Monday, October 15, 2018
ODDLY ENOUGH
After Florence, communities try to keep mosquitoes at bay
WILMINGTON, N.C.
Communities inundated by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence are bracing for an onslaught of mosquitoes.
The StarNews of Wilmington reports that the state of North Carolina has identified 27 counties that will split $4 million in emergency mosquito-control funding. The counties include New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick, which were among areas hit by heavy rains after Florence smashed ashore Sept. 14 and nearly stalled for days over parts of the Carolinas.
Stagnant floodwaters provide breeding grounds for the pests.
Crews recently completed a first round of spraying in New Hanover and Brunswick counties.
Officials say residents of affected counties can help by emptying any containers with standing water. People are also being encouraged to stay inside for 30 minutes if they see spraying crews in their community.
Conn. family reunited with dog missing for 5 years
NORWICH, Conn.
A Connecticut family has been reunited with their dog five years after the beloved pet went missing.
The Norwich Bulletin reports that Norwich Assistant Animal Control Officer Donna Gremminger spotted the 17-year-old female dachshund recently in a parking lot in a city park. She had lost most of her sight and hearing.
Through a microchip, they identified the dog’s owners as Rick and Michelle Riendeau, of Brooklyn, Conn., about 20 miles from Norwich, and reunited them.
An emotional Rick Riendeau said he contacted animal control when the dog, named Lady, first went missing. He said because they live near a wooded area, they feared she may have been killed by a predator. He called Lady “the greatest dog we’ve ever had.”
Good Samaritan driver revives squirrel after scare
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn.
A motionless squirrel apparently stunned by a passing car has been revived by the driver who performed chest compressions beside the road.
Police officers on patrol in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park thought the man might be performing CPR.
In police video posted to the department Facebook page, the man tells the officers he swerved to avoid the animal and didn’t think he struck it. The squirrel was not bleeding and the man says if he had hit it “he would’ve popped.”
The man flips the squirrel onto its belly and as he strokes its back, the animal starts to come around.
The squirrel eventually darts away and an officer declares: “There he goes! You saved his life, dude!”
Associated Press