Quick Takes

Catch of the day

A New York City teen has reeled in quite the fish story. While fishing with his family on Feb. 18 off the coast of Hawaii’s big island, 16-year-old Kai Rizzuto hooked a massive blue marlin. “When I saw that fish at the end of line I was just thinking, don’t break off. Do not break off,” Kai told KGMB. What the vacationing teen needed 30 minutes to reel in turned out to be a 1,058-pound fish. Measuring in at 11 feet from jaw to tail, the massive marlin barely fit in the boat. After taking the fish back to shore, the teen and his grandfather, Jim Rizzuto, decided to share the catch with locals. “My estimate is today there are over 100 people that are enjoying that fish,” the grandfather said.

Morning glide

If architectural student and city activist Matthew Gibbs gets his way, residents of Edmonton, Alberta, should be able to skate to work or school all winter long next year. At the Jan. 30 Winter Cities 2015 conference in Edmonton, Gibbs presented his idea for what he’s calling a freezeway. Gibbs suggested the city flood an old hiking path, a rail line, and a portion of sidewalk downtown during the winter and allow the 7 miles of paths to freeze over. Residents could then skate around the city in lieu of driving. Both Edmonton City Planner Susan Holdsworth and City Councilor Scott McKeen said they supported the idea. City Councilor Mike Nickel balked, saying the proposed freezeway was “the stupidest idea I’ve heard.”

Tracked down

A miniature Schnauzer that escaped its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home in the early morning hours of Feb. 7 was found hours later in the lobby of a hospital where its owner lay stricken with cancer. Nancy Franck, 64, says she doesn’t know how Sissy made it 20 blocks from home to the hospital but said she believed her dog just wanted to pay her a visit. When her husband Dale arrived to pick up the dog, hospital staff allowed Nancy a quick visit from the pooch before returning to chemotherapy.

Bought and paid for

The people of Meyger, Hungary, apparently aren’t among those who argue that money corrupts politics. The ancient village, current population 18, is reportedly offering visitors the chance to become temporary deputy mayor as well as rent seven guesthouses, four streets, a bus stop, a barn, a chicken yard, six horses, two cows, three sheep, and 10 acres of farmland—all for $750 per day. The offer is part of an effort to lure tourists and company team-building retreats to the remote hamlet 120 miles southwest of Budapest. Mayor Kristof Pajer told the Associated Press the deputy mayor has the power to rename streets—for as long as he or she rents the title.

Armed and dangerous?

Prosecutors in Cumberland County, N.J., dropped weapons charges against an elderly man on Feb. 25. His weapon: an antique flintlock pistol. Last November, police confiscated 72-year-old Gordon Van Gilder’s newly purchased Queen Anne flintlock pistol that dated back to the mid-18th century. Van Gilder was returning from buying the antique at a pawn shop in Vineland, N.J., a state with some of the toughest anti-gun laws, when his driving friend was pulled over by police. The next day, police arrested the elderly arthritic man and charged him with felony gun possession—a charge that would have carried a minimum 3.5-year prison sentence.

Memorable day

Moments after pronouncing 26-year-old Israel Silva and his 19-year-old bride married, Judge Steven Cranfill got down to more serious matters: He sentenced Silva to 10 years in prison for his drunken crime spree last August. Defense attorney Sarah Miles convinced the Park County, Wyo., judge to conduct an impromptu wedding for the couple on Feb. 11 just before Cranfill handed down Silva’s sentence. Rather than a tuxedo, Silva wore his state-issue orange jumpsuit and leg shackles. The court’s no-contact policy required his bride-to-be to remain 15 feet away from him during the one-minute ceremony, so Silva was unable to kiss the bride.

Hat check

A vicious owl perching in a Salem, Ore., park has earned not only a warning sign, but also a nickname. After months of terrorizing park patrons by snatching their hats, the Salem Statesman Journal named the beast Owlcapone on Feb. 11. According to park officials, early morning runners wearing hats are Owlcapone’s favorite target.

Ancient love

Archaeology isn’t often romantic, but archaeologists in southern Greece found what appears to be an ancient love story. The archaeologists in February reported that in 2013 they had found the remains of a 5,800-year-old couple that had died in their 20s, apparently in each other’s arms. The archaeologists found the bones of the man and the woman in tight embrace near the Alepotrypa Cave. They waited to announce the finding until after DNA testing on the bones was completed.

Direct hit

Attempting to be clever, a Kissimmee, Fla., man tried to toss a small bag filled with cocaine out of his sunroof as a police officer was in the process of pulling his car over on a traffic stop on Jan. 16. Unfortunately for 30-year-old Luis Vasquez, not only did police see him ditch the bag, the cocaine actually landed on the hood of the officer’s cruiser. Vasquez was arrested and charged with drug possession and tampering with evidence.