Boner Candidate #1: AND I DON’T REMEMBER HOW I GOT HERE.
Just this past week in St. George, Utah, a man named James Russell McDougall, has been arrested and charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors. McDougall was arrested after a bus driver at the Salt Lake Express bus station in St. George called police. The driver reported that there was a man that seemed drunk and he was running around the parking lot, chasing buses, and at one point tried to steal a bus. The responding officer saw that the man was agitated and arrested him. After talking with the reporting bus driver, the officer learned McDougall had refused to get off the empty bus, and then when he did, chased the bus around the parking lot. The bus driver also witnessed McDougall trying to steal a different bus, but was unsuccessful. When McDougall was interviewed by police, he admitted to getting on the bus and refusing to get off, but couldn’t actually remember how he ended up in St. George. McDougall admitted he was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana. McDougall was already a convicted felon, having been arrested in Utah 16 times since 1994.
via News Break
Boner Candidate #2: SLAVERY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN UTAH.
A husband and wife duo in Millcreek, Utah have been arrested after reports of alleged human trafficking of their nieces. Luis Fernando Mendez-Portillo and his wife, Lesbia Lisseth Figueroa Gallardo, offered to get their two nieces from Guatemala across the border after the two women expressed interest in coming to America and getting jobs to send money back to their families. However, the nieces had to pay loans to Mendez-Portillo and his wife for the cost of immigration. The two women have been in the United States since November of last year, and have been working at Taco Bell and KFC to earn wages to send back home. However, the two women’s wages were withheld on a pay card that was controlled by their uncle. The two women weren’t allowed to have cell phones and were only able to contact their family once a week under supervision. Along with this, Mendez-Portillo said that his nieces still owed him money, and if they didn’t pay him, he would send the police after them or have something happen to their families. The women went to police and reported this all. Police got a search warrant for the couples house, and found many things that would assume human trafficking. The couple has been charged with multiple felonies and are awaiting to go before a judge.
via Fox 13
Boner Candidate #3: ISLAMAPHOBIA IS STALKING THE HALLS OF ACADEMIA.
A Muslim student at the University of Utah has reported to campus police a voicemail she received on October 12th. The voicemail was filled with slurs, sexist remarks, and Islamaphobic phrases and words. The student is part of the Muslim Student Association at the university, and isn’t the only one receiving messages like this. The harassing messages began shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel. Some new people had joined the associations group chat, but nothing was thought of it since the chat had a public link for anyone to join. The new people who had joined the chat wanted to host a protest rally in support of Palestine. The student association didn’t feel comfortable with this and suggested a donation drive or fundraiser instead. This lead to the new members becoming outraged, and then that is when the harassment began on the original members. The student who reported the hateful messages that she has been receiving has expressed anxiety and fear about returning to classes. The University has since addressed the harassment. There have also been incidents of harassment at Brigham Young University as well, and student Sama Salah feels her safety is no longer in tact.
via KUER
