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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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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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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]

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News of the Weird: Week of 06/13/24

A Hard Act to Swallow

Parashuram, 38, a convict in a Karnataka, India, prison, acted quickly to hide his smuggled-in cellphone when guards raided his cell in early April, The Indian Express reported. Instead of stashing the contraband in a pillowcase or toilet, the convicted murderer serving a life sentence swallowed the phone. When he started complaining of stomach pain, he was transferred to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, where doctors did an ultrasound. On April 25, he went under the knife to remove the phone, which was stuck at the entrance of the small intestine. The phone had been inside Parashuram for 20 days when it was removed; the prisoner recovered from the surgery and was returned to his cell. [Indian Express, 5/2/2024]

Surprise!

When David Loop of Sierra Pacific Furbabies, a feline rescue organization in California, found a box dumped in front of their office in April, the attached note explained that the “kitten” was found “in Mt. Rubidoux hiking path.” But when he opened the box, Loop said instantly, “I’m pretty sure this is a bobcat kitten.” Sure enough, Newsweek reported, when Loop contacted a local wildlife center, they thought the bobcat kitten was 3 to 5 weeks old. The furball has been transferred to a wildlife center where it will hang out with other bobcats and eventually be reintroduced to the wild. [Newsweek, 4/30/2024]

Most Chatty Criminal

Last September, Stephanie Langley, 55, of East Farleigh, Kent, England, stepped outside the Hare and Hound pub and stabbed her former brother-in-law, Matthew Bryant, to death. She was convicted on May 1, the BBC reported. Although Langley “claimed in court that she had never intended to hurt her victim,” she started that violent evening by telling pub-goers, “Get a drink while he’s still alive.” Then she told Bryant, “You’re dead tonight.” After she stabbed him three times, witnesses heard Langley say, “I hope he’s dead.” She told arresting officers she had killed him, was glad she had killed him, and was happy to go to jail for it. She’ll be sentenced at a future hearing, probably to life. [BBC, 5/1/2024]

News You Can Use

Attention Tornado Alley dwellers: On April 30, as violent storms were coursing around the Midwest, two “rare” versions were detected near Loveland, Oklahoma, Fox Weather reported. Meteorologist Stephen Morgan acknowledged that “some strange things” popped up that night. Turns out, more than 98 percent of tornadoes spin in a counterclockwise direction. But that night, two tornadoes — technically called anticyclones — were found to be spinning clockwise. Morgan said the anticyclonic tornado “rotated around what you could call a ‘normal’ tornado. What we saw … was very rare.” The anticyclones are typically smaller and weaker than cyclonic storms. There were no reports of injuries in the area. [Fox Weather, 5/2/2024]

It’s Come to This

Stanislav Netesov of Moscow, Russia, was attacked on April 27 at a bus stop on his way home from work, Oddity Central reported. The assailants took his phone and knocked out one of his teeth. The next day, Netesov went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to report the attack, but instead of taking his report, they accused him of a crime: dyeing his hair yellow and blue, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Doing so is a punishable offense against the Russian army. Police took his fingerprints, handed him a summons to military enlistment, and told him they’d force him to “kiss his native soil in the trenches.” [Oddity Central, 5/2/2024]

Family Values

A 41-year-old mom in Newtown Township, Pennsylvania, was charged with DUI on May 6 after she ran into her 7-year-old son with her car in the parking lot of a Little League baseball field, WPVI-TV reported. After backing into the boy, the mom told police she didn’t realize he wasn’t inside the car. He suffered injuries to his ankle. Police said the mom had a “strong odor of alcohol” and “slurred speech.” She was taken into custody and later released. [WPVI, 5/7/2024]

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

Creme de la Weird

The latest plane failure story — about the emergency slide that fell off a Boeing 767 leaving JFK Airport — gets a “whodathunkit” follow-up, the New York Post reported. On April 28, the slide washed up right in front of the beachside home in Belle Harbor, Queens, of Jake Bissell-Linsk, who happens to be the attorney who filed a federal lawsuit against Boeing after the Alaska Airlines door blowout in January. Belle Harbor is about six miles southeast of JFK. “I didn’t want to touch it, but I got close enough to get a close look at it,” Bissell-Linsk said. He said a Delta Airlines crew arrived a few hours later and threw the slide into the back of a truck. “We haven’t decided if the slide is relevant to our case,” he noted. [NY Post, 4/29/2024]

Animal Antics

The large animals are restless lately. On April 28, four zebras made a break for it from a trailer at a highway exit in Washington State, The New York Times reported. Kristine Keltgen was hauling them to her petting zoo in Anaconda, Montana, when the latch on the trailer became loose and the zebras “bolted out.” Police officers and volunteers headed up the effort to corral them, but David Danton of Mount Vernon, Washington, was a ringer: Danton is a former rodeo clown and bullfighter. He and his wife happened to be driving by and stopped to help. “It was kind of divine intervention,” Danton’s wife said. Danton built a makeshift chute leading to a horse pen on a nearby farm. “It’s just about being quiet, working them gentle, and not getting excited,” he said. As of May 2, one of the zebras was still on the lam, but Keltgen was sure it would be found. [NY Times, 4/29/2024]

The Golden Age of Air Travel

Passengers aboard an American Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Phoenix on April 25 were delayed by about 90 minutes after their flight had to make an unplanned stop in Oklahoma City, Simple Flying reported. While AA’s official statement called the problem a “mechanical issue,” social media reports indicated that the toilets became clogged, and the plane had to land for maintenance. One traveler posted: “I was on this flight. Apparently, the lavatory tanks were NOT emptied from the previous LAX to DCA flight the night before.” [Simple Flying, 4/27/2024]

Tourists Behaving Badly

Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, “is a town built on tourism,” said Michie Motomochi, the owner of a cafe in the city. So it says a lot that the town began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of sidewalk that is a favorite spot for viewing and photographing Mount Fuji in the distance. The Associated Press reported that construction began on April 30; the screen will be 8 feet high and 65 feet long. “I welcome many visitors,” Motomochi said, “… but there are many things about their manners that are worrying,” such as littering, crossing the road in traffic, ignoring traffic lights, and trespassing. The town has reportedly tried other tactics — signs in multiple languages and security guards — to no avail. [AP, 4/30/2024]

Questionable Judgment

After Jacob Wright, 24, and Cambree Wright, 19, exchanged wedding vows on Feb. 10, it was time for pictures, Fox News reported. So Jacob grabbed his Apple Vision Pro headset and wore it while the photos were snapped. Jacob said he saw an opportunity to have fun and create a viral moment. “I was like, ‘Oh, it’d be like such a meme. It’d be so funny if we just took some pictures with it on after the wedding.’” Sure enough, when they posted the pics, Cambree said she started getting “crazy” messages: “I woke up to 200-plus messages and just random girls telling me to divorce my husband.” But the bride said the photos “perfectly encompass Jacob and his personality … and what our relationship is like.” [Fox News, 3/13/2024]

Suspicions Confirmed

Ashley Class of Charlotte, North Carolina, was stumped by her toddler’s reports of monsters in the wall of her bedroom, NPR reported. For months, Saylor told her mom she could hear something, but Class chalked it up to the stress of a new baby in the house. She and her husband deployed “monster spray” (water) and pretended to look for the monsters. But finally, Class called a pest control specialist, who went into Saylor’s room with a thermal camera. “It lit up like Christmas,” Class said. “It was floor to ceiling.” Behind Saylor’s wall was a 100-pound honeycomb and about 50,000 bees, which the beekeeper removed. But not before the bees had done tens of thousands of dollars in damage. “It’s been a nightmare,” Class said. [NPR, 4/30/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 04/25/24

Awesome!

• At the Goodwill store in DuBois, Pennsylvania, workers found a treasure in a box of old LEGO pieces, United Press International reported on March 12: a 14-karat gold Kanohi Hau mask from LEGO’s Bionicle collection. Originally priced at Goodwill at $14.95, the piece eventually sold for $18,100 to an anonymous collector. “We didn’t know it was worth anything until people started asking if they could buy it for $1,000,” said Chad Smith, vice president of e-commerce and technology for Goodwill. Lego created only 30 pieces in gold in 2001. [UPI, 3/12/2024]

• LAD Bible reported on March 5 about two unacquainted Brits who were headed to a holiday in Bangkok, Thailand. At the airport, Mark Garland, 58, of Wiltshire, tried to check in, but gate staff told him he already had. After some sleuthing, they realized there was another Mark Garland (62, from Bristol) on the flight — and the look-alikes were seated next to each other. As it happens, they live only about 15 miles apart and sometimes ride the same bus. They even have a friend in common. “We were so shocked by how strange it was,” said the younger Garland. “It was crazy — I have never known anything like it,” said the older. “I’ve made a friend for life.” [LAD Bible, 3/5/2024]

Bright Idea

Amber Denae Wright of Cape Town, South Africa, has shared a marriage tip on TikTok that other wives may want to adopt, People reported on March 9. A video on the social media site shows her husband, Nick, talking when Amber plays orchestra music from her phone. When Nick asks, “What is that? What are you playing?” Amber says, “It’s Oscars music. You know, when the speeches are too long …” Nick’s taking it well, though: “She’s been doing this the whole week. Every time I tell a story! Is this gonna be the rest of my life?” One TikTok commenter suggested, “I should use this at work when guys mansplain.” [People, 3/9/2024]

Field Report

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told city council members on March 13 that rats had infested the department’s building so thoroughly that they made their way into the evidence room and were eating confiscated marijuana. “They’re all high,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “The uncleanliness is off the charts.” She elaborated, saying the building is full of mold and cockroaches, and staff suffer broken air-conditioning and elevators. [AP, 3/13/2024]

That’s Disappointing

The Pittsburgh Penguins planned to provide prized playthings to their passionate patrons on the evening of March 14, ESPN reported. (Okay, that’s enough of that.) NHL legend Jaromír Jágr bobbleheads were promised for the game against the San Jose Sharks — but the cargo was stolen during transit. Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin said the team is looking forward to “resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans.” The hockey great commented, “The legend of Jágr continues.” [ESPN, 3/14/2024]

The Passing Parade

On March 5 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a 42-year-old man was charged with battery and disorderly conduct with a weapon after his daughter called 911, saying her dad was naked and had a gun. The Smoking Gun reported the story — and the much more compelling backstory about Deez-Nuts Lee Kroll, the defendant. In 2011, Derrick Lee Kroll, then 29, petitioned the court and paid $164.50 for a name change. On the form, Kroll, who seems to be spelling-challenged, wrote his preferred name: Dez-Nuts Lee Kroll, and said his reason for the change was that “I with out a dout [sic] HATE MY NAME.” Six years later, it occurred to Dez-Nuts that he had spelled the name wrong, and he went to court to change his name again. At his recent run-in with the law, officers noted that he appeared to be intoxicated but cooperated with them. He was released on $2,000 bond. [The Smoking Gun, 3/13/2024]

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News of the Weird: Week of 04/18/24

Cheeky

Rawiya Al-Qasimi, a female reporter, was covering an event in Riyadh on March 4 when a Saudi Arabian robot called Android Muhammad unexpectedly slapped her posterior during a live shot, the Daily Star reported. Al-Qasimi pushed the robot’s hand away and rebuked him. Before the untoward touching, Android Muhammad introduced himself, saying, “I was manufactured and developed here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a national project to demonstrate our achievements in the field of artificial intelligence.” Ironically, had he been a real man, he might have faced jail time for his inappropriate behavior. [Daily Star, 3/7/2024]

Maybe She’s Onto Something

Spanish artist Alicia Framis, now based in Amsterdam, has created the perfect husband: a hologram that she designed and named AILex Sibouwlingen, whom she modeled on past paramours, according to EuroNews. Framis plans to marry him this summer at a museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. On her Instagram page, Framis shares photos and videos of herself and AILex sharing meals and other elements of daily life. “Love and sex with robots and holograms are an inevitable reality,” Framis said. “They are great companions and capable of expressing empathy.” [EuroNews, 3/1/2024]

Truth Is Stranger Than Netflix

Loreen Bea Feralo, 55, and Karen Casbohm, 63, were charged with theft and gross abuse of a corpse after allegedly carrying out a Weekend at Bernie’s stunt in Ashtabula, Ohio, The Smoking Gun reported. On March 4, police said, Feralo and Casbohm — who were not related to Douglas Layman, 80, but lived in his home — loaded his corpse into the front seat of a car “in such a manner that he would be visible to bank staff” and drove through his bank, where they used his card to withdraw $900. The bank had allowed the women to withdraw from his account before, as long as he was with him. Having secured the funds, the women then dropped Layman’s body at the Ashtabula County Medical Center emergency room “without providing any information about the man or themselves,” police said. They were able to identify the women and question them. The women, both of whom have significant priors, said Layman died at home. [The Smoking Gun, 3/7/2024]

Creme de la Weird

Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana, pleaded guilty on March 12 to two felony wildlife crimes after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks conducted a yearslong investigation, Business Insider reported. Schubarth was accused of buying, selling, and breeding “alternative” livestock, such as mountain sheep and mountain goats, for captive hunting operations. Between 2013 and 2021, court documents said, he conspired with others to create a large hybrid species of sheep that would garner higher prices from shooting preserves. To do so, he brought parts of Marco Polo argali sheep from Kyrgyzstan to the U.S. without declaring them. His other crimes include forging veterinary documents and shipping hybrid semen to other breeders. He faces jail time, fines, and supervised release. [Business Insider, 3/14/2024]

Recurring Theme

It’s baaaackkk. In the waning days of 2020, a tall silver monolith popped up in various locations in California, Texas, Romania, and elsewhere. Now, Wales Online reports, it’s back. The 10-foot-tall tower, which appears to be stainless steel, turned up near Hay-on-Wye in Wales around March 10, when Richard Haynes came across it while he was out for a run. “I thought it … might be a scientific media research thing collecting rainwater. But then I realized it was way too tall and strange for that. It was hollow and I imagine … light enough for two people to carry it up and plant it in the ground,” Haynes said. Stay tuned. [Wales Online, 3/11/2024]

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.
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Categories
Fun Stuff News of the Weird

News of the Weird: Week of 03/28/24

Expectations: Unmanaged

At an event billed as “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” on Feb. 24 in Glasgow, Scotland, children and parents were so underwhelmed that police were called, The New York Times reported. The event, which promised Willy Wonka-themed chocolate fountains, performances by Oompa Loompas and “optical marvels,” turned out to offer just a few jelly beans and a nearly empty warehouse. Stuart Sinclair, who paid about $44 per ticket to bring his kids to the show, said it amounted to “maybe 20 chairs, a couple of tables, and a half-inflated bouncy castle.” Jenny Fogarty, who was hired to play an Oompa Loompa, said she was given a 15-page script the night before and that “the wigs were very cheap.” The organizer canceled the event on Saturday afternoon; it was unclear who had called police. The event organizer, House of Illuminati, said ticket purchases would be refunded. [New York Times, 2/27/2024]

Bright Ideas

Details have recently emerged about an incident in Willow Springs, Missouri, in November, the Springfield News-Leader reported. The Howell County Sheriff’s Office had investigated after a man in his 60s, who was a paraplegic, lost his feet while brush-hogging. “It was a poorly executed plan,” said Lt. Torey Thompson. He said it was clear almost immediately that the accident had been staged: The cuts were very clean, the feet were nowhere to be found, and tourniquets had been applied to both legs. Allegedly, the victim had help from a man from Florida, who cut off the feet with a hatchet to help him commit insurance fraud. However, since the unnamed man never filed the claim and he was so severely injured, the sheriff’s office declined to charge him. And the missing feet? “A couple of days later, we got a call that a relative found them in a bucket obscured by tires, so we went and got them,” Thompson said. Mystery solved. [Springfield News-Leader, 2/15/2024]

The Golden Age of Air Travel

• On Feb. 13, as a Delta flight soared from Amsterdam to Detroit, maggots began falling from an overhead compartment onto passengers below, The Guardian reported. Philip Schotte, who was on the flight, said attendants traced the source to a bag stowed above and found a rotten fish wrapped in newspaper. They removed the offending item, and the pilot announced that the plane would be returning to Amsterdam. Apologizing, Delta said the passengers were placed on another flight and the plane was removed from service for cleaning. Passengers were also given 8,000 air miles, hotel room compensation, and a $30 meal ticket. But who’s hungry? [Guardian, 2/15/2024]

• Sri Lankan Airlines was forced to ground one of its Airbus A330 planes for three days after a rat was spotted on the aircraft, United Press International reported on Feb. 27. The rodent was seen during a flight from Lahore, Pakistan, to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Workers sprayed the plane with poison, and technicians checked wiring for damage done by chewing. [UPI, 2/27/2024]

Try the Decaf

Brandie Gotch, 30, of Peoria, Arizona, told police that her children were being bullied by other kids, and she had reported it to the school and law enforcement, but nothing happened. So on Feb. 27, she took matters into her own hands, CBS5-TV reported. With her four children in her Silverado, Gotch drove to a local park, where she allegedly approached a group of kids and started yelling at them. Police said Gotch grabbed a 14-year-old boy by the hair and yanked his head back and forth as she yelled at him, then grabbed a stick from her truck, and chased him, yelling, “I am going to kill you and run you over!” She then jumped back into her truck and drove it toward the group of kids, running over a girl’s ankle in the process, although she told police she didn’t think she hit the girl. “I hope I didn’t,” she said. Her own children told police they were bouncing all over the truck during her jaunt through the park. Gotch was charged with six counts of endangerment, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of attempted first-degree murder. [CBS5, 2/29/2024]

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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 03/21/24

Very Senior Year

It’s never too late to graduate, and Fred Allen Smalls of Georgetown, South Carolina, is proof. Smalls took the stage at Georgetown High School on Feb. 4, the day before his 106th birthday, to receive an honorary diploma at a ceremony that came to fruition largely due to the efforts of his granddaughter. Smalls completed eighth grade in the 1930s and moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a janitor and held several other jobs before beginning a career with the District of Columbia, eventually retiring during the John F. Kennedy administration. WPDE ABC 15 reported that the diploma was “something he’s wished for most of his life.” And the diploma wasn’t the first time Smalls made recent news: In 2023, ABC News recognized him as the oldest Philadelphia Eagles fan. [ABC15, 2/20/2024]

Sticky Situation

A coyote that found itself in an ironic predicament in mid-January has the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) and the Wildlife in Need Center (WINC) of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, to thank for its rescue — maybe with a little help from above? WDJT in Milwaukee reported that the coyote had gotten its head stuck inside a hollow statue of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, while chasing a rabbit. The coyote was spotted dragging the statue and working to free itself, but by the next day, the animal was exhausted and still trapped. HAWS located the coyote and transported it to WINC, where it was freed, treated for minor injuries, and given the nickname “Frannie.” [WDJT CBS 58, 2/12/2024]

Cemetery Shortcut

In the immortal words of Shaggy, “It wasn’t me.” The Lavonia (Georgia) Police Department wants residents to know that a chaotic scene in a local graveyard Feb. 20 had nothing to do with them. “In case you saw or heard the law enforcement commotion,” reads a post on the department’s Facebook page, “well, it wasn’t us.” The commotion in question? Deputies from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office in neighboring South Carolina had chased a reckless driver across state lines and into the Lavonia City Burgess Cemetery, reports FOX 5 Atlanta. The driver — who was apparently “late for an appointment” — damaged several graves before attempting to flee on foot. Unsuccessfully. [Fox 5, 2/20/2024]

Animal Antics

• Caterina Sevares of Florida had a late-night craving for tacos on Feb. 13, so she did what many of us have probably done: She placed a DoorDash order and hopped in the shower while waiting for her food to be delivered. But when she opened the door to retrieve the Talkin’ Tacos delivery, Fox 35 reported that she was met by three masked bandits — a trio of raccoons who got to her meal first, eating everything but the tortillas. Sevares began to film the carnage but retreated once the raccoons started engaging — one stood up on its hind legs while the other two stared her down. “Once they started hissing, I shut the door so fast. I was like, ‘They can have the carne asada, it’s fine,’” Sevares said. Talkin’ Tacos caught wind of the bandits’ antics after Sevares’ story went viral on TikTok, and sent her a gift card for her troubles. [FOX 35, 2/14/2024]

• Elsewhere in Florida, bears ransacked a woman’s car — on Valentine’s Day, no less. Cassidy Simoes’ boyfriend left chocolates in the front seat of her car the night before, intending to give them to her the next day. But NBC2 reported that at about 3:30 on Valentine’s morning, the couple woke to find the car in bad shape: “Basically, the whole door panel, I can’t even open the door at all or roll the windows down, nothing,” Simoes said. No word on if the chocolates were replaced. [NBC2, 2/14/24]

Bright Idea

On Feb. 19, neighbors in an apartment building in Wejherowo, Poland, became alarmed as a 19-year-old man tried to lead a full-grown horse up the stairs to his third-floor home, Radio Gdansk reported. Police were called to the building and determined that the mare, worth about $3,800, had been stolen. She was returned to the owner, and the horse thief was charged with theft; he faces five years in prison. [Radio Gdansk, 2/21/2024]

© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.