Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Legislative Updates By Delegate Mike McDermott



May. 6th, 2013

Maryland’s Legislative Business Impact for 2013

“How Not to Grow an Economy

by Delegate Mike McDermott

 

As a result of the actions taken by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2013 Regular Session, we will continue to be a state that is  “unfriendly to business”. Our Corporate Tax rates remain the highest in the region and our layers of government process insure that we continue to be slow to respond and costly for business start ups.


 
This year we saw the passage of Off Shore Wind (SB-275) and the Electric Tax subsidy that comes with the package. It seems insignificant to talk about a monthly consumer fee of $2.00 or less, but that rate can and will rise. The additional cost of power to our business community will be much greater and will insure that we will be less competitive while our consumers foot the bill with every item they purchase along with the additional costs of local government (paid by every taxpayer). It is tragic to see the state jump through hoops to craft this type of subsidy for unproven energy while, at the same time, enact a moratorium on accessing Natural Gas deposits in Marcellus Shale. Maryland could be energy independent sporting tens of thousands of new jobs with zero tax increases or subsidies. Instead, we allow political correctness to dictate our energy policy, and, in particular, our energy portfolio. Silliness costs money and jobs.
 
 
Maryland remains at the point of the spear when it comes to the implementation of Obama Care. SB-274 was passed this year and will have a significant impact in particular on small business and our health care providers. The expansion and costs going forward are significant and should give pause to any prudent business person. I strongly encourage you to read this bill and pay particular attention to the Fiscal Impact Statement provided by the Department of Legislative Services. You will see why the vast majority of states are not moving forward with the implementation.
 
In another blow to business, we added a Sales Tax to gasoline (HB-1515) and established an automatic tax increase mechanism for the current Gasoline Excise Tax already in place (24.5 cents per gallon). The Sales Tax will rise every year for 4-years and the Excise Tax is linked to the Consumer Price Index and will rise every July 1st beginning this year. Mass Transit will be the big beneficiaries of this tax and local governments will continue to suffer the loss of Highway User Revenues. With the additional Toll increases going into effect at the same time, areas like the Eastern Shore, dependent upon goods being trucked in, will see these transportation costs passed onto them at the register. Everything will cost more money.
 
 
Although many of us warned people of the coming “Rain Tax” (HB-987) as passed in the 2012 Regular Session, many jurisdictions will be under the mandate as of July 1st and will be required to collect this new tax. Most residential properties will pay a flat rate through their property taxes, but Maryland businesses, churches, hospitals, etc. will be taxed based upon the amount of impervious surfaces they have on their respective property. Any surface area that obstructs water from entering the ground directly will be taxed based upon square footage in most jurisdictions (think of large warehouses and parking lots). Once again, consumers will be footing the bill.

 
All of these additional taxes, fees, and regulations add up to significant money for any business owner. There were also efforts to raise the Minimum Wage in our state which often results in tightening of belts and the loss of entrance level jobs. No doubt we will see those bills again in the future. The passage of the governor’s Gun Safety Act (SB-281) has essentially outlawed many firearms currently being produced in Maryland. Those manufacturers offer significant employment and most of them are in the process of relocating their companies to other states. Not only will our state not be any safer as a result of this bill’s passage, but we will now suffer the loss of tens of millions in revenue not easily replaced.

 
There were a few legislative efforts that are noteworthy for the potential positive outcome which may result. We also have a new Secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development, Dominick Murray, who seems to understand the problem with the state’s position and has expressed a determination to streamline the process. One of the biggest obstacles to our business and economic growth is the failure of state agencies to work together on issues simultaneously to cut the time associated expenses companies and entrepreneurs need so desperately when they are starting or expanding an enterprise in Maryland.

 
As a result of many complaints I have received from business owners who have been subjected to random inspections and significant fines by the state for minor violations, I introduced HB- 104. The bill would have provided a much-needed grace period to small businesses found in violation of state regulations, giving them time to comply before being unfairly fined.  In response to the bill following the Committee Hearing in House Economic Matters, the Secretary of Labor and Licensing issued a letter establishing that his department would “only give warnings to businesses for first time offenses of minor violations of code.”  This public policy announcement is a big win for Marylanders, and I intend to hold the department to their word.
 
 
One thing you learn quickly from Annapolis is to be concerned about any “Study” or “Work Group” established by the members through legislation..  It is not uncommon for a host of regulations and other barriers to business to come from these groups.. Therefore, let me provide you with a couple of the approved “studies” that will take place over the next year upon which future legislation may be based in 2014:
SB-1068 establishes the Commission to Study the Regulation of Payroll. One of their chief missions is to determine the feasibility and cost of establishing State licensure or  registration of payroll service companies, including requiring qualifying examinations and the potential benefits of licensure or registration.
SB-916 establishing the Task Force to Study Licensing and Continuing Education Requirements for Electricians.  Their principle task will be to “review appropriate approaches for the licensure of electricians at the State and local level to protect citizens and provide for efficiency of electrical services across county lines.”

 
If you have an interest in these areas, please reach out to my office and we will make sure you have a good contact with an individual who will be serving on the Study Group. This is the best place to insure that you stay on top of any new proposals before they advance to proposed legislation.
 

There always seem to be new layers of regulations and permitting that are brought forward every year affecting various business sectors. This year was no different. Here are a couple of fields that will be impacted:
SB-280 Landscape Architects – License Renewal – Continuing Professional Competency Requirement.  This bill will adopt regulations to require a licensee to demonstrate continuing professional competency by completing a certain number of hours of professional development activities as a condition of renewal of a license to practice  landscape architecture.
HB-347 Professional Engineers – Firm Permits. This bill will alter the permitting requirements for engineering firms and creates a significant process through which future firms are to be permitted. It alters current practices of business and establishes fines for violations.
 
 
 

There were a couple of bills that sought to improve the business environment.
SB-273 Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013. This bill will require certain state licensing units and boards to give credit to certain former service members for relevant military training, education, and experience in connection with the issuance of certain occupational and professional licenses, certificates, and registrations. While many private organizations are working with our veterans to this end, it is good to see our state take this position as well.
SB-65 Workers’ Compensation–Claim Processing–Electronic Delivery of Decisions. This legislation will allow for certain decisions to be communicated through electronic means to the affected parties. It should speed up the process and reduce paperwork.
 
 

There are many bills which would have been problematic for business which did not pass through their assigned committee or failed in one of the two chambers. Most of them are sponsored by the Chairman of the sitting committee and that means we have probably not seen the last of them by far. If a bill is successful in one chamber, you will most likely see it again with a renewed effort in the coming session. I have provided links for a more indepth look at each piece of proposed legislation.
SB-576 Community Cleanup and Greening Act of 2013 (Bag Tax)-Chairman Bill

SB-554 Business Occupations and Professions - Private Process Service - Licensing and Certification-Chairman Bill

SB-528 Business Regulation - Shark Fin Soup - Prohibition on Sale or Consumption

SB-78 Maryland Home Improvement Commission - Guaranty Fund – Claims-Chairman Bill

SB-77 State Board of Plumbing - Continuing Professional Competency - Master Plumbers and Master Natural Gas Fitters-Chairman Bill

SB-57 State Board of Individual Tax Preparers - Prohibited Acts - Civil Penalty-Chairman Bill

SB-827 Streamlined Tax Administration Act of 2013 (Creation of a new Division of Business Regulation and Taxation within DLLR)

SB-469 Business Relief and Tax Fairness Act of 2013 (Combined Reporting)

HB-122 Commercial Law - Automotive Repair Facilities - Tire Repairs (Tire Removal)

HB-595 Workers' Compensation - Retaliation by Employer – Prohibition-Chairman Bill

SB-1062 Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Attorney's Fees

SB-1059 Landlord and Tenant - Application Fees - Prospective Tenants Who Receive Housing Assistance

SB-179 Architects, Landscape Architects, and Professional Land Surveyors - Firm Permits-Chairman Bill

SB-794 Real Property - Regulation of Common Ownership Community Managers

SB-725 Business Regulation - Junk Dealers and Scrap Metal Processors - Holding Period for Junk and Scrap Metal

It is also important to recognize the legislators who were honored by Maryland Businesses for Responsive Government (MBRG) for outstanding contributions and consistently pro-business voting records. I was proud to be on this list for another year along with some of my colleagues on the Eastern Shore:   Receiving awards during a recent ceremony in Annapolis were Delegates Steve Hershey, R-36-Queen Anne's; Jay Jacobs, R-36-Kent; Charles Otto, R-38A, Somerset; and Del. Mike McDermott, R- 38-B Worcester. All of us received 100% ratings from the past several legislative sessions when it came to votes impacting Maryland business.
I strongly encourage you to stay informed on the various bills impacting our state in each session. I provide regular updates during the interim and my weekly “Field Notes” on activities happening during any Session of Maryland’s General Assembly. You can sign up and review any of my press releases or postings at delegatemcdermott.com along with receiving Twitter and Facebook updates.


Mar-Va Theater ~ THROWBACK THURSDAY


Thursday, May 9th
 
7 PM
 
Tickets: $5

Vet Willing To Offer Cemetary Plot To Boston Bombing Suspect

USAF Vet Willing to Offer Cemetery Plot to Boston Bombing
Photo/Fox News
Suspect

Updated: Tuesday, May 7 2013, 06:35 PM EDT
[UPDATED]

US Air Force (USAF) veteran Julie Frein said she is willing to give up her burial plot at Arlington National Cemetery to Tamerlan Tsarnaev - the deceased Boston bombing suspect.

The Anne Arundel County woman told Fox45 she feels the terrorist suspect should be able to be laid to rest and just wants it to all be over.

"I feel sympathy for [his family] in that as long as this issue is open, they can't have closure," Frein told Fox45's Joy Lepola. When asked how she thought Americans would react to the suspect being buried in a national cemetery, Frein replied "Well the country would just have to get over that, wouldn't they? Because nobody, nobody deserves to rot above ground."

Frein has already called the funeral home in Massachusetts where Tsarnaev's body is currently stored and is in the process of contacting the Office of Veteran Affairs to see if she will be able to offer up her plot.
Frein served in the USAF for two years. Her husband served in the US Navy for 20 years.
*Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday responded saying the bombing suspect could not be buried there.*

Source:


USAF Vet Willing to Offer Cemetery Plot to Boston Bombing Suspect

Death of 2 year old Being Investigated By the Accomack County Sheriff's Office


Accomack County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Todd Godwin

Belle Haven- On Tuesday, April 30th at approximately 10:52 am, the Accomack County Sheriffs Office received a report of a child injured from a fall at the Mill Run Apartments in Belle Haven.

  Rescue personnel from the Community Fire Company in Exmore responded to the scene and transported the child to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital where the child was pronounced dead. 
The two-year old child has been identified as 2 year old Jasheena Bull of Belle Haven.


An autopsy was conducted on May 1st at the Medical Examiner's Office in Norfolk. The cause of death is pending and the investigation into this incident is continuing.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666.

Tips can also be submitted through our website at: www.accomackcountysheriffsoffice.org.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Juvenile falls From Third Story Window

On May 4, 2013, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Ocean City Police responded to a residence on 52nd Street in reference to a fall from a third story window.

The investigation revealed that several juveniles were at the location for a party and had been consuming alcoholic beverages. During the party, the victim, identified as a 14-year-old female from Worcester County, attempted to exit the unit through a third story window and fell. The victim was conscious and alert when police arrived but was disoriented.

The victim was treated at the scene by OCFD Paramedics and was then flown to University of Maryland Medical Center’s Shock Trauma in Baltimore as a precaution by Maryland State Police helicopter.

The victim was later released from Shock Trauma to her parents.

Foul play is not suspected in this incident.

Ocean City Police will not be releasing the name of the victim or the other juveniles involved. The findings of the incident will be forwarded to Worcester County Social Services for further investigation.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

Coast Guard Medevacs Man From Bulk Carrier Anchored Near Cape Charles, VA

 (U.S. Coast Guard photo by
 Fireman Crystal Quinn)
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 46-year-old man Monday from a 968-foot bulk carrier while the ship was anchored near Cape Charles.

The ship's agent of the KM Osaka contacted Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at approximately 6:45 p.m. reporting a man broke his arm and requested a medevac.

Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders diverted a crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat - Medium from Coast Guard Station Cape Charles to assist.

"The crew was underway conducting training near Kiptopeke when we received the call," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Clements, the officer-of-the-day at Station Cape Charles. "This allowed the crew to arrive on scene within approximately 15 minutes. Due to our close partnership with local emergency medical services personnel, they were waiting for the crew to return to the station, which allowed for a timely transfer of the patient to receive medical treatment."

The man was taken to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Nassawadox.

Submitted:
U.S. Coast Guard

Voluntary Gun Turn-In At Pocomoke City Police Department


PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POCOMOKE CITY POLICE TO HOLD VOLUNTARY GUN TURN-IN AS PART OF INAUGURAL STATEWIDE GUN TURN-IN DAY ON SATURDAY, MAY 11.  RESIDENTS CAN DROP OFF UNWANTED FIREARMS, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.  ATTORNEY GENERAL GANSLER COORDINATES STATEWIDE EFFORT TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE.

Pocomoke City, MD - The Pocomoke City Police Department is partnering with Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler in the inaugural statewide gun turn-in day to provide residents an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted firearms.  Officers from the Pocomoke City Police Department will be on hand at the Pocomoke City Police Department, 1500 Market Street, Pocomoke City between 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday, May 11 to accept handguns, rifles and shotguns for safe disposal. No personal identification is required and no advance appointment is necessary.

“I want to thank Chief Kelvin D. Sewell and the Pocomoke City Police Department, the many other local law enforcement agencies and the Maryland State Police for participating in this gun turn-in event and making our communities safer as a result,” said Attorney Doug Gansler. “Anyone who has a gun that is no longer wanted will be able to get rid of it safely during this event, no questions asked.”

Any type of firearm will be accepted and it need not be in working order. Individuals turning in guns should transport and handle them safely, making sure they are unloaded, and follow any instructions given by the law enforcement officer upon arrival at the gun turn-in location.

Once surrendered, the firearm will/may e processed through law enforcement databases to determine if it has been reported stolen or flagged as being a firearm used in the commission of a crime.

WHAT: Pocomoke City Police Department Gun Turn-In Day
 DATE: Saturday, May 11, 2013
 TIME: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
 WHERE: Pocomoke City Police Department, 1500 Market Street, Pocomoke City, Maryland

For more information about the statewide gun turn-in day, including a list of participating locations, visit http://www.oag.state.md.us/gun turn in.html

DUI SUSPECT WOUNDED AFTER FLEEING TRAFFIC STOP WITH TROOPER IN THE CAR

(SALISBURY, MD) – A Wicomico County man is being treated for wounds he sustained early this morning when he was shot by a Maryland state trooper after he fled from a traffic stop while holding the trooper inside his vehicle.

The suspect is identified as Harry F. Wyatt-Swift, 23, of Salisbury, Md. He is currently undergoing treatment for injuries at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He is under State Police guard at the hospital. Charges against him are pending and are expected to be filed later today.

The trooper involved is identified as Trooper First Class Richard Keidel, a five-year veteran of the Maryland State Police. TFC Keidel is assigned to road patrol duties at the Salisbury Barrack.

The preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before 1:30 a.m. today, TFC Keidel was patrolling in a marked State Police vehicle on Johnson Road near Nevins Place in Wicomico County, when he saw a car that was speeding and had a tag light out. As he moved behind the vehicle, the trooper saw the Honda passenger car swerve and almost hit a telephone pole.

The trooper stopped the car on Johnson Road east of Nevins Place and made contact with the driver and only occupant of the vehicle, who was later identified as Wyatt-Swift. The trooper smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage and began a DUI investigation.

After the trooper had Wyatt-Smith get out of his car, he began to demonstrate a field sobriety test he was asking the driver to perform. The suspect then ran back to his car in an attempt to flee the scene.

TFC Keidel reached into the car in an attempt to take the keys. The investigation indicates Wyatt-Smith grabbed his arm and drove off, with the trooper hanging out the driver’s side window. The trooper repeatedly told Wyatt-Smith to stop, but the suspect refused to and continued to drive down Johnson Road.

In fear for his life, TFC Keidel fired his Department-issued .40 caliber pistol. Wyatt-Smith was struck in the abdomen and in the side of his face. The suspect let go of the trooper, who fell to the roadway as the car continued on.

TFC Keidel ran back to his patrol vehicle, called in the shooting and proceeded in the direction of the suspect. About two miles later, he found the suspect’s car where it had apparently struck a telephone pole support wire and overturned on Johnson Road east of Eastwood Circle. The suspect was not in the car.

Troopers and Wicomico County deputies responded to the scene and began a search for the suspect. A short time later, Wyatt-Smith walked out of the woods and surrendered
. He was given immediate emergency care and EMS personnel were summoned to the scene.

Wyatt-Smith was transported by ambulance to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. He was later transported by ambulance to the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

TFC Keidel sustained injuries and was treated and released at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. As is procedure in police involved shootings, he has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.

The shooting investigation is being conducted by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, which is procedure in police involved shootings. Upon completion of the investigation, it will be presented to the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office for review. An investigation will be conducted by the Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Unit, which is also procedure. 

Submitted:
Maryland State Police

Worcester County Rabies Vaccination Clinics

 
 
Worcester County Rabies Vaccination Clinics

SNOW HILL, Md. –Pet owners, mark your calendars and take advantage of the inexpensive rabies vaccination clinics offered this spring by the Worcester County Health Department and Animal Control.

Rabies is a dangerous fatal disease and ongoing problem in the county. People and animals can be infected by the virus if they are exposed to the saliva of an infected animal. Low-cost rabies clinics are offered to help residents protect their dogs, cats and ferrets.

The scheduled clinics will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at:
 

Wednesday, May 8, WORCESTER COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL, 6207 Timmons Road (east side Rt. 113, just north of Snow Hill), Snow Hill, MD.

 Thursday, May 9, BISHOPVILLE VOL. FIRE DEPARTMENT, 10709 Bishopville Road, Bishopville, MD.

Wednesday, June 12, WORCESTER COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL, 6207 Timmons Road, Snow Hill, MD.


The cost for a rabies vaccination is $5 per pet for Worcester County residents and $10 per pet for non-Worcester County residents. Proof of residency is required. Vaccinations are available for dogs, cats and ferrets. Below are additional requirements for the clinics:

● If this is not the pet’s first rabies vaccination, written proof of the previous shot in the form of a rabies certificate must be provided in order to receive a three-year booster shot. Otherwise, a one-year shot will be given.


 ● To receive a vaccination, dogs must be on a leash under the control of an adult, and cats and ferrets must be in a carrier or box with air holes.

"Dogs On the Farm" ~ This Weekend


Sign Up For Digital Nature Photography Class


Firemen's Fest ~ All Day Event Planned

***A note from the  Princess Anne and
Mt. Vernon Vol. Fire Departments***
 
We still are looking for a few more Fire Depts. to be in the muster. It is $25 a team. The $25 fee is for the prizes. It also includes everyone on the team passes for the HOLE event and even the music all day. Visit www.firemensfest.com to get sign up today.

The Soroptimist Club of Accomack County~ Annual Book Fair


The Soroptimist Club of Accomack County will sponsor its sixteenth Annual Book Fair to benefit the Eastern Shore Literacy Council.

The Book Fair will be held
Saturday May 11
10a.m. to 2p.m. 
in front of Wal Mart
Onley, Virginia
 

The Fair will feature new and gently used books available for 50 cents for paperbacks and $1.00 for hard cover books.
 
Each young reader will receive one new book for free.
 
There will be entertainment from 11am to 1pm. Shane Kio, Eastern Shore's own practicioner and teacher of juggling, will amaze the audience with his feats of juggling and his creative design of balloon animals.
 
Baked goods and goodie bags will also be available.

The Soroptimist Club sponsors this event each year to promote literacy on the Shore and to engage young readers at an early age. Everyone is invited to come out for the fun and to support the Literacy Council in its promotion of literacy on the Eastern Shore.

DEATH RULED A SUICIDE

UPDATE: DEATH OF FREDERICK CO. MAN FOUND YESTERDAY RULED A SUICIDE

(POINT OF ROCKS, MD) – An autopsy has determined the man whose body was found in the Potomac River near Point of Rocks yesterday afternoon died as a result of a suicide.

The man is identified as Peter V. O’Connell, 54, of Frederick, Md. 


His body was found in the Potomac River in a cove in Point of Rocks State Park at about 4:00 p.m. yesterday by a bicyclist.

An autopsy was conducted today at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. The medical examiner ruled O’Connell’s death was a suicide.
 

Submitted:
Maryland State Police

Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell arrives in Miami Prior to Commissioning

 U.S. Coast Guard photo by
 Petty Officer 3rd Class Jon-Paul Rios.
MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell, the fifth of the service's planned 58 Fast Response Cutters in the Sentinel Class and the first of its class to be named after a female Coast Guard heroine,  arrived at her homeport Coast Guard Sector Miami, Fla., Sunday.
Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell is scheduled for commissioning in New Orleans on June 1, 2013.  The location of the commissioning honors the history of the cutter’s namesake. This vessel is named after Coast Guard heroine Margaret Norvell who served admirably for 41 years with the U.S.
Lighthouse Service in Louisiana from 1891 to 1932. The U.S. Lighthouse Service formally became part of the modern Coast Guard in 1915. Her devotion to duty saved the lives of countless sailors as she vigilantly stood the watch. Norvell served as keeper of both the Port Ponchartrain Light and the West End Light. Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished him or herself in the line of duty. The Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell is the first FRC named after a female.

Additional information about the cutter Norvell can be found on the Coast Guard's aquisitions webpage. Additional information about the career of Margaret Norvell can be found on the Coast Guard Compass Blog.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Saxis Volunteer Fire/Rescue Spaghetti Dinner


"Reasonable Risk To The Public" ~ Bail Denied!

In this mornings hearing in Judge Glenn Tyler court Shanon Dunham the Attorney for Tonya Bundick tried to appeal to the court to release Ms. Bundick on some reasonable bond. Mrs. Robin Hunter was put on the stand and testified that she had known Tonya since they were kids were in grade school. Stating that Ms. Bundicks kids needed her. When Ms. Hunter was asked by Ms. Dunham if she believed the charges against Ms. Bundick her answer was it was hard to believe. She went on to say if bail was allowed she would allow Ms. Bundick to stay in her home.

Ms. Dunham offered electronic monitoring if any was available and said there no risk of flight because the defendant had lived in the community basically all of her life and had 3 children who needed her. Ms. Dunham went on to say that the charges were not to harm people.

Mr. Gary Agar the Commonwealths Attorney told the court that the State Police had more than 70 charges pending and they did believe she was a flight risk along with the reasonable risk to the public
therefore bail should be denied.

Mrs. Dunham then stated Tonya was arrested on 4/2 with only two charges filed one for conspiracy to commit arson and the other for arson. Both pending physiological evaluation due on 5/17 and the preliminary hearing on for June and she believed a reasonable bond could be set.

Judge Tyler stated that with over 70 charges likely coming there was a risk to the public and therefore bail was denied.

Source:

MAN FOUND DEAD NEAR POINT OF ROCKS IDENTIFIED

(POINT OF ROCKS, MD) – Maryland State Police investigators have identified the man whose body was found in the Potomac River yesterday afternoon and are awaiting results of an autopsy as the investigation continues.

The man has been identified as Peter V. O’Connell, 54, of Frederick, Md. His body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical
Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.

At about 4:00 p.m. yesterday, a 911 call was received at the Frederick Barrack from a bicyclist who reported seeing a body in the water along the bank of the Potomac River in Point of Rocks State Park. Troopers from the Frederick Barrack responded, as did State Police crime scene technicians, and investigators from the Homicide Unit and Criminal Enforcement Division. Assistance was also provided by officers from the Natural Resources Police and deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

The body was in a cove along the river. Members of the Carroll Manor Fire Company responded and retrieved the body from the water. A forensic investigator conducted an examination of the body at the scene.

O’Connell’s car was found in a parking lot about one-half mile from where his body was recovered. Investigators determined O’Connell lived in Frederick and a search of his home was conducted late last night. Investigators recovered a suicide note in the home.

The investigation is continuing.


Submitted:
MD. State Police

Lifeline Program Faces Renewed Scrutiny In Congress

Maryland enrollment soars in federal phone program

By John Fritz
WASHINGTON — — Enrollment in a controversial program that provides free cell phone service to low-income families has increased faster in Maryland than any other state in the nation, jumping nearly 90-fold since 2008 — renewing scrutiny on Capitol Hill over its management.

The Lifeline program, created in 1984 to soften the impact of telephone deregulation on low-income families, had nearly 509,000 subscribers in the state last year, up from 5,821 in 2008. Growth in Maryland was nearly 40 times greater than the national average.

Critics and supporters of Lifeline raised concerns following a 2010 report from the Government Accountability Office that found subscribers who did not meet the program's eligibility requirements, and phones that were being resold on the Internet.

And when the Federal Communications Commission began targeted audits of the program — such as checking for people with more than the one phone allowed — it kicked more than 230,000 Marylanders off the program late last year.

"People were receiving duplicate phones — people were getting phones more than one to a household," Billy Jack Gregg, a communications consultant who presented the enrollment figures at a recent House subcommittee hearing on Lifeline, said in an interview. "It seems pretty clear from the numbers that more were being distributed than should have been."

The FCC already has tightened its review of applicants and subscribers, resulting in a 27 percent decrease in nationwide enrollment since last summer. And agency officials say they expect participation in both Maryland and other states to continue to decline.

Still, the program remains a target of conservative lawmakers, and Congress is considering several bills to limit its scope.

Participants and supporters say Lifeline provides a critical service for families who can't afford phones to call employers when they're running late to work, for instance, or to take emergency calls from family.

"Imagine being a poor person and trying to find a job without a phone," said Cleo Stamatos, a consumer advocate and consultant who works on telecommunications issues. "It is a program we know helps people find and keep employment."

Lifeline is funded through a surcharge on phone bills that tends to run between $1 and $2 a month, depending on usage. The money pays for $8.7 billion in programs administered by an independent non-profit overseen by the FCC.

Lifeline accounts for $2.2 billion of that spending. More than 13 million people are enrolled nationwide, according to FCC data.

Commercial phone carriers, which are reimbursed from the fund for participating, set up vans on city streets in Baltimore to accept Lifeline applications and distribute free phones. At least one group that serves low- and middle-income families has included information about the phone program in its mailings to clients.

But why the program exploded in Maryland in particular remains a mystery. One possible factor: The state had among the lowest participation rates in 2008, and so there was more room to grow.

READ MORE

Appreciation Weekend For Military at The Delmarva Discovery Center

SAVE THE DATE !!

DEATH INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY IN FREDERICK CO.

(POINT OF ROCKS, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the river along the southern border of Frederick County late this afternoon.

A positive identification of the man has not been made. State Police have a tentative identification of an adult male who is believed to have been living in Frederick County.

At about 5:00 p.m. today, Maryland State Police were called to the area of the boat ramp in the Potomac River at Point of Rocks for the report of a body in the water. Maryland state troopers from the Frederick Barrack responded, as did Natural Resources Police officers.

The body was found in the water and the man was pronounced deceased at the scene. Troopers summoned Maryland State Police crime scene technicians and investigators from the State Police Homicide Unit. The body was recovered from the river and has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

A car belonging to the tentatively identified man was found parked near the scene. The keys and some personal belongs were found in the car.

State Police investigators will continue this investigation throughout the night. No further details will be available until sometime tomorrow.
 

Submitted :
MD. State Police

Sunday, May 5, 2013

NEW! Pocomoke Boat Docking Association

NEW!

Pocomoke Boat Docking



POCOMOKE BOAT DOCKING is in it's 1st year and will be held in beautiful downtown Pocomoke on the riverfront.

They are currently looking for sponsors.  If you would like to be a sponsor leave a message on their facebook page - Pocomoke Boat Docking Association

The event will be held on Aug. 18, 2013 starting at 1 pm. Gate will open at 10 am.

From the Pocomoke Boat Docking Association (below)

Vendor booth spaces are $50 for the day. If you are interested in being a sponsor, those details are as follows:
 
Bronze Dockers $100-$500
 - Name on sponsorship banner
 - 2 free tickets to event
 - 25% off vendor booth space

 
Silver Dockers $501-1500
 - Name on sponsorship banner
 - 4 free tickets to event
 - Business announced at event
 - Secondary bleacher seating
 - 50% off vendor booth space

 
Gold Dockers $1501-$3000 - Name on sponsorship banner
 - 6 free tickets to event
 - Business announced all day
 - Representative brought in by boat
 - Business on all radio PSA's
 - VIP seating
 - Free vendor booth space

 
Thank you for your interest!

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Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting

 
 
A G E N D A
POCOMOKE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
7:30 p.m., Monday, May 6, 2013
City Hall
 
 
  1. Call to Order, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
 
2.  Review and approval of minutes from meeting of April 8, 2013.
 
3.  Review and approval of bills to be paid.
 
4.  Introduction of new Police Officer Arthur Rudolph Hancock.
 
5.  Eagle Scott candidate Nathan Stephens to discuss his recent project to construct new picnic tables for Cypress Park.
 
6.  Mr. Kent Griffith to discuss current status and future of Cassatt Tower adjacent to railroad swing bridge.  (Owner Norfolk-Suffolk RR).
 
7.  Public Hearing on proposed 2013-14 CDBG application and project report on current CDBG projects.
 
8.  City Manager to present summary of bids received for construction of new Golf Course club house building. (Bid opening 11:00 A.M. 5-6-13).
 
9.  City Attorney to discuss proposed Ordinance concerning open containers of alcoholic beverages.
 
10.  Authorize Mayor to sign Proclamation for Municipal Clerks Week. (May 5-11)
 
11.  City Manager to recommend purchase capital equipment items.
 
  1. Used mini –excavator ($18,000)
  2. Maintenance and repairs at the Main Pumping Station Building (Clarke Ave.)  ($8,100).
  3. Purchase of nine additional Keystone actuators. ($37,755).
 
12.  City Manager to present drawing of proposed location for a new handicap access kayak launch ramp. 
 
Comments from the Audience.
Mayor and Council Items.
Adjourn.

TIME MACHINE ... 1895..1969..1938..1887..1913


(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)
 
June, 1895
Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac)
Temperanceville.

The citizens of this village were agreeably surprised last week. We have heard so much about the sidewalks in other places being torn up by the road machine, that when we saw it come into town we naturally expected like treatment from it, but it did nothing of the kind. Our overseer, Mr. E. T. Lang, more considerate than some, is leaving us a nice walk on each side, and says he is going to do the same, when practicable, over all his roads. He evidently takes the just view, that walkers have some rights to the roads as well as those who ride. Mr. Lang is winning the gratitude of all footmen and bicyclists. If any croaker wants to be convinced that the road machine is a good thing, when intelligently managed, let him come here and look.
  
March, 1969
(Daily Times- Salisbury)

Board Reviews Library Plans

SNOW HILL- Preliminary drawings of proposed library buildings for Pocomoke City and Berlin were shown to the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday.

The sketches, prepared by George Bert Cropper of Ocean City, were presented to the county commissioners by Library Board president Klein Leister of Pocomoke City.

No action on the part of the commissioners was necessary, since the session was primarily a briefing on progress of the new libraries.

Last November, the commissioners approved new libraries for both Pocomoke City and Berlin, with a cost of about $70,000 attached to each structure.

Plans called for a brick building of around 5,000 square feet for each community.

Mr. Leister said he had shown sketches and floor plans of the Pocomoke City building to the mayor and council there sometime ago, noting that only a couple of minor changes had been made in the plans since that time.

The Pocomoke City building will be of modified colonial architecture, it was explained.

The commissioners stressed the need to get the ideas and impressions of the mayor and council in both Pocomoke City and Berlin, before a final decision is made.

After considerable discussion and some disagreement between Library Board President Leister and the commissioners, it was agreed that the final decision on the building should be made by the library board, only after considerations of any suggestions from leaders in both towns.

This agreement was the same as that of last November, when the commissioners noted that the design of the buildings should be worked out by the library board in accordance with the wishes of the people in each community.  

 
April, 1938
(The Morning Herald- Hagerstown, Md)

Planting Is Rushed

Crisfiled, Md., April 7 (AP)- Headlights from tractors glowed on hundreds of fields in the lower Eastern Shore tonight as farmers rushed spring planting, many of them working 24 hours at a stretch. The above freezing cold wave of Sunday and today, some farmers explained, was probably the last of the season and will be followed by spring rains to reward their early plowing.

 
April, 1887
(The Weekly Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Wis.)

Town Destroyed
Richmond, Va., April 14- Fire in Onancock, Accomac County, destroyed most of the business portion of that town. Twenty-three houses, including the Grand Central Hotel, the post office and a number of business houses, were burned. There is no fire department in the town and the citizens could only fight the fire with buckets. Loss, $50,000; insurance, $25,000.
 
 
July, 1913
(The Journal Tribune-Logansport, Ind.)

Coroner's Jury Holds Gas Company Head for Death of Young Girl

(By Associated Press)

Salisbury, Md., July 1.- That Florence Wainwright came to her death on Friday, June 20, at about 630P.M., by a criminal operation, performed in or about the Home Gas Company's office, in which operation Harold R. Smith was implicated as an accessory both before and after the fact, was the verdict of the coroner's jury today.

Smith is general manager of the Home Gas Company, is 40 years old, and married. He was arrested and later released on bail.

Miss Wainwright, 24 years old, was the bookkeeper of the gas company. Her body was found in the office of the gas company. A medical examination showed that death had been caused by a criminal operation. A possible motive for the operation was established by testimony given at the inquest last Friday night. Two new witnesses today contradicted Smith's statements regarding the time he left the office of the gas company on June 20; Smith was the last person known to have seen Miss Wainwright alive.

Footnote: Smith's fate would be decided by a Grand Jury in September. Next week's article reports the Grand Jury's verdict.


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about. It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Joanne Chesimard First Woman Added to List of Terrorists

New Most Wanted Terrorist
Joanne Chesimard First Woman Added to List

05/02/13
On the 40th anniversary of the cold-blooded murder of a New Jersey state trooper, the fugitive convicted of the killing, Joanne Chesimard, has been named a Most Wanted Terrorist by the FBI—the first woman ever to make the list.


Officials from the FBI and the New Jersey State Police made the announcement this morning during a press conference, noting that the FBI is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the apprehension of Chesimard, who is believed to be living in Cuba under political asylum. Additionally, the state of New Jersey is offering an independent reward of up to $1 million, bringing the total maximum reward to $2 million.


“Joanne Chesimard is a domestic terrorist who murdered a law enforcement officer execution-style,” said Aaron Ford, special agent in charge of our Newark Division. “Today, on the anniversary of Trooper Werner Foerster’s death, we want the public to know that we will not rest until this fugitive is brought to justice.”

“This case is just as important today as it was when it happened 40 years ago,” added Mike Rinaldi, a lieutenant in the New Jersey State Police and member of our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Newark. “Bringing Joanne Chesimard back here to face justice is still a top priority,” he said.


On May 2, 1973, Chesimard and a pair of accomplices were stopped by two troopers for a motor vehicle violation on the New Jersey Turnpike. At the time, Chesimard—a member of the violent revolutionary activist organization known as the Black Liberation Army—was wanted for her involvement in several felonies, including bank robbery.


Chesimard and her accomplices opened fire on the troopers. One officer was wounded, and his partner—Trooper Foerster—was shot and killed at point-blank range. One of Chesimard’s accomplices was killed in the shoot-out and the other was arrested and remains in jail.

Chesimard fled but was apprehended. In 1977, she was found guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other crimes and was sentenced to life in prison. Less than two years later, she escaped from prison and lived underground before surfacing in Cuba in 1984.

In addition to being the first woman named as a Most Wanted Terrorist, Chesimard is only the second domestic terrorist to be added to the list.

“This crime was always considered an act of domestic terrorism,” said Rinaldi, who has been working the case for six years with other members of the JTTF. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he explained, the Black Liberation Army was a “radical left wing terror group that felt justified killing law enforcement officers. Throughout the ‘70s,” Rinaldi added, “this group conducted assaults on police stations and murdered police officers.”

Chesimard’s 1979 escape from prison was well planned, Rinaldi explained. “Armed domestic terrorists gained entry into the facility, neutralized the guards, broke her free, and turned her over to a nearby getaway team.”

Although Chesimard has been granted asylum in Cuba, Rinaldi stressed,“This is an active investigation and will continue as such until Chesimard is apprehended.”

We need your help: If you have any information concerning Joanne Chesimard, who now goes by the name Assata Shakur, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

FBI?GOV.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview


1895..Temperanceville is okay with "road machine;" 1969.. New libraries planned for Pocomoke City and Snow Hill; 1938.. Farmers make a spring planting rush on lower Eastern Shore; 1887..Heavy loss in Onancock fire; 1913.. An arrest is made in the death of a young Salisbury office worker.
 
Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye! 

  Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about. It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!