Brickbats
Code enforcement officers in Ogden, Utah, have ordered Jeremy Trentelman to take down the cardboard fort he built in his yard for his 3-year-old son. They say the fort violates city litter laws.
In 2008, Rene Lima-Marin walked out of a Colorado prison after serving 10 years of what he thought was a 16-year sentence for robbery. He then completed what he was told were his five years of probation. He got married, started a family, joined a church, got a steady job, and seemed to have turned his life around. Then, last year, he was informed that his release had been a big mistake. He still had 88 years left on his sentence. He's back in prison now and won't be eligible for parole until 2054.
Officials at Stevenson College in Santa Cruz apologized after Mexican food was served during a party with a science fiction theme. They received complaints that the menu linked Hispanic students with aliens.
Gregory Wallace and another man burst into the Kentucky home of Jordan and Tommy Gray and robbed them and their 3-year-old daughter at gunpoint. But at Wallace's sentencing hearing, Judge Olu Stevens took time to single out the Grays for criticism. The robbers are black, and the Grays had noted in an impact statement that their daughter has reacted in fear to black men since the incident. Stevens said those remarks offended him and accused the parents of fostering racist behavior.
The agency in charge of censoring Russia's Internet has reminded residents that it is illegal to post any celebrity meme that does not reflect that person's "personality."
Bishop Daryl Harris was stunned to learn the city of Detroit was suing his church for $170,000 in back electricity payments. For one thing, the church's landlord is responsible for paying the utility bills. For another, the provider is DTE Energy, not the city. The next day, the city cut off the water at Harris' home. It turns out it had made a mistake in both cases: The church it meant to sue was a different one with a similar name, and Harris was up to date on his water bill. But officials said he would still have to pay $30 to have his water turned back on.
Workers at Ohio's Youngstown State University removed posters promoting Straight Pride Week after the student government declared the message on the posters went beyond free speech. A statement said the posters "were not authorized, contained vulgar language, and, unfortunately, miss the point of minority activism."
Voters in Nantucket, Massachusetts, have banned helium balloons. Supporters say the ban will protect marine animals, which may mistake the balloons for food.