Watercooler Stories

Family refuses to give up goats

FORTVILLE, Ind., June 6 (UPI) -- Members of a Fortville, Ind., family -- fined by police for keeping pet goats in the city -- say they plan to plead their case to the City Council.

Joshua and Sarah Brown said they have two female goats, one that provides milk for the couple and their seven children and one that serves as a companion to the milking goat, the Indianapolis Star reported.

"They're friendly. They're pets," Sarah Brown said. "They're the size of large dogs. We take our goats for walks just like dogs. All the kids in the neighborhood come out and pet them. Everybody thinks it's kind of cool there are goats in the neighborhood."

However, police said a complaint was lodged by someone who heard the goats bleating and an officer was sent to investigate. The complainant was not identified, but police said it was not a close neighbor of the family.

The Browns said they paid the first $25 ticket they were given by police, but refused to get rid of the animals after discovering that the law they were cited for violating bans "cows, bulls, pigs, horses, chickens, bees or rabbits," but does not mention goats.

They said they plan to plead their case at the next meeting of the City Council, scheduled for June 16.

Jesus statue stolen from church

DETROIT, June 6 (UPI) -- Officials at Detroit's Church of the Messiah said they were on the lookout for an 8-foot statue of Jesus after it went missing from outside of the building.

A member of the congregation notified church workers Tuesday the statue was gone from the 107-year-old Episcopal church, the Detroit Free Press reported.

The Rev. Barry Randolph said a fragment of the sculpture's hand was found in a nearby alley.

"We would love to have that back. It's a symbol of hope and peace," he said.

Church employees said a sign reading "Coming soon, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ," will be placed outside the church until either the statue is returned or a replica is made.

Activists place masks on Rome statues

ROME, June 6 (UPI) -- An environmental activist group has claimed responsibility for placing anti-pollution masks over the mouths of about 150 statues in Rome under cover of night.

Activists with environmental group Terra! said the masks -- which were found Thursday morning on statues including the likenesses of Roman emperors near the Colosseum and magistrates surrounding Rome's Palace of Justice -- were "protesting together with activists" to raise awareness of carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles, ANSA reported.

Terra! has called for new European Commission regulations aimed at reducing emissions.

Mysterious substance in fudge not pot

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., June 6 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old girl told police at Indiana University that a green leafy substance found in fudge she distributed was lavender, not marijuana.

Police said the girl told them she had made the lavender fudge for a school project and asked her mother, an employee of the university, if she could pass out the leftovers at the college's Eigenmann Hall, the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times reported.

Indiana University Police Department Capt. Jerry Minger said the leafy substance made some of the mother's co-workers suspicious, and one took a sample to police. Minger said the substance tested positive for traces of marijuana.

However, the girl came forward after the case was publicized and brought police a sample of the lavender, which registered a "weak reaction" on the marijuana test. Minger said the case is considered closed.