Watercooler Stories

Woman wins 'haunted' mill lawsuit

TROY, Ohio, April 17 (UPI) -- The owner of Ohio's oldest standing grist mill has won $125,000 in a lawsuit against a Web site operator who claimed the property was haunted.

Melissa Duer, owner of Staley Mill and a descendant of builder Eli Staley, said in her lawsuit against forgottenohio.com proprietor Andrew Henderson that the Web site's false claims about the mill and Staley family history led to numerous thrill seekers and ghost hunters attempting to peek inside the facility, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported.

The suit said Duer and her husband were forced to spend thousands of dollars on security at the mill as a result of materials published on Henderson's Web site.

Judge Robert Lindeman of Miami County Common Pleas Court issued a default judgment for Duer after Henderson failed to respond to the legal challenge.

Lindeman also approved Duer's request for a court order banning Henderson from publishing material about the mill on forgottenohio.com or any other Web site.

Mussolini hometown bans Fascist symbols

PREDAPPIO, Italy, April 17 (UPI) -- The birthplace of World War II-era Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, in an effort to boost tourism, has banned public display of Fascist symbols and slogans.

The Predappio town council voted unanimously Wednesday to ban stores from displaying swastikas, cudgels and Fascist slogans in their windows or other places visible from the street, ANSA reported.

The council voted to fine violators $660 per offense.

"It was an essential decision that aims to give a clear message: an end to the culture of hatred that prevents the city of Predappio from presenting itself to visiting tourists with the right image," city Culture Councilor Gianluca Barravecchia said.

Shop owners said Mussolini memorabilia will still be available for purchase on their Web sites.

Police nix music to avoid fees

TROWBRIDGE, England, April 17 (UPI) -- Police officers in England's Wiltshire county are prohibited from listening to music at work, a move intended avoid having to pay license fees, officials said.

Officials said they banned the public playing of music on radios, Web sites, TVs and MP3 players after the Performing Rights Society for Music demanded the police force pay a $34,000 license fee, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The PRS told police bosses the license fee is required for all uses of music in police stations, offices, gyms and other communal areas.

The Wiltshire Police announcement said "playing of music by any means across the force" would "cease forthwith."

"I know that many of you will feel that this is a ridiculous situation. I agree," Wiltshire Chief Constable Brian Moore said in a letter to officers. "However, chief officers and I fundamentally object to paying a license fee to PRS for Music to cover Wiltshire Police premises."

Scottish cops seek 'police speak' overhaul

DUMFRIES, Scotland, April 17 (UPI) -- Police in Scotland's Dumfries and Galloway council area are proposing the Scottish Police Federation do away with "police speak" in favor of plain English.

Officers have submitted proposals to the Scottish Police Federation conference scheduled for next week asking top officials to consider doing away with many "confusing and irritating" phrases they are forced to use while dealing with the public, The Times of London reported.

"The mover of the motion feels strongly that for too long the Police Service has chosen verbosity over accuracy and clarity and that in 2009 there should be a return to plain English," the proposal reads. "Too many documents are crowded with management terminology and buzz phrases which wax and wane in popularity.

"A return to plain English would avoid confusion and doubt about exactly what we are saying and meaning and would benefit not only the police service but the communities we serve," it states.

Constables said phrases and acronyms they want to get rid of include SPOC for single point of contact, SOCO for scenes of crime officer, party for person and negative for no.