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An Isle of Wight man was told to get his teeth fixed before a dentist would let him marry his daughter. Gordon Taylor, 32, was told he must have a series of fillings and cosmetic surgery before he could walk down the aisle with Sarah Lewis, 26. Her father, Dr Philip Lewis, even made him wear a 'snap-on smile' cosmetic denture for the wedding in Cowes. "I didn't mean to neglect my teeth, I guess it was just the lifestyle I was leading," said Mr Taylor. "When I met Sarah, I guess her family noticed them more than most because her father is a dentist." Dr Lewis, 56, admitted he was horrified by the sight of his future son-in-law's teeth. "The thought of my daughter walking down the aisle to Gordon with his teeth the way they were was not a good one," he said. Sarah's mother Joy, who works as a receptionist at Dr Lewis's surgery, added: "Gordon is a lovely chap but he had awful teeth, really awful teeth." And his bride said she was thrilled Mr Taylor had agreed to undergo the dental work to win her hand. "I will always love him regardless but I know the finished look will certainly please him as well as our family and friends," she said. Source
A Massachusetts man who police say drove to Madison last week looking for a 17-year-old boy he met in an online game had an arsenal of weapons, restraints and rubber gloves in his vehicle when he was arrested Friday, Massachusetts State Police said. "We feel extremely lucky that we've avoided a homicide," Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said Wednesday. Police also are crediting the boy's mother, whom DeSpain said "played a significant role in preventing her son from being victimized, injured or killed." The son was 16 when he met Trevor L. Lucas, 21, of Gloucester playing the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft, DeSpain said. According to a criminal complaint, about a year ago, Lucas asked the son for nude photos of himself. The son notified Madison police and put Lucas on an "ignore list" for the game. The complaint said Lucas then sent the son messages threatening to hurt him if he didn't pay back money Lucas claimed to have spent on him in the game. When Lucas came to her Madison home Aug. 26, according to the complaint, Lucas told the mother he was with the National Security Recruiting Department and needed to speak with her son. She then asked for identification, and called police while Lucas went to his vehicle. While police were en route, DeSpain said, Lucas returned to the house and pulled a gun on the woman, then fled when she pushed the door closed and screamed. On Friday, Lucas was charged in Dane County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety and impersonating a peace officer to aid in the commission of a crime, both felonies. Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Michael Popovics said Lucas had four semi-automatic hand guns - two of which were loaded - along with four loaded, large-capacity magazines, two stun guns, three pepper spray containers, two assault knives, two expandable police batons and seven sets of handcuffs when he was arrested on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Weston, about 10 minutes outside of Boston, Friday afternoon. Lucas also had two rolls of duct tape, a large number of plastic tie wraps that could be used as restraints, a set of professional lock-picking tools, a compass and two flashlights, along with rubber gloves and a large number of plastic bags, Popovics said. Lucas was out on bail for several felony firearms and ammunition violations in Massachusetts, where this week he was charged with additional weapons violations. Madison police will be meeting with federal authorities to determine if federal charges will be filed, DeSpain said. Source
A homeowner said she was shocked but then proud to discover there was a skeleton with a gun buried under the concrete floor of her shed. The remains were found by workers building a new deck for the home of Rosalie Foster in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Associated Press reports. Ms Foster said that her initial shock and disbelief gave way to her thinking: "Wow, I got a body!'' The skeleton is thought to be over 100 years, with the gun being an antique. Forensics tests were being conducted to confirm the age and gender of the remains. Ms Foster has been told she can keep the weapon as it was discovered on her property. Source
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Authorities said a man was arrested after calling 911 twice for a ride and saying he was hungry. Police reports said Benjamin Dewer, 26, was charged early Wednesday with making false calls to 911. The report said Dewer was apparently drunk when police found him sitting on a sidewalk. He asked police for a ride to a park and told them he was hungry. When police refused, Dewer walked away and called 911 a second time for a ride. Dewer was being held behind bars at the Palm Beach County Jail on a $1,000 bond. Source Have any interesting articles you'd like to share? Article Request Thread.
UNIONTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania history buff who recreates firearms from old wars accidentally fired a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbor's home. Fifty-four-year-old William Maser fired a cannonball Wednesday evening outside his home in Georges Township that ricocheted and hit a house 400 yards away. The cannonball, about two inches in diameter, smashed through a window and a wall before landing in a closet. Authorities say nobody was hurt. State police charged Maser with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. No one answered the phone Friday at Maser's home. He tells WPXI-TV recreating 19th century cannons is a longtime hobby. He says he is sorry and he will stop shooting them on his property, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Source
Two men in Texas believe they may have discovered the body of a semi-mythical beast rumoured to suck all the blood out of its prey. Lynn Butler, a taxidermist, says he found the chupacabra in a chicken barn three months ago, after an unseen predator was heard running amock. It has a hairless, leathery body and pointed muzzle and some animal experts, who have inspected the corpse, say it may be a chupacabra, a predator first sighted in Puerto Rico in 1995. Descriptions of chupacabras differ wildly - they have been likened to rodents, lizards and even small bears - but they all tend to be distinguished by prominent fangs visible on Mr Butler's specimen. The name translates from the Spanish as "goat sucker" because of reports that the beasts puncture the skins of livestock with their teeth, draining them of blood. Suspected sightings have been reported across the Americas and even as far away as Russia, but scientists dismiss the animals as modern legends. Jerry Ayer, a friend of Mr Butler and a fellow taxidermist, plans to have it properly stuffed and mounted for public display. "To be honest, I don't know what it is. I'd probably say it's a freak-of-nature coyote, or a hybrid breed with a genetic mutation," he told the Los Angeles Times. "Very odd-looking," he added. "The hairlessness is sinister because you can see the bones protruding at the hips. "People say there's a mythical beast and I have one. I'll call it chupacabra because people love it, but I don't know what it is." Source
The prime minister of Bangladesh has ordered male government employees to stop wearing suits, jackets and ties to save electricity. Sheikh Hasina told officials that doing so would minimize their use of air-conditioners. Bangladesh suffers from daily power cuts as power plants are unable to meet the country's demand. A senior official told the BBC the government would soon encourage businesses to follow its example. Bangladesh's official dress code has been rewritten - after Sheikh Hasina ordered government employees to do more to ease the country's energy shortage. Even ministers now will no longer be expected to wear suits and ties. During the hot months between March and November, men have been ordered to wear trousers and shirts instead, and these do not have to be tucked in any more. Officials and ministers have also been told not to turn their air-conditioners below 24C. In June, the government introduced daylight saving, and the clocks moved forward by one hour, in another attempt to cut energy consumption. It has said it will also soon spend $6bn (£3.6bn) on new power plants, operated by private companies. The current state-owned plants have not been able to keep up with Bangladesh's large population and its economy, which has been growing at about 6% annually for the past five years. The energy sector in the country has been beset by allegations of mismanagement and corruption. Source
The parents of a boy who has run away to try to catch a train have asked railway staff to put up warning posters to stop him getting into danger. Four-year-old Toby Friend has even tried to buy a ticket at the station near his house in mid-Kent. He has climbed his back garden fence and crossed two main roads 15 times in his effort to reach the station. "He just loves the train so much... he thinks he can go on his own," said his mother, Kirstie Field. "He just loves adventure. We don't drive, so apart from the occasional bus, train is our only transport. "The first time he actually managed to get on a train and asked for a ticket," she said. "Luckily the train guard didn't leave the station, but there's always that worry that he's going to get on a train and not ask for a ticket, and just go and sit down, and the train just leaves as normal." Railway staff at stations all along the line from Tonbridge to Ashford now have pictures of Toby to help them keep a lookout for him should he try to get on a train again. Source
Madison, Conn., Sept. 2 -- A Connecticut man who jokingly listed his parents as "for sale" on the Web site Craigslist said the ad drew unexpected responses from interested buyers. Michael Amatrudo, 51, of Madison, said he listed his parents, Ed and Arlene Amatrudo, on the site Saturday to see what sort of response he would receive and the posting resulted in hundreds of e-mails from interested parties asking questions, including shipping costs and estimated time for delivery, the New York Post reported. "Perfectly good parents," the posting reads. "Got lots of use out of these guys over the past 50 years, but it's time to move on." "Excellent overall condition. Still plenty of life in them," the ad states. Amatrudo set the asking price at $155, but wrote in the ad that he "will consider trade for newer model, hot blonde under age 40 or an Erector Set in good condition." Amatrudo's wife, Karen, said his parents took the ad in good humor. "They're used to their kids having a great sense of humor," she said. "But they definitely thought the price was too low." Source
A Chinese family who refused to move for a government project have been left high and dry - after their car was left stranded on a 50ft column of earth. Officials had decided to level several hills in mountainous Hanjiagen village in northern China's Shanxi province to make way for new homes, reports the Red Network. Qu Liming, 60, refused to move his family from their home on one of the hills - but workers started digging out the soil around his house. "My son drove his car in front of the house to stop the bulldozers from digging the soil, but unexpectedly, they dug out all the soil around the car, leaving the car perched on top of an isolated island," he said. Now the family cannot drive their silver Chevrolet - and have to climb a vertical cliff face to reach their home. "Each day we really have to climb into the house, since the soil has been removed, and it's a vertical cliff for us," added Qu. "I built the house hoping to spend the rest of my life there, but now we have no neighbors, no way in and out, no communications. What should I do?" Village officials refused to comment. Source
