Watercooler Stories

Rowers break record crossing Atlantic

SCILLY, England, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- It took 43 days, but a rowing team has broken the record for crossing the North Atlantic from New York to Britain's Isles of Scilly.

The British-led team paddled an 18-foot long wooden boat called the "Fox" 3,500 miles, through storms and 40-foot waves from New York to the Isles of Scilly, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

The previous record was set in 1896, taking 55 days.

"We are all really exhausted; it's been a helter skelter trip," said skipper Leven Brown, 37. "It was very punishing on the body. We had two capsizes and two men thrown overboard."

The four-man crew also set a 24-hour record of 118 miles on July 14, breaking a 2008 record of 118 miles, the Telegraph reported. Brown was a member of that crew as well.

The boat capsized twice and two crew members fell from the boat during rough weather.

Waitress bags alleged dine and dash man

OCALA, Fla., July 31 (UPI) -- A Florida waitress, angry after three men walked out on a $23.19 bill, caught up with them at their next stop and brought one back to be arrested.

Police took Jerry Stanage, 28, into custody when he refused to pay the tab at the Ale House in Ocala, saying he had no money, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. Officers said they found credit and bank cards and $6.

Crystal Wynn alleged Stanage and two friends ordered two pitchers of beer, french fries, cheese sauce and a couple of shots of liquor Wednesday night, and then left without paying. Wynn said she offered to cover the tab herself but the manager told her she could not do that and would be reprimanded.

Wynn said that made her mad, and she realized she knew where the trio were headed. So after she got off for the night, she drove to the Cloud Nine nightclub, enlisted some help from a bouncer and found her quarry inside.

Two of the men jumped into a truck and drove off, leaving Stanage to face Wynn alone. He agreed to accompany her back to the Ale House where police arrested him.

South Dakota hailstone sets U.S. record

VIVIAN, S.D., July 31 (UPI) -- A hailstone found in South Dakota measuring 8 inches in diameter has been declared the largest ever measured in the United States, meteorologists say.

The National Weather Service said in a release Friday Les Scott of Vivian, picked up the giant hailstone in his yard July 23 after a storm rolled through the area.

When officially measured by NWS staff in Aberdeen, and verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climate Extremes Committee, the hailstone weighed 1.93 pounds and had a circumference of 18.625 inches.

The weather service ruled the chunk of ice set U.S. records for weight and diameter.

"I'm just glad nobody got hurt and hope the town will recover soon," Scott said.

The previous U.S. diameter record was set by a hailstone that fell in Aurora, Neb., on June 22, 2003, that measured 7 inches. The heaviest stone found previously was 1.67 pounds for one recovered in Coffeyville, Kan., in 1970.

The Aurora stone, at 18.75 inches, is still the largest in circumference ever officially measured in the United States.

David Hintz, warning coordination meteorologist at NOAA's Aberdeen weather forecast office, said a local power outage likely meant the hailstone shrank before it was measured.

"Mr. Scott told me the area was littered with large hailstones and the largest had a greater diameter when he first found it," Hintz said. "He immediately stored it and several others in his freezer, but a power outage caused some melting."

'Bikini baristas' increase coffee sales

DETROIT, July 31 (UPI) -- Two Michigan coffee cafes have seen sales jump since they started featuring female baristas in skimpy outfits including bikinis and lingerie, observers say.

Brenda and Gary Zelda, owners of the two Detroit-area drive-through Hot Spot Coffee shops, said sales doubled overnight with the change in the baristas' dress Brenda describes as not overtly sexual but "sexy/flirty/fun," The Detroit News reported Saturday.

"It's a unique way to gain attention and awareness from the general public," she said. "It's a fun thing to do."

In addition to the costumes, the shops feature special days including "Topless Tuesdays" and "Flasher Fridays."

Business has been so good, the Zeldas say, they're opening a third location in Brighton Township.

Brighton Township manager Dan Bishop says that's fine with him.

"They've got a marketing gimmick that's a little outrageous," he said. "As long as they are in compliance with the township codes and ordinances, they're legal and free to operate."

There was a complaint about Topless Tuesdays, officials said, but they checked it out -- and found it was just about serving the coffee drinks without lids.