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The Most Outrageous Stories of 2005
By throwing out all the news on pervert priests, sexually aggressive school teachers, and the many celebrity debacles... here are the top outrageous stories for 2005, proving that truth is stranger than fiction.
Tabloid Column editors have reviewed more than 10,000 news articles from its 2005 archives to present the Top 20 most outrageous news stories of 2005 in 6 different categories [120 in all].
If an article link has expires, search Google for addition references. Take A Look At All 6 Categories!
Also See For 2005:Crime | Lawyers | Politics | Business | World News
By Jake Easton Tabloid Column.com Posted: December 16, 2005 |
1 Bump, grind your way to riches, students told. Students at a Palo Alto, California middle school learned more than school officials ever expected when a recent "career day" speaker extolled the merits of stripping and expounded on the financial benefits of a larger bust. 
2 Man killed walking home after party. A man walking home after his 55th birthday party because friends and family believed he was too drunk to drive was struck and killed by another vehicle, police said.
3 Atheists Sue Over Road Crosses For Troopers Killed In Line Of Duty. A group of atheists in Salt Lake City is taking on the State of Utah and the Utah Highway Patrol over the law enforcement agency's use of crosses on roadways to memorialize troopers killed in the line of duty. The lawsuit has triggered a debate about whether a cross is an appropriate way of honoring troopers killed in the line of duty.
4 Evidence quickly found in paint abuse case. An Ohio man was nabbed yesterday morning for "abusing harmful intoxicants" as he attempted to make a purchase at Bellaire's Dollar General Store. The 41-year-old Tribett, it seems, had been sniffing spray paint and needed a refill. According to a Bellaire, Ohio Police Department report, Tribett's pupils were constricted and he replied slowly to their questions. Oh, and "officers observed the paint on face and hands," as can be seen in his very revealing mug shot.
6 Prison Locked Down After Warden Loses Keys. Prisoners at the Jacksonville, Illinois Correctional Center spent four days on lockdown after an assistant warden lost his set of keys. The set of about 10 keys, which was still missing Friday, included a master key that opens doors to cell houses and two prison wings.
7 Woman says she 'leaned too far'. Opening up your door while driving isn't a good idea, especially on a busy highway. Robbin Doolin, 31, of the Kansas City learned that the hard way. She went tumbling out onto U.S. 71 in Kansas City, and to the amazement of other drivers, she hopped up and chased her car as it careened down an embankment. Her explanation to officers: "I leaned out to spit and I leaned too far."
8 Cutting cutlery costs. "Yuck." That's the way some parents are describing one school district's practice of washing and reusing plastic utensils. They want to know why the district doesn't either throw away and replace the plastic cutlery daily or invest in metal knives, forks and spoons. "It's just a concern for us because it's not meant to be reusable; it's disposable." Many parents also complain that plastic utensils are "all bitten up" by the end of the year.
11 Christian School Expels Girl Because Parents Are Lesbians. A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians, the school's superintendent said in a letter. Your family does not meet the policies of admission," Superintendent Leonard Stob wrote to Tina Clark, the girl's biological mother.
12 He grabbed girl's arm - now he's a sex offender. Fitzroy Barnaby said he had to swerve to avoid hitting the 14-year-old Des Plaines girl who walked in front of his car. She said he yelled, "Come here, little girl," before getting out of his car and grabbing her by the arm. He said he simply lectured her. She said she broke free and ran, fearful of what he'd do next. The Appellate Court of Illinois said the 28-year-old Evanston man must register as a sex offender. While acknowledging it might be "unfair for [Barnaby] to suffer the stigmatization of being labeled a sex offender when his crime was not sexually motivated," the court said his actions are the type that are "often a precursor" to a child being abducted or molested.
13 DWI suspect kills college student; had already been deported 17 times. Jorge Humberto Hernandez-Soto, the illegal immigrant charged in the wreck that killed an 18-year-old college student Friday, has already been returned to his native Mexico 17 times, according to authorities. Hernandez-Soto, 35, has also been convicted of impaired driving at least twice before.
17 A sad way to get in the newspaper. A La Crosse Tribune press operator died Sunday as a result of injuries sustained on the job. Police said that Larry R. Humfeld, 24, of Stoddard, Wis., was fatally injured when he was struck by a roll of newsprint.
18 "Whites Only" Barber Shop. A "whites only" sign at a barber shop in Lafayette, LA might grab your attention and take you back to the Civil Rights era. Barber shop owner Herbert Leger put the sign up Saturday morning after having to continuously turn down customers he says he's not qualified to help.
19 83-year-old 'penniless' after dispute over yard. An elderly woman in Tequesta, Fla., stands to lose everything in a dispute with local officials because she believed it was her constitutional right to keep her yard the way she wanted it – even if that meant refusing to trim back overgrown vegetation. The city racked up $1.8 million in fines for Hattie Siegel, and yesterday in bankruptcy court, Judge Steven Friedman said she must pay the fine.
20 Pastor electrocuted while performing baptism. A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning when he adjusted a nearby microphone while standing in water, a church employee said. The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery as he reached out for the microphone, which produced an electric shock.
Honorable Mention
From The Readers of Tabloid Column
· Blindfolded Santa Hanging From Noose At Home Upsets Neighborhood. A large blindfolded Santa hanging from a noose from a high tree in a man's yard has angered homeowners in a Florida neighborhood. The Santa doll, which neighborhood children can easily see, was put up by homeowner Ron Stroia at his home in Miami Beach.
· From grocery clerk to Earl of Essex? Retired grocery clerk Bill Capell woke up to a phone call from a British reporter last month informing him that a cousin had died. He told his wife to go back to bed, gave the reporter a comment and was snoozing minutes later. Capell's cousin was the 10th Earl of Essex. His death puts Capell, a born-and-bred Californian, one step away from the title. But he was largely unimpressed that he might become a nobleman.
· Tampa Father Dies Leaving Memorial Motorcycle Ride For Son. William Marshall called for a memorial motorcycle run to honor of his 18-year-old son, who died six months ago in a motorcycle accident. But the friends and relatives who gathered Tuesday to remember Marshall's son soon found themselves grieving the Hillsborough County father as well.
· Woman kicked out of bar - goes back to torch it. A 42-year-old woman was arrested Thursday after she allegedly sparked a fire at a Winter Park, Fla., bar she had just been kicked out of, according to police.
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