Free Republic

RALEIGH -- The State Bureau of Investigation has been asked to review allegations that employees at a state mental hospital in Butner used a cell phone to take nude photos of at least one patient. Two health care technicians from Central Regional Hospital are on paid leave while the investigation proceeds, Renee McCoy, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services, said Monday. The employees, whose names were not released, were sent home after a cell phone provided by hospital administrators Wednesday was found to contain a picture of a partially nude male, according to an incident report...

BISBEE — A recent court decision that held the Border Patrol liable for occupying private property in California might be applied to lands in other places near the U.S.-Mexico border, including Cochise County. Otay Mesa Property LP, Rancho Vista Del Mar and Otay International LLC filed a lawsuit in March 2006 seeking compensation for the use of 750 acres of valuable development land in San Diego County. Without permission from landowners, the Border Patrol buried numerous sensors, and then entered the property when the sensors indicated movement of potential illegal immigrants. On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims held...

330 HONDURANS DEPORTED FROM EL PASO LAST WEEK The new Southwest Border Initiative aims to quickly return illegal aliens to their home countries ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers here last week deported 330 illegal aliens from Honduras under a new program called the Secure Border Initiative (SBI). ICE officers in Albuquerque coordinated deporting 110 Hondurans each day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week. The Secure Border Initiative is a two-month-old program recently announced by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. One aspect of SBI allows ICE to quickly remove “other than Mexican” (OTM) illegal...

Commissioner accuses county manager of sweetheart home deal By PETER J. HOVANEC -- MONROE (March 19, 2005) The latest bout in the ongoing dispute between Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing and county manager Mike Shalati came to a head Monday night when Shalati defended himself, yet again, against a number of allegations. Shalati took the podium near the end of Monday's meeting to respond to allegations of impropriety, which Rushing sent to various investigative organizations, as well as numerous county residents. While Shalati contends that he had to defend his professional reputation, Rushing said he just wants the truth to...

NEW YORK - This morning, John Kerry used New York City as the launching pad for his latest rounds of attack on President Bush and urged the GOP to abandon the negative attacks of "fear and smear" and to return to the debate on issues. However, it is clear from a reported phone call that Kerry participated in Sunday evening that Kerry sees that the discontentment of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as fundamentally non-related to the Bush campaign. Kerry reportedly placed a call to Robert Brant (Ret.) Commander, United States Navy. Brant had skippered boats #96 and #36...