Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Alligators found in Rio Grande FORT HANCOCK, Texas, June 23 (UPI) -- Texas wildlife officials say there are six alligators living in the Rio Grande, east of Fort Hancock in Hudspeth County. Advertisement "There were approximately six alligators that were observed, three of them that were in the 2- to 4-foot range, and about three of them in the 5- to 6-foot range," Texas Game Warden Ray Spears told KFOX-TV, El Paso, Texas. Spears said the alligators are in a rural area, so they don't pose much danger to humans. He said it is believed they were dropped off in the area by someone who was previously keeping them. The warden said his office will be monitoring the alligators to keep people safe and to see if the animals reproduce in the river. Birds dive-pecking deli customers SAN ANTONIO, June 23 (UPI) -- Frequent visitors to a delicatessen in San Antonio, Texas, say a pair of dive-bombing grackles have been pecking customers' heads. Advertisement Customers and workers at neighborhood businesses said the pair of grackles -- collectively named Hitchcock in honor of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 movie "The Birds" -- haven't injured anyone seriously, but many have walked away with pecks to the head, the San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday. "This must be his territory, either that or he really likes this restaurant," said Scott Meyerkord, a frequent customer at McAlister's Deli, the birds' home base. Local businesses had arranged for the birds to be removed but the discovery of a fledgling that is not yet capable of flying led San Antonio Zoo officials to conclude that the grackles are simply protecting their young, which was found on the ground near where the grackles usually perch. Tamara Kieschnick, general manager of the deli, said the eatery and other local businesses have decided to tolerate the attacks for a short time longer to allow the birds' young to mature. "We've put up with this so long, if the babies are about to leave the nest, I suppose we could last another day or two," she said. Firefighters called to own station blaze WAIPAHU, Hawaii, June 23 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Waipahu, Hawaii, said food left cooking while they were out on a call caused an embarrassing blaze at their own station house. Advertisement Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said firefighters left food cooking when they responded to reports of a traffic crash May 22. They received a second call on their way back from the crash to put out a fire at their own station, the Honolulu Advertiser reported Tuesday. "The firefighters (at the station) are very chagrined about it," Seelig said. "It goes to show that no one is immune." Seelig said unattended cooking is one of the top causes of fires locally. "The fire's cause was attributed to unattended cooking," Seelig said. "We, like everybody else, need to be careful and attentive when cooking." The fire caused about $25,000 worth of damage to the station house, Seelig said. He said the kitchen was previously scheduled for renovation and the damage has already been repaired. Divorce wrangling over groomless wedding KISSIMMEE, Fla., June 23 (UPI) -- A Florida couple are wrangling in the courts about a wedding that featured only the bride in attendance but still ended in a legal marriage. Matthew Ditzel, 30, told an Osceola County court Heather Bowser, 31, had their marriage license notarized despite the fact that he was not in attendance at the May 24, 2008, ceremony, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Tuesday. Bowser, however, contends Ditzel agreed in advance to the proxy ceremony. Advertisement Court notes say her legal team has "witnesses to state that Mr. Ditzel made (the) announcement that they were married, there is a celebratory dinner, announcements made about rings, and they consummated like bunnies." Veronica Gonzalez, a friend of Bowser's, lost her state notary commission for falsely certifying that she married the couple and she was put on a year's probation after pleading guilty in April to false acknowledgment by a notary public, a misdemeanor. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Fleming denied Ditzel's request for an annulment and observers say the divorce is likely to go to trial, the Sentinel reported.
