Woman temporarily becomes
millionaire after account mix-up
Boston (AP) – For a few minutes, a Boston woman says she was a millionaire. Ellen Fleming says she received a voicemail from a TD Ameritrade financial consultant Wednesday afternoon that a deposit had been made into her account. The 26-year-old opened the company’s app on her cellphone and was surprised to find $1.1 million instead of the $50 that she had left a few months ago. Fleming tells The Boston Globe that she immediately thought about quitting her job and paying her student loans. Instead, she called the consultant back and informed them of the mix-up. Fleming says the money was meant for a woman with the same name who lives in Florida. She jokes that in her obituary she would like to be referred to as a “one-time millionaire.”
Firefighters rescue raccoon
that got head stuck in mayo jar
Ithaca, N.Y. (AP) – Firefighters in upstate New York helped out a presumably hungry raccoon that got its head stuck inside a mayonnaise jar. The Ithaca Fire Department says the raccoon was spotted in a tree during its recent predicament. The Ithaca Journal reports both city firefighters and a state Department of Environmental Conservation officer got the animal down. They placed the raccoon into a large plastic tub and freed its head. Once the DEC officer determined the raccoon was not injured, it was let go. The critter was last seen running toward a nearby creek.
Trapped tourists call wrong Lisbon
police for help
Lisbon, Maine (AP) – Two tourists who became trapped in an elevator accidently called the wrong Lisbon police department for help. Dispatcher Cathy Roy told WCSH-TV Tuesday she was working at the Lisbon Police Department in Maine a few weeks ago when she received a call from the trapped tourists. The only problem was they were in Lisbon, Portugal. Roy says the two women had pressed the elevators’ emergency button for help. No one answered, so the women searched online for “Lisbon Police” and called the first number listed. Roy says she stayed on the phone with the women and found the right Lisbon police department to call. Despite the language barrier, Roy says she was able to direct emergency crews to the women and help them escape.
Police post mugshot of lost dog,
bail paid in cookies
Cape May, N.J. (AP) – A dog is home after police in a New Jersey shore town posted its mugshot on social media. Cape May Patrolman Michael LeSage found Bean the pug in a yard on Sunday. He tells The Star-Ledger of Newark he tried to get the dog to hop into his police car, but her legs were too short so he had to lift her. Police posted a photo of Bean on Facebook with the caption: “This is what happens when you run away from home.” It took a few hours before Bean’s owners tracked her down. Hadley Hubbard of Baltimore, Maryland, thanked police and posted that Bean was sound asleep after an exciting run. LeSage posted that Bean paid her bail in cookies.
Austrian family accused of hijacking,
crashing Swiss taxi
Berlin (AP) – Swiss police say an Austrian family allegedly hijacked a taxi, crashed into a parked boat, drove through a hedge and then plunged off a 4-foot-high ledge before trying to escaping on foot. St. Gallen police said the incident happened early Sunday in the northeastern Swiss town of Rorschach. Police said the suspects – a married couple and their 10-year-old daughter – are accused of attacking the taxi’s 60-year-old driver before stealing his car and driving erratically to a nearby town. Their alleged taxi ride ended when the family crashed down the side of a driveway. Police say officers detained them as they fled. Police said the 38-year-old father “was not in a fit state to drive” and had no license. The girl and the taxi driver were injured and required medical treatment.
