On or about the same time there was an enormous amount of coverage about memorials for the Boston Bombings and another bomb scare at the finish line that turned out to be false there was a more dramatic bomb scare at a Kemah Texas Walmart and Target store where there was a five hour lock down and customers were prevented from leaving the store. As far as I can tell, this received little or no national coverage; although it must have been covered extensively in Texas.
If the media was inclined to cover it as much as they covered the postal shootings they could have pointed out that Wal-Mart ahs an enormous number of bomb threats although the vast majority of them are false and much less dramatic than this one. They could have also pointed out the fact that there have been very few actual bombs despite all the scares and that most of the exceptions were just “Soda pop Bombs” which aren’t very powerful and the greatest potential threat from them might be to scare people or cause a heart attack. Some of the more serious ones caused injuries and thousands of dollars in damage, but no deaths, that I know of, as I explained in Who is threatening to bomb Wal-Mart and why?
If the media was inclined to report on the large number of shootings at Wal-Mart then they could have let the public know that there are much more at Wal-Mart than there are at post offices as the misleading phrase “Going Postal seems to imply. According to Wal-Mart Shootings there were at least 81 shootings, 24 deaths, and 40 injuries as a result of the shootings on their List of 2013 Walmart Shooting Incidents which doesn’t count other gun related incidents or fights etc. According to Wikipedia’s article, “Going Postal” “Researchers have found that the homicide rates at postal facilities were lower than at other workplaces. In major industries, the highest rate of 2.1 homicides per 100,000 workers was in retail. The next highest rate of 1.66 was in public administration, which includes police officers. The homicide rate for postal workers was 1.48 per 100,000.”
If this was covered better then it would be much clearer where the greater danger is and people would be much more inclined to take a close look at them and try to figure out what the causes of many of these incidents are and how to prevent them. They did provide some national coverage for one of the most recent bomb scares which involved a former inmate that was buying his products from an undercover FBI agent who was arrested without any danger to the public but even that was quickly forgotten and most of the other bomb scares and numerous shootings didn’t receive much if any national coverage this month, except at the local level as "isolated incidents," in many cases.
One of the more dramatic bomb threats this month led to a strange drama that has more to do with North Carolina politics than Wal-Mart where the sheriff claimed the suspect implicated his primary opponent but the DA claims there is no plausible evidence to support this claim although he also claims that the sheriffs handling of the situation wasn’t illegal.
Some of the shooting incidents this month include one where a three year old was shot by a stray bullet, another where an off duty police officer shot an unarmed felon that he recognized as being wanted, although he wasn’t involved in a crime at the time. Another incident involves an injured police officer and drug dealer.
There was also at least one arson which is much more common than actual bombs although not nearly as common as the threats; there is usually at least one per month.
Wal-Mart faced two significant public relations and safety problems including one where a customer found a bunch of dead fish in the tanks and was concerned about how she would explain them to her kids. When she took photos of them and asked the management about them he said he didn’t know what happened but told her that she had to either delete the photos or leave. The other involved a customer that saw a child throw a fishing spear and almost hit his sister that wasn’t properly secured and the workers told her they wouldn’t address the problem unless the law required it, or in this case if she went to the media, which she did.
As usual there are shoplifters including many that get caught stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise that most of us wouldn’t even think we might have a chance of stealing but some people do it again and again. There may have been at least one other false accusation, though; a customer is suing them for illegally detaining them and false accusations.
And a Florida man chased jailed and injured charged with a felony after allegedly stealing 58-cent Walmart doughnut.
I have no idea how much money the people of Florida think their government should spend to retrieve one donut for Wal-Mart and prosecute the thief.
I don’t want to eat that donut.
Strange things happen at Wal-Mart!
In 2006 Wake Up Wal-Mart did a study, "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" based on incidents in 2004, (PDF) about crime at Wal-Mart which showed that it increased when Wal-Marts opened up and that crime was higher at Wal-Mart than at other retailers. Since then Wal-Mart Shootings began compiling a list of gun related incidents at Wal-Mart and demonstrated that they have a large number of them, including on average more than one shooting per week somewhere in the country. In January of 2014 another study, "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" provided additional statistical research indicating that Wal-Mart might be contributing to higher crime rates or at least a slowing of the decline in crime. The study found that. “on average, communities with Walmarts had 17 more property crimes and two more violent crimes per 10,000 people than those communities without Walmarts.” I reviewed this more in Wal-Mart’s crime problem, Rolling Back Safety more than prices? where I explained that although this study is helpful they could have done better with additional data that is available and I reviewed some of that. I also added my own review about why I think that Wal-Mart policies have been contributing to higher crime in a previous blog, Wal-Mart high crime rate continues uninvestigaterd and have provided additional information under the author tag Walmart Crime Watch.
Stacy Mitchell has also compiled a list of other studies about Wal-Mart and how they impact society, Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business. To the best of my knowledge Wal-Mart has done as little as they seem to get away with, often relying on rhetoric that isn't backed up with action, when it comes to addressing any of their critics concerns, including crime. The following are a list of incidents that occurred in April 2014. According to the "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" the average store in their sampling had 250 incidents per year, indicating that these are only a fraction of the crime reports at Wal-Mart, and presumably, the ones most likely to make the news on the internet nationwide. This isn't statistically representative, as the 2006 or the "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" study or some of the studies cited by Stacy Mitchell; but it does provide some additional information that may help recognize how many problems there are at Wal-Mart.
Shoplifting Suspect Nabbed At Monroe Mich. Walmart 04/01/2014
Exxon to Wal-Mart Flying G650 Turn Jet Into Status Symbol 04/01/2014
Car crashes into Kennett Missouri Walmart, driver facing charges 04/01/2014
Bemidji man gets jail time for soliciting prostitution at Minn. Wal-Mart
BEMIDJI, Minn. - A Bemidji man was sentenced Monday to jail time for soliciting prostitution at a Wal-Mart store.
Derek Barnes, 22, was sentenced in Beltrami County District Court to three consecutive one-year terms in the Beltrami County Jail on two counts of soliciting prostitution in a public place and one count of third-degree DWI.
On Jan. 21, Barnes approached two female Wal-Mart employees and offered money for sexual acts. He fled the store and was apprehended after driving his car into a ditch.
Judge Paul Benshoof stayed all but 105 days of Barnes’ first yearlong sentence for soliciting for two years. All of the second yearlong sentence has been stayed for two years, and the yearlong term for DWI was stayed for six years. Complete article
Bemidji man arrested for soliciting prostitution 01/30/2014
BEMIDJI, Minn. - A Bemidji man was sentenced Monday to jail time for soliciting prostitution at a Wal-Mart store.
Derek Barnes, 22, was sentenced in Beltrami County District Court to three consecutive one-year terms in the Beltrami County Jail on two counts of soliciting prostitution in a public place and one count of third-degree DWI.
On Jan. 21, Barnes approached two female Wal-Mart employees and offered money for sexual acts. He fled the store and was apprehended after driving his car into a ditch.
Judge Paul Benshoof stayed all but 105 days of Barnes’ first yearlong sentence for soliciting for two years. All of the second yearlong sentence has been stayed for two years, and the yearlong term for DWI was stayed for six years. Complete article
Bemidji man arrested for soliciting prostitution 01/30/2014
Test of Walmart’s ‘Savings Catcher’ an eye-opener 04/01/2014
Alleged shoplifter accused of smearing feces on Or. Walmart security: Northwest Courts roundup 04/01/2014
Seven charged with recent shoplifting offenses at Ga. Walmart 04/01/2014
Deputies: Man steals tent from Spring Hill Fla. Walmart, hides in Denny’s 04/01/2014 “How long am I going away for this time?”
Men accused of trying to use stolen credit cards at Tenn. Walmart 04/01/2014
The Truth Behind Walmart's Green Claims by Stacy Mitchell 04/01/2014
Wal-Mart Guns, Music Sales Attacked in Church’s Lawsuit 04/01/2014
Sherwood Walmart challenge dismissed by Oregon Court of Appeals 04/02/2014
Report: Typewriter sparks bomb scare at NC Wal-Mart 04/02/2014
Last suspect in $160,000 NC Walmart fraud case arrested 04/02/2014
Henrico man charged in Chesterfield Va. Walmart bomb threats 04/03/2014
CHESTERFIELD Chesterfield County police have arrested a man on charges that he threatened to bomb a Walmart store.
Adarius J. Faulcon, 22, of the 6900 block of Bolelyn Drive in Henrico County, was being held Thursday at Riverside Regional Jail after being arrested Tuesday on two counts of threatening to bomb or damage a building.
Police said Faulcon twice threatened to set off a bomb at the Walmart at 12000 Iron Bridge Plaza on March 27 and again on Sunday. The store was evacuated both times, and nothing suspicious was found either time.
Chesterfield police Lt. Steve Grohowski said Faulcon was a former employee at that store but hadn’t worked there since June. He still had contacts at the store and the bomb threats apparently were related to an argument he had with one of those contacts, but not at the Walmart. Complete article
CHESTERFIELD Chesterfield County police have arrested a man on charges that he threatened to bomb a Walmart store.
Adarius J. Faulcon, 22, of the 6900 block of Bolelyn Drive in Henrico County, was being held Thursday at Riverside Regional Jail after being arrested Tuesday on two counts of threatening to bomb or damage a building.
Police said Faulcon twice threatened to set off a bomb at the Walmart at 12000 Iron Bridge Plaza on March 27 and again on Sunday. The store was evacuated both times, and nothing suspicious was found either time.
Chesterfield police Lt. Steve Grohowski said Faulcon was a former employee at that store but hadn’t worked there since June. He still had contacts at the store and the bomb threats apparently were related to an argument he had with one of those contacts, but not at the Walmart. Complete article
Teen Charged With Setting 2 Fires In Minn. Walmart To Mask Shoplifting 04/03/2014
Miss. Football Player Arrested For Indecent Exposure at Wal-Mart 04/03/2014
Police, Federal Agents Shoot 2 Outside Fairfield Ca. Walmart 04/03/2014
Washington State Courthouse bomb-threat charges result from Wal-Mart surveillance footage of cellphone purchase 04/03/2014
Bomb threat at Mooresville NC Walmart leads to evacuation 04/04/2014
Suspects Shot By Officers Near Fairfield Ca. Walmart Identified 04/04/2014
Police seek east side Tuscon Ariz. Walmart robbery suspects 04/04/2014
Food stamps: Government won't reveal how much money Wal-Mart, other stores receive 04/04/2014
Police warn of couple scamming jewelry, cash at Fla. Walmart, bank parking lots 04/04/2014
Dispute about feeding cats living near Fla. Walmart 04/0/2014
NH Walmart shoplifter arrested 04/04/2014
Under pressure, Walmart upgrades its policy for helping pregnant workers 04/05/2014
Wal-Mart Swears Its New Pregnancy Policy Has Nothing to Do With Outside Pressure 04/07/2014
Ohio Walmart shut down after smell of gas 04/05/2014
Cops: Woman with toddler using fake checks at N.J. Walmart stores 04/04/2014
Food Stamps Don't Keep Walmart's Prices Low, They Keep Its Profits High 04/07/2014
Kansas man arrested for stabbing employee in Garden City Kan. Walmart 04/06/2014
Justin Bieber Wreaks Havoc At Hometown Walmart 04/06/2014
Bill Maher rips Walmart: ‘How about giving your employees a raise, you deluded nitwit?’ 04/05/2014
Wallet, passport stolen from Walmart in Alpharetta Ga. 04/06/2014
Shoplifting arrests reported at Walmart in Raritan Township NJ 04/05/2014
Man arrested in attempted carjacking outside Wichita Kan. Walmart 04/05/2014
POLICE BEAT: Woman facing DUI charges boosts whiskey from Ariz. Walmart 04/03/2014
Video: Brazen thieves leave Palm Harbor Fla. Walmart with cart full of goods 04/04/2014
Martinsburg man charged with stealing fishing tackle from Spring Mills WV Walmart 04/04/2014
Letter: SD Walmart is only concern of lobbying group 04/02/2014
2 men arrested after altercation at Kapolei Hawaii Walmart lot 04/04/2014
Man charged with stealing four TVs from Walmart in Whitehall Pa. 04/02/2014
Investigators looking for man who robbed Lincoln Co. NC Walmart 04/07/2014
Suspects in Ariz. Walmart armed robbery, in January identified, arrested 04/07/2014
Lightning strikes transformer, starts fire, closes Ohio Walmart 04/07/2014
Employees chase purse snatcher through Athens Ala. Wal-Mart, corner him until police arrive, chief says 04/07/2014
Concerns after dead fish found floating in tanks at Kansas City Missouri Walmart 04/07/2014
OLATHE, KS (KCTV) - A mother raised some concerns after a recent trip to an Olathe Walmart showed tanks full of dead fish.
Angela Roberts said she always comes to the Walmart off of Kansas Route 7 and Santa Fe Street so her little boy can look at the fish. But what she saw Sunday night has her concerned for the fish and for other parents and kids who may see what they saw.
"We went last night, D.J. and I went together," she said.
The mother said her husband was bowling so she and 2-year-old D.J. went to Walmart to look at the fish.
"[The fish were] floating in the water and stuck in the filters in all the different tanks. He [my son] just kept asking, ‘Fish? Fish?'" Roberts said. "I tried to just avoid the question, what was going and I pulled him away, we got out of there."
She was shocked with the tanks littered with tons of floating fish carcasses. Roberts went back after her husband was done bowling to get pictures and report all the dead fish to a manager.
"[I asked], ‘What is this? What is going on here?' And he was like, ‘I don't know and you're going to have to delete those pictures or you're going to have to leave,'" she said. "It was gross, it was nasty." Complete article
OLATHE, KS (KCTV) - A mother raised some concerns after a recent trip to an Olathe Walmart showed tanks full of dead fish.
Angela Roberts said she always comes to the Walmart off of Kansas Route 7 and Santa Fe Street so her little boy can look at the fish. But what she saw Sunday night has her concerned for the fish and for other parents and kids who may see what they saw.
"We went last night, D.J. and I went together," she said.
The mother said her husband was bowling so she and 2-year-old D.J. went to Walmart to look at the fish.
"[The fish were] floating in the water and stuck in the filters in all the different tanks. He [my son] just kept asking, ‘Fish? Fish?'" Roberts said. "I tried to just avoid the question, what was going and I pulled him away, we got out of there."
She was shocked with the tanks littered with tons of floating fish carcasses. Roberts went back after her husband was done bowling to get pictures and report all the dead fish to a manager.
"[I asked], ‘What is this? What is going on here?' And he was like, ‘I don't know and you're going to have to delete those pictures or you're going to have to leave,'" she said. "It was gross, it was nasty." Complete article
Wal-Mart plans 50 more India wholesale outlets, e-commerce launch 04/08/2014
Two suspects arrested in thefts of rifles from Tenn. Walmart 04/08/2014
Illegal Stop in Kimball Tenn. Walmart Parking Lot? 04/08/2014
Grandma brutally beaten at Ohio Walmart 04/08/2014
Bold shoplifter takes apart Ok. Wal-Mart display case 04/08/2014
Knife-Wielding Suspect Kidnaps, Sexually Assaults Woman He Approached At Ca. Walmart Parking Lot 04/08/2014
NLRB complains Mich. Walmart Black Friday protesters broke rules, went too far 04/09/2014
Blountville woman faces theft charges after shoplifting items from Tenn. Walmart 04/09/2014
Do you know this woman? Police say she keyed car in Pa. Walmart lot 04/09/2014
Woman found dead had been with man at Fla. Walmart, officials say 04/10/2014
Bankrupt company claims Fifth Third is blocking sale to Wal-Mart 04/10/2014
Activists to protest outside Hadley Ma. Wal-Mart after employee who called for better working conditions allegedly gets fired 04/10/2014
Report: N.C. man to spend a month in jail after sucking woman's toes in a Walmart 04/10/2014
Four Wanted in Fla. WalMart Thefts 04/11/2014
Getting Walmart Workers Off Food Stamps Would Cost Customers Barely Anything 04/09/2014
Walmart wants to sell cheaper organic food. Is that good or bad? (+video) 04/10/2014
Huang's tale: from Walmart cashier to labor leader in China 04/07/2014
(Reuters) - Huang Xingguo took a job as a cashier at a new Walmart store in his hometown in southern China for a steady paycheck and the prospect of upward mobility after a string of sales jobs and a run as a day trader.
Five years later, he has landed on the frontlines of China's labor rights movement, an unlikely leader of several dozen workers seeking better severance pay after the store in the Hunan province city of Changde announced last month it was closing.
It's not the biggest labor dispute China has seen in a recent surge of activism that has included factory strikes involving thousands of workers, but experts say it's among the more significant. Complete article
(Reuters) - Huang Xingguo took a job as a cashier at a new Walmart store in his hometown in southern China for a steady paycheck and the prospect of upward mobility after a string of sales jobs and a run as a day trader.
Five years later, he has landed on the frontlines of China's labor rights movement, an unlikely leader of several dozen workers seeking better severance pay after the store in the Hunan province city of Changde announced last month it was closing.
It's not the biggest labor dispute China has seen in a recent surge of activism that has included factory strikes involving thousands of workers, but experts say it's among the more significant. Complete article
Action Line: Hawaii Walmart takes safety precautions for fishing spears 04/09/2014
A popular retail store has made some safety improvements after a shopper called KHON2′s Action Line over fears someone was going to get hurt or even killed.
Albert Leong says he was horrified to see a young boy, around 10 years old, pick up a fishing spear in the Pearl City Walmart and shoot it at a cardboard box. The spear narrowly missed his younger sister.
“The sister was like two feet away,” Leong said. “He could have killed her or injured her.”
The pole spears are within easy access in the sports department. Leong says he notified store managers numerous times, but for months, nothing was done to keep the spears out of the reach of children.
Leong says he asked about putting the spears behind a counter or in a case that can be locked, and spoke with the store’s safety manager. Leong says the manager told him the only way the store would lock up the spears is if a state law required it.
“I thought this was outrageous,” Leong said. “‘You’re blowing me off.’” Complete article
A popular retail store has made some safety improvements after a shopper called KHON2′s Action Line over fears someone was going to get hurt or even killed.
Albert Leong says he was horrified to see a young boy, around 10 years old, pick up a fishing spear in the Pearl City Walmart and shoot it at a cardboard box. The spear narrowly missed his younger sister.
“The sister was like two feet away,” Leong said. “He could have killed her or injured her.”
The pole spears are within easy access in the sports department. Leong says he notified store managers numerous times, but for months, nothing was done to keep the spears out of the reach of children.
Leong says he asked about putting the spears behind a counter or in a case that can be locked, and spoke with the store’s safety manager. Leong says the manager told him the only way the store would lock up the spears is if a state law required it.
“I thought this was outrageous,” Leong said. “‘You’re blowing me off.’” Complete article
Police clear Walmart store on S. 27th Street Milwaukee Wi. after bomb threat 04/10/2014
Ohio nonprofits invited to apply for Walmart Foundation grants 04/10/2014
Look Who's Changing Walmart 04/09/2014
Tyson recalls 75,000 pounds of chicken nuggets sold at Sam's Club 04/07/2014
3 Desert Hot Springs Ca. residents arrested for Walmart theft 04/11/2014
Thieves strike Wal-Mart - again and again 04/11/2014
Two men and two women suspected of stealing electronics valued at more than $20,000 from several Wal-Mart stores in Marion and surrounding counties have struck again.
One of the men and one woman removed about $8,000 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart at 34 Bahia Ave. in Silver Springs Shores on Thursday, according to law enforcement.
Earlier Thursday, Ocala police said, a man and woman stole several Xbox One and PlayStation 4 video game controllers, a Hewlett Packard computer, several wireless fitness activity trackers and numerous speakers from Wal-Mart at 2600 SW 19th Ave. Road. They were seen leaving in a white, four-door Buick. Officials believe the same man and woman were seen at another Wal-Mart off East Silver Springs Boulevard that afternoon, where they selected a bunch of electronics but left them in the store, reports state. Complete article
Two men and two women suspected of stealing electronics valued at more than $20,000 from several Wal-Mart stores in Marion and surrounding counties have struck again.
One of the men and one woman removed about $8,000 worth of merchandise from Wal-Mart at 34 Bahia Ave. in Silver Springs Shores on Thursday, according to law enforcement.
Earlier Thursday, Ocala police said, a man and woman stole several Xbox One and PlayStation 4 video game controllers, a Hewlett Packard computer, several wireless fitness activity trackers and numerous speakers from Wal-Mart at 2600 SW 19th Ave. Road. They were seen leaving in a white, four-door Buick. Officials believe the same man and woman were seen at another Wal-Mart off East Silver Springs Boulevard that afternoon, where they selected a bunch of electronics but left them in the store, reports state. Complete article
Steve Martin Takes the Walmart AMP Stage; Tickets on Sale Now 04/11/2014
After breach, Target, Wal-Mart push ahead on smart cards — but not everyone's following 04/11/2014
Judge refuses to halt Wal-Mart proxy distribution 04/11/2014 A federal judge in Delaware says Wal-Mart can send its annual proxy statement to shareholders without a Manhattan church parish's proposal for a shareholder vote involving gun sales.
Va. Walmart worker takes action to stop scam 04/11/2014
Trash bags dumped outside Hilton Head SC Walmart 04/11/2014
3-year-old injured in NM Walmart shooting 04/11/2014
ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – Police are searching for whoever pulled the trigger and injured a three-year-old girl.
They say there was a shootout in a busy parking lot and the child was hit by a stray bullet.
The girl was hit in the leg and airlifted to the hospital. Complete article
Police ID NM Walmart shooters who injured child 04/18/2014
ESPANOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – Police are searching for whoever pulled the trigger and injured a three-year-old girl.
They say there was a shootout in a busy parking lot and the child was hit by a stray bullet.
The girl was hit in the leg and airlifted to the hospital. Complete article
Police ID NM Walmart shooters who injured child 04/18/2014
FBI Agent Shoots And Kills A Man Near Walmart In Owings Mills Md. 04/11/2014
Jewelry exchange leads to shots being fired outside Walmart, police say 04/11/2014
Drunk man scares kids at Ga. Wal-Mart 04/11/2014
Salisbury Md. Walmart Cleared After Bomb Threat 04/12/2014
Emergency crews attend to leaking propane tank on RV in Walmart parking lot on Garland Groh Boulevard Md. 04/12/2014
Onalaska Wisc. Wal-Mart struck by lightning 04/12/2014
Police issue all clear after possible bomb threat at Walmart in Morrisville NC 04/12/2014
Woodstock Ga. Officer On Leave After Fatally Shooting Suspect 04/12/2014
Local man arrested for attempted abduction at Ind. Walmart 04/14/2014
Huntsville Ala. police blotter: Catalytic converter stolen in Wal-Mart parking lot 04/14/2014
Wal-Mart Cries Foul on China Fines 04/13/2014
Over the past three years, Chinese authorities have fined Wal-Mart Stores Inc. $9.8 million, sanctioning the retailer for using misleading pricing, selling poor-quality products and even peddling donkey meat that turned out to be fox.
Wal-Mart has increased testing and inspections. Food testers at Wal-Mart distribution centers in China check more than 600 products daily to catch flaws before the food is sent out to stores. After Wal-Mart found the fox meat labeled as donkey in January, the company said it would start testing its products' DNA.
But Wal-Mart is also doing something rare for a Western company: Telling Chinese authorities they need to clean up their own act. Complete article
Over the past three years, Chinese authorities have fined Wal-Mart Stores Inc. $9.8 million, sanctioning the retailer for using misleading pricing, selling poor-quality products and even peddling donkey meat that turned out to be fox.
Wal-Mart has increased testing and inspections. Food testers at Wal-Mart distribution centers in China check more than 600 products daily to catch flaws before the food is sent out to stores. After Wal-Mart found the fox meat labeled as donkey in January, the company said it would start testing its products' DNA.
But Wal-Mart is also doing something rare for a Western company: Telling Chinese authorities they need to clean up their own act. Complete article
Decatur Ala. police say shoplifter was grabbing meth ingredients at Wal-Mart 04/14/2014
Levi Strauss Taps Wal-Mart Exec to Head Ecommerce 04/14/2014
Wal-Mart Foundation to donate $200K to Nebraska organizations 04/14/2014
Vehicle stolen in Neb. carjacking recovered after rolling several times and ending up on its side
OMAHA, Neb. —The Omaha Police Department identified the 27-year-old man believed to be involved in a carjacking last week.
Police said a 58-year-old woman had just pulled into the lot when someone yanked her from her car in the Walmart parking lot near 128th and L streets just before 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The carjacker, Jeremy Vanvalkenburg, got away in the red 1998 Chevy Blazer.
The Blazer was later spotted by a driver in the area of 60th and P streets. Police initiated a pursuit moments later.
Vanvalkenburg lost control of the vehicle near a store at 50th and L streets, causing the vehicle to roll several times and end up on its side. Complete article
OMAHA, Neb. —The Omaha Police Department identified the 27-year-old man believed to be involved in a carjacking last week.
Police said a 58-year-old woman had just pulled into the lot when someone yanked her from her car in the Walmart parking lot near 128th and L streets just before 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The carjacker, Jeremy Vanvalkenburg, got away in the red 1998 Chevy Blazer.
The Blazer was later spotted by a driver in the area of 60th and P streets. Police initiated a pursuit moments later.
Vanvalkenburg lost control of the vehicle near a store at 50th and L streets, causing the vehicle to roll several times and end up on its side. Complete article
Bystanders thwart theft of big TV from NY Wal-Mart, police say 04/14/2014
1 stabbed in chest at Springfield Tenn. Walmart 04/14/2014
Secret Service tracks sophisticated Wal-Mart fraud 04/14/2014
TAMPA — Using phony barcode stickers and counterfeit receipts, five people stole merchandise from Wal-Mart stores from Florida to Texas and conned the retail giant out of more than $100,000 in bogus refunds, authorities say.
The group built on common forms of organized retail theft – known as “UPC switching” – involving fake universal product codes to bring a new level of sophistication to theft by cracking the stores’ receipt codes and forging receipts to get cash refunds, experts say.
“My fear on this one is that it’s going to grow legs unless changes are made within the stores that utilize this type of coding and ... their return policy,” said John Joyce, special agent in charge of the Tampa office of the Secret Service, which investigated the case. Complete article
TAMPA — Using phony barcode stickers and counterfeit receipts, five people stole merchandise from Wal-Mart stores from Florida to Texas and conned the retail giant out of more than $100,000 in bogus refunds, authorities say.
The group built on common forms of organized retail theft – known as “UPC switching” – involving fake universal product codes to bring a new level of sophistication to theft by cracking the stores’ receipt codes and forging receipts to get cash refunds, experts say.
“My fear on this one is that it’s going to grow legs unless changes are made within the stores that utilize this type of coding and ... their return policy,” said John Joyce, special agent in charge of the Tampa office of the Secret Service, which investigated the case. Complete article
Kanawha County WV couple sues, claims Wal-Mart employees falsely accused them of theft 04/14/2014
A Kanawha County couple claiming they were detained for more than an hour after employees at the Wal-Mart store in South Charleston falsely accused them of stealing is suing the retail giant.
Shelly and Terry Cook said they had paid for their purchases and were leaving the store in January 2013 when Wal-Mart employee Rudy Anthony and a coworker "yelled profanities at (them), accused them of theft and demanded police arrest them for shoplifting," insisting that they be handcuffed and detained.
The suit, originally filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court in March, claims the Cooks were detained about an hour before they were able to prove they had paid for all of the items in their possession. They also allege Wal-Mart refused to provide them with a copy of video surveillance tapes from the day of the incident. Complete article
A Kanawha County couple claiming they were detained for more than an hour after employees at the Wal-Mart store in South Charleston falsely accused them of stealing is suing the retail giant.
Shelly and Terry Cook said they had paid for their purchases and were leaving the store in January 2013 when Wal-Mart employee Rudy Anthony and a coworker "yelled profanities at (them), accused them of theft and demanded police arrest them for shoplifting," insisting that they be handcuffed and detained.
The suit, originally filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court in March, claims the Cooks were detained about an hour before they were able to prove they had paid for all of the items in their possession. They also allege Wal-Mart refused to provide them with a copy of video surveillance tapes from the day of the incident. Complete article
Man in jail for stealing from multiple Ark. Walmart stores 04/14/2014
Wal-Mart forced to apologize for ‘mistake’ favoring English-speaking shoppers 04/14/2014 Speedy checkouts at a D.C. Wal-Mart allowed English-speakers to carry more items through the express lanes than those who speak Spanish.
Future of money: so long, Visa; hello, Walmart? 04/15/2014
Forbes: Report: Walmart Workers Cost Taxpayers $6.2 Billion In Public Assistance 04/15/2014
Walmart’s low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.
“The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs,” reads the report, available in full here.
“It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers.” Complete article
Walmart’s low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.
“The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs,” reads the report, available in full here.
“It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers.” Complete article
Long-haired Oregon woman sues Walmart for $10,000, claiming shampoo tangled locks, forced her to cut it 04/15/2014
Off-duty Morgan Co. deputy shoots man inside Huntsville Ala. Walmart 04/15/2014
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Police said a Morgan County sheriff's deputy who was shopping while off duty shot a man in the buttock at a Huntsville Walmart this afternoon.
The deputy told police he recognized a suspect with active felony warrants, and confronted him, according to officers on the scene. A spokesman for Huntsville Police said in a news release the deputy was trying to make an arrest inside the store.
When the man ran from the deputy, a shot was fired, an officer on the scene said. The shooting took place at the Walmart on South Memorial Parkway at about 1:30 p.m.
The gunshot wound was not life-threatening, and Huntsville police officers are guarding the man at Huntsville Hospital, a police spokesman said in a news release.
Accounts differ on whether the shooting was intentional or accidental. The deputy told Huntsville Police investigators the shooting was an accidental discharge, an officer at the scene said.
However, a witness told police and AL.com news partner WHNT News 19 that the deputy squared off before firing at the man as he fled. Officers at the scene said surveillance video will be reviewed in the investigation. Complete article
Off-duty deputy who shot fleeing suspect in Ala. Wal-Mart is now the one facing investigation 04/16/2014
Huntsville Ala. police charge Morgan County deputy in Walmart shooting 04/18/2014
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Police said a Morgan County sheriff's deputy who was shopping while off duty shot a man in the buttock at a Huntsville Walmart this afternoon.
The deputy told police he recognized a suspect with active felony warrants, and confronted him, according to officers on the scene. A spokesman for Huntsville Police said in a news release the deputy was trying to make an arrest inside the store.
When the man ran from the deputy, a shot was fired, an officer on the scene said. The shooting took place at the Walmart on South Memorial Parkway at about 1:30 p.m.
The gunshot wound was not life-threatening, and Huntsville police officers are guarding the man at Huntsville Hospital, a police spokesman said in a news release.
Accounts differ on whether the shooting was intentional or accidental. The deputy told Huntsville Police investigators the shooting was an accidental discharge, an officer at the scene said.
However, a witness told police and AL.com news partner WHNT News 19 that the deputy squared off before firing at the man as he fled. Officers at the scene said surveillance video will be reviewed in the investigation. Complete article
Off-duty deputy who shot fleeing suspect in Ala. Wal-Mart is now the one facing investigation 04/16/2014
Huntsville Ala. police charge Morgan County deputy in Walmart shooting 04/18/2014
Cops: Man stole from Colerain Avenue Cincinnati Ohio Walmart, led police on chase 04/15/2014 Bryer then turned his vehicle around and attempted to run down the detective who was still outside of his vehicle, authorities said.
Police: 4 used fake credit cards at Nashville Tenn. Walmarts 04/15/2014
NH Walmart shoplifting suspect arrested 04/15/2014
Suspect in January robbery at NY Walmart sentenced to time served in county jail, probation 04/16/2014
Police release photos of armed robbery at SC Walmart 04/16/2014
Berkeley man accused of trying to steal $378 laptop from Toms River NJ Walmart 04/16/2014 TOMS RIVER — Erik Pamias of Berkeley was charged with robbery after he stole a laptop computer from a Walmart and fought with a store security guard, Toms River police said.
Yes, Walmart works the system: Don't hate the player, hate the game 04/16/2014 David Cay Johnston
Police: Man, 81, choked wife over shopping at Wal-Mart 04/16/2014
Manor Tx. police seek woman shoplifter who left son at Walmart 04/16/2014
WalMart cleared after bomb threat, Readington NJ store re-opens 04/16/2014
HHS nominee got $1.2M at ‘zero’ salary job at Wal-Mart 04/16/2014
During her brief but lucrative stint as president of Wal-Mart’s charitable foundation in 2012, Sylvia Matthews Burwell received at least $750,000 in bonuses from an organization that doles out hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions but keeps a tight lid on its own compensation practices, records show.
Ms. Burwell spent a little more than a year running Wal-Mart’s foundation before President Obama tapped her to be his budget chief last year — and then last week asked her to take over as health and human services secretary.
Her White House biography touts her key private-sector experience as president of the massive foundation, but Internal Revenue Service records show that the job is unpaid and the more than $1.2 million in salary, deferred compensation and bonuses paid to Ms. Burwell came through her lesser-known role as a vice president at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to a government ethics filing. Complete article
During her brief but lucrative stint as president of Wal-Mart’s charitable foundation in 2012, Sylvia Matthews Burwell received at least $750,000 in bonuses from an organization that doles out hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions but keeps a tight lid on its own compensation practices, records show.
Ms. Burwell spent a little more than a year running Wal-Mart’s foundation before President Obama tapped her to be his budget chief last year — and then last week asked her to take over as health and human services secretary.
Her White House biography touts her key private-sector experience as president of the massive foundation, but Internal Revenue Service records show that the job is unpaid and the more than $1.2 million in salary, deferred compensation and bonuses paid to Ms. Burwell came through her lesser-known role as a vice president at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to a government ethics filing. Complete article
Vermont woman pleads guilty to Easter goods theft 04/15/2014
Naked man arrested at Tega Cay SC Walmart 04/17/2014
Interview with man who walked into SC Walmart naked 04/18/2014
Naked man arrested in SC Walmart had previous nude run-in 04/18/2014
Police: Man steals from Jacksonville Walmart, leads chase 04/15/2014 The items were worth $24.98.
Police: Man stole from Ca. Wal-Mart in front of employees, threatened workers when confronted 04/15/2014
Southington Conn. woman faces worker’s comp fraud charge for Walmart incident 04/17/2014
Pa. couple settle suit against Walmart, alleged metal spikes split husband’s head open 04/17/2014
Two arrested following multiple Walmart return frauds 04/16/2014
Cumberland Ma. man gets probation in Walmart theft case 04/17/2014
Police: Hickory NC woman caught stealing twice from Walmart 04/16/2014
Police: Shoplifting suspect hit Ca. Wal-Mart employee with belt 04/15/2014
Id. Walmart under fire, lawsuit filed Alleging racial and disability discrimination, violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, retaliation and a hostile work environment 04/17/2014
Mississippi Walmart employee arrested for embezzlement 04/16/2014
Woman charged with shoplifting from Tenn. Walmart 04/15/2014
Wal-Mart Recalls 'Cuddle Care' Dolls Because They Can Burn 03/25/2014
Gyft Forced to Abruptly End Walmart Gift Card Support 04/14/2014
Police Seek Women Accused of Using Stolen Checks at Ark. Walmart 04/15/2014
FBI offers $10K reward in Nov. 2012 Laurel Md. Walmart robbery 04/17/2014
Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon, Wife Give $1M to UA Walton Business College 04/17/2014
Police trying to identify man involved in incident, striking a window of a vehicle being driven by a woman, at Ark. Walmart 04/17/2014
OPD publishes video of Fla. Wal-Mart theft 04/17/2014
2 accused of using drugs while parked outside Athens Ala. Wal-Mart with child inside car, police say 04/17/2014
Wal-Mart jumps into the money transfer biz, loudly 04/18/2014
Ind. Police: Walmart fight began when man entered through exit door 04/18/2014
NEWBURGH, Ind. - Two men were arrested Thursday after a scuffle at a southern Indiana Walmart store that began when one man came into the store through the exit door, police said.
Indiana State Police were called to the Walmart in Newburgh and subsequently arrested Bennie Duvall, 64, of Newburgh, and Brandon Leeds, 28, of Boonville.
Police said Duvall became angry when he saw Leeds come into the store through the exit doors. Complete article
NEWBURGH, Ind. - Two men were arrested Thursday after a scuffle at a southern Indiana Walmart store that began when one man came into the store through the exit door, police said.
Indiana State Police were called to the Walmart in Newburgh and subsequently arrested Bennie Duvall, 64, of Newburgh, and Brandon Leeds, 28, of Boonville.
Police said Duvall became angry when he saw Leeds come into the store through the exit doors. Complete article
Ind. Wal-Mart warehouse workers say they worked with no heat 04/18/2014
Scam in Lake Wales Fla. claims to offer Walmart gift rewards 04/18/2014
Walmart rates at bottom of consumer reports list 04/18/2014
Business owners vexed by Miss. Walmart rumor 04/19/2014 “Walmart is not just coming here to compete; Walmart is coming here to put us out of business,” said Alan Cates, owner of Mantachie Foods.
Derby Ks. Walmart evacuated Friday evening in bomb threat 04/18/2014
Benton Police Arrest Man For Making Several Bomb Threats At Tx. and Ark. Walmart Stores 04/19/2014
Bomb squad called to Kemah Tx. Walmart as police confront man with items strapped to body 04/19/2014
KEMAH, Texas -- The Walmart in Kemah was placed on lockdown early Saturday as authorities confronted a man who had “unknown devices” attached to his body, police said.
Workers and customers were locked in the store on FM 518 at Highway 146 starting around 9 a.m.
According to Kemah P.D. Chief Greg Rikard, officers were dispatched to a suspicious man in a car who had a knife and was wearing a mask.
Witnesses said the man was in a Target parking lot, but his unoccupied vehicle was later found in the Walmart parking lot. Officers waited for the man to return and then confronted him.
Police said they found several “unknown devices” in the man’s pockets and attached to his body around the waist. He was placed in a patrol car while the area was secured and evacuated. Complete article
Bomb Scare Prompts 5-Hour Lockdown at Kemah Walmart 04/19/2014
KEMAH, Texas -- The Walmart in Kemah was placed on lockdown early Saturday as authorities confronted a man who had “unknown devices” attached to his body, police said.
Workers and customers were locked in the store on FM 518 at Highway 146 starting around 9 a.m.
According to Kemah P.D. Chief Greg Rikard, officers were dispatched to a suspicious man in a car who had a knife and was wearing a mask.
Witnesses said the man was in a Target parking lot, but his unoccupied vehicle was later found in the Walmart parking lot. Officers waited for the man to return and then confronted him.
Police said they found several “unknown devices” in the man’s pockets and attached to his body around the waist. He was placed in a patrol car while the area was secured and evacuated. Complete article
Bomb Scare Prompts 5-Hour Lockdown at Kemah Walmart 04/19/2014
Nacogdoches woman sentenced for incident at Lufkin Tx. Walmart 04/19/2014
Propane in minivan explodes near St. Paul Minn. Walmart; driver hurt 04/20/2014
Police: Man took upskirt photos at Ohio Walmart 04/20/2014
Another bomb threat at Texarkana Walmart 04/20/2014
Man finds $1,000 in Walmart parking lot; you won’t believe what he does with it 04/20/2014
Suspect in Englewood Fla. bike theft caught napping at Walmart 04/21/2014
Latrobe couple charged with shoving guard, stealing from Pa. Wal-Mart 04/22/2014
Body of missing Skowhegan Me. 83-year-old woman suffering from dementia found behind Walmart 04/22/2014
2 men arrested after Walmart robbery in Pasadena 04/22/2014
PASADENA, Texas - Police took two men into custody Monday night after an armed robbery at a Walmart in Pasadena.
Investigators said the men snatched a woman's purse at the store on Shaver Street.
Police said the robbers raced out of the store, and fled the scene.
Officers managed to track the two men into a nearby neighborhood.
Pasadena police arrested the men after they found the pair hiding in a home on Woodbine Street.
Earlier Tuesday, Pasadena police had said that one of the men fired his gun into the air, but investigators now say they aren't sure if that even happened. Complete article
PASADENA, Texas - Police took two men into custody Monday night after an armed robbery at a Walmart in Pasadena.
Investigators said the men snatched a woman's purse at the store on Shaver Street.
Police said the robbers raced out of the store, and fled the scene.
Officers managed to track the two men into a nearby neighborhood.
Pasadena police arrested the men after they found the pair hiding in a home on Woodbine Street.
Earlier Tuesday, Pasadena police had said that one of the men fired his gun into the air, but investigators now say they aren't sure if that even happened. Complete article
Woman charged in theft from Ohio Walmart 04/21/2014
Fire set at Mississippi Walmart 04/22/2014
HAZLEHURST, Miss. —Hazlehurst police are looking for whoever set a fire inside a Walmart store.
A shopper shared pictures with 16 WAPT News that show the fire and smoke in a clothing section.
A Walmart employee was taken to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, authorities said. She was later released from the hospital.
The store was evacuated after the fire broke out. Complete article
HAZLEHURST, Miss. —Hazlehurst police are looking for whoever set a fire inside a Walmart store.
A shopper shared pictures with 16 WAPT News that show the fire and smoke in a clothing section.
A Walmart employee was taken to a local hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, authorities said. She was later released from the hospital.
The store was evacuated after the fire broke out. Complete article
How Walmart's 'Support' for Pregnant Employees Falls Short 04/21/2014
Signature Gatherer Arrested For Assault Outside Of Canyon Country Ca. Walmart 04/19/2014
Shoplifter Arrested At Monroe Mich. Walmart 04/22/2014
New Jersey police officer, suspect shot outside Walmart in undercover drug deal: prosecutors 04/22/2014
A suspect and an undercover police officer were wounded in a shooting at a parking lot in Garfield, N.J. Tuesday afternoon, according to local authorities.
An undercover police officer was shot twice outside a New Jersey Walmart when authorities say a $400 marijuana drug deal turned into a parking lot gun battle.
The nine-year veteran of the Paramus Police Department was in the hip and the left foot after he was ambushed by a second suspected drug dealer in what authorities believe was a staged robbery in Garfield.
The unidentified officer, who was working with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Narcotic Task Force, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries at Hackensack Hospital, said Bergen County prosecutors. Complete article
A suspect and an undercover police officer were wounded in a shooting at a parking lot in Garfield, N.J. Tuesday afternoon, according to local authorities.
An undercover police officer was shot twice outside a New Jersey Walmart when authorities say a $400 marijuana drug deal turned into a parking lot gun battle.
The nine-year veteran of the Paramus Police Department was in the hip and the left foot after he was ambushed by a second suspected drug dealer in what authorities believe was a staged robbery in Garfield.
The unidentified officer, who was working with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Narcotic Task Force, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries at Hackensack Hospital, said Bergen County prosecutors. Complete article
UPDATE 2-Mexico's Walmex first-quarter profit falls 4.5 percent 04/22/2014
French fry truck catches fire in Walmart parking lot in Waterville Me. 04/22/2014
Ky. Walmart employee charged in theft from register 04/23/2014
Tallahassee Fla. Police searching for Apalachee Parkway Walmart theft suspect 04/23/2014
Mike Duke, Ex Wal-Mart CEO's deferred pay: $140 million 04/23/2014
Trio allegedly steals $30,000 of iPads from Collinsville Ill. Walmart 04/23/2014
Moore Ok. police searching for Walmart electronics thieves 04/23/2014
Wal-Mart Cuts Board to 14 Members as Former CEO Leaves 04/24/2014
Athens Ala. police: Man steals electronics worth over $2,000 from Walmart, turns himself in 04/24/2014
Police looking for man accused of exposing himself in Pa. Walmart 04/24/2014
Police Warn Of Walmart Gift Card Scam 04/24/2014
Auburn NY woman admits pretending to be sister after stealing from Walmart 04/24/2014
Bomb threat shuts down Centerville Target for almost three hours 04/24/2014 Some Walmart and 7/11 locations were also threatened in Salt Lake County, Child said, and it's possible there may be a connection.
Officers respond to bomb threats at SD Walgreens, Walmart 04/24/2014 Bomb threat evacuee: ‘I’m from Iraq ... I didn’t want to see anything like that’
Police: Three-Year-Old Girl Abducted by a non-custodial parent From McAlester Ok. Walmart Found In Texas 04/25/2014
Ammunition and drugs found following shoplifting at Walmart in Horry County SC 04/25/2014
A West Virginia couple remains jailed Friday following a shoplifting incident that involved a gun at the Walmart off S.C. 544 near Surfside Beach, authorities said.
James Joshua Ferguson, 26, is charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol. Additional charges are likely.
Charges remain pending against the woman. The Sun News does not identify suspects until formal charges have been filed.
Police responded about 2:30 p.m. to the Walmart where an employee said he saw a woman put a phone charger and swim suit in her bag, proceed to the checkout where she and the man purchased small items but not the swim suit or charger, the report said.
Loss prevention employees stopped them outside of the store and escorted them to an administrative office where the woman was asked to empty her bag. Employees took a loaded gun out of the bag and unloaded it, the report said. A second loaded magazine was also taken from the purse.
While questioning the woman, employees said the man became loud and started threatening them. That’s when they said the woman grabbed the gun and pointed it at them, realized it was empty and swung the weapon at them instead, police said. Complete article
A West Virginia couple remains jailed Friday following a shoplifting incident that involved a gun at the Walmart off S.C. 544 near Surfside Beach, authorities said.
James Joshua Ferguson, 26, is charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol. Additional charges are likely.
Charges remain pending against the woman. The Sun News does not identify suspects until formal charges have been filed.
Police responded about 2:30 p.m. to the Walmart where an employee said he saw a woman put a phone charger and swim suit in her bag, proceed to the checkout where she and the man purchased small items but not the swim suit or charger, the report said.
Loss prevention employees stopped them outside of the store and escorted them to an administrative office where the woman was asked to empty her bag. Employees took a loaded gun out of the bag and unloaded it, the report said. A second loaded magazine was also taken from the purse.
While questioning the woman, employees said the man became loud and started threatening them. That’s when they said the woman grabbed the gun and pointed it at them, realized it was empty and swung the weapon at them instead, police said. Complete article
People allowed back in South Austin Tx. Walmart after bomb threat 04/25/2014
A Walmart Fortune, Spreading Charter Schools 04/25/2014
Wal-Mart Pays—and Pays—in Response to the Bribery Probe 04/25/2014
Sarasota man charged with stealing lamb chops from Walmart in Bradenton Fla. 04/25/2014
Police: Woman busted for stealing at NC Walmart 04/25/2014
50 shopping carts stolen from Athens Ga. Walmart 04/2/2014
Cottage Grove man gets 15 years in prison for Oregon Walmart parking lot attack 04/25/2014
AFL/CIO Now:Taxpayers Subsidize Walmart and America's Richest Family to the Tune of $7.8 Billion Annually 04/22/2014
Crime Tracker: Walmart Thieves Nab Thousands in Electronics in Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky 04/25/2014
2 Face Charges After Stealing Items From Pa. Walmart, Returning Them For Gift Card 04/26/2014
Troy NY man arrested for grabbing woman’s buttocks at Walmart 04/26/2014
Lawsuits against Wal-Mart following 2011 Missouri tornado making way through courts 04/26/2014
Police: 3 Syracuse-area women arrested stealing almost $2,000 in merchandise from WalMart in New Hartford NY 04/27/2014
Wal-Mart paid $334 million to end India partnership 04/28/2014
Two face charges of shoplifting at Watchung NJ Walmart 04/27/2014
QU basketball player arrested following incident at Ill. Walmart 04/28/2014
Timeline reveals allegations tying Miller, a candidate, to a series of bomb threats, denials, confessions, crossfire in NC sheriff’s race 04/27/2014
New details offer a timeline in the case that District Attorney Ernie Lee said became “complicated” when Sheriff Ed Brown told challenger Hans Miller about allegations tying Miller to a series of bomb threats that began in February.
In a press conference Friday, Lee said Brown’s “unprofessional” communication with Miller by phone on April 11 was not criminal. Lee also said no credible evidence links Miller and his campaign with the threats. During the phone call, Brown told Miller the allegations were “recorded several times.”
The Republican candidates are vying in the May 6 primary.
This timeline retraces events in the case based on a variety of sources: interviews with Lee, open court testimony during defendant Gerald Jackson’s bond hearing; a press conference at Lee’s office; a voicemail Brown left to a The Daily News reporter; a recorded phone conversation between Brown and Miller; and court documents, including the appointment of Jackson’s attorney, Lee Britt of Jacksonville. Complete article
Sheriff’s campaign ad denies missteps in bomb threat investigation 04/23/2014
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown says in a political advertisement today that he has committed no ethical violation or legal misconduct in a bomb-threat investigation that has become the focus of attention in the sheriff’s GOP primary.
Brown has said the man arrested in the case has implicated his political opponent, Hans Miller. NC Sheriff: Teen made 20 bomb threats to Onslow County schools, businesses 04/07/2014
New details offer a timeline in the case that District Attorney Ernie Lee said became “complicated” when Sheriff Ed Brown told challenger Hans Miller about allegations tying Miller to a series of bomb threats that began in February.
In a press conference Friday, Lee said Brown’s “unprofessional” communication with Miller by phone on April 11 was not criminal. Lee also said no credible evidence links Miller and his campaign with the threats. During the phone call, Brown told Miller the allegations were “recorded several times.”
The Republican candidates are vying in the May 6 primary.
This timeline retraces events in the case based on a variety of sources: interviews with Lee, open court testimony during defendant Gerald Jackson’s bond hearing; a press conference at Lee’s office; a voicemail Brown left to a The Daily News reporter; a recorded phone conversation between Brown and Miller; and court documents, including the appointment of Jackson’s attorney, Lee Britt of Jacksonville. Complete article
Sheriff’s campaign ad denies missteps in bomb threat investigation 04/23/2014
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown says in a political advertisement today that he has committed no ethical violation or legal misconduct in a bomb-threat investigation that has become the focus of attention in the sheriff’s GOP primary.
Brown has said the man arrested in the case has implicated his political opponent, Hans Miller. NC Sheriff: Teen made 20 bomb threats to Onslow County schools, businesses 04/07/2014
Police: somebody had made multiple bomb threats to the Wal-Mart on Highland Avenue, Salem Ma. 04/26/2014
How the Walmart family influences your city's schools: Report
The New York Times delves into the extent of U.S. school spending by the Walton Family Foundation, a project of Sam Walton of Walmart -- more than $164 million last year. Walton funds charter schools, Teach for America, vouchers and other controversial approaches to school reform now familiar in New Orleans.
Charter schools receive public funding but are run by independent boards, not a citywide elected board. New Orleans has by far the highest charter school enrollment in the country, and is essentially an all-charter system. In the fall, only five of the city's 80-plus public schools will not be charters. Although the Times article focuses on Washington, D.C., many Louisiana schools and groups have received Walton money.
"Walton has given grants to one in every four charter start-ups in the country, for a total of $335 million," writes reporter Motoko Rich. "With its many tentacles, it has helped fuel some of the fastest growing, and most divisive, trends in public education -- including teacher evaluations based on student test scores and publicly funded vouchers for students to attend private schools." Complete article
The New York Times delves into the extent of U.S. school spending by the Walton Family Foundation, a project of Sam Walton of Walmart -- more than $164 million last year. Walton funds charter schools, Teach for America, vouchers and other controversial approaches to school reform now familiar in New Orleans.
Charter schools receive public funding but are run by independent boards, not a citywide elected board. New Orleans has by far the highest charter school enrollment in the country, and is essentially an all-charter system. In the fall, only five of the city's 80-plus public schools will not be charters. Although the Times article focuses on Washington, D.C., many Louisiana schools and groups have received Walton money.
"Walton has given grants to one in every four charter start-ups in the country, for a total of $335 million," writes reporter Motoko Rich. "With its many tentacles, it has helped fuel some of the fastest growing, and most divisive, trends in public education -- including teacher evaluations based on student test scores and publicly funded vouchers for students to attend private schools." Complete article
Possibly tainted yogurt sold at Southern N.J. Walmart stores 04/28/2014
Former Hadley Ma. Walmart employee Lisa Lacroix not rehired by the company 04/2/2014
Berlin Md. Walmart Peeping Tom Suspect Arrested 04/28/2014
Florida man jailed, charged with felony after allegedly stealing 58-cent Walmart doughnut 04/28/2014
It's the slammer for one 58-cent doughnut thief.
A Florida man was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors and a felony after allegedly fleeing a Walmart with a single stolen doughnut.
William Edward Hicks, 36, of Fort Walton Beach, was nabbed by an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy after making the sticky-fingered sugar run earlier this month, according to an arrest report.
The store's loss prevention officers reported seeing Hicks take the pastry out of a case before wandering back to the sporting goods section. Complete article
It's the slammer for one 58-cent doughnut thief.
A Florida man was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors and a felony after allegedly fleeing a Walmart with a single stolen doughnut.
William Edward Hicks, 36, of Fort Walton Beach, was nabbed by an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy after making the sticky-fingered sugar run earlier this month, according to an arrest report.
The store's loss prevention officers reported seeing Hicks take the pastry out of a case before wandering back to the sporting goods section. Complete article
Police: Officer dragged in Western Hills Ohio Walmart parking lot 04/28/2014
SD Homeowners take Walmart vote to court 04/29/2014
Ariz. PD: Man steals 3 rifles from Phoenix Walmart 04/28/2014
Out-of-state thieves hacked NM unemployed single mother Walmart card 04/28/2014
Murder trial begins in case of woman strangled after leaving Cedar Park Tx. Walmart 04/29/2014
Man pleads guilty to Montana Wal-Mart theft, punching employee 04/29/2014
Neighbors challenge annexation for Walmart in front of SD Supreme Court 04/29/2014
FBI: Washington man planned to blow up a Wal-Mart, wanted 'carnage'
TACOMA, Wash. -- A Washington state man who said he wanted "carnage" plotted to blow up a Wal-Mart and two gas stations to divert police while he engaged in a bank-robbery spree, authorities said Tuesday.
Larry Gillette, 53, of Shelton, was arrested Monday as he tried to ignite what he thought was a car bomb, said the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle. In reality, it was a dud provided by investigators.
Gillette was due to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Tuesday afternoon on charges of soliciting a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to a federal complaint unsealed Tuesday, Gillette began plotting the spree while serving time for identity theft at the Washington state prison in Shelton, west of Tacoma on the Olympic Peninsula. He told others at the prison, one of whom offered to put Gillette in touch with his "cousin" — really an undercover officer, the complaint said. Complete article
TACOMA, Wash. -- A Washington state man who said he wanted "carnage" plotted to blow up a Wal-Mart and two gas stations to divert police while he engaged in a bank-robbery spree, authorities said Tuesday.
Larry Gillette, 53, of Shelton, was arrested Monday as he tried to ignite what he thought was a car bomb, said the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle. In reality, it was a dud provided by investigators.
Gillette was due to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Tuesday afternoon on charges of soliciting a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to a federal complaint unsealed Tuesday, Gillette began plotting the spree while serving time for identity theft at the Washington state prison in Shelton, west of Tacoma on the Olympic Peninsula. He told others at the prison, one of whom offered to put Gillette in touch with his "cousin" — really an undercover officer, the complaint said. Complete article
Suspect sought in peeping incident at Denver Co. Walmart; police say man snuck into women's restroom 04/29/2014
Police: Loss prevention employees prevent $1,000-plus theft from Walmart in Lancaster County Pa. 04/29/2014
POLICE REPORT: Woman tries to steal nail polish, food and clothes from Tx. Walmart 04/29/2014
Women charged in NH Walmart shoplifting case 04/29/2014
Wal-Mart starts to offer car insurance 04/30/2014
Frostbite, falling freight, and forklifts on fire: America’s worst Wal-Mart, Ind. warehouse, revealed 04/28/2014
GE-brand dehumidifiers sold at Walmart recalled 04/29/2014
Man gets jail time for thefts, (June 2013 and April 2014) at North Attleboro Ma. Walmart 04/29/2014
Reward offered in Walmart theft 04/29/2014
Police: Counterfeit bills used at Walmart 04/30/2014
Suspect arrested in Phoenix Ariz. Walmart rifle thefts 04/30/2014
Driver in intensive care after crash near Hastings Mich. Walmart, police say 04/30/2014
Brian Nick departs NC political arena, moving to Wal-Mart 04/30/2014
Warning: U.S. Mail scheme claims ‘gift savings’ to Target, Walmart 04/30/2014
Police accuse Kilgore Tx. Wal-Mart employee of taking pictures of man using Wal-Mart restroom 04/30/2014 Betsy Harden, the spokeswoman, said Wal-Mart was continuing its investigation, but believed Butler’s acts were an “isolated incident.”
Police: Thief pushed woman down in NC Walmart, stole purse 04/30/2014
Two men stole a truckload of cargo from Fla. bound for Ga. Walmart, court records say 04/30/2014
Do Consumers Trust Walmart to Sell Organics? 04/30/2014
Bogus bomb threat called into Circleville Ohio area Walmart 04/30/2014
Martinsville Woman Arrested In Ind. Walmart Theft 04/30/2014
New Raynham Ma. Walmart seeing fewer crimes than Route 44 location 04/30/2014
Walmart Director Aida Alvarez is VERY Committed to Avoiding Walmart Workers
It’s disturbing, but not surprising. Walmart Board member Aida Alvarez is nothing if not consistent. For eight years, Alvarez has served on the Board of Walmart. For more than two years, Walmart workers who are members of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart have been asking to meet with Ms. Alvarez. She has refused or ignored more than a dozen requests from Walmart workers and their allies to meet. That’s consistency.
We are right now in the midst of the latest, and almost comical, effort by Ms. Alvarez to avoid Walmart workers. In addition to being a Walmart director, Alvarez is also the chair of the Latino Community Foundation. Knowing that she would be at tonight’s Annual LCF Gala – and because (and this is important) they support the work of the LCF – Walmart workers purchased tickets for tonight’s event, requested time off work, rented a car, reserved hotel rooms and traveled from around California to attend the event. It is worth noting that Walmart is a major sponsor of the event.
To the surprise of no one, but the disappointment of many, at the last minute, the Walmart workers’ tickets were mysteriously canceled. Unfortunately, Ms. Alvarez was apparently so afraid of even being in the same room with Walmart workers like Venanzi Luna and Evelin Cruz, that the Latino Community Foundation cancelled their tickets and, in doing so, returned a significant donation to the LCF.
Now Walmart workers are calling on Ms. Alvarez to end her 8-year silence and begin to create a sense of urgency at Walmart again – urgency for justice for Walmart workers, many of whom face poverty-level wages and illegal retaliation, including possible termination, if they speak out about their workplace concerns. Complete article
It’s disturbing, but not surprising. Walmart Board member Aida Alvarez is nothing if not consistent. For eight years, Alvarez has served on the Board of Walmart. For more than two years, Walmart workers who are members of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart have been asking to meet with Ms. Alvarez. She has refused or ignored more than a dozen requests from Walmart workers and their allies to meet. That’s consistency.
We are right now in the midst of the latest, and almost comical, effort by Ms. Alvarez to avoid Walmart workers. In addition to being a Walmart director, Alvarez is also the chair of the Latino Community Foundation. Knowing that she would be at tonight’s Annual LCF Gala – and because (and this is important) they support the work of the LCF – Walmart workers purchased tickets for tonight’s event, requested time off work, rented a car, reserved hotel rooms and traveled from around California to attend the event. It is worth noting that Walmart is a major sponsor of the event.
To the surprise of no one, but the disappointment of many, at the last minute, the Walmart workers’ tickets were mysteriously canceled. Unfortunately, Ms. Alvarez was apparently so afraid of even being in the same room with Walmart workers like Venanzi Luna and Evelin Cruz, that the Latino Community Foundation cancelled their tickets and, in doing so, returned a significant donation to the LCF.
Now Walmart workers are calling on Ms. Alvarez to end her 8-year silence and begin to create a sense of urgency at Walmart again – urgency for justice for Walmart workers, many of whom face poverty-level wages and illegal retaliation, including possible termination, if they speak out about their workplace concerns. Complete article
Interesting stuff, but I had to stop a third of the way down as it was just too heavy with information. If I may be so brazen to suggest splitting the posts up some more into more digestible chunks.
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