Tales from the SOUTH Side...

Yeah, it's been kinda busy around these parts, so it must be time for another installment of what's happening down in the crotch of Fort Wayne.
But first, let's look at the weather (...parts curtains and peers out)..looks like we still got us some.
Seriously, if you like FALL weather, today will fit the bill. Temps will top out in the mid-to-upper 50s and the sun looks to be rising nicely along the horizon, so no precipitation to speak of.
I do know it's getting close to "furnace weather", because we dropped down to 62 degrees inside last night at the "Fortress", so those of you with houses make sure to check the filter, and get a "tuneup" for that fiery beast in your basement.
With that over with, we now return you to your regularly-scheduled ghettohood...
*** The Vietnam Vet that "popped a cap" into that would-be burglar doesn't appear as if he will be charged with a crime, and YES, the death of the perp makes a total of THIRTY FIVE HOMICIDES in County Allen (and Ft. Wayne).
Here's the lowdown on that showdown:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131008/LOCAL03/310089976

Ricardo M. Hood, 33 is the recently-deceased, and had a long criminal record with trips to the HOPE program (that obviously did little good ). It;s like that (other) re-entry court gig we had some years back...the RECIDIVISM rate (imho) doesn't justify the continuation of such programs, when it places the general populace at risk...does it?
Hood had his probation revoked twice due to his chronic disregard for a program that was designed to help hi.
Oh well...you "get what you pay for" I suppose...and I'd pay to have that vet in MY neighborhood.
I hope he's got a backup gun, because whatever he used had to have been taken into evidence, pending the conclusion of the investigation of the shooting.
Moving onward...
*** A Wayne High School administrative assistant  has been busted for drug charges.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131008/LOCAL07/310089925/1002/LOCAL

Marcus Lamar Falkner, 27, of the 4300 block of South park Drive (yes, he's black) faces charges related to synthetic pot, crack cocaine paraphernalia, as well as paraphernalia concerning the manufacturing of methamphetamine. Guess the FWCS isn't vetting it's admins AS WELL as they COULD be...or this guy just caught a bad case of the STUPIDS...maybe a little of both.
Falkner stated his "roomates" used the meth, and planned to kick them out of the house, but he admitted to smoking the "spice".
Okay, so how many bad choices (made) can YOU find in this theater of the absurd?
Yep, definitely a south side problem.
*** Next up, a police pursuit (last evening)  that results in a car crashing into a couple utility poles AND a house porch.

Here's THAT story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131008/LOCAL07/310089967/1002/LOCAL
This happened around 2130 hrs and ended at a house near the intersection of Holton and Derxel (deep in the ghettohood), because porches do not move out of the way of fleeing vehicles (very well).
That's a damn shame, too...that USED to be a nice CAMARO...lol.

Police attempted to make a signal 30T/S (traffic stop) at Holton near Pontiac, but the vehicle drove off, crashing into a utility pole, cutting it in half, and finally resting in the porch of a vacant house. And just as icing on the cake, the porch COLLAPSED onto the car...sounds like something you'd see in some comedy or cartoon. But, THAT is what infests this part of town, right, Rusty?
Unfortunately, these two people in the car were NOT killed...just busted up a bit. Firefighters had to extricated one of them before they could transport him to hospital.
I will say that's ONE method you could use to raze all these vacant houses, considering the city is not all concerned with doing it themselves:
It comes down to these:
1) razing them all (on their list) as the city SHOULD dbe doing.
2) fixing them up for GOOD tenant or owners to move into

But, if we could take the BOOMcars and ram THEM into houses slated for demolition...wow, TWO birds with ONE stone time, folks!
Now THAT would be a plan I would heartily support!
*** Okay, so what is it with teens that makes them feel entitled to someone else's stuff, anyway?
Here's a story that speaks to this fact:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131008/LOCAL07/310089928/1002/LOCAL
ARMED teens...stealing stuff...now who would have thought THAT?

This happened in the 2000 block of carterton Drive as kids were waiting for the school bus back on Friday.
Jerome Kendall-Lamarr Davis (sounds like a ginger Brit to me...lol) brandished a semi-auto handgun and another teen with him pulled out a pellet gun and took a 13-year old's SCHOOL-ISSUED IPAD...((...ahem...))
FWPD were quickly called and after a brief foot chase, apprehended Davis and his "posse of one".
Both face charges of aiding in armed robbery and attempted armed robbery.
And why wasn't that 17-year old partner to Davis IN SCHOOL anyway?
Sure makes 'ya wonder...doesn't it?
*** And just for good measure, we'll toss in THIS story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131008/LOCAL07/310089926/1002/LOCAL
A Dollar General store clerk was both ROBBED and then BEATEN by an ARMED robber.

This happened yesterday around 1500 hrs at the D/G located at 1915 E. Tillman, deep in the heart of the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE of the Summit City.
Now how COULD that happen?
The robber made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and remains at-large.
The store employee apparently did not require medical treatment at hospital.
*** Lastly today...you can easily see the challenges decent people face down here on the south side of this city, and, to be quite honest, we should not HAVE to.
Our tax money SHOULD be making things SAFER not just for us, but for every damn person living here.
Such doesn't seem to be the case, however.

For some ODD reason, we seem beset with parts of what alleges to be a "community" that is in, and of itself fractured like a Faberge egg someone tossed off the Empire State Building.
They just don't seem to want to admit to it.
(must be a "cultural thang"?)
Well, that "culture" is harming a lot of people, not to mention businesses.
That Vietnam vet's got the right idea...but that's not for everyone.
We, as citizens of this city EXPECT something for all the money we're handing over TO the city, but the only bang for the buck seems to emanate from the barrel of some illegally obtained firearm, brandished by a minority thug.

Let's stop flushing OUR money down the crapper, hmm?
Normal people should not have to endure such crime, and should never be forced out of their house or neighborhood JUST because the city can't get a good handle ON that crime. That's on the police chief to make good on that issue.
Perhaps some day (soon, hopefully) things WILL change....but it's not gonna happen TODAY, that's for sure.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.