Saturday, June 4, 2011

UK Spies Hack al-Qaida, Replace Bomb Info With Cupcake Recipes

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - British spies hacked into an al-Qaida website to replace instructions on how to build a bomb with recipes for making cupcakes, newspapers reported on Friday.

The cyber offensive took place last year when the English language magazine called Inspire, aimed at Muslims in the West, was launched by supporters of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

British intelligence officers based at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the state eavesdropping service, attacked the 67-page magazine, leaving most of it garbled, British newspapers said.

Instead of being able to read how to "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," readers were greeted with computer code which actually contained recipes from The Best Cupcakes in America, published by U.S. chat show host Ellen DeGeneres.

The Washington Post reported that the British action followed a dispute between the CIA and the newly formed U.S. Cyber Command.

The cyber unit had wanted to block the al Qaeda magazine but the CIA, which had countered such an attack would expose sources and intelligence methods, won the debate and declined to allow an attack on Inspire.

The paper reported that it took almost two weeks for AQAP to post a corrected version of the magazine after it had been sabotaged.

A British security source said the Post's report was accurate but could not confirm details of the reported cupcake operation.

Last year, Britain's new National Security Strategy placed cyber attacks as one of the top threats to the country, and ministers have repeatedly spoken out about the danger posed by extremist Islamist websites.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Soap Box Derby In Federalsburg This Saturday

By JOHN HELTMAN
Staff Writer
The Star Democrat

|
FEDERALSBURG — Federalsburg youths are gearing up for the sixth annual Soapbox Derby to be held on West Central Avenue this Saturday.

The event, which also was held in town in the 1960s and 1970s, returned six years ago. It is sponsored by the Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Company, Preston Ford and Provident State Bank, will begin at 9 a.m. with weigh-in beginning at 7 a.m.

The competition has two classes — Stock, for drivers aged 8 to 13 and with a combined weight of driver and car of 200 pounds, and Super Stock for drivers aged 10 to 17 with a combined weight of 230 pounds. Drivers will compete against each other twice with wheels and lanes swapped after the first race. The driver with the best cumulative time will advance to the next round. Last year, Police clocked some of the drivers going as fast as 19 miles per hour.

Forty-four drivers have registered for the race. Registration is now closed.

Winners of each class will receive a trophy and a $500 savings bond, and will advance to the World Championship Soapbox Derby in Akron, Ohio, in July. Last year, Crystal Loudon of Seaford, Del., finished sixth in her division in Akron — an accomplishment that was broadcast live on ESPN.

Danny Phillips, who is coordinating the event, invites kids who haven’t registered for the race this year to “come and scope it out” to see if they want to compete next year.

Burgers and hot dogs will be provided on-site by the Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Company ladies’ auxiliary.

Source; http://www.stardem.com/news/article_d18c28e2-c463-54d3-b7c2-e5850a208b1e.html

Kitten Rescued From 12-year-old's Abuse Dies

Jamarea Mills
This kitten was grossly abused by a twelve year old on a neighborhood playground.  The 12 year old took the kitten to the top of a piece of equipment where he dropped it to the ground, continued to abuse the tiny defenseless creature and then pulled out a knife to cut the kitten. Jamerea Mills asked the 12 year old what he was doing to the cat and the older boy replied he wanted to kill it.  Jamerea smacked the knife from the boys hand, placed the lifeless kitten in a cardboard box then the 9 year old and his friends  took it home.

Jamerea Mills has been called a hero and even has a facebook page (Jamaera Mills is a hero) set up in his honor and one day hopes to become a veterinarian.

SUFFOLK, Virginia – A 7-week-old kitten that was rescued by children from an abusive 12-year-old has died.


The foster home caring for the kitten notified animal shelter personnel around 1am that the kitten was experiencing difficulty breathing and rushed the animal to an emergency vet. The kitten passed away shortly after arriving at the vet.


The unnamed tabby kitten was scheduled to be available for adoption Friday.

  A necropsy will be performed to determine if the death was a result of the injuries sustained in the assault.  If that is determined to be the case, the animal cruelty charge against the 12-year-old could possibly be upgraded to a felony.  

Suffolk Police and Suffolk Animal Control would like to thank the foster care provider who gave the kitten around the clock care, as well as Suffolk Humane for their willingness to provide future care for the kitten.


Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-kitten-rescued-from-12yearolds-abuse-dies-20110603,0,4770294.story



Jack Kevorkian Dies At 83

Associated Press

DETROIT — Jack Kevorkian, the retired pathologist who captured the world's attention as he helped dozens of ailing people commit suicide, igniting intense debate and ending up in prison for murder, has died in a Detroit area hospital after a short illness. He was 83.

Kevorkian, who said he helped some 130 people end their lives from 1990 to 1999, died about 2:30 a.m. at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, close friend and prominent attorney Mayer Morganroth said.

He had been hospitalized since last month with pneumonia and kidney problems, Morganroth said.

An official cause of death had not been determined, but Morganroth said it likely will be pulmonary thrombosis.

“I had seen him earlier and he was conscious,” said Morganroth, who added that the two spoke about Kevorkian's pending release from the hospital and planned start of rehabilitation. “Then I left and he took a turn for the worst and I went back.”

Nurses at the hospital played recordings of classical music by composer Johann Sebastian Bach for Kevorkian before he died, Morganroth said.

Kevorkian was freed in June 2007 after serving eight years of a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree murder. His lawyers had said he suffered from hepatitis C, diabetes and other problems, and he had promised in affidavits that he would not assist in a suicide if he was released.

In 2008, he ran for Congress as an independent, receiving just 2.7 percent of the vote in the suburban Detroit district. He said his experience showed the party system was “corrupt” and “has to be completely overhauled from the bottom up.”

His life story became the subject of the 2010 HBO movie, “You Don't Know Jack,” which earned actor Al Pacino Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his portrayal of Kevorkian. Pacino paid tribute to Kevorkian during his Emmy acceptance speech and recognized the world-famous former doctor, who sat smiling in the audience.

Pacino said during the speech that it was a pleasure to “try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique” as Kevorkian and a “pleasure to know him.”

Kevorkian himself said he liked the movie and enjoyed the attention it generated, but told The Associated Press that he doubted it would inspire much action by a new generation of assisted-suicide advocates.

“You'll hear people say, `Well, it's in the news again, it's time for discussing this further.’ No it isn't. It's been discussed to death,” he said. “There's nothing new to say about it. It's a legitimate ethical medical practice as it was in ancient Rome and Greece.”

Eleven years earlier, he was sentenced in the 1998 death of a Lou Gehrig's disease patient — a videotaped death shown to a national television audience as Kevorkian challenged prosecutors to charge him.

“The issue's got to be raised to the level where it is finally decided,” he said on the broadcast by CBS' “60 Minutes.”

Nicknamed “Dr. Death” because of his fascination with death, Kevorkian catapulted into public consciousness in 1990 when he used his homemade “suicide machine” in his rusted Volkswagen van to inject lethal drugs into an Alzheimer's patient who sought his help in dying.

For nearly a decade, he escaped authorities' efforts to stop him.  His first four trials, all on assisted suicide charges, resulted in three acquittals and one mistrial.

Murder charges in earlier cases were thrown out because Michigan at the time had no law against assisted suicide; the Legislature wrote one in response to Kevorkian. He was also stripped of his medical license.

Pocomoke RELAY FOR LIFE Kicks Off This Saturday

Written by
Bill Kerbin
POCOMOKE CITY -- Participants in the 11th South Worcester Relay for Life are looking forward to another successful event when the activities kick off at the Lower Shore Family YMCA Saturday night.

Teams have now raised more than $500,000 since the first relay was held in Pocomoke City.

Activities begin at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremonies. The presentation of the colors will be followed by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by the Island Boys. Jay Pittman will speak to the participants and guests from the point of a caregiver.

Survivors have a special place the night of the relay. Following the opening ceremonies, they are given the honor of walking in the opening lap. These are the people who have faced cancer firsthand. After they complete their lap, they will be treated to a special dinner given by the Lynnhaven Baptist Church. Any cancer survivor who has not registered is asked to do so online at www.relayforlife.org/southworcester.

Although early registration is suggested, survivors do not have to register in advance. They can just show up and register the night of the event.

A highlight of the evening will be the Ceremony of Hope usually held at dusk. As the light dims over the campsites, the night is brightened by the glow of lighted bags called luminaries, each of which has a special meaning to the donor. Some celebrate the life of a survivor who has battled cancer and lived to tell the tale.

Members of the PMS Glee Club were among the performers for the 2010 Lower Worcester Relay for Life. They will again be on the stage for this year's event. / BILL KERBIN/WORCESTER COUNTY TIMES
Others are lighted in memory of loved ones who have lost the battle. Anyone who wishes to purchase a luminary for a $10 contribution or a gold luminary for $25 can do so online at the relay website.

In addition to the Island Boys, other entertainers will include the Pocomoke Middle School Glee Club, Darlene Dean, the Glad Tidings Worship Band, Brittany Lewis, the Dance Loft and ARA Barrett.

According to Jennifer Holland, co-chairman, contributions can be accepted up to and including the night of the relay. "We will accept contributions all night," she said.

Relay For Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, the relay has grown from a single man's passion to fight cancer into the world's largest movement to end the disease.

Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.

Circuit Court Judge Appointed For Virginia Eastern Shore

The Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus announced today that it will vote to appoint Accomac attorney W. Revell Lewis, III as thecircuit court judge for the Counties of Accomack and Northampton on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The appointment will be made when the General Assembly reconvenes to continue its special session on redistricting June 9th and 10th. Lewis has been endorsed by the Eastern Shore Bar Association and approved by the House of Delegates.


This position was left vacant when Judge Glen A. Tyler stepped down at the mandatory retirement age of 70 last December. Originally, the seat was subject to a judicial hiring freeze due to budget cuts in Richmond, but Senator Ralph S. Northam (D-Norfolk) worked with others to have the funding restored during the 2011 General Assembly session. As the Eastern Shore is part of the 2nd judicial circuit, The Virginia Beach General Assembly delegation was responsible for picking the new judge, and selected Lewis. Until now however, the position had not been filled.


"I have always contended that the Eastern Shore is a very unique place and needs a resident circuit court judge," said Northam. "I am very pleased that my colleagues in the Senate and House have agreed with me, and that we are going to move quickly to ensure that the courts operate efficiently and effectively."


Had the position remained vacant, a judge from Virginia Beach would have traveled to the Eastern Shore periodically to hear cases.

Source;  shoredailynews.com

Mayor and Council Meeting

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
Pocomoke City Hall
MONDAY ~ JUNE 6, 2011
 Meeting begins ~7:30 PM

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Friday Is National Donut Day

On Friday, June 3, Krispy Kreme will give back to its guests by offering one FREE Krispy Kreme Doughnut on National Doughnut Day.

The free doughnut offer is good for one doughnut of any variety per customer at participating U.S. Krispy Kreme retail shops.

National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by The Salvation Army to raise funds to help people in need.

New Church Man Pleads Guilty To Store Hold Up

Written by
Nancy Drury Duncan
ACCOMAC --A presentence report was ordered for an Accomack County man who pleaded guilty to robbery and use of a firearm in Circuit Court here.

Montrell Cropper, 19, of New Church, admitted to going into an Oak Hall convenience store at five in the afternoon, putting a loaded shotgun to the head of a store clerk and demanding money.

The robbery occurred on Dec. 15 of last year. Commonwealth's attorney Gary Agar told the court that the clerk said, "Do not shoot me it's Christmas time."

He said Cropper just laughed, put the gun to the man's face and said, "Don't tell police, or I'll shoot you."

Agar said the police received several reports that the robber, dressed in black, ran off into nearby woods.

He was soon captured and the sawed-off shotgun was found.

Agar told the court that DNA evidence tied Cropper to the crime.

He said Cropper was cooperative and that he did not pursue separate charges for the use of the sawed-off shotgun.

Agar said that text messages showed that Cropper had planned the crime ahead of time and that the robbery was not a spur-of- the-moment decision.

"This shotgun was loaded," he told the court.

Defense attorney Carl Bundick asked that his client be considered for a youthful offender program. He said Cropper "was high on cocaine" when he committed the robbery.

H. Thomas Padrick Jr. said it was "highly doubtful" Cropper would be eligible for that program. He told Cropper the punishment for his crime could be life in prison.

Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110601/ESN01/106010305/New-Church-man-pleads-guilty-to-store-holdup?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Eastern Shore News|s

MarVa Theater This Weekend








































Fri, June 3rd   
Sat, June 4th 
Time: 7 p.m.  
Tickets: $5  

PLOT:
  
The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
 Rated PG-13

Delmarva Discovery Center

Do you own a business?
Are you looking for a way to become involved in the community?
 Become a sponsor of our Fintastic Festival!
 Our Fintastic Festival is our second annual aquarium event. Join us in making this event a success!




www.delmarvadiscoverycenter.org.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Walmart Theft Case Postponed In Worcester County

Delmarvanow.com

SNOW HILL — The criminal motions trial for the woman charged with several counts of theft and theft scheme for allegedly conning the Pocomoke City Walmart has been postponed until next week.

Tia Johnson, 30, of the 2400 block of Worcester Highway, allegedly created false returns and would under-ring merchandise when friends and family were in the store, according to police documents. She is charged with theft less than $100, theft less than $1,000, theft scheme less than $1,000 and theft scheme from $1,000 to $10,000.

Johnson’s criminal motions trial was postponed, because her lawyer was reportedly in a car accident Wednesday morning. Motions are expected to completed on June 7.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110601/NEWS01/110601022/WORCESTER-Walmart-theft-case-postponed?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage

Legislative Updates- By Mike McDermott

PRESS RELEASE
 Jun. 1st, 2011


For Whom the Bridge Tolls…
By Delegate Mike McDermott

Recently, the O’Malley administration and the MD Transportation Authority have decided that, after 35-years, we are due for a toll increase on the Bay Bridge. Their answer was not an incremental adjustment to be absorbed over time, but rather an immediate 100% increase. This is to be followed the next year by an additional 60% bounce taking the toll from the current $2.50 all the way to $8.00. This meets a good definition for “excessive”.

While this may have a negligible impact on vacationers making their annual trek to Ocean City, it appears little thought has been given to the impact on commerce this will have for the mid and upper shore areas.

Consider that when Virginia built their Bridge-Tunnel, the toll was set high and has remained so from the beginning. Clearly, Virginia did not build it for commuters and North Hampton County remained relatively quiet when compared with the Virginia Beach/Norfolk metro area. It was a clear choice, and many would say a “good one”.

On the Maryland side, quite the opposite has been the case. A toll which amounts to $1.25 one way would surely encourage commerce and development on the Eastern Shore. It would insure a rapid expansion of the metro area by creating a readily available suburb for those willing to simply drive a few extra miles and pay a small toll for the privilege of living on the Eastern Shore. The rest of the shore would benefit from increased commercial traffic and day trips would become common. Maryland’s Eastern Shore would never be the same.

By maintaining a low toll, Maryland made the choice to potentially subsidize repairs to the bridge, as needed, beyond the revenue stream provided to insure the successful industrial, commercial, and residential development of the shore. Our prosperity has resulted in multiplied tax revenues for state coffers from that development far beyond that which would have been realized from any increased toll.

Now, after nearly four decades, we are going to raise the toll by nearly 300%. It looks like the proverbial “bait and switch” for the Eastern Shore. Queen Anne’s and Kent Counties will take it on the chin while the rest of us get bruised. At a time of economic pain and uncertainty, this tax increase should be on the back burner.

The time is now to weigh in with the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Governor’s Office as the “proposal” will become a reality very soon.

 As it stands, we will pay for that toll in every loaf of bread, in every lost day tripper, and in just one more hurdle to tourism and commerce. For those commuters who sought a refuge on the shore, your discretionary income just took a big hit and many in Annapolis are choosing to look the other way.

THE NEVER ENDING SOAP OPERA OF MARGARET & BERT






Bert always wanted a pair of authentic cowboy boots, so, seeing
some on sale, he bought them and wore them home.

Walking proudly, he sauntered into the kitchen and said to his wife,
"Notice anything different about me?"

Margaret looked him over. "Nope."

Frustrated, Bert stormed off into the bathroom, undressed and walked back into
the kitchen completely naked except for the boots.

Again he asked Margaret, a little louder this time, "Notice anything
different NOW?"

Margaret looked up and said in her best deadpan, "Bert, what's different?
It's hanging down today, it was hanging down yesterday, it'll be hanging down
again tomorrow."

Furious, Bert yelled, "AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S HANGING DOWN,
MARGARET?"

"Nope.  Not a clue", she replied.

"IT'S HANGING DOWN, BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT MY NEW BOOTS!!!!"

Without missing a beat Margaret replied, "Shoulda bought a hat, Bert.
Shoulda bought a hat."

Man Sentenced For Gun Trafficking On the Eastern Shore

A man who led a network that smuggled guns from the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the New Jersey capital has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Trayle Beasley, 30, of Trenton pleaded guilty in April to being a leader of a firearms trafficking network. He was sentenced Tuesday.

Beasley admitted he arranged to smuggle approximately 50 guns into New Jersey. The state Attorney General's Office said he resold them to drug dealers and gang members.

Prosecutors said guns linked to Beasley have been used in at least two homicides in Trenton, including the shooting death of a 13-year-old girl at a block party in June 2009.

Source; http://hamptonroads.com/node/601899

Blackbeard's Anchor Recovered

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) - Archaeologists recovered the first anchor from what's believed to be the wreck of the pirate Blackbeard's flagship off the North Carolina coast Friday, a move that might change plans about how to save the rest of the almost 300-year-old artifacts from the central part of the ship.

Divers had planned to recover the second-largest artifact on what's believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge but discovered it was too well-attached to other items in the ballast pile, said project Mark Wilde-Ramsing. Instead they pulled up another anchor that is the third-largest artifact and likely was the typical anchor for the ship.

Apparently, pirates had everyday anchors and special anchors just as the rest of us have everyday dishes and good china.

"That's a big ship to be putting that out to stop it," Wilde-Ramsing said admiringly as a pulley system of straps and men holding ropes moved the anchor from a boat to the back of truck. It's the first large anchor that divers have retrieved; they earlier brought up a small, grapnel anchor.

The anchor is 11 feet, 4 inches long with arms that are 7 feet, 7 inches across. It was covered with concretion -- a mixture of shells, sand and other debris attracted by the leaching wrought iron -- and a few sea squirts. Its weight was estimated at 2,500 to 3,000 pounds.

The anchor's size is typical for a ship the size of the Queen Anne's Revenge, while the two other anchors probably were used in emergencies, such as storms, Wilde-Ramsing said.

Archaeologists had planned to remove the second-largest anchor, which is 13 feet long with arms that are 8 feet across, from the top of the ballast pile. But it was too well-attached, so instead the divers went in from the side to retrieve the everyday anchor. That means that future dives may involve going in from the side of the shipwreck rather than the top, he said.

Divers will work four days next week, when they'll decide how to proceed.

State officials hope the anchor and other artifacts will attract tourists. The largest exhibit of artifacts from the shipwreck, which was discovered in 1996, will be shown starting June 11 at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Wilde-Ramsing has said the team hopes to recover all the artifacts by the end of 2013.

And the timing of the recovery of the anchor couldn't be better for North Carolina officials, trying to increase tourism interest in the shipwreck. The Disney film "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" starring
Johnny Depp was released earlier this month and features both Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge.

The only remaining parts of the ship -- the wooden hull structure, ribs and a plank -- are at the bottom of the pile, protected by ballast that kept the ship upright. Six cannon and three other anchors are also in the pile.

Wendy Welsh, field conservator and QAR lab manager, and archaeologist Chris Southerly dived in the Atlantic to hook up the anchor for its lift to the ocean surface. "It lifted great," said Welsh, who has worked with the project for nine years. "I didn't think I'd see this day so soon."

Southerly compared the retrieval to the child's game of Pick-Up-Sticks, where players toss plastic sticks on a hard surface and then remove them one at a time without disturbing the ones underneath. "It's really satisfying that I've had privilege of seeing it," he said.

In 1717, Blackbeard captured a French slave ship and renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge. Blackbeard, whose real name was widely believed to be Edward Teach or Thatch, settled in Bath and received a governor's pardon. Volunteers with the Royal Navy killed him in Ocracoke Inlet in November 1718, five months after the ship thought to be Queen Anne's Revenge sank.

The Queen Anne's Revenge shipwreck site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, has already yielded more than 250,000 artifacts.
Source;  http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/north_carolina/blackbeard's-anchor-recovered-

Shore Bank Announces Closing Of Parksley Branch

Shore Bank has made the decision to consolidate their Parksley branch with the Onley branch on August 31st of this year.


According to their spokesperson, the decision to consolidate the Parksley branch was based on Shore Bank's analysis of potential market growth in the Parksley area and current economic conditions.


Affected employees will be redeployed to other available positions within the bank, as possible.

Source; shoredailynews.com

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sunday At The Crisfield Mud Hop

For the second year in a row the Eastern Shore Mud Racing  Association and the Crisfield Elks Lodge made the Crisfield Mud Hop happen!  Prior to last years mud hop it had been twenty years since the event had been in Crisfield.

There was plenty of food and during  and everyone agreed that the cool breeze this year was a welcomed improvement from the weather last year when humidity on that day was at a high level.  The disadvantage to the cool breeze was the drying of the track and a few  times racing was halted between classes to "make mud" and it did remedy the dusty problem for many spectators.

But spectators don't mind.  They just want want to see  racing.

As always it's wonderful to see families in attending. 

A resonable admission fee is one good reason and the fact that anyone can venture into the pits to get a closer look at the trucks.



'Heartless' Mayor Refuses To Let Residents Stay In FEMA Trailers After Storm

A mayor in a small town devastated by a tornado has sparked outrage over his refusal to let homeless residents stay in trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Jack Scott has been branded heartless after his decision not to waive a local law banning single-wide trailers in the town of Cordova, Alabama.

He said he fears the temporary accommodation could become permanent and says he doesn't want run-down mobile homes parked all over town.

Angry residents met on Saturday night and called for Mr Sciott's removal from office.

One resident, James Ruston, said his house was knocked off its foundation by the tornadoes that blasted through the town last month and is still uninhabitable.

He thought help had finally arrived when a truck pulled up to his property with a mobile home from FEMA.

Then he was informed of the ban on single-wide mobile homes.

Mr Ruston and many others see the city's decision as a sign that leaders don't care that some people are barely surviving in the rubble.

Felicia Boston, standing on a debris-strewn plot where a friend lost his home in the tornado, said: 'People have to live somewhere. What's it matter if it's in a trailer?'

Mr Scott, however, has heard all the complaints but is unrepentant.

He said: 'I don't feel guilty. I can look anyone in the eye.'

Blue-collar Cordova has a population of about 2,000 and is 35 miles north west of Birmingham.

It was hit by a pair of powerful tornadoes on April 27, the day twisters killed more than 300 people across the South east.

Officials say 238 died in Alabama, the highest death toll for any state in a spring of violent weather, the Associated Press reports.

An EF-3 tornado with winds of at least 140mph walloped the town around 5.30am, knocking out power and damaging numerous buildings.

An EF-4 with winds around 170mph struck about 12 hours later, killing four people and cutting a path of destruction a half-mile wide through Cordova.

On Main Street, virtually every storefront was destroyed and is now deserted, blocked by a chain-link fence.
Scores of homes, businesses and city buildings were destroyed.

Residents assumed they would be living in hundreds of the skinny FEMA mobile homes like people in neighbouring towns hit by tornadoes.

The Cordova Police Department, a pharmacy, a bank and City Hall all have moved into similar trailers since the storm.

But the city enacted a law three years ago that bans single-wide trailers.

Mr Scott said that older single-wide mobile homes are allowed under the law as well as double-wide mobile homes.

The law is the law, he said, and a tornado isn't any reason to change it.

The residents disgust and despair is exacerbated by the decisions of other towns with similar laws that have granted waivers.

At Saturday night's meeting resident Harvey Hastings said: 'There are trailers all over here but Scott wants to clean all the trash out. He doesn't like lower-class people.'

The cotton mill, brick plant and coal mine that once made Cordova prosperous shut down years ago.

Resident Tony Tidwell said residents simply can't afford to new houses to replace the homes that the twisters blew away.

He accused the city of double standards over it decision to the local authorities to use trailers but not residents.

'Let the people have a place to live,' he said.

Mr Scott defended that decision by saying the city can use small trailers because it is for the common good.

The mayor said: 'It's temporary and we know it's temporary. We're trying to provide services for everyone.'

Storm victims are supposed to live in FEMA accommodation for a maximum of 18 months after a disaster, yet about 260 campers are still occupied by survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Gulf Coast more than five years after those storms.

Mr Scott said the same thing could happen in Cordova if the city bends it rules to help tornado victims.


Crisfield Shooting Suspect Arrested In Baltimore

WMDT

MARYLAND - A suspect wanted for attempted murder after a shooting in Crisfield has been arrested in Baltimore.

Police say back on May 21st, Daniel Smith Jr. shot a man in the head at Somers Cove Apartments.

Authorities say an argument led to the shooting.

The victim is recovering and was last listed in fair condition.

Smith is currently being held in Baltimore City - waiting to be brought back for questioning and trial in Somerset County.

Life from the seat of a tractor

An old farmer's words of wisdom we could all live by.......




Advice from Can-Man

“Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight - and bull-strong.”

“Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.”

“Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.”

“A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.”

“Words that soak into your ears are whispered…....not yelled.”

“Meanness don't just happen overnight.”

“Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.”

“Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.”

“It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.”

“You cannot unsay a cruel word.”

“Every path has a few puddles.”

“When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”

“The best sermons are lived, not preached.”

“Most of the stuff people worry about, ain't never gonna happen anyway.”

“Don't judge folks by their relatives.

“Remember that silence! is sometimes the best answer.”

“Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second  time.”

“Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.”

“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.”

“Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

“The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.”

“Always drink upstream from the herd.”

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from  bad judgment.”

“Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.”

“If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.”

“Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave  the rest to God.”

“Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.”

And... 


Pocomoke Schools Receive Re-accreditation through Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools -- Educators Lead the Way to School Improvement --

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        Contact:        Laura Bishop/Caitlin Dunican
May 31, 2011                                                                                      (856) 642-6226



POCOMOKE, MD – The Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), based in Philadelphia, Pa., announced that
Pocomoke Elementary School, accredited since 2004; Pocomoke Middle School, accredited since 2004; and Pocomoke High School, accredited since 1963 recently earned re-accreditation. The schools earned accreditation by completing an intensive evaluation process culminating in a multi-day visit to the schools by a volunteer team of regional educators appointed by Middle States.

During the visit, the Middle States team met with and interviewed members of the school communities including teachers, students, parents and administrators, as well as representatives of the governing boards. Team members toured the facilities, studied plans for school improvement and documentation related to the schools’ operation and student performance and observed classrooms.

The schools join a network of more than 3,600 schools accredited by the Middle States Association in the mid-Atlantic region and in more than 80 countries around the world. Middle States accreditation is recognized around the world as an indication of educational quality.

“MSA’s accreditation process goes beyond simply test scores to measure a school’s overall effectiveness,” said MSA-CESS President Henry G. Cram, Ed.D. “Members must take responsibility for their students’ performance, be committed to public accountability and dedicated to continuous improvement.”

To become an accredited member in the Middle States Association, a school must meet the association’s rigorous standards, undertake a comprehensive year-long self-study and host an onsite visit by a team of regional educational professionals.

According to Cram, school quality is best measured by individual student growth over time and the value added by the educational experience the school provides. 

“Accreditation helps a school and its community to understand how it is doing, but more importantly, learn what it needs to do to improve—a key element missing from most other school assessments,” said Cram.
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About the Middle States Association (MSA)
Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is the internationally recognized leader in the accreditation of educational institutions, schools, and colleges in the mid-Atlantic region and around the world. The association consists of three commissions - Higher Education, Secondary and Elementary.  The commissions
accredit educational institutions in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and in more than 80 countries around the world.

About the Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
The Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools accredits more than 3600 public, non-public and charter elementary, middle, intermediate and secondary schools as well as non-degree granting career and technical postsecondary institutions, special purpose schools, supplementary education centers, educational service units and distance education institutions.

For more information about accreditation through the Middle States Association visit www.middlestates.org.




Jen Micklow
Thomas/Boyd Communications
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