Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Student sues to keep guinea pig on campus ALLENDALE, Mich., April 4 (UPI) -- A Michigan student is suing Grand Valley State University for the right to keep her guinea pig, which she says is an emotional support animal, on campus. Advertisement Kendra Velzen, 28, is suing the Allendale school with the help of the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan after school officials told her no pets are allowed at on-campus student housing, WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids, reported Wednesday. "It's not a pet," said Elizabeth Vezino Stoddard of the Fair Housing Center. "It's a companion animal." Stoddard said Velzen suffers from chronic depression and her psychologist wrote her a prescription for an emotional support animal. The Fair Housing Center said the school is required by law to accommodate students coping with disabilities. "That includes the right to a companion animal," Stoddard said. "A companion animal is considered something that's necessary for someone because of their disability." Advertisement Fair Housing attorney Steven Dane said the school is allowing Velzen to keep the guinea pig in her room until the matter is resolved. A university spokeswoman said she could not comment on the lawsuit until it has been reviewed by officials. Teller told robber to come back tomorrow CHICAGO, April 4 (UPI) -- The FBI said an attempted bank robber in Chicago was foiled by a teller who told her the bank was closed and she should come back the following day. The criminal complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court said Olga Perdomo walked into the Albany Bank and Trust on West Lawrence Avenue around 5 p.m. on March 29 and handed a teller a note demanding "all of your money, no cops, no dye pack," the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. However, after reading the note, the teller told the woman the bank was closed and told her to come back the next day. "The female then left the bank," the complaint said. The woman, who was seen by a surveillance camera, was spotted by a bank employee walking outside of the establishment with a man around 3:20 p.m. Monday. Perdomo was arrested and police caught the man she was walking with after a short chase. The man was identified as Willie Weathersby, who officers recognized as a suspect in the robbery of $2,589 from the same bank March 23, the FBI said. Advertisement Fla. mayor says dealership can keep flags ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 4 (UPI) -- The mayor of St. Petersburg, Fla., said an ordinance will be re-evaluated after a car dealership was cited for flying 11 U.S. flags. Mayor Bill Foster said Tuesday enforcement of the sign ordinance, which allows businesses to fly no more than three flags, will be suspended and officials will re-evaluate the rules after the Maher Chevrolet dealership was ordered to take down all but three of its flags and pay a $143 fine, the Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, reported Wednesday. Foster said he believes larger businesses, such as the car dealership, "should have the right to fly more than three flags." Michael Maher, owner of the dealership, said the flags have been flying at his business for more than 20 years and he never received a citation until December. "I'm very naive, but I couldn't imagine anyone would be talking about taking down the American flag," Maher said. "So put me in the naive category. It's just hard to believe." St. Petersburg Assistant City Attorney Erica Smith said the city did not intend to target the U.S. flag. She said the city's ordinance limits the number of flags but does not regulate content. Advertisement Foster and Smith said they do not know what led to the dealership being cited. Fire sparked by vacuuming gas from car ORNSKOLDSYIK, Sweden, April 4 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Sweden said a man who attempted to use a vacuum cleaner to siphon fuel from his car ended up with an exploded vacuum and a burned-out car. The emergency responders said the man, from outside the northern city of Ornskoldsyik, was attempting to suck gas out of his car Monday night to fuel his snow blower and he soon had to throw the vacuum out of the garage when the appliance caught fire, The Local reported Wednesday. The man told firefighters the vacuum soon exploded outside of the garage and he noticed the car had also caught fire. The homeowner called for help and evacuated his sleeping family from the house. Firefighters said they extinguished the flames, but the car was burnt out and the garage sustained damage from the smoke. No injuries were reported.
