News of the Weird: Week of March 21, 2024

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Creme de la Weird

Arthur "Jack" Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana, pleaded guilty on March 12 to two felony wildlife crimes after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks conducted a years-long investigation, Business Insider reported. Schubarth was accused of buying, selling and breeding "alternative" livestock, such as mountain sheep and mountain goats, for captive hunting operations. Between 2013 and 2021, court documents said, he conspired with others to create a large hybrid species of sheep that would garner higher prices from shooting preserves. To do so, he brought parts of Marco Polo argali sheep from Kyrgyzstan to the U.S. without declaring them. His other crimes include forging veterinary documents and shipping hybrid semen to other breeders. He faces jail time, fines and supervised release.

Recurring Theme

It's baaaackkk. In the waning days of 2020, a tall silver monolith popped up in various locations in California, Texas, Romania and elsewhere. Now, Wales Online reports, it's back. The 10-foot-tall tower, which appears to be stainless steel, turned up near Hay-on-Wye in Wales around March 10, when Richard Haynes came across it while he was out for a run. "I thought it ... might be a scientific media research thing collecting rainwater. But then I realized it was way too tall and strange for that. It was hollow and I imagine ... light enough for two people to carry it up and plant it in the ground," Haynes said. Stay tuned.

Awesome!

              -- At the Goodwill store in Du Bois, Pennsylvania, workers found a treasure in a box of old Lego pieces, United Press International reported on March 12: a 14-karat gold Kanohi Hau mask from Lego's Bionicle collection. Originally priced at Goodwill at $14.95, the piece eventually sold for $18,100 to an anonymous collector. "We didn't know it was worth anything until people started asking if they could buy it for $1,000," said Chad Smith, vice president of e-commerce and technology for Goodwill. Lego created only 30 pieces in gold in 2001.

              -- LAD Bible reported on March 5 about two unacquainted Brits who were headed to a holiday in Bangkok, Thailand. At the airport, Mark Garland, 58, of Wiltshire, tried to check in, but gate staff told him he already had. After some sleuthing, they realized there was another Mark Garland (62, from Bristol) on the flight -- and the look-alikes were seated next to each other. As it happens, they live only about 15 miles apart and sometimes ride the same bus. They even have a friend in common. "We were so shocked by how strange it was," said the younger Garland. "It was crazy -- I have never known anything like it," said the older. "I've made a friend for life."

Questionable Judgment

After Jacob Wright, 24, and Cambree Wright, 19, exchanged wedding vows on Feb. 10, it was time for pictures, Fox News reported. So Jacob grabbed his Apple Vision Pro headset and wore it while the photos were snapped. Jacob said he saw an opportunity to have fun and create a viral moment. "I was like, 'Oh, it'd be like such a meme. It'd be so funny if we just took some pictures with it on after the wedding." Sure enough, when they posted the pics, Cambree said she started getting "crazy" messages: "I woke up to 200-plus messages and just random girls telling me to divorce my husband." But the bride said the photos "perfectly encompass Jacob and his personality ... and what our relationship is like."

Bright Idea

Amber Denae Wright of Cape Town, South Africa, has shared a marriage tip on TikTok that other wives may want to adopt, People reported on March 9. A video on the social media site shows her husband, Nick, talking when Amber plays orchestra music from her phone. When Nick asks, "What is that? What are you playing?" Amber says, "It's Oscars music. You know, when the speeches are too long ..." Nick's taking it well, though: "She's been doing this the whole week. Every time I tell a story! Is this gonna be the rest of my life?" One TikTok commenter suggested, "I should use this at work when guys mansplain."

Field Report

New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told city council members on March 13 that rats had infested the department's building so thoroughly that they made their way into the evidence room and were eating confiscated marijuana. "They're all high," she said, according to the Associated Press. "The uncleanliness is off the charts." She elaborated, saying the building is full of mold and cockroaches, and staff suffer broken air conditioning and elevators.

That's Disappointing

The Pittsburgh Penguins planned to provide prized playthings to their passionate patrons on the evening of March 14, ESPN reported. (OK, that's enough of that.) NHL legend Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads were promised for the game against the San Jose Sharks -- but the cargo was stolen during transit. Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin said the team is looking forward to "resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans." The hockey great commented, "The legend of Jagr continues."

The Passing Parade

On March 5 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a 42-year-old man was charged with battery and disorderly conduct with a weapon after his daughter called 911, saying her dad was naked and had a gun. The Smoking Gun reported the story -- and the much more compelling backstory about Deez-Nuts Lee Kroll, the defendant. In 2011, Derrick Lee Kroll, then 29, petitioned the court and paid $164.50 for a name change. On the form, Kroll, who seems to be spelling-challenged, wrote his preferred name: Dez-Nuts Lee Kroll, and said his reason for the change was that "I with out a doubt HATE MY NAME." Six years later, it occurred to Dez-Nuts that he had spelled the name wrong, and he went to court to change his name again. At his recent run-in with the law, officers noted that he appeared to be intoxicated but cooperated with them. He was released on $2,000 bond.

The Golden Age of Air Travel

Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee reported this week that on a Jan. 25 Batik Air flight, both pilots fell asleep for about 30 minutes as the plane flew off its "correct flight path." Sky News reported that when the plane, carrying 153 passengers and four flight attendants, reached 36,000 feet, the 32-year-old pilot asked his co-pilot to take over while he rested. But the 28-year-old, whose wife recently delivered twins, also nodded off, and the plane flew itself for 241 miles before they woke up. They were able to get the plane back on the flight path and land safely in Jakarta.

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