oddly enough

oddly enough

Quacking-duck ringtone helps firefighter rescue ducklings

SLIDELL, La.

Quack! Quack! A duck-call ringtone helped a Louisiana firefighter rescue six ducklings from a storm drain.

Spokesman Chad Duffaut of St. Tammany Fire District #1 says even with realistic quacking sounds coming from his cellphone, it took Firefighter Cody Knecht about 90 minutes to catch the first four baby mallards in the southeast Louisiana community of Slidell.

Duffaut says Knecht rescued the others after giving them about an hour to calm down.

All six ducklings were reunited with their mother Saturday in the canal behind a home, where residents had reported seeing the ducklings go into the drain.

Duffaut says it was the fire station’s second duck rescue in a week. On April 19, firefighters rescued a duck that got stuck in a chimney.

NC man’s obit urges readers to reject Hillary Clinton

KANNAPOLIS, N.C.

A North Carolina man’s obituary asked two things of friends and family: Instead of sending flowers for the funeral, give the money to charity. And don’t vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016.

WSOC-TV reports the family of 81-year-old Larry Upright added the political message to the obituary announcing the Kannapolis man’s death and burial recently.

Upright’s daughter, Jill McLain, said the rock-ribbed Republican was passionate about politics. She said that recollection prompted his family to ask obituary readers to reject Clinton’s presidential bid.

Mike Upright said his deceased father voiced his opinions regularly.

The obituary also describes Upright as an active member of local Masonic and Shriners organizations and a country club. He retired after a career in the building-automation industry.

Detroit Zoo to turn manure from its animals into power

ROYAL OAK, Mich.

The Detroit Zoo is planning to turn abundant piles of animal manure into energy.

The zoo in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak says that construction on the anaerobic biodigester begins this spring and will be completed this year.

The biodigester will turn about 400 tons of manure a year as well as other organic waste into methane-rich gas. This gas will be used to help power the 18,000-square-foot Ruth Roby Glancy Animal Health Complex, saving $70,000 to $80,000 in annual energy costs.

The system also will convert manure into compost that will be used to fertilize animal habitats, gardens and public spaces.

As part of the effort, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Detroit Zoological Society are conducting a crowdfunding campaign.

Associated Press