Eastern Shore Doctor Faces Probation Over Lyme Disease

A doctor on the Eastern Shore known for treating people with Lyme disease has been put on indefinite probation by the Virginia Board of Medicine and permanently banned from prescribing narcotics.

The action is the latest in a string of medical cases involving prescription painkillers, and it's also the latest salvo in a national controversy about the treatment and existence of what some refer to as chronic Lyme disease.

Dr. Geoffrey Gubb, who has a family practice in Belle Haven, was accused by the board of treating 15 patients with high-powered pain drugs while failing to monitor their condition or properly document diagnoses.

Gubb, 73, has until Oct. 16 to ask for an appeal on the matter. If he declines, the order will become final that day.

In an interview last week, Gubb said he has decided to close his family practice at the end of the month. He said he treats about 800 patients, most of whom are from Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. About 600 of them have Lyme disease, he said, and many crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel from Hampton Roads to get a type of treatment that most doctors refuse to prescribe because it goes against recommended guidelines.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transferred to humans through the bite of an infected deer tick. Symptoms vary but usually include joint and muscle aches, headaches, fatigue and fever.

Most mainstream scientists and doctors say the disease, which is on the increase, can be cured with antibiotics in less than a month. But there's a group of people with long-term health problems who call their condition chronic Lyme disease. And there's a small group of doctors, including Gubb, who believe that in some cases the bacteria slip into the bloodstream and produce an ailment that can come and go, and linger for months or years.

These doctors advocate and prescribe long courses of antibiotics. Because of the ongoing pain symptoms, they say, narcotics also can be part of the treatment.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Academy of Neurology, however, say that there's no scientific evidence to support this theory, and that the prolonged use of antibiotics and prescription painkillers is dangerous.

Spurred in part by an investigation by the Connecticut attorney general, the infectious disease society appointed an independent panel to review its treatment guidelines for Lyme disease. In April, the panel concluded there was no scientific evidence to support the prolonged use of antibiotics. Further, the panel said, symptoms attributed to "chronic or persistent Lyme disease," such as fatigue and cognitive problems, are seen in many other clinical conditions and are also common in the general population.

"It would thus be clinically imprudent to make the diagnosis of Lyme disease using these nonspecific findings alone," the panel noted.

Dr. Edward Oldfield, chief of the infectious disease division at Eastern Virginia Medical Center, said diagnosing a condition that the society doesn't recognize is troubling on several fronts. One is the risk of misdiagnosis. The person's symptoms could be caused by conditions such as cancer or lupus, and a misdiagnosis would delay treatment. Prolonged use of antibiotics also can lead to side effects such as nausea and IV infections. Also, there's the cost of a treatment that scientific evidence has not shown is effective.

"It's not that these people do not have real symptoms, but that medicine does not have a solution for them," Oldfield said.

The guidelines were criticized by groups that advocate the long-term treatment, such as the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.

In Connecticut, where Lyme disease was discovered in the mid-1970s, a law was passed last year allowing doctors to prescribe long-term antibiotics in treating "persistent Lyme disease" without fear of sanctions from state health regulators.

Earlier this year, the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association asked state legislators in Virginia to pass a similar bill. The bill, however, was passed over in committee after concerns were raised about whether the measure would lead to treatments that could mask - or cause - larger health problems.

"It's very disturbing to see clinical guidelines based in scientific evidence politicized," Oldfield said.

More than 100 supporters, however, showed up at a February hearing in Richmond on the matter, saying they must travel hours to find treatment for what they call chronic Lyme disease. Some said they live in fear that their doctors will be put out of business by medical regulators.

One key difficulty with Lyme disease is that the blood test used to diagnose it is not always conclusive and is riddled with false positives.

In some regards, the condition has similarities to fibromyalgia, another mysterious pain ailment that can be difficult to diagnose. Some critics regard these conditions as psychosomatic, at least in some cases, another frustration to those who suffer from chronic pain.

But the diagnostic fuzziness also provides an opportunity to abuse prescription painkillers, a problem one federal agency estimates has surged by 400 percent during the past decade.

Board of Medicine documents show that Gubb had prescribed narcotics for periods ranging from seven months to more than two years, failed to develop treatment plans, and in some cases did not examine the patient.

In one case, a patient had received narcotics prescriptions from other health care providers during the same period. In another case, Gubb prescribed narcotics by telephone.

Gubb said he has changed his record-keeping and taken a class in pain management. He also has "weeded out" people he believes were abusing painkillers.

"Pain treatment is a basic human right," he said. "Undertreatment and nontreatment of pain is malpractice, so you're damned if you do and damned if you don't."

The case came to the board's attention, Gubb said, after a Maryland pharmacist reported him when filling a prescription for one of Gubb's patients. He said it was the second time he's been investigated by the board.

Gubb and his lawyer, Michael Goodman, said they are still reviewing his options regarding the Virginia board's action. However, Gubb said he has already told his patients with Lyme disease he is closing up shop.

One of those patients, 45-year-old Lisa Lane, had been seeing Gubb for more than three years. She said she'd been struggling with pain and fatigue for about a year before that, and a client of hers suggested she see Gubb.

He diagnosed her with Lyme disease and put her on IV antibiotics and prescription painkillers. She moved from Newport News to the Eastern Shore to be nearer to him, so she was upset when she found out he is no longer able to treat her.

She ran out of pain patches a week ago. "I wake up in the night screaming in pain," she said.

Lane said she believes hers is one of the cases cited in the Board of Medicine investigation that led to Gubb's probation. "They say it's because of him writing the scrips, but I think they are persecuting Lyme doctors."

www.hamptonroads.com

~~ Rainy Days And Mondays....

The local news station has named the expected rainfall in the Easter Shore of Virginia area .....

'The Drought Buster'

Colors Of Autumn May Be Dull And Drab

The warm days and cool nights of fall transform homogeneous carpets of green leaves into brilliant yellows, oranges and reds in many parts of the country, thrilling local residents and providing a booming tourist industry.

This year, however, the unusually hot and dry summer may put a damper on those colors in some areas, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region, southern New England and the South.

A number of factors that directly contribute to how spectacular -- or how mediocre -- a season might be, include current weather and the weather of previous months. The best type of weather during fall, when the leaves are in the process of changing, includes sunny, warm days and clear, cool nights with little wind. The worst type of weather includes little sunshine and mild nights, along with the obvious: wind and rain that will quickly strip trees of their leaves.

Even the best fall weather conditions, though, will only result in spectacular fall displays if the trees have been exposed to proper weather conditions during the preceding summer. Trees that have been stressed by outside influence, such as extreme heat or drought, will often quickly shut down in the fall, with leaves falling early after turning brown or only displaying only muted colors for a brief time.

Immature and diseased trees, as well as certain types of trees, are more susceptible to stress than others, so predicting how large stands will react to potential stress is an imperfect science.

Trees in large portions of the East and South, though, have been exposed to extreme heat and developing drought in recent months, so spectacular displays of vibrant foliage are unlikely.

This summer (June through August) was the hottest on record from the Deep South through the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic region to parts of southern New England, and every state in the entire eastern half of the country recorded one of its top 16 hottest summers.

Trees exposed to extreme heat might not be overly stressed if they had enough rain to compensate, but the heat was combined with a growing drought for many areas. Drought conditions, in some instances severe or extreme, extend from southern New England through the Mid-Atlantic region and into the Deep South.

While there will be pockets of trees in these regions that are less stressed because of local effects, such as more resistant trees, locally higher rain amounts or slightly cooler temperatures, it's likely that the season overall will not be spectacular.

Locations with typical early peaks in color include the higher elevations of New York State to West Virginia, where the best color is seen in late September and early October. Leaves are typically at their most colorful in the middle of October in the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region and Appalachian mountains, with peak color not likely until late October or even early November in the South.
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Cell Phone Ban In Maryland Takes Effect Friday

WASHINGTON - Come Friday, driving and talking on a cell phone in Maryland could get you a ticket, but only if you're doing something else wrong.

The law, which was passed in April, requires drivers to use a hands-free device. It's a secondary offense, meaning you can only get a ticket for using your cell phone if you've already been pulled over for another violation.

The District and seven other states have similar bans, but Maryland is the only jurisdiction where it is a secondary offense.

The fine is $40 for a first offense, and $100 for a second offense.

The state already has a ban on texting while driving. Both the District and Virginia also have general bans on texting while driving, but only school bus drivers and drivers under 18 are not allowed to talk on the phone while driving in Virginia.

www.wtop.com

Pocomoke Middle School To Be On 'Today Show'

Congratulations Principal Caroline Bloxom, PMS Teachers, Staff and PMS Students! You should be very proud!!!

POCOMOKE CITY -- Pocomoke Middle will be one of a handful of schools in the nation featured in next week's "Education Nation" series on NBC's "Today Show."

NBC News film crews and the "Today Show's" Ann Curry visited the school Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday to gather footage for the feature.

"Our entire school felt an enormous amount of pride to have the 'Today Show' visit," Principal Caroline Bloxom said.

The school gained the notice of producers working on the series after being named one of the country's 10 NASSP Breakthrough Schools for its improvements in student achievement in 2008, and then being profiled on the U.S. Department of Education's website in 2009.

On the "Today Show" piece, Pocomoke Middle will be featured as an example of a successful public middle school in spite of the challenges it faces as a rural school with a high population of poverty. Curry interviewed Bloxom, while teachers and students were filmed sharing their thoughts on programs and initiatives -- such as its literacy program and Arts Immersion initiative -- that they thought made the school unique.

Bloxom, who is beginning her 11th year as the school's principal, said it was an exciting experience for her as well as the school's students and staff to have film crews at Pocomoke Middle.

"It's not every day that a national news network rolls into our school," she said.

She said students and staff were looking forward to seeing what producers chose to use for the three- to four-minute piece that would be aired on "Education Nation."

"They have an amazing amount to choose from," Bloxom said.

Although it's not known what time the piece will air on Wednesday, Bloxom said if it was during school hours the school would be tuned in. Otherwise, students will get to view the piece on DVD after it is broadcast.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/

Hal Clark, Firefighter- Fondly Remembered.........

ATLANTIC – William Harold “Hal” Clark is being remembered as a kindhearted volunteer who was especially fond of his community and its people.

“He was a loving and giving person,” said David Grant, chief of Atlantic Volunteer Fire and Rescue Co., where Clark was a life member and the company’s president.

Clark answered his final call on Friday evening at a raging brush and woods fire off U.S. Route 13 near New Church, not far from the Maryland state line.

Clark was one of two firefighters transported to the hospital. One was treated for exhaustion and released. Clark was pronounced dead at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

His line-of-duty death shocked many friends and the larger regional brotherhood of firefighters.

Grant said an autopsy has been performed but a cause of death is not immediately known.

Clark’s funeral arrangements, which will include full firefighter honors, are being planned for late this week but had not been finalized by Sunday morning.

Units and personnel from numerous Eastern Shore of Virginia fire companies and three from Worcester Co., Md., responded to the 5:31 p.m., alarm at 3420 Lankford Highway, across from the Virginia Welcome Center.

Also responding were state forestry departments from Virginia and Maryland with a combined three bulldozers to help extinguish it. Some units and personnel stayed on the scene until 3 a.m. Saturday.

“It was a very fast-moving fire,” said Chief Danny Outten of the New Church Volunteer Fire and Rescue Co.

Outten expressed his condolences for the loss.

“He was a very good guy,” he said of Clark. “He will be greatly missed.”

“It was a bad day for the fire service.”

Clark was a longtime employee with the town of Chincoteague, working in its public works department, and was known for this positive attitude.

“Harold was a model employee,” said Chincoteague Mayor John H. Tarr. “He was just a great person to come on board and work for the town.

“He cared about the community and the people he worked with.”

Grant thanked those who have expressed condolences in the wake of Clark’s death.

“The fire company appreciates the tremendous outpouring of sympathy and support from the numerous fire companies from across Delmarva and the Tidewater region during this difficult time,” he said.

“It’s really hard.”

www.delmarvanow.com

Cops On Rooftops In Ocean City For Special Olympics

OCEAN CITY -- Seeing uniformed police officers standing on a store's roof, some in drag, some dressed in mascot costumes, all of them waving to the crowd below, is a spectacle that could only be for a good cause. Ocean City Police officers and Worcester County Sheriff's deputies teamed up for an event they called Cops on Rooftops. They partnered with Special Olympics Maryland and Dunkin' Donuts to raise money for the organization's Law Enforcement Torch Run. Their goal is to raise $10,000.

Officers will spend 24 total hours on the roof of Dunkin' Donuts at 119th Street in Ocean City. They were on their feet from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. yesterday, and will wrap it up today from 6 a.m.-noon.

"It's a spoof on the cops in doughnut shops thing, it is," said police spokesman Pfc. Mike Levy. "But you know what? I'll come to this Dunkin' Donuts every day because I know they support us and the community at large. I think it's going to be an awesome event."

Just shy of lunchtime, as the helicopter for television station WBOC hovered overhead, a gaggle of officers waved from the roof. Beside them was a costumed McGruff the Crime Dog, and Sparky, the Dalmatian firefighters' mascot. The costumes didn't last in the 80 degree heat.

Two sheriff's deputies were in costumes of their own because they lost a bet.

Heather Horner, an administrative assistant with the Sheriff's Office, decided she would raise $500 for the event on her own. Some of the deputies didn't think she could pull it off and agreed to dress in drag on the Dunkin' Donuts roof if she did.

"They thought it was a joke," she said with a smile.

Horner worked the phones, grilled Facebook friends and hit the pavement. She raised $1,054 in less than two days.

Detective Dale Trotter ended up doing princess waves from the rooftop, wearing a blonde wig, fuchsia nail polish and glittering eye makeup ---- not to mention the false bosom under his Torch Run T-shirt ---- while having a good laugh at his own expense. By 4 p.m. Saturday, officers had raised about $4,300 toward their goal, said police spokeswoman Jessica Waters, who said she was pleasantly surprised by the generosity."People come to Ocean City for a vacation, and they've already spent all this money to get here, all the money to stay here," she said. "Then they come in to get breakfast and they give to a community they don't even live in. It's nice to see people constantly give back."

John Trout, a morning DJ with radio station Froggy 99.9 took to the roof as well. He went on the air hourly to remind listeners that their donations were needed.

"We have seen hundreds of people stop in from all over the country," he said. "There's a lot of generosity out here, from young people driving in VWs to senior citizens, retired people coming up for the weekend. The Special Olympics knows no boundaries as far as age groups of people willing to give."

All seven Ocean City Council members stood on the roof early Saturday for about an hour. Councilwoman Margaret Pillas stayed, though, pledging not to leave the roof until the 20 friends she invited to donate showed with cash in hand.

She also initiated a side contest, starting at $50, to get Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino to eat a doughnut. DiPino does not partake in the glazed goodies. But, for the person with the highest bid, not only will the chief eat one, she will let someone feed it to her.

This is the second time for the promotion in Maryland, which originated among police in Illinois. Last year, the Dunkin' Donuts in Laurel, Md., and Laurel Police Department raised more than $7,000.

This year, Ocean City joins College Park, Glen Burnie, Laurel and Westminster among the Maryland municipalities with a Cops on Rooftops fundraiser. For next year's event, Levy said organizers would like to see police take to the rooftops of every Dunkin' Donuts franchise on the Eastern Shore.

He lauded Special Olympians for having the courage to go beyond their abilities, and for breaking down stereotypes and the image many people have of them.

"Some of the feats these athletes perform are amazing ---- they're amazing for everybody," Levy said. "Special Olympics gives them an opportunity to excel, and that's what we want to do for them, make sure they still have that opportunity."

Ocean City Police will welcome Special Olympics donations even after the event ends. For more information, call 443-235-4446.

www.delmarvanow.com

Great job!! Sounds like it was great fun too!

Sand Sculpting Championship - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Winners of The North American Sand Sculpting Championship, a featured event in the 37^th Virginia Beach Neptune Festival were announced Friday evening. The event is one of the world's largest sand sculpting competitions.

The Virginia Beach Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend is held annually on the last weekend in September, and is recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America. The festival takes place along the oceanfront boardwalk, from 2^nd Street to 36^th Street. Over 500,000 visitors attend the festival each year.

Sand Sculpture of King Neptune by Ilya Filimontsev by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

The invitational sand sculpting competition with a cash purse of over $50,000 drew artists from 11 countries. The Neptune Festival invites participants who have competed and placed well in other respected sand sculpting competitions.

Sand sculpture detail. Dan Belcher (USA) & Benjamin Probanza (Mexico) by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

Professional sand sculptures are judged according to skill of construction, originality, strongest impact, and overall presentation. Competitors have 24 hours over three days to complete their sculptures.

The third place prize for Solo Professionals ($3,000) went to "Poor Planning" by Walter MacDonald.

Poor Planning by Walter MacDonald by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

John Gowdy (Italy/N.J.) won the $5,000 for first place in the Solo Professionals category for "Love Never Grows Old." A retired firefighter, he is now a professional artist, painting and carving in both marble and sand. Gowdy conducted free "No Hassle Sandcastle" clinics on sand sculpting which were open to the public prior to the festival.

Love Never Grows Old by John Goudy by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

Edith van de Wetering and Wilfred Stijger of The Netherlands won $9,000 for first place in the TEAM professionals in the master's division for their sculpture, "Carpe Diem."

Edith has been a sand sculptor since 1993 and is her 4th year competing at the Neptune Festival. Wilfred has been a sand sculptor since 1989. They won 1st place at the 2009 International Sandskulpturen-festival Rorschach, Switzerland.

Carpe Diem Edith van de Wetering and Wilfred Stijger (West side) by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

Carpe Diem Edith van de Wetering and Wilfred Stijger (Eastt side) by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

Carpe Diem also took the Sculptor's Choice and Neptune's Choice awards for Teams.

On Wednesday Sept. 22, the sand and water mixtures packed in forms gave little clue to their imminent incarnations as Jill Harris and Thomas Koet (USA) prepared for their sand sculpture.

Harris and Koet's "Flamenco" won the fifth place prize for Team Professionals ($1,000).

The fourth place prize for Team Professionals ($3,000) went to "Celtic Sisters" by Karen Fralich (Canada) and Sue McGrew (USA).

Flamenco by Jill Harris and Thomas Koet (USA) by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

The oil spill was also the topic of "Save the Sea" by Sudarsan Pattnaik (India.) It won fifth place for Solo Professionals ($1,000) and depicts King Neptune rising from the Sea to discover oil spillage. It also won the Neptune's Choice and Sculptor's Choice Solo awards.

Save the Sea by Sudarsan Pattnaik by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

The second place prize for Solo Professionals ($4,000) went to Rich Varano for "Cascadia: A Sand Fantasea."

Cascadia: A Sand Fantasea by Rich Varano by Photo credit: Meryl Ann Butler

The fourth place prize for Solo Professionals ($2,000) went to "Glory Lost and Restored" by Matt Diebert.

More amazing sand art at www.opednews.com

Amazing works of art! So hard to believe these are made from sand and water. Nothing like any sand art I have ever made or had the patience to attempt.

"Granddad Bandit" Arraigned In Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The suspect in bank robberies across the U.S. who was nicknamed the "Granddad Bandit" by the FBI has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Virginia.

Michael Francis Mara of Baton Rouge, La., entered his plea to two bank robbery counts Friday, and a judge set his trial for Nov. 18. Another judge ruled that the 53-year-old Mara must remain imprisoned until trial.

Mara is suspected in 25 bank robberies in 13 states, including two holdups in the Richmond area. The FBI says the "Granddad Bandit" nickname was devised to help law enforcement and the public easily identify the suspect, whose picture was posted on billboards across the country.

Mara was arrested last month after a six-hour standoff with police at his home.

www.wric.com

Virginia Beach Surfers Recount Run-In With Shark

VIRGINIA BEACH – Caleb Kauchak was next to his surfboard in the water off Sandbridge Friday afternoon. The 18-year-old and his friend, Tyler Christopher, were waiting for a wave. Before they could catch that, they caught the attention of a shark.

"I've broken my wrist, and I've broken all my fingers and toes four or five times," says Kauchak. "This was, by far, the worst pain I've ever felt in my life."

The shark bit the Tallwood High School graduate twice in his left leg, grabbing Kauchak around the ankle, then the knee. Just before that, it had gotten its teeth into Christopher's board shorts.

"I felt something bump my leg, and I wasn't sure what it was at first, so I didn't move," Christopher tells 13News. "Then, it came back for a second shot, and I just swung down and hit it."

"When he grabbed my knee, I thought, 'Well, maybe if my board -- hopefully, I can get out of this, because, if not, I'm going right back under," says Kauchak who hopped on his surfboard. "I didn't turn around to look. I just went straight for the shore. That's the first thing I did."

Christopher was with him. The two got back to land where a friend of theirs was waiting.

"I stayed there and held pressure on his knee until the firefighters go there, 'cause I'm actually going to school for stuff like this, so it was kind of interesting. It kind of helped me out, learned some stuff at the same time," Christopher says. "Didn't really do anything else but hold there, because that was all I knew to do. That's all they taught us so far."

Paramedics arrived just after getting the call about the attack, which came at about 4:00 p.m. They took Kauchak to Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.

"We've had no shark sightings or any problems with sharks or anything all this season," Chief Bruce Nedelka with Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services explains. "This is very unique, very rare for us."

"To be honest, it couldn't have been that big. I love sharks as it is. I mean, I'm a shark fanatic, so, I love'em," Kauchak says. "It's gonna scare me for a little bit, but I'll eventually get back in."

"Probably not getting in the ocean for awhile," offers Christopher. "It's probably scarred me for a little bit. I'll go to the beach, but I think I'm gonna stay, maybe, ankle-deep."

www.wvec.com

Protesters Outnumbered At Soldier's Memorial Service

JAMES CITY —

— An hour before the memorial service for First Lt. Todd W. Weaver began Saturday afternoon, three members of Westboro Baptist Church, all women, stood quietly at the intersection of John Tyler Highway and Eagle Way holding anti-America signs.

Their message, however, was nearly lost in a sea of American flags held by the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle club and the more than 100 people who gathered at the right-of-way to support the family and friends of the 26-year-old soldier who died in combat in Afghanistan.

For more than an hour the counter protesters waved signs and flags, screamed pro-America chants and sang patriotic tunes in hopes of shielding the church's signs and drowning out the Westboro trio's anti-America songs.
Among the family supporters was Williamsburg resident Megan Moore who held a sign that read, "Son, friend, husband, father, hero…what you done" to honor the memory of her former Bruton High School classmate.

"I want his family to know there are a lot more people out here for him than against him," Moore said.

Watching one the Westboro picketers step on the American flag upset Jerry McCardle, but it made him wave his small one even harder.

"This really makes my blood boil, she's making a mockery of the flag and the country that's giving her the right to be out here and say these things," he said.

Vehicles traveling down John Tyler Highway honked horns and gave thumbs-up signs to the crowd at the intersection, many in it wearing "God is Love" T-shirts. Smaller flags dotted the island at the entrance to the chapel. White signs proclaiming "Support our Troops" lined Eagle Way across from Jamestown High School.

The small Kansas-based Westboro congregation announced its intention on Sept. 23 to picket Weaver's service. The group is known for using protests at soldiers' funerals to claim God hates America. The news of the congregation's plans to be in James City spread quickly around the community and many people began mobilizing groups to counter protest.

The crowd at the intersection was the largest group in support of Weaver, but several other gatherings formed along John Tyler Highway.

College of William and Mary Law School student Roxy Logan stood along the road with a "God Bless our Troops" sign.

"It's disgraceful what they're doing," Logan said of the Westboro group. "This family should be allowed to bury their family member in peace."

For the most part, the church members and the counter protesters demonstrated peacefully. However, there were times when the two groups battled each other in heated exchanges.

"Go to Iraq or Iran then," shouted one woman as the church members sang one of their songs.

Another person in the crowd quickly urged the woman to keep her composure, telling her "God will judge them in the end."

"I know," the woman said.

Several officers from James City County Police Department were on hand to help with crowd control and make sure the protest remained peaceful, said Chief Emmett Harmon.

Around 2 p.m., the Westboro members packed up their signs, loaded them into a minivan and drove away.

The members departure was met with cheers and song.

"Na na na na na na na. Hey, hey goodbye," the crowd sang as the protestors drove away.

www.dailypress.com

Next Events At Melson Power Show

Mark your calendars! All events in ONE day!! More information on events of the day coming soon...............

Atlantic Fire Department Mourns The Loss Of One Of Their Own

The Atlantic Volunteer Fire and Rescue Comany in Atlantic, Virginia is grieving the loss of a Fallen Brother.

Fireman Hal Clark, Fireman 4-64 of the Atlantic Volunteer Fire And Rescue Company in Atlantic, Virginia answered his last alarm on Friday, September 24, 2010 beside his Brothers fighting a multi-alarm field fire in New Church, Virginia.

A wonderful and dedicated man to his family, friends, community and fire company he will be greatly missed for a very long time.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, our community and with the wonderful fireman of Station 4 in Atlantic, Virginia.

"The funny thing about firemen is, night and day, they are always firemen."

Backdraft quotes

Saxis Island Mayor Charles Tull

SAXIS -- Saxis Mayor Charles E. Tull died Tuesday at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md. Tull was 62.

Tull, a native of Saxis, was the town's mayor since 1996 and was known as a vocal advocate for the bayside town of 350.

"He has done everything possible to promote Saxis and probably in some of the most ingenious ways you could imagine ... He always gave to the community," Accomack County District 2 Supervisor Ron Wolff said, adding, "I've known him a long time; he's always been the same, always a good guy."

Among his accomplishments as mayor, Tull successfully lobbied the state for construction of the Saxis fishing pier, which was completed in 2002. The 200-foot pier, which is lit and is open 24 hours a day, is handicapped compliant and is the site of an annual children's fishing tournament. The project received $148,000 in grant funds from the state.

Tull was an insurance claims adjuster and was a member of Temperanceville Lodge No. 121 and the Saxis Volunteer Fire Company.

A funeral service was held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Saxis United Methodist Church with interment at John W. Taylor Cemetery in Temperanceville. Fox Funeral Homes handled the arrangements.

Saxis Mayor Charles Tull, left, and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli look at the town's erosion problems. Tull died on Tuesday at the age of 62

www.easternshorenews.com

Driver Charged With DUI In Single Car Crash

It was after 3:00 this morning when a vehicle collision occurred on Route 610 in Maryland in the area of Shavox Church Road in Worcester County. The collision involved one vehicle which went off the road, collided with a ditch and overturned in a farm field. The vehicle then caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames. The driver was able to free herself. Kristine Wenger was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries and is in stable condition. Wenger has been charged with DUI, negligent driving and related offenses

TRAFFIC COLLISION PRESS RELEASE:

DATE & TIME: 09-25-2010 @ 0320 hours

Case # 10-96-006360

LOCATION: MD 610 W/O Shavox Church Road, Worcester County, MD

VEHICLE 1: 2004 Honda, MD Registration: 9BSJ06
DRIVER 1: Kristina Lynn Wenger, 40 YOA, Ocean City, MD

NARRATIVE:

On September 25th, 2010 at 0320 hours, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack responded to a personal injury collision which occurred on MD 610 W/O Shavox Church Road, Worcester County, Maryland. The collision involved a single vehicle which had left the roadway, collided with a ditch, and overturned in a farm field. As a result of the collision, the vehicle caught fire and became fully engulfed. The driver, 40-year old Kristina Wenger, was able to free herself from the vehicle. She was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by the Maryland State Police Aviation due to injuries sustained in the collision and is in stable condition. The Showell Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the vehicle fire. The roadway was closed during the collision investigation. The driver was charged with DUI, Negligent Driving and related offenses.

www.wgmd.com

Bingo Canceled

From the Atlantic Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company

BINGO scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2010 has been CANCELED.

Lyndsay Lohan To Be Released From Jail........One More Time

A Beverly Hills judge on Friday had ordered the actor behind bars for a month after she failed a court-ordered drug test. But another judge reversed that order.
A Beverly Hills judge on Friday thought he had found a novel way to get around the Los Angeles County jail system's early-release policy with a ruling aimed at keeping Lindsay Lohan behind bars for the next month.

But just hours after the actress was handcuffed and brought to a Lynwood jail, another judge intervened, issuing an order that is expected to pave the way for Lohan's freedom this weekend.

At issue was Judge Elden Fox's decision to send Lohan back to jail without bail after she failed a court-ordered drug test. Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, complained that the judge was wrong to prohibit bail and filed an appeal. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Schnegg agreed with Chapman Holley and set bail at $300,000.
Several legal experts described Fox's decision to deny bail as highly unusual, particularly on what they considered a fairly minor drug case.

"She neither presents a danger to the community, nor is she a flight risk," said L.A. defense attorney Mike Cavalluzzi. "Those are the primary criteria for either denying bail or setting an appropriate amount of bail, especially given that this is a misdemeanor."

But others could not help but applaud Fox for attempting to enact serious punishment for Lohan after repeatedly defying the court. Veteran defense attorney Glen Jonas said the judge's actions effectively side-stepped the early-release process, which covers inmates sentenced to jail time but not to inmates awaiting sentencing.

"Judge Fox guaranteed Ms. Lohan will not receive early release by setting the hearing a month out with no bail. Judge Fox is fed up. Ms. Lohan is being treated like a drug addict on probation instead of a celebrity" with a drug issue, Jonas said.

Lohan has twice been sentenced to jail time, but in both instances she got out early because of overcrowding in the county's women's jail in Lynwood.

Instead of handing down a sentence against Lohan, Fox ordered her jailed without bail until an Oct. 22 hearing on whether she should be incarcerated for drug use. Fox wanted her to remain in jail for 30 days until her hearing.

Because of overcrowding, women convicted of crimes similar to Lohan's tend to serve about 25% of her sentence.

Fox said he postponed a final decision until October because needed further information from probation officials on Lohan's compliance before a revocation hearing could be held.

Lohan came to court with her strawberry blonde hair pulled back and wearing a dark business suit. She showed little emotion but appeared stunned when the ruling came down.

The scene was in sharp contrast with her previous court appearance, when she made a tearful plea for leniency before Judge Marsha N. Revel that was captured by live cameras and beamed around the globe.

The actress, best known for films including "Freaky Friday," "The Parent Trap," and "Mean Girls," also made news when cameras captured an expletive-laden message on her fingernails.

Revel, who was assigned the Lohan case before recusing herself from it, sentenced Lohan to 90 days in custody including 30 days in the county jail.

Lohan served less than one-third of her jail sentence and was released from an in-patient drug rehabilitation facility at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after 23 days.

Then last week, Lohan admitted on her Twitter feed that she had failed a drug test, setting the stage for the hearing Friday before Judge Fox.

Lohan's legal woes date back to 2007, when she was arrested twice over a three-month period for driving under the influence. She pleaded no contest and agreed to attend alcohol education classes.
www.latimes.com

Woman Kills Family Members 'For No Reason'

SEATTLE, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A woman opened fire on her family "for no reason," killing a son-in-law and two granddaughters before turning a gun on herself, Seattle police said.

The woman, Chhouy Harm, also fired at her daughter trying to flee from the family's West Seattle home Thursday before killing herself as police arrived, The Seattle Times reported.

"Grandma just shot them for no reason," said 17-year-old Tony Sun, a 17-year-old family member who arrived shortly after the shootings and saw police officers in front of the house.

Harm's daughter, who survived the shooting, told police officers outside of the home, "My mom has gone crazy," the report said.

Police said they didn't know of a motive for the deadliest shooting in Seattle since Kyle Huff killed six people in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood before killing himself in March 2006, the Times said.

A relative said tempers flared in the family's home Wednesday night but did not provide the newspaper with details.

www.upi.com

Company Responds To Dreadlock Lawsuit

A transportation company facing a workplace discrimination lawsuit said Thursday that a dreadlocked Rastafarian was passed over for hiring based on grooming policies, not the man’s religion.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit Tuesday on behalf of Christopher Woodson, who claimed he was denied a loader job at the Waynesboro facility of Lawrence Transportation Systems in May 2008 because he would not cut his hair.

Rastafarians view growing their hair unbridled as a tenet of their religion.

In a written statement provided by the company’s attorney, Lawrence Transportation said the moving business puts employees in close contact with customers.

“Our policy states that hair, facial hair, beards and general grooming must be neat, clean and trimmed,” the company wrote. “His hair was down to the middle of his back and he was asked to get it cut to about shirt collar length.”

Lawrence Transportation argued loss of business would be an “undue hardship.”

“Our decision was based on business necessity and was in no way based on anyone’s religion or any discriminatory action,” the company wrote.

The employment commission lawsuit cites the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to make “reasonable accommodations” to religious beliefs. The suit seeks back pay, punitive damages and an order for Lawrence Transportation to change its policies.

The Roanoke-based company employs 276 people, according to the EEOC.

www.newsvirginia.com

Suspected Shoplifter Dies After Car Runs Into Concrete Base In Parking Lot

A 22-year-old Baltimore woman — who police say was caught shoplifting Thursday — died after her vehicle ran into a pole in the White Marsh Mall parking lot, Baltimore County police said.

According to police spokesman Lt. Robert McCullough, Lauren Nicole Turner of 1100 block of Ramblewood Road was caught shoplifting at the Ikea in the 8300 block of Honeygo Boulevard in White Marsh at 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Workers took her name and released her from the store.

Around noon, the spokesman said, Turner "was observed driving at a high rate of speed" in the Sears parking lot of the mall, which is next to the Ikea store. The 22-year-old was ejected from the car, a Volkswagen Beetle with Virginia tags, after it ran into a concrete light base. Turner died on the scene.

The crash is being investigated by the Baltimore County crash team, McCullough said.

www.baltimoresun.com

FIRE DEPARTMENTS FIGHTING FIRE ON ROUTE 13

There is an enormous fire on Rt. 13, North bound lane, across from the Virginia Information Center that has been burning since around 5:00 this evening.

Many fire departments have responded along with forestry from Accomack and Worcester.

PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING THIS AREA! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR ANY FIRE EQUIPMENT THAT MAY BE APPROACHING OR LEAVING THE SCENE.

Update On Fatal Fire At Trails End Campground

An early morning Friday at Trails End campground resulted in the death of one of the residents.

According to Head of Trail's End Security Donnie Dorsey, Mike Young, 55, was inside a trailer in Pelican Court when it became engulfed in flames. Witnesses say the fire started in a shed on the site and then spread to the trailer.

When units responded to the scene at 5:02 AM the trailer was fully involved. The fire is currently under investigation.

Dorsey said that Young was not a year round resident at Trails End.

Units responding to the scene were New Church, Greenbackville, Saxis, Atlantic, Oak Hall Rescue and Maryland stations Stockton and Pocomoke City.

Fire At Trails End Campground

HORNTOWN, Va.- One man is dead after an early Friday fire that occurred at the Trails End Campground in Horntown, Accomack County.

New Church Volunteer Fire Chief Danny Outten said the call came in at 5:05 a.m. Responding firefighters found a 28-foot camper and the building next to it fully involved. Once the flames were extinguished, the body of a man was found inside.

The name of the victim- who Outten said was the owner of the camper- has not yet been released. There is no word yet on the cause of the blaze. The Virginia State Police Arson Unit is investigating the incident.

www.wboc.com

~~ Pocomoke Fire Department~~

Saturday, Sept. 25th. The Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Co. and The Pocomoke City Ambulance Co. will participate in Community Safety Day at Lowe's in Pocomoke City.
9:30 til 2

Weather permitting....The Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Co. will conduct a control burn Sunday Sept.26th. near Walnut and 2nd Sts. beginning at 7 a.m. We will burning a rather large house. This will cause some street closings and some smoke in the area.

District 2 Absentee Ballots

SNOW HILL -- Detectives confiscated dozens of envelopes that had contained District 2 absentee ballots, launching what officials described in vague terms as a voting integrity probe.

The Worcester Bureau of Investigation officers placed empty ballot envelopes into evidence bags and sealed them with red tape, after county election officials had tallied the votes on the ballots they had contained.

Members of the Board of Elections wore surgical gloves while counting all of the absentee ballots and separately counted ballots from District 2, which stretches from the outskirts of Berlin to Pocomoke, covering mostly unincorporated areas of Worcester County.

Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd said he was "made aware" Sept. 10 of a "potential issue" with absentee ballots cast by voters in District 2. He requested the election board have staffers handle absentee ballots with surgical gloves as not to impact evidentiary value.

Todd said the investigation is isolated to District 2 absentee ballots, and that he has "no reason to believe the Board of Elections has done anything wrong."

The Office of the State Prosecutor, not Todd's own office, is leading the investigation, he said. The chief investigator with the state prosecutor's office, Jim Cabezas, declined to comment.

Jeffrey Cropper, an attorney for the county Board of Elections, said he could not comment on the substance of the complaint or who made it.

Two candidates' names appeared only on District 2 ballots, and not in other districts: County Commissioner incumbent James Purnell and challenger Edward S. Lee, both Democrats. The race between them turned out to be the only one in Worcester in which one candidate led among ballots cast in person, but another candidate leads among absentee votes counted so far.

After early voting and Election Day ballots were cast, Purnell held a comfortable lead, with 525 votes to Lee's 250 votes. Lee, the former head of the Worcester County NAACP, had won just 32 percent of votes cast as of Tuesday night.

But absentee ballots counted Sept. 16 gave much more support to Lee, giving him 76 percent of their votes. Still, the additional 87 absentee votes for Lee and 27 absentee votes for Purnell didn't knock Purnell off the top spot; Purnell still led 552 to 337. No Republican ran for commissioner in the district.

A final round of counting absentee and provisional ballots was scheduled for Sept. 22, after press time for this edition.

Lee, when asked for comment, said: "I have no comment at this time. You're telling me something I don't know about, and have to look into."

Purnell, in a brief interview, said: "I hope it's not true. It looks bad on the district."

For statewide Maryland elections, people voting absentee can have someone pick up a blank ballot on their behalf, help them fill it out and also turn it in, as long as a "designation of agent" form is filled out. The voter's assistant can't be a candidate on the ballot, the voter's employer or an officer of the voter's union, however.

In two recent Worcester County municipal elections, candidates won seats when their support among absentee voters skyrocketed compared to the ratio of votes cast in person. In April 2009, Pocomoke City Council candidate Tracey Cottman split the in-person vote with candidate Stephanie Burke at 58 votes apiece, but won the seat on the strength of her 178 absentee votes to Burke's four votes. A special investigation of the vote by Todd's office found no wrongdoing by any candidate, but urged the town to stop the practice of individually numbering absentee ballots and their envelopes, making it possible to name who cast which ballot. The investigation also found the town's own election board didn't keep an accurate list of voters.

Todd's report specifically cleared Lee, who supported Cottman's candidacy, of any wrongdoing in the 2009 Pocomoke election, saying Lee "was not and is not the 'subject' of this investigation." A blog post published by Burke had claimed that Lee was a subject of it.

In May 2009, two Snow Hill candidates, Rebecca Bowman and Gerald Shockley, handed in dozens of voters' sealed absentee ballot envelopes for them, prompting resident David Suznavick to ask Circuit Court to invalidate the election. A judge declined to do so, saying Snow Hill's election laws didn't prohibit what the candidates did.

www.delmarvanow.com

Two Guided Nature Walks Planned At Furnace Town

SNOW HILL -- Guided heritage and nature walks will take place at Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum on Saturday, Sept. 25. The 2 p.m. walk will follow the Paul Leifer Nature Trail.

Beginning near the base of The Nassawango Iron Furnace, the trail leads though new-growth lowland forest; on boardwalks over the Nassawango Cypress Swamp; and along the towpath of the 19th century canal, now a fresh-water resource for wildlife. At 7 p.m. walkers will follow the same trail, but will focus on sounds of the night. Flashlights are recommended.

The walk is included in Furnace Town's daily site admission of $5 adults; $4.50 over 60, AAA or Military ID; $3 age 2-13; under 2, members of The Nature Conservancy and Furnace Town are free.

Walkers attending the 2 p.m. walk will receive free admission for the 7 p.m. walk. Call 410-632-2032 to register.

www.worcestercountytimes.com

Jelly Fish In The Inner Harbor Is A Sign Of Drought

Inner Harbor's no place to swim anyway, but now you can add another reason not to go in the water downtown: jellyfish.

Softball-sized, milky white and bell-shaped, with long tentacles trailing, the gelatinous animals could be seen moving slowly about Thursday in the murky water by the Constellation.

Scientists identified them as Chrysaora quinquecirrha — the most common of sea nettles in the Chesapeake Bay. Usually, though, they hang out farther south, where they sting unwary bathers and swimmers.

But the researchers said the lack of rainfall this summer likely triggered the harbor invasion by making the water here just salty enough to attract them. It's been abnormally dry on both sides of the bay, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with moderate to extreme drought gripping the western end of the state and the lower Eastern Shore.

"What apparently has happened is that the optimal salinity range has shifted up the bay," said Raleigh Hood, a biological oceanographer at the University of Maryland's Horn Point Environmental Laboratory near Cambridge. "Normally, down here, we're sea nettle heaven."

Hood said he's not surprised by their northward migration this year. He and Christopher Brown, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed a system for predicting and mapping their abundance and spread, based on a variety of factors like water salinity and temperature. The computer model shows little likelihood of finding nettles in the Patapsco River, but it does show that salinity levels in the harbor and just outside it are elevated now, right around what sea nettles find most comfortable.

"They're happy as clams in that range," Hood said.

Sea nettles can be found year-round in the middle and lower bay and its rivers, from around Annapolis south, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program's field guide. They're at their peak in July and August, typically in the moderately salty middle of the bay, according to Denise Breitburg, senior scientist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater. But they can remain abundant as late as October, she added in an e-mail.

While the harbor influx of sea nettles is just one more weather-related oddity in a year of extremes, it's hard to say whether it has any broader relevance, Hood says.

"Global jellyfish populations are increasing," he explained. "That's a pretty good indication the world is going out of kilter." Some have attributed the jelly surge to global warming, others to the degradation of coastal waters worldwide.

Here in the Chesapeake Bay, though, it's not clear whether sea nettles are increasing or declining, Hood said. The average water temperature has increased slightly — possibly an indication of climate change — and water quality generally is considered poor throughout much of the estuary.

But Breitburg, who's been studying the bay's jellyfish for years, found that sea nettle densities have actually declined since the late 1980s, according to an article published last year by the Maryland Sea Grant program. She suggested that the dropoff may be related to the swoon of the bay's oysters, despite the bay's pollution and signs of climate shift.

Jellyfish lay eggs in the water, which settle to the bottom and attach to hard surfaces like rocks, pilings and oyster shells. But as oysters have dwindled, their shell-covered reefs have been smothered in silt, depriving jellyfish polyps of places to spend the winter.

Even if the numbers are down a bit, there are still plenty out there to nail folks who spend time in or on the water.

"I got stung by one just the other day," Hood said. "It's annoying but not life-threatening, unless you're allergic to it."

Of course, that shouldn't be an issue in the harbor — Baltimore health authorities warn against swimming there because of potentially disease-causing bacteria in the water.

But the ghostly looking nettles are safe to watch, as long as you stay out of the drink. And if it's any consolation — or motivation to get out to see them — this is likely their last hurrah. The nettles farther south are already starting to die off, reports Breitburg, and these will, too, once it rains enough to lower the salinity level again, or it gets colder.

www.baltimoresun.com

Ocean City Police See Man Break Into Apartment

Yesterday afternoon Ocean City Police saw 29 year old Mark Meekins break into an apartment and leave with a 42 inch flat screen TV. Officers moved in and arrested Meekins – and also found him to be wanted on burglary charges in Delaware as well. He’s being held in the Worcester County Jail in default of $50,000 bond.

NEWS RELEASE: On September 22, 2010, at approximately 4 p.m., Ocean City Police were in the area of 76th Street when they observed a subject identified as Mark Allen Meekins, Jr., 29, of Ocean City, break into an apartment and steal a 42-inch flat screen television. Meekins was arrested and found to be wanted in the state of Delaware for burglary as well.

Meekins has been charged with:
- 1st Degree Burglary
- Theft over $1000 to $10,000
- Held on Fugitive Warrant

Meekins was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and held on a $50,000 bond. Meekins was transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

www.wgmd.com

Users Of Facebook Get An Apology

Many Facebook users were unable to access the social networking site for up to two and a half hours on Thursday, the worst outage the website has had in over four years, Facebook said in a posting.

The problems were traced back to a change made by Facebook in one of its systems.

The change was made to a piece of data that was called upon whenever an error-checking routine found invalid data in Facebook's system. The piece of data was itself interpreted as invalid, which caused the system to try and replace it with the same piece of data and so a feedback loop began.

The loop resulted in hundreds of thousands of queries per second being sent to Facebook's database cluster, overwhelming the system.

The result for users was a "DNS error" message and no access to the site.

"The way to stop the feedback cycle was quite painful - we had to stop all traffic to this database cluster, which meant turning off the site," wrote Robert Johnson, director of software engineering at Facebook, in a post on the site. "Once the databases had recovered and the root cause had been fixed, we slowly allowed more people back onto the site."

The problem hasn't been entirely fixed. Johnson said Facebook had to turn off the automated system to get the website back up and running. But that system does play an integral role in protecting the website.

Facebook is now exploring new ways to handle the situation so it won't lead to another feedback loop.

"We apologize again for the site outage, and we want you to know that we take the performance and reliability of Facebook very seriously," he wrote.

It's the second day Facebook was brought down for some users. On Wednesday, Facebook blamed a third-party networking provider for making the site inaccessible to some.

www.yahoo.com