College Safe Weblog

Frat House Fire at U. Miss.

This is a tragic loss of three lives at the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity house at the University of Mississippi. They died of smoke inhalation. One student, William "Will" Townsend awoke in time to alert other house members, but then went back inside to find the last two students. All three of them died.

The university has mentioned that Greek houses are not covered by normal fire safety regulations on campus. If this is true, find out what the regulations and protections are if you're living in Greek housing.

]]> This is a tragic loss of three lives at the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity house at the University of Mississippi. They died of smoke inhalation. One student, William "Will" Townsend awoke in time to alert other house members, but then went back inside to find the last two students. All three of them died.

Although the investigation continues, it appears the fire begin in a basement bedroom of the house. Normally basement rooms do not have the best ventilation or exit options. Keep this in mind when you decide on a room on campus. Also double check the fire safety regulations and protections.

The Sun News
Myrtle Beach, SC
8/28/04
Miss. Students Question Safety After Fire

by HOLBROOK MOHR
Associated Press

Students at the University of Mississippi questioned the
school's fire safety procedures as investigators returned to a charred
fraternity house Saturday to find the cause of a fire that killed three
people.

Twenty students and a house mother escaped the fire at the two-story,
brick-and-wood frame Alpha Tau Omega house on Friday.

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Zapped at the Computer

Have you ever worked on the computer during a severe thunderstorm? Think again - you could be hit by lightning and zap out your computer as well. It is not worth the risk. Shut off and unplug the computer when an electrical storm is approaching.

A student in Council Bluffs Washington found out the hard way and was sent flying about 5 feet backwards. It knocked him unconscious.

]]> Have you ever worked on the computer during a severe thunderstorm? Think again - you could be hit by lightning and zap out your computer as well. It is not worth the risk. Shut off and unplug the computer when an electrical storm is approaching.

A student in Iowa found out the hard way and was sent flying about 5 feet backwards. It knocked him unconscious.

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Friday, August 6, 2004
Lightning jolts teen working on computer
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- A teenager working on his computer was jolted by a
lightning strike that hit his family's home.

Mike Bergeron, 15, of Council Bluffs was in the basement of the home about
9:30 p.m. on Tuesday when lightning struck the roof of the house, traveled
through the electrical lines to the computer and shocked him.

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NYC Bars haven for drugs

2004 is going to have an all time high record number of women in NYC who have been victims of party drugs in their drinks. They are secretly drugged in their drinks, they pass out and then they are sexually assaulted. Cases this year are nearly double from last year.

Before you go out this Friday night, check out our free guide on party drugs. You'll get the lastest tips on staying safe from this type of crime.

CLICK FOR GUIDE>> http://www.collegesafe.com/test

]]> 2004 is going to have an all time high record number of women in NYC who have been victims of party drugs in their drinks. They are secretly drugged in their drinks, they pass out and then they are sexually assaulted. Cases this year are nearly double from last year.

Before you go out this Friday night, check out our free guide on party drugs. You'll get the lastest tips on staying safe from this type of crime.

CLICK FOR GUIDE>> http://www.collegesafe.com/test

New York Post
July 252, 2004
ALARMING SPIKE IN COCKTAIL RAPES

By SUSAN EDELMAN and MARIANNE GARVEY
A record number of women are reporting to police that they
were sexually assaulted after predators in Manhattan bars, nightclubs and
parties drugged their drinks, The Post has learned.
Others say they have gotten ill, acted strangely and lost their memories
after patronizing some New York nightspots.

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Woman assaulted at apartment near campus

A co-ed in North Carolina had an apartment on the first floor and she was assaulted by a person who broke into her apartment. Remember that you are at additional risk if you have an apartment, dorm room or hotel room on the first floor.

Always remember that even if you live in apartments near campus, this does not mean you are always safe. If you live down the line you are not protected by campus security. You need to be responsible for your own safety at your apartment or rental. The apartment complex offered safety options like panic buttons but it does not appear the victim asked for one.

]]> A co-ed in North Carolina had an apartment on the first floor and she was assaulted by a person who broke into her apartment. Remember that you are at additional risk if you have an apartment, dorm room or hotel room on the first floor.

Where there locks on the windows and doors? Where the windows all closed? Where there motion detectors? Don't leave your apartment vulnerable to unwanted visitors.

This apartment building management company offers tenants' alarm systems and bedroom panic buttons at no charge. If you live off campus, ask for these safety options.

WRAL TV
Raleigh, NC
July 19, 2004

Raleigh Woman Assaulted Over Weekend At Apartment Complex
Authorities Release Composite Of Suspect

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Early Saturday morning, police say someone broke into the Ivy Chase Apartments in Raleigh and sexually assaulted a young woman.

Police have released a composite of a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a resident at a southwest Raleigh apartment complex.

Raleigh police have distributed fliers asking for information about the weekend assault. They said women in apartment complexes are more vulnerable, especially if they live on the ground floor.

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Student Gets Stoned - and Lost

Imagine you go to a party planning to have fun with friends and meet new ones. You're offered hallucinogenic mushrooms and decide to have some. After going through the bag of them, you're tripping so high that you wind up stealing cars and driving to the middle of nowhere until you are officially lost. This person then left the second stolen car and started hiking to a nearby house asking the neighbors to call 911. Yes, he got help but he also go busted.

]]> Imagine you go to a party planning to have fun with friends and meet new ones. You're offered hallucinogenic mushrooms and decide to have some. After going through the bag of them, you're tripping so high that you wind up stealing cars and driving to the middle of nowhere until you are officially lost. This person then left the car and started hiking to a nearby house asking the neighbors to call 911. Yes, he got help but he also go busted. He could not even remember what he had just done. His little journey lasted three days and 300 miles. None of his friends knew where he was. A simple way to prevent this from happening is to use the buddy system when you attend a party. Watch out for one another and understand the risks you take when trying party drugs.

The News Journal
Wilmington, DE
AP
July 11, 2004

Stoned Del. student gets lost in Conn.
A Delaware college student ate a bag of hallucinogenic mushrooms and drove around in a pair of stolen cars before arriving, confused, on a mountain in northwest Connecticut police said.

Paul Cunningham, 21, hiked to a nearby home Thursday night and asked to call 911, police said.

"I think I stole a car," Cunningham told a dispatcher. "I'm not sure."

Police said Cunningham, of Dover, Del., confessed that eating an entire bag of mushrooms, "probably wasn't a good idea." He allegedly told investigators that he had no idea how many laws he broke during a three-day excursion that took him 300 miles from home.

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Convicted campus peeping tom sent back to jail

This is a classic case of a repeat offender that is not deterred by minimal sentencing for his crimes. This man has been peeping on young women and girls in the local area in North Carolina near Duke University. He has been found guilty as a voyeur at a girl's changing room and also on campus at Duke. The University had banned him from returning to campus property for two years, but right after he was released from jail, he did return. Campus police claim he resisted arrest and so he was sentenced to another two months in jail.

]]> This is a classic case of a repeat offender that is not deterred by minimal sentencing for his crimes. This man has been peeping on young women and girls in the local area in North Carolina near Duke University. He has been found guilty as a voyeur at a girl's changing room and also on campus at Duke. The University had banned him from returning to campus property for two years, but right after he was released from jail, he did return. Campus police claim he resisted arrest and so he was sentenced to another two months in jail. Note that he was only sentenced to four months in jail for previous peeping tom violations. This is a another case of insufficient sentencing guidelines for these types of voyeuristic crimes. This case has been going on for over two years and what will happen in two months when this person is released from jail again?

Convicted Peeper Sentenced To Jail

September 3, 2003
WRAL TV
Raleigh, NC

Samuel Ferebee Sentenced For Resisting Arrest At Duke
Convicted peeper Samuel Ferebee will spend the next two months in jail. Ferebee was sentenced Tuesday for resisting arrest on Duke's campus.

Last spring, Ferebee was banned from the campus of Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.wral.com/news/2451293/detail.html">MORE >>

Roomate steals credit cards

Think you know your roommate? This person's roommate was on the Honor Council at campus at Mary Washington College. It turns out that same person stole her credit cards then went to the local mall and went on a shopping spree. Know your roomie and don't leave your ID's or credit cards lying around. Even if you trust your roomie, one day while you're out, your roomie may have people visiting who you don't know very well.

]]> Think you know your roommate? This person's roommate was on the Honor Council at campus at Mary Washington College. It turns out that same person stole her credit cards then went to the local mall and went on a shopping spree. Know your roomie and don't leave your ID's or credit cards lying around. Even if you trust your roomie, one day while you're out, your roomie may have people visiting who you don't know very well. ID theft can happen within seconds.

Ex-student leader guilty of stealing
Former MWC Honor Council officer takes plea bargain, admits taking
roommate's credit card.

By KELLY HANNON
Freelance Star
Fredericksgurg, VA
06/17/04

A former Mary Washington College Honor Council officer will spend her summer
in jail for stealing her roommate's credit card and making thousands of
dollars in purchases.

Christina K. Wimmel, 20, of Bethesda, Md., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor
charge of petty larceny yesterday in Fredericksburg Circuit Court. She was
immediately taken into custody.

As part of a plea agreement, she will serve three months in Rappahannock
Regional Jail and pay for the prosecution's court costs. Arrangements are in
the works to refund creditors and the roommate.

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