Viewers get scenic sight on Gondola
An Albany, N.Y., man is accused of riding nude in a gondola at Stratton Mountain Resort on Dec. 15. William N. Barrett III, 46, pleaded not guilty to the felony of lewd and lascivious conduct and a misdemeanor of marijuana possession Tuesday in Vermont District Court. A witness reported to the gondola lift attendants that Barrett was nude and touching himself inappropriately while riding the lift. Barrett, who was fully clothed when he reached the bottom of the hill, denied being nude. He told police he had taken off his jacket and shirt because of the nice weather. He also was charged with marijuana possession. Police found a glass pipe and film canister containing marijuana when they arrested him, authorities said.
An energy drink with a caution label
A high school banned a caffeine-packed energy drink and 7-Eleven pulled it from Colorado stores after some students said it made them sick and shaky and caused their hearts to race. About a half-dozen students became sick in the last two weeks and two were hospitalized after drinking Spike Shooter, made by Biotest Laboratories LLC. All recovered within hours, said Dennis Vigil, assistant principal at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs. A warning on the can says the drink isn’t meant for anyone under 18, said Biotest spokesman Tom DeNardin. The drink contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as two to three five-ounce cups of coffee. 7-Eleven Inc. pulled the drink from all 222 of its company-owned stores in Colorado after the school asked nearby stores to limit sales to students, spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. A company Website carries a warning suggesting consumers “Begin use with one-half can to determine tolerance,” and at the top of the cans a warning says consumers should “Read label before drinking.” The Website says Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, “Keep out of reach of children.”
NEW YORK POLICE FIND MUMMY WATCHING TV
Police called to a Long Island, N.Y., man’s house discovered the mummified remains of the resident, dead for more than a year, sitting in front of a blaring television set. The 70-year-old man appeared to have died of natural causes. Police said his body was discovered when they went to the house to investigate a report of a burst water pipe. Officials could not explain why the electricity had not been turned off, considering Ricardo had not been heard from since December 2005.