Odds and Ends – May 15, 2019

0
3934
(Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)
(Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)

Wandering horse: Strolling mare causes stir in Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany (AP) — Not far from the glass and steel towers of Germany’s banking capital, a 22-year-old Arabian mare is causing a stir with her languid daily strolls through a Frankfurt neighborhood. Owner Werner Weischedel says his old nag Jenny, who’s recently found social media fame after a local news show about it went viral, has been taking her 20-kilometer (12-mile) daily jaunts for 14 years — preferring to escape the confines of her home field to nibble on tasty vegetation on the Main river banks. “Everybody knows her,” the 79-year-old said Tuesday. Jenny ambles along cobblestone streets and pedestrian paths, avoiding joggers, families and vehicles. Surprised newcomers occasionally call authorities, so she wears a note on her neck: “My name is Jenny, I didn’t run away, I’m just going for a walk.”

 

Arizona woman attacked by bees after hive falls on her head

Tempe, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona woman is recovering from more than 20 bee stings after heavy winds blew a hive off a tree and it landed on her head. Firefighters in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe say it happened Monday afternoon as the woman picked up her child from daycare. Assistant Chief Andrea Glass says the woman happened to be walking under the tree where the hive was when wind blew it off. The National Weather Service says wind gusts around metro Phoenix reached 45 mph (72 kph). Glass says the woman was stung 20 to 30 times on and around her head. She was evaluated and opted to have her husband drive her to a hospital. Firefighters sprayed the hive with foam because of its proximity to the daycare and a school.

Iguana thrown at restaurant manager in protective custody

Painesville, Ohio (AP) — An iguana injured when a man pulled the lizard from under his shirt and threw it at an Ohio restaurant manager remains in protective custody at a humane society that is awaiting court permission to provide medical treatment. The turquoise female iguana that police named “Copper” has a broken leg, metabolic bone disease and other ailments, Lake County Humane Society officials told WEWS-TV. The animal needs surgery that will cost about $1,600, but that can’t happen until a judge gives approval because the Humane Society is not its owner, society intake coordinator Allison Rothlisberger said Saturday. The Humane Society is seeking tax-deductible donations to pay for the surgery. Copper is receiving basic care for now to make the lizard as comfortable as possible, Rothlisberger said. The iguana’s 49-year-old owner has been charged with cruelty to animals and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanor charges. According to authorities, the man threw a menu at a waitress at a Perkins Restaurant in Painesville on April 16. When a manager intervened, the man removed the iguana from beneath his shirt, twirled it around and threw it at him, police said. Authorities haven’t said what provoked the attack. Painesville is roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of downtown Cleveland.

Single winner of Alaska ice-melt guessing game announced

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) — Nenana Ice Classic organizers have announced this year’s winner for the guessing contest. Ice Classic manager Cherrie Forness says Anchorage resident Patricia Andrew was the only person to guess the exact time the ice officially went out on the Tanana River in Nenana. That happened at 12:21 a.m. April 14, the earliest in the contest’s 102-year history. The jackpot is $311,652. Forness says Andrew will receive $224,389.44 after federal taxes are withheld. There is no listing for Andrew in Anchorage. She could not be reached for comment. The payout will be made June 1. Each year, people buy tickets to guess when a tripod mounted on the frozen Tanana River will fall over as ice on the river breaks up. Forness estimates about 287,000 tickets were sold this year.