The Odd Truth, Sept. 18, 2003

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

ATHENS, Ga. - It was far worse than just a bad hair day.

A jury awarded $150,000 to a woman who was left mostly bald after a visit to a salon.

Mary Lynn Reddish, 43, went to a Regis Salon in October of 2000 to have a mild hair relaxer applied to her wavy blonde tresses, but after the treatment, clumps of her hair came out in the wash and even more were pulled out when combed.

Reddish said she was left nearly bald as the result of a chemical reaction from the hair-relaxing product and the dye used to bleach her hair blonde.

The damage to Reddish's hair follicles not only caused the temporary hair loss, but also will probably cause her to suffer from premature hair loss as she ages, said her attorney Danny Love.

On Friday, a Clarke County Superior Court jury awarded Reddish $150,000 in compensation for mental anguish, as well as wigs and other expenses she incurred.

"I believe it was a fair verdict," Love said. "The jury did not discount her pain and psychological suffering. They didn't discount this as just a bad haircut - it was much worse than that."

Ed Mangiafico Jr., the attorney who defended Regis Corp. in the lawsuit, declined comment Monday.

Minnesota-based Regis Corp. is the world's largest company in the salon industry, with over 9,000 salons in North America.

'Crazy Sons Of Guns'

SNELLVILLE, Ga. - Someone stole a construction vehicle, drove it three miles down the highway, crashed into a gas station, ripped an ATM from the wall and escaped, police said.

The 20-foot-long yellow backhoe was used to lift the ATM and steal the $2,500 from inside, said Nurruddin Punja, owner of the Chevron station.

"We do not have any suspects in the case," said Gwinnett police Cpl. Dan Huggins of the early Wednesday morning robbery. "We received a call from the people who own the (backhoe), and they said they did not authorize the use of the machine for the burglary."

The backhoe also tore a 25-foot hole through the convenience store's front window, causing about $15,000 in damages, Punja said.

"Those are some crazy sons of guns," said Steve Smith, a Snellville resident who decided not to go inside the Chevron after he saw the hole. "But they are not that crazy because they got away."

Woman Fails Driving Test, With Flying Colors

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - An 81-year-old Canadian woman failed her latest driver's test - with a bang. Officials in Thunder Bay, Ontario, say the woman was backing out of a parking place - and went about 25 yards too far. Her car plunged over a steep embankment and into a shallow river. The woman and the examiner managed to climb out of the car shaken but apparently not hurt. It wasn't the first time this senior citizen had taken a driver's test. Officials say she had failed five times before. Police are investigating, but no decision has been made on whether to file charges.

Freedom, In Small Doses

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Vothy Chhay was a free man - for 42 minutes.

Released from the Clark County Jail at 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, he was booked back in by 8:07 a.m. for investigation of car prowling - the same charge on which he was previously jailed.

Sheriff's deputy Tim Gosch was called outside the county courthouse about 8 a.m. after a Juvenile Court worker saw a man try to open the door of her white 2003 Lexus and asked what he was doing.

"Chhay responded by telling her she had a nice car and he would give her 30 large" ($30,000) "along with something on the side," Gosch wrote in his arrest report.

The woman replied that her car wasn't for sale.

Gosch found Chhay, 19, nearby and arrested him. He had just been released pending trial in another car-prowling case.

Chhay has been convicted of possessing stolen property, forgery, violating a protection order, second-degree theft, permitting a minor to consume liquor, unlawful possession of a firearm and a drug offense, Superior Court records show.

Moose Go Head To Head With Hammocks

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Itchy to rub antlers and aroused for fall mating season, bull moose have been tangling with hammocks this week.

The hammocks are winning.

At least three moose have been caught since Sunday and another four have been reported snarled in hammocks or swing set chains over the past two weeks, said Jessy Coltrane, assistant area biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

"I get a call every day almost," she said Tuesday on her way back from rescuing the latest victim in a mountainside area on the city's east side.

"I took a hammock off a moose on Sunday. I had a call on Monday that I couldn't find. And now today."

Coltrane suggested that residents take down their hammocks or tie up swings so that bulls aren't tempted to joust.

"We're just asking people to help the moose out," she said.

It happens every fall when adult males bang and rub their antlers against objects to remove summer velvet. With hormones starting to rage, the bulls also become more rambunctious as they start following cows and confronting other males.

The Whole Kitten Caboodle

LONDON - A British animal protection group said Thursday it had rescued 244 dogs, 16 parrots, seven cats, a rabbit and a chinchilla from a three-bedroom house in what it described as the biggest seizure in its 181-year history.

The animals were removed from the house in Carnforth, Lancashire, in northern England on Sept. 10, said Sari Eldridge, a spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

She refused to go into further details on Thursday, saying the rescue was subject to an investigation that could result in legal action.

British media quoted locals as saying the house was owned by a middle-aged couple and was filthy.

The rescued dogs included Shih Tzus, Dachshunds, Lhasa Apsos, Bearded Collies, Corgis, Chihuahuas, Poodles, Pekinese and Yorkshire Terriers. The birds included Macaws, Amazonian parrots and African Grays.

Risky Business

SALT LAKE CITY - Salt Lake City's One World Cafe breaks two of the most fundamental rules of the restaurant business: It has no menus and no prices.

Diners eat whatever sparks the culinary imagination of owner and chef Denise Cerreta. Most days she offers soup, one or two salads, quiche, a main entree and a dessert, all of which are inspired by the fresh, organic produce and meats she buys that day.

Customers can fill their plates with as much, or as little, as they want and pay what they feel their meal is worth. In place of a cash register, Cerreta has a brown basket where patrons place their money.

"I'm a for-profit business, but I operate in a sort of nonprofit mode," says the 41-year-old Cerreta, who opened the cafe in April with the mission of serving not just quality, unprocessed foods, but her community as well.

She encourages her customers, many of whom are vegetarians and vegans, to share plates. And she doesn't mind if you want just a "sliver" of her double espresso brownie. With diners deciding how much food to eat, Cerreta says there's little waste and no need for her customers to overeat just to get a good deal.

Cerreta admits it's a strange business model in today's capitalistic society.

"The essence is that everyone can eat," she says. "And I can make a difference."