WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Sidebar: Stingrays, Sewer Gators, and a Golden Lego

Episode Date: March 2, 2024

In this episode of Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale, Lauren Scott, Maddy Welsh, and Emilie Moneyhon discuss wacky news stories about a stingray’s miraculous pregnancy, an alligator infested sewer, a solid gold Lego brick, and more. Then Emilie quizzes Lauren and Maddy to see if they can determine which of her three zany headlines is a lie.

You're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. And this is Sidebar, the show where we bring you the news you probably won't find on the front page. I'm Lauren Scott. I'm Maddie Welsh. And I'm Emily Money Hun. Today we'll be talking about a stingray in her first days of miraculous motherhood. Then we'll be talking about every five-year-old's nightmare, an alligator in the sewers. And then finally, we'll be talking about every five-year-old's greatest dream, a 14-k.

current golden Lego. Now let's get into it. Our first story today is about a stingray who is pregnant, perhaps through a miraculous conception. Who knows? But this story is from AP News, and it reads Charlotte, a rust-colored stingray the size of a serving platter, has spent much of her life gliding around the confines of a storefront aquarium in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. She's 2,300 miles from her natural habitat

under the waves off Southern California, and she hasn't shared a tank of water with a male of her species in at least eight years. But then it turns out that the stingray is pregnant. So I don't really know what to think about this, and I don't really know what to think about Charlotte, to be honest. Sounds like some funny business. What kind of accusations are you making against Charlotte?

I have no idea, but the article says The Stingray is pregnant with as many as four pups and could give birth in the next two weeks. When did this story come out? You know, this story was published. Oh, my goodness, it was published on Valentine's Day. And... Do you think they're going to do a paternity test?

So it's important to note that the story says an expert on the stingray said it would have been impossible for our girl Charlotte to have mated with one of the five small sharks that share her tank despite some rumors that certain news reports were spreading. And the biggest explanation we have for this now is that there was some. type of asexual reproduction that occurred, which is extremely rare, but it can't occur. So it is possible that Charlotte just got pregnant without even coming in contact with another stingray. That's what they all say. Yeah, I don't know. But good for Charlotte, I guess. You know, she's a strong woman.

She's got this. We'll have to follow up on this one. I completely agree. This is a story I'm 100% invested in. And even though this story right here was published on February 14th, I just checked. And Charlotte has still not given birth. So we will definitely need to have a follow up on this. Our next story here is from NPR.

And the headline reads, Mummified Monkey Remains were found in luggage at Boston's airport. The story says, The traveler at Boston Logan International Airport said the bag contained dried fish. But upon further examination, airport agents discovered that it was in fact mummified remains, which included heads belonging to four monkeys. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, the incident took place on Thursday at a security screening for passengers.

A canine officer named Buddy sniffed out the dead and dehydrated monkeys from inside luggage belonging to a traveler who recently returned to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is insane. Also, props to Buddy. Were we able to find that? How do they train a dog to find mummified remains? I feel like the dog maybe just wanted, you know, just kind of like smelled meat, you know? That might have been what happened.

That's a good point. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a little concerned that someone would have mummified monkeys in their luggage. I mean, I don't know. Maybe it's just a little souvenir, but maybe not. He's a historian. Something interesting about this story is that it does not say anything about why the passenger had this. But what it does say is here's this from the story. It says raw or minimally processed meat from certain wild animals,

otherwise known as bush meat, is not allowed to enter the U.S. largely out of health concerns. And then there's a quote from someone who works at a port at CBP Boston who said, bush meat can carry germs that can cause illness, including Ebola virus. The traveler on Thursday carried about eight pounds of bush meat. That is so concerning to me. I do not trust whoever was carrying these monkeys. Yeah, but looking at the picture that the article gives, it's not just like packaged animal meat. It's the mummified heads, like skulls of the monkeys.

I think that's precisely the problem, Emily. Yeah, I think the biggest, one of the biggest, one of the. biggest takeaways from this article, I would say, is maybe don't put monkeys in your luggage, even if they are dead. Well, maybe especially if they're dead. And then also, it usually goes pretty well for me when I bring live monkeys to airport. I don't know about you. I've never tried. Oh, I'll have to be honest with you. But also, I think we need to give a lot of credit to our boy buddy. The little service dog who sniffed out the monkeys.

Talk about girl power. From CNN, an Arizona high school senior is now in the history books for becoming the first girl to clinch an Arizona state wrestling title competing against boys. The senior at Sunnyside High School was allowed to wrestle with boys throughout the season all the way up to a section of the state. From K&XV, here's a clip. Because once you see it done, you know it's possible. Women's athletics just overall are really, you know, just really shining right now.

I've been allowed to wrestle boys all throughout the season up until section of the state. So, I mean, it's kind of just like a why not type of thing. When she puts her mind to something and pretty much everything that she said she's going to do, she's done, it was just unbelievable. I still can believe it. You know, props to this girl for wrestling boys and beating them. I definitely wouldn't want to be those boys. I don't want to be a boy either.

That's really impressive. I can't say that everything I put my mind to happens, but good for her. The article ends by saying later this year, Audrey will be going to the Olympic trials with hopes of making the Olympic team. You are listening to Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM. Now we're going to do our little weekly quiz.

Emily has prepared a quiz for, me and Maddie in which she will read three new stories, two of which are true and one is a story that she made up. And then it is mine and Maddie's job to try and see which one is fake. So far in our first two episodes, we have been wrong both times. So we'll see if Emily can fool us again this week. She's very good at lying. While we're starting off strong today, from News Nation, we have musical about Trump's ex-wives, Stormy Daniels, debuts in New York.

A parody musical centered on former President Trump and some of the well-known women in his life is hitting the off-Broadway stage in New York City this month. The musical titled Five, The Parity Musical, tells a story about Trump, his wife, Melania, his ex-wives, Ivana Trump and Marla Maples, and his daughter Ivanka, and Stormy Daniels. Five, the parody musical is inspired by the British musical comedy Six, which centers on the Six Wives of King Henry VIII. The four-week run began with previews last week and will run for the public through March 10th at Theater 555 and off-Broadway theater venue. Tickets are typically $49.

I completely believe this personally. I also do. I believe it 100%, especially because I feel like people who hate Trump will watch it and people who love Trump will watch it. So I think it's a genius idea. True. And you just never know the things that come out of the theater. Like for example, we had a story in the Collegian. I think it was last semester or maybe the semester before. And it was about a play that somebody in New York wrote about Hillsdale. It was like a parody of Hillsdale. And it was supposed to be like satirizing, Midwest colleges. So you really just never know. And it was super bizarre play. Yeah, well, I've already bought my ticket. Our second story...

Are we all going? No. Oh, man. Just kidding. I got you guys tickets, too. Okay. Yay. Second story from the Lansing Station, W-I-L-X. Squirrels invade Michigan State Dining Hall.

Early Tuesday morning, MSU cafeteria employees were greeted by over 50 squirrels helping themselves to the day's menu. According to the Lansing Health Department, their investigation concluded that the rodent infestation was due to a kitchen window being propped and accidentally left open. MSU administration told WILX news that squirrels were humanely and appropriately managed. Students were informed that the Edge Dining Hall, located in Acres Hall, will be unserviceable until March 4th, as to guarantee the area can be deep. contaminated.

That seems like a long time for some squirrels in the dining hall. Literally, that's like, let me do the math real quick. That's like four and a half away. That's like 13 days. Not a week and a half. That's like a day shy of two weeks. Yeah. Yeah, so I'm a little bit sussed that it would be closed until arched fourth. Okay.

I mean, it's not like Hillsdale. They have like 24 different dining halls. She's really trying to defend this one. Yeah. I'm fancy. Sorry. Reeks of lives. Passionate.

Maybe. All right. Let's hear the third and final one. Finally. Also from WILX. Couple marry while bride is in labor and hospital. In Lee's Summit, Missouri. Just before Valentine's Day, a Missouri couple surprised by their baby's early arrival got

married at the hospital while the bride was in labor. The couple rushed to the hospital where doctors told them they couldn't leave. Engaged for almost a year, they were disappointed, as it looked like they'd be unable to get married before their baby was born. Sarah Perry says the husband of another patient was an ordained minister and offered to marry them while he was waiting for his own child to be born. We said, yes, even though I was in between contractions, Sarah Perry said. The couple had just 30 minutes to get ready, so they made a dress out of hospital blankets and a veil out of gauze. Baby Oliver was born just after midnight on Valentine's Day.

That is so romantic. I definitely feel like this one's true, just because I want it to be. I definitely could see this happening. Like, this sounds like something that would happen, you know? Yeah, I totally get that. And I feel like you wouldn't go. into that much detail about like the veil and the dress being made out of hospital attire. Well, let's not doubt Emily like that. I definitely think she could make something up like that.

Yeah, but not this. Personally. So I think I'm going to go with number two. The squirrel story is like... I'm going to go with number two as well. Okay, I'm going to go with number two, but if I had to pick a second one, I think I would choose number three. No, you don't get to pick a second one. Okay, I won't pick a second one, but if I did, it would be number three. But my first pick is story number two, the one about the squirrels is the lie. And that's your final answer.

Oh, my gosh. You're making me second guess. You don't want to think more? Well, let me reveal my hand to you, Lauren. I saw her looking at News Nation earlier. So I think the first one is true just because I saw her looking at News Nation on her computer. That was for a different story. I got it from the same site.

Maybe my sleuthing. Wait, but then did she just reveal that that one was the lie? You'll never know. Okay, I'm still going to stick with my gut and say that the squirrel story. Oh, no, but it feels like it's so real. I feel like it's actually number three. Number three is the lie. I'm going with two still.

Okay. Maddie, you are correct. It is number two. I'm so glad I convinced me. Why did I change my guess? Why did you? Explain your reasoning. Because I feel like I always guess like the super elaborate stories or lies because I'm like, oh, like, maybe Emily is like really trying to throw us off, which was the case for the hospital story.

It was like really detailed. So, oh, man, we could have both had her. Oh, well. I think this counts as another victory for me. Do I win a prize though? This is unprecedented in sidebar history. In our whole three episodes. I'll give you a little pat on the back.

Yay. I think this just goes to show that not only am I a good liar, I'm a good manipulator. Well, and you're also a good journalist. You're writing things that pass the eye test for two journalism students. That's very true. Yeah. Maybe you should reconsider your career options. Thank you for that, Emily. I'm the proud winner now of your quiz.

You are listening to Sidebar on Radio Freehillsdale 101.7 FM. And we're back now with some of our crazy stories. We have one here from the New York Post. The headline reads, Alligators in the Sewer Myth is true. City workers find out in jaw-dropping video. And the story reads, New York might not have those infamous alligators in the sewer,

but Florida has the real thing. A work crew in Oviedo, Florida proved the A work crew Is that Ovedo? Ovido? Where? Ovedo? Ovedo? I think it's Oveda. Yeah. A work crew in Oveda, Florida

proved that NYC urban legend was a sunshine state reality after discovering a five-foot gator residing in a sludge-filled pipe. Footage of the scaly, subterranean terror is currently stirring up a storm on the city of Ovedo. City Administration Facebook page.

You know, Maddie, you are from Florida. So I feel like out of all of us, you should be most scared about this story. You know, I've never seen an alligator in the sewer, but I actually have, oddly enough, seen a seal in a sewer at home. Or maybe it was an otter, actually, not a seal. Have you seen any alligators, like, if you're on a daily walk or something, have you ever seen them? Not in like my regular spots, but I've definitely seen them. That's a great story, Maddie. I'm not a huge fan of alligators or pythons.

And speaking of pythons, there was a man caught at the border with pythons in his pants. And this article was published by AP News on Valentine's Day. And it reads, A New York City man who admitted to smuggling three Burmese pythons in his pants through a U.S. Canadian border crossing was sentenced Wednesday to a year of probation and find $5,000 federal, and find... I hate my life. And find $5,000, federal prosecutors said. The young adult snakes were hidden in the inner thigh of his pants. in snake bags tied to the pants draw strings

what is a snake bag I was going to say the same thing I am just really not shocked that he was caught because how can you have three pythons in your pants and like no one noticed like what was he expecting what happened how do you walk like that

what if they bite you that's what the snake bags are for I'm sure a snake could bite through a snake bag. Maybe we should do some research. Okay, real quick, I'm going to look up if a snake can bite through a snake bag. Stay tuned. Okay, so after much research, because the first Google search we did, whenever we searched, snake bag brought up women's purses with snake print on it. we then found out that we had to search snake sack and found out that a snake actually can bite through it.

So this man just put three pythons in his pants fully knowing that they could bite him. Do we know why? Yeah, the article says that he had bought them and the cost of them cost, the cost of all the snakes was $2,500. He bought them at a reptile store in Canada. So he probably just didn't want to lose those, you know, that money. But he ended up being fined double what they're worth. But why?

I have no idea. If he bought him at a reptile store, he probably just wanted them as pets. I don't really know why he would want it as pets, though, because literally the Burmese Python is one of the world's largest. snakes. You know what's equally as expensive as three pythons? A rare 14-carat gold Lego piece. In Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, just that turned up at a Goodwill warehouse in Pennsylvania and is now up for auction. The piece, which is called the bionical golden Kenohie Howe mask, was found by workers at the warehouse in Du Bois, Pennsylvania,

and is believed to be one of only 30 in existence. In 2001, Some were gifted to Lego employees and the rest were awarded through a contest. This is crazy and it just makes me wonder who ended up with this gold Lego piece and why would they send it to a thrift store? Well, I'm sure it was an accident, but my question is, as an employee of Lego, would you be happy to receive like this rando kid toy mask as a gift? It depends how much you can sell it for, in my opinion. That's true. now it is auctioning for about $4,000. Whoa, so this is worth more than the pythons. Pythons were worth $2,500. Wow. I'm going to be honest, I kind of thought it would be more than

$4,000. Well, it originally said Goodwill already received a bid for $33,000, but when the winner failed to pay up, the item was relisted. So they're starting over. Gotcha. Well, very interesting. You have been listening to Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale, one. 101.7 FM. I'm Lauren. I'm Maddie. And I'm Emily. You can find previous episodes of Sidebar online at sidebar.transistor.fm. Once again, you've been listening to Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.