Monday, December 29, 2014
Here's a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko licking its eye
A Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) uses its tongue to clean its eye in the Ranomafana rain forest of eastern Madagascar. Many gecko species lack a moveable eyelid and must physically clean the modified transparent scale (called a brille) that covers and protects the eye.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
School payroll error meant money was taken from staff bank accounts instead of being paid in
Instead of receiving their pay cheques via direct deposit on the day after Christmas, Public School workers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, awoke on Friday to find that the amount they were to be paid had instead been withdrawn from their bank accounts. Not only were their bi-weekly pay cheques missing, but two additional weeks of pay had also been withdrawn from their accounts.
About 1,300 staff, from cafeteria workers to top administrators, were affected. Superintendent Dr. Gary E. Maestas sent an email to employees saying the issue was caused by human error. The error has left some employees thousands of dollars in the red. “I can’t believe this was even possible,” one veteran teacher said. “How can they take money out of your account without your permission?”
Town Manager Melissa Arrighi said the town had already determined it was a case of human error. The town was working hard to reverse the reversal, she added, but it will take time. “We have hundreds of banks associated with these accounts, and right now we are calling each, informing them of the situation and asking that they return the funds,” Arrighi said. Maestas says some banks, including Bank of America, Citizens Bank and Santander, won't make corrections until Monday, the next business day.
YouTube link.
According to Arrighi, 704 debit deductions had been reversed by Saturday, while 591 deductions remained. “There’s no way around this; the fault lies with us. So, I want the affected employees to know that we are going to stand by them,” Arrighi said. “There’s no saying now what the final financial effect will be, but as far as penalties, overdraft fees and the like, the town will stand by these workers. We are also correcting the internal error so that this cannot happen again.”
About 1,300 staff, from cafeteria workers to top administrators, were affected. Superintendent Dr. Gary E. Maestas sent an email to employees saying the issue was caused by human error. The error has left some employees thousands of dollars in the red. “I can’t believe this was even possible,” one veteran teacher said. “How can they take money out of your account without your permission?”
Town Manager Melissa Arrighi said the town had already determined it was a case of human error. The town was working hard to reverse the reversal, she added, but it will take time. “We have hundreds of banks associated with these accounts, and right now we are calling each, informing them of the situation and asking that they return the funds,” Arrighi said. Maestas says some banks, including Bank of America, Citizens Bank and Santander, won't make corrections until Monday, the next business day.
YouTube link.
According to Arrighi, 704 debit deductions had been reversed by Saturday, while 591 deductions remained. “There’s no way around this; the fault lies with us. So, I want the affected employees to know that we are going to stand by them,” Arrighi said. “There’s no saying now what the final financial effect will be, but as far as penalties, overdraft fees and the like, the town will stand by these workers. We are also correcting the internal error so that this cannot happen again.”
Man caused hospital fire by smoking crack with patient who was attached to oxygen
A 54-year-old Florida man was arrested on Christmas Eve after allegedly taking crack cocaine into the Intensive Care Unit at North Okaloosa Medical Center to share with a patient there.
A fire broke out at 3:43pm when the patient, who was on oxygen, tried to smoke the cocaine from a homemade smoking device, according to the Crestview Police Department.
The only property damage was to the bed linen, hospital gown and oxygen mask. “The potential was there for a lot of damage,” said Crestview Police Lt. Donald Fountain. “It could have been a lot worse.” He noted that the other patients and the staff could have been injured had the fire not been extinguished so quickly. Crestview Fire Department responded to the fire.
The patient was transported to a burn unit as a result of burns he received. Lee Vern Cook, who authorities say admitted to taking the cocaine into the hospital, also admitted to taking a loaded firearm with him. He allegedly led officers to where he’d hidden it in a bathroom after the fire.
He received minor injuries to his hands, but he was evaluated and taken to jail. Cook is charged with possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, arson, five counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. There is a possibility of additional charges. The fire is being investigated by Crestview Police Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The only property damage was to the bed linen, hospital gown and oxygen mask. “The potential was there for a lot of damage,” said Crestview Police Lt. Donald Fountain. “It could have been a lot worse.” He noted that the other patients and the staff could have been injured had the fire not been extinguished so quickly. Crestview Fire Department responded to the fire.
The patient was transported to a burn unit as a result of burns he received. Lee Vern Cook, who authorities say admitted to taking the cocaine into the hospital, also admitted to taking a loaded firearm with him. He allegedly led officers to where he’d hidden it in a bathroom after the fire.
He received minor injuries to his hands, but he was evaluated and taken to jail. Cook is charged with possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, arson, five counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. There is a possibility of additional charges. The fire is being investigated by Crestview Police Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Suspected car burglar was actually a Good Samaritan checking that vehicles were locked
A 20-year-old man who was detained by civilians under the belief that he was a car burglar turned out to be something of a Good Samaritan, police said.
Alexander Louis, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was spotted going into cars at Coating's Auto Body at 12:42pm on Friday, police said.
Believing that he was stealing items from the vehicles, Coating's employees chased him down and caught up with him nearby. The Coating's employees detained Louis until police arrived. Witnesses gave statements about what they perceived to be thwarted burglary attempts, and security footage of the incident was handed over to police.
Police took Louis into custody but did not find any stolen items on him. Louis was about to be charged with burglary when he told police what he was really doing at the auto yard. Louis told officers he was simply making sure all the vehicles were locked and when he found an unlocked door, he locked it.
Police reviewed the security footage and saw that Louis did not enter any of the cars or rifle through any of the belongings in the car. The footage showed that once he opened the door of an unlocked car, he would lock it and move to the next car. However, there are "no trespassing" signs clearly posted throughout Coating's Auto Body, and Louis was charged with criminal trespass. Louis' initial $20,000 bond was lowered to a promise to appear in court.
Believing that he was stealing items from the vehicles, Coating's employees chased him down and caught up with him nearby. The Coating's employees detained Louis until police arrived. Witnesses gave statements about what they perceived to be thwarted burglary attempts, and security footage of the incident was handed over to police.
Police took Louis into custody but did not find any stolen items on him. Louis was about to be charged with burglary when he told police what he was really doing at the auto yard. Louis told officers he was simply making sure all the vehicles were locked and when he found an unlocked door, he locked it.
Police reviewed the security footage and saw that Louis did not enter any of the cars or rifle through any of the belongings in the car. The footage showed that once he opened the door of an unlocked car, he would lock it and move to the next car. However, there are "no trespassing" signs clearly posted throughout Coating's Auto Body, and Louis was charged with criminal trespass. Louis' initial $20,000 bond was lowered to a promise to appear in court.
Anti-homeless cages installed around benches removed following outcry
The local council in the French city of Angouleme has backtracked on a decision to cage public benches to stop homeless people using them.
The cages were put up on Christmas Eve sparking outrage that the move could be so lacking in Yuletide spirit
While many shopkeepers had welcomed the cages, saying homeless people brought down the number of customers, locals had responded in solidarity. Two teenagers climbed inside the cages and refused to move out.
One said: “we were quite outraged , like everybody, I think. And so we said to ourselves: we absolutely have to do something” The cages have been temporarily removed but the mayor of the right leaning UMP council, Xavier Bonnefont, said no final decision had yet been made.
YouTube link.
“We will continue to reflect on this in January with the shopkeepers and the residents of Champs de Mars square, in order to find a satisfactory solution,” he declared. The mayor defended the cages saying they hadn’t been aimed just at homeless people but at alcoholics and drug dealers who used the area. He also said the cages would eventually have been filled with local rocks to form a kind of landscape art installation
While many shopkeepers had welcomed the cages, saying homeless people brought down the number of customers, locals had responded in solidarity. Two teenagers climbed inside the cages and refused to move out.
One said: “we were quite outraged , like everybody, I think. And so we said to ourselves: we absolutely have to do something” The cages have been temporarily removed but the mayor of the right leaning UMP council, Xavier Bonnefont, said no final decision had yet been made.
YouTube link.
“We will continue to reflect on this in January with the shopkeepers and the residents of Champs de Mars square, in order to find a satisfactory solution,” he declared. The mayor defended the cages saying they hadn’t been aimed just at homeless people but at alcoholics and drug dealers who used the area. He also said the cages would eventually have been filled with local rocks to form a kind of landscape art installation
Villagers have raised £3,000 to make church bells ring 'more gently'
People who fought to keep a village's church bells chiming overnight say they have raised £3,000 for a device to make them ring "more gently".
Ashwell, in Hertfordshire, has been split between people who say St Mary's quarter-hour chimes keep them awake at night, and others who like them.
The quarterly chimes have been silenced between 11pm and 7am but supporters were given time to find another option.
Save Ashwell Church Chimes said it believes it has found "a compromise". The St Mary's bells have been ringing for more than 100 years, but were silenced while repairs were carried out two years ago. Following the repairs, complaints led to an investigation by North Herts District Council, which decided the chimes were "prejudicial to health".
Last December Ashwell Parish Council took the decision to stop them chiming every 15 minutes overnight to avoid being issued with a noise abatement notice, although they could still ring on the hour. Save the Chimes called for a referendum, claiming it was not what most of the village wanted and the group was given "at least six months" to develop and raise funds for an alternative solution.
Wayne Francis of Clockwise Restorations has now designed a hammer device which the group believes can control the overnight volume of the chimes. Campaigner Maria Brown said everyone who had seen the prototype was impressed and the disagreement "should be resolved soon". If there are no objections, work to install and test the device can start from 13 January.
Save Ashwell Church Chimes said it believes it has found "a compromise". The St Mary's bells have been ringing for more than 100 years, but were silenced while repairs were carried out two years ago. Following the repairs, complaints led to an investigation by North Herts District Council, which decided the chimes were "prejudicial to health".
Last December Ashwell Parish Council took the decision to stop them chiming every 15 minutes overnight to avoid being issued with a noise abatement notice, although they could still ring on the hour. Save the Chimes called for a referendum, claiming it was not what most of the village wanted and the group was given "at least six months" to develop and raise funds for an alternative solution.
Wayne Francis of Clockwise Restorations has now designed a hammer device which the group believes can control the overnight volume of the chimes. Campaigner Maria Brown said everyone who had seen the prototype was impressed and the disagreement "should be resolved soon". If there are no objections, work to install and test the device can start from 13 January.
Onesie-wearing thugs hunted over Christmas Day attack
Two thugs wearing onesies smashed a man's head through a car window during a Christmas Day attack.
The 40-year-old victim was rushed to hospital after a fight broke out in Paisley, Scotland, as revellers enjoyed the festivities.
Police said one attacker was dressed as a tiger and his accomplice was wearing a white onsie, with a large pink circle in the middle of the chest. Detectives said the suspects' description was "quite recognisable" and hoped they would be identified quickly.
The attack took place at around 2.45am in New Street, Paisley. During the fight, the victim was "forced through the window of a nearby vehicle" and later rushed by ambulance to the Royal Alexandria Hospital. He has been released following treatment for "a number of lacerations".
Both attackers are described as white men, of medium height and medium build. Detective Constable Eric Hepburn, from Paisley Police Office, is leading the investigation. He said: "The outfits which were worn by the suspects are quite recognisable. If you remember anyone matching the descriptions of the suspects we ask that you get in contact."
Police said one attacker was dressed as a tiger and his accomplice was wearing a white onsie, with a large pink circle in the middle of the chest. Detectives said the suspects' description was "quite recognisable" and hoped they would be identified quickly.
The attack took place at around 2.45am in New Street, Paisley. During the fight, the victim was "forced through the window of a nearby vehicle" and later rushed by ambulance to the Royal Alexandria Hospital. He has been released following treatment for "a number of lacerations".
Both attackers are described as white men, of medium height and medium build. Detective Constable Eric Hepburn, from Paisley Police Office, is leading the investigation. He said: "The outfits which were worn by the suspects are quite recognisable. If you remember anyone matching the descriptions of the suspects we ask that you get in contact."
Unwanted Christmas gift of stick insects prompted 999 call to police
A woman called police after her children received a container full of stick insects as a Christmas present.
Paul Richardson, deployment manager with North Yorkshire Police force control room, said: "We had a call from a woman in York who had a domestic split with her partner. He had bought the children some stick insects and a glass container, and he returned the children with the container.
"Neither of them wanted the insects, so she asked if she could bring them to the police station and leave them with us. I think she was surprised when we said 'no'. People think we have this endless resource that we can deal with any issue whatsoever. She was left with some advice about what police can and can't do."
The woman's call has prompted police to remind the public to only call in genuine emergencies. Although police initially saw the funny side of her request, Mr Richardson said there was a serious side to the call, as it took an operator away from being available to genuine emergency calls.
Paul Richardson, deployment manager with North Yorkshire Police force control room, said: "We had a call from a woman in York who had a domestic split with her partner. He had bought the children some stick insects and a glass container, and he returned the children with the container.
"Neither of them wanted the insects, so she asked if she could bring them to the police station and leave them with us. I think she was surprised when we said 'no'. People think we have this endless resource that we can deal with any issue whatsoever. She was left with some advice about what police can and can't do."
The woman's call has prompted police to remind the public to only call in genuine emergencies. Although police initially saw the funny side of her request, Mr Richardson said there was a serious side to the call, as it took an operator away from being available to genuine emergency calls.
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