WEIRD NEWS

Pall Bearer Outtakes

It's a tough gig being a pallbearer at a funeral. Even worse if you lose your footing and fall on top of the coffin while it's being lowered into the ground. It happened in Pampas, Peru and mourners were in utter shock while others desperately try to prevent the deceased woman's corpse from falling out of the coffin. There is video and the pallbearer appears to slip and lose his footing, tumbling into the plot and turning the coffin on its side. As he scrambles to get out of the grave, other people try to keep the lid on the coffin to prevent the woman's body falling out any further, but the lid appears to be broken. He managed to climb out and the body was eventually interred correctly, allowing the funeral to continue as planned. (Metro)

How NOT To Drive in Snow!

Up in Illinois, State Police took to Facebook this week to share an example of what not to do when driving in the snow. They actually ticketed a driver who was doing 115 miles-per-hour in a 35-miles-per-hour zone - with snow/slush on the road! The woman driver was arrested and put in jail. Police shared a photo of the ticket, and this message on Facebook: "If you think we don't patrol in town, you're mistaken. And if you think you won't get in a bad crash in town because the speed limits are low and you're a good driver, think again. Just remember there are people like this driving next to you!" (FOX 6 News)

Apparently You Can Beat the Lottery with Math!

In Evart, Michigan, Jerry and Marge Selbee are a retired couple who won $26 million by using simple arithmetic to beat the lottery's odds. The Selbees owned a convenience before they retired and got rich by winning multiple state lottery games over the next six years. Their scheme began in 2003 when Jerry, who graduated college with a degree in mathematics, saw a brochure for a new lottery called Winfall - and realized right away how to beat it. The game featured a "roll down" effect, which meant that if no one won the $5 million jackpot, the money would be spread across those who matched either five, four, or three numbers. Lottery officials announced when this happened, so Jerry would buy thousands of tickets - knowing that he would get a certain amount of matches. Jerry explained that if he bought $1,100 worth of tickets, he would have at least one four-number winner, which paid him $1,000. He would also get at around 18 or 19 three-number winners, which paid $50 a piece - totaling $1,900. When he tried his plan for the first time, he bought $3,600 of Winfall tickets and won back $6,300. Eventually the Selbees said that they would sit in a hotel and sort through tickets for 10 hours a day, ten days in a row, playing more than $600,000 per attempt. They did this seven times a year winning over $26 million before the Massachusetts state treasurer shut down the game and began an investigation - which found that the chances of winning were not affected by the high-volume betting. Therefore the Selbees did not commit a crime. They won $26 million total, including $8 million in profit, by the time they were done. The Selbees said the used the money to renovate their home and pay for the education of their six children, 14 grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. The couple recently sold their incredible story to movie producers who plan to make a film about their lives. (Metro)

I Miss the Arms Race... Don't You?

The Trump administration has reportedly begun developing a new nuclear weapon, which could bring the U.S. closer to a renewed arms race with Russia. The low-yield weapon, called W76-2, is being built at the Pantex plant in Texas and it's a variation of the Navy's submarine-launched W76-1. Hans Kristensen, the director of the Federation of American Scientists' nuclear information project said the new weapon could yield from 5 kilotons to 7 kilotons. By comparison, the Hiroshima bomb was roughly 15 kilotons. The news is significant as President Trump stated in October that he intends to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a 1987 arms-control pact made with the then-Soviet Union. The U.S has accused Moscow of breaking the agreement by using ground-launched intermediate-range missiles, which are prohibited. Russia has denied allegations of non-compliance. According to one White House official, a decision to suspend U.S. obligations under the treaty could arrive by this weekend. Boom! (Bloomberg News)

The Consequences of Anti-Vaxers

Washington and Oregon made the decision to allow parents to opt out of vaccines simply because they want to. Now they're the two states experiencing serious measles outbreaks. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, said, "I've been saying now for the last couple of years it's only a matter of time before we see a horrific measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest." All 50 states require immunizations for children to attend school. Forty-seven states -- all but California, Mississippi and West Virginia -- allow parents to opt out of vaccines if they have religious beliefs against immunizations, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Among those 47 states, 18 states also allow parents to opt out of vaccines if they have personal, moral or philosophical beliefs against immunizations. Oregon and Washington are among these states that allow for personal belief exemptions. The other 16 are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Vermont. Last Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency after 35 confirmed cases of measles and 11 suspected cases in his state. Since then, there's been another confirmed case in Washington, and one case in Oregon. (CNN)

Sub-Zero Temps No Match for 80-Year-Old Crossing Guard

Des Moines, Iowa may be experiencing sub-zero temperatures like the rest of the Midwest, but that's not keeping 80-year-old Glenn Peterson from his job as a crossing guard. Peterson spends his afternoons at the corner of Valley West Drive and Western Hills Drive helping children cross the street. He says, "I was raised on a farm in southern Iowa so this kind of weather never bothered me too much. I just layer up. Five on the top and three on the bottom. I feel no pain, my face is conditioned." He dutifully stands watch along the busy road, even if only one student needed his services Monday afternoon. But the West Des Moines School District may not need his help over the next few days. They are closely watching the forecast to determine if they need to close schools this week. The school district says they're looking for sustained wind chills of negative 30 as the benchmark for closure, but that is not set in stone. (WHO-TV)

What the What?

In Kernersville, North Carolina, 25-year-old Stefan Ryan Shuford is facing multiple charges after being accused of attacking multiple women last Friday by "thrusting" his face into their buttocks. He was charged with assault on a female and sexual battery after being detained in a shopping center. Shuford allegedly approached three separate women from behind and forced his face into their rears. In two of the cases, he allegedly licked them from behind without warning. After each attack he fled on foot. His lawyers claim he suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A representative for the local district attorney branded him a "danger to society." Kernersville Police Community Relations Officer Blake Jones offered advice if anything like this should happen to you. He said, "Try and get away, get some separation from the person, tell them to stop. If you are in a retail store, be loud, be affirmative or very assertive with them. Tell them stop, get away." (Newsweek)

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