Becky Reilly of Omaha was forced to call in a roofing company after discovering that thousands of honeybees had invaded her home's attic, producing so much honey that it was dripping down the side of the house. "We heard a loud and rhythmic buzzing, and it was somewhat terrifying because we knew what it meant," Reilly told KETV. Jason Starkey of Takoda Green Roofing said he removed about 40 pounds of honey on Oct. 26 before moving the bees and tackling the damage, which he called "horrible." Local beekeeper John Gebuhr moved the bees to his garage, but he is pessimistic about their survival through the winter. But Reilly's friends and neighbors are thrilled: They're getting honey for Christmas!
Nerd alerts
• Since Twitter announced that it would allow 280-character messages rather than its original 140, a whole new world has opened up for the game-addicted among us. Gizmodo reports that tweeters are using the expanded tweetspace to play board games such as chess, Connect Four, Shogi and Go. Games are even being customized; one tweet enthuses about "Marine biology twitter-chess. With a new marine biology fact every time a piece is moved, and a scientifically accurate death scene when a piece is taken." Uh, OK.
• A Google Earth user from Leeds, England, searching for Longcross Studios in Surrey, came across a "Star Wars" fan's dream: the Millennium Falcon, nestled inside a ring of stacked shipping containers and covered with a tarp. Andi Durrant tweeted about his find on Nov. 8. The spaceship was used in filming "Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi" at Longcross; that movie is set for release Dec. 15.
Ewwww!
Sean A. Sykes Jr., 24, of Kansas City, Mo., has discovered one way to avoid the justice system. Sykes was detained in a Sept. 1 traffic stop, but he denied any knowledge of the drugs and handguns found in the car, the Kansas City Star reported. As he was being questioned at the police station, the detective wrote in his report, Sykes was asked his address. In response, he "leaned to one side of his chair and released a loud fart before answering with the address. Mr. Sykes continued to be flatulent and I ended the interview," the detective wrote. Charges were not filed at that time, but Sykes was pulled over again on Nov. 5 and was in possession of marijuana, crack cocaine and a stolen pistol.
Least competent criminals
A loss prevention officer at a Vero Beach, Fla., Walmart happened to catch 25-year-old Cheyenne Amber West and another woman as they carried out some complicated maneuvers in the electronics aisle on Nov. 6. The officer told the Indian River County Sheriff's Office that West and her friend chose a computer, video game controllers and other items totaling almost $2,000, then covered the bar codes with stickers taken from less-expensive clearance items. They then moved to the self-checkout lane, where their loot totaled just $3.70. "I am just trying to get gifts for my son that I cannot afford," West told officers. "The computer is for my husband. Since he just got me a Coach purse, I figured he deserved something nice as well." Treasure Coast Newspapers reports that West was charged with felony grand theft and felony shoplifting and was released on $3,000 bail. The other woman was not charged.
News of the Weird is compiled by the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
