Reputed Gang Leader Held In Anne Arundel On '94 Murder Charge

Roark ordered held without bond in Tuesday hearing as case remains sealed

The reputed leader of the growing prison gang Dead Man Inc. has been transferred from state prison to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center to face murder charges in the beating death of fellow inmate in 1994.

Though the indictment remains sealed, officials at the Jennifer Road Detention Center say Perry Roark is being held without bond. Court officials confirmed the bail review hearing had taken place Tuesday morning after he was taken before a District Court commissioner. A recording of the hearing was not available Wednesday.

Law enforcement authorities describe the 42-year-old as a founder of the gang, which was started for white inmates in the late 1990s and has grown rapidly across the country.

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Board Of Education Work Session At 10 A.M. Thursday, Feb. 24

The Wicomico County Board of Education will hold a work session at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the auditorium of the Board of Education Office. On the agenda is funding for the Bennett Middle School project.

Highlighted Events This Week And Next Week In Wicomico Schools

Thursday, Feb. 24, 10:28 a.m. and 6:36 p.m.
“Working Together for Children”
PAC 14

The latest edition of the school system’s cable show, “Working Together for Children,” is now airing on PAC 14 and will be on at 10:28 a.m. and 6:36 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. The show features an interview on the budget with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen and Board President L. Michelle Wright, as well as a police bloodhound visit to Beaver Run Elementary, Operation SPEAK, and highlights from the January Awards & Recognitions Night. The show will also air at noon Saturday, and throughout the next two weeks.

Friday, Feb. 25
Mid-term Progress Reports Sent Home

Monday, Feb. 28
Professional Day changed to Regular School Day
All Wicomico County Public Schools

Monday, Feb. 28 will be a regular school day in Wicomico County Public Schools, to make up a weather closing day. Schools were closed due to weather conditions on Friday, Dec. 17 and Wednesday, Jan. 12. Both Feb. 28 and May 2 were scheduled to be staff professional days, but are designated on the approved calendar as days that could become makeup days if needed. Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen said that while professional days are important, the best use of those days is for instruction for students. Staff members will be notified of how the professional days will be made up.

Monday, Feb. 28
Readers Theatre
Beaver Run Elementary

The Readers Theatre at Beaver Run Elementary will celebrate Black History Month and Presidents Day with three plays on Monday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Plays and songs will celebrate the lives and achievements of Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 410-677-5101.

Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 a.m.
Board of Education Work Session
Board of Education Office

The Board of Education will hold a work session on Fiscal Year 2011-12 Budget at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 1. The public is welcome to attend. The Board is preparing to adopt a Fiscal Year 2011-12 proposed budget on March 8. Find out more about the budget process at http://www.wcboe.org/departments/BusinessSupportServices/reports.php?section=budget.

Opportunities To Support Our Students And Schools

Through Feb. 25
Book Fair
Pittsville Elementary and Middle School

Pittsville Elementary and Middle School will hold a Book Fair from Feb. 18-25, with a Family Night Feb. 23 from 4-7 p.m. This year’s theme is “Our Book Fair: Your Ticket to Read.” 410-677-5811.

Feb. 24-27
JMB’s 13th annual Rock & Roll Revival
Wicomico High School Auditorium

A limited number of tickets remain on sale for this annual showcase of Clipper talent. Students in the JMB Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival sing, dance, play instruments, and work in many areas behind the scenes to put on this highly successful show, which this year is again on the Wicomico High School Auditorium stage due to the ongoing construction at the Bennett Auditorium. Show directors are Christie and Larry Wersen, and all proceeds benefit the JMB PTSA. Some tickets are available for the show at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. The shows on Friday, Feb. 25, Saturday, Feb. 26, and Sunday, Feb. 27 are sold out. Tickets are $15 and are available at the PNC Bank at Beaglin Park Drive and Snow Hill Road. For information, e-mail jmbrockandrollrevival@gmail.com or call Chris Wilde at 410-430-8634.

Thursday, Feb. 24
Basket Bingo/Silent Auction to Benefit Wicomico Middle School
Salisbury Moose Lodge

Wicomico Middle School will hold a Basket Bingo/Silent Auction Thursday, Feb. 24 to benefit the students and school. The event will be held at the Salisbury Moose Lodge on Snow Hill Road. Doors and kitchen will open at 5 p.m. and games will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 if purchased by Feb. 15, then $20 after that and $25 at the door; must be 18 or older to play. Only 230 tickets will be sold. In addition to 20 games of regular Bingo with filled baskets as prizes, there will be special bingo and raffles, door prizes, 50/50, and silent auction. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact jgoslee@wcboe.org or 410-677-5194.

Thursday, March 3, 2011
Bingo Party
Glen Avenue Elementary

A Bingo Party to benefit Glen Avenue Elementary will take place on Thursday, March 3, at the school, with 17 games, themed baskets, special auctions, raffles, silent/live auctions and a 50/50. All baskets will be filled with goodies. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games begin 6:00 p.m. Participants must be 18 or older. Entrance for the 17-game night is $20. Please call the school at 410-677-5806 or to reserve a table.

Friday, March 4
Hypnotist Performs to Raise Funds
Mardela High School

On March 4, 2011, the Prom Committee at Mardela Middle and High School will present a unique comedy experience to local audiences. The school will once again feature Jason Linett, a nationally-known comedy hypnotist, who will present one show as a fundraiser at 7 p.m. This is Linett's second time working with the school to raise funds. “The hypnosis show combines the fun of audience participation with the incredible abilities of the mind,” says Linett, who lives in Alexandria, Va. “It’s the ultimate reality show.”

Audiences can expect to see willing volunteers rapidly induced into a hypnotic trance and then given funny suggestions. Jason added, “I don’t embarrass the volunteers, and I don’t even let them embarrass themselves.” Some of Linett’s favorite suggestions during the show include turning himself invisible and turning volunteers into celebrity impersonators. Linett has performed at schools, comedy venues, and corporate events across the country. “Fundraising events are always my favorite,” says Linett. “There’s no better feeling than putting on a show that a school can be proud to present, and helping students raise the funds for a great cause.”

Jason Linett is a Certified Hypnotist with the National Guild of Hypnotists, the largest hypnotherapy organization in the world. He is the director of Virginia Hypnosis, a hypnotherapy center in Old Town Alexandria, and is also the author of nearly a dozen self-help audio hypnosis programs. More information can be found at www.JasonLinett.com

The clean, family-comedy show will be presented in the cafeteria of Mardela Middle and High School, located at 24940 Delmar Road in Mardela Springs, Md. Tickets are on sale now and will be available at the event for $10. Ticket proceeds will help the school host a successful Prom event. Tickets may be purchased online at www.MardelaFundraiser.com.

Saturday, March 26
Basket, Bags, and Bucks Bingo (featuring Vera Bradley and Longaberger)
Salisbury Middle School

Salisbury Middle School will hold its Annual Longaberger Basket and Vera Bradley Bag Bingo Saturday, March 26 to provide for instructional materials, technology, and benefit our C.A.R.E.S. Department. The event will be held at the Salisbury Middle School on Morris Street. Doors and kitchen will open at 5 p.m. and games will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door; must be 18 or older to play. In addition to 20 games of regular Bingo (you win, you will be awarded a bag/basket; each basket/bag will be filled with goodies), there will be a Chinese Auction, Silent Auction, 50/50 raffle, door prizes, concessions for sale, and a brand new special raffle, "A Minute to Win It." This is a new and exciting game this year. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Laura Becker at 410-677-5149 x4626 or lbecker@wcboe.org. See details on our flier at http://www.wcboe.org/schools/sms/site/Attachments/Bingo%20Flyer2011.pdf

Saturday, April 16
Best of Bennett Day
James M. Bennett High School

The Community Relations Committee at James M. Bennett High School would like to let everyone know that the Best of Bennett day has been scheduled for Saturday, April 16 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Best of Bennett showcases what our students can do. It is also a great fund-raising opportunity for clubs and sports teams. They can have an information booth about their group to let people know what they do for our school and community. Entertainment and food will be offered. Groups are encouraged to sign up for a time slot of 15 to 30 minutes in length depending on what the group needs for their performance. Performances at this time will be running from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. unless more time slots are needed. There will also be a 5K run dedicated to Coach Orr in connection with the Best of Bennett event. Please put the Best of Bennett Day on your calendar and come out to see our students “strut their stuff” as you have a fantastic time. 410-677-5141.

Restaurant Coupon Booklets
Benefitting Kindness of Strangers Fund

BOGO restaurant coupon booklets are now being sold, with proceeds going to the Kindness of Strangers Fund. Kindness of Strangers (KOS) is a fund established to assist families in purchasing therapeutic/adaptive equipment for their children with special needs ages birth-21 in Wicomico County Public Schools. The coupon booklets are $20. Five dollars goes to Junior Achievement, which printed the booklet, and the rest of the proceeds go to KOS. Coupons include the following: Buy 1 entrée get 1 free at Adams, The Angler, Bistro 54, Boonies, Breaktime, Duffys, Harborside, Lagoon, Market Street, Old West, Red Roost (does not include the All you Can Eat menu), SoBos and Vinny’s. Also included: Sunset Grill: free crab dip with purchase of two entrees. Kanpai Sushi: Buy one Bento box/second free. Lucky Star: Spend $20/ get sushi rolls or dinner entree up to $10 free. Specific Gravity: Buy one large specialty pizza get wings for free. Coupons expire September 2011 and can be used Sunday through Thursday. This is a great way to help others. Call Lori Thompson at 410-677-5250 or e-mail her at lthompso@wcboe.org to purchase a booklet.

James M. Bennett High School Keychains

James M. Bennett High School has keychains made from the maple library shelves of the media center in the old James M. Bennett High School. Former JMB parents who purchased the shelves at auction last summer have donated some of the maple shelves for the keychain project. The price is $10, with all proceeds going to the Coach Orr Memorial Scholarship Fund, in honor of the late track coach. The school sold 272 gym floor keychains during the new school’s open house last fall, with proceeds supporting the continued maintenance of and improvements to the James M. Bennett High Memorial Garden. Gym floor keychains are no longer available. 410-677-5141.

Yearbooks Available
James M. Bennett High School

James M. Bennett High School has yearbooks available for sale from the past 20 years. Editions are available for 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996-2004, and 2006-2010. Prices range from $5 for older yearbooks to $40 for the 2010 edition. Please contact Debbie Sebach at 410-677-5141 or dsebach@wcboe.org for information.

Available Now
Panera Bread and Bagel Coupons
Benefitting the Wicomico County STEM Program

Strips of Panera coupons are now on sale for $10, with half the cost of each coupon strip going to support the activities of the STEM Program in Wicomico County Public Schools. The coupon strips are either for all bagels, or for a mix of bagels, bread and other baked goods. These coupons strips are a great deal and would be a terrific gift for people on your holiday list. Buy your Panera coupons at a STEM event, or contact Gretchen Boggs at gboggs@wcboe.org or 410-677-5149, X4634.

Commemorative JMB T-Shirts

The Junior Class of James M. Bennett High School is selling T-shirts commemorating the new Bennett. The shirts are $15 for sizes small-XL and $17 for sizes XXLarge and XXXLarge. Please email Erin Davis (esdavis@wcboe.org) or Kathy Elliott (kelliott@wcboe.org) if you are interested. Checks payable to JMB can be mailed to the school at 300 E. College Ave., Salisbury MD 21801, or dropped off at the school. Call 410-677-5141 for information.

Oil Prices Hit $100 Per Barrel

NEW YORK –  Oil prices hit $100 per barrel Wednesday as forces loyal to Libya's Moammar Gadhafi clashed with protesters expanding their control over parts of that OPEC nation.

In afternoon trading benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery was up $3.48, or 3.7 percent, at $98.90 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices climbed as high as $100 earlier in the day, hitting triple digits for the first time since Oct. 2, 2008. WTI has jumped 18 percent since Valentine's Day.

In London, Brent crude added $5.33, or 5 percent, at $111.11per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

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Rhode Island City Issues Layoff Notices To All Teachers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The financially troubled city of Providence on Tuesday issued layoff notices to all its nearly 2,000 teachers because city officials say they must make an unknown number of cuts in the budget, and they want "maximum flexibility."

State law requires school departments to notify teachers by March 1 if they will be laid off the following school year.

The notices do not mean that the teachers will lose their jobs, just that they could at the end of the year.

School Superintendent Tom Brady on Tuesday wrote to teachers that the school budget outline for the next academic year is dire, with a projected deficit of nearly $40 million.

Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith told The Providence Journal the decision was "beyond insane" and creates chaos and anxiety among teachers.

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Allen West To CAIR: 'Don't Blow Sunshine Up My Butt'

One of the members of the Class of 2010 in the U.S. House of Representatives has revealed he has little patience for the politically correct arguments that Islam is, in fact, a religion of peace and nonaggression.

"Don't try to blow sunshine up my butt," U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., warned a member of a town hall meeting audience who had challenged him to identify a single verse in the Quran that tells Muslims to attack America.

The comments came earlier this week at Pompano Beach, Fla., during a question-and-answer time at his meeting. A questioner identified by the Palm Beach Post as Nezar Hamze, executive director for a branch of the Council for American Islamic Relations, confronted West, demanding that he point out where in the Quran are the orders for Muslims to attack America.

"You recently told the Marines that the terrorists that attacked the United States, the people that are attacking America, are followingIslam, and they are following the instructions of the Quran," he said.

"So, a very simply question. I'm not going to take a lot of your time. Can you show me one verse in this Quran where it says to attack America, attack Americans, or attack innocent people?" he said.

West noted the Quran was written in the 8th or 9th centuries and America didn't exist at the time, but noted, "The truth is out there." He cited the multiple Quranic references to attack and kill "infidels."

He started listing a series of battles before he was drowned out by applause and cheering from the audience.

"It (Islam) became violent," West continued when the cheering died down. "Something happened when Mohammed enacted the Isra, and he left Mecca and went out to Medina. It became violent. You explain it to me.

"Maj. Hasan was shouting allahu akbar. The people that flew those planes … were shouting allahu akbar. I've been on the battlefield my friend," he said.

"Don't try to blow sunshine up my butt and tell me…..," he said, to more applause.

The Muslim activist responded, "I'm ashamed to be here with all of these people when you attack Islam, you attack…"

An audience member interrupted with, "You attacked us!"

West said, "I went to Muslim countries to try to defend the freedom of Muslim people. Don't come up here to try to criticize me. Put the microphone down and go home."

There's more here, including video

[Don't you love this guy? -- Editor]

Only 39 Percent Of Wisconsin Public-School 8th Graders Proficient In Math

Only 39 percent of the eighth graders in Wisconsin public schools are proficient or better in mathematics, according to the U.S. Department of Education, despite the fact that Wisconsin spends more per pupil in its public schools than any other state in the Midwest.

In the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests administered by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009—the latest year available—only 31 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned a “proficient” rating while another 8 percent earned an “advanced” rating. The other 61 percent of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders earned ratings below “proficient,” including 40 percent who earned a rating of “basic” and 21 percent who earned a rating of “below basic.”

The test also showed that the mathematics test scores of Wisconsin public-school eighth graders have remained almost flat since 1996 while inflation adjusted per-pupil spending has significantly increased.  

Wisconsin’s per pupil spending on public school students increased from $6,517 in 1996 to $10,791 in 2008. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator the $6,517 that Wisconsin spent per pupil in 1996 dollars equaled $8,942 in 2008 dollars. That means that from 1996 to 2008, Wisconsin public schools increased their per pupil spending by $1,849—or 20.7 percent--in real terms while adding only one percentage point to their average eighth grader’s math score.

The $10,791 that Wisconsin spent per pupil in its public elementary and secondary schools in fiscal year 2008 was more than any other state in the Midwest.

(More)

Yesterday, we told you that TWO THIRDS of those same Wisconsin eighth graders could not read proficiently.

It's quite interesting to note that the Wisconsin TEACHERS that are producing these stellar results earned a combined $75,587 in total average compensation – wages and benefits – in 2010, according to figures from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

We just thought you'd like to know that.

It might help you keep your perspective when you're tempted to feel sorry for them as they (illegally) walk off their jobs to protest, after being asked to shoulder just a little more of the financial burden for their health insurance and retirement like the other 88% of the working population.

Democrat Urges Unions To 'Get A Little Bloody When Necessary'

Sometimes it's necessary to get out on the streets and "get a little bloody," a Massachusetts Democrat said Tuesday in reference to labor battles in Wisconsin.

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) fired up a group of union members in Boston with a speech urging them to work down in the trenches to fend off limits to workers' rights like those proposed in Wisconsin.

"I’m proud to be here with people who understand that it’s more than just sending an email to get you going," Capuano said, according to the Dorchester Reporter. "Every once and awhile you need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody when necessary."

Political observers have been the lookout for potentially incendiary rhetoric in the wake of January's shooting in Tucson, Ariz., where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) survived an assassination attempt, six were killed, and 12 others were injured.

Political rhetoric has become especially heated in Madison, Wis., where Republican Gov. Scott Walker has proposed major labor reforms that sparked more than a week's worth of rowdy protests at the state capitol.

"We take security seriously, whether it's for me, the lieutenant governor and all 132 members of the state legislature, Democrats or Republicans alike, because there's a lot of passion down here," Walker said Tuesday on MSNBC about his safety in Wisconsin. "And particularly when we see people coming in being bussed in from other states, that's what worries us."

More here

Wildlife Photos From Five Years Ago

I could be wrong but I believe these images I took were what started our Wildlife Photos some five years ago. Anyhow, they're pretty cool.

FIVE Years Ago Today

I was five years ago today former Mayor Barrie Tilghman called a Press Conference to announce a letter I personally drafted in which I stated she was not only a waste of my time, she was a waste of good sperm.

Of course, she didn't read the entire letter that described what brought me to such a point, nor did the Press have any interest in such. More importantly, why would someone in the  position of Mayor choose to go public with a private e-mail and state such words.

It couldn't be because she was offended, (holding a press conference) and she even said she had been called worse. It was these darn BLOGS that she was going after. Many had advised Barrie to just keep quiet about it and hope they just go away. Instead, Tilghman created a frenzy, encouraging ALL of the Daily Times readers, WBOC & WMDT viewers to go to this SBYNEWS.COM Blog and see just how hateful they are.

Hence the bombardment of hits and the major birth of Salisbury News. Thanks for the memories Barrie.

Baltimore Cops Arrested In Corruption Probe

Authorities accuse officers of taking money from residents to avoid having cars towed

Authorities say Baltimore police officers were arrested as part of a joint federal and city corruption probe involving a city towing company.

A news conference with U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein, FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard McFeely and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld is planned for 3 p.m. EST Wednesday.

As many as a dozen officers were taken into custody, The Baltimore Sun reported.

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BREAKING NEWS:

White House won't defend constitutionality of Defense of Marriage Act

Dog Found In Salisbury

Hello, we found this dog at M&T bank on route 13. Its a very friendly boxer, female, well taken care of, blue collar, approx 1-2 years old. We work at Peninsula Cardiology and have no place to keep her so we are taking it to the humane society. Animal control was busy on another call and not able to help right away. Hope the owner finds her. She is a sweetie.

Barrie Comegys Will Do ANYTHING for Political Payback

As they slither out of office, the corrupt Barrie Comegys crew are showing that they will do ANYTHING to attack their political opponents. This includes attempting to circumvent the normal, legal, political process.

Salisbury voters should note that the SAPOA-endorsed crew of Gary Comegys, Louise Smith and Shanie Shields are attempting an end run around Mayor Jim Ireton’s recent veto of council’s legislation to strip councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen of health insurance coverage. Their original, politically motivated attempt was transparent, but fair. Now they are trying to amend the city’s charter on the EVE OF AN ELECTION! To add insult to injury, the Barrie Comegys serpents are afraid to make their attempt before the cold light of PAC-14’s cameras. Instead, they will sleaze this measure through on Friday afternoon – when the hardworking, tax paying citizens are busy working – even though a regular council meeting is scheduled for 3 DAYS LATER!

WHY?

Why are Gary and Louise SO intent on stripping their council opponents of health care coverage? (Shanie Shields is a non-factor in these matters. She will merely vote the way her SAPOA masters instruct – which means to do ANYTHING to harm Campbell and Cohen.) Barrie Comegys will attempt to explain that this is saving the taxpayers money. In fact, it is. It will save each citizen a penny or two a year. If this were coming from someone else, this might not be so laughable. Comegys has helped to pad the pockets of developers with MILLIONS of taxpayers dollars during his eight years on council. One of Smith’s first acts on council was to amend the charter to permit a double-digit TAX INCREASE!

Any claim by Smith, Comegys, or Shields that they are looking out for the city’s taxpayers (unless they happen to be members of SAPOA) is a LIE. So … Why are they really doing it? The answer is simple. Gary, Louise, and Shanie leech off of the taxpayers for their pensions and health care. By ending the practice of allowing council members to join the city’s health insurance (at the same cost of a regular city employee), they are putting a hardship on Cohen in particular.

WHY HIDE?

Why does Barrie Comegys feel the need to do this in relative secrecy? They have attempted this measure – TWICE. Both times the mayor has vetoed their attempts. They don’t have the votes to override and simply don’t want the public to see their transparent political chicanery. Even though Comegys and Smith are “retiring” (before they are ridden out of town on rails), SAPOA has other candidates on the ballot this spring. They don’t want them to lose votes. If this were aired in the cold light, that is precisely what may happen.

It should be noted that the Daily Times failed to give this a mention in today’s article on yesterday’s work session. I wasn’t aware that my local paper had gotten so thick that the DT had to cut back on important news.

IS THIS LEGAL?

In a word – yes. They can hold their meeting, away from the cameras and public eye. Barrie Comegys can pass a resolution to amend the charter with three (3) votes. However, that’s when the real fun starts.

There is a difference of opinion as to whether the mayor may veto a resolution. Many, including myself, have argued that a resolution cannot be vetoed. However, City Attorney Paul Wilber ruled several years ago that a mayor could. Will he reverse himself now that it is Mayor Ireton instead of Mayor Tilghman?

Who knows?

Regardless, Ireton should veto the measure on principle. A new council will be sworn in on April 25th. Let them vote on a charter change IF one is necessary. If the new council members are so principled and opposed to council members receiving these benefits they can opt out. However, if they receive their daily bread from the taxpayers – like Comegys, Smith, and Shields – they need to be very careful in trying to make political hay out of this issue. Hypocrisy doesn’t sell very well.

SALISBURY: AN EARLY WARNING ABOUT THE “BOOTH STREET” HOUSING PROJECT

Wicomico County’s “Housing Authority” is trying to screw City residents by getting a western shore developer – Cornerstone Development, LLC” -- to buy the dilapidated 100 unit project and redevelop it (after demolition) with even more (168) apartments – provided that the site is annexed into the City to get the zoning needed for higher density development. What is probably the most crime ridden part of this County is now the problem of the Sheriff’s office, so why should the City want to take on that burden – especially as the developer will want huge tax breaks and no impact fees.

But – hold the phone – the County could rezone the project site to allow the higher density – and thereby avoid the need for it to be annexed into the City. We will keep you involved about this late breaking scam.

Nun Kicked Out Of Convent For Facebook Use

We've heard stories about Facebook usage affecting people's jobs before, but now the social network has gotten someone kicked out of a religious order.

The Telegraph reports that María Jesús Galán, a nun at the Santo Domingo el Real convent in Toledo, Spain, has been asked to "leave the convent after disagreements over her online activities." In other words: She's been glued to the computer just a bit too much.

Apparently the 54-year old has been nicknamed "Sister Internet" by her fellow nuns and made a habit of surfing the Internet after winning a well-publicized award:

In 2008, she won a local government prize for her painstaking work scanning the pages of precious texts held in the convent's library.
The award made headlines and she soon had scores of friends worldwide connecting through her Facebook page.

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A Slow And Painfull Death Of A Newspaper

With other outside Newspapers looking in and possibly taking over the marketplace with a FREE Paper, the end of the Daily Times could be closer than you think.

The Daily Times continues to make major mistakes, the last one was shutting down a $3.5 million press housed right here in Salisbury. Why is this such a serious matter, because their deadline gets bumped up a few hours and as I could see from this mornings paper, they're two days behind in news and they can't do anything about it.

Salisbury News announced 2 days ago that gas prices would quickly skyrocket and today the Daily Times has finally gotten on board. What's going to happen when a story breaks at 9 PM on a Monday. The quickest they can get the story published is the Wednesday paper.

It's the beginning of the end, no doubt about it. While may of us have traditionally purchased Newspapers and enjoyed getting up in the morning with a cup of coffee and the paper, those days are gone too. Why, because the younger generation follows the Internet. They get their cup of coffee and sit in front of a monitor and get news probably faster than the Daily Times does anyway.

So where does that leave us. Well, municipalities still rely on Newspapers to publish legal notices and so forth but Congress is looking at changing those laws to allow that same information to be published on line. If that happens any time soon it will be the end of all Newspapers. Newspapers make so much money, (especially right now with foreclosures) in their advertising it isn't funny.

For example, the business card size ads you see here on Salisbury News can run you up to $600.00 for ONE DAY in a local Newspaper. Salisbury News charges $100.00 a MONTH for that same ad. 30 more days for $500.00 less a month! Wait until you see what happens when the legal ads come to Salisbury News.

Its only a matter of time before they sell out or close their doors. On a final note, the City of Salisbury has given the Daily Times tax breaks, (Enterprise Zone) they no longer deserve. The Press isn't being used any more, therefore they should not be reconsidered for such breaks. They no longer employ 200 people, more like 20 now. If the Mayor and Council want to impose impact fees, well, they better research the companies that are no longer performing. Why should the taxpayers pay for the Daily Times to get breaks when they're no longer providing jobs to the community.

In Fact: How many companies throughout the state of Maryland are performing as represented in their Enterprise Zone applications and what is the state doing doing to stay on top of this?

Budget Deficits, Pension Plans, And The Seeds Of Rebellion

“Is the world finally cracking up?” we wondered aloud in these pages earlier this week. From the look of events unfolding across the volatile Middle East and North Africa region, it certainly seemed so.

Governments are toppling, buildings are ablaze and protesters are “speak-to-tweeting” their way to freedom…of a sort.

But what about closer to home, back in the belly of the empire? It’s one thing for far-flung outposts to collapse, for the “uncivilized,” “unwashed” masses beyond the gates to storm their capital buildings and raise hell. But surely that couldn’t happen here, could it?

Of course it could. The existence of the state virtually guarantees it!

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Rahm Emanuel Wins Chicago Mayoral Race

Ex-White House chief of staff to replace 6-term Mayor Richard Daley

CHICAGO — Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, easily overwhelming five rivals to take the helm of the third-largest U.S. city as it prepares to chart a new course without the retiring Richard M. Daley.

With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, Emanuel had trounced five opponents with 55 percent of the vote — a margin that allowed him to avoid an April runoff. He needed more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright.

It was the city's first mayoral race in more than 60 years without an incumbent on the ballot and the first in more than two decades without Daley among the candidates. Daley and his father have led Chicago for more than 43 out of the last 56 years.

Emanuel called the victory "humbling" and thanked Daley for his lifetime of service, saying the outgoing mayor had "earned a special place in our hearts and our history."

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