ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Authorities nab suspected serial diaper dumper

FRANKLIN, N.J.

Authorities say they’ve captured a man suspected of dumping his grandson’s soiled diapers along several New Jersey roadways over the past year.

Franklin Township police say an officer acting on a hunch spotted 68-year-old William Friedman leaving a load of diapers in the area of Routes 47 and 40 around 3:15 a.m. on a recent morning. He was taken into custody after a traffic stop.

Police said Friedman told them the diapers came from his grandson, adding that leaving them around town without getting caught “almost became a game.”

Authorities say a motorcyclist crashed in June after running over a diaper Friedman had allegedly dropped. The motorcyclist suffered minor injuries and his bike was totaled.

Friedman has been charged with interference with transportation. He faces up to $1,000 in fines.

Injured turtle sheds Lego wheelchair for dormancy

BALTIMORE

A wild turtle who came to the Maryland Zoo with a broken shell has traded his wheelchair made of Legos for a pile of mulch.

WMAR-TV reports that it’s time for the grapefruit-sized eastern box turtle to get ready for winter brumation, a period similar to hibernation during which reptiles become dormant to conserve energy.

The turtle was found in July with fractures to the underside of his shell. After surgery, he was fitted with a custom wheelchair to keep his shell off the ground and enable his legs to move.

The Maryland Zoo posted a video showing staff removing his wheelchair to make it easier for him to burrow down for the next six months. The zoo built a large outdoor brumation habitat mimicking his natural habitat.

Conductor uses tie to rescue dog on train tracks

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J.

A New Jersey Transit train conductor took off his tie and used it as a leash to rescue a wayward dog named Shelby on the tracks.

NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith tells The Star-Ledger of Newark the train crew recently was alerted that a dog was on the tracks near South Orange station. The crew spotted the dog and called to have the rail traffic stopped.

Conductor Howard Kempton sprinted toward Shelby.

A passenger called the phone number on the dog’s ID tag, and Shelby’s owner said she’d meet the train in Summit. The dog had gotten away when its leash broke during a walk earlier that day.

Associated Press