It is the 2nd full day into the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament and I haven’t missed a single second of it. I want to apologize to my followers on twitter for all the basketball ball updates. So far I have selected 19 of the 24 games played so far, now if I would have just put some money down on it.

Now onto the Friday stories. It’s good to see that the crazies in Florida tend to start causing more problems as the weather gets warmer. It is scary that some of them actually work for the state and are trying to “save money,” by risking peoples lives. As always, the links to full stories are at the bottom.

Those EMT’s are too Productive

Welcome to Clearwater, Florida, where today the Pinellas County Commission held a hearing for people to comment on their plan to cut down on emergency rescues county wide. The Advane Life Support units are required to respond within 7 minutes and 30 seconds, 90% of the time.

Craig Hare, the manager of the county’s EMS division, has calculated that the group averages 4 minutes and 30 second response time, at least 64% of the time. The commission thinks that they have “an excess response capacity,” which really means that they have too many trucks and personnel.

The county wants to cut down on the service because of the $18 million shortfall in county revenues. County officials also try to spin the reduction in work force by saying that the quality of service received will not be decreased.

Yet even after fire chiefs and paramedics have tried to help the county with advice and openly disagree with the plan, because the reduction of 2 minutes in response could make a significant difference in saving a burning build/home or someone’s life. They still plan to make the cut.

Army Sergeant’s Silver Star

Staff Sgt. Lincoln Dockery did see the grenade that sent shrapnel into his right forearm, when he was charging opposition in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley on November 16th of 2007.

Dockery is a combat engineer with Company A of the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion. He decided that his injury wasn’t major and continued to charge up a hill into enemy fire, which he earned a Silver Star for Valor and a Purple Heart on March 11th.

“I don’t want to think about what would have happened had he not been there,” said Capt. William Cromie, Dockery’s platoon leader that day in Afghanistan. “It would have been a completely different day. ”

“Across [a nearby river] we could see RPGs and small-arms fire coming at us,” Dockery said. “But when I looked over to the right, I could see that RPGs were hitting our side of the vehicle. I realized the enemy was actually 20 meters from our position,” he said. “If we didn’t assault the hill they were attacking from, they would have taken us out. They couldn’t miss with their weapons they were so close. The shrapnel didn’t really hurt initially. We also had to dig shrapnel out of Taylor’s leg later,” he said.

Dockery has lived in Bamberg, Germany for eight years with his wife Dominika and son and daughter, Lincoln, 4, and Pria, 2. He said plans to stay there the rest of his life.

Parents are Great Role Models

Cotina Wobbleton, 27, from Stuart, Florida was charged with aggravated child abuse, after she decided to take her two young children aged 2 and 5 along on on a Tuesday night crime spree. Wobbleton was the getaway driver during an armed robbery of a Pizza Hut and Sunoco gas station.

Local police and Matrin County sheriff’s deputies were able to capture Wobbleton, her two accomplices, and her children on Palm Beach Road around 9:30 pm.

Damien Louissaint, 21 & David Lamar Lloyd, 22, entered the Pizza Hut at 2040 S.E. Federal Highway about 9 pm. Louissaint waved a black handgun at the clerk and said: “I am ordering the money!” He and Lloyd left the store with $150 in cash and jumped into a vehicle driven by Wobbleton.

A short time later, they drove into the Stuart Sunoco Station at 4504 S. Federal Highway, where Louissaint again produced the pistol and demanded money. They took $400 cash from the register plus $300 worth of cigars, cigarettes and chewing gum.

The children have been turned over to their grandmother, according to Rhonda Irons, Martin County Sheriff’s Office public information officer.

EMT’s Too Efficient?

Silver Star and Major Brass

Mother May I Rob a Pizza Hut?

Popularity: 50%

Chris Brown is saying that when Rihanna tossed a cell phone at him, she “attacked him.” Its a 6 oz. phone and its not going to hurt that much, its no excuse for what he did to her. He entered a plea of “self defense” at his arraignment.

I mean its not like Rihanna is a Ninja who had a sword, she tossed a cell phone. Next thing you’ll know it will be an insanity plea.

My name’s Chris Brown and I live in myself and thanks to Nickelodeon for letting me win another award from Kids and being a “good” role model.

Tough Times Calls for $3 Showdowns!

Daniel Winter, 26, called a friend to pick him up at 3 a.m. after spending all night at Calendar Girls in Port Richey, FL. Ashley Decicco, 18, and her boyfriend Shaun Nater, 30, picked up Winter and then headed over to the nearest Burger King for some late night grubbing.

As they head home on U.S. Highway 19, Ashley asked for $3 in gas money. Winter was sitting in the backseat of the car said no, because Rent was due. The 2 argued until Winters smacked Ashley while she was driving the car.

Nater decided that it was time to act and punched Winters. Winters, being a resourceful man grabbed a fish tank that was sitting in the back seat and started to hit Nater with it, but Nater still fought back. Winter then grabbed a beer bottle and started to strike Naters with it until he was able to wreslte it away. Since turn about is fair play, Naters took the bottle and beat Winters until the bottle broke.

Ashley with quick thinking pulled into a Denny’s Parking lot and called the police. Both men were arrested and charged with battery with a deadly weapon and have a $10,000 bail.

Fish Store Smells like Death

Pet Plus USA received a surprise in there delivery on Tuesday morning. An employee for the store attempted to pick up a delivery of exotic fish on monday night, but was turned away when he couldn’t provide correct id.

Tuesday morning Mark Arabia was successful in picking up his delivery from US Airways. When they got back to the Philadelphia store, they opened the package to find a dead body inside.

Jon Kenoyer, 65, was on his way to Lifequest in Allentown for research on Alzheimers. His body was eventually sent to the research facility. “At first, I was in the state of shock that they messed up to begin with, I wondered where he was going or how he got there,” Kenoyer’s widow Mary Ellen said. “And then I started to laugh because he was one that always did practical jokes and I said this was the last joke on us.”

Your Laws Don’t Apply Here. I Make the Laws

Scott Witmer, 44, from Allen Township walked into to a Northhampton County Court wearing a Coors Light Sweatshirt and decided to deliver the best defense possible.

Witmer told Judge Leonard Zito, “I don’t live in the state of Pennsylvania. I am a sovereign man.” He was arrested back in August of 2008, after police were called out to his home on Adams St, due to a domestic violence call. He allegedly drove drunk from his home, while police where still at the residence filling out paperwork, after the officers warned him not to drive the car. He was also charged with lack of insurance, non legal plates and driving on a revoked license.

Witmer submitted a 20 page legal motion in December that backed his defense. he stipulated that the charges against him were unconstitutional and a “blatant act of Tyranny. Judge Zito asked that James Connell represent Connell later in the day when his bail hearing would be held. “I’m alarmed that you may be a danger to yourself or our community,” Zito said. The judge also ordered Witmer to undergo a psych eval, which Witmer replied with a witty reply, “I’ve already had five of those done on me in prison, it’s no big deal.”

Witmer had been free on unsecured bail. Zito set the new amount at $25,000, with $2,500 needed for release.

Snack Attack

DOA

I am the Law

Popularity: unranked