News of the Weird: Week of October 12, 2023

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Creme de la Weird

The Ministry of Health in the Sakhalin region of Russia revealed on Oct. 2 that an 80-year-old woman had been discovered to be living with a 1-inch needle in her brain, Insider reported. Radiologists had found the needle with an X-ray; doctors believe it has been there since her birth, when her parents may have tried to kill her because of war and famine. However, the woman survived and never suffered headaches from the object. She is being monitored by a physician.

Armed and Clumsy

As Michael Gardner, 62, officiated a wedding in Denton, Nebraska, on Sept. 30, he inexplicably tried to get the attention of the guests by shooting a handgun into the air, CNN reported. Instead, Gardner shot his 12-year-old grandson in the shoulder. Lancaster County Sheriff's Office Chief Ben Houchin said Gardner wanted to "start the wedding with a bang. When he decided to cock back the hammer of this revolver, it slipped." The ammunition was a blank, but Gardner had apparently "put black powder into the casing and then glued it," Houchin said. "The glue is what injured the child." Gardner was charged with child abuse. "The act was not very smart," Houchin said.

Recurring Themes

• In Palm Coast, Florida, on Sept. 30, 76-year-old Cheryl Henderson crashed her SUV into a pickup truck, ClickOrlando reported. The pickup's driver pulled his truck in front of Henderson's vehicle, hoping to avoid her leaving the scene -- but when she started to do just that, he leapt onto her hood and held on for dear life as she raced along for two miles, going up to 50 mph. A good Samaritan followed her and nudged her off the road onto the shoulder. Henderson told deputies that she didn't stop because she was out of gas; she was charged with leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The pickup driver didn't suffer serious injury.
• In St. Louis County, Missouri, 38-year-old Stephanie Boyd of Vinita Park was charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest on Sept. 28 after she and her husband got into a dispute. According to WFTV, Boyd moved to leave the house in a car after an argument, and her husband climbed onto the hood; Boyd drove onto I-70 and continued for five miles with him clinging to the vehicle. Finally, an officer stopped them; Boyd's bond was set at $100,000.

The Continuing Crisis

• Maybe it's time to pay teachers more. Brianna Coppage, 28, an English teacher at St. Clair High School in St. Clair, Missouri, was put on leave on Sept. 28 after district officials discovered she was performing on the pornography website OnlyFans. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Coppage claimed she joined the site over the summer to supplement her income. "I knew this day was coming," she said. "The district says they haven't made a decision yet, but I'm just kind of putting the pieces together that I am not coming back," she added. She said she made an additional $8,000 to $10,000 per month from the site. "I can't control what people think of me. ... I'm not doing anything illegal. I am a good friend. I am a good family member. That is all I can think about right now," Coppage said.
• The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City has had enough of bad behavior on the subway, The Messenger reported. On Oct. 3, the MTA launched its Courtesy Counts campaign, hoping to encourage riders to practice common decency. You know, things like: Don't leave your trash on the train. Don't block the doors. Use headphones. And of course, that Emily Post mainstay: Wait until you get home to clip your nails. "In our busy lives, it's easy to forget that your own individual behavior can have an impact on your fellow riders' commute. The goal isn't to lecture anyone," said MTA senior adviser Shanifah Rieara.

Christmas Is Coming!

When customs officials seized a box of giraffe feces at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sept. 29, they naturally were curious about why the traveler from Iowa was bringing the poop home from a trip to Kenya. CBP said the traveler "had obtained the droppings in Kenya and planned to make a necklace," United Press International reported. "The passenger also stated in the past she had used moose feces at her home in Iowa." The contents of the box were destroyed.

What's in a Name?

The Township of Bonnechere Valley in Ontario, Canada, is on a mission to change the name of its most famous street: Harry Dick Road, United Press International reported. John Henry "Harry" Dick was born on the property in 1957, and his family has occupied three homes there for five generations. "Well, people think that's very, very funny, and the signs started to disappear," explained Lois Dick, Harry's wife. Officials said the sign is stolen about four times per year; the family installed a security camera, but it got stolen too. Lois noted that a name change will be a hassle for the family: "Any legal document with our address on it is going to have to be changed," she lamented. Harry just wants the thefts to stop: "All I want is some peace and quietness," he said.

Surprise!

"I guess we got a pilot in our house," a perplexed homeowner told a 911 dispatcher after a U.S. Marine Corps F-35 pilot landed in his backyard on Sept. 17 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The pilot, who got on the phone with the dispatcher, told her, "I'm a pilot in a military aircraft and I ejected, so I just rode a parachute down to the ground. Can you please send an ambulance?" According to Yahoo! News, the plane eventually crashed 60 miles away.

Halloween Is Coming!

Tim Perry of Cranston, Rhode Island, has an over-the-top way of celebrating Halloween, WJAR-TV reported. His favorite horror movie, "House of 1,000 Corpses," inspired him to create "House of 1,000 Pumpkins" -- but this year, his collection will grow closer to 1,400. Cranston carves about 200 more craft pumpkins each year, starting around Oct. 1, to add to the display outside his home. "Everybody thanks me for doing it," Perry said. "They look forward to it every year. The kids go nuts." Through a Facebook fundraiser, he also collects donations to help families affected by cancer.

Know Your Market

Eccentric septuagenarian Reginald "Reggie" Kincer is facing federal charges related to a scheme he cooked up to supply erectile dysfunction drugs to members of The Villages retirement community in central Florida, Fox News reported. He allegedly bought $1,800 worth of the medicines with the intent to hawk them in Florida and other states. Kincer was featured in a 2021 documentary about the famous retirement community in which his wife, Anne, gushed, "The Villages have given Reggie an opportunity to grow in different ways." He is shown in the video working out while explaining, "My whole training is about ending my life with a smile on my face. I really like stimulating myself with drugs." Kincer has prior arrests for drug possession; he faces a maximum of a year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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