NEWS & BLUES

Curses, Foiled Again

Scott Douglas Jury, 53, notified authorities in Charlotte County, Fla., that someone had withdrawn money from his checking account several times without his permission. He filed a claim with the bank to be reimbursed for the $1,515 that was taken but was told he needed an official sheriff’s office report. When Jury went to the sheriff’s office to report fraudulent activity on another account, he was shown ATM photos of 11 transactions that he’d identified as fraudulent. They clearly revealed Jury withdrawing the money himself. He said he didn’t remember making any of the withdrawals but later admitted using the money to pay bills and buy illegal drugs. (Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office)

Hired to kill a father of four in Cardiff, Wales, Jason Richards, 38, and Ben Hope, 39, instead murdered a 17-year-old boy at a home 70 yards away, according to British prosecutors, who accused the men of “staggering incompetence.” Investigators used Cardiff’s network of surveillance cameras to trace their movements, as well as evidence gathered from their cell phones. (BBC News)

Big on Down-Sizing

Following New York City’s ban on sugary soft drinks larger than 16 ounces, planners announced they hope to address the city’s growing population of singles and two-person households by overturning a rule that new apartments be at least 400 square feet so they can develop apartments of between 250 and 300 square feet. The “micro units” would rent for less than $2,000 a month, and have a bathroom, kitchen and combined living room-sleeping area. “We’re talking about one or two people who want something they can afford,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, “and they don’t entertain.” (Associated Press)

Location, Location, Location

Police cited a 34-year-old man for calling 911 from the front lobby of the Greenfield, Wis., Law Enforcement Center, which houses both the city police department and the municipal courtroom. The man said he called the emergency number to complain because he was tired of waiting for his name to be called to appear in court for a previous citation. (Greenfield’s Patch)

While Frank Rodriguez-Tapia, 20, was on his way out of jail in Santa Fe, N.M., he stole $80 from another inmate who was going through booking. He treated himself to lunch before he was caught and returned to jail. (Albuquerque’s KOAT-TV)

Energy Backfires

Renewable energy around the world is causing problems because it can’t be stored, so when it’s generated, it must be consumed or risk overloading the power grid and causing blackouts. The oversupply problem affects China and Texas but is particularly serious with wind energy generated by Germany. On windy days, it overpowers Central and Eastern European countries, causing them to consider disconnecting their power lines “to prevent accidents and destruction,” Pavel Solc, Czech deputy minister of industry and trade, said. (Bloomberg News)

Sweden’s program to generate energy from garbage is so efficient that Sweden has had to begin importing trash from other countries, to the tune of 800,000 tons a year. Only 4 percent of Sweden’s garbage makes it to landfills. Norway pays Sweden to take its garbage, and Catarina Ostlund, a senior adviser for Sweden’s environmental protection agency, said it’s looking at Bulgaria, Romania and Italy as potential sources of garbage to provide electricity. “I would say maybe in the future, this waste will be valued even more,” Ostlund said. (NPR)

Connecticut’s nuclear power plant had to shut down one of its two reactors last summer because seawater used to cool the plant was too warm. The Millstone Power Station, which uses water from Long Island Sound, provides half of all power used in Connecticut and 12 percent in New England. It was the first time in the 37-year-old plant’s history that excessively warm water caused a shutdown. (Associated Press)

California hydroelectric power plants produced 1,137 fewer megawatts this summer than usual because of drought, according to Stephanie McCorkle of the California Independent System Operator, which operates most of the state’s power delivery. McCorkle blamed snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which was down as much as 50 percent in some areas last spring. “This is how we store electricity,” she said, “in the snow pack.” (National Geographic News)

News and Blues is compiled from the nation’s press. To contribute, submit original clippings, citing date and source, to Roland Sweet in care of The New Times.