Women With Troubles - July 2007

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

For a more comprehensive listing, check the Women With Troubles category link.

(AZ) Tommi Mariscal, 30,
teacher - Accused of engaging in sex with male student, 16,

(CA) Melissa Danielle Cullen, 22,
homeless woman - Arrested for rape (2nd offense) of boy, 14,

(CA) Edwina Marie Madeja, 45,
neighbor - Gets 1.5 to 15 years prison for sex with nephew, 15,

(CA) Cora Marie Solorio, 24,
teacher's aide - Gets 9 months jail for oral sex with boy, 13,

(CA) Kelly Christine Spaich, 28,
teacher - Gets probation for 6-month-long sexual relationship with boy, 16,

(CO) Tamera Jo Freeman, 38,
neighbor - Arrested for interfering with flight crew and child abuse,

(CO) Regina Martinez, 25,
neighbor - Gets 5 years prison for giving marijuana to son, 6,

(CT) Jillian Gehrkens, 28,
teacher - Gets 9 months prison for sex assault of boy, 15,

(FL) Jennifer Dodd, 26,
neighbor - Charged with lewd and lascivious battery for sex with boy, 14,

(FL) Cheryl Foster-Lawrentz, 32,
teacher - Sentenced to probation and restitution for theft from student fund,

(FL) Tammie Nava, 44,
nurse - Arrested for DUI and possible child neglect,

(GA) Kimberly Renee Babcock, 37,
tutor - Charged with sex assault and molestation of boy, 16,

(ID) Karol Barnes, 33,
neighbor - Arrested for sexual contact with male child,

(IA) Ashley Keller
teacher - Arrested for providing alcohol to boys, both aged 15,

(IL) Lisa Miller, 37,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with male student, 14,

(IL) Monica Tai, 24,
dance teacher - Gets 30 months probation for sex with 15-year-old male student,

(IN) Amber K. Marshall, 24,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with two male students, ages 14 and 15,

(IN) Laura Wilcox, 19,
neighbor - Guilty of felony sex with boy, 15. Sentencing in August,

(IN) Misty Zicafoose, 30,
neighbor - Gets 2 years prison for sex with boy, 15,

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

(KY) Angela Renee Comer (aka Angela Combs), 28,
teacher - Gets 10 years prison for sodomy and custodial interference with boy, 14,

(KY) Amy Tabor, 25,
teacher - Arrested for drug possession,

(KY) Roberta Walter (previously Roberta Blackwell),
teacher - Arrested for sex abuse of student in 1970s and 1980s,

(MA) Natalie A. Nemeskal, 44,
school secretary - Gets probation for teen booze party,

(MD) Danielle Nicole Frye, 21,
neighbor - Sentenced to 3.5 years prison for violating parole after conviction for sex assault of boy, 11,

(MO) Cathy Heminghaus, 46,
teacher - Guilty of 21 counts of statutory sodomy with students aged 13 to 15. Sentencing in Sept.,

(MS) Tyshuna Cooper Ross, 37,
neighbor - Arrested for rape and contributing to delinquency of two boys, ages 12 and 14,

(NC) Jennifer Lynn Keith, 26,
neighbor - Arrested for sex offense against mentally-challenged woman,

(NH) Holly Spreen, 34,
teacher - Arrested for child endangerment,

(NJ) June C. Traenkner, 48,
neighbor - Guilty of sex assault of boy, 14. Sentencing in Oct.,

(NV) Iana and Michael Straw, 23 and 25,
dumb parents - Guilty of neglecting children while playing video games,

(NY) Kathryn Brauch, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for rape of boy, 13, she met on Internet,

(NY) Maria Conklin, 34,
neighbor - Arrested for child endangerment for allowing son, 13, to have sex with Kathryn Brauch,

(NY) Lois Cheryl Enden, 55,
teacher - Gets 6 months jail for rape of boy, 11,

(OH) Dawn M. Fisher, 33,
neighbor mother of three - Gets two years prison for violating probation after conviction for sex assault and bearing child by boy, 14,

(OH) Stacy Hofacker,
neighbor - Arrested for using men's room at Cleveland Browns Stadium,

(OH) Jennifer Lyn Jackson, 38,
former Playboy playmate - Arrested for DUI, drugs and theft. Arrested later in month for being disorderly and intoxicated,

(OH) Wendy R. Kramer, 42,
school employee - Charged with hosting teen booze party,

(OH) Jacqueline "Jackie" Mathews, 36,
teacher - Arrested for theft,

(OH) Donna Moonda, 48,
neighbor - Sentenced to life in prison for murdering husband,

(OH) Renee Smith, 37,
teacher - Guilty of sexual battery, corruption with drugs and providing alcohol to minors regarding acts with male students, 17 years old. Sentencing in August,

(OH) Terry Walker, 54,
neighbor - Guilty of sexual battery for incest with son, 28,

(PA) Katie Quartuch, 26,
teacher - Arrested for assaulting police officer,

(PA) Unnamed mother, 34,
neighbor - Arrested for trading sex with son, 12, for crack cocaine and money,

(TN) Justis Richert aka Barbie Cummings, 21,
porn starlet - Allegedly traded sex with trooper to avoid illegal pills charge. Trooper resigned,

(TN) Marianne Harper, 20,
daycare worker - Booked on child abuse and drug charges,

(TN) Kayla Wilkerson, 19,
neighbor - Faces criminal exposure to HIV and rape of boy, 15, charges,

(TX) Jana Louise Beau, 48,
neighbor - Arrested for child endangerment of grandson, 8 months old,

(TX) Lauren Cosgrove, 28,
teacher- Arrested for sex with boy, 13, she was babysitting,

(TX) Martha Lynn Perry, 47,
teacher - Gets probation for sex assault of male student, 16,

(TX) Kathy Denise White, 41,
teacher - Court date scheduled for improper relations with boy,

(TX) Kimberly Williams, 41,
teacher - Arrested on drug charges,

(UT) Christy Anne Brown, 33,
teacher - Charged with forcible sex abuse of male student, 17,

(UT) Kathryn Louise Parmley, 49,
educator - Sentenced to nothing for sex with boy, 17,

(WA) Christine Marie Johanson, 35,
teacher - Guilty of rape of boy, 15. Sentencing in August,

(WA) Lydia Korolak, 35,
juvie guard - Gets 17 months prison for sex with male inmate yutes,

(WI) Pam and Penny Crane, 30-year-old twins,
neighbors - Guilty of disorderly conduct for snapping topless pictures in front of boy, 5,

(WI) Racheal M. Graf, 21,
youth counselor - Gets probation for sex assault of boy, 17,


Outside U.S.

(AUS) Tamara Broome, 31,
long-distance neighbor - Charged with child abduction of boy, 17,

(UK) Ruth Lee, 34,
neighbor - Gets 15 months for sex with boy, 13,

(UK) Suzanne Mitchell, 29,
lesbian mother of three - Guilty of bigamy. Sentencing in August,

(UK) Elizabeth Smillie, 26,
teacher - Loses license after getting drunk and crashing car,

(ZIM) Rotina Mavhunga aka Sekuru Muboni, 35,
witch doctor - Fugitive from justice on hoax (diesel oil from rock) charges.

As always, I thank the tipsters.

Dance Teacher Gets Probation in Sex Case

(Joliet, Illinois) In April 2007, a dance teacher, Monica Tai, pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse for engaging in relations with a 15-year-old male student. Tai was the boy's dance teacher.

Yesterday, Will County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Rozak sentenced 24-year-old Monica Tai to 30 months probation and ordered her to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Tai was also instructed not to drink alcohol nor use the Internet while on probation.

Playmate Pinched Again

(Westlake, Ohio) In March 2005, Playboy Playmate Jennifer Lyn Jackson (April 1989) was arrested for allegedly receiving stolen property from a burglary.

Earlier this month, Jennifer Lyn Jackson was arrested in Oberlin, Ohio, for allegedly driving under the influence, possession of drugs and theft.

Last night, Jennifer Lyn Jackson was arrested again.

Westlake Police say they arrested former Playboy Playmate, Jennifer Jackson for disorderly conduct-intoxication Monday night.

Police say she and her new husband, James Thompson would have never been arrested if they didn't come out of their trailer and taunt police.

Monday evening police were called to a Center Ridge Road trailer park for a report of one male threatening another male.

Officers say Jackson and Thompson were heavily under the influence of alcohol.

Thompson was alleged to have threatened to punch another male for unknown reasons.

Jackson says she and Thompson are trying to enjoy their honeymoon. The two got married 10 days ago. She denies they were drunk and loud, last night.

"Sho, what's the officer, problem?"

Detainee: Gitmo Better Than Freedom

(Guantanamo Bay, Cuba) A 38-year-old terrorism detainee, Ahmed Belbacha, has filed an emergency motion to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., asking that he not be released.

Zachary Katznelson, senior counsel with the human rights lawyers Reprieve and Mr Belbacha's lawyer, has asked the US courts to block any transfer.

"Ahmed is being held in camp six, the harshest part of Guantanamo," he said. "His cell is all steel, there are no windows, he is not allowed to communicate with other prisoners and he gets just two hours exercise each day in a metal cage."

"He says his cell in Guantanamo is like a grave and that although it sounds crazy he would rather stay in those conditions than go back to Algeria. The fact is that he is really, really scared about what might happen to him in Algeria."

Belbacha fears that the government will torture him or the Islamists will murder him. So, continuing to breathe in a cold cell is preferable.

The Belbacha case complicates the efforts of the leftist human-rights outragees. It's much harder to convince the court that Gitmo is a torturous, inhumane hell-hole when inmates beg to stay.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Hard Time for Soft Drugs

(Dubai, UAE) Two British tourists, identified as PP and HV, were arrested at the Dubai airport after being found carrying small amounts of drugs. Twenty-two-year-old PP had 0.11 grams (0.04oz) of hashish while HV, 27, carried 1.18 grams of hashish. As a result, PP and HV were each sentenced to four years in prison.

British visitors to the UAE appear less well informed of the perils of carrying even microscopic amounts of soft drugs. Travel advice on the Foreign Office website makes quite clear that there are severe penalties for those who flout the UAE's drug laws. Since January last year possession of even trace amounts of illegal drugs has resulted in four-year jail terms for foreigners in transit through Dubai.

"The presence of drugs in the body is counted as possession," the Foreign Office cautions. In other words, travelers can be jailed even if they have no drugs on them: a trace in the blood-stream of a drug consumed before entering the UAE is enough to secure a jail term.

Consequently, drug users should approach Dubai with caution. A mere speck negligently left on clothes or luggage could result in a four-year stretch in an Arab prison.

Vietnamese Family Values

(Lao Cai Province, Vietnam) Authorities regularly arrest women for dealing in illegal narcotics in the mountainous Lao Cai Province, but they can't get them into jail.

To avoid going to jail, many female offenders have children without stopping and nobody can touch them.

Though there are no official statistics about this subject of female offenders, the number is quite large. In Lao Cai province, there are around 50 women of this kind, all of who are drug traders.

The most 'famous' case is Nguyen Thi Thoan, a primary teacher in Lao Cai province, who publicly deals drugs but police can't arrest her because she is always pregnant. Every time police invite doctors to examine Thoan, she is always pregnant at around 4-5 months and police, thus, must wait for three years. But when her verdict comes into effect, Thoan continues to be pregnant. This woman has stated: "If you arrest me, I'll have more babies."

Lai Chau province has Do Thi Bao, a drug criminal who is also a 'child delivery machine'. Notably, though she is not married she continuously has babies.


Nguyen Thi Thoan and Do Thi Bao
In HCM City, there is also a female drug trader who has delivered 7-8 children to avoid being arrested.

The difficulty arises because the Vietnamese Penal Code has a humanity policy where pregnant women and those with infants can't be put in prison.

The law is absolutely terrible. Not only are current drug offenders not punished but the policy guarantees that the next generation will be populated with people who grew up in the drug trade.

Counselor Gets Hand Slap in Sex Case

(La Crosse, Wisconsin) Last March, a 21-year-old youth counselor at the Family and Children's Center group home, Racheal M. Graf, was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male resident. Graf was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with counts of sexual assault of a child and child neglect.

Today, Graf pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault of a child placed in substitute care and one charge of child neglect.

From WKBT:

Graf entered into an 18-month diversion agreement on the sexual assault charge, which means if she follows several conditions, the charge will be dismissed. Those conditions include completing a sex offender assessment, 80 hours of community service and not working with youth, or vulnerable adults. Graf will also serve one year of probation on the child neglect charge.

So, Graf gets no jail and the chance to avoid having any record of the sexual assault.

Teacher's Aide Gets 9 Months for Oraling Boy, 13

(Paso Robles, California) Earlier this year, a 24-year-old teacher's aide at Flamson Middle School, Cora Marie Solorio, was arrested for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old male student. Solorio was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and oral copulation with a child under 14 years of age.

In June, Solorio pleaded no contest to committing a lewd act on a child under age 14 and to two charges of having oral sex with a child under age 14 in accordance with a plea bargain. In exchange, the district attorney dropped four counts of a lewd act and three counts of oral sex.

Earlier today, Cora Marie Solorio was sentenced by Judge Martin J. Tangeman to 270 days in jail and five years probation. I'm a little surprised, having previously predicted no jail time would be imposed.

Interestingly, this case allowed the genius of the county probation department to be exposed. Evidently, the probation heavyweights portrayed 24-year-old Solorio as the victim. Therefore, it's official. The inmates have taken over the asylum.

Kitty and the Coyotes

(Wilton, New York) The ghost of Charles Darwin says, "You need a bigger cat."

From The Saratogian:

Weasel-like predators, called fisher, and coyotes are making meals of Wilton cats - even being bold enough to snatch a tabby from a backyard in broad daylight, according to one grieving Lake Elizabeth Estates family.

Now Alan Woodard of Ryanwood Court is asking the town to get a permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to start trapping predators.

Woodard and his 15-year-old daughter, Jillian, visited 31 random households in Lake Elizabeth Estates and Mulberry Estates, a neighboring development, and learned that 31 cats from those households have disappeared in the last six years, most of them in the last three years. Neighbors on Plum Court reported nine missing cats.

They started the research after their three cats disappeared from their backyard one morning two weeks ago. Woodard later found one of his cats up a tree. Puddles, a 5-year-old male, wasn't there. Woodard only found Puddles' collar. He later went back into the woods and found some remains.

"It was very traumatic," he said. "I still have nightmares about it."

In another incident last winter, a woman was attacked in Schenectady County. No comments from PETA, yet.

Daycare Worker Arrested for Abuse

(Portland, Tennessee) A 20-year-old daycare worker at the Living Free Children's Center, Marianne Harper, was arrested last week for allegedly abusing three children under the age of two.

Bruises on a 21-month-old prompted a parent to contact the Tennessee Department of Human Services which led to an investigation and arrest. Investigators also believe Harper is a drug-user who used around children.

Harper was booked on child abuse and drug charges and is in custody at the Sumner County Jail. She has a court date scheduled for this week.

Teacher Accused of Theft

(Batavia, Ohio) A 36-year-old teacher at Southern Hills Career and Technical Center, Jacqueline "Jackie" Mathews, was arrested this month for alleged theft.

Reportedly, Mathews was a volunteer sales manager for the livestock sales committee and stole more than $500 but less than $5,000 from funds associated with the Clermont County Agricultural Society.

Mathews pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and was released on bond.

Southern Hills Career and Technical Center Superintendent Charles Guarino has adopted a wait and see attitude regarding Mathews' alleged offense.

Universal Health Care Can Kill

(Buffalo, New York) If one traverses the utopian appeal of government-run health care and looks at the actual results, experiences like Lindsay McCreith's emerge.

His case has potential repercussions on both sides of the border as pressure grows for health reform.

It started when McCreith, a resident of Newmarket, north of Toronto, suffered a seizure last year. He was told in Canada he would have to wait more than four months for an MRI to rule out a malignant tumor.

Rather than wait, McCreith, 66, quickly arranged a trip to Buffalo for a scan. The MRI confirmed his worst fears -- a cancerous growth that a Buffalo neurosurgeon removed a few weeks later.

"If I had been patient, I'd probably be disabled or dead today," McCreith said.

The cost of McCreith's medical care in the U.S. came to $45,000. He applied for reimbursement under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan but was rejected since he failed to have pre-approval. Note that pre-approval can take months to receive.

Consequently, McCreith is suing the Ontario government to make it legal for citizens to obtain private health insurance. Currently, patients are prohibited from buying private insurance. Opponents of a private sector choice in health care fear a two-tiered system will evolve and be detrimental to the public system. McCreith's suit claims that his constitutional right to life, liberty and security is being denied.

Agreed, McCreith's experience is anecdotal but the problem with long waiting times for care under socialized medical schemes is a well-known complaint. Look at reports from Britain and Australia, along with Canada, and you'll see the same difficulties. Long waiting times, shortages of medical professionals and oppressive financial challenges are common threads.

One example worth mentioning comes from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in Australia where waiting times are 10 years for non-urgent surgery and the facility has "waiting lists for waiting lists." In another example, Canada Care provides computer-generated death condolences at the same time that patients are informed of their waiting times for procedures or appointments, just in case they died while waiting.

Pinched for Promiscuity on Eve of Marriage

(Fargo, North Dakota) The day before a man is to get married, he gets arrested for public fornication with a woman other than his fiancee. It appears he wanted to eke out one last measure of promiscuity from his bachelorhood.

Nathan Ross Blair, 24, and Chandra Schaefer, 20, were arrested after police received two reports within 90 seconds about 3:15 a.m. that a man in a black kilt was exposing himself and then seen having sex with a woman on a car in the 1000 block of North University Drive, according to police dispatch logs.

According to Cass County District Court documents:

Police found Blair and Schaefer intertwined near a pine tree after a friend pointed them out to police officers responding to the complaints. All three were walking home when Blair and Schaefer told their friend to keep walking. She turned around to see them having sex on the hood of a car, she told police.

When police shined a flashlight on the pair, Blair turned around and looked at the officer but continued having sex with Schaefer until the officer ordered him to stop.

"Just a minute, Officer. I'll be right with you." [ed.]

Schaefer was then instructed to put her pants on.

When questioned by police, Blair denied exposing himself to passing cars or having sex with Schaefer on the car.

So, a "friend" directed the police to the intertwined couple. Just wondering, exactly whose friend would that be?

Blair was booked on charges of fornicating in a public place and indecent exposure. Both were cited for allegedly being intoxicated. Attempts to contact the fiancee were unsuccessful.

Treats-For-Sex Guard Sentenced

(King County, Washington) In July 2006, a 34-year-old juvenile detention officer, Lydia Korolak, was charged with four felony counts of custodial sexual misconduct for luring teenage inmates into sex using special privileges, treats and threats.

In June 2007, Korolak, now 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony custodial sexual misconduct with two teenage male inmates. The original four counts were consolidated into two.

This month, Korolak was sentenced to 17 months in prison for engaging in sex with 17-year-old inmates.

Apology

John Ray posts an apology I'd like to echo. Go here. It's the second item.

What Are You Listening To?

(Maui, Hawaii) This story seems appropriate fodder for an SNL skit. I had to chuckle.

The call letters KUNT have landed at a yet-unbuilt low-power digital television station in Wailuku, Maui.

Alarmingly similar to a word the dictionary says is obscene, the call letters were among a 15-page list of new call letters issued by the Federal Communications Commission and released this week.

The same station owner also received KWTF for a station in Arizona.

From Skokie, Ill., comes a sincere apology "to anyone that was offended," said Kevin Bae, vice president of KM Communications Inc., who requested and received KUNT and KWTF. It is "extremely embarrassing for me and my company and we will file to change those call letters immediately."

According to Mary Diamond of the FCC's Office of Media Relations, assignment of call letters is automated with no oversight. There's a shock! FCC oversight sucks.

Too bad they're going to change the letters, though. Programming on KUNT and KWTF would have been an interesting challenge for disc jockeys. Also, imagine the advertisers.

Tip: Chas. Nestor

Quran in School Toilet

(New York) Raise the alert level! Copies of the Quran were found in school toilets.

A 23-year-old man was arrested Friday on hate-crime charges after he threw a Quran in a toilet at Pace University on two separate occasions, police said.

Stanislav Shmulevich of Brooklyn was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and aggravated harassment, both hate crimes, police said. It was unclear if he was a student at the school. A message left at the Shmulevich home was not immediately returned.

The Islamic holy book was found in a toilet at Pace's lower Manhattan campus by a teacher on Oct. 13. A student discovered another book in a toilet on Nov. 21, police said.

Pace University officials first classified the Quran-toilet incident as vandalism but later referred the case to the NYPD's hate crimes unit after complaints by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but doesn't the Newsweek gang still have blood on its hands from a phony 2005 report that U.S. military interrogators at Gitmo flushed a Quran down the toilet? People died because of that stunt.

You have to wonder what kind of "peaceful" eventualities we'll see from these latest incidents. Unlike the baseless Newsweek story, this latest report involves actual Qurans and actual toilets.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.


[Update]

Another source says that Shmulevich is a Jewish Ukrainian immigrant.

Woman Arrested for Assault, Flight Crew Interference

(Denver, Colorado) A 38-year-old mother-of-two, Tamera Jo Freeman, was arrested after a recent flight to Denver for assault and interfering with a flight attendant. Reportedly, Freeman smacked her kids, ages 2 and 4, and threw a drink on a fight attendant.

At a hearing yesterday in U.S. District Court, Magistrate Judge Craig Shaffer remanded Freeman to custody pending her trial. Since Freeman formerly called Hawaii home and now resides in San Francisco, the court had no confidence that she would return for trial.

Seemingly related to the alleged offenses committed on the airplane, though I don't know how, Freeman has a record of domestic abuse and violating protective orders. Additionally, she has some sort of medical issues of which the court is aware and has decided to keep confidential. Judge Shaffer stated that the medical issues are "problematic" and should be kept private.

Reviewing the details of this case, and the fact that Freeman is not allowed to bail out of jail, makes me think that something is going unreported. I just can't see making a big federal case out of smacking the kids and throwing a drink.

Intruder Shot in Throat

(El Dorado, Arkansas) A 24-year-old intruder, Douglas Williams Jr., is in critical condition at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport with a gunshot wound to his throat. Willie Lee Hill, 93, saw intruder Williams in his bedroom Wednesday night and confronted him. Williams struck Hill at least 50 times with a soda can, knocking Hill unconscious and leaving bloody gashes on his head.

Covered with blood, Hill regained consciousness, pulled out his .38 caliber handgun and fired at Williams, hitting him in the throat. Later, Williams moaned to police.

"I can't feel my legs and I got what I deserved."

Heh, Williams seems to have learned a lot in a short time. He faces burglary, battery and theft charges.

Elderly Willie Lee Hill is recovering from the beating he received.

Berkeley Woman Jailed on Rape of Boy, Again

(Berkeley, California) In June 2007, a 22-year-old woman from Berkeley, Melissa Danielle Cullen, was arrested in Lincoln County, Oregon, after police found her engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in her car on the side of the road. Cullen allegedly took the boy without his parents' permission and drove to Oregon.

Cullen was charged with sex abuse, rape, contributing to the sexual delinquency of a child and custodial interference.

In a new development, Melissa Danielle Cullen was arrested in the early morning yesterday by keen-eyed patrol officer Amber Phillips for sexually abusing the same 14-year-old boy in Berkeley's Ohlone Park. According to Berkeley Police spokesperson Sgt. Mary Kusmiss, Cullen is homeless and has been living on the streets and parks for some time.

Cullen was booked into custody on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, statutory rape, child stealing and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges are virtually identical to those Cullen faces in Oregon.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Jillian Gehrkens Gets 9 Months Prison

(Middlebury, Connecticut) In August 2005, a former guidance intern at Newtown High School, Jillian Gehrkens, was accused of engaging in a year-long sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student. Gehrkens was charged with two-counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of risk of injury to a minor. She was released on bond.

In September 2005, authorities revealed that the nature of the relationship between Gehrkens and the boy included afternoon "sexual sessions" at her home. Subsequent to the sessions, the boy would stay for dinner with Gehrkens and her husband.

While free on bond, Gehrkens was discovered to have contacted the boy on two occasions in violation of a no-contact order. As a result, she was placed on house arrest.

In January 2007, Gehrkens accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the second-degree and a charge of violating the conditions of her release.

Yesterday, 28-year-old Gehrkens was sentenced to nine months in prison with the balance of a seven-year sentence being suspended. She must register as a sex offender and will be on probation for 10 years.

TVA Nuke Going Forward

(Knoxville, Tennessee) The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors is expected to consider -- and approve -- the completion of the deferred Watts Bars Nuclear Plant Unit 2 at its meeting on August 1st.

Easier said than done. That plant has been in limbo for about two decades and surely acted as a spare parts source for Unit 1. Consequently, the entire facility has been cannibalized to some extent and the materials that weren't taken were probably poorly maintained. It will be a big job.

Nonetheless, it's a good move. Operated properly, you can't beat a nuke plant in pumping out megawatts.

Tip: Instapundit

Study: Dopers Grow Psychotic

So says the British Medical Journal Lancet in a report published today. The study looked at mental health data from tens of thousands of people who had used marijuana for periods ranging from one to 27 years.

Dr. Stanley Zammit and colleagues from the University of Bristol, Imperial College and Cambridge University conducted the research.

They looked for psychotic illnesses as well as cognitive disorders including delusions and hallucinations, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, neuroses and suicidal tendencies.

They found that people who used marijuana had roughly a 40 percent higher chance of developing a psychotic disorder later in life. The overall risk remains very low.

Therefore, if you know a dope smoker that appears wacky, maybe the behavior is caused by the marijuana. And, there's more.

The scientists found a more disturbing outlook for "heavy users" of pot, those who used it daily or weekly: Their risk for psychosis jumped to a range of 50 percent to 200 percent.

So, in conclusion:

"We've reached the end of the road with these kinds of studies," said Dr. Robin Murray of King's College, who had no role in the Lancet study. "Experts are now agreed on the connection between cannabis and psychoses. What we need now is for 14-year-olds to know it."

In the U.K., the government will soon reconsider how marijuana should be classified in its hierarchy of drugs. In 2004, it was downgraded and penalties for possession were reduced. Many expect marijuana will be bumped up to a class "B" category, with offenses likely to lead to arrests or longer jail sentences.

Wow! This news will not sit well with the stoner crowd.

Of course, now we can anticipate a newly defined mental illness. Logically then, expect government funding to be allocated for treatment of cannabis-acquired cognitive abnormality (CACA) at special clinics. It's also possible that CACA would at some point be classified as disabling and, therefore, sufferers would be entitled to protected status in society.

While I've always thought that heavy marijuana smoking just made people stupid, brain prospectors now have evidence which proves that dope smokers are not stupid, they're mentally ill. This is quite fortuitous since mental health professionals can't charge handsome counseling fees when treating people deemed simply stupid, they also must be ill.

Islamist School of Terror

(Perugia, Italy) Three Moroccan Muslim men were arrested last weekend by Italian Police for allegedly running a terrorist training school in a mosque at Ponte Felcino. The men included 41-year-old Imam Korchi el Moustaphthe, 47-year-old Mohamed el Jari and 46-year-old Driss Safika.

Police said they found evidence of in-depth training in explosives and poisons, and instructions on flying a Boeing 747 airliner.

Police say the suspects were running an "in-depth operation of instruction and training in the use of weapons and combat techniques suitable for terrorist acts."

Officers found chemicals - including acids and cyanide - in the mosque's cellar, officials said.

A fourth suspect is believed to have fled the country.

Since the weapons, explosives, poisons and 747 flying instructions were in the cellar, I'm assuming that the religion of peace activities were conducted upstairs. They surely wouldn't have mixed all those things up. Uh, or maybe they would.

Texas Teacher Popped for Drugs

(San Antonio, Texas) A 41-year-old special education teacher by trade, Kimberly Williams, was arrested last Sunday as she was allegedly making a drug deal with 43-year-old Ulysses Meredith III. According to San Antonio Police, marijuana, crack cocaine and prescription pills were found in Williams' car.

Williams worked for the Judson ISD until last March.

In true form, both Williams and Meredith denied knowing anything about the drugs. Williams said they were planted in her car. Meredith said he didn't even know Williams and the drugs must have been hers.

Another source states that "Williams confessed to coming to the area to buy drugs and had brought $200 with her to make the purchase."

Williams has a court appearance scheduled for next month.

Protective Sexology Treatment

(Prague, Czech Republic) According to statistics from the Czech Justice Ministry, a small number of sex offenders are surgically castrated every year by the Czech School of Medical Sexology, renowned the world over for its protective sexology treatment.

The castrations are in accordance with the Czech Health Care Act and are performed "only with the patient's consent and after an extensive approval process." Slovakia is believed to be the only other European country razoring pervs.

Data indicate that less than five percent of castrated sex offenders commit additional sex crimes which is a substantial decrease from the 70 percent level calculated for men without treatment. The alternative to castration is long-term, maybe life-long, incarceration. And, there's the rub. Opponents question whether patients actually consent or are coerced.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which forms part of the Council of Europe's human rights directorate, published a report this month expressing its "serious reservations" concerning the use of surgical castration on some men convicted of serious sex crimes.

In the report, the CPT said that the voluntary nature of the castrations will be closely monitored and its level of concern may be elevated in the future.

If the procedure works and the men agree, why not?

German Jobless at 9.1 Percent

The Germans are clinking glasses to toast themselves for the lowest unemployment rate in six years.

According to raw, unadjusted data published by the Federal Labor Agency in Nuremberg, the German jobless rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 9.1 percent in May, the lowest level since October 2001.

Analysts are pleased and predict a sunny future.

For comparison, the U.S. has been sporting unemployment numbers in the five percent range and the media incessantly trash President Bush for a lousy economy. The Germans finally have their unemployment resting comfortably around nine percent and the media trumpet a sunny outlook. Therefore:

5% jobless = lousy economy in the U.S.

9% jobless = sunny economy in Germany

Odd, isn't it? Maybe they're using some sort of voodoo metric analysis in Germany. On the other hand, maybe the media are lying to the American public.

Companion post at TDPB.

Georgia Tutor Jailed for Sex with Boy

(Kingsland, Georgia) A 37-year-old professional tutor, Kimberly Renee Babcock, was arrested on Monday for allegedly engaging in sex with an under-16-year-old boy she was tutoring. Officials declined to reveal the boy's actual age.

Babcock is a tutor and executive at Advanced Learning Center, a private tutoring institution outside Kingsland. She has been charged with child molestation, aggravated child molestation and sexual assault.

According to Capt. Wesley Walker of the Camden County Sheriff's Office, the boy's mother prompted an investigation.

"The mother of the victim went to the learning center and discussed what happened with the owner on June 14, and on June 18 the owner was advised by their attorney to contact law enforcement, so that's what they did," Walker said.

The Camden County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are continuing to investigate. It's reported that additional arrests are possible.

Sex Offender Dawn Fisher Violates Probation

(Toledo, Ohio) In September 2006, 33-year-old mother of three Dawn M. Fisher pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in accordance with a deal offered by the prosecution.

As a reminder, Fisher engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy, became pregnant and gave birth. She denied all allegations until DNA testing of the newborn proved the boy was the father.

In October, Judge James Bates sentenced Fisher to five years community control and no jail time. She had faced a possible five years in prison. Surprisingly, Judge Bates admitted that he would have ruled differently for a man in similar circumstances.

This week, Judge Bates expressed a change in his thinking while sentencing Fisher to two years in prison for violating her probation. While admitting that he said something he shouldn't have during her first sentencing, Judge Bates cited failure to complete sex offender treatment as the reason Fisher is going to prison. Fisher, for some irrational reason, continues to view herself as the victim in the relationship with the boy.

In court, Fisher sprinkled some apologies among boo-hoos but Judge Bates had no sympathy. She left the court in cuffs.

Interested-Participant helped shine the light on Judge Bates' original statement of gender bias which he now regrets. Even so, the judge deserves some credit for having the courage to revisit his error and correct it. To my knowledge, admitting errors isn't typical judicial practice.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Palm Tree Cell Tower

(Paradise Valley, Arizona) This seems like a good idea.

The Paradise Valley Planning Commission has approved the installation of the town's first cellphone tower disguised as a palm tree.

Interestingly, there was no public opposition to the phony palm.

Okay, I'll speculate that some birds will nest in the fake palm and end up dying from something and, when the first carcass is found on the ground, an outburst of protest will come from animal rights devotees. I can wait.

Posh to Paris: Hands Off Becks

This is comical. Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, says she trusts her soccer-star husband, David, 100%, but also says that:

"The young Hollywood club crowd, such as Lindsay, Paris and Britney, are positively salivating over David."

Consequently, Posh has warned the party girls to stay away.

Obviously, there must be something between 100% and total trust.

Not only that, but Posh's warning sounds more like a challenge than a threat. Nevertheless, it appears that David Beckham is the motorman with a choice of destinations and rest stops.

Six Pets Killed and Eaten

(Mesa, Arizona) According to state biologist Randy Babb, coyotes are smart and they know where to find pets.

Coyotes have killed six household pets in north-central Mesa since July 8, but an Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman said there's not much that can be done.

Debbie Thompson, who lives in the Hermosa Groves subdivision, said three of her dogs, who weighed about 10 pounds each, were killed Friday.

Just this month, four dogs and two cats in one neighborhood have been killed by coyotes. Meanwhile, the state authorities say that the only thing they can do is counsel the residents.

I disagree. Put a $100 bounty on coyote pelts and see what happens. Problem solved.

And another thing. Where's the outrage? Michael Vick has been accused of killing dogs and some people would like to see him lynched. The coyotes are killing dogs (and cats) with impunity and the only people expressing anger are the owners. Hey, whether it's Michael Vick or coyotes, there should be equivalent outrage for killing the animals. Shouldn't there?

MySpace: 29K Sex Offenders Identified

From AdAge:

MySpace has identified more than 29,000 registered sex offenders on its social network -- more than four times the number it claimed to have found in May, according to the North Carolina attorney general's office.

The 29,000 includes those who signed up using their real names. Nobody knows how many are lurking on MySpace using aliases.

To counter the situation, North Carolina AG Roy Cooper is spearheading an effort to require parental consent for children to join MySpace. Hey, what about FaceBook and the other networking sites frequented by kids?

Honestly, does anyone really think that legislating parental controls will eliminate or minimize the threat of child sex predators? It's nuts! We should be going after the perverts, not the parents and an unknown number of web portals.

Also: TDPB

World's Most-Read Blogger

Last week, the Beijing News reported that Chinese actress and director, 33-year-old Xu Jinglei, became the world's most widely-read blogger when her site logged 100 million page views within about 600 days.

Interestingly, her blog (Mandarin or English) focuses on her career as a director of films and everyday life, not the usual celebrity sleaze. Xu has transitioned away from acting to be behind the cameras. A bit of trivia, her favorite movies are The Godfather and Schindler's List.

To celebrate the 100 million page views, Xu has chosen 20 of her online fans to join her at a blow-out party.

The 100 millionth hit occurred on July 12, according to www.sina.com.cn, a popular Chinese website which provides blog services to many Chinese entertainers, including Xu who started hers in October 2005 and published a book of her blogged articles in March 2006.

Notably, Xu Jinglei was interviewed last week by reporter Ellen Lee of the SF Chronicle and she discusses her attitude toward politics and the impact of the Internet on Chinese culture. Listen here in either Mandarin or English.

It's worth mentioning that Technorati, which classifies blogs based on the number of incoming links, had Xu's blog ranked at 47th last week. Nevertheless, the Chinese believe they have the world's most popular blogger.

Tip: Wicked Thoughts

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Shaving for Honor

(Mahrusa, Egypt) A clan elder was kidnapped in a tribal dispute and the Al-Arab family realized its worst fear. They received a package containing the elder's moustache.

In a town where a man's honor is measured by the length of his moustache, the new shaved moustache tactic sent shockwaves through the community.

The conflict that started with a coffee shop brawl swiftly spiralled out of control, with the Al-Arab carrying out a humiliating reprisal shave on a leading member of the Fallaheen family, followed by all-out battles with sticks and clubs.

Police and community leaders then intervened, restoring a relative calm to the town, the paper said, with those worst hit by the conflict set to remain indoors for the coming weeks pending the regrowth of their manliness.

Therefore, if you lose a fight, you're grounded. Tough town, eh?

Tip: Wicked Thoughts

Kucinich Quotes Bible

Call me surprised. Presidential candidate and Congressman Dennis Kucinich quoted the Bible while debating in South Carolina.

Do you suppose this means that Kucinich has adopted moral values of greater substance than a Magic 8-Ball? Well, I surely don't.

I tend to think that Rep. Kucinich would cherry-pick any source, despite whether he understood it or believed it, just to further his leftist political arguments. Unfortunately, the trait can be seen in many politicians, left and right.

Even so, quoting the Bible will probably be viewed unfavorably by Kucinich's followers. That is unless it's a Klingon translation of the Bible being quoted.

Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton

Believe it or not.

Fred Thompson and Hillary were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person.

The Republican, Fred Thompson, gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.

Hillary was very impressed, so when they came to another homeless person, she decided to help. She walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into Thompson's pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for her administrative fees and gave the homeless person $5.

Obviously this story fudges the truth. I'm sure Hillary hasn't the foggiest idea where the welfare office is.

Source

Teacher Gets No Jail for Child Sex Assault

(Amarillo, Texas) In December 2004, a 47-year-old technology teacher at Amarillo High School, Martha Lynn Perry, was arrested for committing a sex act with a 16-year-old male student. The alleged sex was discovered by police during an unrelated investigation.

Perry was charged with felony sexual assault and booked into the Randall County Jail on $25,000 bond. Subsequently, she resigned from her teaching position.

Last Friday, Perry pleaded guilty to child sexual assault and was sentenced to probation in accordance with a plea agreement. She must also register as a sex offender and pay $500 in fines.

Therefore, it appears that the prosecution needed two and one-half years to decide to slap Perry's hand. It seems like a lot of time was wasted on something that could have been resolved on any weekday afternoon in 2004.

Canary in the Socialized Medicine Coal Mine

Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin is pushing a health care program to cover every person in the state. Whoa! Open your wallets wide, citizens, you're looking at more than $500 a month per worker in new taxes to begin.

BizzyBlog has the numbers and sage commentary. Go see.

In all candor, if I were a business owner in Wisconsin, I'd be looking to another state for my enterprise.

Coffee, Milk and Gas

Fairly soon, it appears that a cup of coffee at Starbucks will top $5. For comparison, recent prices of gasoline hover around $3 per gallon and a gallon of milk costs slightly more.

Reader assignment. Find someone who will go on record complaining about the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Also, President Bush and global warming are blamed for the price increases in gas and milk. Who is to blame for the price increase in a cup of coffee?

Lastly, you shouldn't complain about the price of milk if you buy your coffee at Starbucks.

Breasts Not Bombs and Code Pink

Maybe I need to get my eyes checked or maybe I haven't seen enough members of the Breasts Not Bombs and the Code Pink crowds, but it sure seems that these two groups are populated with the most astonishingly unattractive people on Earth.

Their appearance anywhere should probably come with a forewarning to the public. "Caution: Toxic Unpleasantness!"

I think their message is blurred by ugliness. It would be a good idea for them to hire a few attractive people to lure the public into listening to their issues. I'd recommend contacting Joe Francis to hire a collection of his Girls Gone Wild bimbos. They would draw a crowd.

No Escaping the Abyss

(Garland County, Arkansas) A 41-year-old Bryant, Arkansas, man, Jeffrey Dean Cheshier, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Cheshier was scheduled to go on trial in September for the molestation of a 13-year-old girl.

Was it guilt that made him do it? Shame? Or, maybe he had money problems and was bipolar. That's it! He must have been mentally ill.

Frankly, I don't give a rat's rear what his reason was. Call me cold and heartless, but also realize that it's not unusual for accused child molesters to off themselves. They know that there is no escape from the abyss they entered.

My sympathies always rest with the victims.

Read the whole story at WND.

Tip: slwlion


[Update 07/25/07]

From a commenter, here's new information.

The Cheshier family broadcast a press release that said :

To Whom it may concern;

You are receiving this notice because you have reported or published press releases from Angela Michael and Small Victories in the past.

As of July 22, 2007 Angela Michael has seen fit to announce on her website http://www.smallvictories.com/ and via a press release to various media outlets, the fact that our Son, Brother, Father, Uncle & Cousin, Jeffrey Dean Cheshier from Newport Arkansas was found dead in his vehicle on July 17, 2007 an apparent victim of suicide.

This story has since been retracted by The Arkansas Register where it was first incorrectly reported.

Contrary to what Ms. Michaels reports, she had no right or authorization to release this information.

Some of the information she has released was incorrect or downright false and defamatory. Some, of the information was never intended to be released to the public, may in fact compromise the investigation that is ongoing, and will cause her sources to be investigated.

Further release of this information by Angela Michael may result in legal action against her and her sources.

We therefore ask that you refrain from reporting or publishing any further information regarding our Son, Brother, Father, Uncle & Cousin that has not been released directly by our family or the governmental authorities involved.

Please respect the privacy of the family and the victim in this matter.

See the rest in Comments. Thanks to Carol C.

Woman Killed for Honor After Police Refused to Help Her

(London, England) A 20-year-old Iraqi Kurd woman, Banaz Mahmod, fled her family to avoid a marriage arranged by her father, 52-year-old Mahmod Mahmod. She ultimately met and fell in love with Iranian Kurd Rahmat Sulemani.

After seeing a photograph of Banaz kissing Sulemani on a London street, her father, Mahmod, became enraged and issued an order for Banaz to be raped and killed. Mahmod had previously called her a "whore" for wearing makeup.

In January 2006, Banaz was abducted and disappeared. Three months later, her dead body was found stuffed in a suitcase and buried in a Birmingham garden.

Her father and 50-year-old Ari Mahmod, her uncle, were found guilty of ordering and directing the barbaric honor killing and sentenced by Judge Brian Barker to life in prison. The actual rapist and killer, 30-year-old Mohammed Hama, was also sentenced to life.

In court last week, testimony described the gang-rape Banaz was subjected to and her murder.

She was strangled for five minutes, but it took her half an hour to die as her killer stamped repeatedly on her neck to "let her soul out."

According to the prosecutor Victor Temple, Hama confessed to a friend that Banaz's final moments lasted two torturous hours and included many sexual acts. Sadly, Banaz had suspicions that she would be killed but couldn't get help to prevent it.

Earlier it had emerged that terrified Banaz had asked police for help four times, but was not taken seriously. She even gave officers a list of five people she suspected would harm her.

After she had been taken to hospital following an earlier attempt on her life, Mr Sulemani recorded her fears on his mobile phone. The film was played in court and helped convict her killers from beyond the grave. Five officers could now face disciplinary charges.

Obviously, British police officials need to rethink their policy regarding threats and suspicions of potential honor killings. Even so, it's not clear how much police are capable of doing prior to an actual crime being committed. Usually by the time a crime becomes known, the honor killing is already a done deal.

To resolve the dilemma, it seems that what's needed is a witness-protection-type program for women targeted for honor killings. If the women can't be located, they can't be killed.

Teacher Gets 6 Months for Molesting Boy, 11

(Queens, New York) Last May, a 55-year-old teacher's aide at PS196, Lois Cheryl Enden, was arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old boy repeatedly eight years ago.

The boy, now a teen, remembered the abuse after a chance sighting of Enden. Enden was booked on multiple counts of rape and sodomy.

Yesterday, Enden pleaded guilty.

The teacher's aide, Lois Enden, who earned about $13 an hour working in the school cafeteria and helping children get on and off buses, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape before Queens Criminal Court Judge Pauline Mullings. The judge indicated she would sentence Enden, 56, to six months in jail and five years of probation.

District Attorney Richard Brown said Monday that Enden, an aide at Public School 196 since about 1990, had "betrayed her position of trust" by taking advantage of a young student in April 2000 and having sex with him after school.

"The defendant's conduct is not simply a violation of law but of society's innate code of ethics," Brown said in a statement.

And for the ethical breach and violation of the law, Enden gets six months. Jeez, I wonder what a male teacher would have received for raping an 11-year-old girl.


[Update 08/01/07]

New pic. Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 10/30/07]

Enden, 56, formally sentenced to six months in jail and 10 years probation. She must also register as a sex offender.

Philly Rally for Ramos and Compean

Go over to Diggers Realm for the comprehensive account of last Saturday's rally in Philadelphia for imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean. Learn what grassroots America is all about. I particularly got a chuckle out of the "Kick Me, I Am A Citizen" bumper stickers.

While you're at it, leave Digger and his colleagues a well-earned thank you from all who believe in the rule of law.

Splat Botches Burglary

(Toronto, Ontario) Yesterday afternoon, a 16-year-old boy broke into a Toronto apartment, ransacked it for valuables and attempted to escape by climbing down from the 26th floor balcony. He slipped.

Be advised, kids, if you decide to embark on a career as a cat burglar, make sure you stay in school long enough to pass Gravity 101.

Diesel Oil Spewing From Rock in Zimbabwe?

(Harare, Zimbabwe) A 35-year-old faith healer and spirit medium, Rotina Mavhunga aka Sekuru Muboni, claimed to have found pure diesel coming from a hole in a rock in a "sacred" place near limestone formations known as Chinhoyi Caves. Reportedly, a local newspaper printed a picture of Muboni holding a hose stuck into the rock "spewing oil." I haven't seen the picture but it's obvious that something was being spewed.

In a country desperate to find energy sources to fuel a failing economy, Zimbabwean government officials and members of the police and air force were dispatched to confirm Muboni's claim. First, though, faith healer Muboni told the officials to perform a ritual.

After taking their shoes off, they sat with legs stretched, clapped their hands and asked the ancestral spirits for permission. Meanwhile, Muboni drenched the officials with diesel oil to "prove that the precious liquid was available in the area."

[Then] Muboni led the party to Raffingora, Musindizi, the snake-infested Nyamugomba and vicious baboon-infested Nyakasikana. Muboni said these were sacred areas she went to while being led where the "diesel" was.

"We would hold biras (traditional beer ceremonies) here until the ancestors showed us where the "diesel" was.

"Nyamugomba and Nyakasikana are sources of the Sleeping Pool at the Chinhoyi Caves and look alike. Most important is that they are sacred places.

"You will never be seen again if you fall into these two pools, which hold a lot of history," she added.

As darkness fell, Muboni led her party to Nyakasikana where she held another ritual.

To make a long story shorter, government officials were unable to confirm that a rock was spewing diesel oil. Government spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira told the media that there were "no deposits of diesel in the area."

Now, faith healer/spirit medium Mavhunga aka Muboni is on the lam and 50 of her followers have been arrested. It's not clear what charges will be filed against Mavhunga/Muboni and her followers.

It should be noted that Muboni's claim of oil coming from a rock is not far-fetched if one considers that Colonel Edwin Drake drilled the first oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, because that was where oil was seeping from a rock.

There is, however, a significant difference between the crude oil Drake saw coming from a rock and the refined diesel oil Muboni claimed she saw coming from a rock. That difference should have been apparent to government officials.

It wasn't.

Nude Cyclists Rally

(Madrid, Spain) Cyclists with the motto "We continue to be naked in traffic" participated in the 4th Nude Cyclists Rally recently in the streets of Madrid and other cities, including Pamplona. So, for those that missed out on Running with the Bulls, there was also the chance at Riding with the Bares.

The route was through the central streets of the capital and similar demonstrations were also seen on Saturday in Barcelona, Zaragoza, Pamplona, Santander, La Coruna, Granada, Alicante, Murcia, Valladolid and Huesca.

The protests are designed to show how invisible cyclists are to motorists, and in demand for more bike lanes, slower speed limits in cities and towns, and measures to accept bicycles on public transport.

The question was asked if the cyclists used special bicycle seats when riding naked to prevent possibly acquiring some kind of bacteria. Frankly, I don't know and I would probably be more worried about getting something caught in the bicycle chain. Readers?

Spanish Prison Better Than Moroccan Freedom

(Motril, Spain) A Moroccan man was arrested by police last week for attempting to enter Spain illegally and drug smuggling. Officers found cannabis in his rucksack.

The 24-year-old told police at Motril port last Monday that he brought the drugs over in an attempt to be able to stay in Spain "even if it were in prison."

Too bad. A judge decided to deport him.

Islam Gains in Turkish Elections

(Ankara, Turkey) The Islamist-rooted Justice and Development (AK) Party, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, won a decisive majority of Turkish parliamentary seats in elections today. The unicameral Grand National Assembly has 550 parliamentarians and at least 340 will now be AK members chosen by 47% of the voters.

The Republican People's Party (CHP), billed as equivalent to the European Social Democrats, is the main opposition to the AK Party, winning at least 110 seats and 21% of the votes.

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), known for its "ultra-nationalism" and militancy, won at least 70 seats with about 15% of the votes.

Independent candidates, the Young Party (GP), the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the Motherland Party (ANAP), the True Path Party (DYP) and the Democrat Party (DP) didn't pick up enough votes to be a factor. Under Turkish parliamentary rules, a party must garner at least 10% of the votes cast to qualify for proportional representation.

Key Points:

- The Islamist-rooted AK Party gained in strength, setting the stage for increased tension between Muslims and the secular establishment with its powerful army ally.

- The decrease in secular influences and the likelihood of more religion-based government could delay membership in the European Union.

- Despite high hopes, it appears that insufficient votes were cast to increase the number of women in the Grand National Assembly above the 4.4% garnered in 2002. Since women's rights are set as a prerequisite to EU membership, the low level of female representation could be a deal-breaker. Currently, female illiteracy is around 20 percent, honour killings are common and only 72 percent of girls enroll in secondary school.

- The MHP and the CHP are overtly and tacitly supporting a growing nationalism movement which fosters opposition to EU membership while continuing to stoke the conflict with the Kurds.

- Encapsulated, the outcome of the election went swimmingly against snuggly relations with the EU and the West.

Over 33 million voters went to the polls out of 42.5 million registered to vote.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Teachers Arrested for Sex Abuse After Ex-Student Sues

(Lexington, Kentucky) On July 9th, a former Beaumont Junior High School art teacher, Roberta Walter (previously Roberta Blackwell), was arrested in Nashville for allegedly sexually abusing a male student in the late 70s and early 80s. Walter retired in 1998.

Walter faces charges of third-degree sodomy and third-degree rape.

The charges are a result of the fallout from former student Carol Lynne Maner's civil lawsuit against the Fayette County school board. Maner's lawsuit claimed that there was a pattern of abuse concealed by the school system. On Thursday, a jury of four men and eight women awarded 44-year-old Maner $3.7 million.

Maner claimed in her lawsuit that she was denied her right to an education and slid into depression and drug addiction from alleged abuse by four teachers, a guidance counselor and an assistant principal at Lafayette High School and Beaumont Junior High School in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Maner said the board ignored her cries for help and covered up the abuse.

Maner's case was supported by testimony from other former students and parents of students. The verdict against the Fayette County Board of Education was read by Circuit Judge Thomas Clark.

Another arrest resulting from Maner's lawsuit was 60-year-old Jack Russell Hubbard, former science teacher. Hubbard has been accused of sodomizing a male student 30 times when the boy was 14 and 15 years old.

Hubbard left the Fayette School System in 1981 and taught in Department of Defense Schools for 20 years. He was arrested in Pennsylvania.

Female Child Molester Violates Probation

(Hagerstown, Maryland) In October 2005, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Donald E. Beachley sentenced 19-year-old Danielle Nicole Frye to 18 months in state prison after she pleaded guilty to one charge of second-degree sexual assault. Frye admitted to presenting herself unclothed to an 11-year-old boy and directing him to have sex with her. According to the plea agreement, Frye was sentenced to ten years in prison with all but 18 months suspended.

In April, Frye, now 21, completed her 18 months in prison and was released on probation, one of the terms of which was that she couldn't leave the state of Maryland without permission.

In May, Frye traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, without permission. Upon her return, she was arrested for violating her probation and has been in jail since May 31.

This week, Judge Donald Beachley imposed the remaining eight and one-half years of Frye's prison sentence, with five years suspended. The three and one-half years incarceration will be served in the county jail since Frye didn't commit a new offense. After release, Frye will serve 42 months probation with supervision for two years.

Frye was teary-eyed when she was escorted from the courtroom on Thursday.

How anyone can be so stupid is beyond me.

Illegal Alien Hotline

(Phoenix, Arizona) Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has launched a hotline to report on illegal aliens.

Wow! I think I can hear alien Arizona glutes puckering all the way from Ohio.

[Update] Meanwhile, in Hartford, Connecticut, an illegal alien municipal ID Card program is being launched.

What a great country! We have a city that issues a card which certifies that a person has broken the law. Sheriff Joe might think about doing the same thing.

"Hey, guys! If you're illegal, come on in to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for your ID card."

Sounds like a plan.

Rub-A--Dub-Dub, Death in the Tub

(Seattle, Washington) Unusual story.

Phyllis Buchert, 47, was picked up by a 39-year-old man at a Seattle bus stop on May 18 and the two went back to the man's Lake City apartment and had sex, according to Seattle police. The man left to buy beer while Buchert took a bath, and when he returned he found her dead in the tub, police said.

The man, who is not being named because he is not being charged, told police he then dug a hole in a side alley to bury Buchert's body. But the man changed his mind and, instead, poured cold water over her body to keep it from decomposing, a police report said.

Over the next three days the man sat in his apartment with Buchert's body. On May 21, he walked to a convenience store and called his boss from a pay phone. His boss told him to call police, and the man did so the next morning, the report said.

The King County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was a heart attack.

First thought: Despite his success at bus stops, the guy is stupid.

Second thought: Police might want to take a gander at the guy's side alley.

Michael Vick and Free Willy

Emailers question why I haven't been reporting on the Michael Vick dogfighting story and, frankly, I just haven't been charged up. That is until now. I'm a dog preferrer by genetics, seeing them as trainable animals and man's best friend. After all is said and done and you're in the joint for not paying taxes, your dog still loves you.

However, despite the newsworthiness of Vick's story (which I think should see but mere mention by the media), the public has been seeing Second Coming headlines. In depth, on-the-scene, personal interview stories of puppies, puppy mills, pit bulls, rottweilers, and other angles ad nauseum have plagued the airways. A shaking Senator Byrd awoke from a nap and expressed outrage from the well of the Senate (Barbaric! Barbaric!). And over and over, we see video clips of bloodied dogs fighting, jaws gripping jugulars.

Albeit ugly and savage, watching the ubiquitous news clips of dogs fighting has become uninteresting (unless one needs a personal outrage du jour). There is no mystery, no suspense, no dramatic plot twists and no humor.

So, the reason I haven't been following the Vick dogfighting story is that it's boring. My tastes lean toward Animal Planet to see the killer whales, like torpedoes, charge through the surf to chomp down on penguins. Orcas and penguin guts, what fun.

Also, I really get a kick out of seeing the killer whales (Free Willy's buddies, I guess), having eaten their fill of the penguin blue plate, clamp down on the lifeless carcass of a seal and flip it into the air. Boy, they can send the dead seals flying at least 20 - 30 yards. Then they go after it and flip it into the air again. It's almost like they're playing a game of water hockey or rugby or lacarcass (er -- lacrosse). Of course, those sad seals don't have any fun. Think about it. We spend good taxpayer dollars cleaning the oil spills off the seals, release them and they go right back to the same neighborhood. Naturally, though, every time I see one of the seals flying from the mouth of an orca, I'm thinking that's one seal that won't be cleaned again.

All that said, I have to give Ace a thank you for this thought regarding Michael Vick.

Alas... We won't have the bad publicity coup of seeing the Falcons play the Browns, whose mascot is a dog, this year.

Personally, I believe the publicity would sell tickets and, in that regard, it wouldn't be bad. It would also offer fans the opportunity to be stupid which, we all know, can be entertaining.

In the same vein, my fantasy scenario would be for Vick to quarterback the Atlanta Falcons against the Browns at Cleveland in the playoffs and be outrageously heckled by the Dawg Pound. Then a seething Vick removes his helmet, races to the Dawg Pound, jumps and grabs a fan and bites him.

Talk about a SportCenter lead.

Mom Sentenced for Teen Booze Party

(Hamilton, Massachusetts) In March 2007, a former secretary at North Shore High School, Natalie A. Nemeskal, was charged with nine counts of providing alcohol to minors and one count of witness intimidation, all resulting from having a liquor and sex party with students at her home. The count of witness intimidation resulted from allegedly pressuring a student to recant an earlier statement to police.

This week, 32-year-old Nemeskal was found guilty on all counts and sentenced.

Natalie Nemeskal, 32, of 4 Oak Ave., Hamilton, walked out of Newburyport District Court after Judge Michael Uhlarik suspended for two years her sentence of six months in jail for nine counts of procuring alcohol for minors.

The judge also continued without a finding for two years a felony charge of witness intimidation related to Nemeskal getting a tenant in her home to concoct a story about the party.

Regarding the allegations of sexual activity, it seems that Nemeskal was intimate with a 17 or 18-year-old student at the party but the relations were not considered criminal. However, it seems there should be some question about the appropriateness of Nemeskal having a teen booze party with her 11-year-old daughter in the house. It wasn't addressed by the court.

In continuing the charge, Uhlarik said he did not want Nemeskal's chances of attending nursing school to be harmed by the felony. The judge also gave Nemeskal probation, with terms including counseling, drug testing, no drugs or alcohol, compliance with the state Department of Social Services and having no contact with the victims.

And Uhlarik scolded her on the seriousness of providing alcohol to teens.

So, as I read it, Nemeskal gets probation with blah, blah, blah, some other stuff but no jail. Open the champagne!

Illegal Gets 25 Years for Vehicular Homicide

(Nashville, Tennessee) A 34-year-old previously-deported illegal alien, Julio Villasana, was sentenced to 25 years in prison yesterday after being convicted of vehicular homicide.

Last August, Villasana drove with a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit and crashed head-on into a motorcycle ridden by Charles Derrington, a Nashville musician. Derrington died as a result, leaving behind a wife and daughter.

Villasana has been illegally living in the U.S. for 17 years during which he earned a long criminal record in Texas and Kentucky, using several aliases, with other convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the fatal crash, Villasana had a suspended Kentucky driver's license. According to an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Villasana had been "deported three times and had the chance to leave the United States on his own 11 other times."

While on the stand, Villasana talked a lot about how great it is to live in the United States and how great the laws are here, but the judge said Villasana refused to obey the laws and gave him a 25 year prison sentence.

Villasana must serve at least 30 percent of his time before he's eligible for parole. Then he'll be deported.

Well, I can see why Villasana thinks the laws in the U.S. are great. They don't seem to apply to him. And now he'll do seven and one-half years (30% of 25 years) for killing an American and then get deported -- again. Hell, why bother? He'll just come back and break more laws with impunity.

And let us not forget that Julio Villasana is only one of hundreds of thousands of illegal alien criminals not being held accountable.

Lastly, tell me there is justice when Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean will still be doing hard time in federal prison even as Villasana returns to the U.S. following his deportation to continue his law-breaking career.

Norway, Britain Scramble Jets on Russ Bombers

On Tuesday and Thursday of this week, two Russian Tupolev 95 "Bear" bombers approached Norwegian airspace and flew south along the coast toward the oil fields of the North Sea.

Two Norwegian F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort and monitor the bombers.

The Russian bombers first flew south along the coast of northern Norway on Tuesday, off Finnmark County. They made two more lengthy sorties late Thursday night, prompting Norwegian jets to fly out to meet them once again.

"We followed them for a while to the coast of Nord-Trondelag, where they turned around," said military spokesman John Inge Oglaend of the Tuesday incident. Last night's flights went farther south into the North Sea, to the region between Stavanger and Aberdeen, the heart of the British and Norwegian oil industry.

The British Defense Ministry confirmed that two of its Tornado fighter jets were also dispatched to monitor the Russian bombers since they flew closer to British airspace than usual.

Military officials said the bombers never entered Norwegian or British airspace but came close and flew an unusually long flight for a training mission. Officials said it's been many years since Russian bombers had been so close to Norway and Great Britain leading to speculation that the flights might be related to diplomatic stress between Russia and Britain. Russia refused to extradite a key suspect in the murder of a Russian dissident, Alexander Litivenko, residing in London.

Russian authorities claim the bombers were simply on a training mission. Frankly, I think it's more believable that the bombers were sent to test air defense systems of NATO. Russian President Putin has adopted a rather unfriendly posture toward the West and he's capable of virtually anything.

Anti-Smoking Ads Produce Pro-Smoking Results

A new study of anti-smoking campaign effectiveness has produced astonishing results.

The more exposure middle school students have to anti-smoking ads, the more likely they are to smoke, according to a new University of Georgia study.

Can you even imagine? Tell kids not to do something and they do it even more. Jeez, I guess all the child psychology books will need to be updated with this new information.

Frenchman With Tiny Brain

(Marseille, France) A 44-year-old French civil servant visited the hospital for leg pain and was found by doctors to have an unusually tiny brain. A significant portion of the volume in his cranium is filled with fluid. Nonetheless, he has a 75 IQ and lives an "entirely normal life" as a married father of two.

Okay, why is this news? A French government worker with a 75 IQ and an unusually tiny brain? Wouldn't that be defined as normal for government workers in France and many other places?

Just kidding.

Actually, the report from France must be in error because we all know that government workers are the smartest people on the planet -- especially the IRS.

Manuel Noriega Release Date in September

After being convicted of running a massive narco-kleptocracy in Panama, former thug President Manuel Noriega was sentenced in 1989 to 40 years in federal prison -- later reduced to 30 years. He is soon to be released after serving less than 20 years in the joint.

Now aged 71 and judged to have earned time off for good behaviour, he is due to be released on September 9 from the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami, where he has spent the past 17 years in an apartment-style cell nicknamed "the presidential suite." His accommodation includes two rooms, a television, a telephone and an exercise bike, Noriega having successfully argued that as a "prisoner of war" he deserves special privileges.

Due to Noriega's pending release, a controversy has surfaced regarding where he should be sent. French authorities want him extradited to Paris to face charges for allegedly buying property using illegal drug money.

Panamanian authorities sorta-kinda want him returned to face murder charges for killing and beheading a political opponent while, at the same time, they are somewhat leery of the possibility that sympathetic elements will push to allow him to live out his golden years as a free man.

It remains to be seen what will happen to "Pineapple Face" but, if anyone asked me, he should stay in prison for the rest of his life with the two rooms, telephone, television and exercise bike taken away.

Companion post at TDPB.