“Kevin Durant scored 59 points as he joined LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in an exhibition game at Morgan State”

But now Tyell Morton’s felony case is over. Instead of prison, he’s more likely to be spending time back inside the girls restroom where he placed the doll — on cleaning duty.

The Rush County prosecutor agreed to withhold prosecution of the 18-year-old’s case in exchange for eight hours of community service. Under a diversion agreement filed in court Thursday, Morton agreed to perform the work for Rush County Schools and stay out of trouble for a year.

The upshot: Morton, who had no criminal history, keeps his clean record.

And Prosecutor Philip J. Caviness avoids an outright dismissal on the criminal case — one that legal experts and Morton sympathizers had portrayed as an overreach by authorities.

“It’s a creative way to resolve a charge that never should have been filed,” said Joel Schumm, a professor at the IndianaUniversity School of Law-Indianapolis. “The ultimate outcome is a fair one, but he can’t get back the days he spent in jail.”

The graduating senior at Rushville Consolidated High School pulled off his prank May 31, the last day of school.

Morton had placed the “multigender” sex doll in a girls bathroom stall. But before school and police officials found the doll, they reacted to a security video showing a hooded figure bringing a package into the school.

A potential explosive initially was their focus as they locked down the school for nearly three hours. A bomb squad and K9 dogs scoured the building.

When the dust settled — even though authorities recovered only the sex doll — Morton ended up spending five days in jail.

His charges: disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and institutional criminal mischief, a Class C felony that could have brought two to eight years in prison.

The case sparked outrage well beyond Rushville, a small blue-collar city of 6,300 an hour southeast of Indianapolis.

Morton’s attorney, Robert Turner, Indianapolis, said he opted against fighting the charges in court, despite thinking his client stood a good chance of beating the felony charge.

Instead, Morton and his attorney suggested the community service. Morton, who admitted his role from the start, didn’t want to drag the case out longer.

“I thought it would be a good idea for my client to go back to the school and show his respect for it,” Turner said.

Morton also is on the hook for $329 in diversion user fees and court costs.

Caviness, who did not respond to a phone message Monday, told the Rushville Republican newspaper that the public outcry didn’t influence the outcome.

“This case got resolved because the school was magnanimous, and Mr. Morton was willing to take responsibility for his actions,” Caviness told the newspaper. “Regardless of the outcome of this case, it should be clear to everyone that you cannot dress like a terrorist and stash any object in a school without setting off serious security measures and terrifying people, and that kind of behavior won’t be tolerated.”

The prosecutor agreed to support a request by Morton to expunge the arrest from his record after he fulfills the diversion terms.

Morton, who lives with his grandmother, couldn’t be reached Monday. His great aunt Kim Morton, who lives nearby, said some family members still felt burned by the justice system.

“I think the family’s just put out with the fact that they treated it so harsh,” she said. “He could have been reprimanded on a much lesser charge and been treated less like a serious criminal.” She quickly added: “That’s just Aunt Kim speaking.”

Tyell Morton put off plans to enroll in Ivy Tech Community College and lost out on scholarships while his case was pending, his aunt said. He may delay college further to work and pay off his lawyer’s bill.

The high school gave Morton his diploma, but his arrest kept him from attending graduation.

His family hopes to remedy that. Plans are in the works for a private ceremony at his grandmother’s house, Kim Morton said, with classmates invited to come and toast his graduation.

Call Star reporter Jon Murray at (317) 444-2752.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, information was received from the Marion County Coroner’s Office that Meagan Toothman, 24. passed away as a result of injuries sustained at the fairgrounds on Saturday evening, August 13, 2011.

This story will be updated.

The 41-year-old Indianapolis mechanic wasn’t robbing people or getting into bar fights; he’d fallen behind on child support payments.

Wilborn now has a full-time job and is making his regular $170-a-week payments, but he’s an example of how seriously authorities take delinquent parents and how much discretion they have in prosecuting them.

“Thirty days in jail three times,” he said, “makes it hard to keep a job.”

In an effort to get more people to make child support payments, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry on Wednesday announced an amnesty program through Sept. 30.

“If you are motivated, we will help you do the right thing,” Curry said.

The office will target 400 parents who recently fell behind on child support payments. If they come in, the prosecutor will refrain from pursuing criminal and civil penalties and will offer help finding work.

“Whether they owe $1,000 or $100,000, if they stop delaying and start paying now, we will help them get job assistance, keep their driver’s license and avoid criminal or civil charges,” Curry said at a news conference announcing the “Stop Delaying — Start Paying” incentive.

The prosecutor’s office handles about 76,000 child support cases and collected $107 million in payments in 2010.

“Most parents pay most of what they owe,” Curry said.

State law gives the prosecutor’s office broad latitude to collect money from delinquent parents, including garnisheeing wages and intercepting income tax returns. It can also can suspend driver’s licenses, professional licenses and fishing licenses. And it can put the delinquent parent in jail.

In Marion County, four to five parents a week are threatened with jail sentences, and about 100 a week have their wages garnisheed, said John Owens, chief deputy of the child support division.

“This marks a shift in philosophy to one of collaboration” with parents, he said of the amnesty program. “As long as you make a best effort, you won’t have to worry about the consequences.”

But Ned Holstein, founder of Fathers and Families, a national family court reform organization, said state laws on delinquent parents are counterproductive and unfairly punish poor parents.

“It turns poor fathers into fugitives who have to work in the underground economy and keep moving, and Mom doesn’t get anything because of it,” Holstein said. “They’ll go after a guy who is making minimum wage, trying his best but only making 80 percent of the payment.”

Owens said the amnesty program tries to address that problem by getting the parent on a payment schedule even if past payments aren’t recoverable.

“We are trying to get them re-engaged,” he said. “Let’s face it; if someone is $20,000 behind, that is a debt that won’t be repaid.”

Wilborn, who is about $50,000 behind in child support payments, said he got divorced 12 years ago when his daughter was about 3.

Wilborn struggled for years to keep up with payments while abusing alcohol and having trouble finding jobs. He did three 30-day sentences in jail for failure to pay and had his driver’s license suspended. The latter nearly cost him a job offer.

About a month ago, he contacted the prosecutor’s office — before the amnesty was announced — and said they “were extremely helpful.”

“I had a letter with me that was the job offer,” he said. “I paid $500, and (the prosecutor’s office) must have made a call or pushed a button, and they returned my license.”

Wilborn said he makes $15 an hour now and brings home $300 a week after his support payments are deducted.

CLICK ON THE MEMORIAL SERVICE TO SEE FEED MEMORIAL SERVICE

Spike Lee has never been one to shy away from controversy.  In the 1988 film School Daze, Lee gives a semi-autobiographical account of his experience attending Morehouse College, the historically all male black institution in Atlanta, Georgia.  With a satirical eye, Lee explored hot-button topics such as colorism, misogyny, class divisions and apartheid.

While School Daze opened to some positive reviews with mainstream film critics, segments of the African-American community were unhappy with Lee airing their dirty laundry. In fact, Lee was asked to halt production while filming on the campuses of Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta University because they felt School Daze cast black colleges in a negative light.  Coincidentally, some cast members of the film (Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell) would go on to star in Bill Cosby’s sitcom, “A Different World,” which gave a more positive and sympathetic view of  black college life.  Lee would continue to be a cinematic provocateur, going on to direct racially and politically charged dramas like Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Bamboozled.

The Urban Daily lists five reasons why School Daze continues to be one of the best films about higher learning.

Lawrence Fishburne—Fishburne gives a winning performance as Vaughn “Dap” Dunlap.  Dap is outspoken and politically progressive, but in a cruel twist of fate, his views are not welcome in setting that should foster independent thinking.  Between his pressuring school administrators to divest from South Africa and bumping heads with fraternity head Dean Big Brother Almighty (Giancarlo Esposito), Dap is considered Public Enemy #1.

Good Hair—In one of School Daze’s most memorable musical numbers, the two sororities on campus tackle one of black America’s dirty little secrets.  The light-skinned “Wannabes” and the browner, earthier looking “Jigaboos” is a painful reminder of the daily struggle black women endure  in a country that judges them on a Eurocentric standard of beauty.

Samuel Jackson—Jackson plays one of the town locals, who has  a serious inferiority complex when it comes to the students at Mission College.  In a confrontation with Dap and his boys, Jackson states “College don’t mean shit…Y’all n*ggas and y’all gonna be niggas forever—just like us!” In 2011, the class lines in the black community are still sharply drawn as evidenced by the feuds between Grant Hill and Jalen Rose, and the Spike Lee vs. Tyler Perry debate .

Soundtrack—Who would have thought that a movie as serious and topical as School Daze would produce one of the 80’s hottest club bangers?  E.U., a go-go group from Washington D.C. scored a pop hit with “Da Butt” creating a new dance sensation, and charted at #35 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list. And who could forget Tisha Campbell’s “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone Tonight?”


The Ending—No Spike Lee movie is ever complete without a ‘message’. After witnessing the debauchery during homecoming weekend, Dap takes matters into his own hands and literally shake some sense into the student body. Lee would prove eerily prophetic in this dramatic ending, as our people battle alarming statistics today: almost 70% of black children are born into single parent homes and only 47% of black males earning high school diplomas. We indeed need to “WAKE UP!”

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The Russ Parr Morning Show meter was off the chain this morning. It’s no question DJ Quicksilva puts it down Monday through Thursday during the Late A** Ish Mix, but today was different. He took it to a whole ‘nother level!

Russ Parr is always looking to up the ante while keeping you entertained and educated musically. So both he and DJ Quicksilva collaborated on an idea that would allow us to reminisce on the good ole days on this morning’s epic mix called the “Gone Too Soon” Late A** Ish mix. Hear from female and male artists who have since passed on. Russ said it best explaining “A lot of these voices will last forever, we were absolutely graced to have a record we can remember them by.”

Take a listen. Relax your mind and let your conscious be free.

Where would these artist be if they were still here on earth?  Please leave your comments below.

ALL OF THESE ARTISTS BRING BACK SO MANY MEMORIES.

AS WE CELEBRATE BLACK MUSIC MONTH,

LET’S CELEBRATE THOSE WHO ARE INDEED GONE TOO SOON.

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO JOIN OUR

BLACK MUSIC MONTH CELEBRATION ALL MONTH LONG.

MORE WIZNATION.COM MIX SHOWS:

DJ QUICKSILVA MIX - Russ Parr presents DJ Quiksilva spinning the jams live on the air!

AT WORK NETWORK: 12 O’CLOCK FLASHBACK – Listen to all the old school jams during your midday experience with DJ Diamond and E.J. Greig.

AFTERNOON DRIVE AT FIVE – Every weekday, DJ Diamond & DJ Skillz take over the airwaves on your evening commute.

THROWBACK THURSDAYS – Watch, listen & chat live from the studio with DJ Diamond every Thursday.

THE 9 O’CLOCK NEWS MIXTAPE SERIES – Experience brand new Hip Hop and R&B live you never heard it played before.

Also make sure you are in attendance to get Russ’ New Book “The Game Behind The Game” For more info on this release click the picture below

THIS FRIDAY
-WATCH THE INDIANAPOLIS DEBUT OF RUSS PARR’S “35 AND TICKING”
-AT AMC WASHINGTON SQUARE THEATER WITH RUSS PARR
-TWO SHOWINGS: AT 7PM AND 10PM

**COME OUT TO THE HOT 963′S BREAKFAST WITH RUSS AT “CREATION CAFE” ON W 11TH STREET FRIDAY MORNING STARTING AT 6AM AND A CHANCE TO WIN $500!!!!

***MEET RUSS FRIDAY JUNE 10TH BEFORE THE MOVIE AT 5PM AT BUFFALO WILD WINGS IN WASHINGTON SQUARE FOR THE “HOT 963 HAPPY HOUR PRE-MOVIE PARTY”