Fake poop helps evicted owls settle into new neighborhood
Settling into a new home can be tough for anyone. So scientists have come up with some tricks to make transplanted burrowing owls feel like they are not alone in their new digs, playing owl sounds and scattering fake poop. The owls’ grassland homes are often prime real estate, and they’ve been losing ground to […]1 day ago
Meet Methuselah, the oldest living aquarium fish
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meet Methuselah, the fish that likes to eat fresh figs, get belly rubs and is believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world. In the Bible, Methuselah was Noah’s grandfather and was said to have lived to be 969 years old. Methuselah the fish is not quite that […]3 days ago
Rare eagle seen in Maine, wowing birders, might stay a bit
GEORGETOWN, Maine (AP) — A rare species of eagle that has thrilled bird lovers and baffled scientists since arriving in Maine last month might not be in a hurry to leave. The Steller’s sea eagle arrived in Maine in late December after a brief stop in Massachusetts more than a month ago. It has stuck […]3 days ago
Another delay for ex-deep-sea treasure hunter stuck in jail
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The long-running case of a former deep-sea treasure hunter marking his sixth year in jail for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of missing gold coins has hit yet another roadblock. Research scientist Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since Dec. 15, 2015, for that refusal. He is also […]4 days ago
Irish police investigate claim dead man taken to post office
LONDON (AP) — Police in Ireland are investigating reports that the body of a dead man was brought to a post office in an attempt to collect his pension. The Irish Times said a man who appeared to be in his 60s was dragged into the post office in the town of Carlow on Friday, […]6 days ago
Police: Truck with 100 monkeys crashes, some of them missing
DANVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A truck carrying about 100 monkeys was involved in a crash Friday in Pennsylvania, state police said as authorities searched for at least three of the monkeys that appeared to have escaped the vehicle. The truck carrying the animals crashed with a dump truck in the afternoon in Montour County, Pennsylvania […]7 days ago
Cool new disk: Spinning ice drawing chilly gawkers again
WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) — A swirling disk of ice on a Maine river is drawing onlookers in the heart of winter once again. The disk has formed in the Presumpscot River in Westbrook. A handful of dog-walkers and onlookers stopped to gaze at the curious ice formation on a chilly Thursday morning around dawn. The […]15 days ago
Back in shape: Maine’s famous spinning ice disk says hello
WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) — Maine’s famous rotating ice disk is back. The disk has begun to form in the Presumpscot River, where it partially formed in 2020 but failed to draw a worldwide audience like in its first appearance in 2019. Westbrook city officials shared photos of the formation Wednesday on Facebook, encouraging residents to […]16 days ago
Monkey business: Antwerp zoo put kids at ease for virus jab
ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — The Belgian city of Antwerp has put its faith in monkey business to put kids at ease for their first COVID-19 jab. With the expansion of the country’s vaccination campaign to include children as young as 5, Belgian authorities are getting creative as they try to prevent kids getting spooked by […]16 days ago
Cat that perches on horses, donkeys reunited with family
GENESEO, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois family has solved the mystery of what happened to their missing cat that likes to sit on horses and donkeys. Ann Kandis said the cat, named Noodles, jumped into the trunk of her father’s car in November 2018 while he was at the family’s farm in Geneseo, the Quad-City […]18 days ago
Live deer found in car’s hatchback during traffic stop
NEWBERRYTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Police who pulled over a suspected drunken or drugged driver in Pennsylvania discovered a live deer that had apparently been hit and then placed in the hatchback area of her car. The animal was freed after the stop Thursday by police in Newberry Township. The occupants told officers they had realized […]21 days ago
Lawmaker apologizes after apparent try to ‘pants’ referee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A top Tennessee House Republican lawmaker has apologized for losing his temper and being ejected from watching a high school basketball game after a confrontation with a referee. The dustup included what appeared to be either a feigned or failed attempt at pulling down the official’s pants, according to video footage. […]23 days ago
Treasure hunters sue for records on FBI’s Civil War gold dig
Treasure hunters who believe they found a huge cache of fabled Civil War-era gold in Pennsylvania are now on the prowl for something as elusive as the buried booty itself: government records of the FBI’s excavation. Finders Keepers filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department over its failure to produce documents on the FBI’s […]23 days ago
‘Follow me’: Dog finds help, leads cops to owner’s car crash
LEBANON, N.H. (AP) — A German shepherd named Tinsley, first thought to be a lost dog, successfully led New Hampshire state police to the site of its owner’s rollover crash. Both the vehicle’s occupants were seriously hurt, but thanks to Tinsley’s dogged efforts they quickly received medical assistance once officers discovered the truck, which went […]24 days ago
Records: Wrong Wright brothers plate flew through approval
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The backward Wright Flyer that was at the center of an embarrassing license plate mistake in Ohio last year flew through the approval process with little to no discussion, records show. Designers at the Ohio Department of Public Safety fussed over such issues as color saturation, centering and image placement. The […]24 days ago
Mama bear, 3 cubs climb tree, take nap in urban Virginia
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A mama black bear and three cubs clambered up a tree and napped in the middle of a Virginia neighborhood before voluntarily ambling on hours later, wildlife officials said Tuesday. The four black bears left their lofty perch on aptly named Bruin Drive in the city of Chesapeake around midnight Monday, […]1 month ago
A full deck of cards: Ohio House signs on to aide’s ambition
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Adam Headlee enjoys his political memorabilia. Already at age 25, the legislative aide has packed his office in Ohio’s capital with collectible conversation pieces: campaign buttons, historic photographs, a display of founding father bobbleheads. So when Headlee learned that the state Chamber of Commerce had produced a deck of trading cards […]1 month ago
Hundreds of parakeets dropped off at Michigan animal shelter
ROMEO, Mich. (AP) — An animal shelter in Michigan has been inundated with hundreds of parakeets. The Detroit Animal Welfare Group in Romeo said in a Facebook post that the small, colorful birds were dropped off Thursday night, The Detroit News reported. “We were in shock also but could not turn them away as they […]1 month ago
Sweet repeat: Brothers regift same hard candy for decades
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Two New Hampshire brothers have gotten their holiday regifting skills down to an art — they’ve been passing the same hard candy back and forth for over 30 years. It started in 1987, when Ryan Wasson gave a 10-roll Frankford “Santa’s Candy Book” with assorted fruit flavors to his brother, Eric […]1 month ago
Duck! Flying squirrels take to the air in Nebraska city
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A crew cutting down a dying oak at the University of Nebraska made a surprising find — flying squirrels. A video shot by a member of the crew made its way to Larkin Powell, a conservation biology professor. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that he was surprised by what he saw […]1 month ago
What’s in the box? Mystery alum gifts $180K to City College
NEW YORK (AP) — Christmas came early — or really late, depending how you look at it, when a physics professor at the City College of New York in Harlem discovered a box postmarked in 2020 in the school’s mailroom, holding $180,000 in cash. The toaster-sized box was addressed to the chair of the physics […]1 month ago
Florida man with drugs around penis denies they were his
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Florida authorities said they found cocaine and methamphetamine wrapped around a man’s penis during a traffic stop, but the man denied the drugs were his. Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies said they stopped a vehicle driving without its lights on at 4 a.m. last Saturday. WFLA-TV reports the driver was arrested on […]1 month ago
