News of the Weird: July 21, 2022

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Goals

The trail to the top of Pike's Peak in Colorado is some 13 miles long, and the peak itself tops out at more than 14,000 feet -- making it a challenging hike for anyone. But for Bob Salem, 53, the journey is nuttily complicated: He's pushing a peanut up the mountain using his "nose": customized headgear made of a CPAP mask with a black plastic serving spoon attached to it, NPR reported. "Basically, I'm just going to ... low crawl my way up there," he said. "I mean, there's not really much to it but just to keep flicking." It's all part of the Manitou Springs 150-Year Celebration, and Salem is raising money for a local charity that works to house people experiencing homelessness. Oddly, he's not the first to achieve the feat, but he'll be the first in the 21st century. Salem is wearing kneepads and elbow pads, and a spotter carries his backpack with a snowsuit inside for the higher elevations. He's expected to reach the summit the weekend of July 16-17. 

Recurring Theme

Well, it's happened again: An American tourist at Mount Vesuvius near Naples, Italy, dropped his cellphone into the volcano's crater on July 9, the Associated Press reported, and then slid into the crater trying to retrieve it. Four volcano guides lowered a rope 50 feet into the crater, where Philip Carroll, 23, of Baltimore, was in "serious difficulty," and pulled him out. After officials administered first aid, Carroll and two family members were cited by police for going off the authorized trail to snap a selfie. He suffered only abrasions -- and the humiliation of a trip to the police station. No word how the phone fared. 

Awesome!

On July 10, as Rich Gilson used a mini-excavator to remove part of the foundation under the porch of his 1920s-era New Jersey home, he came across an unusual windfall: Among the weeds and dirt were two bundles of paper, secured with rubber bands, United Press International reported. "I got to look at the edge and it had a green tint to it, and I said, 'This is money,'" Gilson said. The cash, printed in 1934, amounted to $1,000 in $10 and $20 bills. Gilson said the area where he found the money was previously accessible only through a crawlspace: "Somebody had to crawl under there and dig a hole. My sense is that something fishy happened," he added. He plans to keep the money. 

Picky, Picky

Penguins at the Hakone-en Aquarium near Tokyo are turning their beaks up at a new variety of fish after officials switched because of an increase in price, United Press International reported. The cost of their standard fare, aji, increased more than 30% over last year, so the aquarium tried a cheaper variety of mackerel. But the penguins aren't biting: "Even if they'll take it in their beaks, they'll just spit it out," head zookeeper Hiroki Shimamoto said. If the keepers mix in a bit of aji, they'll eat it, but without enthusiasm. The zoo's otters have the same impression of the new menu item. Shimamoto said they could raise admission prices, but "we would like to do our best to keep our facility a comfortable place for our guests to visit." 

More Like 'Stupider Things'

Thanks to the quick reaction of a semitruck operator, a teenage driver sustained only minor injuries after she allowed her car to drift into the oncoming lane of a suburban Minneapolis street and crash into the trailer, The Smoking Gun reported. During questioning after the mid-July incident, the girl denied being on her phone at the time of the crash, but Anoka County Sheriff's deputies noticed that her car's Bluetooth system was "still streaming the audio to 'Stranger Things' on Netflix." She then admitted to watching the popular series while driving. 

Compelling Explanation

Laurie Rosser, 42, of Gorseinon, Wales, was stopped while driving on the M4 on June 26 because his van was missing two tires, the BBC reported. Police estimated he had driven more than 10 miles without the tires. Rosser was Breathalyzed at the scene, where he tested at more than twice the legal limit. But he had a different explanation for his oversight: His solicitor said he had tested positive for COVID and "his mind was cloudy. That influenced his decision to drive with two defective tires on the vehicle," Rhys Davies said. Rosser was banned from driving for 17 months and fined. 

That Sucks

Former vicar John Jeffs, 74, was found guilty on July 13 in Northampton Magistrates' Court in England in an incident that happened in September 2020, Metro News reported. A churchgoer at the Baptist Centre in Middleton Cheney came upon Jeffs as he stood between two chairs, wearing only ladies' stockings and being intimate with a Henry Hoover vacuum hose. Although Jeffs saw the onlooker, he reportedly continued thrusting toward the Henry, which is known for its powerful suction. Jeffs was fined about $1,000 and added to the sex offender registry; he also was ordered to pay about $240 to the person who witnessed the act. 

Crime Report

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a serial pharmacy robber identified as Kristopher Kukola, 37, allegedly hit five CVS stores between May and July, demanding narcotics and displaying a gun, MLive.com reported. In the latest incident, on July 7, a fast-thinking pharmacist dropped a decoy pill bottle containing a GPS tracker into the bag. Police found Kukola escaping in a Jeep and followed the car to an apartment complex, where the thief jumped out and tried to flee on foot. When officers caught up to him, Kukola told them, "The guy you are looking for ran that way." Investigators found a BB gun, the drugs and the decoy bottle in his Jeep; he was indicted on federal charges. 

Bright Idea

Maybe doughnuts don't sell so well in Arizona's extreme July heat. In any case, one grocery store chain figured out another use for the sugary treats, United Press International reported. Bashas, a grocery chain based in Chandler, Arizona, assembled 14,400 decorated confections into a mosaic of the company's logo to celebrate its 90th anniversary. As a bonus, the chain won the Guinness World Record for largest doughnut mosaic (902 square feet). After the ruling, Bashas boxed up the treats for distribution to local nonprofits. 

CSI, Skeeter-Style

The Global Times reported that in China's Fujian Province, investigators on a burglary case got a hot tip from a pesky source: a smashed mosquito. As police checked out the scene, they believed the suspect may have stayed overnight in the apartment; among other things, they found a piece of mosquito coil, used to deter the insects. One skeeter met its bloody demise on a wall, and investigators took DNA samples from the smear there. Analysis showed the blood belonged to a man named Chai, who had a criminal record and was arrested 19 days later for that burglary and three others. 

Weird Science

In the United Kingdom, environmentalists are fighting a twitchy problem: gray squirrels. The little rodents are taking over, the BBC reported, damaging woodland ecosystems and native red squirrel populations. And a cull isn't practical -- they reproduce too quickly. Now, however, scientists have created a squirrel contraceptive. Dr. Giovanna Massei of the U.K.'s Animal and Plant Health Agency said her team has developed a vaccine that prompts the immune system to restrict the production of sex hormones. Squirrels will be lured into a special trap, where they'll feast on Nutella paste laced with the contraceptive. The project should be ready to deploy in the wild within two years.