New York dad-to-be killed by exploding gender reveal device
A dad-to-be in upstate New York was killed when a device he was building for a gender reveal party exploded, state police said Monday.
Christopher Pekny, 28, was working on the device for his child’s gender reveal party in the Catskills town of Liberty when it blew up just before noon on Sunday, cops said.
The blast killed Pekny and injured his brother, 27-year-old Michael Pekny, who was treated for his injuries at the Garnet Medical Center in Middletown, according to police.
The Robin Hood diner in Livingston Manor, which has been owned and operated by the Pekny family since the 1980s, mourned the loss of Christopher in a statement.
“We are deeply saddened and must inform you all of the loss of our dear and beloved Christopher,” the family wrote on Facebook.
“We appreciate the overwhelming display of love and support that you all have shown.”
Police said the incident remains under investigation.
It’s just the latest in a string of tragedies caused by faulty gender reveal devices in recent years.
Earlier this month, a 26-year-old Michigan man died after he was struck by shrapnel from a malfunctioning cannon being used at a baby shower.
Another gender reveal pyrotechnic device sparked a massive wildfire in Southern California in September 2020, burning thousands of acres.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/22/catskills-dad-to-be-killed-by-exploding-gender-reveal-device/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Two Florida women dressed up as ‘grannies’ to get COVID vaccine
Two Florida women dressed up as “grannies” in an attempt to get vaccinated against COVID-19, health officials said Thursday.
Their wacky getup included “the bonnets, the gloves, the glasses — the whole thing,” said Dr. Raul Pino, the director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
Workers at the Orange County Convention Center vaccine site noticed the women “looked funny,” and stopped them before they could get their shots, Pino said, according to WKMG-TV.
There had also been an issue with the IDs and driver’s licenses they provided, Pino noted.
The duo was coming for their second dose of the vaccine.
Pino said he didn’t know how they were able to get their first shot, and it’s unclear if they used the same ruse.
“I don’t know how they escaped for the first time,” he said.
The incident was turned over to local authorities, who issued trespassing warnings to the women.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said one of the women was 44 years old and the other was 34 years old, local outlet WWL-TV reported.
In Florida, only adults ages 65 and up, health care workers and assisted living residents and staff are eligible for the vaccine.
Pino said the number of people trying to to falsify their identities to get the shot is probably “higher than we expect.”
Security has been ramped up at the vaccination site as a result, he said.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/18/florida-women-dressed-up-as-grannies-to-get-covid-vaccine/
Photo Credit: REUTERS/Octavio Jones
California deputy fatally shoots knife-wielding mom in front of her kids
A California deputy fatally shot a woman in front of her two young children as she charged at another cop with a knife, graphic video shows.
The footage, released Wednesday by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, shows 33-year-old Ariella Crawford walking along a road in Alta Sierra with her two young children when Deputy Caleb Toderean approaches her.
A nearby resident had called 911 on Feb. 4 to report a woman walking in the middle of the road amid “significant traffic,” sheriff’s officials said.
The video shows Crawford becoming immediately upset as the deputies approach, prompting her to pull out a large knife.
“For reasons yet unknown, Ms. Crawford was very upset with the presence of our deputies despite one of them saying she was not in any trouble,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.
Toderean tells Crawford she is “not in trouble or anything like that” and denies that he is going to touch the woman’s babies, the clip shows.
“But I need you to put your knife away,” Toderean tells Crawford.
“Don’t hurt my babies!” Crawford replies before yelling at the deputies. “If something happens to me and my babies, everyone in the whole world will know!”
Toderean says he “just wanted to help out,” but Crawford continues screaming and walks toward him as a second deputy, Matthew Harrison, points a Taser at the woman, video shows.
After the Taser is deployed, Crawford charges at Harrison with the knife, prompting Toderean to open fire.
“After Deputy Toderean discharged his service weapon, Ms. Crawford was still holding the knife,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement while releasing the graphic footage. “When she dropped it, the deputies immediately began medical aid.”
Crawford was later pronounced dead at a hospital, Moon said.
The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office will review the fatal shooting to determine whether it was “justified and lawful,” Moon said.
“We released this video prior to the conclusion of that investigation in the interest of transparency with our community,” the sheriff said. “We make no judgment on the incident or how it unfolded. That is for the district attorney’s office to determine.”
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/18/deputy-fatally-shoots-knife-wielding-mom-in-front-of-her-kids/
Photo Credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office
Florida man burglarized homes during funerals
An “evil” Florida man burglarized 10 homes — purposely targeting his grieving victims and striking when he knew they were attending funerals, authorities said.
Ronald Lee Rose, 42, of Lake Wales, is facing multiple counts of armed burglary and grand theft in a series of home heists between October and Feb. 8 in Auburndale, Mulberry, Lakeland and Haines City, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday.
Rose allegedly researched his targets, hitting up homes either owned by a recently deceased person or one of their relatives, Judd said.
“He was very respectful, he would make small cuts, or jimmy the door,” Judd told reporters. “He would go in, he stole guns, he stole jewelry, but everything he did was in a respectful manner.”
Judd said Rose took the precautions to make it appear as if the personal items may have been taken by a mourning relative who “wanted something special” to remember them.
“He looked at obituaries, he researched out the address and he went to their homes while they were at the funeral,” Judd said.
A detective investigating one of the burglaries learned of least nine other similar incidents in which victims were targeted as they attended funerals that had public notices in obituaries, Judd said.
In addition to guns and jewelry, Rose allegedly stole coins and silver during the burglaries. He was arrested Monday and confessed to one of the incidents in Auburndale, sheriff officials said.
A subsequent search of Rose’s home allegedly revealed additional stolen property that has been connected to the thefts. Some of the items found had not been reported stolen by the known 10 victims, leading investigators to believe Rose victimized others as well, Judd said.
“This is a sorry human being,” the sheriff said. “Anyone that would break into someone’s home while they were at the funeral of a loved one needs to be put under prison … At the end of the day, understand there are evil people in the world. This is one of them.”
Rose remains held without bond Thursday in Polk County, online records show. It’s unclear if he’s hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/18/evil-florida-man-burglarized-homes-during-funerals-cops/
Photo Credit: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Cadbury under fire for same-sex kiss in new Creme Egg commercial
Cadbury is getting creamed by critics on social media, who say the British candy company is “selling sex to children.”
A new commercial to celebrate the iconic Cadbury Creme Egg’s 50th anniversary — happy birthday, you delectable confection! — and promote the chocolatier’s annual Easter lineup has scandalized fans with its cheeky message.
“It’s the Creme Egg Golden Goobilee,” a voiceover proclaims, kicking off a montage of whimsical scenes depicting the many unique ways one can eat a Cadbury Creme Egg.
“Calling all eggshibitionists: Let the eatertainment begin!” the ad’s voiceover annouonces. “Lickers, let loose … Discreaters, come out of your shell,” the voice continues.
But it’s the money shot at the end of the video that has viewers clutching their pearls, depicting two men passing the sweet treat to one another in their lips before bursting the egg and its creamy contents.
“Sharers, yea, we are down with that,” the narrator says.
Turns out, at least 26,000 viewers were not down with that, as a recent petition suggests, demanding the commercial be removed from the air.
“By choosing to feature a same-sex couple, Cadbury’s are clearly hoping to cause controversy and escape criticism,” the petitioner alleges, “by claiming that any objections must be rooted in ‘homophobia,’ but members of the LGBT community have also expressed their dislike of this campaign.”
The author goes on to accuse the Cadbury campaign of using sexually explicit content to provoke viewers while “seeking to hide under cover of LGBT rights.”
Cadbury’s is well aware of the religious significance of Easter. Therefore, they are trying to cause gratuitous offense to members of the Christian community during the most important feast in their calendar.”
They concluded, “Exposing children to sexualized content constitutes a form of grooming. It is well-known that children will often copy what they see on the screen.”
Last month, the Mondelez International, Inc.-owned company issued a defense of the campaign, reported in AdAge.
“Cadbury has always been a progressive brand that spreads a message of inclusion, whether it is through its products or brand campaigns,” the company said in its written statement. “We are proud of our Golden Goobilee advert which celebrates the many ways that everyone can enjoy a Cadbury Creme Egg. To illustrate this and showcase the joy our products bring, a clip of a real life couple sharing a Cadbury Creme Egg was included in the advert.”
Viewers have also since come out in support of the sex-positive commercial.
“People losing their minds over two men kissing over a creme egg but have no problem with a woman cheating on her husband with an M&M?” joked one candy consumer on Twitter.
“I spent my childhood watching a woman in a bathtub fellating a Flake,” another pointed out, in reference to the British brand of chocolate bar made of flake and thinly folded milk chocolate.
Other critics shared the prudish petitioner’s distaste for the ad’s content — but for a very different reason.
“I’m DISGUSTED by this. I would NEVER share a Creme Egg with my husband,” said one man, whose response was “liked” on the social media platform some 5,600 times.
Another popular tweet asserted, “The Cadbury’s creme egg advert with two men kissing is divisive and dangerous, because it promotes the unacceptable idea that you should be expected to share your creme egg with another person.”
Mondelez, which appears to have no plans to shut down the campaign, added an additional statement for anyone concerned about the social-distancing measures — or lack thereof — on the Cadbury’s set: “The actors featured in the film were from the same household, so they were egg-static to share a delicious Cadbury Creme Egg together! We also ensured that social distancing and stringent hygiene measures were taken when shooting the new advert.”
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/19/petition-targets-same-sex-kiss-in-new-cadbury-egg-commercial/
Photo Credit: Cadbury via Youtube
Pair charged with shooting woman who shushed them in movie theater
Two suspects sought in the shooting of a movie-goer who shushed them in an Atlanta theater have been arrested, police said.
Camyrn King, 20, and Yvonne Crawford, 22, were arrested in Indiana by the US Marshals Service for allegedly shooting a woman in the shoulder after she asked them to quiet down inside an AMC theater in Atlanta in January, police said Wednesday.
The two women, who were charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, will be extradited back to Atlanta, department officials said.
“This is outstanding work by all of the Atlanta police detectives who worked this case,” Atlanta police said in a statement. “We extend a sincere thank you to the US Marshals team for their assistance.”
The victim, Rickell Etheridge, 22, told cops she was watching a movie with her wife on Jan. 9 when a group behind the couple was being disruptive and too loud.
“Shortly after that a gunshot was heard inside the theater,” police previously said. “Ms. Etheridge realized she had been shot and left the theater and called 911.”
Etheridge was then taken to a hospital in stable condition, police said.
Cops later released surveillance images of the shooting suspects and the pair were later identified as King and Crawford, WXIA reported.
King has previous arrests for theft and drug possession, while Crawford has no prior criminal history. The relationship between the two women is unclear, police told The Post.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/18/pair-charged-with-shooting-woman-who-shushed-them-in-theater/
Photo Credit: Atlanta Police Department
Texas man ‘freezes to death’ in recliner amid frigid temperatures
A Texas man reportedly “froze to death” in his recliner amid the freezing temperatures sweeping through the region.
The 60-year-old victim, who was not identified, was found dead in his chair on Wednesday after his home in Abilene lost power for three days, one of three people to die in that city, KTXS 12 reported.
The man’s wife, 72, was taken to the hospital.
“Please go check on your neighbors,” Abilene resident Josh Casey wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “A man froze to death in his recliner yesterday. His wife was beside him nearly dead. She is in the hospital still in peril. They had no power.”
The Abilene Fire Department said the temperature inside the couple’s home was about the same as the chilly temps outside.
The mercury in Abilene, about 200 miles west of Dallas, plunged to as low as -2 degrees Fahrenheit this week as a historic Arctic blast moved through the area, bringing two rare winter storms that have killed dozens and caused widespread power outages and water issues.
Two others perished in the city amid the extreme weather — a 67-year-old homeless man found dead Monday due to exposure to the elements and another victim who died Wednesday at a “local medical facility,” KTXS reported.
Abilene Fire Chief Cande Flores said the medical facility couldn’t provide adequate treatment because of loss of water pressure — a serious problem also seen elsewhere in the state.
The patient was supposed to be transferred to another facility but died before getting there.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/19/texas-man-freezes-to-death-in-recliner-amid-frigid-weather/
Photo Credit: Ronald W. Erdrich
Homeowners hit with electric bills as high as $17K amid Texas winter storm
Electric bills in the Lone Star State skyrocketed to as high as $17,000 per month after a historic storm and power outage sparked a high demand for heat, according to reports Friday.
Dallas-area resident Ty Williams was hit with sticker shock when his monthly bill soared from $600 last month to nearly $17,000 so far this month, according to the local station WFAA.
“How in the world can anyone pay that? I mean you go from a couple hundred dollars a month…there’s absolutely no way‚ it makes no sense,” Williams, who said he received the bill from the energy firm Griddy.
The price of power in Texas spiked from $50 to $9,000 per Megawatt in some cases due to the supply and demand disaster, according to the station.
Customers with so-called “variable or indexed” electricity plans in Texas — the only state to run its own unique stand-alone electricity grid — are partially controlled by market demand.
That caused prices to increase as Texans who didn’t lose power cranked up the heat amid brutally cold temperatures this week, an expert told NBC.
“The last thing an awful lot of people need right now is a higher electric bill — and that’s unfortunately something a lot of people will get stuck with,” said Matt Schulz, a chief industry analyst.
Royce Pierce, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Willow Park, said the electricity bill for his three-bedroom home soared to $10,000 over the past few days.
“We are hoping there will be relief,” Royce said. “This is something maybe we can skate by and tackle as time goes on but how many people can’t? A lot.”
Veronica Garcia, a Reliant Energy customer in Mansfield, Texas, said the electricity bill for her one-bedroom apartment nearly doubled to $114 for her one-bedroom apartment.
“Hopefully if they’re decent, they won’t charge people for this, because we had no control over the situation,” said Garcia, who is an administrative associate at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Hopefully I can beat the charges and they do the right thing.”
A Reliant Energy spokeswoman told NBC that it’s offering flexible bill payment options to support customers impacted by the storm.
Griddy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/19/homeowners-hit-with-massive-electric-bills-amid-texas-winter-storm/
Photo Credit: Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP
7-year-old boy in Switzerland killed by homemade igloo
A 7-year-old boy was killed in Switzerland when his homemade igloo caved in on him, police said Wednesday.
The accident occurred Tuesday while the boy was with his father in the igloo they built in the eastern Switzerland town of Tarasp.
Police in the Graubuenden region said they were both buried in the collapse, but the father was able to free himself.
With the help of others, the dad was able to locate the boy under the snow 15 minutes later.
The boy was flown to a hospital in Chur, where he succumbed to his injuries.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/17/7-year-old-boy-in-switzerland-killed-by-homemade-igloo/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Woman embraces hairy chest: I finally feel sexy
After years of bullying, shaving and waxing, Esther Calixte-Bea has decided to let her chest, armpit and leg hair grow — and she says she feels “sexier” than ever.
“I don’t want hair to be an obstacle anymore,” the 24-year-old artist from Montreal, Canada, told Caters News. “It has taken me most of my life for me to accept my body and embrace who I am.”
Although she may have more body hair than most women, it’s completely natural: Calixte-Bea’s ancestors are from the Wè Tribe of Ivory Coast, Africa. “The women in my great-grandmother’s time were very hairy, and it was seen as beautiful,” she said. “There is no medical explanation behind my hair — I am just a hairy person.”
For years, Calixte-Bea felt extremely insecure and depressed, even suicidal at times. “I obsessively shaved in school to make sure nobody would see my hairy chest,” she said. The artist would break out the razor if even one hair broke through. Hair removal — especially waxing — was “tremendously painful. It was more hassle than it was worth.”
But in May 2020, enough was enough. She ditched her razor and started embracing her natural look.
“I had to push myself at the start by walking out with short shorts with leg hair,” said Calixte-Bea.
After a few weeks, she felt better.
“It is the best thing I have ever done, as I feel sexier and comfortable in my own skin,” she said.
It hasn’t been the easiest transition. The young woman is sometimes met with stares from strangers. Once, someone filmed her. But online, she’s received nothing but support.
“I have received thousands of messages from women all over the globe who thought they were alone,” the Canadian said. “I have shown them that facial and body hair is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Calixte-Bea wants others to know they’re beautiful just the way they are.
“If women weren’t supposed to have hair, we wouldn’t grow it,” she said. “It is the society that tells us to shave.”
Her paintings often feature women that look like her, with hair on their bodies. It’s just another way for Calixte-Bea to normalize female body hair.
“I refuse to victimize myself because of it,” she said. “I have decided what beautiful is for me.”
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/17/woman-embraces-her-chest-hair-i-finally-feel-sexy/
Photo Credit: artist_esie