Fire the Detective, Hire a Meter Maid

February 29, 2008

Eileen Ponce-Orta's family called Covina, California, police to report she was missing on Valentine's Day. A few days later,  police in Pomona called family members and asked them to pick up her van, which was illegally parked near a police station. Ponce-Orta's mother went to chek the van and found her daughter's body buried under blankets and other items. The daughter had been stabbed and killed. Pomona police say the officer who discovered the van ran a check on license plates and knew that it was connected to a missing persons report, but say the information he was working under led to him to believe a cursory look at the vehicle from outside was sufficient.

Driving the Amish

February 28, 2008

Denise George's Amish neighbors' religion doesn't allow them to own automobiles, so she drives them to town every now and then. They give her gas money, and sometimes homemade goods and crafts. Many people would say she is just being neighborly. But not the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The commission sent letters to George and others warning them that they are violating state laws against carrying passengers for compensation by giving lifts to the Amish.

But You Feel Safer, Don't You?

February 27, 2008

Steve Brook and Mandy Smith had taken their 11-month-old daughter Rebecca out to a local park in Oldham, England. They were taking a photo of her on a swing when a park warden rushed over and ordered them to stop. "I asked him why and he said it was illegal to take pictures of children in the park," Steve said. Town officials said the warden misinterpreted their policy and they have corrected him.

Close Enough for Police Work

February 26, 2008

Blytheville, Arkansas, police were looking for a Travis Henderson who had failed to show up for court on a reckless driving charge. Two officers spotted a man one recognized as Travis Henderson, a Special Olympics athlete who is something of a local celebrity. They say when they attempted to handcuff him, he resisted. So one of the officers Tased him. It turns out he wasn't the Travis Henderson they were looking for. Police Chief Ross Thompson defends the officers' actions, but the local prosecutor dropped charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct against Henderson.

Freedom of Religion

February 25, 2008

The Right Rev. Anthony Priddis, a Church of England bishop, blocked John Reaney's appointment as a church youth worker. Reaney says it was because he is gay. Priddis reportedly believed that Reaney's lifestyle would "impact the spiritual, moral and ethical leadership within the Diocese." So Reaney sued, and the Cardiff Employment Tribunal ordered Priddis to pay him £47,345 and to undergo equal opportunity training.

Get Off Your High Horse

February 22, 2008

Maria Campbell says she uses two miniature horses in therapy at a group home she runs in Mayville, Wisconsin. But city officials have ordered her to get rid of the little horses, claiming they violate a city ban on farm animals. Officials say neighbors have complained about the horses. The neighbors haven't cited any actual problems officials admit, but they apparently feel there could be problems with odor or animal waste in the future.

Wasn't That a Movie with Joan Collins?

February 21, 2008

Mick Forsythe admits he accidentally scratched Lorna Steele's car while parking outside a tattoo parlor she runs in Newtown, Wales. But a discussion of the accident got heated and Forsythe called Steele an "English bitch." Apparently, British law takes a dim view of calling someone English. A court found Forsythe guilty of racially aggravated disorderly behavior for his remarks. The court sentenced him to 10 weeks in jail but suspended the sentence.

Getting Rapped

February 20, 2008

Iranian authorities are cracking down on rap music. Iranians are supposed to have prior approval from the government before making any records. But in their country, rap is spread through underground channels. Officials say they will close any illegal studios they discover and "confront" rappers.

Spooked

February 19, 2008

China has banned movies and TV shows dealing with the occult and the supernatural or that aim to frighten people. The government says fictional horror and violence are harmful to the psychological development of children.

No Card (or Candy) for You

February 18, 2008

In Saudi Arabia, the government ordered florists and gift shops to remove red-colored items before Valentine's Day, especially red roses. Saudi religious authorities reportedly believe the celebration of Valentine's Day encourages romantic relationships between unmarried men and women.

Some Parting Gift

February 15, 2008

David Sanders spent eight months in prison on child molestation charges before another man confessed to the crime. Sanders was freed from prison, but the city of Milwaukee paid him just $5,000 and legal fees as compensation for wrongly imprisoning him.

Parks, Not People

February 14, 2008

In Australia, Grant Cohen and couple of other parents began taking their children to Caulfield's Princes Park a couple of evenings each week. The youngsters would run around the park and play games. But after a few weeks, they were warned by park officials that organized groups were not allowed in the park. Officials say that even a single family could count as an organized group under park rules. "If even a few kids are banned, what's the point of having a park? They might as well put up apartment blocks and cut our rates," said Cohen.

You Can Read It. But You Can't Sell It

February 13, 2008

Malaysian authorities seized 32 Bibles from a woman coming into the country at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Officials say they sent the Bibles to the Security Ministry for vetting, but only to determine if they were brought into the country for commercial purposes.

Swept Away

February 12, 2008

For 62 years, Betty Davies has swept the sidewalk outside her house. But the 88-year-old was recently told to stop doing it by a Splott, Cardiff, Wales, council worker. She says the man told her she could be taken to court and fined for breaking littering laws because she swept leaves into the street.

Don't Rally Round the Flag

February 11, 2008

Gary Hudgins placed American flags on every vehicle at his car dealership, saying he did it to show his patriotism. Donald Smith put flags on all the light poles at his Nissan dealership. Now, both men have been cited by Glynn County, Georgia, code enforcement officers for violating a ban on flags, banners and portable signs.

Is Anyone Shocked?

February 8, 2008

Surveillance video shows Shreveport police officer Ryan Robinson looking around to make sure officers aren't watching before walking up behind Carnado Brown, who was talking on a cell phone outside a night club. Robinson then tased Brown. Robinson was suspended for 45 days, but no criminal charges were filed against him. And police chief Henry Whitehorn says he has no plans to do a criminal investigation of the case, which happened before he took office.

This is Your School on Drugs

February 7, 2008

Two students at Pennsylvania's Waynesburg Central High School were suspended for 10 days after they made an anti-drug commercial for a TV workshop. The students crushed candy and used it to represent cocaine. That violated a school policy that not only bans drugs but things that look like drugs. At least one of the students was also told to undergo drug counseling.

The Cops Are Easily Distracted

February 6, 2008

A judge dismissed a charge of aiding the escape of a criminal suspect against Boston attorney Simon Glik. But Glik still faces charges of wiretapping and disturbing the peace. Glik used his cell phone to record police in the Boston Common arresting a 16-year-old boy on drug charges. Police claim he distracted them, allowing the boy to temporarily escape.

Skip It

February 5, 2008

In Medford, Massachusetts, an automated telephone system made some 2,100 calls one morning telling parents their children were not in school. After they discovered what had happened, school officials called again telling parents that first call was in error.

All the Young Turks

February 4, 2008

Gazi University professor Atilla Yayla says the early Turkish republic wasn't as progressive as official history books say. And the government seems intent on proving the current republic isn't that progressive, either. Prosecutors charged Yayla with "insulting Turkishness" and asked he be sentenced to five years in prison. A court found him guilty of the charge but gave him a 15-month suspended sentence. Yayla says he will appeal.

You Can't Go Home But You Can Stay Here

February 1, 2008

In the wake of three drug-and-alcohol-related deaths, Southern Methodist University put together a task force to work on ways to combat substance abuse. One of the task force's solutions: An on-campus bar. University officials were quick to correct the media and point out that to call it a "bar" was unfair, because it would serve beer, not hard alcohol. "I think it might put the school in a bad light," said Brett Johnstone, a 22-year-old senior at the Texas school. "It already has an image that we're a party school."