SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Two seemingly unrelated stories out of North Korea converged Tuesday to reveal a disturbing link, as former NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman announced another bizarre visit to Kim Jong-un immediately after an English language newspaper in South Korea, citing unnamed sources, broke a jarring story that claimed the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had ordered his girlfriend executed by firing squad. When asked about the reason for his third trip to Pyongyang, Rodman, whose life is riddled with legal problems from his failed marriages, said he planned to seek Kim's wisdom and advice on resolving complicated matters of the heart.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- A mass shooting spree was averted Wednesday when a bookkeeper at a Georgia elementary school notified police of an armed gunman on campus and eventually talked him into surrendering. The one-on-one conversation, in which the employee sympathized with the would-be killer's psychological troubles and offered assurances of help, was captured on 911 tapes. This incident followed the tragic and unconscionable shooting death of Christopher Lane, 22, in Oklahoma on Friday. The Australian baseball player, in the United States on a sport's scholarship, was gunned down in cold blood by three teens who told authorities their only motive for the murder was boredom. Representatives from the National Rifle Association (NRA) expressed "absolute disgust" and outrage over Lane's death, calling for the U.S. government to "stop ignoring the serious and deadly problem of bored youth in the nation."

SAN NARCISO, Calif.. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- After 16 hours of deliberation, a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of second-degree murder on Saturday, allowing him to walk free from criminal charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Critics, civil rights leaders and legal experts were stunned at the decision. Under Florida state law, a heavily armed citizen may slaughter another person he encounters on the street, so long as the shooter believes his life to be in peril. Zimmerman invoked this "Stand Your Ground" defense after he slayed the unarmed teenager, and the state saw fit to exonerate him. But on Sunday afternoon, Zimmerman made headlines once again by killing four more people in Sanford who frightened him half to death. Two of the individuals were reporters from Ebony magazine trying to get a statement. No other journalists were harmed. Again, police did not have enough evidence to make an arrest. Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, stated that they would rely on Stand Your Ground and double jeopardy if the state opted to pursue the matter legally. "We shouldn't even see court time," O'Mara said. "If George were black, this would be a non-issue: the police wouldn't be bothering with us in the first place."

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Given the high alerts, enhanced security, and police presence at the 238th Boston Marathon, would anything have foiled the bomber who executed Monday's attacks and escaped undetected? According to a Southern California branch of the National Rifle Association (NRA), gun-toting athletes and responsible bomb owners could have deterred or prevented the tragedy. Conservatives embroiled in the ongoing gun rights debate emphasized that the hostilities in Boston reiterated the need for a heavily armed citizenry. Thorn Havershabe, head of the San Narciso County chapter of the NRA -- backed by local conservative politician F. Chester Greene -- urged lawmakers on Tuesday to enforce mandatory weapons ownership and carrying policies, extending to explosives. "Only good guys with bombs can stop bad guys with bombs," Havershabe tweeted. He also called on organizers to restructure the Boston Marathon and similar events into biathlons that would equip participants with high-powered rifles.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- A mentally ill Connecticut woman killed her two grandsons Tuesday afternoon and then turned the gun on herself, according to state police. Debra Denison, 47, suffered from bipolar disorder and other mental health problems. This tragedy, to many, further illustrates the link between a faulty mental health system and overly lenient regulations for owning and carrying firearms. They cite the countless shooting deaths that have marred American communities over the last several months. But Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), stood by his controversial statement that preventing tragedies such as these requires more "good guys with guns." His talking points were repeated this week by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in a contentious senate hearing about reinstating assault rifle bans.

Voight-Kampff Machine

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius is suspected of killing his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, after claiming she failed something called a Voight-Kampff test. Police psychologists have been brought into the investigation, and are desperately trying to figure out what a Voight-Kampff test is or does. The celebrated South African couple, according to their public Twitter posts, were anticipating a romantic Valentine's Day. Steenkamp, 29, encouraged her followers to "get excited" about the holiday. But Pistorius' tweets turned more ominous, boasting of his marksmanship at a shooting range. The double-amputee Olympian issued no public statement, but authorities have said he is cooperating with the investigation. They also admitted that Pistorius, 26, seems to believe -- and has alluded to being -- some sort of government agent on a clandestine mission to detect potentially harmful androids, which he calls "replicants," manufactured by a large technology company in Johannesburg.

SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Lago, Calif., a small town near Mono Lake, has taken the unorthodox step of inviting ex-LAPD murder suspect Christopher Dorner to a picnic. Despite aggressive efforts by many police departments to hunt down Dorner, few results have been produced. Residents admit feeling frightened and inadequately protected, even with the increased police presence and concentration of tactical resources. On Saturday, actor Charlie Sheen made the unusual move of imploring Dorner to call him directly. "You mentioned me in your manifesto, so thank you for your kind words. I am urging you to call me," Sheen said in a video posted on TMZ. "Let's figure out together how to end this thing." Following Sheen's more supportive and peaceful tactic, the mayor of Lago directed every member of his community to decorate the city and prepare an elaborate picnic to lure Dorner out of hiding.

"Believe it or not, this isn't the first time we've had to do something like this out of frustration," said Mayor Mordecai Curtis. "But it worked out well when our forebears tried it back in the late 1800s."

SANFORD, Fla. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Following George Zimmerman's Feb. 26 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who threatened him with a bag of Skittles, authorities let the armed neighborhood watch captain walk free, citing the state's "Stand Your Ground Law" of self-defense. On Thursday, Zimmerman strengthened his case by invoking what legal insiders have named the "Skittle's Defense." Zimmerman is just one of many victims who displayed the courage to leverage the protection of the sweeping Florida law, which posits that a belligerent and predatory offense is a heck of a defense. One Florida official explained that "Mr. Zimmerman was so frightened of what Trayvon Martin might do with his bag of Skittles, he hunted him down like a three-legged dog with arthritis and butchered him on the street corner. That's the power of fear. Fight or flight. Zimmerman did what any of us would've in the same situation."

On Friday afternoon, Zimmerman made headlines once again by killing two more people in Sanford who frightened him half to death. Again, police did not have enough evidence to make an arrest. Among Zimmerman's latest assailants were a disabled senior citizen and a mime.