Shank

What section of the pig does ham come from? Ham is the section of a hog's hind leg that extends from the knee to the hip. It may be either "long or short cut. " A long-cut ham includes all the hog's hip and a long section of the shank (part of the hog's leg above the knee). The more common, short-cut ham includes a part of the hip and a small section of the shank. A 4-ounce piece of boneless ham has about three-fourths of an ounce of protein and 461 calories. It contains such vitamins as thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

A bill that would require individuals who owe child support and are part of a home detention, work release or a pretrial release program run by the Washington County Sheriff's Office to pay child support is advancing in the Maryland General Assembly, and passed a second reading in the Senate on Wednesday. The bill has been filed in the House of Delegates by the Washington County delegation and in the Senate by Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington. “I was discussing the issue of child support and victims rights with some people over the summer and they pointed out to me that Washington County was one of the few counties that didn't already have the ability to ensure that people who are on work release did have to pay child support.

The Maryland Senate voted by the narrowest of margins this week to send a bill that aimed to address rental housing discrimination back to committee, effectively ending its chances of passing this year. Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, who opposed the bill, said that downtown Hagerstown would have been negatively affected if the bill were to pass. According to the Associated Press, a primary focus of the measure was to prevent landlords from declining to rent to people who get government assistance for housing.

State lawmakers from Washington County agreed Wednesday to submit a bill changing the makeup of the county's election board, but only after sharp debate and allegations of poor protocol and bullying. Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, already had filed a bill to turn election board alternates into full members, echoing a change taking effect in three Eastern Shore counties this year. Also, the county, not the state, would set the pay for election board members, who are appointed by the governor.

Charges of Democratic gerrymandering and complaints that Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley is conducting "a war on rural Maryland" came up Saturday morning when Republican members of Washington County delegation's to the Maryland General Assembly met with the Washington County Republican Central Committee. State Sen. Christopher B. Shank and Delegates Neil C. Parrott, Andrew A. Serafini and Michael J. Hough met with the committee over breakfast at Next Dimensions restaurant. Parrott, R-Washington, discussed how the 6th Congressional District's lines were redrawn in a redistricting plan passed last month during a special session in Annapolis.

About 129,000 Maryland children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives, and two of them live with James and Gloria Coyle of Maugansville. The couple has adopted their granddaughters, ages 12 and 10, and have been raising them for eight years, James Coyle said Tuesday after a special meeting of the Washington County Commission on Aging's Grandparent/Relative Support Group. About a dozen people attended the meeting, along with State Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, at Christ's Reformed Church in Hagerstown.

Washington County delegation members said Tuesday they want more advocacy on legislative issues from the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Four legislators - Del. Andrew Serafini, R-Washington, Sen. George Edwards, R-Garrett/Allegany/Washington, Del. LeRoy Myers Jr., R-Washington/Allegany and Sen. Christopher Shank, R-Washington - were at the morning breakfast meeting at Hager Hall, the first in a series of prelegislative meetings with local groups the delegation held throughout the day. At least two of the legislators said they wanted more advocacy and involvement from the chamber when it comes to legislative issues.

For Christopher Cannon, the satisfaction of knowing the Maryland General Assembly passed a child-abuse bill in memory of his late son was tempered by his disappointment in missing the bill-signing ceremony. Cannon, 25, said he's stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Germany. Using leave time, Cannon returned to the U.S. almost three weeks ago, solely to see the bill signed into law. But Cannon and his parents, Bob and Michelle Spessard of Greencastle, Pa., said they found out the bill was signed on Wednesday through a Herald-Mail story posted online that night.

A bill introduced by two local legislators that could become law would make it a crime to interfere with the reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect. Current Maryland law requires teachers, counselors, social workers, caseworkers, and parole or probation officers to notify appropriate agencies if they suspect child abuse. The bill seeks to punish anyone who tries to interfere with such reporting. The legislation was introduced in the House of Delegates by Del. Michael J. Hough, R-Frederick/Washington, and in the Senate by state Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington.

A Senate committee hearing on Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's bill that seeks to ban assault rifles attracted hundreds of gun-rights supporters to the state capital on Feb. 6, with some of the supporters testifying against the bill. A House Judiciary Committee hearing is scheduled for March 1. In the meantime, advocates on both sides are seeking to amplify their arguments. O'Malley's office said in a recent blog post that responsible gun owners support common-sense legislation.