From 1973
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Chicago zeros in on special license plate number
Driver with "0" as his plate number wrongly gets dozens of parking-related ticketsChicago authorities say an error while testing equipment led to a man with a license plate reading "0" receiving about 170 tickets he did not deserve.
The Chicago Department of Revenue said it has been using "0" as a placeholder license plate for testing parking ticket equipment and officials were unaware Tom Feddor had that number as his official plate, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.
Feddor said that beginning in 1997, his mailbox has been filling up with citations for violations, including parking at expired meters, parking during street-cleaning hours, running stop signs or traffic signals, and parking a truck, recreational vehicle, bus or taxi on a residential street.
Feddor said he went to the Revenue Department and the Department of Administrative Hearings for help, but was unable to resolve the issue. Hearing officer Zipporah Lewis made several calls to officials in an attempt to help Feddor, but he said "the people she encountered at the other end of the phone seemed to be annoyed and bothered by her. Most tried to quickly end the call."
Revenue Department spokesman Ed Walsh told the Tribune officials were unaware there was a "0" plate in circulation -- Feddor's family has been using it for 40 years -- or that he was receiving tickets from the equipment testing. He said the tickets would be wiped out and any fines paid by Feddor would be refunded.
"The test violations should have been dismissed in the database. The majority of the cases (Feddor) contested successfully. But we are taking steps to rectify the situation so in the future an actual registered plate number will not be used to do the testing," Walsh said.
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Iowa teen wins national texting contest
An Iowa teenager with extraordinarily quick thumbs has beaten 250,000 competitors to win the top prize in a texting competition in New York.Kate Moore, 15, of Des Moines won the $50,000 grand prize at the L.G. National Texting Championship, which had its final rounds Monday and Tuesday.
The competition tested speed, accuracy, texting know-how and acronyms.
In one round, contestants had to navigate an obstacle course while texting.
Kate went thumb-to-thumb with Dynda Morgan, 14, of Savannah, Ga., in a final three-round showdown that measured speed in texting lengthy messages without errors.
The third, and tie-breaking, round had both teens rushing to text, "Zippity Dooo Dahh Zippity Ayy…MY oh MY, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine Comin' my way…Zippity Do Dah Zippity Aay! WondeRful Feeling Wonderful day!"
In a text interview, CNN asked Kate, "Do ur thumbs hurt?"
"Hahah not at all! Ud b surprised they don't get stressed out," Kate replied.
Kate's mother Claire said she appreciates always being able to contact her daughter, who typically sends 500 texts a day.
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Small Bits of News You Didn’t Know you Needed
Child Falls Out Of Car, Mother Arrested
A 2-year-old boy fell out of a car at State Road 520 and Courtney Parkway on Merritt Island Wednesday night. Gina Melder did not see the accident happen, but when she saw the child in the middle of the busy intersection her instincts kicked in.
"I put my car into park and jumped out and grabbed him put him in my back seat," said Melder.
Melder stopped traffic to pick up the child. She drove him to a drug store and called 911.
"I have grandchildren and I know would kill me to know something happened to them. I didn’t think, I just grabbed him. I didn’t care what cars were around. I just grabbed him," said Melder.
The toddler’s mother, Laway Mehari, drove a mile and half before realizing her little boy had fallen out of the backseat of her car. When she called 911, Brevard County deputies realized the two cases were connected.
Deputies said the 2-year-old was not in a car seat. Mehari was put in handcuffs, charged with child neglect and taken to the Brevard County jail. Meahri was jailed of $2,000 bond.
Deputies said Meahri was not concerned about protecting her child. She also had an infant in her car. That child was strapped into a baby seat.
Mehari's little boy was treated for minor injuries at Cape Canaveral hospital. He was then sent home with his father.
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City Workers Must Wear Underwear
A Florida city has written common sense into its employee dress code: Wear underwear to work.
The Brooksville city council recently approved a revised dress code as part of its effort to update existing policies.
The revision instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene," including the use of deodorant. It lists "the observable lack of undergarments and exposed undergarments" as "unacceptable attire."
It also prohibits clothing with foul language or messages promoting drug use, "sexually provocative" garments, halter tops and piercings anywhere except the ears.
Repeat offenders can be fired.
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4 Accused Of Forcing 12-Year-Old To Drink Urine
Four people arrested for holding a 12-year-old against his will and forcing him to drink urine at a Boy Scout camp have been dismissed from the scouting program, an official said Monday.
Jack Sears, district executive and CEO of North Florida Boy Scouts, said that officials are "gravely disappointed" and that the actions do not represent the values of scouting.
Kidnapping charges were filed Friday against 21-year-old Wendell Reid and three juveniles, two who are 16 and one who is 15. The juveniles were turned over to the Florida Department of Justice. Jail records do not show if Reid has an attorney. He's being held without bond in the Putnam County Jail.
Reid was attending Camp Shands as one of the adults from Ocala, Sears said.
The incident was apparently over remarks made by the victim earlier in the week, the sheriff's office reported.
The incident came to light when the victim alerted a scoutmaster about the attack, who notified camp officials. They called authorities under the program's "Yell and Tell" policy on inappropriate behavior, said Sears, who called the attack an isolated incident.
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Workers charged with stealing cookware
Investigators say three employees at an Ohio cookware factory allegedly made $15,000 selling stolen items on eBay.
Two of the workers were arrested Monday, the Toledo Blade reported, and the third surrendered Tuesday.
Sgt. Mark Hetrick, a detective with the Perrysburg police, said Calphalon fired the three after discovering they were being robbed in January. The company then notified police.
The technique was simple, Hetrick said. The three worked the overnight shift at the plant.
"They'd set a box out by the door and pick it up after their shifts," he said. "It worked for a while."
Stolen items were sold on eBay. Hetrick said the trio undercut the retail price, but everything they made was "pure profit because it wasn't theirs to sell."
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Man allegedly posed as dead mom
New York authorities said a man donned a dress, wig and makeup to impersonate his dead mother and collect Social Security and rent subsidies.
Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49, allegedly took a page from Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" to pose as his mother and collect $115,000 in benefits from the government, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.
"I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother," police quoted Prusik-Parkin as saying at the time of his arrest
Authorities said the real Irene Prusik died in 2003 at age 73. They said Prusik-Parkin immediately developed his mother personae, including a fake ID and a fake "nephew" to defraud the government.
Prusik-Parkin was arraigned Wednesday on charges of grand larceny, forgery and conspiracy linked to a deed and mortgage fraud scheme.
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Lawyer seeks apology for traffic ticket
A policeman picked the wrong person when he ticketed a Washington lawyer for flashing his headlights to acknowledge an upcoming speed trap, the lawyer says.
Mark Zaid, who represents government whistle blowers, doesn't view the $50 ticket he received in Maryland as insignificant and wants an apology from the officer who issued it, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The issue of whether motorists have a right to warn others about speed enforcement zones has been the subject of debate in both the United States and Canada, the Post says.
Because the officer failed to show up for court Tuesday, Zaid's ticket was dismissed but he says he will file a lawsuit unless he receives an apology.
"The more I thought about it, I realized I'm going to make an issue of this," says Zaid. "I like making the government jump through hoops, because they do it to everyone else."
Zaid says he thinks he's found a case of government overstepping its bounds.
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Parking space sells for $300,000 in Boston
Boston real estate officials said an anonymous buyer set a city record by paying $300,000 for a private parking space.
Sordillo said the sale is an indication of the difficulty people have parking near the city's Public Garden.
"There's only so many parking spaces in the city," Sordillo said. "And in this part, there's very few." Listing Information Network, which tracks the real estate market in Boston, said the price tag makes the spot, located in the upscale Back Bay neighborhood, the most expensive to be sold in the city, The Boston Globe reported Thursday.
Debra Sordillo, the Coldwell sales agent who handled the parking spot account, said the original asking price of $250,000 was driven up by a bidding war that brought it to the record-breaking $300,000 total.
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A 2-year-old boy fell out of a car at State Road 520 and Courtney Parkway on Merritt Island Wednesday night. Gina Melder did not see the accident happen, but when she saw the child in the middle of the busy intersection her instincts kicked in.
"I put my car into park and jumped out and grabbed him put him in my back seat," said Melder.
Melder stopped traffic to pick up the child. She drove him to a drug store and called 911.
"I have grandchildren and I know would kill me to know something happened to them. I didn’t think, I just grabbed him. I didn’t care what cars were around. I just grabbed him," said Melder.
The toddler’s mother, Laway Mehari, drove a mile and half before realizing her little boy had fallen out of the backseat of her car. When she called 911, Brevard County deputies realized the two cases were connected.
Deputies said the 2-year-old was not in a car seat. Mehari was put in handcuffs, charged with child neglect and taken to the Brevard County jail. Meahri was jailed of $2,000 bond.
Deputies said Meahri was not concerned about protecting her child. She also had an infant in her car. That child was strapped into a baby seat.
Mehari's little boy was treated for minor injuries at Cape Canaveral hospital. He was then sent home with his father.
.
City Workers Must Wear Underwear
A Florida city has written common sense into its employee dress code: Wear underwear to work.
The Brooksville city council recently approved a revised dress code as part of its effort to update existing policies.
The revision instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene," including the use of deodorant. It lists "the observable lack of undergarments and exposed undergarments" as "unacceptable attire."
It also prohibits clothing with foul language or messages promoting drug use, "sexually provocative" garments, halter tops and piercings anywhere except the ears.
Repeat offenders can be fired.
.
4 Accused Of Forcing 12-Year-Old To Drink Urine
Four people arrested for holding a 12-year-old against his will and forcing him to drink urine at a Boy Scout camp have been dismissed from the scouting program, an official said Monday.
Jack Sears, district executive and CEO of North Florida Boy Scouts, said that officials are "gravely disappointed" and that the actions do not represent the values of scouting.
Kidnapping charges were filed Friday against 21-year-old Wendell Reid and three juveniles, two who are 16 and one who is 15. The juveniles were turned over to the Florida Department of Justice. Jail records do not show if Reid has an attorney. He's being held without bond in the Putnam County Jail.
Reid was attending Camp Shands as one of the adults from Ocala, Sears said.
The incident was apparently over remarks made by the victim earlier in the week, the sheriff's office reported.
The incident came to light when the victim alerted a scoutmaster about the attack, who notified camp officials. They called authorities under the program's "Yell and Tell" policy on inappropriate behavior, said Sears, who called the attack an isolated incident.
.
Workers charged with stealing cookware
Investigators say three employees at an Ohio cookware factory allegedly made $15,000 selling stolen items on eBay.
Two of the workers were arrested Monday, the Toledo Blade reported, and the third surrendered Tuesday.
Sgt. Mark Hetrick, a detective with the Perrysburg police, said Calphalon fired the three after discovering they were being robbed in January. The company then notified police.
The technique was simple, Hetrick said. The three worked the overnight shift at the plant.
"They'd set a box out by the door and pick it up after their shifts," he said. "It worked for a while."
Stolen items were sold on eBay. Hetrick said the trio undercut the retail price, but everything they made was "pure profit because it wasn't theirs to sell."
.
Man allegedly posed as dead mom
New York authorities said a man donned a dress, wig and makeup to impersonate his dead mother and collect Social Security and rent subsidies.
Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49, allegedly took a page from Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" to pose as his mother and collect $115,000 in benefits from the government, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.
"I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother," police quoted Prusik-Parkin as saying at the time of his arrest
Authorities said the real Irene Prusik died in 2003 at age 73. They said Prusik-Parkin immediately developed his mother personae, including a fake ID and a fake "nephew" to defraud the government.
Prusik-Parkin was arraigned Wednesday on charges of grand larceny, forgery and conspiracy linked to a deed and mortgage fraud scheme.
.
Lawyer seeks apology for traffic ticket
A policeman picked the wrong person when he ticketed a Washington lawyer for flashing his headlights to acknowledge an upcoming speed trap, the lawyer says.
Mark Zaid, who represents government whistle blowers, doesn't view the $50 ticket he received in Maryland as insignificant and wants an apology from the officer who issued it, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The issue of whether motorists have a right to warn others about speed enforcement zones has been the subject of debate in both the United States and Canada, the Post says.
Because the officer failed to show up for court Tuesday, Zaid's ticket was dismissed but he says he will file a lawsuit unless he receives an apology.
"The more I thought about it, I realized I'm going to make an issue of this," says Zaid. "I like making the government jump through hoops, because they do it to everyone else."
Zaid says he thinks he's found a case of government overstepping its bounds.
.
Parking space sells for $300,000 in Boston
Boston real estate officials said an anonymous buyer set a city record by paying $300,000 for a private parking space.
Sordillo said the sale is an indication of the difficulty people have parking near the city's Public Garden.
"There's only so many parking spaces in the city," Sordillo said. "And in this part, there's very few." Listing Information Network, which tracks the real estate market in Boston, said the price tag makes the spot, located in the upscale Back Bay neighborhood, the most expensive to be sold in the city, The Boston Globe reported Thursday.
Debra Sordillo, the Coldwell sales agent who handled the parking spot account, said the original asking price of $250,000 was driven up by a bidding war that brought it to the record-breaking $300,000 total.
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GOLD To GO!
Gold sold from German vending machines
Shoppers in Germany will soon be able to buy gold as easily as bars of chocolate after a firm announced plans to install vending machines selling the precious metal across the country.TG-Gold-Super-Market aims to introduce the machines at 500 locations including train stations and airports in Germany.
The company, based near Stuttgart, hopes to tap into the increasing interest in buying gold following disillusionment in other investments due to the economic downturn.
Gold prices from the machines – about 30 per cent higher than market prices for the cheapest product – will be updated every few minutes.
Customers using a prototype "Gold to go" machine at Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday had the choice of purchasing a 1g wafer of gold for €30, a 10g bar for €245, or gold coins.
A camera on the machine monitors transactions for money laundering controls.
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