News of the Weird: Week of October 2, 2025

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Creme de la Weird

Rose Mnisi, 39, appeared in court on Sept. 18, where she faced charges of illegal possession of human tissues, the BBC reported. Mnisi is a cleaner at a hospital maternity ward in eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. Security officers were tipped off that she was seeking buyers for human body tissues; they arrested her with a plastic bag of human placentas. Police said Mnisi might face further charges. She is due back in court in October.

Least Competent Criminal

The BP convenience store in Macon, Missouri, has slot machines, KTVO-TV reported, which made it really handy for Amber Dawn Butler, 34, to satisfy her gambling addiction while she was at work. One little hiccup in her on-the-job wagering was that she was allegedly taking money from the store's cash register and safe to feed into the machines. Butler also confessed to scratching lottery tickets she hadn't bought and stealing cigarettes and bottled water from the store. Confusingly, she pleaded not guilty and is being held in the Macon County jail.

Fun Suckers

If you're planning to do a little carousing this homecoming season in Jesup, Iowa, think again: The Jesup Police Department has issued a warning that TP-ing is banned, and anyone doing it will face legal charges. KCRG-TV reported on Sept. 17 that police have labeled the prank harassment and have identified multiple people whom they are investigating for trespassing, criminal mischief, illegal dumping and disorderly conduct.

It's Good To Have a Hobby

In Conway, South Carolina, TikTok users and others are following the escapades of the "CCU Pisser," a person who relieves himself at different points around the Coastal Carolina University campus. The Sun News reported that the videos started appearing on Sept. 1, and each one features a different iconic target: a CCU logo embedded in a sidewalk, for example, and the school's football field. CCU wouldn't comment on the shenanigans, but a "Detective" apparently unaffiliated with the school is also a hit on TikTok, warning the Pisser that "I know your name. I know where you will be next." We'd love to hear both posters' GPAs.

Animal Antics

Joan Heblack of San Rafael, California, was enjoying a walk in her neighborhood when a squirrel "came out of nowhere" to claw and bite her, KGO-TV reported on Sept. 22. Her injuries sent her to the emergency room. Heblack isn't the only victim of an attack squirrel in the area; about five people have been attacked, and fliers have been posted on utility poles, warning residents of the "very mean squirrel." Lisa Bloch of Marin Humane said such attacks are "likely the result of someone feeding it. When wildlife is fed by humans, they can lose their natural fear and act more emboldened." The LA County Department of Public Health assures locals that squirrels do not spread rabies.

But Why?

              -- Teaching assistant Alexander Lewis, 32, was charged with interfering with schools and malicious injury to property in Florence, South Carolina, WKRC-TV reported on Sept. 23. Between Aug. 25 and Sept. 19, Lewis allegedly used a spray that mimics the smell of poop inside the school. The spray caused students and staff health issues, nausea and dizziness, and the district spent almost $55,000 trying to solve the issue through air conditioning inspection and repair costs. Lewis' bond was set at $9,000.

              -- A 57-year-old man in Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan was re-arrested on Sept. 18 after investigators discovered that he had allegedly stolen 50 fire hose nozzles, Japan Today reported. It wasn't clear why he was stealing them, as he kept them in his possession rather than selling them. Officials say the nozzles aren't worth much as scrap metal, but the absence of them presents a serious risk to the public.

New World Order

The three members of the Kingdom of Kubala, an "African tribe," were ordered to vacate private land in Scotland on Sept. 22, Sky News reported -- but instead, they just relocated to the other side of a fence, on council-owned land. The members say they are reclaiming land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago, but the Scottish Borders Council has made efforts to remove them. King Atehene, aka Kofi Offeh, 36, indicated that he would not speak to media outlets unless they brought him gifts; the group posted on Facebook, "The Kingdom of Kubala can never be destroyed." A spokesperson for the Borders Council said legal processes are continuing and "officers will proceed through the next steps as quickly as possible."

The Tech Revolution

Lisa Catalano, 41, of San Mateo, California, is ready to settle down, KRON-TV reported, so she's set her sights high. Catalano is using digital billboards along Highway 101 to seek out potential mates, directing suitors to her website to get more information and apply. "I just want to meet somebody," she said, "and I was just not having any luck any other way." Catalano was previously engaged, but her fiance passed away in 2023 from illness. As she looks for the ideal applicant, she says, "I hope that this is a great story that we can tell our future children."

Bright Idea

Craigslea Community Kindergarten and Preschool in Brisbane, Australia, had to close recently after its funding was halted, the BBC reported. Following upheaval among the staff and volunteer committee, parents received an email on Sept. 21 explaining that the school can't pay its debts; hours later, a second email asked parents to pay $1,400 to receive a portfolio of their children's art. Administrators said the money would go toward paying down unpaid bills, including teachers' wages. Brooke, a parent of a Craigslea student, called the scheme "absolutely ridiculous." She decided to collect the artwork without paying, which led the center to report her to police. The Creche and Kindergarten Association and the Department of Education got involved, and now, "These important records are now available for families to collect," C&K said. Parent David Crisafulli remarked, "Let's give the kids their finger painting and let's get on with life." Hear, hear.

News You Can Use

The robots are coming ... to Major League Baseball. On Sept. 23, the MLB approved the use of an automated ball/strike system for challenges during the 2026 season, ESPN reported. The ABS system will be similar to the line-calling system in tennis, and each team will get two challenges per game, signaled by a hitter, pitcher or catcher tapping his head. Human big-league umpires call about 94% of pitches correctly.

Stuff That Only Happens to Other People

Just months after a woman from New York dug up a 2.3-carat diamond at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park, a family from Oklahoma have unearthed an even bigger rock: a 2.79-carat brown diamond. United Press International reported that on Sept. 13, Raynae Madison and her family went to the park to celebrate her nephew's birthday, bringing beach-digging and sand-sifting tools they purchased at a dollar store. "I honestly thought it was too big to be a diamond," Madison said. The park said it is the third-largest diamond found at the park this year.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.  

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