Unclear on the Concept
Corey Harris, 44, attended his pre-trial hearing on driving with a suspended license remotely, over Zoom, on May 15, The New York Times reported. No problem with that, but as Harris checked into the meeting with the Washtenaw County District Court in Michigan, he told the judge, “I’m pulling into my doctor’s office, actually, so just give me one second, I’m parking right now.” Huh. Video showed Harris in the driver’s seat and turning the wheel as he located a parking spot. “So maybe I don’t understand something,” Judge J. Cedric Simpson said. “This is a driver with a license suspended?” Harris’ attorney, Natalie Pate, confirmed the charge. “And he was just driving?” Simpson asked. Seconds of silence went by, with Harris appearing to realize his mistake. “That is correct, your honor,” Pate said. “I don’t know why he would do that,” the judge answered, right before he revoked Harris’ bond and ordered him to turn himself in by 6 p.m. [New York Times, 5/29/2024]
Clothing Optional
A Virgin Australia flight headed for Melbourne had to return to Perth on May 27 after a man allegedly ran naked down the aisle shortly after takeoff, The Guardian reported. Police said the man also “knocked a crew member to the floor.” One passenger reported “a lot of yelling and screaming” near the cockpit as the man charged forward. The man was pinned to the floor by air marshals; he was then handcuffed and led to the rear of the plane. Federal police met the aircraft on its return to Perth and arrested him. [The Guardian, 5/28/2024]
Enough Is Enough
• Lopburi, Thailand, also known as monkey town, has had it up to here with about 2,500 marauding macaques terrorizing the townsfolk, the Associated Press reported. As such, on May 24, the town launched the first phase of a plan to catch and remove the monkeys: cages baited with rambutan fruit, their favorite. The problem? The simians are smart: “If some of them go into the cage and are caught, the others outside won’t enter the cage … because they’ve already learnt what’s happened to their friends,” said Patarapol Maneeorn from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Lopburi’s mayor said that while the monkeys bring in tourists, shops and malls have lost income and people’s homes have been damaged. Those that are caught will be sterilized and tattooed so they can be tracked. Then they’ll move to large holding pens, where they’ll await repatriation. [AP, 5/24/2024]
• In Snettisham, Norfolk, in the U.K., it’s feral chickens that are plaguing the town. The flock of 100 or so chickens dig up gardens and are so loud that residents have to use earplugs at night, United Press International reported. The Snettisham Parish Council said it is “seeking specialist advice from various sources,” but some residents object to the idea of moving the chickens away. “They are part of the fabric of the village,” said chicken supporter Rebecca Chilvers. The council invited residents to a meeting to air their opinions. [UPI, 5/28/2024]
Fan-atic
Tara Berry of Topeka, Kansas, has secured a Guinness World Record for the most tattoos of the same musician on her body, United Press International reported on May 23. Berry, who sports 18 tattoos of Madonna, said she got the first one in 2016. The inks span the singer’s career. Berry estimated she’s spent nearly $10,000 on them. [UPI, 5/23/2024]
RIP
The Smoking Gun reported on May 24 that the world’s most arrested man, Henry Earl, 74, had passed away. Earl racked up more than 1,500 arrests in his lifetime and spent 6,000 nights in jail. Since 2017, he had lived in a nursing home in Owenton, Kentucky, near where his first arrest took place in July 1970 (for carrying a concealed weapon). Most of his offenses were fueled by alcohol and didn’t include violent crimes. He was laid to rest in the Owenton cemetery. [The Smoking Gun, 5/24/2024]
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