Daily Times Screwed Up Again

Because the Daily Times screwed up in today's print edition, John Frederickson just called to let us know that the dates printed in today's paper for report cards were wrong. The message went to quick for me to get the dates but whatever the Daily Times printed was wrong.

Let's see, they have an insider working for the BOE who just received a hefty raise and they still can't get it right. Oh well, it is what it is. Another thing I can't understand. John has never had to make calls to every single household in Wicomico County that has a child in the system because of something Salisbury News screwed up. GO FIGURE.

How's it working for you now John? I was yelling at him on the phone and he just wouldn't respond. Then he started talking in Spanish and I thought to myself, OK, I'll just wait till you get to Italian and we'll go at it then. I'll be damned if the guy just hung up on me! ROTFLMAO! (for those of you who didn't get the robo call, it's a joke)

Tornado Touches Down In Baltimore

I just received the following text message.

At 5:35 PM a tornado touched down in Eastern Baltimore County.

Power Outages Cause Problems In Salisbury And Fruitland

One thing is for sure, this new vacuum system truck owned by the City of Salisbury couldn't have been cheap! Nevertheless, it was out on Carroll Street and Waverly drive because the power went out to the Lift Station and they were forced to manually pump the crud out of the system and bring it to another location elsewhere over and over again.

In Fruitland, the power went out on the West side of Rt. 13 at least 7 times today, all caused by a fire on a Transformer on South Camden Avenue.

We were also told many people in Salisbury didn't have Internet access for a good part of today, which kind of blows me away because the hits and comments today are through the roof.

Hopefully everyone is back to normal by now.

240 Comments & Climbing

So far we've accepted 240 comments for the day. I wonder if we'll pass the 400 comment mark? According to the large volume of visitors so far today, it's a given.

BREAKING NEWS! Somerset County LOWERS Taxes

While 40+ Protesters lined the streets of Princess Anne just moments ago, Officials were listening. In a bold move yesterday, Princess Anne raised taxes 12% and Somerset County was set to vote today for a 7% increase.

However, this Protest clearly made a difference as their assessment rate was $ .92 cents per hundred, they were proposing to raise it to $ .99 cents per hundred.

By the time the vote was said and done, Somerset County actually LOWERED their rate from $ .92 cents down to $ .90 cents per hundred.

ARE YOU LISTENING ALL OTHER MUNICIPALITIES/COUNTIES????? This is what it takes to SPARK an economy! If you want to turn things around fast, LOWER your tax rates and give some relief.

Unfortunately for the Town of Princess Anne Residents, they'll fell the pain of a very serious increase and probably lose quite a few residents.

Salisbury News wants to thank and congratulate ALL of those people who took the time to get out, hold signs and clearly send a message to these County Officials. GRASS ROOTS FOLKS!

RICK POLLITT ON PAC 14 TONIGHT!

"One On One" – 9 PM

Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. discusses the newly approved county budget and the many pitfalls and challenges of these harsh economic times.

WCBOE

Mardela & Bennett will be losing their Principals as the BOE is attempting to shift them around. More to come............

Wicomico County To Go Mobile And Distribute Methadone

"Joe,

Got this info from a friend, they asked to be anonymous and so do I. Could this be correct...?

Wico. County Health Dept. has just received a drug dispensing van to distribute Methadone to "clients" inconvenienced by driving to PRMC.

Vehicle cost $156,000 and is not accessible to disabled, not conforming to ADA standards, and has outside "customer" window.

County expense for armed guard; $45,000, part time nurse $25,000?"

ANSWERS:

All State money…State recommended

Van is not in operation yet.

Van will pick up methadone at PRMC for distribution in Worcester County. Locals still have to go to PRMC for methadone.

Armed guard is from private agency…state and Worcester County exp.

Nurse is state expense

$156,000 is correct

There is a window (one of three) for disabled

All conforms to ADA standards

Dear Colleagues,

Drug abuse has become a major public health problem that impacts our community at every level. Addiction results in increased health care expenditures, lost earnings, and legal costs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2008), thirty-one percent of the homeless population in America suffers from drug and alcohol abuse and sixty percent of adults in Federal prisons are convicted of drug related crimes. Individuals who are employed and are addicted are more likely to have missed two or more days in the past month and have had employment with three or more employers in the past year (NIDA, 2008).

The Wicomico County Health Department is committed to assisting the residents of Wicomico County to further help them achieve recovery and become upstanding citizens of our community. It is important not only for our agency to assist this population, but for the community to embrace and assist those that are struggling. Healthcare providers, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants play a key role in identifying and helping this population. For this reason we are providing you additional tools to help identify and guide the patient to appropriate care.

We look forward to future relationships and working collaboratively to assist a population in need.

Sincerely,

Lori Brewster, MS, APRN/BC, LCADC
Health Officer

Ladies & Gentlemen, I have personally visited the Health Department and have also taken a tour of this new vehicle. I have also spent time with Lori Brewster and Heather Brown to become more educated on this unit as well as the purpose and procedure of how it will be used.

In several discussions with others I have been told if drug users can get to their drug dealers, they can get to the Health Department too. This may be true but what everyone needs to understand is that this unit is for the entire Eastern Shore. That means going to Ocean City regularly and even into Virginia.

Time will tell if this system will be a success but it should be noted that this system is being used very successfully in Baltimore and the State felt it was important to get the same kind of system here in a more rural area/setting.

I am extremely concerned about Chief Webster's decision to shut down the Drug Enforcement Team but I'm not the Chief of Police. Heroine has become a serious problem here, one in which many of you, (including myself) do not see or understand.

I am attaching a couple of links to better serve this article and you.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
http://www.atforum.com/

Mobile Methadone Clinic Proposed for Vermont
( http://www.jointogether.org/ ).
Page title: Mobile Methadone Clinic Proposed for VermontLink to full page: http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2004/mobile-methadone-clinic-for.html ( http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2004/mobile-methadone-clinic-for.html?log-event=sp2f-view-item&nid=52622457 )

Summary:With more than 200 heroin-addicted residents of northern Vermont traveling for hours to New Hampshire and Massachusetts for treatment, Vermont's Health Commissioner has proposed establishing a mobile methadone clinic.Sign up for news alerts from Join Together ( http://members.jointogether.org/jointogether/join.tcl?source=news_sendpage&email=hkeddie@dhmh.state.md.us )

Lungs For Chuck Tickets and Trivia

Here's your chance to win tickets for Seacrets and Chuck Campbell’s Fundraiser. The pair of tickets are worth $60.00. the answer can be found by visiting http://HOPEentertainment.org.

Salisbury News will be giving away a total of 10 tickets over the next few days, so stay tuned. Remember, you must give your full name on your comment and you can only win once. Thanks for participating and helping out Chuck.

Question 1: What does COPD stand for?

A Very Sad Local Story

A young woman named Katie Smith, (mid 20's) worked at Atlantic Smith Cropper and Deely Insurance Office in Willards. She was 8 months pregnant and went into work yesterday morning where she started having seizures. They called 911 and went into full cardiac arrest.

Sadly, Mrs. Smith unfortunately passed away after being on life support. They did deliver the Baby in an emergency c section and are concerned with the child's condition.

I will update everyone just as soon as more details come in, Funeral Arrangements and so forth. The Atlantic Smith Cropper and Deely Insurance Office in Willards closed their doors yesterday at 11:00 AM because of this sad situation.

On a personal note, these are the times in which I hate breaking this kind of news. Believe me, the Family is in our thoughts and prayers, especially for the infant child.

WCDC Officer Removed From Gang Intell Unit

"Officer Oscar Arce has been removed from the WCDC gang unit. This was the brain child of William Hardin (review previous posts regarding Mr. Hardin). Officer Arce was supportive in Mr. Hardin's recent legal battles. Seems retalition from Col. Kimble and Director Devenyns is the order of the day.

Officer Arce found, wrote and recieved grant money that has been put to good use at WCDC. This money was used to provide new equipment and computers for WCDC as a whole under the guise of gang intervention.

Officer Arce has been transfered to the 3 to 11 shift. Officer Arce has cleaned out his office. Lookout Officer Turner for you are the only one left in the office.

I know these details are few because no reply to my many phone calls have been forthcoming. I realize that officers can be moved at will under the premise of best utilized for security and to prevent overtime. It does seem very suspious at the person moved and the timing.

I am sure other agencies will take note of this and be more than willing to take advantage of Officer Arce's training and talents.

Perhaps others can fill in the details as to why this action was taken."

GM Confirms They'll Stop Selling Medium Size Trucks

For the past four years, General Motors has been trying to sell its medium duty truck business, which produces the giant Chevy Kodiak and GMC Topkick. Navistar, Isuzu and other unnamed suitors were all at one point in discussions with GM to make a deal, but none ever happened and today the automaker announced that it would will "wind down" production of the Kodiak and Topkick and cease production altogether on July 31st.

Crews Find Key Part In Air France Crash

US Team to Search for Plane's Black Boxes
By BRADLEY BROOKS, AP

Brazil (June 9) - The recovery of Air France Flight 447's tail section could provide key clues as to why the airliner with 228 people on board went down in the Atlantic and where best to search for the black boxes, experts said.

The tail section includes the vertical stabilizer — which keeps the plane's nose from swinging back and forth — and the rudder, which generates and controls the side-to-side motion of an aircraft.

GO HERE to see photo images and the rest of the story.

I'm Sorry Officer

Gay Family Kids 7 Times More Likely To Be Homosexual

But report shows researchers concealing information

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A licensed psychologist with both clinical and forensic practice outreaches is warning that it appears children of homosexual couples are seven times more likely to develop "non-heterosexual preferences" than other children, but lawmakers establishing policy often don't know that because the researchers have concealed their discoveries.

"Research … although not definitive, suggests that children reared by openly homosexual parents are far more likely to engage in homosexual behavior than children raised by others," said the online report by Trayce L. Hansen.

Studies she reviewed suggest children raised by homosexual or bisexual parents "are approximately seven times more likely than the general population to develop a non-heterosexual sexual preference."

The "studies thus far find that between 8 percent and 21 percent of homosexually parented children ultimately identify as non-heterosexual," the psychologist wrote. "For comparison purposes, approximately 2 percent of the general population are non-heterosexual. Therefore, if these percentages continue to hold true, children of homosexuals have a 4 to 10 times greater likelihood of developing a non-heterosexual preference than other children."

However, those researchers who found such differences "nonetheless declared in their research summaries that no differences were found," the report said.

(Story continues here)

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BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

Let me start with this. In Cambridge this past weekend, two Gang Members were arrested. BOTH Members were from the Crips Gang from LA. One of them was wanted on a Federal Warrant for drug charges. It's been reported that they were trafficking drugs here on the Eastern Shore.

This is not good Folks! When you have a major Gang sending members to the Eastern Shore, clearly we have a serious problem. Well, it gets worse.

Chief Webster of the Salisbury Police Department has shut down and dis banned his Drug Unit due to the lack on manpower. He has moved these Officers to the criminal division instead.

IMO, shutting down the Drug Unit, (or Task Force) especially during these times of such high drug arrests and criminal activity, we're in trouble! I have sent a message to the Mayor as he had to have known this decision was being made and quite frankly I'm very disturbed by such a decision and move.

Right now the SPD is down EIGHT Officers and only has TWO Officers in the Academy right now. Even at Full Staff the SPD is well under what they should be. Perhaps there's some logic to this move I'm not aware of but I can't see it.

Mr. Ireton, I sure hope you know what you're doing because this is a serious problem.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release

The Following individuals were arrested by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office on Arrest Warrants 1 June – 7 June 2009

Arrest Warrants
Durelle Javon Conway, 21, Salisbury, MD; Assault on County D.O.C. employee, held $10,000.00 bond.
Leon Briddell, 43, Salisbury, MD; Failure to register as Sex Offender, held $3,000.00 bond.
Donna Marie Jones, 45, Salisbury, MD; Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, held $1,000.00 bond
Mardi Lynn Dayton, 31, Hebron, MD; Assault 2nd degree / MDOP, released on Personal Recognizance.
Keith Lamonte Chaney, 20, Handgun on Person, held $15,000.00 bond
David Shanton, 54, Assault on a County D.O.C. employee, held $25,000.00 bond.

Failure to Appear Bench Warrant
David Allen Wilson, 57, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Assault 2nd degree, held without bond
Jose Luis Nieves, 30, Fruitland, MD; FTA – Possession of CDS, held $5,000.00 bond.
Alonzo Keith Briddell, 26, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Possession of CDS, held $10,000.00 bond.
Jonny George, 18, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Assault 2nd / Disorderly Conduct, held $10,000.00 bond
Keith Allen Dale, Jr., 24, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Possession of CDS, held $1,000.00 bond
Morcom, Robert, 52, Salisbury, MD; FTA – for Contempt Hearing, held $350.00 bond
Jill Griffiths, 34, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Failure to Appear in Truancy Case, held $250.00 bond
Sean Michael Torrance, 38, Salisbury, MD; FTA – Assault 2nd degree, held $500.00 bond.
Holly Sheree Conner, 38, Salisbury, MD; FTA – CDS Distribution, held $10,000.00 bond

Violation of Probation Bench Warrant
Starr Tyrea Everett, 25, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Distribution of CDS, held without bond.
Shamar Smitty Williams, 26, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Distribution of CDS, held $5,000.00 bond.
Darnell L. Townsend, 23, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Distribution of CDS, held without bond.
Stevenson, Kalilah Romika, 28, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Assault 1st Degree, held, $25,000.00 bond
Kizzy Michalle Holbrook, 29, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Charge with Other’s Credit Card over $500.00, held $5,000.00 bond
Richard Ray Culp, 31, Mardela Springs, MD; VOP – Possession CDS, held $10,000.00 bond.
Daniel Marcus Mapes, 20, Salisbury, MD; VOP – Burglary 4th degree, held $25,000.00 bond
Mark Stephen Lesocky, 47, Salisbury, MD; VOP – MDOP / Trespass, held $10,000.00 bond.
Kenney W. Watson, 47, No fixed address, VOP – Theft under $500, held $10,000.00 bond

Circuit Court Juvenile Attachment
Juvenile, 17, Laurel, MD; Failure to Appear Body Attachment, held Lower Shore
Children’s Center.
Juvenile, 17, Salisbury, MD; Violation of Probation, held Lower Shore Children’s Center


Child Support Body Attachment
Lillie Collick, 34, Salisbury, MD; Child Support Non Compliance, held $1.000.00 bond.
John E. Gray, 43, Salisbury, MD; Child Support non Compliance, held $1,982.48 bond.

Circuit Court Indictment
Howard Lee Wilkerson, 40, Salisbury, MD; Sex Abuse of Minor, held $1,000.00
Russell Glen Burnett, 43, Fruitland, MD; Sex Abuse of Minor, held $200,000.00 bond
Holly Sheree Conner, 38, Salisbury, MD; CDS Distribution, held $50,000.00 bond

Caption This Photo

State Police Probe Homicide In Newport

Location of Incident: 300 block of Falco Drive in Newport, Delaware, New Castle County

Date and Time of Occurrence: Tuesday, June 09, 2009, at approximately 1:23 a.m.

Suspect(s): Unknown at this time

Resume: At about 1:23 a.m. this morning, Newport Police Officers and State Troopers were called to a storage unit along the 300 block of Falco Drive in Newport (Newport Business Park) for a report of an apparent homicide.

A person who was driving through, and familiar with, the business park saw a vehicle outside the aforementioned storage unit and thought it was suspicious because of the time of day. This individual drove up to and peered inside the unit to find two subjects lying on the ground. He then immediately called 911.

When officers arrived on the scene, they located one deceased male subject, and another male subject, both suffering from an apparent gunshot wounds. The wounded male was transported from the scene to Christiana Hospital where he was last listed in critical condition.

The deceased male is identified as Jose Luis Ramos, 24, of New Castle, Delaware.

The wounded subject is a male in his 20’s.

A motive for this crime has not been determined. The body of the deceased male has been turned over to the Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.

The details outlined above are all that can be released at this time as not to speculate on or compromise this investigation.

Tips and information pertaining to this case can be directed to the State Police Homicide Division at 302-739-5939, Troop 2 desk at 302-834-2620 ext. 0 or Crime Stoppers at1-800-TIP-3333.