Monday, July 28, 2014
Little Gerald is The Square Root Boy
Chelsea Mae S. Luzanta from Antipolo in the Philippines is a student at the University of Santo Tomas.
Recently she met young Gerald, who lives on the streets of Dapitan.
For reasons that will become obvious she has nicknamed him Boy Square Root.
YouTube link. Original Facebook video,
For reasons that will become obvious she has nicknamed him Boy Square Root.
YouTube link. Original Facebook video,
Parents who locked five-year-old son in boot of car to cure his fear of the dark given probation
A western Pennsylvania couple, accused of luring their five-year-old son into the trunk of their car with candy to resolve his fear of the dark, were granted probation this week.
Jeffrey and Danielle Lenhart were charged with felony child endangerment and reckless endangerment for locking their son in the car during three trips to the Idlewild amusement park in Lingonier, Pennsylvania, in July 2013. They gave him a flashlight and told him to look for sweets before locking the trunk at the park, about 9.5-miles (15 km) from their home in Latrobe, court officials said.
They were accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition programme on Thursday in a deal approved by Westmoreland County Judge Richard McCormick Jr., according to Danielle Lenhart's lawyer, Deborah Jackson. "She recognizes the serious nature of what has happened and I don't think we will see her in court again," Jackson said of her client. The incidents came to light when one of the couple's children was interviewed by child welfare officials for undisclosed reasons.
The boy and another sibling, who is 4, have been staying with relatives following the charges, but will be returned to the home, court officials said. A younger sibling, 1, has already been reunited with the parents. Upon completion of two years probation, charges against the Lenharts will be dismissed and records expunged, Jackson said. A previous judge in the case did not want to allow the Lenharts to enter the rehabilitative program, but Jackson said she was pleased with McCormick's decision.
There's a news video from an earlier court hearing here. In this report the child is wrongly identified as being aged three.
Jeffrey and Danielle Lenhart were charged with felony child endangerment and reckless endangerment for locking their son in the car during three trips to the Idlewild amusement park in Lingonier, Pennsylvania, in July 2013. They gave him a flashlight and told him to look for sweets before locking the trunk at the park, about 9.5-miles (15 km) from their home in Latrobe, court officials said.
They were accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition programme on Thursday in a deal approved by Westmoreland County Judge Richard McCormick Jr., according to Danielle Lenhart's lawyer, Deborah Jackson. "She recognizes the serious nature of what has happened and I don't think we will see her in court again," Jackson said of her client. The incidents came to light when one of the couple's children was interviewed by child welfare officials for undisclosed reasons.
The boy and another sibling, who is 4, have been staying with relatives following the charges, but will be returned to the home, court officials said. A younger sibling, 1, has already been reunited with the parents. Upon completion of two years probation, charges against the Lenharts will be dismissed and records expunged, Jackson said. A previous judge in the case did not want to allow the Lenharts to enter the rehabilitative program, but Jackson said she was pleased with McCormick's decision.
There's a news video from an earlier court hearing here. In this report the child is wrongly identified as being aged three.
Man accused of bar hopping on lawnmower charged with drunk driving
A Northern Colorado man has been arrested on suspicion on DUI while was driving a lawnmower.
Police said Kenneth Welton was driving drunk from bar to bar along a very busy road in Garden City on a riding lawnmower.
“He couldn’t stand on his own. He was showing signs of impairment,” said Weld County Sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Standridge. Welton’s driver’s licence had been revoked when he was arrested.
From jail, Welton, 53, said he was not using the lawnmower to get around, but instead to take care of overgrown weeds. “It was just surprising, it was just a total shock. What are you kidding me?
YouTube link.
“I haven’t been, I’ve been working, I have been mowing, I haven’t been bar hopping,” said Welton. Standridge said deputies arrested Welton on Tuesday night after getting 911 calls from concerned drivers. “He’s lucky he didn’t hurt somebody or get himself hurt from somebody hitting him,” added Standridge.
“He couldn’t stand on his own. He was showing signs of impairment,” said Weld County Sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Standridge. Welton’s driver’s licence had been revoked when he was arrested.
From jail, Welton, 53, said he was not using the lawnmower to get around, but instead to take care of overgrown weeds. “It was just surprising, it was just a total shock. What are you kidding me?
YouTube link.
“I haven’t been, I’ve been working, I have been mowing, I haven’t been bar hopping,” said Welton. Standridge said deputies arrested Welton on Tuesday night after getting 911 calls from concerned drivers. “He’s lucky he didn’t hurt somebody or get himself hurt from somebody hitting him,” added Standridge.
Police investigate hugging incident at hospital
Police are investigating a non-aggravated assault that involved a recently discharged patient hugging a staff member unprovoked on Friday morning outside the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.
An employee told police that a man approached her at around 10:18am near the loading dock, grabbed her coffee and hugged her.
The man left when another staff member "interrupted the confrontation," according to the U-M police log. Responding police officers were unable to find the man, but he was identified as a recently discharged patient.
The suspect was described as a white male, very dark tan, 40s, 6 feet tall, shoulder-length greasy dark brown hair, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt with “Staff” written on the back, red hospital socks and no shoes.
An employee told police that a man approached her at around 10:18am near the loading dock, grabbed her coffee and hugged her.
The man left when another staff member "interrupted the confrontation," according to the U-M police log. Responding police officers were unable to find the man, but he was identified as a recently discharged patient.
The suspect was described as a white male, very dark tan, 40s, 6 feet tall, shoulder-length greasy dark brown hair, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt with “Staff” written on the back, red hospital socks and no shoes.
Cat with head stuck in bird feeder continues to elude residents desperately trying to free it
Residents of a neighbourhood in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, are worried about the well-being of a ginger-and-white feline nicknamed Butterscotch that has been spotted numerous times with a small bird feeder stuck on its head.
Witnesses say the cat can see out of one eye and runs away when approached.
They say there’s no way it can eat or drink, and are worried about how long it can survive.
“He was meowing a little bit as if he wanted somebody to help him, but he’s a stray and he’s obviously afraid of people, so I wasn’t able to get near him,” said Colleen Gareau, who first spotted the distressed cat on Wednesday morning.
Staff with the city’s pound have tried to catch Butterscotch. So have volunteers from a local animal group, who have been baiting traps with tuna, sardines and cat food. The traps are ones used for larger animals because the cat wouldn’t fit into a regular cat trap because of the feeder. So far, Butterscotch has given everyone the slip. “It spooks whenever it hears anything because it doesn’t know what’s really approaching, so any noise, the cat runs,” said Toni Gramiak of the Brandon and Area Lost Animals group. “We’re surprised it’s not running into things, but somehow it’s figured out how to get around.”
Witnesses say the cat can even jump onto fences with the feeder on its head. Gareau said the cat had been a regular visitor to her yard for some time and gets along well with her own cat, Emmie, which she lets out into her yard on a leash. “He probably just put his head in — I don’t think he was interested in food - but snooping around and it just got caught on his neck. And he was shaking his head. He just cannot get it off.”
Gareau assumed the cat belonged to someone in her neighbourhood. But despite all the attention the fettered feline has generated in Brandon, no one has stepped forward to claim the animal. Gramiak said when the cat is captured, it will be checked for an ear tattoo or microchip identification. As it is right now, it’s hard to identify the animal when no one can properly see its face. Gramiak has even been putting tuna juice on trees to try to lure Butterscotch back to Gareau’s yard. The last time Gareau saw the cat free of the feeder was a week ago. “At the very most, the cat has not had food or water for about a week,” Gramiak said.
Staff with the city’s pound have tried to catch Butterscotch. So have volunteers from a local animal group, who have been baiting traps with tuna, sardines and cat food. The traps are ones used for larger animals because the cat wouldn’t fit into a regular cat trap because of the feeder. So far, Butterscotch has given everyone the slip. “It spooks whenever it hears anything because it doesn’t know what’s really approaching, so any noise, the cat runs,” said Toni Gramiak of the Brandon and Area Lost Animals group. “We’re surprised it’s not running into things, but somehow it’s figured out how to get around.”
Witnesses say the cat can even jump onto fences with the feeder on its head. Gareau said the cat had been a regular visitor to her yard for some time and gets along well with her own cat, Emmie, which she lets out into her yard on a leash. “He probably just put his head in — I don’t think he was interested in food - but snooping around and it just got caught on his neck. And he was shaking his head. He just cannot get it off.”
Gareau assumed the cat belonged to someone in her neighbourhood. But despite all the attention the fettered feline has generated in Brandon, no one has stepped forward to claim the animal. Gramiak said when the cat is captured, it will be checked for an ear tattoo or microchip identification. As it is right now, it’s hard to identify the animal when no one can properly see its face. Gramiak has even been putting tuna juice on trees to try to lure Butterscotch back to Gareau’s yard. The last time Gareau saw the cat free of the feeder was a week ago. “At the very most, the cat has not had food or water for about a week,” Gramiak said.
Spanish city cracks down on noisy domino players
Authorities in the southern Spanish city of Seville have taken the unusual decision to ban dominoes and dice games in outdoor cafe areas, as part of a wider plan to crack down on noise in the city.
The new measures will also look to clamp down on unnecessary car engine revving and loud TVs in restaurant terraces. Rolling beer barrels in the street or eating and driking while standing up next to café terraces has also been banned.
Neighbourhood associations have suggested most of the new regulations, 40 percent of which were ultimately voted in by the City Council. Opposition groups see the bizarre new measures as regressive and doubt the police will manage to control their implementation.
Spain is the noisiest country in Europe according to the World Health Organization. Most Spaniards have to put up with noise levels of at least 70 decibels while the WHO recommends limits of 55db during the day and 45db at night.
The new measures will also look to clamp down on unnecessary car engine revving and loud TVs in restaurant terraces. Rolling beer barrels in the street or eating and driking while standing up next to café terraces has also been banned.
Neighbourhood associations have suggested most of the new regulations, 40 percent of which were ultimately voted in by the City Council. Opposition groups see the bizarre new measures as regressive and doubt the police will manage to control their implementation.
Spain is the noisiest country in Europe according to the World Health Organization. Most Spaniards have to put up with noise levels of at least 70 decibels while the WHO recommends limits of 55db during the day and 45db at night.
New £6.5 million railway station delayed by newts
Newts have set back the start of building work on a new railway station in Derbyshire by four months.
Work was due to start on Ilkeston station in June but the discovery of the great-crested newts means work cannot start until October.
The £6.5m station will now open in spring 2015, rather than December, as was originally planned, the county council said.
Councillor Andy Botham said he was 'disappointed'. "Building a station is a complex civil engineering project and we've needed to work with many organisations. We've had a number of set-backs which were beyond our control and couldn't be foreseen," said Mr Botham.
"We know that this will be frustrating for local people, as it is for us, but we are doing all we can to get the station built as quickly as possible," he said. The newts - a species protected by law - were found during a routine ecological site survey, the council said, and an application to Natural England for a licence to work on the site has been submitted.
The licence sets out what work can be carried out while the amphibians are trapped and relocated. Mr Botham said that, once work starts it is likely to take place six days a week, with some work taking place overnight, in a bid to speed up progress. Ilkeston is thought to be the largest town on the rail network without a station.
Councillor Andy Botham said he was 'disappointed'. "Building a station is a complex civil engineering project and we've needed to work with many organisations. We've had a number of set-backs which were beyond our control and couldn't be foreseen," said Mr Botham.
"We know that this will be frustrating for local people, as it is for us, but we are doing all we can to get the station built as quickly as possible," he said. The newts - a species protected by law - were found during a routine ecological site survey, the council said, and an application to Natural England for a licence to work on the site has been submitted.
The licence sets out what work can be carried out while the amphibians are trapped and relocated. Mr Botham said that, once work starts it is likely to take place six days a week, with some work taking place overnight, in a bid to speed up progress. Ilkeston is thought to be the largest town on the rail network without a station.
Missing one-eyed snake could be hiding in coat sleeve
A one-eyed snake called Popeye is missing, presumed hiding, in Torpoint, Cornwall.
Popeye is a three-foot-long python, but at just three-years-old it is still considered a "baby" by her 22-year-old owner, Charly Honey.
Charly said: “I’ve looked everywhere for her.
I’ve got a puppy and my boyfriend has a two-year-old step-daughter who comes around occasionally and we’ve looked everywhere.
“They turn up in the strangest of places, like the arm of a coat. But I can’t find her anywhere.” Charly said she fed Popeye – named because of her one eye – on Tuesday but when she returned she found the snake had lost her appetite and had not eaten her mouse meal. Returning again a little later to check on Popeye, Charly found the snake tank empty.
She said: “We’ve had the doors open because of the heat and the puppy. The neighbours are not happy, and that’s understandable, but she’s of no risk to anyone. She’s only small, she’s still a baby really. When she’s fully grown she’ll be around six foot long. We are starting to panic a bit. She’s been handled from birth and she’s a very good python.
“In the winter they go for heat, but it’s so warm she could have gone anywhere. I put another mouse in her tank in the hope that she would come back, but she didn’t. It’s the longest she’s gone missing. She won’t cause any harm, but if she’s found I’d ask people not to touch her. Or if they’re brave they can put her into a pillow case.” A spokesman for the RSPCA added: “We would advise anyone who finds a stray captive snake to contact our Cruelty and Advice line.”
“They turn up in the strangest of places, like the arm of a coat. But I can’t find her anywhere.” Charly said she fed Popeye – named because of her one eye – on Tuesday but when she returned she found the snake had lost her appetite and had not eaten her mouse meal. Returning again a little later to check on Popeye, Charly found the snake tank empty.
She said: “We’ve had the doors open because of the heat and the puppy. The neighbours are not happy, and that’s understandable, but she’s of no risk to anyone. She’s only small, she’s still a baby really. When she’s fully grown she’ll be around six foot long. We are starting to panic a bit. She’s been handled from birth and she’s a very good python.
“In the winter they go for heat, but it’s so warm she could have gone anywhere. I put another mouse in her tank in the hope that she would come back, but she didn’t. It’s the longest she’s gone missing. She won’t cause any harm, but if she’s found I’d ask people not to touch her. Or if they’re brave they can put her into a pillow case.” A spokesman for the RSPCA added: “We would advise anyone who finds a stray captive snake to contact our Cruelty and Advice line.”
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