Blue Man Joins the Landers Campaign Trail

BALTIMORE - Bluer than Democrat-rich Baltimore! Able to distract morning commuters with a single wave! Look! On the street corner with Jody Landers! It's actual fun in this year's mayoral campaign!

Blue Man, a mysterious figure in a full-body Spandex suit, has swooped in from who-knows-where to help former City Councilman Joseph T. "Jody" Landers with his weekday morning car waves.

There's no telling if the seeming superhero can help Landers in September's Democratic primary, but he has already succeeded in injecting some zip into an otherwise snoozy race.

"All he needs is Aquaman and Captain America, get them all out there; he could get the comic book bloc," said Del. Keiffer Mitchell, who has endorsed Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake but applauded Blue Man as political theater.

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Man Steals Ambulance at Fire

PHOENIX –  Phoenix police say a man tried to steal an ambulance left running outside a house fire but he didn't get very far.

Police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson says 28-year-old Travis Ward took the vehicle, which was unlocked and had its keys in the ignition. It had been left running early Sunday to keep cool for anyone seeking medical care.

Thompson says Ward drove the ambulance for a few blocks, striking a post, a fence and parked cars. He says the man told police he had used marijuana before the incident.

Thompson says no injuries were reported and he wasn't aware that anyone at the west Phoenix fire needed medical care.

Ward was booked on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. It was not immediately known whether he has a lawyer.

from the AP / FOXNews

Gilchrest Returns to Teaching

KENNEDYVILLE, MD - After 21 years, Wayne Gilchrest is again teaching in Kent County. But this time, he's doing it outdoors.

About 10 years ago, Gilchrest, a former Kent County High School teacher who served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, read John Wennersten's book, "The Chesapeake Bay: An Environmental Biography," which chronicles the history of human impact on the Bay.

Wennersten's book gave Gilchrest an idea that grew into the Sassafras Environmental Education Center, which officially opened at a ceremony last Tuesday morning at Turner's Creek Pavilion. Gilchrest's goal for the center is for each child in Kent County to visit once a year.

"The plan is, this doesn't happen all at once," he said. "This coming school year, we'll have third- and eighth-grade activities. Next year, third-, fourth-, eighth- and ninth-grade activities. Then five years out, we'll have all the children come out."

Kent County Public Schools Superintendent A. Barbara Wheeler supports integrating the center into the school curriculum.

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Today’s Survey Question – 07/25/2011

Maryland High Court to Consider Rules That Will Require Proof of Debt

Marquis Jones doesn't believe she owes money on a credit-card account that a debt-buying company sued to collect from her.

More importantly, though, the firm never proved she did.

But because the Severn woman wasn't given notice of the lawsuit — the company's process server claimed her nonexistent "wife" accepted the summons — she wasn't in court to point this out. So an Anne Arundel County judge approved a $992 judgment against her last fall.

The scene has been repeated in courtrooms throughout Maryland and across the country. Companies that buy past-due consumer debts and sue to collect have won judgments against Marylanders even though, advocates and regulators say, the documentation to prove those cases often has been very thin.

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Eric The Barber Will Be Closed Today And Tomorrow

He will re-open Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM.

Lions Club Bingo

Salisbury Metro Lions Club

Longaberger & Vera Bradley Bingo

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Moose Lodge, Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD

Doors open at 5:30 pm - Games begin at 7:00 pm

Tickets: Special $15.00 from now until 7/15/11

After 7/15/11: $20.00 in advance: $25.00 at the door.

For ticket information please call 410-742-4394

Police Activity, 2000 Block Marsh Road, North Wilmington

Location:

·        2000 block of Marsh Road, North Wilmington

 

Date of Occurrence:

·       Monday, July 25, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

 

 

 

Resume:

Wilmington-The Delaware State Police are currently operating in the 2000 block of Marsh Road, North Wilmington for a report of a possible suicidal subject located in a residence.

 

The incident began at approximately 9:00 a.m. when the Delaware State Police received a call for a possible suicidal suspect located inside a residence in the 2000 block of Marsh Road.

 

Troopers are currently assessing the situation with no further details available at this time.

 

The Delaware State Police have evacuated several residences in the area of the incident as a precaution. 

 

Marsh Road between Naamans Road and Grubb Road has been closed.  Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes of travel.

 

This is the preliminary release of information with additional updates as information is received.

Talbot Landfill to Charge Fees

Beginning today, residents will be charged $5 per trip to take as many as seven bags to the Mid-Shore I Regional Landfill homeowner drop-off site off Barkers Landing Road in Easton. Residents also may purchase a punch card for $10 for five trips, or $20 for 10 trips.

The landfill accepts yard waste (one to seven bags or a small pickup truck load per trip), trash (one to seven bags), used oil and antifreeze (free), batteries (free) and recyclables through Mid-Shore Igloo Service (free).

Residents unloading more than seven bags of trash or debris, furniture, appliances, construction debris, scrap metal or tires must use the scale and will be charged $63 a ton, which includes a $5 transfer fee to Mid-Shore II. The charge is prorated and will be a minimum $7 for 160 pounds or less.

Customers using trailers, box trucks, dump trucks, flatbed trucks, panel vans or other commercial vehicles also must use the scale, at the same price per ton.

Yard waste disposal charges are $23.50 per ton, including the $5 transfer fee for quantities larger than seven bags or for a small pickup truckload. Plastic bags must be emptied.

Since Talbot County began hosting the Mid-Shore Regional Landfill 20 years ago, MES operated and maintained a free homeowners' drop-off facility, also referred to as the HODO (HomeOwners' Drop-Off) facility.

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BREAKING NEWS: Stalled Debt Talks Spook Wall Street

The Dow kicked off the trading week with triple-digit losses after continued uncertainty over whether lawmakers will be able to craft a deal to raise the debt ceiling before the Aug. 2 deadline weighed on traders’ sentiment.

From Fox News

Angler Witnesses Whale Trying to Save Calf

OCEAN CITY, MD - A local fisherman recently saw something rarely witnessed by those outside the wild animal kingdom: A whale openly grieving the death of her young calf.

Last Saturday, Sylvain Cote, owner and captain of the Espandon, was about 62 nautical miles off Ocean City when he saw a mother pilot whale support her calf up above water for more than eight hours, desperately trying to get the young whale to breathe.

"A mother pilot whale was holding up a young pilot whale on top of her head," Cote said. "She was holding the baby up and wouldn't let it sink."

Cote said the mother and baby were surrounded by about 10 to 12 other pilot whales.

"The other fishermen were respecting her territory," Cote said. "Nobody really bothered her, because it was very sad."

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'Super Congress': Debt Ceiling Negotiators Aim To Create New Legislative Body

WASHINGTON -- Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress -- which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" -- would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote. With the weight of both leaderships behind it, a product originated by the Super Congress would have a strong chance of moving through the little Congress and quickly becoming law. A Super Congress would be less accountable than the system that exists today, and would find it easier to strip the public of popular benefits. Negotiators are currently considering cutting the mortgage deduction and tax credits for retirement savings, for instance, extremely popular policies that would be difficult to slice up using the traditional legislative process.

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New Death Penalty Law, Appeals Delay Trial in Killing of Correctional Officer

In the past five years, since corrections officer David McGuinn was stabbed to death at the hulking House of Correction in Jessup, there have been major changes in Maryland's corrections system — new prisons built, new programs added and tighter controls to rein in gangs and contraband. The House of Correction itself, once notorious for violence and corruption, has been closed and is set to be torn down.

Yet one thing hasn't changed: The two prisoners accused of killing McGuinn still haven't come to trial.

Monday marks the five-year anniversary of the slaying of McGuinn, a by-the-book officer and father of three. Many of those familiar with the case have been frustrated by the delays in prosecuting the men accused of killing him, and former colleagues wonder why no one has yet been held accountable.

"Shame on the system. It's a blight on the criminal justice system that neither of them have gone to trial yet," said Patrick Moran, director of AFSCME Maryland, a collective bargaining unit for correctional officers. "I understand that people have their rights, but it's unacceptable."

For McGuinn's family and correctional officers, the case ought to be put to rest, he said.

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ELABORATE WELFARE HOUSING PROJECT

ATHENS - Ratings agency Moody's cut Greece's sovereign debt by three notches on Monday to Ca, just one notch above default, saying the new bailout set a negative precedent for creditors of other debt-burdened countries.

Euro zone leaders agreed last week to offer Greece debt relief through a new rescue package of easier loan terms, with private creditors shouldering part of the burden via a debt exchange.

The downgrade means Greece now has the lowest rating of any country in the world covered by Moody's, which, like Fitch last week, said it would offer a new rating after the debt swap was completed.

"Once the distressed exchange has been completed, Moody's will reassess Greece's rating to ensure that it reflects the risk associated with the country's new credit profile, including the potential for further debt restructurings," it said.

Last Friday, Fitch Ratings said Greece would be declared in restricted default due to the steps taken in the new euro zone rescue package but that new ratings of a low speculative grade would likely be assigned once the bond exchange is completed.

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Drug Prices To Plummet In Wave Of Expiring Patents

(AP) - The cost of prescription medicines used by millions of people every day is about to plummet.

The next 14 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix.

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Experts Call This One of Cleanest Tours Ever

PARIS - With a doping case still hanging over 2010 champion Alberto Contador, this year's Tour de France is being lauded by anti-doping experts as perhaps one of the cleanest in recent years.

The Tour has had just one positive test — Russian rider Alexander Kolobnev quit the race after testing positive for a banned masking agent.

There was only one positive last year as well, and that was Contador's.

The three-week race ended Sunday with Australia's Cadel Evans winning the title for the first time. All the test results aren't in yet, and it would be premature to make final conclusions.

"Let's wait and see. The remaining analysis of the samples collected over the last few days will be performed next week," Bruno Genevois, president of French anti-doping agency ALFD told The Associated Press on Sunday. "We will asses everything together with the UCI later."

But officials sensed a change this year.

READ MORE…

What Happened To The Jellyfish In The Chesapeake Bay?

WASHINGTON - Anyone heading into the Chesapeake Bay for a swim this time of year usually have to keep an eye for out for jellyfish, but not this year.
 
"We have sort of a holiday on Atlantic sea nettle jellyfish," says National Aquarium curator Jack Cover.
 
"This year is just an incredibly unique situation," he adds.
 
That unique situation? All of the spring rain made the bay less salty than the jellyfish prefer, but they are likely to show up soon.

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Price of Gas Jumps 8.5 Cents in Last Two Weeks

NEW YORK — The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States rose for the first time since early May following an increase in the price of crude oil, according to the latest nationwide Lundberg survey released Sunday.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was slightly more than $3.70 on July 22, an increase of 8.58 cents in the past two weeks, according to the survey of some 2,500 gas stations in the continental United States.

The increase per gallon is nearly the exact same as the rise per gallon of a barrel of crude linked to the benchmark West Texas Intermediate, which jumped to $99.87 per barrel, up from $96.20 two weeks ago.

"It is crude, period, that did this," Trilby Lundberg, the survey's editor, told Reuters.

High unemployment and a general weak economy has been affecting demand for gasoline.

"If it had not been for the recent crude oil price hikes, we would have seen prices fall at the pump because of that weak demand and the economy," Lundberg said.

A year ago, the price per gallon was $2.73, about 96.72 cents less than the current price.

At $$3.28 a gallon, Tucson, Arizona, had the lowest average price for regular gas, while Chicago drivers paid the highest at $4.07, the survey found.

from Reuters / MSNBC

BREAKING NEWS: NFL, Players Reportedly Reach Deal

Two people familiar with negotiations tell The Associated Press that the NFL and players have reached a deal to end the lockout.
From Fox News