No punishment: 9th-grade girls hire stripper; rocks in taco; penguins get a view
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Odd and interesting news from the Midwest.
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BATESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A former southeastern Indiana mayor has been sentenced to one year on probation after pleading guilty to patronizing a prostitute.
Former Batesville Mayor Richard Fledderman entered the plea Wednesday.
Indiana State Police say Fledderman paid Randy Wigle-Stevens for sex last June and that Wigle-Stevens had threatened to go public unless Fledderman paid him off. Wigle-Stevens was sentenced last month to 908 days on probation after pleading guilty to charges of prostitution, intimidation and not disclosing his HIV-positive status to Fledderman.
The 61-year-old Fledderman issued a statement Wednesday saying he regrets his actions and is sorry for the hurt he has caused his family in the community 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis. He says he's focusing on moving forward with his family.
Fledderman resigned as mayor after his arrest.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors charged two Indianapolis Public Schools employees with misdemeanor failure to report Wednesday for not immediately notifying authorities of sexual abuse allegations against a former counselor.
A probable cause affidavit alleges Human Resources Director Lela "Tina" Hester and HR caseworker Shalon Dabney had evidence that Shana Taylor had sex with a teenager in her office at Longfellow Elementary School but waited six days to report it to authorities.
Detectives found emails and other evidence that Hester tried to cover it up, the affidavit said.
On Feb. 18, a day after a student's mother presented evidence of an inappropriate relationship between her son and Taylor, Hester sent an email to a top IPS official, the affidavit said.
"I asked that the school police stay out of it so that she is not charged and we can handle from an HR perspective," Hester wrote in her email, "but I don't know if the mom plans to file charges."
State law requires schools to immediately report abuse or neglect allegations to law enforcement or the Indiana Department of Child Services. The school district contacted Child Services on Feb. 23.
Indianapolis police arrested Taylor two days later. She faces nine counts of child seduction and one count each of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and dissemination of matter harmful to minors. Taylor has been placed on GPS monitoring and ordered to stay away from all schools. IPS has fired her.
Neither Hester nor Dabney were arrested. They were issued summonses instead. Online court records did not indicate whether either has attorneys.
"IPS will tolerate nothing less than the safest and most secure learning environment possible for our students, teachers, and support personnel," IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee said in a statement late Tuesday.
Last month he said IPS has strengthened its procedures for handling reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. School officials are now required to report any such allegations of abuse to the district's police department.
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A lawsuit against the state's former prison food service contractor says an inmate in Michigan's Upper Peninsula damaged his teeth on rocks in a taco.
The Grand Rapids Press reports (http://bit.ly/1MtVpBM ) the lawsuit says Jeffrey Glen Spates was eating at Chippewa Correctional Facility in May 2014 when he bit three rocks. He says what resulted was months of pain and damage requiring dental surgery.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. The 48-year-old is asking for $10,000 for cosmetic surgery and $25,000 in damages.
The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment Wednesday from a spokeswoman for Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services.
Another company replaced Aramark as Michigan's prison food contractor last year. Aramark had faced fines for unapproved menu substitutions, worker misconduct and other issues.
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Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/grand-rapids
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DIXON, Mo. (AP) — Officials in a small Missouri town have refused to swear in a man who was re-elected to lead the police force after he was indicted on 10 felony and five misdemeanor charges.
The Dixon council's decision Monday night came hours after Pulaski County Prosecutor Kevin Hillman sued to keep Mike Plummer, 33, from taking office as marshal, The Springfield News-Leader (http://sgfnow.co/1Q5zeMV ) reports.
A grand jury in Phelps County returned an indictment against Plummer in October. The charges include allegations that he manipulated evidence related to the blood alcohol content of suspected drunken drivers, hindered the prosecution of someone driving while intoxicated, stole emergency vehicle lights and attempted to mislead the sheriff about a stolen car investigation. His attorney, James Thomas, described the charges as "politically motivated."
Plummer filed to run for re-election in January, a day before his peace officer license was suspended. He then was placed on paid leave from his job leading the police department for the town of about 1,500 residents. Besides the marshal, the department has three full-time officers.
While awaiting a May 31 trial, he was re-elected, receiving 131 of the 342 votes that were cast in a four-way race. His paid leave ceased with the election.
In suing to keep Plummer from taking office, Hillman said that without a peace officer license, Plummer lacked the "legal ability to make arrests or order others to make arrests, both of which are required duties of the Dixon City Marshall." If Plummer was sworn in, Hillman said, the individual that did so would be committing a misdemeanor, and Plummer would be committing a felony.
"We would never allow a Circuit Judge who does not have a valid law license or a teacher without a proper teaching certificate to assume their duties, no matter the circumstances, and this is no different," Hillman said in a news release.
Mayor Shawn Wethington said the city is "committed to following the letter of the law in all situations, and especially in this situation, when it comes to the head of the police force."
City Attorney Brian Stumpe said Plummer has 10 days to respond to the Monday filing, and that the city is hopeful the judge's response will indicate in some way whether Plummer is qualified to be sworn in at the current time or not.
"We're kind of at a standstill," Stumpe said.
___
Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com
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MADISON, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge has dismissed criminal charges against a man accused in a high-profile poaching case because of a tracking device used by authorities.
District Judge Thomas Van Hon ruled Monday that the GPS device that conservation officers attached to Joshua Liebl's truck was illegal because they didn't have a search warrant. He said the state violated the hunter's Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
The tracking device was placed on Liebl's pickup in September 2014. Conservation officers used it to locate Liebl when they arrested him in October 2014.
The 38-year-old Dawson man faced 13 criminal charges after officers confiscated 37 dead deer, dozens of guns and other wildlife from his property.
In his ruling, Von Hon agreed with the defense's argument that a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in a 2012 case had made it clear that a search warrant is required to place a GPS tracking device on a vehicle.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources obtained a "tracking order to attach the device to Liebl's truck, but Von Hon ruled that the order was insufficient and that a search warrant was needed instead. The judge added that the search warrant likely would've been granted to the department if it had been requested.
Liebl's attorney, Bill Peterson, said the ruling "is an important victory for the rule of law and for the privacy of sportsmen in Minnesota."
"It should establish once and for all that DNR enforcement officers are subject to the same constitutional standards as any policemen or other law enforcement officer," he said.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources enforcement chief Lt. Col. Rodman Smith said the agency is disappointed with the judge's ruling.
He said the agency is deciding whether to appeal and is currently in talks with the prosecutor and the DNR's general counsel. If the agency decides to appeal, it probably would file those papers in the coming days.
"It's going to be a short turnaround if we appeal," Smith said.
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Mrs. America and home shopping network host is charged in Minnesota with swindling a department store out of more than $5,000 in merchandise.
Hennepin County prosecutors say 50-year-old Jennifer Kline, of Wayzata, charged nearly $5,800 in designer clothing at Macy's in Edina last November. Later, she returned most of the clothing to another Macy's store. A criminal complaint says a store detective determined the clothes she returned weren't the same ones she had purchased in Edina and appeared worn and dirty.
Prosecutors allege Kline switched the tags to other clothing before she returned the items. Kline did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.
Kline was crowned Mrs. America in 1989 and had been a host on ShopNBC/EVINE Live.
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FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — A World War II-era bazooka rocket shut down streets around the government center in Fond du Lac before bomb experts determined it did not pose a risk.
Fond du Lac police say someone cleaning out their attic found the old military rocket, put it in the trunk of their car and brought it the sheriff's department at the government center Tuesday evening. Authorities didn't know if the old munition was stable or explosive, so they called the Brown County bomb squad.
WBAY-TV (http://bit.ly/22tL9v4 ) reports that with the help of a military unit in Madison, officials determined the device was a shoulder-launched bazooka rocket designed to pierce a tank's armor.
The bomb squad determined it was a training round and wasn't explosive.
___
Information from: WBAY-TV, http://www.wbay.com
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LEADINGTON, Mo. (AP) — Misty Dean is now a member of the Board of Aldermen in the small eastern Missouri town of Leadington, thanks to a coin toss.
Three candidates — Dean and incumbents Steve Kinsey and Debra Matthews — sought two open seats in the April 5 election. Matthews won re-election to the board after receiving 26 votes.
But Dean and Kinsey tied with 20 votes each. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Missouri (http://bit.ly/1V12Z9S ) reports that it came down to a coin toss during Tuesday's meeting after both candidates agreed. The other option would have been a runoff election that would have cost the city at least $1,500.
Dean correctly picked "tails." She was sworn in at the meeting.
___
Information from: Daily Journal, http://dailyjournalonline.com
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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former suburban Kansas City high school teacher has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail as part of her probation for having sex with a 16-year-old student.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1VoyECu ) reports that 33-year-old Jeana Marie Fleming was sentenced Tuesday in Johnson County District Court for unlawful sexual relations. Fleming also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Fleming and the boy had sex in December 2014 while she taught in the Olathe school district's alternative education program for high school students.
Under Kansas law, it is illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student at the same school, even if the student is above the age of consent. In Kansas, the age of consent is 16.
___
Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com
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NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska City mother has been given two years of probation and some jail time for having her boyfriend force her two sons to watch the movie "Mommie Dearest."
Court records say 28-year-old Mary Lucas also was sentenced Tuesday to perform 40 hours of community service and spend four weekends in jail and 10 days more that can be waived by the court. She had pleaded no contest to negligent child abuse.
Authorities say Lucas' boyfriend at the time duct-taped the unruly 4- and 5-year-old boys to chairs while the movie played as he baby-sat them in August. The movie depicts actress Joan Crawford as a mean mother. Court records say the boyfriend thought Lucas wanted to show the boys that she was not the meanest mother.
- Updated
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's two U.S. senators are asking the federal Government Publishing Office to refer to all state residents as "Hoosiers."
The board currently uses the phrase "Indianan" to describe residents of the state. But Indiana Sens. Dan Coats and Joe Donnelly on Tuesday sent a letter asking for the change to the publishing office's style board, which sets the rules and standards for products printed or published by the federal government.
If the board agrees to the change, the term "Hoosier" would appear in the 2016 style guide.
BATESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A former southeastern Indiana mayor has been sentenced to one year on probation after pleading guilty to patronizing a prostitute.
Former Batesville Mayor Richard Fledderman entered the plea Wednesday.
Indiana State Police say Fledderman paid Randy Wigle-Stevens for sex last June and that Wigle-Stevens had threatened to go public unless Fledderman paid him off. Wigle-Stevens was sentenced last month to 908 days on probation after pleading guilty to charges of prostitution, intimidation and not disclosing his HIV-positive status to Fledderman.
The 61-year-old Fledderman issued a statement Wednesday saying he regrets his actions and is sorry for the hurt he has caused his family in the community 60 miles southeast of Indianapolis. He says he's focusing on moving forward with his family.
Fledderman resigned as mayor after his arrest.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Prosecutors charged two Indianapolis Public Schools employees with misdemeanor failure to report Wednesday for not immediately notifying authorities of sexual abuse allegations against a former counselor.
A probable cause affidavit alleges Human Resources Director Lela "Tina" Hester and HR caseworker Shalon Dabney had evidence that Shana Taylor had sex with a teenager in her office at Longfellow Elementary School but waited six days to report it to authorities.
Detectives found emails and other evidence that Hester tried to cover it up, the affidavit said.
On Feb. 18, a day after a student's mother presented evidence of an inappropriate relationship between her son and Taylor, Hester sent an email to a top IPS official, the affidavit said.
"I asked that the school police stay out of it so that she is not charged and we can handle from an HR perspective," Hester wrote in her email, "but I don't know if the mom plans to file charges."
State law requires schools to immediately report abuse or neglect allegations to law enforcement or the Indiana Department of Child Services. The school district contacted Child Services on Feb. 23.
Indianapolis police arrested Taylor two days later. She faces nine counts of child seduction and one count each of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and dissemination of matter harmful to minors. Taylor has been placed on GPS monitoring and ordered to stay away from all schools. IPS has fired her.
Neither Hester nor Dabney were arrested. They were issued summonses instead. Online court records did not indicate whether either has attorneys.
"IPS will tolerate nothing less than the safest and most secure learning environment possible for our students, teachers, and support personnel," IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee said in a statement late Tuesday.
Last month he said IPS has strengthened its procedures for handling reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. School officials are now required to report any such allegations of abuse to the district's police department.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A lawsuit against the state's former prison food service contractor says an inmate in Michigan's Upper Peninsula damaged his teeth on rocks in a taco.
The Grand Rapids Press reports (http://bit.ly/1MtVpBM ) the lawsuit says Jeffrey Glen Spates was eating at Chippewa Correctional Facility in May 2014 when he bit three rocks. He says what resulted was months of pain and damage requiring dental surgery.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. The 48-year-old is asking for $10,000 for cosmetic surgery and $25,000 in damages.
The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment Wednesday from a spokeswoman for Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services.
Another company replaced Aramark as Michigan's prison food contractor last year. Aramark had faced fines for unapproved menu substitutions, worker misconduct and other issues.
___
Information from: The Grand Rapids Press, http://www.mlive.com/grand-rapids
DIXON, Mo. (AP) — Officials in a small Missouri town have refused to swear in a man who was re-elected to lead the police force after he was indicted on 10 felony and five misdemeanor charges.
The Dixon council's decision Monday night came hours after Pulaski County Prosecutor Kevin Hillman sued to keep Mike Plummer, 33, from taking office as marshal, The Springfield News-Leader (http://sgfnow.co/1Q5zeMV ) reports.
A grand jury in Phelps County returned an indictment against Plummer in October. The charges include allegations that he manipulated evidence related to the blood alcohol content of suspected drunken drivers, hindered the prosecution of someone driving while intoxicated, stole emergency vehicle lights and attempted to mislead the sheriff about a stolen car investigation. His attorney, James Thomas, described the charges as "politically motivated."
Plummer filed to run for re-election in January, a day before his peace officer license was suspended. He then was placed on paid leave from his job leading the police department for the town of about 1,500 residents. Besides the marshal, the department has three full-time officers.
While awaiting a May 31 trial, he was re-elected, receiving 131 of the 342 votes that were cast in a four-way race. His paid leave ceased with the election.
In suing to keep Plummer from taking office, Hillman said that without a peace officer license, Plummer lacked the "legal ability to make arrests or order others to make arrests, both of which are required duties of the Dixon City Marshall." If Plummer was sworn in, Hillman said, the individual that did so would be committing a misdemeanor, and Plummer would be committing a felony.
"We would never allow a Circuit Judge who does not have a valid law license or a teacher without a proper teaching certificate to assume their duties, no matter the circumstances, and this is no different," Hillman said in a news release.
Mayor Shawn Wethington said the city is "committed to following the letter of the law in all situations, and especially in this situation, when it comes to the head of the police force."
City Attorney Brian Stumpe said Plummer has 10 days to respond to the Monday filing, and that the city is hopeful the judge's response will indicate in some way whether Plummer is qualified to be sworn in at the current time or not.
"We're kind of at a standstill," Stumpe said.
___
Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com
MADISON, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota judge has dismissed criminal charges against a man accused in a high-profile poaching case because of a tracking device used by authorities.
District Judge Thomas Van Hon ruled Monday that the GPS device that conservation officers attached to Joshua Liebl's truck was illegal because they didn't have a search warrant. He said the state violated the hunter's Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
The tracking device was placed on Liebl's pickup in September 2014. Conservation officers used it to locate Liebl when they arrested him in October 2014.
The 38-year-old Dawson man faced 13 criminal charges after officers confiscated 37 dead deer, dozens of guns and other wildlife from his property.
In his ruling, Von Hon agreed with the defense's argument that a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in a 2012 case had made it clear that a search warrant is required to place a GPS tracking device on a vehicle.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources obtained a "tracking order to attach the device to Liebl's truck, but Von Hon ruled that the order was insufficient and that a search warrant was needed instead. The judge added that the search warrant likely would've been granted to the department if it had been requested.
Liebl's attorney, Bill Peterson, said the ruling "is an important victory for the rule of law and for the privacy of sportsmen in Minnesota."
"It should establish once and for all that DNR enforcement officers are subject to the same constitutional standards as any policemen or other law enforcement officer," he said.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources enforcement chief Lt. Col. Rodman Smith said the agency is disappointed with the judge's ruling.
He said the agency is deciding whether to appeal and is currently in talks with the prosecutor and the DNR's general counsel. If the agency decides to appeal, it probably would file those papers in the coming days.
"It's going to be a short turnaround if we appeal," Smith said.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former Mrs. America and home shopping network host is charged in Minnesota with swindling a department store out of more than $5,000 in merchandise.
Hennepin County prosecutors say 50-year-old Jennifer Kline, of Wayzata, charged nearly $5,800 in designer clothing at Macy's in Edina last November. Later, she returned most of the clothing to another Macy's store. A criminal complaint says a store detective determined the clothes she returned weren't the same ones she had purchased in Edina and appeared worn and dirty.
Prosecutors allege Kline switched the tags to other clothing before she returned the items. Kline did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.
Kline was crowned Mrs. America in 1989 and had been a host on ShopNBC/EVINE Live.
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) — A World War II-era bazooka rocket shut down streets around the government center in Fond du Lac before bomb experts determined it did not pose a risk.
Fond du Lac police say someone cleaning out their attic found the old military rocket, put it in the trunk of their car and brought it the sheriff's department at the government center Tuesday evening. Authorities didn't know if the old munition was stable or explosive, so they called the Brown County bomb squad.
WBAY-TV (http://bit.ly/22tL9v4 ) reports that with the help of a military unit in Madison, officials determined the device was a shoulder-launched bazooka rocket designed to pierce a tank's armor.
The bomb squad determined it was a training round and wasn't explosive.
___
Information from: WBAY-TV, http://www.wbay.com
LEADINGTON, Mo. (AP) — Misty Dean is now a member of the Board of Aldermen in the small eastern Missouri town of Leadington, thanks to a coin toss.
Three candidates — Dean and incumbents Steve Kinsey and Debra Matthews — sought two open seats in the April 5 election. Matthews won re-election to the board after receiving 26 votes.
But Dean and Kinsey tied with 20 votes each. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Missouri (http://bit.ly/1V12Z9S ) reports that it came down to a coin toss during Tuesday's meeting after both candidates agreed. The other option would have been a runoff election that would have cost the city at least $1,500.
Dean correctly picked "tails." She was sworn in at the meeting.
___
Information from: Daily Journal, http://dailyjournalonline.com
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former suburban Kansas City high school teacher has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail as part of her probation for having sex with a 16-year-old student.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1VoyECu ) reports that 33-year-old Jeana Marie Fleming was sentenced Tuesday in Johnson County District Court for unlawful sexual relations. Fleming also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Fleming and the boy had sex in December 2014 while she taught in the Olathe school district's alternative education program for high school students.
Under Kansas law, it is illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student at the same school, even if the student is above the age of consent. In Kansas, the age of consent is 16.
___
Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska City mother has been given two years of probation and some jail time for having her boyfriend force her two sons to watch the movie "Mommie Dearest."
Court records say 28-year-old Mary Lucas also was sentenced Tuesday to perform 40 hours of community service and spend four weekends in jail and 10 days more that can be waived by the court. She had pleaded no contest to negligent child abuse.
Authorities say Lucas' boyfriend at the time duct-taped the unruly 4- and 5-year-old boys to chairs while the movie played as he baby-sat them in August. The movie depicts actress Joan Crawford as a mean mother. Court records say the boyfriend thought Lucas wanted to show the boys that she was not the meanest mother.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's two U.S. senators are asking the federal Government Publishing Office to refer to all state residents as "Hoosiers."
The board currently uses the phrase "Indianan" to describe residents of the state. But Indiana Sens. Dan Coats and Joe Donnelly on Tuesday sent a letter asking for the change to the publishing office's style board, which sets the rules and standards for products printed or published by the federal government.
If the board agrees to the change, the term "Hoosier" would appear in the 2016 style guide.
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