Friday, October 03, 2014
Supermarket employee accused of stealing $1,200 worth of meat hidden in his pants
A New York supermarket employee has been accused of leaving the store with $1,200 worth of meat hidden in his pants.
State police say Gregory Rodriguez, of Ossining, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. Rodriguez works at the A&P in Croton-on-Hudson. Police were called on Monday about the theft.
Rodriguez was arrested on Tuesday. A state police spokeswoman, Trooper Melissa McMorris, says the theft occurred in one day. She did not know if it involved more than one trip to the store.
Rodriguez was arraigned on Tuesday night in Cortlandt and sent to the Westchester County Jail without bail. The court clerk says no lawyer was present and no plea was entered.
State police say Gregory Rodriguez, of Ossining, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. Rodriguez works at the A&P in Croton-on-Hudson. Police were called on Monday about the theft.
Rodriguez was arrested on Tuesday. A state police spokeswoman, Trooper Melissa McMorris, says the theft occurred in one day. She did not know if it involved more than one trip to the store.
Rodriguez was arraigned on Tuesday night in Cortlandt and sent to the Westchester County Jail without bail. The court clerk says no lawyer was present and no plea was entered.
Grandmother accused of dressing as witch to abuse 7-year-old girl
A woman from Oklahoma City has been arrested on child abuse charges after a 7-year-old girl told authorities she had been beaten, burned and tortured while the woman was dressed in a witch costume.
Officers were called to a home in southeast Oklahoma City after the alleged suspect tried to take the victim to Griffin Memorial Hospital.
According to the police affidavit, 49-year-old Geneva Robinson told employees at the hospital that she could not control the girl anymore.
The 7-year-old child looked to be malnourished and had numerous burns and bruises across her body, according to the police report.
The report says the victim’s ankles had cuts around them and were infected. Her wrists had marks “which had the appearance of possibly being bound.” Authorities say the 7-year-old girl claims Robinson, her grandmother, would dress up as a witch and abuse her. The girl told a DHS worker that Robinson would wear a green mask, take her to the garage, bind her wrists at night and make her sleep on a pair of pants because “she was in trouble.” The child says the witch’s name is “Nelda.” “Nelda” would allegedly “take a pink dog leash and hang the victim in the middle of the garage underneath her arms” and tell the girl “the creatures in the attic were going to come get her.”
The child also said that she would be hit with an orange and black whip. “If it wasn’t serious, it would be laughable,” said Tracie Spillman, a neighbour. “I can’t believe it. I just think that’s not true.” “It’s not true at all,” said Joshua. Joshua, who refused to give his last name, actually lives in the home with the suspect. He describes the alleged victim as a troubled child and denies the suspect had an evil witch alter ego. “She’s never dressed up as a witch to punish any of the kids,” said Joshua.
For their part, police claim what they found inside the home seems to back up the victim’s story. “The evidence at the scene corroborated what she was saying,” said MSgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “There were whips and chains and a witch’s hat found there. Just a completely horrible situation for a child to be in.” Another grown adult who lives in the home also allegedly told police he got the witch treatment, claiming the suspect kicked him in the genitals on a regular basis. Robinson was booked into the Oklahoma County jail on a $10,000 bond. All four young children who live in the home were placed in protective custody.
With news video.
The report says the victim’s ankles had cuts around them and were infected. Her wrists had marks “which had the appearance of possibly being bound.” Authorities say the 7-year-old girl claims Robinson, her grandmother, would dress up as a witch and abuse her. The girl told a DHS worker that Robinson would wear a green mask, take her to the garage, bind her wrists at night and make her sleep on a pair of pants because “she was in trouble.” The child says the witch’s name is “Nelda.” “Nelda” would allegedly “take a pink dog leash and hang the victim in the middle of the garage underneath her arms” and tell the girl “the creatures in the attic were going to come get her.”
The child also said that she would be hit with an orange and black whip. “If it wasn’t serious, it would be laughable,” said Tracie Spillman, a neighbour. “I can’t believe it. I just think that’s not true.” “It’s not true at all,” said Joshua. Joshua, who refused to give his last name, actually lives in the home with the suspect. He describes the alleged victim as a troubled child and denies the suspect had an evil witch alter ego. “She’s never dressed up as a witch to punish any of the kids,” said Joshua.
For their part, police claim what they found inside the home seems to back up the victim’s story. “The evidence at the scene corroborated what she was saying,” said MSgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “There were whips and chains and a witch’s hat found there. Just a completely horrible situation for a child to be in.” Another grown adult who lives in the home also allegedly told police he got the witch treatment, claiming the suspect kicked him in the genitals on a regular basis. Robinson was booked into the Oklahoma County jail on a $10,000 bond. All four young children who live in the home were placed in protective custody.
With news video.
US reroutes flights to avoid walrus stampede in Alaska
The plight of thousands of walruses forced to crowd on to an Alaska beach because of disappearing sea ice has set off an all-out response from the US government to avoid a catastrophic stampede.
The Federal Aviation Authority has re-routed flights, and local communities have called on bush pilots to keep their distance in an effort to avoid setting off a panic that could see scores of walruses trampled to death, federal government scientists said.
Curiosity seekers and the media have also been asked to stay away.
An estimated 35,000 walruses were spotted on the barrier island in north-western Alaska on 27 September by scientists on an aerial survey flight.
The biggest immediate risk factor for the walruses now is a stampede – especially for baby walruses – but they have been facing a growing threat from climate change, the scientists said. The extraordinary sighting – the biggest known exodus of walruses to dry land ever observed in the Arctic under US control – arrived as the summer sea ice fell to its sixth lowest in the satellite record last month. “Those animals have essentially run out of offshore sea ice, and have no other choice but to come ashore,” said Chadwick Jay, a research ecologist in Alaska with the US Geological Survey. Until 2007, it was unheard of for walruses to leave the sea ice for dry land for prolonged periods of time. But the retreat of sea ice has seen “drastic changes” in behaviour, Jay said.
Walruses have struck out for beaches in six of the last eight years. He said there was no doubt the migration – or “hauling out” as it is called – was caused by climate change. “It is really a reduction in the sea ice that is causing the change in behaviour, and the reduction of sea ice is due to global warming,” Jay said. But the immediate concern was to avoid a stampede – a leading risk factor for walruses when they crowd onto beaches and barrier islands. The FAA is asking pilots to remain above 2,000ft and half a mile away from the walruses. Helicopters – a bigger risk to the walruses because they are noisier – have been asked to remain 3,000ft up and a mile away. News crews, which have been clamouring to film the walruses, have also been asked to stay away. “The government and local communities are respectfully asking you to leave the haul-out alone,” Joel Garlich Miller, a Walrus biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said.
YouTube link.
Walruses are naturally skittish animals, unused to being closely packed together. They also spend 80% of their time on water. Those in the Chukchi sea this time of year are generally females and juveniles and so at greater risk of being trampled to death. “You have all these animals that are normally distributed on a flat surface. When they lose their sea ice habitat and come ashore in places that are accessible – like flat, sandy beaches – they gather in large numbers, and it becomes like a giant pig pile,” said Margaret Williams, managing director for the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic program. “When they are disturbed it can cause stampedes in large numbers.” In addition to the stampede risk, it is also much harder for the walruses to hunt from the beach. The walruses typically disperse over large expanses of water, uses ice floes as a platform to hunt for the clams and other shell fish that are their main food source.
The biggest immediate risk factor for the walruses now is a stampede – especially for baby walruses – but they have been facing a growing threat from climate change, the scientists said. The extraordinary sighting – the biggest known exodus of walruses to dry land ever observed in the Arctic under US control – arrived as the summer sea ice fell to its sixth lowest in the satellite record last month. “Those animals have essentially run out of offshore sea ice, and have no other choice but to come ashore,” said Chadwick Jay, a research ecologist in Alaska with the US Geological Survey. Until 2007, it was unheard of for walruses to leave the sea ice for dry land for prolonged periods of time. But the retreat of sea ice has seen “drastic changes” in behaviour, Jay said.
Walruses have struck out for beaches in six of the last eight years. He said there was no doubt the migration – or “hauling out” as it is called – was caused by climate change. “It is really a reduction in the sea ice that is causing the change in behaviour, and the reduction of sea ice is due to global warming,” Jay said. But the immediate concern was to avoid a stampede – a leading risk factor for walruses when they crowd onto beaches and barrier islands. The FAA is asking pilots to remain above 2,000ft and half a mile away from the walruses. Helicopters – a bigger risk to the walruses because they are noisier – have been asked to remain 3,000ft up and a mile away. News crews, which have been clamouring to film the walruses, have also been asked to stay away. “The government and local communities are respectfully asking you to leave the haul-out alone,” Joel Garlich Miller, a Walrus biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said.
YouTube link.
Walruses are naturally skittish animals, unused to being closely packed together. They also spend 80% of their time on water. Those in the Chukchi sea this time of year are generally females and juveniles and so at greater risk of being trampled to death. “You have all these animals that are normally distributed on a flat surface. When they lose their sea ice habitat and come ashore in places that are accessible – like flat, sandy beaches – they gather in large numbers, and it becomes like a giant pig pile,” said Margaret Williams, managing director for the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic program. “When they are disturbed it can cause stampedes in large numbers.” In addition to the stampede risk, it is also much harder for the walruses to hunt from the beach. The walruses typically disperse over large expanses of water, uses ice floes as a platform to hunt for the clams and other shell fish that are their main food source.
Thailand confident over chances of hosting Tour de France in 2016
Thailand boldly announced they were in talks to host the Tour de France on Thursday, much to the surprise of organisers of the world’s greatest cycle race who said they were only discussing staging a low key one-day in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said they had been buoyed by fruitful talks with Jean-Etienne Amaury, Chairman of the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) who organise the Tour de France, last month in Paris and were working on how much of the great race they would stage.
“We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015,” TAT governor Thawatchai Arunyik said. “We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed.
“Thailand is the perfect location for this highly prestigious competition, not to mention that cycling as a sport is enjoying enormous popularity here at the moment.“ ASO, however, believe something was lost in translation. “There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand,” a spokesman said upon hearing about the claims from the TAT.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said they had been buoyed by fruitful talks with Jean-Etienne Amaury, Chairman of the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) who organise the Tour de France, last month in Paris and were working on how much of the great race they would stage.
“We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015,” TAT governor Thawatchai Arunyik said. “We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed.
“Thailand is the perfect location for this highly prestigious competition, not to mention that cycling as a sport is enjoying enormous popularity here at the moment.“ ASO, however, believe something was lost in translation. “There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand,” a spokesman said upon hearing about the claims from the TAT.
Five swimmers rescued from unwanted attention of 'intimidating' dolphin
Five people got into difficulty in water in the Salthill area of Galway, Ireland, on Wednesday after an "intimidating" dolphin was reportedly causing difficulty for swimmers.
Galway RNLI responded to the call after Valentia Coastguard received reports of the incident from a member of the public just before 7:30pm.
Witnesses said the dolphin had circled the swimmers, then swam at them in an intimidating manner, glancing off them with his tail and nose. Mike Swan, Operations Manager at Galway Lifeboat Station said that, by the time they arrived at the scene, a fishing boat had positioned itself between the dolphin and the swimmers.
“Before we arrived, the dolphin apparently approached the swimmers and essentially began to round them up. It wasn’t exactly an attack but the dolphin began prodding and slapping them with its flipper.” The lifeboat joined the fishing vessel in keeping the dolphin away from the swimmers until they made it safely ashore.
“The swimmers then made their way to shore but we continued a parallel search up and down the beach (from Blackrock to Seapoint) to ensure that there were no other swimmers in the area," Swan said. The swimmers were very shook by the incident but did not require medical assistance. Swan added that there have been other incidents “further south than Galway at Doolin at Inis Oirr”. However, he was unsure if Wednesday evening's incident was related.
Witnesses said the dolphin had circled the swimmers, then swam at them in an intimidating manner, glancing off them with his tail and nose. Mike Swan, Operations Manager at Galway Lifeboat Station said that, by the time they arrived at the scene, a fishing boat had positioned itself between the dolphin and the swimmers.
“Before we arrived, the dolphin apparently approached the swimmers and essentially began to round them up. It wasn’t exactly an attack but the dolphin began prodding and slapping them with its flipper.” The lifeboat joined the fishing vessel in keeping the dolphin away from the swimmers until they made it safely ashore.
“The swimmers then made their way to shore but we continued a parallel search up and down the beach (from Blackrock to Seapoint) to ensure that there were no other swimmers in the area," Swan said. The swimmers were very shook by the incident but did not require medical assistance. Swan added that there have been other incidents “further south than Galway at Doolin at Inis Oirr”. However, he was unsure if Wednesday evening's incident was related.
Sir Cliff Richard doll protects man's wife when she drives alone
A not so living doll is being used as a security measure on car journeys by a couple in Norfolk.
David Stolworthy said the life-sized model of Sir Cliff Richard was put in his wife's car to make her feel less vulnerable when travelling alone at night.
He regularly accompanies them on trips to the supermarket and friends’ houses, belted in the back seat of their Peugeot 206.
David and Jill Stolworthy, of Old Costessey, have taken to driving around with the life-sized replica of the pop star in the vehicle, especially when she is alone, to give the appearance of a male passenger.
They bought the model head of the singer at a car boot sale and later decided to add a torso made from MDF with a cushion “to give him a bit of chest”. They then used one of Mr Stolworthy’s old navy blue blazers, which was destined for the charity shop, and a Norwich City Football Club scarf to dress the dummy. The model also sports a pair of aviator sunglasses – because they say his eyes are too intense to look at. “We got the head because we like Cliff Richard, Jill especially is a big fan, and it just escalated from there,” said Mr Stolworthy, 71.
YouTube link.
“We thought he would be useful for when Jill is driving on her own, especially at night, so it looks like there is a male passenger.” Mrs Stolworthy, 68, has been a fan of Sir Cliff since she was young and has seen him perform at venues across the country. She often plays his music in the car, with his replica sat on the back seat. “My friends and I are big Cliff Richard fans,” she said. “I have got about 22 of his CDs and some DVDs. I saw him when he came to the theatre in Norwich in 1959, I remember queueing up to get tickets.” In August, it emerged the singer had been interviewed by police over an alleged historical sexual offence, but was not arrested or charged.
The couple admit they have had plenty of people doing double takes when they look into the car. But not everyone has picked up on the unusual passenger. “When we got the Dover to Dunkirk ferry service for our trip to Germany, not once during the inspection by customs and immigration staff in either country was he spotted or commented on,” said Mr Stolworthy. The most common reaction from friends and family has been shouts of “Are you mad?” and “we are really worried about you two”, but the retired couple say they are just having a laugh and keen on making the most of life.
They bought the model head of the singer at a car boot sale and later decided to add a torso made from MDF with a cushion “to give him a bit of chest”. They then used one of Mr Stolworthy’s old navy blue blazers, which was destined for the charity shop, and a Norwich City Football Club scarf to dress the dummy. The model also sports a pair of aviator sunglasses – because they say his eyes are too intense to look at. “We got the head because we like Cliff Richard, Jill especially is a big fan, and it just escalated from there,” said Mr Stolworthy, 71.
YouTube link.
“We thought he would be useful for when Jill is driving on her own, especially at night, so it looks like there is a male passenger.” Mrs Stolworthy, 68, has been a fan of Sir Cliff since she was young and has seen him perform at venues across the country. She often plays his music in the car, with his replica sat on the back seat. “My friends and I are big Cliff Richard fans,” she said. “I have got about 22 of his CDs and some DVDs. I saw him when he came to the theatre in Norwich in 1959, I remember queueing up to get tickets.” In August, it emerged the singer had been interviewed by police over an alleged historical sexual offence, but was not arrested or charged.
The couple admit they have had plenty of people doing double takes when they look into the car. But not everyone has picked up on the unusual passenger. “When we got the Dover to Dunkirk ferry service for our trip to Germany, not once during the inspection by customs and immigration staff in either country was he spotted or commented on,” said Mr Stolworthy. The most common reaction from friends and family has been shouts of “Are you mad?” and “we are really worried about you two”, but the retired couple say they are just having a laugh and keen on making the most of life.
Police appeal after woman had doner kebab smeared in her face
Police in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, are appealing for information after a 26-year-old woman had a doner kebab smeared in her face at a takeaway restaurant just after 3am on Saturday.
The male suspect left the Express Pizza takeaway following the incident and got into a taxi to an unknown location. He is described as white, aged around 30, with short brown hair. He was with another man aged between 25 and 30 with short brown hair.
Special Constable Liam Cromack, of the Scarborough Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "This apparently unprovoked attack left the woman extremely upset and distressed. We are doing everything we can to identify the man involved in the alleged assault.
"From enquiries it is known that the takeaway was very busy at the time of the incident, with a number of potential witnesses yet to come forward. I also need to track down the taxi driver who picked up the suspect. If you know anything about this incident and can help, I urge you to get in touch as soon as possible."
The male suspect left the Express Pizza takeaway following the incident and got into a taxi to an unknown location. He is described as white, aged around 30, with short brown hair. He was with another man aged between 25 and 30 with short brown hair.
Special Constable Liam Cromack, of the Scarborough Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "This apparently unprovoked attack left the woman extremely upset and distressed. We are doing everything we can to identify the man involved in the alleged assault.
"From enquiries it is known that the takeaway was very busy at the time of the incident, with a number of potential witnesses yet to come forward. I also need to track down the taxi driver who picked up the suspect. If you know anything about this incident and can help, I urge you to get in touch as soon as possible."
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