SYSCO school foods contract

 

The USDA had awarded Sysco Eastern Maryland a five-year school foods contract for receiving, storage, and delivery services.   Sysco's bid was for just under $465,000.  It was the only bid submitted from this part of the state.

 (City of Pocomoke Facebook)

Pocomoke is a Banner City! 

The Pocomoke City Mayor & City Council were recognized among their peers as an active participant in showcasing municipal government and how it works, through attending professional development, chapter and department events, as well as volunteering for league boards and committees. 

Elected Officials & Staff look forward to attending the Maryland Municipal League Conference later this month as ambassadors for Pocomoke City.

Alert: $20 Counterfeit bills in Pocomoke area

 (WBOC)

POCOMOKE, Md. - The Pocomoke City Police Department is spreading the word on a new fake $20 bill trend in the area. According to police, the forgeries have been passed at various local businesses in the past few days.

(View news story:)

Pocomoke Police Warn of Counterfeit Cash Trend | Latest News | wboc.com

Pocomoke City Public Notice

 

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ROAD CLOSURES

Willow Street and Maple Street will be closed on 5/19/2023 at approximately 2:00 p.m. for the concert detail. Clark Avenue to Laurel Street will be closed on 5/20/2023 at approximately 8:00 a.m. for concert detail. Clark Avenue will reopen following the conclusion of the concert at approximately 10:00 p.m. on 5/20/2023. Willow and Maple Street will remain closed until 5/22/2023 at approximately 8:00 a.m. Thank You for your cooperation.   

Pocomoke City

Gene Lusby

 

Pocomoke City lost a longtime business and community leader this past weekend with the passing of Gene Lusby.

(excerpt from obituary:)

In 1958, he started working in Bata Shoe Company, and in 1966, he went into business for himself when he opened his first Montgomery Wards Retail &; Catalog store in Pocomoke City. Two years later he opened a second franchise in Parksley, VA, and he later opened his third franchise in Exmore, VA. Gene was the only person in the country to have three Montgomery Ward franchises.

After the closing of Montgomery Ward in 1985, he opened Lusby’s Appliances &; Electronics, which he ran with his wife and son until he retired in 1993.

He participated for years in the Little League Organization and Senior League Baseball Organization. He held the office of President in the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Pocomoke City Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Association, Pocomoke High School Athletic Boosters, Holly Grove Grandparents Association.

(Read full obituary:)

Eugene "Gene" Herbert Lusby Obituary - The Daily Times (delmarvanow.com)

Pocomoke City Police Chief critical of drug suspect's low bond

(WMDT)

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Pocomoke City Police Chief Arthur Hancock is speaking out after the suspect arrested in the area’s first fentanyl bust was issued a low bond.

(View news story:)

Pocomoke City Police wants criminals held accountable - 47abc (wmdt.com)

 

Pocomoke Walmart incident Sunday

 

                                                   (file photo)

The Pocomoke City Walmart was closed for a while Sunday afternoon after Pocomoke police were called to the scene to respond to an incident of an undisclosed nature.  

(Shore Daily News report: Shoppers were told to evacuate the Pocomoke City Walmart Sunday afternoon.  They were also told to clear the area and leave their cars in the parking lot.   The Pocomoke City Police responded to the call at  approximately 2pm.)

After arriving on the scene a statement issued by the Pocomoke City Police Department stated that the incident "IS NOT an active shooter threat. Officers are on scene and are securing the area.   We are urging our citizens to stay away from the area until an all clear is given for everyone's safety. The Pocomoke City Police Department thanks our citizens for their patience."

Pocomoke police said in a later statement Sunday: "The incident at Walmart has been cleared and the police department would like to extend the "all clear" order to the citizens of Pocomoke. Within approximately the next hour, the Pocomoke City Walmart will re-open for business and citizens may continue to shop in safety and peace.

We thank our citizens for their patience and understanding during this incident."

(UPDATED) Somerset Intermediate threat

(WBOC)

WESTOVER, Md. - A Somerset Intermediate School student was charged after texting a bomb threat against the school on Thursday morning. 

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office said that at around 7:24 a.m., deputies responded to the school, located in Westover, in response to a bomb threat delivered to the Somerset County Emergency Services via text messages to 911.  

Deputies were on the scene minutes later and, in cooperation with the school administration, immediately initiated the evacuation of students, staff, and faculty.  All students and staff were evacuated from the school by 7:45 a.m. 

Somerset County sheriff’s personnel and K-9 units (Explosive Detection Canines) from the Maryland State Police and Berlin Police Department worked further to secure and search the school.  The scene was cleared at around 9:30 a.m. by police, and no explosive devices or suspicious materials were found.  

Somerset County sheriff’s detectives arrested one of the school's students in connection with the bomb threat approximately 40 minutes after the initial call.  Several criminal charges were filed against student, who was also referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.  

(earlier Pocomoke Public Eye posting:)

(Students were safely evacuated from Somerset Intermediate School Thursday morning following receipt of a bomb threat.)

Statement from Somerset County Schools:

Update on the situation at Somerset Intermediate School: At 9:50 a.m., law enforcement completed the search of the school, found it to be safe and cleared the building for re-entry. 

Students are being transported from Somerset County Technical High School back to SIS to resume a normal school day schedule. Parents who picked up their students may return their student for the remainder of the school day, or return just to pick up any personal belongings that were left behind. 

Thank you to our families, students and staff for your patience and cooperation throughout this situation.

City of Pocomoke announcement

(City of Pocomoke)

The recycle bins that were at two locations in Pocomoke City will be moved to a new location. The new location will be at the lot located directly next to the South Water Tower on the corner of Old Virginia Road/ Beltway and Dunn Swamp Road in front of the city's Water/Wastewater plant. The bins behind Tractor Supply have already been relocated and the city will be working on moving the other recycle bins, located at the Roses complex, next to Advanced Auto, to the same location in the next few weeks.

(View aerial map)

recycle map.pdf (cityofpocomoke.com)

PPE Footnote:

A poster on Pocomoke Facebook said Monday that the relocation of the bins has already occurred.

Liquor dispensary verdict

 (Crisfield-Somerset County Times)

Somerset County dispensary manager guilty of felony theft

The Somerset County Dispensary's highway store north of Pocomoke City where Cynthia Vanfossen was the manager.

Posted Monday, August 15, 2022 10:11 pm

PRINCESS ANNE — Following a two-day trial a jury in less than an hour found the former manager of the Somerset County Liquor Dispensary’s highway store north of Pocomoke City guilty of felony theft for failing to account for $17,625 in deposits that never made it to the bank.

Cynthia M. Vanfossen, 60, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison but the state will likely ask for 18 months — which is more than the sentencing guidelines of probation to six months.

Senior visiting Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. of Carroll County who presided during the trial ordered a pre-sentence investigation.

“Twelve deposits…all missing,” and Ms. Vanfossen was the sole person responsible, said State’s Attorney Wess Garner in his closing argument.

“Everything ran through the manager’s office,” reminding the jury that from July 2 through Aug. 20 of 2020 cash deposits “still have not been made.”

The alarm was raised when two years ago daily deposits were not being made on time or by the second day which was allowed because of the location of the store.

Liquor Control Board member Cynthia Knopp testified that Vanfossen “came with good references” but she and board members Robert Hogg and John French together with bookkeeper Colbi Sayre went to the store to meet with the manager about why deposits were not being made.

French testified that the explanations given didn’t produce any results. Vanfossen borrowed an employee’s car and went to her house in Pocomoke City to get deposits that might have been there, but didn’t have them.

“She always had a story” why the deposits didn’t get to Hebron Savings Bank, and the problem “was never resolved,” Sayre said.

State Police Master Trooper Alexander Edwards who was assigned to investigate said after a search and seizure warrant was executed at Vanfossen’s home some 4.4 miles from the store there was $122.60 in currency found in a desk drawer along with several empty bank and/or similar bags but no other significant amounts of cash.

Vanfossen did not testify and Public Defender Arch McFadden argued on her behalf that the state failed to prove each and every transaction was theft. He said the jury would have “to leap” to fill everything in between because all they heard was “a conclusion and some testimony.”

Instead McFadden said the jury heard about “sloppy practices by the liquor board,” acknowledging with “all candor” there were sloppy practices by Vanfossen. From testimony the jury heard that the safe at the store was “open all day long” and with the store open 77 hours a week and the manager working 40 hours employees were left unsupervised at best monitored by a camera system in the store which transmitted images via “spotty” internet, Knopp said, as she would pull up video on her phone.

On the possibility of other employees being involved Garner said the proof of theft was the deposit tickets in Vanfossen’s house without the cash, saying she used the liquor board’s money “as her own personal cash machine.”

In fiscal year 2021 when the thefts occurred liquor stores were among the businesses that were allowed to remain open during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and the Liquor Control Board reported its highest profit ever of $305,000. Through the years there have been inventory shortages due to employee theft and clerks have been charged for selling alcohol to persons underage but this theft of cash is one for the books — which will close for the final time at the end of this year.

At the county’s request the General Assembly during the 2022 session passed House Bill 671 which abolishes the Liquor Control Board and Gov. Larry Hogan allowed it to be enacted without his signature.

Starting in January the private sector has the opportunity to sell hard liquor through a new Class A beer, wine and liquor license priced at $5,000 with an annual renewal, managed by the Somerset County Board of License Commissioners.

(Pocomoke Public Eye reader comments:)

 Anonymous said...

County governments never should have been involved in the liquor business in the first place.

 Anonymous said...

And I still say Pocomoke municipal government never should have been involved in the restaurant business.

Pocomoke City's Hardwire in the news again: protection for FBI agents.

 

(WMDT)

The Department of Justice has awarded Hardwire, LLC in Pocomoke 7 million dollars to protect law enforcement.

(View news story:)

$7M awarded to Hardwire, LLC for law enforcement's protection gear - 47abc (wmdt.com)

Pocomoke City's Hardwire, LLC providing school safety resources in wake of shootings

 (WMDT)

“This is an excellent resource that Hardwire is helping us with. We already have ballistic shielding in some of the schools, what this is going to do is increase the ballistic shieldings and we will continue to work in conjunction with Worcester County public schools,” says Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli.

View news story:

New school resources to be implemented in the wake of mass shootings - 47abc (wmdt.com) 

Pocomoke animal cruelty conviction

 (WMDT)

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – Worcester County Commissioners are calling the conviction of a man who they say put animals in harm’s way a big win.

View news story:

Pocomoke City man convicted on animal cruelty charges, County calling it a win - 47abc (wmdt.com)

UPDATE: Westover shooting

 (Somerset County Sheriff's Office FACEBOOK page)

Westover fatality investigation continues

 

View news story:

Police Involved Shooting in Somerset County | Latest News | wboc.com

                                        (Salisbury Daily Times photo)

Maryland State Police helicopter transported shooting incident subject to Tidal Health, Salisbury.

UPDATE: Fatal vehicle accident near Pocomoke.

The fatality in Wednesday's accident has been identified as 44-year-old Melissa Dean of Salisbury.

(Original news item)

There was no word on the identification of the victim in a Wednesday morning accident on Route 13 just north of Pocomoke City.  The accident involved a vehicle ramming the back of a dump truck in the southbound lane.

Pocomoke City Police Investigating Shots-fired Incident

 (WBOC)

View news story:

Pocomoke City Police Investigating Shots-fired Incident | Latest News | wboc.com

Black Eyed Susan woes

 (Salisbury Daily Times)

PPE Reader Comment:

 Anonymous said...

For anyone who cares to recall, I warned about this turkey and its unknown expense way back when Tom Perlozzo's girlfriend first tried to pawn it off on the taxpayers. Pocomoke residents can be thankful that Susan Marshall Harrison was smart enough to avoid this money pit.

I can't believe the Worcester County and the Town of Snow Hill would spend that much money on a vessel of this size without a proper marine survey.