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Friday, July 9, 2010
LCB Defends Promotion, Questioned For Overstating Figures
Unfortunately for the LCB, the supplier who sold it the liquor shot a gaping hole in that defense when it said the numbers the LCB quoted were “severely overstated.”
As per Article 2B of Maryland State Law, the LCB must offer all licensees the same pricing for alcohol and they can’t sell a product for below cost unless the product in question has been discontinued.
In the instance of the March Stoli promotion that has sparked a controversy throughout Worcester County, three licensees claim to have paid three different prices on the same day and the promotion itself came into question when it was argued that selling a bottle of Stoli at $5 a bottle was far below cost, thus making it illegal from the start.
LCB Board member and spokesperson Larry Wilkinson provided the invoices from March 31, 2010, the last day of the promotion, which shows when the vodka was delivered to the LCB’s Snow Hill headquarters from the supplier William Grant & Sons.
The total invoice was for 4,236 bottles of Stoli at $17.17 (gross cost per bottle) or $72,699.08. However, after a massive depletion allowance/promotional credit of $52,663.98 was allegedly given back to the LCB, according to a summary of the transaction prepared by the LCB, the net cost for the LCB stood at $20,035.10 or $4.73 per bottle.
These numbers would affirm the LCB’s claim that it knew the numbers and didn’t violate any of the laws by setting the price at $5, which is still technically above the $4.73 a bottle that they quoted.
However, William Grant & Sons spokesperson James Curich, who said last week the company had no knowledge of the $5 promotion, said the more than $52,000 in depletion allowances was incorrect.
“That number that they are quoting for a depletion allowance is severely overstated, said Curich via phone interview yesterday afternoon. “Our records show that we paid them significantly less than what they are projecting. In fact, it was less than $10,000.”
As per the March 2010 Maryland Beverage Journal, a one-liter bottle of Stoli sold to its distributor, Reliable Churchill, was offered wholesale for $22.99. It is estimated that distributor’s tack on anywhere from 28-35 percent for markup, so with that being said, the price of the bottle at cost is in the $15-$17 range when purchased directly from the supplier.
Other distributors throughout the industry, such as Terry Loughlin of Carey Distributors and Robert Kenney of FP Winner Ltd, said that in most cases, the general practice is to credit back a dollar or two per bottle as a depletion allowance or promotional credit.
If the LCB’s numbers are in fact true, then it received more than $12 per bottle in depletion allowance.
“That’s just unheard of to me,” said Loughlin. “I can’t understand why someone would give back basically all the profits in a depletion allowance.”
Historically, industry insiders say that William Grant & Sons is on the conservative side when it comes to such depletion or promotional credits, a claim that Curich confirmed.
It also surfaced this week that a $1 a bottle wine promotion that was also offered by the LCB at the same time as the Stoli promotion left some licensees out in the cold as well, but seething with anger.
“It’s amazing to me that I’ve been one of the biggest sellers of wine in this whole county for a long time and I just keep getting left off the email list when these promotions come along,” said Cheers Owner Chris Denny. “I’ve been in this business for 25 years and I’ve never been offered a bottle of wine for a dollar, and I want to know what it cost them, because it’s not in the beverage journal.”
The $1 bottle of wine promotion was for Stonebarn and Oak Vineyards wines, which are a lower tier brand that is owned by Bronco Wine Company in California, which is part of the huge conglomerate owned by the purveyors of the Franzia and Gallo brands.
Denny said the wholesale price for the aforementioned bottles was more than the $1 the LCB moved the wine for (the wholesale price ranged from $2.88 to $5 per bottle).
The LCB defended the wine promotion as well, claiming that it moved the last 55 of 330 cases of the wine that was purchased at the $1 a bottle special in hopes of “getting people to try the wine and avoid having it sit on our warehouse and spoil”, citing that wine, unlike liquor, has a shelf life.
Just on the Route 50 corridor alone, Trader Lee’s and The Green Room (located next to an LCB retail store) in addition to Denny at Cheers were not offered the deal.
“It’s totally against the law, and they should have alerted everyone,” said Dave Hambury, owner of The Green Room.
Wilkinson said that with wine, the LCB isn’t required to notify everyone personally of the deal, but rather, all it must do is post the deal and make it available for everyone.
The LCB also claims that the $2,210.80 in net profit that it earned with the wine promotion proves that they didn’t sell it below cost. It should be noted that of the 330 cases purchased, 85 cases were sold at retail price ($47.99), 190 cases sold at $31.90 and the remaining 55 at the $12 a case, or $1 per bottle.
However, Ocean Petroleum owner Ed Ellis, who also has the Wine Rack inside his gas stations, said that his company had taken the LCB up on the wine deal and had done well with it, moving a very large amount of that particular wine. Still, Ellis is amongst the growing majority that believes the LCB’s days should be numbered.
“This is a classic case of government run amok,” said Ellis. “It’s an egregious abuse of power in this county and I think it’s nothing but a patronage system. Just because it’s been done like this for years, it doesn’t make it right.”
In both cases of controversy, the products in question are bought direct from the supplier, thus removing the distributor from the equation.
Kenney, a veteran of FP Winner and the industry as a whole for two decades, estimates that in the past five years the business that he used to do with the LCB has been cut by more than 90%.
“That’s like two of my guys,” said Kenney. “The LCB always talks about how if they go away too many people would be out of work. Well, they are trying to put distributors out of work by buying direct, and if they come out and say that they are knowingly making less money because they are buying direct, then why are they pushing a product that they know they are going to take a loss on? I’d like to see the business model that says how they expected to break even on this Stoli or wine promotion.”
One name in the industry that has been dealing in the world of alcohol for more than three decades said that he was one of the biggest supporters of Brian Sturgeon, current head of the LCB, but has since changed his mind.
“When he took over, [Brian] was helping the licensees, and he did a good job to save the licensees a lot of money and he always had my support,” said Don Pelletier, beverage manager at Fager’s Island, “but when he didn’t offer me the Stoli promotion, I was furious, and then he came to me in May, two months after the promotion ended and offered me the deal, and I told him no thanks and that I was done supporting him.”
Source; MDcoastDispatch
~Worcester County~18 Seek County Commissioner Seats-
The most competition has appeared in District 1, with five candidates emerging to contest for Commissioner Bobby Cowger’s seat.
Democrat Jimmy Schoolfield is ensured of competing in the general election, but the other four District 1 candidates must jockey with each other in the September primary for the Republican nomination.
Republicans Jerre Clauss, Merill W. Lockfaw, Jr., Bill McDermott and Larry Ward will fight for the party nomination.
In District 2, incumbent Commissioner Jim Purnell will face Ed Lee in the September primary election for the Democratic nomination. At this point, there is no Republican candidate in District 2.
Currently, Republican Commissioner Bud Church is unchallenged in District 3.
Longtime District 4 Commissioner Virgil Shockley, a Democrat, will face fellow Democrat Tommy Tucker in the September primary. The winner of that contest will go on to face Republican Ted Elder, who lost to Shockley in 2006, taking 38 percent of the vote.
In 2006, District 5 Commissioner Judy Boggs ran unopposed, but in 2010, she must surpass Republican challenger Bob Thompson in the primary. The victor will go on to face Democrat John Bodnar.
In District 6, Commissioner Linda Busick will face fellow Republican Jim Bunting in the September primary.
District 7 Commissioner Louise Gulyas, a Republican, nearly ran unopposed for re-election, until her 2006 opponent, Democrat Ellie Diegelmann, filed at the last minute. In 2006, Gulyas defeated Diegelmann with 65 percent of the vote.
The surprise of the election season so far is the numerous candidates for the District 1 commissioner race.
“People tend to think incumbents have a little bit of an edge and it seems when an incumbent steps out more people file for that office,” said Elections Board Supervisor Patti Jackson.
In 2006, when then District 1 Commissioner Sonny Bloxom decided not to run for re-election to his commissioner seat to run for state office, three contenders emerged for the District 1 seat.
“Everyone has their own idea about government,” said District 1 candidate Ward, when asked why so many candidates chose to run for the seat.
Another change from 2006 is the District 5 race. Four years ago, Boggs ran unopposed. Now she faces two opponents, and almost faced three, but early filer Ray Unger withdrew his candidacy.
“I assume other people have an interest in being county commissioner, and that’s democracy,” Boggs said.
Bodnar said he decided to run because of his concerns about jobs in the county, not because he has anything against Boggs.
“I’ve always wanted to run for that seat,” Bodnar said, who added the time was not right for him personally in previous elections.
While many thought Diegelmann would once again run against Gulyas, her decision to hold off on committing until the last minute had some thinking Gulyas would run unopposed.
“I just figured that someone would file. Why should I have a free ride?” Gulyas said after the late filing. “I thought from the beginning that she would file.”
Diegelmann was the last candidate in Worcester County to file, said Jackson.
“I waited ‘til the very last minute literally because I was hoping someone else would file,” Diegelman said. “I wanted to encourage other people to file.”
Diegelmann said she is a “hopeful optimist” and thought she had a chance to unseat Gulyas, saying that a lot of things change in four years.
Burn Restrictions
Get Your Tickets While They Last
34th Annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake
Wed., July 21, 2010
Held every year on the third Wednesday in July at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, this annual celebration is named in honor of Crisfield native, J. Millard Tawes - the 54th Governor of the State of Maryland. This event, listed in Frommers Travel Guides and other National Event Directories is described as ..... "..an outdoor all-you-can-eat affair featuring crabs, clams, fish, corn on the cob, and watermelon, and in election years, lots of politicians."
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010
12:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Somers Cove Marina - 7th St. - Crisfield, MD 21817
$40.00 - all u-can-eat & drink
ALL YOU CAN EAT MENU
- Steamed Crabs
- Fresh Fried Fish
- Clams: steamed, fried or raw bar
- French fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Corn on the Cob
- Onion Rings
- Watermelon
- Beverages included (soda, beer, bottled water)
$40 Donation - price includes free mug and mallet with customized logo, as long as they last!
This event is recognized as one of Maryland`s finest seafood festivals. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
Due to the tremendous response and popularity of this event, space is limited to 6000. Tickets will be sold on a first come - first serve basis.
With a purchase of 30 tickets or more, the Chamber will provide your business or organization with a hospitality space for a fee. Spaces are limited. Please inquire early.
For ticket information, please call the Chamber Office toll free at 1-800-782-3913 or email the Chamber Office Manager.VCU Exchange Student Jonathan Dorey Still Missing
The FBI used sonar equipment this week to search the bottom of the James River for Jonathan S. Dorey, a Virginia Commonwealth University exchange student who disappeared more than four months ago, university officials said yesterday.
FBI officials conducted the search Wednesday near Rocketts Landing, in the same area where authorities discovered some of Dorey's belongings March 24 on the river's north bank, VCU spokesman Mike Porter said.
Porter said a different type of sonar equipment had been used to search the area previously.
"VCU police consulted with the FBI, which provided additional resources to do a more complete search of the river bottom in the same area that was searched in the past," Porter wrote in an e-mail yesterday.
VCU police continue to use all available resources in the hope of providing closure to the Dorey family," Porter wrote.www.timesdispatch.com
FBI spokeswoman Dee Rybiski said the bureau has been assisting VCU police with the search for Dorey all along. She declined to say how else the FBI has helped, noting that VCU police are heading the search.
"Dorey, a 22-year-old exchange student from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel, was last seen March 2 leaving his VCU dorm with his bicycle.
Authorities still say they have no evidence of foul play.
VCU police have said that a witness reported seeing a man matching Dorey's description swimming in the river on the afternoon that he disappeared. His bicycle still is missing.
Body Found In Delaware River Near Boat Crash Site
Coast Guard Petty Officer Crystal Kneen says the body was recovered early Friday near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
A duck boat carrying 37 people was struck and sunk by a barge there Wednesday. Two passengers are missing, 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner and 20-year-old Szablcs Prem. They were part of a group of Hungarian teachers and students aboard the boat.
Kneen says the body has not been identified and authorities could make no immediate connection between it and the missing boaters. Kneen said she did not have information on the sex of the recovered body.
DUI Arrest From Vanilla Extract
Sam Palmer saw it happen.
"It was jumped up over the curb. She had driven it up on the curb. In fact I went to see if she had hit the telephone pole. She hadn't hit that, but she had both wheels on the curb," says Palmer.
Police say Moss had a strong odor of vanilla on her breath and was unsteady on her feet.
They found a nearly empty bottle of vanilla extract and a partially empty bottle of diet coke in her car as well as a receipt for two 8oz. bottle of extract.
The vanilla extract is 35% alcohol.
Moss was arrested.
Sam Palmer doesn't know her, but as a recovering alcoholic, he knows abusers find ways to get their drug.
"Mouthwash, Geritol, Robitussin," says Palmer.
As a drug addiction counselor, Dr. Carolyn Bryant has seen it too.
"Instead of the drug that may be their drug of choice, that may be they have been arrested for or got in trouble about, they take something that will give them that same effect," says Bryant.
She counsels women to admit their problem and seek help.
"I hope she gets in a treatment program or a 12 step program," says Palmer. "She could have hit a telephone pole, could have wiped somebody else out."
This was Kelly Moss' third DUI arrest. No one answered the door at her Germantown home when we stopped by.
She will be back in court August 19th.
www.wreg.com
Former Corrections Officers Plead Guilty To Sex With Inmate
Wayne Shrieves, 47, of Melfa, and Leston Wright, 23, of Exmore, face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500, either or both. They likely will be sentenced in the next term of court after a presentencing report is complete.
Shrieves and Wright remain free on $7,500 bond each.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Bruce Jones said the inmate and the officers had conflicting reports on what precipitated the sexual encounters.
“She did not allege any force,” he said of the victim.
Each of the officers admitted a sexual relationship with the woman.
The charge against Shrieves alleges the offense took place at least once between Nov. 17, 2009, and Jan. 13. Wright is charged with one offense on Feb. 9.
Sheriff Jack Robbins began an investigation after receiving allegations against the two deputies.
The investigation revealed evidence of improper sexual conduct with the woman. Both were fired and were indicted in March by a grand jury.
Judge Glen A. Tyler accepted in Northampton Circuit Court the guilty pleas of having carnal knowledge of a prisoner.
The regional jail, a joint venture between Accomack and Northampton counties, opened in 2007. Both deputies were trained and certified by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Obama's Cairo speech
That, Mr. Obama is the "Muslim heritage" in
Just One Hospital
Cousin: Murder victim, suspect not fighting
But what he didn't see or hear was any conversation between the men. That's because Davis says it never happened.
"I didn't say nothing to him, my cousin didn't say nothing to him, nobody said nothing to him," he said. "It's not over no cigarette."
Crippen has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of Handy, a 22-year-old Greenbush resident, and stands accused of the attempted murder of Davis, 27, along with eight other related charges.
In accounts of the incident released by the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office and in charging documents filed in Worcester County District Court, shortly before 10:30 that night, Crippen approached a house in the 500 block of Laurel Street in Pocomoke City and asked a person sitting on the steps if he could buy some cigarettes.
"Handy ... confronted (Crippen). There were words that were exchanged between them," according to an unnamed source cited in documents filed by Detective Corp. Mike Lupiwok of the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
At a news conference two days later -- shortly after authorities had apprehended Crippen in a Delmar hotel -- Pocomoke City Police Chief J.D. Ervin told reporters the two men "had a history with each other -- they didn't get along."
But according to Davis, Handy and Crippen weren't feuding and didn't even know each other.
Davis himself has a history of criminal convictions in Worcester County, according to court records. In 2003, he was fined $100 after being found guilty of second-degree assault. A year later, Davis was sentenced to five months in jail for second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
On May 26, after spending the day in Virginia with family, Handy and Davis were gathered with about a half-dozen others outside the Laurel Street home of a relative. From his vantage at the side of the house, Davis said he could see Crippen approaching.
"He just ran up and started shooting. There wasn't no words exchanged," he said. "I don't know how many shots it was, but it was a lot."
Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd said he disagreed, in part, with Davis' retelling.
"It's inappropriate for me to talk about the facts of the case, but I can tell you this is not information that the police made up," Todd said.
Whether Davis or the unnamed witness cited in court documents will testify at trial has yet to be determined, Todd said.
A jury trial has been scheduled for Sept. 8.
VIA: Delmarvanow.com
Duck Boat Capsizes In Philadelphia- Two Missing
The 37 people aboard the six-wheeled duck boat were tossed overboard when the tugboat-pushed barge hit it after it had been adrift for a few minutes with its engine stalled, police said. Most were plucked from the river by other vessels in a frantic rescue operation that happened in full view of Penn's Landing, just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
The duck boat, which can travel seamlessly on land and water, had driven into the river Wednesday afternoon and suffered a mechanical problem and a small fire, officials said. It was struck about 10 minutes later by a barge used to transport sludge and sank to the bottom of the river.
The Coast Guard said it would search through the night for a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man believed to have been aboard the duck boat. Senior Chief Bud Holden said Thursday that passenger interviews indicate the missing were members of a Hungarian tour group.
"Hope is fading, but we're not giving up hope completely," Coast Guard Capt. Todd Gatlin said Wednesday night.
Ten people were taken to a hospital; two declined treatment, and the other eight were treated and released, Hahnemann University Hospital spokeswoman Coleen Cannon said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it planned to try to obtain any radio recordings, any possible mayday calls, photographs from witnesses or people aboard and other evidence as its investigators remain in Philadelphia over the next several days.
NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said investigators would try to figure out why the vessels collided and "how conspicuous would that duck have been" to the tugboat pushing the 250-foot-long barge. NTSB officials also hoped to conduct witness interviews, he said.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said divers found the duck boat in water about 50 feet deep. Crews would not attempt to recover it until Thursday at the earliest, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said.
There were 35 passengers and two crew members aboard the boat, Holden said. Coast Guard boats assisted by police and fire crews worked to rescue people from the water, he said. A spokeswoman for the duck boat company, Ride the Ducks, said 39 people were aboard, and the reason for the discrepancy was unclear.
One passenger, Kevin Grace, 50, of St. Louis, said he had less than a minute to get a lifejacket on his 9-year-old daughter before the barge hit.
"We had 45 seconds to try to get the life jackets on our kids," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. "Everyone panicked, rushing to the front of the boat."
Bystanders along the waterfront screamed as the barge hit the boat, said a security guard who was patrolling the area.
"I whirled around as the barge began to run over the duck boat," said Larry Waxmunski, a guard for the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. "After the barge hit it — it almost looked like slow motion — the duck boat began to turn over."
Television footage showed at least five people being pulled from the water wearing life vests in an area of the river near the Old City neighborhood, popular with tourists. Helicopter footage showed people in life vests being helped from boats onto a dock and at least one person on a gurney.
Terri Ronna, 45, of Oakland, N.J., said she was on a ferry going from Camden, N.J., across the river to Philadelphia when the captain announced that there was someone overboard from another ship and that they were going to rescue him.
"We were not even halfway over when they said there was somebody overboard and we were going to get them," Ronna said. "There were people all over; we could see all these orange life vests."
The passengers who were treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital were three teenagers, three younger children and two adults, Cannon said.
One crew member from the duck boat was rescued by the ferry that the Delaware River Port Authority was operating on its scheduled route between Philadelphia and Camden, authority spokesman Ed Kasuba said.
Officials said the barge was owned by the city and being directed by a tugboat owned by K-Sea Transportation Partners, of East Brunswick, N.J.
The city Water Department uses the barge to transport sludge from a sewage plant in northeast Philadelphia to a recycling plant downriver, mayoral spokeswoman Maura Kennedy said. The city has a contract with K-Sea, which operates the tugboat that pulled the unmanned and unpowered barge.
Ride the Ducks also operates tours in San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Newport, R.I., and Branson, Mo. The company said in a statement on its website that it was suspending its Philadelphia operations.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with our Philadelphia guests, crew members and their families," the statement said.
Holden, of the Coast Guard, said the duck boats are inspected annually, but he did not know when the boat involved in Wednesday's crash was last inspected.
Another Coast Guard spokesman, Thomas Peck, said neither craft was in a wrong lane.
Some of the duck boats are amphibious military personnel carriers dating to World War II that have been restored and reconditioned. Known by their original military acronym as DUKWs, they were first introduced in the tourism market in 1946 in the Wisconsin Dells, where about 120 of the vessels now operate.
As of 2000, there were more than 250 refurbished amphibious vehicles in service nationwide, the NTSB said.
Anne Arundel "Deputy Dog" Makes 5th Arrest
Faced with a big, barking enforcer pushing toward him under a bed, a Shady Side man with open warrants surrendered to police.
That was the fifth apprehension by Grim, one of two "deputy dogs" of the Anne Arundel County sheriff's office, said his handler, Deputy Jason Jett.
The team was leaving work after 9 p.m. June 30 when Jett heard on his police radio that officers were trying to arrest a man whose history included fleeing from police and violence against officers, and police could not get a response from inside the house, Jett said. He offered to swing by with Grim, his Belgian Malinois partner of a year. Among the 80-pound dog's skills is tracking and apprehending people.
A shout of "Come out or we will release the dog" — Grim's cue to start barking — inspired a relative of the wanted man to emerge from the house in the 1100 block of Oak Avenue and tell officers that Michael James Jackson II was hiding inside, Jett said. Ordered to search the home, Grim ran to a bedroom, where he barked at an empty bed, he said.
"I told him to come out or I would release the dog and he would be bitten," Jett said. But no one came out.
"He will bite and hold; he will try to drag you out," Jett said. "He's not going to go in there as a sissy."
Ordered to apprehend his target, the 3-year-old dog began to squeeze under the bed. "He was laying down flat, he got his head and shoulders under the bed," Jett recalled. As Jett tried to lift the heavy wood-frame bed, the dog pushed up, as if to lift the bed to get to the man in hiding, he said.
From beneath the bed came screams of "I give up," Jett said, as the man asked for the dog to be called off. "He got a face full of dog, probably," Jett said. The man complied with orders to show his hands, allowing county police to arrest him, according to the sheriff's office.
For five minutes of good work, Grim got no dog treats.
"If he does a good job, he gets his Kong," Jett said, referring to a hard rubber toy. "He loves that Kong. He carries it around like it's his pacifier."
Jackson, 30, was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail on a charge of second-degree assault and traffic charges. District Court judges had issued warrants for failure to appear in court for those cases.
Virginia State Police Remind Teens To BUCKLE UP!
New July 1 Seatbelt Law Focuses on 16 & 17-year-old Passenger Safety
As of July 1, 2010, in Virginia:
Children from birth through seven years of age must be safely secured in a child safety restraint (to include booster seats).
Those passengers between the ages of eight and 17 must wear a seat belt while riding in the backseat and front seat of a vehicle.
Existing law requires everyone sitting in the front seat of a vehicle to be buckled up.
"We lose far too many young people in traffic crashes on Virginia’s highways because they fail to use a seat belt," said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. "Too many teens think they are invincible; yet no one is a match for what can happen when unbuckled and involved in a motor vehicle collision. The few seconds it takes to buckle up could save your life on the road."
In 2009, 51 young people between the ages of 15 and 20 were killed in traffic crashes statewide. None of them was buckled up.* The death rate was slightly higher in 2008 when 72 unrestrained teens and young adults between 15 and 20 years of age lost their lives in traffic crashes.*
Throughout the summer months, Virginia State Police will be concentrating on occupant restraint violations through enforcement and education as part of the Click It or Ticket campaign. Statistics show that with the proper use of seat belts, drivers and passengers are 40 percent less likely to be fatally injured during a traffic crash.*
# # #
*
Source: Virginia Highway Safety Office, DMV
Northampton County Institutes Burn Ban
Certain exemptions are still allowed under the burn ban, however. Controlled burning operations in connection with tomato harvesting, campfires conducted in designated campgrounds and other camping facilities and brush pile burning conducted by the County at the sanitary landfill will still be allowed.
The ban will remain in effect until the County Administrator deems advisable to lift the ban. According to Accuweather.com, rain is likely Thursday afternoon and Saturday as well.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
NO BURNING ALLOWED In Worcester County
Effective immediately, outdoor burning is banned for an indefinite period of time in Worcester County.
Worcester County Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon issued the burning ban today, July 7, after dry weather and 12 outdoor wildfires occurred in the county during the past 30 days. The ban applies to all outdoor ignition sources, including campfires, bonfires, fireworks, leaf, brush, grass and trash burning and other similar methods of open incineration.
The ban does not apply to public permitted fireworks displays with fire company personnel assisting or Assateague beach campfires.
“Since the beginning of June, the county has experienced an increased number of brush, field and woods fires,” said McMahon. “These fires cause safety concerns for area residents and responding personnel.”
The ban will remain in effect until the dry conditions dissipate. For further information, contact Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon at 410-632-5666.
NO BURNING In Accomack County UNTIL Further Notice!!
The ban will include camp fires, burn barrels, agricultural fires and prescribe forestry burning.
The emergency ban will start immediately and will remain in effect until it is reviewed at the next Accomack County Board of Supervisor's Meeting.
*******The burning ban will be enforced and monitored by the Accomack County Sheriff's Department. *******
Virginia ACLU Seeks Federal Investigation Of Richmond Jail
Kent Willis, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, requested the investigation Tuesday in a letter to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
"We believe that these deaths are symptomatic of ongoing unconstitutionally harsh conditions at the jail," Willis wrote.
The jail lacks air conditioning, and Willis pointed to an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week in which Sheriff C.T. Woody said temperatures inside can reach as high as 120 when it's 100 outside. Woody made the remark in discussing the June 26 heat-exposure death of inmate Grant R. Sleeper, 54.
Another prisoner, 49-year-old Kerry Wayne Bennett, was found dead in his bunk June 30. The cause of Bennett's death has not been determined.
"We believe that the conditions at the Richmond City Jail pose a persistent threat to the health and safety of inmates, as illustrated by the two recent deaths," Willis wrote. "Periodic proposals to improve or replace the jail have repeatedly come to naught. The situation at the jail requires federal intervention."
The sheriff's office had no comment on the letter, Col. Walter Allmon said.
Willis said in a telephone interview that the Justice Department, unlike an individual or a group like the ACLU, has the power to file a lawsuit claiming constitutional rights are being violated without having a specific plaintiff.
"Our first step is to see if the Justice Department is willing to do this," Willis said. "They have the resources and the ability."
Justice Department spokesman Alejandro Miyar confirmed receipt of the letter. "We will review the request to determine what action, if any, is appropriate," he said.
If the department declines to intervene, Willis said, the ACLU will consider alternatives including filing a lawsuit on behalf of an aggrieved inmate. Willis said his organization has received more than 50 complaints about conditions at the jail in the last five years.
"It's been overcrowded for as long as I can remember," Willis said. "Right now we have overcrowding exacerbated by heat."
The jail, built in the 1960s, typically exceeds its 850-inmate capacity by several hundred. And last month was the hottest June on record in Richmond, with high temperatures of at least 95 on 11 days and at least 100 on three days. The heat wave has carried over into July, with highs expected in the upper 90s this week.
Hiring Continues For New Walmart
The construction of the Onley store began in the fall of 2009 with the first columns set on December 7, 2009. The completion of the 155,000 sq. ft. building took just over 6 months.
Upon its opening, the store plans to employ approximately 350 associates. Many of the newly hired associates are now reporting to work to help prepare the store for its grand opening.
Walmart continues to hire both full- and part-time associates to work in all areas of the new store.
Airman Dies From Injuries- Operation Enduring Freedom-
His Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by enemy fire on June 9.
Wisniewski and two other airmen aboard the aircraft were wounded, and four others killed.
He was hospitalized in Germany and then transported to the National Naval Center in Maryland, where he died..
"We need a presence in Afghanistan," said Jean Hancock, of Nashville. "I do not like the idea of our soldiers getting killed. I feel we should give them everything they need to make it as safe as possible."
"It's the right thing to do," said Frank Barbee, of Valdosta. "I don't think they should be over there years and years from now. Hopefully, we can bring 'em home within the next year or two and the job will be done."
Wisniewski was awarded the Purple Heart last month.
He was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
No Oil Derricks Any Time Soon For Virginia
Oil derricks may not be sprouting anytime soon off the Virginia coast because of the BP blowout, but the state's senior U.S. senator says those operating elsewhere must be protected from another threat: terrorism.
Democrat Jim Webb, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is calling on the Obama administration to develop safeguards for shielding offshore platforms from attack.
Webb made his case in a recent letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar.
"While Congress will continue to scrutinize BP and regulatory agencies, I write to urge you to also be vigilant against deliberate acts, such as an attack or sabotage, that could similarly devastate the region," says Webb, referring to the oil-rich Gulf Coast.
Webb favors exploration for oil and gas in Virginia waters, but after the Deepwater Horizon disaster he backed a White House-ordered delay until safety and environmental concerns are addressed.
In his letter, Webb notes that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission now requires that atomic generators withstand plane crashes. Similar standards should be considered for the oil and gas industries, Webb says.
"Security issues surrounding oil and gas drilling are of a different nature, but a lack of vigilance could leave the marine ecosystem, as well as certain areas of our national security, at great risk," Webb said.
"The Deepwater Horizon incident has caused the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history. With dozens of wells operating in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, we must employ policies that mitigate all types of risk.
"I therefore request that you provide, as soon as practicable, your assessment of the vulnerability of offshore oil rigs to attack, the current framework for addressing such risks and your recommendations to Congress for deploying adequate resources and safeguards," Webb says.
Webb's request for administration suggestions to Congress on improving security of offshore platforms comes as the Virginian readies for a possible rematch in two years with the incumbent Republican he narrowly defeated in 2006, George Allen.
Allen, too, supports energy exploration off the state's coast. A former governor, Allen operates a political consultancy that is aligned with the U.S. energy industry and through which he advocates for increased domestic drilling.
Lindsay Lohan Gets 90 Days In Jail For Violating Probation
The actress burst into tears after the ruling.
Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel issued the sentence after listening to testimony from employees of an alcohol treatment program that Lohan had been ordered to attend.
Lohan missed seven classes since December, which led to the judge's harsh rebuke moments after the "Mean Girls" star offered a tearful apology.
"I did do everything I was told to do and did the best I could to balance jobs and showing up," Lohan told the judge. "It wasn't vacation, it wasn't some sort of a joke."
Revel said she found Lohan's apology insincere, comparing it to "somebody who cheats and thinks it isn't cheating if she doesn't get caught."
Lohan was not immediately taken into custody and will be permitted to surrender on July 20. She will have to wear an ankle alcohol monitor until then.
Los Angeles County district attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said it was not uncommon for judges to allow defendants to turn themselves in at a later date so they can get their affairs in order.
The sentence tripled the monthlong jail sentence prosecutors had sought for Lohan.
It was unclear how much time Lohan will actually spend in jail. Los Angeles Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said female inmates convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors serve about a quarter of their sentence but that can be further reduced by state credits.
Whitmore said Lohan might be released on house arrest, but it would depend on the specifics of Revel's order.
Lohan could be returning to the suburban Lynwood jail where she spent 84 minutes in 2007 after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of cocaine, and no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08 percent and one count of reckless driving. She had been sentenced to four days behind bars.
The same jail housed Paris Hilton for 23 days in 2007 after she was found guilty of driving on a suspended license while on probation in an alcohol-related, reckless-driving case.
Whitmore said then that budget problems meant nonviolent female inmates were only serving about 10 percent of their sentences. The department still faces overcrowding and budget issues, he said.
Judge Revel spent several minutes Tuesday detailing Lohan's conduct since 2007, noting the actress had repeatedly deflected blame and made excuses.
There were "a number of instances that would show her not taking things seriously," said Revel, who imposed a series of strict, new conditions on the actress.
Lohan will now have a probation officer who will monitor her progress more closely. Lohan was previously on informal probation and supervised by a judge. She will also have to enter inpatient rehab.
Revel revoked Lohan's probation and ordered her to wear an ankle alcohol monitor after the starlet missed a court date in May. She was promoting a film project at the Cannes Film Festival at the time and claimed her passport was stolen.
The monitor issued an alert after the actress attended the MTV Movie Awards and after-parties last month. Revel said the device registered a .03 blood alcohol level at the time. Lohan has denied drinking that night.
Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, urged the judge to place the actress back on probation, saying she had learned her lesson and had improved.
Prosecutor Danette Meyers disagreed and urged jail time for the star.
"When you ordered her to go every week, it didn't catch her attention," Meyers said in a closing statement.
The 2007 plea came after a pair of high-profile arrests earlier that year. Lohan was sentenced to three years probation but had to ask for a yearlong extension in October after she failed to complete her alcohol-education courses on time.
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