Sacramento, CA – You read about Etta Lopez, the woman so desperate to quit smoking she went to the extreme measures of assaulting a police officer, right? She got her wish.

Etta Me Lopez, 31, slapped a California sheriff’s deputy this week because she wanted to go to jail. It was the only thing she could think of that would help her finally kick the habit.  So she waited outside the Sacramento County jail for several hours on Tuesday. When Deputy Matt Campoy emerged, Lopez suddenly slapped him and hit him in the arm as he tried to restrain her.

“I stepped to the left, she stepped to my left,” Campoy recalled. “I stepped to the right, she stepped to my right. I stepped to the left again and she suddenly stepped into me and slapped my face.”

Lopez pleaded non contest to a misdemeanor charge of battery against a peace officer (because she wanted to go to jail, remember) and was sentenced to 63 days in jail.

Campoy told the Sacramento Bee that Lopez only slapped him so she’d be sent to jail because there’s no tobacco allowed.

“She knew that the only way to quit smoking was to go to jail because they don’t allow tobacco in the jail,” said Campoy. “She waited all day for a deputy to come out because she knew if she assaulted a deputy she would go to jail and be inside long enough to quit her smoking habit.”

Campoy also joked about the surreal attack.

“I’ve been telling everybody that I have a new Irish name: Nick O’Derm,” Campoy said.

Though nicotine works its way out of the body between 24 and 48 hours, the body goes into intense withdrawal afterwards (sometimes called “smokers flu” for its flu-like symptoms) for several days or weeks. It usually takes months for your body to completely get over its nicotine cravings, and your mind, much longer. But like they say, everybody is different.

Do you think that 63 days is enough time for Etta Lopez to quit smoking? Sound off!

[Image via: Africa Studio, Shutterstock]

Woman Who Slapped Cop Gets Plenty Of Jail Time To Quit Smoking is a post from: The Inquisitr

Actor and comedian Katt Williams was sentenced to 90 days of community service on Thursday.

Williams has come under constant scrutiny over the last several months. At one point, Williams slapped a Target employee and then claimed the man used the n-word against him. The slap was caught on video, but the Target employee’s alleged verbal assault was not heard.

Katt Williams was sentenced to serve out his community service in Los Angeles County where he currently lives. Williams was also sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation.

Williams was also ordered to pay $70 in court costs.

Standing outside of the L.A. County Court House, Kat said of his sentence: ”At some point you have to take responsibility for the mistakes and let everybody move on.”

With this case behind him, Katt Williams still faces battery charges in his Yolo County case. That case involves the Woodland Target customer he slapped on the same day as his Sacramento police chase that led to today’s community service. Williams is facing a misdemeanor battery charge for his assault against the Target employee.

In the Target attack, Williams says he slapped Forrest Liebenberg after he called him the n-word. According to Williams: ”It was a situation where I got into it with one guy who decided he was going to make me hit him.”

Leibenberg soon after Williams made his statement adamantly denied the charges. According to Forrest, ”The people who were there know what was said, so I totally disregard (what he says).  It totally didn’t happen.”

While Liebenberg lost his job for how he handled the situation, he did manage to show restraint after being attacked. Liebenberg’s restraint, which was caught on video, could spell more trouble for Katt Williams.

Do you think Katt Williams got what was coming to him and will likely receive more bad news in his lawsuit against Forrest Liebenberg?

[Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]

Katt Williams Sentenced Following Sacramento Police Chase, Still Faces Target Assault Charges is a post from: The Inquisitr

Unhappy with his neighbor’s loud gospel music, a California man decided to strike back with pornography. According to CBS Sacramento, Twain Harte was so agitated with the music blaring from his neighbor’s property that he decided to start watching X-rated videos out in his back yard.

Instead of watching the pornographic flicks on a small television set, Harte opted to move his expensive big-screen TV onto the back deck. In order to teach his religious neighbors a lesson, he fired up a porno and cranked the volume so his enemies could hear every filthy detail.

Although Harte, who claims the gospel music is so bad that his dog even complains about it, was reported to the local police for his loud pornographic screenings, he apparently won’t face charges for his actions. While the scenario is certainly amusing, not everyone in Sacramento thinks Harte’s antics were very funny.

“I think that was a little ridiculous,” Tara Varela explained to the New York Daily News. “He shouldn’t have played porn like that. He could have played … death metal. Anything besides that.”

Even Harte feels that he may have stepped over the line by using pornography to drown out his neighbor’s gospel music. He admits that he did it “just to kind of give them a taste of offensive play there, just a little payback.” Harte added, “But you know, what are you going to do? After all the commotion, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

According to the Daily Mail, Harte’s music-loving neighbors were reportedly unavailable for comment. The pornography aficionado, meanwhile, claims that he doesn’t plan to live in the area for much longer. Given that most of his neighbors seem to enjoy these frequent 12-hour gospel music sessions, his decision to leave is probably for the best.

Do you think it was right for Twain Harte to blast pornography in his back yard to get revenge on his neighbors?

California Man Battles Neighbor’s Loud Gospel Music With Pornography is a post from: The Inquisitr

Even a Teacher of the Year plaque couldn’t save Michelle Apperson’s job.

The teacher at Sutterville Elementary School in Sacramento, Calif., was notified that she will be laid off following the school year due to budget cuts, Sacramento’s News 10 KXTV reported. Apperson was a nine-year veteran of the school and this year was named Teacher of the Year for the entire district

“It hurts on a personal level because I really love what I do,” Apperson told News 10. ”But professionally, politically, I get why it happens.”

The district contended that it is not their discretion who is fired—the process is mandated by state law, said Gabe Ross, spokesman for the Sacramento City Unified School District.

“It’s an awful situation,” Ross told News 10. ”It’s another sign of how education’s funding really needs an overhaul.”

The district is in the midst of cutting $43 million from its budget, with another $100 million being cut in the past four years.

Apperson’s firing was met with dismay from students and anger from parents. Some students even wrote letters to show their reaction to the situation, WABF reported.

“Dear Ms. Apperson,” one letter starts, “I will miss you dearly. I will never forget you! You are the best teacher ever. I am very lucky that you are my teacher!”

Nationwide, an estimated 33,500 teaching jobs have been lost since September, an analysis by the Washington Post found. The situation has been particularly bad in California, which has dealt with budget deficits and made deep cuts to the teacher ranks in recent years. In March more than 20,000 teachers were delivered pink slips for the coming school year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Sacramento Teacher Of The Year Fired Due To Budget Cuts is a post from: The Inquisitr

Harold Waller, a 45 year old man from Montana, was arrested at a Sacramento International Airport security checkpoint after it was realized that the man was in possession of four loaded firearms.  The Sacramento Country Sheriff’s Department stated that the suspect was currently being held without bail in light of his recent arrest.

The arrest occurred Thursday afternoon after TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officers discovered that Waller was carrying a loaded pistol on his persons in addition to three more loaded firearms in his carry-on luggage.

After Sheriff’s deputies scoured through Waller’s vehicle, parked at an off-site lot, they discovered an additional eight firearms.  Information regarding the types of weapons was not divulged within the Sheriff’s statement.

Charges include unlawful possession of a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm within a sterile area of an airport, possession of an unauthorized weapon in a public building and possession of a loaded firearm.

Not quite as controversial of a story as TSA’s pat down of a 3 year old child in a wheelchair, this news coverage actually conveys TSA officers doing their job.  Regardless of the incessant hassling many of us have been and are continually subjected to by TSA, their role is an important one that often results in the prevention of characters such as the loaded-gun-packing Harold Waller.

With an arsenal of weapons between the loaded handgun he was carrying, three guns in his carry-on, and an additional eight more in his car, one might begin to ponder: What exactly was Harold Waller intent on doing with all of those guns?

Harold Waller Arrested With 4 Loaded Guns Inside Sacramento International Airport is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ani Chopourian filed at least 18 complaints of sexual harassment during her two years of work at Sacramento’s Mercy General Hospital. Those complaints were not taken seriously by the hospital’s administrators but they were by a jury of her peers who awarded Ani $168 million on Friday.

Among her complaints was a surgeon who stabbed her with a needle and then broke the ribs of an anesthetized heart patient in a fit of rage and another surgeon who would greet her each morning by slapping her on the butt and proclaim “I’m horny.” Another surgeon reportedly called her the “stupid chick” in the operating room and then made fun of her Armenian heritage, going so far as to ask if she  had joined Al Qaeda.

During the case executives for Mercy General attempted to portray Chopourian as an unprofessional worker who’s own misconduct led to her firing and a refusal by the hospital to provide her with unemployment benefits.

The $168 million award for damages is the largest single plaintiff award in U.S. history for a sexual harassment case. Speaking after the award was handed down Chopourian’s attorney Lawrance Bohm proclaimed:

“They were just shocked by the whole workplace environment.”

Having worked at various other hospitals over the years Ani said in her testimony:

“The environment at Mercy General, the sexually inappropriate conduct and the patient care issues being ignored, the bullying and intimidation and retaliation —– I have never seen an environment so hostile and pervasive.”

The hospitals defense was hurt by a litany of current and former complains which swayed the jury to believe that the hospital was not working in its employees best interests.

Ani Chopourian continued in her statement:

“Cardiac surgery brings in the most money for any hospital facility, which is why they are willing to turn a blind eye to illegal and inappropriate behavior.  We had four very strong witnesses who were frightened to speak out but did so because they felt it was important that someone put a stop to this.”

It’s likely that the plaintiffs $125 million in punitive damages and $42.7 million for lost wages and mental anguish will be reduced on appeal, however the plaintiff’s lawyer is confident that the actual guilty verdict will stand up in appelate court.

Ani earned her degree from the Yale School of Medicine in 1999.

Do you think the Catholic hospital deserved such a large penalty based on various reports of abuse by current and former employees?

Physician’s Assistant Awarded $168 Million In Sexual Harassment Lawsuit is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Sacramento Kings on Monday announced that the organization has reached a long-term deal with the city of Sacramento that will see a new arena built and a long-term contract signed to keep the team and the Maloof brothers in Sacramento.

News of the agreement was announced by a tearful Gavin Maloof on Monday as he emerged from a meeting during a trip to Orlando, Florida.

Joe Maloof told the Sacramento Bee:

“We’ve always said we wanted to stay in Sacramento, and now’s our opportunity.”

To make the deal a reality the Maloof’s will contribute more than $70 million to the project and “probably another $75 million over the term of the agreement.”

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said of the new agreement:

“Today is a new day for Sacramento and a defining moment for our community. We came to Orlando needing to convert both ends of a one-and-one free throw. Over the weekend, the city hit the front end of the free throw by making clear it had delivered on its promises and, today, the Maloof family hit the second free throw by stepping up and increasing their contribution.”

The plan will be financed by a March 1 deadline and according to NBA commissioner David Stern he has been working with Mayor Johnson to make that deal work in time.

The major issue of contention for Mayor Johnson was how much money the Kings would contribute, under an original agreement the city would absorb $190 million to $230 million, money that would be raised by leasing out parking garages to private investors.

It’s believed the Kings will now put $75 million to $100 million into the project with an estimated $40-$60 million coming from arena operator AEG.

To cover the remaining money required a ticket surcharge will be added to ticket prices while advertising will be sold around the arena and a portion of the city’s transient occupy tax will also be used along with the sale of up to four parcels of city land.

The deal was a last ditch effort by Mayor Johnson to keep the team in Sacramento at a time when both Anaheim and Seattle attempted to steal the Kings away with the promise of a new arena.

Do you think it was smart for the Kings to stay in Sacramento?

Sacramento Kings Reach New Arena Deal, Will Sign Long-Term Agreement is a post from: The Inquisitr

For the last 39 years Sacramento State psychology professor George Parrot has demanded that his students bring snacks to class and now it looks like that practice has come to an end.

Two weeks ago Professor Parrot walked out of class when his students failed to bring homemade snacks and that walkout led to complaints from several undergraduates. After the school’s administration spoke with the professor he agreed to drop the practice.

While it may seem that on the surface Parrot simply has a sweet tooth he argues that his snack requirement was a way to encourage participation from his pupils. According to Professor Parrot (I keep typing his name because it’s fun to say) the exercise in home economics was a way for students to get to know each other. The teacher also says students learned to form teams, set schedules and check up on each other through his baked goods routine.

According to the professor when he was in school classes were much smaller and undergrads actually got to know each other and formed closed ties, something he hoped his baking project would accomplish during a time when everything is a “commuter rat race” in which students drive to class then drive home with very little real world interaction.

If nothing else the Sacramento college professor hoped that the cakes would provide the fuel needed for students to sit through 3-hour lab sessions.

Do you think the professor overstepped his bounds by requiring baked good or should he be allowed to govern his class as he sees fit?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

Professor Will No Longer Demand Snacks From Students is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Greyhound bus headed from Los Angeles to Sacramento crashed just after 2am local time today, leaving six dead and four people critically injured.

The accident occurred on Highway 99 just after the bus made a scheduled stop in Fresno. Law enforcement officials are currently working to determine the exact circumstances of the crash, and are unsure how many passengers were aboard the bus at the time of the collision. A California Highway Patrol officer told press what is known so far:

CHP officer Axel Reyes said the collision was triggered when a Chevrolet Trailblazer overturned in the highway’s fast lane and was struck by the bus. The bus then hit a Honda CRV.

All three vehicles careened off the highway and down an embankment. The bus struck a eucalyptus tree.

According to the Fresno Bee, police say they cannot confirm that three of the people killed were in the Trailblazer at the time of the crash. In addition to the four people injured critically, another six were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Nine passengers who were uninjured were picked up by another bus, arriving in Sacramento at 7:30am.

6 dead, 4 injured critically in Fresno Greyhound crash is a post from: The Inquisitr

After finishing the inaugural UFL season 2-4, and playing two home games at AT&T Park in San Francisco and one home game at San Jose State, the California Redwoods will move to their permanent home in Sacramento, California. The team will be renamed leaving the Redwoods moniker behind them. Dennis Green will return as Head Coach and assume General Manager duties. He and owner Paul Pelosi were welcomed to Sacramento on Wednesday by Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Along with the relocated New York Sentinels to Hartford, Conn. the California UFL franchise will hold a U name the team contest to find a new nickname for the Sacramento based team. At this point the contest is in the nomination stages and UFL fans can visit the league website to submit their suggestions now, until March 17th.

I think moving the team out of the San Francisco bay area is a good move for the UFL. Given their season from September to November the team had constant competition for fans. The San Francisco Giants are finishing up their season by that point and the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders have already won the hearts of bay area football fans. The only competition in Sacramento is the Sacramento Kings off the NBA.

Now Green and his team can start preparing for the first UFL draft to be completed by each franchise themselves. Last year’s UFL draft was conducted by the league as it operated under a single entity business model. In year two the teams are opening up their own local offices, and handling more of their own personnel issues as the league grows into a multi entity model.

This relocation was necessary as the Redwoods were the worst drawing UFL team in 2009. Through their three home games they managed to draw around 17,000 fans. If the league wants to succeed, it will need to do better than that.

Related Links:

•The Business of the UFL
•California Redwoods news and notes

California Redwoods no more is a post from: The Inquisitr