Queen

It was big news in Oregon last week when a local TV reporter discovered he could use a supplemental nutrition card to buy a Starbucks frappuccino. In Washington, Republicans suggested that banning millionaires from becoming eligible for food stamp benefits could help finance an extension of the payroll tax cut. And even here in Maryland, local talk show hosts were wagging their fingers over a recent report that Maryland has a relatively high food stamp overpayment rate of 6.11 percent, a problem that is far more attributable to administrative error than fraud.

An Annapolis man accused of charging dozens of schools across the state to deliver Ravens players for assemblies then reneging without refunding the money has been placed on the most-wanted list in Queen Anne's County, where he has been charged with three counts of theft, police said. Schools and parent groups statewide have sought to recoup money from Joseph Gill of Annapolis and his company, Odyssey Group LLC, saying that the company charged them to schedule Ravens players to speak to students about bullying prevention and character education at assemblies.

When you have a game plan that works, you stick with it. Score early and often has been No. 1 Glenelg's mantra this season, and the the Gladiators worked it to perfection Wednesday, defeating Queen Anne's, 7-1, in a Class 2A state semifinal at Broadneck. Glenelg will play Poolesville in an 11 a.m. state final Saturday at Washington College. Just one minute into Wednesday's game, Glenelg barely missed a tip-in goal, but the Gladiators quickly came back to score. Meagan Guthrie, Alyssa Parker and Meghan Milani put in goals in fast succession, giving their team a 3-0 lead after less than six minutes of play.

To be honest, I'm not really sure what this pup is supposed to be. But whatever it is, it looks good, no? A dog in costume during the 21st Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in New York.  

The Gypsy Queen food truck is having a baby. Annmarie Langton and Tom Looney have purchased the old Curbside Cafe truck and will be launching a slightly pared down version of the popular cafe on wheels.   "We're super excited," Gypsy Queen co-owner Looney said. The truck is set to launch within 10 days, he added. "We just got all of our permits. " The new truck is tentatively named The Little Gypsy, but the name has not been painted on yet. If you have a suggestion for a name, leave it here.

Divine lives! Proving it's impossible to keep a good Baltimore drag queen down, even one who's been dead for 23 years, Charm City's own Divine is back this week, in the pages of Entertainment Weekly. As part of its feature on comedian Melissa McCarthy, EW dressed the recent Emmy winner (for "Mike & Molly") and star of this summer's "Bridesmaids" in a variety of guises - including the gloriously plus-sized Divine. No word yet on whether McCarthy will be showing up in any John Waters movies.

Kevin and Karen Stewart weren't voted the homecoming king and queen during their high school years. But they'll be wearing a crown and tiara this week. Last month, the Stewarts were chosen the King and Queen of the annual Westminster Fallfest, which takes place this year Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 22-25 in the downtown area. The Stewarts' long record of service to the Westminster community was the integral factor in earning the award. "I was reading some of the bios of the nominees from organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the Rape Crisis Center, and I didn't expect (to be nominated)

Joseph Emmett Queen Jr., who spent three decades as a systems engineer for Westinghouse and its successor company, Northrop Grumman, died of unknown causes Sept. 12 at his home in Riva. He was 57. A Baltimore native, Mr. Queen grew up in and around the Guilford and Roland Park neighborhoods. He attended the Cathedral School, Loyola High School and Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland). He received his master's degree in computer science from the Johns Hopkins University in 1983.

I see that Republican candidate Michele Bachmann is now "guaranteeing" gas will be $2 a gallon if she becomes president. Wow! As anyone familiar with the free market knows, there is only one way to guarantee that gas is going to be at the price set by a politician - price controls. Even the "lefty" President Obama hasn't suggested that. That puts Michele Bachmann to the left of Obama and the Democrats in Congress, even that lefty Bernie Sanders fromVermont. So in one day, Michele Bachmann has gone from right-wing darling to the very thing she claims to hate: a socialist!

State Comptroller Peter Franchot is going to the farmers' market Sunday. This is news, I'd suggest, because he's bypassing the market near his Takoma Park home for the one under the JFX in Baltimore. Sounds like a man seeking votes, in the 2014 governor's race, as much as native produce. "You don't think he has a natural craving for cantaloupe and hand-picked silver queen corn?" Franchot's Chief of Staff, Len Foxwell, said when I bounced that theory off him. Franchot was the only big-name gubernatorial wannabe who schlepped to Crisfield earlier this summer for the annual Tawes crab-and-politics fest.