oddly enough

oddly enough

Cemetery owner needs burial information

MONACA, Pa

A lender that recently bought a western Pennsylvania cemetery at sheriff’s sale needs to determine who’s buried there so it can sell to a new owner who will properly maintain the property.

The previous owner of Union Cemetery in Center Township could provide only burial records from 1870 to 2001, which is why Brad Emmer, president of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Equity Max Inc., needs to hear from families who have buried loved ones. Emmer’s firm bought the cemetery, which is about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, earlier this month, .

Emmer tells the Beaver County Times he “felt helpless” when the newspaper published pictures of belt-high weeds and overgrown gravestones earlier this year but says, “It’s our property now, and we’re going to take care of it.”

Emmer plans to sell the cemetery once the grounds and the records are back in order.

Ohio State Fair hits the hay with sculptures

COLUMBUS

Feed is being turned into fine art at the Ohio State Fair in a new sculpting competition using hay and straw.

Entries in the “Rolling in the Hay” contest include: a big bundle of hay with a “Mona Lisa” painted on one side and “The Scream” on the other; a large catfish fashioned from straw; and a bale art abstract.

The Columbus Dispatch reports those are the only entries, so each is guaranteed one of the three awards that go from $300 for first place to $100 for third.

Organizers hope more artists will find out for next year.

The catfish is the creation of Columbus artist Melissa Vogley Woods, who says she entered for fun and that it’s her first time working in straw.

The fair opens Wednesday.

Police: Man stole ambulance outside fire

PHOENIX

Phoenix police say a man tried to steal an ambulance left running outside a house fire, but he didn’t get very far.

Police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson says 28-year-old Travis Ward took the vehicle, which was unlocked and had its keys in the ignition. It had been left running early Sunday to keep cool for anyone seeking medical care.

Thompson says Ward drove the ambulance for a few blocks, striking a post, a fence and parked cars. He says the man told police he had used marijuana before the incident.

Thompson says no injuries were reported, and he wasn’t aware that anyone at the west Phoenix fire needed medical care.

Ward was booked on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. It was not immediately known whether he has a lawyer.

Associated Press