Snow Storm of 12/26/2010

While I was out and about today my son snapped a few pictures of the whiteout conditions that occurred at different times and places during my travels.

 If you notice in the picture below you can barely see the hood of my truck

By 3:00 PM 11 Inches of Snow Or More Have Fallen

BELLE HAVEN -- Unofficial totals show 11 inches of snow have fallen in the mid-Va. Shore area by 3 p.m. Sunday.

As much as 14 inches are expected.

The winter storm warning for Northampton and Accomack counties expires at 5 a.m. Monday.

www.delmarvanow.com

Blizzard conditions have just been announced. Please use good judgement and good sense and stay where you are. The police and emergency people are having a rough time out in this weather. Don't jeopardise your life or theirs!

Heavy Snowing To Continue

The heavy snow that started early Sunday morning continues to fall as it begins to pile up.

As of noon, almost 6 inches had fallen and we may see as much as 4 to6 inches more before it all ends overnight.

VDOT is working the main roads including Rt. 13, The Chincoteague Road and the roads leading into the main towns on the Eastern Shore.

The back roads however are unplowed and increasing winds this afternoon and evening as the low pressure moves past could result in serious drifting before morning.

Therefore Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect until 5 AM Monday. Church services were cancelled both Sunday and Sunday evening as motorists were advised to stay off the roads as much as possible.

The Dialysis Center in Nassawadox has closed for the day and they're advising their patients to call Monday morning at 7:30 for a treatment time. They're also asking individuals with big trucks willint to transport patients to and from the Dialysis center to call 442-4966.

Closings for Monday include Mosher Physical, both offices, Accomack Convenience Centers closed til noon, and Cardiac Rehab in Onley and Nassawadox, closed.

www.shoredailynews.com

Issued by The National Weather Service
Wakefield, VA
7:22 pm EST, Sat., Dec. 25, 2010

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM SUNDAY TO 5 AM EST MONDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM SUNDAY TO 5 AM EST MONDAY.

* AREAS AFFECTED: THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA... AND THE LOWER MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE.

* PRECIPITATION TYPES: SNOW.

* ACCUMULATION: 8 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA.

* TIMING: ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED... MAINLY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED SUNDAY... FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.

* IMPACTS: HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From all us here at The PPE we wish you a very Merry Christmas

 CLICK HERE>>> For our Christmas greetings to all our readers. 

Merry Christmas

(UPDATE) 'He's Here' Track Santa VIA: NORAD

Update; Santa is here and working, check out the new screen-shot (the first below) Next stop; Baltimore Md. yippee

It's becoming to be that time of evening, fresh cookies and milk waiting for the jolly'ol feller and the little ones all snuggled in yet looking and listening for the pitter-patter of Santa's Reindeer on the rooftop hoping to sneak a peak of Saint Nick and restless while looking forward to an early morning with gifts abound.

So for the all the little ones that do happen to be awake, and for the big kids like myself lets do a little Santa tracking.

Follow THIS LINK>> to track Santa's whereabouts, see just when the Jolly'ol feller finds his way right to your house.

(Update) The Last Day Before Christmas, Christmas Is Canceled

ut-oh looks like we might have a bit of a problem

ATTENTION ALL DRIVERS!! IMPORTANT LAW CHANGE -EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2011

Don't get caught by the speed traps

If you receive a traffic citation in Maryland, a new law has changed what you are required to do in response to that citation.  The new law requires that you must:

1- Request a trial date at the date, time and place established by the District Court; or

2-Request a hearing regarding sentencing and disposition in lieu of a trial, (meaning you do not dispute the truth of the facts as alleged in the citation, but you wish to be heard regarding sentencing); or

3- Pay the full amount of the preset fine.

The law requires that you make one of these three choices and notify the District Court within 30 days of receiving the traffic citation.  (Instructions are printed on your copy of the citation.)  If not, the MD Motor Vehicle Administration will be notified and may take action to suspend your driver’s license.  

The law does not apply to traffic citations for ‘must appear’ offenses.  The Court will automatically notify you of a trial date. 

For further information, visit www.mdcourts.gov/district or call 1-800-492-2656.

NEW MARYLAND TRAFFIC TICKET PROCESS BEGINS JANUARY 1, 2011 

^^^CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE^^^

There’s a new law in Maryland starting Jan. 1, 2011. If you get a payable traffic ticket, you must do one of the following within 30 days...

Pay the full fine

• Pay in person at your local District Court
  
• Pay by mail – send to:
  District Court Traffic Processing Center
  P. O. Box 6676
  Annapolis, MD 21401-0676
  
• Pay online at www.paymentchek.com/MD/MarylandCourt/
  
• Pay by telephone, 1-800-492-2656

OR
Ask for a waiver hearing to plead guilty with an explanation

• Check the “Request a Waiver Hearing” box on the ticket
• Sign and date the ticket
  
• Mail the ticket to the District Court Traffic Processing Center

OR
Ask for a trial

• Check the “Request a Trial” box on the ticket
  
• Sign and date the ticket
  
• Mail the ticket to the District Court Traffic Processing Center 
 

 

If you don’t respond within 30 days, the District Court notifies the Motor Vehicle Administration to begin the driver's license suspension process.

GO HERE>> FOR MORE INFO  Then click on the links in the traffic light.

Merry Christmas!

Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

-- Virginia O'Hanlon

115 W. Ninety-fifth Street

New York, N.Y.

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except (what) they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

-- Originally printed on Sept. 21, 1897

The (New York) Sun

PARKSLEY -- Becky Bloxom's family is planning a quiet Christmas this year.

They already received one of the greatest gifts possible -- the chance to celebrate the holiday together -- after a Dec. 13 return to Virginia's Eastern Shore by their older daughter, Courtney, 19, who has been a patient at several hospitals after being seriously injured in a May 23 car accident.

After Bloxom's husband, William, gets home from his shift at Perdue Farms, the couple and their other two children will open gifts together at their Hallwood home on Christmas morning.

Then they will take Courtney's presents to Shore LifeCare at Parksley, where she is staying in a room filled with the typical trappings of a teenage girl's life -- her senior portrait and prom pictures, a menagerie of stuffed animals, music coming from a small CD player and a small glittering, rotating Christmas tree.

It is all crowded in a strange juxtaposition to the medical equipment more commonplace in a nursing home.

They might watch William's favorite Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story," and maybe have dinner later -- but the details don't matter.

"It's not important. Just being together, that's what's important," Bloxom said.

That night

On the night of May 23, Becky Bloxom had spoken on the telephone with her daughter not long before she received a second call, this one from Courtney's boyfriend.

It was the phone call no parent wants to get, saying Courtney had been in a bad accident while driving home from her boyfriend's house.

The Arcadia High School senior, whose activities included cheerleading, chorus and an after-school job at St. Paul's on the Shore day care, had attended Arcadia's prom the week before and was preparing for her high school graduation.

The only visible signs of injury from the crash were a cut on her pinkie and a black eye, but she was seriously wounded internally.

But Courtney suffered a severe brain injury in the single-vehicle accident and has since been treated at four facilities: Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Retreat Doctors' Hospital in Richmond, Cumberland Children's Hospital in New Kent, Va., and most recently, Shore LifeCare.

She was in a coma for about six weeks and during that time missed a major milestone in her life: her June 9 graduation from Arcadia High, where her sister, Ashlin, 16, accepted Courtney's advanced studies diploma in an emotional ceremony.

"It was a bittersweet day. Before the accident, we were preparing for graduation. The cap and gown were hanging up at our house," said her mother.

A move home

In the days since the accident, milestones are measured in very different ways, such as the ability to focus her eyes on an object or to make a sound.

"We were never told it would be short," Bloxom said of her daughter's progress. "The doctor's exact words were, 'It's going to take a long time.'

At Shore LifeCare, Courtney receives three hours daily of speech, occupational and physical therapy in an effort to recover skills. The move to the facility, although welcomed because it is close to home, did not come easily for her mother.

"It was a little scary because no one ever wants to put their child in a nursing home," she said, adding that the staff there have been "wonderful; they love her."

Bloxom went on, reflecting on another benefit of the move: "Traumatic brain injury is a long journey. I'm excited about bringing her home and letting the community be a part of it."

Bloxom took leave from her job with First Med to care for Courtney and has remained by her bedside six to eight hours a day in the seven months since the accident. Her husband has held down the fort at home, working at his job while trying to maintain a normal home life for Ashlin and the couple's 12-year-old son, Josh.

After emerging from the coma into what is considered a minimally conscious state, Courtney continues to show some signs of progress.

"We know she is seeing; we know she is hearing," said her mother.

The family is thankful for the hundreds of Shore residents who have helped since the accident.

"Our heartfelt thanks to the community for everything they've done," Bloxom said.

Courtney's classmates, friends and others have spearheaded many charity events -- including haircut-a-thons, car washes, a dance, a motorcycle poker run and the sale of bumper stickers and bracelets -- to help alleviate the financial strain that comes with long-term medical needs.

Churches around the Shore continue to pray for Courtney's recovery and more than 3,600 people have joined the Facebook site "Prayers for Courtney Bloxom," where her mother posts regular updates on her progress.

Becky Bloxom's greatest fear is that as time goes by the community will move on, even while Courtney continues her slow struggle for recovery.

"Our family's fear is she'll be forgotten. So come by and visit her; tell her to keep fighting," Bloxom said to all who have shown their support to the family.

And turning to Courtney, she says with a hug, "My dream of you walking across that stage -- I don't know what stage it is, but it's going to happen. You've got a lot to offer, a lot to share.

www.delmarvanow.com

So many of us have watched and read about the daily sactifices this Mother and this family has made. Courtney's road to recovery has not been an easy one for her nor her family and friends. I wish all of you in the Bloxom family a very Merry Christmas. Courtney is proof that wonderful things do happen with prayer and with the attitude to never give up.

Keep up the good work Courtney. A Merry Christmas to you. jmmb

Bernie Madoff vs The Government

Why did Bernie Madoff go to prison? 

To make it simple, he talked people  into investing with him.  Trouble was, he didn't invest their money. 

As  time rolled on he simply took the money from the new investors to pay off the old investors. Finally there were too many old investors and not enough money from new investors coming in to keep the payments going. Sound familiar? Lets take a look.

 Next thing you know Madoff is one of the most hated men in America and he is off to jail. Some of you know this. But not enough of you. 

Madoff did to his investors what the government has been doing to us for over 70 years with Social Security. There is no meaningful difference between the two schemes, except that one was operated by a private individual who is now in jail, and the other is operated by politicians who enjoy perks, privileges and status in spite of their actions.

Do you need a side-by-side comparison here?  Well here's a nifty little comparison.


 BERNIE MADOFF vs SOCIAL SECURITY

Madoff) Takes money from investors with the promise that the money will be invested and made available to them later.

Government) Takes money from wage earners with the promise that the money will be invested in a "Trust Fund" and made available later.

Madoff) Instead of investing the money Madoff spends it on nice homes in the Hamptons and yachts.

Government) Instead of depositing money in a Trust Fund the politicians use it for general spending and vote buying.

Madoff) When the time comes to pay the investors back, Madoff simply uses some of  the new funds from newer investors to pay back the older investors.

Government) When benefits for older investors become due the politicians pay them with money taken from younger and newer wage earners to pay the new beneficiary.

Madoff) When Madoff's scheme is discovered all hell breaks loose.  New investors won't give him any more cash.

Government) When Social Security runs out of money they simply force the taxpayers to send them some more.

Bernie Madoff is in jail. 

Politicians remain in  Washington ...and in office

"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination." [Ronald Reagan]

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there'd be a shortage of sand." [Milton Friedman]

Lighten Up On Hussein Obama

I think people should start to lighten-up on the POTUS Hussein Obama.

It's been a long 2 years for him I'm sure. The man gets more death threats per day then most POTUS's have in some of their complete terms.

He keeps telling us all the things that he's done since he took office so I'm not going to compile a list of the things he said [roll eyes] he has done because it's irrelevant to the point I'm about to make.

The one and most important point thing is; The stimulus must be working.

Why you ask? Well..... just one month ago he got jobs for 63 republicans. 

Could You Drive This Car?

Are we too old to DRIVE this Car?

No joke! Scary, but true?

Scroll down

Presenting the New Mercedes Benz SCL600

Pretty, isn't it?

So?

What's different about this car? 

Not this...

????

Here is the real difference  

WHOA ! 

No Steering Wheel 

No Pedals either 

You drive this car with a joystick

Do you think that you
can drive with a joystick?

Your kids and grandkids can. 

The influence of video games in our lives
has really arrived, wouldn't you say?

But there is more!

The SCARY THOUGHT is:
NOW a 3-YEAR-OLD can STEAL your car
AND DRIVE IT BETTER
THAN YOU CAN !

Yep - looks like I better start checking the senior bus schedule!!!!

A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance

This was sent in by an astute reader, it's great!


Hat Tip; Mrs M.

Christmas Lights

Lets see your Christmas lights.

As the story goes, the guy that owns this house lives north of Cincinnati , Ohio.  Police were constantly being called for traffic jams and accidents in the neighborhood so they asked him to shut it down during certain hours.  Instead he started charging by the car load to  pay off-duty police to be there..  The guy is supposedly a real computer GEEK, and obviously a great decorator!

If you'd like to take some pictures and want to show them off send them to Brenda and/or myself at the email address' on the right hand column of the page we sure would be glad to publish them for you and for all to see.

Are your lights better than your neighbor's? Lets see'em

1 Day Before Christmas

Oh my!

Level One Restrictions On Bridge Tunnel

Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel has placed level one restrictions on it's use.

This means that the following types of vehicles will not be allowed to cross the bridge ... large pick-up's with campers ... towed camping trailers ... house trailers ... anything being towed ... automobiles with car top carriers, luggage racks etc.

Santa Paws raises $8700 & 3355 toys are delivered!

SURF DOG RICOCHET WAS SURFING IN A SEA OF 3355 TOYS AFTER RAISING MORE THAN $8700 DURING HER KIDS & KRITTERS TOY DRIVE!

$5000 CHRISTMAS WISH GRANTED TO WOMAN WITH DISABILITY

Surf dog Ricochet, the SURFice dog who raises funds and awareness for human and animal causes was surfing in a sea of toys as she delivered more than 3300 toys to Rady Children's Hospital, and Helen Woodward Animal Center on Wednesday.

Ricochet had been leading the "Surfin' Santa Paws Toy Drive for Kids & Kritters" since December 1st. The $8710, raised in just three weeks, was used toward the purchase of toys.  Donations came in from all over the world, including Japan, Canada, Switzerland, France, and the Bahamas thanks to her donors, and 16,000 Facebook FURiends. The drop boxes provided by her sponsor, SanDiegoSunCoast.com were overflowing with toys, and pet related businesses both locally, and across the country donated scores of toys and treats. 


.

Ricochet injured her foot a few days before, so she wore a red bandage to match her Santa suit. Then, a total of 3355 kid & kritter toys were loaded into an 24 foot sleigh (actually... it was a moving truck) courtesy of San Diego Van & Storage/Mayflower Moving Co.

The first delivery took place at Rady Children's Hospital, with the help of her first fundraising beneficiary, quadriplegic surfer, Patrick Ivison.  Donning a red "Surfin' Santa Paws" surfboard, Ricochet left a tidal wave of toys in her wake.  Each year, thousands of children visit Rady Children's Hospital facilities and these donations will go a long way towards brightening a child's stay during a stressful time.

While at Rady Children's Hospital, Ricochet also made a Christmas wish come true for Tamandra Michaels, a woman who spent much of her childhood there due to spina bifida. Michaels was in dire need of a new wheelchair, so Ricochet contacted the TiLite Wheelchair Company.  In the spirit of the Toy Drive, they very generously donated a $5000 custom made wheelchair.  "This is totally rad", Michaels said as Ricochet revealed her surprise, complete with a big red bow.

There was one more stop on Santa Paw's route, so she got back into her sleigh with her 5 lb little elf helper, Spike and headed north (toward the North Pole) where she delivered toys to Helen Woodward Animal Center.  Helen Woodward Animal Center is a dynamic, evolving institution that is an agent of change for the animal welfare world.  The toys will offer enrichment to orphan dogs and cats until their new families adopt them.  Toys and treats were also provided to the birds, rabbits and horses.

Ricochet sincerely thanks SanDiegoSunCoast, San Diego Van & Storage, TiLite Wheelchairs, her donors, supporters, and Facebook FURiends for helping give kids & kritters a swell Christmas!
Next up for Ricochet is the Reality Rally, a three-day weekend event intended to raise funds for Michelle's Place, a resource center where women can go for help in coping with the challenges of breast cancer. Ricochet is challenging reality stars to raise more money than she can!

Note:  For more information, please contact Judy Fridono at 707-228-0679, or pawinspired@aol.com.  Ricochet's website: www.surfdogricochet.com Ricochet’s facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SurfDogRicochet

2 Days Before Christmas

BEWARE- Possible Phone Scam In Virginia

THERE MAY BE A TELEPHONE SCAM BEING PERITRATED ON VIRGINIANS.

IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT SOME VIRGINIANS HAVE RECEIVED TELEPHONE CALLS FROM AREA CODES: 809,284 AND 876.

THE CALLERS LEAVE MESSAGES THAT EITHER SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED TO A FAMILY MEMBER OR YOU HAVE WON A LARGE PRIZE AND LEAVE A NUMBER WITH ONE OF THE THREE AREA CODES FOR YOU TO CALL THEM BACK.

WHEN YOU CALL THE NUMBER YOU ARE CHARGED $24.00 A MINUTE FOR THE CALL.

THE SCAM IS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE DOMNICAN REPUBLIC.

IF YOU RECEIVE A CALL ON EITHER 809, 284 OR 876 DO NOT CALL BACK.

Christmas Wish To Help Dog Named JAZZ

OCEAN CITY – Worcester County Humane Society (WCHS) has sheltered and cared for a dog whose fight for life deserves for her Christmas wish to be answered.

According to Meggin McKnight of the Worcester County Humane Society, Jazz was left on the shelter’s doorstep a few months ago.
Jazz is the mother of the puppy featured in the beginning of October that was adopted by a family from Baltimore via Facebook.

“She was almost starved to death and was skin and bones with the exception of her swollen belly,” McKnight wrote. “A trip to Dr. Manniaty confirmed that she was indeed pregnant with 15 puppies.”

Out of the 15 puppies, only seven survived.

“They were all quickly adopted but Jazz remained,” she said.

Once the puppies were delivered and adopted, Jazz’s struggle remained.

“We were aware that she had some trauma to her hind legs as there were pins holding her ankles together,” McKnight wrote.

While being spayed, the doctor and staff discovered that her ankle was severely shattered and her hip was dislocated. She eventually stopped using that leg due to the pain. It was determined that she would have to loose that leg.

“We feared that she had bone cancer,” McKnight said. “However, Jazz finally caught a break when the biopsy showed no sign of cancer.”
Jazz’s surgery was a success, according to McKnight, who said, “she gets around almost better than before.”

After everything that Jazz has gone through, she continues to be sweet and loving, all at the shelter agree.

“It is nothing short of amazing,” McKnight said.

Jazz remains in foster care during recovery. Although she receives the proper attention, her follow-up visits to the vet and medication costs are astounding.

“We want to reach out to this amazing community of ours in the hopes that someone could possibly help us with her vet bill,” McKnight wrote.

Call the shelter at 410-213-0146 to help Jazz with her care or to check up on her adoption status. Jazz is also featured on the Worcester County Humane Society Facebook page.

www.mdcoastdispatch.com

Worcester County Opts Out On Sprinkler Systems

SNOW HILL -- Worcester County has opted out of a Maryland state law that would have required all new one- and two-family dwellings in unincorporated areas to contain residential sprinkler systems.

In a 5-2 vote, Commissioners Virgil Shockley, James Purnell, Bud Church, Merrill Lockfaw Jr. and Jim Bunting Jr. voted to opt out, while Louise Gulyas and Judy Boggs voted to retain the sprinkler requirement.

Several of the commissioners who voted to opt out said phone calls and e-mails from constituents expressing concern about the price of the sprinkler systems had convinced them opting out was the right choice.

"The majority of my constituents are in favor of the county opting out, and the main reason is economics," Lockfaw said.

He later said the Pocomoke City Fire Department is not in favor of mandating residential fire sprinklers either.

"There is mandate after mandate after mandate," Purnell said. "There are too many mandates."

At a Sept. 21 public hearing, commissioners listened to arguments for adopting the law from Worcester County Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon and the National Fallen Firefighter's Foundation. Real estate agents, developers and some residents spoke against letting the rule go into effect.

After attempts to get a consensus, commissioners were unable to reach a vote on opting out or amending the mandate. The legislation would have taken effect Jan. 1 if commissioners had not voted.

Boggs, who voted against the measure, said it is the responsibility of the government to protect citizens.

"I have been thinking back to the public hearing," Boggs said. "The welfare of residents and life safety would be better served by mandating."

Church said he had brought the item back up because several commissioners asked him to, noting Lockfaw and Bunting were not commissioners during the previous vote. Those two should have the opportunity to vote on the legislation, Church said, because they will represent their constituents when it takes effect.

Even though commissioners have opted the unincorporated areas of Worcester County out of the mandate, new homes with four or more stories, as well as new modular homes, will still be required to install the sprinklers.

In addition to Worcester County, Pocomoke City has opted out of requiring residents to install residential fire sprinklers; Ocean City has let the legislation stand; Berlin has opted out for one-family dwellings; and Snow Hill is scheduled to hold a vote Dec. 28.

www.delmarvanow.com

Domestic Assult Leads To Police Shooting

OCEAN CITY, Md.- Police have released the names of the couple involved in the domestic dispute that led to an officer-involved shooting Monday morning.

Ocean City Police officers responded to a 911 call for a domestic dispute at 11:07 am Monday. When officers arrived at the apartment on 82^nd Street, a man with a knife was attacking a woman, according to police.

Police say the suspect would not drop his weapon. One officer then shot the man.

The suspect is identified as Marvin Jefferson Mitchell, 27, of Berlin, Maryland. The female is Mitchell's estranged wife, Shanna Mitchell, 25, also of Berlin, Maryland.

Police say the couple's two children were inside the apartment during the stabbing and officer-involved shooting.

The police officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending review of the incident.

Both the suspect and victim received care by the Ocean City Fire Department Paramedics before being transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. They are both hospitalized and in stable condition.

Shanna Mitchell had obtained an active Protective Order against her husband.

Marvin Mitchell has been charged by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation with nine charges, including 1st Degree Attempted Murder, Reckless Endangerment and Violation of a Protective Order.

www.wboc.com

Arrests Made In Counterfeit Bill Use- Northampton County

According to a press release from the Northampton County Sheriff's Office, counterfeit $100 bills made from $5 bills were used at the Kiptopeke Inn on Lankford Highway in Cape Charles.

On December 18, Sheriff's Deputies responded to a complaint of counterfeit currency being passed from the Inn. After attaining a description of the suspects and the vehicle, the Northampton County Sheriff's Department arrested three suspects in the Eastville area. Shan Beamon, 31 of Portsmouth, Jamal Beamon, 28 of Chesapeake and Ronald Garret, 25 of Portsmouth were arrested and charged with utter or attempt to employ true a false, forged or base coin, note or bill, knowing it to be false, forged or base and conspiring to utter or attempt to employ true a false, forged or base coin, note or ill, knowing it to be false, forged or base. The three suspects are currently being held in Eastern Shore Regional Jail.

According to sources who wished to have their identity withheld, members of the United States Treasury Department as well as the United States Secret Service were in Northampton County Monday afternoon investigating the case.

According to Sheriff J.P. Robbins, Jr., the case is still under investigation.
www.shoredailynews.com

3 Days Before Christmas

Armed Robber Sentenced To Six Years

SNOW HILL – A Pocomoke man, one of three arrested in connection with an armed robbery spree in the south end of Worcester County in June, pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in jail, half of which was suspended.

Around 11:35 p.m. on June 9, the clerk of the Goose Creek convenience store in Pocomoke was attempting to lock up for the night when she was confronted by three masked men who had just entered the store. One of the men was brandishing a handgun and all three demanded money from the clerk while one of the suspects pointed a gun at her, according to police reports. The suspects were able to get an undisclosed amount of money from the clerk before fleeing the area on foot.

During the subsequent investigation, it was learned that about 30 minutes earlier, the manager of a Pizza Hut restaurant nearby had contacted the Pocomoke Police Department to report three masked men had attempted to rob him at gunpoint as he closed the business for the night. The store manager was able to get into his car unharmed and drove away.

The information obtained from the Pizza Hut manager matched the information provided by the Goose Creek clerk in terms of physical descriptions of the suspects and the types of clothing they were wearing at the time of the armed robberies. Based on the information provided by the victims, Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) detectives were able to identify three suspects, including Dexter Wise, Jr., 23, of Laurel, Del.; Decarlo Marcus White, 19, of Pocomoke; and Dorian Rashawn Johnson, 19.

Warrants were sworn out on the three suspects and each was arrested a short time later. Each of the suspects were charged with 23 total counts including armed robbery, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Last week in Circuit Court the first of three suspects, Wise, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in jail, of which six months were suspended, netting Wise six years in jail. He was also placed on probation for two years after his release and was given credit for the 118 days he spent in jail awaiting trial. Wise was also ordered to pay roughly $1,500 in combined restitution to the victims, Goose Creek and Pizza Hut.

White is expected to appear for trial for his role in the robberies on Jan. 10, while Johnson’s trial is scheduled for Jan. 12.

www.mdcoastdispatch.com

Suspect In Handy Murder Has Been Arrested

I have been out of town for the past few days on a family matter and am so glad to see that this possible murderer has been arrested! Hopefully the Handy family will be working towards some closure. Great job police department!

POCOMOKE CITY — A suspect in a Pocomoke murder case was arrested without trouble outside the Walmart store Friday night, police said. They arrested Skylor Dupree Harmon, 19, who days ago was charged with murdering Reginald Handy Jr., 22, in May.

A state police fugitive apprehension team, assisted by a special team of Worcester sheriff's deputies, caught Harmon Friday at about 6 p.m., police said, and he is being held without bond.

At a news conference last week, prosecutors and police said they believe Harmon killed Handy. A different man, Alexander Crippen, 36, was the first person charged with murder in Handy's death, but those murder charges were dropped before Crippen's trial; he was later convicted of attempting to kill a different man, based on testimony about what he did at the same scene where Handy died.

Harmon is currently the sole suspect in Handy's death, and police had said he was at large in southern Worcester or Somerset counties, and possibly armed and dangerous.

www.delmarvanow.com

Commissioners To Discuss Sprinkler Law

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester Board of County Commissioners is bringing back for discussion a state law requiring all new one-and two-family dwellings built after Jan. 1 to contain residential fire sprinklers.

Although the meeting is not a public hearing, President Bud Church said it will allow new commissioners a chance to express their views and get all of the facts.

"A number of people requested it be brought back up, including the new commissioners," Church said. "We'll see if we can get a vote, whether it's up or down, so we're not in limbo anymore."

The commissioners originally held a public hearing Sept. 21, during which homeowners, firefighters, real estate agents and Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon expressed strong views on the issue. A motion to exempt all county homebuilding from the rule failed to win a majority of votes, and a proposal that well-water properties be allowed to forgo the sprinklers also failed. As a result, the rule is scheduled to take effect next year if commissioners take no further action.

Newly elected commissioners Jim Bunting Jr. and Merrill Lockfaw Jr. have expressed opposition to the legislation, saying if it were to be brought up, they would vote against it.

Several of the municipalities in Worcester County have also addressed the issue. So far, Pocomoke City has opted out; Berlin amended the law so new single-family homes will be free from the mandate; and Ocean City and Snow Hill have yet to take a vote.**

www.delmarvanow.com

** If my memory is correct Ocean City has already voted in favor for the new state law requiring sprinklers.

Welfare Check

A guy walks into the local welfare office to pick up his check. He marches straight up to the counter and says,

"Hi. You know.... I just HATE drawing welfare. I'd really rather have a job."

The social worker behind the counter says, "Your timing is excellent.

We just got a job opening from a very wealthy old man who wants a chauffeur and bodyguard for his beautiful daughter. You'll have to drive around in his 2010 Mercedes-Benz CL, and he will supply all of your clothes.

Because of the long hours, meals will be provided, and you'll also be expected to escort the daughter on her overseas holiday trips."

"This is rather awkward to say, but you will also have as part of your job assignment satisfying her ...'urges' as the daughter is in her mid-20's and has a rather strong sex drive."

The guy, just plain wide-eyed, stammers, "You're bullshi _- in' me!".

The social worker says, "Yeah, well ... You started it."

4 Days Before Christmas

Widespread White Christmas Expected Across US

For the second consecutive winter, a cold and stormy December has set the stage for a white Christmas across a significant part of the U.S. While snow cover is not likely to be quite as extensive as it was last year, a late-week storm might cover the ground in a magical white in parts of the East by the end of Christmas Day.

The depth of the current snow cover will guarantee a white Christmas in the Rockies and interior parts of the West, as well as in the northern Plains, much of the Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes and interior parts of the Northeast.

Snow cover is spotty or completely lacking in parts of the mid-Atlantic region and coastal Northeast, but meteorologists are watching a late-week storm that could change that. Computer models are projecting a storm to move from the central Plains on early Friday to along the New England coast by later on Saturday, spreading snow along its path.

If this storm track materializes, fresh snow would be dumped from Iowa to parts of the Virginias, with a brand-new snow cover a possibility for the major cities along the Eastern Seaboard, from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

Early-week storms moving through the West will increase the snow cover in the mountains of the West and Desert Southwest, expanding snow cover into some regions that are bare.

Even with the additional snow this week, snow cover was a little more extensive last Christmas when the combination of Arctic cold and a southern storm produced an abundance of snow.

Snow cover on Dec. 25, 2009, extended farther to the south in the Southwest and Plains than it will this year, with snow on the ground as far south as Dallas. Snow cover was also deep in the Virginias, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey, following the first of a couple of monster snowstorms in what turned out to be the snowiest winter on record.

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Typically, a white Christmas is a virtual certainty in the high mountains of the West, the extreme northern Plains and interior parts of northern New England, with a likelihood of greater than 90 percent. The likelihood drops to just 5 to 10 percent along a line extending from the Texas Panhandle to southern Virginia.

This year, a white Christmas is likely in much of the region, where there is just a 26 to 40 percent chance on average.

A white Christmas is generally defined as having an inch or more of snow on the ground.