oddly enough

oddly enough

German man offering motorcycle hearse for last trip

BERLIN

A German man says people are dying for a ride in the sidecar of one of his Harleys — literally.

Joerg Grossmann said Friday that his prototype hearse for die-hard bikers who want to ride until the very end — a special sidecar fitted to his motorcycle — made its first funeral run last month.

The original’s a Kawasaki, but the 48-year-old from near Frankfurt says 10 of his patented Harley hearses, each costing about $78,000, are being assembled and will be ready later this year.

He’s counting on 1,000 bookings per year in Germany alone at $1,600 each, compared with $263 for a normal hearse, and already has a contract in Switzerland and is in talks elsewhere.

He says people are really excited about the Harley hearse: “It’s something special.”

Burglar targets toilets at Denver-area businesses

GOLDEN, Colo.

Authorities in the Denver area are investigating 18 burglaries in which toilets were the target.

Law-enforcement officials say the culprit has entered businesses, a restaurant, grocery store, university and hospital to steal copper or brass plumbing and hardware from toilets in the restrooms since Jan. 5.

Jefferson County sheriff’s officials have identified 48-year-old Donald Allen Citron as the suspect. A phone number for him wasn’t listed.

KMGH-TV in Denver reports Citron was booked into the Jefferson County jail last week pending charges, but he has not been charged in the burglaries.

Sheriff’s officials say he could face charges of second-degree burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

Zoo gives aging gorilla new bunny companion

ERIE, Pa.

The new companion of an elderly gorilla who lives at a northwestern Pennsylvania zoo is a bunny named Panda.

Erie Zoo’s gorilla, Samantha, has been without a full-time friend since the death of Rudy, the zoo’s male gorilla, in 2005. But the 47-year-old western lowland gorilla is too old to be paired with another gorilla.

So zoo officials opted instead to introduce her to Panda, a Dutch rabbit, last month.

The Erie Times-News reports Samantha and Panda get along well, with Samantha gently scratching under the bunny’s chin and sharing her food with her new friend.

Officials at the zoo say Samantha always has had a gentle personality. She was hand-raised and was always more comfortable around humans even when Rudy was alive.

Associated Press