News of the Weird: Week of Jan. 13, 2022

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Awesome!

In what one police officer called a "real-life Lassie situation," a 1-year-old Shiloh shepherd named Tinsley is being hailed as a hero for saving her owner and another person after a car crash on I-89 in Vermont. WMUR-TV reported that Cam Laundry and his passenger had been ejected when his truck hit a guardrail and went off the road on Jan. 3. When state troopers and a Lebanon, New Hampshire, police officer found Tinsley on the side of the road, she evaded capture and led them to the scene of the accident. "We were shaken up, didn't know what was happening," Laundry said. "Next thing we know, the cops were there, and it was all because of her." Tinsley's reward? A venison burger. Follow-up: Laundry has a February court date for driving under the influence. At least Tinsley was sober.

Anger Management

Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Faison, 45, had to be ejected from the stands at a high school basketball game in Johnson City on Jan. 4 after he became angry at a referee and tried to "pants" him -- pull down his trousers. Faison's son was playing on the Lakeway Christian Academy team, the Associated Press reported. Later, Faison tweeted: "Totally lost my junk and got booted from the gym. ... I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong." Our advice to referees everywhere: Always wear a belt.

Conniving Cats

Seoul, South Korea's Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters is warning citizens: Your cats may burn your house down. According to the agency, more than 100 fires over the past three years have been started by cats, The Washington Post reported. "We advise pet owners to pay extra attention as fire could spread widely when no one is at home," warned Chung Gyo-chul, an official at the department, which recommends keeping paper towels and other flammable items away from cooking appliances.

Signs of the Apocalypse

In Texarkana, on the border of Texas and Arkansas, Dec. 30 brought a new phenomenon: fish falling from the sky. KXXV-TV reported that people found fish on their sidewalks and lawns, but city officials have an explanation: "Animal rain" occurs when small water animals are swept up in waterspouts or drafts. "2021 is pulling out all the tricks," the city posted on Facebook. "While it's uncommon, it happens ... And please, for the sake of everyone, let's tiptoe into 2022 as quietly as possible."

But, Why?

The Daily Mail reported that Israeli scientists at Ben-Gurion University have constructed a "fish operated vehicle (FOV)" -- a water-filled tank, camera and computer on wheels -- and have trained goldfish to "drive" it. In the beginning of the trials, the fish just drove around randomly, but eventually they were able to guide the vehicle toward a food reward by changing the direction they were swimming. The researchers said the experiment proved that fish can "overcome environmental manipulation" and if they one day adapt to live out of water, they'll be able to find food. Um, OK.

Weird Science

Russian biologist Vera Emelianenko stumbled across a strange phenomenon in the snow along the White Sea coast, in the Russian Arctic, in December. Bright blue glowing spots were embedded in the snow, Oddity Central reported, and her feet would leave streaks of blue as she walked. Emelianenko collected a sample and examined it under a microscope, where she found tiny aquatic crustaceans called copepods. When she poked them with a needle, they lighted up blue. The creatures normally live up to 100 meters deep in the ocean, but an expert at the Academy of Science in Moscow thinks they might have been caught in a powerful current that swept them ashore and into the snow.

Awwwwww

Alfredo Antonio Trujillo was born at 11:45 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California. Just 15 minutes later, at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, his twin sister, Aylin Yolanda Trujillo, made her grand entrance, according to NBC Bay Area. Twins born in different years are a rarity, with the chances being about one in 2 million. "What an amazing way to start the new year!" said Dr. Ana Abril Arias.

Plot Twist

Since 2016, the publishing world has been baffled by a fake insider who tricks authors or editors into sending him unpublished manuscripts, then apparently just keeps them for himself. On Jan. 5, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Filippo Bernardini, 29, was arrested on wire fraud and identity theft charges related to the mystery. ABC News reported that Bernardini, who works for Simon & Schuster in London, allegedly collected hundreds of unpublished works, including those of well-known authors and a Pulitzer Prize-winner. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Red Tape

Valerie and William Beverley tied the knot in 1995 and then went about their lives, WAVY-TV reported, raising a family in Newport News, Virginia. But when Valerie went to the DMV to get a new driver's license last spring, she still had her maiden name on her Social Security card. A little digging revealed a crucial oversight: The couple had never filed their marriage license with the state. They even filed taxes jointly. So on Dec. 30, 26 years to the day after their first wedding, the Beverleys said their vows again, this time with their son as the best man. And this time, they said, "We're gonna hand-take

Ewwwww

Young people in Norway are called to military duty to guard NATO's northern borders, and until recently, when they were discharged, they were allowed to take their military-issued underwear with them. But no more, the Guardian reported. COVID-19 has caused supplies to dwindle, so as of Jan. 7, people leaving service are being asked to hand over their unmentionables to be "washed, cleaned and checked," defense logistics spokesman Hans Meisingset said. "What we distribute is in good condition."

Rude?

• Joan Hutchinson, 75, appealed to the Cardiff (Wales) Magistrate Court after her boss at Asda, a supermarket, suggested she might want to retire because of her increasing dementia, Metro News reported. The panel upheld her claims of age and disability discrimination, which may make her eligible for compensation from the store chain. Colleagues noticed that Hutchinson was forgetful and confused when trying to stock items, and her boss, Stacey Weston-Laing, reportedly brought up retirement with her several times. "It made Ms. Hutchinson feel she was being pushed out or that Asda felt she was too old to be there," employment judge Alison Frazer said. Hutchinson had stopped driving after going the wrong way around a roundabout, and she once walked to work because she forgot where the bus stop was. Hutchinson quit her job in response to Weston-Laing's inquiries.
• Cinnamon Clarke and her husband made their regular weekly trip to Firehouse Subs in Ozark, Alabama, WDHN-TV reported on Jan. 7, but when they got home and she opened the sandwich, she saw that her half didn't have any meat. She called the shop and they told her to come back so they could remake the order. But when she got there, the owner refused to make a new sandwich for her. "When I talk to God tonight," the owner said as Clarke recorded him, "I'm going to see if he can come to your house and take you." Clarke was appalled: "It was just a fancy way, a nice way of saying, 'I'm going to pray that you die tonight.'" The Firehouse Subs corporate office told WDHN that the incident would be handled internally.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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