The Eastern Shore News from Onancock, Virginia • A3

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All games are controlled by the Delaware State Lottery. Play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Delaware Gambling Help Line: WINNERS PLAY! NOWTHROUGHDECEMBER21 FRIDAYS DECEMBER 17 HOURLY WINTER Winnings DECEMBER 26-30 HOURLY SATURDAYS DECEMBER18 HOURLY THURSDAYS DECEMBER DECEMBER 31 TOP PRIZE $2,022 CASH! A New Church, Virginia, man has been charged in connection with a spree of crimes in Accomack and Worcester counties, including murder, attempted murder and arson. Gary Joseph Fleig, 45, began a string of violent incidents Friday, Dec. 3, ac- cording to police, at a Pocomoke City, Maryland, home in the 1400 block of Hillman Road.

Worcester County deputies responded to the residence for a bur- glary. The victim told them he discov- ered a car in his driveway upon arriving home, police said. He was approached by a woman asking for gas, and as he was retrieving it from his garage, a man came out of his home carrying his tele- vision, according to the An altercation ensued and the vic- tim was assaulted, losing con- sciousness, police said. When he re- gained consciousness, one of the sus- pects pulled out a handgun. As the vic- tim ran, the suspect about three shots at him, according to police.

The man and woman, along with a third suspect, another man, in ve- hicle. The victim went inside to a had been set, the said, which he extinguished. Various items were found to have been stolen from his home. The next day, Saturday, Dec. 4, po- lice responded to a in the 6000 block of Lankford Highway in Oak Hall, Virginia, after found 62- year-old Edward Bruce Mears Jr.

dead in his burning home. Two days later, on Monday, Dec. 6, the Accomack County responded to a report of a body in a behind a home in the 9200 block of Lankford Highway, also in Oak Hall. Forty-three-year-old Maurice La- mont Fiddermon, of Temperanceville, had died from apparent gunshot wounds, the said. The next day, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation charged Fleig, along with two other New Church resi- dents, 46-year-old Wendy Dawn Taylor and 54-year-old Coy Edward Bailey, with attempted murder, arson, bur- glary and more in the Pocomoke inci- dent.

On Thursday, Fleig was arrested and charged with murder and other crimes in relation to Fiddermon's death, and Friday, Virginia State Police announced he was being charged with murder, ar- son, burglary and more in connection with Mears' death. He's being held at Accomack County Jail without bond. Both murder investigations are on- going and police said there may have been other suspects involved. Anyone with information should contact the Accomack County at 757-787-1131 or Virginia State Police at 757-424-6800. The New Church Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company responded to a at this home in the 6000 block of Lankford Highway in Accomack County on Dec.

4. VIRGINIA STATE POLICE SUBMITTED IMAGE Man charged with murders, arsons and burglaries Shannon Marvel McNaught Salisbury Daily Times USA TODAY NETWORK DELMARVA FALLS CHURCH, Va. Draft maps for new congressional districts in Vir- ginia would provide Democrats a strong chance to win a majority of the 11 seats, but they also draw Dem- ocratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger out of her Richmond-area district. The maps released last week were prepared by two special masters one each nominated by Democrats and Re- publicans in accordance with an order from the Supreme Court of Virginia.

The court has stepped in to draw the maps after a new bipartisan redistricting com- mission failed to agree on maps for ei- ther Congress or the General Assembly. Spanberger represents the 7th Dis- trict in central Virginia, a swing district. Under the new maps, the 7th District becomes more Democrat- ic, but it is redrawn to have its main vot- ing bloc in Prince William County in Democratic-leaning northern Virginia, rather than the Richmond area. In a memo to the court, special mas- ters Bernard Grofman and Sean Trende say six of the 11 districts have a Demo- cratic lean, and four of the 11 lean Re- publican. The 2nd District, which cov- ers Virginia Beach and parts of Hamp- ton Roads, would be swing district, as it is now.

It is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria. Under the draft map, the 2nd Dis- trict has a very narrow 50-48 Demo- cratic edge, based on election results from 2016 and 2020. Some analysts say the proposed district would be tougher for her to win than her current one. a very good Republican year, Re- publicans could win a majority of the seats in the spe- cial masters wrote.

howev- er, we would expect to see a 6-5 Demo- cratic edge in delegation. In very good Democratic years, Demo- crats might perhaps achieve the 7-4 that they now enjoy from having won two highly competitive seats in Grofman and Trende said they paid no attention to incumbent residences when they drew the maps and did not plan to take it into account unless the court directed them to do so. did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Members of Congress do not have to live in the district they represent, so Spanberger could seek reelection in the revised 7th District if she chooses. The maps proposed by the two spe- cial masters are, on a partisan basis, perhaps better than the map Demo- crats sought on the failed redistricting panel.

Democrats had supported a map that created safe Democratic dis- tricts and two swing districts. The maps drawn by the special masters cre- ate safe Democratic districts, one that leans Democratic and one swing district. The Democratic-leaning district, the 10th District, is currently represented by Democrat Jennifer Wexton. Under the proposed maps, it would still be based in Loudoun County, but would lose a number of Democratic precincts in Fairfax County. It would have a 7- point Democratic edge.

As a result, chances of maintaining their current 7-4 edge would hinge on Wexton and Luria win- ning reelection in districts that would provide neither the cushion they cur- rently enjoy. The proposed General Assembly maps would have a 53-47 Democratic edge in the House of Delegates and a 23-17 Democratic advantage in the state Senate. Delegate Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, who served on the redistricting com- mission, said the Democratic advan- tage in the maps may not be what it seems. He noted that in some cases, the partisan tilt of the districts was tak- en using the 2017 elections as a base point, a particularly strong year for Democrats. a little skeptical that the maps are as good for Democrats as initial as- sessments would said Simon, who under the proposed maps is put into a district with another incumbent Democrat, Mark Keam.

The special masters said they could not use the 2021 election results, which were strong for Republicans, as a base- line measure of partisanship because many absentee ballots cannot be traced back to their original precinct. A bigger potential concern, Simon said, is whether the boundaries respect local communities of interest. The map drawers opted to draw dis- meaning the state senate dis- tricts are drawn to largely inside con- gressional districts, and House dis- tricts are drawn to within state Sen- ate boundaries. Doing so is though, and relegates other considera- tions like neighborhood boundaries to less Simon said hopeful the court will take the public feedback it receives on those issues seriously and be willing to redraw lines as needed to accommo- date them. Ryer, a spokesman for the Vir- ginia Senate Republican Caucus, said members are still reviewing maps and will provide feedback to the court through the public comment process.

Two public hearings on the maps will be held later this month. Proposed congressional maps give Dems an edge Matthew Barakat Associated Press U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, smiles as she prepares to speak in Richmond in this October photo. Draft maps for new congressional districts in Virginia would provide Democrats a strong chance to win six or seven of the 11 seats, but they also draw Spanberger out of her Richmond-area district.

AP The U.S. Air Force Thun- derbirds plan to be back in Ocean City for two more years. The Thunderbirds released their up- coming show season schedules Tues- day on social media and have Ocean City listed not just for June 11-12, 2022, but also June 10-11, 2023. So far, the Thunderbirds are the only performers listed on the website for the 2022 OC Air Show. A 2023 performance would mark the air demonstration fourth year in a row per- forming in Ocean City.

The Thunderbirds a mix of six air- crafts in a combination of precision for- mations and solo maneuvers. The group is a crowd favorite at the OC Air Show, which draws thousands to the resort town each year for two days packed with high-energy aerial maneuvering. In previous years, the Thunderbirds have alternated with the Blue Angels as the air show headliners. Thunderbirds returning to OC Air Show in 2022, 2023 Rose Velazquez Salisbury Daily Times USA TODAY NETWORK DELMARVA The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform at the 14th annual OC Air Show on June 19, 2021.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN DAILY TIMES SALISBURY DAILY TIMES FILE IMAGE.