Man calls 911 over rising gas prices

Louisiana - The St. John 9-1-1 emergency call center received a report from a motorist who became irate when, he said, a local gas station increased the price of the fuel - while he was filling up his truck. The unidentified motorist told authorities that when he first pulled into the station at Birdie’s Food and Fuel in LaPlace, the price on the pump read $3.049 per gallon. But, while he was pumping, the price shot up to $3.189. The motorist confronted the station attendant but got no satisfaction, so he dialed 9-1-1. “He said he didn’t think it was fair,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Dane Clement. “And the store attendant wasn’t very cooperative, so he called the Sheriff’s Office.” The deputy filed a report, which will be forwarded to the State Attorney General’s Office as a civil complaint.  More…

$3.5 mil to fire 6 teachers for poor performance

USA - It took the Los Angeles school district five years at a cost of $3.5 million to fire six teachers for poor performance. In Washington, D.C., 75 teachers were dismissed for alleged incompetence. One teacher was let go for playing DVDs in class, another missed 20 days of work in two months. All ended up being reinstated by an arbitrator. The story is similar in New York City where hundreds of teachers considered too inept to teach are kept out of classrooms, but continue to collect full salaries and benefits. Under the new proposal it would still take as long as 15 months to remove a teacher who’s ultimately determined unfit to be in a classroom.  More…

Man gives $200K to fake online girlfriend

Napierville, Illinois - Police in Illinois said a man was in disbelief when officers told him the online girlfriend to whom he had given $200,000 was not a real person. Naperville police said the 48-year-old man called investigators to say he believed the woman, with whom he had been involved in a 2 1/2-year online relationship, had been kidnapped in London. The man told police he had wired $200,000 to the woman during the relationship to different bank accounts in Nigeria, Malaysia, England and the United States. The ID card the woman showed the man was a sample driver’s license from Florida. The man was in disbelief when officers told him the woman was not real, police said.  More…

Teachers Sue City for Slander Over Lesbian Allegations

New York City - Two teachers accused of having a sexual romp in a classroom are suing the city for $2 million for ruining their reputations. Alini Brito and Cindy Mauro had drinks before returning to the high school to attend a musicand dance competition. Partway through the show, the pair retreated to Mauro’s classroom. At some point, two school custodians opened the door to the room to find the women on the floor, in various states of dress. A school safety officer, summoned to the scene, said she saw Brito topless on the floor and Mauro between her legs. But Brito and Mauro give an entirely different account. They say Brito, a diabetic, began feeling ill during the competition and asked Mauro to check her blood sugar. They went upstairs to Mauro’s classroom. By the time they got there, Brito felt so weak that she lay down on the floor and Mauro took off her sweater and put it under her friend’s head. She was kneeling next to Brito in the dark classroom when the janitor opened the door.  More…

Sick of taxes, woman grows her own cigarette tobacco

Brooklyn, New York - Audrey Silk’s backyard is home to raspberry and rose bushes, geraniums, impatiens and 100 tobacco plants in gardening buckets near her wooden deck. Inside her house, she has to be careful stepping into her basement - one wrong move could ruin her cigarettes. Dozens of tobacco leaves hang there, drying on wires she has strung across the room, where they turn a crisp light brown as they age. She talks about cartons and packs in relation to crops and seeds. Planted in 2009, her first crop - 25 plants of Golden Seal Special Burley tobacco - produced nine cartons of cigarettes. She would have spent more than $1,000 had she bought nine cartons in parts of New York City. Instead, she spent $240, mostly for the trays, the buckets and plant food. More…

Man Left Dead Uncle In His Home, Went Gambling

California - A man has been arrested on a number of charges after allegedly failing to notify authorities that his uncle died and then stealing money from the victim’s account. A relative of a 63-year-old man flagged down deputies and told them the man was dead inside his home. When authorities began investigating the scene, a deputy spotted the victim’s nephew, 45-year-old Patrick Lara, abruptly stop when he drove into view of the home and turn around. Deputies pulled Lara over and began to question him. Lara allegedly told them he never called for medical attention after his uncle broke his arm and died a short time later. Receipts found inside the home indicate that Lara had used the man’s ATM card to get cash from his accounts, even using it to gamble.  More…

Alligator found in flood-hit house

A woman in Brazil says she was shocked to find an alligator hiding behind her sofa after heavy rains flooded her house. She says she was alerted to the alligator's presence by her son, who was ...Alligator found in flood-hit house

Teacher made kids beat boy, teacher still teaching

New Mexico - A mother claims boys in her son’s kindergarten class beat him up, and that the teacher told them to do it. Rolinda Dunmire rushed to pick up her son, Amos, from his class after his teacher called and said the boy was acting up. When she got to the school, her son was crying. The teacher approached me and said that my son had hit another kid and, to punish him, she had all the boys in the class beat him up the mother said. Dunmire claims the teacher had eight other boys line up and start swinging. The school superintendent said said since there is no claim the teacher actually made physical contact with the boy, there is no reason to pull her out.  More…

Mother Suspended For Taking Deployed Son’s Call

Teresa Danford, an employee of Crane Interiors in Woodbury, Tenn., was suspended for three days without pay for answering her son’s phone call. Her managers informed her that she would be fired if it happened again. Danford’s son, Lance Cpl. Mark Rhyne, was deployed to Afghanistan seven months ago. “You don’t want to miss a word, because truthfully that might be the last time you hear from them,” Danford said. When a manager informed Danford that she would be penalized for breaking the cell phone rule, Danford said she explained the situation. “I said you are aware that my son is serving in Afghanistan and he can only call me when that satellite phone gets to his unit, and he looked me straight in the eyes and said yes.” Crane general manager Chris Anderson says the company has apologized to Danford.  More…

Neighbor’s Hallucinations cause police search for lab

Pennsylvania - Police in Westmoreland County said they were alerted to what was suspected to be an illegal drug lab in Southwest Greensburg when a neighbor in a nearby apartment started hallucinating. Pennsylvania State Police removed 13 chemicals from a first-floor apartment. The owner of the chemicals has not been arrested and said that he was not running an illegal drug lab. “I was trying to find new novel substances. I wasn’t trying to make anything illegal.”  More…

Grandpa, you are doing it wrong

Wyoming - Officials with a Wyoming ski resort said no charges will be filed against a 78-year-old man arrested while trying to ski uphill. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort officials said Ronald Fleck was arrested after ski patrol members spent 3 1/2 hours attempting to convince the man to turn around while he was trying to ski uphill to watch his granddaughter’s ski race. Fleck was arrested on suspicion of trespass, interference, unsafe skiing and theft of services. However, Jerry Blann, president of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, said no charges will be pressed. More…

Mom forgets kids, leaves them in a bar

 Iowa - The Johnson County Sheriff’s Department arrested a Tiffin woman after she allegedly left her children alone at home when she went to buy cigarettes and then to a bar. Authorities said patrons at Slims Saloon in Tiffin found Adriann Anne Gressman’s two children crying in the snow and brought them into the bar for their safety. Gressman, 28, is charged with endangerment with no injury. A bartender at Slim’s said Gressman was in the establishment after her children had been brought inside and did not notice them or take them home. Gressman was being held in the Johnson County Jail on $2,000 cash-only bond.  More…

Airline plans in-flight live entertainment

 Moscow - Russian budget airline Avianova announced it will be hiring clowns, actors and musicians to amuse and entertain passengers during flights. The airline said it was inspired to install stages on the planes when it was forced to reduce the number of seats from 180 to 159 because of a change in Russian customs policy.  More…

Justin Bieber blasts Lady Gaga's style as 'gross'

Teen sensation Justin Bieber has slammed Lady GaGa's weird fashion sense as ...more

Man wrongly put away for 18 years denied compensation

Texas - A courtroom technicality has cost a wrongly convicted Texas man the compensation that would otherwise be due him for the 18 years he’d served in Texas prison–14 of which he spent on Death Row. Anthony Graves would have received $1.4 million in compensation if only the words “actual innocence” had been included in the judge’s order that secured Graves’s release from prison. The Comptroller’s office decided the omission means Graves gets nothing even though the prosecutor, judge, and defense all agreed at trial he is innocent. The compensation law provides $80,000 per year in prison only to claimants explicitly found innocent in a retrial or who are granted a pardon. Neither status now applies to Graves.  More…  

Against the law for kids to walk the dog

Manassas, Virginia - City leaders want to make it a requirement that only responsible adults be the ones walking their dogs. “At the other end of the leash, there must be an individual who is competent to control the animal,” Manassas Councilmember John Way told NBC Washington’s Craig Melvin. Way admits this has not been a widespread problem, however one woman recently reported having to jump on the top of a car to escape two stray pit bulls.  Way also ran into a similar problem while walking his small dog down a public street.  More…

Teen Finds priceless statue of Pharaoh in the trash

Cairo - A teenager found a priceless statue of Pharaoh Akhenaton near a garbage bin after it was stolen from the Egyptian Museum during anti-regime protests, Egypt’s antiquities chief said. The museum’s world renowned collection was burgled and several artifacts went missing including statues of King Tutankhamun and Pharaoh Akhenaton. A 16-year-old protester found the sculpture near a rubbish bin in Tahrir Square, the focal point of the demonstrations which brought down Hosni Mubarak. He took the statue home, where his uncle Sabri Abdelrahman, a professor at the American University in Cairo, recognized the piece and returned it to authorities.  More…

Brothers Pretended To Be Cops, it’s a hobby

Florida - A pair of brothers were so good at being fake cops they even fooled their neighbors. Now, the alleged impersonators are facing real charges. Deputies said the two men had patrol cars, handcuffs and a gun. They were arrested when investigators said they tried to pull someone over. Investigators said one of the suspects claimed to work for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. He said he was a “crime watch liaison.” His car looked like a real police car with lights and sirens. They each had their own Crown Victoria, with mounted lights and sirens. Deputies said Glenn even had a microphone to talk to other drivers, a spotlight, handcuffs dangling inside, and a handgun. “It’s kind of a hobby. Our dad was a police officer, so they just like police stuff,” their sister said.  More…

Dr. Murray Dodged Wrongful Death Lawsuit in 2007

Michael Jackson wasn't the first patient to die while in Dr. Murray's care -- in fact, TMZ has learned MJ investigators spoke with the son of a former Murray patient who BLAMES the doc for killing his dad in a botched surgery.  Months after MJ's… Read more

Someone swipes giant cactus statue from NM library

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are investigating a thorny theft case of gigantic proportions. KOB-TV reports someone stole a giant fiberglass cactus ...Someone swipes giant cactus statue from NM library

Driver's dog helps Oregon deputy make drug bust

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MORO, Ore. -- An Oregon sheriff's deputy didn't need a drug dog to point out a stash during a recent traffic stop. The driver's dog did it for him. KGW-TV ...Driver's dog helps Oregon deputy make drug bust

Third of Russians think sun spins round Earth? (Reuters)

Reuters - Does the sun revolve around the Earth? One in every three Russians thinks so, a spokeswoman for state pollster VsTIOM said on Friday.Third of Russians think sun spins round Earth? (Reuters)

Taxi imposter gets jail after high-speed chase (Reuters)

Reuters - A man posing as a taxi driver who led police on a high-speed chase from John F. Kennedy International Airport with five unsuspecting French tourists in his van was sentenced to one year in jail.Taxi imposter gets jail after high-speed chase (Reuters)

Justin Bieber on United States: “You guys are evil”

In the new issue ofRolling Stone Justin Bieber takesRolling Stone contributing editor Vanessa Grigoriadis for a spin around Atlanta in his Range Rover. Along the way they discuss girls, politics, music, Will Ferrell movies – and sex. The Canadian-born Bieber never plans on becoming an American citizen. “You guys are evil,” he says with a laugh. “Canada’s the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don’t need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you’re broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard’s baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby’s premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home.”  More…  

30 items removed from suspect's rectum

SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Authorities in Florida said a homeless man sent to jail Friday was found to be concealing 30 items in a condom hidden in his rectum.30 items removed from suspect's rectum

Bicycle rider charged with hitting car

Redmond, Washington - Police in Washington state said a cyclist threw his bike at a car and smashed a window after the vehicle’s driver honked at him. Redmond police said Chad Olson, 42, of Redmond threw his bike at the Volvo smashing a window, after the driver pressed the vehicle’s horn. Police said Olson left the scene before they arrived but he showed up at a police station about an hour later and said he wanted to report a road rage incident. He told police any damage done to the car was self-defense when the driver, Ben Han, 46, tried to hit him. Police said about $5,700 worth of damage was done to the Volvo. A felony charge against Olson was filed last week. More…

Teacher sprayed students with air freshener

UK - A pre-school teacher with 20 years’ experience sprayed air freshener on Asian children - referring to Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in the UK - under her care because they smelled of curry. Elizabeth Davies, 48, humiliated children as young as three in an inner-city school by accusing them of smelling of curry or onions. If a child came in smelling of onion or curry she would say, “There is a waft coming in from paradise.” If they had broken wind she would stand above them and spray air freshener at them. More…  

'Weird' mouse taxidermy a revived art rage

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A New York City gallery taxidermy class in which dead mice are used to create human-like figurines sold out in 4 hours, the teacher said.more

Man bought drinks for women, but they were men

Florida -Outraged when he learned the women he bought drinks for were actually men in drag, an Immokalee man was arrested by Collier County Sheriff’s deputies after causing a ruckus in the bar. Josue A. Hernandez, 27, was at a bar on Boston Avenue in Immokalee when he learned the people he was socializing with and purchased drinks for, which he believed to be female, were in fact men dressed in women’s clothing. He then became irate, breaking bottles, starting fights with other customers and causing a disturbance.  More…

Ice Hotel is one of Canada’s hottest attractions

Canada - A winter wonderland on the outskirts of Quebec City has become one of Canada’s hottest attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests huddle for warmth in sleeping bags on beds of ice, bonnets pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails in glasses also made of ice. Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C. (-4 F.) in winter, but inside the hotel’s 36 rooms it is relatively cozy. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an insulator, trapping body heat inside. It is a building method conceived by Inuit who built igloos in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland out of blocks of snow in the winter. First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. More…

Mother leaves baby in car to go tan

St. Petersburg, Florida - An officer used a stun gun on a woman who resisted arrest after leaving her 7-month-old daughter in the car while she went into a tanning salon. St. Petersburg Police say 19-year-old Ashley Agerenza was charged with child abuse, resisting arrest and battery on a law enforcement office. Police say Agerenza first took the child inside the salon, but was told she could not leave the baby in the salon while she tanned. She took the child to the car, placed her in a car seat and turned on the engine. A witness called 911. The mother told police the child’s father had been with her, but witnesses didn’t see him. More…

Boy, 6, stabbed for wearing pink

Sweden - The newspaper names the boy as Oskar and reports how his liking for pink clothing, ballet and nail polish left him exposed to regular bullying from other boys in his playgroup. The newspaper reported that he had also complained to his parents that he had been subjected to taunts that he was “gay” and “a girl”. He had furthermore complained of being excluded from the group. The incident happened in school in which the 6-year-old sustained a noticeable injury to his neck after having been stabbed with a blunt knife.  More… 

Barking dogs can land owner in jail

Reuters - If you live in Italy and if the barking of your dogs keeps the neighbors up at night, it's you who might wind up caged -- in a jail cell.more

Stalker of Facebook honcho Mark Zuckerberg leaving

The man accused of stalking Facebook honcho Mark Zuckerberg claims he's going to stay away from MZ -- like half a world away ... because he's planning on leaving the country. As TMZ first reported, Zuckerberg obtained a restraining order against Pradeep… Read more

'Saggy Pants Robber' gets 26 years

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A serial robber of South Florida convenience stores who was nicknamed the "Saggy Pants Robber" has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.'Saggy Pants Robber' gets 26 years

Sex offender sends cards to child victims

Tennessee - “Happy birthday, I hope you have a wonderful day and following year.  I cannot believe my little tot-tot is already a teenager.  You might be tired of me writing this but I can’t get over how fast you are growing up,” read Donna Turner with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Department. Turner was reading from birthday and Christmas cards sent from by sex offender from jail to his young victims. “In child abuse cases, it’s something you deal with for the rest of your life and this card has put them back to the very day it all started…the very first time they were abused,” Turner said. Terry Bernard McConnell is the convict who sent the cards, convicted of rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery involving two female victims. He’s locked up until 2019.  More… 

Nudist group releases iPhone app

KISSIMMEE, Fla., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Florida-based American Association of Nude Recreation said its free "Nakation" iPhone application has been downloaded nearly 800 times.Nudist group releases iPhone app

Man throws tantrum during traffic stop

Texas - El Paso County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man who allegedly threw a tantrum during a traffic stop. Deputies noticed a Nissan Maxima traveling with one of its headlights off. When deputies pulled the over the driver, Antoine Brooks, 18, he identified himself as “Antoine Minjarez,” gave a date of birth but couldn’t provide a driver’s license. When deputies discovered a licensed driver didn’t exist with that name and date of birth, Brooks became belligerent. His father arrived at the scene to identify his son and calm him down, but Brooks continued to be uncooperative by kicking the inside of the patrol car and acted belligerently towards his father. Brooks’ father then asked deputies to take his son to jail.  More…

Museum goes wild with animal sex show

London - A museum in London is throwing caution to the wind for an exhibition on sex in the animal kingdom complete with copulating chimps and randy rabbits — just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Sexual Nature” at the Natural History Museum explores the diverse ways in which animals have evolved to procreate, such as a snail’s love darts, the detachable penis of the paper nautilus, or the outsized testes of the promiscuous chimp. “This exhibition is about the relationship between sex and evolution and the bizarre, surprising adaptations that animals have evolved to procreate as much as possible. “We ask people to be open-minded when looking at potentially surprising, maybe shocking things that animals do that would be outlawed in human society.”  More

Bosses Move 'Haunted' Theme Park Ride

Staff building the water ride at Thorpe Park said they had encounted several strange phenomena, including what appeared to be a headless monk. There were reports of objects being moved, workers ...more

Woman locked in house for 20 years

Brazil - Police in Brazil said they had freed a 45-year-old woman who had been locked in a house for 20 years with no communication with the outside world. Police in the state of Parana said the woman was locked in the home by her partner, a 60-year-old man. Following a complaint by social workers, police arrived at the house to find it closed but heard the voice of a woman who appeared to be calling for help. Police Lieutenant Denis Wellington Viana said the woman told a psychologist later that “she was prohibited from any form of communication” and had to perform household chores.  More…

Swanky Paris salon spruces up down-at-heel women (Reuters)

Reuters - In her exclusive salon in an off-street courtyard in Paris' upmarket St Germain district, hairdresser Lucia Iraci spends her days coiffing the city's glitterati, including actors, models and musicians.more

Teacher has glass of wine on Facebook, Fired

Georgia - The pictures were exactly what you’d expect from a European summer vacation: Cafes in Italy and Spain, the Guinness brewery in Ireland. So 24-year-old Ashley Payne, a public high school English teacher in Georgia, was not prepared for what happened when her. “He just asked me, ‘Do you have a Facebook page?’” Payne said. “And you know, I’m confused as to why I am being asked this, but I said, ‘Yes.’ And he said, ‘Do you have any pictures of yourself up there with alcohol?’” The picture that concerned the principal - showing Payne holding a glass of wine and a mug of beer - was on her Facebook page. Payne was told a parent of one of her students called to complain. And then, Payne says, she was given a choice: resign or be suspended. She resigned. More…

Man fatally stabbed by rooster

California - Investigators say a 35-year-old California man who died at a hospital was killed by a rooster. Jose Luis Ochoa was stabbed by a knife attached to the leg of a fighting rooster, the Kern County coroner’s office said. Officials said an autopsy determined Ochoa died as a result of a stab wound to the calf, and the death was ruled accidental. Investigators said it was not known if a cockfight was under way at the time of the accident.  More…

Police: Valet took BMW on 180 mph joyride

MONTREAL, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Police in Montreal said a valet taking a joyride in a BMW was clocked driving 180 mph on a city expressway.more

Man crashes stolen car, leaves false teeth

Sacramento, California - Police arrested a 53-year-old man who crashed his stolen car into two other vehicles. Sacramento Police Department said it received a report of a man who crashed his car, hitting two vehicles, fences and landscaping of two home. Witnesses told police the man, who was bloodied and injured from the incident, fled on foot. two vehicles, fences and landscaping of two homes in the area of 24th Street and John Still Drive. Witnesses told police the man, who was bloodied and injured from the incident, fled on foot. A man, identified as James Brown, was arrested.Investigators said the officers were able to identify Brown as the driver of the car because his false teeth, which were knocked out when the vehicle’s airbag was released, was left sitting on the floorboard of the vehicle. More…

Alligator Farm installs zip line

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The owner of a Florida farm featuring every species of alligator and crocodile said he is installing a zip line for tourists to travel above the reptiles.more

Cops Charge 7-Year-Old for Bringing Nerf Gun to Class

 New Jersey - A 7-year-old child allegedly shot a Nerf-style toy gun in his school. No one was hurt, but the child now faces misdemeanor criminal charges. Police began an investigation into the “suspicious activity” after school officials alerted them to the incident. The “gun” the child brought to school was a $5 toy gun, similar to a Nerf gun, that shoots soft ping pong type balls. There was no evidence of anyone being threatened. Dr. Dan Blachford, the Hammonton Board of Education superintendent, said the school has a zero tolerance policy. School officials described the child as “a nice kid” and “a good student.”  More…

Cabin crew reveal most unusual customer requests

Some passengers fail to understand why they are prevented from opening the window, while others would like the engines to be “turned down” to reduce the noise. The foolish and sometimes bizarre questions asked of flight attendants were disclosed after 3,000 Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members listed the most unusual customer requests they had experienced. Among the most common queries was “Please can you open the window?”, from uncomfortable passengers who had failed to appreciate the benefits of a pressurised cabin at 35,000 feet. Other unique questions fielded by Virgin staff included “Could you turn the engines down because they are too noisy?” and “Please can the Captain stop the turbulence?”   More…

Tuesday is 'Working Naked Day'

DALLAS, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The Dallas founder of Working Naked Day said the event, observed Tuesday, is aimed at helping those who work at home to cut loose.more

Students protest school’s response to “KKK” posters

Michigan - Students at Hope College are not happy with their school’s response to a racially-charged fake fraternity. Close to 200 Hope College students took to the streets to protest the college’s response to recent racially motivated incident on campus. Posters were recently put up around campus, promoting a fake fraternity called “Kappa, Kappa, Kappa,” and playing up the acronym “KKK.” “I was scared. I was actually scared,” said Black Student Union Vice President Robert Phillips. ”This poster says nothing but hate. It’s murder, it’s ignorance.”  More…

LAPD clears decades-old backlog in rape cases but…

California - The Los Angeles Police Department announced today that it has cleared a decades-old backlog of untested DNA evidence collected in rape and sexual assault cases, but acknowledged the department’s laboratory remains too small to keep pace with the influx of new cases. The department came under intense pressure in late 2008 from victim advocate groups and elected officials to address the thousands of pieces of DNA evidence that had sat untouched in police storage freezers for years. Because its in-house lab is too small to handle the task, the departments says, it has spent the past two years scraping together federal grants, public funds and private donations to outsource the testing to private labs.  More…