SEAGULLS ATTCK SHOPER FOR FOOD

Seagulls attack shoppers for food
SOUTH SHIELDS, England (UPI) -- Pedestrians on a South Shields, England, street say aggressive seagulls have been stealing food from shoppers.

One shopper, a 27-year-old woman, said a seagull snatched a sandwich out of her hands on King Street, The Telegraph reported.

"All I was doing was trying to eat my sandwich and I get attacked by a giant seagull," she said. "It was quite scary -- I had no idea they were so ruthless. It was like that Alfred Hitchcock film, 'The Birds.'"

Catriona Campbell, 19, a sales assistant who works outside on King Street, said the seagulls are "horrible."

"I once saw one land on a man's head. It just reached over and grabbed his pasty out of his hand then flew off," she said. "It happens all the time. It's because people don't dispose of their leftover food properly and the seagulls take advantage of an easy meal."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT

DAYTON, Nev. – Gabriel Hurles' sixth birthday party wasn't a surprise, but his present sure was. The kindergartner was so engrossed in the cupcakes his mother brought to his class on Wednesday that he didn't notice the enormous wrapped box off to the side.

"That's one big, giant present," a 6-year-old classmate told him. "See what you got, Gabriel."

Gabriel peeled back the wrapping paper to find the surprise of his young life — his father, an Army mechanic back in Nevada on leave from his second tour in Iraq.

"It's my dad!" he announced to his classmates at Sutro Elementary School in Dayton, a few miles northeast of Carson City. "Hi, Daddy."

Army Spc. Casey Hurles, 23, hadn't seen his son since he left in June. When he learned his leave would coincide with his son's birthday, he hatched a plan to hide out in the 4-foot-tall box.

"It was such a rush of emotion," said Hurles, who said he got butterflies in his stomach while waiting in the box.

After Hurles sat down and ate a cupcake with the birthday boy, teacher Dawn VanSickle presented him with a banner from the class that read, "Welcome Home. Thank you for your service."

VanSickle said she was happy to arrange the reunion in her classroom.

"One of the first things (Gabriel) shared about himself was that his dad was in Iraq and that he was waiting for his dad to come home," she said. "He talks about his dad all the time."

Hurles, who joined the Army four years ago, is a mechanic in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He completed one tour in Iraq and is seven months into his second tour. He expects to finish sometime this summer.

Gabriel said he looks forward to playing with his dad over the next two weeks but understands why he has to leave again.

"He has to work," Gabriel said. "He works in the war."

___

THE TRADE THAT SHOULD BE BEST

Pa. mayor trades 'Ravens' for 'Steelers'

PITTSBURGH (UPI) -- Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he wants to be known as Mayor Steelerstahl for the next few days as a sign of solidarity with his city's NFL team.

The mayor said ahead of Sunday's playoff game between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens that he wanted to remove the "Ravens" from his name, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

"On behalf of the Steelers Nation, I've decided to remove the word 'Ravens' from my name just like the Steelers will remove them from the AFC Championship," he said.

Ravenstahl began a Verified Petition for a Name Change Thursday, but civil court staff said it is unlikely to be filed because it is incomplete and does not include the requisite $108 check.

The mayor said the idea was given to him by listeners of the Star 100.7 morning show who "called in and thought it would be a good idea to change from Ravenstahl, given we are playing the hated Baltimore Ravens this weekend, to Steelerstahl."

"As soon as I heard it, I thought it was a great idea," he said.


Copyright 2009 by United Press International

NOT A WELL PLANNED JOB

Police: Robber's target bank moved

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (UPI) -- Police in Kentucky said an attempted armed robber left a former bank without any loot after finding the facility had been converted to a water district office.

Nicholasville police spokesman Scott Harvey said the suspect entered the Jessamine South Elkhorn Water District office, which used to be a Farmer's Bank, at about 1 p.m. Tuesday and brandished a revolver, The Lexington (K.Y.) Herald-Leader reported.

Harvey said the suspect "left with nothing" after employees explained to him that the bank had left the building. No one was injured in the incident, police said.

Diana Clark, office manager for the water district, which moved into the building Dec. 15, said the attempted robber was not the first to make the mistake.

"We've had people come in here asking to cash a check," Clark said.


Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Confiscated for "SAFE KEEPING

Accidental gunshot shatters toilet

CENTERVILLE, Utah (UPI) -- Police in Utah said they have confiscated a man's .40-caliber pistol after the weapon accidentally fired in a restaurant bathroom and destroyed a toilet.

Investigators said the 26-year-old Salt Lake City man, who had a concealed weapons permit for the gun, suffered minor injuries to his arm as a result of porcelain shards sent flying from the exploding toilet at the Centerville Carl's Jr. fast food eatery, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Police Lt. Paul Child said the man told officers the gun fell out of its holster while he was pulling up his pants. Child said no charges were filed against the man but the firearm was confiscated for "safe keeping."

"He was a little shook up, so we just wanted to take it right then and allow him time to gather himself before releasing it to him," Child said.


Copyright 2009 by United Press International

BURNING 18TH PORTABLE TOILET -WHERE IS THE CIVIC PRIDE?

18th toilet torched in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) -- San Francisco authorities said a construction site's portable toilet was torched early Thursday, marking the 18th such arson attack in two months.

Fire Department Lt. Mindy Talmadge said the construction site toilet at Washington and Taylor streets on Nob Hill became the 18th portable toilet in the area to be set afire during the past two months when it was ignited at about 4 a.m. Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Talmadge said the 18 arson fires have caused an estimated $45,000 in damage.

One construction foreman in the city said he has been protecting his site's toilet by disguising it as a storage shed with dark plywood and a brown blanket.


Copyright 2009 by United Press International

DRUGS FOR THE PRISONERS?

Model helicopter perplexes prison guards
SHEERNESS, England (UPI) -- Guards at a British prison said they think a model helicopter spotted flying over the facility at night was being used in an attempt to get drugs to prisoners.

The guards said the helicopter, which was carrying a small package believed to contain the drugs, was spotted by security cameras at Elmley Prison in Sheerness, England, over the accommodation blocks, which are not locked at night and allow prisoners access to the grounds, The Sun reported.

"Using a mini-helicopter to get contraband into jails is unprecedented," a prison source said. "It was pitch black and the officers were sweeping the area using special CCTV cameras when they spotted it. They nearly fell off their chairs."

"They sounded the alarm right away because the helicopter was heading straight for the accommodation blocks," the source said.

However, guards said they were unable to find any trace of the toy or its cargo during a search of the six accommodation blocks.




Copyright 2009 by United Press International