Sussex loses wild one in LOL - LIVING LAKE COUNTRY

Sussex loses wild one in LOL - LIVING LAKE COUNTRY

Posted: May 22, 2012 11:48 a.m.

After winning its first game of the season, the Sussex Land O'Lakes Western Division baseball team has suffered back-to-back losses, including last Sunday's wild 12-11 decision to host West Bend.

The loss dropped the Cardinals to 1-2 on the season, tying them for eighth place in the 12-team league. West Bend leads the league with a 4-0 mark, and six other teams have one loss each.

Sussex plays two games this weekend. On Saturday, the Cardinals host the defending champion Brookfield Bulldogs, and on Sunday, Sussex travels to Hartland.

The Cardinals pounded out a season-high 16 hits but couldn't come up with the win. West Bend and Sussex were tied at 11-11 before the 7-Up scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth off of reliever Tim Saskowski. Travis Thompson pitched the first 6 1/3 innings and allowed 14 hits.

Sussex exploded for seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 9-7 lead. West Bend tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Seth Kroenke and Jason Mayer both punched out three hits for Sussex. Kroenke and Thompson homered in the game, and Thompson had three RBIs. Mayer and Scott Carberry had two runs batted in each. Carberry, Thompson and Cory Gasper collected two hits each.

Taylor Koth and Mike Mueller had four hits each for West Bend. The winners hit four home runs, two by Mueller and one each from Koth and Matt Parrent.

Andrew Mueller, the third West Bend pitcher, collected the win. He worked the final three innings.

After three games, Todd Johnson leads the Sussex hitters at. 500. Kroenke and Gasper are next at .400 each and Mayer is batting .333.

Box Score

West Bend 12, Sussex 11

Standings

Source: www.livinglakecountry.com

Sussex County Proposes $121.1M Budget for Fiscal 2013 - WBOC

GEORGETOWN, Del.- Sussex County leaders on Tuesday unveiled a pared-back county budget that holds the line on property taxes, trims sewer construction and offers a one-time credit for property owners.

County officials on Tuesday unveiled the proposed $121.1 million budget for the 2013 fiscal year. Officials said the overall plan is down sharply from the current year's $140.1 million budget, largely because most work on five major sewer projects has been completed.

The proposed budget keeps in place the county's property tax rate of 44.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, which, according to officials, makes this the 23rd consecutive year without an increase. It also includes a one-time tax credit for county taxpayers, thanks to a previous surplus. With the included tax credit in next year's budget, officials said the average county tax bill for a single-family home will drop to just below $100 annually.

"With the council's leadership, Sussex County continues to govern with fiscal responsibility and this balanced budget is a reflection of that philosophy," said County Administrator Todd F. Lawson, who presented to the County Council the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget proposal is his first since assuming the post in January.  

The budget includes a tax credit of 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, or approximately 8 percent, which will be included on the county portion of tax bills that go out this August. Officials said the credit, which has the net effect of lowering the county's tax rate to 41 cents per $100 for the 2013 budget year, is made possible by excess revenue from the 2011 fiscal year. The credit returns to taxpayers a little more than $1 million. 

However, officials said some increases in service charges, ranging from $8 to $15 annually, depending on sewer district, will occur as the county continues to implement uniform rates for the bulk of its nearly 55,000 sewer customers. That annual charge pays for operations and maintenance of the public sewer systems, and the increases are necessary to keep pace with those costs, officials said.

The county, though, will lower sewer assessment rates in 18 districts after refinancing $61 million in sewer construction bonds earlier this year, officials noted. They said savings from the bond debt refinancing will be passed onto customers in the form of lower assessment rates.

The proposed total budget, which comprises the general fund, water and sewer, and capital budgets, is down nearly 14 percent from the 2011-2012 plan, by approximately $19 million. Officials said the sharp reduction is the result of five sewer projects having been completed in the past year; thereby removing that additional cost from the annual budget.

While sewer and water construction costs are lower, dropping the overall budget, the general fund portion of the budget mirrors its predecessor in terms of projected revenue and expected expenses, according to officials. That portion of the budget, which pays for day-to-day operations and services, will rise by $84,000, or .18 percent, over the current year's $46.4 million general fund budget, officials noted.

Other highlights include:

• Grants that had been reduced in recent years are either maintained at current levels or fully restored. For instance, the county's local law enforcement grant program, which shares revenue with municipal police, has been restored to the full $25,000 per town; this follows years of reductions that had seen the grants cut by as much as half;
• The proposed budget includes a 2.25 percent cost of living adjustment for employees, 2.25 percent. Benefits such as dental and vision reimbursement, vacation, sick leave and holidays, as well as a zero-employee-contribution pension plan, remain intact;
• Realty transfer taxes will continue to be the county's largest source of income, with $13.2 million in revenue expected in Fiscal Year 2013.

County leaders say the new budget continues a trend of conservative spending, and stressed the County will continue to look for savings by reducing purchases, limiting new hires, cross-training employees and curtailing travel when possible.

The County Council will hold a public hearing on the proposal during its 10 a.m. meeting Tuesday, June 19, 2012, in council chambers at the County Administrative Offices building, 2 The Circle, in Georgetown. The public can comment in person on that date, or submit comments through the web at budget@sussexcountyde.gov. By law, the council must adopt a budget by June 30.

A copy of the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget, as well as the accompanying budget presentation, can be downloaded from the County's website at www.sussexcountyde.gov. 

Source: www.wboc.com

Asda booze bandit’s got a lot of bottle - thescottishsun.co.uk

The man told Asda workers he agreed a ‘buy now, pay later’ deal with the store manager to supply drink for his party.

He claimed he would be back days later to pay and return any unused bevvy.

He then produced a list with scores of alcohol products on it — and staff were sent to the drinks aisle to fill trolleys. Checkout workers even had to over-ride the maximum sale limit of tills as they scanned the huge pile of bottles and cans. But the alarm was raised when it was reported the mystery shopper had NOT returned as promised.

The bizarre incident at the Bridge of Dee store in Aberdeen, on May 11, was only reported to police yesterday — hours after Scottish Sun reporters contacted Asda HQ for a comment. Grampian Police confirmed they were investigating a four-figure theft.

A source at the 24-hour superstore said: “The guy walked up to customer services and said he’d already spoken to the manager about a deal to return with booze that hadn’t been used and that’s when he would know exactly what to pay.

“Unbelievably everyone took his word for it and even worse is the fact staff were summoned to load the booze into trolleys and help take it out to the car park.

“The checkout staff were even told to over-ride tills as it was such a huge amount. Unsurprisingly he hasn’t been seen again. To say it’s been the talk of the store is an understatement. No one can believe the guy was able to walk out with thousands of pounds worth of alcohol and no one batted an eyelid.”

An Asda spokeswoman said last night the matter was in the hands of police.

However, just a few minutes later she claimed the customer had in fact returned four days after the incident to pay up.

She said: “The mix-up about whether or not the customer returned happened because only certain members of staff knew about the situation. Procedures will now be looked at.”

A Grampian Police spokeswoman said: “We have been made aware of a theft at the Bridge of Dee Asda store. Inquiries are continuing.”

scottish-sun@the-sun.co.uk

Source: www.thescottishsun.co.uk