Crooked Hill Road exit sign altered to read Crooked Hillary
Brentwood, N.Y. (AP) – A sign marking the Crooked Hill Road exit off a suburban New York parkway has been altered to read “Crooked Hillary.” Newsday reports the defaced green traffic sign on the Sagtikos Parkway on Long Island was reported to the state Department of Transportation on Wednesday. A DOT spokesman says the sign has been removed and “defacing public signs is illegal.” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump often used the moniker “Crooked Hillary” when referring to Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, who at the time suffered from the mistrust of many voters. Trump won the election and in a recent tweet said “Crooked Hillary Clinton now blames everybody but herself, refuses to say she was a terrible candidate.” Clinton tweeted back “People in covfefe houses shouldn’t throw covfefe,” a dig at Trump for tweeting the mystifying nonword.
Grand theft avocado: 3 arrested in $300K California theft
Oxnard, Calif. (AP) – Police are calling it grand theft avocado. Southern California authorities say three produce company workers have been arrested in the theft of up to $300,000 worth of avocados. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department says they were arrested Wednesday, charged with grand theft of fruit and are jailed for lack of $250,000 bail each. Detectives began investigating the men in May after getting a tip that they were conducting unauthorized cash sales of avocados from a ripening facility in the city of Oxnard owned by Mission Produce. The sheriff’s department says the company estimates the avocado loss at about $300,000. It was unclear whether the suspects have attorneys.
Boaters say group stole pigs off California Delta island
Sacramento, Calif. (AP) – Several pigs that were left four years ago on a small island within the California Delta have become the center of residents’ debate after an animal-rights group took them off the island. The Sacramento Bee reports 10 people from Farm Sanctuary used a trailer and barge on Tuesday to ferry six pigs off the island under the land owner’s permission. Susie Coston, the group’s national shelter director, says the pigs were not in good health and were being mistreated, but residents in the area disagree. Several boaters have been feeding the pigs and say on the island, the animals are truly “free.” Delta boater Erlyn Lucas-Payne says the pigs were “stolen,” not “rescued.” But Coston says the pigs starved in the winter and were fed beer in the summer. The pigs were taken to UC Davis for veterinary care.
Attacked while running, woman drowns rabid raccoon in puddle
Hope, Maine (AP) – A Maine woman says a rabid raccoon attacked her while she was out for a run, so she drowned it in a puddle. Rachel Borch, of Hope, says she was running in woods near her home June 2 when she saw the raccoon charging with its teeth bared. She says she knew the animal was going to bite her, so she held out her hands so it would bite her there. The 21-year-old says she then noticed a puddle in a nearby swampy area. She ran over with the rabid animal still biting down on her thumb and held its head underwater until it drowned. Hope Animal Control Officer Heidi Blood praised Borch’s composure, and says she is in the hospital for rabies exposure treatment.
Rotting clams that stunk up neighborhood are being removed
Tiverton, R.I. (AP) – The rotting clamshells that were used to pave an access road in a small Rhode Island community are being removed after neighbors complained about the stench and maggots. WJAR-TV reports that workers were at the property Wednesday morning to remove the clams after the property owner was issued a cease-and-desist order giving him until the end of the week to remove them. A crew with heavy equipment was seen scooping up shells. The owner used the shells to pave an access road two weeks ago. But they had meat still attached, leading to a putrid smell as it decomposed. Video showed maggots crawling all over the road. State environmental authorities said the clamshells were considered waste because of the decaying clam meat. The property owner has refused to comment.
