VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — The parents of a south Georgia teenager found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat at school have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against school administrators.
The parents of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson of Valdosta sued Monday in Superior Court. Their lawsuit blames the Lowndes County school board for allowing Johnson to die “at the hands of one or more students” while at during school hours.
Classmates found Johnson’s body inside a rolled-up mat propped in a corner of the gym Jan. 11, 2013.
Sheriff’s investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, having fallen into the mat and gotten stuck upside down.
Johnson’s parents insist that someone killed him.
The school board’s attorney, Warren Turner, says in an email that the district has not been served with the lawsuit and that comment at this time wouldn’t be appropriate.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A woman has been accused of threatening to use a bomb before robbing a bank in Omaha.
Police say 23-year-old Shantoria Valentine entered a Wells Fargo bank Monday and gave a teller a note saying she had a bomb.
Valentine is accused of leaving the bank with an unknown amount of money. She was arrested a short time later near a school. She had no bomb or other weapon.
Valentine faces felony charges of robbery, making terroristic threats, and threatening to use explosives. Court records do not list an attorney.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Some Nebraskans are calling for a criminal investigation of the Department of Correctional Services after internal emails showed officials knew sentences were being calculated incorrectly for hundreds of prisoners and didn’t correct the problem.
The Omaha World-Herald reported earlier this week on emails that show corrections officials disregarding a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling last year on mandatory minimum sentences.
Omaha attorney James Martin Davis says the internal emails make it clear the sentences were calculated incorrectly on purpose. That could make it a criminal matter.
Gov. Dave Heineman says a thorough review will be completed by a Lincoln law firm to determine what happened inside the corrections department.
And a legislative committee that was created to investigate a separate case plans to widen its probe to include the sentencing errors.
A major brawl in a Triple-A game instigated by rehabbing Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena against the Arizona Diamondbacks’ top minor league affiliate has resulted in the suspension of 11 players.
The benches cleared twice during Arruebarrena’s at-bat for Albuquerque in the second inning Saturday night. The second time, Arruebarrena took exception with Reno Aces catcher Blake Lalli brushing past the Cuban player after he struck out. Arruebarrena shoved Lalli, and then threw his helmet at him, setting off a melee that lasted 21 minutes and resulted in 10 ejections, including Reno manager Phil Nevin, the former major league All-Star.
Arruebarrena was not among the five Isotopes suspended because he was on a rehabilitation assignment. Any discipline would come from the commissioner’s office. But Arruebarrena has since been sent to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga by the Dodgers.
Pitcher Kameron Lowe, first baseman Mike Jacobs and outfielder Aaron Cunningham, all former major leaguers, were among six Aces suspended.
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (AP) — The NCAA has placed Henderson State on two years of probation and fined the school $2,500 for rules violations that included a coach offering a loan to a prospective athlete, exceeding phone contact limits and holding impermissible tryouts and practices.
The Division II school in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, self-imposed several penalties in 2012 after an inquiry into possible violations. Those included a loss of nearly half the women’s basketball program’s 10 scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year and limiting recruiting activities on and off campus.
Henderson State’s self-imposed probationary period ended May 1, but the NCAA extended that through July 2016. It also issued show-cause orders for two of the school’s former head coaches. The NCAA didn’t name them.
Henderson State is a member of the Great American Conference.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland authorities plan to prosecute a man for allegedly urinating on the grave of former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell.
The man, who has been identified only as a Cleveland Browns fan, will be charged with disorderly conduct in a cemetery. He could face up to two years in jail and a $500 fine. He posted a video of the incident to YouTube this month.
Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said the man will not be identified until charges are filed and served.
Art Modell died in 2012 at the age of 87. He spent 43 years as an NFL owner, overseeing the Browns from 1961 until he moved the team to Baltimore in 1996 to become the Ravens.
Modell and his wife, Patricia, are buried in Baltimore.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson still believes his best days are ahead.
The 31-year-old veteran is beginning his 10th season, coming off his third Pro Bowl and closing in on the franchise record for tackles.
He needs just 19 to reach 1,000 for his career, which would be one more than Gary Spani recorded from 1978-86.
Johnson said this week that he hasn’t thought about hanging up his cleats, even though he’ll turn 32 in November.
Johnson said he’s still working out in the offseason with Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, and as long as he can keep up with him, he’s going to keep going.
Besides, there may be no more valuable player on the Chiefs defense than No. 56.
CHICAGO (AP) — If Nebraska coach Bo Pelini had his way, National Signing Day would be a thing of the past. And the result would be an improved recruiting process.
“You’ve made a commitment to a young man to come play in your program, why do we have to wait to any certain day?” Pelini said. “Why don’t we just go ahead and let’s sign on the dotted line, let’s get it over with and move forward.”
That would be a big change from the system in place, where players have to wait until the signing period even if they’ve made an oral commitment. But what if they could sign as soon as they decide on a school?
“I think it would slow down some of the early offers,” Pelini said. “I think it would slow down some of the ridiculous things that go on on both ends, on the institution’s side of things and as far as the recruit’s.”
He used the word “integrity” and mentioning teaching athletes about honoring their commitment and “what it means to be a teammate.”
“There’s a bigger picture involved,” Pelini said. “And I think sometimes the way the recruiting process works is that contradictory to what we’re trying to teach these kids and how we’re trying to develop these kids in the long run to be successful, not only as football players and as athletes, but beyond, as husbands, as fathers, and their professions.”
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said the current system is “antiquated” and there needs to be more accountability. His solution? The Internet.
“If I’m offering a scholarship, I’ve got to go on a website and say I’m offering,” Fitzgerald said. “Bing, check the box. Everybody in the country has access to that website. All of a sudden the kid might get 50 of them, but everybody knows I’ve offered him a scholarship. There’s a 48-hour window, a cooling-off period, where he can decide, where we can’t pressure him to sign. That website kicks out an NLI (national letter of intent) and he can sign. After 48 hours, the offer is gone. There’s no more commitment.”
If a school goes on probation or a coach gets fired, Fitzgerald said a recruit would get a 48-hour wind to “click a box and say I’m no longer signed.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is back in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against Minnesota after starting just once in the last seven games because of a bruised hand.
Hosmer pronounced himself fit after taking batting practice against rehabbing left-hander Jason Vargas, who threw four innings in a simulated game at Kauffman Stadium.
Vargas has been on the disabled list since July 10 following an appendectomy. Manager Ned Yost says it is possible he could return to the rotation this weekend.
In other news, backup catcher Erik Kratz and touted prospect Christian Colon arrived in the clubhouse following Monday’s trade with Toronto. Kratz came over from the Blue Jays while Colon was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take the spot of departed infielder Danny Valencia.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have activated first baseman Justin Morneau and left-handed pitcher Boone Logan from the disabled list.
Morneau was batting fifth in Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
The Rockies also recalled infielder Cristhian Adames from Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Rockies optioned infielder Ben Paulsen and right-handed pitchers Brooks Brown and Chad Bettis to Triple-A.
VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — The parents of a south Georgia teenager found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat at school have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against school administrators.
