Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Most Serious Attack On Pentagon Computers

WASHINGTON (AP) - A foreign spy agency pulled off the most serious breach of Pentagon computer networks ever by inserting a flash drive into a U.S. military laptop, a top defense official said Wednesday.

The previously classified incident, which took place in 2008 in the Middle East, was disclosed in a magazine article by Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn and released by the Pentagon Wednesday.

He said a "malicious code" on the flash drive spread undetected on both classified and unclassified Pentagon systems, "establishing what amounted to a digital beachhead, from which data could be transferred to servers under foreign control."

"It was a network administrator's worst fear: a rogue program operating silently, poised to deliver operational plans into the hands of an unknown adversary," Lynn wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs. "This ... was the most significant breach of U.S. military computers ever and it served as an important wake-up call."

The Pentagon operation to counter the attack, known as Operation Buckshot Yankee, marked a turning point in U.S. cyberdefense strategy, Lynn said.

In November 2008, the Defense Department banned the use of the small high-tech storage devices that are used to move data from one computer to another. The ban was partially lifted early this year with the approval of limited use of the devices.

Lynn did not disclose what, if any, military secrets may have been stolen in the 2008 penetration of the system, what nation orchestrated the attack, nor whether there were any other repercussions.

The article went on to warn that U.S. adversaries can threaten American military might without building stealth fighters, aircraft carriers or other expensive weapons systems.

"A dozen determined computer programmers can, if they find a vulnerability to exploit, threaten the United States' global logistics network, steal its operational plans, blind its intelligence capabilities, or hinder its ability to deliver weapons on target," Lynn wrote.

"Knowing this, many militaries are developing offensive capabilities in cyberspace, and more than 100 foreign intelligence organizations are trying to break into U.S. networks," he said.

Defense officials have said repeatedly that the military system of some 15,000 computer networks and seven million computers suffers millions of probes a day with threats coming from a range of attackers from routine hackers to foreign governments looking to steal sensitive information or bring down critical, life-sustaining systems.

www.wavy.com

Workers Claim Bones At Construction Site

ONANCOCK -- Could Onancock's new $12 million wastewater treatment plant be built on top of a burial ground? Paul Smith of Wattsville talks about what he says are skeletal remains that he turned over to the town of Onancock on Tuesday. Smith, a pipe layer, said he found the bones while working on the town's new wastewater treatment plant but alleges he was threatened by the project manager not to disclose the discovery.

A worker at the site alleges the manager for the construction project swore workers to secrecy after human skeletal remains were found on the site last year.

Paul Smith, a pipe layer who was laid off last week from the nearly completed project, this week brought a collection of bones he says were found there to the Onancock Town Office.

"We found bodies all over that job site," said Smith, who until he was laid off, worked for Galway Bay Corp. of Mount Braddock, Pa., the company building the plant.

"It must have been an old cemetery," he said.

Smith said workers told the manager about finding bones that appeared to be human, but he allegedly told them to keep quiet.

"If we say anything, we're ... done, is what he told us," Smith said. "It was all about the mighty dollar."

The bones Smith handed over to the town included a human jawbone, some teeth, a femur attached to a hip socket and another leg bone -- all of which he said were dug up during the plant's construction.

He also said another worker had found a complete human skull.

The remains were turned over to the Accomack County Sheriff's Office and will be taken to the medical examiner's office in Norfolk, Va., for identification, said Major Todd Godwin.

A second worker, Thomas Parks of Onancock, said he found "probably 20 or 30 bones" that appeared to be human at the site. He also claims he was told by the boss not to say anything.

"I just started stockpiling them," Parks said, adding that the manager's dismissal of the discoveries troubled him. "I was really frustrated about him not saying anything about it -- this is my home; I grew up here."

When reached for comment, Galway Bay President Greg Maynard said he became aware of Smith's allegations only a half hour before when he received a telephone call from Onancock Town Manager Sandy Manter.

Manter was out of town Wednesday and a receptionist at the town office referred all inquiries to the Sheriff's Office.

Maynard said after speaking with Manter he called the project manager, who denied knowing about human remains being found at the site.

The manager in question had "no knowledge of it happening; it was never reported to him by the workers," Maynard said.

Some 20-30 workers were on the job and many knew about the grisly discoveries, Smith said.

"All the electricians knew. Anybody that was on a backhoe knew," Parks said.

Smith said he kept the bones he found inside a shed at his home.

"It was an emotional burden," he said, but added he feared his livelihood would be endangered if he revealed their existence.

Parks moved back in with his parents after he was let go from the job and said the bones he found, mostly leg bones, are packed away among his stored belongings in a box from the job site labeled "mixed parts."

"That's just a bad joke," he said.

Parks said he originally thought reburying the bones himself once construction was completed would be "a respectful thing," but said he now plans to turn them over to authorities.

Last fall, two 19th century headstones were found at the plant site and an archaeologist was brought in to investigate. He concluded they likely came from a cemetery in Belle Haven.

Smith said he and other employees were "told to get out" and given three days off without pay during the period when the archeological survey was conducted.

Workers found the skeletal remains about 200 feet north of where the headstones were found, in a location between an old concrete tank and some metal tanks, Smith said.

Parks said the hole from which he saw human remains being pulled out was "at least 6-8 feet deep." The location is now covered by concrete, wires and pipes, he said.

www.delmarvanow.com


Woman's Unclaimed Body Left In Hearse For Nine Days

RALEIGH A body's journey in the back of a hearse is grim but usually brief.

That was not the case, though, for Linda Walton.

On Friday, nine days after a mortuary service picked up Walton's corpse from an apartment in Carrboro, police were called to investigate a foul odor in downtown Graham, a small Alamance County town about 55 miles west of Raleigh.

Investigators traced the smell to a hearse owned by David B. Lawson Mortuary, the undertaker that picked up Walton's body Aug. 11. Walton, 37, who investigators think died about a week before she was discovered, was still in the back of the undertaker's vehicle.

The gruesome find set off an investigation by police and the Alamance County district attorney's office. Their findings have sparked an inquiry by the N.C. Board of Funeral Service, which is responsible for the administration and regulation of the profession of funeral service in North Carolina.

Police do not suspect foul play in Walton's death. But investigators had not determined whether Lawson, the owner of the mortuary service that had her body, had run afoul of the law.

Lawson, a licensed funeral director and embalmer in North Carolina for 34 years, did notrespond to phone calls seeking comment.

Capt. Joel Booker of the Carrboro police department said Lawson's service was called after investigators couldn't find Walton's next of kin. Police believed that she had died of natural causes so there would be no autopsy ordered by the state medical examiner.

Lawson Mortuary, Booker said, was on a list of mortuaries that would pick up bodies. Carrboro investigators said when Lawson's showed up at the apartment in western Carrboro, investigators told the driver that they were having difficulty finding Walton's family.

"What the investigators told me is Lawson's said, 'Not a problem. We'll put her in deep-freeze,'" Booker said. "So off they go, and that's the last we know of it until we heard from Graham police last week."

It was unclear whether Lawson's had a refrigerated unit for storing bodies.

www.charlotteobserver.com

Onley Man Found Not Quilty In Pennsylvania Case

Jurors in northeastern Pennsylvania have acquitted and Eastern Shore man on all counts in the murder of a camp counselor almost two decades ago.

The panel deliberated for about three and a half hours last night before finding 47 year old Jeffrey Plishka of Onley, not guilty in the 1991 slaying of 24 year old Laura Ronning in a remote part of Wayne County.

Plishka was released from custody after the verdict and left the courthouse with his father, opera singer Paul Plishka and stepmother.

Ronning was a counselor at Camp Cayuga when she disappeared on July 27, 1991 while walking to Tanner's Falls. Her body was discovered the next morning.

The defense argued there wasn't enough evidence to convict and sought to shift blame to tow unknown men seen flirting with the victim a few days later.
www.shoredailynews.com

GUMBORO MUDBOG WELCOMES OUR SOLDIERS

Charity Event For the Soldiers At Walter Reed Hospital!
Come out and show your support for our wounded warriors. The August 28th Charity Event is for the soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital!
This Saturday roughly 65 soldiers and some family members from the Walter Reed Hospital will roll onto Delmarva and attend the Gumboro Mudbog!

These courageous men and women are the same men and women that risked life and limb so that we remain free today!

And these are the brave men and women that gave their time and dedication to us and to this great country that we all share. It is safe to say that without them, without their sacrifices, without their loyalty and devotion to ALL of us and America, even small events like the races we plan to attend would not be the same.
Make plans Delmarva, to be at the Gumboro Mudbog on Saturday to show these wonderful heroes just how much we appreciate what they have all done. Let's show these fine, devoted people how Delmarva celebrates HEROES!


LET'S GIVE THEM A HEROES WELCOME AND MAKE THEM PROUD OF US! And let's make this the biggest charity Gumboro Mudbog has ever had!

Admission: Adults $7.00
Children under 10 Free (ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT!!!)

Pit admission will now be $5 per person.

All drivers & 1 crew person FREE in pits

Gate opens at 11:00 AM
Race will begin @ 1:00pm

Don't forget the kids!! POWER WHEEL RACING AT EACH EVENT!!
Registration will be held from 11:00am until 12:30pm
(Mini-open & Unlimited Classes $50 to register)

ALL EVENTS WILL BE “RUN FOR MONEY ”
(Cash prize determined by number of participants per class)
*****RAFFLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY*****
NOTICE
NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED
NO EXCESS VEHICLES IN THE PITS.

For more information on racing and for directions go to www.gumboromudbog.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND

According to Major Todd Godwin, on Tuesday, August 24, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report from the Town of Onancock regarding bones that were allegedly found at a construction site near the Onancock Treatment Plant.

The remains were discovered by a former employee of a contractor for the Town of Onancock and were taken to the town office. Further investigation revealed that during the early stages of construction at this site, a headstone from 1800's was found and work was ceased until the site was cleared by the James River Institute for Archaeology and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Major Godwin stated the skeletal remains are being transported to the Medical Examiners Office in Norfolk, Virginia and the investigation is continuing.

www.shoredailynews.com

Weather Prediction Looks Good For Courtney Bloxom Benefit Poker Run

Don't forget the POKER RUN this weekend.

Courtney Bloxom is a local girl who remains in the hospital in Richmond, Virginia recovering from serious injuries she suffered in an auto acccident in May. She is making progress in her recovery but has a long way to go. Through the past months her mother has been by her side while friends, relatives and even strangers continue to send her prayer through "Prayers For Courtney" on her facebook page.

So make plans to "ride for the cause" and let's help Courtney and her family with some of those expenses.



Look for this sign on the highway.
If you can't ride on Saturday stop by and leave a donation. And a prayer.
Send us your photos!
Be safe.

Jimmy Carter To Go To North Korea To Secure Release Of Aijalon Mahli Gomes

Jimmy Carter to the rescue?

The former president is planning to leave for North Korea on Tuesday in hopes of securing the release of an American man who was put behind bars for illegally entering the communist nation, according to U.S. officials.

The country agreed to free 31-year-old Aijalon Mahli Gomes if Carter came to retrieve him.

The Boston resident was teaching English in South Korea, but was sent to eight years in a hard labor camp and fined $700,000 on Jan. 25 for allegedly crossing into North Korea and for an unspecified "hostile act."

Two officials who spoke anonymously because the sensitivity of the situation, told the Associated Press that Carter will spend one night in North Korea and will return with Gomes on Friday.

A senior U.S. official said that Carter is not representing the U.S. government and was going on the mission solely for humanitarian purposes. In early August, state department officials secretly took part in a failed mission to North Korea in attempt to free Gomes.

The case mirrors that of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists detained in North Korea after they crossed illegally into North Korea. Former president Bill Clinton went to the country in August 2009 to secure their release at the request of the communist country.

It is not clear why Gomes entered North Korea. He had previously attended protests in Seoul in support of Robert Park, a U.S. missionary who entered the country to protest human rights abuses. Park was eventually released.

Gomes had tried to commit suicide in the labor camp last month, North Korean news agencies reported.

www.nydailynews.com

Meats Sold At Wal-mart Are Recalled

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Roast beef and ham that was distributed to Wal-Mart delicatessens nationwide and sold in sandwiches has been recalled because it might be tainted with potentially harmful bacteria, officials said yesterday.

No illnesses have been reported from the 380,000 pounds of meat products that were made by Tyson Foods unit Zemco Industries in Buffalo and may contain Listeria, said Gary Mickelson, spokesman for Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson.

"It's believed most of the affected products have already been consumed," he said. The sandwiches have been removed from store shelves nonetheless.

It wasn't immediately clear how many stores sold the meat products. A spokeswoman for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest retailer, could not say where it was sold.

The products being recalled were all labeled as Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches.

www.timesdispatch.com

Attorney Gernerals Along With Cuccinelli Want Adult Listings Removed From Craigslist

RICHMOND

The online classified advertising site Craigslist has been asked by a group of state attorneys general, including Virginia's Ken Cuccinelli, to remove its adult services listings category, which they say features ads for prostitution and "trafficking children."

A bipartisan assembly of prosecutors from 17 states this week sent a letter to Craigslist officials calling for "immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads."

According to Cuccinelli, the recent letter follows a 2008 agreement between state prosecuters and Craigslist owners who pledged to step up monitoring for illegal activity and to coordinate with local law enforcement.

Since then, Cuccinelli contends, there hasn't been much evidence to suggest that the number of "illegal advertisements on the Web site" has been reduced.

"The Adult Services section of Craigslist.com has become a forum for inviting illegal - and potentially very dangerous - activity throughout Virginia," Cuccinelli said in a statement about the joint letter. "Given the frequency that law enforcement finds these ads on the site, it seems clear that whatever monitoring Craigslist may be doing of posts is not sufficient."

Cuccinelli's office plans to contact Virginia sheriffs and police chiefs about potential illegal activity on Craigslist and has offered the investigative assistance of the attorney general's computer crimes sections.

In a statement, Craigslist said: "We strongly support the Attorneys General desire to end trafficking in children and women, through the Internet or by any other means. We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking, and to combat such crimes wherever they appear, online or offline."

www.hamptonroads.com

14 Year Old Girl Charged With Murder In Suspected Gang Initiation

A 14-year-old girl was being charged Tuesday night with first-degree murder for a shooting in East Baltimore earlier this month, a spokesman said.

Arteesha Holt was processed at the Central Booking Intake Center late Tuesday and would be charged in the shooting death of Jose Gonzales, Agent Donny Moses, a department spokesman, said late Tuesday.

Police said the incident was an attempted robbery and may have been part of a gang initiation.

Holt tried to rob two men Aug. 13 in the 100 block of N. Linwood Ave, about a block north of Patterson Park, police said. When the men resisted, police say the girl shot them both.

One man survived, but Gonzales died Saturday from a gunshot wound to his head. The survivor's name has not been released.
www.baltimoresun.com

Photo Of Suspect Who Robbed Corner Mart/Oak Hall, Virginia

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - An Accomack County convenience store was robbed late Saturday night, according to Major Todd Godwin.

The suspect walked into the Corner Mart in Oak Hall and robbed the clerk of money and merchandise. He fled the scene in a black step-side Chevrolet pickup.

Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect, from the store. If you recognize him, call the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at 787-1131 or 824-5666.

Mother Driving Drunk While Newborn In Back Seat

VIRGINIA BEACH - Virginia Beach Police arrested a woman for driving under the influence while her 3-week-old son was in the backseat.

Police say, last week 28-year-old Heather Maiers was caught speeding near Oceana Blvd. They say she was going 50 miles-per-hour in a 35 miles-per-hour zone. However, officers had a hunch that Maiers wasn't just guilty for speeding.

Virginia Beach Police spokesperson, Adam Bernstein says Maiers was given a breathalyzer test. After failing, he says Maiers still insisted she was fine. "It was a case where she felt like she was okay to drive," Bernstein says.

When officers tried to arrest her, police say she started screaming at them.

Bernstein says, "Extremely belligerent. Cursing at him especially when he began to lecture her about the dangers of drinking and driving while having her baby in the vehicle. Then she just laid into him."

NewsChannel 3 wanted to her Maiers' side of the story but someone at the house said the family was on vacation.

Maiers faces a list of charges including her second DUI charge, speeding, and felony child neglect.
www.wtkr.com

Northampton County Circuit Court

Northampton County Commonwealths Attorney Bruce Jones reports the following cases were heard in Northampton County Circuit Court:

Ernest Daniel Stith, 37 of Cape Charles, had probation revoked on an original charge of receiving a stolen firearm and will serve the original sentence of 9 years and 6 months in prison with an additional 2 years to serve.

Corey C. Wescott, 23 of Townsend, had probation revoked on an original charge of breaking and entering and destruction of property. Wesott was originally sentencd to 6 years imprisonment for the charges which was suspended pending the successful completion of the Detention and Diversion Center programs, restitution and supervised probation. Wescott will have to serve the 6 years and 7 additional months.

Bernard Anthony Brickhouse, 41 of Painter, had probation revoked on an original charge of grand larceny. Brickhouse was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with all but 6 months suspended, ordered to pay $2,000 restitution and 2 years probation upon his release. Brickhouse will serve 4 years and 6 months in prison.

Joseph Alvin Doughty, 28 of Dover, De., had probation revoked on an original charge of a 3rd offense DUI. Doughty was originally sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with all but 6 months suspended, a $2,500 fine, operators license suspended indefinitely, and supervised probation for 5 years. Doughty will serve 2 years in prison and continued probation.

Dwayntavius Tyrone Eason, 29 of Chesapeake, Va., had probation revoked on an original charge of possession with intent to distribute more than ounce but less than five pounds of marijuana. Eason was originally sentenced to 5 years in prison with all time suspended. Eason will now serve time sentenced.

Lavar Anwar Washington, 28 of Willis Wharf, plead guilty to 2 counts of entering in the nighttime, 2 counts of grand larceny and auto theft of property.

Wiliam Mapp Cullen, 43 of Painter, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but 4 years suspended for 7 counts of embezzlement.

Elton Lewis Merritt, III, 20 of Cape Charles, was sentenced to 20 years for burglary and grand larceny, with all but 5 years suspended. Merritt was also sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for malicious wounding and 10 years for shooting into an occupied vehicle. The sentences will run concurrently with all but 5 years suspended. Merritt will also have 3 years of supervised probation.

Joshua Wayne Walton, 29 of Eastvile, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for malicious wounding and 10 years for shooting into an occupied vehicle. The sentences will run concurrently with all but 7 years suspended.
www.shoredailynews.com

Virginia Beach Tourist Gets Throat Cut - Suspect Still On the Loose

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A woman visiting Virginia Beach was the victim of a violent attack.

She was walking along the beach, in the 2400 block of Whaler Court at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, when a man approached her.

According to police spokesperson Adam Berstein, the two exchanged words, then the suspect cut her throat and ran away.

The victim was taken to an area hospital. She is

expected to be okay.

However, some of the victim's neighbors said they enjoyed living along Cape Henry Beach until this incident. Carrick printed up a flyer to circulate in the neighborhood about the attack.

With the flyer, Carrick hopes residents will be careful. "Do not go down to the beach alone at night," he said. According to Carrick, people go down to the beach 24 hours a day.

His wife, Bernadette Carrick called the crime "absolutely outrageous."

Police said the suspect is still on the run.

If you have any information about this crime that could help police, call the Crime Line at 1-888-Lock-U-Up.

www.wavy.com

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Miss Mexico Becomes Miss Universe

A 22-year-old Mexico woman won the Miss Universe pageant Monday night after donning a flowing red gown and telling an audience it's important to teach kids family values. Jimena Navarrete of Guadalajara was first to answer an interview question Monday night and the last of 83 contestants standing in the headline-grabbing pageant on the Las Vegas Strip.

Her one-strap gown flowed behind her like a sheet as she walked. Earlier, she smiled in a violet bikini as she confidently strutted across the stage.

Asked by Olympic gold-medal figure skater Evan Lysacek how she felt about unsupervised Internet use, Navarrete said the Internet is important but parents need to be careful and watch over their kids.

I do believe that Internet is an indispensable, necessary tool for the present time," she said through an interpreter. "We must be sure to teach them the values that we learned as a family."

First runner-up was Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps, while second runner-up was Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell.

Navarrete -- who's been modeling since she was 15 -- is Mexico's second Miss Universe. Lupita Jones of Mexico won the title in 1991. Navarrete replaces Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela.

Navarrete's win thwarted Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson from giving the South American country a third consecutive win. Neither Gibson nor Miss USA Rima Fakih made the top 15 finalists.

With fans in some 190 countries watching on television and keeping tabs on Twitter, Navarrete and her competitors introduced themselves while wearing over-the-top national costumes. They then danced in silver and black dresses for the show's opening number before the top 15 finalists were announced.

The final 15 walked in swimsuits while Cirque du Soleil musicians played Elvis Presley songs including "Viva Las Vegas." The last 10 impressed in their gowns while John Legend and the Roots played a soulful medley including "Save Room."

By the end of the show, seven of the top 10 trending topics on Twitter had to do with the pageant, its contestants, its judges or owner Donald Trump. The mogul co-owns the pageant with TV network NBC.

Navarrete won a package of prizes including an undisclosed salary, a luxury New York apartment with living expenses, a one-year scholarship to the New York Film Academy with housing after her reign, plus jewelry, clothes and shoes fit for a beauty champion.

Campbell won the Miss Congeniality Universe award. Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul won Miss Photogenic Universe and a second award for having the best national costume.

www.foxnews.com

Peruvian Court To Issue Decision This Week On Van der Sloot's Confession

(Aug. 24) -- A Peruvian appellate court will issue a decision this week on whether to uphold the confession of Joran van der Sloot in the brutal slaying of a 21-year-old woman in Lima.

Some in the media speculate that if the confession is thrown out, van der Sloot could walk free. But an international defense expert doesn't believe the judges will even consider throwing out the confession.

"There's not a chance in hell," said Michael Griffith, senior partner at the International Legal Defense Counsel. "The judges live there, and the people know who the judges are. You see where I'm going? This won't be thrown out."

And even without the confession, Griffith said, "they have plenty of independent evidence."

Van der Sloot, a longtime suspect in the disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway, is accused of the May 30 slaying of Stephany Flores. The Peruvian business student was found dead in van der Sloot's hotel room in Lima on June 2. Van der Sloot has been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case.

After van der Sloot's arrest, officials in Peru announced he had made a full confession to Flores' murder. Van der Sloot said he broke Flores' neck in a fit of rage after she used his laptop to find out about his involvement in the Holloway case, officials said.

"I did not want to do it," van der Sloot allegedly said about the attack. "The girl intruded into my private life. She had no right. I went to her, and I hit her. She was scared. We argued, and she tried to escape. I grabbed her by the neck, and I hit her."

The Dutchman later retracted that confession, saying he was arrested without a warrant and was not provided with an official translator, which he says caused confusion during questioning. Van der Sloot also said his laptop was improperly searched.

"All this with the intention of pressuring me to accuse [myself] of homicide," the Dutch native said in the complaint, obtained by the Peruvian news program "24 Hours."

In June, Superior Court Judge Wilder Casique Alvizuri spent nearly a week examining the evidence in the case before ruling that van der Sloot's claim that his habeas corpus rights had been violated was "unfounded." Alvizuri said he determined that van der Sloot had not only a state-appointed attorney present during his depositions but also a Dutch-Spanish translator.

Van der Sloot's attorney immediately appealed the decision. The case has since gone before a panel of three Peruvian judges. They are expected to review the details of the confession and issue a ruling sometime this week.

"We believe we did a good job demonstrating that there wasn't an official translator and that his attorney did not have a document accrediting her as his attorney," van der Sloot's attorney, Maximo Altez Navarro, told "In Session" on Aug. 20.

If convicted of Flores' murder, van der Sloot could face 15 to 35 years in prison.

Griffith has counseled and represented clients in more than 40 countries on a variety of charges. His most renowned case, involving an American incarcerated in a Turkish prison, was the basis for the film and book "Midnight Express."

He said he's certain van der Sloot will go to trial, even without the confession. "They have the video of him going in the room, they have DNA [evidence] on his shirt, they have the consciousness of guilt because he tried to flee and they have video tapes [of them together] inside the casino," he said.

"There is more than enough persuasive evidence to hold this case over for trial," Griffith continued. "Take this one to the bank -- you can quote me on that. Case closed."
www.aolnews.com

Baseball Birthday Today

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY "IRON MAN" CAL RIPKIN, JR.

Cal Ripken Jr. played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981-2001 and was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 2007. From May 30, 1982, through Sept. 19, 1998, Ripken played in a string of 2,632 consecutive games, a major league record that is known as "The Streak." On Sept. 6, 1995, he played in his 2,131st straight game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record and becoming baseball's Iron Man. Ripken was a 19-time All Star and two-time Most Valuable Player. He finished his career with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs. Ripken was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1982 after hitting 28 home runs. "The Streak" began on May 30, 1982, when manager Earl Weaver started him at third base. The next season, he earned his first All-Star berth and was named the AL MVP, hitting .318 with 27 homers and 102 RBIs. The Orioles won the World Series that season, beating the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.
Ripken played every inning of every game in 1983. In 1987, Ripken's dad Cal Ripken Sr. became manager of the Orioles, and his brother Bill was called up from Triple-A Rochester. In 1990, Ripken began his major-league record streak of 95 straight games without an error. Ripken won his second AL MVP in 1991.
He also won a Gold Glove, was named MVP of the All-Star Game and won the All-Star home run contest that year. On Sept. 6, 1995, he broke Gehrig's streak and hit a home run against the California Angels. Ripken received a long standing ovation at Oriole Park at Camden Yards while he took a lap around the stadium, high-fiving fans. On July 15, 1996, Ripken started at third base for the first time since 1982. Ripken ended "The Streak" on Sept. 20, 1998, against the New York Yankees. Rookie Ryan Minor took his place at third base.


On June 19, 2001, Ripken announced his retirement.
Ripken was born in Havre de Grace, Md., on Aug. 24, 1960. The Orioles selected him in the second round of the 1978 draft. After retiring, he began Ripken Baseball, a sales and marketing company based in Baltimore that represents his business and philanthropic efforts, along with his brother Bill.

He is married to wife Kelly and has two kids -- a daughter, Rachel, born in 1989, and a son, Ryan, born in 1993.



http://www.chicagotribune.com/
photos BaltimoreSun

This one's for you, Missy.

Veteran's Affairs To Open Medical Annex

The VA Maryland Health Care System will open an annex next spring in the former world headquarters of Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore to help keep up with an increase in its patient population, fueled largely by a new generation of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Health system officials said the eight-level building on West Fayette Street in downtown Baltimore will be renovated starting later this summer or early fall and will contain a mix of outpatient services for veterans and administrative offices for the health system.

The project, less than four blocks east of the Baltimore VA Medical Center on North Greene Street, marks the center's first expansion since it opened in 1993 and is intended to help alleviate a space shortage there. It will bring about 250 VA employees to the Fayette Street property.
"We are decompressing our overcrowded facility on Greene Street so we can provide proper care for our patients," said Regina Litvin, a space planner for the health system.

The Fayette Street property has been vacant since Catholic Relief Services moved to the former Stewart's department store at Howard and Lexington streets in 2007. The health system, an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, intends to lease the bulk of the building for five years, rather than purchase it.

Besides the 137-bed medical center on downtown Baltimore's west side, the health system has inpatient facilities at the Loch Raven VA Community Living and Rehabilitation Center on Loch Raven Boulevard in Baltimore and the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Cecil County.

The downtown center, which employs about 1,780 people, is the busiest facility in the Maryland system. From October 2009 through June 2010, the downtown center admitted 4,636 inpatients and had 312,343 outpatient visits. By contrast, the Perry Point center admitted 758 inpatients and had 93,884 outpatient visits during the same nine-month period, officials said.

Since 2001, 2.1 million service members have deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 40,000 have been wounded in combat. And according to a study by the RAND Corp., a think tank, nearly one in five of them may be returning home with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Representatives say the health system needs additional space close to its Greene Street medical center to serve its growing patient population, including veterans returning from recent wars and older veterans with ailments.

They say the health system also wants to accommodate advances in medical technology, support research, and to provide more outpatient services and clinics as well as specialized services, such as those for women.

The health system sought proposals more than a year ago from developers who could lease space close to both the downtown medical center and the University of Maryland Medical System and selected a proposal from 209 West Fayette LLC, a business group that had purchased the Fayette Street building from Catholic Relief Services.

The project almost unraveled earlier this year when the business group faced the prospect of losing the building to foreclosure after defaulting on a loan from PeoplesBank of York, Pa. An auction of the building was canceled at the last minute to give both parties more time to work out a way to accommodate the health system.

The project was revived this summer after 209 West Fayette LLC surrendered the property to PeoplesBank and the bank formed a subsidiary to hold the building and serve as a landlord to the health system. The bank's subsidiary hired a development company to oversee a $2.5 million renovation and is leasing the property to the health system.

The lease calls for the health system to occupy 56,000 of the building's 70,000 square feet of space. It will also get 100 parking spaces in a nearby garage. The health system plans to begin a second round of renovations and "tenant fit-out" work after it takes possession of the building in early 2011.

About half of the leased space will be dedicated to clinics for outpatient services such as rehabilitation therapy. The rest will be for administrative departments, including human resources. The renovated building is expected to be ready for occupancy by late March of 2011, several months behind the previous schedule.

"There's been a little bit of a delay, but otherwise it looks like it's going to turn out pretty well," said George Szwarcman, director of real property services for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Harry Swift, general counsel for PeoplesBank, said the bank doesn't typically hold and renovate investment properties, but this arrangement was the best way to keep the project moving ahead.

"We're a bank," Swift said. "It's not our general business to renovate an eight-story building in downtown Baltimore, but at this particular time it was an opportunity that presented itself … and we took it."
www.baltimoresun.com

Anne Frank's Beloved Chestnut Tree Felled By Storm

(Aug. 23) -- The giant chestnut tree that breathed life into Anne Frank's lonely hiding place in her Amsterdam attic has toppled over in a storm.

The trunk of the 150-year-old tree snapped a few feet from the ground today, missing the Anne Frank House museum but smashing into gardens and sheds. No one was injured.

"Someone yelled, 'It's falling. The tree is falling,' and then you heard it go down," museum spokeswoman Maatje Mostart told The Associated Press. "Luckily no one was hurt."

The famed Anne Frank chestnut tree
Evert Elzinga, AP
The splintered trunk of a monumental chestnut tree, which comforted Anne Frank while she hid from the Nazis during World War II, is seen after falling over on Monday in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The tree's trunk snapped close to the ground, and it toppled into neighboring gardens.
Tree Behind Anne Frank House Falls Over
Evert Elzinga / AP
In this April 7, 2008, file photo, cranes carrying workers stretch toward the chestnut tree, which was in the courtyard behind the Anne Frank House museum. The 27-ton tree was encased in a steel tripod as a precaution against falling.

The Jewish teenager described the tree as a source of comfort and beauty in the diary she kept as she hid from the Nazis during World War II.

"From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind," she wrote in May 1944, when she was 14.

Three months later, Frank was betrayed and sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died of typhus. Her diary, published years after her death, is one of the most celebrated first-hand accounts of the Holocaust.

The tree was rotting in 2007 and being attacked by moths when officials in Amsterdam said it was a safety hazard and planned to chop it down. But after a worldwide campaign was launched to save the tree, the chestnut's trunk was enforced with steel instead.

However, today's storms proved too much for the tree, which is now in pieces in the yard outside the museum. Arnold Heertje of the Support Anne Frank Tree group said it was time to accept that nature had run its course.

"You have to bow your head to the facts. The tree has fallen and will be cut into pieces and disappear. The intention was not to keep this tree alive forever. It has lived for 150 years, and now it's over and we're not going to extend it," he told Reuters.

But earlier this year, saplings from the chestnut were sent to different locations around in the world, including the United States, according to The Jewish Weekly.

So perhaps a descendant will bloom again, just as lovely as Frank described her tree in another diary entry.
"Our chestnut tree is in full blossom," she wrote. "It is covered with leaves and is even more beautiful than last year."

www.aolnews.com

Sea World Fined After Death Of Trainer

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The federal job safety agency fined SeaWorld Orlando $75,000 on Monday for three violations uncovered while investigating the February death of a trainer who was grabbed by a killer whale and dragged underwater.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration categorized the most serious violation as "willful," or showing indifference or intentional disregard for employee safety. That citation, carrying a $70,000 penalty, was for exposing workers to drowning hazards when interacting with killer whales.

The agency proposes not allowing trainers to have any physical contact with Tilikum, the killer whale responsible for trainer Dawn Brancheau's death in February, unless protected by a physical barrier.

The OSHA report described Tilikum as having "known aggressive tendencies." The six-ton whale was one of three orcas blamed for killing a trainer in 1991 after the woman lost her balance and fell in the pool at Sealand of the Pacific near Victoria, British Columbia. Tilikum also was also involved in a 1999 death, when the body of a man who had sneaked by SeaWorld Orlando security was found draped over him.

Sea World trainers were forbidden from getting in the water with Tilikum because of the previous deaths. But the killer whale still managed to grab Brancheau's long hair as she laid on her stomach on a cement clab in three inches of water. The cause of death was drowning and traumatic injuries.

The OSHA report also suggests that trainers not work with other killer whales at the park, either in the water or out of water, unless they are protected by a barrier, deck or oxygen-supply system underwater.

"SeaWorld trainers had an extensive history of unexpected and potentially dangerous incidents involving killer whales at its various facilities, including its location in Orlando," OSHA said in a statement released with the report.

The second citation, deemed serious, was for failing to install a stairway railing system beside the stage in Shamu Stadium. That citation carried a $5,000 penalty.

The third citation was considered "other-than-serious" and was for failing to have weather-protected electrical receptacles at the stadium. That citation didn't have a penalty.

SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs said the park will contest the citation.

"SeaWorld disagrees with the unfounded allegations made by OSHA today," Jacobs said in a statement.

www.wavy.com

Ebonics Experts Needed By Justice Department

AUGUST 23--The Department of Justice is seeking to hire linguists fluent in Ebonics to help monitor, translate, and transcribe the secretly recorded conversations of subjects of narcotics investigations, according to federal records.

A maximum of nine Ebonics experts will work with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta field division, where the linguists, after obtaining a “DEA Sensitive” security clearance, will help investigators decipher the results of “telephonic monitoring of court ordered nonconsensual intercepts, consensual listening devices, and other media”

The DEA’s need for full-time linguists specializing in Ebonics is detailed in bid documents related to the agency’s mid-May issuance of a request for proposal (RFP) covering the provision of as many as 2100 linguists for the drug agency’s various field offices. Answers to the proposal were due from contractors on July 29.

In contract documents, which are excerpted here, Ebonics is listed among 114 languages for which prospective contractors must be able to provide linguists. The 114 languages are divided between “common languages” and “exotic languages.” Ebonics is listed as a “common language” spoken solely in the United States.

Ebonics has widely been described as a nonstandard variant of English spoken largely by African Americans. John R. Rickford, a Stanford University professor of linguistics, has described it as “Black English” and noted that “Ebonics pronunciation includes features like the omission of the final consonant in words like ‘past’ (pas’ ) and ‘hand’ (han’), the pronunciation of the th in ‘bath’ as t (bat) or f (baf), and the pronunciation of the vowel in words like ‘my’ and ‘ride’ as a long ah (mah, rahd).”

Detractors reject the notion that Ebonics is a dialect, instead considering it a bastardization of the English language.

The Department of Justice RFP does not, of course, address questions of vernacular, dialect, or linguistic merit. It simply sought proposals covering the award of separate linguist contracts for seven DEA regions. The agency spends about $70 million annually on linguistic service programs, according to contract records.

In addition to the nine Ebonics experts, the DEA’s Atlanta office also requires linguists for eight other languages, including Spanish (144 linguists needed); Vietnamese (12); Korean (9); Farsi (9); and Jamaican patois (4). The Atlanta field division, one of the DEA’s busiest, is the only office seeking linguists well-versed in Ebonics. Overall, the “majority of DEA’s language requirements will be for Spanish originating in Central and South America and the Caribbean,” according to one contract document.

The Department of Justice RFP includes a detailed description of the crucial role a linguist can play in narcotics investigations. They are responsible for listening to “oral intercepts in English and foreign languages,” from which they provide verbal and typed summaries. “Subsequently, all pertinent calls identified by the supervising law enforcement officer will be transcribed verbatim in the required federal or state format,” the RFP notes.

Additionally, while “technology plays a major role in the DEA’s efforts, much of its success is increasingly dependent upon rapid and meticulous understanding of foreign languages used in conversations by speakers of languages other than English and in the translation, transcription and preparation of written documents.” (11 pages).

To read more click below.........

Corner Mart In Oak Hall Robbed

According to Major Todd Godwin, on Saturday, August 21 at approximately 11:22 p.m., the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report of a robbery at Corner Mart in Oak Hall, Virginia. Further investigation revealed that a white male entered the convenience store and robbed the clerk of an undisclosed amount of money and merchandise. The suspect fled the scene in a black step-side Chevrolet pickup.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5'6" to 5'8", 150lbs, wearing plaid shorts, white shirt, and a red ball cap.

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

Woman Who Runs Animal Charity Has Charges Dismissed

The Animal Welfare Society of Howard County was run so chaotically that spending donations on flat-screen TVs, tanning sessions, BMX bicycle racing trips, a new truck and restaurant meals was not illegal, a Howard County Circuit Court judge declared Monday.

Judge Richard S. Bernhardt granted an acquittal on one count of theft above $500, despite testimony that Robin Deltuva, who runs the private rescue and spay-neutering organization on 5 acres next to the county's own animal shelter in Columbia, spent up to $85,000 of society money on personal expenses over an 18-month period through May 31, 2009.

Deltuva, 37, who lives in a house on the property with her 16-year-old son, took over the decades-old operation when her mother, Michelle Deltuva, died early last year.

The problem, according to Bernhardt and defense attorney Leonard H. Shapiro, is that Robin Deltuva ran the society exactly as her mother had, with no board of directors, no pay structure, no bookkeeping and no records. The society's nonprofit corporation status had lapsed in 1996.

"First, I don't think there is a victim," Shapiro told the judge. And without a pay scale or a board of directors or rules or records, "there is no evidence whatsoever that Robin Deltuva took anything to which she was not entitled."

Prosecutor Colleen McGuinn argued that whether it was a corporation or not, the society was an entity under the state's theft laws — one that advertised that every dollar donated benefited the dogs and cats in its care.

"The defendant was aware this was not her personal piggy bank," McGuinn said. "It doesn't make it right that because your mother did it this way, you can do it."

According to testimony from volunteers, both mother and daughter lived on money that came to the shelter without keeping any real account of income or expenses. But Deltuva's mother lived without badly needed dental care, sometimes went without water or electricity, and drove a broken-down vehicle, according to testimony. The daughter, on the other hand, used the society's money for electronic games, appliances, trips, perfume and purchases to boost her son's BMX bicycle racing interest.

The spending upset volunteers at the center who donated their time and often cash, and they reported the purchases to county authorities. The shelter was always short of money to pay basic expenses, they said, a problem that grew worse after Michelle Deltuva died and Robin Deltuva took over.

Deborah Levine, an attorney who formerly volunteered at the society, has filed a civil suit in an attempt to wrest control of the property from Deltuva, who has refiled the society as a corporation, created a board of directors and plans to properly organize the society's finances, she said after the ruling.

"I'm furious," Levine said after the theft charge was dismissed.

www.baltimoresun.com

Eastern Shore Musician Places Second In Song Contest

Machipongo native Thelma Peterson placed 2nd in the USAToday Gulf Oil Spill Song Contest, with her song I am at war receiving 4,928 votes which was 31% of the votes. However, Judge Craig Bickhardt picked Peterson's song as his personal favorite.

Peterson had a healthy 5% point lead as of Sunday afternoon, but within the last 12 hours more than 2,000 votes came in to give John Bagnato's Sweet Crude Blues the win with 6,709 votes.
"Of course I would have loved to been in first place but getting the Judge's favorite was an honor in itself I would like to thank all the people who have voted for my song and supported me through this," said Peterson. "I've gotten so many calls and emails from people who heard my song, voted for my song and told me they liked it. They were happy an Eastern Shore girl was recognized on a national stage such as this.">

Children Left Alone While Mother Goes To Nightclub

Five children who were left home alone while their mother went clubbing will remain in custody of the Department of Children and Families, a judge ruled Monday.

Formeka Sanders, 29, was arrested after her 4-year-old was found wandering in the Oak Glenn Apartments parking lot about 1:45 a.m. Monday. She is facing child neglect charges.

DCF initially turned the children over to Sanders' mother, a police report said. But at a hearing

Monday, a judge and DCF officials said Sanders' mother has a history of crack-cocaine use.

Sanders has six children, but apparently only five of them were home at the time.

DCF also had prior involvement with the family with allegations involving failure to protect, sexual abuse and inadequate food.

Judge Anthony Johnson indicated Sanders' mother wouldn't be a possible option for the kids to live with because of the previous DCF involvement and drug use.

Sanders' children — ages 12, 10, 9, 4 and 2 — were left home alone at their apartment on Mercy Drive while she went to Club Firestone in downtown Orlando, police said.

Sanders appeared at the hearing in a navy blue jail jumpsuit and said little. She remains in the custody of the Orange County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

David Rushing, the father of the 4-year-old, also attended the hearing and requested custody of the boy. The judge ordered a review be conducted to determine if it will be a suitable home for the child.

A similar study is being conducted at Sanders' great-aunt's home to see where they will be placed.

Police were alerted around 1:40 a.m. by a security guard who was patrolling the parking lot near Sanders unit and found the 4-year-old boy wandering around outside.

The child told the guard he was by himself and then led the guard back to his apartment, police said.

When officers arrived, they found four children sleeping in a bedroom. The officer woke all the children, who all seemed to be fine, according to the report.

The officer tried calling Sanders cell phone several times, but when she answered all he could hear was loud music in the background.

Sanders returned home around 3:20 a.m. Monday with her boyfriend and was detained.

During an interview with police, Sanders said she left her home around 12:30 a.m. and placed her oldest son in charge. She told police she feels the child is "old and responsible enough" to take care of the four children.

Jail records show Sanders has been arrested several times in the past on charges of aggravated battery with a weapon and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

After the hearing, Rushing said he wants custody of his son and he thinks Sanders is a "fit" mother.

"I would never expect for anything like this to happen," he said.

Sunday's incident isn't the first time DCF and law-enforcement have been involved with Sanders' children.

Orlando police and DCF responded to the apartment complex July 6 when one of her children nearly drowned in a pool.

Sanders was not home at the time. A father of one of the children was supposed to be supervising the kids.

"Clearly we have a documented pattern of inadequate supervision and, given the potential for such serious harm, especially in the July incident, we felt we had no choice but to remove the children and place them into protective custody," DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said Monday.

www.orlandosentinel.com

Monday, August 23, 2010

Professor Terry J. Lovell on Obama and Holder suing the state of Arizona



Hat Tip; Mrs. M.

The Rural Sign Painter


The rural sigh painter has returned!

Accomack County will be Declared Crop Disaster Area

Accomack County will be asking or help from the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Board of Supervisors have decided to declare the county a primary crop disaster area due to the extensive damage to crops during the high temperatures and almost non-existent rainfall in the past two months.

Officials estimate that non-irrigated corn will see a 65 percent reduction in potential yield this year. Soybean yield is expected to be down 15-20 percent. Losses in a yield reduction that large for farmers could exceed $6 million.

Accomack County is the largest producer of field corn in the State of Virginia and also is a vital supply line to Delmarvas poultry industry.
www.shoredailynews.com

Bride-to-be Arrested For DUI On Wedding Day

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A 31-year-old bride-to-be heading home from her bachelorette party was arrested for drunken driving hours before she was to get married.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Christina Martin says the woman was driving over 90 mph Saturday morning and weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 405 in Bellevue when she was stopped.

Martin says a trooper arrested the woman, processed her and let her take a cab home in time to make it to her early afternoon wedding in Burien. says the bride's alcohol level was nearly twice the legal state limit. The woman will face charges in King County District Court".

www.timesdispatch.com

'Support For Wounded Soldiers' ~ Racing Event This Saturday

Charity Event for the Soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital!


Come out and show your support for our wounded warriors.

The August 28th Charity Event is for the soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital!

Admission:
Adults $7.00

Children under 10 Free (ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT!!!)

Pit admission will now be $5 per person.
All drivers & 1 crew person FREE in pits

Gate opens at 11:00 AM
Race will begin @ 1:00pm
Refreshments available.

And don't forget the kids POWER WHEEL RACING!!!

NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED

For more information go to http://www.gumboromudbog.com/

BRING A FLAG!!!!