angelm's Blog

$55,000 found in St. Louis County Jail bathroom 

CLAYTON, Mo. - Someone at the St. Louis County Jail was flush with money. A correctional officer at the intake facility at the St. Louis County Justice Center last week found $55,000 stuffed behind a toilet paper dispenser.

The bundle of money was in $100 and $50 bills, said Clayton Police Chief Thomas Byrne.

Officials interviewed inmates about the money, but none admitted knowing anything about the stashed cash.

The money was placed in a special bank account until the owner can be determined, Byrne said.

Man robbed buying crack calls cops who arrest him

HARTFORD, Conn. - An East Hartford man called police to report he had been robbed while trying to buy crack cocaine.

Max Minnefield called police Monday to tell them he had paid a man and a woman $8 for drugs he never received.

Police charged him with criminal attempt to commit possession of narcotics.

During his arraignment Tuesday, Judge Bradford Ward asked Minnefield, "Did you really think the police were going to go after the people?" He added that his question was rhetorical.

Prosecutors later dropped the charges.

Laura Weslund, Minnefield's public defender, said no drugs were ever found

pays to go in a public toilet

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - It pays to use a toilet in southern India, as residents are earning close to a dollar a month by using public urinals, a scheme launched by authorities to promote hygiene and research in rural areas.

Dozens of people are queuing up to use toilets in Musiri, a remote town in Tamil Nadu state, where authorities have succeeded in keeping street corners clean with the new scheme, The Times of India newspaper said on Sunday.

"In fact, many of us started using toilets for urination only after the ecosan (ecological sanitation) toilets were constructed in the area," said S. Rajasekaran, a truck cleaner.

The urine was also being collected and tested for its efficacy as a crop fertilizer, an official of the state's agricultural university added.

People relieving themselves in the open is a common sight in India's rural towns and villages, as basic sanitation still eludes millions.

9 hurt in 1st day of Spain's running of the bulls By JORGE SAINZ, Associated Press Writer

PAMPLONA, Spain - Daredevils kicked off the running of the bulls Monday with a long, messy and particularly dangerous dash through the streets of Pamplona, with nine people suffering bumps and bruises but none gored, officials said.

The half-mile sprint through cobblestone streets turned chaotic because the pack of six half-ton beasts became separated early in the route after plowing into a crowd of people, some of them spectators.

Some of the bulls fell and two ended up running on their own. One of those became disoriented, trying several times to turn around and go back toward the starting point. But herders waving sticks eventually guided it to the bull ring where the course ends.

Inside the ring one black bull fell down and stayed there for nearly a minute, as jubilant runners scampered about.

The Spanish Red Cross said nine people were injured, with head or rib injuries from falling or getting trampled. It said five were Spanish and the rest were from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain. No names were given.

The whole run took just over four minutes, which is a bit slow by the standards of Pamplona's Fiesta de San Fermin, as the festival is known.

It was the first of eight scheduled runs. The most crowded ones will be next weekend, when the throngs of thrill-seekers will swell dramatically as people pour into Pamplona from out of town for two days of revelry and Adrenalin.

The fact that this year's festival began on a Monday meant a lighter turnout.

"There were a few tense moments, but I think everything went quite well. There were fewer people than at other times," said 29-year-old runner Aritz Lopez, from Bilbao.

Many of Monday's participants wore traditional white trousers and shirts and red kerchiefs around their necks. They carried rolled-up newspapers � a tool for gauging how far away a charging bull is.

Before the sprint, local runners paid tribute to a beloved Pamplona native, Inaki Ochoa de Olza, a veteran mountain climber who died in the Himalayas in May. He also was a regular runner at San Fermin.

The running of the bulls became world famous with the publication of Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises" and also is known for its all-night street parties.

Arrest made after FedEx sends drug to wrong place

BALTIMORE - FedEx prides itself on reliability. But a mistaken delivery tipped off police to a 200-pound shipment of marijuana that someone tried to send from Pembroke Pines, Florida to Baltimore via the shipping company.

Police tell The (Baltimore) Sun they learned about the shipment when it was delivered Tuesday to the wrong resident.

Authorities posed as FedEx employees and arrested the shipment's intended recipient, 30-year-old Richard Gwatidzo.

Officials say he was charged Thursday with possession of a large quantity of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute along with other drug related charges.

Police say they also seized eight other FedEx boxes with nearly 400 pounds of the drug.

Authorities are trying to determine the sender's identity

Man accused of faking heart attacks to avoid bills 

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A 52-year-old Milwaukee-area man has been accused of faking heart attacks to avoid paying restaurant bills and cab fares.

Police say the Waukesha (WAWK'-uh-shaw) man took a cab to a mall Monday and pretended to have a heart attack. The cab driver left unpaid.

Authorities say the man then ran up a $23 bill when he had a steak dinner at Applebee's. He again pretended to have a heart attack.

This time the fire department took him to a hospital. A doctor there recognized the man as having pulled the same stunt in the past few weeks.

He was charged Thursday with defrauding a restaurant as a habitual criminal. He could get up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

blue cheese crusted tomatoes

Servings: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 medium tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preparation:Prepare barbecue (high heat), leaving opposite side unlit if gas grill or without coals if charcoal grill. Mix breadcrumbs and olive oil in small bowl, mashing to coat. Cut top 1/4 from each tomato. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top each with 1 tablespoon blue cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.

Arrange tomatoes (topping side up) on unlit side of grill. Cover grill and cook tomatoes until slightly soft and cheese melts, about 13 minutes.

Pretzel Sparklers
long rod pretzels
white chocolate, melted
sprinkles (red, white and blue) or star cake decorations

Melt the white chocolate. Dip the pretzel rod halfway into the melted chocolate then sprinkle the sprinkles over the wet chocolate. Lay on waxed paper or place in a cup to dry.

Ham and Pineapple Kabobs
PREP TIME  15 Min 
COOK TIME  8 Min 
READY IN  23 Min 

recipe yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
3/4 pound cooked ham, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
skewers

DIRECTIONS
Preheat grill for high heat.
In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, and mustard. Thread ham and pineapple chunks alternately onto skewers.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place skewers on the prepared grill, and brush liberally with the brown sugar mixture. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently and basting often. Serve when heated through and richly glazed.

4th of July History & Trivia -Did You Know�
The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.
In May, 1776, after nearly a year of trying to resolve their differences with England, the colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Finally, in June, admitting that their efforts were hopeless; a committee was formed to compose the formal Declaration of Independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented the first draft of the declaration to Congress.
Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.
Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

Here are some great indoor party ideas for July 4th:
Host a red, white and blue party: Start with patriotically colored decorations, plates and napkins. Encourage your guests to come decked out in the patriotic colors too. Although red, white and blue face painting isn't required, it can be always be a fun addition.

Throw a July 4 Trivia Party: Challenge your friends with a round of July 4th trivia. If you need help creating your game with some tricky trivia, check out our history section. Whether you want easy questions like, �Who was the first U.S. President?� (George Washington), or harder ones like �How many U.S. towns are called 'Patriot'?� (One: Patriot, IN) will depend on the guests at your party.

Have a July 4th movie marathon: You can include films such as Independence Day, The Patriot, Born on the Fourth of July, Air Force One or any other of your favorites.

Don't forget the patriotic 4th of July party games: If you have kids at the party or if you and your friends just want to feel like kids again, you can put a patriotic spin on an old favorite: Pin the Hat on Uncle Sam.

Invite your friends over for a potluck: If you don't have time to plan a party, get your guests involved by hosting a potluck. You can either assign dishes or have your guests bring over their favorite snacks. This idea will not only make your job as host easier, but it will also give everyone invited to your party a chance to showcase their culinary talents.

Man accused of strolling in thong, fake breasts 

MANCHESTER, Conn. - A Manchester man has been arrested after he allegedly strolled along Interstate 291 wearing nothing but a thong, fake breasts and a wig. Police say they received several calls about the man, which prompted an hour-long search over the weekend.

Police said they found the suspect Saturday fully clothed and collecting cans behind a business in Manchester. Police said they also found a wig and fake breasts in the man's car.

The man, 42, was charged with disorderly conduct and simple trespass. He's free after posting $2,500 bail.

Brothel bus" makes last stop in Miami Beach 

MIAMI (Reuters) - A "brothel bus" that detectives said cruised Miami Beach offering lap dances and drinks has taken its last ride, police said on Wednesday.

Riders were offered oral sex for $100, according to Miami Beach police who impounded the limousine bus and arrested its operator early on Sunday.

The sleek black bus cruised the South Beach neighborhood popular among tourists and club-goers, offering rides and unlimited drinks for $40.

Aboard, undercover detectives said they found a fully stocked bar and several young women who stripped down to reveal G-strings stuffed with cash and offered to perform sex acts.

Suspected operator Christine Morteh, 29, was arrested on charges of offering to commit prostitution, transportation for the purpose of prostitution and operating a business without a license. She was released from jail on $5,000 bond.

Employees and customers also were charged as part of a citywide prostitution crackdown that resulted in 75 arrests.

BBQ Beer Brat Kabobs SUBMITTED BY: Bob Evans�
"Chunks of Bob Evans� Beer Brats, bell pepper, red onion, squash and mushrooms are grilled on skewers and brushed with spicy barbecue sauce for a tasty and easy summer meal."

INGREDIENTS
1 (19 ounce) package Bob Evans� Beer Bratwurst, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh button mushroom caps
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups Bob Evans� Wildfire BBQ Sauce
6 (10 inch) wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS
Soak wooden skewers in water 30 minutes. Alternately thread bratwurst and vegetables onto skewers. Grill or broil kabobs 12 to 15 minutes or until brats are cooked through, turning and brushing occasionally with barbecue sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

Man auctions off his life, sale price disappoints

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A man who put his life up for auction on eBay found it wasn't worth quite as much as he thought when he settled for around A$100,000 (48,000 pounds) less than his target price.

Ian Usher, 44, held the seven-day auction of all his belongings, including his three-bedroom home in the west Australian city of Perth and a trial for his job at a rug store, after the break-up of his five-year marriage.

Bids had reached as high as A$2.2 million, only for Usher to discover there had been a glitch on eBay's system which allowed the participation of non-registered bidders who had put in bogus offers.

In the end, the winning bidder agreed to pay A$399,300 (190,656 pounds) for all of Usher's worldly goods, which also include his friends, a motorcycle and a jetski. According to the eBay website, the mystery buyer, whose user name is "mslmcc", is in Australia and has a 100 percent feedback score.

Usher, who gave regular updates on the auction on his Web site www.alife4sale.com, now plans to travel in search of a new life.

He's not the first person to put his life on the block.

American John Freyer started All My Life For Sale (www.allmylifeforsale.com) in 2001 and sold everything he owned on eBay, later visiting the people who bought his things.

Adam Burtle, a 20-year-old U.S. university student, offered his soul for sale on eBay in 2001, with bidding hitting $400 before eBay called it off, saying there had to be something tangible to sell. Burtle later admitted he was a bored geek.

($1 = A$1.05)