oddly enough

oddly enough

Would-be cat rescuer ends up needing to be rescued

ERIE, Pa.

Authorities in northwestern Pennsylvania say a woman who tried to rescue a cat from a tree ended up needing a rescue herself.

Firefighters in Erie say they brought a 28-foot ladder to help Tara Dennis get down from the branches Sunday.

Residents tell the Times-News that they’ve heard the feline crying for the past couple of days. It’s not clear who owns the cat.

Dennis says she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. So she scaled a fence, got on a roof and climbed onto a branch. She reached the animal, which she put in her shirt.

But the 21-year-old got stuck as she tried to come down. A neighbor called 911.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Carroll says firefighters first carried down the cat, then helped Dennis.

Cop: Man with gun tattoo had real gun in waistband

MADISON, Maine

A man with a realistic-looking tattoo of a gun on his stomach had the real thing tucked into his waistband when he was arrested, police said.

Police told the Morning Sentinel that 41-year-old Michael Smith, of Norridgewock, showed up at a deputy sheriff’s home Thursday night. He was crying and had been drinking, authorities said.

Smith told police he had a fight with his ex-girlfriend and had stolen prescription narcotics from her, authorities said.

He was charged with stealing drugs, and his gun was confiscated. He was released from jail on $1,000 bail. His phone has been disconnected, and he couldn’t be reached to comment.

Madison police Officer Eric Bronson said Smith was carrying a .40-caliber Glock but isn’t facing any gun charges because Maine is an open-carry state, and his weapon was visible.

Smith’s next court date is Aug. 6.

Smith made headlines in March when members of a tree-removal crew he’d told to leave his property reported that he had a gun. But the gun turned out to be his tattoo.

He told the newspaper then that the tattoo had never been a problem before. He wasn’t charged in that case.

Tomato truck overturns on Interstate 8 in Arizona

YUMA, Ariz.

More than a few rotten tomatoes are stewing on an Arizona highway.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a trailer hauling a load of tomatoes overturned Saturday morning on Interstate 8, about 50 miles east of Yuma.

DPS says the incident occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m. in the eastbound lanes.

No injuries were reported.

Arizona Department of Transportation officials say one lane was blocked by the truck, and crews were dispatched to clean up the scene.

Associated Press