Utah man sent to jail for fight over church seats

OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A 52-year-old man accused of punching another man and hitting him with his car in a dispute over pew space in Utah has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1rD1OLL ) Wayne Dodge was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge. He was also ordered to complete an anger management class and pay a fine.

Weber County deputies say the fight happened last June at a Mormon meetinghouse during a crowded service that included a baby blessing and a missionary farewell.

Authorities say Dodge sat in a section that another family had saved in hopes of getting a good view of the baby blessing.

Dodge is accused of punching the man after the service, and striking him with his vehicle in the parking lot.

___

Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com

Society & CultureCrime & Justice

View the original article here

Utah man to jail after fight over pew space

OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A 52-year-old man accused of punching another man and hitting him with his car in a dispute over pew space in Utah has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1rD1OLL ) Wayne Dodge was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor assault charge. He was also ordered to complete an anger management class and pay a fine.

Weber County deputies say the fight happened last June at a Mormon meetinghouse during a crowded service that included a baby blessing and a missionary farewell.

Authorities say Dodge sat in a section that another family had saved in hopes of getting a good view of the baby blessing.

Dodge is accused of punching the man after the service, and striking him with his vehicle in the parking lot.

___

Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com

Society & CultureCrime & Justice

View the original article here

Journalists in Jordan fight on live TV talk show

Rare Whales Check Out GoPro Camera Underwater Off Dana Point

23 views

1:05

Captain Dave, owner and operator of Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari in Dana Point, California, had an extremely rare group False Killer Whales (Pseudorca crassidens), come over to his boat and surround him. These animals have not been seen off Dana Point by Captain Dave for nearly a decade. At one point Captain Dave, who was out in his own small inflatable boat near his whale watching boat, had five of these whales come over and surround him. He put his GoPro in the water and one curious whale came up about four inches from his camera and examined it. "I've never seen anything like it," says Captain Dave. "I was sitting there for about 5 minutes and the whales came over and surrounded me. Their whistles were so loud I could hear them above the surface. I grabbed my GoPro and wasn't even sure it was on and stuck in the water. I was tempted to touch them but I didn't want to disturb them." "One of the whales even became seemingly jealous of another and chased it off so he could come over to me. It was one of the most amazing encounters I've ever had with wild cetaceans." The false killer whales that surrounded Captain Dave were part of a large pod of pod of 40 to 50 whales seen today. False killer whales are actually a member of the dolphin family, just like killer whales. They can reach lengths of 15 to 20 feet and weigh about 1,500 pounds. They are outgoing and can be found with other cetaceans such as bottlenose dolphins. Southern California has the greatest density of dolphins per square mile in the world. We have mega-pods that can have up to 10,000 animals according to scientific estimates. There are over 400,000 common dolphins alone. All audio and video footage is copyright David Anderson/DolphinSafari.com and may not be used without permission. ***** Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari offers daily, year-round, dolphin and whale watching trips from Dana Point, California, aboard a hi-tech catamaran sailboat with Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods and LIVE broadcasting from http://www.dolphinsafari.com. (949) 488-2828 captdave@cox.net http://www.dolphinsafari.com http://www.facebook.com/dolphin.whale.watching *****

View the original article here

Shrimp fight interrupted by peace-loving frog

Just because they live underwater doesn't mean shrimp don't get fired up.

Two Indian whisker shrimp residing in a tank in Michigan apparently had enough of each other and began butting heads.

Enter the peacemaker. An African dwarf frog suddenly appears between the two shrimp with its palms extended, much like a teacher breaking up a playground tussle.

According to the video's description, the frog's intervention worked. After a few days, the shrimp learned to avoid each other and give peace a chance.

View the original article here

ACLU joins 12-year-old Ohio girl's fight to play on school football team

12-year-old Makhaela Jenkins is fighting her Ohio school district to play on the football team.fox 28

The ACLU has joined a 12-year-old Ohio girl's fight to play football for her school district, in a case that has prompted requests that the school board change its policies on female athletes.

Seventh-grader Makhaela Jenkins has played youth football around Baltimore, southeast of Columbus, but isn't allowed on the active roster for her school team because the district doesn't allow girls to participate in games and contact drills.

Fox 28 Columbus reports Liberty Union-Thurston District superintendent Paul Mathews said the longstanding policy doesn't violate any gender-related regulations, because the district offers girls other, non-contact athletic options.

"We are not violating Title IX," Mathews said, referring to the federal law that bans gender discrimination in federally funded school programs, including sports. "We have opportunities for girls, but those opportunities do not include contact sports."

He said it's the district's choice to set which school sports are available to girls.

"We think we have plenty of places for everyone to fit in, but it is simply a choice," Mathews said.

The Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in a letter to Matthews on Thursday said the district's decision is "unacceptable and unlawful." The organization added that the district cannot say it has a "legitimate basis" for denying female students from participating on the football team.

Makhaela said gender shouldn't be a barrier to participation in school sports.

"Some people have different goals and dreams they want to follow, and if they want to play a sport, (they) should be able to play a sport no matter what gender you are," she told Fox 28.

She and her relatives contend she practiced, lifted weights and earned the right to play. And she still wants to do so.

"It sets me apart from everybody else, and it lets other people know it's OK to be different and you don't have to follow what everybody else does," she said.

The school district's board members have not yet publicly responded to the ACLU's letter.

Click for more from Fox 28.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

View the original article here

Dubai offers gold to fight obesity epidemic

DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai's government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the Gulf Arab emirate.

The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

Many eat too much after breaking the fast, tucking into traditional dishes loaded with fat and sugar that can push their daily calorie intake well above levels outside of Ramadan.

For every kilogram dropped by August 16, contestants who register from Friday can walk away with a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai's civic authority announced as part of its 'Your Weight in Gold' initiative.

The top three dieters can win gold coins worth up to 20,000 dirhams ($5,400). The contestant has to lose a minimum 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) to qualify for the contest.

"Participant must have excess weight to reduce and stay away from unhealthy methods to lose weight and should be present on the final day to measure weight," Dubai Municipality said in a press release.

Health officials in Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, and in neighboring Gulf nations, are spending millions to control obesity among their citizens.

Oil wealth and high household incomes have led to overeating, high-sugar diets and a heavy reliance on cars for getting around, leading to an explosion of diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.

Five of the 10 countries where diabetes is most prevalent are in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an umbrella organization of more than 200 national associations.

Child obesity is also a growing problem.

Dubai is known for its larger-than-life offers. It has a history of giving away luxury cars and yachts in lucky draws and is home to one the largest gold markets in the region. The emirate even has gold vending machines in shopping malls. ($1 = 3.6730 UAE dirhams)

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Tom Pfeiffer)

View the original article here

Pa. woman using purple toilets to fight cancer

EASTON, Pa. (AP) — A northeastern Pennsylvania woman is using purple toilets to raise money to fight cancer.

The Express-Times reports (http://bit.ly/15elgmY ) Rebecca Szabo-Silfies and her two young sons have been leaving the commodes on lawns around Upper Nazareth Township as part of the "Flush Out Cancer" effort. She chairs Saturday's American Cancer Society Relay for Life event at Nazareth Area High School.

She stakes out a home, leaves a toilet and then waits for the homeowner to find it. The person can then pay $10 to have it taken away, $20 to send it to a friend or $30 to send it to a friend and guarantee it never comes back.

The two purple toilets have made 18 stops so far, raising $400. Szabo-Silfies says she found the idea on the Internet.

___

Information from: The (Easton, Pa.) Express-Times, http://www.lehighvalleylive.com

View the original article here

Acquittal in Philly fight that cost man his eye

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia jury has acquitted a man of assault in a bar parking lot fight that cost another man his left eye.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/10P7bhu ) says the Common Pleas panel on Wednesday acquitted Matthew Brunelli of aggravated assault.

Prosecutors alleged Brunelli punched John Huttick in the eye with an object that may have been a key in the August 2011 fight in the parking lot of the New Princeton Tavern.

Defense attorney Eileen Hurley says her client used only his fist to punch Huttick, who was trying to intervene in a fight between Brunelli and another bar patron.

Earlier proceedings ended in a mistrial after Huttick's $3,000 prosthetic blue eye popped out as he was testifying, startling jurors. The judge called that an "unfortunate" incident and granted the defense's mistrial motion.

___

Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com

View the original article here

Ohio School Cancels prom on the water balloon fight

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio high school cancelled its prom to punish students for a joke: a massive water balloon fight at lunch.

Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/Xszo65) reports that the principal of Withrow High School in Cincinnati says students used social media last month for planning the hoax.
Principal Sharon Johnson said staff discovered and tried to prevent it. Did joke day ads planned, students would have canceled prom alert if they balloon fight. School officials were concerned about security.
But about 150 to 175 students went ahead with it. Johnson says that there was water everywhere and some students were upset and slip and fall.
Johnson says that she had only received a few calls from parents upset.
___
Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

View the original article here