Four Arrested for Eastern Shore Arsons

James M. Wood

Five fires set between Sept. 2011 and Nov. 2011

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - State police have arrested four people in connection with a series of arson cases on the Eastern Shore.

Two vacant homes and three brush fires were set between Sept. 23, 2011 and Nov. 30, 2011.

A three month investigation led to the Jan. 6 arrests of James M. Wood, 24, two 17-year-old males and one 15-year-old male.

Charges against the suspects include arson and conspiracy to commit a felony.

“Aside from being extremely dangerous, intentionally setting fires even when no one is injured is a serious crime in Virginia,” says F/Sgt. Paul J. Fowler III, BCI Chesapeake Field Office.

According to police, all five arsons were connected.

Source;  http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/chesapeake/four-arrested-for-eastern-shore-arsons

TIME MACHINE Preview ... Eastern Shore Clay Eaters?

In 1885 some newspapers across the USA published a news story about swamp dwelling people on the Eastern Shore, "peculiar specimens of the Maryland population," who craved clay as their diet.

Legend..hoax..or fact?

Read the story this Sunday on the Pocomoke Public Eye!

　
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

"The Winter Wonderland Gala" ~ The Delmarva Discovery Center

New trial for Skylor Harmon will be considered

Written by

Scott Muska

Staff Writer

SNOW HILL -- A request for a new trial by a 19-year-old convicted of first-degree murder will be considered at his sentencing hearing.

Skylor Dupree Harmon of Pocomoke City shot Reginald Handy Jr. with a military-grade assault rifle from a distance on a dark Pocomoke City street in May 2010. When his guilty verdict was announced, he showed no emotion and turned to family in the courtroom to say, "It ain't over yet."

He attempted to make good on his statement with a letter he sent to Circuit Court Judge Thomas C. Groton III after his conviction that asked for a new trial because of incompetence of counsel, insufficient evidence and the fact that photographs taken days before trial were allowed to be included as evidence. Harmon also took exception to testimony from Torrance Davis, a witness who testified against him during the trial.

Groton wrote back to Harmon to advise him he will consider the request during the sentence hearing. Their exchange of letters is in Harmon's case file in the courthouse.

In Harmon's trial, the state's attorney presented evidence that convinced the jury to convict him on several felony counts, including first- and second-degree murder. Harmon was initially tried in July, but that trial ended in a mistrial when a jury couldn't agree on a verdict.

Harmon's uncle, Alexander Crippen, was originally charged with killing Handy, but ballistics experts indicated the gun he had fired the night of the murder had not dispensed the single bullet that had severed Handy's aorta. Crippen was later convicted of attempted murder, and an investigation revealed Harmon had shot Handy with a .223-caliber assault rifle from about 65 yards away while his uncle was in an argument with Handy.

According to testimony, Crippen had engaged in a physical altercation with Davis, Handy's cousin, the week before the murder, and Harmon had tried to join the fight.

"Skylor Harmon had his uncle's back," Worcester County State's Attorney Beau Oglesby said during his closing argument in October, during which he referred repeatedly to a "beef" Harmon and Crippen had with Davis. He said it led to Handy's death.

Read more

Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting

AGENDA

POCOMOKE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING

7:30 P.M., MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

CITY HALL

 Call to Order, Prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance.

  1. Review and approval of minutes from meeting of December 5, 2011.

   2. Review and approval of bills to be paid.

   3. Mayor to introduce Mr. Bill Badger, recently appointed Economic Development Director for Worcester County.

   4. Mr. C.D. Hall, of Hall Realty Co., to discuss request for waiver of water and sewer hook-up fees at Drawbridge Villas Condos on Riverside Drive.

   5. Second Reading of Ord. # 408 to authorize a new franchise agreement with Comcast Cable, Inc for Cable TV, Internet and other services.

   6. Discuss proposal from the Center for Research on Biotoxin Associated Illness which will result in a publication of a book concerning the ecology of the Cypress Park Nature Trail and up to $5,000 in grant funds toward completion of the board walk around Stevenson’s Pond.

   7. First Reading of Res. A-12-01 to annex property at 1139 Ocean Highway (Dr. Leroy Johnson, owner).

   8. Discuss request from Worcester County Commissioners concerning possible appointment to Commission on Aging.

    9. City Manager to present six-month budget summary report.

10. Appoint members of the City’s Board of Elections Supervisors for two-year term beginning February 2012.

 Comments from the Audience

Mayor and Council items.

Adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel, real estate, and legal matters as permitted under the provisions of Sec. 10-508 (A), (1), (7), (8) of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and perform executive actions.

AGENDAS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE TIME OF CONVENING.

Shore Beef and BBQ

OPEN TODAY

SATURDAY Jaunary 7, 2012

SATURDAY SPECIAL

our half rack,  half chicken with two sides for $16.95

Other specials to choose from

$1.00 off sandwiches

Rabies Vaccination Clinics

Delegate Lynwood Lewis ~ Town Hall Meeting

Last night at 7 p.m., citizens gathered in the Chincoteague Community Center to hear Delegate Lynwood Lewis finish his last of three town hall meetings before the commencement of the 2012 legislative session. In front of a crowd that Representative Lewis referred to as the largest of the weeks series, he outlined some key issues he predicted would be brought up in the General Assembly. Present among these were Governor McDonnell's proposed budget plans, the possibility of uranium mining in Chatham, Virginia, and Richmond's continued support of the NASA program on Wallops Island.

Delegate Lewis began the town hall meeting by elaborating upon the proposed budget McDonnell has outlined for the next two years. The eighty-five billion dollar, two-year budget is rather large for Virginia, but includes various 'rainy-day funds' to deal with potential cuts in spending at a federal level. Lewis acknowledged that unlike the national government, Virginia is required by its state constitution to maintain a balanced budget. Although Virginia has fared the recession better than most states, the growth rate is currently at three percent, down significantly from the average of six to eight percent. Governor McDonnell has borrowed 3.5 billion dollars to jumpstart the transportation sector, which has previously been what Lewis referred to as a 'self-financing government enterprise.'

To pay for this, the governor would like to take money from the general fund, which has historically been used for education, public safety, and healthcare. McDonnell justifies using part of the general fund because transportation is a core service provided by the government. Lewis's inclination, however, is it would not be good to allow the reallocation of funds because it would put transportation in competition with education and public safety. The proposed budget, House Bill 30, will not be voted on, most likely, until the last day of the General Assembly session in March.

Discussion then shifted away from the state of the economy onto a brighter subject matter- uranium mining in Virginia. Delegate Lewis described how mining in Chatham, Virginia may very well affect us here on the Eastern Shore. Under the farm of Walter Kohl in Pittsylvania County lies the largest untapped source of uranium in North America. Discovered in the eighties, it has remained relatively untouched because the low price of the substance made it economically unfeasible to drill. However, thanks to China's accumulation of the mineral, prices have skyrocketed, making the economic impact of 5-8 billion dollars worth of uranium undeniable. How does this Uranium jackpot affect us? Unfortunately it's not the money that could leak into the eastern part of the state. The surface water from land surrounding the uranium fields runs into Lake Gaston, which serves as the predominant water supply for Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk. A drilling accident in that part of the state could contaminate the water supply and lead to catastrophic consequences.

The National Academy of Science released a report in mid-December concerning the health risks associated with uranium drilling in this region. In the months to come the General Assembly will be tasked with evaluating the report and outlining the safest and most beneficial regulations.

Also of great importance to the Eastern Shore, Delegate Lewis spoke of Richmond's continued support of the NASA facility on Wallops Island. Governor McDonnell has earmarked four million dollars for the completion of the launch pad, and Lewis is hopeful that more funds will become available as the budget is outlined more comprehensively in the weeks to come.

Source: shoredailynews.com

Sounding Rocket Launch Scheduled January 11

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA – A flight test of a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket is scheduled for January 11 from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Using surplus rocket motors, the vehicle is being developed to support NASA science missions.


Based on the approved range schedule, the rocket is set for launch between 7:30 and 9:00 a.m. EDT. The backup launch days are January 12 and 13. The rocket will be visible to residents in the Wallops area.


The NASA Visitor Center will open at 6:30 a.m. on launch day for public viewing.


The mission will be web cast beginning at 6:30 a.m. on launch day at: http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast


Mission status on launch day can be followed on Twitter at: http://www.Twitter.com/NASA_Wallops


Launch status also is available on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.


http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/jan11la.html

Audit of the Federal Reserve Reveals $16 Trillion in Secret Bailouts

The first ever GAO(Government Accountability Office) audit of the Federal Reserve was carried out in the past few months due to the Ron Paul, Alan Grayson Amendment to the Dodd-Frank bill, which passed last year. Jim DeMint, a Republican Senator, and Bernie Sanders, an independent Senator, led the charge for a Federal Reserve audit in the Senate, but watered down the original language of the house bill(HR1207), so that a complete audit would not be carried out. Ben Bernanke(pictured to the right), Alan Greenspan, and various other bankers vehemently opposed the audit and lied to Congress about the effects an audit would have on markets. Nevertheless, the results of the first audit in the Federal Reserve’s nearly 100 year history were posted on Senator Sander’s webpage earlier this morning.

What was revealed in the audit was startling:

$16,000,000,000,000.00 had been secretly given out to US banks and corporations and foreign banks everywhere from France to Scotland. From the period between December 2007 and June 2010, the Federal Reserve had secretly bailed out many of the world’s banks, corporations, and governments. The Federal Reserve likes to refer to these secret bailouts as an all-inclusive loan program, but virtually none of the money has been returned and it was loaned out at 0% interest. Why the Federal Reserve had never been public about this or even informed the United States Congress about the $16 trillion dollar bailout is obvious - the American public would have been outraged to find out that the Federal Reserve bailed out foreign banks while Americans were struggling to find jobs.

To place $16 trillion into perspective, remember that GDP of the United States is only $14.12 trillion. The entire national debt of the United States government spanning its 200+ year history is "only" $14.5 trillion. The budget that is being debated so heavily in Congress and the Senate is "only" $3.5 trillion. Take all of the outrage and debate over the $1.5 trillion deficit into consideration, and swallow this Red pill: There was no debate about whether $16,000,000,000,000 would be given to failing banks and failing corporations around the world.

In late 2008, the TARP Bailout bill was passed and loans of $800 billion were given to failing banks and companies. That was a blatant lie considering the fact that Goldman Sachs alone received 814 billion dollars. As is turns out, the Federal Reserve donated $2.5 trillion to Citigroup, while Morgan Stanley received $2.04 trillion. The Royal Bank of Scotland and Deutsche Bank, a German bank, split about a trillion and numerous other banks received hefty chunks of the $16 trillion.

"This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you’re-on-your-own individualism for everyone else." - Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

When you have conservative Republican stalwarts like Jim DeMint(R-SC) and Ron Paul(R-TX) as well as self identified Democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders all fighting against the Federal Reserve, you know that it is no longer an issue of Right versus Left. When you have every single member of the Republican Party in Congress and progressive Congressmen like Dennis Kucinich sponsoring a bill to audit the Federal Reserve, you realize that the Federal Reserve is an entity onto itself, which has no oversight and no accountability.

Americans should be swelled with anger and outrage at the abysmal state of affairs when an unelected group of bankers can create money out of thin air and give it out to megabanks and supercorporations like Halloween candy. If the Federal Reserve and the bankers who control it believe that they can continue to devalue the savings of Americans and continue to destroy the US economy, they will have to face the realization that their trillion dollar printing presses will eventually plunder the world economy.

The list of institutions that received the most money from the Federal Reserve can be found on page 131 of the GAO Audit and are as follows..

Citigroup: $2.5 trillion ($2,500,000,000,000)
Morgan Stanley: $2.04 trillion ($2,040,000,000,000)
Merrill Lynch: $1.949 trillion ($1,949,000,000,000)
Bank of America: $1.344 trillion ($1,344,000,000,000)
Barclays PLC (United Kingdom): $868 billion ($868,000,000,000)
Bear Sterns: $853 billion ($853,000,000,000)
Goldman Sachs: $814 billion ($814,000,000,000)
Royal Bank of Scotland (UK): $541 billion ($541,000,000,000)
JP Morgan Chase: $391 billion ($391,000,000,000)
Deutsche Bank (Germany): $354 billion ($354,000,000,000)
UBS (Switzerland): $287 billion ($287,000,000,000)
Credit Suisse (Switzerland): $262 billion ($262,000,000,000)
Lehman Brothers: $183 billion ($183,000,000,000)
Bank of Scotland (United Kingdom): $181 billion ($181,000,000,000)
BNP Paribas (France): $175 billion ($175,000,000,000)
and many many more including banks in Belgium of all places

View the 266-page GAO audit of the Federal Reserve(July 21st, 2011): http://www.scribd.com/doc/60553686/GAO-Fed-Investigation
Source: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-696
FULL PDF on GAO server: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11696.pdf
Senator Sander’s Article: http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=9e2a4ea8-6e73-4be2-a753-62060dcbb3c3

SOURCE>>

Delmarva Discovery Center ~ SAVE THE DATE

Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company Responds To School Bus Fire

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012 the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company responded to a school bus fire  on Dunn Swamp Road.

The fire company was notified at 6:09 PM yesterday evening and upon arriving at the scene found heavy flames coming from the engine area of the  bus.

The bus driver reported to the fire company that everything with the bus seemed fine when he parked the bus  after his afternoon bus run which ended around 4 PM.

No one was on the bus at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. 

PCVFC Chief Dicky Gladding was the officer in charge.

More photos:  http://pocomokefire.com/fire1-4-12vehicle-schoolbus.htm

TIME MACHINE Preview ... Eastern Shore Clay Eaters?

In 1885 some newspapers across the USA published a news story about Eastern Shore swamp dwelling people who craved clay as their diet. Legend..hoax..or fact?

Read the story this Sunday on the Pocomoke Public Eye!


　
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Texas — Police shot and killed an eighth-grader in the hallway of his middle school

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Police shot and killed an eighth-grader in the hallway of his middle school Wednesday after the boy brandished what looked like a handgun and pointed it at officers. It turned out to be a pellet gun that closely resembled the real thing.

Fifteen-year-old Jaime Gonzalez "had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers' orders, and he didn't want to," Interim Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said.

Shortly before the confrontation, the boy had walked into a classroom and punched a random boy in the nose for no apparent reason, police said. Investigators did not know why he pulled out the weapon.
"We think it looks like this was a way to bring attention to himself," the police chief said. He said the officers' actions were justified and no one else was hurt.

Authorities declined to share what the boy said before being shot.

READ MORE HERE>>

2012 FIRST Robotics Competition Season

 FIRST Robotics Competition Season

2012

FIRST Kickoff

Saturday January 7th, 2012
9:00AM EST

Students from Maryland and Virginia high schools are gearing up for a robotics competition at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility.

Teams participating will build robots and compete in an assigned game challenge against other teams from the mid-Atlantic region. Winning teams will move on to compete nationally. 

Events are open to the public beginning at 9 a.m. when teams that participated in the 2011 Competition will display their robots.

 At 10:00 AM students will then learn the 2012 game challenge. The game challenge will be announced live from the competition's home in Manchester, N.H.

Restaurant In Progress- Downtown Pocomoke City, Maryland

POCOMOKE CITY, MARYLAND

DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT

(in progess)

JANUARY 4, 2012

This is the view of where the new restaurant would be built.  Photo was taken on Sunday, October 30, 2011

Progress is being made everyday. This is the look the restaurant has taken on in just 5 short weeks.

I'm guessing that all work is being done on the inside now.  At least I hope it was on this day...37 degrees

*Thankyou to my beautiful sister and wonderful husband for their assistant with these photos.*

Shore Beef and BBQ

REOPENING TODAY

WINTER LUNCH HOURS

THURSDAY and FRIDAY ONLY

11:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Weekday SPECIALS  will be posted every morning (see their facebook page if not posted here)

~ ~ ~ ~

SATURDAY WINTER HOURS

11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Every Saturday SPECIAL:

 half bbq chicken,half rack of ribs

w/ two sides 16.95 (Enough for two)

Call orders in ahead. Large orders can be bagged separately.

SUPPORT THE SMALL BUSINESSES

Look for Shore Beef and BBQ on FACEBOOK

Shore Beef and BBQ

SHORE BEEF AND BBQ will REOPEN

THURSDAY

*New winter hours and menu will be posted shortly*

Mar-Va Theater ~ The Muppets

THE MUPPETS (PG)

With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.

Friday- January 6 and Saturday- January 7

7PM

Tickets - $5.00

Justin Hadel Back In Court

Justin Hadel will be on trial again in Worcester County on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 for charges brought against  him in  his attempt to escape from jail back on July 12, 2011.

 Hadel has five charges being brought against him with three of them being,  1st degree escape, malicious destruction of property, possession and receiving contraband.

In September 2011 Justin Hadel was sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole for the murder of Christine Sheddy in 2007.

Bitter Cold For First Meteor Shower of 2012

Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks Wednesday morning before dawn

Meteorologist Carrie Rose

If you can bear the brutally cold wind chills in the teens early Wednesday morning before sunrise, you could be treated to the first great meteor shower of 2012. This will also be the first good shower to view in months because the bright Moon previously interfered with optimal viewing of other showers in 2011.

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks early Wednesday, January 4th, particularly between 2 a.m. and Dawn. At this peak, as many as 100 meteors per hour could be visible! Our visibility should be pretty good in central Virginia with clearing skies and the moon setting around 3 a.m. Best meteor shower visibilities are always a distance away from high concentrations of man-made light. Those of you outside of the cities should see the most meteors. Here's a sky map of where to look (the point of origin from our perspective on Earth of the meteors...look northeast and up):

IMAGE CREDIT: Starry Night Software)

Notice that the meteors appear to come at us from the constellation of Quadrans Muralis (in between Draco and Bootes), leading to the shower's name. The meteors associated with the Quadrantids originate from asteroid "2003 EH1," which itself is probably a broken piece off of a comet from several hundred years ago. This meteor shower was first documented in 1825. NASA expects the debris from that asteroid to impact Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 90,000 mph, and disintegrate 50 miles above the ground.

However, please be aware that Wednesday early morning temperatures will fall into the teens and low 20s, with wind chills in the low teens. If you plan to watch this meteor shower for a couple hours, make sure you are well-equipped for the cold weather, paying particular attention to keeping your hands, feet, neck, face and head warm! Take extra blankets, water, snacks, and maybe some hot chocolate to enjoy while you stargaze. You can click here to read more about the bitter cold lingering through Thursday morning.

Other meteor watching tips:

*Allow at least ten to 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.

*Lie flat on the ground and scan the sky, not focusing on any specific point.
*Look for flashes of swiftly moving light from the northeast streaking across the sky. Some of these may appear to have various colors other than just a bright white.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtvr-bitter-cold-for-first-meteor-shower-of-2012-20120103,0,4520622.htmlstory

"The Winter Wonderland Gala" ~ Tickets On Sale NOW

Delmarva Discovery Center ~ "Pirates of the Chesapeake"

Find Delmarva Discovery Center on Facebook.

TIME MACHINE ... New Year's Past

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)

　

December 31, 1966

If you were planning to go out to welcome in the New Year 1967 here's a look at some of the local New Year's Eve activities you could consider:

A "Chop Hop" at the Pocomoke armory featuring music by the Midnight Walkers and with master of ceremonies Choppy Layton and Wayne Powell...The Orbits appearing at Salisbury's Northwood Bar...Dancing at the Delmar Moose Lodge featuring music with Joey Welz...The True Tones providing the music at Salisbury's Eastside Men's Club Dance...Richard Maltby's Orchestra in Salisbury at the Civic Center's New Year's Eve Ball And Breakfast.

　

ACROSS THE USA

January 1, 1901

On the the first day of the Twentieth Century an Iowa newspaper, The Davenport Republican, reported on the comments of speakers at its area churches on the previous evening, the last evening of the Nineteenth Century.

Some brief excerpts:

From a judge... "Certainly we have not yet gone too far in strengthening the federal government. -- Somewhere, however, must be set the limits of this centralized power, at some point the line must be firmly drawn between the nation and the states. Where this line shall be fixed no one can safely say in advance. It is one of the grave problems we must leave for solution to the courage, wisdom, and patriotism of our children. -- There is some little we may say with assurance of the future. It will be what our children and their descendants make it. To such young people as hear me and who shall take part in molding the coming century I wish to say that you will not do so well as your fathers and mothers have done in life work unless you do better than they did. You have advancement they did not possess. -- We have now in every considerably town a high school where a course of study is pursued equivalent to that of Dartmouth college when it graduated Daniel Webster in 1801. Our state with some others has made provision for establishing free public library in every school district. This, with the university extension courses, so popular throughout the country, and which are continually developing, mark an era in advanced education. Eventually it will bring the college courses to the door of every earnest seeker for knowledge."

From a lawyer... "By firing my imagination, giving it the reins and allowing it to run rampant, I might predict that in 2000 the stars and stripes will float in sole and unquestioned sovereignty from the North Pole to Cape Horn. I might speculate on the downfall of monarchies and the rise of new republics. I might be right, I might be wrong. I might be so bold and conceited to announce to you that in the coming century men, with artificial wings, will fly like birds through the air. I might contend that our whole system of transportation will be overthrown and a new one put in action. I might even be so rash as to predict that the day is not far distant when mankind will know no disease, no sickness. Trusting in the blessed trinity of chance, accident, or mistake for the fulfillment of my prophecy, I might say that the science of medicine will be so revolutionized that medical assistance will be required only to prevent disease, not to cure. I might be right, I might be wrong, it matters not. Whatever speculation we may make upon the future, we at least know enough to know the past. The world has learned that no man is good enough to govern another man excepting by that other man's consent, and in my humble judgment thereon hangs the destiny of the nations."

　

　

　

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

From the Worcester County Sheriff's Office

WORCESTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

PRESS RELEASE

On December 22,2011, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office began an Missing Person’s Investigation for a female that was reported missing by family members in the Pocomoke City area. The female, Carol Ann Chandler, was reported missing by her family the following morning. Investigators immediately began searching for Mrs. Chandler.

On December 31,2011, investigators were able to make contact with Mrs. Chandler and determine that she was safe and fine and is currently staying with family members outside of the local area. At this time, Mrs. Chandler is no longer considered missing or endangered. Her family has been contacted and made aware.

TIME MACHINE Preview ... New Year's Past

This Sunday on The Pocomoke Public Eye...

Local New Year's eve entertainment activities welcome in 1967!

As January 1, 1901 marked the beginning of the 20th Century views regarding the next 100 years were made.

Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve!

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Worcester County 10 Most Wanted Suspects ~ Part 4 & Part 5

"Home For The Holidays"
By: Emily Lampa/WMDT-Channel 47
Worcester County State's Attorney Beau Oglesby

PART 4
WORCESTER, CO., Md. - The Worcester County State's Attorney's office says that criminals come out of the woodwork for the holidays. 

More photos and information on the 10 Most Wanted Suspects. The Worcester County State's Attorney's Office and WMDT have worked together to bring a total of 10 most wanted into the publics eye hoping someone will recognize any of them and aid in bringing them to justice.



Felicia Byrd

  40-year-old Felicia Byrd

Last Seen in Pocomoke, Maryland

Black, Female

DOB: February 19, 1971

Height: 5'4" Weight: 132

Offense Date: 9/11/2007

Convicted of:

¨ Credit Card Impersonation

Wanted for:

¨ Violation of Probation

¨ Failure to Appear



Decellaus Hardy



26-year-old Decellaus Hardy

Last Seen in Pocomoke, MD

Black, Male

DOB: April 1, 1985

Height: 5'10" Weight: 160

Offense Date: 10/13/2010

Convicted of:

¨ CDS Poss. Of Crack Cocaine

Wanted for:

¨ Violation of Probation

¨ Failure to Appear

"If everyone showed up for court when they were supposed to," Oglesby says, "and we didn't have a whole slew of officers solely dedicated towards warrant service, you can't imagine the savings just there. But yes, citizens can directly impact the cost of law enforcement in general and public safety."

The Worcester County Sheriff's Office tip line is 410-632-1112.

Source and video;  http://www.wmdt.com/story/16401180/part-4-worcester-countys-10-most-wanted-suspects

================================================

WMDT - Channel 47

Emily Lampa - Reporter

Beau Oglesby- Wor. Co. State's Attorney

"Home For The Holidays"

PART 5

WORCESTER, CO. Md. - We've told you about Worcester County's effort to snag suspects who are home for the holidays. 10 wanted suspects.

Beau Oglesby, Worcester County State's Attorney, came to WMDT hoping to get their faces out there, so our viewers could help track them down. "The majority of them have ties to the area that are going to keep them in the area," explains Oglesby. "There are going to be some that are going to be more visible during the holiday season."

Deshawn Sturgis

28-year-old Deshawn Sturgis

Deshawn Andrew Sturgis

REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER

Last Seen in Ocean Pines, Maryland

Black, Male

DOB: July 18, 1983

Height: 5'08" Weight: 195

Offense Date: 12/15/2011

Convicted of:

¨ 2 Counts CDS Manufacture/Dist. Of Crack Cocaine

¨ 2 Counts Poss. Crack Cocaine

Wanted for:

¨ Violation of Probation

Earl Townsend
(Chucky)

32-year-old Earl Townsend, also known as Chucky

Earl Charles Townsend

Last Seen in Pocomoke, Maryland

AKA: Chucky

Black, Male

DOB: November 2, 1979

Height: 5'10" Weight: 200

Offense Date: 6/16/2011

Wanted for:

¨ Distribution of Cocaine

¨ Distribution of Cocaine w/in 1000ft of School

"We suspect - if we show their pictures and their identifiers and the fact that they're wanted, we'll get some calls." If you spot any of these individuals do not hesitate to call the Worcester County Sheriff's Office tip line at 410-632-1112.  You could help bring these wanted suspects to justice.

The Worcester County Sheriff's Office tip line is 410-632-1112.  We have even more details on suspects 1 through 8, as well as their pictures.  You could be the one who helps catch a criminal.

Source and video:  http://www.wmdt.com/story/16401209/part-5-worcester-countys-10-most-wanted-suspects

Legislative Updates~ By Delegate Mike McDermott

Dec. 30th, 2011

Freedom Lost

Many concerns over O’Malley’s Plan for Maryland

By Delegate Mike McDermott

Once again, the O’Malley administration and its apologists have sown division in our state with another program, they claim, we cannot live without: Plan Maryland. Those who naively claim the plan does not remove local authority need to follow the money. If a local governing body gets out of step with the governor’s cadence, state money will serve as the whip of conformity.

There is nothing wrong with planning. In fact, communities are required to maintain Comprehensive Plans for growth and development in Maryland and the state has always provided guidance and support. They are reviewed periodically and updated by the folks who know and recognize the dreams, hopes, and desires of their affected community.

I get concerned when the state wants “more teeth” in planning laws and guidelines. That is code for “inflexibility” or the desire to make land use decisions that are etched in stone rather than drawn on paper. In America and a free Maryland, we use to value the private property rights of each other. In fact, we use to understand their importance to our foundational moorings. The idea that more governmental control and bureaucracy enhances or increases my freedom  would prove anathema to the ears of Presidents Washington, Adams, or Jefferson.

Who has the right to declare that your city or town can only grow to a certain line?  What if a crossroads decides to be something more? What if a farmer decides he wants to diversify and divide up his property? Where did our cities and towns come from in the first place? Why should these decisions fall to bureaucrats in Annapolis and Baltimore? Ironically, it was royalty who first directed their growth.

These matters would be tragic enough if they came through an elected General Assembly, but the governor is enacting them by Executive Order...he simply wills them to be so. These are not the actions of a representative government. Considering the overwhelming bi-partisan rejection of the O’Malley septic plan last session, its clear the governor has decided to bypass the people and go straight to dictating.

By way of example, only 7.24% of Worcester County is developed and 69% of our total land and water resources are already controlled by the government. Plan Maryland says, “that is not enough”. The plan calls for “saving” 300,000 acres of farmland over the next 25 years. The only way the land can be “saved” is by a taking. Farmers will lose their property rights and future development will not occur...all in the name of “freedom” and a “greater good”.

New technology is rendering obsolete the notion that owner operated septic systems cannot be environmentally neutral and state of the art farming techniques continue to enhance output while protecting the environment.The fact is, technology is outpacing our best planning efforts and rendering the science, conjectures, and cost-benefit analysis null and void. 

Through Plan Maryland, proponents call upon the government to “use any means necessary” to demand that growth only occur in existing cities and towns, and bureaucracy, once created, results in freedom lost one code at a time.

We would do well to remember that a benevolent tyrant is a tyrant none the less.

Marylanders, take back your state!

http://delegatemcdermott.com/legislative_updates.php?postid=60

Carol Ann Chandler ~ Still Missing

Worcester County Sheriff's Office

PRESS RELEASE

On 12/22/2011 the Worcester County Sheriffs Office responded to Lilac Lane in Pocomoke reference a Missing Person.

The Sheriffs Office is requesting assistance with locating Carol Ann Comegy Chandler, W/F age 40. Ms Chandler was recently investigated by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation and charged reference Theft. Ms Chandlers husband stated that she fled the residence shortly after 0230 hrs.

Ms Chandler was last observed in blue pajamas and a West Virginia sweatshirt. When Mr. Chandler awoke on 12/23 his wife had left the residence.

Please contact the Worcester County Sheriffs Office at 410 632 1112 with any information.

Message From Virginia State Police For New Year's Eve Revelers

Don't drive drunk and have a designated driver.

Bob Grebe
Reporter
ROANOKE, Va.—

The Virginia State Police have a message for New Year's Eve revelers, don't drink and drive.

December is being recognized as 3-D Prevention Month.  That's the prevention of drunk and drugged driving.

Virginia State Police are participating in Checkpoint Strikeforce, checking driver sobriety.  Troopers will conduct roving enforcement patrols on designated roadways as well as sobriety checkpoints statewide.

State police are just one of several state and local law enforcement agencies participating in the annual campaign to raise public awareness throughout the region about the deadly dangers of drunk driving.

"Not only do we hold sobriety check points, but we have roving DUI patrols as well.  So that allows a trooper to patrol an area, not stationary," said Sgt. Bob Carpentieri, Virginia State Police.  "He'll be in his vehicle driving and patrolling around looking for drunk drivers as well."

As of December 16, Virginia has experienced a slight increase in traffic fatalities.  Preliminary reports from State Police indicate 716 individuals have already been killed in crashes statewide compared to 705 at this same time in 2010.

Last year in Virginia, six traffic fatalities occurred statewide during the four-day statistical counting period for the 2010-2011 New Year's holiday weekend.

State Police want to remind everyone to drive distraction free and make safety a priority.  Take the time to buckle your seat belt and put down the cell phone.  Also, be alert on the roadway and drive defensively.  

If you plan to drink Saturday night have a designated driver.    

The hope is everyone can have a safe and happy new year.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wdbj7-virginia-state-police-has-a-message-for-new-years-eve-revelers-20111230,0,1359449.story

Woman Facing Theft Charges In Worcester County Disappears

The Worcester County Sheriff's Office is currently trying to locate Carol Chandler, the missing Worcester County woman who left her home early one morning two days before Christmas.

According to Chief Deputy Dale Smack of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office Chandler and her husband had allegedly engaged in a heated argument and Mrs. Chandler left the home somewhere between 2 a.m. to 4 p.m.,  while her family slept.

Chief Deputy Dale Smack seems to think she may be hiding with a friend in Accomack County.

If you have any information please call the Worcester County Sheriff's Office - 410-632-1112.

The complete story as to why it is believed Carol Chandler left her home is in the Daily Times newspaper.  Go here:

http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201112300432/NEWS01/112300318