Governor Jack Markell signed legislation creating a new effort to help put recent combat veterans to work when they return from service. The “Veterans’ Opportunity Tax Credit” will give companies a $1,500 annual tax credit for each recent veteran they hire.
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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
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Delmarva Education Foundation Welcomes Knott As Executive Director
The board of directors of the Delmarva Education Foundation has selected Rota L. Knott to serve as its new executive director. Knott began work in her new capacity on Monday, July 23, replacing Katherine A. Harting, who has retired from the position. DEF is a nonprofit organization that helps residents of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties find money to continue their education. Its mission is to improve college access and success for residents of the lower Delmarva Peninsula.
“We are excited about the experience and talent that Rota Knott brings to DEF and at the same time we will miss Kat Harting's strong leadership,” said Michael Pennington, board president, adding, “Fortunately, Ms. Harting has agreed to continue to support DEF as a volunteer, so we will be getting the best possible outcome that could be expected from this change.”
Knott has been a resident of the Lower Shore for more than two decades and now lives in Salisbury. A graduate of Salisbury State University with a degree in communications, she has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations. Knott comes to DEF from Women Supporting Women, a breast cancer support and awareness organization; she previously worked for Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County as the ReStore manager. Knott's commitment to nonprofits over the years has included involvement as an employee, volunteer and board member. A long-time journalist, she has also worked for several local and regional publications.
“I look forward to furthering DEF’s mission by building on the strong foundation already in place and expanding our reach in the three lower counties,” Knott said. “As a recipient of scholarships and grants that covered the cost of my college education, I know firsthand how important such assistance can be to the college-bound."
For more than a decade, DEF’s trained college access advisors have provided assistance to individuals, families and groups on a wide range of topics relating to post-secondary education. DEF maintains two free, online, searchable databases to assist the community; one describes educational opportunities, while the other helps students find funding to pursue their field of choice. The DEF Scholarship Fair, planned for its second year this coming January, provides a clearinghouse of scholarship opportunities for local students. Through its College Access Program, DEF provides one-on-one and group advising at its office in Salisbury, via its website, over the phone, in schools and in the community. Through special events, such as the Scholarship Sponsors Forum and the Counselors Roundtable, DEF provides opportunities for stakeholders to explore best practices, make connections, develop new ideas and find solutions that support the organization’s mission.
DEF is funded through community support, donations and grants; all funding is returned directly to the local community through DEF’s programs and services. To learn more about DEF or to contact Knott, email rknott@delmarvaed.org, call 410-219-3336, visit the Salisbury office at 1320 Belmont Ave., Suite 403-B, Salisbury, MD 21804, or see www.delmarvaed.org
Carney Unaware Air Force One Landing at Base to Be Eliminated by Cuts
White House press secretary Jay Carney said he was unaware about
defense cuts that will close an Air Force base in Ohio--where President
Obama will be landing tomorrow aboard Air Force One.
Go HERE to see the video from the White House press briefing:
Go HERE to see the video from the White House press briefing:
Explosion Aboard OC Transit Park And Ride Bus
Has anyone reported the mechanical failure on the OC Transit Park and Ride bus a few hours ago which resulted in an explosion on the bus? The back end of the bus appeared to have been destroyed with windows blown out of the bus. The fire department, police and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
Week 5 Results For Checkpoint Strikeforce
Seventeen (17) people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs during the fifth weekend of the 2012 Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI prevention campaign. This brings the total DUI arrests made as part of the campaign to 59. Statewide, there have been over 2,800 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.
Saying Goodbye To A Best Friend
14 years ago my dear friends in Ocean City came to me and said they had an idea. Being new to the area, single and not knowing many people on the Eastern Shore, they thought I might enjoy the company of a beautiful Lab that had just been born. I thought about it for a while but the moment I saw this puppy I knew it was right.
I can't tell you just how many days we'd get in the boat and head to the shallows near the Rt. 50 Bridge. I'd pull out the clam rake and a tennis ball and Chamois would go after that ball until she was so drained she couldn't take it any more. By then I'd have 50 clams and I'd have to pick her up and put her back on the boat while she plopped on the floor in exhaustion.
Every day I'd take her to work with me and then come home and she'd get out of the car and run right to the boat. I've been so blessed to have this best friend for 14 good years. Unfortunately Chamois hasn't been doing well and we had to make the decision to put her down today.
I will never forget the friends that brought her into my life and I'll never forget some of the greatest memories and times I've ever had and shared.
Rest In Peace my friend.
Feds Propose Limits on Md. Wind Farm To Save Bats
BALTIMORE - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing limits on a western
Maryland wind energy project to reduce potential fatalities of endangered bats.
The Baltimore Sun ( http://bsun.md/MZ5Pqg) reports that the draft plan would require Chicago-based Exelon Corp. to slow down its turbines from mid- July to mid-October to reduce the number of Indiana bats that might be harmed by the spinning blades.
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The Baltimore Sun ( http://bsun.md/MZ5Pqg) reports that the draft plan would require Chicago-based Exelon Corp. to slow down its turbines from mid- July to mid-October to reduce the number of Indiana bats that might be harmed by the spinning blades.
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SPD Press Release 8-1-12
On July 30, 2012 at approximately 11:58 P.M. officers of the Salisbury Police Department responded to the area of the South Division St. bridge and Riverwalk in reference to an attempted robbery. The victim reported that she was approached by a suspect and put her hands in the air while demanding her purse. The victim believed that
possession of a handgun. A witness observed the incident and confronted the suspect who fled the area on foot prior to the suspect taking the pur who was identified by the victim and taken into custody.
Arrested: William Wesley Ricketts, 51 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
Charges: Attempted Armed Robbery
Attempted Robbery
Disposition: Released to Central Booking
possession of a handgun. A witness observed the incident and confronted the suspect who fled the area on foot prior to the suspect taking the pur who was identified by the victim and taken into custody.
Arrested: William Wesley Ricketts, 51 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
Charges: Attempted Armed Robbery
Attempted Robbery
Disposition: Released to Central Booking
Supporters, Opponents Plan Events To Support Stance on Chick-fil-a
The restaurant's president's remarks about same-sex
marriage have apparently hurt America's opinion of his business,
igniting supporters for both sides of the issue.
Right now, there's a movement on Facebook to make Wednesday an unofficial appreciation day for the fast food chain.
More
New Cedar Creek Boat Ramp Dedicated In Slaughter Beach
Governor Jack Markell, Senator Tom Carper and Senator Chris Coons joined DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Slaughter Beach Mayor Amy J. Reed Parker today to cut the ribbon and dedicate the new Lacy E. Nichols Jr. Cedar Creek Boating Access Area in Slaughter Beach east of Milford. The new facility is a key project in the recently announced Delaware Bayshore Initiative, which promotes conservation and restoration of natural resources, enhances recreational opportunities and encourages low-impact ecotourism to support the local economy along Delaware’s coastline.
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Turns Out Hiding $250K Worth Of Meth Inside Snickers Bar Wrappers Won’t Fool Authorities
Like the wolf in sheep's clothing or Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot, putting a different wrapper on something and fooling everyone only works in fictional situations or when trying to trick actual sheep/Marilyn Monroe. U.S. customs agents are trained to catch people trying to hide stuff, which is why coating lumps of methamphetamine in chocolate and dressing them in Snickers wrappers didn't work out too well for one man accused of trying to smuggle $250,000 worth of the drugs into Japan.
More »
More »
Medical Debt Collector Banned In Minnesota For Harassing Patients In Emergency Rooms
One of the nation's largest medical debt collectors just got a bit smaller after it agreed to stop operating in Minnesota over allegations that the company staffed hospital emergency rooms with its agents in order to get people to pay up on any owed debts before they received additional care.
More »
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London 2012: Michael Phelps Wins Record 19th Olympic Medal
LONDON — Michael Phelps swam into history with his 19th Olympic medal, and this one was a more appropriate color.
With a lot of help from his friends, Phelps took down the last major record that wasn’t his alone, swimming the anchor leg for the United States in a gold medal-winning performance of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay Tuesday night.
About an hour earlier, Phelps took one of the most frustrating defeats of his brilliant career, making a shocking blunder at the finish and settling for silver in his signature event, the 200 butterfly.
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY DECLARES SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 DAY OF SERVICE IN MARYLAND
Interfaith, regional effort to encourage participation in community service projects to help benefit the environment and end hunger in Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley officially declared September 29, 2012 an interfaith Day of Service, calling on all Marylanders to engage in community service projects focused on ending hunger and protecting the environment. Building on Governor O’Malley’s strategic goals of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015, and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, the activities planned for the day of service will all move the State forward in reaching these goals. The interfaith Day of Service is a regional effort by the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Day of Service will bring nonprofit organizations and religious groups - churches, youth groups, and religious affiliated schools – to recruit members and supporters to participate in the day of service in their area.
“Throughout the final weekend in September, we’ll be coming together as a community – as Marylanders and Virginians, West Virginians and Washingtonians, as members of many great and diverse faiths – to harness the incredible power of community,” said Governor O’Malley. “We are asking all our fellow citizens to us join in service the last weekend in September – and really throughout the month – in service to combat hunger, in service to protect and restore our environment, and in service that recognizes the connections between the health of our people, and the health of our land, water and air. I appreciate the commitment of Elder Jack Gerard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in assisting us with our efforts and bringing together our partners in the other states for this very important community service initiative.”
The Day of Service includes partners from the business, nonprofit and faith community. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will be supplying small tubed trees for groups to plant and will be available at their Clagett Farm site in Upper Marlboro. CBF will also have resources for individual volunteers to work on harvesting crops on the farm that can then be donated to food banks in the area. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will be offering mini-grants of up to $500 to nonprofits to do tree plantings, other native plantings, or stream clean-ups either on their properties or in their neighborhoods. The Baltimore Community Tool Bank will offer an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and more to assist nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers in their community projects. Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup will be available to assist faith-based organizations with identifying streams or rivers in need of organized clean-ups. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ TREE-Mendous Maryland program allows organizations to have native trees planted in Honor or Memory of family and friends, to celebrate Holidays, birthdays, and to observe other special occasions. TREE-Mendous Maryland will arrange for trees to be planted in Maryland in the county in which the recipient of the certificate lives. Marylanders Plant Trees is another project at DNR that supplies coupons to citizens for $25 off the purchase of a native tree at 86 participating nurseries across the State.
The O’Malley-Brown Administration has a set of 15 strategic policy goals to improve the quality of life in Maryland. The Administration set the goal of restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Administration has developed an innovative plan for restoring the Bay, centered on 34 specific and accelerated actions with near term milestones. The Administration has implemented effective policies to restore our Blue Crab population to record highs, used Program Open Space for its intended purpose and protected more than 36,000 acres of open space and invested more in the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to accelerate our progress. This past session, the Administration continued to pass legislation protecting and improving the health of the Bay including ones that restrict the use of septic systems and enable the State to upgrade our aging waste water treatment plants. Additionally, to address the national problem of childhood hunger, the O’Malley-Brown Administration set the goal and is implementing a plan to become the first state in America to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Strategies toward this goal include ensuring that eligible families have access to the Food Supplement Program, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and making sure all eligible children are eating breakfast and lunch in schools. To date, participation in the school breakfast has increased 36 percent from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. During the same period, participation in summer meals increased 29 percent. Eighty percent of eligible children received food stamps in 2011 and WIC participation consistently exceeds the USDA assigned caseload.
The Governor’s Office is asking our interfaith partners to identify activities that their churches, synagogues or mosques already administer that fit within the two goals of ending childhood hunger and protecting the environment that could use volunteers for the day. County volunteer centers will be asked to help promote the day of service in their county and the Governor’s Ethnic Commissions and Commission on Service and Volunteerism will also be asked to play a major role in seeking out opportunities for service, and in spreading the word to engage volunteers in their communities. A centralized Day to Serve website has been set up – www.daytoserve.org - where all the partners will be identified regionally, and where constituents, community groups, and organizations can sign up to participate and where individuals can locate a community service project in their community.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley officially declared September 29, 2012 an interfaith Day of Service, calling on all Marylanders to engage in community service projects focused on ending hunger and protecting the environment. Building on Governor O’Malley’s strategic goals of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015, and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, the activities planned for the day of service will all move the State forward in reaching these goals. The interfaith Day of Service is a regional effort by the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Day of Service will bring nonprofit organizations and religious groups - churches, youth groups, and religious affiliated schools – to recruit members and supporters to participate in the day of service in their area.
“Throughout the final weekend in September, we’ll be coming together as a community – as Marylanders and Virginians, West Virginians and Washingtonians, as members of many great and diverse faiths – to harness the incredible power of community,” said Governor O’Malley. “We are asking all our fellow citizens to us join in service the last weekend in September – and really throughout the month – in service to combat hunger, in service to protect and restore our environment, and in service that recognizes the connections between the health of our people, and the health of our land, water and air. I appreciate the commitment of Elder Jack Gerard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in assisting us with our efforts and bringing together our partners in the other states for this very important community service initiative.”
The Day of Service includes partners from the business, nonprofit and faith community. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will be supplying small tubed trees for groups to plant and will be available at their Clagett Farm site in Upper Marlboro. CBF will also have resources for individual volunteers to work on harvesting crops on the farm that can then be donated to food banks in the area. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will be offering mini-grants of up to $500 to nonprofits to do tree plantings, other native plantings, or stream clean-ups either on their properties or in their neighborhoods. The Baltimore Community Tool Bank will offer an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and more to assist nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers in their community projects. Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup will be available to assist faith-based organizations with identifying streams or rivers in need of organized clean-ups. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ TREE-Mendous Maryland program allows organizations to have native trees planted in Honor or Memory of family and friends, to celebrate Holidays, birthdays, and to observe other special occasions. TREE-Mendous Maryland will arrange for trees to be planted in Maryland in the county in which the recipient of the certificate lives. Marylanders Plant Trees is another project at DNR that supplies coupons to citizens for $25 off the purchase of a native tree at 86 participating nurseries across the State.
The O’Malley-Brown Administration has a set of 15 strategic policy goals to improve the quality of life in Maryland. The Administration set the goal of restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Administration has developed an innovative plan for restoring the Bay, centered on 34 specific and accelerated actions with near term milestones. The Administration has implemented effective policies to restore our Blue Crab population to record highs, used Program Open Space for its intended purpose and protected more than 36,000 acres of open space and invested more in the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to accelerate our progress. This past session, the Administration continued to pass legislation protecting and improving the health of the Bay including ones that restrict the use of septic systems and enable the State to upgrade our aging waste water treatment plants. Additionally, to address the national problem of childhood hunger, the O’Malley-Brown Administration set the goal and is implementing a plan to become the first state in America to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Strategies toward this goal include ensuring that eligible families have access to the Food Supplement Program, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and making sure all eligible children are eating breakfast and lunch in schools. To date, participation in the school breakfast has increased 36 percent from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. During the same period, participation in summer meals increased 29 percent. Eighty percent of eligible children received food stamps in 2011 and WIC participation consistently exceeds the USDA assigned caseload.
The Governor’s Office is asking our interfaith partners to identify activities that their churches, synagogues or mosques already administer that fit within the two goals of ending childhood hunger and protecting the environment that could use volunteers for the day. County volunteer centers will be asked to help promote the day of service in their county and the Governor’s Ethnic Commissions and Commission on Service and Volunteerism will also be asked to play a major role in seeking out opportunities for service, and in spreading the word to engage volunteers in their communities. A centralized Day to Serve website has been set up – www.daytoserve.org - where all the partners will be identified regionally, and where constituents, community groups, and organizations can sign up to participate and where individuals can locate a community service project in their community.
Texas GOP Chooses Tea Party-backed Cruz For GOP Senate Nomination
AUSTIN – Tea party darling Ted Cruz convincingly defeated the Republican establishment favorite, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in Texas' runoff election Tuesday, capturing the GOP nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as fiercely conservative voters shook one of America's reddest states to its political core.
The race had been closely watched nationally as one of the nation's most-vivid contrasts between the GOP mainstream and grassroots, conservative activists. But as results began to pour in, it turned out to be no contest. Cruz grabbed early leads in key cities around the state where Dewhurst had once enjoyed stronger name recognition, fundraising and political organization just weeks earlier.
POLICE INVESTIGATE BODY FOUND ALONG CARROLL CO. ROAD
(FINKSBURG, MD) – An investigation is underway into the death of a Baltimore County man whose body was found this morning along a Carroll County road.
The deceased is identified as Justin A. Ogle, 20, of the 6100-block of Lori Lane, Elkridge, Md. His body has been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
At about 7:00 a.m. today, a jogger was running along Patapsco Road, about two-tenths of a mile east of Bethel Road, when she saw the body of a man lying on the bank between the roadway and a pasture. She contacted a nearby resident who called 911.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene, as did EMS personnel. The man, later identified as Ogle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies secured the area and contacted criminal investigators.
Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians from the State Police and Sheriff’s Office also responded. A Maryland State Police helicopter was called to the scene to enable crime scene technicians to take aerial photographs of the area.
Investigators found no visible signs of trauma on the body. They will await information from the medical examiner regarding a cause of death. The investigation is continuing.
The deceased is identified as Justin A. Ogle, 20, of the 6100-block of Lori Lane, Elkridge, Md. His body has been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
At about 7:00 a.m. today, a jogger was running along Patapsco Road, about two-tenths of a mile east of Bethel Road, when she saw the body of a man lying on the bank between the roadway and a pasture. She contacted a nearby resident who called 911.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene, as did EMS personnel. The man, later identified as Ogle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies secured the area and contacted criminal investigators.
Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians from the State Police and Sheriff’s Office also responded. A Maryland State Police helicopter was called to the scene to enable crime scene technicians to take aerial photographs of the area.
Investigators found no visible signs of trauma on the body. They will await information from the medical examiner regarding a cause of death. The investigation is continuing.
Documents Show Dozens of Questionable GSA Conferences, Millions in Bonuses
Remember Jeff Neely, the government official photographed living it up in a hot tub at a Las Vegas conference?
"He was the tip of the iceberg," says Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.
Mica's committee is now looking into wasteful spending at as many as 77 other General Services Administration (GSA) conferences -- all uncovered in documents obtained by Fox News.
Calling All Real Estate Buyers
You may be able to own a piece of NASA history soon for as little as a dollar a square foot. The General Services Administration is placing two buildings in NASA's Glenn Research Center up for auction. In the 1960s, they housed NASA engineers and administrative staff. Now they're part of GSA's ongoing effort to dispose of excess properties. The buildings, located in Fairview Park, Ohio, contain almost 200,000 square feet combined, plus a parking lot and 10 acres of land. The starting minimum bid is $200,000.
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