RayLee Holladay and her husband, Bubba, live in Lascassas, Tennessee, where they raise cows. About six years ago, WKRN-TV reported, RayLee had been seeking a venture of her own to bring in money on the farm when she discovered Rent The Chicken, a business founded by Phil and Jenn Tompkins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, RayLee's Rent The Chicken franchise is thriving. Customers can either rent egg-laying chickens for about six months, or hatching chicks, which can be returned about two weeks after they hatch. "It's great for teaching kids a little responsibility," RayLee said. "And this is a trial. It's not like getting a puppy for Christmas." Chickens can be rented by families or by schools, day cares and senior living facilities. If renters grow attached, they can adopt the fowl for an added fee. Since its beginning 10 years ago, Rent The Chicken has expanded into 24 states, the District of Columbia and into Canada. [WKRN, 12/5/2022]

Least Competent Criminal

The Rockdale County (Georgia) Sheriff's Department posted a list of its top 10 most wanted fugitives on Facebook on Nov. 28, Fox News reported. One local criminal evidently felt left out, though: Christopher Spaulding, an area man with two warrants for his arrest, commented, "How about me?" The sheriff's department responded, "We are on the way" and on Dec. 1 arrested Spaulding. Later, they commented, "We appreciate you for your assistance in your capture!" Spaulding's warrants were for felony violation of probation. [Fox News, 12/2/2022]

Questionable Judgments

-- A 72-year-old woman was arrested on Nov. 29 in Berlin after she allegedly turned off her hospital roommate's ventilator -- twice! -- because the sound of it was annoying her, The Washington Post reported. After the first incident, police said, the woman was told the machine was necessary to keep the roommate alive, but she switched it off again later in the evening. The other patient had to be revived, although she is expected to recover. The suspect was charged with suspicion of attempted manslaughter. [Washington Post, 12/1/2022]

-- On Dec. 5, as Hassan Chokr, 35, appeared virtually from jail for a hearing in Wayne County, Michigan, he became frustrated with Judge Regina Thomas and started yelling and pointing at the camera, Fox News reported. Thomas asked for his microphone to be muted, and things escalated: "I want the record to reflect that ... now he has removed his pants to show the court his backside," Thomas said. "I don't know why anyone would think it is appropriate to pull down his pants and show the court their behind during a court proceeding." Chokr's attorney agreed with Thomas that a mental health evaluation "probably would be a good thing" and said Chokr was just exercising his right to free speech. Thomas wasn't buying it, though: "We don't get to do and say anything we want to without the consequences of those actions," she said. "That's where your client finds himself today." [Fox News, 12/7/2022]

Making a Statement

Mindy Janette Stephens, 46, was arrested on Dec. 1 and charged with illegal dumping after an incident that took place on Nov. 10 in Electra, Texas. According to KXAN-TV, Stephens, seen on security footage wearing a white hazmat suit and a yellow mask, deposited three 5-gallon buckets of human excrement at the front door of the Electra police department, then got in her SUV and drove away. Stephens told another media outlet that she had been renting an apartment to a man who had not paid rent or utilities for a year, and after she evicted him, she found the buckets of waste. "He'd been pooping in the buckets," she said. She said she called the police department to ask what she should do with them, but officers weren't helpful -- so she took the buckets to the station. City wastewater officials removed them, and Stephens bonded out of jail. [KXAN, 12/6/2022]

Harsh

An Olive Garden restaurant manager in Overland Park, Kansas, is out of a job after they sent a ranting message to team members about excessive time off, KCTV5 reported. "We are no longer tolerating ANY excuse for calling off. ... If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us. ... If you only want morning shifts, too bad, go work at a bank. ... Do you think I want to be here until midnight on Friday and Saturday? No. I'd much rather be at home with my husband and dog," the message said. An Olive Garden representative said the message was "not aligned with our company's values. We can confirm we have parted ways with this manager." [KCTV5, 12/6/2022]

Bad Behavior

Five-year Chicago police veteran Henry Capouch, 30, was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct on Dec. 5 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he was vacationing, The Smoking Gun reported. According to officers, Capouch was discovered around 12:30 a.m. by an employee of Jimmy B's Beach Bar as he was "(urinating) on the ice in the machine." The worker told Capouch to stop, but instead he shoved both him and a security guard. Police said Capouch actively resisted and did not obey commands while being arrested. They said he showed an "indication of alcohol influence." [Smoking Gun, 12/6/2022]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

On Nov. 28 at around 1:45 a.m., an unnamed 27-year-old man visited the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City and made a huge purchase: 300 iPhone 13s. (The store is open 24 hours.) He bought the phones to resell through his small business. But, the Daily Star reported, he didn't get very far with them: As he walked to his car, another car pulled up and two men jumped out, demanding his three bags. The customer defended himself, but the thieves made off with one of the bags, which contained about 125 phones, worth approximately $95,000. The New York Police Department is investigating. [Daily Star, 11/30/2022]

Anger Management

Mark Curtis Wells, 51, of Biloxi, Mississippi, and another golfer got into an altercation on Nov. 28 at Hollywood Casino, WXXV-TV reported. They had played earlier in the day at Bridges Golf Course, where the argument allegedly began, police said. When officers arrived at the casino parking lot, they found one of the men suffering a facial injury: His nose had been bitten off. Wells took off from the scene in a Tesla but turned himself in on Nov. 30 and was charged with mayhem. The nose was not found. [WXXV, 11/30/2022]

Unclear on the Concept

When prosecutors went to court in Prince George, British Columbia, in a case involving a nightclub flouting COVID-19 restrictions last February, they thought their argument was airtight, the CBC reported on Dec. 7. They had video from Lambda Cabaret that had been posted to Facebook showing patrons dancing and drinking with nary a mask in sight. The club even bragged about their disobedience: "Open with zero mandates 2 weeks in a row," it posted. But Judicial Justice Brent Adair saw it differently. "There are so many holes in this case -- it's like someone shot a shotgun," he said. For one thing, he asked, "What is a social media post?" "These are posts that Lambda Cabaret made on Facebook," environmental health officer Joey Cheng answered. "How do you know they made them on Facebook?" Adair asked. "Ummmm ... it was on their Facebook page," Cheng replied. Adair explained he's not a "technical person": "I know Facebook exists. I don't use Facebook. What is it? What does it show?" He ended up dismissing all the charges against Lambda Cabaret, citing hearsay and questioning why video evidence was relevant. Might be time to brush up, Your Honor. [CBC, 12/7/2022]

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Apparently spiritual Zen wasn't enough for Buddhist monks at two small temples in northern Thailand, The Washington Post reported. As part of an investigation into drug abuse in the Phetchabun province, officials visited the monasteries on Nov. 25 and discovered that all of the monks -- even the abbot -- tested positive for methamphetamine. "I was frightened because I never thought the monks would be addicted to drugs," said Sungyut Namburi, the village headman. But the monks' behavior gave them away. "When I inspected the abbot's shelter, I was stunned because it was a mess," Sungyut said. The monks were forced to leave the monkhood and enter rehab. For now, "the temple is empty," Sungyut said. [Washington Post, 12/1/2022]

Not Fit for Office

Bud May, 37, of Kyle, South Dakota, lost his bid for a state House of Representatives seat in 2022 -- and it may have been a good thing. On Nov. 13, May was arrested and charged with second-degree rape after an alleged assault on a woman in a bar bathroom stall, the Argus Leader reported. When he was asked in court whether the interaction was consensual, he replied, "I'm 6-foot-8, it's all consensual." Police reported that when they found the victim, she was cowering behind the bar and had dirt and blood on her, which she said was May's because he was in an earlier altercation. May appeared in court on Nov. 14 for a separate incident, and he has three outstanding warrants from the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety from September and October. [Argus Leader, 11/16/2022]

Least Competent Criminal

When alleged thief Jonathan James Frazier, 35, snatched a surveillance camera from the backyard of a home in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the camera's owner received a motion alert and watched on his cellphone as Frazier stashed it in his backpack, then pulled it out and sold it "to a male subject that police were able to identify," the Tullahoma News reported. The live feed continued at the purchaser's home, where officers caught up with the loot; the purchaser told them where they could find Frazier, and Frazier confessed to the larceny. [Tullahoma News, 11/28/2022]

In (Not So) Hot Water

-- About 200 ice-fishing enthusiasts had to be evacuated from Upper Red Lake, Minnesota, on Nov. 28 after a large chunk of ice broke free from the main shoreline, stranding them about 30 yards away, WDIO-TV reported. The Beltrami County Sheriff's office received a 911 call around 11:30 a.m.; employing a drone to assess the situation, officers used a temporary bridge to reach the fishers, along with airboats and water rescue boats. All anglers were returned to safety. [WDIO, 11/28/2022]

-- On Nov. 28, as the oil and chemical tanker Alithini II pulled into Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, it also carried three stowaways -- riding the ship's rudder at the stern, just feet above the water line. The Guardian reported that the three men had survived an 11-day journey from Nigeria -- more than 2,700 nautical miles -- and were suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. The Spanish coast guard rescued them. [Guardian, 11/28/2022]

It's a Mystery

Volusia County (Florida) officials are baffled by an object that has been unearthed at Dayton Beach Sands, clickorlando.com reported. In the aftermath of hurricanes Ian and Nicole, the 80- to 100-foot-long structure appeared, partially buried in the sand, said Volusia Beach Safety Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs. "We're not sure what it is," she said, adding that she'd been on the beach for 25 years and had never seen it before. The storms caused unprecedented beach erosion. An archaeological team from the state is expected to visit soon to study the object. [clickorlando.com, 11/29/2022]

Picky, Picky

The Cowboy State Daily reported on Nov. 27 that Vern and Shireen Liebl are hoping to make a move to Wyoming, with one very particular criterion dictating which city they choose: the public library. The Liebls have been traversing Wyoming, visiting libraries, for the last 3 1/2 months, hoping to see each one the state has to offer. There have been a few standouts along the way, they report: In Glenrock, Vern said, "They have these skylights up there, and it's like blonde wood, and it just feels so light and airy." He also loved the name of the library in Ranchester: the Tongue River Library. His infatuation with libraries also extends to bookstores: "I think that one of the finest smells in the world is to go into an old bookstore ... and just inhale the essence of the paper," Vern said. [Cowboy State Daily, 11/27/2022]

Our Litigious Society

Amanda Ramirez of Hialeah, Florida, filed a class-action lawsuit against Kraft Heinz Foods Co. on Nov. 18, seeking $5 million. Her complaint? Velveeta's microwavable Shells & Cheese instructions indicate the dish is ready in 3 1/2 minutes, but Ramirez says that is "false and misleading because the product takes longer than the 3 1/2 minutes to prepare for consumption." The suit goes on to say that the 3 1/2 minutes are merely the time needed for microwaving the product, which is just one of several steps. Kraft Heinz told Fox Business that the suit is "frivolous" and that they will "strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint." [Fox Business, 11/27/2022]

Awwwww

-- Geoff Banks, 100, of Devon, England, and Celesta Byrne, 100, of Texas, have a unique bond: They've been pen pals since 1938, the BBC reported. Their friendship blossomed when they were in their 20s and an educational project put them in touch with each other. Since then, they've kept up with technology, switching to emails and video calls, and the two met in person in 2002. Banks calls Byrne "a very interesting person. We exchange stories and she's very good to talk to." Byrne shuts down any suggestion of romance over the years: "There wasn't 'glibbally globbally' stuff, it was just normal neighbor people." [BBC, 11/30/2022]

-- Brenda and Dennis Delgado first met by chance in August 2021, in the condiments aisle at Fry's, a grocery in Casa Grande, Arizona. Dennis told Brenda a joke, she laughed, and they talked for 30 minutes before exchanging their contact info, News12-TV reported. Both were widowed, and as they spent more time together, they grew close. So when they decided to tie the knot, they returned to the scene of the spark: the mayonnaise aisle. On Nov. 19, they exchanged vows on Aisle 8 as the "Wedding March" played over the store's loudspeakers. "It was wonderful," Dennis said. Floral arrangements provided by the store included Miracle Whip and mayo. "If you're looking for love, go to Fry's," Brenda said. "Keep looking." [News12, 11/25/2022]

It's Nice To Have a Hobby

High Point, North Carolina, resident Vic Clinco is believed to have the largest collection in the world of hot sauce, WFMY-TV reported on Nov. 29. He started 26 years ago with three bottles; today he displays almost 11,000 bottles in his basement shrine. "It has turned into an obsession," Clinco admits. He's become such a celebrity in the hot sauce "culture" that manufacturers send him samples of their new varieties. "I want it to be shared with anyone that has the love of the heat as I do," he said. He hopes to hold tastings to introduce others to the love of the spicy condiments. [WFMY, 11/29/2022]

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Archaeologists in Turkey believe they have found the tomb of the real St. Nicholas, People reported on Oct. 19. The grave was discovered beneath the floor of a 7th- or 8th-century church in the country's Antalya province. St. Nicholas of Myra, the inspiration for our modern-day Santa Claus, allegedly served as bishop there. Scientists say the site will be protected and prepared for display. [People, 10/19/2022]

It's a Mystery

On a sheep farm in the Inner Mongolia region of China, a strange phenomenon has been caught on surveillance video, Oddity Central reported. Starting on Nov. 4 and lasting more than two weeks, dozens of sheep were seen walking clockwise in a large circle. Other animals could be seen staring at the circle from outside it, or standing motionless in the middle of it. Only sheep from one pen (out of 34) were acting strangely, according to Ms. Miao, the owner. Some viewers of the video theorized that the sheep are suffering from listeriosis, or "circles disease," but that condition usually causes a rapid death. [Oddity Central, 11/18/2022]

Fish Story

Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France, is the home of the Carrot, a hybrid leather carp and koi fish that was released into the fishing lake 20 years ago and has been eluding fishers ever since, the Daily Mail reported. That is, until Nov. 3, when Andy Hackett, from Worcestershire, England, landed the 67-pound beauty. Hackett spent about 25 minutes hauling in the Carrot. "I always knew the Carrot was in there but never thought I would catch it," Hackett said. He released the famous fish back into the lake and celebrated with a cup of tea. [Daily Mail, 11/21/2022]

The Rules

In Tennessee, it is legal to collect roadkill for consumption, WJHL-TV reported on Nov. 20. In fact, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency encourages people to take home animals found on the road, with some strict rules in place. For example, deer and turkey must be reported to TWRA or local police within 48 hours of collection. But "bears, on the other hand, require that a TWRA agent come out and issue you a receipt for a black bear," said spokesperson Matthew Cameron. That's because the bear population is monitored, and the TWRA takes a tooth from the animal for the purpose of dating it. In addition, tracking bear kills helps the agency prevent the sale of bear parts on the black market. "It's highly illegal to sell any kind of bear parts in the state of Tennessee," Cameron said, "but it does happen." Small animals such as rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and skunks can be collected without notifying anyone. [WJHL, 11/20/2022]

Wiener War

A turf war of sorts broke out late on Nov. 19 in downtown San Diego, CBS8-TV reported: Interloper hot dog vendors from Los Angeles had set up outside Petco Park stadium, where Duke Dumont was playing, and the San Diego vendors weren't having it. A brawl involving 10 to 15 people ensued, with one 35-year-old man being stabbed in the back during the fray. Police arrested Yoni Yates, 21, in the assault, which resulted in non-life-threatening injuries. No buns were injured in the incident. [CBS8, 11/20/2022]

Stowaway

TSA agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport saved the day on Nov. 16 when they spotted an unusual item in a passenger's checked baggage: a live cat. NBC2 News reported that the feline could be seen in an X-ray of the bag and was rescued before the suitcase went into the cargo hold. "The cat did not belong to the individual with the suitcase," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. "It belonged to someone else in the household." [NBC2 News, 11/22/2022]

The Demands of the Job

In Paris, a court has ruled in favor of "Mr. T," a former employee of Cubik Partners who was fired in 2015 for being "insufficient professionally" because he wouldn't take part in "team-building" activities, i.e., going to the pub after work hours and on weekends. In his suit, Mr. T said the company encouraged a culture "involving promiscuity, bullying and incitement to various excesses." The Court of Cessation declared that Mr. T "could not be blamed for his lack of integration in the fun environment," The U.S. Sun reported. Cubik was forced to pay him about $3,100 in compensation. [The U.S. Sun, 11/25/2022]

Extreme Measures

Jermaine Bell, 38, spent more than three years in jail fighting charges against him for an armed robbery in 2018, Local10-TV reported. When he heard the guilty verdict in a Miami-Dade County, Florida, courtroom on Nov. 21, Bell guzzled a cup of bleach, becoming so sick that he had to be removed from the courtroom on a stretcher. He survived the self-imposed attack, but officials are unclear where he obtained the bleach. Rev. Jerome Starling, a distant cousin of Bell's, saw him "drinking something that's not right, and that his attorneys are letting him drink it, the corrections are letting him drink it. And all of a sudden, I see him collapse. And I'm like, 'What just happened?'" Starling recounted. Bell's family members are pursuing the matter. [Local10, 11/21/2022]

Oops

Japanese food shops rely on remarkably realistic plastic samples to showcase their offerings, but one Osaka shop mistakenly sold five plastic pastries to customers on Oct. 22, Gulf News reported. At Andrew's Egg Tart, a worker immediately noticed the mistake, and the plastic treats were exchanged for the real thing. From now on, the shop will use stickers to distinguish real egg tarts from their doppelgangers. [Gulf News, 10/26/2022]

Likely Story

Police in Mathura, India, reported to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act court that more than 500kg of marijuana, confiscated and stored in two police stations, had been "eaten" by rats, Gulf News reported. Officers told the judge that mice and rats, although small, do not fear police. A district judge ordered police to eradicate the "mice menace" and provide proof that the critters actually consumed the weed by Nov. 26. [Gulf News, 11/24/2022]

That's One Way To Do It

With home prices in New Zealand taking their biggest drop in 30 years, one homeowner who's looking to sell is trying to sweeten the offer. The owner of 22 Dungloe Avenue in Flat Bush is offering a free Tesla with the purchase of their $1.8 million home, Sky News reported. The new owner will be asked to choose the color of the electric car, which will be ordered new and delivered to the home from the manufacturer. And with six parking spots, they can park it sideways if they want. [Sky News, 11/17/2022]

Family Values

On Oct. 26, 12-year-old Ayden was picked up unexpectedly by his dad from a birthday party in Los Angeles and was told they were going to a park. Instead, KABC-TV reported, the man started driving to Las Vegas, and Ayden became concerned because he believed his dad was driving drunk. (The fact that Dad was wearing a Las Vegas Raiders helmet might have been a clue.) Ayden called 911 and explained his situation; he told the dispatcher the car has "Raider plates on the front and in the back." Officers finally caught up with the car, and Ayden's dad faces charges of DUI and child abuse. [KABC, 11/23/2022]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.