CSI door open for Helgenberger

Marg Helgenberger has revealed the door will be left open for her on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The 53-year-old is set to hang up her lab coat after 11 years as Catherine Willows on the long-running crime drama.

"Yes. It's nice to know because it has been such a big part of not only my career but my life; a fifth of my life. I adore everyone I work with. It's been a home away from my home; my family," she said.

Marg - who will be replaced by Elisabeth Shue - has been one of the longest serving members alongside George Eads (Nick Stokes) and Paul Guilfoyle (Captain Jim Brass) since the show debuted in 2000.

"I have a lot of feelings about it, but ultimately I'm ready, excited," she admitted.

"Especially after yesterday; I worked a 14-hour day, which went some way toward solidifying my decision! For a better way of putting it, they are getting their money's worth out of me."

The mother-of-one is looking forward to taking a break, adding: "I've already booked a beach house on the island of Kauai. I've booked a couple of weeks because I will be wrapping up my run on the show on December 7, so I'm looking forward to that and not doing a whole lot."

:: The full original series of CSI premieres on CBS Drama from December 12 at 9pm. For more information, visit www.cbsdrama.co.uk.

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Crime dips again in Brant County

PARIS – Crime dipped again in Brant County in October, according to an OPP statistical report.

The report, presented to the county's police services board, reports that officers of the Brant detachment laid 539 criminal and Provincial Offences Act charges that month – down 6.3% from the same month in October 2010.

Year-to-date charges were also down 9.2%, as police laid 6,360 charges between January and October.

There were 67 Criminal Code charges in October – down 16.3% over the same month last year. But total criminal charges between January and October were still running 9.6% higher than the same period last year, at 742.

OPP also reported a dip in most areas of crime in its September report.

Here's a look at the criminal charges and cases investigated by category in October and the same month last year:

– Assaults – seven, down 61.1%;

– Break-ins – 13, down 13.3%;

– Mischief – 25, down 13.8%;

– Drug offences – five, down 75%;

– Impaired Driving – five, no change;

– Stolen vehicles – six, down 33.3%;

– Recovered stolen vehicles – nine, no change;

– Theft under $5,000 investigations – 18, down 14.3%;

– Disturb the peace calls – seven, up 133.3%.

Provincial offences charges and Highway Traffic Act tickets issued in October:

– Speeding – 281 tickets, down 11.4%;

– Moving violations – 59, up 59%

– Suspended driving – nine, up 33.3%;

– Seatbelt charges – 51, up 538%;

– Distracted driving – seven, no change;

– Liquor Licence Act violations – 11, down 26.7%.

mamarion@theexpositor.com

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North Shore Book Notes: 'Dead Calm'

‘Dead Calm: Best New England Crime Stories’ Edited by Mark Ammons, Katherine Fast, Barbara Ross and Leslie Wheeler. Level Best Books, Somerville MA, 2011. 288 pages. $15.95.

This year’s Level Best anthology of short crime fiction set in New England provides irrefutable evidence that great and entertaining writing is alive and well — at least in New England. There’s death by a shove down the basement stairs. Death by ingesting insecticide. Death by the rear tires of the farm truck. But there’s no lack of life in the writing.

In this ninth offering — a new anthology is published every fall — you see how quirky and clever New England-wrought characters can be in the hands of able writers. Go west for adventure but you are well advised to go northeast for zany crime. Among my favorites in this collection is Adam Renn Olenn’s “Coronation,” which takes place in a cabin somewhere outside of Bangor, Maine. Somehow Albert scores an interview with someone named Stephen, the “king” of macabre fiction, and in the middle of a very believable discussion about writing, Albert finds out why Stephen stayed put in rural Maine despite his massive success. It’s a masterful bit of right-on parody and storytelling by a music composer living near Boston who has never published before.

I particularly enjoy the lack of pretense and the sense of fun the authors display in these stories. What a lively bunch. Their mystery writer conferences must be memorable events; not to mention, there are a lot of them.

“Nameless” by Cheryl Marceau of Arlington, Mass., is one of the more serious pieces. A woman is fleeing from some unnamed danger. She has almost no money and no plan. She wipes out every trace of herself, even clipping tags out of her clothing and burying her credits cards. Then she takes off on a series of bus rides. Alternating with her story is the story of two detectives called to the scene of a suspicious death in a seedy motel.

One of the anthology’s editors, Barbara Ross, writes a funny piece about an aggrieved wife who gets even. “In the Rip” is full of little surprises, which is not easy in a short story, and ends with a big laugh. Sometimes you root for the wrong side, and it’s so in this story.

Pat Remick, journalist and author, manages to do a lot of clever writing in a short time. “The Lesson” is about a schoolteacher who isn’t all he seems. He may be a great teacher and a likable guy, but he also pores over dating websites for gorgeous dates. Those he finds inferior, he stands up and adds to his “loser list.” When he starts receiving letters in the mail every day with nothing more than a black dot on white paper, when his principal starts getting porn in the mail seemingly sent by Richard Springfield, and when people start getting killed, Richard begins to look guilty. This little story is fast-paced, not easily solved, full of twists and nicely tied up at the end.

The one exception here is the first story in the collection, traditionally the winner of the Al Blanchard Award for mystery fiction. Level Best publishes the winner each year, but this year the winning story does not evince the same quality of writing and plotting as the company it keeps. Al Blanchard was the president of the New England Chapter of Mystery writers of America and co-founder of New England Crime Bake.

“Dead Calm” is a worthy and delightful regional effort that deserves national attention. Maybe this is Level Best’s lucky year.

Rae Padilla Francoeur’s memoir, “Free Fall: A Late-in-Life Love Affair,” is available online or in bookstores. Write her at rae.francoeur@verizon.net. Or read her blog at http://www.freefallrae.blogspot.com/.

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Top South African prosecutor ousted

The head of South Africa's prosecution service, who accused British businessman Shrien Dewani of committing a "heinous" crime, has been removed from office, according to documents from the country's Supreme Court.

Menzi Simelane, national head of the prosecution service, appeared to have pre-judged the honeymoon murder-accused in a television interview in February.

During the interview on South African television, he told SABC3: "This is a pure criminal matter of somebody who murdered his wife whilst he should be celebrating his honeymoon. The facts here are that the accused that is sought to be extradited came to the country and committed what is a very heinous crime."

The comments prompted Mr Dewani's publicist Max Clifford to say it was "absolutely frightening" that Menzi Simelane appeared to have pre-judged the case.

The development followed criticism of South Africa's national police commissioner Bheki Cele, who described Dewani as a "monkey". He has since been suspended amid allegations of corruption.

Dewani is currently appealing against an order that he can be extradited to South Africa over the alleged contract murder of his new wife, Anni, 28, on their honeymoon in Cape Town last November. The High Court challenge will take place in London on December 13 and 14.

The South African Supreme Court ruled Menzi Simelane is to be removed from office, saying the decision of president Jacob Zuma to appoint him was invalid and "inconsistent with the constitution".

The judgment followed a case brought by South African political party the Democratic Alliance, which claimed Simelane was not a "fit and proper person" to hold the position.

Dewani family lawyer Charlotte Harris said: "The South African police have refused to interview Shrien Dewani regarding any allegations, preferring instead to extradite him. Mr Dewani remains committed to clearing his name when he is fit and well enough to do so and when his personal safety can be guaranteed."

Mrs Dewani, 28, from Sweden, was shot when a taxi the couple were travelling in was hijacked in the Gugulethu township on the outskirts of Cape Town on November 13. Taxi driver Zola Tongo, who has admitted his part in the crime, claimed in a plea agreement with prosecutors that Dewani ordered the carjacking and paid for a hit on his wife.

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Book Notes: 'Dead Calm: Best New England Crime Stories’

‘Dead Calm: Best New England Crime Stories’ Edited by Mark Ammons, Katherine Fast, Barbara Ross and Leslie Wheeler. Level Best Books, Somerville MA, 2011. 288 pages. $15.95.

This year’s Level Best anthology of short crime fiction set in New England provides irrefutable evidence that great and entertaining writing is alive and well — at least in New England. There’s death by a shove down the basement stairs. Death by ingesting insecticide. Death by the rear tires of the farm truck. But there’s no lack of life in the writing.

In this ninth offering — a new anthology is published every fall — you see how quirky and clever New England-wrought characters can be in the hands of able writers. Go west for adventure but you are well advised to go northeast for zany crime. Among my favorites in this collection is Adam Renn Olenn’s “Coronation,” which takes place in a cabin somewhere outside of Bangor, Maine. Somehow Albert scores an interview with someone named Stephen, the “king” of macabre fiction, and in the middle of a very believable discussion about writing, Albert finds out why Stephen stayed put in rural Maine despite his massive success. It’s a masterful bit of right-on parody and storytelling by a music composer living near Boston who has never published before.

I particularly enjoy the lack of pretense and the sense of fun the authors display in these stories. What a lively bunch. Their mystery writer conferences must be memorable events; not to mention, there are a lot of them.

“Nameless” by Cheryl Marceau of Arlington, Mass., is one of the more serious pieces. A woman is fleeing from some unnamed danger. She has almost no money and no plan. She wipes out every trace of herself, even clipping tags out of her clothing and burying her credits cards. Then she takes off on a series of bus rides. Alternating with her story is the story of two detectives called to the scene of a suspicious death in a seedy motel.

One of the anthology’s editors, Barbara Ross, writes a funny piece about an aggrieved wife who gets even. “In the Rip” is full of little surprises, which is not easy in a short story, and ends with a big laugh. Sometimes you root for the wrong side, and it’s so in this story.

Pat Remick, journalist and author, manages to do a lot of clever writing in a short time. “The Lesson” is about a schoolteacher who isn’t all he seems. He may be a great teacher and a likable guy, but he also pores over dating websites for gorgeous dates. Those he finds inferior, he stands up and adds to his “loser list.” When he starts receiving letters in the mail every day with nothing more than a black dot on white paper, when his principal starts getting porn in the mail seemingly sent by Richard Springfield, and when people start getting killed, Richard begins to look guilty. This little story is fast-paced, not easily solved, full of twists and nicely tied up at the end.

The one exception here is the first story in the collection, traditionally the winner of the Al Blanchard Award for mystery fiction. Level Best publishes the winner each year, but this year the winning story does not evince the same quality of writing and plotting as the company it keeps. Al Blanchard was the president of the New England Chapter of Mystery writers of America and co-founder of New England Crime Bake.

“Dead Calm” is a worthy and delightful regional effort that deserves national attention. Maybe this is Level Best’s lucky year.

Rae Padilla Francoeur’s memoir, “Free Fall: A Late-in-Life Love Affair,” is available online or in bookstores. Write her at rae.francoeur@verizon.net. Or read her blog at http://www.freefallrae.blogspot.com/.

View the original article here

Related Stories

A ZERO tolerance zone for anti-social behaviour has been credited for cutting crime.

Offences within Colwyn Bay area have fallen by more than a quarter compared to last year’s levels.

Insp Ian Verburg, responsible for policing the West Conwy Coastal Area, told Colwyn Bay Town Council that police had seen a drop in crime throughout nearly every ward in the town.

He said the dispersal zone, covering Abergele Road and nearby key streets and due to run until January, was “working really well” and had contributed to a fall in crime.

Areas which saw the greatest drop in crime were the Rhiw and Glyn wards, which saw decreases in crime by 21 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

Llandulas was the only area to see an increase in crime, up 20 per cent on last year’s figures.

Insp Verburg also spoke about restructuring within the force which will see many smaller police stations closing, including the station next door to the Town Hall on Rhiw Road.

Ins Verburg admitted that the station had a “use-by-date”, but the location of the force in the town would need to change given the shifting number of officers and their relocation to new “hubs” throughout the West Conwy Coastal Area
He said: “We don’t want to move from here, but it’s about finding a suitable location to have that many officers.”

Cllr Hazel Meredith raised concerns that shifting the hub for officers could see a drop in police volume in the town, as it would stop officers from having to drive through the town to reach their offices.

She said: “I think it does increase your confidence if you see a car coming through, as you hardly ever see a police officer walking these days.”

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Knife crime figures show 16% drop

The number of people cautioned or sentenced for carrying a knife or offensive weapon has fallen by 16% since 2009, new Government figures have revealed.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said 5,466 offenders were caught between July and September this year, dropping from a figure of 6,490 during the same period in 2009.

According to the MoJ, the fall was more marked for juveniles, where the decrease was 28% (1,253 to 904), than for adult offenders, where the decrease was 13% (5,237 to 4,561).

The statistics also showed that just over a fifth (21%) of those convicted of possessing a knife or offensive weapon between July and September this year were were jailed - the lowest figure since the second quarter of 2008.

Since May 2008 tougher sentences have been introduced for offences involving the possession of a knife.

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