Max McKinney, 15, of Spooner, Wisconsin, thought he was "working hard and doing the right thing" when he built a charming fishing bait stand on his family's farmland, AgWeb reported on July 8. From the wooden 6-by-15-foot shed, McKinney sold bait, sodas and candy to anglers heading to Spooner Lake nearby. But Washburn County zoning officials shut him down after the second weekend of sales with a cease-and-desist order. McKinney's grandfather, Tom Foss, gave him his blessing to build the stand. "We encouraged Max. My grandson ... is the kind of kid this country needs more of. Who threatens a 15-year-old over selling ice cream, worms and T-shirts?" he said. "The answer is bullies and bureaucrats." McKinney has three other jobs; "I want to be a doctor in the future, and I'm willing to work hard and save money any way I can." County zoning administrator Dale Beers said no officials visited the stand or spoke with McKinney before or after the violation was issued. "Age does not matter to our ordinances," he said. Foss filed a formal complaint in person but said "officials were defensive right away. Their response was, 'Our decision is final.' People should be disgusted by this because it doesn't pass the smell test." [AgWeb, 7/8/2025]

Bright Idea

Looking to get a little more classical music in your life? Just wander over the line while driving in Fujairah in the UAE and listen to the stirring sounds of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, courtesy of the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy. The Associated Press reported on July 7 that when drivers hit the grooves in the road, the best-known parts of the composition are played -- especially at 60mph, when the tune is just right. Academy director Ali Obaid Al Hefaiti said the project is "focused on spreading the art culture. The combination of music in our lives and our normal lives," he said. He believes it is the first "singing shoulder" in the Arab world. [AP, 7/7/2025]

Latest Religious Messages

After Trista Lawson of St. Louis rear-ended a pickup truck on July 8, she allegedly told Spring Township, Pennsylvania, police that she was "listening to the voice of God," WJAC-TV reported. Lawson was driving her Mazda sedan in Pleasant Gap at 100mph when she hit the truck, which sent it crashing into the front of a local smoke shop. Lawson had reportedly also hit multiple other vehicles before the truck. She was charged with accidents involving occupied vehicles or structures and drug-related charges, and bail was set at $25,000. [WJAC, 7/8/2025]

The Passing Parade

Patrick Winslow of Big Torch Key, Florida, celebrated his 57th birthday on July 4 in style, WPLG-TV reported. Around 11:30 a.m., Winslow drove to the Conch Tour Train Depot in Key West and left his car running, with rock music blaring from the radio. He told employees there that he used to work for the company and asked for a tour of the train. But then he got into one of the trains and took off; the employees were "confused," thinking maybe he had permission to drive the train. They were able to track Winslow with GPS; police found him at Southernmost Point Buoy, where they said he "exhibited rapid speech and appeared excited." Winslow said he just "borrowed" the train because it was his birthday. Then they found a methamphetamine pipe in his pocket and charged him with burglary, grand theft auto and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on $60,000 bond. [WPLG, 7/7/2025]

Unclear on the Concept

Here's a little tip for Jesse Laurence Hale, 46, of Hyrum, Utah: Don't make a kiddie porn pic your lock screen. Hale was a patient at Logan Regional Hospital last week; when he checked out, he forgot his mobile phone, the Cache Valley Daily reported. On July 3, staff at the hospital contacted Logan City Police to say that they'd seen a pornographic photo of a young child on the screen. On July 7, Hale went to the police to inquire about the phone; he said the photo had been sent to him and he hadn't deleted it. Hale told officers it would be "nice to pay a fine or take a class" rather than going to jail, where he claimed he wouldn't survive. With a search warrant, police found 19 more child sexual abuse photos in the phone and arrested him on felony charges.He asked them not to tell his mom. He's being held without bail. [Cache Valley Daily, 7/8/2025]

It's Come to This

Changchun Xidu FC, a soccer club in China's League Two, was fined $4,100 for an incident on June 28, The New York Times reported. The Chinese Professional Football League said the team had "placed a number of feudal superstitious items in the away team's dressing room" before its match with Shanxi Chongde Ronghai. The paper charms were printed with such threats as "By decree, Shanxi Chongde Ronghai must be defeated." And evidently, it worked: Changchun Xidu won the match 2-0. [New York Times, 7/6/2025]

Pawesome!

An unnamed man hiking the Fee Glacier in Switzerland on July 4 suddenly broke through a snow bridge and fell 26 feet into a narrow crevasse, the Associated Press reported. He had a walkie-talkie and reached someone nearby, who alerted emergency responders, but his exact location was unknown. Luckily for him, his companion was his long-haired Chihuahua, who paced patiently near the edge of the hole, where rescuers eventually saw him. They were able to rappel down the crevasse and bring the man out; he and his canine savior were flown to a hospital. "The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master's life in a life-threatening situation," gushed a statement from Air Zermatt, the rescue company. [AP, 7/8/2025]

Smooth Reaction

A crafty Canadian wasn't going to let a damaged vehicle strand him in Strathcona Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, the Times Colonist reported. The unnamed man had started his hike on June 30, but he took a wrong turn in his 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, and it became stuck. But using his problem-solving skills (and various car parts), he built a two-wheeled wagon to carry his gear as he hiked for four days to a trailhead. From there, he caught a water taxi and got a lift to the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad headquarters on July 7. Search manager Richard Johns said he was impressed with the hiker's "perseverance and survival mentality," then ticked off the things he did wrong: no GPS or satellite phone, no 4-wheel-drive. Still, the squad found his appearance a "welcome surprise." [Times Colonist, 7/9/2025]

The Tech Revolution

At U.S. Army bases, there's a new tool in warding off problematic wildlife, such as birds, KPVI-TV reported on July 10. The Army's Engineer Research and Development Center has created an unmanned ground system: large plastic coyotes mounted to wheeled bases. "It all comes down to scare tactics," said ERDC. Research continues to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning. What could go wrong? Roadrunner is watching. [KPVI, 7/10/2025]

Saw That Coming

On July 5, a family from Paris left on holiday, headed to Morocco, Oddity Central reported. But during a 4:30 a.m. stop at a gas station, the 62-year-old man drove off without his wife -- and didn't realize it until about 190 miles later. The unnamed Parisian called emergency services but couldn't remember which gas station he had stopped at. The couple's 22-year-old daughter couldn't help, as she'd been sleeping the whole time. Fortunately, by tracking her phone, police were able to locate the woman, who hadn't left the gas station since being abandoned. They were reunited and continued on their trip with a good story to tell. [Oddity Central, 7/9/2025]

A couple in Thailand went to the hospital three times after the woman swallowed a fish bone while eating fish soup, Oddity Central reported on June 27. She tried various home remedies, but couldn’t dislodge it from her throat, and at the hospital, doctors couldn’t see anything on an X-ray. The wife, Sang Lan, still felt pain, but assumed the bone had moved on. When her neck became swollen, she returned to the hospital, but again X-rays were negative. At home, the woman was applying a pain relief patch to her neck when she saw a pointy object poking her skin from within. She applied pressure, and the fish bone poked through her skin. Back at the hospital, doctors removed the 2-centimeter bone; they said they had never seen anything like it before. [Oddity Central, 6/27/2025]

Well, That's Curious

A 77-year-old woman in Michigan won $4 million in the state's instant lottery recently, the Detroit Free Press reported on July 1. The woman, who is choosing to remain anonymous, said she plays the game "all the time" and was "frozen in her seat" for a while after scratching the winning ticket. Curiously (in light of her age), the winner chose to receive annual payments of about $133,000 for the next 30 years instead of taking the lump sum of about $2.7 million. She's planning to donate some, do home repairs and share the winnings with her family. [Detroit Free Press, 7/1/2025]

That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me

On July 1, real estate agent Jon Beaulieu of Manayunk, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to one year of probation, a $200 fine and reimbursing American Airlines the $59,143 it cost to cancel a flight on June 26, 2024. Philadelphia magazine reported that on that night, Beaulieu went to great lengths to skip the security line at Philadelphia International Airport, trying to enter Terminal C through an exit line. When he was stopped, he threw a $50 bill at the security guard and asked her if that would get him in. Eventually, Beaulieu got away from her and disappeared into the terminal -- and onto his flight, which was still at the gate. When officials informed the pilot that a passenger hadn't gone through security, they canceled the flight. [Philadelphia magazine, 7/1/2025]

Fail

At Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, riders of the newly opened Siren's Curse roller coaster got a break in their experience when the coaster "experienced a delay," the Akron Beacon Journal reported. The stop, on June 28, left riders suspended in midair for about 10 minutes; park spokesman Tony Clark said the "coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride." [Akron Beacon Journal, 6/30/2025]

Ewwwwwww

Rona Davies of Sittingbourne, England, ordered a baby rattle from Shein for her stepdaughter's 5-month-old, Kent Online reported on July 2, but what she saw inside turned her off of online shopping for good. Among the rattling beads inside the toy was a human fingernail. Davies said she was "disgusted" and added, "My concern is, if things like this are getting into a baby's toy, then what are their standards for health and safety?" Oh, Rona. Shein offered her a refund and 100 Shein points, which Davies called "a joke really, because that's not the point of it." Shein had no comment. [Kent Online, 7/2/2025]

The Tech Revolution

We here at Weird World Headquarters are ardent belittlers of AI, so it's with great glee that we bring you this item: MSN reported on July 2 that a Tesla in "self-driving mode" tried to mix it up with a train in mid-June in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Western Berks Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw said the vehicle turned left onto some train tracks; the three people inside the car were able to get out and gather their belongings before a train came along an adjacent track a few minutes later. The Tesla suffered only a damaged mirror, but it had to be lifted with a crane off the tracks so as not to disturb its highly flammable battery. "We've had accidents involving Teslas," Renshaw said, "but nobody has expressed to us that the vehicle was in self-drive mode when it happened." [MSN, 7/2/2025]

Awesome!

Jason Singer of Portland, Maine, became a "Jeopardy!" champion on July 1, ABC News reported. Four years earlier, Singer's wife, Susan McMillan, won the title on the show. "Jeopardy!" officials say the brainiacs are believed to be the first already-married couple to both win. McMillan said she coached her husband: "I told him he really needs to be on point with the buzzer timing," she said. "Everyone there knows pretty much all the information." [ABC News, 7/2/2025]

Police Report

Raleigh, North Carolina, police were called to the scene of a robbery on July 1, WRAL-TV reported. Victims told officers that a naked man with a wooden post approached them and demanded access to their car. The man also assaulted a woman sitting in her car, hitting her on the arm with the post. He then tried to drive away but couldn't shift the car out of park. He fled and hid in a storage room before being captured and taken into custody. Police didn't release the names of the victims or the suspect. [WRAL, 7/1/2025]

It's a Mystery

In Wirral, England, residents are unsettled by someone in a black cat costume who's been prowling around secluded beach areas, the BBC reported on July 3. One witness wrote on Facebook that she "heard a man making cat noises, shone a torch he was waving his arms at me before crawling up the hill. Never been so scared." A man who was walking his dog along the beach was more amused than frightened: "I don't know his name, I think it's just a wind-up. He's definitely not out to frighten people, he does it for fun," he said. "He just likes being a giant cat." Well, yeah, who doesn't? [BBC, 7/3/2025]

News You Can Use

Americans looking for a wholesome but unusual family vacation destination might want to visit Mountain Air Ranch near Littleton, Colorado. The "family nudist resort" will celebrate its 90th anniversary July 11-13, with "live music, five catered meals, laughter and mountain magic," KDVR-TV reported. "As the second-oldest nudist resort in North America ... growth (especially with younger families) is definitely something to celebrate," said Mountain Air Ranch Manager Chris May. First-time visitors must arrange a property tour before July 11, and children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult. Pack light! [KDVR, 7/2/2025]

HOAs in Action

In the Imperial Heights neighborhood of north Houston, residents are in the dark after their homeowners association failed to pay the electric bill, KTRK-TV reported on July 1. The energy company Reliant said the company that manages the HOA had a past-due bill of $6,000 and that no bills had been paid since January. For their part, the Associa Principal Management Group announced the lights would be back on by July 2, but declined to comment further. [KTRK, 7/1/2025]

The South China Morning Post reported on June 25 that a 64-year-old man underwent surgery in Anhui province to remove a toothbrush that he had swallowed when he was 12 years old. Mr. Yang had begun to feel a strange sensation in his stomach, so he sought medical help; he told doctors he had been too afraid to tell his parents at the time of the incident. He also thought the toothbrush would dissolve on its own. But 52 years later, the nearly 7-inch-long brush was lodged in his small intestine, and doctors worked for 80 minutes to remove it. Dr. Zhou said the brush was stuck in a crook of the intestine and hadn't moved for decades. [South China Morning Post, 6/25/2025]

The Hard Way

An unnamed Bristol, Connecticut, man was charged with burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief on June 22 after he tried to enter a public building through the chimney, the Associated Press reported. According to police, the man's dog was trapped in the building's restroom after the doors automatically locked, and rather than call for help, he tried to shimmy down the chimney but got stuck. Firefighters responded and had to remove parts of the chimney and building, causing $5,000 to $10,000 worth of damage. He was eventually freed and was unharmed. "If he had just contacted police in the first place, we might have been able to avoid the situation," said Erica Benoit of the Bristol parks and rec service. [AP, 6/23/2025]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

A mother, father and adult son in Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic, have pleaded guilty to running a fake dental clinic in their home, the Associated Press reported on June 19. They all face up to eight years in prison for the ruse, during which the son would look up how to do procedures (including extractions) on the internet; the mother, a nurse, would assist, and the dad made prosthetic devices. They raked in about $185,000 before being caught after a patient consulted another dentist about complications following treatment. [AP, 6/19/2025]

The Passing Parade

Neighbors in one Indianapolis area flocked to North Pasadena Street on June 18 to see a remnant of the storms that had moved through: a large white dome deposited in the road. WRTV reported that people drove or walked by to see it and even had their photos snapped in front of it. The sphere is believed to be a radome, a weatherproof structure that protects radar antennae or other equipment. "We've not seen anything like this," said neighbor Kirby Jarvis. "Lock the doors, stay inside, aliens, you never know." [WRTV, 6/18/2025]

What's in a Name?

-- Police in Portland, Oregon, finally caught up with a man who had fired gunshots at them and led them on a high-speed chase on June 20, KATU-TV reported. The Milwaukie Police Department said they took Loony John Franklin Toon, 42, into custody on June 23 and charged him with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and fleeing from the police. That's all, folks! [KATU, 6/23/2025]

-- On June 19 in Silver Creek, Minnesota, a car that was "swerving and weaving" hit a curb and careened into a scissor lift, which workers were using to fix a light. The New York Post reported that the car then slammed into a tunnel wall and flipped. One worker, Benjamin Kidd, 27, sustained life-threatening injuries; another managed to hang on to the light fixture until first responders could help him down. Driving the car was none other than Patches Magickbeans, 34, of Wisconsin, who was allegedly intoxicated; police said he was babbling and reaching for objects in the air that weren't there. Officers found psilocybin mushrooms in his car. Magickbeans' bio on his Instagram page says he is a "womb wisdom keeper" and "corn juggler." [NY Post, 6/25/2025]

Repeat Offender

Jacky Jhaj, 39, has been on Britain's sex offenders list since 2016, but that didn't stop him from arranging a mock wedding to a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl at Disneyland Paris on June 21, the BBC reported. Police were alerted to the event by an actor who had been hired to portray the father of the bride; about 100 other extras were recruited to take part. On June 23, Jhaj was charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. His other notable offenses include hiring hundreds of children to act like fawning fans at a fake film premiere in London in 2023. He films the escapades and uploads them to a YouTube channel. The fake wedding, which included a cake and musicians, took place at the Sleeping Beauty castle and was reported to have cost about 130,000 euros, but it's unclear how he funds the projects. [BBC, 6/24/2025]

It's a Mystery

The French Interior Ministry reported that about 150 people were pricked by syringe needles during a nationwide music festival, according to CNN. Over the weekend of June 21, French police detained 14 people in connection with the "spiking" incidents, which left some victims feeling unwell. Some were hospitalized for testing. One 22-year-old concertgoer said she went to the hospital and then filed a police report. "I told myself maybe it can have an impact," she said. [CNN, 6/25/2025]

Bright Idea

Out in ski country, employees at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado hit the slopes in early June for a completely different event: the Mountain Cleanup Day. KDVR-TV reported that 150 workers cleared about 780 pounds of debris off the mountains -- stuff that had fallen out of pockets or flown off skiers as they schussed down the runs. Unusual items included a hamburger flipper, a $2 Canadian coin, piles of ski poles and a message in a bottle, which turned out to be a COVID-19 vaccination record. The resort hopes the cleanup will remind people to "pack out what you bring in." [KDVR, 6/24/2025]

Freak Accident

A lifeguard in Asbury Park, New Jersey, was trying to set a chair umbrella in its holder on June 25 when it got away from her and ended up impaling her through her shoulder, WABC-TV reported. "She fell backwards off the bench and the umbrella came with her ... and landed on her arm," said lifeguard Joe Bongiovanni. Firefighters cut most of the pole away but left a piece about a foot long in her arm before she was transported to the hospital. She is in stable condition. [WABC, 6/25/2025]

News That Sounds Like a Joke

The Chongqing Forestry Bureau has sucked all the fun out of a gimmick at a hotel in Pengshui, China, according to United Press International. The bureau ordered the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel to cease using red pandas to make wake-up calls to guests, UPI reported on June 25. For an extra charge, hotel guests could sign up for one of four red pandas to come to the room and climb onto the bed. They could linger with guests depending on their mood. The forestry bureau said the service could be considered animal abuse because the pandas are sensitive and their stress responses could endanger themselves or the humans. [UPI, 6/25/2025]

The Golden Age of Air Travel

The U.S. Sun reported on June 26 that a woman aboard Aeroflot flight SU734 from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Egypt finally had to be restrained after she launched into a tantrum about not being upgraded to business class. The woman screamed at flight attendants that she had "pain in my butt" and needed business class "because I was working." She then threatened to open the emergency exit and began to remove her shirt, presumably hoping that would help her cause, but no: Some burly passengers moved her to the back of the plane, where she was restrained until Egyptian authorities took her off after landing. [U.S. Sun, 6/25/2025]