Dateline: MassachusettsOrganizers of the “Straight Pride Parade” that is slated to be held next month in Boston reported receiving suspicious envelopes in the mail that turned out to be full of glitter. According to CNN, Massachusetts state police and the FBI are investigating the envelopes, which were sent to at least three of the parade organizers. The envelopes had no return addresses or any other indication of where they came from. The three organizers are part of a group called Super Happy Fun America, which recently applied for a permit from the city of Boston to host a “Straight Pride Parade” in August. The parade plan was initially rejected, but organizers made a discrimination complaint and city leaders reportedly conceded. The event is now scheduled for Aug. 31. A request to fly a “Straight Pride” flag was denied by the city, however. Following the arrival of the suspicious mail last week, parade organizer Samson Racioppi called police and told them he’d received a heavily taped envelope and “heard stuff shaking around inside.” A hazmat team was sent to the scene. The group’s vice president, Mark Sahady, received a similar envelope. He was told by police that the envelope contained glitter and a handwritten letter. The FBI is continuing to investigate the incident but does not believe the envelopes pose a danger to the public. Organizers say they were targeted because of the parade. Super Happy Fun America President John Hugo said the parade is “not anti-gay but pro-straight.” Dateline: ColoradoThe City of Denver says it has a plan that will solve the “goose poop” problem and feed the homeless at the same time. The Denver Post reports that goose populations in Colorado have multiplied since the 1970s. An estimated 5,000 geese live year-round in Denver’s parks, and thousands more pass through the city during migration periods. According to city leaders, each goose can produce a pound of feces a day, resulting in a messy and offensive problem. Many methods have been employed in attempts to combat the issue, but none have been successful. Some of the birds have reportedly moved out of parks and into surrounding neighborhoods. Recently, in a bid to counter the problem, city officials and the USDA began supervising the roundup and killing of hundreds of geese at various parks. Authorities expect to to cull up to 2,200 geese by the end of the summer. The birds’ carcasses will then be cooked and served to the city’s homeless population by an anonymous meat processing plant. Resident geese are being targeted rather than migratory birds, and only a small number of juveniles are being left in each area. While the method of killing the geese has not been made public, the United States Department of Agriculture told Denverite that the unnamed processing plant is following American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines.Dateline: United KingdomA British woman spent 17 hours in jail for “controlling behavior” after she told her husband to do more chores. Daily Mail reports that Valerie Sanders, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, was arrested last year when her husband Michael told job center staff that his home life was making him depressed during a routine welfare check. A staff member reported the case to police, and Valerie was arrested at her home the next day on charges of “controlling and coercive behavior.” The law against this behavior is typically used to protect victims of domestic abuse who are unable to escape controlling partners. According to reports, Valerie was accused of ordering her husband, an amateur bodybuilder, to spend less time at the gym and more time cleaning up around the house. “I told him to get a shower after the gym,” she told reporters. “I told him to clean the house. We had two dogs—it needed cleaning all the time. He used to spend four hours cleaning his car—of course I complained.” Last week the case went to Teesside Crown Court, where prosecutors offered no evidence against Mrs. Sanders. The court imposed a two-year restraining order on Valerie. She told reporters she was happy about the decision and wants nothing to do with Michael.Dateline: IowaAn animal rehab center has received dozens of used bras after making an appeal on social media. According to KCRG in Iowa, the Wildthunder Wildlife & Animal Rehabilitation & Sanctuary in Independence put a call out last month on its Facebook page, asking for donations of used bra clasps to help injured turtles. The clasps are adhered to a broken shell on either side of a fracture and wire is weaved through the eyelets, creating a stitch that helps to stabilize the area so it can heal. Wildlife rescuers say it’s the best method known for doing the job. Wildthunder’s Facebook post received hundreds of thousands of shares, and donations of used bras began to pour in from all over the country. Employees told reporters that they’ve been receiving boxes filled with undergarments daily. There is reportedly only one injured turtle currently located at the shelter, and Wildthunder has been reaching out to other facilities to see if they could use the surplus. It plans to keep some of the fasteners for future use.
Compiled by Joshua Lee. Email your weird news to josh@alibi.com.
