Girl gets death threats for looting after earthquake

 Zealand - A Canterbury school girl has faced death threats and public loathing after publicly boasting of looting ice cream after the quake. Amy Knowles, 16, used her Facebook page to taunt survivors who had been left without electricity and running water. Amy had been in the central city when the earthquake happened. She wrote: “Stole Ice creams, got drunk and mished around seeing f***** up shit, earthquakes arent soooo bad.” She went on: “Haha people give me shit about living in rangiora. F*** you all, i have power, water, and can shit and flush it.” Amy removed her site after being bombarded with Girl gets death threats for looting after earthquake

Taking pictures of cows could land you in jail

Florida - SB 1246 by Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, would make it a first-degree felony to photograph a farm without first obtaining written permission from the owner. Media law experts say the ban would violate freedoms protected in the U. S. Constitution. But Wilton Simpson, a farmer who lives in Norman’s district, said the bill is needed to protect the property rights of farmers and the “intellectual property” involving farm operations. Simpson, president of Simpson Farms near Dade City, said the law would prevent people from posing as farmworkers so that they can secretly film agricultural operations. Animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Animal Freedom display undercover videos on their web sites to make their case that livestock farming and meat consumption are cruel.  More…

3 arrested strong-arm robbery of 5-year-old girl

California - Police announced the arrests of three people believed responsible for the strong-arm robbery of a 5-year-old girl and authorities are looking for other potential victims. The investigation began on Dec. 27 after the victim’s mother reported the robbery of the girl’s necklace. The victim and her mother were walking when one suspect snatched a gold chain from the girl’s throat and ran. The victim’s uncle chased the suspect and was able to recover the necklace, but he was also confronted by the second suspect before both suspects fled.  The investigation culminated this month in the arrests of three people: Daniel Bard, 19; Kirk Lewis, 19 (Pictured); and a 17-year-old girl, all of Long Beach.  More…

Girl Scouts fear arrest for cookie peddling

Villa Rica, Georgia - A Girl Scout leader says young members of her troop thought they were headed to jail when a Georgia police officer told them to quit selling cookies. The girls had set up a stand at a strip mall in Villa Rica about 30 miles west of Atlanta when the officer asked them if they had a peddler’s permit. They didn’t. Troop Leader Kathy Crook was stunned. She says the scouts were told to pack it up. The younger members thought they would be taken to jail. The city’s police chief and mayor spoke with the officer. They say he did nothing wrong and that it was a misunderstanding.  More…

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Man killed in movie over popcorn argument

Latvia - The man was killed for complaining about a fellow moviegoer’s noise. The 43-year-old man was attacked in a movie theater in Latvia when he asked a particularly loud popcorn-munching member of the audience to keep it down. The offending eater, 27, was apparently so insulted that he opened fire with a “legally registered” weapon. Identified as “a graduate of the police academy who holds a doctorate in law from the University of Latvia,” the shooter was then reportedly “overpowered by other audience members until cops arrived.”  More…

Providence plans to fire all teachers

 Rhode Island - The school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every one of its 1,926 teachers, an unprecedented move that has union leaders up in arms. In a letter sent to all teachers Supt. Tom Brady wrote that the Providence School Board will vote on a resolution to dismiss every teacher, effective the last day of school. In an e-mail sent to all teachers and School Department staff, Brady said, “We are forced to take this precautionary action by the March 1 deadline given the dire budget outline for the 2011-2012 school year in which we are projecting a near $40 million deficit for the district,” Brady wrote. “Since the full extent of the potential cuts to the school budget have yet to be determined, issuing a dismissal letter to all teachers was necessary to give the mayor, the School Board and the district maximum flexibility to consider every cost savings option, including reductions in staff.” State law requires that teachers be notified about potential changes to their employment status by March 1.  More…

Couple wed at marathon mile 22.5

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A pair of running enthusiasts exchanged vows after running 22.5 miles of Texas' LiveStrong Austin Marathon and completed the race as husband and wife.Couple wed at marathon mile 22.5

Cheeseburger Bill blocks fatties from suing

Minnesota - A Minnesota House panel has approved legislation that would block consumers from suing fast-food chains and other food companies for weight problems. The Civil Law Committee approved the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act on a voice vote. The proposal is also known as the “cheeseburger bill.” The bill would prevent consumers from suing the food industry for weight gain, obesity and health problems caused by long-term consumption of fattening foods and non-alcoholic drinks such as soda.  More…

Man Names Daughter “Facebook”

Egypt - Inspired by the role Facebook played in the recent protests and ultimate overthrow of Egypt’s president, the twenty-something year-old man felt a need express his thanks, and and did-so by naming his newborn girl “Facebook.” A young man in his twenties wanted to express his gratitude about the victories the youth have achieved and chose to express it in the form of naming his firstborn girl “Facebook” Jamal Ibrahim(his name.)  The girl’s family, friends, and neighbors in the Ibrahimya region gathered around the new born to express their continuing support for the revolution that started on Facebook. “Facebook” received many gifts from the youth who were overjoyed by her arrival and the new name. More…

News journalists attacked by angry mob

California - An angry mob attacked a reporter and a photojournalist, but it wasn’t in the Middle East, it was in California. The journalists were hit and pushed by family and friends of a young man who had been gunned down the night before outside an International House of Pancakes restaurant in Sacramento. FOX 40 News reporter John Lobertini and his cameraperson, Rebecca Little, were assaulted after approaching a group of people standing near a memorial for 27-year-old Chester Jackson set up on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Authorities are looking at the video to determine if any charges need to be filed. No arrests have been made.  More…

Dogs Kill Woman Working In Her Yard

South Carolina - Sirlinda Hayes was working in her garden as she did every day, tending turnips and collard greens on a small plot outside her modest one-story home. Moments later she was dead, mauled by two neighborhood dogs that had gotten loose many times before but had not acted aggressively toward humans. Hayes, 66, died from the attack in her yard in Dillon, a small city about 100 miles northeast of Columbia. They belonged to a neighbor, who came over to help as Hayes lay bleeding. They turned on him too, biting him and causing injuries so severe he had to be hospitalized. The dogs would not let emergency responders near Hayes or their owner. Deputies finally shot both of the animals, which were taken off by animal control.  More…

Mother duct tapes 2-year-old, thought would be funny

California - An Hesperia woman who thought it would be funny to bind her 2-year-old son in duct tape and text message a photo of him to an acquaintance didn’t get a laugh. She was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to a child. Danyella Higgins, 19, told San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies she was repairing a window when she was inspired to tape up her son’s arms, legs and mouth. The recipient of the photo called authorities.  More…

71-year-old vet beat up for silent protest

George Washington University - Could it be the U.S. government thinks peaceful, civilian protest against government is fine on the streets of Cairo, Egypt but not on U.S. soil? As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech at George Washington University condemning governments that arrest protestors and do not allow free expression - and lauding freedom of speech on the Internet - 71-year-old military veteran Ray McGovern was grabbed from the audience in plain view of her by police and an unidentified official in plain clothes and hustled out of the building and, according to McGovern and his supporters, was “brutalized and left bleeding in jail.” What McGovern did was simply remain standing silently in the audience and turned his back on her as Secretary Clinton began her speech. That was it.More…

Woman follows GPS, parks on train tracks

 San Diego, California - A 63-year-old Oklahoma woman in town to visit her son narrowly escaped injury when her rental car became stuck on train tracks in San Diego because of bad directions she received from the vehicle’s GPS system. The woman had just arrived in San Diego and rented the vehicle to drive to her son’s house. It was wet and dark outside, and the GPS directed her to turn left onto the railway, which she believed was a street. The car quickly became stuck on some gravel. The woman then heard the sound of an oncoming train and got out of the car.  More…

Woman drove into crowd of school children

South Carolina - Police say a woman drove into a crowd of children after they refused to move out of the way of her car. Summerville Police charged Amy Lynn Stewart, 34, with four counts of assault and battery in the first degree, Capt. Jon Rogers said. Rogers said a group of children was walking to Alston Middle School on the shoulder of the road about 8 a.m. when a vehicle approached them at the intersection of Tulip Drive and Iris Street. There is no sidewalk at the intersection. The driver honked her horn and when the children didn’t move she drove into the crowd, striking four of the children.  More… 

Man Poisoned 130-year-old Oak Trees

Auburn University - Police say they have arrested a 62-year-old Alabama man for allegedly poisoning trees at a historic site on Auburn University’s campus, where fans have long celebrated big wins and hundreds gathered after the Tigers won the national football championship on Jan. 10. The Auburn Police Division said that Harvey A. Updyke, of Dadeville, Ala., was arrested and charged with first-degree criminal mischief. Police allege Updyke deliberately poisoned oak trees at Toomer’s Corner with a commonly used herbicide, applied in lethal amounts to the soil around the two trees. The 130-year-old trees likely cannot be saved.  More…

Man’s dog threw sock filled with drugs out the window

Oregon - Authorities in Oregon said a man’s own personal drug dog took a sock filled with marijuana and hashish and threw it out of his window during a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Joel Dobrin, 32, told him he was trying to put the sock away during the traffic stop when his dog, a pit bull mix, grabbed onto it and attempted to play a game of tug-of-war. Dobrin said the dog managed to take the sock and tossed it out the window. Dobrin was charged with possession of a controlled substance.  More

Surgical forceps left in woman’s stomach

 France - A woman, whose coughing fit exposed a pair of surgical forceps left in her stomach five months ago, said she is still waiting for an apology from her doctor. The shocking sight of a metal tip poking out of her belly button explained the weeks of agony the 31-year-old from Lyon, eastern France - identified only as Anne - had endured following an otherwise successful tummy tuck operation. But far from being sorry about the medical mishap, her surgeon Dr Bernard Dessapt from Lyon’s Natecia Clinic tried to make light of the incident, even delaying the removal of the forceps because “another 24 hours would not change her life.”  More…

Man Charged In Pantyhose Prank Calls

Pennsylvania - Police say a central Pennsylvania man random made phone calls — sometimes more than 400 in a single day — and tried to get women to engage in sexually explicit conversations about pantyhose. Upper Allen Township police say 43-year-old Rip Alan Swartz turned himself in to face harassment charges. Investigators say he placed calls to businesses across the country over the last five years. Authorities say Swartz would try to get female employees to talk to him, sometimes calling multiple times.  More…

Thieves steal man’s leg - He wants it back

Canada - Baird had his leg stolen. Now he wants it back. Thieves broke into the Welland, Ont., man’s home while he and his two children were asleep and stole his prosthetic leg, wallet, medication and work bag. Baird lost part of his leg when at the age of 14 he was run over by a train. The cost of the prosthetic was about $10,000, but it’s unlikely it could fetch anything close to that on the black market. “What are they going to do with a leg? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.  More…  

Woman Answered Craigslist Ad, Held For 8 Days

New York - A 27-year-old Wisconsin woman said she answered an apartment ad she sawon Craigslist and wound up being held captive as a sex slave in Brooklyn for more than a week. John Hopkins, 45, has been arrested. The alleged victim said Hopkins held her in his apartment eight days. Hopkins faces a series of charges, including rape, assault and unlawful imprisonment. Hopkins told the woman on the telephone she could live with him for free if she cooked and cleaned. Hopkins allegedly paid for her plane ticket to fly to New York. However, when she arrived at his home Hopkins allegedly told her she was his slave and forced her to call him master.  More…

Inhumane treatment of elderly patients

UK - National Health Service: A study of pensioners who suffered appalling treatment at the hands of doctors and nurses says that half were not given enough to eat or drink. One family member said the maltreatment amounted to euthanasia. Some were left unwashed or in soiled clothes, while others were forgotten after being sent home or given the wrong medication. In several cases considered by Health Service Ombudsman, patients died without loved ones by their sides because of the casual indifference of staff and their bewildering disregard for people’s needs. The damning report warns that extra money will not help the NHS meet required standards of care and that more problems are likely as the population ages. More… 

Employee Dead in Cubicle, nobody noticed

Los Angeles, California - An L.A. County employee apparently died while working in her cubicle but no one noticed until the next day. 51-year-old Rebecca Wells was found by a security guard the next afternoon. She was slumped over on her desk in the L.A. County Department of Internal Services. Wells, a USC graduate, was a longtime compliance auditor, and had recently become a grandmother, according to co-workers. Investigators have not determined the official cause of death, but they say foul play is not suspected.  More… 

Store Chain Fights Subway Over Footlong

Iowa - An Iowa-based convenience store has asked a federal judge to rule that the word footlong is part of the general English language and not the special property of the Subway restaurant chain. Ankeny-based Casey’s General Stores Inc. filed a lawsuit against Subway in U.S. District Court in Des Moines seeking a declaration that Casey’s use of the word footlong to describe its 12-inch-long sandwiches doesn’t violate any right owned by Subway. Casey’s describes sandwiches as footlong on menu boards at about 180 stores, and intends to roll it out in all of its 1,600 stores in the Midwest. More…   

Window Washing Fluid Keeps Man Alive

 Arizona - An elderly Anthem man said he survived five days alone in the desert by eating dinner leftovers and straining diluted window washing fluid to stay hydrated. A helicopter spotted 84-year-old Henry Morello in the desert north of Phoenix. “He stayed near his vehicle and utilized some things from his vehicle to help him survive,” said Randy Folts, a friend. Morello told friends he used the mats from his car to cover up with at night. During the day, Morello took a rock and opened the hood of his car and broke the windshield wiper fluid and was using that with a napkin to keep himself hydrated.  More…

Spinning black holes twist light

Researchers have proposed a means to spot rotating black holes. The idea may provide the first unique signature of black holes, which - true to their name - have never been seen. The ...Spinning black holes twist light

Man wears seat belt belt to get around law

 Kansas - A homemade seat belt doesn’t qualify as a seat belt under law. That’s what a Wichita municipal judge told Paul Weigand. Weigand went to trial to try and fight a ticket he received for violating the state’s primary seat belt law. He says the law doesn’t specifically say the seat belt has to be attached to the vehicle, so his seat belt belt should be enough. The atmosphere is court was jovial. The judge, prosecutor and police officers had a little fun with what Weigand was trying to prove.  The prosecutor went on to say that Weigand was right, the law didn’t specifically state the seat belt had to be attached. But she says the intent of the law is to protect drivers. The judge says Weigand’s 15 minutes of fame from this case will cost him $2 a minute. The ticket fine was $30 plus another $96 in court costs.  More…

Priest removed for affair 40 years ago

 Los Angeles, California - A Catholic priest who admitted having a sexual relationship with a high school girl more than 40 years ago was removed his position, and a high-ranking official who oversaw the background checks of priests resigned. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced that the Rev. Martin P. O’Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities. The archdiocese said it was reacting to inquiries from a New York Times reporter researching an article about O’Loghlen. The 74-year-old priest is accused of having a long-term sexual relationship with the teenage girl beginning in 1960, and seeking her forgiveness later.  More…

Mini-skirted Beauties urge better snow removal

Russia - Too much snow and not enough beaus — so says a squad of mini-skirted, high-heeled young women wielding snow shovels in Russia’s second city. Seven women dressed for maximum hotness came to the frigid square in front of St. Petersburg’s Kazan Cathedral to chip away at snow and ice and demand better city snow removal. Tourism experts say foreign visitors avoid St. Petersburg in the winter because of the city’s problems in dealing with its snow. The women said that they would like more foreign men to come to the city.  More…

Rat runs around plane’s cabin

Seattle, Washington - Alaska Airlines had to delay a flight about to leave Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when a rat was seen scurrying in the cabin. The airline says the flight from Seattle to Denver had just pulled away from the gate when the rat was spotted. The 737 jetliner returned to the terminal and passengers and crew boarded another plane about 90 minutes later. Airline spokeswomanBobbie Egan says the plane won’t be returned to service until maintenance workers make sure the rat didn’t damage equipment or chew any wires -  and an exterminator certifies the plane is rodent-free.  More…

Nanny found with dirty diaper under his pillow

Canada - A live-in nanny whose arrest on child pornography charges revealed a disturbing fetish for soiled diapers has been sentenced to 16 months in jail. Tony Barnes, 30, pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of child pornography. Police arrested him after his boss, a Stonewall mother of three, tried to close his laptop computer and uncovered sexually explicit pictures of young children. Police secured a search warrant for Barnes’s room and found an abundance of diapers, including a dirty diaper underneath his bed pillow. More…

Grandma’s family withholds car keys, she calls 911

Joliet, Illinois - Authorities in Illinois said a drunken grandmother called 911 with a false report of being held hostage when family members wouldn’t hand over her car keys. Deputies said Geneva Ward,48, called 911 and reported she was being held at gunpoint, but deputies discovered a different situation when they arrived at the Lockport Township home. When deputies arrived, they discovered Ward had wanted to drive her grandchildren somewhere, but the parents felt she was too intoxicated and hid her keys. Ward was charged with disorderly conduct.  More…

Employee Films College Girls in the Shower

University of Texas - A former equipment manager for its track and field team was charged with allegedly filming women taking showers in the school’s locker room. Rene Zamora was arrested in November 2010, and a grand jury has indicted him. He now faces 40 charges of improper photography, a felony. The alleged scheme came undone when a showering junior noticed a camera lens propped above her shower curtain while rinsing her hair after a track meet. She screamed and heard retreating footsteps. She recognized the man and shouted, “Rene!” He yelled, “Sorry!”  More… 

Teacher suspended over blog entries

DOYLESTOWN, Pa., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania school district said a high school English teacher was suspended after she referred to students on her blog as "dim" and "rat-like."Teacher suspended over blog entries

Collision prompts sword - machete fight

 Sunnyside, Washington - A hit-and-run collision followed by a brief sword fight led police to arrest a 25-year-old man for assault. The Sunnyside man spotted a 27-year-old rival and intentionally rammed his 1981 Ford F-150 pickup into the man’s vehicle as he backed out of his driveway. The alleged assailant brandished a sword, swinging it at his enemy, who had climbed out of his own vehicle. The suspect fell, giving the victim time to pick up a machete that happened to be laying in his yard and defend himself from his alleged attacker. Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, still in the vehicle, dialed 9-1-1 from her cellular phone.  More…

South Carolina To Create Its Own Currency

 Columbia, South Carolina - A bill in the South Carolina Senate would set up a committee to study whether South Carolina should create its own currency of gold and silver coins as an alternative to U.S. dollars. Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, introduced the bill after seeing that Georgia, Virginia and Missouri are also looking at the same thing. “I think a lot of folks are concerned about what’s happening in our federal government and about the debt that we’re in,” Sen. Bright says. “I got concerned that the government, or theFederal Reserve might make an attempt to monetize the debt through inflation and folks that have saved all this time would obviously be the ones that would be hurt the most.  More…

School bus driver lets student drive, $50 fine

 Indiana - Lisa Fuller, the EVSC contract bus driver that allegedly allowed a teenager to drive her bus, was sentenced in court. Fuller pled guilty to a Class 3 misdemeanor charge of allowing a minor to go into a prohibited area only occupied by a driver. She was fined $50 but she had to cover court costs which brought her total to $214. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Leanne Garbers says that she may have used poor judgment but she doesn’t appear to be a threat in the future. If she had been convicted on that charge, she couldn’t get a commercial drivers license in the future.  More…

Animal Planet joins Bigfoot search

SALISBURY, N.C., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Cable network Animal Planet said a camera crew will join a Bigfoot search led by a North Carolina man who claims to have videotaped the legendary ape in 2009.more

Romantic stunt ends in tragedy

Germany - A romantic gesture went tragically wrong in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia when a man fell to his death trying to affix a sign on a motorway bridge to mark the 10th anniversary of his relationship. The 29-year-old was somehow trying to attach a banner with his name, a woman’s name and the phrase “10 years’ to the bridge,” said police. The man fell onto the A544 where he was crushed by at least two vehicles outside of Würselen near the western city of Aachen.  More…

Woman Caught Hiding Meth

California - A Sonora woman was arrested during a traffic stop. The Police Department pulled over a vehicle at the intersection of Stewart and Bradford Streets because it had a false registration tag. An officer recognized a passenger, 36-year-old Marsha Guinn of Sonora, because she was arrested on January 7th for possession of methamphetamine. As the officer conducted a warrant check on the occupants, he watched Guinn remove something from her sweatshirt pocket and place it under the seat. The officer found the item, a black bag, and saw that it contained methamphetamine. More…

Woman Caught Hiding Meth

California - A Sonora woman was arrested during a traffic stop. The Police Department pulled over a vehicle at the intersection of Stewart and Bradford Streets because it had a false registration tag. An officer recognized a passenger, 36-year-old Marsha Guinn of Sonora, because she was arrested on January 7th for possession of methamphetamine. As the officer conducted a warrant check on the occupants, he watched Guinn remove something from her sweatshirt pocket and place it under the seat. The officer found the item, a black bag, and saw that it contained methamphetamine. More…

Woman calls 911 because man wouldn’t shut up

Florida - The first time Anita Lewis is accused of calling 911, she and a man were arguing. The second time she reportedly dialed the emergency line, the 53-year-old Vero Beach woman said the man had called her names. During the third alleged 911 call, Lewis complained the man “wouldn’t shut up” The calls ultimately landed Lewis behind bars on a misdemeanor misuse of 911 charge.   More…

Man has soccer-ball size alien tumor, growing tentacles

California - When Josh Abken told his doctor he was having persistent back pain the doctor took an x-ray. He was stunned to learn what was growing inside him. “You think you got a serious muscle pull or something, but the doctor has that serious doctor face you see on TV,” Abken said. They found A soccer-ball size “alien” tumor that had become as solid as a rock and even had growing tentacles. Thoracic surgeon Costanzo Di Perna was able to remove the tumor before it killed Abken, but required several hours of surgery before it was all gone.  More…

Prison gives pizzerias a record order

Kansas - Two Pizza Huts in Kansas are working up a Super Bowl order of 941 pizzas and almost 10,000 chicken wings — for a prison. The Hutchinson Correctional Facility is holding the huge meal as a fundraiser for its Spiritual Life Center, selling slices to inmates. About 800 of the 2,000 prisoners ordered pizza or wings. Hutchinson’s Pizza Huts are used to orders up to 500 for Super Bowl Sunday but had to bring in corporate managers from Colorado for this one.  More…

Super Bowl: gates closed, fans mad, seats not ready

Texas - Because of lingering issues with ice on the roof of Cowboys Stadium, at least three of 10 gates at Cowboys Stadium are closed. Some reports had four gates closed. The scene outside the stadium was tense with some fans waiting several hours to get through security and into the stadium. Even when fans got into the stadium, some some temporary seats were not even finished yet. Hundreds of ticket holders were standing in a long line in the Party Pass area of Cowboys Stadium after being informed by NFLofficials that their seats are not yet installed.  More…

1972 Murder of Blind Homemaker Heads to Trial

Rochester, New York - Tommie Cray was 9 years old in 1947 when his father, a single parent with three sons, brought home a new companion who was raising three boys of her own. Annie Mae had a sweet Southern drawl and an easy laugh, and an emotional bond took hold right away.”She brought everybody’s spirit up, she was so lovable and friendly,” reminisced Cray, now 72. After a 38-year hiatus, twice-convicted sexual predator Willie James Kimble (Pictured), 78, is headed to trial on March 3 on charges of bludgeoning to death Cray’s stepmother at her home on Oct. 29, 1972 - the week before Richard Nixon was re-elected president. Her death would be one of the nation’s oldest cold-case murders to be solved by DNA. More…

Employee Fired for ‘What Is the Internet’ Clip

New York - An NBC worker who posted old footage from the “Today” show of the hosts wondering, “What is the Internet anyway?” has been fired, the network confirmed, saying the person had a history of distributing material without permission. The footage, in which Katie Couric, Bryant Gumbel and Elizabeth Vargas try to figure out the Internet and e-mail addresses, made the rounds via said Internet last week, posted and re-posted to Facebook pages and sent via e-mail.  More… 

Florida city may repossess trash bins

PALM BAY, Fla., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Officials in Palm Bay, Fla., said sanitation workers may begin repossessing trash bins from residents who haven't paid their bills.more

BBC Apologizes for Remarks on Mexicans

London - The BBC apologized to the Mexican ambassador in London for remarks made by hosts of the TV show “Top Gear.” The state-owned TV network sent a letter to the ambassador apologizing for the comments, including Richard Hammond’s remark that Mexican sports cars reflect the people of the nation by being “lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat,” the BBC reported Friday. The BBC said the remark was “rude” and “mischievous” but no “vindictiveness” was intended by the host.  More…

Falling ice at Cowboys Stadium injures 7

Texas - Seven people were injured, one of them critically, when ice fell from the roof of Cowboys Stadium  authorities said. The accident happened about 1:15 p.m. at the stadium, site of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV. Five of the seven people injured were taken to area hospitals. Huge sheets of ice and snow atop the stadium could be seen sliding off the dome and crashing down 200 feet to the ground as temperatures warmed and the sun reappeared. Ice falling from the roof of Cowboys Stadium was not something authorities had dealt with in the past and therefore wasn’t something they had planned for. More…

Stupid Smoking’ Led To Fire

Oregon - A house fire may be a $30,000 lesson for the tenants of a northeast Portland home. Fire investigators say people living in the Prescott Street home were using a hole in their floor as an ashtray. The fire was first reported when a 911 caller screamed that the fire department was needed and then hung up. Officials say the person then refused to give vital information when the dispatcher returned the call several times. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, investigators said it appeared the tenants had been flicking ashes and cigarettes into a hole in the floor.  More…

NY mayor authorizes sting operation in Arizona

Arizona - Arizona’s attorney general came out guns blazing when he learned that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg authorized a sting operation at a Phoenix gun show. Attorney General Tom Horne said Bloomberg overstepped his power by not informing authorities in Arizona about the plan to send undercover investigators to gun shows to test how easily a gun can be purchased. Horne called the investigation a “public relations stunt.” and went further. Horne did his own sting, aimed at Bloomberg’s job performance, reminding the mayor, who’s still trying to dig his approval ratings out of record amounts of snow, that crime statistics show major crimes have increased the past year in the Big Apple.  More…

Old People Stand Up Against Armed Robber

Minnesota - A 91-year-old Minnesota man and his 82-year-old wife say they weren’t scared, but the guy trying to rob them sure was. A masked intruder wanting money barged into Wally and Betty’s apartment. “He just stood there in that doorway, standing there with a shovel,” said Wally. “I thought, what the hell is going on here? I thought it was a joke!”  He says, ‘give me your hands! I’m going to tie you up!’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t think so, “Betty said. They both resisted. The World War 2 veteran wasn’t about to give in to the guy’s demands - his wife wasn’t either. After a couple minutes of struggling, the man ran out the door with nothing.  More…