Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Dog that ate homework on the mend
A high school student from Magnolia in Texas had a good excuse for being late with her Advanced Placement homework. Her dog ate it, literally, and it could have killed him.
"He ate pretty much all this," said his teenage owner Reagan Hardin, gesturing to the diorama of a farm from the Middle Ages she made for her AP World History class at Magnolia West HS.
She was showing off her second version of the project. Most of the first version wound up in Roscoe's belly last week and that meant Reagan got to say those famous schoolgirl words. "Miss Page, my dog ate my homework and she thought I was joking!" said Reagan.
It was no joke: Roscoe ended up as one sick puppy at North Houston Veterinary Specialists. "You might be able to see a beak right there and that's an eye. I think that's our chicken head right there," said Dr. Carl Southern, pointing to x-rays inside Roscoe's belly. There was even some chicken wire in there that could have punctured the pup's belly.
YouTube link.
Dr. Southern used an endoscope to pull out the plastic menagerie, two by two. "Half of a horse body, a sheep, a chicken head," said Dr. Southern, listing what he pulled out. "I kept seeing a little pink horse body go by, but it ended up being a pig with a curly tail." Since Roscoe didn't have to go under the knife, he is recovering quickly.
She was showing off her second version of the project. Most of the first version wound up in Roscoe's belly last week and that meant Reagan got to say those famous schoolgirl words. "Miss Page, my dog ate my homework and she thought I was joking!" said Reagan.
It was no joke: Roscoe ended up as one sick puppy at North Houston Veterinary Specialists. "You might be able to see a beak right there and that's an eye. I think that's our chicken head right there," said Dr. Carl Southern, pointing to x-rays inside Roscoe's belly. There was even some chicken wire in there that could have punctured the pup's belly.
YouTube link.
Dr. Southern used an endoscope to pull out the plastic menagerie, two by two. "Half of a horse body, a sheep, a chicken head," said Dr. Southern, listing what he pulled out. "I kept seeing a little pink horse body go by, but it ended up being a pig with a curly tail." Since Roscoe didn't have to go under the knife, he is recovering quickly.
Tourists' trip to campsite toilet ended with them and their van tumbling into river
A couple of Welsh tourists in New Zealand will be walking to the loo in future after an attempt to drive to a campground convenience in Puketi Forest went disastrously wrong.
The visitors from Wales had been staying at the Department of Conservation's Forest Pools campground, when they decided to drive to the toilets at about 8am on Thursday, possibly because of heavy rain.
The toilets are about 300m up a narrow road from the main camping area. Okaihau Fire Chief Andrew Graham said it appeared the van went too close to the edge of a slip and tumbled six metres into the Waipapa River. The woman was unhurt but her male companion suffered multiple cuts and bruises. He was kept overnight at Bay of Islands Hospital for observation. Both managed to get out of the van before emergency services arrived.
Mr Graham said the brigade gave the couple a place to shelter from the rain until the ambulance arrived. The two had recently arrived in New Zealand and had just bought the van. DoC Bay of Islands area manager Rolien Elliot said driving to the toilets was discouraged because the road was narrow. However, each time bollards were placed across the road and warning signs erected, they were promptly removed by vandals. Ms Elliot said Forest Pools was a lovely spot.
"We like the public to use it. It's just a shame a few people continue to vandalise the toilets and remove the bollards, putting other people at risk." DoC was planning to build new toilets closer to the camping area so people would not feel compelled to drive. Due to proximity to the river, the new facilities would be dry vault toilets that could be pumped out rather than the current long drops. Forest Pools is a popular summer camping spot thanks to a series of swimming holes in the Waipapa River.
The toilets are about 300m up a narrow road from the main camping area. Okaihau Fire Chief Andrew Graham said it appeared the van went too close to the edge of a slip and tumbled six metres into the Waipapa River. The woman was unhurt but her male companion suffered multiple cuts and bruises. He was kept overnight at Bay of Islands Hospital for observation. Both managed to get out of the van before emergency services arrived.
Mr Graham said the brigade gave the couple a place to shelter from the rain until the ambulance arrived. The two had recently arrived in New Zealand and had just bought the van. DoC Bay of Islands area manager Rolien Elliot said driving to the toilets was discouraged because the road was narrow. However, each time bollards were placed across the road and warning signs erected, they were promptly removed by vandals. Ms Elliot said Forest Pools was a lovely spot.
"We like the public to use it. It's just a shame a few people continue to vandalise the toilets and remove the bollards, putting other people at risk." DoC was planning to build new toilets closer to the camping area so people would not feel compelled to drive. Due to proximity to the river, the new facilities would be dry vault toilets that could be pumped out rather than the current long drops. Forest Pools is a popular summer camping spot thanks to a series of swimming holes in the Waipapa River.
Naked cyclist ticketed for not wearing a helmet
A naked cyclist in New Zealand has been ticketed by police for not wearing a helmet, not for his lack of clothing.
And despite having apparently been drinking, he wasn't charged for drink-driving either.
The man was stopped on Timaru's High St at 3.30pm on Sunday and Timaru police Senior Sergeant Randel Tikitiki said he wasn't charged with indecent exposure, because that would "depend on what could be seen".
Tikitiki said the cyclist could also have been charged with careless use of a vehicle, but police opted to charge him with not wearing a helmet. A New Zealand Transport Agency spokeswoman said there was no legal alcohol limit for cycling. "But there is an offence of careless use of a vehicle, and as 'vehicle' is defined in a way that includes bicycles, it could be used," she said.
"While impairment on its own would unlikely result in a conviction, impairment combined with erratic driving behaviour - ie weaving all over the road and getting in the way of other drivers - possibly could. There is a maximum fine of $3,000 and the court may disqualify from holding of obtaining a driver's licence for a period."
The man was stopped on Timaru's High St at 3.30pm on Sunday and Timaru police Senior Sergeant Randel Tikitiki said he wasn't charged with indecent exposure, because that would "depend on what could be seen".
Tikitiki said the cyclist could also have been charged with careless use of a vehicle, but police opted to charge him with not wearing a helmet. A New Zealand Transport Agency spokeswoman said there was no legal alcohol limit for cycling. "But there is an offence of careless use of a vehicle, and as 'vehicle' is defined in a way that includes bicycles, it could be used," she said.
"While impairment on its own would unlikely result in a conviction, impairment combined with erratic driving behaviour - ie weaving all over the road and getting in the way of other drivers - possibly could. There is a maximum fine of $3,000 and the court may disqualify from holding of obtaining a driver's licence for a period."
Hot tub and sex doll found inside prison cell
Authorities in the Philippines discovered illegal drugs and entertainment facilities in some of the cells of high-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa on Monday morning.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, accompanied by members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) held a surprise inspection at the national penitentiary's maximum security compound amid reports that convicted drug lords are still able to continue with their operations inside jail.
Government authorities seized suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from convicted drug lord Peter Co in his room at the maximum security compound. Authorities also discovered a storage area, secret pathway, entertainment appliances, and even a sauna facility inside his room. In the room of robbery group leader Herbert Colangco, authorities found cash and music equipment. Colangco said that the cash seized from him was supposed to be used for a feeding programme. Among the numerous entertainment items seized were a 48-inch flat screen television and a PlayStation 4 unit.
YouTube link.
A hot tub, sex doll, cash and shabu, meanwhile, were seized from the room of Jojo Baligad, a dismissed US Army serviceman who was jailed for drug trafficking. De Lima said she was surprised that the items were smuggled inside the prison. She said that heads will roll following this latest discovery. ''Such a situation is really unacceptable and untenable for me. I'm completely disgusted,'' she said. The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which supervises the national penitentiary, said the inmates are finding new and creative ways to smuggle contraband items.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, accompanied by members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) held a surprise inspection at the national penitentiary's maximum security compound amid reports that convicted drug lords are still able to continue with their operations inside jail.
Government authorities seized suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from convicted drug lord Peter Co in his room at the maximum security compound. Authorities also discovered a storage area, secret pathway, entertainment appliances, and even a sauna facility inside his room. In the room of robbery group leader Herbert Colangco, authorities found cash and music equipment. Colangco said that the cash seized from him was supposed to be used for a feeding programme. Among the numerous entertainment items seized were a 48-inch flat screen television and a PlayStation 4 unit.
YouTube link.
A hot tub, sex doll, cash and shabu, meanwhile, were seized from the room of Jojo Baligad, a dismissed US Army serviceman who was jailed for drug trafficking. De Lima said she was surprised that the items were smuggled inside the prison. She said that heads will roll following this latest discovery. ''Such a situation is really unacceptable and untenable for me. I'm completely disgusted,'' she said. The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which supervises the national penitentiary, said the inmates are finding new and creative ways to smuggle contraband items.
Police raced to home with sirens blaring after teenager mistook mud crab for an intruder
A teenager in Brisbane, Australia, has been left red faced after mistaking a wandering mud crab for an early morning intruder.
Queensland Police Service officers attended the address with lights flashing and sirens blaring at about 1:45am on Monday to calls of a break in.
The informant, a teenager, told police he woke to noises of someone in the kitchen, or what he believed to be someone in the kitchen. Senior Sergeant District Duty Officer Todd Sucic said the teen was certain it was no other member of his family. "He sought refuge in his bedroom and he requested to stay on the phone to police until they arrived because he was too scared to go out," Snr Sgt Sucic said.
"On arrival police were able to determine quickly that the offender responsible was actually a large mud crab that had escaped its box and was wandering around the kitchen. The person who called for help was slightly embarrassed and quickly secured the mud crab and all was good." Snr Sgt Sucic said it was a "pretty hard case to crack".
"I think they recommended he boil the offender as soon as possible so they don't get a repeat call for this type of incident," he added. Snr Sgt Sucic said all jokes aside, the teenager had done the right thing in calling police. "If people are concerned that they could be in trouble or need help always give us a call. Better safe than sorry ... that's what we're there for," he said. "It's not often you get a funny end to a serious call."
The informant, a teenager, told police he woke to noises of someone in the kitchen, or what he believed to be someone in the kitchen. Senior Sergeant District Duty Officer Todd Sucic said the teen was certain it was no other member of his family. "He sought refuge in his bedroom and he requested to stay on the phone to police until they arrived because he was too scared to go out," Snr Sgt Sucic said.
"On arrival police were able to determine quickly that the offender responsible was actually a large mud crab that had escaped its box and was wandering around the kitchen. The person who called for help was slightly embarrassed and quickly secured the mud crab and all was good." Snr Sgt Sucic said it was a "pretty hard case to crack".
"I think they recommended he boil the offender as soon as possible so they don't get a repeat call for this type of incident," he added. Snr Sgt Sucic said all jokes aside, the teenager had done the right thing in calling police. "If people are concerned that they could be in trouble or need help always give us a call. Better safe than sorry ... that's what we're there for," he said. "It's not often you get a funny end to a serious call."
Lifeboat used to rescue teenage girls stuck in thick mud
Two teenage girls who became trapped in thick mud were rescued from an incoming tide on Saturday afternoon.
The girls, aged 13 and 15, were trapped at the base of the cliffs at Warden Bay, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after trying to take a short-cut.
Firefighters called to the scene were unable to reach them and with the tide coming in and light failing they called the lifeboat from Whitstable to take them in from the sea to pull the girls out. They were eventually released and taken to an ambulance where they were assessed to be "frightened but unharmed".
Kent Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Andrew Bridger-Smart said: "We used a mud rescue path to reach the girls and released them using a special mud lance. We were then able to bring them to safety across the mud rescue path and the RNLI boat took them to shore where they were treated for mild hypothermia by the ambulance team.
Afternoon!
YouTube link.
"The public need to understand just how dangerous mud can be, and how unpredictable it is. What may seem a firm and safe area can be just feet away from dangerous mud. Though it may look firm enough to walk on, it is incredibly sticky and can cause a vacuum under foot. That means the more you try to pull your way out, the more the vacuum holds you - which is what happened to the girls."
Firefighters called to the scene were unable to reach them and with the tide coming in and light failing they called the lifeboat from Whitstable to take them in from the sea to pull the girls out. They were eventually released and taken to an ambulance where they were assessed to be "frightened but unharmed".
Kent Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Andrew Bridger-Smart said: "We used a mud rescue path to reach the girls and released them using a special mud lance. We were then able to bring them to safety across the mud rescue path and the RNLI boat took them to shore where they were treated for mild hypothermia by the ambulance team.
Afternoon!
YouTube link.
"The public need to understand just how dangerous mud can be, and how unpredictable it is. What may seem a firm and safe area can be just feet away from dangerous mud. Though it may look firm enough to walk on, it is incredibly sticky and can cause a vacuum under foot. That means the more you try to pull your way out, the more the vacuum holds you - which is what happened to the girls."
'Smug' traffic warden gave Santa's sleigh a parking ticket
A 'smug' traffic warden slapped a ticket on a car delivering Santa’s sleigh.
Father Christmas’s favourite mode of transport was about to go out collecting money for charity in Hinckley town centre, Leicestershire.
Volunteer Chris Uttley was left frustrated when his car, which was towing the Hinckley Round Table sleigh, was caught by a female warden last Saturday.
Mr Uttley drove the sleigh and placed it outside of the Co-op before moving his car outside of the retractable bollards and parking it briefly on zig-zag lines near to the pedestrian crossing.
He was waiting for other volunteers to meet him to take over the sleigh and hold the collection.
He said: “I had moved outside of the bollards to avoid blocking the way or being locked in. There was nowhere else nearby to park and I didn’t want to just leave the sleigh - it could have been vandalised. I moved the car out of the way as much as I could. I walked back to the sleigh to take over a bag of collection tins that were in my car. My back was turned for no more than 30 seconds. As I turned and walked back towards my car I found a traffic warden issuing me a ticket. I explained the circumstances only to be told that there was nothing that could be done.
“This now falls to the charity to pick up the parking ticket out of much-needed funds given to us by the public. I thought it was very heartless - I was shocked. The vehicle was not unattended and there wasn’t any observation time given. Santa was absolutely shocked and said the warden should be put on the naughty list and get a lump of coal for Christmas.” The ticket was given in under a minute. It was issued at 9.03am and observed from 9.03am to 9.03am. The fine will cost the charity £35 if they pay it within 14 days or £70 after that.
Mr Uttley added: “I found the warden was very smug. It was as though she was waiting for me to move and she pounced on us. Obviously I would never have parked there normally but you’d have thought there would be some special discretion. We have spoken to the county council and I hope they will do something about this.” A Leicestershire County Council spokesman said: “We are reviewing the ticket and looking carefully at the reasons the driver has given for parking on the zig-zag lines next to a pedestrian crossing.” Last year the Hinckley Round Table collection raised more than £5,000 for charitable causes and the volunteers are hoping to raise even more this year.
He said: “I had moved outside of the bollards to avoid blocking the way or being locked in. There was nowhere else nearby to park and I didn’t want to just leave the sleigh - it could have been vandalised. I moved the car out of the way as much as I could. I walked back to the sleigh to take over a bag of collection tins that were in my car. My back was turned for no more than 30 seconds. As I turned and walked back towards my car I found a traffic warden issuing me a ticket. I explained the circumstances only to be told that there was nothing that could be done.
“This now falls to the charity to pick up the parking ticket out of much-needed funds given to us by the public. I thought it was very heartless - I was shocked. The vehicle was not unattended and there wasn’t any observation time given. Santa was absolutely shocked and said the warden should be put on the naughty list and get a lump of coal for Christmas.” The ticket was given in under a minute. It was issued at 9.03am and observed from 9.03am to 9.03am. The fine will cost the charity £35 if they pay it within 14 days or £70 after that.
Mr Uttley added: “I found the warden was very smug. It was as though she was waiting for me to move and she pounced on us. Obviously I would never have parked there normally but you’d have thought there would be some special discretion. We have spoken to the county council and I hope they will do something about this.” A Leicestershire County Council spokesman said: “We are reviewing the ticket and looking carefully at the reasons the driver has given for parking on the zig-zag lines next to a pedestrian crossing.” Last year the Hinckley Round Table collection raised more than £5,000 for charitable causes and the volunteers are hoping to raise even more this year.
Carol singing polar bear probed over noise
A six-foot mechanical polar bear that dances and sings Christmas carols is being investigated after a council received a noise complaint.
The bear, named Bernard, bursts into song when people walk past Loft Café in Shefford, Bedfordshire, where he has stood since 1 December.
An enforcement officer told owners Rob and Teresa Farndon there had been a complaint about "noise nuisance".
Central Bedfordshire Council said there was an "ongoing investigation". Bernard sings snippets of five or six Christmas songs, including Andy Williams' It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and is activated either by movement or by pressing a button. He stood outside the cafe every day last December with no complaints and has been put away at 4pm every day so far this year. The owners' son Connor Farndon said the complaint was "so petty".
"We put the bear outside for the kids to get them in the Christmas spirit and all the kids love him," he said. "You can't even hear him over the traffic when it is standing stationary at the traffic lights outside. It's not the council's fault - they're just following up a complaint. It's the person who's complained who is ridiculous." Mr Farndon said he thought the only thing the council could do was "tell us to take it away".
Not the actual polar bear. This one stands outside a fish shop in Germany.
YouTube link.
A council spokesman confirmed the premises had been visited "on a number of occasions" but that "Bernard has not been deemed a nuisance. We have written to both parties, explaining the situation as part of an ongoing investigation," he said. "The council takes noise complaints seriously and has a legal obligation to fully investigate them, but we also want everyone in Central Bedfordshire to enjoy themselves over the Christmas period and would urge residents and business owners alike to be mindful of their neighbours when planning festivities."
Central Bedfordshire Council said there was an "ongoing investigation". Bernard sings snippets of five or six Christmas songs, including Andy Williams' It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and is activated either by movement or by pressing a button. He stood outside the cafe every day last December with no complaints and has been put away at 4pm every day so far this year. The owners' son Connor Farndon said the complaint was "so petty".
"We put the bear outside for the kids to get them in the Christmas spirit and all the kids love him," he said. "You can't even hear him over the traffic when it is standing stationary at the traffic lights outside. It's not the council's fault - they're just following up a complaint. It's the person who's complained who is ridiculous." Mr Farndon said he thought the only thing the council could do was "tell us to take it away".
Not the actual polar bear. This one stands outside a fish shop in Germany.
YouTube link.
A council spokesman confirmed the premises had been visited "on a number of occasions" but that "Bernard has not been deemed a nuisance. We have written to both parties, explaining the situation as part of an ongoing investigation," he said. "The council takes noise complaints seriously and has a legal obligation to fully investigate them, but we also want everyone in Central Bedfordshire to enjoy themselves over the Christmas period and would urge residents and business owners alike to be mindful of their neighbours when planning festivities."
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