DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, July 18, 2014
Salisbury Council Explores Debt-Reducing Avenues
SALISBURY — The city of Salisbury is looking for creative ways to address debt and future finances, including establishing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) locations or the flexible use of bonding.
The City Council began a preliminary dialog with brokerage firm Davenport and Company, LLC last Monday, looking for long-term solutions and ideas on how to re-energize Salisbury’s economic drivers.
“The purpose of our conversation today is primarily education to discuss our future as it relates to our debt,” said Council President Jake Day. “We realize that we have a rather significant item in our wastewater treatment plant coming on very soon, and I thought that it would be wise for us to start to have some educational conversations about our debt and our financing structures and options into the future.”
More
The City Council began a preliminary dialog with brokerage firm Davenport and Company, LLC last Monday, looking for long-term solutions and ideas on how to re-energize Salisbury’s economic drivers.
“The purpose of our conversation today is primarily education to discuss our future as it relates to our debt,” said Council President Jake Day. “We realize that we have a rather significant item in our wastewater treatment plant coming on very soon, and I thought that it would be wise for us to start to have some educational conversations about our debt and our financing structures and options into the future.”
More
Worcester County Sheriff’s office Press Release 7-18-14
On July 13, 2014 at approximately 0213 hours, Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to a reported motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Stockton Road on Buck Harbor Road in Pocomoke City. Upon arrival, Deputies found a 2004 Chevrolet Impala which had left the roadway, traveled through a ditch and struck a fence, coming to final rest in the yard of a nearby residence. The vehicle was operated by Demosthenes Skouzes, 28, of Pocomoke City. The vehicle was also occupied by Mr. Skouzes’ toddler son restrained by a child safety seat. Deputies could smell the odor of alcohol on Mr. Skouzes. Mr. Skouzes did poorly on field sobriety tests. Mr. Skouzes was placed under arrest for suspected drunk driving, and issued the appropriate citations. Upon a search of the vehicle Deputies found a small amount of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Mr. Skouzes was charged and released for the possession of CDS and paraphernalia.
On July 6, 2014, at approximately 0409 hours, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to Keyser Point Road in West Ocean City, Maryland for a reported domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, Deputies met with subjects in the area. It was determined that an assault had occurred. Robert F. Skinkle, 24, of Ocean City, MD was placed under arrest and charged with second degree assault and false imprisonment. Mr. Skinkle was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held at the Worcester County Jail on $30,000.00 bond.
On July 6, 2014, at approximately 0409 hours, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to Keyser Point Road in West Ocean City, Maryland for a reported domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, Deputies met with subjects in the area. It was determined that an assault had occurred. Robert F. Skinkle, 24, of Ocean City, MD was placed under arrest and charged with second degree assault and false imprisonment. Mr. Skinkle was taken before a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held at the Worcester County Jail on $30,000.00 bond.
The VA’s Biggest Problem May Be Prescription Drug Addiction
According to a new report released by Human Rights Watch, more than one million veterans enrolled within the VA primary care system are taking prescription opioids for chronic pain. At the same time, an unprecedented number of veterans are dying as a result of both accidental and intentional drug overdoses.
The report, which was released earlier this month, brings to light the growing concern that veterans of all ages are struggling with pain, which results in chronic use of prescription opioids. It argues that the VA “should remove barriers to ensure access to evidence-based drug dependency treatment and make overdose prevention programs available to veterans in the community.”
One of the primary recommendations of the Human Rights Watch report is a push the availability of naloxone, a prescription medication that reverses the effect of an opioid overdose. This past year naloxone injections were brought to market in an auto-injector under the brand name EVZIO. The pen was designed for individuals without medical training who may need to inject a patient during an opioid overdose situation.
More
The report, which was released earlier this month, brings to light the growing concern that veterans of all ages are struggling with pain, which results in chronic use of prescription opioids. It argues that the VA “should remove barriers to ensure access to evidence-based drug dependency treatment and make overdose prevention programs available to veterans in the community.”
One of the primary recommendations of the Human Rights Watch report is a push the availability of naloxone, a prescription medication that reverses the effect of an opioid overdose. This past year naloxone injections were brought to market in an auto-injector under the brand name EVZIO. The pen was designed for individuals without medical training who may need to inject a patient during an opioid overdose situation.
More
Man Charged In Sex Sting Is Living In US Illegally
LEONARDTOWN, Md. (AP) -- Police in St. Mary's County say they've arrested a Frederick resident who offered to pay for sex with an undercover officer posing online as a 16-year-old girl.
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office says the suspect, 30-year-old Hermegildo Escamilla-Granados, is living in the United States without legal permission. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer that requires him to remain jailed pending a review of the alleged offense and his immigration status.
The sheriff's office says a detective posted a non-sexual advertisement on a website commonly viewed by sex offenders. The office says Escamilla-Granados exchanged emails with the detective in which he offered to pay for sex. He's also accused of sending the detective an explicit photo of himself.
Police traveled to Frederick on Thursday and arrested Escamilla-Granados.
Source
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office says the suspect, 30-year-old Hermegildo Escamilla-Granados, is living in the United States without legal permission. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer that requires him to remain jailed pending a review of the alleged offense and his immigration status.
The sheriff's office says a detective posted a non-sexual advertisement on a website commonly viewed by sex offenders. The office says Escamilla-Granados exchanged emails with the detective in which he offered to pay for sex. He's also accused of sending the detective an explicit photo of himself.
Police traveled to Frederick on Thursday and arrested Escamilla-Granados.
Source
Connecticut trooper pleads guilty to stealing from dying motorcycle accident victim
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – A Connecticut state trooper has pleaded guilty to charges he stole cash and jewelry from a dying accident victim.
The Connecticut Post reports (http://bit.ly/1wzcA6N ) 45-year-old Aaron Huntsman entered a guilty plea Wednesday to charges of larceny and tampering with evidence under the Alford Doctrine. That means he does not agree with the state's case, but concedes there is enough evidence to secure his conviction.
Prosecutors say Huntsman, a 19-year veteran of the state police, was caught on video from his cruiser's dashboard camera stealing a gold chain and $3,700 from 49-year-old John Scalesse as the motorcyclist lay dying on Sept. 22, 2012.
More
The Connecticut Post reports (http://bit.ly/1wzcA6N ) 45-year-old Aaron Huntsman entered a guilty plea Wednesday to charges of larceny and tampering with evidence under the Alford Doctrine. That means he does not agree with the state's case, but concedes there is enough evidence to secure his conviction.
Prosecutors say Huntsman, a 19-year veteran of the state police, was caught on video from his cruiser's dashboard camera stealing a gold chain and $3,700 from 49-year-old John Scalesse as the motorcyclist lay dying on Sept. 22, 2012.
More
Democratic opposition increases to immigration law changes
WASHINGTON – Democratic opposition increased Wednesday to legal changes that would speed removals of young Central American migrants, jeopardizing President Barack Obama's call for $3.7 billion in emergency border spending to deal with the remarkable surge of unaccompanied youths at the South Texas border.
Republicans insist they won't agree to the spending without accompanying changes to a 2008 law that gives unaccompanied minors arriving from Central American the right to an immigration hearing, in practice keeping them in this country for years.
But Democratic resistance to such changes hardened, with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi changing her stance Wednesday and announcing her opposition to altering the law in a way that would create shortcuts around the immigration court system for Central American youths. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also took a firm stand against any changes in a meeting with President Barack Obama.
"We made an impassioned plea that the children be protected and that we follow the law," Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said afterward.
More
Republicans insist they won't agree to the spending without accompanying changes to a 2008 law that gives unaccompanied minors arriving from Central American the right to an immigration hearing, in practice keeping them in this country for years.
But Democratic resistance to such changes hardened, with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi changing her stance Wednesday and announcing her opposition to altering the law in a way that would create shortcuts around the immigration court system for Central American youths. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also took a firm stand against any changes in a meeting with President Barack Obama.
"We made an impassioned plea that the children be protected and that we follow the law," Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said afterward.
More
U.S. Army Training to Fight Black Americans
A promotional video touting FEMA’s emergency response capabilities shows U.S. National Guard troops training to detain unruly African-American citizens in prison camps before handing them over to police.
More
Conservative professor wins promotion, back pay in academic-freedom settlement
It took seven years of court battles, but conservative academic Mike Adams is now a full professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Under a settlement reached Tuesday, the university agreed to promote Mr. Adams from associate professor to full professor of criminology at a salary of $75,000 per year, along with $50,000 in court-ordered back pay and $615,000 in attorneys’ fees.
“The university has chosen the right course in opting to stop defending its unconstitutional actions, to right the wrong done to Dr. Adams by granting him the promotion he has long deserved, and to protect him against future retaliation,” said Travis Barham, attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the professor.
“Other universities watching this should understand that disagreeing with an accomplished professor’s political and religious views is not an acceptable reason to deny him a promotion,” said Mr. Barham.
More
Under a settlement reached Tuesday, the university agreed to promote Mr. Adams from associate professor to full professor of criminology at a salary of $75,000 per year, along with $50,000 in court-ordered back pay and $615,000 in attorneys’ fees.
“The university has chosen the right course in opting to stop defending its unconstitutional actions, to right the wrong done to Dr. Adams by granting him the promotion he has long deserved, and to protect him against future retaliation,” said Travis Barham, attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the professor.
“Other universities watching this should understand that disagreeing with an accomplished professor’s political and religious views is not an acceptable reason to deny him a promotion,” said Mr. Barham.
More
Wicomico Council Discusses Tier Maps, Comp Plan
SALISBURY — Wicomico County’s Comprehensive Plan is well
down the road to development and ready to be adopted in the near future.
Prior to that, some on the County Council this week questioned whether tier maps needed to be in place before the plan was locked in.
Councilman Bob Culver raised his concerns over whether it makes sense to move forward with the plan before resolving Wicomico’s longstanding questions over septic tier mapping.
More
Prior to that, some on the County Council this week questioned whether tier maps needed to be in place before the plan was locked in.
Councilman Bob Culver raised his concerns over whether it makes sense to move forward with the plan before resolving Wicomico’s longstanding questions over septic tier mapping.
More
After Opposing Deportations, MD Gov. Martin O'Malley Begs White House Not to Dump Illegals in His State
O'Malley, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, made headlines when he said that the illegal immigrant children who are flooding across the border should be considered "refugees" and given asylum so they are not sent back to "certain death." But hours after making those remarks last Friday, he reportedly begged the White House, "please don't send these kids to Western Maryland," according to CNN.
A Democrat source told CNN that O'Malley had a "heated discussion" with White House domestic policy chief Cecilia Munoz last Friday, which was when local officials and politicians, led by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), started to protest the federal government's plans to house illegal immigrants at an Army Reserve base near Baltimore. The federal government eventually retreated after the protests.
More
Flint Manager Warns of Bankruptcy Over Retiree Cost
Flint may be Michigan’s second city to plunge into bankruptcy unless retirees accept cuts in health benefits that threaten to unravel a balanced budget, emergency manager Darnell Earley said.
The specter intensifies the conflict over finances in the city of 100,000, which twice has been under state control. Like Detroit, which in 2013 filed the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy, Flint has struggled with loss of population, jobs and revenue. The birthplace of General Motors Co. has only half its population of 1960.
“If we have no ability to mitigate the cost of retiree health care, that’s going to make it very difficult for the city to remain financially stable over the next few years,” Earley said in an interview at City Hall. Without changes, retiree pension and health expenses would consume 32 percent of the $55 million general fund.
As Detroit draws worldwide attention for its record $18 billion bankruptcy, Flint demonstrates the plight of U.S. cities where unfunded post-retirement costs rival or exceed pension liabilities. In Michigan alone in 2011, municipalities had nearly $13 billion in health-care liabilities for retirees, compared with about $3 billion for pensions. Flint is among 17 cities and school districts under some form of state control.
More
The specter intensifies the conflict over finances in the city of 100,000, which twice has been under state control. Like Detroit, which in 2013 filed the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy, Flint has struggled with loss of population, jobs and revenue. The birthplace of General Motors Co. has only half its population of 1960.
“If we have no ability to mitigate the cost of retiree health care, that’s going to make it very difficult for the city to remain financially stable over the next few years,” Earley said in an interview at City Hall. Without changes, retiree pension and health expenses would consume 32 percent of the $55 million general fund.
As Detroit draws worldwide attention for its record $18 billion bankruptcy, Flint demonstrates the plight of U.S. cities where unfunded post-retirement costs rival or exceed pension liabilities. In Michigan alone in 2011, municipalities had nearly $13 billion in health-care liabilities for retirees, compared with about $3 billion for pensions. Flint is among 17 cities and school districts under some form of state control.
More
HOUSING STARTS PLUNGE
We just got some discouraging data from the housing market.
Housing starts unexpectedly plunged 9.3% to an annualized rate of 893,000.
Building permits unexpectedly fell 4.2% to 963,000.
Economists estimated starts would climb by 1.9% and permits would gain 3.0%.
This comes despite low mortgage rates and limited supply in the housing market.
"The decrease was concentrated in the South, where starts fell 29.6% m/m; starts rose in the other three regions," noted Barclays' Dean Maki. "It is unclear what led to the sharp decline in housing starts in the South in June, but the rise in single-family permits in June and the increases in the NAHB homebuilders index in June and July suggest that starts will increase in the coming months. It is also worth highlighting that housing starts rose an annualized 26.2% in Q2 14 after plunging in Q1 14 due to adverse weather conditions, so residential investment is still likely to make a positive contribution to Q2 14 real GDP growth, despite the weakness in June."
Source
Housing starts unexpectedly plunged 9.3% to an annualized rate of 893,000.
Building permits unexpectedly fell 4.2% to 963,000.
Economists estimated starts would climb by 1.9% and permits would gain 3.0%.
This comes despite low mortgage rates and limited supply in the housing market.
"The decrease was concentrated in the South, where starts fell 29.6% m/m; starts rose in the other three regions," noted Barclays' Dean Maki. "It is unclear what led to the sharp decline in housing starts in the South in June, but the rise in single-family permits in June and the increases in the NAHB homebuilders index in June and July suggest that starts will increase in the coming months. It is also worth highlighting that housing starts rose an annualized 26.2% in Q2 14 after plunging in Q1 14 due to adverse weather conditions, so residential investment is still likely to make a positive contribution to Q2 14 real GDP growth, despite the weakness in June."
Source
Company Cofounded by Paul Pelosi Jr. Charged with Securities Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged a company cofounded by Paul Pelosi Jr. with fraud on Wednesday after learning that two convicted criminals were running the business.
Paul Pelosi Jr., the son of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), was the president and chief operating officer of Natural Blue Resources Inc., an investment company he cofounded that focuses on “environmentally-friendly” ventures.
The SEC charged four individuals with fraud, including former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya, and suspended trading in the company’s stock. Pelosi owned over 10 million shares in the company in 2009.
More
Paul Pelosi Jr., the son of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), was the president and chief operating officer of Natural Blue Resources Inc., an investment company he cofounded that focuses on “environmentally-friendly” ventures.
The SEC charged four individuals with fraud, including former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya, and suspended trading in the company’s stock. Pelosi owned over 10 million shares in the company in 2009.
More
Yard Sale 7-18-14
WELCOME SHOPPERS!
You and your friends are cordially invited to join us at the next opening of the “Holly Center Auxiliary Canteen Boutique” for great bargains and lots of beautiful jewelry! Our hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., the third Wednesday of each month. The shop offers a variety of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. We are located on Snow Hill Road in Salisbury. We will open for business on:
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
CANTEEN BUILDING
In addition, we have home accents and lots more! All proceeds are utilized by the Holly Center Auxiliary to benefit the Holly Center people. We welcome support from individuals, community groups and organizations.
For more information on the Canteen Boutique, call Marlina Belote, Director of Volunteer Services & Community Relations, @ 410.572.6204.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
CANTEEN BUILDING
In addition, we have home accents and lots more! All proceeds are utilized by the Holly Center Auxiliary to benefit the Holly Center people. We welcome support from individuals, community groups and organizations.
For more information on the Canteen Boutique, call Marlina Belote, Director of Volunteer Services & Community Relations, @ 410.572.6204.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)