Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006 --

• Perdue Farms has made changes to both its logo and marketing imagery, adding the Parsonsburg farmhouse that was the longtime home of Arthur and Pearl Perdue. The company, now in its 85th year, will add the farmhouse image to all of its over-the-road tractor-trailers and in-store packaging. “The farmhouse reminds all of us at Perdue Farms that we have a commitment to build upon our core values of honesty, quality, service and reliability, said Chairman Jim Perdue.
• Former Baltimore Orioles Billy Ripken and John Habyan will host a coaches clinic at Crown Sports Center. All area coaches, from recreational leagues to high school, are invited to attend. Ripken was an infielder who played Major League Baseball for four different teams, from 1987- 1998. Habyan pitched for six professional teams between 1985 and 1996.
• Davina Grace Hill, Executive Director of the Salisbury-Wicomico Arts Council, asked the Salisbury City Council to support an arts and entertainment district in Downtown Salisbury. The district would ultimately be designated by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. The 75-acre boundary would be along the Wicomico River to Route 13, Route 50, the Chipman Center and Chesapeake East.
• Delmarva chicken companies are testing every chicken flock for signs of avian flu before sending birds to processors and grocers’ shelves. Eleven birds from each flock will be tested on a rolling basis, said National Chicken Council spokesman Richard Lobb.
• Wicomico County leaders are expected to spend much of the coming year debating whether to impose excise taxes and development impact fees. Some community leaders are arguing that money needed for growing services can be found through prudent budget cuts, while others contend additional money for improved schools, roads and public safety agencies are too important to tackle without finding some new source of government funds.