By ,
Published January 14, 2015
Don't discriminate against strippers.
That's the message the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (search) is sending with a lawsuit against an Omaha real-estate company that refused to rent to a topless dancer.
The Richdale Group (search) had declined to lease an apartment to Charleigh Greenwood after she listed her occupation as a "dancer" at a Council Bluffs, Iowa, lounge.
The NEOC in its lawsuit said such a refusal discriminates against women because labor statistics show women make up 98 percent of dancers in the state and 96 percent of dancers nationwide.
The complaint said a Richdale representative called Greenwood on April 13 to reject the application she filed the day before. The representative recited to her a company policy that "they refuse to rent to anyone employed as a dancer at a gentlemen's club."
The Nebraska attorney general's office filed the lawsuit after mediation with Richdale failed.
Richdale, owned by Richard and David Slosburg, issued a statement affirming its commitment to fair housing. Betty Price, operations manager for Richdale, said the company would "vigorously" fight the attorney general's action.
"Our policy of not renting to individuals in the adult entertainment business is gender neutral and fully compliant with the law," Price wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Electronic Gadget Calls for Satellite Assistance
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Chris van Rossman's television came with a VCR, DVD player and CD player — plus a hidden feature that had a rescue team beating a path to his door.
On the night of Oct. 2, the TV began emitting the international distress signal — the 121.5 megahertz beep emitted by crashed airplanes and sinking boats.
The signal was picked up by a satellite, relayed to an Air Force base in Virginia, then to the Civil Air Patrol, then to officials in Oregon.
Most signals are false alarms, but they're all checked out, and soon, men in Air Force uniforms, a police officer and Mike Bamberger, a Benton County Search and Rescue deputy, were at van Rossman's apartment door.
"I have a pretty spotless record, so I wasn't overly concerned — just a little confused," van Rossman said. "The police officer asked if I was a pilot or had a boat or anything."
They left when he said "no," but came back when they narrowed the location of the signal to a wall in van Rossman's hallway, Bamberger said.
The solution to the mystery was nailed when van Rossman turned off the TV before answering the door the second time. The signal stopped, too. An inspection of the television confirmed it was the source.
"Their equipment was just bouncing everywhere as they turned it on and off," van Rossman said.
Neither investigators nor officials at Toshiba Corp. know exactly what caused the problem, Bamberger said Tuesday. Toshiba plans to replace the television and examine the offending one.
"We have never experienced anything like this before at Toshiba," said spokeswoman Maria Repole.
In the meantime, van Rossman is keeping the set unplugged — to avoid a fine of up to $10,000 per day if his TV cries wolf again.
Hunter Attacked by Bird of Prey
WARROAD, Minn. (AP) — It might have seemed like the birds were fighting back against a Duluth hunter on a recent trip to far northern Minnesota.
Dan Erickson was walking back to his blind with a Canada goose slung over his shoulder when he was hit from behind and driven to his knees.
A hungry peregrine falcon "came down and smacked him," hunting partner Bill Lord said.
Erickson dropped the goose and pointed his gun at the hovering falcon when Lord's 12-year-old son, Nate, noticed a bell on the falcon's back. He also noticed a piece of leather on the bird's foot.
It turned out that it was a pet falcon that had escaped from its owner in Canada. So the group let the falcon feed on a pile of dead geese and eventually captured it with an empty packsack.
An official from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (search) helped them return the bird to the Winnipeg falconer later that day.
"We just wanted the bird to get where it was supposed to go," Lord said.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — A homeowner in southern Sweden filed a police complaint after four circus elephants broke loose from their trainers and ran into his backyard, trampling the hedge and the lawn, a police spokesman said Thursday.
Mattias Lindell, 29, said the elephants completely ruined his garden last Monday, after animal trainers working for German-based Circus Mustang (search) lost control of the pachyderms when removing them from the vehicles they travel in.
The circus had put up its tent only a few feet away from his house outside Helsingborg, on Sweden's southwestern coast, Lindell told The Associated Press.
He filed a police complaint Wednesday, seeking damages for the destroyed hedge and ruined lawn, which was "just turned into dirt," he said.
However, it was not the ruined yard that had Lindell angry.
"I have a three-month old baby who often sleeps in the garden, in a carriage," he said. "If he had been doing that when this happened, things could have been a lot worse."
Circus Mustang officials could not be reached for comment.
NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. (AP) — Marshall, a Labrador retriever, is none the worse for wear after surviving a house fire — with the help of two firefighters who performed CPR.
The dog was overcome and stopped breathing Friday afternoon when a kitchen fire broke out at the home of his owners, George and Katherine Kabusk, who were away on vacation. Neighbors had been looking after the young chocolate Lab.
Two firefighters who were going through the Cumberland County home looking for possible victims stumbled on the dog's limp body on the second floor and carried him outside.
New Cumberland firefighter Jason Pooler gave Marshall mouth-to-snout resuscitation while Lemoyne firefighter Kenneth Mose pushed on the dog's chest to pump the heart. Together, they revived the pooch.
After an ambulance crew gave him oxygen, Marshall was whisked to a veterinarian for a checkup. He was back before firefighters finished rolling up their hose.
"The only regret I have is I still have dog breath," Pooler said. "But I'd do it again in a minute."
Compiled by FOXNews.com's Paul Wagenseil.
Got a good "Out There" story in your hometown? We'd like to know about it. Send an e-mail, with a Web link (we need to authenticate these things), to outthere@foxnews.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/landlord-sued-for-rejecting-stripper