WhiteBoard News for Friday, April 26, 2002

Behrampore, India (The Times of India):

A murderer spurned his chance to escape when his armed guards were injured in an accident on their way to court.

Kalu Sheikh looked after the unconscious policemen after their bus crashed into a lorry in Calcutta.

He then took the guards back to their police station. Authorities are thinking of how they can reward him.

Jail Minister Biswanath Chowdhury says he wants other prisoners to be inspired by his actions.

Sheikh is serving life at Behrampore jail for murdering his uncle in 1997.

Reports don't give details of the guards' condition. The Times of India says they were "seriously injured" as they travelled to Rampurhat sub-divisional court.

Mr Chowdhury said: "I have asked for his records. We plan to give him an exemplary award so that other convicts are inspired to follow such heroic deeds."
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York, England (Daily Mail):

A family in York has spent £1,000 ($1,457) on four operations and brain surgery to save the life of their pet rabbit.

Liz Watson says she's happy to have spent the cash saving Colin the Netherland Dwarf.

The York University lecturer says her young daughters were determined to save the rabbit as their previous one was killed by a cat.

A stray cat attacked nine-month-old Colin. One bite penetrated his skull which caused an abscess near his brain.

A leading rabbit vet performed the surgery which is a high-risk procedure on small animals.

Dr Watson says daughters Rebecca, 10, and 8-year-old Rachel are delighted he's back home.

She told the Daily Mail: "It has been rather expensive but it's one of those situations where money doesn't really come into it. I know a lot of people might not have gone to such lengths to save a rabbit, but we could not give up on Colin.

"It was definitely worth the money. Colin is back now and having a whale of a time."

Vet Dr Frances Harcourt-Brown drilled a hole through the rabbit's ear canal and one through the side of his head. 

Using an X-ray, the holes were joined and a tube was inserted to drain the infection.
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Wichita, Kansas (AP):

Barbara Bush decided it was breast not to take offense. 

The former first lady was in El Dorado earlier this month to speak at Butler County Community College. A reporter for The Wichita Eagle misheard her, and the newspaper quoted her as joking about having three ''breast sizes'' during her life, rather than three ''dress sizes.'' 

The newspaper ran a correction the following day. But recently it received a letter from Mrs. Bush. The letter was printed on the newspaper's Sunday editorial page. 

''I've just become abreast of your recent article `Barbara Bush wows El Dorado,''' the letter began. 

''I am indeed a bosom buddy to two presidents, so I shared some of the things I have learned in 76 years of life,'' she wrote. ''That includes 57 years of married life, six children, 14 grandchildren, five wars, three DRESS sizes, two governors, two parachute jumps, and now two presidents. 

''Your article has left this generally outspoken mother speechless, but has given my children much to laugh about.'' 

At the end of the typed letter was a handwritten note: ''I just wanted to get this off my chest!'' 
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Lincoln, Nebraska (AP):

A robbery by any other name would smell as stinky. 

Someone swiped the entire stock of roses at Country Floral and Gifts early Thursday. And the thieves didn't stop with the 400 roses they also took more than 100 stuffed animals and ripped apart candy bouquets to take the chocolate. 

''It was a clean sweep,'' said owner Lynda Worm. ''They stole our vacuum cleaner.'' 

Most upsetting to her, however, was the loss of a three foot, bright pink, stuffed bunny that had been in the family for 15 years. 

''It's a sentimental thing,'' she said. ''We just want it back.'' 
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Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines Register):

A man who allegedly grabbed a fistful of money and fled from a Des Moines convenience store ran straight into the arms of Elliot Ness.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said the rookie police officer, whose parents named him after the federal agent portrayed in the classic TV crime show "The Untouchables."

"I was pulling up and I could see everything that was going on in the store," Ness said. "I figured he'd run. I told him to put his hands on the car and he did."

Harry Urias, manager of the Git-N-Go Convenience Store, 1240 Keosauqua Way, met with officers after Tuesday night's robbery and recounted the arrest this way: "This goofball came out the door and there was the officer."

"The guy almost jumped into his squad car," Urias said.

Ness, fresh from the police academy, had been sent to the store to investigate a report of a dispute that had been called in from a public telephone. He could not locate the caller, but he watched through the store window as the suspect reached over the counter and grabbed something out of the cash drawer.

The clerk grabbed him, but the man jerked away and ran out of the store, right in front of Ness' squad car.

"Ross was immediately apprehended, and 59 $1 bills were found in his right front pocket," Ness said. Charles Edward Ross, 37, of 1720 22nd St., Des Moines, is charged with second-degree robbery and was in the Polk County Jail Wednesday on $13,000 bond.

Ness said even though police work was a logical career choice - Eliot Ness, played by actor Robert Stack, and "The Untouchables" were on the air from 1959 to 1963 - "law enforcement is something I've wanted to do my whole life." 
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Pamington, England (Ananova):

An £800 ($1,165) Gucci watch swallowed by a pet dog was telling the right time when vets removed it.

Eliza Hastings from Pamington, Gloucestershire says she wanted to see if nature would take its course.

It didn't appear after two days and vets operated on her eight-month-old Labrador Lulu to remove the watch.

She says it was tarnished and that she won't wear it again.

The watch was a gift from her husband, Mark.

Mrs Hastings, 38, told The Sun: "Lulu certainly has expensive tastes. The watch is still going but it is tarnished and I don't intent to wear it any more. It will be a memento."
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