Sunday, April 20, 2014

TIME MACHINE ... 1917, 1897, 1950, 1920, 1994, 1884

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archive material)

Thanks to former Chincoteague resident Tom Elliott for providing additional information regarding the old Chincoteague wild goose farm.  Check Monday's Pocomoke Public Eye for an excerpt from the 1929 article that Tom sent.-tk

March, 1917 
Washington Post

Col. Charles Chaille-Long, author, explorer, and one-time American consul general at Alexandria, Egypt, is dead at his home in Virginia Beach, Va. He was 75-years-old. He was born at Princess Anne, Somerset County, Md., in 1842, and during the civil war served in the First Maryland volunteers, and later became a captain of Company G. Eleventh Maryland cavalry. Three years after the war he became a lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian army. In 1882 he was appointed consul general at Alexandrea. He also served as consul general and secretary of the American legation in Seoul, Korea from 1887 to 1889.

He wrote several books on exploration in central Africa.

May, 1897
The Colfax Chronicle (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.)

Maryland Malaria

Col.Chaille-Long, of the eastern shore of Maryland, well known as an African traveler, tells the following story: '"One day, when I was with Gordon as chief of his staff, he asked me, in a quizzing way, why it was I never died of the jungle fever. 'Sir,' I said, I was born on the eastern shore of Maryland and have breathed the air of malaria and swamp fever for many years. This was my training school for eastern travel." -Chicago Inter Ocean.

September, 1950
Evening Times (Cumberland, Md.)

State Editor 90 Years Old

POCOMOKE CITY— (AP)—"Jukey" Clarke, one of the nation's oldest newspaper editors, had only one complaint on his ninetieth birthday last Saturday:

"This heat gets me," he said at his desk in the weekly Worcester Democrat where he celebrated his birthday as usual.

 
"Jukey"—more formally known as Dr. Edward J. Clarke —has been owner and editor of the paper since 1922. Before that he had been an educator. He taught in Worcester county and Accomack, Va., public schools and at Washington College where he was head of the English Department and on the Board' of Governors. He also was superintendent of Kent County public schools.  

One of Dr. Clarke's English students was Federal Judge T. Alan Goldsborough.
His newspaper routine consists of getting in at 9 a. m. and returning after lunch about 3 p.m. Mrs. Clarke, to whom he's been married 51 years, is 82.

Moderation is his advice far longevity and for success, sincerity. "That's the thing that counts," he said.

September, 1920
New York Tribune

(Excerpts)

Nation-Wide Wet Crusade Is Launched

Plan Devised in Maryland Already Is Extended to New York, New Jersey and Five Other States

Special Dispatch to The Tribune

BALTIMORE, Sept. 5- Maryland wets have begun a drive against the Volstead law and the prohibition amendment. In addition, prominent anti-prohibitionists will seek to bring the question up before the extra session of the Maryland Legislature called for September 20 to provide facilities for registration of women.

Captain W. H. Stayton, native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and at present president of the Baltimore Steamship Company, took the initiative in suggesting the wet plan. And it is due chiefly to his efforts that the association has organized branches in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, in addition to Maryland.

November, 1994

In 1994 CBS aired a two-part mini-series on the famed Dionne quintuplets.

The quintuplets in "Million Dollar Babies" were played by two sets of triplets: Brooke, Emily and Samantha Gilliland from Snow Hill, Md., and Erin, Grace and Bonnie Morris-Vanasse from Ottawa, Canada.

January, 1884
(The New York Times)

MARRIED ON A STEAM-BOAT (Time Machine archive)

From The Pocomoke City (Md.) Record

At Onancock, Va., on Wednesday morning of last week, as the steamer Tangier was preparing to leave her wharf, a young man, closely followed by a young lady, was seen making for the landing with hurried strides. The gang-plank, which had been drawn in, was again put out, and the couple, gasping for breath, hastily boarded the steamer. As the boat moved off an elderly man came rushing down to the wharf, gesticulating wildly and shaking his fist at the receding vessel, but the lucky couple- Mr. George S. White and Miss Annie T. Hopkins- only laughed at the old gentleman. They were aged 20 and 18, respectively, and were married speedily afterward by the Rev. George Bradford, who was on the steamer at the time on his way to Pocomoke City. The ceremony was witnessed by others of the boat and passengers, among whom the little romantic episode caused quite a ripple of pleasurable excitement. The newly married couple had intended returning to Onancock and facing the irate parents, but owing to the dense fog prevailing the boat failed to reach that place and they were carried on to Baltimore. They spent the first three days of their honeymoon, therefore, on the steamer Tangier, not even so much as going ashore to view the beauties of the city and enjoy the festivities of the holidays.

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!

Celebrate Earth Day 2014 With NASA

NASA Celebrates Earth Day with Public Events, Online Activities

http://www.nasa.gov/globalselfie/




NASA will celebrate the 44th anniversary of Earth Day with a variety of live and online activities April 21-27 to engage the public in the agency’s mission to better understand and protect our home planet.
 
NASA #GlobalSelfie Event

Join NASA April 22 as we encourage people all over the world to step outside and celebrate environmental awareness.  Anyone, anywhere on the globe, can participate by posting a "selfie" with their local environment as a backdrop.

 Post your photo to Twitter, Instagram or Google+ using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie or to the event groups on Facebook and Flickr.

Photos tagged #GlobalSelfie will be used to create a mosaic image of Earth. For details on how to participate, visit:

 

Coast Guard Oversees Bulk Carrier Refloating Off Virginia Beach


The Ornak, a 751-foot bulk carrier, is shown aground near First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, Va., Thursday, April 17, 2014. The ship became grounded after severe weather passed through the Hampton Roads region Tuesday evening. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard oversaw the refloating of the 751-foot bulk carrier, Ornak, Friday.

 At approximately 9:35 a.m., the Ornak was refloated offshore of the Virginia Beach Resort and Convention Center and repositioned to the Lynnhaven anchorage.

 Agencies involved in the removal of the grounded ship were Svitzer, the contracted salvage company, McAllister towing, the Virginia Pilots and the Coast Guard.

"Freeing this vessel from the beach was truly a collaborative effort," said Capt. John Little, the Captain of the Port of Hampton Roads. "The coordination today and over the last few days between the salvage company, the Coast Guard engineers, including the team from the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Center in Washington, D.C., McAllister Towing and our port partners brought this event to a successful conclusion. The vessel is now undergoing inspections to verify that the ship poses no hazard to the port or the environment prior to being returned to commercial service."

Friday morning, ballast water began being pumped off the Ornak. Afterwards, two McAllister tugs, the 5,150 horsepower AJ McAllister and the 4,650 horsepower Emily Anne McAllister, attached tow lines to the vessel and slowly began towing the ship toward deeper water. The vessel was freed on an incoming tide at approx 9:35 a.m. and anchored further from shore where an underwater hull survey will be conducted.

Once the ship is deemed safe, the Coast Guard will remove the captain of the port restrictions and allow the vessel to continue on its intended voyage to load grain at the Purdue facility at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal.

U.S. Coast Guard

Saturday, April 19, 2014

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

                                                                                                  
1917.. Colonel Chaille Long of Somerset County was a noted author, explorer, and foreign dignatary; 1950.. Pocomoke newspaper editor "Jukey" Clarke is 90; 1920.. Eastern Shore native leads anti-prohibition campaign; 1884.. Onancock couple's unplanned marriage on a steam boat; 1994..Snow Hill triplets in TV mini-series.

Although you may not find all of 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!

NASA Completes LADEE Mission with Planned Impact on Moon's Surface

Concept art showing LADEE over the lunar surface
Image Credit: NASA
Ground controllers at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., have confirmed that NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft impacted the surface of the moon, as planned, between 9:30 and 10:22 p.m. PDT Thursday, April 17.

LADEE lacked fuel to maintain a long-term lunar orbit or continue science operations and was intentionally sent into the lunar surface. The spacecraft's orbit naturally decayed following the mission's final low-altitude science phase.

During impact, engineers believe the LADEE spacecraft, the size of a vending machine, broke apart, with most of the spacecraft’s material heating up several hundred degrees – or even vaporizing – at the surface. Any material that remained is likely buried in shallow craters.

"At the time of impact, LADEE was traveling at a speed of 3,600 miles per hour – about three times the speed of a high-powered rifle bullet," said Rick Elphic, LADEE project scientist at Ames. "There’s nothing gentle about impact at these speeds – it’s just a question of whether LADEE made a localized craterlet on a hillside or scattered debris across a flat area. It will be interesting to see what kind of feature LADEE has created."

In early April, the spacecraft was commanded to carry out maneuvers that would lower its closest approach to the lunar surface. The new orbit brought LADEE to altitudes below one mile (two kilometers) above the lunar surface. This is lower than most commercial airliners fly above Earth, enabling scientists to gather unprecedented science measurements.

On April 11, LADEE performed a final maneuver to ensure a trajectory that caused the spacecraft to impact the far side of the moon, which is not in view of Earth or near any previous lunar mission landings. LADEE also survived the total lunar eclipse on April 14 to 15. This demonstrated the spacecraft's ability to endure low temperatures and a drain on batteries as it, and the moon, passed through Earth's deep shadow.

In the coming months, mission controllers will determine the exact time and location of LADEE's impact and work with the agency’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) team to possibly capture an image of the impact site. Launched in June 2009, LRO provides data and detailed images of the lunar surface.

"It's bittersweet knowing we have received the final transmission from the LADEE spacecraft after spending years building it in-house at Ames, and then being in constant contact as it circled the moon for the last several months," said Butler Hine, LADEE project manager at Ames.

Launched in September 2013 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, LADEE began orbiting the moon Oct. 6 and gathering science data Nov. 10. The spacecraft entered its science orbit around the moon's equator on Nov. 20, and in March 2014, LADEE extended its mission operations following a highly successful 100-day primary science phase.

LADEE also hosted NASA’s first dedicated system for two-way communication using laser instead of radio waves. The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) made history using a pulsed laser beam to transmit data over the 239,000 miles from the moon to the Earth at a record-breaking download rate of 622 megabits-per-second (Mbps). In addition, an error-free data upload rate of 20 Mbps was transmitted from the primary ground station in New Mexico to the Laser Communications Space Terminal aboard LADEE.

LADEE gathered detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere. In addition, scientists hope to use the data to address a long-standing question: Was lunar dust, electrically charged by sunlight, responsible for the pre-sunrise glow seen above the lunar horizon during several Apollo missions?

"LADEE was a mission of firsts, achieving yet another first by successfully flying more than 100 orbits at extremely low altitudes," said Joan Salute, LADEE program executive, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Although a risky decision, we're already seeing evidence that the risk was worth taking.”

A thorough understanding of the characteristics of our nearest celestial neighbor will help researchers understand other bodies in the solar system, such as large asteroids, Mercury and the moons of outer planets.

NASA also included the public in the final chapter of the LADEE story. A “Take the Plunge” contest provided an opportunity for the public to guess the date and time of the spacecraft’s impact via the internet. Thousands submitted predictions. NASA will provide winners a digital congratulatory certificate.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington funds the LADEE mission. Ames was responsible for spacecraft design, development, testing and mission operations, in addition to managing the overall mission. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., managed the science instruments, technology demonstration payload and science operations center, and provided mission support. Goddard also manages the LRO mission. Wallops was responsible for launch vehicle integration, launch services and operations. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., managed LADEE within the Lunar Quest Program Office.

For more information about the LADEE mission, visit:


For more information about LLCD, visit:

Friday, April 18, 2014

Maryland State Police I-95 CRASH UPDATE II

Maryland State Police Press Release

(Havre de Grace, MD) -- Two travel lanes are now open on I-95 in northern Harford County, but northbound traffic remains slow as the investigation into the passenger bus crash continues.

Four passengers on the bus have been transported by ambulance to Harford Memorial Hospital as a precaution. All of the approximately 75 passengers on the commercial tour bus have been transported off the interstate to a nearby park and ride by state troopers, Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers and courtesy patrol units, as well as fire department personnel. Arrangements are being made to move all the passengers to the Maryland House rest area until a replacement bus can arrive.

Lanes one and two of the northbound interstate are now open. Those are the fast lane and the lane to its immediate right. The bus will have to be towed from the scene, so at least some lane closures are expected until a heavy duty tow truck can arrive and remove the bus.

The crash was reported to Maryland State Police at 3:39 p.m. The bus apparently left the highway, traveled across the right shoulder and struck the guardrail. The investigation is continuing.


Pocomoke City Police Department ~ EASTER EGG HUNT THIS SATURDAY


Maryland State Police - I-95 CRASH UPDATE

Maryland State Police Press Release

(Havre de Grace, MD) -- Maryland State Police on the scene of the northbound I-95 bus crash near exit 89 are reporting it is a single vehicle crash that caused no visible injuries to any passengers, but EMS personnel are responding as a precaution.

The crash involved a commercial tour bus carrying about 75 people, none of whom are showing signs of visible injury. Emergency medical services personnel have been summoned to the scene and are evaluating the passengers as a precaution.

Troopers and Maryland Transportation Authority officials are working to obtain shuttle vehicles to move the bus passengers off the interstate to a nearby location until a replacement bus arrives. Until that occurs, the passengers are standing on the shoulder of the interstate.

Traffic is able to move by the scene on the left shoulder of the interstate, but all travel lanes of the interstate remain closed. It is unknown how long the closure will occur, but lanes will be reopened as soon as possible.

The investigation is continuing. Preliminary information indicates the bus traveled onto the right shoulder of the interstate and struck the guardrail. It remained upright and no other vehicles were involved.


Larry Hogan Significantly Expands TV and Radio Advertising


Annapolis, MD – April 17 – Two days after his campaign reported raising more than $450,000 in its first filing period, gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan significantly expanded his TV and radio advertising campaign.  His first 30-second ad entitled “Dedicated” which began running in 11 Maryland counties on April 3 is now airing on cable networks in a total of 19 counties.  The small businessman, grassroots leader and former Ehrlich cabinet secretary’s first radio spot is now running statewide.
 
Larry Hogan said, “Through our one-on-one meetings with voters in their homes, places of work and communities and now with statewide advertising, Boyd and I are bringing our message of fiscal restraint and common sense reform to Marylanders who simply can’t afford another four years of single party rule and  incompetence by Annapolis elites.   
 
“Dedicated” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kLlS9qjiVY



AD VOICEOVER:

"The largest grassroots organization dedicated to changing Maryland wasn’t started by a politician, but a businessman, a community leader, a father.  Larry Hogan.  Like you, Hogan was fed up with 40 tax increases in a row, even taxing the rain.  Too many lost jobs.  And a failed health care exchange.
 
Today, Larry Hogan is running for governor.  To turn this state around, with fresh ideas that benefit everyone.  Larry Hogan.  Because we can’t change Maryland without changing governors."
 
Larry Hogan is an Anne Arundel county small businessman, former state cabinet secretary and founder of Change Maryland, the state’s largest non-partisan grassroots o rganization advocating fiscal restraint and common sense government reform.  A lifelong Marylander, he and his wife Yumi, a teacher, artist and first generation Korean-American, reside in Edgewater.  They have three daughters.
 
 

FIRST ANNUAL ROMP IN THE SWAMP

 
At the Pocomoke Fairgrounds!
 A weekend long Jeep party put on by the Eastern Shore Jeep Association.
 



Show N Shine event begins at 8am on Saturday the 26th followed by:

Mud Pit Rock Garden
 Tire Boneyard
 Car Crushing
 Jeep Tug O' War
 Kill the Cone Competition
 
 
 
And whatever else they can get into!
 
 

A Tremendous Opportunity/ Hogan for Governor


Dear Pocomoke,
The opportunity for change in Maryland has never been as great as it is today. Our momentum is proof!
 
 This week, we released our first finance report showing we have outpaced all of the other candidates for governor – in both parties. In just 68 days, over 2,000 grassroots contributors have donated to our campaign, and because of their generosity, we outraised both Doug Gansler and Anthony Brown in the same time frame. In fact, in our first 68 days we raised more than all of the other Republican candidates combined raised in 2013.
 
 But we aren't just winning the money race. The grassroots are on our side, too!
 
 Over 3,000 fed-up Marylanders have attended our recent events, and our social media presence has grown by over 11,000. Our campaign has visited 20 of Maryland's 24 counties, and our aggressive TV and radio advertising campaign is growing our number of volunteers and supporters rapidly.



Even better, the political environment in Maryland is tilting in our favor. A recent poll released by the Gansler campaign shows that support for Lt. Governor Brown has fallen 14 points as the election draws closer and his failures in leadership are brought to light.
 
We cannot let this opportunity to finally change Maryland for the better go to waste. We have had much success over the past two months, but there is still so much work left to do.
  
Pocomoke, can we count on your support to keep our momentum going? Our campaign relies on the grassroots support of people like you to finally stand up and fight back for a change.



Click here to donate now.
 
Together, We Can Win!
 
Thank you, 



Larry Hogan

POLICE CONTINUE TO SEEK LEADS IN SALISBURY HOME INVASION

Maryland State Police Press Release
04/17/2014

(SALISBURY, MD) – Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit continue to seek leads in the investigation of a home invasion that left one dead and another injured early yesterday morning in Salisbury.

The deceased victim is identified as Donald G. Mariner, 72, of the 27,000-block of Pemberton Drive in Salisbury. Mariner was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy results.

The identity of the second victim remains undisclosed at this time due to safety concerns. He is being treated for injuries sustained during the incident at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
 

The suspect is described as an African American male. Police believe he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans at the time the crime occurred.

The preliminary investigation indicates the injured victim made the 9-1-1 call to police, reporting the home invasion on Pemberton Drive. Upon arrival, troopers from the Salisbury Barrack, sheriff deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, and officers from the Salisbury Police Department found the injured victim, who told police he had been assaulted with a blunt object. He was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Police also found Mariner inside the home. He was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel. Police believe the two victims were roommates.

During the initial stages of the investigation, police learned that Mariner’s Ford F150 pickup truck had been stolen from the residence. Police believe the truck may have been operating sometime between the hours of 11:30 p.m. on Monday night to 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 15th.

The truck was found abandoned on West Main Street near the VFW, approximately two miles from location of the crime. Anyone who may have seen the black Ford F150 in the area of Pemberton Drive or West Main Street is urged to call police.

Crime Solvers of the Lower Eastern Shore at 410-548-1776 is offering a reward of up to $2,000 to anyone with information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect. Callers can remain anonymous.

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit continues the investigation…

Thursday, April 17, 2014

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview


1917.. Colonel Chaille Long of Somerset County was a noted author, explorer, and foreign dignatary; 1950.. Pocomoke newspaper editor "Jukey" Clarke is 90; 1920.. Eastern Shore native leads anti-prohibition campaign; 1884.. Onancock couple's unplanned marriage on a steam boat; 1994..Snow Hill triplets in TV mini-series.

Although you may not find all of 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!

Body Found On Racoon Island Identified

A body recovered on Racoon Island on April 2 has been identified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Norfolk.

The recovered body is that of Gary Edward Webb, 56, of Williamsburg, Virginia.


 According to Sheriff David L. Doughty, Jr., Mr. Webb was reported missing on December 17, 2013 by his family, after he failed to return home from a fishing trip on the York River the evening prior. His boat was later recovered on the Gloucester County side of the York, approximately one mile south of the Coleman Bridge.

Officers from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission investigated the initial report and also assisted Northampton County investigators with the recovery on Raccoon Island, a remote barrier island at the southern tip of the Eastern Shore , near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

The medical examiners office reports that a cause of death is still pending.

Source:

The Costen House Museum ~ Annual May Day Tea

Annual May Day Tea
 
The Costen House Museum
 206 Market Street
 Pocomoke City
  
 
Sunday Afternoon
 May 4th, 2014
 
2:00 P.M.
 
Contact Rita Ullmann at 443-783-5285 or Kathleen Palmer at 443-783-4471 for tickets.
 
 Seating is limited.
 
 As always, there will be a special activity for the children.
 
 Adults $12.00 / Children under ten $5.00.
 
 

Coast Guard Reflects On Titanic Anniversary

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Members of the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol reflected on the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the importance of their mission during a ceremony held in New London, Conn., today. 
 
The annual ceremony serves as a way to remember and honor those who lost their lives during the Titanic’s maiden voyage, which ended tragically on the evening of April 14, 1912, when the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

"It is with great respect and reverence that we commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912," said Cmdr. Gabrielle McGrath, commander of the IIP. “We remember over 1,500 souls who perished on that fateful morning." 

During the annual ceremony, Coast Guard Cmdr. Keith Shuley, chaplain of the Coast Guard Academy, dedicated floral arrangements in remembrance of the more than 1,500 passengers who died.

Every year, the IIP conducts a ceremony to remember the passengers and crew who lost their lives as a result of the Titanic sinking.

A special moment of silence was held to honor Edward Kamuda, president and founder of the Titanic Historical Society, who died April 13, 2014.

“Delegate McDermott Receives Award for Youth Advocacy”

April 16, 2014   

ANNAPOLIS- Delegate McDermott has been recognized by Youth for National Change, a national youth advocacy organization, for his steadfast efforts to ensure the safety of our youth through school security legislation.
 
I am extremely grateful for this award, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to bring awareness to an issue as important as school security,” Delegate McDermott said. “I am appreciative for being recognized for something that I believe in so strongly”.
 
Delegate McDermott will be receiving this award from the YNC this April in response to House Bill 15 that he sponsored during the 2014 legislative session. HB 15 sought to improve security in public school facilities by establishing a security improvements program that would receive funding from the Governor’s capital budget.
 
It is imperative that the safety and well being of our youth be at the forefront of our concerns as elected officials”, McDermott said. “I am exceptionally grateful to be receiving this award, and will continue to advocate for causes like this in the future”.
 
 

SAVE THE DATE ~ "DRUMS ON THE POCOMOKE"


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE MURDER SUICIDE IN WORCESTER COUNTY

Maryland State Police PRESS RELEASE

(Berlin, MD) Maryland State Police are investigating a possible murder suicide in Worcester County.

    The deceased victim is identified as Ada Wright, 91, of the 600 block of William Street in Berlin.  She was pronounced deceased at the scene by emergency medical personnel.

    The deceased suspect, believed to be Ada’s husband, is identified as Lester Wright, 90, of the same address.  He succumbed to his injuries at Peninsula Regional Medical Center shortly after the incident occurred.
 

 
At 8:45 a.m. this morning, the Worcester County 911 center received a call from a family member reporting a possible shooting at the residence.  The family member informed police that he found the victim deceased in her bed and the suspect lying on the floor next to the bed with gunshot wounds.

    Upon their arrival to the scene, officers from the Berlin Police Department and emergency medical service personnel pronounced Ada dead at the scene from an apparent gunshot wound.  Police found Lester on the floor with what also appeared to be gunshot wounds.  He immediately received medical treatment and was transported by ambulance to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.

   Maryland State Police crime scene investigators are currently processing the scene for evidence.  Interviews with family members and friends of both the victim and suspect are being conducted.  

    Autopsy results are pending examination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.  There are no other suspects identified at this time.  

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators were requested by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) to assume the lead role in the investigation.  The Maryland State Police investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division in both Berlin and Princess Anne and investigators from the WCBI are assisting with the investigation.  Officers from the Berlin Police Department, sheriff deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Worcester County State’s Attorney also responded to the scene. 

ONE DEAD ANOTHER INJURED IN SALISBURY AREA HOME INVASION

Maryland State Police Press Release

(SALISBURY, MD) – Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit are investigating a home invasion that left one dead and another injured early this morning in Salisbury.

The deceased victim is identified as Donald G. Mariner, 72, of the 27000-block of Pemberton Drive, Salisbury, Md. Mariner was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. His body will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
 

The second victim is not being identified at this time due to concerns for his safety. He was transported by emergency medical personnel to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries sustained during the home invasion.

The suspect is described as an African American male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. Investigators are continuing to develop further leads regarding the suspect.


The investigation began just after 1:00 a.m. this morning, when troopers from the Salisbury Barrack along with officers from the Salisbury Police Department were dispatched to the 27000-block of Pemberton Drive in reference to a home invasion. When they arrived, troopers contacted the second victim who advised he had been assaulted with a blunt object. Troopers and officers continued to check the residence and found Donald Mariner injured. Emergency medical personnel were immediately requested. Once on the scene, medical personnel attempted to treat both victims. Mariner was pronounced dead by medical personnel, while the second victim was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for further medical treatment.


Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit have taken the lead in this investigation. Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Crime Lab have responded and are collecting items of evidential value. Members of the Salisbury and Berlin Barracks Criminal Enforcement Divisions, Wicomico Sheriff Department, Wicomico Bureau of Investigations and Salisbury Police Department are assisting in the investigation.

Investigators are encouraging anyone with information concerning this home invasion to contact the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101. The Crime Solvers of the Lower Eastern Shore are offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect. They can be contacted at 410-548-1776. Callers may remain anonymous.

The investigation is ongoing.

A&N Electric Cooperative - Beat the Peak

Beat the Peak:
Thursday, April 17th
 
from 6 to 8 a.m.
 
Why?

We're "beating the peak" tomorrow morning because of the cold. During times of peak energy use, your co-op pays a premium price for energy. By reducing the amount of energy you are using in your home, you can lower your co-op's energy costs. The demand charge is expensive and we try and lower energy use during times when engineers think we'll hit our energy peak. Even though temperatures won't be brutally cold tomorrow morning, energy use may still peak for the month so we've issued the Beat the Peak alert. Because A&N Electric Cooperative is member-owned, those savings are passed on to you. 

What should I do?
To lower your energy consumption during the alert period, please turn off any unnecessary lights and delay using appliances like your dishwasher or washing machine. Turning the thermostat down a few degrees can also significantly lower the amount of energy you are using.
 
A&N Electric Cooperative

Coast Guard Monitoring Damaged Drilling Rig in Gulf of Mexico

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard is overseeing response efforts, Tuesday, for an offshore drilling rig that began taking on water into a ballast tank after a large wave hit them in heavy seas more than 100 miles south of Galveston.

Tuesday morning the Coast Guard received a report that the ENSCO 8506, an offshore semi-submersible drilling rig, had been damaged causing one of the rig’s column ballast tanks to take on water. The capacity of the ballast pumps onboard are keeping up with the ingress of water in the column ballast tank.  The rig is maintaining an even keel and remains in a stable position without resorting to using the emergency pumps, or performing an emergency disconnect from the riser.

There are no reports of injuries or pollution.

The rig was conducting exploratory operations and did not have any oil product onboard from drilling operations. The drilling rig is operating in an area with a 3,800-foot water depth and was not conducting actual drilling operations when the incident occurred. All rig operations have been suspended and preparations are being made for normal disconnect procedures if necessary to make repairs.

The Coast Guard has deployed the Coast Guard Cutter Skipjack, homeported in Galveston, and an aircrew aboard an HU-25 Falcon airplane from Air Station Corpus Christi to provide on-site intelligence and to assist if necessary.

The onscene weather Tuesday afternoon was 20 knot sustained winds and 12 foot seas.

MarVa Theater ~ GRAND RE-OPENING!

THIS WEEKEND
GRAND RE-OPENING!
AT
The MarVa Theater
 

 
Friday, April 18th at 7 PM
Saturday, April 19th at 7 PM
 
Tickets: $5
 
SPECIAL PROMO-
 
First 25 people each night get in for FREE!
Valid only on April 18 & 19, 2014. 
 
 

 

Hogan Raises More Than $450k In First 68 Days; Outpaces All Dem and GOP Rivals


Larry Hogan fundraising surges past early estimate; $453,397.45 raised in first filing period.

Business leader outpaces Democrat and Republican rivals in early donations; funds raised in smaller denominations donations than Brown, Gansler and GOP challengers.

Annapolis, MD – April 15 – In the first campaign finance report of his bid for governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan raised $453,397.45 in mostly small donations from more than 2,000 individuals.  The haul is considerably higher than the campaign’s earlier estimate of having raised $422,000 in just under 70 days.   The sheer amount of money raised puts the Anne Arundel County business owner and grassroots leader ahead of where Anthony Brown was at the same stage of his campaign yet with more than double the sitting two-term Lt. Governor’s number of early donors.

The early financial support also puts Hogan well ahead of where Attorney General Doug Gansler was days after his announcement and is nearly the amount raised by his all Republican challengers combined in the last full calendar year.  The finance report filed to today covers the first 68 days of the Hogan-Rutherford campaign and will be posted online at campaignfinance.maryland.gov.

Hogan said, “The message we’re hearing as we tour the state and meet one-on-one with voters in their homes, businesses and communities is that they’re ready for a governor who’ll put working families and small businesses ahead of Annapolis elites,” Hogan said.   “Boyd and I are humbled that so many Marylanders are joining with us in our effort to bring fiscal restraint and common sense government back to Annapolis.

The campaign also reported “surging” grassroots support, a robust social media presence and its first TV and radio ads.  In the first months the campaign, Hogan had visited 20 of Maryland’s 24 counties, had more than 3,000 people attend events, and strengthened its social media presence by an additional 10,500 followers.

Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release


Information for parents and home owners.

Worcester County Sheriff's Office

This past weekend five juveniles were charged with theft in relation to stealing Freon from an unoccupied home in Ocean Pines.

Investigation revealed that the suspects would steal Freon from A/C units of homes that they know are unoccupied for the season. In this particular incident they used trash bags for storage. They pull the hose from the A/C unit which allows the Freon to flow freely into the bag. They fill up trash bags with Freon then tie them off.

Huffing, as it is called, usually takes place by persons discreetly inhaling from a bag. They inhale a gas to the point where they achieve a high or they pass out.When one inhales the gas they are replacing the oxygen their brain requires to function with a gas.

It should be noted that there have been several documented cases of death caused by exposure to Freon.

Please keep a check on your homes and your neighbor’s homes for people near the A/C units.

Report any suspicious activity to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office at 410-632-1111, or your local Police Department.
 

DELMARVA DISCOVERY CENTER ~Photography Class


VIRGINIA - Burn Law IN EFFECT until April 30

The statewide law restricts burning until after 4 p.m. each day.



ALWAYS  check with your local fire department or Sheriff's office prior to burning.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tax Day - Larry Hogan "Record High Taxes Hurt MD Families and Drive Jobs Out Of State


Tax Day 2014; Gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan says O’Malley-Brown tax hikes backfired, killing jobs, hurting families and driving employers out of state


Annapolis, MD - APRIL 15 - Tax Day 2014 will hit Marylanders, whose personal income taxes are now the fifth highest in the nation, harder than ever this year according gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan.   Hogan says the O’Malley-Brown taxes have had a significant economic impact on Maryland and are the primary reason why the state’s recovery since the great recession has lagged far behind its neighbors and the nation as a whole. 

According to Hogan, “Tax Day 2014 will be the most painful yet for Maryland families and small businesses thanks to 40 straight job destroying tax hikes from the Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown Administration and their Annapolis allies.  The tax and spend policies of the past seven years have backfired, driving employers across state lines and making everything Maryland families purchase more expensive,” says Hogan.  

Since O’Malley and Brown took office more than 6,500 small business and large employers, including most of the state’s Fortune 500 companies, have relocated to other states.  Hogan, a business leader and former state cabinet secretary favors bringing Maryland’s tax rates in line with those of neighboring states in order to retain and attract employers.

This year, average Maryland taxpayers will have to work from January 1st until April 23rd just to pay their combined federal, state and local tax obligations, later in the year than all but five states.

Taxpayers and small business owners interested in learning how much the O’Malley-Brown tax hikes are costing them can visit Facebook.com/ ChangeMaryland and click the O’Malley-Brown Tax Hike Calculator. 

Previously, Change Maryland, a non-partisan grassroots organization advocating fiscal restraint founded by Hogan several years ago, determined that overall, 31,000 Maryland taxpayers and retirees had moved to states with lower costs of living, taking with them $1.7 billion a year out of the state economy.  According to Hogan, “with the O’Malley-Brown taxpayer exodus, it’s no wonder that Maryland’s foreclosure rate is now the second highest in the nation.”


“Yet despite taking $10.6 billion more in taxes from Maryland families and employers, O’Malley and Brown still diverted $100 million out of state worker’s pensions in order to cover their budget shortfall. 

Beat the Peak ~ A & N Electric Cooperative

A & N Electric Cooperative


Beat the Peak:
 
Wednesday April 16th, 6-8 a.m.
 
Why: We're "beating the peak" tomorrow morning because of the cold! During times of peak energy use your co-op pays a premium price for energy. By reducing how much energy you are using in your home, you can lower your co-op's energy costs.

 What To Do During a Fall/Winter "Beat the Peak"
 
 
 What Should I do? To lower your energy consumption during the alert period, please turn off any unnecessary lights and delay using appliances like your dishwasher or washing machine. Turning the thermostat down a few degrees can also significantly lower how much energy you are using.

Meet and Greet With Senate Candidate Mike McDermott


Lotto Scam Poses as Consumer Protection Bureau

Better Business Bureau | US

This lottery scam is up to the same old tricks… with one big exception. They built a website for a fake consumer protection agency and are using BBB’s mailing address. Watch out!

How the Scam Works:

You get a call from someone claiming you won a lottery. Your prize is $500,000, but you need to pay $5,000 for “delivery insurance” first. The caller assures you that this is a real prize and even directs you to the “US Consumer Protection Bureau” website to verify its legitimacy.

You decide to check out the offer, so you go to the website and call the phone number at the bottom. An “agent” answers and asks if you are calling about a lottery. He/She offers to check out your $500,000 prize, and, sure enough, verifies that you are real lottery winner.

Don’t fall for it! This lottery scam has an extra layer of deception. The website and the “Consumer Protection Bureau” are fake and just part of the scam. The bureau doesn’t exist, and the address given on the fake website is really for BBB’s office in Arlington, Va.

Tips to Protect Yourself From a Sweepstakes Scam:

Lottery and sweepstakes scams are common. Here are tips to avoid them:

  • You can’t win a contest you didn’t enter: You need to buy a ticket or complete an application to participate in a contest or lottery. Be very careful if you’ve been selected as a winner for a contest you never entered.

  • Verify — but not by using a source scammers gave you. Check if an offer is real, but don’t call the phone number in the email or website you suspect may be a scam. If it is a con, chances are the person on the other line will be involved too.

  • Don’t pay up to claim your prize: You should never have to pay money or buy products in order to receive a prize. Be especially wary of wiring money or using a prepaid debit card.

  • The only legal lotteries in the United States are the official state-run lotteries. Foreign lotteries are illegal.
Source:

Man Drowns Attempting To Retrieve Car Keys

On April 14, 2014, at approximately 1:21 a.m., Virginia State Police Trooper J. Renas was called by the Northampton Sheriffs office in reference to a possible drowning which occurred at 2175 Morleys Wharf Road (fishing pier) in Wardtown, Virginia.

Witnesses called into the 911 center stating that a male subject had entered the water and never resurfaced.

Troy S. Tankard, age 30, of Nassawadox, Virginia, entered into the water to retrieve his car keys that had been thrown earlier into the water with his wet clothing.

 After entering the water, Mr. Tankard never resurfaced, and witnesses at the scene attempted to locate him prior to calling emergency personnel.

The Virginia State Police Search and Rescue Team were called in to assist in the search and at approximately 8:55, Mr. Tankards body was recovered twenty feet from the pier.


This incident is being treated as an accidental drowning with no signs of foul play. Family members were notified at the scene.

Source:

Pocomoke City Police Department ~ ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT