Engineering without a License

Mats Jarlston is an engineer — but not according to Oregon. 

Beginning this week, Washington hopes that infrastructure, which is a product of civil engineering, will be much discussed. But if you find yourself in Oregon, keep your opinions to yourself, lest you get fined $500 for practicing engineering without a license. This happened to Mats Jarlstrom as a result of events that would be comic if they were not symptoms of something sinister. 

Jarlstrom’s troubles began when his wife got a $150 red-light-camera ticket. He became interested in the timing of traffic lights and decided there was something wrong with the formula used in Oregon and elsewhere to time how long traffic lights stay yellow as they transition from green to red. He began thinking, Googling, corresponding, and — here he made his big mistake — talking about this subject. He has ignored repeated demands by the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying that he pipe down. So the board considers him to be, like Jesse James, Al Capone, and John Dillinger, a dangerous recidivist.

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Delta and Bank of America abandon Trump-like 'Julius Caesar'

The Public Theater in New York City lost two sponsors Sunday due to controversy surrounding its rendition of William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," which includes the gory assassination of a ruler who resembles President Trump.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Bank of America (BAC) pulled their support following criticism on social media. The play has come under fire from Fox News and one of Trump's sons.

"No matter what your political stance may be, the graphic staging of 'Julius Caesar' at this summer's Free Shakespeare in the Park does not reflect Delta Air Lines' values," the airline said in a tweeted statement. "Their artistic and creative direction crossed the line on the standards of good taste. We have notified them of our decision to end our sponsorship as the official airline of The Public Theater effective immediately."

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This is why American tourists don’t want to travel to Cuba

A flash of excitement about travel to Cuba after the country opened its borders to the U.S. in 2016 for the first time in decades may have lost some of its shine.

Americans are less interested in travel to Cuba this year than they were in 2016, a survey from insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance found. Some 76% of the 1,514 respondents said they were not likely to plan a trip to Cuba in 2017 compared to 70% in 2016. Only 2% of those surveyed planned to visit Cuba in the next six months or by the end of 2017, the same as 2016 despite a projected increase in travelers from the country’s ministry of tourism. It also found that 60% of Americans said “would not like to travel to Cuba” compared to just 58% in 2016.

Although some of these shifts may be expected after the initial flurry of interest, flight trends also suggest demand is lower than initially expected, said Brian Sumers, an airline analyst at travel site Skift. “When the country opened up, just about every U.S. airline was obsessed with getting as many routes into Havana as it possibly could — they thought it was going to be a gravy train,” he said. “Now, as I understand it, a lot of the flights are empty.”

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ICE Newark arrests 113 criminal targets in 5-day enforcement surge

NEWARK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark Field Office arrested 113 criminal targets during an operation Jun. 5-9, as part of the agency’s ongoing public safety and national security efforts. The operation was supported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New Jersey Field Office, the New Jersey State Parole Office, and ICE Homeland Security Investigations.

All of the targets in this operation were criminal in nature. 93% of those that were arrested were convicted criminals and 87% of them had prior felony convictions.

“The continued results of our Fugitive Operations officers and their law enforcement partners underscore ICE’s ongoing and steady commitment to public safety,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director of ERO Newark. “As part of this operation, we continue focus on the arrest of individuals who are criminal and are a threat to public safety and national security. Because of the tireless efforts of these professional officers, there are 113 fewer criminals in our communities,” he added.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is extremely proud to have assisted in this operation,” said Leon Hayward, Acting Director New York Field Office. “It is through collaborative efforts, such as the one leading to today’s arrests, that law enforcement agencies can combat illegal acts and apprehend criminals who pose a threat to the Homeland.”

Trump slogans photoshopped out of high school yearbook

Wall Township HS junior Grant Berardo with the Trump shirt he wore for his class photo and the photoshopped version he saw when he received his yearbook this week.

Fake photos!

Parents at a New Jersey high school are outraged that their kids’ yearbook photos were Photoshopped to remove pro-Trump slogans on their clothing.

One student at Wall HS had the “TRUMP Make America Great Again” motto deleted from his T-shirt, while a junior classmate had his fleece “Trump” vest sanitized. A third student, the freshman class president, was stunned to see that her selected quote — a Trump utterance — never made it to print.

“I want all the yearbooks reissued. Everybody gets a brand-new yearbook,” fumed Joseph Berardo, whose 17-year-old son, Grant, donned the Trump T-shirt on picture day last fall.

“And I want a letter from the administration explaining why the yearbooks are being reissued, and it should be used as a teaching moment related to the First Amendment in civil discourse,” the father added.

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Ocean City actively tracking online rentals

While the lodging industry is waiting for the resurrection of legislation regulating online short-term rentals, Ocean City officials are keeping an eye on listings.

To operate a short-term rental through an online company, such as Airbnb, FlipKey, VRBO and OneFineStay, Ocean City property owners are required to get a business license. That way, city government staff can ensure that the resort is getting its cut of room tax.

Realtors also provide paperwork for the license when they close a deal in the resort, should the owner wants to rent the property. As for those properties that are unregistered, License Inspector Mike Sherman is searching the websites to find them.

It’s a tedious task, as Airbnb has roughly 300 listings in Ocean City alone. Complicating matters is the need to weed out legitimate businesses from those trying to fly under the radar.

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Restaurant Sales, Traffic Tumble: "The Industry Hasn't Reported A Positive Month Since February 2016"

There appeared to be a glimmer of hope for the restaurant industry last month, when despite ongoing negative restaurant sales and traffic performance in April, BlackBox Intelligence Executive Director, Victor Fernandez said that "there are some reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the second quarter, at least in terms of improvement over what we’ve seen in the recent past" adding that "the move of the Easter holiday meant that April’s results were likely softer than they would have been without this shift, meaning spending in restaurants was probably a little stronger than the numbers show."

Alas, any trace of optimism was doused with the latest BlackBox snapshot report (based on weekly sales data from over 27,000 restaurant units, and 155 brands representing $67 billion dollars in annual revenue) which found that May was another disappointing month for chain restaurants by virtually all measures.

Same-store sales were down -1.1%, which represents a 0.1% decline from April. At the same time, same-store traffic "growth" also dropped by -3.0% in May, down 3.2% on a rolling 3 month basis. Although traffic results improved from prior month, the growth in check average was lower than it has been in recent months, causing the fall in sales growth vs. March and April.

More concerning is that the restaurant industry has not reported a month of positive sales since February of 2016, according to BlackBox.

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Parasite Kills About 80 Ducks In Lincoln Memorial Pool

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– There has a problem lurking in the water at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.

The National Park Service says during a two-day period last month, approximately 80 ducks were found dead in the pool.

The problem is a water borne parasite that was found in the snails that live in the pool.

This weekend, the Park Service will be draining out the water.

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NASA PREPARES ARTIFICIAL CLOUD DISPLAY

Tonight, June 12th, between 9:04 to 9:19 p.m. Eastern Time, NASA plans to launch a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

About 100 miles above Earth's surface, the payload will release a network of red and blue-green vapors. Tracking the motions of the colorful gases will help researchers study the dynamics of Earth's ionosphere. The vapor tracers may be visible from New York to North Carolina and westward to Charlottesville, Virginia.

(spaceweather.com)

Large Anti-Sharia Rallies at San Bernardino Terror Site, LAX

On Saturday, hundreds gathered to protest against Islam’s sharia law at the site of the December 2015 terror attack in San Bernardino, California, and elsewhere throughout the state.

Protest rallies sponsored by ACT for America — Bridgette Gabriel’s anti-jihadist group — were held nationwide.

As the Los Angeles Times noted, a diverse group of over 500 demonstrators gathered at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino to protest what they described as the spread of sharia law in the United States.

They were met by smaller groups of counter-demonstrators, many from so-called “Antifa” groups. San Bernardino Police Officers handled security without any major incidents, except a few scuffles on the Anitfa side.

The San Bernardino protest was organized by Latinos for Trump co-founders Marco Gutierrez and Denise Ruiz.

Marco, who grew up in Mexico, became a US citizen in 2003, married his high school sweetheart in California, and founded Latinos For Trump in 2016.

Gutierrez told Breitbart News, “We’re here to defend our country, because our way of life is threatened now.

“It’s the totalitarian idea that you’ll do this or else — reminds me of the fight in Mexico between the Catholics and the Masons –so we have some experience with this kind of tyranny.”

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The Greatest Road Rage Of All Time

Feds: Michigan man was trained bomb maker for terror group

DETROIT — One week after the FBI raided a Michigan home in the middle of the night, a new terrorism case surfaced in New York on Thursday involving two men: a Dearborn, Mich., man who allegedly received bomb-making training from a terror group and another man who allegedly plotted attacks on New York.

Samer el Debek, 37, of Dearborn, and Ali Kourani, 32, of the Bronx, N.Y., were arrested a week ago and charged with training and working on behalf of Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization based in Lebanon.

"FBI bomb technicians have assessed that el Debek received extensive training as a bomb-maker," the Justice Department stated.

The charges were unsealed in Manhattan federal court Thursday, one week after federal agents raided a Dearborn home in what they described as an operation involving national security.

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Accident At Sixty Foot and Route 50

Station 7 and 8 have been dispatched to an accident at Sixty Foot Road and Route 50.   Traffic camera is not showing any accident at this time.

UPDATE: Accident is at Route 50 and Main Street Ext in the Eastbound lanes

Luis Gutierrez Whines: Breitbart News Coverage of Illegal Immigrants, Muslim Refugees Too Harsh

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) whined about Breitbart News’ coverage of illegal immigrants and Muslim refugees during his recent commencement address at Cambridge College.

“Breitbart and Fox News didn’t invent their opinions on Mexicans and Central Americans or Muslims,” he claimed the day after the London Bridge terror attacks. “They’re just recycling them.”

He told Cambridge College’s graduates, “I say lift the Muslim ban and tell the Supreme Court to say it’s unconstitutional and un-American.”

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Suspect Arrested As More Are Sought In Salisbury Murder

(SALISBURY, MD) – Maryland State Police homicide investigators have arrested one suspect and are continuing their efforts to identify others involved in the murder of a Wicomico County man early Saturday morning.

The suspect is identified as Ryan C. Holden, 20, of Salisbury, Md. After consultation with the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office, Holden was charged with first degree murder, second degree murder, first degree assault, and use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. He is currently being held in the Wicomico County Detention Center.

Holden is charged in connection with the murder of Anthony Cropper, 57, of Salisbury, Md. Cropper was shot just after 1:00 a.m. on June 10th, after he answered a knock at the door of a friend’s home and exchanged words with several individuals.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators, assisted by the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division and the Salisbury Police Department Criminal Investigation Division, conducted numerous interviews and developed evidence and information that led to the identification of Holden as a suspect. After a review of evidence by the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office, State Police homicide investigators applied for and obtained an arrest warrant for Holden.

Holden was arrested by members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team at this residence at about 9:00 p.m. on June 10th. He was arrested without incident.

Evidence and information indicate others were involved in this homicide. State Police investigators continue to urge anyone with information about those involved in Cropper’s murder to contact police immediately at either the State Police Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101, or the Salisbury PD at 410-548-3165. Callers may remain anonymous. Information may also be provided confidentially on-line at salisburypd.com

Drunken driver who had skipped hearing gets 50 years in fatal crash

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A D.C. man who sparked a manhunt after failing to show up to his first sentencing hearing for a fatal drunken driving crash has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Before his first sentencing hearing on May 12, Kenneth Kelley, 27, was out on bond. When the day came to receive his punishment after pleading guilty, he was a no-show.

Kelley was supposed to have a GPS monitoring device on at the time, but for unknown reasons it either didn’t work or was removed.

He disappeared for several days before a tip led police to his location at a Suitland, Maryland, hotel.

On Friday, Kelley — dressed in an orange jumpsuit — was escorted into the courtroom by Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

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Tennessee Prison Hosts Program to Help Inmates Become Better Fathers

A Tennessee prison program designed to help inmates become better fathers graduated nearly 40 inmates Friday.

The selected inmates graduated from the Malachi Dads program at the Morgan County Correctional Complex, which teaches inmates decision-making skills and fosters personal growth so inmates can become better fathers, WBIR reported.

“I picked the streets before my family, and this program has shown me that God is first, then my family second,” inmate Darryl Wiseman said.

For the past year, Wiseman has been taking classes facilitated by volunteer mentors of the program.

The program culminates Saturday with the Returning Hearts Celebration, where the fathers reunite with their families in the prison yard and participate in carnival-like activities with them.

“I think I’m going to cry real hard first,” Wiseman said ahead of Saturday’s celebration. “I’m going to be nervous to see them because I want them to see a new side of me. They’re going to be able to see that I have that glow, that I have that light and that I’m walking for Him now, for Jesus. They’re going to see the gentler side of me.”

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Delaware Troopers Seek Public’s Assistance in Locating Wanted Subject From Seaford

Seaford – State Police are requesting assistance in locating Kaylene Lowe, 22 of Seaford, who is wanted for Burglary and Theft.

Kaylene Lowe is wanted by troopers in connection with the burglary investigation that occurred this past May for entering a residence in the 24000 block of Jamore Drive and removing various items.

If anyone has any information in reference to Kaylene Lowe’s whereabouts, they are asked to contact Lt. M. Wheeler at 302-232-3423. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword “DSP.”

Elder Abuse: Program planned for Thursday, June 15, 2017

Special program planned on elder abuse awareness

The thought of a vulnerable older person being abused is horrifying, but it can happen anywhere and to almost anyone.

Elder abuse can occur in the home, nursing homes or other institutions – anywhere, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.

Elder abuse knows no socio-economic, racial or cultural boundaries.

Studies show that women are more likely to be victims, the NCEA reports.

And, it is estimated that as few as one in five cases are reported.

“It can happen to anyone, at any place, at any time,” said Cheryl Senkbeil, MAC Inc.’s Ombudsman, who works to safeguard area elderly who live in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. “It could be your loved one. It could be you.”

In observance of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the community is encouraged to stop by MAC to learn more about elder abuse: the types, the signs, and where to go for help.

Leading liberals develop plan to expand 'deep state' and undercut Trump

Forlorn liberals took refuge at the American Constitution Society's national convention in Washington this week, discussing whether to encourage the growth of the "deep state" resistance inside the government or fight President Trump from outside.

"The election of Donald Trump was an assault on the federal bureaucracy," William Yeomans said to a room full of students and civil servants, including those recently displaced by Trump's administration. "His values are simply not consistent with the values of people who are committed to public service and who believe deeply in the importance of public service."

Yeomans, an American University law professor with more than 25 years of experience at the Justice Department, was holed up inside the Capital Hilton hotel downtown on a sunny Friday afternoon leading a panel of bureaucrats and scholars divided about how best to fight Trump.

UCLA law professor Jon Michaels said he favors filling the Trump administration with liberals opposed to Trump's agenda.

Michaels listed his ideas for how to ensure the success of the "deep state..."