ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Funeral director who took corpse photos gets probation

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa.

A Pennsylvania funeral director who took photos of corpses to gross out her friends and relatives has been spared a prison term.

Angeliegha Stewart was sentenced Oct. 3 to 10 years’ probation after she pleaded guilty to 16 counts of abuse of a corpse. She also was permanently barred from working in the funeral industry. The sentence was imposed after several people spoke about being devastated by the photos taken of their loved ones.

Authorities have said Stewart took pictures of one corpse during an organ-harvesting process and others of a decomposing corpse. Some of the corpses were in coffins; some were not.

Stewart has said she took the photos to share with colleagues, but also admitted showing a specific, gruesome photo to her ex-boyfriend to “gross him out.”

Tipsy birds flying into windows, cars in Minnesota

GILBERT, Minn.

Police in a small northern Minnesota community have been taking some strange calls about birds that seem to be intoxicated.

Citizens in Gilbert on the state’s Iron Range have reported the birds flying into windows, cars and acting confused.

In a cheeky Facebook message, the police department says there’s an easy explanation: The birds are ingesting berries that have fermented earlier than usual this year because of an early frost.

National Parks Service ranger Sharon Stiteler tells KMSP-TV that robins and waxwings feast on fruit such as crabapples, and that the sugar in those fruits can turn into alcohol as they lose moisture. Stiteler says “drunk birds are totally a thing.”

The police department says there’s no need to panic, the birds will eventually sober up.

Postal worker leaves mail on side of road, quits job

PHILADELPHIA

The U.S. Postal Service says hundreds of pieces of mail meant for Philadelphia residents were dropped on the side of a New Jersey road when the carrier responsible for them quit his job.

Philly.com reports a New Jersey man made the odd discovery recently in Pennsauken. The man posted a picture of the missing mail on Facebook.

Special Agent Scott Balfour of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said in a statement the mail had been scheduled for a delivery Aug. 8 from the Roxborough Station Post Office. According to Balfour, the Roxborough post office will deliver the mail.

The mail carrier who was responsible for the delivery resigned Sept. 8. According to Balfour, the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t “anticipate any further action against” the former employee.

Associated Press