An Ohio man who spent hours on a street corner with a sign declaring he is a bully said the punishment in a disorderly conduct case was unfair and that the judge who sentenced him has ruined his life.
Edmond Aviv, 62, mostly ignored honking horns and people who stopped to talk to him in South Euclid, the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported. “The judge destroyed me,” Aviv said. “This isn’t fair at all.” The sentence stemmed from a neighbourhood dispute in which a woman said Aviv had bullied her and her disabled children for years. Aviv pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge, and municipal court judge Gayle Williams-Byers ordered him to display the sign for five hours as part of his sentence.
The judge selected the wording for it: “I am a bully! I pick on children that are disabled, and I am intolerant of those that are different from myself. My actions do not reflect an appreciation for the diverse South Euclid community that I live in.”
Be prepared... new activity badges
Young people who demonstrate a flair for photography, gardening and camping will soon be eligible to adorn their Scout uniforms with badges recognising their achievements.
The Scout Association has launched a range of new activity badges for its youth members, allowing Scouts to show progress in a wider range of existing pursuits. Ten of the new badges are aimed at Beaver Scouts – with awards for disability awareness and an understanding of outer space among them.
The launch of the new badges follows an extensive 10-month consultation process within and outside the Scouting movement, during which the Scout Association consulted more than 12,000 members through focus groups, surveys, social media and events.
Man receives ‘Diamond’ bill
A holidaymaker ran up a phone bill of more than £2,600 after downloading a Neil Diamond album while abroad.
Katie Bryan was at a party with her boyfriend’s family in South Africa when she decided to download the £8.99 album from iTunes on to her phone.
When she returned to the UK, Miss Bryan reportedly found Orange had billed her £2,609.31 for the download.
Cold shoulder for charity runner
A charity runner has completed two back-to-back London Marathons while carrying a fridge.
Tony Phoenix-Morrison, 49, known as Tony the Fridge, ran the course alongside 36,000 people in a time of six hours, 11 minutes and 57 seconds.
But after crossing the finish line he caught a train back to the start at Blackheath to complete the 26.2-mile course for a second time overnight. The whole challenge took him just over 26 hours and he has raised more than £10,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Man had God as first name
A New York City man claims a credit reporting agency falsely reported that he had no financial history because his first name is God.
God Gazarov said in a lawsuit that Equifax has refused to correct its system to recognise his name as legitimate, according to the New York Post. He said an Equifax customer service representative even suggested that he change his name to resolve the issue.
Mr Gazarov is a Russian native named after his grandfather. The 26-year-old owns a jewellery store and is a graduate of Brooklyn College. He said he has high scores with two other major credit agencies.
Sweet smell – near sewage plant
A sewage treatment plant near Seattle is advertising its availability as a wedding venue.
The Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Centre says on Facebook that it has a full catering kitchen, audio-video equipment, a dance floor and ample parking. You could even hold the wedding outside. Receptions would take place just steps away from where sewage is processed, said Susan Tallarico, director of the centre. There is no odour because all the processing is contained, she told the KIRO news channel.
The King County plant has been available for rent for about seven months. It costs 2,000 US dollars to rent the centre for eight hours.