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News of the Weird: Week of 12/19/24

Family Values

Indonesian police have arrested a man near Jakarta, identified as RA, after he allegedly sold his 11-month-old baby on Facebook for $995 to fund his gambling addiction. The Telegraph reported that when the baby’s mother returned home, she asked him where the child was. “RA saw on Facebook that the buyers were looking to purchase a toddler so he sent them a message and arranged the purchase,” the police chief said. Police found the child in a rented home and arrested two adults suspected of human trafficking.

Suspicion Confirmed

Customs officials at the Lima, Peru, airport spotted something unusual about a man boarding a flight on Nov. 8, The New York Times reported. The unnamed 28-year-old, a citizen of South Korea, was returning home with a planned stopover in France, but he was notable because of his extremely swollen stomach, officials said. When asked to lift his shirt, he revealed a creepy, crawly cargo: 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants. Each bug had its own plastic bag, all of which were attached to two girdles wrapped around the man’s body. The 35 adult tarantulas were each about the size of a human hand. All the bugs are native to the Amazon region of Peru, said Walter Silva, a government wildlife specialist. He added that the discovery was “part of the illegal wildlife trafficking that moves millions of dollars.” The tarantulas are on the country’s endangered species list. The man was arrested with charges pending.

Field Report

Norwegian fisherman Harald Engen got a message on Nov. 11 that his 32-foot boat’s trawl nets had snagged something most unusual, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Turns out the USS Virginia, a 377-foot nuclear-powered submarine, had been chugging away from Tromso, Norway, with a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel escorting it, when its propellers became entangled with the nets. As a result, the Coast Guard had to cut the nets to free the submarine. They assured Engen that he would be reimbursed for his nets. [Anchorage Daily News]

Can’t Possibly Be True

KSNW-TV reported on Nov. 17 that Gina Morgan and her husband Ronnie felt double the bad luck when they both struck a deer while driving. Not such a weird occurrence near Wichita, Kansas — but Gina and Ronnie hit the SAME deer while driving in different directions. “We were in two different vehicles, driving in two different directions, and we managed to hit the same deer,” Gina explained. “It was just at the point where the sun had gone down.” Damage to Gina’s car was estimated at $6,000; Ronnie’s car had a push bar, so it sustained less impact.

Gimme a Sign

Transportation workers in Boulder, Colorado, had to go out on Nov. 19 to take down some “freelance” road signs that had mysteriously appeared in the city, 9News-TV reported. The signs, which appeared in four different locations, warned drivers to “Get Off Your Damn Phone” and “Don’t Kill Any Kids Today,” along with other messages. Boulder Police spokesperson Dionne Waugh said the signs are professionally made and installed, but officials don’t know who put them up. “I’m guessing that it’s a concerned citizen that is kind of fed up with the behavior they’re seeing in their neighborhoods,” said police commander Darren Fladung. He suggested there are more appropriate ways to get those messages out.

Latest Religious Message

Why settle for a middleman when you can confess your sins straight to Jesus Christ himself? Worshippers at St. Peter’s Church in Lucerne, Switzerland, are baring their souls to a hologram Jesus powered by AI, the Daily Mail reported on Nov. 20. And already, at least two-thirds of the people who have received the image’s grace have called it a “spiritual” experience. “Though it’s a machine, it gave me so much advice,” one person said — like, “Your task is not to judge, but to accompany with love.” The AI Jesus can even speak 100 different languages. It was trained at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts using the New Testament.

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News of the Weird: Week of 10/31/24

Police Report

Javaughn J. Owens, 23, was charged with first-degree attempted murder after he got into a dispute over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Sept. 15, the DeKalb County Daily Chronicle reported. A witness told DeKalb police that Owens and another man argued about the victim “not cleaning up after themselves,” whereupon Owens swung a butter knife and struck the other man. The victim was seen at a local hospital but had to be transported to Chicago for further treatment of a punctured intestine. He said he believed “100%” that Owens would kill him. Owens faces up to 60 years in prison. [Daily Chronicle, 9/17/2024]

Inexplicable

Beaches along the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia were closed to swimmers by authorities on Sept. 15 after mysterious medical waste started washing up, The New York Times reported. The trash included syringes and needles, used feminine hygiene products, and plastic cigar tips. “We currently have no idea where it came from and will not be speculating about a source,” said the National Park Service office at Assateague Island National Seashore. They were unsure how long beaches would remain closed. “We recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely,” warned Joe Theobald, director of Emergency Services in Ocean City, Maryland. [NY Times, 9/17/2024]

Saw That Coming

Norton Havoc, 32, can now “smell colors,” they said, after blowing their nose in the shower and dislodging a Lego block that had been stuck inside for “at least 26 years,” the New York Post reported. Havoc posted that they suffered from “multiple breathing issues” after the childhood incident; at the time, their mom tried to extricate the piece with tweezers, to no avail. “I can breathe out of this side of my nose now, and it’s fantastic,” Havoc said. [NY Post, 9/14/2024]

The Way the World Works

Vacaville, California, resident Ken Wilson is VERY careful about his consumption of electricity. “I was being very vigilant on this,” he told KMAX-TV. “Every day that I go to work, I turn the breakers off.” He also purchased a device that tells him how many watts of energy his appliances use. But recently he noticed that his bill was higher than normal. Wilson has lived in an apartment, unit 91 of his building, for 18 years. After Wilson called PG&E to come out and check his meter on Sept. 10, he discovered he’s been paying for unit 90’s electricity usage for years. PG&E admitted the mix-up and said it is “fully committed to rectifying the situation.” Wilson said he hopes the story can help others with similar problems. [KMAX, 9/16/2024]

Politics, Am I Right?

As candidates for mayor in Sao Paulo, Brazil, took to the stage for a televised debate on Sept. 15, Pablo Marcal referred to allegations of sexual misconduct against his rival, Jose Luiz Datena, the Associated Press reported. In response, Datena picked up a metal chair and approached Marcal’s podium, then slammed the chair into Marcal’s side. The moderator cut to commercials, and later the debate resumed without Marcal, who was rushed to a hospital with a fractured rib cage. Marcal portrayed the event as “attempted homicide,” while Datena admitted his mistake but said he didn’t regret it “at all.” [AP, 9/16/2024]

Explosive!

Magnet fisher and YouTuber Dani Dip pulled a provocative find out of the Saint Joseph River in South Bend, Indiana, on Sept. 1, ABC57-TV reported. “We believe this is a 175mm Howitzer round from like a stationary cannon back in the day,” Dip said. “It took four people to pull this big 2-foot round over the wall to safety so it wouldn’t fall back in and potentially go off.” The South Bend Police Department said further testing would be necessary to make sure the charge is not live. “We’re just here to help and clean out the river and see what we can find,” Dip said. [ABC57, 9/3/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 10/10/24

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me:
South Africa Edition

On July 7 in South Africa, a visitor to the Pilanesberg National Park lost his life after being trampled by an elephant, CTV News reported. The 43-year-old man was driving through the park when he left his car and approached a herd to take photographs, police said. Three other people in the car were unharmed. The elephant herd included young calves, which may have made the adults more aggressive. Piet Nel, chief conservation officer for the North West Parks and Tourism Board, said visitors are explicitly instructed not to leave their cars. “We must remember that you are entering a wild area,” he said. [CTV News, 7/9/2024]

Ignominious

The San Diego Humane Society has put the city on the map, but maybe not in a good way. CBS8-TV reported on July 8 that the SDHS claims the city has more fleas than any other city in the United States, making its pets miserable. “We have a perfect climate here, where it is warm year-round,” said Zarah Hedge, chief medical officer at the SDHS. “It’s just a perfect environment for them to live in.” Hedge recommended pet owners talk to their veterinarians about treatment. Or, you could move. [CBS8, 7/8/2024]

Oh, the Christianity!

Roger Allan Holmberg Sr., 75, pastor of Grace Baptist Temple in Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested on July 2 after assaulting his wife, who has epilepsy, on a flight from Seattle to Anchorage, ABC News reported. The conflict started when Holmberg’s wife got upgraded to first class, and he didn’t. Shortly after liftoff, Holmberg appeared in the first-class cabin and asked his wife, “How the hell did you get the upgrade?” She answered, “I’m a gold point member. Don’t speak to me like that.” Holmberg returned to his seat but then approached again, asking his wife to read what was on his phone, after which he gave her the finger. During the third confrontation, according to the complaint, Holmberg “attempted to swing his arm towards [the victim]” and struck “the top of the victim’s head with his hand.” An off-duty police officer on board told Holmberg if there were any more incidents during the flight, he would have to wear handcuffs. An FBI agent met the plane when it landed and arrested Holmberg on one count of simple assault. Alaska Airlines said it had banned him from its flights. [ABC News, 7/9/2024]

Alarming Headline

Four Sri Lankan fishermen are dead and two others are critically ill after they drank from bottles they found floating in the ocean, the BBC reported on June 29. The Sri Lankan Navy said the fishers thought the bottles contained alcohol, and they distributed some bottles to other crews fishing in the area. The navy said it treated the men aboard their craft, the Devon, and got them back to shore. Authorities planned to test the contents of the bottles to determine what the sailors drank. [BBC, 6/29/2024]

Bright Idea

After Daniel Jean, 39, and Esmy Valdez, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, exchanged wedding vows on June 27, they celebrated with friends at an unconventional venue: the New York subway L train, according to the New York Post. The couple hosted 20 invited guests — plus a bunch of strangers — on July 2 at a “dope reception,” Jean said. “We didn’t have the money to do the dream reception that I’d always envisioned,” he said. But for only $3,000, the couple had food catered by O’s Grill Spot, a cake, drinks and music. Valdez was charmed: “When I walked onto the train and saw everything, I thought, ‘Wow, I picked the right guy,’” she said. “Our reception was all about love.” [NY Post, 7/3/2024]

The Tech Revolution

Welcome to the 21st century, Japan! Reuters reported on July 3 that the government had eliminated all use of floppy disks in all its systems. “We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!” announced Digital Minister Taro Kono. What a relief! [Reuters, 7/3/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 08/29/24

The Tech Revolution

At Crescent Regional Hospital near Dallas, Texas, patients are for the first time in the U.S. consulting with doctors via hologram, ABC News reported on June 26. The technology, designed by Dutch company Holoconnects, features a life-sized 3D image of the doctor in real time. Raji Kumar, the hospital’s CEO, said the technology will reduce doctors’ travel time between hospitals and clinics. “They can just hop into the studio to have the consult,” she said. She hopes to expand the program to rural hospitals in the area. [ABC News, 6/26/2024]

How Hot Is It?

It’s so hot … Abe Lincoln’s legs are falling off. A 6-foot-tall wax replica of the sculpture of our 16th president inside the Lincoln Memorial is succumbing to the extreme temperatures in Washington, D.C., the Washington Post reported on June 24. The statue was placed on the campus of Garrison Elementary School in February with the idea of drawing attention to the Civil War and its aftermath. But as the heat dome settled over the capital, he started melting. “The idea was that the ambient temperature, unless it got to 140 degrees, wouldn’t melt the sculpture,” said artist Sandy Williams IV of Richmond, Virginia. But “even his poor legs are starting to come unglued,” said Melissa Krull, 41, who lives nearby. Lincoln’s head lolled so far backward that the nonprofit that commissioned the work removed it, with plans to restore it to its perch when temps moderated. [Washington Post, 6/24/2024]

Least Competent Criminal

Kelsey Lynn Schnetzler, 34, of Salisbury, Missouri, was charged with stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of lottery tickets from her employer, Casey’s General Store, KTVO-TV reported. Schnetzler’s home-court MO may have been what got her nicked: Every evening during her shift, she told police, she would put a cup over the camera in the store and unlock the safe where the tickets were stored. Her burglaries took place between October 2023 and March 2024; the 36 lottery books she stole were valued at $24,000. She cashed winning tickets in at Casey’s and other locations. She was charged with felony stealing. [KTVO, 6/20/2024]

Pay No Attention to the Body in the Backseat

On the morning of June 22, after Margot Lewis, 32, of North Liberty, Iowa, crashed her car in Olmsted County, Minnesota, police arrived at the scene, the Des Moines Register reported. There they discovered the dead body of 35-year-old Liara Tsai of Minneapolis in the back seat. Tsai was “wrapped in a bedsheet, a blanket, a futon-style mattress, and a tarp,” court documents said. Police said Tsai also had a “large wound on the right side of the neck around the carotid artery.” The medical examiner determined that Tsai’s injuries were not related to the motor vehicle accident. Lewis was arrested for interference with a dead body; her unconditional bond was set at $1 million. [Des Moines Register, 6/26/2024]

Ewwwwwwwww!

The CBC reported on June 18 that conditions at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, have deteriorated so drastically that inmates are literally sharing cells — and more — with rats. Inmate Devon Fitzpatrick told an interviewer that he woke up one morning to the feeling of something moving in the crotch of his pants; when he reached down, he found a rat had given birth there. “Stuff like that happens on a regular basis,” he said of the Victorian-era facility. “They climb on the tables, they climb up the pipes and the wires. They’re everywhere.” He said he’s been bitten about 20 times. Fitzpatrick also described other dehumanizing conditions at the prison; the government has said it’s working with a company to build a new prison, but no improvements have been made in the meantime. [CBC, 6/18/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 08/22/24

Least Competent Criminals

Thanks to tracking devices in two Lamborghinis, a couple of car thieves were found in Wyoming, KDVR-TV reported on June 12. The two supercars were stolen in Salt Lake City and headed east on I-80, where Wyoming State Patrol officers tracked them near Rawlins. When troopers caught up to them, one of the vehicles was going over 100 mph; both drivers were taken into custody. [KDVR, 6/12/2024]

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me

At Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, squeezable fruit snack pouches are prohibited inside the zoo, NBC News reported. Nonetheless, on June 8, Lief, a 7-year-old sitatunga antelope, choked to death on the plastic cap from a snack pouch. Lief “still had a lot of life to live,” the zoo said in a statement. In fact, sitatunga antelopes live about 22 years in captivity, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo. “Some ask why we don’t allow squeezable pouches in the zoo,” zookeepers posted on Facebook. “The reason is simple — the packaging is dangerous to our animals.” [NBC News, 6/12/2024]

The Aristocrats

According to the Surfrider Foundation, a water quality nonprofit that tests beaches around the country, Mecox Bay in Southampton, New York, has some of the worst fecal matter levels in the United States. The New York Post reported that the beach, surrounded by multimillion-dollar homes, has dangerous levels of enterococcus, an intestinal pathogen. Residents say that the bay there collects a lot of the runoff from businesses, farms, and homes in the area. Along with old septic systems and cesspools, a heavy rain can mean a lot of human waste filtering into the popular beach. Scott Horowitz, president of the Southampton Town Trustees, said they would fight to keep Mecox Beach safe. “It’s sad to see that you have areas that are absolutely magnificent and at times they’re regarded as public health hazards,” he said. [NY Post, 6/12/2024]

It’s a Dirty Job 

Perhaps the stresses of HOA board membership just weigh heavily on some people. An unnamed 74-year-old woman in New Palestine, Indiana, is facing charges of criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and public nudity after she was caught not once, but twice, defecating in broad daylight against the side of a neighbor’s home, Fox59-TV reported. According to court documents, the homeowner was mowing his lawn on May 29 when he discovered a pile of human feces next to his air conditioning unit. His surveillance cameras had first caught the culprit on May 2, but after the second incident, he contacted police. The woman can clearly be seen in the video lowering her trousers and squatting to empty her bowels. She initially denied the act but admitted it once confronted with the evidence; she said she had nothing against the homeowner and simply had to go. She has stepped down from her position on the HOA board. [Fox59, 6/26/2024]

The Continuing Crisis

Edward Kang, 20, is facing a long stretch without gaming after he allegedly assaulted a fellow online gamer on June 22, ABC News reported. Kang, who lives in New Jersey, flew from Newark to Jacksonville, Florida, on June 21, where he checked in to a hotel and purchased a hammer and flashlight at a hardware store. Late on June 22, he arrived at the victim’s home in Fernandina Beach, entering the home through an unlocked door, “apparently to confront the victim,” said Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. When the victim got up from gaming to use the restroom, Kang allegedly attacked him with the hammer. The victim’s stepfather heard the altercation and helped to wrestle Kang to the ground; officers said the victim sustained severe head wounds and they found “a significant amount of blood.” Kang told deputies that the victim is a “bad person online.” He was charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary. [ABC News, 6/24/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 08/15/24

Animal Antics

Paisley Toten, 2, was riding in a pickup bed through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, on June 1 with her parents when their interaction with the animals took an unexpected turn, the Associated Press reported. The family stopped their truck to feed a giraffe, but the giraffe nibbled instead on Paisley’s shirt, lifting her several feet into the air. When Paisley’s mom shouted, the giraffe dropped the toddler into her mother’s arms, leaving her unhurt. After the incident, the park changed its rules to disallow riding in an open truck bed. Paisley got a stuffed giraffe from the gift shop for her trouble. [AP, 6/6/2024]

End of an Era

If your July 4 traditions have included watching Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition, steel yourself: Joey Chestnut is out. The contest in Coney Island has taken place since 1916, and Chestnut has prevailed a total of 16 times, and every year since 2016, the New York Post reported. His record, set in 2021, was 76 dogs and buns. Sadly, Chestnut didn’t compete this year. Major League Eating (MLE), which runs the event for Nathan’s, said Chestnut’s recent deal with Impossible Foods to rep their vegan dogs was beyond the pale. “He’s the Michael Jordan of competitive eating,” a source said. “But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, ‘I love being the face of Nike, but I want to do commercials for Adidas, too.’” MLE commented, “It seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our longtime relationship.” [NY Post, 6/11/2024]

Bright Ideas

• The ancient statues at China’s Yungang Buddhist Grottoes have taken a back seat to a new installation: Timers installed above a row of toilet stalls in the women’s restroom show whether the cubicle is occupied and, more controversially, how long the door has been locked. CNN Travel reported that the timers were installed to help mitigate the increased number of visitors: “We aren’t setting a time limit. … It’s impossible that we would kick someone out midway.” But one user said, “I found it a little embarrassing. It felt like I was being monitored.” [CNN Travel, 6/12/2024]

• On June 5, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ex-mayor Cesar Maia, 78, took a seat to join a Zoom meeting of the city councilors, the Daily Mail reported. Unfortunately, his seat was the toilet, and he was caught with his pants down on the video feed. Maia quickly brought his computer closer to his face, but his fellow councilors couldn’t control their reactions. Pablo Mello, who was leading the meeting, is shown on the feed laughing into his hand before he asked Maia to “turn off the camera, please.” [Daily Mail, 6/7/2024]

Crime Report

The Golden State Water Company in Los Angeles is installing locked shields over fire hydrants in some neighborhoods in response to a surge in thefts, CBS News reported on June 3. The company said the thefts happen daily; because the hydrants are made of iron and brass, company officials think they’re being sold as scrap metal on the black market. Replacements cost $3,500 a piece; so far, the company has lost $1.2 million. “It’s mind-boggling that someone would just come into a neighborhood and steal a fire hydrant,” said resident Krystail Cousins. “You’re now putting a whole neighborhood in danger.” [CBS News, 6/3/2024]

Least Competent Criminals

Christy Turman, 37, called 911 to let the Lee County (Florida) Sheriff’s office know that she was trying to steal a car from a dealership, WFLA-TV reported on June 6. “I’m trying to steal a car that’s not legally mine,” she said on the call. “So y’all better come make a report.” Sure enough, when deputies arrived, they found her getting out of a stolen Toyota Corolla. Turman said she was training in a game of Black Ops to nick the car, but she called authorities so it’d be legal. Joke’s on her: She was arrested on trespassing charges. [WFLA, 6/6/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 08/08/24

Recurring Theme

Constance Glantz, 74, was receiving hospice care at a Waverly, Nebraska, nursing home when she seemed to pass away on June 3, The New York Times reported. The nursing home contacted the funeral home, and she was transported there. But as a mortician began the process of preparing her for burial, they discovered she was still breathing. Paramedics were called, and Glantz was taken to the hospital, where she actually died later the same day. “This is a very unusual case,” said Chief Deputy Ben Houchin noted. “At this point, we have not been able to find any criminal intent by the nursing home, but the investigation is ongoing.” [NY Times, 6/3/2024]

Ewwwww!

A woman named Cheyenne called in to a radio show in Australia on May 28 and dropped a whopper of a confession, the New York Post reported. “So my nan passed away in August last year and got cremated,” Cheyenne began. “I went over to my mom’s one night and thought to cheer her up a bit … ‘Let’s just taste Nan.’” The caller went on to say that her brother, who had been in prison, was recently released and as a “welcome home” dinner, she made him pasta with sauce — alla Nan. “I thought it would be funny to prank him … and I put some of Nan’s ashes in the pasta sauce.” Cheyenne said she has a “weird addiction” to the ashes and believes they help connect her with her late granny. “Nan will live on through me forever,” she said. Bon appétit. [NY Post, 5/28/2024]

A Three-Hour Tour

If you thought quicksand only appeared in old episodes of Gilligan’s Island, think again. Jamie Acord, 47, and her husband, Patrick, were touring Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg, Maine, on June 1 when Jamie fell behind, the Portland Press Herald reported. “All of a sudden I was hip-deep in a wet slurry of sand,” she said. “I couldn’t feel the bottom and I couldn’t get a footing.” When Patrick looked back, he thought she was kneeling, but she couldn’t extract herself. After he pulled her out, she said, “I turned around and the hole was gone.” Maine state officials say patches of quicksand are startling but not really life-threatening, but just in case, they plan to install warning signs that will help visitors know what to do if they find themselves stuck. Scientists say quicksand is denser than the human body, so the upper torso will remain buoyant at the surface. But tell that to Jamie. “I’m just glad I wasn’t alone,” she said. [Portland Press Herald, 6/6/2024]

Crème de la Weird

On June 6, when Farida, 50, went missing from her village in South Sulawesi province in Indonesia, her husband and other residents started searching for her — but found only her belongings, the Daily Mail reported. They did, however, spot a “python with a large belly,” village leader Suardi Rosi said. “They agreed to cut open the python’s stomach. As soon as they did, Farida’s head was immediately visible,” he said. She was found fully clothed inside the python, which was about 20 feet long. Farida’s husband, Noni, 55, lamented her fate: “I am forever sorry that I let my wife go out alone. If I had been with her that day, the snake would not have dared to touch her.” Farida was taken away for a religious burial. [Daily Mail, 6/8/2024]

Perspective

Real estate developer Sekisui House in Osaka, Japan, has announced that it will demolish a nearly completed new condominium building in Kunitachi, Tokyo Prefecture, because the structure is blocking neighbors’ view of Mount Fuji. United Press International reported that the 10-story building was just weeks away from opening to new residents. “We were aware of the culture that values scenery, but we failed to consider it adequately,” the company said. People who had bought condos will be compensated financially, they said. [UPI, 6/11/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 07/25/24

Weird Warfare

The South Korean military announced on May 29 that it had found 260 balloons that had drifted across the demilitarized zone between it and North Korea, The New York Times reported. The balloons were carrying bags full of … trash, such as cigarette butts, used shoes, and compost. The bags were reportedly released according to timers attached to the balloons. “We issue a stern warning to North Korea to stop this anti-humanitarian and dirty operation,” South Korea warned. But North Korea pledged to send more to exercise its “freedom of expression.” [New York Times, 5/29/2024]

It’s Nice To Have a Hobby

For 10 years, residents of North Enid Avenue in Azusa, California, have been putting up with a pesky nuisance: a serial slingshot shooter. The New York Times reported that people would find broken windows on their cars or homes and little ball bearings strewn about. “Many times I came outside, and I would find little BBs by the front door,” said Monica Palomino. Finally, police have nabbed the vandal: 81-year-old Prince Raymond King, who also lives on the block. Azusa Police Cpl. Benjamin Cypher said several recent incidents had allowed them to narrow their search down to King’s address, where they found the slingshot and ball bearings. “We’re not aware of any kind of motive other than just malicious mischief,” Lt. Jake Bushey said. King was ordered to stay away from his neighborhood and return to court on June 17. He pleaded not guilty. [New York Times, 5/29/2024]

Awesome!

• Ulysses Whitfield, 85, retired this week from driving a school bus for Suffolk [Virginia] Public Schools, WAVY-TV reported. Over his 70-year career (yep, you read that right), he took only two half-days off. “During that time, students could drive,” Whitfield said of the beginning of his career in 1954. He delivered students through changes in technology and racial upheaval, he said, “But it was smooth with me, though. I didn’t have any problems with the kids at all. Respect the kids, and you will receive respect from them.” Whitfield plans to come back part-time in the fall to train his replacement “to make sure the run is done nice and smooth, like I was doing it. I have good kids. I’m going to miss them, I know it.” [WAVY, 5/30/2024]

• This year’s graduation at Arizona State University included a remarkable scholar: 18-year-old Dorothy Jean Tillman II of Chicago, who received her doctorate in integrated behavior health, The New York Times reported. Tillman started college when she was just 9 years old; by 14, she had a master of science degree. Tillman also started the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute in Chicago to support Black youth interested in STEM and the arts. But this super-achiever also does teenage stuff: On May 22, she went to prom with her best friend, and she hopes to have a “fun teenage summer”: “I want to focus on who I am,” she said. [New York Times, 5/22/2024]

It’s a Mystery

On May 18 in New Orleans, a fisher using a magnet pulled some mysterious objects from Bayou St. John, according to NOLA.com: a handgun, a gun barrel, and a “fully decomposed human skull” that was padlocked to a 15-pound dumbbell. The New Orleans Police Department said the skull was “lacking a jaw or the top row of teeth.” The department’s dive team and cadaver dogs searched the area three days later but without success; the coroner said identifying the skull could take months. [NOLA.com, 5/28/2024]

Vacation Goals

Headed to Arizona this summer? (I mean, who isn’t?) Motor on over to Williams and drop into the Poozeum, the new permanent location for George Frandsen’s extensive coprolite collection. (Coprolite, in case you didn’t know, is fossilized animal feces, United Press International reported.) Frandsen earned a Guinness World Record in 2015 with his collection of 1,277 fossils — but now, the Poozeum is the permanent home of 8,000 specimens. “Several years ago, I noticed a glaring absence of coprolite representation in mainstream sources and museum exhibits,” Frandsen said. “The world’s premier dinosaur poop museum” offers free admission — but don’t bypass the gift shop! [UPI, 6/3/2024] 

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Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 07/11/24

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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© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
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Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 06/20/24

Great Art

Rajacenna van Dam, an artist in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, is capturing the attention of the art world with her ambidextrous approach to her work, AFP reported. The 31-year-old said she originally taught herself to paint with both hands, “to go quicker.” When someone challenged her to try painting with her feet, she accepted. Her social media fame has come from painting 10 pictures at once using both her hands and feet. “Doing all this at the same time gives me a sort of feeling of meditation,” van Dam said. Her paintings sell for up to $13,000, and she says only she can tell which ones were painted with which limbs. Her talent is more than a party trick; neurologist Onur Güntürkün revealed that a brain scan showed “the left and right sides of her brain are three times more connected than average.” [AFP, 5/8/2024]

Now That’s Commitment

On May 7, at least one voting precinct in India had 100 percent turnout, AFP reported. Banej, in the protected Gir forest, is the home of Mahant Haridas Udaseen, a 42-year-old Hindu monk who is its only inhabitant. India is trying to reach every voter, so a team of 10 people were required to travel for two days from Gujarat — along unpaved roads through the last remaining habitat of the endangered Asiatic lion — to collect Udaseen’s vote. Although he showed up before lunchtime, rules required the election workers to stay until the evening. “In a democracy, every single person is important,” said Padhiyar Sursinh, the election officer in a town 40 miles away. Udaseen was an enthusiastic voter: “I am loving the attention that I am getting as a lone voter in the forest,” he said. [AFP, 5/7/2024]

Awesome!

When a pair of 18k gold diamond earrings from jeweler Cartier popped up on the Instagram feed of Rogelio Villarreal, 27, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, he couldn’t resist: They were priced at just $13. “I swear I broke out in a cold sweat,” Villarreal said, according to The New York Times. He ordered two pairs, but within a week, Cartier started trying to cancel the order. A Cartier representative called him and said the earrings “were not at the correct price [$13,000] … and that because of the inconvenience, they would give me a gift,” he said — a bottle of champagne and a leather Cartier item. Instead, Villarreal complained to Mexico’s Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer. Ahead of a scheduled hearing in early May, Cartier contacted Villarreal and said the earrings would be delivered. [NY Times, 4/28/2024]

Fail

• When Rhonda Deaver realized she had left her credit card at Smith’s Cafe in Kinston, North Carolina, in early May, she turned around and headed back to get it. Unfortunately, a Smith’s employee was right on top of things and posted the front and back of Deaver’s card to a Kinston Facebook group, with all the numbers visible, WRAL-TV reported. Deaver’s family got in touch with her when they saw the post, but it was too late — more than $2,000 in charges had already hit her account. “I couldn’t believe they did that, but I might be responsible for all those charges,” Deaver said. There were “a whole lot of declines but a whole lot that went through.” She’s still disputing the charges; the Smith’s owner had no comment. [WRAL, 5/8/2024]

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notified the Akron (Ohio) Police Department’s SWAT team that the body armor plates they recently purchased are counterfeit, WJW-TV reported on May 8. “We became part of a bigger investigation,” said Capt. Agostino Micozzi. The gear was purchased from China and sold to law enforcement agencies, DHS said. The Akron City Council approved immediate replacement; Micozzi said there might be a chance to get restitution on the counterfeit plates. [WJW, 5/8/2024]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.