Business owner tips police to money ‘washing’ scam – Calgary – CBC News

A small business owner in Calgary tipped off police to a money “washing” scam that he describes as “high school chemistry at its finest.”

After an undercover operation, police arrested two men from Montreal who are now charged with fraud over $5,000.

The tip came from Gordon Vangust, owner of Glenmore Sailboats, who said he had been courted by two men claiming to be political refugees from Sierra Leone, for a month before he realized they were trying to con him.

“We had some customers come in looking to buy boats to ship over to West Africa,” he said Thursday. “It’s not uncommon for us to sell boats internationally.”

After several meetings, the men explained that they had smuggled their cash out of Africa.

via Business owner tips police to money ‘washing’ scam – Calgary – CBC News.

Tower Ticker: Paige Wiser, ousted Sun-Times critic: ‘I am ashamed’

Paige Wiser is out at the Chicago Sun-Times after 17 years, the last three as its television critic, because her “Glee Live!” concert review in Sunday’s newspaper mentioned one song that wasn’t performed and described another she did not see.

“I’m at fault,” Wiser said. “I do understand what a big deal this was. I am ashamed, and it’s just a matter of making bad decisions when you’re exhausted.”

Wiser, 40, said she brought her two young children to the show Friday at Rosemont’s Allstate Arena with the approval of an editor who told her “cute kids’ reaction would be more than welcome” in the story. Her son fell off a chair during the show. Her daughter vomited into a cotton-candy bag.

They left three songs later, only 13 numbers into the concert, but her report included commentary on the encore based on information from previous “Glee Live!” shows.

The Sun-Times on Thursday posted an editor’s note about the lapse and Wiser’s dismissal, and withdrew the review from its Web site.

“Accuracy and honesty in reporting are essential parts of the promise we make to our readers,” Don Hayner, the Sun-Times’ editor-in-chief, said in the note. “We regret the incident and apologize.”

Wiser last month had to ask out of a deadline writing assignment covering taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” farewell extravaganza at the United Center at the last minute. Upon arriving in the hockey press box, high above the arena floor, she was afflicted with vertigo. Colleague Kara Spak, who had been assigned to watch from a seat in the stands below, changed places with Wiser and wound up writing the story.

via Tower Ticker: Paige Wiser, ousted Sun-Times critic: ‘I am ashamed’.

Pooping postman will keep job – seattlepi.com

Remember the pooping postman? He heard the call of nature while delivering the mail in a Portland neighborhood last month, dropped his trousers and defecated in a yard.

Just like your family dog. Though it’s not clear that he had a plastic bag to clean it up.

And now the rest of the story: He gets to keep his job.

Portland TV station KATU reports that the Postal Service has decided that the crapping mailman will keep his job but on a different route.

The Postal Service says the action was taken after an investigation, according to the station.

via Pooping postman will keep job – seattlepi.com.

Half-naked Darwen drinker punched in unknown house

A 21-year-old man was forced to flee half-naked from an attacker after waking up in a strange house – with no memory of how he got there.

The victim had been at the Darwen Beer Festival. The last thing he remembered was drinking at the Bridgwater pub.

He woke up in an unknown house hours later and was confronted by a man who punched him as he tried to leave.

A member of the public contacted police after spotting him on Cemetery Road wearing only jeans and socks.

The caller was concerned for his safety because he was wandering along the street at 0450 BST.

Lancashire Police are appealing for help in establishing how he got to the house, where it was, and what happened to him.

A spokesperson described it as a “very unusual case”.

via BBC News – Half-naked Darwen drinker punched in unknown house.

Leicester City Council ‘not ready’ for zombie attack

A worried member of the public has forced Leicester City Council to admit it is unprepared for a zombie invasion.The authority received a Freedom of Information request which said provisions to deal with an attack, often seen in horror films, were poor.The “concerned citizen” said the possibility of such an event was one that councils should be aware of.”We’ve had a few wacky ones before but this one did make us laugh,” said Lynn Wyeth, head of information governance.The Freedom of Information Act allows a right of access to recorded information held by public authorities

via BBC News – Leicester City Council ‘not ready’ for zombie attack.