November 2, 2017

Bobcat In Bathroom Of Newspaper Startles Publisher

Sapulpa, OK (AP) A small-town Oklahoma newspaper publisher found a startling front-page story practically in his newsroom: There was a hissing bobcat in the bathroom.

Sapulpa Herald publisher Darren Sumner says the wild animal jumped at him one recent morning as he was heading into the restroom at his office in Sapulpa, a Tulsa suburb.

Sumner shut the door and trapped the adult male cat inside until police and a game warden arrived. Wildlife control workers captured the bobcat in a cage and released it in nearby Pawnee County.

Neither Sumner nor the wild cat was injured in the confrontation.

Sumner said the animal likely got into his building through an open door.

Burglar Gets Prison For Taking $1, Plant He Confused For Pot

Allentown, PA (AP) A Pennsylvania man who stole $1 and a houseplant he thought was marijuana during a series of break-ins in March has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

The Morning Call reports 21-year-old Maico Rosado Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 7 to 15 years after pleading guilty in August to robbery and three counts of burglary.

Police say Rosado broke into Jabber Jaws Bar & Grille in Allentown. Police say the manager confronted Rosado but backed off when Rosado pointed a gun at him. Rosado then made off with a keepsake dollar.

From there, police say Rosado broke into a house and left with a plant. Officers say he then threatened a woman with his gun before taking her purse. He was arrested shortly afterward.

Pesky Woodpecker Breaks Car Mirrors In GA Neighborhood

Snellville, GA (AP) Authorities say a pesky woodpecker has been breaking car mirrors in Georgia.

WSB Radio reports over a dozen cars in a Snellville neighborhood were damaged last week. Snellville police took several written reports and stepped up patrols before receiving a tip about the likely suspect.

The police department said in a Facebook post that a witness observed a pileated woodpecker breaking her car mirror in the neighborhood. Authorities say they’ll continue their patrols, although they believe that the case is solved.

WSB reports some residents are covering their mirrors with bags to prevent any further damage.

Teens Dressed As Bushes Face Arrest Over Pre-Halloween Prank

Rahway, NJ (AP) Teenagers who are getting a jump on Halloween by dressing up as bushes and surprising people in a New Jersey park could face arrest.

The Union County Police Department fears the self-proclaimed “Rahway Bushmen” could cause someone to fall and sue the county.

Two of the high school students cover camouflage suits with brush while a third acts as lookout. They stand in Rahway River Park and say “hi” to unsuspecting visitors.

One of the teens, who would not give their names, told NJ.com it’s more or less an idea to try to make people smile.

Elisa Rodriguez, who heard funny voices and ruffling of leaves, says it was hilarious and the teens should be applauded.

Run Forest! Gump Impersonator Jogs Around California City

Riverside, CA (AP) Halloween started early in one Southern California city, where a man dressed as Forrest Gump has been running around neighborhoods and stopping to take pictures with residents.

Video and a photo from police show the man sporting a mangy fake beard, red shorts and a red “Bubba Gump” hat during his jogs around the city of Riverside. It’s the same outfit worn by Tom Hanks in the 1994 Oscar-winning film “Forrest Gump.” Hanks’ character spends part of the movie running across the country.

The man identified himself to KABC-TV only as Forrest Gump. He added that “it doesn’t really matter” who he is. He says his runs are “just something that took off and made the community happy, made people smile.”

Locked In Beer Cooler, Wisconsin Man Gets Busy

Marshfield, WI (AP) When a central Wisconsin man got locked inside a convenience store cooler overnight, he made the best of it, knocking back a beer and three more malt beverages. USA Today Network-Wisconsin reports that police were called to a Kwik Trip in Marshfield Wednesday morning. A customer had noticed the 38-year-old man inside the cooler around 6 a.m., and when employees opened it, he fled.

When police found and arrested the man, he told them he went into the store to buy beer and got locked inside the cooler just before midnight Tuesday. He told them he figured he

might just as well stay inside and drink. Police cited the man for retail theft. They said the cooler had a glass door he could have knocked on to be let out.