News of the Weird: The Grinch hands out traffic tickets

Motorists in Marathon, Fla., who didn't heed the school zone speed limit on Dec. 13 were met with a choice: a citation, or an onion presented by the Grinch. Monroe County sheriff's deputy Lou Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the force, started dressing up as the surly green character more than 20 years ago, the Associated Press reported. "It's about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating even though it's the holiday season," Caputo said. "It catches them off guard."

On Dec. 11 in Katwe Kabatoro, Uganda, a 2-year-old boy was playing near a lake when a hippopotamus "grabbed ... the boy from his head and swallowed half his body," the Telegraph reported. Bystander Chrispas Bagonza witnessed the event and started chucking rocks at the hippo, which caused it to spit out the toddler. As the beast lumbered away, onlookers took the child to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the attack. Police warned residents in the area to be on the lookout for the hippo because they can become aggressive when they feel threatened.

The Catalonia region of Spain has an unusual tradition at Christmastime that features "caganers," or "poopers" — figurines of shepherds with their pants down, relieving themselves, Reuters reported. The figures are usually placed among nativity scenes, but more recently, they've morphed into caricatures of famous people such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and King Charles.

This week's "And What the Heck Have YOU Done?" story comes from Golden, Colo., and 8-year-old Maddock Lipp. On Dec. 1, the Denver Post reported, Lipp skied with his family on Mount Heogh in Antarctica, achieving in his short lifetime a big feat: He has skied on every continent and is unofficially the youngest person to do so. Lipp said he liked Antarctica best because he "got to ski next to the penguins." He hopes to nab a Guinness World Record for the accomplishment.

An Argentinian soccer fan became alarmed on Dec. 13 as he headed home to watch his team's game with Croatia in the World Cup semifinals, Oddity Central reported. The 53-year-old was frustrated at the slow progress of the bus he was riding, so when the driver stopped and stepped out to buy something at a kiosk, the fan allegedly hopped into the driver's seat and took off toward his home. After about 4 miles, he abandoned the bus and continued on foot. Police officers caught up with him and took him into custody — and he missed the whole game.

Police officers in London were summoned to Laz Emporium, an art gallery, on Nov. 25 after a call about a "person in distress," Sky News reported. In a gallery window, the figure of a woman was slumped over, with her face in a bowl of soup. Officers broke into the gallery, only to find that the "woman" was a mannequin, and the scene was art. Turns out these officers weren't the first ones to be fooled; paramedics were called out to assist the woman in October.

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