Actually, there WAS a monster under the bed

I have a hard time imagining anything creepier than finding a stranger hiding under your bed ...

KC homicide count stands at 81

Compared to 83 at the same point last year. (August 2008 was a notoriously bad month for homicides.) So far, 41 percent of the homicides committed in 2009 have been solved. If you add in past homicides that have been solved in 2009, the closure rate rises to 58 percent.

New MO law lets motorcyclists run red lights

If they've been waiting an unreasonable amount of time because the machines controlling the stoplight don't "see" their ride. Also, there can't be any other traffic, and they have to have come to a complete stop. Police are a little puzzled because there's no definition for a "reasonable" amount of time.

OP taking applications for citizen police academy

From OPPD: Anyone interested in law enforcement, police work and police service is invited to attend the Overland Park Citizen Police Academy. An applicant must be at least 18 years of age, and have no criminal record. Applicants need not be residents or work in Overland Park, anyone may apply. This Academy should not be confused with the police academy for recruit officers.

The Academy will begin on Tuesday September 29 and end on Tuesday November 17, 2009 for a total of 8 weeks. The time of the Academy is from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM each Tuesday. Applicant may apply through www.opkansas.org on the Citizens Academy page. There is no fee to attend this academy.

UPDATE: 2 convicted in brutal Florida gang rape

This is the case where a group of teenagers reportedly gang-raped a woman, beat her son and then forced her to perform a sex act on him before they were doused with chemicals.

3 guilty of selling fake "ambassador" credentials

According to the U.S. Attorney for Western Missouri, the defendants -- one from Kingsville, one from Lawrence, one from Nevada -- have ties to the sovereign citizen movement. They allegedly sold the credentials by telling customers that owning one would prevent the police from arresting or stopping them. Also, they wouldn't have to pay taxes. (Doesn't say anything about granting the bearer to turn invisible or fly.) More after the jump!

Man stabs estranged wife's BF during fight at her house, KCPD says

From Christine Vendel: According to police ... The suspect (age 33) allegedly kicked in the front door in the 7400 block of Walrond Avenue about 1:10 a.m. (Sunday). During a struggle on the living room floor, the boyfriend was stabbed once in the chest and cut on his back.

The estranged wife woke up and saw the fight. The suspect allegedly chased her outside and tried to force her and their children, ages seven to 11, into his vehicle. The boyfriend emerged from the house with a shotgun and fired it once in the air, scaring the suspect away.

Dog wanders into daycare, eats bunny while kids watch, OH police say

The dog's owner has been charged with allegedly failing to keep the dog locked up and failing to register it.

The Huffer returns!

Maybe he just really likes getting high off spray paint ...

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

Alaska OKs the Big Gulp defense

The Big Gulp defense, in a nutshell, argues that a driver was less intoxicated when he was driving than when he was given a Breathalyzer test. (Because it theoretically took time for the booze to be absorbed by his body.) Alaska had a law that banned this defense in court, but their state supreme court has thrown that law out.

Fact: Your hot tub will not save you from a wildfire

Morons ignore sheriff's evacuation order, decide to "ride out" major fire in their hot tub.

He said the two residents "completely underestimated the fire" and that the hot tub provided "no protection whatsoever."

Open Thread ... Monday

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Why the elderly are always chasing kids off their yards

They don't want something like this to happen.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, D-Man!

Suspect arrested for allegedly scamming senior citizen

Kansas City police have arrested Anthony C. Washington, who is accused of cheating a senior citizen out of $4,000, Jackson County prosecutors report. Washington allegedly promised to help a 78-year-old man out of a reverse mortgage, only to bilk him and steal his checks. Officers with Kansas City's fugitive apprehension unit arrested Washington when he appeared for a bond-revocation hearing on Friday. His bond has been set at $150,000. (Here's a story I wrote about Washington last week.)

Olathe robbers tried the "hard sell," police say

From Olathe PD: On August 29th at approximately 9:39 pm officers from the Olathe Police Department were dispatched to 1000 N. Ridgeview (Two Trails Park) in reference to a reported aggravated robbery. Upon arrival officers contacted several victims/witnesses who advised the following; earlier, two male subjects approached the victims at the park offering to sell them some electronic equipment. The victims declined at which point one of the male suspects displayed a handgun and subsequently took personal items belonging to the victims. Both suspects fled on foot.

Suspect in Dugard kidnapping speaks

NBC News has an interview with Phillip Garrido, the man accused of abducting Jaycee Dugard, keeping her captive for 18 years and fathering two kids with her. He says he left documents with the FBI in San Francisco, showing that he'd reformed himself. He calls it a "most powerful, heartwarming story."

MO dad accused of bringing kids from Germany to St. Louis

Because he was afraid his three children, whose mother is African, would be the victims of racism in Munich. (He reportedly told Mom that he was taking the kiddos to an amusement park. Instead, they flew to the Loo.) A U.S. judge has ruled the kids belong in Germany.

He claimed that people would use cigarettes to burn his children on the street, that a teacher taught his daughter a derogatory song and that a neighbor had hit his son.

Boy, 10, shot his father in the head, NM police say

He's going to be charged with first-degree murder. The police say the boy told them that he killed Dad because Dad disciplined them too much. The boy's 6-year-old sister reportedly saw the shooting happen. State officials had checked on the family more than seven times after getting reports of neglect and abuse, but there was never enough evidence to justify removing the kids.

Drug industry agrees to pay for database to track purchases of cold meds in MO

A while back, Missouri legislators passed a law that would set up a statewide electronic database of people who bought cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine. That way, it would let police see if one person was buying more cold medicine than necessary and, thus, might be using it to make meth.

The only problem? The legislature didn't set aside any money to pay for it.

Now, a trade group that represents makers of over-the-counter medicine says it'll pay to set up the system, an $800K investment. It sounds like they're rattled by places like Washington, Mo., which recently voted to require prescriptions for the sale of pseudoephedrine-containing meds. The Post-Dispatch quotes a police sergeant who says a prescription rule would be more effective in fighting meth. (Though it could put a crimp in sales of cold medicine.)

Platte County jurors to hear case of Columbia tot's gruesome death

According to the Missourian, they're going to use Platte County jurors for the trial of Keyonda Lumpkins, a Columbia woman facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of her son, 2-year-old Cortez Johnson. (Cortez's dad was charged, too, but his trial won't start for a few months.) The little boy died from blunt force trauma, though his body showed signs of several burns, suggesting that he'd been abused over a long period of time.

MO convict now facing death-penalty case in Texas

Levi A. King pleaded guilty to murdering Orlie McCool, 70, and his 47-year-old daughter-in-law, Dawn McCool in Pineville, Mo., back in 2005. He got life in prison for that crime, but now he's being tried for killing a family in Texas, just hours after the McCools were murdered. Texas is pursuing the death penalty, and if King loses his case, the Texas death sentence will take precedence.

IA football team bounces back after coach's murder

NPR has a good piece here about Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Iowa, whose longtime football coach, Ed Thomas, was murdered this summer.

8 killed, 1 severely injured in Georgia mobile home

In Brunswick, Ga., police are investigating a mass killing at a trailer park over the weekend. They found seven bodies, plus two survivors, one of whom later died. They've arrested a 22-year-old man who called to report the slayings, but they're not calling him a suspect. (He also lived in the trailer.) He's accused of lying to police, tampering with evidence and drug possession. Investigators have not released many details.

(AP Photo/Lewis Levine)

Report: Missing girl was working at suspect's business

Weird sidenote about the Jaycee Lee Dugard case: The suspects apparently had a home business that specialized in printing, and customers say they regularly dealt with someone named "Allissa" -- who they now believe was actually Jaycee. They say she would email about print jobs, quotes, etc. (Though keep in mind, Jaycee had been a prisoner since she was abducted at age 11 -- it's not fair to judge her and say that she should've used her "job" as a way to call for help.)

MORE HERE: Experts talk a little here about situations like this one, where kidnapped people seemingly "get along" with their captors.

MO woman, 69, tries to shoot down plane with .22, police say

Authorities say the woman, who is from Fulton, was sick and tired of planes flying too close to her house. So, after telling folks in the terminal that she planned to shoot down the aircraft, she allegedly went onto the runway and fired a shot, forcing a plane to abort its landing, the AP reports.