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You are here: Home / Politics / America / Florida Woman! (Not BettyC!)

Florida Woman! (Not BettyC!)

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Florida Woman strikes again:

Police have arrested a 24-year-old Waldo woman who they believe called in a bomb threat to the University of Florida last week.

Jessica Ward was charged with making a false report concerning planting a bomb, which is a felony, according to a news release today from UF police.

The threat was made against the university’s engineering building, and Ward worked in the building’s Java Hut Coffee Kiosk, the release says.

Students were evacuated from the building Wednesday after a note was found on the first floor of the building in a restroom, and classes in the building were canceled for the rest of the day.

Later, during an interview with police, Ward said she wrote the threat. She told them she wanted to leave work at the threat’s indicated time so she could have “me time,” according to the release.

Ward was arrested this morning and remained at the Alachua County jail on a $15,000 bond.

Open Thread!

Reader Interactions

94Comments

  2. 2.

    Adam L Silverman

    Apparently Balloon Juice just eradicated the mumps! Another public health hazard resolved through blogging!!!!! ?

  3. 3.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Baud: When I first clicked on the link I was wondering whether it was anyone I knew. There are at least a half dozen faculty and staff I could see doing this.

  5. 5.

    Major Major Major Major

    Ward said she wrote the threat. She told them she wanted to leave work at the threat’s indicated time so she could have “me time,” according to the release.

    Wow, all I had to do was ask nicely and they’re letting me work from home tomorrow.

  9. 9.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Geeze, why didn’t I think of that as a means of getting some “me time” in any workplace I’ve ever been a part of?

    That would have gone over VERY well, I’m sure, in any military unit I was a member of, for example.

  11. 11.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Baud: mistermix had posted, very briefly, right after me. It was on a mumps outbreak. I refreshed the page and all of a sudden it was gone.

  15. 15.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SiubhanDuinne: Nope. When I left UF in 2004 she would have been 14. And I try never to even stop in Waldo, let alone set foot in it. Those peeps give me the creeps!

  16. 16.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: Don’t be eating or drinking anything when you read the email I sent you a while ago! You have been warned!!!!!!

  22. 22.

    cmorenc

    One of the rotating group of banner ads at the top of BJ today has Ron Paul warning us about some upcoming major surprise involving gold. The only surprise potential I foresee is how many gullible fools there might be out there to buy whatever Ron Paul is the pitch-man for (and taking a % cut off the revenue).

  23. 23.

    LAO

    OT: to all the people with puppy car sickness advice, thank you. Also, I can report that organic ginger snap, appears to be a new favorite. The real test, of course will be tomorrow when I drive to my folks.

  24. 24.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman: eeh? “Eradicating mumps”? Am I missing something?

    ETA: OK, I’m tracking on the mumps thing now. I think.

    This post did make me snortle out loud at work. Which, considering everything else that’s going on, is quite an achievement.

  25. 25.

    Davebo

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Full of beans? I heard that phrase for the first time from my Scottish girlfriend and the first thought I had was that I should point my arse the other way in bed!

    Turns out, I got it all wrong.

  30. 30.

    Brachiator

    Saw the movie “Arrival” this past weekend. It was slow, ponderous, and I thought that Jeremy Renner was miscast, even though Amy Adams wanted and got him for the movie. Despite my reservations, and a lack of typical SF action, I liked the movie and its thoughtful approach to an alien arrival. There are some mild surprises and the movie reminded me as much of “Children of Men” as it did the more obvious comparison with “Contact.” Amy Adams’ performance is very solid, and I loved the visuals and the alien design.

    I’m hearing very good things about the Disney movie “Moana.” It might bring peace peace to households over what might otherwise be a contentious Thanksgiving. OTOH, a turkey wishbone can make a formidable weapon, if handled correctly.

  31. 31.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Tim F had posted, very briefly, right after me. It was on a mumps outbreak.

    It’s back, but it’s mistermix, not Tim F.

    Unless there’s more than one mumps outbreak affecting BJ front-pagers.

  33. 33.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Davebo:

    Full of beans? I heard that phrase for the first time from my Scottish girlfriend and the first thought I had was that I should point my arse the other way in bed!

    Bluff King Hall was full of beans:
    He married half-a-dozen Quuens.
    For three called Kate they cried the banns,
    And one called Jane, and a couple of Annes.

    /Herbert and Eleanor Farjeon (from memory)

  36. 36.

    Miss Bianca

    Don’t know if this is the most appropriate spot to post this, but per my friend (and erstwhile BJ commenter) Kerry Reid:

    “Department of Justice is tallying phone calls regarding those who want the 2016 Vote audited. A shift of just 55,000 Trump votes to Hillary in PA, MI & WI is all that is needed to win. They are starting to recognize there really is something off about the election results as they come in. Considering everything that is at stake, a vote audit should be done.
    Please take one minute and call/email the DOJ – Department of Justice: 1-800-253-3931 (press 5) or 202-353-1555 (leave message) or email: [email protected]

    “My name is [first last name], I’m calling from [city],[state] to respectfully request you pursue an investigation into voter suppression, Russian collusion and FBI interference with the 2016 presidential election. Please issue an injunction until a thorough investigation can take place.”
    The point is to provide the DOJ with numbers so they can say X number of Americans want an injunction. Short, sweet, polite does the trick.

    Just for the record – You don’t have to say the whole spiel over the phone, you can just ask your name to be added to the list requesting the investigation instead of going through the whole thing.

    I emailed. Hey, I don’t know if it will do any good, but damn it, it’s something.

  37. 37.

    Chris

    @Brachiator:

    From what I’m told, the movie (or at least the story it’s based on) is one of the stories that actually takes seriously the notion that an alien species would be, well, alien, not just humans in makeup, with vastly different mentalities. Looking forward to seeing it on those grounds alone.

  38. 38.

    ruemara

    Pretty sure if Betty Cracker was ever a Florida Woman story, it would involve serious pyrotechnics.

  40. 40.

    Chris

    @Miss Bianca:

    “My name is [first last name], I’m calling from [city],[state] to respectfully request you pursue an investigation into voter suppression, Russian collusion and FBI interference with the 2016 presidential election. Please issue an injunction until a thorough investigation can take place.”

    Is that a good idea, or do you just come off like a conspiracy crank? Would you be better off just saying “voting irregularities” or the like?

  42. 42.

    opiejeanne

    @ruemara:

    Pretty sure if Betty Cracker was ever a Florida Woman story, it would involve serious pyrotechnics.

    And chickens or boxers.

  50. 50.

    GregB

    This woman is a piker compared to Casey Fury who wanted time off from his job at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard so he started some rags on fire and caused 450 million in damage to a submarine. He has some time off now.

  51. 51.

    Miss Bianca

    @Chris: I’d say vary the wording if you are concerned about it. And also, it feels really, REALLY weird to be the one saying, “what’s the difference between a conspracy theory and an *actual* conspiracy?”

    Comes down to evidence. Evidence ain’t going to surface without an investigation.

  52. 52.

    Denali

    @Miss Bianca

    Done. Feels good to have done something to try to undo this nightmare. What good will a million women’s march do the day after inauguration?

  53. 53.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    Waldo.
    …
    I went to UF 1988 to 1992.
    …
    I know Waldo.
    World’s most infamous speed trap until they shut it down a few years ago because it was becoming too obvious a shakedown scam.
    Actually a pretty fun flea market there, although I dunno if it’s still there, it’s been ages.

    By the way, have they closed Leonardo’s yet? I’m tempted to go up there before they do if I ever find a day off to go.

  54. 54.

    hovercraft

    Just think about all of these Florida Man and Florida Woman, characters hooking up and reproducing, what will their off spring be capable of?

  61. 61.

    Mnemosyne

    @Miss Bianca:

    A conspiracy theory is when you look at something bad that happened and spin a story to explain it. It’s the modern equivalent of Thor’s hammer being the explanation for why thunder exists.

    A conspiracy is a conspiracy and usually doesn’t require a lot of theorizing. When legislators in North Carolina openly brag that they suppressed Black voters, it ain’t no theory that voter suppression occurred.

  62. 62.

    germy

    Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are on most evenings in our house. I can take Jeopardy, but Wheel of Fortune I can do without. Sajak gives me the creeps. Here he is on twitter:

    Be sure to turn off your cell phone during “Hamilton.” If it rings, you never know what they might say to you at end.

    Here’s what he tweeted on November 8th:

    She’ll get ’em next time.

    What a dick.

  63. 63.

    Citizen_X

    @Denali:

    What good will a million women’s march do the day after inauguration?

    Oh, come on. It’s American liberal tradition to posture and protest, full of righteous fury, after losing an election.

  64. 64.

    Mnemosyne

    @germy:

    LMM was a little infamous for calling people out on Twitter if their cell phones went off during the show. Apparently you can tell what row someone is in from the stage.

    Sajak had better be sure not to have his cell phone on if he sees a show that stars Patti LuPone — she has been known to stop the whole show and yell at people from the stage.

  66. 66.

    Baud

    @hovercraft:

    Just think about all of these Florida Man and Florida Woman, characters hooking up and reproducing, what will their off spring be capable of?

    Electing Trump.

  70. 70.

    Brachiator

    @Chris:Yep. The humans and the ETs are mutually alien to each other, and are plausibly depicted.

    And the aliens are never simplistically cute or easily lovable cuddle toys.

  71. 71.

    germy

    I can’t remember his name, but a famous violinist responded to someone’s ringtone interrupting a concert by playing the ringtone on his violin.

  72. 72.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Miss Bianca: The below is where this is coming from:
    http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/activists-urge-hillary-clinton-to-challenge-election-results.html?mid=twitter-share-di

    Hillary Clinton is being urged by a group of prominent computer scientists and election lawyers to call for a recount in three swing states won by Donald Trump, New York has learned. The group, which includes voting-rights attorney John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, believes they’ve found persuasive evidence that results in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania may have been manipulated or hacked. The group is so far not speaking on the record about their findings and is focused on lobbying the Clinton team in private.

    And:

    The Clinton camp is running out of time to challenge the election. According to one of the activists, the deadline in Wisconsin to file for a recount is Friday; in Pennsylvania, it’s Monday; and Michigan is next Wednesday. Whether Clinton will call for a recount remains unclear. The academics so far have only a circumstantial case that would require not just a recount but a forensic audit of voting machines. Also complicating matters, a senior Clinton adviser said, is that the White House, focused on a smooth transfer of power, does not want Clinton to challenge the election result. Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri did not respond to a request for comment. But some Clinton allies are intent on pushing the issue. This afternoon, Huma Abedin’s sister Heba encouraged her Facebook followers to lobby the Justice Department to audit the 2016 vote. “Call the DOJ…and tell them you want the votes audited,” she wrote. “Even if it’s busy, keep calling.”

    More at the link.

  73. 73.

    germy

    @Ruviana:

    …a notorious RWNJ

    They call Wheel of Fortune “America’s Game” because you’re always one spin away from bankruptcy and their common phrases are sentences no human has ever uttered.

  75. 75.

    Original Lee

    @Miss Bianca: So what happens if the mail-in ballots tip the electoral vote the other way in Michigan? Is this possible? Would we even hear about it?

  76. 76.

    hovercraft

    This is so depressing, Shepard Smith, is more of a journalist than most of msnbc, not on during prime time.

    Fox News’ Shepard Smith said Tuesday that he would not play a YouTube video of President-elect Donald Trump laying out his agenda on air, saying Fox News had a policy against showing such statements where journalists hadn’t been been allowed to ask questions…….

    Smith first focused on a “Morning Joe” report that Trump would not seek to prosecute Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. That was a reversal from his pledge during the presidential campaign to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton. Then, Smith continued, the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman tweeted that Trump said in a meeting with the paper that he would not take the possibility of an investigation “off the table.”

    “Anything you want to happen to Secretary Clinton on any of those matters is now available to you, almost officially, almost from the now President-elect’s mouth. But we have all of them. So whichever one you like, you may have it,” he said.

    The same applies to climate change, he continued: Trump had previously said that it was a hoax. But Haberman tweeted that Trump told Times brass “there is some connectivity” between human beings and climate change.

    “Which could make it not a hoax, so if that’s what you prefer, that is also now available to you,” he said….

  77. 77.

    hovercraft

    @germy:
    Someone needs to explain to me what makes game show hosts all republican dick heads. As far as I can tell all the most popular ones are assholes in real life. Oops did I just answer my own question?

  78. 78.

    Gvg

    I saw all the emergency trucks for that bomb threat. The food kiosks are contracted out to various private companies and the employees are not UF employees and don’t get our pretty generous vacation and sick leave. I had worked here 20 healthy years and had over 1000 hours accumulated even though I took vacations. Even cancer didn’t wipe out all my hours.

  81. 81.

    Miss Bianca

    @Mnemosyne: Sort of the 21st century equivalent of John Barrymore, who was notorious for calling people out on stage for inapppropriate noise-making from the audience. One of my favorites being when he hid a fish under his coat during a winter cold epidemic in New York which caused fits of coughing in the audience. Apparently he flung the fish into the crowd yelling, “Take THIS, you blasted walruses!”

  82. 82.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman: Ah, thanks for that. How much credibility would there be in the attempt, do you think? (always remembering that nothing a Democrat does by way of crying foul is ever seen as justified).

  84. 84.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Miss Bianca: I have no idea. Do I think things are close enough and that there was enough voter suppression under color of law and Russian interference in the campaign to argue that with such slim margins, and such a huge difference between the exit polling and the actual results, that an audit should be done in order to ensure every American that regardless of whether they like the outcome, it is legit? I don’t think that’s unreasonable. I also think a counterintelligence and national security investigation into Russian involvement during the campaign is also definitely warranted. But other than you, no one is asking for my opinion on this.

  87. 87.

    Gvg

    @Adam L Silverman: not that I know of. I work in Financial Aid. I was a regular counselor from about 94 till about 2003. Since then I have been in the back working Academic progress and Overseas visit students.

  88. 88.

    Ken

    So, It is against the law to call in a false bomb threat.

    But this is legal:
    Trump claimed “people that have died 10 years ago are still voting,”
    Trump claimed there is a massive problem with “illegal immigrants [who] are voting,”

    False claims in an election are OK? False bomb threats are not.

    I am not endorsing false bomb threats. But the dis-proportionate impact to society should be obvious.

    FWIW, in the late 1970’s I worked for a company that made communications equipment. The phone company was the primary customer but NASA was also a customer (products went to the moon). We experienced a series of bomb threats. They would clear the building and many employees would head down the street and have a beer. After a thorough search of the building the company HR would call down to the bar and alert us it was OK to return. Ultimately investigation determined the threats were being called-in from the pay phone in the main hallway!

  89. 89.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman: Can’t reply to email right now for technical reasons – Linux and Iceweasel and Gmail don’t like each other very much – but grinning like a fool over here. Thanks for that.

  90. 90.

    Sab

    @LAO: Hope that works. I drove a couple of 8 week old puppies from Tennessee to Ohio many years ago, and they were so traumatized that they shivered and threw up every time I put them in the car for the rest of their long (16 year) lives. Every dog I have had since would kill a sibling to get a car ride.

  93. 93.

    Another Holocene Human

    What makes this comical is that Waldo is a forgotten whistle stop that fills up with Mexicans once a year to pick berries. I wonder how she commutes to and from work. There is no bus and Java Hut can only be minimum wage. And yet she couldn’t get even that in Waldo.

    She is going to get punished. UFPD closed the road for hours, buses were diverted, classrooms evacuated. Now they need someone to blame.

  94. 94.

    Another Holocene Human

    @Baud: she’s working for a contractor, no benefits and even more downtrodden r than university employees

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