Teacher Convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct

By thoma816 on November 21, 2009 11:21 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

A women was convicted by a jury Friday of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old female student she was mentoring, KARE 11 reported.

Melissa Koehn, 31, was found guilty of three counts of criminal sexual conduct. Koehn was a teacher and the basketball coach at St. Croix Lutheran High School.

Koehn and the student were found by a police officer inside a parked car in Apple Valley. Koehn admitted the two had a sexual relationship and dating back to August 2008.

According to the \, the age of consent is 16 years old, but it is against the law for a teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student 17 or younger, 

Minn. House Tells Court Pawlenty Abused Budget Law

By thoma816 on November 21, 2009 11:03 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

KSTP reported that the lawyers for the Minnesota House believe the Gov. Tim Pawlenty misused a state law to enact budget cuts without legislative consent. The lawyers spelled this out in a 34-page brief on Friday.

The lawsuit questions some of the $2.7 billion in budget cuts made by Pawlenty. One of the main cuts involves money for food assistance and property tax credits for the poor.

KARE 11 added that the judge in this case might stop the cuts while the case is in court. 

New Moon Sets Records

By thoma816 on November 20, 2009 7:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

USA Today reported that "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" set the box-office record for midnight screenings. It is estimated that it earned $26.3 million Friday morning.

"New Moon" opened at midnight in 3,524 theaters. This movie is expected to have one of the biggest opening weekends of the year.

"New Moon" beat "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," which earned $22.2 million when it opened this summer, according to CNN. It will also make more in its opening day than "The Dark Knight," which grossed $67.2 million on its opening day. 

Teenager charged with murdering a 9-year-old girl

By thoma816 on November 19, 2009 10:23 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

A grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. indicted a 15-year-old on Wednesday of first-degree murder of her 9-year-old neighbor, USA Today reported.

Alyssa Bustamante was accused of murdering her neighbor Elizabeth Olten. Bustamante is accused of strangling the girl, cutting her throat and stabbing the girl. The murder took place Oct. 21. 

If she is convicted she could be sentenced to life in prison.

ABC reported that Bustamante confessed to the crime and said she did it so she would "know what it felt like to kill someone." 

She is being held without bond in Cole County jail. 

Cancer scientist is "Belle de Jour"

By thoma816 on November 19, 2009 10:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

CNN has reported that a cancer scientistic is behind the secret identity of an erotic blogger and author whose life as a prostitute became a hit TV series.

Brooke Magnanti, 34, revealed herself to be the women behind "Belle de Jour",the salacious online diary of a high class call girl, to a British newspaper. Magnanti is a cancer specialist at a university in western England.

Her accounts of working as a call girl got her a huge following and a book deal. She also had many critics saying that she glamorized  sex.

According to ABC News, Magnanti became a call girl when she moved from Scotland to London while working on her Ph.D. thesis. 

MIA dog found after 14 months

By thoma816 on November 14, 2009 6:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

USA Today reported the an Australian bomb-sniffing dog that disappeared during a fight in Afghanistan between Australian troops and militant fighters has been found after being missing for 14 months. 

Sabi, a black Labrador, was with a joint Australian-Afghan army patrol when they were ambushed and after the fight was not seen again. Officials said that Sabi was found Thursday by a U.S. soldier at an isolated patrol base in Uruzgan.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that it is unknown where the dog was for 14 months, but the dog was in good condition and happy. It appeared that someone had been taking care of her. 

6 Relatives Charged in Child Sex Abuse Case

By thoma816 on November 14, 2009 5:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

USA Today reported that a sixth relative, who called child sex abuse allegations against his brother and four nephews "repulsive", was charged Friday in Lexington, Mo. with raping two children, authorities said. 

Darrel Wayne Mohler, 72, was charged Friday with two counts of rape from 1986, according to court documents.

CNN reported that five other members of the Mohler family were also charged. Mohler's brother Burrell Edward Mohler Sr., 77, and his sons Burrell Edward Mohler Jr.,53; David A. Mohler, 52; and Roland Neil Mohler, 47, also face charges from the mid-1980s until 1995 and more charges are expected next week. 

Mohler Sr., David Mohler and Jared Mohler are lay ministers in the Community of Christ, the Independence, the organization said in a statement. Lay ministers are volunteer ministers. 

'Wipeout' Contestant Dies

By thoma816 on November 12, 2009 9:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

CNN reported that a contestant on the ABC show 'Wipeout' died Nov. 5 after having an apparent stroke. Tom Sparks, 33, was participating in the show on Oct. 19  and was bought to the hospital after complaining of knee pain during an obstacle course challenge. He was also experiencing shortness of breath.

The stroke was likely caused by a pre-existing condition. The New York Times reported that the stroke was likely caused by antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS).

The contestants on 'Wipeout' have to complete medical examinations before they can be on the show, but APS is found through blood testing.

University of Minnesota Ethics Policy

By thoma816 on November 12, 2009 5:36 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

KARE 11 reported that the University of Minnesota officials said that a new draft of the ethics policy was made that will include guidance for avoiding conflicts-of-interest.

Mark Rotenberg, university general counsel, presented the policy Tuesday. The policy would ban faculty from product endorsements and ghosting writing research papers among other things.

On Thursday the university regents will hear a presentation.

The Minnesota Daily reported that the new policy would also tighten annual requirements for reporting outside income that University employees get. Financial accountability has recently increased in interest because of financial issues with researchers in the Medical School.

University of Minnesota player accused of assault

By thoma816 on November 12, 2009 5:22 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
By Taryn Thomas

KARE 11 is reporting that a University of Minnesota Gopher football player was accused of assault on Halloween night.  Neena Rachael accused the player of assault.

According to Rachael, she was out with friends and got a ride home with them and the player was the designated driver. She said she had never met him before. Rachael got into an argument with the football player's girlfriend.

Allegedly this is when the football player got involved. Rachael said that he threw her across the wall and she fell. Then he allegedly picked her up by the wrist and threw against the wall six more times.

The Minnesota Daily is reporting that the accused football player is Nathan Tow-Arnett, a 27-year-old sophomore that is a defensive back for the Gophers. The Daily also named the victim as Neena Kurian. I am unsure which name is correct. 

The police say that Tow-Arnett and Rachael (Kurian) both have different stories and they are still investigating. 

Archives