Thursday, August 06, 2015
Elephant in the bathroom
At the Elephant Sands Lodge in Botswana, thirsty elephants pop their trunks over the bathroom wall to have a drink from the toilet, with little regard as to whether the cubicle is occupied or not.
YouTube link.
There's more information, with photos, here.
YouTube link.
There's more information, with photos, here.
Man accused of beating former girlfriend with 2-foot long summer sausage
Police arrested a man from Butler, Pennsylvania, on Monday, accused of clubbing a former girlfriend with a 2-foot-long beef stick during a weekend domestic dispute. Jesse J. Eaton, 20, is in the Butler County Prison on misdemeanor assault and other charges. Eaton showed up between 4 and 5am on Saturday at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and began beating on the windows.
He eventually got inside the 21-year-old woman’s home, according to court documents. She told police that Eaton began shouting and breaking pictures frames and a wooden coffee table. He allegedly slapped and pushed the woman before the altercation took an unusual turn. “He started hitting her with a large beef stick,” documents said.
Police said the summer sausage measured about an inch in diameter and was in its package. The victim’s older sister eventually arrived at the apartment. That 24-year-old woman told investigators that she saw Eaton choking her sibling. She said she tried to call 911 but he took the telephone out of her hands and threw it, according to a police affidavit.
He is accused of grabbing the older sister by the shoulders and slamming her against a wall. Eaton had gone by the time officers got there. Police subsequently got an arrest warrant for him. He was arraigned on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, and placed in the prison on $2,500 bail. A preliminary hearing was not immediately scheduled.
He eventually got inside the 21-year-old woman’s home, according to court documents. She told police that Eaton began shouting and breaking pictures frames and a wooden coffee table. He allegedly slapped and pushed the woman before the altercation took an unusual turn. “He started hitting her with a large beef stick,” documents said.
Police said the summer sausage measured about an inch in diameter and was in its package. The victim’s older sister eventually arrived at the apartment. That 24-year-old woman told investigators that she saw Eaton choking her sibling. She said she tried to call 911 but he took the telephone out of her hands and threw it, according to a police affidavit.
He is accused of grabbing the older sister by the shoulders and slamming her against a wall. Eaton had gone by the time officers got there. Police subsequently got an arrest warrant for him. He was arraigned on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, and placed in the prison on $2,500 bail. A preliminary hearing was not immediately scheduled.
Woman allegedly struck another woman with ashtray after man declined to have sex with her
Police in Florida say a woman began throwing items from the yard at a man because he declined to have sex with her.
Officers arrived to the home in Fellsmere to investigate a report of a physical disturbance with medical treatment required.
At the scene, officers learned that the victim and her male companion were changing a tyre in the driveway when Amber Baldwin began throwing items that she found lying in the yard at the man. The man told police that Baldwin was throwing items at him because he declined to have sex with her earlier when she propositioned him.
Baldwin allegedly stopped throwing things at the man and went into the house. The victim said when she and her male companion had finished changing the tyre, they entered the house as well. Once they entered, the victim alleges that Baldwin threw a glass ashtray at them, striking the victim on the top of the head.
The woman required medical treatment for her injuries. Another witness arrived on scene and told police she observed Baldwin pulling the victim's hair and characterised what she saw as "an all out altercation." The homeowner declined to be interviewed by police. Baldwin was arrested for misdemeanor battery, transported to the hospital for her injuries, then to the Indian River County Jail.
At the scene, officers learned that the victim and her male companion were changing a tyre in the driveway when Amber Baldwin began throwing items that she found lying in the yard at the man. The man told police that Baldwin was throwing items at him because he declined to have sex with her earlier when she propositioned him.
Baldwin allegedly stopped throwing things at the man and went into the house. The victim said when she and her male companion had finished changing the tyre, they entered the house as well. Once they entered, the victim alleges that Baldwin threw a glass ashtray at them, striking the victim on the top of the head.
The woman required medical treatment for her injuries. Another witness arrived on scene and told police she observed Baldwin pulling the victim's hair and characterised what she saw as "an all out altercation." The homeowner declined to be interviewed by police. Baldwin was arrested for misdemeanor battery, transported to the hospital for her injuries, then to the Indian River County Jail.
Family's swimming pool popped out of ground following heavy rain
A swimming pool popped out of the ground in Florida on Monday morning.
A family heard cracking noises and called 911 after seeing what happened to their pool, which was no longer in the ground.
The building inspector called it a “popped pool.” The inspector said the house is safe except for the home’s porch.
YouTube link.
The home in Holiday, Pasco County, has been hit hard by heavy rain recently. Some areas were under an evacuation order on Monday.
A family heard cracking noises and called 911 after seeing what happened to their pool, which was no longer in the ground.
The building inspector called it a “popped pool.” The inspector said the house is safe except for the home’s porch.
YouTube link.
The home in Holiday, Pasco County, has been hit hard by heavy rain recently. Some areas were under an evacuation order on Monday.
Dead frog in organic spinach has possibly put woman off salad fror life
Donna Souza of Covina, California, couldn’t believe her eyes, at first, as she stared into her salad bowl on Tuesday night.
A pair of speckled, cream-coloured frogs' legs were sticking out of the spinach leaves she bought at a Glendora market over the weekend, she says.
“I’m just really disgusted. I don’t think I can ever eat a salad again,” Souza said. “How could they miss a dead frog?”
According to the label on the package, the baby spinach leaves are grown and packaged by Taylor Farms, a Salinas-based produce company. The leaves are organic and triple washed. “So no dirt, but frogs,” Souza joked. In a letter sent to Souza, Taylor Farms Food Safety and Quality Assurance Director Kari Valdes said the company’s harvesting equipment is designed to prevent “foreign objects” from ending up in their produce.
Valdes explained that in addition to visual inspections by employees, produce passes through a series of vibration tables and through a dual laser sorter that identifies foreign objects and automatically removes them from the product stream. “On the day this product was processed, this particular line had one laser that was not properly functioning,” Valdes wrote. “It is possible that while the product passed the laser the frog was covered behind a piece of spinach not allowing sight of the laser to the frog.”
Unless hundreds of frogs are discovered in the produce company’s product or people fall ill, the US Food and Drug Administration will not be investigating the company or issue a recall, said spokesman Jeff Ventura. “A frog in one salad container probably is not on our radar,” Ventura said, adding that it is not unusual for animals or bugs to show up in food products. Souza said she was hoping to learn how the frog ended up in the spinach batch, if it had some kind of disease and whether any other spinach could have been contaminated. “I just worry about other people,” she said. “Thank god I didn’t eat anything because I don’t know if the frog was dead or alive when it went in there.”
According to the label on the package, the baby spinach leaves are grown and packaged by Taylor Farms, a Salinas-based produce company. The leaves are organic and triple washed. “So no dirt, but frogs,” Souza joked. In a letter sent to Souza, Taylor Farms Food Safety and Quality Assurance Director Kari Valdes said the company’s harvesting equipment is designed to prevent “foreign objects” from ending up in their produce.
Valdes explained that in addition to visual inspections by employees, produce passes through a series of vibration tables and through a dual laser sorter that identifies foreign objects and automatically removes them from the product stream. “On the day this product was processed, this particular line had one laser that was not properly functioning,” Valdes wrote. “It is possible that while the product passed the laser the frog was covered behind a piece of spinach not allowing sight of the laser to the frog.”
Unless hundreds of frogs are discovered in the produce company’s product or people fall ill, the US Food and Drug Administration will not be investigating the company or issue a recall, said spokesman Jeff Ventura. “A frog in one salad container probably is not on our radar,” Ventura said, adding that it is not unusual for animals or bugs to show up in food products. Souza said she was hoping to learn how the frog ended up in the spinach batch, if it had some kind of disease and whether any other spinach could have been contaminated. “I just worry about other people,” she said. “Thank god I didn’t eat anything because I don’t know if the frog was dead or alive when it went in there.”
Woman tried to transport Shetland pony from Germany to Czech Republic in Fiat Panda
A woman from Lower Saxony in Germany was stopped by police on Tuesday for trying to carry a Shetland Pony out of the country in the boot of her Fiat Panda.
The horse owner from Bad Bentheim had already carried the pony around 100 kilometres (60 miles) when police noticed her unusual passenger.
Officers stopped the car close to Hanover and after opening the boot, freed the animal from its tiny enclosure. Despite the woman having covered the car boot with straw, it was far from an appropriate means of transport.
The woman had been heading to the Czech Republic with the animal, but was forced to cut the journey short. Officers took the pony to the police station in nearby Bad Oeyerhausen. It's not yet known whether the woman will be charged with a violation of the Animal Protection Act.
The horse owner from Bad Bentheim had already carried the pony around 100 kilometres (60 miles) when police noticed her unusual passenger.
Officers stopped the car close to Hanover and after opening the boot, freed the animal from its tiny enclosure. Despite the woman having covered the car boot with straw, it was far from an appropriate means of transport.
The woman had been heading to the Czech Republic with the animal, but was forced to cut the journey short. Officers took the pony to the police station in nearby Bad Oeyerhausen. It's not yet known whether the woman will be charged with a violation of the Animal Protection Act.
After first checking that it wasn't a banned item customer dumped caravan in skip
A waste collector got more than he bargained for when he arrived to collect a skip and found a caravan on top of it.
Driver Tyrone Covell, 43, was left thinking his colleagues had played a prank on him when he showed up to collect the overfilled bin from Newport in south Wales.
Melissa Hodges, marketing manager at hire fire GD Environmental, said it was the strangest collection the company had ever seen. “When our driver arrived to pick it up he couldn’t believe what he was seeing,” she said. “He thought we were playing a practical joke on him and was looking around in the bushes waiting for us to jump out.
“Tyrone has worked for us for years and has seen some interesting things but never anything like this.” Ms Hodges said the skip was booked by a male customer in Newport who asked for for a list of banned items before confirming his booking. “They asked about what they could and couldn’t put in the skip and I sent them over the list but of course we didn’t say you can’t put a caravan in there as it’s blatantly obvious you can’t put a caravan in a skip.
“I had to call the customer and tell them we couldn’t pick it up. I think they were just trying to push their luck. We told them to demolish the caravan and we’d come back and pick it up so that’s what they did. It wasn’t a really heavy caravan but I still have no idea how they got it up there. It was a bit of a laugh for us and our driver.”
Melissa Hodges, marketing manager at hire fire GD Environmental, said it was the strangest collection the company had ever seen. “When our driver arrived to pick it up he couldn’t believe what he was seeing,” she said. “He thought we were playing a practical joke on him and was looking around in the bushes waiting for us to jump out.
“Tyrone has worked for us for years and has seen some interesting things but never anything like this.” Ms Hodges said the skip was booked by a male customer in Newport who asked for for a list of banned items before confirming his booking. “They asked about what they could and couldn’t put in the skip and I sent them over the list but of course we didn’t say you can’t put a caravan in there as it’s blatantly obvious you can’t put a caravan in a skip.
“I had to call the customer and tell them we couldn’t pick it up. I think they were just trying to push their luck. We told them to demolish the caravan and we’d come back and pick it up so that’s what they did. It wasn’t a really heavy caravan but I still have no idea how they got it up there. It was a bit of a laugh for us and our driver.”
Self-proclaimed vigilante 'The Renegade' hasn't actually solved any crimes
A self-styled vigilante who claimed to have helped solve hundreds of crimes hasn’t assisted the police once.
The anonymous man, who calls himself The Renegade, said he had been working to protect the public from dangerous criminals for two years.
He claimed he rides a motorbike to fight crime, protecting the public from knife crime and gang warfare.
“I protect the public from dangerous criminals,” he said. “I protect the vulnerable and the weak.
I use an array of gadgets and an array of vehicles.
I had a girlfriend a few years ago. She was killed by a hit and run driver and three men just sped away from the scene.
“That’s when I decided that I would prevent that from happening to anyone else by stopping criminals. These people are dangerous and they need to be behind bars.” The Renegade, who said he operates out of a special laboratory in his garage, added: “I don’t think it’s the police’s fault that they don’t have the manpower. Government have made a lot of cuts. I don’t think the police have the resources any more to tackle the issues that the public are concerned about like knife crime and gang crime. I provide the police with information. I watch from the shadows. I don’t intervene unless it’s absolutely necessary.
“I don’t take the law into my own hands unless lives are at stake. I’m trying to send a message to the gangs and the people who think they can hurt the innocent and get away with it. They can’t.” However, 'The Renegade', who said he lives near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, but in fact lives in a Leicestershire village, fabricated a number of claims about his activities. It’s understood he does plan to tackle criminals in the area - but isn’t currently able to because he has no bike and works in the evenings. A friend of 'The Renegade' said: “He is a good person and he wouldn’t hurt anyone - he just doesn’t know what he is doing.
“He wanted The Renegade to be a symbol of good and he wanted to be a role model for kids so they would look up to him.” The friend says even though he has yet to start fighting crime he does plan to start helping people - once he can get a bike. He has since de-activated his Twitter account after a number of users started criticising him. One even unearthed early tweets sent by the Renegade to two accounts asking what he needed to do to get involved in the pornography industry. Others suggested images of vehicles he claimed to use had been stolen from YouTube. The Renegade’s friend also acknowledged concerns the pint-sized would-be vigilante, who is around 5ft tall, could be seriously injured if he actually tackled a violent criminal.
“That’s when I decided that I would prevent that from happening to anyone else by stopping criminals. These people are dangerous and they need to be behind bars.” The Renegade, who said he operates out of a special laboratory in his garage, added: “I don’t think it’s the police’s fault that they don’t have the manpower. Government have made a lot of cuts. I don’t think the police have the resources any more to tackle the issues that the public are concerned about like knife crime and gang crime. I provide the police with information. I watch from the shadows. I don’t intervene unless it’s absolutely necessary.
“I don’t take the law into my own hands unless lives are at stake. I’m trying to send a message to the gangs and the people who think they can hurt the innocent and get away with it. They can’t.” However, 'The Renegade', who said he lives near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, but in fact lives in a Leicestershire village, fabricated a number of claims about his activities. It’s understood he does plan to tackle criminals in the area - but isn’t currently able to because he has no bike and works in the evenings. A friend of 'The Renegade' said: “He is a good person and he wouldn’t hurt anyone - he just doesn’t know what he is doing.
“He wanted The Renegade to be a symbol of good and he wanted to be a role model for kids so they would look up to him.” The friend says even though he has yet to start fighting crime he does plan to start helping people - once he can get a bike. He has since de-activated his Twitter account after a number of users started criticising him. One even unearthed early tweets sent by the Renegade to two accounts asking what he needed to do to get involved in the pornography industry. Others suggested images of vehicles he claimed to use had been stolen from YouTube. The Renegade’s friend also acknowledged concerns the pint-sized would-be vigilante, who is around 5ft tall, could be seriously injured if he actually tackled a violent criminal.
Woman unhappy with housing association who won't fix hole in floor as her house is too messy
A woman from the Whitley suburb of Reading in Berkshire has been left with a hole in her floor after her housing association refused to fix it because the house was too messy.
Maria Birkett, 49, contacted Affinity Limited and asked them to mend a hole in the floor of her hall at her home.
But when two workmen from Wates Group, sent by Affinity, attended the house they refused to mend the floor because they claimed "the property was not in a fit state to work in".
A building services manager from Wates' and a housing officer from Affinity Limited then arrived after being notified and agreed with the workmen's' original assesment.
Ms Birkett said: "Two gentlemen came round to do repairs on a hole in the floor just outside my bathroom door. But they refused to do it because they said my house needed sorting out and tidying up. I couldn't find the key for the front door so I let them in the back. I asked for ID and they refused saying they were from Affinity. The housing officer then came round because the two workmen put in a complaint. She barged in and said I needed to sort out the washing up on the side, tidy the house and sort out the garden. She also tried to say that my house smelt and I told them that it is just cat litter." She added: “It just needs a little tidying up really.
“All they needed to do fix the hole just outside the bathroom door. There was nothing stopping them from doing it. The hole is so big that I could fall and break my neck. I have been living in a council house for 20 years, paying rent and council tax. All I want is my floor to be fixed." In response to Ms Birkett's claims, Affinity issued a statement which read: “We raised a job for our repair team to fix a hole about the size of a fifty pence piece in the hall floor. On arrival the workers were unable to go through the front door and had to access the property from the back door. Miss Birkett showed them the hole and they advised her that she would need to clear the area if they were going to be able to complete the job.
“Wates operatives carried out a dynamic risk assessment as the property was not in a fit state to work in and they advised Miss Birkett of the issues accordingly. The repair team advised they could not undertake any works, apologised and informed the tenant that she would be contacted by her housing officer. Wates’ Building Services Manager and an Affinity housing officer, were called by the repairs team who advised them of the situation. They then visited the property and agreed that the property was not in a fit state for the repairs to be safely carried out. It went on: Miss Birkett was offered some assistance with making the house suitable for the work to be done. Once the property has been cleaned, Wates will return and carry out any necessary repair works”.
Ms Birkett said: "Two gentlemen came round to do repairs on a hole in the floor just outside my bathroom door. But they refused to do it because they said my house needed sorting out and tidying up. I couldn't find the key for the front door so I let them in the back. I asked for ID and they refused saying they were from Affinity. The housing officer then came round because the two workmen put in a complaint. She barged in and said I needed to sort out the washing up on the side, tidy the house and sort out the garden. She also tried to say that my house smelt and I told them that it is just cat litter." She added: “It just needs a little tidying up really.
“All they needed to do fix the hole just outside the bathroom door. There was nothing stopping them from doing it. The hole is so big that I could fall and break my neck. I have been living in a council house for 20 years, paying rent and council tax. All I want is my floor to be fixed." In response to Ms Birkett's claims, Affinity issued a statement which read: “We raised a job for our repair team to fix a hole about the size of a fifty pence piece in the hall floor. On arrival the workers were unable to go through the front door and had to access the property from the back door. Miss Birkett showed them the hole and they advised her that she would need to clear the area if they were going to be able to complete the job.
“Wates operatives carried out a dynamic risk assessment as the property was not in a fit state to work in and they advised Miss Birkett of the issues accordingly. The repair team advised they could not undertake any works, apologised and informed the tenant that she would be contacted by her housing officer. Wates’ Building Services Manager and an Affinity housing officer, were called by the repairs team who advised them of the situation. They then visited the property and agreed that the property was not in a fit state for the repairs to be safely carried out. It went on: Miss Birkett was offered some assistance with making the house suitable for the work to be done. Once the property has been cleaned, Wates will return and carry out any necessary repair works”.
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