Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Central Florida man accused of punching neighbor over Biden yard sign

A Volusia County, Florida man was arrested after authorities say he punched his neighbor in the face during an argument about a Joe Biden campaign sign. The alleged incident took place in DeBary, Florida. The 55-year-old man admitted to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office that he tossed a neighbor’s sign because he thought it was blocking the view of his own sign. Deputies said the victim had obvious signs of injury by his left eye but he declined medical attention. (WKMG)

More college students call time-out

More than a fifth of all college students plan not to return this fall, according to a new poll, even as institutions scramble to reopen safely by offering varying degrees of online instruction amid the pandemic. A separate survey shows a majority of younger college students crave in-person interaction and see less value in their education this fall compared with last year. (College Reaction)

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

Woman accused of urinating on husband after fight

A fight at sea led to a woman opening up a hatch on their boat and urinating on her husband who was asleep in the cabin below, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said they were called to Rooker Island, located in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tarpon Springs, in the early morning hours. The victim said he and his 48-year-old wife were on their cabin cruiser boat when they got into an argument for an unknown reason. Then, as the man was sleeping, she opened the front port hatch that’s located above the boat’s interior cabin and urinated on her husband down below, according to the affidavit. Deputies said she bit the victim on the stomach after she urinated on him, as evidenced by his injuries. She was arrested on a domestic battery charge. (Click Orlando)

A geologist on a hike discovered the oldest vertebrate fossil tracks ever found at Grand Canyon National Park, which is famous for housing a number of fossils and other remains

At 313 million years old, the fossil tracks are also considered one of the planet’s oldest tracks of shelled-egg-laying animals and the earliest evidence of vertebrate animals walking in sand dunes. The footprints belong to two different animals walking on the slope of a sand dune, and also reveal a position scientists did not know existed in early animals known as the lateral-sequence walk. This involves both the front and rear leg moving together on one side of a leg alternating, with the other leg doing the same. The geologist who made the discovery is a visiting professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, from Norway. Krill discovered the fossil footprints while hiking with students four years ago. He wrote about the find in a paper published this week in the journal PLOS One. (CNN)

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

Man arrested for possession of child porn, animal cruelty, and bestiality

A Florida man has been arrested after deputies found thousands of files of child pornography on his phone, as well as conversations about raping children and babies and even a video of him sexually abusing a dog. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said that 20-year-old man was arrested on multiple charges, including possession of child pornography, with additional animal cruelty and bestiality charges pending. They said that officers recovered the man’s phone from a robbery last month and discovered disturbing files on the device, including about 1,400 files of child pornography and a video of the man sexually abusing a dog. Further analysis of the phone revealed numerous text conversations containing claims of access to children and sexual contact with them, deputies said. He was reportedly charged on Friday and is being held without bond. Deputies added that Jobe has autism and functions with the mental capacity of someone younger than his age. (Fox 5)

These planter-like urinals are Amsterdam’s answer to the problem of ‘wild peeing’

The city of Amsterdam is going green in an attempt to combat an age-old problem — public urination. The local council has installed eight hemp-filled, sustainable urinals in the city’s “wild peeing” hotspots. At first glance, the urinals, called GreenPees, look like traditional planters, with greenery sprouting from the top. But look more closely and you’ll notice an opening in the side. This is the target zone for urination. GreenPee is manufactured by Dutch company Urban Senses, and there are now a total of 12 of the urinals in Amsterdam. (CNN)

Man involved in DUI golf cart crash claims President Trump drove him to drink

A man who crashed his golf cart while driving it drunk said he was driven to drink after watching President Donald Trump on TV, according to the Sumter County, Florida Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said they were called to a single-vehicle golf cart crash and when they questioned the driver, 82-year-old male driver, he said he hit a wall inside the golf cart tunnel while driving home. His red golf cart had what appeared to be a broken axle, leading deputies to believe he ran over a concrete curb, records show. The report said he was slurring his words and smelled of alcohol as deputies were questioning him about the crash, but was not injured and no property was damaged. He claimed that about two hours prior, he saw President Trump speaking on TV and “then got really mad at what he said” so he started drinking vodka, according to authorities. He admitted to drinking and thought he was OK to drive, yet he was unable to stand on his own or complete the field sobriety tests. Breath tests showed his blood alcohol content was 0.149 and 0.148 during two different tests, according to the affidavit. He was arrested on a DUI charge. (Click Orlando)

Man wins $1M thanks to favorite lottery ticket being sold out

A Michigan man said a store being sold out of his preferred scratch-off lottery ticket turned out to be fortuitous when his second choice earned him a $1 million jackpot. The Alpena County man told Michigan Lottery officials he visited The Corner Depot store in Alpena with the intention of buying a specific $10 scratch-off ticket. “I was looking for a different $10 instant game, but the store was out,” the man said. “I saw the Emerald 10’s ticket and decided to give it a try.” The player said he initially thought he had won $1,000 and didn’t realize his error until he moved on to scratching another ticket. “I scratched the ticket, and thought I won $1,000 and set it aside. I started scratching the second ticket I bought, and all the zeros caught my eye. When I focused in on the prize amount, I couldn’t believe it,” the man said. The winner said he plans to use some of his prize money for home repair project and invest the remainder. (Michigan Lottery Connect)

Man Arrested for Cashing In Winning Lottery Ticket at Gas Station He Stole It From

A 27-year-old man in Clearwater, Florida was recently arrested for trying to cash in a winning lottery ticket at the same store that he had stolen it and several others from, according to police. In a statement posted to Facebook, the Clearwater Police Department in Florida wrote, “for most people, it’s their lucky day when they get a winning scratch-off lottery ticket.” One of the tickets was a $30 winner, police said. Shortly after going back to the same store, the employees, who remembered him from before, called the Clearwater Police Department. He was arrested shortly after officers arrived at the Speedway, according to police. Following the arrest, he was charged with petit theft and dealing in stolen property, authorities said. “It’s safe to say it was not his lucky day,” the Clearwater Police Department wrote in its statement posted to Facebook. (Clearwater, Florida Police Department Facebook)

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) will release before the end of the year, a Sony Interactive executive confirmed

The assurance comes after some speculated that the PS5’s holiday launch window could be delayed because of the pandemic. Sony has yet to reveal a PS5 price or release date, though both announcements are likely imminent. Sony has also confirmed that the PS5 will be backward compatible with the PSVR headset. Users will be able to use their existing PlayStation Cameras with the PS5 via an adaptor, which Sony will ship for free. DualShock 4, PSVR Aim. and PlayStation Move controllers will still work with supported PSVR games on PS5. The company shared some of the immersive gameplay for the PS5. This includes adaptive triggers and haptic feedback for the DualSense wireless controller. (UploadVR)

Stranger hands out cash to people waiting for stimulus checks

Thousands of Oregonians waited in long lines at credit unions across the state recently to apply for $500 emergency relief checks but people at one location left with more than they expected. A man driving a luxury vehicle pulled up, but witnesses said he seemed irritated at first that people were blocking the ATM until those gathered explained that they were waiting for emergency funding. The man reacted by asking, “Really, you guys need help?” and witnesses say he opened a stack of $100 bills and then started to distribute money down the line. He just said “here take it”. It’s estimated the man handed out over $10,000. Witness said the man didn’t identify himself or ask for any thanks before driving away. (KOIN)

Police were called to a 7-Eleven convenience store in response to a “vampire” who was threatening staff and customers

A man in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was allegedly asking people “if they were ready to die today.” Police say when they arrived, he ran to a median on NW Expressway. Officers tried to make contact with him, but he took his shirt off, kicked off his sandals, and took a “fighting stance.” Police were able to grab his hands and cuff him. Then he began pulling away and yelling that he was a “vampire” and he was going to bite the officer’s neck and drink his blood. While one officer was putting him in the police car, the suspect shouted that he was going to spit in his face. Once in the car, police say he lunged forward and spit in the officer’s face, yelling, “I’m going to feast on your blood.” Police transported him to Baptist Hospital to get blood drawn to see if he exposed the officer to any diseases. After the test, officers booked him into the county jail and charged him for aggravated assault and battery on a police officer. (KOKH)

German university offering $1,900 grants ‘for doing nothing’

 A university in Germany is offering “idleness grants” to Germans willing to abstain from activity as part of research for an exhibition on sustainability. The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg said three people will receive the “grant for doing nothing” and be paid $1,900 to engage in a specific form of “active inactivity.” The school said applicants are free to choose their own form of idleness — an activity to abstain from — and a panel of school officials will choose the three best pitches. The school said the grant money will be issued when the chosen applicants submit their experience reports in mid-January. The participants who submit their reports will be paid regardless of whether their attempt at inactivity was successful. All submitted applications will form part of an exhibition called The School of Inconsequentiality: Towards A Better Life, which is planned for November. The exhibition will explore the question: “What can I refrain from so that my life has fewer negative consequences on the lives of others?” Officials say the idea is to explore the relationship between how society encourages sustainability and how society places value on material success. (University of Fine Arts in Hamburg)

Tuesday Troubles Us With:

• Banana Split Day
• Kiss and Make Up Day
• National Park Service Day
• Second-hand Wardrobe Day
• Whiskey Sour Day