In the News - A Very Busy Week

Staph Infections Traced Back to Tattoos
After three people were sicked with the antibiotic-resistant strain of staph infection (MRSA), it was discovered that all three of them had received tattoos from a couple of unlicensed practitioners in Rutland, Vermont. Tattoo equipment was seized from the home of Michael and Tiffany Mills. No arrests have been made yet, but the investigation continues.

NY Tattoo Artist Arrested
April Haga (aka April Ink) was arrested for tattooing at least two minors at Ultimate Addiction in Adams Center. A call was made to police by the teens' mother after she discovered the illegal ink. I don't understand why so many tattooers continue to try to pull this stunt when the consequences are so not worth the few bucks they may get from tattooing a couple of kids.

School Denies 10-year-old With Nose Piercing
10 year-old Taya Buecker (Fort Huachuca, AZ) and her mother are fighting General Myer Elementary School for refusing to allow her entry with her new nose piercing. It appears that the school rules do not specifically forbid nose piercings, but the principal simply feels it is not age appropriate or safe. Taya's defense is that it was a gift from her dying mother - her mother, Melinda, agrees and said it was her desire to do "the cool mom thing" and grant her daughter this one wish. Melinda intends to fight the school "tooth and nail" to have her daughter's nose piercing allowed in school.

Teen's Grounding Could Be the Least of Her Worries
A Tampa, Florida teen is already regretting the tattoo she just got, which resulted in a 2-week grounding from her furious mother and possibly the arrest of the so-called "tattoo artist." 13 year-old Linzie Hinson got tattooed with a couple of friends in one of their homes by an unlicensed scratcher. The tattoo looks horrible and her mother is understandably worried about possible infection or disease as a result of the unsafe tattoo.

French Authorities Refuse to Allow Return of Maori Heads
French authorities have intercepted an attempt by the Normandy museum (Rouen, France) to return Maori shrunken heads to their proper owners in New Zealand. New Zealand has spent years searching for and requesting the return of the heads, which were dispersed across the globe when used as a barbaric form of payment for weapons and other items. Out of respect for their culture, the heads were to be returned to New Zealand until the Rouen court stepped in and determined that they are to remain in France.

Nebraska Tattoo Shop Owner Sentenced in Murder-For-Hire Plot
Ronald Coon, 48, was sentenced for attempting to hire someone to kill his estranged wife and boyfriend earlier this year. The former owner of Apple Ink Tattoos (which closed after his arrest) will serve at least another year in prison, a reduced sentence as a result of his defense of a distressed mental state.