Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Man would like his missing mushroom back
Someone has stolen a 4-foot tall homemade mushroom sculpture from a front yard in Northeast Portland.
The owner, Aurelien Carnoy, carved it himself from a stump with a chainsaw over several weeks. He says the stump was just sitting at The Grotto nearby, and no one could move it, and if he could move it he could have it.
He took the stump home, got a chainsaw and began carving. His inspiration for the sculpture was Portland itself. “There should be mushrooms all over the place and I don’t see any. The mushrooms will take over the world,” he says.
YouTube link.
While he was gone for a few days, someone came by and stole the mushroom. He has filed a police report even though he knows it’s down on their list of priorities. “I just hope they didn’t sell it for a cheap price,” he said.
The owner, Aurelien Carnoy, carved it himself from a stump with a chainsaw over several weeks. He says the stump was just sitting at The Grotto nearby, and no one could move it, and if he could move it he could have it.
He took the stump home, got a chainsaw and began carving. His inspiration for the sculpture was Portland itself. “There should be mushrooms all over the place and I don’t see any. The mushrooms will take over the world,” he says.
YouTube link.
While he was gone for a few days, someone came by and stole the mushroom. He has filed a police report even though he knows it’s down on their list of priorities. “I just hope they didn’t sell it for a cheap price,” he said.
Men arrested for stealing cow then trying to make getaway with it in stolen ambulance
Two cousins have appeared in the Mahwelereng Magistrate's Court in Limpopo Province, South Africa, for allegedly stealing a cow and an ambulance they used as a getaway vehicle, police said on Monday.
Blade Olifant, 26, and Kgothatso Olifant, 27, allegedly stole a cow and loaded it in the back of an ambulance in Mahwelereng, said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi. "The two bundled a cow inside a privately owned ambulance oblivious of the fact that is was marked and easily identifiable," Hangwani said in a statement.
"Community members contacted the police who quickly set up a roadblock where the duo, with sirens blaring, thought they would not be stopped." Police found a live cow inside the van as well as bottles of beer. The two were released on a warning and are to appear again on 15 January.
YouTube link.
The cow was identified by its owner after it was placed under the care of the local Society For Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals. "Sometimes the criminal makes it almost too easy for the police," Mulaudzi said. "The two broke a basic rule for any crook - leave nothing behind that can identify you."
Blade Olifant, 26, and Kgothatso Olifant, 27, allegedly stole a cow and loaded it in the back of an ambulance in Mahwelereng, said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi. "The two bundled a cow inside a privately owned ambulance oblivious of the fact that is was marked and easily identifiable," Hangwani said in a statement.
"Community members contacted the police who quickly set up a roadblock where the duo, with sirens blaring, thought they would not be stopped." Police found a live cow inside the van as well as bottles of beer. The two were released on a warning and are to appear again on 15 January.
YouTube link.
The cow was identified by its owner after it was placed under the care of the local Society For Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals. "Sometimes the criminal makes it almost too easy for the police," Mulaudzi said. "The two broke a basic rule for any crook - leave nothing behind that can identify you."
Loyal dog chased after ambulance taking homeless owner to hospital
A dedicated dog chased an ambulance carrying its owner after the man suffered an epileptic fit earlier this year in Taguatinga, Brazil.
The dog stood by its homeless owner when he suddenly collapsed until paramedics arrived at the scene. As they sped to a nearby hospital with the man, they spotted the dog in the rear-view mirror sprinting after the emergency vehicle.
One of the paramedics filmed it easily keeping pace. With the determined dog hot on their tail and a long journey ahead, the crew pulled over and welcomed it inside.
YouTube link.
At the hospital, the faithful companion later stood beside its owner's stretcher where it reportedly remained for the length of the man's stay, which occurred in March this year.
The dog stood by its homeless owner when he suddenly collapsed until paramedics arrived at the scene. As they sped to a nearby hospital with the man, they spotted the dog in the rear-view mirror sprinting after the emergency vehicle.
One of the paramedics filmed it easily keeping pace. With the determined dog hot on their tail and a long journey ahead, the crew pulled over and welcomed it inside.
YouTube link.
At the hospital, the faithful companion later stood beside its owner's stretcher where it reportedly remained for the length of the man's stay, which occurred in March this year.
Runaway pet ostrich found racing traffic on motorway
A runaway ostrich caused a commotion on one of China's busiest highways after bursting through a toll booth barrier and then racing traffic.
The 6.5ft tall bird broke through the barrier in Yiwu before running off down the road. He was found by traffic police hours later, but not before it had been involved in a race with a car, picking up its speed and running alongside.
The police had to wait for the tired bird to rest for around 10 minutes before they were able to successfully take the creature away. After the incident, it was revealed that the ostrich is the pet of a nearby villager.
YouTube link.
The owner said that he has a pair of pet ostriches, and he called the police when he realised that the male one had gone missing.
The 6.5ft tall bird broke through the barrier in Yiwu before running off down the road. He was found by traffic police hours later, but not before it had been involved in a race with a car, picking up its speed and running alongside.
The police had to wait for the tired bird to rest for around 10 minutes before they were able to successfully take the creature away. After the incident, it was revealed that the ostrich is the pet of a nearby villager.
YouTube link.
The owner said that he has a pair of pet ostriches, and he called the police when he realised that the male one had gone missing.
Cockatoo rescued by firefighters after getting stranded in palm tree
A young cockatoo had to be rescued from a palm tree in the St Kilda suburb of Melbourne, Australia, on Monday night.
A woman had been feeding her 3-month-old pet cockatoo down at the beach when a gust of wind blew past, picking up the bird, before it landed on top of a palm tree. The bird was incredibly tame, but had its wings clipped so it couldn’t return safely to the ground.
The owners waited for several hours hoping the bird would come down on its own. They called the RSPCA but they were unable to attend. Firefighters responded at 6.26pm with a fire truck and a ladder platform, which was extended 15 metres to the top of the tree.
YouTube link.
Leading Firefighter Ben Schutt was able reach out and the bird crawled onto his arm – very grateful to be rescued. The ladder platform slowly lowered LFF Schutt and the cockatoo (named Spirit) to the ground and its very happy owners. The rescue took 20 minutes to execute.
There's a news video here.
A woman had been feeding her 3-month-old pet cockatoo down at the beach when a gust of wind blew past, picking up the bird, before it landed on top of a palm tree. The bird was incredibly tame, but had its wings clipped so it couldn’t return safely to the ground.
The owners waited for several hours hoping the bird would come down on its own. They called the RSPCA but they were unable to attend. Firefighters responded at 6.26pm with a fire truck and a ladder platform, which was extended 15 metres to the top of the tree.
YouTube link.
Leading Firefighter Ben Schutt was able reach out and the bird crawled onto his arm – very grateful to be rescued. The ladder platform slowly lowered LFF Schutt and the cockatoo (named Spirit) to the ground and its very happy owners. The rescue took 20 minutes to execute.
There's a news video here.
Open-air urinals to be screened following public criticism
Open-air urinals that are being trialled in Surfers Paradise in Queensland, Australia, are to be screened off after a public backlash.
Blocks of the new urinals have been put along two popular party strips to try to stop drunken men from urinating in shopfront windows.
Gold Coast City Councillor Lex Bell said the loos were offensive, but it was better than having people fouling the streets.
He said drunken men had been relieving themselves in shopfront windows after leaving the party strip.
"I'm not very enthused with the design but we have decided to add additional screens around them so that they are more acceptable to the public," he said. "That's a response to public feedback, but also we're not opening them now until midnight. Residents have been saying that they find it offensive to see someone toileting because you can still see the heads and legs of people. There's also been the problem of some ladies using them, and they're not designed for ladies."
However, he said it was less of a problem for women as they mostly used toilets in a nightclub before they left the premises. Councillor Bell said the urinals were initially opened last Friday at 8:30pm. However, usage times were changed to between midnight and dawn because of complaints, and the fact that younger people were still on the streets earlier in the evening. "That's the time we need to target (after midnight) - very few of the people who have been offended would be out and about at this time," Councillor Bell said.
"We cannot arrest such people - we don't have the power, so the thought was if we put urinals in places where the inebriated people have to stagger past, they may well use them. I find the urinals offensive but I find it more offensive to see people urinating in public." He said the new screens would conceal 'almost the whole person'. "It is less offensive to have urinals, than it is to have people peeing in the street," he said. "When people are staggering from nightclubs, they won't seek out public toilets - even if they are there."
"I'm not very enthused with the design but we have decided to add additional screens around them so that they are more acceptable to the public," he said. "That's a response to public feedback, but also we're not opening them now until midnight. Residents have been saying that they find it offensive to see someone toileting because you can still see the heads and legs of people. There's also been the problem of some ladies using them, and they're not designed for ladies."
However, he said it was less of a problem for women as they mostly used toilets in a nightclub before they left the premises. Councillor Bell said the urinals were initially opened last Friday at 8:30pm. However, usage times were changed to between midnight and dawn because of complaints, and the fact that younger people were still on the streets earlier in the evening. "That's the time we need to target (after midnight) - very few of the people who have been offended would be out and about at this time," Councillor Bell said.
"We cannot arrest such people - we don't have the power, so the thought was if we put urinals in places where the inebriated people have to stagger past, they may well use them. I find the urinals offensive but I find it more offensive to see people urinating in public." He said the new screens would conceal 'almost the whole person'. "It is less offensive to have urinals, than it is to have people peeing in the street," he said. "When people are staggering from nightclubs, they won't seek out public toilets - even if they are there."
Circus deceived children with dogs painted as pandas
Two painted chow chow dogs posing as pandas have been seized from a circus in northern Italy, after tricking children into handing over cash, police have said.
The male and female dogs were seized by police after it became clear that they were not, in fact, pandas.
To an unassuming child visiting the circus in Brescia, a small furry animal with white and black stripes may do the trick. But police were not fooled, who said the dogs were put on display ahead of the circus show.
Children posed for photos with the animals, paying a fee for the “panda” privilege. The environmental police moved in to seize the animals, which they said were in general good health but had particularly watery eyes. This was “probably aggravated by the continuous exposure to camera flashes”, Italy’s environmental police said in a statement.
Police moved in on animal cruelty grounds and the circus owner is facing charges over the animals’ false passports. The chow chows were imported from Hungary and were six months younger than documents stated, police said. The circus owner could also be charged for cheating his customers out of cash.
To an unassuming child visiting the circus in Brescia, a small furry animal with white and black stripes may do the trick. But police were not fooled, who said the dogs were put on display ahead of the circus show.
Children posed for photos with the animals, paying a fee for the “panda” privilege. The environmental police moved in to seize the animals, which they said were in general good health but had particularly watery eyes. This was “probably aggravated by the continuous exposure to camera flashes”, Italy’s environmental police said in a statement.
Police moved in on animal cruelty grounds and the circus owner is facing charges over the animals’ false passports. The chow chows were imported from Hungary and were six months younger than documents stated, police said. The circus owner could also be charged for cheating his customers out of cash.
Burglar whose neighbour set Home Alone-style water bowl trap traced by trail of wet footprints
Akin Akinniran, 30, clambered through the window of Mariamma Sesy’s home on November 4 dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing a mask.
But Ms Sesy, who lived next door to Akinniran in Swingfield House, Templecombe, Homerton, east London, was
so concerned about security she had set her own homemade burglar trap – a row of bowls filled with water under her kitchen window.
Last week he was sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Joanna Korner after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Ms Sesy ran into the kitchen and screamed once she heard the bowls smashing as Akinniran climbed through the window, but she did not recognise her neighbour.
Neither did her husband, who also came rushing into the room before Akinniran fled out of the front door. But the couple found a six-inch silver knife in the hallway outside and took photos of a set of wet footprints leading to Akinniran’s front door.
Police carried out DNA testing on the knife and arrested Akinniran, who now lives in London Fields. Akinniran initially denied the offence, but pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at his preliminary hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Friday. Sentencing him to five years in prison at the hearing, Judge Korner told the court: “The police were very lucky he hadn’t done a runner”.
Last week he was sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Joanna Korner after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Ms Sesy ran into the kitchen and screamed once she heard the bowls smashing as Akinniran climbed through the window, but she did not recognise her neighbour.
Neither did her husband, who also came rushing into the room before Akinniran fled out of the front door. But the couple found a six-inch silver knife in the hallway outside and took photos of a set of wet footprints leading to Akinniran’s front door.
Police carried out DNA testing on the knife and arrested Akinniran, who now lives in London Fields. Akinniran initially denied the offence, but pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at his preliminary hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Friday. Sentencing him to five years in prison at the hearing, Judge Korner told the court: “The police were very lucky he hadn’t done a runner”.
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