Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Saturday, September 17, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Ted Kennedy's Daughter Dies

Kara Kennedy, oldest child of late Sen. Ted Kennedy, dies at 51 from heart attack.
From Fox News

BREAKING NEWS: Eleanor Mondale Dies

Eleanor Mondale, daughter of former Vice President Walter Mondale, dies at 51 after battling brain cancer.
From Fox News

Constitution Day

As Chair of the Maryland Judiciary Public Awareness Committee, and with permission from Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, I have shared with our judges a message (see attached) to be read at the start of the docket on Friday, September 16, 2011, in observance of national Constitution Day. Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, recognizing the rights of life, liberty, freedom and prosperity for all Americans. Although the participation of judges is voluntary, they are encouraged to share the Public Awareness Committee’s Constitution Day message with those appearing before court, reminding us all to celebrate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
 

Today you are attending a session of the Circuit / District for ___ County, Maryland. I would like to take this opportunity to also advise you that, today, we observe what is known as Constitution Day. This day is celebrated each year in the United States on September 17th. This year, we are recognizing it on September 16th, since it falls on a Saturday. This event highlights the creation and signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. It also recognizes all United States citizens.

In a democratic and diverse society such as ours, what must tie us together as Americans are shared values. At the heart of these values, and of our system of government, is the United States Constitution. That document, written originally in 1787, established the framework of government that is still in place today. The Constitution organizes the federal government as three co-equal branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The judiciary --- our court system --- has a special and unique role in American constitutional democracy. Americans have long looked to our courts as guardians of our basic freedoms, , protectors of the rights of individuals and political minorities, interpreters of the Constitution and laws of the land.

Our Constitution is a living document whose survival depends upon each generation of Americans understanding, supporting, and actively promoting its principles and values. You have a role to play in this process. We hope that you will take the time to review the U.S. Constitution to enhance your civic understanding and become involved in all levels of our government.

Finally as you leave the proceedings today, you may contact the Clerk’s office for information on how to obtain a free copy of the U.S. Constitution.
In addition, I am providing all clerks and court administrators with the attached Constitution Day flyer, in English and Spanish, informing court visitors how to download a copy of the U.S. Constitution online or order a printed booklet from the U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society.  
 
Thank you for your time and consideration in this regard. It is greatly appreciated.  
 
Yours truly,
Judge Pamila J. Brown, Chair
Maryland Judiciary Public Awareness Committee

WCDC Inmates And No Control

Joe,

I was wondering if you could help me i have attached 2 pictures upon visiting the detention center to get information i noticed work crew inmates coming back in from work i gather. i was walking up to the front lobby and these inmates were outside unsupervised and were making rude remarks how can these inmates be unsecured outside like this and be allowed to make such remarks i will also be emailing the county executive on this matter and there was an officer and he did nothing when he walked by.

Stupid In America

School spending has gone through the roof and test scores are flat.

While most every other service in life has gotten faster, better, and cheaper, one of the most important things we buy -- education -- has remained completely stagnant, unchanged since we started measuring it in 1970.

Why no improvement?

Because K-12 education is a government monopoly and monopolies don't improve.

The government-school monopoly claims: Education is too important to leave to the free market. At a teachers' union rally, even actor Matt Damon showed up to deride market competition as "MBA style thinking."

"Competition may be okay for selling movies and cell phones, but education is different," says the establishment. Learning is complex. Parents aren't real "customers" because they don't have the expertise to know which school is best. They don't know enough about curricula, teachers' credentials, etc. That's why public education must be centrally planned by government "experts".

Those experts have been in charge for years. They are what school reformers call the "Blob." Jeanne Allen from the Center for Education Reform says for years attempts at reform have run, "smack into federations, alliances, departments, councils, boards, commissions, panels, herds, flocks and convoys, that make up the education industrial complex, or the Blob.

Taken individually they were frustrating enough, each with its own bureaucracy, but taken as a whole they were (and are) maddening in their resistance to change. Not really a wall -- they always talk about change -- but more like quicksand, or a tar pit where ideas slowly sink.

And the most powerful part of the Blob is the teachers' union.

This Saturday, I interview Nathan Saunders, the President of the Washington, D.C. Teachers' Union, and Joseph Del Grosso, President of the Newark Teachers' Union. They say things like, "the unions have a pretty strong history of advocating for high-quality public education... We have progress as a result of unions."

Their predecessors were more candid. When the Washington Post asked George Parker, when he headed the Washington, D.C. teachers union, why he fought a voucher program that let some kids escape failing government schools, he said, "As kids continue leaving the system, we will lose teachers. Our very survival depends on having kids in D.C. schools so we'll have teachers to represent."

More 

BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale Of 9/11 Resilience

Obama's Disapproval Rating Hits 50 Percent, Poll Finds

President Barack Obama's disapproval rating has hit 50 percent for the first time since he took office, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll published late Friday.

The poll, conducted after Obama's economic address to Congress last week, shows worrying signs for the president, with 72 percent of Americans saying they believed the country was on the wrong track and more than half fearing the economy was either already in, or at least headed for, a double dip recession.

Obama's personal approval rating dipped to 43 percent, down from 48 percent in early August, while 57 percent of people disapproved of the way he is handling the economy.

A Letter To WBOC From A SBYNews Viewer

Don't you people have anything else to report on other than the little bit of damage in O.C. You spent the whole broadcast yesterday evening showing Capt. Willie flying around showing the same thing over and over. You then start all over again this evening. Can't you find any other news? No wonder SBYNEWS is making you look second rate. Get with it! One other comment, tell Capt. Willie to stop talking through his nose. Start reporting the news or wind up like the Daily Times, lost patrons. 

Velocity Is Taking Off

Most Hardin County sports fans are aware of Stevie Delabar’s rapid rise through the Seattle Mariners’ organization this season. Delabar was a substitute teacher and coaching baseball at John Hardin prior to the Major League season beginning.

Now, Delabar is in the big leagues. Delabar can trace the climb to a new program Joe Newton has implemented at The Players Dugout.

“It’s unbelievable. It really is,” Newton said Tuesday after spending the weekend in Seattle to watch Delabar and Kansas City Royals pitcher Nathan Adcock, another local product.

Delabar went through a program called Velocity, which was designed by Jamie Evans. Evans, who lives in Maryland, has spent three years developing the program and has seen amazing results with a number of players, including Delabar.

“I think it’s amazing,” Evans said Wednesday in a phone interview. “I don’t know if a movie would do his story justice.”

Evans has been around the game of baseball for a long time, but the number of injuries to elbows and shoulders were beginning to reach “epidemic proportions.” Evans wanted to prevent such injuries from taking place.

Evans began studying other sports and one sport that closely resembled baseball was tennis. Tennis players put a strain on their shoulder countless times during a match and in practice when they serve. Evans said the main difference between the two was players let go of a baseball, while tennis plays hold on to a racquet.
That’s when Evans came up with Velocity, which focuses on acceleration and deceleration of the arm. The program uses a different variety of weighted balls to strengthen the arm and shoulder as well as improves arm speed.

“It didn’t start out as a velocity program,” Evans said. “It was to make the shoulder stronger and healthier. When it originated, it wasn’t to throw faster. Velocity became a byproduct. The shoulder became stronger and could handle more velocity.

“I think if we had a program which said come get your arm healthier or stronger, no one would show up,” he added. “If you call it velocity, people will show up.”

Evans and Newton are holding a free seminar Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. at The Players Dugout to talk about the program. The seminar is open to the public. Newton said those interested should bring a chair. Delabar was scheduled to speak at the event before he was called up to the majors.

Newton started the program last winter and has put nearly 20 players – ranging from 10 years old to college age – through Evans’ program. Evans has had more than 500 players go through the program.


Editors Notes: James Evans is from Salisbury, Maryland.

I Paid -- Didn't You?

This is another example of what Rick Perry called  "TREASON in high places" !!!

Remember, not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only $30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500.

If you calculate the future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a simple 5% (less than what the govt. pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working you'd have $892,919.98.

If you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30 years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month.

The folks in Washington have pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madhoff ever had.

Entitlement my ass, I paid cash for my social security insurance!!!! Just because they borrowed the money, doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout!!

Congressional benefits ---- free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days, now that's welfare, and they have the nerve to call my social security retirement entitlements?

We're "broke" and can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey . And now Pakistan ......home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!

They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives and now when it’s time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place? Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it?

6-Year-Old Finds Parents, Baby Sitter Dead

'Mommy, daddy dead! Mommy, daddy dead!' girl screams to neighbor

A 6-year-old girl came home from school and discovered her parents and live-in baby sitter dead in what police said was a double murder-suicide in the Twin Cities suburb of Oakdale.

Teenage neighbor Brady Hartman told the Star Tribune that the child came home from school Thursday and found the three dead. He said the girl ran out of her house sobbing and screaming, "Mommy, daddy dead! Mommy, daddy dead!"

Hartman's mother consoled the girl and called 911.

A Brooke Mulford Update

Well, it’s that time once again…scanxiety. 3 months ago, Brooke was supposed to have her last set of quarterly scans and move to 6 months scans but her last CT scan showed 2 small nodules on her lungs so we decided to repeat scans again in 3 months to keep an eye on the nodules. Tuesday Sept 20th and Wednesday the 21st she will have (Tues): a Pulmonary Function Test, CT scan of head, neck & torso, MIBG injection, labs and Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic (Wed): MIBG scan, meet with Neuropsych team for results of neuropsychology testing done in July and Oncology Clinic. Please pray that she is still NED and that the nodules are completely gone.

Now for some of the fun stuff Brooke has been doing since I last updated! You might recall back in April I posted about Brooke and I getting back stage passes to see James Taylor in Norfolk, VA well, we got to do it again in Baltimore in May and we brought Aunt Cheryl with us this time. Once again we got to hang out with him backstage and he invited us on his bus again! When we were walking out to the bus there were about 30 people waiting out there to try to get his autograph and he stopped and told all the fans that he promised he would come back out but he needed to get Brookie on the bus first! It was so sweet! He hung out with us for awhile on the bus and then went out to see the fans but told us we could stay on the bus if we wanted to so of course we stayed! While he was gone we hung out with Kate Markowitz, one of his background vocalists with the voice of an angel. She was so kind and friendly and Brooke instantly loved her! Brooke had fun playing hide and seek in everyone’s bunks on the bus (you never would have know that it was close to midnight)! What a great night!

Brooke graduated from kindergarten in June and she and all of her classmates did such a great job at the ceremony. It was such a wonderfully emotional night that I will always treasure – we will miss you Mr. Lamkin & Miss Stacy, thanks for such a great year! I have some video from it that I need to upload and will share with you.

Throughout the summer, Brooke participated in a one week golf, tennis, swim camp at Green Hill, a cooking camp at Camp Odyssey and several days at Salisbury Christian Camp. We went to Sesame Place for a day, a couple trips up to Long Beach Island and we spent 4 days in West Point, VA visiting the Darcy clan and going to Busch Gardens and Water Country.

September, my big girl started first grade and gymnastics and dance. So we’ve stayed busy, busy, busy having lots of fun! And as if Daddy wasn’t already busy enough with Market Street, he and his executive chef, Joel bought another restaurant! It will be called “Mojo’s” and is due to open the end of October!

Jean Schwartz, did a fabulous job putting together a cookbook to raise money for The Brooke Mulford Foundation for NB research at CHOP. It is called, Cooking with Brooke for a Cure and it is full of great recipes – thank you to everyone who submitted recipes and to Jean, Jack and Kellie for all your hard work! The cookbooks cost $12 and will soon be on sale at Market Street Inn or you can order from me (contact me at amulford5@comcast.net ) . You can also purchase them from Jean Schwartz, Kellie Noonan, my Mom and I believe Headquarters Hair Salon in Westmont, NJ might still have some). They are selling fast and we will most likely need to order more soon! Along with the cookbooks, we are still selling Team Brooke t-shirts (youth and adult sizes) and bracelets for NB research as well. Long sleeve purple shirts with gold print are $20, short sleeve gold shirts with purple print are $15 and purple and gold bracelets are $3. You can purchase these at Market Street or by contacting me.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month and Sunday Sept 25th is the Parkway Run/Walk to benefit the Cancer Center at CHOP. We have once again put together a team “Team Brooke” and would love to have you join our team! Please follow this link to join “Team Brooke” http://giving.chop.edu/site/TR?team_id=7650&pg=team&fr_id=1290&et=wOR9ysuohDVF4d2pN7hBWQ..&s_tafId=4231 and click on Join Team (located above my name on the list of team members). If you are unable to join the team but would like to make a donation, click on the same link above and then click on the button that says, “Donate to Team Brooke” (Under the photo of Brooke). Hope to see you there!

Pediatric Cancer Facts: (http://www.kidsvcancer.org/facts/)

Each year around 13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer in the US, that’s more than a classroom of kids a day.

35,000 children are currently in treatment for cancer.

Some 25% of all kids who are diagnosed with cancer die.

•Some pediatric brain tumors, such as brain stem gliomas and pontine gliomas, are terminal upon diagnosis and no new protocols have been developed in 30 years.

•Many pediatric cancers, including neuroblastoma and disseminated medulloblastoma, are terminal upon progression or recurrence.

Cancer kills more children than AIDs, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and congenital anomalies combined.

The average age of death for a child with cancer is 8, causing a child to lose 69 years of expected life.

The death of a child is one of the most traumatic events a family might face.

USPS To Cut Out 1/2 Of Its Processing Centers

The struggling Postal Service is going forward with a plan to trim its processing centers by half to save up to $3 billion a year, even though the proposal would require job losses and reduced services.

It is studying 252 mail processing centers for closure. The agency says 35,000 jobs would be cut but all of the more than 150,000 mail processing employees would be impacted. As a result, the agency would no longer deliver first-class mail within one day. The new service standard would be two to three days.

For what its worth, I order cigars through JR Cigars. Because I live in Delaware, it's against the law to ship them FedEx or UPS, GO FIGURE! So I would order them and have them shipped priority mail, overnight. The last time I went to place an order they told me USPS no longer provides that service.

So, somehow the Federal Government has already picked states in which FedEx and UPS cannot service for certain industries, total BS. USPS has a monopoly and this is against the law, I don't care what you say. I would love to see the USPS get challenged to the point FedEx and UPS, (at the very least) could compete. While I believe the quality of USPS has always been the best, the business side of me gets furious at how our government allows them a monopoly and that is exactly why I refused to use the USPS for anything when I was in business if I could avoid it.  

Troopers Investigate Phone Scam

Location: Lewes, DE residence
 
Date of Occurrence: Monday, September 12, 2011 through Thursday, September 15, 2011.
 
Victim:  84 year old Lewes, DE man
 
Suspect:   
 
-2 unknown male subjects
 
Resume
Lewes, DE- The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a phone scam in which a Lewes, DE man was conned out of $9000.00.
 
The incident began on Monday, September 12, after an 84 year old Lewes, DE resident received a phone call at his residence from a male subject advising that he was the victim’s grandson James. The male caller went on to advise the victim that he, “James”, was involved in a car accident in Mexico City and needed money in order to get out of jail. The victim advised troopers that he then responded to a Western Union office and wired the money to Mexico City. The victim further advised that he received a second and third call from a different male subject advising that he was an insurance broker and that James now needed money for hospital bills and to pay the victim of the “accident” who was now suing him. The victim again wired an additional $3000.00 to Mexico City each time. After the third phone call, the victim became suspicious, and contacted the police.
 
Troopers attempted to contact the suspects at the phone number provided to the victim.  A male subject answered the phone; however, he hung up once he realized he was speaking to law enforcement.
 
The investigation into this incident is continuing at this time.
 
The Delaware State Police offer the following tips in how to avoid being the victim of a phone scam.
 
  1. Do not wire money.
  2. Do not provide the caller with any information.
  3. If something seems suspicious do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.
 
 
Detectives are asking anyone who may also be the victim of this scam to contact Troop 7 at 302-644-5020. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).  Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 9-17-11


“THE DOVE”



The Dove is an accurate recreation of the ship that brought the first settlers to Maryland in the 17th century. It is a truly worthwhile experience to view this historic ship. It is being brought to Salisbury through a joint venture of the Nabb Center and the Wicomico Historical Society. It will be here from September 15-18, with the 15th & 16th being reserved for tours by the school children in the County. The public is invited to tour the ship from 5:30-7 on Third Friday or on either Saturday or Sunday. Tours are free. The ship will dock in the Wicomico River next to Brew River Pub.

The Dove is permanently docked at St. Mary’s City across the Bay. It is owned by the state of Maryland as a learning experience for anyone viewing it. The trip to Salisbury is the only time the Dove will be away from St. Mary’s during 2011. The crew dresses in period clothing and gives knowledgeable answers to the questions asked by visitors to the ship.

A lot of replica ships are not suitable for sailing, but the Dove is capable of putting out to sea just as the original Dove was. There were two ships that originally came to Maryland with our state’s first settlers. The other ship was the Ark. It was about 10 times as large as the Dove and carried all the settlers. The Dove is listed at 42 tons. The Ark was about 400 tons. The Dove was used for carrying supplies. It went back to England and returned with more supplies after the initial crossing. To view this 76 foot ship and realize that it came across the Atlantic is really mind boggling. It is only 17 feet wide and needs only 7 feet of water under it to stay afloat.

What a lot of people don’t know is that most of the larger ships of the era carried smaller boats with them. This was to explore unknown waters for depth. They would take “soundings”, which is a rope dropped into the water to check for depth. It would not be a good situation for them to blindly sail one of the larger ships somewhere and get stuck. Remember, there was no AAA in those days.

The Dove is so authentic in its construction that it has absolutely no electricity on board. On this trip, they will be gone for 9 days. Cooler chests with ice are the only means the crew has for keeping any food. They have installed a motor to travel because they are on a schedule and can’t always wait for the wind to power them. Also, sailing up the Wicomico would be quite a challenge. The builder, Jim Richardson, built the ship in Cambridge. It is as authentic as any ship of the era you will ever see. The original ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean on one of its trips to or from England.

The ship is available for free tours on Saturday and Sunday, September 17th and 18th for the general public to get a chance to visit this historic ship. The hours are from 10-5. School children from Wicomico County fourth and fifth grades were given special tours on Thursday and Friday. I hope everyone takes advantage of this historic opportunity.

Eyes, Biceps,Ccrotch Or butt: Where Do Women Look?

WASHINGTON -- Ladies: If a guy walked up to you and asked for directions, where would you look? It might not be where you think.
 
Monthly e-magazine Cosmo For Guys recently uploaded onto YouTube the results of an unscientific study.
 
Their test subject, "Anthony," walked around New York City asking young women for directions. Little did the participants know they were being filmed by cameras on Anthony's glasses, biceps, crotch and rear end, to see where women looked when he spoke to them.
 
The results might surprise you.

Shoplifter Sentenced To Life In Prison After Walmart Worker Dies

Last June, while attempting to heist a $348 TV from a Texas Walmart, a shoplifter knocked over a Walmart staffer, sending him to the hospital where he would die nine days later. Now that shoplifter has been sentenced to life in prison, even though he was never charged with the worker's death and the medical examiner determined the actual cause of death was end-stage liver cirrhosis.

More »

Plane Crashes Into Crowd at Nevada Air Race, Killing 3, Injuring More Than 50

A vintage World War II-era fighter plane plunged into the grandstands Friday during a popular annual air show, killing at least three people, injuring more than 50 spectators and creating a horrific scene strewn with body parts and smoking debris.

Mikulski Presses White House On Guest Workers

Unable to get a response from the Department of Labor about a new, higher wage requirement for seasonal foreign workers employed in Eastern Shore seafood plants, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski said Friday that she had taken her case to the White House.

The Maryland Democrat wrote White House Chief of Staff William Daley, asking the Obama administration to intervene to delay new requirements that would raise the hourly rate of the foreign workers who come to the U.S. to pick crabs and shuck oysters. Business owners have threatened that they will have to close if the higher wages take effect.

The U.S. allows 66,000 foreigners to come to the country each year under what is known as the H-2B visa program. The temporary workers are hired for seasonal industries such as crab picking, oyster shucking or landscaping. They are required to return home once the season is over.

More

Violent Crime Plunges 12 Percent In U.S.

Violent crimes fell by a surprisingly large 12 percent in the United States last year, a far bigger drop than the nation has been averaging since 2001.

Full Story

Standoff Ends At Ariz. Air Force Base

(CBS/AP)

TUCSON, Ariz. - A barricade situation is over at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, but authorities aren't immediately releasing any details.

A military official said earlier Friday that a man with a gun was holed up in a building at the sprawling base on the outskirts of Tucson and that the base was locked down for several hours.

The reports prompted a frenzy of activity at the base and in the news media amid unsubstantiated reports that someone had been shot.

More

Party Crasher: Journey Guitarist Broke Up Marriage


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Celebrity White House gate crasher Tareq Salahi filed for divorce Friday, claiming his wife was flaunting her affair with the lead guitarist for the rock band Journey.

Tareq Salahi filed paperwork in Warren County saying his wife, Michaele Salahi, abandoned the marriage when she left their Virginia home Tuesday to be with Neal Schon in Tennessee. He also accused Schon of emailing him a picture of a penis, though he doesn't elaborate as to why.

"Over the objections of me, she continually exposes our friends and acquaintances to her adulterous relationship and has flaunted the same throughout the community, the nation and indeed the world, and thus caused ... me to suffer great harm, humiliation, and embarrassment," he said in the divorce petition.

Schon did not return an email. A representative for the group did not return a call seeking comment. Neither Tareq Salahi nor his attorney returned messages seeking comment

More

Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You In Debt

Debt is like a blanket — You bury yourself in it, get comfortable and eventually stop noticing it's even there. That's because it's easy to convince yourself that you're powerless to rid yourself of your financial burdens. But becoming aware of the mentality that keeps you buried in debt is a way to start emerging from it.

More »

Calif. Schools Turn Away Unvaccinated Kids

(SAN FRANCISCO) — California schools are turning away middle and high school students who have not received the whooping cough vaccine as required under a law passed last year after a historic spike in cases of the potentially fatal disease.


The law passed in October initially required all students entering grades seven through 12 to get vaccinated by the start of the 2011-2012 school year. Lawmakers passed a 30-day extension this summer as districts worried many students wouldn't meet the deadline.


More


5 Mistakes People Make When Refinancing

With interest rates as low as they are, nearly all homeowners should at least consider refinancing. But the process of locking down a more attractive loan can be a minefield, and it's easy to make mistakes that nullify much of the advantage of refinancing.

More »

SUSPECT CHARGED IN BOWIE STATE MURDER

(BOWIE, MD) – Maryland State Police have charged a suspect in connection with last night’s murder of a student at Bowie State University.

The accused is identified as Alexis D. Simpson, 19, who is a student at Bowie State University and resides on campus. She is from District Heights, Md. She is charged with first degree murder, second degree murder, and first degree assault. She is being held in the Prince George’s County Detention Center without bond.

The victim is identified as Dominique T. Frazier, 18, who was a student at Bowie State University and resided on campus. She was from Washington, D.C.

Just after 8:00 p.m. yesterday, Prince George’s County Police received a 911 call for a cutting in the Christa McAuliffe Residential Community building on the campus of Bowie State University, in the 14000-block of Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, Md. University police officers were also notified and were the first to arrive on the scene outside of the apartment style residence on the second floor of the residential community.

Bowie State University Police Department officers found the victim in the hallway. She was bleeding from the upper torso and was unconscious. Officers rendered emergency care until EMS units from the Prince George’s County Fire Department arrived. EMS units transported the victim to Prince George’s Hospital Center where she was pronounced dead at about 8:44 p.m.

Detectives from the Prince George’s County Homicide Unit responded to the scene and initiated an investigation. Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation, with continuing assistance from the Prince George’s County Police Department detectives.

Police believe Simpson left the campus after the assault. At about midnight, she turned herself in to officers at the Prince George’s County Police Department District 3. She was turned over to the custody of the Maryland State Police where she will remain until she was charged today.

Maryland State Police investigators obtained a search warrant for the residential suite shared by the victim, suspect and two other students. There are four individual bedrooms in the suite, with two bathrooms, a kitchen and a common area. The suite is being processed for evidence today by State Police crime scene technicians.

Investigators continue to conduct interviews and process evidence and information. They also continue to consult with officials in the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding the ongoing investigation.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and suspect became involved in an argument in their suite that escalated into a physical confrontation. The subject of the disagreement has not been confirmed. Others were in the suite at that time, but no one else was injured in the assault.

The investigation is continuing.

FDA Scolds Big Corn For "Corn Sugar" Ads & Websites

For more than a year, the folks at the Corn Refiners Association have been making a very public push to rebrand the controversial but widely used high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar," telling consumers that "sugar is sugar." But newly uncovered correspondence between the Food and Drug Administration and Big Corn show that regulators aren't exactly thrilled about the new name.

More »

Today's Weather- 09/17/11

Salisbury,Maryland

Today
High
72°F

Precip
20%

Tonight
Overnight Low
58°F

Precip
30%

Statement From Governor Martin O'Malley On August Jobs Report

ANNAPOLIS, MD  - Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement following the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of employment data for the month of August.  The report shows Maryland’s employers shed 2,500 jobs last month, while the state’s unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a point to 7.3 percent. Maryland’s unemployment rate remains nearly 2 percentage points below the national level, and the state remains positive in job growth on the year, with 14,700 jobs created since January:

While Maryland lost jobs this month, we continue to see a positive trend in job creation on the year in our State. Since January, Maryland has created 14,700 new jobs, a growth level better than most states. But our unemployment rate—still one of the lowest in the nation—shows that we still have far too many Marylanders out of work.

“We can’t play a four corners defense in this fragile recovery. Thirty-one states lost jobs this month. To create jobs and get people back to work, a modern economy requires modern investments. That’s why we’ve made record investments in public school construction, created a hiring tax credit, invested millions in speeding up loans to small businesses, and worked to cut red tape and fast-track development projects.  We are going to have bad and good months but we always move forward.

“President Obama understands the urgency of job creation too, and that’s why he’s proposed the American Jobs Act.  Many of the items in the Act build on the successful steps we’ve already been taking in Maryland.  And it would bring nearly 19,000 jobs to Maryland. I urge Congress to come together and pass this bill now.”

Christiana Mall Bridge Relocation Project Will Require Nighttime Closure

Christiana -- As part of the on-going Christiana Mall Road Bridge relocation project, the Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces that beginning on Friday, September 16 from midnight to 7 a.m. Saturday, September 17; Saturday, September 17 from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 18; Route 1 southbound will be closed at the I-95 interchange for paint containment removal. This closure will also affect traffic exiting I-95 southbound onto Route 1 southbound and Route 1 southbound traffic that want to exit onto I-95 Northbound. Traffic will be detoured from I-95 southbound and Route 1 southbound to the Route 273/I-95 interchange.


Routes 1 & 7 northbound will be closed beginning September 19-September 22 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., pending weather conditions. This closure will allow painting to continue on the bridge steel. This closure will affect traffic exiting Route 1 Northbound onto I-95 northbound and I-95 northbound traffic exiting to Route 1 northbound.

Christiana Mall Road Ramp from Route 7 southbound is down to one lane.

ALL BUSINESSES ARE OPEN THROUGHOUT THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Variable message signs will be posted to alert motorists of the upcoming closure and detour routes.

This project involves the new bridge and roadway approach tie-ins to the Christiana Mall "ring-road". The work will also include redesign and drainage work to the existing storm water management pond.

This work is part of a multi-year, multi-project I-95 Improvement Program that has included work at the Churchman's Road/Route 7 Intersection; the Churchman's Road Bridge over I-95; the I-95 Fifth Lane widening; and the reconstruction of the I-95 toll plaza in Newark.