Saturday, November 15, 2014
Students arrested for stealing Ronald McDonald
Four students from Olivet Nazarene University have been arrested for felony theft in connection with a missing Ronald McDonald statue in Bradley, Illinois.
The $7,500 life-size statue of the iconic clown was found in an ONU dormitory room on Tuesday after police identified the suspects using video surveillance. "The Hamburglar was not a suspect, as much as everyone thought he was," said Brandon Jensen, Bradley police detective, who investigated the case.
Arrested were Wyatt C. Petty, 18, of LaGrange, Ind.; Cody J. Shively, 19, Mishawaka, Ind.; John R. Witts, 18, Ft. Worth, Tx.; and Savannah F. Baldauf, 18, Seneca, Ill. All four were charged with felony theft. Baldauf drove up to the drive through and ordered food at 10:49 on Friday, Oct. 16 while the three boys ripped the statue from the ground and hid it in a nearby bush, Jensen said.
YouTube link.
They ordered eight cheeseburgers and one ice cream cone, completing the transaction at the window. The three men later returned to retrieve the statue. The suspects were found when a Bourbonnais patrolman identified the suspect's car on ONUs campus. "People might think they were stealing from a big corporation, but the bottom line it comes out of the franchise owner," Jensen said. "This is a business owner in our community, and it's still felony theft."
The $7,500 life-size statue of the iconic clown was found in an ONU dormitory room on Tuesday after police identified the suspects using video surveillance. "The Hamburglar was not a suspect, as much as everyone thought he was," said Brandon Jensen, Bradley police detective, who investigated the case.
Arrested were Wyatt C. Petty, 18, of LaGrange, Ind.; Cody J. Shively, 19, Mishawaka, Ind.; John R. Witts, 18, Ft. Worth, Tx.; and Savannah F. Baldauf, 18, Seneca, Ill. All four were charged with felony theft. Baldauf drove up to the drive through and ordered food at 10:49 on Friday, Oct. 16 while the three boys ripped the statue from the ground and hid it in a nearby bush, Jensen said.
YouTube link.
They ordered eight cheeseburgers and one ice cream cone, completing the transaction at the window. The three men later returned to retrieve the statue. The suspects were found when a Bourbonnais patrolman identified the suspect's car on ONUs campus. "People might think they were stealing from a big corporation, but the bottom line it comes out of the franchise owner," Jensen said. "This is a business owner in our community, and it's still felony theft."
School children accused of snorting Smarties on campus suspended
At least three middle school children in Clovis, New Mexico, are accused of snorting Smarties on campus. The Clovis Municipal School District suspended the boys for 10 days.
In a letter the district classifies Smarties as drugs and explains students can be suspended or even expelled by possessing them.
“I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and I didn’t know anyone could do anything like that with a Smartie,” said Kelly Cook. Kelly Cook is Andrew Stonelake’s mother. Stonelake, 13, is a 7th grader at Marshall Middle School in Clovis. He’s one of the boy’s being punished for inhaling the candy, but Cook says her son’s side of the story is very different.
“He explained there was no inhaling or snorting of any kind. That they were crushing it up and blowing smoke out at each other. That they were horse playing,” said Cook. School officials have ordered the family to attend a fact-finding hearing next week. They even advised them they have the right to legal counsel. “I have no words to say about that,” said Cook.
YouTube link.
“I am in so much shock that they would go to this extreme.” Cook says Andrew’s punishment is ridiculous. “There was no warning of any kind stating that they weren’t allowed to have these things,” said Cook. Andrew’s hearing is scheduled for November 19. At that time, the district will listen to Andrew’s side of the story then decide if he should be punished any further. The district says after the hearing it’ll take them five days to make a decision.
“I was in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and I didn’t know anyone could do anything like that with a Smartie,” said Kelly Cook. Kelly Cook is Andrew Stonelake’s mother. Stonelake, 13, is a 7th grader at Marshall Middle School in Clovis. He’s one of the boy’s being punished for inhaling the candy, but Cook says her son’s side of the story is very different.
“He explained there was no inhaling or snorting of any kind. That they were crushing it up and blowing smoke out at each other. That they were horse playing,” said Cook. School officials have ordered the family to attend a fact-finding hearing next week. They even advised them they have the right to legal counsel. “I have no words to say about that,” said Cook.
YouTube link.
“I am in so much shock that they would go to this extreme.” Cook says Andrew’s punishment is ridiculous. “There was no warning of any kind stating that they weren’t allowed to have these things,” said Cook. Andrew’s hearing is scheduled for November 19. At that time, the district will listen to Andrew’s side of the story then decide if he should be punished any further. The district says after the hearing it’ll take them five days to make a decision.
Grieving widow exhumed dead husband before trying to smuggle his corpse nearer her home
A grieving woman who dug up her dead husband and dumped his coffin by the side of a road before trying to smuggle his corpse across a border is facing jail.
Widow Verica Zunjic, 60, had driven 230 miles from her home town of Doboj in Bosnia and Herzegovina to neighbouring country Montenegro where her husband Milorad, 60, had been buried in his family plot in the town of Danilovgrad.
She then sneaked into the graveyard and exhumed his body by digging him up herself and stuffing the coffin in her hatchback and heading for the border. But she was stopped after motorists spotted her when she pulled over to open the coffin and put her husband's body in the car, leaving the coffin itself behind.
She said she had not managed to close the boot and thought it would look suspicious when she drove over the border, so she had laid her husband on the back seat, and hoped to tell border officials he was having a rest. But a police patrol who were alerted to the abandoned coffin stopped her after getting the complaint from another motorist and looking at CCTV footage to identify her.
She was pulled over a few miles away where they found her husband’s remains in the boot of her car. A police spokesman said: "When officers stopped her she denied any wrong-doing and said she was just taking what was rightfully hers. She had fallen out with her late husband’s family and wanted his remains buried close to where she lives. Unfortunately, exhuming a corpse without official permission is illegal, no matter what the reasons."
She then sneaked into the graveyard and exhumed his body by digging him up herself and stuffing the coffin in her hatchback and heading for the border. But she was stopped after motorists spotted her when she pulled over to open the coffin and put her husband's body in the car, leaving the coffin itself behind.
She said she had not managed to close the boot and thought it would look suspicious when she drove over the border, so she had laid her husband on the back seat, and hoped to tell border officials he was having a rest. But a police patrol who were alerted to the abandoned coffin stopped her after getting the complaint from another motorist and looking at CCTV footage to identify her.
She was pulled over a few miles away where they found her husband’s remains in the boot of her car. A police spokesman said: "When officers stopped her she denied any wrong-doing and said she was just taking what was rightfully hers. She had fallen out with her late husband’s family and wanted his remains buried close to where she lives. Unfortunately, exhuming a corpse without official permission is illegal, no matter what the reasons."
Man suspends coffin from scaffolding in protest against noisy restaurant
A Frenchman in the Spanish coastal town of Denía, Alicante, has suspended a coffin from scaffolding outside his window to complain about noise from a neighbouring restaurant.
With the coffin, 69-year-old Michel Kessous has stepped up a protest which began recently when he hung out bras and pyjamas. He then placed tombstones on his patio.
The idea behind the macabre displays is to scare people away from dining at the newly-opened terrace of the L'Escoleta restaurant behind his home. Kessous said the noise from the restaurant's extractor fan was unbearable, while customers would often sit around chatting until 2am.
"We don't know what he's going to do next. Maybe he'll put skulls out," Juan Carlos Villar, owner of the restaurant said on Monday, adding he won't launch an official complaint because he doesn't want to start a "war between neigbours". "The ball is in the town hall's court. I don't want to get involved," he added.
"We don't understand why the town hall went over plans for minor renovations with a fine-toothed comb but now won't move a finger when a tomb is put out for everyone to see," one local resident complained. "It's clear that decorum has to come first," the restaurant owner said. The local town hall is now trying to establish whether the scaffolding used to display the coffin is legal while the "ashamed" restaurant owner is telling customers he has an "odd neighbour".
The idea behind the macabre displays is to scare people away from dining at the newly-opened terrace of the L'Escoleta restaurant behind his home. Kessous said the noise from the restaurant's extractor fan was unbearable, while customers would often sit around chatting until 2am.
"We don't know what he's going to do next. Maybe he'll put skulls out," Juan Carlos Villar, owner of the restaurant said on Monday, adding he won't launch an official complaint because he doesn't want to start a "war between neigbours". "The ball is in the town hall's court. I don't want to get involved," he added.
"We don't understand why the town hall went over plans for minor renovations with a fine-toothed comb but now won't move a finger when a tomb is put out for everyone to see," one local resident complained. "It's clear that decorum has to come first," the restaurant owner said. The local town hall is now trying to establish whether the scaffolding used to display the coffin is legal while the "ashamed" restaurant owner is telling customers he has an "odd neighbour".
Woman unhappy after no charges when pressed when human poo was dumped on her car
A woman who came out of a pub to find human excrement and rubbish on her car is furious that Avon and Somerset police have decided not to pursue charges against the woman believed to be responsible.
Lisa Lawrenson had been in The Trooper pub in Bryant's Hill, Bristol, for about an hour, with her friend, when they returned to the car.
The 48-year-old had parked her Volvo Convertible, which she had bought for £7,000 three months earlier, outside some flats.
"I couldn't believe it when I saw the state of my car," she said.
"It had a mattress on it, and loads of other stuff. But the worst of all was the excrement. I couldn't believe it. Thank God I didn't have the roof down. As we walked over to the car, we could see a woman in one of the flats nearby throwing things out of her window, into the front garden. We thought it must have been her, so we called the police and they came out. They spoke to the woman and they must have known it was her because they started taking her stuff back inside. They told me to get my car valeted and said they would ask the woman to pay for it.
"There were a few small scratches on the car that hadn't been there before. I got it valeted, which cost me £25, but when I asked the police about the getting the money back they said the woman wasn't 'liaising' with them so there was nothing they could do. I told them I wanted to press charges, but they told me they weren't going to try for a prosecution. I complained and when the police called me back about that, they said it was too late to press charges." Mrs Lawrenson, of Warmley, was surprised by the police's unusual initial approach, but said she trusted them. Now she feels angry.
"It's not about the money, it's about the principle," she added. "It's the fact that someone can put excrement on your car and get away with it. It's unbelievable really. I think the police have handled the whole thing very badly. I feel like I've been bashing my head against a brick wall." Avon and Somerset police spokesman Scott McPherson said: "The suspect in this case was given words of advice but, due to concerns around their vulnerability and the small monetary value involved, it was decided it was not in the public interest to pursue a conviction. The victim has been kept updated wherever appropriate."
"It had a mattress on it, and loads of other stuff. But the worst of all was the excrement. I couldn't believe it. Thank God I didn't have the roof down. As we walked over to the car, we could see a woman in one of the flats nearby throwing things out of her window, into the front garden. We thought it must have been her, so we called the police and they came out. They spoke to the woman and they must have known it was her because they started taking her stuff back inside. They told me to get my car valeted and said they would ask the woman to pay for it.
"There were a few small scratches on the car that hadn't been there before. I got it valeted, which cost me £25, but when I asked the police about the getting the money back they said the woman wasn't 'liaising' with them so there was nothing they could do. I told them I wanted to press charges, but they told me they weren't going to try for a prosecution. I complained and when the police called me back about that, they said it was too late to press charges." Mrs Lawrenson, of Warmley, was surprised by the police's unusual initial approach, but said she trusted them. Now she feels angry.
"It's not about the money, it's about the principle," she added. "It's the fact that someone can put excrement on your car and get away with it. It's unbelievable really. I think the police have handled the whole thing very badly. I feel like I've been bashing my head against a brick wall." Avon and Somerset police spokesman Scott McPherson said: "The suspect in this case was given words of advice but, due to concerns around their vulnerability and the small monetary value involved, it was decided it was not in the public interest to pursue a conviction. The victim has been kept updated wherever appropriate."
Cat rescued by firefighters after falling into sewage works tank
A cat which fell 20 feet into a tank at a West Lothian sewage works has been rescued in an operation involving firefighters and animal rescue staff.
Paul Lacki, a worker at the Armadale plant, raised the alarm after hearing the animal's cries on Wednesday.
Firefighters climbed down a ladder into the tank and coaxed the cat into a cage, which was then hoisted up.
It is thought he may have been trapped for a while and could have drowned if rain had caused the tank water to rise. The neutered black and white male cat is now being cared for at the SPCA's Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno, where he has been nicknamed Fireman Sam. The charity is keen to find his owner.
Animal rescue officer Steph Grant said: "It's a 20 foot drop, so there's no way he would have been able to get back out on his own. Heavy rain would have caused the water in the tank to rise and Sam would have drowned, so although he may not feel very fortunate he has had a lucky escape. The firemen were able to climb down and get Sam into a cage and back up to ground level.
"We'd like to express our sincere thanks to the fire service and Paul for their fantastic efforts throughout this rescue. We're extremely grateful for all their help. Sam is underweight, indicating he may have been down there a while, though for how long we don't know. Other than this, he seems to be in good health. We're now hoping we can reunite Sam with his owner and we're sure they won't believe it when they hear where he's been. If no one comes forward we'll find him a loving new home."
It is thought he may have been trapped for a while and could have drowned if rain had caused the tank water to rise. The neutered black and white male cat is now being cared for at the SPCA's Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno, where he has been nicknamed Fireman Sam. The charity is keen to find his owner.
Animal rescue officer Steph Grant said: "It's a 20 foot drop, so there's no way he would have been able to get back out on his own. Heavy rain would have caused the water in the tank to rise and Sam would have drowned, so although he may not feel very fortunate he has had a lucky escape. The firemen were able to climb down and get Sam into a cage and back up to ground level.
"We'd like to express our sincere thanks to the fire service and Paul for their fantastic efforts throughout this rescue. We're extremely grateful for all their help. Sam is underweight, indicating he may have been down there a while, though for how long we don't know. Other than this, he seems to be in good health. We're now hoping we can reunite Sam with his owner and we're sure they won't believe it when they hear where he's been. If no one comes forward we'll find him a loving new home."
Authorities defend decision to manually remove leaves from trees outside House of Commons
The parliamentary authorities have defended their decision to ask a gardener to remove each leaf manually from trees outside the House of Commons in Westminster to save time spent raking them up.
Although typical winter temperatures have not yet arrived in London, a female worker on a step ladder has been spotted taking down yellow leaves, one by one, from a circle of lime trees.
The gardener stripped bare the trees that border the square below Big Ben, instead of allowing them to fall naturally. Asked about the decision, a Commons spokesman said: “If we waited for the leaves to fall off it would waste a lot of time raking them up. It is more time efficient.”
In a further comment, he added: “The House of Commons employs a gardening service which covers maintenance of more than 145 trees on the parliamentary estate as well as all grassed areas, planted areas, indoor plants, containers and window boxes. It is not possible to separate the cost of removing leaves from the trees in New Palace Yard from the wider cost of the gardening contract. The leaves are removed each winter as a more time-efficient alternative to raking fallen leaves.”
Although typical winter temperatures have not yet arrived in London, a female worker on a step ladder has been spotted taking down yellow leaves, one by one, from a circle of lime trees.
The gardener stripped bare the trees that border the square below Big Ben, instead of allowing them to fall naturally. Asked about the decision, a Commons spokesman said: “If we waited for the leaves to fall off it would waste a lot of time raking them up. It is more time efficient.”
In a further comment, he added: “The House of Commons employs a gardening service which covers maintenance of more than 145 trees on the parliamentary estate as well as all grassed areas, planted areas, indoor plants, containers and window boxes. It is not possible to separate the cost of removing leaves from the trees in New Palace Yard from the wider cost of the gardening contract. The leaves are removed each winter as a more time-efficient alternative to raking fallen leaves.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)