In Other News

[Ming]

Woman is arrested after her pet raccoon 'Chewy' is caught smoking a meth pipe inside her car

An Ohio woman was arrested after her pet raccoon was found holding a meth pipe to its mouth in her car during a routine traffic stop.

Victoria Vidal, 55, was pulled over in Akron by a Springfield Township Police officer on Monday after it was determined that she had an active warrant and a suspended driver's license, according to a post from the department.

Upon approaching the vehicle, an officer 'made contact with the driver,' who was then detained 'without incident,' the post stated.


Victoria Vidal, 55, was pulled over by a Springfield Township police officer on Monday

'However, things took an unusual turn' when the officer returned to Vidal's car, the police department said.

According to police, 'he observed a raccoon named "Chewy" sitting in the driver's seat with a meth pipe in its mouth.'

'Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle,' the post continued.

The discovery prompted a search of the vehicle that turned up a significant quantity of meth, crack cocaine and three used glass pipes, police said.

Vidal, a resident of Akron, was then taken into custody.


Vidal was arrested after her pet raccoon, Chewy, was found holding a methamphetamine pipe in the driver's seat

The incident sparked outrage, and a few jokes, from commenters.

'I love raccoons and this makes me so sad. If you are a druggie don't get your pets involved and subject them to it too,' one wrote.

'Looks like Springfield just saved some money on a trained drug dog, "field trained" Chewy just got promoted to the position,' another added.

'Chewy needs a tox[icology] screen so they can add an animal cruelty charge as well. It doesn't look like this is his first time handling a meth pipe!' a third chimed in.

[Dauphin]

In English that would be a pepper-only pizza.

[N35t0r]

Fun fact: pepperoni in Italian means peppers. (edit: as in capsicums, regular pepper is pepe)

[Dauphin]

Pope Pepperoni Panzerotti

[BeBMan]

Too bad the guy would change his name in case he becomes pope indeed

[-Jrabbit]

Pierbattista Pizzaballa -- really??

Sounds like something Fr. Guido Sarducci would post...

[BeBMan]

I hope this guy becomes the new pope. I dunno if he's a good choice, but his name makes me smile

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/05/middleeast/cardinal-pizzaballa-jerusalem-pope-contender-intl-cmd

[BeBMan]

Something that is not spectacular -- just a nice bit which we don't get often in the news these days:

‘Book brigade’: US town forms human chain to move 9,100 books one-by-one

A small Michigan community banded together to help a beloved local bookstore move its stock to a new storefront

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/17/book-brigade-us-town-forms-human-chain-to-move-9100-books-one-by-one

[BeBMan]

Brave goat

[Ming]

The pictures make the story

[N35t0r]

Goats

[Ming]

Unbelievable moment goat balances on a power line to reach shrubbery snack

A goat has been snapped hilariously defying gravity to get a snack - while balancing on top of powerlines.

The animal was spotted by a passerby who couldn't believe their eyes when they saw it reaching for shrubbery while feet in the air. The video was filmed by an onlooker in Ceará, Brazil, on Sunday after they noticed the goat had climbed a nearby tower to get to the electric wires where a bunch of greens had got caught.

In the clip the animal looks up every few seconds to check out his surroundings before digging back into his meal.

This is not the first time a goat has ended up in a surprising place.

Emergency services were rushed to save a brown goat roughly 50ft above the ground in a street named Calle Potes, just seven miles south from the centre of Madrid. Soon after arriving, the fire brigade became the centre of Spanish media attention, with many wondering how they would attempt to save the goat, who had perched itself in the most awkward of places.

In the clip, firefighters can be seen carefully clearing a path on the balcony across from where the animal had gotten itself comfy and lay down on the ledge.


Hilarious footage shows a goat balancing on power cables in Brazil to get a snack


The animal showed off its balancing skills.


Ceará locals watched on in amazement as the animal snacked on some shrubbery

Outstretched over the adjoining vent and approaching the goat with a tub of water, the animal seemed initially confused by the workers' attempts to bring it to safety. But after the ingenious idea of using carrots as bait, the goat suddenly became interested and the firefighter holding the camera can be heard saying 'we got her' as the goat began to walk towards them.

However, the initial cheers from the crowd below soon stopped and the goat instead had them holding their breath once more, after it decided to take the risky route of walking over the balcony's ledge. Scared to startle it, the firefighters are heard urging each other not to make any sudden movements.

'Leave her, leave her!,' one can be heard saying. 'She'll come on her own.'

Authorities remain unsure how it got there in the first place, with particular confusion being raised due to the flat where the goat had gotten itself stuck being uninhabited. The animal, which has since been identified as a 'male dwarf goat' remains in supervision at the protection centre of Madrid Salud and is said to be in 'good health' according to Municipal sources.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/mJOBqwCBUXM[/youtube]

The 'dwarf goats', also known as pygmy goats, are said to be good pets known for their playful nature. They are also said to be friendly with children, with their small stature allowing for them to be petted and handled.

It is unclear whether the goat has an owner.

Relief is eventually struck when the goat is seen entering the living room of the flat, with the animal finally safe following the stressful ordeal. Once its safety was secured, the animal was passed to the city's emergency vetinary service, Sevemur, who take care of sick and injured animals found in Madrid.

In a conversation with Telemadrid, one local Calle Potes resident said the animal 'must have come down from the sky'.​

[BeBMan]

Two stories that caught my attention

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/12/tennessee-man-shot-by-dog

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/turtle-concealed-mans-pants-new-jersey-airport

[BeBMan]

A great initiative

[Broken_Erika]

Canadian brewery selling pack of 1,461 beers to cope with Trump's presidency

​ Moosehead's Presidential Pack includes 1 can a day for the next 4 years

​A beer a day keeps the chaos at bay.

OK, maybe not. But a long-running Canadian brewer hopes a massive crate of beer will help customers deal with the exhausting news cycle under U.S. President Donald Trump.

Moosehead's Presidential Pack contains 1,461 beers, in 473-millilitre cans — marketed as "just enough Canadian lagers to get through a full presidential term."
​
That works out to one can per day for the next four years, including the leap year.

Moosehead's marketing director Karen Grigg told CBC News Network the company wanted to tap into the Canadian pride it was seeing, and has received a flood of interest.

"We had no idea what would happen when we actually launched it, and the response has been overwhelming," she said.

Grigg said Moosehead initially made just five Presidential Packs, each priced at $3,490 plus tax and deposit.

The first one sold within 11 minutes on Friday, and all five sold within 24 hours. The company then made another five, which also sold out.
​
By late Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 people were on a waiting list for more.

Based in Saint John, N.B., Moosehead was established in 1867 — the same year as Canada's confederation — and bills itself as the country's oldest independent brewery and the largest fully Canadian-owned brewer.

Grigg says the company has been getting positive messages from people across Canada and the U.S. in response to the Presidential Pack.

Many have expressed amusement on social media, as well, though some have joked that one beer a day is not enough to cope. Customers buying for Canada Day, other large events


Grigg says purchasers have so far indicated they plan to share the suds anyway, buying them for Canada Day celebrations and other big community events.
​
"There's parades, there's campgrounds, each one has a unique story."

That might be a better plan than spreading them out over four years, as beer connoisseurs say the drinks would start to decline in quality before a year is up.

The patriotic marketing tactic has also highlighted some complications with attempts to boost the country's economy in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods.
​
The Presidential Pack is currently only available to residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario. Grigg says that's because those are the only three provinces Moosehead can retail in, due to interprovincial trade restrictions.

"We would love to have done this Canada-wide," she said.

That could soon change, however. Ottawa reached a deal last week with all provinces, except for Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, to remove obstacles preventing their alcohol from being sold in other jurisdictions.
​
The provincial governments are expected to seal the agreement in a framework within weeks. Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand told CBC News the move was part of an "unprecedented action to reduce trade barriers in Canada."

Meanwhile, provinces have been ditching U.S. booze.

B.C. and Ontario have pulled all U.S. alcohol from the shelves at government stores in response to tariffs, while Alberta has halted imports of American alcohol products.

Moosehead's final obstacle is actually delivering the massive crates of beer to individual customers.
​
Grigg says the company will make it happen one way or another.

"We are up to the task of getting this case of beer to every single location," she said. "It may be a different means each way, but we're going to get it there."
​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/moosehead-presidential-pack-1.7480762