oddly enough

oddly enough

Cow sculptures in Vt. city under siege by vandals

BURLINGTON, Vt.

You’ve heard of cow tipping?

It really happens: A community art project that installed 37 fiberglass cows in and around Vermont’s biggest city has been plagued by vandalism, leaving four men charged, one injured — the cow he tipped broke his foot — and sponsors beefing up security.

In all, six of the 600-pound sculptures have been targeted by vandals since being installed in May.

“These aren’t quickie, random acts of stupidity,” said Tom Torti, president of organizer Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. “These acts of stupidity take time.”

Taking a cue from cities that have used ersatz pigs, moose and bison in similar street displays, Burlington businesses signed onto the $90,000 “Cows Come Home” project, in which sponsors agreed to pay $3,500 for each cow and then use a decorative theme to promote their businesses.

The brightly colored cows, which stand about 41/2 feet high and are fastened to concrete bases, dot the Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall and have proved big draws for camera-toting tourists and families with small children.

But they’ve been irresistible to vandals, too, even though they’re no easy marks. Each weighs about 120 pounds, but the base weighs about 500.

Four people have been charged with felony unlawful mischief so far.

Bear turns Goldilocks tale on its head in NH home

LACONIA, N.H.

A black bear walked into a New Hampshire house through an open door, ate two pears and a bunch of grapes, took a drink from the family fishbowl and grabbed a stuffed bear on its way out the door.

Mary Beth Parkinson says the bear apparently took advantage of the open outside door to get into her kitchen Tuesday in Laconia, about 20 miles north of Concord. She thinks the garage door going up scared the bear enough that it fled the house.

She says she arrived in time to save the fish.

Ohio man KOs gas meter, causing leak, evacuations

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio

Fire officials in Ohio say a man hitting a punching bag accidentally knocked out his gas meter, causing a natural-gas leak that evacuated nearby homes.

Authorities in Middletown say when the unidentified man struck the meter Tuesday evening, it fell off the wall, and gas spewed out.

Deputy Fire Chief Tom Snively says it was “extremely dangerous situation.” He says the house could have blown up, and at least three neighboring homes could have seen major damage in the community about 25 miles north of Cincinnati. People living along two streets in the area were told to leave their homes.

Associated Press