At Home: Cookie Monster
It’s dinnertime, and the doorbell rings. Chances are It’s a kid with cookies, magazines, or treats for sale; scouting troops, ballet companies, hockey teams, and schools all depend on kid- (or parent-) driven fundraising for travelling expenses or just for reaching their budgetary goals. One Ontario man thought he’d do a little similar fundraising of his own?and brought his daughter along for the ride.
As the CBC reports, the man is now ?[facing] charges in what police call a case of cookie dough fraud.?
Allegedly, the accused took his daughter door-to-door, showing unsuspecting customers the fundraising forms from her school. People made cookie dough orders, but they ?were never placed,? police say. Neither the forms nor the money went to the school.
When concerned customers contacted the school directly, a school representative went to local law enforcement?since all legitimate orders had been ?processed and delivered to customers? back in October.
Investigators don’t think that the daughter knew ?her father was potentially committing a crime,? and are only charging her father in the matter. So far five ?victims have been identified, but it is unknown how many residences the man allegedly attended.?
Around the World: Chew and Swallow
And now for some good news! After spending the past 20 years of her life with her jaw clamped shut, a 43-year-old UK woman has had a special operation that allows her chew solid food for the first time in two decades.
As the Daily Telegraph reports, Sandra Pearce ?suffers from an extreme form of juvenile arthritis.? Over the years, her jaw was ?progressively fused . . . shut, forcing her to live on liquids or soft foods pushed through small gaps in her teeth.?
Although the lost ability to chew was discouraging, doctors were more concerned about another effect: ?dentists were unable to reach her back teeth, leaving her with abscesses which could have caused lethal infections at any time.?
The 13-hour operation ?involved breaking her jaw and inserting a computer-fashioned ?bespoke? joint.? Although her ?bent-double posture? made the surgery a risky one, the abscesses ?could have killed her any day,? the doctors felt.
Pearce still suffers from her condition, but She’s thrilled that she can once more enjoy solid food. ?The one thing I’ve been wanting to do is chew a beef burger properly,? she told reporters.
