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Police: Man made sexual advances to fence

Thu, 11/22/2007 - 18:43 by MT Bureau

London -- London police allege a man's stated intentions to have sex with a fence led to his arrest and a court appearance this week.

Prosecutor Philip Lemoine told Westminster Magistrates' Court that when police approached Daniel French in Leicester Square Gardens Sunday, the 24-year-old allegedly told them of his lascivious intent, The Daily Telegraph said Wednesday.

"He said words to the effect of: 'I'm going to have sex with that fence,'" Lemoine alleged in court this week.

"The gardens were locked and police asked French to leave. He was drunk and there were some sexual motions -- drunken silliness -- to the railings."

The defendant has admitted to be intoxicated and acting inappropriately, but has denied making lewd comments or advances to the fence.

Lead-foot lawmaker clips trooper's toes

Wed, 11/21/2007 - 21:02 by MT Bureau

Harrisburg, Pa -- A lead-foot Pennsylvania state legislator pulled over for speeding allegedly then ran over the state trooper's foot as he pulled out to resume his travels.

Democratic Rep. Joe Petrarca was hurrying to the state Capitol in Harrisburg, when he was pulled over on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Fulton County, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. A police report said Petrarca took off "abruptly" after receiving the ticket.

Trooper John Beaken received minor injuries.

Petrarca, in a news release, apologized for the incident, starting with driving 75 in a 65-mph zone. He said he did not realize he had hit the trooper and stopped as soon as he realized Beaken was hurt.

He has been charged with a moving violation in addition to the speeding ticket.

Ringing package prompts concern

Wed, 11/21/2007 - 19:45 by MT Bureau

Jacksonville, Fla -- A bomb squad was called to a Florida home Monday after a woman became concerned that a package sent to her by her estranged husband might be a bomb.

Alana Fowler of Jacksonville said she picked the package up from the post office Friday and left the box in her garage, noting she wasn't expecting a package from her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Then Saturday, she heard a ringing sound from the box. Fowler said she waited until Monday to call authorities.

When the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office bomb squad opened the package, they found a cell phone inside.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.

Burglary suspect shoots self in arm

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 21:08 by MT Bureau

Port Jefferson, N.Y -- A burglary suspect in Port Jefferson, N.Y., was arrested at a hospital emergency room after he accidentally shot himself in the arm.

Investigators said Steven Holmes of Rocky Point on Long Island was one of three intruders who entered a home in Port Jefferson Friday. The three, all wearing masks, took turns standing guard over two men who were in the house at the time while the others looked for items to steal.

The victims heard a shot coming from upstairs, police said. The burglars then left with $350 and jewelry.

Holmes came to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital to be treated for the bullet wound, police said. A staff member reported the shooting to police, and officers who questioned him described him as "uncooperative and evasive."

Brothers to demolish Australian mansion

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 20:49 by MT Bureau

Sydney -- Two South African brothers recently bought a mansion in Sydney for $29.5 million, only to announce plans to demolish it mere months later.

Abe and Solly Krok set a Sydney real estate record in September when they bought the mansion, but apparently believe the land on which the luxurious home is built to be worth more without it, The Melbourne Sun-Herald reported Sunday.

The demolition plans came even as the value of the mansion seemed set to rise substantially, selling agent John McGrath said.

"I would say that that property, without any work done to it, will probably be worth $40 to $50 million in the next three years because there's only a handful of them," McGrath said.

Named "Tahiti," the Hawaiian-style mansion was built in the 1960s by architect Douglas Snelling for Sir Theo Kelly, a former Woolworths chairman.

Students' prank proves very costly

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 20:40 by MT Bureau

Auckland, New Zealand -- The decision by several New Zealand students to douse several area cars with eggs and flour has resulted in a nearly $3,500 repair bill.

The students from Westlake Girls High School in Auckland had intended to target cars belonging to members of a rival school, but instead damaged cars owned neighbors, The New Zealand Herald said Sunday.

Sun-il Jun, a local 17-year-old who found his brother's car coated with the culinary mixture, said the girls' prank went too far.

"Have you ever tried to wash sun-baked egg stains off a car?" said Jun, who had been watching his brother's car at the time of the prank.

"It's difficult to clean and it also smells bad."
Nearly 25 female students took part in the prank to celebrate their dwindling days at school.

Rappelling Santa Claus hits a snag

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 20:00 by MT Bureau

Conroe, Texas -- A stand-in Santa Claus in Conroe, Texas, found himself in a dangerous situation after his beard became tangled in climbing gear 30 feet off the ground.

Rock climber James Bosson was to play Santa and rappel from the top of the 80-foot-tall Outlets at Conroe sign, but he had not practiced with his beard and 50-feet down it became snagged in a latch, the Conroe Courier reported Monday.

A knife tossed up by someone on the ground allowed Bosson to cut away his Santa beard but he still was unable to climb down and had to be rescued by the Conroe Fire Department.

Jessica Critton, marketing and special events manager for the Outlets of Conroe, told the Courier said it was the first time they invited Santa to rappel from the top of their sign and light the 50-foot-tall live tree, which was adorned with more than 3,000 lights.

Elderly Brit couple marry

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 19:57 by MT Bureau

Devon, England -- After a three-day romance, an elderly British couple tied the knot Monday in Devon.

James Mason, 93, and Peggy Clark, 85, had planned a quaint ceremony at Paignton's Oldway Mansion, but instead had a long list of guests to celebrate their nuptial, BBC news reported.

"It's absolute fairyland. Just to be together means the world. We both can't wait to be legal!" Clark said before the wedding.

Mason, a former mayor of Torbay, wore a top hat and tails so Clark decided a white bridal gown and tiara would be appropriate for the happy occasion, Sky News reported.

"Life used to be a dark, dismal place. It's now a very sunny, exciting place," Mason said of his bride's effect on him.

Security guards turn hijackers

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 19:29 by MT Bureau

Sydney -- Two security guards hijacked an aircraft carrying nearly $2 million in banknotes in Papua New Guinea and made off with the cash.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported the incident happened Monday when a chartered aircraft was delivering the money to a bank in Papua New Guinea's Western Province.

The guards pulled out their guns and forced the two Australian pilots to land the plane at a World War II-era airstrip near Port Moresby.

The ABC reported, however, that the pilots managed to send out a distress signal alerting the staff at Port Moresby's Jackson Airport.

Police immediately launched an air search and located the plane. When they arrived at the airstrip they found the two Australians covered in mud and handcuffed to a tress, the ABC said.

72-pairs of sneakers grace power lines

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 19:18 by MT Bureau

New York -- The intersection of Kingsland Avenue and Jackson Street in Brooklyn, New York, became home to 72 pair of sneakers after they were hung on power lines.

Locals came up with numerous theories as to what the shoes could represent, including a drug-sale hot spot, the scene of a police beating or the location of a violent death, the New York Post reported Monday.

Others claim that the shoes, which appeared Sunday, are some sort of urban horseshoes game.

"These sneakers here symbolize a lot of things," said contractor and local resident Eric Thomas, 20. "It could be the police whipping you're butt, or somebody died there."

Although the 72-pairs of sneakers were nothing compared to a 300-pair exhibit that recently appeared at the same corner.

No. 13 unlucky ball in British lottery

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 19:12 by MT Bureau

London -- Officials of Britain's National Lottery say No. 13 has been the unluckiest ball since the game began in 1994.

The No. 13 ball has popped up 146 times -- eight times fewer than any other ball, Britain's Daily Mail reported Monday.

No. 38 is the luckiest ball, having hit 217 times.

The numbers mean little, however since the odds against hitting the jackpot are always 13,983,816-to-1, the Mail reported.

Thirteen is considered bad luck in many cultures. The disciple Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person at the table during the Last Supper, and the 13th card of the Major Arcana in a Tarot deck is Death.

Lottery officials, however, report some good news about the number:

About 13 new millionaires have been created each month in the 13 years since the National Lottery began, and a syndicate of 13 taxi drivers from Littlehampton won a total of $1.4 million in drawings in 2002 and February of this year.

Man sues for lost finger

Mon, 11/19/2007 - 22:29 by MT Bureau

New York -- A New York man is suing Bellevue Hospital for losing his finger and then charging him $3,000 in medical expenses, The New York Post reported Sunday.

Efraim Rivera, 30, had his finger cut off last February in an argument in Brooklyn. Police and paramedics packed the finger on ice and took it and Rivera to Bellevue, which is noted for surgical reattachment, the Post reported.

About an hour later, a nurse told Rivera they lost the finger and asked him to sign a waiver saying he no longer wanted the finger, said the lawsuit filed last week in Brooklyn Supreme Court against the city Health and Hospitals Corp., Bellevue's owner.

Rivera, a warehouse worker in New Jersey, refused to sign the waiver and was billed $3,000 for treatment, the Post reported.