Trayvon Martin's Parents: One Year Later

Hebron VFD Member Killed In Tanker Truck Crash

Police have identified the victim as 34-year-old David Mammi of Hebron, Maryland.
WEST MARLBOROUGH, PA — The Chester County Coroner’s Office was dispatched Tuesday afternoon after a fuel-tanker overturned in a single vehicle crash on Route 82 around 3 p.m., officials said.

A tanker truck carrying liquid petroleum overturned around 11:54 a.m. Tuesday on Route 82 just north of Covered Bridge Road, according to the Chester County Department of Emergency Services. The identity of the deceased person was not immediately known.

Authorities said the tanker, which jack-knifed and overturned just off the roadway, was the only vehicle involved in the crash. Members of the Chester County Accident Reconstruction Team were present investigating the cause of the crash.
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President Obama On Maryland’s Better Choices

In case you missed it, this morning at the National Governors Association annual meeting, President Obama praised Maryland’s “smart choices” that have enabled us to nearly eliminate the $1.7 billion structural deficit we inherited in 2007 and preserve our AAA bond rating, while at the same time investing to keep college affordable and create the #1 schools in America for five years in a row.
We wanted to share three graphs related to the President’s remarks:

(1) Fiscal responsibility: Since 2007, we’ve cut state spending by approximately $8.3 billion — including $325 million in cuts this year. We’ve now cut state spending more than any other administration in modern Maryland history.

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IS A MAJOR UNIVERSITY THREATENING ACTION AGAINST A STUDENT FOR ‘INTIMIDATING’ HER ALLEGED RAPIST?

A sophomore at the University of North Carolina claims she’s facing disciplinary action by the school after speaking out about her alleged rapist, a fellow student on campus and her ex-boyfriend.

Landen Gambill was one of 64 students named in a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights filed by the former University of North Carolina assistant dean of students and four students claiming the university pressured officials into underreporting cases of sexual assault.

Now Gambill says that, in publicizing her story and speaking to the press, UNC claims she’s “intimidating” her rapist and violating the school’s honor code.
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STATE POLICE CONTINUES ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN - AN IDLING CAR IS EASY PREY

 

(PIKESVILLE, MD) – As cold weather continues, Maryland State Police are reminding drivers that an unoccupied vehicle with its engine running is an open invitation to car thieves who are prowling neighborhoods, convenience stores, and gas stations, looking for the easy steal.

Troopers across Maryland are continuing to educate drivers that leaving a vehicle running, or with the keys in it, are the quickest ways to have it stolen. Leaving a vehicle unoccupied with the engine running is also illegal. Most violators, fortunate enough to find their vehicle still there when they returned have been issued warnings, but could have found a state trooper waiting to issue a citation that carries a fine of $70 and one point. Maryland motor vehicle law states that before a person driving a motor vehicle may leave it unattended, he or she must stop the engine, lock the ignition, remove the key, and set the parking brake.

Although Maryland law enforcement and citizens working together have driven down vehicle thefts to record lows in recent years, there were still more than 16,000 vehicles stolen in Maryland 2011. That works out to a motor vehicle theft occurring every 33 minutes. More than 50 percent of the vehicles stolen were unlocked and more than 30 percent of the stolen vehicles had the keys inside them. Investigators estimate that as many as 4,000 of those vehicles stolen were actually running at the time they were stolen.

Car thieves are like anyone else. They love to find ways to make their job easier. State and local police know that as the cold weather persist, there will be more reports of vehicles stolen while they sat running in front of a house, a convenience store, or a gas station. Owners always report they were just ‘warming up’ their car, or they were only in the convenience store for a few seconds.

Police have scores of cases involving car thieves cruising neighborhoods early in the morning just looking for the telltale plume of exhaust from an unoccupied vehicle. Other thieves loiter around store parking lots watching for the driver who leaves his or her vehicle running just to keep it warm while they go inside. This especially concerns police when it involves parents who leave their children in cars with the engine running. Car thieves don’t always check to see who is in the back seat before stealing the vehicle.

Maryland state troopers at all 22 barracks will carry on specific initiatives to locate unoccupied vehicles with the engines running. They will focus on commercial areas and communities, depending on their areas of responsibility and the locations of their highest rates of vehicle thefts.

State Police are reminding drivers that the most important steps to vehicle theft prevention are easy – lock your car and take the key. Additional layers of protection can be added, such as using a mechanical anti-theft device, etching the vehicle identification number onto various locations of the automobile, and investing in a vehicle tracking security system.

'Buy a Shotgun!'

Shields Apologizes To Albero

It's been an interesting morning already. I've been to all three polling places by 7:30 AM. Shanie Shields was across the street from the Fire Station 16 putting signs in the ground and then she was off to her campaign office, (McDonald's) for her daily cup of coffee.

Debbie Campbell was the only candidate out and about waving to the public. 

While Shanie was out putting up signs I finally had the opportunity to confront her about her statement in the Daily Times a couple weeks ago calling me a racist. 

I explained to her how Mayor Ireton was stupid enough to try to get the NAACP to go against me for two articles I had put up in which the titles were somewhat racy, yet the Mayor didn't click on MORE to see who wrote each articles. I explained to Shanie how BOTH authors of the articles Ireton challenged me on are African American.

Shanie responded by saying her friends had called her and told her Joe Albero was attacking her on Salisbury News. I said, Shanie, Joe Albero may disagree with you at times but your never going to tell me that Joe Albero has EVER written anything racist about you. 

Shanie immediately agreed and offered me an apology for what she said in the Daily Times. I accepted her apology but went on to say I didn't like it and just because I disagree with you at times DOESN'T make me a racist. 

Shanie then changed the subject to Ms Gibson last night, stating she was wrong. I looked at her and said, you mean to tell me after all you said in the past about relocating the Downtown Station 16 to the west side of town so the African American citizens would be encouraged to join the Fire Department. She replied, "my people don't want to be Firefighters". I said, what about Lorenzo Cropper and what he was put through. Shanie replied, "who told you Lorenzo has a lawsuit against the City". Completely shocked I said, I never said anything about Mr. Cropper and any lawsuit. Seems to me Shanie just let the cat out of the bag.

Last nights dog and pony show with the Firefighters once again proves that even though they know one of their own who allegedly got pushed out of the Fire Department and has now filed suit against the City and perhaps even Mr. Hoppes, (I don't know this to be a fact) shows Ms Gibson may have been right on track. The fact is, out of that entire room full of Firefighters in City Uniform, there was not a single black, brown or female face. NOT ONE. 

IF there is a discrimination lawsuit against the City and it is proven that Mr. Hoppes had anything to do with this discrimination, Hoppes, (IMHO) is not the man for the job.

Shanie Shields immediately showed her support towards the City and no support to Lorenzo, who is a cousin of her first husband. 

I am glad Shanie apologized for her statement to the Daily Times about me. 

Election Coverage

We will be updating this post throughout the night as information becomes available.

• There will be around 140 votes cast in District 1 and over 700 in District 2

 District 1 Final Results 

Shanie Shields 55 votes 

Cynthia Polk 40 votes 

April Jackson 39 votes 

District 2 Final Results

Jacob Day 803 votes

Debbie Campbell 271

Jack Heath 197 

BEN AFFLECK AND GEORGE CLOONEY'S 'ARGO' BAGGED $6.21 MILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY

A new report by the Government Accountability Institute has discovered that, according to the California Film Commission, Ben Affleck and George Clooney’s Oscar-winning film, Argo, received $6.21 million in California transferrable film tax credits.

Last October, Affleck, a committed and vocal Democrat, told Bill O’Reilly that President Barack Obama’s “major policy goal of changing the tax structure so that the wealthy pay their fair share, to me, is of towering importance.” Argo’s producer, Clooney, has also been a strong Obama supporter, hosting a fundraiser for the president at his Los Angeles home and another in Geneva.

Forty states offer film subsidies totaling $1.51 billion. Film tax credits may be used to defray income and sales taxes incurred during a film or TV production. Some states allow leftover tax credits to be converted into cash that filmmakers can keep—paid for by taxpayers.
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Convicted Sex Offender Removed GPS Ankle Bracelet

Convicted sex offender removed GPS ankle bracelet and 'molested two teen sisters' and THOUSANDS more are doing the same
Supreme Court declared California prison overcrowding unconstitutional
in 2011

Convicted sex offenders 'no longer fear being sent to state prison'
3,400 arrest warrants, many for known sex offenders, issued in past
18 monthsA convicted sex offender has been arrested for allegedly molesting two sisters, aged 13 and 15, after breaking into their home and threatening them. 
Rithy Mam, 33, who was previously found guilty of child stalking, had removed his GPS ankle monitor in September before entering the girls' home in Stockton, California. He was later arrested in a public park and is now in custody on felony child molestation charges. 
Mam committed the crime after being arrested three times in two months last year on similar accusations. However, he was later released because California's legislation on parolees has been relaxed due to overcrowding in prisons.

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STATE DEPT. ALLOWS SALE OF TEAR GAS TO EGYPT'S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GOVT.

The United States federal government has approved the export of tear gas to the Muslim Brotherhood-controlled government of Egypt, the State Department stated Monday.

A reporter asked Deputy Spokesman Patrick Ventrell about the sale of tear gas canisters from a U.S. manufacturer at a midday press conference, and Ventrell confirmed the State Department had authorized the deal in question.

"I can tell you that we have approved an export license for the shipment of U.S.-manufactured nonlethal riot control agents to the Egyptian Government," he responded, with the caveat that "we strongly support the right of all Egyptians to assemble, to peacefully protest, and violence has no place in a free and democratic Egypt."
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DelDOT Begins $2.4-Million Streetscape Project In Bethany Beach

Project to improve safety along Garfield Parkway

Bethany Beach -- The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has begun a $2.4-million streetscape improvement project on Garfield Parkway in Bethany Beach.

The project covers a two and a half block stretch of Garfield Parkway that extends from the boardwalk past Pennsylvania Avenue and Atlantic Avenue to State Route 1. A DelDOT contractor is widening sidewalks, adding pedestrian crossings, upgrading curb ramps, installing lighting, landscaping, and improving signage for bicycle lanes.

"We're very pleased to be able to improve safety for this heavily traveled area in the Bethany Beach area. Our streetscape improvements will help reduce the risk of traffic accidents involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists who use this roadway," said Delaware Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt.
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FEDERAL COURT FINDS NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY A CONCEALED WEAPON — WE EXPLAIN THE DECISION

While gun rights supporters might like to think the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is an absolute guarantee against government interference, according to at least one (relatively conservative) appeals court, they are severely mistaken. In fact, according to that same court, when it comes to carrying concealed weapons, the Second Amendment is basically irrelevant.

Last Friday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down its decision in the case of Peterson v. Martinez, a case involving the question of whether a state has an obligation to provide a concealed carry license to anyone who has been granted such a license in another state. Their answer was, to put it mildly, “no.”

In fact, the court adopted a fairly novel approach in explaining why the right to keep and bear arms didn’t apply in this case: Rather than rely solely on precedent that restricted gun rights, they built most of their analysis on language from cases that expanded gun rights, but still made clear that there were limits, of which concealed carry was certainly one. As Lawyers.com’s Larry Bodine put it, “To bullet-proof the ruling against an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the 10th Circuit recounted numerous court rulings and state laws dating back to 1813, and based its ruling on prior U.S. Supreme Court cases.”
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Citi's Government-Job Bonus For Jack Lew

It's not uncommon for a U.S. Treasury Secretary to have served on Wall Street, but what's interesting about this next one is that his bank gave him a pretty significant financial incentive to do so.
The Senate Finance Committee will vote Tuesday on President Obama's nomination of White House Chief of Staff and former Citi executive Jack Lew for the top job at the U.S. Treasury.

Lew left Citi in 2009 to become the Deputy Secretary of State.

At Lew's recent confirmation hearing for Treasury Secretary, an interesting detail about his employment contract with Citi emerged: a bonus meant to keep him at Citi – meaning he wouldn't get it if he quit – would still be granted on the condition that he left the bank for a "high level" position in the federal government.

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RESTAURANT OWNER FINDS DEDICATED TEEN WALKING 10 SNOWY MILES FOR JOB INTERVIEW — GUESS WHERE HE’S WORKING NOW

Art Bouvier, the owner of a New Orleans-inspired restaurant located in Indianapolis saw a young man trudging through the early morning snow and ice last week. The teen stopped to ask Bouvier — who owns Papa Roux Po Boys and Cajun Food– how much further it might be to his final destination and was told it was six to seven miles.

“He thanked me and continued on,” Bouvier, who also goes by Papa, wrote of the encounter in a now viral Facebook post. “He could have asked me for money for a bus. In fact I quite expected him to. He didn’t. He just started walking.”

To a local news station, Fox 59, Bouvier added that the teen later said he wouldn’t have money for a bus ride until he got a job.
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BREAKING NEWS: Senate Confirms Hagel For Defense Secretary

Senate confirms Chuck Hagel as next Defense secretary in 58-41 vote, ending historic nomination battle. 

Delaware Issues Important Consumer Alert About Corporate Records Service Scam

The Delaware Secretary of State’s Office and the Delaware Division of Corporations recently learned of a deceptive solicitation that has been mailed to numerous Delaware corporations from a company named Corporate Records Service. These solicitations urge corporations to file information and send payment in the amount of $125.00 by a certain date in order to complete corporate meeting minutes on behalf of the corporation.

These solicitations appear to be purposefully timed to coincide with the March 1 due date for annual corporation franchise tax reports. The solicitations include statutory citations regarding corporate records and annual meetings and are designed to look official. However, Delaware corporations are not required to file corporate minutes with the Secretary of State’s office or the Division of Corporations and consumers should independently evaluate their need for such a service before paying any vendor to provide such a service. We want to alert all entities of this deceptive solicitation to prevent entities from completing the form and sending funds or forms to Corporate Records Service for a service that is not required by Delaware law.

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Liberty Preservation Bill Seeks To Limit Reach Of Federal Detainment Law

The Maryland Liberty Preservation Act of 2013, which prohibits state officers from detaining an American indefinitely and without due process, got the support of Marylanders opposed to action recently legalized in the National Defense Authorization Act.

“Regardless of political ideology, regardless of what side of the political spectrum you occupy, every person has the right to due process of law and the presentation of evidence,” said Harford County resident Scott DeLong in his testimony at the House Health and Government Operations Committee Thursday.

DeLong was one among many individuals who attended the hearing in order to express their opposition to the Defense Authorization Act and support state resistance the controversial federal bill.
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Make Your Prediction

Which candidates will win District 1

Which candidates will win District 2

Don't Blink, Or You'll Miss Another Bailout

Many people became rightfully upset about bailouts given to big banks during the mortgage crisis. But it turns out that they are still going on, if more quietly, through the back door.

The existence of one such secret deal, struck in July between the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Bank of America, came to light just last week in court filings.

That the New York Fed would shower favors on a big financial institution may not surprise. It has long shielded large banks from assertive regulation and increased capital requirements.

Still, last week’s details of the undisclosed settlement between the New York Fed and Bank of America are remarkable. Not only do the filings show the New York Fed helping to thwart another institution’s fraud case against the bank, they also reveal that the New York Fed agreed to give away what may be billions of dollars in potential legal claims.

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