Joe Albero Of SBYNEWS Runs For Mayor Of Salisbury

Salisbury- Local news source/blog owner and editor of SBYNEWS Joe Albero has announce he will be running for mayor of Salisbury in the upcoming elections. Joe is a retired business owner with successful track record and a passion for downtown Salisbury,  anyone who has read SBYNEWS knows he is very knowledgeable of politics and has his own views for a better Salisbury. More to come on Joe Albero for Mayor.

Titanic II to sail in 2016

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- An Australian billionaire said Monday he'll build a high-tech replica of the Titanic at a Chinese shipyard and its maiden voyage in late 2016 will be from England to New York, just like its namesake planned.

Weeks after the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the original Titanic, Clive Palmer announced Monday he has signed a memorandum of understanding with state-owned Chinese company CSC Jinling Shipyard to build the Titanic II.

"It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic, but ... will have state-of-the-art 21st-century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," Palmer said in a statement. He called the project "a tribute to the spirit of the men and women who worked on the original Titanic."

More than 1,500 people died after the Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its first voyage. It was the world's largest and most luxurious ocean liner at the time.

Palmer built a fortune on real estate on Australia's Gold Coast tourist strip before becoming a coal mining magnate. BRW magazine reported he was Australia's fifth-richest person last year with more than 5 billion Australian dollars ($5.2 billion).

Palmer said at a news conference that previous attempts to build a Titanic replica failed because proponents failed to raise enough money and commission a shipyard. The Titanic II is the first of four luxury cruise ships Palmer has commissioned CSC Jinling Shipyard to build.

Palmer did not provide a cost estimate. He said he had established a new shipping company, Blue Star Line Pty. Ltd., and that design work for the Titanic II has begun with assistance from a historical research team.

The diesel-powered ship will have four smoke stacks like the coal-powered original, but they will be purely decorative.

The most obvious changes from the original Titanic would be below the water line, including welding rather than rivets, a bulbous bow for greater fuel efficiency and enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for increased maneuverability, Palmer said.

Brett Jardine, general manager for Australia and New Zealand in the industry group International Cruise Council, said Titanic II would be small by modern standards but could prove viable at the top end of the luxury market.

"From a marketing point of view, many will embrace it and perhaps there'll be some that wouldn't," Jardine said.

"If you've got a niche, it's going to work. Why go out there and try to compete with the mass market products that are out there now?" he added.

While the Titanic II would carry around 1,680 passengers, most modern cruise ships create economies of scale by catering for more than 2,000 passengers, he said.

Among the world's largest passenger ships, Allure of the Seas is 90 meters (295 feet) longer than the 270-meter (886-foot) Titanic and has 2,700 cabins

SF Bar pilots run into political turbulence

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Since the days of Mark Twain, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have had it good.

Thanks to outsized political clout and highly specialized training, this elite cadre, currently numbering 56 ship captains, has enjoyed monopoly control over the San Francisco Bay since 1850. State law requires a bar pilot to guide every large vessel - be it a luxury liner, a billionaire's yacht, aircraft carrier or cargo ship - in, out and around the San Francisco Bay. Most of the ships are docked at the Port of Oakland.

For decades the pilots plied the Northern California waters with almost no public scrutiny. That's because they did so largely without major incidents and at no cost to taxpayers. Their salaries and benefits are set by an obscure state commission and paid entirely by ship owners. The state Legislature is tasked with approving the salaries, and routinely gaveled home raises over the years for the pilots with little push back. It helped that the pilots, through their association, contributed more than $100,000 to mostly Democratic candidates and causes every two-year state election cycle.

The annual income of the 55 men and one woman who proudly call themselves San Francisco bar pilots has risen from about $150,000 in 1990 to $451,336 last year for a job one pilot argued in a court fight with the Internal Revenue Service amounts to part-time work - seven days "on" and seven days "off" duty. They fly business class to France every five years for mandatory training and enjoy a pension that is fully funded by ship owners and requires no contributions from them.

Then on the foggy morning in November 2007, one of the bar pilots slammed the cargo ship Cosco Busan into the San Francisco Bay Bridge, touching off a massive oil spill that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean and brought the pilots and the commission that oversees them a load of scrutiny.

Now, the mariners are running into political turbulence in Sacramento after decades of smooth sailing in the capital. Shipping companies, farmers, state Chamber of Commerce representatives and others are exploiting the new-found political vulnerability to successfully oppose pilot requests for raises while demanding more legislative oversight.

The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun - which licenses and oversees the pilots - operated with virtually no oversight from lawmakers, according to a state audit prompted by the 2007 disaster and released in 2009.

The Legislature in 2009 placed the commission under the authority of the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency and its entire membership and executive director were replaced. Two bar pilots, two representatives from the shipping industry and three public members now comprise the board.

The latest political setback happened Monday when the Assembly transportation committee tabled a pilot-backed bill that would have required owners of ships larger than about 1,150 feet to pay the equivalent of 150 percent of the typical fee to add a second pilot to help guide the large vessel to dock.

"We don't believe it is fair to increase the salaries of people making $451,000 a year at the expense of farmers and Californians trying to feed their families," Crystal Jack, a lobbyist representing the California Grocers Association and several large state agricultural interests, said at the outset of the hearing. Several legislators were clearly concerned with raising the pilot's level of compensation and sent the bill back for more negotiations.

Both sides agree that two pilots should man the biggest vessels. But the ship owners say the pilots are paid by the size of the ship and already receive higher fees for handling the larger vessels. The pilots said the fees aren't enough to compensate for the work done by the second pilot.

One pending bill could put tighter controls on the commission or even eliminate the panel, 172 years after the Legislature's third-ever act created it to bring order to the chaotic bay during the California Gold Rush.

"They have been around so long that no one knows what they do until something happens," said Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, a Democrat from Lodi, who introduced a "sunset" bill that could put the board out of business unless the Legislature acts to keep it alive. Huber said she believes the board plays a vital role in keeping Northern California waterways safe by having pilots take control of large ships from captains unfamiliar with the treacherous currents, weather and geography of the San Francisco Bay. But she said her bill is necessary to ensure the commission receives proper oversight.

Huber and shippers' representative Mike Jacob deny the pilots' charges that they are attempting to do away with the commission or San Francisco bar pilots, named so because of the dredged bar they must cross to get large vessels to port.

Capt. Bruce Horton, the top pilot and "port agent," said he believes much of the negative attention is being driven by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association in an effort to reduce the fees paid by ship owners, which amounted to $50 million last year. Horton said he believes the Huber bill, backed by the shippers' lobbyist, is designed to replace them with less expensive pilots licensed by the federal government.

"For the shippers, it's about the bottom line," Horton said Wednesday aboard one of the pilots' utility boats, which ferries the captains from the bay-front station house on San Francisco's Pier 9, the heart of the city's waterfront, to ships at anchor in the bay and to another pilot boat anchored 11-miles outside the Golden Gate Bridge. There the bar pilots board incoming ships by jumping onto a rope ladder and scurrying up the vessel's side, one of the most dangerous aspects of the job.

Horton said the average age of the pilots is 52 and each has worked about 11 years in sailing before becoming a bar pilot. They also undergo intensive training that finishes with a test that requires the applicants to fill in aquatic landmarks, buoys and other significant parts of the bay from memory. He said the generous compensation is needed to attract the top captains to a congested waterway beset with high winds, changing currents and fog.

"We are well compensated because we are at the acme of our profession," Horton said. "This is not an entry level job."

Salisbury Man Arrested After Police Find Alleged Drugs in Car

BERLIN, Md. - A Maryland State Police trooper with the Berlin barrack was working a DUI initiative Saturday around 3:30 a.m. when he stopped a 1999 Oldsmobile van for negligent driving headed on westbound on U.S. route 50 at U.S. Route 90 in Worcester County, Maryland.

Police said upon contact with the driver, Stephen Collins of Salisbury, the trooper immediately smelled an odor of marijuana coming from inside of the car.

A subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle revealed 243.48 grams of marijuana and 1.39 grams of cocaine in a blue backpack. Police also found a fully loaded .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol with full metal jacketed ammunition.

Collins was ordered that he be held on $250,000 bond.

SUV Plunges Off Highway Into NY Zoo, 7 Killed

NEW YORK (AP) - Authorities say an out-of-control SUV plunged off a highway into a ravine on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo in New York City, killing seven people aboard, including three children.

Police say the victims were an 84-year-old man; three women, ages 80, 45 and 39, and three girls, ages 3 to 10. Police say the 45-year-old woman was driving. Police say the Honda Pilot bounced off the median, crossed all southbound lanes, went through the guardrail, fell more than 50 feet and landed upside-down. A spokesman says it crashed onto a part of zoo property that's closed to the public and not near exhibits.

The southbound side of the highway was closed while police investigated, but it has since reopened. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Bloom Breaking Ground on Del. Fuel Cell Plant

NEWARK, Del. (AP) - California fuel cell maker Bloom Energy is breaking ground on its new plant in Newark.

Company officials also plans to announce new East Coast business for the plant at Monday's groundbreaking.

Fuel cells create cleaner electricity from natural gas electrochemically without burning the fuel. Bloom has attracted venture capital funding and big name clients but industry observers say the company hasn't proven it can survive yet outside of states that heavily subsidize the technology. Delaware has offered financial incentives and revised its renewable energy standards so that Delmarva Power can count electricity from fuel cells toward its renewable energy requirements.

The new plant is being built on the site of a former Chrysler automobile plant now owned by the University of Delaware.

Three Juveniles Arrested After Stolen Car Police Chase

SALISBURY, Md.- A traffic stop of a stolen car turned into a police chase in Wicomico County.

A trooper from the Salisbury Barrack was dispatched to Shawnee Avenue in Salisbury for a report of a motor vehicle theft at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. While on patrol, the trooper found the stolen car and called for additional units to the location in order to perform a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle. The car fled from police in an attempt to elude police in the area of Mohawk and Miami avenues.

The driver of the car lost control and crashed into a home on Mohawk Avenue. Police said three suspects, all juveniles, ran from police. After a brief foot pursuit, two of the three suspects were arrested.

Both suspects were injured as a result of the crash and were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment. The driver of the car was found to have an outstanding juvenile warrant.

The Salisbury Police Department and the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office assisted with the investigation.

The juveniles were released to the Department of Juvenile Services for disposition.

No one inside the home was injured in the crash.

DelDOT Chief Says Changes Coming After Audit

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The Delaware Department of Transportation is facing an overhaul after an audit showed poor financial management and risky real estate deals.

Secretary Shailen Bhatt said that the auditor found 25 checks written to the agency that were never cashed or deposited. They totaled $161,000.

He says there is no statute of limitations on those debts, so the agency is going back to the parties who wrote them to collect.

The department is also enacting measures to make sure any real estate deals that the agency handles are related to transportation and that better records are kept.

Delaware State Police Investigate Bridgeville Home Invasion

BRIDGEVILLE, Del.- Delaware State Police are investigating a home invasion that occurred at 11:40 p.m. Saturday in the 20000 block of Booker T. Washington Street in Bridgeville.

Police say a 37-year-old male resident and six other people were asleep inside the home. According to police, the male woke up when he heard a loud noise coming from the front of his home. Upon investigating the noise, police say the man observed two black males had kicked in the front door and broken in.

Police reports indicate the victim told officers that the suspects then fled on foot, at which time he proceeded to chase after them.

Police say nothing was removed from the home and no injuries were reported.

The two suspects are described as black males, one of whom is approximately 5-foot-10 with a thin build. He was last seen wearing dark blue clothing. No further description is available for the second male suspect.

Delaware State Police ask anyone with information in reference to this incident to contact Troop 4 at (302) 856-5850. Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. Tips can also be submitted via www.tipsubmit.com

Roundup Of Local Tax Increases

SALISBURY -- As fiscal 2013 quickly approaches, local municipal governments are wading through budget sessions, and most are contemplating tax increases to offset plummeting property values.
For some, the amount of these increases largely depends on what happens during an upcoming special session of the Maryland General Assembly, which is needed to resolve a $500 million discrepancy in the state's fiscal 2013 budget. That session is expected to come some time in May.
The following is a roundup of local tax increases as they have been proposed thus far.

Salisbury

Mayor Jim Ireton has proposed a 1.5 cent hike in the city's property tax rate, which has not increased in four years.
Ireton said the city's assessable base, or fair market value of real property, has decreased by $221 million, resulting in $1.7 million in lost property tax revenue. Through budget cuts, furlough days and frozen and unfunded positions, this steady decline has been supplemented by city employees to the tune of $1.6 million. Ireton said the 1.5 cent increase has been proposed for three reasons: City employees have already given up a lot, property assessments have dropped and the city wants to continue doing paving projects.
The increase adds up to about $359,000, which Ireton said taxpayers stand to get back if what is returned to the city's surplus account during audit time meets or exceeds that amount.

Wicomico County

The Wicomico County Council has raised the income tax rate from 3.1 to 3.2 percent, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2013.
County Executive Rick Pollitt has said he will propose a 7 cent increase to the property tax rates, which the County Council will have to approve as a qualification for receiving a maintenance of effort exemption, once the state passes the necessary bill during a special session. Of that 7 cents, 5-and-a-half is to keep the amount of money coming in from property taxes the same, as property values are decreasing. The additional penny-and-a-half would be what impacts property tax bills.
If the council does not raise the property tax rate to the maximum level allowed by the revenue cap, the county will receive a $14 million hit in fiscal 2013.

Ocean City

Mayor Rick Meehan's proposed fiscal 2013 $76.1 million general fund budget clocks in at $670,000 less than fiscal 2012.
Property value assessments done this year in Ocean City indicate a taxable base value of $8.6 billion, down from $12 billion levied in 2009, when assessments were last done in the area. The town will get about $40 million, or 54 percent of its budget, from real property taxes in fiscal 2013, down from $45.6 million in 2009.
To compensate for the funds lost by way of the assessment decrease, Meehan has proposed a property tax rate of $.4685 per $100 of assessed value. The rate was $.395 in fiscal 2012.
According to Budget Manager Jennie Knapp, although the rate is increasing, most people's tax bills will stay about the same due to the decrease in technical property value.

Worcester County

Worcester County is facing a budget shortfall of $17 million heading into its next fiscal year. A minimum 7.25 cent tax rate increase is needed to match up next year's revenues with this year's.
The budget shortfall represents the difference between expected fiscal 2013 revenues at $154.9 million and requested expenditures of $171.9 million, according to County Administrator Gerald Mason. More than half of requested expenditures come from the Board of Education, at $82.7 million, which is not uncommon.
The County Commissioners have publicly stated their preference to not raise property taxes, however Bud Church, president of the commissioners, has since said a tax increase is inevitable. The exact amount of that increase is contingent upon what happens in the General Assembly, and how much the state will saddle the county with shared costs of teacher pension payments. It's a figure that he said could range from $700,000 to several million dollars.

Princess Anne

The Town Commissioners are considering increasing the property tax rate from 95.4 cents per $100 of assessed value to the constant yield rate of $1.12, according to Town Manager Brenda Benton.
Properties in town decreased in value by 23 percent in the last reassessment by the state, which equates to a $300,000 loss.
Benton said increasing the tax rate to the constant yield would mean most property owners would not see their town tax bills increase.

Somerset County

A budget has yet to be proposed in Somerset County, but County Commissioners are meeting at budget work sessions. A draft budget is expected in the coming month

Kyle Busch takes 4th straight Richmond spring race

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Carl Edwards thought the race was his to win. So did Tony Stewart.

And Kyle Busch? Well, he didn't think he had a chance as the laps wound down at Richmond International Raceway.

But a penalty on Edwards took him out of contention Saturday night, and a late caution flag for debris gobbled up Stewart's lead and gave Busch one last chance at another Richmond win.

Busch pounced on the opportunity, got a strong final pit stop from his Joe Gibbs Racing crew to beat Stewart back onto the track, and sailed away for his first win of the season.

"No catching Stewart without that caution," Busch said.

The victory snapped a 22-race winless streak for Busch, and came a day after he went to Victory Lane for the first time as a Nationwide Series team owner. Kurt Busch drove his younger brother's car to its first victory Friday night.

The win was also the fourth consecutive in the spring race at Richmond for Busch, who broke a tie with Richard Petty (1971-73) for consecutive win.

"It's definitely pretty special any time you're tied for a record with Richard Petty or you're able to break a record with that guy," Busch said. "He's just a class act."

As he celebrated his first Sprint Cup Series win of the season, Stewart and Edwards both believed the win was taken from them.

Stewart was upset because a caution for debris - he claimed it was for a bottle of soda or water that wasn't an on-track hindrance - erased his lead with 13 laps remaining. He led the leaders down pit road for a final stop, and Busch beat him back onto the track.

Busch easily pulled away from Stewart on the restart with nine laps to go, and Stewart was also passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to fade to third.

"When the caution is for a plastic bottle on the backstretch, it's hard to feel good losing that one," Stewart said. "And we gave it away on pit road. So, we did everything we could to throw it away, got taken away from us."

Edwards, who led a race-high 206 laps, thought the same thing after NASCAR penalized him for jumping the restart with 81 laps remaining.

It capped a confusing sequence in what had been a calm, quiet race through the first 300 laps. But a caution after Jeff Burton hit the wall scrambled everything, and only 15 cars were shown on the lead lap when racing resumed.

Edwards lined up next to Stewart for the restart, and his spotter had told the driver that he was the leader. But NASCAR said Stewart was the leader, and when Edwards sailed past him on the restart, NASCAR threw the black flag.

Edwards questioned the call to crew chief Bob Osborne, and neither seemed to understand why Edwards was penalized. Told by Osborne it was for both passing the leader before the restart, and jumping the restart, Edwards said it was impossible to do both at the same time.

NASCAR eventually clarified that Stewart was the leader, but Edwards left too early.

Edwards, who ultimately finished 10th, watched a replay of the start before going to talk to NASCAR. He insisted his spotter had been told by NASCAR he was restarting the race as the leader.

"I thought NASCAR made a mistake, they lined us up wrong, and I was at a disadvantage being on the outside," Edwards said. "So I thought, `I'm getting the best start I can get right now. I got the best start I could get, looks like Tony waited or spun his tires, so they black-flagged me.

"I still don't understand why they black-flagged me."

After meeting with NASCAR, he didn't seem to have a better understanding.

"We had to just agree to disagree and that's the way it is," Edwards said. "They run the sport and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race care and do the very best job I can. I'd rather not say what was said in there. This whole thing is very frustrating. I don't feel like we did the wrong thing."

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said nothing mattered except that Edwards jumped the restart, and Osborne also seemed to understand the ruling.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to jumping the restart and that's pretty straightforward," Osborne said. "Our issue was the confusion about who was the leader and who wasn't the leader."

The Edwards penalty and late debris caution got Busch back in the game. And he had some sympathy for Stewart, who led four times for 118 laps. Without the final caution, Busch said he didn't have a chance at the win.

"Stewart was phenomenal," he said. "I hate it for him that we had a caution like that. He deserved to win the race. But I can't say enough about us just getting our lucky break there and getting a chance to win."

Busch also credited his Joe Gibbs Racing team for a strong final pit stop.

"Gave me a great pit stop, got me out front, gave me the lead so I could restart the race how I wanted to," he said. "That was the win right there."

Earnhardt, who couldn't get close enough to Busch to challenge for the win, did move within five points of leader Greg Biffle. But Earnhardt also credited some late-race luck for his finish.

"Really happy to come home with second. We were running about fifth all night, and just got lucky on that restart to be on the inside and get a couple spots," he said. "We just kind of got lucky there at the end on a couple things to gain a couple extra spots."

Conn. high school claims record for most twins

WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) -- The 16 sets of twins in the Class of 2014 at one Connecticut high school have a lot of people seeing double, so much so that it could break the world record held by another school in the state.

Parents and officials at Staples High School in Westport tell The Advocate of Stamford ( http://bit.ly/IcswVQ ) that they plan to submit documentation to Guinness World Records seeking the record for most twins in the same academic year at the same school.

The Guinness website says the current record is held by the 13 sets of twins who graduated in 2010 from Pomperaug (POM'-per-ahg) High School in Southbury.

The Staples twins gathered for a photo Wednesday and hope to get official recognition by Guinness before the end of the school year.

1 dead after storm blows down St. Louis beer tent

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- High winds swept through a beer tent where 200 people gathered after a Cardinals game Saturday, killing one and seriously injuring five others
But the owner of the St. Louis bar that hosted the crowd said it was lightning - not wind - that killed the patron.

Seventeen were hospitalized and up to 100 people were treated at the scene after straight-line winds whipped through a large tent outside Kilroy's Sports Bar, near Busch Stadium. The crowd was celebrating after the Cardinals had beaten Milwaukee 7-3, a game that ended about 80 minutes earlier.

Eddie Roth, director of the St. Louis Department of Public Safety, said winds of about 50 mph shattered aluminum poles that held up the tent, located south of the stadium. The force of the wind Saturday afternoon blew the tent onto an adjacent railroad bridge.

Both Roth and Deputy Fire Chief John Altmann said they could not confirm a cause of death for the man killed. Roth said the man appeared to be in his 50s. His name was not immediately released.

"It was crazy, scary," said Annie Randall, whose family owns Kilroy's. "We're just so sorry this happened."

Janece Friederich was in the parking lot at Kilroy's when she saw dark clouds approaching. Before she could get out of the car and go into the bar, she saw the tent fly into the air.

"It looked like it just got ripped out because it ended up 100 feet in the air on top of the railroad tracks," Friederich said.

Kilroy's owner Art Randall described a short burst of a storm - perhaps five seconds, he said - with a massive wind that lifted the huge tent, threw it high into the air and sent the aluminum poles and most everything in the tent airborne.

When he heard the boom, he initially thought a train had derailed into the tent.

As the wind blew, a bolt of lightning crashed into the bar, Randall said. He said firefighters told him it was a lightning strike - not flying debris - that killed the man.

"At some point in that five seconds, we were getting lightning strikes, and apparently one of our customers got hit by lightning right in the middle of the dance floor," Randall said.

The bar owner said he screamed for help and three customers ran over to administer CPR, but they couldn't save the man.

Randall looked around "and saw 50 bodies scattered everywhere." He described a scene in which barstools, pedestals and a 100-pound bass amplifier were flying through the air. The disc jockey working the party was struck by the amp and knocked unconscious, he said, and people were scurrying to help one another.

"My wife had people in the beer cooler - we had the beer cooler loaded with injuries," Randall said. "It was a triage deal."

Most of the injuries were minor - cuts, bruises, twisted ankles, Altmann said. He did not have details about those with serious injuries.

Several bars and restaurants in the area around Busch Stadium set up tents throughout the baseball season to handle overflow crowds - Cardinals games are typically sellouts, or close to it. In addition to the baseball game, about 20,000 fans were downtown Saturday for a St. Louis Blues hockey playoff game.

Building Commissioner Frank Oswald said Kilroy's was granted a tent permit on April 11 and it passed inspection a couple of days later.

Oswald said the city requires tents to be able to withstand winds up to 90 mph, but he declined to speculate on whether Kilroy's could face discipline.

Both Oswald and Altmann cautioned that patrons need to understand that a tent is not a safe place to be in bad weather. St. Louis had been under thunderstorm watches and warnings for some time prior to the incident at Kilroy's.

"Tents are temporary structures," Oswald said. "They are certainly not designed in any stretch of the imagination to handle weather like this."

About two hours after the incident at Kilroy's, tornado sirens blared throughout the city after a funnel cloud sighting. There were several reports of tree damage, power lines down and damage from hail that in some parts of the region reportedly was as big as tennis balls. By late evening, about 2,600 Ameren UE electrical customers were without power in the city.

Rehoboth To Launch Smartphone Parking Service

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Parking in one of Delaware's top summertime destination is about to become more convenient.

Rehoboth Beach officials say they're allowing drivers to pay for parking with their smartphones starting on Memorial Day weekend.

Carol Everhart, the president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, tells the News Journal of Wilmington that drivers will still be able to pay with quarters, but that the smartphone system provides another option. The service will allow drivers to pay meter fees through a free app they can download on their phones.

The parking fees are now $1.50 an hour. The smartphone service costs an additional 50 cents for each transaction.

Salisbury University students that a protest was in the making

The social network Dirty Bury.com had received word from Salisbury University students that a protest was in the making. The demonstration would have concerned the students who had been pepper sprayed by police last weekend at the War On The Shore party at Cedar Crossing in Salisbury.

But Dirty Bury on Friday released a statement asking for students to proceed this weekend with caution.

Rumors have circulated of students purchasing mace, this is untrue, we are not delusional, we are not ignorant. We encourage students to be responsible, be respectful listen to police". From Dirty Bury.com

An increase in police presence at this years Salisbury Festival and surrounding areas may have been a possible deterrent to any protest". Salisbury Police along with five other law enforcement agencies are conducting saturation patrols to curtail any possible uprising".

"our zero tolerance policy for noise violations, alcohol violations and other illegal activities is designed with one goal in mind, the safety and security of our entire community". Said, Barbara Duncan, Salisbury Police Chief

Salisbury University officials also met earlier in the week with student leadership groups to help persuade their peers to stay out of harms way too.

Three Lincoln Men Arrested On Drug Charges

LINCOLN, Del. -The Delaware State Police Sussex County Drug Unit, with the assistance of the Sussex County Governor's Task Force, and the Troop 4 Property Crimes Unit arrested three Lincoln men following a several month long investigation into illegal prescription drug sales from an area store.

Investigators executed a search warrant at the Kings Market located in the 20000 block of Fleatown Road on April 27 following an investigation into an employee of the store conducting illegal drug sales during hours of operation.

Investigators took the store employee, 21-year-old Ali F. Smadi, into custody without incident. The subsequent search of the store resulted in the seizure of $500 in suspected drug sale proceeds, 4.7 grams of synthetic marijuana as well as 20 pills of synthetic marijuana, 2 Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills, 1 Suboxone pill, 3 Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills, 2 digital scales, assorted drug paraphernalia and a stolen laptop computer.

The owner of the laptop computer had reported it stolen from her home located in the 6000 block of Bucks Road in Milton, DE on April 1.

At the conclusion of the search of the Kings Market investigators then responded to a home located in the unit block of Major Street in Lincoln, where they took the store owner 54-year-old Fahmi S. Smadi, as well as 19-year-old Mohammd F. Smadi into custody without incident.

Ali Smadi is charged with three counts of possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, possession of a designer drug, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned and released on $2,500 unsecured bail.

Fahmi Smadi is charged with maintaining a drug property possession of a designer drug. He was arraigned and released on $1,000 unsecured bail.

Mohammd Smadi was charged on two counts of drug dealing. He was arraigned and committed to the Sussex Correctional Institute for lack of $2,000 secured bail

Maryland Police Halt Some DNA Collections After Ruling

PIKESVILLE, Md. (AP) - Maryland State Police are halting the collection of DNA samples from people charged with certain violent offenses after a ruling by the state's highest court earlier this week.

State police employees were directed Friday to stop collecting and analyzing the DNA of anyone charged with qualifying violent crimes, burglary or attempts to commit those crimes.

The collections will also stop in local jurisdictions, including Baltimore city and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties.

The Court of Appeals overturned Alonzo Jay King Jr.'s rape conviction and life sentence, ruling that his right against unreasonable searches was violated by DNA collection after his 2009 arrest.

State police say the ruling does not affect Maryland's convicted offender DNA database law and DNA will still be collected from those convicted of qualifying crimes

UPDATE: The Mcguires Arrested Again.

Delmar- On Wednesday, Delmar Daily reported that Tom and Nikki Mcguire were arrested again and their house was being searched by MSP,  WCSO. and Delmar PD. We have now found that more victims has come forward, Tom Mcguire has been indicted on 25 more charges that range from sexual abuse of a minor, unnatural or perverted practices, sex offences second, third and fourth degree, false imprisonment,child abuse and reckless endangerment, these charges are in addition to the 13 child sexual abuse charges from earlier this year, Tom Mcguire has been indicted on a total of 38 counts of child sexual acts. This not including the 9 arson charges he was indicted on in early March.
  Nikki Mcguire has been indicted on the same as Tom with a added second degree rape charge, Nikki has a total of 49 child sexual abuse charges she has been indicted on in both cases. Nikki is also awaiting trial for making false statement to a police officer. At the time the Mcguires were arrested they were both out on bond from the first indictment.

Va. Law to Require School Epinephrine Policies

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia will soon have a law that addresses how schools treat severe allergic reactions.

McDonnell plans to sign the law Thursday at Binford Middle School in Richmond. The measure requires that each school carry epinephrine auto-injectors and adopt policies on their use by the upcoming school year. Epinephrine auto-injectors such as Epi-Pens deliver a dose of epinephrine, or adrenaline, to counter the effects of a life-threatening allergic reaction.

The law also requires school nurses and other school employees to be trained before injecting students with epinephrine.

Sen. Donald McEachin introduced the bill shortly after 7-year-old Ammaria Johnson, a Chesterfield County first-grader, died in January from an allergic reaction to peanuts.

Trooper Involved in Crash on Route 113 in Sussex County

MILLSBORO, Del.- Delaware State Police are investigating an accident on Route 113 that shut down southbound lanes for hours and sent two to the hospital, including a state trooper, in Sussex County.

Police say it happened just after 4 p.m. Friday. They say 55-year-old Jeffrey Johnson, of Bridgeville, was stopped in a crossover, attempting to cross the southbound lanes of Route 113 to enter Sheep Pen Road.

As he moved into the left hand lane, police say the right side of his vehicle was hit by the front of a fully marked patrol vehicle, operated by a 27-year-old male Delaware State Trooper. Police say the impact caused both vehicles to spin in a clockwise direction, coming to rest in the roadway.

Both men were treated and released for their injuries.

This crash remains under investigation by the Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit.

Man Sets Fire At Ponzietti's Pizza

SALISBURY, Md. - A man is behind bars after allegedly attempting to set fire to a local business. The Maryland State Fire Marshal's office reports that on Thursday night around 10PM employees of Ponzetti's Pizza located a small fire among some cardboard boxes, near the rear entrance to the kitchen. Investigators say that the employees were able to extinguish the fire.

The Salisbury Police Department reviewed surveillance footage and took Dominic Everetts, 27, of Salisbury into custody. Investigators say they did not find a specific motive for the fire. Everetts has been charged with 2nd degree malicious burning, two counts of reckless endangerment, and other related charges. Everetts is being detained at the Wicomico County Detention Center on $250,000 bond.

Denton Man Arrested For Writing False Prescriptions

DENTON, Md. - A two month police investigation lead to the arrest of a Denton man on prescription drug charges. The Caroline County Drug Task Force reports that they executed a search warrant on Tracy Bailey's residence on Dodd Lane, where they seized counterfeit money, authentic prescription paper, and several forged and fraudulent prescriptions.

The Drug Task Force says that Bailey was arrested while en-route to deliver a fraudulent prescription to an undercover officer. Bailey was charged with maintaining common nuisance, and 19 other misdemeanor prescription drug crimes, related to false and forged prescriptions.

Just How Clean Is The Water?

Above is a picture of water filters removed from a homeowners

filtration system. 

PRINCESS ANNE, Md., - Complaints from Princess Anne residents about the quality of their water have been given an answer.

The Somerset County Sanitation Department has responded with this statement: "Municipal water supplies are regulated with specific testing and reporting requirements. Currently there are 126 specific items to be analyzed. Color is not one of the requirements as the items causing color are naturally occurring in ground water and can vary from different groundwater sources. Water testing reports and results are annually summarized and distributed. The current reports available do not indicate an out of compliance condition."

The Maryland Department of the Environment has been notified of the situation and say they plan to investigate and get samples of the water. They also say that the iron in the ground water may be what's causing the discoloration and that it does not pose a health threat.

"You can actually see how thick the debris is, that's coming from the water", "I mean look at it, this is gunk, muck, trash, debris, this is what the people are drinking", says one local Princess Anne man.

Looks like something you would pull out of your car's engine. But, this is actually a water filter pulled from one of the many sites these 3 men set-up around town. Now, they are raising awareness about the water quality in Princess Anne.

"The water in Princess Anne in general has a color and flavor, it has a taste to it", says Emmanuel, a local water advocate. "It has a lot of chemicals into it, and let's keep it simple the color of water is not suppose to be yellow", he continues.

Called Let Your Voice Speak Positive Noise, this trio took it into their own hands to get more than 4,000 signatures in support for more regulations on clean water.

"Water is an essential, part of everyone's life, regardless if your rich or poor, regardless if you 6 months or 85, 90 years old", says a Salisbury man. "What those signatures were about was just to show yes these people are concerned", he continues.

Raising awareness about the water quality in Princess Anne, these young men are not only concerned about the color of the water, but the smell as well. You can join this trio on Saturday at 10 AM for a clean water is medicine March. Residents will be meeting at the Princess Anne Public Library.

Snow Hill Woman Killed in Rt 113 Crash

Pocomoke City, Md.- Maryland State Police say a 46 year old woman from Snow Hill was killed Friday night in an accident on US Route 113 in Pocomoke.

Maryland State Police troopers from the Berlin Barrack say the accident happened Friday afternoon around 4 p.m. Police say Debra Ann Dean was driving a 2001 Ford Explorer attempting to cross Southbound US Rt. 113 from Rt. 756 heading east. Police say she failed to yield to oncoming traffic and pulled into the path of a tractor-trailer on Southbound US Rt. 113. The tractor-trailer hit the driver's side of the SUV causing it to overturn.

Police say Dean was transported by Pocomoke EMS to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Southbound US Rt. 113 was closed for several hours Friday evening during the investigation.

Police say the investigation was assisted by the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, the Worcester County Sheriffs office and the MD State Highway Administration

SU Responds to Mayor's Letter

SALISBURY, Md.- Salisbury University responded positively to a letter sent by Mayor Jim Ireton following a clash between city police and students at an off-campus party.

Ireton's letter provided bullet points for repairing the relationship between the city and university, including asking the university to release more recent student alcohol consumption data and re-evaluating the Town Gown Committee.

Dane Foust, S.U.'s vice president of student affairs, said the university is open to recommendations on how to rebuild the city-university relationship.

"We want to work cooperatively and collaboratively together with the students, with the university and with the community to create a positive relationship for everyone," Foust said.

Ireton said this is not a town versus gown issue, but something that needs to be worked through to strengthen the relationship.

"I don't believe that we're asking for anything special," Ireton said. "I think that we're asking to reactivate our sense of urgency and commitment to the safety of everyone in town."

Del. Bill Targets Payday Loans

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state House is poised to consider a bill aimed at regulating and monitoring payday loans in Delaware.

Payday loans typically are small, short-term loans with high interest rates that effectively represent advances on a borrower's next paycheck.

A bill up for a House vote on Thursday would permit a borrower to obtain no more than five payday loans in a 12-month period. It also changes the definition of short-term consumer loan to include loans up to $1,000 rather than $500.

The bill also would limit a lender to no more than four rollovers of an existing payday loan.

The legislation also calls for the creation of a database that would allow lenders to determine whether a potential borrower has an outstanding payday loan.

Talbot Considering Budget Cuts to Fire Companies

EASTON, Md.- The Talbot County Council is facing a tough challenge. It needs to cut back on spending, but on what and by how much?

The council is considering slashing up to $76,000 in funding from volunteer fire companies. The Easton Fire Department is one of the busiest in the county. Soon, its budget could be cut. Other companies throughout the county would face cuts too.

David Nobles of St. Michaels knows cuts are inevitable but he hopes the county does not cut too deep.

"As far as the fire departments, to me that's pretty high up on my priorities," said Nobles, who said he hopes any cuts in funding are kept to a minimum.

A budget cut of any kind could hurt the ability of volunteer fire companies to provide adequate services, especially when a number of their trucks cost upwards of a million dollars. Charles Bullock of Trappe recognizes the council's challenges. He thinks the county should consider consolidating its fire service.

"It's a voluntary fire department; it's not a municipal fire department and all the cities and town in Maryland and across the country have to figure out a way to do more with less," said Bullock.

Volunteer fire companies rely on fundraising to raise money. Easton Assistant Fire Chief Sunny Jones said if cuts do take place, his company will have to do up to three times more fundraising than before.

"Any cut to a budget would have a trickle-down effect, the purchase of protective equipment such as gear, helmets, coats, pants, boots and those types of things are very costly," Jones said.

Talbot County taxpayers get their chance to weigh-in on those budget cuts next week. Two public hearing are scheduled for Tuesday in Easton.

Report Details Concerns Over Sussex Deputies and Police Work

GEORGETOWN, Del. - Various agencies are expressing concern over Sussex County sheriff's deputies performing police work, according to a recently released county report.

In one case, drug charges were dropped against a defendant over concerns the man was not afforded his constitutional rights, the report said.

The documents are part of an on-going debate between Sussex Sheriff Jeff Christopher and the county administration over the role and authority of his office.

Delaware sheriffs traditionally conduct foreclosure sales and deliver court papers. Christopher believes the state constitution makes him a law enforcement officer. The county administration disagrees.

The county made the 64-page report public this week after Rep. Danny Short, R-Seaford, pulled a measure at legislative hall that would explicitly prohibit Delaware sheriffs from making arrests. County officials submitted the April 5 report to lawmakers in support of HB 290.

The documents include a March 29 letter from Delaware State Police advising the county that troopers were instructed to decline the assistance of deputies who "self-dispatch" to emergencies. The county said the announcement came after a deputy caused "confusion and alarm" by joining troopers at a burglary in progress in the Dagsboro area in January.

The report also includes a letter from the chief magistrate of Sussex County expressing legal concerns over deputies detaining people. Chief Magistrate Alan Davis ordered justices of the peace to accept people brought into court by a deputy for an outstanding warrant as though they walked in on their own, according to an April 4 letter.

"Obviously, the chief magistrate doesn't understand the rich history of the sheriff and what the sheriff has been in the past and what constitutional value is given to the sheriff," said Christopher in a telephone interview.

The sheriff disputed the county's version of a February incident where a deputy detained a man found to be in possession of drugs at the scene of an accident. In its report, the county said the defendant was eventually turned over to state police but the charges were dropped because of constitutional issues related to the deputy's involvement. Christopher said the charges were brought forth by troopers and said his deputy did not interfere with the process.

Christopher said he plans to stand his ground in the debate. The sheriff said he is doing the job he was elected to do.

"I don't consider myself radical at all," Christopher said. "I consider myself in line with the constitution and I simply want to obey the law."

Sussex County Administrator Todd Lawson said the county remains concerned about liability. Last fall, the county ordered deputies to stop performing police work.

"We're concerned about the liability question and until there's a clear indication of what the sheriff's authority is, we're going to continue to pursue this," Lawson said. "It's in the best interest of the county and taxpayers to try and protect them from liability that this poses."

The county council supported HB 290, a measure some hoped would end the debate. Short, the sponsor, struck the bill on Wednesday after it was placed on a committee agenda without his consent, breaking house tradition. He previously tabled the bill to explore guidance from the Delaware Supreme Court on the matter.

Short said he will now pursue a house resolution asking the state's highest court to weigh in on the debate

$29 Million Lawsuit Filed Against Ex-UVA Lacrosse Player

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - The mother of a slain University of Virginia lacrosse player has filed a lawsuit against the former men's lacrosse player convicted of murdering her daughter.

Sharon Love filed the lawsuit against George Huguely V on Thursday in Charlottesville Circuit Court. Love is requesting nearly $29.5 million in compensatory damages for the death of her daughter, Yeardley Love.

Huguely, of Chevy Chase, Md., was convicted in February of second-degree murder and grand larceny in Love's death. A jury has recommended that he serve 26 years in prison. The lawsuit claims that Huguely was responsible for Love's death on May 3, 2010, and seeks a jury trial

Delaware's Possible New Law

DELAWARE - Attorney General Beau Biden announced that he wants to make providing false information to law enforcement a felony. This legislation adds to the first states existing false reporting law, by making it a crime. If passed, the penalty could be up to two years in jail. The end goal is fewer false statements, which could help police do their jobs more effectively

Bras For A Cause" A Unique Approach To Breast Cancer Awareness

SALISBURY, Md. - On Thursday Women Supporting Women hosted a unique event to promote breast cancer awareness.

A number of flashy, flowery, and even edible bras were on display at the Centre at Salisbury Thursday for the "Bras for a Cause" event.

Local organizations and community members designed creative and personalized bras for the event. All of the unique creations will be on display at the Centre for all of May - and people are urged to vote for their favorite.

Carlos Mir, from Women Supporting Women said "this is the grand reveal for all the participants here tonight for the Bras for a Cause campaign. All these people, 88 bras were designed by the local community here in the Salisbury area, metro area." Dottie Turner, the Chair of the Bras for a Cause said that "the biggest thing is listening to all the different people discuss how they put their bras together." The winner of the contest will be announced on May 31st. All of the proceeds from the event will go directly to Women Supporting Women, to help the organization continue to assist women on the shore deal with this devastating disease.

Greenwood Couple Found Dead In Home

GREENWOOD, Del. - Delaware State Police are investigating the suspicious death of an elderly couple in Greenwood.

Troopers found their bodies in a residence located on the 28000 block of Liden School Road around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Authorities say concerned residents called State Police after they hadn't seen the couple or observed any activity from the home since Sunday, April 22.

Police identified the couple as 76-year-old Harvey Cashwell and his wife 66-year-old Cashwell-66.

Authorities say the bodies have been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Detective William Porter at 302-531-5892 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Tips can also be submitted online at www.tipsubmit.com

Princess Anne Residents Want Cleaner Water

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Residents in Princess Anne say they are tired of the quality of water from the faucet in their homes. Some complain the water comes out a brownish color. The Somerset County Sanitation Department says the discoloration probably comes from different groundwater sources.

Emmanuel Titanji of Princess Anne decided he wanted to do something about it. He started a petition for residents who don't like the color in the water.

"We need the water to be changed. It's a whole system that needs to be changed. It's not an overnight thing it's going to take a while, but we need to make them aware the people need the water to be changed."

Robin Street, Manager of the Somerset County Sanitation Department released this statement

"Municipal water supplies are regulated with specific testing and reporting requirements. Currently there are 126 specific items to be analyzed. Color is not one of the requirements as the items causing color are naturally occurring in ground water and can vary from different groundwater sources. Water testing reports and results are annually summarized and distributed. The current reports available do not indicate an out of compliance condition."

Titanji's group "Let Your Voice Speak Positive Noise" plans to have a peaceful walk in Princess Anne at 10 a.m. on Saturday April 28, 2012. Titanji says he hopes to raise awareness in hope to bring about change.

Salisbury Police Focus on Safety

SALISBURY, Md.- Salisbury officials held a press conference Thursday outlining plans for the weekend, stressing safety protocol.

Police from various law enforcement agencies will be patrolling throughout Salisbury during and after the Salisbury Festival. Salisbury Police Chief Barbara Duncan says it's necessary following last weekend's clash between S.U. students and police at an off-campus event.

"Our zero-tolerance policy for noise violations, alcohol violations, and other illegal activity is designed with one goal in mind, one vision in sight," Duncan said. "That goal, that vision being the safety and security of our entire community."

Police say 1,500 people, mostly S.U. students, gathered at Cedar Crossing on Saturday. Salisbury Police used pepper spray to control the crowd. Police say between 20 and 25 people were treated for pepper spray, and another person was treated for alcohol poisoning. Four people were arrested.

Mayor Jim Ireton also spoke out about the off-campus incident, saying a lot needs to be done to prevent further disruptions. Ireton made specific recommendations to change the university's culture and perception in the Salisbury-area. One such recommendation: releasing data about alcohol consumption by students to the public.

Dane Foust, S.U.'s vice president of student affairs, told WBOC it is unfortunate that an off-campus incident has marred the university and student body's reputation.

"We will be working hard to reestablish the positive report that we had before," Foust said. "I think this is a really unfortunate incident that has obviously affected the relationship, especially on the university's side."

Foust said the university has spoken with student leaders and athletes, reminding them of the student code of conduct as well as the fallout for poor behavior. Foust send an email to students Thursday urging them to be on good behavior, and to focus on making the last few weeks of school positive.

S.U. leaders and Salisbury officials met late Thursday afternoon to discuss plans for the weekend.

Delmar High Schools Matt Waldman Receives Scholar Athlete Award

Delmar- The Delmar Daily would like to congratulate Delmar High School senior Matt Waldman for Receiving the Scholar Athlete Award for May, 2012. GOOD JOB Matt, keep up the hard work!

Waterkeeper trial with Perdue-Hudson delayed

BALTIMORE — The trial of a civil suit brought by the Waterkeeper Alliance against Perdue and Alan and Kristin Hudson, a Berlin farm family, has been postponed.
Originally scheduled for April 16, it is now slated for Oct. 9, before Judge William Nickerson, senior jurist for the U.S. District Court in Maryland.
That announcement came last Thursday from Julie De Young, spokesperson for Perdue.
She said: “As a result of a call this morning with Judge Nickerson and counsel for all parties, trial has been now scheduled for October, 9, 2012.
“While both Perdue and the Hudsons sought a trial date in late May/early June, such an early trial date was not available.
“Despite the Court’s strong encouragement to settle this lawsuit, it does not appear that the case will settle and we are therefore preparing for trial.
“Perdue and the Hudsons look forward to the opportunity to present their case to the judge this October.”
Waterkeeper Alliance, with legal assistance from students at the University of Maryland School of Law, alleges that the Hudson farm operation and Perdue violated a number of environmental regulations. The Hudsons are contract broiler growers for Perdue.
Farmers and farm organizations, both in Maryland and across the country, are continuing to contribute to a fund to help the Hudsons pay their legal expenses

Colburn planting seed for equity

Maryland State Sen. Richard Colburn, Eastern Shore Republican, got a half a loaf.
But, as they say — and as he admits — that is better than no loaf at all.
Early on in the just-completed Maryland legislative session, Colburn introduced a bill to take $500,000 from the funding for the University of Maryland system to establish an agricultural law clinic within the university’s School of Law.
Colburn has been fuming that pre-law students at Maryland have been doing the legal legwork for the Waterkeeper Alliance which is suing both Perdue Farms and Alan and Kristin Hudson, claiming the Hudson farm polluted a nearby stream.
“Many farm groups believe the suit could bankrupt the Hudson family and set a negative precedent for other family farms,” Colburn said. “And a major concern of mine is the necessity for the state to assist farmers in regards to future litigation.”
Gov. Martin O’Malley has shared that concern, writing the law school dean that, in essence, students at a land grant university should not be working against the families for which the land grant system was established.
Colburn’s vision was an agricultural law clinic “dedicated to assisting farmers in the state with estates and trust issues, compliance with environmental laws and other matters necessary to preserve family farms.”
His proposal did not become law in the just-ended session but he managed to get that half a loaf.
Colburn reported: “We successfully amended the budget bill to provide that $250,000 of the University of Maryland — Baltimore’s general operating expenses may only be used by the University System of Maryland institutions for agricultural purposes.”
And he added that those “agricultural purposes” would include “compliance with environmental laws and other matters necessary to preserve family farms.”
True, under that language, as Colburn points out, the $250,000 — or any part of it — could just as well be spent at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as at the university’s law clinic.
But the point has been made.
If law schools at tax-supported land grant universities are going to field legal “teams,” make sure the game is played on a level field.

Concern Over Possible Search for Gas, Oil off Delmarva Coast

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Beach businesses across the Delmarva coast are expressing concern over proposed testing for oil and natural gas off the coast.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is holding public hearings this week on proposed seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean, a move environmental groups worry will lead to offshore drilling for oil and gas.

The recent announcement by the Obama administration to consider resources in the Atlantic could affect the waters from Delaware to Florida.

"There could be oil spills, there could be nothing at all," said Gale Smith, a clothing store manager in Rehoboth Beach. "I just don't think it's good for the environment for them to be doing that."

The business community said the perception of clean water and beaches is key to tourism.

"None of us really know how it would affect us," said Ocean City businessman Tom Griffith. "But it's definitely a negative perception that there could be accidents, oil spills."

The Natural Resources Defense Council expressed concern for marine life and the fish population.

"The decision announced by the Department of Interior promises to do irreparable harm to endangered whales and valuable ocean fisheries in the Mid and South Atlantic," the organization said in a statement.

But with gas prices hovering around $3.75 a gallon on Delmarva, some drivers said drilling for oil off the U.S. coastline could bring more oil to the market, reduce foreign dependency, reduce gas prices and make trips to the beach cheaper for visitors.

"They're drilling everywhere else," said John Stout of Milton. "Shouldn't be a problem."

BOEM held public hearings in Annapolis on Wednesday to gain public input. A separate set of hearings is scheduled for Wilmington, Del. on Thursday.

Man Gets 15 Years For Trying To Entice Minor

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A Millsboro man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he made arrangements to meet with who he thought was a 9-year-old boy for sex. Thirty-year-old Shane Kiser was sentenced Wednesday. He will be required to register as a sex offender after his release.

According to court documents, Kiser agreed to meet with an undercover investigator posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy who was available for sex. In October 2010, when Kiser was arrested, a search warrant executed on his home turned up computer equipment that contained more than 1,000 child pornography files.

Food Lion Ranked In The Top Ten Of Worst Supermarkets In America

MARYLAND - The next time you go food shopping, you may want to rethink where you go. A recent survey ranked the worst supermarket chains. Number 2 on the list was Wal-Mart, getting poor reviews in food quality and cleanliness. Food Lion followed at 8, with customer service and price topping complaints. Residents along the shore react, by saying "With the economy like it is, I try to find the best deal for my family, I do have a family of 3 boys and a husband, So I try to go where my money will spend the most", and others saying, "I don't shop at Food Lion, to be honest with you because the meats. I love meats here, the staff that's here, I think they always look friendly. I love the produce section here at Giant food."

Food Lion recently announced it would be closing 113 stores, and will rethink their marketing strategy.

Salisbury Police Prepare for "Zero Tolerance" Weekend

SALISBURY, Md.- The clash between some Salisbury University students and Salisbury Police continues, following the use of pepper spray to control crowds at an off-campus party Saturday. Now, local law enforcement are gearing up for what is expected to be an even bigger weekend.

Police are saying their "zero tolerance" policy will be in full force.

Last weekend, it was the crowd of an estimated 1,500 at the "New Zoo" apartments -- a party for the "War on the Shore" lacrosse game at SU. This weekend, it is expected to be 30,000 people, for the annual Salisbury Festival downtown.

That, plus another likely lacrosse game and talk of a "War on the Shore 2" party, has police and students on high alert.

Wednesday, we spoke with one group of sophomores that was at Saturday's party. One of them, Kelly Irving, got hit with pepper spray, as police tried to control the crowds, seen in student video just released by police.

"My whole face was on fire and I like ran into the house and was like in the shower for like ten minutes trying to wash it off," Irving told WBOC.

She and her friends say police over-reacted; but you won't catch them at this weekend's "War on the Shore 2."

"If they start doing this again and cause all these problems, then they'll just make it so we can't do the actual 'War on the Shore' two years from now," explained Hillary Wasik.

Senior Josh Holt disagrees. He says he will be there.

"I think it's natural that we'd want to kind of respond, saying that we won't be held back when we're trying to have a good time," Holt said. "That's why we're going to try to do it again."

Police Chief Barbara Duncan says her department is carefully monitoring all social media and continuing to investigate the events of last weekend, while preparing for the next.

"We are very concerned with the safety of our community, our entire community and we are working to ensure that everyone has a great time this weekend, not matter what the venue," Chief Duncan told WBOC. "If it's at the lacrosse game or if it's at Salisbury Festival, we want people to come out and enjoy and have a great time."

And there's another concern on police minds -- talk of students arming themselves with pepper spray. Students we spoke with say it's a bad idea.

"We shouldn't be meeting aggression or violence with violence. All that's going to be doing is escalating things," said junior Shawn Hagerty.

"I don't think it's going to go well. You get pepper spray, they're going to grab riot gear," Hold remarked.

Law enforcement met Wednesday to come up with a plan ahead of the coming weekend. They say they will be meeting with Salisbury University Thursday.

As for the use of pepper spray, Chief Duncan continues to defend the actions of police.

"Our investigation is ongoing, of course," she said. "This is one student video that we have that we were able to review and it appears that what you can see in this video is that our officer is responding to having had a beer can thrown at him. What you can see in this video is that his response was within our department guidelines and it was a measured action taken in response to having a beer can thrown at him from someone in the crowd."

Duncan asks anyone with videos of the "War on the Shore" party to share them with police.

Del. Sheriff Powers Bill Pulled

DOVER, Del. (AP) - A bill that would clarified that sheriffs in Delaware do not have police powers has been stricken by its sponsor.

Republican Rep. Daniel Short of Seaford withdrew the bill Wednesday shortly before it was to have been heard in a House committee, saying it had been the subject of political gamesmanship.

Short noted that he previously had asked the House Administration Committee to table the legislation, so that a request could be made for the state Supreme Court to determine whether sheriffs and their deputies have arrest powers under the state constitution.

Short said the plan to seek a court determination changed when the bill was placed back on the committee's agenda without his consent.

The bill was prompted by recent actions by the Sussex County sheriff.

Seismic Testing On the East Coast

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The big debate is between pursuing natural energy sources or renewable energy sources. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a public hearing today in Annapolis, Md. on seismic testing that will determine what kind of resources lie on the Eastern Cost.

The tests will determine what kind of resources are in the ocean bottom and just how much. "We will be conducting seismic surveys to get better information about the resources in the sea floor," said James Bennett from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. "Then they will evaluate that information to determine whether or not they wish to pursue anything further."

Supporter Holly Hopkins thinks this is a great idea. She says it is important to develop home-grown resources. "I believe we should develop the resources that we have here in the United States, it will create jobs and new jobs," said Hopkins.

But some people are erring on the side of caution. "I am concerned about what kind of negative impacts this will have on marine life," said Carla Porter of Sunderland, Md. If the seismic testing does find resources, drilling in the ocean could impact marine mammals, fisheries and ecosystems.

Steve Bruckner drove up from Virginia to have his voice heard at today's 1 p.m. public hearing in Annapolis, Md. He believes, the testing itself can do harm.

"Simply the testing is a huge insult to the entire area," said Bruckner. "They will be disrupting an area the size of New York and Pennsylvania combined."

The Department of Natural Resources also voiced their concerns, they say the risk is not worth the reward. "We have strong interest in pursuing off shore and renewable wind," said Matthew Fleming of DNR. "We think the risk of exploring off shore oil and gas out-weighs the benefits."

Parents Oppose Wicomico County School Bus GPS Units

SALISBURY, Md.- First it was cameras now it's Global Positioning System or GPS units.

Wicomico County school buses will soon have the school system keeping track of where they are.

Some of the biggest local bus contractors like Handy's Bus Service and Holloway Transit don't have a problem with the new addition but some parents Wednesday thought it is waste of money.

"Why do they need GPS systems?" said Debera Howard, "It's over kill."

The school said the point is to ensure child safety and accountability. But Howard said the money for those GPS units could be better spent.

"Help the children, to help the teachers, to help the students, as it is the teachers spent their own money for supplies," she said.

Howard's opinion was one that resonated with many other parents like Sherry Bryant who is a teacher herself but not in Wicomico County.

"Sometimes when they try to use a new a device or bring something new into a school system there is always something that gets cut," Bryant said, "And unfortunately it normally ends up being right directly related to the children in the classroom."

Other parents said since school busses already have cameras and two-way radios, why go overboard?

"I don't think the bus routes are that extensive that you would lose the school bus to where you would have to track it," Ginger Wade, who is also a teacher.

WBOC asked the county school system how much the units cost but a spokeswoman was not able to provide that information.

However, we were told the GPS units were bought with money from the school board's general operating budget. All school buses will have to have the units installed by July 1.

New Senate Bill Could Save Rural Postal Facilities

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate bill aimed at saving the U.S. Postal Service would make it harder to close thousands of low-revenue post offices and end Saturday mail delivery, even though the struggling agency says those moves are just what's needed to reduce its massive debt and become profitable again.

The measure takes steps to help the agency avert bankruptcy as early as this fall, through a cash infusion of $11 billion to pay off debt and reduce costs by offering retirement incentives to 100,000 employees. But the bill sidesteps decisions on postal closings, buying time for lawmakers who would rather avoid the wrath of voters in an election year.

The Senate planned to vote as early as Wednesday on a final bill, after considering amendments that could restrict the Postal Service from further cuts to first-class mail delivery. During debate, lawmakers agreed to hold off closing rural post offices for a year, give communities new ways to appeal, prevent any closings before the November elections but also shut five of the seven post offices on the Capitol grounds.

The final bill was expected to pass the Senate but faces an uncertain future. The House has not taken up its own version, which would create a national commission with the power to scrap no-layoff clauses in employee contracts.

"This of course kicks the can down the road," complained Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who unsuccessfully pushed for a commission in the Senate bill. He said the current proposal failed to address longer-term fixes and delayed major decisions. "We'll be on the floor in two years addressing this issue again, because it is not a solution."

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe also has criticized the Senate bill as a short-term answer. Noting that more people every year are switching to the Internet to send letters and pay bills, he has called the Postal Service's business model "broken." The agency has estimated that the Senate bill would only provide it enough liquidity to continue operating for two years or three years.

The Postal Service said Wednesday it preferred legislation "that will provide it with the speed and flexibility to adapt to a changing marketplace for mailing and shipping products."

At stake are more than 100,000 jobs, part of a postal cost-cutting plan to save some $6.5 billion a year by closing up to 252 mail-processing centers and 3,700 post offices. The agency, $12 billion in debt, says it needs to begin closings this year. At the request of Congress, Donahoe agreed to delay closings until May 15 to give lawmakers time to pass legislation.

The Senate bill proposes cutting about half the mail processing centers the Postal Services wants to close, from 252 to 125, and allowing more areas to maintain overnight first-class mail delivery for at least three more years. Beyond the one-year freeze on closing rural post offices, the Postal Service would face additional layers of approval before closing any mail facility.

The Postal Service on Tuesday circulated a smaller list of mail processing centers that probably would close under the Senate bill; many in more rural or small states would be spared. For instance, centers would survive in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Missouri and Vermont, whose senators were sponsors of the postal bill or pushed amendments, according to the preliminary list obtained by The Associated Press. A facility in Easton, Md., also would stay open. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., previously attempted to block the postal bill in protest of that specific closure.

Also surviving were all four mail processing centers in Nevada, home to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as well as all eight centers in Colorado and all five centers in Utah.

The Postal Service would get an infusion of roughly $11 billion, which is basically a refund of overpayments made in previous years to a federal retirement fund. The money could pay down debt and finance buyouts to 100,000 postal employees.

The agency could make smaller annual payments into a future retiree health benefits account, gain flexibility in trimming worker compensation benefits and find additional ways to raise postal revenue under a new chief innovation officer.

An amendment approved Tuesday would bar the Postal Service from closing post offices for one year if they are in areas with fewer than 50,000 people, unless there was no significant community opposition.

After one year, the agency would have to take rural issues into special consideration. Post offices generally would be protected if the closest mail facility was more than 10 miles away.

"Our post offices are the lifeblood for towns across our state and a source of good-paying jobs in areas hard-hit by the economic downturn," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who co-sponsored the amendment. "This amendment protects rural post offices, with a realistic eye toward the future."

Delmar Fire Chief Darin Scott To Be Locked Up For MDA Benefit

I received the Email below this morning and just shook my head. Those of you who know Darrin Scott are well aware of the good time person he is, you may say he is the life of the party!  Darrin also has a passion for the youth and youth sports,  more so baseball,  Over the past years Darrin has coach both my sons through Little League as well as travel baseball and there was never a dull moment, all the kids loved to be on his team because of the pride he took in coaching. Darrin is a career Fireman at Station 16 in Salisbury and is also the Firechief in Delmar, he is just the type of person who voluteers for the community, Darrin has offered his time to raise money for MDA, the below Email will explain fully. I am asking every parrant of kids Darrin has coached and every person he has helped in a emergency by the way of the fire services to pony up, Darrin will never accept money for personal bennifit but her will take all that is offered for the kids. I would like to see the bail money doubled lets help Darrin cause.


To all,

I need your help, so that I can help MDA. I am being Locked up on June the 6^th 2012 for MDA and need to raise $3,000.00 dollars to bail myself out. The event will be held at the Texas Roadhouse on the 6^th of June. Although some may want to keep me in jail I hope you will find a place in your heart to give any amount that you can. The money that is raised will stay right here on the shore. The money is raised to send kids to a camp for 5 days. Just remember when you were a child and went to a summer camp and all the fun you had. Give these kids a chance to have 5 days of fun and a chance to meet other kids with similar disabilities. I understand we all are going through challenging things everyday in today’s world but just think what these kids and their families go through every day. So please help by going to www.mdalockup.org/salisbury and search for jailbird and then type in my name Darrin Scott and give any amount that you can. If this does not work please use the attachment and forward to Fire Station 16 on Cypress St or give me a call at the phone number below and I will come get it.

Thank you in advance

Darrin Scott

Assistant Chief Darrin Scott, AAS

325 Cypress Street

Salisbury, md 21801

410-548-3120

dscott@ci.salisbury.md.us