oddly enough

oddly enough

Pa. woman sentenced in ‘burned purse’ case

PITTSBURGH

A Pittsburgh woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for felony heroin drug possession by a judge who had earlier refused to dismiss the charges because police mistakenly burned her change purse and the drugs in question.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that 32-year-old Tiona Jones was sentenced Tuesday by a judge who previously ruled city police didn’t purposely thwart her defense by burning the items after cleaning out an evidence room due to a ventilation problem.

Jones’ attorney had argued her defense depended upon showing the jury the purse could have been zipped closed with the drugs in it. Jones claims that’s how the purse appeared during a May 2008 traffic stop. Police searched her home and vehicle after an officer said he saw the drugs sticking out of the open purse.

Fla. woman shocked by $201,000 cellphone bill

MIAMI

A South Florida woman got a shock when she opened a recent cellphone bill: She owed $201,000.

It was no mistake.

Celina Aarons has her two deaf-mute brothers on her plan. They communicate by texting and use their phones to watch videos. Normally, that’s not a problem. Aarons has the appropriate data plan, and her bill is about $175.

But her brothers spent two weeks in Canada, and Aarons never changed to an international plan. Her brothers sent more than 2,000 texts and also downloaded videos, sometimes racking up $2,000 in data charges.

T-Mobile told Aarons the bill was correct. She called Miami TV station WSVN, which contacted T-Mobile. The station reports that T-Mobile cut Aarons’ bill to $2,500 and gave her six months to pay.

Students to ride Ohio coasters for psych class

SANDUSKY, Ohio

College psychology students in Ohio will study phobias from seats aboard roller coasters at an amusement park.

Assistant psychology professor Kevin Meyer from the University of Mount Union says Sunday’s scheduled field trip to Cedar Point park in northern Ohio will provide a real-life demonstration of a treatment called exposure therapy. It helps people get over their fears by facing them.

A news release says 15 students in Meyer’s abnormal psychology class who say they’re afraid of roller coasters will have to take a spin on Cedar Point rides including the Top Thrill Dragster, which stands 42 stories tall.

Cedar Point got a similar visit last year from Meyer’s class at Mount Union, located in Alliance in Northeast Ohio. The park is open weekends until Halloween.

Associated Press