Reports of Former Sen. Ted Stevens Are In Conflict

UPDATE: JUNEAU, Alaska — A spokesman for the family of Ted Stevens says the former senator has died in a plane crash in Alaska.
Mitch Rose tells The Associated Press that the family had been notified that the 86-year-old Stevens was among those killed.


CBS News, which earlier reported that ex-Sen. Ted Stevens is among those killed in an Alaska plane crash, now says the information is in conflict. The network originally attributed the information to a family friend of Stevens. Below is the latest story from The Associated Press.

JUNEAU, Alaska — A plane carrying nine people crashed amid southwest Alaska's remote mountains and lakes, killing five people on board, authorities said Tuesday. Former Sen. Ted Stevens and ex-NASA chief Sean O'Keefe were believed to be aboard.

It was unclear if the longtime Republican senator and O'Keefe were among the dead.

Rescuers arrived on helicopter early Tuesday and were giving medical care to survivors, Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes said. He offered no additional details, except that there were potential fatalities.

Alaska officials reported that nine people were aboard the aircraft and that "it appears that there are five fatalities," NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz told The Associated Press in Washington.

A U.S. government official told the AP that Alaska authorities have been told that the 86-year-old Stevens, a former longtime Republican senator, was on the plane. The official, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, says Stevens' condition is unknown.

The federal official declined to be publicly identified because the crash response and investigation are under way.

Lopatkiewicz said the NTSB is sending a team to the crash site outside Dillingham, located in northern Bristol Bay about 325 miles southwest of Anchorage. The aircraft is a DeHavilland DHC-3T registered to Anchorage-based GCI.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said the plane took off at 2 p.m. Monday from a GCI corporate site on Lake Nerka, heading to the Agulowak Lodge on Lake Aleknagik. He didn't know if that was the final destination or a refueling stop.

The GCI lodge is made of logs and sits on a lake, and photos show a stately main lodge room with a large imposing stone fireplace, a leather sofa and a mounted caribou head on the wall.

Fergus said the plane was flying by visual flight rules, and was not required to file a flight plan.

Stevens and O'Keefe are longtime fishing buddies and the former senator had been planning a fishing trip near Dillingham, longtime friend William Canfield said. The flights at Dillingham are often perilous through the mountains, even in good weather.

Hayes said the Guard was called to the area about 20 miles north of Dillingham around 7 p.m. Monday after a passing aircraft saw the downed plane. But severe weather has hampered search and rescue efforts.

The National Weather Service reported rain and fog, with low clouds and limited visibility early Tuesday. Conditions ranged from visibility of about 10 miles reported at Dillingham shortly before 7 p.m. Monday to 3 miles, with rain and fog later.

At least two crash victims were treated Tuesday morning by military rescuers, Guard spokeswoman Kalei Brooks Rupp said. She said a team of Good Samaritans hiked into the crash site Monday night and provided medical aid until rescuers arrived.

Lawmakers and residents were awaiting news of Stevens' fate. The moderate Republican was appointed to the Senate in 1968 and served longer than any other Republican in history. He was beloved as a tireless advocate for Alaska's economic interests.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, asked Alaskans to join her in prayer for all those aboard the aircraft and their families, as did Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. He called the plane crash tragic.

Stevens was one of two survivors in a 1978 plane crash at Anchorage International Airport that killed his wife, Ann, and several others. He remarried several years after the crash — he and his second wife, Catherine, have a daughter, Lily.

Over the years, Stevens directed billions of dollars to Alaska.

But one of his projects — infamously known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" — became a symbol of pork-barrel spending in Congress and a target of taxpayer groups who challenged a $450 million appropriation for bridge construction in Ketchikan.

Stevens' standing in Alaska was toppled by corruption allegations and a federal trial in 2008. He was convicted of all seven counts — and narrowly lost his Senate seat to Begich in the election the following week.

But five months after the election, Attorney General Eric Holder sought to dismiss the indictment against Stevens and not proceed with a new trial because of prosecutorial misconduct by federal prosecutors.

O'Keefe, 54, was NASA administrator for three tumultuous years. He was deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget when President George W. Bush asked him in late 2001 to head NASA and help bring soaring space station costs under control.

But budget-cutting became secondary when the shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry in 2003.

O'Keefe's most controversial action at NASA was when he decided to cancel one last repair mission by astronauts to the Hubble Space Telescope. He said the mission was too risky. His successor overturned the decision. The Hubble mission was carried out last year.

O'Keefe left NASA in 2005 to become chancellor of Louisiana State University. He is now the CEO of defense contractor EADS North America and oversees the bid for the hotly contested Air Force refueling jet contract.

The company said O'Keefe was a passenger on the plane. The company said it had no further information about O'Keefe's status.

The contract competition, which pits EADS against rival plane maker Boeing Co., is for a piece of what could eventually be $100 billion worth of work replacing the military's fleet of aging tankers.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/

Gates To Eliminate Joint Forces Command

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for the elimination of the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command on Monday as part of a broader effort to reduce certain kinds of military spending - especially a growing reliance on defense contractors. "The culture of endless money that has taken hold must be replaced by a culture of savings and restraint," Gates said.

One of the military's 10 combatant commands, Joint Forces Command, known as "jiff-com," trains troops from all services to work together - jointly, in military jargon - for specific missions.

It employs about 6,000 people - most based in Hampton Roads, others elsewhere in Virginia and Florida. Its headquarters are at Norfolk Naval Station, and it has a command center in northern Suffolk.

Gates said he expects to dismantle the command over the coming year, but not all of its functions will be eliminated. Some tasks, including force management and sourcing, will be transferred to the Pentagon's joint staff. Other functions deemed essential to promoting "jointness" will be reassigned to other entities.

The economic impact of losing even half the positions at the command would be huge. The Norfolk Ford plant that closed in 2007 employed roughly 2,400 workers.

Not surprisingly, elected officials across the state and region lambasted Gates' announcement and said they would fight it, but it's not clear what they can do to halt the process. Unlike the Navy's plan to relocate an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Jacksonville, Fla. - which requires Congress to approve funds to make Mayport Naval Station ready to host a nuclear carrier - Gates indicated this bureaucratic reshuffle doesn't require legislative approval.

Gates' proposal for shifting defense spending has broader implications for Virginia than the closure of JFCOM. He ordered several other steps to trim overhead, including cutting spending on support contractors and paring staff at most headquarters by reducing the number of general and flag officers and civilians who hold senior executive positions.

He is moving quickly, demanding action plans for most items within three to four months.

"The way to make sure something gets done in this building is to set short deadlines," he said.

The commonwealth is home to more than 12,000 defense contractors and is second only to California in military-related businesses, Gov. Bob McDonnell said. The companies that employ them have collected $341 billion since 2000, so a reduction of 30 percent over the next three years, as Gates directed, will be an enormous hit, he said.

In a hastily called news conference at Old Dominion University, McDonnell stood alongside Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson, and U.S. Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake; Bobby Scott, D-Newport News; Glenn Nye, D-Virginia Beach; and Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland County.

McDonnell announced the formation of a commission whose task is to retain and expand the state's military and national security facilities.

He and Forbes cast Gates' announcement in partisan terms.

"It appears as though this administration is cutting investments in national defense in order to pay for massive new social programs," McDonnell said. Forbes accused Gates of participating in "the piecemeal auctioning off of the greatest military the world has ever known."

Gates insisted the proposal will not reduce the defense budget. The services will keep the savings accrued and apply them to higher priorities, such as building more ships and replacing equipment worn out in current conflicts, he said.

Virginia's Democratic senators also protested.

"In the business world, you sometimes have to spend money in order to save money," said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner. His colleague in the Senate, Jim Webb, said efficiency is important, but it shouldn't be sought "at the expense of the command that is leading the charge for the future of our military doctrine."

Harold W. Gehman Jr., a retired four-star admiral who served as JFCOM's first commander, said Gates doesn't need congressional support to reorganize military commands, but he also doesn't want to alienate the people who approve the military's budgets.

The command still has an important mission, Gehman said. But he said it has become bloated and could benefit from restructuring.

"Every command should have to justify what it does and why it does it," Gehman said. "Joint Forces Command is going to have a hard time justifying 6,000 people."

Two things seem to have doomed Joint Forces, according to Gates' remarks. At the time it was created in 1999, with a mission to infuse "jointness" into everything the military does, the extra layer of bureaucracy was justified because its mission was so important, Gates said.

But the command is now part of a military that has embraced joint operations - and proven so during long engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perhaps more important, though, is the makeup of its work force. According to the military's own statistics, JFCOM employs far more contractors than any other combatant command. More than half its workers - about 3,000 - are contractors. The remaining 2,800 are about evenly split between uniformed military members and civilian federal employees.

In Suffolk, the command has been a powerful engine driving local economic development.

Hundreds of military and civilian employees work at its north Suffolk campus, a 640,000-square-foot facility leased for an estimated $16 million. Hundreds more are employed by defense contractors working nearby.

"Hopefully, this is not what it sounds like," Mayor Johnson said. "We want to know exactly what it will mean - what it could mean. Will other opportunities come in its place?" She said she will work with the area's congressional delegation to minimize the impact, and, if possible, to prevent the closure.

Gates said he hopes he can convince Virginia's delegation that reducing overhead and administrative expenses will help the state in the long run by focusing more on core priorities.

"If, as a result of these efforts, I'm able to add a billion or two billion dollars to the Navy's shipbuilding program of record, Virginia may well come out with a lot more jobs than it loses," Gates said. "This is why the point needs to be emphasized again and again: this is not about cutting the defense budget. It's about a reallocation internally."

www.hamptonroads.com

No Identification On Body Found Floating At Johnson's Wharf

PARKSLEY — An unidentified man was found dead and floating near the dock at Johnson’s Wharf near Parksley on Sunday afternoon.
The Accomack County Sheriff’s Office responded after someone called 911 at 1:22 p.m. about the grisly find.

Identification of the victim is pending, Major Todd Godwin of the Sheriff’s Office said.

Sheriff Larry Giddens said the man’s race and other identifying characteristics need to be confirmed by a medical examiner before he releases those details.

Witnesses reported the victim was a white male with dark, curly hair.

Giddens said there have been no missing person reports filed locally in recent days.

The body was transported by Williams Funeral Home in Onancock to the Norfolk medical examiner’s office for an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.

Investigation is continuing in the case.

www.delmarvanow.com

3 Men Sentenced in Northampton County

Northampton County Commonwealth's Attorney Bruce Jones reports the following cases were heard in Northampton County Circuit Court:

Jermaine Dontae Collins, 24 of Eastville, was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with all time suspended conditioned upon successful completion of the Diversion Center program for distribution of cocaine.

Larry Jones, 39 of Birdsnest, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with 3 years suspended for distribution of cocaine.

Craig Walter Turner, 32 of Melfa, as sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with 3 years suspended for uttering, breaking and entering, grand larceny and destruction of property.
www.shoredailynews.com

Man Accused Of Stealing Vehicle and Avoiding Police Has Been Arrested

SNOW HILL -- The man accused of stealing an SUV from a Snow Hill area repair shop and driving it to Georgia has been arrested after avoiding police for more than a month.

Dennis J. Cross was arrested by officials from the Worcester County Sheriff's Office as he fled from a traffic stop in Berlin, police say.

The 19-year-old Greenbackville resident was in the passenger seat of a white Ford Explorer that was pulled over because of a broken headlight in late July. He allegedly quickly fled the scene, throwing a 12.5-ounce bag of suspected marijuana into the lap of the driver as he exited the vehicle. He was later found and served with additional warrants for his arrest. Cross faces charges of possession and intent to distribute resulting from the incident.

Authorities have been searching for Cross since he reportedly evaded police after being pulled over in an allegedly stolen car in Georgia. Charging documents filed in Worcester County District Court also accuse Cross of stealing a motorcycle from a Public Landing home and selling it to a man in the parking lot of McDonald's restaurant in Pocomoke City for $50.

On June 15, as he was walking around Public Landing, Cross allegedly stole the 2001 Honda Shadow, according to the documents.

"(He) was tired of walking and took the motorcycle for transportation," reads the statement of charges. Later that day, he allegedly reportedly went to Pocomoke City on the bike and picked up a friend, taking her for a ride, before selling it.

The following day, Cross and a 17-year-old, named in charging documents as Dylan Kelly, went to Chip's Auto Repair Shop on Shockley Road -- where Cross had at one time been employed -- and allegedly drove off in two SUVs from the lot, a GMC Yukon and a GMC Envoy.

"Kelly drove the 2003 GMC Yukon from the residence with Cross driving the Envoy," said the documents. "The GMC Yukon had mechanical problems and was abandoned on the shoulder of Route 113 (near Shad Landing). The two continued their trip in the Envoy."

Kelly, who is being charged as a juvenile, was arrested at a traffic stop in the Envoy in Fulton County, Ga., where he was accused of receiving stolen goods and later released. The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services also has charges against him, according to the documents.

Cross is charged with two counts of motor vehicle theft, two counts of theft, two counts of second-degree burglary and four counts of fourth-degree burglary from the incident. If found guilty of all charges, he could face up to 77 years in prison and a $35,000 fine.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled in Worcester County District Court on Aug. 27.

www.delmarvanow.com

Civil Suit May Be Filed In Shooting of Husky

The owners of the Siberian husky shot to death by an off-duty federal police officer last week at a Severn dog park have retained an Annapolis attorney to explore a possible lawsuit.

Charlotte Weinstein, hired last week by Rachel and Ryan Keegan Rettaliata, is looking into negligence by the officer in the Aug. 2 shooting of the dog, named Bear-Bear.

"We're just conducting our investigation and making sure that county police did what they were supposed to do from the very beginning, and determining whether the gentleman had the authority to carry a gun," Weinstein said.

Anne Arundel County police, who closed and then reopened the case last week after a public outcry, said Friday that further investigation had revealed that the officer's legal authority to carry a firearm was "questionable."

The department has not named the officer, who they said fired his personal weapon in the shooting.

The officer's attorney said he is confident the police investigation will show that his client was in lawful possession of the gun.

"I don't blame authorities for wanting to make sure," attorney David Putzi said, "but I'm confident at this point that the information we provided show that he was lawfully able to carry."
Putzi said the officer is cooperating with police and has provided documentation to show that he's allowed to carry a concealed weapon.

Putzi said he hopes the investigation will be concluded by Wednesday night.

"I don't think there will be anything more to come out," he said.

In the meantime, the Rettaliatas are waiting on a final accounting of the dog's medical expenses, which included emergency surgery, Weinstein said.

Anne Arundel police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said Monday that there was "no new information" regarding the investigation.

According to the report, Ryan Rettaliata's brother-in-law was walking Bear-Bear in the private Quail Run Community Dog Park. The officer, a 32-year-old sergeant in the Army Reserve who works as a federal police officer at Fort Myer, Va., and his wife told police they were at the park with their leashed German shepherd, Asia, when Bear-Bear approached.

The officer said the dogs started to sniff each other, and then the husky became aggressive. He told police that he yelled at Stephen Ryan Kurinij to remove Bear-Bear. The officer said that when he attempted to pull his dog away, the husky began to "grit his teeth and bite his dog around his neck," according to the report.

The officer then shot the dog once with his Glock 9 mm pistol.

Kurinij told police that "Bear and Asia seemed to be getting along," and that "Bear is a friendly dog and has never had any problems at the dog park."

www.baltimoresun.com

Couple Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges

I don't know how many times this summer those of us that have blogs haven't reminded animal owners to NOT leave your pet in your car even for 1 minute! I have ZERO tolererance for this. In fact, I made up my mind during the first hot spell of this season I would look for it! If I ever see an animal in a car I WILL make the necessary calls to have you punished.

People that do this to their animals do not appreciate their animals and I am quite confident that they would neglect a human as well. Think about it........How long would YOU sit your behind in a car with the window cracked no more than 4 inches on even a 75 degree day, not to mention on a day when the heat index is 100 degrees? How long? My suggestion for punishment is, before going to jail, the dog owner be placed in the same circumstances. And once behind bars, placed in the hottest cell available. Cruel?? Maybe. But it's also extremely cruel to treat any animal or human this way if they can not speak up to defend themselves.

Here's the story about the lovely couple that left their dogs to suffer in a hot vehicle.......

SALISBURY, Md.- A Berlin man and woman are behind bars after being accused of leaving their six dogs locked up for more than three hours in a hot vehicle parked at the Centre at Salisbury mall. Salisbury police say one of the dogs died from the heat.

Kirt Barren Greenberg, 45, and Shannon Mecall Hussain, 36, are each charged with six counts of deprivation of necessary sustenance, six counts of unlawful deprivation of sustenance, six counts of inflicting unnecessary suffering and pain and did cause the cruel killing of an animal. Both are being held in the Wicomico County Detention Center on an unspecified bond.

Police say that at around 5:22 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to the mall where they met with witnesses who pointed out a vehicle in the parking lot that contained six dogs that appeared to be in duress due to the heat.

According to police, the windows of the vehicle were up with only 1-inch of space at the top. The officers observed that the dogs were having health issues and made entry into the vehicle. Police say the temperature of the vehicle's interior was found to be in excess of 105 degrees.

One dog was found to be unresponsive and later died from the exposure to the heat. The remaining dogs were given water and air conditioning and slowly revived.

Police say the officers located the dogs' owners, Greenberg and Hussain, and found that the animals had been left in the vehicle for more than three hours. Both suspects were taken into custody on the aforementioned charges.
www.wboc.com

THINK ABOUT IT!

Third arrest in Pocomoke armed robbery

Worcester County Police have made another arrest in an armed robbery and attempted armed robbery in at two Pocomoke businesses. 19 year old Dorian Johnson was arrested last week for his part in the armed robbery of the Goose Creek Store and attempted robbery of the Pizza Hut. 19 year old Decarlo White of Pocomoke and 23 year old Dexter Wise of Laurel, Delaware have already been arrested. All are being held in default of $250,000 bond.

VIA: WGMD

NEWS RELEASE:
DATE & TIME: August 9, 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: See Below
Suspect: Decarlo Marcus White, Age 19 (Pocomoke Address) Arrested and held at The Worcester County Jail on $250.000.00 Bond
Suspect: Dexter Barthelamew Wise, Jr. Age 23 (From Laurel Delaware) Arrested and held at The Worcester County Jail on $250.000.00 Bond

On August 9, 2010 the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation arrested Decarlo Marcus White, and Dexter Barthelamew Wise, Jr.for the Armed Robbery of the Goose Creek Store located in Pocomoke City, Worcester County MD. Both were charged with the following: 23 Criminal Offenses, to include Armed Robbery, Assault First Degree, Reckless Endangerment, Conspiracy to commit robbery. Both are currently being held at the Worcester County Jail on a bond of $250.000.00
Dorian Rashawn Johnson, age 19 was arrested last week by WCBI and is being held on a bond of $250.000.00

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.

Body Found Floating Near Johnson's Wharf

On Sunday, August 8 at approximately 1:22 PM, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report from the Eastern Shore 911 Center regarding a man found floating near the dock at Johnson's Wharf just south of Parksley.

The body is being transported by the Williams Funeral Home in Onancock to the Medical Examiner's Office in Norfolk for an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.

Major Todd Godwin stated that the identification of the victim is pending at this time. The investigation is continuing.

www.shoredailynews.com

Coast Guard Medevacs 1 from Fishing Vessel

The Coast Guard medevaced a 38-year-old male 39 nautical miles south east of Chincoteague Inlet Sunday.

The Coast Guard received a call at 10:21 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Bay Star Seven reporting a crewmember had been complaining of chest pains and had been collapsing.

A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Chincoteague and emergency medical technician were dispatched to the fishing vessel.

An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. arrived on scene and transported both the man and the technician to awaiting emergency medical personnel at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

www.shoredailynews.com

Verizon Restores Service to Accomack County

The problem has been repaired and Verizon has restored telephone service to Northern Accomack County as of 9:30 Monday morning on August 9th according to ESVA 9-1-1 Director Jeff Flournoy.

The ESVA 9-1-1 Center had asked anyone experiencing emergencies in Northern Accomack County to report to their local fire or EMS station.

Any emergencies can now be reported to 9-1-1.

Baltimore County "Sign Fight" In Court Today

A federal judge this afternoon is scheduled to hear arguments challenging the constitutionality of Baltimore County's regulations on political signs in a lawsuit filed this spring by a man who was ordered by the county to remove a campaign sign from his lawn.

Stephen V. Kolbe of Dulaney Valley Road wants the U.S. District Court to block enforcement of several provisions of the county sign code, including the rules restricting the size of political signs based on the zoning of the property and the rule allowing such signs only 45 days before an election.

Kolbe, who runs a computer consulting business out of his home, took down the 4-by-8, blue-and-white sign backing former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in his re-match with Gov. Martin O'Malley. The rules say that in his residential area, Kolbe cannot display a sign larger than 8 square feet.

The case is being heard in Baltimore by Judge Catherine C. Blake, who ruled three years ago that the 45-day provision was unconstitutional and barred the county from enforcing the rule. Kolbe argues that the county is still enforcing it, as the code enforcement officer who came to his house jotted the rule number on the "correction notice" taped to his side door. The county has argued that the notation was a mistake.

Kolbe's suit argues that the campaign sign restriction based on property zoning effectively governs political speech according to what type of property a person owns and where it's located. The suit argues that the rules violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

In the meantime, the county is pursuing limited enforcement of rules on political signs. The county will be keeping files on complaints but is issuing no notices of violation for political signs.

www.baltimoresun.com

Floating Wetlands Project Finds Home In Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Baltimore's Inner Harbor was once ringed by wetlands, but over time they gave way to development until only one was left.

Now there are two.

Volunteers in kayaks, a small boat and a canoe towed a "floating wetland island" from Fells Point — where it took form — to the waters alongside Baltimore's World Trade Center on Sunday. Tourists stopped to gawk and snap photographs as the environmentally friendly flotilla made its slow way along the harbor, the cargo more eye-catching in its greenery than anything else in the crowded waterway.

The Waterfront Partnership, a nonprofit that maintains and promotes the Inner Harbor area, installed the 200-square-foot wetlands as one small part of an ambitious goal to make the polluted harbor swimmable and fishable in 10 years.

"It's going to take all of us rolling in the same direction, but we believe it is possible," said Laurie Schwartz, executive director of the partnership.

It took a lot of people just to create the floating wetlands, which will soak up pollutants, produce the oxygen that's critical for healthy water and provide a place for crabs and other aquatic critters to live.

The Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, a water-quality watchdog group, paid the $50,000 cost from an air-pollution settlement fund. Biohabitats, a Baltimore-based ecological restoration firm, designed the wetlands — 11 separate rectangular structures made of plastic bottles plucked from the harbor, mesh and wood. Then, students with the Living Classrooms Foundation in Fells Point built the structures and planted them with marsh grass and flowers.

For weeks, the manmade wetlands floated beside the one other example left alongside the harbor — Living Classrooms' own marsh. Sunday morning, they headed off by boat and kayak to their permanent destination in tourist-heavy waters.

"Oh, here it comes — here it comes!" cried Schwartz, catching sight of the motorboat towing the first few pieces of wetlands toward the World Trade Center. She waved her arms and grinned, saying later that she felt just like an excited relative seeing a long-awaited baby for the first time. Mary and Jerry Nonnemacher, who live in Reading, Pa. and sailed into Baltimore for the weekend, watched this unusual parade and wondered what it was all about. Katie Bradbury, a 24-year-old from Fells Point, caught sight of the wetlands leaving Living Classrooms and followed them to find out where they were going. And Donna Davis, who works at the World Trade Center, dropped by to take pictures of kayakers pushing the structures into place alongside her building's pylons and roping them together.

Davis, an administrative assistant, knew the goal was better water quality. She hopes it works.

"If it helps, that's fantastic," she said.

Aquatic life is already responding. The underside of the wetlands is a hang-out spot for baby crabs.

But it would take a lot more than a marshy island the size of a bedroom to turn Inner Harbor water — which come from rivers rated "F" by an annual University of Maryland report card — into a safe place to take a dip or catch a fish. So much of the trash and pollutants that damage the water start off far upstream, from oil washed off roads to fertilizers running off suburban lawns.

That's why organizers hope the wetlands act as a conversation starter for passersby, making them think how their ordinary activities hurt or help the harbor.

And the newly installed floating island won't be by itself for long. The National Aquarium, just around the corner, is assembling its own on Wednesday. More might follow.

"It's a very small island in … a fairly big body of water," said Laura Bankey, the aquarium's manager of conservation. "We really only expect to see local changes. But that'll give us an idea, if we scale up this project, what kind of an effect could we have."

www.baltimoresun.com

Car Plows Into Church-goers

EMMITSBURG —
Authorities say two family members have been killed and third seriously injured when a car plowed into a group gathered on the side of the road after a church service in northern Maryland.

Cpl. Jennifer Bailey of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office says a 63-year-old driver was trying to park her Mercury Mountaineer along the roadway late Sunday morning. She says the car accelerated and backed into the people who were crossing the road in Emmitsburg. The driver also hit two cars.

Bailey says 64-year-old Patricia Mauro-Cillo died on the road and 53-year-old John Cillo died sometime after he was taken away. Eighty-nine-year-old Marian Derosa is being treated at Shock Trauma in Baltimore. All three lived in Emmitsburg, which is near the Pennsylvania border.
www.baltimoresun.com

Controversy: Should Local Police And Sheriffs Check Immigration Status

Citing a recent opinion from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a state lawmaker from Northern Virginia hopes the public pressures its elected city councils and boards of supervisors to require their police and sheriffs to go after illegal immigrants.

But law enforcement agencies around the state — and some of the boards that oversee them — seem averse to adding another duty to already-busy workloads. And the ACLU is urging cities and counties to ignore what it calls Cuccinelli's "legally faulty" opinion, saying it will hurt public safety.

Del. Bob Marshall, R- Manassas, said getting people to understand that local police have the power to investigate the immigration status of people they detain was his goal in asking Cuccinelli to weigh in on the issue.
In an opinion released June 30, Cuccinelli said Virginia law enforcement officers — including local police officers and sheriff's deputies — have the power to ask people they arrest on crimes or pull over in traffic stops about their immigration status.

The Attorney General's opinion doesn't go as far as Arizona's controversial new anti-immigration law. While the Arizona law "directs" police officers to make "a reasonable attempt" to determine the immigration status, Cuccinelli merely said the cops have the power to check, but doesn't mandate they do so.

Cuccinelli made the determination even though illegal immigration is a federal — not state — responsibility. "So long as the officers have the requisite level of suspicion to believe that a violation of the law has occurred, the officers may detain and briefly question a person they suspect has committed a federal crime," he wrote.

STATE'S STRICTEST POLICY

Marshall said Cuccinelli's opinion should remove any doubt that local police officers and deputies have that authority.

Marshall's own county, Prince William, has adopted the strictest policy on illegal immigration in the state. The policy, adopted by the county's Board of Supervisors in 2008, requires police to check on the immigration status of everyone arrested — and report any such federal violations to the federal government.

"Why aren't more people doing what Prince William is doing?" Marshall asked. "The government should make this a priority. My thinking is that the public should ask their supervisors to tell their local chiefs of police to go ahead and do this."

Since 2008, sheriffs and directors of Virginia correctional facilities are required to check the immigration status of anyone booked, fingerprinted and taken into custody in their jails. They must report potential violations to the state police, which can then report them to the feds.

But there's no such rule for people given a traffic ticket; arrested on a crime and released on a summons to appear in court later; or arrested and granted bail before being jailed.

Marshall said the illegal immigration problem was highlighted again this week when an illegal immigrant accused of driving drunk slammed into a car carrying three nuns on their way to a retreat in Prince William County.

One of the nuns, Denise Mosier, died in the crash, while the two others are in serious condition. The driver, Carlos Martinelly-Montano, 23, is an illegal immigrant from Bolivia. Martinelly had twice been found guilty of driving drunk. But federal officials, citing a backlog, had not yet held his deportation hearing.

That led Corey A. Stewart, the chairman of Prince William County's Board of Supervisors, to say the federal government "has blood on its hands." The Benedictine nuns also weighed in, saying they don't want the death being exploited for political gain.

This week, using Cuccinelli's opinion as his basis, Marshall wrote to Gov. Robert McDonnell, asking him to issue an executive order requiring law enforcement officers in Virginia to do more to check into immigration status.

ACLU SLAMS OPINION

But even as Marshall cites Cuccinelli's opinion favorably, the ACLU slammed it in a letter to the police chiefs this week urging them not to follow it.

The ACLU's Virginia legal director, Rebecca Glenberg, said that contrary to Cuccinelli's opinion, state and local police in Virginia don't have the power to inquire about the immigration status of the people they stop. The ACLU also cited a federal judge's opinion last week that threw out portions of the Arizona law.

"The Attorney General's opinion provides no guidelines as to when questions about immigration status is justified," Glenberg wrote. "Because most police officers have not been trained to enforce immigration law, allowing them to question individuals about immigration status is an invitation for racial profiling."

Such grilling, she said, would also "have an adverse effect on public safety" because illegal immigrants would feel less safe cooperating with police.

To the ACLU's letter, Marshall responded: "The ACLU's position essentially allows alien terrorists and gang members to be untouchable in this country. We cannot allow this to continue."

In contrast to Prince William County, Virginia State Police and most local police departments and sheriff's offices around the state take a hands-off approach to illegal immigration.

Citing illegal immigration as a federal responsibility, police departments seem content not to get overly involved. They typically leave it up to individual police officers to decide whether or not to ask about immigration status — and whether or not to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE).

FEET ON THE STREET

"We're just trying to keep feet on the street," said Dana Schrad, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. "When you don't have the resources that you need, you're most certainly going to give your most immediate attention to what represents the real danger to the community."

"Investigating (an immigration violation) is up to the individual officer," added Hampton police spokeswoman Allison Quinones. "Is it something that's mandatory? No." But if information "presents itself" during a criminal investigation that someone is here illegally, she said, officers can and do often report that to ICE.

Numbers were not available on how often Newport News, Hampton or the State Police notify the federal government about illegal immigrants. They say they don't keep such numbers.

Recently elected Newport News Mayor McKinley Price said he has not heard from any fellow City Council members or the public that the Newport News police should be doing more.

"I feel comfortable with the way the police are handling the issue," Price said. "We're trying to get these teenagers to stop shooting each other, so there's already plenty to be concerned about."

Schrad said it doesn't always make sense for local cops to bombard federal immigration officials with notifications that they don't act upon. If a local police department reports someone and the feds don't deport him, that could come back to bite the police with reduced cooperation from that person later, Schrad said.

Until there's a national public policy shift, she said, trying to round up all the illegal immigrants up and kick them out is "like trying to bail out the Titanic with a Dixie cup."

www.dailypress.com

German Authorities Close Mosque Where Sept. 11 Attackers Once Met

Christoph Ahlhaus, secretary of interior of the city of Hamburg, speaks during a press conference about the closing of the a mosque and the ban of Arab-German culuture organization "Taiba" in Hamburg, northern Germany, on Monday, Aug. 9, 2010. The Hamburg mosque formerly known as the al-Quds mosque and now named Taiba mosque that was once frequented by some of the Sept. 11 attackers was closed Monday by German authorities, who said they believed it is now a meeting-point for Islamic radicals again. The Taiba mosque was shut down and the cultural association that runs it was banned, a statement by Hamburg officials said. (AP Photo/dapd/Axel Heimken) (Axel Heimken, AP / August 9, 2010)

BERLIN (AP) — A Hamburg mosque once frequented by some of the Sept. 11 attackers was shut down Monday because German authorities believed the prayer house was again being used as a meeting point for Islamic radicals.

The Taiba mosque was closed and the cultural association that runs it was banned, Hamburg officials said in a statement.

"We have closed the mosque because it was a recruiting and meeting point for Islamic radicals who wanted to participate in so-called jihad or holy war," said Frank Reschreiter, a spokesman for Hamburg's state interior ministry.

He said that 20 police officers were searching the building and had confiscated material, including several computers. He was not aware of any arrests.

However, the homes of leading members of the cultural association were searched and the group's assets were confiscated, the Hamburg state government said in a statement.

Authorities have said the prayer house, until two years ago known as the al-Quds mosque, was a meeting and recruiting point years ago for some of the Sept. 11 attackers before they moved to the United States. Ringleader Mohamed Atta as well as Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah had studied in Hamburg and frequented al-Quds mosque.

Reschreiter said Monday marked the first time the mosque had been closed, and that it had been under observation by local intelligence officers for "quite a long time."

A 2009 report by the Hamburg branch of Germany's domestic intelligence agency also said the mosque had again become the "center of attraction for the jihad scene" in the northern port city.

"Latest developments have shown that the training courses, sermons and seminars by the association as well texts published on the group's home page not only violate the constitution but also radicalize listeners and readers," Monday's statement said.

By Monday morning, the group's home page on the Web had been taken down and it was not possible to reach any members directly.

It said some people who belonged to the mosque's cultural association and prayed there had traveled to a radical training camp in Uzbekistan.

A group of 11 militants that traveled to military training camps in Uzbekistan in March 2009 was formed at Taiba mosque, the report said.

Most of the group's members were either German converts, of Middle Eastern origin or from the Caucasus region.

"A very important factor for the radicalization of the group members was certainly their joint visits to the mosque," the intelligence report stated.

It appears that one man from the group joined the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist organization in Central Asia, the report said.

www.dailypress.com

RACING THIS WEEKEND

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON..............

Yoko Ono Opposes Parole For Lennon's Killer

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Three decades after John Lennon's death, Yoko Ono said she opposes his killer's parole because he remains a potential threat.

Ono said she was trying to be "practical" in asking that Mark David Chapman remain behind bars for fatally shooting the pop legend on Dec. 8, 1980, outside Lennon's Manhattan apartment building. Chapman, who has been repeatedly denied parole, is up for review again this month in New York State.

Lennon's widow said Chapman might be a danger to her, other family members and perhaps even himself. She did not elaborate.

At his last parole hearing, Chapman said he was ashamed and sorry for gunning down the former Beatle. He told the parole board he understood the gravity of his actions and was a changed man.

Ono, 77, made her remarks at a meeting Thursday of the Television Critics Association. She was discussing a new PBS documentary on Lennon's family and artistic life in New York in the 1970s.

"LennonNYC," airing Nov. 22 as part of the "American Masters" public TV series, includes rare studio recordings, concert film outtakes and home movies, producer Susan Lacy said. Ono provided access and was among those interviewed for the documentary.

Reviewing her life with Lennon was "painful" at times, Ono said, but provided the chance to show him as a "three-dimensional person" and to explore his ultimately tragic affection for New York.

The film "is about New York, the city he was in love with and strangely, the city that he loved so much, it killed him," Ono said. "It was his love, and it was his death."

Lennon would have been 70 in October.

www.ap.org

!! NO BURNING !!

ACCORDING TO THE 911 CENTER

STILL NO BURNING IN

ACCOMACK COUNTY OR NORTHAMPTON COUNTY !

What Is A Communist

The History Of Pocomoke By Murray James (17)

Formerly New Town. 125

Dr. George S. D. Shipley commenced the practice of
medicine, in New Town, in 1839, and continued here ten
or eleven years. He then moved to Salisbury and in a
few years he died. He was a good physician and a gentle-
man in the best sense of the word.

Dr. Collyer was associated with Dr. Shipley in the

practice of medicine in New Town, he afterwards moved
to Accomac County, Ya., where he soon died. Dr. Joseph
L. Adreon commenced the practice of medicine in New
Town, in 1839. He was a good physician, practiced about

20 years, and in i860 he died.

Dr. Adreon left an amiable widow and a fine family of
children. In 1846 Dr. John L. Hearn commenced the
practice of medicine in New Town, and continued the
same until 1872, during which year he died, embracing a
period of 26 years. Dr. Hearn was a native of New
Town, he was born the 19th day of March, 1823. When
in 1847 he received the hand of Miss Sallie E. Atkinson in
marriage, a young lady every way worthy of him. Dr.
Hearn had a bright intellect, beyond the common order
of minds. He was a good physician and was very pop-
ular both as a physician and citizen. His popularity in the
old Whig party was so great that when there was a proba-
bility of a hard struggle between them and the Democratic
party, he would be selected as the most mailable candi-
date to carry the election for the Whig party. He left a
widow and four children that are an honor to his name

and who possess minds of an intellectual order.

Dr. John T. B. McMaster, physician and surgeon, was



126 History of Pocomoke City,

born in Worcester County, Md. near New Town, now
Pocomoke City, on the 18th day of December, 1827.
His parents were Samuel and Ann Baily (Merrill)
McMaster. His mother was the daughter of William
Merrill and grand daughter of Col. Clement Parker of
Accomac County, Va. The McMaster family decended
from the old Scotch Covenanters. They emigrated to
America soon after the restoration of Charles II. and
settled near Carlisle, Perm. His grand father was a
Presbyterian Minister. In his boyhood Dr. McMaster
attended the country schools of the period, and was well
drilled in the English branches and mastered the elementary
classes. He possessed a quick and active mind and learned
with great readiness.

Soon after leaving school he engaged in mercantile
pursuits, but finding them unsuited to his tastes, he com-
menced in 1848 the study of medicine with G. S. D.
Shipley, of New Town. The following year he matricu-
lated at the University of Maryland, where he attended two
full courses of lectures, and graduated in the spring of 1850.
He at once commenced the practice of his profession in
New Town in partnership with Dr. John L. Hearn, and
soon succeeded in building up a large and lucrative prac-
tice. The partnership was dissolved in 1857, since which
time Dr. McMaster has continued alone in the same place,
growing constantly in favor as a practitioner and citizen.
Several young men trained by him for the profession are
now practicing in the county.



Formerly New Town. 127

In 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln Brigade
Surgeon of Volunteers, but on account of the death of the
oldest physician in the town, too many duties devolved
upon him at home and he did not go into the army, but
was employed during most of the war as contract physician,
with headquarters at New Town. In 1862 he was
appointed examining surgeon for the first draft of militia
called for by President Lincoln, which duty he fulfilled to
the general satisfaction of the people of the county. In
1864 he was elected to the Senate of Maryland for two
sessions, and taking an active and leading part in the
debates, became an influential member of that body. In
1 866 he was appointed post master for New Town for 2 years.
In 1868 he was appointed inspector and gauger of liquors
and inspector of snuff and cigars, but only held these
positions for a short time. The General Assembly of
Maryland, through his efforts, granted a charter for New
Town, and in 1867 he was elected town commissioner,
which position he held for two years to the entire satisfac-
tion of the community. During this period he was mainly
instrumental in having the town well lighted, the streets
widened and many other things accomplished that have
greatly improved the place. In 1S68 he was appointed
by President Johnson Assistant Assessor of Internal
Revenue, which position he held for nearly two years. In
1869 a charter was obtained to construct a railroad from
King's Creek to New Town, and Dr. McMaster was elected
president of the company. Through his active exertions
.the road was soon completed and in running order. In



l w 28 History of Pocomoke City,

1865 he procured a charter lor a company to build a
bridsre across the Pocomoke River. He subscribed to the
stock, organized the company, and within the year the
bridge was built, taking the place of the ferryboat which
had done service for nearly two hundred years. On May
May 15, 1 85 1, Dr. McMaster was united in marriage with
Elizabeth Grace, daughter of J no. S. Stevenson, a well-known
citizen of New Town. They have had seven children,
five of whom are still living. The eldest son, John S., is
preparing to enter the legal profession. In his religious
views Dr. McMaster prefers the lorms and practices of the
Presbyterian Church, both as a matter of choice and of
respect for the opinions of his forefathers. He is one of
the leading physicians of the State. He has rendered large
public services and is regarded as one of the most spirited
citizens of Maryland. He is now in the meridian of his
manhood, possessing more than an ordinary degree of
brilliancy of intellect, and is always ready to take the lead
in every public good.

Dr. Alexander Powell practiced medicine in New Town
in 1 83 1 . What time he commenced practicing and how long
he continued I am not prepared to say, he, however, went
to the South, settled there, and has since died. Dr.
Edward White practiced medicine in New Town in 1845,
he did not, however, continue long before he moved to the
City of Baltimore where he is still engaged in the practice
of his profession. Dr. Henry J. P. Dickinson was born
near New Town, Maryland, on the twenty-sixth day of



formerly JVeiv Town. 12$

September, 1826. His parents were James T. and Nancy
Dickinson ; he was raised and educated in New Town,
studied medicine under Dr. Joseph L. Adreon, and grad-
uated at the University of Maryland, in 1850. He
commenced practicing medicine at Barren Creek Springs,
Somerset County, (now Wicomico,) Md. In 1852, he was
united in marriage with Miss E. A. Waller, of that county,
who died in a year or two after her marriage leaving one
son in his infancy. After the death of his wife, Dr. Dick-
inson moved to New Town and commenced the practice
of medicine ; in a few years he married Miss Emma F.
Lambdon, of Worcester County, alter which he moved to
the country, on his farm, and there continued the practice
of medicine until he died, which event occurred in 1865.
He left four children, one by his first wife and three by his
last, one of whom has since died. Granville E. Dickinson,
his oldest son, studied medicine and graduated at the
University of Maryland, in 1874, at the age of twenty-one
years, and commenced the practice of medicine in Fair-
mount, Somerset County, Maryland, where he still con-
tinues.

Dr. David J. O. Truitt was born in New Town, Md., on

the fifth day of November, 1836. His father, after being
engaged in the mercantile business, in New Town, for
several years, moved to the City of Baltimore, where the
Doctor was educated at the Newton University, after grad-
uating at that institution, he studied medicine, attended
two full courses of lectures and graduated at the University
of Maryland in IS57, at the a g e °f twenty-one years. He



130 History of Pocomoke City,

then, excepting - two intervals in which he practiced in the
Southern Dispensary of Baltimore and Xasswadduso,
Worcester County, Maryland, settled in Xew Town, and
has remained here ever since. Dr. Truitt is a good phy-
sician, and is considered one of the best surgeons on the
Eastern Shore, and is a worthy and useful citizen. He
has been thrice married and has three children.



Formerly New Town. 131



CHAPTER XIX.

PHYSICIANS (CONTINUED).

Dr. Samuel S. Quinn was born near New Town, the 22d
day of April, 1838. His parents were Rev. William and
Rosa B. Quinn ; he was educated at New Town Academy,
studied medicine under Drs. Hearn and McMaster, grad-
uated at Maryland University, in the spring of 1859, and
commenced, at once the practice of medicine in New-
Town. On the 19th day of June, 1S61, he received
the hand of Miss Sally A. O. Atkinson in marriage. She
died the 17th day of September, 1869. His present wife
was Miss Amanda Conner, with whom he was united in
marriage on the 16th day of November, 1871. Upon the
institution of the High School in New Town, he was Trustee
for several years. He served as commissioner of the Cor-
poration, in 1 87 1 and 72, and was also re-elected to that
office this present year. Notwithstanding these tokens of
preferment he has never been an applicant for any office.
The Doctor while attending to his practice has been con-
ducting the Record and Gazette, a weekly paper in which
he owns an interest. He has three children living, one by
his first wife and two by his second. He is quiet, genial
and companionable, and is possessed of a brilliant intellect.



132 History of PocomoTce City,

He is only aproaching the meridian of his intellectual

manhood, and has a bright future before him. Dr. Ouinn

is a member of the Presbyterian Church, in Pocomoke

City.

Dr. Isaac T. Coston was born in Somerset County, Md.,
on the ioth day of October, 1832. His father was Wm.

Coston, of Matthias ; his mother's name was Rosa Taylor

daughter of Samuel Taylor. The Doctor was raised on

the farm and could onlv avail himself of such schooling as

could be had at a country school until he was sixteen years

old. At sixteen he was admitted into the Washington

Academy at Princess Anne, as one to receive the benefit

oi the State fund. He lived at a distance of six miles from

the Academy and went and returned every school day for

five years, except he was detained by sickness or extremely

bad weather, all of which of course drew heavily upon his

time that would under other circumstances have been

devoted to study. At the expiration of five years spent

in this way and his vacations in hard labor on the farm,

he commenced to teach school and continued for two

years, at the same time using all his spare hours in reading

medicine. He then applied his time exclusively to the

study of medicine for two years more under Drs. George

Dixon, of Princess Anne, and John Neill, of Philadelphia.

He then entered the Pennsylvania University, and after

attending the regular courses of lectures, he graduated in

March, 1S57. Immediately after his graduation he located

in Rehoboth, in Somerset County, where he practiced his

profession until 1863, when he moved to Accomac County,



Formerly New Town. 133

Va., and there he practiced for two years more, when in

July, 1865, he moved to New Town, where he has continued

the practice of medicine ever since. After settling in New

Town he received on the 22d day of February, 1866, the

hand of Miss Olivia Adams, daughter of the late Morris

Adams, of Somerset County, in marriage. He has four

children living ; has held the position of trustee of

Pocomoke High School for several years, which he

resigned. The Doctor was, in November last, elected as

a delegate to represent the people of Worcester County in

the Legislature, which has now closed. He is a member

of the Presbyterian Church in Pocomoke City, and is a

very worthy and highly respected citizen.

Dr. Gordon T. Atkinson was born in Somerset County,

Md. on the 18th day of December, 1846. He was educated

at the New Town Academy and at Dickinson College.

After he left College he read medicine under Dr. S. S. Quinn

for one year, he then went to the University of Penn. and

attended lectures. He received the degree of M. D. in

1869. He practiced medicine in Pocomoke City for one

year. He then removed to Crisfield, Md. where he has

since resided, pursuing the practice of his profession.

Dr -George T .Truitt, son of William R. and Sarah C.

Truitt, was born in the City of Baltimore, in 1848. He

alternately received his education in the City of Baltimore,

in New Town, and in Claymont, Del., at which latter place

he graduated. Immediately after his graduation at school

he took up the study of medicine under Prof. Nathan R.

Smith of Baltimore.



Next; 134 History of Pocomoke City,



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And just think the federal government promises us that they can handle health care without error.

EAST QUOGUE, N.Y. (CBS 2/WCBS 880) – She was declared dead – but she’s as alive as you and I.
Carol Combes is the official historian for the village of East Quogue, Long Island. She cares for headstones and writes local obituaries.

In June, she was aghast to learn that she was dead. In fact, she had been declared dead for more than a month.

“I’m on the computer and am in the Social Security death index, and I’m scanning down and all of the sudden, whoa!” she said. “There’s my name, Carol Combes, where I was born, when I died.”

Combes was quickly cut off from bank accounts, medicare and more.

Ancestry Web sites even publicly listed her presumably ‘dearly departed’ Social Security number – that was still active.

“Every account I had was frozen, no matter where it was at,” she said. “I was left with just pocket change.”

Since then she and her husband Rich have collected hundreds of documents, made endless trips to social security officers, and spent hours on the phone with government workers who finally solved the riddle.

They traced the error to a clerk in Alabama typing in the wrong nine digit number.

A spokesman for Social Security says Combes’ record has been corrected. They’ve since apologized, but Combes thinks it’s something that could’ve easily been avoided.

“To the Social Security Administration, you’re nothing but a number,” Combes said. “And when that number goes in, they should research it a little better.”

Even so, and despite being stuck swimming upstream against the government, Combes, along with family and friends, are finding humor in it all.

"I’m glad you’re alive,” said Richard Combes to his wife. “I’m glad I didn’t miss your funeral.”

Carol also gets a good laugh out of it.

“They say to me, ‘you look pretty good for dead’,” she said.

The Social Security Administration tells CBS 2 that they will continue to monitor Carol’s situation because the IRS, VA Hospital and banks may be slow in getting the correction.

Some of Carol’s assets remain frozen.

www.cbslocal.com

Crisfield Police Officer Is "Top Cop In The State"

CRISFIELD -- A Crisfield police officer will be honored by the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association for his role in rescuing an elderly woman from a burning house last year.

Patrolman 1st Class Andrew Crockett will receive the Exceptional Police Professional Award for 2009 during the association's annual conference in Ocean City on Nov. 8.

"I think the Lord sent him that day," said Melvin Harris, whose mother, Myrtle Harris, was carried to safety by Crockett after her Minden Avenue house caught fire.

Crisfield Police Chief Mike Tabor submitted the nomination for the award and recently learned Crockett was the winner.

"He's the top cop in the state," he said during a recent City Council meeting.

In a letter to Tabor, the awards committee said it selected Crockett "as the officer who, through his dedication to duty and selfless service, best exemplified the ideals to this prestigious award."

The association will provide Crockett with a complimentary hotel room in Ocean City for two nights during the conference.

On the morning of Aug. 9, 2009, Crockett was one of the first to arrive on the scene of the fire and learned from neighbors that someone was inside.

Through a window, Crockett saw 81-year-old Myrtle Harris collapsed on the floor. He quickly broke in and carried her to an ambulance outside.

Harris was treated for smoke inhalation at McCready Memorial Hospital and released.

Soon after the incident, Crockett was recognized with his department's Bronze Star, given by Tabor during a City Council meeting and in front of family members and city residents.

Since then, Harris has been living with her granddaughter, Melissa Dixon.

"She went through a bad time, but she's perked up a little bit," said Melvin Harris, who also credits his mother's neighbor, Pat Stern, for spotting the smoke and calling 911.

Myrtle Harris' sister, Peggy Culbertson, lived in the same house but had gone to church that morning and escaped injury.

Culbertson has been living with two nieces since the fire.

Both women lost everything they owned in the blaze that was caused by an electrical wiring problem.

Melvin Harris said in spite of the material losses, no one was seriously injured.

"We've got our family; that's the most important thing," he said.

www.delmarvanow.com

American Gets Death Penalty For Drug Trafficking

Jakarta. The Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentenced an American citizen to death for his part in an international drug syndicate.

“Considering that during the hearings there was nothing that could lighten the defendant’s sentence, and that after deliberations the judges found the defendant proven guilty of the primary charge against him, the defendant is sentenced to death,” presiding judge Dehel K Sandan said as he read out the court’s verdict.

Frank Amado, 46, was arrested outside his apartment in Central Jakarta in October carrying 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

Police also found 5.168 kilograms of the drug divided in 45 small packets hidden behind a cupboard while searching his apartment.

“Frank intentionally committed a criminal act, unlawfully becoming a courier in a Class I narcotics trade together with Peyman bin Azizallah aka Sorena aka Paulo Russo,” judge Dehel continued.

Peyman, an Iranian citizen, was arrested the same day as Amado in his apartment in South Jakarta. The court found he gave orders to Amado when they met in Bangkok in June last year.

“In August 2009 Peyman met with Kami and Komayon [who are both Iranian citizens and are still at large]. The two asked Peyman to join their narcotics business in Indonesia,” Dehel said.

Peyman was asked to receive drugs from Kami and Komayon before delivering them to the customers. Peyman was offered $6 per gram of drugs delivered.

“Peyman later offered the ‘job’ to Frank and he agreed,” Dehel continued.

Amado made three deliveries before his arrest. He usually met Kami and Komayon in Pasar Festival in Kuningan, South Jakarta, before giving the stash to Peyman, who would meet him in different hotels and once in Plaza Semanggi in South Jakarta.

“The defendant was actively involved in a large-scale drug trade that could have fatal consequences for society, especially the younger generation. The sentence was to [act as a] deterrent for foreigners involved in the drug trade,” Dehel said.

The court gave Amado, who was said to have changed his testimony throughout the trial, and his legal representative Sugiyono seven days to decide whether to appeal or directly seek clemency from the president.

After the hearing, Amado told reporters he was unsatisfied with the court’s ruling and he would definitely appeal.

“People have done so much worse in this country but they are being punished for less,” he said.

www.thejakartaglobe.com

2 Charged In Murders Of Maryland Family Members

Aug. 6: Prince George's County, Md. police academy recruits wear protective gear to search for evidence on the property where four bodies were found in a garage in Riverdale, Md.

RIVERDALE, Md. -- Two people have been charged with murder in the murders of two children, their mother and their aunt, who were found in a trash-filled apartment above a detached garage at a suburban Maryland home, police said Saturday.

Prince George's County police also identified the victims in a press release early Saturday morning as Shayla Shante Sikyala, 3; Shakur Sylvester Sikyala, 4; their mother, Dawn Yvette Brooks, 38; and their aunt, Mwasiti Sikyala, 41. All were from Lanham. Police say all four victims were shot to death.

Meanwhile, police have charged Darrell Lynn Bellard, 43, and Tkeisha Nicole Gilmer, 18, with murder and placed them in the custody of county corrections officials. Both are from Texas.

Bellard and Gilmer apparently were connected to Brooks and Mwasiti Sikyala through the sale of marijuana, though police may learn more as the investigation continues, Officer Evan Baxter said. Charges are pending against them. A court appearance has not been set for Bellard and Gilmer, and neither had an attorney, Baxter said.

Police had said previously that some of the victims were natives of the Congo but Baxter was not able to confirm that information Saturday morning.

The victims had been living in the space above the garage, which had no running water or toilet facilities, according to police. Officers say the amount of trash in the living space is making it difficult for detectives to sift through evidence.

"I'm very disgusted about this," Hylton said. Prince George's County officials marked the property with a bright orange sign after declaring the garage and the home uninhabitable Friday afternoon.

Prince George's County health department officials spent Friday afternoon inspecting the garage living area and the home to make sure it was safe for officers and police recruits to investigate the scene. Police officers and recruits combing through the property for evidence wore protective masks, boots, gloves and special suits.

Dr. Donald Shell, a county health officer, called the living conditions deplorable and unsanitary and compared it to a "junkyard."

"It's not somewhere where we'd want to lay our heads to sleep," Shell said, saying health officials found mold inside the garage living area and signs of rodents burrowing and nesting near the garage.

The county health department had not received any specific complaints about the house, Shell said.

The county's environmental services department had cited the home, however, in February 2009 for keeping a dismantled, inoperable car on their property, a fence in disrepair, and open storage of debris and trash. The home cleared a follow-up inspection several weeks later.

www.foxnews.com

Mayor Bloomberg Tells Mosque Foes To "SHUT UP ALREADY"

Like the rest of the polititions Mayor Bloomberg isn't listenting to the PEOPLE!! either. I am NOT ashamed of myself for not wanting a mosque near Ground Zero. I am not ashamed at all. I am becoming very ashamed of the political leaders in this country that seem to want to give it all to those that have nothing to with making this country great. And even more ashamed when they seem to think they know what is best for us. Not all Muslims are bad. But it is the bad Muslim, the ones that are responsible for so many lives to be lost on 9/11 and the same Muslims that have killed so many of our military men and women at home and abroad, that they spoil it for the rest. That's the way life is..........or once was.

It isn't or shouldn't be what the Muslims want nor what you want Mr. Bloomberg. It SHOULD be and NEEDS to be (once again) what Americans want. And it certainly isn't Muslim money! Is there something in this for Mayor Bloomberg?

Bloomberg won’t stop talking about the mosque near Ground Zero, harshly attacking opponents yesterday who “ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

Sounding more supportive of freedom of religion than freedom of speech, Bloomberg said, "I just don't think the government should tell people where they can pray and where they can build houses of worship.

"It is a shame that we even have to talk about this," the mayor added on his WOR radio broadcast.

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The mayor ratcheted up his rhetoric against critics just days after defending the mosque in an impassioned speech on Governors Island, with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

Yesterday, Bloomberg said cops and firefighters who died on 9/11 didn't ask people in the World Trade Center, "Where do you pray?" as they tried to save their lives.

"Most of the [9/11 rescuers'] families that I've talked to, they say, 'Of course our loved ones gave their lives to protect the very freedoms that we're talking about here -- people being able to practice religion and say what they want to say and be in control of their own destiny,' " the mayor said.

Bloomberg also blasted demands for a probe of the mosque builders' finances.

"Every time they pass the basket in your church and you throw a buck in, [do you want someone to] run over and say, 'OK, now where do you come from, who are your parents, where'd you get this money?' . . . A handful of people ought to be ashamed of themselves."

The Landmarks Preservation Commission's decision Tuesday to let the 152-year-old former Burlington Coat Factory building on Park Place be torn down was based solely on the building's lack of "redeeming historic value," Bloomberg said.

The building is owned by SoHo Properties. Its CEO, Sharif El-Gamal, hopes to raise $100 million for a 13-story mosque and cultural center.

Opponents pressed their case yesterday, filing a federal lawsuit against the MTA for refusing to allow anti-mosque ads on its buses.

The ads show a jet about to slam into one of the Twin Towers and depict what they call the "WTC Mega Mosque." The headline: "Why There?"

The lawsuit, filed by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, says the MTA displayed its ads before -- but without reason rejected this one.

"No decision has been made," an MTA spokesman said.

Separately, CNN host Fareed Zakaria returned a $10,000 First Amendment award to the Anti-Defamation League to protest its opposition to the mosque.

www.nypost.com

ALL ABOARD!!! Railroad Tracks Reopen

Railroad tracks near Quantico reopened yesterday afternoon to passenger trains.

Amtrak planned to resume service in the afternoon and run normal train operations today, said Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole.

The only exception today will be Amtrak's Train 92, which runs from Miami to New York. Those passengers will be moved to a different train for equipment reasons, Cole said.

Virginia Railway Express expects commuter train service to resume Monday on its Fredericksburg Line.

Service was cancelled yesterday morning and evening after a CSX freight train carrying coal derailed a half-mile south of the Quantico train station Thursday afternoon, closing all tracks. Five train cars toppled and ripped up the tracks.

In a message to riders yesterday, VRE warned that while its service is likely to operate, travel may be slower in the derailment area.

"There will most likely be speed restrictions imposed on that area until it is deemed safe for trains to operate at full speed," VRE advised riders.

www.fredericksburg.com