Trayvon Martin: Documents Released

Prosecutors have handed over documents and other evidence to the defense team of George Zimmerman, the man charged with fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The documents may be heavily redacted, but they still lend insight into the prosecution's case against Zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty.

First the witness list: While most names are being withheld to prevent intimidation, Trayvon's parents and brother are mentioned. Zimmerman's brother, possible eyewitness Joe Oliver and Zimmerman's friend, Frank Taaffe.

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Obama Poll Disaster

The new CBS/New York Times poll out last evening is, on the surface, the biggest disaster for the Barack Obama campaign at this point in the 2012 election.

Down overall? Check. Voters frustrated with the economy and how things are going? Check. Gay marriage endorsement backfire? Check.

But this might be the worst underlier of all: Obama is even losing among women.
Now, before we delve deeper, we should point out the funky methodology that has some — ranging on the spectrum from the Obama campaign to the National Journal — questioning how the results hold up.

This is a "panel-back" survey — the same voters were polled this time as were polled in mid-April. Only 562 of the original 856 registered voters re-responded to the poll this time around.

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Mowing Halted at National Parks After Fatal Fall

Mowing at all national parks has been suspended indefinitely because of safety concerns after a maintenance worker cutting grass along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina fell to his death.

The National Park Service sent an order to its regional offices Friday to halt mowing at its 397 parks that are spread across every state except Delaware.

The agency is reviewing safety procedures after 63-year-old Dana Bruce of Alexander died at the Haw Creek Overlook north of Asheville. The seasonal worker's riding mower fell more than 140 feet down a boulder-strewn embankment May 7. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Content Removed

CONTENT REMOVED

Several readers expressed their belief that the content of this post was offensive.

After consulting with several leaders in the area's minority community we chose to remove the post.

Our Apologies,

SBYNews

3rd Annual Blue Mass 5/17/12

The Knights of Columbus in conjunction with the Ocean City Police Department, The Ocean City Fire Department and the Ocean City Beach Patrol have adopted a tradition of holding a special Mass dedicated to those who work in the field of Public Safety. This year, the Blue Mass is being held on May 17, 2012 at St. Luke's Church (9901 Coastal Highway Ocean City, MD 21842) at 6:00 p.m.

After the Blue Mass ceremony, a reception is being held to honor our Public Safety personnel and their families. We hope you, your colleagues, your family and your friends will attend to celebrate you and your service.

Please see the attached flyer for more information or feel free to contact me with additional questions.

Public Affairs Specialist Jessica Waters
Ocean City Police Department
6501 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, MD 21842
PHONE: 410-520-5395
EMAIL: jwaters@oceancitymd.gov

PUBLIC NOTICE 5-16-12

THE MAY 17, 2012 CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION WILL BE HELD AT 9:30 A.M.
IN CONFERENCE ROOM 306 OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING.

AS A REMINDER, THE BUDGET SCHEDULE DID NOT INCLUDE THE DESIGNATED
TIME FOR THE ABOVE DATE. THIS DATE WAS INCLUDED IN THE EVENT
COUNCIL NEEDED AN ADDITIONAL DAY TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET.

ALL QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL VIA EMAIL TO
ALLCityCouncilMembers@ci.salisbury.

Today's Fill In The Blank 5-16-12

My greatest reward in life has been _______.

A Little Help Please?

Yet our government wants to build new Libraries?

Street Racing

To all you hard heads that are into street racing... there are too many people that have lost their lives doing so and others that have come EXTREMELY close. Just this weekend there was a street race that took place in DE that have landed two young guys in ICU with injuries such as... broken right thigh bone (rod inserted), broken right ankle (pins and plates added), dislocated left hip, fractured right hip. fractured breast bone, fractured ribs and partial collapsed lung,broken left thing bone (rod added), broken left shin bone (rod/pins added), fractured pelvis, broken upper and lower jaw, broken cheek bones, broken bones under eyebrows and broken face bone. Does that sound like the way for someone to enjoy a summer? And one of the worst parts... the person who was racing them kept going and never even stopped to see if they were alive!!!! So both of you cowards...WHOEVER YOU ARE that kept going for both accidents (the picture is from a street race that turned fatal for two young men who made a bad choice and their families are left to pick up the pieces as the other racer continued without stopping) I hope you are ridden with guilt and it haunts you until you die yourself. I also hope that one day you will find yourself in jail.

KEEP IT ON THE TRACK OR DON'T RACE AT ALL! IT's NOT WORTH THE RISK TO LOSE YOUR LIFE, OR TO KILL AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER!

Ric Thornton
Pulse Car Audio

New Secret Service Rules

They can no longer get drunk, procure hookers or go to strip bars.The rules say that from now on, if agents feel compelled to engagein such behavior, they can run for public office like everyone else.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 5-16-12

QUOTE OF THE DAY 5-16-12

“False opinions are like false money, struck first of all by guilty men, and thereafter circulated by honest people who perpetuate the crime without knowing what they are doing.”

Joseph de Maistre

Greece: Dump The EU Now For An Economic Recovery!

"Attempts to form a government in Greece collapsed on Tuesday, jolting financial markets at the prospect leftists opposed to the terms of an EU bailout could sweep to victory in a June election and nudge the euro zone crisis into a dangerous new phase." – CNBC

Why should the Greek people be financially destroyed and rendered destitute by forced German and Brussels EU austerity measures and more loans designed only to pay the interest on the debt to the big banks? What if the banking and media establishment are dead wrong about nations withdrawing from the Euro like they have from the beginning of the crisis? I suggest a strong economic recovery is the likely result rather than depression as forecast by experts working for the banks that have enslaved Greece.

What Would You Do?

Let's assume you were very unsophisticated regarding real estate and you lived off a $30,000 annual income. Then assume you purchased a home in the US during the Federal Reserve-created housing bubble for $500,000 with 2% down. Your real estate agent and mortgage broker said, "Don't worry. We will take care of the details." Later, you discover your signature was forged and they showed your annual income as $300,000 annually.

Now you find out the real value is only $50,000 and there are numerous liens and defects and you don't even have clear title to the asset. The bank and credit providers are threatening to take everything you have saved in your lifetime because you are behind on your loan payments.

What would you do? Given this situation most rational people would stop making payments, withdraw from the fraudulent contract and sue those who misrepresented the entire deal for fraud. This is a very simplistic version of what has happened to most nations inside the EU. The citizens never voted on or understand the contract giving away national sovereignty. The entire deal, including the sovereign debt, was fraudulent and sold so banks and politicians could benefit.

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Speaker Busch: ‘Only 16% Of Marylanders Are Being Asked To Pay A Little More’

In this podcast, House Speaker Michael Busch spoke to reporters about the budget and the cuts that would have to be made if tax increases don’t pass. “Only 16% of Marylanders are being asked to pay a little more.”

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Dream Act Supporters Target Filibuster

Illegal-immigrant students and some House Democrats sued the Senate this week to try to overturn the upper chamber’s filibuster rule, arguing that the 60-vote threshold applied to most major legislation violates the Constitution and is blocking important legislation, such as legalization for illegal immigrants.

If successful, the lawsuit filed Monday would rewrite the way the Senate operates. But courts have generally been reluctant to meddle in internal congressional rules, making it an iffy question whether it would ever get to that point.

Still, the effort mixes two thorny issues: immigration and the separation of powers — and is likely to help keep the former in the news through this year’s presidential election.

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Tax Hikes Include $36M Increase On Business Loans

The Maryland Senate is expected to give final approval today to a package of tax hikes that will raise more than $300 million a year. But a little noticed provision will also raise $36 million in new taxes from companies that back mortgages on commercial development and homebuilding. Opponents say it will add to the cost of construction and harm Maryland’s business rankings.

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Mayor To Address Chamber Of Commerce On 2012 – 2020 Downtown Plan: Publishers Notes Below

Mayor James Ireton, Jr. will address the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce General Membership this Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Noon at the Holiday Inn on Route 13. He will be joined by Town Planner, Chris Jakubiak and City Administrator, John Pick. The mayor will outline his 2012-2020 Downtown Revitalization Plan which includes the following goals for downtown Salisbury over the next 8 years:

Waterfront parking lots developed
Increase number of jobs by 300
Increase number of housing units by 500
Increase resident population by 750
Increase commercial square footage by 100K square feet
Remove 25% of impervious surface area

The mayor will discuss preliminary findings on the recent parking lot study, will discuss Salisbury’s business-friendly proposed drop in Capacity Fees, his proposed EDU Free Zone for downtown, and the successes that are proving downtown Salisbury to be alive and well.

“I will be asking the Chamber and its members to partner with Salisbury as proposals move to the Salisbury City Council for consideration. I have proposed bold ideas such as development of parking lots on riverfront property, a 60% drop in the City’s Capacity Fee rates, and an EDU Free Zone for downtown. On Thursday I will make the case that Salisbury’s downtown is ready for opportunities,” said Mayor Ireton.

Publishers Notes: I feel it is VERY important for everyone to know that the Mayor nor any of the people mentioned here have made any contact with the property owners on the Plaza referencing this matter.

The issue here is that, (once again) Mayor Ireton has spent three years concocting such projects without ever including the City Council. The City Council has absolutely no knowledge of this proposal and should have been included from the ground floor. After all, they ARE the legislative body. Why Mayor Ireton continues to run the City in such secrecy and then expected a favorable vote and ultimately becomes insulting and attacks the Council is beyond me.

The Mayor's job is to include the Council as well as, (here's an idea) the actual property owners who have invested millions of dollars Downtown. I am NOT saying his proposal is a bad idea, I have no clue what he's about to propose other than what is here above.

One thing I do know is that I actually have a better idea for Downtown Salisbury in which I have shared with property owners and they are absolute nuts about the idea. It would NOT be a proposal that would take eight years like the Mayor is proposing.

Don't let any more politicians tell you how they want to run your business or handle your investment. This Mayor and the former Mayor have tried it before and look where it got us. More importantly, the Mayor needs to include the City Council on these projects and I know for a fact he has not. He's using formats like the one above to sell the citizens and attack the Council when he drops it on their lap at the last second. This is NOT how you run a business. This is how you run a dictatorship.

House Set To Vote On Final Budget And Tax Hikes After Senate Passage

As one delegate put it, it was déjà vu all over again as the House of Delegates on Tuesday rejected amendments to a revised spending plan and $300 million in tax hikes that had often been proposed in the regular 90-day session. The Senate passed the bills earlier in the day, and the House is set to take a final vote Wednesday.

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Today's Survey Question 5-16-12

Have you ever been received a parking ticket in Salisbury?

Question Of The Day

Which school fund raisers do you like the most/least. 

Which ones are you most likely to buy?