THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011
PAGE 17
OOD NEWS
Now, that's a big baby
(Longview, Texas) — A Texas mom expected a big baby, but nothing like this: 16 pounds, 1 ounce.
Janet Johnson on Monday remained in an East Texas hospital after giving birth to what her doctors called one of the biggest newborns they've ever seen. She was awaiting word on whether her son, JaMichael Brown, ranked among the biggest births in state history.
"Everybody was amazed that he was so big," Johnson, 39, said. "I don't think too many people have heard of having a 16-pound baby."
JaMichael was born Friday at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. Johnson has gestational diabetes, which results in bigger newborns for many mothers. Doctors had estimated JaMichael would be around 12 pounds prior to the cesarean birth.
The hospital has asked the state's vital records department whether JaMichael is big enough to approach any Texas newborn records, said Victoria Ashworth, a hospital spokeswoman. He is certainly the biggest in the history of the Longview hospital, Ashworth said.
Guinness World Records says the heaviest newborn ever recorded weighed 23 pounds,12 ounces,born to an Ohio woman in 1879.
Pink underwear is rage in an Arizona jailhouse
(Phoenix, Arizona) — The Arizona sheriff famous for making prisoners wear pink underwear is introducing a Spanish-language version of the shorts he sells to the public.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio began issuing pink underwear to inmates more than 15 years ago to cut down on theft. He began selling them to the public after speaking about them on national television.
The versions that went on sale Monday are imprinted with "Vamos Jose!" The original shorts, also $15, feature a sheriff's star and a "Go Joe" logo.
"Vamos" translates to "We go" in English. A similar-sounding word, "Vamanos," means "Let's go!" in Spanish. A more accurate translation of "Go Joe!" would be "Andele, Jose!"
Van in soberity program goes on drunken joyride
(Anchorage, Alaska) — Anchorage police say a city van used to pick up drunken people was taken on a joyride by a man suspected of drunken driving.
The Anchorage Daily News reports that 35-year-old Donny H. Weston was arrested late Thursday after police say he got into a Community Service Patrol van parked with the keys in the engine. Police say social workers were attending inebriated people when Weston got into the van.
Police say Weston drove the van for significant distance, including driving against traffic, and he eventually crashed the van into a bus and ditched it.
The van is part of a city program that picks up inebriated people and shuttles them to sleeping center.
Police say the inebriated men in the
back of the van didn't notice the joyride.
Who knew bananas could be so dangerous?
(Strongville, Ohio) — The manager of a cell phone store in Ohio called 911 to report a gorilla had been attacked by a banana.
The Wireless Center in Strongsville, near Cleveland, advertises at curbside with a man in a gorilla suit. Manager Brandon Parham says he was watching last week as a kid dressed as a banana emerged from some bushes and took a flying leap at the store mascot.
Parham says the attacker looked like a Spartan from the movie "300" — except he was a banana.
The gorilla was knocked down but got back up, adjusted his head and went back to work.
WJW-TV reports the banana split running down the street with other teens.
Police think it was a prank. They weren't able to find the offending fruit.
Associated Press
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