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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Drunk Russian driver makes phone calls with pack of cigarettes
A drunk driver was filmed by traffic police in Moscow trying to make phone calls from a packet of cigarettes.
The unidentified driver - pulled over for driving erratically - first tries to speak into his hand to make a call. But when he realises that is not working, he pulls out a cigarette packet.
YouTube link.
He apparently believes he is having detailed phone conversations, first with his father and then a friend.
The unidentified driver - pulled over for driving erratically - first tries to speak into his hand to make a call. But when he realises that is not working, he pulls out a cigarette packet.
YouTube link.
He apparently believes he is having detailed phone conversations, first with his father and then a friend.
Hit and run driver arrested
Bartlesville Police say 20-year-old Andrew Davis was in clown make-up when they arrested him early on Wednesday morning. Now they're trying to piece together the rest of the story.
Why was he wearing make up, and why did he hit a pedestrian and drag him 100 feet? That victim is now recovering after being treated at Jane Phillips Medical Center.
Full story with news video here.
Why was he wearing make up, and why did he hit a pedestrian and drag him 100 feet? That victim is now recovering after being treated at Jane Phillips Medical Center.
Full story with news video here.
Dog adopts orphaned raccoon
A dog in eastern Missouri adopted an orphaned baby raccoon as her own after losing a puppy in labour. "We saved her life, and she saved the raccoon's life," said Sharon Maag of the St. Peters rescue group, SNUGGLE, Special Needs Under Gentle Guided Love Everyday. "I think what goes around comes around. It's the circle of life. I think that's the way it goes. She's just returning the favour."
Sasha the dog was likely headed for euthanization after being surrendered to a shelter with what appeared to be a large lump. The group SNUGGLE rescued her. "We weren't sure if it was a tumour or if she was pregnant so we brought her here," Maag said. "They did an ultrasound. She had two puppies inside of her. One was born dead." Around the same time, the baby raccoon showed up. It was found alone at a home in Saint Charles under the carport.
"We started off bottle feeding it and just couldn't keep up with its needs," veterinarian Dr. Kelly Hogan said. They thought to try Sasha, and a remarkable thing happened. Mother and pup took to the raccoon as if it was the puppy they had lost - cleaning it, grooming it and nursing it. "Even when he started making little raccoon kind of noises, she didn't have a problem with it," Hogan said. "And she loves him. She's protective of him now."
Sasha even jumps for her baby if workers have to take the raccoon away for any reason. "It's absolutely heartwarming to see that, to see them side-by-side like that and her attachment to him, it's amazing," Hogan said. Sasha will soon have to part with the baby raccoon. It's expected to be weaned in a few weeks, going to a wildlife rescue before being released back into the wild.
Sasha the dog was likely headed for euthanization after being surrendered to a shelter with what appeared to be a large lump. The group SNUGGLE rescued her. "We weren't sure if it was a tumour or if she was pregnant so we brought her here," Maag said. "They did an ultrasound. She had two puppies inside of her. One was born dead." Around the same time, the baby raccoon showed up. It was found alone at a home in Saint Charles under the carport.
"We started off bottle feeding it and just couldn't keep up with its needs," veterinarian Dr. Kelly Hogan said. They thought to try Sasha, and a remarkable thing happened. Mother and pup took to the raccoon as if it was the puppy they had lost - cleaning it, grooming it and nursing it. "Even when he started making little raccoon kind of noises, she didn't have a problem with it," Hogan said. "And she loves him. She's protective of him now."
Sasha even jumps for her baby if workers have to take the raccoon away for any reason. "It's absolutely heartwarming to see that, to see them side-by-side like that and her attachment to him, it's amazing," Hogan said. Sasha will soon have to part with the baby raccoon. It's expected to be weaned in a few weeks, going to a wildlife rescue before being released back into the wild.
Thieves hid stolen sausages and cigarettes in grave
Thieves who fled with a haul of stolen sausages, beer and cigarettes are facing 10 years in jail - after stashing the loot inside a grave.
Krystof Dzielekci, 35, and his 59-year-old father Leon lifted the marble lid on his grandfather's tomb to find what he thought was the ultimate dead drop hiding place.
The pair were caught the next day when security staff at the cemetery in Zyznowa, Poland, reviewed the night's CCTV tapes and saw them digging up the grave.
"It was a good hiding place, but you'd have to be pretty hungry to want to eat any sausage once it's been down there with your grandfather's body," a police spokesman said.
Krystof Dzielekci, 35, and his 59-year-old father Leon lifted the marble lid on his grandfather's tomb to find what he thought was the ultimate dead drop hiding place.
The pair were caught the next day when security staff at the cemetery in Zyznowa, Poland, reviewed the night's CCTV tapes and saw them digging up the grave.
"It was a good hiding place, but you'd have to be pretty hungry to want to eat any sausage once it's been down there with your grandfather's body," a police spokesman said.
Topless woman who walked into bar left baby in car
Johnson County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Gardner woman with endangering a child, when she allegedly left a baby girl in her vehicle while trying to enter a bar topless.
The incident happened on Monday evening, when the temperature was near 90 degrees. Kristin Macias of Gardner, also known as Kristin Lowrey, 28, pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of endangerment related to her 9-month-old daughter.
She also has an unrelated pending charge for heroin possession. The manager of Austins Bar and Grill said that the baby was found in the woman’s vehicle after people at the bar turned her away when she tried to enter topless.
With hot weather coming in, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said, his office will prosecute parents who leave children locked in cars. Cases that injure or kill the child can be filed as felonies, he said.
The incident happened on Monday evening, when the temperature was near 90 degrees. Kristin Macias of Gardner, also known as Kristin Lowrey, 28, pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of endangerment related to her 9-month-old daughter.
She also has an unrelated pending charge for heroin possession. The manager of Austins Bar and Grill said that the baby was found in the woman’s vehicle after people at the bar turned her away when she tried to enter topless.
With hot weather coming in, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said, his office will prosecute parents who leave children locked in cars. Cases that injure or kill the child can be filed as felonies, he said.
Australian police hunt for meat pie bandit
The hunt is on for a dangerous thief with a hunger for meat pies. A worker at Edmonton Portsmith Fuel in Cairns had a harrowing experience at about 3am on Thursday when the man marched into the store armed with a machete.
But it wasn’t money he was after. Waving the large weapon, the man looked vicious and his order was simple – four pies and a packet of 20 cigarettes.
He demanded the items be placed into a plastic bag and then fled on foot. Police said the robber did not demand or attempt to take any cash.
Police have appealed to the public for help to catch the thief. He is described as being of Aboriginal appearance, about 178cm tall and of proportionate build.
But it wasn’t money he was after. Waving the large weapon, the man looked vicious and his order was simple – four pies and a packet of 20 cigarettes.
He demanded the items be placed into a plastic bag and then fled on foot. Police said the robber did not demand or attempt to take any cash.
Police have appealed to the public for help to catch the thief. He is described as being of Aboriginal appearance, about 178cm tall and of proportionate build.
Bull makes dramatic exit from Brazilian clothes shop
A bull trapped in a clothes boutique in Brazil has smashed through the shop's plate-glass windows.
Shoppers in the town of Sao Jose do Rio Preto in Brazil were amazed to see the animal - on the loose after the truck it was travelling in overturned nearby - gazing out from behind the glass.
YouTube link.
After attempts were made to remove the bull with ropes, the animal crashed through the glass shop front. It was eventually caught and taken to a local cattle farm.
Shoppers in the town of Sao Jose do Rio Preto in Brazil were amazed to see the animal - on the loose after the truck it was travelling in overturned nearby - gazing out from behind the glass.
YouTube link.
After attempts were made to remove the bull with ropes, the animal crashed through the glass shop front. It was eventually caught and taken to a local cattle farm.
Raccoon meat, drugs and liquor seized at car wash
Four people were arrested at a North Houston car wash where, in addition to washes and waxes, illegal drugs and raccoon meat were sold, Houston police said. Undercover officers said they went inside the full-service car wash located in the 4300 block of Yale and were able to purchase marijuana, prescription drugs and liquor.
HPD's deferential response team raided the business after receiving complaints from neighbours. Police said they found two weapons and more than 1,000 prescription pills. Police checked the serial numbers of the two guns, and a 12-gauge came back reported stolen.
In addition to that, investigators said illegal gambling was taking place. There were two dominoes tables set up. Undercover officers who went into the business earlier in the day said there was high-stakes gambling going on inside a shed in the back.
The owner Michael Maxwell said it’s all lies. “I don't know why they are here. They don't have a warrant. They come storming into my place,” Maxwell said. “I got all my permits that go with this place. I am licensed with the city. I pay my taxes. This is my property and it is private.”
With news video.
HPD's deferential response team raided the business after receiving complaints from neighbours. Police said they found two weapons and more than 1,000 prescription pills. Police checked the serial numbers of the two guns, and a 12-gauge came back reported stolen.
In addition to that, investigators said illegal gambling was taking place. There were two dominoes tables set up. Undercover officers who went into the business earlier in the day said there was high-stakes gambling going on inside a shed in the back.
The owner Michael Maxwell said it’s all lies. “I don't know why they are here. They don't have a warrant. They come storming into my place,” Maxwell said. “I got all my permits that go with this place. I am licensed with the city. I pay my taxes. This is my property and it is private.”
With news video.
Camel eats reporter's hair
Tara Morgan of WWBT-TV in Virginia was reporting a story from a farm, when a camel decided to eat her hair.
YouTube link.
The camel had a good grip for a moment, until Morgan's photographer came over to help. The camel eventually backed away and she finished the story outside.
YouTube link.
The camel had a good grip for a moment, until Morgan's photographer came over to help. The camel eventually backed away and she finished the story outside.
German man who shot neighbour's noisy frogs fined
A man who was so irritated by the croaking of his neighbour’s frogs that he shot two of them was fined €1,500 by a German court on Thursday, for illegal possession of firearms. The man, named only as Frank H., was fined by the judge in Krefeld after denying killing one frog and seriously injuring another, but admitting owning two guns for which he had no licence. Judge Christian Tenhofen heard that Frank H. and his neighbour Andreas van Straelen had known each other for more than 40 years, during which arguments over the noise the nocturnal green frogs make in the springtime had escalated.
Frank H. had complained to his neighbour about the noise several times and threatened to "blow them away," the court heard. Van Straelen had installed a video camera on his house, trained on his neighbour’s window - just in case something happened, he said. Then it did. “I was looking at the monitor. The window opened and the gun was pointing out, and it went off,” he said. “As I went to photograph him, the camera beeped and he ducked down.”
It was too late for Knötti, his favourite green frog, who, with tragic irony, had never made any noise due to a possible genetic defect. That night he died of massive head injuries. A second frog was seriously hurt, one of his back legs blown off. Van Straelen called the police, but Frank H. told them he had been sleeping. He had apparently not reckoned on the police checking his house for weapons. They did so, and found two guns for which he had no licence.
Van Straelen said he had kept Knötti’s body in the deep freeze for several months, in case it was going to be needed as evidence in court. “Anyone could recognise the bullet entry wound,” he said. The injured frog was saved, and has been renamed Ahab after the one-legged captain in the novel Moby Dick. Van Straelen said he was “a bit disappointed” that the killing of Knötti was not discussed in court. But he was “happy the case had been made public,” he said.
Frank H. had complained to his neighbour about the noise several times and threatened to "blow them away," the court heard. Van Straelen had installed a video camera on his house, trained on his neighbour’s window - just in case something happened, he said. Then it did. “I was looking at the monitor. The window opened and the gun was pointing out, and it went off,” he said. “As I went to photograph him, the camera beeped and he ducked down.”
It was too late for Knötti, his favourite green frog, who, with tragic irony, had never made any noise due to a possible genetic defect. That night he died of massive head injuries. A second frog was seriously hurt, one of his back legs blown off. Van Straelen called the police, but Frank H. told them he had been sleeping. He had apparently not reckoned on the police checking his house for weapons. They did so, and found two guns for which he had no licence.
Van Straelen said he had kept Knötti’s body in the deep freeze for several months, in case it was going to be needed as evidence in court. “Anyone could recognise the bullet entry wound,” he said. The injured frog was saved, and has been renamed Ahab after the one-legged captain in the novel Moby Dick. Van Straelen said he was “a bit disappointed” that the killing of Knötti was not discussed in court. But he was “happy the case had been made public,” he said.
Italian bus driver suspended for using mobile phones and steering with elbows
The governor of the region around Rome has asked for action over a bus driver filmed using two phones at the wheel and steering with his elbows. Using even one mobile phone while driving is illegal in Italy.
Lazio governor Renata Polverini condemned the driver's actions as "unacceptable and reckless".
YouTube link.
"People who are responsible for the safety of others must not behave like that," she said, amid calls to have him sacked.
She said she had immediately asked for the regional bus company Cotral to take action.
Lazio governor Renata Polverini condemned the driver's actions as "unacceptable and reckless".
YouTube link.
"People who are responsible for the safety of others must not behave like that," she said, amid calls to have him sacked.
She said she had immediately asked for the regional bus company Cotral to take action.
Traffic warden caught on CCTV riding moped wrong way up one-way street in bid to ticket motorists
An on-duty traffic warden was caught on camera driving the wrong way down a one-way street before pouncing on unsuspecting motorists. The Newham Council civil enforcement officer tore up the Highway Code in Fourth Avenue, Manor Park. But unfortunately for him, he chose to flout the rules outside a shop specialising in CCTV equipment.
Footage from the cameras outside AD Electrical Services shows him travelling into oncoming traffic on his motorbike. Shop owner David Streadwick, 49, who witnessed the scene, said he had been shocked by what he saw.
“The way he came down the road made me think this wasn’t about road safety, it was just about raising revenue. This is making a mockery out of the system and victimising motorists. I think an example needs to be made. If someone is employed to enforce the law then they need to abide by it,” he said.
A Newham Council spokesman said: “We take such allegations seriously and an investigation is already underway. We do not condone behaviour of this type from our staff or from contractors acting on our behalf. It does not reflect the work of the majority of parking attendants who keep traffic in Newham moving.”
With CCTV video.
Footage from the cameras outside AD Electrical Services shows him travelling into oncoming traffic on his motorbike. Shop owner David Streadwick, 49, who witnessed the scene, said he had been shocked by what he saw.
“The way he came down the road made me think this wasn’t about road safety, it was just about raising revenue. This is making a mockery out of the system and victimising motorists. I think an example needs to be made. If someone is employed to enforce the law then they need to abide by it,” he said.
A Newham Council spokesman said: “We take such allegations seriously and an investigation is already underway. We do not condone behaviour of this type from our staff or from contractors acting on our behalf. It does not reflect the work of the majority of parking attendants who keep traffic in Newham moving.”
With CCTV video.
Taxi driver ordered to remove 'phallic' cross from dashboard
A taxi boss has hit out after York council officials told one of her drivers – a devout Roman Catholic – to remove a cross from his vehicle’s dashboard. City of York Council told Clair Cook, owner of AnD Taxis, that following a complaint by a 15-year-old schoolboy passenger that the cross was a “fake penis,” officers had taken the view it was “very phallic” and should be removed. But she branded the complaint “ridiculous,” and said she was appalled that anyone could think it was anything other than a religious ornament.
Clair also said she believed that if the driver had been carrying a symbol of any other religious faith, the council would have reacted with more caution and investigated fully before any decision was made to ask for it to be removed. The driver, who does not want to be identified, said he was a Roman Catholic and had bought the cross on holiday in Greece about six years ago. He said he had put it on his dashboard a couple of weeks ago because he was proud of it and of his faith.
Asked what his reaction was when he heard the complaint that it was phallic, he said: “Incredulity. I couldn’t believe that anyone could think it wasn’t a cross. I have taken it off the dashboard as requested, because I do not want to lose my licence, but I do not think this has been handled properly.” Clair said the complaint had been from a boy who was being taken to school in the taxi, who had also complained about the driver’s driving ability.
Colin Rumford, head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards at City of York Council, said: “City of York Council takes any complaints raised by members of the public very seriously. In this case a complaint was received from a child regarding, what they thought, was an inappropriate item in a taxi. Careful consideration is always taken when any complaints. In this instance it appears that the taxi operator was wrongly advised to remove the item and our intervention should have been confined to making them aware of the complaint.”
Clair also said she believed that if the driver had been carrying a symbol of any other religious faith, the council would have reacted with more caution and investigated fully before any decision was made to ask for it to be removed. The driver, who does not want to be identified, said he was a Roman Catholic and had bought the cross on holiday in Greece about six years ago. He said he had put it on his dashboard a couple of weeks ago because he was proud of it and of his faith.
Asked what his reaction was when he heard the complaint that it was phallic, he said: “Incredulity. I couldn’t believe that anyone could think it wasn’t a cross. I have taken it off the dashboard as requested, because I do not want to lose my licence, but I do not think this has been handled properly.” Clair said the complaint had been from a boy who was being taken to school in the taxi, who had also complained about the driver’s driving ability.
Colin Rumford, head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards at City of York Council, said: “City of York Council takes any complaints raised by members of the public very seriously. In this case a complaint was received from a child regarding, what they thought, was an inappropriate item in a taxi. Careful consideration is always taken when any complaints. In this instance it appears that the taxi operator was wrongly advised to remove the item and our intervention should have been confined to making them aware of the complaint.”
Woman died after being pinned face down in tiny pond by garden gargoyle
A popular teacher and Guide leader drowned in her shallow pond after being pinned underwater by a garden ornament. In a freak accident, Ann Newton, 58, tripped and was dragged face-down by a carved tree trunk which hooked on to her blouse as she went outside to feed the birds.
An inquest heard how the pond at her home in Thirkeld Place, Penshaw, was just four feet by four feet and only one-and-a-half feet deep. Her devastated partner, Norman Lunn, said: “It’s such a bizarre death. It has broken my heart.”
Miss Newton, a former teacher at Pelton Roseberry School, was pronounced dead after being found face-down in the back garden pond. Grief-stricken Mr Lunn told how he struggled in vain to save her against the weight of the sculpture.
He bought the artefact – which has spooky eyes carved into it – as a souvenir in Scotland and now plans to put it back in place in his garden. “Nobody liked it. People kept telling me to get rid of it. If I had done she might have got out of the water,” he said. Sunderland Coroner Derek Winter recorded a verdict of accidental death, citing the cause as drowning.
An inquest heard how the pond at her home in Thirkeld Place, Penshaw, was just four feet by four feet and only one-and-a-half feet deep. Her devastated partner, Norman Lunn, said: “It’s such a bizarre death. It has broken my heart.”
Miss Newton, a former teacher at Pelton Roseberry School, was pronounced dead after being found face-down in the back garden pond. Grief-stricken Mr Lunn told how he struggled in vain to save her against the weight of the sculpture.
He bought the artefact – which has spooky eyes carved into it – as a souvenir in Scotland and now plans to put it back in place in his garden. “Nobody liked it. People kept telling me to get rid of it. If I had done she might have got out of the water,” he said. Sunderland Coroner Derek Winter recorded a verdict of accidental death, citing the cause as drowning.
Burglars caught due to wet underpants
A couple of burglars who took a dip in a family's garden hot tub before breaking into their home were caught by discarded underwear. Ashley and Cherie Deakin were asleep at their home in Orchard Drive, Oswaldtwistle, when Thomas Pendlebury, 19, and Glynn Threlfall, 18, had a cheeky soak and then stole £3,500 of possessions.
The incident happened around 1.30am on December 13 and police discovered a trail of wet footprints leading away from the outdoor spa. Det Sgt Geoff Warbuton of Accrington’s burglary team said there was no forensic evidence, but inquiries around a pair of discarded boxer shorts led them to Pendlebury.
He said: “That was the catalyst to the investigation. They had dipped into a neighbour’s hot tub one night and then gone in next door’s the next night. His boxers were wet so he left them at the scene of a crime. It started off as a wheeze, but burglary is an intrusive crime which left this family distraught. None of the stolen property has been returned. We are delighted with the sentence.”
Threlfall was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Pendlebury was given a 12-month suspended sentence. Mrs Deakin, 40, who works for Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Blackburn, said: "We were shocked at how cheeky it was. It is so unusual having people trying to sneak on to your property to use the hot tub. It is bizarre."
The incident happened around 1.30am on December 13 and police discovered a trail of wet footprints leading away from the outdoor spa. Det Sgt Geoff Warbuton of Accrington’s burglary team said there was no forensic evidence, but inquiries around a pair of discarded boxer shorts led them to Pendlebury.
He said: “That was the catalyst to the investigation. They had dipped into a neighbour’s hot tub one night and then gone in next door’s the next night. His boxers were wet so he left them at the scene of a crime. It started off as a wheeze, but burglary is an intrusive crime which left this family distraught. None of the stolen property has been returned. We are delighted with the sentence.”
Threlfall was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Pendlebury was given a 12-month suspended sentence. Mrs Deakin, 40, who works for Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Blackburn, said: "We were shocked at how cheeky it was. It is so unusual having people trying to sneak on to your property to use the hot tub. It is bizarre."
Mother's fury over ‘needle’ in lump of lard
A mother from Sheffield says she is ‘disgusted’ after finding a piece of metal – which she thinks could be a sewing needle – in a pack of lard. Katie Greaves, 26, of Longley, who bought the lard from a local Tesco Metro store said she noticed something unusual when she was unable to cut through it while making breakfast for her six-year-old son.
“I think it’s a safety issue,” she said. “Whatever it is, it should not be in a block of lard.” Katie said she sliced into the 27p pack of Tesco Value lard while making sausage and bacon sandwiches at breakfast time for her son, Kian.
“I tried to cut a bit off and thought, this is unusual, I can’t cut through it. I cut round where I couldn’t get through and saw there was a bit of metal sticking out. I don’t know how it could have got in there, whether it’s a bit of machinery or what.”
Katie said she rang Tesco’s customer services line and was told she could take the lard back to the shop for a refund. “I’m not bothered about getting the 27p back,” she said. “It’s put me off shopping at Tesco full stop.”
“I think it’s a safety issue,” she said. “Whatever it is, it should not be in a block of lard.” Katie said she sliced into the 27p pack of Tesco Value lard while making sausage and bacon sandwiches at breakfast time for her son, Kian.
“I tried to cut a bit off and thought, this is unusual, I can’t cut through it. I cut round where I couldn’t get through and saw there was a bit of metal sticking out. I don’t know how it could have got in there, whether it’s a bit of machinery or what.”
Katie said she rang Tesco’s customer services line and was told she could take the lard back to the shop for a refund. “I’m not bothered about getting the 27p back,” she said. “It’s put me off shopping at Tesco full stop.”
Friday, May 13, 2011
Blogger has been horribly broken
Everything I had pre-posted for today has now disappeared forever, but at least Thursday's posts are back.
I'm loathe to post anything right now in case it goes into meltdown again.
Maybe I'll try later. Maybe tomorrow.
I'm loathe to post anything right now in case it goes into meltdown again.
Maybe I'll try later. Maybe tomorrow.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
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