Weekly Weird News for October 29, 2021
Chew on this weirdness
Happy Halloween weekend all! Hope things are spooky for you. Here is a curated selection of some off-beat or out-of-the-way tidbits you may have missed this week. Honestly, it was a slow week. But I hope you enjoy!
Locals fear pollution the cause of mass death of sea creatures
A mass mortality event of sea creatures in the North of England has prompted an environmental investigation. Locals say they have never seen so many dead crabs and lobsters washing up on the shore over the past two weeks. Fishermen report no catches. Even a dead porpoise has washed up. This area around the mouth of the Teesside River is known for various chemical processing industries. An environmental pollutant is suspected. Samples have been taken as authorities try to figure out the cause of the event. Meanwhile, piles of dead animals and seaweed are decaying on the sand. https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/piles-sea-creatures-wash-up-21966042
Strange lights, explained in Arkansas
Strange lights in the sky were filmed by residents in Barling, Arkansas at just before 10PM last Sunday night. People thought the strange blinking lights in the clouds were some kind of lightning. But it turns out there is an ongoing nightly event called the “Whimsical Light Show” that projects light beams into the sky from a rooftop. Thanks to Facebook, residents were able to connect the two. The light show continues through Halloween. I guess the lesson here is to never assume something incredible and rare when the answer is typically more down to earth. https://www.4029tv.com/article/barling-arkansas-lights/38057319#
They all float down there
An alligator emerges from a storm drain in downtown Mobile, Alabama startling residents living in the area and waiting for the bus. Alligators are increasing their numbers in Alabama but they are a protected species. They may travel quite far away from water. The animals also are transported by people and let loose in new areas around the state. The news reports show the residents worried about the danger of the situation and called police when it approached an apartment complex. But the alligator was fairly small and was safely removed from the area. https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/alligator-crawls-out-of-drain-at-mobile-apartment-complex/
Zebra mambo number 5
It’s been a few weeks since I noted an out-of-place zebra. The dry spell has been broken as a wandering zebra attracted attention in Louisiana. The animal had been moved to a new pasture and apparently was a bit peeved about that. He was safely returned. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/10/26/escaped-zebra-DeSoto-Parish-Louisiana/6961635262317/
Ghost prank turned tragic in Mexico
Now, a Halloween-themed tragedy that appeared in tabloid papers probably because it’s a bit lurid and the primary sources are out of Mexico. An unidentified young woman was seen walking the streets of Naucalpan de Juarez, Mexico at night wearing a wedding gown. It’s said she was imitating La Llorona, the legendary woman who weeps after her lost children. She was filmed crying for the children when moments later she was shot. The reports say the resident was scared but then took off. That’s all we get. We don’t know the details and, frankly, the story doesn’t make sense. The video of the woman who subsequently died has been shared on social media but it’s not something I personally would go looking to view. However, this sounds like the start of a new ghost story with a new twist on the old legend. https://nypost.com/2021/10/22/woman-shot-dead-after-dressing-as-a-ghost-to-scare-her-neighbors/
Special update: This story was a fake! That’s good news. Thank you to reader Sofia Lincos who provided me with additional information in Spanish that strongly asserts this story is not true. With the story going viral on social media, the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico responds by saying "We do not have any record of a woman who has been killed or injured by a firearm with those characteristics indicated in the publication in that area of the entity and on that day”. The video associated with the story was traced back to 2020. Here are some links that appear to confirm the misinformation being circulated.
It is false that they killed a woman disguised as La Llorona in Naucalpan https://www.animalpolitico.com/elsabueso/falso-que-mataron-una-mujer-disfrazada-de-la-llorona-naucalpan/
The Mexican Prosecutor's Office denies the case of "La Llorona" shot to death in Naucalpan https://www.la-prensa.com.mx/policiaca/patrulla-mexiquense/desmiente-fiscalia-mexiquense-el-caso-de-la-llorona-asesinada-a-balazos-en-naucalpan-7363867.html
This story had been reported from The Sun (UK) in addition to Newsweek in the US (which is, frankly, usually complete garbage). It then appears on many other websites that will not bother to post the debunking. I am so grateful that Sofia provided this information so that we can confirm this event didn’t actually take place.
La Palma dogs rescued under mysterious circumstances
Last week I heard about some drone operators who were going to try to rescue dogs that were trapped in a restricted area of La Palma island due to the erupting volcano. The dogs were in a fenced yard and were sustained only by some dropping food for them. But the dogs were emaciated and would soon die if not rescued. The plan to net and lift the dogs provided a faint hope of success. But, suddenly, the dogs were gone. Only a hand-painted sign remained announcing “The dogs are fine” signed by “The A-Team”. It’s a mystery who walked into the yard and where they took the dogs but an animal rescue group produced a video announcing the rescue. The video includes a tribute to “The A-Team” TV show as heroes who skirt the law. There is a sentiment that the rescuers not be prosecuted for going into an off-limits area. Those responsible have not been identified. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/21/1048003713/a-team-dogs-rescue-volcano-lava-la-palma-spain
TikTok Tics
Kids today can’t do without TikTok - it’s where they get their news, trends, and other cultural content. And, they also get bad habits. A new study suggests that girls aged 12-25 who watch clips of people who portrayed physical tics (and suggesting they were suffering from Tourette’s syndrome) were more likely to pick up on the behaviors if they were suffering from stress and anxiety. The story very much reminds me of the incidents in LeRoy, New York in 2012 when teen girls under heavy stress also experienced similar illnesses and the media went wild trying to say it was everything BUT stress. Here is another one of MANY demonstrations of how influential social media can be, to the point of seriously affecting behavior and causing illness. https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/health/2021/10/24/1_5636212.html
Elephants kill poacher
Rangers found the body of a man in Kruger National Park in South Africa. He had been crushed to death by elephants. The man was suspected of being a poacher. It was not the first time this happened. Rhino poachers have been stomped twice previously after encountering elephant herds who have zero tolerance for nogoodniks. As the article notes, it’s hard to feel sorry for those people but the money that can be gained by black market sales of rhino horn, ivory, and other exotic animals parts is worth risking death. The ultimate answer is to remove the value of these products in society. https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2021/10/26/feel-good-story-of-the-week-elephants-stomp-another-poacher-n1526955
Signal from space was another false alarm
A radio signal that appeared to originate from the star Proxima Centauri, turned out to be “human-made radio interference from some technology, probably on the surface of the Earth”. A new research paper says the signal detected by an Australian telescope in 2019 squashes the idea that it was aliens. But that won’t stop people from alleging a cover-up or believing in alien visitation with no solid evidence. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-mysterious-alien-beacon-was-actually-a-false-alarm/
Four people infected with a tropical disease from a room spray
Four people in four states were infected earlier this year with the rare tropical disease called melioidosis. Two died. But how were they infected when they didn’t travel to the known areas of the disease? An investigation showed that the common threat was an aromatherapy spray sold at Walmart. The product was manufactured in India. It has since been recalled. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/mysterious-fatal-infections-tied-to-room-spray-sold-at-walmart/
Halloween treats for you
With Halloween coming up this weekend, don’t miss two other timely stories on Sharon’s Strange Times main feed:
and
Regarding the latter post, a new poll out by YouGov continues the typical percentage of belief in ghosts by Americans at around 41%. An additional 20% say they aren’t sure. But the weirder stat is the 43% that believe in demons! Unsurprisingly, when you count in the “maybe” votes there, the values are equal to ghosts. People WANT to believe and they attribute unclear events as paranormal or supernatural based on a preexisting belief or desire. https://today.yougov.com/topics/entertainment/articles-reports/2021/10/21/americans-say-ghosts-exist-seen-a-ghost
As always, if you find additional information on these stories, please comment and let me know. Send suggested stories via Twitter @idoubtit.