Top 10 'Offbeat' Stories of 2023: Uncanning the uncanny

Dec. 30—Not every odd story headline begins with "Florida man."

Sometimes, even right here in northeastern Kentucky, things get a little weird.

In 2023, we as an editorial staff decided to go with the adjective "offbeat" to describe some of the strange and bizarre happenings of the past 365 days. It simply means "unusual" or "unconventional" — perhaps a little out of left field.

They're stories that make you go, "WHAAAT?!" or "HUUUH?!"

They force your face into disfigured expressions or prompt you to squint and scratch your scalp.

The following are the top 10 offbeat stories of 2023.

10. Man barks at McDonald's

Imagine sitting down with an ice-cold Diet Coke and piping-hot French fries only to then encounter a drunk man mimicking a mutt.

Just two days into the year, police said a man barked at patrons, banged his head against windows and then hurled a rock through the front window of the Winchester Avenue McDonald's.

Ashland Police asked the man — Thomas H. Rouse — if he'd been drinking. Apparently he didn't want to kick off the New Year by lying to the law. His answer (according to the citation): "A lot."

Rouse was charged with public intoxication and first-degree criminal mischief.

9. On his 'Soap Box'

When photographer Matt Jones stumbled upon a gem of a place — and a heckuva main character — in tiny Haldeman in Rowan County on his way back from the Sweet Sixteen, he couldn't wait to inform former reporter Henry Culvyhouse of this delightful discovery.

Craig Riggsby — aka "Soap Box Willy" — traded a 1949 Chrysler for a golf cart that he drives all over his property every day. As Culvyhouse described, Riggsby is a soap maker, but he's also a "clock fixer, a local historian, a fishing lure maker, an event planner and more."

The 6-foot-3 man topped with a bottle-cap-filled brimmed hat donned overalls with a semi-automatic pistol tethered with a bungee cord for the occasion of meeting with Culvyhouse and Jones. It's likely he has the same get-up for every occasion.

If you are intrigued, check out "Adventures of 'Soap Box Willy'" at dailyindependent.com.

8. 'Not a fun guy'

Parents applied pressure to school administrators to move on from Ashland baseball coach Shane Marushi during a contentious school board meeting in July. Some of them gathered again in the school library soon after, accepting an invitation from Principal Jamie Campbell.

Campbell and administrators didn't budge, though, and Ashland retained Marushi as its varsity baseball skipper.

Christina Wamsley — one of the "Momcats" and wife of assistant coach Scott Wamsley — heard enough from those voicing various complaints during the July meeting.

"This stuff is outrageous," she said, referring to allegations of mistreatment of players and creating a negative environment.

Campbell acknowledged Marushi and staff needed to tweak their approach in a few ways, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed.

Christina Wamsley was blunt regarding her view of Marushi.

"He's strictly baseball," Wamsley said. "He's not a fun guy, he's not fun. He doesn't plan parties. He coaches baseball."

7. Need for speed(hump)

In May, a father concerned for the safety of his two small children because of speeding vehicles took it upon himself to bolt down a speed bump in front of his house on Ross Road in Rush.

At the June Boyd County Fiscal Court meeting, he learned he'd have to uninstall said bump.

By July, the Boyd County commission passed an ordinance codifying how "speed humps" are installed. They're lower profile than a speed bump. Under the ordinance, 70% of households would have to sign a petition asking for the hump.

By September, the criteria had been met on Ross Road, according to Judge-Executive Eric Chaney — as six out of eight households (75%) had signed the petition.

Another Ross Road resident contended that it couldn't be valid because he knew of four, including himself, in opposition to the speed hump.

Upon further review, the petition hadn't garnered enough support — as reported by the newspaper after the October fiscal court meeting.

The roller-coaster ride on Ross Road may continue.

6. Battle over Boba

Back in February, the owner of Bubbles N Sweets — which specializes in Taiwan-based bubble tea known as Boba — took frustrations to Facebook after they felt like they were being pushed out of the Ashland Town Center to make room for a "corporate" Boba tea shop, Blossom Juicy Bar.

According to the post, the owner was called into the mall office and was told to stop selling Boba.

Bubbles N Sweets had to change its entire menu quickly. It stayed in the mall for only a month longer.

Bubbles N Sweets is back to selling Boba and is now at 1517 Winchester Ave. Blossom Juicy Bar is still in the mall.

5. Blaze of grocery?

A man approached the cell phone kiosk at the Ashland Midtown Kroger, lit a box on fire and then exited the store with a $30 phone, according to police, in July.

He was found later on Greenup Avenue with a phone and a lighter. He was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree wanton endangerment, shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In early December, it was decided in court that 37-year-old Michael Fields would move to the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center for treatment. According to the Cabinet of Health and Family Services, Fields could be held at a treatment facility for 60 days of treatment if psychiatrists determine his competency can be restored.

4. Faking the law

It was a wild night at Tomcat Bourbon and Brew House on Saturday, April 29, as Dakota Gussler decided he would act like he was a police officer.

According to court records, the 27-year-old was drunk when he slammed someone's face into a barstool before fleeing in his car and doing more damage.

Gussler impersonated a police officer and threatened to arrest other bar patrons, according to actual police. (Side note: Gussler was convicted of impersonating law enforcement in 2017, too, when records show he told people in an area Walmart that he was an FBI agent and Greenup County detective.)

When he drove away, he hit a parked car near Belmont Street and Geiger Lane, according to records, and then back his car into a house.

Gussler was charged with second-degree assault, impersonating a police officer, possession of marijuana, public intoxication, first-degree criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident and driving without insurance.

In November, Gussler pleaded guilty to first-degree wanton endangerment, which knocked the assault charge to a five-year punishment. He also pleaded guilty to impersonating a peace officer and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief. Gussler will serve a five-year probated sentence and, according to Judge George Davis, "agrees to not impersonate a peace officer."

3. Carry the hatchet

A Grayson woman broke into the Olive Hill emergency service station with a hatchet on Black Friday, according to court records.

Forty-four-year-old Kellie R. Boggs busted into the glass front entrance and smashed a window out of an ambulance bay door, according to records, and that was after she had already wounded an unidentified male by hitting him in the head with a hatchet.

Boggs was charged with first-degree assault and first-degree criminal mischief in late November.

2. A No. 2 pitcher

Just before Independence Day, a 38-year-old man declared it was time to break free from his colostomy bag and share its contents with others.

On July 2, Joshua A. Potter ripped open the bag and tossed his fecal matter all around a room in the King's Daughters Medical Center emergency department.

Court records indicate Potter was screaming and cursing at nurses and security guards while throwing his own excrement.

Potter appeared in court on Thursday. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Kierston Rosen said "thankfully" the contents of the colostomy bag didn't make contact with any of the workers.

Potter was sentenced to 90 days in jail for public intoxication and criminal mischief and five years for third-degree assault on medical personnel. He will serve 180 total days in jail and the rest of his five-year sentence under supervised probation.

1. Swing and a miss

A former Major League Baseball umpire and current insurance company co-owner admitted he was off-base in his knee-jerk reaction upon hearing about a home in his Briarwood neighborhood that would house traumatic brain injury patients.

Greg Gibson distributed in the Ponderosa area a flier that called a meeting at the Boyd County Convention and Arts Center in March. This was after he took to social media strongly voicing concerns about such a residence being in this neighborhood. Upon further review, he knew he made a bad call.

"From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry," Gibson said during a meeting that drew about 150 people — many of whom showed up in opposition to Gibson's initial response to the Caring Moore home for TBI patients.

Gibson handed out white roses to relatives of those with TBI as he apologized profusely.

Gibson said after he received more education on the subject, he was not a "NIMBY" — Not In My Back Yard — person.

(606) 326-2664 — asnyder@dailyindependent.com