Awesome!
Reach for the stars, kids! And by “stars,” we mean “wheelbarrow.” John Loghry of Saylorville, Iowa, made his dream come true when he set a new world record — for the fastest motorized wheelbarrow. WeAreIowa.com reported that Loghry’s vehicle reached 57 mph at an event on Sept. 21, beating the previous Guinness World Record of 47 mph. A local sheriff’s office helped Loghry confirm the speed with a lidar gun, as required per Guinness rules. “He’s been very determined on doing it,” said Loghry’s wife Jeanne. Members of the local community came out to watch the attempt, so Loghry, a veteran, ended up using the event to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. He said he hopes he can inspire others to pursue their dreams, even the wacky ones: “If you think you can do it, try it,” he said. [WeAreIowa.com, 9/21/24]
Great Art
Residents of Everett, Washington, must be feeling so much better about themselves following the installation of the Affirmation Station, My Everett News reported on Sept. 25. Artist Timothy C. Flood of Colorado installed the sculpture, which looks like a pedestrian crossing sign, but instead delivers audio and text with messages like “Hey, you’re doing a great job” and “You are strong.” On the post is a sign inviting the viewers to press a button, which activates the sign. [My Everett News, 9/25/2024]
Whatever’s Handy
When a British surgeon couldn’t find a scalpel, the BBC reported on Oct. 1, he reached for the next best thing: the Swiss Army knife he normally uses to slice up fruit for his lunch. The news organization has not identified the surgeon, who was operating on a patient at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton. While the surgery was reportedly an emergency — the patient survived, thankfully — internal documents indicate that the surgeon’s colleagues found his behavior “questionable” and that they were “very surprised” he was unable to find a more conventional surgical tool. Dr. Graeme Poston, an expert on clinical negligence and a former consultant surgeon, told the BBC: “It surprises me and appalls me. Firstly, a penknife is not sterile. Secondly, it is not an operating instrument. And thirdly, “all the kit [must have been] there.” [BBC, 10/1/24]
There Goes the Neighborhood
You can’t take it with you — which means you should be very careful what you leave behind. KSBW-8 reported on Sept. 30 that a real estate agent in Salinas, California, got a real scare when, while preparing the home of a recently deceased man for an estate sale, they discovered a 2.5-foot-long high explosive anti-tank (H.E.A.T.) rocket among the man’s belongings in a closet. As the neighborhood was evacuated to a radius of 500 feet by the Salinas police, a neighbor, Rebecca Rodick, interacted with an officer on scene: “He showed me the X-ray of the missile, which is really wild. He said, ‘See how it’s all dark? That means there’s a lot of stuff in it.’” The Monterey County Sheriff’s Explosive Ordinance Unit successfully removed the rocket from the residence without incident. [KSBW-8, 9/30/2024]
Makes Sense
Kody Adams of Oklahoma was due for a court appearance in Pawnee County for a hearing on car theft charges on Sept. 27. So when Adams couldn’t bum a ride from any of the patrons at a gas station in Stillwater, some 30 minutes away, KOCO News 5 reported that he improvised by commandeering an unoccupied LifeNet Emergency Services pickup and driving it to Pawnee. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper caught Adams after he had ditched the pickup and was entering the courthouse. “The trooper did make sure he made his court case,” said Preston Cox of the OHP. Adams was then transported to Payne County and booked on new charges. [KOCO News 5, 9/27/2024]
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NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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