'God vs. Science'

Please read to the end.
'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.'

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er..yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters. 'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir..'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not..'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies.. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '

' Yes.

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor.. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'



To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

If you read it all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, mail to your friends and family with the title 'God vs. Science'

PS: the student was Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein wrote a book titled God vs. Science in 1921...

Pocomoke Woman rams cars, smashes windows

Troopers from the Berlin Barrack as well as Worcester County Deputies were dispatched to 2703 Worcester Highway for a domestic dispute.

Upon arrival, police observed 26 year-old Keshia Harris of Pocomoke smashing out several windows on a vehicle belonging to 26-year-old Jerone Scruggs of Pocomoke. Shortly before police arrived, Harris intentionally rammed a vehicle occupied by Janika Collick and Teirra Collick using her vehicle.
Harris was charged with two counts of First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, and Reckless Endangerment.



VIA: DelMarVaNow

A Day Of Remembrance In Ocean City

Members of the Red Knight's Motorcycle Club held their 9/11 Parade of Brothers yesterday on the Ocean City boardwalk beginning at 27th and traveling to open the ceremonies at the Fire Fighters Memorial.

A large crowd gathered at the base of the memorial for the remembrance ceremonies.

Click on link below for photos from the parade and ceremony.

Ocean City remembers 9/11 delmarvanow.com Salisbury News The Daily Timesw

http://www.dailytimes.com/

New Date For Rocket Launch From NASA

ATLANTIC, Va.- NASA has delayed by at least one day the planned launch of a suborbital rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore next week to test new rocket technologies.

NASA originally planned to launch the Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket from Wallops between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday. The new launch date is Thursday, Sept. 15 "at the earliest," an e-mail message from Wallops Public Affairs Specialist Rebecca H. Powell said Friday.

Powell's message gave no reason for the delay.

The mission includes the third test of the rocket's primary payload, NASA's Autonomous Flight Safety System. The onboard system is designed to issue a destruct signal if a launch flight deviates from its path.

The rocket will carry two additional payloads. The first is a NASA package of seven sensors to observe the rocket's performance.

The third payload is a Federal Aviation Administration payload designed to inform aircraft and air traffic control systems of the in-flight location and velocity of launch vehicles that could pose a collision hazard to aircraft.

The launch can be viewed from the facility's visitor center, which will be open at 7 a.m. on launch day.

The launch will be web cast beginning at 7 a.m. on launch day at: http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast

Launch status can be followed on Twitter at:
http://www.Twitter.com/NASA_Wallops

Launch status also is available at the Wallops launch status line at (757) 824-2050.

For more information about Wallops Flight Facility and its missions, visit http://www.nasa.gov/wallops

www.wboc.com

Soldier From Hampton Killed In Afghanistan

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (WAVY) - A soldier from Hampton was killed Thursday after being struck by an improvised explosive device as he was leading a dismounted area reconnaissance in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, the Army said.

1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver, 26, was an Infantry officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at Fort Campbell, Ky. Weaver joined the Army in October, 2006, and arrived at Fort Campbell in April, 2009.

No additional information surrounding his death was released.

Weaver's awards and decorations included the Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab.Weaver is survived by his wife, Emma Louise Elizabeth Weaver and daughter Kiley Honoria Nell Weaver, all of Clarksville, Tenn.; father, Don A. Weaver and mother, Jeanne N. Weaver, both of Hampton, Va.

Officials say a memorial service will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony to honor fallen Screaming Eagles. The next ceremony will be held Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. at the Family Readiness Center.

Weaver graduated from Bruton High School in York County and then the College of William & Mary.

For article on Lt. Weaver in William & Mary's website:

www.wm.edu/news/stories/2010/todd-weaver-08-dies-in-afghanistan-123.php

www.wavy.com

Man Involved With Death Violates Probation And Gets Another Chance

Two years later and still hasn't completed his punishment. He's given a second chance and told not to come back again........a third chance?? Gee, I bet the family that had their son so horribly beaten to death by this creep wishes they had gotten more chances. Some people just never learn their lessons.........I wonder why they never do. Possibly the parents?

SNOW HILL -- A Circuit Court judge found 21-year-old Fernando Musiani in violation of his probation, two years after his involvement in the death of a Berlin teen, and ordered him to continue performing community service and attending anger management classes.

Judge Thomas C. Groton III told Musiani, who pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment in the 2008 death of Berlin's Michael Harry "Mikey" Mitchell, to complete a anger management course he's failed three times and 100 hours of community service. He was given the same tasks at the start of his probation.

"This is your second chance," Groton said. "Rarely, if ever, do I give anybody a third chance."

Musiani was charged with violating the terms of his probation for his failure to complete an anger management course and not completing 100 hours of community service, to be performed by talking to high school students about the consequences of drinking, in the past two years.

Mitchell died at age 19 in a fight at a high school graduation party. An Ocean City man three years older than Mitchell, Dominic R. Canale, allegedly clubbed Mitchell in the head with a wooden baseball bat he retrieved from a car's trunk. Canale was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Musiani, who took part in the fight, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, and murder charges against him were placed on the stet docket.

Musiani, who represented himself, told the judge that he had tried to complete the anger management program three times but had failed each time because he missed too many classes. He said that he had trouble keeping jobs as well.

"When I start, I want to finish the things I do," he said, "but something blocks mentally."

Musiani told the judge he had seen a doctor who put him on a medication for depression. He also explained that his father had arranged for him to get counseling at Worcester Youth and Family Services.

"I've been making a lot of positive changes in my mind," he told the judge. "I've already seen an improvement in myself and I'd like to continue the program."

www.delmarvanow.com

Nascar And The Star Spangled Banner

CONGRATULATIONS

NASCAR !!!!

You FINALLY found someone that can SING The Star Spangled Banner without the out of key sour notes and bad tempo!

Good idea to leave that song to the military.........or perhaps children...............

I might just enjoy this race for a change.

MELSON'S EVENTS TONIGHT

DON'T MISS THIS TONIGHT!!

TRUCK and TRACTOR PULLING !

Hook your tractor or truck to this sled and see how much weight you can pull !!Or...........

Try the MUD HOP

Spectators welcomed. So grab a lawn chair and come watch

Refreshments available Gates open at 5:00 PM

Events begin at 7:00 PM Great fun for the whole family !

9343 Guy Ward Road
Parsonsburg, Maryland

~~ SEE YOU THERE TONIGHT ~~

AMERICA- STILL THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE

~~WE WILL NEVER FORGET ~~

Obamaville USA

Hat Tip; Eric

SEE YOU TONIGHT AT MELSON'S

DON'T FORGET !!

Laura Bush To Speak At 911 Fundraiser Memorial

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. – Former first lady Laura Bush will speak at a National Park Foundation fundraiser in Pittsburgh on Friday, a day before joining Michelle Obama in rural Pennsylvania to remember the victims of Flight 93, which crashed there in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bush's appearance is part of a wider effort to raise money for the memorial to the 40 passengers and crew who died after they fought back against their hijackers.

Just $40 million of the $58 million needed for the memorial has been raised, and the first phase of the project is scheduled to be dedicated in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks next year.

A memorial plaza is under construction in these rolling hills, part of a long-awaited 2,200-acre national park that will eventually honor the victims. The finished memorial will include a 93-foot tower at the entrance with wind chimes for each of the victims and a grove of trees.

The project's planners say they hope Bush's and Obama's efforts help bring attention and much-needed cash to the project.

"In a world where there's so much politics, one thing we have always found is that our story and our efforts resonate across the board. And this is just one more indication of that," said Gordon Felt, the president of the Families of Flight 93, whose brother died aboard the flight.

Patrick White, whose cousin, Louis "Joey" Nacke II, died in the crash, called donating to the memorial "a patriotic thing to do."

"This is America's memorial, certainly primarily to the 40 heroes of Flight 93, but indirectly to the events of the day as well," he said.

More than 1.2 million people have visited the temporary memorial since the crash. Planners predict that about 250,000 people will visit the permanent memorial each year.

The park foundation has recently stepped up its efforts to raise money, including a new public service campaign encouraging people to make a $10 donation by texting the word MEMORIAL to 90999, or to contribute online at http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/storytext/us_

flight93_anniversary/37505749/SIG=10um8nnju/*http://www.honorflight93.org.

Flight 93 was en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco when hijackers seized control and diverted it toward Washington, D.C. But the passengers fought back and the hijackers responded by crashing the plane about 60 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

It's imperative to honor the victims, said David Beamer, whose son Todd was believed to have led the revolt with the words "Let's roll." He said some textbooks only casually reference Flight 93 as the fourth plane to crash on Sept. 11, with no details.

"That's not sufficient," Beamer said.

www.yahoo.com

NASA Will Launch Rocket

NASA's next suborbital rocket launch will be on the morning of Tuesday September 14.

The launch of the Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket will happen between 8:00 and 11:00 AM at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, according to NASA.

The NASA Visitor Center will open at 7:00 AM for the public to view the launch.

The backup dates for the launch are Wednesday and Thursday.

The launch also can be viewed on NASA's website, beginning at 7:00 AM. on launch day.

The status of the launch also can be followed by calling (757)824-2050.

Good Grief!! Now The Cockroach Is The GOOD Guy?

In the battle against drug-resistant bacterial infections, researchers have identified two possible, if unlikely, allies: cockroaches and locusts.

Cockroaches, widely considered a public health menace, were documented carrying almost two dozen pathogens that can infect humans by researchers in 1991. Locusts, meanwhile, are associated with a different sort of plague, as their crop-devouring swarms earned them a place in the Bible.

But hidden in the brains and neural tissues of these insects, British researchers have found at least nine molecules that are toxic to bacteria. In fact, the molecules were able to kill more than 90 percent of the meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in the lab.

Infections by both bacteria can have deadly consequences. MRSA causes serious staph infections that resist treatment and can lead to serious complications, organ failure and even death. Meanwhile, E.coli lives in our intestines, and is mostly harmless, but certain strains can cause an infection linked to kidney failure and even death, according to the National Institutes of Health. Antibiotic resistance has also been documented among certain types of E. coli.

The bacteria-busting compounds in the pests' brains could lead to a new way to fight off these ultra-resistant pathogens.

"We hope that these molecules could eventually be developed into treatments for E. coli and MRSA infections that are increasingly resistant to current drugs," said study team member Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham in England.

Because the molecules did not appear to harm human cells in tests run by the researchers, they could potentially lead to new antibiotics without the unwanted side effects of drugs currently in use, Lee said.

Insects often live in unsanitary conditions, so it is not surprising that they produce their own antimicrobial compounds, Lee said.

Lee presented his work at the Society for General Microbiology's fall meeting in Nottingham this week.

www.yahoo.com

Castro Tells American Journalist Cuba's 'Communistic Economic Model' Doesn't Work

HAVANA Fidel Castro told a visiting American journalist that Cuba's communist economic model doesn't work, a rare comment on domestic affairs from a man who has conspicuously steered clear of local issues since stepping down four years ago.

The fact that things are not working efficiently on this cash-strapped Caribbean island is hardly news. Fidel's brother Raul, the country's president, has said the same thing repeatedly.

But the blunt assessment by the father of Cuba's 1959 revolution is sure to raise eyebrows.

Jeffrey Goldberg, a national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, asked if Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, and Mr. Castro replied: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore," Mr. Goldberg wrote Wednesday in a post on his Atlantic blog.

He said Mr. Castro made the comment casually over lunch after a long talk about the Middle East, and did not elaborate. The Cuban government had no immediate comment on Mr. Goldberg's account.

Since stepping down from power in 2006, the ex-president has focused almost entirely on international affairs and said very little about Cuba and its politics, perhaps to limit the perception he is stepping on his brother's toes.

Mr. Goldberg, who traveled to Cuba at Mr. Castro's invitation last week to discuss a recent Atlantic article he wrote about Iran's nuclear program, also reported on Tuesday that Mr. Castro questioned his own actions during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, including his recommendation to Soviet leaders that they use nuclear weapons against the United States.

Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has clung to its communist system.

The state controls well over 90 percent of the economy, paying workers salaries of about $20 a month in return for free health care and education, and nearly free transportation and housing. At least a portion of every citizen's food needs are sold to them through ration books at heavily subsidized prices.

President Raul Castro and others have instituted a series of limited economic reforms, and have warned Cubans that they need to start working harder and expecting less from the government.

But the president also has made it clear he has no desire to depart from Cuba's socialist system or embrace capitalism.

Fidel Castro stepped down temporarily in July 2006 due to a serious illness that nearly killed him.

He resigned permanently two years later, but remains head of the Communist Party. After staying almost entirely out of the spotlight for four years, he re-emerged in July and now speaks frequently about international affairs. He has been warning for weeks of the threat of a nuclear war over Iran.

Mr. Castro's interview with Mr. Goldberg is the only one he has given to an American journalist since he left office.

www.washingtontimes.com

To Burn Or Not To Burn...........

Most of America has been looking upon this coming anniversary of 911 as another day of healing. The wounds are deep and fresh still with emotions running high. Now we have the Rev. Terry Jones, who just pops out of the woodwork and is ready to burn a sacred book belonging to the Muslim faith. This is a man of God? This "piece of work" has kept emotions raging in the people of all faiths and even in the hearts of those with no faith.

Does the Rev. Jones believe in his own mind that American's are stupid? Or that Muslims are? He's been warned and he has been begged to abandon his actions for Saturday's burning of the Koran. First yes, he will. Now he shrugs his shoulders and says he doens't know. What?

Is he crazy or is he just mean? Does he understand that there IS NO deal between him and the Iman Musri? Imam Musri certainly seems to understand there is no deal. Personally, I believe Musri's visit was to extend an olive branch (so to speak) because no one of the Muslim faith had. A noble move, I think. And a brave one. Two days ago a Muslim woman walked upon the church property and was removed.
Time will tell. I just hope (regardless of what the fool Rev. Jones with the Koran), he realizes that with all of his disrepectful antics has painted a bulls eye on the backs of every soldier all across the world.

Conscience, Rev. Jones? And how much have your antics cost the taxpayers of your town and state? Will you be accepting the blame if innocent lives are lost due to your evilness?

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An anti-Islamic preacher backed off and then threatened to reconsider burning the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, angrily accusing a Muslim leader of lying to him Thursday with a promise to move an Islamic center and mosque away from New York's ground zero. The imam planning the center denied there was ever such a deal.

The Rev. Terry Jones generated an international firestorm with his plan to burn the Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and he has been under intense pressure to give it up. President Barack Obama urged him to listen to "those better angels" and give up his "stunt," saying it would endanger U.S. troops and give Islamic terrorists a recruiting tool. Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the extraordinary step of calling Jones personally.

Standing outside his 50-member Pentecostal church, the Dove Outreach Center, alongside Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, Jones said he relented when Musri assured him that the New York mosque will be moved.

Musri, however, said after the news conference that the agreement was only for him and Jones to travel to New York and meet Saturday with the imam overseeing plans to build a mosque near ground zero.

Hours later, Jones said Musri "clearly, clearly lied to us."

"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."

Jones did not say whether the Quran burning could still be held Saturday, but he said he expected Musri to keep his word and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men."

Jones had never invoked the mosque controversy as a reason for his planned protest. He cited his belief that the Quran is evil because it espouses something other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims.

But he said Thursday afternoon that he prayed about the decision and concluded that if the mosque was moved, it would be a sign from God to call off the Quran burning.

"We are, of course, now against any other group burning Qurans," Jones said. "We would right now ask no one to burn Qurans. We are absolutely strong on that. It is not the time to do it."

Musri thanked Jones and his church members "for making the decision today to defuse the situation and bring to a positive end what has become the world over a spectacle that no one would benefit from except extremists and terrorists" who would use it to recruit future radicals.

After Jones accused him of lying, Musri said the pastor "stretched my words" at the press conference.

"I think there was no confusion to begin with. When we stepped out of the church, we had an agreement to meet in New York," Musri said. He added that Jones "said his main reason for stopping the event was that it would endanger the troops overseas, Americans traveling abroad and others around the world."

Musri said he told the pastor "that I personally believe the mosque should not be there, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it is moved," Musri said. "But there is not any offer from there (New York) that it will be moved. All we have agreed to is a meeting, and I think we would all like to see a peaceful resolution."

Musri said Thursday night that he still plans to go ahead with the meeting Saturday.

In New York, the leader of the Islamic center project, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, issued a statement saying he was glad Jones had decided not to burn the Quran but that he had spoken to neither the pastor nor Musri.

"We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter," Rauf said. "We are here to extend our hands to build peace and harmony."

Jones' decision to call off the Quran burning was made after a firestorm of criticism from leaders around the world. The pope and several other Christian leaders were among those urging him to reconsider his plans, which generated a wave of anger among Muslims. In Afghanistan, hundreds of Afghans burned an American flag and chanted "Death to the Christians" to protest the planned Quran burning.

Obama told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview aired Thursday that Jones' plan "is completely contrary to our values as Americans."

"And as a very practical matter, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women who are in uniform," Obama said.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell confirmed that Gates called Jones about 4 p.m. EST Thursday — shortly before the pastor's announcement. During the "very brief" call, Gates expressed "his grave concern that going forward with this Quran burning would put the lives of our forces at risk, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan," Morrell said.

Morrell said earlier that the decision to issue a personal appeal was not easy because it could provoke other extremists "who, all they want, is a call from so-and-so." After Gates' call to Jones, Morrell said the secretary's "fundamental baseline attitude about this is that if that phone call could save the life of one man or woman in uniform it was a call worth placing."

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., thanked Obama, Gates and other administration officials for their efforts. "This is definitely a positive moment in showing America's tolerance and pluralism and should not go unappreciated in the Muslim world," Haqqani said.

The cancellation also was welcomed by Jones' neighbors in Gainesville, a city of 125,000 anchored by the sprawling University of Florida campus. At least two dozen Christian churches, Jewish temples and Muslim organizations in the city had mobilized to plan inclusive events, including Quran readings at services, as a counterpoint to Jones' protest.

Jones' Dove Outreach Center is independent of any denomination. It follows the Pentecostal tradition, which teaches that the Holy Spirit can manifest itself in the modern day. Pentecostals often view themselves as engaged in spiritual warfare against satanic forces.

The pastor was not the only person to inject confusion into the debate over the New York mosque, which is planned to go up two blocks north of the trade center site. Donald Trump, who made a fortune in real estate, offered Thursday to buy out a major investor in the real estate partnership that controls the site where the 13-story Islamic center would be built.

Opponents argue it is insensitive to families and memories of Sept. 11 victims to build a mosque so close to where Islamic extremists flew planes into the World Trade Center and killed nearly 2,800 people. Proponents support the project as a reflection of religious freedom and diversity and say hatred of Muslims is fueling the opposition.

In a letter released Thursday by Trump's publicist, Trump told Hisham Elzanaty that he would buy his stake in one of the two lower Manhattan buildings involved in the project for 25 percent more than whatever he paid — if the mosque is moved at least five blocks farther away from the trade center site.

"I am making this offer as a resident of New York and citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse," the letter said.

Elzanaty's response: No sale.

"This is just a cheap attempt to get publicity and get in the limelight," said his lawyer, Wolodymyr Starosolsky.

He added that the offer's lack of seriousness is evident in the price.

The group collectively paid $4.8 million for the building Trump offered to buy. The other is being leased.

Starosolsky said the real estate partnership had already received two offers in the ballpark of $20 million.

"He knows what the value of the building is. If he were really interested in buying the building, he would have come forward with at least $20 million," Starosolsky said.

Starosolsky added that Elzanaty remains committed to the idea of having a mosque built on at least part of the property.

It's unclear how much control Elzanaty has over the property, which is owned by an eight-member investment group led by El-Gamal's real estate company, Soho Properties.

El-Gamal said Soho Properties controls the site, but didn't elaborate. His spokesman said he couldn't answer questions about the investment team or ownership issues.

In a pair of interviews with the AP this week, Elzanaty said he had invested in the site with an intention of making a profit and was willing to half the land for private development, and maybe all of it if a Muslim group doesn't come forward with enough money to build the mosque.

www.yahoo.com

Two Charged In Baltimore County For Using Lasers

It was a lazy August night in Essex, and 21-year-old Joshua Brydge decided to have fun with his brother's laser pointer. Standing on his back porch, he aimed the piercing green beam at a police helicopter circling overhead.

Inside the cockpit of Baltimore County's Air 1, hovering over the houses on Maryln Avenue, pilot Hobart Wolf was temporarily "flash-blinded" by the light and was diverted from helping fellow county officers chasing a suspect.

Police say helicopters and other aircraft are increasingly being targeted by laser pointers commonly used in lecture halls. It has been a problem for years across the country, and Maryland authorities say it is now growing throughout the state, particularly in Ocean City, where pointers are sold as cheap souvenirs on the Boardwalk.
Red lasers were once ubiquitous, but the newer green-beam variety is far more powerful and is particularly disruptive because its light deflects off aircraft windshields and helmet guards, and can "envelope the cockpits" with blinding light, police said.

Authorities from several Maryland police agencies called attention to the problem on Wednesday, asking people to put down their lasers, some of which can project beams more than two miles.

"It's not a game," said Maryland State Police Lt. Walter A. Kerr, who has spent 21 years with the aviation unit and flown to more than 4,000 trauma scenes. "It's potentially lethal. Our flight crews are defenseless." Police choppers are vulnerable because they fly low — 500 to 1,500 feet above the ground — and tend to circle. Baltimore City Police Flight Officer Arnie Russo said Foxtrot crews in the city get hit with laser beams two to three times a week.

"It was a very intense light," he said. The last time he was targeted, "it diverted my attention and blurred my vision, and later I had a massive headache. … Try driving on the highway at 75 mph on a holiday weekend and lose your vision for 30 seconds. That's what it feels like. And we can't pull over."

Maryland prohibits the use of laser pointers "to illuminate another [person] in a public place in a manner that harasses or endangers." The misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine. But authorities more typically charge under the reckless endangerment statute because they're unsure whether the laser law can be applied to aircraft.

Arrests are rare, but two occurred just last month.

When Brydge flashed his light into the sky shortly before midnight on Aug. 25 night, Wolf was able to circle back to where the laser beam had originated and light up the porch with a spotlight. Officers in patrol cars sped to the house, burst inside and put Brydge in handcuffs.

He was charged with reckless endangerment and assault, and his case is pending. In a telephone interview, the young man admitted he was shining his light in the air but denied he was purposely trying to distract the police helicopter pilot. "I was being dumb," Brydge said. "I didn't think it was going to reach. Obviously it did and the cops came. … I think it was a little blown out of proportion, but I know I shouldn't have done it. … As soon as that helicopter swung back around toward me, I knew I had done something wrong."

Two days earlier, also in Essex, county police arrested another man and charged him with pointing a laser at the same two helicopter officers. They were able to turn their spotlight and see the suspect in an alley, and officers on the ground arrested Matthew R. Danner, 23, of Arncliffe Road, and charged him with reckless endangerment. His case too is pending.

In Maryland, the laser pointers are popular in Ocean City, where boardwalk shops sell them for as little as $10.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the industry, says that even the least powerful laser pointers "can be dangerous" and can "cause temporary visual effects such as flash blinding."

Laser pointers typically used in lecture halls generate about 5 milliwatts of power. The FDA says that anything more powerful "cannot legally be promoted as laser pointers" and must carry sufficient warnings.

Powerful laser pointers do have legitimate uses. Construction workers use them for leveling, some police officers have them on guns to help them aim and astronomers use them to point out planets and star systems in the sky. They like the more powerful green because, unlike other colors, green maintains a visible beam through the sky.

The manager of a police and military laser pointer supply store, Oregon-based Z-Bolt, said kids frequently call and e-mail his company "looking for lasers that can slice cheese and do other things." John Mueller said overseas web sites proliferate the Internet "bragging that their lasers can pop balloons or light matches."

"To me, it's no different than selling illegal firearms," Mueller said, adding that the high-powered laser pointers are used in university labs and in war zones by troops to send warning signals to drivers to avoid military checkpoints or to enforce curfews.

There are dozens of examples of pilots blinded by lasers from Maryland and around the country. Five years ago, Anne Arundel County police charged a man with blinding one of its pilots on New Year's Eve in Pasadena. At the time, federal authorities investigated but decided that the incident was not related to terrorism.

Maryland State Police say one of their MedEvac helicopters was hit by a laser in July while trying to land in Ocean City to pick up a trauma patient and again in August flying over Berlin on the Eastern Shore. Most recently state police said a pilot was hit four times by a green laser beam on Sept. 2 west of Mount Airy.

Incidents are reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congress is considering new laws to make shining laser beams at aircraft a federal offense. Federal authorities can use the Patriot Act, which makes it a crime to interfere with the country's transportation systems.

One man charged under the Patriot Act in New Jersey for shining a laser at a commuter aircraft in 2004 had his charges reduced to lying to a federal agent. And a man charged with disorienting a pilot of a LifeFlight helicopter in Cleveland was sentenced to three years in prison.
www.baltimoresun.com

"Protect Your Ground Water Day"

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Ground Water Committee, Accomack and Northampton Counties, the Towns of Cheriton, Hallwood, and Parksley, and the National Ground Water Association encourage residents to do their part in conserving and protecting our ground water supply on the Eastern Shore by participating in Protect Your Ground Water Day on Tuesday, September 14.

The Eastern Shore's water supply has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Sole Source Aquifer, meaning that our aquifers are only replenished by rainfall that is absorbed in a recharge zone that occurs along the central portion of the Shore. Our water supply is a very limited resource that is threatened by contamination from pollution and saltwater intrusion.

Eastern Shore residents can use September 14 to begin doing their part in protecting one of our most important resources ground water. Residents are encouraged to A.C.T. - Acknowledge, Consider, and Take action by acknowledging the causes of preventable contamination, considering which apply to your ground water use, and taking action to prevent contamination. For more information on the Eastern Shore's ground water supply and Protect Your Ground Water Day, contact Curt Smith with the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission at 787-2936.
www.shoredailynews.com

A lesson that should be taught in all schools

A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?' She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.' And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room. The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.' At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.. Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the >freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.' By the way, this is a true story: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/nodesks.asp   In God We Trust When your cup of hope is empty it's time to pick up your cup of faith Hat Tip; Kack

Here's something to think about tomorrow morning.

Imagine that you had  won the following prize in a contest:   Each morning
your bank would deposit
$86,400 in your private bank account for your own use. However, this prize
has rules, just as any game has certain rules.



The first set of rules would be:



   1) Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken
away from you.



   2) You cannot simply transfer money into some other
account. You can only spend it.



   3) Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens
your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.



The second set of rules:


   1) The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can
say, "It's over, the game is over!"



   2) It can close the account in an instant and
you will not receive a new one.



  What would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you
wanted, right?

Not only for yourself, but for
all the people in your life, right? Maybe even for people you don't know,
because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself and the people in
your
life, right? You would try to spend every single cent, and use it all up
every day, right?



Actually, this game is a reality, but not with money!
Each of us is in possession of such a bank account, We just don't seem to
see it.   The BANK Account is ........ TIME!   Each morning we awaken and
receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when the day is done, any remaining
time is gone and NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up to that day is
lost forever. Yesterday is forever gone.   Each morning the account is
refilled, but the life bank can dissolve our account at any time....WITHOUT
WARNING.



SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?



Think about that, and  always think of this: Enjoy every second of your
life, because time races by
so much quicker than we think. Take good care of yourself, and enjoy life.
Live each day to the fullest, be kind to one another, and be forgiving.
Harbor a positive attitude and always be the first to smile.



Here's wishing you  a wonderful, beautiful day, each and every day!!!

Hat Tip; Ree

Fun For Friday and Saturday Night !!

DON'T FORGET !!

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10
GARDEN TRACTOR PULLING and 200 FT. DIRT DRAG

















SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11th

TRUCK & TRACTOR PULLING & MUD HOP

REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS @ 5 PM

EVENTS BEGIN @ 7 PM

Admission $5.00

Bring a chair and come join the fun!!

Refreshments available

9343 Guy Ward Road

Parsonsburg, MD. 410-896-4597

Rain Dates for events: September 17 & 18

Privatizing Virginia's Liquor Stores

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell yesterday unveiled his plan to privatize Virginia's state-run liquor empire. It's a big business. Residents drank a healthy $322 million worth of distilled spirits last year, pouring $115 million in net profit into Richmond's coffers. Wresting this bottle from state lawmakers would represent a significant victory for Mr. McDonnell, but it comes at a cost to consumers.

Each of the commonwealth's 332 government-operated stores is highly lucrative, averaging $335,000 in annual profit. That's not surprising, considering the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has armed agents ready to put potential competitors behind bars. If the state ran grocery stores and fast food under the same monopoly conditions, these also would bring in tidy sums. Government has no legitimate reason for involvement in any of these private enterprises.

To fix this problem, Mr. McDonnell would sell the ABC stores and distribution warehouses, auctioning off 1,000 licenses to the private vendors, convenience stores and supermarkets willing to take over the business. Given the demonstrated profit margins, it won't be hard to find buyers.

The difficulty comes in considering what to do about the $226 million in alcohol taxes these stores collect. There's a markup of 69 percent to 79 percent on each bottle, which is then taxed 20 percent at the wholesale level and once more at 5 percent at the retail level. According to Tax Foundation data, that averages out to $20.13 per gallon of spirits - the third highest levy in the nation. By comparison, the same tax in the District and Maryland is a mere $1.50. Not surprisingly, many of the District's liquor stores report that Virginians account for half of their sales. Rather than go cold turkey, Mr. McDonnell proposes to rearrange the way taxes are collected so that the cash flow remains roughly the same after privatization, contrary to some early news reports.

"There is no tax increase, period," said Stacey Johnson, a spokesman for the governor, to The Washington Times. "Under this proposed privatization plan, it will keep the ongoing revenue to the state equivalent to what it is in the current monopoly setup."

It's unfortunate that the General Assembly's big spenders will stay sloshed with alcohol taxes that ought to be reduced or eliminated, not maintained at their current sky-high levels. Worse, the sale of ABC stores, warehouses and licenses would generate about $468 million in upfront cash that would be deposited in the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank. Like the federal infrastructure bank proposed this week by President Obama, this newly formed state government entity would subsidize public-private transportation partnerships, such as the controversial scheme to turn Interstate 95/395 into a toll road. In theory, such projects allow private companies to relieve Richmond of the significant burden of maintaining an expensive highway. It sounds great until you realize the burden shifts to a public hit with tolls plus the cost of all the subsidies that would be doled out to the well-connected firms landing such contracts.

It would be a far more palatable plan if Mr. McDonnell were to proceed with the sale of the stores without the tolling boondoggle. Earlier this year, the Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity released a 140-page plan for the Old Dominion that outlined how the legislature could save billions by not spending like a drunken sailor (no offense to drunken sailors). By dumping wasteful programs like the $5 billion Dulles Metro extension, there would be no need for tolls or booze taxes.

www.washingtontimes.com

Koran Burning Denounced By Clinton and Gates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top two national security advisers in President Obama's Cabinet on Wednesday denounced plans by a small church in Florida to burn the Muslim holy book to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying it would inflame tensions and put Americans abroad at risk.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the plan was ill-advised and echoed concerns first raised by the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who warned that the proposed weekend event would place the lives of American troops in jeopardy there and elsewhere. U.S. officials in Iraq agreed.

In remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Mrs. Clinton called the plans "outrageous" and "aberrational" and said they do not represent America or American values of religious tolerance and inclusiveness.

She also lamented that the tiny Dove World Outreach Center congregation in Gainesville had gotten so much attention for what she called a "distrustful and disgraceful" means of marking the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"It is regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, with a church of no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distrustful, disgraceful plan and get the world's attention, but that's the world we live in right now," Mrs. Clinton said. "It is unfortunate; it is not who we are," she said.

Through a Pentagon spokesman, Col. David Lapan, Mr. Gates added his voice to the growing controversy.

"No one is questioning the right to do these things. We are questioning whether that's advisable considering the consequences that could occur," Mr. Lapan said. "General Petraeus has been very vocal and very public on this, and his position reflects the secretary's as well."

Gen. Petraeus on Tuesday said that "images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan — and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence." In addition, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the former top commander in Iraq, said Wednesday he feared extremists will use the incident to sow hatred against U.S. troops overseas.

In Iraq, where almost 50,000 American troops are still serving, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey and the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. Lloyd Austin, joined in the condemnation, calling the plan "disrespectful, divisive and disgraceful."

"As this holy month of Ramadan comes to a close and Iraqis prepare to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, we join with the citizens of Iraq and of every nation to repudiate religious intolerance and to respect and defend the diversity of faiths of our fellow man," they said in a joint statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Despite the widespread condemnation, the Rev. Terry Jones, the church's pastor, has vowed to go ahead with the event.

Mrs. Clinton appealed for Mr. Jones to reconsider and cancel. And, in the event he goes ahead with the plan, she suggested to laughter from the audience, that the news media ignore it.

"We are hoping that the pastor decides not to do this," she said. "We're hoping against hope that if he does, it won't be covered as an act of patriotism."

"We want to be judged by who we are as a nation, not by something that is so aberrational, and we will make that case as strongly as possible."

www.washingtontimes.com

Moving the NYC Mosque Could Cause Violent Backlash Says Imam

NEW YORK – The imam behind a proposed Islamic community center and mosque near ground zero cautioned Wednesday that moving the facility could cause a violent backlash from Muslim extremists and endanger national security.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf told CNN that the discourse surrounding the center has become so politicized that moving it could strengthen the ability of extremists abroad to recruit and wage attacks against Americans, including troops fighting in the Middle East.

"The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack," he said, but he added that he was open to the idea of moving the planned location of the center, currently two blocks north of the World Trade Center site.

"But if you don't do this right, anger will explode in the Muslim world," he later said, predicting that the reaction could be more furious than the eruption of violence following the 2005 publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Opponents say the center, which would include a Sept. 11 memorial and a Muslim prayer space, should be moved farther away from where Islamic extremists destroyed the World Trade Center and killed nearly 2,800 people. Supporters say religious freedom should be protected.

Rauf, 61, has largely been absent since the debate over the center erupted earlier this year. He has been traveling abroad, including taking a State Department-funded 15-day trip to the Middle East to promote religious tolerance.

In the interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien, his first since returning to the U.S. on Sunday, Rauf responded to a number of questions that have been raised about the project.

He said money to develop the center would be raised domestically for the most part.

"And we'll be very transparent on how we raise money," he said, adding that no funds would be accepted from sources linked to extremists.

Rauf said that, in retrospect, he might have chosen a different location for what he described as a multifaith community center.

"If I knew this would happen, if it would cause this kind of pain, I wouldn't have done it," he said.

www.yahoo.com

Only Woman On Virginia Death Row To Die By Lethal Injection

RICHMOND

The Virginia Department of Corrections says the only woman on the state's death row has declined to choose the method of her scheduled Sept. 23 execution.

That means lethal injection will be the procedure when 40-year-old Teresa Lewis of Pittsylvania County is put to death for plotting to have her husband and stepson killed in 2002 so she could collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.

State law allows a condemned inmate to select either electrocution or lethal injection. The latter procedure is used if the inmate declines to choose.

Lewis would be the first woman executed in Virginia in nearly 100 years and the first in the U.S. since 2005.

Lewis offered herself and her 16-year-old daughter for sex to two men who committed the killings. She provided money to buy the murder weapons and stood by while they shot her husband, Julian Clifton Lewis Jr., 51, and stepson Charles J. Lewis, 25.

Lewis rummaged through her husband's pockets for money while he lay dying and waited nearly an hour before calling 911.

The gunmen, Rodney Fuller and Matthew Shallenberger, were sentenced to life in prison. Shallenberger committed suicide in prison in 2006.

www.hamptonroads.com

9 Year Old Struck While Riding Bicycle

A 9 year old child was struck by an Accomack County Sheriff's Deputy on Monday August 30, 2010 according to Virginia State Police.

Virginia State Police Sergeant Michelle Anaya says Deputy Earl Drummond was driving his 2008 Ford Police Interceptor on Shields Bridge Road in Belle Haven at 6:00 PM when he struck Quaizal Kellam, 9, while he was riding his bicycle.

Sergeant Anaya said no charges were filed against Deputy Drummond because Kellam was riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road. Kellam was transported to the hospital after the accident; Anaya said she was not aware of the victims condition.
www.shoredailynews.com

~~Mar-Va Benefit~~

Basket Bingo To Benefit The Mar-Va

The Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center is hosting a Basket Bingo !
There will be food, Chinese Auction, 50/50, Silent Auction
For tickets or reservations call Diane @ 410-957-1351 or Beverly @ 410-726-0028

When: Friday September 10th

Time: Doors open @ 5:30 P.M. Bingo begins at 7:00 P.M.

Where: Pocomoke Fairgrounds

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE !!

Trial Postponed In Worcester County

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - The trial for a murder suspect has been postponed in Worcester County.

Alexander Crippen was set to appear before a judge and jury (today)Wednesday, September 8th, but the trial has now been pushed back to December.

Crippen is accused of shooting Reginald Handy Jr. near Laurel and Fifth streets in Pocomoke back in May.

He is charged with multiple offenses including first degree murder.

www.wmdt.com

Employment Authorization Document No Longer Accepted by DMV in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. — A federal document that immigrants use to prove they are legal U.S. residents is not longer good enough to get a Virginia driver's license.

Gov. Bob McDonnell ordered the Department of Motor Vehicles to no longer consider Employment Authorization Documents evidence that a person is in the country legally. About 20 other federal documents will still be accepted.

The governor acted after a 23-year-old Bolivian national with drunken driving convictions in 2007 and 2008 was involved in a crash that killed a nun and injured two others in her order in Prince William County. Police say Carlos Martinelly Montano was drunk at the time.

Montano had used the form to get a Virginia license even though he faced deportation proceedings, authorities say.

WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., reported Tuesday that a grand jury indicted Montano on a murder charge that could land him in prison for 40 years if he's convicted.

Prince William police chief Charlie Deane last week asked federal authorities to stop issuing employment authorization cards, known as I-766 documents, to immigrants who face deportation. The cards are issued by the Citizenship and Immigration Service arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

An advocate for immigrants said the governor's response was political pandering that ignores what she said was the problem of scant punishment for repeat drunken drivers.

"The governor should be asking why he (Montano) was released from jail after serving just 20 days instead of the full 364," Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, a Richmond-based lobbyist on behalf of immigrants' rights. Montano had been sentenced to a serve a year on his second DUI conviction.

"The real situation here is we're not enforcing our drunk driving laws," she said.

Montano got his I-766 card, in January 2009 as federal deportation actions were pending. He presented the card to the DMV to establish legal presence in the U.S. But he did not have a Virginia license on Aug. 1 when his car slammed head-on into a car carrying three Benedictine nuns on their way to a retreat.

Sister Denise Mosier was killed in the crash. Sisters Connie Ruth Lupton and Charlotte Lange were critically injured.

"We must ensure that documents accepted as proof of legal presence are reliable," McDonnell, a Republican and a Roman Catholic, said in a news release. "Virginia law is clear in the requirement that an individual be lawfully in the United States to be eligible for an identification card or to have the privilege to drive."

Gastanaga said the federally issued cards are not given to illegal immigrants, and that they are merely records information about the bearer's physical appearance such as height, weight, hair and eye color information.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in August advised police across Virginia that they have the authority to ask about the immigration status of anyone they've stopped or arrested. His advisory opinion, which lacks the legal force of a court ruling, would give Virginia officers many of the same powers police in Arizona have under a new law there intended to crack down on illegal immigration.

The American Civil Liberties Union urged police to ignore Cuccinelli's guidance, saying lacks any legal foundation and conjures constitutional conflicts.

www.usatoday.net