Month: March 2008

Thank you Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

The Free Lance–Star: Stafford deputies arrest fugitive:

Two broken windows in southern Stafford late Thursday led to the arrest of a man wanted for a slaying that occurred nearly four years ago and 3,000 miles away.

Dmarcus Dewitt George, 24, was among a group of young men at the Deacon Road 7-Eleven when Stafford 1st Sgt. J.D. Pittman pulled in.

Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Kennedy said Pittman was one of several deputies responding to a vandalism call on Grafton Street when he spotted two vehicles that matched the descriptions of those reportedly seen leaving the scene.

[…]

The slaying George is accused of occurred on June 21, 2004, according to a police report provided by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

[…]

An arrest warrant for George in Washington was issued on Jan. 10, 2005. According to court records, 22-year-old Isaiah Clark was shot four times at a Shell gas station in Parkland, Wash.

[…]

Witnesses told police that George, who was in the back seat, shot Clark and the victim fell to the ground. Police said Clark was shot three more times after he had fallen. George is on Pierce County’s 10 Most Wanted list.

Profiles in Leadership: Bob McDonnell

Yes, I’m being sarcastic, as usual.

Richmond Times-Dispatch:

“I don’t have a particular plan or vision,” said McDonnell when queried yesterday in a conference call with reporters on how he would fix the 2007 transportation plan gutted last month by the Virginia Supreme Court.

And then there’s the lying:

The state Supreme Court threw out as illegal a provision of the transportation plan — modified by Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine with the consent the then-GOP controlled legislature — that would allow an unelected regional authority in Northern Virginia to impose taxes to finance bonds for highways and mass transit.

“I was not consulted on those amendments,” McDonnell said of the governor’s revisions.

Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey has said the attorney general was told of the changes.

The Free Lance–Star shills for a terrorist…

The Free Lance–Star: Activist renews hunger strike:

A Palestinian activist awaiting deportation is in his fourth week of a hunger strike at the Northern Neck Regional Jail, according to published reports.

[…]

Al-Arian, a 50-year-old former professor at the University of South Florida, has been jailed since federal authorities arrested him in 2003 on 17 charges of aiding a terrorist organization. After a six-month trial in Tampa in 2005, a jury acquitted Al-Arian of nine charges and deadlocked on the remaining eight.

In 2006, he accepted a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to advising people with terrorist connections in exchange for being deported to Palestine.

Since then, an assistant U.S. attorney in Alexandria has thrice subpoenaed Al-Arian to testify before grand juries whose purposes remain secret. Al-Arian has twice refused to testify and twice been sentenced to jail for contempt. He was subpoenaed again in February.

[…]

The jail houses many federal prisoners under contract with the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

Superintendent Jeffery W. Frazier has said that the jail does not comment on federal inmates.

freesamialarian.com

This man (if I have to call him that) helped the Palestinian Islamic Jihad for years, according to the St. Petersburg Times:

Al-Arian pleaded guilty to knowing that his brother-in-law Mazen Al-Najjar and two other colleagues, Bashir Nafi and Ramadan Shallah, were associated with the PIJ leadership and covering this up. He also admitted helping Nafi and Al-Najjar, after 1995, when it became illegal to do so because, according to evidence, they kept communicating with PIJ leaders.

And he says in the agreement that he knew of the group’s violent acts.

Here’s what the judge said:

In his ruling, Moody harshly criticized al-Arian for doing nothing to stop bombings perpetrated by Islamic Jihad.

”You lifted not one finger. To the contrary, you laughed when you heard of the bombings,” he said.

”You are a master manipulator. The evidence is clear in this case. you were a leader of the PIJ.”

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Japan (p. 138), and Australia.

Here’s some information about PIJ from the United Kingdom’s Home Office:

Palestinian Islamic Jihad – Shaqaqi (PIJ):

PIJ aims to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to create an Islamic state. It opposes the existence of the state of Israel , the Middle East Peace Process and the Palestinian Authority, and has carried out suicide bombings against Isreali targets

From the Canucks:

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

Description
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is a terrorist organization that operates primarily in Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and other areas of the Middle East, including Lebanon and Syria. It is committed to the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in Palestine. Islamic Jihad countenances no settlement to the Arab-Israeli, Muslim-Israeli, Muslim-Jewish conflict in the region other than the complete destruction of the State of Israel. It is also opposed to moderate secular Arab regimes because they see them as corrupt and contaminated by Western secular values. From 1986 to the present, the PIJ has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli targets within Israel, southern Lebanon and the occupied territories, has been responsible for the deaths of several dozen Israelis and Palestinians, and has carried out a number of dramatic bombings. PIJ attacks have included, but are not limited to, assaults with knives, daggers, axes, grenades, car bombs, and, particularly after 1994, the use of suicide bombers. For example, on May 5, 2002, a suicide bomber pulled his explosive-laden vehicle alongside a bus near Megiddo Junction in northern Israel and then detonated the explosives, killing at least 17 Israelis and injuring dozens of others. Several of the passengers on the bus were Israeli soldiers travelling to posts in northern Israel. The military wing of the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

From the Aussies:

Co-ordinating with the HAMAS military wing (Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades), PIJ conducted a number of suicide bombings in the mid 1990’s in an attempt to derail the peace process. Although the Palestinian Authority (PA) pressured the PIJ to refrain from terrorist activities during the peace process in the lead up to Camp David in 2000, the PIJ continued its involvement in terrorism, and supported the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. PIJ has since been responsible for attacks inside Israel, and continues to oppose a negotiated peace settlement, rejecting the Middle East ‘road map for peace’ launched in Aqaba, Jordan on 5 June 2003 which envisages the establishment of a secular Palestinian state by the end of 2005.

The objective of PIJ is the establishment of an Islamist Palestinian state and the destruction of the state of Israel. PIJ believes Palestinian liberation and the seizure of Jerusalem for the Islamic world would serve as a catalyst for a wider Islamic revolution across the Arab and Muslim world. PIJ sees its role as a revolutionary vanguard, carrying out terrorist attacks to weaken Israel, prior to its destruction by an Islamic army.

[…]

PIJ has not acted outside the Middle East and has not targeted Western interests, however, it has threatened to target the US embassy and its personnel if it moves from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Terrorist attacks for which responsibility has been claimed by PIJ have included:

  • the 22 January 1995 double suicide bombing of a military bus stop at Beit Lid near Netanya which killed 19 and injured 69. PIJ claimed responsibility for the attack. The mission was a joint PIJ/HAMAS operation;
  • the 9 April 1995 suicide bombings in Netzarim and Kfar-Darom. In the first attack a bombing of an Israeli bus killed eight people, and injured over 30. In the second attack, a car bombing of a convoy of cars injured 12 people;
  • the 4 March 1996 suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv shopping mall which killed 20 persons and injured 75 others;
  • the 2 November 2000 car bombing of a Jerusalem outdoor market which killed two people and injured 10;
  • the 20 March 2002 suicide bombing of a bus travelling from Tel Aviv to Nazareth which killed seven persons and injured about 30;
  • the 5 June 2002 car bombing of a bus near Afula which killed 17 persons and injured 38;
  • the 17 July 2002 double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which killed five persons and injured about 40;
  • the 19 May 2003 suicide bombing at a shopping mall in Afula which killed three persons and injured 83;
  • the 19 August 2003 suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem which killed 21 persons and injured over 100. HAMAS and PIJ claimed responsibility for this attack, although a senior HAMAS official later stated HAMAS was not involved;
  • the 4 October 2003 suicide bombing of the Maxim restaurant in Haifa which killed 21 persons;
  • the 11 January 2004 suicide bombing at an Israeli checkpoint near Janput. Aside from the suicide bomber, there were no other casualties; and
  • the 27 February 2004 suicide bombing at Kfar Darom. Aside from the suicide bomber, there were no other casualties.

According to a FBI agent, PIJ planned to attack inside the United States:

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad planned an attack inside the United States, but it might have been thwarted by federal law enforcement, an FBI agent testified Tuesday afternoon. Agent Kerry Myers said all information about the plot was classified and he could not discuss it.

[…]

Defense attorney William Moffitt had asked Myers whether the Islamic Jihad ever committed a terrorist attack outside Israel or the occupied territories.

It has not, but its leaders threatened to attack the United States three times, Myers said.

[…]

“I can tell you there was a plot to commit terrorist acts in the United States,” he said. “It was interdicted, I believe.”

According to the MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, 79% of PIJ’s attacks have been against “private citizens & property”.

The Iranian government provides $2,000,000 each year to PIJ (Ibid).

And, interestingly enough, PIJ is the source for Sami Al-Arian’s picture on MIPT’s site.

And then The Free Lance–Star actually puts the link for the website of a activist terrorist in an article.

How utterly disgusting…

Who the heck is this guy’s editor?

Better yet, who the hell is he?

Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending March 22, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office: Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending March 22, 2008:

On March 18, 2008, Deputy C. A. Heywood stopped a vehicle for a reckless driving speed violation.  During the stop, Deputy Heywood detected an odor associated with marijuana coming from the vehicle, upon investigating further, Scott Anthony, 26, of Fredericksburg, was charged with reckless driving and possession of marijuana.  A court date is set on May 14, 2008.

On March 18, 2008, Lieutenant J. H. Crowder responded to a vehicle in the ditch near 994 Swann Lane, Ruther Glen.  Upon investigating, Bernard McCargo, 46, of Beltsville, MD, was arrested for driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a breath test.  He was held under a $2000 bond and an arraignment date of March 19, 2008 was set.

On March 19, 2008, Deputy M. J. O’Connor responded to a Ruther Glen address for a domestic assault call.  After investigating, Cantrell Green, 19, of Ruther Glen was charged with domestic assault.  He was released on a personal recognizance pending a March 25, 2008 court date.

On March 19, 2008, Deputy G. J. Hamilton responded to a Ruther Glen address for a disturbance call.  After investigation, Lloyd V. Ferguson, 49, Ruther Glen was arrested for being drunk in public and was later found in possession of a metal smoking device containing residue of cocaine.  Ferguson was held on a $1000 secure bond, and a trial date of May 28, 2008 was set.

On March 19, 2008, Deputy C. M. Polliard stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction.  After investigating, Robert P. McMullen, 37, of Mechanicsville, MD was charged with driving under the influence, open container of an alcoholic beverage and speeding.  He was held on a $1500 secure bond and a court date of March 26, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 10 drug arrests, 1 DUI arrest, 9 domestic violence arrests, and 45 other criminal arrests during the past week.  The deputies served 200 civil papers, issued 139 traffic summonses, handled 4 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 29 alarm calls, and dealt with 12 juvenile offenders.  The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 363 calls for service and handled 1,012 telephone inquiries.  The CCSO also logged 25 calls assisting outside agencies and had 199 self initiated calls.

Crack ****ing journalism from The Free Lance–Star.

From The Free Lance–Star: Overruns still raising concerns at LOW:

“I believe the audit report was clear in noting there was lots of blame to go around,” wrote LOW Association President Eldon Rucker in an e-mail last week. “The board of directors plans to deal with the recommendations and make changes in our processes where appropriate.”

The ad hoc committee’s report was released on March 1 and was reported in The Free Lance-Star the next day. Headlines on the story mistakenly attributed the $320,000 cost overruns to Caroline County Supervisor Bob Popowicz, who was the project manager through most of the construction.

Yeah, and for three months you have been maligning him.

You let someone state he had a relationship that was “too close” with the contractor and now all you can say is “Opps, my bad”?

“Mr. Popowicz was not singled out by the committee and many of us can, and do, share the responsibility for the overrun,” Director Neil Buttimer wrote in an e-mail last week. “We recognize that we experienced some budgetary problems that we are addressing, but no single individual was responsible.”

Popowicz left his job as assistant general manager at Lake of the Woods in early October 2007. Four of the six change orders were approved after he left.

There is general agreement that some of the change orders were necessitated by lapses in design and planning, such as a $96,000 additional cost for a fire-sprinkler system the contractor neglected to get flow and pressure data for, and $54,000 for additional kitchen equipment.

Although Popowicz served as project manager for the Woods Center construction, the Lake of the Woods’ operations manual states that the general manager is responsible for approving the purchase of all goods and services over $5,000.

In two letters to The Free Lance-Star, Popowicz took responsibility for signing four of the change orders, but he noted that they were ordered or approved first by the general manager. He also noted that change orders were often necessitated “by government and regulatory agencies” and were not anticipated by the contractors.

[…]

General Manager John Bailey also declined to comment.

PAYING FOR OVERRUNS

Now that the Woods Center is up and running, a major concern is how Lake of the Woods will pay for the cost overruns. Although the board of directors removed $144,000 from the original contract it signed with Century Construction with the idea that the work would be done in house or by separate contract it neglected to budget the money for that work.

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

Oh wait, it’s just the United States Navy: The Free Lance–Star:

Before a Norfolk-based Navy squadron heads to Iraq, it will be training for combat on the Rappahannock River.

Navy Lt. Michael Quaresimo, a training officer with Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, said a 12-person team will conduct exercises on the river Tuesday through Thursday.

Quaresimo said training would occur within 21/2 miles east and west of the Port Royal bridge on U.S. 301, as well as at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County.

[…]

He encouraged people boating on the river not to approach the Navy gunboats, for safety reasons.

Yeah, I would recommend staying away from the *cough*SEALs*cough*.

UPDATE: For those doubting my SEAL conclusion, according to Wikipedia:

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, a naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8 and 10.

Crime down in Caroline County!

Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:

The Times-Dispatch analyzed data for Type 1 offenses — homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson — for the 24 counties, cities and towns in the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area that report crime separately.

Total incidents Crime rate per 100,000
Locality 2006 2007 2006 2007
Caroline County 565 501 21.8 18.8

That’s a 11.3% decline!

Talk about hitting the nail on the head…

From a recent letter to The Free Lance–Star:

I recently discovered the FredTalk feature of this paper’s Web site, fredericksburg.com. I was excited to find that there was a place to discuss my views on letters to the editor.

However, I soon bailed out when these replies consisted, for the most part, of the worst epidemic of flaming I have seen anywhere on the Web.

For those who don’t know, “flaming” is the act of insulting and demeaning others online.

Fredericksburg.com seems to have become a breeding ground for flamers from every walk of life. There are the radical liberals and the radical conservatives. There are the most ridiculous conspiracy theorists I have seen anywhere, and I witnessed a post by at least one anarchist.

All these people had one thing in common: They refused to listen to any opposing views, and thus started “flame wars” that quickly engulfed the posts of the few calm, logical, respectful members on the site.

I abandoned my quest to voice my opinions and left these self-destructive bigots to their pointless arguing.

Still, it’s a pity that fredericksburg.com has become a haven for these sorts, who have quickly turned a respectable source of news into a battleground.

Don’t I know it.

And for another case in point, just check out the insults directed towards Danny Carter, a respected member of the Caroline County community:

“franne64”, 03/21/08 11:41 PM:

I was told that Danny Carter (Village Self Storage)and a few people he knows was opening Iverson’s. It has been in the making for 3-4 years. Not heard about any bar, but was told that it will be a high class (proper attire), pricey place that would require reservations.

“blulady”, 03/21/08 11:46 PM:

Chuckle… chuckle….

“hopeful47”, 03/21/08 11:58 PM:

Franne, you mean you know the mayor of Ladysmith way over on that side of the county

“blulady”, 03/22/08 12:00 AM:

I cant help but laugh…..

“franne64”, 03/22/08 12:05 AM:

From working in the field of construction for all these years, not many I do not know.
But he can be quite the character

“blulady”, 03/22/08 12:08 AM:

Quite the ladies man, huh girls ?

“franne64”, 03/22/08 12:09 AM:

Yeah right…….lol.

“hopeful47”, 03/22/08 12:10 AM:

danny – ladies man…thats putting it mildly….
about the restaurant, what I was told that the name Iversons is what Tom named it after his deceased father.
heard danny among others are investors in the restaurant.

“blulady”, 03/22/08 12:12 AM:

In his own mind, lol
Who is the old guy that tans all the time in hollywood & wears the gold?? Mayor Dan is Ladysmiths version.

“hopeful47”, 03/22/08 12:13 AM:

he really is a nice guy.
and if you don’t believe it – just ask him he will tell you the same thing lol

“franne64”, 03/22/08 12:16 AM:

Got the name of the tip of my tongue……Hamilton?
That is who Danny reminds me of.
He is a nice guy, but he does portray himself as a person he isn’t. But then again this forum has a few of those floating around here.

“blulady”, 03/22/08 12:19 AM:

I agree ,

“hopeful47”, 03/22/08 06:41 AM:

right, Hamilton — George Hamilton. Always tan and dripping in gold jewelry…..
yep lots of them floating around

Susan Sili aka “oharascarlett”, 03/22/08 06:46 AM:

yall are killing me on Danny, I am rolling, rolling rolling rolling.
Yall better hope he don’t read this cause he is one preeening peacock! None of us will get in Iversons.

Interesting way to talk about someone that volunteers his time to organize a event which is the largest source of income for Caroline County Little League.

Interesting way to talk about someone that volunteers his time on the Caroline County Strategic Planning Review Committee.

Interesting way to talk about someone that received a special invitation for his support of the fair by the Caroline County Agricultural Fair Board.

Interesting way to talk about someone that volunteers his time on the Sheriff’s Business Advisory Team.

You know, I may talk trash about people, but at least I have the fortitude to do it using my real name (and I don’t act like I’m buddies with the people either).

Classy [trashy] as ever folks.

And I, for one, welcome our new Ministry of Love overlords.

That would be a reference to 1984, by the way (and The Simpsons).

Consider what the People’s Republic of Maryland is doing. NBC 4:

People arrested for certain crimes would have to submit DNA samples under a bill approved by state lawmakers.

The House of Delegates passed a bill Saturday allowing the collection of DNA evidence from people who have been charged, but not convicted, of a violent crime.

So much for people not being “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” and all that jazz.

And in a couple years, they’ll be doing what the Brits are doing: Ace of Spades HQ’s coverage:

Scotland Yard Director of Forensic Sciences Gary Pugh is looking to use the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database more effectively. He thinks one way is to use educators and others to screen children for pre-criminal behaviors. Those with criminal tendencies would have their DNA added to the database to await their eventual criminal act.

[…]

‘The number of unsolved crimes says we are not sampling enough of the right people,’ Pugh told The Observer. However, he said the notion of universal sampling – everyone being forced to give their genetic samples to the database – is currently prohibited by cost and logistics.