Friday, June 05, 2015
Armadillo struggles with slippery slope
An armadillo at Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse in France has trouble ascending a ramp in its enclosure.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Elderly man fulfills wish to drive through garage door
91-year-old Walter Thomas’ bucket list was really short.
There was only one thing on it. And that was fulfilled on Sunday.
“Every time I back out of the garage, I think about backing through the door,” said Thomas, from Woodstock, Illinois.
He mentioned his wish to his granddaughter Tanya Thomas, so she got the project going. The garage was coming down for a renovation project anyway.
YouTube link.
The vehicle that was used was donated and bound for the scrap yard. With his grandson by his side, and at the count of three, Thomas hit the gas and they barrelled through the door. “That was easy,” Thomas said afterwards.
“Every time I back out of the garage, I think about backing through the door,” said Thomas, from Woodstock, Illinois.
He mentioned his wish to his granddaughter Tanya Thomas, so she got the project going. The garage was coming down for a renovation project anyway.
YouTube link.
The vehicle that was used was donated and bound for the scrap yard. With his grandson by his side, and at the count of three, Thomas hit the gas and they barrelled through the door. “That was easy,” Thomas said afterwards.
Despite mounting fines woman won't remove screen put up to block view of neighbour's home
A woman from Thetford, Vermont, erected a 60-foot by 24-foot barrier obstructing her view of her neighbour's new home.
Ruth Dwyer has lived on her 200-plus acre farm in for more than 40 years.
For almost all of that time, Dwyer said she and her 150 animals had most of the surrounding area to themselves.
That changed two years ago with the construction of a new home across the street, overlooking her farm.
“Everything that goes on over there is taking place in a way that it distracts the livestock because of the location of all the activity, and it's very close. There never used to be any activity there. It's all normal activity for a house. It's just not normal for my livestock,” Dwyer said, adding she has no ill will towards her neighbours.
Dwyer recalled one instance when she was loading one of her horses onto a van and it was spooked by a child who had come outside to play basketball in her neighbour’s driveway, which she said was clearly visible from her barn. “I knew it was going to be a problem,” Dwyer said. So she planted cedar trees on her property line, but said they’ll take years to grow tall enough to block the view of her neighbors’ activity. In November, she built what she described as a ‘temporary screen’ to shield her view. “I had a friend who's a contractor and he said, ‘You know, I could put up a piece of fabric between some telephone poles and we'll brace it and that's it,’” Dwyer said. Once the structure was up, town officials took notice.
Thetford zoning director Mary Ellen Parkman said she notified Dwyer in November that she needed to apply for a building permit for the structure. Under Thetford zoning laws, any wall or fence more than 10 feet tall requires a building permit. Dwyer said her structure doesn’t fall into those categories, therefore it does not violate any rules. “It’s not a wall, it’s not a fence, it’s a screen for livestock control,” Dwyer said. Parkman said Dwyer applied for a building permit in December, which was denied in February because “it did not fit the character of the neighborhood.” Parkman said at that point, the ‘screen’ became an ‘illegal structure.’ Dwyer said she considered other options, like installing a solar array or building a more permanent fixture, like a barn. However, she said those options aren’t economically feasible for her, and she didn’t want something to stay there long-term.
YouTube link.
"That’s why I built a temporary structure,” Dwyer said. In early March, Parkman sent Dwyer a violation notice, fining her $200 each day that her structure remains on her property. Those fines have now accumulated to more than $15,000. Regardless of what the structure is categorised as, her neighbour, Patrick Perry, who lives across the road, said it’s an unpleasant sight. “I think it's one of those things when you first see it, you're sort of struck by the size of it,” Perry said. Perry moved into the neighbourhood about 18 months ago. He said Dwyer’s screen doesn’t make him feel at home. “I think 'unwelcoming' is probably the best way to describe how it feels being on this side of the wall,” Perry said. Despite the daily fine and her neighbour’s concerns, Dwyer said the screen isn’t going anywhere any time soon. She said she’s going to keep fighting to keep the structure up until her cedar trees grow tall enough to block the view of her neighbours’ activities.
Dwyer recalled one instance when she was loading one of her horses onto a van and it was spooked by a child who had come outside to play basketball in her neighbour’s driveway, which she said was clearly visible from her barn. “I knew it was going to be a problem,” Dwyer said. So she planted cedar trees on her property line, but said they’ll take years to grow tall enough to block the view of her neighbors’ activity. In November, she built what she described as a ‘temporary screen’ to shield her view. “I had a friend who's a contractor and he said, ‘You know, I could put up a piece of fabric between some telephone poles and we'll brace it and that's it,’” Dwyer said. Once the structure was up, town officials took notice.
Thetford zoning director Mary Ellen Parkman said she notified Dwyer in November that she needed to apply for a building permit for the structure. Under Thetford zoning laws, any wall or fence more than 10 feet tall requires a building permit. Dwyer said her structure doesn’t fall into those categories, therefore it does not violate any rules. “It’s not a wall, it’s not a fence, it’s a screen for livestock control,” Dwyer said. Parkman said Dwyer applied for a building permit in December, which was denied in February because “it did not fit the character of the neighborhood.” Parkman said at that point, the ‘screen’ became an ‘illegal structure.’ Dwyer said she considered other options, like installing a solar array or building a more permanent fixture, like a barn. However, she said those options aren’t economically feasible for her, and she didn’t want something to stay there long-term.
YouTube link.
"That’s why I built a temporary structure,” Dwyer said. In early March, Parkman sent Dwyer a violation notice, fining her $200 each day that her structure remains on her property. Those fines have now accumulated to more than $15,000. Regardless of what the structure is categorised as, her neighbour, Patrick Perry, who lives across the road, said it’s an unpleasant sight. “I think it's one of those things when you first see it, you're sort of struck by the size of it,” Perry said. Perry moved into the neighbourhood about 18 months ago. He said Dwyer’s screen doesn’t make him feel at home. “I think 'unwelcoming' is probably the best way to describe how it feels being on this side of the wall,” Perry said. Despite the daily fine and her neighbour’s concerns, Dwyer said the screen isn’t going anywhere any time soon. She said she’s going to keep fighting to keep the structure up until her cedar trees grow tall enough to block the view of her neighbours’ activities.
Neighbours unhappy with man who's dumped chocolate chips in bid to deter fouling dogs
A man in San Diego’s North Park community has dumped chocolate chips in an effort to deter dogs, but the act is upsetting neighbours.
Frustrated with neighbourhood dogs leaving waste on his lawn and a grass verge outside his home, and with dog owners not picking up after their pets, a man known as "John" recently scattered several pounds of chocolate chips.
John said it was an experiment – and that it worked. Over the last several days pet owners have been steering clear of his property, with some neighbours afraid the chocolate will make their animals sick.
Some concerned residents have called San Diego County Animal Control and the San Diego Police Department to complain, saying this is threatening the lives of their pets. Sarah Fisher is one of those worried residents, and she’s warning others in North Park not to walk near John’s home. “[Residents] are scared of what he might do,” Fisher said. “If he is doing this – which is like an animal genocide – pretty much, he's putting it out for animals to ingest and get sick.” Fisher has a two-year-old golden doodle named Lucy that she walks with regularly. She is now avoiding John’s property but fears unsuspecting animals will stumble upon the chocolate and get sick.
John agreed to an interview if his face wasn’t shown on camera. He said irresponsible dog owners are constantly not picking up after their pets and leaving piles of waste in his yard. He said he has left signs in front of his home – including a note written on a yoga mat that suggests an animal could be electrocuted if it urinates on his tyres. However, those signs don’t seem to work, John said, so he came up with the chocolate chips idea. “They can walk on the other side of the street,” he said. “I am tired of it. People disrespect my yard; I'm tired of the stuff.” John insists chocolate won't harm the animals.
Still, there is a large school of thought that says it can be toxic to dogs and can lead to illness and even death, depending on what kind of chocolate it is and how much a dog ingests. John said he plans to mow the grass in the next few days to get rid of the remaining chocolate morsels. However, his neighbours want something done about the situation immediately. San Diego County Animal Control Deputy Director Dan DeSousa said animal services investigators were notified of this incident by residents on Monday. He said the investigation is ongoing, and no further details would be released at this time. On Wednesday John said someone had broken the mirror on his car in what he believes is retaliation against him putting the chocolate chips in his yard.
With news video.
Some concerned residents have called San Diego County Animal Control and the San Diego Police Department to complain, saying this is threatening the lives of their pets. Sarah Fisher is one of those worried residents, and she’s warning others in North Park not to walk near John’s home. “[Residents] are scared of what he might do,” Fisher said. “If he is doing this – which is like an animal genocide – pretty much, he's putting it out for animals to ingest and get sick.” Fisher has a two-year-old golden doodle named Lucy that she walks with regularly. She is now avoiding John’s property but fears unsuspecting animals will stumble upon the chocolate and get sick.
John agreed to an interview if his face wasn’t shown on camera. He said irresponsible dog owners are constantly not picking up after their pets and leaving piles of waste in his yard. He said he has left signs in front of his home – including a note written on a yoga mat that suggests an animal could be electrocuted if it urinates on his tyres. However, those signs don’t seem to work, John said, so he came up with the chocolate chips idea. “They can walk on the other side of the street,” he said. “I am tired of it. People disrespect my yard; I'm tired of the stuff.” John insists chocolate won't harm the animals.
Still, there is a large school of thought that says it can be toxic to dogs and can lead to illness and even death, depending on what kind of chocolate it is and how much a dog ingests. John said he plans to mow the grass in the next few days to get rid of the remaining chocolate morsels. However, his neighbours want something done about the situation immediately. San Diego County Animal Control Deputy Director Dan DeSousa said animal services investigators were notified of this incident by residents on Monday. He said the investigation is ongoing, and no further details would be released at this time. On Wednesday John said someone had broken the mirror on his car in what he believes is retaliation against him putting the chocolate chips in his yard.
With news video.
Science teacher suspended for using signal jammer to block student's phones
A Florida science teacher has been suspended for using a signal jammer to prevent his students from using their cellphones in class.
Dean Liptak was trying to get students to focus on lessons instead of their phones.
School board members in Pasco County approved Liptak's five-day, unpaid suspension on Tuesday. Liptak didn't contest the decision. Officials say Liptak activated the jammer in his Fivay High School classroom from March 31 until April 2. He later told a school district investigator he never intended to cause problems.
He said he thought the jammers were allowed as long as they weren't intended for malicious purposes. The district says Verizon chose not to prosecute him. Superintendent Kurt Browning wrote in a reprimand letter that Liptak had potentially violated federal law and that the signal jamming could have potentially interfered with others trying to call 911 during an emergency.
YouTube link.
"Verizon had come to the school saying someone had a jamming device, because the cell phone service was being interrupted in the area," Pasco County School District spokesperson Linda Cobbe said. Cobbe says Liptak's jamming device blocked communication to the cell tower on the school campus.
School board members in Pasco County approved Liptak's five-day, unpaid suspension on Tuesday. Liptak didn't contest the decision. Officials say Liptak activated the jammer in his Fivay High School classroom from March 31 until April 2. He later told a school district investigator he never intended to cause problems.
He said he thought the jammers were allowed as long as they weren't intended for malicious purposes. The district says Verizon chose not to prosecute him. Superintendent Kurt Browning wrote in a reprimand letter that Liptak had potentially violated federal law and that the signal jamming could have potentially interfered with others trying to call 911 during an emergency.
YouTube link.
"Verizon had come to the school saying someone had a jamming device, because the cell phone service was being interrupted in the area," Pasco County School District spokesperson Linda Cobbe said. Cobbe says Liptak's jamming device blocked communication to the cell tower on the school campus.
Doctors used basil to coax out worm that had been living in teenager's eye for a month
Doctors in Peru have used basil to help remove a worm from a teenager's eye that had been in there for around a month.
The 17-year-old arrived at the National Children's Hospital in Lima, with a very swollen left eye.
Medics quickly discovered that a three-centimetre (one inch) worm was responsible for the swelling after living in his eye for weeks.
They made the discovery after taking an MRI scan of the young man, who has not been named. Ophthalmologist Caroline Marchena said the worm posed a serious risk to the boy's health because of swelling near a sensitive part of the face from which infections can spread to the brain.
She said: "The location of the worm from the lower lid, which was getting bigger, made the risks increase because the youth's tissue was swelling in an area close to the sinuses that's close to the delicate part which is the triangle of death (danger triangle of the face)."
YouTube link.
Basil, a common culinary herb, was used as a way of attracting the worm out due to its smell. Once the hungry worm had poked its head out in search of the basil, doctors used tweezers to pull it out in its entirety. The worm did not cause any long-term damage to the teenager.
They made the discovery after taking an MRI scan of the young man, who has not been named. Ophthalmologist Caroline Marchena said the worm posed a serious risk to the boy's health because of swelling near a sensitive part of the face from which infections can spread to the brain.
She said: "The location of the worm from the lower lid, which was getting bigger, made the risks increase because the youth's tissue was swelling in an area close to the sinuses that's close to the delicate part which is the triangle of death (danger triangle of the face)."
YouTube link.
Basil, a common culinary herb, was used as a way of attracting the worm out due to its smell. Once the hungry worm had poked its head out in search of the basil, doctors used tweezers to pull it out in its entirety. The worm did not cause any long-term damage to the teenager.
Man suffocated to death after getting trapped in rabbit hole
A man suffocated after becoming wedged in a hole at a beauty spot in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, while trying to catch a rabbit, an inquest heard.
Stephen Norman Whinfrey had been rabbiting for most of his life and had carried out the hobby, which involves using ferrets and dogs to catch rabbits, alone many times before.
Mr Whinfrey, aged 50, had gone to Squirrel Wood Scout Camp near Burghwallis on January 1. He was found by a member of the public shortly before 4pm on January 2.
PC Richard Hall told Doncaster coroner’s court: “We found a male head first in a hole, only his legs and torso were visible.
“He was at a 45 degree angle, curved around the hole. There was a hand coming out of the hole, in between the male’s legs. I could not see the other hand. There were scratch marks on the ground. It became obvious that the man was deceased.” PC Hall said Mr Whinfrey was ‘wedged in’ the hole. “There was hardly any room at all, he was wedged in,” he said. Mr Whinfrey had taken off his wellington boots and his jacket, which were found next to the hole along with two bags, one which contained ferrets, a spade, knives and a net.
There was also a dead rabbit and a fresh mound of soil next to the hole. His dog was found tied to a tree nearby. Paramedics and fire crews attended shortly afterwards and Mr Whinfrey was pronounced dead. The court heard Mr Whinfrey, who was unemployed at the time of his death but had previously been a coal miner. Mr Whinfrey, of Skellow, had told his family he would see them for lunch at around 1pm on January 1. But when he did not arrive they became concerned and when they still had not heard from him by the following day they called the police.
Dr Susan Rodgers, who carried out a post-mortem examination, said Mr Whinfrey had died from asphyxia due to a lack of oxygen. “It is difficult to say exactly when Mr Whinfrey died. He had probably been dead for some hours by the time he was found.” She said a toxicological screening found alcohol and amphetamine in Mr Whinfey’s blood and, though it was impossible to say how much of either substance was present, they may have affected his decision making process. Assistant coroner Mark Beresford recorded a misadventure verdict and said: “Misadventure occurs when a person undertakes a task that goes unexpectedly wrong. This is what has happened in this case.”
“He was at a 45 degree angle, curved around the hole. There was a hand coming out of the hole, in between the male’s legs. I could not see the other hand. There were scratch marks on the ground. It became obvious that the man was deceased.” PC Hall said Mr Whinfrey was ‘wedged in’ the hole. “There was hardly any room at all, he was wedged in,” he said. Mr Whinfrey had taken off his wellington boots and his jacket, which were found next to the hole along with two bags, one which contained ferrets, a spade, knives and a net.
There was also a dead rabbit and a fresh mound of soil next to the hole. His dog was found tied to a tree nearby. Paramedics and fire crews attended shortly afterwards and Mr Whinfrey was pronounced dead. The court heard Mr Whinfrey, who was unemployed at the time of his death but had previously been a coal miner. Mr Whinfrey, of Skellow, had told his family he would see them for lunch at around 1pm on January 1. But when he did not arrive they became concerned and when they still had not heard from him by the following day they called the police.
Dr Susan Rodgers, who carried out a post-mortem examination, said Mr Whinfrey had died from asphyxia due to a lack of oxygen. “It is difficult to say exactly when Mr Whinfrey died. He had probably been dead for some hours by the time he was found.” She said a toxicological screening found alcohol and amphetamine in Mr Whinfey’s blood and, though it was impossible to say how much of either substance was present, they may have affected his decision making process. Assistant coroner Mark Beresford recorded a misadventure verdict and said: “Misadventure occurs when a person undertakes a task that goes unexpectedly wrong. This is what has happened in this case.”
Pink-haired shop worker must wear wig and cover tattoos
A woman has had to cover her tattoos and wear a wig over her pink hair to appear "more normal" while working at a Suffolk shop.
Friends said Trudy Moorhouse, from Badingham, had been at the Co-op in Laxfield for eight years without any complaints about her appearance. After a shop refit Mrs Moorhouse was asked to "dress more appropriately".
Mrs Moorhouse has now chosen to wear a black wig as she "did not want to get rid of her pink hair". She is also wearing long sleeves to cover her tattoos and has put sticky plasters on her face to cover her piercings.
A Spokesman for The Co-operative Food said: "There is a clear policy in place regarding dress code and how colleagues present themselves in our food stores. An amicable arrangement has been put in place at the store with Trudy." A petition has been set up calling for the store to change its policy. Mrs Moorhouse would not comment.
Friends said Trudy Moorhouse, from Badingham, had been at the Co-op in Laxfield for eight years without any complaints about her appearance. After a shop refit Mrs Moorhouse was asked to "dress more appropriately".
Mrs Moorhouse has now chosen to wear a black wig as she "did not want to get rid of her pink hair". She is also wearing long sleeves to cover her tattoos and has put sticky plasters on her face to cover her piercings.
A Spokesman for The Co-operative Food said: "There is a clear policy in place regarding dress code and how colleagues present themselves in our food stores. An amicable arrangement has been put in place at the store with Trudy." A petition has been set up calling for the store to change its policy. Mrs Moorhouse would not comment.
Ram raiders initially smashed into wrong shop before stealing haul of extra small clothing
Their plan was to reverse a car into upmarket clothes shop Garment Quarter in Cabot Circus, Bristol, and make off with handfuls of designer gear.
But a gang of ram raiders got their bearings wrong and smashed the car through the window of the Kuoni travel agent next door. Undeterred, the raiders eventually careered in to the right shop and made off with £20,000 worth of designer goods. But what the bungling burglars did not release is that all the clothes were size extra small.
The clothes shop only puts out its smallest sizes and so only the most petite ladies will be able to get into the garments. Staff at Kuoni said nothing was taken and that the burglars had made a mistake reversing into their store. Derek Jones, Kuoni managing director, said: "It's a case of the thieves who should have gone to Specsavers as they reversed into the wrong shop."
The raid happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police are looking for three men who are thought to have carried out the burglary. They said a white Jaguar car was reversed into the shop fronts at around 2am, leaving shattered glass across the street. The car, which is thought to be stolen, then made off.
There's a short video of the incident here.
But a gang of ram raiders got their bearings wrong and smashed the car through the window of the Kuoni travel agent next door. Undeterred, the raiders eventually careered in to the right shop and made off with £20,000 worth of designer goods. But what the bungling burglars did not release is that all the clothes were size extra small.
The clothes shop only puts out its smallest sizes and so only the most petite ladies will be able to get into the garments. Staff at Kuoni said nothing was taken and that the burglars had made a mistake reversing into their store. Derek Jones, Kuoni managing director, said: "It's a case of the thieves who should have gone to Specsavers as they reversed into the wrong shop."
The raid happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police are looking for three men who are thought to have carried out the burglary. They said a white Jaguar car was reversed into the shop fronts at around 2am, leaving shattered glass across the street. The car, which is thought to be stolen, then made off.
There's a short video of the incident here.
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