The Good
Iowa’s texting champion was at it again and nearly walked away with the grand prize. Competing in the LG Mobile World Cup in New York City last week, Kate Moore and her partner, Morgan Dynda, finished second behind the team from South Korea. The contest was decided in the final round, and the South Korean team finished a few seconds ahead of the U.S. contestants. Moore and Dynda will split a $20,000 second-place prize. WTF?
Iowa is full of celebrities lately. Last week, Johnston native Megan Davis, 19, had the opportunity to show her stuff in front of millions of TV viewers as she appeared on the fashion reality show, “Project Runway.” Davis will also appear on the companion show, “Models of the Runway.” If Davis wins, she will bring home a $25,000 cash prize and appear in a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine. Davis signed with Next modeling agency last January and moved to Los Angeles in March. But she isn’t the only Iowan appearing on the small screen. West Des Moines native, Katelyn Epperly, 19, appeared on the “American Idol” Chicago audition special this week. Season 9 Chicago auditions took place June 22, 2009, with singer Shania Twain as the guest judge. In 2004, Epperly, then 14, played Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” at the Des Moines Playhouse. Andy Fales, there’s still hope.
The Bad
Sometimes people have no choice but to defend themselves, which is what happened to Dave Johnson. The Des Moines man was walking home after 4 p.m. last Sunday when three people jumped him from behind. The attackers knocked Johnson to the ground, punched and kicked him. The three also tried to take his wallet, but Johnson didn’t have any of it and fought back. The attackers eventually fled the scene. We hope Johnson connected on a couple of swings, reminding these criminals that crime can hurt.
After more than 29 years behind bars, Mehmet Ali Agaca was released from prison after shooting Pope John Paul II in 1981. Agaca, 52, injured the pope as he rode in an open car in St. Peter’s Square. The pope suffered injuries in the abdomen, left hand and right arm. Doctors have already concluded that Agaca suffers from “severe anti-social personality disorder.” No shit? Upon release, Agaca declared, “I proclaim the end of the world. All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century.” And who says prison doesn’t rehabilitate?
The Ugly
For the past year, a serial rapist has been terrorizing older women in central Texas. The rapist first assaulted a 65-year-old woman last January, and authorities have linked eight sexual assaults or attempted sexual assaults to the suspect, who has been dubbed the “Twilight Rapist.” Occurring in seven rural towns, all the victims have been women ranging in age from 65 to 91. Officials believe the suspect is a thin, young, dark-skinned man who is planning these attacks. The suspect has left behind DNA and other forensic evidence, but officials haven’t been able to link the DNA to anyone yet. They may want to start tracking visitors to puregrannyporn.com.
Kristen Diane Parker, a heroin addict, will be sentenced to 20 years in prison after she infected 36 people and may have exposed thousands of others with hepatitis C. Parker was working as a surgery technician, at two Colorado hospitals where the incidents took place, to cope with her addiction. Parker, who has hepatitis C, admits to injecting herself with Fentanyl, then replacing it with saline. She said she intended to put the saline in clean needles but became careless. Parker pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit or subterfuge. CV
