Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Students want leaf blowers banned WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Some students at a Florida college say they want leaf blowers banned in their county to cut down on noise and pollution. Advertisement The Palm Beach State College students, who call themselves Students Against Volatile Emissions, or S.A.V.E., said they will urge Palm Beach County commissioners during Tuesday's meeting to ban the use of leaf blowers in the county effective Jan. 1, WPTV, West Palm Beach, reported Monday. "I don't think there's too many of us that haven't had a conversation and had one of those walk by and had to say 'hold on a minute' and wait until the groundskeeper goes by," said Steve Pohler, a member of the group. The students said banning leaf blowers would also have positive effects on the environment. However, Ray Alvarez, owner of Pro Lawn Care Plus in West Palm Beach, said leaf blowers are necessary tools for his business. Advertisement "If we can't use this, it's like cutting off an arm to do the job that we need to do," he said. Man admits attacking teen over game PLYMOUTH, England, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A 46-year-old British man admitted going to the home of a 13-year-old and attacking the boy because he killed off his online video game character. Mark Bradford of Plymouth, England, told the court Thursday he was playing "Call of Duty: Black Ops" on the Internet with the teenager and he lost control of his anger when the boy killed his character, MSNBC reported. Bradford said he knew where the boy lived and went to his house, where he grabbed the boy's throat with both hands. "It wasn't malice. I just grabbed him. I've seen him since and apologized. The injuries weren't that bad but I do regret it," Bradford said. Bradford has been released on bail and is due to be sentenced Oct. 24. The boy's mother told The Mirror she does not forgive the man. "It's pathetic that a grown man would attack a defenseless child like this. If you can't handle losing to a child then you shouldn't be playing games," she said. Advertisement Woman sues Walmart over 2 cents, wins $100 MURRYSVILLE, Pa., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania woman was awarded $100 in damages from Walmart over a 2-cent disparity between an item's tagged price and its scanned price. Murrysville District Judge Charles Conway sided with consumer activist Mary Bach of Murrysville, whose civil suit against Walmart claimed the company intentionally charged 2 cents more for Banquet "Brown 'N Serve" sausage than the price on the tag at the location near Delmont, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Monday. Conway awarded Bach, whose suit alleged unfair trade practices, $100 in damages and $80 in court costs Thursday. "This is the fifth lawsuit we've had against this store for the same problem," Bach said. "This isn't an isolated incident." Walmart, which had claimed the price difference was the result of new packaging for the products, has 30 days to appeal the verdict. Bus driver allegedly booted crying baby HILLSBORO, Ore., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Oregon's TriMet bus system said it is investigating allegations a woman and her baby were kicked off a bus by a driver upset by the infant's crying. Passenger Jennifer Chapman of Forest Grove said the female driver of the No. 57 TriMet bus, which serves Hillsboro, forced her and her baby off the bus Thursday night when she couldn't get the child to stop crying, The (Portland) Oregonian reported Monday. Advertisement Chapman said other passengers were outraged at the woman's treatment. "Every single person got off the bus, and it was a full bus, with just two empty seats," Chapman said. TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said Sunday complaints were filed by passengers and officials are investigating. "Obviously, this is something we take quite seriously," Fetsch said.
