Weird News: Determined 12-year-old

Determined

When a 12-year-old in Monroe, North Carolina, missed the bus to school on Feb. 18, he made the obvious choice to just drive himself. The Charlotte Observer reported that a Monroe police officer made a traffic stop around 8:30 a.m. and discovered the middle-schooler behind the wheel. A school resource officer from Monroe Middle School transported the boy to school “without further incident,” officers said. The state’s social services department is following up with the family.

Down in a Hole

Drivers of two vehicles waiting at a stoplight in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 24 suddenly found themselves staring at the sky, KETV reported. An SUV and a pickup truck suddenly fell into a sinkhole several feet deep; neither driver was hurt, but the SUV driver needed help from bystanders getting out of the hole. Omaha Public Works said the sinkhole was caused by an underground pressurized water leak.

The Litigious Society

In a lawsuit filed on Feb. 19, Dennis and Patricia Swartz are seeking $150,000 in damages -- each -- from an incident in February 2025. The Independent reported that the couple were dining at LongHorn Steakhouse in Madison, Tennessee, when a “decorative object” (a large set of antlers) fell from the wall above them and struck them both. The lawsuit alleges the object was “improperly and inadequately secured to the wall of the premises” and the owner of LongHorn, Darden Restaurants, was negligent. The suit does not outline the Swartzes’ injuries, but says they have suffered lasting “mental anguish” and “severe personal damages.”

Government in Action

Call in to the Washington state Department of Licensing, and you’ll have the option for Spanish language communication. At least that’s what you’d expect. But instead, the Associated Press reported, an automated AI voice just speaks English with a strong Spanish accent. Maya Edwards, whose husband pressed 2 for Spanish, said, “It was hilarious to us in the moment because it was so absurd. But at the same time, it has real accessibility issues for people who ... need to speak in a different language.” The DOL apologized and said the glitch had been fixed as of Feb. 27, but calls to the service still resulted in the accented voice and using Spanish words only for numbers, as in, “Your estimated wait time is less than tres minutes.” Buena suerte!