Field Report

Ronaldo, a man from Cascavel, Brazil, was walking to work when two vicious dogs attacked him, Ratopati reported on Feb. 26. The dogs lunged at his neck, and as he fought them off, one bit down on the cellphone in his shorts pocket, which turned out to be fortuitous: The phone exploded, scaring the dogs off. “That moment was terrifying, but that very mobile phone saved my life,” Ronaldo said. He did sustain some minor burns on his leg. The dogs’ owner apologized and agreed to cover his medical expenses and the cost of a new phone.
[Ratopati, 2/26/26]

See You Later, Alligator

Anthony Buhl, 56, and March Chadwick, 57, are awaiting arraignment after being charged in Florida for driving with a dead alligator on the roof of their car, The Smoking Gun reported. On April 4, witnesses and license plate readers tracked Buhl and Chadwick as they drove from central Florida to the Atlantic coast with the carcass in plain view. After learning that possession of an alligator is illegal in Florida, the two tourists came up with a solution: They covered the deceased with a white sheet. A Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) commissioner finally caught up to them and pulled them over, but it’s unclear whether the pair still had the alligator at that point. The arrest report indicated that they had earlier called the FWC dispatch to inform them they had disposed of the alligator. The report also offered an explanation: Evidently, the duo “admitted taking the roadkill alligator and wanting to take it to a taxidermy office to have it stuffed.” They were booked into the Brevard County jail and released after paying a $5,000 bond. They were scheduled to appear in court on April 28. [The Smoking Gun, 4/8/26] 

Live, From Cincinnati

WKRP is finally coming home to Cincinnati. D.P. McIntire of Raleigh, North Carolina, runs a media nonprofit that has been the proud owner of the call sign WKRP since 2014. McIntire, 56, recalled watching the first episode of the 1978 CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati: “I got up and I proclaimed, ‘I’m going to be in radio. And if I ever have the opportunity, I’m going to run a station called WKRP.’” According to The Associated Press, McIntire’s local broadcast WKRP-LP — 101.9 FM — went live on Nov. 30, 2015, and boasted “irreverent” offerings such as a show called “Weird Al and Friends,” and even an annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, where McIntire’s team gives out gift certificates for a local grocery store — a nod to the sitcom’s famous Turkey Day episode. When McIntire sought bids on the call letters, Cincinnati answered. “I cannot, by contract, tell you when. I cannot tell you who. But I can tell you, direct to the camera, WKRP, after 48 years, is coming to Cincinnati,” McIntire said. “It has a special place in the hearts of an awful lot of people, and we have been very, very, very proud to have been a steward of that legacy.” [AP, 4/3/26]

In the Mood

In London, younger millennials and older Gen Zers are ditching the dating apps for slide decks. At “Date My Mate,” a live dating event hosted by a north London pub, participants create and present PowerPoint slides to pitch their close friends as potential dates for those looking for love, Reuters reported on March 27. Attendees adorn “Date” or “Mate” stickers, and friends boast about their pals. “A bit more about Lauren. She’s 30. She’s a structural engineer, so even though she will stop walls from falling down, she’ll always be there to support you,” said one friend. All 150 tickets sold out within minutes, and organizers are already planning additional events. “Date My Mate” comes as satisfaction with dating apps has dropped across the U.K. in recent years. The wine company Nice helped organize the event and hopes to plan as many as one per week across the country. [Reuters, 3/27/26]

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