Michael Vick Gets Shot at Redemption

Few professional athletes, or human beings for that matter, fell harder than Michael Vick did two years ago. Vick, a former number one pick, had enjoyed three pro bowls and had led his Atlanta Falcons to an NFC Title game and what seemed to be a bright future.

Then it happened. Vick, found guilty of soliciting illegal dog fighting at his home, went to jail, and his career was seemingly over. A quarterback who once signed the richest deal in NFL history was seemingly finished, another cautionary tale of an athlete who had everything, and foolishly squandered it all away.

Sports can be funny though. For every nine athletes that go to jail and are never heard from again, there is always that one who makes a comeback. Vick signed with the Eagles to be a decoy type player. Maybe run a little wildcat, line up in the slot. No one thought he would ever be a starting quarterback again.

Fast forward to this season. The Eagles deal long-time starter Donovan McNabb to Washington, Kevin Kolb suffered a concussion and Vick found himself leading a gusty comeback attempt against Green Bay, in which he moved the chains all day with his arm and legs and nearly pulled off the comeback. Vick may never be a long-term starter again, but starting this week, he has a chance at some redemption and an opportunity to prove a nation wrong.

Gays Seek to get on "Kiss Cam"

Baseball can be a slow, boring game. Ok, what am I saying "can be," the games are too long, lack non-stop action found in other sports, and even this guy can be a star player (yes that is a baseball player, not a pie-eating competition champion). Naturally, stadiums have gotten clever at adding events to keep fans interested: prize give-aways, various races and most notably, the kiss-cam. You know you start rooting hard when you see Grandpa and Grandma start making out in front of thousands of people.

Gay activists in St. Louis want in on the fun too, and are now asking Busch Stadium to put them on the kiss cam. Thats right, Ozzie Guillen and his team aren't making the sport gay enough already by kissing at the end of games. To protest, over 200 members from the gay community will be attending a Cardinals game this saturday to try and be heard.

My first thought on this issue was "gay people go to baseball games?!" Next time you are out at a ball park, take a look around the crowd. There aren't exactly a bunch of guys that look like this group are there? You are more likely to see these guys or, if we are lucky, her. The gayest thing a baseball game is when "YMCA" comes on the loudspeakers; where are all these oppressed gays in the stands?

On the issue at hand, I'm all for gays having equal rights, but lets be real. Not everyone shares my viewpoint, especially baseball fans. I'm talking loud, angry, and incredibly drunk baseball fans. Showing guy-on-guy action on the jumbotron is going to lead to some fights and unpleasant situations which could be avoided. Then again, maybe some girl-on-girl action could boost attendance. We know the Royals could certainly benefit from selling some more tickets...

City of Randolph Speed Trap Scrutinized

City of Randolph Speed Trap Scrutinized

Anyone who regularly visits the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City knows that you do not speed through the tiny village of Randolph, MO on Hwy 210. A speed trap has long existed there and is a huge revenue source for the town of roughly 50 people. It is not uncommon for small towns to derive income this way - obviously lacking a strong tax base for revenue. I used to drive Hwy 50 to Warrensburg regularly and remember a speed trap in Lone Jack. Well, for many years, a law has existed in the State of Missouri that limits a municipality's ability to derive income from speeding tickets. In fact, the law states that any revenue over 35% of a town's budget that comes from ticketing on state or US Highways has to be returned to the Missouri budget for education.

State Auditor Susan Montee recently completed an audit on the town and released her findings. The report finds that Randolph does not have a system in place for tracking funds derived from violations given on highways. In addition, the town operated 5 months starting in August of last year without a court clerk. Many duties were not being done, and records were a disaster. The Police Department also does not keep track of tickets issued. The Department was unable to locate 38% of the tickets tested by the Auditor's office.

Not only is the city of Randolph in violation of state law, the shoddy accounting is also makes them ripe for corruption. The Auditor's office has made no allegations of corruption as yet.

Pennsylvania School Settles Sexting Case

If you are interested in learning a new word daily to increase your vocabulary try this one out: sexting. That is the term being used to describe the latest school vs. a minor case involving personal property, nudity and the classroom.

In this instance, a school's principal searched a student's cell phone, uncovered naked pictures of that student, and then handed the evidence into the authorities. I may not be a world-renown detective, but even I know that is a big no-no. How did a school principal not figure this out?

The case has now been settled out of court, with the student being awarded over $30,000 from the school. While the amount of money will help that student knock out a few thousand monthly phone bills, it could have been more given the public embarrassment she suffered due to what was found and reported to authorities.

I understand the tough ground teachers find themselves in today. Students of all ages are wielding smart phones that are a distraction to the classroom and drive teachers crazy. However, there is a fine line between taking someone's phone because they are using it in school and actually searching it AND handing that evidence over to the authorities. The principal could have simply taken the phone (even if he knew what was on it) and disciplined the student for using a phone in the classroom and maybe privately warned the student of her behavior. Instead, the teacher crossed the line, and hopefully this will serve a valuable lesson to other educators as to where to draw the line with confiscating student property.

Two Injured in Knife Attack at Penn Valley Community College

Two Injured in Knife Attack at Penn Valley Community College

A young man wearing a bullet-proof vest and wielding a knife injured two people at Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City on Tuesday morning. Casey Bresnik, 22, was charged on Tuesday evening with two counts of first-degree assault, a felony, and armed criminal action. The computer lab where the attack took place was being readied for Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, who was making a tour of Missouri to talk about the $57 million state program to expand Internet service throughout the state. The Governor got word of the attack upon landing at the downtown airport and continued on to Springfield.

Injured in the attack were Dean of Instruction, Al Dimmett, Jr., and Metropolitan Community Colleges Chancellor Mark James. Bresnik lunged at Dimmett and slashed his throat, James was wounded trying to retrain the attacker. Dean Dimmett was seriously injured and had surgery Tuesday. He is currently listed in stable condition.

Classmates described the assailant as a quiet (of course) student who sat in the back of his classes. He also has numerous tattoos including an anarchist's symbol on his hand. Witnesses described Bresnik playing with a knife in the moments before the attack. Nice security by the college when expecting the Governor of your state to make a speech shortly. His Facebook page reported is filled with nutjob ramblings including a reference to attending the G20 Summit in Toronto and being arrested there.