Illegal Immigrants Sue After Landlord Demands Documentation For Housing

Four Latino families filed papers to sue their Virginia landlord Monday after he threatened eviction due to illegal family members living on the premises.

The civil rights lawsuit filed by families living in Waples Mobile Home Park in Fairfax County, Va., claims it is discriminatory to require a social security number for residency. The landlords at the mobile home park are requiring residents to provide either a social security card, passport or valid visa with documentation to renew their leases, reports The Washington Post.

The lawyers representing the families, from the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm, say the actions are targeted discrimination which disproportionately affects Latinos in the community. All the families involved in the lawsuit have lived in the park for at least two years and have at least one family member without legal residency. The landlords say they need the documentation in order to conduct proper criminal background checks.
 
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McAuliffe responds to FBI inquiry: Donation was legal

WASHINGTON — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told reporters Tuesday that he has done nothing wrong and that an investigation into his 2013 gubernatorial campaign won’t hurt his longtime friend Hillary Clinton’s run for the White House.

“I don’t think it will affect Hillary Clinton at all. It won’t affect me at all. If you haven’t done anything wrong, what should you be worried about,” McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe addressed reporters gathered outside an Alexandria probation and parole office, where the governor announced $3 million in funding to help the city provide mental health treatment to offenders.

His comments came a day after reports surfaced that the FBI is investigating whether any donations made to the McAuliffe campaign were illegal. Investigators are looking in part at the $120,000 West Legend, a New Jersey company, contributed. The company is a subsidiary of a company owned by Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang, who is a permanent U.S. resident with a green card.

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Dog saved by vet intern just before being put down

Ollie, a 10 year-old Sheltie from Portland, came into an Oregon veterinary very lethargic, having difficulty walking and only eating when he was hand fed.

His owners, Al and Joelle, couldn’t figure out why their dog, who loves the outdoors, was acting so out of character, and after several examinations vets at DoveLewis Animal Hospital couldn’t figure it out, either.

A full range of tests, including blood work, a urinalysis and a variety of X-rays were performed on Ollie, and yet vets report they simply could not find a reason for the Sheltie’s diminishing health. They gave Ollie medication that could have potentially helped, but the pooch’s health only worsened the next day.

When Ollie returned that next day, he was nearly paralyzed, unable to eat or even go to the bathroom on his own. Al and Joelle were preparing for the worst.

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$500,000 fix for $5 million bridge built 6 inches too low in Delaware

NEWPORT, Del. (AP) — A fix costing nearly half a million dollars will finally begin this summer on a $5 million bridge that was built six inches too low.

Five years after Delaware transportation officials discovered the mistake, they’ve hired a new construction firm to raise the bridge high enough so that trains carrying two stacked containers can pass underneath. Those trains need at least 21 feet, 6 inches of clearance.

The Delaware Department of Transportation spent more than $5 million in 2011 to accommodate these trains by rebuilding the overpass, reported The News Journal (http://delonline.us/1OJzwdj ). They think they know what caused the error: surveyors mistakenly measured the clearance from the ground up, rather than from the top of the track’s steel rails, said Barry Benton, DelDOT’s state bridge engineer.
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Gun Dealer Allegedly Discussed Plan to 'Shoot Some Cops' After Nero Acquitted

A man under surveillance for suspected illegal firearms dealing was recorded Monday telling a federal informant he planned to "shoot some cops" after a judge acquitted Baltimore police Officer Edward Nero.

The affidavit was filed in federal court against Robert Lee "Cowboy" Owens, 64, of North Baltimore. He was arrested Monday and charged with possession of a firearm by a previously convicted person, according to court records. A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in the affidavit that the criminal informant had earlier been offered a firearm by Owens and agreed with the ATF to buy it from him in a vehicle bugged with audio and video recording devices. That informant went to Owens' home and, with ATF money, bought the .22 caliber long rifle. The weapon was described in the criminal complaint as being draped with the American flag, with its serial number scratched off.

Owens was twice convicted of felonies, according to the criminal complaint, and was therefore barred from having a gun.

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Q&A With Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, Chair Of State’s Task Force On Heroin, Opioid Abuse

BERLIN — In February of 2015, just months after being elected to office, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order to create the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. That task force was chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, and after months of research and deliberation with health officials, law enforcement and experts across the state, Rutherford’s taskforce released the Interim report on heroin in August of 2015.

In the opening lines of that report, Rutherford said that he and Hogan heard countless tales on the campaign trail of the spread of heroin and opioid addiction and how it was wreaking havoc on the state’s communities.

The interim report recommends a multi-prong approach with 10 funding announcements with seven allocations to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene aimed at improving access for treatment and rehabilitation and three significant grants to the Governor’s Office of Crime, Control and Prevention to support law enforcement efforts, including $124,635 to fund license plate reader technology at the north end of Ocean City (it’s already in place at the Routes 50 and 90 entrances to town).

Since the report’s release, Hogan and Rutherford have continued to keep the battle against opioid addiction as a high priority, and Rutherford spoke with The Dispatch this week in a phone interview about what he calls the state’s holistic approach to heroin addiction.

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Ocean City’s Tragic May Puts Renewed Focus On Safety Ahead Of Summer Season

OCEAN CITY — With two fatalities in the span of three days last week and three in the month of May, if ever the start of a season needed a mulligan, this appears to be it, but there is plenty of time for residents and visitors to take a pause, collect their breath and remember to practice the oft-echoed common sense approach to avoiding tragedy.

Memorial Day weekend has arrived, and despite the gray, cool, rainy weeks that preceded it, the early forecast is summer-like and more typical for the holiday weekend. The month of May has been far from typical thus far, however, with three tragedies including a fatal motorcycle collision with a vehicle last Thursday afternoon followed by a fatal fall from a hotel balcony on Saturday night.

On May 4, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a police vehicle while crossing Coastal Highway against a pedestrian signal at 94th Street. Back on March 14, a worker fell to his death from the fourth floor of a building under construction at 25th Street, the first of four reported fatalities in the resort this spring. However, there is no connection between the rash of fatalities, other than the unfortunate truth that each was preventable, and Ocean City is not suddenly a more dangerous place.

There have been rashes of serious and fatal incidents in the past and there is often no rhyme or reason for a pattern. In some cases, a run of serious and tragic incidents has precipitated a call to action, such as a spate of fatal pedestrian collisions along Coastal Highway that caused the town and its partners to ramp up its safety campaign with improvements along the roadway including increased signage, more and better equipped crosswalks and an aggressive public service campaign.

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Family Programs In Wicomico County

The following programs are monitored and funded by the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children. For more information regarding these programs please call or email the contact person for the specific program you are interested in.

Family Connection Center
Contact: Asia Dabner, 410-546-8155

The Family Connection Center is your community resource link for Wicomico County. Located within our offices at 408 Coles Circle (next to Sojourner-Douglas College), the Family Connection Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. While the Center is always open during business hours, if you wish to speak with a Navigator, we ask that you schedule an appointment to ensure that one will be available when you arrive. For more information, please click the link below.

Family Empowerment Initiative
Contact: Annette Spence, 410-546-5400, ext. 13

Through the Family Empowerment Initiative, we are able to offer Family Empowerment Workshops to parents and caregivers of children in Wicomico County free of charge. Currently, we offer three different courses based on your child's age: Active Parenting 1,2,3,4 for parents with young children, Active Parenting Now for parents with children ages 5-12, and Active Parent Teens for parents with children ages 13-17. On days when Wicomico County Schools are closed, we have also begun offering a workshop for teens.
 
Wicomico Out of School Time Initiative
Contact: 410-546-5400, ext. 16

The Wicomico Out of School Time Initiative includes all out of school and after school providers that receive funding through Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children. Through grant making, technical assistance, networking, resource sharing, and training, we are working to provide affordable, engaging, and safe environments for our youth when they are not in school. Grants are provided for program enhancement, network providers that visit existing sites (such as arts, dance, karate), start-up programs, and established programs. For more information, please visit the EmpowerWicomico website.


Healthy Families
Contact: 410-543-6942
Healthy Families receives funding through Wicomico Partnership and is operated by the Wicomico County Health Department. The program serves low income families with children under the age of five. Please visit their website Wicomico Health Department for more information.


Building Foundations for Families
Contact: Tara Kearns, 410-219-5070

The Building Foundations for Families serves Beaver Run, Glen Avenue, Chipman, East Salisbury, and Prince Street Elementary Schools in Wicomico County. Each child and family receives a comprehensive assessment and individualized support. This program is operated by New Transitions and provides case management to prevent elementary truancy.

FIVE MILE BRANCH ROAD BRIDGE TO BE REPLACED

The Worcester County Department of Public Works is implementing plans to replace one county bridge during the summer of 2016, the Five Mile Branch Road Bridge. This bridge was scheduled to be replaced after earning unsatisfactory bridge sufficiency ratings during the county’s annual bridge inspection program. This bridge replacement project is eligible for federal funding under the Highway Bridge Program.

The three-span, timber-beam Five Mile Branch Road Bridge is located approximately 0.76 miles north of US Rt. 113 and crosses Coonfoot Branch. Access to this bridge will be closed and detour will be in place throughout the course of the project. For information on detour routes or a complete description of these projects, visit www.co.worcester.md.us.

A public comment period is currently open, and the public is invited to comment on this project. Please refer all comments regarding this bridge replacement to Roads Superintendent Frank J. Adkins atfadkins@co.worcester.md.us no later than June 7, 2016.

MIKULSKI TOURS ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING COMPELLING HUMAN NEEDS IN EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), while on her Eastern Shore Jobs Tour earlier this month, visited Self-Help on Rural Economics and Urban Problems (SHORE UP!) and Joseph House, organizations that support underserved communities and meet compelling human needs on the Lower Shore.

“I’m so pleased to visit SHORE UP! and Joseph House to see first-hand their good work to support compelling human need on Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” Senator Mikulski said. “As a former social worker, I know how important early education, nutritious meals and quality housing are for kids and families. I’ll continue to be on the side of Maryland families and communities who need it most.”

SHORE UP! serves 11,000 Marylanders in seven Eastern Shore counties, providing underserved communities with Head Start and Early Head Start, Foster Grandparent program, adult education, senior services, subsidized housing in Princess Anne, weatherization and housing rehabilitation and Energy Assistance Program.

SHORE UP! was founded in 1965 as a Community Action Committee as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Anti-Poverty program. The majority of those served by SHORE UP! are minority residents. It was one of the first Head Start providers to be funded by the federal government.

At first you feel sorry for the dog, and then...

Queen Anne's County man beaten, robbed, left naked on side of road

CHESTER — A Henderson man was robbed, beaten and left on the side of the road wearing only his socks early Monday, May 23, according to the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office.

Quwan I. Johns, 23, told police he had just gotten off work and was eating at the McDonald's in Chester Plaza about 11 p.m. Sunday when he got a call from an acquaintance known as “Ring Bell” asking if he knew where he could buy some marijuana. When Johns said he did, ”Ring Bell” made arrangements to come get him, police said. About 20 minutes later, he was picked up by three men in a blue gray, four-door Honda, police said.

They drove to Md. Route 304 (Ruthsburg Road) and pulled over, Johns told police. One of the men displayed a handgun, pulled him from the car and began to beat him with the gun, threatening to kill him, according to the police report.

“He was badly beaten. He was pistol-whipped,” said Lt. Dale Patrick, public information officer for the sheriff's office. “He was hit repeatedly in the face with a pistol.”

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WICOMICO PUBLIC LIBRARIES VOLUNTEERS ERNIE & JACKIE CONNOR WERE HONORED AT ANNUAL SENIOR VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION

 

The Friends of Wicomico Public Libraries are pleased to announce longtime volunteers Ernie and Jackie Connor were honored at the Wicomico County Commission on Aging Annual Senior Volunteer Recognition on May 12, 2016. Active senior volunteers (55 years of age and older) from area community agencies who have demonstrated a significant contribution to Wicomico County are recognized at the Annual Senior Volunteer Recognition Luncheon.

Ernie and Jackie Connor represent the true spirit of volunteerism through their unending commitment and dedication to serving the community. Ernie served in the Navy during the Korean War and then in the Air Force until his retirement in 1977. Since retiring from Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY and moving to Salisbury in 1977, Ernie and Jackie have contributed to our community in a variety of ways. They volunteered and served in leadership roles at the St. Peter’s soup kitchen with a team from St. Francis de Sales. Ernie has provided leadership in the Rockawalkin Ruritan Club and service at community events. Ernie and Jackie are two of the longest serving Wicomico Public Libraries volunteers. Ernie began volunteering for the Library soon after the Centre Branch opened over 20 years ago. Ernie and Jackie have represented the Library at tents and tables during the Salisbury Festival, Delmarva Poultry Festival and the Wicomico County Wine Festival. They have worked weekly in the Book Shelf, the Friends of Wicomico Public Libraries book store, since its opening and have attended and volunteered at Friends sponsored events. Because of their enthusiasm and support for Wicomico Public Libraries, they have come to be recognized as Ambassadors of Friends of Wicomico Public Libraries.

Wicomico Public Libraries are located in Downtown Salisbury, the Centre at Salisbury, Pittsville, and the Library Bookmobile. Not only do Wicomico Public Libraries offer numerous free resources such as Internet access, a variety of classes and events, public meeting rooms and an online virtual library with eBooks, and streaming movies, music and audiobooks, but it engages with the community by supporting learning, building community, and enriching lives. You Belong @ Wicomico Public Libraries!

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For more information on Wicomico Public Libraries or if you wish to become a Friend of the Library, please visit our Web site - WicomicoLibrary.org or check out our newsletter – Belong – in the Library, online, or in a local business near you.

Officer Cleared In Freddie Gray’s Death, Prosecutor Criticized

BALTIMORE (AP) — After two trials and no convictions, Baltimore’s top prosecutor faces criticism that she moved too quickly to file charges against six officers in the case involving a 25-year-old black man who died a week after he was critically injured in police custody, triggering protests and riots a year ago.

Even the judge overseeing the cases — in his verdict Monday acquitting the latest officer to stand trial in the death of Freddie Gray — said the state failed to prove its case on any of the charges.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams acquitted Officer Edward Nero of the assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges in connection with Gray’s arrest outside a West Baltimore housing complex.

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Happy Birthday Governor Hogan!

We would like to wish Governor Larry Hogan a very Happy Birthday!!

Sign Governor Hogan's card to wish him a Happy Birthday!
http://www.hoganforgovernor.com/happy-birthday-gov

State Police Investigating Bomb Threats

New Castle/ Sussex County - The Delaware State Police are currently investigating a trio of bomb threats that were called in at two area schools this morning.

The first incident occurred around 10:17 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, May 25, 2016, when a call was placed, using a computer generated male voice, to the Redding Middle School, located at 201 New Street, Middletown, which advised that there was a bomb inside of the building. The school was evacuated and was then searched by responding Delaware State Police units, school administration and Middletown Fire Department personnel. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious was located and staff and students were allowed to resume their daily activities.

The second incident happened at approximately 10:20 a.m. this morning, when a call was placed, using a computer generated male voice, to the Wilmington Manor Elementary School, located at 200 E. Roosevelt Avenue, New Castle. The caller advised that there was a bomb inside of the school. The school was evacuated and was then searched by responding Delaware State Police units and school administration. Again nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious was located and staff and students were allowed to resume their daily activities.

The third incident occurred at approximately 10:24 a.m. this morning, when a computer generated call was placed to the Shields Elementary School, located at 910 Shields Avenue, Lewes, which advised that there was a bomb inside of the school. The school was evacuated and was then searched by responding Delaware State Police units and school administration. Once again nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious was located and staff and students were allowed to resume their daily activities.

These incidents remain under investigation by the Delaware State Police at this time. It is unknown if these bomb threats are related to the series of bomb threats which have occurred in February within the state or to the threats called in to area schools on May 23rd.

*A fourth call was placed to the Central Middle School and is being investigated by the Dover Police Department.

If anyone has any information in reference to any of the bomb threats which have occurred, they are asked to contact Troop 2 Youth Aid Division at 302-834-2620, Troop 3 Youth Aid Division at 302-697-4454, or Troop 4 Youth Aid Division at 302-856-5850. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Joe Bastardi: Short Summation of My Climate Position

Earth is warmer now than in the late 1970s, the start of the satellite era.

This can be explained largely to the turn of the Pacific and the Atlantic to their warm cycles. This is the “Bathroom Shower Theory” that I have used many times. Turn on a hot shower, and the bathroom will heat up until an equilibrium is reached. When the Pacific warmed, and the Atlantic followed, we came off a period in which they were cold in tandem. It is perfectly logical that with the oceans and especially the tropics — the thermostat for the globe — warming, the air has to warm until it reaches an equilibrium, which it appears to have done overall until the last 20 years when it has not warmed.

The recent El Niño spike has already started to descend. Given that dry cold air is easier to warm than already warm moist air, the natural place the warming shows up most is where the atmosphere is driest and coldest. The biggest warming has been in the Arctic during winter. Recent summers in the region have actually been a bit below normal. There is no argument here. The question is how much of this is because of the increase of greenhouse gases, specifically CO2.

Another question: Will temperature measurements return to where they were back in the late ‘70s?

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Billboard by Fictitious 'Funeral Home' Encourages Texting and Driving

A billboard encouraging texting while driving by a fictitious funeral home was unveiled two weeks ago in Toronto, Ontario in Canada as part of an ad campaign to get people to stop texting and driving.

According to Ad Week, the billboard is actually sponsored by the Montreal agency John St and Cieslok Media as an effort to discourage texting and driving.

"People see and hear the words 'Don't text and drive' almost every day, but the number of people doing it keeps going up and up," Ad Week quoted Mylene Savoie, managing director of John St. Montreal, as saying. "So we wanted to think of a different way of saying it that would make people think about the real consequences. Which is where 'Text and drive' came from."

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Republican Jewish group slams anti-Semitism in presidential race

The Republican Jewish Coalition condemned the “troubling increase of anti-Semitic invective” aimed at journalists covering the presidential campaigns, but without singling out the two most widely reported incidents, both involving supporters of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

“We abhor any abuse of journalists, commentators and writers whether it be from Sanders, Clinton or Trump supporters,” the RJC said in a statement released Tuesday. “There is no room for any of this in any campaign. Journalists, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity should be free to do their jobs without suffering abuses, anti-Semitic or otherwise.”

Last month, Julia Ioffe, a Jewish reporter who wrote a profile of Trump’s wife Melania for GQ, received multiple death threats and anti-Semitic rhetoric via email, phone calls and on social media from self-identified Trump supporters. She filed a police complaint because of the threats.

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Syria: Russian base severely damaged in ISIS attack

Satellite imagery appears to show extensive damage to an air base in Syria used by Russian forces following an attack by terrorists from the Islamic State (ISIS) group, US intelligence company Stratfor said Tuesday.

The claim was immediately denied by Russia's defense ministry which said that the damage had been there for months and was due to fighting between Syrian government forces and "militants from terror groups."

Stratfor released satellite images dated from May 14 and May 17, implying that the damage to the T-4 base, also known as Tiyas, was caused in that time.

The images suggest four helicopters and 20 trucks were destroyed by fire inside the base, which strategically located in central Syria between war-ravaged Palmyra and Homs.

"The T4 air base was severely damaged by an Islamic State artillery attack. In particular, four Russian Mi-24 attack helicopters appear to have been destroyed," Stratfor said on their website.

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