Sometimes you really have to love working in the news industry. A former cops reporter from our paper always despaired when the especially juicy stories popped up either elsewhere in the state, or while he was off (the story of a pantless driver in Jonesboro several years back was one he especially envied).

This one, which I noticed while checking for an update on a bus accident (the kids are reportedly all fine, but a coach was injured), happened in Northwest Arkansas, but has made it onto several national feeds, probably because of the combination of the mug shot and what she’s accused of shoplifting: $144 worth of eyeshadow.

Shoplifting suspect Brandy Allen is shown in this Sept. 1 mug shot in Fayetteville. Fayetteville police said they arrested and charged the woman with shoplifting and disorderly conduct after she allegedly stole $144 worth of eye shadow from an Ulta Beauty store.
Photo by AP/Washington County sheriff’s office.

The picture has now gone viral, along with the story. A few media outlets have been having fun with it, and I can’t blame them. Time‘s crime newsfeed item carried the headline: “Shoplifting suspect guilty beyond eyeshadow of a doubt, police say/Crime seems to be written all over her face.”

Sometimes I really love my profession …

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Having come from rural Arkansas, I’m familiar with stories that, at a daily paper, would indicate a glacial news day but at a weekly are par for the course. Buzzfeed collected some funny ones (check the link); I especially enjoyed the psychic story even though it’s an old joke.

We journalist types can sometimes be easily amused. 😉