An Indiana couple who topped the scales at more than 700 pounds combined have undergone weight-loss surgery — on the same day.
Lorie and Todd Richmond of Demotte, Ind., both had surgery last week at the University of Chicago Medical Center. They made the decision after years of failed diets and 10 months of preparation.
The 305-pound husband underwent gastric bypass surgery, and his 402-pound wife had a duodenal switch. Both operations were performed by Dr. Vivek Prachand.
The doctor says it’s the first time he has performed surgeries on a husband and wife in the same day.
— Don’t try this at home.
Fire officials in New Bedford, Mass., say a man using a blowtorch to melt ice on his back porch ended up setting his house on fire, causing up to $30,000 in damage.
Fire Capt. Scott Kruger told The Standard-Times of New Bedford that no on was injured during Monday’s incident at the three-story home.
Kruger says the man was using a torch hooked up to a 20-pound propane cylinder. He got too close to the building’s wood frame and ignited the vinyl siding. The fire quickly spread into the building’s second- and third-floor apartments.
It took 25 firefighters to subdue the blaze that damaged bedrooms in the upstairs units, and caused damage to the structure and wiring.
The homeowner will not be charged.
— A group of Santa impersonators are on the naughty list of Arizona law enforcement officials.
A YouTube video posted Monday shows four people dressed as Kris Kringle, white beards and red hats included, covering three speed and red light enforcement cameras in Tempe.
They cover two of them with boxes — one decorated with Christmas wrap — and the third with what appears to be a red sheet.
The Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus is coming to town” plays during the more than two-minute video.
At the end is a message that reads: “Ho Ho Ho! Death to the surveillance state! Free movement for all people!
The group that posted the video also wrote “lumps of coal to all of those who make it their business to watch and control.”
Arizonans have been lashing out at photo enforcement cameras in recent weeks. In addition to the various cities and towns that put up their own cameras, Arizona became the first in the nation to launch a statewide photo enforcement program in September.
The program calls for 100 mobile and fixed devices on freeways throughout the state. More than 40,000 drivers were issued tickets in October and November — the first two months of the program.
Some people who are fed up with the cameras have been covering them with sticky notes and silly string. One man even took a pickax to a camera in Phoenix, causing cosmetic damage and knocking the camera out of alignment, preventing violators from being photographed until it was fixed.
— And finally, police in Utah have arrested a man they say tried to steal a fire truck so he could drive home — to Washington — for Christmas.
South Salt Lake police Detective Gary Keller says firefighters on a medical call heard the $500,000 truck’s air horn blaring and ran outside, where they found a man in the driver’s seat trying to drive away.
After a lengthy struggle during which the engine traveled about 50 feet, firefighters were finally able to subdue the man until police arrived.
Police say the 25-year-old man told them he wanted to travel to Washington to see his mother for Christmas.
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