News for The Week of Nov. 30, 2007

There seems to be lots of hijinks going on this week. Maybe it’s because there was a full moon earlier in the week.

The Highway to Adopt – TBO.com
If you ever needed a reason to join the adopt a highway program, we may have found it. About 7:30 Tuesday morning cleanup crews working along Interstate 4 in Tampa came across about 60 pounds of pot in two large plastic bags. The Florida Highway Patrol says anyone having lost two yard waste bags full can call and claim it any time. I wonder if the cleanup crew gets it if no one claims it in 30 days?

Mausoleum Used as Hideout – TBO.com
Demetrius Johnson crashed a stolen Honda Civic into a tree while police were chasing him early Tuesday morning. He got out when police approached, but then jumped in and took off again, subsequently crashing into a utility pole. He jumped from the car and ran. Police later found him hiding out in a cemetery mausoleum.

Man Gets Tongue Bitten Off
It seems that Mr. Steven Feldmar here got part of his tongue bitten off by his girlfriend when he came in drunk Saturday morning and started choking and kissing her. Ain’t love grand?

Dr. Robert Cade Dies at 80
So who was Robert Cade you ask? Well Dr. Cade, while working at the University of Florida was one of the inventors of Gatorade. He and another researcher came up with the drink after one of the coaches asked Dr. Cade (a Kidney specialist) why football players did urinate after practice. After the Gators beat Georgia Tech 27-12 in the Orange Bowl in 1967, Tech coach Bobby Dodd told reporters his team lost because, “We didn’t have Gatorade … that made the difference.” Gatorade held 81 percent of the $7.5 billion-a-year U.S. sports drink market in 2006, according to John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest.

Georgia Man Attempts to Deposit $1m Bill – AP
Alexander Smith apparently thought he was a rich man. He came into a bank in Clearwater and attempted to deposit a $1m bill. Given that there is no such thing, the teller was a bit suspicious. Smith was later arrested. Turns out he also passed a forged check in South Carolina to buy cigarettes.

Two Palm Beach Deputies Killed by Patrol Car – AP
I’m thoughtful enough to be saddened by the death of police officers killed in the line of duty, but what were they thinking? The deputies had put out spike strips to attempt to stop a stolen vehicle that was being pursued by other officers. After the stolen car ran over the strips, the officers apparently made a split second decision to run back out into the street to take up the strips. They were hit by one of the pursuing patrol cars.