ALL of them for ultimately getting these bills passed.

Today's Survey Question

What Did You Think Of Mayor Ireton's State Of The City Address Last Night?

What Was WBOC Thinking?

Last night WBOC was LIVE at the Mayor's State of the City Address. While I sat with some anticipation hoping to hear what the MAYOR had to say, the 6PM broadcast gave very little detail.

At 7 PM things got even worse. While we all know they had footage of the Mayor's speech, they instead chose too run a brief interview with a gentleman who has only lived in Salisbury for seven months and he stated he felt perfectly safe in Salisbury.

They then went on with an interview with Councilman Gary Comegys. You know, the guy who ran against Jim Ireton and lost. Gary gave him a grade of  "C" as far as the Mayors performance so far.

Look, I'm all about calling Mayor Ireton out if we feel he's out of line. However, WBOC never even gave the Mayor a chance. They used others to shoot him down with yet another personal agenda. Has Ireton cut WBOC off, like he's done with the Daily Times?

Nevertheless, it truly puzzles me as to why they would spend so much time and money going LIVE with two broadcasts and never once actually cover the Mayor and or what his speech had to say.

And they call themselves Journalists? I'd say its more about their own message and NOT what is really said and done.

Md. Union Leaders Watching Wisconsin Labor Battle


Maryland public-sector unions want to send a message to their counterparts in Wisconsin: "We're with you." Several of the largest Maryland state employee groups plan to rally in Annapolis on Tuesday to show solidarity with employees in Wisconsin, who are protesting the effort by Republican Gov. Scott Walker to take away collective-bargaining rights from public-sector unions.

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Intel Says It Will Add Thousands Of Workers This Year

It's a buyer's market for any corporation looking to stock up on talent. Intel is one of all too few businesses taking advantage of increasingly desperate job seekers, announcing it will add 4,000 workers in the U.S. this year.

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FDA Knew Of Problems At Plant That Made Tainted Wipes

The death of a Houston toddler blamed on contaminated alcohol wipes has prompted dozens of reports of similar infections even as documents show government  inspectors knew about problems at a Wisconsin medical products plant as early as 2009.

Gun Gets Into Prison Despite 4 Searches

EASTON, Pa. - A man who had been searched four times still was able to carry a loaded handgun into a prison last year, leading to a lockdown, authorities said.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli told reporters Monday that Christian Neith, of Bethlehem was searched four times on Dec. 29 before he was able to stash the 9mm handgun behind a cabinet in the intake area of Northampton County Prison. A week later, the gun was found, triggering a four-day lockdown.

Neith, 20, was charged Monday with a felony firearms charge, two misdemeanor weapons counts and a charge of recklessly endangering another person.

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Wal-Mart Grapples With Its Worst Sales Slump Ever

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the midst of its worst U.S. sales slump ever.

When it reports earnings on Tuesday, the retailer is widely expected to post its second straight year of declining domestic same-store sales.

Wal-Mart's struggles are the result of a misstep: To jump-start lethargic growth and counter the rise of competitors such as cheap-chic rival Target Corp., executives veered away from the winning formula of late founder Sam Walton to provide "every day low prices" to the American working class. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer by sales, instead raised prices on some items while promoting deals on others.

How Much Do Public Workers Earn, The Truth

A guide to public employees' rights and benefits

Cost of future pensions and health benefits is pressing concern not only for Wisconsin, but for several states

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is locked in a tense struggle with public employee unions and Democratic lawmakers over his attempts to end collective bargaining rights for many public-sector workers and to require workers to pay more of their pension and health care costs.

Here’s a guide to the issues at stake:

How many states have laws that give public-sector workers the right to bargain collectively for better pay and benefits?

According to a 2009 report from the Congressional Research Service, 24 states have laws giving all public-sector workers the right to bargain collectively.

Nine states either do not have such laws or have laws that expressly forbid contracts between a public employer and a labor union.

The rest of the states have laws allowing some government employees collective bargaining rights. The laws vary from state to state, with some states limiting bargaining rights to specific types of workers, such as teachers or police officers.

Does government employees’ right to bargain collectively include the right to strike?

Not necessarily; in fact, many states do not permit public employees to strike.

Which state was the first to enact a law giving public-sector workers the right to bargain collectively for better pay and benefits?

Wisconsin, in 1959.

65 Dead In Devastating Christchurch Quake

A major search and rescue operation is underway in Christchurch this morning where at least 100 people remain trapped under rubble.

Construction workers and search and rescue specialists toiled under floodlights to dig out survivors and the dead from buildings flattened by the earthquake that ripped the city apart.

Dozens of search and rescue and medical staff have arrived to continue with the frantic recovery effort.

Yesterday's earthquake has claimed at least 65 lives and scores more are injured in what Prime Minister John Key says "may well be New Zealand's darkest day".

At least 65 people are dead after the shallow 6.3 earthquake hit 10km southeast of the city, just before 1pm. There have been constant aftershocks, as powerful as magnitude 5.7. The latest significant aftershock measured magnitude 5.0 and hit at 7.43pm.

The death toll is already the second highest from a New Zealand earthquake - outranked only by the 256 people killed in the violent 7.9 1931 Hawke's Bay quake, whose 70th anniversary was marked earlier this month.

Police have reported "multiple fatalities" at several locations in the downtown area, including in buses crushed by falling buildings.

Buildings have been destroyed with at least 100 people believed to be trapped inside. Rescuers warned some people remained trapped overnight.

More bodies were likely to be pulled from the rubble of the Canterbury Television building which collapsed in the earthquake, a man involved in assisting rescue teams in their hunt for survivors said tonight.

The Southern Demolition employee, who did not want to be named, told NZPA rescue personnel pulled bodies from the rubble while he was assisting in the recovery effort.

"We were working on one side of the building and on that side we managed to pull one person alive but we also pulled out a body. On the other side they pulled out four or five - I don't know if they were dead or alive.

"It was awful," he said.

He said rescue personnel were risking their lives to jack up parts of the building allow members of urban search and rescue to look for survivors.

"Those guys are brilliant. They get in there where they shouldn't be and if they hear anything everything is turned off while they locate where the sound is coming from," he said.

More here

HARTWELL: No Compromise In Wisconsin

As we follow events in Wisconsin, a history lesson is appropriate. History has a message for Gov. Scott Walker and the people of Wisconsin whose electoral mandate he seeks to implement.

It is, very simply, that Mr. Walker should not compromise. Principled leadership will prevail over the orchestrated thuggery of the public unions, notwithstanding the unions’ conspicuous support from our nation’s most aggressive “community organizers.”

Turn back the clock to Boston in 1919. The country’s labor movement was increasingly powerful. There was widespread concern as strikes caused chaos in a number of industries. Having made great strides in the private sector, national labor organizations began attempting to organize municipal employees in selected cities. Among their targets was the Boston police force.

In August 1919, the Boston policemen’s “club” sought affiliation with the American Federation of Labor. The police commissioner promptly issued an order prohibiting any police officer from joining a labor union. The AFL immediately recognized the Boston Police Union. The battle lines were drawn, and the police union called a strike on Sept. 9.

After consulting with his attorney general, Massachusetts Gov. Calvin Coolidge backed the police commissioner, called in the state guard to maintain order and announced that the striking police would not be rehired. AFL leader Samuel Gompers demanded that Coolidge dismiss the police commissioner and reinstate the striking policemen.

Coolidge refused to capitulate to the demands of the union and its national labor allies. He also made clear the principled basis for his decision, saying: “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anytime, anywhere.” He later wrote that he acted with “faith that the people would respond to the truth.”

The people did respond, and their response was overwhelmingly favorable both in Massachusetts and across the country. Coolidge swiftly became a nationally prominent political figure. Ultimately he became a popular and successful president whose policies of reduced federal spending and lower taxes fostered sustained economic growth and prosperity.

Six decades later, another president confronted a strike by public employees and consciously followed Coolidge‘s example. President Reagan was elected with the support of a number of unions, including the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). During the 1980 campaign, candidate Reagan was sympathetic to PATCO‘s quest for improved working conditions.

In August 1981, PATCO declared a nationwide strike, seeking a pay increase of $10,000 per worker (roughly 20 percent to 50 percent of then-current controller salaries) and a simultaneous cut in work hours from 40 to 32 each week. About 75 percent of the nation’s 17,000 controllers went on strike, precipitating a meltdown of the nation’s air transportation network.

With the backing of his transportation secretary, Reagan correctly declared the strike illegal, saying he would fire controllers who did not return to work within 48 hours. PATCO‘s leaders thought the government would have to compromise; they were wrong. Reagan fired 11,345 controllers who disobeyed his ultimatum and banned them from federal employment for life.

Reagan acted without consulting any opinion polls. Yet, as one biographer noted, he “proved that the right thing to do can also be politically advantageous.” In his memoirs, Reagan said his decision “convinced people who might have thought otherwise that I meant what I said.” The American people strongly supported Reagan‘s action, confirming that principle matters, particularly in responding to threats and attempts at intimidation.

There's more here

Earthquake Shakes Up Suez Canal As Iran Warships Approach

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook up residents at the entrance to the Suez Canal early Monday morning, 48 hours before two Iranian ships, a frigate and a supply vessel, are expected to enter the canal.

The National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research reported that tremors from the 3 a.m. quake lasted for 27 minutes, but caused no damage.

The ships had originally been expected to enter the Suez today (Monday), but Egyptian officials announced the delay this morning, without explanation.

Iran inexplicably announced Sunday morning that two of its warships had crossed the Suez, a report that was thoroughly denied by Egyptian authorities. Iranian media did not mention the ships on Monday, and the false report may have been for local consumption.

No Iranian ship has been allowed to pass through the Suez Canal since Iran's 1979 overthrow of the Shah and Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with Israel the same year.

Egypt’s agreeing to allow Iranian ships to pass through the Suez is seen by many analysts as a signal that the new regime in Egypt is leaning towards ties with Iran, but Suez Canal officials have pointed out that an international convention requires it allow passage to all ships.  Egypt has reportedly agreed to allow the Iranian boats to pass through the canal en route to Syria.

The Obama administration is concerned about “what’s the cargo on board, where is it going, to whom, for what benefit," U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. Iran has said that the ships are headed for Syria for training, Crowley commented, as laughter was heard in the audience: “My initial response to that would be that we’re highly skeptical of that claim.”

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Hizbullah Army Helps Iran Suppress Massive Rallies

More than 1,000 Hizbullah terrorist army fighters have joined a huge Iranian police deployment to crush wide-scale protests that have left at least two people dead and hundreds injured or arrested.

The Islamic Republic regime in Iran has apparently decided to deploy an overwhelming army of police, Revolutionary Guards and Hizbullah members to squash the rallies. The government seeks to prevent the kind of momentum that toppled rulers of Tunisia and Egypt, and threaten kings and dictators in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and other Muslim countries.

Foreign journalists have been barred from reporting on the Iranian demonstrations, and authorities have revoked work permits for 11 foreign journalists, photographers and cameramen for covering protests last week.

As in the protests nearly two years ago, after the disputed re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, protesters have circumvented authorities by using Twitter and other social messaging systems to communicate among themselves and report to the outside world.

Black-clad Basiz riot police shot and killed two protesters, according to opposition websites, and a CNN reporter tweeted that he saw security forces beat more than a dozen people with steel batons in Tehran’s Revolution Square. Police on motorcycles were seen plowing into crowds on sidewalks and clubbing them indiscriminately.

The protests drew at least tens of thousands of people according to foreign media, although the opposition Iran in Focus site reported that “hundreds of thousands” demonstrators challenged the Islamic Republic regime. It reported that chants of "Down with dictators in Cairo, in Tehran" and "Seyed Ali will be overthrown," referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, were heard in Tehran.

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