DSU Student Murder Case Dismissed

By STACY SAKAI

The murder of a 17-year-old that rocked the campus of Delaware State University nearly two years ago may go unpunished.

A judge has dismissed the murder case against Loyer Braden citing the prosecution as withholding key witness evidence exonerating Braden.

The defense claims a witness walking with the victim Shalita Middleton when gunfire broke out told authorities the day after Braden was arrested that he was not the gunman, but that the prosecution did not disclose that information until last month.

DSU's acting President Claiborne Smith released this statement on Tuesday:

""We are disappointed that a jury may not get an opportunity to render a verdict in this case... Uppermost in our minds is Shalita Middleton, a beautiful young woman who lost her life in this incident...."

Big Post At 9:05 AM

Salisbury News will deliver yet another Big Post at 9:05 AM tomorrow morning.

Rocket Launch A Success

"NASA successfully launched a Minotaur I rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore Tuesday night. It is the fourth launch attempt in nearly two weeks for NASA. Three other attempted launches had to be scrubbed earlier this month because of weather conditions.

I saw the smoke trail from my house in Salisbury MD Snow Hill Rd by the Pepsi plant..."

300 Comments Today And Growing

We just hit the 300 comment mark for the day and believe me, the day is nowhere near over. Thanks for the comments Folks and keeping this Site interactive. I don't care what anyone says, a Blog is only influential if people participate.

Today, more than ever, our local politicians come to Salisbury News to see what citizens are thinking and saying. The more we participate, the more pressure we place on these public officials to hear our wants and needs, again, influential.

Because you choose to voice your opinion we can and will make a difference. Just think about all the time and effort that goes into putting up 40 Posts a day. No one here is making a killing financially and we do so because we care. OK, some stuff is personal but the majority of what we produce is delivered much quicker than any other news source and the cool part is, you can voice your opinion and make a positive difference.

Remember, if you put up a comment anonymously, NO ONE will know who you are and NO ONE can give out any information. So don't be afraid to speak your mind.

LOCAL ECONOMY BEGINNING TO REBOUND?

Above is a photo of Bob Smith's GMC dealership in Easton, Maryland. All of the vehicles have now been removed and the facility is now shutdown.




Above is a photo of Bob Smith's Chevrolet dealership located adjacent to their GMC dealership building. All of the vehicles have been removed.





Above is a photo of Schaeffer & Strominger's in Cambridge, Maryland. The vehicles are now gone and the facility is now completely shutdown.

Today I had the pleasure of traveling across the Bay to the western shore of Maryland. As I made my trip I noticed that all of the above car dealerships are now empty and completely shutdown.

You answer the 6 million dollar question, does our local economy now look like its on the rebound?

There's Something Very Fishy Going On At The Court Plaza Shopping Center

Yesterday we reported an attempted burglary at Robinson's Jewelers in the Court Plaza. As information continues to come in, Mr. Robinson claims nothing was taken from his business, yet a Police Report stated different. No big deal, but the story continues to baffle the mind.

You see, AFTER the Police left, Robinson went into his other place of business and told other tenants someone cut through the roof to enter the business Personalize It. I came to learn that no one had cut through the roof and that there was a single ceiling tile out of place.

Now it's been reported that Robinson stated someone picked the lock on the business next door to him, (Salisbury Eye Evaluation) removed a ceiling tile and climbed over into his place of business. I said, no, that can't be true because there's a Fire Wall between these businesses and my source said, NO, there's not.

Building codes require in the state of Maryland that each business must be divided by a fire wall separating one business from the other in case a fire breaks out. I have been assured that there is NO Fire Wall in between these businesses.

Nevertheless, it has been reported that nothing was taken from either business but something really stinks about this whole thing. It was also reported that Mr. Robinson claims the camera system line was cut before they entered the building, yet no wires have been shown to have been cut? The other thing that makes me especially curious is the fact that at least two of Robinson's businesses were allegedly broken into, yet no others had any kind of forced entry nor did any other business owner report a break in or problem.

Mr. Robinson also claimed to me yesterday that he has TWO Alarm Companies that secure his Jewelery Store. I have never heard of any business owner having two different Alarm Companies securing a place of business and I truly don't understand why someone would do such a thing?

Oh well, they say never try to figure someone out because you'll just go crazy trying to do so in the process. All I can say is, as many comments in the previous post about Robinson said, they have heard three different stories about this break in, someone must be lying. In the mean time, John loves the attention anyway as no press is bad press.

I forgot to add, Robinson's other business has been closed since the alleged other break in through the roof that never happened. Hence the photo with the blinds closed, lights off and door locked. Not a good way to start a new business, that's for sure.

Fruitland Budget

We have had multiple requests from our readers wanting to see the Fruitland Budget. Please follow this link and it should take you right to the page you're interested in.

http://www.cityoffruitland.com/CityGovernment/Budget/tabid/319/Default.aspx

HOW ANOTHER COUNTY IS DEALING WITH "MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT"

Montgomery County Gazette -- Monday, May 18, 2009
County leaders looking to close school funding gap
Montgomery schools could be on hook for $80M
by Janel Davis Staff Writer

Montgomery County leaders met Monday for about three hours in closed session to determine how to close an $80 million budget gap created when the state school board denied the county's request for a school funding waiver last week.

With the school system set to get that amount more from the county than originally planned, county officials were considering possibly recouping the money by charging the school system $80 million to pay the debt on school construction bonds, according to sources in the meeting. Thus far, school officials seem cool to that idea.

Also unknown is whether officials will require county employees to help close the gap by taking unpaid furlough days or forgoing their incremental step increases.

Local leaders were continuing meetings Monday evening.

The county can appeal the state board's decision in Circuit Court. County leaders also could choose not to fund its required school payment. If that happens, the county could lose between $50 million and $60 million in state education funding.

A vote on the budget is set for Thursday. The budget must be approved by June 1.

In addition to denying Montgomery County's waiver request, the state school board denied requests by officials in Wicomico and Prince George's counties. The counties had sought waivers of the maintenance-of-effort law that requires jurisdictions to maintain per-pupil spending from year to year.

In its decision Friday, the state board found that the counties had not met the burden of proof in showing that revenue losses would prevent the counties from meeting the required funding levels.

This is the first time Montgomery County has sought a maintenance-of-effort waiver from the state. Jurisdictions in the state were given a uniform school funding waiver during the recession of the early 1990s.

SFD Offers CPR Classes - FREE?

Chris Truitt, the President of the local IAFF, on audio, stating the classes are free. He and Steve Mizzel both state the training is done free of charge. Both men maintain the fact the more people trained in the community the better it is for the community. I agree wholeheartedly.

Did anyone know the Salisbury Fire Dept offered free CPR classes? I knew they held classes but had no idea they were free. I was told by others that had taken the class they were charged $48.00 and they wrote their checks out to the instructor. Have any of you taken the CPR course at the Salisbury Fire Department? Were you charged for the course? If you did take the course and did pay by check to verify it, you should take your cancelled check down to the Fire Department and demand to be reimbursed. You could also send a copy of your check to Joe for posting, if you get the run around. Of course we would expect you to black out your name, signature and account number for the sake of anonymity.

SFD CPR Classes.mp3

Subject Robs Happy Harry’s At Bat Point

Suspect(s): White male, 25-30 years old, 5’06” to 5’08”, 150 – 160 pounds, average build, with long hair in a pony tail, wearing a white t-shirt, tan pants and brown shoes

Resume: Last night, Troopers were called to the Happy Harry’s on Kennett Pike for a robbery complaint.

This investigation revealed a white male suspect entered the business and approached an 18-year-old female employee who was vacuuming in one of the isles. The suspect walked up to the young lady, poked her in the shoulder with a bat he was holding and demanded cash.

The employee complied with the robbers demands and turned over an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect fled the scene and got into a red vehicle, possible smaller model Toyota. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to call the Troop 2 robbery unit at 302-834-2630 ext. 6 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.

Governor O'Malley Signs Speed Camera Law Today

Governor O'Malley signed a new Bill permitting speed cameras in Construction and within a half mile of School Zones.

Big Brother gets even bigger. I personally think the School portion is a great idea. However, I personally think the Construction Zone is a bunch of crap. What do you think?

DUI Suspect Spits In Face Of EMT Worker

Suspect(s): Maurice Wright, 39, of North Locust Street in Wilmington, Delaware

Resume: Last evening, an ambulance crew from Brandywine Hundred was traveling northbound on I-495 when a vehicle, a 2007 Honda Accord, past them at was described as a high rate of speed. The Honda lost control and struck a guardrail becoming disabled.

The crew stopped to assist the driver- Maurice Wright. Mr. Wright was seen moving from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. When the ambulance crew contacted him, Wright became irate and spat in the face of one of the crew members.

Troopers arrived on the scene and took Wright into custody. He was transported back to Troop 1 where he was formally charged with DUI, Driving without a License, Offensive Touching of a Ambulance EMT(misdemeanor) and Disorderly Conduct (misdemeanor). Wright was released without bail and his court date is pending.

FRUITLANDERS – PLEASE SIT DOWN BEFORE READING THIS

Our self-styled "mayor" was on WICO this morning with Bill Reddish to discuss how wonderful things are there. Mr Olinde let it slip that the sewer & water rate increase this year is just the first step – the accountant has recommended a much greater increase (about $100 per quarter), but they decided to do it in steps, and the next one will be next year. Gosh, that sounds just like Salisbury.

Ain’t all that growth great in the "town that Rick built"?

It's All A Matter Of Perspective

Our Wicomico River is dying a slow death.

But we can turn it around, according to Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton, whose recent mayoral campaign featured the health and appearance of the river as one of its central issues.

Largely politically ignored for the better part of a dozen years, the Wicomico has been the victim of million-gallon sewage spills, chemical runoff, illegal toxic discharge and a plethora of other environmental insults. Only with the forceful hand of the Maryland Department of the Environment has any slowing to these injuries been accomplished.

Some say it's a price we have to pay for our progress. Most don't agree.

Most want the river clean enough to swim in.

Most want the river to be clean enough to support the healthy aquatic plant and animal life that it did a few decades ago.

Most want the river to be the polished gem that we know it can be.

Is it too late? No. The river can be saved.

Will it be easy? No again. It's going to be a process that involves local, federal and state government, efforts of professionals who will map out the best course, and the commitment of the people to get the job done. It will take years, not months, to see nitrogen levels be reestablished to those that consistently and optimally support a living balance of native plants, fish and crustaceans.

Will it be cheap? Probably not. But taxpayers shouldn't look at any huge sums to be expended in any approach that isn't just good housekeeping and responsible stewardship of our waters and the areas surrounding them. While these may be seen as expenditure by some, others will recognize them as investments.

The process will be comparatively long. But take heart. The Wicomico will never look like this:

WORCESTER COUNTY DOES "MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT" FOR SCHOOLS

Click on image to enlarge.

WBI Press Release

INCIDENT: Murder Investigation

LOCATION: Wicomico County Landfill

NARRATIVE:

On May 7, 2009 the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation and the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit arrested the below listed for the murder of Humbird Lynn Johnson. The body of the victim was discovered by Wicomico Sheriff’s Office Deputies on Saturday May 2, 2009. Donahue was taken to WCDC where he is being held without bond.

On May 19, 2009, members from the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation are currently searching evidence that may have been discarded at the Wicomico County Landfill.

ACCUSED*:

Donahue, John Wilbert W/M 52 YOA
1000 Beaglin Park Drive
Salisbury, MD

Charges:

Murder First Degree
Murder Second Degree
Assault First and Second Degree
Burglary
Theft

DISPOSITION:

Held Without Bond

DUI Suspect Rams Police Car

Suspect(s): Larry E. Coleman, 29, of Castle Hills Drive in New Castle, Delaware

Resume: Last evening, Troop 2 patrol officers were at the Super Lodge on New Castle Avenue when one officer observed a white male acting suspiciously- looking into vehicles. As officers moved in to contact this subject, he jumped into a silver Honda Accord sped away. While doing so, he rammed a fully marked DSP patrol car, causing damage. The officers, who were standing outside of their patrol car when it was rammed, had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit themselves.

Officers gave chase and the Honda fled over to Route 13 and then northbound on I-495. The suspect exited onto Philadelphia Pike and was traveling southbound on Philadelphia Pike in the northbound lanes. Troopers were able to deploy a tire deflation device (stop sticks) which successfully disabled the Honda.

The Honda stopped on Philadelphia Pike and Harvey Road. The driver put up a fight and refused to surrender to officers. A New Castle County Police Officer was on scene and deployed his Taser which allowed the authorities to finally apprehend the suspect- now identified as Larry E Coleman.

Troopers believed Coleman to have consumed the dangerous drug PCP. He was transported back to Troop 1 for processing. Coleman was formally charged with DUI, Resisting Arrest (felony), Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal (felony), Reckless Endangering (misdemeanor), Possession of PCP (misdemeanor), Consumption of PCP (misdemeanor), Aggressive Driving, Reckless Driving, Criminal Trespass (violation), Loitering (violation) and nine other traffic violations. Bail was set at $3,300.00 secured and Coleman was committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institute.


Note: The following facts concerning PCP risks were obtained from the US Department of Justice web site (http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs4/4440/index.htm#risks)-

What are the risks?
PCP is an addictive drug; its use often results in psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive behavior. PCP produces unpleasant psychological effects, and users often become violent or suicidal.

PCP poses particular risks for young people. Even moderate use of the drug can negatively affect the hormones associated with normal growth and development. PCP use also can impede the learning process in teenagers.

High doses of PCP can cause seizures, coma, and even death (often as a consequence of accidental injury or suicide while under the drug's effects). At high doses, PCP's effects may resemble the symptoms associated with schizophrenia, including delusions and paranoia.

Long-term use of PCP can lead to memory loss, difficulty with speech or thought, depression, and weight loss. These problems can persist for up to a year after an individual has stopped using PCP.

SFD Says No To Hazmat Trailer

After all the discussion about the grant funding for the Hazmat trailer and the desire to purchase an unnecessary tractor to pull it, Chris Truitt, Pres. Career Firefighters Assoc 4246 and Steve Mizzel, members of the SFD hazmat team, during their presentation to the city council stated they don't want or need it. Steve said it is very low on his list of priorities. He would rather have more personnel and medic needs filled. Finally, someone with sense is approaching the council.

Did Lore Chambers ask anyone at SFD if they wanted her to apply for the grant to purchase this trailer? Did Lore Chambers tell anyone that an additional $17,500 of the grant award would have to be added to the $85,000.00 matching funds? No, she did not. Her claim was she didn't know. How could she not know? Lore was the one that wrote the grant application, didn't she read it, BEFORE applying? Did she care? NO! Lore Chambers and Gary Comegys are like minded when it comes to grants. They both believe it to be free money. Someone needs to tell them, there is no such thing as free money. Everyone else seems to understand that grants are funded with taxpayer dollars, why don't they understand this? Again, they don't care.

A lot of money has been thrown at SFD over the past few years. New trucks, new fire palace, upgrades to Station 1, etc. Yet, no additional personnel. Pretty new trucks and matching ambulances don't fight fires or respond to emergencies without the required personnel to operate the equipment. SFD doesn't even have the number of people required by national safety standards to operate the equipment they have at present. According to Chris Truitt, the standard is 4 people on a truck to run 2 in and 2 out. SFD is running 3 people, 2 to go into a fire and 1 to stay out to replace one that is in when he/she comes out. Wasn't there a structure fire that was lost due to only 2 people being on a truck?

What service is it to the citizens having the newest and latest equipment if they have no one to operate it? How much did Gordy and See spend on paint jobs so everything would match? Does anyone really care about the color of the equipment? If your house is on fire will you even notice the color of the trucks? Does anyone care about the color, other than Gordy when he wants to parade the equipment through Ocean City?

SFD No Hazmat Trailer.mp3 Click on this link and listen for yourself as the Fire Department flat out says they don't need it.

MARYLAND STATE POLICE BOMBARD THE WICOMICO COUNTY LANDFILL

The Maryland State Police pulled into the Wicomico County Landfill with two work release prisoner vans filled with inmates this morning.

Their intent was to search the Landfill for evidence in a recent murder case. More to come....

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