WEIRD NEWS

Whatever Happened to Dine and Dash?

Back in the day, if you wanted to try to steal a free meal from a restaurant you'd try your luck at the old "dine and dash." Not 40-year-old Barry Clapperton. Pittsburgh police say he called in a fake bomb threat to try to get out of paying his bill at Primanti Brothers restaurant. As a result, he's now facing charges of threats to use weapons of mass destruction, public drunkenness, false identification to police, terroristic threats and escape. After trying to walk out on his tab, police were called and Clapperton was brought back into the restaurant. Before officers arrived, he allegedly called in the bomb threat to Nakama, a restaurant a few blocks away, to create a distraction. When officers confronted him he ran out of Primantis, eventually getting to a point right in front of dumpsters, where police shocked him with a stun gun and arrested him. Dude that's an awful lot of charges just to try and get a free sandwich! (WPXI News)

Church Raffle...Wait, WTF?

Bad timing for the Oasis Church of All Nations in Oxford, Mississippi. Last Saturday they set up a table outside a local Walmart to promote a church raffle. The tickets were $10 bucks each or three for $20. The prize: two AR-15 rifles! Keep in mind that the nation was still reeling from the Las Vegas massacre that had happened just six days earlier. Kris Belden-Adams says she couldn't believe it. She told the Washington Post, "We have flags still half-mast for the Las Vegas shooting here in Oxford. I thought it was in bad taste at this time to be auctioning an AR-15, the same weapon used in Las Vegas." She also sent the church a Facebook message expressing her concerns. A man who identified himself as Danny Budd, director of the church's Transformation Life Center, soon responded and said: "We understand your concern however, we've had a very positive response to the Ticket sell and no negative response. We believe in the second amendment and the first amendment. For some, there would never be a right time to raffle any fire arm. We respect your concern and message." Belden-Adams wrote back: "Dear Pastor Budd, I also respect your response and support of the second amendment, just as you respect my right to raise these concerns. Some of us who strongly support your philanthropic cause and religious views were alienated by the raffle's political position (whether or not intended), and the use of children to approach people to sell raffle tickets to win AR-15s." She has not yet received a reply.(Washington Post)

I Am Not a Nut Ball! You Sure?

In White Bear, Minnesota, 60-year-old Robert James Kuefler lived with the decaying bodies of his dead mother and twin brother for more than a year said he didn't report their deaths because he was traumatized. Kuefler has been charged with interference with a dead body or scene of death, a misdemeanor. The disturbing situation crime came to light in September 2016, when neighbors asked police to check on Kuefler's residence. Autopsies on the bodies showed both died of natural causes; Richard in July 2015, and his mother a month later. Kuefler late told reporters, "I was traumatized. What would you do? I am not some nut ball. People think I am, but I'm not. I loved them." He told police he found his brother dead in a chair and "eventually moved the body to the bathroom as it was 'in the way.'" Kuefler hid the deaths from family members, even going so far as to send out Christmas cards saying his brother and mom were in bad health and did not want visitors or phone calls. (Huffington Post)

I'll Save Ya! I've Got a Gun!

More gun tragedy in Detroit. A woman in a residential area was being viciously attacked by a dog. A neighbor saw what was happening and went inside her house and retrieved a gun. Police say the woman with the gun was trying to shoot the dog, but instead shot and killed the woman being attacked. The matter is under investigation and police are not releasing any further details at this time. (Newser)

First Lady Cat Fight?

Because there's not enough drama at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days, now there are reports of a "first lady" cat fight of sorts. It seems that during a TV interview to promote her new memoir, Raising Trump, President Trump's first wife, Ivana, referred to herself as the "first lady." She told the folks on Good Morning America, "I have the direct number to White House but I don't really want to call him there because Melania is there and I don't really want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I'm basically first Trump wife, okay? I'm first lady, OK?" Then she laughed. Apparently Melania Trump didn't find it funny in the least and lashed out at Ivana through her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, who sent out a press release stating, "There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex, this is unfortunately only attention-seeking and self-serving noise." The statement goes on to say that Melania Trump "loves living in Washington, DC," in response to Ivana's dig at the first lady's reported ambivalence about her new home. Ivana said, "I think for her to be in Washington must be terrible. It's better her than me. I would hate Washington." The similarity to a certain reality TV franchise was not lost on Andy Cohen, the producer of the Real Housewives series. He tweeted: "This is actually happening. All the wives are fighting. Even I AM SPEECHLESS!" (CNN)

Worst Parent Files

Another disturbing story from the worst parent files. In Richardson, Texas, a little 3-year-old girl was sent outside in the wee hours of Saturday morning as punishment for not drinking her milk. She has not been seen since. Police say her father, 37-year-old Wesley Mathews, told them he sent his toddler daughter Sherin out of the family's home around 3am and told her to stand outside near a tree about 100 feet from the house. He told police he returned for her 15 minutes later but she was gone. The family reported Sherin missing around 8am. An Amber Alert was issued for her, but has since timed out and was discontinued Monday afternoon due to a lack of new information in the case. Wesley Mathews was arrested Saturday on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. Texas Child Protective Services removed Sherin's 4-year-old sister from the home Monday and placed her in protective custody. CPS says it has had past "contact" with the family but would not divulge details. It gets worse. Police say Sherin has "developmental issues and ... limited verbal communication skills." She was adopted from an orphanage in India two years ago. One member of the family's church calls the little girl "the cutest baby in our church," and a church elder says the girl's mother, who is not currently facing charges, is "very much worried and depressed." In my world, toddlers are in bed asleep at 3AM. (NBC)

What the Halloween What?

Bad news Halloween freaks. Health experts are warning that there may be head lice waiting for many children and adults who are trying on Halloween costumes. According to reports, doctors see a spike in head lice cases this time of year. While many blame the start of a new school year, the biggest culprit is actually Halloween costume shopping. Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Cherie Sexton said, "We have a lot of people going into stores right now, trying on masks, trying on costumes and trying on wigs. And a lot of people don't give much thought into the fact that several people could've tried it on before them." Health officials have a few tips to make sure the Halloween horror doesn't include head lice. Before wearing your costume or wig, putting it into a sealed plastic bag for 48 hours will kill any lice, which die within 24-48 hours. Putting any dryer-friendly costumes in the dryer on high heat for 45 minutes will also get rid of the critters. Experts add that wearing a swim cap to cover your hair will create another barrier between you and any potential lice. Sexton added, "It's really not a health hazard. It's not a sign of poor hygiene. And it's not really spreading disease. It's really just more of a nuisance." (CBS Minnesota)

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