PUEBLO, Colo. — It was a dumb way to try to sneak drugs into prison. Pueblo County authorities said a 22-year-old woman worked out a plan with her boyfriend to get narcotics into jail Wednesday through a courtroom exchange at her own sentencing hearing. Officials learned of the plot because the woman in jail, Felisha Trujillo, and her boyfriend talked about the plot on a monitored phone line. Phil Martinez, 26, allegedly dropped a bag of narcotics in the jury box before Trujillo’s hearing, when the courtroom was empty. The alleged drug drop happened minutes after elementary school students had finished a mock trial in the same courtroom. Detectives were watching, and Martinez was arrested. Both Martinez and Trujillo face drug and contraband charges. — Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com
January 29, 2010 | Posted in
Weird |
Read More »
1-2-3’s instead if A-B-C’s? By Nicole Papageorge Story Created: Jan 28, 2010 at 6:10 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 28, 2010 at 6:10 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – A-B-C’s could be changing to 1-2-3’s in Collier County. The school district says they have an idea for a new report card that could help parents better gauge their child’s progress. Four elementary schools; Mike Davis, Veterans, Estates and Lely, could start using different report cards in grades K-2. “You will see there’s a lot more information on their report card,” says Martha Hayes with the Collier County School District. Instead of using the traditional A-B-C’s, this card will use 1-2-3’s. “They will know specifically what their child does or does not know,” says Hayes. “There’s a ruberick on the report card. One means no progress and three means the student has met the standard.” The standard being, at least in part, the F-CATs. “They’ll have a really good idea, a lot more content with what their child is doing,” says Hayes. Parents we spoke with have mixed reaction. “I’m o.k. with it it may be a little bit easier to read,” says parent Toni Smith. “Now you’re taking the report card and changing it just for the benefit of an FCAT test. It’s wrong, it’s ridiculous,” says parent Candy Stapleton. But, Hayes says other districts across the state are moving to the new system too because the old one isn’t working effectively. “It doesn’t tell the parent that they have mastered the standards that they need to that the state of florida says are necessary,” says Hayes. The school board will vote on the proposal next month. If it passes, the district will hold parent conferences at each pilot school to explain the system.
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Naples News |
Read More »
AVON PARK, Fla. — A man faces fraud charges after reportedly pretending to be his twin brother after he was pulled over for driving under the influence. The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office reported that 43-year-old man was pulled over Jan. 20 and charged with DUI. But deputies said the man initially identified himself as his brother and signed that name on his citation and jail forms. Deputies discovered the suspect’s real identity the next day. He reportedly told deputies that he used his brother’s name because his driver’s license was suspended. Besides the DUI, the man was charged with fraudulent impersonation, altering a public record certificate, passing a forged-altered instrument and several misdemeanors. He was being held on $31,250 bail. — Information from: The Tampa Tribune, http://www.tampatrib.com
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Weird |
Read More »
MINNEOLA, Kan. — A Clark County undersheriff said he was just following his instincts when he found more than $1 million during a traffic stop. Undersheriff Daniel Knowles stopped a vehicle last week on U.S. 54 just outside of Minneola and became suspicious of the driver. Knowles searched the car and found a hidden compartment with the money packed inside. He said the money smelled like marijuana. The total amount was $1,017,183. Paperwork has been filed with the Clark County Attorney’s office to begin the asset forfeiture process. The Drug Enforcement Agency is helping to investigate the incident. The names of the people in the car have not been released. — Information from: The Emporia Gazette, http://www.emporiagazette.com/
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Weird |
Read More »
STANWOOD, Wash. — The keys were in the ignition of a pickup truck that hit a freight train at a Washington state crossing, but there’s no sign of the driver or any trauma. Snohomish County sheriff’s Lt. John Flood told The Daily Herald he hasn’t seen a case like it in 20 years. Railroad workers and emergency responders searched the tracks and dug through the mangled wreckage after the crash early Thursday. Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas (muh-LOH’-nus) says the 43-car train was traveling about 25 mph when the truck hit a rail car from the rear. The train dragged the truck for half a mile. An empty tank car derailed. — Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Weird |
Read More »
Are you prepared for a highway emergency? By WINK News Story Created: Jan 27, 2010 at 9:01 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 28, 2010 at 6:52 AM EST BUCKINGHAM, FL- Would you know what to do if your accelerator got stuck? Lee county driving instructor Steve Emerson says there is one key to survival. Staying calm. Emerson says if your accelerator sticks, you should start focusing on where you will be slowing down. Plan to get to the right side of the road. Here are some steps to take: 1. Stay calm 2. Put your car in neutral 3. Ignore the over-revving of the engine 4. Start to apply the brake, GENTLY SLOW YOUR VEHICLE. (An abrupt stop in traffic could cause an accident) 5. Use your turn signal and guide your vehicle to the side of the road 6. When you are safely in the emergency lane, bring the vehicle to a full stop 7. Turn off your engine and call for help Remembering what to do in an emergency can be the difference between life and death.
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Naples News |
Read More »
Business owner too afraid to go to work Candle shop owner says she’s a target of racial harassment By Renee Stoll Story Created: Jan 27, 2010 at 10:19 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 27, 2010 at 10:49 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, FL. – A Collier business owner says she’s loosing money everyday. The reason? She says she’s being harassed because of the color of her skin. “I’ve been so scared coming to my shop because of the incident that happened,” candle shop owner Kerren Laitalille explains. Just months after Laitalille opened, she says she’s being harassed. “They don’t want me here because of my race and my color.” Laitalille has a list of restricted late night calls that recently same to her business line, leading her to call 911. She says the caller on the other end was threatening her. “Oh you n****r, I’m going to make sure you guys close down. I’m going to call Collier County zone to get your black a** out of this property. We don’t want your kind over here,” Laitalille recalls the man on the other end saying. But, she’s not the only one harassed. Laitalille tells me another minority business owner in the plaza had his shop vandalized. That owner wasn’t available to talk. The sheriff’s office is looking into the incident. In the meantime, the candle shop remains closed and loosing money because its owner is in fear of what might happen next. Unfortunately for her, Laitalille says she may have to relocate her business for her own safety.
January 28, 2010 | Posted in
Naples News |
Read More »
Outbreak of Norovirus at 5 Collier nursing homes By Nicole Papageorge Story Created: Jan 27, 2010 at 6:11 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 27, 2010 at 6:11 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – The Health Department is reporting an outbreak of the Norovirus in five nursing homes. “Symptoms of Norovirus are nausea, vomitting, diarrhea, headache, chills and general fatigue,” says Deb Milsap with the Collier County Health Department. Norovirus is very common. The Centers for Disease Control says more than 23-million Americans get the virus every year. It’s also highly contagious. “It spreads easily from person to person to person and it usually occurs where people congregate or live closely together; cruise ships, dorms and nursing homes,” says Milsap. Two nursing homes are still not admitting new residents into their facilities so they can help contain the virus. The Health Department says thye have seen people at local emergency rooms with similar symptoms. The best way to protect yourself and your family is by washing your hands thoroughly.
January 27, 2010 | Posted in
Naples News |
Read More »
Freeze leaves farm workers in dire straits By Nicole Papageorge Story Created: Jan 26, 2010 at 5:49 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 26, 2010 at 5:49 PM EST COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – We’re still learning how the recent cold snap affected local crops and the people who work on them. Once bustling, packing houses around Immokalee are now like ghost towns. The recent freeze wiped out thousands of acres of crops and left farm workers in dire straits; without work, food, or shelter. “Difficult, very much so,” says farm worker Gerardo Jiminez. Jiminez used to pick tomatoes at Collier Fresh. Now, he waits in line at the Guadalupe Center hoping to get a meal. “Don’t know what else to do, I have family and they need to work,” says Jiminez. Hundreds of others like him are also lining up, pushing the soup kitchen to its limits. “Record numbers,” says The Guadalupe Center’s Alicia Lindo-Hodge. “Today we’ll probably get about eight seatings, norrmally its three or four.” People are in such need, farm worker representatives are pleading with Collier County Commissioners for help. “Haiti deserves our attention but Immokalee also, our backyard, deserves our attention,” says Richard Heers, Exec. Dir., of I.H.O.P.E. (Immokalee Helping Our People In Emergencies). Now, workers like Jiminez will wait and try to make it through the next two months until the land is no longer barren and the packing houses are bustling once again. The Guadalupe Center is asking for monetary donations. You can contact them at www.guadalupecenter.net or at (239) 658-1999.
January 27, 2010 | Posted in
Uncategorized |
Read More »
Largest child porn bust in Collier history Man has over 500 files of child porn By Renee Stoll Story Created: Jan 26, 2010 at 6:42 PM EST Story Updated: Jan 26, 2010 at 10:38 PM EST EAST NAPLES, FL. – The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has it’s largest child pornography bust ever Tuesday morning. Twenty-four year old Daniel Guevara-Vilca is in the Naples jail tonight, and the computer forensics team is going through three computers taken from his home. Detectives at a press conference Tuesday afternoon tells us what they saw on his computer were sex acts with children from six to twelve years old, with each other and adults. Guevara-Vilca was home Tuesday morning with his mother and younger brother when deputies arrested him. Detectives say he admitted to the 500 files of pictures and videos on one computer, but investigators say they expect to find at least 200 more files on two other computers taken. The sheriff’s office says the images will be take off the computers and sent to the Agency for Missing and Exploited Children so victims can be identified in their nationwide database. Guevara-Vilca is facing eight months in jail for each file of child pornography if convicted.
January 27, 2010 | Posted in
Uncategorized |
Read More »
