Wierd and Offbeat News
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It's true! Broadway was traffic-free for 2 Manhattan miles
NEW YORK (AP) — It was a bold New York experiment: closing Broadway to traffic for two Manhattan miles.
Sat, 21 Apr 2018 18:15:51 -0400 -
Officials say postal worker hoarded over 17K pieces of mail
NEW YORK (AP) — A postal worker who prosecutors say hoarded away more than 17,000 pieces of undelivered mail in New York City allegedly told investigators he was overwhelmed by the amount of mail he had to deliver.
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 18:02:53 -0400 -
Michigan couple gives 14th son creative middle name
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan couple had a little bit of fun naming their 14th son.
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 13:52:43 -0400 -
Mom: Preschool's ban of the term 'best friend' is silly
GEORGETOWN, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts family is looking for a new preschool for their 4-year-old daughter because her current school has barred use of the term "best friend."
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:13:05 -0400 -
No turkeys, please: Owner seeks gander for pet goose
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — Lucy is a lover of long walks and a shared dinner of weeds, and she's looking for love.
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 09:51:43 -0400 -
Bus leaves Cleveland for New York, ends up in Toledo
CLEVELAND (AP) — Greyhound says it is investigating how a bus meant to take passengers from Cleveland to New York ended up in Toledo.
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:00:09 -0400 -
Horses throw toads to win quirky British pub championship
Two points are awarded for throwing a toad in the hole, with one point awarded for landing it on the lead table. The Black Horse came out victorious at Wednesday's championship at a hall in the team's home town of Lewes in southern England.
Fri, 20 Apr 2018 03:13:49 -0400 -
It's (another) boy! Michigan family with 13 sons gets No. 14
ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) — There will be no shortage of hand-me-downs for this Michigan kid.
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 12:36:45 -0400 -
Homeowner finds naked intruder in her tub, eating Cheetos
MONROE, La. (AP) — Police in Louisiana say a woman came home to discover a naked stranger in her tub, eating her Cheetos while taking a bath.
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 06:26:47 -0400 -
California tortoise with cracked shell gets $4,000 repair
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A wayward tortoise that cracked its shell after falling off a 10-foot wall in California is recovering after vets used screws, zip ties and denture material to repair it.
Thu, 19 Apr 2018 01:19:45 -0400 -
420's long, strange trip to pot holiday began in California
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) — Friday is April 20, or 4/20. That's the numerical code for marijuana's high holiday, a homage to pot's enduring appeal and universal slang for smoking.
Wed, 18 Apr 2018 17:27:24 -0400 -
Marx birthplace cashes in on 0 euro notes for anniversary
The German city of Trier is struggling to keep up with demand for 0-euro notes, bearing the face of its most famous son and communism's creator Karl Marx, and sold for 3 euros each as part of celebrations for his 200th birthday. Marx's best known and most influential works are the Communist Manifesto, co-written with Friedrich Engels and released in 1848, and his caustic analysis of capitalism "Das Kapital" two decades later. "The souvenir plays on Marx's criticism of capitalism and of course the 0-euro note fits perfectly with Marx as a motif," said Norbert Kaethler, managing director of Triers' tourism office.
Wed, 18 Apr 2018 11:04:26 -0400 -
'No to sex on roundabouts', Norway tells high school graduates
Norway's high school graduates should refrain from running naked across bridges and having sex on roundabouts lest they give drivers "too much of a surprise", the national transport regulator said on Wednesday. Norway's annual post-graduation period called "Russ" lasts weeks, involves partying and drinking heavily - and tends to challenge public morals every spring. In a statement titled "No to sex on roundabouts", Terje Moe Gustavsen, a former minister of transport who now runs the Public Roads Administration, said: "Everyone understands that being in and around roundabouts is a traffic hazard," .
Wed, 18 Apr 2018 10:57:11 -0400 -
You want tarantula with that? At U.S. burger joint, it's an option
Kristin Barnaby, a self-described arachnophobe, found a way to overcome what she dreads at a North Carolina burger joint. "I am going to eat my fear," the 27-year-old said at the Bull City Burger and Brewery, where she tucked in to a hamburger topped with a crunchy full-grown, oven-roasted tarantula and a side of fries. The tarantula burger was a feature of the restaurant's April exotic meat month, which in the past six years has featured iguana, alligator, camels, python, turtle and various insects.
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 11:02:16 -0400 -
Egypt's mufti issues fatwa against buying Facebook 'likes'
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's top mufti has issued a fatwa, or a religious decree, saying that buying Facebook "likes" is prohibited under Islam because it's a form of fraud and deception.
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 04:42:08 -0400 -
2 men use signs to spread happiness
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Two New Hampshire men are trying to spread some positivity in Nashua with their feel-good signs.
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:40:47 -0400 -
WiFi network named 'remote detonator' prompts gym evacuation
SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan gym patron looking for a WiFi connection found one named "remote detonator," prompting an evacuation and precautionary search of the facility by a bomb-sniffing dog.
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:37:14 -0400 -
Minnesota firehouse opens doors during blizzard for prom
FOREST LAKE, Minn. (AP) — Firefighters came to the rescue for a group of Minnesota high school students when a blizzard struck during their prom.
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 06:30:22 -0400 -
Town wants UFO memorial moved; witness objects
SHEFFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A memorial in a remote corner of Massachusetts that marks a 1969 UFO sighting has been ordered moved, but one man who experienced a close encounter is objecting.
Sat, 14 Apr 2018 11:38:00 -0400 -
Florida man's own dashboard camera lands him in jail
ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man ended up in jail after his dashboard camera showed police more than he intended.
Fri, 13 Apr 2018 08:35:15 -0400 -
Mother's obituary helps officers nab 1981 prison escapee
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Investigators say a woman's obituary helped federal agents capture her fugitive son nearly four decades after he escaped from an Oklahoma prison.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:38:41 -0400 -
Mower, tooth in a box, Vishnu doll in New Jersey beach trash
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. (AP) — The bizarre trash items plucked from New Jersey's beaches last year might be enough to cause nausea or heartburn. But don't worry, a bottle of Pepto-Bismol was among the items collected.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 13:09:45 -0400 -
Tiger reported running through streets of New York _ or not
NEW YORK (AP) — A false report of a tiger in the streets of New York has caused a social media frenzy.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 11:28:07 -0400 -
Vermont bistro owner offers gift for return of cutout
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont restaurant owner is offering a $100 gift certificate to the person who returns a life-size cardboard cutout of himself that was stolen from an airport.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 11:18:47 -0400 -
Handwritten note lands man Volkswagen bus of his dreams
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (AP) — A man has the car of his dreams eight years after he slipped a note inside the window of a blue 1971 Volkswagen bus that the then-16-year-old called his "future car."
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 08:53:15 -0400 -
Ad touting 'World Famous Big Blue Bug' goes up on I-95
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The nearly 60-foot long blue termite that overlooks Interstate 95 in Rhode Island is now even harder to miss.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 07:46:10 -0400 -
Threat of closure spurs surge in sales for Necco Wafers
REVERE, Mass. (AP) — The maker of the colorful Necco Wafers has experienced a surge in sales since announcing it might close unless it finds a buyer, and a Florida woman offered to exchange her 15-year-old car for one company's wafer inventory.
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 07:22:45 -0400 -
Workers discover mummified monkey in old department store
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Workers renovating the old Dayton's department store in downtown Minneapolis have discovered a mystery: the mummified remains of a monkey.
Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:21:25 -0400 -
Singing road strikes wrong chord with Dutch villagers
Created by strategically laid "rumble strips" as a way of livening up journeys across the flat landscape, the novelty has worn thin for locals who say the constant droning melody is driving them mad. If hit at the correct speed - the 60 kph (40 mph) limit - the road will sing out the anthem of the Friesland region - a northern part of the Netherlands that has a distinct language and culture. The Friesland authority has agreed to remove the rumble strips later this week, local newspaper Leeuwarder Courant reported.
Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:28:44 -0400 -
Jail job applicant not hired, arrested instead in theft case
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A woman applying for a job at a New Hampshire county jail has been arrested because it turns out she was wanted on a charge in Maine.
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:11:41 -0400 -
Temasek stake values 'Salt Bae' Turkish restaurant owner at $1.2 billion
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Singapore's Temasek and Britain's Metric Capital have bought into Nusr-Et steakhouse owner D.ream in a deal valuing the Turkish firm at $1.2 billion.
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:36:18 -0400 -
Police, fed up with lingering cold weather, 'arrests' winter
DEPEW, N.Y. (AP) — An upstate New York police department fed up with lingering cold weather has placed winter under arrest.
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 10:43:27 -0400 -
UK Wife Carrying champ beats the mud to win place in world final
With a sliding dive worthy of a rugby try, Chris Hepworth flung himself and his partner over the finishing line to become UK Wife Carrying champion, and now has his eye on the world title. Having set a course record of one minute and 37 seconds, Hepworth and his partner Tanisha Prince from London plan to take up the chance of competing in the world finals in Finland. "I think a Finnish guy wins it every year so it'll be good to go there and take them down," said Hepworth, who claims he did no practice for the race in Dorking, south of London.
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 07:41:15 -0400 -
Maine community creates massive ice carousel on frozen lake
SINCLAIR, Maine (AP) — Residents in a Maine town believe they've created the world's largest ice carousel on a frozen lake.
Sat, 07 Apr 2018 16:39:46 -0400 -
Put your paws up: Detroit-area police department adds cat
TROY, Mich. (AP) — Book him, kitty.
Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:54:04 -0400 -
Moose stomps man's foot in Alaska after he kicks her
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man was injured north of Anchorage after a moose that he had just kicked stomped his foot in return, state officials said.
Fri, 06 Apr 2018 12:51:23 -0400 -
Female lion with a mane has died at Oklahoma City Zoo
The Oklahoma City Zoo says an 18-year-old African lioness that mysteriously sprouted a mane last year has died. The zoo says the lioness, named Bridget, was euthanized Wednesday after a veterinary team ...
Fri, 06 Apr 2018 12:10:25 -0400 -
Man who fell through ex's ceiling arrested _ again
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who was hospitalized after sneaking into his ex-girlfriend's home and falling through the ceiling has been arrested for alleging stealing clothes from another home after leaving the hospital.
Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:04:19 -0400 -
What a delivery! Pizza driver comes to rescue in house fire
SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky pizza deliveryman's customer service was on fire. Literally.
Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:57:40 -0400 -
Maine petting zoo is site of first reindeer birth in years
WINSLOW, Maine (AP) — A traveling Maine petting zoo says its reindeer has unexpectedly given birth to the first baby reindeer in the state in more than 20 years.
Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:14:32 -0400 -
'BUSted': Superintendent gets warning for passing school bus
MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a Florida superintendent was pulled over for illegally passing a school bus as police were running a bus safety campaign.
Wed, 04 Apr 2018 17:54:52 -0400 -
Out-of-control trash truck smashes vehicles in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An out-of-control trash truck smashed into a row of parked cars along a residential street in Philadelphia, but no injuries have been reported.
Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:00:42 -0400 -
Police investigate reports of 'zombie' raccoons
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Police are investigating reports of "zombie-like" raccoons in northeast Ohio.
Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:15:57 -0400 -
Daffy idea? Wisconsin voter wants to bring ducks to election
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A voter in a tiny northeast Wisconsin town wants to bring ducks to the polling station along with a sign that reads: "If you don't vote, you can't squawk."
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 17:29:55 -0400 -
Zoo offering visitors buckets of 'Detroit Zoo Poo'
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — Some visitors to the Detroit Zoo will soon be able to add animal droppings to their souvenir list.
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 16:30:05 -0400 -
Butcher-bound bull escapes, is fatally shot by police chief
SKOWHEGAN, Maine (AP) — A 600-pound bull bound for the butcher escaped its trailer and led authorities in Maine on a 1 ½-hour chase before it was fatally shot by the police chief, who said it posed a threat to onlookers.
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 11:53:59 -0400 -
Couple who met in supermarket marry amid veggies in aisle 13
LOWER BURRELL, Pa. (AP) — Attention all shoppers: wedding in aisle 13.
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:03:07 -0400 -
Suspect sings 'Cops' theme following chase and arrest
HAWORTH, N.J. (AP) — A teenager sang the theme from the television show "Cops" after he was arrested following a chase in New Jersey.
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 07:25:14 -0400 -
'Miraculous': Teen survives 12 hours in Los Angeles sewage
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 13-year-old boy was miraculously rescued Monday after falling into a river of sewage in Los Angeles, getting swept away and spending more than 12 hours in the city's toxic and mazelike underground sewer system.
Mon, 02 Apr 2018 23:52:35 -0400 -
Kansas woman's ex hides in attic, falls through ceiling
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman suspicious that someone had broken into her home later found her ex-boyfriend's legs punched through her ceiling.
Mon, 02 Apr 2018 19:38:43 -0400