Archive for June, 2011


There’s an old expression about it being better to be lucky than good.

The following story from The Examiner is a prime example of that:

>>Man has heart attack in Maine heart disease class

A Maine cardiologist and a team of nurses are being credited with saving the life of a heart attack victim, but it wasn’t in an emergency room.

Dr. William Phillips was giving a lecture Monday on heart disease at the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston when he was interrupted by a man complaining of chest pain.

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I’m pretty sure this happened in an episode of the CBS show CSI during its first or second seasons. That doesn’t make it any less appalling, though.

Here’s the story from chron.com:

>>HOUSTON — A suspected drunken driver struck and killed a pedestrian on a Houston freeway early Tuesday, then drove for several miles after the victim had crashed through the windshield and landed next to the passenger’s seat, authorities said.

The driver, James Onak, 49, faces a felony charge of failure to stop and render aid in a fatality and a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, said Donna Hawkins, a spokeswoman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Onak had an attorney. The felony charge carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The name of the male victim, 32, has not been released by authorities.

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I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again–I can’t make this stuff up, folks!

Check out this amazing “stupid criminals” story that has to go into the hall of fame. It’s from this story:

>>A drunk Westerville woman sprays deputies with breast milk after she gets into a fight with her husband at a wedding reception, deputies say.

Stephanie Robinette, 30, pleaded not guilty in court Monday to charges of domestic violence, assault, obstructing official business, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

“I take these charges very seriously. I absolutely intend to seek help for substance abuse and alcohol,” Robinette said in court. “I’m absolutely serious to go forward with counseling and rehabilitation.”

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A man’s life is apparently worth $4 in lottery tickets.

Check out the story from the Fox affiliate in New York City’s website:

>>MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) – Felony murder charges have been filed against a man accused in the dragging death of a northern New Jersey gas station owner, who authorities say was killed over the alleged theft of a few dollars worth of lottery tickets.

Bail was set Sunday at $750,000 for 34-year-old Ronnie Fedo of Lake Hopatcong. He’s also charged with aggravated manslaughter, death by auto, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and robbery in connection with Saturday afternoon’s incident in Jefferson Township.

Speaking at a news conference Sunday in Morristown, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said Fedo arrived at the station in a sport utility vehicle around 1:45 p.m. and went into its convenience store. At the time, the station’s owner — 65-year-old Nisan Ambaroglu of Paramus — was working at the gas pumps and no staffers were in the store.

Fedo soon reached over the counter and took the lottery tickets — about $3 to $4 worth — and put them in his pants pocket, Bianchi said. Ambaroglu then entered the store a short time later and Fedo, after making unrelated purchase, left and entered his vehicle.

After realizing what had happened, Ambaroglu ran out and went to the driver’s side window of the SUV in a bid to stop Fedo, who drove off and dragged Ambaroglu through the parking lot and then for about 100 yards on Route 15 South. Ambaroglu then fell from the vehicle and ended up in the roadway as Fedo drove away.

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You know you’re in trouble when the garbage pick-up people need armed guards!

Here’s the story from breitbart.com:

>>Naples garbage men get armed guards as crisis escalates

The mayor of Naples on Thursday ordered armed guards to escort garbage trucks around his city, warning that organised crime rings were fomenting a grave waste crisis that is putting residents at risk.

“The environmental and sanitary situation is serious. There is a real risk for the health of citizens. The situation is made more difficult because the garbage is being set on fire,” Luigi de Magistris told reporters.

“We will ask the police to provide an armed guard for the trucks,” he said after signing an order that will enforce the new measure for 30 days.

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Thank goodness for a missing person story with a happy ending!

Check out this story, from the tbo.com website:

>>Holiday woman found after being stuck in mangroves for days

A 62-year-old Holiday woman missing for four days was found Tuesday afternoon neck deep in mud and tangled in mangroves along the shore of a lake, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.

Kathleen Shino was removed from the mangroves as Pasco County Fire Rescue firefighters used a chainsaw to cut through the brush. She was taken to Community Hospital in New Port Richey in stable condition, said Kevin Doll, a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

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Working for a newspaper as I do means these are uncertain times for me and my co-workers. One never knows when further cutbacks will be coming, and that makes those of us working for the print media waiting for the next changes to take place.

One of the biggest newspaper/communication companies in the country has announced layoffs. You can check the story from the Fairfield Sun Times below:

>>Gannett Announces Newspaper Layoffs

Bob Dickey, President of Gannett’s U.S. Community Publishing Division, announced today in a confidential company memo that the divison was cutting its’ workforce by 2%.

The Sun Times has obtained a copy of the memo, which was posted on an unofficial employee blog.

The move is expected to affect 700 workers at the company’s newspaper operations across the nation.

This is the largest layoff by the media giant since 2009, when 1400 jobs were cut.   This will make the 4th round of cuts since 2008.

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It’s tough for people who don’t have any income these days. It makes people desperate, especially when they need medical attention.

Here’s one such story from the UK Guardian website:

>>US man stages $1 robbery to get state healthcare

Unemployed and without health insurance, man in North Carolina has himself arrested in order to receive treatment

It was not perhaps the most obvious way of getting a bad back, arthritis and a dodgy foot seen to. But if you’re unemployed in North Carolina with no health insurance, there is no obvious way.

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Every once in a while, there’s justice in this world although it would have been better if it had happened sooner in this case.

Here’s just such a story from the AP via the Dallas/Fort Worth area:

>>Man dies while raping elderly South Texas woman

REFUGIO, Texas (AP) — Investigators said a man has died while in the act of raping an elderly South Texas woman.

The Refugio County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 53-year-old Isabel Chavelo Gutierrez. Sheriff’s Sgt. Gary Wright said the incident happened June 2 after he rode two miles by bicycle from his home to that of his 77-year-old victim in the tiny coastal community of Tivoli. View full article »

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What’s that? A woman’s lawn was stolen?

Yes, that’s what happened, and here’s the story from edmontonjournal.com:

>>Did you hear the one about the stolen front lawn?

EDMONTON — Denise Thompson had a beautiful front lawn, thick and green. It was where her four children and two dogs played, and where she drank coffee on sunny mornings.

Then someone stole it. They didn’t even leave a note.

“Now my place looks like I’m a farmer who just plowed and is ready to put their seeds down,” she said Monday.

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