BANGOR, Maine (AP) - A man and woman who told troopers they were speeding to catch a flight when they were clocked driving 108 mph ended up in jail a second time - this time on charges of unruly behavior aboard an airplane, officials said.
The woman, 29, and the man, 42, both of Thorndike, were charged with criminal threatening, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and violation of bail conditions after they were arrested Wednesday at Bangor International Airport.
Forty-eight hours earlier, the couple had been released on bail after speeding past an unmarked state police cruiser on Interstate 95.
They told the trooper they were headed to the airport, but they were going in the wrong direction and had no tickets or receipts with them.
The man was charged with disorderly conduct, and the woman was charged with criminal speeding and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
On Wednesday, they were reportedly loud and disorderly at the ticket counter before boarding a flight to New York City. The behavior continued on the airplane, and the pilot returned to the gate, where the two were arrested, said Deputy Chief Peter Arno.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Four giant pandas born at center in China
CHENGDU, China (UPI) -- Three giant pandas gave birth to a total of four cubs, all delivered within 14 hours of each other, at a breeding base in southwest China, experts said.
Nine-year-old panda, Magic Luck, delivered twin female cubs Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, said Yang Feifei, an expert at the base.
Eight-year-old panda, Success, delivered a cub Saturday before Pearl, 8, delivered a cub early Sunday, Feifei said.
The base is home to 71 giant pandas, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported.
Giant pandas have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing.
Xinhua said about 1,590 pandas exist in China's wild, the majority of which are in Sichuan province and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi in the country's northwestern region.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Nine-year-old panda, Magic Luck, delivered twin female cubs Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, said Yang Feifei, an expert at the base.
Eight-year-old panda, Success, delivered a cub Saturday before Pearl, 8, delivered a cub early Sunday, Feifei said.
The base is home to 71 giant pandas, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported.
Giant pandas have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing.
Xinhua said about 1,590 pandas exist in China's wild, the majority of which are in Sichuan province and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi in the country's northwestern region.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Woman has Mona Lisa mowed into her lawn
LONDON (UPI) -- A British art-lover said she hired a 3D art expert to create an all-grass reproduction of the Mona Lisa on her home's lawn.
Tania Ledger, 48, of London, called on expert Chris Naylor, who recreated the Mona Lisa for the film "The Da Vinci Code," to complete a similar work of lawn art, The Telegraph reported.
Naylor said he spent two days chopping and snipping away at Ledger's lawn with garden tools and a lawn mower to create the grass image of the Mona Lisa.
Ledger said she doesn't mind that the masterpiece will grow out over time.
"It's like a haircut -- if you don't like it you can grow it out and you can try out as many new looks as you like," she told the newspaper.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tania Ledger, 48, of London, called on expert Chris Naylor, who recreated the Mona Lisa for the film "The Da Vinci Code," to complete a similar work of lawn art, The Telegraph reported.
Naylor said he spent two days chopping and snipping away at Ledger's lawn with garden tools and a lawn mower to create the grass image of the Mona Lisa.
Ledger said she doesn't mind that the masterpiece will grow out over time.
"It's like a haircut -- if you don't like it you can grow it out and you can try out as many new looks as you like," she told the newspaper.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Monday, July 28, 2008
Iowa case raises question: Is stripping an art?
By MELANIE S. WELTE
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs - but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked.
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs - but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked.
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
Friday, July 25, 2008
ACLU may take on cops' saggy pants policy
FLINT, Mich. (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union said it may file suit to challenge a Flint, Mich., police policy of charging wearers of saggy pants with indecent exposure.
The ACLU's Michigan chapter said it is seeking to speak to those targeted by the policy after Flint Police Chief David Dicks said he will not back down from his plan to charge those whose saggy pants expose too much underwear or bare bottoms with indecent exposure, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
"We are confident that young men in Flint will contact us now that the chief has announced that he won't budge," said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the Michigan ACLU. "If they do, we'll sue. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first saggy pants lawsuit in the country."
The ACLU said Monday was the deadline for Dicks to abandon the policy and they are now seeking to fight it.
However, Dicks said he will not be discouraged by the threat of an ACLU lawsuit. He said Flint police are "going to keep doing what we're doing."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
The ACLU's Michigan chapter said it is seeking to speak to those targeted by the policy after Flint Police Chief David Dicks said he will not back down from his plan to charge those whose saggy pants expose too much underwear or bare bottoms with indecent exposure, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
"We are confident that young men in Flint will contact us now that the chief has announced that he won't budge," said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the Michigan ACLU. "If they do, we'll sue. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first saggy pants lawsuit in the country."
The ACLU said Monday was the deadline for Dicks to abandon the policy and they are now seeking to fight it.
However, Dicks said he will not be discouraged by the threat of an ACLU lawsuit. He said Flint police are "going to keep doing what we're doing."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It's Killing Me
I write several blogs, as most of my readers know, and all of them are different to some degree. Three of those blogs are on a free website host called blogono. Normally, it is a great site, easy to write to and post on as well as edit if need be. But, since I started doing paid posts the site has gone down at the most inconvenient of times :(
So, it looks like I better start writing more over here and perhaps on Xanga, just to keep things going. I also have asked that this blog be added to my paid to post sites, so that if I get a job I have an actual shot at doing the job, thus earning some money.
I do hope that the wonderful folks running blogono get their act together and keep the site running smoothly. I'm tired of the downtime and I am tired of getting emails from my advertisers telling me that the site is down. That's not a good way to run a business.
In the meantime, I do hope you all have a great weekend. It's summertime, go outside and do something fun, like catch a baseball game. The family is going tomorrow to watch the local minor league team and all of us are really looking forward to going. It's nice to see players that are still playing because they love the game, not the high salary that they make :)
So, it looks like I better start writing more over here and perhaps on Xanga, just to keep things going. I also have asked that this blog be added to my paid to post sites, so that if I get a job I have an actual shot at doing the job, thus earning some money.
I do hope that the wonderful folks running blogono get their act together and keep the site running smoothly. I'm tired of the downtime and I am tired of getting emails from my advertisers telling me that the site is down. That's not a good way to run a business.
In the meantime, I do hope you all have a great weekend. It's summertime, go outside and do something fun, like catch a baseball game. The family is going tomorrow to watch the local minor league team and all of us are really looking forward to going. It's nice to see players that are still playing because they love the game, not the high salary that they make :)
Judge: Girl's name, Talula Does The Hula, won't do
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it.
Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.
Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.
The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.
"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."
The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.
In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.
Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.
New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.
Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.
Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.
The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.
"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."
The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.
In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.
Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.
New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Monty Python star takes over city hall
CARDIFF, Wales (UPI) -- Aberystwyth, Wales, Mayor Sue Jones-Davies says she is OK with the publicly available nude images of her in the movie "Monty Python's Life of Brian."
Jones-Davies, a professional actress and singer, played Judith in the 1979 comedy. Her nude scene is widely available on the Internet, but the movie has been banned in her town -- and she plans to use her new position to repeal the prohibition, The Observer said.
Jones-Davies told the newspaper Aberystwyth banned the film due to its irreverent take on religion.
"We used to be a town with many, many chapels -- it used to be a town that took religion very seriously," she said. "So I can imagine that, at the time, the town's elders weren't very sympathetic to the themes and messages in it."
Jones-Davies -- who was elected mayor July 10 -- has appeared in dozens of TV shows and films, including "Solomon and Gaenor," a 1999 Oscar nominee for best foreign language film.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Jones-Davies, a professional actress and singer, played Judith in the 1979 comedy. Her nude scene is widely available on the Internet, but the movie has been banned in her town -- and she plans to use her new position to repeal the prohibition, The Observer said.
Jones-Davies told the newspaper Aberystwyth banned the film due to its irreverent take on religion.
"We used to be a town with many, many chapels -- it used to be a town that took religion very seriously," she said. "So I can imagine that, at the time, the town's elders weren't very sympathetic to the themes and messages in it."
Jones-Davies -- who was elected mayor July 10 -- has appeared in dozens of TV shows and films, including "Solomon and Gaenor," a 1999 Oscar nominee for best foreign language film.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mayor, in newsletter, offends tourists
BELMAR, N.J. (UPI) -- Belmar, N.J., Mayor Ken Pringle has angered some residents of New York's Staten Island Borough with comments in a newsletter about women from the borough.
Pringle wrote in his July 4 newsletter that an "SI girl behaving badly" caused a ruckus at a Belmar club, the Staten Island Advance reported Thursday.
"As the Staten Island girl was pummeling the Boonton girl's face, she used the hand she was still holding her drink glass in," the mayor wrote. "Now, we're not sure if the glass was stuck to her hand cause of all the hair spray or if this is a technique Staten Island girls learn in Brownies, but we are thankful she left her brass knuckles and straight razor in her other purse."
The mayor also made references to "guidos" -- often used as a derogatory term for young Italian males -- saying they are "as welcome as, oh, Canada geese."
The slurs led one Staten Island councilman to suggest his constituents "avoid (Pringle's) town like the plague."
Mario Flotta of Staten Island, who said he frequently visits Belmar, said he was shocked and outraged by the mayor's comments.
"It's surprising to know that a place where tourism thrives and pays for pretty much everything around here, that someone would make comments like this," he said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Pringle wrote in his July 4 newsletter that an "SI girl behaving badly" caused a ruckus at a Belmar club, the Staten Island Advance reported Thursday.
"As the Staten Island girl was pummeling the Boonton girl's face, she used the hand she was still holding her drink glass in," the mayor wrote. "Now, we're not sure if the glass was stuck to her hand cause of all the hair spray or if this is a technique Staten Island girls learn in Brownies, but we are thankful she left her brass knuckles and straight razor in her other purse."
The mayor also made references to "guidos" -- often used as a derogatory term for young Italian males -- saying they are "as welcome as, oh, Canada geese."
The slurs led one Staten Island councilman to suggest his constituents "avoid (Pringle's) town like the plague."
Mario Flotta of Staten Island, who said he frequently visits Belmar, said he was shocked and outraged by the mayor's comments.
"It's surprising to know that a place where tourism thrives and pays for pretty much everything around here, that someone would make comments like this," he said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Monday, July 21, 2008
Suit: Doctor put tattoo on patient
CAMDEN, N.J. (UPI) -- A Camden County, N.J., woman is suing her orthopedic surgeon after he rubbed a temporary tattoo onto her body while she was unconscious.
Elizabeth Mateo claims in her suit that she did not realize until the morning after the surgery that the surgeon, Steven Kirshner, had left a temporary tattoo of a rose on her abdomen while she was under anesthesia, the Philadelphia Enquirer reported Wednesday.
"She was extremely emotionally upset by it," said attorney Gregg Shivers, who filed the suit on Mateo's behalf in Camden County Superior Court.
The suit seeks punitive and compensatory damages from Kirshner.
The doctor admitted to placing the tattoo on Mateo but he denied any ill intent, the newspaper reported. He said he often rubs temporary tattoos on patients as a means of helping to raise their spirits after a stressful operation.
"What's offensive about this complaint is that it suggests something he did was intended to be prurient, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Kirshner's lawyer, Robert Agre. "It was intended just to make the patient feel better."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Elizabeth Mateo claims in her suit that she did not realize until the morning after the surgery that the surgeon, Steven Kirshner, had left a temporary tattoo of a rose on her abdomen while she was under anesthesia, the Philadelphia Enquirer reported Wednesday.
"She was extremely emotionally upset by it," said attorney Gregg Shivers, who filed the suit on Mateo's behalf in Camden County Superior Court.
The suit seeks punitive and compensatory damages from Kirshner.
The doctor admitted to placing the tattoo on Mateo but he denied any ill intent, the newspaper reported. He said he often rubs temporary tattoos on patients as a means of helping to raise their spirits after a stressful operation.
"What's offensive about this complaint is that it suggests something he did was intended to be prurient, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Kirshner's lawyer, Robert Agre. "It was intended just to make the patient feel better."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Friday, July 18, 2008
Police say beer thief left dripping trail
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (UPI) -- Police in a West Virginia town say a man who broke into a car and stole 11 cold cans of beer left an easy trail of water drops.
Officers in South Charleston who responded to a complaint of a car break-in last week noticed the water droplets, the Charleston Daily Mail reported. They have filed a complaint in Kanawha County charging Karl Stewart, 49, of South Charleston with destruction of property and petit larceny.
The beer was sitting in a cooler in the car when Stewart allegedly broke a rear window.
Police followed the trail to a house, not Stewart's residence, on the same street.
Officers in South Charleston who responded to a complaint of a car break-in last week noticed the water droplets, the Charleston Daily Mail reported. They have filed a complaint in Kanawha County charging Karl Stewart, 49, of South Charleston with destruction of property and petit larceny.
The beer was sitting in a cooler in the car when Stewart allegedly broke a rear window.
Police followed the trail to a house, not Stewart's residence, on the same street.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Lawn decoration returned, with photos
PORTLAND, Ore. (UPI) -- A Portland, Ore., woman who had given up hope of ever seeing her missing ceramic dog again said the item has returned -- with photos of its travels.
Edwina Cramer-Norris said she had assumed the dog was gone for good when it disappeared last month, but then she began receiving postcards addressed "To Master" from "Lucky Dog," KPTV, Portland, Ore., reported Monday.
Cramer-Norris said she saw a blue van leave her driveway Sunday and when she went outside to investigate, she found her missing lawn decoration sitting in a makeshift dog house alongside a photo album documenting its adventures. She said the pictures depict the dog with a family at locations including DisneyWorld, Graceland, the Mississippi River and New Orleans.
She said a note accompanying the pictures explained that the dog had needed a vacation from Oregon because the weather was too rainy.
"It's a strange thing," she said. "We're happy to have him back and it gives us something to share with others. (It's) some kind of a strange story."
Cramer-Norris said the missing dog returned with two new additions to the family -- a pair of ceramic puppies.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Edwina Cramer-Norris said she had assumed the dog was gone for good when it disappeared last month, but then she began receiving postcards addressed "To Master" from "Lucky Dog," KPTV, Portland, Ore., reported Monday.
Cramer-Norris said she saw a blue van leave her driveway Sunday and when she went outside to investigate, she found her missing lawn decoration sitting in a makeshift dog house alongside a photo album documenting its adventures. She said the pictures depict the dog with a family at locations including DisneyWorld, Graceland, the Mississippi River and New Orleans.
She said a note accompanying the pictures explained that the dog had needed a vacation from Oregon because the weather was too rainy.
"It's a strange thing," she said. "We're happy to have him back and it gives us something to share with others. (It's) some kind of a strange story."
Cramer-Norris said the missing dog returned with two new additions to the family -- a pair of ceramic puppies.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Retailer under fire for big bra surcharge
LONDON (UPI) -- British retailer Marks & Spencer has been pressured to justify a $4 surcharge on bras sized DD or larger, following complaints from large-breasted women.
The company claims the surcharge is necessary because larger bras are more difficult to construct, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Critics say the fee amounts to discrimination against curvy women.
Outraged shopper Beckie Williams said she organized a group on the social networking site Facebook to convince people to get Marks & Spencer to reverse the policy.
"Busty ladies, and anyone else with a vested interest in busty ladies, in fact anyone with a vested interest in simple justice, join forces to end this blatant discrimination," the Busts 4 Justice Internet group urges.
A Marks & Spencer spokesman said many women are "happy to pay a small premium" for the extra work that goes into making the bras.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
The company claims the surcharge is necessary because larger bras are more difficult to construct, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Critics say the fee amounts to discrimination against curvy women.
Outraged shopper Beckie Williams said she organized a group on the social networking site Facebook to convince people to get Marks & Spencer to reverse the policy.
"Busty ladies, and anyone else with a vested interest in busty ladies, in fact anyone with a vested interest in simple justice, join forces to end this blatant discrimination," the Busts 4 Justice Internet group urges.
A Marks & Spencer spokesman said many women are "happy to pay a small premium" for the extra work that goes into making the bras.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Police nab suspect in his skivvies
HARTFORD, Wis. (UPI) -- Police in Hartford, Wis., said they have arrested a man who allegedly ditched his clothes after a robbery to make a getaway wearing only his underwear.
Police said the 37-year-old man, whose name was not released, robbed a convenience store with a fake handgun after purchasing a pack of cigarettes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The robber wore a pair of blue coveralls, but police said they discovered him riding a bicycle wearing only his underwear -- with the unopened pack of cigarettes and $412, the exact amount taken from the store, stuffed inside.
In between the store and bike path where police found the man, officers discovered a pair of blue coveralls and a fake handgun. Police said the suspect told them he was robbed by a man who only wanted his clothing and let him keep the money.
Prosecutors said the suspect, who was being held in Washington County Jail, was expected to be charged with armed robbery.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Police said the 37-year-old man, whose name was not released, robbed a convenience store with a fake handgun after purchasing a pack of cigarettes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The robber wore a pair of blue coveralls, but police said they discovered him riding a bicycle wearing only his underwear -- with the unopened pack of cigarettes and $412, the exact amount taken from the store, stuffed inside.
In between the store and bike path where police found the man, officers discovered a pair of blue coveralls and a fake handgun. Police said the suspect told them he was robbed by a man who only wanted his clothing and let him keep the money.
Prosecutors said the suspect, who was being held in Washington County Jail, was expected to be charged with armed robbery.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Monday, July 14, 2008
Man's ashes said tossed in parking dispute
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (UPI) -- A Florida man may face criminal charges for allegedly spilling the remains of a woman's late father while arguing with her about a parking spot, police said.
The woman said she came home after being away for five days to find a "belligerent drunk neighbor" at her Okaloosa County home, the Northwest Fla. Daily News reported Monday.
She said her daughter went outside to find the neighbor sitting in her car after they heard someone honking the horn.
The woman told police the man started yelling and swearing at her before she attempted taking a wooden container carrying her late father's ashes out of the car.
The man allegedly knocked the container from her grasp, police said. A bag fell from the box and a portion of the remains in it were scattered on the ground, the newspaper said.
The woman said he tried to dump the bag after she told him what was in it and finally let go after it was torn open.
The man told police he consumed about four beers prior to the scuffle and has denied allegations he dumped the ashes, the newspaper said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
The woman said she came home after being away for five days to find a "belligerent drunk neighbor" at her Okaloosa County home, the Northwest Fla. Daily News reported Monday.
She said her daughter went outside to find the neighbor sitting in her car after they heard someone honking the horn.
The woman told police the man started yelling and swearing at her before she attempted taking a wooden container carrying her late father's ashes out of the car.
The man allegedly knocked the container from her grasp, police said. A bag fell from the box and a portion of the remains in it were scattered on the ground, the newspaper said.
The woman said he tried to dump the bag after she told him what was in it and finally let go after it was torn open.
The man told police he consumed about four beers prior to the scuffle and has denied allegations he dumped the ashes, the newspaper said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wanted man stopped to help police
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (UPI) -- Police in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, said they arrested a suspected serial burglar after he stopped to offer assistance to two officers.
The police said William Vickers, 46, stopped at about 1 a.m. Sunday to offer assistance to two officers who were attempting to help a woman who had locked herself out of her car, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday.
The officers told Vickers they had the situation well in hand but as the seemingly good Samaritan began walking away and into the light of a street lamp, one of the officers recognized him as a suspect in the After Midnight Burglar case.
Vickers is suspected of multiple burglaries four years ago as well as a break-in reported last week. Police fliers posted around the city bear the suspect's face.
"It was nice for Willie to offer to help, and he probably has more experience getting into cars than our two officers on the scene," Police Chief Martin Lentz said.
However, Vickers, who allegedly fought against the officers and damaged the woman's car, now faces multiple charges including burglary, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. He was being held in Cleveland Heights Jail.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
The police said William Vickers, 46, stopped at about 1 a.m. Sunday to offer assistance to two officers who were attempting to help a woman who had locked herself out of her car, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday.
The officers told Vickers they had the situation well in hand but as the seemingly good Samaritan began walking away and into the light of a street lamp, one of the officers recognized him as a suspect in the After Midnight Burglar case.
Vickers is suspected of multiple burglaries four years ago as well as a break-in reported last week. Police fliers posted around the city bear the suspect's face.
"It was nice for Willie to offer to help, and he probably has more experience getting into cars than our two officers on the scene," Police Chief Martin Lentz said.
However, Vickers, who allegedly fought against the officers and damaged the woman's car, now faces multiple charges including burglary, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. He was being held in Cleveland Heights Jail.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Man sues over $9,500 Verizon bill
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (UPI) -- A West Palm beach, Fla., man is suing Verizon Wireless in state court after his family incurred a $9,500 wireless Internet bill in just 11 days.
Steven Sprague, 48, said he was given a free wireless card for his laptop computer when he re-upped his two-year contract with Verizon and the suit claims he was told by a sales agent that the unlimited wireless card usage from his previous plan would carry over, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported.
However, the card was broken by Sprague's wife after only 11 days of use by the couple and their three children, ages 16, 12 and 8. Nonetheless, Sprague said, his bill for the month was nearly $9,500.
"I was ticked off at her for breaking the card, but she was doing me the biggest favor in the world," he said. "At least it stopped there."
Sprague said he took the bill to the Circuit City kiosk where he re-upped his contract and found the plan was not unlimited, but instead included a 49-cent surcharge for each megabyte over 5 gigabytes of monthly use.
"This case is either the classic bait-and-switch situation or, worst case, just a blatant attempt to get people in a contract where they don't know what they are getting into," said Sprague's lawyer, Philip Valente Jr.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Steven Sprague, 48, said he was given a free wireless card for his laptop computer when he re-upped his two-year contract with Verizon and the suit claims he was told by a sales agent that the unlimited wireless card usage from his previous plan would carry over, the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported.
However, the card was broken by Sprague's wife after only 11 days of use by the couple and their three children, ages 16, 12 and 8. Nonetheless, Sprague said, his bill for the month was nearly $9,500.
"I was ticked off at her for breaking the card, but she was doing me the biggest favor in the world," he said. "At least it stopped there."
Sprague said he took the bill to the Circuit City kiosk where he re-upped his contract and found the plan was not unlimited, but instead included a 49-cent surcharge for each megabyte over 5 gigabytes of monthly use.
"This case is either the classic bait-and-switch situation or, worst case, just a blatant attempt to get people in a contract where they don't know what they are getting into," said Sprague's lawyer, Philip Valente Jr.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Frozen 'hands' prove to be animal gonads
FORT WORTH, Texas (UPI) -- The new owner of a Texas apartment called police when he found what appeared to be human hands in the freezer -- only to learn they were animal testicles.
Patrick McCusker of Fort Worth stumbled across the items Friday while he was cleaning out the freezer, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Roger Metcalf of the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the objects did indeed look like hands, especially since they had been placed inside a plastic surgeon's glove.
"You couldn't tell what they were until you got the things open," he said.
Metcalf said the objects are now outside the Medical Examiner's jurisdiction. The office will not determine what type of animal the testicles belonged to.
A maintenance man told the newspaper the previous owners of the apartment once killed a wild pig.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Patrick McCusker of Fort Worth stumbled across the items Friday while he was cleaning out the freezer, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Roger Metcalf of the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the objects did indeed look like hands, especially since they had been placed inside a plastic surgeon's glove.
"You couldn't tell what they were until you got the things open," he said.
Metcalf said the objects are now outside the Medical Examiner's jurisdiction. The office will not determine what type of animal the testicles belonged to.
A maintenance man told the newspaper the previous owners of the apartment once killed a wild pig.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Women calm attacker with beer
LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A 71-year-old Los Angeles woman said she was able to stop an attacker in her home from assaulting her daughter by offering him beer.
Linda Dodson, 45, said a large man entered her room and attacked her at 3:37 a.m. Monday while her mother was sleeping in the next room, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, reported.
"He had his big hands ... on my throat, my mouth and my nose and I'm flopping ... when he released his hand for a second, I just let out this blood-scorching scream," Dodson said.
Dodson's mother said she came into her daughter's room to investigate the scream and jumped onto the attacker's back. However, she said she decided to switch tactics after the attacker threw her against a wall and grabbed her face so hard the lenses popped out of her glasses.
"I just looked at him because I could tell he had been drinking and I said, 'I don't know about you, but I could use a beer, how about you?'" she said. "And he said yes."
The mother and daughter took the suspect into their living room and gave him a beer, which seemed to calm him. Linda Dodson said she phoned 911 after excusing herself to go to the bathroom and police arrived soon after.
Louie Herrera, a convicted child molester, was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Linda Dodson, 45, said a large man entered her room and attacked her at 3:37 a.m. Monday while her mother was sleeping in the next room, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, reported.
"He had his big hands ... on my throat, my mouth and my nose and I'm flopping ... when he released his hand for a second, I just let out this blood-scorching scream," Dodson said.
Dodson's mother said she came into her daughter's room to investigate the scream and jumped onto the attacker's back. However, she said she decided to switch tactics after the attacker threw her against a wall and grabbed her face so hard the lenses popped out of her glasses.
"I just looked at him because I could tell he had been drinking and I said, 'I don't know about you, but I could use a beer, how about you?'" she said. "And he said yes."
The mother and daughter took the suspect into their living room and gave him a beer, which seemed to calm him. Linda Dodson said she phoned 911 after excusing herself to go to the bathroom and police arrived soon after.
Louie Herrera, a convicted child molester, was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Monday, July 7, 2008
Police: Teen burglar ordered porn
PALM BAY, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Palm Bay, Fla., have arrested a 14-year-old boy who allegedly broke into a home and ordered more than $100 worth of porn movies on a TV.
Officers said the boy was charged with occupied burglary and grand theft after he allegedly entered a family's home and used its TV account to order about $129 worth of pornographic films, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.
Police said the family had arrived home from shopping to find the alleged perpetrator watching their television.
The teenager has previously been arrested on felony charges, police said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Ummm...shouldn't a burglar leave the house BEFORE the people come back home? What a dweeb! LMAO
Hey, if you are looking for some fun come join me over on mylot:
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=fwidman
Officers said the boy was charged with occupied burglary and grand theft after he allegedly entered a family's home and used its TV account to order about $129 worth of pornographic films, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.
Police said the family had arrived home from shopping to find the alleged perpetrator watching their television.
The teenager has previously been arrested on felony charges, police said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Ummm...shouldn't a burglar leave the house BEFORE the people come back home? What a dweeb! LMAO
Hey, if you are looking for some fun come join me over on mylot:
http://www.mylot.com/?ref=fwidman
Friday, July 4, 2008
$4 million ATM error leads teen to s
TELFORD, England (UPI) -- A Telford, England, woman said her 16-year-old son ended up in debt after an ATM fluke indicated he had $4 million in his bank account.
Joanne Bowen said her son, William, checked his account balance at a Lloyds TSB branch and saw the $4 million sum, The Daily Mail reported Tuesday.
"He had several friends with him and they confirmed the figure," Bowen said. "A couple of adults also saw it and one of them reported it to a cashier later in the day."
She said he withdrew $600 from the account and immediately spent the funds on some new clothes and an iPod.
Bowen said she went to the bank and discovered the account was showing up as overdrawn by $600.
"(The bank manager) said at first it could not be possible. But when he saw the records he said he could not explain it and it must have been a fluke with the ATM," she said.
She said William plans to pay the money back.
Lloyds TSB said the incident is being investigated.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Joanne Bowen said her son, William, checked his account balance at a Lloyds TSB branch and saw the $4 million sum, The Daily Mail reported Tuesday.
"He had several friends with him and they confirmed the figure," Bowen said. "A couple of adults also saw it and one of them reported it to a cashier later in the day."
She said he withdrew $600 from the account and immediately spent the funds on some new clothes and an iPod.
Bowen said she went to the bank and discovered the account was showing up as overdrawn by $600.
"(The bank manager) said at first it could not be possible. But when he saw the records he said he could not explain it and it must have been a fluke with the ATM," she said.
She said William plans to pay the money back.
Lloyds TSB said the incident is being investigated.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Mow your Lawn or Go to Jail
In Ohio they take grass-cutting very seriously. So seriously in fact that homeowners who don’t mow their lawns face a stiff fine, even jail time in some cases.
The city council has decided to get tougher by increasing the maximum fine for failing to cut the grass from $150 to $250. And they’ve also added up to 30 days behind bars if a violator is particularly bad. Mayor William Healy says it’s the type of action needed “in order to clean up our neighbourhoods and our city.”
The city council has decided to get tougher by increasing the maximum fine for failing to cut the grass from $150 to $250. And they’ve also added up to 30 days behind bars if a violator is particularly bad. Mayor William Healy says it’s the type of action needed “in order to clean up our neighbourhoods and our city.”
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
New York's oldest person turns 113
SNYDER, N.Y. (UPI) -- Pat Thomas, New York state's oldest resident, turned 113 Sunday -- and by the way, she has a new hobby, painting.
Thomas, born in 1895, is the sixth-oldest person in the United States and the eighth-oldest in the world, The Buffalo (N.Y.) News reported, citing the Verified Living List of the Gerontology Research Group.
An avid gardener, she has cultivated a reputation as "The Plant Lady," but took up painting after she could no longer garden, the newspaper said.
Thomas -- whose first name is Olivia -- was born in Iowa and grew up in Illinois. She has lived in Snyder, a Buffalo suburb, since 1946, when she moved there with her husband Frederick, an engineering professor at the University of Buffalo.
She has been recognized for volunteering more than 9,000 hours at what was formerly known as the Veterans Administration Hospital, where she grew flowers in a greenhouse for patients and established a garden therapy program.
She remains "alert and talkative," the News reported, but she doesn't have much to say about her remarkable longevity.
"I don't like to think about it," she told the newspaper.
Her husband died in 1982 and the couple had no children.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Thomas, born in 1895, is the sixth-oldest person in the United States and the eighth-oldest in the world, The Buffalo (N.Y.) News reported, citing the Verified Living List of the Gerontology Research Group.
An avid gardener, she has cultivated a reputation as "The Plant Lady," but took up painting after she could no longer garden, the newspaper said.
Thomas -- whose first name is Olivia -- was born in Iowa and grew up in Illinois. She has lived in Snyder, a Buffalo suburb, since 1946, when she moved there with her husband Frederick, an engineering professor at the University of Buffalo.
She has been recognized for volunteering more than 9,000 hours at what was formerly known as the Veterans Administration Hospital, where she grew flowers in a greenhouse for patients and established a garden therapy program.
She remains "alert and talkative," the News reported, but she doesn't have much to say about her remarkable longevity.
"I don't like to think about it," she told the newspaper.
Her husband died in 1982 and the couple had no children.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Smoking man zapped by lightning
ORLANDO, Fla. (UPI) -- A Florida man said it felt like he "stuck a fork in an outlet" when lightning struck him while he was holding a cigarette out the window of an apartment.
Adam Rice said he was listening to music and watching TV in an apartment in Orange County, Fla., when lightning zapped him on the hand Wednesday, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.
"All of sudden it sounded like fireworks go off, just loud pops, like, constantly. The whole house lit up blue and I got zapped on my hand," he said.
Rice said he could feel the electricity leave through his feet after it went through his body.
The lightning strike caused nearby brush to burst into flames, WKMG said.
"I called the fire department and I (said), 'I just got struck by lightning and the woods are on fire.' Next thing I know my body felt like I stuck a fork in an outlet," he told reporters.
Rice said his foot burns a little but he decided not to go to the doctor.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Adam Rice said he was listening to music and watching TV in an apartment in Orange County, Fla., when lightning zapped him on the hand Wednesday, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.
"All of sudden it sounded like fireworks go off, just loud pops, like, constantly. The whole house lit up blue and I got zapped on my hand," he said.
Rice said he could feel the electricity leave through his feet after it went through his body.
The lightning strike caused nearby brush to burst into flames, WKMG said.
"I called the fire department and I (said), 'I just got struck by lightning and the woods are on fire.' Next thing I know my body felt like I stuck a fork in an outlet," he told reporters.
Rice said his foot burns a little but he decided not to go to the doctor.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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