oddly enough

oddly enough

Teacher finds 1792 document in classroom

PEABODY, Mass.

A Massachusetts teacher cleaning up her classroom in preparation for a move has discovered a Colonial-era document buried in a pile of outdated textbooks and dusty scraps of papers.

Michelle Eugenio, a fourth-grade teacher in Peabody, Mass., found the yellowed sheet of paper two weeks ago. Dated April 1792 and protected by plastic, it appears to document the payment of a debt by a Vermont man named Jonathan Bates.

Peabody Historical Society President Bill Power verified the paper’s authenticity. He tells The Salem News he was thrilled with the discovery.

No one knows how the paper ended up at Peabody’s Center School or how long it has been there.

Bates served in the Continental Army in 1780 and died in 1808 at age 63. He’s buried in Williamstown, Vt.

Business offers $1,000 for stolen doormat

SPOKANE, Wash.

A Washington state business is offering a $1,000 reward to catch a thief who took a doormat worth about $20.

KREM-TV reports that the owners of Advanced Metal Technologies in Spokane are angry at the ripoff and want to catch the man who may be looking to break into the metal- building business.

Surveillance video shows that the thief drove up about 8:30 p.m. June 6, looked in the window and then grabbed the doormat.

Firefighters play MCs for fireworks safety

MIDLAND, Mich.

Straight outta Midland, it’s F.W.A. — or Firefighters With Advice.

Actually, it’s just three central-Michigan firefighters who decided to take their usual summer fireworks safety message in a new direction. And that direction is a video that’s found a wider audience on YouTube.

Forgoing hip-hop duds for firefighting garb, Mark Laux, Steve Markowski and Roger Bebeau do their best to drop some safety knowledge for Fireworks Safety Month — designated in June — and in time for the Fourth of July.

Lines include, “Being unsafe makes you think you’re cool, but follow these nine rules, don’t be a fool.”

Online: Fireworks Safety from Midland’s Rapping Firefighters: http://j.mp/dlXti7.

Associated Press