News of the Weird

Compiled and Ridiculed by Joel Frady

President's dog bites reporter
President George W. Bush was in a friendly mood as he talked to reporters and took his dog, Barney, for a stroll around the White House. Barney, on the other hand, was not in a good mood. When Jon Decker, a reporter for Reuters, leaned over to pet the Scottish terrier, it bit his right index finger hard enough to break the skin.

"I think it was his way of saying he was done with the paparazzi," said Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for First Lady Laura Bush. She did not further specify that Decker is not a member of the paparazzi, but a White House reporter who was allowed on the White House lawn.

The moment was captured on video by April Ryan, a reporter for the American Urban Radio Networks, and has made its way onto the internet.

Decker was bandaged by a White House doctor and will take antibiotics for several days.

"It caught me off guard," he said, "but it's still better than getting bit by the owner."

Car impounded after pooch drives
A dog that was sitting in a car in Pryor, Okla., while his owner washed the car apparently wanted a little more excitement - so the 70-pound pit bull, when jumping around in the car, somehow shifted the car into reverse.

The dog then steered the car in a loop - it left the car wash, entered the highway then returned to the car wash and stopped in the lane of an automatic car wash.

Pryor police officer Brent Crittenden had to impound the vehicle - not because of the dog's trip, but because his owner couldn't provide proof of insurance. The owner was, however, allowed to walk the dog home because he had registered the dog with the city.

Another owner wasn't as lucky, getting both arrested and fined after his cat took a stroll on his John Deere.

Ga. man sets fire with "cleaning instrument"
Galen Winchell of Sargent, Ga., was attempting to get rid of cobwebs in his house when he set his house on fire - primarily because he was using a blowtorch, not a broom. Winchell said he didn't notice that he had set his home ablaze until he noticed smoke coming from the attic.

Fire fighters were able to keep the blaze from consuming the entire house, although there was widespread damage from smoke and water.

"I can't believe I'm having to say this, but we urge people not to clean cobwebs with fire," said fire investigator James Gantt. "Especially when there are such fire-free alternatives like brooms and vacuum cleaners, or even knives and swords if they're dead-set on illogically using deadly instruments."

Heads or Tails for Mayor
No one ran for mayor in the town of Goodridge, Minn., and after the election was held in the town, population 98, Bob Homme and Dave Brown were both tied at 22 votes each. Both candidates were write-ins, and they chose to hold a coin toss instead of a recount of the ballots in question.

For the toss, both men tossed a coin. Had the toss been "even," meaning two heads or two tails, then Homme would win. If it was "odd," one heads and one tails, Brown would be the victor.

The toss was odd, and Brown won the two-year term. Brown said he was happy that they elected to flip the coins.

"According to town policy, we're actually supposed to wrestle for it," he said, "and there was no way I could take down that giant fellow."