Illegal Immigrant Charged With Negligent Driving Killing Passenger

A 22-year-old Hyattsville man has been charged with negligent driving after police say he crashed his car while driving drunk on I-83 early Monday, killing his passenger.

Freddy Cortez Flores, who police say is an illegal immigrant, was driving northbound on I-83 just before 1 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed over the right lanes, striking a Jersey wall near Guilford Avenue. Police say he was driving 65 miles an hour in a 40 mile-per-hour zone.

Cortez Flores' passenger, Carlos O. Cardoza Portillo, was wearing his seat belt but was partially ejected and dragged against the Jersey wall for 567 feet before the vehicle came to rest, police said. Portillo was pronounced dead at the scene.

When officers arrived at the scene, they noted Cortez Flores' speech was slurred and detected a strong odor of alcohol, according to charging documents. A Spanish-speaking officer interviewed Cortez Flores, who said he had swerved to avoid an unknown vehicle that had swerved into his lane.

Cortez Flores told the officer that he had consumed four beers, records show. At the Central District station, his blood alcohol level was determined to be 0.09.

Police said Cortez Flores, who had a valid Maryland driver's license, is in the country illegally, and officers contacted an agent from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who placed an immigration detainer on him.

www.baltimoresun.com

Six Alleged Gang Members Indicted

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY/AP) - A grand jury has indicted six alleged "Dump Squad" gang members Wednesday, according to the Unites States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia.

The indictment stems from charges against the alleged gang members in March 2009.

The six alleged gang members were indicted on a total of 29 charges, including multiple murders, attempted murders, robberies, assaults, arson, narcotics distribution and weapons violations, according to a release from the U.S. District Attorney's Office.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of 20 years and up to life in prison, depending on the charge. The murder charges may be punishable by death.According to court documents, the six men were members of the "Dump Squad," a criminal organization that operates in the Ridley Circle, Harbor Homes and Dickerson Court areas of Newport News, Va. The defendants established the power and prestige of the gang through violence, including the murders of Rashed Caudle on Aug. 9, 2003, and Lorenzo Thomas on Sept. 12, 2005.

The indictment also alleges the gang members attempted to murder at least three individuals and robbed others at gunpoint. The defendants are charged with financially supporting the enterprise by trafficking illegal drugs, including crack cocaine and marijuana.

In addition, the indictment connects defendants to some alleged acts in a March 2009 indictment of 11 Dump Squad gang members, all of whom pled guilty. These acts include the conspiracy to murder Tony Vaughan on Dec. 24, 2007, and the attempt to burn and set fire to the Newport News Police Department's High Impact Patrol Station located in the Harbor Homes apartment complex in Newport News, Va.

All residents of Newport News, Va., the defendants charged in the indictment are the following:

Perry Cousins, a/k/a "Pzo," 25

Darryl Vaughn, a/k/a "T-Tot" and "Toni Roni," 22

Kevin Vaughn, a/k/a "Hawk," 23

Jayson Bryan, a/k/a "J-Money," 20

Monquay Williams, a/k/a "Quay," 20

Haywood Lockhart, 22

Eleven Dump Squad members indicted in March 2009 have pleaded guilty.

FBI special agent in charge Alex Turner says the investigation will continue until the gang is dismantled.

www.wavy.com

Publics Help In Murder Case Closure

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - Crime solvers are asking the public to help close a murder case. Reginald Handy Jr. was gunned down in Pocomoke May 26th. Subsequent investigation by members of the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation determined that 36 year-old Alexander Crippen of Pocomoke City, MD was responsible for shooting Handy.

Crippen was subsequently located and charged with 1st Degree Murder in the death of Reginald Handy, however the location of the firearms involved in this crime have not been located.

A reward of up to $1,000.00 is being offered for anyone who can provide information that leads to the successful recovery of the firearms in this case. Contact Crime Solvers or your local law enforcement agency immediately.

www.wmdt.com

Wachapreague Carnival Begins Tonight!

The 58th Annual Wachapreague Volunteer Fireman's

Carnival starts tonight, June 23rd, 2010 .

The Carnival is set to run through July 17 and will be open 7:30 until 10:30 nightly.

Carnival will be closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tonight will be the Miss Wachapreague Pageant with WESR's own Bill LeCato DJing.

Facing painting will also be at the Carnival.

http://www.wesr.com/

Westover Man Sought For Attempted Murder Of Wife

WESTOVER, Md.- Maryland state troopers are looking for a Westover man accused of beating and repeatedly stabbing his wife multiple times.

Robert Lee Cooper, 47, is wanted for attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. He was last seen operating a 2007 dark blue Ford Explorer with Maryland registration 85T403, with a Mary Kay sticker on the bumper.

On Monday, troopers from the Princess Anne Barrack responded to a reported assault that had occurred at a home on the 7000 block of Crisfield Highway in Westover. When troopers arrived on the scene, they found Cooper's wife lying on her living room floor suffering from multiple stab wounds. Police say a further investigation revealed she had been beaten, stabbed and struck with a baseball bat.

As a result of her injuries the victim was flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, where she remains in the intensive care unit.

Police say both the victim and witnesses identified Cooper as responsible for the attack. According to troopers, the Ford Explorer that Cooper used to flee the scene belongs to his wife.

Anyone with information on Cooper's whereabouts is asked to contact Maryland State Police at (443) 260-3700.

www.wboc.com

Nye Wants To Create Panel To Weed Out Budget Waste

RICHMOND

Nowadays, it seems ideas abound about how to cut federal spending and reduce a national deficit trillions in the red.

In Virginia, Republican Whip Eric Cantor and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, each recently have touted proposals to reduce government expenses during these lean times.

The latest lawmaker to pitch a plan to curtail congressional spending is U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, a Norfolk Democrat, who today is expected to file legislation to create a bipartisan commission to root out waste.

If enacted, the Stop Waste by Eliminating Excessive Programs Act, or SWEEP, would establish a panel to investigate ineffective and redundant government programs. Those found to be unnecessary could be consolidated or abolished outright.

Nye's staff highlighted some federal flood-prevention programs as among those with duplicative purposes.

"There is no current mechanism to identify and correct this irresponsible spending," Nye said in a statement.

"This legislation is about improving the way the federal government spends money," he continued, to ensure that "taxpayer dollars are allocated wisely and efficiently."

A message left with a spokesman for Scott Rigell, a Republican running against Nye this fall, seeking comment on the legislation was not immediately returned.

Ohio Rep. Charlie Wilson, a fellow member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, is co-sponsoring the bill with Nye.

Their proposal follows a legislative amendment Warner filed last week to eliminate funding for 17 federal programs recommended for termination by the federal government budget office over the years.

Passed by the House of Representatives last week, the Warner amendment could save the nation more than $800 million, the senator say s.

As with Nye's legislation, the programs Warner's amendment targets are various ly viewed as outdated, ineffective and redundant.

Separately, Cantor and a House GOP economic working group last month launched the interactive YouCut initiative, which seeks public input online about ways to reduce federal spending.

The option with the most votes each week is then championed by House Republicans who push for a floor vote on the proposed cut.

www.virginiapilot.com

Beach Wildlife Expert Helps With Rescue in the Gulf

VIRGINIA BEACH

Kathryn Owens decided to pursue a career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. After seeing so much damage to birds, fish and marine life, "I just knew I wanted to help."

So it seems only natural that Owens was one of the first wildlife experts from Hampton Roads to do battle with the massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Owens, a deputy manager at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, just returned from a two-week stint in Louisiana, where she helped to organize rescues of oil-covered birds and waterfowl.

The experience left her emotionally and physically drained. But she cannot wait to go back.

"It's a nightmare scenario," Owens said Monday, "but it's exactly where I needed to be and where I wanted to be."

Her boss, refuge manager Jared Brandwein, reported to the Gulf last week just as Owens was returning. Refuge biologist John Gallegos got word Monday that he, too, will go to Louisiana, where he will lead a rescue team in search of oily birds trapped at sea, in marshes and on beaches.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has more than 495 employees fighting the BP oil spill, according to agency statistics. Most go for two weeks at a time and are not supposed to work more than 16 hours per day - "but that doesn't always happen," Owens said with a chuckle.

Her days typically began at 6 a.m. and ended "about 10 or 11 at night," when she returned to her hotel room, exhausted.

Owens was assigned to the Incident Command Center, located at BP offices in Houma, La. She thought she would be scrubbing oil off pelicans and terns.

But lacking enough personnel, responders asked Owens to coordinate rescue efforts instead - putting crews together with boats, equipment, fuel and resources. She was on the phone almost continuously for 14 straight days.

"I would have cleaned toilets if they had asked me," she said. "There are so many people working so hard down there. You just roll up your sleeves and dig in. It's the only thing we can do."

According to government statistics updated Monday, 724 birds have been collected alive, the vast majority in Louisiana. Another 957 have died. Sea turtles also are bearing a big brunt, with 387 reported dead and another 117 undergoing rehabilitation.

Owens, a wildlife ecologist by training, said one of her worst days in the Gulf was seeing images on TV of the first birds pulled from the water with oil caked to all parts of their bodies.

"There was just silence in the command center," she recalled. "Some people had to leave the room, they were so emotional."

Owens could feel an air of depression among workers and locals, "in part because it's just so senseless. And we have no idea how comprehensive this is. This'll take decades to deal with."

As for herself, Owens said, "I was on the verge of tears every day, and still am."

Working at BP offices and side by side with BP employees was "definitely strange," she said. Because so many Louisiana residents are so mad over the spill, especially at BP, Owens said government staffers were told not to wear their federal credentials away from the command center - and definitely not to wear anything with BP printed on it.

"It's a security issue," she said.

Still, Owens said, most locals support government efforts and are friendly to visiting workers like herself: "They realize we're heart broken too."

Owens said Gulf seafood remains available - she recalled one delicious plate of crawfish etouffee at a restaurant in Houma, "my only night out" - despite ever-expanding closure areas because of pollution.

Back in Virginia, Owens is working with the Coast Guard, state scientists and other authorities to cope with any spilled oil in the Gulf that might push up the Atlantic coast, as some forecasters predict.

Back Bay staffers were asked to identify critical habitats along the Virginia coast, including much of the wildlife refuge, where protections should be readied just in case.

"At least we have time to plan," Owens said. "The Gulf didn't have that luxury."

www.hamptonroads.com

Bicycles Stolen From South Baltimore Home Of Jenna Bush Hager

Baltimore police are searching for two Trek mountain bicycles that were stolen from the rear garage of the South Baltimore rowhouse owned by former President George W. Bush's daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, and her husband.

The break-in occurred Friday afternoon, but officers who initially responded to a burglar alarm reported at 1:22 p.m. did not find signs of a break-in and left, according to city police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

But the private alarm company notified the Hagers, who were out of town, and they called a neighbor and asked him to check the South Charles Street rowhouse when he returned home from work.
Guglielmi said the neighbor also did not see any problems, but the Hagers asked him to check on their bikes. That's when they were discovered missing, and the neighbor called police, who returned about 6:15 p.m.

The police spokesman said officers found two small pry marks on a rear garage door that opens to an alley, which was secured but not deadbolted. Police said it's possible the burglars closed the door behind them and that it locked.

"There is no intelligence to suggest that this residence was targeted because of who owns it and who lives there," Guglielmi said. "It looks like a very minor residential burglary."

Jenna Bush Hager, a reading resource teacher with the city school system, and her then-fiance Henry Hager bought the two-story 128-year-old rowhouse a few blocks south of Federal Hill in April 2008.

They had Secret Service protection when they initially moved into the neighborhood. But Guglielmi said the couple, who are now married, no longer have that protection. The spokesman said city police notified the White House and the Secret Service of the burglary.

Police described one bicycle as a men's black and red Trek Fuel-style with dual suspension worth $2,500 and a female blue Trek worth $1,000. Guglielmi said nothing else was taken and the burglars did not get into the rowhouse.

Officers from the Southern District, along with detectives assigned to the Regional Auto Theft Task Force, have been put on the lookout for the bikes.

In addition, officers who monitor the CitiWatch camera surveillance system have been notified. Crime lab technicians went to the house to search for fingerprint evidence. Top police commanders, including the major in charge of the Southern District, also responded. Police released a heavily redacted offense report Saturday.

Guglielmi said neighbors did not report any unusual noises Friday afternoon, with the exception of city recycling trucks making their routine rounds.

In March 2009, city transportation officials towed a van connected with the couple's security detail. The van had been parked near the Charles Street rowhouse and accumulated six parking tickets. The agent in charge of the regional Secret Service office paid the fines and retrieved the van from the impound lot on Pulaski Highway.

www.baltimoresun.com

Ex-Raven Player Turns Firefighter

Few people could compare being a firefighter and a professional football player, but former Ravens long snapper Joe Maese knows they have one thing in common.

It's called preparation.

"The biggest thing is that you need to be professional," said Maese, a firefighter for Long Reach Station 9 in Howard County. "You go through all those practices, meetings and all of that training. There might be that one fire a year, which is like having that one playoff game, and you had better [have] done your homework and be prepared. If not, you could be in a lot of trouble."

In the NFL, few players make the successful transition from player to another professional career, and even for those who do, it's not always easy. And then there is Maese.

From 2001 through 2004, Maese was the Ravens' long snapper, and he played one season after that in Detroit. Maese always wanted to be a firefighter when he was a child. A career in the NFL didn't become a dream until he was a junior in high school.

"That's all I thought about when I was a kid," Maese said. "It kind of gets in your blood and runs in the family. If you look back, there is usually a history of uncles, grandfathers and fathers who have been firefighters."
In Maese's case, it was his father, Joseph, who has been a fireman in Phoenix the past 23 years. Obviously, Maese hung out at the fire hall with his dad when he was younger, and those impressions were deeply rooted.

"There are a lot of similarities in football and firefighting," said Maese, "especially as far as camaraderie and teamwork. Both are blue-collar in nature because it's physical work. Both can be extremely emotional, but in both sometimes you have to keep the emotion under control."

It didn't take Maese long to learn that as a firefighter. He has been in the department for less than a year, but on his first day on the job he had to answer a call about a teenage suicide.
Since then, he has been involved in his share of fires, nasty automobile accidents and medical assistance calls. That's where the comparisons to the NFL end.

One is a game played by grown men, and the other is about life and death.

"I guess when you've been around this kind of work most of your life, it's easier to walk away from things that happen on the job," Maese said. "I've never been the kind to take work home with me.
"Even when I played in the NFL, I eventually couldn't see myself doing anything different than I do now," he said. "I always knew I wanted to help somebody. It wasn't about money, but doing something constructive with my time."

Maese tried to prolong his NFL career. After Detroit, he spent a year getting various tryouts but couldn't catch on with another team. He even spent a season playing indoor football with the Baltimore Blackbirds.

Who could blame Maese for trying to hang on?

Being a long snapper was an ideal job. He didn't make the big money or have the publicity of a quarterback or running back, but his salary was still larger than the average person's. Besides, a long snapper's body doesn't take the abuse of a regular starter on offense or defense.

Maese traveled the country, stayed in nice hotels and got most of his meals free. The only time he ever got attention was when he messed up, and that didn't happen often, especially when you have a kicker the caliber of Matt Stover.

Maese acknowledges that he made enough money playing pro football that he didn't have to work again. He had a house here in Maryland and another one in Phoenix. But something was missing.

"It's tough to walk away from the game, especially when you didn't have an injury," Maese said. "For years, I just went to work and had a great group of guys to work with, like Matt Stover. You get different tryouts, but sometimes they weren't looking at you, but a kicker."

Even before Maese entered the NFL, he had prepared to be a firefighter. At age 19, he had earned a fire science degree from a college in Phoenix. He got sidetracked from that when the Ravens made him a sixth-round pick in 2001 out of New Mexico.

But soon after his NFL career ended, Maese was back in school, this time at the academy in Howard County. Before joining Station 9, he spent five months training in various areas from swift-water rescue to working with hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction.

Maese said he expects to spend the next 25 to 30 years as a firefighter. There are still times, though, that he gets questions about playing pro football. He says he is in better shape now endurancewise than when he played in the NFL. At a rock-solid 6 feet 1, 260 pounds, he stands out on a firetruck.

Maese still snaps the ball and he might try out again.

"I've always wanted to live a simple life," he said. "When I was in my second or third year, I only wanted to own a house and truck. If I got another opportunity, I'd consider it."

www.baltimoresun.com

Veteran Officer Seeks Position Of Sheriff

SNOW HILL -- A West Ocean City man filed his candidacy papers for the office of Worcester's sheriff, becoming the fourth person to join the race for the county's top law enforcement job.

If elected, David L. Catrino said he will bring "an evolution of sorts" to the office and address burgeoning problems of gangs, gambling and drugs.

"I think we have a dynamic change happening in our county," Catrino said. "And I certainly think we have some other issues coming that will need some outside-of-the-box thinking."

Carroll Overholt, Reggie T. Mason and Bobby Brittingham are also running for the job.

A 20-year law enforcement veteran, Catrino currently works as an officer for the Snow Hill Police Department and owns two businesses, the Crab Stop on 15th Street in Ocean City and several stand-alone ATMs in local restaurants and hotels. The combination creates a varied experience, Catrino said, one that he thinks will serve him well leading the Sheriff's Office.

"I come from a law enforcement background, but I'm also in business, so I understand budgets and man power and scheduling," he said. "I think I bring a dynamic there that can bring business, police and the community together working in partnership."

Catrino spent most of his law enforcement career with the Ocean City Police Department and left amid some turmoil in 2007. He is now involved in a wrongful termination suit with the town, claiming that he was inappropriately fired after leaving his post just before the end of his shift to attend to a problem resulting from his diabetes. The case is working its way through federal court.

Catrino said the situation should have no effect on his ability to work with the Ocean City Police Department if he is elected.

Once in the Sheriff's Office, Catrino said he would focus his efforts on accountability of the department, scheduling, community involvement and combating drugs, something he cites as a major problem in the county. In particular, he plans to take a proactive approach to law enforcement through an intelligence-led policing model.

In short, he said, "It approaches police work from a proactive stance, as opposed to a ride-around reactive stance, and I think it better serves our communities."

"Intelligence-led policing makes use of near real-time data collection to allow commanders to respond to the dynamic conditions of crime," Catrino said.

www.delmarvanow.com

60 Pianos In The Steets Of New York

New York (CNN) -- On Monday morning, New York City added a new sound to its usual cacophony of honking cars and taxis, groaning buses, and screeching subways: 5,280 tinkling piano keys.

In a collaboration between artist Luke Jerram and charitable organization Sing for Hope, 60 newly refurbished pianos were installed in public spaces throughout the city's five boroughs. "Play Me, I'm Yours," the brightly colored instruments announce provocatively.

Jerram has been bringing fleets of pianos to the parks, squares, bus stops, train stations, plazas, churches, post offices, zoos, ferries and bridges of major metropolises since 2008. Prior to Monday's installation, he had already installed 167 pianos in eight cities worldwide, including Sao Paulo, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; London, England; and Barcelona, Spain.

But the New York installation is his largest yet -- "twice the size of any installation I've done before," Jerram said.

In New York, no public space is too humble for a piano: The instruments have been placed at a post office (Jackson Heights, Queens), a zoo (Staten Island), churches (St. Mark's Church and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan), and a boardwalk (Coney Island, Brooklyn), among other locations.

A full list of the piano's positions can be found online at www.streetpianos.com/nyc2010/ -- a site where the public is encouraged to upload and share videos, photos and stories about their encounters with the city's pianos.

The pianos come with no conditions attached -- the project insists that "who plays them and how long they remain is up to each community."

"I've been amazed, to be honest, by what's happened," Jerram told CNN. "What I'm amazed by is that musicians in New York aren't usually allowed to perform on the streets -- they need a license. So what having pianos means is that musicians have a right to go and play; suddenly they are legally allowed to perform," he said.

Jerram said that the "energy, enthusiasm, and go-getting spirit" of New Yorkers characterized the city's response to the installation, as aspiring and professional musicians alike flocked to the pianos Monday.

How will Jerram know the project has succeeded? "It comes down to people's stories," he said. "I think it's the stories that will come out over time -- how people have connected, how it's changed people's lives, how they think about music and sharing that music," he said. "There were two people who met over the pianos in Sydney and they just got married."

Later this year a new array of pianos will be installed in London, while Belfast, Ireland; Burnley and Blackburn, England; Cincinnati, Ohio; San Jose, California; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, also will be getting pianos of their own.

At the project's conclusion, the pianos will be donated to schools and community groups.

www.cnn.com

What a wonderful idea for any city street!

Fingerprint Program Targets Illegal Immigrants In Virginia

A federal initiative to identify illegal immigrants through enhanced fingerprint-checking at local jails is in place throughout Virginia.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Monday that Virginia is one of 22 states in the "Secure Communities" program, which is expected to go nationwide by 2013.

Previously, fingerprints of people charged with crimes were checked against a criminal-history database maintained by the FBI. Now they also will be run through an immigration database maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. If the prints match information in that system, ICE will be notified to determine the person's immigration status and take enforcement action, if warranted.

www.shoredailynews.com

School officials said the hat ran afoul of their no-weapons policy because the Army men held tiny guns.

RI boy who made banned toy soldier hat gets medal

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.

A Rhode Island boy whose school banned a hat he made because the toy soldiers on it carried tiny guns was awarded a medal on Friday for his patriotic efforts.

Lt. Gen. Reginald Centracchio, the retired head of the Rhode Island National Guard, gave 8-year-old David Morales a medal called a challenge coin during an appearance on WPRO-AM's John DePetro show.

Centracchio said the second-grader should be thanked for recognizing veterans and soldiers.

"You did nothing wrong, and you did an outstanding job," he said. "We can only hope that kids of your caliber will continue to defend this country."

Centracchio also gave David a certificate that allows him to call himself a brigadier general.
David was assigned to make a hat last week for a project at the Tiogue School in Coventry. He chose a patriotic theme and glued plastic Army figures to a camouflage baseball cap. But school officials said the hat ran afoul of their no-weapons policy because the Army men held tiny guns.

The school has said David was offered the chance to wear the hat if he replaced the toy soldiers holding weapons with ones that didn't have any. Centracchio said that didn't make sense because soldiers are armed, and met with school administrators Thursday to share his concerns.

David said he felt great and called it an honor.

"I think it's really special," he said. "I'm going to definitely enjoy this day for a long time."
Also Friday, the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said it sent a letter to Coventry Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro saying the school's policy was an unconstitutional violation of students' free speech. It called on the district to revise the policy.

DiPietro did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

VIA: FoxNews.com

School Kids Chant: "I Am An Obama Scholar"

School children are led by a teacher in a chant that begins with "I will be anything I want to be."

At one point during the incantation the teacher asks the students to repeat the phrase "I am an Obama scholar."

(from: Lincoln Bassett Middle School in New Haven, Connecticut)

Discovery Announcement ~ The densest element in the known Universe has been found!

Pelosium:

A major research institution has just announced the discovery of the densest element yet known to science. The new element has been named Pelosium. Pelosium has one neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 311.

These particles are held together by dark forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
The symbol of Pelosium is PU.

Pelosium's mass actually increases over time, as morons randomly interact with various elements in the atmosphere and become assistant deputy neutrons within the Pelosium molecule, leading to the formation of isodopes.

This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientist to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass.

When catalyzed with money, Pelosium activates CNNadnausium, an element that radiates orders of magnitude more energy, albeit as incoherent noise, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons as Pelosium.

Hat Tip; Eric

Casa D'ice Restaurant in North Versailles , PA.; He's back with new signs!

He's back with new signs!

Casa D'ice Restaurant in North Versailles , PA. (near Pittsburgh )

The government doesn't like this man very much.

He changes the signs when he gets another idea.

He just wants to make a [political] statement and WOW!

This guy needs to be funded!

AMEN!!!!!!

Whose Sand Is It..................

MANTOLOKING, N.J. (AP) - Some Jersey shore beach towns have plenty of ways to keep outsiders off their sand: Limit on-street parking, prohibit food and drink, and have no public bathrooms.

One town literally walls off the public from much of the ocean with a protective stone seawall, and offers virtually no parking for miles along it.

Beach access has become a long drawn-out court battle in many coastal states. And now in New Jersey, the state Department of Environmental Protection is bowing to complaints from some local governments and private property owners that state access rules are too strict.

The department is letting each shore town decide for itself what level of public access is appropriate, though the state agency will still have to sign off on each plan. The new policy has some beach advocates fearing towns will become even more restrictive.

"This is extremely frustrating," said Ralph Coscia, who co-founded Citizens Right to Access Beaches, or CRAB, after the beloved Point Pleasant Beach was bulldozed to make way for oceanfront luxury homes about a decade ago. "This sets us back 15 years. Everything we've tried to do all these years is falling apart."

The department says its goal is to maintain public access while applying common sense to beach access rules and giving towns and property owners latitude to take local conditions into account.

"We believe the Jersey shore and the coastline should be open to everyone," said department spokesman Larry Ragonese. "But there can't be carte blanche to go anywhere, on anyone's property you want."

Under the Public Trust Doctrine, a legal concept adopted by New Jersey that dates back to the Roman Emperor Justinian, the public has the right to swim in coastal waters and walk along their shores. Courts have held that the public has the right to walk or sit on the sand up to the mean high water mark -- even on beaches where most of the sand is privately owned.

But many oceanfront homeowners either don't know or don't care, and routinely call the police when someone sets up a beach chair or a towel too close for their liking.

Battles over who rules the sand are being fought all over the country. It's not just about unbroken ocean views, either. In New Jersey, tourism is a nearly $40 billion industry and its beaches are a primary draw.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that Florida can undertake beach-widening projects without compensating beach-front property owners who lose exclusive access to the water.

California fought for years to mediate public demands for access to some prime beaches when wealthy homeowners tried to block them. The city of Dana Point disagrees with the state on who should control beach access through a large gated community of multimillion-dollar homes.

In Hawaii, a new law prohibits property owners from using vegetation to block beach access. In North Carolina, state officials are trying to balance competing demands over the use of a popular Outer Banks beach between fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts who want to drive their vehicles on the sand, and environmentalists who want to protect coastal wildlife.

Texas voters in November decided that the right to public beach access should be part of the state constitution, even as homeowners feared erosion of their property rights.

Under the previous administration of Gov. Jon Corzine, New Jersey required public access points every quarter-mile and bathrooms every half-mile on any beach that received public money for beach replenishment.

But an appeals court overturned those rules in 2008, deciding that the state had no right to order towns to allow 24-hour access to their beaches or to require bathrooms there. Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters said her town already provides plenty of access, bathrooms and ample parking to beach-goers.

"The biggest change with the DEP seems to be their willingness to listen," she said.

Stone Harbor and nearby Avalon fought the rules, particularly the 24-hour access requirement, on the grounds that it exposed the borough to lawsuits from people who might enter the water after drinking, and drown.

Robert Dinerman owns a summer house in Bay Head, N.J. -- a town that legally restricted its beaches to residents only, until a landmark 1984 court decision said public beaches must be open to anyone. The 73-year-old Cincinnati resident acknowledges many Jersey shore towns have tricks to keep outsiders away. Bay Head offers no public restrooms and bans food from the beach.

In neighboring Mantoloking, where Dinerman was enjoying the surf view from atop a wooden staircase, police zealously enforce a two-hour parking limit on most streets so beach-goers can't park in one spot for two hours, then move their car. This makes it impractical for anyone but residents to use the beaches, some of which charge hundreds of dollars for a seasonal badge.

"All these towns have their little idiosyncrasies to try to keep people off the beach," Dinerman said. "I have no objection to making it more public.

The DEP says it will consider arrangements like Bay Head's ban on toilets and food, Mantoloking's restrictive parking and lack of an affordable daily badge, and miles of inaccessible beaches on Long Beach Island blocked off by private homes, when it considers what to approve under the new rules.

www.wavy.com

Regardless Of How It Feels Summer Is Almost Here

Summer begins today at 7:28 A. M.

Young Island Vacationer Donates Poem To Chamber

CHINCOTEAGUE -- Allison Doss of Dacula, Ga. is a budding young poet.

Allison, 9, a student at Freeman's Mill Elementary School, had an assignment to write a poem with the subject, "Beauty Is."

Allison wrote the following, arranging it in the shape of a Christmas tree:

Beauty Is

Salty air

A quiet marsh

On a secret island

Crashing waves

An Egret's nest

Muller's Ice Cream Parlor

On a hot summer night

A bike ride through mini Africa

A long hike up the striped lighthouse

My friends don't know this place

My teachers don't know this place

This secret island called Chincoteague

But I know

My Pop knows

The ponies know

That is what Beauty is....

Allison's poem won first prize at Freeman's Mill Elementary School and went on to win first place in a countywide competition in Gwinnet County, Ga.

Allison presented the poem to her "Pop," Walter Bulmer, as a Christmas gift last year.

Allison presented a framed copy of the poem to the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce last week, while she was on vacation with her parents and grandparents.

www.easternshorenews.com

Drugs Smuggled In Soup Packets

WASHINGTON

Authorities have arrested a Pennsylvania man who allegedly tried to smuggle more than four pounds of cocaine through Dulles International Airport using powdered soup packets.

Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Jose Acevedo, 41, after he arrived on board a flight from El Salvador on Thursday.

Authorities say a customs dog identified Acevedo, of Carlisle, Pa., as carrying drugs. When authorities opened the soup packets, the drugs were hidden inside some of them.

It isn't the first time authorities at the airport have seen creative smugglers. Last year officers found heroin in juice boxes and cocaine in cooked chicken.

www.hamptonroads.com

County Leader In Virginia Pushes To Follow Arizona's Immigration Law

MANASSAS — The chairman of Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors is calling for a statewide law to crack down on illegal immigration in Virginia, similar to a controversial Arizona measure.

Board Chairman Corey A. Stewart, an at-large Republican, is calling on state lawmakers to pass the Virginia Rule of Law Act, which would allow police to make arrests without a warrant if they have “reasonable suspicion” a person is in the country illegally. It would also allow them to break up day laborer centers and prohibit solicitation on all public roads.

“We need to bring the rule of law to all of Virginia,” Stewart said. “As long as the federal government shows no interest in securing the border and no interest in internal enforcement to promote self-deportation, then states and localities will have to pick up the slack.”

Prince William’s own law on illegal immigration requires that police officers inquire about the immigration status of all people arrested on suspicion of violating a state or local law. The Arizona law, signed in April, gives police wide latitude to check the residency status of anyone who they have “reasonable suspicion” is an illegal immigrant.

A spokesman for Gov. Bob McDonnell said the administration will review the proposal.

“The governor is a strong proponent of reforming our current immigration system to ensure that the laws of this nation are obeyed and upheld, and lawful immigration is encouraged and facilitated,” spokesman Tucker Martin wrote in an e-mail.

Nancy Lyall of the immigrant advocacy group Mexicans Without Borders called the proposal “irresponsible.” There’s a need for reform, Lyall said, but it should come from the federal government.

“This type of legislation targeting people who have been a productive part of society for most of their lives is just unheard of and unjust,” Lyall said.

Stewart said he is pursuing the issue now because the 2011 General Assembly session is the last before statewide House and Senate elections next fall, he said. He plans to choose a sponsor for the measure in the House of Delegates and the state Senate in the near future.

“I am very hopeful about it,” he said. “I think if it’s ever going to pass, this is the time.

www.delmarvanow.com

Cab Driver, Held Woman Hostage Because She Wouldn't Tip

Like so many in the service industry, Sohail Kahn forgot that tipping is supposed to be for exemplary service. It's a show of respect and gratitude, not an automatic tax. But he apparently neglected that notion when he picked up a woman in New Orleans...

The 57-year-old businesswoman from Bellaire, Texas needed a ride from the Intercontinental Hotel to the airport. Before she got in, she asked cabbie Kahn if she could pay by credit card. He said yes.

But when they arrived at the airport, Kahn told her that he would be adding a $10 tip to her $33 bill. Since custom would have it that the tipper makes this call -- not the recipient -- the woman refused. She demanded Kahn process her card and get her bags.

That's when Kahn tried to grab her purse, she says. He waved his fist in her face, telling her "You will pay me my 10 percent tip, or I will not let you go," according to the police report.

Then he cut the engine, hit the automated door locks, and proceeded to hold her hostage until she forked over the tip.

They apparently argued for a half-hour before the woman, who was becoming increasingly hysterical, called 911 from her cell phone. A deputy arrived to find her sweating and shaking.

Kahn, being a moron, tried to tell the deputy that he wasn't extorting a tip; he just needed an extra $10 to cover the credit card transaction fee. But the good deputy quickly realized that story was bullshit. Drivers are supposed to cover their own card fees.

Kahn was charged with extortion, false imprisonment and simple assault. He also had his cabbie license seized.

VIA: Trurecrimereport

TARZAN UPDATE

I was at the mall yesterday, and I ran into Tarzan! I asked him how it was going and if he was into making anymore movies.

He told me that he could no longer make any more movies as he had severe arthritis in both shoulders and could no longer swing from vine to tree.



I asked how Jane was doing, he told me she was in bad shape, in a nursing home, has Alzheimer's and no longer recognizes anyone. How sad.



I asked about Boy, and he told me that Boy had gone to the big city, got hooked up with bad women, drugs, alcohol, and the only times he heard from him was when he was in trouble or needed something.



When I asked about Cheeta, he beamed and said she was doing good. She married a lawyer, had gotten some plastic surgery, and now lived in the White House!!!







Hat Tip; Eric

You gotta meet Molly...

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who
was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane
Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks
on her own before finally being rescued and taken
to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.
While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier
and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became
infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but
LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare
case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly,
He changed his mind.
He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different
sides so she didn't seem to get sores,
and how she allowed people to handle her.
She protected her injured leg.
She constantly shifted her weight
and didn't overload her good leg.
She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee,
and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly
walked out of the clinic and her story really
begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,'
Moore insists. Molly happened to be a
one-in-a-million patient.
She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain.
She made it obvious she understood that she was
in trouble. The other important factor, according
to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant
owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care
required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana ..
The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb.
A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.
The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life,
Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.
And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out,
and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take
it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from
Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch
a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay,
the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to
shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation
centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed
hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people
her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a
good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to
play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane,
she survived a horrible injury,
and now she is giving hope to others.'
Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal,
But she's going to be better. To me, she could be a
symbol for New Orleans itself.'



This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom
photo shows the ground surface that she stands on,
which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever
Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.



Hat Tip; Kack

Field Fire This Afternoon.........

A combine caught fire in a wheat field in Melfa Sunday afternoon and destroyed roughly 40 acres of crop.

Accomack County Fire Department Supervisor Charles Pruitt said 50 firefighters have placed the fire under control. The fire remains burning as of 6:30pm tonight.

The fire started in a field off Main Street and spread toward Seaside Road.

www.wavy.com

Father's Day: Celebrating Dad for 100 Years

You could call Sonora Smart Dodd the "Mother of Father's Day." After all, the holiday, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was inspired by her.

Dodd's mother died in 1898 while giving birth, leaving her father, William Jackson Smart, to raise Dodd and her five younger brothers (including the newborn baby) on a remote farm near Spokane, Wash. While attending a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, Dodd decided that fathers deserve the same recognition.

Within a year, she -- along with some help from her pastor, the Rev. Conrad Bluhm, the Spokane YMCA and the Ministerial Alliance -- did it: June 19, 1910, was designated as the first Father's Day. Throughout Spokane that day, Sunday sermons were themed around the importance of fatherhood.

By 1924, the holiday had gained some national prominence. President Calvin Coolidge that year recognized Father's Day and made it known that he wanted more states to get involved.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an order proclaiming the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. He even requested that flags on all government buildings be flown that day.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation permanently observing Father's Day on the third Sunday in June. And today, Father's Day is celebrated in over 50 countries around the globe on various days throughout the year.

All because of a young girl who appreciated her dad's love and wanted to see his efforts acknowledged. William Jackson Smart died in 1919, so he got to celebrate 10 Father's Days with his grateful daughter.

Throughout Spokane, events are planned to celebrate Father's Day, as they always are, but this year is special.

Pam Scott, communication manager for the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau, told AOL News they are taking the centennial seriously.

"Father's Day is such a part of our history, and when you reach a milestone like this, it's a good opportunity to look back, reflect and leverage the history into a truly unforgettable celebration," Scott said.

"We have many special events planned, and locals and visitors alike are encouraged to take part in this special day. We even have Sonora Smart Dodd's granddaughter coming to Spokane from Vienna, Austria."

Dads around Spokane will be toasted with Papa's Pale Ale, a specially crafted beer created by the brew master at Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company and Steam Plant Grill (available only in June this year).

Plus, many events are planned, including tours of the historic Dodd home, a patriotic salute to Father's Day, a Daddy-Daughter Tea, a symphony concert and a historic Father's Day walking tour.

Spokane is a city that proudly and enthusiastically wraps itself in its Father's Day history, providing just the right amounts of preservation and celebration. The city is also gracious when it comes to acknowledging the origin of another Father's Day landmark.

"Back in Fairmont, W.Va., they had a Father's Day in 1908, two years before ours," Scott said. "While it wasn't held regularly each year as Spokane's was, we still honor the sentiment of Grace Clayton."

Clayton had suggested to the pastor of her church that they honor fathers after the nearby 1907 Monongah mine explosion, which killed more than 360 men -- 210 of them fathers. The church complied with Clayton's wishes and, as Scott points out, the holiday failed to gain the traction it did in Spokane.

However, if you happen to be near the Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont on Sunday, know that they do a very nice Father's Day service -- right in the same place where the first ceremony was held.

VIA: AOLNews

Woman wanting medical help shoots self

Let me first say I'm all for helping someone that will help themselves. Watch this video interview and take notice at 1:27 mins into the video this lady is holding a cigarette.

Since the new tax on tobacco has taken place a pack of cigarettes in Michigan cost around $6.50 per pack, so I'm just guessing here that cigarettes in Michigan would cost $60.00+ per carton. The average smoker will smoke a carton per week so that's over $3000.00 per year.

I say this lady needs to stop crying for a handout, quit smoking and sell that pistol to help pay her medical bills. She could afford a nice medical insurance policy with the 3 grand she'd save from the cigarettes alone.

NILES, Mich. (WOOD) - The pain in her right shoulder was unbearable and, without health insurance, Kathy Myers was desperate.

So, she sought .25-caliber relief.

In her basement bedroom on Thursday, the 41-year-old woman shot herself in the same shoulder with a .25-caliber handgun, hoping it could get her the medical help she said she needs.

Instead, she's back home, still in pain, and could face criminal charges.

Myers showed 24 Hour News 8 how she did it. She was lying in her bed in the basement, put pillows in front of and behind her right shoulder, along with an ice pack. Then, she fired a single shot through the front pillow.

The bullet pierced the front of her shoulder and exited the rear, lodging in the ice pack. She said she didn't feel any pain, just burning.

"It just felt warm. That's all," she said.

Myers, 41, said she told her girlfriend's mother to call 911.

Myers said she hurt her shoulder about a month ago when her 80-pound golden Labrador went after one of her little dogs. She tried to stop the dog, which jerked her right shoulder.

"I felt it pop in three places in my collar bone," she said.

Doctors gave her some anti-inflammatories, but couldn't do much more than that, she said. "I didn't have insurance, so I couldn't get a CT-scan or MRI."

Myers is among the 1.2 million uninsured people living in Michigan -- a number that has remained steady for about three years, state health officials said.

The pain, she says, is so excruciating that she can't sleep. She said she couldn't afford to see a neurologist. Myers says she lost her job with a hazardous-waste removal company in southern Indiana months ago.

She said she hasn't qualified for disability or Medicaid.

It was Thursday, she said, when she came up with the idea of shooting herself. "I figured if I did something that would not necessarily make it life-threatening but make it imminent danger that something would be done," she said. "I wanted them to fix me. I just wanted to be fixed."

She hoped the bullet would force doctors to treat what she believes is a rotator cuff injury. Instead, emergency room doctors at Lakeland Hospital treated only the bullet wound and sent her home.

On Friday, Niles Police said they would talk to prosecutors to determine what, if any, charges to file against Myers.

Now, she's having second thoughts.

"It didn't take the pain away," she said. "I figured it would take the pain away from the rotator cuff, where at least I could focus on something else, and maybe they would fix me, you know. I guess I should have shot a little lower and got the bone and the artery."

VIA: WoodTV.com

~~Our Father-- One Of A Kind~~

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

TO OUR FATHER ....................

To A Father
Who never left us feeling alone or abandoned (even in death), who always kept us warm, fed and loved. Who loved us more than life itself and taught us how to love. Who taught us how to share, instilled values in us and taught us to believe in God.......... and made darn sure we obeyed everyone of the commandments while growing up so we would keep them as we grew older. Who showed us how to respect others, love others, and that most times happiness comes with a song. Who taught us respect for others, ourselves and the flag. Who taught us the consequences of what "pull my finger means" just to see us run and kept that trick until the granchildren were old enough to reach his hand.

A Father
Who's true laugh would could be heard for blocks and had enough love and laughter for everyone that passed his way........he knew no stanger and was no stranger. Who taught all of us the love for music and was never downhearted when his children didn't learn to play anything musical except the radio but grew excited when his grandchildren picked up instruments. (Well, Dad, we have two that just seem to keep on going with music! And both play guitar).

A Father
Who made my sister, brother and me realise as very young children that "meals ready to eat" really can be pulled from the garden or picked from the tree and eaten because spit really does wash them. Who always said that common sense was as important as book sense and maybe even better in order to get through life properly.


A Father
Who gave of himself totally and completely even when his energies were fading. Who loved his grandchildren each the same as he did his many friends and all of his family. Who had a love for the soil and the growth it would bring from planting a simple seed.

Our Father died shortly after this photo was taken. We all knew on that day he wasn't feeling well but because everything his children/grandchildren/friends did was important to him he made darn sure he didn't miss it and for the last time was surrounded by nieces and nephews and friends that loved him.

What so many people don't know is that my father died one of the richest men in the world and left all that knew and loved him tons of wealth. He had no money in his pockets to speak of, no acres of land or a mansion for us to fight over. Instead he left us all rich from the kindness and goodness in his heart and the warm memories that will never be for sale.

We love you Daddy. Happy Father's Day.

(thankyou Sis for the pics)