The Odd Truth, March 1, 2005

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.

She Really Digs Him

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - A woman accused of digging up and taking her boyfriend's cremated remains more than a decade ago -- and drinking the beer that was buried with them -- was sentenced to 60 days in jail.

Karen Stolzmann, 44, had faced up to nine months in jail on a misdemeanor charge of concealing stolen property. She was sentenced Monday, Sheboygan County District Attorney Joe DeCecco said.

DeCecco had recommended a six-month sentence.

"I kind of thought she should be punished more," he said. "Under these kinds of circumstances, this is just unexcusable."

Investigators accused Stolzmann of digging up the ashes of her former boyfriend, Michael Hendrickson, at a Columbia County cemetery possibly out of spite for his family.

Hendrickson was 27 when he died in 1992 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His relatives contacted authorities last fall after discovering his remains were stolen.

Beer and cigarettes buried with him also were missing.

Investigators were led to Stolzmann, who had lived with Hendrickson and was with him when he shot himself. Both were married to other people at the time.

Detectives searched Stolzmann's home, found her hiding in the shower and located the remains in her garage, authorities said.

No Jail For Nacho Man

MARYVILLE, Tenn. - A man caught by police last summer on his 23rd birthday running naked and covered in nacho cheese has pleaded guilty to burglary, public intoxication and other charges.

But, he won't be going to jail.

In a plea deal with prosecutors, Michael David Monn was sentenced to three years in prison Monday but was given supervised probation.

Prosecutors said Monn was drunk when he broke into a swimming pool snack bar in July 2004.

A police officer found Monn in the facility's parking lot after Monn had apparently scaled an 8-foot-tall fence and was seen running toward a Jeep with a box of stolen snacks and a container of nacho cheese.

In his Jeep, Maryville officers found clothing and an open bottle of vodka.

A Chilly Reception

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - A sculptor who created an entire orchestra of instruments from ice canceled his show at the last minute because he didn't like the sound of the musicians warming up.

The concert was set for Sunday with instruments including clarinets, trumpets, guitars and cellos all carved from ice by New Mexico-based artist Tim Linhart. The frigid instruments were outfitted with tuning pegs, finger boards and strings.

But organizers said Linhart spontaneously canceled the show, part of the city of Piteaa's annual winter festival, because he didn't think the musicians were good enough at playing his creations.

That caused heated tempers among some guests in the 100-seat igloo concert hall.

"Linhart's behavior was completely unacceptable," said Christer Wiklund, head of the music school in the city, some 550 miles north of the capital, Stockholm.

"It was an insult to our city, who employed him, and an offense against the student musicians who have only had a few days to train on the instruments," Wiklund added.

Hunting Noah In Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. - What do Bigfoot, Noah's Ark and Amelia Earhart's plane have in common?

They're all being used to make a point by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, who is taking aim at a measure to protect hunting.

In an attempt to mock the proposed change to Nebraska's constitution, Chambers has filed 35 amendments to protect the hunting of a myriad of other things, including the missing Earhart plane, the ark, Osama bin Laden and the Holy Grail.

"This state is not going to ban fishing, hunting and trapping," said Chambers, who believes the proposal is unnecessary.

While there is no immediate threat, there are animal rights groups that would like to see hunting, fishing and trapping outlawed, said Sen. Ed Schrock, who introduced the measure. "I think we should probably get out ahead of this."

The proposed amendment would add one paragraph to the state constitution that says fishing, trapping, and hunting are a "valued part of the heritage of the people and will be a right forever preserved."

Chambers successfully shot down a similar proposal last year. If he gets his way, laughing, coughing, itching, scratching, lounging, munching and "being oneself" also will be protected.

No Raise, No Homework

BERKELEY, Calif. - It's a dream-come-true for school kids in Berkeley: no homework. Teachers are refusing to give students written assignments because of a pay dispute. The teachers haven't gotten a raise in two years. The Berkeley Federation of Teachers is organizing the job action, by having teachers stick to the hours they're contracted to work. Union officials say the teachers won't mark homework on their own time. District Superintendent Michele Lawrence says she sympathizes with the teachers, but there's no money for raises.

Grandma Mollie's Marijuana Follies

DANVILLE, W.Va. - Granny's a dealer -- according to West Virginia State Police. Troopers have busted 78-year-old Mollie Williams and are searching for her 72-year-old boyfriend. Police say they found more than a pound of pot stashed in the woman's freezer. Police were dispatched to the property for a domestic dispute involving Williams' granddaughter and her husband. Officers say they were arguing over pot they had bought from granny. State Police Corporal Larry O'Bryan says the elderly couple seems to be the typical grandma and grandpa, except they sold marijuana.