NZ police answer 4-year-old’s call, confirm toys are cool
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An emergency call made by a 4-year-old New Zealand boy asking for police to come over and check out his toys prompted a real-life callout and confirmation from an officer that the toys were, indeed, pretty cool. Police shared audio of the call on social media this week along with […]1 day ago
Arizona police and local ranchers help catch a roaming bull
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — No bull: Tucson police had to respond Tuesday morning to reports of a bull roaming a neighborhood near an elementary school. The animal somehow got loose in the city’s Rita Ranch community, and police found it casually grazing on some scrub grass among the gravel along a home’s front lawn. Tucson […]1 day ago
Israeli scuba diver discovers ancient Crusader sword
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli scuba diver has salvaged an ancient sword off the country’s Mediterranean coast that experts say dates back to the Crusaders. Israel’s Antiquities Authority said Monday the man was on a weekend dive in northern Israel when he spotted a trove of ancient artifacts that included anchors, pottery and a meter-long […]2 days ago
Artist recruits 300 for nude photo near Dead Sea in Israel
JERUSALEM (AP) — Some 300 male and female volunteers stripped naked and donned white body paint for an artistic installation meant to draw attention to the shrinking Dead Sea. They posed Sunday for the American photographer Spencer Tunick, who has done similar installations in other exotic locales around the world, including French wine country, a […]2 days ago
Removing the %&*@ from Maine’s vanity plates will take time
Removing the flipping obscenities from license plates on Maine’s roads and highways isn’t going to happen overnight, even though a law banning such profanities in a state where such regulation has been unusually lax goes into effect Monday. Currently, there are license plates with salty language including f-bombs, references to anatomy and sex acts, and […]5 days ago
More than 90 snakes found under Northern California home
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Al Wolf is used to clearing one or two snakes from under houses but recently was called by a woman who said she had seen rattlesnakes scurry under her Northern California house and was surprised to find more than 90 rattlesnakes getting ready to hibernate. Wolf, director of Sonoma County Reptile […]5 days ago
Large African cat captured after escape in Detroit suburb
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — A large cat native to Africa that escaped from its suburban Detroit home was captured after spending several hours on the lam, according to an animal recovery group. News of the capture of the caracal came at about 11 p.m. Wednesday when the South Lyon Murphy Lost Animal Recovery posted […]7 days ago
Lucky Dog! Pooch trapped in crevice 5 days rescued, unharmed
KERHONKSON, N.Y. (AP) — A dog trapped for five days deep inside a narrow, rocky crevice at a state park north of New York City was rescued unharmed — though it was hungry and thirsty, parks officials said Wednesday. While the 12-year-old dog, Liza, went days without food or water at the Minnewaska State Park […]8 days ago
Large African cat escapes owner, prowls Detroit suburb
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — A large cat native to Africa is on the loose in a suburb north of Detroit after escaping from its owner. The caracal was reported missing around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in Royal Oak, authorities said. The cat’s weight is estimated at 50 pounds (22.6 kilograms). It was among four big […]8 days ago
Who stung JR? Hornets nest puts sting in Smith’s golf debut
BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) — J.R. Smith stepped into a hornets nest in his first college golf tournament and it had nothing to do with his high score. The 36-year-old two-time NBA champion was literally stung by hornets while completing his round Tuesday for North Carolina A&T on the second day of Elon’s Phoenix Invitational. “To […]8 days ago
2-headed baby turtle thrives at Massachusetts animal refuge
BARNSTABLE, Mass. (AP) — A rare two-headed diamondback terrapin turtle is alive and kicking — with all six of its legs — at the Birdsey Cape Wildlife Center in Massachusetts after hatching two weeks ago. A threatened species in the state, this turtle is feeding well on blood worms and food pellets, staff at the […]9 days ago
Virgin’s Branson leads high school band, prompts backlash
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Billionaire Richard Branson said it was an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime experience to don a drum major’s uniform and march ahead of a New Orleans high school band. But some of the Catholic school’s fans apparently were less enthusiastic about Branson’s appearance Thursday with the St. Augustine High School Marching 100 […]10 days ago
Elk roaming Colorado with tire around neck for 2 years freed
PINE, Colo. (AP) — Wildlife officials in Colorado say an elusive elk that has been wandering the hills with a car tire around its neck for at least two years has finally been freed of the obstruction. The 4 1/2-year-old, 600-pound (270-kilogram) bull elk was spotted near Pine Junction, southwest of Denver, on Saturday evening […]10 days ago
Capone’s belongings go for at least $3 million at auction
CHICAGO (AP) — Al Capone may have died nearly 75 years ago but it’s clear interest in the infamous Chicago gangster is very much alive after some of his prized possessions were auctioned off over the weekend for at least $3 million. The Chicago Tribune reports that Capone’s family sold several of his belongings, including […]10 days ago
School unhappy after soccer opponent sets record for goals
KINGSLEY, Mich. (AP) — A high school soccer player in northern Michigan broke records for most goals in a game, but not everyone is cheering. Kevin Hubbell of Benzie Central, one of the best players in the state, scored 16 goals against Kingsley. The Sept. 29 game was declared over at halftime — a 17-0 […]10 days ago
Bosnian makes rotating house a monument of love for his wife
SRBAC, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — It’s not exactly on par with India’s Taj Mahal, but a family house in a small town in northern Bosnia is in its own way a monument to love. The house in Srbac was designed and built by 72-year-old Vojin Kusic. With a green facade and red metal roof, it can […]11 days ago
Danish police confiscate luxury sports car caught speeding
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish police have confiscated a high-performance luxury car after its new owner was caught speeding as he drove it home from Germany to Norway, a northern Danish newspaper reported Friday. The man, an Iraqi citizen resident in Norway who was not identified, was registered Thursday as driving at 236 kph (147 […]13 days ago
Hot tub on wheels: Suit says party vehicle lacks pool permit
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee entrepreneur whose hot tub on wheels is one of downtown Nashville’s best-known party vehicles has been told to stop operating a public swimming pool without a permit, a lawsuit says. Nashville’s metropolitan government asked a judge to temporarily shut down the mobile tub in a lawsuit filed last week, […]14 days ago
At flooded restaurant near Bangkok, the special is a splash
NONTHABURI, Thailand (AP) — A flood-hit riverside restaurant in Thailand has become an unlikely dining hotspot after fun-loving foodies began flocking to its waterlogged deck to eat amid the lapping tide. Now, instead of empty chairs and vacant tables, the Chaopraya Antique Café is as full as ever, offering an experience the canny owner calls […]14 days ago
Convicted sheriff gives thumbs-up review of jail he ran
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A longtime Alabama sheriff removed from office after being convicted of theft and ethics violations is giving five-star reviews to the jail where he spent more than two weeks in custody. Perhaps he should: He ran it for decades. Ousted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely addressed the news media on Tuesday […]16 days ago
A wedding with flare: 2 men fined over Coast Guard search
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Two Rhode Island men authorities say touched off a needless and expensive ocean search-and-rescue effort when they fired maritime distress flares to celebrate a friend’s wedding have agreed to pay $5,000 each to settle the case, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The Coast Guard and the town of New Shoreham spent more […]16 days ago
Explosive souvenir in rucksack prompts German airport alert
BERLIN (AP) — A 28-year-old man in Germany faces a hefty bill after trying to catch a flight at Munich airport Thursday with a live mortar shell in his rucksack. German news agency dpa reported Friday that the explosive device was discovered during a security check, prompting an immediate lockdown of parts of the airport. […]20 days ago
Turkish man reported missing joins search party seeking him
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — In a scene worthy of a comedy sketch, a Turkish man joined a search party for a missing person not realizing the individual being pursued was him. Beyhan Mutlu, 51, went drinking with a friend in a forest in the town of Inegol, northwest Turkey, late Tuesday. His wife reported him […]20 days ago
