Murder In Federalsburg, MD. Under Investigation

From the Maryland State Police

CAROLINE CO. MURDER UNDER INVESTIGATION

(FEDERALSBURG, MD) – Maryland State Police are continuing their investigation into the apparent murder of a man whose body was found just before midnight yesterday, not long after a 911 caller said they heard possible gunshots in the area.

The victim is identified as Anthony C. Abner, Jr., 21, of the 100-block of Brooklyn Avenue, Federalsburg, Md. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators were contacted early this morning by the Federalsburg Police Department and asked to assume the investigation into the death of Abner. The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before midnight on September 25, 2012, Federalsburg Police Department officers were dispatched to the 200-block of East Central Avenue, Federalsburg, for the report of a body seen lying on the pavement in front of the business located there. When they arrived, officers found Abner’s body, which had sustained at least one apparent gunshot wound. EMS personnel were called and pronounced him dead.

State Police Homicide Unit investigators have continued the investigation throughout the night. They have been assisted by State Police crime scene technicians and Easton Barrack criminal investigators, as well as by members of the Federalsburg Police Department, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, and the Caroline County Drug Task Force. The Caroline County State’s Attorney was also notified and responded to the scene.

Investigators contacted residents in the area and have been interviewing family and friends of the victim. It is believed the victim may have been living in Federalsburg for less than a month, after moving there from Seaford, Delaware.

There is no known motive for this murder and no suspects have been arrested at this time. Anyone who may have witnessed this shooting, or may have information about the victim is urged to contact Maryland State Police immediately at 410-819-4747 or 410-822-3101.

"LIGHT THE TOWER" Bingo Scheduled in Federalsburg

~HELP BRING BACK  A
COMMUNITY TRADITION~

"LIGHT THE TOWER"

Sponsored by the

Federalsburg Lions Club

BINGO

Sunday, March 18, 2012

AT

Federalsburg Firehouse

Tickets - $20.00 in advance or at the door

Doors open @ 1:00/ Games begin @ 2:00

All prizes are from Celebrating Home

For tickets or more information contact: 

Wayne Cole @ 410-943-0200 OR 

Lisa Schmitt @ 410-310-4114

Monies raised will be used to run electricity to the water tower for the purpose of stringing lights on the tower at Christimas time.  This is a tradition they have not been able to enjoy for a few years due to lack of funds.  Please feel free to give a monetary donation if you can not attend.

Please help- 

"LIGHT THE TOWER"

Bring back those childhood memories.......  

Federalsburg Cemetary Vandalized

I remember this beautiful cemetary very well from my childhood days of living in Federalsburg.  I visited there some months ago and it still carries the peacefulness it always did many years ago.  What a shame people have nothing better to do.  The residents of this quiet town are extremely upset and they have every right to be.  If I am correct the Chief of Police of Federalsburg grew up there and I know the citizens feel comfident that he WILL find those responsible for this horrible incident.

Photo By Abby Andrews



By ABBY ANDREWS Staff Writer

FEDERALSBURG For the second time in as many weeks, a Caroline County graveyard was vandalized, Federalsburg police reported.

Police said 31 headstones and monuments, some dating back to the 1800s, scattered throughout the east section of the Hillcrest Cemetery on Bloomingdale Avenue were toppled sometime between 3 p.m. Monday and 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.


Police have no suspects at the time, and are asking for the public's help. Anyone with information should call the Federalsburg Police Department at 410-754-8966. All information will be kept confidential.


Police said they have contacted the Greensboro Police Department, who are investigating a similar incident in an abandoned Methodist cemetery that happened overnight between Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, but so far there is no information indicating the acts are related.


Norman Bradley, a member of the Hillcrest Cemetery committee, said he discovered the damage Tuesday morning, when he and his dog arrived for their daily walk through the grounds.


Bradley said he saw two overturned tombstones as soon as he parked his car, and then noticed two more, which was when he called the town police.


"It's a shame," Bradley said. "It's a shame for the people buried there, for the Town of Federalsburg and for the cemetery."


A 30-year member of the committee, Bradley said this is only the second time he can remember such widespread vandalism in the cemetery. The other time was 22 years ago.


"Maybe a couple of times in the last 15 years or so, we've had one or two headstones knocked over, but not 31," Bradley said.


Bradley said he thought most of the damaged monuments and headstones were very old, though one marked a grave that was just dug in March.


The committee that oversees the privately owned cemetery has insurance, Bradley said, but he did not know if it covered repairs. He said an adjuster was coming out to do an estimate.


Among the cemetery's well-known graves is that of Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Marvin H. Smith.


Source;  http://www.stardem.com/news/local_news/article_9b46eee8-8782-56c1-95d8-e3e025c8efd8.html

Soap Box Derby In Federalsburg This Saturday

By JOHN HELTMAN
Staff Writer The Star Democrat

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FEDERALSBURG — Federalsburg youths are gearing up for the sixth annual Soapbox Derby to be held on West Central Avenue this Saturday.

The event, which also was held in town in the 1960s and 1970s, returned six years ago. It is sponsored by the Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Preston Ford and Provident State Bank, will begin at 9 a.m. with weigh-in beginning at 7 a.m.

The competition has two classes — Stock, for drivers aged 8 to 13 and with a combined weight of driver and car of 200 pounds, and Super Stock for drivers aged 10 to 17 with a combined weight of 230 pounds. Drivers will compete against each other twice with wheels and lanes swapped after the first race. The driver with the best cumulative time will advance to the next round. Last year, Police clocked some of the drivers going as fast as 19 miles per hour.

Forty-four drivers have registered for the race. Registration is now closed.

Winners of each class will receive a trophy and a $500 savings bond, and will advance to the World Championship Soapbox Derby in Akron, Ohio, in July. Last year, Crystal Loudon of Seaford, Del., finished sixth in her division in Akron — an accomplishment that was broadcast live on ESPN.

Danny Phillips, who is coordinating the event, invites kids who haven’t registered for the race this year to “come and scope it out” to see if they want to compete next year.

Burgers and hot dogs will be provided on-site by the Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Company ladies’ auxiliary.

Source; http://www.stardem.com/news/article_d18c28e2-c463-54d3-b7c2-e5850a208b1e.html

Tom D'Armi, Duke Baseball Coach and Born in Federalsburg, Md. Dies

DURHAM, N.C. -- Tom D'Armi, a fixture around Duke University athletics for nearly three decades, died Saturday in Wilson, N.C., at the age of 75.

D'Armi coached the Blue Devils' baseball program for seven seasons and also served as the director of athletic facilities and game management for all of the school's sports - totaling 28 years of service to the university when he retired in 2004.

As a coach, D'Armi guided Duke baseball to 125 wins and five consecutive winning seasons during his seven-year tenure from 1978-84. He coached eight All-ACC selections and seven Major League Baseball draft picks during that time.

"He was my second dad, it's as simple as that," said Bob Brower, one of D'Armi's top players who went on to a Major League career with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees in the late 1980s. "For me he was Duke, someone you could lean on in good times and bad. He taught us so many things, in his way, about being a man, about being responsible, about being accountable. He had that tough persona, but behind that was a kind man, a teddy bear who just gave and gave and never asked for much in return."

"He was certainly a good man and a great coach," recalled David Amaro, a senior on D'Armi's final team of 1984. "He was the reason I came to Duke to play baseball in 1980, and I had a great four years with him. He was funny, inspirational and he taught us that camaraderie was the most important factor in achieving success as a team. He will certainly be missed but not forgotten."

"I have such great memories of him," added two-time All-ACC catcher Tom Decker. "What I remember most was that he truly cared about his players both on and off the field. He was such a great competitor and mentor. He will be truly missed."

Mark Militello, an All-ACC baseball and football player who still owns one of the top career batting averages in Duke history, pointed to the 1981 season as perhaps D'Armi's greatest coaching job. He was named ACC coach of the year that season after leading Duke to a 29-10 record and a deep run in the ACC Tournament.

"Coach D'Armi was revered by his players as a person and as a coach. He would have his players' backs at all times, in good times and bad," Militello said. "He made us believe that we could beat the likes of Carolina and Clemson with only a limited number of scholarship players compared to their full NCAA allotment.

"Coach D'Armi fought tooth-and-nail with the likes of Carolina's Coach (Mike) Roberts and Clemson's Coach (Bill) Wilhelm, and that fighting spirit carried over to his players."

Militello noted that when he ran into South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner at a tournament last summer, their conversation quickly turned to 25 years ago when Tanner was an assistant at N.C. State during D'Armi's Duke era. "I spoke to him for about 30 minutes, and seemingly every minute was spent sharing Coach D'Armi stories," Militello said.

Born April 21, 1935 in Federalsburg, Md., D'Armi was an All-America soccer player at East Stroudsburg State and graduated in 1960. He earned his master's degree at North Carolina in 1961, then became the head baseball coach at West Georgia College in 1962. In four seasons, 1962-65, he posted a record of 59-13, directed the team to three conference (GIAC) championhips and was named league coach of the year three times. In 1990 he was inducted into the West Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

D'Armi served as the assistant baseball coach at Mississippi State from 1966-73, during a time when the school won three SEC titles and played in the 1971 College World Series.

Before coming to Duke, D'Armi also trained heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson, traveled to Italy as the general manager and field boss for the Milan franchise in a European professional baseball league, and authored the book "Daddy, Will You Play Catch With Me?"

D'Armi arrived at Duke in the fall of 1976 as the assistant coach to Enos Slaughter. He was named the program's head coach following the 1977 season and remained at the helm through May of 1984, posting a record of 125-98-2.

Along with producing five straight winning ledgers, D'Armi's victory totals of 29 in 1981 and 25 in 1984 were at that time the best marks in school history behind only the 31 wins achieved by the 1952 College World Series team.

D'Armi also handled groundskeeping duties at Duke's Jack Coombs Field, grooming the field on his tractor early in the morning before every home game and lining the field himself. He eventually took over management of all of Duke's athletic facilities, including Cameron Indoor Stadium and Wallace Wade Stadium.

"One memorable moment came when President Reagan spoke at Cameron," Militello recalled. "Coach D'Armi refused to give a key to Cameron to the Secret Service. He said something like, 'I go where the key goes. No exceptions.' Coach D'Armi defeated the Secret Service."

"He was a face for Duke, just a very special person," added Brower. "You could walk into his office and you might see Enos Slaughter or Tommy John or Sandy Koufax. You might see Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Valvano hanging out as paisans. He knew a lot of people and he did a lot of networking for Duke in his own special way."

Militello and fellow former Blue Devil players Bud Copeland and Dave Coughenour helped launch a Duke scholarship in D'Armi's name. D'Armi's family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Tom D'Armi Scholarship Fund, c/o Mary Dinkins, Duke Athletics, Box 90542, Durham, NC 27708.

D'Armi was predeceased by his wife Jane D'Armi and is survived by his son Mickey D'Armi.

A celebration of his life is being planned for August.

http://www.goduke.com/

Fallen Heroes Poker Run- Federalsburg VFW

Many PGR attended Federalsburg Maryland's funerals' for two young men; 21 yr old Navy Corpsman HM3 Manuel Ruiz in 2007 and 19 yr old Army Spc Michael"Mikey"Yates in 2009.

These families have been fighting very hard for the last three years to build a memorial for these fallen soldiers and ALL veterans from ALL wars. Recently they were granted permission to build just down the road from Federalsburg's VFW!

This first ever poker run, of an annual event, will be to raise money for the Federalsburg Hometown Veterans Memorial that will honor our hero's near and far, some gone but not forgotten!!!

Poker Run
Saturday June 26th 2010
Federalsburg Md VFW
Registration 9am-11am
Roll out 11:30am
Cost:$25.00 for driver, $15.00 for each passenger (includes meal upon return)

Grand Prize $150.00
3 runner ups
D.J , 50/50 raffle, door prizes food,fun etc...

www.mdpatriotguard.com