Things that make me laugh...
HARLEM SHAKE: WALLOPS STYLE. —
at Wallops Range Control Center.
Employees used their lunch break to film this!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Legislative Updates By Delegate Mike McDermott
Week 8 Field Notes Feb.25-Mar. 1, 2013
Mar. 4th, 2013
Week 8 Feb. 25-Mar. 1, 2013
Monday Afternoon Hearing in Economic Matters:
I presented HB-999 to the members of the Economic Matters Committee. The bill seeks some minor modifications of current liquor control laws governing only Worcester County and was requested by the Board of License Commissioners and the Worcester County Commissioners.Tuesday Judiciary Hearings:
HB-698 would create a study of the feasibility for Ex-Offenders to be provided business development programs to promote entrepreneurships of the former inmates. Last year the bill required investing in the businesses of the former inmates, and this year it only seeks to study the issue.HB-909 would allow for the venue of a homicide scene to be the location where the body or parts of a body were recovered in instances where the establishment of a crime scene cannot be determined.HB-777 would allow Defendant Cash-Only Bail Bonds to be made by a private surety as opposed to only being made by the defendant.HB-933 would keep somebody charged with Human Trafficking saying, as a defense, that they did not know the age of the victim in the case.HB-943 would alter the crime of abducting a child under 16 years of age for the purposes of prostitution from a misdemeanor to a felony with a 10-20 year service. After reviewing the bill, it would seem better to simply eliminate this charge as a misdemeanor and simply allow a defendant to be charged with the general charge of Kidnapping which carries a 20-year sentence.HB-541 would allow for the state to issue a Certificate of Rehabilitation to an Ex-Offender who has successfully completed various established programs. The Certificate would provide a tangible way for our Division of Corrections to assert that an offender has been rehabilitated. It is thought that this may help former inmates become employable in many instances where before they were viewed with great skepticism.HB-787 would require a person be charged with Reckless Endangerment as a specific charge but it could not be considered a lesser charge for another offense unless specifically charged.HB-921 allows for victims of crimes to be provided a portion of the money earned by an inmate who is earning money while incarcerated.HB-1188 increases the age covered by the Human Trafficking statute from 18 to 21 years of age. It is believed this would aid in the prosecution of these crimes.HB-1112 would create a process for the release of an individual from custody for a person convicted but found Criminally Responsible. It would put the decision back before the Trial judge before a final disposition is rendered and a person released.HB-742 seeks to correct last year’s Citation bill which failed to capture a couple of misdemeanor charges which previously could be written via citation but now are not on the list. This bill corrects that omission.HB-891 would include Anne Arundel County to the list of counties who enhance penalties around the drug hot spot areas around a school zone.HB-1056 seeks to require sensitivity and awareness training for law enforcement personnel in Maryland to recognize the victims of human trafficking.HB-1018 seeks to create a task force to study the use of debt collectors through the office of a prosecutor to address “bad check” diversion programs. Some State’s Attorneys are utilizing these private services to assist in the collection of bad debts. The complaint was that this avoids due process.
HB-1228 would create a commission to study the disproportionate justice impact on minorities.HB-887 would create a Search Warrant to obtain cell phone tracking information (commonly called “pinging” a location). The new technology is forcing law enforcement and the courts to examine the mechanism utilized when securing things such as cell phone records and locations. There would be an exemption for exigent circumstances where law enforcement needs to act with great speed.HB-854 would allow for the expungement of records for those persons who have been found “not criminally responsible” when the crimes are not of a violent nature. There may be some room for relief in these cases. I mentioned shielding of the records as opposed to expungement and this may be a starting point.HB-829 would require the Dept. of Corrections to adopt specific policies whereby pregnant detainees would not be shackled while they are receiving medical care relative to their pregnancy or while giving childbirth. We heard from witnesses how some of the procedures utilized by corrections staff have been overdone when it comes to securing an inmate under these circumstances. This needs to be weighed out between the issues surrounding public safety under these conditions and the bill appears to make these types of provisions.
Wednesday Meeting of Gun Bill Work Group:
We reviewed the amendments which had been applied to SB-281. Some represent significant modifications to the bill. The biggest changes are to the licensure process for the Handgun Qualification License which was amended to a 4 hour course at a cost of $50.00 (which does not include the cost of fingerprinting and background investigation). The Senate also added an additional feature requirement in order for a rifle to be considered an “Assault Weapon”. They also altered the language to state that if a firearm was purchased in Maryland it would be considered to have been "registered" by the owner at the time of purchase. I will be reviewing the amendments and seeking to add additional changes and modifications to the bill as it moves through the House Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks.
Wednesday Judiciary Committee Hearings:HB-626 would provide for increases in the salaries of the Register of Wills across the state. This is a standard review practice that adjusts wages on a periodic basis and would take effect in 2014.HB-942 seeks to tighten up the regulations governing medical records being protected from identity fraud.HB-658 would require the Register of Wills in every jurisdiction to submit a report to the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate JPR Committee. Since the issue is centered on one form, it seemed to have been worked out in the committee during deliberations.HB-1211 this is known as “Slayer’s Statute” and would prevent someone who murders another person from being able to profit from anything tied to those actions. We see this in cases involving the murder of one family member over another who may have been the person named in an estate. The idea that someone could profit in Maryland from the murder of another person is ludicrous, but we will need to pass this bill if it is to be the law in Maryland.HB-950 provides for increases in the salaries of the Clerk of Court positions across the state. This is a standard review practice that adjusts wages on a periodic basis and would take effect in 2014.HB-837 would provide for the awarding of attorney’s fees and expenses in cases involving family farms when they prevail in suits filed for violations of environmental regulations impacting any waterway.HB-858 would modify the current Administration Law governing Estates and Trusts and the Inheritance Tax.
Judiciary Committee Voting Session:
Bills voted “Favorable” by the committee-HB-60, HB-152, HB-183, HB-250, HB-264, HB-278, HB-282,HB-311, HB-430,HB-476, HB-709, HB-719
Thursday Morning Session:Bills Passed on Third Reader
Of the bills passed this morning, one contains another Electric Tax/Fee that will be seen in every Maryland Consumers bill each month to continue funding the Environmental Trust Fund and various program areas. Once again, this was a “Sunset Bill” whose time had come and , of course, we renewed this tax on Marylanders without fail. These fees and taxes which the democrats often hide in plain sight are often sold to the body as being less onerous due to a “Sunset Provision” which promises to end the fee or tax collection at a date certain in the future. Sadly, the sun never sets on a tax or fee once instigated in Maryland. The same was true today with passage of HB-385.
Thursday Judiciary Hearings:HB853 addresses Permanent Final Protective Orders and expands some of the provisions under such an Order when a 2nd Degree Assault charge is the subject of the Order.HB-792 allows the Washington County Sheriff to collect Child Support payments for inmates who are working while incarcerated. This is already allowed in many counties in Maryland and this would add Washington County to the list.HB-849 requires a different calculation for parents paying Child Support when multiple children are involved.HB-1099 seeks to craft legislative language to address reproductive rights when conception involves collaborative reproduction. It attempts to address intended parents versus the gestational rights of a surrogate in case there is a dispute.HB-715 addresses the issues surrounding the termination of parental rights in cases of rape.HB-1006 would create the ability to “shield” public access to certain non-violent misdemeanor criminal records from general public viewing. If it could be amended to require a 5-year span be applied before shielding could occur and some modifications can be made to the delineated crimes, this could be made to work.
Friday Morning Session:Third Reader Bills Passed
The House received several of the surviving members of the original Buffalo Soldiers, the 92nd Infantry Army Division composed of all black soldiers who distinguished themselves on numerous occasions and battlefields during WWII. It was an honor to see them on the floor of the House.
Friday Joint Hearing of Judiciary and HGO Committees on Governor’s Gun Bill:
The hearing concluded at close to 4:00 am on Saturday morning following nearly 16-hours of non-stop testimony. 1342 signed up to speak against the Governor’s Gun Control Bill while only 34 spoke up in favor of the bill. I wrote an update about 8-hours into the hearing not realizing I had just hit the halfway marker. There were some great points made during the hearing and we will be putting them together for distribution this week. In spite of the overwhelming presence on display against the bill, and the paltry number who showed up in support, many have their minds set and the road ahead is bound to be full of many disappointments for liberty minded Marylanders.
Two More Fires For Accomack County
FIRE 1
Monday, March 4, 2013 - 10:25 PM
25225 Savageville Road, Savageville, Virginia
Abandoned Residential Structure Fire
Melfa, Tasley, Onancock, Onley fire departments responded. When units arrived one the scene the structure was fully involved.
FIRE 2
Monday, March 4, 2013 - 11:20 PM
26900 block of Whites Crossing Road and Mears Station Road, Mears, Virginia (near Hallwood)
Fire was spotted by Virginia State Police aircraft.
Saxis, Atlantic, Parksley, Bloxom responded to a fully involved structure fire. Fire was found to be in the rear of the structure.
No injuries reported during either fire and both fires remain under investigation. Awaiting official word to declare these arsons 59 and 60.
REMINDER:
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the series of arson fires.
If you have information call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department at 757-655-1437.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan on Sequestration
Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan on Sequestration
Annapolis - "Sequestration is a wake up call that Maryland must wean itself
from the federal government spending trough. A nation that carries $16 trillion
debt and runs chronic $1 trillion deficits is going to downsize its federal
presence one way or another.
"There are some things Governors can not control - dysfunction in Washington D.C. being just one of them. What can be controlled is tax and regulatory policy that must be reformed to make Maryland competitive in the region.
"Pennsylvania has 23 Fortune 500 companies; Virginia has 24; Maryland has three. We have lost 6500 small businesses from 2007 to 2010. We need to control our economic future, diversify our economy and grow the private sector employment base.
"The alternative is to blame Congress, blame the President and blame anyone else. The better approach is to develop bipartisan policy solutions that will better prepare Maryland for the era of a downsized federal presence."
SEARCH CONTINUING FOR MISSING QUEEN ANNE'S CO. WOMAN
(CENTREVILLE, MD) – The search is continuing for a
Queen Anne’s County woman who has not been seen or heard from for the past three
days.
Robin L. Pope, 51, of Stevensville, Md., a white female, 5”4”, 105 lbs., with brown hair, was last seen late on the night of March 1, 2013, in the 100-block of Beach Road, Stevensville, where she had lived with her husband until last December when the couple separated. Her husband reported her missing to the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office early on the morning of March 2nd. He said his wife had come by the house late the night before to pick up some belongings and he had left when she arrived. When he returned home her car was still in the driveway, but she was not at the home.
The search for Ms. Pope has been ongoing. Searches of the area around the Pope home began Saturday and continued through Sunday. A sonar-equipped boat from the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office searched the Chesapeake Bay behind the home Saturday. The Maryland State Police Underwater Recovery Team divers searched the water behind the home for about six hours yesterday. An aerial search was conducted by a Maryland State Police helicopter. Ground searches were conducted by Natural Resources Police cadaver dogs.
The Pope family dog, an 11-year-old Great Dane, had been found dead Saturday in the water along the shoreline near a pier at a neighboring home. A Queen Anne’s County veterinarian examined the dog today and found there were no external traumatic injuries to the dog, as originally suspected. The dog had large tumors in its upper torso region. The veterinarian said the dog did not drown, nor did it die from external injuries. An exact cause of death has not been determined and additional tests are underway.
Investigators have searched homes and vehicles used by the Popes and conducted numerous interviews with families and friends. Police continue to consider all possibilities and have ruled nothing out.
Robin L. Pope, 51, of Stevensville, Md., a white female, 5”4”, 105 lbs., with brown hair, was last seen late on the night of March 1, 2013, in the 100-block of Beach Road, Stevensville, where she had lived with her husband until last December when the couple separated. Her husband reported her missing to the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office early on the morning of March 2nd. He said his wife had come by the house late the night before to pick up some belongings and he had left when she arrived. When he returned home her car was still in the driveway, but she was not at the home.
The search for Ms. Pope has been ongoing. Searches of the area around the Pope home began Saturday and continued through Sunday. A sonar-equipped boat from the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office searched the Chesapeake Bay behind the home Saturday. The Maryland State Police Underwater Recovery Team divers searched the water behind the home for about six hours yesterday. An aerial search was conducted by a Maryland State Police helicopter. Ground searches were conducted by Natural Resources Police cadaver dogs.
The Pope family dog, an 11-year-old Great Dane, had been found dead Saturday in the water along the shoreline near a pier at a neighboring home. A Queen Anne’s County veterinarian examined the dog today and found there were no external traumatic injuries to the dog, as originally suspected. The dog had large tumors in its upper torso region. The veterinarian said the dog did not drown, nor did it die from external injuries. An exact cause of death has not been determined and additional tests are underway.
Investigators have searched homes and vehicles used by the Popes and conducted numerous interviews with families and friends. Police continue to consider all possibilities and have ruled nothing out.
Investigators continue to
urge anyone with information about Robin Pope to contact
them immediately at
410-758-1101. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, assisted by investigators
from the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, the Queen Anne’s County
Sheriff’s Office, and uniform personnel from the Natural Resources Police,
Sheriff’s Office and State Police, is continuing the investigation.
Submitted: Md. State Police
Riverside Grill Pocomoke ~ Monday Specials
SPECIALS
Monday
March 4, 2013
Happy Hour 4-7 w/ $1 off all appetizers
@ 8 pm: 1/2 price appetizers and import beer bottles
-Turkey Barley Chili w/ 1/2 tuna salad sandwich or side salad 5.99
-BBQ Chicken Wrap w/ fries 7.99
-Strawberry-Mango Salad 7.99 (mixed greens, mangoes, strawberries, craisins, almonds)
-BBQ Chicken Wrap w/ fries 7.99
-Strawberry-Mango Salad 7.99 (mixed greens, mangoes, strawberries, craisins, almonds)
@ 8 pm: 1/2 price appetizers and import beer bottles
Spring Rabies Vaccination Clinics
Worcester County to hold Spring Rabies Vaccination Clinics
Pet owners, mark your calendars and take advantage of the inexpensive rabies vaccinations clinics offered this spring by the Worcester County Health Department and Animal Control.
Rabies is a dangerous fatal disease and ongoing problem in the county. People and animals can be infected by the virus if they are exposed to the saliva of an infected animal. Low-cost rabies clinics are offered to help residents protect their dogs, cats and ferrets.
The scheduled spring clinics will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at:
WORCESTER COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL,
6207 Timmons Road off of Rt. 113, just north of Snow Hill:
● WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13
● WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
● WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
BISHOPVILLE VOL. FIRE DEPARTMENT, 10709 Bishopville Road, Bishopville, MD
• THURSDAY, MAY 9
The cost for a rabies vaccination is $5 per pet for Worcester County residents and $10 per pet for non-Worcester County residents. Proof of residency is required. Vaccinations are available for dogs, cats and ferrets. Below are additional requirements for the clinics:
● If this is not the pet’s first rabies vaccination, written proof of the previous shot in the form of a rabies certificate must be provided in order to receive a three-year booster shot. Otherwise, a one-year shot will be given.
● To receive a vaccination, dogs must be on a leash under the control of an adult, and cats and ferrets must be in a carrier or box with air holes.
Keeping pets’ required rabies vaccinations current is the best way to prevent the spread of rabies from the wild animal population to the domestic animal population.
For more information on the clinics or to report animal bites or possible rabies exposures to pets from wild animals contact the Worcester County Health Department at 410-352-3234 or 410-641-9559. If an incident occurs after normal business hours, contact your local law enforcement or the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
The health department recommends the following tips to protect your pets and family from rabies exposure:
• Have your dogs, cats, and ferrets vaccinated regularly and keep those vaccinations current in accordance with the law. (Especially outdoor cats).
• Do not let your pets roam free - they are more likely to have contact with a rabid wild animal.
• Avoid feeding your animals outside; this draws stray and wild animals to your doorstep. (If you must feed outdoors, do not leave the food out overnight and clean up any spillage.)
• Cover your garbage cans securely.
• Avoid sick animals and those acting in an unusual manner and teach your children not to approach wild animals and animals they don’t know.
• If your pet has contact with a wild animal, avoid touching your pet with bare hands (wear gloves or other protective barrier) and do not touch the wild animal. Report the incident immediately to the health department or your local police in order to arrange testing of the wild animal, if available, and consult your veterinarian.
Pet owners, mark your calendars and take advantage of the inexpensive rabies vaccinations clinics offered this spring by the Worcester County Health Department and Animal Control.
Rabies is a dangerous fatal disease and ongoing problem in the county. People and animals can be infected by the virus if they are exposed to the saliva of an infected animal. Low-cost rabies clinics are offered to help residents protect their dogs, cats and ferrets.
The scheduled spring clinics will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at:
WORCESTER COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL,
6207 Timmons Road off of Rt. 113, just north of Snow Hill:
● WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13
● WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
● WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
BISHOPVILLE VOL. FIRE DEPARTMENT, 10709 Bishopville Road, Bishopville, MD
• THURSDAY, MAY 9
The cost for a rabies vaccination is $5 per pet for Worcester County residents and $10 per pet for non-Worcester County residents. Proof of residency is required. Vaccinations are available for dogs, cats and ferrets. Below are additional requirements for the clinics:
● If this is not the pet’s first rabies vaccination, written proof of the previous shot in the form of a rabies certificate must be provided in order to receive a three-year booster shot. Otherwise, a one-year shot will be given.
● To receive a vaccination, dogs must be on a leash under the control of an adult, and cats and ferrets must be in a carrier or box with air holes.
Keeping pets’ required rabies vaccinations current is the best way to prevent the spread of rabies from the wild animal population to the domestic animal population.
For more information on the clinics or to report animal bites or possible rabies exposures to pets from wild animals contact the Worcester County Health Department at 410-352-3234 or 410-641-9559. If an incident occurs after normal business hours, contact your local law enforcement or the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
The health department recommends the following tips to protect your pets and family from rabies exposure:
• Have your dogs, cats, and ferrets vaccinated regularly and keep those vaccinations current in accordance with the law. (Especially outdoor cats).• Do not let your pets roam free - they are more likely to have contact with a rabid wild animal.
• Avoid feeding your animals outside; this draws stray and wild animals to your doorstep. (If you must feed outdoors, do not leave the food out overnight and clean up any spillage.)
• Cover your garbage cans securely.
• Avoid sick animals and those acting in an unusual manner and teach your children not to approach wild animals and animals they don’t know.
• If your pet has contact with a wild animal, avoid touching your pet with bare hands (wear gloves or other protective barrier) and do not touch the wild animal. Report the incident immediately to the health department or your local police in order to arrange testing of the wild animal, if available, and consult your veterinarian.
Accomack County Weekend Fires / Total Five
There were a total of five fires in Accomack County over the weekend.
Sunday Morning - March 3, 2013- Approx. 3:00 a.m.
Abandoned structure fire on Jenkins Bridge Road, Withams, Virginia - North of the Jenkins Bridge Road/Horsey Road intersection.
Saxis, Atlantic, Bloxom and New Church responded. By the time firefighters got to the scene the structure had burned to the ground.
Fire still under investigation.
Sunday Evening - March 3, 2013 - 9:35 PM
62151 Pungoteague Road, Keller, Virginia
Abandoned structure fire. (near Hart's pond)
Wachapreague and Exmore responded. Structure was fully involved but firefighters were able to extinguish it quickly.
The fire is still under investigation to determine if it is to be classified as arson.
The Virginia State Police is investigating the blaze. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the string of arson fires.
Anyone with information can call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department at 757-655-1437.If the weekend fires are determined by State Police investigators to be the work of the arsonist, that will bring the total to 58.
Sunday Morning - March 3, 2013- Approx. 3:00 a.m.
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| Photo/BW |
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| Photo/BW |
Saxis, Atlantic, Bloxom and New Church responded. By the time firefighters got to the scene the structure had burned to the ground.
Fire still under investigation.
Sunday Evening - March 3, 2013 - 9:35 PM
62151 Pungoteague Road, Keller, Virginia
Abandoned structure fire. (near Hart's pond)
Wachapreague and Exmore responded. Structure was fully involved but firefighters were able to extinguish it quickly.
The fire is still under investigation to determine if it is to be classified as arson.
The Virginia State Police is investigating the blaze. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the string of arson fires.
Anyone with information can call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department at 757-655-1437.If the weekend fires are determined by State Police investigators to be the work of the arsonist, that will bring the total to 58.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Locals Appreciation Weekend At Delmarva Discovery Center TODAY
TODAY
Locals Appreciation Weekend
There are a lot of great things happening at the
Delmarva Discovery Center!
Stop by today for locals appreciation weekend. The Program today "It's lunch time, Come and get it " is at 1:30 PM!
Snapping turtle, George, swam down for an interview with our aquarist, Sarah, about his favorite lunch!
Delmarva Discovery Center
Search For Missing Queen Anne's County Woman Underway
 |
| MISSING Robin L. Pope |
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) – State troopers and sheriff’s
deputies are continuing their investigation into the suspicious disappearance of
a Queen Anne’s County woman who has been missing for the past two days.
The woman is identified as Robin L. Pope, 51, of Stevensville, Md. She is described as a white female, 5’4”, 105 lbs., with brown hair. Until December 2012, Pope had been residing with her husband, Wayne A. Pope Jr., in the 100-block of Beach Road, Stevensville. The couple separated in December and Robin Pope had been staying at a residence owned by a female friend on Kent Island.
Shortly after 2:00 a.m. on March 2, 2013, the Queen Anne’s County Emergency Operations Center received a call from Wayne Pope, who reported suspicious circumstances involving his wife. When Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Wayne Pope’s home, he told them his wife Robin had come to the home late Friday night to retrieve some belongings. After she arrived, he left the home. When he returned to the home early Saturday morning, he found his wife’s black 2011 Infinity still parked in the driveway, but she was not at the residence. He also said his dog, a Great Dane, was missing. Deputies found Robin Pope’s keys, purse, credit cards, and cash still in her vehicle.
Deputies entered Robin Pope into the National Crime Information Center database as a missing person and information was forwarded to area law enforcement agencies. They interviewed relatives and friends as they continued the search for Pope. A deputy responded to a residence in the vicinity of the Pope’s home, where their dog was found dead near the pier, with obvious trauma to the upper torso. The dog’s body has been taken to the Queen Anne’s County Humane Society pending further investigation.
On the evening of March 2, 2013, the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Maryland State Police Criminal Investigation Bureau and requested troopers take the lead in this investigation. Troopers from the State Police Homicide Unit and Criminal Enforcement Division responded and have been working the investigation since. Assistance is being provided by troopers from the Centreville Barrack, as well as Natural Resources Police officers and Queen Anne County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
State Police investigators and crime scene technicians are continuing to examine the location where Robin Pope was last seen. The Maryland State Police dive team will be conducting a search of the Chesapeake Bay in the area of the scene today, assisted by a State Police helicopter and marine units from the Natural Resources Police and the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information about Robin Pope is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Centreville Barrack at 410-758-1101. Callers may remain confidential.
Submitted: Maryland State Police
Accomack County- Jenkins Bridge Road Fire/REPOST
'
REPOST
REKINDLE Around 9:00 a.m.
3:00 Sunday AM-
Saxis Fire Department responded to the scene. Station 4 - Atlantic alerted. Staging at the church.
Around 3:00 a.m. Sunday, March 3 - abandoned structure fire (near woods) on Jenkins Bridge Road. Fire from the structure also caused a small woods fire.
This would be located to the right- at the Y at the Emanuel Episcopal Church - which is located on Horsey Road.
More details later.
REPOST
REKINDLE Around 9:00 a.m.
3:00 Sunday AM-Saxis Fire Department responded to the scene. Station 4 - Atlantic alerted. Staging at the church.
Around 3:00 a.m. Sunday, March 3 - abandoned structure fire (near woods) on Jenkins Bridge Road. Fire from the structure also caused a small woods fire.
This would be located to the right- at the Y at the Emanuel Episcopal Church - which is located on Horsey Road.
More details later.
TIME MACHINE ... 1895, 1910, 1953, 1977, 1949, 1934
(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)
February, 1895
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac)
Onancock.
Much duck shooting is being indulged in about the air holes in the ice on our waters.
Steamers Pocomoke and Eastern Shore are iced in at Crisfield, Md.
The skating here has been fine. Our creek is entirely ice-bound. Ice out on the bay as far as one can see.
Sleigh bells jingle all the time on the streets. The Accomac sleighing party, that visited our town the other evening in a boat drawn by four horses, lost the bottom of their boat near Pennewell's, on Main street, and had to walk home. A party of 21 sleighers from Locustville, in large bateau drawn by six horses visited out town Monday night.
July, 1910
(Eastern Shore Herald- Eastville, Va.)
Automobiles seem to be numerous in this county. One can hardly go a mile without meeting a machine or two.
June, 1953
Sale was announced of Pocomoke City's weekly newspaper The Worcester Democrat and The Ledger Enterprise from the estate of Dr. Edward A. Clarke to Elmer M. Jackson Jr. of Annapolis, a veteran newspaperman who was currently general manager of the Annapolis daily newspaper and four Southern Maryland weeklies. The sale included all publishing equipment and the Vine Street property of the Pocomoke paper. Miss Alice R. Young, with 25 years service, was to continue as Associate Editor and a general manager was to be named by Jackson. The Pocomoke newspaper was said to be one of the most successful large weeklies in the state.
Footnote: Alice Young remained with the Worcester Democrat until her retirement in March of 1963. During her career with the Pocomoke newspaper she also had served as business and advertising manager.
January, 1977
(The Salisbury Times)
Employees AT Wallops Are Given Awards
WALLOPS ISLAND- A Parksley man was recently given a cash award by the National Aeronautics And Space Administration for his idea and design of a new concept of meter movement testing.
Williams H. Parker, whose new concept is presently being used in the daily check of electronic volt meters used in the process of pyrotechnic-no-voltage checks at the NASA installation here, and which has resulted in cost savings, was presented the award by the flight center director, Robert L. Krieger.
Mr. Krieger also presented honorary certificates and emblems of service to seven Wallops employees for service totaling 200 years.
They are: Charles B. Shields, New Church; Richard R. Johnson, Accomac; Abraham D. Spinak, Pocomoke City, Francis Ross, Chincoteague; Mrs. Jean F. Hall, Pocomoke City; Lloyd C. Hickman, Snow Hill; and Lavern R. Weichmann, Snow Hill.
April, 1949 (Time Machine Archive)
At a meeting of the Medical And Chirurgical Faculty Of Maryland Dr. Norman Sartorius Jr. of Pocomoke, a Faculty delegate, spoke out against a compulsory health insurance plan proposed by the group. Dr. Sartorius said his Worcester County group opposed the plan and termed it an appeasement of federal efforts for a compulsory health insurance program.
April, 1934
(Eastern Shore News- Onancock, Va.)
Aged Man Tells of Early E. Shore Life
(PART 1)
The material of this article was gotten from an interview with Benjamin F. Scott, a ninety-six year old Civil War veteran of Chincoteague Island. Beginning with his birth he has given us some interesting highlights of his life, which acquaint us with the conditions of former days.
Mr. Scott was born on the 8th of May, in 1838 at Hog Island. He was named for Benjamin Franklin, the eminent statesman. Mr. Scott also added that Franklin tried to sail to the North Pole, but his ship wrecked — thus not succeeding. The writer was not aware that Franklin had tried this.
Mr. Scott was hired out at the age of fourteen to work for his blind mother. And he worked from the 8th of March until Christmas for $10. The man who employed him was Tom Mears, an old sailor and sea captain, a former West Indies trader, who had settled in Northampton county. The next year he received $30 per year, and worked for a Mr. William Matthews.
Mr. Scott relates of his experience with one employer:
He had to get up at the crack of dawn and feed horses. When the o'clock a boy came out in the field to begin work immediately. About nine o'clock a boy came out in the field to him with a bit of fat meat and a bit of corn bread on a tin plate. Mr. Scott had to eat sitting on the plow beam and if he took longer than was thought necessary he got a sharp reproof. When he wanted water he could go to the corner of the fence and get it from a jug sitting there. On cold, frosty mornings when his feet where cold, he drove the cattle up from the spot in which they had been lying and stood there to warm his feet.
Hired help in those days were allowed one pair of shoes, one shirt, one pair of pants, and a jacket a year by the farmers. Mr. Scott earned his "holiday money" and money for his other clothes by cutting wood at night for fifty cents a cord.
Mr. Scott said that the poor whites of that time were worked like slaves — the girls till they were eighteen and the boys till they were twenty-one.
(NEXT WEEK.. PART 2)
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about. It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!
Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting
A G E N D A
POCOMOKE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
7:30 p.m., Monday, March 4, 2013
City Hall
- Call to Order, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Review and approval of minutes from meeting of February 4, 2013.
3. Review and approval of bills to be paid.
4. Presentation of annual donation check to Chief Gladding and representatives of the Pocomoke Volunteer Fire Company.
5. Police Chief Kelvin Sewell to introduce new police officer Matthew Conner.
6. Mr. Wayne Dryden, of 1011 Market Street, to discuss request for new street light.
7. Representatives of the Great Pocomoke Fair Committee to discuss tractor pull event scheduled for June 22, 2013.
8. Mr. Mike Shannon to discuss proposed new “boat docking” event to be scheduled for late summer at municipal docks.
9. Review letter from Planning and Zoning Commission recommending approval of boundary line adjustment plat for property at 1515 Linden Drive.
10. Discuss letter from Chamber of Commerce requesting rain dates for two upcoming Chamber events.
11. Second Reading of Ord. 414 concerning property maintenance.
12 City Attorney Hudson to present update on stormwater drainage project (Eighth Street/Butler’s Village).
Comments from the Audience.
Mayor and Council Items.
Adjourn.
AGENDAS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE TIME OF CONVENING.
Accomack County Fire Fighters Kept Busy
Structure fire on NewBranch Road and Galand Lane/near Tasley
An Accomack County Sheriff's Deputy was the first to arrive on the scene and reported that the structure (trailer) was on the ground.
Onancock, Onley, Tasley and Parksley responded. Investigators were on the scene to determine if arson was involved.
There were three fires investigated on Saturday. Fire departments and investigators responded to a structure fire around 3:20 a.m. on Saturday. The structure at 20964 Bayside Road near Onancock had burned to the ground before fireman arrived.
At 6:23 a.m. there was a brush fire at 20720 Bayside Road which is about 1 mile from the previous fire.
If Saturday mornings structure is declared arson there will have been 54 arson in Accomack County since November 12 2013.
The Virginia State Police is investigating the blaze. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the string of arson fires.
Anyone with information can call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department at 757-655-1437.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
CRITICAL MISSING PERSON
Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff
CRITICAL MISSING PERSON
ROBIN LEE POPE
White Female - 51 Years of Age from Chester, MD.
Last seen March 1st @ 2300 hours in her vehicle at Kent Island Estates in Stevensville. Her pocketbook and cell phone were located in the vehicle.
Last seen March 1st @ 2300 hours in her vehicle at Kent Island Estates in Stevensville. Her pocketbook and cell phone were located in the vehicle.
When last seen she was accompanied by her Great Dane dog which was located on the shoreline deceased.
Anyone with information of her whereabouts is urged to contact the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office at (410) 758-0770.
TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview
1895.. An old fashioned winter; 1910.. Automobile sightings!; 1953.. Pocomoke's newspaper is sold; 1977.. Wallops employees get awards; 1949.. Pocomoke physician speaks against federal efforts for compulsory health insurance; 1934.. Part 1 of first-hand remembrances of life on lower shore in mid-1800's.
Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about. It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!
TWO Fires Reported This Morning Arson Investigation
From WESR
At approximately 3:20AM Saturday morning an abandoned structure fire was reported at 20964 Bayside Road near Doe Creek. Onancock, Parksley, Tasley and Onley responded. If confirmed by investigators, this will be arson fire number 54 since the string began in early November.
Firemen arrived to find the abandoned structure fully involved and down on the ground. The fire was extinguished shortly after the arrival of the first units.
Second Fire 6:23 AM
Fire units from Onancock responded to an early morning brush fire at 20720 Bayside Road in Onancock.
The fire was one mile from the earlier fire in the vicinity Saturday morning.
The fire will be investigated to determine if it was deliberately set.
The Virginia State Police is investigating the blaze. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the string of arson fires.
Anyone with information can call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department atb757-655-1437.
Source:
Mothers of Murder Victims Testify on Behalf of McDermott’s Bill
(March 1, 2013) Tia Johnson could have been sentenced for up to 20 years in prison if Delegate Mike McDermott’s bill had been passed before Nov. 13, 2007, the day Christine Sheddy was murdered.
Johnson pleaded guilty Oct. 11, 2012 to being an accessory to murder and was given the maximum sentence of five years in prison.
“Five years is all,” said Lynn Dodenhoff, Sheddy’s mother who testified on behalf of McDermott’s bill during a hearing held by the Judiciary Committee on Feb. 19. “Five years is not enough.”
McDermott’s bill would increase the maximum penalties for being an accessory to murder in the first and second degrees. A person convicted of being an accessory to first-degree murder would be subject to imprisonment for up to 20 years, while someone convicted of being an accessory to second-degree murder would be subject to imprisonment of up to 10 years.
“It makes so much sense to me,” McDermott said Wednesday. “It’s difficult to believe that five years is the maximum for carving up a body or moving it. Someone could get more time for burglary than for being an accessory.”
Sheddy, a 26-year-old mother of three, had been staying in Pocomoke with Johnson and Clarence Jackson Jr., Johnson’s boyfriend, for about two weeks. Johnson’s cousin, Justin Hadel, 17, was also staying there.
Angered that she wasn’t paying rent, Johnson and Hadel killed Sheddy on Nov. 14, 2007. Johnson drove her car with Sheddy’s body in the trunk, to Snow Hill, where the two men buried her in the backyard of a bed and breakfast. The body remained there for more than two years and Dodenhoff’s testimony last week “was exactly three years to the day we found Christine’s remains,” she said.
Hadel was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2011 to life in prison without parole. On Oct. 11, 2012, Jackson and Johnson entered Alford pleas, which means they did not admit guilt, but acknowledged that the prosecution has sufficient evidence for a conviction.
Jackson is serving a life sentence, with all but 30 years suspended, for first-degree murder and Johnson is serving her five-year maximum sentence for being an accessory after the fact.
“You have the power to make this right,” Dodenhoff said in Annapolis. “You know there’s going to be more. This will mean a lot to the victims coming up. Make this right for everyone.”
The Judiciary Committee also heard about the murder of Whitney Bennett, 23, in Wicomico County.
William A. Hill, now 25, murdered Bennett, his off-and-on girlfriend, in December 2010. Her body was found in April 2011 in Somerset County. Hill was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced April 24, 2012 to life in prison without parole.
Hill’s father, Claude Hill, 51, “helped bury her in a trash bag to hide her,” Robin Bennett, Whitney’s mother, told the committee.
Hill was sentenced last summer to five years in prison, the maximum for being an accessory to the murder.
“He’s already up for parole and he just went to jail in August for burying my child,” Bennett said.
Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby, Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello and Wicomico County Deputy State’s Attorney Ella Disharoon also testified on behalf of the bill.
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