News Stories: September 1 - October 11
September 1, 2007 – ORLANDO
Local exotic dancer Sheri ‘Siren’ Malone shot herself Wednesday night in the backstage area of Dancer’s Royal on Colonial Drive. She had just finished a dance set and returned to the dressing room, removed a handgun from her makeup case and fired against her temple. Witnesses say she made no comment before the shooting, and that she seemed lucid and not behaving oddly or anxiously. “She and I were talking about getting some McDonald’s after our shift,” said Elizabeth ‘Honey’ Preston, who was there when Malone committed suicide. “I can’t believe this happened.” Dancers Royale has not issued a formal statement at the time of this printing. Malone is survived by a mother, Bertha, and a brother, Charles.
September 1, 2007 – ORLANDO
A twenty-three year old woman was rushed to the hospital early this evening after being assaulted by a man who stalked her to her second-story apartment in downtown Orlando. Neighbors say they heard some sort of activity in her home, but had no idea what was going on. The suspect left the apartment and the woman, Caroline Majors, managed to call 911 despite her condition. She was able to offer a description of her assailant, and the police are now looking for a local man named Xopa Kia, who is the prime suspect in this case. Major’s condition is unknown at this time.
September 9, 2007 – UCF
Tests of New Tesla Field Brings Lightning To UCF
Dr. Suchong of the University of Central Florida picked an odd night to test the new Tesla Field he has been working on. Not only did the test illuminate the campus with excessive and unusual lightning, but other occurrences seemed drawn to the college as much as the electricity. Around nine PM, the Reflection Pond turned strangely brackish with not explicable reason. Also, a supposed fraternity’s pledges were donning full-sized bird costumes and wandering about the campus. Witnesses to all three events were understandable baffled and amazed, but the students seemed nonplussed.
September 13, 2007 – FERN PARK
A man assaulted four customers in a Ferm Park 7-11 as a result of an inexplicable hysteria. Edward Brent, 30, attacked the customers after he had been in the convenience store at least five minutes without incident, witnesses say. None of the victims were critically injured, but Brent is now in the hospital from severe lacerations to his arm. After assailing the customers, Brent allegedly broke a glass coffeepot and tried to remove one of his numerous tattoos by cutting it out of his arm. It is unknown what tattoo it was, or why he chose it. Police arrived on-scene and were able to subdue Brent and take him to the hospital. The victims were treated at the store and sent home.
September 21, 2007 – THORNTON PARK
The Wolcott Foundation will be hosting its annual wine-tasting fundraiser next Thursday at 8:00PM at Wildfire’s in Thornton Park. Tables are $200.00, and include wine, supper and an entry into a drawing to win a Hawaiian vacation. The Harper Jazz Trio will be performing live at the event. For reservations, please call 407-555-1234.
September 29, 2007 – WINTER PARK
An unnamed man is accusing the local police of excessive brutality after he was arrested for attempted murder on Sunday night. James Elroy, 34, was taken into custody after attempting to break into the hotel room of a visiting dignitary. Elroy claims the two officers who arrested him, names unknown, continuously abused him verbally and physically while waiting for a squad car to transport the suspect to the local station. There was no physical evidence of abuse on Elroy when he was delivered to his cell, and the officers are denying the accusations.
October 9, 2007 -- DOWNTOWN
Three armed suspects in Halloween masks Monday kicked in the door of an Orlando apartment and robbed the residents inside, police said. Orlando police said that at 8 p.m., the residents of the Brittany Apartments unit at 5266 N. Orange Blossom Trail told police that three armed men barged into the residence wearing masks and demanding money. The suspects took money and other personal property from the victims.
October 10, 2007 – ORLANDO
Police, veterinarians and the SPCA have all been receiving an unusually high volume of calls from pet owners whose pets behaviors are worrying them. The Orlando Police Department says they have gotten at least a dozen calls per day regarded strange pet behavior, and the SPCA reports that more than that have called them and several people have come in to give their pets to local shelters due to the unpredictable behavior. A vet for Banfield Animal Clinic is baffled. “Seven people have brought in their pets. No particular species or breed – I’ve seen cats, dogs, hamsters, even and iguana. The animals are all perfectly healthy. I don’t know what to tell these people.” Police encourage any concerned pet owner to have their vet check out their animals just in case, if any odd behavior is noticed.
October 11, 2007 – UCF
The University of Central Florida's driverless car may not be ready for Interstate 4, but it is headed for a California competition where its creators hope to snag a $2 million top prize. The $250,000 car, looking like something Doc Brown might have assembled in his garage in the Back to the Future movies, can back out of a parking space, navigate a roadway and stop at an obstruction -- all without a driver behind the wheel. "It's scary when you let the car drive by itself," said Remo Pillat, a Ph.D. candidate at UCF who worked on the car's laser scanners. "All kinds of things can go wrong." On Wednesday, however, everything went right as the Knight Rider VIP -- named for the UCF moniker, not the 1980s television program -- followed its computerized mission without any remote assistance from humans
- news stories courtesy the DST, Jake T., US2002022694