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. ----
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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