Will Chris Lewis Run For Public Office?

Chris Lewis has been well known for trying to get attention but many have ignored his temper and outlandish attempts to convince the Eastern Shore that the sky is actually falling.

One of the biggest issues many have openly mentioned with Chris is that every time he comes to an event he's been drinking quite heavily and it's easily recognized.

Mind you, we've had plenty of other local politicians who are well known for attending events, arriving pretty trashed and or having quite a few once they get there.

I don't know about you but I find it extremely hard to take anyone who drinks heavily, seriously. The next thing out of their mouths is, I'M DOING IT FOR MY CHILDREN!

I believe Chris made an attempt several years ago to run for local office but didn't get very far then either. Sorry Chris, while some may appreciate your attempts to save this country, most will not take you seriously and you're wasting money and votes.

Too many of these newcomers think just because they got a little attention at a Tea Party, their primed for public office. So much so, some are willing to put their names into the ring, even though they pretty much mimic experienced candidates that they actually like.

I don't know about you Folks but the Tea Party and AFP people, (with all due respect) have caused a major problem for good candidates already announced or filed and in my honest opinion have jumped into these races while they're still very young and inexperienced.

Mind you, it is their right to do so and I applaud that. However, is the AFP and Tea Party trying to tell us that the people currently running with experience aren't good enough? I mean, I'd really like to know where they stand.

Rather than working with the experienced candidates, (you know, the ones they INVITED to speak at all their meetings) my guess is that they have decided none of them are good enough and they can do better.

Again, I applaud their interest. I can appreciate their frustration but running out of the gate early and believing they can win, well, you'll clearly see what happens at the polls. Oh, one last thing. I thought the AFP was a bipartisan group that isn't supposed to recommend/encourage candidates?

All in all, my suggestion to the AFP was to sit down with the experienced candidates, (which they have not done) and discuss their platforms. IF the AFP does in fact have ANY power at this time, they can ask these candidates if they might be willing to look at a few items that they may not fully agree upon and perhaps change their thinking. If they're not satisfied, THEN they might want to consider running. However, that hasn't happened as I have interviewed some of the people considering running and like I said, they jumped out of the gate way too soon and simply assumed.

I hope they ALL reconsider and rethink their game plan, sober.

So What Exactly Is A 'Double-Dip' Recession?

Economists fear recession with growth period followed by furthur decline

WASHINGTON — Concerns are rising that the economy is at risk of slipping into a "double-dip" recession.
High unemployment, Europe's debt crisis, a slowdown in China, a teetering housing market and sinking stock prices are all weighing on a fragile U.S. recovery.

So what exactly is a double-dip recession?

Robert Hall has an idea of what one looks like but no precise definition. He's chairman of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of academic economists that officially declares the starts and ends of recessions.

In Hall's view, a double dip is akin to a continuous recession that's punctuated by a period of growth, then followed by a further decline in the economy.

The NBER doesn't define a double dip any more specifically than that, says Hall, an economics professor at Stanford University.

In econo-speak, Hall explains: "The idea — hypothetical because it has yet to happen — is that activity might rise for a period, but not far enough to complete a cycle, then fall again, and finally rise above its original level, only then completing the cycle."

GO HERE to read more.

UNHAPPY iPHONE4 USERS FILE SUIT IN MARYLAND

Its only been out a week, but the message board murmurs and blog kvetching about poor reception on the Apple iPhone 4 have turned into lawsuits in Maryland and elsewhere. Kevin McCaffrey of Nottingham and Linda Wrinn of Baltimore filed a putative class action against Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc. Wednesday evening in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, alleging the new phones are defective. (The Daily Record)

'Scumbag Pedophile Priest' Jailed For 19 Years

Catholic cleric abused children aged as young as five at Australian schools

A Catholic cleric, who described himself as a "scumbag pedophile priest," has been jailed for nearly 20 years for abusing 25 children in Australia.

John Sidney Denham, 67, pleaded guilty to carrying out attacks on boys as young as five years old at schools in New South Wales between 1968 and 1986, The Australian newspaper reported.

Judge Helen Syme spent at least three hours summing up the charges. “The indecent assaults involved multiple children, often significant planning, were frequently sadistic and overall persistent, objectively serious, criminal courses of conduct,” she said, according to the newspaper.

“The offender's actions contributed to a culture of fear and depravity, especially at the school, which allowed these disturbing offences to occur and then remain unpunished for years.”

Denham was sentenced to 19 years and 10 months, with an order that he serves a minimum of 13 years and 10 months before being considered for parole.

GO HERE to read more.

Another New Candidate Files For Wicomico County Council

Matt Holloway filed yesterday for

Wicomico Council at Large.

FIREWORKS INJURE 3,000 CHILDREN EACH YEAR

Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland offers Fourth of July Safety Tips

(SALISBURY, MD) - Each year, more than 3,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in U.S. emergency rooms for injuries involving fireworks. Most of these injuries occur in the few weeks before and after the Fourth of July. Children ages 5 to 9 have the highest rate of injury from fireworks.

Viewing a public display by professionals minimizes the risk of fireworks-related injuries. “The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend one of the licensed, public fireworks displays scheduled throughout Maryland, Delaware or Virginia over the holiday period,” said Lori Brewster, Health Officer for the Wicomico County Health Department. "Consumer fireworks are not toys and should not be handled by children."

Where permitted by law, fireworks should be handled and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and all warning labels. In addition, Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland recommends these precautions for adults choosing to use fireworks:
 A permit is needed to discharge any fireworks.
 Always have an adult present and never give fireworks to children.
 Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
 Light fireworks only on smooth, flat surfaces, and aim them away from buildings, dry leaves, combustible materials, and spectators.
 Do not try to relight fireworks that malfunction.
 Do not carry fireworks in your pocket or hold them close to your face.
 Do not modify fireworks or attempt to make homemade explosives.
 Never use fireworks indoors.
 Never use fireworks while intoxicated.
 Keep a phone handy, and know first aid for burns.
 Always have water and sand handy, water hose and bucket.

For more information about fireworks safety and burn prevention, contact William E. Barnard, Deputy State Fire Marshal at 410-653-8980 or visit the Maryland State Fire Marshal's website at http://www.firemarshal.state.md.us.

For more information about the Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland Coalition and/or other unintentional childhood injury prevention information, contact Tammy Griffin, Lower Shore Coordinator, at 410-334-3480 Ext 17480 or by e-mail at GriffinTL@dhmh.state.md.us.

Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland is committed to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and younger. Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland is a member of Maryland State Safe Kids and Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury.

Baby Bear Hit By Truck

An 18-month-old black bear strayed too far from its mother June 30 and was struck by a flatbed trailer near Aldie. The 90-pound bear suffered severe injuries, forcing Loudoun County sheriffs deputies to euthanize the animal to put it out of its misery, Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said July 1. (Loudoun Times)

De-Gifted Fire Truck On The Auction Block

One of two pieces of fire equipment at the center of a 2009 controversy is being auctioned online.

The bidding is up to $4,500 for the D.C. fire truck, which, along with an ambulance, were en route to a Dominican Republic resort town when they were stopped and returned to the city. They are surplus vehicles, which usually go to auction, but last year, aides in D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's economic development office arranged for their donation to the town of Sosua via the anti-youth violence group Peaceoholics. Head Peaceoholic told the Washington Examiner last year that he and some friends of his regularly visit the Dominican beach town.

A D.C. Council report found that some of the aides also had traveled to Sosua for social reasons, including Super Bowl parties.

The Washington Business Journal reported that the attempted donation was organized by the mayor's chief development adviser, David Jannarone, and controversial Fenty friend Sinclair Skinner.

The Washington Business Journal reported that the attempted donation was organized by the mayor's chief development adviser, David Jannarone, and controversial Fenty friend Sinclair Skinner.

The council committees found the donation disturbing, especially given Skinner's role, but not criminal. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh deemed it "merely the pet project even if well-intentioned of a senior District official and a well-connected nongovernment individual."

Cheh has since introduced legislation to strengthen city procurement laws. Councilman Phil Mendelson issued an extensive report as well. Nickles panned the council reviews as a waste of time.

GO HERE to read more.

What You Need To Know About METRO If You Head To DC This Weekend

Metro alters schedule for holiday weekend

WASHINGTON - Thousands are expected to take Metrorail to the National Mall on July 4. If that includes you, here's your Independence Day riders guide.

Metrorail will operate from 7 a.m. until midnight July 4, and parking will be free at all Metrorail lots. The fireworks begin at 9:10 p.m. and the Smithsonian Metro station will be closed until the show is over.

Also be aware the final destination of the train you ride may be different than usual Sunday. All Orange Line trains departing the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station will alternate its final destination between the Stadium-Armory and New Carrollton stations. All Yellow Line trains will operate between the Huntington and Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center station.

Beginning at 2 p.m., all Red Line trains departing from the Shady Grove station will alternate their final destination between the Silver Spring and Glenmont stations.

Beginning at 6 p.m. and leading up to the show, trains will leave stations more frequently. But getting home from the Mall after the festivities end, could take a while. Metro says trains will be very crowded, and riders may have to wait an hour or more to get on board.

Escalators at many downtown stations will be turned off on July 4, and don't be surprised to see extra police and police dog riding the rails with you.

Be aware there is a Nationals home game Sunday at 1:35 p.m. Extra trains will be added before and after the game to handle the crowds.

Source

Salisbury News Adds A Dragon To Animal Adoptions

GO HERE to check out this creature.

Another Wonderful Success Story

Found Puppy In Laurel/Seaford Area:

Joe,

My family and I went last night and adopted this little sweetheart:) She stole our hearts as we have another dog that looks just like this baby! The family that was so kind and caring to take her in had made the very difficult decision that it was best for the puppy to be adopted. Let me say that the family that did rescue her are wonderful people:) So, lets see we now have 5 dogs and 5 cats at our home that all but one have been rescues!!! We will be having her spayed at 6 months and we will have, as all of our dogs have, a micro chip put in on the first visit to our vet.Thank you for your continued work to find owners of lost pets and find homes for those who have just been dumped out as this baby was. Thank you again to the wonderful family that rescued her and gave her lots of love.

Jenny

Thank God Its Friday

What will you be doing this weekend?

Govt’s Banned Trailers, Unsafe For Housing, Reappear In Gulf

Some formaldehyde-tainted FEMA trailers used after Hurricane Katrina are being resold to oil cleanup workers in the Gulf.

GO HERE to read more.

Six Months To Go Until The Largest Tax Hikes In History

In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:

First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011:

Personal income tax rates will rise. -- The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family. -- The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.

The return of the Death Tax. -- This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors. -- The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave: Obamacare

There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011.

The “Medicine Cabinet Tax” -- Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).

The “Special Needs Kids Tax” -- This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education.

The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. -- This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.

Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.

(More details here)

Inhofe: Obama Trying To Trade Border Security For Sweeping Amnesty

President Barack Obama’s zeal to give illegal immigrants amnesty is holding the nation’s border security “hostage” to his political agenda, says GOP Sen. James Inhofe.

As Obama called on Congress to tackle comprehensive immigration reform in a speech Thursday afternoon, Inhofe told Newsmax in an exclusive interview that the president is clearly using border security as a bargaining chip to obtain amnesty for millions of illegal aliens residing in the United States.

That was the same charge made by Inhofe’s friend and colleague, Arizona GOP Sen. John Kyl, who stirred controversy last week when he revealed a discussion in which Obama told him that taking action to secure the Mexican border “would remove the incentive for comprehensive immigration reform.” The White House has denied Kyl’s allegation.

Inhofe told Newsmax that he has total faith in Kyl’s assertion because he “has never told a lie” in the almost 25 years he has known him.

Consequently, he places more confidence in Kyl’s credibility than that of the White House.

Rumors in Congress suggest Obama will stop at nothing to achieve his goal of allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the country, Inhofe said. The administration reportedly plans to use an executive order to circumvent Congress and block the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants.

Inhofe predicts the president will use his power to stop or delay the deportation of illegals to select a block of deportees ̶ anywhere from to 1,000-100,000 at a time ̶ and prevent them from being sent home.

“This is just a way for them to accomplish their agenda in this way to allow them to do what they have failed to accomplish in the legislature,” Inhofe says in the interview. ”It’s kind of the same they did unsuccessfully on the global warming and cap and trade.

“They tried to do it with the EPA and the Clean Air Act; they are trying to take everything over by the executive [branch].”

In his speech Thursday at American University in Washington, Obama seemed to suggest that border security wasn’t that important in passing immigration reform. In fact, he raised doubts that the border could be secured at all.

America's borders are "just too vast" for the immigration problem to be solved with fences and border patrols alone, Obama said.

Here is more

Dollar Plunges After UN Call To Ditch Greenback

The dollar plunged today following a United Nations report which called for the greenback to be replaced as the global reserve currency by the International Monetary Fund’s special drawing rights (SDRs).

The dollar’s trend of moving inversely to the stock market has seemingly been snapped, with the Dow Jones falling over 100 points at one stage today. However, as soon as markets began to claw back losses, the greenback failed to follow suit, indicating that whichever way markets move, the dollar is in big trouble.

The UN report called for “abandoning the U.S. dollar as the main global reserve currency, saying it has been unable to safeguard value,” according to Reuters.

“A new global reserve system could be created, one that no longer relies on the United States dollar as the single major reserve currency,” stated the report, adding that this new system should not be based on a basket of currencies, but on IMF-controlled SDR’s.

GO HERE to read more.

Prepare For The Worst?

Will Somerset County Residents have to pony up for a lawyer if old Chiefy doesn't get elected?

Considering Alan Webster has the tendency of suing those who disagree with him or challenge him, if he doesn't get elected you have to wonder if he'll freak out and sue the County.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see if ALL of the County Residents are so scared of him that they'll have to vote for him, or else? It reminds me of the Mob.

Jack Richards Puts In His Two Cents

Joe,

I like the new format and find it difficult seeing where you find the time to do all this. But then again, you are still a kid lol. Amazed at all the ads you have gotten in such a short time. Glad that they are working for the advertisers.

I see in the DT several statements that seem to be in favor of Webster over Jones. Cannot believe that. Hopefully someone with some credibility will jump in the race.

Keep up the great work but take some time to stop and smell the garlic too. SBYNews is great for us ex-shoremen. I am at your site numerous times a day. Thanks

Your buddy,
Jack Richards

BREAKING NEWS

U.S. loses 125,000 jobs due to census layoffs,

but jobless rate falls to 9.5 percent.

Independence Day At Brew River

Today's Nature Photo By Scott Phoebus

Bulgaria

Amish Christmas Lights

I know it's not the season,



but these are amazing!



Scroll down to see the Amish Christmas lights.

You know very well that the Amish don't use electricity.

Faltering Economy

Tenant Beware!!

Joe,

I wanted to send this along to you so you and your readers can stay far away from scams like this. A customer recently emailed me asking if one of our rental properties was still for rent. This particular property has not been available for months. However, this scam artist was using the properties address and acting as though she was the owner. There have been other situations where these so-called “owners” will not divulge addresses or details until credit applications are preformed. I urge your readers to work with only reputable companies when it comes to locating rental properties online. Never send any money or deposits to a source that you cannot confirm and please do not disclose personal information like social security numbers and credit card information! Things like these are scams and are popular on sites like Craigslist.com. Please urge your readers to contact me if they ever have questions or concerns when it comes to situations like these.

Sincerely,

Adam Roop
Vice President
The Roop Group Rentals
www.TheRoopGroup.com/Rentals
TheRoops@TheRoopGroup.com
410-912-0310


Thanks for your response and interest in my house.

The house is very much available and it is a large 3 bedrooms and 3.2 bathroom house. Which was formally occupied by me and my family before we left for Nigeria for a pastoral duty, we left for a volunteer mission together with other missionaries for a development program with the aim of developing the people of west Africa physically and spiritually as God as directed us. We wanted to sale the house initially but we later changed our mind after we discovered that we wouldn't be spending more then 6 years here in Africa.

So as you know where the house is located at 1813 Woodbrooke Dr,Salisbury, MD 21804
. Which my family and I have spent so much time and money to maintain it up till its standard. We have been trying our best to make the house as clean as possible, because am a clean person and we don't like dirt around our surroundings and also the Bible says cleanliness is next to Godliness.

So we are looking for a well-behaved, clean and honest tenant to rent out our house too. So will like you to give us your word and promise us that you will take good care of our house so that we will be happy when we come to visit you in the future... We accept short or long-term rent and month to month also.... All the utilities are included in the rent... Pets are allowed. So kindly get back to us with this information below.

RENT APPLICATION FORM
Full Name__________________________________________________
Home Phone ( ) ________________________
Date of Birth_________________________________
Other Phone ( ) ___________________
Current Address_________________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________
Reasons for Leaving____________________________Rent $__________Phone ( ) ____________
Are you married____________________________
How many people will be living in the house____________________________
Do you have a pet____________________________
Do you have a car____________________________
Occupation____________________________
Your Exact move in date____________________________
How soon can you make the deposit payment________________________
How soon do you want to receive the keys and documents of the house________________________

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the key to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words, you know that we do not see our self's yet and only putting everything into Gods hand, so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this. Looking forward to hear from you. you can give us a call on our cell phone number: 011-234-812-489-4948

Best Regards

Pastor: Natasha White

(011- 234-812-489-4948)OR( +234-812-489-4948(+234-812-489-4948) (call anytime)

Note: the Rent is $700 and security deposit is $500

Administrative Appointments And Transfers For 2010-11, Effective July 1

Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen and the Wicomico County Board of Education have announced a number of administrative appointments and reassignments effective July 1.

At its June 8 monthly meeting, the Board of Education approved the following appointments:

Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services: one-year, interim appointment of former assistant superintendents Allen Brown, Tom Field and William Cain (retiring June 30)and Terry Greenwood to fill the position as a team on a rotating basis effective July 1. During the next school year, as the team handles the duties of the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, the school system will study the position offering, recruit candidates, and carefully screen and interview candidates with the goal of identifying the best person for the position. The permanent Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services would begin serving by July 1, 2011.

Elementary Assistant Principal: Lisa Forbush, formerly an educator in Somerset County Public Schools, was appointed as an elementary assistant principal for Wicomico Schools and will serve at Fruitland Primary School. Forbush has 16 years of experience in education, including as a special education teacher, reading specialist, Migrant Education reading coach and Coordinator/Principal for the Migrant Education Program, coordinator of Academic Support, and coordinator/reading coach of Reading First for Somerset Schools. She was the Marion Sarah Peyton Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2004, and has served on school committees for school improvement and special education plans.

Secondary Principal: Don R. Brady, formerly the Director of Middle School, SEED School in Baltimore, is the new principal of Wicomico High School. Prior to joining Wicomico Schools, he designed and worked with staff to implement the academic program for SEED School. Brady received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Salisbury University in 1994, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Hood College in 2003. He served as assistant principal of Frederick High School from 2003-08, and assistant principal of Monocacy Middle School (also in Frederick County Public Schools) from 2008-09.

The Superintendent announced the following administrative reassignments for the 2010-11 school year:

Elementary:

Charles H. Chipman Elementary: Scott Thorpe, Principal; Carla Hicks, Assistant Principal
Delmar Elementary: Judy Nicholson and Larry Collins, Assistant Principals
East Salisbury Elementary: Glendon Jones, Principal
Fruitland Intermediate: Jon Shearer, Principal; Kirsten Jennette, Assistant Principal
North Salisbury Elementary: Jennifer Rice, Assistant Principal
Northwestern Elementary: Joyce Lewis, Assistant Principal
Pemberton Elementary: Curt Twilley, Principal; Antionette Perry, Assistant Principal
Pinehurst Elementary: Deborah Emge, Principal
West Salisbury Elementary: Dave Harris, Assistant Principal
Westside Intermediate: Jason Miller, Assistant Principal
Westside Primary: Kristina Gosnell, Principal; a Dean of Students will be named this summer

Secondary:

Bennett Middle: Ike Humphrey, Assistant Principal
Salisbury Middle: Mike Bievenour, Assistant Principal
Wicomico Middle: Lil Giddens, Principal; Sheree Douglas-Johnson, Assistant Principal
James M. Bennett High: James Cook, Assistant Principal
Parkside High: Ron Greene, Assistant Principal
Mardela Middle and High: Frank Grate, Assistant Principal

Wicomico County Board of Education Appointments of May 25:

Supervisor of Mathematics: The Board approved the appointment of Andrew Todd, currently serving as assistant principal at Somerset Intermediate School in Westover, as Supervisor of Mathematics for Wicomico County Public Schools. He will replace Supervisor of Mathematics Ann Ashe, who is retiring after 26 years with Wicomico Schools. Todd, the 2006 Somerset Teacher of the Year, holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in administration/leadership, with an Advanced Professional Certificate with a mathematics endorsement. He served as a mathematics facilitator for Somerset County Public Schools, taught middle school mathematics while working with the MSA and HSA for mathematics, and supervised the math department at Somerset Intermediate School as part of his assistant principal duties.

Supervisor of English/World Languages: The Board approved the appointment of Janice Wagner, currently serving as a high school professional development coach in HSA English, as Supervisor of English/World Languages for Wicomico County Public Schools. She will replace Supervisor of English and Foreign Languages Daniel W. Pyle, who is retiring after 29 years with Wicomico Schools. Wagner has more than 30 years of experience in public and private school settings, and has taught as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University. She taught English at Wicomico High 2002-04, and has taught a variety of levels in reading, language arts, English and Latin. She served as a department chair with responsibility for observation and evaluation of English teachers in Baltimore County.

Eric Wargotz Lies About Polling Data In Attempt To Mislead Public

Wargotz Campaign Uses Survey without Permission and Misrepresents Data

FOREST HILL, Maryland- The Rutledge for U.S. Senate Campaign was notified that the Wargotz Campaign has taken and misused polling data without permission from The Tarrance Group located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Tarrance Group has issued a statement admonishing the Wargotz campaign for their misleading and unethical behavior. The Tarrance Group has requested that the Wargotz Campaign revise their false and misleading claims or remove them from their website. Jim Rutledge said, “I am shocked and disturbed by this revelation of such underhanded and unethical behavior by Eric Wargotz.”

The Tarrance Group released the following statement on their website: http://www.tarrance.com/

“Dr. Eric Wargotz’ campaign for U.S. Senate released a poll on Wednesday June 30, 2010 with the headline “Wargotz leads Mikulski by 3% in recent poll.” This caused some observers to believe that Dr. Wargotz maintained a 3-point lead statewide, when in fact the poll was only conducted in the 1st Congressional District of Maryland, and even then the campaign cited the ballot in Baltimore County alone. We regret this miscommunication on the part of Wartgotz campaign. We can only conclude that the campaign, which is not a client of The Tarrance Group and falsely transmitted data from another proprietary survey, is attempting to mislead the public.

Although the campaign statement itself explains that the numbers cited were strictly from Baltimore County, we feel that this headline did not make this point clear enough and instead misrepresents our data.

The Tarrance Poll cited was conducted in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District and included only those parts of Baltimore County contained within the 1st District, comprising N=41 interviews. The Wargotz campaign, which is not a client of The Tarrance Group, neither coordinated with nor received The Tarrance Group’s permission to release the data. If consulted on such an option, we would have advised the campaign to not release the data due to the small cell size and large margin of error associated with it, and for the fact that the entirety of Baltimore County is not represented.

The Tarrance Group has requested that the Wargotz campaign either revise their campaign communications to reflect these realities, or remove them from their website altogether.”

The Rutledge for Senate Campaign demands that the Eric Wargotz Campaign immediately remove this information from their website and issue a public apology to the Citizens of Maryland for this lapse in judgment and unethical behavior and demands that Eric Wargotz promptly refund all donations that his campaign receives as a result of the deception it has perpetrated on the public.

WEST VIRGINIA TOPS DELMARVA 8-3 IN GAME THREE

RHP Jesse Beal Starts Game Four on Friday Night

Charleston, WV – West Virginia scored five runs in the first four innings to cruise by Delmarva, 8-3 in game three of the series on Thursday night at Appalachian Power Park. The Shorebirds did not record their first hit until the fifth inning.

The Power got on the board early in the second inning. Aaron Baker connected on his tenth homer of the season to right field to open the second. After a double by Ramon Cabrera, Jose Hernandez blasted a two-run homer to give the Power a 3-0 advantage.

West Virginia went back to work in the fourth. Jose Hernandez led off with a single. Then, Jesus Brito followed with a single to advance Hernandez to third. Kenny Moreland proceeded to toss a wild pitch on a third strike to Bengie Gonzalez to score Hernandez. The next batter, Evan Chambers, hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Brito.

Down 5-0, the Shorebirds chipped away in the sixth inning . With two outs, Mike Mooney hit a flare double down the left field line. Then, Ty Kelly followed with a sharp double inside the first base bag to plate Mooney. The next batter, Tyler Townsend, smoked a double to the left-center field gap to score Kelly.

The Shorebirds trimmed the deficit to 5-3 in the seventh. Levi Carolus started the frame with a double to left field. Three batters later, Justin Dalles yanked an RBI single to left field to score Carolus.

The Shorebirds would get no closer. With two outs in the home half of the seventh, Tyler Townsend mishandled a grounder off the bat of Aaron Baker, allowing Evan Chambers and Jarek Cunningham to score.

The Power tacked on a run in the eighth inning to establish an 8-3 lead.

Power starter Nathan Baker earned the win in six innings. He allowed four hits and two runs. Baker retired the first 14 batters of the game.

Kenny Moreland was pinned with the loss in six innings of work. He surrendered eight hits and five runs. Moreland struck out six and did not issue a walk.

The Shorebirds and Power square off in game four of the series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. RHP Jesse Beal makes the start for Delmarva.

Obama's Not Looking Too Good

Results of recent CBS Poll. It is very clear, Americans just flat out do not like or trust Obama or his policies or his style of Governing......

In 8 out of 10 ratings more than 50% of the American People rated him as an abject failure "F" and consider him worse that self loathing moron Jimmy Carter.

Troopers Arrest Four People In Connection With A Rash Of Vehicle Break-Ins And Thefts

Location: Rehoboth area Sussex County, DE – Edgewater Estates, Gosling Creek, Seawood Chase, Henlopen Landing, Kings Creek Country Club and Rehoboth Beach Country Club.

Date of Occurrence: From May 29, 2010 to June 26, 2010

Suspect:

15 year-old male from Rehoboth Beach, DE
15 year-old male from Millsboro, DE
William Mullen, 21, Millsboro, DE
Durron Jones, 19, Dagsboro, DE

Resume:

Lewes - Delaware State Police have arrested four individuals in connection with a rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts that have plagued the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area.

Troopers have arrested two 15 year-olds, Mullen and Jones in connection with over 40 vehicle break-ins and at least six motor vehicle thefts and a theft of a firearm.

A break in the investigation came on Thursday June 24, 2010 when troopers responded to 25995 Oak Street, in the Mount Joy area of Millsboro. When troopers arrived they saw a red Ford Explorer backed up in the yard. They also saw a subject sitting in a green Pontiac Grand Am with a second subject standing outside the car. As the troopers approached the two both suspects fled. The subject standing outside the car was apprehended and identified as Durron Jones.

The Explorer was found to be stolen from Henlopen Landing, Lewes. A search of the Grand Am found a .40 caliber pistol which was stolen from a car in the Lewes area. Troopers then searched the house where the cars were parked and located numerous items that were stolen from vehicles in the Rehoboth Beach and Lewes area over the past few months.

A 15 year-old boy was also taken into custody from having stolen property in his possession. The property was linked to the vehicle break-ins and a second 15 year-old from Rehoboth Beach was also identified as being involved. Troopers also identified Mullen as the second subject who was with Jones.

On Monday June 28th troopers responded to Delaware Ave., in Oak Orchard after Mullen’s car was spotted in the area. Troopers entered the home where the car was parked and made contact with Rhianna Galm, 30. Troopers later found Mullen hiding in shower. Troopers recovered numerous stolen items that were stolen from Mullen’s car and from inside the house.

Yesterday, June 30th around 11:30 a.m. a trooper stopped a car on Townsend Road of off Mount Joy Road. When the car was pulled over the 15 year-old fled into the woods but was later apprehended an hour and 10 minutes later.

The 15 year-old from Rehoboth Beach was charged with 89 criminal offenses including 6 thefts of motor vehicles, theft of a firearm, conspiracy, multiple thefts and trespassing.

The other 15 year-old from Millsboro was charged with 2 counts of receiving stolen property

Mullen was charged with 30 criminal counts including 3 thefts of motor vehicles, theft of a firearm, conspiracy, multiple thefts and trespassing.

Jones was charged with 31 criminal counts of theft, trespassing and conspiracy.

Mullen was committed in $25,512 bail and Jones was committed on $52,761 bail.

Galm was also charged with hindering prosecution.

State police would like to remind the public to always lock your vehicle doors at night. All of these thefts including the stolen vehicles could have been prevented if the keys were removed and the car doors were locked.

SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

JULY 6, 2010
CONFERENCE ROOM 306
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING

CLOSED SESSION – 4:00 p.m.
Personnel matter - as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland
Section 10-508(a)(1)

SPECIAL MEETING – following conclusion of closed session
Resolution No. 1935 - accepting State grant funds awarded through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention entitled "Safe Streets Coalition – MSSP"

WORK SESSION – following conclusion of Special Meeting
Proposed easement abandonment and relocation on Heritage Condominium property –
Teresa Gardner
Revision of snow emergency routes – Teresa Gardner
Amending Sections 5.64.010 and 5.64.090 of the Towing Companies Chapter of the City Code to define applicant/owner in relation to a towing license and creating a fee schedule for vehicles that are towed and stored for parking on snow emergency routes – Ivan Barkley
Amending Section 12.04.060 Removal of Snow from Sidewalks - Notice – Enforcement of the City Code – Tom Stevenson
Follow-up discussion on dead tree Ordinance – Tom Stevenson
Ordinance creating IT Department – John Pick
Plan for reducing legal costs – John Pick
General discussion/upcoming agendas

SHOREBIRDS GAME NOTES: 7/1 @ West Virginia

PREVIEW: The Shorebirds scored seven unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to drop the Power in game two . The ‘Birds can wrap away the series win in game three.

FIRST ROAD SERIES WIN SINCE: The Shorebirds have not won a road series since the Asheville series at McCormick field between April 28 and May 1 (3-1). The Shorebirds have lost the last five road series to: Kannapolis (1-3), West Virginia (1-3), Hickory (1-3), Greensboro (1-3) and Lexington (0-3).

THREE STRAIGHT ROAD WINS: The Shorebirds aim for their first three game win streak on the road since the first week of the season. The ‘Birds won four straight road games between April 9 and 12.

MOREAU THROWS NO-NO IN DEBUT: Promoted from the Shorebirds last night, Nathan Moreau tossed a no hitter in his Carolina League debut against the Salem Red Sox. It was just the second nine-inning complete game no-hitter in Keys history. The last one was in 1991 when Erik Shullstrom no-hit the Kinston Indians.

EIGHTH TRIPLE: Steve Bumbry recorded his eighth triple of the season last night. The last Shorebirds player to record more than eight triples in a single-season was Nate Spears in 2004, who notched 11 triples.

FIVE STRAIGHT: The last Shorebirds pitcher to win five consecutive starts is Luis Ramirez, who won five in a row back in 2005. He did it between June 26 and July 19. In 35.0 innings during the stretch, Ramirez allowed only 19 hits and three earned runs.

FOUR STRAIGHT: The last time a Shorebirds pitcher four straight starts was in 2008 when two pitcher accomplished it. Luis Noel won four straight between May 18 and June 3. Sean Gleason won four straight July 18 and August 3. Gleason finished 2008 with a 12-2 record.

INDEPENDENCE DAY AT PERDUE: The Shorebirds have not been at home for July 4th since the 2005 season. That will end this season as they play the Hickory Crawdads on July 4th at Perdue Stadium. The last the ‘Birds were home on the fourth, they defeated Hagerstown 6-5. In 2009, the Shorebirds were in Kannapolis on July 4. In 2008, the ‘Birds were in Greensboro for the fourth. The Shorebirds will host an Independence Day Bash. There are a limited amount of tickets remaining for the Shorebirds return.

HIT OR MISS IN JULY: The Shorebirds have been up and down in July over the last four years. In 2009, they finished 12-14 in July. In 2008, they went 17-11. In 2007, they went 14-13 while in ‘06 they were 9-19.

MOST WINS: The Shorebirds won their 13th game last night to end June. It was their best month of the season. The Shorebirds won 12 games in April and 10 games in May.

We Have A New Cat Up For Adoption

GO HERE to meet Spike.

We Need Your Help On This Lost Animal Right Away

Today, this lovable dog was found in the Country Grove Subdivision in Delmar on Woodview Point.

She is being kept at a home and is staying cool inside but the person who found her has to make arrangements by the end of the night tonight to place her somewhere.

That being said, if this dog looks familiar to you or if you know the owner, PLEASE make contact with this person right away.

Deb Geissler 302-604-0816 or 302-907-0287

A Letter To The Editor

Dear SBYNEWS and Mr.Joe Albero,

I am writing to you to give you the latest Breaking News. In the past week I have seen numerous people file of a public office. I have come to the conclusion that I am perfect for any political office position out there.

Here are my qualifications. I am a female, I am blonde, I really enjoy drinking (a lot ) and last but not least I do not know anything about running a public office. I hope I can count on Your support as I believe it may be needed.

Sincerely and Sober,
Mrs. Ditsy

Armed Citizens Patrolling The Border Badlands In Arizona

NRA Opposes Kagan

The National Rifle Association says today it's opposing Elena Kagan's nomination for the Supreme Court and will score her vote, which could further discourage Republicans from voting for her.

"This vote matters and will be a part of future candidate evaluations," the NRA says.

Excerpts from an NRA statement follow:

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she refused to declare support for the Second Amendment, saying only that the matter was "settled law."

This was eerily similar to the scripted testimony of Justice Sonia Sotomayor last year, prior to her confirmation to the Court. When pressed on the Second Amendment then, Sotomayor also referred to the issue as "settled law."

But in the recently decided case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, Sotomayor ignored the "settled law" of the Heller decision and signed a dissenting opinion that declared, "I can find nothing in the Second Amendment's text, history, or underlying rationale that could warrant characterizing it as 'fundamental' insofar as it seeks to protect the keeping and bearing of arms for private self-defense purposes."

It has become obvious that "settled law" is the scripted code of an anti-gun nominee's confirmation effort. The NRA is not fooled. No member of the U.S. Senate should be either.

GO HERE to read more.

AFP-Maryland Demands O’Malley Balance State Budget, Heed Constitution

Absence of $389 million federal bailout puts state in the red, breaks constitutional requirement

ANNAPOLIS – On the first day of fiscal year 2011, Americans for Prosperity-Maryland demands that Gov. Martin O’Malley heed the constitution and balance the state budget immediately. The Governor relied on $389 million from the federal government, which has not been appropriated, to put the state of Maryland in the black this year. Unlike the federal government, the state constitution (Article III, Subsection 5a) does not allow for a running deficit.

“Gov. O’Malley is breaking the bank, and now is breaking the law,” stated Americans for Prosperity-Maryland state director Dave Schwartz. “Instead of balancing the budget the correct way, the Governor used accounting gimmicks and government bailouts to close the books. The dependence on federal money is the equivalent of a household relying on a winning lottery ticket to pay for their children’s college tuition. It is irresponsible and another example of fiscal mismanagement from the O’Malley administration.”

In March, members of Americans for Prosperity-Maryland came to Annapolis and testified against the budget for fear of this scenario. AFP-Maryland believes that this type of irresponsible budget management will inevitably lead to larger structural deficits and tax hikes on Maryland families. We have been holding town hall meetings across the state discussing ways to turn around the Maryland economy – our next stop is Annapolis on Thursday, July 8th. For more information, please visit http://www.getmarylandmovingagain.com/.

38TH ANNUAL CAMP BARNES BENEFIT STOCK CAR RACE

Location: Delaware International Speedway, Delmar, Sussex County, DE
Date of Occurrence: Tuesday July 6, 2010

Resume:

Delmar - The 38th Annual Camp Barnes Benefit Stock Car Race will be held at the Delaware International Speedway on Tuesday July 6, 2010. Gates to the speedway will open at 5:00 p.m. and racing action beginning at 7:00 p.m. Rain date is scheduled for Wednesday July 7, 2010. The Delaware International Speedway is located U.S. 13, north of the Delaware / Maryland line.

This year’s event will feature competitors from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. They will compete for prize money over $35,000. Modifieds, Late Models, Street Modifieds, Modified Lites and Little Lincoln Vintage Clubs will compete in over 100 laps of feature racing in their respective classes.

In addition, making the racing more exciting for the fans and more competitive for the drivers, $25 per lap leader bonus will be paid to all feature events.

Camp Barnes originally opened in 1948 to combat juvenile delinquency. The camp was named in recognition of Colonel Herbert A. Barnes. Colonel Barnes was the Superintendent of the State Police at the time of the camp’s establishment and was instrumental in raising the necessary funds and volunteer help to make Camp Barnes a reality. The camp is located next to Assawoman Wildlife Area on Miller Creek, 6.7 miles southeast of Bethany Beach. For eight weeks in the summer, each week, 60 children, ages 10-13 attend Camp Barnes with no financial burden on parents or guardians.

Tickets to the event are available at the speedway’s ticket booth the night of the event. Spectator’s tickets are $15 and pit tickets are $25. Children under 14 accompanied by parent or guardian are admitted free to spectator seating.

For additional information, please call DET. Preston Lewis 302-856-5850 EXT. 301.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

Below are the Calls for service the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office handled for the month of June 2010

Accidents
31

Alarms
57

Assaults
3

Assist Other Agencies
174

Burglaries
6

Child Abuse
1

Civil
23

Disorderly
17

Domestics
17

Drug Investigations
6

K9
2

Malicious destruction of property
9

Missing persons
3

Paper Service
152

Patrol Checks
879

Suspicious Persons
46

Thefts
18

Traffic
541

Trespass
6

Warrant Service
76

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Issued 404 traffic warnings 416 traffic citations, arrested 14 people for driving while intoxicated, and served 76 warrants in the month of June 2010.

YOU'VE BEEN BLOGGED TEE SHIRTS NOW ON SALE

Folks, the Salisbury News "You've Been Blogged" tee shirts are now on sale for $10.00 each. 100% of the money brought in will go to the Wicomico Humane Society through the month of July.

Stop into Mr Curley at 652 South Salisbury Blvd, (Rt. 13 near WaWa) in Salisbury and they'll take care of you right away, (410) 749-1099. Remember, by showing off our tee shirts, every one will know you made a 100% donation to each charity of the month.

Salisbury News is eating the cost of each and every shirt and the entire ten dollars goes to the Humane Society. Please support this wonderful organization and enjoy a quality tee shirt to boot.

Thanks everyone!!!!! Rough/Meow

Rick Pollitt Has Filed To Run Again

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt has officially filed again to run for County Executive. While we have known about this since early morning, we were hoping to get an official Press Release but have yet to receive one. Perhaps we'll see one in the very near future.

IMMIGRATION

Why do we need an immigration plan? Why is it so hard for us to use the one we have? It seems quite simple to me.

First thing to do is secure our borders so that nobody can enter our country with out the legal authority to be here. If someone who wasn't born here wants to come here, then they should apply for the correct visa.

There are 31 types of visas to come here on a temporary basis. Visit this web page http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1286.html to see which one applies to you. If you would like to become an American citizen, visit this web page http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1326.html and you have the information on how to do this. If you would like more information about becoming a US citizen, go here http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=02729c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=02729c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

We already have laws for people to legally come to our country. If people don't want to come here this way, then they are breaking the law. If they are breaking the law, they should be arrested and prosecuted and deported. If they don't want to follow our laws for coming here legally, what makes you think they will follow the laws once here?

Why is it so hard for our politicians and fellow Americans to understand this? It seems quite simple to me.

We don't need any new laws or policies on immigration. We need to close our porous borders and evict the people who don't respect our country, our constitution, and our way of life. The people who want to come here legally should be taught what our country's laws and values are. They should learn our language and they should assimilate to our way of life.

I'm an American. I'm an American. I'm an American. What are you?

New Layout On Salisbury News

We have created a new layout for Salisbury News. While we hope you like it,

we'd be interested in knowing what you think about it.

We're still working on a few things, like rotating ads,

changing the header on each article title and so forth.

However, your input is very important.

Who's The Better Man?

WOW, um, let's see? If you're a Somerset County resident and you must vote, you've got a tough decision to make. Seriously though, my guess is that the election results in Somerset County for Police Chief will be the lowest numbers they have ever seen. That is, unless another real Cop steps up to the plate to run.

Webster walked away from Salisbury as the 4th Most Dangerous City in America, (per capita). Jones has a history being labeled a Good Ol' Boy. At least Bobby doesn't sue anyone and every one who challenges his authority or ability.

Picture Of Devastating Earthquake

Picture of the devastation after recent earthquake in Western New York area.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES NEW PROTECTIONS FOR MARYLAND FAMILIES FACING FORECLOSURE

Foreclosure mediation will help qualified homeowners obtain mortgage loan modifications or other alternatives to foreclosure

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 1, 2010) – Today, Maryland’s new Foreclosure Mediation law will take effect, giving mortgage challenged homeowners another tool to help them save their homes. The program aims to give homeowners more time and a better opportunity to work with their lender, help qualified borrowers get relief through a loan modification and provide an independent party to help both sides come to a resolution.

“For homeowners who continue to be proactive, work in good faith and stay in touch with their lenders, this program is a valuable tool as they try to resolve their situation. This legislation will help keep more Marylanders in the homes they worked hard to purchase,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “These new protections empower our fellow Marylanders, putting them on a more equal footing with mortgage companies that too often can’t be bothered to pick up the phone before beginning a foreclosure proceeding against a Maryland family. If a mortgage giant can pick up the phone to put a family into a home, they should be expected to pick up the phone before they throw a Maryland family out of a home.”

Under the program, when a lender notifies a homeowner about possible foreclosure, it also must provide information on options available to the homeowner about modification programs, such as the federal Home Affordable Modification Program, or those available through a lender as well as non-profit and government resources and assistance.

“The law is intended to ensure that a homeowner who qualifies for a modification is able to get one. In cases where a modification is not possible, the law is intended to ensure that lenders fully explore options for a graceful exit short of foreclosure, such as deed in lieu or cash for keys,” said Alexander M. Sanchez, Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Before a lender forecloses, it is required to file an affidavit attesting that it has fully evaluated the homeowner’s eligibility for loss mitigation programs, and state the basis for any denial. At this stage, the lender also must send a homeowner a “Request for Foreclosure Mediation” form. Homeowners who believe they should not have been denied for relief and wish to take part in the foreclosure mediation program must “opt in” to the program within 15 days and also must pay the $50 filing fee. Lenders are required to pay a fee of $300 with each filing. This is the only time a homeowner will be offered the opportunity to request foreclosure mediation. Commercial and other non-owner occupied properties are not eligible for foreclosure mediation.

Once a mediation request is filed with the Circuit Court, the court refers it to the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings, which will schedule a mediation session. This session must be held within 60 days. Mediators aim to assist the parties in finding common ground and helping them reach a solution that is satisfactory to both parties.

“We encourage homeowners to contact their lender and a housing counselor at the earliest sign of financial difficulty,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Raymond A. Skinner. “The opportunity to participate in mediation occurs later in the foreclosure process and does not guarantee that a homeowner will avoid foreclosure.” A list of housing counseling agencies may be obtained by calling the MDHOPE hotline at 877-462-7555 or by visiting www.mdhope.org

Since 2007 when Governor O’Malley created the Homeownership Preservation Task Force, Maryland has become a national model in combating foreclosures by developing a comprehensive strategy that includes legal and regulatory reforms and housing counseling and legal assistance networks. This coalition has assisted approximately 41,495 homeowners in the last three years with more than 12,500 of those as positive outcomes.

Geezer Bandid Strikes Again

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

The so-called "Geezer Bandit" has robbed for the 11th time, but some are speculating that he might not be a geezer at all.

New Jobless Claims Rise Unexpectedly

Employers lay off more workers, especially in housing market

WASHINGTON — Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week for the second time in three weeks, a sign that layoffs are rising.

The Labor Department says new claims for jobless benefits jumped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000. Analysts expected a small drop, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

Greater layoffs by construction firms contributed to the increase, a Labor Department analyst said. Home sales slumped last month after the expiration of a popular homebuyer tax credit. Summer layoffs in many school districts also added to the total.

The number of people continuing to claim benefits rose by 43,000 to 4.6 million, the department said. But the number of people collecting extended benefits fell by 376,000, as lawmakers have refused to continue the extra aid.

Source

TROOPERS READY FOR BUSY WEEKEND SERVING AND PROTECTING

(Pikesville, MD) – From “Operation Centipede” on the Capital Beltway, to “Operation Gauntlet” on the route to Ocean City, to “Smooth Operator” enforcement in Garrett County, to Inner Harbor assistance in Baltimore, Maryland state troopers are ready to implement traffic and criminal enforcement initiatives throughout the holiday weekend in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities and keep Marylanders safe.

In every Maryland county and Baltimore City, state troopers will be involved in a variety of enforcement efforts targeting drunk drivers, aggressive drivers, and speeders, while also assisting with security and traffic control at fireworks displays from Deep Creek Lake, to the Inner Harbor, to Worcester County. Troopers not normally assigned to road patrol, as well as supervisors and commanders will add more than 75 extra troopers to the regular on-duty patrol force throughout the weekend.

“Our priority is to keep Marylanders and those visiting our state safe through this busy holiday weekend,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan said. “Our troopers will be on patrol in every Maryland county, conducting enforcement operations that target specific highway safety needs and working with local law enforcement to keep communities safe. I am urging drivers to obey the speed limit, not to drink and drive, to ensure everyone in their vehicle is buckled up, and to make traffic safety their priority.”

Troopers are reminding those headed to Ocean City not to try to reduce their travel time by increasing their speed. “Operation Gauntlet” will be positioning troopers in strategic locations along Rt. 50 from Kent Island to Ocean City. Troopers will be focusing on speed and aggressive driving violations.

“Operation Centipede” will ring the Capital Beltway with extra troopers who will be on the alert for traffic violations that cause crashes and tie up traffic. Troopers at each of the 22 State Police barracks will be conducting saturation patrols in areas known for high numbers of drunk driving crashes and/or arrests. Troopers will also be working to provide prompt assistance to disabled vehicles and to quickly move crashes off the roads to keep traffic moving smoothly.

More than 30 state troopers will be providing assistance to the Baltimore Police Department Sunday evening for July 4th festivities at the Inner Harbor. They will assist with traffic direction, commercial vehicle enforcement, and other security initiatives. State Police helicopters will provide aerial support in the area when returning from medevacs to Baltimore hospitals.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CLOSED SESSION / SPECIAL MEETING

The City Council has scheduled a closed session to be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. for a personnel matter as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland Section

10-508(a)(1).

In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority of the City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, for consideration of Resolution No. 1935, accepting “Safe Streets Coalition – MSSP” State grant funds. The meeting will convene following the conclusion of the closed session.

The closed session and the special meeting will be held in Conference Room 306 of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

Indiana Supreme Court Upholds Voter ID Law

The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the state's voter identification law in a 4-1 decision Wednesday, saying the Legislature has the power to require voters to show a photo ID at the polls.

Wednesday's ruling is the latest decision in a string of lawsuits trying to overturn the politically charged 2005 law -- among the strictest in the nation -- but it may not bring an end to the challenges.

Justice Brent Dickson wrote in the majority decision that no actual voters harmed by the law were named in the suit.

"No individual voter has alleged that the voter ID law has prevented him or her from voting or inhibited his or her ability to vote in any way," the decision states. "Our decision today does not prevent any such voter from challenging the law in the future."

Attorneys for the League of Women Voters, which challenged the law, said in oral arguments before the state supreme court in March that people have been hurt by the law and that they could testify if the court decides to take up the matter.

The league argued that the law violates the state constitution because it imposed a requirement on some voters, but not all, since absentee voters aren't required to prove their identity. The state appeals court agreed in 2009 and threw out the law, but the ID requirements remained in place as the supreme court took up the case.

The Indiana Supreme Court said Wednesday that the photo ID requirement was not a "substantive voter qualification."

It cited the U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 ruling in a federal court challenge by the state Democratic Party to the Indiana law that said a photo ID is required to enter federal buildings and board planes and voting was equally important.

"The voter ID law's requirement that an in-person voter present a government-issued photo identification card containing an expiration date is merely regulatory in nature," Dickson wrote.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, a Republican, applauded the decision.

"It is overwhelmingly supported by voters and taxpayers, despite a very small but very vocal partisan minority," Rokita said. "Protecting the votes of honest people from being diluted by those who have no respect for the franchise is the right thing to do."

Here are more details

Ex-DoJ lawyer: Holder Won't Prosecute Blacks

A leading Department of Justice attorney who quit his job after over the Obama administration's refusal to prosecute Black Panthers who intimidated voters outside polls during the 2008 election claims the administration has ordered the DOJ not to pursue voting rights cases against black people.

In an interview today, J. Christian Adams, former DOJ attorney and now a contributor at Pajamas Media, told Fox News, "There is a pervasive hostility within the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department toward these sorts of cases."

Asked whether there is a specific Justice Department policy against pursuing cases where the defendant is black and the victim is white, Adams replied, "Particularly in voting, that will be the case for the next few years. No doubt about it. If you had all the attorneys who worked on this case here, I am quite sure that they would say the exact same thing."

When Fox News asked Adams who has issued that mandate, he said, "There are some things I'm not going to reveal. They know who they are. They said if somebody wants to review these kinds of cases, it's not going to be done out of the Civil Rights Division. If the U.S. attorney wants to do it, that's up to them, but it's not going to happen in the Civil Rights Division. … It's a political appointee."

He added, "This is one of the examples of Congress not being told the truth and the American people not being told the truth about this case. It's one of other examples in this case where the truth simply is becoming another victim in the process."

More details here

Appeals Panel Considers Whether Obama Is Even An American

Three judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are beginning to review a case that alleges Barack Obama is not eligible to be president and may not even be American.The federal court case, brought by attorney Mario Apuzzo on behalf of plaintiffs Charles Kerchner and others, had been dismissed at the district court level.Arguments earlier had been scheduled for June 29 in the dispute, but a court order recently canceled the hearing and instead announced the case would be decided based on the merits of the legal briefs submitted by attorneys.A document from court clerk Marcia Waldron said the case will be decided by Judge Dolores Sloviter, who was appointed by Jimmy Carter; Maryanne Trump Barry, appointed by Bill Clinton; and Thomas Hardiman, appointed by George W. Bush.

The filings were due on the day the hearing would have been held, but there's no published timetable for a decision to be released.

The case argues Obama probably is not even a U.S. citizen, much less a "natural born citizen" as required by the U.S. Constitution of the chief executive officer,
On a blog dealing with the case, lead plaintiff Kerchner has delivered updates.

The case filed was against Obama, Congress and others, just before Obama was sworn into office.The case has argued, "Under the British Nationality Act of 1948 his father was a British subject/citizen and not a United States citizen and Obama himself was a British subject/citizen at the time Obama was born."We further contend that Obama has failed to even conclusively prove that he is at least a 'citizen of the United States' under the Fourteenth Amendment as he claims by conclusively proving that he was born in Hawaii," the arguments have claimed.

Read more here

Gun-Rights Groups Ready For Battle Against ‘Restrictive’ Regulations

Given the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on Monday that the Constitution’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies to individuals in the states, gun rights advocates are maneuvering to legally challenge and remove what they view as burdensome regulations on gun ownership and use.

"We are already preparing to challenge other highly restrictive anti-gun laws across the country,” said Alan Gottlieb, vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, in a statement. “Our objective is to win back our firearms freedoms one lawsuit at a time.”

The Second Amendment Foundation was one of the legal co-sponsors for the plaintiff in the case, McDonald v. Chicago, for which the Supreme Court ruled in favor on Monday.

Dave Workman, with the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, said he expects the "battlefield" over gun regulations to "expand to the states now," and that there will be numerous challenges to gun laws and regulations across the country.

According to the Brookings Institution, there are approximately 300 different state gun-control laws on the books.

Wayne LaPierre, president of the National Rifle Association, said of Monday’s ruling, “The Supreme Court has now said the Second Amendment is an individual freedom for all. And that must have meaning. This decision must provide relief to law-abiding citizens who are deprived of their Second Amendment rights.”

Read more here

Gun Rights Re-affirmed

After a few days of reading headlines such this gem from Reuters, "Top court extends gun rights to states, cities", I decided to go back to the source of the right, the Second Amendment.

It reads:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This amendment is read purposefully a few differing ways depending on one's feelings toward the right to keep and bear arms. The proponents of gun bans and over-regulation of fire arms contend that the amendment's real definition is the right for people in militias to keep and bear arms, but this interpretation denies the context.

Note how the amendment ends with "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Why doesn't it state "the right of militia members to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"?

Why does it assert the word "people" and infer upon people this right?

If the amendment was only giving the right to keep and bear arms to militias it would have been worded that way. Instead the second amendment clearly gives the right to keep and bear arms to the people- where it belongs.

Thus this Supreme Court has finally given the people a right they should have had since the Bill of Rights was written. This was not any sort of extension of rights at all. If nothing else, it was the proper restriction of over-arching government intrusion into a right of the people. Calling the McDonald v. Chicago or the District of Columbia v. Heller two years ago some sort of enlargement of the people's power in America is only correct in that the amendment had been eroded over time by unconstitutional laws. What really happened in those two cases wasn't an extension of rights, but a reclamation of the original intent of the amendment. We the people didn't get anything in this decision that wasn't promised to us long ago.

US Finally Revokes 'Death Sentence' Deportation Of Son-Of-Hamas

The son of a Hamas strongman, who had provided Israel's security establishment with valuable inside information for almost a decade, will not be deported from the United States, a California court ruled on Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Homeland of Security ruled more than a year ago that Mosab Hassan Yousef should be denied asylum because he has "engaged in terrorist activity" and is a "danger to the security of the United States."

However, on Wednesday Homeland Security officials indicated they were prepared to grant Yousef asylum, thus retracting their original intention, after claiming to have received new information which shed new light on the case.

The pro-Israel think-tank EMET, who had aided Yusef in his attempts to be granted asylum, said in a statement following Wednesday's ruling that they were "enormously grateful to all those who played a part in standing with Mosab during this time, and helping the Department of Homeland Security come to understand what a grave error deporting Mosab would have been."

The 32-year-old son of one of Hamas' founders, whose story was first exposed by Haaretz earlier in the year, argued before Judge Rico Bartolomei at the San Diego court that he will be killed if he is deported because he spied on the militant group for the Shin Bet security's intelligence agency for a decade and abandoned Islam for Christianity.

"For 10 years, he fought terrorism in secret, hiding what he was doing and who he was," his attorney, Steven Seick, wrote in a court filing. "He deserves a safe place away from violence and fear."

Yousef has rallied support from members of Congress and others. Former CIA Director James Woolsey calls him a "remarkable young man" who should be commended for "extraordinary heroism and courage."

Israel has not commented on Yousef's claims, though members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee wrote him this month to thank him and recognize his work for Shin Bet.

His attorney said Shin Bet will not have a representative address the immigration judge, but the now-retired officer who recruited and supervised him, Gonen Ben-Itzhak, is expected to testify. "G", as he was known, came out from deep cover to aid Yousef in his fight against the deportation order.

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Stock Futures Fall After China Data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures fell on Thursday after soft Chinese manufacturing data and a day after Moody's warned of a potential downgrade for Spain and Wall Street ended its worst quarter since the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Global equities markets were pressured after Chinese data showed moderation in the world's third-largest economy, but no precipitous drop that some investors feared.

Spain sold 3.5 billion euros of five-year bonds at the top end of its target amount but demand was below the prior auction as Moody's placed Spain on review for a potential downgrade on Wednesday.

In U.S. economic data, weekly jobless claims were set for 8:30 a.m. EDT, while U.S. pending home sales for May and the Institute for Supply Management's June manufacturing index were due at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Economists in a Reuters survey expected jobless claims to fall to 452,000 from 457,000 in the previous week. U.S. pending home sales were seen declining 12.5 percent from a 6 percent rise. The ISM manufacturing index was forecast a reading of 59.0 versus 59.7 in May.

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