Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Some Strange News Stories





I think it's time to scan the news for some unbelievable stories in the news. Some of these are shocking and some are just plum goofy. I've included the brief story in each piece of news. More detailed accounts are available courtesy of the Net. What in the world is happening? Here's a ticket to the zany news. Laugh, cry, or question.




Current Stories

Fox News (October 27, 2009) reports that as many as a dozen people may have witnessed the brutal gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl after her California high school homecoming dance. The attack took place in a dimly lit corner of the campus. Two suspects are in custody, but as many as five other men attacked the girl over a two-hour period. The district defended school security, saying that when the students leave the dance, "we don't take them home."

The Associated Press (October 27, 2009) reports twelve New Jersey women have posed nude for a calendar to raise awareness about prostate cancer. Proceeds from the calendar will go to the Prostate Cancer Coalition of New Jersey. Sheila Rosko of Blairstown got the idea from the 2003 movie, "Calendar Girls." A group of women in England posed nude for a calendar to raise money for research after a friend's husband died from leukemia.
Rosko's husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago.



ABC News reports (October 27, 2009) that the infamous "Boy Balloon" Heene family of Colorado has yet to be charged with a crime. Prosecutors said they haven't decided whether to file charges against the parents accused of falsely reporting their son was in a runaway balloon, sparking a massive rescue attempt before the boy was found at the family's Fort Collins home.

The Associated Press (October 27, 2009) reveals that former teacher, Debra LaFave, who had sex with a 14-year-old student wants to be allowed supervised contact with the children of her relatives and friends.LaFave is serving seven years probation, and one of the conditions is a ban on contact with children. Lafave served more than


An Associate Press story from the San Francisco Chronicle (October 27, 2009) states that a motorist driving past a fender-bender struck three men standing on the side of a highway and drove more than a mile with one of them lodged in his windshield, police said. Christopher Swiridowsky, 30, of Providence, Rhode Island, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident. The man suffers with broken legs and a broken arm while Swiridowsky is now charged with striking him and the two other people was ordered held without bail.

The Stamford Advocate (July 26, 2005) reports firefighters in Stamford, Conn., had to break a car window, against the owner's wishes, to rescue her 23-month-old son, whom she had accidentally locked inside along with the key. According to police reports and a 911 tape, the kid had been sweltering for more than 20 minutes on an 88-degree July day when Susan Guita Silverstein, 42 (who was later charged with reckless endangerment), asked firefighters to wait until she went home to get a spare key so they wouldn't have to damage her Audi A4.

The Dallas Morning News (2003) says Charles D. McKinley, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y., had four weeks of vacation coming, so he decided to visit his parents in DeSoto, Texas. Rather than buy a plane ticket for $320, McKinley, a shipping clerk, packed himself into a shipping crate and air-expressed himself home, charging the fees to his employer. When the crate was delivered to his parents' front step, McKinley pushed out of the box and shook hands with the "shaken and frightened" delivery driver.











2 comments:

Brandi said...

The apathy that was apparent in the gang rape of the 15-year old girl on the campus is all too common anymore. People are too scared, but much more often are just too busy to be 'bothered' with saving someone's life or dignity.
I think the off-duty officer was correct in pulling his weapon on what he thought was an attacker. The 'ghoul' was a dumba%% for approaching someone outside of the attraction.
And I think that the guy who shipped himself should pay his employer back for his fees, but should be 'let off easy' for pulling such a wacky, but stupid, stunt. Or they could use it for advertising, like our shipping is so fast and so gentle that even our employees use it...for themselves.

Frank Thompson said...

Loved your comment about advertising, Brandi. It is unbelievable that so many could ignore the gang rape. Speaks of "not getting involved" fear and lack of responsibility for others. I wonder what the onlookers would say about someone else who would ignore their peril?