Worcester Co. Sheriff's Officer Lt. Michael McDermott Temporarily Stripped Of Police Powers

SNOW HILL -- Worcester County Sheriff's Office Lt. Michael McDermott has been temporarily stripped of his police powers while the Sheriff's Office investigated a September 2009 incident involving a service weapon, according to his lawyer. McDermott is the mayor of Pocomoke City and a Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B.

Worcester County Sheriff Charles T. Martin confirmed Wednesday that McDermott's power to arrest was taken away July 22 and said the lieutenant is now on administrative office duty. An incident involving McDermott is being investigated, Martin said, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is a personnel matter.

"Those powers remain suspended until they are reinstated by me or the case is adjudicated," Martin said. "It's something that is going to be adjudicated within the system, and he knows the system as well as I do."

The investigation has nothing to do with McDermott's run for the legislature, Martin said. The sheriff, a Democrat, will step down at the end of his fourth term in November because of health reasons.

According to Michael Davey, McDermott's lawyer, the suspension stems from a 2009 incident concerning the location of a service weapon assigned to the lieutenant. The gun was in McDermott's office, Davey said.

"I'm guessing it should have been secured in a better location than his locked office," Davey said, adding that the situation leading to the charges against his client are still unclear. "We are assuming that is the basis for his suspension."

On July 27, the emergency suspension board -- comprised of members of the Sheriff's Office -- reviewed the charges and recommended that McDermott's powers be reinstated, Davey said. However, their decision is not binding, and final say in the matter will come down to Martin.

"At this point we are trying to get his police powers returned by the sheriff based on the recommendations of his own staff," Davey said. "We are trying to determine what the basis of this suspension was because we just don't know at this point."

www.delmarvanow.com

This Weekend At The MarVa Theater

Here's what everyone has been waiting for!!!

Friday and Saturday night August 6th and 7th

Showtime: 7 p.m. Admission: $5.00 Rated G

Be there for a chance to win a Toy Story 3 toy!

NASA Rocket Launch A Success

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) - The NASA Black Brant X sounding rocket successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore Wednesday.

The rocket launched at 5:15 a.m. It's mission, according to NASA, was to "flight qualify the new production Nihka rocket motor, the third stage in the Black Brant X."

The next mission from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is expected no ealier than August 23.

To view rocket launch from NASA click below.

NASA - NASA Sounding Rocket Launched August 4

www.wavy.com

Guess The Picture

Don't rush.

Study the picture and try to determine what it represents.
 

This one is easy

Anyone Interested In Buying Some Beer?

Burglars can't find beer buyers.

WEST POINT, Miss. (AP) - Three people have been arrested after they were found passed out after drinking 11 cases of beer allegedly stolen from a club.

Clay County Chief Deputy Eddie Scott tells the Commercial Dispatch that Barbara Dewberry; her son, David Hurst and her 17-year-old grandson, all of Mantee, are accused of burglarizing the County Line Club near West Point last week. Scott says cash and 20 cases of beer went missing.

Scott says dispatchers were tipped that people were trying to sell beer to neighbors shortly after the burglary.

He says deputies found the three passed out at one of their houses in Mantee. He says they apparently drank more than 11 cases of beer after they failed to find buyers.

He says the remaining beer and some cash were recovered.

www.wavy.com

Cases Heard In Accomack County Circuit Court

Accomack County Commonwealths Attorney Gary Agar reports the following cases were heard in Accomack County Circuit Court:

Daniel Mains, 24 of Norfolk, was found guilty of driving while being a habitual offender.

Carl Wingender, 40 of Belle Haven, was sentenced to two years imprisonment with all time suspended for credit card fraud and credit card theft.

Davon Davis, 21 of Painter, was found guilty of armed burglary, attempted robbery and possession of a sawed off shotgun.

Gil Byrd, 59 of Onancock, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 60 days suspended for felony shoplifting.

Brittany Edwards, 20 of Hallwood, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but four days suspended for burglary and grand larceny.

Rahiam Hope, 21 of Tasley, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but one year suspended for eluding and leaving the scene of an accident.

Lavar Crawford, 24 of Norfolk, was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment with all but 5 years suspended for eluding, reckless driving and driving without a license.

Joseph Davila, 22 of Onancock, was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment with all time suspended for writing bad checks.

Tony Linton, 48 of Sanford, had probation revoked for burglary and grand larceny.
www.shoredailynews.com

From the National Weather Service

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: HEAT ADVISORY / SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL DELMARVA COUNTIES UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE PENINSULA WILL CONTAIN POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND LIGHTNING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ALSO ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM THURSDAY FOR DORCHESTER, SOMERSET, WICOMICO, WORCESTER, AND ACCOMACK COUNTIES; AND FROM 11 AM TO 10 PM THURSDAY FOR KENT, SUSSEX, QUEEN ANNE'S, TALBOT, AND CAROLINE COUNTIES...A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED...THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S...THIS COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE...DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS, STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM, AND STAY OUT OF THE SUN IF POSSIBLE.

www.wboc.com

Pocomoke Mayor Mike McDermott Stripped Of Police Powers In Worcester County

SNOW HILL — Worcester County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael McDermott was temporarily stripped of his police powers while the department investigates a Sept. 2009 incident involving a service weapon, according to his lawyer. McDermott is the mayor of Pocomoke City and a Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B.

Worcester County Sheriff Charles T. Martin confirmed that McDermott’s power to arrest was taken away on July 22, and said McDermott is now on administrative office duties. An incident involving McDermott is being investigated, Martin said, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is a personnel matter.
“Those powers remain suspended until they are reinstated by me or the case is adjudicated,” Martin said. “It’s something that is going to be adjudicated within the system, and he knows the system as well as I do."
See continuing coverage in Thursday’s The Daily Times.
www.delmarvanow.com

Pocomoke; Armed Robbery

DATE & TIME: August 4, 2010
Case # 10-0124
LOCATION: Goose Creek Store (Stockton Rd. Pocomoke, MD)
Pizza Hut Restaurant (Linden Ave. Pocomoke, MD)
CRIME: Armed Robbery
VICTIM: Goose Creek Store - Pizza Hut Restaurant - Pocomoke City MD.

NARRATIVE:

On June 9, 2010 at approximately 2335 hours the store clerk of Goose Creek Store located 2322 Stockton Rd. Pocomoke was attempting to close the store for the
night, when she was confronted by three masked men who had just entered the store.

One of which was brandishing a handgun. All three were demanding money, while one was pointing a handgun at the clerk.

The suspects were able to get an undisclosed amount of currency and fled the
area on foot.

During the investigation, it was also learned that approximately 30 minutes prior to the robbery at Goose Creek Store, The manager at Pizza Hut Restaurant (located on Linden Ave Pocomoke, MD) contacted the Pocomoke City police Department, advising that three masked men had just attempted to rob him at gun point, while he was exiting and closing the business for the night.

The clerk advised he was able to enter his vehicle and drove away. Nothing was
taken by the suspects reference the Pizza Hut.

The Worcester County Bureau of Investigations was asked to investigate these two
Robberies in Pocomoke, City.

From the information obtained by the restaurant manager matched the same description, such as physical description, clothing as the given by the clerk at
Goose Creek.

During the investigation information was learned that the three suspects listed
below were involved in the robberies.

The Investigations are continuing.

The First Suspect: Dorian Rashawn Johnson, age 19 – (Pictured Below)
originally from Baltimore,MD and now residing in Pocomoke, MD.
(Arrested & held at the county jail on $250.000.00 Bond)

Second Suspect: Decarlo Marcus White, Age 19 from Pocomoke, MD. WANTED & believed to be still in the Pocomoke City area.

If located call Pocomoke City police 410-957-1600 or The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (410) 352-3476

Third Suspect: Dexter Barthelamew Wise, Jr. Age 23 (From Laurel Delaware)
(Located)

Each have been charged with a total of 23 Criminal Offenses, to include Armed
Robbery, Assault First Degree, Reckless Endangerment, Conspiracy to commit
robbery.

"The Rollover"- From Sunday July 25, 2010- Crisfield Mud Hop

Crisfield Mud Hop

The entire day of the Crisfield Mud Hop was an exciting and challenging day for everyone. Some trucks never made it through the muddy trench (most getting stuck near the 100ft. marker) and required the cable for pulling them out.

Most of the trucks with the larger motors, bigger tires, etc. had very little difficulty with the attempt and gave all of us some scary moments by going side to side in the pit, racing to the other end. There had been some close calls during the day that made everyone ooh and aah.

But it wasn't until the Unlimited Class took their turn that we really got our scare for the day.

The driver was not injured in this accident.

Accomack County Circuit Court

Accomack Commonwealths Attorney Gary Agar reports the follow trials and sentencings in Accomack County Circuit Court:

Richard Copes, 31 of Withams, was found guilty of robbery, grand larceny and abduction.

Christopher Barcroft, 21 of Cheriton, was found guilty of 2 counts of burglary and 2 counts of grand larceny.

Elmore White, Jr., 44 of Mappsville, was found guilty of possession of cocaine and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 3 suspended.

Wilbert Watson, 47 of Bloxom, was found guilty of 3rd offense shoplifting.

Steve Kilgore, 24 of Exmore, was found guilty of armed burglary, attempted robbery, use of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Douglas Bragg, 26 of Painter, was found guilty of possession of cocaine and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 3 suspended.

Kerwin Mears, 25 of Accomac, was found guilty of 2nd offense possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, 2nd offense possession of marijuana.

Edward Trader, Jr., 28 of New Church, was found guilty of credit card larceny and obstruction of justice.

Charles Shields, 51 of Painter, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with all but 7 months suspended for distribution of cocaine.

Charles Miller, Sr., 61 of New Church, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but 5 years and 1 month suspended for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm while in possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Martese Creekmore, 20 of New Church, was sentenced to a youthful offender program for robbery, grand larceny and abduction.

Dashon Scarborough, 25 of Atlantic, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with all but 6 years suspended for burglary, grand larceny and 2 counts of uttering.

Christopher Philips, 27 of Parksley, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment with 7 years and 3 month to serve for grand larceny and 5 counts of obtaining money by false pretense.
www.shoredailynews.com

Guess The Picture

Don't rush.

Study the picture and try to determine what it represents.

Odd Looking Reptile Is Captured By Teen Fishing In Patapsco River

I knew this young fisherman would be back for the "big" catch!

In the end, it was chicken on a string that brought a wayward "alligator" out of the Patapsco River.

A two-hour search on Monday evening by Natural Resources Police failed to find a trace of the critter. But Eric Hammack Jr., the 16-year-old fisherman who first reported the reptile on Sunday, returned to the pond off Belle Grove Road in Patapsco Valley State Park on Tuesday. He had decided to try luring the gator with a hunk of chicken on a string.

"It was a chicken wing," said Hammack, who lives nearby in Pumphrey and fishes in the park often. He pulled the meat off the bones and tied a string and a fishing hook to them. Then he tied the string to a tree, and threw the chicken bones into the river.

"I fished for, like, an hour and a half," he said. Then he had to leave for a while. And when he came back, there was a 21/2-to-3-foot caiman on the line. Caimans are close relatives of alligators.

The critter was hooked. Hammack had come with a net and a container to put it in, but the animal by then was snagged under a fallen tree.

"He couldn't move," Hammack said, and he couldn't get to him.

So Hammack called the Department of Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel County animal control officers, who were on the scene in about 45 minutes.

"They used the kind of pole they use to catch animals, and got it over his body and pulled him up," Hammack said. "Then they cut the line and put tape around his mouth, and they walked out."

The animal control folks "are looking for somebody to take control of it, either a zoo or someone who has the proper permits to take care of it," said Sgt. Art Windemuth, a spokesman for the DNR Police.

Possession of an alligator or a caiman is illegal in Maryland. It's also against the law to release any nonindigenous species into the wild.

Even so, DNR officials say they encounter one or two cases like this each year. Travelers acquire a caiman or a small alligator somewhere, bring it back to Maryland and then release it when it grows too big to handle.

"I'm sure he'll have a better location in a zoo, and get the three meals a day, or whatever they get fed," Windemuth said. "And he'll get protection and when winter comes, he'll be able to survive."

And Hammack can go back to regular fishing. Still, it was pretty exciting along the Patapsco for a while, he said. "It was fun. I could do it again."

www.baltimoresun.com

Oh, Good Grief!! MORE Palin DRAMA!!!

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have called off their second engagement after he told her he may have fathered a baby with another woman.

Palin declined to identify the woman to People magazine, but a pregnant ex-girlfriend of Johnston has publicly denied he is the father.

Palin, the 19-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, said Johnston told her about the baby on July 14, the day the couple announced their re-engagement. Bristol Palin and the 20-year-old Johnston have a toddler son together, Tripp.

Representatives for Palin and Johnston did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday.

Palin had said she didn't have her mother's full support over reconnecting with Johnston. She said both her mother and father worried she would get hurt again.

Palin said the "final straw" was when Johnston told her he was going to Hollywood to see a hunting show, but actually went there to star in a music video mocking her family. In the video being shot this month in Los Angeles, Johnston will play a lover whose romance is thwarted by his girlfriend's disapproving mother. The project is based on the song "After Love" by singer-songwriter Brittani Senser.

"He's just obsessed with the limelight, and I got played," Palin told People.

Relations between the Palins and Johnston and his family have been strained since the couple broke off their first engagement soon after Tripp was born in December 2008. Bristol Palin later became a public advocate for abstinence.

The relationship later devolved into a messy tabloid drama as Johnston posed nude for Playgirl and trashed Sarah Palin in interviews. The sudden re-engagement marked a rapid turnaround for the couple that just months ago was fighting over child support and Johnston's criticism of her family.

Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, told People that she hopes her daughter will "move forward in life with her same forgiving, gracious, optimistic spirit, but from henceforth she'll know to trust but verify."
www.baltimoresun.com

Nandua High School Student Fatally Hurt in Car Crash

TASLEY — A rising Nandua High School senior was fatally injured Saturday night while attempting to cross U. S. Route 13 on foot.

Shaqeel Marquette Hellins, 15, of Daughterty Road, died after he was struck by a northbound 2009 Nissan truck driven by Carolyn Marie Morgan of Eden, Md., State Police spokeswoman Michelle Anaya said.

No charges were filed against Morgan.

Hellins apparently was crossing the highway from the west side after he got off work. The accident was reported at 9:23 p.m.

Nandua High School Vice Principal George Parker said Monday morning that students at the school for football practice were mourning the loss of Hellins, who Parker described as “a very genuinely sweet kid” who was known for being active in his church, Macedonia A.M.E. Church in Accomac.

Trooper J. J. Renas is the investigating officer.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/

Three Indicted For Painter Area Break-ins

ACCOMAC — A grand jury in Accomac Monday indicted 15 people, including three Painter men who police say have admitted involvement in a string of break-ins in that town in March and April.

James Phillips Johnson, 37, and Spencer Lee Sample, 53, both were indicted on eight counts of burlary and grand larceny related to a string of break-ins in March and April at two Painter residences and the Gravities Light clothing store.

Michael Lee Sample Jr., 25, was indicted on six counts related to break-ins at the residences.

An investigator with the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office interviewed the men in June, beginning with Johnson, who according to a criminal complaint filed in the case admitted his involvement and implicated the other two men.

Johnson told the investigator the three entered a home on Big Pine Road last spring and stole a television, lockboxes, a gun and some jewelry.

He said he and Spencer Sample also broke into the Gravities Light store in April, knocking out aair conditioner to enter through a window. They took items including pocketbooks and shirts, he said.

All three men also broke into a house on Hickman Street, Johnson said.

Some of the stolen items were later recovered in a wooded area on Indian Trail Road, according to the complaint.

Michael Lee Sample when interviewed the following day admitted involvement in the break-in at Big Pine Road but denied he participated in the one on Hickman Street.

Spencer Lee Sample admitted involvement in two of the incidents, but denied breaking into the Hickman Street residence a second time and also denied breaking into Gravitys Light.

Also indicted were:

Troy Wayne Beacham, 43, of Cheriton, maiming.

Storm Carter, 59, of Keller, grand larceny.

George G. Gaskill Jr., 45, of Onley, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Keenan S. Goodwine, 18, of Atlantic, robbery and use of a firearm.

Leroy Handy, 63, of Bloxom, grand larceny.

Shawn Lamont Harmon, 24, of Onancock, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance.

Wanda D. Stratton, no age or town given, seven counts welfare fraud.

Keith Leander Parker, 41, of Onley, grand larceny.

Victor Manuel Scott, 20, of Bloxom, carnal knowledge.

Devric Jamar Hinmon, 25, of Temperanceville, attempted burglary, felony property destruction, maliciously shooting at an occupied dwelling.

Jennie Net Tumblin, 58, of 25241 Estate Lane, Parksley, shooting at an occupied dwelling.

Joseph Lamont Washington, 33, of Exmore, grand larceny.

www.delmarvanow.com

The Other Side of the Arizona Law

I'm Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen. I want to explain SB 1070 which I
voted for and was just signed by Governor Jan Brewer.
Rancher Rob Krantz was murdered by the drug cartel on his ranch a month ago.
I participated in a senate hearing two weeks ago on the border violence,
here is just some of the highlights from those who testified.

The people who live within 60 to 80 miles of the Arizona/Mexico Border have
for years been terrorized and have pleaded for help to stop the daily
invasion of humans who cross their property . One Rancher testified that 300
to 1200 people a DAY come across his ranch vandalizing his property,
stealing his vehicles and property, cutting down his fences, and leaving
trash. In the last two years he has found 17 dead bodies and two Koran
bibles.

Another rancher testified that daily drugs are brought across his ranch in a
military operation. A point man with a machine gun goes in front, 1/2 mile
behind are the guards fully armed, 1/2 mile behind them are the drugs,
behind the drugs 1/2 mile are more guards. These people are violent and they
will kill anyone who gets in the way. This was not the only rancher we heard
that day that talked about the drug trains.

One man told of two illegal's who came upon his property one shot in the
back and the other in the arm by the drug runners who had forced them to
carry the drugs and then shot them. Daily they listen to gun fire during the
night it is not safe to leave his family alone on the ranch and they can't
leave the ranch for fear of nothing being left when they come back.

The border patrol is not on the border. They have set up 60 miles away with
check points that do nothing to stop the invasion. They are not allowed to
use force in stopping anyone who is entering. They run around chasing them,
if they get their hands on them then they can take them back across the
border.

Federal prisons have over 35% illegal's and 20% of Arizona prisons are
filled with illegal's. In the last few years 80% of our law enforcement that
have been killed or wounded have been by an illegal.

The majority of people coming now are people we need to be worried about.
The ranchers told us that they have seen a change in the people coming they
are not just those who are looking for work and a better life.

The Federal Government has refused for years to do anything to help the
border states. We have been over run and once they are here we have the
burden of funding state services that they use. Education cost have been
over a billion dollars. The healthcare cost billions of dollars. Our State
is broke, $3.5 billion deficit and we have many serious decisions to make.
One is that we do not have the money to care for any who are not here
legally. It has to stop.
The border can be secured. We have the technology we have the ability to
stop this invasion. We must know who is coming and they must come in an
organized manner legally so that we can assimilate them into our population
and protect the sovereignty of our country. We are a nation of laws. We have
a responsibility to protect our citizens and to protect the integrity of our
country and the government which we live under.

I would give amnesty today to many, but here is the problem, we dare not do
this until the Border is secure. It will do no good to forgive them because
thousands will come behind them and we will be over run to the point that
there will no longer be the United States of America but a North American
Union of open borders. I ask you what form of government will we live under?
How long will it be before we will be just like Mexico, Canada or any of the
other Central American or South American countries? We have already lost our
language, everything must be printed in Spanish also. We have already lost
our history it is no longer taught in our schools. And we have lost our
borders.

The leftist media has distorted what SB 1070 will do. It is not going to set
up a Nazi Germany. Are you kidding. The ACLU and the leftist courts will do
everything to protect those who are here illegally, but it was an effort to
try and stop illegals from setting up businesses, and employment, and
receiving state services and give the ability to local law enforcement when
there is probable cause like a traffic stop to determine if they are here
legally. Federal law is very clear if you are here on a visa you must have
your papers on you at all times. That is the law. In Arizona all you need to
show you are a legal citizen is a driver license, MVD identification card,
Native American Card, or a Military ID. This is what you need to vote, get a
hunting license, etc So nothing new has been added to this law. No one is
going to be stopped walking down the street etc.. The Socialists who are in
power in DC are angry because we dare try and do something and that
something the Socialists want us to do is just let them come. They want the
"Transformation" to continue.

Maybe it is too late to save America. Maybe we are not worthy of freedom
anymore. But as an elected official I must try to do what I can to protect
our Constitutional Republic. Living in America is not a right just because
you can walk across the border. Being an American is a responsibility and it
comes by respecting and upholding the Constitution the law of our land which
says what you must do to be a citizen of this country. Freedom is not free.

Hat Tip; Kack

Guess The Picture

Don't rush.

Study the picture and try to determine what it represents.

Cosmic Tsunami Tonight

Earth is bracing for a cosmic tsunami Tuesday night as tons of plasma from a massive solar flare head directly toward the planet.

The Sun's surface erupted early Sunday morning, shooting a wall of ionized atoms directly at Earth, scientists say. It is expected to create a geomagnetic storm and a spectacular light show -- and it could pose a threat to satellites in orbit, as well.

"This eruption is directed right at us and is expected to get here early in the day on Aug. 4," said Leon Golub of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "It's the first major Earth-directed eruption in quite some time."

The solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, was spotted by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captures high-definition views of the sun at a variety of wavelengths. SDO was launched in February and peers deep into the layers of the sun, investigating the mysteries of its inner workings.

"We got a beautiful view of this eruption," Golub said. "And there might be more beautiful views to come if it triggers aurorae."

Views of aurorae are usually associated with Canada and Alaska, but even skywatchers in the northern U.S. mainland are being told they can look toward the north Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for rippling "curtains" of green and red light.

When a coronal mass ejection reaches Earth, solar particles stream down our planet's magnetic field lines toward the poles. In the process, the particles collide with atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere, which then glow, creating an effect similar to miniature neon signs.

The interaction of the solar particles with our planet's magnetic field has the potential to create geomagnetic storms, or disturbances, in Earth's magnetosphere. And while aurorae are normally visible only at high latitudes, they can light up the sky even at lower latitudes during a geomagnetic storm.

Fortunately for Earth-bound observers, the atmosphere filters out nearly all of the radiation from the solar blast. The flare shouldn't pose a health hazard, Golub told FoxNews.com.

"It's because of our atmosphere," he explained, "which absorbs the radiation, as well as the magnetic field of the Earth, which deflects any magnetic particles produced."

The radiation "almost never" makes it to ground, he noted, though pilots and passengers in airplanes may experience increased radiation levels akin to getting an X-ray.

The solar particles also could affect satellites, though scientists think that possibility is remote. Orbital Sciences Corp. believe a similar blast may have knocked its Galaxy 15 satellite permanently out of action this year.

This type of solar event has both government officials and satellite manufacturers worrying.

NASA scientists warned recently that high-energy electric pulses from the sun could cripple our electrical grid for years, causing billions in damages. In fact, the House is so concerned that the Energy and Commerce committee voted unanimously to approve a bill allocating $100 million to protect the energy grid from this rare but potentially devastating occurrence.

The sun's activity usually ebbs and flows on a fairly predictable cycle. Typically, a cycle lasts about 11 years, taking roughly 5.5 years to move from a solar minimum, a period of time when there are few sunspots, to peak at the solar maximum, during which sunspot activity is amplified.

The last solar maximum occurred in 2001. The latest minimum was particularly weak and long- lasting.

The most recent solar eruption is one of the first signs that the sun is waking up -- and heading toward another maximum.

www.foxnews.com

UPDATE: Vote Clears Way For GROUND ZERO Mosque

NEW YORK — A New York City panel today denied landmark status to a building near ground zero, freeing organizers to build an Islamic center and mosque there.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s decision allows organizers to transform the 152-year-old building into an Islamic community center blocks from the site of the Sept. 11 attacks.

National and New York politicians and the Anti-Defamation League have come out in recent weeks against plans for the mosque, saying it disrespects the memory of Sept. 11 victims. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has supported the mosque.

The commission voted 9-0 against granting landmark status to the building.

Commissioners said the building didn’t meet historic criteria to qualify as a landmark.

A leading Jewish oranization come out against the mosque last week. The Anti-Defamation League said "some legitimate questions have been raised" about the Cordoba Initiative's funding and possible ties with "groups whose ideologies stand in contradiction to our shared values.

www.timesdispatch.com

Our Deepest Sympathy to the Condyles Family

Joan Condyles could often be seen early in the morning walking around her Pocomoke City neighborhood, lost in the Christian music piping through her headphones.

The strolls were one of many parts of Condyles's modest and unassuming life, said Anne Copeland, a friend and neighbor, marked by a love for her family, her work with disabled children, her garden and a devotion to her church.
Condyles was killed in a car accident in southern Worcester County. She was 54.
"She was salt of the earth -- good simple people," said Copeland, who described her as patient and kind. "She lived simply and was not into fancy clothes or make up or anything like that. She was a good Christian woman."
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country Condyles was traveling in on northbound Route 113 was clipped in a rear corner by a 1999 Dodge Stratus as it crossed the highway from the stop sign at the intersection of Betheden Church Road outside of Pocomoke, police said. The minivan swerved and went into the shoulder, rolling over several times before it came to rest upside down on the grass.
Condyles was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband Joe, who had been driving; children Curtis and Christina; daughter-in-law Rebecca; and 22-month-old grandson were taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. Rebecca Condyles, 25, is still in intensive care with head injuries, said Cpl. Greg Chatfield of the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack. She had been sitting in the rear passenger seat behind her mother-in-law. Condyles's third child, Tim, was not in the car.
The three people in the Stratus declined treatment at the scene. Charges are pending for the 17-year-old woman driving the vehicle, and police are investigating whether she was using a cell phone at the time, Chatfield said.
Condyles was known for her participation in the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Parish choir, her support of the Pocomoke High School Band and her work with in the Worcester County Public Schools.

Condyles has been a physical therapist with the school system since 1996, taking a full-time position based at Cedar Chapel Special School in 2003. She worked with physically disabled children to improve their abilities as well as helping to improve the health and fitness of Worcester's entire student body.

"Joan was a wonderful person who was passionate about helping children, especially those with disabilities," said Glen Hammerbacher, supervisor of special education. "As a physical therapist, she believed that every child could physically reach their highest potential. With a kind, encouraging, and no-nonsense nature, she helped turn doubts from her students into positive thinking and action. We will all miss her."
She also helped with the Special Olympics swim team at the Lower Shore YMCA, Copeland said.
When not at work, Condyles spent a considerable amount of time at church, attending Bible studies and singing alto in the choir, Copeland said. She enjoyed music of all types, often going to Salisbury's concerts in the park, and played the guitar -- a trait she passed along to her children who were active in the Pocomoke High School Band.
The family was very close, Copeland added, and spent a lot of time together.
"It was an old-fashioned type family," she said. "They would always get together and support each other."
News of the accident spread quickly around the Pocomoke area. As of last week, more than 275 people had joined a Facebook group in Condyles' memory.
"She is going to be missed thoughout all of Worcester County," Copeland said. "This is going to leave a big hole."

VIA: Delmarvanow.com

Summer Cinema Series Continues On Chincoteague

The Chincoteague Cultural Alliance

Invites you to its second annual Summer Cinema Series of free movies shown outdoors and on the big screen in the downtown waterfront Robert Reed Park.

The series continues this Thursday night - August 5 - with a showing of "The Sting" at 9 o'clock.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for an entertaining evening with family and friends. Old-time refreshments at old-fashioned prices will be available with proceeds going to its school scholarship fund.

Muslim Day at Six Flags 09/11 weekend

Muslim Day at Six Flags! Wow!
By Fred DeRuvo
Hey Kids, did you know that the folks at Six Flags are pulling out all the stops to create a Muslim Day at their parks? Wow!

That's right, tell Mom and Dad that you want to head over to the nearest Six Flags Amusement Park to enjoy Muslim Day and guess what? It's going to happen this year on 9/12 - wow, missed 9/11 by THAT much!






My first question is WHY would ANY amusement park feel the need to have special days that celebrate any particular religion? Moreover, though I see a Catholic Family day, I do not see anything labeled "Christian Day." That would probably be intolerant.

At any rate, if you missed it, the day of this year's Muslim Day is only one day AFTER the anniversary of the original 9/11 in which Muslim terrorists flew planes into the WTC buildings. Over 3,000 people were killed (SACRIFICED) by violent members of the Islamic faith. While it is not ON 9/11, it is being advertised as the weekend of 9/11.

So a country that was founded in biblical principles (not Qur'anic principles) now has companies pointedly offering special days for those within the Islamic faith who apparently need to be recognized for all that they gave to this country during its founding years and through to today.

There is something drastically wrong with the way the world is going and we all know where it's heading. Well, if you read and understand Scripture in its plain and normal (literal) sense.

The tragedy is that too many are doing their level best to placate individuals who hate this country. The Muslims who are NOT violent (like their jihadist counterparts) are not a threat to this country, but they are also not a DETERRENT to the more violent members of Islam. They simply either get out of the way, or remain in the shadows. The violent members of Islam are also not taken in by the attempts of companies like Six Flags to be placated.

If it isn't a demand for a mosque at Ground Zero, or now Muslim Day at Six Flags on the weekend of 9/11 anniversary, Muslims continue to push their agenda on the American people. They are not only pushing their agenda, but people and companies are bending over backwards in order to "respect" the Islamic faith. This means that employees of Six Flags are required to wear long pants instead of shorts, regardless of the temperature. Bare legs may be offensive to Muslims. I wonder if they shower in the dark.

For violent Islamic jihadists, there is no such thing as being placated. Will people ever learn? Will companies ever understand? Not until it is way too late.

Facts checked and confirmed. Also, for more information http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/07/six-flags-h...

VIA: ResisTNet.com 

Six Teens Drown In Louisiana River

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Six teenagers who could not swim drowned in a northwest Louisiana river during a family outing, falling into deep water from the shallows where they were wading.

Officials planned to hold a news conference Tuesday to release more details about the deaths of the six, who drowned Monday in the Red River in an area where sand bars gave way to 20-foot depths. A seventh teen, a 14-year-old, was rescued.

Shreveport Assistant Fire Chief Fred Sanders said he believed the victims, ages 13 to 18, included three brothers from one family and a sister and two brothers from another.

"They were out here with some adults. But unfortunately, neither the children nor the adults could swim," he said.

Sanders said names may be released Tuesday, after the department is sure relatives have been notified.

The teens had started playing in a familiar area but ended up at a spot in the river where the bottom fell suddenly and that's where divers found the bodies, Sanders said.

Marilyn Robinson, a friend of the families, told The Times of Shreveport she watched helplessly as the victims went under. She said a large group of family and friends, including roughly 20 children, were out at the sandbar to barbecue and have a good time. They frequent the area and were familiar with the water, Robinson said.

"None of us could swim," she said. "They were yelling 'help me, help me. Somebody please help me.' It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one."

Sanders said he did not know whether one teen fell and pulled down others, or if they were trying to rescue each other.

It took more than three hours to find all the bodies, he said.

"It's devastating," Sanders said. "To my knowledge the city has never experienced an incident of this magnitude."

Only one life jacket was available, Caddo Parish sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick said.

Rescue crews were delayed a bit because the accident was reported as near the Jimmie Davis Bridge but was nearly a mile away, Sanders said.

The families were in a recreational area of the Red River that has sand bars, Sanders said. The park is a popular picnic and fishing area and some people do go wading.

www.wavy.com

" Sing Along With Mitch" Miller Dies

All those years after "follow the bouncing ball", Mitch Miller still brings a smile to my face. I was just a child (yes, I once was) and remember sitting on the living room floor next to my sister with my mom and dad seated behind us ready to sing along. You didn't have to know the words.......you got to read them.

We loved those songs. Some we already knew because music was very much in our childhood. My father bought his records and I am sure they are packed away still today. When Mitch Miller music went onto CD's I had to have them and if my own children would admit it they too know those songs. I made sure they did.

And if they ever have to listen to it now.....well..... they will.


NEW YORK – Mitch Miller, the goateed orchestra leader who asked Americans to "Sing Along With Mitch" on television and records and produced hits for Tony Bennett, Patti Page and other performers, has died at age 99.

His daughter, Margaret Miller Reuther, said Monday that Miller died Saturday in Lenox Hill Hospital after a short illness.

Miller was a key record executive at Columbia Records in the pre-rock 'n' roll era, making hits with singers Bennett, Page, Rosemary Clooney and Johnny Mathis. As a producer and arranger, Miller had misses, too, famously striking out on projects with Frank Sinatra and a young Aretha Franklin and in general scorning the rise of rock.

"Sing Along With Mitch" started as a series of records, then became a popular NBC show starting in early 1961. Miller's stiff-armed conducting style and signature goatee became famous. The TV show ranked in the top 20 for the 1961-62 season, and soon children everywhere were parodying Miller's stiff-armed conducting. An all-male chorus sang old standards, joined by a few female singers, most prominently Leslie Uggams. Viewers were invited to join in with lyrics superimposed on the screen and followed with a bouncing ball.

"He is an odd-looking man," New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson wrote in 1962. "His sharp beard, twinkling eyes, wrinkled forehead and mechanical beat make him look like a little puppet as he peers hopefully into the camera. By now most of us are more familiar with his tonsils than with those of our families."

Atkinson went on to say that as a musician, Miller was "first rate," praising "the clean tone of the singing, the clarity of the lyrics, the aptness of the tempos, the variety and the occasional delicacy of the instrumental accompaniment."

An accomplished oboist, Miller played in a number of orchestras early in his career, including one put together in 1934 by George Gershwin. "Gershwin was an unassuming guy," Miller told The New York Times in 1989. "I never heard him raise his voice."

Miller began in the recording business with Mercury Records in the late '40s, first on the classical side, later with popular music. He then went over to Columbia Records as head of its popular records division.

Among the stars whose hits he worked on were Clooney, Page, Bennett, Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford. His decision to have Mathis switch from jazz to lushly romantic ballads launched the singer as a superstar. Bennett credits Miller with helping him become a superstar.

"Mitch Miller put me on the map by producing some of my very first million-selling records, and he was a great friend and a magnificent musician," Bennett said in a statement.

Miller had a less rewarding collaboration with Sinatra, whose recording of the novelty song "Mama Will Bark," featuring dog imitations, was considered the nadir of the singer's career. Still, Miller became known for his distinctive arrangements, such as the use of a harpsichord on Clooney's megahit version of "Come On-a My House." He used dubbing of vocal tracks back when that was considered exotic.

"To me, the art of singing a pop song has always been to sing it very quietly," Miller said in the book "Off the Record: An Oral History of Popular Music."

"The microphone and the amplifier made the popular song what it is — an intimate one-on-one experience through electronics. It's not like opera or classical singing. The whole idea is to take a very small thing and make it big."

Miller and a chorus had a No. 1 hit in 1955 with "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and that led to his sing-along records a few years later.

The years of Miller's biggest successes were also the early years of rock 'n' roll, and many fans saw his old-fashioned arrangements of standards and folk favorites as an antidote to the noisy stuff the teens adored. As an executive at Columbia, Miller would be widely ridiculed for trying to turn a young Aretha Franklin into a showbiz diva in the tradition of Sophie Tucker. She left Columbia in the mid-1960s, signed with Atlantic Records and was soon transformed into the "Queen of Soul."

But Miller was not entirely unsympathetic to rock 'n' roll, or to the counterculture. In 1969, he attended a massive demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War. In a 1955 essay in The New York Times magazine, he said the popularity of rhythm and blues, as he called it, with white teens was part of young people's "natural desire not to conform, a need to be rebellious."

He added: "There is a steady — and healthy — breaking down of color barriers in the United States; perhaps the rhythm-and-blues rage — I am only theorizing — is another expression of it."

"Miller has often been maligned as a maestro of 1950s schlock ... Yet Miller injected elements of rhythm and blues and country music, however diluted, into mainstream pop," Ken Emerson wrote in his book "Always Magic in the Air."

In the Martin Scorsese documentary on Bob Dylan, "No Direction Home," Miller acknowledged that he was dubious when famed producer John Hammond brought the nearly unknown Dylan to the staid Columbia label in the early '60s. "He was singing in, you know, this rough-edged voice," Miller said. "I will admit I didn't see the greatness of it." But he said he respected Hammond's track record in finding talent.

Miller's square reputation in the post-rock era brought his name and music to unexpected places. In 1993, one of his "Sing Along" records was used by the FBI to drive out the Branch Davidian cult from its Waco, Texas compound.

In recent years, Miller returned to his classical roots, appearing frequently as a guest conductor with symphony orchestras.

In 2000, he won a special Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.

Reuther said her father died of "just old age."

"He was absolutely himself up until the minute he got sick," she said. "He was truly blessed with a long and wonderful life."

Miller was born in 1911, in Rochester, N.Y., son of a Russian Jewish immigrant wrought-iron worker and a seamstress. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester.

Reuther said there will be a memorial service for her father in the fall.

www.yahoo.com

Illegal Immigrant Kills Nun In Car Crash

WASHINGTON - The Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors is furious with the federal government after learning that Carlos Montano - the man responsible for a car accident that killed one nun and injured two others Sunday morning - was an illegal immigrant in the early stages of being deported.

In a phone interview with WTOP Monday, Corey Stewart says on two separate occasions in 2007 and 2009, Prince William County Police identified Montano as an illegal alien.

After serving his sentences, Prince William County Police handed Montano over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who were told to deport him.

Stewart says ICE has refused to tell Prince William County why Montano was released instead of being deported.

WTOP reached out in ICE for answers to Stewart's questioning. ICE spokeswoman Cori Bassett responded in a statement:

"Carlos Abraham Martinelly Montano is currently in immigration removal proceedings. ICE first encountered Montano in October 2008 when he was released to ICE following a local arrest for a DUI charge. ICE immediately placed Montano into removal proceedings by issuing him a notice to appear in immigration court. He was released on his own recognizance and has reported as required, on a monthly basis to ICE."

Sources also tell WTOP that Montano did not meet ICE's minimum threshold for mandatory detention and deportation. An illegal immigrant must be convicted of a violent felony to fall into this threshold. Numerous DUI convictions do not qualify as a violent felony.

For immigrants who do not meet the violent felony threshold, ICE uses three criteria to judge whether to release or hold an individual:

Ties to the community

Length of jail sentence

Likelihood to get favorable ruling from immigration judge

In Montano's case, ICE determined Montano could be released.

The last step in his case was a judgment to be made by an immigration judge. The judge had not yet reached a decision in Montano's case.

Stewart says the blame squarely lies on Congress' inability to properly manage and fund ICE.

"This is just another despicable example of federal authorities letting illegal aliens back into our communities when they know that they're illegals, they know that they're criminals and pose a danger to the public, but they release them back into our neighborhoods."

Stewart ripped Congress when speaking about the federal government's deportation process.

"Congress will not give Immigration and Customs Enforcement the funding, to not only not jail these illegal aliens, but not even to pay for the deportation of illegal aliens who are committing crimes in our neighborhood," Stewart says.

Police say Sister Denise Mosier was a passenger in the back seat of a car traveling to a retreat when Montano collided with her and two other nuns. The 23-year-old's driver's license had been revoked, and he had twice been convicted of drunk driving.

"This crime need not have happened, this nun need not have been killed, if federal authorities, who now have blood on their hands, have done their job in the first place, and had this sleazebag deported," Stewart says.
www.wtop.com

Shops Are Asked To Keep Herb Away From Troops

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Marine Corps officers are telling shops near their North Carolina bases to refuse to sell troops a legal herb product outlawed in a few other states as a synthetic marijuana.

Commanders at Camp Lejeune and the Cherry Point and New River Marine Corps air stations have sent letters to dozens of tobacco shops and convenience stores carrying the products, The Daily News of Jacksonville reported Friday.

Shops that don't cooperate could be listed as off limits to Marines, said Maj. William Klumpp, a spokesman for 2nd Marine Air Wing, which oversees Cherry Point and New River.

"It is always our first choice to partner with the surrounding communities in working through issues such as this," Klumpp said. "It is important to note that it is not an allegation of unlawful conduct, but (using the drug) is simply not in keeping with the core values of our service."

The lab-made drug known as K2 and Spice mimics the effects of marijuana. It began showing up in the United States late last year and is legal in most states. Kansas and Louisiana, and municipalities in Arkansas and Mississippi, this year outlawed the drug, which is sold as an incense.

Marines who use the designer drug can be punished by up to two years in the brig and dishonorable discharge, former Camp Lejeune commander Col. Richard Flatau said in a letter to shops that sell it.

"The so-called designer drugs come in many forms. Use of them by service members is prejudicial to the good order and discipline of our Corps. As such, we are asking for your assistance in preventing their sale to our service men and women," the letter said.

Kevin Clark said his son's use of the legal substance will effect his life for years to come.

Pfc. Matthew Clark was charged with using the substance twice, making false statements and leaving base without permission, and was recently discharged from the Marines under other than honorable conditions, Kevin Clark said.

"These kids, when they make this mistake, it's a drug-related discharge," he said. "You can't get hired at McDonald's with that."

www.wavy.com

Teen Fisherman Reports Seeing An Alligator In The Patapsco River

Weeks of relentless, steamy heat is bad enough. But tropical reptiles in the Patapsco River?

Eric Hammack Jr., 16, says he saw an alligator while fishing Sunday evening with his cousin in Patapsco Valley State Park off Belle Grove Road, not far from his home in Pumphrey in northern Anne Arundel County.

Just after 6 p.m., he said, "I heard all this splashing." He didn't see anything he could identify at first, just something swimming from the shore into the pond's deeper water.

"I thought it was a turtle or something," he said.

He left it alone, but several minutes later he saw a head pop up. Then it began swimming closer, and when it was only a few feet away, he and his cousin got a better view. "It's an alligator," he said, estimating its length at "2 or 3 feet."

Hammack said he threw a rock at it, then thought better of the idea. "I started backing away from the shore," he said.

His mother, Thea Hammack, sent out a mass e-mail message to alert members of her community association and began calling state officials. Department of Natural Resources Police Sgt. Art Windemuth said Monday afternoon that the agency is investigating.

"We probably deal with a case or two a year," DNR Police Sgt. Brian K. Albert said Monday. "Someone will go to Florida, get an alligator. They try to raise it; it gets too big, and they turn it loose."

Keeping an alligator or its cousin, the caiman, is illegal in Maryland. Last week, DNR Police seized a small caiman from a home in Frederick County and served its owner with a warning.

But you're not supposed to set them free here, either.

In 2002, residents along Seneca Creek in eastern Baltimore County reported seeing a 2- or 3-foot alligator, or more likely a caiman. For several weeks, residents had spotted it under a gazebo or swimming in the creek.

Residents tried nets. The DNR and county police officers moved in with more nets and boats, but the reptile eluded them all.

Come winter, the problem in the Patapsco — if it really is an alligator or a caiman — will solve itself. "They'll perish in wintertime conditions," Albert said. Still, if there's a reliable sighting, DNR officers will try to catch them.

"We'd hate for somebody to get bit," he said.

www.baltimoresun.com

No mosque at Ground Zero

This guy is great, he has his info down to a T

Federal Judge Denies Request of Federal Attorneys Concerning Lawsuit Challenge

Virginia's lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's health care reform law cleared its first legal hurdle Monday as a federal judge ruled the law raises a host of complex constitutional issues.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson's decision stemmed from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's claims that Congress exceeded its authority under the Constitution's Commerce Clause by requiring citizens to buy health insurance or pay a penalty.

Hudson's ruling denied the Justice Department's attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed, saying further hearings must take place before he can weigh the merits of the case. An Oct. 18 hearing had previously been set in the case.

"Unquestionably, this regulation radically changes the landscape of health insurance coverage in America," Hudson wrote in his 32-page decision.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation this year exempting state residents from the federal coverage mandate. Hudson wrote that the attorney general had a right to defend that state law.

Cuccinelli announced in March that he would challenge the national law. More than a dozen other state attorneys general have filed a separate lawsuit in Florida challenging the federal law, but Virginia's lawsuit is the first to go before a judge.

Hudson said Virginia's case raises several complex constitutional issues -- mainly whether Congress has the right to regulate and tax a person's decision not to participate in interstate commerce.

The health care law aims to ensure coverage for all, requiring most U.S. residents to carry health insurance starting in 2014.

Insurers would not be able to refuse insurance for sick people under the law, which also expands Medicaid to help the poor. It also provides tax credits to help middle-class residents pay premiums. People facing financial hardship would be exempt from the coverage requirement. However, people who can afford insurance but refuse to sign up would face a tax penalty.

On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters during a teleconference that Hudson's decision was a procedural step.

"That just means there will be a full hearing on the arguments. We remain confident that the case is solid and there is full constitutional backing for the passing of the Affordable Care Act," she said.

Sebelius said Hudson's ruling will "move us to the merits of the debate."

Requests for comment from Cuccinelli's office were not immediately returned.

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, a former state attorney general who enthusiastically supported Cuccinelli's challenge, was pleased with Hudson's ruling.

"It is meritorious and constitutionally correct. The requirement that all Americans must purchase health insurance or face a penalty is not permitted under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution," McDonnell said.

Shortly after he took office in January, McDonnell signed into law the legislation intended to block the requirement that individuals buy health insurance. It was the first such legislation in the U.S. to take effect as a state law.

Last month, Hudson heard more than two hours of arguments in the case.

The state argued that refusing to buy something is commercial "inactivity," not activity that can be regulated. Federal prosecutors have argued that the relevant commercial activity is the purchase of health care services, not insurance.
www.shoredailynews.com

The Future of Parking

The future is here, automated parking is no longer a thing of the future.
The Wohr Parking System  has been placed in operation in Budapest. Turn on your sound, the video is in English, this is simply amazing.

CLICK HERE to see the VIDEO of the Wohr Parking System

Hat Tip; Kack

Another Big Winner In Virginia Lottery

"Is it real?"

That's the question Gregory Parker of Nelsonia asked himself as he looked at the winning numbers from the July 17 Cash 5 night drawing.

It was real. His ticket matched all five numbers to win the top prize of $100,000.

He bought the ticket at E & C VA, located at 16110 Lankford Highway in Nelsonia. The winning numbers for that drawing were 5-9-16-31-32. He used Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select his numbers.

There is an even bigger prize in Mr. Parker's future. He plans to use some of his winnings to pay for his upcoming wedding.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

Nearly 95 cents of each dollar spent on the Virginia Lottery by players goes back to the Commonwealth in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retailer commissions. Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $4 billion for Virginia's public schools. The latest annual profits of $439.1 million currently represent about 8 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia. In 21 years, the Lottery has sold more than $21.1 billion in tickets, awarded more than $1.1 billion in retailer commissions and paid more than $11.6 billion in prizes to players.

For more information, visit www.valottery.com. Follow the Virginia Lottery on Facebook and Twitter.
www.shoredailynews.com

Judge Rules Cuccinelli's Healthcare Challenge Can Continue

Richmond, Va. --

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's legal challenge to President Barack Obama's national health care overhaul can continue, a federal judge ruled today.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson denied a motion brought by lawyers for the administration to dismiss the lawsuit, filed by Virginia in March, a day after Obama signed into law federal health legislation.

"While this case raises a host of complex constitutional issues, all seem to distill to the single question of whether or not Congress has the power to regulate -- and tax -- a citizen's decision not to participate in interstate commerce," wrote Hudson in his 32-page memorandum.

"Given the presence of some authority arguably supporting the theory underlying each side's position, this court cannot conclude at this stage that the complaint fails to state a cause of action," he wrote.

Hudson said the case cannot be resolved without a further hearing on the merits.

While the legal battle over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ultimately is expected to end up in the U.S. Supreme Court, today's ruling is a setback for the administration, which also faces a separate but similar legal challenge to health reform filed by Florida on behalf of 20 states.

www.timesdispatch.com

Forest Fire At Evans Wharf Burns 75 Acres

The Onancock Fire Department responded to a fire Friday at Evans Wharf, near Cashville. According to Chief Mike Truitt, the Fire Company was at the blaze most of the day Friday.

According to Truitt, 25 acres were burning Friday and continued into Saturday. Onancock was called to assist the Department of Forestrresponded to a fire Friday at Evans Wharf, near Cashville. According to Chief Mike Truitt, the Fire Company was at the blaze most of the day Friday.

According to Truitt, 25 acres were burning Friday and continued into Saturday. Onancock was called to assist the Department of Forestry in case the fire spread, but through fire lines they were able to keep the fire from spreading towards Cashville Road. According to Truitt, up to 75 acres of land were affected by the fire.

Truitt said they are not sure of what caused the fire, but he added it was "certainly accidental."
http://www.shoredailynews.com/

Workshop For Veteran's

At a workshop to be held on August 7 at the American Legion Post 56 in Cheriton, eligible veterans will be able to apply for VA benefits, file for health care, sign up for free counseling, enroll in the Va. Employment Commission and work with representatives from half a dozen state and federal agencies.

The event is sponsored by the Va. Department of Veterans Services, Eastern Shore Community College,and the Virginia Employment Commission, and work with representatives from a half-dozen state and federal agencies, and will be held from 10 AM until 1 PM at the Legion Post at 21210 Bayside Road in Cheriton.

During the three hour workshop, veterans and their family members will be able to complete more than half a dozen processes:

Begin claims process for VA benefits.

File the VA Health Benefits Enrollment Eligibility From 1010 EZ.

Sign up for free counseling and referral services from the Norfolk Vet Center.

Get help from the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program for combat stress and traumatic brain injuries.

Enroll with the Virginia Employment Commission and begin the job search process.

Order a copy of their DD214.

Remember this date:

August 7, 2010 at the American Legion Post in Cheriton.

Call Wendy Ainsworth at 787-5862 for more information.
www.shoredailynews.com

Guess The Picture

Don't rush.

Study the picture and try to determine what it represents. 

I guessed this one right away

Tax Free Weekend For Back To School Purchases

August Sales Tax Holiday: School Supplies and Clothing

Virginia Tax Free Holiday

When: First full weekend of August (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) each year. The 2010 holiday will take place on August 6-8, 2010.

What's Exempt: During this three-day period, purchases of qualifying school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and purchases of qualifying clothing and footwear selling for $100 or less per item will be exempt from sales tax.

Retailers may also choose to absorb the tax on other items during the holiday period, but they are responsible for paying the tax on those items to the Department of Taxation.

Maryland Sales Tax Holiday

August 8-14, 2010

The Maryland Sales Tax Holiday gives shoppers a 6 percent savings on qualifying clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less. Qualifying apparel included belts, coats, jackets, pants, shoes, socks and sweaters. The sales tax exemption applied to each eligible item, regardless of how many items you purchase at the same time.