Herd of wild boars cuts off suspected car thief’s getaway in northern Germany

BERLIN (AP) — A herd of wild boars has thwarted a suspected car thief’s getaway in northern Germany.
Police in Schwerin say the 18-year-old abandoned a stolen SUV he was driving Thursday after failing to shake off a chasing patrol car by driving into a field.
Police nabbed his passenger immediately. But they say the driver initially got away by running into nearby woods.
Officers then heard the fugitive shouting for help — he had run into a herd of angry wild boars that were keen to protect their young.
Police freed the man from the boars and took him into custody.
Wild boars are a common sight in forested areas of northern Germany. They often make themselves at home in residential neighborhoods, too, uprooting gardens and annoying homeowners.

Lost parrot returned to owners in Japan after reciting name, address

TOKYO (AP) — When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.
Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor’s roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.
He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.
”I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,“ the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.
”We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we’ve found Yosuke,“ Uemura said.
The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.
But Yosuke apparently wasn’t keen on opening up to police officials.
”I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,“ Uemura said.

Mexican donkey released after being jailed for assault

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico (AP) — A Mexican donkey has been freed from jail after doing time for acting like a jackass.
The Televisa network on Wednesday showed ”Blacky“ gobbling food from a bucket after spending three days in a jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances.
Blacky was jailed for biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas state.
Officials freed the donkey after its owner paid a fine of US$36 (euro23) and the US$115 (euro73) hospital bill of the men, who suffered bites to the chest and a broken ankle. Authorities say he also must pay US$480 (euro305) to each man for missed work days.

Report: New Zealand man caught trying to buy snacks with marijuana instead of cash

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand man who offered to pay with marijuana when he did not have enough money for a snack was caught by a police officer who overheard his unusual proposal, a news report said Tuesday.
Wade Churchward, 28, went to a service station on March 22 in the capital, Wellington, where he picked up two packets of M&Ms candy and some potato chips, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.
Churchward, who had been drinking, began snacking on the goods while standing in line at the cash register.
But when he reached the cashier, he realized he did not have enough money, and instead offered a container with 0.042 ounces of marijuana and a pipe for smoking it.
Churchward failed to notice a patrol car parked outside and a police officer standing behind him in line — who promptly arrested him.
He pleaded guilty Monday in Masterton District Court to possessing marijuana and to several unrelated charges, the newspaper said.
Masterton police prosecutions section staff were unavailable Tuesday to confirm the details.
Churchward was released on bail and will be sentenced on July 3. Marijuana possession is usually punished by a minor fine in New Zealand.

NYC restaurant offers $175 burger topped with gold

NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan restaurant is offering a hamburger that costs $175 and is topped with gold.
It’s made of Kobe (KOH’-bay) beef. It comes with black truffles, foie gras (fwah-GRAH’) and Gruyere (groo-YEHR’) cheese in addition to gold flakes.
Wall Street Burger Shoppe co-owner Heather Tierney thinks of it as ”a work of art.“
Tierney says the item attracts Wall Street types who down a few beers and then fork over $175 to show off to their friends.

LI town cell phone manager rings up 10K town cell phone bill

ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — An official in charge of managing a Long Island town’s cell phone accounts rang up thousands of dollars worth of personal calls on his own town cell phone.
Newsday reported Tuesday that Town of Islip cell phone manager Robert L. Komorski resigned after investigators discovered he had racked up $10,000 worth of personal calls.
Komorski confirmed that he had resigned. He said of the cell phone use: ”I guess I could have been more vigilant.“
Komorski said Monday he had already paid back $10,000 in restitution.
The West Islip resident worked for the town for 17 years, including 10 years overseeing cell phones.

Mass. officer’s gun goes off during safety class

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — A firearms instructor in southern Massachusetts has been assigned to other duties after his gun accidentally went off while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.
Officials say the Glock handgun discharged while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to Bristol County deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon.
The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar’s pants but missed his leg and foot.
Sheriff Thomas Hodgson says the officer made a ”gross error in judgment“ by not emptying the weapon before the class last week.
Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, was transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.

Optical device connects NY, London in real time

NEW YORK (AP) — Hello, London! Jolly good show, New York!
New Yorkers could see their English cousins across the pond Thursday without benefit of cable TV or video conferencing, courtesy of an unusual live optical hookup created by a conceptual artist with a fanciful tale of a long-lost tunnel.
An optical device called a ”telectroscope“ was placed at the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn and another one on the Thames River in London on Thursday.
Spectators stepped up to the machine on both sides of the Atlantic and waved and wrote greetings to each other in real time on wipe-off message boards.
They told knock-knock jokes, asked about the weather and found time for a few shout-outs to Queen Elizabeth and the Manchester United soccer team. Manhattanite Lorena Yeves, 21, even exchanged cell phone numbers with a fellow on the London end.
The contraption is the invention of Paul St George, a London artist known for his tiny replicas of monumental pieces of art.
Publicists will say only that it uses fiberoptic communication. St George prefers to stick to his story that the machine was started by his great-grandfather in Victorian times and transmits images via a tunnel under the ocean.
According to the project’s Web site, St George’s work ”has always been concerned with questioning the relationship between the viewer and what is viewed. His work is also often associated with different realities, spectacle and viewer participation.“
The telectroscopic spectacle and viewer participation will be in operation on both sides of the Atlantic until June 15.
———
On the Net:
http://www.telectroscope.net

Man jailed when daughter fails to get diploma

CINCINNATI (AP) _ A man ordered by a judge to make sure his daughter hit the books has found himself in jail because she failed to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

Brian Gegner, of Fairfield, was sentenced last week to 180 days in jail for contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a minor.

He was ordered months ago to make sure his 18-year-old daughter Brittany Gegner, who has a history of truancy, received her GED — something that hasn't happened yet.

Brittany Gegner, who said Monday that she plans to take a required GED test this month, said her father shouldn't be blamed for her failure because she has been living with her mother.

"It was my wrongdoing, not his," said Brittany Gegner, whose fiance and 18-month-old daughter also live at her mother's home in nearby Hamilton. "He shouldn't have to go to jail for something I did."

Her mother agrees.

"Brittany is almost 19 years old now and I think it's unfair to put her father in jail," said Shana Roach. "She's an adult now, and it's not right to rip an innocent man from his home."

Butler County Juvenile Court administrator Rob Clevenger Jr. said Monday that the court still has jurisdiction in the case because Brittany Gegner was a juvenile when the truancy problems began and when the charge against Brian Gegner was filed in 2007.

A hearing on a motion filed by Brian Gegner's attorney to reconsider the sentence is scheduled for Friday. Messages seeking comment were not returned Monday at the offices of defense attorney Tamara Sack and the Butler County prosecutor.

Brian Gegner's wife, Stephanie Gegner, said she and her husband are afraid he will lose his job if he remains in jail. She said they tried to keep his daughter in school.

"You'd take her to school and she'd go out the other door," Stephanie Gegner said.

Man dressed as Darth Vader spared jail for attack on founder of Britain's Jedi church

HOLYHEAD, Wales (AP) _ A man who dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a garbage bag for a cape, and assaulted the founders of a group calling itself the Jedi church was given a suspended sentence Tuesday.

Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones — aka Master Jonba Hehol — with a metal crutch, hitting him on the head, prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court.

He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old cousin, Michael Jones — known as Master Mormi Hehol — bruising his thigh in the March 25 incident, prosecutors said.

The two cousins and Barney Jones' brother, Daniel, set up the Church of Jediism, Anglesey order, last year. Jedi is the faith followed by some of the central characters in the "Star Wars" films.

The group, which claims about 30 members, says on its Web site that it uses "insight and knowledge" from the films as "a guide to living a better and more worthwhile life."

"We all love the films and what they stand for. Obviously some people are going to laugh about it," the Wales on Sunday newspaper quoted Barney Jones as saying last month. "But a lot of people do take it seriously."

Unfortunately for Hughes, his March attack was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle.

"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.

Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the better part of a 2 1/2-gallon (10-liter) box of wine beforehand.

"He knows his behavior was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it," said Hughes' lawyer, Frances Jones.

District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay $195 to each of his victims and $117 in court costs.

In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 — 0.7 percent of the population — listed Jedi as their religion.

Cape parishioners subdue would-be church robber

BARNSTABLE, Mass. (AP) _ Police in Massachusetts say churchgoers in a Cape Cod town tackled a would-be robber who tried to steal a collection box during a service.

Investigators say Clyde Bridges showed up Sunday at the Hyannis Foursquare Portuguese Church wearing a mask and carrying a cigarette lighter shaped like a gun.

Officers arrived to find the 45-year-old being held on the ground by parishioners who had tackled him and ripped off the mask.

Bridges is being held on $200,000 bail on armed robbery charges. He also is accused of robbing a pizza delivery man this month.

Bridges lawyer Terrance O'Connell says his client denies robbing the delivery man and does not remember what happened at the church before he was pinned down.

Ga. church tempts worshippers with $500 gas raffle

SNELLVILLE, Ga. (AP) _ So much for spaghetti suppers: The First Baptist Church of Snellville is fueling its membership drive with a sign in front of its sprawling campus proclaiming "Free Gasoline."

There's a catch, of course. The offer is a not a giveaway. Instead, each time newcomers or members attend a church event during a Sunday-to-Wednesday revival they get a pink raffle ticket for a chance to win one of two $500 gas cards.

"We don't know how far it will go with these soaring prices," said Rusty Newman, the church's senior pastor. "But it may make someone's night."

Newman's congregation boasts roughly 9,000 members, but only about 2,500 regularly attend Sunday services.

The church, like others, has long relied on special dinners and giveaways to draw in members, but elders wanted something a little more timely for this latest pitch.

They set up a sign advertising the offer outside the church's parking lot on a busy road near downtown Snellville, a traffic-clogged suburb northeast of Atlanta.

"How can we capture those people?" asked James Lee, the church's minister to seniors, who came up with the idea. "We're strong in door-to-door evangelism, but there's no way to reach them all."

Soon the calls came flooding in. Church staffer Lisa Gauthier said she's handled dozens of them each day, some from as far afield as Seattle. Radio show hosts in Oregon caught wind of the idea and invited Newman on air. So many inquiries came pouring in that Newman had to order a new phone line and dedicate a receptionist to answering each one.

Newman views it as a service to the community, and he's looked to the Bible for his endorsement. One passage he mentions to support his idea involves Jesus feeding 5,000 with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

"Some pastors have questioned our motives," Newman said. "If it was just to get people in the building, it would be wrong. But we want to meet someone's physical need and eternal spiritual needs."

___

On the Net:

http://www.fbcsnell.org/

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

U. of Okla. freshman, 19, elected mayor of Muskogee

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) _ A 19-year-old freshman at the University of Oklahoma was elected mayor Tuesday of Muskogee, a city of 38,000 in the northeastern part of the state.

With all precincts reporting, John Tyler Hammons won with 70 percent of the vote over former Mayor Hershel Ray McBride, said Muskogee County Election Board Secretary Bill Bull.

"The public placing their trust in me is the greatest, humbling and most awesome experience I've ever had in my life," said Hammons, who is from Muskogee but attends the university in Norman.

The two candidates squared off in a runoff election for the nonpartisan post after neither secured 50 percent of the vote in a six-person election April 1.

Hammons, who will be sworn in next week, said he plans to continue his college education but expects to transfer to a school closer to Muskogee.

"Being elected does not change my desire to continue my education," he said. "We will schedule our time in an appropriate fashion so that I can be mayor and stay in school."

Hammons replaces Wren Stratton, who decided not to seek re-election after one term.

The mayor leads the nine-member city council and serves as a voting member. Hammons said a key to his platform that resonated with voters was openness of government and keeping citizens better informed of city operations.

"I think that's been a detriment to the trust of the citizens of Muskogee," he said. "Once we have that trust, we can solve any other problem."

Forever blitzed: Illinois man orders custom beer-can coffin

SOUTH CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — Bill Bramanti will love Pabst Blue Ribbon eternally, and he’s got the custom-made beer-can casket to prove it.
”I actually fit, because I got in here,“ said Bramanti of South Chicago Heights.
The 67-year-old Glenwood village administrator doesn’t plan on needing it anytime soon, though.
He threw a party Saturday for friends and filled his silver coffin — designed in Pabst’s colors of red, white and blue — with ice and his favorite brew.
”Why put such a great novelty piece up on a shelf in storage when you could use it only the way Bill Bramanti would use it?“ said Bramanti’s daughter, Cathy Bramanti, 42.
Bramanti ordered the casket from Panozzo Bros. Funeral Home in Chicago Heights, and Scott Sign Co. of Chicago Heights designed the beer can.

Pets on lap while driving may soon be a no-no in Calif.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Pull over and put down the dog.
A California lawmaker wants to ban motorists from holding pets on their laps while driving and getting caught can net a $35 fine. The bill passed the Assembly on a 44-11 vote on Monday, and heads to the Senate.
Assemblyman Bill Maze says his legislation has nothing to do with pet-loving celebrities who are photographed driving around Los Angeles with their small dogs.
Maze says he introduced the bill after seeing a woman driving with three dogs on her lap.
He says pets are a distraction that put motorists and their passengers at risk.

Gas price protest singer arrested at Ind. convenience store

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — A man with a guitar and a megaphone climbed atop a convenience store roof to serenade commuters with his musical protest of high gasoline prices — until police halted the impromptu concert.
Once atop the roof of the Family Express store Monday, and above pumps dispensing fuel at $3.78 per gallon, Jay Weinberg, 29, performed his ditty called ”Price Gouge’n.“
Dozens of supporters chanted: ”I can’t afford it. I’m banging on my dashboard. I can’t believe they think I’m a fool.“
The performance lasted about 15 minutes before three police officers arrived and arrested Weinberg on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Police said he was cooperative.
The crowd, made up of Weinberg’s friends and other people who just happened to be pumping gas, continued singing. Then some, including his wife, Danielle, drove to Porter County Jail to bail him out.
Weinberg left the building around 7:30 p.m. and was greeted with cheers.

Gas price protest singer arrested at Ind. convenience store

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — A man with a guitar and a megaphone climbed atop a convenience store roof to serenade commuters with his musical protest of high gasoline prices — until police halted the impromptu concert.
Once atop the roof of the Family Express store Monday, and above pumps dispensing fuel at $3.78 per gallon, Jay Weinberg, 29, performed his ditty called ”Price Gouge’n.“
Dozens of supporters chanted: ”I can’t afford it. I’m banging on my dashboard. I can’t believe they think I’m a fool.“
The performance lasted about 15 minutes before three police officers arrived and arrested Weinberg on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Police said he was cooperative.
The crowd, made up of Weinberg’s friends and other people who just happened to be pumping gas, continued singing. Then some, including his wife, Danielle, drove to Porter County Jail to bail him out.
Weinberg left the building around 7:30 p.m. and was greeted with cheers.

Okla. man sues Armstrong Foundation over pet collars

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Tulsa businessman who uses the phrases ”Barkstrong“ and ”Purrstrong“ on his animal charity’s pet collars has sued the Lance Armstrong Foundation in a trademark dispute.
Chris Ohman filed his suit on April 30 in federal court, and claimed the Armstrong Foundation — which has marketed popular yellow ”LiveStrong“ wristbands — is infringing on Ohman’s intellectual property rights because it also sells pet collars with the ”LiveStrong“ motto.
Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, created the foundation and the bracelets to benefit cancer research.
The Armstrong Foundation filed a similar suit against Ohman in federal court in Austin, Texas, last year, seeking unspecified damages. The foundation wanted Ohman to cease selling the animal collars, the sale of which benefits animal welfare groups in the Tulsa area. Ohman, the founder of Animal Charity Collar Group Inc., earlier had filed a counterclaim to that suit.
Ohman was awarded a patent for his pet collar in December, leading him to file his lawsuit.
”Once I was awarded a patent, I felt like I was in a much stronger position,“ Ohman said. ”I gave them a variety of options. They elected to stonewall me, basically.“
Armstrong Foundation spokeswoman Katherine McLane said that organization does not comment on pending litigation.

Upstate N.Y. man admits he’s 1980s ’Pillowcase Burglar’

BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP) — A burglar caught leaving an upstate New York home with a pillowcase full of change has admitted to being the ”Pillowcase Burglar“ responsible for a slew of crimes 25 years ago, authorities said.
Thomas Aquino pleaded guilty in Genesee County Court on Monday to 10 counts of burglary.
The charges date back to 10 home burglaries reported in January, February and March.
Because of the statute of limitations, he will not face charges in 20 or more burglaries in 1983 attributed to the Pillowcase Burglar. The criminal was nicknamed for the bedding he stole to carry his loot. While he was charged, police said he admitted to those burglaries.
In between the burglary sprees, the 52-year-old Aquino spent much of his time in prison on armed robbery, DWI and gun charges. He was held without bail while awaiting sentencing June 17.
Batavia is a city of 16,000 midway between Rochester and Buffalo in western New York.

Connecticut boy takes off Favre jersey for good after 4 yrs

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Finally, David Witthoft shunned his Brett Favre jersey for the first time in 1,581 days.
The Ridgefield, Conn. boy, 12, wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a gift for Christmas in 2003. David’s father, Chuck Witthoft, said Monday that his son’s last day wearing the jersey was April 23 — his 12th birthday.
Witthoft conceded his son was starting to become more concerned about his appearance after the jersey barely came down to his belt line.
Witthoft first gained national attention three years ago, and attended his first Packers game in December. He’s also planning to attend the Sept. 8 game when the Packers retire Favre’s No. 4.
His mother, Carolyn, had washed the jersey every other day and mended it when needed.

Scout who returned wallet with $800 gets own wallet returned

DORR, Mich. (AP) — An 11-year-old Boy Scout who found and returned a wallet containing more than $800 has received some good karma for his good deed.
Thanks to publicity about his action, J.R. Bouterse (rhymes with ”doubters“) has gotten his own lost wallet back.
J.R. found the wallet of Jessica Cutler last month in a church parking lot, not long after losing his own at an Easter egg hunt. Meanwhile, Nancy Bosse and her 6-year-old granddaughter found the boy’s wallet at the park where the egg hunt took place.
There was roughly $30 in it, but no ID. But they were able to get it back to J.R. after learning of his own act of honesty.
Michigan State Police officers took up a collection to give the boy a reward, but he asked instead to spend the money on a pizza party for all 30 Scouts in Troop 90.
Another guest at the Monday night party, to J.R.’s surprise, was Cutler, a 20-year-old Burger King manager, who wanted to thank him personally.

Agency quizzes Alaska town on color for historic building

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — It’s easy for tourists to find the city’s historic Federal Building — it’s the only big, pink building in the middle of town.
Now the 1938 landmark needs a paint job, and the federal government has a question for Ketchikan residents: keep it pink, or go with cream?
Paint selection isn’t normally brought to the attention of the public, but officials thought it was important in the case of the five-story Federal Building, one of 2,300 federally owned structures on the National Register of Historic Places.
National Register guidelines call for a historically appropriate color, in this case cream, but there is leeway if the community prefers pink, said Rebecca Nielsen of the General Services Administration.
The preference at a sparsely attended public meeting Tuesday was pink.
Amanda Welsh said painting the building a color that matched Ketchikan’s gray weather would be ”dismally boring.
”I’m here to support the pink,“ she said.
The L-shaped concrete building is significant for its modern European-influenced architecture. It was painted pink — or salmon, as some prefer to call the shade — in the early 1990s. A local committee chose the color.

Lei measuring longer than 1 mile strung in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) — May Day was Lei Day in Hawaii.
Volunteers hoping to set a record for the world’s longest lei strung together flowers that stretched for more than a mile at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki on Thursday, organizers said.
Video, photos and witness statements documenting the lei, which measured 5,336 feet in length, will be sent to Guinness World Records, organizers said.
Success seems all but certain, because organizers say there currently isn’t a Guinness record for the world’s longest lei.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann is expected to announce within a few weeks whether the record is official.

Man faces fireworks charges in blasts that worried Md. town

PIKESVILLE, Md. (AP) — Mysterious middle-of-the-night blasts and flashes of light had residents puzzled for months — and now a man has been charged with fireworks-related violations.
Frederick Lee Mackler, 59, was denied bail Wednesday on charges of possession of fireworks without a permit, reckless endangerment and controlled dangerous substance violations.
The arrest, announced Tuesday, came days after police in the Baltimore suburb set up cameras and recorded the flashes that lit up an area the size of a football field. After examining shadows created by the explosions and other clues, police concluded they came from Mackler’s fourth-floor condominium.
Investigators later searched Mackler’s home and found pyrotechnics, illegal narcotics and firearms, authorities said.
Prosecutor Kristin Blumer said Mackler used a starter’s pistol to fire cartridges into the air. The cartridges are designed to scare away birds. He told police he had been mad at his neighbors. Blumer said she did not know why he was upset with his neighbors.
Neighbors said they had heard the noises repeatedly since September, always between midnight and dawn and accompanied by bright flashes. Neighbor Barbara Friedman said the first time she heard the blast she thought someone was shooting at her.
Utility workers had ruled out electrical problems or gas leaks that could explain the problem. Police had also looked in vain for burn marks on the ground.

‘Duct Tape Bandit’ pleads guilty to robbing Ky. liquor store

CATLETTSBURG, Ky. (AP) — A man who wrapped his head in duct tape to conceal his identity has pleaded guilty to robbing an eastern Kentucky liquor store.
Under terms of a plea agreement, 25-year-old Kasey G. Kazee faces 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree robbery.
Police said Kazee entered an Ashland liquor store on Aug. 10 with his entire head, except for openings at his eyes and mouth, wrapped in duct tape.
Kazee told a clerk he had a knife and threatened to harm her if she didn’t give him the money from the cash register, police said. The clerk complied and the man left.
Before the ”Duct Tape Bandit“ could make his getaway, another store employee tackled him in the parking lot, police said. The employee and several other men who came running from a neighboring store detained the suspect until officers arrived.
Police didn’t say how much money was taken, but the store manager said the register came up $15 short. Police said no weapon was found on Kazee when he was arrested.
Sentencing was set for May 23.

NY bride, groom plead guilty in reception spat with band

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A New York bride and groom arrested at their wedding reception after the bride trashed a set of conga drums in a spat with the band have pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
The bride was also accused of breaking a speaker in a dispute over the music at the April 5 reception. Fabiana Reyes has been sentenced in Village Court to the six days she already spent in jail. The 41-year-old also paid the band $1,500 for the damage.
Her 42-year-old husband and their 21-year-old daughter were accused of interfering with Reyes’ arrest. Elmo and Helen Fernandez pleaded guilty Thursday. Police used stun guns on both during the fracas.
The daughter says the couple were legally married in 1986 but delayed their church wedding until last month.

Dinosaur dung sells at NYC auction for nearly $1,000

NEW YORK (AP) — A pile of dinosaur dung 130 million years old sold at a New York auction Wednesday for nearly $1,000.
The prehistoric deposit fetched $960, said a spokeswoman for Bonhams New York. Its pre-auction estimate was $450.
The fossilized dung is from the Jurassic era, the auction house said. It looks like a rock on the outside and a colorful mineral inside.
The buyer was Steve Tsengas of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The 71-year-old owns OurPets, a company that sells products to treat dog and cat waste.
Tsengas bought the dung in hopes of motivating his employees and using it as a marketing tool by displaying it at the company’s booth at trade shows, he said.
”Poop,“ he said, ”is a big business in the pet industry.“

Police: Texas man trying to cash $360 billion check arrested

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Charles Ray Fuller must have been planning one big record company.
The 21-year-old North Texas man was arrested last week for trying to cash a $360 billion check, saying he wanted to start a record business, authorities said. Tellers at the Fort Worth bank were immediately suspicious — perhaps the 10 zeros on a personal check tipped them off, according to investigators.
Fuller, of suburban Crowley, was arrested on a forgery charge, police said. He was released after posting $3,750 bail.
Fuller said his girlfriend’s mother gave him the check to start a record business, but bank employees who contacted the account’s owner said the woman told them she did not give him permission to take or cash the check, according to police.
In addition to forgery, Fuller was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon and possessing marijuana, Fort Worth police Lt. Paul Henderson said.
Officers reported finding less than 2 ounces of marijuana and a .25-caliber handgun and magazine in his pockets, police said.
Fuller couldn’t be located for comment by The Associated Press on Friday because there were no phone listings for him in the Fort Worth area.