Around the Weird: Bizarre News Briefs

Around the Weird: Bizarre News Briefs

GRAYLING, Mich. (Wireless Flash) – Michigan middle school teacher Kathryn Anne Olsen really needed a day off – so she decided to call in a bomb threat. Now, she’s facing up to four years in prison and a $2000 fine for making a false threat.

KINGSTON, Ontario – A Canadian judge has spared a six-time drunk driver a jail sentence for his latest offense. Michael L. McKnight claims he got soused because he was upset about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. However, instead of going to the clink, Michael L. McKnight will spend six months under virtual house arrest.

TOKYO – Japanese boat racer Hiromasa Ando now knows something about pole position. After 39 years as a woman, Ando has announced she is now a “he” and will compete as a man in future competitions.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The tourist board for Rio de Janeiro is seething mad at the makers of The Simpsons, claiming a recent episode made fun of the Brazilian city and undermined a $18 million advertising campaign. In the episode, the Simpsons visit Rio where Homer is robbed by street children and monkeys overrun an orphanage.