Women With Troubles - October 2006

Check out this list of women with troubles reported in the news during October 2006. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying detailed information.

(AK) Lisa Huff, 36,
neighbor - Charged with sexual abuse of a minor,

(AK) Miklene Gilligan, 34,
neighbor - Charged with sex abuse of boy, 13,

(AR) Kelly Campbell, 41,
computer-lab teacher - Accused of engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student,

(AZ) Veronica Bullock, 26,
neighbor mother of two - Sentenced to 30 days for sex abuse of boy, 12,

(CA) Dedra Ann Archini, 35,
daycare operator - Sentenced to 3 years prison for molesting stepsister's son, 13,

(CA) Vickie L. Kerby, 50,
teacher's aide - Sentenced to six months in jail or a county work program for sex with boy, 15,

(CA) Cherie Jane Stout, 50,
neighbor - Accused of sexually molesting two young girls, ages 5 and 7,

(CO) Jennie Overstreet, 33,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to sex assault of child,

(FL) Seneka Arrington, 22,
English teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(FL) Janelle Marie Bird, 25,
teacher - Sentenced to 2 years prison for sex with boy, 14,

(FL) Kristy Lynn Vaughn, 26,
neighbor - Sentenced to probation for contributing to delinquency and engaging in sex with boy, 16,

(GA) Angela Coffey, 33,
teacher - Arrested for sex with boy, 17,

(ID) Rayenell Carmona Underwood, 27,
neighbor - Pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with boy, 14,

(IL) Tiffany Daddino, 27,
juvenile counselor - Sentenced to 4 years in prison for sexual assault and conspiracy to commit escape of boy, 15,

(IN) Teresa Getz, 36,
teacher's aide - Accused of sex and giving STD to boy, 14,

(IN) Amanda Sylvester, 20,
neighbor - Charged with felony sex with boy, 15,

(IN) Schmeca White, 27,
special ed. teacher - Convicted of vicarious sexual gratification and battery of child. Sentenced to nine and one-half years in prison,

(LA) Marla K. Meeks, 34,
teacher - Charged with felony carnal knowledge of boy, 15,

(MI) Jami Lee Knox, 41,
neighbor mother of three - Charged with criminal sex with boy, 15, her son's friend,

(MO) Susan Sharp, 49,
teacher - Convicted of rape, sodomy of teen boys,

(NC) Heather Marie Shelton, 23,
teacher - Charged with theft. Unresolved is case of felony sex with male student, 18,

(NC) Elizabeth Conley Solomon, 39,
teacher's assistant - Accused of sex with male student, 16,

(NC) Rebecca Withrow, 30,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 11,

(NJ) Amy Burke, 32,
teacher - Arrested for sex assault of boy student, 13,

(NV) Tracie Nelson,
teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 15. Nelson attempted suicide,

(NY) Kimberly Baker, 22,
neighbor - Charged with rape of boy, 13, who impregnated her,

(NY) Khemwatie Bedessie, 37,
day care aide - Charged with rape of 4-year-old,

(NY) Tara Gravino, 34,
neighbor mother of six - Arrested for allegedly raping daughter's male friend, 14,

(NY) Lina Sinha, 41,
Montessori teacher - Faces 80 counts of rape, sodomy and tampering with witnesses at January trial,

(OH) Twyana Davis,
neighbor - Sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for rape of boy, 12,

(OH) Dawn M. Fisher, 33,
neighbor mother of three - Sentenced to no jail for unlawful sex with boy, 14, who impregnated her,

(OH) Crystal McGrath aka Crystal Stewarz, 26,
neighbor - Indicted for sex with two boys, 13 and 14,

(OH) Charlene Sims, 35,
homemaker and mother - Arrested for sex with boy,14,

(OK) Regina McKay, 33,
teacher - Accused of rape of male student, 17,

(OK) Stephanie Swintek-Walker, 33,
child welfare worker - Sentenced to 6 months prison for rape of boy, 13,

(PA) Leasa Ann Fleming, 37,
neighbor - Convicted of sex assault of 8 and 9-year-old children,

(PA) Melissa Janine Mitch, 20,
neighbor - Sentenced to 9 to 23 months for sex with boy, 14,

(TX) Marci Ann Hearn, 40,
parole officer - Charged with indecency with child, 16,

(TX) Regina Bowling, 38,
homemaker - Arrested for sex with boy, 14, and then arrested again for sex with a different boy,

(UT) Amber Childs, 30,
neighbor - Pleaded to lewdness with 5-year-old boy,

(UT) Melinda Lee Deluca, 30,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to attempted forcible sex abuse. Sentencing to be in December,

(UT) Kathryn Louise Parmley, 48,
speech pathologist - Charged with unlawful sex with teen boy,

(VA) Amy Davis, 41,
neighborhood mother - Accused of providing drugs and alcohol to minors,

(VA) Karen Susan Patton, 41,
teacher, married, 2 kids - Charged with having sex with boy, 13.

As always, I thank the tipsters.

Smiling Bob Lawsuit

(Dayton, Ohio) Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge John W. Kessler approved a $4.7 million class-action settlement of a lawsuit brought against the company marketing the sexual enhancement herbal supplement that is known for its "Smiling Bob" commercials.

Cincinnati-based Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals settled without admitting liability.

From WDTN.com:

"The court approved the creation of a settlement fund of $4.7 million and they'll be a claims process and a notice sent out. And individuals who were affected will have an opportunity to make a claim," Attorney Jeff Goldenberg told 2News.

More than 1.5 million men said the all-herbal natural male enhancement supplement known as Enzyte did not work for them. But they said they could not get their money back from Berkeley Nutraceuticals.

Goldenberg said this settlement will get them a refund, and also dismiss federal fraud charges against Berkeley. "When you think you've been harmed by a company, regardless of how small the damage, there is mechanisms in the legal process to assist you and others whether its ten others or five million other people."

After you subtract the lawyers' take, the amount left for the 1.5 million men who found the product ineffective comes to under $2 apiece. Also, taking into account the postage required to file a claim, each individual victim is left with about one limp dollar.

Consequently, one might contend that the adjudication of the case resulted in little more than irony. Even the settlement wasn't stiff.

Heh.

Robber Shoots Self, Dies

(Oakland, California) Early last Saturday, not far from the liquor store the robber was found dead.

From ContraCostaTimes:

Police officers found the body of Sharffeequa Williams, 24, about 1:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of 12th Street after he apparently bled to death from a wound to his femoral artery.

During the hold-up of Appian Liquors, Williams initially placed the handgun on the counter so he could grab cash from the register, Oakland police detective Sgt. Phil Green said.

But as Williams placed the gun back into his waistband, he squeezed the trigger and shot himself, Green said.

There's surveillance video of Sharffeequa shooting himself. Hopefully, it will make the news. I'd like to see it.

Certainly, Sharffeequa's family and friends are saddened by his death. In all candor, I'm not.

Brits Make Liver

(Newcastle, England) Dr. Nico Forraz and Professor Colin McGuckin of Newcastle University led a team of researchers who have successfully grown tiny sections of human liver. The cells were produced from umbilical cord blood in a NASA-derived microgravity bioreactor, which mimics weightlessness.

From BBC:

Professor Ian Gilmore, a liver specialist at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, told BBC News the team's work was significant.

"Firstly that they are able to do it from umbilical cord blood and not requiring embryos. That's quite a big ethical leap forward.

"And they are producing such a significant amount of tissue."

But he said: "We're a long way from producing a whole liver. The liver has its own blood supply, its own fibrous skeleton, they are just producing the individual liver cells.

"But nonetheless it is exciting because there is a real dearth of treatments available for people with liver disease.

"Many people are waiting for transplants. Anything that does give some hope, even over a 10-year period, is cause for celebration."

Without cloning and without destroying any human embryos, we have stem cell research producing significant results. It can be done despite what Michael J. Fox, the Democrats and abortion advocates contend.

Set 'Em Up, Joe

The demand for Scotch whisky by China is pushing prices up.

From Scotsman.com:

The price of a bottle of whisky is set to rise by 10 per cent as growing demand for the spirit in China hits supplies in Scotland, distillers warned last night.

Exports to China soared by 86 per cent last year, making 2005 one of the best years for whisky exports.

And in the first six months of this year, exports to China rose by 30 per cent compared with the same period last year.

It wasn't bad enough that the Chinese put upward price pressure on the petroleum market. Now, they're going to do the same with Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal and Glenlivet.

It's recommended that prudent imbibers stock up before the price increases.

To Pierce or Not

(Crawfordsville, Indiana) Putting unnecessary holes into one's body can be hazardous to one's health.

From KIROTV.com:

An Indiana teenager who decided to get her breasts pierced for her 18th birthday faces reconstructive surgery after a flesh-destroying infection forced doctors to remove her left breast.

Stephanie Edington remained hospitalized Friday at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, where surgeons also removed lymph nodes and infected skin up to her collar bone.

Edington was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, or gas gangrene, and has already undergone three surgeries. She'll need breast reconstruction.

Edington's doctor, Robert Goulet Jr., said the piercing likely wasn't responsible for the infection. I agree. Obviously, bacteria caused the infection. Even so, the piercing itself isn't blameless. If a hole were not poked into her body, the bacteria would not have entered.

Islamic Rampage in France

The leftist media would do everyone a favor if they started emphasizing this persistent problem.

An average of 112 cars a day have been torched across France so far this year and there have been 15 attacks a day on police and emergency services. Nearly 3,000 police officers have been injured in clashes this year. Officers have been badly injured in four ambushes in the Paris outskirts since September.

Some police talk of open war with youths who are bent on more than vandalism. "The thing that has changed over the past month is that they now want to kill us," said Bruno Beschizza, the leader of Synergie, a union to which 40 per cent of officers belong. Action Police, a hardline union, said: "We are in a civil war, orchestrated by radical Islamists." Car-burning has become so routine on the estates that it has been eclipsed in news coverage by the violence against police.

Although the swath of violence has been blamed on radical Islamofascists, it's become so common that one could easily contend that the violence is not radical behavior at all, rather it's just business as usual for followers of the religion of peace.

I'm convinced that the majority of the followers of Islam are advocates of the violence because they could stop it if they were not. After all, they prevent recurrence of a variety of crimes by dismemberment of body parts and are able to preserve honor by killing wayward females. Therefore, I believe the endemic violence in France could easily end if the "moderate" Muslims wanted it to happen.

Dennis the Menace Stolen

(Monterey, California) Be on the lookout for a statue-napper. The city's 120 pound bronze of Dennis the Menace, built with the help of cartoonist Hank Ketcham, creator of the Dennis the Menace comic strip, was boosted from the park.

From MercuryNews.com:

The much-loved, kid-sized statue of the iconic comic strip character was taken Wednesday night from the Monterey park named after him. Outraged city officials offered a $5,000 reward Friday for the arrest and conviction of the thief or thieves.

Monterey Mayor Dan Albert said the 3-foot-tall, bronze statue is "a symbol of goodness and happiness of the city," and likened its taking to stealing the community's heart.

The statue is valued at $25,000 to $35,000.

Monterey Police are looking for leads in the case and have set up an anonymous tip line. It's believed that several tipsters have implicated the Mr. Wilson gang.

President Fox Sends Troops to Oaxaca

(Oaxaca, Mexico) As reported previously, leftist protesters have been in a near-riot mode against the Oaxaca state government for several months and, on Friday, violence caused the death of an Indymedia reporter, Bradley Roland Will of New York City. As a result, Mexican President Vicente Fox decided to send in federal troops.

From ElPasoTimes.com:

Federal police with assault rifles and riot-shields advanced into Oaxaca on Sunday, bypassing or extinguishing barricades of burning tires and tree trunks in this normally picturesque tourist destination wracked by five months of protests and violence.

Officers in bulky black helmets lined a highway just shy of a sign reading "Welcome to Oaxaca" and used fire extinguishers to douse flames at a roadblock abandoned by retreating demonstrators.

Flanked by armored vehicles, water-cannon and bulldozers and with helicopters roaring overhead, they faced a knot of protesters who yelled insults and readied piles of stones to hurl. Some protesters used syringes to pierce their arms and legs, then paint signs decrying the police in blood.

Interesting. While the leftists were painting signs in blood and vamoosing, "some residents emerged from their homes cheering and waving white flags" as police marched by. It seems that the citizens of Oaxaca don't necessarily support the leftist rioters.

Regarding the investigation of the death of Bradley Will,

U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza said those who shot Will may have been Oaxaca police and Mayor Manuel Martinez Feria of Santa Lucia del Camino said five men seen brandishing pistols at the time of the shooting had been turned over to authorities. He identified them as two members of Santa Lucia's city council, two of that town's police officers and a former justice of the peace from another town.

In all candor, that seems like a most unlikely handful of people to be in the streets allegedly brandishing pistols. Maybe they were simply acting as responsible citizens trying to protect their property.

Nonetheless, we'll have to wait for the completion of the investigation to know what actually happened and, with the U.S. Ambassador taking an interest, I imagine the Mexican authorities will put forth a prudent effort to find the killer of Bradley Will.

Brazil Re-Elects Leftist President

(Sao Paulo, Brazil) Sure, he's corrupt and under investigation for electoral malfeasance. However, the voters ignored those aspects of his first term as they must have also ignored a relatively sluggish economy and 10 percent unemployment. None of these factors deterred Brazilian voters from re-electing Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva as President.

From WaPo:

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a landslide victory giving him a powerful mandate to press his anti-poverty campaign, but corruption scandals dogging his leftist party and thinner support in Congress could mar his second term.

Silva beat his center-right opponent, former Sao Paulo state governor Geraldo Alckmin, by 61 to 39 percent of the votes cast. It's believed that Silva's expansion of the Family Allowance program, which gives 11 million poor families monthly government checks, assured him enough voters for victory.

On the positive side, although Silva is a typical socialist, he's not considered as strident as Venezuela's Chavez and Bolivia's Morales, fellow South American leaders. I think that means Silva will confiscate property, imprison citizens and execute opponents at a slower rate.

Nigerian Plane Crash Kills Muslim Leader

(Abuja, Nigeria) Yesterday, a commercial Aviation Development Co. (ADC) plane crashed right after takeoff from Abuja airport, killing 99 people onboard. Seven people survived.

The Boeing 737 plowed into a farm about one mile from the runway. Reportedly, the weather was stormy, however, one official stated that he visited the crash site and described the condition of the plane as deplorable and it had bald tires.

Importantly, among those who died was the Sultan of Sokoto, Ibrahim Muhammadu, also called Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido. The sultan was the traditional ruler of Northern Nigeria and the Muslim spiritual leader for Nigeria's 70 million followers of the religion of peace. The Governor of Sokoto declared six days of mourning for the sultan whose son also died in the crash.

The cause of the crash is unknown and under investigation. Notably, it appears that airplanes over Nigeria have a significant propensity for falling out of the sky. Yesterday's was the third crash in the last year for a nation which is about twice the size of California.

Boy, 5, Has Opiates and Pot in Blood System

(Las Cruces, New Mexico) The 54-year-old guardian of a 5-year-old boy, Darla Jarvis, was charged with child abuse after doctors found opiates and marijuana in the boy's blood system.

From Las Cruces Sun-News:

Court records state that Las Cruces police were called to Memorial Medical Center on Oct. 14 regarding the child's accidental overdose of approximately four Vicodin, a prescription narcotic pain killer.

Doctors performed a urinalysis that showed the boy was positive for opiates and marijuana, court records stated.

"(The doctor) explained that for the child to test positive (for marijuana), he had to have been exposed to a chronic smoker or ingested the marijuana," the officer reported.

Jarvis claims that the boy accidentally ingested her prescription Vicodin. She also claims her roommate was a marijuana smoker and she has asked him to leave.

The boy's mother is reportedly in prison and Jarvis has been the boy's guardian since he was 18 months old. It's unknown how Jarvis became a guardian.

Jarvis was issued a summons to appear in court on a charge of first-degree child abuse.

Boxing Champ Trevor Berbick Murdered

(Kingston, Jamaica) Originally from Jamaica, former world heavyweight boxing champ Trevor Berbick retired from the fight game in 2000 and spent his time as a coach. Now he's dead.

From LATimes.com:

Trevor Berbick, a former heavyweight champion best remembered for beating Muhammad Ali in Ali's last fight, was found dead Saturday in a church courtyard in Kingston, Jamaica.

Berbick had chop wounds on his head, according to police, who are treating his death as a homicide. Berbick's body was discovered about 6:30 a.m. in his hometown parish of Portland, according to constable Beverly Howell.

Berbick was listed as 52, according to boxing records, but various other sources claimed he was anywhere from 49 to 56.

Police have arrested a suspect in Berbick's death. The name of the suspect has not been released.

Berbick's championship reign came to an end via a second-round knockout by 20-year-old Mike Tyson in the mid-eighties. He banged around for awhile, going downhill all the way. For a time, he was in prison for theft, rape and assault. Berbick finished his career with a 50-11-1 record including 33 knockouts.

Spasmodic Dysphonia

Characterized by periods of uncontrolled vocal spasms, throat tightness and hoarseness, spasmodic dysphonia disorder is mysterious. It's likely because no cause nor cure has been identified. Also, the disorder is not well known, however, an estimated 30,000 Americans have it. One is Scott Adams, the popular Dilbert cartoonist, who recently recovered from the disorder.

From Seattle Times:

"I don't want to give false hope to people who are suffering from the same thing," Adams said. "I don't even know if my voice is going to last."

Adams, 49, appears to be a rare example of someone who has largely -- but not totally -- recovered from spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder in which parts of the brain controlling speech shut down or go haywire.

One of the most peculiar aspects of spasmodic dysphonia is that patients are typically unable to have intimate conversations in their normal voice. Yet they can speak under different circumstances, such as immediately after sneezing or laughing, or in an exaggerated falsetto or baritone, or while reciting poetry, according to support groups.

A possible cause of the disorder has been cited as abnormal chromosomes. Treatment includes injecting the vocal chords with botulinum toxin which paralyzes the tissue and prevents spasms. Some therapeutic value has been derived from chanting nursery rhymes which Adams believes helped his recovery.

Heh.

Congratulations!

St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series, 4 games to 1, over the Detroit Tigers.

I didn't have a preference since my team had a bad year and didn't even make the playoffs, however, I was hoping that the series would return for a sixth game in Detroit. I wanted to see baseball played in cold weather with the possibility of snow.

Indymedia Reporter Gunned Down in Mexico

(Oaxaca, Mexico) A 36-year-old activist reporter, Bradley Roland Will of New York City, was shot and killed yesterday in the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca when gunfire erupted during a street protest. Leftist protesters had barricaded the streets, calling for the ouster of Oaxaca Governor Ruiz.

From AP:

The gunfire erupted in a rough Oaxaca neighborhood Friday when armed men tried to remove a blockade set up by protesters who are demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, said state officials and witnesses. Both sides fired but it was not clear who shot first.

Bradley Roland Will, 36, from New York City, was shot in the abdomen and died later at a Red Cross hospital, police, witnesses and friends said. Will worked for Indymedia.org, an independent Web-based media organization and also sold video footage on freelance basis, said friends and Indymedia colleague Hinrich Schuleze.

Indymedia reports that Mr. Will was an activist and, as such, he was possibly helping with the barricades and right in the middle of the gunplay.

There's disagreement regarding the identity of the armed group who tried to remove the barricades. Oaxaca government officials state it was armed residents tired of the "permanent violence, threats and kidnappings." The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, believes it was the police. Previous skirmishes with the leftists involved both armed gangs and the police.

Who specifically killed Bradley Will may never be known. Gunfire reportedly came from many directions.

Teacher in Sex Case Arrested for Theft

(Candler, North Carolina) Last April, a 22-year-old teacher's assistant at North Buncombe High School, Heather Shelton, surrendered to Buncombe County Sheriff's deputies upon being charged with felony sex with an 18-year-old male student. Although the male was 18 years old, state law makes it a crime for a teacher to have sex with a student, despite his age.

Subsequently, the Shelton case became the subject of much heated discussion regarding the appropriateness of North Carolina state law governing student-teacher relationships. The status of the case is unknown, however, the controversy regarding the law appears to have abated somewhat since April.

But it may flare up due to this report. Heather Shelton is back in the news.

At least one of four Leicester residents charged with stealing from homes under construction in Candler was caught red-handed with the items while leaving the subdivision, according to a police report.

The suspects charged Thursday include a former North Buncombe High School teacher's assistant facing charges of having a sex with a student.

Heather Marie Shelton, 23, has been charged with breaking and entering, larceny and conspiracy along with three others, Jo Luker Brown, 46, Joshua Heath Meece, 20, and John Tay Rogers, 39. All four are being held on $10,000 bond.

Akron Club Girl Goes Wild, Claims Rape

(Akron, Ohio) Allegedly, on September 13, a 17-year-old girl went to Mango's Night Club, drank alcohol, and danced on the bar in various stages of undress while a Girls Gone Wild crew captured the episode on video. Afterward, the girl claims she was "raped by a Girls Gone Wild cameraman in the back of the crew's bus, which was parked outside the club on South Main Street in downtown Akron."

Consequently, Mango's owner, Edmond Jaber, and the general manager, Holly Everson, were arrested and charged with felony child endangering, furnishing alcohol to a minor and having a minor in an event containing nudity. Both Jaber, 48, and Everson, 35, were booked and released on bond.

Akron police officers are continuing to investigate the incident and more arrests are possible.

Fake Russian Vodka Kills

(Moscow, Russia) As the world's largest consumer of vodka, Russia loses many citizens yearly due to alcohol poisoning and alcohol-related sickness. In recent months, fake vodka has added to the death toll.

From AlertNet.org:

A Russian region has imposed a state of emergency after more than 400 people were taken to hospital and 15 died as a result of drinking tainted alcohol, Russian television reported on Thursday.

The state of emergency was declared in the Pskov region, about 700 km (435 miles) west of Moscow, but other regions across the country also reported mass outbreaks of alcohol poisoning with dozens of deaths.

Public health officials who seized alcohol on sale in the Pskov region found it contained substances usually used in medicines, Channel One television said.

Many of the imbibers exhibit liver problems. Authorities are investigating.

Somalian Islamists Declare Holy War Against Ethiopia

(Mogadishu, Somalia) The Islamist Courts Union has organized mass demonstrations to be held after Friday prayers to show support for a holy war declared against Ethiopia.

According to Sheik Ahmed Abdulahi Hussien, known as Sheik Fanah, head of the public relations for the Islamic Courts Union, demonstrators will be asked to join in the holy war against the Ethiopians. It's claimed that thousands of jihadists have already signed up.

Meanwhile, the Islamists are expanding their control of the country. Sources say that the town of Sakow was taken on Wednesday by Islamist fighters without a shot being fired. Sakow had been a temporary base for Somali transitional government militias commanded by Col. Barre Hirale. It's also reported that Islamic Courts fighters are within kilometers of the town of Baardheere, a primary militia base under Col. Hirale.

Schmeca White - Nasty Teacher Gets 9.5 Years

(South Bend, Indiana) In May 2005, former aide at Greene Intermediate Center, Schmeca White, 27, was arrested on felony charges of inappropriate sexual activities with special education students between the ages of 11 and 15. Specific charges included two counts each of child molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor, along with sexual battery, criminal deviate conduct, and battery.

Earlier this month, White was convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor, vicarious sexual gratification and battery, forcing students into simulated sex and choking a student. Jurors had to listen to descriptions of White's disgusting classroom behavior which included one reported incident that she stripped naked.

Yesterday, Schmeca White, now 28, was sentenced. She received nine and one-half years in prison to be followed by four years probation. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender. According to Judge Roland W. Chamblee Jr., White's lack of a criminal record prevented him from handing out the maximum sentence.

White spoke at her sentencing and maintained that she is innocent.

"I still say that I'm innocent, regardless of what victims said I did," White said. " ... I did nothing to those children and I still say that."

Unfortunately for White, the evidence convinced the jury of her guilt. Now she gets to join a number of other criminals, also claiming innocence, in an Indiana state prison.

Interestingly, there's already been discussion of White being released early for good behavior but this is inconsistent with current experience. Behind bars since her arrest last year, White has been a problem prisoner.

There are signs that the same type of classroom behavior that first put Schmeca White behind bars nearly 547-days ago, has continued, after her arrest, leading to at least three jail transfers.

"From her flat file paperwork, she's been aggressive with the, sexually, excuse me, sexually aggressive with the female inmates, and was moved to the medical unit, and she became sexually aggressive with male and female inmates at that point," said anonymously.

I suspect White may have difficulty supporting the contention that she is a model prisoner.

Companion posts at Conservative Thinking and The Jawa Report.

Castro Dead or Close to Dead

From three different sources, I have received strong indications that Castro has died or is about to. Babalu Blog is one source. An emailer also passed on the rumor of his death.

Another emailer stated that Hugo Chavez left Venezuela a few days ago to say some last words to Fidel, indicating he's close to death. There's no confirmation as yet.

I just hope Castro's last days are painful. Excruciatingly painful! Maybe the citizens of Cuba can glean a small measure of comfort knowing that every one of Fidel's evil nerves is screaming.

Iran, Hezbollah Charged for Argentine Bombings

(Buenos Aires, Argentina) Argentina has made an international call for action against former leaders of the government of Iran and the leadership of Hezbollah. It's about time.

Iran is accused of organizing attacks against the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA) charities group and the Israeli Embassy which claimed more than 100 lives and wounded hundreds more. Hezbollah is accused of carrying out the attacks.

The Argentine prosecutor demanded international arrest warrants for:

- Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former Iranian President,

- Hojatoleslam Ali Fallahian, former Iranian Minister of Intelligence and Security,

- Ali Akbar Velayati, former Iranian Foreign Minister,

- Major General Mohsen Rezai, ex-Supreme Commander, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),

- Major General Ahmad Vahidi, former Commander of the IRGC Qods Force,

- Mohsen Rabbani, former cultural attache at the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires,

- Ahmad Reza Asgari, AKA Mohsen Ranjbaran, former Iranian embassy official in Buenos Aires,

- Imad Fayez Mugniyeh, AKA Imad Fayez Moughnieh, headed the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah overseas operation.

According to Argentine chief prosecutor Alberto Nisman, "We have proven that the decision to attack the AMIA headquarters on July 18, 1994 ... was a decision made by the highest authorities in Iran's government at the time." A 21-year-old Hezbollah bomber, Ibrahim Hussein Berro, a Lebanese citizen, was positively identified as the man who drove the explosives-packed van to the Jewish center on July 18, 1994.

The 300,000-strong Argentine Jewish community has been loudly demanding justice for over a decade for the 1992 embassy bombing and the 1994 Jewish center bombing. All along, the investigations of the terrorist acts were allegedly marred by corrupt police and government officials. In particular, former Argentine leader Carlos Saul Menem was allegedly funneled $10 million in a Swiss bank account by Iranian intelligence to cease the investigations into the attacks.

Response from Iran via IHT.com:

Iranian state TV news said Thursday that Argentine prosecutors had "repeated their baseless accusations" of Iran's "meddling" in the 1994 explosion, but the newscaster did not say that Rafsanjani or any other Iranian official had been named.

Iranian TV did not cover the Argentine chief prosecutor's remarks and no Iranian newspapers were published today due to an Islamic feast.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Alligator Harvest

(New Orleans, Louisiana) Indications are that the 2006 Louisiana alligator season will be bountiful.

From HoumaToday.com:

Final numbers are still being tallied, but Ruth Elsey, biologist manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said the count should show between 95 and 98 percent of the harvest quota of 32,000 reached.

"Most people did well; prices were strong," Elsey said.

This year's season ran from Sept. 6 through Oct. 6.

Prices for a harvested alligator were reported as high as $35 to $36 per foot, considered good by hunters and wildlife officials. The total value of this year's harvest is still being calculated. But last year, meat and hides were valued by the department at $40 million across Louisiana.

Heh.

Terror Rehearsal on Oslo-Prague Flight

I fear these incidents occur much more frequently than reported. Part of the problem is that the rehearsals seldom actually reach the threshold of being criminal so the perpetrators are let go.

From Aftenposten:

Czech security police (BIS) have reported an attempt to storm the cockpit of a flight from Oslo to Prague.

The BIS annual report for 2005, released on Tuesday, mentions flight OK 447 in September 2005, where three Egyptian citizens tried to gain access to the pilots.

According to BIS spokesman Jan Subrt, police terrorism experts believe that the three Egyptians were not trying to hijack the plan but rather testing the security measures on board the plan, which was owned by Czech Airlines (CSA).

"The crew on board discovered the three Egyptians trying to open the door into the cockpit. When the stewards intervened they immediately gave up their attempts and gave the excuse that they were looking for a staff member because they wanted to buy chewing gum," Subrt said. [sic all]

Sure, I also travel with two buddies when I look for chewing gum ... Sheesh! These guys couldn't even come up with a plausible excuse. Nevertheless, more ominous is this paragraph.

This is the second time in recent weeks that Norway is linked to terrorism in the Czech Republic. In the end of September Czech authorities significantly increased security measures around Prague's Jewish memorials after receiving a tip from Norway, a few days after Norway's Police Security Service (PST) revealed alleged terrorist plans against the US and Israeli embassies in Oslo.

Stand by, friends. I expect that the terrorists will soon cease their rehearsals.

Hanging Ten for Jesus

(Daytona Beach, Florida) Sometime overnight yesterday, thieves stole thousands of dollars and 10 valuable surfboards from the Christian surfing ministry known as Crosswaves Ministries. According to head ministry surfer dude Jim McCleary:

"I had a terrible sinking feeling in my stomach and ran to the back of the trailer and basically almost started crying," Crosswaves Ministries McCleary said. "I also thought it was stealing from God and the mission that he has to help kids and help families."

Well, dominoes and biscuits, McCleary has forgiven the thieves, whoever they are.

Readers are requested to be on the lookout for the boards. They're blue and 6 feet long. Readers are also requested to let me know if there is a Christian Hot Tub and Massage Ministry somewhere in Ohio.

Hookers for the Troops

(Almere, The Netherlands) A leading female politician wants to provide deployed male Dutch soldiers with Dutch prostitutes. It's anyone's guess what she proposes to provide for female and homosexual Dutch soldiers.

From Ananova:

Annemarie Jorritsma, a politician for the centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the mayor of the town of Almere, went on national Dutch TV to demand the 'extra benefits' for soldiers.

She added: "The army must think about how their soldiers can let off some steam."

The ideas has been backed by the Dutch sex workers union which said it thought the idea had some merit.

Hmm ... "let off some steam" may not be a good enough reason for the spouses of the troops. Not only that, but the mullahs in Afghanistan might not exhibit a lot of tolerance toward Holland importing hookers. In fact, I'd bet that they would protest quite forcefully.

The NBA's New Balls

Despite complaints, Commissioner David Stern has decided that the NBA needs new balls. They're made of microfiber composite and are more uniform than traditional leather.

I think this is a good move. It gives some teams an additional excuse for sucking out loud.

Freeze! This Is A Sticky-Up!

(Parma, Ohio) An 18-year-old woman, Dionna Johnson, was arrested for an alleged carjacking and robbery of a 78-year-old woman using a glue gun as a weapon. Johnson and four juvenile girls knocked down the elderly Parma Heights woman and stole her car.

Johnson was booked with bond set at $25,000. The juveniles face aggravated robbery charges.

Female Teacher Booked on Sex Charge

(Deridder, Louisiana) A 34-year-old teacher at South Beauregard Junior High, Marla K. Meeks, was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student. Meeks turned herself in to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's office on Monday. Reportedly, Meeks was friends with the boy's parents.

Meeks was booked on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation for sexual purposes. She was released on $35,000 bond.


[Update 02/22/08]

Meek pleads guilty, sentenced to prison.

Female Molester Pleads Guilty

(Pocatello, Idaho) Last May, 27-year-old neighborhood woman, Rayenell Carmona Underwood, was arrested for having sex with a 14-year-old boy on numerous occasions. Carmona was subsequently rearrested for violating a no-contact order. She claimed that she couldn't help herself because she loved the boy.

Yesterday, Carmona pleaded guilty before Sixth District Judge Ronald Bush, who instructed her to admit her crime.

"I was living with him and his mom," Carmona said. "I had sex with him and he was underage."

Carmona is scheduled for sentencing in December. It's reported that she faces life in prison. Ha-ha-ha-ha! Sure she does.

Watch her get probation or, at most, a short stretch in the county jail. I hope I'm wrong. About three years in state prison should clear her thinking. I don't believe in being excessively harsh but I do think that she'll contact the boy if she's allowed on the street. He should have a chance to complete his teen years without her influence.


[Update 03/13/07]

Carmona sentenced.

Antibiotic Prescriptions Filled Free

Wow!

Following the move by Wal-Mart to offer cheap prescription drugs was Target. And, with two large retailers pushing low-cost drugs, Meijer Inc. decided to offer an even better deal.

With 176 stores in Ohio and four other states, Meijer President Mark Murray announced yesterday that the company will launch "a free prescription drug program to provide antibiotic medicines to customers."

From DDN:

Any customer can take their prescription to any Meijer pharmacy and receive the designated antibiotic free. There are "no strings attached" to the deal, Murray said. "No club to join or membership forms or fees. It's just free."

These low-cost and no-cost drug initiatives were prompted by Wal-Mart's $4 per prescription plan announced a couple of months ago and they will surely have a positive impact on the American consumer. Think about it. A sea change in drug pricing occurred and not one law had to be passed. It came about through visionary retail management.

Of course, there's another side to consider. People will naturally start asking what the drug companies have been doing all along if such dramatic retail price reductions are achievable. You might hear the word "gouging" bandied about.

Bali Bombers Freed

How can there be an effective campaign against terrorism when there are virtually no meaningful consequences for the perpetrators? This report really frosts my cookies.

From The Courier-Mail:

Two Islamic militants jailed for the Bali bombings that killed 202 people were freed today and nine others had their sentences reduced to mark the end of the Islamic fasting month, officials said.

Indonesia traditionally marks national holidays by cutting prison terms for inmates who exhibit good behaviour - usually by several months - but the decision is likely to anger countries that lost citizens in the 2002 attacks on two crowded nightclubs. [Ya' think?]

Eighty-eight of those killed were Australians.

Sirojul Munir left the jail in East Kalimantan's capital of Balikpapan early today after 45 days were shaved from his five-year sentence, said Edi, a prison official who uses a single name.

The paperwork has been completed for the other militant, Mujarod bin Salim, said Ilham Jaya, the warden at the main prison on Bali island, and he was technically a free man.

He was expected to leave the jail within an hour.

The international community needs to do something about the regular miscarriage of justice occurring in Indonesia. People are being murdered by thug Islamist terrorists with impunity. And it's going to get worse unless pressure is applied on the government to take stronger action. The Bali bombers should have been executed.

Students Appeal Confederate Flag Ban

(Alvin, Texas) Here's something for everyone's political correctness file.

From TheFacts.com:

Two Harby Junior High students said it is not only their constitutional right to wear and possess images of the Confederate flag while at school, but also a matter of history and respect.

The 13-year-old boys are asking Alvin ISD to honor the city's founders by returning Confederate memorabilia to a display case at the school and by allowing students to wear Confederate flag symbols to class.

"We want to honor our veterans from all of the wars," said student Marshall Alexander. "Most students don't know about this because they aren't teaching it anymore. You should teach all of history, every single war."

Alexander said he and his friend, Robert Kauffman, have collected more than 800 names on a petition and are in the process of a second appeal with the district.

Since the town of Alvin was founded by a man who fought for the Confederacy, it would seem an appropriate subject to cover in school. Alvin also has a Confederate cemetery and some streets are named after Confederate generals. Prohibiting the school to acknowledge the unique cultural and political history of the town is politically correct but, at the same time, it's academically dishonest.

Superintendent Greg Smith says the Confederate symbol is "divisive." Yes, as are cartoons of Mohammad, criticism of the 9/11 widows, wearing a Texas A&M sweatshirt among a group of Texas Longhorn fans and a divorce proceeding between a man and a woman. All are divisive but that doesn't mean they should be banned.

Police Department Fired

(Troy, Texas) Sometimes, bold actions are necessary.

From KRGV-TV:

Officials in the Central Texas city of Troy say they hope to hire a new police chief this month after firing the entire department.

The city fired its police chief and three officers over the last two months for reasons including insubordination and poor performance.

Troy Mayor Sammy Warren believes the town is safer without a police department. Rightly so, I reckon. Troy is deep in the heart of Texas and pretty much all the fellas and gals have firearms close by for protection.

Point Blank Honor Killing

(Ankara, Turkey) Be tolerant of the family values of the religion of peace if you want. I can't even stomach the thought. Here, a 15-year-old girl was murdered for honor.

From Middle East Times:

The young girl, from a mainly Kurdish town near Turkey's eastern border with Iran, was murdered by an elder brother Saturday, press reports said. The victim, named only as Naile, had apparently not been aware that she was pregnant until she started feeling unwell and was admitted to a hospital, where she gave birth to a boy, the reports added.

She later told her mother that the pregnancy had resulted from a rape. When other members of the family heard the news, the elder brother shot her dead at point-blank range in a street of the town, and then fled.

The Vatan newspaper quoted the local public prosecutor as saying that the family were believed to have convened a meeting at which they designated the brother to kill the girl, in order to remove what they saw as a stain on their honor.

Sick, absolutely sick!

Nevertheless, reading about this latest honor killing I was struck by the irony of recent news reports that many Western women are converting to Islam because it is so glorious and wonderful and loving and peaceful. Who are these women and how can they ignore honor killings (of women), stoning to death (of women) and beatings (of women) imposed by omnipotent Islam?

Maybe they just don't know that Muslim women are constantly at risk of bodily injury and even death if they are perceived to misbehave. Get a clue, ladies, and realize that converting to Islam establishes lifelong candidacy for abusive and potentially deadly treatment.

China's Blog Real Name System

Predictably, the communist Chinese government will soon require real name registration for bloggers. Pseudonyms will not be allowed.

From Xinhuanet.com:

With widespread online rumor saying China will implement a blog real name system, the Internet Society of China (ISC) has clarified that so far the Ministry of Information Industry has not officially made any related policies.

However, a real name system will be an unavoidable choice if China wants to standardize and develop its blog industry, Huang Chengqing, ISC secretary general, told Xinhua on Sunday.

Blog industry? What's that?

The ISC, affiliated to the Ministry of Information Industry, was entrusted by the ministry to form a blog research panel to provide solutions for the development of China's blog industry.

"We suggest, in a recent report submitted to the ministry, that a real name system be implemented in China's blog industry," Huang said.

[ ... ]

Huang said the foundation of the blog real name system is an equilibrium between freedom and responsibility. "There exists no freedom without any abstention, and to limit also benefits the further development of this industry."

He said the system they have recommended is a background real name system, which requires bloggers provide their real names and other real information when applying for a blog but allows them to use pseudonyms in their blog articles.

So, let me see if I understand this scheme correctly. Bloggers will enjoy an equilibrium between freedom and responsibility by providing their real names and other "real" information to the ChiComs who, by the way, have been directly responsible for the deaths of millions of citizens.

Freedom and responsibility? Yeah, right! Only useful idiots will be fooled by this blatant ploy to censor Internet content by controlling, and eliminating when necessary, the individual bloggers.

Come on! You didn't think the communists would ever really allow free speech, did you?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Israel May Retake Gaza-Egypt Border

(Jerusalem) Since the Israelis vacated the Gaza Strip, weapons have been arriving from Egypt at a disturbing and deadly rate. Given that they are then used against the Israelis, it's logical to take action to stop the supply.

From AlertNet:

Several Israeli cabinet ministers called on Sunday for a military operation to retake control of Gaza's southern border and prevent Palestinian militants smuggling weapons from neighbouring Egypt.

"Action must be taken without hesitation. Any hesitation is dangerous and we must act immediately," Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai of the religious party Shas told reporters.

It's estimated that tons of weapons and ordnance have been smuggled into Gaza from Egypt via tunnels. The flow needs to be stopped but nothing will likely happen prior to Prime Minister Olmert's Washington trip, scheduled for mid-November. Of course, any action by Israel will be reported by the elite media as unwarranted aggression.

Bashar Assad's Syrian Regime in Trouble

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam has been making quite provocative statements about President Bashar al-Assad.

"Ask yourselves, my brothers, after six years of his taking over the administration of the country, what has Bashar Assad done except spread corruption, increase suffering and (take) wrong decisions that have led to weakening national unity and subjecting Syria to Arab and international isolation," Khaddam said.

"I assure you that the corrupt and tyrannical regime is on the brink of collapse and in the near future, the ruler will see the opportunists and hypocrites that rallied around him fleeing. He and his corrupt family and entourage will find themselves in the hands of justice," he added.

Khaddam's statements followed his reported meeting last week in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. The discussions in the meeting were not disclosed but the Saudis have expressed Arab displeasure with President Assad's closeness with Iran. It didn't help that Assad said the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan were "half men" because they didn't support Lebanon during the Israeli-Hezbollah war.

Khaddam, who is wanted for treason in Syria, linked the assassination of Lebanese ex-Premier Rafik Hariri to a threat made by Assad. Now Khaddam is at the forefront of the effort to see Assad overthrown. He's working all political angles, capitalizing on a general undercurrent of Arab distrust of the Iranians and Assad's coziness with Ahmadinejad. Khaddam heads the newly-formed National Salvation Front and plans on opening an office in Washington.

Viewing the situation from a distance, I suspect that the media may be exaggerating the importance of Khaddam's one meeting with with the Saudis. Assad is propped up by the entire Baathist party and any regime change will not be easy. However, if other Arab leaders jump on the bash Bashar bandwagon, maybe something will happen.

Let's hope so.

Ohio State Elevator Death

(Columbus, Ohio) Ohio State's Stradley Hall student residence has three elevators, two passenger and one freight, with a history of minor problems. Tragically, last Friday a problem with one elevator led to the death of student Andrew K. Polakowski, an 18-year-old freshman business major from Erie, Pennsylvania.

From The Columbus Dispatch:

Polakowski was with a group of students who got on the elevator when it stopped on the third floor about 11:30 p.m., said Rick Amweg, Ohio State University assistant chief of police.

For some reason, Polakowski decided to climb out of the car, whose doors remained open, Amweg said. As he did, the car dropped farther.

"He tried to get off, and he became pinned between the elevator and the building," Amweg said.

Although the doors remained open as the elevator moved down, police and state inspectors would not say whether the elevator had malfunctioned until they completed their investigations. Amweg said there was no indication of horseplay on the part of the students.

Columbus firefighters forced the elevator car up far enough to remove Polakowski. He was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.

Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis believes Polakowski died from asphyxiation rather than injury.

State elevator inspectors will be on scene early Monday morning to continue the investigation of the incident. Hopefully they will discover why the elevators were allowed to continue operating with known problems.

Several students outside the residence hall yesterday said they had experienced minor problems with elevators in Stradley. Sixth-floor resident Jeremy Kopp said it was difficult to hold a door open with a hand or foot.

Alex Morando said he was stuck on an elevator two weeks ago for about 45 minutes.

This incident should not have happened. Condolences to the family and friends of Andrew Polakowski.

Woman Accused of Molesting Little Girls

(Riverside County, California) A 50-year-old woman, Cherie Jane Stout, is in the process of being extradited from Arizona on arrest warrants for sexually molesting two young girls. According to the criminal complaint, Stout and an accomplice, 36-year-old Jaime Rosa Cruz, committed lewd acts in 2003 against the girls, then 5 and 7 years old. Cruz is in custody and facing 10 charges.

Stout, however, is in Arizona, having declined to waive extradition. Riverside County authorities must obtain a warrant from Gov. Schwarzenegger to have her returned to California. It's expected to take weeks.

Strangely, Arizona officials have arrested Stout but released her without bail. So, Stout roams free. It appears that the Arizona courts are not aware of the seriousness of the crimes that Stout allegedly committed.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Today's Quotable

From John Ratzenberger of "Cheers" fame:

"No one should write a book until they're over 55," said the actor, who turns 60 next April. "I really don't want to read a book by someone who's 20 years old about their experiences."

I sure we've all seen autobiographies penned by cocky people not old enough to run for Congress.

Girl Scalped From Eyebrows Back

(Niagara Falls) A 12-year-old Ohio girl was scalped at a go-kart track.

From TheStar.com:

Emergency crews found the girl "with extensive injuries to her head" at Niagara Go-Karts and Mini Putt at about 5:20 p.m., Niagara Regional Police Sgt. Jim Moody said.

"She was enjoying some of the go-kart rides (when) her long hair became entangled in the axle mechanism of the go-kart," Moody said. "It's been reported that she has had her scalp removed from her skull, from the eyebrow area, right back."

The girl was airlifted to a Rochester hospital where she's in critical condition. Her name wasn't released.

Now, we need to know if there were signs at the go-kart track warning people of the hazards of long hair and loose fitting clothing. If not, the track owners may be negligent. Incidents of this nature are preventable.

American Pervert Exiled to Canada

(Buffalo, New York) In April 2006, 35-year-old Malcolm Watson, an English teacher at the prestigious all-girl Buffalo Seminary, was arrested and charged with sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He was caught in a mall parking lot steaming up his car windows with a 15-year-old female student.

In August, Watson was convicted of child sex abuse and sentenced to live in Canada for three years. To my knowledge, the Canadians were never consulted.

Nevertheless, Watson begins his sentence tomorrow.

In all candor, the idea of sending convicted American perverts to another country is quite appealing but I wouldn't select Canada. Someplace further away would be my choice ... maybe a nation in southeast Asia or Africa. Although not greatly distant, a reverse-Mariel boatlift to Cuba might also be doable.

Tip: Matt Hurley

Companion posts at Conservative Thinking and The Jawa Report.


[Update 10/25/06]

Kick him out of Ontario says Premier Dalton McGuinty.

From 680News.com:

Malcolm Watson, a Buffalo school teacher, was sentenced to three years' probation in St. Catharines for sexually abusing with a 15-year-old student. Tourism Minister Jim Bradley, who represents St. Catharines, says the sentence violates international law.

Premier Dalton McGuinty says he doesn't want Ontario to become some kind of dumping ground for American sex offenders.

"It's obviously not the kind of precedent that we want to allow the Americans to establish," he said. "It's not the kind of thing we are prepared to accept."

Well, finally we hear from the Canadians.

Two Women Accused of Child Sex Abuse

(Fairbanks, Alaska) Two Alaskan women, Lisa Huff and Miklene Gilligan, have been charged for alleged child sexual abuse in two separate high-profile cases and, ostensibly to protect the victims, the media have been excluded from attending the criminal proceedings. However, general information is known.

Lisa Huff, 36, was accused of repeated sexual abuse of a boy earlier this year and fled to Australia in June, attempting to avoid prosecution. Troopers arrested her last Tuesday after being notified that she had returned to Fairbanks. Huff was then formally charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse. She is being held with bail set at $50,000.

Miklene Gilligan, 34, was arrested for allegedly being observed performing oral sex on a 13-year-old boy in August. She faces one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Bail set at $25,000.

Media representatives were barred from Huff's proceedings by Fairbanks District Court Magistrate Patrick Hammers. Gilligan's proceedings were closed by Superior Court Judge Douglas Blankenship.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 5/31/08]

Miklene Gilligan pleads no contest to reduced charge. Sentencing in Sept.

Female Molester Gets Probation

(Osceola County, Florida) A 26-year-old Osceola woman, Kristy Lynn Vaughn, was arrested last February for perpetrating a hoax and allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy. Vaughn was implicated in a 911 hoax where a caller claimed she had been carjacked. The hoax was perpetrated to distract authorities from questioning Vaughn.

This week, Vaughn pleaded no contest to lewd or lascivious battery, contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a minor and sex with a child. Circuit Judge Frank Kaney sentenced Vaughn to 10 years of sex-offender probation. She was also ordered to pay all costs incurred because of the hoax.

It's worth mentioning that she had a child by the boy, however, the court ordered that she have no contact with the father.

'Men Only' Law

(Riverside, California) It appears that the "all men are created equal" provision of the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted to mean that women are more equal.

It's about what the definition of 'his' is.

From LATimes.com:

A Riverside County judge dismissed an indecent exposure charge against a woman who allegedly disrobed in front of a 14-year-old boy, saying the law applies only to men.

Superior Court Judge Robert W. Armstrong said this week that the law mentions a person who "exposes his person."

"Usually when a section proscribes conduct, it's 'his or her.' This one is not," Armstrong said. "It's gender specific."

Riverside County Deputy Dist. Atty. Alison N. Norton argued that the lack of a feminine reference in the penal code was a typo and that solely applying the law to men would violate the state Constitution.

Now, this ruling has to create confusion within the legal, as well as criminal, communities. California is known to be quite liberal, delineating special mention of the tweener transgender crowd within state law. The pic-a-sex people are gender non-specific. Consequently, Judge Armstrong's ruling excludes them from living in any legal framework.

Of course, there are other difficulties indicated by the ruling, not the least of which is Judge Armstrong's apparent physical problem of recto-cranial fusion.

Furthermore, without any specific personal knowledge regarding Judge Armstrong, I'd blindly guess that he has had many conversations on the subject of gender with assertive feminist womyn.


[Update]

(Via Don Morgenstern) It's reported that the name of the woman, who had been charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure, is Alexis Luz Garcia, 40. Apparently, she exposed herself to the boy because he was making too much noise playing basketball.

For background, Judge Armstrong retired from the Los Angeles Superior Court in 1997 and now only works part time as a visiting judge.


[Update 09/13/07]

Judge Armstrong's decision overturned.

Politically Correct Munitions

Check out the latest from the UK. I guess we're seeing the end of hot lead and loud noises on the battlefield.

From Reuters:

British arms manufacturer BAE Systems is planning to design 'green' munitions, including lead-free bullets and rockets with reduced toxins, Britain's Times reports. Also in the pipeline are jets, fighting vehicles and artillery without dangerous compounds which can "harm the environment and pose a risk to people," the company is quoted as saying.

"Weapons are going to be used and when they are, we try to make them as safe for the user as possible," said Dr Debbie Allen, director of the company's corporate social responsibility.

BAE Systems has full support from Britain's Ministry of Defence, which wants to see quieter warheads in order to reduce noise pollution and grenades that produce less smoke.

Just what's needed. Socially responsible warfare. No noise, no smoke, no lead sounds more like surrender than warfare.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Dine With Your Dog Day

Declared by the governors of California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Nebraska and West Virginia, today is officially "Dine With Your Dog Day." Events are planned to celebrate the day, including dog-food eating contests featuring celebrities. Yes, they found some idiot celebrities willing to eat dog-food.

The idea man behind Dine With Your Dog Day is Dick Van Patten of TV's "Eight Is Enough" fame. Van Patten owns a dog-food company and he started the event to sell his products. He's been able to get some of his Hollywood buddies to support the effort.

Bon appetit!

I understand that eating dog-food will make one's fur lush and shiny. However, adverse reactions, such as sniffing a neighbor's behind and licking oneself, have been noted. Also worth mentioning is that people in the Far East don't celebrate dining with dogs but they do dine with dogs. Fried, baked, and stewed.

Teacher Regina McKay Sentenced

See updated post.

Teacher Student Sex and More

(Lonoke, Arkansas) According to court documents, 41-year-old computer-lab teacher for the Lonoke School District, Kelly Campbell, allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old male student. Kelly Campbell is the wife of Lonoke Police Chief Jay Campbell and mixing it up with a schoolboy appears to be the least of her problems. She's been implicated in a spree of crimes and faces a laundry list of sex offenses, drug offenses, burglary and tampering.

The small town of Lonoke is in turmoil. In addition to criminal counts against Kelly Campbell, her husband Jay Campbell faces charges of theft, criminal conspiracy and hindering prosecution. Also, the mayor of Lonoke, Thomas Privett, faces theft charges and two bail bondsmen are facing charges of participating in an ongoing criminal enterprise. All the alleged crimes centered around the administration of the town jail and the Police Chief.


Chief Jay Campbell was suspended from his position, with pay. All have been released on bail.

Adjudication of the cases against the Campbells, Privett and the bail bondsmen has been delayed to the first quarter 2007 to allow defense attorneys sufficient time to review mountains of documentation. I'll follow the cases. The situation looks messy.

Tip: Jason Cann

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 04/17/07]

Jay and Kelly Campbell convicted of multiple crimes.

Sherrod Didn't Think of His Kids

It's news to me that Democrat Sherrod Brown had an extremely sour breakup with his first wife. He and Larke Brown split in 1986 and divorced in 1987 but they continued to be tied together by their two children. And, it has been a bumpy ride.

Court records tell the story of harshness between Sherrod and Larke. Sherrod had to respond to contempt motions for nonpayment of child support and restraining orders alleging overly assertive and abusive behavior. Allegations flew on both sides.

Now, ugly divorces happen all the time so, in that regard, the Brown breakup was not unusual. However, reading through the synopsis of the episode, one gets a strong feeling that not once did Sherrod Brown think of the impact of the divorce on his children. Divorce, by definition, is devastating to the kids from a marriage. A prudent, compassionate and thoughtful father would assure that the welfare of his children was paramount in his mind.

Obviously, I can't look in Sherrod Brown's mind but I can see what he did. If anything, Sherrod seems to have made his divorce more painful for his kids as opposed to less painful. In fact, it appears as though he viewed himself as an island and acted accordingly. Way too much I and me with little hint of we and us.

I personally know how divorce can make kids feel as though part of their entire being has been stripped away. It produces a sad emptiness. Like I said, it's devastating. Any kindness helps.

Sherrod Brown apparently didn't have any of these thoughts during his drawn-out divorce feud with Larke. I've always questioned Brown's political compass but this is the first time I've seen his character laid bare. I now have no questions regarding his soul nor his lack of the right stuff to be a public servant.

Matt Hurley has all the details at WMD.

'Nasty in Manhattan' Going to Trial

(New York City) According to last month's report, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Carol Berkman gave 41-year-old Lina Sinha until October 18 to decide whether she would accept a new plea deal after the judge rejected the first offer as inadequate. Judge Berkman specified that the agreement must include at least six years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea.

From NYPost.com:

An East Side Montessori school director charged with seducing two male students -- starting when they were only 12 and 13 -- declined yesterday to take a judge's best-deal plea offer of six years in prison, paving the way for a trial as early as mid-January.

Lina Sinha, 40, is fighting 80 counts of rape, sodomy and tampering with witnesses and evidence to cover her tracks.

"We are ramping up for trial," said her lawyer, Gerald Shargel.

Maybe, and maybe not. Frankly, I suspect that Sinha will closely weigh her chances of winning in court, which appear slim, and decide to skip to India where she has family and friends. I'm fairly convinced that she will do anything to avoid even one day in prison.


[Update 02/27/07]

Sinha trial underway.


[Update 03/30/07]

Lina Sinha convicted. Sentencing scheduled for April 19th.


[Update 04/19/07]

Sinha sentenced to prison.

Teacher Deluca Guilty of Sex Crime

(West Jordan, Utah) There's progress in the case of 30-year-old Melinda Lee Deluca, the former American Sign Language teacher at Copper Hills High School. Let's review.

In February 2006, Deluca was charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse of one of her students, a 16-year-old boy. She was fired from her teaching position.

In July, Deluca claimed she was attacked by two assailants who severely beat her. She required hospitalization.

In September, after hundreds of hours of investigation, the police were able to get Deluca to admit that she created the story to garner sympathy.

Earlier today, Deluca pleaded guilty to reduced charges of one count of attempted forcible sex abuse in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution. A December sentencing is scheduled.

Based upon recent history of cases involving female sexual molesters, I don't believe that Deluca will get any meaningful punishment for her crime. In fact, I suspect she'll walk away with probation.


[Update 01/11/07]

Deluca sentenced.

Alert PETA

This should make Pamela Anderson hoppingly, or floppingly depending on one's viewpoint, disgruntled.

Smithfield Foods plans to build a $200 million cattle slaughter plant in Texas County, Okla., with ContiGroup Cos., expanding its production capacity by two-thirds.

Smithfield said it agreed in principle to form a joint venture with ContiGroup for the project, which is expected to get under way in January. The plant, which will be able to process 5,000 head of cattle a day, should be operational by mid-2008.

Each day, 5,000 cattle slaughtered. Day in and day out, millions of pounds of animal flesh will be processed. Send donations to PETA P. Anderson, Box E-I-E-I-O, Hollywood, California.

Speech Pathologist Accused of Sex with Boy

(Farmington, Utah) A 48-year-old speech and language pathologist for the Davis County School District, Kathryn Louise Parmley, was summoned to court to face charges that she engaged in sex with a 17-year-old boy. Parmley is married to a deputy prosecutor in adjacent Weber County.

Parmley has been charged with two third-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old in incidents occurring between September 2005 and June 2006. The boy dated Parmley's daughter before allegedly having sex with the mother.

Parmley is free without bail. The school system put her on administrative leave.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 07/16/07]

Parmley sentenced in accordance with plea deal.

Female Parole Officer and Boy

(Arlington, Texas) A 40-year-old parole officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Marci Ann Hearn, has been arrested for alleged inappropriate conduct with a 16-year-old boy.

Hearn faces one count of indecency with a child by contact for an incident that allegedly occurred on September 24. As of Tuesday night, Hearn was being held in the Arlington Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

ACLU Sues to Protect Garbage, Drugs, Prostitution

(Fresno, California) The city of Fresno decides to clean up hazardous homeless camps on downtown city property and the ACLU files a lawsuit.

From SacBee.com:

City officials said the tent cities set up by the homeless are safety hazards, a nuisance and hotbeds of crime.

"The sweeps are done when neighbors start to complain about the smell, the tons of garbage that accumulates, and the drug use and prostitution that goes on," said Rhonda Jorn, a spokeswoman for the city.

"We have to be fair to the people that live in the area," she said.

The city posts fliers in advance giving the homeless notice that workers will be clearing out a settlement, giving people an opportunity to gather their personal items, she said.

Although advance notice of the cleanup was provided, the ACLU claims that the sweeps "violate the constitutional right to be free of unreasonable seizure of property and deprivation of property without due process of law."

Next, a judge decides what's 'fair.'

This has been a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay@stoptheaclu.com or GribbitR@gmail.com. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.

Ohio to Force Welfare on Amish

(Claridon Township, Ohio) The Ohio state Office of Family Stability (OFS) is having a wedgie. Ohio's Amish communities do not believe in nor want welfare. They won't take food stamps. This Amish attitude is contrary to the nanny state philosophy held by bureaucratic serf-makers.

The Amish communities in Geauga and Holmes counties have refused to plant their maws on the teats of the taxpayer-funded state welfare sow. Rather than trumpet the Amish spirit of personal responsibility, the state Deputy Director of OFS, Jeanne Carroll, has issued a mandate to figuratively shove welfare down Amish throats. Billboards and other local means will be used to advertise food stamps. Hopefully, the campaign will state, "Hey Amish people! You need this so much, we have to advertise."

According to OFS employee Tim Taylor, "No matter how much we do, the Amish won't sign up. It's not something they endorse."

The state Office of Family Stability could use some instability. I say the bureaucrats managing the agency should be fired. Trying to manufacture needy people is not in the public's interest.


[Update 10/21/06]

The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has reversed its decision to shove food stamps on the Amish. I wonder why.

English Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Norcross, Georgia) A 33-year-old English teacher at Meadowcreek High School, Angela Coffey, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy. Coffey resigned from her teaching position on Monday. Police say the relationship lasted from March to August this year.

Coffey was booked and released on $16,000 bail. A court date remains to be scheduled.


[Update 03/31/07]

Coffey indicted.

Woman Gets 6 Months for Rape

(Tulsa, Oklahoma) In the summer of 2005, 33-year-old Department of Human Services child welfare specialist, Stephanie Swintek-Walker, was jailed for allegedly raping a 13-year-old boy she attempted to adopt in 2003. She was booked and released.

This week, Stephanie Swintek-Walker pleaded no contest to rape of the boy and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Molester Gets 6 Months County Work or Jail

(Stockton, California) Last June, 50-year-old sign-language teacher's aide with the Stockton Unified School District, Vickie L. Kerby, was arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy.

This week, Kerby pleaded guilty to felony unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor before San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Bernard Barber.

Barber sentenced Kerby to six months in jail or a county work program and three years probation. Her plea also specifies registration as a sex offender and prohibition from working in California schools.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Strickland Squishy On Unlawful Sex

News has surfaced which indicates that Ohio Democrat Ted Strickland has a laissez-faire attitude toward sexual offenders and, as a consequence, his character and capacity to serve the public should be seriously questioned.

Previously, it was reported that Strickland failed to condemn a bizarre study which found that sexual abuse is not always bad for children. Apparently, Ted Strickland believes that child sexual abuse can sometimes produce positive results. It's also been reported that Strickland coddled a campaign manager who was previously convicted of sexual misconduct before pre-teen girls at a school.

These episodes are telling. Specifically, Strickland apparently does not share the overwhelming outrage of society concerning child sex offenses and offenders. His lack of a rigorous and firm position against sexual molestation and predation is unacceptable. Squishiness is not an admirable leadership trait.

Strickland should bow out of public service and go back to teaching psychology.

Teacher Indicted for Sex with Boy

(Wytheville, Virginia) Last January, 41-year-old English teacher at Scott Memorial Middle School, Karen Susan Patton, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old student. Patton, a married mother of two, resigned her teaching position.

This week, Patton, now 42, was indicted by a Wythe County grand jury. She faces four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge and one count of non-forcible sodomy.

A trial date of March 6 has been scheduled.


[Update 03/13/07]

Patton pleads no contest.


[Update 06/26/07]

Patton sentenced.