Watercooler Stories

Police: Suspect stripped during booking

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 6 (UPI) -- Police in White Plains, N.Y., say a public urination and drug possession suspect became agitated after his arrest and began stripping at police headquarters.

Police allege officers arrested Martin Fox, 32, just after 3 a.m. Monday after they saw him urinate on a sidewalk and found a small amount of marijuana in his pocket, The (White Plains, N.Y.) Journal-News reported Tuesday.

A police report said Fox "became extremely agitated and confrontational'' during his processing at headquarters and "at one point began removing all of his clothes.''

The report said a second small bag of marijuana fell from Fox's underwear while he was stripping.

Fox, who refused to put his clothes back on but ceased resisting after officers threatened to use a stun gun on him, was charged with exposure of a person and possession of marijuana, the report said.

Boy retires Favre jersey after 1,581 days

RIDGEFIELD, Conn., May 6 (UPI) -- The parents of a Ridgefield, Conn., 12-year-old who wore his Green Bay Packers Brett Favre jersey for 1,581 consecutive days said he has retired the shirt.

David Witthoft, who rose to national prominence in 2005 after he revealed during TV, radio and newspaper interviews that he had worn his No. 4 jersey ever day since he received it for Christmas in 2003, donned his favorite player's colors for the final time April 23, the Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette reported Tuesday.

"His last day wearing the jersey was April 23, which was his 12th birthday," said Chuck Witthoft, the boy's father. "It was tough for him for awhile but now that he's 12, he is a little more concerned about his appearance. And the jersey barely came down to his beltline."

David's parents said the family plans to fly to Green Bay Sept. 8, the date the team is scheduled to retire the No. 4 jersey worn by the quarterback, who announced his retirement in March.

"Dave was pretty upset when Favre retired," his father said. "But we knew we had to figure out an end game. He finally decided it was time."

Witthoft said his son plans to have his version of the jersey framed. He said the item may be displayed at the Packers Hall of Fame if the team is interested.

Sub teacher claims fired for 'wizardry'

LAND O' LAKES, Fla., May 6 (UPI) -- A former substitute teacher in Land O' Lakes, Fla., claims he was fired by the school district because he was "accused of wizardry."

Jim Piculas said Pat Sinclair, who is in charge of substitute teachers for the Pasco County School District, called him to say the district would no longer be using his services after he performed a disappearing-toothpick magic trick while teaching at Rushe Middle School, the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune reported Tuesday.

"She said, 'You've been accused of wizardry,'" Piculas said.

However, Assistant Superintendent Renalia DuBose denied the district ever used the word "wizardry" in its dealings with Piculas and said the magic trick was far down the list of reasons the sub is not being asked back.

The district said in a letter to Piculas that he was being let go because he did not follow lesson plans, allowed students to use computers despite being told not to by another teacher, and he left a student in charge during his fifth-period class.

Bible park planner took pics for nudie mag

BLACKMAN , Tenn., May 6 (UPI) -- One of the planners for a Bible-themed amusement park in Rutherford County, Tenn., concedes he worked as a Penthouse magazine photographer as a young man.

Amnon Bar-Tur, a co-founder of SafeHarbor Holding LLC, which is proposing the Bible theme park, took photographs of nude models during the 1970s that became covers and centerfolds for the soft-core pornography magazine, the Nashville Tennessean reported Tuesday.

Bar-Tur, who was born in Israel and took his first photos for Penthouse while he was living in England in 1969, released a statement after his former employment with the magazine was revealed.

"Surely what a young immigrant photographer did 35 years ago to make a living in his first job out of college as a fashion photographer has no relevance to the development of our world-class tourist attraction in Rutherford County in 2008," he said.

SafeHarbor Holding, which also counts Bar-Tur's son, Armon Bar-Tur, among its founders, is seeking approval to construct a non-denominational theme park in the Blackman, Tenn., area that would include re-enactments of ancient life as well as theatrical interpretations of Bible stories and other attractions.