Click for bigger.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Man who doesn't dial 911 loses home to inferno
Stephen Forthman shoots first and asks questions later. He wears a shirt proudly displaying the words "I don't dial 911" next to a picture of a hand gripping a sixshooter. When it comes time to contact local emergency services for assistance, he'd rather just shoot at the problem until it goes away - even when the problem is his own home being on fire. No injuries were reported in a large structural house fire in North Knoxville at Forthman's residence on Whittle Springs Road.
Knoxville firefighters were alerted by neighbours of smoke at the residence, according to Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Capt. John Nickleton. The Knoxville Fire Department responded to an initial report of heavy smoke coming from the garage, and of a large bearded man in the front yard screaming and shooting into the house.
Click for bigger.
"At first I didn't even notice the fire," said neighbour Tricia Perkinson. "I heard gunshots coming from across the street. When I looked outside, I saw Steve in his front yard waving a gun at the house. He was yelling obscenities and just shooting. He was saying, 'You better get out of here you bleeping bleep.' I thought he had lost his mind. Then I saw the smoke." "When we arrived at the scene, the house was completely engulfed in flames," said firefighter Daniel Cummings. "Outside, the homeowner was shouting and firing a semi-automatic pistol into the fire."
Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the Forthman residence, but the massive fire gutted the two-story home. Police were called to restrain Forthman, who had to be disarmed and handcuffed before he would stop shooting at the blaze. Fire investigators are expected to return to the scene to determine the fire's cause. This isn't the first time Forthman has refused to dial 911. In 2004, Forthman tried to shoot himself in the torso after having chest pains. His brother-in-law wrestled a rifle away from Forthman and called an ambulance.
Knoxville firefighters were alerted by neighbours of smoke at the residence, according to Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Capt. John Nickleton. The Knoxville Fire Department responded to an initial report of heavy smoke coming from the garage, and of a large bearded man in the front yard screaming and shooting into the house.
Click for bigger.
"At first I didn't even notice the fire," said neighbour Tricia Perkinson. "I heard gunshots coming from across the street. When I looked outside, I saw Steve in his front yard waving a gun at the house. He was yelling obscenities and just shooting. He was saying, 'You better get out of here you bleeping bleep.' I thought he had lost his mind. Then I saw the smoke." "When we arrived at the scene, the house was completely engulfed in flames," said firefighter Daniel Cummings. "Outside, the homeowner was shouting and firing a semi-automatic pistol into the fire."
Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the Forthman residence, but the massive fire gutted the two-story home. Police were called to restrain Forthman, who had to be disarmed and handcuffed before he would stop shooting at the blaze. Fire investigators are expected to return to the scene to determine the fire's cause. This isn't the first time Forthman has refused to dial 911. In 2004, Forthman tried to shoot himself in the torso after having chest pains. His brother-in-law wrestled a rifle away from Forthman and called an ambulance.
Truck disappears into giant hole hidden underneath pile of snow
Someone clearly forgot to tell the driver of this snow plough about the gaping hole on the top floor of a multi-storey car park.
The truck, loaded with two tons of gravel, was clearing snow from the top deck of the car park in Calhoun, Georgia, when it suddenly disappeared down the hole.
YouTube link.
Unbeknownst to the driver, the pile of accumulated snow was covering a sizeable gap in the concrete, causing the truck to fall on to its side before slipping backwards into the hole.
The driver was not hurt in the accident, but the truck had to be pulled clear from the hole using a crane.
The truck, loaded with two tons of gravel, was clearing snow from the top deck of the car park in Calhoun, Georgia, when it suddenly disappeared down the hole.
YouTube link.
Unbeknownst to the driver, the pile of accumulated snow was covering a sizeable gap in the concrete, causing the truck to fall on to its side before slipping backwards into the hole.
The driver was not hurt in the accident, but the truck had to be pulled clear from the hole using a crane.
Australian couple rescued after inflatable doll river ride
A bizarre decision to ride an inflatable doll down a flood-swollen Yarra River blew up in a woman’s face yesterday when she lost her latex playmate in a rough patch. The incident prompted a warning from police that blow-up sex toys are "not recognised flotation devices". Police and a State Emergency Services crew were called to the rescue when the woman and a man, both 19, struck trouble at Warrandyte North yesterday.
They were floating down the river on two inflatable dolls and had just passed the Pound Bend Tunnel when the woman lost her toy in turbulent water. She clung to a floating tree, calling for help while the man stayed with her. Fortunately for the pair, a passer-by called triple zero while while a kayaker took life jackets to the pair. Police and the SES crew hauled the water-logged thrillseekers to safety.
But, with Queensland in the grip of a deadly emergency and 50 rescues from flood waters around Victoria in the past week, police were not amused at the pair's "stupid" actions. "We’ve got people busy with rescues and to have to divert resources to that sort of thing is not ideal," said Senior Constable Wayne Wilson
"Most rescue organisations would frown on people behaving in such a manner because there are people out there who are in genuine need of assistance," he said. The rescued pair were checked by ambulance officers but did not require medical attention. ‘‘The fate of the inflatable dolls is unknown,’’ said Senior Constable Wilson.
They were floating down the river on two inflatable dolls and had just passed the Pound Bend Tunnel when the woman lost her toy in turbulent water. She clung to a floating tree, calling for help while the man stayed with her. Fortunately for the pair, a passer-by called triple zero while while a kayaker took life jackets to the pair. Police and the SES crew hauled the water-logged thrillseekers to safety.
But, with Queensland in the grip of a deadly emergency and 50 rescues from flood waters around Victoria in the past week, police were not amused at the pair's "stupid" actions. "We’ve got people busy with rescues and to have to divert resources to that sort of thing is not ideal," said Senior Constable Wayne Wilson
"Most rescue organisations would frown on people behaving in such a manner because there are people out there who are in genuine need of assistance," he said. The rescued pair were checked by ambulance officers but did not require medical attention. ‘‘The fate of the inflatable dolls is unknown,’’ said Senior Constable Wilson.
Pipe wielding man smashes up beer delivery
A man wielding a metal pipe attacked a truckload of beer being delivered to a Milwaukee grocery store on Friday afternoon, destroying about $2,000 worth. While whacking at the cases of canned beer, the attacker scolded the deliverymen for bringing what he called poison into his neighbourhood.
Not everyone walking past Mid-Town Groceries at the time agreed with the man's characterization of the beer. Several passers-by helped themselves to some of the cases of beer as a deliveryman tried to talk the man into putting the pipe down. "He beat on the beer for about a half hour," said Nirmal Singh, owner of Mid-Town. "Then he got tired and sat down against the wall and waited for the police," Singh said. "He was breathing hard."
Police said the incident began at about 3 p.m. when the 32-year-old man approached the deliverymen and ordered them to stop the delivery. When they ignored him, the man began swinging a metal pipe, estimated by Singh to be several feet long and about 2 inches in diameter, to smash cases of canned beer stacked on several hand trucks in front of the store. "The guy just started busting up the beer," Singh said.
"It was all over the place. Everybody was stopping their cars to watch, wondering what was going on." It took the deliverymen several hours to clean up after the battered cans of brew. The smell of yeast still hung over the entrance of the store on Friday evening. Police said several people stole beer from the truck. The attacker was in custody on Friday night. "Nothing like this has ever happened here," said Singh, who has operated the store about 13 years and estimated the product loss at about $2,000.
With two news videos.
Not everyone walking past Mid-Town Groceries at the time agreed with the man's characterization of the beer. Several passers-by helped themselves to some of the cases of beer as a deliveryman tried to talk the man into putting the pipe down. "He beat on the beer for about a half hour," said Nirmal Singh, owner of Mid-Town. "Then he got tired and sat down against the wall and waited for the police," Singh said. "He was breathing hard."
Police said the incident began at about 3 p.m. when the 32-year-old man approached the deliverymen and ordered them to stop the delivery. When they ignored him, the man began swinging a metal pipe, estimated by Singh to be several feet long and about 2 inches in diameter, to smash cases of canned beer stacked on several hand trucks in front of the store. "The guy just started busting up the beer," Singh said.
"It was all over the place. Everybody was stopping their cars to watch, wondering what was going on." It took the deliverymen several hours to clean up after the battered cans of brew. The smell of yeast still hung over the entrance of the store on Friday evening. Police said several people stole beer from the truck. The attacker was in custody on Friday night. "Nothing like this has ever happened here," said Singh, who has operated the store about 13 years and estimated the product loss at about $2,000.
With two news videos.
Dog takes its loyalty to the grave in Brazil
"Leao" the dog, sits for a second consecutive day, next to the grave of her owner, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who died in the week's catastrophic landslides in Brazil, at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janiero, on Jan. 15.
Wally the dog rescued after getting stuck between walls
If Wally knew how to talk, the dog would probably admit to being embarrassed about how he got his name. The 4-year-old Shar-Pei mixed breed was rescued on Friday after he got stuck between two walls in Cathedral City. He's now resting at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, but how he got stuck and for how long remains a mystery.
It's likely Wally got stuck chasing a smaller animal that ran through the space, Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said. “Wally could've been in there for several hours, without a doubt,” he said. Animal control officers received a call around 10 a.m. regarding a barking dog.
Upon arrival, they found Wally stuck in a crawl space separating a home and a wall that belongs to the Coachella Valley Water District. “It's not every day someone calls the water district to rescue a dog,” district spokeswoman Heather Engel said. District workers spent about 40 minutes pounding a hole into the wall and freed a weak and dehydrated Wally by 1:30 p.m., Welsh said.
A district employee fed the friendly dog a bean and cheese burrito. No one knew if Wally had an owner. “He doesn't have any tags; our officers were just kind of nicknaming him that for now,” Welsh said. Wally was taken to Valley Animal Medical Center in Indio for treatment before heading to the animal campus. He will be held there for five days before he's available for adoption if an owner doesn't come forward.
With very short news video.
It's likely Wally got stuck chasing a smaller animal that ran through the space, Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said. “Wally could've been in there for several hours, without a doubt,” he said. Animal control officers received a call around 10 a.m. regarding a barking dog.
Upon arrival, they found Wally stuck in a crawl space separating a home and a wall that belongs to the Coachella Valley Water District. “It's not every day someone calls the water district to rescue a dog,” district spokeswoman Heather Engel said. District workers spent about 40 minutes pounding a hole into the wall and freed a weak and dehydrated Wally by 1:30 p.m., Welsh said.
A district employee fed the friendly dog a bean and cheese burrito. No one knew if Wally had an owner. “He doesn't have any tags; our officers were just kind of nicknaming him that for now,” Welsh said. Wally was taken to Valley Animal Medical Center in Indio for treatment before heading to the animal campus. He will be held there for five days before he's available for adoption if an owner doesn't come forward.
With very short news video.
Active WWII grenades used as bookends blown up
The bomb squad were called early on Tuesday morning to DeLand in Florida after a man pulled the pin on a World War II-era grenade, according to Volusia County sheriff's deputies. The man was given the pineapple-style grenade by a neighbour, who used the explosive as a bookend, deputies said.
When deputies arrived in the DeLand neighbourhood, they found the man, who told them he had pulled the pin on the grenade, put the pin back and placed the grenade outside. The man told deputies his neighbour had a second grenade.
That woman said the grenades belonged to her deceased husband, who fought in World War II, and were used as bookends for several years. Deputies called in the bomb squad, who took both grenades to a nearby field and detonated the explosives.
When those grenades exploded a 2-foot crater was left in the ground. No one was hurt in the incident.
There's a news video here.
When deputies arrived in the DeLand neighbourhood, they found the man, who told them he had pulled the pin on the grenade, put the pin back and placed the grenade outside. The man told deputies his neighbour had a second grenade.
That woman said the grenades belonged to her deceased husband, who fought in World War II, and were used as bookends for several years. Deputies called in the bomb squad, who took both grenades to a nearby field and detonated the explosives.
When those grenades exploded a 2-foot crater was left in the ground. No one was hurt in the incident.
There's a news video here.
Woman finds $280,000 of drugs in vacuum cleaner
On the first day of Christmas, my children gave to me … a vacuum cleaner packaged with $280,000 worth of drugs. Investigators say a Green Bay woman got quite a surprise on Dec. 25 when she opened the refurbished vacuum cleaner she'd been given, and discovered two pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine packaged inside the box.
"This was an 'are you kidding me' incident," said Lt. David Poteat, who heads the Brown County Drug Task Force.
YouTube link.
It's likely that a smuggler inserted the drugs into the vacuum cleaner box before the unit was shipped from the Juarez, Mexico, area, where it had been reconditioned, Poteat said. No one, including the Green Bay retailer who sold the vacuum, noticed anything amiss, he said, until the woman opened the package and called police.
Authorities say they're convinced the woman played no part in the drug shipment, and don't plan to charge her. They aren't identifying the woman, or the store where the vacuum was purchased, while the case is under investigation. Poteat said criminals use a variety of ways to get drugs into the Green Bay market, including sneaking them into packages containing other items.
"This was an 'are you kidding me' incident," said Lt. David Poteat, who heads the Brown County Drug Task Force.
YouTube link.
It's likely that a smuggler inserted the drugs into the vacuum cleaner box before the unit was shipped from the Juarez, Mexico, area, where it had been reconditioned, Poteat said. No one, including the Green Bay retailer who sold the vacuum, noticed anything amiss, he said, until the woman opened the package and called police.
Authorities say they're convinced the woman played no part in the drug shipment, and don't plan to charge her. They aren't identifying the woman, or the store where the vacuum was purchased, while the case is under investigation. Poteat said criminals use a variety of ways to get drugs into the Green Bay market, including sneaking them into packages containing other items.
84-year-old adventurer set to launch Atlantic raft
Four English adventurers led by 84-year-old Anthony Smith are to sail 2,800 miles across the Atlantic on a raft made from plastic gas pipes. It is a journey that would test the mettle of any seafarer – a 2,800-mile Atlantic crossing powered only by sail. But when four Englishmen set off on the trip, two things will make their expedition remarkable. Their vessel will be a raft made from plastic gas pipes. And the crew will be led by an octogenarian who relies on a stick to walk. With a combined age of 259, the sailors on board the "An-Tiki" will not be lacking in experience. Anthony Smith, 84, will be joined by Don Russell, 61, David Hildred, 57, and Andrew Bainbridge, 57, for a ten-week voyage from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas. The raft is expected to begin the epic journey this week.
All the materials have been either donated or purchased by Mr Smith, who is spending compensation he received after he was run over by a van two years ago – an accident that has left the adventurer, writer and grandfather with metal pins in his leg. What would normally be regarded as a devastating setback has been turned into a positive. "I had some luck two years ago – I was run over," Mr Smith said. "That's what inspired the whole thing and that's provided the basis for the money. "The whole point it to prove that elderly people can do something interesting. Well, I am 84 and disabled, so I'm well qualified on that score." The inspiration for the unusual trip comes from a desire to show that rafts, although a primitive form of transport, are no more dangerous than hollow-hulled vessels. The crew are also raising money for WaterAid, a charity that provides clean water for the world's poorest people.
"People ask me 'Am I frightened?' But I say I don't know enough to be frightened," Mr Smith explains. "I don't know how we will get on, as we don't know each other very well. I don't know how tiring it will be, living on something that goes up and down all the time. I don't know what it will be like living on a bunk. Nobody knows what a storm will do to us, or how well we will be able to steer." But Mr Smith, of west London, insists the adventure is no foolhardy indulgence. Two of the crew – Mr Hildred and Mr Bainbridge – are experienced sailors, and the raft has been kitted out with all the necessary communications in case they get into trouble. All the pieces – including gas pipes, electronics, wood, and two telegraph poles that would became the mast – were assembled and shipped in a container from Felixstowe, Suffolk, to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. The crew will be sheltered by a wooden hut, 20ft by 7ft (6m by 2m), where they will take turns to sleep on two bunk beds. Cooking, from gas stoves, chart-reading and all-important communications will be also be carried out there.
"We've also got a small library so it won't all be hard work," says Mr Smith. The lights and electronics will be powered by four solar cells on top of the hut, a wind generator – and a pedalling machine. Meanwhile, the crew will be sustained by 16 boxes of food, containing dry stuffs like cornflakes and perishables such as eggs, oranges and bananas. A small bread maker will add homely comfort to their ordeal. "We also have a hook and line to catch fish, and a plankton net to eat plankton. Plankton is good enough for the blue whale, the biggest creature on earth, to eat, so it's good enough for us." Drinking water will be carried in five pipes, each 18ft long. "We'll have so much water I think we will be able to sell it to passing yachts." Asked what treats he's brought along to keep the crew's spirits up for the long days and nights ahead, Mr Smith's answer is short and simple. "Alcohol," he says. "Everyone's quite keen on a drink, so it's not so much beer as rum and whisky." The crew has had to wait for the weather to calm down before launching the raft. A support vessel will tow the raft out to sea for a few miles – "in case anyone forgets their toothbrush". "We have to wait for the wind. I don't want to be released and then blown back to shore. But the current is there to do the job. It took Columbus across in 1492 so it should take us across too." The crew's destination is the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
An-Tiki website.
All the materials have been either donated or purchased by Mr Smith, who is spending compensation he received after he was run over by a van two years ago – an accident that has left the adventurer, writer and grandfather with metal pins in his leg. What would normally be regarded as a devastating setback has been turned into a positive. "I had some luck two years ago – I was run over," Mr Smith said. "That's what inspired the whole thing and that's provided the basis for the money. "The whole point it to prove that elderly people can do something interesting. Well, I am 84 and disabled, so I'm well qualified on that score." The inspiration for the unusual trip comes from a desire to show that rafts, although a primitive form of transport, are no more dangerous than hollow-hulled vessels. The crew are also raising money for WaterAid, a charity that provides clean water for the world's poorest people.
"People ask me 'Am I frightened?' But I say I don't know enough to be frightened," Mr Smith explains. "I don't know how we will get on, as we don't know each other very well. I don't know how tiring it will be, living on something that goes up and down all the time. I don't know what it will be like living on a bunk. Nobody knows what a storm will do to us, or how well we will be able to steer." But Mr Smith, of west London, insists the adventure is no foolhardy indulgence. Two of the crew – Mr Hildred and Mr Bainbridge – are experienced sailors, and the raft has been kitted out with all the necessary communications in case they get into trouble. All the pieces – including gas pipes, electronics, wood, and two telegraph poles that would became the mast – were assembled and shipped in a container from Felixstowe, Suffolk, to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. The crew will be sheltered by a wooden hut, 20ft by 7ft (6m by 2m), where they will take turns to sleep on two bunk beds. Cooking, from gas stoves, chart-reading and all-important communications will be also be carried out there.
"We've also got a small library so it won't all be hard work," says Mr Smith. The lights and electronics will be powered by four solar cells on top of the hut, a wind generator – and a pedalling machine. Meanwhile, the crew will be sustained by 16 boxes of food, containing dry stuffs like cornflakes and perishables such as eggs, oranges and bananas. A small bread maker will add homely comfort to their ordeal. "We also have a hook and line to catch fish, and a plankton net to eat plankton. Plankton is good enough for the blue whale, the biggest creature on earth, to eat, so it's good enough for us." Drinking water will be carried in five pipes, each 18ft long. "We'll have so much water I think we will be able to sell it to passing yachts." Asked what treats he's brought along to keep the crew's spirits up for the long days and nights ahead, Mr Smith's answer is short and simple. "Alcohol," he says. "Everyone's quite keen on a drink, so it's not so much beer as rum and whisky." The crew has had to wait for the weather to calm down before launching the raft. A support vessel will tow the raft out to sea for a few miles – "in case anyone forgets their toothbrush". "We have to wait for the wind. I don't want to be released and then blown back to shore. But the current is there to do the job. It took Columbus across in 1492 so it should take us across too." The crew's destination is the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
An-Tiki website.
Grateful dog owners give vet school six-figure sum
A couple are to leave a six-figure sum to a vet school after the care given to their seriously-ill dog extended his life by more than eight years. Black Labrador Jet was diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis in his front legs when he was two-years-old. Owners Michael and Sue Dennis were told not to expect him to live very long. The retired couple believe the advice given by Edinburgh University's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies meant Jet lived to the age of 10.
Mr Dennis said: "We contacted the Dick Vet School and they were very keen to try and help us if they could, so we took Jet in to see them. We spoke to a great professor and he gave the dog a very thorough examination and spent a lot of time with us. We were very impressed with the care and attention that we had from the school. Although there was no medication prescribed, they did advise us on how to manage his lifestyle, with shorter walks, regular exercise and plenty of fun and attention.
"The dog lived until he was 10 and in the intervening eight years he had a very happy and reasonably active life." Mr Dennis, who lives near Ripon in North Yorkshire, said he decided to approach the university about Jet because of its high-profile work on Dolly the Sheep. He and his wife Sue, who are both in their 60s and currently own two rescue dogs, have now pledged a six-figure legacy to the school in return for what it did for their "delightful" pet, who died in 2008.
The money will be used to sponsor students who want to study veterinary medicine at Edinburgh but cannot afford to do so. "It was a very easy decision to make," said Mr Dennis, a former employee of high street retailer Marks and Spencer. "We were so impressed with the treatment and interaction that took place between the school, the people that work there and ourselves, that we wanted to perpetuate that."
Mr Dennis said: "We contacted the Dick Vet School and they were very keen to try and help us if they could, so we took Jet in to see them. We spoke to a great professor and he gave the dog a very thorough examination and spent a lot of time with us. We were very impressed with the care and attention that we had from the school. Although there was no medication prescribed, they did advise us on how to manage his lifestyle, with shorter walks, regular exercise and plenty of fun and attention.
"The dog lived until he was 10 and in the intervening eight years he had a very happy and reasonably active life." Mr Dennis, who lives near Ripon in North Yorkshire, said he decided to approach the university about Jet because of its high-profile work on Dolly the Sheep. He and his wife Sue, who are both in their 60s and currently own two rescue dogs, have now pledged a six-figure legacy to the school in return for what it did for their "delightful" pet, who died in 2008.
The money will be used to sponsor students who want to study veterinary medicine at Edinburgh but cannot afford to do so. "It was a very easy decision to make," said Mr Dennis, a former employee of high street retailer Marks and Spencer. "We were so impressed with the treatment and interaction that took place between the school, the people that work there and ourselves, that we wanted to perpetuate that."
Dickie Bird statue a target for underwear jokers
Legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird is demanding action - to stop youngsters hanging underwear from a statue put up in his honour.
Dickie, 77, is to meet the council in his home town of Barnsley to ask them to raise the plinth a few feet to solve the problem.
Bras, knickers and even pizzas have adorned his famous right-hand finger as people have scrambled to pose for photos with the bronze sculpture.
The 6ft statue was erected in honour of the Yorkshireman, who umpired 66 Test matches, in 2009.
Dickie, 77, is to meet the council in his home town of Barnsley to ask them to raise the plinth a few feet to solve the problem.
Bras, knickers and even pizzas have adorned his famous right-hand finger as people have scrambled to pose for photos with the bronze sculpture.
The 6ft statue was erected in honour of the Yorkshireman, who umpired 66 Test matches, in 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)