Yahoo! News - Possums on power trip spark blaze: "Mon Dec 29, 3:04 AM ET
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Teams of firefighters and three helicopters have extinguished a blaze started by two possums that climbed a power pole and short-circuited the 11,000 volt line.
The New Zealand Press Association said the possums were found dead at the foot of the pylon after igniting the bushfire, near Lyttelton Harbour on New Zealand's picturesque South Island. "
21:23 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Security Snafu Shuts Airport: "Tue Dec 30, 9:27 AM ET
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Security officials shut down part of San Antonio International Airport after traces of a cleaning solution on a piece of luggage were mistaken for the explosive TNT.
One of the airport's two terminals was closed for 30 minutes Monday after the checked baggage tested positive for the explosive, said airport spokeswoman Lisa Burkhardt-Worley.
The bag was removed for further testing and its owner was taken into airport custody, she said.
Transportation Security Administration officials scoured the terminal and plane, but it turned out that the suspected TNT, or trinitrotoluene, was nothing more than his mother's cleaner.
'The gentleman's mother apparently owns a cleaning business, and the chemicals used in one of the cleaners is similar to the chemical makeup of TNT, so that's why the elements set off the explosive detection machine,' Burkhardt-Worley said.
Security measures were increased at U.S. airports during the holiday travel season after the government said there was an increased chance of Sept. 11-style attacks by extremists. "
21:21 Posted by David
: "Tue Dec 30, 9:16 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A federal appeals court has upheld a Utah artist's right to make nude photos of Barbie dolls being menaced by kitchen appliances.
Noting the image of Barbie dolls is 'ripe for social comment,' a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday rejected toymaker Mattel Inc.'s appeal of a lower court ruling in favor of lampooning the popular doll.
The San Francisco-based appeals court ruled that naked photos of Barbie made by Kanab, Utah, artist Thomas Forsythe were meant to be a parody and could not affect demand for Mattel products.
Holding that social criticism was protected by the First Amendment, the court affirmed a 2001 federal court ruling for Forsythe, who had produced photos of nude Barbies in danger of being attacked by vintage household appliances.
Mattel had argued the photos infringed on their copyrights and trademarks. Forsythe had used Barbie dolls in absurd and often sexualized positions for his 'Food Chain Barbie' photos.
The artist had argued that the photo series, which also included a photo of Barbie dolls wrapped in tortillas and covered in salsa in a casserole dish in a lit oven, was meant to critique the 'objectification of women' and 'beauty myth' associated with the popular doll. "
16:42 Posted by David
Ananova - Belgian man charged with speeding at 1,154mph: "Belgian man charged with speeding at 1,154mph
A Belgian man was charged with speeding at 1,154mph in his Citroen car.
Diego Billardello said: 'Because I drive only a Citroen Picasso and not a rocket, I looked at the £100 fine and had a good laugh.'
Billardello, from Heusden-Zolder, told the judge the maximum speed of his car was only 110mph, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.
But the judge said he still had to pay the fine after looking at a picture which showed Billardello was driving at 40mph in a 30mph area.
A police spokesman said an officer had filled in the papers incorrectly: 'He mistakenly put the hour of the offence in the place where he should have filled in the velocity of the car,' he said.
Story filed: 11:59 Friday 19th December 2003"
21:17 Posted by David
NEWS.com.au | Swedish baby baked in oven (December 26, 2003): "Swedish baby baked in oven
From correspondents in Stockholm
December 26, 2003
POLICE have arrested a mother for allegedly baking her five-month-old baby in an oven, seriously burning the infant, media and officials said today.
The child received second-degree burns all over his body during the incident last weekend, and was in stable condition in a Gothenburg hospital, a clinic spokeswoman said.
'It's a terrible story, but at least he's in stable condition for the time being,' said Margreth Jonson of the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenberg.
The baby was taken to hospital on Sunday with burns across much of his body.
Police quickly grew suspicious that the child's 30-year-old mother had inflicted the injuries, and on Tuesday they arrested her.
'The baby's mother was arrested for attempted murder,' police inspector Harriet Persson said.
Persson refused to give any further details, insisting that investigators were not permitted to discuss the case until after the woman's expected indictment in January.
According to Swedish news reports, however, police arrested the baby's mother on suspicion that she had tried to kill him by baking him in a hot oven.
Agence France-Presse"
21:07 Posted by David
New York Post Online Edition: SUBWAY SEVERS MAN'S LEGS: "By HASANI GITTENS
December 27, 2003 -- An uptown No. 3 train lopped off a man's legs last night when it ran him over at the 110th Street and Lenox Avenue station in Harlem, officials said.
The unidentified man was lying on the northbound track near the middle of the station at about 6:45 p.m. when the train rounded the curved platform and hit him, severing his legs, according to Transit Authority spokesman James Anyansi.
The motorman saw the man and hit the emergency brake, but the first car still ran over him, officials said.
Emergency workers said the man was conscious as he was taken to St. Luke's Hospital. His condition late last night was unknown.
After the train had been cleared, blood and about $3 in change remained on the tracks where the man was hit. Transit officials speculated he might have been trying to get the change. Police sources, however, said the man was drunk."
21:02 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Portuguese prisoners refuse Christmas lunch because bread was not fresh: "Thu Dec 25, 2:10 PM ET
LISBON (AFP) - Some 50 prisoners at a jail near Lisbon refused to eat a special Christmas lunch because they said the bread included in the meal had not been freshly baked, local media reported.
The inmates began to protest when the director of the establishment, which houses 350 prisoners, joined them for their holiday lunch, the Lusa news agency reported citing a prison services official.
The prison, located in the town of Belas some 30 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of the Portuguese capital, opened earlier this year, making it one of the country's newest jails.
Virtually all Portuguese bakeries were shut Thursday, after closing earlier than usual a day earlier, in honour of the Christmas holiday. "
20:57 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Crook Returns Stolen Car, Writes Apology: "Fri Dec 26,10:30 AM ET
PITTSBURGH - Joan Visokey calls it a 'Christmas miracle.' A thief who stole her cousin's car returned it two days later along with a letter of apology, police said.
Visokey and her cousin, Janet Hartman, were about to go shopping Sunday when they discovered that Hartman's car, which contained her purse, $200, credit cards and heart medicine, had been stolen off the street.
On Christmas Eve, Visokey found a blue envelope sitting on her front porch, police said. Inside were the keys to Hartman's car and a letter.
'I could never apologize enough for your car being stolen,' the letter said. 'There is no damage done to it ... I will try to replace the money I stole.
'I have never done anything like this before and I never will again,' the letter said.
Directed by the letter, Visokey ran behind a church and found the car. Hartman's purse was tucked under one of the seats but the wallet was gone, police said.
Visokey left a Christmas card on her door, thanking the thief.
However, police believe the thief may have used the car for three other crimes and have impounded it. "
20:45 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Family Sues After Dad's Head Found in Shed: "Sat Dec 27, 4:33 PM ET
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The children of a cancer patient who donated his body for research filed a lawsuit after learning their father's embalmed head was kept in a tool shed for nearly 11 years.
The head of Osie K. Whitten, who died Dec. 24, 1990, of colon cancer, was among 150 pounds of human cadaver parts allegedly removed from the medical center at the University of California, Davis, by a former autopsy assistant.
David Lawrence Beale, who worked for Pathology Support Services Inc., which managed the medical center's morgue and autopsy service, was arrested last summer after the remains were found among his belongings.
He pleaded not guilty to charges of receiving stolen property and possession of methamphetamines. Police say Beale told them he used the remains to hone his dissection skills.
The medical center, Beale and Pathology Support Services were named in the lawsuit filed by Whitten's children.
The medical center said it could not comment; it previously said it had changed the way human remains are handled. Pathology Support Services said Beale's activities were not part of his job. "
20:43 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Stowaway Found Dead in New York on Jet from Jamaica: "Fri Dec 26, 7:23 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Maintenance crews found the body of a man believed to be a stowaway inside an American Airlines jet at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, a spokesman for the airport said on Thursday.
Maintenance workers discovered the dead man, estimated to be about 25, around 11 p.m. on Wednesday in the wheel well of the aircraft.
The plane, American Air flight 1190, landed at 7 p.m. (midnight GMT) on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, said Dan Maynard, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that operates the airport.
'Port Authority police are investigating the circumstances of the case but believe the unidentified man was a stowaway because he was found in a location where people are not supposed to be,' he said. "
20:42 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - German Firefighters Rescue Flock of Seagulls: "Fri Dec 26, 7:23 AM ET
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Munich firefighters were called out on Christmas day to rescue a flock of seagulls that got stuck when a lake near the city's Olympic stadium froze over.
'They didn't notice it was getting colder and their tails got frozen stuck,' a fire brigade spokesman said on Thursday. 'We were able to help most wiggle free but one bird was so stuck so we had to cut out the whole chunk of ice and take the whole thing back to the station.' "
20:40 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Shipwreck Crew Rescued, Then Busted for Smuggling: "Fri Dec 26, 7:51 AM ET
ATHENS (Reuters) - The crew of a freighter that half-sunk off the Greek island of Santorini on Christmas Eve spent Christmas Day thanking the coastguard for rescuing them, only to be arrested on Boxing Day for smuggling.
The North Korean-flagged Elisabeth hit an islet southwest of Santorini during a storm on Wednesday. Coastguard officers evacuated the eight-man Ukrainian crew and took them to hospital for checks, inspecting the ship the next day once weather allowed.
'When the coastguard went to check for spills and boarded the ship, they found it did not carry cement as declared, but around 35 tonnes of smuggled cigarettes,' a Merchant Marine Ministry spokesman said on Friday.
The crew's rescue had been featured on Greek television as a heart-warming tale on Christmas Day, with crew members offering thanks and season's greetings. All have been arrested on charges of smuggling, the spokesman added. "
20:39 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - French Thieves Drive Victim Home for Christmas Eve: "Fri Dec 26, 8:05 AM ET
PARIS (Reuters) - A pair of thieves who seized a van loaded with pricey designer goods on Wednesday took a two-hour detour so they could drive the owner home for his Christmas Eve dinner, before fleeing with the loot.
Posing as police, the two men tricked the van driver into pulling over at a motorway intersection on the edge of Paris by chasing him in a car fitted with a flashing blue light, a siren and a 'police' sign, local media reported on Friday.
Despite being armed with guns and wearing balaclavas, the thieves showed some seasonal goodwill when they asked their victim where he lived, explaining 'we don't want you to have too far to walk,' according to police sources.
They then drove the man around 300 km (185 miles) to his home in Saint Soupplets in eastern France, so he could arrive in time for the traditional Christmas meal which in France is eaten on the evening of December 24. Showing that Christmas spirit only goes so far, the man, whose van was loaded with clothes from labels like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, has filed a complaint with police."
20:38 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Swallowed Diamond Ring Shows Up as Evidence: "Fri Dec 26, 7:24 AM ETFri Dec 26, 7:22 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The scene in one of New York's fabled Italian restaurants would have done "The Sopranos" TV scriptwriters proud -- a reputed mobster shot a man dead for heckling a woman singer.
Police said Broadway chanteuse Rena Strober was singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" at Rao's, an East Harlem restaurant, Monday night when a patron, Albert Circelli, criticized her performance.
Reputed Luchese crime family associate Louis Barone told him to watch his mouth but when Circelli swore in response, Barone pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and shot him in the back, police said.
A second shot fired by Barone hit another diner, Al Petraglia, 57, in the foot, police said. Barone dropped the revolver, walked out of the restaurant and was arrested by police officers.
Circelli, 37, died of his wounds and Petraglia was treated in the hospital, police said.
Rao's is a 10-table restaurant that accommodates only 40 people. It has a reputation for exclusivity and a Mafia mystique, but police said the shooting was not a mob "hit."
Barone, 67, has a record of arrests for gambling and weapons possession dating back four decades. He could be a character in "The Sopranos," a popular cable TV show about an organized crime family in neighboring New Jersey.
Barone appeared in Manhattan criminal court Wednesday on charges of second degree murder, assault and weapons possession. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life.
New York tabloids had a field day."Songfella" read the front page of the Daily News, "Bullets Bolognese at Rao's as wiseguy whacks a wise guy who insults singer." The New York Post headline was "Swan Song" and "Diva diss sparked geezer's gunfire."
CLEARWATER, Fla. (Reuters) - A would-be jewel thief who swallowed a 1.5 carat diamond ring has been forced by nature to give up the evidence, Florida police said.
A Clearwater Police Department spokesman said on Wednesday that Mary Flowers, 38, was arrested last week after a surveillance tape showed her putting the $20,000 ring in her mouth at a jewelry store in a mall.
Flowers denied swallowing the ring until an X-ray showed it was inside her.
She was kept under observation in a jail cell until the ring passed through her digestive system late on Monday.
Flowers has been charged with grand theft with bail set at $5,000. Police are keeping the ring until the case is completed. "
20:37 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Reputed NY Mobster Shoots Man for Heckling SingerFri Dec 26, 7:22 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The scene in one of New York's fabled Italian restaurants would have done "The Sopranos" TV scriptwriters proud -- a reputed mobster shot a man dead for heckling a woman singer.
Police said Broadway chanteuse Rena Strober was singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" at Rao's, an East Harlem restaurant, Monday night when a patron, Albert Circelli, criticized her performance.
Reputed Luchese crime family associate Louis Barone told him to watch his mouth but when Circelli swore in response, Barone pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and shot him in the back, police said.
A second shot fired by Barone hit another diner, Al Petraglia, 57, in the foot, police said. Barone dropped the revolver, walked out of the restaurant and was arrested by police officers.
Circelli, 37, died of his wounds and Petraglia was treated in the hospital, police said.
Rao's is a 10-table restaurant that accommodates only 40 people. It has a reputation for exclusivity and a Mafia mystique, but police said the shooting was not a mob "hit."
Barone, 67, has a record of arrests for gambling and weapons possession dating back four decades. He could be a character in "The Sopranos," a popular cable TV show about an organized crime family in neighboring New Jersey.
Barone appeared in Manhattan criminal court Wednesday on charges of second degree murder, assault and weapons possession. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life.
New York tabloids had a field day."Songfella" read the front page of the Daily News, "Bullets Bolognese at Rao's as wiseguy whacks a wise guy who insults singer." The New York Post headline was "Swan Song" and "Diva diss sparked geezer's gunfire."
20:34 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Sicily Man Arranges Shooting to Woo Woman: "Fri Dec 26, 9:09 AM ET
ROME (Reuters) - A man in Sicily asked a friend to shoot him in the groin in the hope of making his ex-girlfriend feel sorry for him, police said on Friday.
Police in the central Sicilian city of Piazza Armerina said they became suspicious when the 27-year-old went to hospital with wounds from a hunting rifle's pellets in the groin area.
At first he said the wounds had been caused in a hunting accident, but later admitted he had asked a friend, 16, to shoot him in an attempt to win back the affection of his girlfriend, who had apparently left him because of his violent character.
The man's wounds are expected to heal, doctors said.
Police said the man, and the 16-year-old, had been charged in connection with the shooting. Local reports said the man's ex-girlfriend had made clear she never wanted to see him again. "
22:49 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Loose screw halts nuclear power station: "Mon Dec 22, 4:45 PM ET
MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish nuclear power station has been shut indefinitely because of a small missing screw weighing just four to five grammes that fell off a machine during refuelling, nuclear officials say.
The Zorita plant, located in the central Castille-La Mancha region, cannot reopen until a full report on the screw is completed, a spokesman for the national Nuclear Security Council told Reuters on Monday.
Staff searched for the screw with cameras, but after failing to locate it on film, they concluded it must have slipped into an area of the reactor that was inaccessible to cameras, the spokesman said.
He said it was unlikely the missing screw would present any risk. "
22:48 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Diamond Dispatch Dropped in Dustbin: "Mon Dec 22,10:01 AM ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Thousands of Dutch residents were rummaging through their rubbish in a diamond rush after a jeweler's anniversary dispatch was largely ignored as junk mail, a newspaper reported Monday.
Johan de Boer of the eastern Dutch town of Apeldoorn sent 4,000 clients a mailing to mark the 10th anniversary of his store.
Two hundred of the envelopes contained a small diamond, while the others held zirconia stones -- a cheap diamond-lookalike used in costume jewelry. 'Are you the lucky one?' the letters asked.
De Boer had expected a flood of responses, but only a few people turned up. After calling a number of clients, he discovered most had discarded the mailing without opening it.
'I was very naive. People nowadays do not trust mailings like these anymore,' he told De Telegraaf newspaper.
Sending precious stones, fake as well as real ones, to clients and contacts is not unusual in the Netherlands, known for its Amsterdam diamond-cutting industry. "
22:46 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Chops Off Testicle in Dispute with Wife: "Mon Dec 22, 9:59 AM ET
NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan man chopped off one of his testicles in a row with his wife and then walked naked to a police station to report the incident, police said on Monday.
Police rushed 26-year-old Stephen Ongala to hospital after he stumbled into their police station in the border town of Busia in western Kenya on Friday bleeding heavily.
'He said he did it because he had had a disagreement with his wife,' said deputy police chief Shadrack Maithya. 'If we get evidence that he tried to take his life, then we may charge him because it is a criminal offence.' "
12:20 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - "Bored" teens rack up 80 million Internet bill: "Fri Dec 12,12:00 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - Three German teenagers are under investigation for fraud after they spent 130 million euros (80 million pounds) in a two-hour Internet shopping spree, claiming they were 'bored,' authorities say.
The 19-year-olds splashed out on light aircraft, patents, industrial machinery, restaurants and artwork after hacking into an account on an Internet auction site.
'They gave boredom as the motive and made no attempt to disguise what fun they had buying only the most expensive things,' according to police in the western town of Limburg. State prosecutors are investigating. "
12:19 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Couple Robbed While Watching 'Bad Santa': "Wed Dec 10, 8:35 PM ET
CALDWELL, Idaho - Forget Santa, these were some bad elves. While John Roberts and Sandy Norton were out seeing the Christmas movie spoof, 'Bad Santa,' Sunday night, somebody stole about $500 of decorations and lights from their home.
'It's a crying shame,' Roberts said. 'This is a time of year to give thanks.'
Caldwell Police Capt. Chris Allgood said it is difficult to track down stolen house decorations unless they are specifically marked so they can be identified.
For his part, Roberts has bolted down some of the remaining decorations, and he has installed a motion-light sensor to discourage future thefts.
But he is not letting it dampen his Christmas spirit.
'This is a beautiful holiday,' Roberts said. "
12:16 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Thousands of Bills Fall in Japan GarbageFri Dec 12,11:12 PM ET
TOKYO - A garbage disposal plant in central Japan has hit the jackpot. Operations at the plant suddenly came to a halt Friday morning when a machine used to crush refuse began spewing out 10,000 yen-bills ( onto a conveyor belt).
In total, some $287,000 had found its way into the garbage, Gyoda city police said Saturday.
Police, shown by public broadcaster NHK, sifted through the some 3,200 soiled bills strewn across the floor, patching together the torn pieces with tape and piling them onto a banquet-sized table to be counted.
"I got the creeps — it was kind of scary. You expect garbage but you never imagine money to come out," said one unidentified employee interviewed by NHK.
No one has come forward to claim the money, and police are trying to track down the owner. If the money is not claimed within six months, it will go to Gyoda city, which owns the plant, police said.
Gyoda lies just northwest of Tokyo in neighboring Saitama prefecture.
12:14 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Remorseful Thief Returns Stolen Loot: "Fri Dec 12, 9:37 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A remorseful thief sent $600 worth of stolen goods to the police and asked they be returned to their rightful owners, German authorities said Thursday.
Police in the southern town of Darmstadt said the thief sent them a letter signed 'mea culpa,' listing the return address as Ehrlichstrasse (Honest street) in apologizing for the theft of 500 euros ($608) worth of CDs, cosmetics and other goods.
Darmstadt police spokesman Ferdinand Derigs said the contrite perpetrator had supplied the addresses of the shops plundered for the separately packed wares, and enclosed personal letters of apology to the respective managers.
'The thief even suggested they install more cameras and improve security, warning that a lot of things were getting pinched,' said Derigs. 'Now we have the goods, but no culprit. One out of two isn't bad though.'"
12:13 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Car Thieves Gate-Crash Florida Governor's Mansion: "Fri Dec 12, 9:37 AM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - Two men in a stolen car crashed through the gates of the Florida governor's mansion, cut across the grounds and exited by smashing through another gate, police said on Thursday.
The men were fleeing after stealing the Ford Mustang at a fast food restaurant near the official residence of Gov. Jeb Bush in Tallahassee and took a shortcut across the property, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said.
Neither suspect was from Tallahassee. 'My understanding is that they did not even know it was the governor's mansion,' spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said.
Gov. Bush, brother of President Bush, was not home when the incident occurred on Wednesday night. His wife, Columba, was inside the mansion but never was in any danger, Perezluha said.
Local police recognized the stolen vehicle and arrested two suspects aged 19 and 24 on car theft charges. State agents matched the car's paint to that on the damaged gates and probably will file additional charges against them, Perezluha said. "
12:12 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Jailed for Declaring Parents Dead 40 Times: "Fri Dec 12, 3:48 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German has been jailed for declaring his parents dead 40 times in order to get charity hand-outs, a court said on Friday. Oh yeah -- they are alive and well.
The 31-year-old prevailed upon churches and individuals to part with about 6,000 euros ($7,300) in total to ease the pain of his mother's or father's 'passing,' a court spokesman in the western city of Bonn said.
He was sentenced to three years in jail for 40 successful acts of fraud.
'He would ask them for money to get to the funeral, usually his mother's, and then spend it on drugs,' the spokesman said.
The litany of faked deaths came to an end when a woman he approached for a donation became suspicious. "
12:11 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Shoppers Treated to Bare Flesh and Underwear: "Fri Dec 12,10:28 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - Shoppers in central Berlin on Friday were treated to the sight of scantily-clad live shop window 'dummies' flexing their muscles and baring their buttocks in a publicity stunt for men's underwear.
The three models aged between 20 and 29 drew catcalls from enthusiastic young women and looks of disapproval from elderly passers-by as they struck poses in a six-hour display.
Christiana Hoepfner, 37, pressed herself against the window to get a closer look and said the sight of the gyrating underpants had made a big impression on her. 'They're really great. I may have to get some for my boyfriend now."
12:57 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man pays for petrol with nephew: "Mon Dec 1,12:47 AM ET
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Cambodian who found he had forgotten his wallet after filling up his motorbike with petrol ended up paying for the three litres of petrol with his nephew.
The Kampuchea Thmey (New Cambodia) newspaper said on Monday the nine-year-old, who it named as Dy, had been on a trip with his uncle in March 2002 to try and track down his father in a nearby province in the war-scarred southeast Asian nation.
However, their motorbike ran out of petrol before reaching their destination and, after filling up with three litres of gasoline from a roadside stall, the uncle realised he had no money.
Eventually he convinced the old lady selling petrol to take his nephew as a guarantee he would return with the cash -- 87 pence, the paper said.
Nearly two years later, she is still waiting -- but has opted to keep the youngster.
'I have decided to take care of him and raise him as my own grandson,' she told the paper.
Despite a huge U.N.-backed reconstruction effort in the early 1990s, child rights remain a distant dream in Cambodia where society still bears the scars of decades of civil war, including the Khmer Rogue genocide of the 1970s. "
12:56 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Seven-year-old boy corrects Bush: "Tue Dec 2,11:17 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Young Terrance Martin could not let President George W. Bush get away with mistakenly saying he was just 6 years old when he was really 7.
It happened in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Tuesday when Bush signed the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003, which renews tax credits for adoptions and encourages families to find homes for more than 500,000 children in foster care.
Before signing the legislation Bush talked about the need for more adoptions as he stood with Christopher and Diana Martin and their seven children, four of them adopted.
Terrance interrupted the president in mid-speech under the glaring television lights to point out he was not 6.
'How old are you?' Bush asked.
'Seven,' said Terrance.
'OK, seven,' said Bush, as the crowd chuckled. 'I'll take it up with the fact-checker.' "
12:55 Posted by David
: "Tue Dec 2, 2:16 PM ET
REEDSVILLE, Pa. - After four decades of pinching pennies, a million in all, A Mifflin County man decided that it was time to cash in his collection.
It took several months of bank visits to bring in 37 buckets of pennies to be cashed but by the end, Lynn Wagner ended up with $10,060.
'I thought that it'd be interesting to have a million of these so I thought that I'd try,' he said.
Wagner, 53, collected one million pennies in August. The pennies were stacked along a wall in Wagner's garage in 4 1/2-gallon buckets.
'I can get 30,000 of them in one bucket if I shake it so that they settle to the bottom,' he said. 'That's $52 per gallon.'
Along with saving his own pennies, he also received contributions as word of his collection spread.
Friends and family began passing along a year's worth of pennies at Christmas. A waitress at the Honey Creek Inn, where Wagner and his wife Brenda eat breakfast every Saturday, saved pennies for him that customers left.
'I had people whom I didn't even know calling me. They'd say that a friend or brother had told them about this guy who collected pennies and asked if I wanted a jar of pennies they'd collected,' Wagner said.
'Some people think that pennies don't add up to anything, but this is proof that they do,' Brenda Wagner said. "
12:53 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Charity Theft Suspect Hit by Car in Ariz.: "Thu Dec 4, 7:54 AM ET
TUCSON, Ariz. - A man who stole a Salvation Army donation pot outside a drug store was hit by a car as he tried to run away, police said.
Edward Sanders, 40, grabbed the pot Tuesday and pulled it away after a short struggle with volunteer Patricia Parra, a 60-year-old woman who suffers from cerebral palsy, said South Tucson police Sgt. Dan Snyder.
As he started to run away, he was struck by a Honda sedan and police captured him.
The red pot and the $53.97 inside were returned to the Salvation Army, Snyder said.
'I think God has a poetic sense of justice,' he said.
Sanders, treated at University Medical Center, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and criminal damage. "
12:45 Posted by David
KTVU.com - News - Girlfriend Bites Boyfriend's Tongue Off: "Love Bites: Makeup Kiss Gone Horribly Wrong
WICHITA, Kan. -- Young lovers can sometimes lose their heads, but a young man in Kansas lost part of his tongue Monday night.
Police were called to a loud fight at a home in Wichita.
They say after an argument, the boyfriend tried to give the girlfriend a makeup kiss. Instead, she bit off a large part of his tongue.
Police recovered the piece, and it was reattached at a Wichita hospital.
The young woman faces charges of aggravated battery. Adding insult to injury, the boyfriend faces simple battery charges.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved."
12:43 Posted by David
KTVU.com - News - Speeding On Snowboard Lands Man Assault Conviction: "Ohio Man Guilty Of 3rd-Degree Assault For Crashing Into Ski Patroller
DURANGO, Colo. -- An Ohio man is going to jail for speeding ... on his snowboard.
Daniel Steaves, 22, was convicted of third-degree assault for crashing into a ski patroller and breaking the man's leg. Witnesses say Steaves was going 30 to 35 mph in a slow ski zone at Colorado's Durango Mountain Resort last season.
Witnesses say the ski patroller was blowing his whistle and trying to get Steaves to slow down at the time. The jury in the case didn't buy Steaves' contention the accident was the result of bad timing, bad luck and bad judgment -- but not recklessness.
Earlier this week, Steaves was sentenced to two days in jail and 75 hours of community service. He's been banned from the Durango slopes this season and must pay for the victim's medical expenses.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved."
22:43 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Record Drug Haul Goes Up in Smoke: "Tue Nov 18,10:43 AM ET
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Police began burning 20 tons of marijuana and cocaine in a steel furnace on Tuesday in the biggest ever incineration of drugs seized in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state.
'About 95 percent is marijuana. This was the year for marijuana,' said Antonio Carlos Silveira, a spokesman for Denarc, the police's narcotics investigation division. Police have seized a record 25 tons of marijuana in Sao Paulo state this year, five times more than in 2002, he said.
The incineration should take up to 10 hours, Silveira said.
The steel furnace was the same one used when Brazil claimed a world record for a drugs incineration in mid-2001 when police burned 140 tons of marijuana and cocaine seized across the country over a period of 12 months. "
22:42 Posted by David
local6.com - News - Police: Man Kills Puppy With Ax As Children Beg Him To Stop: "6:19 a.m. EST November 18, 2003
LaGRANGE, Ga. -- A LaGrange man accused of hacking his estranged wife's puppy to death with an ax as three children begged him to stop faces animal and child cruelty charges, police said.
Stephen Jay Williams, 38, of LaGrange got into a fight with his 34-year-old wife at a home on Sunday, then killed her pet and threatened her with the ax, police said.
Children ages 9, 10 and 13 witnessed the attack. It's not clear if they are related to the suspect.
Williams told investigators he was upset because the dog had bitten him two weeks ago, police said.
Williams was charged with three counts of first-degree child cruelty, aggravated cruelty to an animal and aggravated assault. He was being held without bail Monday.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press."
22:40 Posted by David
local6.com - News - Baby Recovering After Doctors Perform Rare Anal Surgery: "5:50 a.m. EST November 19, 2003
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- A Texas baby is recovering Tuesday, one day after doctors at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park created an anal opening for him.
Chief of Pediatric Surgery Dr. Alberto Pena performed the rare anorectal surgery on the 10-month-old baby boy Monday. The operation was teleconferenced live to Hadassah Hospital in Israel, where about 80 surgeons from Israel, Greece, Turkey and Italy watched.
Pena developed the procedure and has done about 1,700 anorectal surgeries since 1986.
He says the problem is a birth defect in which the anus and rectum do not develop properly. This type of malformation affects one in 5,000 newborns annually.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press."
22:35 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Town Donates Only $8 for Christmas Lights: "Tue Nov 18, 8:27 AM ET
LONDON - Asked to give money for a public display of Christmas lights, the 6,500 residents of Diss in eastern England came up with 5 pounds (US$8), all from one shop worker.
Business leaders sent out 250 letters to shops and businesses, and placed posters and newspaper adverts appealing for funds.
'We ... didn't expect to get nothing after all our hard work touting around the town delivering these notices, which is basically what happened,' Chamber of Trade chairman Ken Wells said in an interview with the Eastern Daily Press newspaper.
'I suppose it is a sign of the times,' he added. 'Last year, people really did rally to the cause and went door to door collecting, but this year we didn't get enough volunteers to do the rounds.'
Last year, major sponsors and local traders gave a total of 6,500 pounds (US$10,000). "
22:34 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man's Finger Stuck in Pay Phone for Hours: "Tue Nov 18,10:53 AM ET
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A man and a pay phone were rushed to a hospital after he got his finger stuck in the coin return slot while trying to retrieve his 50 cents.
Emergency room doctors gave Emanuel Fleming a painkiller Monday and pried his middle finger loose using a wooden device and lubricant, ending the three-hour ordeal.
'The bone in my finger felt like it was going to break. My finger was numb. It was very painful,' said Fleming, an elementary school janitor.
Fleming had tried to call his wife, but the line was busy. Two passers-by tried to help. When they failed to free him, Fleming used his other hand to dial 911.
Emergency crews and a representative of the company that owns the phone were sent to the scene. But they were also unable to free Fleming.
The phone was near a busy bus stop.
'People on the bus who know me were laughing at me,' Fleming said.
With few options left, ambulance crew members cut the telephone off at the base and took it and Fleming to St. Mary's Hospital.
'I've been in this business more than 30 years and I've seen a lot of weird things, but never anyone trapped in a telephone,' said Herb Simmons, manager of the ambulance company. "
22:31 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Robber Forgets to Cut Eye Holes in Mask: "Wed Nov 19, 7:31 AM ET
MODESTO, Calif. - Police said a masked man who robbed a Modesto bank Monday forgot to cut eye holes into his disguise, occasionally lifting up a corner of the flannel cloth to see his feet as he fumbled his way through the heist, and crashing into the Oak Valley Community Bank's steel door frame on the way out.
The robbery was successful, and the man, who was wearing a pink shirt, big white gardening gloves and tight jeans, was last seen driving away with an accomplice and an undisclosed amount of money, Detective Tom Blake said.
Police did not return messages Tuesday asking whether the man had been caught. "
22:30 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Truck Load of Pudding Spills Onto Highway: "Wed Nov 19,10:05 AM ET
HIAWATHA, Iowa - Parts of Interstate 380 were creamed when a semitrailer load of pudding went splat.
Rodney Shepard, 61, of Waverly, lost control of the semi when its contents shifted, police said.
The semi bounced off of three or four pillars, ripping the trailer open and spilling 'literally a truck load' of pudding on the highway and in the ditch, police Officer Chuck Allaire said.
More than 100 cases of pudding were spilled, police said.
Traffic was reduced to one lane during the cleanup. "
22:28 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - School Sprays Skunk Scent on Pine Trees: "Wed Nov 19, 4:17 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS - There's a stinky surprise waiting for thieves who snatch pine trees from the University of Minnesota to use as Christmas trees: Instead of the smell of a freshly-cut tree, they'll get a whiff of roadkill skunk.
The university is spraying balsam fir, Scotch pine and anything that looks like a holiday tree with skunk scent ordered from a West Virginia trapping store.
Grounds superintendent Les Potts said the university lost seven evergreens last year to poachers. Christmas tree thieves have been sawing down trees in the middle of the night for years, but last year they lopped the tops off 18-foot trees that were more than 20 years old. The trees probably are permanently disfigured, Potts said.
The spray, which is being administered on still, rainless days, should cover at least the tops of 400 to 500 trees.
So, why skunk?
'Can you think of something worse?' Potts asked.
Cold weather masks the smell. But warm, indoor air releases it.
'We'll probably still lose some trees, but I have some satisfaction in knowing that it's not going to work out the way the thief thinks it will,' Potts said.
He admitted wondering what the campus will smell like when warm weather hits next spring. "
22:26 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Dies After Winning Vodka-Drinking Contest: "Wed Nov 19, 9:36 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A vodka-drinking competition in a southern Russian town ended in tragedy with the winner dead and several runners-up in intensive care.
'The competition lasted 30, perhaps 40 minutes and the winner downed three half-liter bottles. He was taken home by taxi but died within 20 minutes,' said Roman Popov, a prosecutor pursuing the case in the town of Volgodonsk.
'Five contestants ended up in intensive care. Those not in hospital turned up the next day, ostensibly for another drink.'
Popov said the director of the shop organizing this month's contest had been charged with manslaughter. He had offered 10 liters of vodka to the competitor drinking the most in the shortest time.
Russians drink the equivalent of 15 liters of pure alcohol per head annually, one of the highest rates in the world. Some experts estimate one in seven Russians is an alcoholic. "
22:23 Posted by David
'Family Guy' may return
'Family Guy' may return
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
Baby Stewie could be staging a comeback.
In a sign of the growing importance of DVD sales to Hollywood, 20th Century Fox is considering a plan to resume production of Family Guy, a sometimes crude animated comedy that the Fox network took off the air more than 18 months ago.
As many as 35 new episodes could return in January 2005, marking the first time that a canceled series has been revived based on strong DVD demand and ratings in syndication.
Fox Television Entertainment Group chairman Sandy Grushow said a decision is expected soon and called the series a late-blooming phenomenon that may have aired before its time.
A DVD set of the show's first 28 episodes released in April has sold nearly 1 million copies, making it this year's top-selling TV show and the No. 4 television title ever, according to Video Store magazine. A second collection, of 22 episodes, has sold 520,000 copies. And the series is Cartoon Network's most popular among adults.
Family Guy premiered with a big audience — 22 million viewers — and some controversy after Fox's 1999 Super Bowl telecast. In the pilot episode, Stewie, a talking toddler with a clipped British accent, was openly contemptuous of his loutish dad and bent on killing his sweet-natured mother in a quest for world domination.
Creator Seth MacFarlane, then 24, wrote scripts, drew characters, provided voices and infused the show with rapid-fire sight gags, a nod to The Simpsons. But ratings faded, and the show ended with a whimper early last year.
The relatively short network run may have helped DVD sales, Video Store's Judith McCourt says. "It really speaks to something that had a following, was cut off network TV, and people said, 'What did I miss?' "
DVD and cable viewers have "created kind of a groundswell that could lead to better ratings" on Fox, Grushow says, although new episodes could end up going directly to Cartoon Network.
A decision to restart the show suggests a reversal from the old TV business model, in which a network hit predicts a profit windfall in syndication. This time, the promise of DVD and syndication gold could justify a show's return even if low network ratings didn't.
But canceled favorites aren't likely to rise from the grave en masse. Family Guy has one major advantage: With no actors and no sets, it can simply be drawn back into existence.
15:05 Posted by David
Ok sorry for the delay but the Knott's Scary Farm pictures are now up. Click the PICTURES link to the left! If there are anymore just tell me and I will put them up. Dave
20:09 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Posing As Marshal Calls for Backup: "Wed Nov 12,10:15 AM ET
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - A motorist upset that he had been cut off pulled over the other driver, falsely claimed to be a U.S. marshal and called for a local police backup, authorities say.
Donald Sebastian, 54, of Middleburg Heights, is charged with impersonating a federal agent in this Cleveland suburb. He was released on a personal bond after a court appearance.
Sebastian's wish to become a U.S. marshal was blocked by a criminal record with 29 arrests since 1975, including state and federal gun convictions, the marshal's service said Monday.
'Who would call for backup?' U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. 'That's what is so strange.'
A search of his home showed marshal service business cards, shirts, jackets, leather gloves and other marshal gear. He told authorities his ruse was his 'way of giving back to the community.'
Sebastian, who does not have a phone listing in Middleburg Heights, could not be reached for comment. "
20:06 Posted by David
Man Fined for Scratching While Driving : "Thu Nov 13, 1:53 PM ET
MADRID, Spain - Highway police who stopped a driver they believed was using his cell phone erred twice. First, he was just scratching his ear. Second, he was a lawyer.
Tomas Valdivielso showed the two officers that the last call from his phone went out the night before. The duo huddled, then came back and fined him $70 anyway.
The charge: driving while 'holding his ear with his right hand in a permanent fashion.'
'Am I on hidden camera?' Valdivielso recalls saying, according to Thursday's edition of the newspaper El Mundo.
The flap happened Nov. 7 while Valdivielso drove into Madrid on a busy highway in the morning rush hour.
Valdivielso filed a 10-page appeal that El Mundo praised as a work of tongue-in-cheek art.
The appeal says the fine failed to say which ear was being held, or even how many ears Valdivielso has, and argues that Spanish law does not bar scratching them while driving or oblige motorists to pull over to do it.
Valdivielso wrote: 'To presume that this unconscious act cannot be performed would lead us to the absurd situation of having to wait to stop the vehicle in a place that does not pose a danger for other occupants of the road in order to scratch, by which time, depending on how bad the itch is, I probably would have crashed before finding an adequate place to stop, or the itch would have gone away, reducing the pleasure I get from scratching."
20:04 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Taxi driver glued to wheel in stick-up: "Thu Nov 13,12:42 PM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - Two robbers left a German taxi driver glued to his steering wheel before running off with 300 euros (208 pounds), police say.
After the 31-year-old drove the men to a village near the eastern city of Dresden they threatened him with a gun, glued his hands to the wheel and escaped with the money, police spokesman Claus Schneider said on Thursday. "
20:03 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Stepmother Made Boy Sleep in Chicken Coop: "Thu Nov 13, 9:08 AM ET
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police said on Thursday they had rescued an 18-year-old boy who was forced by his stepmother to sleep in a chicken coop for the past 10 years.
Investigators acting on a tip-off found James Kimathi Mwirigi badly malnourished and scarred from apparent beatings in the central Kenyan district of Meru, a police official said.
'His stepbrother confirmed to us that he has been maltreated. But he is above the age of what is considered a child, so we have to proceed very carefully,' the commanding police officer told Reuters.
Villagers told police that the teenager -- thought to be mentally disabled -- was denied food and a proper education, while being made to carry out household duties and farm chores.
According to neighbors, the stepmother had a reputation for cruelty and was shunned in the village. Police said they were searching for the parents. "
20:02 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Drowns Self in Cesspool Over Missing Bike: "Thu Nov 13, 9:06 AM ET
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - A Tanzanian who thought his boss's bicycle had been stolen while in his care killed himself by diving into a cesspit -- only for a friend to return the bike a little later, a newspaper said Thursday.
Samuel Boniface, 20, committed suicide Tuesday after telling his employer the bicycle had gone missing, police in Dar es Salaam told the Daily Times.
Shortly after his body was found floating in the cesspool, his friend returned the bicycle, saying he had borrowed it. "
19:35 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Woman uses fists, feet to save teenage nephew from crocodile in Australia: "DARWIN, Australia (AP) - A woman punched and kicked a three-metre saltwater crocodile on the nose to free her teenage nephew from its jaws during an attack in Australia's outback, the young man said Monday from his hospital bed.
Manual Gandigorrtij, 19, was loading wild geese into his small tin boat at the water's edge when a crocodile lunged at his leg and pulled him into the creek, 400 kilometres east of Darwin on Saturday. Without hesitation, his aunt and uncle raced to his rescue.
'He dragged me into the water and then my uncle and my aunty went and jumped it,' Gandigorrtij told the Australian Associated Press from the hospital.
His aunt, Margaret Rinybuma, 53, let her fists and feet fly.
'She punched it, the croc, and she kicked it,' Gandigorrtij said.
'I hit him with my fist on the nose and I yelled out 'Help! In the name of Jesus!' and it let him go,' Rinybuma told the Northern Territory News in a story printed Monday.
After the crocodile let go, his aunt and uncle dragged the teen from the water.
Gandigorrtij was recovering in Royal Darwin Hospital following surgery for three deep cuts in his left leg. "
19:30 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Policeman gets two years for oral sex: "Thu Nov 6,11:53 PM ET
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean police sergeant has been jailed for two years for having oral sex in a country where prostitution is legal but oral sex is not, a newspaper reports. The Straits Times reported that the 27-year-old police coast guard sergeant landed in court after a 16-year-old reported to the police that she had performed oral sex on the man.
She was above the age of consent and agreed to perform the act, but oral sex is against the law in the city-state, the paper said.
'The act by itself is an offence. It is not a question of consent or no consent. Even between consenting people, it is an offence,' criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan told the paper.
The maximum punishment for the offence is life imprisonment. "
19:28 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Police Dog Drops Chase, Gulps Down Candy: "Thu Nov 6, 3:18 PM ET
OSLO, Norway - When Varg the police dog was sent into a candy factory to track down two intruders, his sense of taste got the better of his sense of duty. The German Shepherd nearly ate himself sick.
Leif Berglund, of the police in the central Norway city of Trondheim, on Thursday said police were called to the Nidar candy factory after seven 13 -to 15-year-olds were found helping themselves to candy after they broke in.
Five surrendered at once, but two ran away. So police sent Varg to follow their trail. What he found was the trail of candy they left behind, as well as more candy in the building.
'He helped himself greedily,' said Berglund. He said he was so full of candy 'that we had to immediately transfer him to a more urgent assignment' on the lawn outside the building.
The two children remained at large.
'He is fine now. He is one tough gentleman,' said Berglund, after Varg's dereliction of duty.
At 9.5 years, Varg is set for retirement, so wouldn't face any disciplinary action, Berglund said. "
19:26 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Steals Meat but Leaves ID Behind: "Fri Nov 7,10:16 AM ET
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A man shoplifted some meat and escaped in a stolen pickup truck, but police are confident he'll be arrested soon because he left behind his wallet and identification.
'That's pretty dumb,' Memphis police Lt. Richard Granderson said Thursday. 'We'll catch him. It's just a matter of time.'
A man in shorts, T-shirt and sandals walked out of the Metro Market Wednesday without paying for some packaged meat.
'One of the clerks chased him out, and he had his truck running,' store manager Howard Abdullah said. 'It was like a planned operation.'
The truck had been stolen from the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, police said.
After a brief scuffle with the clerk, the thief left his wallet behind. Police say they are looking for 40-year-old Willie Patrick of Memphis but didn't find him at home Wednesday night.
Patrick was on parole from a previous conviction for car theft, Granderson said. His parole term was set to expire Wednesday.
'It won't now, though,' Granderson said. "
19:24 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Police Charge Teens Dressed As Women: "Sun Nov 9,12:24 PM ET
NEW YORK - Five young men who police said dressed as women were arrested on charges that they impersonated police officers and robbed men in Greenwich Village, authorities said.
Police said the teenagers are implicated in six robberies between Oct. 5 and Nov. 6. They are accused of handcuffing men and taking their wallets, stealing amounts ranging from $85 to $1,200, police said.
In at least one case, the teenagers produced a 'police-like badge' before robbing a 33-year-old man, police said.
The five were arrested on Thursday after plainclothes officers with a description of the suspects in the string of robberies saw one of the teenagers and took him into custody.
Police said they were charging the teenagers with robbery and criminal impersonation. An investigation was continuing, said Detective Carolyn Chew, a police spokeswoman. "
19:21 Posted by David
Police Go Fishing While on Terror Patrol
Fri Nov 7,10:23 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas - Five police officers assigned to protect a power plant from possible terrorism went fishing at a nearby lake instead, and were once seen in uniform cleaning the fish they had just caught, according to disciplinary records.
A lieutenant, a sergeant and three other officers were disciplined for fishing while on duty and another sergeant was disciplined for not reporting the others, according to records obtained by the Austin American-Statesman.
"Quite frankly, we are very disappointed," Assistant Police Chief Rick Coy told the newspaper for Friday's edition. "We believe our job is to protect the community, and that's what we expect our officers to do."
Most of the officers were assigned to the Decker Creek Power Plant near Austin as part of the department's Homeland Defense Unit. The lake is part of the plant's property.
Five of the officers received suspensions from one to 30 days for violating civil service commission rules. The punishment for the lieutenant was not available because he is appealing.
Internal affairs investigators received a complaint in June that the officers were fishing while they were supposed to be patrolling at the plant, according to the memos.
Police cited a number of department violations, including continuing to fish after being ordered to stop and instructing plant security guards to allow fellow officers onto the facility to fish.
Coy said homeland security assignments will now be rotated to prevent similar incidents.
19:19 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Kills Lion After Overnight Stay: "Fri Nov 7,10:13 PM ET
TUCSON, Ariz. - A mountain lion was shot and killed after it wandered into the fenced yard of a Tubac home and stayed there overnight, a game official said.
The lion was discovered in the yard the night of Oct. 29.
Two large barking dogs didn't scare it away, which is unusual.
The next morning, the homeowner's neighbor killed the animal, said Tom Whetten, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.
The neighbor had a hunting license and a mountain lion permit, which allows a hunter to kill one mountain lion per year, Whetten said.
Whetten said Game and Fish would have the animal tested for rabies because of the abnormal behavior. "
19:18 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Family gets tracker for son: "Mon Nov 10,11:22 AM ET
OSLO (Reuters) - A Norwegian family may use a state radio surveillance device to help track down their six-year-old son if he runs away, an Oslo appeals court has ruled.
The court overruled a decision by a welfare office, which said the parents should keep a closer eye on the boy without recourse to the state-funded $1,400 radio transmitter.
The court ruling, obtained by Reuters on Monday, agreed with the family that the boy needed extra care because he suffered from autism and was prone to running off.
'We don't want (the tracker) to feel safe if he runs off, but so that we have a real possibility of finding him if he gets lost,' the parents said in their appeal.
The family may borrow the surveillance equipment from the state. Norway is one of the richest nations in the world thanks to oil wealth with a generous cradle-to-grave welfare state. "
19:16 Posted by David
Town Complains About Soup Factory Smell
Mon Nov 10, 9:44 AM ET
WOODINVILLE, Wash. - The reek from the StockPot soup factory is back, and so are complaints from neighbors of the Campbell Soup Co. subsidiary.
"I can always tell when it's Tuesday," said Stephen Koplan, who lives about three miles north of the plant. "You can wake up on a Tuesday and the stench will be so bad it's nauseating. It's that B.O. smell.
"If I drive on (Washington) 522, my car will smell like it the rest of the day, and my home, the garage, the whole house. It's just disgusting."
StockPot has paid $18,000 in fines because of the odors, traced mainly to production of onion soup, and installed equipment to spray an odor-reducing enzyme into the exhaust system, officials said. For a time, that seemed to work.
"We even got a few e-mails thanking us, believe it or not," said Jim Nolan, compliance director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
StockPot president Kathleen Horner blamed weather conditions for the recent complaints.
"We sit in a valley out here," she said. "It's an inversion zone. Cold air can get trapped, and when it warms up you get an 'odor puff.'"
Additional spending doesn't make sense if King County builds a proposed sewage treatment plant on neighboring land, Campbell's officials said. In March the company asked the county to buy out StockPot's lease, which runs through 2012.
"We're not delaying things," Horner said, "but there is the question about how much to invest in this building before we know what King County is going to do."
Nolan said he would meet with company officials soon to discuss the issue.
19:12 Posted by David
Women Claim Condom Found in Clam Chowder
Mon Nov 10, 5:05 PM ET
SANTA ANA, Calif. - Four women sued an Irvine restaurant after one of them said she found a condom in her clam chowder when they dined there last year.
Laila Sultan said she was eating at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant on Feb. 26, 2002, when she bit into something rubbery.
"We said, `Of course. You're chewing on a clam,'" said Paula Wild, one of her dining companions.
When she spit it out, Sultan, 48, said she discovered it was an unwrapped, rolled-up condom.
She said she spent the next 15 minutes in a restroom, vomiting, and has since seen a psychiatrist and taken medication for depression and anxiety.
Sultan, Wild, Cindy Hammond and Annamarie Sigala, who were all having the clam chowder that day, filed suit, claiming negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Their case is scheduled for trial Jan. 12.
A lawyer for the restaurant said McCormick & Schmick's has no idea how the condom got into the soup.
"It's as big a mystery to us as it is to anybody else," said attorney Patrick Stark. "We are going to argue there is absolutely no evidence to suggest the restaurant was the source of the condom, or any employee of the restaurant."
McCormick & Schmick's, a privately owned chain that owns 42 upscale restaurants in 19 states, sued the company that supplied its clams. A judge ruled in favor of the supplier last September.
Sultan, who lives in Stanton, said she had visited the restaurant before and never had a problem.
On this occasion, she said, she and her companions ordered drinks, appetizers and soup, but sent the soup back because it was lukewarm. When she got it back she found the condom.
19:06 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Smokers Bury Health Warning Under Humor: "Mon Nov 10,10:41 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - German smokers fed up with the eye-catching health warnings now required on cigarette packets sold in the European Union (news - web sites) have begun covering them with their own messages rich in gallows humor.
'Begging cigarettes from others can lead to sudden death,' reads one black and white warning, imitating one of the 14 EU-mandated health messages required since last month.
'Move out of the way! I'm headed for the graveyard' and 'I smoke because you stink' are two other warnings that German smokers are sticking on their packs.
EU rules dictate that warnings such as 'Smoking Kills' must now cover at least 30 percent of the front of each packet and 40 percent of the back. Smoking-linked diseases kill more than 500,000 EU citizens each year.
Other messages mock EU warnings that smoking can lead to impotence: 'The cigarettes contained in this package can lead to a renewed erection,' reads one. 'Hey, do you want to jump in the sack with me?' is another popular choice. "
17:11 Posted by David
TheBostonChannel.com - News - Woman On Cell Phone Dies In Car Crash: "Woman On Cell Phone Dies In Car Crash
Car Plows Into Cell Phone Store
POSTED: 7:50 a.m. EST November 3, 2003
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- An Abington, Mass., woman, driving and talking on her cell phone, died after her car plowed into a cell phone store in West Bridgewater.
Bethaney Lawton, 20, was not wearing a seat belt when her car crashed into a Cingular Wireless building shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, officer Thomas Richmond said.
'She was on a cell phone, talking to a friend,' Richmond said. 'She told her friend, 'I'm about to get into an accident.' ... The friend heard the crash, the phone went dead.'
Lawton swerved to avoid a utility pole, crossed into the oncoming lane and crashed into the building, Richmond said.
The car was three-fourths into the building, and it took 20 minutes to free her from the wreckage, according to Fire Chief Leonard Hunt. She died while undergoing surgery at Boston Medical Center.
Police said Lawton was alone in her car after dropping off a friend in Bridgewater. She was studying to be an EMT at Massasoit Community College.
Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. "
14:56 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Sri Lanka sends army drivers back to school: "Mon Oct 13,10:14 AM ET
COLOMBO (AFP) - The Sri Lankan army will send some 4,000 of its drivers on refresher courses following a spate of fatal accidents involving military vehicles.
The move followed investigations into several deadly accidents involving army drivers which occurred on the island's northern peninsula of Jaffna, defence ministry spokesman Sumedha Perera said Monday.
'We are starting this program from the north and the east and then (we will) extend to other areas,' Perera said. 'Respect of road rules in the north-east is somewhat lower and bad driving on our side makes it worse.' "
14:51 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Thief Stopped by His Landlord _ a Cop
RENO, Nev. - Ernest Dumpti was feeling so wealthy after he allegedly helped steal $90,000 from an elderly woman that he decided to pay off a year's worth of his rent, police said.
The problem was he tried to pay it off in $50,000 cash, to his landlord — a Reno police officer.
Dumpti, 39, and his alleged accomplice Patrick Payne, 43, were booked Monday into the Washoe County Jail for investigation of grand larceny.
The men allegedly took the money from the attic of a Reno woman whose home they were renovating, Reno police said.
Officer Jim Stegmaier said he became suspicious when Dumpti told him he had come into some cash and wanted to pay a year in advance on the property he rents from the officer.
Dumpti allegedly showed Stegmaier the money while Stegmaier was wearing his police uniform.
Police detectives then obtained a search warrant for Dumpti's home and recovered the $90,000. The woman was not aware the money was missing until she was contacted by police.
14:50 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Attacks Stain in Trousers...Destroys Apartment: "Mon Oct 13,10:36 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian man may wish he had stuck with having dirty trousers after an imaginative attempt to purge a stubborn paint stain on them destroyed his apartment.
The unnamed Muscovite added a liter of petrol to his washing machine to help dissolve the stain, Itar-Tass news agency reported Monday, but the ensuing explosion wrecked his kitchen and demolished two internal walls.
Moscow police confirmed there had been an explosion in a south-eastern Moscow apartment, but would not comment on the cause. "
14:49 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Wedding Party Shoots Down Plane: "Mon Oct 13,10:37 AM ET
BELGRADE (Reuters) - A two-seater sports plane on an unauthorized joyride was apparently shot down by mistake when it flew over a Serbian wedding party where guests were firing guns into the air, local media reported Sunday.
Two men were reported to have sustained serious injuries when their aircraft burst into flames and crashed near Kraljevo, central Serbia.
'I heard shots from a wedding party which was very close to the crash site. Then I saw the plane in flames. It was shot in the left wing,' witness Zoran Vukadinovic told reporters.
'A few moments later, while attempting a crash landing, it was caught in overhead power cables,' he said.
Local media said neither of the men held a pilot's license.
Firing guns into the air at weddings and other celebrations is common in Serbia. "
14:48 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Police Nab Vicious Crow by Getting It Drunk: "Tue Oct 14,10:50 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police apprehended a vicious crow which was attacking passers-by by getting it drunk on bait laced with alcohol, authorities said Monday.
The bird eluded its captors after attacking a woman and a young girl at the weekend until cat food soaked in high-alcohol fruit schnapps proved too tempting to resist.
'The crow was completely smashed,' said a spokesman for police in the western city of Dortmund.
Police said the crow was sleeping off its hangover in a local animal home. "
13:25 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Pay Up or Fluffy Gets It: "Thu Oct 2, 9:50 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - For a Russian electricity company, pets are not just for Christmas -- they are for ransom.
Russia's First Channel television reported Dalenergo, an electricity company in Russia's Far Eastern city Vladivostok, is so frustrated by customers who owe around $10 million that it has decided to confiscate their pets.
'Let the father answer his daughter's question as to why her favorite cat has been taken away,' Dalenergo Director Nikolai Tkachyov told First Channel.
Dalenergo's parent, Unified Energy System (UES), disowned the pet-snatching plan.
'Dalenergo will not take away Vladivostok residents' four-footed friends,' it said in a statement. "
13:18 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Drunken driver caught napping in fast lane: "Wed Oct 1, 5:49 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police have detained a drunken man after finding him sitting behind the wheel of his car asleep in the fast lane of a motorway, authorities say.
'He had a bottle of wine between his legs and a rifle next to him. He pulled up there to sleep off the booze,' police said.
The man, 28, was believed to be a hunter. He was wearing camouflage clothing and there was a dog in the passenger seat, a police spokesman in the northern city of Schwerin said. "
13:15 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Sets Record for Eating M&MsWed Oct 1, 8:22 AM ET
OAKLAND, Calif. - Three minutes after Jim Hager started eating M&Ms with a pair of chopsticks, he was headed for the Guinness Book of World Records.
The 47-year-old Oakland resident gobbled 115 M&Ms in 3 minutes Sunday, breaking a previous record of 112 Smarties consumed by Kathryn Ratcliffe of England in December 2002.
The new record won't become official until event organizers send documentation to the Guinness association, including a videotape, photographs and written declarations from witnesses, but it seems likely he'll have his place in the list.
For his efforts, he received 25 pounds of M&Ms courtesy of a local candy store that sponsored the event.
"His kids were very happy," said store owner Wendy Winter.
She said the association gave very specific guidelines: Contestants had to use wooden chopsticks, the M&Ms had to be of the standard variety and they had to be carried to the mouth — one at a time — in the chopsticks.
13:13 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Court Won't Accept Check on TombstoneFri Oct 3,11:13 AM ET
LONDON - A peace activist attempted to pay a court fine with a check chiseled on a small tombstone Friday, as a protest at the number of civilians killed in the recent war in Iraq (news - web sites).
Court officials refused to accept the check.
Nick Buxton, a 31-year-old aid worker from London, was fined 120 pounds (US$200) for blocking the entrance to a military base in January.
His "check," complete with account number signature, was made from cast stone and weighed about five pounds. On the reverse side was written "RIP 25,000 dead in Iraq" — a "conservative estimate," Buxton said, of the number of civilians killed in the Iraq conflict.
The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), the British trade association of banks and building societies, said a check can be written on anything and be legally valid as long as all the proper details are included.
"The classic example was someone who wrote a check on the side of a live cow, while others have written checks on clothing, or on paving stones," said Stephanie Watson, a spokeswoman for APACS.
"However, the payee can always refuse a check, just as a shopkeeper can demand to be paid in cash," she said.
13:11 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Am I on Fire or Is It Just TV?: "Fri Oct 3, 7:39 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German TV network's regular early morning film of a burning log is playing havoc with night owls and even tricked a woman into calling out the fire brigade.
A spokesman for police in the northern town of Luebeck said on Thursday that the woman woke up thinking her television was on fire, called emergency services and alerted her neighbors.
'Fire services rushed in and extinguished the 'blaze' using the television remote control,' the spokesman said.
Sabine Kreft of the Super RTL network said the 'burning log' video which runs from three until six in the morning is popular, promotes congeniality, but is distinguishable from a real fire.
'Once I heard an old lady poured water on her TV. But most people should really be able to tell the difference.' "
13:10 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Dies After Wife Crushes Testicles: "Fri Oct 3, 8:28 AM ET
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - An enraged Ethiopian mother of five will be tried for the murder of her husband who died after she crushed his testicles in a fight, police told the state-run Ethiopian News Agency.
Police said on Friday the man was so embarrassed after the incident that he declined to seek treatment for the injury, and died days later.
'Following a disagreement over the husband's spending habits, his wife refused to give him his dinner and also decided to sleep alone,' police in the western region of Wellega said.
'The husband was so angered by this affront by his wife that he tried to beat her. In the melee that followed, the wife grabbed and twisted his testicles causing serious damage.'
Police said the unnamed woman, a resident of Wayu-Tuka district in Wellega, had had several arguments with her husband about the amount of money he spent on booze. "
00:43 Posted by David
"'Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant kind of like having a peeing section in a pool?' "
00:31 Posted by David
:Thu Sep 25, 4:04 PM ET
By JULIE E. BISBEE, Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY - U.S. District Judge Lee R. West's telephone has not stopped ringing since he sided with telemarketers seeking to block a popular national do-not-call list.
Egged on by talk show hosts and angry Web sites, people have flooded West's office and home with calls and faxes, apparently trying to show him why they wanted to ban unsolicited sales calls.
"They are just calling to tie up our lines," said Rick Wade, operations manager at the district clerk's office. "They just keep calling to harass us, like the telemarketers harass them, I guess."
The phones at the federal courthouse were jammed Thursday morning and voicemail boxes were stuffed with messages blasting West's ruling that the Federal Trade Commission lacked authority to create and operate the registry.
West's home and office telephone numbers were posted on the Internet, and consumers angry with the ruling were encouraged to call. Calls by The Associated Press to West's home seeking comment were blocked by busy signals.
The ruling even made late-night television talk show host Jay Leno 's monologue Wednesday night.
"The judge says the telemarketers can call you whenever they want," Leno said. "You know what we should do? Let's all call this judge tonight at home during dinner."
West did please some businesses with his ruling Tuesday. Telemarketers say the list would devastate their industry and lead to the loss of thousands of jobs.
Rick Ratliff, president of U.S. Security, Inc., one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the list, said his company laid off half of its 600 employees because of restrictions on telemarketing.
"U.S. Security does not sell anything over the phone," he said. "We simply ask for the opportunity to tell someone about the lifesaving benefits of our security and fire systems in a face-to-face meeting."
The do-not-call registry appears that it will go forward after all. The House approved legislation Thursday intended to ensure the list goes into effect next week. After less than an hour of debate, which included potshots at West from both parties, House members voted 412-8 to approve the bill.
___
On the Net:
National Do Not Call Registry: http://www.donotcall.gov
00:25 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Even Drivers with Cell Phones Back Ban: "Thu Sep 25,10:14 AM ET
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Everybody dislikes people who talk on cellular telephones while driving, even those guilty of the practice, a new survey suggests.
In New Jersey, 84 percent of voters who own cell phones told Quinnipiac University pollsters that they support a state ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
Such a ban is being considered by state lawmakers.
However, 42 percent of cell phone owners also acknowledged using the devices 'very often' or 'sometimes' while driving, though slightly more than half of them said they used hands-free cell phones when they were behind the wheel.
The overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters -- 83 percent -- said they believe banning cell phones would make the state's highway system safer. But only 38 percent believed such a ban would be easy to enforce.
The Quinnipiac survey, conducted by telephone Sept. 18-22, surveyed 968 registered voters and had a 3.2 percent margin of error. "
23:59 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Cyprus cabbies told bin the chest wigs: "Wed Sep 10, 5:26 AM ET
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus wants its taxi drivers to bin their medallions, cover up hairy belly buttons and ditch flashy rings to project a cleaner image among tourists.
The island's licensing authority plans etiquette classes for its cabbies after surveys conducted among holidaymakers showed some grooming was needed, Alithia newspaper reported on Wednesday.
'Thick gold chains around the neck, sovereign rings on three of the five fingers...all this has got to go,' the daily quoted an official at the licensing authority as saying.
Explicit tattoos, shorts exposing hairy legs and flip-flops were also in for the chop, the official added.
About 2.5 million tourists flock to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus every year, over half of them from western Europe. "
23:54 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Inmate Falls Into Judge's Chambers: "Tue Sep 9, 7:41 AM ET
DECATUR, Ga. - An inmate found himself before a judge sooner than he expected when he fell through the courthouse ceiling into the judge's chambers while trying to escape, police said.
Ben N. Rogozensky, 31, was one of about a dozen inmates awaiting hearings Monday when he was taken to the empty jury room to speak with his attorney.
The inmate asked to go into the adjacent restroom and from there climbed into the ceiling crawl space, DeKalb County sheriff's spokeswoman Mikki Jones said.
State Court Judge J. Antonio DelCampo was in the courtroom when the barefoot Rogozensky fell through the ceiling and landed near the judge's desk in his chambers.
A technician who was fixing the judge's computer called for security officers, who grabbed Rogozensky in the hallway.
Rogozensky was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with obstruction of officers and giving false information. "
23:52 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Motorist caught playing flute at 80mph: "Wed Sep 10, 6:27 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police have caught a man playing the flute with both hands as he sped through traffic at 130 kph (80 mph) on a busy highway.
'He was leaning back in the seat and steering the car with his knees and feet,' said Johann Bohnert, a spokesman for police in the town of Traunstein near the Austrian border. 'He looked like he'd had practice.' He now faces a fine of 50 euros (35.2 pounds).
The 52-year-old from Salzburg in Austria, birthplace of Mozart, the composer whose works include the opera 'The Magic Flute', told police he was not actually blowing the instrument. 'He said he was just practising fingerings,' said Bohnert. "
23:52 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Alabama Fire Truck Burns Down Own Station: "Wed Sep 10, 4:08 PM ET
IDER, Ala. - A fire truck that had just returned from the scene of a blaze caught fire itself at its station, destroying the building and the vehicle.
The engine of the truck had been turned off, but some malfunction, possibly a gasoline leak, caused a fire under the hood, firefighter Brad Hannah said.
Ider, a town of about 670 people in the rural northeast corner of Alabama, has two other fire trucks. Assistant Fire Chief Ronnie Cloud said Wednesday. Those trucks were out on calls during the fire. "
23:50 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Four Fined for Faking Death to Buy Fuel: "Wed Sep 10, 9:24 AM ET
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe police arrested four men for faking a death to get preferential treatment on the sale of fuel, state television reported Wednesday.
An acute shortage of hard currency since 1999 in Zimbabwe has resulted in erratic fuel supplies and the problem has worsened since a deal with Libya collapsed last November.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said police arrested and fined four men after suspicious attendants at a Harare garage offering priority to bereaved families found one of them hiding inside the coffin aboard a vehicle seeking petrol.
The latest report follows a local newspaper story in July, which said police arrested two mortuary workers for renting out corpses to motorists looking for a way to jump the long queues at the pumps. "
23:49 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Easy Come, Easy Go: $50 Million Jackpot Gone: "Wed Sep 10, 9:23 AM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - It's too late. It was a lottery ticket worth $50 million and somebody had it in their pocket and didn't claim it and now it's too late.
Florida lottery officials say the person who bought a quick pick ticket at a Miami-area food market for the March 12 draw let the 180-day deadline pass on Tuesday.
'Somebody didn't get their $50 million,' lottery spokeswoman Sheila Griffin said. 'There is no second chance.'
It was the largest of 19 unclaimed jackpots in the 15-year history of the Florida Lottery. Winners have missed out on nearly $123 million.
'Our thought is that it was someone who was on vacation who went home and never checked their numbers,' Griffin said.
The previous highest unclaimed prize was $15 million in 1991.
The $50 million returns to the lottery, which uses it for special promotions that ultimately boost sales, Griffin said.
The winning numbers were 22-23-35-45-50-53. But they're just numbers now.
No one has ever tried to claim a prize after the deadline. If they did, it wouldn't do any good.
'Too late,' Griffin said."
23:44 Posted by David
KTVU.com - News - Girls Call For Pot, Ring Sheriff's Cell Phone: "Girls Call For Pot, Ring Sheriff's Cell Phone
Sheriff Sets Up 'Dupe' Drug Sale, Busts Teens At Scene
AUSTIN, Minn. -- When two Wisconsin girls called to buy marijuana, they sure dialed the wrong number.
The teenagers dialed the cell phone of Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi. After Amazi said she was the sheriff, the caller said she was sorry and hung up.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. This time, Amazi let a deputy answer. The lawman, who called himself 'Dupe,' arranged to meet the girls at a convenience store.
Police say the girls were busted at the scene with money to buy the pot and some drug paraphernalia. Amazi said it is amazing the girls didn't know what 'duped' means."
23:55 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Mom Pleads Guilty to Attacking Stripper: "Wed Aug 27, 9:48 AM ET
WHEELING, Ill. - A woman has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery, admitting she attacked a male stripper who failed to meet expectations during her daughter's bachelorette party.
Jacqueline McMahon, 52, was sentenced to 30 days of court supervision and ordered to pay $2,500 restitution to the victim in a plea deal reached Monday. Prosecutors also agreed to drop battery charges against McMahon's daughter, Carrie McMahon, 22, of Loveland, Colo., and bridesmaid Kelly Meyer, 33.
The 28-year-old man suffered head injuries, bruises and scratches when he was punched, kicked and hit over the head with a bottle after his July 2002 performance at a hotel in Crystal Lake.
Police said attendees at the party became angered when the stripper showed up late and turned out to be a stand-in for the dancer requested by the hosts. Tensions increased when the man allegedly ended his performance sooner than expected and without paying enough attention to the bride. "
23:54 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Fired Fair Employee Strips, Hit by Train: "Wed Aug 27, 9:51 AM ET
MONROE, Wash. - A 24-year-old man who led Snohomish County sheriff's deputies on a bizarre chase through the Evergreen State Fair on was seriously hurt when he tried to jump aboard a moving train.
The man, a fair employee, was seen on the midway Tuesday smoking 'an unknown narcotic' from a glass pipe, sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said. He was fired on the spot.
The man attempted to steal money from another carnival worker, then went to a women's restroom, where he exposed himself, Jorgensen said.
When deputies arrived, the man put on his pants, took off his shirt, and fled through a window in one of the restroom's stalls.
He groped women as he ran, then scaled a chain-link fence to U.S. 2, where he attempted to steal a car from a woman.
When that failed, he ran across the highway to a train and tried to jump aboard, even though it was traveling about 45 miles per hour, Jorgensen said.
He was knocked back by the train, and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with multiple fractures. He was reported in serious condition Tuesday night.
When he's released, Jorgensen said, he'll likely be charged with indecent liberties and attempted robbery. "
23:51 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Man Burns Down Apartments in Wasp Hunt: "Wed Aug 27,10:24 AM ET
ZURICH (Reuters) - A man who tried to fight bothersome wasps with insect spray and a cigarette lighter burned down his apartment and two neighboring flats, Swiss police say.
A police spokesman said Tuesday the man used a whole can of insect spray on a wasp nest underneath an overhanging roof outside his apartment.
When he tried to fend off the angry wasps with his lighter, the fumes ignited and set the flats ablaze.
No one in the apartment block was hurt, but the blaze caused more than $350,000 in damage. "
23:51 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - Postman Convicted for Keeping 61,000 Letters: "Wed Aug 27,10:25 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court handed a former postman a 10-month suspended jail sentence and 200 hours community service for failing to deliver around 61,000 letters, authorities said Wednesday.
Police discovered mounds of post that had accumulated over two-and-a-half-years filling the rooms and basement of the 36-year-old's house after locals complained about missing deliveries. The man resigned his job.
'He said he had too many letters to deliver on his round,' said Bernd Lottes, spokesman for the court in the western town of Neuss. 'He was hoping to deliver the other stuff when he had a bit of breathing space.' "
00:24 Posted by David
: "Fri Aug 22, 9:11 AM ET
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Reuters) - A New Mexico man was charged with beating a woman to death with a lead pipe because he did not want to share his Budweiser beer with her, according to court documents.
Charles Lee Vennevy, 26, was charged with killing 41-year-old Yvonne Garcia and beating her male companion last Monday night before leaving them for dead in downtown Albuquerque. Vennevy is in custody and bail was set on Wednesday at $1 million cash, according to a criminal complaint obtained on Thursday.
According to the complaint filed, Vennevy was drinking beer with friends. Garcia approached the group wanting to drink with them, and was turned away. She returned later with a friend, and a fight ensued over the beer.
While Garcia 'was on all fours looking at the ground,' Vennevy is suspected of kicking her in the face with his steel-toed work boots, then hitting her over the head with a lead pipe. He is also suspected of attacking her companion, the complaint said.
Garcia was found by a security guard and later pronounced dead at the scene. Her male companion was treated and released from a nearby hospital, having lost his left eye after being struck with the pipe.
Vennevy was charged with murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence. "
00:24 Posted by David
Yahoo! News - 'Dead' Man Revives After Night in Morgue: "Fri Aug 22, 9:06 AM ET
HANOI (Reuters) - An elderly Vietnamese man thought to have died in a hospital revived after spending the night in the morgue, state media and a doctor said on Friday.
Nguyen Van Quan, 73, was declared dead and taken to a Ho Chi Minh City hospital morgue on the night of August 15 but was found alive by his daughter the next morning as she was retrieving the body for the funeral, the Vietnam News daily said.
'I was shocked and frightened when I saw the blanket that covered my father moving,' Quan's daughter was quoted as saying. 'When the morgue's officials pulled back the blanket, my father's eyes moved, brightening with joy.'
A doctor at the Nguyen Tri Phuong hospital, where Quan had been admitted after complaining of chest pain, told Reuters: 'He is now still in the emergency section.'
After Quan's heart failed and he was declared dead, the man was placed in the morgue where he was laid for seven hours among corpses.
The doctor declined to elaborate on the case but said investigations into the incident were under way. "
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