BANGOR, Maine (AP) - A man and woman who told troopers they were speeding to catch a flight when they were clocked driving 108 mph ended up in jail a second time - this time on charges of unruly behavior aboard an airplane, officials said.
The woman, 29, and the man, 42, both of Thorndike, were charged with criminal threatening, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and violation of bail conditions after they were arrested Wednesday at Bangor International Airport.
Forty-eight hours earlier, the couple had been released on bail after speeding past an unmarked state police cruiser on Interstate 95.
They told the trooper they were headed to the airport, but they were going in the wrong direction and had no tickets or receipts with them.
The man was charged with disorderly conduct, and the woman was charged with criminal speeding and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
On Wednesday, they were reportedly loud and disorderly at the ticket counter before boarding a flight to New York City. The behavior continued on the airplane, and the pilot returned to the gate, where the two were arrested, said Deputy Chief Peter Arno.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Four giant pandas born at center in China
CHENGDU, China (UPI) -- Three giant pandas gave birth to a total of four cubs, all delivered within 14 hours of each other, at a breeding base in southwest China, experts said.
Nine-year-old panda, Magic Luck, delivered twin female cubs Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, said Yang Feifei, an expert at the base.
Eight-year-old panda, Success, delivered a cub Saturday before Pearl, 8, delivered a cub early Sunday, Feifei said.
The base is home to 71 giant pandas, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported.
Giant pandas have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing.
Xinhua said about 1,590 pandas exist in China's wild, the majority of which are in Sichuan province and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi in the country's northwestern region.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Nine-year-old panda, Magic Luck, delivered twin female cubs Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, said Yang Feifei, an expert at the base.
Eight-year-old panda, Success, delivered a cub Saturday before Pearl, 8, delivered a cub early Sunday, Feifei said.
The base is home to 71 giant pandas, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported.
Giant pandas have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing.
Xinhua said about 1,590 pandas exist in China's wild, the majority of which are in Sichuan province and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi in the country's northwestern region.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Woman has Mona Lisa mowed into her lawn
LONDON (UPI) -- A British art-lover said she hired a 3D art expert to create an all-grass reproduction of the Mona Lisa on her home's lawn.
Tania Ledger, 48, of London, called on expert Chris Naylor, who recreated the Mona Lisa for the film "The Da Vinci Code," to complete a similar work of lawn art, The Telegraph reported.
Naylor said he spent two days chopping and snipping away at Ledger's lawn with garden tools and a lawn mower to create the grass image of the Mona Lisa.
Ledger said she doesn't mind that the masterpiece will grow out over time.
"It's like a haircut -- if you don't like it you can grow it out and you can try out as many new looks as you like," she told the newspaper.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tania Ledger, 48, of London, called on expert Chris Naylor, who recreated the Mona Lisa for the film "The Da Vinci Code," to complete a similar work of lawn art, The Telegraph reported.
Naylor said he spent two days chopping and snipping away at Ledger's lawn with garden tools and a lawn mower to create the grass image of the Mona Lisa.
Ledger said she doesn't mind that the masterpiece will grow out over time.
"It's like a haircut -- if you don't like it you can grow it out and you can try out as many new looks as you like," she told the newspaper.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Monday, July 28, 2008
Iowa case raises question: Is stripping an art?
By MELANIE S. WELTE
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs - but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked.
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs - but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked.
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
Friday, July 25, 2008
ACLU may take on cops' saggy pants policy
FLINT, Mich. (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union said it may file suit to challenge a Flint, Mich., police policy of charging wearers of saggy pants with indecent exposure.
The ACLU's Michigan chapter said it is seeking to speak to those targeted by the policy after Flint Police Chief David Dicks said he will not back down from his plan to charge those whose saggy pants expose too much underwear or bare bottoms with indecent exposure, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
"We are confident that young men in Flint will contact us now that the chief has announced that he won't budge," said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the Michigan ACLU. "If they do, we'll sue. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first saggy pants lawsuit in the country."
The ACLU said Monday was the deadline for Dicks to abandon the policy and they are now seeking to fight it.
However, Dicks said he will not be discouraged by the threat of an ACLU lawsuit. He said Flint police are "going to keep doing what we're doing."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
The ACLU's Michigan chapter said it is seeking to speak to those targeted by the policy after Flint Police Chief David Dicks said he will not back down from his plan to charge those whose saggy pants expose too much underwear or bare bottoms with indecent exposure, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
"We are confident that young men in Flint will contact us now that the chief has announced that he won't budge," said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the Michigan ACLU. "If they do, we'll sue. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first saggy pants lawsuit in the country."
The ACLU said Monday was the deadline for Dicks to abandon the policy and they are now seeking to fight it.
However, Dicks said he will not be discouraged by the threat of an ACLU lawsuit. He said Flint police are "going to keep doing what we're doing."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It's Killing Me
I write several blogs, as most of my readers know, and all of them are different to some degree. Three of those blogs are on a free website host called blogono. Normally, it is a great site, easy to write to and post on as well as edit if need be. But, since I started doing paid posts the site has gone down at the most inconvenient of times :(
So, it looks like I better start writing more over here and perhaps on Xanga, just to keep things going. I also have asked that this blog be added to my paid to post sites, so that if I get a job I have an actual shot at doing the job, thus earning some money.
I do hope that the wonderful folks running blogono get their act together and keep the site running smoothly. I'm tired of the downtime and I am tired of getting emails from my advertisers telling me that the site is down. That's not a good way to run a business.
In the meantime, I do hope you all have a great weekend. It's summertime, go outside and do something fun, like catch a baseball game. The family is going tomorrow to watch the local minor league team and all of us are really looking forward to going. It's nice to see players that are still playing because they love the game, not the high salary that they make :)
So, it looks like I better start writing more over here and perhaps on Xanga, just to keep things going. I also have asked that this blog be added to my paid to post sites, so that if I get a job I have an actual shot at doing the job, thus earning some money.
I do hope that the wonderful folks running blogono get their act together and keep the site running smoothly. I'm tired of the downtime and I am tired of getting emails from my advertisers telling me that the site is down. That's not a good way to run a business.
In the meantime, I do hope you all have a great weekend. It's summertime, go outside and do something fun, like catch a baseball game. The family is going tomorrow to watch the local minor league team and all of us are really looking forward to going. It's nice to see players that are still playing because they love the game, not the high salary that they make :)
Judge: Girl's name, Talula Does The Hula, won't do
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it.
Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.
Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.
The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.
"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."
The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.
In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.
Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.
New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.
Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.
Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.
The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.
"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."
The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.
In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.
Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.
New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.
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