NYC bank robber says it with flowers, hands teller note from bouquet: Give me $50s, $100s!

NYC bank robber says it with flowers: Gimme cash!

NEW YORK – New York City police are seeking a bank robber who’s armed with a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers.
They say the man strolled into a Manhattan bank last week while carrying the flowers. They say he reached into the arrangement, pulled out a threatening note … Original source on Gaea Times at : NYC bank robber says it with flowers, hands teller note from bouquet: Give me $50s, $100s!.

2 men burned in Wash. state methanol explosion while trying to ‘barrel ride’

2 men burned in Wash. state methanol explosion

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. – Two men who were apparently trying to take an unusual thrill ride were seriously injured in an explosion at a shop that builds and services race cars in Washington state.
Fire Chief Dean Klinger told the Skagit Valley Herald the men put about four gallons of …. Read the original article  : 2 men burned in Wash. state methanol explosion while trying to ‘barrel ride’.

Police say Manhattan bank robber says it with flowers, pulling heist armed with lovely bouquet

NYC bank robber pulls off heist armed with flowers

NEW YORK – New York City police are seeking a bank robber who’s armed with a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers. The suspect strolled into a Manhattan bank last week while carrying the flowers. Police say he reached into the arrangement, pulled out a threatening note and …. Source  : Police say Manhattan bank robber says it with flowers, pulling heist armed with lovely bouquet.

Man wearing surgical mask and medical-style latex gloves robs RI bank, police say

Man wearing surgical mask, latex gloves robs bank

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. – A man wearing a surgical mask and medical-style latex gloves robbed a Central Falls bank. Police said the man entered the Bank of America Branch Saturday morning, jumped the counter and grabbed some cash. Police said the man didn’t show a weapon and apparently … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Man wearing surgical mask and medical-style latex gloves robs RI bank, police say.

Truck containing body parts for use at sports medicine convention blocks RI street

Truck containing body parts blocks RI street

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It’s an innocent enough looking tractor-trailer, except for the fact that it’s blocking a street in downtown Providence. But what’s inside may give the heebie-jeebies to some.
A spokesman for medical instrument maker Smith & Nephew told The Providence Journal the truck contains human body parts as … Read more >>.

Hug It Out: Iowa man lands in jail after punching man who refused a hug

Iowa man who just wanted a hug lands in jail

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Police arrested a man who they said punched another man who refused to hug him. Iowa City police responded to a report of someone being aggressive and punching cars Sunday night. The suspect, a 23-year-old man, told police he became upset after … Read more : Hug It Out: Iowa man lands in jail after punching man who refused a hug.

Let them eat cake: Fla. groom, a competitive eating champ, challenges bride to cake eating

Groom challenges bride to cake eating contest

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Let them eat cake. The wedding cake eating contest may have been a bit unconventional, but what else would guests expect when the groom is one of the world’s top competitive eaters.
Hall Hunt, who can down 63 Krystal burgers in eight minutes, and Emily Wright served … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Let them eat cake: Fla. groom, a competitive eating champ, challenges bride to cake eating.

Duck hunt: Officials track 1,000 plastic birds on the loose since Indiana charity duck race

1,000 runaway plastic ducks need to be rounded up

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A child advocacy agency is hoping to get all its ducks in a row after more than 1,000 plastic entrants in a charity duck race floated to freedom in northeast Indiana.
Stop Child Abuse & Neglect says 17,000 plastic ducks were dropped into the … Original article on : Duck hunt: Officials track 1,000 plastic birds on the loose since Indiana charity duck race.

Liberian elephant rampages against logging company; residents say elephant possessed by humans

Liberian elephant rampages against timber company

MONROVIA, Liberia – The unlikeliest of activists – a rampaging elephant that locals claimed was supernaturally possessed – has aired rural Liberians’ frustrations with the country’s profitable timber industry.
The elephant killed a logging worker in June when it charged onto the local company’s property, and had also been known to [..] Read the original article: here.

Mass. catalogs ‘great places’ to promote its tourism, but list has closed sites, wrong towns

Mass. releases ‘great places’ list _ with errors

BOSTON – It turns out that some of Massachusetts’ greatest places aren’t so great after all.
To promote tourism, the Legislature last week released a list of the state’s top 1,000 attractions.
But the Boston Herald reports that some sites don’t exist any more, some are closed to the public [..] Read the original article: here.

Ohio’s transportation department to build Chia Pet-like sound wall along highway

Ohio to test Chia Pet-like sound wall on highway

CLEVELAND – Ohio plans to build a sound barrier made out of soil and plants in the state’s first eco-friendly attempt at muffling highway noise.
A spokesman for the state transportation department says the 12-foot high wall will be like a Chia Pet: Workers will water bags filled … Read more : Ohio’s transportation department to build Chia Pet-like sound wall along highway.

Idaho officials say man kept 25 rattlesnakes inside bucket in his apartment

Idaho man accused of keeping rattlers in apartment

MALTA, Idaho – An Idaho man who authorities say had 25 Western rattlesnakes in a five-gallon bucket in his apartment has been issued two misdemeanor citations by the state’s Department of Fish and Game.
Officials say Terry Brian Teeter had as many as 32 snakes but he gave some …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Idaho officials say man kept 25 rattlesnakes inside bucket in his apartment.

Fla. police: Handcuffed man complaining of claustrophobia opens squad car’s door, escapes

Police: Handcuffed man opened car door, escaped

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Police in central Florida say a man who was handcuffed somehow managed to open a police cruiser’s door and escape after complaining he was claustrophobic and couldn’t breathe.
Altamonte Springs police say the officer had opened the windows slightly for 19-year-old Ridgh Genesis Achille, who had … Original source on Gaea Times at : Fla. police: Handcuffed man complaining of claustrophobia opens squad car’s door, escapes.

Idaho fire destroys quirky ’shoe tree’ attraction; cedar decorated with shoes since the 1940s

Idaho tree decorated with shoes since 1940s burns

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Forest Service officials in northern Idaho say the rubber-soled decorations that made the “shoe tree” a beloved Priest River landmark also helped fuel its demise.
Tourists and locals since the 1940s have dressed the tree with hundreds of pairs of shoes, nailing sneakers to its …. Source  : Idaho fire destroys quirky ’shoe tree’ attraction; cedar decorated with shoes since the 1940s.

Oregon man sues pest control company, claiming rodent blasts caused him to have hearing loss

Oregon man sues over rodent blasting
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. – A man filed a $146,000 lawsuit against a pest control company, claiming he suffered hearing loss when a worker used explosives to remove rodents on his neighbor’s property.

Michael Lester’s complaint alleges the unnamed Cynergy Pest Control worker was negligent in failing to warn neighbors and then … Original source on Gaea Times at : Oregon man sues pest control company, claiming rodent blasts caused him to have hearing loss.

Burglars drive stolen pickup truck into Wash. state store, take ATM other items, drive off

Burglars turn Wash. state store into drive-through

ABERDEEN, Wash. – Grays Harbor County sheriff’s deputies in Washington state are looking for the burglars who drove a pickup truck into a local store and stole an ATM machine.
Undersheriff Rick Scott says surveillance video shows the wall of the Amanda Park Mercantile exploding Thursday morning as the truck … Original source on Gaea Times at : Burglars drive stolen pickup truck into Wash. state store, take ATM other items, drive off.

Boxer rebellion: Colorado town says no more people in their underwear at council meetings

No more debating in your underwear in Colo. town

BOULDER, Colo. – The days when a citizen could address the Boulder City Council wearing only underwear may be over.
The council will vote on new decorum rules in September, seven months after a resident stepped up to a microphone in his boxers.
The rules were already under review, …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Boxer rebellion: Colorado town says no more people in their underwear at council meetings.

Philippine president says he’s getting too many text scams on his cell phone

Philippine president says he’s tired of text scams

MANILA, Philippines – Not even presidents are spared cell phone text scams.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III complained to reporters about the time he spent dealing with text messages from a person abroad claiming to be his sibling – and asking for money. Aquino said he responded that he … Original source on Gaea Times at : Philippine president says he’s getting too many text scams on his cell phone.

NY to Vegas luxury auto rally nets speeding tickets and arrests as drivers pass through Colo.

NY to Vegas rally nets speeding tickets, arrest

DENVER – Colorado authorities say five drivers were ticketed and another was arrested for speeding during a luxury auto rally from New York City to Las Vegas. The Colorado State Patrol said it received several complaints as the Bullrun Live Rally passed through Colorado on Wednesday. Authorities said … Original source on Gaea Times at : NY to Vegas luxury auto rally nets speeding tickets and arrests as drivers pass through Colo..

NH woman accused of breaking into a home and impersonating a police officer

NH woman accused of break-in, impersonating a cop

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Police said a New Hampshire woman faces several charges after she broke into a home and told the owners she was a police officer after she was discovered in the kitchen. Police said the woman, 34, said Wednesday she was chasing a burglar from the …. Read the original article  : NH woman accused of breaking into a home and impersonating a police officer.