Watercooler Stories

Gun-toting pizza eaters get discount

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A Virginia pizzeria is offering discounts to those carrying guns or concealed weapon permits as a show of support for the Second Amendment.

Jay Laze, owner of All Around Pizza in Virginia Beach, said he was inspired to offer 15 percent off to gun-toting customers by a similar promotion at a Utah frozen yogurt shop, WTKR-TV, Norfolk, reported Tuesday.

"I thought it was a great idea and I was wondering why nobody here was doing it," Laze said. "It should be happening all around the country."

"All they have to do is show me that they're carrying a weapon or they can show me their concealed weapons permit and they can get the discount."

Laze, who openly carries a gun, said he incorporates his views into his business.

"I actually hire delivery drivers that do carry openly," he said.

Bandits steal metal chain from shipwreck

CONNEAUT, Ohio, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Thieves in Ohio stole some weighty metal chain with a rich nautical history, leaving police to search for the missing links.

Members of the Lake Erie Boat Club in Conneaut, Ohio, said they were gifted some 1,000 pounds worth of metal chain that was believed to have been used on the John B. Lyon, a ship that sank in Lake Erie in 1900, some say off the coast of Conneaut.

The group had put the massive chain on display outside their headquarters and had planned to make a display honoring the Lyon's sinking to accompany it. At least, that was the plan before thieves made off with the chain, presumably to sell it as scrap.

Police told the Ashtabula (Ohio) Star-Beacon they're monitoring scrap yards in the area to see if the chain turns up, though as of yet they've had no luck. Investigators said they were unsure what the bandits used to lift or haul such a sizable amount of metal without being detected.

A $500 reward has been offered for information leading to the chain's return.

60-year-old safe at Vegas bar is a bust

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- It was a letdown of atomic proportions when the owners of a Las Vegas bar opened a 60-year-old safe found while remodeling -- and discovered only receipts.

The owners of Atomic Liquors in downtown Las Vegas pried open the handle on the old floor safe after discovering it months ago and speculating what could be inside, the Las Vegas Sun said Tuesday. Previous customers included the Rat Pack, Barbara Streisand and Jimmy Hoffa.

Alas, the only things inside were receipts for booze and soda long since down the hatch. (The Atomic paid $218 for 55 cases of beer in 1957.)

The owners of Atomic Liquors -- which got its name because patrons used to sit on its roof and watch the atomic bomb test blasts in the distance -- said they were disappointed, but still planned to display the safe and its contents when the bar reopens in a few weeks, when the renovation is complete.

Mo. bill would outlaw gun control bills

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A Missouri lawmaker has introduced a bill making it a felony to propose restrictions on "the right of an individual to bear arms" but he doubts it will pass.

State Rep. Mike Leara, a St. Louis Republican, said Tuesday he introduced House Bill No. 633 "as a matter of principle and as a statement in defense of the Second Amendment rights of all Missourians."

His legislation states: "Any member of the General Assembly who proposes a piece of legislation that further restricts the right of an individual to bear arms, as set forth under the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, shall be guilty of a class D felony."

In a statement issued Tuesday to the liberal Talking Points Memo website, Leara said he doubts the bill will be enacted.

"I have no illusions about the bill making it through the legislative process," he said. "but I want it to be clear that the Missouri House will stand in defense of the people's Constitutional right to keep and bear arms."