Man Violates Probation To Appear On ‘Springer’

A North Carolina man’s 15 minutes of fame cost him 72 hours of jail time. Richard Peterson was sentenced to three days in jail for violating probation by leaving the state to appear on “The Jerry Springer Show.” Peterson’s probation officer spotted him on the show, which is taped in Connecticut. Peterson and his girlfriend got an all-expenses-paid trip to appear on “Springer,” where he boasted about a one-night stand with a stripper. A video clip shows Peterson running around the stage dodging swings from his girlfriend. While the couple fought, the stripper twirled around a pole. The stripper and Peterson’s girlfriend then turned on each other. Peterson was on probation for possession of marijuana and resisting an officer. He was thrown back in jail yesterday and hit with a $161 fine.

Woman Pleads Guilty In Hammer Attack On Husband

A 37-year-old Salt Lake City woman admitted hitting her husband in the head with a hammer three years ago after blindfolding him and promising a “surprise.” Amy Teresa Ricks pleaded guilty to second-degree felony aggravated assault on Tuesday. Prosecutors agreed to reduce the conviction to a third-degree felony after Ricks completes probation. They also agreed to let her seek expunging of the crime after seven years. Sentencing is set for April 19th. Ricks’ husband suffered minor injuries in the May 2007 attack. Ricks’ defense attorney says the two are still married but separated.

Mayors To Skydive For Military Support

Thirteen Florida mayors have signed up to skydive with the Golden Knights parachute team as a show of support for the military. Army spokesman Harvey Spigler and Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, president of the Florida League of Mayors, said tomorrow’s event at Homestead Air Reserve Base will mark the largest-ever number of U.S. mayors jumping together. Slesnick, who co-organized the event with the Army, will be joined by the mayors of Deerfield Beach, Cutler Bay, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, North Miami and North Miami Beach. Slesnick said the mayors will jump from a plane at 12,000 feet, then sign a document after landing pledging to continue support for military personnel, families and recruiting. The event will not be open to the public due to safety concerns.

45 Pounds Of Pot Delivered To Wrong Home

A Salisbury, North Carolina, woman eagerly awaiting a new computer ripped open a large box delivered by UPS on Tuesday morning and found 45 pounds of marijuana. Police said the package, sent from McAllen, Texas, was meant for another address in Sarah Howell Leach’s mobile home park. Officers set up surveillance at the apparently vacant address, but the intended recipient did not show up to claim the package when it was left outside the door. Police said the marijuana had an estimated street value of $35,000.

Ugly Kitchen Lawsuit

Plenty of people think an Ikea kitchen would be an upgrade – but not renters of a ritzy New York City apartment. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Paramount Realty Group of America, which rents the apartment for about $300,000 a year. The suit alleges Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife installed an “ugly” kitchen from Ikea and that it isn’t suitable for such a swanky building.

Mom Cons 5-Year-Old Into Stealing Purse

There are bad mommies, and then there are BAD MOMMIES. A 24-year-old Indianapolis woman faces a theft charge after she allegedly coaxed her 5-year-old daughter into stealing a woman’s purse at a restaurant. The woman admitted in an affidavit to asking her daughter to steal the purse on Valentine’s Day at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. She allegedly told police that she told her daughter to “do it for mommy” when the victim wasn’t looking.

Wasted Mom And Her Sword Go To School

Police in Memphis said the mother of an elementary school student downed a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor and then entered her child’s school with a sword. The 32-year-old woman apparently intended to confront the parents of another child who had been in a spitting match with her kid the previous day. The woman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and having a weapon on school property.

80-Year-Old Gets 3 Years

An 80-year-old woman with a criminal record dating back to 1955 has been sentenced to three years in a California state prison for ransacking and stealing money from a Southern California medical office. Doris Thompson thanked the judge for not sending her to the L.A. County Jail, which she hates, and said she really deserved a much longer sentence. Thompson has used 27 aliases, repeatedly been arrested over the past 55 years for a variety of offenses, and has spent several stints in jail. The 80-year-old slipped into the medical office on December 19th and stole money from drawers. She pleaded guilty to burglary and was ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution. She’ll be eligible for parole in 18 months.

Chicken Wing Thief

Police in Georgia are looking for a pair of hungry bandits who stole an order of chicken wings from a pizza delivery driver. Columbus Police say the 19-year-old Domino’s driver was approached outside a home Tuesday night by two men who asked for money. One of the men pointed a chrome pistol at the driver. One bandit said, “Give me the wings,” and then fled with the $36 order. No cash was taken and the driver was not injured.

Apologetic Robber

A woman accused of robbing a Fill Ups Food Store in Destin, Florida, told the clerk she was sorry, but she was down and out and had never done this before. Shondra Olivia Moore, 30, was arrested February 18th after the robbery. Police said Moore came into the store just after midnight and walked around before approaching the counter. She said hi to the clerk and asked him how he was doing. When the clerk asked what he could do for her, Moore said she was sorry, but she was robbing him. He told her he only had $20 in his register and pushed the silent alarm. Deputies spotted her walking away from the store and arrested her.

PETA Creates Tiger 'Sex' Billboard

PETA plans to use a billboard featuring Tiger Woods that says "too much sex can be a bad thing" to encourage pet owners to spay and neuter their cats and dogs. The billboard, which the group said it hopes to post near Tiger’s home in Windermere, Florida, shows a picture of the golfer and the words "Too Much Sex Can Be a Bad Thing ... For Little Tigers Too. Help Keep Your Cats (and Dogs) Out of Trouble: Always Spay or Neuter! PETA." Last week, Woods issued a public statement apologizing for "cheating" and "having affairs." The scandal erupted after Woods crashed his SUV outside his home the morning after Thanksgiving. More than a dozen women have come forward, claiming they had affairs with Woods, including a porn star who said Woods impregnated her twice.

Man Hit By Train Twice In Two Weeks

A man who lost his hand after being dragged by a commuter train two weeks ago in Southern California has been hit by another train. The man claimed he fell from the platform onto the tracks at the Irvine station and was hit by a northbound train Tuesday morning. Police said the man gave the same explanation when he was hit by a Metrolink train at about the same time two weeks ago in Laguna Nigel. He was dragged 87 feet in that incident. His left hand was severed at the wrist. Police say the man, who was taken to a hospital Tuesday with non-life-threatening injuries, will now receive a mental health evaluation.

Dangling Gas Hose Gives Away Drunk Driver

Police in South Bend, Indiana, arrested a man for drunk driving after other motorists reported their vehicle was struck by a hose from a gas pump dangling from the fuel tank of the man's truck. Police say the 46-year-old man failed several sobriety tests after he was stopped Monday night. He was taken to jail, where his blood-alcohol level tested 0.13. An employee at a Speedway station said the man had purchased gas at the store with a credit card then drove off with the hose still attached to the truck. Police returned the hose and nozzle to the gas station, but had no estimate of damage to the pump.

Man Arrested For Wearing Clown Mask

A Tampa man faces charges after a deputy spotted him walking around in a clown mask. The man was arrested Tuesday and charged with wearing a mask or hood on a public road over the age of 16 and resisting arrest without violence. Matthew Lopez, who turned 19 on yesterday, was released on $750 bond. A deputy saw the man wearing a clown mask and bright wig as he walked down a street with two other people. The group fled when deputies tried to question them, but were later located. Florida law says that no one over the age of 16 can appear on any public road "while wearing any mask, hood or device whereby any portion of their face is hidden, concealed or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer."

Nude Peace Sign

Police in Florida are recommending charges against 10 naturists caught making a peace sign with their naked bodies on a public beach two weeks ago. The nine men and one woman said they were making the symbol, which was about 9 feet in diameter, on public sand in Delray Beach for an aerial photo for the Mid-Winter Naturist Festival at the Family Naturist Resort in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida. Police said they recommended indecent exposure charges against the group and have passed the case on to the State Attorney's Office.

Escaped Cat Holds Up Airport Security

A security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport was closed temporarily on Tuesday when a 25-pound cat crawled under an X-ray machine. Passengers in Terminal A were redirected to different checkpoints and the woman who owned the cat missed her flight after the heavy tabby crawled into a 4-inch gap between the machine and the floor and then refused to come out. Port Authority police said the cat was let out of its carrier so the container could be screened, but then got away from its owner and hid under the machine. Officers used a hydraulic device to lift the CTX explosive-detection machine and free the cat about 20 minutes later. The cat owner rescheduled her flight for yesterday.

Papa Pot Smokers

As baby boomers get older, more seniors are smoking marijuana. Long popular with the younger crowd, the number of people aged 50 to 59 who smoke marijuana went up from 1.9% to 2.9% between 2002 and 2008. The rise was most-dramatic among 55- to 59-year-olds, whose reported pot use more than tripled, from 1.6% in 2002 to 5.1% in 2008. Officials expect to see further increases as 78 million boomers born between 1954 and 1964 get older. For many, the drug never had the stigma it did for previous generations, either for recreation or as a way to cope with the aches and pains of aging. Many believe the increased use of pot by aging Americans will lead to more legalization, but not without a battle.

Woman Shoots At Hubby Over Tax Return Cash

A Pine Lawn, Missouri, woman has been arrested after police said she shot at her husband when he refused to give her some of their tax return money. The unidentified woman was being held on a $75,000 cash-only bond on suspicion of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Police said she followed her husband to work Saturday morning at a barbershop and fired when he refused to turn over any money. She missed. Investigators said the woman then went to St. Louis and threw the gun in a sewer. She turned herself in after police contacted her. The woman told police she felt “more than justified” about the shooting.

Break Dancing Teen Ruins Floor

Police in Elma, New York, arrested a teenager who caused thousands of dollars in damage to a home’s hardwood floor by break-dancing on it. Police said the 18-year-old showed up drunk at a house party and repeatedly tried to break dance. He was wearing a diamond belt buckle, which left deep gouges in the host’s hardwood floors. Damage was estimated at $3,000. The party was hosted by the homeowner’s daughters. The parents returned home from vacation to find the damage. The teen was arrested Sunday and faces a felony criminal mischief charge and a misdemeanor trespassing charge. 

Mustang Wedding

A Florida couple held their wedding Sunday at a place almost as dear to them as they are to each other – a Ford dealership. Mustang aficionados Vickie Sue Kilpatrick and Ronnie Cox met in 2007 at Family Worship Center in St. Augustine and quickly bonded over their mutual love of their favorite cars. “We hadn’t talked three minutes and we were talking Mustangs,” Kilpatrick said after the wedding at Bozard Ford Lincoln Mercury. “We can spot a Mustang by a taillight in the dark.” The couple received a special wedding gift from their favorite car dealer: “The Mustang Dynasty” coffee table book, complete with an inscription from Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of the company.

Million Dollar Comic Book

It’s been called the world’s most coveted comic book. There are only about 100 copies of “Action Comics #1” in existence. That’s the 1938 comic book that introduced Superman to the world. One of those copies sold for $1 million yesterday. ComicConnect.com, which sold the book, notes that another copy of Action Comics #1 – in slightly less mint condition – was sold for $317,200 in 2009. In 1938, the book originally sold for 10 cents. It was last sold 15 years ago for a price of $150,000. The new owner has not been identified.

‘Pantsing’ Sets Off Dual Crimes

A Deland, Florida, man has been thrown in jail after allegedly pulling out weapons in response to what was supposed to be a practical joke. Police said Andy Narine was on a ladder cutting trees outside his home when his roommate, David Dibella, pulled down Narine’s pants. Investigators said Narine didn’t find it funny, and pulled a gun and knife on him. Narine faces several charges, including aggravated assault. The roommate is in trouble as well. Police said that after the incident, Dibella sprayed a fire extinguisher in Narine’s house, poured barbecue sauce and mustard all over the home, then saturated Narine’s bed with gas. Police are searching for Dibella on a warrant for criminal mischief.

Ballpark Banquet

Twinkie cheese dogs could soon be part of the seventh-inning stretch at a Michigan minor league ball park. Officials of the West Michigan Whitecaps are asking fans to vote on new concession-stand offerings. One option is the Twinkie cheese dog. It’s a hot dog stuck in a Twinkie and covered with cheese. Meanwhile, last year’s diet buster is still on the menu – a 4-pound, 4,800-calorie Fifth Third Burger.

Cow Pumps Out 8,400 Gallons Per Year

Got milk? This Holstein’s got plenty. The cow from the Ever-Green-View Farm in eastern Wisconsin has set a new national milk production record, pumping out 8,400 gallons in just one year! Owner Tom Kestell says his mega mooer gets no special treatment and was never sick during the record year. His cow produces nearly three times the milk of the average Holstein.

Sicko Text Freak

An Iowa City man has been charged with sending more than 500 text messages from a stolen cell phone. According to police, 21-year-old Christopher Smead took the cell phone from a locker room at a fitness center and used it without the owner’s consent. Smead sent the text messages all day Friday, before he was arrested and charged with fifth-degree theft. He was also charged with possession of an air pistol, a misdemeanor, for carrying it during a visit to the main library at the University of Iowa. Smead failed to appear in court after being charged with carrying the pistol. When he was arrested for the theft charge, he pleaded guilty and is currently serving a 30-day sentence for his offenses.

Another Porn Snafu In Classroom

Cliff High School students studying World War I history saw a few seconds of pornography during the video about the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. A History Channel program apparently had been recorded over a porn tape. A substitute teacher at the New Mexico school who was overseeing the class told officials he was shocked by the porn and that he had received the tape from a friend. The tape apparently was shown at least twice in class without any problems. No word on whether any action was taken against the teacher. The school has apologized to parents.

Man Avoids Foreclosure By Bulldozing His Home

Terry Hoskins says he bulldozed his $350,000 Ohio home to keep a bank from foreclosing on it. Hoskins says he’s struggled with the RiverHills Bank over his home in Moscow for years and had problems with the IRS. He says the government placed liens on his carpet store and commercial property and the bank claimed his house as collateral. Terry says he owes $160,000 on the house, so he bulldozed it two weeks ago.

Arizona Great Dane Sets Record

A 250-pound blue Great Dane from Arizona has been named the world’s tallest dog ever on record by Guinness World Records. Giant George from Tucson stands 3 feet, 7 inches tall from paw to shoulder, which is three-quarters of an inch taller than his closest rival – Titan, a white Great Dane from San Diego.

Vasectomy Campaign Targets March Madness

A suburban Chicago urology practice says college basketball’s March Madness tournament is the perfect time for men to get a vasectomy. Doctors at 21st Century Urology in Orland Park have launched a two-week ad campaign to induce men to schedule the procedure during the days before the first two weekends of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The doctors say picking that time slot for a vasectomy will allow basketball fans to stay home and watch all the games. All vasectomy patients will receive a free pizza and a bag of frozen peas to help with swelling. The offer applies to men who schedule the procedure on March 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th. Those dates coincide with the first two weekends when games are played virtually non-stop.

Monster Water Bill

A Minneapolis woman received a $1,600 water bill, a bill the city believes is accurate even though it’s 20 times the woman’s usual bill. Erica Kocur said her bill is generally $70 to $80 per month. She said her “heart just dropped” when she got her latest bill. The city said she must have a running toilet or dripping faucet. The bill is for 200,000 gallons of water. A shower would have to run nonstop for almost two months to use that much water. The city’s director of treasury, LeeAnn Stagg, said the city believes the bill is accurate, but they will check Kocur’s meter one more time.

Woman Finds 32-Year-Old $17,500 Check

A Lauderhill, Florida, woman found an unopened envelope containing a 32-year-old check for $17,500 in the bottom drawer of her nightstand. Barbara Cosgrove, 85, said she doesn’t remember who gave her the envelope or why she put it away instead of cashing the check, but she said she does recall the money is from an insurance settlement for an April 1, 1976, incident in which she was injured when a tarp full of water crashed onto her new Lincoln as she was getting off the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The former New Jersey resident said the check was void 60 days after it was issued. Cosgrove has filed a claim with officials involved in the liquidation of The Home Insurance Companies of Manchester, New Hampshire, which went under in 2004.

Apple Wedding

A New York man said he and his new wife got married in an Apple store after meeting there while shopping for an iPhone. Josh Li said his wife, Ting, was the first to suggest the couple embrace his love of Apple by holding their wedding in the store. The couple’s Valentine’s Day wedding was attended by nearly 30 guests, as well as a priest dressed as Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs. Part of their vows included a quote from Jobs: “You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down.”

Autographed Card Arrives 15 Years Late

Retired Kansas City Royals star Kevin Appier answers his fan mail, even if it is 15 years old. New York fan Mark Roth mailed a 1992 baseball card and a note to the Royals’ organization asking that Appier sign the card and send it back to him. Roth was 13 at the time. Long forgotten, the card turned up in the mail last week at the home where Roth grew up in Brooklyn. Roth said his father called and “asked if I’d been sending out the baseball cards again.” The Appier baseball card, freshly autographed, had finally arrived. Roth was thrilled to receive the belated response, but continued to wonder, why now? Appier’s sister said her brother never forgot about the fan mail. “There was some stuff that the Royals had sent to his house that had been sitting around,” she said.

Escaped Circus Zebra Caught In Atlanta

An escaped circus zebra was captured uninjured on a busy Atlanta highway. Crystal Drake, a representative of Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey circus, said the zebra escaped from an enclosure at the downtown Philips Arena and made its way to the overlapped connector of Interstates 75 and 85 shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday. The Georgia Department of Transportation said the zebra was captured and placed on a large truck for transport back to the circus. The zebra caused traffic backups in both directions on the connector.

Guns And Religion Do Not Mix

A gun safety class attendee in Orlando, Florida, was accidentally shot in the foot by his instructor. Robert Frauman Jr., 50, was one of three students at a concealed weapons certification class at Summit Church Saturday when he was struck by a stray bullet. He was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Instructor Michael Phillips couldn’t be reached for comment, but another National Rifle Association instructor said it is forbidden to take ammunition to classes. The event was not sponsored by the church, which offered one of its meeting rooms to the group after some of its members made a request. “We won’t be having anything like that in our church in the future,” a church spokeswoman said.

Rump Roast

Authorities in Breckenridge, Colorado, said a Texas Christian University student who suffered burns when his peers branded his buttocks participated in the act willingly and no charges will be filed. Authorities said they decided not to pursue charges after reviewing statements from Amon Carter IV and a dozen other TCU students. Carter had Greek symbols from his fraternity and a sorority branded on his butt on January 8th over Christmas break in a Breckenridge home rented by more than a dozen TCU fraternity and sorority members. He needed surgery after suffering second-and third-degree burns. Investigators said it was not part of a fraternity initiation because Carter was already a member. Carter, 20, is part of a prominent family in Texas. He's the great-grandson of Amon G. Carter, Sr., who founded the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Arson Idiot

Salem, Oregon, police said one of two men accused of setting fire to an old training center bragged about the blaze to his hairdresser. According to court records, the 20-year-old man told his hairdresser that he went into an old building on the former Fairview Training Center campus to smoke some weed, then set fire to the building, which was destroyed. Police arrested a second man after questioning the first one. Both face second-degree arson charges. They made their first court appearance on Friday. Damage to the building was estimated at $50,000. The owner had planned to demolish the building, which is one of 50 on the sprawling campus that closed in 2000.

Short Man Going For World Record

A man who stands only 22 inches tall left his home country of Nepal Sunday in a quest to be recognized as the world’s shortest man. Khagendra Thapa Magar is headed to Europe to campaign for the Guinness World Record title. He applied for the record in October, after turning 18, but has not received any response. His family initially filed a claim when he was 14, but was rejected because he was not an adult and there was a chance he might grow. They say doctors have not been able to explain why he’s so short.

Extreme Igloo

An Aquila, Ohio, man out of work for almost a year needed something to stay busy. So with the heavy snowfall this winter, 25-year-old Jimmy Grey got to work on an extreme igloo in his family’s yard. Grey’s four-room creation has 6-foot ceilings and an entertainment room. He powers the TV with an extension cord plugged into an outlet in the garage. He also ran wires for cable television with surround-sound stereo. Grey says candles help add ambiance for nighttime get-togethers with friends, and the freezing temperatures mean that the beer stays cold.

Man Celebrates 80th Birthday With 129th Parachute Jump

An Army veteran who made 128 parachute jumps during his military career marked his 80th birthday with his first jump in 45 years. Edward Gorre of Sacramento, California, a retired lieutenant colonel, said he made the tandem jump Sunday at Lodi Airport’s Parachute Center while his longtime companion, Marian Higdon, waited on the ground below. “That was beautiful, like old times,” Gorre said after landing safely on the ground from his 13,000-foot fall. However, he said there were some differences between “old times” and Sunday’s jump. For example, unlike during the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, no one was shooting at him this time.

‘Tyson-Esque’ Attack On Seattle Bouncer

Police in Seattle arrested a woman for attempting a “Mike Tyson-esque” technique on the ear lobe of a club bouncer. The bouncer at a nightclub told investigators the woman bit his ear lobe when he told her to stop harassing customers waiting in line. Police said the bouncer broke free of the 19-year-old woman and there was no permanent damage to his ear. The woman was found nearby and arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of alcohol by a minor.

15 Arrested In Valentine’s Day Candy Sting

Authorities in Maryland made 15 arrests in an undercover operation involving a deputy dressed as a candy delivery worker. The Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office said Sgt. Tanya Pfaltzgraff called many of the county’s 8,622 residents with unserved warrants and scheduled Valentine’s Day deliveries. Lt. Jennifer Gilbert-Duran posed as a delivery driver for Keystone Candigrams on Sunday. Officials said about two-thirds of the people who scheduled deliveries were home when Gilbert-Duran arrived; 15 were arrested after signing their names to verify their identities for the “candy grams.”

Failed Proposal A Hoax

Sources with New York’s Madison Square Garden said a failed marriage proposal during the Rangers-Tampa Bay Lightning game was a hoax. The proposal, which came at 10:19 in the second period during the Valentine’s Day game, purported to be from “Nick,” who asked “Melissa” to be his “Blueshirt Bride.” The video, which rapidly spread across YouTube, shows the woman becoming angry at the proposal while the man chases her out of the stands. The sources said the event was a hoax perpetrated by the couple without the knowledge of Garden officials.

Late Woman Makes Up Hit-And-Run Excuse

Police in Pennsylvania arrested a woman who invented a story about being struck by a car to avoid losing her job due to tardiness. State Police said Courtni Jennyne Roberts, 20, arrived at Uniontown Hospital February 5th and claimed to have been struck by a black car on her way to work. However, a trooper dispatched to the hospital at about 4:50 p.m. was told that the injury on Roberts’ left leg was inconsistent with the type of collision she was describing. Roberts finally confessed that she was late for work and made up the story so she wouldn’t lose her job. She was arrested and charged with making a false police report. No word on whether she was fired.

Badge Stops Bullet

A police officer’s badge may have saved his life when it stopped a bullet during an exchange of gunfire in North Las Vegas. Police say the officer was patrolling just before 10 p.m. Saturday when he heard shots being fired in an apartment complex. While investigating, the officer came upon a person with a gun and opened fire. The officer returned fire and was hit. But the bullet hit the badge, and he suffered only minor injuries. The person with the gun fled.

Web Designer Sells Detroit Lot For $1 Per Square Inch

A Web designer is hawking square inches of an empty lot in Detroit for a buck each to show what can be done with vacant spaces. Jerry Paffendorf says nearly 600 “inchvestors” have bought some of the 10,000 plots for sale in the “Loveland” art-and-real-estate project on Detroit’s east side. Paffendorf says he bought the lot for $500 and that profits are fed back into the project. He says some inchvestors buy one plot while others have taken 1,000, and they may do with the land as they wish. He says some plan to construct tiny buildings. Paffendorf plans to stream video of the site this spring.

3-Legged Pooch Is Top Dog

A three-legged pitbull mix that played in a game of doggie baseball has won “Best in Show” at a talent competition held by one of New York City’s largest animal shelters. Nine dogs competed in Friday’s contest at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals contest. A pooch named Prince impressed the judging panel the most with his feat of catching three baseballs. The nearly 2-year-old dog lost one of his legs and had a pin inserted in another after being struck by a car.

Otter Mistaken For Drowning Snowmobiler

State officials in Maine say witnesses who reported seeing a drowning snowmobiler on a lake were probably looking at an otter enjoying a snack. On Thursday, three people reported seeing a snowmobiler wearing all black and a black helmet struggling in Moosehead Lake. Officials used an airboat and flew overhead on both Thursday and Friday, but found no evidence that a person had gone through the ice. Authorities did find pieces of crawfish and a small bloodstain on the ice, indicating that at least one otter had been feeding there. 

Sexlets Gum Claims To Increase Male Libido

A Florida company says its chewing gum, Sexlets, can be purchased by New York males hoping to increase their libido. Tommy Babil said his new product can be purchased without a prescription. As a Sexlets user himself, Tommy can attest to the product’s effectiveness in the bedroom. Not that Sexlets should be viewed as a cure-all, Babil adds, but just a way for men to enjoy a noticeable boost to their libido. Sexlets contain all-natural items like ginseng and Vitamin E. A 15-stick pack costs $11.97.

$2.5 Million Lottery Ticket Expires

A winning lottery ticket worth $2.5 million purchased in Indianapolis has expired without anyone cashing it in, according to authorities. The Hoosier Lotto ticket – bought at the Southport Road Meijer store for the August 19, 2009, drawing – reached its 180-day deadline for cash-in at 5 p.m. Friday without anyone coming forward to claim the money. This is the third multimillion dollar ticket to go unclaimed in the 20-year history of the Indiana state lottery. The money will go into an unclaimed prize fund used for future promotions and games.

Hugging Record

A 51-year-old Ohio man gave 7,777 hugs in 24 hours for a new world record. Jeff Ondash, who sought the squeezes under the costumed alter ego Teddy McHuggin, broke the record Saturday night outside the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. As Teddy McHuggin, Ondash wore a red NASCAR-style driver’s suit with hugging logos and a wrestling-style championship belt. He said he wanted to become the world’s hugging champion to raise money for the American Heart Association during American Heart month. The cause is important to him because his brother and father both died of heart problems at a relatively young age. Mr. McHuggin already held the record for most hugs in one hour, with 1,205, according to Guinness World Records. The previous record of 5,000 hugs in one day was set last year by Siobhan O’Connor in Dublin, Ireland.

Gillette’s New Shaver

The blade race could be over. Gillette has redesigned its Fusion razor, the nation’s bestseller, and no, it’s not getting more blades. The Fusion ProGlide will remain at five blades. Gillette’s Matt Wohl jokes that people have been speculating the new razor might have up to 10 blades. But Wohl says customers want thinner, less irritating blades, not more of them. The blade race started with Gillette’s introduction of a two-blade razor in 1971. Competitors soon followed with three- and four-blade razors. The Fusion ProGlide will hit stores in June.

NYC Condom Contest

The wrapper of the next official New York City condom could have a picture of a manhole cover on it. That’s one of five final designs for the condom wrapper. Now folks in the Big Apple City will get to vote for their favorites. The condom designs are on the city’s Web site and health department Facebook page. The five finalists were chosen from nearly 600 entries. The other condom wrapper finalists include a power button, a top hat, a subway train going into a tunnel, and a burst of colors. The winning design will be featured on hundreds of thousands of free NYC condoms. Find out more online at www.nyc.gov.

 

Walmart Shopper Unloads ‘Stink Bombs’ And ‘Super Fart Spray’

A Walmart in Washington State was evacuated after a man unloaded “Stink Bombs” and “Super Fart Spray.” South Kitsap County Fire & Rescue crews said about 75 people were evacuated from the store last Sunday, some of them complaining of headaches from the foul odor. Cops found several bottles of “Stink Bombs” and one can of “Super Fart Spray” in his possession. The 51-year-old man told deputies he sprayed the chemicals as a joke. He was banned from Walmart and a report was sent to the local prosecutor’s office for further investigation.

Ticketed Drivers Get Off In Boston

Boston officials said the owners of thousands of vehicles ticketed or towed during a snowstorm that never happened won’t have to pay a penny. With forecasters predicting up to a foot of snow on Wednesday, the city declared a snow emergency, which requires main thoroughfares to be free of vehicles to allow snow plows to fully clear the streets. The Boston Transportation Department said the city ticketed 3,353 vehicles at $45 a pop and towed another 229 at $90 each. Then the snow hit – barely. After getting just a dusting, Boston Mayor Tom Menino said the unpredictable nature of the storm and the fact that many families are already hurting for money prompted him to waive the fines.

Boozing Pappy Charged With DUI While Holding Grandson In Lap

A Collegedale, Tennessee, grandfather has been charged with endangerment after police said they stopped him while he was driving, drinking and holding his grandson. The man was initially stopped because his van had a broken taillight. Surveillance video showed the driver exit the van holding a 2-year-old. Police said the man blew a 0.13 on a breathalyzer test, about 1 1/2 times the legal limit. He told officers the boy had been riding in his lap and that he had downed six or seven beers, including one that was half-full and still cold when he was pulled over. The man was charged with DUI, reckless endangerment and probation violation.

Church’s ‘Love’ Lost

An Ohio pastor said someone stole a banner from his church that proclaimed the congregation’s love of love. The Rev. Bruce Russell-Jayne of the Northern Hills Fellowship in Springfield Township said the banner, which read “Standing on the Side of Love,” was taken from outside the church late Saturday or early Sunday. The reverend said church members will likely try to raise $350 to replace the 3-week-old banner. He said the new banner will be kept inside the church. Police are investigating.

Prison Punishment Loaf

A “food loaf,” designed to provide nutrition for prisoners while punishing them, received poor reviews during a tasting at a Florida legislative hearing. Several volunteers and State Senator Victor Crist, chairman of the Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee, sampled the loaf Wednesday. Richard Prudom, chief of staff of the Department of Corrections, brought two samples and the recipe to the hearing at the request of another senator who refused to eat it. The kindest comment was: “Doesn’t smell bad.” There was general agreement that the “food loaf” was tasteless. One unlucky volunteer said the consistency was that of “something that’s been eaten before.” Ingredients included carrots, spinach, black-eyed peas, beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, grits, water and oats. Each volunteer received a free bottle of Beano and a barf bag.

Woman Knocks Out Coyote

A New Brunswick, Canada, woman saved her puppy’s life by fighting off a coyote with her bare hands. Marie Simon took her puppy outside early Wednesday morning and noticed the dog kept trying to run back into the house. She said she heard a snarl, turned around and saw a coyote headed towards her. “It was going over me and I just grabbed the fur. Of course, it was going at the puppy. It tried to bite me in the face and I punched it,” Simon said. While grappling with the coyote, she was able to toss her pup out of the way and throw a left hook when the animal tried biting her neck. It connected with the coyote’s jaw and sent it yelping down a path. While patches of Simon’s hair were left in the snow, she only required a tetanus shot and bandages for cut knuckles.

Igloo Pot Den

Police in New Castle, Delaware, who were responding to a report of a suspicious man carrying a gun found two legs sticking out of a homemade igloo instead. The legs belonged to a 17-year-old who was arrested Wednesday after he was found to be carrying a survival knife, hammer, 7.5 grams of marijuana, and two pot pipes. The kid, who was released to his parents, was charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon, carrying a concealed deadly instrument, possession of drug paraphernalia and pot possession.

Dog, Sword-Wielding Teen Fend Off Lion

A Fairfield, California, teen grabbed a ninja sword and helped his dog fend off a mountain lion that ambushed them while they were playing. Marquel Dawson, 19, said he was playing with his pit bull/German shepherd mix in a nature area near his home on Wednesday when they were attacked by the mountain lion. Dawson ran back to his house to get a ninja sword from the garage while his dog fended off the beast. The mountain lion retreated. Animal control officials are investigating the incident. Amazingly no one was seriously injured.

Walmart Shopper Goes Gonzo On 29 TVs

Police in Lilburn, Georgia, say a 23-year-old Walmart shopper grabbed a baseball bat inside a store and smashed 29 flat-screen TVs. Westley Strellis is charged with 29 counts of criminal damage to property in the second degree. According to witnesses, Strellis grabbed a metal bat from the sporting goods section Wednesday, walked to the electronics department and went gonzo on the televisions. The damage is estimated at $22,000.

Dog Mugged For Wool Coat

A New York woman said a mugger took her dog’s $25 green wool coat while the pet was tied up in front of a store. Donna McPherson said she was inside Ace Supermarket “for 2 minutes,” and when she returned she found someone had taken the wool coat with leather trim and belt from Lexie, her 10-year-old Westie. “How could anyone steal a coat off someone’s back in the freezing cold?” McPherson said. McPherson said she has been canvassing for witnesses and clues, but doesn’t believe police would take the crime seriously. She said she took Lexie shopping to cheer him up. “I felt so bad, I bought him two new coats,” she said.

New York Marks 75th Year Of Gator Legend

New York officials had a ceremony at City Hall marking Alligators in Sewers Day, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the popular legend. Officials made the declaration Tuesday on the steps of City Hall to commemorate the 75th anniversary of an alleged sewer gator discovery by 16-year-old Salvatore Condulucci in the Manhattan borough’s East 123rd Street. According to legend, the alligators made the sewers home after vacationers returned to New York with baby reptiles as pets but released the creatures when they became too large.

Stuck Skunk Freed

Members of an animal rescue group carried out their smelliest rescue yet when they freed a stuck skunk. WildRescue members received an emergency page Tuesday about a skunk that had gotten its head tangled in the netting of a batting cage in Aptos, California. Team member Rebecca Dmytryk said rescuers arrived at the scene at 1 p.m. and found the adult male striped skunk exhausted from trying to free itself and suffocating from the netting around its neck. Dmytryk said the rescuers used a blanket to protect themselves while freeing the skunk and used a long-handled net to get the animal into a bucket. The skunk was released back into the wild later that day. “(The smell) is very unpleasant. It smells like the most intense poultice of sweet garlic and onions. It was awful and noxious. The skunk sprayed the blankets, the bucket, and himself, multiple times,” Dmytryk said.

Texas Critters Need Homes

Animal rescuers in Texas are trying to find homes for 2,000 exotic animals, including fire-bellied toads and iguanas. WildRescue Inc., an animal welfare partner of the Petco Foundation, said it has snakes, lizards, hermit crabs and fancy mice for adoption at 22 Petco stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The animals were among the 27,000 seized in December from U.S. Global Exotics in Arlington, Texas, due to inhumane conditions.

Food Fight Gets Physical

A confrontation in Waterbury, Connecticut, started with throwing food and ended with criminal charges for a 13-year-old girl and a cafeteria worker. Police said the girl threw vegetables at worker Rosa Robles, 55, while she was picking up her lunch at about 1 p.m. Thursday at Gilmartin Elementary School. The girl sat down to eat and soon found vegetables in her own face when Robles returned the gesture. Investigators said the girl then punched Robles in the face, starting a fight that left both of them with cuts and scratches. The girl is on suspension pending the outcome of the police investigation. Robles, who was charged with risk of injury to a minor, assault in the third degree and breach of peace, was placed on leave.

Bike Bandit Busted

A man in Camden, New Jersey, is in serious trouble for robbing a series of banks and using a bicycle as his getaway “car.” Police are calling the suspect the “Bicycle Bandit.” Prosecutors say the man’s name is Brian Layton. He has allegedly confessed to knocking off eight banks in southern New Jersey and Delaware. Each time, he made his escape on a two-wheeler, which he should have stuck with. Layton was arrested last September when he tried fleeing from a New Jersey state trooper in a van before trying to get away by foot. He’ll be sentenced in May. Each of the eight counts against him could get him a maximum 20 years in prison.

Man Uses Stun Gun On ‘Sinner’

A Wisconsin man is accused of repeatedly shocking a male dance instructor with a stun gun, claiming the instructor was a “sinner” who “defiles married women.” Prosecutors said the 59-year-old suspect hastily arranged a dance lesson at the instructor’s Madison home and showed up with a stun gun and sledgehammer last Friday. The man told a detective that his church does not condone touching while dancing and that he was going to scare the instructor “and tell him to leave the women alone.” The instructor told police that the suspect phoned for private dance lessons, and when he opened the door to his home, he began to shock him repeatedly in the neck with the stun gun.

Flaming Poo Prank Results In Charges

A Colorado student’s flaming dog poop prank landed him in the dog house with arson and other charges. Police said University of Northern Colorado student Andrew Charles Donahue, 18, was spotted in Greeley walking toward the front porch of Wayne Pickens, 57, with a bag of doggie droppings and a book of matches in hand. Donahue was immediately arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree arson, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and possession of alcohol by a minor. A police spokesman said Donahue’s alleged intentions were “a foolish prank” that would have put “citizens at risk.” Police said the prank may have been retaliation for a noise complaint.

Makeup Bandit Returns

A bandit who steals makeup from Walgreens has returned after a six month absence. Police in Chandler, Arizona, said the “Blue Basket Bandit” was up to his old tricks on Monday. Over the past two years, police said the thief has stolen approximately $10,000 worth of cosmetic merchandise from Walgreens stores around Chandler and neighboring cities. The bandit enters the store, picks up a blue shopping basket and proceeds to the cosmetics section. He removes various cosmetics and then removes a Walgreens plastic bag from his pocket and transfers the cosmetics from the basket to the bag. The thief then walks out without paying. Police said the Blue Basket Bandit often changes his appearance and will use different vehicles for each theft.

11-Year-Old Faces Charges Over Pencil Attack

An 11-year-old New Hartford, New York, boy faces assault and weapons charges for trying to stab a classmate with a pencil over a math problem. Police said the boy was mad because a classmate kept trying to help him in math class on Monday. When the would-be helper wouldn’t back off, police said the boy lashed out with a sharp pencil. The 11-year-old was suspended from school and charged with felony attempted assault and misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon. He’s due back in court on February 23rd.

Man Steals Ambulance With Patient Inside

Authorities say a drunk stole an ambulance from a Wisconsin ski area with the patient and paramedics still inside. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department said emergency responders were treating a patient in the back of the ambulance at the Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Mount Horeb on Monday night when a 24-year-old Illinois man got into the vehicle and drove it around the parking lot. Deputies arrested Nicholas Pontillo, who is facing numerous charges.

Fake Cow Stolen

A life-size fiberglass cow sculpture has disappeared from a Brooklyn school. Art teacher Deborah Glassman said she noticed the cow was missing when she arrived for work Monday at Seth Low Intermediate School. The bovine was part of the 2000 CowParade art project. It was among 500 original sculptures decorated by artists and students throughout the city. The school bought the cow and Glassman and her students painted it white and wrote the word “peace” in green letters in 17 languages. Glassman said the art project was an inspiration to the kids.

Thieves Targeting Toilet Hardware

Police at a California university said thieves have stolen necessary flushing hardware from more than three dozen campus toilets. University of California, Berkeley, campus police said the burglars brought tools into buildings across the campus and pulled the brass hardware from the toilets, rendering them ineffective. Officials said each targeted toilet will cost more than $250 to replace. 

Message In A Bottle Travels 10,000 Miles

A group of California fishermen who sent a message in a bottle more than two years ago were delighted when someone found the bottle and sent a reply. But they were shocked the bottle had traveled all the way to the Philippines, about 10,000 miles away. The fishermen, from the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas, tossed the bottle into the water just south of San Diego in August 2007 with a message about a friend of theirs who died from a rare form of cancer. The men enclosed $20 with the note to increase the chances of someone coming forward after finding it. They also offered $100 to the finder if the bottle was sent back. The fishermen said the man who found the bottle in the Philippines and sent it back to them has more than $100 coming. “If he ever comes to America, he’s going fishing with us. We’re taking him, period,” Saunders said. The fishermen also upped their reward for Abner Murrillo, writing a check for double the original amount to $200.

Burp Beating

A Roanoke, Virginia, man claims deputies beat him in the city jail because of his burping. Thomas Scott Vandegrift made the allegations in a federal lawsuit filed last week against several deputies, the city, sheriff’s office and the sheriff. According to the lawsuit, the deputies were annoyed by Vandegrift’s burping, which he says was caused by acid reflux. Vandegrift was being held at the jail on a drunken driving charge. The lawsuit alleges excessive force, conspiracy to violate civil rights and assault and battery. He pleaded no contest in 2008 and received a six-month suspended sentence, $750 fine and a year of driving restrictions.

Dog Poo Piling Up On Wyoming Trails

A smelly problem is piling up at trails around Jackson, Wyoming, where people go biking and hiking with their dogs. How big is the problem? Bridger-Teton National Forest officials say they recently counted 173 piles of dog poop around just one trailhead. The problem is so bad, it’s contributing to elevated bacteria levels in nearby streams.

The Mute Button Mayor

L.A. County prosecutors are looking into a complaint that the mayor Carson, California, cuts off public speakers at City Council meetings if he doesn’t like what they’re saying. David Demerjian of the district attorney’s office said the complaint claims Mayor Jim Dear hits the mute button on speakers before the three-minute time limit is up. Demerjian called it a unique complaint and said he’s started an inquiry – not a criminal investigation. However, if the mayor is found to have violated the state’s open meetings law, Demerjian said his office will write the mayor and ask him to stop. Dear denied any wrongdoing and said the complaint comes from a political gadfly.

Man Shoots Himself In Leg

A man accidentally shot himself in the leg shortly after leaving a Jupiter, Florida, gun store. Police said the unidentified man went to Chucks’ Gun and Ammo Monday afternoon, looking for batteries for the laser sight on a small handgun. When the man returned to his car, the gun went off, hitting him in the leg. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Rotten Radishes Prompt Gas Leak Calls

An Ohio fire department says the smell of decaying radishes prompted calls from residents worried about a possible gas leak. Tiffin Township Volunteer Fire Department, near Defiance, has responded to five reports of suspicious smells over the last 45 days. A field of oilseed radishes, planted as a cover crop that adds nutrients to the field, is near a natural gas compression station and a gas exchange station. Fire Chief Jamie Wonders said each run to investigate the odor takes about an hour; they respond to calls even when they suspect the smell is from the radishes. A pipeline technician with the TransCanada natural gas compression station said the gas stored at the facility is odorless.

‘Lap Dances For Haiti’

A strip club in Toledo, Ohio, raised $1,000 for Haitian earthquake relief during what was billed “Lap Dances For Haiti.” Marilyn’s on Monroe donated the $10 cover charge collected Saturday to ISOH/IMPACT, an organization that provides food and clothing for Haiti. Marilyn’s general manager Kenny Soprano says his establishment had been looking for a reason to hold a charity fundraiser before the quake as a way to improve its image. He says you don’t hear much about strip clubs giving back to the community.

Urine Test Bribe

A Colorado parolee has been charged with peeing in a cup and bribing the tester. Authorities say Chad M. Thomas tried to pay a state worker so he wouldn’t flunk a urine test for smoking pot. Prosecutors say Thomas offered the state worker $300 to allow him to use a “Whizzinator.” It’s a device to cheat on drug tests by using someone else’s urine. Authorities say Thomas also claims to have a medical marijuana card. He now faces felony bribery charges.

Col. Sanders Kidnapped!

A Berea, Kentucky, KFC is offering free chicken for the safe return of a $1,200 bronze bust of KFC founder Colonel Sanders that was stolen from in front of the fast-food eatery. Restaurant manager Rhonda Hall said authorities told them four young men were spotted fleeing the scene in a silver car. Hall said the restaurant is offering a reward of $500 worth of free chicken for the return of the bust

Driving Through Class

A 17-year-old Shoreline, Washington, teen crashed his parents’ car through the doors of Shorecrest High School – then drove it down the hall. The car finally stopped 75 yards into the building, when it hit a security office. Two school workers were still on the property at the time of the incident and heard the crash. Police found the teen about 90 minutes later. He was taken into custody and then brought to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Investigators said they don’t believe drugs or alcohol played a role in Friday night’s crash. The boy, a student at the school, was not injured.

Man Rescued After 3 Days In Snow-Covered SUV

A 31-year-old Indiana man says he lived on Mountain Dew and snow while trapped in his snow-covered SUV in southwestern Colorado for three days. Jason Pede was rescued Sunday morning after his vehicle ran out of gas and he walked seven miles to a road, signaling for help with a flashlight. Pede was driving from Dulce, New Mexico, to Aspen, Colorado, to deliver an Australian Shepherd rescue dog when he got stuck.

Man Tries To Buy Crack With Credit Card

There’s a reason criminals are dumb! An unidentified Michigan man accused of stealing a car and then reporting it stolen remains in custody after telling police he was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy crack cocaine with a credit card. Police reports indicated the vehicle was previously stolen out of Lapeer, about 50 miles north-northwest of Detroit. The suspect is being held in the Genesee County Jail.

Eagle Gets Temporary Crown

An Anchorage, Alaska, dentist has given a bald eagle a unique beak using a temporary crown, poster putty and yellow highlighter. The bird was found in December with severe damage to its beak, apparently from a fishing line. The staff at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center turned to dentist Kirk Johnson, who thought of patching up the beak with the same material used to make temporary crowns for humans. The “crown” is being held on with poster putty, and Johnson colored it with a yellow highlighter. The bird center says the eagle is doing just fine, but won’t be able to return to the wild.

Lotion Freak

A man in Springfield, Massachusetts, tried to steal 75 bottles of body lotion by stuffing them in his pants. Chamil Guadarrama was apprehended last Wednesday at a Bath and Body Works in the Eastfield Mall after security officers watched him carry out his dastardly deed on surveillance video. However, Guadarrama had stuffed so many eight-ounce bottles of lotion in his trousers that he could barely walk, let alone run. Officers who arrested him said he wasn’t even able get into the police cruiser until some of the bottles were removed from his pants.

Suspect Flees – Into Police Station

A Riverton, Wyoming, man suspected of stealing a bottle of Schnapps from a grocery store may want to plan his escape route a little better next time. Police say the guy grabbed the booze and a package of cough drops last Wednesday, then fled and hid in a nearby building – which happened to be the police station. He was arrested when he tried to run out of the cop shop.

Man Fakes Crash To Avoid Jury Duty

A Morrison, Illinois, man has been sentenced to 30 days of home confinement for faking a car accident to avoid having to show up for jury duty. Gerald Lee Mance, 60, admitted in court that he took a blank traffic accident report from the home of a friend who is a cop and used it to concoct a story about striking a deer so he didn’t have to attend the second day of a jury selection process. Mance faxed a copy of the fake report to the district court clerk’s office. The judge sentenced Mance to 30 days of home confinement, 90 days of probation, and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Police Thank Suspect For Facebook Info

Police in Lockport, New York, posted a comment to an arrested suspect’s Facebook page thanking him for detailing his crimes online. Captain Richard Podgers posted a note to Christopher Crego’s Facebook page thanking him for filling his profile with pictures of guns, descriptions of his criminal cases and even a newspaper article declaring him one of Lockport’s “10 Most Wanted.” “It was due to your diligence in keeping us informed that now you are under arrest,” Podgers wrote. Crego was arrested at the Indiana tattoo parlor he listed as his place of employment. He even listed the address and hours he worked. Crego is facing a slew of charges, from assault to animal cruelty.

Man Lies To Hide $5 Good Deed

Police in Clarksville, Tennessee, say a man who didn’t want his wife to know he gave money to a homeless man lied to police about being robbed. Timothy Ray Sutton, 23, said he was robbed of $5 Monday, telling police that as he unlocked his car door in a parking lot, he felt something hard being pressed against his back by a man who demanded money. A police investigation determined it never happened. Police believe Sutton gave the homeless man $5 and lied about it to prevent an argument with his spouse. Sutton was charged with filing a false police report.

Stinky Boss

An employee of New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary said her boss stinks in more ways than one. Roberta Feinsmith, 67, an executive assistant at the seminary for 12 years, filed a lawsuit alleging that her supervisor, Alan Cooper, emitted “constant barrages of ... flatulence” in her work space. She also alleges Cooper staged yelling and cursing “fits” on a daily basis. Feinsmith said Cooper sent a mass e-mail in May to the seminary’s staff recommending that older employees quit. The e-mail allegedly said that baby boomers “have created a kind of bottleneck in the work world. The frustration this poses for the young and talented should be obvious.” Cooper fired Feinsmith the next day, according to the lawsuit.

Scott Brown Action Figures

A Connecticut company is coming out with three new action figures modeled after Senator-elect Scott Brown. Herobuilders.com said the Scott Brown “Everyman” action figure comes outfitted with blue jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes, while the “2012 executive” figure is dressed for business. And, for “adults only,” the “Cosmo Man Anatomically Correct” Brown dresses the incoming senator in nothing except a tastefully placed fig leaf. That one is a send-up to Brown’s infamous 1982 Cosmopolitan photo shoot. Brown was elected last month to finish the term of the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

Strolling Away With The Beer

Police in Bremerton, Washington, say a man tried to steal beer from a grocery store by putting it in a baby stroller. The store manager grabbed the stroller as the suspect, beer and baby rolled out the front door. A tug-of-war ended with the stroller tipped over. Fortunately the two-month-old baby girl wasn’t hurt. Two other men who had apparently been with the beer snatcher grabbed the baby and drove away. The girl’s mother says her baby was returned after the incident. Police busted one man for investigation of robbery.

Thieves Call Police For Help With Flat

Two suspected robbers in North Carolina were arrested after they called police for help with a flat tire a few hours after their alleged crime. Catawba County police said Mark Franklin, 46, and James Jennings, 31, allegedly entered a Cubbard Express store about 11 p.m. Sunday and demanded money from the cashier. Investigators said one of the men indicated he was armed, but no weapon was displayed. The men fled in a four-door tan Chevrolet. Police said Franklin and Jennings called them from a Hardee’s restaurant about 3 a.m. Monday. The responding officer recognized the men from security camera footage of the robbery and arrested them.

Woman Hits Bus Driver With Snowball

A western Pennsylvania woman faces a hearing on charges she hit a transit bus driver in the head with a snowball because he wouldn’t let her board with an expired bus pass. Lateia Jefferson was accused of cursing at the Cambria County Transit Authority driver and then hitting him in the noggin with a snowball on January 20th. Her preliminary hearing on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest was set for March 4th. The driver wasn’t injured.

Megachurch Hopes To Win Super Bowl Ad Contest

A Los Angeles church called Mosaic is among the six finalists in the Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” commercial contest. If the church’s entry makes the top three in online voting, it will be aired during the Super Bowl. The tongue-in-cheek ad, titled “Casket,” spoofs the “resurrection” power of Doritos. Lead pastor Erwin McManus says he hopes the humorous ad shows that it’s OK to laugh in the face of death. You can see all six finalists at http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/finalists

Twinkies Thieves Leave Tracks In Snow

Thieves with the munchies stole Zingers, Twinkies and other snacks from the Merita Bread Company in Kingsport, Tennessee. Deputies say 34-year-old James Denoon and 18-year-old Anthony Stout were found hiding under a truck at the bakery late Friday night. Officers found about $300 worth of stolen snacks stacked on the ground nearby. Finding the accused thieves was easy – the deputies only had to follow their footprints in the fresh snow. Denoon and Stout were charged with theft under $500 and two counts of auto burglary.

Fountain Coin Thief

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Memphis police say a security officer at a downtown mall found a man in the mall’s fountain stealing coins. The 47-year-old was charged with stealing about $33 from the fountain at the Peabody Place. He was jailed on $100 bond. The money has since been returned to the pond.

Woman Gets 6 Months To Divorce

There are matchmakers – and then there are match breakers, such as the Huron County judge in Bad Axe, Michigan, who sent a woman to jail for polygamy and gave her six months to divorce one of her husbands. Lorri Freesland of Kinde, Michigan, pleaded guilty to the charge in December. Authorities have said she wasn’t divorced from the man she married in 2000 in Macomb County’s Clinton Township when she married he second husband on August 3, 2007. Her first husband moved to Alaska in 2006. The woman was also sentenced to 15 days in jail and one year of probation.

Gas Pump Rage

A man in Pinson, Alabama, was charged with attempted murder after authorities said he drove his truck through the window of a service station. Deputies say Roger Mayes, 49, pulled into a BP station on Alabama 75 Sunday morning and got into a dispute with the clerk because the pump was turned off. Meyers went back to his Ford Explorer and drove through the plate glass window and into the counter, barely missing the clerk. Deputies say Mayes tried to charge them before he was subdued with a stun-gun.

Pursuing Peacocks In Washington

Officials in Sultan, Washington, said a wildlife specialist hired to trap a group of nine peacocks is having trouble catching up with the final two birds. The specialist was hired after residents complained about the peacocks and peahens roosting on porches, leaving their peapoo on sidewalks and attempting to fight with cars. Local resident Ed Boucher said the peafowl are believed to be descendants from a mated pair he purchased 30 years ago. He said a wild dog broke the cage holding the ancestors of the birds five years ago and set several of them free.

Blade Runner

An Austin, Texas, man who called 911 to complain about bank fraud was arrested after he was found with a machete and 20 other knives or blades. Douglas Dockery, 50, remained in jail Monday on charges with unlawful carrying of a weapon and having prohibited weapons such as a switchblade or brass knuckles. He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant. Dockery was arrested Saturday night outside a convenience store. Officers found the machete, with a 16-inch blade, strapped to his right leg.

Alaska Celebrates Marmot Day

Without having any groundhogs, Alaska now has its own version of Groundhog Day. Then-Gov. Sarah Palin signed a bill last year to make every February 2nd Marmot Day in Alaska. The bill was introduced by Sen. Linda Menard, a Wasilla Republican. Because groundhogs are not common in Alaska, Menard says it made sense for the marmot to become Alaska’s version of Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog famed for his winter weather forecasts. Menard’s bill didn’t give marmots any weather forecasting duties, but she hopes the state will created educational activities around the animal.

Utah Ice Castle

An ice sculptor says his massive outdoor ice castle has grown to include 18 towers, each of which measures 30 to 35 feet high. Brent Christiansen said he uses 20 sprinkler heads to expand the structure by 10-12 tons of ice each day on the golf course of the Zermatt Resort and Spa in Midway, Utah. He plans to continue expanding the project through the end of February. Christiansen said the resort allows him to keep the $2 entrance fee visitors must pay to enter the castle, and he and his wife were given a room at the hotel for the season. The self-taught sculptor said the main tower of the structure is expected to reach three to four stories high by the time it’s completed.

TV Fight

Police in Ft. Pierce, Florida, arrested a knife-wielding man who allegedly chased a relative around the house for turning off the TV. Deputies said Fransisco Yanez-Mejia, 30, grabbed a knife after a male family member turned off his TV and chased the other man around the house while threatening to kill him. The relative told police he used a small trash can to block the knife and locked himself in a bathroom before calling 911. Police arrested Yanez-Mejia early Saturday morning. He told investigators he was using the knife to cut lemons – likely for the tequila they were consuming – and was not trying to hurt anyone. Yanez-Mejia remained in jail Sunday with a $5,000 bail.

Reindeer Fitted With Prosthetic Leg

An Ohio woman who makes prosthetic limbs has outfitted a reindeer who lost his leg due to an infection with an artificial limb. Kathy Simmons said she thought someone was playing a joke on her when a Granville woman called her office near Reynoldsburg and asked if she was able to make a prosthetic leg for a reindeer. Simmons made an appointment and was shocked when the woman showed up with a three-legged deer. The owner said the reindeer had a bone infection when she purchased him in December and had to have the lower part of his front left leg amputated. Simmons said she and co-worker Joe Nye created a 20-inch-long prosthetic leg with a hoof-like round bottom and fitted the artificial limb to the deer on Sunday.

Hunter Shot By Own Dog

Authorities in Merced County, California, said a hunter was shot by his own dog. Officials said the 53-year-old hunter was hunting near Los Banos with his Labrador retriever and a partner on Saturday when he set his shotgun down and walked about 15 feet to retrieve some decoy ducks. The dog stepped on the gun, which set off the shotgun and riddled the owner with buckshot in the upper left part of his back. The man was treated and released from a local hospital.

Poker Playing Grannies

Mary Dattilo turned 100 in December, but she still meets her lady friends every weekend for their Saturday Night Poker Club in West Virginia. The average age is 91 and the kid of the group is 84. The stakes aren’t very high, but winning a couple of bucks is a big deal. Dattilo has plenty of poker-playing experience. She says she started playing cards with her dad when she was 7 or 8.

Too Cold For Polar Bear Plunge

It was so cold in Maryland over the weekend that even the human polar bears were shivering. The Maryland Special Olympics had planned its 14th annual Polar Bear Plunge for Saturday. After the first dip, doctors advised the second one scheduled for a couple of hours later be canceled. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was one of about 15,000 people who went in for a dip. He says the frigid water took his “breath away.” The air temperature was 23 degrees and the Chesapeake Bay was 36 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chicken-Playing Chicken

A black hen has been playing a game of chicken on a busy Glendale, California, road, dodging cars, captors and coyotes for more than two months. Officials say the bird has been darting into traffic outside Glendale Community College since it was first reported November 20th. The chicken has drawn a growing crowd of photographers and journalists as animal control officers struggle to catch it. A spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society said the bird either runs into the street or flies into a tree when officers approach. Hillary Gatlin said a humane trap has not worked because the chicken doesn’t weigh enough to trigger it or she isn’t interested in the feed used as bait. Gatlin said the standoff could continue for a long time.

Crash Leads To 238-Pound Pot Bust

Tracks in the snow leading from a crashed car to a nearby bridge overpass on New Mexico’s I-40 led officers to a monster pot bust. State police say officers patrolling the stretch near Tucumcari Saturday discovered 40-year-old Henry Alan Lowe of El Paso, Texas, had lost control of his sedan and crashed into a snow pile. Then they noticed tracks leading back and forth from the trunk of his car to the bridge. Digging a little deeper, officers found large plastic wrapped bundles that totaled 238 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $642,000.

Update: Shoe Freak Busted

A Delaware man arrested Friday is suspected of stealing thousands of pairs of men’s shoes and photos of men during the past 20 years. Walter J. Rubincon, 46, of Newark, allegedly targeted student housing during vacations. He was linked to a long string of burglaries after a man was spotted dumping three bags of shoes in a creek in Maryland and then driving away in a yellow Mitsubishi Eclipse. Police said three truckloads of what were believed to be stolen goods were removed from Rubincon’s house. In addition to 150 boxes of shoes and photographs, investigators found a mandolin, eight guitars, eight snowboards and a surfboard.

Robber Calls Cops

An alleged robber in San Diego called police when a man punched him in the face in a bid to stop the crime. Police responded to the scene Saturday near a trolley station after a 43-year-old man called them to report he had been assaulted. But when they got there, the officers determined the caller had been punched because a bystander had stepped in to break up an alleged attempt by the complainant to rob an 83-year-old victim. The 43-year-old was arrested for suspected elder abuse and robbery.

Inflatable Gorilla Causes Fire

The fire department is blaming an out-of-control inflatable gorilla for a rooftop blaze at a Houston shopping center last Thursday. No one was hurt. District Chief Fred Hooker says the blowup gorilla deflated and landed on some lights, leading to the fire. Bits of the plastic ape were scattered around the site.

Chili Chokin’ Trucker Crashes Into Home

Police in Lowell, Massachusetts, said a lumber truck crashed into a home after the driver was knocked unconscious by a small chili from Wendy’s. Eric Gremm, 59, said he choked on the chili when the truck hit a bump, causing him to pass out as his rig veered off the road and slammed into the home. Gremm said emergency workers at the scene told him that he had passed out, but he couldn’t remember losing consciousness. Gremm was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Police said he could be cited for eating while driving.