An unnamed suspect in St. Petersburg, Fla., is in custody after allegedly hitting and killing a homeless man, and driving several miles with the man’s body impaled on his windshield.

The driver was stopped at the southbound Interstate 275 tollbooth of the Sunshine Skyway, police said.

The man had been hit more than three miles away at 46th Avenue South and 34th Street South, police said. He apparently was struck by the car while crossing 34th Street. The impact severed one leg and wedged him through the windshield.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m., [Wednesday] the car pulled into a middle tollbooth lane where motorists pay $1 to cross the bridge.

Police said the driver was detained and an a ambulance was called. The driver, identified only as an elderly man, was taken to a hospital. — Tampa Tribune

Today’s unnamed Stupid Person of the Day had not yet been charged with a crime at the time this article was published.

The Jawa Report let us know about an unnamed suspect who was caught in front of the police station in Omaha, Neb., with methamphetamine after parking in a handicapped space.

An Omaha police lieutenant and an officer said they were working at the front desk of police headquarters Monday night when they noticed people sitting a car parked in a handicap parking space.

When the pair walked up to the car, they smelled what they believed to be methamphetamine.

A search proved them right.

The suspect was taken to Creighton University Medical Center, where he agreed to have two small plastic bags of meth removed from his stomach, according to a police report. — KETV

Unfortunately, today’s Stupid Person of the Day was not named in the news report. No word, either, on the other “people” in the car.

A couple in Van Buren, Arkansas who were supposed to be watching a two-year-old child were arrested after the child was found wandering a busy street.

A resident called police Sunday morning after she found the boy, who was wearing a diaper and shirt, police said. The boy was unharmed.

Police said they knocked on 150 doors in the neighborhood while looking for his caregivers, but no one recognized the boy. They said they were about to hand him over to the state Department of Human Services when the sitters called.

“We got a phone call from the people watching the little boy, real nonchalantly said, ‘Did you find a child? We’re missing one,’” Van Buren police Cpl. Chris Hoffsommer said.

Jeremy Ruehle, 21, and his wife, Meghan Ruehle, 19, both of Van Buren, started to watch the boy on Friday. Police said the Ruehles were still asleep when he wandered off. Both face misdemeanor child endangerment charges.

The child’s mother, Ashley Ruehle, 37, of Alma, came to the station and told police it was her first night out in two years. But police said she was arrested when officers discovered outstanding arrest warrants on charges of writing bad checks and theft of a lease property.

Police did not say whether the baby sitters and mother were related. The boy was turned over to his grandparents. — Associated Press

Wow, we’ve got three Stupid People of the Day today.

Verizon Communications, Inc., has received the first Quills Corporate Literacy Award for its work in promoting literacy.

The Quills Corporate Literacy Award was presented to Patrick Gaston, President, Verizon Foundation, in recognition of Verizon’s support of literacy programs. Verizon Reads, the umbrella organization for Verizon’s national literacy platform, supports programs to create awareness, raise funds, and encourage collaboration among literacy providers. Specifically, the Verizon Literacy Network connects the leading literacy organizations to serve as a resource for all literacy inquiries and link providers to the general public via the Internet.

“Verizon’s mission has been to be the leader in America’s campaign to raise literacy levels by orchestrating a national platform that will increase community awareness and support a wide diversity of literacy programs,” said Gerry Byrne, chairman of the Quills Literacy Foundation. “Through its programs and its employees, Verizon has been a uniquely enthusiastic and committed leader that truly celebrates the written word and is making a difference. This is a well-deserved award.” — Phone Watch

The awards program will be seen on the NBC Universal network on Saturday, Oct. 22, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. U.S. Eastern time.

Reading is only the first step. Next comes comprehension, understanding, analysis, critical thinking, and development of judgment. Still, it’s a good first step in the fight to make stupidity history.

Sarah Sevick, 19, a freshman at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Tex., has filed an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint with the federal government because the university refused to allow her to keep her ferret in her dorm room.

Sevick said she has been diagnosed with psychiatric problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. She takes medication for depression and anxiety, she said. . . .

Sevick requested to keep the ferret at her dormitory and in class before she moved onto campus in August, but was denied. . . .

Sevick said she’s had many attacks since she’s been on campus without the ferret.

She discovered Lilly’s calming effects when she received the ferret as a gift about a year ago.

“Pretty quickly, we realized it was very responsive to her,” said Sevick’s mother, Kay, who now cares for Lilly. “When (Sarah’s) anxiety goes up, (Lilly) climbs on her and nuzzles her, and will stay for hours with her until she’s better.”

Sarah Sevick said university officials feared the ferret was a threat to other students and wasn’t trained as a service animal. . . .

Meanwhile Sevick said she’s not doing well in class.

“It’s almost like I’m being jinxed,” she said. “Because of that, I stay in my room.” — Associated Press

Whoa, being depressed is a disability? I’m terribly depressed! Excuse me while I go file for some nice government benefits. As for Sarah Sevick, I hear she needs a boyfriend. Any of you eligible bachelors out there want to go out with her?

Peggy Jo Conner, 38, of Ford City, Pa. has charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assult for kidnapping a pregnant woman and trying to cut her unborn child out of her.

District Attorney Scott Andreassi said the baby appears to be healthy, but the condition of the mother, Valerie Lynn Oskin, is unknown.

Oskin, 30, of Ford City, who was 8 months pregnant, is being treated at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Police said Conner hit Oskin in the head with a baseball bat on Wednesday, then drove her to a dirt road off Route 1037 in a wooded area of Wayne Township and cut Oskin’s abdomen with a razor.

Someone riding an all-terrain vehicle found Oskin and Conner on the dirt road at about 5 p.m. Wednesday and called for help, police said.

Conner was arrested and taken to the county jail. She is being held without bond.

Police say that a statement from Conner indicates that her goal was to get the victim’s unborn child and take it as her own.

In an interview with WTAE Channel 4’s Bob Mayo, Conner’s husband said that his wife is pregnant.

Andreassi said Conner claims to be pregnant but is not. — WTAE

[Editor's note: Peggy Jo Conner, you're today's Stupid Person of the Day. And if anybody knows what's up with the recent rash of women trying to steal others' unborn babies, please let me know.]

Police shot and wounded a man who jumped a train and tried to take it over using a bow and arrow.

Juventino Vallejo-Camerena boarded the Union Pacific train Sunday night as it was stopped for a signal and threatened the engineer and conductor, the only people on board, police Capt. Keith Jones said.

The crew members escaped and disabled the train by turning off fuel switches, then used a cell phone to call police, Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said.

“The employees did an outstanding job,” Davis said. “Their instincts took over and they did the proper thing by disabling the train.”

Vallejo-Camerena was aboard the train in western San Bernardino County when officers arrived. The man cocked the bow and pointed the arrow at officers, who opened fire, Jones said.

Vallejo-Camerena suffered gunshot wounds to the left wrist and forearm that were not life-threatening, Jones said.

He was treated at a hospital, then booked into jail for investigation of train robbery, assault and resisting arrest. It wasn’t known when he would make his first court appearance.

The locomotive, en route to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City, was hauling 71 cars with ocean-bound containers. No hazardous materials were on board, Davis said. — Associated Press

Juventino Vallejo-Camerena, it’s not 1855, it’s 2005, and you’re today’s Stupid Person of the Day.

A candidate for public office in upstate New York was arrested twice in three hours for driving while intoxicated, authorities said Monday.

Brian E. Karst, 34, who is running for Oneida Common Council as an independent candidate was arrested Friday night by Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Chrysler and ticketed for numerous traffic violations. Sobriety tests revealed his blood alcohol content was 0.14 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08, deputies said.

After his arrest, Karst was released to a third party.

Less than three hours later, Chrysler pulled Karst over again — driving the same car as before. This time, Karst’s blood alcohol content was 0.11, deputies said.

Deputies said Karst also was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Sept. 9. — Associated Press

You’re supposed to drink after you’re elected to office, not before. Brian Karst, you qualify as today’s Stupid Person of the Day.

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that football players suffer an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments later in life as a result of repeated head injuries sustained while playing football.

“In this unique study, we had some very interesting findings,” [Dr. Kevin] Guskiewicz [professor of exercise and sport science in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences] said. “Our data suggest that a history of recurrent concussions and probably sub-concussive contacts to the head may be risk factors for the expression of late-life memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment and earlier expression of Alzheimer’s disease. Research like this is important since more than 300,000 sport-related concussions, many of which are recurrent injuries, occur annually in the U.S. and more than 1.2 million Americans suffer head injury each year.”

The study involved surveying by mail 3,683 retired professional football players who belonged to the NFL Retired Player’s Association about their overall health and analyzing the results.

Of those, 2,552 returned questionnaires or had their spouses or other close relatives do so for about a 70 percent response rate. Players averaged almost 54 years old and had an average professional career spanning 6.6 years.

Researchers then surveyed a subset of 758 players aged 50 and older and asked more detailed questions about concussions and diagnosed dementia-related impairments. Spouses and close relatives also participated and assisted in confirming responses provided by the retired players. — Science Blog

Oh, and this little gem suggests the results may be understated: “The study’s chief limitation was that it was based on self-reported answers to the health questions, and the accuracy of remembering memory problems could not be verified completely.”

A sixth grader at Warsaw Middle School in Pittsfield, Maine, was sent home for medical reasons and was given a three day suspension after picking up a dead skunk on the way to school and chasing down students with it.

Authorities are seeking charges against the boy for disorderly conduct.

The 12-year-old boy came across the dead animal on his way to school Friday and told police he brought it “just to show my friends,” Officer Jeff Vanadestine said.

“I got four or five phone calls from upset parents,” said Kane, who was already aware of the problem because the boy had been sent to his office because of the skunk smell.

Kane said the boy apparently had gotten desensitized to the stench.

“He came in and sat in the principal’s office, and I said, ‘Oh no. Outside.’”

The boy was sent home on a medical discharge because of the odor and then was given a three-day suspension.

The parents of two girls chased with the whirling skunk want to press charges of disorderly conduct against the boy.

“We are looking into that,” Vanadestine said. -Associated Press

And yes, his parents bathed him in tomato juice in an attempt to rid him of the smell.

Today’s unnamed Stupid Person of the Day is a real stinker!

Nearly 100,000 California high school students in the class of 2006 have failed the state’s graduation exam, according to researchers at the Human Resources Research Organization.

The group conducted a review of the test results as part of a report ordered by the California Legislature when it instituted the exit exam several years ago.

Among its findings: 63% of African Americans students, and 68% of Latinos in the class of 2006 have passed both parts of the exam.

By comparison, 89% of Asian students, and 90% of whites, have passed.

Despite remedial classes, after-school tutoring and other academic help, tens of thousands of students — particularly those in special education and others who speak English as a second language — may still fail the test by the end of their senior year, the group said.

The report recommended that the state keep the exam in place but consider several alternatives for students who can’t pass.

“Clearly, we need to have some options for these students,” said Lauress L. Wise, the firm’s president, in a telephone interview with reporters.

Seniors could be allowed to submit portfolios of work that demonstrate mastery of English and math, the report’s authors suggested. Or, schools could allow students to spend an extra year in high school, or earn diplomas for completing special summer school programs in lieu of the exam, the report proposed.

The state also could establish alternate diplomas or graduation certificates for students who pass part of the exit exam, the group offered.

But California Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said he opposed any change that would diminish the worth of a high school diploma.

“It’s important to keep one core principal front and center: awarding a student a diploma without the skills and knowledge to back it up does the student a disservice” said O’Connell, who added that his staff would study the options spelled out in the new report. — Los Angeles Times

Now the stupid part is that the test covers mastery of an eighth grade level of math and a ninth to tenth grade level of English. Twenty percent of students can’t demonstrate mastery of these basic levels, in their senior year of high school!

But this is not news. Public schools aren’t designed to give children an education. Instead, they’re designed to make them dumb. Anyone managing to get an education in public school has done so despite the best efforts of the school system to prevent them from getting one.

At about 10 a.m. last Sunday, Leon Hollimon stole an ambulance and led police on a three-county chase around central North Carolina.

When police finally got the ambulance stopped, they discovered a deer which had been dead for a week, attached to an IV.

When they caught him, he was wearing a stethoscope, pager and had two latex gloves in his back pocket. . . .

Investigators say they’re not sure where Hollimon is from, but he has a large number of arrests in the Jacksonville, Florida area and may be from there.

They say they don’t yet know how he ended up in Lexington.

He’s currently having a mental evaluation at a state hospital in Butner. — WFMY

The day before, Hollimon had been arrested for public intoxication — in a wheelchair.

Police think the man’s odd behavior began the day before on Anna Lewis drive in Lexington.

Lieutenant Scott Nanney says officers saw the man with a wheelchair near the hospital.

“Actually he was in the wheelchair riding it in the middle of the road and intoxicated. So, that’s when officers decided to take him into jail for four hours.”

Police say the man wasn’t charged with anything in the wheelchair incident.

He was only taken to jail for his safety, until he was sober enough to leave. — WFMY

Congratulations, you’re today’s Stupid Person of the Day.

A Long Island, N.Y. woman has entered a guilty plea to second degree rape for arranging for her 13-year-old daughter and her 14-year-old friend to have sex with two men aged 18 and 19 that they had just met.

The woman, whose name is being withheld to protect her daughter’s identity, allegedly told investigators it was time for her daughter to “have sex and get it over with.”

The mother, who lives in Sayville, took the girls to White Plains for an overnight shopping trip in April. The girls ran into the men — Gilberto Gonzalez, 19, of Pleasantville, and Michael Berger, 18, of White Plains — at a mall, and the men came to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the mother and girls had taken a room.

The mother bought beer and hard lemonade for the teenagers and admitted Wednesday in Westchester County Court that she was with them in the hotel room when the sex occurred.

Judge Rory Bellantoni said he would sentence the woman to six months in jail and 10 years’ probation if she convinces him on Oct. 26, the sentencing date, that she understands the seriousness of the crime.

Rape charges against the men are pending. — 1010 WINS

Regrettably, the name of today’s Stupid Person of the Day has not been released.

When Deleese Williams, 30, of Conroe, Texas, was thrown off the television show Extreme Makeover at the last minute, her sister killed herself. Now Williams is suing ABC.

She claims a TV crew tricked her sister Kellie McGee into making cruel remarks about her looks before the makeover.

ABC cancelled the appearance, saying her jaw would take too long to heal, and her sister was left distraught about making the remarks, she claims.

Extreme Makeover follows people having drastic plastic surgery and Mrs Williams was due to have work on her teeth, eyes and breasts.

Her legal action said “Deleese Williams is considered ugly” and said a doctor promised her “a Hollywood smile like Cindy Crawford”.

Programme-makers visited the contestant’s family in Texas before the makeover was due to start in January 2004.

The legal action claims they manipulated Ms McGee into saying unkind things about her sister’s looks on camera.

But the contestant was told hours before the makeover was due to begin that it had been cancelled.

When she returned home from Los Angeles unchanged, Ms McGee became so upset over what she had said that she killed herself, the legal action states.

“Sometimes Deleese blames herself for Kellie’s death,” it says. ABC was unavailable for comment. — BBC News

Suing won’t bring your sister back, and you’ve become today’s Stupid Person of the Day.

Today’s Stupid Person of the Day took himself out of the gene pool. Richard Vega, 24, was participating in a “Hands on the Hardbody” contest in Longview, Texas, where participants keep their hands on a pickup truck, and the last person with his hand still on the truck wins the truck.

Almost three days into the contest, he suddenly left, walked across the street, broke into K-Mart, grabbed a gun, and fatally shot himself.

Cox News Service reported Vega walked away from the truck after remaining in place for three days and smashed a window at a K-Mart across the street. Police officers who arrived just before 6 a.m. found Vega walking from the back of the store with a gun in his hands which he used to shoot himself.

Dru Laborde, program director for KYKX radio, said he talked to Vega just before he dropped out.

“He was fine,” Laborde said. — UPI

The Gun Guys have some more information.