Man Robbed Of $10,000 Win At Casino

A 62-year-old Chicago man was robbed of more than $10,000 he had won at a casino less than 30 minutes earlier. The victim, an immigrant who speaks little English and lives in low-income housing in Chicago’s Chinatown, was returning from a trip to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning when the robbery happened. His son, William Chan, said his father “parks his car in the parking lot. He’s 20 steps from the front door. He gets out of his car, and all of a sudden, someone comes rushing out and wraps his arms around his neck… Then a second guy comes up with a gun.” The men told him not to move and demanded all of his money, including the nearly $10,000 he had just won. The robbers hit Mr. Chan in the forehead and fled. Paramedics treated him on the scene and he was not seriously injured.

20-Foot-Tall Bovine Impounded

A St. Paul, Minnesota, man says the city hasn’t returned his 20-foot fiberglass cow because it’s bolted to an impounded trailer for which he doesn’t have a title. Police said the trailer and the larger-than-life, black-and-white cow had been parked near Norb Anderson’s home when it was towed to the city’s impound lot November 18th. Anderson, 77, says he wasn’t home when the trailer and cow were towed and they were gone when he returned November 23rd. The lack of title was an oversight, Anderson said, and he didn’t abandon the $22,000 cow. “You think somebody just leaves a cow in front of my house?” he asked. The owner of the cow and trailer will have to pay more than $600 in towing and storage charges, officials said. Someone has since claimed ownership and the police department is trying to verify it. Police said people had complained about the cow when it was parked in the street. Anderson says he didn’t mean to upset the neighbors and he’s known as “the cow guy” who rents the cow to businesses for use in advertising.

Wife Fights Dirty

Deputies in Vero Beach, Florida, said they arrested a woman accused of “firmly” grabbing one of her husband’s family jewels and holding on for about 2 minutes during an argument. The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said the husband of Maryann Scott, 49, told deputies he had been planning to file for divorce and he hid a ring he had given Scott, valued at about $15,000. The man said Scott became upset when he refused to tell her the location of the ring and she pulled a knife on him, saying “she was going to kill him and that he was going to tell her where he had hidden her ring.” Deputies said the husband told them Scott “firmly grabbed his left testicle and refused to let go.” Police said the woman held on to it “for about two minutes or more before he was able to get her to let go.” Deputies said Scott took a picture of his injuries and there were apparent “red marks/bruises….in the photograph.” Scott was arrested on a battery charge.

Pricey Purse

A Dallas auction house said a Hermes Diamond Birkin handbag set a world record by fetching $203,150 at auction. Heritage Auctions said the Hermes Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile 30cm Birkin Bag with Solid 18 karat White Gold & Diamond Hardware fetched the record price for a publicly auctioned handbag at the December 6th auction.

Man Steals $1,125 In Sex Enhancers

Pennsylvania police arrested a man accused of breaking into a convenience store and stealing $1,125 worth of sexual-performance enhancement products. Leola police said officers responded to a call about a burglary at a Stop N Go Mini Market at 2:49 a.m. Monday and discovered a front glass window had been broken and 63 packets of sexual-performance enhancement products had been stolen. “The packets have interesting names like Kaotic, Kryptonite, 8 Balls and Bangkok Chill,” police Lt. Todd Umstead said. “Many of them list ‘Horny Goat Weed Extract’ as an ingredient. You can’t make this up.” Robert Elmer Kieta, 29, was pulled over a short time later while driving a Ford Explorer, the same type of vehicle seen driving away from the scene. Police said his hand was bleeding and they noticed shards of safety glass and a hammer in the vehicle. A backpack in the SUV was found to contain the stolen products, police said. Kieta was arrested on a burglary charge and was jailed in lieu of $200,000 bail.

World’s Oldest Dog Dies

The Japanese owner of the canine certified as the world’s oldest living dog by Guinness World Records said the dog has died at the age of 26 years, 9 months. Yumiko Shinohara of Sakura said Pusuke, a male crossbreed, died Monday afternoon after refusing to eat in the morning and appearing to have difficulty breathing. Shinohara said Pusuke died only a few minutes after she arrived home from running errands. “I think (Pusuke) waited for me to come home,” she said. The dog, which had aged to the equivalent of 125 years in human terms, was certified in December 2010 as the world’s oldest living dog.

Police Seek ‘Chewbacca’ Gunman

Police in Florida are searching for a man who wore a Chewbacca mask when he and a pair of young men were involved in a shooting. West Palm Beach Police responded to a report of a shooting November 30th, and a woman who witnessed the incident said the Chewbacca-masked shooter was driving a car with two men, later identified as Jodeci Lamar Window, 19, and Mario Johnson, 21. The pair pulled up to a home and began shooting at Kyle Roney. The witness said Roney, who was on the front stairs of a home and was not injured, is suspected by a local gang of being involved in a drug theft. Police said Roney did not cooperate with the investigation. The witness picked Window and Johnson, who were not masked, out of a photo lineup. They were arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

O.B. Finally Apologizes To America For Tampon Shortage

As reported earlier, o.b. tampons issued an oddball, tongue-in-cheek apology in the form of a customizable video for the many months that their products were off store shelves. But that apology – and the coupon that came with it – was only available to Canadian shoppers. Now, o.b. has attempted to remedy the problem by putting the apology video on its U.S. website, http://obtampons.com/apology. And it also comes with a coupon that you can print out. However, while the Canadian coupons could just be printed straight from the screen, the U.S. version requires viewers to install and use a “coupon printer” from Coupons.com.

Top 5 Things You Can Learn From Snowmen

5. Wearing white is always in style.

4. Getting outside in the winter is good for your health.

3. Accessories don’t have to be expensive.

2. Don’t get too much sun!

1. If you’re a little bottom heavy, that’s okay!

Egg Nog Theft

Someone in Pittsburgh has a need for nog. Police are looking for a crook who smashed into a state liquor store and swiped two bottles of alcoholic egg nog. The break-in was caught on surveillance video. Police are investigating.

FAA Chief Resigns After DUI Arrest

J. Randolph Babbitt has resigned as head of the Federation Aviation Administration, just days after he was charged with drunken driving in Virginia. Babbitt was arrested Saturday night in Fairfax. At his request, he was put on administrative leave Monday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He announced his resignation yesterday. “Serving as FAA administrator has been an absolute honor and the highlight of my professional career,” he said. “But I am unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done … by my colleagues.” LaHood – who initially learned of Babbitt’s arrest through a police press release 36 hours after it occurred – said yesterday he had told Babbitt he was “very disappointed with the way that I learned about this.” However, LaHood praised Babbitt as “a dedicated public servant and outstanding leader.” Babbitt, 65, has been head of the FAA since 2009. He served previously as chairman of the agency’s Management Advisory Council, was an Eastern Airlines pilot for 25 years and was president of the Air Line Pilots Association.

Worker Fired For Reporting Abused Dog

A baggage-handling firm says it’s investigating a woman’s firing for insisting an abused dog at Reno-Tahoe International Airport be taken to a veterinarian. Lynn Jones, who worked at the airport for independent baggage-handling firm Airport Terminal Services, said the dog about to board a plane last month appeared to be starving and was covered with scars. She said a supervisor told her to allow the dog onto the plane and when she resisted, he told her: “You’re done. Go home.” The company said it was taking the matter “extremely seriously and commends this employee’s situational awareness and her desire to raise the concern on behalf of the canine involved.” An ATS spokeswoman said the firm was reviewing the roles of all employees involved in the incident. Jones said she returned to the airport after her firing and saw airport police and Washoe County Animal Service workers taking the dog from the airport to a veterinarian for treatment. The dog was allowed to fly three days later, authorities said. After the incident, Jones said, her employer deactivated her security badge and refused to return her phone calls.

Tennessee Home Burns As Firefighters Watch – Again

A Tennessee couple has lost everything after their home burned to the ground as firefighters watched and did nothing. Vicky Bell said she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters responded but did not put out the blaze because she does not subscribe to the local fire service. Rural residents who want fire protection can get service from the nearby town of South Fulton, but they must pay a $75-a-year fee. The last time this happened, the city of South Fulton received a lot of heat nationwide for the policy. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city’s firefighters responded to people who didn’t pay there would be no incentive for anyone to subscribe. He said firefighters will help when people are in danger, regardless of whether they have paid. The homeowners – who are staying for a couple of nights at a local hotel, courtesy of the Red Cross – had no insurance on the property.

Michigan Teachers Removes ‘Gay’ From Christmas Carol

A traditional Christmas carol is in the middle of a controversy at an elementary school in Michigan. The music teacher decided to change the lyrics to “Deck The Halls” because one particular word had the students laughing. The teacher at Cherry Knoll Elementary School removed the word “gay” – changing the verse to “Don we now our bright apparel” rather than “gay apparel.” Principal Chris Parker said some students “had been snickering at the lyrics to ‘Deck The Hals’,” so she changed them. Parker says when he found out about the lyric change, he immediately had a chat with the teacher. Many parents thought the teacher’s decision to change the lyrics was completely inappropriate. Some said they were now taking time to explain to their children that gay is not a bad word.
(Do you think the teacher should have changed the lyrics, or left them alone?)

Drunk Driver Crashes Into DUI Checkpoint Center

A North Carolina man is facing criminal charges after driving his Camaro into a local DUI mobile command center Sunday morning at 2:45 a.m. Police say they suspect 21-year-old Douglas Shane Southard was driving under the influence of alcohol. The “Booze It and Lose It” mobile command center is set up at various checkpoints across the state to keep drunk drivers off the road.

Welfare Couple Livin’ Large

A Seattle chiropractor and his wife live in a $1.2 million waterfront home and have spent the past eight years flying to Moscow, Paris, Israel, Turkey, Mexico and the Dominican Republic – all while collecting more than $100,000 in welfare. The U.S. attorney’s office is suing David Silverstein and Lyudmila Shimonova, accusing them of filing false claims and demanding they pay back more than $135,000 in federal housing assistance dating back to 2003. Prosecutors are also seeking tens of thousands of dollars in fines. In gaining Section 8 housing assistance, Shimonova claimed that she lived alone with her two children and that her household assets were less than $5,000. Silverstein received the monthly benefits of $1,272 as Shimonova’s purported landlord. Shimonova also received benefits under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, as well as Social Security cash reserved for people who can’t work due to age or disability and whose assets fall below a certain threshold. The investigation included surveillance of the three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home on Lake Washington, during which agents observed his black Jaguar parked there.

Disarmed Grenades Found In Woman’s Luggage

Authorities at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey discovered five disarmed grenades in the luggage of a woman seeking to board a flight to Belgium, the Transportation Security Administration said. The TSA said baggage screeners found the grenades while X-raying the woman’s checked luggage on Saturday. A TSA spokeswoman said the woman surrendered the items to authorities without incident and was then allowed to board the flight. It’s not clear why the woman was carrying the grenades.

Professor Is Dumpster-Diving Urban Robin Hood

Jeff Ferrell, a professor of sociology at Texas Christian University, is an urban Robin Hood, although what he gives away is not stolen goods but instead goods from dumpster diving. The prof sifts through dumpsters and gives away the vast majority of his haul to the needy or friends. He has also managed to furnish his living room with what’s leftover. And becaue Ferrell, 57, gathers the goods on a bicycle, most of his finds are from dumpsters near his home. “I think it’s appalling on the level of just sheer waste and full landfills,” he said. “I think it’s also profoundly disturbing given the level of need in our society.”

‘Shroom Sham

A man’s attempt to sell some bogus “magic” mushroom landed him behind bars. Jayson Hartman was trying to pass off some shredded shiitake and porcini mushrooms as the psychedelic variety when officers broke up the sale last month, according to police in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Hartman allegedly admitted he chopped up store-bought mushrooms then bagged them in an attempt to pass them off as the illegal variety. Investigators said the sale was broken up after police received a call about a suspicious vehicle outside a grocery store on November 8th. Police said they recovered a receipt from the car showing a $30 purchase of the pseudo psychedelics. Hartman had arranged to meet his alleged buyer through Facebook. Hartman was arrested Friday and charged with violating state drug laws. He’s being held on $40,000 bail.

Gold Krugerrands Dropped In Salvation Army Kettles

The Salvation Army received some unexpected and very generous donations in Frederick, Maryland, last week. Five gold South African Krugerrands were dropped in four kettles in the city Thursday. The coins were gifts from Matt Lerner, owner of the Frederick Coin Exchange who bought them for $9,000. Lerner grew up in Frederick and said it’s important to give back to the community. He also had fun trying to sneak the gold coins into the kettles unnoticed. Meanwhile, an anonymous donor dropped a $20 gold coin into a kettle belonging to the Southwest Florida Salvation Army. It’s the seventh straight year someone has dropped the coin into donation pots with a note that read, “In loving memory of Mimi.”

Men Arrested For Beer Bottle Chucking

Police in Florida arrested two men who threw beer containers from atop a parking garage – while an officer was on the sidewalk below. Gainesville police said an officer was flagged down about 12:15 a.m. Sunday by a witness who said two men were throwing beer containers from the fifth level of the parking garage. Officer Jeremiah Kelly said a full beer bottle exploded on the sidewalk between him and the witness while they were talking next to the parking garage. Gregory Michael Byerly, 21, and Peter Claibourne Hansinger, 22, were arrested and charged with one count each of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault.

Mother Of Six Trades House For Used Minivan

A mother living in Detroit has traded in her four-bedroom home that was once home to Diana Ross and the Supremes for a 2006 minivan. LaWanda Flake, a 36-year-old, disabled mother of six traded in her four-bedroom, three-bath house, located in one of the city’s better neighborhoods and valued at $96,000 for a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander with 85,000 miles, valued at between $5000 and $8,500. Flake said she posted the house offer on Craigslist because she needed a new car in order to get her children to school on time because the city’s bus system was proving unreliable. Flake and her six children have relocated to a three-bedroom home nearby that she was able to purchase on a $4,000 land contract. Flake purchased her former home last year at a foreclosure sale for $3,600, nowhere near its six-figure retail value. The house reportedly has several thousand dollars worth of needed repairs waiting for the new owners.

9-Year-Old Suspended For Calling Teacher ‘Cute’

A 9-year-old boy was suspended from school for two days for sexual harassment last week after he called his teacher “cute,” his mother says. Chiquita Lockett of Gastonia, North Carolina, said her son, Emanyea, shouldn’t have been sent home from Brookside Elementary School. “It’s not like he went up to the woman and tried to grab her or touch her in a sexual way,” Lockett said. “So why would he be suspended for two days?” The Gaston County school district said it couldn’t discuss the incident beyond confirming that Emanyea was suspended for “inappropriate behavior” after making “inappropriate statements.”

Carjacker Foiled By Victim’s Texting

A text message helped foil a carjacking early Saturday morning in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Antonio Jackson, 27, was charged with charged with first-degree kidnapping and two counts of armed criminal action. Police said two women were leaving a Christmas party at a bar just after midnight when Jackson walked up to them and demanded money. When the women said they didn’t have any, he forced them to drive to an ATM. As they were leaving, a friend of the women pulled up alongside them and asked if they were OK. The man told police one of the women gave him a strange and worried look, but said they were fine. The man then text-messaged one woman who replied “No, call cops.” The man called 911 and followed the car they were in until police stopped them.

Man Stuck In Snowdrift For Three Days

A 52-year-old Nome, Alaska, man is back home after spending three days trapped in his Toyota Tacoma when he hit a snowdrift. Clifton Vial said he decided to drive along a northbound road to see how far it would take him Monday night, and he found himself stuck in a snowdrift more than 40 miles out of town with only tennis shoes, jeans and a $30 Sears jacket to keep himself warm. Vial said he periodically turned the truck on for heat and radio, but mostly stayed warm using a fleece sleeping bag liner and bath towels wrapped around his feet and legs. He said he had nothing to eat but a few cans of Coors Light, which he consumed by removing the tops and digging the frozen contents out with a knife. Rescuers finally arrived Thursday with a Snickers bar and an orange soda. Vial, who wasn’t noticed missing until he failed to show up for work on Tuesday, said his wife and daughter had been out of town.

Woman Sues Over Smelly Car

A Michigan woman may not have expected that new-car smell when she bought a used vehicle, but says she certainly didn’t expect the odor of a dead body. In a lawsuit filed in Oakland County Circuit Court, Margarita Salais of New Baltimore alleges the dealership’s staff sold her a 2006 Ford Expedition last March without telling her it once held a dead body. “They bought the car while it was still cold out in March,” her attorney said. “The warmer it got, the worse the smell got.” Salais said when she brought the car back to the dealership someone told her the smell came from a dead animal. She said she filed a claim with her insurance company, whose investigators determined odor was of human origin. The insurance company later learned the car had been stolen three times, something Salais said the dealer also failed to tell her. Her efforts to return the car were fruitless and now she wants $25,000 plus court fees.

Robber Picks Wrong Victim

An alleged armed robber in Chicago picked the wrong victim, getting into a tussle that left him wounded, bruised and in cuffs. Anthony Miranda, 24, faces charges including discharging a weapon during a robbery, after allegedly approaching a 33-year-old man sitting in a car and asking for a light before pulling a gun and demanding his valuables. The victim complied and the gunman ordered him out of the car. That’s when the driver grabbed for the gun and during the ensuring struggle, Miranda shot himself in the ankle. The victim, who held his assailant until police arrived, told officers he is a mixed-martial arts competitor. Miranda, who was on parole for a burglary conviction, was jailed in lieu of $350,000 bail.

Teacher Scrooge

A teacher in Nanuet, New York, has apologized after telling her whole classroom the truth about Santa Claus. Leatrice Ann Eng, 58, was forced to call each of the children’s parents to give her apologies for explaining that Santa Claus is not real. Eng was teaching her class of seven and eight-year-olds about the North Pole, when a student said that it is where Santa Claus lived. The teacher then proceeded to tell her class that Santa does not exist, and that it was their parents who left them presents in their stockings. Annoyed parents have since dubbed her as a “real-life Scrooge.”

Lobster Tag Lost In ‘Perfect Storm’ Hops Atlantic

A tag from a lobster pot that was swept off the New England sea floor two decades ago during what came to be known as “The Perfect Storm” has washed up 3,000 miles away in Ireland. The pot that held the tag with Cohasset lobsterman Richard Figueiredo’s name on it was one of hundreds he lost when the vicious storm on the Atlantic Ocean struck off New England in 1991. Rosemary Hill of Waterville in County Kerry found the tag on a beach last year, but the beachcomber put it aside with other beach souvenirs. Last week, she decided to try to contact Figueiredo and found him through his son Rich’s Facebook account. Figueiredo was stunned the worn tag had weathered the long trip after the storm, which was made famous by Sebastian Junger’s book “The Perfect Storm,” the basis for a Hollywood movie about a rugged crew of New England fishermen caught in the storm. Figueiredo and Hill spoke for the first time Thursday, when she offered to mail the tag back to him. But Figueiredo told her to keep it. “The meaning it has over there is what matters,” he said. “I am honored that she has put so much enthusiasm into this. What’s happening now is a gift to me.”

Weed And Whoppers

Authorities say a central Florida man was arrested after jokingly trying to buy drugs at a Burger King drive-thru. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said 32-year-old Shawn Porter and a friend placed an order for “blunt and some herbs” at a Deltona Burger King Thursday night. A cashier smelled marijuana coming from their car and jotted down the license plate of the car, and then a supervisor called 911. A deputy located Porter’s house by running the tag number and was waiting when Porter arrived home with a Burger King bag in his hand. The deputy reported finding 28 grams of marijuana in the car. Porter was charged with drug possession and held on $1,000 bond.

Dead Raccoon Assault

Police in Vermont say a woman who might have been angry about a dead raccoon left on a street took its bloody carcass to City Hall and angrily slammed it against the building’s doors. Burlington police say the woman left the raccoon’s body outside City Hall before walking off one morning two weeks ago. Police say the woman faces a possible vandalism charge. They also say her actions created a public health hazard. They’re seeking the public’s help in identifying the woman and have released a description and surveillance photo of her.

Thieves Target Toilet Paper At Diner

An Albuquerque, New Mexico, restaurant employee says he’s now seen it all after three men left his diner with rolls of toilet paper and were nabbed in the parking lot by police. Burgers, Dogs and Wings employee Josh Flannery-Stewart said he was immediately suspicious of the men when they came in Saturday because they weren’t talking and appeared “messed up.” The three went into the bathroom and emerged carrying about a dozen rolls of toilet paper. They got in a car in the parking lot, but didn’t get far. Albuquerque police apparently already had the trio under surveillance and quickly surrounded the car and arrested them. The toilet paper was returned to its rightful owner.

J&J Really, Really, Really Sorry For Removing O.B. Tampons

It looks like Johnson & Johnson’s O.B. tampon brand has bowed to an outcry from loyal users of its Ultra product to return it to store shelves in the U.S. and Canada. And it’s doing so with this rather humorous, over-the-top personalized musical and video apology. Just visit http://obtampons.ca/apology, enter in your name and you will get a video of a charming man singing specifically to you about how really, really, really sorry he is for doing this you. Your name is also written in the sky, in rose petals, and tattooed on the man’s arm. At the end of the video, a coupon is offered. O.B. is only apologizing to Canadians at the moment.

Escaped Prisoner Caught In Toilet

An inmate who escaped during a prison van ride was at large for 6 hours before police dogs caught his scent in a portable toilet, Illinois State Police said. Cesar Sanchez, 37, who is serving a seven-year sentence for burglary, got out of a moving transport van near Lockport, Illinois, Friday and was believed to have hitched a ride on the back of a delivery truck. Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said the delivery truck investigators think Sanchez used in his getaway was traced to a business where video surveillance records showed Sanchez dismounting the truck. After police dogs picked up his scent in a storage lot for portable toilets, police using infrared technology in a helicopter established he was hiding in one of the toilets. Sanchez, who was handcuffed during the prison van ride, may have kicked the van door open, authorities said.

Stick Shift Foils Carjackers

Two would-be carjackers in St. Petersburg, Florida, had to make a getaway on foot because they were unable to drive a stick shift. The robbery occurred at about 1 a.m. Friday at a business with a locked gate. The victims were a man who had dropped off a work truck there and his girlfriend, who had come to pick him up driving her manual transmission Nissan. The couple told police two men approached them as the man returned to the car after locking the gate. One of the men pointed a gun at them and told them to get out of the car and hand over their money and cellphone. The men got into the car and tried to drive away but were foiled by the stick shift. They ran off with a cellphone but without the car.

Shoplifted Candlelight Steak Dinner Foiled

A Florida man faces theft charges after allegedly trying to walk out of a store with the makings for a candlelight dinner stuffed down his pants, police said. Collier County sheriff’s deputies said Dannial Ashley, 31, was charged with retail theft after employees of a supermarket saw him trying to make off with four steaks and some candles. Ashley tried to run off without his loot, but was chased down by the grocers. He was was later released on bail pending further proceedings.

Coin Car

A United Arab Emirates man said it took him 3,000 hours to coat his 1998 Chevrolet Camaro in 33,000 of the country’s coins. Tariq Javaid, a Pakistan native who has lived in Dubai since 1999, began gluing the coins to the car on October 15, 2010, and attached the last piece of currency last week so the car would be completed in time for National Day celebrations today. “I requested my friend who works in a bank to arrange for the coins. All the coins used in this car are brand new,” Javaid said. Javaid, who used all denominations of coins for the car, which he dubbed “Pride of the Emirates,” said he hopes his feat makes it into the Guinness Book of World Records. The coins are worth approximately $5,700.

Officer Faces Firing Over Santeria Plan

A Florida police officer is arguing to keep her job after she and another city employee planned to use a Santeria practice to change the city manager’s mind. North Miami Beach Police officer Elizabeth Torres is scheduled to plead her case Monday before City Manager Lyndon Bonner. She and office manager Yvonne Rodriguez allegedly tried to recruit a City Hall janitor in August to sprinkle birdseed in and around Bonner’s office as part of a Santeria practice aimed at changing the official’s mind about cutting the city’s police budget. Torres, who was turned in by the janitor, said the practice, which she learned from family members, was only meant to help Bonner change his mind, not cause any physical harm. Rodriguez has been terminated by the city. The police chief recommended Torres receive a formal letter of reprimand and a 240-hour suspension.

Frosty Costume Causes Four 911 Calls

A North Carolina man whose one-man parade in a Frosty the Snowman costume yielded four 911 calls said he never meant to frighten anyone. Jeffery Acker, who donned the top section of an inflatable snowman Sunday and strolled through downtown Vanceboro while carrying a 4-foot candy cane, said his walk was meant to be inspire holiday spirit, not fear. “Christmas is everything to me. I love it,” Acker said. “It was never an intention to be scary.” Acker is not accused of any illegal activities and Police Chief William Turner said he has “more important” things to investigate.

Bad Santa

Authorities in Florida are searching for a bus passenger who sang profane songs and used a rock to smash the windshield while wearing a Santa hat. Deputies are working to identify the young man, who the Broward County Transit bus driver said boarded the vehicle with a friend Friday in Lauderhill and began singing profanity-laced songs loudly during the ride. The passenger repeatedly refused the driver’s request to stop using profanity on the bus and allegedly continued to curse at the driver while exiting the vehicle. Deputies said the man picked up a rock outside of the bus and threw it at the windshield, smashing the glass. The sheriff’s office said it received a clear image of the man, believed to be in his late teens, from bus security cameras.

Naming Rights To Creek Offered On eBay

The naming rights to a creek in Kalona, Iowa, will be put up for bid on eBay, town officials said. The creek is currently called West Drainage Ditch, but most people in town refer to it simply as “the crick.” The idea was hatched by Dan Ehl, editor of the Kalona News, as a way to raise money for the city. City council members said they will consider any name as long as it’s appropriate – the name will be subject to government approval. Funds from the winning bid will go toward replacing sidewalks to provide better access to schools, parks and areas that children frequent as part of the city’s Safe Route To Schools project.

Clerk Scares Off Robber

Police in Manchester, New Hampshire, say a masked bandit pointed a gun at a store clerk and demanded money. But the crook was scared off when the clerk pulled out an ax handle. According to authorities, the 50-year-old cashier at the ATM Market also yelled out his store was being robbed. His cries were heard by workers at a garage next to the store. They chased the suspect, but he got away.

Burrito Lockdown

A New Mexico county jail was under lockdown earlier this week because of a burrito. Officials say a guard smuggled in some Mexican food for a prisoner, who was caught eating the burrito. Prison authorities were concerned the burrito run was just a rehearsal for smuggling something a lot more serious. But nothing else was found. The guard was fired.

Highway Cash

Police in Pennsylvania say people who grabbed flying cash could face criminal charges. A bank van spilled more than $100,000 in Upper St. Clair, just southwest of Pittsburgh. The money was blowing in the wind and people stopped their cars to grab the flying bills. Police are investigating why the door of the Fidelity Courier Service van opened. The company is offering a reward for the return of the money. Authorities say there will be a two-week grace period for thieves to turn in money they stole.

Dog Shoots Hunter In The Butt

Authorities in Box Elder County, Utah, said a hunter was wounded in the buttocks when his dog jumped on a 12-gauge shotgun, causing the weapon to fire a round of birdshot. Robert Cottingham was duck hunting with his son and brother-in-law at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Sunday morning when the incident took place. While the hunting crew was retrieving a wounded duck from the water, a 12-gauge shotgun was left resting inside the hunting boat they were using. Cottingham says that the dog was in a marshy area of the lake and jumped back into the boat, he hit the 12-gauge and it discharged and shot him from about 6 feet. Cottingham says some of the blast was absorbed by a duck decoy onboard and that decoy may have saved his life. Cottingham was taken to the hospital to have 27 birdshot pellets removed from his backside. Several could not be taken out. He’s expected to make a full recovery.

Apocalypse 2012? Not So Fast

We may need a 2013 calendar after all. A German expert says an ancient Mayan tablet doesn’t predict the end of the world on December 21, 2012, but it does say a Mayan God will return on what’s interpreted as that day. He presented his findings at a conference in Mexico on Wednesday. But there’s still some wiggle room on just what the Mayans were saying. The stone tablet is cracked and the end of the passage is almost illegible.