Women With Troubles - March 2007

Here is the compilation of women with troubles reported in the news during March 2007. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

(AR) Loretta Stacy, 23,
neighbor, married - Sentenced to 90 days in jail for sex with boy, 14,

(CA) Sherry Brians, 42,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for lewd acts with boy, 12,

(CA) Judy Graves, 32,
neighbor - Arrested for molesting a child for a period of 7 months,

(CA) Gloria Kleeh, 61,
teacher - Accused of child abuse and injury,

(CA) Michelle Rossi, 36,
teacher/administrator - Arrested for alleged sex with girl, 14,

(CA) Cora Marie Solorio, 24,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 13,

(CA) Anna J. Walker-Vogt, 35,
neighbor mom, 3 kids - Pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with boys and providing alcohol to teens,

(CO) Tani Leigh Firkins, 33,
neighbor - Sentenced to six years prison for child sexual abuse. The sentence is added on to a nine-year sentence from a different jurisdiction for similar crimes,

(CO) Irene Marie Gomez, 38,
neighbor, mother - Arrested for child sex assault for having kids by boy, starting at 13,

(CO) Erin Hutchinson, 31,
prison guard - Accused of sex with inmate, 14,

(CO) Regina Martinez, 25,
mother - Arrested for giving marijuana to son, 6,

(CO) Amanda Tilley,
teacher - Accused of providing alcohol to students,

(CO) Nicole Uribe, 23,
Mexican woman - Arrested for allegedly trading baby for down payment on car,

(CT) Jodi Kress, 31,
teacher - Accused of stealing and selling hundreds of books from school,

(DE) Rachel L. Holt, 35,
teacher - Sentenced to 10 years prison for raping boy, 13,

(FL) Stephanie Kay Allen, 28.
teacher - DUI (2nd) and fleeing charges,

(FL) Kathleen Garrett, 50,
teacher - Sentenced to probation for child abuse,

(FL) Briana Kelsey Hurley, 17,
neighbor - Accused of burglary

(FL) Maryann Long, 44,
married neighbor - Accused of luring 3 boys into hot tub and engaging in sex,

(GA) Angela Coffey, 33,
teacher - Indicted for sex assault for relationship with boy, 17,

(GA) Frances Cook, 42,
teacher - Sentenced to 5 years prison for molesting boy, 15,

(ID) Rayenell Carmona Underwood, 27,
neighbor - Sentenced to 12 years with no parole for at least 3 years for lewd contact with boy, 14,

(IL) Jodi Church, 26,
sp. ed. teacher - Accused in state and federal court of sex crimes against boys, 16,

(IL) Francine Cordova, 32,
teacher - Accused of sex with 17-year-old learning disabled male student,

(IL) Andrea K. Sharos, 37,
mother - Arrested for serving alcohol to minors,

(IN) Andrea Chestnut, 30,
gymnastics coach - Sentenced to probation for liquoring up students,

(KS) Meredith L. Kane, 24,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 15,

(KS) Marsha "Marcy" J. Mote, 37,
teacher - Accused of indecent liberties with girl, 14,

(LA) Jessica Theall,
teacher - Fired for inappropriate behavior with students,

(MA) Mary Jean Armstrong, 38,
mother - Sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison for conviction of multiple criminal counts related to prostituting her 8-year-old daughter in exchange for drugs,

(MA) Natalie A. Nemeskal, 31,
school secretary - Accused of hosting liquor and sex party for students,

(MD) Michelle Dohm, 41,
teacher - Accused of making bomb threats. Trial starts April 2nd,

(MI) Leslie Judkins, 22,
neighbor - Sentenced to 40 to 60 months prison for sex crimes with boy, 14, and probation violations,

(MO) Teresa Engelbach, 21,
teacher - Accused of rape and sodomy of male student, 14,

(MO) Michelle Slamp, 38,
adolescent care specialist - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(MS) Carla Hughes, 27,
teacher - Indicted for double murder,

(NC) Janet Briggs, 43,
teacher - Received deferred prosecution in alleged close behavior with boy, 14, case,

(NJ) Denise Ackley, 44,
neighbor - Arrested for sexually abusing boy, 9,

(NJ) Karen Binder, 42,
teacher - Accused of official misconduct for sending sex messages to male students,

(NJ) Amy Burke, 32,
teacher - Sentenced to possible 4 years prison for sex with boy, 13,

(NJ) Amanda E. Francis, 21,
prostitute - Arrested for sex with boy, 12,

(NJ) Michelle Morano, 33,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with male student, 17,

(NV) Tracie Nelson, 37,
teacher - Sentenced to 12 to 32 months in prison for sex with boy, 15,

(NV) Kymberly Tamburello, 43,
sp. education teacher - Arrested for possession and trafficking of drugs,

(NY) Marcia Amsterdam, 30,
teacher - Arrested for raping boy, 13,

(NY) Kimberly A. Baker, 23,
neighbor - Charged with rape and endangering for sex with boy, 13,

(NY) Doris Kurick, 54, and daughter Cleo, 21,
sp. ed. teacher - Arrested for marijuana farm in her home,

(NY) Lauren Maggi, 35,
neighbor - Guilty of spitting on soldier,

(NY) Crystal Mittler, 23,
neighbor - Booked for rape of boy, 15,

(NY) Lina Sinha, 40,
teacher - Convicted of sodomy and witness bribery in student sex case,

(NY) Emily Streb, 23,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 15,

(OH) Renata Carter, 26,
neighbor - Pleaded guilty to rape of boy, 12,

(OH) Kelli Mitchell, 30,
neighbor - Arrested for engaging in sex with boy, 13,

(OH) Penny Morrison, 33,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(OH) Renee Smith, 36,
teacher - Arrested for sex with two male students, both 17,

(OR) Jamie Tennille Burkhart, 27,
day care operator - Arrested for multiple sex offenses involving young boys,

(PA) Christine Kosik, 56,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to corruption of minors for hosting a teen drinking party,

(SC) Mary Clark, 52, and John Clark, 54,
teachers - Accused of hosting teen party and charging students to drink alcohol,

(SC) Susan L. Lower, 46,
neighbor- Accused of sex with two boys under 16 for ten years,

(SC) Allenna Williams Ward, 23.
teacher, married - Arrested for sex with 5 black schoolboys, ages 14 and 15,

(SD) Kelli Cuperus, 38,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of male student, 15,

(TN) Erin McLean, 30,
intern teacher - Alleged love triangle led to death of student by Erin's husband Eric,

(TX) Amanda Cornelsen, 24,
teacher - Arrested for drug possession,

(TX) Brenda Etters, 43,
neighbor - Sentenced to 4 years prison for sex assault of boy, 13,

(TX) Candra Dee Payton, 31,
teacher - Accused of having sex with male student, 15,

(TX) Denise Pham, 28,
married mother - Accused of sex with boy, 14, and getting pregnant by him,

(TX) Tamara Ryman, 37,
teacher - Suspended on suspicion of sex crimes against male student, 16,

(TX) Emily S. Willis, 28,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student,

(VA) Darlene Anna Blagg, 36,
teacher - Accused of sexual exploitation of students, 16 through 18 years old,

(VA) Karen Susan Patton, 42,
teacher - Guilty of sex crimes against male students. Sentencing in June,

(VA) Lacey Phillabaum, 31,
eco-terrorist - Reported to prison for incarceration prior to sentencing on arson conviction,

(VA) Wendy Ellen Wills, 33,
teacher - Accused of indecency and providing alcohol to boy,

(VT) Melanie Hackett, 24,
teacher - Sentenced to one to 10 years in prison for lewd conduct with boy, 13,

(WA) Rebekah M. Todd, 25,
teacher - Sentenced to six months jail for sex assault of male student, 17,

(WI) Racheal M. Graf, 21,
youth counselor - Accused of sex assault of male resident, 17,

(WV) Bobbi Jo Starry, 41,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 14.

As always, thanks to the tipsters.

New Jersey Hooker and Boy

(Monmouth County, New Jersey) A 21-year-old prostitute, Amanda E. Francis, has been accused of sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy during an episode paid for by a 50-year-old Toms River man, James H. Holmberg.

Both Francis and Holmberg have been charged with sexual assault, conspiracy to commit sexual assault, promoting prostitution, conspiracy to promote prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.

Investigators were alerted to the situation by the boy's mother.

If convicted, Francis and Holmberg each face a possible 20 years in prison.

Former Teacher Pinched for Lewd Relations

(Aliso Viejo, California) A 36-year-old former middle school teacher, Michelle Rossi, was arrested Thursday for allegedly engaging in a year-long inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old female student nine years ago.

The former student alerted San Bernardino investigators of the inappropriate relationship and Orange County deputies made the arrest. Rossi was placed on leave from her current position as an administrator for the San Bernardino Unified School District.

Rossi was charged Thursday with 12 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child and booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. On Friday, she was released on $500,000 bail.

A San Bernardino Superior Court appearance is scheduled for May 11.

Tip: John


[Update 05/12/07]

Rossi pleads not guilty.


[Update 10/19/07]

Rossi takes plea deal. Sentencing in November.

Smugglers Warring Along Border

(Tucson, Arizona) Think about it. Is it really necessary to go all the way down to the bowels of Mexico to obtain enough product to engage in a thriving drug enterprise in the U.S.?

Not in the least. All you have to do is wait for some other people to return from the bowels of Mexico, kill them and hijack their load of drugs. According to this report, that's exactly what's happening.

Law enforcement officials say they are seeing an increase of brazen attacks near the border. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the smuggler-on-smuggler violence is spurred by desire for money, power and turf. Pima County's sheriff says border agencies are overwhelmed by the attacks and the violence is reaching crisis proportion.

Crisis?

Well, maybe so but it's not a top-shelf crisis like global warming or the mainstream media would tell everybody about it. After all, having bodies pile up in the desert and the country flooded with drugs is not nearly as important as the temperature of the planet theoretically being two degrees warmer 100 years from now.

Teacher Indicted for Sex with Boy

(Norcross, Georgia) In October 2006, 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. Police say the relationship lasted from March to August 2006.

Coffey resigned from her teaching position. She was booked and released on $16,000 bail.

This week, Angela Coffey, now 34, was indicted by a Gwinnett County grand jury on a charge of sexual assault. The sex allegedly occurred at a private residence, not the school.

It may be a while before anything new happens in the case since six months transpired between Coffey's arrest and her indictment. The local court system must be backlogged with cases.

Teacher Amy Burke Gets Prison

(Perth Amboy, New Jersey) In October 2006, 32-year-old teacher at McGinnis School, Amy Burke, was arrested for engaging in a months-long inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old male student. Burke resigned her teaching position after her arrest.

Burke, a married mother of a young child, was charged with official misconduct, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

In November, Burke accepted a deal and pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct. Burke agreed to forfeit her teaching certification and spend up to four years in prison.

Yesterday, Superior Court Judge Barbara Clark Stolte sentenced Burke to serve up to four years in prison.

Under terms of the sentence, Burke, who is married and the mother of a 3-year-old boy, could become eligible for parole in about six months, but could serve as much as 3 1/2 more years in prison. She was credited with already serving about six months in custody since her arrest.

Burke stated in court that she couldn't describe how sorry she is.

Although it makes absolutely no difference in the crimes nor sentence, reports have been inconsistent on the age of Burke's victim. Even so, we can be fairly certain that he was either 12 or 13 years old when the sex offenses were committed.

Illegal Alien Arrested for Felony Theft

(Jacksonville, Florida) A 33-year-old illegal alien, Francisca Torres Lopez Sanchez (plus unknown aliases), was arrested for free bagging more than $20,000 worth of merchandise from her employer, Bealls Department Store. Free bagging is bagging the merchandise and not charging the customer-accomplice. Sanchez had been under surveillance for some time before her arrest.

During interviews, investigators found that Sanchez used several names and ultimately she admitted to being in the country illegally. Additionally, warrants were found to have been issued in other counties for a woman using one of Sanchez's claimed aliases. Detectives are still trying to determine if the woman wanted is none other than Sanchez.

Sanchez faces third-degree felony theft charges. A federal immigration hold order was also placed on her.

Sheriff Arpaio Arresting Illegals

(Phoenix, Arizona) Yesterday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio introduced new enforcement measures to arrest people suspected of being in the United States illegally. Previously, Sheriff Joe only arrested illegals believed to be conspiring with human smugglers. The new approach extends the scope of enforcement, however, deputies will not go "to Home Depot and arrest everybody."

More than three dozen Sheriff's Department officers have completed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) training "that gives them the power of federal officers."

"They will now have the authority to put their federal hat on," Arpaio said. "In the course of their duties, when they stop vehicles under probable cause, they are going to take the necessary action."

One opponent of the new law enforcement tactic, activist Danny Ortega, warned of racial profiling and resultant discrimination lawsuits against individual officers. Ortega also believes that illegals will now suffer a paralyzing fear of law enforcers in the county.

Might I suggest that it's entirely normal for criminals to fear the police?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Party Mom Pleads Guilty to Sex/Alcohol Charges

(Modesto, California) In January, a 35-year-old wife of a policeman, Anna J. Walker-Vogt, was arrested in front of her husband and three children for allegedly buying beer for a teen party and engaging in sex with at least one minor.

Authorities say she also paid one boy $50 to drive 11 other teens home in his sport utility vehicle which he crashed, injuring everyone in the vehicle.

Walker-Vogt was charged with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Yesterday, Anna Walker-Vogt reportedly surprised the court and pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with boys and providing alcohol during a teen party. Through an agreement with the prosecution, a sentence of one year in jail and probation will be recommended. She will also avoid having to register as a sex offender.

A sentencing date of May 31 has been scheduled.

By the way, Walker-Vogt's husband filed for divorce.


[Update 06/01/07]

Walker-Vogt sentenced to jail.

Lina Sinha "Nasty in Manhattan" Convicted

(New York City) Lina Sinha, the 40-year-old Manhattan Montessori School teacher, was charged with 80 total counts of rape, sodomy and tampering with witnesses and evidence in a teacher-student sex case which began back in October 2005.

Last year, Sinha rejected a plea bargain which would have sent her to prison for six years, opting for a trial instead.

Last month, the trial of Lina Sinha got underway in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Justice Carol Berkman presiding.

Yesterday, Lina Sinha was convicted by a jury of five men and seven women on felony counts of sodomy and witness bribery.

A headmistress and teacher at an exclusive Manhattan Montessori school, accused of sex liaisons with two barely pubescent students, was convicted Thursday of sodomizing one of them when he was 13.

Lina Sinha, 40, also was convicted of sodomizing the student when he was older, a crime with a lesser penalty than the same act with a 13-year-old, and of trying to bribe a second boy to get him to lie about their sexual relationship.

Punishment for the convictions could total almost two decades in prison, seven years each for sodomy and witness bribery, four years for a lesser sodomy charge, and a possible year for each of several misdemeanor counts of criminal impersonation and false reporting. Prosecutor Rachel L. Hochhauser asked the court to sentence Sinha to consecutive terms although consecutive sentences are infrequent.

Two accusers led to the charges against Sinha and the jury doubted the credibility of one, leading to a deadlock on six counts of statutory rape. Ms. Hochhauser indicated that the district attorney would likely retry Sinha on the rape charges.

Judge Berkman scheduled sentencing for April 19th while also raising Sinha's bail to $3.5 million from $50,000 because of her potential long-term incarceration and prominent family links with India.

After her conviction, Lina Sinha was escorted away in handcuffs as her large family quietly watched. Her attorney, Gerald L. Shargel, said there would be an appeal.

Previous:

02/27/07 - Lina Sinha Trial Underway
10/20/06 - 'Nasty in Manhattan' Going to Trial
09/06/06 - Teacher Lina Sinha Offered Plea Deal
05/31/06 - Teacher Lina Sinha - Nasty in Manhattan
10/30/05 - Female Teacher Charged with Rape of Student

[Update 04/02/07]

Parents put up bail for Sinha.


[Update 04/19/07]

Sinha sentenced to prison.

Man Arrested, Woman Prosecuted

(Hamilton County, Tennessee) A Hamilton County man, Alexander Cross, was arrested for molesting a 15-year-old girl. While awaiting trial, someone casually noticed Alexander in the shower and he had female parts.

Further research revealed that Alexander was actually born as Elaine and had a name change. With her factory-installed equipment being a dead giveaway, Alexander was relocated to female isolation.

In court, being a man or woman didn't make much difference. Alexander pleaded guilty to statutory rape and received a suspended sentence. She will also have to register as a sex offender. Judge Rebecca Stern also ordered Alexander to have her driver's license changed to reflect that she is female, not male.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Alimony Continues Despite Sex Change

(Clearwater, Florida) Lawrence Roach, 48, tried to get alimony payments to his ex-wife, 55-year-old Julia, discontinued since she had a sex change and became a man named Julio Roberto Silverwolf. Roach contended that his divorce papers specified he pay alimony to a woman and he cannot legally pay alimony to a man.

Circuit Judge Jack R. St. Arnold disagreed and ruled that Roach must continue with the alimony payments. Roach vowed to pursue the issue further while likely hiding the penetrating agony resulting from a chronic case of severely-frosted coconuts. Ironically, his wife gets a pair and his hurt more.

Although Julio, formerly Julia, won the case and guaranteed future payments of $1,250 per month, the transgender crowd was slapped down by affirmation that Florida law doesn't recognize sex changes in people because, by law, gender is identified and documented at birth.

Thanks to several tipsters on this story.

Embryo Transfer Ponzi Scheme

(Topeka, Kansas) Anyone who knows what a Ponzi scheme is doesn't have to have a regulator identify it. Unfortunately, the writer of this report appears to think that a regulator must call a scam a Ponzi scheme before it actually is one.

A Topeka area man pleaded no contest to 36 felony charges stemming from a fictitious $1.3 million cattle embryo transfer program that regulators called a Ponzi scheme.

State officials said Donald G. Atteberry, 52 of Berryton, Kan., had promised investors 5 percent to 15 percent returns in six months. Their money was supposed to be used to freeze cattle embryos that would be shipped to Europe.

Instead, Atteberry paid some investors returns by using money from new investors, which regulators describe as a Ponzi scheme. The money also financed Atteberry's personal expenses, including gambling at casinos, the state said.

Therefore, we have a fraudulent investment scheme involving payout of high returns to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors. That's the definition of a Ponzi scheme, whether a regulator deems it so or not.

Atteberry faces a possible 86 months in prison, hundreds of thousands in fines and almost $1 million in restitution.

Blogger Code of Conduct

The BBC is pushing the idea of a blogger code of conduct, citing the words of Tim O'Reilly, identified as one of the web's most influential thinkers. I've never heard of him but apparently he's big news in the UK.

The impetus for the blogger code appears to be death threats sent to one female blogger named Kathy Sierra, also someone I'm not familiar with. The BBC article has a survey form at the link for readers to weigh in.

I think it would be unwise to impose government controls on blogger conduct. Of course, I'm customarily against government control on most everything since it seems to regularly result in aggravating existing problems and creating new problems while spending wheelbarrows of taxpayer funds.

Toledo Woman Accused of Sex with Boy, 12

(Toledo, Ohio) A 26-year-old Toledo woman, Renata Carter, is on trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court for allegedly having sex with a 12-year-old boy in December 2005.

During opening statements, assistant county prosecutor Rob Miller stated he intends to offer in evidence a videotaped interview in which Carter confesses to the alleged incident. Defense attorney Mark Berling stated that family members came forward with allegations when Carter refused to give them money for a party.

Judge Stacy Cook is presiding. Carter faces a possible 10 years in prison if convicted.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 03/31/07]

After two days of testimony, Carter entered court yesterday and pleaded guilty to first-degree rape. Interestingly, she was offered a plea deal prior to the trial where she could have pleaded to second-degree rape which carries a lighter sentence.

A sentencing date of August 27th has been scheduled.


[Update 04/28/07]

Carter sentenced.

Freed Gitmo Prisoners Beaten in Russia

Gitmo prisoners freed and sent to their homeland of Russia were greeted with harsh treatment and, of course, Human Rights Watch blamed the U.S. According to Carroll Bogert, associate director at Human Rights Watch, "The US government knew these men would likely be tortured and sent them back to Russia anyway."

Boy, you just can't satisfy the leftists. First, they say that prisoners are tortured at Gitmo and the place should be shut down. Yet, when action is taken to depopulate Gitmo to satisfy the concerns, the U.S. gets blamed because Russia beats the prisoners. The people at Human Rights Watch are being unrealistic if they believe that Russia is going to comply with conditions the U.S. has established regarding how to treat prisoners.

Obviously, the U.S. is the fall guy for anything the utopian human rights crowd doesn't like, regardless of whether it makes any sense. And, in those cases where released terrorist prisoners returned to the battlefield to kill American soldiers and innocent civilians, which has happened, Human Rights Watch utters not one peep.

Sheesh!

EU Pushing for Environmental Taxes

Being a firm believer that the global warming movement is entirely political, the EU yesterday bolstered my belief system by making the imposition of environmental taxes on member states a primary goal.

I remember when I was a little kid listening to the adults complain about taxes and always chuckled when someone thanked God that politicians hadn't been able to figure out how to tax air. Well, thanks to the global warming scammers and their compliant minions, they have.

Get ready for the greatest redistribution and pissing away of wealth the world has ever seen.

Intruder Killed With Own Gun

(Everett, Washington) Last night, an intruder in a house near downtown Everett was shot and killed with his own gun.

Everett police detained and then released a man they described as an acquaintance of a man who rented the upstairs portion of the house in the 2300 block of Wetmore Avenue. The shooting happened in the interior stairwell leading from the front door to the resident's living quarters, said Gretchen Galstad, who rents the lower unit.

Galstad said the intruder, who police have not identified, kicked in the door and then encountered the acquaintance on the stairs. The intruder fired at least two shots before the other man wrestled the gun away and shot the intruder with it, she said.

I'm confused. It appears that the man who lived upstairs was the intruder. Doesn't make sense. Nonetheless, he's dead and no charges have been filed.


[Update 03/30/07]

The deceased intruder has been identified as Leonard Hunter, 18, a student at Franklin High School in Seattle. Hunter apparently had trouble with the law on several occasions in the past.

Twin Sisters in Sheboygan

(Sheboygan, Wisconsin) Supposedly, this whole episode was for the benefit of a boyfriend.

Twin sisters were charged with disorderly conduct on Tuesday after taking topless photos in front of a 5-year-old boy.

Pam and Penny Crane, 29, are accused of snapping naked pictures in front of the child, a relative of the sisters.

The women were wearing thong underwear and hosiery, while the 5-year-old appeared in some of the photos and may have snapped one of the two sisters topless, Lt. Jeff Johnston said.

"Why they would take those pictures, I have no idea," said Sheboygan County district attorney Joe DeCecco, who called the case creepy. "But then to go one step further and to be exposing their breasts to the child and buttocks to the child."

A drug store turned the photos into police after developing the film from a disposable camera.

The pictures were taken for a boyfriend currently in Las Vegas. According to police, the sisters didn't force the child to touch them inappropriately and they wouldn't have been charged if not for the pictures.

As a reminder to the unnamed boyfriend in Las Vegas, the hubba-hubba twins in Sheboygan are waiting for you.


[Update 07/19/07]

Crane sisters convicted and fined.

California Crusade Bans Lead Ammunition

Environmental groups and the California Department of Fish and Game are on a crusade to ban lead ammunition for hunting anywhere the "highly" endangered California condor roams. The contention is that lead is being ingested by the condors as they eat carrion and killing them. Dale Steele, a conservation manager for the Fish and Game Department said the science supporting the contention is "... still not very well understood," but the agency is still going to recommend the ban.

The California Fish and Game Commission, appointed by the governor, is scheduled to vote on the issue on April 13th.

In opposition, President Sam Paredes of the Gun Owners of California said, "These guys just want to ban all hunting. It's a foothold."

I agree with Sam.

Woman Gives Sex For Flattery

(Melbourne, Australia) A 28-year-old woman, Diana Nicole Bennett, pleaded guilty to engaging in a six-week sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy. Bennett claims she was flattered that the boy found her sexually attractive.

Excuse me, Ms. Bennett, for the sake of future reference, 15-year-old boys find the photos in National Geographic sexually attractive.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 05/02/07]

Bennett given 12 month suspended sentence.

White Teachers, Black Students

This is interesting. In two previously-reported stories of South Carolina teacher-student sexual relations, Allenna Ward and Wendie Schweikert, it appears that the mainstream media failed to mention that the teachers are white and all the victims are black boys. How odd?

Nevertheless, this simple unreported fact is known locally and it has stirred up some racial tension.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 06/02/07]

Schweikert sentenced to 10 years prison.


[Update 02/19/08]

Allenna Ward sentenced to six years in prison.

Working Without Being Hired

(Linn County, Oregon) On Monday of this week, a 20-year-old man started working at the A & W restaurant on Highway 34 without being hired. He went into the office and found an employee's shirt, put it on, wrote his name and phone number on an employee roster and then went to the counter to work.

The Sheriff's Department is investigating.

Usually the complaint is that someone gets hired and then doesn't do any work. This case is the exact opposite.

Animal Lover Gets Probation

(Superior, Wisconsin) A 20-year-old Superior man, Bryan James Hathaway, pleaded no contest to engaging in sex with a dead deer and was sentenced to probation -- to be served concurrent with a nine-month jail sentence received from a different offense. In his defense, Hathaway is quoted as saying, "What do you expect me to do, have sex with a live deer?"

Hathaway was also ordered to complete sex offender evaluation and treatment. It's not known whether Hathaway faces charges from the Fish and Wildlife Department for bagging a deer out of season.

A previous conviction in April 2005 involved Hathaway killing a horse for purposes of having sex with it. For felony mistreatment of an animal, he received 18 months in jail and two years extended supervision. It's not clear what constitutes the crime of felony mistreatment, killing the horse or having sex with it. His nine-month sentence was received for violating the conditions of his extended supervision which he apparently did by doing a dead doe.

Douglas County Circuit Court Judge Michael Lucci termed Hathaway's behavior as "disturbing." Left unanswered, however, was the question of where are the women in Wisconsin.

Smoking Ban Makes Odors Noticeable

(Dunfermline, Scotland) An unintended consequence of banning smoking in Scottish pubs is that now people can be offended by other substances in the air -- uh, like flatulence. However, instead of banning the act of breaking wind, proprietors are banning the perpetrators.

Management at the bar say Stewart Laidlaw "revels" in his bouts of flatulence and other punters have almost been sick after exposure to the foul smells.

Mr Laidlaw (35), who is furious at the ban by Thirsty Kirsty's, is thought to be the first person in West Fife to be barred for breaking wind.

The James Street pub's owner says the stench has become unbearable since Scotland's smoking ban came in last year but suspects drinkers could have been breathing in the waft for years before without noticing it.

Note that, in this story, we have an entirely new definition of "reveler." I also suspect that the Dunfermline Press might be confronted with a scarcity of newsworthy local stories since it devoted about 2,500 words to this farts in a bar piece. Nevertheless, it is interesting to know that lighting up a smoke makes everybody's farts smell okay.

Tip: Charlie Nestor

Monstrous Cane Toad

Due to recent media interest, I decided to reproduce my February 2006 post on the cane toad.

Originally introduced in Australia during the 1930s to control sugar cane beetles, cane toads are now marching across Australia, poisoning millions of animals - from lizards to crocodiles to family pets. It has become a menace due to its poisonous toxins.

To control them, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is urging the use of hemorrhoid cream. Applying a dollop of cream on a toad's back will put it to sleep, allowing it to be picked up, bagged and frozen.


Cane Toad
Hemorrhoid cream makes them sleepy
Currently, people are using golf clubs and cricket bats to control them. When one is seen, it's whacked. Unfortunately, a problem is created by having rotting toad carcasses drawing flies and littering the environment, not at all unlike Congress. The RSPCA promotes levying fines for toad whacking.

A suggested method of cleaning the mess is to collect the toad carcasses, and mix them with an alkaline solution to create a decomposed toad soup which can be used as fertilizer. An environmental group of "frog conscious" members called FrogWatch hopes the fertilizer will be ultimately sold to the public. It's said to be great for pawpaws.

With the appointment of a frog guru as regional coordinator among various toad fighting groups in northern Australia, hopefully the war against the pest will be more organized and effective.

Heh.

School Secretary Accused of Boozing with Students

(Hamilton, Massachusetts) A 31-year-old former secretary at North Shore High School, Natalie A. Nemeskal, faces charges resulting from having a liquor and sex party with students at her home.

Nemeskal has been charged with nine counts of providing alcohol to minors and one count of witness intimidation for allegedly pressuring a student to recant an earlier statement to police.

From WHDH.com:

The police report also detailed a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old-student named Brian, who admitted to going out into a hot tub and having sex with Ms. Nemeskal.

The report also said, "Brian admitted to having a relationship with Ms. Nemeskal over the past two months, both inside and outside of school."

According to police, the drinking and sex was going on while Nemeskal's 12-year-old daughter was home.

She also allegedly attempted to get a witness to lie about her partying ways.

Nemeskal is now currently unemployed.

Another report indicates that Nemeskal had sex with a 17-year-old Gloucester boy.

All in all, indications are that Nemeskal was a serious party animal with underage students and she didn't seem to care that her young daughter was present.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 07/21/07]

Nemeskal sentenced.

Strickland: Ohio May See $400 Million Investment

From DDN:

A "major pharmaceutical company" may soon announce a $400 million investment between Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said Tuesday.

Strickland declined to identify the company or say how many new jobs the investment might entail.

But he said the company's chief financial officer recently visited his residence to say that an other state, Arizona, was no longer competing with Ohio for the project.

"They told me an announcement would have to wait until certain due diligence" work was complete, Strickland said.

While the unnamed company's CFO was visiting Strickland, do you think the governor mentioned his plans to jack up taxes? I don't.

Internet Love Affair

(Houston, Texas) Get out your hankies, readers. Here's the story of the lonely schoolteacher named Dee Dee who looked for and found love on the Internet. His name was Thomas Green, a Texan doing contract work in Nigeria.

Finally, the day arrived when Thomas was coming home.

"[I] was waiting in the airport for two hours in a red spaghetti-strapped dress, all dolled up," Dee Dee said.

Except her boyfriend never showed up.

"I come back here, I'm devastated, and he's waiting for me online," she said.

He told her he was mugged while on his way to the airport and needed money. Without any hesitation, she complied.

"He wooed me, I'm walking on the clouds, so I sent him money," she said.

She sent $900 via Western Union, then another $900, then $1,400 and so on and so on.

Sad, isn't it? On a positive note, though, Dee Dee is lobbying for Match.com and Yahoo Personals to put a disclaimer on the bottom of their website pages saying something like (I'm guessing here), "Don't be dumb! It's the Internet, Stupid!"

In the meantime, Dee Dee continues to keystroke for Mr. Right.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Teacher Gets Probation in Child Abuse Case

(Sanford, Florida) Last January, a 50-year-old teacher of disabled children for Seminole Public Schools, Kathleen Garrett, was found guilty of child abuse for being physically heavy-handed with the disabled boys and girls, occasionally causing injury.

Today, Circuit Judge Clayton Simmons sentenced Garrett to three years probation.

The judge today said there was no evidence Garrett ever abused anyone -- child or adult -- outside her classroom.

Her Florida teaching certificate is no longer valid, and the judge forbid her to apply for a new one.

She has no prior criminal record, the judge said, is not a hardened criminal, and so, he opted to withhold adjudication, meaning that although a jury found her guilty of a felony, he did not formally declare her one.

That means she will not lose her voting rights or suffer any other consequences for having been convicted of a felony.

Before her trial began, Garrett rejected a plea deal that would have placed her on probation for five years.

Okay.

Mystery Rash in Georgia, Plus OH and FLA

Last week, it was reported that a mysterious rash had surfaced among students at schools in NE Ohio and residents in Duval County, Florida. Now, there's a report that a mysterious rash among students has also emerged at the Forest Park Middle School in Forest Park, Georgia.

In Ohio and Georgia, school officials sent the students home. Also, it's worth noting that the rashes persisted even after the Ohio schools were sanitized/decontaminated.

In all cases, health department and EPA investigators have taken swipe samples to try and determine if a foreign substance is causing the skin irritation. Results of their investigations are expected soon.

John Edwards Opposes Family Leave

Simple question:

If John Edwards doesn't need family leave from work (that he isn't even obligated to do) because his wife has terminal cancer, why do we have laws forcing employers to give time off for workers with sick family members?

If John Edwards can continue working while his wife is ill, it seems unnecessarily intrusive for the government to force employers to suffer the absence of their workers.

Accused Kills Girlfriend, Incinerates Parts on Grill

(Houston, Texas) A 27-year-old man, Timothy Wayne Shepherd, allegedly murdered his girlfriend and attempted to incinerate her parts on the BBQ grill.

According to law enforcement officials, Shepherd dismembered, and then burned the body of his former girlfriend, Tynesha Stewart, a 19-year-old Texas A&M University student. Nothing remains of Stewart's body, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas said at a press conference Saturday.

"I just don't know what to think about it," said Louis Evans, whose balcony faces Shepherd's in the quiet tree-lined enclave in northern Houston. "I thought he was a nice normal person. I guess you never know what your neighbors are doing."

Authorities said Shepherd has confessed to strangling and dismembering Stewart, a college freshman who was home on spring break, because he was angry that she had started a new relationship.

Sick, absolutely sick.

Christian Teacher Murdered by Muslim Students

(Gombe, Nigeria) According to this report, a Christian teacher allegedly desecrated the Koran and Muslim students began shouting "Allahu Akbar" and beat her to death.

Reportedly, she had collected books from a student she suspected of cheating on exams and tossed the books outside the classroom. She was unaware that one of the books was a Koran.

Muslim students at Government Day secondary school in the northeastern state of Gombe killed Christian teacher Oluwatoyin Olusase who was supervising an Islamic Religious Knowledge exam on Wednesday, according to the Nigerian newspaper This Day.

The newspaper, which described the killing as "gruesome," said that she was beaten to death and then set on fire. Students also burned the teacher's car and three blocks of the school containing classes, the school clinic, administrative offices and the library.

The principal of the school, Mohammed Sadiq, tried to protect Olusase and was also beaten. Afterward, authorities arrested 12 students and commenced an investigation.

Condolences to the family and friends of Oluwatoyin Olusase who unknowingly aggravated the religion of peace and paid with her life.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Teacher Arrested for DUI, Fleeing Accident Scene

(Okaloosa County, Florida) It's all about character.

From EmeraldCoast.com:

A school teacher was arrested for her second DUI after she hit a motorcyclist Wednesday night, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Stephanie Kay Allen, 28, of Fort Walton Beach, is a third-grade teacher at St. Mary's Catholic School.

She was charged with DUI and fleeing a uniformed law enforcement officer, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

It's reported that Allen's car had to be pinned by witnesses. Apparently, she was serious about trying to get away. She refused a breath test.

Teacher, Daughter Busted for Drug Operation

(Troy, New York) A 54-year-old special education teacher at Carroll Hill Elementary School, Doris Kurick, and her daughter, 21-year-old Cleo, were arrested last week for drug possession.

From WTEN.com:

Police say an anonymous tip sparked a month-long investigation centered around the Troy home Kurick shares with her 21-year-old daughter, Cleo, who was also arrested and charged with possession.

"It was a very successful, very sophisticated operation that the defendant had going here," says Troy Police Detective Sergeant John Cooney.

Police say it was a very elaborate process. They say every room in the basement of the teacher's home, located at 2426 Lavin Court, housed a different component of growing and processing marijuana.

"The officers located several rooms, each one specifically devoted to a specific function of the growth, drying, and cutting of marijuana," Det. Sgt. Cooney says.

Kurick was booked into the Rensselaer County Jail and released on $5,000 bail.

So, what do you think? Female teacher apparently dealing in marijuana which, of course, is used for medical purposes. Really, some people say that marijuana isn't nearly the problem that alcohol is. Not only that, but some lawmakers are trying their hardest to legalize dope.

Consequently, I'll boldly predict that Kurick walks away from this entire situation with a small fine and fully prepared to continue giving elementary school students a special education. I hope my prediction is wrong.

Teacher - Boy Case Evaporates

(Durham, NC) In February 2006, a 43-year-old teacher at Chewning Middle School, Janet Briggs, was arrested for allegedly allowing a 14-year-old student to spend the night at her home more than once. After the first occasion, the boy's father alerted police.

Briggs was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was released on the misdemeanor charge without bond and ordered to have no contact with the boy and his family. She also resigned her teaching position.

Since last year, there has been little information provided regarding the case. That is, until I found the following report.

A former eighth-grade teacher at Chewning Middle School was arrested a year ago last month and charged with allowing a male student to spend the night with her.

But in a quiet September plea deal that escaped media attention, Janet K. Briggs received deferred prosecution on two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, court records indicate.

With deferred prosecution, she received no punishment and will have a clean record if she behaves for the foreseeable future.

The incident came to light when the boy's father launched a complaint against Briggs. She then resigned as a teacher.

Briggs and the boy both denied that any sexual activity occurred.

No media attention, no punishment and a clean record are not ways to preclude recurrence of the situation. On a positive note, however, Briggs' lawyer, James D. "Butch" Williams, said she is not teaching anymore.

Quebec Bans Veils at Polls

(Montreal, Quebec) Every time I have gone to cast a ballot, usually more than one of the election workers makes sure that my face looks like the photo on my driver's license. It's inconceivable that I would be allowed to vote with a mask on my face.

Nevertheless, that's what the Muslims in Quebec have attempted to do.

Muslim women will have to remove their face coverings if they want to vote in upcoming elections in Quebec, a government official said Friday, reversing his earlier decision to allow the veils.

Marcel Blanchet, the French-speaking province's election chief, had been criticized by Quebec's three main political leaders for allowing voters to wear the niqab, which covers the entire face except for the eyes, if they signed a sworn statement and showed identification when they vote.

But Blanchet reversed his earlier decision Friday, saying it was necessary to avoid disruptions when residents go to the polls.

Heh. Expect the Muslim community to claim religious intolerance, discrimination and violation of human rights.

Illegal Alien Attacks Female Tourist

(Orange County, Florida) An 18-year-old Mexican employee of the Marriott Grande Vista Resorts, Pedro Ramirez, was arrested for threatening a female tourist with a knife and then groping her. In the U.S. illegally, Ramirez (if that's his real name), carried three fake identification cards.

Ramirez was booked into the Orange County Jail.

Woman Accused of Raping Boy

(Columbus, Ohio) A 30-year-old Columbus woman, Kelli Mitchell, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy in her bedroom on March 12th.

It's reported that Mitchell has a rap sheet listing previous crimes, including possession of cocaine and carrying a concealed weapon.

Mitchell was booked into the Franklin County Jail.

It's worth noting that Mitchell's reported age of 30 doesn't seem to be consistent with her appearance. She looks to be at least 32.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

African Refugees in Yemen

Here's a report about the Horn of Africa and the Middle East in which it's difficult to figure out who the good guys are. The UN estimates that 30,000 refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia and other places have been smuggled into Yemen since January 2006.

The UN refugee agency announced Friday that over the past six days, Yemen has again received more than 1,100 Somalis and Ethiopians who arrived on smuggling boats from Bosaso, Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden.

The refugee agency added that according to information received so far at least 28 people died during these recent voyages -- from asphyxiation, beating or drowning -- and many were badly injured by the smugglers.

Others are suffering from various skin problems from prolonged contact with sea water, human waste, diesel and other chemicals. They are not allowed to move during the voyage.

So, refugees are being smuggled into Yemen and the trip comes with a very real chance of death, injury or sickness. And, then there's this:

When spotted by the Yemeni armed forces the smugglers on one boat in an attempt to distract the forces threw 35 Somalis into the water and took the remaining 215 passengers, many with their hands bound by ropes, closer to the shore where they were forced to disembark.

I find it hard to believe that "refugees" being smuggled into Yemen would have to have their hands bound by ropes. "I'm escaping, tie me up," is rarely said in my estimation.

Prisoners or slaves are bound, yes, but not refugees. Therefore, I suggest that the smugglers are dealing in human cargo consisting of prisoners or slaves who, presumably, have to be coerced or conned onto the boats. That's thirty-thousand prisoners/slaves in a little over a year!

Uh -- so where are they going? Some person or group in Yemen must be waiting to take the thousands of prisoners/slaves to their ultimate destination. Where, I don't know.

Nevertheless, despite what the human cargo consists of, the people pipeline is interrupted when Yemeni security forces get involved and chase down the smugglers. It's at that point, the prisoners/slaves (my contention) appear to become refugees and a problem for the government of Yemen to resolve. Furthermore, according to the UN, Yemen is patiently awaiting payment for the hospitality it shows to the "refugees."

Yemen has kept its doors open for refugees and migrants who have been arriving for several years from war-torn Somalia and other places.

Yemen has also been very patient in awaiting more support in recognition of its generosity and in the spirit of burden-sharing.

Isn't that innovative? The UN is Yemen's shill.

In summary, the reported influx of "refugees" to Yemen appears to be a forced illegal migration of humans for some unknown purpose. How else could it be explained? If the Somalians and others were true refugees, they would not need to be bound and beaten. And, if Yemen was such a generous nation, security forces wouldn't be sent out to impede the pipeline of refugees crossing the Gulf of Aden.


[Update 03/26/07]

From Jane Novak of Armies of Liberation and The Jawa Report, we get additional insight on the subject.

Things in Somalia are so bad that many people willingly make the trip to Yemen in hopes of improving their lot. After that the refugees often migrate to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States.Some stay in Yemen in squalid refugee camps, others are disbursed through the nation, and they form a second class in Yemen. Normally what happens is the smugglers let them off near shore and they swim in. They come in at various points along the coast. So unless there was someone there to recieve them, Im not sure how they would retain custody. The fact that they are tied up may be a mechanism of maintaining control during the voyage, as this is a regular business for the smugglers. Its my impression most come willingly and retain their freedom once in Yemen but I am going to check the slavery thing. What does dovetail with your thinking is the smuggling of Yemeni children to Saudi Arabia, often with their parents consent. These kids come from extremely poor families and are often as young as four. Once in SA, some beg, some face sexual abuse and some become slaves. Some who beg may be disfigured by their handlers to draw more sympathy and thus more money.

Thanks, Jane.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

ACLU Quotes Bible in Lozano vs. City of Hazleton

It is with keen interest that I've been following the Hazleton case. I would argue that it represents a 21st Century version of the famous Scopes trial but instead of discussing evolution and religion, the Hazleton trial is about the rights of American citizens versus illegal aliens.

There has been drama, humor and abject ridiculousness thus far in the trial argued between the open-borders crowd (ACLU and others) and the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Ringleading the proceedings is an Ito-style judge (as a reminder, Judge Ito presided over the O.J. Simpson trial). And demonstrating how bizarre the trial is, the case even has an ACLU lawyer quoting the Bible and an "expert" witness stating that "illegal" doesn't mean illegal.

It's disappointing that the mainstream media isn't giving the story the coverage it deserves. But it's not surprising. As cheerleaders for foreigners invading the U.S., the NYT, WaPo and the broadcast media have given the story scant attention. In fact, if one relies on the MSM, one likely doesn't even know about the trial much less its significance.

Thankfully, we've got the Internet and the blogosphere so information is not completely hidden from the public. And, in my opinion, nobody is following the Hazleton story better than Diggers Realm.

The case was brought by the ACLU, Puerto Rican Defense and Education Fund and illegal aliens on the constitutionality of the Illegal Immigration Relief Act and is being held at the William J. Nealon Federal Building in Scranton, Pennsylvania with US District Judge James Munley on the bench. The act would fine landlords who rent to illegal aliens and yank the business licenses of those who hire them.

Hazleton has received $200,000 from people across the country to defend itself in court against the larger national groups. Plaintiffs have 25 attorneys, Hazleton has 5. Over eight days, 21 witnesses and 8 city officials testified.

A massive amount of information has been filed in the case including 30 page "briefs", expert reports, resumes, government publications, statistics, laws cited and other documents that fill 10 half-foot thick notebooks. Over 50 volumes in all. In addition, a 3 1/2 hour presentation on DVD from University of California at Irvine sociology professor Ruben Rumbaut wherein he states that "National studies show that illegal immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than other groups.", which was conveniently released around the time the trial started.

Interestingly, concurrent with the Rumbaut assertion that illegal aliens are not the worst criminals, the police reported that a Hazleton man was assaulted on a city street by 17 or 18 Hispanic males.

The Hazleton story needs exposure. For those who can, pass it along. I would recommend Digger as a valuable source. He's got it covered.

I've also included this post as a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join, please email Jay@stoptheaclu.com or GribbitR@gmail.com. You will be added to the mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.

Youth Worker Accused of Sex with Boy

(St. Louis, Missouri) A 38-year-old adolescent-care specialist at the Lakeside Center for troubled teens, Michelle Slamp, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy. Slamp faces three counts of statutory rape. According to St. Louis County Counselor Patricia Redington, Slamp was fired on March 8th.

Slamp reportedly admitted to engaging in sex with the boy on three occasions. She was booked and released on $2,500 bond.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Couple Accused of Sexually Abusing Boy, 9

(Hardyston, New Jersey) A 44-year-old woman, Denise Ackley, and her 52-year-old boyfriend, Mark Olsen, were arrested this past Wednesday for alleged sexual abuse of a 9-year-old boy.

Both Ackley and Olsen have been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

They were booked into the Sussex County Jail with bail set at $100,000 each.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Child Molester Gets 6 More Years

(Denver, Colorado) In August 2005, 31-year-old Tani Leigh Firkins was sentenced in Jefferson County to nine years in prison for sexually assaulting a boy, starting at age 14, for three years and having a child by him.

At the time, the parents of the boy vowed to pursue charges in Denver where, they contended, Firkins committed 50 to 100 more sexual assaults.

Yesterday in Denver District Court, Tani Firkins, now 33, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of the boy in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution. In return, four counts of sexual assault were dropped and she was sentenced to six years in prison.

Presumably, the six-year sentence will be served after completion of her nine-year sentence. Denver District Judge William Robbins also ordered Firkins to register as a sex offender when she is released from prison.

A girl born to the boy and Firkins is being raised by the victim's parents. In court, Firkins apologized to the parents.

Intruder Shot in Head and Chest

(Hamilton, Ohio) About 1:30 AM this morning, 31-year-old Millard Brandenburg, carrying a sledgehammer, broke into the home of Jamie Buck and demanded valuables. In the midst of a struggle, Buck grabbed his gun and shot Brandenburg, once in the head and three times in the chest. Brandenburg expired.

According to County Prosecutor Robin Piper, available evidence indicates that Buck was appropriately defending himself.

Heh.

The Access Project

According to this source, a group called The Access Project conducted a survey which found that people with medical insurance still have problems paying health care bills. The scope of the problem was described by one health care expert as "... a national crisis of enormous proportions."

Now, being sensitive to national crises that I've never heard of in addition to being skeptical of most surveys, I looked at the originators of the survey to see what political persuasion they might call home.

From this document, I learned that two leaders of The Access Project, Robert Seifert and Jeffrey Prottas, are trying to link health care to home ownership. In other words, without adequate health insurance, the public's "ability to secure or maintain housing" is impeded. As I gather, the conclusion is that America's health insurance system is placing the public at risk of becoming homeless.

Being helpful, Seifert offers solutions.

- First, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers can cut their prices.

- Second, make employers and insurers guarantee that health bills will present no struggle for families.

- Third, pass a law which prohibits credit agencies from knowing anything about people's medical bills. This would allow people to incur mortgage debt that they would otherwise not qualify for.

As far as solutions to the newly created (I contend) medical debt and homelessness problem, Seifert's ideas are simply utopian.

- Doctors and hospitals are in business and their prices reflect the costs of supporting their businesses. They can't simply cut prices and not expect their businesses to suffer.

- Okay, Seifert says the employers and insurers will be responsible for adequate public health care, not the individual. This assumes that employers and insurers have infinite resources. They don't.

- Seifert's third idea borders on ludicrous. Hide information from credit agencies! Just so people can incur additional debt? Absolutely bizarre!

Further research indicates that the current President of The Access Project, Cathy Dunham, has been described as the "Boston health justice maven" by fellow political activists. Note that when "justice" is used with a qualifier such as environmental, racial, ecological, nutritional, educational or health, it's a code word for socialism.

Given that The Access Project has created a complicated argument that links medical costs to housing costs with an alarmist "national crisis" description attached to it, one might not realize that the argument is disingenuous because one could just as easily link medical costs to food costs or the cost of shoes with the same logic. People have to make judgments every day regarding where they are going to spend their money. And if the medical debt is high, then people will have to forego buying something else in order to pay their bills.

I'm not naive enough to think that The Access Project doesn't have an agenda to push for socialized medicine in the U.S. How else could you explain the creation of a bogus crisis and the presentation of ludicrous solutions? Consequently, if you see The Access Project's name attached to any survey or study, realize that the results were likely established prior to any research being conducted.

By the way, the conclusions drawn in The Access Project's report were based on interviews with 45 people. Out of a population of 300,000,000, only 45 were interviewed to conclude that the entire health insurance system is an illusion and failing the people when they get sick.

Intruder Shot During Morning Coffee

(Miami, Florida) Enjoying his morning coffee, 59-year-old John James was bothered by 27-year-old Bobby Lee Whipple, who threatened assault and a break-in of James' home. After putting down his coffee cup, James picked up his .22 Magnum handgun and opened fire. Whipple was rewarded with multiple gunshot wounds.

Whipple will apparently survive. He's currently hospitalized.

James, presumably, finished his coffee. Having a permit for his gun, he won't be charged with any crime.

Wal-Mart Opens Urban DC Store

(Landover Hills, Maryland) Some time ago, Wal-Mart announced it would open stores in depressed areas to help revitalize jobs and small businesses for blighted communities. True to its word, yesterday a 144,000 square-foot Wal-Mart store opened at the neglected Capital Plaza Mall, largely abandoned since the departure of Montgomery Ward and Hechinger in the 1990s.

On the northeastern outskirts of the District of Columbia on Route 450 off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, the new store will draw customers from the immediate area and from inside the nation's capital. Staffing for the store created 330 jobs with hired workers being selected from 11,000 applicants.

Frankly, I can't see a downside.

DVD-Sniffing Dogs Attract Bounty

(Johor Baru, Malaysia) Two disc-sniffing Labrador Retrievers, Lucky and Flo, recently alerted on a cache of pirated CDs and DVDs worth approximately $3 million. In retaliation, crime bosses have put undisclosed bounties on the dogs' heads.

From New Straits Times:

"Following the successful raid at a shopping complex in Johor Baru on Tuesday, sources informed the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs that syndicate members are looking for the dogs," the ministry's enforcement assistant director, Firdaus Zakaria, said yesterday.

"The dogs are a genuine threat to the pirated disc syndicates, thus the instruction to eliminate them."

The ministry has stepped up security for the canines, Lucky and Flo. They have also been moved to different safe houses.

The raid by the ministry's officers netted more than one million fake discs, 20 computers, 12 CD burners and fax machines. The discs were intended for Singapore, Britain, Hong Kong and Japan.

Interesting enough, however, I was more struck by the fact that disc-sniffing dogs even exist. Apparently, Lucky and Flo are the first dogs ever to be trained to sniff the polycarbonate in the discs and they were provided to the authorities in Johor Baru with the help of the Motion Picture Association of Malaysia. Who did the training was not reported.

Heh.

Woman, 38, Births Two Kids Fathered by Kid

(Louisville, Colorado) A 38-year-old woman, Irene Marie Gomez, was arrested last week on suspicion of child sexual assault after allegations that she gave birth to two children fathered by a boy.

From Denver Post:

Gomez said she first met the teen "on the street" in 2001 and said the boy told her he was 18. She said he always held a full-time job, looked and acted mature and had multiple identification cards listing different ages.

She said she resisted the teen's advances, but he was persistent, writing her love letters and waiting outside her house for her to come home after work.

Gomez said the relationship with the teen began shortly after her mother died.

"I was not in the right frame of mind at all," Gomez said. "I was considering not staying on this earth myself after my mom died. I just feel that he helped me through a really bad situation. There was nobody else there for me."

Police issued an arrest warrant for Gomez in late February. Gomez turned herself in last week, then bonded out.

The "mature" father of Gomez's children, ages 4 and 1, was 13 when their relationship started. He was "there" for her.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 7/2/08]

Gomez pleads guilty, gets probation.

Principal Resigns Amid Sex Allegations

(Plymouth, Ohio) According to an announcement by the Plymouth-Shiloh school board's lawyer, Shiloh Elementary School Principal Fayette Adams is resigning.

From The News Journal:

Speaking to cheers, some residents called on Superintendent Jim Metcalf to resign because of his role in the investigation of an incident, allegedly sexual in nature, between Adams and another district employee that happened more than two years ago on a day when school was not in session. Reports conflict on whether students were in the building that day.

It appears that inappropriate behavior is migrating up the food chain. It's not just the teachers anymore.

Tip: Mark Sapp

Ohio Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Belmont County, Ohio) A 33-year-old local woman, Penny Morrison, was arrested for having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy. Morrison faces a felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Morrison has also been accused of providing marijuana to several teenagers. She was booked into jail.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Teacher's Aide Gets Prison

(Fernley, Nevada) In October 2006, a 37-year-old teacher's aide at Fernley Intermediate School, Tracie Nelson, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy. Reportedly, Nelson had sex with the boy in a car while his teen buddies watched.

Nelson was charged with counts of sexual seduction, supplying alcohol to a minor, and gross lewdness. In accordance with an agreement late last year, Nelson pleaded guilty to the sexual seduction charge in return for the prosecution dropping the other charges.

On Monday of this week, Nelson was sentenced by Third Judicial District Court Judge Robert Estes to 12 to 32 months in the Nevada State Prison.

It's worth noting that Tracie Nelson appears to suffer from some substantive psychological problems. While experiencing all her legal troubles, she allegedly attempted suicide and had to be hospitalized. Additionally, after being released on bail, she was re-arrested for associating with juveniles which violated the terms of her release. Public defender Jesse Kalter even disclosed that Nelson suffers from bipolar disorder after an evaluation by a private therapist. Poor thing.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Teacher Dissed for Inappropriate Behavior

(Lafayette, Louisiana) A Spanish teacher at Comeaux High School, Jessica Theall, was suspended with pay last month for inappropriate behavior with students. Thus far, the only concern to be reported has been a series of handwritten notes, e-mails and text messages from Theall to some male students.

Lafayette Parish School officials have been contemplating termination of Theall because she does not enjoy tenure. It's unclear what is going to happen next.


[Update 03/24/07]

Theall was fired from her teaching position only months away from tenure.

Reportedly, the police investigating her case ran into significant lack of cooperation so they closed the file. Theall, therefore, retains her teaching certification despite the fact that she was fired.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Wal-Mart Workers Get Bonuses

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. declared today as "Associate Celebration Day" and announced a new program of bonuses for hourly workers to reward performance and service.

The company said it has awarded more than $529.8 million in bonuses to a total of 813,759 Wal-Mart store and Sam's Club hourly workers in the U.S.

The new program will provide bonuses quarterly.

Heh.

Verbal Child Abuse

(Tallahassee, Florida) The Florida legislature is contemplating a measure to define verbal child abuse as criminal.

From The Ledger:

A separate appeals court in Florida has ruled that speech could be abuse, but the state Supreme Court recently declined to take up the case to settle the issue.

A bill (HB 1169) that expands the legal definition of child abuse to include abuse that results in 'mental injury' was approved unanimously Wednesday by the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee. It has two more committee hearings before it can go before the full House for a vote.

A similar bill (SB 2736) is filed in the Senate.

Boy, it looks like a gold mine for the psychologists who have to provide evaluation and expert testimony on the level of mental injury suffered by, as an example, the noisy kids outside after someone shouts, "Hey, shut up! You dumbass hyenas!"

It appears to me that the measures are simply more nanny-state political correctness. Additional elements of speech are being made criminal.

Intruder Shot Dead

(North Platte, Nebraska) A 19-year-old woman shot and killed a 37-year-old man, David Allen, as he attempted to break into her home about 2 AM this morning.

From Nebraska.tv:

North Platte Police Lieutenant Rick Ryan said the shooting was being investigated as a homicide, saying -- quote -- "We investigate all deaths like this as a homicide."

He says Allen apparently came to the door looking for they woman's boyfriend. She was home alone, and asked him to leave, but says he pushed the door open and barged in.

Police say she was holding the rifle and he -- quote -- "went after her."

That's when she fired several shots at him.

Heh.

Teacher Aide Indicted for Indecency With Students

(Wise, Virginia) A 36-year-old teacher’s aide at Powell Valley High School, Darlene Anna Blagg, has been indicted by a Wise County grand jury for alleged sexual exploitation of high school students. Blagg, of Big Stone Gap, faces nine counts of indecent liberties with a juvenile by a person in a supervisory position.

A mother alerted Wise County Sheriff's Department investigators last week after finding inappropriate text messages sent to her son by Blagg. According to Wise County Commonwealth Attorney Ron Elkins, Blagg apparently had dealt with 16, 17, and 18-year-old students.

A warrant was issued for Blagg's arrest.


[Update 06/09/07]

Blagg accepts plea deal and is sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Teacher Accused of Providing Booze to Kids

(Pueblo, Colorado) A language arts teacher at Pueblo South High School, Amanda Tilley, has been placed on paid administrative leave for allegedly providing alcohol to students.

A school security guard, name withheld, has also been placed on administrative leave with pay.

The Pueblo Police Department and the city school system are investigating the alleged offense.


[Update 05/02/07]

Tilley arrested.

Illegal Nabbed for Fake Social Security Cards

(Charlotte, North Carolina) For selling fake and forged Social Security cards, Pedro Calderon, an illegal alien since arriving in the U.S. in 1998, was arrested by federal agents. According to official records, Calderon allegedly sold the cards on the street.

Obviously, he was doing a job that regular American citizens won't do.

Eight Women in One Family Killed

Here's a report from Israel regarding family honor. The following excerpt is most telling.

In the past seven years, eight Abu-Ganem family women have been murdered in the context of "family honor."

Sickening!

Woman, Boy, Sex, Husband & Videotape

(Baxter County, Arkansas) In March 2006, 23-year-old Loretta Stacy was charged with engaging in sex repeatedly with a 14-year-old boy between July and December 2005. The sexual episodes were videotaped by Loretta's husband, 31-year-old Cody Stacy.

On Monday, Loretta Stacy pleaded guilty to sexual assault in accordance with a plea agreement with the prosecutor. In return, Judge John Putman sentenced Loretta to 90 days in jail and 10 years' probation. She must also undergo state sex offender screening and risk assessment.

In September 2006, Cody Stacy pleaded guilty to sexual assault, engaging children in sexual explicit conduct for use in visual or print medium and employing or consenting the use of a child in sexual performance. He was sentenced to three and one-half years in prison. Interestingly, Cody is eligible for parole next month which means he will be released after serving a mere eight months of his sentence.

The disparity in sentences between Loretta and Cody is noteworthy. Loretta actually engaged in sex with the boy and received 90 days. Cody took pictures and received years. Since both were involved about equally in the criminal behavior, it would have seemed reasonable to have assumed that their sentences would be comparable. Wrong.

Benzylpiperazine (BZP)

(United Kingdom) The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warns the public about benzylpiperazine (BZP), also called Pep Love, Cosmic Kelly and The Good Stuff. Drug dealers are selling the stuff in pill form with promises of an "herbal high."

In actuality, the drug is an anti-worming agent which can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms and there is an outside chance of death.