News of the Weird: See you later, alligator

Anthony Buhl, 56, and March Chadwick, 57, are awaiting arraignment after being charged in Florida for driving with a dead alligator on the roof of their car, The Smoking Gun reported. On April 4, witnesses and license plate readers tracked Buhl and Chadwick as they drove from central Florida to the Atlantic coast with the carcass in plain view. After learning that possession of an alligator is illegal in Florida, the two tourists came up with a solution: They covered the deceased with a white sheet. A Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) commissioner finally caught up to them and pulled them over, but it’s unclear whether the pair still had the alligator at that point. The arrest report indicated that they had earlier called the FWC dispatch to inform them they had disposed of the alligator. The report also offered an explanation: Evidently, the duo “admitted taking the roadkill alligator and wanting to take it to a taxidermy office to have it stuffed.” They were booked into the Brevard County jail and released after paying a $5,000 bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on April 28. [The Smoking Gun, 4/8/26]

WKRP is finally coming home to Cincinnati. D.P. McIntire of Raleigh, North Carolina, runs a media nonprofit that has been the proud owner of the call sign WKRP since 2014. McIntire, 56, recalled watching the first episode of the 1978 CBS sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati”: “I got up and I proclaimed, ‘I’m going to be in radio. And if I ever have the opportunity, I’m going to run a station called WKRP.'” According to The Associated Press, McIntire’s local broadcast WKRP-LP — 101.9 FM — went live on Nov. 30, 2015, and boasted “irreverent” offerings such as a show called “Weird Al and Friends,” and even an annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, where McIntire’s team gives out gift certificates to a local grocery store —a a nod to the sitcom’s famous Turkey Day episode. When McIntire sought bids on the call letters, Cincinnati answered. “I cannot, by contract, tell you when. I cannot tell you who. But I can tell you, direct to the camera, WKRP, after 48 years, is coming to Cincinnati,” McIntire said. “It has a special place in the hearts of an awful lot of people, and we have been very, very, very proud to have been a steward of that legacy.” [AP, 4/3/26]

In London, younger millennials and older Gen Zers are ditching the dating apps for slide decks. At “Date My Mate,” a live dating event hosted by a north London pub, participants create and present PowerPoint slides to pitch their close friends as potential dates for those looking for love, Reuters reported on March 27. Attendees adorn “Date” or “Mate” stickers, and friends boast about their pals. “A bit more about Lauren. She’s 30. She’s a structural engineer, so even though she will stop walls from falling down, she’ll always be there to support you,” said one friend. All 150 tickets sold out within minutes, and organizers are already planning additional events. “Date My Mate” comes as satisfaction with dating apps has dropped across the U.K. in recent years. The wine company Nice helped organize the event and hopes to plan as many as one per week across the country. [Reuters, 3/27/26]

There are sports fans, and then there are sports fans. Andy Milne, a 62-year-old retired teacher, is set to follow the 2026 World Cup around North America, The Associated Press reported on March 27, just as soon as he sells his second home to do so. Milne currently lives in Thailand and rents out a home in northern England, which he plans to put on the market for the equivalent of $465,000 to fund his World Cup dreams. ÒI definitely want to see the whole tournament. I am going to the U.S. on June 3 and will be there for seven weeks,” he said. “So it will cost quite a lot of money.Ó [AP, 3/27/26]

KFC isn’t just about chicken anymore. The fast-food chain is partnering with BYD, China’s electric vehicle company, to place car chargers at its locations across the country, CNBC reported on April 9. The ultra-fast (9-minute) chargers will provide just enough time for drivers to fill up on finger-lickin’ chicken and all the fixins. BYD will facilitate the visits with onboard ordering and location displays. KFC is, according to an industry report, China’s leading fast-food chain, with 13,000 outlets in 2,500 cities. [CNBC, 4/9/2026]

KABC-TV reported on April 6 that a man at an Orange County, California, gas station sat in his car and refused to leave until he was given $55 in gas. When Irvine Police Department officers arrived, he told them, “I sincerely believe that money as a unit of payment is not real.” Police tried to reason with him, but eventually he was placed in handcuffs and taken away. [KABC, 4/6/2026]

University of British Columbia engineering students have a tradition of placing Volkswagen Beetle shells in unusual locations, The Associated Press reported on April 6. This year’s prank involved a Beetle shell precariously perched on a rock face above a highway in Squamish, B.C. Authorities have asked people to avoid the area as they figure out how to secure the old car and lower it to safety. Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford called the area a “sacred place” among the Squamish Nation and said what “may have felt like an innocent prank” has affected hikers and climbers, too. “This is an area that deserves respect, and that wasn’t the case here,” he said. Officials say the VW will be removed within the week. [AP, 4/6/2026]

On March 31 at Tokyo’s DisneySea amusement park, Rapunzel’s Forest took on the look of Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” the New York Post reported. As an animatronic Rapunzel leaned out of her tower window, singing merrily, two black ravens started pecking at her head and ripping out strands of hair. Of course, being animatronic, Rapunzel had no idea about the birds ravaging her signature feature, and she continued singing and smiling to onlookers. One commenter said, “I thought the birds were animatronic, too!” Rapunzel was removed from her perch temporarily for repairs. [NY Post, 4/2/2026]

Who knew? In Kentucky (and probably elsewhere), it is illegal to operate a non-motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The Smoking Gun reported that on March 26, a police officer in Bowling Green noticed a man atop a horse around 6 p.m. Jorge Hernandez, 48, was reportedly “partially slumped over” as his horse galloped through a neighborhood; the officer conducted a traffic stop when the duo moved onto the sidewalk. The arrest report said Hernandez smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech; a bag from the liquor store was tied to the saddle. He was taken into custody but was released to federal agents pursuant to an immigration warrant. No word on the horse’s fate. [The Smoking Gun, 3/31/2026]