News of the Weird: Week of April 24, 2025

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Awesome!

Serendipity Books in Chelsea, Michigan, got a hand -- or 600 -- with a big project on April 14, NBC News reported. Owner Michelle Tuplin was wondering how she was going to move more than 9,000 books to the store's new, larger location without closing the business for days. The community came to the rescue, and more than 300 people showed up, forming a human conveyor belt that stretched around the corner and into the new location. "It was just a joyful experience," said volunteer Donna Zak. In less than two hours, the entire inventory had been transferred -- all in alphabetical order. "It was overwhelming," Tuplin said. The new store will open on April 26 to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day.

The Passing Parade

"Star Wars" fans, listen up! If you're free on May 4, you can hop over to The Little Vegas Chapel in Nevada and tie the knot with your knight or princess. United Press International reported that the chapel is offering two special packages for the special date: "Yoda One for Me" and "Love Star." Both feature an officiant dressed as either Princess Leia or Darth Vader, "Star Wars" music, professional photography and video and a special themed wedding certificate. You may want to stop at the blackjack table first, though -- the packages cost $600 and $860. May the Fourth Be With You.

Weird in the Wild

Well, almost wild. At the San Diego Zoo on April 14, the animals reacted to the magnitude 5.2 earthquake, too, United Press International reported. Video from the elephant enclosure showed the pachyderms' behavior even before the shaking started; the adults ran to form a circle, facing out, around the juveniles, Zuli and Mkhaya. "This behavior is known as an 'alert circle' and is intended to protect the young -- and the entire herd -- from threats," said zoo spokesperson Emily Senninger. She said the elephants can feel sound through their feet.

Recent Alarming Headline

On April 13, after a United Airlines flight took off from Denver International Airport, the pilot had to make an emergency landing because of a fire in one of the engines, ABC News reported. After being told the apparent cause, the pilot responded, "Rabbit through the number 2, that'll do it." A bunny -- NOT the Easter bunny -- had been sucked into the engine. Passenger Scott Wolff said he experienced "a loud bang, and a significant vibration in the plane. Every few moments (as the plane was climbing) there was a backfire coming from the engine, a giant fireball behind it." Passengers were loaded onto a different aircraft and proceeded to Edmonton, Alberta. Rabbit strikes are fairly rare, experts say.

Unclear on the Concept

Visitors to Abbey Road in St. John's Wood in England are voicing their disappointment on Tripadvisor, Your Local Guardian reported. The street, made famous by the eponymous Beatles album, is a favorite spot for a photo op, but some tourists were expecting ... more. "Disappointed doesn't cover it ... My disappointment in not finding street sellers, either side of the road, selling cheap T-shirts and merchandise was a surprise," one commented. Another said, "I am a massive Beatles fan, but there is really nothing to see here. It's just an ordinary zebra crossing." It's no Penny Lane, that's for sure.

Clothing Optional

              -- About 700 women gathered at Glenwood Springs, Colorado's Sunlight Mountain Resort on April 11 for the Boot Tan Fest, a three-day event that includes the "naked lap," The Denver Post reported. The festival started four years ago with just a few friends but has grown to include live music and women-owned brands peddling their wares. Participants ranged in age from Gen Z to retirement and stripped down to celebrate women's bodies. For instance, Lisa Harper of Dillon wrote on her stomach "3 weeks postpartum." "This is what's real, having your baby pooch and still skiing," she said. Another skier gushed, "Here you belong; everyone belongs."

              -- At Disneyland's New Orleans Square on April 12, an unnamed naked Canadian man climbed a building, exposing himself to people below, KABC-TV reported. He was taken into custody for trespassing, public nudity and being under the influence of narcotics.

Animal Antics

The Blavatnik School of Government building at the University of Oxford features a glass roof, the BBC reported. But as of mid-April, the building has been closed after a cheeky seagull broke the glass by repeatedly dropping a stone on one of the glass panels. Seagulls are known to drop shellfish on the ground to try to break them open. A spokesperson said they hope the building will be "open as normal again soon." No word on the fate of the seagull.

Ewwwww!

Darren McConachie, 30, of Glasgow, Scotland, assumed he was going deaf or had an ear infection when his hearing became impaired, the Daily Record reported on April 15. But one night he woke up to a surging feeling of pressure in his head and felt something start to move. "I thought my ear had ruptured," he said. "Then I felt something small and hard sort of pop out. I was absolutely terrified." He used his phone light to check out the object, which turned out to be a "tiny piece of pink Lego, covered in wax." McConachie said he hadn't played with Legos since he was a small child. "I don't remember sticking the brick in my ear. I genuinely had no clue it was in my ear all that time."

Sweet Revenge

Joshua Lowe, 19, was sentenced to eight months in prison on April 14 for a stunt he pulled in January 2024, NBC News reported. Lowe, who was living with his girlfriend's family, became angry that they went on a cruise and left him behind to care for the pets. So he sent an email to Carnival Corp. after the cruise had departed, warning of a bomb on board. Prosecutors said the ship's crew had to check more than 1,000 rooms. FBI agents traced the email to Lowe, who apologized to the judge.

Inexplicable

Crystal Gauss, 47, is the director of food and nutrition for the South Western School District in York County, Pennsylvania, WGAL-TV reported. She is also facing charges after an incident on April 7 at a Royal Farms convenience store. Police allege that Gauss arrived at the store and walked into the beer cooler around 5 p.m., where she pulled her pants down and defecated. Surveillance footage captured her arriving at the store and inside the beer cave. Royal Farms estimates it lost about $80 worth of product. Gauss was charged with scattering rubbish, open lewdness, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Compelling Explanation

Four men in Baker, Louisiana, rode horses into a Walmart on April 8, the New York Post reported. They trotted and galloped through the aisles as shoppers and employees looked on. The riders, who call themselves the Cutthroat Cowboys, all turned themselves in on April 11, with one, Mason Webb, 18, explaining that they had no real purpose for the stunt, other than it was something fun to do. "We didn't wanna hurt nobody. That's my emotional support animal," Webb said. The riders were charged with entering and remaining after forbidden, unlawful post of criminal activity and disturbing the peace.

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