WhiteBoard News for Wednesday, May 14, 2003

San Bernardino, California (Los Angeles Times):

Relying on the assumption that people love freebies and can't read foreign languages, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies arrested 10 wanted people on Thursday by luring them to Big Bear to receive a free pair of hiking boots made by "Stockdum Scelestus" _ meant to be a mix of German and Latin meaning "utterly stupid criminal." 

The sting, arranged by Sgt. Brooke Wagner and staged by eight other deputies, began with postcards mailed to 160 people wanted on felony or multiple-infraction warrants.

"If this postcard has been sent to you, you have been chosen to participate in this free giveaway. All you need to do is come to the Big Bear Elks Lodge," the postcard read.

Wagner wore street clothes for the sting. To get it started, he tucked an empty shoe box under his arm and shouted, "Thanks for the boots," to no one in particular as he walked past a line of people entering the lodge where empty boxes of Red Wing and Rockport boots were stacked.

Wagner said he heard someone react with excitement: "Hey! This is real!"

Those summoned to the lodge were asked to present the postcard and identification to a receptionist.

After the identification was confirmed and suspects provided the deputy with their shoe size, they were instructed to walk downstairs to a room, where they were arrested.

"The looks on their faces were priceless," Wagner said.

Those arrested had warrants for offenses such as felony forgery, drug violations and drunk driving. 
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Atlantic City, New Jersey (AP):

A pregnant woman who won a $4.4 million slot machine jackpot attributed the good luck to a kick from her unborn baby. 

Valarie Johannessen, 34, was about to walk away from a Wheel of Fortune progressive slot machine at Bally's Wild Wild West Casino on Friday night when she felt the fetus kicking her stomach. 

"I was about to leave. I had played $50, and the machine was rejecting the money I was trying to put in the bill changer, which means to me that I should play a different machine, but the baby started kicking, so I said to myself, `The baby is telling me to stay,"' Johannessen said. 

Three pulls later, she hit for $4,434,930 on the 50-cent machine. 

"I thought I had won $4,000 until a lady passed by and told me that I had won $4 million. She asked me why I wasn't screaming, and I said that if I started screaming, I'd probably pass out," Johannessen said. 

Johannessen, of Ledgewood, owns a graphic arts and sign business with her husband, Gregg. They already have a 1½-year-old daughter; the baby is due in July. 

She took home a check for $221,746, and will get equal installments every year for the next 19 years. 

"If I wasn't pregnant, we'd be flying to Hawaii to celebrate," Johannessen said. "Maybe we'll take a little vacation after the baby comes. This is awesome. Dreams really do come true." 
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Zagreb, Croatia (Ananova):

Urinating dogs are being blamed for a rash of collapsing lampposts in Croatia.

A report from the state-run power company says the urine left when male dogs mark their territory is corroding lampposts to the point where they collapse after a few years.

The report, based on research by scientists at the University of Zagreb, blamed the ammonia in the urine.

City officials who issued the report appealed to pet owners to make their dogs urinate somewhere else.
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Bucharest, Romania (Ananova):

A Romanian parliamentary commission is debating a proposal to ban police searches during solar eclipses.

Under legislation dating back to 1967, police are forbidden to make house or building searches during the hours of darkness.

Justice Minister Rodica Stanoiu proposed the new legislation on searches that would extend the ban to eclipses.

She said that the same law should apply during solar eclipses because it would also be dark outside, local media reported.
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Harbin, China (Ananova):

A Chinese man filed for divorce four days before his wedding ceremony was due to take place.

The couple, from Harbin, had just registered their marriage, and were organising the final details of the ceremony.

The South China Morning Post, quoting the China News Service, said the man caught his wife chatting online.

She was saying goodbye to her cyber lover and using lustful language, according to the report.

The groom called off the ceremony and, as they were technically married, he filed for divorce.
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Chow
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