Weird News 2023: Stories That Made Us Scrunch Our Faces And Say ‘Huh?’ – Patch

June 15, 2024 ndowd

ACROSS AMERICA — No one actually expects their house to be hit by a meteorite, and if they did, they’d likely be dismissed as a worrywart or worse. But in what was one of the weirdest news stories of 2023, it happened to a Hopewell, New Jersey, family just after noon on May 8.

The meteorite, an oblong piece of metal experts estimate to be about 4 billion years old, was fairly large by space rock standards at 4 inches by 6 inches and about 2½ pounds, and it entered Earth’s atmosphere with such velocity that it pierced the roof, broke through the ceiling and landed on the hardwood floor, where it came to a rest. The family was at home at the time, but no one was injured.
“It’s rare for such things to hit Earth and they’re typically small,” said Shannon Graham, a physics professor at The College of New Jersey, where a team planned to study the meteorite. “Most days, they just burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere and don’t make it to the ground at all.”
Graham said the meteorite may have been related to the Eta Aqauriids meteor shower peak around the same time the Hopewell family got the surprise of a lifetime. » Read more on Princeton Patch.

A surfboard-stealing otter’s antics were the most delightful thing on the internet for several months this summer. The 5-year-old Otter 841 gained legions of supporters who were outraged over the efforts of authorities, who had deemed her too aggressive and a danger to people flocking to the legendary surf, to capture and confine her to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The 5-year-old otter’s behavior was forgiven — if not forgiven, at least partially explained and enough for a reprieve from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and aquarium staff pursuits — when it was discovered she had given birth to a pup. Mark Woodward, the photographer who made Otter 841 under the social media handle @NativeSantaCruz, shared a collection of his photos with Patch. » Read more and see 12 photos on Santa Cruz Patch.
Something bizarre has been going on in Elwood, Illinois, for the past year or so: a lone, green, unripened banana began appearing on a railroad crossing. Sometimes there were a few, sometimes there was an entire bunch. And once there was a decapitated rooster, which weirdly enough is topped by the banana in terms of intrigue.
Benjamin Skwirut decided to unravel the “befuddling mystery.”
“Why is this happening?” he wondered. “What does it mean? Are they left there for someone to pick up? Are they feeding the wildlife? This is a befuddling mystery.”
And what about the headless rooster, which he said “everyone conveniently forgets about”? He’s not alone. Solving this “whodunit?” and “whydunit?” is a thing now with a social media presence and lots of “BananaGate” investigators. » Read more on Manhattan Patch
Miss Crave is, well, craving a BDSM dungeon and she wants Fort Lauderdale, Florida, taxpayers to build her one. The masked, latex-clad Miss Crave, who insisted on being called “mistress,” snuck onto the city commission’s agenda, making her unconventional request while officials were discussing a yard waste contract.
Miss Crave didn’t want the full $906,500 earmarked for yard waste disposal, but wanted a fourth of it “to support the doms and subs in Broward County, to create a dungeon created for us, by us taxpayers and voting citizens.”
“Do not let this glamorous look distract you from doing your duty to take my demand,” the mistress said of her attire and that of two reinforcements, who were also masked and wearing latex. “I look forward to spanking each and every one of you at the new, esteemed dungeon.”
The commissioners wished Miss Crave well and moved on. » Read more on Miami Patch
Well, you can, but the disagreement might escalate quickly. Troopers in Florida pulled over an erratic driver, expecting to find a drunken driver.
Nope.
The guy was distracted while quarreling with his parrot. He wanted to go to Clearwater Beach. The parrot wanted to go home. Troopers said they “resolved the standoff successfully,” but didn’t say who won. » Read more on Clearwater Patch
Scientists expect the first dinosaur bone bed to be found in Maryland since 1887 to give them more insight into the lives of the prehistoric animals that roamed the state 115 million years ago. The bones were discovered in April at Dinosaur Park in Laurel.
“Finding a bone bed like this is a dream for many paleontologists as they can offer a wealth of information on the ancient environments that preserved the fossils and provide more details on the extinct animals that previously may have only been known from a handful of specimens,” said J.P. Hodnett, a paleontologist with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation.
“Most paleontologists have to travel across the country or go overseas to find something like this, so having this rare find so close to home is fantastic,” he said. » Read more on Bowie Patch
This was a little strange — and snarky in the right ways. An event put up on Facebook as a joke inviting self-checkout employees of a New Jersey Walmart read: “Celebrating another successful year of picking, paying, and bagging your own groceries while actual employees just stand around and check receipts.”
There was so much response that prankster Andrew Delgado set up an actual event, “The True Spirit of Christmas,” after local Walmart store officials declined his request they throw a special party for the community. Charity is the price of admission — an unwrapped gift for a child, a donation to the food bank and things like that.
“I’ll find a way to throw a banger Walmart party another time,” Delgado joked in the post. » Read more on Lacey Patch
As we close out 2023, we raise a cup of cheer to our readers: The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, with plots waiting to be written about things we never saw coming. Enjoy the ride.
And a PSA: Spring will soon be coming, and with it, garter snakes will be emerging from the ground in giant mating balls. Weird, huh? » Read more on Across America Patch