Women With Troubles - February 2012

Here is a compilation of women with troubles reported in news stories during February 2012. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

For a more comprehensive listing, check the Women With Troubles category link. Links to month-by-month compilations are displayed on the navigation bar at left.

(AL) Dana Myhan Allen, 38,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(AL) Amanda Watkins,
teacher - Gets 15 years prison for rape of student,

(AL) Heather Whitten, 38,
teacher - Accused of second-degree rape,

(AR) Stacy Stracener,
teacher - Accused of sex with student,

(AR) Monica Lee Teel, 27,
teacher - Accused of sex with student,

(CA) Gabriela Cortez, 42,
teacher - Accused of sex with two male students,

(CA) Sarah Elizabeth Drown, 20,
teacher's aide - Accused of sex with male student, 14,

(CA) Nicole Ethel McMillen, 41,
teacher's aide - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(CO) Lauren Redfern, 25,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student,

(CT) Christine Powell, 39,
teacher - Accused of sex assault,

(FL) Karen Art, 40,
nurse - Accused of video voyeurism,

(FL) Lisa M. Goepferich, 33,
sheriff's employee - Accused of sex with boy, 17,

(FL) Leslie Rainer, 46,
teacher - Accused of inappropriate racial comment to student of Haitian descent,

(GA) Christina Preston, 44,
teacher - Accused of sexual contact with male student, 14,

(IL) Maria Beoletto, 32,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(IL) Melissa Calusinski, 25,
teacher's aide - Gets 31 years prison for murder of toddler,

(IL) Sara Glashagel, 27,
teacher - Gets probation for tampering with student grades,

(IL) Haven Kirkpatrick, 30,
teacher - Gets three years prison for sex with female student,

(IL) Nicole Pinnick, 29,
teacher's aide - Gets four years prison for sex with student,

(IN) Kristi N. Metzger (aka Kristi N. Mireles), 29,
neighbor - Pleaded guilty to sex with boy, 15. Sentencing in March,

(MD) Ashley Jean Campbell, 27,
teacher - Accused of sex abuse of boy, 16,

(ME) Dianne Leach, 47,
teacher - Guilty of sex assault of student. Sentencing TBD,

(MI) Renee King, 29,
neighbor - Guilty of murdering stepdaughter, 2. Sentencing in April,

(MI) Lisa Placek,
teacher/coach - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(MN) Michelle Rose Chlan, 27,
teacher's aide - Gets 90 days jail for sex with male student,

(MS) Emily Suzanne Hansford, 43,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student,

(NC) Gridonia Eugenia Grussi, 30,
neighbor - Accused of rape of boy, 14,

(NC) Hannah Lee Lockhart, 20,
neighbor - Accused of statutory rape,

(NC) Deborah Lee Tipton, 45,
teacher - Accused of sexual exploitation of girl, 12,

(NM) Brenda Ray, 40,
teacher - Gets probation for sex with male student, 16,

(NV) Noel Lardeo, 26,
teacher - Accused of DUI in accident with critical injury,

(NY) Melissa Dean, 31,
teacher - Faces termination for having class write to inmate,

(OH) Kimberly M. Elliott, 27,
neighbor - Gets three years prison for sex assault of teen boys,

(OH) Meredith Lowell, 27,
animal activist - Accused of hiring hit man for a murder,

(OH) Christine Metter, 41,
neighbor - Accused of murder-for-hire plot,

(OH) Kristen Ross, 41,
teacher - Gets early release from prison for intense probation,

(OK) Lisa Kays, 46,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student, 17,

(OK) Jessica Renaker,
educator - Accused of drug possession and child neglect,

(OR) Carisa Wimp, 32,
neighbor - Gets 13+ years prison for sex abuse of boy, 4,

(PA) Rachel L. Farrell, 25,
teacher - Accused of sex with several male students,

(PA) Teri Mezzatesta, 34,
neighbor - Accused of sex with son's friend, 15,

(RI) Emma Wise, 22,
teacher - Accused of providing alcohol to minors,

(SC) Julie Kristen Farmer Janis, 38,
guidance counselor - Failure to report sex abuse,

(SC) Sarah Jane Lindsay, 44,
teacher - Gets 3+ years prison for sex crimes against minors, 11 to 14 years old,

(SC) Carole Eileen McMahon, 38,
teacher - Failure to report sex abuse,

(TN) Stephanie Marie Kitchen, 33,
neighbor - Gets diversion for sex with boy, 15,

(TX) Sierra Elizabeth Galvan, 21,
neighbor - Accused of sexual performance by a child,

(TX) Patricia Jean Coone, 25,
teacher - Busted for possession/distribution of Ecstasy,

(TX) Natalie Deshan Johnson, 33,
neighbor - Guilty of sex with boy, 13. Sentencing TBD,

(TX) Kathryn "Camille" Murray, 28,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student, 15,

(TX) Randi Lynn Bratcher Savage, 32,
teacher - Gets five years prison for sex with male student, 13,

(UT) Sunni Faith Anderson aka Suni Andersen, 36,
personal trainer - Gets one to 15 years prison for sex abuse of boy, 14,

(UT) Selena Irene York aka Selena Elderkin, 34,
neighbor - Gets 15 years for attempted antifreeze murder,

(VA) Jessica Shockley, 23,
neighbor - Accused of making child porn,

(WI) Andrea L. Ebert, 30,
teacher - Accused of sex with two teen students,

(WI) Tammi Monty, 40,
teacher - Accused of child enticement of boy, 14,

(WV) Christy Wilson, 39,
teacher - Gets 15 days jail for embezzlement.

Thanks to the helpers.

If the icecaps are melting, how come the sea-level is FALLING?



Sea level has been plummeting for four years, and is lower than it was in 2003 when EU’s Envisat satellite was launched. This is solid proof that Greenland and Antarctica are melting down at unprecedented rates and flooding the oceans with negative water [/sarcasm]

SOURCE (See the original for links)

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Strawberry Quick

(Laredo, Texas) A new form of methamphetamine is reportedly being smuggled in large quantities across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Popular on school campuses, the meth is called "strawberry quick" and it resembles pop rocks, the candy that sizzles and pops in the mouth.

Although there have been spotty reports of seizures of flavored methamphetamine, many observers consider "strawberry quick" to be a hoax.

25 "Anonymous" Hackers Arrested

(Lyon, France)

Interpol has arrested 25 suspected members of the 'Anonymous' hackers group in a swoop on over a dozen cities in Europe and Latin America, the global police body said Tuesday.

"Operation Unmask was launched in mid-February following a series of coordinated cyber-attacks originating from Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain," said the world police body based in the French city of Lyon.

The statement cited attacks on the websites of the Colombian Ministry of Defence and the presidency, as well as on Chile's Endesa electricity company and its National Library, among others.

The operation was carried out by police from Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain, the statement said, with 250 items of computer equipment and mobile phones seized in raids on 40 premises in 15 cities.

Police also seized credit cards and cash from the suspects, aged 17 to 40.

More.

Stepmom Guilty of Killing Toddler - Updated

(Macomb County, Michigan) A jury deliberated for a mere two hours before convicting 29-year-old Renee King of murder, criminal sexual conduct and child abuse in the death of two-year-old Lily Lynette Furneaux-Wolfenbarger.

After the verdict, Lauren Furneaux, the girl's mother, said that King would not be able to hurt any more children. "But it still doesn't bring Lily back," she said.

Furneaux, who wore a shirt that read "Justice for Lily," recounted a difficult custody arrangement with the girl's father, Jeffrey Wolfenbarger. King was watching Lily the day she died; Wolfenbarger was at work.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 10.

* * * * *
Stepmom Accused of Killing Toddler
[Previous 12/7/10 post]
(Macomb County, Michigan) A 28-year-old woman, Renee Marie King, has been accused of murder in the alleged rape and death of her two-year-old stepdaughter, Lily Lynette Furneaux-Wolfenbarger.

King faces charges of felony murder, criminal sexual conduct and first-degree child abuse.

“She’s very saddened by this incident, and she denies all the allegations,” her lawyer, Richard Glanda, said, reiterating King’s ongoing claims that she fell on the little girl in the shower.

“Her leg gave out. She lost her balance and she and the child fell, and that’s what may have caused the injured to the child.”

King remains in custody at the Macomb County Jail without bond.

Alcohol-Soaked Tampons

(Las Vegas, Nevada) Absorbing alcohol via the rectum appears to be a new fad of creative and adventurous young people.

Both guys and girls are taking tampons, soaking them in alcohol and them shoving them into a place they definitely don't belong.

It is known as "butt chugging" and it will supposedly cause a person to become drunker quicker and for that drunk feeling to be more intense.

Doctors warn that this is a very dangerous practice and could lead to muscle damage.

Taking alcohol rectally potentially leads to alcohol poisoning. As an example, a rectal-alcohol case several years ago involved the death of man from 0.47 blood alcohol concentration. With the alleged help of his wife, Michael Warner of Lake Jackson TX died after receiving an enema of two bottles of sherry.

Tip: slwlion

Melting Arctic causes snowier winters

This is all just Warmist boilerplate by now but I am putting it up to draw attention to just one thing: History began in 1979 and stopped in 2007 for Warmists: "The level of Arctic sea ice has reached a new record low in 2007". No mention of the bounceback since then and that the "record low" was in a time series that went back only as far as 1979. Talk about clutching at straws!

No-one can regard these "scientists" as honest men. To rephrase Lord Acton: "Money corrupts and your salary corrupts absolutely"

MELTING sea ice in the Arctic may be causing the snowier winters the northern hemisphere has experienced in the last two seasons.

The level of Arctic sea ice has reached a new record low in 2007, said the study led by the Georgia Institute of Technology and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Meanwhile, above-average snowfall has blanketed large parts of the northern United States, northwestern and central Europe, and northern and central China.

The northern hemisphere has recorded its second and third largest snow covers in documented history in the last two seasons, spanning the winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.

Researchers believe the disappearing Arctic ice is sending more water vapour into the air, and is interfering with atmospheric currents and westerly winds that would typically have swept snowy weather northward.

Instead, more cold air is descending into the middle and lower latitudes, "leading to increased heavy snowfall in Europe and the northeast and midwest regions of the United States", said Jiping Liu, a senior research scientist at Georgia Tech.

The research included scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and New York's Columbia University, and was supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Fungus Killing Rattlers



Massasauga Rattlesnake
A deadly fungus called Chrysosporium is reportedly killing off endangered Massasauga rattlers. Scientists found four dead rattlers in Illinois.

If this fungal infection progresses through the snake population the same way that a very similar, and equally deadly, fungal infection that has been decimating the bat population in sixteen states and four Canadian provinces the scientist who are monitoring the situation are rightly concerned about the survivability of the massasauga rattler.

Rightly concerned, eh?

Big Boobs Excuse

(Port St. Lucie, Florida) Occurring recently, a woman reportedly couldn't complete a field sobriety test because of her massive breasts.

A Port St. Lucie woman facing DUI charges told arresting officers her "big boobies" were to blame for her inability to perform sobriety tests, according to an arrest report.

Maureen Jane Raymond, 49, was arrested in Jensen Beach on Jan. 29 after she was stopped by cops who responded to a reckless vehicle call, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office report.[…]

Raymond was asked to get out of the car for tests and she started to give her top heavy excuse.

"When I told her we were going to do some roadside tasks she told me that I needed to understand that she is big chested and if I asked her to close her eyes and balance she is not going to balance well," the deputy wrote. "She told me 'big breast you don't balance well.'"

Asked if she had any injuries, Raymond replied she had big breasts and whiplash, the report said.

Raymond also said she couldn't take a breath test at the police station until she prayed.

Tip: slwlion

Stool Sample Needed to Open Business

(Athens, Greece) Arguably one of the chief reasons for the economic troubles in Greece is the bureaucratic nightmare one must endure to conduct business.

The extent to which the government interferes in the private sector can be illustrated by the fact that the health department requires all business shareholders to submit chest X-rays and stool samples as part of a company's licensing process.

Yes, the Greek government wants feces samples from business owners. Bizarre, eh?

More here and here.

Sneaky State Dept. bureaucrats giving away American territory without a shot being fired!

Obama’s State Department is giving away seven strategic, resource-laden Alaskan islands to the Russians. Yes, to the Putin regime in the Kremlin.

The seven endangered islands in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea include one the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The Russians are also to get the tens of thousands of square miles of oil-rich seabeds surrounding the islands. The Department of Interior estimates billions of barrels of oil are at stake.

The State Department has undertaken the giveaway in the guise of a maritime boundary agreement between Alaska and Siberia. Astoundingly, our federal government itself drew the line to put these seven Alaskan islands on the Russian side. But as an executive agreement, it could be reversed with the stroke of a pen by President Obama or Secretary Clinton.

The agreement was negotiated in total secrecy. The state of Alaska was not allowed to participate in the negotiations, nor was the public given any opportunity for comment. This is despite the fact the Alaska Legislature has passed resolutions of opposition – but the State Department doesn’t seem to care.

The imperiled Arctic Ocean islands include Wrangel, Bennett, Jeannette and Henrietta. Wrangel became American in 1881 with the landing of the U.S. Revenue Marine ship Thomas Corwin. The landing party included the famed naturalist John Muir. It is 3,000 square miles in size.

Northwest of Wrangel are the DeLong Islands, named for George Washington DeLong, the captain of USS Jeannette. Also in 1881, he discovered and claimed these three islands for the United States. He named them for the voyage co-sponsor, New York City newspaper publisher James Gordon Bennett. The ship’s crew received a hero’s welcome back in Washington, and Congress awarded them gold medals.

In the Bering Sea at the far west end of the Aleutian chain are Copper Island, Sea Lion Rock and Sea Otter Rock. They were ceded to the U.S. in Seward’s 1867 treaty with Russia.

Now is the time for the Obama administration to stand up for U.S. and Alaskan rights and invaluable resources. The State Department’s maritime agreement is a loser – it gives us nothing in return for giving up Alaska’s sovereign territory and invaluable resources. We won the Cold War and should start acting like it.

The Obama administration must stop the giveaway immediately.

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Nitwit thinks a few degrees of temperature rise will melt the polar ice

He is trying to add a scare about increasing volcanoes and earthquakes to the usual scares about warming. But polar regions are VERY cold, far below the melting point of ice, so even if all the Warmist prophecies came true, there would be minor melting at the margins only. Excerpt:

So what – geologically speaking – can we look forward to if we continue to pump out greenhouse gases at the current hell-for-leather rate? With resulting global average temperatures likely to be several degrees higher by this century's end, we could almost certainly say an eventual goodbye to the Greenland ice sheet, and probably that covering West Antarctica too, committing us – ultimately – to a 10-metre or more hike in sea levels.

GPS measurements reveal that the crust beneath the Greenland ice sheet is already rebounding in response to rapid melting, providing the potential – according to researchers – for future earthquakes, as faults beneath the ice are relieved of their confining load. The possibility exists that these could trigger submarine landslides spawning tsunamis capable of threatening North Atlantic coastlines. Eastern Iceland is bouncing back too as its Vatnajökull ice cap fades away. When and if it vanishes entirely, new research predicts a lively response from the volcanoes currently residing beneath. A dramatic elevation in landslide activity would be inevitable in the Andes, Himalayas, European Alps and elsewhere, as the ice and permafrost that sustains many mountain faces melts and thaws.

Across the world, as sea levels climb remorselessly, the load-related bending of the crust around the margins of the ocean basins might – in time – act to sufficiently "unclamp" coastal faults such as California's San Andreas, allowing them to move more easily; at the same time acting to squeeze magma out of susceptible volcanoes that are primed and ready to blow.

More HERE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

An outraged philosopher

An excerpt below from a very self-righteous person. As a philosopher he should both be wary of appeals to authority and know that false premises can lead to absurd conclusions. But he dives headfast into both of those bogs.

There is no reason why a philospher should abjure pronouncing on climate but he should certainly gain some familiarity with the science first. I myself have had papers on analytical philosphy (including moral philophy) published in the academic journals and I reject his conclusions utterly. So where does that get us? It should lead us to the science and there is a token of my familiarity with that in the header of my GREENIE WATCH blog. It would have been nice if our puffed-up philospher had also first gone to the science. I am perfectly capable of reading and understanding academic journal articles in fields other than my own. Surely our profound thinker below could do likewise?

Those who deny the reality, importance, or magnitude of climate change warrant our collective outrage. Whether by action or inaction, their denial blinds us to the risks, vulnerabilities, and threats to our well-being posed by climate change. Insofar as claims of ignorance are becoming increasingly implausible, those who support or propagate the disinformation campaign about climate change are guilty of more than deception. They are guilty of exacerbating risks to our collective well-being and of undermining society.

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the current misinformation campaign waged against climate science. I will, therefore, take it on assumption for our purposes here that both (1) there is overwhelming evidence that climate change is taking place and (2) there is a concerted effort, through activity or negligence, to convince the public that there is no need for action. I take (2) to constitute the essence of what I will call the disinformation campaign about climate change. I take (1) to provide the focus of such a campaign, a campaign focused on convincing any and all that the science of climate change is not worth taking seriously or that the consequences of climate change are too uncertain to justify action.

More HERE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Illegals

I have a complaint.

The mainstream media are doing an incomplete reporting job with respect to illegal aliens.

I was born in the continental United States and I've not attempted to change my nationality. As such and understandably so, every time I've ventured to foreign countries I have been introduced and pointed out as an American.

I have lived in and visited several countries in Europe and Latin America. Every circumstance with foreigners included a complete understanding that I was an American.

I have never been called an undocumented worker.

Why is it that somebody can enter the United States from somewhere [list almost all countries in the world] and not have the media nor the authorities identify national origin?

Day in and day out the public is blanketed with stories of undocumented workers/aliens, non-citizens, illegal workers, suspects on immigration hold and other non-descriptive identifiers about people of foreign origin who have illegally entered the American abyss and made news.

Never are the trespassers, an arguable contention, within the population given the privilege of someone actually stating nationality.

As an aside, I'm reminded of an old story of a man without a country. As a general rule, it requires a public renouncement and a bit of official okey-dokey. Otherwise, one is still considered to be of that, whatever it is, particular nationality.

In any event, the media and the authorities are not being completely truthful to the American public. Foreign citizens are surreptitiously entering the United States and average Americans are not being told where they originate.

It would be naive to ignore the political agenda involved.

Just from an elbow-to-elbow perspective of the interlopers, they never forget that they are Mexican, Guatemalan, Peruvian, Mongolian, Moroccan, Nigerian, Brazilian, Cuban, Haitian, and on and on.

[Add.] By the way, if a foreign national sneaks into the U.S. to masturbate in front of women while making animal noises, it would be nice to know which foreign embassy to complain to. We don't need any illegal jerkoffs. We're overloaded with the homegrown variety already.

Tip: slwion

Patrick Henry Hughes Story




One word. Inspirational.

Tip: Rita and Eugene

Lindzen totally squashes Warmism

Professor Richard Lindzen is one of the world's greatest atmospheric physicists: perhaps the greatest. What he doesn't know about the science behind climate change probably isn't worth knowing. But even if you weren't aware of all this, even if you'd come to the talk he gave in the House of Commons this week without prejudice or expectation, I can pretty much guarantee you would have been blown away by his elegant dismissal of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming theory.

Dick Lindzen does not need to raise his voice. He does not use hyperbole. In a tone somewhere between weariness and withering disdain, he lets the facts speak for themselves. And the facts, as he understands them, are devastating.

Here is how he began his speech, which was organised on behalf of the Campaign To Repeal the Climate Change Act:

Stated briefly, I will simply try to clarify what the debate over climate change is really about. It most certainly is not about whether climate is changing: it always is. It is not about whether CO2 is increasing: it clearly is. It is not about whether the increase in CO2, by itself, will lead to some warming: it should. The debate is simply over the matter of how much warming the increase in CO2 can lead to, and the connection of such warming to the innumerable claimed catastrophes. The evidence is that the increase in CO2 will lead to very little warming, and that the connection of this minimal warming (or even significant warming) to the purported catastrophes is also minimal. The arguments on which the catastrophic claims are made are extremely weak – and commonly acknowledged as such. They are sometimes overtly dishonest.

You can read a full version of his speech here. The Bishop has it up here.

But don't take my word for it. Simon Carr of the Independent (not a publication hitherto noted for its rampant AGW scepticism) was sufficiently impressed to write a blog on the subject headlined Is catastrophic global warming, like Millennium Bug, a mistake?

I think we know the answer to that one, eh?

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Manhood Shredded by Crocodile

(Marutaya Village, Zimbabwe) Last month, a 70-year-old local man, Jonah Maturure, had his manhood torn to shreds by a crocodile while wading across the rain-swollen Chivake River.

He told the Sunday News that he removed his trousers before getting into the river as he did not want it to get wet and was only left with his shirt and underwear.

He said he put the trousers, whose pockets had some money and his identity document, in the tomato box that he was carrying on his head and got into the river whose water was at chest level.

“I was not suspecting anything. I had earlier on crossed the river using the same crossing place. But when I was almost in the middle of the river I was attacked by a crocodile. It mauled a chunk of my buttocks before attacking my manhood tearing my testicles into shreds.

“The skin covering my manhood was partly torn but I quickly put my thumb (showing a heavily bruised but healing thumb) in its mouth to try and chock it after realising that I was going to lose my manhood. It then grabbed my hand and I could hear my bones cracking making some cacophony noise at the slightest bite.

“Realising that I was losing the battle, I let go of the box of tomatoes that I was carrying on my head and it fell into the river with a thud making some kind of noise. At that instant the crocodile released its grip on my hand and ran towards the noise. It probably thought I had fallen into the river and I escaped in pain, with blood flowing down my legs from the wounds where the chunks of flesh had been incised,” said Mr Maturure.

He said both his shirt and underwear were torn in the attack and the battle that ensued and when he got out of the water he was in his birthday suit with blood oozing uncontrollably from the ferocious attack wounds.

In considerable pain, Mr. Maturure is recovering at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).

Pennsylvania Mom and Son's Friend

(Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania) A 34-year-old local woman, Teri Mezzatesta, has been accused of engaging in sex with her son's 15-year-old friend.

Mezzatesta faces charges of statutory sexual assault and false swearing in official matters by falsely claiming she was sexually assaulted by the boy.

In the affidavit, the 14-year-old son tells police he witnessed his mother having sexual intercourse with his 15-year-old friend who was over their home.

The son told police after he and his friend had been smoking pot, he fell asleep. Sometime later, he was awoken by the sound of his mother's voice.

That's when, the affidavit states, he walked into the living room and saw his mom and friend having sex. The son punched his friend in the face and kicked him out of the house.

The affidavit says Mezzatesta told her son not to tell police because she could go to jail.

The son's friend soon returned and told him he had nowhere else to go and he allowed the friend to stay the night. Because the friend's cell phone died, the son lent his friend his phone.

Two days later, the phone was returned to the son and he saw text messages between his friend and his mother that were of a sexual nature, the affidavit states.

The son then went to school officials who then contacted police.

Mezzatesta was booked and released on electronic home monitoring.

Illinois Woman Gets Prison in Toddler's Death - Updated



Melissa Calusinski - Benjamin Kingan
(Waukegan, Illinois) Yesterday, Melissa Calusinski was sentenced by Lake County Circuit Judge Daniel Shanes to 31 years in prison.

* * * * *
Illinois Woman Guilty in Toddler's Death
[Previous 11/17/11 post]
(Lake County, Illinois) A 25-year-old teacher's aide at Minee Subee Daycare Center, Melissa Calusinski, was found guilty yesterday in the death of 16-month-old boy, Benjamin Kingan.

After seven hours of deliberation, a jury returned verdicts on counts of first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a child.

According to the prosecution, Calusinski was frustrated with several toddlers in the room and hurled Benjamin to the floor causing a fatal head injury. The defense contended that Benjamin had an undetected head injury which was aggravated by him pounding his own head on the floor.

Calusinski faces life in prison when sentenced early next year. Her case is expected to be appealed.

Illinois Educator Gets Prison in Sex Case - Updated

(Kewanee, Illinois) In accordance with a plea agreement, former teacher's aide Nicole Pinnick pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

In exchange, other counts of sex assault and sex abuse were dropped.

The plea agreement was approved by Judge Ted Hamer who then sentenced Pinnick to four years in prison and imposed a $2,000 fine.

Pinnick was arrested last October after a Kewanee Police Department investigation. Police at the time said the charts alleged a “sexual relationship with a student between the ages of 13 and 18.”

Police cited the cooperation of school officials in the investigation.

Pinnick was also ordered to pay court costs and serve two years of supervised release after her sentence is completed.

* * * * *
Illinois Educator Accused in Sex Case
[Previous 10/14/11 post]
(Kewanee, Illinois) A 29-year-old teacher's aide formerly at Kewanee High School, Nicole M. Pinnick, has been accused of engaging in sex with a student.

Pinnick faces one count of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

The investigation had been going on for almost six months. Pinnick had resigned from the District in April of 2011.

Kewanee Community Schools co-operated with the police investigation and say the incident did not occur on school properties or during school hours.

Pinnick was booked into custody at the Henry County Jail with bond set at $100,000.

British TV channel forced to apologise after reporter calls black sportsmen 'coloured'

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) must be REALLY offensive!

ITV were forced to apologise today after a reporter covering a Downing Street football racism summit twice referred to black players as 'coloured'.

Following the ITV broadcast, dozens of viewers objected to the uses of the term 'coloured' on Twitter.

An ITV spokeswoman said they were sorry and the recording should never have gone out.

Using the term 'coloured' to refer to black people is considered offensive because it dismisses everyone who is not white as the same. The term was in widespread use in Britain in the 1960s but is now considered racist. The problem is it suggests white people are white and everyone else is 'coloured'. There is no recognition that everyone has their own ethnic origin. [So what race you are is important?? I thought that was "racism"!]

Source

Some very confused thinking above. Africans must not be confused with Indians? I agree with that but would normally be accused of racial discrimination for saying so. Yet above such distinctions seem to be demanded and regarded as important. But logic doesn't seem to work on political correctness. It's all just an emotional kneejerk.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Swim Team Shaving Regulation Enforcement



A girls swim team lost its championship title retroactively after being found in violation of shaving regulations.

Apparently, swim teams are barred from performing full-body shaves in high school locker rooms because of possible blood transference. It's theorized that cuts from shaving could bleed into the swimming pool, exposing others to possible pathogens.

It's not clear how the shaving enforcement authority was alerted to the violation since it only became known after-the-fact.

Marijuana Linked to Impaired Driving



According to the British Medical Journal, driving and smoking dope is a bad idea.

Acute cannabis consumption has now been proven to substantially increase the risk for motor vehicle accidents, whether fatal or not. And we are learning that cannabis can lead to a whole host of other medical problems.

There is abundant circumstantial evidence pointing to a plausible biological relationship between marijuana smoking and lung cancer. We may be lacking the smoking gun, but few juries could fail to convict on this evidence.

What a shock, eh?

Daughter-Daddy Contract Murder Plot Foiled

(Painesville, Ohio) In June 2011, Christine Metter and her father Al Zombory were accused of arranging a murder-for-hire plot against David Metter, Christine's ex-husband.

Last month, a jury convicted Metter of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Afterward, Zombory, 77, pleaded guilty to the same charge.


 
Christine Metter & Al Zombory
Earlier today, 41-year-old Metter was sentenced by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci to 10 years in prison.

Lucci said in a telephone interview that he gave Metter the maximum for four reasons: her lack of remorse; the extreme psychological harm she caused David Metter, their four daughters and Metter's new wife; her involving her father in the scheme and blaming him for it; and her failure to stop the scheme at any point along the way.

She and her 77-year-old father were arrested after the Eastlake police officer who posed as the hitman showed her father a cellphone photo of David Metter posing as though he'd been shot in the head in a Florida hotel room.

"She wanted David Metter killed as revenge for his getting custody of their 16-year-old daughter and to prevent him from getting custody of the younger three girls," Lucci said.

Christine Metter was also the beneficiary of a $1.5 million life insurance policy that a Baltimore divorce judge had ordered David Metter to maintain. She had agreed to pay the hitman $50,000 from the policy proceeds, Lucci said.

For his conviction, Zombory was sentenced to nine years in prison by Judge Richard Collins Jr.

Tip: Phil

Doctors Face Bribery Allegations

(Montreal, Canada) Enterprising patients are allegedly slipping envelopes of cash to Canadian doctors in exchange for moving up on the notorious health care waiting list.

Two Montreal cardiologists are facing disciplinary action over allegations they received hefty kickbacks to push patients to the top of the waiting list, the Quebec College of Physicians says.

The college's investigation uncovered at least two doctors who were allegedly taking envelopes of cash in exchange for providing faster service, Dr. Charles Bernard told CBC News.[…]

The investigation was triggered 14 months ago, when a Montreal woman told the news media she had paid a $2,000 cash "incentive" to have her mother bumped to the top of a waiting list.

After the investigation, the college said two cardiologists from Montreal would face a disciplinary hearing later this year in connection with such incidents. Bernard would not discuss the details of the cases, as nothing yet has been proved.

If money is changing hands, there's no motivation on the part of doctors nor patients for the practice to be exposed. According to one health law lawyer,

"When the patient is offering cash to the doctor, and the doctor is accepting the cash … both of them have an interest not to tell the story."

Agreed. And remember, if you want nice fresh oats, you pay. If you don't mind waiting for the oats to travel through the horse, you can scoop them up for free.

Parental Outrage Forces Houston School To Drop Pro-Obama Chant

We read:

"Just last week The Blaze brought you the story of Tipps Elementary School in Houston that sent kindergarteners home with an assignment to learn a poem that lavished praises on the president as part of Black History Month.

An outraged parent sent a copy of the poem/song, and the memo attached to it, to syndicated talk show host Joe Pagliarulo. Pags (as he is known to his listeners) broadcast the story on the radio last week and generated considerable interest — and anger — from parents and citizens whose tax dollars fund the Tipps Elementary School.

The school’s principal did not respond directly to inquiries from The Blaze or Pagliarulo, but progress has been reported. Yesterday we received a copy of a letter sent to parents from the kindergarten teacher, Debra Thornton. The note read:

"Although you have indicated that your child will not be participating in the Black History program, I wanted to take this opportunity to clarify some misinformation you have received.

Since you received this preliminary selection, Ms. Reid has had the chance to review all the performance selections by all grade levels. Those kindergarten students with parent permission to participate will be doing a recitation of a selection from the book by Michelle Cook, Our Children Can Soar, A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change, instead of the preliminary selection that was sent to you.

Nothing in the original memo mentioned that this was a preliminary selection. And the note also states that all kindergarteners will be required to learn it, not just those participating in the program.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Animal Activist Accused of Soliciting Murder

(Cleveland, Ohio) A 27-year-old Cleveland Heights animal activist, Meredith Lowell, has been accused of plotting the murder of a random person as a protest statement about wearing animal fur.

Lowell has been indicted on a federal charge of solicitation of murder by trying to hire a hit man.

“She wanted to hire someone for money, somebody to go out and murder somebody with a fur coat on, anybody with a fur coat,” said FBI Special Agent Scott Wilson.

The FBI arrested Lowell Tuesday morning after they said Lowell spent months trying to solicit a hit man via Facebook.

The FBI said in the indictment that the killing was to take place in front of the Coventry Village Branch of the Cleveland Heights Library.

The FBI said an investigator posed as a hit man online and corresponded with Lowell for several months via Facebook.

According to the indictment, Lowell wanted to be present during the hit and wrote that she had papers on the fur industry that she planned to distribute to people after the murder at the ‘event’.

According to the indictment, Lowell wrote the victim should be, quote, “at least 14 years old or older but should be at least 12 years old.”

Lowell was booked into custody. She awaits a court appearance tentatively scheduled for next week.

Tip: Phil

Ohio Teacher Released Early from Prison - Updated

(Cleveland, Ohio) Former teacher Kristen Ross gets early release.

One year after going to jail, Kristen Ross says she's learned her lesson. Judge Nancy Russo agreed so now Ross is headed to a special re-entry program -- an intense form of probation.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors as well as the victim's family wanted to keep her locked up.

Judge Russo ordered Ross to stay away from children.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Gets 2 Years in Prison - Updated
[Previous 2/5/11 post]
(Cleveland, Ohio) Yesterday, 40-year-old former teacher at Riverside Elementary School, Kristen Ross, was sentenced to two years in prison.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Guilty - Updated
[Previous 1/12/11 post]
(Cleveland, Ohio) In accordance with a plea agreement, former Riverside Elementary School teacher Kristen Ross pleaded guilty to felonious assault of a male student.

Sentencing has been scheduled for February 4th when Ross faces a possible eight years in prison.

* * * * *
Ohio Teacher Accused of Sex with Male Student
[Previous 6/18/10 post]
(Cleveland, Ohio) A 40-year-old teacher at Riverside Elementary School, Kristen L. Ross, was arrested this week for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student.

Ross has been charged with sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct.

The student, whose age has not been released, said he had sex with Ross in her classroom after school on Jan. 15 and Jan. 31 , according to police.

The father of the student said that he was unaware of the incidents until they were notified by the school and the Department of Children and Family Services.

Another source says the student is a 14-year-old boy.

Ross denies the allegations and stated that the student has attempted to blackmail her.

WV Teacher Sentenced for Embezzlement

(Wirt County, West Virginia) In December 2011, a 39-year-old former 3rd-grade teacher and coach at the Wirt County Primary Center, Christy Wilson, pleaded guilty to embezzlement from the Wirt County Board of Education.

Yesterday, Christy Wilson was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Robert Waters to 15 days in jail.

Wilson, a teacher and coach in Wirt County, took concessions and other proceeds while serving as treasurer of the band boosters.

"I realize people think the worst of me and I can't change that," she said. "I take responsibility for my actions."

Both Wilson and her attorney, William Summers, disputed the state's claim that Wilson embezzled almost $9,000 from the group. Wilson maintains she took only $3,600.

She did not apologize for the theft.

Wilson will also serve three years of probation and 300 hours of community service. Restitution was also ordered.

Facts don't bother Warmists

The Himalayan glaciers aren’t melting, at least for the moment, says a recently study published in Nature. Between 2003 and 2010 the effective change in the size of glaciers in the high mountains of Asia was “not significantly different from zero,” said a British scientist not involved with the study, who added, “I believe this data is the most reliable estimate of global glacier mass balance that has been produced to date.” Low-lying glaciers were indeed melting, but ice added at higher altitudes made up the difference.

Astoundingly, the scientists don’t seem to have realized the significance of their own findings. “People should be just as worried about the melting of the world’s ice as they were before,” said one of the researchers. In other words, we should be just as worried as we were when the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was scaring us with the news that the Himalayan glaciers would be gone by 2035 (or was it 2350?). It turns out, too, that the polar bear population in the Arctic is much more stable than previous estimates suggested.

The science is never settled.

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Goodbye Miss, Hello Madam

(Paris, France) "Miss" and "mademoiselle" will no longer be used in official French documents because women's organizations complained that the words are discriminatory.

The office of French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday the term would be struck from official documents, along with that of "maiden name" or "married name" for women.

Instead, authorities are to use the term "Madame" (Madam), equivalent to the male "Monsieur" (Sir), and drop all reference to the husband's name unless it is that officially adopted by the woman.

So, all French women are now officially "madams."

Teacher's Aide Gets 90 Days Jail in Sex Case - Updated

(Shakopee, Minnesota) Former teacher's aide Michelle Rose Chlan has been sentenced to three months in jail for convictions on three counts of third-degree sexual conduct. Chlan must also serve 15 years of probation and register as a predatory sexual offender.

* * * * *
Teacher's Aide Guilty of Sex with Boy - Updated
[Previous 12/15/11 post]
(Shakopee, Minnesota) In accordance with a plea agreement, former Shakopee teacher's aide Michelle Rose Chlan has pleaded guilty to felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct resulting from performing sex acts on a male student.

Chlan, now 27, met the teen at school and supervised one of his classes. She was accused of performing oral sex on him when he was 16 and 17.

The student later told his friends about the incidents, which led to Chlan being criminally charged this spring and fired from her job supervising in-school suspension at Shakopee Junior High.[…]

Police began investigating in March. Chlan initially denied the allegations, but, when confronted with evidence, admitted to at least three acts of sexual contact with the student. She told police she knew it was wrong because she supervised the teen at school.

Sentencing has been scheduled for February 21, 2012.

* * * * *
Teacher's Aide Accused of Sex with Boy
[Previous 3/30/11 post]
(Shakopee, Minnesota) A 26-year-old teacher's aide at a Shakopee school, Michelle Rose Chlan, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 16-year-old male student.

Chlan faces three counts third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

After initially denying any wrongdoing, Chlan admitted to performing oral sex on the boy at least three times and said she knew it was wrong.

Chlan made her first appearance on the charges Wednesday.

Chlan was booked into custody with bond set at $100,000. A court appearance is scheduled for June 6.

U.S. Unemployment Jump for February

According to a new Gallup survey, U.S. unemployment will jump to nine percent this month.

Gallup figures typically provide an indication of what the government will report at the end of the month.

“The U.S. unemployment rate, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, is 9.0% in mid-February,” Gallup said in its mid-month unemployment survey, released on February 17. “The mid-month reading normally reflects what the U.S. government reports for the entire month, and is up from 8.3% in mid-January.”

Gallup said the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would likely report a rise in the official unemployment rate in early March, when it publishes its February figures.

Heh.

Florida Woman Accused of Sex with Teen Boy

(Lakeland, Florida) A 33-year-old sheriff's office staffer, Lisa M. Goepferich, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 17-year-old boy.

Goepferich faces charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

They had sex three to five times and both admitted that Goepferich knew the boy's age, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

She was arrested Monday evening on three charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Goepferich was booked into custody at the Polk County Jail.

Animal Rights Group's Drone Shot Down by Hunters



(Bamberg County, South Carolina) Last week, an animal rights group launched a video-equipped helicopter drone to monitor a pigeon shooting range at Broxton Bridge Plantation in South Carolina.

Within minutes, hunters blasted the drone out of the sky.

A group called SHARK, which stands for Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, had publicized their plans to use the drone to record the pigeon shoot at Broxton Bridge Plantation in South Carolina.

'The thugs shot across a public highway which- like criminal damage to property- is illegal,' said the group's president Steve Hindi.

'But that's what you expect from pigeon shooters and their hosts like the Broxton Bridge Plantation,' he continued in the video of the plane being shot down.

The video was taped on February 12 and you can hear shots ring out as the plane begins to be visible in the airspace over the shooting range.

Reportedly, SHARK has asked the governor to step in and stop the live bird shoots since it's "just mass slaughter" said Hindi. There's no news on the governor's response.

The drone suffered $200 to $300 in damage from being shot down. The sheriff was notified of the incident.

Companion posts at GunWatch and The Jawa Report.

English-Only Driver's Tests

(Jefferson City, Missouri) The State of Missouri currently administers driver's license exams in a variety of languages other than English. The license tests are given in Bosnian, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Missouri legislators are attempting to change the process, endorsing a measure requiring driver's license tests to be administered only in English.

Companion post at A Western Heart.

Couch Surfing Kills




(Montreal, Canada) A 22-year-old man has died after the sled-mounted couch he was surfing on slid into oncoming traffic. The incident occurred on a country road south of Quebec City.

Tip: Charley Nestor

Carolina Woman Gets Prison for Sex with Boy

(Winston-Salem, North Carolina) In October 2011, a 30-year-old local woman, Gridonia Eugenia Grussi, was accused of engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Grussi was charged with statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a child.

Earlier today, Grussi pleaded guilty before Judge William Z. Wood and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Grussi and the boy met through Facebook, Assistant District Attorney Kia Chavious said. On the social networking site, Grussi had a profile using the name Nino Brown.

Nino Brown refers to the fictional New York City drug dealer Wesley Snipes played in the 1991 movie "New Jack City."

Grussi invited the boy to a party at a friend's house, where the two had sex, Chavious said. The boy told Winston-Salem police that he and Grussi had sex on two different occasions. Grussi initially denied the two had a relationship but later said they had sex once, Chavious said.

Grussi was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 30 years.

European Leaders Call for Open Markets

(London, England) Some in Europe are finally coming to realize that socialist policies strangle economies. Twelve European Union leaders have called for an open-market strategy.

"We meet in Brussels at a perilous moment for economies across Europe," the leaders said. "Growth has stalled. Unemployment is rising. Citizens and businesses are facing their toughest conditions for years. "

The letter urges European nations to deregulate their service, research and energy sectors, forge trade ties with growing markets including China, Russia and South America - and even contemplate a free trade agreement with the United States.

"We must act with urgency, nationally and at the European level, to remove the restrictions that hinder access and competition," the leaders said, adding that "above all, we must reject the temptation to seek self-defeating protectionism in our trade relations."

It also suggested that faltering banks could be allowed to fail.

Imagine that, a call for deregulation. I bet it would help the U.S. too.

Romantic Industrial Complex (RIC)

It appears that devout collectivists are viscerally pained by the existence of Valentine's Day since it's viewed as a manifestation of the capitalist Romantic Industrial Complex which manipulates people using "outdated ideas" of love and marriage.

One comrade academic in heterosexual studies even called for people to Occupy Valentine's Day.

Romantic citizens deserve a better, more authentic and sustainable ways (sic) to express their affections—whether that be spending time with their friends and families, donating money they would spend on a romantic dinner to a domestic violence shelter, forgoing (sic) that expensive wedding for a more meaningful but less costly one. Above all, let’s find a way to honor ourselves that does not rely on buying stuff.

So, in the mind of a political theorist, one who accentuates a marriage with an expensive ring or a pricey wedding is being exploited with outdated ideas by capitalists.

Understanding the Marxist mindset is difficult. It seems that any human interaction not collective in nature is considered exploitation of the masses. And exploitation of the masses is bad. Therefore, everything must be collective. Never are human preferences, wants, needs and desires seemingly considered.

Not being a political scientist, I could be seeing things wrong.

Tip: Cold Spring Shops.

Teacher suing for the right to use the 'N Word' in class

We read:

"A white teacher is suing for the right to utter a racial epithet during discussion with his students about the perils of offensive vocabulary, after he was suspended for using 'verbally abusive language'.

In a lawsuit fled against Chicago's board of education, Lincoln Brown claims that his use of the word "n***er" during a conversation with students was a constitutionally-protected attempt to teach his class "an important lesson in vocabulary, civility and race relations".

The incident arose after his sixth-grade pupils - aged between 11 and 12 - were left "unsettled and arguing" over a note that one of them had passed around class, containing lyrics to a rap song that included the racially offensive term.

Mr Brown consequently started with them "a discussion about how upsetting such language can be, attempted to give his own denunciation of the use of such language and discussed how even such books as Huckleberry Finn were being criticised for the use of the N-word," the lawsuit states.

As the discussion was taking place inside his classroom at the Murray Language Academy, where the majority of students are black, the head teacher, who is black, passed by and overheard. Mr Brown was then suspended for five days for "using verbally abusive language" in front of pupils.

Mr Brown, 48, who teaches writing and social studies, said that he was simply exercising his responsibility to educate children against racism.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Jeremy Lin, Please Become Chinese Citizen



Jeremy Lin [Lin Shuhao]

(Beijing, China) The sensational recent performance of NBA player Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks has prompted calls for him to join the Chinese national basketball team ahead of this year's Olympics. However, there are obstacles.

To become a member of the Chinese national men’s basketball team, Lin Shuhao would have to give up his current American citizenship and take up Chinese citizenship.

I suspect it won't happen.

Kim Jong Nam Troubles

(Moscow, Russia) A Russian magazine reports that Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the late Kim Jong-il, has been kicked out of his fancy-schmancy hotel in the casino gambling mecca of Macao due to insufficient funds. Kim owes $15,000.

According to the local authorities, Kim’s living expenses are paid by an intelligence organization of China while his entertainment expenses had been paid with remittances from North Korea. Recently, however, he faced a shortage of funds for entertaining.

An official of the hotel said, “He (Kim) presented a gold card. But it was declined.”

As for his younger brother, Jong Un, who became the North Korean leader after the death of Jong Il in December, Kim Jong Nam recently said, “He (Jong Un) will not be able to maintain his leadership for long.”

Because of the remark, the editor in chief suspects that North Korea stopped remitting money to Kim Jong Nam, the weekly magazine said.

The statement that younger brother Kim Jong Un won't be around very long might be due to the fact he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure. In any event, it appears Kim Jong Nam is predicting he'll soon take over as North Korean leader.

Companion post at TJR.

Lunch Inspections at School

(Raeford, North Carolina) At West Hoke Elementary School, the Division of Child Development and Early Education has instituted a nutrient inspection program to verify that lunches carried from home meet USDA guidelines.

So far, there have been two cases reported (See here and here) where children's lunches brought from home did not meet federal requirements and the youngsters were forced to purchase a school cafeteria lunch.

Radio hosts pulled off the air in suspension over Whitney Houston 'crack ho' remarks

Since crack cocaine was a major element in the cocktail of junk that killed her, the description seems reasonable to me. Killing yourself with illegal drugs is not exactly respectworthy

"A couple of popular Los Angeles radio shock jocks have been yanked from the airwaves over comments they made about Whitney Houston.

KFI AM 640 suspended John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, the hosts of the 'John and Ken Show,' for 'making insensitive and inappropriate comments about the late Whitney Houston,' it said in a statement. 'Management does not condone, support or tolerate statements of this kind,' the station added.

Among their inflammatory statements yesterday, the hosts called the late singer a 'crack ho' and said she was 'cracked out for 20 years.' Kobylt added: ‘Can you imagine, you're Clive Davis, and she has not been - she has not had her head screwed on right for 20 years?’

Kobylt said in statement that he and Chiampou 'used language that was inappropriate' and they 'sincerely apologize' to their listeners and to Houston's family. 'We made a mistake, and we accept the station's decision,' said Kobylt.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Georgia Teacher Gets Prison in Sex Case - Updated

(Coweta County, Georgia) An interesting update to the Shannon Schmieder story. Coweta Judicial Circuit Senior Assistant District Attorney Kevin McMurry weighed in.

“The state of Georgia has very strict sentences against child molestation. When I was negotiating this sentence, I treated her like I would a male perpetrator. We believe that children deserve to be protected. This woman groomed and enticed a young boy she knew from birth to engage in these sexual acts. I crafted the sentence to take these things into account. We want to send a message that this will not be tolerated. I actually reduced the charge from aggravated child molestation – which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years — to child molestation – with a maximum of 20 years — but wanted to ensure she would still receive a harsh sentence which recognized the life-long impact and damage done to this child. Children are important and they deserve to be protected. She abused her position and the trust bestowed on her from the family and she had to be punished for this.”

* * * * *
Georgia Teacher Gets Prison in Sex Case
[Previous 12/15/12 post]
(Coweta County, Georgia) A former teacher assistant at Jefferson Parkway Elementary School, Shannon Alicia Schmieder, pleaded guilty to engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy.

As a result, Schmieder was sentenced by Coweta Superior Court Judge Jack Kirby to "40 years in prison, to serve 20."

The 14-year-old male victim was not a student at Jefferson Parkway.

Authorities learned of the alleged sexual abuse after the victim's parents discovered suspicious messages on their son's computer and brought the computer to the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.

A forensic investigation of the computer uncovered more computer messages that showed an explicit sexual relationship had occurred between the teen and the teacher's assistant.

There's only one thing to say about the sentence -- OUCH!

Must not admire the appearance of a female teacher

A university that has a strange idea of what "uncensored" means. But feminism never was logical. By their own behaviour, feminists reinforce the view of women (as "illogical") that they claim to oppose.

"A mature student has been kicked out of university after describing his female teacher as ‘tall, blonde, stacked, smart and articulate’ in an essay.

Joseph Corlett, 56, is fuming after Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, kicked him off the writing and rhetoric course and the campus.

The journal in which he wrote the piece was labelled as a ‘place for a writer to try out ideas and record impressions and observations’. The idea was that uncensored writings and thoughts in the journal, which he handed in November, could be used to create proper essays.

Mr Corlett met with university officials in December and they allegedly told him last month he would be arrested if he set foot on the campus.

He was found guilty of intimidation by university officials at a hearing but a sexual harassment charge was dropped, reported ABC News. They added that he was suspended for three semesters and must go through sensitivity counselling if he wishes to reapply next winter.

‘This is a wild overreaction to a student's creative writing,’ FIRE President Greg Lukianoff, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said. 'The real issue is the First Amendment. It's about academic freedom and about due process'

‘The university has essentially issued a straightjacket to every writing student to protect the delicate sensibilities of faculty and staff.’

Oakland University Writing Center director Sherry Wynn Perdue told the Huffington Post that Mr Corlett had ‘victimised’ Ms Mitzelfeld.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Ohio Woman Gets Prison for Sex with Boys

(Newark, Ohio) A 27-year-old local woman, Kimberly M. Elliott, was accused last November of sexually assaulting teen boys and providing them with drugs and alcohol.

In November, a boy told a Newark detective and social worker that Elliott engaged in sexual conduct with him almost nightly between March 14, 2009, and March 14, 2010, Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Tracy Van Winkle said.

He also disclosed that Elliott sexually assaulted another 13-year-old boy at the same time, Van Winkle said. That conduct occurred between Sept. 20, 2009, and Sept. 20, 2010.

During this time, Elliott would provided the juveniles with marijuana and alcohol, Van Winkle said.

Earlier today, Elliott pleaded guilty to multiple charges and Licking County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Marcelain sentenced her to three years in prison. Elliott was also ordered to register as a sex offender every six months for 25 years.

Arkansas Teacher Accused of Sex with Student

(Hope, Arkansas) A 27-year-old civics teacher at Murfreesboro High School, Monica Lee Teel, has been accused of engaging in sex with one of her students.

Teel faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault.

Sheriff's investigators say they were notified by the Crimes Against Children Division of the Arkansas State Police that a teacher had been reported for meeting with a student at a cabin to have sex.

Teel was booked into custody at the Hempstead County Detention Center.

US Army Pregnancy Training




(Camp Zama, Japan) Being all they can be.

The Army is ordering its hardened combat veterans to wear fake breasts and empathy bellies so they can better understand how pregnant soldiers feel during physical training.

This week, 14 noncommissioned officers at Camp Zama took turns wearing the “pregnancy simulators” as they stretched, twisted and exercised during a three-day class that teaches them to serve as fitness instructors for pregnant soldiers and new mothers.

Army enlisted leaders all over the world are being ordered to take the Pregnancy Postpartum Physical Training Exercise Leaders Course, or PPPT, according to U.S. Army Medical Activity Japan health promotion educator Jana York.

To be all they can be and prepared for any eventuality, one could speculate that hardened US Army NCOs might also need training in midwifery, episiotomies and neonatal care.

Atheist Family Sues to Have ‘Under God’ Removed From Pledge of Allegiance

This is just hate-driven. Nobody is obliged to say ‘Under God’ so this case amounts to a claim that it is offensive for OTHER people to express a religious belief, which seems contrary to the 1st amendment

"An atheist couple in Acton, Massachusetts, are suing a local school district and claiming that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance with the words “under God” discriminates against their children. The parents, who wish to remain anonymous, are identified only as John and Jane Doe. They have three children in the Acton-Boxborough school system — one in high school and two others in middle school.

In Middlesex Superior Court on Monday, David Niosie, the family’s lawyer asked that the words be taken out of the expression of loyalty to America. According to the attorney, the term “under God” forces the children to engage in an activity that “defines patriotism according to a particular religious belief.”

“Every day these kids go to school and the pledge is recited declaring that the nation is in fact under God,” Niosie went on to tell a FOX25 reporter. “That marginalizes them and suggests that people who don’t believe in God are less patriotic.”

The school district, though, argues that the pledge is constitutional and that it is voluntary, thus the children are not being forced to participate. Dr. Stephen Mills, superintendent of the Acton-Boxborough school district, reiterated these views in commenting on the matter.

The words “under God” were added to the Pledge by Congress in 1954 under then President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They were included as a response to Communism and the Cold War.

The judge has not indicated when a decision on the matter would be made, although it should be noted that atheists have previously lost this same battle in other parts of the country.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Florida High School Graduation Rate Plunges

Historically, Florida educators have calculated the high school graduation rate based upon their own state criteria. This year, however, Florida will be required to calculate graduation rate based upon federal criteria.

There are differences.

The federal rate is tougher because it counts as graduates only students who earn a standard diploma within four years. It doesn't count students with disabilities who earn "special" diplomas. It also doesn't allow schools to wipe from their books students who transferred to adult education programs. Instead, those students count against a school because they are not graduates.

Under the formula Florida had been using, students who earn a "special" diploma counted as graduates. The state also deleted from the calculations anyone who transferred to an adult education program — typically students with weak academic records in danger of dropping out.

Using the new federal formula, Florida's high school graduation rate is much lower. One county, for example, saw a 14.5% decrease.

[Add.] Here is a tangentially-related story demonstrating the difference between earning a diploma after successfully completing four years in high school versus being given a diploma with "modified" education requirements. Congratulations to Molly, the basset hound.

Companion post at EdWatch.

Alabama Teacher Amanda Watkins Gets 10 Years - Updated

(Colbert County, Alabama) Earlier today, former teacher Amanda Watkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

* * * * *
Alabama Teacher Amanda Watkins Guilty - Updated
[Previous 11/4/11 post]
(Tuscumbia, Alabama) The trial of former teacher Amanda Watkins has concluded with the jury rendering a verdict of guilty on charges of rape and sodomy of a 15-year-old student.

Watkins had pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease.

Her attorney, Ralph Holt of Florence, argued she suffered from eight mental and physical disorders.

Watkins' psychiatrist testified the former junior high school teacher has been mentally ill since she was raped at age 16 and has dissociative disorder, or multiple personalities.

Dr. Andrea Stoves of Birmingham told the jury she believed Watkins was in a dissociated state when the incident occurred.

This week, Watkins' father, Delmer Duboise, insisted his daughter needs help, not punishment.

"She needs help versus prison. What happened happened because of her mental problems. She is going to have to have help and prison is not the answer," said Duboise.

But in closing arguments, prosecutors emphasized the evidence showed Watkins was making rational decisions that day and even admitted to investigators she had done something wrong.

A sentencing date has not been set.

* * * * *
Alabama Teacher Scheduled for Trial - Updated
[Previous 11/24/10 post]
(Tuscumbia, Alabama) Former teacher Amanda Watkins has been scheduled for trial on January 24, 2011.

* * * * *
Alabama Teacher Caught Naughty with Boy
[Previous 12/21/09 post]
(Muscle Shoals, Alabama) An eighth-grade English teacher at Sheffield Junior High School, Amanda Watkins, was arrested Saturday for allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior with a 15-year-old male student. Watkins faces a charge of second-degree rape.

Authorities told the Shoals Insider an officer was dispatched to Covenant Christian School off Highway 43 on an alarm call, when the officer discovered Watkins and the teen engaged in a sexual act inside a car near the school.

Watkins has worked at Sheffield Junior High for about six years.

She is tenured with the school system.

Sheffield superintendent Dr. Richard Gardner said Watkins has not been suspended at this time.

The school system is waiting to get a police report and more information before moving forward.

Watkins faces a possible long prison term if convicted of rape.

Street Sign in Seoul




Strange-looking foreigners, eh? From here.

Illegal Population Stopped Declining Under Obama

From the Center for Immigration Studies:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will soon release its new estimate of the illegal immigrant population in the United States as of January 1, 2011. (All DHS estimates are for January 1.)

Based on a preliminary analysis of some of the same data DHS uses, the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that 10.9 million (± 200,000) illegal immigrants lived in the United States on January 1, 2011.

If this estimate turns out to be similar to the DHS estimate, it means that the illegal immigrant population stopped declining after President Obama took office after declining by 1 million during the last two years of the Bush administration ─ 2007 to 2009.

Much more at the link.

Companion post at ImmigrationWatch.

Another sportsman in trouble over a careless reference to homosexuals

Homosexuals seem to be the most sacred group in America today. You risk great penalties if you blaspheme against them. I kinda thought that blasphemy was out of place in a modern secular society

The guy below used the term "Foo F*ggots" in an apparent attempt at jocularity -- but you must not be jocular about the sacred. There is no free speech about the truly holy. Islam is holy too, of course. It is only those silly old good-natured Christians who miss out

Minnesota Wild prospect Justin Fontaine has fit in nicely with the team's AHL affiliate Houston Aeros in his rookie season, posting 34 points in 49 games, good for second in team scoring. He's also fit in well off the ice -- three weeks ago, he joined a large contingent of Wild prospects that are currently on Twitter, interacting with fans.

He's taken to Twitter quite well by all accounts, too -- except for an unfortunate incident this last weekend when he used a gay slur.

Sunday night, Fontaine's roommate David MacIntyre tweeted about the Foo Fighters' Grammy performance. Fontaine responded, attempting to sarcastically disparage Dave Grohl's critically acclaimed grunge rock band. But he chose his words poorly.

Fontaine deleted the tweet, but not before a number of Wild fans had seen and reacted to it, and Houston Aeros captain John DiSalvatore had retweeted it for some reason.

Wild management didn't take too kindly to this and it responded immediately, suspending Fontaine for his next two games.

The problem is, when you are a pro athlete, you are no longer representing only yourself. As frustrating as that may be, it is the truth. This type of language gives the entire Wild organization a black eye

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

Teacher Forces Students to Write to Inmate

(Queens, New York) It appears the heart of teacher Melissa Dean yearned for an inmate.

A Queens fifth-grade teacher faces termination after investigators determined she directed her class to write holiday cards she then sent to a prisoner who once had been charged with possession of child pornography.

A report released Wednesday by Richard Condon, special commissioner of investigation for New York City schools, found teacher Melissa Dean told her students at P.S. 143 in December that the holiday greetings were meant for the homeless, ill or lonely.

Instead, Ms. Dean is accused of mailing the cards—some containing identifying details and at least two with home addresses—to an upstate prison. The package was intercepted before it reached its intended recipient, officials said.

Ms. Dean, 31 years old, declined to speak to investigators, the report states.

Moral turpitude or lapse in judgment? Readers can decide.

Educators Accused of Failure to Report Sex Abuse

(Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) A local teacher and a guidance counselor have been accused of failing to report the sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl as is required by law.

Carole Eileen McMahon, a teacher, and Julie Kristen Farmer Janis, a guidance counselor, both 38, have been charged and released on bond.


 
Carole Eileen McMahon - Julie Kristen Farmer Janis

Reportedly, the girl was sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend in October 2011 and she told school officials in November. Police were not notified until January 2012.

Swiss Plan to Clean Space




(Lausanne, Switzerland) The Swiss have announced a plan to vacuum space, sucking up abandoned orbiting pieces of satellites and rockets. The accumulations of garbage in space have necessitated action being taken.

As an aside, I think I saw a version of the space debris gobbler in a James Bond movie, except it was used to take out communications satellites.

Sen. Sherrod Brown Delinquent on Taxes



Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

(Washington, D.C.) So, a tax-and-spend politician is caught not paying his taxes. As a minimum, this instance has to be an embarrassment.

A spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party blasted Sen. Sherrod C. Brown, (D-Ohio),and the hypocrisy one of the Senate’s strongest advocates for higher taxes being delinquent in his District of Columbia property taxes.

Brown should have more understanding for taxpayers, said Christopher Maloney, a spokesman for the Ohio GOP. Brown is up for election this face and his Republican challenger will be Josh Mandel, the state's treasurer.

“It’s shameful that Sherrod Brown is intent on increasing taxes upon small business owners and families in Ohio, while he evades them in Washington,” Maloney said.

Tip: Harold Callahan

Antifreeze in Peach Smoothie

(Vernal, Utah) In 2008, local woman Selena Irene York (aka Selena Elderkin) attempted to kill her landlord, Ed Zurbuchen, by feeding him a peach smoothie laced with antifreeze. Zurbuchen was hospitalized and survived.

In December 2011, York pleaded no contest and this week, she was sentenced.

York, 34, was initially charged with attempted murder, a second-degree felony, but pleaded to a lesser charge of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.

Uintah County prosecutors also charged York with multiple counts of forgery, theft, and unlawful use of a financial card. She was allowed to plead to one count of forgery and one count of theft, both third-degree felonies, as part of a plea bargain.

On Tuesday, York received three consecutive five-year terms in prison from 8th District Court Judge Clark McClellan.