By Claire Galofaro | Police Beat Reporter - Bristol Herald Courier
Published: February 28, 2010
Updated: March 1, 2010
BRISTOL, Va. – Nineteen-year-old Keshia Canter handed three burgers, fries and milkshakes to a car-load of Tuesday afternoon customers at the Hi-Lo Burger’s drive-though window. A lady sitting in the backseat leaned forward, between the two men in front, and handed her a leaflet: “Women & Girls” it said across the top.
“Even though nothing is showing, you’re being ungodly,” Canter recalled the woman telling her. “You make men want to be sinful.”
Canter was wearing boots pulled up over jeans, a pink zebra-print shirt with a black jacket zipped up over it. She has blond hair, dark eye make-up and a little red lip ring. “I just asked if she needed any salt, pepper or ketchup,” Canter said. “I mean, how do I respond to that?”
Minutes later, Canter’s mother, Pam Yates, who owns the restaurant, returned from the bank. Canter handed her “Women & Girls” and Yates started reading.
“You may have been given this leaflet because of the way you are dressed,” it begins. “Have you thought about standing before the true and living God to be judged?”
It continues with one essential theme: The sins of men are, in part, the fault of women, specifically women in tight-fitting clothing. Yates was annoyed. Then she got to a section on page two:
“Scripture tells us that when a man looks on a woman to lust for her he has already committed adultery in his heart. If you are dressed in a way that tempts a men to do this secret (or not so secret) sin, you are a participant in the sin,” the leaflet states. “By the way, some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly. So can we really say they were innocent victims?”
The hand-out is signed “anonymous.”
Yates was angry.
“What if my daughter had been a rape victim?” she said. “I hope that they never handed this to anyone, especially a young person, who’s been through that and struggles with that daily. And then they get handed something that says they are at fault. I cannot believe that a Christian, someone who walks in God’s shoes, would have made this.”
Leaflet in hand, Yates locked eyes with the old man driving the old white car, still parked in the lot, and stormed outside. The car quickly drove away.
Sandra G. Rasnake, the sexual assault program director at Bristol’s Crisis Center, had one eyebrow cocked as she read through the leaflet Thursday morning.
She cocked the other as she read aloud: “some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly.”
“Wow,” she said. “This idea that men don’t have enough self control – and evidently they shouldn’t have to – plays into all the old myths that we’ve tried for years to overcome: Rape happens to 2-year-olds and 92-year-olds, not just attractive young women. How about we hold the person doing the action accountable, whoever it is going against the will and consent of somebody else?”
Rasnake said she confronts similar ideas, although not generally printed and distributed in mass, from the women she talks with daily. Victim blaming, she said, is the most prominent reason rapes are so rarely reported and even more rarely taken to trial. Sexual assaults, she said, come in second for the country’s worst conviction rates.
Victims blaming themselves often comes from a religious place, but not always, Rasnake said. It’s become a societal defense mechanism for dealing with issues of sexual assault.
“Blaming victims is the way we who have not been victimized feel safer,” Rasnake said. “If it’s their fault then I’m safer because I wouldn’t do that. If someone steals your purse, can you imagine someone asking why you had a purse? If you are sexually assaulted, it is not because you come with breasts.”
The Rev. Bill Houck, pastor of Northstar Christian Church, shared Rasnake’s concerns about the leaflet.
“It is this type of thinking that would cause a woman not to report being raped and to somehow think it is her fault,” Houck wrote in an e-mail. “As a Christian, a father and a husband, that is a horrific statement. The rapist is wrong period.”
Houck also questioned the leaflet’s interpretation of its occasionally cited Bible passages.
“You must look at the cultural context,” he wrote. “I was surprised the article did not reference Peter 3. Many of the same ideas are put forth. Here, it gets to the crux of the issue where the Bible says that a lady’s lifestyle should be focused more on the inner person than the outward clothing. This is why, while I agree with ‘modest’ dress, there is so much more to this issue.”
Houck said his 19-year-old daughter, a student at King College, asked why the leaflet doesn’t mention how men should dress.
“If I choose to sin, that’s my choice,” Houck wrote.
Rasnake was similarly perplexed by the leaflet’s little faith in mankind.
“It’s insulting to men,” she said. “The men that I know and associate with are not so lust-driven that they cannot control their urges. By this person’s argument, everyone working at Hooters deserves to be raped.”
From: http://www2.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/blame_the_victim_religious_leaflet_claims_ungodly_dressed_women_provoke_rap/42253/
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sex scandal rocks Vatican: Papal usher, chorister linked to gay prostitution ring
Friday, March 5th 2010, 1:49 PM
VATICAN CITY- One of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring, in the latest sexual scandal to taint the Vatican.
Ghinedu Ehiem, a Nigerian, was dismissed by the Vatican on Wednesday from the Giulia Choir after his name appeared in transcripts of police wiretaps, published by an Italian newspaper, in an unrelated Italian investigation.
The wiretaps were carried out in connection with a probe into corruption in contracts to build public works, including the planned venue in Sardinia of last year's G8 summit. The summit was eventually moved to the Abruzzo region as part of efforts to help it recover from an earthquake.
Among four people arrested last month in the corruption probe was Angelo Balducci, a engineer who is a board member of Italy's public works department and a construction consultant to the Vatican. Balducci was arrested on corruption charges and the allegations of prostitution emerged only later.
Balducci is also a member of an elite group called "Gentlemen of His Holiness," ushers who are called to serve in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on major occasions such as when the pope receives heads of state or presides at big events.
"Gentlemen of His Holiness" carried the coffin of the late Pope John Paul at his funeral in 2005.
Excerpts of the wiretaps and police documents published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica showed that Ehiem, 40, had been in regular contact with Balducci before Balducci's arrest last month and the subject of their conversation was gay sex.
A police document prepared for magistrates and published in part by La Repubblica said Balducci was in contact with Ehiem and an Italian who were part of what the police called "an organized network ... to abet male prostitution."
It was not immediately possible to contact Ehiem's lawyer.
SCANDALS
A Vatican source said Balducci, who is still in jail, has been dismissed from the elite group of ushers and that his name would not appear in the next edition of the Vatican's directory.
"He obviously can't come back here after being accused of these things," the source said.
The latest black eye for the Vatican comes on the heels of major pedophilia scandals involving the abuse of children by priests in Ireland, Germany and the United States.
Balducci's lawyer, Franco Coppi, one of Italy's highest profile attorneys, told Reuters he had no comment on the newest accusations against his client, saying: "We have much more serious things to be concerned with right now," referring to the corruption charges.
When the Vatican announced that Ehiem was dismissed from the Basilica's choir, which was founded in the sixth century, it stressed that he was not a priest but a lay member of the group. He had sung in the choir for 19 years.
The Giulia Choir sings in St Peter's at events when the pope is not present. The Sistine Choir sings when he is.
Wiretap transcripts published by La Repubblica showed that among the men Ehiem allegedly procured for Balducci were seminarians. In one, Balducci is quoted as asking Ehiem: "At what time does he have to return to the seminary?"
Apart from being a "Gentleman of His Holiness," Balducci is listed in the Vatican's directory as a consultant to a Vatican department that deals with missions and had close contacts with the Vatican during planning for events for the year 2000, when millions of pilgrims came to Rome for a special Holy Year.
From: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/03/05/2010-03-05_gay_prostitution_scandal_rocks_the_vatican.html
VATICAN CITY- One of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring, in the latest sexual scandal to taint the Vatican.
Ghinedu Ehiem, a Nigerian, was dismissed by the Vatican on Wednesday from the Giulia Choir after his name appeared in transcripts of police wiretaps, published by an Italian newspaper, in an unrelated Italian investigation.
The wiretaps were carried out in connection with a probe into corruption in contracts to build public works, including the planned venue in Sardinia of last year's G8 summit. The summit was eventually moved to the Abruzzo region as part of efforts to help it recover from an earthquake.
Among four people arrested last month in the corruption probe was Angelo Balducci, a engineer who is a board member of Italy's public works department and a construction consultant to the Vatican. Balducci was arrested on corruption charges and the allegations of prostitution emerged only later.
Balducci is also a member of an elite group called "Gentlemen of His Holiness," ushers who are called to serve in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on major occasions such as when the pope receives heads of state or presides at big events.
"Gentlemen of His Holiness" carried the coffin of the late Pope John Paul at his funeral in 2005.
Excerpts of the wiretaps and police documents published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica showed that Ehiem, 40, had been in regular contact with Balducci before Balducci's arrest last month and the subject of their conversation was gay sex.
A police document prepared for magistrates and published in part by La Repubblica said Balducci was in contact with Ehiem and an Italian who were part of what the police called "an organized network ... to abet male prostitution."
It was not immediately possible to contact Ehiem's lawyer.
SCANDALS
A Vatican source said Balducci, who is still in jail, has been dismissed from the elite group of ushers and that his name would not appear in the next edition of the Vatican's directory.
"He obviously can't come back here after being accused of these things," the source said.
The latest black eye for the Vatican comes on the heels of major pedophilia scandals involving the abuse of children by priests in Ireland, Germany and the United States.
Balducci's lawyer, Franco Coppi, one of Italy's highest profile attorneys, told Reuters he had no comment on the newest accusations against his client, saying: "We have much more serious things to be concerned with right now," referring to the corruption charges.
When the Vatican announced that Ehiem was dismissed from the Basilica's choir, which was founded in the sixth century, it stressed that he was not a priest but a lay member of the group. He had sung in the choir for 19 years.
The Giulia Choir sings in St Peter's at events when the pope is not present. The Sistine Choir sings when he is.
Wiretap transcripts published by La Repubblica showed that among the men Ehiem allegedly procured for Balducci were seminarians. In one, Balducci is quoted as asking Ehiem: "At what time does he have to return to the seminary?"
Apart from being a "Gentleman of His Holiness," Balducci is listed in the Vatican's directory as a consultant to a Vatican department that deals with missions and had close contacts with the Vatican during planning for events for the year 2000, when millions of pilgrims came to Rome for a special Holy Year.
From: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/03/05/2010-03-05_gay_prostitution_scandal_rocks_the_vatican.html
Christian Hate Group ‘Repent Amarillo’ Terrorizes Texas Town, Harassing Gays, Liberals, And Other ‘Sinners’
By Lee Fang on Mar 4th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
An evangelical Christian hate group called “Repent Amarillo” is reportedly terrorizing the town of Amarillo, Texas. Repent fashions itself as a sort of militia and targets a wide range of community members they deem offensive to their theology: gays, liberal Christians, Muslims, environmentalists, breast cancer events that do not highlight abortion, Halloween, “spring break events,” and pornography shops. On its website, Repent has posted a “Warfare Map” of its enemies in town.
Calling Repent an “American Taliban,” blogger Charles Johnson notes that the group’s moniker “Army of God” is a rough translation of “Hezbollah.” Led by a man named David Grisham, a security guard at a nuclear-bomb facility called Pantex, Repent first gained media attention in Texas following a campaign to boycott Houston for electing a gay mayor. The group, which is associated with Raven Ministries, collaborates with other Christian groups as well as forced pregnancy advocacy associations like “Bound 4 Life.”
According to a new exposé by the Texas Observer, Repent set out earlier this year to destroy a discreet club of swingers they discovered in town. On New Years eve, the harassment began, with Repent members, almost exclusively young men, showing up in military fatigues and bullhorns, blaring Christian music at the swingers’ club building. The swingers, made up of “regulars” of middle aged, working class couples, were then stalked at every following visit to the club. Repent not only took video of each member, but obtained the swingers’ license plates and dug through their trash, informing neighbors and coworkers of what was once private.
Repent has struck with some success at many of its enemies within the town. A community theater attempted to open “Bent,” a play about the persecution of homosexuals during Nazi Germany. But the day before opening night, Repent members helped shut down the play by calling in fire marshals to complain about the theater’s permit. Staffers at a nature preserve were featured on local news defending themselves against Repent accusations that their site represents something related to witchcraft.
But grassroots opposition to Repent is also building. A group called “Angel Action” has mobilized against Repent, and blogs and Amarillo-based Facebook groups are springing up to protest Repent’s hate.
From: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/04/texas-taliban/
An evangelical Christian hate group called “Repent Amarillo” is reportedly terrorizing the town of Amarillo, Texas. Repent fashions itself as a sort of militia and targets a wide range of community members they deem offensive to their theology: gays, liberal Christians, Muslims, environmentalists, breast cancer events that do not highlight abortion, Halloween, “spring break events,” and pornography shops. On its website, Repent has posted a “Warfare Map” of its enemies in town.
Calling Repent an “American Taliban,” blogger Charles Johnson notes that the group’s moniker “Army of God” is a rough translation of “Hezbollah.” Led by a man named David Grisham, a security guard at a nuclear-bomb facility called Pantex, Repent first gained media attention in Texas following a campaign to boycott Houston for electing a gay mayor. The group, which is associated with Raven Ministries, collaborates with other Christian groups as well as forced pregnancy advocacy associations like “Bound 4 Life.”
According to a new exposé by the Texas Observer, Repent set out earlier this year to destroy a discreet club of swingers they discovered in town. On New Years eve, the harassment began, with Repent members, almost exclusively young men, showing up in military fatigues and bullhorns, blaring Christian music at the swingers’ club building. The swingers, made up of “regulars” of middle aged, working class couples, were then stalked at every following visit to the club. Repent not only took video of each member, but obtained the swingers’ license plates and dug through their trash, informing neighbors and coworkers of what was once private.
Repent has struck with some success at many of its enemies within the town. A community theater attempted to open “Bent,” a play about the persecution of homosexuals during Nazi Germany. But the day before opening night, Repent members helped shut down the play by calling in fire marshals to complain about the theater’s permit. Staffers at a nature preserve were featured on local news defending themselves against Repent accusations that their site represents something related to witchcraft.
But grassroots opposition to Repent is also building. A group called “Angel Action” has mobilized against Repent, and blogs and Amarillo-based Facebook groups are springing up to protest Repent’s hate.
From: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/04/texas-taliban/
Catholic School Boots Student With Gay Parents
Lesbian Parents Would 'Confuse' Students, School Says
POSTED: Friday, March 5, 2010
UPDATED: 4:56 pm EST March 5, 2010
BOULDER, Colo. -- A Catholic school in Colorado is kicking out a preschooler because the child's parents are lesbians.
The child will not be allowed to re-enroll next year at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School. The Denver Archdiocese posted a statement Friday that the parents are "living in open discord with Catholic teaching."
The statement says students in Catholic schools are expected to have parents who abide by policies of the school and church. The Archdiocese said students with gay parents in Catholic schools would become "confused."
The school's decision was first reported Friday by KUSA-TV in Denver.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/education/22756743/detail.html
POSTED: Friday, March 5, 2010
UPDATED: 4:56 pm EST March 5, 2010
BOULDER, Colo. -- A Catholic school in Colorado is kicking out a preschooler because the child's parents are lesbians.
The child will not be allowed to re-enroll next year at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School. The Denver Archdiocese posted a statement Friday that the parents are "living in open discord with Catholic teaching."
The statement says students in Catholic schools are expected to have parents who abide by policies of the school and church. The Archdiocese said students with gay parents in Catholic schools would become "confused."
The school's decision was first reported Friday by KUSA-TV in Denver.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/education/22756743/detail.html
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Case of the Scorpion's Tail is a 1971 giallo/mystery-thriller film from Italian director Sergio Martino. Its Italian title is La Coda dello scorpione. The film was shot in 1970 on location in numerous scenic European cities. Among them London, England; Madrid, Spain; Rome, Italy; and the coasts of Greece. Like many giallo films of its era the film became obscure after it left theaters in the 70's, but has emerged again as interest in the giallo genre has been revived via DVD releases. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail was released on DVD in 2005 by NoShame Films.
Plot
Widow inherits a small fortune when her husband dies in a freak jet crash. However before she can escape to a retreat with her secret lover the widow is brutally murdered and the money stolen. Now an insurance investigator and his journalist love-interest must figure out exactly who is murdering anyone involved with the late widow and exactly what their vicious vendetta is.
Directed by Sergio Martino - Produced by Luciano Martino - Written by Ernesto Gastaldi, Eduardo Manzanos Brochero, Sauro Scavolini - Starring George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, Alberto de Mendoza, Ida Galli - Music by Bruno Nicolai - Cinematography Emilio Foriscot - Editing by Eugenio Alabiso - Release date 1971 - Running time 90 min - Country Italy
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_of_the_Scorpion's_Tail
Australian woman died after 'head was cut off during freak lawnmower accident'
An Australian woman walking to work was killed during a freak accident after she was struck in the head by flying metal thrown up by a grass cutter, which left her decapitated.
By Andrew Hough
Published: 1:52PM GMT 03 Mar 2010
The 42 year-old woman, who has not been named, is believed to have been struck by a 60cm piece of steel pipe, in what witnesses described as a “freak accident”.
Workplace safety officials have launched an investigation into the accident, which occurred on Wednesday morning in the north Queensland town of Townsville.
The Daily Telegraph understands the woman was decapitated and died instantly at the scene after walking past an empty block of land just after 8am.
Police said a tractor pulling a grass cutter ran over a steel pipe that had been lying in the long grass, which was then sent flying through the air at great speed.
Initial reports suggested she had been hit by a lawnmower blade due to the horrific nature of her injuries.
Police are investigating whether it was a blade that struck her.
The male tractor driver, an unnamed 48 year-old private contractor, is in hospital suffering shock.
It is understood he will be interviewed by police later.
Horrified witnesses have been offered counselling while children at the local Townsville Central State School were sent home for the day.
Cheryl Mortenson, a Queensland police spokeswoman, said the tractor lawnmower had been working nearby at the time the woman was walking past.
“She had been walking along the footpath when she was hit in the head by a piece of flying metal,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“The tractor was operating nearby and she was struck in the head. We don’t know if it was a piece of metal or if it was another object.”
Darren Randall, a local policeman who attended the scene, added to the Townsville Bulletin: “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“She just happened to be in the exact trajectory of the pipe.”
One woman said he had just driven around the corner just moments after the accident, where she discovered the woman lying on the ground.
“The mower guy was in shock, so I sat him down in the shade,” she told the paper.
''It was a freak accident.''
Geoff Eales, a local businessman, also told the paper that his staff had been left distressed by the incident.
''The policewoman said it was the worst thing she had seen in 15 years,'' he said.
''At the end of the day there is no other explanation than that it was bad luck.
''It was a one-in-a-million situation. If she had been one second later, or one second earlier, it wouldn't have happened.''
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland have launched an investigation.
Local police are also preparing a report for the local coroner.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7358857/Australian-woman-decapitated-during-freak-lawnmower-accident.html
By Andrew Hough
Published: 1:52PM GMT 03 Mar 2010
The 42 year-old woman, who has not been named, is believed to have been struck by a 60cm piece of steel pipe, in what witnesses described as a “freak accident”.
Workplace safety officials have launched an investigation into the accident, which occurred on Wednesday morning in the north Queensland town of Townsville.
The Daily Telegraph understands the woman was decapitated and died instantly at the scene after walking past an empty block of land just after 8am.
Police said a tractor pulling a grass cutter ran over a steel pipe that had been lying in the long grass, which was then sent flying through the air at great speed.
Initial reports suggested she had been hit by a lawnmower blade due to the horrific nature of her injuries.
Police are investigating whether it was a blade that struck her.
The male tractor driver, an unnamed 48 year-old private contractor, is in hospital suffering shock.
It is understood he will be interviewed by police later.
Horrified witnesses have been offered counselling while children at the local Townsville Central State School were sent home for the day.
Cheryl Mortenson, a Queensland police spokeswoman, said the tractor lawnmower had been working nearby at the time the woman was walking past.
“She had been walking along the footpath when she was hit in the head by a piece of flying metal,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“The tractor was operating nearby and she was struck in the head. We don’t know if it was a piece of metal or if it was another object.”
Darren Randall, a local policeman who attended the scene, added to the Townsville Bulletin: “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“She just happened to be in the exact trajectory of the pipe.”
One woman said he had just driven around the corner just moments after the accident, where she discovered the woman lying on the ground.
“The mower guy was in shock, so I sat him down in the shade,” she told the paper.
''It was a freak accident.''
Geoff Eales, a local businessman, also told the paper that his staff had been left distressed by the incident.
''The policewoman said it was the worst thing she had seen in 15 years,'' he said.
''At the end of the day there is no other explanation than that it was bad luck.
''It was a one-in-a-million situation. If she had been one second later, or one second earlier, it wouldn't have happened.''
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland have launched an investigation.
Local police are also preparing a report for the local coroner.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7358857/Australian-woman-decapitated-during-freak-lawnmower-accident.html
Muslim woman refuses body scan at airport
March 3, 2010
Will Pavia
A Muslim woman was barred from boarding a flight after she refused to undergo a full body scan for religious reasons.
The passenger was passing through security at Manchester Airport when she was selected at random for a full-body scanner.
She was warned that she would be stopped from boarding the plane but she decided to forfeit her ticket to Pakistan rather than submit to the scan. Her female travelling companion also declined to step into the scanner, citing “medical reasons” for her refusal.
The two women are thought to be the first passengers to refuse to submit to scanning by the machines, which have provoked controversy among human rights groups.
They were introduced on a limited basis last month at Heathrow and Manchester airports in response to the alleged attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a jet over Detroit on Christmas Day using explosives concealed in his underpants.
The X-ray machines allow security officials to check for concealed weapons but they also afford clear outlines of passengers’ genitals. They are due to be introduced in all airports by the end of the year.
Civil liberties campaigners have said the scans represent an invasion of privacy and their introduction may yet be challenged by the Human Rights Commission.
Trevor Phillips, head of the commission, has told Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, that there are concerns over passengers’ privacy and an apparent lack of safeguards to ensure that the scanners are used without discrimination.
Sources at Manchester Airport have said the two women were due to board a flight two weeks ago when they were turned back at security.
No other passengers had objected to the checks and about 15,000 have so far submitted to the piercing eye of the £80,000 Rapiscan machine at the airport’s Terminal 2.
The second female passenger was said to be concerned because she had an infection. They may be the first to be turned back for their refusal to be scanned, though a spokesman for Heathrow said it could not comment on individual cases.
At Manchester, a spokeswoman said: “Two female passengers who were booked to fly out of Terminal Two refused to be scanned for medical and religious reasons.
“In accordance with the government directive on scanners, they were not permitted to fly. Body scanning is a big change for customers who are selected under the new rules and we are aware that privacy concerns are on our customers’ minds, which is why we have put strict procedures to reassure them that their privacy will be protected.”
Last month, Lord Adonis stressed that an interim code of practice on the use of body scanners stipulated that passengers would not be selected “on the basis of personal characteristics”.
He said that images captured by body scanners would be immediately deleted after the passenger had gone through and that security staff were appropriately trained and supervised.
Objectors to the scanners, and indeed the two women who forfeited their flight last month, have an unlikely ally in Pope Benedict XVI, a man who is likely to be waved through airport security for the rest of his life.
Last month he told an audience from the aerospace industry that, notwithstanding the threat from terrorism, “the primary asset to be safeguarded and treasured is the person, in his or her integrity”.
From: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7048576.ece
Will Pavia
A Muslim woman was barred from boarding a flight after she refused to undergo a full body scan for religious reasons.
The passenger was passing through security at Manchester Airport when she was selected at random for a full-body scanner.
She was warned that she would be stopped from boarding the plane but she decided to forfeit her ticket to Pakistan rather than submit to the scan. Her female travelling companion also declined to step into the scanner, citing “medical reasons” for her refusal.
The two women are thought to be the first passengers to refuse to submit to scanning by the machines, which have provoked controversy among human rights groups.
They were introduced on a limited basis last month at Heathrow and Manchester airports in response to the alleged attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a jet over Detroit on Christmas Day using explosives concealed in his underpants.
The X-ray machines allow security officials to check for concealed weapons but they also afford clear outlines of passengers’ genitals. They are due to be introduced in all airports by the end of the year.
Civil liberties campaigners have said the scans represent an invasion of privacy and their introduction may yet be challenged by the Human Rights Commission.
Trevor Phillips, head of the commission, has told Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, that there are concerns over passengers’ privacy and an apparent lack of safeguards to ensure that the scanners are used without discrimination.
Sources at Manchester Airport have said the two women were due to board a flight two weeks ago when they were turned back at security.
No other passengers had objected to the checks and about 15,000 have so far submitted to the piercing eye of the £80,000 Rapiscan machine at the airport’s Terminal 2.
The second female passenger was said to be concerned because she had an infection. They may be the first to be turned back for their refusal to be scanned, though a spokesman for Heathrow said it could not comment on individual cases.
At Manchester, a spokeswoman said: “Two female passengers who were booked to fly out of Terminal Two refused to be scanned for medical and religious reasons.
“In accordance with the government directive on scanners, they were not permitted to fly. Body scanning is a big change for customers who are selected under the new rules and we are aware that privacy concerns are on our customers’ minds, which is why we have put strict procedures to reassure them that their privacy will be protected.”
Last month, Lord Adonis stressed that an interim code of practice on the use of body scanners stipulated that passengers would not be selected “on the basis of personal characteristics”.
He said that images captured by body scanners would be immediately deleted after the passenger had gone through and that security staff were appropriately trained and supervised.
Objectors to the scanners, and indeed the two women who forfeited their flight last month, have an unlikely ally in Pope Benedict XVI, a man who is likely to be waved through airport security for the rest of his life.
Last month he told an audience from the aerospace industry that, notwithstanding the threat from terrorism, “the primary asset to be safeguarded and treasured is the person, in his or her integrity”.
From: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7048576.ece
Children find mother dead in apartment
By Ty Tagami
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A single mother was found dead by her children Thursday afternoon when they came home from school, Atlanta police confirmed Thursday evening.
Yolanda Johnson, 35, was stabbed four or five times in an apartment near Georgia Tech. She was found partially clothed on the bathroom floor, police said.
Johnson's children found her at about 4 p.m., said Maj. Keith Meadows of the Atlanta Police Department.
Police say Johnson had a visitor at about 2 p.m. There was no sign of forced entry, but there were signs of a struggle in the kitchen and bathroom, Meadows said.
Police do not have a specific suspect but do want to talk to a boyfriend, friends and family.
"We have not ruled out the possibility the attack was domestic in nature," said Meadows.
Barbara Moon said her oldest grandson found the body in their home at Centennial Place Apartments, which is on Merritts Avenue.
"Whoever took my daughter's life, I'm asking you to step forward," Moon angrily said at the scene. "My grandchildren found their mother dead."
Johnson worked as an assistant manager at a Dollar Tree store, said Moon.
The four children were taken to a nearby apartment with blankets over their heads during the investigation. DFCS has taken custody of the children, but will interview their grandmother, who said she wants the kids to live with her.
Neighbor Bilqis Westbrooks said word of the death was "devastating."
"My kids play with her kids," said Westbrooks. She didn't think a man lived at the address.
From: http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/children-find-mother-dead-348125.html?imw=Y
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A single mother was found dead by her children Thursday afternoon when they came home from school, Atlanta police confirmed Thursday evening.
Yolanda Johnson, 35, was stabbed four or five times in an apartment near Georgia Tech. She was found partially clothed on the bathroom floor, police said.
Johnson's children found her at about 4 p.m., said Maj. Keith Meadows of the Atlanta Police Department.
Police say Johnson had a visitor at about 2 p.m. There was no sign of forced entry, but there were signs of a struggle in the kitchen and bathroom, Meadows said.
Police do not have a specific suspect but do want to talk to a boyfriend, friends and family.
"We have not ruled out the possibility the attack was domestic in nature," said Meadows.
Barbara Moon said her oldest grandson found the body in their home at Centennial Place Apartments, which is on Merritts Avenue.
"Whoever took my daughter's life, I'm asking you to step forward," Moon angrily said at the scene. "My grandchildren found their mother dead."
Johnson worked as an assistant manager at a Dollar Tree store, said Moon.
The four children were taken to a nearby apartment with blankets over their heads during the investigation. DFCS has taken custody of the children, but will interview their grandmother, who said she wants the kids to live with her.
Neighbor Bilqis Westbrooks said word of the death was "devastating."
"My kids play with her kids," said Westbrooks. She didn't think a man lived at the address.
From: http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/children-find-mother-dead-348125.html?imw=Y
Warrant reveals mom's grisly secret: dead babies hidden from boyfriend
By Sherri Zickefoose, Calgary HeraldMarch 1, 2010
Months before Harsimrat Kahlon was found dead in her basement suite with the hidden bodies of three newborn babies, she told her live-in boyfriend she'd had an abortion.
However, police believe, based on search warrants obtained by the Herald, two of the babies were actually delivered at home by the woman.
It's the first glimpse offered into the mystery surrounding the seemingly reluctant mother and suspicious deaths of three secret babies Kahlon kept hidden from the rest of the world.
Now, after a five-month investigation, police are on the brink of announcing their findings and autopsy results in one of the most disturbing cases the city has seen.
The search warrant reveals that Kahlon's live-in boyfriend told investigators he knew she was pregnant last spring, but believed she had had an abortion.
But Kahlon had been pregnant before. In 2005, the woman gave birth to a healthy daughter she named Reet at Peter Lougheed Centre.
In the summer of 2009, two more babies were born inside Kahlon's northeast Calgary basement suite. She never named those children.
All three infants were found dead inside Kahlon's bedroom in Taradale last fall.
Two to three months before the 27-year-old woman was found dead, Kahlon frequently sprayed air freshener to mask the putrid smell of the tiny decomposing bodies and bloodied towels wrapped in layers of garbage bags, according to the warrants.
Reet's body was hidden inside a suitcase.
The other two shared a box. They may have been twins, as one placenta was found with them.
Kahlon, called Simmi by friends, visited a doctor last April and inquired about an abortion, the document says. She missed her appointment, but told her boyfriend she was no longer pregnant, he told detectives.
Instead, investigators believed Kahlon concealed her pregnancy and the home birth of her children.
Police also suspected Kahlon used a section of garden hose as a "crude instrument to aid in birth."
The grisly evidence unfolded when Kahlon was discovered dead at home by her boyfriend Harnet Mahal Oct. 4, 2009, in their shared rented basement suite.
Police say Kahlon's death is not suspicious, but they have not said whether it was natural or a suicide.
The couple lived in separate bedrooms, the warrant says. While sorting through Kahlon's belongings the next day, Mahal opened a suitcase that contained a decaying baby girl. It was Reet, still wearing a hospital ID bracelet. The name of the baby's father doesn't appear on hospital papers.
A few hours later, another unthinkable discovery was made. Mahal's sister found another dead baby boy in a box.
When the medical examiner opened that bag, there were actually two dead infants and one placenta found inside.
Preliminary findings revealed the two babies were probably born alive, as they had oxygen in their lungs and stomach, the document says.
There are few answers about Kahlon's life leading up to the deaths, and whether she was an unwilling mother of unwanted babies.
Family, friends and co-workers say they were shocked to learn Kahlon had been pregnant and given birth.
Kahlon grew up in Chandigarh, India, and came to Calgary to live with relatives in 1999.
Kahlon left her aunt and uncle's Martindale home before she gave birth to Reet.
Relatives said they knew nothing of a pregnancy, and "had no contact with her," despite living in a nearby neighbourhood.
Kahlon first lived in a Falconridge basement suite before moving to Taradale with her boyfriend in 2006.
Neighbours along the family-lined street say the couple kept to themselves and they saw no evidence of children at the residence.
Kahlon, who worked as a receptionist for a law office, was described as a hard worker who seemed happy.
From: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Warrant+reveals+grisly+secret+dead+babies+hidden+from+boyfriend/2609988/story.html
Months before Harsimrat Kahlon was found dead in her basement suite with the hidden bodies of three newborn babies, she told her live-in boyfriend she'd had an abortion.
However, police believe, based on search warrants obtained by the Herald, two of the babies were actually delivered at home by the woman.
It's the first glimpse offered into the mystery surrounding the seemingly reluctant mother and suspicious deaths of three secret babies Kahlon kept hidden from the rest of the world.
Now, after a five-month investigation, police are on the brink of announcing their findings and autopsy results in one of the most disturbing cases the city has seen.
The search warrant reveals that Kahlon's live-in boyfriend told investigators he knew she was pregnant last spring, but believed she had had an abortion.
But Kahlon had been pregnant before. In 2005, the woman gave birth to a healthy daughter she named Reet at Peter Lougheed Centre.
In the summer of 2009, two more babies were born inside Kahlon's northeast Calgary basement suite. She never named those children.
All three infants were found dead inside Kahlon's bedroom in Taradale last fall.
Two to three months before the 27-year-old woman was found dead, Kahlon frequently sprayed air freshener to mask the putrid smell of the tiny decomposing bodies and bloodied towels wrapped in layers of garbage bags, according to the warrants.
Reet's body was hidden inside a suitcase.
The other two shared a box. They may have been twins, as one placenta was found with them.
Kahlon, called Simmi by friends, visited a doctor last April and inquired about an abortion, the document says. She missed her appointment, but told her boyfriend she was no longer pregnant, he told detectives.
Instead, investigators believed Kahlon concealed her pregnancy and the home birth of her children.
Police also suspected Kahlon used a section of garden hose as a "crude instrument to aid in birth."
The grisly evidence unfolded when Kahlon was discovered dead at home by her boyfriend Harnet Mahal Oct. 4, 2009, in their shared rented basement suite.
Police say Kahlon's death is not suspicious, but they have not said whether it was natural or a suicide.
The couple lived in separate bedrooms, the warrant says. While sorting through Kahlon's belongings the next day, Mahal opened a suitcase that contained a decaying baby girl. It was Reet, still wearing a hospital ID bracelet. The name of the baby's father doesn't appear on hospital papers.
A few hours later, another unthinkable discovery was made. Mahal's sister found another dead baby boy in a box.
When the medical examiner opened that bag, there were actually two dead infants and one placenta found inside.
Preliminary findings revealed the two babies were probably born alive, as they had oxygen in their lungs and stomach, the document says.
There are few answers about Kahlon's life leading up to the deaths, and whether she was an unwilling mother of unwanted babies.
Family, friends and co-workers say they were shocked to learn Kahlon had been pregnant and given birth.
Kahlon grew up in Chandigarh, India, and came to Calgary to live with relatives in 1999.
Kahlon left her aunt and uncle's Martindale home before she gave birth to Reet.
Relatives said they knew nothing of a pregnancy, and "had no contact with her," despite living in a nearby neighbourhood.
Kahlon first lived in a Falconridge basement suite before moving to Taradale with her boyfriend in 2006.
Neighbours along the family-lined street say the couple kept to themselves and they saw no evidence of children at the residence.
Kahlon, who worked as a receptionist for a law office, was described as a hard worker who seemed happy.
From: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Warrant+reveals+grisly+secret+dead+babies+hidden+from+boyfriend/2609988/story.html
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Man carved name into woman’s chest
By Staff Reports
Updated 8:30 AM Thursday, March 4, 2010
SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man was indicted on several charges Monday, March 1, after he allegedly carved his name onto his girlfriend’s chest.
Michael Welliver, 31, of 520 Homestead Ave., was indicted on charges of abduction, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the alleged assault that occurred at his residence on Feb. 19.
According to Springfield Police Division records, Welliver told his 31-year-old then-girlfriend that he did not like the tattoo that she had on her buttocks. He then grabbed a meat cleaver from under the bed and threatened to cut the tattoo off if she didn’t let him carve his name on her chest.
The woman told police that he then sat on her, used a blue pocket knife with a razor blade on the end and carved “I Luv Mike Welliver” on the upper part of her breast. She told police she did not fight him because of the knife and meat cleaver and because of his size.
After he finished he took several pictures of her with his cell phone. When she did not smile he became angry and began slapping her, the police report said. She then said she heard someone in the house and was able to leave the room. She called a friend to pick her up.
She called police on Feb. 22. Officers arrested Welliver at the Clark County Jail where he was being arraigned on another charge. There he told officers to see the photos he had taken with his cell phone. The officers found the photos on the phone and submitted the phone as evidence.
From: http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/crime/man-carved-name-into-womans-chest-576426.html
Updated 8:30 AM Thursday, March 4, 2010
SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man was indicted on several charges Monday, March 1, after he allegedly carved his name onto his girlfriend’s chest.
Michael Welliver, 31, of 520 Homestead Ave., was indicted on charges of abduction, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the alleged assault that occurred at his residence on Feb. 19.
According to Springfield Police Division records, Welliver told his 31-year-old then-girlfriend that he did not like the tattoo that she had on her buttocks. He then grabbed a meat cleaver from under the bed and threatened to cut the tattoo off if she didn’t let him carve his name on her chest.
The woman told police that he then sat on her, used a blue pocket knife with a razor blade on the end and carved “I Luv Mike Welliver” on the upper part of her breast. She told police she did not fight him because of the knife and meat cleaver and because of his size.
After he finished he took several pictures of her with his cell phone. When she did not smile he became angry and began slapping her, the police report said. She then said she heard someone in the house and was able to leave the room. She called a friend to pick her up.
She called police on Feb. 22. Officers arrested Welliver at the Clark County Jail where he was being arraigned on another charge. There he told officers to see the photos he had taken with his cell phone. The officers found the photos on the phone and submitted the phone as evidence.
From: http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/crime/man-carved-name-into-womans-chest-576426.html
TradeMe lists two bottled ghosts for sale
From correspondents in Christchurch From: NewsCore March 03, 2010 3:44PM TWO vials, which the owner claims contain the spirits of ghosts exorcised from a house in New Zealand, have been put up for sale on online auction site, TradeMe.
Entitled "Two Captured Ghosts" the auction had reached a top price of NZ$62 ($47) after 35 bids yesterday (AEDT).
The auction description claims the spirits were captured by an exorcist from a spiritual church at a property in Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand's South Island.
The seller claims that one spirit belongs to a man who died in the house in the 1920s.
"We have had no (paranormal) activity since they were bottled on July 15, 2009," the seller said.
"So I believe they are in the bottles."
The auction said the "holy water" in the vials dulled the spirit's energy and put them to sleep.
To revive the spirit, the buyer would need to pour the contents into a dish and let it "evaporate into your house''.
"I just want to get rid of them as they scare me,'' the seller said.
From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/trademe-lists-two-bottled-ghosts-for-sale/story-e6frfhk6-1225836611681
Extra small condoms for 12 year-old boys go on sale in Switzerland
Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 are going on sale in Switzerland.
Alexandra Williams in Geneva
Published: 8:13PM GMT 03 Mar 2010
Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20.
It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.
The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland.
The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
Nysse Norballe, a spokesman for the company, said: "At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. But the UK is certainly a very attractive market since there is a very high rate of underage conception. The UK would definitely be top priority if we marketed abroad."
A standard condom has a diameter of 2ins (5.2cm) in comparison with the Hotshot's diameter of 1.7ins (4.5cm). Both are the same length – 7.4ins (19cm).
According to a German study of 12,970 13 to 20-year-olds, a quarter said a standard condom was too large.
Family planning groups and the Swiss Aids Federation campaigned to have the Hotshot produced after a number of studies, including the government study researched at the Centre for Development and Personality Psychology at Basel University.
Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, said: "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behaviour. They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing and leave the young girls to take care of the consequences.
"The results of this study suggest that early prevention makes sense."
The age of consent in Switzerland is 16, although if the age difference is not more than three years there will be no punishment. Other concessions exist if the older person is not more than 20 or believed the younger person to be at least 16.
The Swiss initiative comes as the UK government announces an overhaul of its teenage pregnancy strategy after new figures showed conception rate among 18s were not falling fast enough.
The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
In 1999, the government pledged to halve the teenage conception rate within 10 years.
But data released last week from The Office for National Statistics shows it has clearly failed to make any significant impact.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7361181/Extra-small-condoms-for-12-year-old-boys-go-on-sale-in-Switzerland.html
Alexandra Williams in Geneva
Published: 8:13PM GMT 03 Mar 2010
Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20.
It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.
The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland.
The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
Nysse Norballe, a spokesman for the company, said: "At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. But the UK is certainly a very attractive market since there is a very high rate of underage conception. The UK would definitely be top priority if we marketed abroad."
A standard condom has a diameter of 2ins (5.2cm) in comparison with the Hotshot's diameter of 1.7ins (4.5cm). Both are the same length – 7.4ins (19cm).
According to a German study of 12,970 13 to 20-year-olds, a quarter said a standard condom was too large.
Family planning groups and the Swiss Aids Federation campaigned to have the Hotshot produced after a number of studies, including the government study researched at the Centre for Development and Personality Psychology at Basel University.
Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, said: "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behaviour. They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing and leave the young girls to take care of the consequences.
"The results of this study suggest that early prevention makes sense."
The age of consent in Switzerland is 16, although if the age difference is not more than three years there will be no punishment. Other concessions exist if the older person is not more than 20 or believed the younger person to be at least 16.
The Swiss initiative comes as the UK government announces an overhaul of its teenage pregnancy strategy after new figures showed conception rate among 18s were not falling fast enough.
The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.
In 1999, the government pledged to halve the teenage conception rate within 10 years.
But data released last week from The Office for National Statistics shows it has clearly failed to make any significant impact.
From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7361181/Extra-small-condoms-for-12-year-old-boys-go-on-sale-in-Switzerland.html
Disabled man attacked, robbed of $1 at South Seattle bus stop
March 3, 2010 at 11:51 AM
Posted by John de Leon
-- From Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge:
A disabled man who was waiting for a bus in South Seattle on Friday was attacked by three teens who slammed his head against a wall and punched him in the face and chest. According to a witness, one of the teens yelled, "That's how we do it in the South End" as the three fled.
The victim, who was unable to communicate verbally with officers, gave paramedics a "thumbs up" when he was examined to indicate he was OK and did not require hospitalization, according to a Seattle police report. The report did not specify the man's disability.
According to the report, the man was waiting for Bus 107 at the King County Metro shelter at Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street around around 8 p.m. when the three teens approached him and slammed his head into the glass wall of the shelter. They punched him, took his wallet from his back pocket, pulled a single dollar bill from it and then threw the wallet on the ground, the witness told police.
The witness said the primary aggressor was a teen with cornrows and a tan over-sized jacket, according to the report. The witness was unable to give good descriptions of the other two assailants to police, the report said.
Police said the attackers appeared to be members of a street gang.
From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2011244044_disabled_man_attacked_robbed_o.html
Posted by John de Leon
-- From Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge:
A disabled man who was waiting for a bus in South Seattle on Friday was attacked by three teens who slammed his head against a wall and punched him in the face and chest. According to a witness, one of the teens yelled, "That's how we do it in the South End" as the three fled.
The victim, who was unable to communicate verbally with officers, gave paramedics a "thumbs up" when he was examined to indicate he was OK and did not require hospitalization, according to a Seattle police report. The report did not specify the man's disability.
According to the report, the man was waiting for Bus 107 at the King County Metro shelter at Rainier Avenue South and South Henderson Street around around 8 p.m. when the three teens approached him and slammed his head into the glass wall of the shelter. They punched him, took his wallet from his back pocket, pulled a single dollar bill from it and then threw the wallet on the ground, the witness told police.
The witness said the primary aggressor was a teen with cornrows and a tan over-sized jacket, according to the report. The witness was unable to give good descriptions of the other two assailants to police, the report said.
Police said the attackers appeared to be members of a street gang.
From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2011244044_disabled_man_attacked_robbed_o.html
Aggressive Hawk Steals Hat, Attacks Woman
Town On Alert As Red-Tailed Hawk Defends Territory
POSTED: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
UPDATED: 7:03 am EST March 4, 2010
STONINGTON, Conn. -- Police in a Connecticut town say an aggressive red-tailed hawk has attacked at least five people, including a woman who was cut on the head and needed medical care.
Police used e-mail and a reverse 911 system Wednesday to send warnings to residents of Stonington, a shoreline town bordering Rhode Island.
The large hawk has snatched a hat off a boy's head, snagged headphones from a man on a lawnmower and even attacked a car. On Tuesday, it gashed a woman's head so deeply she had to be checked at a hospital.
Recess and gym classes at a nearby school were held indoors.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is working with the town to find the bird and determine what to do about its aggressive behavior.
Animal experts said hawks are now entering breeding season and hormones are at a high. Aggressive behavior is also a part of the raptors' mating ritual, showing females that the male bird can protect the nest.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/family/22734876/detail.html
POSTED: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
UPDATED: 7:03 am EST March 4, 2010
STONINGTON, Conn. -- Police in a Connecticut town say an aggressive red-tailed hawk has attacked at least five people, including a woman who was cut on the head and needed medical care.
Police used e-mail and a reverse 911 system Wednesday to send warnings to residents of Stonington, a shoreline town bordering Rhode Island.
The large hawk has snatched a hat off a boy's head, snagged headphones from a man on a lawnmower and even attacked a car. On Tuesday, it gashed a woman's head so deeply she had to be checked at a hospital.
Recess and gym classes at a nearby school were held indoors.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is working with the town to find the bird and determine what to do about its aggressive behavior.
Animal experts said hawks are now entering breeding season and hormones are at a high. Aggressive behavior is also a part of the raptors' mating ritual, showing females that the male bird can protect the nest.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/family/22734876/detail.html
Police: Man Stripped Naked In Library
Terrence Miles Facing Several Charges
POSTED: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
UPDATED: 11:42 am EST March 3, 2010
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- An Ypsilanti man is accused of getting naked and stealing children's books from a local library.
Ypsilanti workers and patrons "checked out" something they probably wish they hadn't last Thursday at the branch on Michigan Avenue when police said 52-year-old Terrence Miles emerged from the children's section in the nude.
Police said Miles stripped naked and is accused of "thrusting his hips" toward a library worker before putting his clothes back on and stealing a handful of children's books.
Police said they used library records to track down Miles because he had asked for help in finding some books before the incident.
Miles turned himself in to police headquarters Monday, but took off again when he was being formally arrested. Officers found him a short time later.
"Why I panicked and ran, I can't explain that," Miles told a judge during a video hearing from the Washtenaw County Jail.
He is facing charges of larceny, resisting arrest and indecent exposure.
He has pleaded guilty to the indecent exposure charge. He does not have a lawyer yet.
In addition to the criminal charges, library officials said they are in the process of revoking Miles' library privileges.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22721000/detail.html
POSTED: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
UPDATED: 11:42 am EST March 3, 2010
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- An Ypsilanti man is accused of getting naked and stealing children's books from a local library.
Ypsilanti workers and patrons "checked out" something they probably wish they hadn't last Thursday at the branch on Michigan Avenue when police said 52-year-old Terrence Miles emerged from the children's section in the nude.
Police said Miles stripped naked and is accused of "thrusting his hips" toward a library worker before putting his clothes back on and stealing a handful of children's books.
Police said they used library records to track down Miles because he had asked for help in finding some books before the incident.
Miles turned himself in to police headquarters Monday, but took off again when he was being formally arrested. Officers found him a short time later.
"Why I panicked and ran, I can't explain that," Miles told a judge during a video hearing from the Washtenaw County Jail.
He is facing charges of larceny, resisting arrest and indecent exposure.
He has pleaded guilty to the indecent exposure charge. He does not have a lawyer yet.
In addition to the criminal charges, library officials said they are in the process of revoking Miles' library privileges.
From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22721000/detail.html
Pay abusive parents to be sterilised - Act MP
10:43 AM Thursday Mar 4, 2010
Act MP David Garrett has suggested parents with a history of child abuse should be given a $5000 incentive to be sterilised.
But Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says her reply to the idea, even if made by a coalition party member, was "most definitely a no".
Mr Garrett made the comments yesterday after a panel of child abuse experts put forward recommendations to the Government, such as tracking abusive parents so agencies are notified when they have further children.
Mr Garrett posted on the Act Party website in the morning that tracking abusive mothers was a "sensible move" and more debate was necessary.
"It has become a well worn cliche that one needs a licence to own a dog, but not to have children. Should this be the case? If one needs a licence to have children, who should decide whether one is granted? Should it be possible to reach a point where a person - male or female - is made physically unable to reproduce further? If that is ever the case, who would decide?
"Those are hugely difficult questions, but in my view that should not prevent us having a discussion about them," he said.
About an hour later, at 11.52am, "David Garrett" left a comment on Kiwiblog that a $5000 incentive to sterilise abusive parents would be "ludicrously cheap" compared to the costs of monitoring and caring for their further children.
"Nothing compulsory, just an option. To take Kahui-King as examples, how much is it costing the state now to care for the children Maxyna (sic) King has had removed from her? How much will it cost to care for the 6 or 8 more she may have before menopause? How much is it costing for CYF to monitor the well being of Chris Kahui's latest offspring? $5,000 to each of them is ludicrously cheap by comparison."
Mr Kahui was acquitted in 2008 on charges of murdering his infant twin sons, Chris and Cru.
Mr Garrett wrote that the comments were personal ones, not Act Party policy.
Ms Bennett told nzherald.co.nz the Government had no support for Mr Garrett's idea.
"No. The Government will not be considering it. It's most definitely a no."
Tau Huirama, from anti-violence group Jigsaw, told Radio New Zealand today that he was shocked by the MP's comments.
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629818
Act MP David Garrett has suggested parents with a history of child abuse should be given a $5000 incentive to be sterilised.
But Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says her reply to the idea, even if made by a coalition party member, was "most definitely a no".
Mr Garrett made the comments yesterday after a panel of child abuse experts put forward recommendations to the Government, such as tracking abusive parents so agencies are notified when they have further children.
Mr Garrett posted on the Act Party website in the morning that tracking abusive mothers was a "sensible move" and more debate was necessary.
"It has become a well worn cliche that one needs a licence to own a dog, but not to have children. Should this be the case? If one needs a licence to have children, who should decide whether one is granted? Should it be possible to reach a point where a person - male or female - is made physically unable to reproduce further? If that is ever the case, who would decide?
"Those are hugely difficult questions, but in my view that should not prevent us having a discussion about them," he said.
About an hour later, at 11.52am, "David Garrett" left a comment on Kiwiblog that a $5000 incentive to sterilise abusive parents would be "ludicrously cheap" compared to the costs of monitoring and caring for their further children.
"Nothing compulsory, just an option. To take Kahui-King as examples, how much is it costing the state now to care for the children Maxyna (sic) King has had removed from her? How much will it cost to care for the 6 or 8 more she may have before menopause? How much is it costing for CYF to monitor the well being of Chris Kahui's latest offspring? $5,000 to each of them is ludicrously cheap by comparison."
Mr Kahui was acquitted in 2008 on charges of murdering his infant twin sons, Chris and Cru.
Mr Garrett wrote that the comments were personal ones, not Act Party policy.
Ms Bennett told nzherald.co.nz the Government had no support for Mr Garrett's idea.
"No. The Government will not be considering it. It's most definitely a no."
Tau Huirama, from anti-violence group Jigsaw, told Radio New Zealand today that he was shocked by the MP's comments.
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629818
Deadly game reaches NZ children
8:22 PM Wednesday Mar 3, 2010
Education authorities are warning of a deadly choking game that has reached New Zealand.
The fad, which has plagued America and Britain for years, has now made its way to Hawke's Bay playgrounds, Hawke's Bay Today reported.
The game involves young people hyperventilating to create a mild rush when oxygen is returned to the brain.
Sometimes children have their chests squeezed until they faint.
The choking has reportedly caused hundreds of deaths overseas.
Hawke's Bay Public Health Unit paediatrician and clinical director of maternal, child and youth service, Russell Wills, was concerned enough to send an advisory to local schools, asking principals to warn students of the dangers.
"It is better that principals are aware of it and can deal with it firmly and immediately and also so they understand the risks," he said.
British doctors have warned the choking game can lead to seizures, head injuries, strokes, heart failure and brain damage.
Mr Wills said it appeared the practice was most prevalent in secondary schools among Year 9 to 11 students and boys.
Warning signs that students may have tried the game included bloodshot eyes, marks on the neck, frequent severe headaches and disorientation after spending time alone.
Ropes, scarves and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted could also be a sign a student may have tried it.
Campaign group Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play said up to 458 children in the US and 86 in Britain had been killed this way.
It was known by several names including "space monkey" and "funky chicken".
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629732
Education authorities are warning of a deadly choking game that has reached New Zealand.
The fad, which has plagued America and Britain for years, has now made its way to Hawke's Bay playgrounds, Hawke's Bay Today reported.
The game involves young people hyperventilating to create a mild rush when oxygen is returned to the brain.
Sometimes children have their chests squeezed until they faint.
The choking has reportedly caused hundreds of deaths overseas.
Hawke's Bay Public Health Unit paediatrician and clinical director of maternal, child and youth service, Russell Wills, was concerned enough to send an advisory to local schools, asking principals to warn students of the dangers.
"It is better that principals are aware of it and can deal with it firmly and immediately and also so they understand the risks," he said.
British doctors have warned the choking game can lead to seizures, head injuries, strokes, heart failure and brain damage.
Mr Wills said it appeared the practice was most prevalent in secondary schools among Year 9 to 11 students and boys.
Warning signs that students may have tried the game included bloodshot eyes, marks on the neck, frequent severe headaches and disorientation after spending time alone.
Ropes, scarves and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted could also be a sign a student may have tried it.
Campaign group Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play said up to 458 children in the US and 86 in Britain had been killed this way.
It was known by several names including "space monkey" and "funky chicken".
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629732
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Man 'forcibly tattooed teenager's forehead'
AAP March 03, 2010 8:04AM
ASSAILANTS have forcibly tattooed a word on a young man's forehead during a bizarre and sustained assault at a Wollongong home.
Police will not say what was tattooed on the 18-year-old, who was also assaulted with a baseball bat over several hours, causing serious injuries.
The incident took place when he went to a home in Albion Park Rail, south of Wollongong, on February 23, police said.
"He was also kicked and punched in a sustained assault," police said.
"One of the men also allegedly assaulted the man with a tattoo gun, by forcefully tattooing a word on the man's forehead."
A 34-year-old man from Farmborough Heights, southwest of Wollongong, was arrested yesterday.
He was charged with several offences, including wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and supplying and possessing illegal drugs.
He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court today.
Two men, aged 29 and 30, and two women, 28 and 30, have been charged with being accessories to the incident and are due to appear in court in late March and early April.
From: http://www.news.com.au/national/man-assaulted-forcibly-tattooed/story-e6frfkvr-1225836352154
ASSAILANTS have forcibly tattooed a word on a young man's forehead during a bizarre and sustained assault at a Wollongong home.
Police will not say what was tattooed on the 18-year-old, who was also assaulted with a baseball bat over several hours, causing serious injuries.
The incident took place when he went to a home in Albion Park Rail, south of Wollongong, on February 23, police said.
"He was also kicked and punched in a sustained assault," police said.
"One of the men also allegedly assaulted the man with a tattoo gun, by forcefully tattooing a word on the man's forehead."
A 34-year-old man from Farmborough Heights, southwest of Wollongong, was arrested yesterday.
He was charged with several offences, including wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and supplying and possessing illegal drugs.
He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court today.
Two men, aged 29 and 30, and two women, 28 and 30, have been charged with being accessories to the incident and are due to appear in court in late March and early April.
From: http://www.news.com.au/national/man-assaulted-forcibly-tattooed/story-e6frfkvr-1225836352154
Two Russian directors boil to death in sauna
NewsCore March 03, 2010 12:36AM
TWO Russian men died in a sauna after jumping into a plunge pool that had accidentally been heated to boiling point, investigators and media said.
The two men jumped into the pool to cool down after sweating in a steam room.
A third man tried to save the victims but was unable to pull the men out of the boiling water, Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid reported today.
The two men's bodies were discovered in the sauna in the city of Kirov in central Russia on February 18 and "their death was caused by overheating", the Kirov regional investigative committee confirmed in a statement.
The water in the pool was "overheated due to an error by one of the victims," investigators said.
Saunas usually include a cold plunge pool.
The men were named by investigators as the director of an old people's home and the director of a residential home for people with psychiatric problems.
From: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/two-russian-directors-boil-to-death-in-sauna/story-e6frfku0-1225836307806
TWO Russian men died in a sauna after jumping into a plunge pool that had accidentally been heated to boiling point, investigators and media said.
The two men jumped into the pool to cool down after sweating in a steam room.
A third man tried to save the victims but was unable to pull the men out of the boiling water, Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid reported today.
The two men's bodies were discovered in the sauna in the city of Kirov in central Russia on February 18 and "their death was caused by overheating", the Kirov regional investigative committee confirmed in a statement.
The water in the pool was "overheated due to an error by one of the victims," investigators said.
Saunas usually include a cold plunge pool.
The men were named by investigators as the director of an old people's home and the director of a residential home for people with psychiatric problems.
From: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/two-russian-directors-boil-to-death-in-sauna/story-e6frfku0-1225836307806
Jury sees 'gruesome' film of hunt man being killed by copter blade during row with pilot'
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 6:38 AM on 03rd March 2010
A fox hunting supporter's head was cleaved from 'top to bottom' by the blades of a gyrocopter after he tried to confront the pilot for tracking his hunt, a court heard today.
Jurors watched in horror as a gruesome video showing the last seconds of Trevor Morse's life were played to a hushed courtroom.
Mr Morse, 48, was killed instantly after being hit by the rear propellers of the gyrocopter, being piloted by Bryan Griffiths, which were rotating at 200mph.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that Mr Morse had been trying to stop Griffiths from taking off again after he stopped to refuel.
Griffiths had been monitoring the hunt from his gyrocopter - a small open helicopter - and was confronted by Mr Morse and another hunt supporter.
Mr Morse refused to move out of the way as Griffiths went towards him and the rear propeller of the gyrocopter cut Mr Morse's head from top to bottom, the court heard.
Prosecutor Gareth Evans QC told the court: 'Just under a year ago, on March 9, 2009, a 48-year-old man called Trevor Morse, who was deliberately trying to stop a gyrocopter taking off, was killed.
'He was killed when his head was struck by the rear propeller blade of the gyrocopter.
'That gyrocopter was being driven by this defendant along the runway of Long Marston airfield in Warwickshire.
'The blade of the rear propeller cleaved Mr Morse's head from top to bottom.
'Mercifully, death was instantaneous.
'The prosecution say that this man, the defendant, is criminally liable for this death.
'We say that he is guilty of manslaughter, we say that he caused Trevor Morse's death by his own gross negligence.'
Mr Evans said Griffiths deliberately drove the gyrocopter at Mr Morse, with the rear propeller spinning at a speed approaching 200mph.
Tragedy: The scene at Long Marston airfield near Stratford-Upon-Avon where a gyrocopter hit and killed keen hunt supporter Trevor MorseHe said: 'Doing so, we say, was reckless in the extreme because the manoeuvre carried with it a very, very real risk that Mr Morse would come into contact with the revolving, unguarded rear propeller blades of the gyrocopter.'
The court heard Mr Morse was acting as a road monitor on March 3 last year during the last day of the hunting season for the Warwickshire Hunt.
Mr Evans said Griffiths owned the gyrocopter and although he was not an anti-hunt activist, had previously flown the machine above the hunt to monitor their actions, often with a passenger filming them.
On that day, when Mr Morse spotted the gyrocopter heading off towards Long Marston airfield to refuel, he got in a Land Rover with a fellow hunt supporter to confront the pilot.
When they were at the airfield, Mr Morse tried to stop Griffiths taking off by standing in front of the gyrocopter.He refused to move out of the way, and as Griffiths drove forwards in the gyrocopter the rear propeller caught Mr Morse, cutting his head from top to bottom.
The jury was shown an edited video of the stand-off between Mr Morse and Griffiths - caught on camera by the pilot's passenger.
As he refuses to move out of the way, a voice can be heard to say to Mr Morse: 'You are obstructing him taking off, you have no right to do that, you have no right to do that.'
The video shows Mr Morse enlisting the help of the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to come and stand in the way of the gyrocopter.
The propellers can be heard to speed up, followed by a bang.
The video shown to the jury was cut at the point the propeller hit Mr Morse, then cut again to see him lying on the ground.
A voice can then be heard to say: 'Oh dear, the t*** didn't stand clear of it.'
Mr Evans said it was quite clear Griffiths wanted to leave, and also clear Mr Morse was not willing to let him leave.
He said: 'There is no doubt about it. His intention was stopping that gyrocopter from taking off.
'He was not standing there for the good of his health.
'At one stage he moved the Land Rover closer to the gyrocopter to stop it getting away in an attempt to block its getaway.
'He made it plain that he was obstructing that gyrocopter's take-off and when asked to get out of the way he refused to do so.'
Mr Evans said Griffiths had not gently inched towards Mr Morse, but had travelled at speed.
He said: 'This was not a general nudging movement. It was carried out, we say, at speed. This was no inching movement.'
The trial continues.
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1254886/Gycrocopter-blade-cleaved-head-hunt-supporter-bottom.html
Fire Captain Arrested In Sex Sting
Police: 55-Year-Old Wanted Sex With 'Very Young' GirlBy Nicole E. Matthews, News Editor
POSTED: 5:34 pm PST March 1, 2010
UPDATED: 7:44 am PST March 2, 2010
HENDERSON, Nev. -- A Clark County Fire Captain was arrested and charged with using technology to lure a minor after a Henderson police sting.
Martin Vohwinkel, 55, was arrested by Henderson police Friday after police said they found him in a location where he had set up a meeting with a minor.
An undercover detective said he had been communicating with a man who posted an ad on Craigslist.com looking for a “casual encounter” with a “very young girl,” according to the Henderson Police Department arrest report.
The detective said after he sent a brief e-mail response to the ad, the ad’s writer immediately contacted him to acknowledge he had placed the ad and said in an explicit way that he was looking for sex with a young girl, stating “the younger the better.”
The detective said he then told the man that he was a 14-year-old girl, after which the man said he was 45 and that he needed the girl “ASAP.” Vohwinkel sent a naked photo to the detective and then said in his next e-mail that he was “horny,” and asked for a photo, the report said.
The man sent another photo of himself in a firefighter uniform with his face clearly displayed and said he was a local firefighter named Marty, the report said.
The report said the man then said he wanted to bring “chronic” marijuana with him to the meeting with the girl, where he explicitly said he wanted to have sex with her, and he repeatedly asked for naked pictures of her.
A date for the two to meet was scheduled, and the man told the detective posing as a girl to look for his white Toyota Tundra. When the vehicle pulled into the meeting place, police said they saw a firefighter sticker on it. They said they matched the truck’s plate and registration to Vohwinkel.
Police said they also called a cell phone number given by the man who set up the meeting, and Vohwinkel’s phone rang.
The report said Vohwinkel ‘s e-mail address matched the one being used by the man, and Vohwinkel told police he made a mistake. He was transported to Henderson jail.
“The charge that he's accused of we take very seriously,” said Clark County Fire Department spokesman Scott Allison. “We don't tolerate this. We will not tolerate it.”
Vohwinkel was released on bond and is suspended without pay. Allison said he will remain on unpaid administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said Vohwinkel makes $240,366.62 in pay and benefits and that last year, he made $233,581.71 in pay and benefits.
“If he's convicted of this felony, he will no longer be employed by the Clark County Fire Department,” Allison said.
From: http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/22710365/detail.html#
Teen tries to shoot squirrel, shoots himself
March 03, 2010 06:51:00 AM
Jeff Barker / Florida Freedom Newspapers
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS – A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot himself while doing some late-night hunting early Tuesday, according to a Walton County Sheriff’s Office press release.
The boy told deputies he was hunting squirrels in his yard on Eagle Way with a .22 caliber gun, the release said. While trying to shoot a squir-rel, the bullet he fired ricocheted off a metal chair and hit him in the right knee.
He called his father, who came from Fort Walton Beach and drove him to Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, the release said. The boy’s wound was not life threatening, and he appeared in “good spirits” at the emergency room.
From: http://www.newsherald.com/news/teen-81889-defuniak-tries.html
This should happen more often...
J.A.C.
Jeff Barker / Florida Freedom Newspapers
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS – A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot himself while doing some late-night hunting early Tuesday, according to a Walton County Sheriff’s Office press release.
The boy told deputies he was hunting squirrels in his yard on Eagle Way with a .22 caliber gun, the release said. While trying to shoot a squir-rel, the bullet he fired ricocheted off a metal chair and hit him in the right knee.
He called his father, who came from Fort Walton Beach and drove him to Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, the release said. The boy’s wound was not life threatening, and he appeared in “good spirits” at the emergency room.
From: http://www.newsherald.com/news/teen-81889-defuniak-tries.html
This should happen more often...
J.A.C.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Masked Man Breaks In, Rapes Woman
K-9 Used In Search On Kirkland Terrace
POSTED: 2:33 pm EST March 1, 2010
UPDATED: 8:29 pm EST March 1, 2010
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C.--Police used a K-9 to try to track down a rapist early Monday morning. Officers were called to an apartment complex on Dr. O.C. Kirkland Terrace in Spartanburg where a 25-year-old woman reported being raped by a masked man who broke into her apartment.
Investigators said the man got into the apartment through a back window. The woman has children who were in the apartment with her at the time of the assault, police said.
The K-9 tracked a scent away from the back of the apartments, past the Woodson Recreation Center and onto South Liberty Street, where the tracking dog lost the scent.
Police said the attacker wore a mask and gloves and the woman did not recognize his voice.
Investigators said that the rapist is also believed to have cut the screen on a window in the apartment next door to the victim.
The woman’s grandmother said the 25-year-old came to her for help after the attack.
"I got up, opened the door. She said, ‘Quick.’ And when I opened the door, she said, ‘Somebody broke in my house and they raped me.’"
She said the rape has left her granddaughter shaken.
"She don't want to be by herself, which is understandable," she said.
The grandmother had a warning for the community. She said, "All the young girls in this particular neighborhood -- and all neighborhoods that live alone -- need to be a little more careful. Keep your windows locked and make sure all your doors are locked when you go to bed at night."
Investigators said that they believe the rape is likely to be an isolated incident, but they are warning residents to be cautious.
The victim’s grandmother said she hopes the police find the rapist before her family does.
“God help him,” she said. “That’s all I can say.”
Another woman who also lives in the complex told investigators she thinks the suspect in the assault may be a man known to some who live in the complex. But police have not yet named a suspect, nor do they have any persons of interest.
From: http://www.wyff4.com/news/22706866/detail.html
POSTED: 2:33 pm EST March 1, 2010
UPDATED: 8:29 pm EST March 1, 2010
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C.--Police used a K-9 to try to track down a rapist early Monday morning. Officers were called to an apartment complex on Dr. O.C. Kirkland Terrace in Spartanburg where a 25-year-old woman reported being raped by a masked man who broke into her apartment.
Investigators said the man got into the apartment through a back window. The woman has children who were in the apartment with her at the time of the assault, police said.
The K-9 tracked a scent away from the back of the apartments, past the Woodson Recreation Center and onto South Liberty Street, where the tracking dog lost the scent.
Police said the attacker wore a mask and gloves and the woman did not recognize his voice.
Investigators said that the rapist is also believed to have cut the screen on a window in the apartment next door to the victim.
The woman’s grandmother said the 25-year-old came to her for help after the attack.
"I got up, opened the door. She said, ‘Quick.’ And when I opened the door, she said, ‘Somebody broke in my house and they raped me.’"
She said the rape has left her granddaughter shaken.
"She don't want to be by herself, which is understandable," she said.
The grandmother had a warning for the community. She said, "All the young girls in this particular neighborhood -- and all neighborhoods that live alone -- need to be a little more careful. Keep your windows locked and make sure all your doors are locked when you go to bed at night."
Investigators said that they believe the rape is likely to be an isolated incident, but they are warning residents to be cautious.
The victim’s grandmother said she hopes the police find the rapist before her family does.
“God help him,” she said. “That’s all I can say.”
Another woman who also lives in the complex told investigators she thinks the suspect in the assault may be a man known to some who live in the complex. But police have not yet named a suspect, nor do they have any persons of interest.
From: http://www.wyff4.com/news/22706866/detail.html
Death row Briton to launch last-ditch appeal
Friday, February 26 05:17 amA British grandmother on death row is to lodge a last-ditch appeal with the US Supreme Court in a bid to save her life.
Linda Carty was convicted in 2002 over the abduction and murder of a 25-year-old woman after a trial which campaigners say was "catastrophically flawed".
A video plea on behalf of the 51-year-old will be submitted to the Supreme Court alongside the appeal from her legal team and an brief from the British Government. If it fails, Carty could be executed within months.
Carty was convicted over the kidnap and murder of Joana Rodriguez, who was seized alongside her four-day-old son by three men on 16 May 2001.
The baby was later found unharmed in a car, but Rodriguez was killed, having suffocated with duct-tape over her mouth and a plastic bag placed around her head.
Prosecutors argued that the men were hired by Carty who, unable to get pregnant herself, intended to "cut the baby out" of the woman and pass it off as her own.
Carty has always maintained that she was framed over the murder by the men who carried out the abduction due to her earlier work as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Agency.
She had been employed by the authorities to befriend suspected drug dealers in a bid to obtain information from them.
From: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100226/twl-death-row-briton-to-launch-last-ditc-41f21e0.html
Wash. man electrocuted by urinating on power line
Monday, March 1, 2010
Authorities believe a Washington man was killed by accidentally urinating on a downed power line after a car crash.
Grays Harbor County sheriff's Deputy Dave Pimentel (PIM'-en-tel) said Monday 50-year-old Roy Messenger was not seriously hurt after he collided with a power pole Friday and called a relative to pull his car from a ditch.
However, family members found Messenger electrocuted when they arrived.
Pimentel says Messenger apparently urinated into a roadside ditch but didn't see the live wire. The urine stream likely served as a conductor, allowing the electricity to reach his body.
Pimentel says there will be an autopsy but burn marks indicated the way the electricity traveled through Messenger's body.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/01/national/a125332S34.DTL&tsp=1
Authorities believe a Washington man was killed by accidentally urinating on a downed power line after a car crash.
Grays Harbor County sheriff's Deputy Dave Pimentel (PIM'-en-tel) said Monday 50-year-old Roy Messenger was not seriously hurt after he collided with a power pole Friday and called a relative to pull his car from a ditch.
However, family members found Messenger electrocuted when they arrived.
Pimentel says Messenger apparently urinated into a roadside ditch but didn't see the live wire. The urine stream likely served as a conductor, allowing the electricity to reach his body.
Pimentel says there will be an autopsy but burn marks indicated the way the electricity traveled through Messenger's body.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/01/national/a125332S34.DTL&tsp=1
Father 'stabbed to death teenage daughter to end her suffering after she was raped'
By Luke SalkeldLast updated at 1:08 AM on 02nd March 2010
A father claims he stabbed his teenage daughter to death and left her dead body in the passenger seat of his car because she wanted to die after being raped.
Gary Fisher says he entered into a 'suicide pact' with 17-year-old Sasha Jones after she was sexually assaulted.
The 47-year-old killed his daughter by stabbing her repeatedly with a hunting knife and then called members of her family to confess what he had done, a court heard.
He then led police on a country car chase with Sasha's dead body in the passenger seat which ended when officers lay a 'stinger' device across a road, causing Fisher to crash.
Today prosecutors dismissed Fisher's claim that his daughter had wanted to die after suffering a sex attack, and that he acted to 'end her suffering'.
Prosecutor Chris Clee QC said Fisher had confessed to hospital staff that he had killed his daughter with the hunting knife.
He said: '[Fisher] said his daughter told him she wanted to die. He said he planned it for the last two and a half months.
'He said "I felt she was suffering and I wanted to help her to die".'
The court heard Fisher later claimed to police that his daughter had been raped - and she 'couldn't live with the thought of that'.
But Mr Clee told Swansea Crown Court: 'Sasha made no such complaint to police.'
The court heard the teenager had twice been admitted to hospital in the past after taking overdoses - but medical staff did not believe they were genuine suicide attempts.
The court heard Fisher was separated from Sasha's mother Jane Jones, who lived with her three children in Cardigan, West Wales.Fisher, who lived in Solihull, West Midlands, had last summer argued with Sasha and called her a 'slag' after she wanted to be with her boyfriend instead of him.
It was during a visit to see his daughter in August that they drove around the local area before stopping in a pub car park where the killing took place, the court heard.
Mr Clee continued: '[Fisher] stopped the car behind the Angel Hotel in a shady area so nobody could see him.'
The court heard Fisher later told police: 'I got out of the car, took the knife, went to the passenger door and opened it.
'She was shocked to see the knife and tried to get away. But she couldn't because of the seat belt.'
Mr Clee said: 'He said he stabbed her many times and she was struggling. During the struggle, he missed her once and ended up stabbing himself in the arm.
'He said he covered her with a sleeping bag and reclined the seats.'
The court heard Fisher drove around with her bloodied body in the car but then rang his sister Susan Mabbatt to confess to killing Sasha.
But the telephone was answered by his niece Zoe Mabbatt, 16, whom he told: 'I'm really sorry but I've done something wrong.'
The court heard Zoe asked what had happened and Fisher replied: 'I don't think you want to know.'
He then rang back to tell her: 'I'm sorry but I've just killed your eldest cousin. She is lying in the car freezing.'
Police were alerted by the family and his silver Ford Fiesta was spotted near the seaside village of Aberaeron.
He refused to stop and police pursued his car. A stinger device was put in the roadway and Fisher crashed into a camper van moments later.
Mr Clee said Fisher claimed it was a 'suicide pact' between the father and daughter.
He said: 'But this wasn't in any way, shape or form a suicide pact. It is simply an attempt by him to avoid his responsibility for what he did.'
Fisher denies murder. The trial continues.
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1254641/Suicide-pact-father-killed-raped-daughter-17--car-end-suffering.html
Boy kills brother with gun found in pickup
Father accidentally left pistol in console
By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel
6:10 p.m. EST, February 28, 2010
DEERFIELD BEACH - Minutes after Randy Reddick Jr. sent his two young sons to his truck to get the coat and hat he left on the front seat, one of the brothers ran back into the house screaming.
"I shot my brother! I shot my brother!" the 10-year-old cried Saturday afternoon. "I didn't mean to do it."
Reddick, 31, said he raced down the stairs from his third-floor apartment to find his oldest son and namesake on the ground next to the black Dodge pickup.
Randy Reddick III, 11, had the coat in his hand. Beside him was the wide-brim hat, full of blood, as if he had been wearing it, his father said.
In the truck was a 40-caliber Glock pistol that Reddick had inadvertently left in the vehicle's console. The boy had been shot in the face.
"I knelt down to see if there was life. There wasn't," Reddick said Sunday, standing outside his apartment in the 700 block of Northeast 41st Street. He stared teary-eyed at his truck and his child's bloodstain in the parking space beside it.
"So I kissed him, covered him up with the coat, and began to pray."
Keyla Concepcion, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office, said the shooting appears accidental. The case will be referred to prosecutors for review, she said.
Reddick has a concealed weapon permit for the gun, police said.
Usually, Reddick said, he carries the weapon in a holster under his shirt. But he had taken the holster and gun off and put it into the truck console when he stopped at the Oakland Park post office to pick up his mail. Firearms are prohibited on federal property.
For the boys, both students at Tedder Elementary School in Pompano Beach, the day began as usual, Reddick said. Randy, a fifth-grader, and his brother, in third grade, did morning chores, then played with video games and their remote-controlled cars.
"They were close. They were brothers," Reddick said.
The Sun Sentinel is not naming the younger brother because of his age.
Reddick then marched with his Freemasons fraternity in the annual Sistrunk Historical Festival in Fort Lauderdale. The hat and coat he left in the truck were part of his parade costume.
At home, he left the gun in the unlocked console. And there it stayed until the boys found it.
Deerfield Beach Fire-Rescue pronounced the boy dead at the scene around 3:30 p.m.
Reddick said he heard news reports late Saturday that suggested he was careless with the weapon.
"I'm far from careless," he said. "It was an accident."
A mental health technician at Imperial Point Medical Center, Reddick said he would seek counseling for his son if necessary. "I don't think he realizes yet what went on," said Reddick.
Reddick identified the boys' mother as Latavia Green, of Fort Lauderdale. She could not be reached Sunday.
Other survivors include a sister, Desiree, 14, and Reddick's girlfriend Carol Smith, who has helped raise the children.
The incident marks the second fatal accidental shooting in Broward County in a week. On Monday in Pompano Beach, Tiffany Littlepage, 21, was fatally wounded by a gunshot fired by a friend sitting in the back seat of the car she was driving, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Carlos Martin, 26, of Plantation, was charged with manslaughter.
From: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/deerfield/fl-deerfield-shooting-folo-20100228,0,328840.story
By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel
6:10 p.m. EST, February 28, 2010
DEERFIELD BEACH - Minutes after Randy Reddick Jr. sent his two young sons to his truck to get the coat and hat he left on the front seat, one of the brothers ran back into the house screaming.
"I shot my brother! I shot my brother!" the 10-year-old cried Saturday afternoon. "I didn't mean to do it."
Reddick, 31, said he raced down the stairs from his third-floor apartment to find his oldest son and namesake on the ground next to the black Dodge pickup.
Randy Reddick III, 11, had the coat in his hand. Beside him was the wide-brim hat, full of blood, as if he had been wearing it, his father said.
In the truck was a 40-caliber Glock pistol that Reddick had inadvertently left in the vehicle's console. The boy had been shot in the face.
"I knelt down to see if there was life. There wasn't," Reddick said Sunday, standing outside his apartment in the 700 block of Northeast 41st Street. He stared teary-eyed at his truck and his child's bloodstain in the parking space beside it.
"So I kissed him, covered him up with the coat, and began to pray."
Keyla Concepcion, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office, said the shooting appears accidental. The case will be referred to prosecutors for review, she said.
Reddick has a concealed weapon permit for the gun, police said.
Usually, Reddick said, he carries the weapon in a holster under his shirt. But he had taken the holster and gun off and put it into the truck console when he stopped at the Oakland Park post office to pick up his mail. Firearms are prohibited on federal property.
For the boys, both students at Tedder Elementary School in Pompano Beach, the day began as usual, Reddick said. Randy, a fifth-grader, and his brother, in third grade, did morning chores, then played with video games and their remote-controlled cars.
"They were close. They were brothers," Reddick said.
The Sun Sentinel is not naming the younger brother because of his age.
Reddick then marched with his Freemasons fraternity in the annual Sistrunk Historical Festival in Fort Lauderdale. The hat and coat he left in the truck were part of his parade costume.
At home, he left the gun in the unlocked console. And there it stayed until the boys found it.
Deerfield Beach Fire-Rescue pronounced the boy dead at the scene around 3:30 p.m.
Reddick said he heard news reports late Saturday that suggested he was careless with the weapon.
"I'm far from careless," he said. "It was an accident."
A mental health technician at Imperial Point Medical Center, Reddick said he would seek counseling for his son if necessary. "I don't think he realizes yet what went on," said Reddick.
Reddick identified the boys' mother as Latavia Green, of Fort Lauderdale. She could not be reached Sunday.
Other survivors include a sister, Desiree, 14, and Reddick's girlfriend Carol Smith, who has helped raise the children.
The incident marks the second fatal accidental shooting in Broward County in a week. On Monday in Pompano Beach, Tiffany Littlepage, 21, was fatally wounded by a gunshot fired by a friend sitting in the back seat of the car she was driving, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Carlos Martin, 26, of Plantation, was charged with manslaughter.
From: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/deerfield/fl-deerfield-shooting-folo-20100228,0,328840.story
Teen dies after falling into open cesspool outside of Long Island Dunkin' Donuts
BY Corky Siemaszko DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Originally Published:Monday, March 1st 2010, 9:07 AM
Updated: Monday, March 1st 2010, 9:32 AM
Homicide detectives on Monday were probing the bizarre death of a teenage doughnut maker who fell into a Long Island cesspool and drowned.
Amiri Zeqiri, 17, was hauling out the garbage behind the Dunkin' Donuts in Smithtown when he fell in on Sunday, cops said.
When Zeqiri did not return to work, his younger cousin went out to investigate and found the doomed teenager flailing in 8 feet of filthy water and ran for help.
By the time he got back, Zeqiri had slipped beneath the surface.
Zeqiri, who lived in Central Islip, was fished out of the rank pit and rushed to a nearby hospital where he died, police said.
An autopsy was scheduled for later Monday and Suffolk County detectives were investigating why the hole leading to the pool, where waste from toilets and sinks is collected, was not covered with a manhole.
Dunkin' Donuts expressed condolences for Zeqiri's death.
"This tragedy impacts all of us at Dunkin' Donuts, especially those who had the pleasure to work with him on a daily basis," company spokemsan Andre Mastrangelo said.
There have been several cesspool drownings on Long Island over the years, according to The Associated Press.
In June 2007, a landscaper was killed after driving a lawnmower into a cesspool at a Deer Park home.
In September 2001, a Huntington man practicing archery in his backyard died when an 18-foot-deep cesspool caved in and swallowed him up while his kids looked on in horror.
It took 18 hours to drag his body from the muck.
From: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/03/01/2010-03-01_teen_dies_after_falling_into_open_cesspool_outside_of_long_island_dunkin_donuts.html
Police: 2 dead in murder-suicide; boy, 4, shot
Posted: March 2, 2010
Two people were killed and a 4-year-old boy was shot in the head in an apparent murder-suicide Monday at a Far-Westside apartment, police said.
Dante L. Roberts, 36, and Nicole M. James, 35, were found dead about 11:30 a.m. in an apartment in the 7500 block of West St. Clair Street, an area of apartments and residences near West 10th Street and Girls School Road. The boy, Corbin Harris, 4, was sent to Riley Hospital for Children and was listed in serious condition Monday.
Police reports said James was Corbin's mother. Both were reported missing to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department by Lemart Harris, 34, the boy's father. The report said that Lemart Harris told officers James was pregnant and had obtained a peace bond against Roberts after an argument in December.
Police had not determined Monday evening who was responsible for the shooting. A statement from police spokesman Lt. Jeff Duhamell said that neighbors had reported arguments between Roberts and James in recent weeks.
From: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100302/NEWS02/3020356/1282/NEWS02/Police-2-dead-in-murder-suicide-boy-4-shot
Two people were killed and a 4-year-old boy was shot in the head in an apparent murder-suicide Monday at a Far-Westside apartment, police said.
Dante L. Roberts, 36, and Nicole M. James, 35, were found dead about 11:30 a.m. in an apartment in the 7500 block of West St. Clair Street, an area of apartments and residences near West 10th Street and Girls School Road. The boy, Corbin Harris, 4, was sent to Riley Hospital for Children and was listed in serious condition Monday.
Police reports said James was Corbin's mother. Both were reported missing to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department by Lemart Harris, 34, the boy's father. The report said that Lemart Harris told officers James was pregnant and had obtained a peace bond against Roberts after an argument in December.
Police had not determined Monday evening who was responsible for the shooting. A statement from police spokesman Lt. Jeff Duhamell said that neighbors had reported arguments between Roberts and James in recent weeks.
From: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100302/NEWS02/3020356/1282/NEWS02/Police-2-dead-in-murder-suicide-boy-4-shot
Man looked up skirts via camera, police say
By Tania E. LopezPosted: March 1, 2010
A 40-year-old Fort Wayne man was in jail Sunday after he was caught using a shoe camera to peek under women's dresses at Castleton Square Mall, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Police said David Delagrange targeted women in dresses, then stood close enough to place his right foot between their feet.
About 9:30 p.m. Saturday, an IMPD officer working part time at the mall approached Delagrange after someone reported him for acting suspiciously.
Delagrange was shocked with a taser after police said he resisted the officer.
After he was in custody, police said, they found a sophisticated camera/audio recording system Delagrange apparently had built.
They said the system was made up of a camera attached to Delagrange's right shoe, with controls for video and audio in his pockets. Police said he had been taking video of women under their dresses and skirts without them being aware.
District detectives were able to obtain search warrants for storage devices in his home and vehicle. Police said one of the females in the mall is thought to be a juvenile.
Delagrange faces preliminary charges for voyeurism, resisting law enforcement and felony child exploitation.
From: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100301/NEWS02/3010325/1282/NEWS02/Cops-Man-s-shoe-cam-looked-up-skirts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Phenomena (1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPhenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento. An edited version of the film was released in the United States under the title Creepers.
Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl who arrives at an eerie Swiss boarding school where the students are being butchered by a serial killer. With the help of a wheelchair user entomologist (Donald Pleasence), she discovers she has special psychic powers, and uses them to pursue the killer. It was Argento's first film to be shot in English, although only the scenes of Connelly and Pleasance together were shot sync sound.
Argento himself stated: "Phenomena was inspired by something I heard about insects being used to solve crimes, and because insects have always fascinated me I began to make a story around this idea. You know, it's a terrible thing, but there are many insects that are disappearing. Becoming extinct. But most people only want to kill them. You know, insects have souls, too; they're telepathic... amazing. People want to save the whales and dolphins, but nobody wants to save the insects. I'm a vegetarian, because I don't want to kill things to eat."
Plot
A lost tourist, Vera Grandt (Fiore Argento), is chased by an unseen assailant and beheaded in the Swiss countryside. Sometime later, her head is taken to forensic entomologist John McGregor (Donald Pleasance) by Inspector Rudolf Geiger (Patrick Bauchau) and his assistant, Kurt (Michele Soavi). McGregor estimates the time of death as eight months prior.
Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly), insect-loving daughter of a movie star, arrives at the Swiss Richard Wagner Academy for Girls, chaperoned by Frau Brückner (Daria Nicolodi), who places her with roommate Sophie (Federica Mastroianni). While sleepwalking through the academy and out onto the roof, Jennifer witnesses a student being murdered. She awakens and falls, fleeing into the village and eventually becoming lost in the woods. McGregor's chimpanzee attendant Inga (Tanga) finds her and leads her to him. Witnessing her apparent interaction with his insects, McGregor comes to believe she has a special gift for telepathy with them. After sheltering with him overnight, she returns to the academy and is subjected to a brain scan by the school doctor (Antonio Maimone) in a bid to cure her somnambulism.
Following an ilicit tryst the same night, Sophie is murdered. Sleepwalking once again, Jennifer finds herself outside the school building and in guided by a firefly to a maggot-covered glove. When other students taunt Jennifer for her connection to insects, she summons a swarm of flies which covers the entire building, then faints. Convinced that Jennifer is insane and possibly responsible for the killings, the headmistress arranges for her to be transferred to a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Jennifer flees to McGregor's home just in time to evade the transfer.
McGregor identifies the maggots as those of the Great Sarcophagus fly, which is drawn to decaying human flesh. He gives one to Jennifer in a glass case and suggests she use it to help track the murderer. Near the now abandoned house where Vera Grandt was attacked, the fly becomes agitated, leading Jennifer to discover a severed hand but she is frightened off by a real estate agent. Inspector Geiger arrives moments later and learns that the house was abandoned eight months ago.
Later that night, McGregor is murdered in his home after Inga is distracted and locked outside. Wandering the woods, the chimpanzee discovers a straight razor in a garbage bin. With nowhere left to go, Jennifer calls her father's lawyer Morris Shapiro for help. Instead of sending cash for a plane ticket, however, he alerts Brückner, who finds Jennifer at the bank waiting for the money to be wired. Jennifer agrees to stay at Brückner's house overnight.
Once there, Brückner explains that the mirrors are all covered because they upset her son, who is profoundly mentally disabled. She then demands that Jennifer take some anti-fever pills. The girl agrees and locks herself in the bathroom for privacy, but after finding more maggots in the room she purges the pill. Suspicious and enraged, Brückner imprisons Jennifer in the house.
Meanwhile, Inspector Geiger arrives after learning that Brückner was the tenant of the house where Vera Grandt was attacked. Shortly afterward, he can be heard screaming as Jennifer engineers her escape through a large hole in the floor that leads through a tunnel to a dungeon. Geiger, disfigured and chained to the wall, grabs at her and she tumbles into a pool full of decaying, maggot-infested corpses. Brückner appears and attempts to finish them off, but Geiger frees himself and holds her off long enough to allow Jennifer to escape.
In the basement, Jennifer finds Brückner's son, Patua (Davide Marotta), with a hideously deformed face. He chases Jennifer onto a motorboat and attempts to kill her, but she summons a swarm of flies that attack him and cause him to drown in the lake. Swimming ashore, she is greeted by Morris Shapiro (Mario Donatone), who has arrived in respone to her earlier phone calls. Before he can rescue her, Brückner appears out of the darkness and decapitates him. Moments later, Inga arrives and kills Brückner with the razor.
Directed by Dario Argento - Produced by Angelo Jacono, Dario Argento - Written by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini - Starring Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Donald Pleasance, Patrick Bauchau - Music by Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli, Bill Wyman, Simon Boswell - Cinematography Romano Albani
Editing by Franco Fraticelli - Distributed by Titanus, New Line Cinema (USA, theatrical), Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA, DVD) - Release date(s) January 31, 1985 (Italy) August 2, 1985 (USA) - Running time 110 min - Edited version: 82min - Country Italy - Language Italian, German, English - Budget $3,800,000 (estimated)
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomena_(film)
Shooting Victim Dies In Front Of Tulsa Restaurant Early Sunday
Posted: Feb 28, 2010 3:49 PM
Updated: Mar 01, 2010 4:28 PM
TULSA, OK -- Tulsa Police say out of numerous potential witnesses, only one person had any information to offer in a shooting overnight Sunday at the Chicken Hut restaurant, 1500 E. Apache.
The shooting victim, 27-year-old Valentino Verner, later died of his wounds at a Tulsa hospital.
Restaurant patrons even shoved past emergency workers, stepping over the victim to get their food.
Tulsa Police, firefighters and ambulance personnel responded to a call of shots fired at the restaurant at about 3 a.m.
They say when they arrived at the Chicken Hut, they found Verner lying on the ground in front of the restaurant's pick-up window.
He had been shot multiple times, according to Tulsa Police Sergeant Mike Eckert.
They had a difficult time getting through the crowd to provide aid to the victim, and no one was trying to help the injured man, Eckert said. People were instead stepping over Verner to get to their food orders.
Eckert said customers even shoved past emergency personnel as they went to the take out window.
After questioning the crowd, they found only one person – a relative of the victim - who had any information about the shooting. That man could only say the suspect was a man in a blue jacket with a hood.
"Exactly one person chose to call 911 to advise us of the shooting," Eckert said. He added that there were more than 100 people in the parking lot when emergency personnel arrived.
"Nobody wants to talk to us. No one wants to give us any information," he said.
From: http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=12058604
Updated: Mar 01, 2010 4:28 PM
TULSA, OK -- Tulsa Police say out of numerous potential witnesses, only one person had any information to offer in a shooting overnight Sunday at the Chicken Hut restaurant, 1500 E. Apache.
The shooting victim, 27-year-old Valentino Verner, later died of his wounds at a Tulsa hospital.
Restaurant patrons even shoved past emergency workers, stepping over the victim to get their food.
Tulsa Police, firefighters and ambulance personnel responded to a call of shots fired at the restaurant at about 3 a.m.
They say when they arrived at the Chicken Hut, they found Verner lying on the ground in front of the restaurant's pick-up window.
He had been shot multiple times, according to Tulsa Police Sergeant Mike Eckert.
They had a difficult time getting through the crowd to provide aid to the victim, and no one was trying to help the injured man, Eckert said. People were instead stepping over Verner to get to their food orders.
Eckert said customers even shoved past emergency personnel as they went to the take out window.
After questioning the crowd, they found only one person – a relative of the victim - who had any information about the shooting. That man could only say the suspect was a man in a blue jacket with a hood.
"Exactly one person chose to call 911 to advise us of the shooting," Eckert said. He added that there were more than 100 people in the parking lot when emergency personnel arrived.
"Nobody wants to talk to us. No one wants to give us any information," he said.
From: http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=12058604
Man injured after frightening birds
4:48 PM Monday Mar 1, 2010
A 68-year-old has been flown to hospital after hitting a fence post on a quad bike while trying to scare birds at a Hawke's Bay winery.
The accident happened about 2.30pm at Crownthorpe, 32km northwest of Hastings, a Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said.
The man suffered chest injuries from the accident. His condition was not immediately known.
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629294
A 68-year-old has been flown to hospital after hitting a fence post on a quad bike while trying to scare birds at a Hawke's Bay winery.
The accident happened about 2.30pm at Crownthorpe, 32km northwest of Hastings, a Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said.
The man suffered chest injuries from the accident. His condition was not immediately known.
From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629294
Students storm San Diego chancellor's office after noose is found in campus library
ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press Writer
February 26, 2010 | 9:21 p.m.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Anger boiled over on the University of California San Diego campus Friday, where students took over the chancellor's office for several hours to protest the hanging of a noose in a campus library.
Students wearing red handkerchiefs over their faces blocked the doors to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's offices for hours, while more students inside chanted "Real pain, real change."
They left the office peacefully at sundown, about the same time that leaders of the university's Black Student Union ended talks with administrators in a nearby conference room over demands that include more boosting the African-American curriculum and campus activities. A university spokesman, Jeff Gattas, said there were no arrests and no property was damaged during the takeover.
The noose found dangling from a light fixture on the seventh floor of Geisel Library on Thursday night was the latest in a string of racially charged incidents in the university community, authorities said Friday. Less than two weeks ago, an off-campus party mocking Black History Month ignited racial tensions.
A University of California statement said a student admitted she and two other people were responsible. The statement did not identify the students or their race or include a motive.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, Fox said the student has been suspended but declined to discuss her motive or other students involved.
"This person admitted her involvement in what we consider to be an abhorrent act," said Fox.
Hundreds of students rallied for several hours outside the university administration building Friday, where speakers denounced the noose as an example of intolerance on a campus where less than 2 percent of students are black.
UC and campus authorities did not indicate whether the students would be charged with a hate crime. Under state law, hanging a noose to terrorize is punishable by up to a year in jail.
"Whatever the intent of the authors of this act, it was a despicable expression of racial hatred, and we are outraged," the UC statement said. "It has no place in civilized society, and it will not be tolerated."
To blacks, a noose recalls the days of widespread racism and lynchings.
"How am I supposed to walk into that building? How am I ever going to be safe there?" said ethnic studies major Cheyenne Stevens, who is black.
Mustafa Shahryar, 21, said he had seen the noose as he left the library.
Shahryar, who is from Afghanistan, told the crowd he grew accustomed to racial slurs while growing up in Southern California but was stunned to see the noose.
"Nothing phased me until last night," he said. "I just took that noose as an attack on all of us."
Leaders of the Black Student Union said they were disappointed with the administration's response to their list of 32 demands. The school agreed to many, such as funding a vacant position for program coordinator for an African American Studies minor.
But the administration said requiring undergraduates to take courses in African-American, ethnic and gender studies was beyond its scope of authority. Funding the Black Student Union, it said, depended on state funding and decisions of the student government.
The administration plans to resume talks with the students Monday, said Danny Widener, a history professor who supports the Black Student Union and participated in Friday's discussions.
The school — where about 2 percent students are black — has been in turmoil over an off-campus "Compton Cookout" party organized by some students that urged people to dress as ghetto stereotypes and promised there would be chicken, watermelon and malt liquor.
Fox condemned the party, and the school began an investigation to determine if any students might face discipline. The school also initiated a campus-wide "Battle Hate" campaign.
Campus administrators held a "teach-in" against intolerance on Wednesday. The same day, hundreds of students from UCSD and other universities staged a campus protest, demanding that officials make more efforts to combat racism.
Some students countered that the reaction to the party had been overblown.
Last week, the Associated Students president pulled funding from a student-run TV station after The Koala — a campus media outlet with a reputation for being offensive — came out in support of the party, called black students ungrateful and used a derogatory term for African-Americans during a program.
From: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-black-history-mock-party,0,7754335.story
Whining fucking maggots...
J.A.C.
Associated Press Writer
February 26, 2010 | 9:21 p.m.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Anger boiled over on the University of California San Diego campus Friday, where students took over the chancellor's office for several hours to protest the hanging of a noose in a campus library.
Students wearing red handkerchiefs over their faces blocked the doors to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox's offices for hours, while more students inside chanted "Real pain, real change."
They left the office peacefully at sundown, about the same time that leaders of the university's Black Student Union ended talks with administrators in a nearby conference room over demands that include more boosting the African-American curriculum and campus activities. A university spokesman, Jeff Gattas, said there were no arrests and no property was damaged during the takeover.
The noose found dangling from a light fixture on the seventh floor of Geisel Library on Thursday night was the latest in a string of racially charged incidents in the university community, authorities said Friday. Less than two weeks ago, an off-campus party mocking Black History Month ignited racial tensions.
A University of California statement said a student admitted she and two other people were responsible. The statement did not identify the students or their race or include a motive.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, Fox said the student has been suspended but declined to discuss her motive or other students involved.
"This person admitted her involvement in what we consider to be an abhorrent act," said Fox.
Hundreds of students rallied for several hours outside the university administration building Friday, where speakers denounced the noose as an example of intolerance on a campus where less than 2 percent of students are black.
UC and campus authorities did not indicate whether the students would be charged with a hate crime. Under state law, hanging a noose to terrorize is punishable by up to a year in jail.
"Whatever the intent of the authors of this act, it was a despicable expression of racial hatred, and we are outraged," the UC statement said. "It has no place in civilized society, and it will not be tolerated."
To blacks, a noose recalls the days of widespread racism and lynchings.
"How am I supposed to walk into that building? How am I ever going to be safe there?" said ethnic studies major Cheyenne Stevens, who is black.
Mustafa Shahryar, 21, said he had seen the noose as he left the library.
Shahryar, who is from Afghanistan, told the crowd he grew accustomed to racial slurs while growing up in Southern California but was stunned to see the noose.
"Nothing phased me until last night," he said. "I just took that noose as an attack on all of us."
Leaders of the Black Student Union said they were disappointed with the administration's response to their list of 32 demands. The school agreed to many, such as funding a vacant position for program coordinator for an African American Studies minor.
But the administration said requiring undergraduates to take courses in African-American, ethnic and gender studies was beyond its scope of authority. Funding the Black Student Union, it said, depended on state funding and decisions of the student government.
The administration plans to resume talks with the students Monday, said Danny Widener, a history professor who supports the Black Student Union and participated in Friday's discussions.
The school — where about 2 percent students are black — has been in turmoil over an off-campus "Compton Cookout" party organized by some students that urged people to dress as ghetto stereotypes and promised there would be chicken, watermelon and malt liquor.
Fox condemned the party, and the school began an investigation to determine if any students might face discipline. The school also initiated a campus-wide "Battle Hate" campaign.
Campus administrators held a "teach-in" against intolerance on Wednesday. The same day, hundreds of students from UCSD and other universities staged a campus protest, demanding that officials make more efforts to combat racism.
Some students countered that the reaction to the party had been overblown.
Last week, the Associated Students president pulled funding from a student-run TV station after The Koala — a campus media outlet with a reputation for being offensive — came out in support of the party, called black students ungrateful and used a derogatory term for African-Americans during a program.
From: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-black-history-mock-party,0,7754335.story
Whining fucking maggots...
J.A.C.
Somerville gets 23 years
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:58a.m. No apology and no remorse has been offered by Jason Paul Somerville for the two murders that have brought him a life sentence with a non-parole term of 23 years today.
He had admitted strangling his near neighbour Tisha Lowry and his wife Rebecca Somerville and burying their bodies beneath the floor of his house in Christchurch's Wainoni Road - an address that became known as the House of Horrors.
His acts in having sex with both the dead women were described as callous and depraved at his sentencing today in the High Court at Christchurch by Justice Lester Chisholm, the Christchurch Court News website reported.
Because he was charged only with murder, his offending did not allow an open-ended preventive detention sentence to be imposed as well as a life sentence.
But because of the life sentence and the facts of the case, he may never be released from custody by the Parole Board.
Miss Lowry's mother Tanya Lowry said outside the courthouse that it had been a very hard day for the family, and it was the end of the justice system as far as Somerville was concerned. "We just want to get our lives back as soon as possible."
The uncle of Rebecca Somerville, Peter Clifford Marsh, said the family was pleased with the sentence. "We ask that he gets the assistance he requires to carry on through life."
Somerville, who has just turned 34, killed the women about 11 months apart. He apparently strangled Miss Lowry when she came to his house and refused to leave, and he killed his wife when she refused sex.
In both cases the strangulation was followed by underwear being forced into their throats, sexual intercourse, and burial beneath the house.
Nine members of both families read out victim impact statements in court, recounting their grief and the effects of the loss of loved family members.
They spoke of love for Miss Lowry, disrupted sleep, lack of concentration, and hate of Somerville.
Jacob Lowry, the younger brother of Tisha, referred to Somerville as scum. "You don't deserve to be on this earth," he said.
Miss Lowry's sister, Leanne Hodder, said: "I hate you with so much of myself that the hate I feel has interfered with the rest of my life."
Mrs Somerville's father, Clayton Chamberlain, who lives in Australia, had a statement read out saying: "I really miss Rebecca and feel lost without her in my life."
Mrs Somerville was described as "a troubled lady", but the family said they would miss her company, her singing, and her "beautiful, giggling laugh".
One family member read out a poem Mrs Somerville had written in 2001, entitled "I am not a mistake."
Crown prosecutor Brent Stanaway described the sex as a "depraved and sickening act". Somerville clearly posed a danger to the community, and it was clear there was no remorse or empathy with the victims.
He had changed his story since talking to the police in September, when he was recently interviewed by probation and health assessors.
"He has tried to minimise his involvement, and minimise the unsavoury aspects that are likely to make him very unpopular in prison. He has very little insight into what he has done."
Defence counsel David Ruth said Somerville had a difficult start in life, with brain trauma, a head injury, and suffering sexual abuse during his teenage years. However, none of this had resulted in an identifiable mental disorder.
"Right from his early days there has been a worrying trend of strangulation being part of his response to situations that were not of his liking or stressful to him," Mr Ruth said.
Justice Chisholm said the deaths of 28-year-old Miss Lowry, and 35-year-old Mrs Somerville had been devastating for the families and had caused irreplaceable loss.
He said he found it absolutely incomprehensible that Somerville showed no remorse or empathy for the victims. The sexual aspect of the offending could offer a significant indication of future risk.
The judge allowed a three-year reduction in the sentence for Somerville's guilty pleas.
Somerville remained impassive all through the sentencing, though he sometimes frowned and looked puzzled when technical legal aspects were discussed.
From: http://www.3news.co.nz/Somerville-gets-23-years/tabid/423/articleID/139352/Default.aspx
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"He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches."
"Being is substance and life; life manifests by movement; movement is perpetuated by equilibrium; equilibrium is therefore the law of immortality.
"The doctrine of equality!... But there exists no more poisonous poison: for it seems to be preached by justice itself, while it is the end of justice.... "Equality for equals, inequality for unequals" that would be the true voice of justice: and, what follows from it, "Never make equal what is unequal."
