oddly enough

oddly enough

Squirrel attacking residents of Vermont neighborhood

BENNINGTON, Vt.

A Vermont neighborhood is being stalked by a renegade gray squirrel.

Several people in Bennington say they’ve been attacked by a squirrel over the past few weeks.

Kevin McDonald tells the Bennington Banner he was shoveling snow when the squirrel jumped onto him. He says he threw the animal off, but it twice jumped back onto him. A game warden says there have been other reports, too.

One woman is being treated for exposure to rabies, but Vermont Public Health veterinarian Robert Johnson says there’s never been a case of a squirrel passing rabies to a human.

Johnson says it’s possible the squirrel was raised as a pet and lost its fear of humans. He says the squirrel might “go ballistic” when it encounters people it doesn’t recognize.

Massachusetts city ponders fate of smelly rug

HAVERHILL, Mass.

Something’s rotten at a city hall in Massachusetts, and officials know exactly what it is.

They’re just not sure they can afford to do anything about it.

The decades-old carpet in the Haverhill building is stained, frayed, ripped and uneven but above all, it stinks.

City Councilor Dave Hall says in addition to the odor, the carpet is downright dangerous, and he and others have tripped over the bumps.

Councilors agreed unanimously Tuesday that something needs to be done.

Mayor James Fiorentini agrees but says the city near the state’s New Hampshire border can’t afford the minimum $100,000 it will take to replace the offending floor covering. He says given a projected $2.7 million budget deficit, his priorities are schools and public safety.

Councilors agreed to explore all options.

Police: Ohio man robs bank, is caught on city bus

DAYTON

Police in Ohio say a man robbed a bank and then tried to flee on board a public bus, where officers eventually caught up with him.

Dayton police Sgt. Moe Perez tells the Dayton Daily News the suspect got away with cash from a downtown KeyBank branch about 10 a.m. Wednesday. Police were told by witnesses that they saw the man catch a bus about two blocks away.

Officers followed the route of the bus and pulled it over less than a mile away, near the campus of Sinclair Community College. Perez says the suspect was arrested without incident, and the money was recovered. Police haven’t said how much was stolen.

Associated Press