WhiteBoard News for Monday, November 10, 2003

Frankfort, Kentucky (Ananova):

A convicted marijuana grower has told prison authorities he is a man - after spending more than eight months locked up with women.

An inquiry has been launched after Billie Jo Hawks told wardens at Kentucky's Correctional Institution for Women that a mistake had been made.

For eight months before that, Hawks, 43, had been held in the women's section of a detention centre having been convicted of growing and trafficking marijuana.

He was then transfered to the jail, and it wasn't until he faced a medical examination that he alerted wardens of the error.

Lisa Lamb, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said all inmates are subject to a thorough strip search as part of the admission process to any state prison.

Lamb was unable to explain how Hawks' slipped through without being noticed. "All we can say for now is that clearly procedures were not followed in the admission of this inmate."

Lamb said corrections officials are investigating the matter for possible disciplinary action against personnel involved in searching and admitting Hawks to the prison, reports the Courier-Journal.
===============

Ube City, Japan (Ananova):

An undercover male cop dressed as a schoolgirl managed to foil a serial flasher in Japan - despite his hairy legs.

The 21-year-old officer, from Ube City, in Japan agreed to go undercover to catch the flasher, who had exposed himself to at least 20 schoolgirls.

He agreed to wear a mini-skirt - but refused to shave his legs for the operation, known as Operation Cross-dresser.

The officer, who refused to be named, told Japanese media: "It was embarrassing, so I'd rather not comment."

A Ube police spokesman said: "The young policeman chosen for the task looked good in the borrowed school uniform without a wig or make-up."

The flasher, a 50-year-old company executive, was caught as he exposed himself to the undercover cop.

The company boss now faces charges of indecent exposure.
===============

Dusseldorg, Germany (Ananova):

A German man who caught a burglar in his home bit the intruder's thumb and wouldn't let go until police arrived.

Police in Düsseldorf say the 43-year-old returned home in the evening to find his door was locked with a chain from the inside.

He broke into his flat and came face to face with two burglars. One of them managed to escape through an open window, but the other went for the man and punched him in the face.

He reacted by biting into the burglar's thumb, and kept hold of it between his teeth to stop him from escaping.

The man dragged the burglar up to the first floor and made a neighbour call the police as he couldn't use the phone with the burglar's thumb still in his mouth.

Police arrested the intruder, 18, as well as four men who later appeared in the area in a car searching for him.

Both the owner of the flat and the burglar had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
==============

Kathmandu, Nepal (Indepedent Online):

Forty-five runners on Monday began a 280-kilometre race which passes through the slopes of the world's highest mountain, Everest, organisers said.

"Altogether 45 competitors - 38 French, an Italian and six Nepalese athletes - are participating in the marathon high altitude mountain terrain race," said organiser Bruno Poirier of the Himalayan Racer Association.

It will completed in 10 stages on 10 days between Monju mountain and Lukla village, passing through Mount Everest base camp.

The runners will cross three major mountain passes - Kongma-La, Cho-La and Renjo-La, all situated above 5000m, ending the race on November 20. 
============

Chow
SuperChef
www.joeha.com