SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — Kimie Smothermon begins each day greeted by the squeals, chirps and purrs of nearly 400 guinea pigs. Depending on who you ask, tending to the daily barrage of guinea pig needs can be either a fairy tale or a horror show. For Smothermon, it’s often a mix of both. “If I […]
WENDOVER, Utah (AP) — The only person to break the sound barrier in a car earned another world record Tuesday in a show of force for hydrogen power. British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph (653.908 kph) in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines with a combined 1,600 horsepower, setting the record […]
WENDOVER, Utah (AP) — The first — and only — person to break the sound barrier in a car hits the track in Utah this week with new wheels and his eye on another record. Twenty years ago, British driver Andy Green set the land speed record for a diesel-powered car, reaching 350.092 mph (563.4 […]
CHICAGO (AP) — A deluge of 90,000 rubber ducks poured out of a truck on the Columbus Drive bridge and plunged into the Chicago River on Thursday, and then raced at a leisurely pace in the annual Chicago Ducky Derby. They floated for around 15 minutes before a winner and runner-up were plucked from the […]
PACIFICA, Calif. (AP) — Top dogs were riding waves Saturday at the annual World Dog Surfing Championships as hundreds of spectators cheered — and barked — from the Northern California beach. From small spaniels to large labs, the canines were judged on factors including how long they could stay on their board, the size of […]
NEW YORK (AP) — A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex bots. The Salamanca City […]
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (AP) — A circus performer was accidentally shot in the neck by an arrow during a performance at a county fair in upstate New York, police and organizers said. It happened Friday night at the Orange County Fair in Middletown, northwest of New York City, according to state police. Ana Daza Tavera, 42, […]
The Seattle Police Department is searching for two men who climbed over the glass wall of the city’s iconic Space Needle on Friday, flipped over the edge and parachuted down from the 605-foot structure. The jumpers face trespassing charges, according to a report provided by Public Affairs Officer Brian Pritchard. The BASE jumpers purchased tickets […]
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A man using a wheelchair was struggling to get across six lanes of traffic in an Arkansas city when help came in an unexpected way — from a spidery superhero who jumped into action from a red Jeep waiting at a light. Christopher Hellenthal was still garbed in his Spider-Man […]
LUVERNE, Minn. (AP) — Crossing the open farmland of southwestern Minnesota, you’ll encounter an otherworldly sight: a massive head with a beard, mustache and red-striped top hat looming over the horizon. Pull into the small town of Luverne and the figure — a nearly 66-foot (20-meter) tall nutcracker, decked out like Uncle Sam — comes […]
HAYWARD, Wis. (AP) — Three new women’s world records have been set at the Lumberjack World Championships competition held in a small Wisconsin community, full of high-powered sawing, chopping, log-rolling, speed climbing and cheers of “Yo-Ho!” This year, 66 men and 40 women attended the three-day competition in Hayward that ended Saturday. They represented 16 […]
After 246 years, Pvt. John Pumphrey is unknown no more. Through DNA testing and old-fashioned sleuthing, the Maryland teenager who died in one of the last big battles of the American Revolution can now take his place in history, just in time for the 250th birthday of the nation he fought to create. “There was […]
Crews were quashing a small wildfire in Colorado this week when a surprise guest decided to keep them company. A goat named Goldie — short for Golden Oreo — followed firefighters for hours as they actively engaged the Rock Creek Fire in Colorado Springs and cleared brush. She even took care of some of it […]
HONOLULU (AP) — A Grand Canyon river rafting guide who aimed to become the first American woman to row across the mid-Pacific solo has completed a record-breaking journey from California to Hawaii. Hundreds gathered to cheer on Kelsey Pfendler as she pulled into a Honolulu harbor Friday night on her 21-foot row boat, Lily, after […]
NEW YORK (AP) — The Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest marks the United States’ 250th birthday with chomp and circumstance Saturday after an eventful year for the annual wiener showdown and one of its stars. Contest sponsor Nathan’s Famous was sold in January to packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods. A few months later, reigning […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For a few years at the turn of this century, Nashville was home to a remarkable carousel. Described by its artist-creator Red Grooms as a sculpto-pictorama, the “horses” were 36 whimsical figures related to Tennessee. Legendary country musician Chet Atkins rode the neck of a guitar. Davy Crockett wrestled a bear. […]
A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order. Gracie, who is about 3 years old, has been missing for nearly two weeks after escaping her enclosure at Cedar Hollow Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, said Vic Jones, who owns the remote property about 100 […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — One was a rotating disc that sent out beams of light. Another was a shining red orb of a hue the observer had never seen before. Then there was the one compared to a potato, and also a bean, but with a coat of shimmering, fish-like scales. Those were some of the […]
NEW YORK (AP) — If the New York Knicks win it all this year, just remember that Evan Pfeufer called it six years ago, and has the receipts to prove it. While his classmates dutifully listed their academic awards, extracurricular activities and sport accolades in the high school yearbook, the Long Island resident opted for […]
BENICIA, Calif. (AP) — The handwritten sign at a Northern California public library warned patrons to expect more noise than usual. That warning quickly proved to be an understatement as professional wrestlers, accompanied by booming music, thundered into the reading space and jumped into a ring flanked by row upon row of bookshelves. Dozens of […]
NEW YORK (AP) — It wasn’t the rats. Or the smells. Or the germs. No, the most unpleasant part of descending into New York City’s vast sewer system, according to former urban explorer Steve Duncan, were the cockroaches. “They’re all over the place, crawling on walls, dropping down on you,” Duncan recalled this week. “They […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Mole people? Crocodile catchers? Mario brothers? A series of bizarre sightings of people popping in and out of New York City’s vast subterranean sewer system has the city wondering what exactly is going on, with police now probing the underground mystery. Security cameras have recorded at least three nighttime instances where […]
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City residents and visitors look up at the sky to experience a phenomenon twice a year known as Manhattanhenge. The setting sun was framed by a canyon of skyscrapers Thursday as it sunk below the horizon, perfectly aligned with the Manhattan street grid. The dramatic spectacle was just the […]
CARLETON, Mich. (AP) — Chase Harvell rolled into the Airport High School parking lot Friday in southeastern Michigan one final time before next week’s graduation. Harvell was driving a family vehicle, just as he had countless times before. This set of wheels, though, topped out at around 25 mph (40 kph). Harvell and dozens of […]
