Saturday, May 30, 2015
Student fights punishment after being given detention for giving 'ghost pepper' to classmates
A student at Centereach High School on Long Island, New York, is fighting his punishment, after being disciplined for taking hot peppers to school.
Nick Lien, 16, and his mother have spoken about the incident involving bhut jolokia, or ghost peppers, which are among the hottest chili peppers on the planet.
Ghost peppers pack 400 times the mouth-numbing heat of Tabasco, and Lien orders them online – three peppers for $12.
“My friends saw that I had the new ghost pepper with me, and they all wanted to see how spicy it really was, because everybody thought that basically they could handle it and it was nothing,” Lien said.
“So they all tried a piece.” But two of Lien’s classmates left gym class, and landed in the nurse’s office with red faces, stomach pains, and burning tongues. And the next thing he knew, Lien was called to the carpet. “I was shocked, because I didn’t realise that giving someone a pepper could get me into as much trouble as I was in,” Lien said. Lien said he was told he was to serve after-school detention for two days, or else in-school suspension for a day. Nick Lien’s mother, Sharon Lien, also received a call. “I ran to the school to wonder why. I didn’t know what it was,” she said.
“I asked if it was pepper spray, peppers on sandwiches, and she said it was my son brought a pepper to school – which I happen to have. We eat hot peppers, so it’s, like, no big deal. I eat hot food. My family eats hot food,” she said. “It’s just in our blood.” And the Liens were shocked and mystified when they said the school likened the peppers to psychedelic drugs. “I was told that it’s equivalent to giving someone LSD,” Nick Lien said. The Liens do not believe passing out peppers warrants suspension or detention. “Students’ rights cannot be violated by dictating to them what they can and can’t bring in for lunch, so it’s an outage,” said attorney Ken Mollins.
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School is out in three weeks, and Nick Lien said being suspended would be detrimental. “All the work that we have now is all getting bunched together, and if I lose two days of school, then it’s really going to affect my grades,” he said. But the superintendent of the Middle Country School District said she does not tolerate any action that compromises the health of their students, and said she has determined that the hot peppers do pose such a threat. She said she stands by the detention. There are no New York state regulations yet on ghost peppers in schools.
“So they all tried a piece.” But two of Lien’s classmates left gym class, and landed in the nurse’s office with red faces, stomach pains, and burning tongues. And the next thing he knew, Lien was called to the carpet. “I was shocked, because I didn’t realise that giving someone a pepper could get me into as much trouble as I was in,” Lien said. Lien said he was told he was to serve after-school detention for two days, or else in-school suspension for a day. Nick Lien’s mother, Sharon Lien, also received a call. “I ran to the school to wonder why. I didn’t know what it was,” she said.
“I asked if it was pepper spray, peppers on sandwiches, and she said it was my son brought a pepper to school – which I happen to have. We eat hot peppers, so it’s, like, no big deal. I eat hot food. My family eats hot food,” she said. “It’s just in our blood.” And the Liens were shocked and mystified when they said the school likened the peppers to psychedelic drugs. “I was told that it’s equivalent to giving someone LSD,” Nick Lien said. The Liens do not believe passing out peppers warrants suspension or detention. “Students’ rights cannot be violated by dictating to them what they can and can’t bring in for lunch, so it’s an outage,” said attorney Ken Mollins.
YouTube link.
School is out in three weeks, and Nick Lien said being suspended would be detrimental. “All the work that we have now is all getting bunched together, and if I lose two days of school, then it’s really going to affect my grades,” he said. But the superintendent of the Middle Country School District said she does not tolerate any action that compromises the health of their students, and said she has determined that the hot peppers do pose such a threat. She said she stands by the detention. There are no New York state regulations yet on ghost peppers in schools.
Woman charged with driving under the influence of whipped cream
Police in Franklin, Tennessee, say a woman who used aerosol whipped cream cans to get high was charged with driving under the influence after crashing her car into a man’s mailbox.
Anna Thomas, 28, was hospitalised after crashing into the mailbox.
“I was putting dishes in the dishwasher getting ready to go to go to work when all of a sudden I heard this extremely loud boom,” said Craig Lynch, owner of the destroyed mailbox. “I actually thought a transformer had exploded,” he called police. “They started pulling out bottles of whip cream and they started sitting them on the car and they essentially ran out of room,” said Lynch.
He ran outside and saw Thomas in his neighbour’s yard and discovered the damage to his mailbox. Officers on the scene said that Thomas was disoriented at the time. They also found 13 nearly-empty cans of whipped cream scattered inside the vehicle. Police also charged her with failure to report a crash for running her car into a ditch at another location prior to the incident.
“I’m thankful she hit the mailbox cause being this is two wrecks within two blocks the next thing she hit was going to be a person and somebody was going to get hurt,” said Lynch. According to records with the Williamson County Jail, this is Thomas’ 6th DUI. She is due in court on June 4th.
With news video.
“I was putting dishes in the dishwasher getting ready to go to go to work when all of a sudden I heard this extremely loud boom,” said Craig Lynch, owner of the destroyed mailbox. “I actually thought a transformer had exploded,” he called police. “They started pulling out bottles of whip cream and they started sitting them on the car and they essentially ran out of room,” said Lynch.
He ran outside and saw Thomas in his neighbour’s yard and discovered the damage to his mailbox. Officers on the scene said that Thomas was disoriented at the time. They also found 13 nearly-empty cans of whipped cream scattered inside the vehicle. Police also charged her with failure to report a crash for running her car into a ditch at another location prior to the incident.
“I’m thankful she hit the mailbox cause being this is two wrecks within two blocks the next thing she hit was going to be a person and somebody was going to get hurt,” said Lynch. According to records with the Williamson County Jail, this is Thomas’ 6th DUI. She is due in court on June 4th.
With news video.
82-year-old man slashed 88-year-old woman's tyres because she sat in his favourite bingo seat
Police arrested an 82-year-old Florida man for slashing a woman's tyres because he claims she was sitting in his favourite bingo seat.
Fred Smith was charged with criminal mischief to a vehicle last week when, police say, he took an ice pick to Ethel Britt's van.
She celebrated her 88th birthday on Friday and has since been questioning why Smith targeted her car.
"I didn't think anyone would be low enough to do that to my car because I didn't know I had any enemies in my life,” she said. “I thought everybody was my friend, but undoubtedly I have one enemy.” Police say Smith stormed out of a weekly bingo game at the Lake Ashton Club House and punctured two of Britt's tyres because she was sitting in a chair he usually sits in.
"I didn't know it meant that much to him to do that to my tyres," Britt continued. "It's quite frankly a childish-type crime," offered Lake Wales Deputy Chief Troy Schulze. "The man admitted to it when the officer told him what he was there to investigate. He was apologetic. He said he was embarrassed.
YouTube link.
"He regretted doing it, but he took ownership of it and said that even in the embarrassment he had to face consequences." Those consequences could include about $500 in tyre damage and restitution back to Britt. She said she has no hard feelings, but she's still a bit puzzled. "I'm not mad, no. I would like to have my tyres paid for because that took every dime I had in the bank," she added.
"I didn't think anyone would be low enough to do that to my car because I didn't know I had any enemies in my life,” she said. “I thought everybody was my friend, but undoubtedly I have one enemy.” Police say Smith stormed out of a weekly bingo game at the Lake Ashton Club House and punctured two of Britt's tyres because she was sitting in a chair he usually sits in.
"I didn't know it meant that much to him to do that to my tyres," Britt continued. "It's quite frankly a childish-type crime," offered Lake Wales Deputy Chief Troy Schulze. "The man admitted to it when the officer told him what he was there to investigate. He was apologetic. He said he was embarrassed.
YouTube link.
"He regretted doing it, but he took ownership of it and said that even in the embarrassment he had to face consequences." Those consequences could include about $500 in tyre damage and restitution back to Britt. She said she has no hard feelings, but she's still a bit puzzled. "I'm not mad, no. I would like to have my tyres paid for because that took every dime I had in the bank," she added.
Pakistani spy pigeon arrested in India
A pigeon has been arrested by police in India on suspicion of being a spy from Pakistan.
The bird was seized on Thursday after being spotted carrying a "stamped message" on its body.
The message was written partly in Urdu, the official language of Pakistan.
It also contained a Pakistani phone number, according to reports. The bird was discovered by a 14-year-old boy in the village of Manwal, around 4km from the Pakistani border. He took it to the nearest police station where the bird was X-rayed.
Although police confirmed nothing unusual was found they "have kept the bird in our custody", according to one senior local officer. The bird has been logged as a "suspected spy" in the area's official police diary. "This is a rare instance of a bird from Pakistan being spotted here. We have caught a few spies here.
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"The area is sensitive, given its proximity to Jammu, where infiltration is quite common," local police superintendent Rakesh Kaushal said. The area where the bird was found sits close to Jammu and Kashmir, an area which is claimed by both India and Pakistan, and is the scene of regular military exchanges.
It also contained a Pakistani phone number, according to reports. The bird was discovered by a 14-year-old boy in the village of Manwal, around 4km from the Pakistani border. He took it to the nearest police station where the bird was X-rayed.
Although police confirmed nothing unusual was found they "have kept the bird in our custody", according to one senior local officer. The bird has been logged as a "suspected spy" in the area's official police diary. "This is a rare instance of a bird from Pakistan being spotted here. We have caught a few spies here.
YouTube link.
"The area is sensitive, given its proximity to Jammu, where infiltration is quite common," local police superintendent Rakesh Kaushal said. The area where the bird was found sits close to Jammu and Kashmir, an area which is claimed by both India and Pakistan, and is the scene of regular military exchanges.
Animal hoarder found with hundreds of pigeons living inside his home
A man in Schwechat, near Vienna, Austria, was found hoarding between 150 and 200 pigeons in his house, in appalling conditions.
His windows were so dirty hardly any light came through, leaving the house in constant darkness, the Vienna Tierschutzverein animal welfare group have said.
His furniture, and the walls and floors of the house were covered with pigeon faeces, feathers and dirt. A Tierschutzverein team had to carry out three rescue operations, wearing face masks and protective suits to protect them from germs and dirt. They saved 73 pigeons but around 30 birds, along with 66 eggs, did not survive.
"The stench was unbearable and there was the risk of being poisoned by breathing in the excrement,” the Tierschutzverein said. Tierschutzverein experts believe that the birds had been kept for several years. All the pigeons were examined by veterinarians. "Some of them were severely malnourished, had parasites and eye damage.
"In addition, they were severely dehydrated and had probably had no water for days,” they said in a statement. The Tierschutzverein is now looking for a pigeon fancier who can keep the birds in proper conditions. The case only came to light after the occupant of the house fell over and called an ambulance. Paramedics and police were then shocked to discover the birds and the horrific living conditions.
His furniture, and the walls and floors of the house were covered with pigeon faeces, feathers and dirt. A Tierschutzverein team had to carry out three rescue operations, wearing face masks and protective suits to protect them from germs and dirt. They saved 73 pigeons but around 30 birds, along with 66 eggs, did not survive.
"The stench was unbearable and there was the risk of being poisoned by breathing in the excrement,” the Tierschutzverein said. Tierschutzverein experts believe that the birds had been kept for several years. All the pigeons were examined by veterinarians. "Some of them were severely malnourished, had parasites and eye damage.
"In addition, they were severely dehydrated and had probably had no water for days,” they said in a statement. The Tierschutzverein is now looking for a pigeon fancier who can keep the birds in proper conditions. The case only came to light after the occupant of the house fell over and called an ambulance. Paramedics and police were then shocked to discover the birds and the horrific living conditions.
Court orders vegetarian mother to feed her son meat
An Italian court has ordered a vegetarian mother to cook meat for her son at least once a week after the boy's father complained that his son wasn't being given a proper diet.
The mother in Bergamo, northern Italy, started her son on a macrobiotic diet, which is typically a vegetarian diet consisting of whole grains, cereals and vegetables, in 2006.
But the father, who is divorced from the mother, complained that she had made the decision without consulting him and that the diet put his son’s health at risk. Despite the mother’s dietary regime, the father took his son out for meals at McDonalds and prepared desserts, meat and dairy dishes on weekends, when he had custody of the child.
The father’s mother, the boy’s grandmother, also fed him foods which broke the diet, including gorgonzola and sausages. According to the child's mother, the boy would come home after the weekend with a stomach ache. The father eventually took the matter to court so that the boy’s diet could be decided once and for all.
The mother in Bergamo, northern Italy, started her son on a macrobiotic diet, which is typically a vegetarian diet consisting of whole grains, cereals and vegetables, in 2006.
But the father, who is divorced from the mother, complained that she had made the decision without consulting him and that the diet put his son’s health at risk. Despite the mother’s dietary regime, the father took his son out for meals at McDonalds and prepared desserts, meat and dairy dishes on weekends, when he had custody of the child.
The father’s mother, the boy’s grandmother, also fed him foods which broke the diet, including gorgonzola and sausages. According to the child's mother, the boy would come home after the weekend with a stomach ache. The father eventually took the matter to court so that the boy’s diet could be decided once and for all.
Fox cub with head stuck in jar freed
A fox cub has been freed after getting its head stuck in a plastic jar.
The animal, thought to be about seven weeks old, was spotted on waste ground with the tub covering its head by residents in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
A team from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) trapped the cub on Tuesday evening and cut the jar off using surgical scissors. WRAS founder Trevor Weeks said the fox was potentially hours away from dying.
YouTube link.
It is now being treated by the WRAS. "We didn't want to give up, as we were worried the cub might develop breathing problems and was probably already becoming dehydrated and hungry too. We knew the longer we left the fox the worse condition the cub would be in.
"There was a chance the fox could be dead by the morning," he said. The cub also received anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics at the service's casualty care centre where it is recovering. "Luckily the wounds were not too serious and we hope that he will be a quick turn-around and back to mum," said Mr Weeks.
A team from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) trapped the cub on Tuesday evening and cut the jar off using surgical scissors. WRAS founder Trevor Weeks said the fox was potentially hours away from dying.
YouTube link.
It is now being treated by the WRAS. "We didn't want to give up, as we were worried the cub might develop breathing problems and was probably already becoming dehydrated and hungry too. We knew the longer we left the fox the worse condition the cub would be in.
"There was a chance the fox could be dead by the morning," he said. The cub also received anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics at the service's casualty care centre where it is recovering. "Luckily the wounds were not too serious and we hope that he will be a quick turn-around and back to mum," said Mr Weeks.
Cheeky badger broke into home through cat flap before stealing Bakewell tart from fridge
A badger sneaked into a home through a cat flap before opening a fridge and helping itself to a Bakewell tart.
Geoff Taylor captured the footage after his was woken by the nocturnal animal in the middle of the night at his rural home in West Middlesex.
And the bold badger burglar is a repeat offender, as the night before it was caught red pawed raiding the same fridge, on that occasion it had managed to eat its way through six eggs, including their shells.
On its first visit it shuffled in under the cloak of darkness, waking Mr Taylor from his slumber when he heard the sound of someone or something in the kitchen. Upon seeing Mr Taylor, the badger ran back out through the cat flap.
YouTube link.
Then, when Mr Taylor was woken up at about 3.30am the next night, he reached for his camera. Even with the light on, the badger did not stop eating the Bakewell tart - and only ten seconds later did it finally spot that it had been caught. Undeterred, even after being scared off it tried to come back moments later, but found the cat flap locked.
And the bold badger burglar is a repeat offender, as the night before it was caught red pawed raiding the same fridge, on that occasion it had managed to eat its way through six eggs, including their shells.
On its first visit it shuffled in under the cloak of darkness, waking Mr Taylor from his slumber when he heard the sound of someone or something in the kitchen. Upon seeing Mr Taylor, the badger ran back out through the cat flap.
YouTube link.
Then, when Mr Taylor was woken up at about 3.30am the next night, he reached for his camera. Even with the light on, the badger did not stop eating the Bakewell tart - and only ten seconds later did it finally spot that it had been caught. Undeterred, even after being scared off it tried to come back moments later, but found the cat flap locked.
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