Watercooler Stories

Long-distance runner retires at age 101

HONG KONG, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A 101-year-old man who has been in nine marathons since taking up distance running when he was 89 said he retired after a weekend race in Hong Kong.

Fauja Singh, whose running and style of dress earned him the title "Turbaned Tornado," said Sunday's 6.2-mile race was his final competitive run, CNN reported Monday.

Singh said he completed the Hong Kong event in 32 minutes and 28 seconds, shaving 4 minutes off his time from last year.

"Five or six kilometers into the race, I really decided to go for it," he said. "I had lots of power today because I was very happy."

Singh said he moved from India to Britain following the death of his son and began running marathons in 2000.

He became the first centenarian to complete a marathon when he ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours, 11 minutes and 6 seconds in 2011.

"It's because of the happiness I get out of it. If something makes you happy, you'll do it well," Singh said.

School bus driver allegedly stole bus

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A Tennessee school bus driver accused of stealing and selling a school bus is no longer approved to drive for the school district, officials said.

The Knoxville Police Department said Hillman Greenlee, 61, of Knoxville, Tenn., was arrested on a theft charge after he allegedly took Bus 117, a 1998 Blue Ribbon Coach Bus, from a bus lot Wednesday and sold it to another person for $1,200, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Monday.

The bus, which police valued at about $2,000, was found abandoned later Wednesday.

Knox County Schools spokeswoman Melissa Ogden said Greenlee, a driver with contractor Horace Blakely, is no longer approved to drive for the school district.

Newborn calf gets shelter from the storm

GREENWOOD, Ark., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said a calf born during a snowstorm was given shelter for the night then reunited with his mother.

Jesse Bocksnick, Sebastian County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Greenwood farmers Doug and Ann Russell discovered the calf was born during near their barn during Thursday's winter storm, which involved snow, hail and sleet, and gave the baby temporary shelter in the mudroom of their home.

"Baby was in house for about four hours. We dried him with a heating pad for a large dog, my hair dryer and towels and gave him some milk," Ann said. The calf "was a good housemate. He stayed laid down 90 percent of the time. Once he got warm he decided to get up. He went outside shortly after that."

Bocksnick said the couple reported the calf was reunited with his mother Friday morning and the pair appeared to be doing well.

Business owner sues to get 'wavers' back

AVON, Ind., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The owner of two Liberty Tax Service franchises in Avon, Ind., is challenging a zoning law that restricts the use of "costumed wavers."

Victor Ruthig said he filed a civil lawsuit challenging the law, The Indianapolis Star reported Monday.

Ruthig opposes the law that bans businesses from putting costumed workers at the side of the road to wave at cars and attract customers.

"We want to have the ability to use those wavers because it's part of our business model," Ruthig said. "Our costumed wavers are like the golden arches to McDonald's. It's an icon during tax season that equates to getting your taxes done."

The lawsuit alleges the zoning law violates the First Amendment right to free commercial speech. The suit says the city's concerns about the wavers being distracting to drivers are unfounded.

Joe Smoker, assistant planner in Avon, said he could not comment on the pending litigation. He said the corner where one of Ruthig's Liberty Tax centers is located is a high-traffic area where crashes are common.