Watercooler Stories

Hero's story turns out to be borrowed

BOURNEMOUTH, England, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Turns out the man who got the Queen's medal in Britain for saving a pilot and a passenger from a burning plane had merely borrowed the deed from the real hero.

Nigel Gallimore of Bournemouth, who received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery last May, now admits, "In the heat of the moment I probably said things that didn't happen," reports The Independent.

Gallimore was decorated for dragging the passenger and the pilot from a light-aircraft as it went up in flames in August 2004.

But that deed actually belonged to Michael Winstanley, who arrived at the crash scene before Gallimore, says the report. Winstanley was driving his van and saw both men dazed after escaping the blaze. He dragged them to safety as the plane exploded behind the van. A third plane passenger was killed.

Winstanley stayed anonymous but Gallimore became a local celebrity. On Tuesday, he admitted to the medical examiner he had embellished the tale.

Said Winstanley: "I'm not a hero. I just had to do it. For (Gallimore) to turn around and claim the (award) which I don't deserve, he doesn't deserve it. If anyone, the pilot deserves it."

Robber couple brings baby on heist

CHICAGO, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A Chicago couple that took their 9-month-old girl along while breaking into homes has been charged and their baby sent to live with family members.

William and Stacey Ward were arrested after a neighbor of the Palos Park home they were robbing called the police, The Chicago Tribune reports.

Detective Barry Churin said they found Stacey Ward in the car with her daughter while William Ward allegedly ran away.

He said the trunk of the car contained allegedly stolen goods.

William Ward was charged with felony theft and is in jail on a $500,000 bond. Stacey Ward was released on a lesser bond after being charged with misdemeanor theft and child endangerment.

Imprisoned ex-congressman turns to art

CLEVELAND, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Former congressman James Traficant, D-Ohio, has turned to art while serving an eight-year prison term for racketeering and bribery and is selling his paintings.

Traficant was forced out of Congress following his 2002 conviction. While known for his toupee, bombast and speech-ending phrase, "Beam me up," Traficant now wants to be known as an artist, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

Traficant's Web site, beammeupart.com, says he began painting a year ago at the federal medical center in Rochester, Minn., and the dozen paintings offered for $140 to $205 would buy him art supplies.

On Wednesday, the Web site said most of the paintings had been sold and two were up for auction on eBay.

Traficant's Web site said he took to art "like a duck to water." However, Cleveland art critic Doug Utter told the newspaper, "There's no overwhelming talent or expertise in evidence."

Traficant's painting of flowing horse manes and tales "is almost fetishistic," Utter said.

Levi Strauss courts iPod users

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Fans of Apple's iPod now have custom-designed jeans from denim giant Levi Strauss, with special pockets and accessories, to go with their music player.

The RedWire DLX jeans, to be launched in August with a price of about $200, will come with storage pockets, a remote control, docking station and headphones for iPod players.

While other companies have been making iPod-compatible clothing since 2003, Levi Strauss is believed to be the first jeans maker to do so, the BBC reported.

The Levi Strauss offering continues its efforts to turn around its struggling financial picture, which prompted it to move all production outside the United States.

The company released neither pictures of nor recommended washing instructions for the RedWire DLX jeans.