Global reaction to MO high school kilt flap

By Greg Reeves
No one laughs at Mel Gibson or Sean Connery when they wear kilts. But Jackson (MO) High School senior Nathan Warmack was told he looked like a clown and ordered to change before he could attend a dance.

I blogged about this three weeks ago. Since then, more than 11,000 people have signed a shocked-and-appalled petition (with thousands of comments), and I heard from Matt Alexander, an Internet businessman in Glasgow, Scotland.
"The petition is snowballing at an incredible rate," Matt told me by phone. "It's become quite a big issue here in Scotland.
Scots from the Hebrides  to the Shetland Islands, in fact, have been gatherin' 'round to talk about it, he said.
"They have gotten other clan family members to come together and discuss this matter and jointly may wish to express their dissatisfaction with the principal’s decision," Matt said.
And the issue has bounced around globally. Here are some press links:

Scotland:
Scots sign up to help U.S. kilt ban student
US SCHOOL IN SPORRAN POLICY ROW
Kilt hire shops in the Highlands are struggling to cope with demand as secondary school kids are ditching suits in favour of tartan for Christmas dances and proms
Highlanders support kilt ban pupil"
What's with these uneducated educators? (with 26 pages of comments!)

Australia:
Scottish pride turns to dance ban (Sydney Morning Herald)

India:
School kilt ban draws protest (newkerala.com)

England:
Dander up over school kilt ban (London Free Press)

And this:

Celebrities in kilts
How to wear your kilt

"I think it’s gone beyond people saying that was a bad decision," Matt said. "I think it’s now become big enough for it to be used for good reason and for good effect. There’s so much the school could do by talking about culture and heritage if they got their head out of the sand."

In the sand is where the school apparently wants to stay. I called the high school and was told Principal Rick McClard had no comment.

I wonder what the high school should do, if anything. (I also wonder how I could wangle a trip to Scotland out of this...)

Accused: C.J. Hicks-Berry

From Kansas City police 8:46 a.m.:

The Jackson County Prosecutors Office has charged Christopher J. Hicks-Berry (left), black male, 03/05/1987 of KCMO, with Second Degree Murder and two counts of Armed Criminal Action in the homicide of Michael Copple. The homicide occurred in the 2400 block of Van Brunt Boulevard on October 19, 2005. Bond amount has been set at $500,000. Mr. Berry is in custody (police headquarters) and will be arraigned today at 1:30pm.

Homicides #102, #103: ID
Homicide #102: Church's Chicken

All The Star's crime stories today

Man charged in cell-phone assault case
Rally, documentary screening to focus on Till case
2 agents to leave FBI, but not each other
Parcels turn up, leave a mystery
Boot camp probe dormant
2007 trial is sought in death, abduction
18-year-old is charged in slaying of gun seller
KU housing applicants’ info was at risk
 Dads do watchdog duties at school
 Fire is called arson
Donations sought for family in fire
Metropolitan Digest
Four bound over in killing two teens, including witnes
Attorney general won't investigate Sunshine Law concerns at MU
Two men drown in Gasconade County lake
Woman sentenced for role in Wal-Mart kidnapping

 

Leawood police as of 2:46 a.m.

Daily police activity report from Leawood.

Download Dec. 26 7:30 p.m. to 2:46 a.m. today

This is no big deal (and yes, I need to get a life), but these reports often overlap or - gasp! - leave hours unreported!

I'll call the nice folks at the Leawood PD about this.

 

 

Leawood PD weekend activity

Daily police activity report from Leawood:

Download Dec. 24 7:03 p.m. through Dec. 26 5:34 a.m.

$40/wk not to use meth

Only in San Francisco? From the LA Times wire:

• SAN FRANCISCO -- For more than two decades, Robert Bowers stole money, jewelry, identities, even silverware, to feed his methamphetamine addiction. He landed in prison, rehab and Skid Row hotels.
• Until earlier this year, when the government paid Bowers to quit.
• A little-heralded program run by San Francisco's Public Health Department over the last year has given meth users rewards worth as much as $40 per week to stay off drugs. And, in a break from traditional approaches, participants receive no counseling or lectures, even if they test positive for meth use.

Full story

Achtung! Papers, please?

By Greg Reeves
In Ohio you may soon have to show your ID when asked by police, or face arrest. That's a provision of the Ohio Patriot Act, which Gov. Bob Taft is set to sign.
Judging by Google searches on "Ohio Patriot Act" and "Ohio Senate Bill 9" (the name of the bill), almost no one likes this bill except Ohio lawmakers and the governor.
The Ohio ACLU opposes it, of course. A local news channel brings up the Gestapo. A reluctant state senator says he had his reasons for joining the unanimous Senate vote in favor of the bill.
Taft spokesman Mark Rickel told me:
"It’s on his desk and legal review, he has said that he intended to sign it. He thinks that it’s a good bill to conform Ohio’s laws and update those that they specify the crime of terrorism. The governor thinks it’s reasonable to ask people to identify themselves if they’re in a suspicious situation."
That won't fly in Missouri, which has no "forced ID" law, says KCPD Sgt. Tony Sanders, who asked the department's legal staff about it on my behalf.
"The officer would have to have some reasonable suspicion of some type," Sanders said. "But as far as just walking out and saying, ‘Give me your ID’ and if they don’t give it to us, we arrest them or take some police action, no."

Thanks and a hat tip to Star reporter Karen Dillon

Chiefs-Giants fan arrests, finally

By Greg Reeves
I finallly caught up with New Jersey State Police for fan arrest stats at the Chiefs-Giants game Dec. 17.
They're the New York Giants, but they play in East Rutherford, N.J. at Giants Stadium.
"We showed nothing unusual for that game," Capt. Al Della Fave told me. "We had across the board for the entire event 14 people arrested, which is basically average. A high game usually ranges around 20, a really good game about four or five people. But this is definitely average for any sporting event run out of there."
"Of the 14 people arrests, seven were for improper behavior. The rest of the folks arrested were for trespassing. That’s basically the people who come on the property, solicit knock-off shirts and other things. Improper behavior is - people who get a little bit out of control – verbal arguments, not acting quite right, people in the section complain, and they need to be escorted out."
Fans are handed a court summons, much like a traffic ticket, Della Fave said. The charge is a municipal offense but does require a court appearance, he said.

Fan arrests in Chiefs game this season so far
Chiefs fan discussion earlier this season
All the posts in this category

Christmas in prison: BunE wins!

By Greg Reeves
My pre-Christmas post, "Christmas in prison, and the food is real good" drew a few comments. But only one reader, BunE, knew the origin of the headline and went to the trouble of posting this:

"We had turkey and pistols carved out of wood"

That's a line from the John Prine song, "Christmas in Prison" - source of the headline. That's him on the right. Lyrics:

It was Christmas in prison
And the food was real good
We had turkey and pistols
Carved out of wood
And I dream of her always
Even when I don’t dream
Her name’s on my tongue
And her blood’s in my stream.

Wait awhile eternity
Old mother nature’s got nothing on me
Come to me
Run to me
Come to me, now
We’re rolling
My sweetheart
We’re flowing
By God!

She reminds me of a chess game
With someone I admire
Or a picnic in the rain
After a prairie fire
Her heart is as big
As this whole goddamn jail
And she’s sweeter than saccharine
At a drugstore sale.

The search light in the big yard
Swings round with the gun
And spotlights the snowflakes
Like the dust in the sun
It’s Christmas in prison
There’ll be music tonight
I’ll probably get homesick
I love you. goodnight.

All the Star's crime stories Sat-Sun-Mon-today

This blog is meant to be your one-stop resource for crime-related stories from The Star. Here are links to stories today, Monday, Sunday and Saturday:

Today:
Metropolitan Digest
Motorcyclist killed when rear-ended at traffic light
Two police lost in fall from bridge
Has covetousness undone the Nun Bun?
Motive sought in bloody rampage
Shoppers sickened by stench
Hometown eliminates Schwarzenegger honor
In freewheeling Kenya, Breathalyzer is a scourge
Survivor of shooting ‘feels old’ at just 30, but finds a full life
Program would help KC police speak Spanish
Hit-and-run kills Grandview man

Monday:
Five found dead in Washington suburbs
Former Enron executive reportedly seeks a plea bargain
Cell phone swallowing probed as assault
Two questioned about robbery

Sunday:
Sober news — we’re drinking less and saving more lives

Saturday:
Metropolitan Digest
Judge erred in dismissing charges in domestic case
Signs spark legal issue
Missouri imposes stiff fine for disclosure violations
Merriam larcenies prompt warnings
Teen, district settle suit over harassment
Customer charged with delivering cocaine in death of teen escort
Reward offered in stabbing
KC man’s death leads to charges

Chiefs-Chargers: Mild in the seats

By Greg Reeves
Police made only two arrests at the Chiefs-Chargers game at Arrowhead on Christmas Eve, and recorded no fan ejections.
The low number of arrests reflected a generally well-behaved crowd,  said Sgt. Rick Sticken, supervising sergeant of KCPD off-duty operations at Arrowhead.
"One of (the arrests) was just a disturbance. We ended up checking him, he had a Clay County warrant, so we took him into custody," Sticken said. "Another one was for fighting with some fan, disorderly conduct."
That was the lowest number of fan arrests at Arrowhead this season, except for the Nov. 27 Chiefs-Patriots game, at which there was only one arrest.
"It was just cold, rainy, everybody was having a good time type day," Sticken said.
Here are fan arrests through the Chiefs season: Previous posts

 

Christmas Day family shooting

From Kansas City police Christmas Day 12:36 p.m.:

• On December 25th, 2005 at approximately 10:15am, KCMO Police were called to a residence in the 3400 block of Garfield in regard to a shooting.  Upon arrival officers located a shooting victim inside the residence.  Witnesses said the victim had a handgun in each hand and stated that "he was going to teach his step-son a lesson".  The victim then hit his 18yr old step-son (the suspect) in the head with one of the guns knocking him to the floor.  The suspect retrieved a gun and shot the victim several times before fleeing the residence.  The victim was transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.  The suspect is not in custody.

Christmas Day robbery/Op 100

From Kansas City police Christmas 1:12 p.m. (I'm posting this even though it's two days old, just for the record and because it occurred on Christmas):

• On December 25th, 2005 at 1:55am, KCMO Police were called to the Fast Stop convenience store located at 7100 Eastwood Trafficway in regard to an armed robbery.  A witness stated that 3 suspects robbed the store at gunpoint and fled the scene in a white Geo Storm.  At 2:04am, an officer observed the vehicle at 63rd and Prospect and the vehicle fled to 55th and Park where the three suspects fled on foot.  A K-9 tracked the suspects to a residence in the 5200 block of Wabash where one of the suspects was apprehended outside the residence.  The other two suspects were believed to be inside the residence and an Operation 100 was called.  At approximately 9:30am, a second suspect exited the residence and was taken into custody.  A search of the residence revealed no other suspects to be inside.  Robbery Detectives are investigating and key evidence taken in the robbery has been recovered from the residence.

Overland Park sex, drugs, alcohol

Weekly report from Overland Park police.

Download overland_park_sex_drugs_alcohol_122005_to_122605.xls

Overland Park weekend offenses

Daily offenses from Overland Park police

Download overland_park_offenses_122305_to_122505.xls

Also available at www.opkansas.org

Also see:
Interactive map of Overland Park crime data by local programmer Brett Rickman
Crime mapping by Overland Park police
Past Overland Park crime reports in this blog

Update: Drunken NFL fan arrests

By Greg Reeves
Nine fan arrests in a Nov. 27 game have caused the New York Jets to ban beer in their upcoming game against the New England patriots Monday night.
Only nine? Fan arrests at Arrowhead  have topped out at 10 this year (Eagles game). Thirty-eight fans were arrested when the Chiefs played the universally notorious Oakland Raiders in that city.
But the Nov. 27 fracas (at a Jets-Saints game) featured a double stabbing and a state trooper who suffered a broken leg. KCPD Sgt. Rick Sticken, the department's top guy at Arrowhead, has told me nothing near that serious has happened in his many years at Arrowhead.
In fact, some readers from other cities say lots of stadiums are rougher than Arrowhead. This comment landed Wednesday on the Nov. 3 post, Chiefs fans: Wild in the seats?:

• You folks don't know drunk and obnoxoius. I live in Virginia and have been a Philly Eagles season ticket holder since 1977. Nothing better then a Sun. 4:15 game,it gives Philly fan an extra three hours to drink firewater.

Beer ban coverage coast-to-coast:
Fans have nothing to look forward to (Boston)
Jets shut beer tap (KC Star)
Alcohol banned (Seattle)

Christmas in prison, and the food is real good

Christmas dinner menu, Lansing Correctional Facility:

• Roast Beef
• Roast Turkey Breast
• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• Mixed Vegetables
• Tossed Salad
• Dressing
• Dinner Rolls
• Margarine
• Pink Cake with Mint Green Frosting and Holiday Sprinkles
• Sherbet
• Fruit Drink

Source: Brett Peterson, Lansing executive officer

Dinner in Missouri prison: "Inmates partook of a traditional Christmas meal that consisted of an entrée of turkey and ham, sweet potatoes, dressing, and pumpkin pie for dessert. Again, the menu varied from institution to institution. Also, the men and women received slightly larger portions than usual." - MoDOC spokesman Wanda Seeney

Inmates in Kansas and Missouri give a lot more than they get at the holidays. Lansing's 2,437 inmates fix up bikes and donate them to needy children, for example. Inmates also operate a wood workshop and create toys for children. Both programs exist off community donations and get zero tax dollars.

In Missouri, inmates at the Chillicothe Correctional Center run a crochet group that has presented over 600 sets of scarves, hats and mittens to the Livingston County Health Center.

And Hallmark, in partnership with the Salvation Army, donates 22,000 greeting cards for inmates to send to family and friends, she said.

There's lots more:
Missouri inmate activities during the holidays
Lansing_bikes
Kansas inmate visiting hours, programs

(P.S. If you recognized where the headline for this post came from, you get extra points!)

Weekly Kansas City crime data

These are calls to KC police that result in an incident report. 826 this week.

• Excel format (XLS)
• Ordered by street and house number
• Cover Sunday-to-Sunday Dec. 11-18

Key:

• CRN Case Report Number
• PONUM Police Officer Number
• REPORTAREA Police beat
• ADDRTYPE A for address or I for intersection.

kccrime20051218.xls
kccrime20051217.xls
kccrime20051216.xls
kccrime20051215.xls
kccrime20051214.xls
kccrime20051213.xls
kccrime20051212.xls
kccrime20051211.xls

Truman Road liquor store robbed

From the Jackson County sheriff's office 12:04 a.m.:

• On 12-23-05 at 8 a.m., a robbery occurred at a liquor store in the 8600 block of E. Truman Road.  The business, Jordan's Liquor, is east of I-435 and Truman Roads in unincorporated Jackson County.
• Upon the deputy's arrival, the clerk stated that at just after 8 a.m. a black male entered the store and approached the counter acting as if he was going to purchase some cigarettes.  The two spoke, and the suspect went outside saying that he needed to go to his car to get some money.  Shortly thereafter, the suspect returned and robbed the clerk.
• The clerk, who was not injured, stated the suspect had a knife.
• The suspect was able to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash and left the store walking west bound on Truman Road toward I-435.
• The suspect is described as being a black male in his late 30's to early 40's, approximately 5'7" with a thin build wearing a blue in color "hoodie" and a denim jacket. 
• If anyone has information pertaining to the crime, please contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the Sheriff's Office at 816-524-4302.

KC homicide #126: Purl Groves

From Kansas City police 10 a.m.:

The Homicide Unit is investigating homicide #126 for 2005.  It appears the victim was shot and killed at a residence in the 1900 block of Chelsea.  His body was then dumped in a corn field in rural Leavenworth County, KS.  The body was discovered on December 15th and detectives believe the body was in the field for approximately one week.  A suspect is in custody and charges are expected to be filed late this afternoon.  The victim has been identified as Purl F. Groves Jr, a 40yr old KCMO resident.  His photo is attached.
This is homicide #126 compared to 89 at this time in 2004.

Study: We're drinking less, living more

From Knight-Ridder today - A well-informed story about alcohol consumption, drunk-driving and crime:

• Government figures show alcohol consumption is down about 20 percent nationwide since the early 80s, reflecting both tougher laws and tamer tastes. The decline also reflects an aging population that’s drinking less.
• The clearest dividend is a 36 percent drop in traffic fatalities involving alcohol since 1982. For Americans under 30, the declines are even greater. The drops add up to more than 312,000 U.S. lives saved since 1982, according to an analysis that will appear in the Journal of Safety Research in January.
• Some researchers...(link)... America’s relative sobriety to declines in U.S. homicides, rapes, other violent crimes and non-traffic injuries.

Full story

Uses of cell phone as food product

By Greg Reeves
The bizarre story today of the Blue Springs woman who tried to swallow a cell phone to keep it away from her boyfriend caused me to research this topic extensively on the Internet, for 10 minutes.
A woman swallowing a cell phone may be unique in history, based on the theory that everything is on the 'Net and I didn't find any other swallowing instances.
But I did find these:

Man eats phone chip to spite service
Corruption suspect swallows phone chip
Phone rings in dog's stomach
German movie: Dog swallows owner's phone so owner uses pooch as handset

Big-time meth, big-time sentence

John Merced Lozano conspired to sell a pound of meth plus.
Having a Smith & Wesson .38, Beretta .25-caliber semi-automatic and a Taurus .45-caliber pistol didn't help him, either. He's a felon, and felons can't legally own guns or ammo.
Feds charged him with all that, and he pleaded guilty yesterday in Kansas City. Sentencing options include:

• 15 years in federal prison without parole
• Life in federal prison without parole
• Fine up to $4.5 million

News release

All The Star's crime stories today

This blog is meant to be your one-stop resource for crime-related stories in The Star. Today's links:

Knife-wielding robber gets 37-year sentence
Ex-coach gets 7 years for having sex with girl
Sager faces $9,000 fine in election
 Missouri panel to target Medicaid fraud
Metropolitan digest
Child-sex ruling fails to clear air
Hit-run kills university official
Vehicle blamed in man’s death
Holiday closings (not a crime, but might be handy)
KCK police, NAACP probe bias report
Man commits suicide after missing court hearing
Continued failure in drug testing leads to revoked probation for woman

Overland Park daily offenses

Daily offenses from Overland Park police

Download overland_park_offenses_12222005.xls

Also available at www.opkansas.org

Also see:
Interactive map of Overland Park crime data by local programmer Brett Rickman
Crime mapping by Overland Park police
Past Overland Park crime reports in this blog