Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Esther Armbrister almost got away with $1,600 after emptying her pockets, exposing her bra and letting authorities conduct a thorough search for stolen money after spending the night with a man at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida.

She fled the hotel room in a rush after allegedly emptying the New York tourist’s short pockets that morning. When accused of the crime she let him look inside her purse and pockets to prove to him that she did not commit the theft.

The police however, picked her up on Hollywood Beach and noticed something peculiar about her hairpiece and when it was removed, they found 15 $100 bills and six $20 bills.

Armbrister was arrested for grand theft.

The first round of votes in Haiti’s presidential election caused riots in the streets as Mirlande Manigat appeared to be in the lead.

It has now been reported that musician Michel Martelly is the winner of Haiti’s presidential election, according to official preliminary results.

Pras Michel, Martelly’s Secretary of State pick and former Fugee member threatened more protest similar to Egypt if Martelly doesn’t come out victorious. Pras has publicly supported Martelly even when Wyclef attempted to run for office.

Manigat was a law professor with 32 years of political experience while Martelly was a pop singer with a reputation for humor.

There have been rumors of fraud during the first round of votes and the final results are due April 16th. Hopefully they won’t burn the country down as Pras promised if Martelly does not win.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed a short-term spending bill to pay for federal operations through Friday.

The measure is the first piece of a historic agreement to cut billions in spending and avoid the first government shutdown in 15 years.

Obama signed the temporary extension in private Saturday and the White House announced it with a news release.

The measure was needed to keep the government open long enough for Congress to sign off on the budget deal reached just before the midnight deadline Friday by Pres. Obama, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

That deal keeps the government open through the remaining six months in the 2011 budget year, while cutting $38 billion.

Police arrested two employees at a Delaware County assisted-living community after the women allegedly punched, kicked and stripped a 78-year-old dementia patient, authorities say.

Samirah Traynnham, 22, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal conspiracy, neglect and endangerment, police say.

Another woman, Tyrinna Griffin, was also arrested Wednesday on suspicion of abuse, police say.

On Thursday Ayesha Muhammed appeared before a Haverford judge for her alleged role in the abuse. The 19-year-old allegedly poked the victim in the eye, restricted her from leaving the room and laughed at the victim.

According to court records the alleged attackers claim that the abuse was just a joke.

The family of the 78-year-old woman who was allegedly beaten had suspicions that the dementia patient was being abused and brought their complaints to management, in Haverford, who dismissed them.

With no help from management, the family then set up a motion-activated hidden camera in the 78-year-old’s room.

The hidden camera captured Traynnham and two other employees violently shaking, kicking and punching the elderly woman. On one occasion captured on video, Traynnham tried to pull a ring off of the woman’s finger.

As Griffin was led off in handcuffs Wednesday she told reporters that the abuse “wasn’t intentional.”

The Department of Children and Families employee who was assigned to investigate reports of child abuse at the Barahona home is fighting to get her job back.

DCF fired Andrea Fleary for what they called poor performance and negligence, and now she’s speaking out about the case.

Just days after being assigned to the case, 10-year-old Nubia Barahona was found dead in the back of her adoptive father’s truck. Her twin brother Victor was critically injured.

It was a tragedy that Fleary says she didn’t see coming.

As a result of one of the worst cases of abuse in the State, DCF went on record trying to fix its failures, starting with the dismissal of three child protection investigators, which included Fleary.

But Fleary says she followed protocol and was wrongfully terminated.

Fleary’s attorney claims she was a scapegoat. And she adds the mother of the twins, Carmen Barahona, lied to her saying the twins lived with their father Jorge Barahona.

Fleary said she wants to go back to the agency where she’s worked for over 20 years.

Gas prices have jumped nearly 20 cents over the past two weeks, approaching the all-time high, according to a survey published Sunday.

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular is $3.76, the Lundberg Survey found. The previous survey three weeks ago found an average of $3.57.

That means prices are now just 35 cents — “within firing range” — of the all-time high of $4.11 set in July 2008, said publisher Trilby Lundberg.

“This doesn’t mean that we will get there,” she said. “Crude oil will decide.”

CHICAGO — In Roseland, one of Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods, many residents stay off the streets to protect themselves from rampant gang violence.

But one grandmother opened her door and invited gang members to come inside.

“They say I’m a nut because I let kids into my home who I didn’t even know,” said Diane Latiker, 54. “But I know (the kids) now. And I’ll know the new generation.”

Since 2003, Latiker has gotten to know more than 1,500 young people through her nonprofit community program, Kids Off the Block. And she hopes that by providing them with support and a place to go, she is also bringing hope to a community in crisis.

“We are losing a generation to violence,” said Latiker, who started the program in her living room.

Want to get involved? Check out the Kids Off the Block website at www.kidsofftheblock.bbnow.org and see how to help.

By Tom Cohen
CNN

WASHINGTON — Fresh off last-minute budget negotiations that averted a partial government shutdown, President Barack Obama this week will lay out his plan for long-term deficit reduction.

White House Senior Adviser David Plouffe appeared on four Sunday talk shows to announce Pres. Obama’s intentions and deliver the administration message that further deals like the one reached last Friday night with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, will be necessary as Congress and the administration face more major budget decisions in coming months.

LANDOVER, MD — President Barack Obama says unemployment numbers released Friday indicate the economy is showing signs of strength.

The unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8 percent in March, capping the strongest two months of hiring since the recession began. The rate has fallen a full percentage point over the past four months, the sharpest drop since 1983.

Obama says there is still work to be done. He says even as he deals with crises around the world, the U.S. economy is his first priority. Obama spoke at a shipping facility in Maryland.

The 2.5 million jobs economists expect to be created over the rest of this year will be only a small portion of the 7.5 million wiped out during the recession.