Lakers Win And The Crowd Goes Wild In The Streets

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A jubilant celebration over the Los Angeles Lakers dramatic win in the NBA championship turned rowdy in scattered sections of the city, with raucous revelers hurling rocks and bottles at officers, setting fires and jumping on vehicles.

Hundreds of police officers massed around the Staples Center before Game 7 of the NBA finals on Thursday night, aiming to prevent a repeat of the violence that accompanied the Lakers' victory last year. But despite their massive presence, scattered pockets of violence erupted in neighborhoods near the arena. No major incidents were reported in the rest of the city, police said.

At least 20 people had been arrested late Thursday and that number was expected to rise, Los Angeles police Lt. John Romero said. Most of the arrests were for public intoxication, while others were for vandalism and inciting a riot.

Television news footage showed several people jumping on a taxi as it attempted to leave the area near the arena after the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79. Someone opened a rear door of the vehicle, while others rocked it back and forth. The taxi eventually made its way through the crowd and out of the area.

Television footage also showed a man being beaten and a car set on fire. And there were scattered reports of windows being broken at several businesses.

Some men ran shirtless in the street, while other people revved car engines and honked their horns in celebration. Broken glass and burnt debris lined the roads.

Jazmine Rodriguez, 24, lives in an apartment building not far from Staples Center. She said every car on her street had its windows smashed.

"When we came down here, only one window was smashed. The cops told us to go back inside, and they (revelers) smashed the other one," Rodriguez said.

Delmi Ramos tried to salvage what she could from her car, which was filled with shards of broken glass.

"We just wanted to see the celebration and be part of the Lakers' win. We never thought this would happen," she said. "It's these young people who don't know how to behave. They cause damage to people, to the community, because they don't know how to celebrate in a healthy way."

Los Angeles city firefighters responded to 37 incidents within a half-mile radius of Staples Center in a three-hour period following the game, spokesman Brian Humphrey said. There were 15 rubbish fires, one vegetation fire, three vehicle fires and 18 medical aid requests for people ill or injured, Humphrey said. Eight people were transported by ambulance to hospitals. Humphrey didn't know the nature or extent of the injuries, but said some were "quite serious."

One police officer suffered a broken nose after someone threw an object at him, Police Chief Charlie Beck said.

Shortly after the game, police declared an unlawful assembly, urging people to immediately disperse.

Revelers honked horns and yelled while emergency vehicles and police cars with sirens going moved through the area. Some people set off fireworks.

Hundreds of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were deployed to East Los Angeles, where crowds were growing, but no major problems were reported, sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said.

www.wavy.com

Utah Man Faces Firing Squad

By the time this is read on here this man will be history. Method of Execution: Firing Squad

DRAPER, Utah - A Utah inmate facing a firing squad execution has been moved to an observation cell adjacent to the death chamber, the place where he will spend his final hours. Prison officials are monitoring the activities of 49-year-old Ronnie Lee Gardner and all units at the prison are under lockdown until the execution is carried out at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning.

"There will be people constantly monitoring his activities," said Steve Gehrke, spokesman for the Utah Department of Corrections. "At some point closer to the actual execution time, he will be moved to the execution chamber itself."

FOX 13 News has learned Gov. Gary Herbert has denied a second request from Gardner's attorneys to temporarily halt the execution. The 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Denver has also denied Gardner's request to halt the execution. And finally the petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.has also been denied, sealing Gardners fate to face the firing squad.

Gehrke was informed during a press conference at about 9 p.m. Thursday night that "there are no pending issue in front of the courts right now."

Gehrke said the mood among other inmates at the prison is now somber. He also said correctional staff at the prison has been in contact with Gardner.

"He's reading a book called Devine Justice, it's a sort of spy thriller novel; he's watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy," said Gehrke.

"Yes there are certain correctional staff here that have spoken with Gardner and have been in contact with him," Gehrke said. "Last night when they moved him, they characterized his mood as reflective."

Officials said Gardner had his last meal Wednesday, which consisted of a lobster tail, steak, apple pie, ice cream and a 7-Up and is now going through a self imposed 48-hour fast leading up to his execution.

Holes in this wall are where the executioners will position their rifles.

Gardner had his last meeting with family members at the prison Wednesday night. The prison has invited witnesses from the government, the families of the victims, Gardner's family and the media to attend the execution.

Gardner has chosen to die by firing squad for killing attorney Michael Burdell during a 1985 courthouse escape attempt. He was in court for the murder of Melvyn Otterstrom during a robbery. On his way out of the courthouse, Gardner also shot and wounded deputy Nick Kirk, who died years later. Kirk's widow believes the gunshot wounds eventually killed her husband.

Throughout the legal proceedings leading up to the execution, the families of Gardner's victims have been divided on the issue of the death penalty. Burdell's fiancée, Donna Nu, said she opposes executing him; the Otterstrom and Kirk families want Gardner put to death.

The debate over the method of execution has sparked international interest. News media from across the globe are expected to arrive at the Utah State Prison to cover the execution. Utah officially did away with the firing squad as a method of execution in 2004, but several inmates are "grandfathered in."

The execution is also drawing protests. The group Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty held a prayer vigil at St. Mark's Cathedral at 5:30 p.m., then a rally was held at the state capitol at 9 p.m.

www.fox13now.com

Active-duty Soldier Charged For Overweight Duffel Bag

WILLIS, Texas—A military family from Montgomery County is upset with American Airlines after a soldier was charged an overweight fee for his duffel bag.

Army Spc. Gary Sharpen was home on a two-week leave from his unit in Iraq. Melodie Sharpen said her husband was welcomed home by his family and even strangers.

“People were honking and waving,” Melodie Sharpen said. “One lady even stopped her car and said, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

The time flew by and before she knew it, Melodie Sharpen was dropping her husband back off at Bush Intercontinental Airport to fly back to the desert.

“He was wearing his army fatigues,” Melodie Sharpen said. “He had his backpack, which is Army regulated and he had his luggage.”

Gary Sharpen showed up with one 64-pound duffel bag, which is normally 14 pounds overweight. He wasn’t worried because he knew that American Airlines waived fees for active-duty military personnel.

The airline's policy says “military personnel on orders are allowed one bag in the free allowance up to 100 pounds.”

Sharpen's mother, Laura Lee, said not only was her son charged $50 in overweight fees, but the ticket agent was rude to him.

“I couldn’t imagine anyone treating one of our soldiers like that, telling them “so what” that they’re going back to Iraq,” Lee said.

Airline officials said they waive the fee only if a passenger shows military travel orders, and Gary Sharpen didn’t. His family argued that he wasn’t asked.

Melodie Sharpen said her husband had nothing he could take out of the bag to get it 14 pounds lighter.

“Did they want him to take out the pictures of our family? The toothbrushes that he was bringing over? The extra toothpaste he was bringing over? Deodorant,” she said.

American Airlines officials have agreed to refund Sharpen’s money if they see his travel orders.

However, his family said it’s not about the money, but about common courtesy for an American soldier.

www.khou.com

Men Flip Vehicle Off Man Pinned Underneath

ONLEY -- Four men -- none of them particularly strong -- lifted a Ford Contour off of a 19-year-old man trapped under it on Memorial Day Sunday, likely saving his life with a feat they say could not be repeated under normal circumstances.

I have heard about things like this, but never experienced anything like what happened that day," said Mark Williams, 53, of Onley.

Williams and Greg Lee, 33, who weighs about 160 pounds, were driving north on Redwood Road on May 30 near Onley when they saw a woman in the middle of the road waving for them to stop.

"She was pointing to the field and saying a car was overturned," said Williams, who said the accident occurred about a mile from the turn to enter Nandua Middle School. "From the direction we were driving, we would never have seen it."

When Williams arrived at the scene of the accident some 75 feet off the road, he saw a young woman frantically screaming that her boyfriend was trapped under the car.

"By this time a man who looked to be in his 70s and a Hispanic man, smaller than me -- and I only weigh 150 pounds --were there," said Williams. "I could see the shoes of someone sticking out from under the car. The elderly man said, 'OK, boys, let's lift this car up.' And in one fell swoop, we lifted that car up on its side. I was afraid I was going to see something that would take me a long time to get over."

Under the car was Deshawn Ames, 19, of nearby Melfa, who was pulled gently away from the smoldering car.

"He was gasping for breath, and you could tell he was hurt," said Williams.

Later that day Ames would be transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by Nightingale Air Ambulance. He had suffered a collapsed lung, cracked ribs and a broken pelvis.

Ames, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car after his girlfriend, Joanna Sturgis, 19, lost control of the vehicle after a rear tire blew out.

"I was driving when all of a sudden the car swerved to the right, and I couldn't control it. The next I knew we hit the ditch and the car starting tumbling," said Sturgis, who was told by an eyewitness to the accident that the car flipped three times before coming to rest on its roof.

Sturgis was wearing a seat belt and trapped in the driver's seat when she heard a woman telling her to crawl out.

She told me to unbuckle my seat belt and then helped me to crawl out," said Sturgis, who suffered some facial abrasions and lost some teeth but was otherwise uninjured.

"She asked me if there was anyone else in the car. That's when I couldn't find Deshawn and started screaming. I then heard him yelling, from under the car," said Sturgis.

Ames said he doesn't recall anything from the accident.

"I don't remember the car flipping over. I don't remember being under the car," said Ames Sunday at his home, the day after returning home after a lengthy stay in the hospital.

"I do know I will always wear a seat belt from now on. Tell everyone they should wear a seat belt. I am lucky to be here, and I can thank those men who lifted the car off of me," said Ames.

Once the car was turned on its side to free Ames, someone suggested the men flip the car again to get it upright.

We couldn't budge it," said Williams. "It was one of those situations where adrenaline took over and allowed us to do what was needed to help that man. I don't think we could have moved that car in a normal situation, but it just wasn't his time to go," said Williams, a real-estate agent with Coldwell Banker Harbour Realty.

Sturgis said Onley Fire and Rescue arrived about three minutes after Ames was freed by the good Samaritans.

"It was amazing how quick they responded," said Sturgis. "I couldn't believe they could get there so fast."

"Everyone who helped melted away when the rescue squad got there," said Williams. "No one got names. I don't know the names of the two men who helped Greg and me."

Sturgis said she doesn't know the name of the elderly woman who helped her out of the car nor the woman who flagged down passing motorists.

"I just want to thank everyone who helped. I am so grateful to them all."

Williams, who visited Ames at his home on Sunday, received a big handshake and a hearty thank you. Getting around with the aid of walker, Ames followed Williams outside, where the crumpled car was in the back yard.

Three good-sized friends of Ames, who were also visiting, attempted to lift the car. The tires never cleared the ground.

www.easternshorenews.com

New Chincoteague Bridge Grand Opening

The Grand Opening Ceremony of the new Chincoteague Bridge on September 25 could become an annual event drawing people from all ends of the country. Currently, talks surrounding the event are focusing on creating an annual Chincoteague Marathon to honor the bridge.

Joe Lowry, a consultant of VDOT, said there are currently 3 different plans being discussed, but the one being seriously considered is the marathon. The marathon would be a half marathon, or roughly 13.1 miles, and would be sanctioned by the National Track Association. Lowry predicted the marathon could become a large off-season event which would held businesses on the Eastern Shore after the summer tourism season ends.

Along with the marathon there would be a health and fitness expo where residents and runners could learn how more about staying healthy. Vendors would take part in the event.

Lowry predicted an event such as this would draw up to 1,000 runners. The entry fee would be between $25 and $35 per runner. To set up the marathon and hire medical personel would cost approximately $10,300.

www.shoredailynews.com

Huge Fire Reported ..........

A huge fire has been reported on Folly Farm Lane in Accomac. Several fire departments have responded to the scene.

Use caution if you are in the area.



www.shoredailynews.com

Woman Missing After PHISH Concert Is Found Safe

What gets into these young adults that they just go so senseless at these concerts? Hmmm.... Get a grip on your lives, young people! Do you have to be the victim of tradegy? That's what everyone assumed and rightly so! Take responsibility for yourself. Stay safe and stay alive.



PORTSMOUTH

A 26-year-old woman from Fauquier County who came to see the Phish concert on Tuesday and got separated from her friends has been found safe, the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office said.

She was found in the Washington area and was following the band, authorities said.

Laura J. Pepe traveled to Portsmouth with a group of friends for the Tuesday night show at nTelos Pavilion. After getting separated from her friends and not being found, they returned home to Fauquier County without her.

Lt. James Hartman of the sheriff's office said he spoke with Pepe's father on Thursday morning, and she has been found safe. Her mother reported her missing at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday after Pepe did not return her mother's cell phone calls, Hartman said.

www.hamptonroads.com

Accomack County Sheriff's Department Makes Mutliple Attests

**The people of Accomack County don't like it when thugs break into their homes and take what they want when no one is home. They don't like it at all and refuse to tolerate it. Thank goodness Accomack County has a wonderful Sheriff and good, hardworking men in his deparment that work for the people of this county. You see, that's what your tax dollars are supposed to be paying for....... Good, hardworking men that care and are concerned about crime and the safety of its citizens. And thank goodness at the head of this great storm of men coming through to rid the community of crime in any form, is Accomack County Sheriff Larry Giddens!**

According to Sheriff Larry Giddens, an extensive investigation conducted by the Accomack County Sheriffs Office in connection with several Painter break-ins reported during the months of March and April has led to multiple arrests. The investigation involved three residential break-ins and a break-in at the Gravitys Light clothing store. A variety of items was taken during the break-ins and some of the stolen property was recovered during the investigation.

Michael Lee Sample, Jr., age 25 of Painter, was arrested June 15 on three counts of burglary & and three counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

Spencer Lee Sample, age 53 of Painter, was arrested June 15 on four counts of burglary and 4 counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

James Phillip Johnson, age 37 of Painter, was arrested June 16 on four counts of burglary and four counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

http://www.shoredailynews.com/

Cowger Will Not Seek Reelection As Commissioner

POCOMOKE CITY -- Worcester County Commissioner Bobby Cowger will not seek reelection for the First District seat this fall.

The Pocomoke City resident and local business owner has served two nonconsecutive terms -- the first in the mid-1990s and the second starting in 2006. Being a commissioner has become a full-time commitment, Cowger said, and between running his paving and site development business, he can't put in the hours needed.

"I've just got a lot of other things going on right now," he said. "I'm not saying I won't run again two or three terms down the road, when I'm retired."

Cowger is set to be the only commissioner to step down at the end of this term. However, two others, Commissioners Linda Busick and Virgil Shockley -- both of whom have announced their intentions run -- have not yet filed their candidacy. The deadline to do so is July 6.

Looking back at his time in office, Cowger said he is pleased that the renovations of Pocomoke High School were kept on track and that the three land use departments -- Develop-ment Review and Permitt-ing, Environmental Programs and Compre-hensive Planning -- had been consolidated, streamlining the process for development and home and business improvements.

Cowger, a Democrat, was perhaps most known for his concerns over the county's budgeting process and his calls to run local government more like a business. He was the sole vote in opposition to the 2010-11 spending plan.

"You've got to make your cuts and stay within your means, and I don't think the county did a good job of that," Cowger said, adding that government itself needs to shrink to keep up with falling revenues. "I predict large tax increases over the next term."

Whether that happens will be up to the next set of commissioners, and three men have already stepped forward to fill the District 1 seat. Jimmy Schoolfield, a local business owner and ordained minister, will likely face the winner of the Republican primary between Larry F. Ward and Merrill W. Lockfaw, Jr.

Ward, a Worcester County native, is the proprietor of Ward's Tree Service.

"I'm dead-set against raising taxes because there can be cuts made all over the place," Ward said. If elected Ward plans to push for a four-day, 10-hour work week for all nonessential employees, eliminating energy and maintenance with keeping buildings open an extra day and better serving citizens who cannot make it to county offices during conventional work hours.

In addition, he would institute cross training requirements for county employees to prevent breaks in service and would push for incentives for jobs, especially those that produce environmentally friendly energy and products.

Lockfaw declined to comment for this story. He is currently the superintendent of Worcester's roads division, although is retiring later this month. Until then, Lockfaw said, he is focused on leading his department.

Schoolfield is currently the only Democrat to have filed for the seat.

"I have decided to run for commissioner in District 1 to be a strong voice for the people," he said. "My focus will be on the crime rate in the district, more activities for our youth, educating our youth with after-school programs and more affordable housing."

Schoolfield, an army veteran, was born in New Church but has long-standing family ties to Pocomoke City. As well as being involved with the local NAACP and Democratic Central Committee, he owns Jae's Electric Company and serves as a minister at Georgetown Baptist Church.

www.delmarvanow.com

Crisfield's Mayor's Election Could Could Be Affected By Absentee Votes

CRISFIELD -- Mayor Percy Purnell was leading by 47 votes in Wednesday's city election, but a count of absentee and provisional ballots could change the outcome in the hotly contested mayor's race.

Purnell received 455 votes, followed by James Lane with 408 and former mayor Richard Scott with 14.

Three incumbent City Council members --Raymond Anderson, Barry Dize and Kim Lawson, who were elected with Purnell in 2006 as part of the Clean Sweep Team -- also appeared to be the winners for their at-large seats.

Lane said Wednesday night he was not ready to concede to Purnell.

"It's not over until they count the absentee and provisional ballots," he said.

City elections officials said they mailed out 51 absentee ballots, but the number returned was not immediately available Wednesday night. They will be opened this afternoon.

There also were 17 provisional ballots, as well as some people who were turned away because they were not on city voter lists.

Some of Lane's supporters said they planned to challenge the outcome of the mayor's race.

"We'll take it to the highest court," one woman shouted at reporters. "Put that in the paper."

Lane said he knows of one woman who registered to vote last month, but whose name was not on the list given to city elections officials.

"I'm sure there's going to be some examination of the process," he said.

In the City Council races, Anderson and Dize were clear winners with 513 and 465 votes, respectively, but Lawson, with 422 votes, was only 44 votes ahead of challenger Pamela Whittington, with 378 -- a lead that could change with today's absentee vote count.

Purnell said he was happy with the outcome so far.

"I think it's reassuring at this level of a challenge," he said.

Just before the polls closed, Clean Sweep Team supporters, who had camped outside City Hall all day, predicted it would be a close mayor's race.

"It was hard to tell," said Frederick B. "Fritz" Gerald, a former mayor and city manager. "This morning it was a little bit lopsided, but this evening it evened out."

Preliminary winners

Mayor

James Lane -- 408

Percy Purnell (I) -- 455

Richard Scott -- 14

City Council (3 seats)

Raymond Anderson (I) -- 513

Barry Dize (I) -- 465

Robert Hooks -- 35

Jordan "Bo" Joyner --139

Kim Lawson (I) -- 422

Carolyn Marquis -- 240

Greg Sterling -- 145

Pamela Whittington -- 378

www.somersetherald.com

Don't Forget The Mar-Va Theater This Weekend

Rosecroft Raceway To Close July 1

Rosecroft Raceway, the bankrupt racetrack in Prince George's County, will close July 1 after running out of money to operate — in yet another setback for the ailing horse racing industry in Maryland.

Rosecroft had been struggling for years as it saw a revolving door of owners, stopped running live racing and then lost the right to broadcast simulcast thoroughbred races. Earlier this year, the state legislature rejected a bill sought by the track to legalize poker and table games there.

Meanwhile, the horse racing industry is eagerly waiting for slot-machine profits to revive a sport declining in popularity and losing gamblers to neighboring states. The slots program has had a rocky start as a large casino proposal in Anne Arundel County got caught up in legal battles and the sole bidder for the Baltimore City parlor was tossed out. The first slots parlor in Cecil County is set to open in September.

With Rosecroft's license set to expire in two weeks, Kelley Rogers, president of Rosecroft owner Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc., said Wednesday that he could not vouch for the track's financial viability before the Maryland Racing Commission. The track has been operating essentially as an off-track betting site for the past two years.

Rogers delivered the news Tuesday in a memo to standardbred horsemen and others. In a phone interview, Rogers said most of the racetrack's 200 employees will finish work on Saturday with a skeletal crew remaining to shut down the operations. Rogers blamed the track's demise on an untenable financial arrangement with the state's larger thoroughbred industry.

"Our long struggle is finally over and we have come to an end," Rogers wrote in the memo, which has been posted on the website of the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners' Association, the parent of Cloverleaf Enterprises. "Unfortunately, despite all of our best efforts we could not escape the unreasonable demands of the thoroughbred industry and they have succeeded in putting us out of business."

Rosecroft's closure leaves Ocean Downs, which plans to open a small slots operation later this year, as the state's only harness track. Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the Preakness Stakes, and Laurel Park are thoroughbred tracks.

"It's never good news when a racetrack closes when you're in the racetrack business," said John Franzone, a longtime member of the racing commission.

Rosecroft has been mired in a bitter fight with the thoroughbred industry — namely the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the Maryland Horse Breeders Association — over an agreement that required the track to pay $5.9 million a year to receive simulcast signals for thoroughbred racing. At the time of Rosecroft's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last June, the racetrack owed $1.8 million.

Alan Foreman, attorney for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, flatly rejected Rogers' characterization of the arrangement. Foreman said Rosecroft breached the agreement when it stopped making payments. As a result, the racing commission revoked Rosecroft's right to receive thoroughbred racing simulcast signals.

"We made no demands on the harness industry. Zero. ... Their situation is totally self-inflicted," Foreman said. "We would have been happy to work with them had they come to us in the beginning. Here we are. It's sad."

For the standardbred horsemen, breeders and others in the harness industry, the track's closure is a bitter ending for a once-popular venue for live racing. The track's bankruptcy protection will convert to a Chapter 7 liquidation, Rogers said.

Betsy Brown, a standardbred horsewoman, trainer and driver who has lived at Rosecroft and stabled her horses there for 20 years, was preparing Wednesday to move her 10 horses to the fairgrounds in Woodstock, Va.

"We were hoping for a miracle to the end. It just didn't happen," said Brown, who saw her income drop by half when Rosecroft suspended live racing in 2008. "It's really sad. Some of the people don't know where they're going and time is running out."

Rogers said all stable occupants will leave by June 28.

Horse racing and slots have been a political hot button for many years as lawmakers, racing interests and others sought to find ways to revive the industry.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, who used to visit Rosecroft with his father and brother, said there was never any chance slots would have been approved for the Fort Washington racetrack because Prince George's County's elected officials opposed it.

He added that state officials would "do everything we possibly can to help people displaced."

Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who is seeking to unseat O'Malley in a rematch this November, characterized Rosecroft's closure as the end of an era in Maryland racing and called it a "sobering reminder of state government's failure to design a viable gaming program."

Rosecroft opened in 1949 and has had a history of financial troubles and owners who have come and gone.

The track saw some deals fall apart because prospects for legalized slots in Maryland never materialized until 2007. That year, Penn National Gaming, which owns the Cecil County parlor, dropped its bid to buy Rosecroft when the track was not designated as a site for slot machines. And the family of Peter G. Angelos pulled out of a deal in 2005 when chances for legalizing gambling at tracks dimmed.

Rosecroft wasn't designated a slots site in legislation that legalized such gambling and sent the issue to a November 2008 referendum, which voters approved. Under the program, slots proceeds would be dedicated to horse racing purses and track improvements, but that revenue hasn't yet materialized.

It seemed as though things would turn around for Rosecroft when real estate developer Mark Vogel, a former owner of the harness track, stepped up last year and agreed to buy the financially beleaguered property. But while stockholders of Rosecroft approved the track's sale to Vogel, a Delaware bankruptcy judge rejected the deal.

Vogel said Wednesday that he wanted to keep the track operating, but he said "the real issue is Rosecroft has no revenue source."

"We don't have live racing and thoroughbred turned off the simulcast signals," he said.

For the three months ending March 31, Cloverleaf lost $520,712, according to financial documents submitted to the racing commission. The company reported a net loss of $1.39 million in 2008, the most recent annual financial report submitted to the racing commission. The company also reported losses in 2007 and 2006, according to financial documents.

Earlier this year, the track pushed efforts to allow poker, blackjack and other table games, but the legislation did not gain enough traction in the General Assembly, despite the backing of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

"We moved heaven and earth to save the Preakness a couple of years ago, which I'm fully supportive of, yet when it comes to saving 200 jobs in the African-American community in Prince George's County, nobody seems to give a damn," Rogers said.

But Vogel is not giving up on the possibility of a state bailout or another last-minute rescue.

"We are hoping that we have political leaders in Maryland who don't want Rosecroft closed and 200 jobs to evaporate," he said. "And what we're looking for is a simulcast agreement.

www.baltimoresun.com

Losing Rosecroft is like losing a friend. Tsk. Tsk.... Maryland. It's a shame you didn't work a little faster to help those 200 hundred people keep their jobs AND save Rosecroft. Those people will find jobs eventually.......maybe......but horse racing in Maryland will be changed forever. ........At least that's the way I see it.

Virginia Man On No-Fly List Stuck In Egypt

Yahya Wehelie, 26, who was born in Fairfax, Virginia, to Somali parents was returning from 18 months studying in Yemen, when Egyptian authorities stopped him from boarding his flight to New York saying the FBI wanted to speak with him.

Wehelie said he was then told his name was on a no-fly list and he now cannot board a U.S. airline or enter American airspace.

U.S. authorities have put Americans studying in Yemen under heavy scrutiny after a number of failed terrorist attacks were linked back to Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen.

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said the bureau does not comment on whether a particular person is on a watch list. While Bresson did not discuss the FBI's interest in Wehelie, he did note several recent high-profile terror plots, including an attempted car bombing and a failed Christmas Day jetliner bombing, as reminders of the need to remain vigilant.

Wehelie, however, said he had no dealings with the terrorist organization while in Yemen and does not even see himself as a particularly observant Muslim.

"It's amazing how the U.S. government can do something like this," he told The Associated Press Wednesday from his ramshackle hotel in downtown Cairo.

"I'm cool with all their fighting terrorism and all that, I'm cool with that, I like that, more power too them," he said in American accented English, wearing baggy basketball shorts and a long white T-shirt.

"My home is America and I don't know why I can't go back there," he said, adding that he even suggested to the FBI to "put me in like ConAir or something ... in an airplane with a bunch of U.S. marshals or whatever in handcuffs just get me back home."

Wehelie said the US embassy has not given him any indication of how he can get off the no-fly list, but for now is paying the $16 a night for his hotel and gives him coupons to eat at U.S. fast food chains.

In a news conference held in Washington by a Muslim civil rights group, his mother Shamsa Noor, said she sent her sons to Yemen to learn Arabic and get some direction in their lives and now she feels guilty for that decision.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the U.S. government in the press conference to allow him to return home.

An Egyptian security official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media confirmed that there is a Somali-American stranded in Cairo waiting for his name to be lifted from a no-fly list.

www.wavy.com

Democrat Congressman Bob Etheridge Assaults Student on Washington Sidewalk

Well Mr Bob Etheridge all I can say is you should feel very, very lucky that you did not treat one of my sons or someone like myself the way you treated this young college person.

This is completely unbelievable not to mention illegal and this democrat congress-critter Bob Etheridge should be in jail right now. This IS the liberals true colors people, they hold claim to their better than you patients and tolerance but like everything else that crosses their lips, it's a lie unless of course they do see someone that will fight back then they run scared, find the nearest corner, curl-up in the fetal position and cry, oh! they do that if they don't get their way too.

Etheridge did write an apology which he is very lucky he can do, write that is, because if he'd grabbed the wrong person like that the wrong way, (lets say like any little girl that happened to be in a bad mood) he might have had that hand broken.

BTW: He looks drunk or probably high to me in the video, liberals do love their weed ya know.

Three days after an Internet video surfaced showing North Carolina Rep. Bob Etheridge in a physical confrontation with a young man, the lawmaker said he is "profoundly" sorry for the tussle on a Washington street.

Etheridge, a Democrat, is seen in an amateur video grabbing the wrist and neck of an unidentified young man after the man approached the congressman and asked if he supported the "Obama agenda."

"I apologize for my actions," Etheridge told reporters during a press conference Monday. "They were unacceptable."

"No matter how partisan and no matter how difficult things get sometimes, that's no excuse for my response," he added, shortly after releasing a written statement in which he said he "profoundly" regrets the incident.

The video, posted to YouTube last Friday, shows the man, who appears to be in his early 20s and who identifies himself as a student, approaching Etheridge on the sidewalk.

Etheridge is then seen trying to snatch a cell phone camera out of the student's hands. He then grabs the man's wrist and refuses to let go.

"Who are you!" the seven-term congressman demands. "Tell me who you are ... I have a right to know who you are."

Another man, not seen on camera, then tells Etheridge, "We're just here for a project."

When the man asks Etheridge to "please let go of me," the congressman then grabs him by the neck.

Etheridge told reporters that he hasn't apologized to the young men involved because "I dont know who they are."

"I would if I knew who they were," he said.

"I've been spat at, pushed and threatened before but that's no excuse," he added, saying that the incident occurred after a "long day."

In a statement Monday, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jon Thompson said, "Bob Etheridge has lost it.

"His conduct is unbecoming of a member of Congress. It's bad enough that he's joined Obama's assault on North Carolina jobs, but his physical assault on a college student goes beyond the pale."

Mike Flynn, a conservative blogger for biggovernment.com, wrote that the confrontation occurred last week outside a fundraiser headlined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The video, which was posted on YouTube by "DCCameraGuy," does not reveal the identity of the men making the tape.

Etheridge, who has represented North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District since 1997, is running for re-election against Republican Renee Ellmers, a registered nurse, in November. Political observers have predicted that the 68-year-old congressman will likely hold on to his seat.

Etheridge, a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, voted in favor of President Obama's health care overhaul legislation as well as the Democratic climate change bill known by opponents as cap-and-trade.

Click here to see the video

FOXNEWS

Hot-Air Balloon Crash

This was a horrible event, luckily for the pilot the Balloon was not traveling at a high rate of speed during the collision. Bystanders nearby were heard screaming "Oh shit!!" literally.

911 was called and emergency, ambulance's and rescue squads geared up for the horrific scene, The police were first on the site and while the police did survey from a distance they were able to assess that no one was injured do to the $0.35 Dollar General gondola and the safety measures taken by Waste Management.

All emergency personnel and equipment were canceled but extra response trucks and personnel from Charmin were needed. Cleanup crews have estimated that cleanup will only take a few hours providing no clogs or dangerous logs roll out.

When the Pilot was asked what he thought was going to go down? He stated "some folks will try to stir the crap and this whole thing will create a stink but in the end it will all come out in the wash".

Until then I guess we'll all just have to wait to see what floats.









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Possible Bigfoot sighting

NC man claims to have seen Bigfoot

NORTH CAROLINA, (WAVY) - A North Carolina man says there's a Sasquatch running about in the woods near his home.

Tim Peeler told news outlets he was making coyote calls in the mountains when he called out for something he didn't expect.

Peeler reported to police that he heard scratching and grunting sounds, and saw the creature near his home. He claims he yelled at the 10-foot-tall beast.

"That's when it took off into the woods. And I said, get away from here, get...And he went back down that path again."

Police filed an official suspicious persons report.

Investigators say there have been a number of Bigfoot sightings in the North Carolina mountains over the years

VIA: WAVY.com

Then Here's a video with a tiny bit more detail than the one posted above.

Accident On Eastern Shore Kills One

ACCOMACK, Va. - Police are investigating a deadly accident on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The accident happened around 2:08 am on June 16 on Rt. 13 just south of Rt. 677.

Police say there was a head-on collision between a Subaru and a Toyota Tacoma.

Subaru passenger, John R. Lutz Jr. of Hazeltown, Pennyslvania died on the scene. He was 32 years old.

Subaru driver, Brooke Evans, is being charged with reckless driving.

www.wavy.com

Alleged Leader Of The Patterson Park BLOODS Is Indicted

The alleged leader of a Southeast Baltimore Bloods gang was indicted by a federal grand jury on drugs and weapons charges, federal prosecutors announced.

Kevin Chambers, also known as "BK" and "Kaos," is alleged to have led a gang called the Rollin' 20's Bloods that sold large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin along Fayette Street, around one of the city's most persistently troubled areas, and in Patterson Park.

The indictment comes about two weeks after two men were shot within an hour in the nearby McElderry Park neighborhood, and two sources told The Baltimore Sun at the time that the shooting was believed to stem from a dispute between the Rollin' 20's Bloods and a group called the Lueders Park Pirus.

"We are pulling out all the stops to accelerate federal violent crime and gang cases in an effort to head off additional shootings this summer and continue to build on the positive momentum of recent years," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in an e-mail.

Court papers allege that Rollin' 20's members possessed and distributed firearms and committed acts of violence, including armed robberies and assaults, though it does not detail those incidents.

Chambers, 29, of the 1100 block of N. Milton Ave. had been indicted May 25 in Baltimore Circuit Court and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for drug conspiracy charges and a maximum of 20 years for gun conspiracy charges.

www.baltimoresun.com

FREE Phones At T-Mobile On Saturday

On Saturday, June 19, every phone in every T-Mobile store is free. This is a first-of-its-kind promotion, which includes even the most recently released phones such as the myTouch 3G Slide and the Garminfone.

To take advantage of the offer you must switch to any family plan, or add a new line to an existing family plan. Each contract comes with a two-year agreement, of course.

Other bargain and tech bloggers have suggested that the Nexus One may not be a part of this deal. T-Mobile's press contact confirms that it is a part of this sale. No phones are excluded

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Some phone tips you might be able to use..........

The Daily Press mobile manager Amber Nettles had this to say about the sale:

If you can get a Nexus One for free with a contract, do it. The phone features a 1 GHz Qualcomm processor, 5MP camera with autofocus, LED flash and 2X digital zoom, and a 3.7-inch touch screen. From personal experience (I own a G1 and my friends own other T-Mobile phones), the Nexus One is the best phone available through T-Mobile, at this time.

Former Blackberry users (or just those accustomed to having physical keyboard) might want to try out the new MyTouch 3G Slide: a mid-range Android-based phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. The latest MyTouch iteration includes a physical keyboard, 3.4-inch touchscreen and a 5MP camera with autofocus and flash.

A new offer recently revealed is the Garminfone, another Android-powered device, which combines the Garmin navigation system with the functionality of a smartphone. Specifications (which couldn't be found on the T-Mobile site, but were listed on Garmin's) include an impressive memory (4GB Flash), a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen and a 3MP autofocus camera.

Non-Android fans should try the powerful HTC HD2, a Windows mobile phone, or the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The HD2 features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5MP camera with autofocus and an LED flash, a 4.3-inch capacitative touchscreen and the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

The Blackberry Bold 9700 features a 3.2MP camera, a 2.44-inch screen, an optical trackpad, physical keyboard and the beloved Blackberry operating system.

Finally, there's a slim chance T-Mobile's Galaxy S will make it to stores in time for Saturday. The phone, which just passed through the FCC (as reported by androidcommunity.com), should have the following: 720p video recording, a 1GHz processor and a 5MP camera. The big draw, however, is the rumored Atmel maXTouch screen, which is said to be 2-3 times faster than current multi-touch displays (by having a response time of 7 milliseconds). I doubt T-Mobile would unveil that phone on Saturday, but keep an eye out for it in the future.

www.dailypress.com

Members of the OUTLAWS Motorcycle Gang Are Indicted By Grand Jury

Twenty-three members of the Outlaws motorcycle gang have been indicted by a grand jury in Virginia on charges they were part of a complex criminal enterprise that engaged in assaults, kidnapping, drug dealing, illegal gambling and even attempted murder, federal authorities announced Tuesday.

Among those charged is Mark Steven Fiel, known as "Snuff," 59, who officials say is president of the Outlaws' Manassas/Shenandoah Valley chapter. Four other alleged members of that Virginia chapter were indicted. So was Jack Rosga, a.k.a. "Milwaukee Jack," 53, the Outlaws' national boss.

The 50-page indictment, handed up Thursday and unsealed Tuesday, provides a window into what authorities say is a highly organized and violent gang that operates using a well-defined chain of command and a strict code.

Members, who become part of the gang only by a unanimous chapter vote that follows a probationary period, earn patches to show their loyalty. They pay dues, can be taxed to cover a member's legal costs and may be beaten if they break club rules, according to the indictment.

The Outlaws' "entire environment revolves around violence," said Neil H. MacBride, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the indictment was secured.

He said authorities have been working to dismantle the gang, and court papers show that some undercover officers have infiltrated its ranks.

Authorities allege that the Outlaws, with Rosga at the helm, were trying to expand their influence nationwide and targeted rival gangs, especially Hells Angels. Gang leaders in several states, including Virginia, Wisconsin, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee were charged.

The indictment lays out violent incidents across the country:

In 2005, Outlaws ran a rival gang member who was on a motorcycle off the road in New Hampshire and left him injured after taking his vest, the indictment states. script>

Three members followed and shot a Hells Angels member in Maine in October 2009, seriously injuring him. In December, a member kidnapped and threatened an undercover Knoxville, Tenn., officer who was posing as a gang member.

Court papers say Fiel and others launched a Virginia chapter in 2006, even reaching an agreement with the Pagans motorcycle gang to share the territory.

In one of the Virginia chapter's early acts, court papers say, members planned a "show of force" against Hells Angels members, court papers say. Outlaw members showed up at the March 2006 Cycle Expo in Richmond prepared for a "violent engagement." But law enforcement got wind of the potential problem and refused to let Outlaws and Pagans inside, the papers say.

Outlaw members take pride in breaking the law, according to the indictment. Members can earn a "One Percent" patch, a decoration created in a response to a 1940s proclamation by the American Motorcycle Association that 99 percent of motorcycle club members are law-abiding. Outlaws with the patch are in the "other one percent," the indictment says.

According to the indictment, in November 2008, one Virginia member punched a black man at a Fredericksburg bar, simply because of his race. The Outlaw called the man to his table and asked for a light, the indictment states. When the man obliged, the Outlaw struck him

Outlaw members also are accused of planning to blow up a Richmond tattoo shop owned by a Hells Angel member, keeping guns in a clubhouse in Manassas and dealing drugs.

www.washingtonpost.com

Virginia Marine Resources Commission Plans To Hire 10 New Officers

Virginia will hire 10 marine police officers, a near 15 percent staff increase at an agency that's seen heavy budget cuts.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission spokesman John Bull says the officers will be hired within the next two weeks and will boost the commission's numbers to 78 officers and administrative employees.

A state budget cut that the commission had anticipated didn't materialize, leaving the agency with money to hire the officers. Each officer's salary and benefits typically cost the state $54,000 annually.

www.shoredailynews.com

9 and 10 Year Old Kids Vandalize Church

Can you believe this?? FIVE (yes, I said five) kids......children.......vandalized nothing other than a church!! This is just unbelievable. Every room in the church was vandalized by this scrawny little brats! What kind of parents raise children like this? Why weren't these children in their own houses? Don't children stay inside most of the times these days? Where WERE the parents?
I can honestly tell you that if anything like this had been done by my hands at that age (or any age) I wouldn't be alive to be posting this article today. My father would have been so angry, embarrassed, and disappointed that he would have made me scrub every inch of that church until it was back into its original condition. I won't mention the a** whipping I would have gotten.........and then he probably would have moved the family to the next state leaving me behind. I'm not kidding.

I saw one of the little "whippersnappers" on TV saying he "didn't mean to do it". OH??? I wonder what he meant to do?

This really rocked my world!

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Five children are charged in a church vandalism Norfolk police are calling the worst they've ever seen in the city.

They were all arrested on felony vandalism and burglary charges.

Police spokesperson Chris Amos told WAVY.com officers arrested three 9 year old boys, a 9 year old girl and a 10 year old boy in connection with the crime. They were all turned over to their parents.

The suspects were not released to the juvenile detention center because of their age.

The crime occurred at the Christ First Community Fellowship church at 133 Woodview Avenue sometime between morning and evening services Sunday, June 13. Amos said the church was trashed; every room was damaged, including the sanctuary. They broke windows, turned the lectern upside down, tossed everything on the floor and even coated rooms with a fire extinguisher.

The children that were arrested lived in the same neighborhood as the crime and had previously gone to the church, Amos said.

After learning of the arrests, a church member told WAVY.com "Everyone should be forgiven, I believe that. The Lord forgives us, but we need to be held accountable for our actions."

The Commonwealth's Attorney will decide what punishment to pursue against the young suspects.

If you would like to provide donations or help the church out in any way, you may contact them at (757) 489-1987, or visit them at 133 Woodview Ave., Norfolk.


www.wavy.com

Dolphins Find Device Lost By the Navy

VIRGINIA BEACH

Chalk one up for the mammals.

Navy dolphins found an underwater surveillance device that went astray during a military exercise last week in Thimble Shoals Channel, the Navy announced Monday.

The device, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle, or UUV, was one of four that lost contact with its operators.

The Navy uses the robotic devices to search for underwater explosives. Some commentators have predicted they’ll one day replace the specially trained dolphins that have had that duty for decades.

The 5-foot-long, 80-pound torpedo-shaped vehicles, which cost $250,000 each, are equipped with side-scanning sonar and camera equipment. They transmit data back to shore to be analyzed.

When the four went missing, the Navy launched a broad search, using other UUVs, teams of searchers on shore and spotters in the air. Four minehunting dolphins from San Diego here to participate in the same exercise, called Frontier Sentinel, also were put on the case.

In the end, mammals succeeded where computers failed. Navy divers retrieved the missing vehicle after a dolphin located it, said Lt. Cmdr. Susan Henson, a spokeswoman for the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.

The search for the other three vehicles has been called off, Henson said, but it’s still possible they could turn up. The vehicles should not be handled – if any are spotted, the finder should call (619) 921-6782.

www.hamptonroads.com

Rehabilitated Turtles Released Back Into Natural Habitat

The release of 12 rehabilitated Kemp's ridley turtles into the warm waters off Cape Charles, VA the morning of June 15 may help future oil-contaminated sea turtles. The Virginia Aquarium and the New England Aquarium have combined their "patients" for this release so that "beds" in their individual facilities might be available for oiled turtles from the Gulf of Mexico.

These highly endangered sea turtles were returned to their natural habitat at the end of Randolph Ave. beside the Cape Charles Beach Gazebo this morning at 11:00 AM.

Ten of the Kemp's ridleys came from the New England Aquarium. These turtles stranded in Cape Cod Bay in November and December, suffering from cold stunning, a condition that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to extremely cold water. Their patients names have a National Parks theme: Saguaro; Valley Forge; Yucca House; Buck Island Reef (the smallest turtle which came in at 2.16 lbs. and is now a whopping 4.41 lbs.; Lassen Volcanic; Ulysses S. Grant (nicknamed by volunteers as "the General"; Lowell (not named after Mike Lowell from the Red Sox); Pinnacles (the largest turtle who weighs 13.56 lbs.); Pecos; and Ellis Island.

Common symptoms associated with cold stunning are dehydration, lethargy, and starvation. According to New England Aquarium staff, Yucca House came in with an undetectable heart rates via their Doppler and had to have an ultrasound done to make sure the turtle was still alive. Both Lassen Volcanic and Lowell had severe pneumonia early on in the rehabilitation process and underwent nebulization therapy to help clear the lungs.

The "local" Kemps ridleys who rehabbed at the Virginia Aquarium Marine Animal Care Center are "Stormin Norman" and "Kalikimaka." Stormin' Norman stranded during the November 20, 2009, Nor'easter. He was cold-stunned with a few scratches and a head injury. According to Aquarium staff, Norman initially weighed 2.87 lbs. and he has "fattened-up to 8.71 lbs. while awaiting warmer waters for his release.

"Kalikimaka," named after the Hawaiian phrase "Mele Kalikimaka" meaning Merry Christmas, was found by a couple on Virginia Beachs Sandbridge Beach December 23, 2009. Kalikimaka was emaciated, cold-stunned, missing one rear flipper, and had severe trauma to both eyes. The Kemps ridley was treated with internal antibiotics as well as drops for its eyes. Kalikimaka has retained sight in both eyes and swims as if he had both
rear flippers. The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program's mission is to promote the conservation of marine animal species through stranding response, research, rehabilitation and education. It is largely a volunteer-basedgroup operating from the Aquarium's Marine Animal Care Center in Virginia Beach. The program is supported by the Virginia Aquarium Foundation through donations from the community, and grant-making organizations.

To report a dead or live stranded marine mammal or sea turtle call the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program 24-hour hotline at (757) 437-6159.

www.shoredailynews.com

Melson Power Show Is the Place To Be This Weekend!

Big THRILL for race fans on Friday night...... 4-wheel drive trucks running the 200 foot dirt drags in 4 SECONDS and LESS!!! THESE TRUCKS FLY!! IF YOU BLINK YOU WILL MISS IT!!!

Also, Lawn tractor pulls (I know there are alot of those fans out there) pulling the sled.

Saturday night Sled Pull and the 4-wheel drive trucks in competion for points in the Mud Hop!

Come on Pocomoke and surrounding areas!!

Get out of the house and enjoy the evening in the country! Pick your favorite driver and you will have all summer to follow them from Gumboro Mudbog and back to Melson.

And guess what?! Here's the good part, I think! This brain storm has come from someone that was raised in Pocomoke!!

And no, I'm not telling you.

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

AWOL Man Tries To Enter Fort MacDill With Weapons

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A man arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with weapons and ammunition in his car is a serviceman listed as being absent without leave, base officials said Tuesday.

Air Force Col. Dave Cohen released few new details about Monday night's arrest at the base that houses the U.S. command center for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But Cohen said it doesn't appear to have been a terrorism attempt. He did not release the serviceman's name, his military branch or the name of the woman who was with him. Both are in their mid-20s, Cohen said. The woman is not connected to the military.

Investigators were still trying to get to the bottom of the couple's motivation and intent, Cohen said.

"We've been talking to them since last night trying to get information, and we're still trying to put that puzzle together," he said.

The couple's Honda CRV contained three handguns, three rifles and some ammunition, Cohen said. He described them as "military style" but commercially available.

He said they tried to drive onto the base at about 5 p.m. at a remote gate and flashed phony military identification. A security officer working the gate became suspicious, and the couple cooperated when they were asked by officers to get out of the car.

When the weapons were found, a bomb disposal unit was called to examine the car, Cohen said. No explosives were found.

"At no point was the security of MacDill Air Force Base breached," he said. "The system worked exactly as it was supposed to."

Cohen said there was no indication yet that either the serviceman or his companion were connected to the Tampa base. Military and federal prosecutors are discussing charges, he said.

MacDill, situated on a peninsula south of downtown Tampa, is the home of U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also houses the U.S. Special Operations Command that coordinates the activities of elite units from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

Last month, an FBI agent who was at the base on unrelated business fatally shot a Vietnam veteran after an altercation. The veteran had been staying at the family campground on the base. Officials said he came at the agent with a knife before he was killed.

www.wavy.com

Armed Robbery In Pocomoke

POCOMOKE CITY, Md.- The publics help is needed in identifying three suspects wanted in an armed robbery that occurred at the Goose Creek/ Arbys in Pocomoke last Wednesday.


Detectives with the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations say that at around 11:40 p.m. June 9, three suspects entered the Goose Creek/Arby's located on Stockton Road and demanded money. The suspects, one of whom was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun, were given an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene.

According to police, one of the suspects was described as a

SUSPECT #1 - in his late teens to early 20s, 6-foot-tall, thin build, and wearing a long-sleeve white shirt, dark blue jeans and black ski mask.

SUSPECT # 2 - was described as a black male, between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10, medium build and wearing a black T-shirt, face mask and blue jeans.

SUSPECT #3 -was described as a black male, 5-foot-10, medium build, and wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, face mask and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about the identities of the suspects, or has information regarding the robbery, is asked to contact the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack at (410) 641-3101 or the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations at (410) 352-3476.

Northampton County Elementary Schools ONLY

The Northampton County School Board Office has announced both Northampton County Elementary Schools will be releasing students early at 1:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday due to air-conditioning issues.

This is only for the Northampton County Elementary Schools, NOT the middle or high school.

96 -Year-Old Volunteer Still Helping Others

This gentleman seems to always have a wonderful day every day! Helping others and staying busy just seems to keep this 96 year old on the go. At the age of 96 he probably knows the days well enough to not need the alarm clock and goes to bed after "setting his agenda for the next day" in his head then wakes in the morning and seeks to meet his goal. Remarkable!


Charles Pollard offers advice on how he's lived to be 96 and remained so healthy: "I keep active, every day." That's another way of saying that he helps others.

Pollard, who never seems to stop moving, has been a volunteer at downtown Baltimore's Waxter Center for senior citizens since 1976. He holds the center's record for continuous service.

Most days of the week he drives his Buick to the Mount Vernon building, where he starts the coffee urns at 7:30 a.m. He also cleans the tables and has the dining area organized for the other seniors who begin their day here with breakfast at the center's Eating Together Meal program. Then he washes the breakfast trays and spruces the place up again for lunch. If he has the time, he'll shoot a little pool.

"He is always willing to jump in at any time," said Kenya Cousin, director of the senior center. "He is a proactive person. His answer is always yes."

Among his many roles, Pollard has also worked in adult day care. He rode a bus to their homes, assisted them as they rode to the center, then helped with meals.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and MetLife Foundation recently honored him with its 2010 MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Award for his "exemplary contribution" to his community and his promotion of "volunteering among older adults nationwide."

Pollard does not look his age. Erect and slim, with unwrinkled skin, he says he keeps young by helping people. He also keeps his own house, rides an exercise bike daily and is an usher at the Enon Baptist Church, where he's been a member for more than 60 years. He's also an animated talker.

A native of Gloucester County, Va., he was the fourth of nine children who all grew up on a farm.

"I did a lot of hard work, but I was young then and it was fun," he said.

An uncle owned cars and Pollard learned to drive when he was 13. He practiced driving along rows of harvested corn. He quickly tells you his first car was a 1927 Chevrolet. He's owned and driven many more since then.

Because he could drive, Pollard found a job with a dairy. He picked up milk cans and later made home deliveries. By the 1930s, he had enrolled in a federal program, the Civilian Conservation Corps. He lived in a camp and cut trails through forests.

Pollard helped raise his siblings and after all had left the family home, he moved to Baltimore in about 1940. He joined the Army during World War II and served in an engineering unit.

"We landed at Anzio Beach," he said. "I saw plenty of action. I drove nearly every vehicle the Army had. And being a country boy, I could do practically anything I was asked to."

He drove trucks while under attack and also had the job of digging graves for the dead.

Pollard was called up again during the Korean War and served a second time.

He settled on being a bricklayer and then joined Procter & Gamble at its Locust Point plant in South Baltimore. He repaired the brick firewalls within the plant's furnaces and also wound up making the Ivory soap before retiring at age 62.

Not willing to do nothing, he walked into the Waxter Center and started a second career as a volunteer. That was more than 30 years ago.

"What can I say? I like to be busy and I like to work," he said.

www.baltimoresun.com

Local Couple Saves Dog Swimming In the Middle of The Bay

It was a regular day for local business owner Carol Crockett and Tom Waller. The two set out from Morley's Wharf to try and catch a fish before heading to Waller's parent's house for dinner. They headed to the Navigation tower near the middle of the Bay. There wasn't much biting because there were skates everywhere. All the sudden the two spotted a large black object swimming in the water.

Crockett and Waller directed their 16' Carolina Skiff in the direction of the object.

"We moved closer to get a better look thinking it was injured, maybe a seal or sea turtle or maybe Chessie," recalled Crockett. "It was a dog in 40 feet of water. A black lab. And not another boat in sight."

Once Tom had gotten close to the dog and hoisted her up into the boat, the dog collapsed from exhaustion. Once the dog had regained her energy, she began to cry out looking back at the Navigation tower.

"Tom aimed the skiff for shore again and within 20 minutes we finally spotted another boat," said Crockett. "It appeared to be headed right for us with someone high up in the crow's nest seat scanning the water. As we got closer, he saw the dog in our boat and started clapping over his head. The dog saw his 'pet' and the tail wagging started and the happy barking began."

The 16' Skiff followed the much larger boat into shallower water and returned the lab, named "Jazmine", to her rightful owner. Had the couple not been out there, there is no telling whether the dog would have been able to survive for the 20 minutes they waited for the boat to appear.

www.shoredailynews.com

1812 Themed License Plate Unveiled In Maryland

GLEN BURNIE, Md. -- The red glare of brake lights on vehicles across Maryland will illuminate new 1812-themed license plates.

The state Motor Vehicle Administration will begin issuing the new license plates Monday as part of the agency's centennial celebration.

The plates depict Baltimore's Fort McHenry and bombs bursting in air during the 1814 battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the "Star Spangled Banner," the poem that was later set to music and became the national anthem.

The new design will remain the standard-issue plate until June 2015.

The MVA's predecessor, the Office of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, was founded in 1910.

www.baltimoresun.com

Census Worker Fatally Shot In Southeast Baltimore

A U.S. Census worker was killed while dropping off a co-worker in Southeast Baltimore last week, according to police and the Census Bureau.

Spencer Williams, 22, was found shot June 7 inside his vehicle, which had pulled onto a median in the 1100 block of New Hope Circle, police said. He died Friday morning at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Williams was a crew leader responsible for a group of census takers who are doing follow-up visits at the homes of people who did not mail in their questionnaires by April, a Census Bureau spokeswoman confirmed. Malkia McLeod confirmed a Washington Post report that Williams was returning home after driving a co-worker home at the end of the day, and was considered to still be on the job.

Police and census officials said the shooting was not believed to be related to any census field work but was considered an on-the-job death. Officials were investigating the death as possibly domestic-related. Spencer did not have a criminal record.

Since the Census Bureau began making follow-up house calls in late April, workers across the country have been harmed or threatened 252 times, McLeod said. That includes 11 times when shots were fired at them, and 86 times when they were threatened with weapons such as guns, axes and crossbows.

Also, police said a man who was shot early Sunday in the 200 block of N. Rose St. has died. Police found Avon Beasley, 25, lying in a rear yard, suffering from a single gunshot wound to the torso about 2 a.m. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:50 a.m.

Beasley had multiple drug convictions, most recently in 2007, and a handgun conviction. Police do not have a suspect or know of a motive in his killing.

www.baltimoresun.com