Hunt on for judge’s successor

‘‘ Nearly 1,000 responses have been received for the Who We Are questionnaire in the Times-News. ”

Jan Alderton, Managing Editor

Maryland’s judiciary system has begun advertising for applicants to succeed J. Frederick Sharer on the Court of Special Appeals. Judge Sharer turns 70 in April, the mandatory retirement age for the court’s judges.

Sharer, of Cumberland, has served on the Court of Special Appeals, 3rd Appellate Circuit, since Jan. 4, 2002. Before then, he was Administrative Judge for Allegany County Circuit Court. He also served from 1966 to 1980 as the Cumberland city solicitor.

The 3d Appellate Circuit includes Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard and Washington counties. Sharer’s successor must be a resident of one of those counties. Applications are being due by March 17....

Nearly 1,000 responses have been received for the Who We Are questionnaire in the Times-News. We’ll bring you the results when the special section appears in the paper this Thursday....

Our 2008 Regional Update sections will be published March 24-31. The sections are one of our biggest projects of the year and draw good reaction from our readers and advertisers. This year’s lineup is:

March 24 — Recreation and Entertainment

March 25 — Automotive and Transportation

March 26 — Real Estate and Development

March 27 — Health and Wellness

March 28 — Religion

March 29 — Education

March 30 — Commerce

March 31 — Industry and Technology....

Recipients of Social Security or veterans’ benefits who do not normally file a tax return with the Internal Revenue Service will have to do so this year if they want to receive a rebate under the economic stimulus package.

The IRS is introducing a special version of Form 1040A on its Web site, www.irs.gov/, with instructions on how to fill out the form for a rebate.

Congress included $300 rebates for Social Security retirees when it enacted the stimulus plan....

If you’re sick of winter and these short periods of daylight — and who isn’t? — you can take comfort in knowing that things will change dramatically in a couple more weeks. Daylight Saving Time begins March 9 at 2 a.m., meaning that it will not be dark so early....

Influenza has been with us for weeks now and there appears to be no letup in sight. But for a handful of states, the flu bug has yet to appear.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida, Maine, Missouri, Oregon and Utah have no reports of widespread flu....

Scripps Howard News Service reports that despite all the complaints about the government, not all agencies are unpopular with the public.

The U.S. Postal Service ranks the highest in satisfaction, with 83 percent of Americans surveyed saying they viewed it favorably. Others receiving good grades are: National Park Service, 79 percent favorable; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 72 percent; FBI, 65 percent, and NASA, 65 percent.

And the lowest scoring agency? FEMA, of course, with a satisfactory rating of 42 percent....

Seen on the Internet — Actual statements on traffic accident insurance claim forms:

• The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intention.

• No one was to blame for the accident, but it never would have happened if the other driver had been alert.

• The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him.

• The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.

• A truck backed through my windshield and into my wife’s face.

• The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

Jan Alderton is managing editor of the Cumberland Times-News. His email address is jpalderton@times-news.com.