For The Record: MDE Permits, Licenses, Certifications Applications and Issuances

The following are partial lists by county of permit, license, and certification applications and issuances as well as other permitting activity at the Maryland Department of the Environment. For more information on these permits, please contact Amanda Degen at (410) 537-4120.

Applications Received 02/16/2015 – 03/15/2015

WICOMICO

• POLYONE DESIGNED STRUCTURES AND SOLUTIONS, LLC – 601 Marvel Rd, Salisbury, MD 21801. Application received for 2015 24-045-0082 Ren. Part 70 for Plastic film mfg plant
• WICOMICO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION – 101 Long Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804. (15-1029) Sewerage permit to construct force main and wastewater pumping station at 31611 Old Ocean City Road

$47,676 Federal Grant to Study Incarcerated Drug Users in Russia

(CNSNews.com) – The National Institutes of Health has awarded$42,676 in taxpayer funding to Yale University to study injection drug users who have been incarcerated in Russia.

“Injection drug users who have been incarcerated in Russia face a high-risk environment upon release. The proposal seeks to determine the factors associated with relapse to opioids, overdose, and risky injection behaviors that could facilitate HIV transmission and other blood-borne pathogens among Russian IDUs after release from incarceration,” the grant said.

According to the grant, the HIV epidemic in Russia is “a growing public health problem.”

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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Wishes ‘Every Black Person in America’ Votes Republican for One Election

(CNSNews.com) – Speaking at the Impact Symposium at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said he dreams that for just one election, every black person in America will vote Republican, so that neither party takes the black community for granted.

“I have often said, and I’m not talking about President Obama. I’m just talking about the times we’re living in. I have often said that from a political perspective, what I dream is that for one election, just one, every black person in America vote Republican,” said Smith, according to audio obtained by Mediaite.com.

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ICE: 167,527 Criminal Aliens Loose in U.S.A.

(CNSNews.com) - According to weekly detention and departure reports from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, there were 167,527 non-detained convicted criminal aliens in the United States as of Jan. 26 of this year, a congressional hearing revealed Thursday.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah.) read the statistic aloud Thursday durin a hearing examining ICE's priorities and procedures for removing criminal aliens currently living in the United States.

“In that report, it said that there are 167,527 non-detained, final-order convicted criminals on the loose in the United States,” Chaffetz pointed out while questioning ICE Director Sarah Saldana.

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Robert Durst sought homeless woman for sex

Robert Durst, the cross-dressing scion of a $4.4 billion Manhattan real estate empire and now an accused murderer, allegedly tried to buy sex from a woman he met at a homeless shelter — and even tried to lowball her.

That is what a California investigator reported back in 2003 when he wrote Durst could be the "slim link" in the mysterious disappearances of two teenage girls, Kristen Modafferi and Karen Mitchell.

The revelation came as:

--- New Orleans authorities declared the 71-year-old suspect a suicide risk — and put additional protections in place Wednesday while he awaits extradition to Los Angeles, where he is to stand trial for the murder of former flak Susan Berman.

--- Durst had a latex mask to disguise his appearance and $42,000 in cash in his NOLA hotel room when the FBI busted him Saturday, a warrant out of Harris County, Tex., revealed.

The money was in hundred dollar bills and stashed in several envelopes. They also found a fake Texas ID with the name Everette Ward.

“That’s pretty good,” Durst reportedly replied when confronted with the ID.

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Audio of Durst in bathroom could play 2 ways in murder case

LOS ANGELES — The whispered words of Robert Durst recorded in an unguarded moment in a bathroom could come back to haunt him — or help him — as he faces a murder charge.

A possible move by prosecutors to introduce the incriminating material from a six-part documentary on his strange life and connection to three killings could backfire as interview footage did in the Michael Jackson molestation trial and the Robert Blake murder case.

In both cases, the defense was allowed under the "doctrine of completeness" to provide segments of interviews that presented their clients favorably without subjecting them to tough cross-examination.

"I submit that Blake didn't have to testify and Michael Jackson didn't have to testify because the prosecution foolishly wanted to introduce portions of their interviews," said attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr., who represented both men. "They just got greedy. They were mesmerized by portions they thought could help them."

In the Jackson case, the defense used unaired footage to counter damage done by "Living With Michael Jackson," a damning documentary in which Jackson held hands with his accuser and spoke of letting children into his bed.

"I'd slit my wrists before I'd hurt a child," Jackson said in one outtake shown by the defense, according to Mesereau, who won the performer's acquittal 10 years ago.

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Who's The Crook Now?

Troopers Investigate Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash

Laurel- The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash which has claimed the life of a 17 year old Laurel, Delaware teenager that occurred this morning.

The initial investigation has determined that the crash happened this morning, Saturday, March 21, 2015 at approximately 4:30 a.m., as Seth L. Edwards, 17, of Laurel, DE, was operating a 1998 Buick Century and was traveling in a westbound direction on Old Sharptown Road, approximately .1 mile west of Williams Road, Laurel. Edwards lost control of his vehicle as he attempted to negotiate a right hand curve in the roadway which caused it to leave the south edge of the roadway and strike a utility pole with its left hand side. The Buick then re-entered the roadway where it came to rest in the westbound lane.

Erica Colbourne, who was a rear seat passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. It is unknown if she was properly restrained at the time of the crash.

Seth Edwards, who was properly restrained at the time of the crash, was not injured. Alcohol use on the part of Edwards is being considered as a factor in the crash.

A 16 year old male from Laurel, DE, a 16 year old male from Salisbury, MD, and a 15 year old male from Laurel, who were passengers in the vehicle, were all removed from the scene by Emergency Medical Services and transported to the Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. A 16 year old female passenger from Seaford, DE, was also removed from the scene by EMS and transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center where she was treated for minor injuries as well.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit and charges are expected.

Old Sharptown Road was closed for approximately 4 hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.

Released: 032115 1950

School stirs outrage with Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic

A small town in Upstate New York stands divided after their high school's decision on Wednesday to broadcast the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic.

It was meant as a way to celebrate National Foreign Languages Week--each day, the announcements and pledge at Pine Bush High School would be recited in a different tongue.

However, the outrage it caused in some students and parents quickly forced administrators to issue an apology and a promise to henceforth only recite the Pledge of Allegiance in English.

Now, lines have been drawn in Pine Bush (pop. 1,600) as some students and teachers are outraged that an apology was issued at all while others applaud the decision and say the pledge should never have been recited in a language other than English.

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ONE KILLED SEVERAL INJURED IN ANNE ARUNDEL CO. CRASH

Maryland State Police Press Release
03/21/2015

(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – Maryland State Police troopers are continuing their investigation into an Anne Arundel County crash this afternoon involving multiple vehicles that killed one person and injured several others.

The deceased is identified as Raymond W. Badders, 63, of Manchester, Md. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Raymond Badders was a passenger in the rear seat of a 2007 Toyota Corolla driven by his daughter, Susannah Badders, 19, of Manchester, Md. Jason P. Simpkins, 19, of Ellicott City, was seated in the front passenger seat. Both Susannah Badders and Simpkins were flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Travis M. Ala, 28, of Anne Arundel County, is identified as the driver of a 2011 Nissan X-Terra. Ala was transported by ambulance to Anne Arundel County Medical Center where he was treated and released. The vehicle he was driving is registered to the Takoma Park Police Department, where Ala is employed as a police officer. He was off-duty at the time of the crash.

A third vehicle involved in the crash was a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. The two occupants of that vehicle were uninjured.

At about 2:45 p.m. today, troopers from the Glen Burnie Barrack were dispatched to a reported crash on eastbound Rt. 50 at the Rt. 665 overpass. Arriving troopers called for assistance from the Maryland State Police Crash Team and State Highway Administration personnel. The extensive crash scene and rescue operation required the closure of eastbound Rt. 50. Detours were set up by SHA personnel.

The preliminary investigation by the Maryland State Police Crash Team indicates the Toyota driven by Susannah Badders was in lane four, the merge lane from southbound I-97 to eastbound Rt. 50. The Toyota was stopped in a line of heavy traffic that was caused by a prior accident up ahead at exit 23.

According to the preliminary investigation, Ala was eastbound on Rt. 50 in lane three and apparently did not observe the stopped traffic in time to stop. Evidence indicates Ala swerved to the right and struck the rear of the Toyota. The force of the crash caused the Nissan to overturn and pushed the Toyota into the Jeep Cherokee that was ahead of it.

A detailed crash investigation and reconstruction will be conducted by the State Police Crash Team. Upon completion, the investigation will be forwarded to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for review regarding charges.

Eastbound Rt. 50 is expected to be reopened by about 8:30 p.m.

Missing South Carolina cat found 2 years later in California

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A cat that vanished in South Carolina two years ago is going home after ending up nearly 2,000 miles away in Southern California.

Kevin the orange tabby is leaving Palm Springs on Wednesday after disappearing from Anderson, South Carolina, in 2013.

John Welsh of Riverside County Animal Services says the cat turned up in early March inside a U-Haul trailer a woman had driven across the country.

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Seven Tourists Killed By Giant Falling Boulder

A huge boulder falling from a mountain in has killed seven people and sent others plungeing into a river.

The freak accident happened in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region when the group of tourists were disembarking from a sightseeing boat.

The boulder tumbled onto the pier hitting the tourists.

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6-year-old heart patient's shooting death rattles St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcus Johnson Jr.'s parents figured a sunny day at the park was just what their son needed while recovering from heart surgery.

Instead, the outing turned deadly when the 6-year-old was shot in the chest in an attack the parents said stemmed from a traffic dispute. They were to bury their boy Thursday, just over a week after the family visited O'Fallon Park on the north side of St. Louis following a doctor's appointment.

The occupants of a car fired on the family's minivan as it left the park. The boy's 15-year-old brother and a 69-year-old family friend were also wounded.

The boy's father, Marcus Johnson Sr., said he returned fire in self-defense as the rolling shootout continued for several blocks. Three other children — ages 8, 10 and 11 — were also in the vehicle.

Police say the March 11 shooting remains under investigation but declined to discuss specifics.

Officer Don Re was less reticent in his personal blog, describing in detail his response to a "senseless death" when he was called to the hospital where another officer had driven the child in his patrol car rather than wait for an ambulance.

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Why Californians Are Starved of Water

California is not suffering one drought but four. Each is a metaphor of what California has become.

Nature

The first California drought, of course, is natural. We are now in the midst of a fourth year of record low levels of snow and rain.

Californians have no idea that their state is a relatively recent construct—only 165 years old, with even less of a pedigree of accurate weather keeping. When Europeans arrived in California in the 15th and 16th centuries, they were struck by how few indigenous peoples lived in what seemed paradise—only to learn that the region was quite dry on the coast and in the interior.

Today, modern Californians have no idea of whether a four-year drought is normal, in, say, a 5,000-year natural history of the region, or is aberrant, as wet years are long overdue and will return with a vengeance.

That we claim to know what to expect from about 150 years of recordkeeping does not mean that we know anything about what is normal in nature’s brief millennia. Our generation may be oblivious to that fact, but our far more astute and pragmatic forefathers certainly were not.

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Ferguson Facebook case part of debate about online threats

SEATTLE — A Washington state man faces sentencing for posting threats on Facebook against a former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who fatally shot a young black man — a case that is part of a broader legal debate over when social media rants go beyond hyperbole and become criminal acts.

Jaleel Abdul-Jabbaar pleaded guilty on Feb. 2 for posting a threat against Darren Wilson on Facebook that included a call to "give back those bullets that Police Officer Darren Wilson fired into the body of Mike Brown."

Federal prosecutors said Abdul-Jabbaar posted inflammatory messages for months after the Aug. 9 killing of Brown sparked protests nationwide.

The federal charge of making an interstate threat carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors have recommended that Abdul-Jabbaar be sentenced to time served — two months — and three years of supervised release because he cooperated with state prosecutors in an unrelated shooting case. The plea deal included dismissal of charges for his other threatening messages. Sentencing is set for Monday morning.

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Cheating husband 'nearly has penis bitten off by wife's friend'

A cheating husband nearly had his penis bitten off by his wife’s younger friend when he allegedly tried to persuade her to have sex with him.

Florin Ionita, 53, had been at a picnic at a park in Chisinau, Moldova, with his spouse and a group of friends - before she took some of them home, leaving him alone with the 24-year-old woman.

But when wife Maria Ionita, 49, returned to collect him 30 minutes later, she claimed to have found him clutching his genitals and moaning in pain, telling her: ‘Call an ambulance, it is going to fall off.’

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Students, governor want U.Va. student arrest investigated

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Students at the University of Virginia are demanding justice for a student who was injured during an arrest and appears in a photo with a bloody face as he is being held down by an officer.

About 1,000 students showed up — more than expected, so the rally for Martese Johnson was moved several times, finally ending up at an outdoor amphitheater.

Many chanted: "If we don't get it, shut it down!"

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has called for an investigation into the early morning arrest of Johnson, whose lawyer said he needed 10 stitches in his head.

Johnson was charged on two counts: obstruction of justice without force, and public swearing or intoxication, Charlottesville General District Court records show.

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Union Activist Wants Pension For Teaching One Day

After working one day as a substitute teacher in Illinois, David Piccioli could be entitled to an annual pension of more than $30,000.

And he's suing the state to make sure he gets paid.

Piccioli is a retired union political activist who's already pulling down two state pensions from Illinois' beleaguered public retirement system. But he's taking the Teachers Retirement System to court to squeeze more money out of the state.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that Piccioli is already collecting $31,000 annually from the Teacher Retirement System, but he could get an additional $36,000 annually if he wins his case. He's also collecting a $30,000-pension from a different state retirement system for his time as a legislative aide in Springfield, according to the Tribune.

Piccioli is a retired lobbyist for the Illinois Federation of Teachers and never worked in a classroom, but he took advantage of a loophole in Illinois pension law to score his teaching pension.

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Palestinians Must Hold 'Genuine' Peace Talks: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority should cut its ties to Hamas militants running the Gaza Strip and engage in "genuine" peace talks with Israel.

Speaking with NBC television, Netanyahu also insisted he was "proud to be the prime minister of all Israeli citizens, Arabs and Jews alike" after triggering outrage for urging supporters to vote for him, warning Israeli Arabs were "turning out in droves."

The veteran Israeli leader had raised global alarm when he vowed in the final days of the election campaign that he would never agree to a Palestinian state on his watch -- flying in the face of decades of US policy to achieve a two-state solution.

In his first interview with a US television network since winning an unprecedented fourth term on Tuesday, Netanyahu did not completely walk back those comments.

But he suggested he remained open to the possibility of new peace talks, saying Israel would "need the recognition of (a) Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution."

"I was talking about what is achievable and what is not achievable," Netanyahu said.

"To make it achievable, then you have to have real negotiations with people committed to peace ... it's time we saw the pressure on the Palestinians to show that they are committed too."


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McCain Calls on Durbin to Apologize for Lynch Comments

Arizona Sen. John McCain has called out Democratic Senate colleague Dick Durbin for racially tinged and "totally inappropriate" remarks he made about Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch, The Hill reported.

"I was so surprised and disappointed in the comments that he made yesterday," McCain said, calling on Durbin, an Illinois lawmaker and Senate Minority Whip, to apologize.

Durbin accused Republican lawmakers of holding up approval of her nomination, forcing Lynch to sit "in the back of the bus" — a reference to civil rights era offenses perpetrated against blacks, The Hill reported.

Said Durbin on Wednesday in remarks made from the Senate floor: "Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general, is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar."

McCain said that Durbin's comments made it seem "that racist tactics are being employed to delay Ms. Lynch's confirmation vote," The Hill added.

He called Durbin's remark "offensive" as other Republican Senate leaders decried the tactic.

"The remarks made this morning by the Democratic leadership were misguided, shameful, and as their own record shows, hypocritical," said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley in a statement.

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