Atomictown: Weird News
Published Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

A middle school in North Carolina is selling test scores to students in a bid to raise money.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

A Milwaukee Army reservist's military identification earned him some street cred Tuesday, when he says four men who mugged him at gunpoint returned his belongings and thanked him for his service after finding the ID.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

A Richmond man will have to live more than a month in one of his neglected rental houses as punishment for failing to maintain his properties. Oliver Lawrence was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail, followed by 40 days in home incarceration at a small, single-story house owned by his company, Bayou Properties. He also was fined more than $177,000.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Police said an East Texas man has outsmarted himself in trying to get a quicker response from officers to an alleged assault. Tyler police said 38-year-old Mark Anthony Johnson called 911 on Monday night and reported that he'd just committed a homicide and was armed with a weapon.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

A man was charged with domestic battery and illegal dumping after authorities said he pushed his girlfriend's car into a river. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office reported that a 36-year-old man and his live-in girlfriend were arguing in her car Sunday night when he kicked her out and drove off. Witnesses reported seeing the man a short time later at a nearby boat ramp, pushing the car toward the water.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

The driver and the child in her lap survived when a pickup truck slammed into a 1,500-gallon aquarium at Tampa International Airport. The tropical fish were not so lucky. Airport officials said 36-year-old Yamile Campuzano-Martine lost control of her truck and drove into the saltwater tank outside the American Airlines baggage claim Monday night. Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said the driver had an unrestrained 6-year-old boy in her lap.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Chicago police said a West Side man who allegedly tried to walk out of a store with three expensive bottles of champagne under his jacket now has 63 arrests under his belt. Officers said the 70-year-old man was initially charged with misdemeanor retail theft, but the charge was upgraded to a felony Monday after authorities look over his extensive police record, which included 62 prior arrests.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Prosecutors charged the co-owner of a Hermantown construction company with allegedly assaulting a construction worker with a backhoe. The criminal complaint said a 48-year-old man told investigators he wanted to "nudge" the victim, but didn't want to hurt him. He also said it was a stupid thing to do.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Authorities said four men were arrested after being found sleeping in a garage stacked with stolen property. Pomona police Lt. Alex Rilloraza said officers discovered the suspects Friday while investigating the robbery of electronics from a nearby home. He said some of the stolen goods were in the suspects' pockets.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

It's not quite Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," but former Mannington Mayor Frank White says he's had enough of the winged creatures for a long time. White said his neighbor, City Councilman Jeff Michael, has been providing a regular smorgasbord for birds, with seed, bread and even French fries.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

A Eugene man fighting a home intruder to defend his mother and young children was bitten by a police dog after officers mistook him for the prowler they had been chasing through the neighborhood. Tim Crossan told The Register-Guard he broke his hand on the intruder's face during the fight, just before police burst in and sent the dog after him.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Police in several Connecticut towns said they're dealing with a sticky situation - chewing gum thefts. According to authorities, the number of people caught stealing chewing gum has noticeably increased recently. They believe the chewy contraband is ending up on the black market, where it's harder to trace than some other stolen goods.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Joey Chestnut maintained his dominance in the sport of competitive eating - and expanded his palate - by winning the first-ever Martorano's Masters Meatball Eating Championship in Las Vegas. Chestnut on Sunday gobbled 50 meatballs in 10 minutes at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. The 6.25 pounds was a new world record and earned him the first-place prize of $1,500.

Brazil Short Dress
AP Photo

In this photo taken on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, student Geisy Arruda poses at her home in Sao Paulo wearing the same dress that she was expelled for wearing on campus at Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. The Brazilian government sought an explanation Monday from the private university that expelled Arruda for wearing the dress to class.

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Brazil's case of the pink mini-dress that has gone viral on the Internet has left many scratching their heads - how could it be that an outfit, no matter how short, would cause such an uproar in a tropical nation where skimpy clothing and tiny bikinis barely raise an eyebrow?

Published Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

It was the roll of a lifetime.

Published Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Police in Florida say a graffiti artist who apparently ran out of paint midway through a spray-painted creation left a note to potential critics to explain the unfinished work.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

The California Highway Patrol say a man stole a car to make a court appearance on a previous auto theft charge.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A sculpture of a New Zealand government minister crafted from cow manure sold for New Zealand dollars 3,080 ($2,220) on an auction Web site. The bust of New Zealand Environment Minister Nick Smith, sculpted as a protest by artist Sam Mahon, attracted 112 bids before being picked up by an anonymous buyer on Friday.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A single hole-in-one is a big enough dream for most golfers. But two in one round? That's some luck. Reeves Barbour, the 30-year-old son of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, had two aces in a single round Oct. 25 on a Robert Trent Jones course in Gainesville, Va.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Retired orthopedic surgeon Chris Smith thought his hunt was over when he bagged a white tail deer with a bow and arrow near Sheridan. Because the light was fading, he decided to return the next day to recover the deer. But when he returned Wednesday morning, the carcass had been covered by grass and bush - which is what mountain lions typically do.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A wind-power company says a western Maine site it's been looking at is too windy for turbines. First Wind's Matthew Kearns told a public meeting in Rumford on Thursday that its proposed Longfellow wind farm on Black Mountain and North and South Twin mountains may not be viable.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Charges have been filed against three men accused of beating a man who sleepwalks after they found him asleep in one of the men's apartment. Iowa City Police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said the 21-year-old victim who was not identified, suffered injuries over most of his body. Kelsay said the man's injuries did not appear to require hospitalization, but the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Lounge Chair Drunken Driving
AP Photo

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 20, 2009 file photo, a motorized chair driven by Dennis Anderson of Proctor was operating when he hit a parked vehicle in August of 2008. Proctor's police chief fears the city will lose a big chunk of revenue after it was forced to repost the sale of the infamous motorized recliner on eBay. The police department recently confiscated the customized lounge chair after its owner was suspected of driving it while drunk and smashing it into a parked vehicle. Police auctioned the chair under the La-Z-Boy brand and received eBay bids topping $43,000 after news of the drunken driving arrest circulated.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Operating a motorized recliner while drunk apparently drives up the chair's value. Police in northern Minnesota listed the "DWI chair" on eBay after the owner was arrested for driving it into a parked car last year. It sold Thursday for $10,099.99.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Oregon police have charged a man with drunken driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Oregon police have charged a man with drunk driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road.

Published Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A Florida thief with a peculiar penchant for Rolex watches faces up to 25 years in prison.

South Korea Aspiring Driver
AP Photo

68-year-old South Korean woman Cha Sa-soon shows her application form for a driver's license in Wanju, south of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Cha has passed the written exam required for a driver's license Wednesday after hundreds of failed attempts over the past four years, police said Friday.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time. The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Workers are altering part of the Vigo County jail to fix a design flaw that allowed inmates to crawl through the ceiling to visit other cells. Eight pods in the 7-year-old addition to the original jail are getting sturdier ceiling panels to prevent excursions by inmates under a settlement with the original architect.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

An eastern Indiana woman says her family's dog deserves a special treat after his barking saved her family from an early morning house fire. Laura Sizemore said Dash, a 2-year-old border collie-Australian shepherd mix, began growling and barking about 3 a.m. Wednesday, awakening her and her husband, Stacy.

ODD Isuzu Jesus
AP

Jim Stevens stands next to his truck that has an image of Jesus on the window Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 i Jonesborough, Tenn. The image has been there for two weeks and appears every morning when the morning dew is on the window. Stevens says he's not particularly religious and is clueless about why an image resembling Jesus Christ keeps appearing on his pickup. (AP Photo/Johnson City Press, Lee Talbert) MANDATORY CREDIT

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Jim Stevens said he's not particularly religious and is clueless about why an image resembling Jesus Christ keeps appearing on his pickup. Stevens, of Jonesborough, said nearly every morning, an image that looks to him like the face of Jesus Christ has appeared in the condensation on the driver's side window of his Isuzu truck. A Johnson City Press photo of the truck showed a facial image.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Federal authorities said twin sisters from the Detroit area sold their children's Social Security numbers to people who claimed the kids as dependents on their tax returns. Karhonda and Kashaunda Prophet were charged Thursday with assisting the preparation of false returns over a two-year period.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Unemployed and desperate, a 19-year-old Sheboygan man is trying to sell one of the only things he owns - his name. Calvin Gosz has put the rights to give him a new name on eBay. He said if people can have a name like Mercedes for free, "why wouldn't McDonald's pay for me to have Ronald McDonald as a name?" Gosz said he moved to Wisconsin from Florida in September. He's filled out more than a dozen job applications, but so far no luck.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Police officers reported finding a mail carrier passed out drunk in his U.S. Postal Service mail truck in Boynton Beach. According to a release, police received a 911 call Wednesday afternoon reporting a mail truck parked on the side of a road with the driver slumped over the wheel. Officers found a 29-year-old man, whose blood alcohol content was tested to be .264 and .258, more than three times the legal limit.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

A 20-year-old man who called 911 to get his fast-food order straightened out has been told to pay a $300 fine. Washington County, Ore., sheriff's deputies said Raibin Raof Osman called the emergency line to complain that a McDonald's in Aloha had left out a box of orange juice from his drive-through order. A restaurant employee later called 911 to report that Osman and others who were with him were blocking the lane, knocking on restaurant windows and intimidating employees.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

An Atlanta man who rescued one stray dog from traffic now has his hands full with 10 pooches. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that Gary DeNicola rescued the dog in late September with plans to take it to a shelter the next day. But it turns out the dog was pregnant and gave birth to nine puppies that night. Now DeNicola is running an animal shelter of sorts himself and he's looking for good homes for the dogs.

ODD Elephant Sideswiped
AP Photo

An elephant that escaped from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds after being spooked caused a vehicle accident Wednesday night, Nov. 4, 2009 as it ran along North the U.S. 81 bypass in Enid, Okla. According to Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney, the couple in the vehicle were not injured. The elephant suffered a broken tusk, a hurt leg and bumps, bruises and scratches, he said.

Published Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

It's not unusual to see a deer or a cow crossing Oklahoma's rural highways. But an elephant? A couple driving home from church nearly slammed into a giant pachyderm that had escaped from a nearby circus late Wednesday.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

A woman pleaded guilty and will spend five days in jail after letting her daughter ride in a cardboard box on top of their van. The judge ordered Jackie Knott to 90 days jail time, of which she will serve only five days.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

New Hampshire wildlife officials said a boar that ran into the side of a woman's car on Interstate 89 in New London most likely escaped from a private game preserve. Becky Field said she didn't realize her car had been hit by a boar until a state trooper told her after her vehicle was damaged on Sunday night.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Officials said a man gave deputies more than they asked for when he was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. Sheriff Greg Bartlett told WAFF Tuesday that 48-year-old man pulled out in front of a deputy in the early morning hours of Halloween and the official observed the truck weaving in and out of lanes heading to I-65.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

An Idaho woman accused of ramming her pickup into another car, then hurling ranch salad dressing at the vehicle, has pleaded guilty to aggravated battery. Tiffany M. Wallace, 18, entered the plea in 4th District Court Monday in a deal with prosecutors. The Idaho Statesman reported Wallace was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 11.

Breathalyzer Halloween
AP Photo

James P. Miller, 20, is shown Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in a police photo provided by the Oxford Ohio police department wearing a Halloween breathalyzer costume. Miller was arrested and charged with driving a vehicle while intoxicated after blowing a 0.158 on a breathalyzer test when he was stopped by Oxford police driving the wrong way on a one way street Halloween night.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

An Ohio man dressed as a Breathalyzer test for Halloween found himself blowing into one after police stopped him for allegedly driving the wrong way without headlights on a one-way street. Oxford police said they stopped 20-year-old James P. Miller on Halloween night and found beer in his front seat and in the trunk.

ODD Isuzu Jesus
AP

Jim Stevens stands next to his truck that has an image of Jesus on the window Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 i Jonesborough, Tenn. The image has been there for two weeks and appears every morning when the morning dew is on the window. Stevens says he's not particularly religious and is clueless about why an image resembling Jesus Christ keeps appearing on his pickup. (AP Photo/Johnson City Press, Lee Talbert) MANDATORY CREDIT

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Jim Stevens said he's not particularly religious and is clueless about why an image resembling Jesus Christ keeps appearing on his pickup. Stevens, of Jonesborough, said nearly every morning, an image that looks to him like the face of Jesus Christ has appeared in the condensation on the driver's side window of his Isuzu truck. A Johnson City Press photo of the truck showed a facial image.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral.

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

After being robbed of his jacket, cell phone, keys and $300, a Pennsylvania man was left with the odd feeling that his assailants looked familiar. Police say that's because they went to school together about 15 years ago.

Cow Prosthetics
AP

This undated photo provided by Martha Dickenson shows 9-year-old Luke Burton petting his family's Black Angus yearling calf while the calf tries out her new prosthetic hind legs at Colorado State University's James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo. Meadow, from Ocate, N.M., is believed to be the first bovine calf fitted with double prosthetics. The calf lost part of her legs to frostbite. A 15-member team of faculty and students at the school's veterinary hospital performed the surgery and rehabilitation. (AP photo/Courtesy of Colorado State University) *BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE*

Published Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Meadow the yearling Black Angus calf spends her days frolicking in northeastern New Mexico's cattle country, all with her prosthetic hind legs.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Police in the Denver suburb of Edgewater say a man stabbed himself, then said he was attacked by three men dressed in black who were either Hispanic or skinheads, in a ploy to miss work.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

A Massachusetts town has made it illegal to own more than three cats without getting a special license. Voters at a town meeting in Dudley added language to a town bylaw on Monday night that makes it illegal to own more than three cats without a $50 residential kennel license.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

A veteran Milwaukee firefighter was charged with drugging his wife's tea with his anti-depressent medication because he said he wanted to calm her after an argument. A criminal complaint charges the 43-year-old man with a felony. He was in the Milwaukee County jail Tuesday on $10,000 bail and was unavailable for comment.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

A Boston parking valet armed with an umbrella is being credited for helping a woman fight off a knife-wielding purse snatcher. Police said Tuesday that 61-year-old Barbara Pero of Auburn was attacked Monday night outside a Boston condominium just after her car was brought up by a valet parking service. A man forced his way into the car and threatened to kill her.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

A new law takes effect in early December making it illegal to give a shout-out to an inmate at the Van Buren County Jail. A century-old section of the jail in the heart of Paw Paw has no air conditioning, so its barred windows are opened in warm weather. The wing stands only a few feet from the sidewalk, separated from it by a tall chain-link fence crowned by spirals of razor wire.


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