Woman pays $14,000 to rent rotary phone
CANTON, Ohio (AP) – A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now outdated phone.
Ester Strogen, 82, first leased two black rotary phones — the kind whose round dial is moved manually with your finger – in the 1960s. Back then, the technology was new and owning telephones was unaffordable for most people.
Until two months ago, Strogen was still paying AT&T to use the phones – $29.10 a month. Strogen’s granddaughters, Melissa Howell and Barb Gordon, ended the arrangement when they discovered the bills.
“I’m outraged,” Gordon said. “It made me so mad. It’s ridiculous. If my own grandmother was doing it, how many other people are?”
Woman gives birth to gigantic baby boy
NORWICH, Conn. – Oh baby! Marie Michel’s fifth child was one for the record books. Michel gave birth to a 14-pound, 13-ounce boy Tuesday at William W. Backus Hospital.
Backus officials said the newborn – Stephon Hendrix Louis-Jean – broke the 18-year record for the biggest baby ever born at the hospital by 1 pound, 13 ounces. He was nearly 23 inches long.
“He’s built like a linebacker,” said Dr. David Kalla, who delivered the baby by Caesarean section.
After nine months of carrying Stephon, 36-year-old Michel said she was more tired and happy to have given birth than all the attention her baby was receiving.
“I was miserable,” Michel said. “I couldn’t sleep at night. My 13-year-old son had to help me get in and out bed.”
Woman pleads guilty in dildo incident
MCKEESPORT, Pa. – A woman pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with a bizarre incident in February that resulted in a fake penis being microwaved at a convenience store.
Leslye Creighton, 41, of Wilkinsburg, entered the plea Wednesday, and authorities dropped the same charge against Vincent Bostic, 31, of Pittsburgh, who has agreed to help pay $425 to replace the store’s microwave, police and the couple’s defense attorney said.
Police in McKeesport, about 10 miles east of Pittsburgh, said the Feb. 23 incident began when Bostic filled a fake penis with his urine that they said Creighton planned to use to pass a drug test to get a job.
The two stopped at a GetGo! convenience store and, after wrapping the device in a paper towel, asked a store clerk to heat it up in a microwave, police said. Authorities said they believe Creighton wanted the device heated so the urine inside would be at body temperature during the drug test.
– From wire reports
Senior staff writer Jonathan Cribbs contributed to this report.
