oddly enough

oddly enough

Florida mother, daughter give birth on same day

FORT MYERS, Fla.

A Florida mother and daughter have given a new meaning to family togetherness: Both women gave birth at the same hospital on the same day.

Heather Penticoff and her daughter, Destinee Martin, each found out they were pregnant on the same day. They had the same due dates and, for separate medical reasons, doctors at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers decided to induce both of them Tuesday.

Penticoff’s daughter Madeline was born first, and Destinee’s son Damien was born almost three hours later, making Penticoff’s grandson roughly the same age as her newborn daughter.

Penticoff tells WZVN-TV that the births are “like having twins without carrying twins.”

Martin says experiencing pregnancy and birth with her mother “is probably the most special, amazing thing ever.”

Tenn. sheriff pays ransom for case files

DICKSON, Tenn.

The Dickson County Sheriff’s Office in Middle Tennessee ended up paying a ransom after a malicious computer program blocked access to their files.

Detective Jeff McCliss told WTVF-TV that malware on a computer locked the agency’s case files, which included autopsy reports, witness statements and crime-scene photos. He says the malware, called “Cryptowall,” doesn’t tamper with files on a computer, but keeps them locked until a ransom is paid.

After consulting with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, McCliss said the agency determined the only way to get their files back was to pay the asking price: $500 in bitcoins.

Officials think the malware came from an ad someone in the department clicked on. McCliss says it doesn’t appear that the office was targeted.

Man proves he’s not dead in Michigan, gets to vote

LEE TOWNSHIP, Mich.

Dale Hopfinger ran into a problem while trying to vote in Michigan: He was told he was dead.

An election worker even told him that local records listed the date of his demise as Sept. 25. After some persuasion, Hopfinger says officials finally allowed him to cast a ballot last week in Lee Township.

Hopfinger tells WNEM-TV he’s been working to figure out what happened, and that the Social Security Administration told him it was likely a clerical error.

The 48-year-old said he plans to visit a Social Security office in Bay City today to try to settle the issue.

The Associated Press left messages Thursday seeking comment from the Lee Township clerk.

Associated Press