ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Woman bites rare pearl while dining at Italian restaurant

ISSAQUAH, Wash.

A woman bit down on a rare pearl while eating a meal of clams and other seafood at an Italian restaurant in Washington state.

KOMO-TV reported that Lindsay Hasz and her husband, Chris, were eating at Montalcino Ristorante Italiano in Issaquah recently when she bit into something hard in her entree.

Hasz says she wasn’t sure what it was, but put it in her pocket and went home to do research.

She took it to a gemologist, who determined it was a Quahog purple pearl worth about $600.

Ted Irwin of Northwest Geological Laboratory says the find is rare, with only one in a couple million being of gem quality.

Montalcino owner Cindy Nardone says she’s happy for Hasz.

Hasz says she may have the pearl made into a necklace.

Horse and dog die after eating poisoned cookie

SANTA ROSA, Calif.

Authorities say a horse and a dog were killed, and another horse was sickened, after the animals ate poisoned cookies that apparently were deliberately left for them to eat.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sgt. Cecile Focha said last week that deputies recently identified a person of interest in the poisoning case, but authorities would not give any details.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the animals became ill Feb. 12 after someone planted the homemade cookies on the woman’s property in an unincorporated area of Sebastopol.

Necropsies on the horse and dog that died revealed they had ingested oleander, a plant that is poisonous to horses, dogs, cats, cows and birds.

Deputies said the case appears to be an isolated incident, and authorities have warned neighbors near where the poisoning occurred.

Canadian man fined for smuggling turtles in his pants

ST. CATHERINES, Ontario

A Canadian man caught smuggling nearly 40 turtles in his pants has been fined US$2,578 and put on probation for two years.

Dong Yan was convicted this month of illegally importing reptiles. During an inspection at the Niagara border crossing in June 2014, Canadian border officials discovered 38 turtles strapped to Yan’s legs.

Yan also is prohibited from owning turtles and tortoises for 10 years.

Officials say live specimens are often sought for use in the pet and food trade.

Associated Press