Pennsylvania man accused of pouring hot sauce into 7-month-old’s mouth, choking her mother
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Charges have been filed against a Pennsylvania man for allegedly abusing a 7-month-old Monday morning.
Johnstown police say David Jones, 21, hit the child and dumped hot sauce in the infant’s mouth. Jones allegedly sat on the child and pushed down on her with a bassinet frame as well.
Police say the girl’s mother tried to stop him, but he grabbed her by the neck, choked her, and threw her against the wall.
The woman fled to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
Police said the girl had “a very clear red rectangular line on her stomach consistent with the foot of the bassinet,” according to The Tribune-Democrat.
The baby was taken to Conemaugh Memorial for evaluation.
Jones is facing charges of aggravated assault on persons under 6, strangulation, simple assault, and harassment. Police did not say what his relationship was to the child.
via: https://fox2now.com/2020/01/27/police-johnstown-man-hit-poured-hot-sauce-in-7-month-olds-mouth-tmw/
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
FL day care worker fired after mom finds ‘I’m out of diapers’ written across son’s stomach
SANIBEL, Fla. – A Florida day care has fired one of its employees after a mother says she was furious to find “Mom I’m out of diapers pls read my report” written in large letters across her toddler son’s stomach.
The executive director of the Children’s Education Center of the Islands, Cindy Carter DeCosta, said in a statement that they are “aware of the incident at the school and we are terribly sorry for the distress it has caused the family involved as well as all of our families.”
Heather Chisum, 23, posted on Facebook after finding the message scrawled with a marker across her son Milo’s torso Monday.
“Everyday when I pick Fin and Milo up from daycare they put a daily report paper in Milos lunch box. It says what mood he was in for the day, what times they changed his diapers, and if he needs diapers or wipes,” Chisum wrote.
She wrote that she may have missed a note about Milo’s diaper supply in a recent report, but said the staff at the Sanibel school said nothing about diapers when she picked Milo up.
“I’m a single mom with a full time job and two very young children. SUE ME FOR NOT READING THE REPORT EVERY SINGLE DAY,” she wrote. “‘Hey Heather, your son needs diapers maybe you missed the report’ would have done the trick.”
Chisum said she scrubbed the ink multiple times but couldn’t get it all off, forcing her to cancel beach plans because her son “has writing all over him.”
According to the News-Press, Chisum has pulled both of her children out of the school.
DeCosta called the incident a “breech of our professional ethic on the part of the teacher.”
Read the full statement below:
We are aware of the incident at the school and we are terribly sorry for the distress it has caused the family involved as well as all of our families. It was a breech of our professional ethics on the part of the teacher. The school has taken immediate action to remove the teacher from the school. We are reviewing protocols already in place to ensure that nothing like this occurs again. We are proud of our school, love our students and are eager to make our school a better place as we move forward.
We have met with the family involved, we understand and share their concerns and have ensured them that their children will always be welcome here.
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
MO man accused of exchanging vape pods with teens for sex
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – A St. Charles man is accused of giving vaping pods to young teenage girls in exchange for sexual favors.
Investigators in St. Charles believe there are more victims but there’s no word on how many that may be.
The crimes allegedly occurred at two locations along Kisker Road, inside Nieters’ truck, from January 1 through January 24.
In court documents, police accuse 20-year-old Seth Nieters of selling the vape pods to two 13-year-old girls and then convincing them to perform sex acts in lieu of paying him cash.
Nieters was charged with two counts of child sex trafficking. He was jailed on a $20,000 cash-only bond.
There are two middle schools in with girls that age in the area. Both are part of the Francis Howell School District.
The district released the following statement, Tuesday afternoon:
“The Francis Howell School District was informed this afternoon that an individual has been charged with second-degree sex trafficking, and at least some of the underage victims are Francis Howell students. The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reports that the suspect was not targeting FHSD students, but made successful contact with one student and then additional students through social media.”
“Francis Howell has strict policies and regulations prohibiting inappropriate conduct toward students and/or staff, provides continuing training and monitoring regarding such policies, and always takes prompt and appropriate action upon receiving reports of any violation of those policies.
“FHSD schools also provide student lessons on internet safety and digital citizenship, as well as the importance of responsible and appropriate behaviors at school and online. The safety of our students and staff is always a top priority of FHSD, and the district will cooperate fully with authorities during their investigation.”
via: https://fox2now.com/2020/01/28/st-charles-man-accused-of-exchanging-vape-pods-with-teens-for-sex/
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College football coach suspended for calling Hitler ‘a great leader’
A college football coach in Michigan was suspended Monday for calling Adolf Hitler a “great leader” during an interview with the school’s student newspaper, a report said.
Morris Berger, the offensive coordinator at Grand Valley State University, spoke at length about the Nazi leader when asked which three historical figures, except for famous athletes, he would want to have dinner with.
“This is probably not going to get a good review, but I’m going to say Adolf Hitler,” Berger told the Grand Valley Lanthorn.
“It was obviously very sad and he had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second to none. How he rallied a group and a following, I want to know how he did that. Bad intentions of course, but you can’t deny he wasn’t a great leader,” he added in the interview.
The newspaper reported Monday that the school had suspended Berger after the story was published.
“The comments made by Offensive Coordinator Morris Berger, as reported in The Lanthorn student newspaper, do not reflect the values of Grand Valley State University,” the school told Fox News in a statement.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/27/college-football-coach-suspended-for-calling-hitler-a-great-leader/
Photo Credit: Grand Valley State Athletic Department
Man charged with drug possession busted for smoking joint in front of judge
This court hearing really went to pot.
A Tennessee man allegedly lit up and smoked a joint during his court appearance on a drug possession charge Monday.
Spencer Boston, 20, addressed the judge and argued for new marijuana legislation moments before putting on a blunt act in Wilson County court, the Tennessean reported.
As he lit the doobie, the smell of weed wafted through the air and the courtroom burst into laughter.
“One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen,” Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan told WTVF.
Through a cloud of smoke, and in a joint effort, deputies led Boston out of the courtroom, Bryan said.
He was booked on a second charge of simple drug possession and was hit with 10 days in jail for contempt of court.
The man’s bond was set at $3,000.
Photo Credit: Wilson County Sheriff’s Department
9-year-old Florida boy charged with attempted murder in stabbing of 5-year-old sister – telling her “die, die”
A 9-year-old Florida boy who allegedly stabbed his 5-year-old sister — telling her, “Die, die” — will be charged with attempted first-degree murder, according to new reports.
The Ocala boy, whose name was not released because of his age, was playing in his room with his sister Monday afternoon when their mom slipped outside to check the mail, WKMG-TV reported.
When the mother returned, she found her son stabbing his sister repeatedly with a kitchen knife, the outlet reported.
She grabbed the knife from her son, who fled into a maintenance shed, and then picked up her daughter and called 911, authorities said. The girl was reported alert and responsive after the attack.
The boy told authorities that the thought of killing his sister “had entered his head two days earlier” and wouldn’t go away, according to an arrest report obtained by FOX 35.
He told cops he grabbed a knife from the kitchen, entered the bedroom, grabbed his sister by the neck while she was bent over and began attacking her, the station reported.
“Die, die,” the boy told his sister during the unprovoked attack, according to the report.
The boy allegedly told investigators he stabbed his sister because “he wanted to be able to go outside.”
Investigators found probable cause to charge the boy, the arrest report said.
He is being held in secured detention ahead of a psychiatric evaluation ordered by a Marion County circuit judge Monday.
A public defender has been appointed to represent the boy, who is set to reappear in court Feb. 5.
Photo Credit: Ocala PD
Police scold TMZ after outlet was first to report death of Kobe Bryant
New York (CNN Business)At 2:24 p.m. ET, TMZ posted the story that stunned the world on Sunday: Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, at the age of 41, had died in a California helicopter crash.The tectonic news, which the celebrity-gossip website was first to report, swept the nation as other news organizations quickly confirmed the story.It also upset police who suggested the speed in which TMZ had reported the news — a little more than an hour after police said they received reports of a downed aircraft — outpaced that of officers who were seeking to notify the family members of victims.During a press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva took a swipe at the website when explaining to reporters why he would not yet confirm the identities of those who were aboard the helicopter when it crashed.
“It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one … perished and you learn about it from TMZ,” Villanueva said. “That is just wholly inappropriate.”Los Angeles County Undersheriff Tim Murakami also jabbed TMZ in a tweet.”I am saddened that I was gathering facts as a media outlet reported … Kobe had passed,” Murakami wrote. “I understand getting the scoop but please allow us time to make personal notifications to their loved ones. It’s very cold to hear of the loss via media. Breaks my heart.”A representative for TMZ, which is owned by WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company, did not respond on Sunday to requests for comment.Bryant’s death was the latest in a string of tragic celebrity-death scoops TMZ has landed since it launched in 2005. In 2009, the website first reported the death of Michael Jackson. In 2012, the outlet broke news that Whitney Houston had died in a bathtub. And in 2016, TMZ was first to inform the world about Prince’s death.”When it comes to high-profile people, they have an ‘in’ with the kinds of people who know this information,” Matthew Belloni, the editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, told CNN in a phone interview on Sunday.Belloni added, “If TMZ reports that a celebrity has died in Los Angeles County, it is almost always correct. For whatever reason, and you can read into this, their accuracy rate in Los Angeles is very, very good.”TMZ has developed a large network of tipsters over the years. According to a 2016 profile in The New Yorker, the network includes entertainment lawyers, court officials, and others.The New Yorker reported in its 2016 story that the website sometimes compensates tipsters, something most newsrooms do not.But Harvey Levin, the founder of TMZ, has downplayed the tactics the website uses to land scoops. During a 2014 interview with Fox News, Levin was asked, “How does TMZ get this stuff?””It’s so funny to me that people ask that question,” Levin responded. “We’re a news operation. I mean, that’s what you’re supposed to do as a news operation is chase down stories. And it always kind of amuses me when people ask that question. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing? I mean, that is the job.”
Despite TMZ’s track record of scoops, news organizations are still wary to cite the outlet until they’ve independently confirmed the news.Belloni told CNN that when he saw TMZ’s story on Bryant’s death, “I thought it was probably right.”That said, Belloni added, “We always verify and don’t take them at face value. But when I saw that it was TMZ reporting a death in Los Angeles County of a very prominent person, I thought it’s probably right.”Sharon Waxman, the founder and CEO of The Wrap, expressed a similar sentiment to The Washington Post for a 2016 article the newspaper published on TMZ’s history.”When they report something, it makes me think they’re probably right, but it might be premature or incomplete,” Waxman said. “Maybe someone had a heart attack, but, no, he didn’t die. That they had much of the story, but not all of the story.”
via: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/media/tmz-death-report-kobe-bryant/index.html
Photo Credit: wgntv.com
Father accused of abandoning 5-year-old son at Walmart
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (WGCL) — A father is accused of abandoning his 5-year-old son at a Georgia Walmart.
Gainesville police said someone found the little boy wandering around the store alone on Saturday. With the public’s help, investigators identified the child and his father.
The father, Alejandro Cruz-Cervantes, 36, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. Authorities said he left the boy by himself and made “no attempt to retrieve the child.”
His 5-year-old son is now in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
Additional charges are possible, according to police.
Photo Credit: Hall County Sheriff
Former first lady Michelle Obama wins her first Grammy
(CNN) — Former first lady Michelle Obama has snagged her first Grammy win for the audiobook version of her best-selling memoir “Becoming.” It’s the third Grammy win for the Obama household.
Obama’s husband won for the audiobook recordings of his memoirs “Dreams of My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope” in 2006 and 2008.
Obama’s win for best spoken word album beat out nominees John Waters and the Beastie Boys, among others. She did not attend the ceremonies.
The text version of “Becoming” has sold millions of copies, and had the longest streak at No. 1 on Amazon for any book since “Fifty Shades of Grey” in 2012. The memoir traces Michelle Obama’s Chicago roots to her time in the White House.
Obama isn’t the only former first lady to win a Grammy for best spoken word album. Hillary Clinton won in 2003 for “Living History.”
Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Stephen King says Oscars are ‘rigged in favor of white people’
Someone give this guy an Oscar for flip-flopping.
Less than two weeks after appearing to poo-poo the need for dedicated diversity efforts when it comes to Academy Awards recognition, best-selling author Stephen King is sounding off on the ongoing need for inclusion in the film industry.
“I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to me that to do otherwise would be wrong,” the 72-year-old tweeted Jan. 14, sparking heated backlash from “When They See Us” filmmaker Ava Duvernay and activist-author Roxane Gay.
Cue the cultural mea culpa: The Oscars “are still rigged in favor of white people,” King, 72, now declares in a new op-ed for the Washington Post.
The man whose pop-lit catalog spawned cinematic classics such as “Carrie,” “The Shining” and “Shawshank Redemption” goes on to proclaim that “creative excellence comes from every walk, color, creed, gender and sexual orientation, and it’s made richer and bolder and more exciting by diversity, but it’s defined by being excellent.”
King continues, “Judging anyone’s work by any other standard is insulting and — worse — it undermines those hard-won moments when excellence from a diverse source is rewarded (against, it seems, all the odds) by leaving such recognition vulnerable to being dismissed as politically correct.”
Referencing the initial tweets that sparked online outrage, the “It” author stands by his pronouncement that “judgments of creative excellence should be blind” — but apparently this could only be “the case in a perfect world, one where the game isn’t rigged in favor of the white folks.”
The bottom line, King contends in his column, is that the Motion Picture Academy’s voting body stubbornly remains dominated by white males, citing stats that rank female membership at 32% of voters and members of color at 16% even after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite forced the academy to adopt diversity reforms.
Still, not everyone in the Twitterverse was buying his newfound enlightenment.
“Came a long way in a week there, Stephen,” tweeted one snarky pundit, summing up the feelings of more than a few social media users.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/27/stephen-king-says-oscars-are-rigged-in-favor-of-white-people/
Photo Credit: WireImage