ODDLY ENOUGH | Britain’s Downing Street admits using bogus names

ODDLY ENOUGH

Britain’s Downing Street admits using bogus names

LONDON

If you get a letter from Britain’s No. 10 Downing Street, don’t bother with a personalized response. The person who signed it probably used a fake name.

Downing Street says that, for years, staff at the British Prime Minister’s office have been using bogus names in their correspondence with members of the public.

It says that use of pseudonyms was introduced in 2005, after an official was tracked down by a constituent she’d been in contact with and threatened at her home address.

But the practice didn’t come to light until Wednesday, when the country’s Channel 4 News exposed one such official as being imaginary.

Downing Street said it is looking into an alternative to using pseudonyms in its letters to the public.

Flatulence fuss gets 2 Ohio boys booted off bus

CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio

An Ohio man says he’s amazed his 13-year-old son and another boy were suspended from the school bus for a day after passing gas and causing a ruckus.

James Nichols says the incident Thursday led to giggling and heckling and prompted riders to lower windows.

He tells The Columbus Dispatch the boys apparently were considered repeat offenders because a driver had warned them after a similar indiscretion weeks ago. This time, officials at Canal Winchester Middle School decided it was an obscene gesture that violated the student code of conduct.

Nichols says it’s “laughable” the boys would be punished for something natural and unintentional.

His wife says she’s offended by it after recently being hospitalized with gastro- intestinal problems.

Officials at the central Ohio school district didn’t return the newspaper’s calls.

Hershey, sheriff hopeful spar over campaign signs

LANCASTER, Pa.

Candy-maker Hershey says a Pennsylvania sheriff candidate’s campaign signs are a tasty case of trademark violation.

The chocolate company says Lancaster County sheriff candidate Mark Reese lifted the font for his campaign signs from the company’s Reese’s candy logo. Hershey says that’s a violation of its copyright.

A campaign spokesman says The Hershey Co. agreed to let Reese continue to use the campaign materials already made for the upcoming primary. If Reese wins, however, the campaign will change its font.

Hershey spokesman Kirk Saville tells the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era that the candy company doesn’t endorse political candidates. The company is based in the town of Hershey in neighboring Dauphin County.

Reese is squaring off against state narcotics agent Louie Rodriguez in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Associated Press