Mother explains how she forgot infant son in hot car, leading to his death
EMPORIA, Va. — The mother of a 6-month-old boy who died after he was left in a hot car for hours said she forgot her baby was in the car while she was at work, according to WTVR.
Blondia Curry, 30, said she was taking her children to stay with various family members on Aug. 10 before work when she got a call.
“My youngest daughter’s father calls and he said his mother wasn’t going to be able to watch [one of her daughters]. That’s what I believe threw me off,” the mother of four said.
Curry said she arranged for one relative to watch her three oldest children.
After she dropped them off, she said, she drove to her job at Domino’s on Market Drive in Emporia, forgetting to drop off her baby at another relative’s home.
“My friend called me on the way to work and asked me about my oldest daughter, checking on her, and I just forgot all about dropping the baby off,” Curry said.
Police believe the baby — identified as Dameer — was left in his mother’s car from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., five hours in all.
Curry discovered the child in distress when she went outside during a work break.
Witnesses then police and EMS attempted to revive the child, but it was too late.
Dameer was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“I’ve been stressed out with my 10-year-old daughter [who was recently diagnosed with diabetes]. I could have lost her. Just been a lot on me,” Curry said.
Police said Curry was cooperating with their investigation and they are awaiting autopsy results from the medical examiner’s office.
“I do everything for my kids. I work hard for them,” said Curry, who worked this summer at Domino’s and Greensville High School. “That’s how much I love my kids. They didn’t ask to be here, you know? I did anything I could for my kid.”
Man who followed teen into Phoenix restroom is beaten to death by girl’s father
Phoenix, AZ (KNXV) — A man who tried to enter a teenage girl’s bathroom stall was confronted and killed by the girl’s father, officials say.
According to Phoenix police, around 11:30 p.m. on August 2, 40-year-old Melvin Harris went to the QuikTrip near Dunlap and 19th avenues to pick up his teenage daughter and her friends.
A man, who would later become the victim, approached Harris’ car in the parking lot and asked for money. Harris gave him some money, and the man went into the QuikTrip.
Harris was later informed that a man tried to enter the bathroom stall his daughter was using. The teen told an employee, who in turn alerted an on-duty security guard.
The man exited the store and was pointed out to Harris, who realized it was the same man he had given money to earlier. Harris went into the store and told the security guard that, “he needed to take care of the situation, or [Harris] would do it himself.” The guard reportedly told Harris he would handle it.
According to witnesses, Harris later approached the man and punched him in the face. Witnesses also reportedly told police that Harris stood over him, hitting him in the face several more times. He also allegedly kicked and stomped on him.
Harris then left the area. Police identified and located Harris at his home nearby.
He reportedly told police that the man punched him first, hitting him in the neck. He denied striking the man when he was down.
The victim was taken to the hospital with a broken nose and brain injuries. He later died.
Harris has been charged with second-degree murder.
What I Learned When A Guy Insulted My Skin Color On A Date
Colorism is real
It was the middle of spring in 2015. My friend and I were making our way through through a lively day party. As we were looking for a spot on the dance floor, a man who was clearly inebriated and looked to be about 12 years my senior grabbed my arm and insisted on whispering drunken sweet nothings in my ear.
In an attempt to escape, I sought refuge next to a chill, quiet guy who peeped my struggle and pretended to be my boyfriend. For the rest of the night, he and I got to know each other and ended up exchanging numbers.
A couple of months later, we were dating regularly and I genuinely enjoyed his company. One day we took a trip to the beach for an afternoon of fun in the sun. With the relaxing sound of waves crashing, the warmth of the Florida sun and the refreshing ocean breeze, it had all the makings of a beautiful date.
That’s when it happened.
After we changed into our beachwear and made our way to the shoreline, he jokingly said to me, “I hope I don’t get as dark as you.”
I looked at him as if he had two heads. I know he didn’t say what I think he just said, I thought to myself. While I took mental note of his racist remark, I decided to let it go for the time being, thinking that everyone says stupid things from time to time and I also didn’t want to come across as too sensitive or defensive (even though I had every right to be).
As a dark-skinned black woman, this was not the first time that my complexion had been referred to in a negative manner by a potential mate. As a teenager and even as a young adult, the guys I knew were not at all shy about sharing their preferences. Hearing male friends or classmates gush over a lighter-skinned girl often left me feeling invisible and downright ignored.
As my feet sank into the sand with each step, I wondered if I’d made the right decision by coming on this date.
After walking along the beach for some time, we reached a popular seafood restaurant. As we waited for our food to be served, my date saw a man who happened to be a little darker than me and said, “At least you won’t get that dark.”
Strike No. 2, I thought to myself.
“Why are you so concerned about how dark I’m going to get?” I immediately asked. “And why are you worried about other people’s skin tones?”
Instead of getting angry, I tried to educate him. (This was three years ago and I had a lot of patience). I informed him that his comments were ignorant and unnecessary. He shrugged it off, saying that he was just joking and that it wasn’t a big deal.
Soon thereafter, our plates arrived and food was his only saving grace. But after our meal, I just couldn’t shake his remarks.
I had to know: If we were going to continue dating each other, would my skin tone be a problem for him? If I got just a touch darker, would he be able to handle it? Would the richness of my melanin cause him to implode? Had he not heard of black girl magic?!
I decided to ask him, “Have you ever dated a dark-skinned girl before?”
That’s when he sheepishly replied, “Well, dark-skinned girls aren’t really my first choice.”
For a moment, it felt as if time stood still. His words stung with rejection. I looked at him in disbelief.
He then added that he’d only dated light-skinned girls previously. (For those of you wondering what his ethnicity was, he was half-Puerto Rican and half-black.)
So what does that make me, I thought. Runner-up? Second place? An experiment? Was he only dating me until his light-skinned Nubian queen came along?
I quickly gathered my belongings and told him I was ready to leave. I didn’t want to make a scene at the beach and feared what would come out of my mouth if I opened it.
We rode home in complete silence, except for when he stopped for gas and asked me if I wanted some ice cream. I curtly told him no. As he dropped me off at my place, he said in a quiet, whispering voice, “I’m sorry if I disrespected you in any way and I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” I gave him a final, fatal side-eye and headed in.
As I lay in bed, recalling the events from earlier that day, I felt my eyes welling up. I cried for reasons that I didn’t understand at first. I was raised to be a strong black woman and I wasn’t supposed to let this sort of thing affect me.
As a child and young teen, I often viewed my dark skin as a handicap, keeping me from experiencing true beauty. I’ve received the backhanded “You’re pretty for a dark-skinned girl” compliment and experienced feelings of shame when I turned a few shades darker after playing in the sun.
It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I began not only accepting, but admiring my complexion. After sharing my insecurities with a friend of mine who also had dark skin, she immediately pulled my arm into the sunlight and asked, “Do you see how our skin sparkles in the light?” It was from that moment on that my negative mindset about having darker skin began to dissipate.
With time and support from family and friends, my confidence increased and I started to see the beauty in my dark skin. As I became an adult, I began to truly relish having a deep complexion and started sharing those feelings with my fellow dark-skinned sisters and brothers. It was a journey of self-reflection and self-love that no one could ever take from me. However, after years of working to build up my self-esteem, this guy came and nearly knocked it all down.
OK, so he didn’t knock it down, but he did put a dent in it.
The truth was that even though I’d cultivated an appreciation for my skin color over the years, what he said caused old feelings to resurface. I cried because his words took me back to the little girl who was petrified of getting darker on hot, sunny days. I cried because even though I tried my best to be strong and resilient, what he said made me feel inadequate and unpretty. I cried because I was pissed, embarrassed and betrayed by my own emotions.
The next day I let him know how asinine and offensive his comments were and he continued to apologize profusely, saying that he had a bad habit of sticking his foot in his mouth. He told me that he needed someone who would “put up with his occasional bullshit.” Long story short, we didn’t work out. I simply couldn’t imagine spending any more time with someone who demonstrated that level of ignorance.
I did manage to learn a few lessons after my disaster date. I knew that even though he didn’t appreciate my chocolate skin, there were others out there who would and that I should never settle for anyone who makes me feel less than. I’m now dating a man who loves my skin color, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This situation encouraged me not to fall victim to the lingering effects of slavery and colonization on today’s unrealistic standards of beauty. It reminded me of the importance of teaching children (and adults) that every shade is beautiful and that no one is better than the other. Lastly, it empowered me to continue living my best life, loving myself and reveling in my precious dark-skinned black girl magic.
Do you have a personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!b
READ MORE——-> HUFFPOST
Elfen’s NEW TO ME OLD TO YOU MUSIC Jadakiss Ft Anthony Hamilton Why?
This week I bring you Why? By Jadakiss ft Anthony Hamilton. Jadakiss is asking questions in 2004 that still haven’t been answered. Anthony Hamilton is killin’ the vocals as usual.
You can fine Jadakiss on Twitter
Upcoming concerts —–> https://www.songkick.com/concerts/34914894-fabolous-at-factory220
Report details sexual abuse by more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania’s Catholic Church
A new grand jury report says that internal documents from six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania show that more than 300 “predator priests” have been credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims.
Molestations and rapes
Read more via: Report details sexual abuse by more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania’s Catholic Church
ICE agents set ‘trap’ for immigrants seeking legal residency
“…It’s our job to locate and arrest them.”
Two federal immigration agencies worked together in a coordinated effort to set deportation traps for unsuspecting immigrants seeking legal status, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleged in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen this week.
According to the Boston Globe, the two agencies arranged meetings for the undocumented immigrants at government offices, where they were subsequently arrested, and in some cases deported.
According to e-mails obtained by the Globe between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and employees of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), ICE asked government officials to space out the meetings so that the public wouldn’t catch on and draw “negative media interests.”
“As far as scheduling goes, I would prefer not to do them all at one time as it is [not] only a strain on our ability to transport and process several arrests at once, but it also has the potential to be a trigger for negative media interests, as we have seen in the past,” Andrew Graham, an ICE officer, wrote to a USCIS employee in one email from October.
ACLU lawyers described the meetings as “traps.”
ACLU Massachusetts✔@ACLU_Mass
Documents reveal the stunning extent to which the federal government used its own regulations – which were designed to protect the families of noncitizens from unnecessary separation during the legalization process – to target people for detention and deportation. pic.twitter.com/VZYkBB5jtI
ACLU Massachusetts✔@ACLU_Mass
Information uncovered by documents and depositions shows USCIS actively coordinated with ICE to schedule and facilitate arrests at USCIS offices.
Learn more about the case and read the latest filing: https://www.aclum.org/en/cases/calderon-v-nielsen …#FamiliesBelongTogether pic.twitter.com/aXPMEYWQfu
According to the Globe, the e-mails are part of the lawsuit against DHS Secretary Nielsen challenging the Trump administration’s practice of separating married couples as one spouse seeks legal status.
Article via: ICE agents set ‘trap’ for immigrants seeking legal residency
Bella Thorne Accused of Ripping off Black Owned Makeup Brand
20-year-old ex-Disney star Bella Thorne launched her makeup line on Saturday. The actress already had clothing and other Hot-Topic looking items via her Shopify store Filthy Fangs, but the addition of two eyeshadow palettes is what really has people talking.
As soon as pictures were posted, people on social media quickly began to point out how similar Thorne’s brand new eyeshadow palettes resemble those from an independent, black-owned makeup brand, Juvia’s Place.
Nigeria-born wife and mother of two Chichi Eburu launched the cosmetic company a little over four years ago; Juvia’s Place is known for their highly pigmented eyeshadow palettes and Afrocentric packaging.
You can take a look at the side-by-side of both palettes below to make a decision for yourself.
90’s Baby@WhatsLDBupto
So Bella Thorne has a makeup line that looks JUST like Juvia’s place for triple the cost… like straight ripped off. Colors and packaging look… I cannot.
Read more via: Bella Thorne Accused of Ripping off Black Owned Music Brands
Animal shelter workers: We were forced to freeze kittens to death
Indiana cops are investigating a disturbing case of animal abuse, in which shelter workers allegedly euthanized kittens by freezing them alive.
Several ex-employees have come forward and claimed to have witnessed the cruel and inhumane procedure being performed at the Spencer County Animal Shelter on at least two different occasions.
One former worker named Bridgett Woodson spoke to local media outlets about the horrific things she saw during her three and a half months working at the shelter. She told reporters that she was asked to participate in the kitty killings twice — with the most recent case coming on July 31.
“The first time I was given an option to either just put it in a bag and put it in the freezer with no sedation, nothing — because I’m not a vet, I don’t have the license to be able to do that,” Woodson explained, speaking to WEHT.
“The second time I was not given the option, and I was just told to go ahead and put it in the freezer,” she said. “I mean, this cat was still up and moving and I had told her, and I still got the same response.”
Woodson reportedly refused “both times” to put the cats in the freezer and eventually took it upon herself to call the vet. She was allegedly ordered to carry out the killings by a Spencer County Animal Control Officer, the Courier & Press reports.
“I had to do something,” Woodson told the newspaper, noting how she quit her job and eventually got cops to investigate.
“I’m super concerned about the animals,” she said. “If this is deemed as acceptable and no one is held accountable, what else will start to slip through the cracks.”
Spencer County Sheriff’s Office Detective Chris King, who is handling the case, told WEHT that a number of witnesses have come forward since Woodson first accused the shelter of animal abuse. They claimed to have seen at least two freezer killings — one of which included the deaths of four kittens at once.
County officials expect the investigation to be taken over by the Indiana State Police due to conflict-of-interest reasons.
The animal control officer allegedly involved in the kitty deaths, identified by WEHT as Christina Payne, refused to answer requests for comment over the weekend. Woodson has been sharing text messages they exchanged about the alleged abuse with local media outlets.
“Hey. I took the cat to the vet and had it put down,” the ex-employee wrote in one text to Payne, according to the Courier.
“You can take the cost out of my pay check if that’s a problem,” she said. “I will not be putting live animals in the freezer if there’s another option available, please don’t ask me to do that again.”
In response, Payne wrote: “That’s fine but so you know, the freezer option is no less humane. It’s fine though Bridge. I’m here for my employees. Always.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals considers the “slow chilling or freezing of unanesthetized animals” an unacceptable and inhumane method of euthanasia. It’s unclear when the investigation will be complete, but state police officials told the Courier that they expect to have an update in the coming days.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/animal-shelter-workers-we-were-forced-to-freeze-kittens-to-death/
Nun busted for smuggling cocaine in high heels
A Missouri nun smuggled 2 pounds of cocaine into Australia using her high heels — but claims she was duped into the act by a man she met online.
Denise Marie Woodrum, 51, was caught arriving into Sydney Airport last August while making her way through customs — when officers discovered the drugs stuffed into the heels of her shoes, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday.
But her lawyer, Rebecca Neil, told District Court Judge Penelope Wass last week that the items were meant for a mystery man Woodrum had met online named Hendrik Cornelius.
“She was groomed to provide a financial gain for this person, Hendrik Cornelius, whatever person or persons it was behind this identity,” Neil said, according to the paper.
“She went on this trip thinking she was bringing artifacts for him.”
After a failed marriage and major health problems that led to crippling bills, Woodrum, a sister of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, a religious order based in Kansas, believed she had met someone special online.
“Can you promise you will never leave me?” she had texted him last July. “You are my Only and First True Family!!!”
Despite exchanging hundreds of texts with Cornelius, Woodrum had never met him face to face — and her lawyer claimed she was just a “vulnerable” woman who had been preyed on.
Woodrum pleaded guilty in January to importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug — but there are still questions surrounding how much she knew about what she was smuggling.
Wass questioned the claim that Woodrum was duped by an online lover, finding it “inconsistent and unbelievable.”
“I am less than convinced by her explanation,” she said, according to the Herald.
Prosecutor Ben Dunstan urged the judge to find that Woodrum knew she was bringing in cocaine as part of a plot she had full agency in.
Woodrum had flown from Missouri to Texas and then to Trinidad and Tobago on July 18. The next day she traveled to Suriname in South America, and on July 25 she texted someone named “Stacie”: “This whole trip is paid for and will get additional payment for work.”
On July 30 she texted Cornelius, “Riding in his car to get stuff no signature needed,” and on Aug. 2, she texted him a list of expenses for hotels and flights and then departed to Sydney.
When stopped at the airport, Woodrum said she’d come to Sydney to see the Harbour Bridge and the aquarium and that the shoes in her suitcase were a gift for her mom.
After being told the slingbacks tested positive for cocaine, she reportedly replied: “Why, how much did you find?”
She later told investigators she’d been given gifts and clothes in South America to give to people in Sydney. All the while, Cornelius was sending her messages that read: “Are you ok?” “What are you doing honey?” “Shuttle?” “In taxi?”
Woodrum has been in custody since the day she was arrested and will be sentenced next month.
Meanwhile, her dad, who lives in Illinois, said his daughter’s arrest “was a big shock to the whole family.”
“It just came out of the blue,” her father, Tom Rozanski, told the Herald.
Rozanski said his daughter was a former teacher with a master’s degree in marketing who suffered from depression and had undergone a hysterectomy.
“All of a sudden she met someone she talked to,” he told the paper. “She said she was going to be doing some traveling.”
“Life took a turn. She has never done anything like this before, and this experience has been difficult for me to understand. Mostly because none of our family has had anything happen to them that even remotely resembles what Denise has done,” he added.
“I’m just hoping the best for her, that’s all I can tell you.”
via: https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/nun-busted-for-smuggling-cocaine-in-high-heels/
Photo credit: Australian Border Force