Grandson Grows Up to Evict His Elderly Grandparents

--A 96-year-old man and his 88-year-old wife, who say they signed their house in Westville, N.J., over to their grandson with the promise they could remain until they died, will live to see that promise broken. “They will have to move soon,” real estate agent Anthony Malave said, confirming that the house was put on the market and sold by Richard Gray, the grandson of Reade and Edith Earl. “When we took him in as a little boy and raised him, we never thought it would ever come to this over 30 years later,” said Earl, who with his wife have lived in the house for more than 40 years. They celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary last June. Several years ago, the couple signed the deed of their home over to Gray, Earl said. They received no money, agreeing to pay for the utilities while Gray paid the taxes, sewer and water bills and other expenses, he said. “When we moved here, I said it would be our last move until we went to the cemetery, as morbid as that may sound,” Edith Earl said. Gray, who could not be reached for comment, failed to appear in court in Westville Jan. 10 to answer burglary and theft charges. Police said Gray also had failed to appear on charges of possessing stolen property and firearms

--In Bangkok, Thailand, a fisheries department official said the government has instructed fisheries throughout the nation to give people on request a total of 9,999,999 fish and giant prawns for release. The purpose is to help Queen Sirikit recover from an operation she underwent last week for inflammation of an eyelid. Thai tradition says the freeing of fish casts off misfortune and the number nine is lucky. The fisheries official said the department will keep count of the releases and he expected the number to be reached within a month.

--When Circuit Judge Frank Eppes asked if there was a minister in the courtroom in Aiken, S.C., to open the session with a customary prayer, the Rev. Gilbert Gooden stood up and gave the invocation. Only then did Eppes learn that Gooden was facing charges. “I didn’t realize he was a defendant in this court when I asked him to lead us in prayer,” the judge said. Gooden was in court to answer charges of resisting arrest that were filed after his car was clocked at 91 m.p.h. on the highway, said prosecutor Bill Weeks.