Florida

A Tampa man spent Friday night in jail after being arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious solicitation of minors and exposure of sexual organs.

Robert Lee Johns, 28, of 3009 E. Palifox St., approached two young girls and offered them a large wad of cash for sex in plain view of two adult women, the arrest affidavit said.

One of the women told Johns the girls were underage and he responded by flashing them his penis.
Johns bolted when one of the women started to call the police. He was arrested nearly a half mile away and taken to Orient Road Jail where bail was set at $8,000. He has since been released.

– Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer

According to a 9/25/08 Nation article, “Lawyers told: Take care of your health“, the president of the Barbados Bar Association, Wilfred Abrahams, is calling on lawyers to mind their health. Here is a quote from the Nation, to which I have added hyperlinks for each lawyer:

His comments came in light of the death of attorney-at-law Rahim Bacchus, 50,who was found dead at his Fort George Heights, St Michael, yesterday morning. Five lawyers – Alfred Clarke, Hutson Linton, Delroy Saddler, also a former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Karen Culbard, and Tonya Howard – have died so far this year.

(Read the full post about ‘Why Have So Many Bajan Lawyers Tragically Passed Away This Year?’…)

A Bayflite helicopter takes off carrying a woman who was hit by a car in front of Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs early this morning. It was dark when the accident happened. [JIM DAMASKE | Times] TARPON SPRINGS - A 53-year-old woman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after she was hit by a car early this morning on Pinellas Avenue, according to Tarpon Springs Police. At about 6:30 a.m., the woman stepped into the northbound lane of Pinellas Avenue, also known as Alt. U.S. 19, into the path of a red 1990 Toyota Camry station wagon driven by John Truitt of 422 Curlew Place. The woman, whose name has not been released, was flown to Bayfront Medical Center. (Read the full post about ‘Accident closes Tarpon Springs street for airlift’…)

PLANT CITY - A 22-year-old Plant City man is accused of striking a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy with his car when deputies attempted to arrest him on a warrant for drug paraphernalia possession early this morning.

Deputies said they spotted Lonnie Cecil Watts, 2418 S Romana Circle, just after midnight in the back seat of a white Buick at a Circle K parking lot, 2704 W Trapnell Road. When deputies approached the car and identified themselves, Watts moved to the front seat, put the car in drive and hit Deputy Matthew McMurphy, causing abrasions on his right arm, according to an arrest affidavit.

(Read the full post about ‘Plant City man faces charge of hitting deputy with car’…)

TAMPA - Police are searching for two men who robbed a Tampa grocery store at gunpoint Thursday night.

At about 10 p.m., the two men entered the Publix at 6001 N Nebraska Ave., through a back door, according to the Tampa Police Department. Armed with handguns, the men ordered employees to lie on the ground while they made the store’s assistant manager and cashier give them an undetermined amount of money from the store’s safe. They then fled in a dark-colored SUV, police said. There were no injuries.

One man is described as black, 5-feet-9 to 6-feet tall, about 170 pounds, wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue jeans.

(Read the full post about ‘Tampa Publix robbed at gunpoint’…)

ST. PETERSBURG — A 22-year-old man was arrested near midnight Thursday after he failed to stop at a stop sign, fled from police, crashed his car into a fence and rolled down into a ravine, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Benjamin W. Vandermeir, 5650 11th Ave N, was driving a 1990 red Ford Thunderbird north on 40th Street N at about 12:15 a.m. when he ran a stop sign near 37th Street N and 46th Avenue. A sheriff’s deputy tried to pull him over but he drove off, crashing into a chain link fence and careening 35 feet into a ravine instead of making the turn at Lown Street.

Vandermeir was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for injuries not thought to be life-threatening and charged with felony fleeing and eluding, felony habitual traffic offender and criminal mischief.

(Read the full post about ‘St. Petersburg man hospitalized, arrested after crashing into ravine’…)

TAMPA — The westbound lanes of Fletcher Avenue were closed early this morning due to a water line break, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened at about 3 a.m., and the westbound lanes from 19th and 20th streets will be closed for the next few days, deputies said, however the turning lane is open. It’s not clear what caused the break.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

Source: New York Times, September 25, 2008 - article by ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

European Union regulators on Thursday ordered rigorous testing of imports containing at least 15 percent milk powder after concluding that food containing tainted milk powder from China may well be circulating in Europe and putting children at risk.   Did Barbados Escape? According to Barbados Free Press:

The Barbados Ministry of Health has recalled five flavours of “Flavorite” ice cream, but the only reason being released to the public is “This is being done as a precautionary measure under the Health Services (Food Hygiene) Regulation 1969.”

In a later post, BFP stated that Flavourite Foods Ltd.

(Read the full post about ‘China’s Milk Scandal Now Seen as Risk in Europe’…)

From Daily News, NY Crime, By Scott Shifrel DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER - click here to read story Quote:

Vlastimir Matorkik, 41, a banquet server at the Westin Hotel in Times Square, allegedly got $37,000 in Medicaid benefits while taking in over $200,000 annually. Also indicted were Richard Greenstein, 41, a Long Island title insurance executive who earned more than $300,000 in 2007; and Shalom Mizrahi, 33, who owns a women’s loungewear firm with an office in the Empire State Building. There are dishonest people in every country, but stealing money intended for the poor is low!

(Read the full post about ‘New York: 5 well-off folks on welfare fraud!’…)

Compare the two stories below. The main accusation in each case was basically the same. A powerful politician had the authority to influence the selection of a vendor. The vendor did work on the powerful politician’s private residence. The first story takes place in Alaska, USA. A U.S. Senator is being actively prosecuted. The press has been brutal with him. The second story is set in the tropical paradise of Barbados. A commission reports on the actions of a former minister. The press announces, with an exclamation mark, that he is cleared. No charges were filed. No disciplinary action was taken. (Read the full post about ‘St Joseph Hospital Commission of Inquiry - Branford Taitt must be Thankful He is Living in Barbados!’…)