Strange but True

The Detroit Zoo's aging and arthritic elephants left Tuesday for the Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary near Sacramento, Calif. The 2,300-mile trek is taking place in a retrofitted moving van.

"They were a little agitated but not to the degree they could have been," said zoo animal welfare director Scott Carter.

Wanda, 46, and Winky, 51, have been on a new, more aggressive regimen of anti-inflammatory drugs for two weeks. Wanda, whose arthritis is more severe than Winky's, will be able to take weight off her hindquarters by sitting on custom-made barriers.

The journey to California will take approximately two and a half days.

"Elephants really don't thrive in this kind of environment," zoo director Ron Kagan said. "The sanctuary's physical and social environment is so (much more) superior than what we can provide here."

The elephants' toys, a cache of treats and stash of hay were shipped to the sanctuary earlier, Kagan said.

Upon arriving at the 100-acre Performing Animal Welfare Society grounds, Wanda and Winky will be introduced to the society's three other Asian elephants. It will take days or even weeks of acclimatization before they are released into the herd.

Judge to be judged

SANFORD, Fla. - A judge in Florida has charges of his own to worry about after he allegedly ordered the arrest of 11 traffic defendants who were mistakenly sent to the wrong courtroom.

The state Judicial Qualifications Commission on Tuesday accused Seminole County Judge John Sloop of being unfit to serve. Possible punishment ranges from a fine to removal from the bench.

The defendants were directed by summons and the court staff to a courtroom next door to Sloop's. When people realized they were in the wrong room, Sloop refused to listen to them or withdraw arrest warrants issued in their absence.

The defendants were handcuffed, taken to jail and held for about eight hours.

"Not to be mean, but he deserves it," said Irving Merced, 20, one of the defendants jailed in the Dec. 3 mix-up. "A judge like that shouldn't be allowed in the courtroom."

Papers in the wind

CLEVELAND - That was patient confidentiality blowing in the wind.

About 3,000 highly detailed patient hospital statements blew across busy downtown streets and sidewalks Tuesday after a box fell off a delivery truck, the Cleveland Clinic said.

"An investigation is underway to determine how this incident occurred," said Eileen Sheil, a spokeswoman for the hospital. "We are currently identifying which patient records were impacted and will be contacting those patients directly."

She said the clinic was determined to contact all affected patients on Wednesday. The records were from two members of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital System - Lakewood and Marymount hospitals.