Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Ocean City Police K-9 Graduates from Training

K-9 Goro
OCPD
The Ocean City Police Department’s newest K-9 team recently graduated from a six-week training program at Shallow Creek Kennels training facility in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. Both Ofc. Nicholas Forsyth and his K-9 partner Goro are currently certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association as patrol and drug detection police K-9. They join an elite group of K-9 patrol teams, which are an integral part of the Ocean City Police Department.

Goro, a 18-month-old Belgian Malinois, is specially trained and came to the Ocean City Police Department from Holland, where he received specialized training for law enforcement duties. In addition to his training in Holland, Goro and Ofc. Forsyth received additional patrol/narcotics schooling, which develops the capabilities and physical conditioning of both the handler and K-9 alike. Upon completion of their training, both were certified by the North American Police Working Dog Association and the
Ofc. Forsyth and Goro
OCPD


Maryland Police and Corrections Training Commission.

Once on patrol, the new K-9 team is authorized to respond to calls for service and is often among the first specialized units to be called to a scene. Their specific skills, including apprehension techniques, obedience, narcotics detection, searching and tracking, are a critical asset to the Ocean City Police Department. In addition to their duties and responsibilities on the road, K-9 units participate in continual training, community events and public relations functions, self-initiated patrol and/or rendering assistance to state and county law enforcement patrols in the Ocean City area.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

The Annual Snow Hill Canoe Joust and Fire Works

The  Annual Snow Hill Canoe Joust and Fire Works
 
Sturgis Park
Snow Hill, Maryland
 
Saturday, July 6, 2013
10:00 AM
 
 
 FOOD and BEVERAGES served during the day and evening. An excellent show for the entire family.
 
Come out and say hello to your neighbors and your
local Law Enforcement and the
Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Department
 
 
Fireworks begin approximately 9pm.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

TROOPERS MAKE ARREST IN TALBOT CO. DEATH INVESTIGATION


Samuel I. Cross
(St. Michaels, MD) – A Talbot County Grand Jury today issued an indictment for a St. Michaels man who is now in police custody and is being charged in connection with the death of an Easton man whose body was found along a rural road in the county earlier this month.

The suspect is identified as Matthew Mikowski, 17, of the 9000-block of Bozman-Neavit Road, St. Michaels, Maryland. The suspect was taken into custody this afternoon by troopers from the Maryland State Police State Apprehension Team at a location in Wernersville, Pennsylvania without incident. He is currently being held at the Berks County Jail pending extradition proceedings.


Mikowski is charged as an adult on an indictment from a Talbot County Grand Jury with second degree murder, reckless endangerment, second degree assault, and four counts of distribution of LSD. The indictment was issued by the Grand Jury convened by the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office, after evidence was presented from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigation.

The investigation began on June 10, 2013, after troopers from the Easton Barrack responded to reports of a deceased man lying in the area of Bozman-Neavitt Road and St. Michaels Road. The deceased was later identified as Samuel I. Cross, 18, of Easton, Md. Cross’ Honda Pilot was also found nearby. An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore ruled the cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide.

The investigation has established Cross, Mikowski and other acquaintances were together in an area behind Mikowski’s home during the night of June 9th. Evidence developed during the investigation indicates the group may have been involved in the use of LSD. According to witnesses, Mikowski restrained Cross around the neck which resulted in his death. Investigators believe Cross’ body was later placed near his vehicle by Mikowski, where it was subsequently seen by those who called police.


Submitted:
Maryland State Police 

SMALL PLANE CRASH IN QUEEN ANNE'S CO.

NO INJURIES REPORTED AT SCENE OF SMALL PLANE CRASH IN QUEEN ANNE'S CO.

(Stevensville, MD) – Information is still being gathered, but Maryland State Police are reporting there are no injuries reported at the scene of a small plane that crashed in the Kent Island area of Queen Anne’s County this afternoon.

The two occupants of the small plane are not being identified until their families can be notified, but neither report sustaining any injuries. The plane is described as a Cirrus SR22.

Just after 2:45 p.m. today, troopers from the Centreville Barrack responded to the area of Romancoke Road and Kentmorr Road in Stevensville, Md., after receiving 9-1-1 calls reporting the plane crash. Upon arrival, troopers observed a small plane at the crash site.

The cause of the crash is unknown. State Police have notified officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. The investigation is continuing.


Submitted:
Maryland State Police

Worcester County Alcohol Compliance Check

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office conducted alcohol compliance checks at 64 establishments in Worcester County that hold liquor licenses May 30th and June 20, 2013.

Out of the 64 establishments that were checked only 10 made a sale to a person who was under the age of 21.

Below is a list of the establishments and the result of the compliance check.

BUSINESS                                                             RESULT


7-11                                      Ocean Pines             No Sale

C.W. Cheers                            Berlin                    No Sale

Country Barn Seafood              Berlin                  No Sale

 Friendship Food Mart              Berlin                   No Sale
 
Globe                                       Berlin                    No Sale

 
 
 
Noble Grape                           Ocean Pines           No Sale
 
Pizza Hut                                Ocean Pines             No Sale
 
Southside Deli                        Ocean Pines             No Sale
 
Taylors Neighborhood Grill     Ocean Pines              No Sale
 
Burley Oak Brewery                Ocean Pines              No Sale
 
Denovos Trattoria                  Ocean Pines              No Sale
 
Ritas World of Wine & Beer     Ocean Pines             No Sale
 
Shop Kwik                              Berlin                                     No Sale
 
Whiskers Bar and Grill          Ocean Pines          No Sale
 
Your Store                               Berlin                                No Sale
 
Newark Station                      Newark                     No Sale
 
Duck Inn                                Pocomoke                 No Sale
 
Goose Creek                          Pocomoke                 No Sale
 
Duck Inn II                            Snow Hill                  No Sale
 
Your Store                             Snow Hill                  No Sale
 
Shooters Sports Pub-            Ocean Pines                No Sale
 
Plaza Tapatia                        Pocomoke                  SALE
 
Plaza Tapatia                        Ocean Pines               SALE
 
The Upper Deck                     Pocomoke               SALE
 
Town Market Basket                Snow Hill             SALE
 
Atlantic Hotel                          Berlin                    SALE
 
Smiths Market                        Showell                   SALE
 
June 20th
Pit Stop Beer and Wine    Berlin                             No Sale
 
Bucks                                Berlin                            No Sale
 
Frontier Town                  Berlin                             No Sale
 
7-11 Division Street        Ocean City                     No Sale
 
Newark Station                Newark                          No Sale
 
Caruso Pizza                      Ocean City                  No Sale
 
Cork Bar                            Ocean City                  No Sale
 
Dogpatch/Trader Lees        West Ocean City        No Sale
 
Dough Roller Atlantic Ave  Ocean City                 No Sale
 
19th Hole Bar and Grill       West Ocean City         No Sale
 
First Street Bistro               Ocean City                  No Sale
 
Frog Bar                            Ocean City                   No Sale
 
Guidos Burritos                 Ocean City                   No Sale
 
Harrisons Harborwatch     Ocean City                  No Sale
 
Inlet Lodge                         Ocean City                 No Sale
 
Marina Deck                       Ocean City                  No Sale
 
Marlin Market              West Ocean City               No Sale
 
Patio Lounge/Tonys Pizza   Ocean City                 No Sale
 
Pizza Tugos                      West Ocean City              No Sale
 
Pour House                       Ocean City                       No Sale
 
Purple Moose                    Ocean City                      No Sale
 
Weavers Beer and Wine   Ocean City                       No Sale
 
Wine Rack                        West Ocean City              No Sale
 
Dons Seafood                    Pocomoke                       No Sale
 
Duck In                             Pocomoke                       No Sale
 
Plaza Tapatia                    Pocomoke                       No Sale
 
Goose Creek                     Pocomoke                       No Sale
 
Ruby Tuesday                  Pocomoke                       No Sale
 
Lins Asian Cuisine          Pocomoke                        No Sale
 
Pocomoke Beer and Wine Pocomoke                      No Sale
 
Upper Deck                        Pocomoke                      No Sale
 
Duck In II                          Snow Hill                       No Sale
 
Town Market Basket         Snow Hill                       No Sale
 
Your Stop                          Snow Hill                       SALE
 
O.C. Party Market             Ocean City                     SALE
 
Assateague Market            Berlin                             SALE
 
Castaways                          Berlin                            SALE
 

Man Threatens Two People with Knife

Anthony Hardy, Jr.
On June 22, 2013, at approximately 2:25 a.m. two male victims, a 21-year-old and a 22-year-old, both of Philadelphia, PA, reported to an Ocean City Police officer on patrol that they had been assaulted by a group of male suspects who had fled the scene. The victims stated that one of the suspects had shown a knife to the victims and threatened them with it.

Investigators at the scene were able to quickly obtain a description of the suspects and their vehicle and broadcast the information via police radio. A short time later, officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle on Baltimore Avenue headed north and was stopped on 2nd Street and Philadelphia Avenue without incident. Each of the occupants of the vehicle were detained and questioned by police. Police were able to determine that Anthony Hardy, Jr., 19, of Salisbury, MD, was in possession of the knife used in the assault. It was seized by police. Hardy, Jr. has been charged by Ocean City Police with two counts of first degree assault, two counts of second degree assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, and concealing a dangerous weapon.

Police also determined that the suspect vehicle was rented and that the driver, a 17-year-old male juvenile of Salisbury, MD, was in violation of the vehicles rental agreement. Also, during a search of each of the occupants, police found that the juvenile was in possession of oxycodone. The juvenile is being charged with driving a rented motor vehicle in violation of a rental agreement and possession of controlled dangerous substance.

Hardy, Jr. was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and was released on $110,000 bond. The 17-year-old male is being charged as a minor and has been referred to the Maryland Department of Social Services Juvenile Justice for processing as a juvenile.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

No Tuesday Launch

The launch of two sounding rockets from the Wallops Flight Facility was scrubbed on Tuesday, June 25 due to activity in the ionosphere not developing as needed.

 As the launch window neared, there were also boats that would impact the hazard area.

The next attempt for these two rockets will be Friday, June 28, with a window of 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Meet Cornelius the Snake Today At the Delmarva Discovery Center

 
 
NO dive dialogue TODAY.
 In its place the Delmarva Discovery Center  will have
 Critter Corner with Cornelius the snake.
Join Cornelius and the others at the Discovery Center at 1 PM for a animal show and craft!
 
 
 
 

Monday, June 24, 2013

$50 Flat Fee Parking All Day in Inlet Lot on July 4th

The Town of Ocean City is making a change to parking operations in the Inlet Parking Lot on Thursday, July 4, by charging a $50 flat-fee for all day parking.  The fee, which is good for one-entry, will allow visitors to come as early as 5 a.m. and stay as late as midnight, without being charged an hourly parking rate.

“We hope the new flat fee parking will allow our visitors to be more flexible during their trip to Ocean City on July 4th,” said John VanFossen, Deputy Director of Public Works.  “We think this will not only allow visitors the opportunity to come to Ocean City early and stay late, but it will also smooth the amount of traffic exiting the downtown area after the fireworks.”

Visitors who utilize the flat-free option will be issued a window pass and directed to park by assisting parking attendants.  If the lot fills, visitors will be encouraged to use neighboring parking lots, including Worcester Street, Somerset Street, Dorchester Street, North Division Street, 4th Street and the West Ocean City Park & Ride. 

The normal “ticketed” parking operations will return at midnight on July 5.

  For questions about parking in the Inlet Lot on July 4th or for more information, please contact Communications Manager, Jessica Waters at 410-289-8967.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

Merrill Lockfaw Inducted IntoThe Delmarva Volunteer Firemen's Assoc. Hall of Fame

Merrill Lockfaw (center) was recently inducted intoThe Delmarva Volunteer Firemen's Assoc. Hall of Fame.

PCVFC Photo

Merrill, a 40 year member of The Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Co. has served as Chief and is currently the Recording Secretary.

Looking on is Chip Choquett (L) PCVFC President  and Dicky Gladding (R) PCVFC Chief.


  

NO LAUNCH TODAY

JUST RECEIVED FROM:
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility


Launch has scrubbed for the day.

 Unfortunately, the clouds were not planned to clear before the time needed for launch.

Additionally, there were boats in our hazard area. We will attempt again tomorrow, Tuesday June 25, with a window of 930-1130 a.m. The webcast will begin at 830 a.m.

Help Support the Delmarva Discovery Center / 20% OFF Food/Non-alcholic Beverags After 5 TODAY


Two Rockets To Be Launched Today / Wallops Flight Facility

Wallops' next launch is scheduled for June 24.

Two rockets will launch 15-seconds apart in support of the Daytime Dynamo experiment, which is a joint project between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.

The project is designed to study a global electrical current called the dynamo, which sweeps through the ionosphere. The ionosphere stretches from about 30 to 600 miles above Earth and plays a crucial role in our day-to-day lives. For example, radio waves bounce off it as they travel from sender to receiver, and communications signals from satellites travel through it as well. A disruption in the ionosphere can disrupt these signals.

The first rocket scheduled for launch is a single-stage Black Brant V, which will collect data on the neutral and charged particles it travels through. The second rocket is a two-stage Terrier-Improved Orion. It will shoot out a long trail of lithium gas to track how the upper atmospheric wind varies with altitude. These winds are believed to be the drivers of the dynamo currents.

Since the launch is during the day, the lithium trails will not be highly visible to the naked eye.

Based on the approved range schedule, the rockets are set for launch between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. June 24.

The backup launch days are June 25 and from June 28 to July 8.

The rockets will be visible to residents in the Wallops region. The NASA Visitor Center will open at 8 a.m. on launch day for viewing the launches.

GODSPELL~ THIS WEEKEND! LIVE!

 
 
GODSPELL
 
LIVE ON STAGE
PERFORMED BY A  SELECTED LIVE CAST FROM THE Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center, Inc.
 
 
 
The Mar-Va is proud to announce the Godspell will be taking the stage on
 
 
 
Friday, June 28
Saturday, June 29
At  7:00 PM
 
ALSO
 
Sunday,  June 30 at 2 PM
 
Tickets are $15/adult and $7/12 and under.
 
 
You can purchase tickets at the Mar-Va Box Office
Market Street Deli
 Enchanted Florist
 or T's Corner!
 

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Facebook Bug May Have Compromised Contact Info .....

Facebook bug may have compromised contact information of six million users

(CNN) – A newly discovered Facebook bug may have inadvertently compromised the contact information of 6 million users, the company says.

The bug, which has since been repaired, was part of the Download Your Information tool, which lets Facebook users export all the data from profiles, such as posts to their timeline and conversations with friends. People using the tool may have downloaded inadvertently the contact information for people they were somehow connected to.

Some people upload their contact lists or address books to Facebook, which the company then uses to suggest new friends they can connect with who are already using the service.

Though the number of people impacted is sizable, the actual spread of their contact information appears to be limited. The phone numbers and e-mail addresses were not exposed to developers or posted publicly. It is only shown to people they had at least a tentative connection with, and who may have already had their contact information. Even in that pool, it was only exposed to people who had used the data-exporting tool.

“For almost all of the email addresses or telephone numbers impacted, each individual email address or telephone number was only included in a download once or twice. This means, in almost all cases, an email address or telephone number was only exposed to one person,” Facebook’s security team said in a post.

The company says it has no evidence that the bug was “exploited maliciously” and that there have been no complaints so far.

The social media company announced the bug on Friday afternoon. The issue was discovered by a third-party security researcher who submitted it through Facebook’s White Hat program.

Facebook’s White Hat program is set up so that people such as security researchers can report any vulnerabilities they find on the social network and get a reward for $500 and up in return. These types of programs are common at Internet companies.

“Your trust is the most important asset we have, and we are committed to improving our safety procedures and keeping your information safe and secure,” read the post.

People who were affected by the bug will receive an e-mail from Facebook.

SCOURCE:

TIME MACHINE ... 1953, 1939, 1894, 1876, 1891


(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)
 
June, 1953
(Daily News Record- Harrisonburg, Va.)

2 Eastern Shore Men Discover Treasure of Considerable Sum

HALLWOOD, Va., June 18 (AP)- Two Eastern Shore men disclosed today they had unearthed a canvas bag containing "a considerable sum" in old American and foreign coins near this Accomack County community.

They said they found the bag of coins- it took both men to lift the load- partly uncovered in a ditch beside a road construction project on State Road 779, between Hallwood and Bloxom.

Linwood Poulson, 35, of Hallwood, and Wilson Bundick, 37, of Accomac, said the discovery was made after they went to the area seeking souvenirs as a result of reports that a large number of old coins had been found scattered in the area on June 7.

The bag was showing through fresh earth hauled to the road construction site from nearby farms and presumably had been in one of the truck loads of dirt dumped on a new roadbed. Rains over the weekend apparently had washed away some of the earth, leaving a portion of the bag showing.

"Actually, we don't know how much the money's worth, because we're not sure of their value to collectors," Bundick told a reporter today.

He displayed one of the coins found in the bag, an American silver dollar dated 1803, and said it was valued at $5 in collector's catalogues.

"One year later, when the government minted only 750 of the coins, it would be worth $2,500."

"We may have some 1804 silver dollars; we haven't checked them all yet."

The coins were dated from 1739 to 1842.

The name of a sea captain was embroidered on the canvas bag but Bundick and Poulson declined to reveal the identity "for fear of a long legal battle," with persons who might claim to be descendants of the captain.

Bundick and Poulson did say it was a foreign name, however.

Some of the coins were held out by the two men for show pieces, but both said the bulk of the money was placed in a bank for safekeeping. They declined to identify the bank.

The two men admitted they were unable to sleep Sunday night after finding the money, and Poulson said he was under such a strain the next day he had to be treated by a physician.

Poulson and Bundick haven't decided what they'll do with the money, but they'll probably take their families- each is married and has two children- on a vacation trip.

Their decision to make a search of souvenirs was prompted by the luck of residents of the area in finding old coins near the road project June 7, after word got out that gold and silver coins had been found along the road.

On that occasion one individual reportedly picked up something like $25 in 10, 25, and 50 cent pieces dating from 1835 to 1900.

But Poulson and Bundick figure their find of American, French, Italian, English, Spanish, Mexican, Peruvian and Bolivian coins will run at least into five figures.

 
 
November, 1939
(The Salisbury Times)

NEW SPEED SIGNS ERECTED IN STATE

Baltimore, Nov. 15-(AP)- One third of the 6,000 signs that will apprise Maryland motorists of the new speed limits that went into effect last June have been erected on the highways, Robert M. Reindollar, assistant chief engineer of the State Roads Commission said today.

Reindollar said all the black and white signs would be posted by the end of the month. The markers are placed at one-mile intervals on the Washington boulevard and the Philadelphia Road and will be augmented by warning signs.

The new law raised the speed limit on dual highways from 45 to 55 miles an hour and set it at 50 M.P.H. for ordinary roads.

 
 
November, 1894.

The Whipping Act for wife beaters which had been recently adopted by Worcester County was to be put into use for the first time. The man convicted was sentenced to six months in jail plus 25 lashes upon his naked back.


 
July, 1876 (Eastern Virginian- Onancock)
 
Even to those who visit Chincoteague often the spirit of progress and improvement is astonishing, buildings are going up in every part of it. Mr. J. J. English will soon occupy his new hotel; this is indeed a gem of its kind; large, airy, convenient; beautifully situated in front of the bay, it cannot fail to attract a large number of visitors: already parties from the West, have spoken for rooms, and we predict that at no very distant day, Chincoteague will be one of the most favorite and fashionable watering places on our coast.
OBSERVER. 


 
June, 1891
(Oelwein Register- Oelwein, Iowa)

A SHERIFF'S WOE

Tangled in the Meshes of a Case of Mistaken Identity

Sheriff Uriah F. Shockley, of Snow Hill, Md., is in trouble over a peculiar case of mistaken identity. During his term of office, a suit for $2.12 had been levied to pay James Trader for services rendered to the county. There are three James Traders in Worcester, but the sheriff didn't know it and he paid the amount to another James Trader who accepted it. When the real James Trader called for his money the sheriff paid it again to avoid trouble, but he brought suit against the first Trader for obtaining money under false pretenses. Unfortunately the warrant was served on James Trader No.3, who had not been known in the case and was put in prison. The sheriff had this man released as soon as he discovered it and made an apology, but the angry man brought suit for malicious prosecution. The best lawyers in the county were engaged. The defense claimed that the imprisonment was an error of the head and not of heart, but the jury came to conclusion that Trader No. 3 was entitled to redress and brought in a verdict for $405. 


 
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!

New Chief To Be Sworn In and New and Seasonal Officers - OC Is Ready For Summer!

Over 100 seasonal officers are in place, four new full-time officers have recently graduated from the Eastern Shore Criminal Jusitce Academy and we will be welcoming newly appointed Chief Ross Buzzuro on July 2.




Ocean City Police Department is ready for summer and ready to keep the residents and visitors of Ocean City safe during the summer months and throughout the year.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

SAVE THE DATE.....Rockin' For Relay

 
 
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT RELAY FOR LIFE

 
 
 
 
 
 
SNEAK PEEK FOR THE SILENT AUCTION
(And thank you to those who have donated to the cause)
 
15 tons of driveway stone-Vulcan Materials

haul for stones-Reese Transportation

Family membership for 1 year to Delmarva Discovery Center

$40 gift card to Country Critters
 
 MaxCold 5 day, 40 qt., rolling Igloo Cooler-Target
 
 Beach Chair picture frame-Bed-Bath & Beyond

Reed Diffuser & Willow Tree figurine- H & H Furniture
 
 Gift Certificate for haircut-Shore Cut

Soy Candle-Enchanted Florist

24 oz Tervis Tumbler w/lid & straw- Heart & Home
 
 2 night stay for your pet at Paws & Claws Cottages

Sea Striker fishing pole- Sea Hawk
 
 Cornhole boards made by Ron Trostle
 
11x13 picture & 4x6 picture by new photographer Josh Wilkins

Pearl necklace w/cancer ribbon-Bobby Smallwood

4 box seats w/parking pass for Shorebirds game-Carol Troast
 
and that's not all....more to be added....

Saturday, June 22, 2013

SUPER "Super Moon" For 2013 - June 22-23

Full moon falls on June 23, 2013 at 11:32 UTC (6:32 a.m. CDT in the U.S.). Thus, for many, the moon appears about as full in the June 22 evening sky as it does on the evening of June 23. This full moon is not only the closest and largest full moon of the year. It also presents the moon’s closest encounter with Earth for all of 2013. The moon will not be so close again until August, 2014. In other words, it’s not just a supermoon. It’s the closest supermoon of 2013.

At United States’ time zones, the moon will turn full on June 23 at 7:32 a.m. EDT, 6:32 a.m. CDT, 5:32 a.m. MDT and 4:32 a.m. PDT.

We astronomers call this sort of close full moon a perigee full moon. The word perigee describes the moon’s closest point to Earth for a given month. Two years ago, when the closest and largest full moon fell on March 19, 2011, many used the term supermoon, which we’d never heard before. Last year, we heard this term again to describe the year’s closest full moon on May 6, 2012. Now the term supermoon is being used a lot. Last month’s full moon – May 24-25, 2013 – was also a supermoon. But the June full moon is even more super! In other words, the time of full moon falls even closer to the time of perigee, the moon’s closest point to Earth. The crest of the moon’s full phase in June 2013, and perigee, fall within an hour of each other.

READ MORE.....

Woman Claims Stranger Allowed To Sign Child Out Elementary School

How does THIS happen?  When school's are so terrified that strangers will enter any school and harm the children but nothing is questioned about this???


By Linda Cicoira
Eastern Shore Post

Accomack Schools is investigating a June 14 incident in which a third grade student was driven home from Pungoteague Elementary School by an unauthorized person.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Hall said Tuesday night that the incident has become a personnel matter and therefore she cannot comment.

The Keller woman telling this story is the girl’s grandmother, but said she has custody of the 9-year-old, whom she is raising as her daughter. Upon advice of her attorney, the woman asked that her own identity not be disclosed.

The woman said she was waiting for her child to get off the bus last Friday afternoon when the bus passed the house without stopping. She said she thought there must be a sick child on the bus “who had to get off first” and the bus would circle back around. But that didn’t happen.

Instead, “five minutes after the bus went by” at about 3:45 p.m., “I’m standing there on the porch” and “a white car pulls up” with a “stranger” at the wheel and her daughter gets out. “I didn’t know the woman (driving) from Adam,” the woman said. “I did not meet
her until she pulled up in my yard with my child in her car.”

The driver explained that she has a child in the same class as the Keller girl who asked for a ride. The driver said she was allowed to sign both students out and was never questioned by a school worker about it.

The school had been given the names of three relatives who are permitted to pick up the child. The driver “could  have been a pervert or a child molester,” she said.

“I want something done about this,” the woman added. “You don’t let a stranger take a child out of the school. Your children are supposed to be safe when they go to school,” she continued. “It was very careless on their part. …They are investigating it. They have no explanation. None.”

“I have had nightmares every night since this happened,” the woman said.  “I wake up screaming. This has really put me through a stress test.” In the meantime, she “reprimanded” her child was “quite highly” for getting in the vehicle.

“The school has a criteria to meet,” the woman said. “When she gets on the school bus (in the morning,) I expect her to be on the school bus to come home.”

She said the principal apologized for the incident and said it wouldn’t happen again. “I can guarantee you it will never happen again,” the woman said.

“I’m not going to go away. I’m not going to let it be ignored.”


TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.


1953.. Treasure found at site of Eastern Shore road construction; 1939.. New Maryland speed limits; 1894.. Whipping post in Worcester; 1876.. High expectations for Chincoteague; 1891.. Worcester sheriff tangles with mistaken identity case. 

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!

Another Month, and Job Losses Continue for Maryland Families

Another Month, and Job Losses
Continue for Maryland Families

Maryland lost 5,700 jobs in May according to the latest available numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Maryland(-.2%) also saw the highest jump in its unemployment rate in the mid-Atlantic region from 6.5% to 6.7%.

"Every month in Maryland is like Groundhog's Day - over and over again we hear this administration talk about jobs, yet more times than not, Maryland families wake up to learn once again our state has lost jobs," said Larry Hogan. "Career politicians think that if they say something enough times, it will eventually become true. And while the O'Malley / Brown administration likes to talk about jobs, the cold harsh reality is that 5,700 hard working Marylanders lost their job last month."

More Hogan: "The time for results is long overdue and the O'Malley / Brown administration has no more excuses left. They have been at the helm of our state's economy for seven years, there is no one else to blame for these job losses. The need for real change in Maryland has never been more clear."

Nationwide, the employment rates in 25 states jumped in May while 17 states saw their unemployment rates increase. Only Louisiana(-.4%) and Tennessee (-.3%) experienced higher increases in their unemployment rates for May.

You can find the complete data at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm

President Nominates James B. Comey As New FBI Director

New FBI Director
President Nominates James B. Comey at
White House Ceremony

James Comey speaks at the White House following his nomination by
 President Barack Obama to be the next director
 of the FBI when Director Robert S. Mueller’s
 term ends on September 4.

06/21/13
President Barack Obama today nominated James B. Comey, Jr. to serve as the next Director of the FBI. Comey must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before taking office.

“Jim is exceptionally qualified to handle the full range of challenges faced by today’s FBI,” the president said during a ceremony held at the White House. “I am confident that Jim will be a leader who understands how to keep America safe and to stay true to our founding ideals no matter what the future may bring.”

“I want to commend the president for the choice of Jim Comey as the next director of the FBI,” said current Director Robert S. Mueller. “I have had the opportunity to work with Jim for a number of years at the Department of Justice, and I have found him to be a man of honesty, dedication, and integrity. His experience, his judgment, and his strong sense of duty will benefit not only the Bureau, but the country as a whole.”

Comey served as deputy attorney general under the George W. Bush administration from December 2003 until August 2005, running the day-to-day operations of the Department of Justice. Prior to that, he was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted a number of major terrorism and criminal cases. From 1996 to 2001, Comey worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has extensive industry experience as well, serving as general counsel and senior vice president for Lockheed Martin and general counsel for the investment firm Bridgewater Associates.

“Just as important as Jim’s extraordinary experience is his character,” President Obama said. “Jim understands that in times of crisis, we aren’t judged solely by how many plots we disrupt or how many criminals we bring to justice—we are also judged by our commitment to the Constitution that we’ve sworn to defend and to the values and civil liberties that we’ve pledged to protect.”

Mueller steps down September 4 after serving 12 years—his original 10-year term plus a two-year extension proposed by the White House and approved by Congress in 2011. “I want to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of the FBI,” Mueller said. “Through their hard work, their dedication, and their adaptability, the FBI is better able to predict and prevent terrorism and crime.”

If his nomination is confirmed, Comey will be the 11th Director in the FBI’s 105-year history—the 7th since the J. Edgar Hoover era. When it began in 1908, the Bureau’s leader was called “Chief.” Since 1919, the organization’s top administrator has been called “Director.” The Director has answered directly to the attorney general since the 1920s, and by law is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. In 1976, in reaction to the extraordinary 48-year term of Hoover, Congress passed a law limiting the FBI Director to a single term of no longer than 10 years.
 
 

Source:

Eastern Shore DrugTask Force Still Searching For 6 Others Indicted Earlier

The Eastern Shore Drug Task Force is continuing to search for six others that were indicted earlier this month. They are:

Harry Earl Pinkard, AKA Peaches, 45, New Church, one count of possession of cocaine

James Smith, 28,  Horntown, two counts distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of heroin
Keon Lamar Townsend, 31, Horntown, 3 counts distributing heroin

Royce (Poogie) Antonio Townsend, 40, Horntown, on three counts each of distributing heroin

William Nelson, 38, of Painter, one count of distribution of cocaine

Upshur Ayres, AKA Bink, 25,  Onancock,  two counts of distributing cocaine

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these men is asked to call the Eastern Shore Drug Task Force at 414-0746 or
Accomack County Sherriff's Office  at 787-1131.