News of the Huh??? (March 2020)

911 Phone Service

Ohio woman Seloni Khetarpal was arrested Feb. 13 after repeatedly calling 911 when her parents cut off her cell phone service, which they pay for.

Khetarpal, 36, was warned by an officer to only use the number for emergencies. She called back two hours later, insisting that it was “a legitimate issue.”

Khetarpal has been charged with disrupting police services, a fourth-degree felony.

(Staff Report/Associated Press)

Leaning Tower of Dallas

A building in Dallas refused to fall despite implosions and multiple hits from a wrecking ball, earning the social media title “Leaning Tower of Dallas.”

Dozens of people gathered in downtown Dallas on the morning of Feb. 24 to watch the demolition company attempt to take down the tower with a 5,600-pound wrecking ball. The tower, now leaning at an impressive angle, held steady.

The demolition is now predicted to take weeks. Not all of the explosives in the building were triggered in the initial explosion, and it’s too dangerous to place more.

(Staff Report/Associated Press)

Secret Underground Cigarette Factory

Police dismantled the European Union’s first secret underground cigarette factory 13 feet under a horse stable in southern Spain.

Spanish police and Europol said 20 people from Britain, Ukraine and Lithuania were arrested. Workers were forced to work under dangerous and toxic conditions and were unable to leave the facility on their own.

The factory produced 3,500 cigarettes an hour. More than 3 million cigarettes, quantities of marijuana and hashish and three weapons were seized during the raids which took place Feb. 13-14.

(Staff Report/Associated Press)

Stolen Hearse

A Los Angeles man stole a hearse with a body still inside, then took it for a car chase. The crime ended with a crash on a busy free-way.

The hearse was stolen on Feb. 26. A tweet from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department pleaded with the thief to bring the body back.

James Juarez was arrested after he crashed the hearse on Feb. 27. No one was seriously injured.

The body was recovered undisturbed.

(Stefanie Dazio and John Antczak/Associated Press)

Chuck E. Cheese Hair Lawsuit

An Oregon woman is suing Chuck E. Cheese for $1,000 for negligence after her hair got caught in a machine.

Ashreana Scott was at the family fun center on Dec. 8 when her hair got caught in the machine where customers can deposit tickets. According to the lawsuit, Scott was stuck for 20 minutes before an employee freed her.

Before filing the lawsuit, Scott issued a written demand to Chuck E. Cheese’s insurance company to pay the negligence claim. According to court records, the company refused to settle.

(Staff Report/Associated Press)

8 Foot Beehive

A Virginia animal control company removed a beehive from a Richmond apartment ceiling on Feb. 24 that was 8-foot-long.

The company said the hive produced 80 to 100 pounds of honey, though only 15 to 20 pounds was salvaged. The hive was likely around two years old, and was large enough to house 100,000 to 150,000 bees.

Though the company has a “no kill” policy with bees, the queen was unable to be found after an extensive search, and the colony could not be saved.

(Staff Report/Associated Press)