Investigating Student Aid Fraud

FBI Photo

FBI-It’s a yearly spring ritual: college-bound students, young and old, applying online for much-needed federal student aid in the form of grants or loans.

Unfortunately, a few unscrupulous individuals view Title IV Federal Student Assistance funding as a way to line their own pockets—not to get an education. According to a recent assessment by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General, the number of aid recipients potentially taking part in criminal fraud rings is increasing.

And while the FBI doesn’t generally become involved these cases because of our necessary focus on counterterrorism, cyber crime, and other national security and major criminal threats, we do—as resources allow—assist our partners at the Department of Education and other agencies in rooting out some of the more egregious offenders. The Bureau brings to the table the same investigative methods and techniques we’ve used so successfully against criminals who commit other types of government fraud.

Why the increase in student aid fraud? For one, there are more online higher education opportunities—a single criminal participant can create multiple online student identities and apply for aid in each name. Another reason is the growing popularity of open access, lower-cost schools—like community colleges—where perpetrators can get back a larger percentage of a financial aid award in the form of excess Title IV funds (once the school applies the funds to tuition, anything left over is remitted directly to the “student” to use on related educational expenses like books, supplies, transportation, living costs, etc.).

It’s not just the theft of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, though. Criminals committing federal student aid fraud are stealing enrollment slots from legitimate students and depriving qualified students of the Title IV funds they need. Those grants and loans sometimes make the difference between attending school and not attending school.

But the government and the higher education community are fighting back.

Recently, four people in Montgomery, Alabama were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Department of Education and various colleges and universities of financial aid money. And just a week earlier, three defendants pled guilty to a federal student aid fraud scheme in San Francisco. The Bureau was involved in both cases. (See sidebar for more information.)
Over the past several years, we’ve played a supporting role in a handful of other student aid fraud cases as well. For example:

• A Baltimore-area school test proctor and an admissions officer pled guilty in a scheme to manipulate test scores of students who were taking assessment exams to qualify for federal grants.
• A former inmate at a South Carolina prison pled guilty to applying for federal student aid using the identities of some of her fellow inmates.
• A San Diego college paid a civil settlement and its financial aid director pled guilty in connection with a scheme to submit falsified financial aid applications to obtain grants for students who were not eligible to receive them.

Investigative entities will continue to identity and bring to justice those who commit federal student aid fraud. And the Department of Education and colleges and universities will continue to put protections in place that make it harder to perpetrate these crimes.
Both actions will help ensure that federal student aid for higher education ends up in the hands of those who need and deserve it the most.

Source:

Hogan Airs Second TV Ad in Statewide Buy....

Hogan airs second TV ad in statewide buy; “Together we can change Maryland for the better.” 


ANNAPOLIS – MAY 27 – Gubernatorial Candidate Larry Hogan today launched his second ad of the GOP primary.  Airing statewide, the 30 second spot “Together” is narrated by Hogan and features the Anne Arundel County business executive meeting with voters.  The new ad follows last week’s announcement that the Hogan-Rutherford campaign has surpassed the fundraising threshold required to receive matching public campaign funds.  In addition to the funds raised directly, the campaign is expected to receive more than $2.5 million in public funds which it says will enable them to “hit the ground running after the June 24 primary.”


The 30-second TV spot begins by referencing a recent Gallup survey that found that 47 percent of Marylanders “would leave if they could.”  The ad highlights Hogan’s economic platform and the need to “get spending under control” and “roll back as many of [the O’Malley-Brown administration’s] 40 tax increases as we can.”


SEE VIDEO CLIP:  ​ http://youtu.be/NfOyV0BlKns

 AD COPY:
“Tell me – how many of your know someone who is thinking about leaving Maryland?  Raise your hand.

Nearly half would leave if they could.  Now, that kind of breaks my heart.

We have three priorities:  We’re about jobs, middle class families and restoring our economy.

The first thing we’ve got to do is get spending under control, and then we want to roll back as many of these forty tax increases as we can.

We’re the only state that taxes the rain.

They never met a tax that they didn’t like, or at least one they didn’t hike.

My name is Larry Hogan and together we can change Maryland for the better.”

Don't Be A STUPID Pet Owner!

IF you love your pet why would you take a chance with his life?

 

 

Coast Guard Rescues 3 Stranded On Hog Island, Va.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued a mother, her daughter and the daughter's friend Sunday after the three were lost and disorientated on Hog Island, located on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The boyfriend of the mother contacted Coast Guard Sector Hampton Road Command Center watchstanders at approximately 8 p.m. Sunday and requested Coast Guard assistance.

Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders dispatched a crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The helicopter crew arrived on scene at approximately 9:30 p.m. and located the trio.

The helicopter crew lowered a swimmer, hoisted the mother and two girls into the helicopter and took them to Accomack County Airport in Melfa.

The Delmarva Discovery Center Begins Its Summer Schedule

Today we remember and thank all those who have given their lives to protect our freedom.

 

Delmarva Discovery Center  also begins its summer schedule and is now open 7 days a week from 10 am - 4 pm.

 

What will you DISCOVER?

First Summer Concert in the Park for 2014!

Pocomoke City invites you to our first Summer Concert in the Park for 2014!

 

Precious Memories Southern Gospel Band will open the season on Thursday, June 5th at 6:30pm under the Cypress Park pavilion. 

Free admission to the public! Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Bring your lawn chairs & enjoy the concert with a beautiful view of the scenic Pocomoke River.

Bleacher seating also available.

For more information & calendar of events please visit downtownpocomoke.com or call 410-957-1333.

 

 

Coast Guard Medevacs Diver 18 Miles East of Hatteras Inlet

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 52-year-old man from a dive boat approximately 18 miles southeast of Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, Sunday.

The captain of the dive boat Under Pressure contacted Coast Guard North Carolina Command Center watchstanders via VHF-FM at approximately 3 p.m. and reported a diver was suffering from from signs of decompression sickness.

Sector watchstanders launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet to assist.

The Coast Guard crew arrived on scene at approximately 4:30 p.m., transferred the man aboard their boat and took him to the station, where the diver was met by an awaiting Coast Guard aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and taken to Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk.

MEMORIAL DAY

TIME MACHINE ... 1845, 1977, 1908, 1961, 1910

(Reader Friendly Viewing Of Newspaper Archive Material)

October, 1845
The Ottawa Free Trader. (Ottawa, Ill.)

(Excerpts)

I was traveling on the eastern shore of Maryland, a district renowned for female beauty and insect voracity- and on a certain Sabbath afternoon, in the month of July, I arrived at a diminutive village, on the shores of a stream called the Pocomoke, which seems to me to be an earthly duplicate of the river Styx; being dark, sluggish and tortuous, and swarming with musquitoes as the infernal flood was said to swarm with spectres. Every village hearabout, however small, has its church or meeting house; generally a neat white wooden tabernacle of extremely moderate size, with a pulpit at one end and a singing gallery at the other; the intermediate space being furnished with pine benches, never painted and sometimes scarcely planed. Altogether these temples would not be to the taste of those Christians who formally renounce the pomps and vanities of this world, while seated comfortably in handsome pews, decorated with crimson cushions and rich brussels carpeting.

It was not yet time for the afternoon service to commence, but the congregation had commenced to assemble.  I took a position at the door among a crowd of devotees  who were waiting there for the arrival of the minister. I was amazed at first to see the little throng in constant motion-- twirling and twisting about, in what I thought a rather heathen-like manner-- more after the fashion of a troop of dancing dervishes than a Christian assembly.  The mystery was soon explained, for scarcely had I taken my stand, when my face and hands were covered with colonies of musquitoes (as spelled in article), which began to eat me up alive in a way which showed me the expediency of keeping up some muscular motion to interrupt their sanguinary operations.

Most of my neighbors were sadly unprovided with defensive armor to repel the attacks of the multitudinous foe.  It was not the fashion in those parts for the ladies and gentlemen to wear shoes and stockings in warm weather, and their garments being made of homespun, or factory cotton, as is commonly called, are such penetrable stuff, that the musquitoes never consider them as any obstacle to the gratification of their appetites for blood.

By and by the ladies began to arrive; they were dressed in domestic plaid; but some who were particularly inclined to show off, were decked out in calicoes of the gayest colors.  These were the belles of the neighborhood. They wore straw or chip hats, decorated in extreme cases, with gaudy ribbons and feathers of all indigenous kinds that forest or farm-yard can supply; the plumage of the peacock, guineafowl, pheasant, and rooster being most conspicuous. The feet in all cases were uncovered. Never did I see such a delightful example of loveliness unadorned, as those shoeless and stockingless little feet exhibited. Commonly the foot unused to cotton and kid-skin bondage, expands rather much to suit our ideas of feminine delicacy, but with the eastern shore girls it is not so; the soil is soft and sandy, and yielding gently to the feet it neither indurates or enlarges them.

Being remote from all the corrupting influence of city life the people are incredibly innocent, and unsuspicious of course. Every stranger is considered a decent fellow until he proves himself otherwise; whereas, in places where human nature is better understood, it is the shrewder and safer practice to hold every unknown individual as a rascal until he gives some evidence to the contrary. 

May, 1977
The Morning Herald (Hagerstown, Md)

 DEALE ISLAND, Md. (UPI) - The marauding salt marsh mosquitos in Somerset County got a temporary reprieve from death Wednesday, but the state still plans to fight the Mosquito War of 1977.

A malfunctioning pump prevented a DC-3 charter plane from entering into pesticide warfare against the mosquitoes Wednesday morning.  

The mechanical problems disappointed state officials who feared the flight might have to be canceled because of bad weather. 

The light winds favored the pesticide sprayer Wednesday and state officials hope that Thursday's weather would be just as perfect for the $10,000 project. 

The buzzing, blood-sucking insects have plagued the residents of the marshlands around Deale island, Chance and Dames Quarter. 

State agricultural department officials said the broods began hatching early this year and that the population has increased well-above counts in the past 20 years. 

The huge swarms have forced most area residents to seek shelter in their homes to avoid the bite of the female mosquito in search of protein meals for her eggs.

March, 1908
Steubenvile Herald Star (Steubenville, Ohio)

Prohibition Strikes Maryland

Snow Hill, Md., March, 23.-  Worcester County has voted on the prohibition question and gone dry by a large majority.  This brings the last of the wet counties of the eastern shore of Maryland under the prohibition banner.

September, 1961
The Salisbury Times

(Excerpts)

$200 Miilion Project Moves Ahead 

First Of Tunnel Sections To Be Placed In Bay Bed

KIPTOPEKE — This is one of the big days in three-year project that will bridge and tunnel the Virginia Capes at the mouth cf Chesapeake Bay. 

The first of 37 sections of pre- fabricated steel and concrete tunnel will be put in the bay bed. Work has been going on with this $200 million project for a year now.

When finished, the 17.5 miles of tube and the bridges will have two lanes of traffic on a 24-foot roadway and the tube's inside clearance of 14 feet will accommodate any known truck. 

Tunnel sections are being fabricated in Orange, Tex., and are towed here in the open ocean.

The Virginia Capes bridge-tunnel will replace the world's largest ferry fleet and cut substantial time off the north-south travel on the Ocean Highway.

Virginia engineers are pleased that Delaware is ready with its link of U.S. Route 13, dualized from border to border.

Maryland has dual roads to a point below Pocomoke City and is rapidly dualizing to the Virginia line to be ready for the opening in the fall of 1964. Virginia has a large part of its dual highway now and is building missing links.

September, 1910 (Time Machine archive)
(Colorado Springs Gazette- Colorado Springs, Col.)

SHAME THE WHITTLERS

From the Baltimore Sun

The women of Pocomoke are having the streets cleaned and the weeds pulled up and the fences whitewashed while the men whittle.


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!

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1845.. Visitor's discription gives peak of lower Eastern Shore life; 1977.. Mosquito war is on in Somerset County;  1908.. Worcester County makes choice on liquor prohibition issue; 1961.. Bridge-Tunnel progress being made;  1910.. Praise for the women of Pocomoke City.

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!

The American Pickers ~ Do You Have Any Items They May Be Looking For?

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TRAFFIC SAFETY & ENFORCEMENT A PRIORITY FOR VA STATE POLICE

With the Memorial Day holiday traffic surge well underway on the interstates of Northern Virginia, the Virginia State Police are stepping up their presence for the duration of the long weekend. As part of Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), which is conducted annually nationwide on all major travel holiday weekends, the Virginia State Police currently has 75 percent of its uniformed workforce out on patrol. The increased visibility began at 12:01 a.m. Friday (May 23, 2014) and continues through midnight Monday (May 26, 2014) in conjunction with the operation.

In addition, Virginia State Police will be participating in Operation Millipede, the Maryland State Police traffic initiative targeting Interstate 95. On the Virginia side of I-95 throughout the holiday weekend, Virginia troopers will be conducting strict enforcement of speed limits and targeting seat belt and child safety seat violations, impaired drivers, and aggressive driving behaviors.

“During the 2013 Memorial Day weekend, two of Virginia’s nine fatal crashes occurred in Northern Virginia,” said Capt. Mike Spivey, Virginia State Police Fairfax Division Commander. “We are encouraging all motorists to prevent traffic crashes by buckling up, not driving distracted or impaired, and not tailgating. Simply drive to save lives.”

With the increased presence of troopers on the Maryland and Virginia sides of Interstate 95, Interstate 495, and all other Northern Virginia interstate and highway corridors, motorists are reminded of both states’ “Move Over” laws. Virginia’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to change to another travel lane away from emergency personnel or, when not able to, cautiously pass first responders stopped on the side of the road. The law also applies to highway maintenance vehicles and tow trucks equipped with flashing amber lights.

Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) just launched a new “Move Over Awareness Video” on Tuesday (May 20, 2014), which can be viewed on the Virginia State Police YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/user/vspvideos. The video is available in both English and Spanish.

Follow ‪#‎MoveOver‬ on Twitter for the latest on Move Over safety efforts around the nation.

Coast Guard Coordinates Rescue of 3 People 350 Miles Offshore

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of three people Thursday who were rescued by good Samaritans after their 41-foot sailboat, the Elusive, was beset by storms in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 350 miles east of Virginia Beach.

Rescued are Larry Monesson, 60, Sean Monesoon, 40, and James Moore, 40.

The father of James Moore contacted Coast Guard 5th District Command Center watchstanders at approximately 1 a.m. Thursday reporting he received a message via satellite phone from his son.  The message stated the crew of the Elusive were experiencing high winds, 25-foot ocean swells and engine failure, but were attempting to repair the engine and not requesting assistance at the time.

District command center watchstanders established a communication watch with the crew of the Elusive.  The watchstanders also conducted a search for the closest automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue (AMVER) ships to the distress and conducted an enhanced group call (EGC), a broadcast service using the Inmarsat communication system, asking for possible assistance from ships in the area.

The crew aboard the Bow Clipper, a 600-foot Norwegian flagged tanker, responded to the Coast Guard's EGC broadcast and contacted the crew of the Elusive via VH-F radio.

At approximately 5 p.m., a crewman aboard the Elusive contacted the district command center watchstanders and informed them the situation worsened, and the crew intended to abandon ship and transfer to the Bow Clipper.

The two crews coordinated the rescue and at approximately 7:15 all three people were reported safe aboard the Bow Clipper.

"The early communications by the crew of the Elusive and the proactive response by the crew of the Bow Clipper allowed the watchstanders to arrange for the Bow Clipper to be in position to effect an immediate rescue when the situation aboard the sailing vessel Elusive deteriorated," said Lt. Cmdr. Tim Eason, the 5th District's search and rescue mission coordinator. "Additionally, the crew of the Elusive took the proper precautions before departing port by ensuring they had a working satellite phone and personal locator beacons."

The Bow Clipper's next port of call will be Wilmington, North Carolina.

There are no reports of injuries.

4th Friday Art Stroll ~ Downtown Pocomoke City

4th FRIDAY ART STROLL

Downtown Pocomoke City

Tonight~ Friday, May 23, 2014

  5-8 pm.

 Local artists & craftsmen

 Stores open late

 Live music

 Refreshments

 Restaurant specials 

 Free admission to our museums! 

Fun for everyone.

The Costen House Museum will be offering FREE admission during the 4th Friday Art Stroll tomorrow from 5-8 pm. We will also be selling $2 "walking tacos" 

Riverside Grill Pocomoke, Golden Garden & Cafe Milano will be offering 10% off your purchase during 4th Friday Art Stroll hours. 

 Stop in one of the local retail stores in Downtown Pocomoke to pick up your coupon!

Nandua Middle School Student Arrested

According to Sheriff Todd Godwin, on May 13, 2014 at approximately 10:06 PM, the Accomack County Sheriffs Office received a report that a Nandua Middle School teacher had become ill after consuming water that she had left unattended in her classroom. 

The teacher was transported to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital by personal vehicle where she was treated and later released. The substance was reportedly white out.

An investigation into this incident has resulted in the identification and subsequent arrest of a 13-year-old female Nandua Middle School student. On May 20, 2014, juvenile petitions were issued for Adulteration of Food, Drink, Drugs, Cosmetics, Etc., and the suspect was arrested and transported to the Norfolk Juvenile Detention Center. 

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriffs Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666. 

Tips may also be submitted through our website at accomackcountysheriffsoffice.org.

Source:

NASA Signs Agreement with Citizen Scientists Attempting to Communicate with Old Spacecraft

Artist's concept image of ISEE-3 (ICE) spacecraft.

Image Credit: NASA

NASA has given a green light to a group of citizen scientists attempting to breathe new scientific life into a more than 35-year old agency spacecraft.

The agency has signed a Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA) with Skycorp, Inc., in Los Gatos, California, allowing the company to attempt to contact, and possibly command and control, NASA’s International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) spacecraft as part of the company’s ISEE-3 Reboot Project. This is the first time NASA has worked such an agreement for use of a spacecraft the agency is no longer using or ever planned to use again.

The NRSAA details the technical, safety, legal and proprietary issues that will be addressed before any attempts are made to communicate with or control the 1970’s-era spacecraft as it nears the Earth in August.

"The intrepid ISEE-3 spacecraft was sent away from its primary mission to study the physics of the solar wind extending its mission of discovery to study two comets." said John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington. "We have a chance to engage a new generation of citizen scientists through this creative effort to recapture the ISEE-3 spacecraft as it zips by the Earth this summer."


Launched in 1978 to study the constant flow of solar wind streaming toward Earth, ISEE-3 successfully completed its prime mission in 1981. With remaining fuel and functioning instruments, it then was redirected to observe two comets. Following the completion of that mission, the spacecraft continued in orbit around the sun. It is now making its closest approach to Earth in more than 30 years.

The goal of the ISEE-3 Reboot Project is to put the spacecraft into an orbit at   a gravitationally stable point between Earth and the sun known as Lagrangian 1 (L1). Once safely back in orbit, the next step would be to return the spacecraft to operations and use its instruments as they were originally designed. ISEE-3's close approach in the coming weeks provides optimal conditions to attempt communication. If communications are unsuccessful, the spacecraft will swing by the moon and continue to orbit the sun. 

NASA has shared technical data with these citizen scientists to help them communicate with and return data from ISEE-3. The contributions of any citizen science provided by the spacecraft, if it is successfully recovered, depend on the current condition of its instruments. New data resulting from the project will be shared with the science community and the public, providing a unique tool for teaching students and the public about spacecraft operations and data gathering. 

The data also will provide valuable information about the effects of the space environment on the 36-year old spacecraft.

The ISEE-3 mission opened new pathways for scientific exploration, helping scientists better understand the sun-Earth system, which at its most turbulent can affect satellites around Earth and disrupt our technological infrastructure.


To learn more about the ISEE-3 Reboot Project, visit:

http://spacecollege.org/isee3

To learn more about ISEE-3, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/1mSskQs

Volunteers Needed For Makemie Monument Dig

FBI Announces Child Safety Tips

In advance of National Missing Children’s Day on May 25, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Washington Field Office is sharing tips on how to keep kids safe and information about how the FBI investigates instances of child abduction and exploitation. Through the Child Exploitation Task Force, the FBI works to decrease the vulnerability of children to sexual exploitation, provide a rapid investigative response to crimes against children, and enhance the capabilities of state and local law enforcement agencies.

An unfortunate reality is that every year, thousands of children go missing. In these cases, the FBI works to assist in the investigation and speedy recovery of the abducted child. In cases of child exploitation, an individual often targets a child for the purpose of abuse or violence. This targeting can be done in person by an acquaintance or a stranger or it can be done online through social websites and chat rooms.

To help in child abduction recoveries, the FBI has developed the Child ID app, which provides an effective way for parents and guardians to keep their child’s pictures and information on hand in case he or she goes missing. The app also includes safety tips for parents to help keep their kids out of harm’s way. The app is free, and, in the event a child goes missing, parents and guardians can quickly e-mail the photos and information to authorities. No information about you or your child will be collected or stored by the FBI. To download the Child ID app, go to iTunes Apps Store on your iPhone or Play Store on your Android phone.

As the school year draws to a close, many parents are planning for their children’s summer activities. Whether a child is spending the summer at home with parents, a nanny or tutor, or away from home at a summer camp, the following safety tips will help ensure that children are being cared for under the watchful eyes of trusted and vetted adults.

Know your child care providers. Choose babysitters, nannies, and tutors with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Many states now have registries for public access to check criminal history or sex-offender status. Observe the interaction with your children and ask your children how they feel about your child care provider. Do background screening and reference checks on everyone who works in your home, particularly those people who care for your children. Check references with other families who have used the child care providers. Make sure you know as much about them as they do about you and your family. For access to sex-offender registries, visit www.nsopw.gov.

Check out camps and summer programs before enrolling your children. Ask if a background screening check is completed on the individuals working with the children. Make sure there will be adult supervision of your children at all times and make sure you are made aware of all activities and field trips offered by the camp or program.

Observe how adults work with your children. Be involved in your children’s activities, and if you are concerned about anyone’s behavior, discuss your concerns with the sponsoring organization. Notice when anyone shows one or all of your children an inordinate amount of attention or tries to give them gifts. Take the time to talk to your children about the person and find out why that person is acting in this way. Tell your children to never accept money or gifts from anyone unless you have told them it is OK.

Know where your children are and who they are with. Make sure an adult whom you have met and know the background of is supervising children any time they are outside or away from home. Review rules with your children about whose homes they may visit and discuss the boundaries of where they may and may not go in the neighborhood.

Talk to your children about safety and encourage them to tell you or another trusted adult if anyone or anything makes them feel sad, scared, or confused. Teach them it is OK to tell you what happened and they will not be “tattletales” for telling.


Remember to stay alert, informed, and focused about personal-security issues. Being available and taking time to really know and listen to your children helps build feelings of safety and security. Be sure your child knows what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you by phone. Children should have a trusted adult, whom you know, to call if they are scared or there is an emergency.

FBI

Gumboro Mudbog THIS Saturday

Spend a day of your Memorial Day Weekend watching trucks racing through the mud!!

Saturday, May 24th

GATES OPEN @ 10am

RACE BEGINS @ 1pm

 DRIVER REGISTRATION:

 10am - 12pm

ADMISSION:

* Adults  & Children 10+  - $10

*Children under 10 FREE (All 

    children must be accompanied

    by an adult!!)

*Pit admission - $5 per person

*All drivers & 1 crew person

    FREE in pits.

* DON'T FORGET THE KIDS!!!!

    POWER WHEELS RACING @

    each event!!  (Must be equipped

    with manufacturer's battery.  NO

    EXCEPTIONS!!)

For more information:  GUMBORO~ CRISFIELD MUDBOGS

Pocomoke City Police Seeking Communities Assistance

Pocomoke City Police are seeking the help of the Community in identifying a Suspect involved in a recent Theft case. If you or anyone you know have any information on the below suspect, please contact the Pocomoke Police Department at 410-957-1600 or via email at pcpd.jbailey@gmail.com. Contact Det. Bailey with any information. 

You may remain anonymous! 

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1845.. Visitor's discription gives peak of lower Eastern Shore life; 1977.. Mosquito war is on in Somerset County;  1908.. Worcester County makes choice on liquor prohibition issue; 1961.. Bridge-Tunnel progress being made;  1910.. Praise for the women of Pocomoke City.

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!

Odor of Marijuana Leads To Vehicle Search

On May 20, 2014 at approximately 4:10pm a deputy from the Worcester County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop in the area of Worcester Hwy and Woodside Lane, Snow Hill for a speeding violation.

Upon contact with the vehicle operator, she was identified by her VA drivers license as Tia Chaunice Dees, the deputy detected a strong odor of suspected raw Marijuana coming from the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted and the deputy located a small bag of Marijuana and paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

Dees was arrested and later released on Maryland Uniform Criminal Citations for possession of Marijuana less than 10 grams and possession of paraphernalia. Dees was given a warning for the speeding violation.

SAVE THE DATE ~ Concert In The Park

Concert in the Park

Cypress Park

Thursday, June 5, 2014

6:30 pm

Precious Memories Gospel Band

FREE to the Public

Refreshments Available for Purchase

Petco and PetSmart to Stop Selling Treats Made in China

Major pet retailers Petco and PetSmart have announced that they will be eliminating dog and cat treats made in China from their store shelves amid ongoing concerns about their safety.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said that since 2007, it has received more than 1,000 reports of dog deaths and nearly 5,000 reports of dog illnesses after the animals had eaten chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats made in China.

The FDA has long cautioned pet owners about jerky treats from China, but despite years of investigation, it has not been able to identify a specific cause of the pet illnesses. The agency is continuing to investigate and is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and veterinarians from around the country in its efforts.

Petco said Tuesday it would remove the treats from its 1,300 stores by the end of this year. The company said its customers had urged it to drop Chinese-manufactured treats.

“We know the FDA hasn’t yet identified a direct cause for the reported illnesses, but we decided the uncertainty of the situation outweighs the lack of actual proof,” said Jim Myers, Petco CEO, in a statement.

The company said it has been expanding its selection of products made in the U.S., and also carries products made in New Zealand, Australia and South America.

PetSmart quickly followed suit, saying it planned to take Chinese-made treats off of its shelves by March 2015, reported the AP via ABC News. PetSmart has over 1,200 North American stores.

The FDA also said in its update last week that they’d detected the presence of the human antiviral drug amantadine in some jerky samples containing chicken. But, while the drug shouldn’t be in the treats at all, they didn’t think it had contributed to the illnesses.

In the cases reported to the FDA involving jerky treats, about 60 percent reported gastrointestinal or liver disease, 30 percent kidney or urinary disease, and the remaining 10 percent of complaints included signs of other problems such as neurologic, dermatologic and immunologic symptoms, according to the agency’s update. About 15 percent of the kidney or urinary cases also tested positive for Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease.

The FDA has recommended avoiding jerky treats and urges people to call their veterinarian if they suspect a problem.

Source:

eBay Warns Customers to Change Passwords After Database Hacked

Personal information for all of eBay’s 145 million active buyers could have been accessed in a hack two months ago, a company spokeswoman said, as the online auction giant advised all users to change their passwords Wednesday.

The database contained encrypted passwords and was compromised from late February into March. The hacked database contained customer information including names, phone numbers, birth dates, home addresses and email addresses. It did not include financial information, the online auction site said.

The company has not yet said how many accounts were breached, but personal information for all eBay users in the database was potentially compromised, according to eBay spokeswoman Amanda Christine Miller.

Information for PayPal, an eBay subsidiary, is encrypted and maintained separately.

“Cyberattackers compromised a small number of employee log-in credentials, allowing unauthorized access to eBay’s corporate network,” the company said in a statement. EBay has seen “no evidence of any unauthorized access to financial or credit card information, which is stored separately in encrypted formats.”

The breach was discovered about two weeks ago, according to eBay, leading to a probe that identified the hacked database. The company said it is "aggressively investigating the matter" and working with law enforcement.

EBay users will be contacted by the company on Wednesday asking them to change their passwords. A notice asking users to change their eBay passwords was first posted on the company website for PayPal, which is owned by eBay and handles its online payments.

Users who use the same password on eBay and other websites should change their passwords on all sites, the company said.

PayPal released a statement saying that an investigation has not uncovered any evidence that information for its customers was hacked.

“PayPal customer and financial data is encrypted and stored separately, and PayPal never shares financial information with merchants, including eBay,” PayPal said.

High-profile hackings have plagued several companies in recent months. Target reported a massive security breachthat laid financial information for tens of millions of customers vulnerable over the holiday season. AOL Mail reported a major hack in April in which email accounts were broken into and used to send out spam.

VIDEO/ SOURCE

From the Desk of Pocomoke City Police Chief Kelvin D. Sewell ~ Press Release

Pocomoke City Police Department

Press Release

May 1, 2014 to May 20, 2014

 May 1, 2014, Loynial Sturgis, age 34 of Pocomoke City was Arrested for Disorderly Conduct.

 May 2, 2014, Heather Taylor, age 23 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Driving Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving Vehicle While Impaired By Alcohol.

 May 3, 2014, Robert Dolby, age 24 of Pocomoke was Arrested for CDS Possession of Marijuana and CDS Possession of Paraphernalia.

 May 4, 2014, Stan Schoolfield, age 25 of Princess Anne was Arrested for Disorderly Conduct.

 May 4, 2014, Donna Hilton, age 25 of Snow Hill MD was Arrested for 2nd Degree Assault.

 May 4, 2014, Nathaniel Pittman, age 31 of Pocomoke was Arrested for 2nd Degree Assault.

 May 4, 2014, Marguees Wise, age 21 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Attempted 1st Degree Murder, 1st Degree Arson, 2nd Degree Arson and Malicious Burning.

 May 5, 2014, Juan Quiles, age 32 of Camden New Jersey was Arrested for CDS Possession of Marijuana.

 May 6, 2014, Catherine Gravenor, age 50 of Bel Air MD was Arrested for Theft less than $100.00.

 May 6, 2014, Kimberly Stephens, age 30 of Salisbury MD was Arrested on a Outstanding Warrant for Theft less than $1,000.

 May 8, 2014, Johnny Collins Jr, age 27 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Theft less than $500.

 May 10, 2014, Hakeem McBride, age 24 of Pocomoke was Arrested on a Outstanding Warrant for Violation of Probation.

 May 11, 2014, Marvin Fletcher, age 53 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Disorderly Conduct and an Alcohol Violation.

 May 11, 2014, Joel Owen, age 21 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Driving Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving Vehicle Under Alcohol Per Se.

 May 12, 2014, Robert Hickman, age 60 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Driving Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol.

 May 13, 2014, Ted Davis, age 20 of Pocomoke was Arrested on a Outstanding Warrant for Manufaturing Counterfeit Currency, Attempt to Possess/ Issue Forged Currency and Possession/Issue Forged Currency.

 May 13, 2014, Craig Douling, age 31 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Malicious Destruction of Property.

 May 15, 2014, Cecelia Briddell, age 52 of Pocomoke was Arrested on a Outstanding Warrant for Prostitution, Possession CDS Not Marijuana and Possess with Intent to Distribute Narcotics.

 May 18, 2014, Shakeisha Sample, age 32 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Peace Order/Fail to Comply.

 May 19, 2014, Jahad Triggs, age 19 of New Church VA was Arrested for CDS Possession of Marijuana.

 May 20, 2014, Keshon Hayes, age 20 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Rogue & Vagabond and Theft less than $100.00

 May 20, 2014, Michael Yeffstig, age 20 of Pocomoke was Arrested for Rogue & Vagabond and Theft less than $100.

 May 20, 2014, Tamika Fisher, age 20 of Pocomoke was Arrested for 1st Degree Assault and 2nd Degree Assault.

Pocomoke City Police Department- facebook

Judge Won't Dismiss McDonnells' Charges, No Separate Trials

Bob and Maureen McDonnell will have their day in court together, even if they would rather not.

In three orders Tuesday, U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer denied motions by both defendants to dismiss many of the charges they face, to separate their trials, and to give them access to communication records between prosecutors and the grand jury.

His ruling is a setback for the defense ahead of a jury trial set for July on public corruption charges. The McDonnells were indicted in January.

While the defendants "take issue with the Indictment primarily on the ground that it fails to allege Robert McDonnell performed or promised to perform any 'official act' within the meaning of the federal bribery statutes," Spencer in one order concludes it is for a jury to decide whether the McDonnells' conduct "constituted 'the corruption of official positions through misuse of influence in governmental decision-making.' "

The judge also denied a request for disclosure of grand jury information that the defense thought might help improve its fortunes by weakening the foundations of the government's case.

Spencer released his orders one day after federal prosecutors and attorneys for the McDonnells argued over motions to dismiss many of the charges against them. The defense claimed Bob McDonnell's conduct wasn't bribery by government standards because the former governor never took official action to aid a benefactor who lavished expensive gifts and loans on his family.

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Bingo To Benefit The MarVa Theater

FRIDAY NIGHT

Friday, May 23rd at 7 PM

Tom's Cove Park

(Inside of the Clubhouse)

Chincoteague, VA

Doors Open at 6 PM

$20/book

Cash Bingo

Special Game * 50/50 * Door Prizes

www.marvatheater.com

NASA Television Coverage Set for Next Space Station Crew Launch

Image Credit:  NASA/Victor Zelentsov

NASA Television will broadcast prelaunch activities for the next three crew members flying to the International Space Station, followed by extensive live coverage of their launch and docking to the orbital laboratory Wednesday, May 28.

Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA, Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will launch to the space station in a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1:57 a.m. May 29, Baikonur time).

NASA TV coverage begins at 3 p.m. and will include video of the prelaunch activities leading up to and including the crew members boarding their spacecraft.

The crew is scheduled to dock to the station's Rassvet module less than six hours later, at 9:48 p.m. NASA TV coverage of docking begins at 9 p.m.

Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos will greet the new crew when the hatches open at about 11:25 p.m. NASA TV hatch opening coverage begins at 11 p.m.

**Wiseman, Suraev and Gerst will remain aboard the station until mid-November. Swanson, Skvortsov and Artemyev will return to Earth in mid-September, leaving Suraev as Expedition 41 Commander.


For the full schedule of Soyuz prelaunch, launch and docking coverage, as well as NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information on the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For b-roll and other media resources, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/stationnews

NOTE:

**Wiseman is from Cockeysville, Maryland