Man Discovers Tunnel Under Home
A man recently discovered that a brick tunnel has been buried under his home for over 180 years.
According to FOX2 in Illinois, Gary Machens noticed that the sidewalk was starting to slope at his home in Alton, Ill. “Had a problem here at the sidewalk and as we were doing some excavating and repacking of the rock here, we discovered this tunnel here,” he said. “According to historians here in the Alton area, this tunnel was put in here around 1840.” Machens says the home dates back to the 1890s. He believes that the tunnel was covered in 1895, when the city put down a brick-lined street.
The purpose of the tunnel is still a mystery, though. “Why is it stair stepped like this?” Machens asked a reporter. “Why is that in there? Do you see the offset in the brick? And if you look along this wall, it turns that way a little bit.” He theorizes that it could have been built for ice storage, carriage storage, a root cellar or even as part of the Underground Railroad.
Machens said he had to repair his sidewalk and once again seal off the tunnel, but he is interested in working with the city to open up tours.
Woman Tries to Spend Fake $1 Million Bill at Dollar Store
A Tennessee woman allegedly attempted to spend a counterfeit $1 million bill at a Dollar General.
The Smoking Gun reports that police were called to a Maryville, Tenn., Dollar General to investigate a “suspicious incident” after Amanda McCormick allegedly attempted to use the fake bill to purchase various items and a number of gift cards.
When confronted about the bill, McCormick reportedly told police that she had received it in the mail from a church. She was unable to provide any information on the supposed church, however. McCormic told officers that she was “going to use the money to purchase items for care packages for homeless individuals,” according to the police report.
Police confiscated the counterfeit bill, but no charges were pressed against McCormick. She was allowed to leave the scene without further incident. McCormick was accompanied by a relative who claimed to have had no knowledge of the other woman’s plans. Both women were issued verbal no trespass warnings and are not allowed to return to the Dollar General.
Burglar Steals Used Sex Toys
A Pennsylvania man is facing burglary charges after he allegedly broke into a home and stole cash, bank cards and used sex toys.
According to WTAJ in Pennsylvania, a woman reported to police that she had counted out $700 in cash to pay rent before taking a sleeping pill and falling asleep on the couch. She claimed that when she woke up, the money was missing along with her ATM cards and $160 worth of sex toys.
The victim spoke with neighbors, and they told her that they’d witnessed a man entering her apartment that morning. After hearing the description, she said she believed that the perpetrator was Michael Holden, a neighbor with whom she was on friendly terms. She allegedly attempted to confront Holden at his home, where she says he told her through his window that he’d seen the money on her floor.
Police arrested Holden after video surveillance showed a man wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates hat entering the victim’s residence. Authorities say Holden was seen wearing similar headgear during their previous encounters with him. It is unclear if the stolen money or sex toys were recovered.
Life-Sized Teddy Bear Spotted in California
California drivers are being greeted with a strange sight: A life-sized teddy bear was spotted walking from Los Angeles, Calif., to San Francisco, Calif.
The “bear” goes by the name Bearsum and is documenting his trip on his Instagram account. The man inside the costume says he is attempting to make the 380-mile trip on foot. Last week the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department met up with Bearsum while he was walking along the highway.
The department posted an image of a police car pulled alongside Bearsum, who is lifting the mask off of his head, on its Twitter account. “This was a bear-y unique situation,” the department tweeted. “You may have seen a large teddy bear walking through town. One of our deputies got to meet the individual inside the bear & learned his goal is to complete a walk from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We wish him the best of luck on his adventure!”
Man Believes He’s Living in “Sons of Anarchy,” Attacks Bartender
A bar patron who reportedly believed he was living in the FX show “Sons of Anarchy” smashed a bottle and threatened a bartender when the server was unable to make a cocktail from the show.
According to Scoop Nashville, Jeffrey Turner was arrested by police after allegedly making a scene at a Tennessee bar. Witnesses say he became enraged when the bartender said that he didn’t know how to make a cocktail featured on the show. Turner allegedly smashed a bottle against a wall before police were called.
Police said he was unstable and appeared intoxicated when they confronted him. He was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. According to court documents, Turner believed he was living inside the television show.
US To Experience Boba Shortage
Restaurateurs warn that a backlog of ships that are stuck at ports on the West Coast could lead to a boba shortage across the nation.
San Francisco Eater reports that the backlog is affecting nearly all products shipped to the U.S. from Asia, but supplies of the popular chewy drink additive are especially strained. Not only is the country’s stock of boba balls threatened, so is the stock of raw tapioca starch, the main ingredient used to make boba. Restaurants in California are already seeing the effects of the shortage, and many say they will not be able to serve the treat starting this week. Experts say the shortage will spread to the U.S. over the coming months.