Thursday, May 14, 2020

A man lying on a Florida beach was injured after an officer drove a police cruiser over him

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, a 66-year-old man from Michigan was taken to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies said Indian Shores Police Department Officer was driving a fully marked 2018 Ford Explorer police cruiser after just beginning her beach patrol and was driving slowly along the sand when the left tires of her vehicle drove over the man’s hips. According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, the officer stopped and immediately gave aid until paramedics arrived. Investigators said neither speed nor impairment were factors in the incident, adding an investigation is ongoing. (WTSP)

A 15-year-old is dropping off puzzles and handwritten notes at nursing homes to cheer up residents

A teenage girl was heartbroken upon learning her regular visits to nursing homes were put on hold because of coronavirus. The 15-year-old had been volunteering at one facility near her home in Paoli, Pennsylvania, for more than a year, organizing activities like trivia and bingo for the residents. “The seniors aren’t able to see their families, so that’s causing loneliness, boredom and anxiety,” she said. And then she thought of her own grandparents in India. She has calls with them on Skype. Even though they’re stuck inside their homes and can speak to them, the nursing home residents may not have that option with their family. So she came up with the idea to send goodie bags — each one stuffed with one large print puzzle book, an adult coloring book and coloring pencils. “The puzzle and coloring books will help nursing home residents stimulate their minds and keep them occupied,” she said. The packages also include an encouraging note written by her 9-year-old brother. She coordinates with the nursing homes ahead of time to confirm that the bags can be received safely. She has now sent packages to 23 nursing homes in the Philadelphia area. The high school sophomore has created a GoFundMe account to help make even more of the thoughtful packages. The teen says she will continue doing this until the public health crisis is over. (CNN)

More than 150 rodent droppings found inside Domino’s Pizza restaurant

Rodent droppings, flies landing on pizza dough, and roach issues were all found inside a North Miami Beach Domino’s Pizza last week. There were also hand washing issues inside the Domino’s, as well. State records show four South Florida kitchens were ordered shut last week by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. An inspector also observed roaches inside a Deerfield Beach, Florida Subway restaurant. Below is a list of places that were ordered shut and some of their violations. All the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and re-inspection. Reports included:

• Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 100+ rodent droppings found behind the pizza dough station, approximately 30+ rodent droppings in the storage room, approximately 10+ rodent droppings in the dining area.
• Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed 1 fly landed on 2 pizza dough that was being made.
• Dead roaches on premises. Observed 2 dead roaches on the floor under the three compartment sink, and 1 dead roach under the plastic, bottles of soda rack in the back kitchen area.
• Water draining onto floor surface. Observed water leaking from the ceiling in the back of the kitchen area. Observed water leaking from the ceiling by the bathroom area in the dining area.
• Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 4 live roaches under hot holding unit at closed end of sandwich line on shelf with sheet trays 10 live roaches under cold holding unit on sandwich line on shelf with large reusable salad bowls Roaches isolated to sandwich make line.
• Dead roaches on premises. 2 dead roaches in cabinet under hand sink on sandwich line, non food contact surface 3 dead roaches under hot holding unit at closed end of sandwich line on shelf with sheet trays Approximately 10 dead roaches under cold holding unit on sandwich line on shelf with large reusable salad bowls Roaches isolated to sandwich make line.
• Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Observed approximately 25 roach droppings around to go containers in shelf in kitchen.
• Dead roaches on premises. Observed 5 dead roaches inside reach in freezer, 1 dead on kitchen floor, 3 dead next to-to go container on shelving, 3 dead on floor in bar area with pool tables, 1 dead roach inside to go cup bag.
• Plumbing system in disrepair. Observed front counter 3 compartment sink in disrepair, also hand wash sink not operating in front at the time of the inspection. Operating hand wash sink located at kitchen.

(WPLG)

A man drove over 500 miles to deliver N95 masks to his sister who is a nurse

With the help of his lifelong friend, one man drove over 500 miles just to bring N95 masks to his sister who works on the frontline as a registered nurse. The man and his friend drove 530 miles simply to deliver his sister a package of N95 masks. Both men work for Vivint Solar in New Jersey, and when the company decided to donate a box of N95 masks, the brother thought it would be fit to give them to his sister and the staff at Cone Health. The sister is a registered nurse (RN) who volunteered to work at Cone Health’s Green Valley Campus in High Point, which is a hospital specially dedicated to COVID-19 patients. “Knowing that my sister (among others) is spending her time caring for others is no surprise by any means. The passion she has for this career has been made clear and if you have not seen it already, you will in the future,” the brother said. (WFMY)

WWII Marine vet, 99, beats COVID-19

A 99-year-old Marine veteran earned a new medal this week, to go along with the two Purple Hearts he was given for his actions during World War II, after winning a long and tough battle against the coronavirus. Max DeWeese, of Kansas City, wound up in the hospital and then a rehab facility after getting sick with COVID-19. He was discharged recently from Ignite Medical Resorts in Kansas City. “I’ve gone through hell more than once and this came almost as close,” he said. DeWeese enlisted in the Marines after Pearl Harbor and served as a flamethrower in the South Pacific, including at the Battle of Guadalcanal. A representative with Friends in Service of Heroes, a veterans support organization, draped a medal around his friend’s neck that said “I Beat COVID-19 in 2020.” The representative said that “Max’s attitude and never-give-up spirit is something that was ingrained in him as a young Marine, and it still lives with him today.” The veteran seems to be in good spirits about the whole situation, saying that “I’ve ridden it and thank goodness the good Lord has seen fit to keep me around for a little while longer.” (Fox 4)

Farmers to give away 200,000 pounds of potatoes in Washington

Farmers in Washington state will give away more than 200,000 pounds of potatoes at the Tacoma Dome as part of a mission to get 1 million pounds of potatoes into the hands of people in need. The potatoes were meant to be sold to restaurants and other food service establishments but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “With so many restaurants closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, our potato farmers have storages full of these potatoes that were scheduled to be turned into french fries, tater tots, hash browns and many other frozen potato products,” a group of Washington state potato farmers said in a press release. “Our farmers and their families recognize that they are not the only ones suffering financially, and they have the potatoes in their storage sheds that can feed so many.” (The News Tribune)

An 11-year-old girl from Sioux Falls, S.D., has been inundated with thank you letters sent by postmasters all over the United States

It all started when the 11-year-old wrote a note to her local mail carrier to say thanks for picking up the letters that she writes to her penpals. He shared her note with USPS employees via an internal newsletter and postmasters from all over the country reacted by sending personal thank you letters to her. She said that the letters made her really happy because she loves receiving mail as much as she loves sending it. She also feels that the exchange is a way to celebrate postal workers during the pandemic. (NPR)

Under a plan endorsed by MLB team owners, baseball games could resume in early July in ballparks without fans

However, the plan faces many hurdles. The players’ association needs to agree on salary caps and negotiations are expected to be difficult. In addition, the MLB would need to secure tests for players and employees and take measures to minimize the risk of contagion. Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle wrote a Twitter thread explaining some of the measures that, in his opinion, the MLB should take to protect the health of players and their families. Details include:

• With 82 games, it would be the shortest season since the late 1870s.
• Teams would play only against divisional rivals and teams in the corresponding geographic division of the opposite league.
• There will be a universal designated hitter.
• The postseason would expand to 14 teams, from 10.

(ESPN)

Shopping in a post-pandemic world

As lockdowns ease in parts of the country, stores and malls are gearing up to reopen. Mall giant Simon Property Group says 50% of its properties will open in the next week. Yet, if the retail industry is to survive, customers will have to feel confident in returning to physical stores. A recent poll shows that 65% of women don’t feel safe trying on clothes in stores due to the coronavirus pandemic. Stores are trying to adapt — Gap will close its fitting rooms and all returns will have to be made within 24 hours, while others will implement one-way pedestrian flows and cap capacity. Employees will wear face masks, and some will even wear gloves. (CNBC)

Pregnant women likely can’t pass on the virus in utero to their babies.

In Los Angeles County, California, 134 pregnant women have tested positive for coronavirus, but none of the 24 newborns who were tested returned a positive result. Newborn babies can still contract the virus through contact with an infected individual. Some babies have become seriously ill with COVID-19, though this has been relatively rare. Other interesting facts include:

• Pregnant women with COVID-19 experience severe illness at about the same rate as the general population.
• A New York study showed that 80% of pregnant women with COVID-19 experienced mild symptoms.
• Preliminary research from the U.K. suggests that pregnant women are more likely to experience severe symptoms if they contract the virus during the third trimester.
• New York’s COVID-19 Maternity Task Force recommended that all pregnant women be tested for coronavirus.

(Los Angeles Times)

New Jersey driver crashes car after passing out from wearing N95 mask

A New Jersey driver crashed head-on into a pole — after passing out from wearing an N95 mask for hours, police said. Lincoln Park, New Jersey, police believe that the driver lost consciousness while behind the wheel from lack of oxygen and breathing in excessive carbon dioxide thanks to the mask. Police told residents that while they should continue to follow Governor Phil Murphy’s guidelines for wearing face coverings in public, wearing an N95 mask while driving with “no other occupants is unnecessary.” The driver was taken to a local hospital, where the person was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, cops said. (Lincoln Park, New Jersey Police Department Facebook)

Don’t want to return to work? Yank your benefits!

Congress created special unemployment benefits so that laid-off workers could stay home while the coronavirus pandemic rages outside, but the Trump administration wants states to make sure that nobody’s getting benefits if they could be at work. The U.S. Department of Labor has told states, which implement unemployment insurance programs according to federal rules, that they should ask employers to notify the state if someone turns down an offer to come back to work. More than 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits in the last six weeks, an unprecedented surge in claims. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provided an extra $600 per week in unemployment compensation and made independent contractors and the self-employed eligible for benefits for the first time. (Huffington Post)

**WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES!**

IKEA China reminds people not to masturbate in its stores

After a video of a woman masturbating in an IKEA store in China went viral, the company released a statement reminding people not to masturbate in its stores. The video, which allegedly has been scrubbed from Chinese social media, shows the woman touching herself on various furniture pieces in IKEA showrooms. The statement of the Swedish furniture store said that they would take “even more careful security and public cleanliness measures” and asked customers to “browse stores in an orderly and civilised way”. (Pendect)

Thursday Chimes On With:

• Apraxia Awareness Day
• National Chicken Dance Day
• National Decency Day
• The Stars and Stripes Forever Day
• Underground America Day