The Case of the Stolen 200-foot Radio Tower

The Jasper Alabama Police Department is still searching for the suspects behind the robbery of a 200-foot tall tower belonging to radio station WJLX. 

Brett Elmore, the radio station’s general manager, learned about their AM tower’s disappearance on February 2 when their maintenance crew arrived at the location and discovered that it was missing. Elmore told Fox 9 that he recalled one of the maintenance crew workers telling him, “The tower is gone. Wires are scattered everywhere.” 

Alabama’s ABC 33/40 News states that the total value of the stolen equipment is approximately $200,000, putting WJLX in a financial crisis. The station requested permission from the Federal Communications Commission to remain on FM while the case of the AM tower remains unsolved. Their request was denied, forcing the station to halt operations.

The robbery of the tower has hurt the greater Jasper community as well. As a small town, WJLX gave Jasper and the surrounding county a voice. Information on the identities of the suspects and how they stole the tower remains unknown.

Airport Security Officer Attempts to Hide Stolen Cash in Mouth

In early September 2023, a security screening officer in the Philippines was caught on CCTV stuffing bills worth $300 USD into her mouth. The incident occurred at Ninoy Aquino International Airport – the officer had been doing a regular manual search and stole money from a departing Chinese passenger. The passenger had suspected that someone had tampered with his wallet as it had been open and multiple bills were missing. He confronted the officer and other airport personnel, prompting authorities to review security footage. 

Based on the footage, Interaksyon reported that the screening officer had turned her back away from the other officers and one security camera, but had seemingly forgotten about the other camera pointing in her direction. The footage from this angle showed that the officer had received a bottle of water from an X-ray operator, and later on drank it to try to wash down the bills. Business Insider says, “The officer claimed that she didn’t steal the cash and that she was eating chocolate, not money.” 

The airport announced that charges would be filed against the security officer.

Dog Elected Minnesota Mayor Three Times

Did you know that you do not have to be a human to run for mayor in the United States? In 2014, a dog named Duke won the race for the honorary mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota. He continued to win the two succeeding elections until he passed away in 2018.

The election of the Great Pyrenees was a mistake, his owner David Rick claimed. “Three years ago it happened by accident,” Rick told ABC News. “It was a write-in vote. You pay a dollar and you can vote.” Only 12 people voted, and Duke won by a landslide.

As honorary mayor, Duke kept a good reputation for Cormorant by leading parades and appearing on billboards.

Duke is not the only dog in the United States that has served as a mayor. In 2012, two years before Duke’s election, a Golden Retriever named Max was elected mayor of Idyllwild, California. He was succeeded by another Golden Retriever, Max II, who served until his death in July 2022. The Golden Retriever mayor tradition continued with the election of Max III in December 2022.