Things got a little heated — which is to say, 73 vehicles were consumed by flames — at the annual fall festival at the Robinson Family Farm in Temple, Texas, on Oct. 15, an event that features a pumpkin patch, hayrides, live music, kids' games and more. The Bell County fire marshal's office is seeking information about an attendee who, according to witnesses reporting on social media, flicked a cigarette butt in the grassy parking lot, which combined with the gusty winds and dry conditions to start the blaze. "I have to say that is the most exciting and expensive pumpkin patch we've been to," one attendee posted on Facebook after the disaster claimed their family van.
Unsportsmanlike conduct
David Alan Taylor, 41, of Pensacola, Fla., was watching a youth football practice when he became enraged at seeing his son being overpowered during a one-on-one tackling drill. He ran onto the field on Sept. 20, donned a helmet, got into a football stance and charged the player who had tackled his son. His football skills left a lot to be desired, according to the Pensacola News Journal, but that's not what got him in trouble; it was the fact that his victim was 9 years old. The youth was not seriously hurt, and Taylor was booked to the Escambia County jail on a first-degree felony count of aggravated child abuse and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
Rare vintage
A pair of Levi's jeans found in an abandoned mine sold for a staggering $87,400 at a New Mexico auction on Oct. 1, reported CNN.com. What was so special about the jeans? They dated back to the 1880s, and while it's not uncommon for "denim archaeologists" to find jeans from that period of history, it's incredibly rare to find them so well preserved. "There's a couple of soft spots on the jeans that could use a bit of reinforcement, but otherwise they're super-duper solid jeans," said Zip Stevenson, who runs a denim repair shop in Los Angeles and placed the winning bid. While some folks think the pants should be put on display in a museum, he said he would consider selling them to someone who wanted to use them. "I could easily imagine Johnny Depp or Jason Momoa wearing them," Stevenson said.
Court jester
A municipal judge in Cleveland was put on indefinite suspension Oct. 18 and will undergo evaluations for her physical and mental health after a long series of bizarre incidents and behavior, the Columbus Dispatch reported. The Ohio Supreme Court took action after Judge Pinkey S. Carr wore sneakers, Spandex shorts, T-shirts and even tank tops while sitting on the bench. Her desk had become littered with so many cups, dolls and novelty items that Carr's own attorney described it as "resembling a flea market." The 58-page complaint filed by the Supreme Court states that, among many other incidents, Carr joked about giving lenient sentences and accepting kickbacks with attorneys and defendants while court was in session. The governor will appoint a temporary replacement for Carr until a new judge can be elected.
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