oddly enough

oddly enough

Fire alarm rings overnight at Pa. public housing

WILKINSBURG, Pa.

Officials have been trying to find the person who has a key to shut off a fire alarm that has blared at a Pittsburgh-area public- housing complex overnight.

Residents of the Wood Street building in Wilkinsburg say the alarm went off about 6:30 p.m. Sunday when one resident burned some popcorn.

But the alarm, which features flashing strobe lights and a high-pitched screeching sound, has continued for more than 12 hours.

Allegheny County Housing Authority officials tell WPXI-TV they’re trying to locate the person who can shut off the alarm.

Residents say they’ve been robbed of a night’s sleep — but also of the peace of mind that they’d be alerted if a real fire occurred in the meantime.

2 men charged with staging Pa. reality-TV robbery

INDIANA, Pa.

Police have charged two out-of-state men with robbing two other men in western Pennsylvania by claiming they were recording a video for a reality TV show called “You Just Got Robbed.”

Police in Indiana, Pa., tell The Associated Press the incident happened about 1:20 a.m. Monday and that the suspects apparently attend a nearby technical school. They’re identified as 21-year-old Randall Smith, of Temple Hills, Md., and 18-year-old Artie Goodwine, of Memphis, Tenn.

Police say one of the men put the victims into headlocks while the other recorded the robbery — in which $20 was taken from one of the victims — on a cellphone.

Online court records don’t list attorneys for the men. Smith has posted bail, but Goodwine remained in the Indiana County Jail on Monday, about 45 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Police: 911 caller seeking ride for beer is arrested

COLUMBIA, Tenn.

When you’re out of beer and need a ride to get some, who you gonna call?

Not 911.

The Columbia Daily Herald reported city police arrested a 67-year-old man after he reportedly called emergency dispatchers at least nine times. Most of the calls were hang-ups, but a dispatcher said that at least once, the caller asked if someone could send him a ride so he could buy beer.

Police Officer Seneca Shield said he told Allen Troy Brooks if he cooperated, he would receive just a citation. But authorities say he denied making the calls, was arrested and charged with making 911 calls in a nonemergency situation. He was released on bond.

An online phone listing for Allen T. Brooks had a recording saying it was no longer in service.

Associated Press