Paraplegic Gets Sentenced To Penitentiary For Drug Conviction

ACCOMAC -- A 66--year-old paraplegic was sentenced to serve time in a penitentiary last week in Accomack Circuit Court.

Ross Taylor of Atlantic was convicted in December of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute while possessing a firearm. On Thursday, Taylor was sentenced to serve five years in the penitentiary. The sentence is mandatory for the crime.

"This gentleman is 66 years old and has been a paraplegic for 30 years," said defense attorney Pat Robbins in a plea for leniency to circuit Judge Glen A. Tyler.

Robbins said the man's condition was the result of gunshot wounds. He described Taylor as having many health problems and said his client was "wheelchair-bound and bedridden." He said the man would have to go to a special facility, which would be very costly.

Robbins told the court that his client had "no prior record, no felonies, no drug charges." He said Taylor had family and friends in the courtroom to support him.

"I register a strong objection," said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Matthew Brenner. "The five-year mandatory sentence is necessary. The defendant has many health problems, but he is selling drugs and is a community problem himself."

Asking about details of the case, the judge was told that the man had about $600 worth of cocaine and a loaded .32 caliber revolver in bed with him at the time of his arrest.

"This court has no discretion; the law does not allow the court to reduce the case," said Circuit Judge Glen A. Tyler.

Hearing this, Taylor, who was slumped over in his wheelchair, spoke up.

"I'm in bad shape, judge," he said.

Tyler responded that the Department of Corrections has "an elaborate and extensive system" for caring for people with physical and mental disabilities.

"You will be required to serve the sentence," he said.

Family members who accompanied Ross to the courtroom expressed shock, disbelief and anger.

"It's not right," said a woman who rushed to Taylor's side after hearing the sentence. "He was shot seven times and nobody did anything."

www.easternshorenews.com

Va. Man Who Skinned A Guinea Pig Convicted

What kind of a hat can be made from a guinea pig hide? Well, here's a person that calls himself the "village idiot" and claims to suffer from a brain injury resulting from being hit by a truck some 15 years ago.

Funny how the brain works. It's odd that the disability in Charles Woodson's brain would allow him to remember what he learned in biology class in graduate school ten years ago...... which is how to humanely kill an animal. But yet the same brain did not tell him that if you make a hat out of the hide with the head attached it WILL most times scare the hell out of small children and raise the blood pressure in the parents.

Now I realise that in some countries guinea pigs are eaten just as we eat chicken or beef in this country. My question is WHAT were you going to do with the rest of that furry creature that you went to the PET STORE to purchase?

Below is the story about his hearing and sentencing. After you have read about this miserable human being, AKA Village Idiot, please read the post below it to see how these creatures deserve to be treated and how much they can be loved.

FRONT ROYAL, Va. (AP) -- A man who skinned a guinea pig and wore the skin as headgear has been convicted on an animal cruelty charge.

Charles Woodson was convicted Tuesday in Warren County General District Court.

The 41-year-old Woodson was arrested in March after neighbors saw him wearing the guinea pig hat, which included the animal's head.

Woodson has said the animal was killed humanely. He had purchased the animal from a pet store.

Judge W. Dale Houff sentenced Woodson to six months in jail, but suspended four months from the term. Woodson also was ordered to serve one year of unsupervised probation.

www.wusa9.com

The Love Of The Guinea Pig

So much emphasis is placed on the horrible things people do to animals and I am convinced that for whatever harm is done to a creature by a human is what that human would or could do to another human being. It is of my own personal opinion that lack of feeding, watering, shelter and any other act is not an act of kindness and all fall under the classification of animal cruelty. Abandonment included.

Thank goodness there ARE wonderful people in the world that see animals in the same wonder light that they see humans. These people not only spread their love and friendship among people they meet but animals as well.

Through word of mouth a few years ago a very kind person heard a heart breaking story concerning an abandoned guinea pig in a park. Immediately after work this person arrived to find the guinea pig as she was told. The poor thing had been abandoned in its cage with moldy matted bedding, old decaying vegatables and matted fur so snarled and tangled and dirty that the animal barely resembled what it was.

The guinea pig traveled to the home of this kind Samaritan where it was given a bath and some serious grooming and after awhile began to resemble the animal and loved pet it was going to be. This fluffy soft animal lived for many years in a warm, sweet smelling hibitat, snacked on only the best in vegatation and eventually learned to communicate with it's squeals and coos.

I was amazed to learn this past Christmas when this guinea pig came to visit us that these soft quiet creatures like to sleep and burrow in hammocks. And sure enough in the corner of "the guinea pigs world" was her hammock and in this hammock she'd fall asleep for the night and nap during the day. All of us had come to love this fur ball and were amused at anything this guinea pig would do.

For seven years this guinea pig had a wonderful home filled with love. She had come so far from the day she was found abandoned and almost dead in the park. She had established communication with the one person that saved her and loved her.

It's love that we pour into our pets and it's unselfish dedication that we have given them that makes it so very hard and almost imbearable to lose them in death. This 7 year old guinea pig stopped eating suddenly and was rushed to an animal emergency room. The next day it went into surgery to remove a small tumor on its neck. The tumor was successfully removed but with the probability that the animal would not make it.

The guinea pigs owner, determined to give all the comforts of home one final time, took it home to be surrounded the other family pets.

Little Iris died last night and today our hearts are so heavy. She's already being missed.

Rest In Peace "Iris Ladybug". You are missed.

Welcome Center To Shut Down Without Aid

POCOMOKE CITY -- Worcester County officials are trying to scrape together money to keep the Maryland Welcome Center on Route 13 at the Virginia line open.

They are hunting for $57,281 for the facility in the already tight 2010-11 budget. If those funds aren't found, the building will be closed June 30 as the state trims welcome centers to save money. But if the commissioners can produce the funds, the state government will provide another $50,000 for the coming year.

"That center definitely benefits the whole county," said Commissioner Bobby Cowger.

The Pocomoke City Welcome Center is the second-busiest in Maryland, said Commissioner Linda Busick. The facility was built in 1985 using state money procured by then-delegate Mark Pilchard with a local match, said Shirley Pilchard, his widow.

Since then, the center has pointed tourists often headed to the beach to the museums, businesses and state parks in other parts of Worcester County.

"If nobody is going to tell them, then they are not going to go," Pilchard said. "We are going to take away from small businesses if we go any further with this."

The commissioners agreed it should stay open, but wavered on how often. To receive the state's $50,000, the center must be operational at least three days a week. The county is contemplating keeping it open seven days a week in the summer, four days a week in other seasons.

Commissioner Virgil Shockley asked staff to look at a three-day-a-week, year-round operation.

"I think it's a benefit to tourism, I think it's a benefit to Pocomoke City, and I want to see the numbers," he said.

Pocomoke City Mayor Michael McDermott said the town, which provides water and sewer to the facility, would waive its fees and provide volunteers.

Commissioner Judy Boggs was the only member in opposition to providing the money, arguing that while the center may support tourism, if the county takes it over, the state will never resume the operation.

"I'm just sick and tired of the state forcing us to take over their responsibilities," Boggs said.

www.delmarvanow.com

The Beekeepers Guild of the Eastern Shore

"How To Get Started With Bees"

The Beekeepers Guild of the Eastern Shore will meet at the Northampton Free Library in Nassawadox on

Saturday May 22, 2010 at 10:00 AM

Anyone interested in beekeeping and helping the bees in encouraged and invited to attend.

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information call Ann @ 442-4118 or email Mary at mwalker@esva.net

Eastern Shore Towns Make Chesapeake Bay Magazines 2010 Best of the Bay

The Eastern Shore had multiple appearances in Chesapeake Bay Magazines Best of the Bay 2010. The Chesapeake Bay Magazine conducted their survey primarily through their website and almost a thousand respondents voted for their favorite restaurants, marinas, towns and many more.

Bay Creek Marina in Cape Charles was named one of the Best Resort Marinas on the Bay as well as one of the Best Marinas for Natural Environment.

The town of Onancock was voted one of the best towns for foodies. Unfortunately, none of Onancocks Restaurants made it into the categories for specific food.

Onancock also was listed as one of the Best Towns for Inexpensive Docking, as well as Tangier Island.

Onancock Creek and King Creek in Cape Charles also made the list for Trickiest Channels.

www.shoredailynews.com

Police Collect Evidence In Neglect Case

I bet this case is far from being over!
In case you don't remember the father of this child remained in jail because he neglected to register as a child sex offender........something the mother doesn't deny but says isn't exactly as is stated in court documents. That doesn't matter. He still didn't register! And she has had other children with this man since he was charged. She also stated in previous reports that she asks her six year old everyday if she has been touch by him. Wow!

Parents Allegedly Placed Child On Stove

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Police have taken the stove top from the home of two parents who allegedly placed their 1-year-old child near an ignited burner, where they say, she was burned.

Justin Jones and Julia Tomlin were charged with felony child neglect after police say they failed to seek medical attention for their daughter. The stove top--four heating elements and four drip trays--were taken for analysis.

The child suffered burns on her back, shoulders, and arms.

Police went back to the Misty Harbor Apartments and a building off Woodall Court, where the girl was allegedly burned on April 30. Detectives were called days later to meet Child Protective Services at the home and said she had burn marks on her back "consistent with the heating elements on a stove."

Police contend the parents, Justin Jones and Julia Tomlin, placed the girl on the stove while they tended to another one of their five children. They say the toddler fell on one of the burners and was burned.

After the discovery was made, the girl was taken to a local hospital, treated and released.

In charging documents a detective wrote about Tomlin saying "she could not say for sure if the burners were turned off or not."

Neither Tomlin nor Jones could be reached for comment.

The little girl, along with her four siblings, who showed no signs of abuse, were placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

www.wavy.com

Oil Spill Unlikely To Reach The Eastern Shore??

With the oil spill occurring in the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago, several people have been warning the oil spillage could make its way to Virginias Eastern Shore. The oil could stray north from the spill site and catch the Loop Current, which goes all the way around the tip of Florida and bumps into the Gulf Stream, which goes as far north as the Eastern Shore.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the odds of the oil catching the Loop Current, being carried to the Gulf Stream and then making landfall off the shores of Cape Fear, NC are 1 in 500. Cape Fear is about 300 miles south of the Eastern Shore, which substantially lowers the odds the oil will reach our shores.

According to the Hampton Roads Coast Guard, if the oil was to reach the Eastern Shore, it would be in the form of small balls of tar. The tar balls would be small enough to fit in between someones toes.

www.shoredailynews.com


Well, I don't know about anyone else out there that loves the water and enjoys being around it and in it like I do but I don't find it very acceptable to be fishing, crabbing, swimming, walking, bike riding, etc. and find small tar balls between my toes!
In fact, I have my doubts about the whole truth being told. You can believe someone out there knows but in order to keep all of us from going into a panic we are being told the story one bit at a time. I think alot of questions aren't being answered properly. Time will tell.

Surf dogs, surf dogs, surf dogs!!!

SURF DOG RICOCHET, THE GOLDEN SURFURS & SO CAL SURF DOGS
INVITE ALL DOGS TO HANG 20 WITH THEM AT THE LOEWS SURF DOG EVENT!

SAN DIEGO, CA, May 17, 2010… Surf dog Ricochet, the SURFice dog who raises funds and awareness for charitable causes, is taking time off from her busy work schedule to have some fun! On Saturday, May 22nd, she'll be joining her surf buddies from the Golden SurFURS, and So Cal Surf Dogs as they enjoy the festivities at the 5th Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition. It will be a day of fun, surf and sand, and Ricochet, the Golden SurFURS, and So Cal Surf Dogs invite all dogs to hang 20 with them!

Have you ever seen a surfing dog? Chances are, if you live in southern California, you have! But, have you ever thought about YOUR dog surfing! The Loews Surf Dog event is the perfect venue to give it a try!

There is a small dog, and large dog heat, and contestants are judged on confidence level, length of ride and overall ability to "grip it and rip it". Ricochet, the Golden SurFURS, and So Cal Surf Dogs will be surfing in the competition, but they don't care if they win a medal because it's all about having fun with their dogs! The best surf dog is the one having the most FUN, so come on out, and have some fun!

The Loews Surf Dog competition is a fun activity for the whole family, and even if your dog doesn't surf, you will have a great time watching these canines hang 20. This year, the event benefits the San Diego Police Department Canine Unit through the San Diego Police Foundation.

Surf Dog Ricochet is a member of both the Golden SurFURS, and the So Cal Surf Dogs. When she's not working in her role of SURFice dog, she can often be seen surfing, or having fun with both groups. Ricochet will be surfing in the large dog category at Loews, as well as tandem with her littermate, Kalani, riding as the "Twisted Sisters". Those of you familiar with Ricochet, know she's has a propensity to chase birds, and it's not uncommon to see her ride a wave in, and then take off after a bird. Nobody cares though, because it's all about fun! Ricochet will be wearing a neon pink rashguard, so be sure to stop her and say HI! For more info on Ricochet, go to http://www.SurfDogRicochet.com


The Golden SurFURS are part of the San Diego Golden Retriever Meet-up Group, and, you guessed it... they're all golden retrievers. They are a very popular, friendly, fun loving meet-up group that has over 830 members. They get together for free activities at least once a month, but often more frequently. They created the Golden SurFURS three years ago, and are always looking to add more Goldens to their SurFURS, as well as their fun group. So, look for the gaggle of goldens under their red banner at the Loews event, and stop by their tent to join them! For more info, visit their website http://goldens.meetup.com/33/


The So Cal Surf Dogs is a fun loving group of southern California dog owners who focus on having fun with their dogs while promoting dog surfing. Experience isn't necessary, but a FUN attitude is! The So Cal Surf Dogs promotes safety first with fun a very close second! They've got a good mix of breeds and sizes amongst their SurFURS, and they're eager to meet your dog too! All dogs (and dog Owners) are welcome regardless of skill level or ability. They are enthusiastically encouraging anyone who dogs surfs, or wants to dog surf, to join their group. They'll be at the Loews event, so follow the laughter and stop by their tent to learn more about them! Their website is http://www.socalsurfdogs.com


Ricochet, the Golden SurFURS, and the So Cal Surf Dogs look forward to meeting you, and your dog at the 5th Annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition! See you there!

For more information, contact Judy Fridono at 707-228-0679 or pawinspired@aol.com

Surf Dog Ricochet http://www.SurfDogRicochet.com
Ricochet on Facebook and Twitter "Surf Dog Ricochet

San Diego Golden Retriever Meetup Group http://goldens.meetup.com/33/

So Cal Surf Dogs: http://www.socalsurfdogs.com
So Cal Surf Dogs on Facebook and Twitter "So Cal Surf Dogs"

Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition http://loewssurfdog.blogspot.com/

From the American Association Of Retired People

Questions and Answers from AARP Forum

Q: Where can single men over the age of 60 find younger, women who are interested in them?	A: Try a bookstore, under Fiction.
Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?	A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done, you will have a place to live.
Q: Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the bible... Is that true? Where can it be found?	A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt ."
Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your over-60 year-old husband?	A: Tell him you're pregnant.
Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?	A: Take off your glasses.
Q: Seriously! What can I do for these Crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?	A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out..
Q: Why should 60-plus year old people use valet parking?	A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
Q: Is it common for 60-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?	A: Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.
Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?	A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
Q: Where should 60-plus year olds look for eye glasses?	A: On their foreheads.
Q: What is the most common remark made by 60-plus year olds when they enter antique stores?	A: "Gosh, I remember these!"
SMILE, You've still got your sense of humor, RIGHT?

Hat Tip; Kack

Coast Guard Searches for 2 Missing Watermen

UPDATE: Missing watermen were located ALIVE this morning before noon in Ape Hole Creek in the Pocomoke Sound. Watermen's names have not been released yet.

CRISFIELD, Md.- The U.S. Coast Guard Station in Crisfield is looking for two watermen who have been missing since Monday.

The two watermen- both described as veteran watermen in their 60s- went out on the Tangier Sound in their 24-foot boat at around 11:30 a.m. They were reported overdue at 7:15 p.m.

A helicopter joined the search Monday night. The search resumed Tuesday morning but it is not known if the helicopter was able to continue to assist because of the rain. There is no word yet on the names of the missing watermen.

VIA: WBOC

What Was She Thinking???

N. Carolina Waitress Fired Over Facebook Gripe!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina waitress is out of a job after griping on her Facebook page about the bad tip she got from a lingering table of customers.

The Charlotte Observer reported Monday that 22-year-old Ashley Johnson felt slighted after spending three hours waiting on a couple at Brixx Pizza who left only a $5 tip.

So she blasted the couple on her Facebook page while also mentioning the restaurant.

Brixx officials told Johnson a couple of days later that she was being fired because she violated a company policy banning workers from speaking disparagingly about customers and casting the restaurant in a bad light on a social network.

Johnson says she has apologized to Brixx and is looking for a new job.

www.wavy.com

Beware Of Those Nasty Little Ticks

Tick Fever and Lime Disease Numbers on the Rise

Ticks and Lyme disease have been on the rise in recent years in Virginia and the Virginia Department of Health offers tips on how to avoid them both.

It's not just hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who have been taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather in Virginia, ticks are already out in full force, too, which means an increased risk of tick-borne diseases, with Lyme disease a top concern. David Gaines is with the Virginia Department of Health.

"Lyme disease is quite common in Virginia, it didn't used to be but it's becoming quite common, and I can't say how this year is going be as compared to any other year - but we had a cold winter, but there was a lot of snow cover and that provides an insulating layer."

Gaines says that if you plan to spend time outdoors, be sure to wear long clothing and tuck your pants into your socks. Cover yourself with insect spray that works for ticks. Check for ticks immediately and if you find one, remove it promptly with tweezers. In some cases, early symptoms of Lyme disease include a large circular rash at the site of the tick bite, accompanied by chills, fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck, swollen glands, and joint pain.

www.shoredailynews.com

Have You Tried The "Babycake" Yet?

The "taste" test is the final test for baker and partner Shannan Johnson of the Bay Queen Galley and Bakery in Pocomoke City. Above, a red velvet BabyCake is tested by, from left, John Riggi, Johnson, Dustin Johnson and Mary Ann Riggi, Johnson's partner. (Milt Savage photo)

POCOMOKE CITY -- When a bakery was added to the Bay Queen Galley earlier this spring, it wasn't long before one item started flying off the shelves of the small Market Street cafe.

While brownies and lemon bars and cookies lined the counter, customers skipped over the standard treats, said MaryAnn Riggi, who co-owns the cafe. It seemed people couldn't get enough of the bakery's miniature Smith Island cakes, affectionately known as BabyCakes.

"The BabyCakes have kind of taken over," Riggi said. "We are a bakery, but we really seem to be the BabyCake bakery."

Although other things can be made to order, Shannan Johnson, the Bay Queen's baker, is responsible for providing a steady supply of at least 10 flavors of the five-layer, two-serving version on the Maryland state cake.

"She does other things, but at the moment those cakes have been the thing," Riggi said. "You have to go with what works, and the public wants the cakes."

Riggi and her husband John opened the Bay Queen Galley in the fall of 2009. The cafe serves both hungry passersby and caters for the river cruise boat that shares its name.

"We've been running the tour boat for four years," Riggi said. "We started by using local restaurants, but we couldn't guarantee the product was consistent."

But when they opened the Market Street cafe, serving sandwiches and coffee, the couple felt they needed more to lure people in and away from the convenience of nearby fast food restaurants. At the time, the galley was selling Smith Island cakes provided by a distributor, but Riggi said it seemed she never had the flavors people wanted.

"Everybody wanted banana, but banana doesn't have a good shelf life, so I thought maybe we should bring on a baker," she said.

The couple spent the winter searching for the perfect baker. Riggi and her husband were on a diet at the time, so they wanted someone who could produce such a good cake that they could not help but finish the whole thing.

Then Johnson came along.

"She has such a passion," Riggi said. "She's a wonderful baker -- but her passion when she talks about baking, she gets goosebumps.

More importantly, Riggi added, when she tried one of Johnson's cakes, "I took one taste and walked away with the plate. That was it."

But while the cakes were good, the cafe found that people weren't interested in buying a big one.

"If you are a single person or a couple, you don't want to buy a whole Smith Island cake and have it sitting around the house," she said.

So Johnson, an Eastern Shore native, experimented with miniaturizing it. The BabyCake was born.

At five layers -- much higher and it will fall over, Riggi said -- the cakes cost $5.95, come in 10 different flavors including lemon, strawberry, peanut butter, chocolate, cookies and cream, key lime pie and red velvet, and are the perfect size for two people. Buy two, and Riggi will tell you you've got twins.

As for which flavor is the best, Riggi said she can't really say.

"Everyone has their flavor," she said. "It changes for me. (Johnson) will make a new flavor and shove it in my mouth first thing in the morning and that will be my new favorite.

www.delmarvanow.com

Sick Whale Euthanized Off Coast Of North Carolina

HATTERAS, N.C. (WAVY) - A Coast Guard boat crew responded to reports of a stranded whale off Hatteras Inlet, N.C., Saturday afternoon.

The whale was identified as a 20 to 30-foot humpback whale.

A Coast Guard boat crew from Hatteras Inlet transported members from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Virginia Aquarium, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and veterinarians from North Carolina State University to administer aid to the whale.

Veterinarians determined that whale had to be euthanized. It will be taken to a location off Hatteras Inlet on Monday.

http://www.wavy.com/

Here are some facts we may have forgotten about this type of whale:

Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates.

These whales are found near coastlines, feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton, and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters closer to the Equator. Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appear to be gestures of affection. Females nurse their calves for almost a year, though it takes far longer than that for a humpback whale to reach full adulthood. Calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old.

Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it. These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash. Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun.

They can weight up to 40 tons and grow the size comparable to a bus. Status is endangered.

www.nationalgeographic.com

Eastern Shore News Hosts Spelling Bee

ONLEY --The Eastern Shore News Spelling Bee will be held Tuesday, May 18, at Nandua High School at 7 p.m.

The competition is open to students from Eastern Shore schools from the fifth to eighth grades. Anyone is invited to attend. Admission is free.

Prizes include a savings bond, dictionaries, MP3 player, digital camera and subscriptions to the Eastern Shore News.

Henry Hollandsworth of Onancock, son of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Hollandsworth, won the bee last year and will be participating again as a sixth grader.

The 25 students who will be participating include:

Accawmacke Elemen-tary -- Tevion Morake, grade 5.

Arcadia Middle --Melissa Maher and Jaquan Persinger, grade 6; Tabitha Thornes and Tiffany Trader, grade 7; La'Quan Nock and Cadeem Baines, grade 8.

Chincoteague Elemen-tary -- Tristan Binder.

Kegotank Elementary --Destiny Hicks, grade 5.

Kiptopeke Elementary -- Morgan Doughty, grade 5; Myles Taylor, grade 6; Colton Collins, grade 7.

Metompkin Elemen-tary --Chelsi Shreaves, grade 5.

Nandua Middle --Henry Hollandsworth and Leslie Ibarra, grade 6; Isaac Taylor and Princeton Jenkins, grade 7; Amanti Boggs and William Barrett, grade 8.

Northampton High --Tyler Combs and Dara Bright, grade 8.

Occohannock Elemen-tary --Jada Johnson, grade 5; Dontae Weatherly, grade 6; and Chelsea Hall, grade 7.

Pungoteague Elemen-tary -- Sharod Myers, grade 5.

Shore Christian Academy --Dawson Melody, grade 5.

www.easternshorenews.com

Saturday Night Shooting In New Church

According to Sheriff Larry Giddens, on Saturday, May 15 at approximately 11:01 p.m., the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report of shots fired at a party on Rantz Street in New Church. Further investigation revealed that three persons had been shot as a result of the gunfire and two of the three victims were transported by Bloxom Ambulance to Shore Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Sentara Norfolk General where they are listed in stable condition. The third victim was treated on the scene by Oak Hall Rescue. The suspects fled the scene prior to deputies' arrival.

The victims injured during this incident consist of a 17 year old juvenile, whose name was not released, and two adults. The adults injured were Alnisa Crosland, age 22 of Berlin, MD and Mike Harmon, age 37 of New Church.

The Accomack County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Virginia State Police and the Onancock, Parksley, Bloxom, and Hallwood Police Departments.

Anyone with information concerning this crime is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at 787-1131 or 824-5666.

www.shoredailynews.com

Mail Ends Up In Garage Of Postal Carrier

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The United State Postal Service has recovered approximately 20,000 pieces of mail — some of them more than a decade old — from a Philadelphia postal carrier's garage.

Special Agent Scott Balfour says it took three mail trucks to remove the letters. The carrier worked in the city's Bustleton neighborhood.

Balfour says some of the mail dates back to 1997.

Postal officials say they recovered the mail on April 28 and it was being delivered to customers this week.

Balfour wouldn't comment on what prompted the investigation but says the carrier hadn't been to work since February.

Postal officials haven't identified the carrier. Balfour says they're still trying to find the man so they can question him.

www.dailypress.com

The outcome of this should be quite interesting.

Suffolk, Va. Woman Recovering After Being Struck By Lightening

SUFFOLK — A Suffolk woman is recovering from injuries suffered from being struck by lightning Sunday morning.

Suffolk Police said the 25-year-old woman touched a metal gate while she was letting her dogs out around 4:30 a.m. near her home on Ruritan Boulevard.

Her husband found her lying on the ground not breathing and with no pulse, police said. He performed CPR until she started breathing on her own. Medics arrived and took her to Sentara Obici General Hospital.

Doctors list her in stable condition, police said.

www.dailypress.com

Speak English Only, Small NY Towns Decree

Some small towns in New York have thrust themselves into a big dispute centered around the racially charged issue of "English-only" ordinances.

The community of Easton is expected to pass a law next month requiring all town business to be conducted in English, joining the towns of Argyle and Jackson, which recently passed similar laws.

"For too long, the federal government has shirked its duty by not passing English as the official language of the United States," the man who proposed the Jackson law, Town Councilor Robert Meyer, told The New York Times.

The moves come as Arizona faces boycotts for passing legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants.

The response to Jackson's new law from the New York Civil Liberties Union was immediate. The organization said the measure, adopted in March after a 3-1 vote by the municipal board, violates state and federal law, and it is threatening to sue on the grounds that it infringes on local people's rights.

"The English language is not under attack in Jackson or anywhere else in the state or country," said Melanie Trimble, director of the ACLU's regional chapter.

In a letter to the board, the civil liberties group said the law would prevent a town official from saying "mazel tov," the Jewish toast, at a wedding ceremony, London's Daily Telegraph reported today.

Jackson, which is near the Vermont line, has a population of about 1,700, including a few Hispanic farm workers.

Meyer denied that the measure was prejudicial, but added that when people move to another country to improve their lives, they should adapt. "We shouldn't be adapting ourselves to your ways," he said.

The town supervisor, Alan Brown, who voted against the measure, said, "The law would play to some people's prejudices, and I don't think that's a good thing."

VIA: AolNews

Jay-Z'S Show Me What You Got, Spectral Tarsier

This is soooo fitting

What the heck is a spectral tarsier? Wikipedia says it's a tiny carnivorous primate and YouTube says it's the next Jay-Z. If you don't believe me, check out this video of an adorable, big-eyed tarsier rocking out to one of the rapper's hit singles, "Show Me What You Got."

I don't know what mad genius decided this animal and this song would be a perfect match, but it is! The tarsier really does look like it's saying "Woo!" "HEY!" and "Uh-huh!" Admittedly, this is probably the easiest part of any Jay-Z song, but even if the tarsier loses to the Jigga-man in rapping ability, it totally wins in cuteness. Sorry, Jay. At least you've still got Beyonce.




DIRECT LINK HERE

URLesque

Circus Returns To Eastern Shore Virginia

ONANCOCK -- The circus is coming to town on Monday and Tuesday, after several years went by without the traditional form of traveling live entertainment making a stop on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The Lewis and Clark Circus -- a one-ring, European-style circus featuring traditional acts such as trapeze artists, acrobats, clowns and animal acts with tigers, camels, horses and llamas -- will set up its big yellow-and-red-striped tent at the old Onancock School property on College Avenue.

It will be this circus' first trip to the Eastern Shore. The South Carolina-based circus, which dates to the 1960s, travels as far north as Pennsylvania and across into Ohio each season.

The circus will offer shows on Monday and Tuesday. There will be a 7 p.m. performance Monday and two shows on Tuesday, at 5 and 7:30 p.m.

The circus' 100-by-70-foot big top seats 900. Lewis and Clark Circus also features a midway with a petting zoo, face-painting and a giant slide. Camel and pony rides will be offered for an additional fee. These attractions open one hour prior to showtime.

The Lewis and Clark Circus bills itself as bringing to audiences "five generations of experienced family-oriented fun" -- with performers like Armando the juggler, the Ayala family, trapeze artist Miss Elizabeth and a clown named Jose Jose.

"It's a good, family-type show," said spokesman Albert Buchanan.

Tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to the first show day on the circus' website, http://www.lewisandclarkcircus.com/.

Free childrens' tickets coupons are being distributed in locations throughout the area or can be printed out from the website.

Adult tickets are $10 plus a service fee if purchased in advance online, or $15 at the gate. Students 15-16 are $8 and children 14 and younger are free with the coupon and an accompanying adult or $5 without a coupon.

www.easternshorenews.com

Top 10 Passwords You Should Never Use

If you chose an easy-to-remember password, such as your user name or even the word "password," we advise you to change it right away. Easily guessed passwords can compromise your personal identity, privacy and financial accounts.

Researchers from the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering in College Park have quantified how frequently unsecured computers are the victims of hacker attacks.

Here's the shocking news: On average, they happen to each unsecured computer every 39 seconds -- that's more than 2,000 times a day.

Hackers use a string of common passwords and user names to penetrate unsecured PCs. If you thought you were being clever by using your user name as your password, note this: Fully 43 percent of all password-guessing attempts simply re-entered the user name.









The top 10 most common passwords:
1. Your user name
2. Your user name followed by 123
3. 123456
4. password
5. 1234
6. 12345
7. passwd
8. 123
9. test
10. 1

On TV and in film, hackers have been portrayed as people with grudges who target specific institutions and manually try to break into their computers. But in reality, study leader Michel Cukier says, "Most of these attacks employ automated scripts that indiscriminately seek out thousands of computers at a time, looking for vulnerabilities. Our data provide quantifiable evidence that attacks are happening all the time to computers with Internet connections. The computers in our study were attacked, on average, 2,244 times a day."

The team set up weak security on four Linux computers with Internet access, then recorded what happened as the individual machines were attacked. They discovered the vast majority of attacks came from relatively unsophisticated hackers using "dictionary scripts," a type of software that runs through lists of common usernames and passwords attempting to break into a computer.

The top 10 most common user names:
1. root
2. admin
3. test
4. guest
5. info
6. adm
7. mysql
8. user
9. administrator
10. oracle

What do hackers do once they gain access to your computer?
This was the most common sequence of actions:
-- Check the accessed computer's software configuration.
-- Change the password.
-- Check the hardware and/or software configuration again.
-- Download a file.
-- Install the downloaded program.
-- Run the downloaded program.

What are the hackers trying to accomplish?
"The scripts return a list of 'most likely prospect' computers to the hacker, who then attempts to access and compromise as many as possible," Cukier says. "Often they set up 'back doors' -- undetected entrances into the computer that they control -- so they can create 'botnets,' for profit or disreputable purposes."

A botnet is a collection of compromised computers that are controlled by autonomous software robots answering to a hacker, who manipulates the computers remotely. Botnets can act to perpetrate fraud or identity theft, disrupt other networks or damage computer files, among other things.

VIA: AOLDiscover

NASCAR: Kyle Busch Romps to Victory in Dover Nationwide Race

Kyle Busch had little serious opposition Saturday as he dominated and won the Nationwide series race at Dover International Speedway.

His fourth victory of the year in the Nationwide race series came despite a late restart, a five-car crash that caused a red flag and finally a green-white-checkered finish.

"Well, let's see if it's our week to win," Busch said before the extended finish. And it was for Busch even though the last three leaders before a green-white-checkered finish in Nationwide races failed to win. He was also leading in the truck race Friday before a final restart, and failed to win when he ran out of gas.

Busch led 191 of the 203 laps and won going away -- crossing under the checkered flag at least 25 car lengths ahead of Ryan Newman. Jamie McMurray was third, followed by Reed Sorenson and Jason Leffler.

"We've been fast here a lot at Dover," Busch said in victory lane. "We've had great race cars. We've been kinda snake bit. But today was a good day for us. We were good all day. Came off pit road strong and everything. We just held our own."

"I knew we had a great race car, and if we could just get through the restarts and not have anybody turn me sideways," we'd win, Busch said afterward.

Most of the action in the race came at the end. Clint Bowyer was rear-ended by Hamlin on one of the late restarts. Bowyer spent little time stewing on pit road, driving right back out on the track and into Hamlin, turning him sideways.

Bowyer's retaliatory hit got him instantly parked by NASCAR and ordered to the sanctioning body's transporter for a post-race discussion. His race was over and Hamlin's was spoiled. Bowyer finished 25th, Hamlin was 12th.

"I just clipped him on the way by. It was nothing intentional," Hamlin said. "I just misjudged it, barely. It's hard to blame it on not running these cars a lot, but I just didn't know how close I was.

"I'm sure he was frustrated, but I don't fault him. I'm sure I'd be frustrated, too. It's hard to say he's in the wrong."

The race was red-flagged for 11 minutes, 43 seconds with less than 10 laps remaining after the accident left fluid and mangled cars all over the track.

Trevor Bayne limped away from his car after the accident and went to the hospital.

"It seems like we can always find something in the last 10 laps to get a caution," Busch said.

"It got exciting for everybody at the end," Newman said, laughing.

"I hope that they don't penalize Clint Bowyer," McMurray said. "That's what every race car driver wants to do. You don't want to hurt anybody, but when someone takes you out of a race like that and you have no chance of finishing, and they're still going to finish, that is just the best gratification that a guy can have."

Read More HERE at Motorsports Fanhouse

Va. Gov. Declines To Intervene In Execution

Gov. Bob McDonnell has turned down a request to intervene in Thursday's scheduled execution of Darick Demorris Walker, leaving the U.S. Supreme Court as his last hope to avoid death by injection.

Walker, 37, was convicted in 1998 of shooting two men to death in Richmond in front of loved ones. State law permits the death penalty for someone who commits two premeditated murders within three years.

Walker's lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a stay of execution so it can consider his appeals. He is set to die by injection Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt.

Walker was convicted of the Nov. 22, 1996, slaying of Stanley Beale, 36, and the June 19, 1997, slaying of Clarence Elwood Threat, 34. Both men were shot to death after their apartment doors were kicked in.

In a prepared statement yesterday, McDonnell said, "Walker's attorney recently submitted a letter listing the reasons why I should intervene in this execution. I have read the letter and considered the reasons set forth.

"Walker's trial, verdict and sentence have been reviewed by state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of Virginia, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court," McDonnell said. "I find no compelling reason to set aside the sentence that was rendered by the jury and imposed and affirmed by the courts."

In papers filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, Walker's lawyers contend his joint trial for the unrelated murders, "exposed him to the serious risks that two weak cases would bolster one another, and that the jury might convict based on a presumed propensity for crime."

In addition, Walker's lawyers say authorities improperly withheld evidence that could have challenged the credibility of a key witness. Beale's 13-year-old daughter, who told police she heard but did not see the shooter, testified that she saw Walker shoot her father.

Walker's lawyers did not learn of the girl's earlier statements until after the trial.

Walker also argues that he is mentally retarded and therefore ineligible for the death penalty. A split panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that Walker had not proved that he fit the legal definition for mental retardation.

Danielle Spinelli, one of Walker's lawyers, said this month, "We very strongly believe that the death penalty may not legally be imposed in Mr. Walker's case in light of his documented mental deficiencies and the pervasive constitutional violations that occurred during his trial and sentencing."

The Virginia attorney general's office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the execution, arguing that Walker already has had a "staggering" number of appeals.

www.timesdispatch.com

Portsmouth Mayor Still Faces Another Recall

PORTSMOUTH

As momentum built in late July 1987 to bounce him from office, Mayor James Holley went on the offensive.

The city's first black mayor told a church audience that the people seeking his ouster - many of them influential black residents - were trying to "destroy the dream."

Three weeks later, when organizers submitted more than 10,000 signatures to force a recall election, two attorneys stood by Holley, mounting a legal challenge as some 90 supporters rushed to review the signatures.

In seven days, Holley's followers documented 16,157 problems, more than one for every name.

Almost a quarter century later, Holley is facing another recall. Again defiant, this time it appears he is fighting on his own.

Joe Wright, a civic leader from Cavalier Manor, was among those who actively opposed the last recall. He remembered going door to door and helping a committee that had its own headquarters. Wright said he'd help again if the mayor asked. Holley, 83, hasn't.

"I'm not going to say he's by himself, but the people are not as fired up about it, because most of the people really think it's time for him to step down," Wright said.

Still, Wright said he thinks Holley has enough support to keep him in office if a recall election is set.

Catherine D. Hendricks, 91, was among those who signed the challenges that one of Holley's lawyers filed against the 1987 recall signatures.

"I haven't heard one word, really, of trying to help him at all," she said of the latest effort. "Nobody has said anything to me."

Two residents, Robert Marcus and Delores Knight, submitted 8,775 names on May 6 to trigger the latest recall initiative. To force a recall election, they need about 6,700 to pass muster as the legitimate signatures of registered voters.

Circuit Judge Dean W. Sword Jr. has set a hearing for May 27 to rule on the signatures, which are under review in the registrar's office.

Holley has filed a legal challenge, this time on his own. The two lawyers who made his case in court in 1987 have died. Last week, Holley said he did not have an attorney.

The latest recall effort started last summer after Holley's assistant at City Hall reported that the mayor had verbally abused her and ordered her to do personal tasks for him on city time.

The other six City Council members fined Holley $2,500 and asked him to retire. He declined.

Holley was successfully recalled in 1987. He ran again and was re-elected in 1996.

The 1987 movement grew partially out of comments he had made during a heated exchange over the future of I.C. Norcom High School. Some black community leaders asked Holley to intervene and stop the school from closing. He refused, and he said he felt the group sent political threats his way for doing so.

Holley responded, according to newspaper accounts, by saying, "I pretty much got you where you are.... You won't be satisfied until you have a white mayor and all the City Council persons up here are white for another 200 years."

An effort to recall Holley began in earnest after he was implicated in a hate-mail campaign against several of the people who opposed Norcom's closing.

The commonwealth's attorney at the time, Johnny E. Morrison, concluded that Holley's fingerprints were found on some of the letters. Holley denied involvement and was never charged. Morrison is now Portsmouth's chief circuit judge.

Several of those who wanted to keep Norcom open included Louise Lucas, who is now a state senator, and Kenneth Melvin, now a circuit judge. Lucas said recently she is trying to stay out of the latest recall effort.

www.hamptonroads.com

Must Hussein Obama Lie About Everything?

Ya know there are lies and then there are liars...... Hussein Obama is a liar. Does he think the American public are stupid? Does he think we have absolutely no memory?

In his speech at Hampton University he states;

"And meanwhile, you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations none of which I know how to work"

"Truth meter"? Maybe he better check his own "truth meter" as I'm sure it's off the scale.

While Hussein Obama was in campaign mode he ran the most tech savvy campaign in history with twitter tweets, facebooks, etc.

Then after he was elected by ACORN with all the absentee ballots and dead people votes with his addiction to his personal Blackberry he insisted on using a Blackberry which he could not and would not part with despite security concerns, so it had to be modified by the secret service at a astronomical cost to the tax payers.

He also says he has an I-Pod and he graciously presented the Queen with an I-Pod last year as a gift . He also gave 25 DVD's to Gorden Brown.

I could go on and on but you get the picture, he just cannot tell the truth.

Just follow the below video and article.


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President Obama at Hampton University @ Yahoo! Video

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The geek-in-chief has a problem with technology. Who knew?

President Obama -- whose campaign was an online juggernaut and whose love of all things comic book, Star Trek and most recently Avatar is well-documented -- went on a tear against gadgets and gizmos over the weekend, telling a graduating class in Virginia to beware the vice of video games and portable music players.

He used the speech to warn that new media and new technology are "putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy." And that's not all ... The president told the assembled throng he doesn't know how to use any of those products.

"You're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter," Obama said during the commencement address at Hampton University on Sunday. "And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation."

Maybe the president threw that line in to make John McCain, his former e-mail illiterate opponent, feel better. But Obama disavowing technology is kind of like Donald Trump saying he can't make change.

The president has a known addiction to his BlackBerry (a.k.a. BOTUS -- Blackberry of the United States), which he could not and would not part with when he entered the White House, despite security concerns. He admitted "clinging" to it last year -- kind of like voters who "cling" to guns and religion.

He also owns an iPod, meaning that he knows how to use one -- unless he depends on the Secret Service to hit the shuffle button while he's out jogging.

He told The Associated Press after Michael Jackson died that "I still have all his stuff on my iPod." During the campaign, he revealed his playlist to Rolling Stone, which at the time included a lot of Jay-Z and Bob Dylan. And he once found the iPod a device befitting royalty. He gave one to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift when he visited London last spring.

Rewind some more.

Obama's campaign had a huge presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, using 24/7 media to reach his army of supporters at a moment's notice. The Black Eyes Peas' Will.I.Am cut a music video in his honor that tore through YouTube.

And as for Obama's supposed distaste for video game consoles, Obama's campaign bought ad space shortly before the 2008 election in 18 video games. Anyone burning rubber through the Xbox Live version of "Need for Speed: Carbon" at the time would have come across a digital billboard telling them about early voting.

The day after Obama told Hampton University grads to watch out for technology, the White House used Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov to promote his nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

Article VIA: FoxNews

Man charged with assaulting 70 year old man for driving too slowly

A Swisher man has been charged for punching a 70-year-old man because he didn’t like his driving.

Police reports indicate Brandon J. Poulson, 22, was driving behind a man and his wife 1400 block of Greencastle Road in Swisher on March 27 around 12:48 a.m. when Poulson began yelling and cursing at the man for “driving like an old man.”

The man pulled over to let Poulson pass, but Poulson pulled alongside the man and got out of his truck, police said. The man got out of his car and was immediately struck in the head and face several times, causing a large cut on the top of his head, above his left eye, and swelling and bruising to both ears. The cut on the man’s head required numerous staples and the cut above his eye required stitches.

Poulson admitted to striking the man in the face several times because he was upset with the way he was driving. He was charged with willful injury causing bodily injury, a class D felony.

Poulson was being held in the Johnson County Jail Tuesday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

VIA: gazetteonline