Court battle ends tree dispute in pricey San Francisco area
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tall trees are venerated across California, but one towering Monterey Pine at the center of a heated dispute in San Francisco’s wealthiest neighborhood has to go, according to an appeals court ruling this week. A state appeals court on Wednesday ordered a couple in the hilltop Pacific Heights neighborhood to remove […]1 day ago
What a cracker! Merkel pecked by parrot
BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel provided a rare splash of color amid Germany’s staid election campaign while visiting a bird park where she posed with half a dozen parrots. Not content with the bird feed on offer, one of the rainbow lorikeets took a peck at the long-time German leader’s hand, prompting a […]2 days ago
Comical, topical? Party bus saves day for school field trip
BOSTON (AP) — A group of high school students in Massachusetts had to ride on a party bus complete with a stripper pole and neon lights during a recent field trip — an experience their teacher said highlights problems with the education system. Jim Mayers, an 11th grade Advanced Placement language and composition teacher at […]4 days ago
Boston’s famous Skinny House sells for a nice fat price
BOSTON (AP) — Boston’s famous Skinny House has sold for a nice fat price. The home in the city’s North End hit the market in August for $1.2 million, and the deal was closed Thursday for $1.25 million, according to Zillow. The home “received multiple offers and went under agreement for over list price in […]9 days ago
White catfish catch shatters state, and maybe, world record
A white catfish caught in Connecticut last month has smashed a state record and could also be a world record for the species — though the evidence has been eaten. Ben Tomkunas, 25, caught the 21.3-pound (9.66-kilogram) fish late at night in Coventry on Aug. 21. It was longer than 3 feet (about a meter). […]10 days ago
At 101, she’s still hauling lobsters with no plans to stop
ROCKLAND, Maine (AP) — When Virginia Oliver started trapping lobster off Maine’s rocky coast, World War II was more than a decade in the future, the electronic traffic signal was a recent invention and few women were harvesting lobsters. Nearly a century later, at age 101, she’s still doing it. The oldest lobster fisher in […]10 days ago
No bull: Scientists potty train cows to use ‘MooLoo’
Turns out cows can be potty trained as easily as toddlers. Maybe easier. It’s no bull. Scientists put the task to the test and 11 out of 16 cows learned to use the “MooLoo” when they had to go. Just like some parents, the researchers used a sweet treat to coax the cows to push […]13 days ago
Winner DQ for wearing wrong shoes at Vienna Marathon
VIENNA (AP) — Ethiopia’s Derara Hurisa was disqualified for wearing the wrong shoes after winning the Vienna Marathon on Sunday. The 24-year-old Hurisa crossed the line first by three seconds but was later told he had been disqualified because the soles of his shoes were 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) thicker than the maximum 4 centimeters […]14 days ago
German town seeks owner of baby ostrich found in local park
BERLIN (AP) — Is anyone missing an ostrich? An animal shelter says it is looking for the owner of an ostrich chick that was found in the German town of Krefeld late Friday. German news agency dpa reported Saturday that passers-by called the fire service after catching the 1.4-meter (4-foot-6) -tall bird in a town […]15 days ago
Research on beards, wads of gum wins 2021 Ig Nobel prizes
Beards aren’t just cool and trendy — they might also be an evolutionary development to help protect a man’s delicate facial bones from a punch to the face. That’s the conclusion of a trio of scientists from the University of Utah who are among the winners of this year’s Ig Nobel prizes, the Nobel Prize […]16 days ago
Florida man wins $1 million the day he opened his auto shop
CALLAHAN, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man won $1 million in a lottery game the same day he and his wife opened an auto repair shop. Brian Woodle, 46, bought the $5 Gold Rush Supreme scratch-off ticket from a Circle K in Callahan. “I love working on vehicles and it has always been my dream […]17 days ago
NY county worker charged in digital currency mining scheme
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — An employee cost a New York county at least $6,000 in electricity bills by allegedly secretly installing dozens of machines at his workplace in a cryptocurrency scheme, authorities said Wednesday, announcing charges against him. Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said Christopher Naples, who worked in the county clerk’s office as […]17 days ago
Florida man fed up with potholes plants banana tree in road
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — A man fed up with a private road in poor condition near his southwest Florida business has a novel solution: plant a banana tree in a pothole to warn motorists away. Last week, Bryan Raymond planted the tree in a stubborn pothole along Honda Drive just off U.S. 41 in […]18 days ago
Former France defender Adams dies after 39 years in a coma
PARIS (AP) — Jean-Pierre Adams, the former France and Paris Saint-Germain defender who spent 39 years in a coma, has died. He was 73. In a poignant tribute on Monday, PSG called him the club’s “glorious elder.” “His joie de vivre, his charisma and his experience command respect. Paris Saint-Germain offers its condolences to his […]20 days ago
Identical: Nicolai Højgaard duplicates twin brother’s win
GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Identical twins, identical results. Nicolai Højgaard sunk a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Italian Open on Sunday, a week after his identical twin brother, Rasmus, won the European Masters in Switzerland by also making a birdie with his final stroke. “To finish it off like this, […]20 days ago
Italy police stop man suspected of snatching winning ticket
ROME (AP) — Border police at Rome’s main airport on Sunday prevented a Naples tobacco shop owner suspected of running off with a customer’s winning game ticket from boarding a flight to the Canary Islands, Italian news reports said. The man didn’t have the filched card worth 500,000 euros ($580,000) on himself, but he did […]21 days ago
Scratch, win, run: Italian cops seek man who snatched ticket
ROME (AP) — Italian police on Saturday were hunting for a Naples tobacco shop owner who allegedly ran off on a motor scooter with a customer’s “scratch and win” game card, which had clinched the top prize of 500,000 euros ($580,000), Italian news reports said. A day earlier, a woman in her late 60s had […]22 days ago
Landlord finds 19 tarantulas, 1 python left behind by tenant
AUBURN, Maine (AP) — A Maine landlord arranged for the rescue of 15 tarantulas and one python that had been left behind by a tenant. Animal rescuer Drew Desjardins was called to the apartment Wednesday in Auburn, the Sun Journal reported. He found that four of 19 tarantulas had died and that the ball python […]22 days ago
Cougar that was kept as illegal pet removed from NYC home
NEW YORK (AP) — An 80-pound cougar was removed from a New York City apartment where she was being kept illegally as a pet, animal welfare officials said Monday. The owner of the 11-month-old female cougar surrendered the animal on Thursday, Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society of the United […]26 days ago
Spotted: Cow at a McDonald’s drive-through in Wisconsin
MARSHFIELD, Wis. (AP) — Spotted in a car at a McDonald’s drive-through in Wisconsin: A cow — all of it. Jessica Nelson of Mosinee pulled into the drive-through at a McDonald’s in Marshfield on Thursday and said she looked up to see a cow in the backseat of a Buick sedan three cars ahead of […]29 days ago
N Carolina couple split jackpot thanks to 2 winning tickets
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina couple split a nearly $1 million lottery jackpot thanks to two identical tickets, a sudden windfall the pair say they will put to good use. The North Carolina Education Lottery says Luther Cannon bought two tickets for Sunday’s Cash 5 jackpot at a convenience store in Rocky Mount. […]29 days ago
Parents must pay $30,441 for getting rid of son’s porn cache
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) — A judge has ordered a western Michigan couple to pay $30,441 to their son for getting rid of his pornography collection. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney’s decision this week came eight months after David Werking, 43, won a lawsuit against his parents. He said they had no right to throw […]30 days ago
Australian mourns beloved aunt with heart-shaped love ewes
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian farmer couldn’t go to his aunt’s funeral because of pandemic restrictions so he paid his respects with a novel alternative: dozens of sheep arranged in the shape of a love heart. Drone-shot video of pregnant ewes munching barley in a paddock while unwittingly expressing Ben Jackson’s affection for his […]1 month ago
