Weird Newz #76

Austin, TX – According to the Associated Press, a volunteer DJ set fire to community radio station 91.7 FM KOOP over a playlist dispute. Volunteer Paul Webster Feinstein was upset that the station altered his playlist selections for an overnight Internet broadcast. Feinstein was a known jazz fan and had been arguing with another volunteer about what music should be included in the station’s digital library for Internet programs. He quit a week before the fire, telling station personnel that he was moving on to do other things.

Austin Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Nye commented that Feinstein was very unhappy about the changes. According to Nye, the man admitted making a copy of the station key and waited for station personnel to leave before committing the crime. Nye explained that Feinstein poured gasoline on control panels in two studios to start the fire. Investigators knew it was an act of arson when the fire department’s dog detected the scent of gasoline on the scene of the crime.

Feinstein faces charges of second-degree felony arson charges, with a possible penalty of two to 20 years in jail and a $10,000 fine. The radio station suffered $300,000 in damages and was off the air for 19 days.  more

Sydney, Australia – MSNBC.com explained that retiree Werner Reinhold won the lottery, lost the prize, and then reclaimed it in the courts. Reinhold purchased his lottery ticket from a Sydney newsstand in 1995. Since the original ticket did not print properly, Reinhold asked for a replacement to be printed. The reprint turned out to be the winning ticket for a sum of $1.8 million.

When the man tried to claim his winnings, he found that the replacement ticket was canceled rather than the original ticket. As a result, Reinhold could not claim the prize money.

Reinhold sued NSW Lotteries, the entity responsible for both the lottery management and the operations of the newsstand. Supreme Court Judge Reginald Barrett found in favor of Reinhold, stating that NSW and the newsstand were both negligent and in breach of contract. Reinhold was awarded the full sum of $1.8 million in return.  more

Alice, TX – Grace Saenz-Lopez, mayor of the small town of Alice, Texas, apologized to residents on Friday for her theft of a neighbor’s dog. Several months before, neighbors asked Saenz-Lopez to care for their dog Puddles while they were away on vacation. One day after they departed for their vacation, Saenz-Lopez contacted the neighbors and claimed that the dog had died.

Three months later, a relative of the owners saw Puddles at a pet groomer. When the neighbors  requested that Saenz-Lopez return the dog to them, the mayor refused. According to the woman’s attorney, Saenz-Lopez believed that the dog would die if returned to its owners. Shortly afterward, Saenz-Lopez then filed a police report that Puddles was missing. The dog was later seen at the home of the mayor’s twin sister, approximately 10 miles away from the town of Alice.

Saenz-Lopez was indicted for two felony counts of tampering with evidence and concealing evidence as a result of her actions. City commissioners unanimously decided to ask for Saenz-Lopez’s resignation as mayor. The dog’s former owners have filed a criminal complaint  and civil lawsuit against Saenz-Lopez, and will be engaged in a later custody hearing to determine if Puddles will be returned to them.  more