UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Star-Spangled Banner' turns 197

BALTIMORE, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The "Star-Spangled Banner," the U.S. national anthem written by Francis Scott Key in Baltimore, marked its 197th anniversary Wednesday.

Wednesday was the 197th year since the song was originally written as the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" in 1814, ABC News reported.

The poem, which was later set to the tune of an old English song, became the national anthem in 1931.

Authorities: Woman called man 65,000 times

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Officials in the Netherlands say a woman is facing a stalking charge after calling a man about 65,000 times during the past year, averaging 178 calls per day.

The 62-year-old man told police the 42-year-old Rotterdam woman has also been sending him high numbers of text messages and e-mails during the past year, the BBC reported Wednesday.

The woman, who claims to be in a relationship with the man, was released on bail with the condition she avoid contact with the man, who denies any relationship with the woman, but she was arrested again only hours later after calling the man on the phone.

Drunk man tried to pull own tooth

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A Florida man who allegedly shouted obscenities at officers that interrupted him as he tried to pull one of his own teeth was charged with breach of the peace.

Port St. Lucie police said they responded Sunday to the home of Francisco Rojas, 49, after his wife called 9-1-1 and said he was drunk in his garage and attempting to remove a tooth with a pair of pliers, TCPalm.com reported Wednesday.

The arrest affidavit states three officers arrived and "observed him attempting to extract his tooth and there was vomit on the floor from his attempts."

Rojas, who admitted to being drunk, allegedly began cursing loudly when the officers questioned him and refused their requests for him to calm down.

The officers wrote Rojas' cursing "affected the public decency as well as the peace and quiet of the children playing in the neighborhood."

Rojas was arrested on a breach of peace charge.

Man donates $40K inheritance to cat condos

STANSBURY PARK, Utah, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A Utah man who was surprised to inherit $40,000 from his ex-wife said he decided to donate the cash toward the creation of "cat condos."

Patrick Wiggins of Stansbury Park said he had remained friendly with ex-wife Colleen Caron after their divorce, but he was shocked to discover she had left him $40,000 from her retirement account when she died and he decided to donate the money to the Humane Society of Utah to go toward its project to create a "cat condos" adoption area, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday.

Wiggins, who has made many smaller donations to the organization in the past, described himself as a lifelong animal lover and said his ex-wife shared his passion for animal welfare. He said he decided to donate the money after hearing about the "cat condo" project, which is projected to cost $2 million.

"It seemed right," Wiggins said. "Every year I've been making out those smaller checks."