Quick Takes: A speedy mistake

One heavily modified Pontiac inside an Illinois museum is still garnering attention despite being parked for several years. In a May social media post, an official with the Volo Museum said it received a speeding ticket from New York City after a traffic camera spotted a black Pontiac Trans Am speeding down Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway. The violating vehicle bore modifications to make it appear like the car featured in the 1980s action adventure television series Knight Rider, complete with a California vanity license plate emblazoned with the word KNIGHT. Officials with the city’s Department of Motor Vehicles somehow linked the vehicle to the Volo Museum in the suburbs north of Chicago. Problem: The automotive museum’s replica of KITT, the car from Knight Rider, hasn’t moved in years. “We’re still trying to figure it out,” Volo marketing director Jim Wojdyla said, adding that the museum’s KITT replica Trans Am isn’t even registered. Museum officials say they plan to challenge the $50 speeding ticket and suggested in a Facebook post that show star David Hasselhoff should pony up for the bill.

All-natural competition

In a field full of pumped-up athletes, swimmer Hunter Armstrong bested them all. And he passed a drug test too. Armstrong, a former Olympic gold medalist, competed in the first Enhanced Games on May 24, an event that encourages athletes to use performance-­enhancing drugs (see “Dopers get their day,” in this issue). Armstrong bested all other competitors, notching a 24.21-second performance in the 50-meter backstroke. And while many of his competitors used steroids or other PEDs, the American competed clean. After the event, Armstrong submitted to a drug test to prove his non-enhanced status even as he dominated an enhanced field.

Watch for wet cement

Wisconsin roadway officials would like to remind drivers: Warning signs about road closures aren’t just a suggestion. According to Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials, the driver of a Nissan pickup truck stopped in May to move a “Road Closed” sign and then proceeded forward through construction work on a Milwaukee County highway on-ramp until the vehicle became stuck in more than a foot of wet concrete. “Please—never remove or ignore ‘road closed’ or any other types of barriers … or this might happen to you,” a department spokesman warned.

Battling a summertime plague

Tech giant Google wants to unleash millions of mosquitoes on California and Florida. And despite sounding like some dystopian plot, the internet company might be on to something good. Google’s aptly-named Debug project has asked permission from the Environmental Protection Agency to release millions of ­sterile mosquitoes into the wild to help combat insect-borne illnesses. According to the group’s working theory, 32 million male mosquitoes rendered sterile through bacterial inoculation would compete for mates with normal male mosquitoes. Each fixed mosquito that mates with a normal female would reduce the number of breeding couples. “Male mosquitoes can’t bite or spread disease, so good bugs will stop bad ones from reproducing,” Debug officials explained on its website. “Over time, there will be fewer and fewer bad mosquitoes.”

Hot and fast

Richard Delcid isn’t just fast—he can fairly claim to be the fastest pizza maker in the world. Delcid, a Domino’s Pizza general manager in Manassas, Va., took home first place in the pizza chain’s “World’s Fastest Pizza Maker” competition in May. For the contest, Delcid constructed three pizzas—one pepperoni, one mushroom, and one cheese—all in just 31.22 ­seconds. “I didn’t know I could go that fast,” the 14-year Domino’s veteran told WTOP. Event rules require competitors to make pizzas that could be served to paying ­customers. Delcid, whose efforts bested the competition’s previous record-setting time by 8 seconds, earned $5,000 for winning the competition and another $5,000 from his local store as a bonus.

Bad timing

The honeymoon will have to wait. World Cup soccer player Brenden Aaronson picked a bad time to get married—in the weeks leading up to the big international tournament. Aaronson’s coaches gave him just one day off between training sessions to attend his own wedding on May 29. Aaronson departed the American team’s Georgia training camp on Thursday after practice and was expected to be back for the Saturday training session after exchanging vows in New Jersey with his new wife on Friday. Friend and teammate Gio Reyna couldn’t attend the ceremony but sent his wife instead. He said he hoped to share the moment with his teammate via video conference.

Hold onto that string

Deflating the spirits of revelers across the Pelican State, Louisiana’s legislature just voted to ban balloon releases. The new law, which takes effect Aug. 1, prohibits the intentional outdoor release of helium party balloons and subjects first time offenders to a $500 fine. Lawmakers said they were concerned with the danger spent balloons might pose to the state’s wildlife. The new law contains one bit of good news for younger balloon enthusiasts: those aged 17 and younger can’t be charged.