Mom was on midnight beer run while fire killed girl, police say

In Rochester, N.Y., a 22-year-old woman has been found guilty of negligent homicide after her 3-year-old daughter died in a fire in their apartment. The fire started on a stove late one night in 2008. Mom was out buying beer at the time. Two other kids were badly burned.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

IT CAME FROM THE POLICE BLOTTER!

From UMKC's University News:

12:43 a.m. Illness - An intoxicated student in the Medical School passed out in a locked bathroom while getting ready for work.

Matches + bag of dog poop = arson charges

The Denver Post reports on a true battle of wills ...

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Cronk!

Charges in Mo. baby's death could be two weeks out

In Jasper County, Mo., the prosecutor says he's waiting for the final results of Eddie Salazar's autopsy before filing charges in the 8-month-old's homicide. Salazar, the subject of an Amber Alert last week, was reportedly found in a river east of Carthage.

Beaten for burping?

In Roanoke, Va., a college student has sued sheriff's deputies who allegedly beat him because they were sick of the guy's burping. (Which he blames on acid reflux.)

Hat Tip: Saw this via the Obscure Store!

UPDATE: Donation jar stolen from Liberty restaurant

From Brian Burnes: Liberty police have identified two suspects in the theft of Haitian earthquake donations stolen last month from an area restaurant. An arrest warrant has been issued for Scott D. Case and Jessica B. McGannon, authorities said. Police believe both have lived in Liberty in the past, but not currently.

Vacuum cleaner "fell out of the sky," victims tell police

I know we've had some rough weather this winter, but if it starts raining vacuum cleaners, I officially give up. Story is from Lincoln, Neb. Nobody's sure where the vacuum came from.

Holding adults responsible if kids ride without helmets

A new bill in Kansas would ticket the owner of a motorcycle or motorized bike if that person let someone under age 18 ride the vehicle without a helmet. There's already a law requiring helmets, but it puts the kid on the hook if they break the law. Officials hope they'll get more compliance -- and reduce injuries -- if adults are held responsible, too.

VIDEO: Not guilty plea in Michael Jackson death

Aussie couple refuse to stop having public sex, despite police request

Just another day at a gas station in Australia ...

The attendant called the police, who arrived and asked the couple to stop. They did not, and Spratt was not arrested until 27 minutes later.

Man beaten unconscious after dancing with strippers, suit claims

A man from Muncie, Ind., is suing a local strip club because a bouncer allegedly beat him unconscious after the man "participated in a dancer's performance," the Indianapolis Star reports. The man says he was counting 40 $1 bills, which he reportedly planned to give to dancers there. Only the bouncers assumed he had stolen the cash from the dancers, which prompted the beatdown, the lawsuit claims.

KC man pleads guilty to terror threat

In Pettis County, Mo., Michael Frederick has pleaded guilty to making a terrorist threat -- specifically, he showed up during a school fund-raiser in November and told officials that escaped convicts were coming to kidnap students. (There weren't.) Frederick, 19, was sentenced to 180 days. Then, he's got to face military punishment for being AWOL, the Sedalia Democrat reports.

30 years later, teacher gets 1 week in jail for molestation

In Kentucky, a former teacher has been sentenced to a week in jail, followed by 90 days of house arrest, for molesting two students about 30 years ago. The teacher was offered a reduced sentenced for testifying against another educator, who got more than six years.

New twist in Mo. journalist's murder

In 2001, a man named Kent Heitholt, a sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, was robbed and murdered outside the newspaper's offices. Two young men, Chuck Erickson and Ryan Ferguson, were eventually arrested and convicted. (Ferguson is pictured to the left here.) Erickson got 25 years because he testified against Ferguson, who denied participating in the murder. Ferguson was sentenced to 40 years, and his family has actively fought for an appeal.

Now? Erickson is saying that he acted alone with Heitholt was killed -- that Ferguson had no part in it, though his story still puts Ferguson at the crime scene. From the Tribune:

Teen pulls a "Blues Brother" at his high school, police say

Near Seattle, a 17-year-old boy is accused of driving a car through the doors of his high school and driving 75 yards down a hallway, where he crashed into a security office. (To be fair, Jake and Elwood were able to successfully drive THROUGH their building without crashing, so the metaphor isn't exact.) Surprisingly, drugs and alcohol are NOT believed to have played a part here.

Scott Roeder still talking ... and talking ... and talking

An anti-abortion activist has interviewed Scott Roeder and posted audio of their talk on YouTube. It's more of what you expect: No sympathy for the Tiller family, I didn't get a fair trial, etc. Judy Thomas listened to it so you don't have to, and she filed a report here. Liked this part especially:

Did Stacy Peterson try to blackmail Drew?

From the Chicago Tribune:

Shortly before she vanished in October 2007, Stacy Peterson told a divorce attorney that she thought her husband was mad at her because he believed she told his son he had killed his ex-wife, the attorney testified Monday.

She also wondered if she'd be able to extort money from Drew Peterson if she threatened to go to police, the attorney said.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

This sounds like a job for "CSI"

In Mesa, Ariz., police didn't have to work too hard to catch the guys who robbed a pizza delivery guy: They just followed the trail of pizza sauce and chicken wings to a nearby apartment. It also helped that one suspect had pizza sauce all over his clothes.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, eephus!

Quit shoveling snow on my car, or I'll shoot you

I don't know why people are always bad-mouthing guns, because as you can see here, they're wonderful for solving everyday problems.

KCPD opens new garage to process evidence in cars

This morning, KCPD is going to hold a dedication ceremony for its "vehicle processing facility" at the city's new impound lot. Basically, it's a building set up especially so police can examine cars that are part of crimes and get evidence off them. There's a small crime lab included, as well as a darkened space where Luminol will show up. The facility cost about $2.6 million.

Dressed for the opposite of success

From the Arizona Republic:

The incident began about 10:20 p.m. when neighbor called police to report a suspicious man hiding in a ditch behind a vacant home near Broadway Road and Mesa Drive, police said.

When an officer approached the man, he noticed he was shirtless and wearing women's pants with a hole in the crotch exposing his genitals. The man also was wearing his underwear around his neck, police said.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, eephus!

Mo. Highway Patrol gets new leader

Maj. Ronald Replogle will take over after Col. James Keathley leaves later this month. Replogle, a Marshfield native, heads up the patrol's criminal investigations bureau.

Trial starting in horrific Okla. murders

In Norman, Okla., prosecutors are starting to try William Eugene Davis, who allegedly killed his two sisters and his sister's mother-in-law because he didn't think he was getting enough money from Social Security. Davis was finally stopped by his blind brother-in-law. The defense argues that he can't be held responsible because of his mental problems.

Open Thread ... Tuesday

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

The most amazing thing you will see today

Cops - Hogtied husband from Shaun Donahue Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

I'm stealing this one from Tony's Kansas City, who posted it a little earlier. It's a COPS segment from KCK, where a woman allegedly tied up her husband with a telephone cord that he'd yanked from the wall, then waves down a passing KCK cruiser to pick him up.

Best part is their exchange, where he tells her not to touch him and she says, no problem, I know you've got cooties.