September 8, 2016

Deer Interrupts Surfing Tryouts In California

Santa Ana, CS (AP) Surfing team tryouts in California were interrupted by a four-legged friend who apparently wanted to get in on the fun.

Surfers at Southern California’s Dana Point were shocked when a deer rushed into the ocean Thursday morning. One surfer had to kick his board out and bail out of a wave when the animal suddenly appeared in front of him.

“They were just getting midway thru their surf heat and out of nowhere this deer comes trotting down the shoreline,” Mike Foudy, whose son Cole was the surfer with the near-deer experience, told The Associated Press.

Foudy posted video of the dogpaddling deer, which he said appeared spooked, on his Facebook page.

Tryout judge Sheri Crummer told the Orange County Register that no one knew where the deer came from. It hopped over rocks and then went off to sea.

Surf team coach Tim Samson paddled out about a quarter of a mile and herded the deer back to shore, where it took off toward a hotel.

Lifeguard Capt. Brad Herzog says deer occasionally come for a swim, but it’s rare.

Man Charged With Shooting Corncobs At Neighbor's Home

Westerly, RI (AP) A 50-year-old Westerly man is charged with shooting corncobs at his neighbor’s home.

The Westerly Sun reports that Jeffrey Osella was arrested Tuesday night. Police say he answered his door shirtless and had corn kernels stuck to his chest.

Police say Osella used a potato gun to shoot corncobs at his neighbor’s house, which is up for sale. The gun is made of PVC pipe and uses a light accelerant such as hair spray that can be ignited.

Police say Osella and his neighbor have long-running disputes.

Osella is charged with disorderly conduct and firing in a compact area. He’s free on bail and is to be arraigned Friday.

A phone number for Osella could not be found.

Osella’s attorney says he can’t comment until he reviews the case.

No Quite 'The Birds' But Geese Causing Problems For School

Beckley, WV (AP) Almost like a scene from the movie “The Birds,” a West Virginia school is dealing with some fowl problems.

So many geese are converging around Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley that Principal Ron Cantley says after-school activities have been diverted. Even walking outside without tracking bird poop in the building is a challenge.

Cantley told WVVA-TV that he is working with the Division of Natural Resources to try to get rid of 100-plus birds roaming the grounds. He says part of the problem is that people feed the birds and they’ve lost their fear of humans.

A plan to get rid of the geese includes withholding food and harassing the birds so they will regain their fear and hopefully move on.

Bears Swim, Rummage Through Garbage In LA Suburb

Pasadena, CA (AP) Three black bears treated a suburban California neighborhood like a resort, taking a dip in a backyard pool and helping themselves to a dumpster buffet.

The trio, two cubs and their mother‚ wandered out of the San Gabriel mountains and into the foothill city of Pasadena on Thursday afternoon.

They ventured through several backyards and jumped into at least two pools before being chased out of the area by a brave dog.

State Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan tells the Los Angeles Times the mother bear appeared to be about 300 pounds. He said the cubs looked healthy and were likely less than a year old.

Funny Money: Inmates Called To Pick Up Fake $100s By Road

Pontotoc, MS (AP) Some Mississippi inmates were picking peas in a garden when they got a call to clean up money scattered along a roadside.

It seemed too good to be true and it was.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports the fake currency, found Saturday, made for use in movies. One of $100 bills was emblazoned with words “For Motion Picture Use Only.”

Pontotoc County Sheriff Leo Mask says it appears someone was hauling theater equipment because a movie reel was also tossed by the road. Deputies were counting the funny money, and an investigation continues.

Mississippi Man Claimed To Be Immune From Arrest

Slidell, LA (AP) Police in Louisiana say a Mississippi man claimed to be a “sovereign citizen” who’s immune from arrest during a traffic stop.

Slidell officers on Friday charged 54-year-old James Doyle Webb of Bay St. Louis with several violations, including not having a driver’s license, a license plate or insurance. He was also charged with resisting an officer. It was not immediately clear Saturday whether Webb is represented by an attorney.

A news release from the Slidell Police Department says Webb requested the names and badge numbers of officers who stopped him, then would not produce documents officers requested after he wrote down their information. The release says he was arrested after officers thought he was reaching for a gun. Instead of a license, he had a homemade “Constitutional Protection Travel Identification.”

NYC Bay To Get Oysters On Beds Made From Recycled Toilets

New York (AP) New York City is placing 50,000 oysters in Jamaica Bay‚ on beds made with the porcelain from 5,000 recycled toilets.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday that the project is the largest single installation of breeding oysters in New York City.

The northeastern director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation says the project will buffer New York from storms while cleaning the water and creating wildlife habitat.

The 31-square-mile Jamaica Bay is part of a 142-square-mile watershed that includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County.

The project is being done in partnership with the Harbor School’s Billion Oyster Project .