Quick Takes

Final resting place

A gravestone has finally returned to its resting spot in a Michigan cemetery after it went missing nearly 150 years ago. An auctioneer found the gravestone during a Lansing, Mich., estate sale in August. The family had used the marble slab to make seasonal fudge, but no one could remember where it came from. With the family’s permission, the auctioneer contacted a local cemetery preservation society to return the stone to its rightful place. Society members looked for relatives of the gravestone owner, Peter J. Weller, who died in Lansing in 1849, but couldn’t find any survivors. Eventually they learned that when Weller’s grave was moved to a different city cemetery in 1875, the monument somehow ended up in the family’s home. On Sept. 26, the group conducted a memorial service for Weller marking the return of the gravestone.

Runaway bull

Animal rescue staff finally corralled a bull that had been on the run for two months after escaping a farm in Long Island, N.Y. Despite the conspicuous nature of the 1,500-pound beast and a steady stream of tips from local Long Island residents who spotted the bull, the animal had successfully evaded capture since July 20. Local law enforcement employed helicopter and drone searches for the bull, named Barney, while staff from the Skylands Animal Sanctuary searched on the ground. Finally, sanctuary employees spotted the animal on Sept. 22 and relocated the bull to a sanctuary pasture in New Jersey.

Fantasy losses

Four field goals and a pair of extra points from Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson helped propel his team over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sept. 19. While making all his kicks certainly helped Carlson professionally, the 26-year-old admitted after the game it cost him in his fantasy football league among close friends. Carlson said a friend slotted him into his starting lineup. So for every kick Carlson made in real life, he was hurting his own fantasy team. Carlson had not missed a single kick in the first three weeks of the season.

A costly cut

A court in India has ordered a hair salon to pay a model $271,000 to compensate for a bad haircut in 2018. According to the model, the stylist at a hotel-owned salon cut off her long locks against her wishes, causing her to lose modeling jobs for hair product companies. She also claimed a subsequent free hair treatment damaged her scalp. In September, a consumer affairs court ruled in the model’s favor, blaming the stylist for the woman’s alleged mental breakdown following the haircut, which led to her losing her job as a senior management professional. “She lost her self-esteem due to little hair,” the court order said. The owners of the salon can appeal the decision.

Turtle crossing

Authorities at a busy Japanese airport were forced to halt traffic at the facility after a pilot spotted a turtle on the tarmac on Sept. 24. The closure at Narita Airport lasted just 12 minutes as airport crew rushed to the runway to remove the 4.6-pound reptile. According to airport officials, five flights—including an All Nippon Airways aircraft decorated with sea turtles—experienced delays. ANA released a statement saying, “In Hawaii, sea turtles are seen as bringing good luck, and we hope this turtle that came to see the flight off signals a bright future.”

Plugging Apple’s leaks

Apple CEO Tim Cook has a warning for company employees: Stop leaking information to the press. In a September memo to employees, the tech giant CEO said the company is committed to uncovering the identity of leakers, adding, “We also know that people who leak confidential information do not belong here.” Apple has suffered from a culture of loose lips about new offerings, including the iPhone 13 and its new operating system. Cook said the leaks can hurt the sales of current models and give rivals more time to create competing products. Stopping the leaks, though, won’t be easy: Cook’s memo to employees about divulging information to the press was leaked to The Verge.

Not-so-Grand Theft Auto

Police in Lake City, Fla., didn’t have to work very hard to catch one local car thief. Authorities say Timothy Wolfe turned himself in Sept. 20 when he walked into a Chrysler Dodge Jeep auto dealership and tried to sell his vehicle. While preparing an offer, workers at the dealer looked up the car’s VIN only to discover the vehicle had been reported stolen. A further check revealed the man’s car was actually the one stolen off the dealer’s lot just days before. Dealership employees phoned the police, and Wolfe admitted to stealing the car. Lake City police charged Wolfe with grand theft auto and dealing in stolen property.

Luxury parking spot

Parking spots in Boston’s South End neighborhood may be hard to come by. But would someone pay hundreds of thousands for a guaranteed space? That’s the wager made by Campion and Co., which is selling a single parking spot underneath its luxury condo building for $375,000. Parking in the heated garage would save a driver from the hassles associated with street parking, such as moving a car for snowplows and street cleaners. But some neighbors aren’t convinced. “I mean that’s absurd,” South End resident Sam Boyd told WHDH. “The real estate market is super high so people are willing to pay that, but you can move your car every other week and save $375,000.”

Van-bnb

Law enforcement officials in New York City announced Sept. 25 they had impounded seven vans that were allegedly being used as Airbnb rentals in the city. Officials with the NYPD and New York City Sheriff’s Office learned of the unconventional Airbnb rentals after watching a review of one of the vans on YouTube. Airbnb allows homeowners to rent out spare bedrooms or whole properties like hotel rooms, but the practice has annoyed some locals, leading to tight restrictions on short-term rentals. According to the sheriff’s office, the vans had been converted into living spaces and were parked in Manhattan neighborhoods. According to the video review, the vans’ owner was offering the space for just $97 per night, but instructed renters to use the restroom at Starbucks.