County Leader In Virginia Pushes To Follow Arizona's Immigration Law

MANASSAS — The chairman of Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors is calling for a statewide law to crack down on illegal immigration in Virginia, similar to a controversial Arizona measure.

Board Chairman Corey A. Stewart, an at-large Republican, is calling on state lawmakers to pass the Virginia Rule of Law Act, which would allow police to make arrests without a warrant if they have “reasonable suspicion” a person is in the country illegally. It would also allow them to break up day laborer centers and prohibit solicitation on all public roads.

“We need to bring the rule of law to all of Virginia,” Stewart said. “As long as the federal government shows no interest in securing the border and no interest in internal enforcement to promote self-deportation, then states and localities will have to pick up the slack.”

Prince William’s own law on illegal immigration requires that police officers inquire about the immigration status of all people arrested on suspicion of violating a state or local law. The Arizona law, signed in April, gives police wide latitude to check the residency status of anyone who they have “reasonable suspicion” is an illegal immigrant.

A spokesman for Gov. Bob McDonnell said the administration will review the proposal.

“The governor is a strong proponent of reforming our current immigration system to ensure that the laws of this nation are obeyed and upheld, and lawful immigration is encouraged and facilitated,” spokesman Tucker Martin wrote in an e-mail.

Nancy Lyall of the immigrant advocacy group Mexicans Without Borders called the proposal “irresponsible.” There’s a need for reform, Lyall said, but it should come from the federal government.

“This type of legislation targeting people who have been a productive part of society for most of their lives is just unheard of and unjust,” Lyall said.

Stewart said he is pursuing the issue now because the 2011 General Assembly session is the last before statewide House and Senate elections next fall, he said. He plans to choose a sponsor for the measure in the House of Delegates and the state Senate in the near future.

“I am very hopeful about it,” he said. “I think if it’s ever going to pass, this is the time.

www.delmarvanow.com

Cab Driver, Held Woman Hostage Because She Wouldn't Tip

Like so many in the service industry, Sohail Kahn forgot that tipping is supposed to be for exemplary service. It's a show of respect and gratitude, not an automatic tax. But he apparently neglected that notion when he picked up a woman in New Orleans...

The 57-year-old businesswoman from Bellaire, Texas needed a ride from the Intercontinental Hotel to the airport. Before she got in, she asked cabbie Kahn if she could pay by credit card. He said yes.

But when they arrived at the airport, Kahn told her that he would be adding a $10 tip to her $33 bill. Since custom would have it that the tipper makes this call -- not the recipient -- the woman refused. She demanded Kahn process her card and get her bags.

That's when Kahn tried to grab her purse, she says. He waved his fist in her face, telling her "You will pay me my 10 percent tip, or I will not let you go," according to the police report.

Then he cut the engine, hit the automated door locks, and proceeded to hold her hostage until she forked over the tip.

They apparently argued for a half-hour before the woman, who was becoming increasingly hysterical, called 911 from her cell phone. A deputy arrived to find her sweating and shaking.

Kahn, being a moron, tried to tell the deputy that he wasn't extorting a tip; he just needed an extra $10 to cover the credit card transaction fee. But the good deputy quickly realized that story was bullshit. Drivers are supposed to cover their own card fees.

Kahn was charged with extortion, false imprisonment and simple assault. He also had his cabbie license seized.

VIA: Trurecrimereport

TARZAN UPDATE

I was at the mall yesterday, and I ran into Tarzan! I asked him how it was going and if he was into making anymore movies.

He told me that he could no longer make any more movies as he had severe arthritis in both shoulders and could no longer swing from vine to tree.



I asked how Jane was doing, he told me she was in bad shape, in a nursing home, has Alzheimer's and no longer recognizes anyone. How sad.



I asked about Boy, and he told me that Boy had gone to the big city, got hooked up with bad women, drugs, alcohol, and the only times he heard from him was when he was in trouble or needed something.



When I asked about Cheeta, he beamed and said she was doing good. She married a lawyer, had gotten some plastic surgery, and now lived in the White House!!!







Hat Tip; Eric

You gotta meet Molly...

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who
was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane
Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks
on her own before finally being rescued and taken
to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.
While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier
and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became
infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but
LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare
case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly,
He changed his mind.
He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different
sides so she didn't seem to get sores,
and how she allowed people to handle her.
She protected her injured leg.
She constantly shifted her weight
and didn't overload her good leg.
She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee,
and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly
walked out of the clinic and her story really
begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,'
Moore insists. Molly happened to be a
one-in-a-million patient.
She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain.
She made it obvious she understood that she was
in trouble. The other important factor, according
to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant
owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care
required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana ..
The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb.
A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.
The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life,
Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.
And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out,
and come to you and let you know that she wants
you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take
it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from
Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch
a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay,
the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to
shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation
centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed
hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people
her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a
good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to
play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane,
she survived a horrible injury,
and now she is giving hope to others.'
Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal,
But she's going to be better. To me, she could be a
symbol for New Orleans itself.'



This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom
photo shows the ground surface that she stands on,
which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever
Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.



Hat Tip; Kack

Field Fire This Afternoon.........

A combine caught fire in a wheat field in Melfa Sunday afternoon and destroyed roughly 40 acres of crop.

Accomack County Fire Department Supervisor Charles Pruitt said 50 firefighters have placed the fire under control. The fire remains burning as of 6:30pm tonight.

The fire started in a field off Main Street and spread toward Seaside Road.

www.wavy.com

Father's Day: Celebrating Dad for 100 Years

You could call Sonora Smart Dodd the "Mother of Father's Day." After all, the holiday, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was inspired by her.

Dodd's mother died in 1898 while giving birth, leaving her father, William Jackson Smart, to raise Dodd and her five younger brothers (including the newborn baby) on a remote farm near Spokane, Wash. While attending a Mother's Day sermon in 1909, Dodd decided that fathers deserve the same recognition.

Within a year, she -- along with some help from her pastor, the Rev. Conrad Bluhm, the Spokane YMCA and the Ministerial Alliance -- did it: June 19, 1910, was designated as the first Father's Day. Throughout Spokane that day, Sunday sermons were themed around the importance of fatherhood.

By 1924, the holiday had gained some national prominence. President Calvin Coolidge that year recognized Father's Day and made it known that he wanted more states to get involved.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an order proclaiming the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. He even requested that flags on all government buildings be flown that day.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation permanently observing Father's Day on the third Sunday in June. And today, Father's Day is celebrated in over 50 countries around the globe on various days throughout the year.

All because of a young girl who appreciated her dad's love and wanted to see his efforts acknowledged. William Jackson Smart died in 1919, so he got to celebrate 10 Father's Days with his grateful daughter.

Throughout Spokane, events are planned to celebrate Father's Day, as they always are, but this year is special.

Pam Scott, communication manager for the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitor's Bureau, told AOL News they are taking the centennial seriously.

"Father's Day is such a part of our history, and when you reach a milestone like this, it's a good opportunity to look back, reflect and leverage the history into a truly unforgettable celebration," Scott said.

"We have many special events planned, and locals and visitors alike are encouraged to take part in this special day. We even have Sonora Smart Dodd's granddaughter coming to Spokane from Vienna, Austria."

Dads around Spokane will be toasted with Papa's Pale Ale, a specially crafted beer created by the brew master at Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company and Steam Plant Grill (available only in June this year).

Plus, many events are planned, including tours of the historic Dodd home, a patriotic salute to Father's Day, a Daddy-Daughter Tea, a symphony concert and a historic Father's Day walking tour.

Spokane is a city that proudly and enthusiastically wraps itself in its Father's Day history, providing just the right amounts of preservation and celebration. The city is also gracious when it comes to acknowledging the origin of another Father's Day landmark.

"Back in Fairmont, W.Va., they had a Father's Day in 1908, two years before ours," Scott said. "While it wasn't held regularly each year as Spokane's was, we still honor the sentiment of Grace Clayton."

Clayton had suggested to the pastor of her church that they honor fathers after the nearby 1907 Monongah mine explosion, which killed more than 360 men -- 210 of them fathers. The church complied with Clayton's wishes and, as Scott points out, the holiday failed to gain the traction it did in Spokane.

However, if you happen to be near the Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont on Sunday, know that they do a very nice Father's Day service -- right in the same place where the first ceremony was held.

VIA: AOLNews

Woman wanting medical help shoots self

Let me first say I'm all for helping someone that will help themselves. Watch this video interview and take notice at 1:27 mins into the video this lady is holding a cigarette.

Since the new tax on tobacco has taken place a pack of cigarettes in Michigan cost around $6.50 per pack, so I'm just guessing here that cigarettes in Michigan would cost $60.00+ per carton. The average smoker will smoke a carton per week so that's over $3000.00 per year.

I say this lady needs to stop crying for a handout, quit smoking and sell that pistol to help pay her medical bills. She could afford a nice medical insurance policy with the 3 grand she'd save from the cigarettes alone.

NILES, Mich. (WOOD) - The pain in her right shoulder was unbearable and, without health insurance, Kathy Myers was desperate.

So, she sought .25-caliber relief.

In her basement bedroom on Thursday, the 41-year-old woman shot herself in the same shoulder with a .25-caliber handgun, hoping it could get her the medical help she said she needs.

Instead, she's back home, still in pain, and could face criminal charges.

Myers showed 24 Hour News 8 how she did it. She was lying in her bed in the basement, put pillows in front of and behind her right shoulder, along with an ice pack. Then, she fired a single shot through the front pillow.

The bullet pierced the front of her shoulder and exited the rear, lodging in the ice pack. She said she didn't feel any pain, just burning.

"It just felt warm. That's all," she said.

Myers, 41, said she told her girlfriend's mother to call 911.

Myers said she hurt her shoulder about a month ago when her 80-pound golden Labrador went after one of her little dogs. She tried to stop the dog, which jerked her right shoulder.

"I felt it pop in three places in my collar bone," she said.

Doctors gave her some anti-inflammatories, but couldn't do much more than that, she said. "I didn't have insurance, so I couldn't get a CT-scan or MRI."

Myers is among the 1.2 million uninsured people living in Michigan -- a number that has remained steady for about three years, state health officials said.

The pain, she says, is so excruciating that she can't sleep. She said she couldn't afford to see a neurologist. Myers says she lost her job with a hazardous-waste removal company in southern Indiana months ago.

She said she hasn't qualified for disability or Medicaid.

It was Thursday, she said, when she came up with the idea of shooting herself. "I figured if I did something that would not necessarily make it life-threatening but make it imminent danger that something would be done," she said. "I wanted them to fix me. I just wanted to be fixed."

She hoped the bullet would force doctors to treat what she believes is a rotator cuff injury. Instead, emergency room doctors at Lakeland Hospital treated only the bullet wound and sent her home.

On Friday, Niles Police said they would talk to prosecutors to determine what, if any, charges to file against Myers.

Now, she's having second thoughts.

"It didn't take the pain away," she said. "I figured it would take the pain away from the rotator cuff, where at least I could focus on something else, and maybe they would fix me, you know. I guess I should have shot a little lower and got the bone and the artery."

VIA: WoodTV.com

~~Our Father-- One Of A Kind~~

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

TO OUR FATHER ....................

To A Father
Who never left us feeling alone or abandoned (even in death), who always kept us warm, fed and loved. Who loved us more than life itself and taught us how to love. Who taught us how to share, instilled values in us and taught us to believe in God.......... and made darn sure we obeyed everyone of the commandments while growing up so we would keep them as we grew older. Who showed us how to respect others, love others, and that most times happiness comes with a song. Who taught us respect for others, ourselves and the flag. Who taught us the consequences of what "pull my finger means" just to see us run and kept that trick until the granchildren were old enough to reach his hand.

A Father
Who's true laugh would could be heard for blocks and had enough love and laughter for everyone that passed his way........he knew no stanger and was no stranger. Who taught all of us the love for music and was never downhearted when his children didn't learn to play anything musical except the radio but grew excited when his grandchildren picked up instruments. (Well, Dad, we have two that just seem to keep on going with music! And both play guitar).

A Father
Who made my sister, brother and me realise as very young children that "meals ready to eat" really can be pulled from the garden or picked from the tree and eaten because spit really does wash them. Who always said that common sense was as important as book sense and maybe even better in order to get through life properly.


A Father
Who gave of himself totally and completely even when his energies were fading. Who loved his grandchildren each the same as he did his many friends and all of his family. Who had a love for the soil and the growth it would bring from planting a simple seed.

Our Father died shortly after this photo was taken. We all knew on that day he wasn't feeling well but because everything his children/grandchildren/friends did was important to him he made darn sure he didn't miss it and for the last time was surrounded by nieces and nephews and friends that loved him.

What so many people don't know is that my father died one of the richest men in the world and left all that knew and loved him tons of wealth. He had no money in his pockets to speak of, no acres of land or a mansion for us to fight over. Instead he left us all rich from the kindness and goodness in his heart and the warm memories that will never be for sale.

We love you Daddy. Happy Father's Day.

(thankyou Sis for the pics)

When you have an 'I Hate My Job day'

[Even if you're retired, you sometimes have those days]

Try this out:

Stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson.
Be very sure you get this brand.



When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed.

Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer.

Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.

Now the fun part begins.

Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully.
You will notice that in small print there is a statement:



"Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized."

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times,' I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson & Johnson.'

HAVE A NICE DAY; AND REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A PAIN IN THE
ASS THAN YOURS!

Now...if you haven't got a smile on your face and laughter in your heart...You're just an old sour fart;
Maybe you should go and work for Johnson and Johnson.

Enjoy life now - It has an expiration date!

Hat Tip; Kack

The Best Story of the Year:

Tom's Scrotum




The pastor asked if anyone in the congregation would like to express praise for answered prayers.

Suzie Smith stood and walked to the podium. She said, "I have a praise. Two months ago, my husband, Tom, had a terrible bicycle wreck and his scrotum was completely crushed. The pain was excruciating and the doctors didn't know if they could help him."

You could hear a muffled gasp from the men in the congregation as they imagine the pain that poor Tom must have experienced.

"Tom was unable to hold me or the children," she went on, "and every move caused him terrible pain. We prayed as the doctors performed a delicate operation, and it turned out they were able to piece together the crushed remnants of Tom's scrotum, and wrap wire around it to hold it in place."

Again, the men in the congregation cringed and squirmed uncomfortably as they imagined the horrible surgery performed on Tom.

"Now," she announced in a quivering voice, "thank the Lord, Tom is out of the hospital and the doctors say that with time, his scrotum should recover completely."

All the men sighed with unified relief. The pastor rose and tentatively asked if anyone else had something to say.

A man stood up and walked slowly to the podium.

He said, "I'm Tom Smith."

The entire congregation held its breath.

"I just want to tell my wife the word is sternum."

POCOMOKE CITY — Shore Bank has donated $1,000 to the Delmarva Discovery Center, an award that supports programming and exhibits at the Lower Shore’s relatively new museum of local culture and natural heritage.

Discovery Center Executive Director Brian Garrett along with members of its board of directors were on hand in early June to accept the donation from Shore Bank’s branch staff in Pocomoke City and its advisory board.

Donna Weaver, bank vice president, called the 16,000 square-foot Discovery Center “a wonderful resource.”

The center features a 6,000-gallon freshwater aquarium and a Native American exhibit and sponsors tours along a nature trail through the cypress swamp. The center also has a museum store, showcases local artisans through live presentations and exhibits, and sponsors special events for adults and children.

www.delmarvanow.com

Local Contractor Wins One MILLION Dollars

Pictured: Michael Reagan, President of Local Class A-Contractor M. Reagan & Sons, is presented a $1 million check from Virginia Lottery Deputy Director Richard Williams. Reagan bought the check from the Tasley Oceanway "after having a bad day at work," he said.

Michael Reagan of Harborton pointed to a Virginia Lottery scratch ticket and said, "Yeah, give me that one." With those five words, he won $1 million.

"That one" was a Maximum Millions ticket he bought from Oceanway Market at 24328 Lankford Highway in Tasley. He scratched the ticket and discovered he had won the top prize: his choice of either $1 million dollar in annual payments over 25 years or a one-time cash option of $564,000 before taxes. He chose the cash option.

On June 18, Mr. Reagan returned to the store to receive his prize from Virginia Lottery Deputy Director Richard Williams. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the ticket.

Reagan is the seventh player to claim the top prize in Maximum Millions, which means eight-top prize tickets remain unclaimed. Although his win was the talk of the are even before he officially claimed the prized, Reagan took it in stride.

"I didn't jump up and down and I haven't jumped up and down since," he said.

Reagan is the President of M. Reagan and Sons contracting, a local Class-A contractor. When asked what he's going to do with the money he said "Not a whole lot is going to change. I'm going to pay some bills and make life a little easier, but I still went to work this morning and I plan on continuing to work."

At the presentation Reagan was asked how he felt, he responded "OK, you know, honestly OK."

Nearly 95 cents of each dollar spent on the Virginia Lottery by players goes back to the Commonwealth in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retailer commissions. Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $4 billion for Virginias public schools. The latest annual profits of $439.1 million currently represent about 7 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia. In 21 years, the Lottery has sold more than $21.1 billion in tickets, awarded more than $1.1 billion in retailer commissions and paid more than $11.6 billion in prizes to players.

www.shoredailynews.com

Elks Lodge Hosts 3rd Annual Car Show

CAR SHOW

Saturday June 19, 2010

10:00 AM until 2:00 AM
Location: Onancock Elks Lodge, 22454 Front Street - Accomack, Virginia

Entry fee: $10.00

All antigue cars, truck and street rods.

Dash plaques awarded to the first 50 vehicles.

5 trophies award for cars less than 25 years old
15 trophies for cars older than 25 years old
1 trophy for best in show

50/50 drawing, food, music, cash, door prizes and fun!!

For more information: (757) 787-7750

Rain date: Sunday June 20, 2010

1:00 PM until 4:00 PM

~~DON'T FORGET~~

MELSON TONIGHT --

In May my husband (Barry Wise), member of the 187 East Performance Racing Team, ran the 200 foot dirt track in 4.9 seconds. First place winner ran the track in 4.7

Tonight Barry and his truck, now named, "SHORT - N- SASSY" will be racing to beat that time.

Don't miss it!

SEE YOU THERE!!!

2010 VFW Motorcycle Show

If you are looking for something to do tomorrow with your time may I suggest that you attend the 2010 VFW MOTOCYCLE SHOW. I promise that not only will you find good entertainment and great food but wonderful hospitality to go along with it! The men and women of this VFW are just totally awesome.
Before the day is over tomorrow motorcycles will be parked on both sides, top to bottom, of the grassy hill leading up the drive.

Sorry we will have to miss it this year.

Va. Attorney General Warns Residents

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is warning residents about protecting their computer networks to keep their personal information safe.

Cuccinelli says the warning comes in light of recent admissions by Google that the company has collected personal data from unsecured wireless networks while mapping out its Street View service.

He says Google acknowledged gathering information from networks while driving around the country.

Cuccinelli is working with Google find out about any activity conducted in Virginia and is asking the company disclose the nature of any data collected from Virginia residents.

The attorney general's office says that computer users should install and maintain antivirus software on their computers and set up password protections.

www.usatoday.com

Meals Tax Referendum On November Ballots For Accomack County Voters

At their monthly meeting Wednesday night, the Accomack County Board of Supervisors voted to put a meals tax referendum on the November ballots.

The measure, which was initiated by Supervisor Wanda Thornton at an earlier meeting, would put a 4 cent tax increase on all prepared food sold in restaurants which are not located in incorporated towns. In Accomack County, most incorporated towns already have a meals tax on prepared food. Northampton County has the meals tax on all prepared food in the County.

The money raised by the tax will be used to supplement costs of education within the county, according to Supervisors. The ultimate decision lies to the taxpayers and voters this November.

www.shoredailynews.com

Lakers Win And The Crowd Goes Wild In The Streets

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A jubilant celebration over the Los Angeles Lakers dramatic win in the NBA championship turned rowdy in scattered sections of the city, with raucous revelers hurling rocks and bottles at officers, setting fires and jumping on vehicles.

Hundreds of police officers massed around the Staples Center before Game 7 of the NBA finals on Thursday night, aiming to prevent a repeat of the violence that accompanied the Lakers' victory last year. But despite their massive presence, scattered pockets of violence erupted in neighborhoods near the arena. No major incidents were reported in the rest of the city, police said.

At least 20 people had been arrested late Thursday and that number was expected to rise, Los Angeles police Lt. John Romero said. Most of the arrests were for public intoxication, while others were for vandalism and inciting a riot.

Television news footage showed several people jumping on a taxi as it attempted to leave the area near the arena after the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79. Someone opened a rear door of the vehicle, while others rocked it back and forth. The taxi eventually made its way through the crowd and out of the area.

Television footage also showed a man being beaten and a car set on fire. And there were scattered reports of windows being broken at several businesses.

Some men ran shirtless in the street, while other people revved car engines and honked their horns in celebration. Broken glass and burnt debris lined the roads.

Jazmine Rodriguez, 24, lives in an apartment building not far from Staples Center. She said every car on her street had its windows smashed.

"When we came down here, only one window was smashed. The cops told us to go back inside, and they (revelers) smashed the other one," Rodriguez said.

Delmi Ramos tried to salvage what she could from her car, which was filled with shards of broken glass.

"We just wanted to see the celebration and be part of the Lakers' win. We never thought this would happen," she said. "It's these young people who don't know how to behave. They cause damage to people, to the community, because they don't know how to celebrate in a healthy way."

Los Angeles city firefighters responded to 37 incidents within a half-mile radius of Staples Center in a three-hour period following the game, spokesman Brian Humphrey said. There were 15 rubbish fires, one vegetation fire, three vehicle fires and 18 medical aid requests for people ill or injured, Humphrey said. Eight people were transported by ambulance to hospitals. Humphrey didn't know the nature or extent of the injuries, but said some were "quite serious."

One police officer suffered a broken nose after someone threw an object at him, Police Chief Charlie Beck said.

Shortly after the game, police declared an unlawful assembly, urging people to immediately disperse.

Revelers honked horns and yelled while emergency vehicles and police cars with sirens going moved through the area. Some people set off fireworks.

Hundreds of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were deployed to East Los Angeles, where crowds were growing, but no major problems were reported, sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said.

www.wavy.com

Utah Man Faces Firing Squad

By the time this is read on here this man will be history. Method of Execution: Firing Squad

DRAPER, Utah - A Utah inmate facing a firing squad execution has been moved to an observation cell adjacent to the death chamber, the place where he will spend his final hours. Prison officials are monitoring the activities of 49-year-old Ronnie Lee Gardner and all units at the prison are under lockdown until the execution is carried out at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning.

"There will be people constantly monitoring his activities," said Steve Gehrke, spokesman for the Utah Department of Corrections. "At some point closer to the actual execution time, he will be moved to the execution chamber itself."

FOX 13 News has learned Gov. Gary Herbert has denied a second request from Gardner's attorneys to temporarily halt the execution. The 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Denver has also denied Gardner's request to halt the execution. And finally the petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.has also been denied, sealing Gardners fate to face the firing squad.

Gehrke was informed during a press conference at about 9 p.m. Thursday night that "there are no pending issue in front of the courts right now."

Gehrke said the mood among other inmates at the prison is now somber. He also said correctional staff at the prison has been in contact with Gardner.

"He's reading a book called Devine Justice, it's a sort of spy thriller novel; he's watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy," said Gehrke.

"Yes there are certain correctional staff here that have spoken with Gardner and have been in contact with him," Gehrke said. "Last night when they moved him, they characterized his mood as reflective."

Officials said Gardner had his last meal Wednesday, which consisted of a lobster tail, steak, apple pie, ice cream and a 7-Up and is now going through a self imposed 48-hour fast leading up to his execution.

Holes in this wall are where the executioners will position their rifles.

Gardner had his last meeting with family members at the prison Wednesday night. The prison has invited witnesses from the government, the families of the victims, Gardner's family and the media to attend the execution.

Gardner has chosen to die by firing squad for killing attorney Michael Burdell during a 1985 courthouse escape attempt. He was in court for the murder of Melvyn Otterstrom during a robbery. On his way out of the courthouse, Gardner also shot and wounded deputy Nick Kirk, who died years later. Kirk's widow believes the gunshot wounds eventually killed her husband.

Throughout the legal proceedings leading up to the execution, the families of Gardner's victims have been divided on the issue of the death penalty. Burdell's fiancée, Donna Nu, said she opposes executing him; the Otterstrom and Kirk families want Gardner put to death.

The debate over the method of execution has sparked international interest. News media from across the globe are expected to arrive at the Utah State Prison to cover the execution. Utah officially did away with the firing squad as a method of execution in 2004, but several inmates are "grandfathered in."

The execution is also drawing protests. The group Utahns for Alternatives to the Death Penalty held a prayer vigil at St. Mark's Cathedral at 5:30 p.m., then a rally was held at the state capitol at 9 p.m.

www.fox13now.com

Active-duty Soldier Charged For Overweight Duffel Bag

WILLIS, Texas—A military family from Montgomery County is upset with American Airlines after a soldier was charged an overweight fee for his duffel bag.

Army Spc. Gary Sharpen was home on a two-week leave from his unit in Iraq. Melodie Sharpen said her husband was welcomed home by his family and even strangers.

“People were honking and waving,” Melodie Sharpen said. “One lady even stopped her car and said, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

The time flew by and before she knew it, Melodie Sharpen was dropping her husband back off at Bush Intercontinental Airport to fly back to the desert.

“He was wearing his army fatigues,” Melodie Sharpen said. “He had his backpack, which is Army regulated and he had his luggage.”

Gary Sharpen showed up with one 64-pound duffel bag, which is normally 14 pounds overweight. He wasn’t worried because he knew that American Airlines waived fees for active-duty military personnel.

The airline's policy says “military personnel on orders are allowed one bag in the free allowance up to 100 pounds.”

Sharpen's mother, Laura Lee, said not only was her son charged $50 in overweight fees, but the ticket agent was rude to him.

“I couldn’t imagine anyone treating one of our soldiers like that, telling them “so what” that they’re going back to Iraq,” Lee said.

Airline officials said they waive the fee only if a passenger shows military travel orders, and Gary Sharpen didn’t. His family argued that he wasn’t asked.

Melodie Sharpen said her husband had nothing he could take out of the bag to get it 14 pounds lighter.

“Did they want him to take out the pictures of our family? The toothbrushes that he was bringing over? The extra toothpaste he was bringing over? Deodorant,” she said.

American Airlines officials have agreed to refund Sharpen’s money if they see his travel orders.

However, his family said it’s not about the money, but about common courtesy for an American soldier.

www.khou.com

Men Flip Vehicle Off Man Pinned Underneath

ONLEY -- Four men -- none of them particularly strong -- lifted a Ford Contour off of a 19-year-old man trapped under it on Memorial Day Sunday, likely saving his life with a feat they say could not be repeated under normal circumstances.

I have heard about things like this, but never experienced anything like what happened that day," said Mark Williams, 53, of Onley.

Williams and Greg Lee, 33, who weighs about 160 pounds, were driving north on Redwood Road on May 30 near Onley when they saw a woman in the middle of the road waving for them to stop.

"She was pointing to the field and saying a car was overturned," said Williams, who said the accident occurred about a mile from the turn to enter Nandua Middle School. "From the direction we were driving, we would never have seen it."

When Williams arrived at the scene of the accident some 75 feet off the road, he saw a young woman frantically screaming that her boyfriend was trapped under the car.

"By this time a man who looked to be in his 70s and a Hispanic man, smaller than me -- and I only weigh 150 pounds --were there," said Williams. "I could see the shoes of someone sticking out from under the car. The elderly man said, 'OK, boys, let's lift this car up.' And in one fell swoop, we lifted that car up on its side. I was afraid I was going to see something that would take me a long time to get over."

Under the car was Deshawn Ames, 19, of nearby Melfa, who was pulled gently away from the smoldering car.

"He was gasping for breath, and you could tell he was hurt," said Williams.

Later that day Ames would be transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by Nightingale Air Ambulance. He had suffered a collapsed lung, cracked ribs and a broken pelvis.

Ames, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car after his girlfriend, Joanna Sturgis, 19, lost control of the vehicle after a rear tire blew out.

"I was driving when all of a sudden the car swerved to the right, and I couldn't control it. The next I knew we hit the ditch and the car starting tumbling," said Sturgis, who was told by an eyewitness to the accident that the car flipped three times before coming to rest on its roof.

Sturgis was wearing a seat belt and trapped in the driver's seat when she heard a woman telling her to crawl out.

She told me to unbuckle my seat belt and then helped me to crawl out," said Sturgis, who suffered some facial abrasions and lost some teeth but was otherwise uninjured.

"She asked me if there was anyone else in the car. That's when I couldn't find Deshawn and started screaming. I then heard him yelling, from under the car," said Sturgis.

Ames said he doesn't recall anything from the accident.

"I don't remember the car flipping over. I don't remember being under the car," said Ames Sunday at his home, the day after returning home after a lengthy stay in the hospital.

"I do know I will always wear a seat belt from now on. Tell everyone they should wear a seat belt. I am lucky to be here, and I can thank those men who lifted the car off of me," said Ames.

Once the car was turned on its side to free Ames, someone suggested the men flip the car again to get it upright.

We couldn't budge it," said Williams. "It was one of those situations where adrenaline took over and allowed us to do what was needed to help that man. I don't think we could have moved that car in a normal situation, but it just wasn't his time to go," said Williams, a real-estate agent with Coldwell Banker Harbour Realty.

Sturgis said Onley Fire and Rescue arrived about three minutes after Ames was freed by the good Samaritans.

"It was amazing how quick they responded," said Sturgis. "I couldn't believe they could get there so fast."

"Everyone who helped melted away when the rescue squad got there," said Williams. "No one got names. I don't know the names of the two men who helped Greg and me."

Sturgis said she doesn't know the name of the elderly woman who helped her out of the car nor the woman who flagged down passing motorists.

"I just want to thank everyone who helped. I am so grateful to them all."

Williams, who visited Ames at his home on Sunday, received a big handshake and a hearty thank you. Getting around with the aid of walker, Ames followed Williams outside, where the crumpled car was in the back yard.

Three good-sized friends of Ames, who were also visiting, attempted to lift the car. The tires never cleared the ground.

www.easternshorenews.com

New Chincoteague Bridge Grand Opening

The Grand Opening Ceremony of the new Chincoteague Bridge on September 25 could become an annual event drawing people from all ends of the country. Currently, talks surrounding the event are focusing on creating an annual Chincoteague Marathon to honor the bridge.

Joe Lowry, a consultant of VDOT, said there are currently 3 different plans being discussed, but the one being seriously considered is the marathon. The marathon would be a half marathon, or roughly 13.1 miles, and would be sanctioned by the National Track Association. Lowry predicted the marathon could become a large off-season event which would held businesses on the Eastern Shore after the summer tourism season ends.

Along with the marathon there would be a health and fitness expo where residents and runners could learn how more about staying healthy. Vendors would take part in the event.

Lowry predicted an event such as this would draw up to 1,000 runners. The entry fee would be between $25 and $35 per runner. To set up the marathon and hire medical personel would cost approximately $10,300.

www.shoredailynews.com

Huge Fire Reported ..........

A huge fire has been reported on Folly Farm Lane in Accomac. Several fire departments have responded to the scene.

Use caution if you are in the area.



www.shoredailynews.com

Woman Missing After PHISH Concert Is Found Safe

What gets into these young adults that they just go so senseless at these concerts? Hmmm.... Get a grip on your lives, young people! Do you have to be the victim of tradegy? That's what everyone assumed and rightly so! Take responsibility for yourself. Stay safe and stay alive.



PORTSMOUTH

A 26-year-old woman from Fauquier County who came to see the Phish concert on Tuesday and got separated from her friends has been found safe, the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office said.

She was found in the Washington area and was following the band, authorities said.

Laura J. Pepe traveled to Portsmouth with a group of friends for the Tuesday night show at nTelos Pavilion. After getting separated from her friends and not being found, they returned home to Fauquier County without her.

Lt. James Hartman of the sheriff's office said he spoke with Pepe's father on Thursday morning, and she has been found safe. Her mother reported her missing at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday after Pepe did not return her mother's cell phone calls, Hartman said.

www.hamptonroads.com

Accomack County Sheriff's Department Makes Mutliple Attests

**The people of Accomack County don't like it when thugs break into their homes and take what they want when no one is home. They don't like it at all and refuse to tolerate it. Thank goodness Accomack County has a wonderful Sheriff and good, hardworking men in his deparment that work for the people of this county. You see, that's what your tax dollars are supposed to be paying for....... Good, hardworking men that care and are concerned about crime and the safety of its citizens. And thank goodness at the head of this great storm of men coming through to rid the community of crime in any form, is Accomack County Sheriff Larry Giddens!**

According to Sheriff Larry Giddens, an extensive investigation conducted by the Accomack County Sheriffs Office in connection with several Painter break-ins reported during the months of March and April has led to multiple arrests. The investigation involved three residential break-ins and a break-in at the Gravitys Light clothing store. A variety of items was taken during the break-ins and some of the stolen property was recovered during the investigation.

Michael Lee Sample, Jr., age 25 of Painter, was arrested June 15 on three counts of burglary & and three counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

Spencer Lee Sample, age 53 of Painter, was arrested June 15 on four counts of burglary and 4 counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

James Phillip Johnson, age 37 of Painter, was arrested June 16 on four counts of burglary and four counts of grand larceny. He is incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

http://www.shoredailynews.com/

Cowger Will Not Seek Reelection As Commissioner

POCOMOKE CITY -- Worcester County Commissioner Bobby Cowger will not seek reelection for the First District seat this fall.

The Pocomoke City resident and local business owner has served two nonconsecutive terms -- the first in the mid-1990s and the second starting in 2006. Being a commissioner has become a full-time commitment, Cowger said, and between running his paving and site development business, he can't put in the hours needed.

"I've just got a lot of other things going on right now," he said. "I'm not saying I won't run again two or three terms down the road, when I'm retired."

Cowger is set to be the only commissioner to step down at the end of this term. However, two others, Commissioners Linda Busick and Virgil Shockley -- both of whom have announced their intentions run -- have not yet filed their candidacy. The deadline to do so is July 6.

Looking back at his time in office, Cowger said he is pleased that the renovations of Pocomoke High School were kept on track and that the three land use departments -- Develop-ment Review and Permitt-ing, Environmental Programs and Compre-hensive Planning -- had been consolidated, streamlining the process for development and home and business improvements.

Cowger, a Democrat, was perhaps most known for his concerns over the county's budgeting process and his calls to run local government more like a business. He was the sole vote in opposition to the 2010-11 spending plan.

"You've got to make your cuts and stay within your means, and I don't think the county did a good job of that," Cowger said, adding that government itself needs to shrink to keep up with falling revenues. "I predict large tax increases over the next term."

Whether that happens will be up to the next set of commissioners, and three men have already stepped forward to fill the District 1 seat. Jimmy Schoolfield, a local business owner and ordained minister, will likely face the winner of the Republican primary between Larry F. Ward and Merrill W. Lockfaw, Jr.

Ward, a Worcester County native, is the proprietor of Ward's Tree Service.

"I'm dead-set against raising taxes because there can be cuts made all over the place," Ward said. If elected Ward plans to push for a four-day, 10-hour work week for all nonessential employees, eliminating energy and maintenance with keeping buildings open an extra day and better serving citizens who cannot make it to county offices during conventional work hours.

In addition, he would institute cross training requirements for county employees to prevent breaks in service and would push for incentives for jobs, especially those that produce environmentally friendly energy and products.

Lockfaw declined to comment for this story. He is currently the superintendent of Worcester's roads division, although is retiring later this month. Until then, Lockfaw said, he is focused on leading his department.

Schoolfield is currently the only Democrat to have filed for the seat.

"I have decided to run for commissioner in District 1 to be a strong voice for the people," he said. "My focus will be on the crime rate in the district, more activities for our youth, educating our youth with after-school programs and more affordable housing."

Schoolfield, an army veteran, was born in New Church but has long-standing family ties to Pocomoke City. As well as being involved with the local NAACP and Democratic Central Committee, he owns Jae's Electric Company and serves as a minister at Georgetown Baptist Church.

www.delmarvanow.com

Crisfield's Mayor's Election Could Could Be Affected By Absentee Votes

CRISFIELD -- Mayor Percy Purnell was leading by 47 votes in Wednesday's city election, but a count of absentee and provisional ballots could change the outcome in the hotly contested mayor's race.

Purnell received 455 votes, followed by James Lane with 408 and former mayor Richard Scott with 14.

Three incumbent City Council members --Raymond Anderson, Barry Dize and Kim Lawson, who were elected with Purnell in 2006 as part of the Clean Sweep Team -- also appeared to be the winners for their at-large seats.

Lane said Wednesday night he was not ready to concede to Purnell.

"It's not over until they count the absentee and provisional ballots," he said.

City elections officials said they mailed out 51 absentee ballots, but the number returned was not immediately available Wednesday night. They will be opened this afternoon.

There also were 17 provisional ballots, as well as some people who were turned away because they were not on city voter lists.

Some of Lane's supporters said they planned to challenge the outcome of the mayor's race.

"We'll take it to the highest court," one woman shouted at reporters. "Put that in the paper."

Lane said he knows of one woman who registered to vote last month, but whose name was not on the list given to city elections officials.

"I'm sure there's going to be some examination of the process," he said.

In the City Council races, Anderson and Dize were clear winners with 513 and 465 votes, respectively, but Lawson, with 422 votes, was only 44 votes ahead of challenger Pamela Whittington, with 378 -- a lead that could change with today's absentee vote count.

Purnell said he was happy with the outcome so far.

"I think it's reassuring at this level of a challenge," he said.

Just before the polls closed, Clean Sweep Team supporters, who had camped outside City Hall all day, predicted it would be a close mayor's race.

"It was hard to tell," said Frederick B. "Fritz" Gerald, a former mayor and city manager. "This morning it was a little bit lopsided, but this evening it evened out."

Preliminary winners

Mayor

James Lane -- 408

Percy Purnell (I) -- 455

Richard Scott -- 14

City Council (3 seats)

Raymond Anderson (I) -- 513

Barry Dize (I) -- 465

Robert Hooks -- 35

Jordan "Bo" Joyner --139

Kim Lawson (I) -- 422

Carolyn Marquis -- 240

Greg Sterling -- 145

Pamela Whittington -- 378

www.somersetherald.com

Don't Forget The Mar-Va Theater This Weekend

Rosecroft Raceway To Close July 1

Rosecroft Raceway, the bankrupt racetrack in Prince George's County, will close July 1 after running out of money to operate — in yet another setback for the ailing horse racing industry in Maryland.

Rosecroft had been struggling for years as it saw a revolving door of owners, stopped running live racing and then lost the right to broadcast simulcast thoroughbred races. Earlier this year, the state legislature rejected a bill sought by the track to legalize poker and table games there.

Meanwhile, the horse racing industry is eagerly waiting for slot-machine profits to revive a sport declining in popularity and losing gamblers to neighboring states. The slots program has had a rocky start as a large casino proposal in Anne Arundel County got caught up in legal battles and the sole bidder for the Baltimore City parlor was tossed out. The first slots parlor in Cecil County is set to open in September.

With Rosecroft's license set to expire in two weeks, Kelley Rogers, president of Rosecroft owner Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc., said Wednesday that he could not vouch for the track's financial viability before the Maryland Racing Commission. The track has been operating essentially as an off-track betting site for the past two years.

Rogers delivered the news Tuesday in a memo to standardbred horsemen and others. In a phone interview, Rogers said most of the racetrack's 200 employees will finish work on Saturday with a skeletal crew remaining to shut down the operations. Rogers blamed the track's demise on an untenable financial arrangement with the state's larger thoroughbred industry.

"Our long struggle is finally over and we have come to an end," Rogers wrote in the memo, which has been posted on the website of the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners' Association, the parent of Cloverleaf Enterprises. "Unfortunately, despite all of our best efforts we could not escape the unreasonable demands of the thoroughbred industry and they have succeeded in putting us out of business."

Rosecroft's closure leaves Ocean Downs, which plans to open a small slots operation later this year, as the state's only harness track. Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the Preakness Stakes, and Laurel Park are thoroughbred tracks.

"It's never good news when a racetrack closes when you're in the racetrack business," said John Franzone, a longtime member of the racing commission.

Rosecroft has been mired in a bitter fight with the thoroughbred industry — namely the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the Maryland Horse Breeders Association — over an agreement that required the track to pay $5.9 million a year to receive simulcast signals for thoroughbred racing. At the time of Rosecroft's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last June, the racetrack owed $1.8 million.

Alan Foreman, attorney for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, flatly rejected Rogers' characterization of the arrangement. Foreman said Rosecroft breached the agreement when it stopped making payments. As a result, the racing commission revoked Rosecroft's right to receive thoroughbred racing simulcast signals.

"We made no demands on the harness industry. Zero. ... Their situation is totally self-inflicted," Foreman said. "We would have been happy to work with them had they come to us in the beginning. Here we are. It's sad."

For the standardbred horsemen, breeders and others in the harness industry, the track's closure is a bitter ending for a once-popular venue for live racing. The track's bankruptcy protection will convert to a Chapter 7 liquidation, Rogers said.

Betsy Brown, a standardbred horsewoman, trainer and driver who has lived at Rosecroft and stabled her horses there for 20 years, was preparing Wednesday to move her 10 horses to the fairgrounds in Woodstock, Va.

"We were hoping for a miracle to the end. It just didn't happen," said Brown, who saw her income drop by half when Rosecroft suspended live racing in 2008. "It's really sad. Some of the people don't know where they're going and time is running out."

Rogers said all stable occupants will leave by June 28.

Horse racing and slots have been a political hot button for many years as lawmakers, racing interests and others sought to find ways to revive the industry.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, who used to visit Rosecroft with his father and brother, said there was never any chance slots would have been approved for the Fort Washington racetrack because Prince George's County's elected officials opposed it.

He added that state officials would "do everything we possibly can to help people displaced."

Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who is seeking to unseat O'Malley in a rematch this November, characterized Rosecroft's closure as the end of an era in Maryland racing and called it a "sobering reminder of state government's failure to design a viable gaming program."

Rosecroft opened in 1949 and has had a history of financial troubles and owners who have come and gone.

The track saw some deals fall apart because prospects for legalized slots in Maryland never materialized until 2007. That year, Penn National Gaming, which owns the Cecil County parlor, dropped its bid to buy Rosecroft when the track was not designated as a site for slot machines. And the family of Peter G. Angelos pulled out of a deal in 2005 when chances for legalizing gambling at tracks dimmed.

Rosecroft wasn't designated a slots site in legislation that legalized such gambling and sent the issue to a November 2008 referendum, which voters approved. Under the program, slots proceeds would be dedicated to horse racing purses and track improvements, but that revenue hasn't yet materialized.

It seemed as though things would turn around for Rosecroft when real estate developer Mark Vogel, a former owner of the harness track, stepped up last year and agreed to buy the financially beleaguered property. But while stockholders of Rosecroft approved the track's sale to Vogel, a Delaware bankruptcy judge rejected the deal.

Vogel said Wednesday that he wanted to keep the track operating, but he said "the real issue is Rosecroft has no revenue source."

"We don't have live racing and thoroughbred turned off the simulcast signals," he said.

For the three months ending March 31, Cloverleaf lost $520,712, according to financial documents submitted to the racing commission. The company reported a net loss of $1.39 million in 2008, the most recent annual financial report submitted to the racing commission. The company also reported losses in 2007 and 2006, according to financial documents.

Earlier this year, the track pushed efforts to allow poker, blackjack and other table games, but the legislation did not gain enough traction in the General Assembly, despite the backing of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

"We moved heaven and earth to save the Preakness a couple of years ago, which I'm fully supportive of, yet when it comes to saving 200 jobs in the African-American community in Prince George's County, nobody seems to give a damn," Rogers said.

But Vogel is not giving up on the possibility of a state bailout or another last-minute rescue.

"We are hoping that we have political leaders in Maryland who don't want Rosecroft closed and 200 jobs to evaporate," he said. "And what we're looking for is a simulcast agreement.

www.baltimoresun.com

Losing Rosecroft is like losing a friend. Tsk. Tsk.... Maryland. It's a shame you didn't work a little faster to help those 200 hundred people keep their jobs AND save Rosecroft. Those people will find jobs eventually.......maybe......but horse racing in Maryland will be changed forever. ........At least that's the way I see it.

Virginia Man On No-Fly List Stuck In Egypt

Yahya Wehelie, 26, who was born in Fairfax, Virginia, to Somali parents was returning from 18 months studying in Yemen, when Egyptian authorities stopped him from boarding his flight to New York saying the FBI wanted to speak with him.

Wehelie said he was then told his name was on a no-fly list and he now cannot board a U.S. airline or enter American airspace.

U.S. authorities have put Americans studying in Yemen under heavy scrutiny after a number of failed terrorist attacks were linked back to Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen.

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said the bureau does not comment on whether a particular person is on a watch list. While Bresson did not discuss the FBI's interest in Wehelie, he did note several recent high-profile terror plots, including an attempted car bombing and a failed Christmas Day jetliner bombing, as reminders of the need to remain vigilant.

Wehelie, however, said he had no dealings with the terrorist organization while in Yemen and does not even see himself as a particularly observant Muslim.

"It's amazing how the U.S. government can do something like this," he told The Associated Press Wednesday from his ramshackle hotel in downtown Cairo.

"I'm cool with all their fighting terrorism and all that, I'm cool with that, I like that, more power too them," he said in American accented English, wearing baggy basketball shorts and a long white T-shirt.

"My home is America and I don't know why I can't go back there," he said, adding that he even suggested to the FBI to "put me in like ConAir or something ... in an airplane with a bunch of U.S. marshals or whatever in handcuffs just get me back home."

Wehelie said the US embassy has not given him any indication of how he can get off the no-fly list, but for now is paying the $16 a night for his hotel and gives him coupons to eat at U.S. fast food chains.

In a news conference held in Washington by a Muslim civil rights group, his mother Shamsa Noor, said she sent her sons to Yemen to learn Arabic and get some direction in their lives and now she feels guilty for that decision.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the U.S. government in the press conference to allow him to return home.

An Egyptian security official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media confirmed that there is a Somali-American stranded in Cairo waiting for his name to be lifted from a no-fly list.

www.wavy.com

Democrat Congressman Bob Etheridge Assaults Student on Washington Sidewalk

Well Mr Bob Etheridge all I can say is you should feel very, very lucky that you did not treat one of my sons or someone like myself the way you treated this young college person.

This is completely unbelievable not to mention illegal and this democrat congress-critter Bob Etheridge should be in jail right now. This IS the liberals true colors people, they hold claim to their better than you patients and tolerance but like everything else that crosses their lips, it's a lie unless of course they do see someone that will fight back then they run scared, find the nearest corner, curl-up in the fetal position and cry, oh! they do that if they don't get their way too.

Etheridge did write an apology which he is very lucky he can do, write that is, because if he'd grabbed the wrong person like that the wrong way, (lets say like any little girl that happened to be in a bad mood) he might have had that hand broken.

BTW: He looks drunk or probably high to me in the video, liberals do love their weed ya know.

Three days after an Internet video surfaced showing North Carolina Rep. Bob Etheridge in a physical confrontation with a young man, the lawmaker said he is "profoundly" sorry for the tussle on a Washington street.

Etheridge, a Democrat, is seen in an amateur video grabbing the wrist and neck of an unidentified young man after the man approached the congressman and asked if he supported the "Obama agenda."

"I apologize for my actions," Etheridge told reporters during a press conference Monday. "They were unacceptable."

"No matter how partisan and no matter how difficult things get sometimes, that's no excuse for my response," he added, shortly after releasing a written statement in which he said he "profoundly" regrets the incident.

The video, posted to YouTube last Friday, shows the man, who appears to be in his early 20s and who identifies himself as a student, approaching Etheridge on the sidewalk.

Etheridge is then seen trying to snatch a cell phone camera out of the student's hands. He then grabs the man's wrist and refuses to let go.

"Who are you!" the seven-term congressman demands. "Tell me who you are ... I have a right to know who you are."

Another man, not seen on camera, then tells Etheridge, "We're just here for a project."

When the man asks Etheridge to "please let go of me," the congressman then grabs him by the neck.

Etheridge told reporters that he hasn't apologized to the young men involved because "I dont know who they are."

"I would if I knew who they were," he said.

"I've been spat at, pushed and threatened before but that's no excuse," he added, saying that the incident occurred after a "long day."

In a statement Monday, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jon Thompson said, "Bob Etheridge has lost it.

"His conduct is unbecoming of a member of Congress. It's bad enough that he's joined Obama's assault on North Carolina jobs, but his physical assault on a college student goes beyond the pale."

Mike Flynn, a conservative blogger for biggovernment.com, wrote that the confrontation occurred last week outside a fundraiser headlined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The video, which was posted on YouTube by "DCCameraGuy," does not reveal the identity of the men making the tape.

Etheridge, who has represented North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District since 1997, is running for re-election against Republican Renee Ellmers, a registered nurse, in November. Political observers have predicted that the 68-year-old congressman will likely hold on to his seat.

Etheridge, a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, voted in favor of President Obama's health care overhaul legislation as well as the Democratic climate change bill known by opponents as cap-and-trade.

Click here to see the video

FOXNEWS

Hot-Air Balloon Crash

This was a horrible event, luckily for the pilot the Balloon was not traveling at a high rate of speed during the collision. Bystanders nearby were heard screaming "Oh shit!!" literally.

911 was called and emergency, ambulance's and rescue squads geared up for the horrific scene, The police were first on the site and while the police did survey from a distance they were able to assess that no one was injured do to the $0.35 Dollar General gondola and the safety measures taken by Waste Management.

All emergency personnel and equipment were canceled but extra response trucks and personnel from Charmin were needed. Cleanup crews have estimated that cleanup will only take a few hours providing no clogs or dangerous logs roll out.

When the Pilot was asked what he thought was going to go down? He stated "some folks will try to stir the crap and this whole thing will create a stink but in the end it will all come out in the wash".

Until then I guess we'll all just have to wait to see what floats.









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Possible Bigfoot sighting

NC man claims to have seen Bigfoot

NORTH CAROLINA, (WAVY) - A North Carolina man says there's a Sasquatch running about in the woods near his home.

Tim Peeler told news outlets he was making coyote calls in the mountains when he called out for something he didn't expect.

Peeler reported to police that he heard scratching and grunting sounds, and saw the creature near his home. He claims he yelled at the 10-foot-tall beast.

"That's when it took off into the woods. And I said, get away from here, get...And he went back down that path again."

Police filed an official suspicious persons report.

Investigators say there have been a number of Bigfoot sightings in the North Carolina mountains over the years

VIA: WAVY.com

Then Here's a video with a tiny bit more detail than the one posted above.

Accident On Eastern Shore Kills One

ACCOMACK, Va. - Police are investigating a deadly accident on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The accident happened around 2:08 am on June 16 on Rt. 13 just south of Rt. 677.

Police say there was a head-on collision between a Subaru and a Toyota Tacoma.

Subaru passenger, John R. Lutz Jr. of Hazeltown, Pennyslvania died on the scene. He was 32 years old.

Subaru driver, Brooke Evans, is being charged with reckless driving.

www.wavy.com

Alleged Leader Of The Patterson Park BLOODS Is Indicted

The alleged leader of a Southeast Baltimore Bloods gang was indicted by a federal grand jury on drugs and weapons charges, federal prosecutors announced.

Kevin Chambers, also known as "BK" and "Kaos," is alleged to have led a gang called the Rollin' 20's Bloods that sold large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin along Fayette Street, around one of the city's most persistently troubled areas, and in Patterson Park.

The indictment comes about two weeks after two men were shot within an hour in the nearby McElderry Park neighborhood, and two sources told The Baltimore Sun at the time that the shooting was believed to stem from a dispute between the Rollin' 20's Bloods and a group called the Lueders Park Pirus.

"We are pulling out all the stops to accelerate federal violent crime and gang cases in an effort to head off additional shootings this summer and continue to build on the positive momentum of recent years," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in an e-mail.

Court papers allege that Rollin' 20's members possessed and distributed firearms and committed acts of violence, including armed robberies and assaults, though it does not detail those incidents.

Chambers, 29, of the 1100 block of N. Milton Ave. had been indicted May 25 in Baltimore Circuit Court and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for drug conspiracy charges and a maximum of 20 years for gun conspiracy charges.

www.baltimoresun.com