Interested-Participant

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 11:51:00 PM

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.

Labels: Women With Troubles

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 11:08:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 06:14:00 PM

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?"

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 04:28:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 06:02:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/31/2007 12:30:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2007 11:43:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2007 09:47:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2007 07:19:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2007 01:54:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/30/2007 12:05:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2007 07:21:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/29/2007 03:18:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2007 10:12:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2007 06:36:00 PM

Apology

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

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2007 05:28:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2007 04:31:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/28/2007 12:04:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2007 08:36:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2007 06:17:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2007 05:30:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2007 05:29:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/27/2007 04:49:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 09:06:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 06:39:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 05:53:00 PM

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?

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 04:28:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 01:59:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/26/2007 01:55:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 10:53:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 09:41:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 08:51:00 PM

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?

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 07:58:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 07:33:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 05:29:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 04:31:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/25/2007 12:23:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 11:52:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 07:14:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 06:45:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 06:09:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 05:29:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 06:29:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/24/2007 12:35:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2007 05:11:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2007 04:18:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/23/2007 05:30:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2007 09:08:00 PM

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?

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2007 07:38:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2007 06:21:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2007 05:32:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/22/2007 12:09:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 10:12:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 08:30:00 PM

Illinois Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Mount Vernon, Illinois) Last May, 37-year-old special education teacher at Bethel Grade School, Lisa Miller, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old male student. The sex allegedly occurred on three separate occasions in April 2005 with a male who was "barely 14" at the time.

Mt. Vernon Police Department detectives investigated Miller after being alerted by school officials of a possible inappropriate relationship. Subsequently, Miller was charged with three counts of criminal sexual assault. She was booked and released on bond.

In the latest development, Miller is scheduled to appear at a jury pretrial hearing in September.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 06:26:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 04:06:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 05:49:00 AM

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!

Following Entry Posted 7/21/2007 12:48:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 11:11:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 05:42:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 10:38:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 09:42:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 12:47:00 AM

Kids Covered in Trash, Roaches, Urine & Feces

(Jacksonville Beach, Florida) A 44-year-old single mother-of-two, Tammie Nava, was stopped by police officers this week and arrested on a DUI charge.

Officers subsequently noticed that Nava was driving with her two children, ages one and three, in the back seat and they were covered in trash, feces and roaches.

"They were soaked and covered in urine and their own feces, and there were cockroaches all over the car. The officer says when he reached in to unbuckle the child, three roaches ran across his hand -- they were just everywhere," said Jacksonville Beach police Sgt. Thomas Bingham.

Investigators said the situation was unhealthy and wouldn't have been discovered if Nava had not been visibly drunk and swerving behind the wheel.

The children were placed in the custody of their grandfather. It's not clear what charges Nava may face, if any, besides DUI. Presumably, child neglect or abuse charges will be considered.

It's hard to believe but a neighbor described Nava as "pretty responsible" and "a nurse" by profession. I don't see those attributes from my perch.

Following Entry Posted 7/20/2007 12:39:00 AM

Women Arrested for Using Men's Room

(Cleveland, Ohio) A female fan at the Kenny Chesney concert at Browns Stadium last Saturday was arrested by a Cleveland Police officer for using the men's room. Stacy Hofacker was cited for causing annoyance and alarm to male patrons in the men's room.

Hofacker has a court appearance scheduled for July 27th when she intends to plead not guilty. She said she has no plans to pay the $175 citation.

I don't believe for a second that any men were annoyed or alarmed. Nevertheless, $175 seems awful steep for the alleged infraction.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2007 10:43:00 PM

KY Teacher Gets 10 Years for Sex Crime

(Tompkinsville, Kentucky) In January 2006, a former eighth-grade teacher at Monroe County Middle School, Angela Renee Comer (aka Angela Combs), was arrested at a hotel in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, after running away with a missing 14-year-old Kentucky student.

In May 2007, 28-year-old Comer pleaded guilty before Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Eddie Lovelace to one count of sodomy and one count of custodial interference.

Yesterday, Comer was sentenced by Judge Lovelace to five years in prison on each charge. Judge Lovelace indicated he was troubled by Comer's failure to accept responsibility.

Heh. Comer sees herself as the victim. Strangely, that isn't an uncommon attitude among female child molesters.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2007 03:25:00 PM

Officer Huckleberry and the Pistol-Packing Paperboys

(Orlando, Florida) Jeez, times sure have changed since I was a paperboy.

"Two Orlando Sentinel deliverymen were delivering papers (Wednesday) morning, and they got into a confrontation," Orlando police Sgt. Rhonda Huckleberry said. "One rammed the other one's vehicle, and the person who had his vehicle rammed got out and started shooting at the other driver."

The only thing I ever carried was a penknife.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2007 10:58:00 AM

CA Woman Jailed for Rape of NY Boy

(Potsdam, New York) A 22-year-old Huntington Beach, California, woman, Kathryn Brauch, has been arrested for rape of a 13-year-old boy she met on the Internet.

Brauch also is alleged to have sent the boy porn. It appears there is a paucity of 13-year-old boys in California so Brauch traveled 3,000 miles to meet up with the Potsdam youth.

Brauch faces charges of rape, criminal sexual conduct and disseminating indecent material to a minor. She was booked into custody with bail set at $50,000.

[Update 07/20/07]

The boy's 40-year-old mother, Maria Conklin, has been charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child for allowing the relationship between her son and Brauch.

[Update 11/02/07]

Brauch indicted.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2007 09:24:00 AM

Head al-Qaeda Mucky-Muck in Iraq Caught

This is important. Go visit and celebrate.

Following Entry Posted 7/19/2007 07:36:00 AM

Naked Sisters of Sheboygan Convicted

(Sheboygan, Wisconsin) In March 2007, twin sisters Pam and Penny Crane were arrested for snapping naked pictures in front of Pam Crane's five-year-old son. They were charged with disorderly conduct. The pictures were taken for a boyfriend in Las Vegas.

Police were alerted by a Walgreens employee who developed the pictures. Reportedly, the hubba-hubba sisters were wearing thong underwear and pantyhose and exposing their breasts and buttocks to the child.

Prosecutors said the pictures were clearly sexual. But on the stand, Pam Crane claimed the nudity was an accident.

"My sister is popping a pimple on my back," Crane said, describing the photo.

She said in another photo, she meant to take a picture of the 5-year-old, and accidentally included her sister, who was getting dressed.

The judge didn't buy that argument, saying the pictures were "close" to pornography.

Yesterday, Sheboygan County Circuit Court Judge Terence T. Bourke ruled that the 30-year-old sisters were guilty of disorderly conduct and fined them $300 plus court costs.

This story just cracks me up. I almost titled it "Pam and Penny Popping Pimples."

Companion post at TDPB.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2007 09:59:00 PM

AZ Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Show Low, Arizona) A 30-year-old local teacher, Tommi Mariscal, is under investigation for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student. The student told police that he and Mariscal had sex on several occasions.

The teen told police the relationship began last year after he and other friends baby-sat for the teacher's four children.

Mariscal denies the accusations.

Mariscal faces four counts of sexual contact with a minor.

Four children, heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2007 04:33:00 PM

Philadelphia Rally for Ramos and Compean

Be apprised that a rally for imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean is scheduled for this Saturday, July 21st, in Philadelphia. Here are the details from Digger.

I know most of you out there have never attended a rally. I urge you to do so this weekend. Come join us and stand up for something you know has truly been a travesty! Remember that these law enforcement officers, who were out there defending our country and you, will never receive the justice due them unless we move en mass and demand it! They will rot in a cell in solitary confinement for 10 or more years.

So please just take a few hours out of your schedule this weekend and come on down to welcome me to Philadelphia, my new home . That's right, I'll have been there a whole 2 days and already taking to the streets to demand an end to illegal immigration and freedom for these agents!

Here's the details.
Time: Noon to 2PM

Place:
Mexican Consulate
111 S. Independence Mall E, Suite 310
Bourse Building, Philadelphia, PA 19106

It's a little too far for Interested-Participant to attend but I'll be there in spirit. Day in and day out, I read of child sex offenders being sentenced to probation. It's a skewed justice system that places law enforcers in prison for a decade when they were simply doing their jobs by chasing down an illegal alien drug smuggler. Even if they erred in the performance of their jobs, it's unconscionable that they deserve ten or more years in prison.

By the way, I've been to Independence Mall and it's a nice place to visit even without a special reason. Going there with a purpose is a bonus.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2007 05:44:00 AM

Texas Teacher Improper with Student

(Lumberton, Texas) In February 2005, a former teacher at Lumberton High School, Kathy Denise White, was indicted by a Hardin County grand jury for felony improper relationship with a student.

It's alleged that White engaged in sex with the young man at her home and at Lumberton High School. She was also accused of threatening the student about his grades.

After more than two years without any action, there's finally a development in the case. Forty-one-year-old White has a court appearance scheduled for August 29th when a plea is expected to be entered and a trial date set.

White faces two counts of engaging in an improper relationship between a teacher and a student. If convicted, she could face several decades in prison.

Ha, ha! Kidding aside, she's a woman and the student was 17 or 18 at the time of the improper relations. Therefore, I boldly predict that she will plea bargain down to a misdemeanor of some sort and get probation.

[Update 03/15/08]

White accepts plea deal, gets probation.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2007 04:26:00 AM

Christine Marie Johanson Sex Case

(Longview, Washington) In November 2006, 35-year-old former teacher's aide at Hudson Park Elementary School in Rainier, Christine Marie Johanson, was indicted by a grand jury on counts of rape, sodomy, sexual abuse and furnishing liquor to a minor. All charges resulted from an alleged months-long sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy.

Ultimately, Johanson faced charges in both Washington and Oregon and was under investigation by the FBI. For history of this complicated case, see here and here.

In the latest development, Johanson pleaded guilty to one count of rape in Cowlitz County, Washington, in accordance with an Alford plea on July 11th. Her plea was entered just before the scheduled start date for her trial. A sentencing date of August 29th has been scheduled.

Regarding the charges she faces in Columbia County, Oregon, Johanson has a court appearance scheduled for August 31st at which time she is expected to plead guilty to reduced charges in accordance with an agreement.

[Update 08/30/07]

Johanson sentenced in Cowlitz County.

Following Entry Posted 7/18/2007 12:18:00 AM

Woman Accused of Rape and Exposing Others to HIV

(Mason, Tennessee) A 19-year-old HIV-positive woman, Kayla Wilkerson, was arrested Monday for knowingly exposing three men and a 15-year-old boy to deadly HIV. All four males are awaiting test results.

Police learned about this case through the leasing agent at the apartments. She called them and complained that people were having sex in the laundry room after hours.

Police say after finding out who was involved, the men admitted taking turns having sex with Wilkerson.

Wilkerson was indicted by a Tipton County grand jury on six counts of criminal exposure to HIV and one count of statutory rape for having sex with the 15-year-old.

Wilkerson was booked and released on bond. A September court appearance has been scheduled.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 07:14:00 PM

Brit Badgers in Basra?

(Basra, Iraq) The story of ferocious, man-eating badgers being released by British forces into the city of Basra is being denied.

UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."

So, there.

Tip: The Marmot (known for his badger-avoidance lifestyle)

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 06:04:00 PM

Planned Parenthood Consolidates in NE Ohio

Absolutely dismayed by Ohio's 48th out of 50 states' ranking in providing abortions, satellite Planned Parenthood groups have consolidated to create Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio, headed by CEO Tara Broderick.

A goal of the consolidation is to eliminate duplication of efforts and reduce administrative costs, Broderick said. Instead of five separate boards, there will be one 24-member board.

The President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Cecile Richards, formally announced the consolidation which became effective on July 1st.

Richards gave a speech at the City Club of Cleveland on Friday in which she praised the efforts of Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Brown, both Democrats.

She also said it was important to elect a pro-choice president in 2008.

"It's just great news," Richards said. "I think it means Planned Parenthood is going to be stronger.

"It's a new day in Ohio."

Obviously, the consolidation is a thrilling event to some people. Excuse me for not sharing in the excitement. It's beyond my capabilities to understand how anyone could get pumped up about the abortion business.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 05:19:00 PM

The Impossible Interview

Grandfather Charles Hill has started the 2007 World Tour and today he is in Knoxville, Tennessee. Interestingly, Chas has taken time to outline the possibilities of getting an audience with Glenn Reynolds, the esteemed Instapundit.

Check out the top ten things likely to occur before a sit-down, according to Charles.

10) The chance to rummage through Marg Helgenberger's lingerie drawer
9) The keys to an S-Class Benz
8) A winning Powerball ticket
7) Video of Al Gore buying a Hummer
6) The RIAA reconstitutes itself as a time-share operator in Florida
5) Hillary admits she's had nothing lifted or resculpted -- but Bill has
4) Immediate and permanent cessation of all comment spam
3) Burge/Goldstein ticket unstoppable in the primaries
2) CBS replaces Katie Couric with Megan McArdle
1) Actually getting blogrolled by Glenn Reynolds

Good luck, Charles. I personally believe that Reynolds wants cash.

Catch the daily updates on the exciting '07 World Tour at Dustbury.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 04:48:00 PM

Mom Guilty of Incest with Son

(Toledo, Ohio) A 54-year-old local woman, Terry Walker, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of sexual battery for engaging in a three-year sexual relationship with her son, 28-year-old Kevin Ware. Ohio's incest laws prohibit sex between parent and child.

Walker faces a possible five years in prison when sentenced on August 23rd. Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Ruth Ann Franks will determine the type and level of sex offender classification Walker will receive at sentencing. She's currently locked up in the Lucas County Jail.

According to authorities, Walker lost custody of her son, along with his four siblings, at the age of four and he was raised in a foster home. At the age of 21, Ware sought out his mother, found her and ultimately engaged in sex. Ever since, Ware has had problems. According to Assistant County Prosecutor Robert Clark, Ware is facing charges of rape of a seven-year-old girl.

"When you make a family member a victim, they feel others … are fair game," Mr. Clark said. "It spreads."

Mr. Ware was arrested May 3 at the apartment after Toledo police investigated a statement by a young girl who said that Mr. Ware had sex with her. The girl gave Lucas County Children Services and police investigators a detailed description of the assaults, saying that Mr. Ware had shown her explicit photographs. She also told them he had sex with his mother while she was present.

Mr. Ware is charged with three counts of rape, two counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, and pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor.

If the court determines he's competent to stand trial, Ware will likely be looking at life in prison.

Source

[Update 08/24/07]

Walker sentenced to prison.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 04:02:00 PM

Local Media Are Just Followers of the MSM

Here are some honest words describing the typical hometown news rag.

That there is indeed a striking uniformity of opinion in chain-owned newsrooms over at least the first and third items is almost beyond dispute. Stories about crimes committed by illegals almost never get around to telling us that the criminals involved are indeed illegals, or how they managed to stay here for months or years. The "sympathy salsa" gets taken off the shelf just about any time an illegal faces deportation. Reports on environmental issues lean heavily towards the assumption that global warming is occurring (Really? Note that the report is in an English newspaper), is a big problem, and that anyone who doesn't buy in can't be taken seriously.

It doesn't help that in certain areas, most notably business coverage, even at the state level, the chain locals, and most other locals, are at the mercy of relentlessly biased outlets like the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Reuters.

The tragedy is that while the top-tier blogs and talk radio are filling in many of the cavernous gaps in national coverage, local and state news, which is often at least as biased, both in what is reported and in the choice of what isn't, is subject to less overall and certainly less influential scrutiny. Perhaps this will change as more downsized/early-retired Old Media refugees join the blogosphere (Daily Bellwether blogmeister Bill Sloat is one such person) and other forms of alternative media, they will see how bad it is from the outside looking in, and fill in the gaps. Someone surely needs to.

From my area perch, local newspapers devote an inordinate amount of column-inches to save-the-planet, recycling, clean water, clean air, blah, blah, blah, environmental stories, all with the premise that Earth is on the path to destruction.

Much of the remaining space is then hogged by pet reports -- cuddly pets, life-saving pets, stray pets, pets at the pound, blah, blah, blah .... and pleas for money for the fire department, the rescue squads, the schools, blah, blah, blah. All the while, I live in an area that is becoming crowded with illegal aliens but you wouldn't know it by reading the local newspaper. No, everyone is busy saving the planet and the pets.

Frankly, the hometown rag long ago ceased being a regular read.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 03:19:00 PM

Lesbian Muslim Terrorists

Sounds contradictory, however, this is serious, folks. Two Muslim domestic partners in Dallas appear to be testing the American emergency and terror response systems. I'd suggest there is a high likelihood that virtually every bomb scare and suspicious package event may have been preplanned to do just that -- test response actions by fire, police and medical teams.

To be prudent, if one sees an off-normal incident with terrorist overtones, such as a suspicious package or disruption on an airplane, look around to see if anyone is taking notes.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 09:12:00 AM

Russia and Malaysia

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Authorities doth be protesting too much the assertion that Malaysia is a proxy for Russia. Not at all. They're just friends -- nothing serious -- according to Foreign Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 08:56:00 AM

Grave TV

The German Funeral Association has teamed with television producer Wolf Tilmann Schneider to launch a 24-hour, seven days a week channel devoted exclusively to ageing, dying and death.

Called Eos TV, the new channel will feature shows on graveyards, obituaries and retirement home tips.

Heh. Somehow I'm thinking that only the Germans could come up with this idea.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 08:35:00 AM

Cop Tasered Accidentally

(Dallas, Texas) A Dallas cop, Charles Jeffers, was responding to a burglary call when he decided to drop by his place to use the bathroom. Upon entering his home, he let "a woman he knew" into the house and went to the bathroom.

She picked up his Taser, believing it was a flashlight, and when Jeffers returned, she was "startled and accidentally pulled the trigger." Paramedics had to remove the Taser prong from Jeffers' chin.

Okay, pop quiz. How much of this yarn do you believe?

Dallas Police investigators are sorting through the hooey.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 08:06:00 AM

Tainted Persian Food at Chicago Fair

(Chicago, Illinois) As most people are aware, this year's Taste of Chicago event was marred by over 500 people getting sick from eating tainted food from the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine food booth. At least 17 people have been hospitalized. Health Department testing is ongoing with preliminary results on 50 people pointing to Salmonella Heidelberg.

The source of the bacteria is still under investigation. The Health Department has inspected the Persian Cuisine food booth and interviewed food handlers. Thus far, the cause is unknown. Maybe Persia should to be inspected. Oh, wait a minute. Inspectors aren't allowed in Persia.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 07:21:00 AM

Booty Boot Camp

From the Mainichi Daily News comes a report on how Japanese women stay fit for love. It's SFW, I think.

Fully 72 percent of OLs -- female office workers -- registered as readers of Weekly Playboy are undergoing some sort of training to make them more proficient at sex, according to the men's magazine.

Seventy-two percent is a lot of women seeking to learn the fundamentals. They should be commended for their initiative toward self-improvement.

In the public interest, I would be willing to volunteer a few hours to help. It's likely that I wouldn't be qualified to instruct but I could always sweep up or process applications or something.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/17/2007 05:08:00 AM

Mom Gets Prison for Giving Dope to Son, 6

(Lakewood, Colorado) Last March, a 25-year-old local mother, Regina Martinez, was arrested along with her husband, 21-year-old Jason Jay Ladehoff, for giving marijuana to her six-year-old son.

Martinez faced charges of giving marijuana to a child under 15, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Ladehoff faced the same charges as Martinez plus counts of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Last month, both Martinez and Ladehoff pleaded guilty to child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. At the same proceeding, Ladehoff was sentenced to three years in prison.

Yesterday in Jefferson County District Court, Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison. Judge Lily Oeffler gave Martinez more time than Ladehoff since she was on parole from a previous conviction in Morgan County when she was arrested for the January incident.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2007 11:50:00 PM

High Court: Christian Purity Ring Not Religious

(West Sussex, England) As you may recall, the Millais School banned a 16-year-old girl, Lydia Playfoot, from wearing a "purity ring" to symbolize her decision to remain chaste before marriage. The ring is a simple band of silver given to youngsters who complete an evangelical church course preaching abstinence. It is inscribed with a Bible verse.

Playfoot ultimately appealed the decision to ban the rings to the High Court which had previously ruled that schools cannot be arbiters of faith. On the other hand, the High Court apparently can.

Judge Michael Supperstone QC said the school, which had insisted the ring was not an essential part of the Christian faith, was "fully justified" in its actions.

He ruled the act of wearing a ring was not "intimately linked" to the belief in chastity before marriage.

"The claimant (Miss Playfoot) was under no obligation, by reason of her belief, to wear the ring, nor does she suggest that she was so obliged," he said.

He rejected the submission that the ring was a "religious artefact" and therefore exempt from the school's uniform policy which bans jewellery.

Not only does Miss Playfoot lose the case, but the court also ordered her father to pay the school's legal bills -- about $25,000.

So, the school and the court ignore the bangles and headscarves of Sikhs and Muslims -- religious accoutrement -- while prohibiting Christian purity rings because they are mere jewelry.

I'm not surprised.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2007 10:47:00 PM

Educator Kathryn Parmley Gets Jail in Sex Case

(Farmington, Utah) In October 2006, a speech and language pathologist for the Davis County School District, Kathryn Louise Parmley, was summoned to court to face charges that she engaged in sex with a 17-year-old boy.

The boy dated Parmley's daughter before allegedly having sex with the mother and, interestingly, Parmley is married to a deputy prosecutor in adjacent Weber County.

Parmley was charged with two third-degree felony counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old in incidents occurring between September 2005 and June 2006.

Today, 49-year-old Parmley pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery in accordance with a plea bargain.

Second District Judge Jon Memmott imposed two years in jail on the misdemeanor counts, but suspended one year and ordered that Kathryn Parmley be allowed work release and treatment release privileges during the time she is in jail.

The judge said he was "very concerned" that Parmley did not appear to have fully taken responsibility for what occurred between her, then age 48, and the high school boy. Referring to a pre-sentence report and a psycho-sexual evaluation, Memmott said it seems Parmley "substantially minimized what took place" and tends to "shift the blame to the victim."

The judge accepted a recommendation from Adult Probation and Parole that Parmley get treatment along with a polygraph test so that she acknowledges what exactly occurred and her role in it. Otherwise, Memmott said, the information he has indicates Parmley is at an "elevated risk" of doing something like this again.

So, even though Parmley tends to blame the victim and is at an elevated risk of re-offending, she won't be required to register as a sex offender. Odd? I think so.

Nonetheless, the prosecutor and the boy's family reluctantly agreed to the plea deal. The boy's mother continues to be upset that Parmely didn't admit to all she did, stating that her son has changed dramatically.

"Over the last year, he has struggled," the mother said. "We trusted her with our son. This was a betrayal of that trust." The victim's mother said her son has changed from being happy-go-lucky to withdrawn, has shown frequent outbursts of temper, and feels guilty and blames himself for what occurred.

Parmley said she was sorry and hopes the best for the boy.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2007 08:47:00 PM

Illegal Alien Accused of Serial Rapes

(Mount Holly, New Jersey) A 28-year-old illegal alien from Brazil, Marcelo G. Mota, was arrested Friday in Cherry Hill as an alleged serial rapist. Mota's DNA has been linked to rapes in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

He was charged in one rape and one attempted rape in Moorestown in September 2005. A warrant charges him as being a fugitive from Massachusetts, where police say a suspect they dubbed the "Metro West Rapist" attacked two women in 2003.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said today that a key to the arrest was a national crime database of DNA. DNA evidence from one of the Moorestown assaults was submitted to the database, authorities said, and the database matched it with sex attacks in Westborough, Mass., in January 2006. That and other evidence led detectives to charge Mota.

Mota was booked into custody with bond set at $1 million.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2007 11:08:00 AM

Getting Your Date to Spread Eagle

Be prepared, you're going to need some cash. As a minimum, purchase of an airline ticket and a rental car will be required. Planning on an overnight stay would be prudent, therefore, that cost should be added.

A short ride northwest of St. John's, Newfoundland
First, an airline flight must be booked to St. John's, Newfoundland. Connections out of Ottawa, Montreal or Toronto via Air Canada are possible. Upon arrival, rent a car.

Taking Canada Route 1 west out of St. John's, continue a few dozen miles to the Blaketown/South Dildo turnoff and go north. Travel through Blaketown to South Dildo and then go west toward Old Shop. Note that the roads turn to unimproved, typically gravel, on the way to Old Shop. From Old Shop, continue on the unimproved road west toward Spread Eagle.

Alternatively, one may opt to continue straight north through South Dildo to Broad Cove. Exiting Broad Cove, you'll see Dildo. For a nominal fee, one could hire a dinghy and sail across the bay. It's a straight shot, Dildo to Spread Eagle. This option would likely be more scenic and enjoyable, weather permitting, and allow the vacationers to add "Dinghying between Dildo and Spread Eagle" to their travelogues.

For more information, email Double Entendre Vacations c/o this blog.

Following Entry Posted 7/16/2007 10:04:00 AM

China Retaliates on Product Bans

(Beijing, China) Since the U.S. put bans on the import of some Chinese products because people and pets died, China has taken action which appears to be nothing more than retaliation.

The Shanxi Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau has discovered selenium in the protein powder imported from the U.S.-based Jarrow Formulas Inc. exceeded Chinese food safety standards, said sources with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

On Friday, the ChiComs also suspended imports of frozen pigs ears and chicken feet from the U.S. after "traces of chemicals and dangerous bacteria" were found.

Awfully suspicious, I think. Didn't the Chinese government just execute the head of its food quality inspection program for abject corruption? The answer is yes. I contend that Chinese food safety standards are malleable and determined by "Who is the guy and how much does he want?"

Not only that, but consumer protection in China has to be considered as foreign a concept as free speech. Think about it. The same country that gave the world such delightful problems as SARS and the avian flu all of a sudden is worried about imports. Doesn't make sense.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2007 06:42:00 PM

Parents Play Video While Babies Starve

(Reno, Nevada) A local couple, Michael and Iana Straw, were charged with child neglect for ignoring their two infant children while devoting all their time to the "Dungeons and Dragons" fantasy role-playing video game. Both children were malnourished and near death when finally seen by doctors last month.

Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration.

Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators said.

On Friday, Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty to neglecting their son, age 22 months, and daughter, age 11 months. Each faces a possible 12-year prison term when sentenced.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2007 04:47:00 PM

Nothing Could Be Screwier

Did you hear about the cyber-terrorist, Tariq Al-Daour, who was jailed by the Brits who then gave him a laptop and Internet access in his jail cell? Guess what happened?

You're right. Tariq Al-Daour set up another cyber-terrorist website. Thank goodness he wasn't a bomber. The Brits might have given him bomb-making materials.

I know it's awful foggy in Britain. It's masking reason.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2007 12:49:00 PM

Ayesha and the Prophet

Disputing the general belief that Prophet Mohammad married wife Ayesha at the age of nine, Adil Salahi of the Arab News provides an argument.

I have written at length discussing this issue and concluded that Ayesha was between 18 and 22 at the time of her marriage to the Prophet.

Relying on a series of convoluted explanations, Salahi concludes that anything else is "highly unlikely" and "totally unreasonable." Being unlikely and unreasonable apparently makes something untrue.

So, there. The issue should now be clear to everyone.

Also, since it is unlikely and unreasonable for two jetliners to crash into the World Trade Center Towers, it obviously didn't happen.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2007 11:46:00 AM

Massive Child Porn Take-Down in Spain

Kudos to the Spanish Police. This news is welcome.

Spanish police have seized 48 million images and videos and arrested 66 people in a child pornography investigation, police said on Sunday.

Acting alongside Interpol, police tracked 5,000 downloads of pornographic material from archives located on servers in Germany.

The investigation, which started in September, found 85 computer users downloading the images leading to 66 arrests in different regions of Spain. Those arrested include architects, psychologists, doctors, lawyers and child sport coaches.

It's presently not clear whether those arrested merely downloaded the kiddie porn or whether they were also involved in production. Nevertheless, the quantity of child porn confiscated along with the fact that those involved represent all segments of society is ominous. One must conclude that all societies are infected with people agreeable to child sexual abuse. It would be negligent to believe it's only the Spaniards.

Following Entry Posted 7/15/2007 10:49:00 AM

Presumed Consent for Organ Donation

The British Medial Association (BMA) is campaigning for a government initiative to make presumed consent for organ donation to be the default position after deaths of citizens in the United Kingdom. This means that doctors have the authority to slice and dice people upon death unless the deceased specifically opts out prior to dying.

Those who wanted to opt out would have to register in a similar way to those who now carry organ donor cards. This could be done through a central NHS database or through other documentation, such as driving licences.

So, unless you opt out, the government takes possession of your body upon your death.

Notably, Spain and Belgium have already implemented presumed consent and the number of human pieces parts available for transplantation has increased.

From an ethical standpoint, one has to wonder if the next step will be to authorize doctors to take selected parts of the bodies of living persons who have been diagnosed as having terminal illnesses. Under those conditions, if a person is presumed to die in the near future, then, with presumed consent, doctors could break out the surgical instruments and start cutting.

Of course, maybe I'm just reading too much into the issue.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2007 10:34:00 PM

Kindergarten Teacher Faces Drug Charges

(Cadiz, Kentucky) A 25-year-old kindergarten teacher at Crittenden County Elementary School, Amy Tabor, was arrested with passenger Dylan Winn, 27, early Friday on drug charges after a traffic stop. A search resulted in state troopers finding 12 grams of methamphetamine, 19 Lortabs, a methadone pill and various drug paraphernalia.

Tabor was charged with possession of a methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance not in a prescription container. Winn was charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Heh, meth -- again.

Following Entry Posted 7/14/2007 12:24:00 AM

Brit Muslim Guilty of Terror Charge

(London, England) A 28-year-old British man, Yassin Nassari, was convicted yesterday of possessing plans for terrorism. Nassari and his wife, Bouchra El Hor, 24, were arrested in May 2006 following a search of their luggage at Luton Airport. Police found missile and explosives information on his computer.

Nassari said he knew nothing about the missile plans, and said he had loaned the computer to a friend who was also now facing a terror charge.

Right. He didn't know that his computer contained the following information.

. . . Nassari's computer included jihadist material and instructions on how to build rocket-propelled missiles of a type used by the Palestinian group Hamas, together with information on explosives such as land mines, TNT and nitro-glycerine.

El Hor faced charges after police found a letter written by El Hor to her husband which said,

"I am so proud of my husband. I am happy that Allah has granted you the chance to be a martyr . . . Maybe one day I can follow you.

"If I can't, I will send our son to you so he can follow his father's footsteps."

El Hor, a Dutch citizen, claimed that the letter was a work of fiction. It seems the court believed El Hor or displayed sympathy since she was found not guilty. El Hor was acquitted of a charge of failing to disclose information regarding her husband's actions. Yassin Nassari is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

One last observation; after reviewing at least a dozen news sources covering the Nassari and El Hor story, not once did I see the words "Muslim" or "Islam." The absence of those two words from all the reports cannot be coincidental.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 11:57:00 PM

Campus Supervisor Nabbed for Teen Booze Party

(Upper Arlington, Ohio) A 42-year-old campus supervisor at Upper Arlington High School, Wendy R. Kramer, was accused by police this week of allowing teens to drink alcohol in her home.

According to Upper Arlington police, neighbors called them about 9 p.m. on June 22 after they saw minors entering her home with alcohol. Police said 13 teenagers, all juniors at Upper Arlington High School, were identified there. They found alcohol in the teens' possession in the family room and hidden under tablecloths and behind pillows, the couch and television, the police report said.

Kramer told police she had just walked into the home as officers came to her back door and that she did not see the alcohol, the report said. However, officers said they didn't see Kramer enter her home. They also said they saw her with teens with alcohol and that the teens made no attempt to hide it from her.

According to defense attorney Steve Moyer, Kramer pleaded not guilty and she will be vindicated. Nonetheless, she resigned her position to avoid problems for her son who is a student at Upper Arlington High School. She also wants the issue resolved by the court and not the school board.

Worth mentioning is that Kramer has been in trouble previously. Last October, she pleaded guilty to a public indecency charge after being caught giving a guy a nobber in a restaurant parking lot. And in 1993, Kramer was found guilty of child endangerment for leaving her 3-year-old son unattended in a restaurant parking lot.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 08:50:00 PM

Teen Girl Guilty of Sex with Teen Boy

(Noblesville, Indiana) A 2006 graduate of Westfield High School, Laura Wilcox, 19, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of felony sexual misconduct for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

The sexual episode occurred in February 2006 when Wilcox, then 18, drove the 15-year-old to his home and was invited inside. They then had sex.

Notably, Wilcox's offense predates a recent change in Indiana law which decriminalizes sex between dating teens if their difference in ages is within four years. Under the new law, Wilcox would have faced no charges.

Wilcox is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14th in Hamilton County Court. It's expected that she will receive a suspended sentence in accordance with the plea deal.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 08/20/07]

From Noblesville Daily News:

A young woman who pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class D felony, will spend the next two years on probation for her actions.

Hamilton Circuit Court Judge Judith Proffitt Tuesday sentenced Laura Marie Wilcox, 19, to two years in the Indiana Department of Correction, but suspended the sentence. Instead, Wilcox will serve two years on probation. Proffitt dismissed a second count of sexual misconduct with a minor and also suspended a $1,000 fine.

Upon completion of her probation, Wilcox can then petition the court to reduce her charge to a Class A misdemeanor.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 11:41:00 AM

Woman Accused of Busily Shagging Boy

(Tampa, Florida) A 26-year-old local woman, Jennifer Dodd, has been charged with lewd and lascivious battery for engaging in a long-term sexual relationship with a boy, starting at age 14.

The boy told police that he and Dodd would have sex four or five times a day. He came forward out of concern that he is the father of a child Dodd gave birth to almost two years ago. According to Tampa Police spokeswoman Andrea Davis, authorities are awaiting the results of DNA tests regarding paternity.

Jennifer Dodd admitted to police this week she had a role in all this. But she also says she has no idea who the father of the baby is.

Dodd also claims she has had a bad week.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 07:40:00 AM

Terrorist Convicted

Congratulations to The Jawa Report for helping take down another terrorist.

Kudos and cake for everyone.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 07:23:00 AM

Drunk Lesbian Teacher Crashes, Loses License

(Lochwinnoch, UK) Apparently, the lady was drowning her sorrow and decided to drive. She crashed into an electrical substation.

Elizabeth Smillie, 26, of Dewfield Avenue in Lochwinnoch, was on her way to the party after learning that her 'intense' relationship with another lady teacher was over.

But her attempts to try and remonstrate with her lover came to a literal halt after the crash, and ended with an appearance at Ayr Sheriff Court last week, charged with drink driving after being found to have been four-and-a-half times over the legal limit.

Smillie loses her driving privileges for three years and must perform 180 hours of community service. It's suspected that she'll be "facing some difficulty" with the school system.

Following Entry Posted 7/13/2007 12:13:00 AM

Thieving Teacher Gets Probation

(Tampa, Florida) Last February, a 32-year-old special education teacher at Chamberlain High School, Cheryl Foster-Lawrentz, was arrested for allegedly stealing almost $10,000 from a student prom fund. Reportedly, Foster-Lawrentz deposited 21 checks from the student fund into her personal credit union account.

Yesterday, Foster-Lawrentz pleaded guilty to the theft and was sentenced to 18 months probation and 50 hours community service. She was ordered to pay back more than $9,701.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2007 11:50:00 PM

Six Months for Honor Killing

(Amman, Jordan) A man was sentenced to six months in prison for murdering his pregnant sister in an honor killing. The court said the lenient sentence was justified by the "state of fury" her behavior caused.

According to the court, when the woman told her brother she was five months pregnant with her former husband's child, he began chasing her and pulled on her scarf to strangle her. He then put a pillow on her head and sat on it until she suffocated.

The court said the woman's confession angered her brother and caused him to act in an irrational way. The court also said the woman's "shameful behavior" deviated from the traditions of Jordanian society and harmed her family's honor.

Jordanian authorities don't release the names of people involved in honor killings.

Sick, isn't it?

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2007 11:00:00 PM

Woman Gets Prison for Sex with Nephew

(Oakland, California) A 45-year-old mother-of-two, Edwina Marie Madeja, pleaded guilty before Oakland County Circuit Judge Rae Lee Chabot to second-degree criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sex with her 15-year-old nephew. The sexual episode occurred in June 2005 after Madeja gave the boy beer during a graduation party.

Subsequent to the sex, the boy exhibited signs of being suicidal and his parents sent him to a counselor.

When the counselor reported the allegations, police in Ohio recorded a conversation between her and the boy, in which she admitted she was the responsible party and she knew it was against the law.

Madeja was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months to 15 years in prison.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2007 08:39:00 PM

Florida Rep. Allen Caught

(Titusville, Florida) This report makes me want to disinfect my brain.

Florida state Rep. Robert "Bob" Allen, R-Merritt Island, was arrested Wednesday and charged with soliciting an undercover male officer for sex at a park in Central Florida, according to police.

Investigators said Allen was acting suspicious and went in and out of the men's restroom at Veteran's Memorial Park, located on East Broad Street.

Minutes later, authorities said, Allen solicited the male officer inside the restroom, offering to perform oral sex for $20.

First of all, there doesn't seem to be any ambiguity about whether Rep. Allen wanted to pitch or catch, but it's not clear whether Allen was paying the undercover officer or asking to be paid.

If Allen paid the officer for the privilege of performing oral sex, it could be viewed as a bribe for the officer's vote. However, if he wanted to be paid to perform the oral sex, then Allen presumably was moonlighting at a part-time job to augment his income. Either way, the guy is a pervert -- and not a very bright one.

Tip: slwlion

[Update 11/10/07]

Allen convicted.

Following Entry Posted 7/12/2007 11:32:00 AM

Kucinich Angers Jewish

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D - OH) has angered Ohio Jewish leaders by asserting that Iranian President Ahmadinejad didn't mean to say he wants to wipe Israel off the map when he said he wants to wipe Israel off the map. Instead, according to Kucinich, Ahmadinejad merely seeks regime change in Israel and doesn't desire the death of anyone.

Kucinich hopes his enlightened understanding of world affairs vaults him into the Office of President.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 08:42:00 PM

Yen For The Toilets

(Japan) Someone is leaving envelopes of money in men's rooms in city halls throughout Japan. Thus far, municipal toilets in at least 15 prefectures (states) have been targeted and it's estimated that over two million yen has been found in recent weeks.

Each package of 10,000-yen bills, some wrapped in traditional Japanese washi paper, was accompanied by handwritten letters that read "Please make use of this money for your self-enrichment," and "One per person," according to reports.

Officials are baffled over the identity of the benefactor or any motives, the reports said. Packages turned over to police were to be kept for some time in case someone claimed them.

I didn't do it.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 07:12:00 PM

Stuff Guys Don't Know

According to this source, the average young woman has 11 pairs of shoes and 14 bras.

I suspect that the average young guy has, at most, three pairs of shoes and one jock strap. To compensate, though, each guy likely has 30 pairs of skivvies.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 06:29:00 PM

Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy, 13

(Denton, Texas) A 28-year-old 7th-grade English teacher at Strickland Middle School, Lauren Cosgrove, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with a 13-year-old boy she was babysitting.

The boy's parents alerted Denton Police after the boy admitted to them that he had sex with Cosgrove on at least two occasions. No sexual contact allegedly occurred during the school year.

Married and the mother of at least one child, Cosgrove faces two counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child. She was booked into the Denton City jail with bond set at $20,000.

[Update 10/25/07]

Cosgrove accused of tampering with a witness.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 11:16:00 AM

Osama's Son Marries Brit Grandmother

(Cheshire, England) A 51-year-old British grandmother, Jane Felix-Browne, married 26-year-old Omar bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, in a Muslim ceremony in Egypt last April.

Besotted bride Jane told last night how she fell for the son of Bin Laden on holiday -- and now has the perfect hubby except for his NAME.

The 51-year-old mum of three, from Cheshire, confessed: "I won't be using it myself."

"Because my husband's name is Bin Laden he finds it very difficult to travel anywhere. He rarely leaves Saudi Arabia because of the problems he runs into at airports."

Parish councillor Jane tied the knot with the al-Qaeda supremo's 26-year-old lad Omar in Egypt.

Wedding Certificate

She insisted: "He is the most beautiful person I have ever met."

"His heart is pure, he is pious, quiet -- a true gentleman. And he is my best friend."

She also stressed she did not mind the scrap metal dealer ALREADY having a wife -- and a child. Jane has been married five times before and has three grown-up sons and five grandkids.

Since she has had five marriages to learn, I suspect she probably thinks she has it right this time. Interestingly, she only met Omar ONCE prior to their wedding night and he doesn't speak English. Omar lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and seldom travels because people look at him suspiciously due to his name. Imagine that?

Hey, does this relationship make any sense?

Omar says he hasn't seen his father in seven years, when he returned to Saudi Arabia from Afghanistan. Now, logically, that means Omar was the 19-year-old son of Osama in Afghanistan during the planning stages for 9/11 -- not to mention the bombings of the Khobar Towers, the USS Cole, and the U.S. Embassies in Africa.

Being in Afghanistan while his father was at training camps plotting terror attacks leads me to assume that Omar, in all likelihood, was present. Even so, the son denies being in communication with Osama and has publicly voiced condemnation of Osama's terrorist atrocities. Omar does say he misses him, though.

Okay.

Tip: Barry

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 09:27:00 AM

Deportation Is Merely A Speed Bump

(Hamilton, Ohio) A 37-year-old illegal alien, Jose Valenzuela, was arrested yesterday for failure to register as a sex offender. Valenzuela was convicted in 1998 of a sex crime involving a juvenile girl and classified as a sex offender by the court.

However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him in 2004.

Deputies received information that Valenzuela was back in Butler County and took him into custody for failure to register.

Officials said when they asked why he came back to Butler County after deportation, Valenzuela said, "they never told me I couldn't come back." [ed. bold]

So, deporting illegal aliens isn't an adequate solution to the problem. Authorities must also tell them not to come back -- as if that would make a difference. Heh.

Aliens break the law without consequence by sneaking into the U.S. in the first place. If they are deported (a big "if"), their return should be expected since nothing prevents them from sneaking across the border again. And, other than deportation, there are no, nada, zilch consequences. Sneak in, sent back, sneak in, sent back -- it's a do-loop.

This is so stupid. As long as the border is essentially imaginary, deportation is meaningless. The illegal aliens simply get American-taxpayer-funded trips back home and then return as they please.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 12:20:00 AM

Raining On The Parade

(Pictou, Nova Scotia) Two local men, 18-year-old Corey Clarence Rondelet and 20-year-old Lee Aaron Yates, pleaded guilty to urinating out the second-story window onto a crowd of spectators lining the route of last Saturday's Lobster Carnival Parade.

Both will be sentenced on September 11th.

Following Entry Posted 7/11/2007 12:09:00 AM

Akron Teacher Guilty of Sexual Battery

(Akron, Ohio) In March 2007, a special-education teacher at Springfield High School, Renee Smith, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with 17-year-old male students of which at least one was a special-needs student in her class.

The alleged sexual behavior was rumored at the school and ultimately became known to Superintendent Jerry Pecko who notified Springfield Township Police. Investigators later learned that Smith had sex with only one boy while providing another with drugs and alcohol.

Yesterday, 37-year-old Smith pleaded guilty in Summit County Common Pleas Court to to one felony count of sexual battery, two felony counts of corrupting another with drugs and two misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Sentencing by Judge Elinore Stormer is scheduled for August 15th. Smith will surrender her teaching credentials and must register as a sex offender.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2007 11:40:00 PM

Payoff in Teacher Duct Tape Case

(Rome, New York) A student, Adam Roser, accused remedial math teacher at W.A. Wettel Elementary School, Elaine Main, of wrapping "tape around Roser's head several times, covering his mouth, ears and nose for several minutes in January 2004."

Main was suspended for 30 days and deducted a week's pay.

Yesterday, Roser and his mother, Loree Larkin, received a settlement of $33,250 for a lawsuit filed against the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill school district in central New York.

Atypically, the teacher wasn't charged with assault or abuse.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2007 10:55:00 PM

Utah Teacher Caught Nasty with Boy

(West Valley City, Utah) A 33-year-old former English teacher at Cyprus High School, Christy Anne Brown, was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly being caught in flagrante delicto in a parked car with a 17-year-old student.

According to the police, Brown had sex with the boy at least three times between April and last Sunday.

Brown quit her job with the Granite School District in June and planned to move to Texas to teach. Unfortunately, before she could leave, she got caught by an officer strolling by her car.

Today at arraignment, Brown was charged with three counts of forcible sexual abuse and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Bail was set at $75,000.

[Update 08/29/07]

Brown pleads guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for October.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2007 07:10:00 PM

Teacher Gets Probation for Sex Crimes

(Valparaiso, Indiana) In June 2005, a teacher's aide in a special education class at Hebron High School, Amber K. Marshall, was charged with multiple felonies for having sexual intercourse and performing oral sex on two male students, ages 14 and 15. Ultimately, Marshall faced sex crimes charges in two Indiana counties, Porter and Lake.

Last May, 24-year-old Amber Marshall pleaded guilty to two counts of felony sexual misconduct with a minor as part of a agreement with the prosecution.

Yesterday, the plea deal was accepted by Porter County Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford and he sentenced Marshall to six years suspended and probation. She was ordered to have no contact with her victims, however, she will not have to register as a sex offender.

Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek and defense attorney Richard Wolter indicated to the court that Marshall has been most cooperative and has turned her life around. Marshall expressed regret and sorrow for her actions.

The status of Marshall's legal troubles in Lake County is unknown.

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2007 04:20:00 PM

Jersey Woman Guilty of Sex Crimes

(Camden, New Jersey) A 48-year-old local woman, June C. Traenkner, pleaded guilty yesterday to the repeated sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy.

In a matter-of-fact tone, Traenkner told Superior Court Judge Louis Meloni she repeatedly had sex with the boy, often while her boyfriend participated. The investigation into the activities of that man, Attillo Daversa, is continuing, Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Donna Spinosi said.

Spinosi said law enforcement learned of the sexual assaults when the victim was hospitalized for a psychiatric crisis.

According to the plea deal, the prosecution will recommend four years in prison for Traenkner. Sentencing is scheduled for October 12th.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Following Entry Posted 7/10/2007 01:11:00 PM

Lesbian Convicted of Bigamy

(Shrewsbury, England) A 29-year-old mother-of-three, Suzanne Mitchell, was convicted yesterday of bigamy. Mitchell left her husband, Charles, and before their marriage was annulled, she entered into a civil union with a woman she met at the bus stop, Caroline Beddowes.

Mitchell was impressed with Beddowes because she dressed in trousers, had short hair and "looked like a boy." However, "the sex wasn't as good as it was with Charles." As a result, Mitchell returned to her husband.

Nevertheless, Mitchell pleaded guilty before Judge Robin Onions in Shrewsbury Crowne Court to violating the 2004 Civil Partnership Act with allows same-sex couples to "marry." She had falsified her application by indicating she was a single lesbian. Upon learning of the deceit, Beddowes (aka Beddows) was livid.

"It is her fault if she lied on the certificate and said she was single. When I found out she was still married to Charles about a month after our civil partnership ceremony I went ballistic. Before the ceremony Suzanne insisted I changed my name to hers so we would be a proper couple. Now I will have to change it back by deed poll."

Mitchell is free on bail as she awaits her sentencing appearance on August 6th. Judge Onions specifically instructed her not to talk to the media.

Obviously, questions remain. Was Beddowes just a lousy lesbian or can it be assumed that lesbians are no better at satisfying women than men are? Also, do UK lesbians usually hang out at bus stops to pick up women?

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 11:11:00 PM

Teacher Accused of Child Endangerment

(Portsmouth, New Hampshire) A 34-year-old special education teacher for the Seabrook School System, Holly Spreen, was arrested last Friday for child endangerment when fellow passengers aboard a harbor cruise ship reported that an inebriated Spreen dropped and dragged her child.

Medical professionals at Portsmouth Regional Hospital indicated that Spreen's blood alcohol content was .49, typically high enough to induce a coma or cause death.

Spreen was booked into the Rockingham County House of Corrections and her car was impounded. Today, Spreen was arraigned in Portsmouth District Court and formally charged with child endangerment. Judge Sawako Gardner set bail at $3,000 personal recognizance and $1,500 cash.

A trial in district court is scheduled for August 14th.

Notably, Spreen has been in trouble before. In December 2005, she was arrested for domestic assault and obstruction of justice. And last month, Portsmouth Police arrested her for simple assault.

[Update 11/06/07]

Spreen sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 09:49:00 PM

Woman Booked in Baby Meth Case

(Fort Worth, Texas) A 48-year-old Richland Hills woman, Jana Louise Beau, was arrested earlier today on a charge of child endangerment related to her eight-month-old grandson being found with amphetamine in his system last April.

Three months of investigation preceded Beau's arrest. Police indicate that preparations are underway to also file charges against the baby's mother.

Beau was booked into the Richland Hills Jail with bond set at $3,500.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 08:15:00 PM

Muslim Juror Arrested for Listening to MP3 Under Hajib

(London, England) Frankly, a person could hide many things under a hajib. However, it's not a good idea for a juror to be listening to an MP3 player during a high-profile murder case.

From TimesOnline:

In what is considered the first case of its kind, the woman was arrested for contempt of court after another member of the jury passed a note revealing the indiscretion to the judge, Roger Chapple.

The judge - who previously suspected that he had heard "tinny music" in the background, but dismissed it as his imagination - called the woman into court on her own, and said: "You are going to be discharged from this jury. You will play no further role."

A police officer then stepped forward and escorted her from court. Outside the woman - who is in her 20s, but cannot be identified for legal reasons - was searched, the MP3 player was found and confiscated, and she was arrested. Contempt of court carries a maximum sentence of an unlimited fine and indefinite imprisonment.

The woman involved was a problem juror for the court. She repeatedly tried to avoid jury duty and, when she was finally selected and seated, she couldn't show up on time. Also, some individuals in court were concerned about her lack of interest and participation. With the MP3 incident, she now has a court date of her own on July 23rd.

Regarding what she was listening to? I'm guessing Cat Stevens.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 06:45:00 PM

Teacher Accused of Giving Alcohol to Minors

(Jefferson, Iowa) A first-year teacher at Jefferson-Scranton Middle School, Ashley Keller, surrendered herself to police on June 25th to face charges of providing alcohol to two 15-year-old boys who attended a party at her apartment.

Keller faces two counts of providing alcohol to a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The teens face underage possession charges.

The mother of one of the boys alerted the police.

Keller taught physical education for the Paton-Churdan and Jefferson School Districts and coached middle school softball. It's reported that Keller is no longer employed by the school districts.

[Update 07/28/07]

Keller violates no-contact order. She was arrested again and charged with 986 counts of contempt for text-messaging one of the boys 986 times.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 01:39:00 PM

Teacher Heminghaus Guilty

(St. Louis, Missouri) In January 2006, a 46-year-old special-needs teacher at Ferguson Middle School, Cathy Heminghaus, was charged with 19 felony counts of statutory sodomy resulting from allegedly engaging in oral sex with behaviorally-maladjusted students aged 13 to 15.

Heminghaus apparently told her friends that she had performed oral sex on students beginning in October 2005. Her friends told school officials. According to Prosecutor John Quarenghi, "the victims told police that some of oral sex acts took place in a classroom at the middle school while one boy would serve as lookout for another."

Earlier today, Heminghaus, now 47, pleaded no contest to 21 counts of statutory sodomy before Judge David Lee Vincent III in St. Louis County Circuit Court. She also pleaded no contest to two counts of a teacher having sex with a student and two counts of giving the students alcohol.

Heminghaus told Judge David Lee Vincent III today that she is aware her no contest plea means she is not admitting guilt but is conceding there is a substantial likelihood of a guilty verdict if she had proceeded to trial.

There was no plea deal. As a result, Judge Vincent III will rule within the range of probation to a possible sentence of life in prison plus 150 years.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 14th. The prosecutor said he would recommend a sentence of at least 12 years in prison. I'm thinking 15 years or more would be appropriate, something closer to retirement age.

[Update 7/3/08]

Heminghaus convicted by a jury on seven counts of sex crimes with students. Sentencing is scheduled for August 20.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 11:50:00 AM

What Is Sparking the Wildfires?

Across several Western states, wildfires are raging with reports of hundreds of thousands of acres ablaze. Homes have been evacuated, homes have been destroyed and firefighters have been injured. One homeowner was killed yesterday in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Agreed, wildfires are not new nor is it new that the authorities seldom seem to find the actual cause of the fires. Often, the media only reports of suspected causes, which are usually lightning or careless campers. Consequently, why hasn't anyone asked if there is a connection among the fires?

Simply put, how hard would it be for a serial arsonist or terrorist, domestic or international, to obtain a car, a book of matches and a map? A check of the weather reports on television would be all that's needed to prompt a fire-starter to take a trip and ignite vulnerable grass and wooded areas. Havoc is created, private and public property is destroyed, first responders are exhausted, and all too frequently, lives are lost. With it being so easy to cause massive damage, the possibility that a series of wildfires in several states, and in proximity to interstate highway corridors, were started intentionally shouldn't be ignored.

For the arsonist, there's an added benefit of not having to return to the scene to enjoy the handiwork. The MSM headlines their news reports with dramatic video footage of leaping flames.

In nutshell, why has there been no inquiry into possible nefarious links among the causes of wildfires? I suggest that most are classified as simply unknown with lightning the usual unconfirmed suspect.

Following Entry Posted 7/09/2007 10:50:00 AM

Staying in Las Vegas, Forever

(Las Vegas, Nevada) No charges will be filed against a store clerk who shot and killed an armed robber yesterday. Based upon recent incidents, Las Vegas oddsmakers are likely handicapping armed robbery as a long-shot proposition.

An employee shot and injured an armed intruder at a smoke shop near Washington and Lamb last month. Two weeks later, the owners of a jewelry store at Charleston and Mohave wrestled the gun away from a would-be robber and shot and killed him during the scuffle.

On Sunday morning, North Las Vegas Police say a convenience store clerk threatened at gunpoint pulled out his own gun and shot the armed suspect killing him.

"This has been more common here recently that our store owners are not laying down to be victims, they're taking steps to protect themselves and other patrons in the store," said Sean Walker, North Las Vegas Police Department.

Consequently, on all over-and-under wagers for armed robbers, go with the "under." Chances are that an armed robber in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2007 10:59:00 PM

Commercial Satellite Snaps ChiCom Nuke Sub

While reviewing Google Earth, Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project, found a commercial satellite image of the newest Chinese nuclear-powered, ballistic-missile submarine.

The submarine is a Jin-class (Type 094) SSBN, believed to have at least 12 missile tubes. It was photographed in port at Xiaopingdao Submarine Base south of Dalian, approximately 193 miles north of Qingdao.

Satellite image Jin-class SSBN (top), U.S. Navy diagram (bottom)
The Jin-class submarine is believed to be larger and quieter than previous designs and it's expected to carry missiles with a 5,000-mile range, a dramatic advance over previous capabilities of 1,100 miles. Chinese intentions are being questioned because the ability to project power by the Jin-class submarine is greater than any regional needs.

Heh.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2007 06:32:00 PM

NC Woman Jailed for Sex With Challenged Woman

(Asheville, North Carolina) A 26-year-old woman, Jennifer Lynn Keith, was arrested on Friday for an alleged sex offense against another woman.

According to the arrest warrant, Keith committed the offense in June with a woman who at the time was, "mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless."

Keith was booked into custody with bond set at $10,000.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2007 05:22:00 PM

Al Gore On Stage

"Take the pledge, baby!"

Caution! This will burn your eyes.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2007 04:07:00 PM

Idaho Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Boise, Idaho) A 33-year-old Boise woman, Karol Barnes, was arrested this week for allegedly having inappropriate sexual contact with a male child.

Reportedly, a concerned citizen called police on July 4th regarding a child in danger in a home. Boise Police investigators then discovered the inappropriate sexual contact.

Barnes was booked into the Ada County Jail on charges of lewd conduct with a minor.

Following Entry Posted 7/08/2007 11:49:00 AM

Indiana Woman Gets Prison for Sex Crimes

(Anderson, Indiana) In May, 30-year-old Misty Zicafoose pleaded guilty to several counts of engaging in sexual misconduct with neighborhood teenage boys. Numerous sexual episodes occurred in 2004 and Misty's husband, Deckard "Kevin" Zicafoose, 41, was involved. Mr. Zicafoose was also charged with sexual misconduct.

According to court documents, Misty L. Zicafoose engaged in oral sex and intercourse with one youth on several occasions in 2004, when he was between 14 and 15 years old.

She also had threesomes with a 15-year-old boy and her husband several times during 2004, according to court documents. She also engaged in a threesome with both boys at least once.

Last month, Deckard Zicafoose pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old boy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16th.

On Friday, Misty Zicafoose was sentenced to two years behind bars by Madison Circuit Court Judge Fred Spencer. She also received four years probation and will be required to register as a sex offender. Addressing the court:

"I just want to say I'm sorry to the boys and I'm sorry to the families," Zicafoose said. "I'm not a troubled person, and I won't be in trouble again. If I'm allowed to remain in society, I'll make you all proud."

Okay.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2007 09:09:00 PM

Live Earth Pledge

Former Vice President Al Gore wants everyone to sign the seven-point Live Earth Pledge. But first, everyone must "Answer The Call." That requires the following:

- I will change four light bulbs to CFLs at my home.

- I will shop for the most energy efficient electronics and appliances.

- I will shut off my equipment and lights whenever I'm not using them.

- I will ride public transit or carpool one or more times per week.

- I will forward a Live Earth email message to 5 friends.

- Add my name to the Live Earth pledge.

Apparently, after the call has been answered, people must raise their right hands and recite the following Live Earth Pledge.

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"

3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Regarding No. 2 above, here's some guidance.

So let's say you are an average American emitting about 20 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year and manage to cut your emissions in half -- that still leaves you having to offset 10 tonnes a year to become "carbon neutral." You can plant trees to soak up emissions but they take time to grow.

Climatecare.org, which allows you to invest in renewable energies or forest plantings to soak up emissions, advertises offsets costing about $150 for 10 tonnes.

There you go. Just figure out how much carbon dioxide you are personally responsible for and send a check. If you've got lots of cash, send it in and don't worry about a thing. Presto simple!

I think I'll become an offsetter. A mailing address will be posted when I work out the details. I anticipate offering a "Two tons of carbon offset for the price of one" Grand Opening Special for the business. And to assure that offsettees' carbon footprints are kept confidential, I expect to deal exclusively in precious gems, gold coins and cash.

Keep checking back for information on how you can become carbon neutral inexpensively the Interested-Participant way. I guarantee a cheaper price than any other carbon neutrality provider (CNP).

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2007 07:45:00 PM

Piles of Dead Goats

(San Rafael, California) Sixty-two-year-old truck driver, Ed Gibson, was hauling more than 400 Spanish goats in a 32-foot livestock trailer when a tire blew and the truck overturned. More than 240 goats died, mostly from suffocation.

Onlookers watched in horror as officials pulled twisted carcasses from the tipped metal trailer sprawled on Kerner Boulevard near Irene Street. Dead goats were spread across the road about 10 deep beside the tipped vehicle as emergency service officials spent more than an hour digging through the piles of animals, many pinned under loose metal shelves.

[ ... ]

The horrific scene took its toll on Marin Humane Society officials.

Humane Society Sgt. Michelle Rogers, among the crew digging through wreckage, said 243 dead goats were pulled out of the tipped truck.

"I need a moment," she said, stepping away to compose herself.

The goats are used for brush-clearing and owned by the Goats R Us Company. Valued at $150 each, the dead goats represent a loss of more than $35,000. The dead carcasses were piled into a dumpster and hauled to Petaluma.

Tip: Vicki

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2007 05:42:00 PM

For Sale: Chocolate Factory

(Oakdale, California) The Hershey Company is selling its 417,000-foot production facility on 85 acres in Oakdale for $18.5 million. Purchaser will also take possession of a nut storage building, bean storage areas and a warehouse. CB Richard Ellis, a major commercial real estate company, is handling the property.

The entire workforce of 575 employees will be gone by January with today being the last day for the 99 people on the Hershey's Kisses and Kisses With Almonds production lines.

The plant's closure is part of a system-wide restructuring plan that includes the closure of five other plants in the U.S. and Canada this year. For the future, Hershey long-haulers will truck Kisses made in Mexico.

Employees contacted by the Modesto Bee refused to comment about the closure due to confidentiality agreements. It's not known what was received in return for signing the agreements.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

[Update 07/10/07]

An emailer notes that the shutdown of the plant curiously coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Hershey Company. Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2007 01:22:00 PM

UFO Group Endorses Hillary Clinton

The Extraterrestrial Phenomenon Political Action Committee has decided to endorse Hillary Clinton for President with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as her running mate.

With the Extraterrestrial Phenomenon PAC's main goal being to prove that the government is covering up the existence of extraterrestrials, Executive Director Stephen Bassett thinks Hillary will take action because "the White House under Bill Clinton was aware of extraterrestrials."

Gov. Richardson was chosen because he has stated that the serious business of the Roswell incident should be reinvestigated, according to Bassett.

Following Entry Posted 7/07/2007 10:57:00 AM

Congressmen for Israel's Destruction

On June 22nd, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on a Mike Pence (R - IN) amendment to HR2764 which would prohibit American taxpayer funds from being given to groups that deny Israel's right to exist. The amendment passed 390 - 30.

However, 27 Democrats and three Republicans voted to support the destruction of Israel.

- Baird (D - WA)
- Capps (D - CA)
- Capuano (D - MA)
- Carnahan (D - MO)
- Carson (D - IN)

- Christensen (D - VI)
- Clay (D - MO)
- Cleaver (D - MO)
- Dingell (D - MI)
- Ellison (D - MN)

- Gilchrest (R - MD)
- Jefferson (D - LA)
- Johnson, E. B. (D - TX)
- Jones (R - NC)
- Kanjorski (D - PA)

- Kaptur (D - OH)
- Kennedy (D - RI)
- Kilpatrick (D - MI)
- Kucinich (D - OH)
- LaHood (R - IL)

- Lee (D - CA)
- McDermott (D - WA)
- Miller, George (D - CA)
- Moran (D - VA)
- Rahall (D - WV)

- Slaughter (D - NY)
- Stark (D - CA)
- Waters (D - CA)
- Watt (D - NC)
- Welch (D - VT)

Now, it's logical that Rep. Ellison, a Muslim, would support the destruction of Israel. It's not clear why the others want Israel destroyed.

Tip: John Ray

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 06:38:00 PM

6th Circuit Junks NSA Spying Case

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court ruled that the plaintiffs had no standing in claiming that the NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program is unconstitutional. The ruling resulted from the fact that the ACLU, et al., couldn't prove that any of the plaintiffs had actually been monitored under the program.

The district court's ruling was vacated and the case was remanded with instructions to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. Good.

There's a good synopsis with illuminating commentary at Stop The ACLU. Go visit.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 04:17:00 PM

Taliban Website Is Back

Let's help shut it down again. Participate.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 01:57:00 PM

Donna Moonda Guilty of Murder

Breaking news!

(Akron, Ohio) In July 2006, Donna Moonda was implicated in the May 2005 murder of her husband, 69-year-old Dr. Gulam Moonda.

Today, a federal jury convicted Donna Moonda.

The jury now will decide whether Moonda, 48, of Hermitage, should be executed for hiring her lover to kill Dr. Gulam Moonda, 69.

Damian Ray Bradford, 25, a smalltime drug dealer from Center, testified during the three-week trial that he fatally shot Gulam Moonda along the Ohio Turnpike near Cleveland because Donna Moonda promised him a share of her husband's multimillion-dollar estate.

The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated since Thursday afternoon. They convicted Moonda of all the charges she faced: murder for hire, interstate stalking and two counts of using a firearm.

I'll be available for consultation in the event that the court is undecided on what her sentence should be. For the sake of full disclosure, however, I sense that my internal compassion scales are leaning away from understanding and forgiveness toward excruciatingly painful punishment and retribution.

[Update 09/21/07]

Moonda gets life in prison.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 12:51:00 PM

Congratulations Joey Chestnut!

(Coney Island, New York) This year's Famous Hot Dog Eating Competition at Nathan's on the boardwalk was won by an American, Joey Chestnut. Perennial champ Takeru Kobayashi of Japan was dethroned.

Chestnut downed dogs at a rate of one every 10.9 seconds, 66 in 12 minutes. What a guy!

Going unreported is the story of PETA coming out as pathetic losers. The animal rights group was intent on disrupting the event but failed. The fun-loving crowd took the view-obstructing PETA placards down and stood on them. Pictures at the link.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 10:30:00 AM

Biggest Breasts in China

(Shanghai, China) A 16-year-old girl from Shandong Province, Xu Haojia, claims that she has the biggest breasts in China and she is trying to auction them to the highest bidder. Xu is seeking more than $50,000 for the pair and plans on giving the money to the needy.

Xu, measuring about 5'4" tall and an E-cupper at 33/28/34, advertised on her blog (in Chinese) "The No. 1 breasts want an auction for love donation." She says she hopes that five celebrated Chinese men bid on her breasts because "they may need the fat to change to be females in the future."

According to Shanghaiist, "Xu is literally auctioning her breasts. As in, she will have them surgically removed, and will literally hand her disembodied mammaries over to the highest bidder." I believe this would be a new high (low) on the Ewww! scale.

From Shanghai Daily:

"Thirty percent of the money will be used for a migrant workers' Website," Xu said in the article. "Sixty percent will be donated to a happy education program held by a Red Cross in Hunan Province and I'll use the remainder for plastic surgery."

It's suggested that Xu is simply seeking publicity and the idea is merely a ploy.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 08:53:00 AM

Socialized Medicine Anecdote

Many people don't realize that the single payer national health care system means that individuals could no longer rely on having one doctor treating them, rather they would see a series of doctors provided by the government. Chances are that a person would see a different doctor every time treatment is sought.

One person relates a bad experience, with pictures.

Following Entry Posted 7/06/2007 12:00:00 AM

Woman Jailed for Sex with Boy

(Gloucester, England) A 34-year-old mother of two, Ruth Lee, was sentenced yesterday after being convicted of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy. Lee admitted to having had sex with the boy twice at her home.

Lee took the boy back to her house after meeting him on St Valentine's Day, the court heard. The pair then had sex.

The boy bragged about the encounter to friends and took some of them back to Lee's home in Gloucester the next night.

Although she was drunk, she let them in and went upstairs for sex with the 13-year-old, unaware they were being filmed on a mobile by another teenager.

The friend played the short clip to his mother, who called the police.

Judge Martin Picton of Gloucester Crown Court said Lee's behavior was "deviant" and sentenced her to 15 months in jail.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2007 10:52:00 PM

UK Girl, 3, Kidnapped in Nigeria

(Port Harcourt, Nigeria) Adding to the more than 100 foreigners kidnapped in the Niger Delta this year is the abduction of 3-year-old Margaret Hill, reported to be the daughter of an expatriate British worker.

Margaret was snatched by gunmen at 0730 (0630 GMT) on Thursday after they smashed a window of her car as it stood in traffic.

The kidnappers called Margaret's mother, Oluchi Hill, and demanded that her husband be provided in a swap for the toddler or they would "kill Margaret." Mrs. Hill said the gunmen have not contacted her since the initial demand.

The kidnapping occurred earlier today as Margaret was being taken to school in the city of Port Harcourt in the lawless southern oil region of Nigeria. Gunmen frequently take hostages for ransom but seldom target women and children. Ransoms are customarily paid out of unregulated security slush funds and are considered essential to doing business in the region.

The British Foreign Office has called for the "immediate safe release" of Margaret Hill.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2007 08:40:00 PM

EUTube

Since the European Union is about as popular as the U.S. Congress, it has launched a European version of YouTube, called EUTube, to help bolster its image. Based upon the following, it doesn't seem to be producing desired results.

Alongside a number of videos focusing on more mundane aspects of EU policy -- such as "For a Smoke-Free Europe" (561 views), "The European Anti-Fraud Office" (1,437 views), and "The Reform of the Common Market Organisation for Sugar" (215 views) -- is a short, 44 second video with the unassuming title "Film Lovers Will Love This." In two weeks, it has been viewed over 280,000 times. Criticism hasn't been far behind.

The film, part of a series of short outtakes highlighting an EU fund that helps distribute films made in Europe across the continent, shows racy sex scenes from a number of European movies. As the groaning, moaning and shrieking reaches a crescendo, the words "Let's come together" flash across the screen.

European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr says that the mini-film has generated a huge amount of complaints, including many from Poland about one brief image which shows two men having sex. A Polish member of European Parliament from the conservative party League of Polish Families says the commission is using "immoral methods" to connect with European citizens.

According to Margot Wallstrom, European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, it's a priority to improve the EU's public image and all possible means will be used.

I suggest that the U.S. Congress won't be influenced by the EU public relations porn tactic. In general, members of Congress don't care what people think about the institution. They only care about what their constituencies think about them individually. Not only that, but the simple idea of porn approved by Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi is too bizarre to imagine.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2007 09:11:00 AM

Homeowner, 79, Shoots Intruder with Warning Shot

(Hickory, North Carolina) A 23-year-old man, Derek Scott Frenceschini, was shot in the head after breaking into a Hickory home. According to Hickory Police Lt. Hank Guess, 79-year-old homeowner Dwight Cook was watching television about 10:15PM when he heard his sliding glass doors break.

Cook sent his wife to a neighbor's for safety and went to investigate, Guess said.

"He tried to throw a big flowerpot into the (glass) door ... but it bounced off, so he grabbed a rock and broke the door with that," Cook said. "He came in and I saw him go into the spare bedroom.

"I went to get my .22 caliber gun that I keep in the hallway. I had it in my hand, and I asked him what he was doing. He turned around, and I saw that he had something in his hand. I didn't know what it was, so I fired a warning shot up into the ceiling," Cook said.

The bullet ricocheted off the ceiling and part of it hit the intruder in the forehead, Guess said. The suspect fell onto the bed, and Cook held the gun on him while he called 911.

Frenceschini was treated for a gunshot wound to the skull and booked on felony first-degree burglary.

Following Entry Posted 7/05/2007 12:25:00 AM

U.S. First in Global Prosperity

(London, UK) The Global Prosperity Index has been released for the past 12-month period by the independent think tank, Legatum Institute for Global Development. The London-based Legatum Institute is supported by the Dubai-based Legatum investment group. Legatum's mission is to promote excellence in both global investment and sustainable development.

Fifty nations were rated based upon national statistics on income, political rights, freedom of choice, health, climate, religious faith, civil liberties, unemployment rate, divorce rate and others. Notably, the top countries are mostly European. Also note that Mexico is more prosperous than Britain, France and Japan.

The U.S. is tied with Norway and Sweden for first place. At the bottom is Zimbabwe. Here's the ranking.

1. Norway
1. Sweden
1. United States
4. Austria
5. Canada
6. New Zealand
7. Denmark
8. Finland
9. Germany
10. Switzerland
11. Australia
12. Netherlands
13. Singapore
14. Ireland
15. Iceland
16. Mexico
17. Israel
18. United Kingdom
19. Belgium
20. Spain
21. Argentina
22. South Korea
23. France
24. Czech Republic
25. Italy
26. Chile
27. Greece
28. Croatia
29. Japan
30. El Salvador
31. Portugal
31. Venezuela
33. Slovakia
34. Brazil
35. Hungary
36. Philippines
37. Bulgaria
38. Poland
38. South Africa
40. Indonesia
41. Romania
42. China
43. Jordan
44. Russia
45. Turkey
46. India
47. Bangladesh
48. Egypt
49. Pakistan
50. Zimbabwe

With only 50 nations evaluated, obviously many are not addressed. Presumably, data are not available. Still, it's seems odd for virtually the entire continent of Africa to be excluded from the rankings. Only South Africa, Egypt and Zimbabwe are represented. Also, a number of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Southeast Asian countries are missing from the list.

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2007 11:06:00 PM

Mosque Cleric Arrested in Burqa

(Islamabad, Pakistan) Clashes at the Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid, on Tuesday left a reported two dozen dead while under siege by government forces. Today, one of the senior clerics tried to sneak out.

Abdul Aziz Ghazi was captured on Wednesday as he tried to escape the compound where more than 1,000 students and their leaders are believed to be holding out.

"I can confirm his arrest. He was trying to escape with the girls and was wearing a burqa," Mohammad Ali Durrani, Pakistan's information minister, told AFP news agency.

[ ... ]

Television footage showed security officials dragging Aziz towards a black car before he was driven away. Officials said he was caught in a screening centre set up to check people leaving the mosque.

"He was the last in a group of women all wearing the same clothes. He was wearing a burqa that also covered his eyes," a senior security official told AFP.

"Our men spotted his unusual demeanour. The rest of the girls looked like girls but he was taller and had a pot belly."

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2007 06:44:00 PM

Al Gore's Inconvenient Youth

(Laguna Niguel, California) Twenty-four-year-old Albert Gore III, son of the former Vice President, was pulled over by police about 2:15AM for traveling 100MPH down the San Diego Freeway.

A search of Gore's vehicle, a Toyota Prius, resulted in police finding marijuana, Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and a prescription drug for treating attention deficit disorder (ADD). Gore was unable to produce prescriptions for the drugs.

Gore was arrested for alleged possession of marijuana and prescription drugs. He was booked into the Santa Ana Jail with bail set at $20,000.

Tipster slwlion remarks that Al Gore should be proud of his son since he was driving a hybrid.

Personally, I'm surprised by this incident. Who knew that a Prius could go 100MPH?

Following Entry Posted 7/04/2007 12:50:00 PM

Men in Burqas

(Sarajevo, Bosnia) Armed men decked out in Muslim burqas robbed the Union Bank in Sarajevo of $40,000, authorities reported yesterday.

"Everything happened in a moment. Two persons in black niqabs (burqas) came into the bank. I thought they were ladies," the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje quoted bank customer Mehmedalija Komarac as saying.

It's not known whether the men were actual Muslims and stealing money for terrorist ambitions or common criminals using the burqas to hide in plain view and steal money for drugs, sex and American music.

Either way, there should be some suspicion whenever a person appears in public completely costumed in female Muslim attire. Hell, it could be anyone from Osama bin Laden to Kim Jong-il.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 09:01:00 PM

Teacher Gets Hand-Slap for Long-Time Sex with Student

(Roseville, California) In April 2007, a 28-year-old teacher at Silverado Middle School, Kelly Christine Spaich, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a six-month sexual relationship with a 16-year-old former student.

Today, Spaich pleaded no contest to felony unlawful sexual intercourse and to misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Placer Superior Court Judge Robert P. McElhany sentenced Spaich to four years of felony probation and ordered her to serve 400 hours of community service. It's not known whether she will be required to register as a sex offender.

Judge McElhany said Spaich is eligible for alternative sentencing and Spaich's attorney, Tim Balcom, confirmed that she would apply for it. It's not clear what the alternative sentencing entails, however, it must be more lenient than probation.

In any event, Judge McElhany was in a charitable mood today.

[Update 07/06/07]

Kelly Spaich's husband weighs in with his angry thoughts in an interview with News10.net.

"By her having some type of probation and not getting any time, she doesn't quite know what she's actually done," said her husband. "To me she's a typical manipulator, a predator."

[ ... ]

Jon Spaich, who did not want News10 to show his face in the interview, said that in early March he became suspicious of his wife. "Gaps of time and expenditures that just didn't make sense, credit cards that didn't make sense, cell phone bills that didn't make sense," he said.

Once he felt his suspicions were on target, he notified police. "I did the right thing. I feel sorry for the (16-year-old) kid, his family, our daughter, my family." Around that same time, he filed for divorce.

Police said the affair may have gone back six months before the arrest, creating more emotional turmoil for the husband. "Our child was four months old and that's something I have a hard time believing and coming to grips with," he said.

"I have lost everything in my life and it's not fair. It's easy for her ... to change her last name and use her maiden name (Kerrigan), when my daughter and I, we can't. My family can't. Our name has been drug through the mud and we had nothing to do with it," he said.

His words ring with heartbreak and despair. Meanwhile, his wife gets an alternative to punishment, which means essentially no punishment.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 06:11:00 PM

Four-Year-Old Killed for Interrupting Lovers

(Akita Prefecture, Japan) A 31-year-old mother, Mika Shindo, and her 42-year-old lover, high school janitor Hiroshi Hatakeyama, were making love in the front seat of a parked car with Mika's 4-year-old son, Ryosuke, asleep in the back seat. The boy woke up and thought his mother was being attacked so he started hitting Hatakeyama.

"Ryosuke wouldn't stop crying because he thought his mother was being hurt, so Hatakeyama withdrew from Mika, who turned around and punched her little boy in the face," the [Shukan Shincho newspaper] reporter says. "Hatakeyama then jumped in, smashing a can of coffee into the boy's face any number of times, then throttling him until he stopped breathing."

Ryosuke was still breathing at this stage, but it wasn't going to last much longer.

"Hatakeyama was worried that he was going to get caught for bashing Ryosuke, so he convinced Mika to dump the boy. He told her that he was about to be made a full-time employee and that she could go and live with him as long as she promised not to tell anybody he was involved in the boy's injuries," the reporter tells Shukan Shincho. "Mika believed him and hurled Ryosuke into the rice paddy ditch and they left him there."

One month after the discovery of Ryosuke's body, Mika Shindo and Hiroshi Hatakeyama were arrested for the boy's murder. The evidence that broke the case was a unique imprint on the boy's face left by a ring his mother was wearing when she punched him.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 03:51:00 PM

Playboy Playmate Pinched

(Oberlin, Ohio) Jennifer Lyn Jackson, Playboy Playmate from April 1989, was arrested this past weekend on charges of allegedly driving under the influence, possession of drugs and theft.

Police pulled 38-year-old Jackson over on State Route 58 for allegedly driving erratically and found marijuana in her car. It's also alleged that Jackson stole gasoline at a Murphy's station.

Notably, this is not the first time that Jackson has had legal troubles. In March 2005, Jackson was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property resulting from a burglary investigation. It's not known how the case was resolved.

Companion posts at The Jawa Report.

[Update 07/31/07]

Jackson arrested again.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 11:43:00 AM

Democrat Values: Golf With Strippers

(Toledo, Ohio) From a report citing a Blade article, the Lucas County Democrat Party golf outing at a public course last Friday featured local strippers providing drinks and entertainment. One official remarked that "he witnessed one woman lift up her top and reveal her chest to a group of golfers. She then lowered her shorts for their benefit."

Hubba! Hubba! My score is already impeded by trees and sand traps. I can't imagine the obstacles posed by bare chests and lowered shorts.

In any event, the Democrat-stripper connection reported by the liberal media isn't the sensational headliner it likely would be had the participants been Republicans.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 09:42:00 AM

Woman Shoots, Kills Intruder

(Hagerstown, Maryland) An intruder with a .22 caliber rifle, James Michael Conely, 32, is dead after being shot and stabbed about 3:40AM Sunday morning by a woman protecting her home. Conely and an accomplice, 21-year-old Michael John Watkins, forced their way into an apartment occupied by 22-year-old Carri Humphrey and 24-year-old Michelle Reeder.

Long story short, Reeder got her gun, shot Conely and he died. The women were able to flee from the apartment.

Later, Watkins was apprehended nearby by sheriff's deputies and he confessed to the break-in. He said he didn't know that Conely was armed.

Watkins faces multiple burglary and armed robbery charges.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 09:07:00 AM

Aussie Accused of Abducting NC Boy

(Greenville, North Carolina) A 31-year-old Australian woman, Tamara Broome, was jailed on June 25 for allegedly traveling from Australia to North Carolina to abduct a 17-year-old boy she met over the Internet.

Broome has been charged with abduction of a child.

The chief of detectives in the city of Greenville, Lee Moore, says the pair began a relationship while playing World of Warcraft.

"The best that we can discover is that they wanted to meet," he said.

"To be honest with you, if someone were to fly from here to Australia or them to here, there's got to be some kind of romance somewhere."

Detective Moore says the pair had been communicating for about a year.

"What we understand she was trying to do was to get him to leave the country and go to Australia to meet her," he said.

It's widely reported that some people believe Broome's arrest was a "set up" by the boy's parents.

Broome was booked into the Pitt County Detention Center on $2.4 million bail. A court appearance is scheduled for July 11th.

Tip: Barry

[Update 08/07/07]

Broome takes plea.

Following Entry Posted 7/03/2007 07:12:00 AM

Good Humor Sex Offenders

(Illinois) Two ice cream truck drivers have been arrested in the last two weeks for being registered sex offenders in contact with children.

Raymond Mitchell, 58, was charged Saturday after DuPage County sheriff's detectives allegedly saw him talking to children while selling ice cream from a truck parked near Glen Ellyn, police said.

It's the second suburban arrest in a week in which an ice cream truck driver is accused of having illegal contact with children.

Last week, ice cream truck driver Douglas Jones of Aurora was arrested in Kane County for allegedly exposing himself to a 3-year-old boy. Jones, 46, is a substitute teacher, a member of the Kane County Regional Board of Education and an ordained minister, according to authorities.

They're everywhere.

Following Entry Posted 7/02/2007 10:09:00 PM

Teacher Meredith Kane Guilty

(Lawrence, Kansas) In March, a 24-year-old first-year teacher at Lawrence High School, Meredith L. Kane, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student.

Kane faced two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and two counts of sodomy.

Today, Kane pleaded guilty before Douglas County District Court Judge Stephen Six to one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a student in accordance with an agreement with District Attorney Charles Branson. In exchange, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and two counts of sodomy were dropped.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 12th when Kane faces 55 to 247 months in prison.

[Update 08/28/07]

Out on bail awaiting her sentencing, Kane decides to violate her conditions of release. She ignored the no-contact order issued by the court. As a result, her fanny was planted back in the Douglas County Jail yesterday at 6PM.

[Update 12/20/07]

Meredith Kane sentenced to 59 months in prison.

Following Entry Posted 7/02/2007 09:12:00 PM

Mrs. Teacher Clobbers Cops

(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) A 26-year-old social studies teacher at Southern Lehigh High School, Katie Quartuch, was arrested last week for an alleged physical altercation with two off-duty police officers.

Quartuch faces charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, obstructing the administration of law, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. She was arraigned before District Judge Diane Repyneck of Lower Saucon Township and released on $25,000 bail.

The charges resulted from an incident at Starters Riverport restaurant about 2 AM when Quartuch attacked the officers as they were attempting to usher another customer from the establishment. She hit one officer in the chest and another was kicked in the groin. Quartuch's husband, Matthew, 32, was cited for disorderly conduct.

For being a social studies teacher, Quartuch was arguably quite anti-social.

Following Entry Posted 7/02/2007 07:02:00 PM

Porn Kitten Goes Down on Traffic Beef

(Wilson County, Tennessee) Tennessee-based 21-year-old porn starlet, Justis Richert (aka "Barbie Cummings"), was issued a speeding ticket by Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Randy Moss. During the traffic stop, Trooper Moss apparently found some illegal pills in Richert's possession and, according to Richert, he agreed to throw them away in return for oral sex.

However, once it became known that Richert traded her services to avoid an illegal pills charge, Trooper Moss, 40, resigned his position.

Under her porn film name, Cummings wrote on her blog that Moss took photos and video of their encounter in May and sent copies to her.

She also wrote that she told the trooper she made "dirty movies" and they then watched sex videos together in his patrol car.

It appears that Richert couldn't keep her trap shut about the whole situation and Moss lost his career.

Presumably, Richert/Cummings thought she could also blow off the speeding ticket so she didn't appear in court on Friday. By failing to appear, she lost the chance to have the charge dismissed because Moss wasn't in court. She now must pay $159 within two weeks.

Companion posts at The Jawa Report and Conservative Thinking.

[Update 10/17/07]

Trooper Moss indicted.

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