Community Corner

Weird News: Dogs Working Out, 'Thrift Shop' Poolside and Goats Save Cemetery

Plus, tax-stamp trouble and a burglar pulled from furniture store roof.

Editor's Note: Patch has 31 sites in Virginia and D.C., and not a day goes by that something weird isn't happening somewhere in the area. Here's a look back at some weird goings-on over the past week.

Goats Saving Cemetery

A herd of 58 "eco" goats are chomping their way through a 1.6 acre-section of Congressional Cemetery, saving the Capitol Hill property from invasive plant species, one bite at a time. The eco goats are grazing on vines, poison ivy, ground cover and fallen debris 24 hours a day through Aug. 12. The cost to the cemetery is about $4,000, which may seem like a lot, but Paul Williams, president of Congressional Cemetery, says when you do the math: it breaks down to 25 cents per goat per hour.

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Boot Camp Buddy

Many people need a motivator to push them at the gym. Rarely does that workout buddy have four legs. Walking Wetnoses in Leesburg has launched The Dog & Me Boot Camp with the Loudoun Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. It’s another way for owners to spend time with their pup, says Walking Wetnoses owner Tina Pavone. “They are also looking for ways to add fitness, or increase their current fitness, into their own personal lives as well as their pet’s lives,” she said.

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Poolside “Thrift Shop”

Olympians singing “Call Me Maybe” was so 2012. As swim season wraps for many neighborhood clubs, the kids in Ravensworth Farm had some fun by recording a parody of Macklemore’s popular “Thrift Shop.” The parody, titled, “At the Pool,” features swim-themed lyrics such as “walk up to the pool, like what up, I got a big cap. I'm so pumped, I'm about to swim a lot of laps.” It has 3,500 views and counting.

Suspect Plucked From Roof

Sometimes firefighters are called in to rescue cats — and sometimes they’re catching cat burglars. Police had to climb a fire truck ladder to get a suspect off the roof of a Woodbridge furniture store this week. The suspect allegedly broke into the store by climbing a pipe to the roof, but he wasn’t willing to climb back down once surrounded by police. A fire crew was brought in and the officers made the arrest. The suspect was charged with one count of burglary, one count of possession of burglarious tools and two counts of possession of a concealed weapon.

Show Me Your Tax Stamp

Surprising to some: Cigarettes are expensive. Not surprising to anyone: Taxes are expensive. Fredericksburg Police confiscated 1,500 cartons of cigarettes this week after searching a truck on Interstate 95 and finding the packs had no tax stamps. The suspect was released on his own recognizance.

Other Weird News:


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