Watercooler Stories

• Tweet

Police: Romney photo led to assault

CLINTON, Tenn., Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Police in Tennessee said a man charged with domestic assault was upset about a picture of an unknown man on his girlfriend's Facebook -- a photo of Mitt Romney.

Crystal Gray, 38, of Clinton, told Anderson County sheriff's deputies her boyfriend, Lowell Turpin, 40, confronted her July 22 when he saw a picture of an unknown man on her Facebook page, The Smoking Gun reported Wednesday.

The sheriff's report said Gray explained the photo was of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, but she told deputies Turpin remained angry and confronted her for communicating with friends on Facebook.

The Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel reported Turpin allegedly threw Gray's laptop against a wall and punched her in the face.

Deputies said Gray gave them multiple contradictory accounts of the incident.

Turpin was charged with domestic assault and jailed in lieu of $1,000 bond.

Utah ghost town listed for sale

WOODSIDE, Utah, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A Utah real estate broker said a ghost town is being sold for an asking price of nearly $4 million with a herd of free-range llamas included.

Mike Metzger, of Bridge Realty in Price, said his clients, the Pogue family, are selling the ghost town of Woodside, which includes water rights, partial mineral rights and a herd of free-range llamas the Pogues brought in a few years ago, the Deseret News, Salt Lake City, reported Wednesday.

"It includes the service station, the geyser, some of the old buildings from the town and about 650 acres that is straddled alongside the Price River," Metzger said of the ghost town.

"It'll take a little bit of fixing up, as you look around," Metzger said. "It hasn't been in service for a few years, but it's a classic piece of Americana that isn't available anywhere else that I'm aware of."

The broker said the property could be reinstated as an official town.

"You would need to reinstate the charter, to make it an official town, but that's all that is required," he said.

Man gets 7-cent tax underpayment bill

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A Michigan man said he was surprised to receive a bill for a 7-cent tax underpayment along with a four-paragraph letter.

Tom Sweet of Charlotte said Brookfield Township Treasurer Martha Skittenhelm sent him the bill and letter, along with a receipt and photocopies of his bill and check, The Lansing (Mich.) State Journal reported Wednesday.

"She took the time to type," Sweet said. "She probably proofread it a couple of times. She spent a lot more time than she needed to for 7 cents."

Skittenhelm said the letter was an effort to provide good customer service and prevent Sweet from getting a delinquency notice.

"I was just trying to be a good person and alert him that it was short," she said.

Sweet said he has mailed a check to make up the difference.

Detroit boy sells lemonade for the city

DETROIT, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A 9-year-old boy selling lemonade to help Detroit recover from its economic crisis has drawn attention from the mayor and supporters around the country.

Joshua Smith, who has been selling lemonade and snacks at the side of the road to assist with Detroit's recovery, said a Tuesday story published in the Detroit Free Press led to a phone call from Mayor Dave Bing and calls and e-mails from fellow Michiganders and supporters from across the country, the Free Press reported.

"I want you to know we appreciate your efforts," the mayor told the boy during their phone call. "I hope other young people use you as an example."

Joshua and his parents, Flynn and Rhonda Smith, said donations have also been pouring in following Tuesday's story. They said they will not take Bing's suggestion to put half of the money he raises toward Joshua's college fund.

"It would be disingenuous of us to have people come by to make donations under one premise and then turn around and use the money for our own gain," Flynn Smith said.

Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh said he plans to visit Joshua's lemonade stand Wednesday.