Mouse infestation closes Pa. Capitol cafeteria

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Why is the cafeteria at the Pennsylvania Capitol infested with mice? Probably because health inspectors didn't visit it for four years---...More

Friends pack apartment with gifts in holiday prank

CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago man could be unwrapping the hundreds of Christmas gifts spread around his apartment for days, even weeks---...More

Woman calls 911 when husband refuses to eat dinner

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Prosecutors will review the case of a woman authorities claim has called 911 30 times over six months for non-emergency reasons, including a call to complain that her husband refused to eat his dinner. Last Friday, the woman allegedly made a pair of calls to 911, including a hang-up and another where a woman was heard screaming---...More

Cat finds way home after 11 days, 2 broken legs

SPRING HILL, Fla. (AP) -- Down two legs, and who knows how many lives, a Florida cat missing 11 days somehow arrived home. Tracie Steger lost hope after search parties and fliers failed to turn up her beloved Giggle-Blizzard. She winced after hearing a car had hit a kitty, and raced to scare off a vulture with a suspicious whisker in its teeth---...More

Escaped otters delay Ohio-bound flight in Houston

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Passengers on a Continental Airlines flight couldn't believe it when they saw an otter scurry from the plane's cargo hold and onto the tarmac at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. The daring escape by a pair of otters delayed the Ohio-bound flight for about an hour Tuesday night.---...More

Odd News-Pregnant soldiers could face court-martial

WASHINGTON. DC - A U.S. Army general in northern Iraq has added pregnancy to the list of reasons a soldier under his command could be court-martialed. The new policy, outlined last month by Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo and released Friday by the Army, would apply to both female soldiers who become pregnant on the battlefield and the male soldiers who impregnate them. Civilians reporting to Cucolo also could face criminal prosecution under the new guidelines. Division commanders like Cucolo have the authority to impose these type of restrictions to personnel operating under their command.---...More

Ex-NFL Player Sentenced to 31 Years in Prison

SAN DIEGO - Ex-NFL running back Lawrence Phillips has been sentenced to more than 31 years in prison for attacking his girlfriend and driving his car into three teens. Phillips, 34, was sentenced Friday in San Diego for assault and other crimes. Phillips told the judge he didn?t get a fair trail and he?ll appeal. Phillips twice choked his girlfriend in 2005 in San Diego. Later that year, he aimed his car and struck three teens after a pickup football game in Los Angeles.--...More

Man arrested after throwing paint on Vegas sign

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Las Vegas police say they have arrested a 69-year-old man who was caught on video throwing paint on Sin City's famous sign welcoming tourists to the Las Vegas Strip---...More

Mom sniffs out son's alleged stink-bomb plot

FREDERICK, Colo. (AP) -- A Colorado mom with a nose for trouble marched her son into the principal's office and said he was planning to set off a stink bomb at the school. Frederick High School was briefly evacuated on Thursday after the woman reported the alleged plot. There were no reports of any would-be bombs going off..----...More

Ariz. teacher on leave for taking choir to Hooters

PHOENIX (AP) -- An Arizona music teacher whose students performed at a presidential inauguration event is on administrative leave after taking 40 high school students to a Hooters restaurant---...More

Pastor finds dynamite before Christmas party

KELSO, Wash. (AP) -- The pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Kelso made an unwanted find as she was preparing for a Christmas party: a stick of dynamite. A bomb squad from Portland disposed of it and cleared the church by 6:02 p.m. Wednesday - just two minutes after the party was to begin---...More

Ill. library receives vinyl record 47 years late

EAST PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -- You can't blame the person who recently returned an old vinyl record to an Illinois library for slipping quickly out the door. The record was a little late---...More

Teacher Cuts Off Girl?s Braid In Front Of Class

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin - A Milwaukee teacher is charged with disorderly conduct after punishing a first-grader by cutting her hair. Lamya Cammon is angry, confused, and scared by the incident last week in which the apparently frustrated teacher cut one of her braids off after she wouldn?t stop playing with them in class. ?She told me to stop playing with it. Then cut it off and sent me back to my desk,? Cammon said. ?I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing,? Cammon said. ?She threw it away, and she said, ?Now what you gonna go home and say to your momma? ? And I said, ?That you cut off my hair,?? Cammon said. ---...More

Texas police arrest intruder suspect as he bathed

TYLER, Texas (AP) -- A 25-year-old man suspected of breaking into an east Texas house is jailed after police found him taking a bath in the house. The incident happened about 3:30 a.m. Sunday in a blue-collar neighborhood of northwest Tyler. Police Sgt. Matthew Smyser said a resident called to report that a man had kicked in the front door of the house. While en route, officers were advised the resident had left the house but the intruder remained inside--...More

1881 gold coin found in Conn. donation kettle

TORRINGTON, Conn. (AP) -- A Connecticut Salvation Army chapter got a pleasant surprise when its members were counting change dropped into one of the organization's holiday donation kettles. Members found a rare 1881 "half eagle" coin last week while counting donations made somewhere in Torrington on the day after Thanksgiving---...More

The North Face files lawsuit against parody

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The North Face Apparel Corp. is suing a small suburban St. Louis-area company called The South Butt and the teenager who started it. The lawsuit filed last week in federal court in St. Louis seeks unspecified damages and asks the court to prohibit The South Butt from marketing and selling its parody product line.---...More

Big bird gets talon caught in DC Metro escalator

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Every so often in the Washington Metro subway system, a foot gets caught in an escalator. Usually, the culprit is a shoe lace or a flip-flop. On Monday, it was a bird's talon. D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says rescuers were called to the Benning Road station in northeast Washington shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. A large bird of prey - possibly a hawk or a falcon - had its foot stuck in the escalator---...More

Groom runs marathon before his wedding

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - A 32-year-old man said he got a bit of exercise in the hours before his wedding by running a 26.2-mile marathon in Charlotte, N.C. Jeff Hartman said mere hours before he was scheduled to get married in Boiling Springs, N.C., he and a friend braved sub-freezing temperatures to take part in Charlotte?s Thunder Road Marathon, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Sunday. Hartman completed Saturday?s marathon in 3 hours, 47 minutes, all the while wearing a t-shirt reading ?Kiss Me! Getting Married Today!? ---...More

Child killer mothers brawl in prison

Australia - Violent brawls have erupted in prison between two of Australia?s most notorious child killer mothers. The clashes involved Rachael Pfitzner - the mother of toddler Dean Shillingsworth, who was found dead in a suitcase - and the woman who starved her daughter Ebony to death, the Daily Telegraph reports. One scrap at the Mulawa prison in New South Wales was detailed in a fiery letter Pfitzner wrote to Dean?s father Paul Shillingsworth in January, the newspaper said. ?It?s my 3rd inside charge, for knocking people out ? this time I punched a girl with a hard knock, split her nose at the top, broke it and gave her a black eye which is causing her problems,? she reportedly wrote. ?The slut deserved it, wanting to run her mouth with me and push me ? no c*** in here scares me.? ----...More

Woman plans to be a graduate, bride on same day

CLINTON, Iowa (AP) -- A 34-year-old Florida woman plans to be a graduate and bride on the same day in Iowa. Tricia Giordano said she has always been the kind of person who loves to stay busy. She was scheduled to get her degree on Saturday afternoon at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. Shortly after that, she planned to head across campus to the chapel and swap her cap and gown for a wedding dress---...More

Authorities say angry driver crashed into DMV

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- Arapahoe County officials said a disgruntled driver crashed his truck into a DMV because it was closed. Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Doty said she thinks a driver was upset because he didn't make it to the office in time to get in. The sheriff's office was investigating surveillance video of the crash that happened at about 4:30 p.m. Friday---...More

Pregnant Woman Helps Pull Teens Off Officer

Alton, Texas - Angela Gutierrez says she had to do something when she saw a police officer being attacked. ?Nobody wants to be in that situation,? she says. Gutierrez, who is nine months pregnant, was driving down the road with her husband and child, when she saw a group of teens attack a police officer. The Alton officer was called to the scene to break up a fight. Before arriving he already knew he would need help and called for backup. The teens the officer spotted refused to cooperate. Instead, they attacked. Dashcam video recorded sounds of the teens beating the officers repeatedly. Help finally arrived for the officer. It wasn?t another officer. It was Gutierrez, whose baby is due in two weeks.---...More

Dutch man reports theft of Ecstasy pill collection

AMSTERDAM (AP) -- A man who said he spent two decades collecting Ecstasy pills of all colors and shapes as a hobby has turned to police for help after they were stolen - because he said some of them are poisonous---...More

Fla. woman accused of hitting man with raw steak

DUNNELLON, Fla. (AP) -- A 53-year-old was arrested after allegedly hitting a man in the head with a raw steak. According to a Marion County Sheriff's Office report, the man told deputies Elsie Egan repeatedly hit him with the uncooked meat and slapped his face after he refused a piece of sliced bread. The man said he wanted a bread roll---...More

Woman accused of drunken ride in Christmas parade

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A woman has posted $500 bond on a charge of public intoxication after police said she passed out on a horse she rode in the Shelbyville Christmas parade. According to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, a 46-year-old woman was found slumped over on her horse outside a motel---...More

Baby alligator, snakes found in university dorm

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- A baby alligator, a diamondback rattlesnake, six pythons and three chameleons have been found in a University of Arkansas dorm room. Campus police Lt. Gary Crain said Monday the reptiles - and four white mice that were apparently intended as lunch - were found in Maple Hill West---...More

Man gets year in jail for urinating on officer

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) -- A Waldo man accused of urinating on a police officer during his fifth drunken-driving arrest has been sentenced to a year in jail. Court records released Wednesday show 36-year-old Daniel L. Shilts Jr. of Waldo was also fined about $3,600 and had his driver's license revoked for three years---...More

Urine samples swiped from Utah health department

LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- Someone broke into public health offices in Logan and made away with 17 urine samples. The break-in happened early Monday morning at the Bear River Health Department. Spokeswoman Jill Parker said the thieves broke a window and somehow got into a padlocked refrigerator to steal the samples, which were stored in small, lidded plastic cups---...More

Neighbors say house still reeks even after cleanup

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -- Residents of a South Florida neighborhood are plagued by a horrible stench. It's coming from inside the home of their neighbor. City officials have already investigated homeowner Debra Jean Higgins, after a utility worker stopped by and called police because he thought someone had died inside. The 55-year-old Higgins, who lives with two dogs, seven cats and piles of rotting garbage, was alive and well. She has been fined $600,000 for code violations, but that appar---...More

Tenn. man says cows licked $100 in damage to house

ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee man's homeowners insurance apparently doesn't cover "acts of cow." Jerry Lynn Davis called the Hawkins County Sheriff's office on Thursday, complaining that a neighbor's cows had been licking his house. In the process, Davis says the curious bovines did about $100 in damage by ripping off a screen window, cracking the glass and pulling down a gutter.---...More

Tenn. man arrested for allegedly drunk-dialing 911

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) -- A Middle Tennessee man was arrested after police said he drunk-dialed 911 and has called police 47 times over the last year. Murfreesboro police arrested a 57-year-old man on Thursday after police responded to an emergency call to find him intoxicated in his home. According to the police report, officers asked him why he called 911 and he replied that he was "just drunk."---...More

Police jail man for rubbing burger in wife's face

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -- A 25-year-old Port St. Lucie man was arrested for allegedly rubbing a hamburger on his wife's face during an argument. Police said Daniel Boss and his wife got into it late Thursday night and started calling each other names. At some point, the woman apparently poured soda on Boss' hamburger, causing him to grab the sandwich, rub it in her face and start throwing food---...More

NY cops slip oil-change-bribe suspect into slammer

MASTIC BEACH, N.Y. (AP) -- Authorities said a drunken driving suspect tried to grease the wheels of justice with a bribe: free oil changes and car inspections. Suffolk County Police Officer Robert Kall responded by arresting the 44-year-old Shirley, N.Y., resident on two charges Thursday---...More

Police nab woman with nearly $600 of stolen meat

GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) -- Galesburg police said they have filed a retail theft charge against a woman who was reportedly found pushing a cart filled with nearly $600 worth of meat and meat products outside a supermarket.----...More

Bungling burglar at Mich. shop busted by workers

TALLMADGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Authorities said a man trying to burglarize a southwestern Michigan towing and auto-repair shop got a surprise when he found tow truck drivers inside still on the job-----...More

Fla. Gov. Crist sent callers to telephone sex line

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Oops! In an embarrassing blunder, Gov. Charlie Crist mistakenly directed parents of uninsured children to call a toll-free sex line--...More

78-Year-Old Women Pose Nude for Environmental Calendar

KEY WEST, Florida - A group of Florida Keys women are going nude for the environment. Not the typical youths who flash breasts during island celebrations. The models for the 2010 ?Women Sustaining the Earth? calendar are 44 to 78 years old. Organizer Erika Biddle got the idea from the movie ?Calendar Girls,? based on the true story of British women who did the same thing. She wanted only models aged 40 and older, to honor the 40th birthday of Earth Day in April. ---...More

Couple gets stuck on Christmas tree hunt

MEDFORD, Oregon - An Oregon couple who got stuck in the snow while hunting for a Christmas tree in the high country spent more than a day digging themselves out. Keith and Jennifer Lee of Medford knew a search was on for them because they listened to the radio during the 15 minutes an hour they ran their car?s engine, KDRV-TV, Medford, Ore., reported. But they were out of cellphone range. The couple were on a forest road that crosses the border into California, the Medford Mail Tribune reported. They got stuck Tuesday afternoon and were able to move again early Thursday. ---...More

15-year-old Wis. cheddar sells for $50 per pound

MINERAL POINT, Wis. (AP) -- A 15-year-old cheddar made in Wisconsin, possibly the most mature cheese for sale in the country, is selling well despite the $50-per-pound price tag, its producer said Saturday---...More

Texas couple say hen laid egg with cross on it

BURLESON, Texas (AP) -- A Fort Worth-area couple said one of their hens laid an egg with a cross on the end of it. Pam and Tracy Norrell of Burleson, who displayed the odd-shaped egg, said they believe it's a sign of encouragement during the holiday season---...More

Fla. teen allegedly attacks dad for loud snoring

OLDSMAR, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida teenager has been charged with assaulting his father, reportedly because the man was snoring too loudly. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reported that the teen, 18, first threw a magazine at his father, who was sleeping on a living room couch Tuesday evening. When that didn't work, deputies said the teen pushed his father onto the floor and punched him in the face.----...More

Would-be thief sends merciful NY store owner $50

SHIRLEY, N.Y. (AP) -- A Long Island convenience store owner who showed mercy to a would-be robber said he's received an apology note and $50 in the mail. The unsigned note said it was from the man who tried to rob Mohammad Sohail. It said the would-be robber has a new job, a new child, and is staying out of trouble---...More

Iowa woman accused of shoplifting 418 items

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- An Iowa woman is accused in a South Dakota shoplifting case that authorities say involved more than just a few items stuffed in a pocket. Sioux Falls police said a 51-year-old woman allegedly took $2,200 worth of items from the Lewis Drug Store, hauling stolen merchandise to her car in bags and then returning to the store for more---...More

Marilyn Monroe home movie surfaces

Los Angeles, California - The copyright to a home movie of Marilyn Monroe ?just sitting around? with friends will be offered through an online auction this week, according to a man who found the film while researching the actress? death. A short clip of the four-minute, silent 16 mm film provided to CNN to shows Monroe puffing on a cigarette, laughing and drinking wine on a couch. An FBI agent involved in the investigation of Monroe?s death on August 5, 1962 ? which was ruled a suicide by drug overdose ? tipped off collector Keya Morgan to the film?s existence---...More

Under-age drinking OK, says half of Australia

Australia - Half of Australian adults say 15 to 17-year-olds should be allowed to drink alcohol at home, despite official guidelines warning young people to delay drinking for as long as possible. A survey of 1200 adults by health insurer MBF also found that the more people earned, the more likely they were to agree to under-age drinking, with 63 per cent of respondents earning more than $100,000 approving of the practice. The survey prompted the Australian Drug Foundation to renew its calls for Victoria and other states and territories to fall into line with Queensland, where adults are banned from supplying alcohol to minors in private homes if they lack the consent of the minor?s parents----...More

Gotti eludes conviction for fourth time

NEW YORK - The trial of John ?Junior? Gotti on murder and racketeering charges ended in a mistrial on Tuesday, allowing the prominent mob figure to elude conviction in his fourth racketeering trial in five years. John A. Gotti, 45, the son of late notorious Gambino crime family boss John J. Gotti, escaped conviction on charges of ordering or taking part in the drug-related killings of two men in 1988 and 1991 and racketeering conspiracy that included murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and drug dealing. Gotti?s previous trials in 2005 and 2006 on similar charges all ended in hung juries. His lawyer said Gotti was once a high-ranking member of the Gambinos but 10 years ago.----...More

Breastfeeding mother smothers baby on jet

A mother accidentally smothered her baby daughter to death on a flight after she fell asleep while breastfeeding. The four-week-old girl was travelling with her Egyptian mother from Washington DC to Kuwait when the tragedy occurred. Crew on the United Airlines jet were alerted by the 29-year-old mother?s screams. A doctor travelling on the plane tried unsuccessfully to revive the baby. The plane, which was over the Atlantic at 33,000ft, was diverted to London?s Heathrow airport just before 10am, where police boarded. The baby girl was rushed to Hillingdon Hospital, a spokesman told the Daily Mail. ----
...More

Man uses hammer to destroy TVs at Target store

WINONA, Minn. (AP) -- A man used a hammer to leave a path of destruction at a Target store in Winona. Police said the 39-year-old man smashed big-screen televisions and destroyed other electronics Saturday evening before taking a swing at an officer---...More

Man robs 2nd Philly bank after failing 1st attempt

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia police and the FBI are looking for a man who robbed a bank less than two hours after a failed robbery attempt at another bank--...More

Gold coin dropped in Pa. Salvation Army kettle

YORK, Pa. (AP) -- The Salvation Army says someone dropped a gold coin worth more than $1,000 in a collection kettle in south-central Pennsylvania. York Salvation Army Maj. Lurlene Mudge said the South African gold Krugerrand was wrapped in a $1 bill and later discovered in counting the collections. It was placed Friday in a kettle outside a Kmart store in Springettsbury Township, just outside York----...More

Maine man charged with stealing ATM from store

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) -- Maine police say a man took a cash machine from inside a convenience store and drove off with it in the back of a stolen pickup truck---...More

Pa. suspect's sweet tooth results in felony charge

TYRONE, Pa. (AP) -- Police said a serial shoplifter from central Pennsylvania has taken three sweet steps over the line and now faces a felony charge. Sonya Mosey, 33, was jailed on a felony retail theft charge for allegedly stealing three snack cakes worth $4.27 from a convenience store on Oct. 27. Police said she took a Hostess doughnut and two Tastykake items from the store, though she did pay for a soda pop....

That hissing in the kitchen? Snake!!!

LAKEBAY, Wash. (AP) -- Betty Corey first thought the hissing from her Lakebay, Wash., kitchen might be one of her dogs. Wrong. It was a 4-foot-long ball python. Not a fan of snakes, Corey called 911 and a Pierce County Animal Control officer removed the snake Tuesday morning. Officer Brian Boman said the agency will house the snake at its shelter, keeping it warm and close at hand if its owner is looking for it---...More

Dad Doing Errand Locked Kids in Trunk

FALL RIVER, Massachusetts - Massachusetts police say a man locked his two young sons in the trunk of his car while he ran an errand. Fall River police say Michael Monahan put his kids, ages 3 and 6, in the trunk of his Pontiac Trans Am for several minutes Tuesday morning while he went inside a sailing shop. According to court records, Monahan told investigators the boys like to play in the trunk. The 35-year-old Monahan pleaded not guilty Wednesday to assault and reckless endangerment of a child.--...More

Black Friday busiest day for plumbers

CINCINNATI, Ohio - U.S. plumbers say Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is their busiest day of the year, thanks to holiday meals and guests. Big holiday meal preparation and cleanup mean lots of grease and food go down the kitchen drain. Holiday guests require additional clothes washing, showers and toilet flushes, straining household plumbing. ?Often, a house already has partially clogged drains that aren?t noticeable until holiday guests arrive and overwhelm the system,? Paul Abrams, a spokesman for Roto-Rooter, a 24-hour plumbing company, said in a statement.

Police: Dad leaves boy and goes into strip club

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A man was arrested after police said he left his 5-year-old son in a tractor-trailer while he ducked into an Indianapolis strip club to drink. The 39-year-old was arrested at 1:15 a.m. Tuesday on child neglect and public intoxication charges after calling police to report his truck stolen and his child missing. Police said the man was too drunk to remember where he had parked---...More

Utah man makes wrong turn, sees train approaching

OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A man whose car became stuck on a set of railroad tracks bailed out before a commuter train plowed into it. Danny Ray Olsen, 62, said he took a wrong turn in Ogden and got his 1998 Nissan Sentra high-centered between two sets of rails Monday evening. He said he saw lights approaching in his rearview mirror and decided to get out---...More

Hunt on for former royal aide who killed boyfriend

London, England - A former royal aide convicted of murdering her boyfriend has failed to return to prison on schedule, British police said Tuesday. Jane Andrews, 42, did not report back to East Sutton Park prison, southeast of London, on Sunday night, Kent Police said. Andrews worked as a personal dresser to Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York, for nine years until 1997. She was convicted of murdering Thomas Cressman, 40, in their London home in a fit of rage in 2000. Andrews was an ?intense person? who stabbed her lover to death while he slept after he refused to marry her----...More

Georgia church robber: 'Sorry but I'm poor'

ELLENWOOD, Ga. (AP) -- Someone made off with loot from a Georgia church but also left behind an apology. A note scrawled on the wall said: "Sorry but I'm poor. Forgive me Lord." The Rev. Roger Davis tells WSB-TV that expensive equipment including microphones and a laptop containing important records were stolen over the weekend from Berean Baptist Church. The robber broke locks and the church's safe, but it was empty---...More

Deputies use backhoe to find drugs in septic tank

FRIERSON, La. (AP) -- Flushed evidence doesn't go far if your toilet's on a septic system. DeSoto Parish sheriff's Lt. Toni Joe Morris said Tuesday that deputies brought in a backhoe when drug agents raided a home and business and met the owner coming out of a bathroom---...More

Agent showing house finds pile of bones

GIBSON, La. (AP) -- A real estate agent showing a house got to the basement and found about 100 human bones in a corner. James Kenny, a forensic investigator with the Terrebonne Parish Coroner's Office, says the bones found Saturday were so old that dirt had saturated the marrow inside them. He says they probably are remains of Native Americans buried long before the house was built---...More

Groom Ends Up Behind Bars After Bachelor Party

Montana - A Missoula man is behind bars after allegedly assaulting a woman and a cop at his bachelor party. Police say 24-year-old Jordan Iddings and several friends started a fight at Hooters. After police kicked them out, they left in a limo to head downtown. Police say Iddings grabbed a women at Bodega, she slapped him and then he punched her. Court records say the bachelor party then headed to Reds. That?s where the men allegedly started a fight with bartenders. When police arrived they arrested Iddings, then he allegedly headbutted one of the officers.---...More

Cops Woman smuggled drugs,Pa. inmate with kiss

MERCER, Pa. (AP) -- A western Pennsylvania woman has been ordered to stand trial on charges she passed a drug-filled balloon to a state prison inmate while kissing him. State police said guards at the State Correctional Institution-Mercer became suspicious when an inmate appeared to swallow something after a prolonged kiss with a visitor on Oct. 19----...More

Man who claimed disability spotted on TV show

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California tax officials say an interior designer's false disability claim was uncovered when he was spotted on a home improvement television show----...More

Eye doc may lose license after calling patient fat

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A North Carolina doctor could lose his medical license after a patient complained he made cutting criticisms, including telling her she was fat. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported the North Carolina Medical Board will decide if Dr. Earl Sunderhaus of Asheville overstepped the bounds of professional decency---...More

Ala. court says woman can't claim $41.8M jackpot

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- The Alabama Supreme Court says a woman who thought she had hit a jackpot worth almost $42 million at the Victoryland electronic bingo center will end up empty handed. The court ruled Friday that an electronic bingo machine that showed Sherry Knowles had won $41.8 million obviously malfunctioned and that she was actually due no more than $2 from the operation in Macon County---...More

Woman leaves $40,000 at Md. shrine for safekeeping

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- A woman quietly left $40,000 worth of rare U.S. coins near a Catholic shrine for safekeeping so the Virgin Mary could watch over her life savings while she was out of town, and apparently it worked: The money was returned to her when she got back a week later----...More

Couple arrested after reporting stolen marijuana

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- A man and woman who reported to police that robbers stole their marijuana are now facing charges themselves. The 32-year-old man and 29-year-old woman told police five armed men came to their Wichita apartment late Monday night and took marijuana----...More

Utah teen to challenge citation for McDonald's rap

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The case of one of four teens who were cited after rapping their order at a McDonald's in Utah appears headed for trial---...More

Chunk of ice crashes through roof of Colorado home

BRUSH, Colo. (AP) -- A basketball-sized chunk of ice crashed through the roof of a family's Colorado home after apparently falling from an airplane passing overhead. Danelle Hagan and her 9-year-old daughter were at home in Brush on Saturday when they heard the kitchen ceiling come crashing down. They were not injured---...More

Police: Would-be Seattle ninja impaled on fence

SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle police say a man who thought he was ninja was impaled on a metal fence when he tried to leap over it. An officer who was looking for an assault victim nearby Monday night heard the man screaming for help. Police supported him to prevent further injuries until medics arrived and took him to a hospital, where he was in serious condition in intensive care on Tuesday---...More

Alleged door-to-door pot seller picks wrong home

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A 19-year-old Brownsville man is jailed on a drug charge after he allegedly went door-to-door trying to sell marijuana. A Brownsville police spokesman says Anthony Carrazco's alleged scheme went awry when he knocked on a police officer's apartment door----...More

Kan. father, son suspect meteorite landed at home

LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) -- A father and son have an extraterrestrial explanation for the strange rock that recently landed in their backyard in southwest Kansas. They are convinced it's a meteorite---...More

Mother offers 5-year-old girl for prostitution

SANFORD, North Carolina - A missing 5-year-old whose mother was accused of offering her for sex was found dead off a heavily wooded road in a rural area, ending a weeklong search. Searchers found Shaniya Davis? body southeast of Sanford, in central North Carolina. Two people have been charged in her disappearance, one of them her mother, Antoinette Davis, 25. Police charged Davis with human trafficking and felony child abuse, saying Shaniya was offered for prostitution. Authorities also charged Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, with kidnapping after they said surveillance footage from a Sanford hotel showed him carrying Shaniya there.----...More

Ohio Police: Repo man struck by repossessed car

CINCINNATI (AP) -- An Ohio man was accused of striking a repo man with his car when he tried to take it back after it was repossessed. Police said 41-year-old Charles Alexander was arrested late Saturday near his home in the small town of Silverton, near Cincinnati. He was held without bond Monday on a felony charge of attempted vehicular assault----...More

Drilling for Scotch whisky on frozen continent

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A beverage company has asked a team to drill through Antarctica's ice for a lost cache of some vintage Scotch whisky that has been on the rocks since a century ago---...More

5 allegedly try to rob Nev. bank with fake warrant

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) -- Authorities say they have arrested five people who allegedly tried to rob a Nevada bank by presenting a false federal search warrant which demanded all of the money in the vault. The FBI says that when the Wells Fargo bank manager refused to comply Friday, he was handcuffed and threatened in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson---...More

Ohio 8th-grader suspended for wild Bengals haircut

HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) -- A young Cincinnati Bengals fan has been penalized for clipping. Dustin Reader got the NFL team's stripes and "B" insignia cut into his hair as a tribute to the team's good season. When he showed up to school in the southwest Ohio city of Hamilton on Monday, officials put the eighth-grader into in-school suspension. The school said its code of conduct prohibits extreme and distracting hairstyles---...More

Police: Ex-clerk discounted hardware to woo man

NITRO, W.Va. (AP) -- A former home improvement store clerk in West Virginia has been charged with discounting $20,000 worth of merchandise to win a man's heart. Nitro police arrested 20-year-old Katie Lynn Smith Thursday on a fraudulent schemes charge. She had worked at Lowe's---...More

Man awakened in ditch with moonshine and rifle

ATHENS, Tenn. (AP) -- When Ricky Butler went to sleep on a rural, East Tennessee roadside, he didn't have to worry about comfort but apparently he was feeling insecure. McMinn County deputies found the 31-year-old Decatur man sleeping on his back in a roadside ditch, with a loaded rifle on his chest and an almost empty jar of moonshine in the bib of his overalls.---...More

Man reaches under car and gets bitten by alligator

LAND O'LAKES, Fla. (AP) -- A Pasco County man was bitten by an alligator that had parked itself under his car. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said 38-year-old Joseph Cannistra saw something lying under his car early Sunday morning. Thinking it was his dog, Cannistra reached underneath and was bitten on his hands by an alligator---...More

1.5 lbs. of nails pulled from Peruvian's stomach

LIMA, Peru (AP) -- "They call me the hardware store," says Requelme Abanto from his hospital bed in northern Peru. Doctors in the city of Cajamarca said they removed 1.5 pounds of metal from Abanto's stomach, including nails, coins, and rusted copper wire and scrap metal---More

Police: Wife pulls knife on husband over vodka

CLAWSON, Mich. (AP) -- Police said a woman threatened her husband with a 7-inch knife after he threw away her bottle of vodka as she slept in their suburban Detroit home. Clawson police Lt. Scott Sarvello told The Daily Tribune of Royal Oak the man returned home from work Sunday night to find his wife sleeping with a bottle of vodka. He threw away the bottle---...More

Charges dropped against Fla. men in sidewalk feud

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Prosecutors have decided to drop charges against two men who got into a raucous fist fight at a St. Petersburg City Council meeting. Frederick Dudley and Ronald Deaton were arrested in October after they began throwing punches during an argument over a decision to privatize a public sidewalk. The men, ages 76 and 61, respectively, were charged with disorderly conduct--...More

Wedding ring found in dump amid 10 tons of trash

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (AP) -- Sanitation workers sorted through 10 tons of trash to recover a wedding ring accidentally thrown away by a New Jersey couple---...More

Irishman wins euro46,000 after island home disappears

DUBLIN (AP) -- A Northern Ireland filmmaker has won euro46,000 ($69,000) in damages after a judge ruled that his Irish island home was transformed into a parking lot while he was overseas for six years---...More

Veteran’s Day Tribute

Veteran’s Day Tribute


When America had an urgent need,
These brave ones raised a hand;
No hesitation held them back;
They were proud to take a stand.


They left their friends and family;
They gave up normal life;
To serve their country and their God,
They plowed into the strife.


They fought for freedom and for peace
On strange and foreign shores;
Some lost new friends; some lost their lives
In long and brutal wars.


Other veterans answered a call
To support the ones who fought;
Their country had requirements for
The essential skills they brought.


We salute each and every one of them,
The noble and the brave,
The ones still with us here today,
And those who rest in a grave.


So here’s to our country’s heroes;
They’re a cut above the rest;
Let’s give the honor that is due
To our country’s very best.


By Joanna Fuchs

New device takes gorilla's blood pressure

ATLANTA (AP) -- One of the gorillas at Zoo Atlanta has been under pressure lately. Zoo keepers, along with undergraduate students from Georgia Tech and reseachers from Emory University, got a western lowland gorilla named Ozzie to voluntarily have his blood pressure taken by a machine students designed called the Gorilla Tough Cuff. Zoo officials say it's the first time a gorilla has ever voluntarily had its blood pressure taken in any zoo in the world.----...More

NC school sells test points for $20 to raise money

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- A middle school in North Carolina is selling test scores to students in a bid to raise money.---...More

Chew on this: Conn. police say gum thefts increase

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) -- Police in several Connecticut towns said they're dealing with a sticky situation - chewing gum thefts. According to authorities, the number of people caught stealing chewing gum has noticeably increased recently. They believe the chewy contraband is ending up on the black market, where it's harder to trace than some other stolen goods...More

Stupid News:Graffiti artist ran out of purple

PALM BAY, Florida - Police in Florida said a graffiti artist left an apology — not for the crime of vandalism, but for an artistic infraction: “Ran out of purple.” Palm Bay police said the message was found scrawled next to a costly yet apparently unfinished purple tagging reading “Solo,” Florida Today reported.....more

Woman said she had cancer - Used money for boob job

Texas - Count Trista Joy Lathern’s husband and co-workers among those who now feel misled and betrayed by her alleged pretense that she had breast cancer and was undergoing the rigors of chemotherapy. Lathern, 24, formerly of Robinson, was arrested on theft by deception charges after authorities say she lied about her medical condition, watched as friends raised $10,000 for her at a benefit and then reportedly spent the proceeds on breast-augmentation surgery....More

New fair targets France's 260,000 annual divorces

PARIS (AP) -- The city of romance got a lesson in love's hard knocks Sunday, as thousands flocked to the French capital's first divorce fair--...More

Fla. police: Graffiti artist left work incomplete

PALM BAY, Fla. (AP) -- Police in Florida say a graffiti artist who apparently ran out of paint midway through a spray-painted creation left a note to potential critics to explain the unfinished work.---...More

Authorities say man stole car to face theft charge

VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) -- The California Highway Patrol say a man stole a car to make a court appearance on a previous auto theft charge---...More

Homeowner Finds Dead Body in Front Yard

CENTENNIAL, Colorado - Police suspect foul play in the death of a man found in the front yard of a Centennial home. Twenty-three-year-old Andrew Gleston Graham was discovered by the homeowner at about 5:30 a.m. Police have not said how he died, but they say the death is being investigated as a homicide. Graham lived about a mile away from the yard where his body was found.---
...More

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Burglar sends paper homemade mug shot

SWANSEA, Wales - An alleged burglar wanted by Welsh authorities sent a newspaper a picture of himself because he didn?t like the mug shot it published. A spokesman for the South Wales Evening Post said Matthew Maynard, 23, whose mug shot appeared in the paper during the weekend as part of a police effort to track down wanted suspects. He telephoned the paper he was not happy with the picture and that he would send in another. --...More

Cop Shoots Teen in Face After He Pulled Pellet Gun

NEW YORK - A police detective shot a New York teen in the face after he pulled a realistic-looking pellet gun during an argument in the Bronx. Police say 15-year-old Marcus Bonner was hit in the cheek, but survived. He was hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities say a group of officers were conducting an undercover drug operation when they spotted the teen threatening a group of rival youths with the gun.---...More

Odd News:Giant snake capture was a hoax

MIAMI, Florida - A man who caught a 14-foot python in a Florida drain pipe was charged with perpetrating a hoax after wildlife officers discovered he owned the snake and put it in the pipe in order to stage the capture. Justin Matthews, a professional animal trapper, later admitted that he had ?staged the event to call attention to a growing problem of irresponsible pet ownership,? the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. Matthews was charged with misusing the 911 emergency system and maintaining captive wildlife in an unsafe manner. --More

SKorean woman passes driver's exam on 950th try

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time. The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test....--More

Oregon man charged with DUI after 911 call

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon police have charged a man with drunken driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road....--More

Man fined for 911 call over missing McDonald's OJ

ALOHA, Ore. (AP) -- A 20-year-old man who called 911 to get his fast-food order straightened out has been told to pay a $300 fine. Washington County, Ore., sheriff's deputies said Raibin Raof Osman called the emergency line to complain that a McDonald's in Aloha had left out a box of orange juice from his drive-through order. A restaurant employee later called 911 to report that Osman and others who were with him were blocking the lane, knocking on restaurant windows and intimidating em---...More

Police find mail carrier passed out drunk in truck

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Police officers reported finding a mail carrier passed out drunk in his U.S. Postal Service mail truck in Boynton Beach. According to a release, police received a 911 call Wednesday afternoon reporting a mail truck parked on the side of a road with the driver slumped over the wheel. Officers found a 29-year-old man, whose blood alcohol content was tested to be .264 and .258, more than three times the legal limit--...More

Sheboygan man tries to sell the rights to his name

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Unemployed and desperate, a 19-year-old Sheboygan man is trying to sell one of the only things he owns - his name. Calvin Gosz has put the rights to give him a new name on eBay. He said if people can have a name like Mercedes for free, "why wouldn't McDonald's pay for me to have Ronald McDonald as a name?" Gosz said he moved to Wisconsin from Florida in September. He's filled out more than a dozen job applications, but so far no luck.--...More

Terrorist Attack At Fort Hood-Major Malik Nadal Hasan Shoots 44 People

Shooter Major Malik Nadal Hasan Kills 13 and 31 wounded at Fort Hood Texas.

Malik Nadal Hasan A Muslim extremist infiltrates the US Military and goes on a Jihad.

Fort Hood shooting: Army psychiatrist named as gunman is still aliveUS major unconscious and under military guard after being shot four times during Texas base rampage that killed 13

The US army psychiatrist who allegedly shot dead 13 people and wounded 30 when he went on a rampage at Fort Hood military base in Texas is alive in a hospital under military guard.

The gunman, identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was initially reported to have been killed. But it emerged early this morning he survived despite being shot four times by a police officer. He is on a ventilator and unconscious, according to military officials. "I would say his death is not imminent," a military spokesman told the Associated Press.

Hasan was about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, said Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican senator for Texas. One of Hasan's cousins, Nader Hasan, told reporters the major was dreading going to war, having counselled scores of returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder....More

Pet Cat Has Swine Flu H1N1

Iowa - Vets in Iowa said that a household cat had tested positive for swine flu ? the first known case in the world of the new pandemic strain spreading to the feline population. The domestic shorthair, a 13-year-old castrated male, apparently caught A(H1N1) off its owners ? two of the three members of the family had previously contracted the deadly virus. ?This is the first cat that we are aware of with the pandemic H1N1,? said Dr. Brett Sponseller, an assistant professor of veterinary microbiology who helped treat the pet at Iowa State University?s College of Veterinary Medicine. ----...More

Mexican Doctors Accused of Selling Newborns

MEXICO CITY - Three doctors and a nurse have been arrested for allegedly selling newborns after telling mothers their babies had died at a private hospital in Mexico City. Police uncovered the scheme after one of the women learned her baby was alive and had been sold. He said she told authorities she heard her baby cry but when she asked to see the child, doctors told her she had to wait until the effects of the anesthetics wore off. Later, doctors told her the baby had been taken to another hospital. A day later, the woman was told her baby died and had been cremated.---...More

Woman pleads guilty in road rage dressing case

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- An Idaho woman accused of ramming her pickup into another car, then hurling ranch salad dressing at the vehicle, has pleaded guilty to aggravated battery. Tiffany M. Wallace, 18, entered the plea in 4th District Court Monday in a deal with prosecutors. The Idaho Statesman reported Wallace was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 11---...More

Mom gets jail after teen rides in box atop van

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- A woman pleaded guilty and will spend five days in jail after letting her daughter ride in a cardboard box on top of their van. The judge ordered Jackie Knott to 90 days jail time, of which she will serve only five days---...More

NH woman's car hit by a escaped boar on interstate

NEW LONDON, N.H. (AP) -- New Hampshire wildlife officials said a boar that ran into the side of a woman's car on Interstate 89 in New London most likely escaped from a private game preserve. Becky Field said she didn't realize her car had been hit by a boar until a state trooper told her after her vehicle was damaged on Sunday night---...More

Wis. firefighter accused of drugging wife's tea

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A veteran Milwaukee firefighter was charged with drugging his wife's tea with his anti-depressent medication because he said he wanted to calm her after an argument. A criminal complaint charges the 43-year-old man with a felony. He was in the Milwaukee County jail Tuesday on $10,000 bail and was unavailable for comment---...More

Man angry with police response walks onto roadway

WOODBURN, Ore. (AP) -- A 28-year-old Portland man described as unhappy about police response time to his 911 call walked onto Interstate 5 near Woodburn in an apparent attempt to get assistance more quickly---...More

Mich. county seeks to prevent shouting at inmates

PAW PAW, Mich. (AP) -- A new law takes effect in early December making it illegal to give a shout-out to an inmate at the Van Buren County Jail. A century-old section of the jail in the heart of Paw Paw has no air conditioning, so its barred windows are opened in warm weather. The wing stands only a few feet from the sidewalk, separated from it by a tall chain-link fence crowned by spirals of razor wire---...More

Police: Valet's umbrella saves woman from attack

BOSTON (AP) -- A Boston parking valet armed with an umbrella is being credited for helping a woman fight off a knife-wielding purse snatcher. Police said Tuesday that 61-year-old Barbara Pero of Auburn was attacked Monday night outside a Boston condominium just after her car was brought up by a valet parking service. A man forced his way into the car and threatened to kill her---...More

Town makes it illegal to own more than 3 cats

DUDLEY, Mass. (AP) -- It's now illegal in one Massachusetts town to own more than three cats without getting a special license. Voters at a town meeting in Dudley on Monday night added language to a town bylaw that makes it illegal to own more than three cats without a $50 residential kennel license. Dudley is about 60 miles southwest of Boston---...More

Camera found in bathroom of Christian bookstore

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) -- A 28-year-old clerk at a Christian bookstore in Simi Valley has been arrested on charges of peeping at customers in the restroom with a video camera. Police said the man was cited and released on suspicion of peeping by means of an electronic device Sunday after a customer spotted the device hidden among boxes in the corner of the bathroom of the Family Christian Book Store---...More

Police: Mich. Man without vehicle steals ambulance

EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Authorities said a 31-year-old Detroit man who was stranded at a southeast Michigan hospital face charges after he stole an ambulance. Police said the man stole the ambulance from the St. John River District Hospital in St. Clair County's East China Township on Saturday night after people inside the facility refused to give him a ride to St. Clair where his vehicle was located.---...More

Officials find gator that escaped at show and tell

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Officials believe they have found an alligator that escaped from a wildlife officer who brought the animal to his daughter's school for show and tell---...More

Crime-weary Ohioans say cops tell them to move out

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Residents of Ohio's capital city are complaining that police officers are telling them to move out if they're fed up with neighborhood crime---...More

Man convicted in orange rabbit pedicab hit-and-run

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Mercedes driver testified he didn't see the 6-foot-tall orange rabbit driving a pedicab because he was fumbling for a dropped cell phone---
...More

Mafia boss arrested in chicken farm raid

Italy - Italian police arrested one of the country?s most wanted mafia fugitives after tearing down a wall in a dawn raid at a chicken farm where he had built a hideout. Salvatore Russo, the 51-year-old head of a Camorra clan carrying his name, had been sentenced to life in prison for homicide and links to organised crime and was on the run since 1995. The arrest was made at the farm near Naples after he returned from hunting. The alleged clan leader had set up a small hideout at the chicken and rabbit farm.--...More

Cops: TN mechanic disabled parked cars for repairs

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee police said a mechanic was drumming up business by tampering with parked cars, then charging to help start them. Police arrested 41-year-old Christopher Walls of Johnson City on Thursday night---...More

Men accused of pawning stolen items for bail cash

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Two Bozeman men have been arrested on probation violations after police said they tried to pawn a truckload of stolen items to bail a friend out of jail. Helena Police Chief Troy McGee said the two 21-year-old men arrived at a pawn shop Saturday morning with about $20,000 worth of goods including bikes, televisions and tools---...More

Ex-Notre Dame worker to repay much of $29,000 tip

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- A woman mistakenly tipped $29,000 by the University of Notre Dame in her catering paycheck will return more than half of the money in $50 monthly payments over the next 28 years---...More

McPrank: 4 Utah teens cited for McDonald's rap

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A rap by four teenagers at a McDonald's has gotten them a bad rap in one Utah city---...More

Shot Fired at Home of CNN’s Lou Dobbs

New Jersey - A gunshot was fired at the New Jersey home of CNN’s Lou Dobbs after a series of threatening phone calls earlier this month. Dobbs, a fervent proponent of U.S. border enforcement, told listeners that the incident is part of an ongoing assault against anyone who opposes amnesty or leniency toward illegal immigrants. “They’ve created an atmosphere and they’ve been unrelenting in their propaganda,” Dobbs said in reference to pro-immigration groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the National Council of La Raza and America’s Voice.....More

Teens robbed famous victims

LOS ANGELES, California - For a group of Hollywood-obsessed teens, entertainment news on the Internet offered more than a glimpse into the lives of stars. It helped them break into celebrities’ homes. The teens tracked the movements of stars such as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and broke into their houses, making off with millions of dollars in stolen possessions in a spree that lasted almost a year. With a few clicks on the Internet the suspects developed a wish list of designer clothes and jewelry, then raided the homes while celebrities were away....More

Musician Dies After Being Attacked by Coyotes

Canada - Fans are mourning a 19-year-old folk musician who died this week after being attacked by two coyotes in her native Canada. Taylor Mitchell of Toronto reportedly was hiking by herself in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia when the animals attacked. Other hiker called for help after hearing Mitchell’s screams. Police responded and had the singer flown to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.....More

Man says he is too fat to have killed son-in-law

TRENTON, New Jersey - A Florida man accused of killing his son-in-law in New Jersey is arguing that he was unable to commit the crime because he was too fat. When Edward Ates takes the stand in his defense he’s expected to tell jurors he wouldn’t have had the energy needed to climb and descend the staircase where prosecutors say the killer was perched when he shot Paul Duncsak, a 40-year-old pharmaceutical executive, in 2006.....More

Boy’s Wii gaming box held as bail

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - A Canadian judge agreed to release a troubled 12-year-old boy in Winnipeg on condition he post his most valued possession — a Wii gaming console — as bail. The unidentified youth has been arrested several times for vandalism, assault and breaching court orders in the past nine months. In his most recent court appearance on charges of assaulting a fellow student and teacher, prosecutors asked the judge to deny bail, saying the boy was out of control....More

Misdialed number leads to angry texts, shooting

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia police said a misdialed number led two strangers to trade hostile calls and text messages before arranging a meeting where one shot the other. Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman Veda Lamar Nichols told the Savannah Morning News in a Wednesday story that man, 22, faces an aggravated assault charge. The 22-year-old suspect was jailed after a 24-year-old man was shot in a CVS parking lot around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday....More

Man accused of corkscrew threat at public bathroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- Police arrested a 56-year-old man accused of threatening another man with a corkscrew at a public restroom in Riverfront Commemorative Park. A witness told police he saw a man holding a corkscrew in his hand while kicking the bathroom door and threatening to kill the man inside. No one was injured....More

Man forgotten in Indiana jail cell for 12 hours

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) -- Guards at a northern Indiana jail face disciplinary action and will receive additional training after a man was accidentally trapped inside a cell for 12 hours. Elkhart County Sheriff Mike Books said officers and supervisors on the jail's first and second shifts "failed to account" for 40-year-old Scott Roberts and that their actions were unacceptable...more

Panic In Detroit-Radical mosque leader killed in FBI shootout

Feds say goal was Islamic nation in U.S.
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

After a 2-year investigation, FBI agents descended on a Dearborn warehouse Wednesday hoping to capture the suspected head of an Islamic fundamentalist group.

The scene quickly turned chaotic, however, in a shootout that caused agents to gun down Luqman Ameen Abdullah, 53, leader of the Masjid Al-Haqq mosque in Detroit. Abdullah is accused in a federal complaint of heading a Sunni Muslim group with the mission of establishing a separate Islamic nation within the United States.

Eleven other men were criminally charged in the raids, which also occurred in Detroit.

Abdullah, known to some as Christopher Thomas, died after firing on officers during the raid, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. An FBI dog also was fatally wounded.

The suspects "are members of a group that is alleged to have engaged in violent activity over a period of many years and known to be armed," a joint statement from the Detroit FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Abdullah and the others were charged with conspiracy to commit several federal felonies, including illegal possession and sale of firearms and theft from interstate shipments.

Three of the men charged were at large Wednesday night. The others are expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Detroit today for detention hearings.

Abdullah spoke of attacking Super Bowl XL

Abdullah believed he and his followers were soldiers at war against the government and non-Muslims......More

Odd News:Ohio man's ring returned at wake after 57 years

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio man was shocked to have his high school ring back after 57 years and was surprised by where it was returned: at the wake for his high school sweetheart. Joe Lepera, 75, had dated Sharon Coddington Gainer for two years, but they broke up when he joined the Air Force following his 1952 graduation from Akron Central High School....More

Facebook to keep profiles of the dead

NEW YORK - Death doesn’t erase the online footprints that people leave in life and Facebook won’t either, though it will make some changes. The five-year-old social network will “memorialize” profiles of the dead if their friends or family request it. Such accounts will be different from regular Facebook profiles. Only the deceased person’s confirmed friends will be able to find them in a search....More

Odd News:Roach craws out during Rachael Ray school visit

NEW YORK - Officials at a New York elementary school have promised to investigate after a visit by TV chef Rachael Ray was briefly interrupted by a lone cockroach. The roach was spotted crawling across a countertop a few feet from where Ray, who was visiting Public School 89 Monday to unveil her “sizzling soft tacos” school lunch, was espousing the health benefits of her food. Ray said she did not see the roach, which was swatted by her publicist, Charlie Dougiello....More

One-legged suspect caught with one stolen shoe

BRUSSELS (AP) -- Police said a one-legged suspect was caught after only one shoe went missing in a store in Belgium. An amputee was an immediate suspect when a store attendant found one shoe missing from a shop in the western Belgian town of Maldegem. Police spokesman Rik Decraemer said Monday authorities were alerted and quickly found the man who fit the description by shopkeepers. The shoe was also recovered....More

Minn. group picks up road trash while packing heat

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) -- Motorists in Mendota Heights might have seen a group of residents picking up trash while packing heat this weekend. About a dozen people spent nearly three hours picking up litter Sunday along a 2-mile stretch of highway. All legally carried guns on their hips. It was the inaugural trash cleanup event for the group that calls itself the Minnesota Carry Permit Holders....More

Man took pay from NJ company he never worked for

SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) -- An Illinois man has admitted banking more than $470,000 in paychecks from a New Jersey company he never worked for....More

Couple find knife in Subway bread

SARASOTA, Florida - A Florida couple said they are considering going to health authorities with a sandwich from Subway that had a knife baked into the bread. Richard Curtin, 70, of Sarasota, said he purchased a foot-long chicken teriyaki sub for his wife and she discovered the 5-inch knife baked into the bread just as she was about to take her first bite....More

Bernie Madoff Associate Found Dead in Pool

PALM BEACH, Florida - Jeffry Picower, a philanthropist accused of profiting more than $7 billion from the investment schemes of his longtime friend Bernard Madoff, was found at the bottom of the pool at his oceanside mansion. Police said. He was 67. Picower’s wife discovered his body and pulled him from the water with help from a housekeeper, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Medical Center. Palm Beach police are investigating the death as a drowning, but have not ruled out anything on the cause of death....More

Odd News-Man ordering food called a zombie, punched twice

Iowa City, Iowa - Iowa City police are investigating an early morning assault in which a man accused another of being a zombie, then punched him twice. Police said the assault occurred at an Iowa City restaurant south of the University of Iowa campus. A man was ordering food when he was approached by another man who called him a zombie, then hit him in the eye. When the victim tried to call police on his cell phone, the man punched him again, breaking his nose....More

Polygamy club draws criticism

Indonesia - Plans to open branches of a Malaysian “Polygamy Club” in Indonesia have upset women’s groups and religious leaders in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, who say the search for multiple wives should be handled privately - not by a matchmaking service. Under Islamic law, Muslim men are permitted four wives. The club claims a noble aim of helping single mothers, reformed prostitutes and women who feel they are past marrying age meet spouses. It also offers counseling to people facing problems in polygamous households.....More

SC man drives 80 miles to give explosives to cops

UNION, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say a South Carolina man's good intentions almost caused an explosive situation.

After the man's uncle died, he discovered that his relative had collected potentially explosive materials including grenades, dynamite and black powder...more

Man pleads guilty to DWI in motorized La-Z-Boy

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk. A criminal complaint says 62-year-old Dennis LeRoy Anderson told police he left a bar in the northern Minnesota town of Proctor on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers....More

Ice-skating bear fed up with ice-skating

Kyrgyzstan - An ice-skating bear with a visiting Russian circus turned on its trainers killing the circus director and seriously wounding another man during a rehearsal in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. Kurmangazy Isanayev, the director of the arena in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, said workers with the visiting Russian troupe managed to drag the two men away from the bear and closed the exits until rescue workers arrived....More

Chicken head horrified shopper

UK - A stunned shopper bought a chicken from Preston’s Asda store only to find its head still attached. Helen Kirby, 27, of Thistlecroft in Ingol, was horrified to discover it tucked under the body of the bird. She brought the ‘whole chicken’ from the Asda store at Fulwood and immediately froze it. Bosses at Asda have apologised to Miss Kirby and confirmed they have given her 100 pounds and a new vacuum cleaner in compensation....More

New black Barbies get mixed reviews

Grace, Kara and Trichelle were created to fill a void for young black girls who for so long have been playing with dolls that don’t look like them. The new black Barbies released by Mattel have fuller lips, curlier hair and other features that the company says more accurately represent African-American women. Some have cheered the new dolls. Others jeered them, saying they’re not black enough....More

Boy, 5, sleepwalked to his school at night

St. Charles, Illinois - A 5-year-old Illinois boy who apparently sleepwalked to his elementary school was safely returned to his family. Kane County sheriff’s deputies said the boy was discovered unharmed but disoriented at Anderson Elementary School 1:30 a.m. Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said the boy was having trouble remembering his address and told officers he was at the school to watch a movie with his mother....More

Fla. burglar caught sleeping in pub's freezer

RIDGE MANOR, Fla. (AP) -- A Gulf Coast man was arrested after falling asleep in the freezer of a shuttered pub he was trying to rob. Investigators said the man hopped a fence in Ridge Manor and pried open a locked storage shed. He allegedly ate a can of tomatoes, entered the walk-in freezer and took a nap....More

980-Pound Man Needs Life-Saving Operation

UK - Doctors blame a British man’s 20,000-calorie a day diet for causing him to balloon up to a whopping 980-pounds and leaving him in need of a life-saving operation. Paul Mason, 48, needs a nearly $33,000 life-saving operation after a compulsive eating disorder left him “super-obese.” Mason scoffs three family-sized takeout meals a night and wolfs down roasts like snacks. He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England....More

Man on police ride-along stomps opossum to death

DANVILLE, Va. (AP) -- A Virginia man on a police ride-along was found guilty of animal cruelty after he jumped out of the police car and stomped an opossum to death. The Danville Register & Bee reported Tuesday that 23-year-old Evan Bryce Schuler saw the opossum run along a fence. A police officer testified that Schuler ran up to the fence, grabbed the links and "started stomping."...More

Calif toddler OK after 30-foot fall onto rocks

ANTIOCH, Calif. (AP) -- Talk about a tough kid: A California toddler is alive after falling 30 feet from an apartment window and landing on concrete and rocks. Contra Costa County Fire Capt. Charles Thomas said the 22-month-old boy was alert and crying after the three-story plunge Sunday in Antioch that left him with just a cut on his abdomen, a bruised lung and a bump on his head....More