Postcards

• Except for Leona Helmsley. Former Chicago municipal treasurer Miriam Santos was released from a prison work camp in February, when her federal extortion conviction was overturned on appeal. She met immediately with reporters and said, “I am probably the first woman to go to jail (merely) for PMS-ing.” She also announced that she would try to regain her old job.

• Oh, come on. Forge his dang signature. The Environmental Protection Agency told reporters in May that it could not begin cleanup of the toxic Kim-Stan landfill near Roanoke, Va., because it had been unsuccessful in contacting the owner for permission. EPA cannot legally begin to stop the cadmium, manganese, zinc and aluminum from leaking into the nearby Jackson River without an okay from the owner, who has been hiding out since a bankruptcy proceeding in 1990.

• Where drinking and driving mix. Police officers in Berkeley, Calif., are stopping safe and courteous drivers to issue coupons for free nonalcoholic beverages. Officers donated money to purchase 70 certificates to begin the Good Driver Recognition Program, and the city has given $5,000 to continue the program.

• A warning to all those who might be inclined to ride a crocodile. Orange County, N.C., is considering banning elephants from the county because of concerns over the treatment of circus animals. The proposed ordinance would also ban displays of or rides on giraffes, kangaroos, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, emus, mongooses, bears, anteaters, tigers, armadillos, wolves, sea lions, sloths, snakes, hyenas and whales. “Animal cruelty – I can’t bear it,” says County Commissioner Margaret Brown.

• Pack a yardstick. Panhandlers in U.S. cities are facing restrictions on how close they may stand to ATMs. Houston has joined several cities in a crackdown on panhandling by making it a crime to beg for money within eight feet of cash machines. Orlando’s law specifies a 10-foot barrier; Los Angeles has a 15-foot barrier; Chicago and Philadelphia each specify 20 feet; and San Francisco enforces a 30-foot barrier.

• The butt stops here. Chris Bailey, of Belleville, Ill., was arrested for mooning a police officer. Within an hour of his release, he was back in jail for mooning several more.