laura mitchell

R. Hardy Rudasill has been appointed to serve out the rest of the term on the Salisbury City Council that had been left vacant by the departure of Laura Mitchell at the end of last month.

The vote was 4 to 0 yesterday.

The 38 year-old attorney and compliance officer for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore said he applied because his friends and neighbors believed he would be a good fit.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that he is a native of Prince George’s County and graduated from UMES in 2006.

Salisbury voters will be going to the polls today to choose a Mayor and for the first time five council members running in five separate districts.

In District 1 incumbent Shanie Shields faces challenger April Jackson and Sarah Halcott.

In District 2, a new minority-majority seat, there are four candidates who include Keyvan Aarabi, Marvin Ames, Muir Boda and Justin Gregoli.

In District 3 two incumbents Tim Spies and Jack Heath are vying for the seat along with Kevin Lindsay.

With the Salisbury city council elections just around the corner it was realtors, developers and landlords who were providing candidates with campaign funds.

Roger Mazzullo who is challenging Mayor Jim Ireton in District 4 pulled in $3,450.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that 90 percent of that came from landlords, their employees or business associates.

Ireton has been a strong critic of the landlords in Salisbury and has proposed rent stabilization measure which was tabled by the city council.  

The mayor has raised $870.

Last night heroin addiction brought out around fifty family members and elected officials in a candlelight vigil at the Salisbury Riverwalk Park. They were parents, spouses and siblings who talked of their struggles and their determination to fight what has become the rising use of heroin and other drugs.

The vigil was sponsored by the group Shoulder to Shoulder to Beat Heroin Addiction.

City Council Vice President Laura Mitchell whose loved one has been fighting addiction took center stage breaking down at times as she urged the community fight the deadly epidemic.

The rise in heroin addiction has led more than 200 parents and family members to come out tonight for a candlelight vigil at the Salisbury Riverwalk Park at 5:30 p.m. tonight (9/16).

Many have lost loved ones to the epidemic or have loved ones who are still battling their addiction.

Among those in attendance tonight will be City Council Vice President Laura Mitchell whose loved one has been battling heroin.