RALEIGH, N.C. — The mother of a middle school basketball player has been charged with assault after smacking the coach who took her son out of a game.

The News & Observer reported Thursday that the woman was charged with assault on a government official after the Monday night incident.

Wake County schools spokesman Greg Thomas says the woman’s son was taken out of the game between Millbrook and East Wake middle schools. Thomas says the woman yelled at East Millbrook Coach Chris Kwolek and came from the stands and hit him on the back of his head.

A Las Vegas toddler was pulled from the jaws of an 18-foot-long, 300 lb snake.

“That was the only thing I was thinking was I need to try and save this kid’s life,” neighbor Marlo Vinson said. Vinson was the first neighbor in the apartment complex to try and help the toddler’s mother free him from the snake’s grasp.

“That’s when I saw the 3-year-old on his knees with the snake constricted around him,” Metro’s Sergeant Steve Custer explained. “I’ve been a police officer for 36 years and I’ve never seen anything like this ever.”

Fortunately, the kid survived.
Unfortunately, the snake didn’t.
Fortunately, the parents may be facing child endangerment charges.

Via Pharyngula

The parents of a 13-year-old who died when he was left tied to a tree are expected in an Edgecombe County court on murder and felony child abuse charges.

Brice McMillan told a deputy that he and his wife, Sandra, left Tyler McMillan tied to a tree and forced him to sleep outside on June 10 because he was being disobedient. Tyler McMillan was released the next morning, but again tied up that night for bad behavior.

Authorities said the boy’s stepmother found him unresponsive the following afternoon.

An autopsy report says the boy’s body temperature was 105.6 degrees when he arrived at the hospital, his body was full of insect bites and he likely died from dehydration, heat stroke or a combination of both.