Department of the Environment Awards Grants Totaling $250,000 for Electronics Recycling in Maryland

Statewide Electronics Recycling Program provides money to counties and municipalities

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of the Environment recently announced $250,000 in grant money from the Statewide Electronics Recycling Program to Maryland counties and municipalities to assist in the collection and recycling of electronics. The recycling of electronic materials such as computers and video display devices including, televisions, monitors, and cell phones, and other electronic goods reduces toxins entering the waste stream, saves valuable space in landfills, and conserves natural resources.

“We applaud Maryland counties and municipalities for boosting E-waste recycling and product stewardship,” said Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. Maryland’s leadership in the electronic age means not only protecting public health and the environment from potential risks of metals and chemicals leaking from landfills and waste streams, but also turning waste into wealth. We should always remember the three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – when considering throwing an item into the trash.”

In all, 27 counties and municipalities were awarded grant money, including: $15,000 each to Dorchester and Somerset counties; $13,315 to Allegany County; $12,750 each to Washington and Wicomico counties; $12,000 each to Prince George’s, Worcester, Harford, St. Mary’s, Carroll, Charles and Calvert counties; and $11,250 each to Howard and Montgomery counties. The Midshore Regional Recycling Program serving Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties received $31,935 for their electronic recycling efforts.

MSP Alcohol Related Collision- Press Release 7-23-16 (Berlin Barrack)

WICO Health Department: Mass Immunization Clinics

Three Florida Men Charged with Conspiring and Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL

Three Palm Beach County, Florida, residents were charged with conspiring and attempting to support the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) made the announcement.

Gregory Hubbard, aka Jibreel, 52, of West Palm Beach, Florida; Darren Arness Jackson, aka Daoud, 50, also of West Palm Beach; and Dayne Atani Christian, aka Shakur, 31, of Lake Park, Florida, were charged by a criminal complaint with knowingly conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIL. Christian was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The detention hearing will take place on July 27, 2016, and the defendants will be arraigned on Aug. 5, 2016.

“According to the complaint, these defendants conspired and attempted to provide material support to ISIL and one of the defendants was arrested attempting to travel overseas to join and fight for the deadly terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is countering terrorist threats, and we will continue to work to stem the flow of foreign fighters abroad and bring to justice those who conspire and attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”

Several Possibilities Behind Horseshoe Crab Deaths

OCEAN CITY — Mary Jo Pollock was walking her dog late last week in her neighborhood in mid-town Ocean City when she smelled an odor that was incredibly pungent.

“The air smelled so fishy,” said Pollock, “so I looked in the canal and there were dozens and dozens of these things floating in the water that looked like big brown balls.”

Those balls, were dead horseshoe crabs.

The Maryland Coastal Bays Program says a significant number of dead horseshoe crabs washed into a canal on 94th Street and alarmed many residents, but on the whole, there is nothing “fishy” going on, despite the smell.

This is spawning season for the ancient horseshoe crab, which is older than 99% of all species on the planet. During spawning, up to 10% of the population can die because the act of spawning is incredibly stressful to older horseshoe crabs. Since spawning occurs during full and new moon cycles, horseshoe crabs often get caught up in the tides and swept against sand bars or rip-rap, which can also cause death.

The tide cycles, and in some cases, wind can play a factor in transporting large numbers of dead horseshoe crabs into local canals or waterways, according to the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP).

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COAST GUARD SEEKS ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING ANNAPOLIS, MD. HOAX CALLER

BALTIMORE — The Coast Guard requests the public’s assistance in locating a hoax caller who made 28 false distress alerts since July of 2014.

All calls were determined to have originated from the Annapolis, Maryland, area between Loretta Heights and Admiral Drive along 450/West Street and involved the same male voice transmitting over VHF-FM marine radio channel 16.

The two most recent calls were received on Jul. 21, 2016, at 10:27 p.m., and again on Jul. 22, 2016, at 1:08 a.m., stating, "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday."

The Coast Guard’s cost for the searches is estimated to be approximately $500,000.

In addition to the financial cost, there is significant operational impact caused by making false distress calls. False distress alerts detract from the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to actual emergencies.

Hotel wall design approved despite concerns

Visitors and residents crossing the Route 90 bridge will soon see a new view of a developing major hotel because of a plan that will incorporate a wave design on what otherwise looked like an eight-story tall “prison wall.”

The new artistic effort makes good on a provision that was part of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s 2014 a site plan approval for a 150-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel along the bay near the bridge. According to officials, the preliminary concept included a stark white wall on the north side of the hotel facing the bridge, while the east, west and south sides included windows, wave-like roof heights and other features.

One of the stipulations attached to that approval was that the developers would return to the commission with a revised design of the wall to meet the commission’s sense of aesthetics. Two weeks ago, the commission asked the developers to deliver on that promise, even though the project is roughly 90 percent complete.

“We’ve had about 20 calls, and we’ve been told that the long white wall looks like a prison,” Commission member Palmer Gillis said at that session. “What we’re wondering is what we’re going to do to break that up.”

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Berlin Wetlands Project To Begin

BERLIN – The long awaited Hudson Branch wetlands project is expected to begin this summer following contract approval from the Berlin Town Council.

The town council voted this month to approve a $421,150 contract with A-Del Construction for the creation of an offline wetlands along Hudson Branch.

“I see this as a milestone,” Town Administrator Laura Allen said. “It’s taken us some time.”

The wetlands, designed to address the neighborhood’s stormwater problems, will be built alongside Hudson Branch behind the Flower Street Multi-Purpose Building. The wetlands is expected to alleviate flooding and provide surplus water with a place to go. At the same time, it will improve water quality in the area.

“This is the first in a series of projects that are going to be back to back to back,” said Darl Kolar, the town’s stormwater engineer.

Kolar said the town received two bids for the work, both of which were close in costs. He recommended pursuing a contract with A-Del Construction because the company had done work in Berlin before.

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Del. Dan Morhaim, advocate of medical marijuana, draws scrutiny for role in firm

A state lawmaker who has been a leading advocate of Maryland's medical marijuana law said Wednesday he wished he had been more transparent about his business connection to the cannabis industry.

Del. Dan Morhaim, a Baltimore County Democrat, has drawn scrutiny for publicly telling the state's medical cannabis commission how to set up the industry at the same time he agreed to work as a clinical director for a private company seeking a highly coveted license.

Morhaim, who is a physician, sponsored legislation passed by the General Assembly that legalized and helped form the industry.

"In hindsight," Morhaim told The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday, he should have disclosed the extent of his relationship with Doctor's Orders LLC, "if I knew a better way to do it."

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Berlin’s Miss Connie ‘Will Be So Missed’

BERLIN — One of the Berlin’s most influential and inspirational African-American community leaders passed away this week at the age of 90.

Constance Sturgis, who was lovingly called Miss Connie by many in the community, was known and will be celebrated in the coming days and weeks as a lifelong teacher of the youth, a brilliant storyteller, a beloved historian and a local treasure.

“She will be so missed,” said Reverend Betty Smith, who was a former student of Sturgis’ and is the current pastor of Tyree AME Church in Berlin. “It will be impossible to duplicate what she gave to all of us in the community.”

During an interview with Sturgis last February, the former teacher at the then all-black Berlin Middle School spoke about her humble upbringings as a young African-American girl in Mardela Springs driven by a yearning to become educated and make a difference in the lives of young people as a teacher.

“These kids today are crying out for our help,” Sturgis said. “Our youth want to escape from using drugs, alcohol, gangs, and they really need boundaries within their lives that provide structure and safety. They are entering into adulthood unprepared and failing at alarming rates because of violence or a lack of resources.”

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Ban on housing voucher discrimination proposed in Baltimore County

A proposed bill before the Baltimore County Council would keep landlords from discriminating against renters who rely on Section 8 vouchers.

"It does not force anyone to do anything other than be an American and not discriminate and give people a fair chance,” Councilman Julian Jones said. “That's all any of us want is a fair chance."

The bill is intended to break up pockets of poverty throughout the county and to end what federal housing authorities view as decades of discriminatory practices.

But the measure has raised concerns.

"Out of the 6,000 vouchers for Baltimore County, I have over 1,400 of them in the 6th District, which is Middle River up to Towson and I keep saying to myself, 'I'm going to get more. I'm going to get more," Councilwoman Cathy Bevins said.

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Police/courts

Theft scheme

Ocean City police officers arrested Leo Clarke, 43, of Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, for theft and a theft scheme on July 16.

The day prior, police met with a restaurant manager who said Clarke was stealing from the restaurant inside a hotel.

Police reported hotel guests receive a 20 percent discount on their checks at the restaurant. After the guests leave, Clarke, a server, would discount the check again, print a new receipt and pocket the money from the discount.

The manager stated Clarke was stealing money from the restaurant every day he worked in July.

After calculations were complete on cash and room charges, employees discovered Clarke pocketed a total of $1,041.65 since June 1, which is not including credit card charges and totals are expected to increase once those numbers are calculated.

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Maryland gained 9,800 jobs in June

Maryland gained 9,800 total jobs in June thanks to increases in the leisure and hospitality industry and information technology.

The state's unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent, a slight decrease from 4.5 percent in May, according to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The private sector added 11,700 jobs. Leisure and hospitality gained 6,100 jobs in June, while the information technology sector grew by 2,900 jobs because of growth in telecommunications. Professional and business services grew by 2,600 jobs while trade, transportation and utilities increased by 1,700 jobs. Manufacturing increased by 300 jobs. On the flip side, government jobs decreased by 1,900 and the education and health services industry lost 100 positions.

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Association gets to work restoring 1940s airplane

A piece of aviation history, a 1940s-era Aeronca Chief, was delivered on Saturday, July 9, to a hangar at the Ocean City Airport, where the Ocean City Aviation Association will begin a lengthy restoration project.

Coleman Bunting, OCAA treasurer, said the recent purchase came about from an attempt to bridge the generation gap with area youngsters.

“We wanted to try to reach some of the kids in the schools,” he said. “I checked with Stephen Decatur (High School) and Wor-Wic (Community College) and told them we were interested in doing this project and we never got any response.”

The OCAA has been in existence for half a century, Bunting said, and its primary mission is to promote safety and education at the airport.

“It used to be we made model airplanes and now everybody is on their computer,” he said. “Not too many of them are interested in mechanical skills. It’s going to be a lost art doing some of this stuff.”

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Blood Supply Shortage Called Critical

BERLIN – According to Miriam A. Markowitz, CEO of AABB, “Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is indispensable and required in the treatment of millions of patients, including individuals with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, patients undergoing organ transplants and trauma victims.”

The urgency of that statement is indicative of the overwhelming necessity for blood donations not just across the nation, but also locally at the Blood Bank of Delmarva.

Though the Delmarva area does not typically experience a considerable dip in donations once summer hits, this year the Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) is still facing its most severe decline in donations yet, reflecting a national trend that is growing.

Every year, the summer season hits the nation’s blood banks hard. The schools and universities that host blood drives are out of session. Local school blood drives provide 13-14% of the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s total blood volume for the year.

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It's A Hot One Today

Not only are the temperatures incredibly high today, the traffic coming into Ocean City was backed up all the way from Stephen Decatur High School all the way into Ocean City. Hope your A/C works!

OC’s ‘Beach Ball’ Water Tower Paint Job Underway

OCEAN CITY — Work has begun on the welcoming “beach ball” paint scheme on the town’s new water tower at 1st Street, but the question now is whether anyone entering the resort from the Route 50 Bridge will be able to see it in the future.

The new water tower at 1st Street rose steadily from the downtown landscape through much of the winter and early spring and its construction came in ahead of schedule in March. The plan is once the new tower is operational, the town’s existing water towers at Worcester Street and 15th Street will be removed, improving efficiency and minimizing the future cost of maintenance.

With the structure completed, crews last week began the process of painting the new water tower, which heretofore has been a dull gray beacon lurking over the downtown landscape. When it’s completed, the new water tower will be adorned with a somewhat unique “beach ball” paint scheme welcoming visitors along one of the main entrances to the resort.

Last year, the Mayor and Council approved the beach ball design after learning it would cost just about $10,000 more than the traditional pale blue scheme seen on most of the resort’s water towers. Public Works Director Hal Adkins said the paint job began last week and continues this week with crews working on both the interior and exterior.

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LOST DOG In Salisbury (Please Share) UPDATE

It’s Official: Leftists Failed at Protesting GOP Convention

Leftists promised rage at the 2016 Republican National Convention and failed to deliver. The anarchists and Black Lives Matter radicals tried their hardest and simply couldn’t get anyone to show up to participate in their efforts to attack Republicans and treat police officers badly. The attempt to turn the 2016 convention into a warzone–as their movement had done at the 2008 convention–simply failed. The Cleveland anarchists and radical leftists failed and simply sucked at organizing. This year’s fireworks from the “revolutionaries” proved their movement to be even more impotent than did their failures in 2012 at the Tampa convention.

Calls to march were made by local Cleveland anarchists and very few people even showed up.

Occasional glimpses of Code Pink with 5-12 ladies occurred. The local cop watch group only mustered a handful of black-clothes wearing cop-haters to participate in their hatred–and in one instance they were surrounded by convention-goers who out-shouted them with support for the police.

Internal planning threads for the anarchists to which Breitbart had access indicated that the majority of groups wanted and planned on using the final day as their big bang. The biggest success of the day for the radicals was a small group wearing masks and running up and down the street with police escorting them.

As Breitbart reported, local radicals lashed out and were clearly humiliated and angry when their lack of support was made clear. The communities in Cleveland simply didn’t agree with them or want to participate with them.

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Worcester has more CAFOs, fewer problems

Despite having nearly the same number of “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” as Wicomico, and far more than in Somerset, public outcry about these farms’ impact on the environment and neighboring properties has been limited in Worcester County, and it’s no accident.

CAFOs, as they are known, are essentially the same as other animal feeding operations, such as chicken houses, except they have more animals per square foot to reduce costs. The upside of these is cheaper chicken at the grocery store, while the downside includes possible negative effects on air quality, groundwater and property values, depending on how waste is handled, the size of the operation and its proximity to other properties.

That’s where Worcester’s zoning laws come in.

County zoning restricts farming operations to the zones specifically designated for that purpose, as well as the Enterprise zones (E1) and a “resource planning district” (RP) by special exception.

The E-1 zone is expected to be eliminated during the next review of the comprehensive plan, which also will review all the farming zoning districts.

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