"After asking if they accepted cash, West dumped 2,500 pennies onto the counter and demanded that they count it," Police Chief Keith Campbell told the newspaper. "The pennies were strewn about the counter and the floor."

When the clinic staff freaked out and called the cops, West fled the office.

Police tracked him down later and gave him the citation, which carries a potential fine of $140.

West wasn't the first person to try to settle a bill using small change this year to send a message.

In January, a University of Colorado student paid his $14,000 spring tuition in one dollar bills.

The student, Nic Ramos, said he pulled the stunt to draw attention to the high cost of college.

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Entry #4,774

June 5, 2011
5:29 pm

Where the housing bust still hurts

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/swing-states-still-struggling-after-housing-bust-pose-challenge-to-obama-reelection/2011/05/31/AGtf2yIH_story.html?hpid=z2

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Entry #4,773

June 5, 2011
7:19 am

Plus Size Model Causes Stir on Internet Voting

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3614671/This-is-the-real-Next-top-model.html

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Entry #4,772

June 5, 2011
6:46 am

AIDS at 30

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/03/aids-at-30-medical-milestones-in-the-battle-against-a-modern-plague/#more-34965

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Entry #4,771

June 4, 2011
11:57 pm

America's Hottest Investment: Farmland

http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2011/06/01/americas-hottest-investment-farmland/

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Entry #4,770

June 4, 2011
11:13 pm

Worms from hell

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/discovery-of-worms-from-hell-deep-beneath-earths-surface-raises-new-questions/2011/05/31/AGnzJTGH_story.html

Thanks to Truecritic

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Entry #4,769

June 4, 2011
11:07 pm

Man Run Over By His Van He was Pushing Downhill

Cushing man injured after being run over by own vehicle

Tulsa World

Published: 6/4/2011 11:58 AM
Last Modified: 6/4/2011 5:25 PM

A Cushing man is in stable condition after being run over by his own vehicle.

Bernard Everett Hawkwing, 52, was pushing his 1999 Ford Econoline van downhill on the eastbound shoulder of Oklahoma 33 one mile east of Ripley City at 6:43 a.m. Saturday when it began to gain speed, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

As the van gained speed, Hawkwing attempted to enter the vehicle when he got caught underneath and was run over by the left rear tires, troopers said.

The vehicle continued to cross the roadway and went through a fence on the westbound side of the road.

Hawkwing was taken to Cushing Regional Hospital with arm, leg and internal injuries.

Staff Reports

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Entry #4,768

June 4, 2011
7:27 pm

50 Fattiest Foods Across the Nation

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/destinations/sns-c-50-fattiest-foods-across-the-nation,0,4808613.photogallery

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Entry #4,767

June 4, 2011
7:18 pm

Doctor prescribed HIV meds to patients without deadly virus

HIV drug scam: NYC doctor busted for doling out meds patients didn't need, prosecutors say

Michael Jaccarino AND Melissa Grace
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Friday, June 3rd 2011, 3:12 PM

docnet.org

Manhattan doctor Dr. Hemrajani Suresh face up to15 years in prison for allegedly prescribing HIV medicines to patients who did not have the virus.

A Washington Heights doctor was busted in a $700,000 Medicaid scam for prescribing HIV drugs to a stunning 150 patients who did not have the virus - and billing the public health system for their care, prosecutors said.

Suresh Hemrajani, 57, pleaded not guilty to grand larceny and health care fraud Friday and posted $200,000 bond after appearing before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Berkman.

The charges against Hemrajani followed the indictment of 30 people, all poor Medicaid patients who were recruited off the streets by middlemen, "sometimes 10 at a time," according to court records.

Hemrajani, who lives in a $610,000 White Plains home, was arrested after prosecutors won convictions against 17 of the patients - even securing state prison sentences against some. Many of them are cooperating in the probe, sources said.

The comparatively late prosecution of Hemrajani, who was allegedly at the center of the scam, brought a sharp rebuke from the judge.

He called the putative patients "poor people who were unable to resist the lure of a few easy bucks."

"[That] the people didn't seem to be pursuing the doctor always was a matter of some frustration to the court as well as actually the other defense lawyers," said Berkman. "Where is the doctor? Where is the doctor? I can't tell you how many times I heard that."

A press release issued Friday by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance offered no indication of the scope of the alleged 2008 scam - which the judge revealed.

While the DA's office declined comment on what it termed an ongoing investigation, a source said the delay in prosecuting Hemrajani was caused by the time necessary to build a case involving so many patients.

The office said more patients could be busted.

Hemrajani's lawyer did not return a telephone call for comment. His wife also had no comment.

"I kind of feel bad for him because he doesn't look like he's built for that kind of environment - getting arrested and going to jail," said Adam ¬Diaz, the building superintendent where Hemrajani has an office.

Officials said the recruited patients were brought to the doctor's office where Hemrajani wrote them prescriptions for HIV meds without even conducting an exam.

The patients, who used Medicaid to pay for the prescriptions, were paid cash for the meds by a middleman, who in turn sold the drugs on the black market.

Hemrajani also wrote monthly prescriptions for the patients - whom he never saw again - that were filled at pharmacies, court records show.

The scam was uncovered when some of the patients later tried to get additional prescriptions for HIV drugs from a hospital, where they were tested and found to be HIV-negative, prosecutors said.

Hemrajani faces up to 15 years behind bars.

His White Plains neighbors were shocked by the accusations.

"They are the lowest-key people you'd ever meet. I'm stunned. I thought he was a gynecologist," said a next-door neighbor who only gave her first name, Nancy.

"College must be very expensive these days," she said, adding the doctor has a college-age daughter.

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Entry #4,766

June 4, 2011
7:12 pm

Woman charged with sixth DUI comes to court drunk

6/4/2011 9:07 AM

Elgin woman charged with sixth DUI comes to court drunk, authorities say

Barbara Vitello

Daily Herald

An Elgin woman charged with her sixth DUI had her bail revoked this week when she showed up for court intoxicated, court records show.

Sandra Uher, 54, of the 1200 block of Maroon Drive, was remanded to Cermak Hospital, which is part of the Cook County Jail, for evaluation on Thursday.

The hearing for the filing of pretrial motions was rescheduled for Tuesday in Rolling Meadows.

Uher’s latest arrest occurred in March after she ran a stop sign at Shales Parkway and Summit Street in Elgin and crashed into another car, police said. No one was injured in the accident. If convicted, Uher could face six to 30 years in prison.

Uher failed a field sobriety test and registered .30 on a preliminary blood-alcohol test, Cotter said. That’s nearly four times the legal limit. Uher also was driving on a revoked license, authorities said.

Uher’s initial bail was $100,000, and she was released after posting $10,000. She now will not have that option, pending her next hearing.

Her latest DUI arrest follows several previous DUI convictions. Uher was convicted of DUI in 2005 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. She received two DUI convictions in 1999 for separate offenses that occurred on the same day. And she was sentenced to supervision for drunken driving in July 1997 which became a conviction in May 1999. Uher also was arrested on charges of DUI two years ago in Kane County.

If convicted, Uher could face between six and 30 years in prison.

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Entry #4,765

June 4, 2011
8:03 am

Man accused of drugging rival's dog

Article updated: 6/2/2011 1:40 PM

Josh Stockinger

Man denies drugging rival’s dog at Wheaton show

A man accused of drugging a rival dog handler’s Siberian husky at a kennel club show in Wheaton denies the charges and plans to take the case to trial, his attorney said Thursday.

Ralph Ullum of Claysville, Pa. faces misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals and attempted criminal damage to property. DuPage County Judge Ronald Sutter set a Sept. 8 trial date.

Ullum, 67, is accused of feeding Protonix and possibly Benadryl to Pixie, a Siberian husky that competed against another Siberian husky owned by Ullum’s girlfriend at a Dec. 17 dog show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds. He was arrested after Pixie’s handler found what appeared to be a crushed pink pill near Pixie’s cage, and after several witnesses said they saw Ullum feed and pet the dog moments earlier, according to police.

On Thursday, defense attorney Edward M. Maloney said Ullum had no motive to harm Pixie because, contrary to an earlier account by authorities, his girlfriend’s husky had already won the competition.

“Mr. Ullum denies he gave any pills to the dog,” Maloney said. “The contest was over. There really was no reason to do anything to harm the dog.”

Police said a veterinarian at the show induced Pixie to vomit, finding an undigested pill marked “Protonix,” along with dog food, chicken and a rubber band. Police said they also recovered a wadded up paper towel containing a white substance and apparent pill pieces from the men’s bathroom trash.

Ullum acknowledged petting Pixie and using the restroom, according to a police report, but he denied feeding the dog and throwing anything in the trash.

Authorities said Pixie wasn’t seriously hurt. The American Kennel Club since has suspended Ullum’s privileges to assist his girlfriend, who competed against Pixie’s handler at several previous shows.

“It’s a very highly competitive world in the AKC,” Maloney said. “I think emotions were flying high that day.”

According to a police report, authorities believe the pink substance near Pixie’s cage might have been Benadryl, an allergy medication that can cause drowsiness and weakness. Protonix is used to treat acid reflux and heartburn, among other ailments.

Pixie’s handler, based in New York, and the dog’s owner, a Florida veterinarian, declined to comment while the case is pending. Prosecutors said Ullum, who has requested a bench trial, faces up to a year in jail if convicted.

LINK TO PHOTO:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110602/news/706029943/

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Entry #4,764

June 4, 2011
7:50 am

Saggy pants banned from public buses

Fort Worth buses crack down on saggy pants

Tuesday, May. 31, 2011

Gordon Dickson

Residents who try to board a bus while exposing their rumps can expect to get bumped.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is enforcing a new dress code that allows bus drivers to turn away passengers whose pants sag below the waist.

Several riders interviewed took the change in stride, while others said it was an affront to personal expression and hip-hop-influenced fashion.

"People are still going to do it. They don't care about the rules," said Jesse Cardona, 20, who lives in north Fort Worth's Diamond Hill area. On Tuesday, Cardona wore baggy black shorts pulled up to the waist, although he said he occasionally wears pants that sag.

"It's me," he said. "I'm being me."

The T is putting posters in each bus that read: "Grandma says 'Pull 'em up' or find another ride." The advertisements feature caricatures of two grandmotherly figures -- one light-skinned and one dark-skinned -- and the lower half of a person wearing pants low enough for drawers to be seen.

"They'll mess with our freedom. Pretty soon they're going to ban dreadlocks, too," said Cory Shelby, 29, a tattoo artist and former Miami resident who is staying at a Salvation Army shelter in Fort Worth.

Shelby was told to pull up his pants before getting on a bus, even though he said his black cargo shorts were not drooping enough to be distasteful.

"They told me I had to pull up my pants ..." he said, "and my boxers weren't even showing."

An issue of respect

The campaign began in August 2008, but the T recently made an administrative change to its dress code giving bus drivers authority to deny boarding to violators, spokeswoman Joan Hunter said. On May 12, the day the policy took effect, boarding was delayed for about 50 riders until they pulled up their pants. All complied, she said.

"It's not like they have to go home," Hunter said. "They can just pull it up. It's to be respectful of other riders."

The T is acting with the encouragement of Councilman Frank Moss, who has been the local point man for an issue that has played out in cities nationwide. The fashion trend is widely believed to have roots in prisons, where inmates often aren't issued belts, causing their pants to sag. Some musicians adopted the look, and during the past 10 to 15 years, the fashion has spread to youths of various ethnicities and backgrounds.

Around Fort Worth, billboards will soon be put up with the same message as the T posters, said Moss, who has long argued that the saggy-pants look hurts youths' ability to land jobs.

"This shows we have taken the overall concept of pulling them up to a new level," Moss said during a recent City Council meeting, where he showed off the new T posters. "There are some real policies in place to say, if you don't pull 'em up, you can't ride."

Opposing viewpoint

But others say a policy prohibiting saggy pants may embolden young people to embrace the look as a sign of rebellion.

"Eventually, it will go out of style. It's hard to make somebody do something just because it's right," said Sam Raymond, owner of Munchie's Hot Dogs, which operates an outdoor stand at the Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Fort Worth. "Even the hip-hop stars are starting to dress up and grow out of it, but it's going to take time."

Elvis King, 53, who was riding a bus home Tuesday in south Fort Worth after attending an appointment in Dallas, said he often sees younger riders on the bus with saggy pants, "but I don't think anything negative about it."

"People dress the way they feel on the inside," he said.

Jay Michael, 21, of east Fort Worth wore a backward Dallas Mavericks cap as he waited for a Trinity Railway Express train. Michael said he supports the ban on saggy pants.

"It's understandable," he said. "It's about respect."

As the train pulled up, Michael stood and stretched, revealing that his pants were sagging below the buttocks.

But as he stopped stretching and boarded the train, his saggy pants were covered by his untucked T-shirt.

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Entry #4,763

June 3, 2011
11:02 pm

Three arrested for feeding homeless

Three arrested, accused of illegally feeding homeless

Orlando police say they violated a city ordinance restricting the feedings.

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/videobeta/3cadf906-8040-4b8f-95bc-46cec2b0788d/News/Homeless-advocates-vow-to-keep-feeding-the-poor

Susan Jacobson

Orlando Sentinel

1:33 p.m. EDT, June 2, 2011

Members of Orlando Food Not Bombs were arrested Wednesday when police said they violated a city ordinance by feeding the homeless in Lake Eola Park.

Jessica Cross, 24, Benjamin Markeson, 49, and Jonathan "Keith" McHenry, 54, were arrested at 6:10 p.m. on a charge of violating the ordinance restricting group feedings in public parks. McHenry is a co-founder of the international Food Not Bombs movement, which began in the early 1980s.

The group lost a court battle in April, clearing the way for the city to enforce the ordinance. It requires groups to obtain a permit and limits each group to two permits per year for each park within a 2-mile radius of City Hall.

Arrest papers state that Cross, Markeson and McHenry helped feed 40 people Wednesday night. The ordinance applies to feedings of more than 25 people.

"They intentionally violated the statute," said Lt. Barbara Jones, an Orlando police spokeswoman.

Police waited until everyone was served to make the arrests, said Douglas Coleman, speaking for Orlando Food Not Bombs.

"They basically carted them off to jail for feeding hungry people," said Coleman, who was not present. "For them to regulate a time and place for free speech and to share food, that is unacceptable."

Orlando Food Not Bombs has been feeding the homeless breakfast on Mondays for several years and dinner on Wednesdays for five years.

Police had not enforced the ordinance while the court battle continued. The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta ruled that city rules regulating how often large groups of people can be fed in a park do not violate the Constitution.

The penalty for violating Orlando's ordinance is 60 days in jail, a $500 fine or both.

Arrest documents state that Orlando Food Not Bombs received permits and fed more than 25 homeless people at Lake Eola Park on May 18 and 23. Coleman said the group rejected the permits.

On May 25, Orlando Food Not Bombs illegally fed a large group of homeless people, the police report states. The group on its website called for members to show up that day and defy the city ordinance, according to the report.

Officers said they found a press release on Markeson when they arrested him stating that group members planned to defy the ordinance Wednesday.

Bail was set at $250 for each person arrested. Cross and Markeson were released from jail early

Thursday. McHenry wants to stay in jail and let the legal process take its course, Coleman said.

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Entry #4,762