News of the Weird: Week of September 8, 2022

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The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Over the Labor Day weekend, former boxer Mike Tyson (now a cannabis mogul, according to NJ.com) was set to debut his "bitten-ear-shaped" edibles at three New Jersey dispensaries. Tyson, you may remember, bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear, then spit it out, 25 years ago this summer during a boxing match in Las Vegas. In an interview earlier this year, Tyson said the "bitten-ear" product is his way of controlling the narrative about the infamous moment. "They fined me $3 million for biting his ear," he said. The edibles are a "way to flip it to the positive side."

What We Do for Fun

After a punishing two-year hiatus because of COVID, the World Gravy Wrestling Championships returned to Rossendale, Lancashire, England, on Aug. 29, the BBC reported. During the contest, entrants grapple in a pool of gravy for two minutes to raise money for East Lancashire Hospice. Carol Lowe, restaurant manager of the Rose 'n' Bowl Pub where the event took place, said people came from "far and wide" and the atmosphere was "absolutely bouncing." Competitors are encouraged to don "fancy dress" and are also graded on entertainment value. "It's very messy," Lowe conceded. 

Naked, Not Afraid

• On Aug. 20, New Hampshire Fish and Game officers, along with a member of the U.S. Forest Service, were called to an Appalachian Mountain Club hut in Bethlehem to confront Brian Cheverier, 35, of Boylston, WMUR-TV reported. Around 6 p.m., Cheverier was found atop the hut, naked, where he had been threatening hikers; officers said he was "highly agitated." Cheverier descended from the roof of the hut around 10 p.m. and was escorted to the Zealand Trailhead parking lot, where he was taken into custody. 
• Amanda Kean of Providence, Rhode Island, headed out for work in the early hours of Aug. 22 with her ear pods in, listening to a true-crime podcast. On her 45-minute trip to Easton, Massachusetts, she stopped for gas. It wasn't until she arrived at her workplace, Honey Dew Donuts, that she discovered a stowaway in her back seat: "I hear moaning, like a moaning noise," she told WJAR-TV. "I roll down my window because (I wanted to) check outside ... I realized it was not coming from outside my truck, it was coming from inside of my truck." Tucked on the floor in the back seat was Jose Osorio, 21, of Providence. And he was mostly naked. Police said he was "extremely intoxicated" and admitted later that he had also consumed marijuana. He was charged with breaking and entering a vehicle. Kean was unhurt but "was so mad. If he had made noises or popped up while I was driving, I could've crashed." 

Goals

Duane Hansen, 60, has fulfilled a long-held dream of his: to paddle the Missouri River in a pumpkin, NBC News reported. On Aug. 27, Hansen set out in an 846-pound pumpkin for a 38-mile float on the Big Muddy to celebrate his 60th birthday. "I've been dreaming about this," he said. "This has been a five-year journey to get a pumpkin that's big enough." Hansen grew the pumpkin himself; his wife named it Berta. 

Good for a Laugh

• GOAT Deputy Casey Thrower, a 40-year veteran of the Madison County (Alabama) Sheriff's office, was making rounds on Aug. 26 to deliver civil documents when two goats started exploring his patrol car, Fox13-TV reported. Thrower found a goat inside the car, chewing on paperwork, and another on top of the vehicle. Fortunately he thought to make a video as he scolded them for their antics, ordering one to get out of the car. "Don't eat that!" Thrower can be heard yelling. He explained that he often leaves his door open so he can flee from attacking dogs after he delivers documents. 
• The Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand is prepared for animal escapes. How do we know this? On Aug. 23, the zoo staged an annual drill to teach zoo workers how to respond to an escape, CNN reported. For the drill, one employee dressed in an ostrich costume, complete with tail feathers and a long neck and head, while others chased him through the zoo's Africa Zone. Some couldn't help giggling as the "ostrich" bobbed his head and body up and down to imitate the bird's gait. When they caught the faux ostrich, they put a hood over its head and led it back to its enclosure.

Bright Idea

Sean Stewart, 27, of Snohomish County, Washington, has been doing a lot of fishing lately -- but not for the aquatic specimens Washington is known for. Instead, KIRO-TV reported, Stewart has been using a rodent glue trap attached to a fishing line to take money out of night deposit boxes around the area. "This particular method is pretty unique, we haven't seen that one before," said Jason Toner, chief of the Stanwood Police Department. A Wells Fargo branch in Stanwood was able to capture video of Stewart, although he also hit more than a dozen other banks. "He was only successful a few of the times out of the many times he tried at area banks," Toner said. He faces 13 counts of burglary in the second degree. 

What's in a Name?

Tempe, Arizona, Mayor Jennifer Adams is expected to recover from her injuries after being thrown from her horse, Bucky, on Aug. 28, AZCentral reported. Adams was warming up Bucky for a trail ride when the horse started running and, well, bucking. When the reins broke, Adams was tossed to the floor of the arena, resulting in broken ribs, a punctured lung and a concussion. She credits her helmet with saving her life: "If I didn't have it on, I would be dead." While recovering, she'll cover her mayoral duties remotely. 

It's Around Here Somewhere

In Nebraska, officials are trying to figure out what happened to 16 million gallons of water from the Cambridge Canal, the Associated Press reported. When Brad Edgerton, general manager of the Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District, checked his computer on the evening of Aug. 13, the canal was flowing at its usual rate, but by morning, the flow had been cut in half. Edgerton drove to the dam and discovered that someone had opened the dam's two 10-foot sluice gates, allowing water to escape down the Republican River. Furnas County Sheriff Doug Brown said he could only guess why someone would release the water, but the investigation continues. 

News You Can Use

Five-year-olds everywhere, rejoice! You can now scream "Poop!" at Alexa and she'll respond with an actual song -- or several -- from Spotify or Amazon Music, BuzzFeed News reported. When Joey Helpish and his partner, Kristen Muir, realized the potential of such tunes, they went to work with their music students in Oregon. "We did a big songwriting session with these three kids," he said. "I said, 'Give me five syllables to start,' and the little 4-year-old girl screamed, 'Poopy stupid butt!'" They added the song to Amazon Music and didn't think much more about it until they were strapped for cash and Helpish checked his account with the online music provider. The couple made about $100 a month until COVID hit and kids were home more -- to date, their income from "Poopy Stupid Butt" has amounted to about $10,000. The composers of tunes such as "Poop Poop Poop Poop Song" by Matt Farley believe their hits are largely attributable to the preschool crowd because Amazon Music is the default music provider attached to Alexa. "It's gotta be from Alexa," Farley said. "Amazon Music isn't something big music fans use."