ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Urinating cat caused smoke

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

One western Pennsylvania fire department learned that there’s not necessarily fire wherever there’s smoke.

New Castle’s assistant fire chief Jim Donston tells The Associated Press that firefighters were called when an electrical outlet on a floor was smoking, only to find that happened because the family’s cat urinated into the outlet.

The New Castle News reported the incident recently and Donston supplied more details to the AP.

The assistant chief says a Columbia Gas worker was at the house checking for a possible leak when he noticed the smoking outlet and called the fire department.

Donston says firefighters “found the receptacle wet from cat urine” and shut off the electrical supply to that circuit.

Police officer fired for smoking

NEWBERN, Tenn.

A Tennessee police department says it has fired an officer after 17 years on the force because he repeatedly smoked cigarettes inside the precinct in violation of the city’s no-smoking policy.

Newbern police Sgt. James Bishop was terminated last week. A 2007 city policy prohibits smoking inside all municipal offices and buildings.

According to the termination letter obtained by the State Gazette, Police Chief Harold Dunivant said he had complaints that his employees were smoking inside their offices and issued a warning that disciplinary action could be taken. Dunivant said he continued to get complaints about Bishop smoking indoors and was forced to fire him.

A phone number that the city of Newbern had for Bishop him was disconnected. Messages left by the AP at other listings for James Bishop weren’t returned.

Associated Press