The tale of the 5-year-old driver

Not sure where she was headed, but an Indiana Mom -- who said she takes Percocet to calm herself down when her children act up -- put the 5-year-old behind the wheel and the 3-year-old in the backseat.

This story from the Journal & Courier begins with a reaction from neighbor Wendy Barrett:

"It was just bizarre," Barrett said of finding a 5-year-old boy driving his seemingly impaired mother and stopping on Barrett's property.

"I asked, 'Is this toddler driving your car?' She said, 'He's a good driver.' "

My favorite part of the story: The 5-year-old told a sheriff's deputy that he had been driving but was "having a hard time because I can't reach the pedals."

| Sara Shepherd

Pot, a family affair

This, too, happened in Florida: Whole family charged in pot case.

A Davis Islands mother, her boyfriend and her two sons face drug charges after a search of their home turned up marijuana plants in one boy's bedroom, police said Wednesday.

Later that day...

When officers arrested the 15-year-old at Plant High School, where he is a student, they found more marijuana in his pocket, McGregor said.

| Sara Shepherd

Hit-and-run teacher gives up on teaching

A Florida teacher who hit four children with her car -- killing two -- and kept driving is giving up her fight to teach again.

From the St. Petersburg Times:

"She wants to get on with her life," attorney Barry Cohen said Thursday. He was scheduled to represent Porter next week in a hearing concerning her right to teach in Florida.

Instead, Porter is relinquishing her certification voluntarily, he said. She has decided to focus on her private dance studio rather than face another public spotlight in the racially charged incident.

| Sara Shepherd

Hey big guy ... this is your urinal speaking

Weird!

Men using the restroom at a few St. Louis-area bars hear a voice when they approach the urinal, and it's not the booze talking.

"Hey, big guy," says a sultry female voice. "Going out tonight? Having a few drinks?"

Apparently the state of Missouri is using talking toilet devices to help reduce drunken driving. The sexy-lady voice is triggered by motion sensors that recognize whenever someone approaches the urinal.

"Make sure if you're drinking, you find a sober driver," she says. "Because if you drink and drive, the next urinal you use could be in jail. Remember, your future is in your hand."

| Sara Shepherd

Worst. Wedding guests. Ever.

UPDATE: Apparently, they didn't even show up for court.

From St. Charles: Suspects in wedding brawl appear in court.

It all happened at the St. Charles Foundry Art Centre.

Witnesses said the evening turned sour when Williams, the brother of the groom, allegedly made sexual advances toward one of the guests. Skaggs, a cousin of the groom, has said he and Swim, his sister, left with Bird, her fiance, because they were so upset. When they got to the parking lot, Williams, Farney and Jackson started fighting with Skaggs and others.

| Sara Shepherd

Obscenity update: Every county's a little bit different

Reporters Glenn Rice and Bob Cronkleton expand on the WyCo obscenity story from the other day, summing up where grand juries from other metro-area counties stand in their pursuits.

Grand juries that have convened across the metropolitan area to investigate whether businesses are promoting obscenity have come up with mixed results.

They've got updates from Clay, Wyandotte, Johnson, Platte and Jackson counties.

| Sara Shepherd

Sobriety checkpoint corner

Two updates:

KC Police to conduct sobriety checkpoints this weekend

The Kansas City Police Department will conduct sobriety checkpoints this weekend in midtown and south Kansas City.

The midtown checkpoint will begin after 11 p.m. tonight, and the one in south Kansas City will start after 11 p.m. Saturday.

Police did not disclose the exact locations but said there would be signs placed in advance of the checkpoint site and officers would be directing traffic. Police will direct motorists to a location where an officer can conduct a brief check to determine whether the motorist should stay there.

Overland Park checkpoint nets 11 DUI arrests

Overland Park police arrested 11 drunk drivers and four minors with alcohol during a sobriety checkpoint last week.

Police said 428 vehicles entered the checkpoint, which was held on Aug. 24. Thirty-three drivers were tested for DUI. The checkpoint also netted two drug possession arrests, one open container arrest and an unspecified arrest.

Several Kansas police agencies assisted Overland Park with the checkpoint.

| Sara Shepherd

La Raza, and maybe the NAACP, mad at KC

Big story from Deann Smith today showing just how upset La Raza is about Funk's appointment of a member of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps:

The nation’s largest Hispanic rights group is warning it may cancel its 2009 convention here because of a controversial Kansas City park board member.

The head of the National Council of La Raza said Thursday that the organization is already looking at several other cities because of the appointment of Frances Semler.

Meanwhile, Kansas City officials have heard that the NAACP might be reconsidering its 2010 convention here, although no one on Thursday said they had heard directly from the national organization.

Losing the two national conventions would cost the local economy $15 million plus the incalculable hit the city’s image would take, said officials, who added that they are working hard to prevent it.

| Sara Shepherd

Kelsey Smith Foundation plans golf tourney

Family and friends of Kelsey Smith have organized a golf tournament to raise money for the Kelsey Smith Foundation.

The tournament, which is open to the public, will take place Oct. 8 at Falcon Ridge Golf Course in Lenexa. More information and registration forms for the event are available online at www.kelseysarmy.com.

Smith, a Shawnee Mission West High School graduate, was 18 when she was kidnapped from an Overland Park Target parking lot and murdered. Edwin Hall has been charged with sexually assaulting and killing her.

| Sara Shepherd

JoCo OK's prisoner work-release program

The rules: Up at 4 a.m., breakfast at 4:30, out the door by 5 for most folks. No maid service and no indoor smoking.

This is all from Finn Bullers' story in today's Star.

Johnson County has a new crime-fighting tool to relieve overcrowded jails, save tax money and help convicted offenders get their lives on a more productive course.

When it is launched in October, a Department of Corrections work-release program will allow many four-time DUI offenders to hold jobs while they serve their typical 90-day sentences.

| Sara Shepherd

Now enrolling: Emergency preparedness for pets

I guess September is National Preparedness Month, and Olathe knows pets need to be prepared, too.

The city's Fire and Animal Control departments are teaming up to offer this free class: “Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies.” Pet owners will learn to prepare a pet emergency supply kit, plan what to do in an emergency and stay informed about types of emergencies.

If you want to go, you don't need to register, just show up from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 15 at Olathe's Fire Administration building, 1225 S. Hamilton Circle.

| Sara Shepherd

Troops not allowed to have ray guns

U.S. commanders in Iraq were denied fancy new ray guns to use for civilian crowd control in Iraq (as opposed to traditional guns with deadly bullets), according to internal military correspondence obtained by The Associated Press.

Military leaders repeatedly and urgently requested - and were denied - the device, which uses energy beams instead of bullets and lets soldiers break up unruly crowds without firing a shot.

It's a ray gun that neither kills nor maims, but the Pentagon has refused to deploy it out of concern that the weapon itself might be seen as a torture device.

Perched on a Humvee or a flatbed truck, the Active Denial System gives people hit by the invisible beam the sense that their skin is on fire. They move out of the way quickly and without injury.

| Sara Shepherd

'We Suck': Entire Ohio school falls for prank

Three sections of Hilliard Darby High School fans were told the colored pieces of paper on their stadium seats would spell out "Go Darby" when they held them up.

It really spelled "We Suck" -- and the rival high school student who masterminded the prank was ready with a video camera when it worked.

Kyle Garchar, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School in suburban Columbus, said he spent about 20 hours over three days plotting the trick, which was captured on video and posted on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.

Garchar got punished, though, along with some buddies who helped him. Suspended three days and banned from extra-curricular activities all semester.

Here's a link to the video, complete with dramatic music! Hat tip to aqua for tracking it down!

| Sara Shepherd

Hear the restroom conversation yourself, read about the 'tearoom trade'

UPDATE: Found this analysis-type piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about a graduate student doing groundbreaking research on the "tearoom trade" way back in the '60s. Read "In Forest Park, the roots of Sen. Craig's misadventure."

A multi-media update on a story we first heard about earlier this week. From the article:

Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho denied in his arrest interview that he was trying to engage in lewd behavior in an airport bathroom and suggested he was entrapped by the arresting officer, according to audiotape of the interview released Thursday.

Besides audio of this really, really awkward conversation, CNN has links to a transcript of it, related court documents and the senator's official statement.

| Sara Shepherd

Open Thread ... Friday

Good morning CSKC crew!

Welcome back. This is today's Open Thread, the blog's venue for socializing and sounding off (in appropriate ways!) on the topics of your choice.

Please sign your comments. Please do not post profanity or write racially and sexually explicit remarks. (If you need assistance  interpreting these guidelines, check yesterday's Open Thread.)

I, Sara, am filling in for James while he's on holiday. I'll be reading the OT, but if you'd like to contact me about a story idea or anything else, shoot me an e-mail at sshepherd@kcstar.com.

Thanks for spending time with us today. Have a good one!

Busted: Alleged dog-fighting operation in Olathe

New this afternoon.

Reginald Anderson of Olathe has been charged with a felony count of dog fighting, a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and drug charges related to search warrants executed June 14 at his residence at 15821 W. 127th Terrace.

It started with complaints of a foul odor coming from the property. Searchers found marijuana, then items commonly linked to training dogs to fight -- including performance-enhancing drugs, a jaw strength-trainer and a canine treadmill.

Then there were the pit bulls -- 18 of them.

Fourteen puppies were put down after being diagnosed with a parasitic disease that occurs in neglected dogs. One adult was euthanized after another dog on the property attacked it. The remaining three dogs are at the Olathe animal shelter, where they won't be adopted.

Anderson's attorney says his client wasn't breeding the dogs for fighting.

| Sara Shepherd

It happened in Edwardsville ... again

It seems the city leaders there just can't stay out of trouble.

This time it's the mayor. Here's the latest.

| Sara Shepherd

Cannibal story of the day

WARNING: If you just ate, you may want to wait a while before reading this one.

A 19-year-old German man (Ackermann) was accused of murder and cannibalism -- after police found and arrested him next to the mutilated body of his flatmate (Schweiber).

When Ackermann was found he had blood around his mouth and parts of the victim's tongue and brains had been prepared on a plate in the next room, police said.

Mr. Schweiber appeared to have been killed by a 10-kilogramme (22 pounds) dumbbell which cracked his skull. The body was slashed "from the throat to the genitals."

Police say the man "may" suffer from mental problems.

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip goes to The_Golfer! (So you can blame him if you lost your lunch :)

Tonight: Happy hour to help hit-and-run victim

Friends of Melissa Hernandez -- a Star advertising executive who was hit by a car and suffered critical spinal injuries -- have planned a happy hour to help raise money for her medical expenses. If you want to go, here's more information. Donations also are being accepted at any Bank of America.

| Sara Shepherd

Elephant being weaned off heroin

In case you were afraid I wouldn't post any animal stories today...

This one comes from China, where forest police rescued an unfortunate bull elephant named Big Brother, who once "lived peacefully with his herd near the China-Burma border."

That is until he was captured by evil traders, who fed him heroin-laced bananas so they could control him into leading the herd wherever they wanted it to go.

By the time he was rescued, "Big Brother had developed a raging heroin addiction and posed a danger to people if denied his fix," the story says. The "drooling and twitching" animal was transported to a special park, where workers spent nearly a year weaning him off his addiction through methadone, regular bathing and massage.

Big Brother is now "clean" and will be released from rehab soon.

Photo is of random elephant, not Big Brother.

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip: Good one, You're a Mean Drunk R2D2!

Murder accomplice to die today; 'sidekick' pulled the trigger

UPDATE: Foster's life will be spared. Six hours before the inmate was supposed to die, the governor -- upholding a recommendation from the state board of pardon and paroles -- commuted his death sentence to life in prison instead.

Hat tip: Thanks for the update, G!

Good story from The New York Times on a young man scheduled to be executed today for his role as an accomplice in a street murder when he was 19.

The article begins:

HOUSTON, Aug. 29 — Kenneth Foster has a date on Thursday with the executioner’s needle. Not for killing anyone himself, but for what he was doing — and might have been thinking — the night in 1996 when he was 19 and a sidekick gunned down a San Antonio law student.

Ensnared in a Texas law that makes accomplices subject to the death penalty, Mr. Foster, 30, is to become the third death row inmate this week, and the 403rd since capital punishment resumed in Texas in 1982, to give his life for a life taken.

But unlike most others condemned to death in this state, Mr. Foster, a former gang member and aspiring musician and now a prison poet from San Antonio, is not a murderer in the usual sense. He was convicted and sentenced to die for abetting a killing — 80 feet away — that he might, or might not, have had reason to anticipate.

Read the rest here.

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip goes to rhonda!

School outlaws tag

A Colorado elementary school has banned tag from its playground.

A principal explained: "It causes a lot of conflict."

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip: Thanks to The DB!

Dumb criminal of the day

Or maybe he was just less greedy than most robbers?

This AP story comes to us from New York:

A knife-wielding robber needed only $4, so he refused to take a $10 bill from his victim and waited while the man made change at a pizza parlor, police said Tuesday.

The suspect's lawyer wouldn't comment so, unfortunately, we don't know why this guy only wanted $4.

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip to 'John Doe'!

Rapper news: Deputies raid Phoenix home of DMX

They found a bunch of gnarly stuff there, too. You know, guns, suspected drugs, a dozen pit bulls, a couple pit bulls' bodies.

DMX -- whose real name is Earl Simmons -- has yet to be charged with anything.

But the story wraps up with this notable background information:

In 2002, Simmons pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. Police said they found pipes for smoking crack cocaine, a pistol and 13 pit bulls at his home in 1999.

His albums include "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot" and "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" and "Year of the Dog ... Again."

| Sara Shepherd

Hat tip: Thanks JewwellsP!

Would whoever took the Florines' trailer please give it back?

If, after reading this story, whoever stole Adam and Angela Florine's moving trailer fails to return it, I think it's safe to officially deem them a really bad person.

Star reporter Don Bradley begins:

No one could give Angela Florine back her legs after a snowmobile accident crushed her spinal cord last New Year’s Eve, so she didn’t waste her breath on pleas.

It’s different now with her grandma’s cookbook.

Also gone are Christmas decorations, family photos, Angela’s wedding dress, the stuffed panda Adam used when he proposed to her and a framed newspaper story telling how Adam’s father, a locomotive engineer, was killed in a train accident when Adam was 8 years old.

The Lee's Summit couple, who were in the process of moving into a new handicap-accessible house, haven't given up on the thief. But friends are planning a benefit to help replace the things money can buy.

| Sara Shepherd