Girl’s feet infested with parasitic sand fleas after running through pigsty barefoot
A 10-year-old girl who had developed itchy, painful brown-colored papules on the bottom of her feet was actually suffering from a parasitic sand flea infestation. The girl, who had traveled to Brazil with her family two-weeks prior to visiting a health clinic, reported running through a pigsty with no shoes on.
Her case, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, included a 10-day history of pain and itchiness before she sought care. Doctors then removed the sand fleas from the bottom of her foot and diagnosed her with tungiasis.
Tungiasis is a cutaneous parasitosis caused by the female sand flea, which burrows into the skin, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Cases predominately involve the toes, sole, rim of the foot and heels, with itching and irritation a common complaint among patients. The girl, who was not named in the case report, had received vaccines for tetanus before infection. Illness related to the infection is not well-documented, according to WHO.
In the girl’s case, doctors treated her wounds after the fleas were removed, and her feet healed with no complications.
Article via FOXNews
Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Trying to Eat 7 Bags of Heroin She Was Hiding From Police
A Pennsylvania woman is facing charges after allegedly attempting to eat seven bags of heroin she was hiding from police.
Tiffany Root, 29, of Ephrata, is facing seven counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, KTLA sister station WPMT reported.
On April 2 around 11:30 p.m., police stopped a vehicle in the 600 block of Columbia Ave at Coral St.
The driver, identified as Root, was found to be in possession of controlled substances, and was taken into custody.
A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Thomas Seymour, of Lancaster, was taken into custody on a bench warrant.
While in custody, police say they found that Root had concealed additional controlled substances on and in her person.
Due to the nature and location of some of the contraband, Root was transported to Lancaster General Hospital to have the items removed by medical staff.
While en route to the hospital, Root allegedly retrieved seven baggies of heroin that she had concealed in her person and attempted to destroy the evidence by chewing and eating it.
Staff at the hospital was able to convince her to spit out the heroin baggies that she had attempted to swallow.
Now, she is facing charges.
Substitute teacher who admitted sex with boys gets no jail time
A former substitute teacher in Louisiana who pleaded guilty to having sex with three boys will be spared jail time, thanks to a plea deal.
Heidi M. Verrett, 34, pleaded guilty on March 22 to three misdemeanor counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after her 2016 arrest on charges of having sex with three 15- and 16-year-old boys at her home, the Houma Courier reported.
District Judge John Walker suspended Verrett’s six-month jail term following her guilty pleas, sentencing the former Terrebonne Parish substitute teacher and teacher’s aide to two years of unsupervised probation, along with $900 in fines.
The plea agreement also prohibits Verrett from teaching for two years, but prosecutors said she won’t be instructing students in Terrebonne Parish or other districts for the rest of her life.
“We have been assured she would never be able to teach in the school system again,” Terrebonne Parish Assistant District Attorney Dennis Elfert said. “From a legal standpoint, the maximum probationary period is two years, and that is the extent to which the probation can legally be bound.”
Regardless of those requirements, Elfert said prosecutors told relatives of the teen victims that Verrett would not be allowed to return to a classroom.
Verrett’s attorney, Teresa King, said her client was pleased with the outcome.
“She wanted to avoid the risk of jail time,” King told the newspaper. “If we had gone to trial, there’s always that risk. So I think the deal was worked out in everyone’s best interest.”
Police in Houma said Verrett also had “inappropriate” discussions with a 12-year-old boy on social media.
Verrett was charged with having sex with the teens during a two-month period in late 2016, according to court records cited by WDSU. As part of her plea deal, Verrett does not have to register as a sex offender, the station reported.
And although Verrett’s employment will not be restricted once her probation expires, Elfert said it’s very unlikely she’d be hired by another district.
“Anybody who might want to hire this woman in the future, especially when it involves kids, is going to see that on her record,” Elfert told the Houma Courier. “I would suggest there won’t be many school systems at all that would hire her.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/04/03/substitute-teacher-who-admitted-sex-with-boys-gets-no-jail-time/
Troubling video shows woman throwing child on mat in North Carolina day care
ASHEBORO, N.C. – Cellphone video captured a troubling situation inside of a North Carolina day care.
An employee was caught throwing a child onto a mat. That employee, Joy Branning, is now charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
A state investigator was at the Children’s Center of Asheboro all day Tuesday, according to WGHP.
The facility does have a five-star license according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
In the video sent to WGHP by an employee, crying can be heard in the background. The worker says a 4-year-old boy threw a tantrum and was being disruptive.
The video then shows Branning taking the child’s arm and pulling him into another area of the room. That’s when she’s seen picking him up and forcefully dropping him onto a mat.
It’s something Debbie Lockhart, the director of the Children’s Center, can’t believe.
“I have a state lady here with me today, working with me on making sure we can do everything we can to ensure the safety of our children,” she said. “We are devastated by this. Joy was immediately fired and I’ve known her 20 years.”
Parents were immediately notified about the March 20th incident.
“We had that child for four years since he was born,” Lockhart told WGHP. “We love him. I am so sorry that happened to him.”
Lockhart says there are protocols in place at the center to make sure teachers are trained and well equipped to handle any situation.
Breaks are even given to teachers in order to give them time to cool off in the midst of frustration.
“There are all the strategies you can put in place. But the bottom line is that the person has to follow it,” she said.
Lockhart feels they all failed that little boy.
“The other teacher should have intervened on the child’s behalf as soon as she saw when he was having his issues,” she said. “[He] was melting down and Joy was getting frustrated. She should have intervened on his behalf.”
The child’s mom told WGHP she did not feel comfortable speaking on camera because the incident is still under investigation. She said the video speaks for itself.
WGHP also tried speaking to Branning, but she did not answer her phone or the door at her Asheboro home.
63 year old Colorado preschool teacher accused of sexually assaulting 4-year-old
LEADVILLE, Colo. — A Colorado preschool teacher is facing multiple charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a student.
According to the Leadville Herald, Sally Glaser, 63, is charged with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact and child abuse.
The newspaper reported Glaser taught at the Center Early Childhood Programs in Leadville. The student involved in the case is 4 years old.
Glaser was arrested Monday. She appeared in court Tuesday, records show.
The Herald reported the victim’s mother wrote a letter to the court.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” the letter stated. “We live in constant fear.”
Meanwhile, Glaser defended herself.
“I’ve never done anything to hurt this little girl,” she said, according to the Herald. “This just tears me up.”
Lake County School District superintendent Wendy Wyman sent an email to families Tuesday. She said the school district was notified by law enforcement on March 11 that an allegation had been made that a female teacher may have had improper contact with a student.
As soon as the district learned of the allegations, Glaser was placed on administrative leave, meaning she has not been permitted on school grounds since March 11.
The letter doesn’t specifically name Glaser, stating:
“Law enforcement investigated the allegation and we cooperated fully with them. We learned today that law enforcement has filed criminal charges against the employee, and a legal process will now begin. In the meantime, please be assured that the staff member will not be returning to the classroom of school district property.”
Wyman wrote that she knows the situation is upsetting for families.
“We know that the trust between parents and schools, and children and teachers, is sacred, and we do everything in our power each and every day to uphold this trust,” the superintendent wrote.
Wyman said the district will continue working with law enforcement, students, staff and families.
“Our primary concern is ensuring a safe environment for our children. We want to assure you that there is no higher priority at our school than the safety and well-being of our students,” the message states.
Glaser is no longer in custody after posting $25,000 bond. She is forbidden from contact with people under 18 years old. Her next court date is scheduled for April 18.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/04/03/colorado-preschool-teacher-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-4-year-old/
School district turns unused cafeteria food into take-home meals for kids
An Indiana school district is working to make sure students have enough to eat.
Students usually get breakfast and lunch at school, but on the weekends at home, some go hungry.
WSBT reports Elkhart Schools is partnering with a local nonprofit called Cultivate to provide weekend meals through the use of unused food.
“Mostly, we rescue food that’s been made but never served by catering companies, large food service businesses, like the school system,” said Jim Conklin, with Cultivate. “You don’t always think of a school.”
Cultivate makes individual frozen meals out of discarded and unused food. On Fridays, About 20 students are given a backpack with eight individual frozen meals.
“At Elkhart Community Schools, we were wasting a lot of food,” said Natalie Bickel, with student services. “There wasn’t anything to do with the food. So they came to the school three times a week and rescued the food.”
The Elkhart school system hopes to expand the food program to other schools.
Men arrested for shooting at each other while wearing bulletproof vest after drinking
ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Two Arkansas men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after police say they shot each other while taking turns wearing a bulletproof vest.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that 50-year-old Charles Ferris and 36-year-old Christopher Hicks were arrested Monday.
A police affidavit says the two men are neighbors and were drinking on a deck Sunday when Ferris told Hicks to shoot him with a .22-caliber rifle while Ferris wore the vest. The affidavit says the shot left a red mark on Ferris’ chest and that he was angry because it hurt.
The affidavit says Hicks then put on the vest and Ferris “unloaded the clip” into his back, causing bruises but no serious injuries.
Court records don’t list an attorney who could speak on behalf of either man.
Man attacked cashier because he was upset with how his groceries were bagged
FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP, York County (WPMT) — A 55-year-old Fairview Township man is facing an assault charge after police he attacked an employee at a Giant Food Store on York Road.
Bradley A. Bower, of Brandt Avenue, is charged with one count of simple assault in the incident, which occurred on Feb. 2.
Police say Bower attacked a cashier after he was upset with the way his groceries were being bagged. Bower later told police the cashier put canned goods in the same grocery bag as the chips Bower and his wife were purchasing, and the chips were smashed. Bower said he asked the cashier to stop bagging his groceries that way.
As Bower was leaving, the cashier told police, he asked the cashier, “Do you have a problem with me? Because I have a problem with you.” The cashier said he thought Bower was joking, and replied, “Do you?”
Bower then attacked the cashier, placing his hand around the cashier’s neck. The cashier told police he shoved Bower away from him, and other employees then stepped in to separate them.
Police say the cashier suffered bruising to his neck.
The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance system, and police say their review of the footage supported the cashier’s claim.
Bower was charged via summons, police say.
Lori Lightfoot wins election, will become Chicago’s 1st black female mayor
CHICAGO — Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot easily won the Chicago mayor’s race Tuesday, earning support from every part of the city to defeat a longtime political insider and become the first black woman and openly gay person to lead the nation’s third-largest city.
Lightfoot, who had never been elected to public office, delivered a commanding victory over Toni Preckwinkle, who served in the City Council for 19 years before becoming Cook County Board president. Preckwinkle also is chairwoman of the county Democratic Party.
Lightfoot promised to rid City Hall of corruption and help low-income and working-class people she said had been “left behind and ignored” by Chicago’s political ruling class. It was a message that resonated with voters weary of political scandal and insider deals, and who said the city’s leaders for too long have invested in downtown at the expense of neighborhoods.
“Together we can and will make Chicago a place where your zip code doesn’t determine your destiny,” Lightfoot told a cheering crowd at her victory party. “We can and we will break this city’s endless cycle of corruption and never again — never ever — allow politicians to profit from elected positions.”
She said people are seeing “a city reborn” — a place where race and “who you love” don’t matter.
Chicago will become the largest U.S. city to have a black woman serve as mayor when Lightfoot is sworn in May 20. She will join seven other black women currently serving as mayors in major U.S. cities, including Atlanta and New Orleans, and will be the second woman to lead Chicago.
Preckwinkle said she called Lightfoot Tuesday night to congratulate her on a “hard-fought campaign.”
“While I may be disappointed I’m not disheartened. For one thing, this is clearly a historic night,” she told a crowd gathered in her South Side neighborhood. “Not long ago two African American women vying for this position would have been unthinkable. And while it may be true that we took two very different paths to get here, tonight is about the path forward.”
Congratulations poured in for Lightfoot, 56, who has one daughter with her wife, Amy Eshleman.
Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, said the civil rights organization for lesbian and gay people was “thrilled” with the outcome.
“This victory is historic, and it is also an undeniably proud moment for the LGBTQ community,” Johnson said.
Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who’s running for president in 2020, said on Twitter that Lightfoot “will be a terrific new leader for her city and in the community of American mayors.”
Lightfoot emerged as the surprising leader in the first round of voting in February when 14 candidates were on the ballot to succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who decided against running for a third term.
Lightfoot seized on outrage over a white police officer’s fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald to launch her reformer campaign. She got in the race even before Emanuel announced he wouldn’t seek re-election amid criticism for initially resisting calls to release video of the shooting.
“I’m not a person who decided I would climb the ladder of a corrupt political party,” Lightfoot said during a debate last month. “I don’t hold the title of committeeman, central committeeman, boss of the party.”
Preckwinkle countered that her opponent lacks the necessary experience for the job.
“This is not an entry-level job,” Preckwinkle said repeatedly during the campaign.
Joyce Ross, 64, a resident of the city’s predominantly black West Side who is a certified nursing assistant, cast her ballot Tuesday for Lightfoot. Ross said she believes Lightfoot will be better able to clean up the police department and curb the city’s violence.
She was also bothered by Preckwinkle’s association with longtime Alderman Ed Burke, who was indicted earlier this year on charges he tried to shake down a restaurant owner who wanted to build in his ward.
“My momma always said birds of a feather flock together,” Ross said.
Truly Gannon, a 39-year old mother of four who works as a dietitian, said she wasn’t bothered by stories that portrayed Preckwinkle as an insider aligned with questionable politicians like Burke. She supported Preckwinkle, based on her experience.
“I’m not sure Lightfoot would be able to handle the job like Preckwinkle,” she said.
The campaign between the two women got off to a contentious start, with Preckwinkle’s advertising focusing on Lightfoot’s work as a partner at Mayer Brown, one of the nation’s largest law firms, and tagging her as a “wealthy corporate lawyer.”
Preckwinkle also tried to cast Lightfoot as an insider for working in police oversight posts under Emanuel and police oversight, procurement and emergency communications posts under Mayor Richard M. Daley.
But Preckwinkle had to spend much of her campaign answering for her ties to Chicago’s political establishment, including Burke.
Despite the barbs on the campaign trail, the two advanced similar ideas to boost the city’s deeply troubled finances, which include an estimated $250 million budget deficit next year and billions in unfunded pension liabilities.
Both candidates expressed support for a casino in Chicago and changing the state’s income tax system to a graduated tax, in which higher earners are taxed at a higher rate — two measures lawmakers have tried for unsuccessfully for years to pass.
NY mom admits killing adopted son, burning down home to cover it up
NORWICH, N.Y. — A woman admitted Tuesday that she worked with her husband to kill their adopted son and burn down their central New York home to cover it up.
Heather Franklin, 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson on the eve of her bench trial and is expected to be sentenced to at least seven years in prison on June 7, according to acting Chenango County District Attorney Michael Ferrarese.
A jury convicted 37-year-old Ernest Franklin of murder and arson last month after only a few hours of deliberation. He faces 25 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced in May.
They were charged in the February 2017 death of 16-year-old Jeffrey Franklin, who was deaf and had behavior issues. Prosecutors say they were inspired by the movie “Manchester by the Sea,” where a father accidentally starts a fire that kills his children but isn’t prosecuted.
Heather Franklin was pregnant with the couple’s first biological child at the time of Jeffrey’s death.
The fire destroyed their home in Guilford, 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Syracuse. Prosecutors allege the fire was set sometime after midnight in a wood stove, with the stove door left open. Jeffrey Franklin was found dead on his bed. Prosecutors argued he was killed before the fire started because there was no smoke or soot in his lungs.
Ernest Franklin’s lawyer disputed the conclusions in autopsy reports, which didn’t specify a cause of death.
As the fire raged, the couple were away from home. Ernest Franklin told police he was chasing down his dogs. Heather Franklin said she was driving around for nearly three hours shopping for medicine.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/04/02/ny-mom-admits-killing-adopted-son-burning-down-home-to-cover-it-up/