Jazz is the mother of the puppy featured in the beginning of October that was adopted by a family from Baltimore via Facebook.
Jazz’s surgery was a success, according to McKnight, who said, “she gets around almost better than before.”
Family friendly and striving to be a worthy choice for your Internet browsing. Comments and material submissions welcome: tkforppe@yahoo.com . Pocomoke City-- an All American City And The Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore.
In a 5-2 vote, Commissioners Virgil Shockley, James Purnell, Bud Church, Merrill Lockfaw Jr. and Jim Bunting Jr. voted to opt out, while Louise Gulyas and Judy Boggs voted to retain the sprinkler requirement.
Several of the commissioners who voted to opt out said phone calls and e-mails from constituents expressing concern about the price of the sprinkler systems had convinced them opting out was the right choice.
"The majority of my constituents are in favor of the county opting out, and the main reason is economics," Lockfaw said.
He later said the Pocomoke City Fire Department is not in favor of mandating residential fire sprinklers either.
"There is mandate after mandate after mandate," Purnell said. "There are too many mandates."
At a Sept. 21 public hearing, commissioners listened to arguments for adopting the law from Worcester County Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon and the National Fallen Firefighter's Foundation. Real estate agents, developers and some residents spoke against letting the rule go into effect.
After attempts to get a consensus, commissioners were unable to reach a vote on opting out or amending the mandate. The legislation would have taken effect Jan. 1 if commissioners had not voted.
Boggs, who voted against the measure, said it is the responsibility of the government to protect citizens.
"I have been thinking back to the public hearing," Boggs said. "The welfare of residents and life safety would be better served by mandating."
Church said he had brought the item back up because several commissioners asked him to, noting Lockfaw and Bunting were not commissioners during the previous vote. Those two should have the opportunity to vote on the legislation, Church said, because they will represent their constituents when it takes effect.
Even though commissioners have opted the unincorporated areas of Worcester County out of the mandate, new homes with four or more stories, as well as new modular homes, will still be required to install the sprinklers.
In addition to Worcester County, Pocomoke City has opted out of requiring residents to install residential fire sprinklers; Ocean City has let the legislation stand; Berlin has opted out for one-family dwellings; and Snow Hill is scheduled to hold a vote Dec. 28.
Ocean City Police officers responded to a 911 call for a domestic dispute at 11:07 am Monday. When officers arrived at the apartment on 82nd Street, a man with a knife was attacking a woman, according to police.
Police say the suspect would not drop his weapon. One officer then shot the man.
The suspect is identified as Marvin Jefferson Mitchell, 27, of Berlin, Maryland. The female is Mitchell's estranged wife, Shanna Mitchell, 25, also of Berlin, Maryland.
Police say the couple's two children were inside the apartment during the stabbing and officer-involved shooting.
The police officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending review of the incident.
Both the suspect and victim received care by the Ocean City Fire Department Paramedics before being transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. They are both hospitalized and in stable condition.
Shanna Mitchell had obtained an active Protective Order against her husband.
Marvin Mitchell has been charged by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation with nine charges, including 1st Degree Attempted Murder, Reckless Endangerment and Violation of a Protective Order.
A state police fugitive apprehension team, assisted by a special team of Worcester sheriff's deputies, caught Harmon Friday at about 6 p.m., police said, and he is being held without bond.
At a news conference last week, prosecutors and police said they believe Harmon killed Handy. A different man, Alexander Crippen, 36, was the first person charged with murder in Handy's death, but those murder charges were dropped before Crippen's trial; he was later convicted of attempting to kill a different man, based on testimony about what he did at the same scene where Handy died.
Harmon is currently the sole suspect in Handy's death, and police had said he was at large in southern Worcester or Somerset counties, and possibly armed and dangerous.
Although the meeting is not a public hearing, President Bud Church said it will allow new commissioners a chance to express their views and get all of the facts.
"A number of people requested it be brought back up, including the new commissioners," Church said. "We'll see if we can get a vote, whether it's up or down, so we're not in limbo anymore."
The commissioners originally held a public hearing Sept. 21, during which homeowners, firefighters, real estate agents and Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon expressed strong views on the issue. A motion to exempt all county homebuilding from the rule failed to win a majority of votes, and a proposal that well-water properties be allowed to forgo the sprinklers also failed. As a result, the rule is scheduled to take effect next year if commissioners take no further action.
Newly elected commissioners Jim Bunting Jr. and Merrill Lockfaw Jr. have expressed opposition to the legislation, saying if it were to be brought up, they would vote against it.
Several of the municipalities in Worcester County have also addressed the issue. So far, Pocomoke City has opted out; Berlin amended the law so new single-family homes will be free from the mandate; and Ocean City and Snow Hill have yet to take a vote.**
** If my memory is correct Ocean City has already voted in favor for the new state law requiring sprinklers.
The family of Whitney L. Bennett, of the 3600 block of Susan Beach Road, contacted police on Dec. 9 after becoming concerned about her welfare.
Delaware State Police learned that Bennett may have visited a friend in Fruitland, Md., on Dec. 4.
Anyone with information is asked to call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or visit www.tipsubmit.com
At Southaven court, no one would talk to us about the incident.
There is a dress code posted outside the Southaven Court. No halter tops, revealing clothing, tank tops, shorts, t-shirts, but nothing about hair.
Todd says he usually adds ornaments and lights to his hair, but didn't Friday because he was going to court.
At the Razor Sharp Barber and Beauty Shop, he gets help putting it all together.
Workers don't think he was trying to disrespect court.
"It can be a little distracting but that's who he is. Dreadlocks can be a little distracting for some people. Loud hair color," says stylist Kori Randolph.
"Does it say in court you have to have your hair a certain way? You have to have a crew cut. Don't have no law against certain hair styles, do they?" says business owner Waheeb Hammad.
"I am not gonna change it. This is me. I'm just in
Lavar Johnson, 30, of Mappsville, was found guilty of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 10 years with all but time served suspended.
Northampton County
Yolanda O'Sha Stines, 35, of Accomac, was sentenced to five years with all but 2.5 years suspended for writing bad checks.
Leonard Tromell Brooks, 27, of Cape Charles, was sentenced to 10 years with all but two years suspended for possession with the intent to distribute more than one-half ounce but less than five pounds of marijuana.
Cynthia Rene Weathers, 35, of Pocomoke City, Md., was sentenced to five years with all but time served suspended for four counts of welfare fraud and ordered to pay $5,005.
Terry Wayne McGee Jr., 34, of Newport News, was sentenced to five years for forgery, 12 months for receiving stolen property, 12 months for using a false identity and 12 months for driving on a suspended license, to run concurrently, with all but 12 months suspended.Testimony in the trial for first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and gun charges concluded Dec. 7. Bloxom said he needed time to review the testimony and facts of the case before giving a verdict, which he issued Friday.
During his deliberations, he recalled the instructions given to jurors when they have trouble deciphering witness testimony: that they may believe all, part or none of what witnesses say.
Crippen, who has listed residences in Fort Washington, Md., and Pocomoke City, has been held without bond at the Worcester County Jail since late May, when he was charged in the murder of Reginald Jerome Handy Jr., 22. Handy was gunned down outside a Laurel Avenue home on May 27.
In June, a grand jury indicted Crippen on murder and other related charges connected to Handy's death in addition to attempted murder. But Bloxom dismissed the murder charge against Crippen during a criminal motions hearing. Prosecutors said forensic evidence would have made it impossible to prove Crippen killed Handy. Crippen was instead convicted of attempting to kill another man, Torrance Davis, 28, who was at the scene of the shooting in May.
After the verdict was read, Deputy State's Attorney Michael Farlow asked the judge to order a presentence investigation before Crippen is sentenced.
"Now that he has been found guilty on all counts, we will be seeking the maximum penalty," Farlow said. The maximum penalty life in prison. He said a second charge, wearing and carrying an illegal weapon, can carry an additional sentence of up to 20 years.
Crippen's defense attorney, Arthur McGreevy, said he expects his client to appeal the decision.
"We are obviously disappointed but respect the judge's decision," McGreevy said.
Brittany Mae Smith has since been in touch with her family in Virginia, while Jeffrey Scot Easley, 32, was in police custody in San Francisco, Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder said at a news conference.
The two hadn't been seen since Dec. 3, when they were captured on store surveillance video at a Walmart in Salem, about five miles from Roanoke.
The girl's mother and Easley's girlfriend, Tina Smith, was found dead on Monday their home in southwestern Virginia. The cause of death has not been released but police consider it a homicide.
Police have refused to say whether they consider Easley a suspect in the mother's death, but they said Friday that the investigation of the slaying would ramp up now that the search for the girl is over.
Lavinder said Brittany and Easley were in a retail store around 3 p.m. in San Francisco when someone in the store recognized the pair from reports on their disappearance and called police. Easley did not resist arrest.Asked if Easley forced Brittany on the cross-country trip, Lavinder said he didn't know.
"We're just getting bits and pieces of the facts right now," he said.
The girl was aware that her mother had been found dead. She had no signs of physical injury.
Lavinder did not know if Easley had any connections to the San Francisco area or how the pair traveled the 2,320 miles to get there. Roanoke authorities planned to travel to California as soon as possible.
Brittany's disappearance had generated more than 700 tips to Roanoke County police, who earlier Friday said they were deeply concerned after finding no trace of the girl after days of searching.
Lavinder said he had a "tremendous sense of relief" that Brittany had been found.
After learning that her granddaughter was safe, Liz Dyer told The Roanoke Times: "We're so glad. We're bouncing off the walls."
Around 8 a.m., a fleet of large, black sport utility vehicles with tinted windows and out-of-state license plates rolled up in front of Telescope Pictures on 16th Street. The crowd having breakfast at a diner across the street watched as federal agents wearing bulletproof vests and dark jackets got out of the vehicles and entered the business.
“They were wearing flak jackets and ski masks. They just rolled up and jumped out of all these cars with plates from Maryland, Virginia and D.C. tags. I’ve never seen anything this serious,” said City Council President Jim Hall, who was eating breakfast in the diner at the time and watched the raid unfold.
The agents’ jackets identified them as members of the “IRS Criminal Enforcement Division,” and some were wearing firearms. Hall said they removed some people from the property who appeared to be living in apartments above the business, and then began to empty the place.
“They took computers, books, boxes, everything,” he said.
Telescope Pictures is the company holding the city franchise to provide beach photographers. The photographers take pictures of beachgoers, who can go to the 16th Street offices to purchase their photos at the end of the day. The company is owned by Patrick McLaughlin and is also known as United Beach Photo Inc.
The company holds the two beach photo franchises and the night before the IRS raid, McLaughlin was the only bidder in an auction to hold the franchises for the next four years. Hall did not know whether the city would be able to accept his bids or have to hold another auction.
McLaughlin is perhaps the biggest player in direct business with the city through its franchises. Aside from the beach photo franchises, he also holds approximately half of the city’s beach equipment rental stand franchises, has a small stake in an ice cream vending truck franchise and holds three of the resort’s taxicab medallions.
The IRS agent in charge of the Telescope Pictures case declined to comment on the details of search and seizure or the case in general and the IRS media contact did not return calls seeking comment about the case. Calls made to the Telescope Pictures office were met by a recording announcing the office was closed for the season.
Christine Cullen, Staff Writer
On Nov. 29, police said, they went to assist paramedics at a residence at 500 Young St. and learned a wanted person was hiding inside. With the homeowner's permission, police said, they entered the home and found Harvey D. Hall, 21, of Pocomoke City, who was wanted for violating probation. Police also found a .22-caliber pistol there, police said, and Hall was additionally charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was held on $40,000 bond.
Authorities say the first burglary occurred Tuesday, Dec. 7, at a home on Critcher Road in Pocomoke City. Deputies with the Worcester County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and determined that the suspects had gained entry into the home by prying open one of the exterior doors. The victim determined that more than $43,000 in personal property had been taken from his home.
Detectives from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation were contacted to assist with the investigation.
The next day, on Wednesday, Dec. 8, Maryland state troopers were dispatched to a home on Brantley Road. According to police, the homeowner had arrived at his home and observed three male suspects walking out of his house carrying his wrapped Christmas presents, as well as other personal property.
Police say that while the victim was on the telephone with authorities, the three suspects fled the scene.
State troopers, assisted by sheriff's deputies and officers from the Pocomoke City Police Department, searched the area for the suspects.
One of the suspects, identified as LeAnder Ward, was arrested and charged with the aforementioned crimes. He is being held in the Worcester County Jail on $20,000 bond.
The other suspects drove off in a car described as a black four-door Taurus, with Maryland registration.
Anyone with additional information about these incidents, or knows of the identities or whereabouts of the other two suspects, is asked to call the WCBI at (410) 352-3476.