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Tag: Wisconsin

  • College Student Found Dead in Restaurant Dumbwaiter

    A 21-year-old gymnast and college student was found dead inside of a Wisconsin restaurant’s dumbwaiter Monday night, though no foul play has been suspected.

    Fountain City police responded to a call from the WingDam Bar and Saloon at around 8 p.m. There they discovered Brooke Baures, a waitress at the restaurant, unresponsive inside of the kitchen food elevator. Police Chief Jason Mork commented that the dumbwaiter’s opening is roughly three feet by three feet.

    The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department stated that there is no initial indication of foul play, but an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.

    Baures attended Winona State University, and was studying social work. She was also a member of their gymnastics team from 2011 to 2014.

    Eric Schoh, WSU Athletic Director said in a statement, “Brooke was a leader on that team and a very talented gymnast. This is a tremendous loss for our community, and we ask that you keep Brooke and her family, friends, coaches and teammates in your thoughts.”

    According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), only two dumbwaiter incidents, both fatal, have occurred in the U.S. between 2003 and 2013.

  • Slender Man Stabbing Trial Delayed

    Slender Man Stabbing Trial Delayed

    An attorney for one of the defendants charged with stabbing a classmate to appease the fictional internet entity The Slender Man, argued Tuesday in court that his client is mentally unstable, and is not fit to stand trial. A state doctor has deemed the girl to be mentally fit.

    On May 31, the teen, now 13, along with a friend, lured their 12-year-old classmate into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times. The victim crawled away and was discovered by a cyclist.

    Judge Michael Bohren heard the report of the 13-year-old defendant’s present psychological assessment last week, but didn’t directly act upon it, after defense attorney Anthony Cotton countered that he hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with his client. Bohren advised Cotton to talk with the teen and return to court.

    Cotton asserted that his client is still mentally incompetent, and was receiving the one-on-one care she requires in a mental institution – care she would not get in jail. Cotton added that his client still believes the Slender Man to be real, and hired a doctor that will testify during a December 18 hearing on her behalf.

    According to Kenneth Robbins, the psychiatrist hired by the defense, the defendant was described as being “giddy,” was laughing inappropriately while being interviewed and seemed unconcerned about a lengthy prison sentence.

    “We don’t think anything has changed in terms of her functioning,” Cotton remarked.

    Wisconsin law dictates that suspects in major crimes are to be charged as adults if they are at least 10.

    Here is a documentary concerning The Slender Man:

    While being interviewed by the police, the two attackers admitted that the stabbing was the first step toward becoming “proxies” to The Slender Man. The 13-year-old defendant said she believed that The Slender Man lived in a mansion in Wisconsin, where she and her accomplice could live, after they completed a murder. Both were charged as adults for first-degree intentional homicide, and are facing up to 65 years imprisonment each.

    Commenting on the defendant’ss mental status back in August, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm told the Waukesha County court that the tween is “standing mute.” Lundbohm revealed that the 13-year-old likewise believes in unicorns, thinks she has mind-control capabilities similar to the Vulcan race of Star Trek lore and has conversations with Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort. She is likewise afraid to mention much about The Slender Man, for fear he would harm her or her family. She also claimed to communicate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

  • ‘Slender Man’ Stabbing Suspect Fit to Stand Trial

    One of two adolescents charged with stabbing a classmate to appease the fictional internet entity The Slender Man, has been deemed fit to stand trial, a Wisconsin judge ruled Wednesday.

    On May 31, the teen, now 13, along with a friend, lured their 12-year-old classmate into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times. The victim crawled away and was discovered by a cyclist.

    Judge Michael Bohren heard the report of the 13-year-old defendant’s present psychological assessment, but didn’t directly act upon it, after defense attorney Anthony Cotton countered that he hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with his client. Bohren advised Cotton to talk with the teen and return to court on Tuesday.

    While being interviewed by the police, the two attackers admitted that the stabbing was the first step toward becoming “proxies” to The Slender Man. The 13-year-old defendant said she believed that The Slender Man lived in a mansion in Wisconsin, where she and her accomplice could live, after they completed a murder. Both were charged as adults for first-degree intentional homicide, and are facing up to 65 years imprisonment each.

    Attorney Cotton declined to comment on the hearing, and had been previously concerned over his client’s mental well-being. Though, his defendant was said to have looked more stable than during earlier hearings – she was dressed casually Wednesday, while sitting calmly. She had previously made court appearances in jail clothes, and would writhe in her seat.

    Wayward tweens like the Slender Man:

    Commenting on the defendant’ss mental status back in August, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm told the Waukesha County court that the tween is “standing mute.” Lundbohm revealed that the 13-year-old likewise believes in unicorns, thinks she has mind-control capabilities similar to the Vulcan race of Star Trek lore and has conversations with Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort. She is likewise afraid to mention much about The Slender Man, for fear he would harm her or her family. She also claimed to communicate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

    According to Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist hired by the defense, the defendant was described as being “giddy,” was laughing inappropriately while being interviewed and seemed unconcerned about a lengthy prison sentence.

  • ‘Slender Man’ Stabbing Suspect Trial Delayed

    Morgan Geyser, one of two 12-year-olds charged with stabbing a classmate to appease the fictional internet entity The Slender Man, has been deemed unfit to stand trial.

    On May 31, Geyser, along with friend Anissa Weier, lured their 12-year-old classmate into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times. The victim crawled away and was discovered by a cyclist.

    While being interviewed by the police, the two attackers admitted that the stabbing was the first step toward becoming “proxies” to The Slender Man. Geyser said she believed that The Slender Man lived in a mansion in Wisconsin, where she and her accomplice could live, after they completed a murder. Both were charged as adults for first-degree intentional homicide, and are facing up to 65 years imprisonment each.

    The Slender Man character originated as an Internet meme created by Something Awful forums user Eric Knudsen in 2009. The Slender Man is tall, thin, has a blank face and wears a black suit, and is typically depicted as staking, abducting and traumatizing people, usually children.

    Here is a fakelore documentary on The Slender Man:

    Commenting on Geyser’s mental status, Dr. Brooke Lundbohm told the Waukesha County court that the tween is “standing mute.” Lundbohm revealed that Geyser likewise believes in unicorns, thinks she has mind-control capabilities similar to the Vulcan race of Star Trek lore and has conversations with Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort. She is likewise afraid to mention much about The Slender Man, for fear he would harm her or her family. She also claimed to communicate with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

    According to Kenneth Robbins, a psychiatrist hired by the defense, Geyser was described as being “giddy,” was laughing inappropriately while being interviewed and seemed unconcerned about a lengthy prison sentence.

    While both doctors agreed that Geyser is not faking, Lundbohm believes that with medication, the defendant will be ready to stand trial in time. “She needs to grow up,” Lundbohm commented.

    Judge Michael Bohren set a hearing for November 12 to get an update on Geyser’s condition.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Scott Walker: White House Ambitions Threatened By Scandal

    Is it just me or does every Republican White House hopeful seem to be in the midst of a political scandal at the moment?

    Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was accused by John Doe prosecutors of involvement in an alleged scheme to coordinate activities among multiple campaign organizations. This fact came to the attention of the public on Thursday after court documents were unsealed that mentioned the politician by name.

    The released documents also revealed that motions were filed to suppress subpoenas issued against the the Wisconsin Club for Growth and Eric O’Keefe, the club’s director.

    The group claims that the investigation into Walker and his allies’ campaign activities is “politically motivated”.

    Special prosecutor Francis Schmitz responded by providing what he himself described as a “detailed summary” about the accusations against the Wisconsin governor and his allies.

    Schmitz wrote that the “investigation focuses on a wide-ranging scheme to coordinate activities of several organizations with various candidate committees.”

    The special prosecutor also emphasized that the accusations were based on facts rather than politics.

    Alleigh Marre, spokeswoman for Walker’s campaign, has responded to media inquiries about the scandal by saying that judges have effectively halted the investigation into the embattled governor’s campaign activities.

    Marre issued the following statement:

    The Friends of Scott Walker campaign are not party to the federal suit and have no control over any documents in that suit. Two judges have rejected the characterizations disclosed in those documents.

    The investigation hit a snag in January when Reserve Judge Gregory Peterson sided with the accused. Peterson said that prosecutors lacked “probable cause” to demonstrate that “any violations of campaign finance laws” had occurred. The subpoenas were then voided and all seized properties were ordered to be returned.

    U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa denied motions to dismiss O’Keefe’s complaint in January.

    Despite the rulings, attempts to investigate Walker for violating campaign laws are ongoing. This is something his opponents will no doubt routinely bring up should he consider making a run for president.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 12-Year-Old Stabbing Incident Inspired By Website?

    Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier are the two twelve-year-old girls at the center of a vicious and disturbing crime which may have been inspired by a website.

    The two girls reportedly lured a friend to a wooded area in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin on Saturday.

    Once there, the preteens stabbed the female victim 19 times.

    Following the incident, the 12-year-old victim was rushed to an area hospital where she is presently recovering for her wounds.

    Her name has yet to be released to the public.

    Geyser and Weier were charged as adults with attempted first degree murder on Monday.

    The pair faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.

    In the days since the incident, it has been determined that the two girls decided to commit the act as a show of loyalty to an urban legend called “Slenderman”.

    This figure is believed to prey on innocent children.

    It is now being reported that the two girls may have decided to commit this crime based on what they read about the figure on a site called Creepypasta.

    The girls told police that after learning of the myth on the website, they spent several months planning to kill one of their peers.

    After they murdered their victim, the two preteens intended to go to the Nicolet National Forest where they believed Slenderman lived in a mansion.

    Creepypasta defended itself from blame for the incident with the following disclaimer:

    This is an isolated incident, and does not represent or attribute the Creepypasta community as a whole. This wiki does not endorse or advocate for the killing, worship, and otherwise replication of rituals of fictional works. There is a line of between fiction and reality, and it is up to you to realize where the line is. We are a literature site, not a crazy satanic cult.

    Do you think Creepypasta is partly to blame for the incident? Should this serve as a warning to parents to better monitor their children’s online behaviors? Share your comments below!

    Image via YouTube

  • Air Show Crash: Horrible Incident Caught On Tape

    What was meant to be a thrilling and fun day for everyone who came out to the Stevens Point Air Show ended in a fatal tragedy.

    William Cowden, of Menomonie, Wisconsin was performing aerial stunts for the enthusiastic crowd at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport on Sunday.

    Things were going well until suddenly the small plane went into a dive. It eventually crashed in a wooded area near the air show.

    The incident occurred at about around 12:20 pm.

    Law enforcement and medical officials rushed to where the 47-year-old’s plane had gone down, about 1000 feet away from the airport runway.

    Sadly, the pilot was declared dead at the scene.

    There is footage of the shocking incident.

    In the video clip, you can see Cowden go into a dive, his aircraft spiraling and it shoots toward the Earth.

    There appears to be puffs of smoke escaping from the aircraft.

    When the plane levels off a bit, it seems as if the pilot always had or had regained control of the plane.

    A few seconds later, the plane goes down in the woods.

    Following the horrible incident, the Stevens Point Air Show was immediately canceled and the troubled audience went home.

    Despite the existence of video footage of the incident, it’s unclear exactly what went wrong for Cowden’s plane.

    At least one eye witness describes smoke pouring from the aircraft, a sight that is confirmed in the video of the crash.

    Local police officials have stated that the crash and Cowden’s death are currently the subject of an ongoing federal investigation.

    Prior to his participation in the air show, Cowden spoke with a reporter from the Steven Point Journal.

    It was clear that he was an experienced pilot due to his time in the Air Force and work for Delta Air Lines. He was happy to take part in events like the Stevens Point Air Show because it reminded him of how much he enjoyed flying F-16s.

    Image via YouTube

  • John Mellencamp Pissed at Governor

    John Mellencamp Pissed at Governor

    John Mellencamp is a liberal, and he wants Republicans to leave his music alone.

    For all the Farm Aid, small towns, ain’t-that-America heartland imagery that Mellencamp has made musical hay with over the decades since he hit the scene as Johnny Cougar, the man from Seymour, Indiana sits firmly in the camp that many in those areas see as effete, elitist, and even Socialist.

    Over the years, Mellencamp has sung in support of Democrat causes, and in outright opposition to Republicans. Back in 1989, he sang about Ronald Reagan:

    He ain’t a-gonna help no children
    He aint a-gonna help no women
    He just gonna help his rich friends.

    – “Country Gentleman”, from the Big Daddy album

    Mellencamp’s publicist has called him “a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as an ardent leftist”. According to the Washington Post, Mellencamp’s wife was a delegate at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

    The National Organization for Marriage once tried to use Mellencamp’s music at events opposing same-sex marriage. Mellencamp’s people sent them a letter, informing them that he opposed their agenda, and asking that they “find music from a source more in harmony with your views than Mr. Mellencamp in the future.”

    The Washington Times now reports that Mellencamp is at odds with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, known to most liberals as the guy who shut off collective bargaining rights for public employees in a spectacle that brought that state to a very public standstill.

    Scott Walker, now stumping for re-election, regularly plays Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” over the loudspeakers at his events, with its refrain of, “Ain’t that America, for you and me … home of the free”.

    It’s not the first time Walker has used Mellencamp’s music. When he faced a recall election after the collective bargaining fight, he used Mellencamp’s “Small Town”, and was sent an email asking him to stop. But now he’s using Mellencamp’s music again.

    “You don’t have to agree with his politics to like his music,” Walker has said.

    Maybe not to like it, but if he’s going to use it, his campaign manager should at least consider how bad it looks when a liberal who supported farmers in the Midwest gets free press — again — for asking him to stop.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tiny Houses Shelter the Homeless in the U.S.

    Tiny portable houses are being built all across the U.S.

    These tiny structures were originally used for downsizing or environmental purposes, but now homeless activists are taking advantage of the security it could provide to someone living on the streets.

    Typically built with a bed, kitchen, and toilet, similar replicas have served well for poverty-stricken individuals in states including Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Florida, New York, and Texas.

    Occupy Madison Build (OM Build) of Wisconsin built its first 98-square-foot structure for $5,000 last month without government assistance. Now, one homeless man is helping to build his mini home.

    “You’re out of the elements, you’ve got your own bed, you’ve got your own place to call your own,” Harold “Hap” Morgan said. “It gives you a little bit of self-pride: This is my own house.”

    Plumbing and electricity are unavailable. However, the houses are well insulated and have propane heaters.

    One California carpenter told NBC News that his tiny homes, which he refers to as micro-pods, has helped with issues faced by the homeless in the city of Oakland.

    Artist Gregory Kloehn, 43, hopes his custom designed structures will help to alleviate the number of homeless people who are jailed for breaking public safety laws.

    “I was sleeping outside on the freeway for two or three years,” 39-year-old Cathryn Estelle Copeland told NBC News. “Now, I can roll my house down the street. Now the police don’t give me a hard time. I keep my house clean and I have no problems.”

    Unlike OM Build, Kloehn’s quirky-like structures are built on a $100 budget. He saves money by reusing wood found out on the streets or in the local trash. His tiny houses, however, usually only come with a bed, a storage area, and insulation.

    Additionally, other nonprofit organizations and ministries in the country are taking this idea just a little further.(image)

    In Eugene, Oregon, homeless activists are hoping to establish small interpersonal communities filled with mini mobile homes.

    Opportunity Village Eugene, Community Supported Shelters (CSS), and The Village Collaborative are just a few that plan to offer affordable and sustainable permanent housing to people living without shelter or who wish to live resourcefully.

     

    Here is the story about Harold “Hap” Morgan of Wisconsin:

    Image via Blog, Gregory Kloehn

    Image via YouTube

  • Soldiers Empty Casket: Wisconsin Soldiers In Hot Water Over Photo

    Many people in the United States take their country’s military very seriously, and hold high expectations and respect for the soldiers who populate it. So, when something is deemed disrespectful to soldiers, the armed forces, or veterans, there are often waves of angry individuals who raise their voices in protest and anger against the people who disrespect those who serve the country. The situation becomes muddled, however, when the people who instigated the act of disrespect are, themselves, soldiers for the United States.

    One such instance of this conundrum has made itself apparent today. When the photo above was posted by Terry Harrison, a soldier from the Madison, Wisconsin-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, to her Instagram profile, it was accompanied by the caption, “We put the FUN in funeral — your fearless honor guard from various states.” The photo quickly spread and caused an outrage of massive proportions; the original post, as well as Harrison’s account, was deleted, and Harrison has been placed under protection after death threats were made against her on social media sites.

    People who have taken offense to the photo have claimed that it shows blatant disregard and lack of respect for fallen soldiers and veterans. Judy Vincent, and Oklahoma resident and mother of a fallen soldier, expressed disgust with the photograph after seeing it re-posted on Facebook. “It was like somebody slapped me in the face. I’ve never in my life seen such disrespect for the fallen or the families,” she was quoted as saying. She elaborated further, saying, “It raises questions in your mind. What did they think of me and was my loved one treated with disrespect?”

    Vincent is just one of the hundreds of people who flocked to the Wisconsin National Guard’s Facebook page, leaving angry comments and asking that the soldiers involved be disciplined. The investigation is currently on-going, as many of the soldiers in the picture were from other units. Harrison has been suspended from the Honor Guard and is performing other duties as the investigation continues.

    Regardless of one’s personal opinions concerning the levels of respect (or lack there of) present in the photo, it must be said that the people involved are soldiers, as well, and demand a certain level of respect, as well, even in light of such a blunder. Death threats are almost never appropriate, after all, especially when made against soldiers.

    Image via Twitter.

  • Man Banned from Internet After Sending Naked Men to Neighbor’s Door with Craigslist Sex Ads

    Yeah, that’s a mouthful of a headline. I just wanted to get all of the facets of this amazing story in the headline so you wouldn’t be tempted to pass it over. I assure you, everything I said above is true. And we’re not even talking about Florida!

    Jason Willis, from Racine, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to two and a half years probation and has been completely banned from using the internet after he used online classified service Craigslist to coax sex-hungry men to his neighbor’s house.

    I’ll let the Journal Times handle the next part:

    The Waterford man will spend the next 2 1/2 years on probation and is banned from the Internet after he was sentenced Tuesday for posting Craigslist ads asking people to have sex with his neighbor.

    Trouble was, investigators said, his neighbor wasn’t soliciting for sexual trysts and didn’t know about the ads until people began appearing at her door. That included a man dressed in a coat, but naked underneath.

    WISN confirms that the man showed up wearing nothing but a trench coat – and he was far from the only one who responded to Willis’ racy ad.

    If Willis violates any part of his probation (including accessing the internet), he’ll be forced to spend 18 months in jail.

    Although there is a lot of amazing stuff happening in this story, and it’s impossible not to make light of, you have to feel for the victim here. It could have turned into a dangerous situation – I mean, do you know some of the creepers who respond to Craigslist ads?

    “It was just a joke to him. To me, that’s not my idea of a joke. It’s not my idea of a prank. You don’t send men to a single woman’s home with her daughter there,” the victim said. “It’s been about a year and a half, but I’m still nervous as to who’s coming to my door, why they’re coming to my door, and if I don’t see a vehicle, I don’t know who it is.”

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Infant Found Alive! 6-Day-Old Kayden Is Back With Parents

    Brianna Marshall discovered her 5-day-old son, Kayden, missing from his bassinette around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday and immediately called police. Officials said that within an hour of her call, they were investigating Brianna’s stepsister Kristin Smith.

    Just over 24 hours is all it took for authorities to find the baby boy, which they discovered in a plastic storage crate outside an Iowa gas station, in the freezing cold.

    Authorities said he was alive and well, despite the cold.

    “He’s strong,” the newborn’s great-uncle, Mark Bennett, said of the boy. “I’m glad that baby is still living instead of in a ditch somewhere on a strange highway.”

    It was obvious to police that Smith was the kidnapper after they found her with a prosthetic pregnancy belly, baby clothes and a stroller, however, there was no baby with her.

    Smith, who resides in Denver, had premeditated this kidnapping as her Facebook page revealed she had pretended to be pregnant, and then proceeded to go to Wisconsin to steal her step-sister’s baby. Then, as police closed in on her, she allegedly abandoned the infant, who was luckily wrapped in blankets.

    Police were able to reach Smith on her cellphone, and she pulled off the highway in Iowa. Authorities took her into custody on an outstanding warrant from Texas. Police say they found baby clothes in the aunt’s car but not the baby.

    A search of her cellphone revealed emails in which she said she gave birth on Feb. 5, according to the court document.

    “Surprisingly with the weather the way it was, he was surprisingly healthy,” Horihan, the Iowa police chief, said. “To be honest with you, that’s not what I expected.”

    Kayden was then taken to a local Iowa hospital as a precaution, and was reunited and released to his worried parents on Friday evening.

    If (or when) Smith is convicted, she will face life in prison.

    Image via YouTube

  • Infant Found Alive in a Tote Bag 250 Miles Away From Home

    An Iowa police chief found a 6-day-old baby boy Friday who was abducted Thursday morning from his cradle in a Wisconsin home.

    Kayden Powell was found 250 miles away from home outside a gas station in West Branch, Iowa.

    Forty police officers were dispatched to a 911 call in search of the infant.

    FBI agent G.B. Jones reported that the baby’s cries led police officers to the exact location during the search.

    “Our efforts are clearly focused on reuniting mother and child and the rest of the family members with the child. That’s the immediate focus. In fact, we’re taking steps right now to make sure that happens,” Jones said after finding the baby in a plastic storage bin amid the frigid winter temperatures.(image)

    The mother, 18-year-old Brianna Marshall of Beloit, Wis., woke up around 4:30 a.m. to find her baby boy missing.

    Police officers said that Marshall and the baby’s father Bruce Powell, 23, were staying at the house at the time of the infant’s disappearance. Marshall’s alleged stepsister, Kristin Smith, was also at the house, but left around 1:30 a.m. to travel back to Colorado where she lives.

    Family members, including Kayden’s parents, were questioned and said to be cooperating with authorities.

    Beloit Police Chief Steven Kopp said that because there was no forced entry, the disappearance raised even more questions.

    Unrelated charges were brought against Smith Friday afternoon for warrants based out in Texas.

    Smith, 31, was arrested outside of the same gas station where Kayden was found and was initially said to be a “person of interest.”

    According to the Daily Mail, she reported to police officers that she was the half-sister of Marshall and that both had discussed moving to Colorado, along with Powell, following Kayden’s birth.

    Smith is currently being held in an Iowa jail and now faces up to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping.

    Kayden was reported to be in perfect health and has been reunited with his family.

    Image via Youtube

  • Prison for Starving Girl: Parents Sentenced to Five Years

    A father was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday for starving his 15-year-old daughter.

    The 42-year-old Wisconsin-native denied his daughter food until she weighed only 68 pounds. She was instead required to consume her on feces and drink her own urine.

    Her stepmother was also found guilty for physical abuse and her stepbrother is still awaiting trial for forcing the girl into sexual activities.

    The unidentified teenage girl managed to run away February 2012 and a passing motorist discovered her walking outside.

    Judge Julie Genovese, overseeing the trial at Dane County Circuit court, learned the details of the young girl’s torment from reading her personalized letters.

    The girl, who was locked away for five years in the basement of the family home, shared how she felt about her unruly treatment:

    “They made me feel like I was dehumanized a lot. It’s all thanks to my stupid dad and stepmom for not giving me an education and keeping me locked up for most of my life and making me feel like I was in a scary spot in my life.”

    The stepmother told the judge that the malnourished girl was punished for her bad behavioral issues. However, the father stated that there was no reason behind the treatment done to his daughter.

    “There was no master plan against my daughter,” the man said during court, according to the Washington Post.

    The father also testified that his daughter had threatened to kill the family and refused to eat. He believed her behavior stemmed from sexual abuse she experienced while living with her stepfather in Texas.

    The Journal Sentinel reported that the father was found guilty for “child neglect, child abuse, reckless endangerment and causing mental harm to a child.”

    The stepmother will also serve five years in prison as the father. The judge believed that because they stole five years from the girl’s life, that they deserved the same.

    Image via Youtube 

  • Capital One Bowl: Gamecocks Will Face the Badgers

    With the college bowl schedule released yesterday, the South Carolina Gamecocks found out that they are headed to Orlando to face the Wisconsin Badgers in the Capital One Bowl. The Capital One Bowl is the best non-BCS bowl and will be played at 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day. South Carolina comes in at #9 in the BCS standings and Wisconsin is #19.

    South Carolina Gamecocks

    The Gamecocks finished second in the SEC-East with a 10-2 record. Some notable wins for the Gamecocks this year include beating two teams that were ranked in the Top 10 at the time the games were played. Clemson, an ACC team the Gamecocks beat 31-17, was ranked #6 going into rivalry week. The win over Clemson marked South Carolina’s fifth win in a row in the rivalry and was the Gamecocks 18th consecutive win at home. The other Top 10 team the Gamecocks beat was the Missouri Tigers, who played in the SEC Championship Game. Missouri was ranked #5 when the Gamecocks faced them.

    There are quite a few standout players for the Gamecocks, including defensive player Jadeveon Clowney, who is projected to be one of the top picks in the NFL draft. Even though Clowney has been a force for the Gamecocks since he arrived in Columbia, he was promoted to celebrity status after the Gamecocks’ bowl game against Michigan last year. Clowney delivered one of the nastiest hits in college football history, which was featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10. See the video below.

    Another Gamecocks player that is certainly worth mentioning is senior quarterback Connor Shaw. This dual-threat quarterback has completed 158 passes for 2135 yards this season, which includes 21 touchdown passes and just one interception. Shaw is arguably the best quarterback in South Carolina Gamecocks history. Shaw is USC’s all-time winningest quarterback with a 26-5 record, which includes a perfect record at home.

    Wisconsin Badgers

    The Wisconsin Badgers finished up the season 9-3. This will be the first time since the 2009-2010 bowls that Wisconsin hasn’t been selected for a BCS bowl–the Badgers have gone to the Rose Bowl the past three years. With losses to Ohio State, Arizona State and Penn State, this just wasn’t the year for the Badgers. Notable wins for the Badgers include beating then #19 ranked Northwestern and then #25 ranked Minnesota. Neither of these teams were ranked at the end of the season.

    A couple of players the Gamecocks will have to watch out for are quarterback Joel Stave and running back Melvin Gordon. Stave, a sophomore, had 2,414 passing yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Gordon, also a sophomore, rushed for 1,466 yards this season for an average of 122.2 rushing yards per game. Gordon had 12 touchdowns for the season.

    The Badgers are currently one-point favorites over the Gamecocks, which may come as a surprise to many fans. What’s your prediction for the Wisconsin-South Carolina Capital One Bowl game? Add your comments below.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Cannibal Sandwiches Are Slammed by Health Officials

    Cannibal Sandwiches Are Slammed by Health Officials

    After a Wisconsin holiday tradition of eating “cannibal sandwiches” was linked to an E. coli outbreak last year, health officials are begging people to refrain from eating the sandwiches. Before you get too grossed out, the cannibal sandwiches are made using raw ground beef. That still has a pretty high gross factor, but at least we’re not talking about the real meaning of the word, right?

    According to Travel Channel, the cannibal sandwich is a “holiday tradition brought over by early German immigrants.” The sandwich is made out by placing the raw seasoned ground beef and an onion slice between two crackers or two slices of rye bread. Some people call this dish steak tartare or tiger meat.

    While we all have our traditions, the Wisconsin tradition of eating cannibal sandwiches has caused quite a few illnesses over the years, which is why health officials want people to stay away from them this holiday season. In 2012, it was reported that more than a dozen people got sick from an E. coli outbreak related to eating the raw ground beef. There have also been reports of illnesses related to eating the sandwiches in Wisconsin in 1972, 1978, and 1994.

    “We want everyone to have a wonderful holiday season and don’t want anyone to be sick,” said Abbey Canon, an official with the Wisconsin Department of Health. According to the USDA, ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 °F.

    Despite Canon’s concerns and report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how unsafe eating cannibal sandwiches can be, some of the people who got sick said that they’ll eat the sandwiches again this year. The Wisconsin state health department handed out questionnaires to 15 of the people that got sick and six of the people said they’ll continue eating cannibal sandwiches. “Hopefully we can change a few of those minds,” Canon said.

    Check out the ingredients for the cannibal sandwich below. Would you consider trying this? Add your comments below.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Skydiver Planes Collide; Everyone Jumps to Safety

    It was supposed to be an exciting weekend until everything went terrifyingly wrong in a split second for two planes, each full of excited skydivers. CNN reports that those two planes endured a mid-air collision, but everyone on both planes safely landed on the ground. Miraculously, only two passengers were injured in the crash!

    The crash took place last weekend above Superior, Wisconsin near the Minnesota border. The two planes were flying close together as the divers were going to jump in formation, but the lead plane (carrying four plus the pilot) crashed into the trailing plane (carrying five plus the pilot).

    Skydive Superior instructor Mike Robinson, speaking with reporters, said “It’s definitely a reminder of the danger of the sport that we all love.”

    A Battalion Chief with the Superior Fire Department, Vern Johnson, told CNN that the lead plane’s pilot reported a loud bang before seeing the windshield shatter. Video footage appears to show the plane breaking up and catching fire in mid-air.

    The moment nearly killed everyone on the plane. Fortunately, Robinson says, “Everybody got out safely. The pilot got out safely, used his emergency parachute and landed… In the trail plane, all five jumpers got out of the airplane safely and landed safely.”

    Chief Johnson said the lead plane’s pilot “was visibly bloodied about his face and shirt and had one hand wrapped in a garment, but was otherwise lucid, alert and oriented.” The trailing plane’s pilot managed to regain control of the damaged vehicle, and flew it safely onto the runway. He picked up the lead pilot as he taxied.

    A statement on Skydive Superior’s Facebook page said “The jumpers and pilots have been through a very surreal experience, and they are lucky and thankful to be alive.”

    This news clip features terrifying video from the helmet cams of the skydivers:

    If you’re still interested, here’s a small set of interviews with some of the skydivers and pilots:

    [Image via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Amazon To Open New Fulfillment Center In Wisconsin

    It almost seems like Amazon wants to open at least one fulfillment center in every single state across the U.S. If it’s successful, the online retailer may very well be able to reach its goal of providing services like same day delivery and online grocery shopping to every U.S. citizen. It’s still a long ways off, but the state of Wisconsin now joins 14 other states in taking a step towards the future of online shopping.

    Amazon announced today that it intends to build a new fulfillment center in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It will be the first fulfillment center in the state and will over 1,000 full-time jobs.

    “We are excited to join the Kenosha community, creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs at our new fulfillment center,” said Mike Roth, Amazon’s vice president of North America operations. “We appreciate the state and local elected leaders who have supported Amazon coming to Wisconsin and we look forward to bringing jobs and investment to the state.”

    Like all other Amazon jobs, those who work at this new center will get competitive pay, a wide range of benefits, company stock awards and Career Choice. The latter is a program where Amazon will pre-pay up to 95 percent of the tuition costs for its employees to pursue the degree of their choice even if said degree takes them away from Amazon.

    “We’ve worked hard over the last few years to turn the Wisconsin economy around and make our state a better place to create jobs. We are proud to welcome Amazon to Wisconsin and are thrilled with the more than 1,000 jobs their expansion will bring to our state. It shows our economy is growing, our reforms are working and we’re headed in the right direction,” said Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. “This is excellent news for the Kenosha community and the state of Wisconsin as a whole.”

    The announcement doesn’t include a date by which Amazon expects the new fulfillment center to be completed, but it usually doesn’t take all that long. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the new fulfillment center open by this time next year.

    In other Amazon news, the company is still hiring seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday peak season. To find out more, hit up Amazon Fulfillment.

    [Image: Google Maps]

  • Paul Ryan May Be Challenged By Dead Sikh’s Son

    In 2012, a white supremacist military veteran loaded up with weapons and attacked the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Five people were killed in the attack, including Satwant Singh Kaleka, the small-business owner who founded the temple. No motive was ever discovered.

    Now, the AP reports Kaleka’s son, Amar, will be filing paperwork on Wednesday to form an exploratory committee and next month he will announce his Democratic candidacy for Paul Ryan’s Congressional seat.

    Amar Kaleka said he wants to see the return of accountability and transparency to Washington politics, and he blames the government shutdown on Ryan, currently the chairman of the House Budget Committee. “There’s a fever in the nation, and specifically in this district,” he said, “for our leaders to stop playing politics and do their jobs. All I want to do is bring democracy — a government of, for and by the people — back to America.”

    Kaleka had been making documentaries in southern California for several years when his father’s temple was attacked. Although he had previously thought of running for public office when he was in his 50’s, he decided to pursue it sooner in light of his father’s death.

    The Sikh temple shooting had received attention from Michelle Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder who spoke at the funeral, but President Barack Obama did not display a personal interest. Kaleka was bothered by his disinterest as an Obama supporter, and wrote it off as the president following the Washington trend of placing politics above people.

    Kaleka also expressed frustration at Congress’ inaction regarding gun control despite a vast majority’s desire to see stronger gun regulations. “They’re more concerned with the groups, the corporations that are giving them money than with what the people want,” he said.

    On the subject of running in the wake of his father’s death, Kaleka said “I’ll agree my father’s death has put me in a position where people listen to me more. But it’s not that I’m taking advantage of that situation. I’m trying to further his dream of building the community and leading in a way that’s very democratic. That’s what drives me.”

    [Image via this YouTube video, identical to the one above]

  • Justice Dept: ATF Lost 420 Million Cigarettes in Botched Stings

    An audit newly released by the U.S. Department of Justice has made public a series of mistakes from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, including 2.1 million missing cigarette cartons (or 420 million cigarettes) which disappeared during a series of stings, and almost $5 million was paid to an informant… for no documented reason.

    The Washington Post quoted the Justice Department’s inspector general who oversaw the audit, Michael E. Horowitz, as saying that the investigation “found a significant lack of oversight and controls to ensure that cash, cigarettes, equipment and other assets used… were accurately tracked, properly safeguarded and protected from misuse.”

    Horowitz’s office looked at 20 different undercover stings conducted by the ATF between 2006 and 2011. Those stings netted the ATF a cool $162 million as it elected to prosecute cigarette smugglers. One case in particular saw $15 million in illegal cigarettes sold undercover, with $4.9 million allowed to be kept by an informant, no strings attached. He submitted no documentation as to why he needed the cash.

    Of the cigarettes the ATF purchased for the operation, 2.1 million of almost 10 million cartons are unaccounted for. A spokeswoman for the ATF, Ginger Colbrun, defended her organization by saying that the numbers were inaccurate; that only 447,218 cartons were missing, not 2.1 million.

    Although the audit was released today, the questions started with a pair of investigative reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who sought to check out an ATF operation in their city being run out of a cigarette warehouse called Fearless Distributing on the south side. The reporters discovered that in that operation, the ATF found themselves burglarized as two thieves (pictured above) stole $10,000 worth of cigarettes from the Fearless Distributing warehouse.

    Only nine people were arrested as a result of the Milwaukee operation, and of those nine, only one got jail time. The reporters also discovered in the course of their investigation three major mistakes by the ATF, including using a brain-damaged man with the mind of a child to set up drug and gun deals and paying him with cash, cigarettes, and merchandise, and the occurrence of a second burglary of ATF property that led to the loss of three government-owned firearms including an automatic machine gun.

    For more on the origins of the story, check out this YouTube video from the authors of the Journal Sentinel report.

    [Image via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

  • WalMart Shooting, Suspect Identified in Shooting of Wisconsin Woman

    A shooting occurred at a busy retail store in Wisconsin. The suspect is in custody and a victim is in critical condition.

    Justin Boyd, a 46-year-old, female cashier, reportedly walked into a Walmart, located in Neenah, and shot another female employee in the torso. The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. The victim was then rushed to Theda Clark Medical Center, according to a report.

    “The shooting took place inside the liquor department there,” according to a report by a local television station. “No other customers were in the liquor section when the gun was fired.”

    Neenah Police say they know the motive behind the shooting. They are not releasing any details as of yet.

    “At this point in time, it is too early to tell,” police Lieutenant John Carter said. “It appears we have a good handle on what took place.”

    Kevin Wilkinson, the Neenah Chief of Police, says the he, along with officers and local residents are still awaiting news about the victim’s condition. She endured surgery shortly after being wounded.

    “We’re still very concerned for the victim,” Wilkinson said. “We’re obviously all hoping and praying for the best for her.”

    Walmart spokeswoman, Diane Gee says the company is keeping tabs on the family and victim. She says Walmart hopes for the best.

    “We are in close contact with [the victim’s] family at the hospital and trying to be as helpful as possible during this difficult time,” Gee said to local TV station in a statement. “Our commitment right now is to work with law enforcement [to] provide them any information we have that might be useful for their investigation.”

    Local resident Marion Wiese says she has shopped at the local store for years. She says she is greatly saddened by what has occurred.
    “People should not be endangered when they go into a lovely store like this one,” she said.

    Police say they have charged Boyd with first-degree, attempted murder intentional homicide. She is in custody at the Winnebago County Jail.