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Man falls 30 feet; injuries slight

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A New York businessman stepped outside an off-track betting facility, lit a cigar, and fell through a rusted-out metal sidewalk plate, officials said.

Vincent Riggio, 59, fell 30 feet into the basement of a clothing store in the TriBeCa area when the corroded metal plate holding the basement's doors in place gave way, the New York Post reported Sunday.

"He came out, he had a cigar, he stepped on the platform and he fell," said Freddy Chew, a deliveryman. "I looked down the hole. He was down there, squatting down. There was a lot of dust."

Chew called 911 and Riggio calmly telephoned his wife to tell her what had happened.

When authorities arrived, one firefighter was lowered by rope into the basemen, put a harness around Riggio, and hoisted him up.

"He was banged up a little bit, but he had no life-threatening injuries," said Battalion Chief James Sheridan.

Dog wants to help with mowing lawn

CINCINNATI, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A retired Cincinnati firefighter says his pet Shih Tzu loves to sit on his riding lawnmower with him when he cuts his grass.

Former firefighter and paramedic Bill Rinear said he bolted a wicker container to the top of his lawnmower so Minnie the Shih Tzu can enjoy taking part in the outdoors chore, The Cincinnati Enquirer said.

The sight of a dog sitting atop a moving lawnmower apparently draws it fair share of attention.

"People get out of their cars and just stare at us," Rinear said. "They wonder: 'What kind of an idiot has a dog riding in a basket on top of his lawn mower?'"

Rinear says he just like to spend time with his small 6-year-old dog.

"I'm the kind of idiot who used to unzip his sweatshirt and tuck her inside," he told the Enquirer. "When I would cut grass, she would stick her head out of the opening."

The Great Pumpkin is from Kentucky

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A 1,145-pound pumpkin from the "Kentucky Pumpkin Mafia" came in first place at the Giant Pumpkin Contest at the Indiana State Fair Sunday, officials said.

The Indianapolis Star reported John Van Hook, 42, of Somerset Kentucky, grew the winning pumpkin. Van Hook's brother, a fellow pumpkin grower, also attended the Indianapolis fair sporting a hat emblazoned with "Kentucky Pumpkin Mafia."

It was the second year in a row Kentuckians won top awards at the Indiana fair.

Kentuckians have some advantage over the Indiana growers because their warm season starts earlier, admitted Dwight Slone of Prestonsburg, Ky. Slone and his wife, Karen, entered a pumpkin weighing 1,126 pounds that took second place.

Roger Howard, 61, a pumpkin grower in Grovertown, Ind., agreed.

"They start their growing the first of April because they can, because it's warm down there, whereas up north I can't start mine until the end of April," Howard said.

Most other "weigh-offs" are held in October so everyone is playing on even ground and can catch up, he said.

Event gives firefighters chance to shine

WINDSOR, Ontario, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A Firefest spokesman says the annual competition in Windsor, Ontario, gives firefighters a chance to show off their unique skill sets.

Firefest spokesman David Bellamy said festival participants are required to don their heavy firefighting gear and attempt to set record paces while carrying a fire hose up a five-story building, The Windsor Star said.

Participants are required to pull a separate hose to the roof of the building, before moving a heavy steel beam with a sledgehammer, hitting a target with water from a fire house and carrying a mannequin across the finish line.

Bellamy said the grueling event not only gives firefighters an opportunity to show off their skills, but also allows members of the public to witness firsthand what firefighters do on the job.

"Their job is not easy to do. They're running in when we're running out of a bad situation," he told the Star. "It takes a specific set of physical and mental talents."

The winner of Saturday's 2009 Firefest competition was Brandon Cunningham of Augusta, Ga., who completed the exhausting firefighter routine in a world course record of 1.17.31 minutes.