Teen bound for N.C. makes Sacramento

SAN ANTONIO (UPI) -- A 16-year-old San Antonio girl's mother said the teen inadvertently wound up in California after she was supposed to board a flight to Raleigh, N.C.

Sondra Burney said her daughter, Morgan, boarded what she thought was an ExpressJet Airlines flight to Raleigh for a visit with her grandmother, but discovered she had gotten on the wrong plane after the jet arrived in Sacramento, KSAT-TV, San Antonio, reported.

"She found out after she arrived and after she talked to her grandmother that she was in California and had no idea," Burney said.

ExpressJet Airlines said it was investigating how the teenager ended up on the wrong plane. It said she was flown to North Carolina free of charge and given a voucher for a free flight.

However, she doesn't have much time to use it -- the airline said Wednesday it will cease operations in September.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THINKS HE IS SMART IN HIS UNDERPANTS!!!

Police nab suspect in his skivvies
HARTFORD, Wis. (UPI) -- Police in Hartford, Wis., said they have arrested a man who allegedly ditched his clothes after a robbery to make a getaway wearing only his underwear.

Police said the 37-year-old man, whose name was not released, robbed a convenience store with a fake handgun after purchasing a pack of cigarettes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The robber wore a pair of blue coveralls, but police said they discovered him riding a bicycle wearing only his underwear -- with the unopened pack of cigarettes and $412, the exact amount taken from the store, stuffed inside.

In between the store and bike path where police found the man, officers discovered a pair of blue coveralls and a fake handgun. Police said the suspect told them he was robbed by a man who only wanted his clothing and let him keep the money.

Prosecutors said the suspect, who was being held in Washington County Jail, was expected to be charged with armed robbery.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE

PEACE ON EARTH! GOOD WILL TO MAN!
HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
TODAY WE ARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. TODAY WE REJOICE IN LIFE AND DEATH. TODAY WE ARE WHOLE. TODAY WE LIVE BECAUSE WE ARE LOVE. TODAY WE LOVE BECAUSE WITH IT WE LIVE.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND TO MY MANY READERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. FROM MY HOME TO OURS COMES LOVE, PEACE, JOY AND HAPPINESS FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

TO MY DAUGHTER, CAROLYN, MY GRANDDAUGHTER, CIARRA AND MIYA, SON-IN-LAW: I MISS NOT BEING THERE WITH YOU ALL THIS YEAR. YOU ARE IN MY HEART AND ON MY MIND. I LOVE YOU AND I WILL BE THERE EARLY NEXT YEAR I PROMISE!! I AM THERE EVEN IF NOT IN THE FLESH.
GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU SAFE AND HAPPY. ALL MY LOVE, MAMA AND GRANDMA BRENDA

TO TRIKI AND ALEJANDRA, MY DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART: MAY YOU HAVE ALL THE HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD. MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE JOY, LOVE AND PEACE. MY LOVE ALWAYS, BRENDA

TO MARIA LUISA AND ROSA ABRIL: I HAVE ENBRACED YOU AS MY DAUGHTERS ALSO, SO TO YOU TWO WONDERFUL LITTLE GIRLS IN THE USA I SEND MY LOVE. HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR GIFTS AND THAT SANTA CLAUS WAS A GOOD BOY AND STOPPED BY YOUR HOUSE. YO PUEDO! KISSES AND HUGS FOR TWO LITTLE ANGELS OF MY HEART.

TO ABEL: ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD. AS WE CLOSE THIS YEAR WITH OUR NEW ENDEAVOURS ON TRACK, I GIVE YOU MY HEART ONCE MORE AND MY ETERNAL LOVE. PORQUE TU ERES LA PERSONA MAS QUIERIDO EN MI VIDA, MI AMOR. ESPERO APRENDER MAS Y AMARTE MAS EN 2009 Y SIEMPRE.
PORQUE ASI ES!!! BESOS Y ABRAZOS.

TO ALL MY READERS: HAVE A BLESSED HOLIDAYS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN 2009. PEACE, JOY AND HAPPINESS ALWAYS.

TO GLENDA AND OSCAR: I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AT CHRISTMAS AND ALWAYS. GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU SAFE AND HAPPY. FELICIDADES.

MY SPECIAL WISH FOR EVERYONE THIS YEAR IS THAT WE LEARN TO LOVE AND GIVE LOVE. THAT IS ALL WE NEED TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE. I HAVE LEARNT THAT.
PEACE AND HAPPINESS ALWAYS,
Brenda

SEASON GREETINGS FROM BELIZE AND MEXICO

When you live in two worlds like I now do it is hard for me to say hi from Belize and not from Mexico. This past year has been one of growth, sorrow, hapiness, fulfillment and progress. We look at the world today and we are fortunate to just be alive. There are so many less fortunate so while we want to complain about not being able to buy this and that, we must stop and think that there are many who have no where to sleep and no food to eat. No one to tell them "I Love You", "I care for you" and all the things we take for granted in our everyday existence.

As Christmas comes around once more we are singing and feeling the spirit of Christmas. BUT ARE WE REALLY BEING CHRISTIANS? ARE WE REALLY LOVING EACH OTHER? THE TIME HAS COME. THIS IS THE REASON FOR MERRIMENT BUT IT IS ALSO THE REASON TO DO BETTER. LET US LOOK AROUND US AND TRY TO HELP AT LEAST ONE LESS FORTUNATE HUMAN BEING. THIS WORLD IS OURS AND WHAT WE DO WITH IT WILL BE PASSED DOWN TO OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. REMEMBER, LOVE IS ALL IT TAKES.

LOVE, PEACE, JOY,
BRENDA

A los 74 QUE MAS, Abuela??

Police: Woman, 74, drives car into store
NORWALK, Calif. (UPI) -- An elderly California woman was arrested after she allegedly drove her car into the windows of a convenience store and then tried to buy beer, police said.

Lynne Rice, 74, is accused of driving her 1988 Cadillac into the front windows of Joe's Food Mart, said Lt. Jenny Ha of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station.

Officials said damages from the Sunday crash total about $8,000.

The store owner said after the 112-pound woman crashed into the store she got out of the car and tried to buy a six-pack of Bud.

Rice allegedly shoved the cashier when he refused to make the sale, the Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram reported.

Ha said no injuries were reported in the incident, but Rice received medical treatment for an existing health problem.

Rice was released Sunday from the Norwalk Sheriff's Station on $15,000 bail after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

QUE COINCIDENCIA!!

Luck lands student in dad's dorm room
EAST LANSING, Mich. (UPI) -- The father of a Michigan State University student said fate landed the 18-year-old in the same dorm room his dad stayed in 30 years ago.

Rich Robell, 50, said he was shocked when his son, Mike, received his room assignment at Emmons Hall, B310, the same room he moved into as a freshman in 1978, The Detroit News reported.

Tim Knight, housing operations complex manager for Brody and West Circle complexes at the school, said many students request the dorm rooms that their parents once occupied, but it is highly unusual for a student to wind up in the same room as a parent strictly by luck of the draw.

"After 37 years as a full-time employee ... this is the first time that I'm aware of that someone was simply offered the space. It really is an incredible coincidence," Knight said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHO'S FAMOUS?

Poll: Oprah, Hanks most trusted celebs
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A magazine poll has found that U.S. TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Hollywood star Tom Hanks appear to be the most trusted celebrities.

An AOL Living and Woman's Day magazine poll indicated that 37 percent of the poll's nearly 2,000 participants said Winfrey was their most trusted celebrity compared with Hank's first-place support of 40 percent, the New York Post reported.

Poll respondents appear to be less trusting of their loved ones. The Post, which didn't provide a margin of error for the poll, said 67 percent of respondents admitted they wanted to know everyone their husband was contacting by e-mail or text message and 75 percent said they wanted to know who their children are messaging.

The poll found that 24 percent of female respondents admitted to cheating on their spouses, while 48 percent said they considered themselves honest people.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THIS WEEK I AM ON MY FINAL EXAMS FOR THIS CUATRIMESTRE AT UNDI IN CHETUMAL, Q. ROO
I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT MY CLASSMATES AND I HAVE BONDED AND WE ARE A HAPPY GROUP, ENVIED BY THE OTHER CLASSES. FOR CHRISTMAS MY WISH IS THAT WE ALL STAY TOGETHER FOREVER JUST THE WAY WE ARE.

GRACIAS COMPANEROS POR HACERME PARTE DE SUS VIDAS.
MUCHO AMOR SIEMPRE.
EXITOS EN LOS EXAMENES.
SO DE "YO PUEDO" Y LO HACEMOS!!!

Brenda, la chica de Belice - la BELMEX - porque soy Mexicana hecha y derecha!! Gracias a papas Belicenas que me tuvieron en Mexico, D.F.

NOT SO MUCH NOISE, PRIMATE

Zoo's mating apes awaken residents
BRISTOL, England (UPI) -- England's Bristol Zoo has announced its pair of gibbons have been given a curfew to prevent their mating songs from disturbing sleeping neighbors.

The zoo said the gibbons, Duana, 7, and Samuel, 11, will be confined to their housing units on "Gibbon Island" for three nights a week, after Bristol residents complained that the loud singing that makes up part of the primates' mating ritual has been waking them up in the early morning hours, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

Bristol City Council upheld the noise complaints after environmental health officers monitored the singing for several nights.

The gibbons were previously allowed outside whenever they wished through use of a door in their housing unit.

"The gibbons are very noisy at daybreak and in the evening. The female, in particular, makes a very distinctive call," said Phyllis Farmer, a resident who lives near the zoo. "There was no one supervising them after 6 p.m. and they more or less had the run of the place. There is a school very close to the zoo and they must hear them all the time. I wondered if one of the pupils sitting exams might be bright enough to write on his paper that he couldn't concentrate because of the noise."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

SHE IS EVERY WHERE,TOO

Man claims Virgin Mary in neighbor's tree
SCARBOROUGH, Ontario (UPI) -- A Scarborough, Ontario, man claims an image of the Virgin Mary has appeared in the bark of a tree outside his home.

Christopher Moreau, 47, said he first noticed the image of Jesus' mother with her arms outstretched on a tree in his neighbor's yard last week, The Toronto Star reported Monday.

"I don't know why it's there, but I think it's a blessing," Moreau said. "It raises the hair on your neck, it gives you chills."

Moreau said the first person he showed the image to was his mother-in-law, who was given a clear bill of health last week after a fight with cancer.

"At first I thought I was seeing things," he said. "Then I went and got my mother-in-law to tell her. She was overwhelmed by it. She was crying."

He said the divine image has attracted the attention of his neighbors, as well.

"Some of the neighbors have seen it and they just started shaking," Moreau said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHY WE DON'T NEED GUNS

Man injures self during gun inspection
MINEOLA, N.Y. (UPI) -- Nassau County, N.Y., police said an elderly man shot himself in the finger during an annual inspection at the pistol license unit of police headquarters.

Police said the 77-year-old man had brought his pistol in for an annual inspection, but apparently did not know there was a bullet loaded in the chamber. The weapon discharged, shooting off the tip of the man's left index finger, Newsday reported.

Detective Sgt. Anthony Repalone said the man was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he was expected to undergo surgery to have his fingertip reattached.

"He was shaken up and very remorseful," Repalone said.

He said police do not intend to file charges, but the man's five licensed pistols have been confiscated as a result of the incident.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

PUES LO BUENO QUE NO ESTABA DESNUDO TOTALMENTE!!

Man in underwear chases burglars
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (UPI) -- A shotgun-wielding man in West Valley City, Utah, chased a pair of burglars from his home while wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, police said.

Tony Gamonal grabbed a shotgun and gave chase when the burglars fled from his home, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Police arrived on the scene and Gamonal helped apprehend a suspect while the second suspect managed to escape.

Gamonal said he didn't realize until after the suspect was arrested that he was outside in his underwear.

"I looked down and said, 'oh man ... here I am,'" he said.

He said this was the second time in two weeks that his home had been burglarized. He said he intends to protect his home at all times, regardless of his attire.

"If you can't be safe in your own home, where can you be?" Gamonal said. "There was no doubt; I was so mad that I would have shot them."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

AIR AND CHAIR

Balloon man floats 235 miles in lawn chair
CAMBRIDGE, Idaho (UPI) -- An Oregon man landed safely in Idaho after floating 235 miles at 10,000 feet above the ground in a chair attached to a cluster of balloons, onlookers say.

Kent Couch, 48, of Bend landed near Cambridge, Idaho, Saturday after floating about 235 miles in a lawn chair suspended by 160 large helium-filled balloons, The (Portland) Oregonian reported.

"A customer said, 'Oh, it's the balloon man, it's the balloon man.' So we ran outside," said Laurene Houghton, owner of the Cambridge City Market.

This was the third time the gas station owner tried floating from Bend to Idaho in a chair tied to balloons, the newspaper said.

Couch said his flights aren't "that dangerous" but he took a parachute and satellite phone just to be on the safe side.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHAT'S NEXT, DAD?

Son beats dad in pit spitting contest
EAU CLAIRE, Mich. (UPI) -- Brian "Young Gun" Krause bested his father Rick "Pellet Gun" Krause to win this weekend's International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship in Michigan.

Competitors exercised their best spitting skills Saturday at the 35th International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, Mich., the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune reported.

Brian Krause, 30, of Dimondale, Mich., beat his father, Rick Krause, 54, of Yuba City, Ariz., by 6 1/2 inches. "Young Gun's" winning spit was 56 feet, 7 1/2, the Tribune said.

Combined, the father and son have won the pit-spitting crown 20 of the 35 years it has been awarded.

Amanda Jennings, 18, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, said it was "cool" to win in the women's division for the second consecutive year. This year, she took the crown with a 43-foot, 11-inch spit, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHY STEAL BANANAS???

Thief makes off with $40,000 in bananas
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A Delaware police officer said "a whole lot of potassium" is missing after someone stole two trailers carrying $40,000 worth of bananas.

The trailers were found in the Bronx borough of New York Saturday but the bananas were mysteriously absent, the New York Post reported.

"Someone's got a whole lot of potassium," Delaware State Police Cpl. Jeffrey Whitmarsh said.

Whitmarsh said the banana trailers went missing Thursday and New York police discovered them unattended along the road.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

EVEN BEFORE HE WON THE PRESIDENCY HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE COOKIE!!

Obama cookies outsell McCain in Ill. NORTHBROOK, Ill. (UPI)
-- The folks at an Illinois restaurant say their cookies featuring the likeness of Barack Obama have been vastly outselling ones bearing the face of John McCain.

Ben Schlan, manager and co-owner of Max and Benny's in Northbrook, said cookies with the face of the Illinois senator -- who is the Democratic presidential nominee -- have been outselling those with the face of the Arizona senator, the Republican nominee, by a 20-to-1 margin since being introduced in July, the Chicago Pioneer Press reported.

"We're in Obama land," Schlan said. "I'm sure if you went to Arizona with these cookies, McCain would be outselling Obama."

Schlan said the line of politically themed cookies, which he created with pastry chef Joe Lochirco, are being expanded to include pastries with the faces of Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and his Republican counterpart Sarah Palin.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

IT'A ALL ABOUT THE NOSE

Ex allegedly plotted against hubby's nose
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A New York man claims a former friend attempted to obtain hired muscle to break her ex-husband's nose.

Hugo Gomez says Brazilian dancer Mariliza Cotoulas asked him to hire two men to break the nose of her ex, computer salesman Vassili Cotoulas, 46, "because his appearance mattered so much to him," the New York Post reported.

"She asked me how much it would take to beat ... him," Gomez said.

Vassili Cotoulas told the newspaper "she wanted to break my nose ... because of my plastic surgery."

However, he claims she did not want her hired thugs to stop with his nose. "She wanted to have me put in a coma, or a wheelchair," he said.

Mariliza Cotoulas was arrested on suspicion of criminal solicitation and other charges.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THAT'S MY NAME AND I'M NOT GUILTY!

Fla. Mayor Shares Alleged Mobster's Name
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (UPI) -- Michael Finnerty, mayor of St. Pete Beach, Fla., says he'd rather not be mistaken for the Michael Finnerty recently indicted as a Gotti crime family figure.

Florida's Finnerty was alerted to the plight of his namesake when a reporter called asking if he was the man accused of violating racketeering laws as an associate of John Gotti Jr. He said "no," then joked, "Put those handcuffs on me, baby," the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported..

The mistake might have been made because both Finnertys are from the New York area, but the mayor is 60 while the indicted Finnerty is 43. And Mayor Finnerty pointed out he's not from New York City but from Fort Monmouth, N.J., the newspaper said.

"I guess the potato famine brought over all the Finnertys (from Ireland)," the mayor told the Times. "It takes all kinds of Michael Finnertys to make the world go 'round. I'm the craziest one around, though, because I'm the mayor."

The closest Mayor Finnerty said he's come sharing a mob connection was in an episode of the "The Sopranos" in which mob figure Tony Soprano has been shot and dreams his name is Michael Finnerty.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHY BOTHER?

Would-be robber leaves payoff
FORT WORTH, Texas (UPI) -- A would-be robber forgot to take his payoff from a coin-operated machine he crashed into in Fort Worth, Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says.

The unidentified suspect crashed a truck into the machine at a Fort Worth gas station, managing to knock the machine's collection box free, but then fled the scene without taking the booty, the newspaper said.

The Aug. 2 incident marked the second time this year such a botched theft occurred at the Fort Worth station, the Telegram said.

The station's car wash was targeted some weeks ago by a would-be robber who left behind a collection box full of coins after it was broken free.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Alligator Evades Capture
ATLANTA (UPI) -- A small alligator is believed to be still lurking in Georgia's Lake Lanier, state wildlife officials say.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that although officials don't consider the alligator a threat to lake visitors, they want to move the creature to more suitable habitat in south Georgia.

Scott Frazier, a Department of Natural Resources game manager and wildlife biologist, said the 3- to 4-foot alligator has yet to show up in baited traps set last week.

"As far as I know, he's still out there unless someone has gathered him up without our knowledge," Frazier was quoted as saying. "The traps are still out there."

The alligator was first sighted last month in the Flat Creek area of Lake Lanier.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

KIDS WILL DO THE DARNEST THINGS TO GET ON OUR NERVES

Griffin theft has couple's claws out
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (UPI) -- A couple in Annapolis, Md., is furious that a group of teenagers allegedly stole a statue of a griffin from their front lawn.

Patricia Shema said she and her husband, Malcolm, were shocked to find several teens had managed to steal the nearly 4-foot-tall statue of the mythical beast, which is half-bird and half-lion, The (Annapolis, Md.) Capital said.

"I'm tired of 'kids being kids' -- of them having no idea of right or wrong and having no idea of personal property," she said. "I'm not looking for restitution, I'm looking for a permanent record."

Shema said the statue, which was taken Wednesday night, was specially made out of wood for the couple and would cost more than $2,000 to replace.

She said there was something of a silver lining for her -- the statue had been colonized by ants and she's hoping the critters have made themselves a nice home in the vehicle the thieves used to cart it away from her home.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHEN THE TRUTH COUNTS!

Burglar shortens sentence with video
LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A notorious Los Angeles serial burglar has made a deal to have time taken off his prison sentence in exchange for creating a training video for the police.

Ignacio Pena Del Rio, who was sentenced Tuesday to seven and a half years in prison for stealing more than $16 million worth of merchandise from multiple locations in the California cities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Simi Valley, made a deal with the Los Angeles Police Department to have six months taken off his sentence in exchange for the burglar revealing the secrets of his success in a 70-minute training video for cops, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

LAPD Detective Bill Longacre said Pena Del Rio shared information in the video that could hopefully lead to more burglar arrests and prevention. He said the convicted burglar shared insights into how he chose victims and how he was able to talk his way out of tight spots on occasions when he was nearly caught.

"We let him ramble," Longacre said. "And he gave up a lot of good information."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

HUMANS FOOLED? NO, NEVER!! HAHAHAHA

Dummy coyotes fool humans, not geese
HAMMOND, Ind. (UPI) -- Indiana officials said they plan to remove decoy coyotes from islands on Wolf Lake after they failed to scare off geese but successfully fooled motorists.

Officials said the dummy coyotes failed to stop geese from feeding on fresh plantings on the islands -- although they did spark multiple calls from motorists who believed the decoys to be stranded dogs, the Gary (Ind.) Post-Tribune reported.

"We've been getting calls from neighbors and people driving by, 'There's a dog trapped on the island!'" Hammond Port Authority Director Milan Kruszynski said.

Army Corps of Engineers contractor J.W. New placed the two-dimensional coyote cutouts on the islands last year, intending to scare off geese and ducks. A spokesman for the contractor said the items were initially effective.

"The geese are very wary of them, then eventually they figure it out," J.W. New spokesman Jon Dittmar said.

He said he can understand how some motorists may have been fooled by the dummy dogs.

"They're very striking when you first come upon them. I could see how it would be for someone driving by at 70 mph," Dittmar said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

ADONDE ESTABA LA AYUDA?

Father appalled by virtual audience to son's death
By SARAH LARIMER, Associated Press Writer Sarah Larimer, Associated Press Writer – Sat Nov 22, 6:53 pm ET
MIAMI – The father of a college student whose suicide was broadcast live over a webcam said Saturday he was appalled by the virtual audience that egged on his son and called for tougher regulation of Internet sites.
Abraham Biggs Sr. said those who watched and the Web site operators share some blame in his 19-year-old son's death.
"I think they are all equally wrong," he said. "It's a person's life that we're talking about. And as a human being, you don't watch someone in trouble and sit back and just watch."
Police found Abraham Biggs Jr. dead in his father's bed Wednesday, 12 hours after he first declared on the Web site for bodybuilders that he planned to take his own life. He took a fatal drug overdose in front of an Internet audience. Although some viewers contacted the Web site to notify police, authorities did not reach his house in time.
Biggs, who has said he was at work during the episode, said he had not known about his son's online presence.
"I think after this incident and probably other incidents that have occurred in the past, they all point to some kind of regulation is necessary," Biggs said. "I think it is wrong to have this happen for hours without any action being taken from the people in charge. Where were they all the time?"
The younger Biggs posted a link from the Web site to Justin.tv, which allows users to broadcast live with their webcams.
A computer user who claimed to have watched said that after swallowing some pills, Biggs went to sleep and appeared to be breathing for a few hours while others cracked jokes. Some users told investigators they did not take him seriously because he had threatened suicide on the site before.
Biggs Sr. said he believes the webcast was a cry for help.
"But rather than get help, he was ignored," Biggs said. "I would not want to see anything like that on the Internet and not try and get help for that young man. I think that's what the average person would do. Any normal person would do. I'm really appalled."
Pembroke Pines Police Department Sgt. Bryan Davis said no new information on the case was available Saturday.
Biggs Sr. said funeral arrangements have not yet been set for his son, who he said loved helping others.
"He was a good kid. Good kid," Biggs Sr. said. "It's a shame I wasn't there to help him. It's a big loss to me. I wish I was there to help him — since nobody else would."
Miami lawyer William Hill said there is probably nothing that could be done legally to those who watched and did not act. As for whether the Web site could be held liable, Hill said there doesn't seem to be much of a case for negligence.
"There could conceivably be some liability if they knew this was happening and they had some ability to intervene and didn't take action," said Hill, who does business litigation and has represented a number of Internet-based clients. But "I think it would be a stretch."
An autopsy concluded Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which his family said was prescribed for his bipolar disorder.
"Abe, i still wish this was all a joke," a friend wrote on the teenager's MySpace page.
In a statement, Justin.tv CEO Michael Seibel said: "We regret that this has occurred and want to respect the privacy of the broadcaster and his family during this time."
It is unclear how many people watched it happen. The Web site would not say how many people were watching the broadcast. The site as a whole had 672,000 unique visitors in October, according to Nielsen.
Biggs was not the first person to commit suicide with a webcam rolling. But the drawn-out drama — and the reaction of those watching — was seen as an extreme example of young people's penchant for sharing intimate details about themselves over the Internet.

FAA: Mice caused small plane to crash
NORTH STONINGTON, Conn. (UPI) -- A pilot whose single-engine Cessna crashed in North Stonington, Conn., said investigators told him the crash was caused by mice aboard the plane.

Danny Hall said his 1968 Cessna suffered engine failure and plummeted into the Pawcatuck River Aug. 2. Federal Aviation Administration investigators told him a mouse nest was the cause of the engine trouble, WSFB-TV, Hartford, Conn., reported Wednesday.

Hall, 42, said the investigation found mice had built a nest in the plane that was sucked along with its occupants into the carburetor after he activated a device designed to prevent icing.

The pilot, who suffered only minor injuries from the crash, said there would have been no way to detect the mice and their nest prior to takeoff without opening up the plane completely for an inspection of its innards.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Mooning prof. incident under investigation
HAYS, Kan. (UPI) -- Officials with Fort Hays State University in Kansas said a professor is being investigated after a video of him mooning students was posted on YouTube.

School officials said Professor Bill Shanahan became angered at a Fort Hays State debate team event when the team got low scores from two judges, KCTV, Kansas City, Mo., reported Wednesday.

The YouTube video depicts Shanahan jumping up and down and ranting before dropping his pants and mooning the crowd of students and teachers attending the event.

"We're sure that there's probably some facts and information that's just not available. I mean, you see a lot on the video, but we need to make sure everything is revealed before we take any action," Fort Hays provost Larry Gould said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

METH COFFEE BANNED

Illinois bans 'Meth Coffee'
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (UPI) -- The Illinois attorney general has banned state retailers from selling a product labeled "Meth Coffee" because she said it glorifies drug use.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the drink, which does not actually contain methamphetamine, has been banned from the state because it violates the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices by comparing itself to illegal drugs, WQAD-TV, Moline, Ill., reported Wednesday.

The San Francisco-based makers of Meth Coffee said their product was designed strictly for sale online.

"(Meth Coffee) was never marketed or sold in stores in Illinois, and it is now no longer available online for purchase from, or shipment to, Illinois. Meth Coffee was founded by a group of comedians, artists, and rebels, some of whom are in recovery from methamphetamines. For us, recovery from addiction is no joke -- but Meth Coffee is," the company said in a statement.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON!

Father and Son hit Holes in One
NEWTON, Mass. (UPI) -- A Massachusetts man said he scored a hole in one at a Newton, Mass., golf course one week after his father achieved a similar feat at the same course.

Brian Hurley, 36, said he sank his 167-yard hole in one on the par-3 seventh hole of the Newton Commonwealth Golf Course Sunday, exactly one week after his father, Bill, 65, struck his own 145-yard hole in one on the 16th hole, also a par-3 hole, The Boston Globe reported.

"I've been working here for three years, and we only get a handful of holes in one a year," said Gerry Zegarelli, 21, who works in the Newton Commonwealth Golf Course pro shop. "To see two people from the same family make a hole in one in the same week is pretty impressive."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

YOUR HARLEY DAVIDSON WILL BE NEXT, CHEATER!

Wife sells hubby's mistress' underpants
QUEENSLAND, Australia (UPI) -- A Queensland, Australia, woman said she is auctioning off underwear that was left at her home by her husband's alleged mistress.

The woman, who identified herself as Anna, said in the item's listing on eBay Australia the auction winner will get the "size humongous" pair of lacy black panties and a "size small" empty condom wrapper that her husband used for his alleged infidelity, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported.

"They are so huge I thought they may make someone a nice shawl or, even better, something for Halloween perhaps," Anna said of the underpants.

The seller said the auction will not be her last eBay-based attack against her allegedly cheating mate -- she said his Harley Davidson motorcycle will soon be up for auction with a starting price of less than a dollar.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

AFTER THE FLOODING

For the time being the rains have stopped and now we have a cold front over Belize. However, all is not over. Now is the time of recovery. The people in the areas that had the flooding ae still suffering. Many are still not in their homes and many have lost most of their personal properties.

NOW IS THE TIME WHEN WE HAVE TO GIVE A HELPING HAND.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE RELIEF ORGANIZERS WHO ARE GOING TO TAKE FOOD, MEDICINES AND CLOTHING ( AMONG OTHER THINGS) TO THOSE WHO NOW NEED OUR HELP.

In an effort to assist our brothers and sisters who have suffered so much in the past weeks, the YO PUEDO GROUP OF COROZAL and CCC ACE and CJC ACE have initiated a drive to collect non-persishable goods and clothing. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER. LET US GIVE FROM THE HEART.

TO MY READERS ABROAD, YOU TOO CAN HELP. YOUR MONETARY DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO THE RED CROSS OF BELIZE OR GET IN CONTACT WITH ME AT 501-607-8315 (3pm to 31am Belize time) OR AT 00521-983-131-5669 FROM 7AM TO 11AM (Mexico time).

Thank you and God Bless.

FROM $3.89 TO 38 CENTS!

Malfunction sells gas at super bargain
SAN ANTONIO (UPI) -- A "pump malfunction" sold premium gasoline for 38 cents a gallon to lucky customers for several hours at a San Antonio convenience store, the manager says.

Jim Duke, manager of the Dill Food Mart, said he checked it out Thursday after watching an unusually large crowd gassing up at one particular pump Wednesday afternoon.

"I was inside and they were paying at the pump and nobody came in so nobody told me what was happening," Duke told WOAI-AM.

He found to his chagrin that "a decimal point had slipped" and instead of selling premium gas for $3.89 a gallon, the pump was dispensing it for 38 cents a gallon.

"We lost a lot of money," Duke said, although he wasn't sure how much.

Business was way down at that pump Thursday afternoon.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WEDDING RECEPTION GONE BAD

Bride and groom arrested at reception
LAKESIDE, Mich. (UPI) -- A wedding reception in Lakeside, Mich., ended with the bride and groom spending the night in separate jail cells after a melee, police said.

Investigators said Andy Somora, 29, and Anna Pastuszwska, 28, both formerly of Chicago, were shocked with police stun guns and arrested at the July 19 reception at Burnison Galleries after police officers from 14 departments were called to calm things down, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

"The short version of the story is they didn't want to quit their partying," said Mike Sepic, Berrien County's chief assistant prosecutor. "If you put this in the class of wedding receptions gone bad, I guess this would take the cake."

Somora's father, uncle, aunt and cousin also were arrested.

Somora pleaded guilty late last month to a felony charge of resisting and obstructing police. The groom, who also was charged with disturbing the peace, could face imprisonment at his Sept. 15 sentencing for the felony charge.

Pastuszwska pleaded guilty to a reduced charge after she was initially accused of resisting and obstructing. She was fined $600.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHO INVITED YOU, YOU HEAD BUTTING CRASHER?

Crasher head-butted ball organizer
PORTREE, Scotland (UPI) -- A drunken gatecrasher at a black-tie ball has been convicted of assault after he head-butted an organizer of the Portree, Scotland, event.

Angus MacQueen, 34, was found guilty in Portree Sheriff Court of assault after he forced his way into the Skye Ball at the Sky Gathering Hall and head-butted organizer Alasdair Hilleary, 54, on his nose, The (Glasgow) Daily Record reported.

Hilleary told the court MacQueen "seemed to be spoiling for a fight."

"The head-butt caused quite a lot of blood but did not break my nose. I did not need medical attention. I stood my ground and did not respond," he said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHY DID YOU STEAL THAT TWO HEADED TURTLE?? TAKE IT BACK!

NYC turtlenapping: 1 count or 2?
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A Brooklyn, N.Y., pet-store owner is appealing to a shoplifter who made off with his two-headed turtle to bring back the missing reptile.

Sean Casey told the New York Post the turtle has special needs, such as having to be hand fed to prevent fights between heads over food.

The turtle disappeared Sunday from a tank at Casey's Hamilton Dog House while Casey was with a customer.

"I grew up in the neighborhood and I know most of the people here," he said. "I did not expect it in this neighborhood."

To add insult to injury, the Post said, Casey had to convince New York's finest over at the local precinct that he wasn't pulling their legs when he reported the theft.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

SIN ROPA POR LAVAR

Suspect got away clean, almost
WICHITA, Kan. (UPI) -- A man who broke into a house Wichita, Kansas, fled in his underwear after the homeowner showed up unexpectedly and caught him doing his laundry, police said.

Investigators said the suspect, described as a white male in his 30s, is believed to have entered the home by breaking a basement window, The Telegraph reported Monday.

The homeowner said the burglar was startled when she returned home, and high-tailed it out of there wearing just his blue boxer shorts -- and grabbing her purse on his way.

The woman said she managed to chase the intruder and recover her purse but he half-naked suspect slipped away.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

NO SE PUEDE

Homeowners told not to park in driveways
EASTRINGTON, England (UPI) -- Residents of Eastrington, England, say the local council's plans to fine them $2,000 for parking in driveways with the wrong kind of curbs are "ridiculous."

The owners of 12 houses on the village's Pinfold Street said they received letters from the council citing a 30-year-old law requiring their driveways to have "dropped" curbs that allow for easier access, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

They said the letters threatened $2,000 fines if they continue to park in their driveways without correcting the curbs.

"I just couldn't believe it when the letter arrived," said Ken Laverack, 61. "The council themselves put my drive in 20 years ago and now they're saying I can't use it. It's absolutely ridiculous, my car is just on the road now."

Neighbor Adam Stroud agreed.

"Why should we have to pay to have this work done to council property -- the footpath -- just so we can cross it to get to our private land?" he asked.

A spokesman for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, which sent the letters, said the enforcement is aimed at reducing damage to roads.

"Homeowners are able to apply for a properly constructed drop curb to provide vehicular access to property and many thousands of East Riding residents have followed this procedure," he said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

UN ANIMAL EN LA CARCEL

Official orders goats released from jail
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (UPI) -- A Democratic Republic of Congo official has ordered the release of a dozen goats he said were improperly held in a jail in Kinshasa.

Deputy Justice Minister Claude Nyamugabo said he ordered the goats freed after finding them in the lockup during a routine visit, the BBC reported Wednesday.

Nyamugabo said police officers had planned to bring the goats, which had been sold illegally at the side of the road, to court. He said the officers will be sent for retraining.

However, Nyamugabo did not say what would become of the owners of the goats, who were arrested along with their herd.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

THEY DO HAVE NINE LIVES

Cat unharmed after 14 miles under car hood
ANAHEIM, Calif. (UPI) -- A woman says she drove 14 miles to Vernon, Calif., before discovering a cat under the hood of her car and the feline was somehow unharmed.

The Anaheim woman said she was unable to reach the cat because the engine was hot and the animal had wedged itself in a tight space behind her car's headlight, The Orange County Register reported Wednesday.

An animal control officer also was unable to coax the kitty out of its hiding place and phoned the Irvine Animal Care Center for help. Dr. Karen Moreland, a veterinarian with the center, arrived at the scene and used sedatives to calm the cat and Dawn dishwashing soap as a lubricant to free him from his tight space.

Moreland burned her hands freeing the cat, which was dubbed Miles by the center.

Christine Franco, a program coordinator at the shelter, said the cat had an implanted microchip and his Anaheim owners were contacted, but they never showed up to claim him. The 4-year-old cat is now available for adoption, she said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

QUE MENTALIDAD TIENES PARA ROBAR DE UNA POLICIA?

Police: Teens tried to rob undercover cop
BALTIMORE (UPI) -- Three teenagers in Baltimore made a poor choice in victims when they allegedly attempted to rob a plainclothes officer, police say.

Police said the unidentified boys lured the undercover officer into an alley with talk of a drug transaction and then tried to rob him, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The officer, whose name wasn't released, showed his gun and grabbed one suspect but the other two got away. The 15-year-old suspect was charged with attempted armed robbery.

The arresting officer had been working undercover as part of a drug investigation, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

MAYBE IT NEVER DID EXIST!!

Ind. town seeks missing time capsule
ELKHART, Ind. (UPI) -- City officials in Elkhart, Ind., said they are having difficulty locating a time capsule buried in 1958 -- possibly because it may never have existed.

Officials said a city employee received an e-mail from a man who said he was at the city's centennial celebration in 1958 and claimed a time capsule buried during the ceremony was meant to be opened in 2008, the Elkhart Truth reported.

However, the city's Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee said it could not determine where the capsule had been buried. Some members suggested Lundquist-Bicentennial Park as the location, but the only time capsule on record in the park was buried in 1977.

Mary Jo Weyrick, the City Council's administrative assistant, said she has combed through all records of the centennial celebration and cannot find any record of the time capsule other than a brief newspaper mention requesting photo clippings for the item.

Paul Thomas, curator of the Time Was Museum and a member of the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee, said the 1958 capsule may have never been buried.

"Everyone assumed it existed," he said. The centennial "was covered like a blanket, and there was nothing" mentioning the item.

Weyrick said one resident who remembers the centennial celebration said the time capsule was buried on the southwest corner of Main and High streets -- an area the city is unlikely to want to dig up after new sidewalks were recently installed.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

WHEN YOU SEPARATE, IT IS TIME TO DIVIDE EVERYTHING!

PHNOM PENH (AP) - Una pareja campesina en Camboya puso fin a su matrimonio de 18 años de manera singular: un acuerdo de divorcio que incluyó partir en dos la casa de madera donde vivían, dijeron aldeanos el viernes.

El esposo, Moeun Sarim, se llevó todos los trozos y astillas de su media casa, dijo su ex esposa Vat Navy.
"Muy extraño, pero es lo que quería mi esposo", dijo por teléfono desde una aldea 100 kilómetros (62 millas) al este de Phnom Penh. El divorcio se consumó el mes pasado, dijo.
"El vino con sus parienmtes y con serruchos cortaron la casa por la mitad", dijo, y añadió que ahora tiene la mitad de la casa que sigue en pie. La casa es de madera con techo de tejas y sostenida por pilares de madera, a la manera típica del campo camboyano.
Dijo que el ex esposo y los parientes se llevaron su parte de la casa a lo de los padres de él.
Según Navy, su esposo estaba celoso porque crería que tenía relaciones con un agente de policía de la aldea, cosa que ella negó.
"El quería divorciarse, así que yo dije, 'divorciémonos'", dijo.
El esposo no hizo declaraciones.
El jefe aldeano Bou Bout dijo que las autoridades locales trataron de que la pareja resolviera sus diferencias, "pero el esposo se mantuvo firme".

COLISION CON UN OSO Y VIVO TODAVIA

Montana Man Crashed Bike into Wild Bear
MISSOULA, Mont. (UPI) -- A 57-year-old man in Missoula, Mont., says he is lucky to be alive after accidentally crashing his bicycle into the side of a wild bear.

Middle school teacher Jim Litz said he often sees bears during his daily commute along a dirt road but he didn't' have time to avoid one of the animals that wandered into his way Monday, The (Missoula, Mont.) Missoulian said.

"I didn't have time to respond. I never even hit my brakes," Litz said.

The teacher said after the impact flipped him off his bike, the bear began clawing at him, apparently in confusion and anger. The attack left Litz with scratches and bruises over most of his body.

Litz said he was sore and a bit clawed up, but lucky to have survived - and he holds no ill will toward the animal.

"I was truly lucky, because I accosted the bear and he let me live," he told the Missoulian. "I truly respect them. They're beautiful creatures."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

DESNUDO? YA NO MUCHO!!

Beach goers in France going topless less
TOULON, France (UPI) -- Going topless on beaches in French beach communities like St. Tropez has suddenly fallen out of fashion due to a number of factors, an expert says.

French academic Dr. Guy Fournier said while female beach goers in France have traditionally bared their breasts without a second thought, the trend has declined due in part to the declining economy, The (Britain) Daily Mail said Friday.

"Bare breasts are viewed as a totally natural state on the beach," Fournier said.

"But public morality follows people's confidence and optimism in their wealth and lifestyle."

"During an economic downturn, women are less inclined to let it all hang out and more likely to cover up."

The Mail said similar changes in beach fashion occurred in 1929 during the Great Depression and after World War II. Such negative events appeared to influence beach goers to wear more clothing during their leisurely beach activities, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

SI LO HACES DESNUDO, ESCAPES!!

Police: Woman hit bicyclist, shed clothes
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Jacksonville, Fla., said they arrested a woman who allegedly crashed two cars and hit a bicyclist before fleeing authorities in the nude.

Holly Highfield allegedly struck a bicyclist intentionally with her SUV before stripping off her clothes and allegedly attempting to make a getaway in another vehicle, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, Fla., reported Tuesday.

Children who were in the SUV with Highfield prior to the incident said she pointed out the bicyclist before striking him with the vehicle.

"Do you think this biker is going to get hit? Do you have faith? Are you afraid?" she allegedly asked the children before steering the vehicle to strike the cyclist.

A couple riding in a van stopped to help the bicyclist, who was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and police said Highfield jumped into the van and attempted to drive off but was foiled when the vehicle hit a nearby fence.

Highfield, who police said appeared to be under the influence of drugs, was arrested and charged with battery, carjacking, driving under the influence while accompanied by a minor and DUI while causing damage to property. She was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center for observation.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

EL FIN DEL RELOJ DE MANO??

Wristwatch sellers predict industry's end
KENSINGTON, Pa. (UPI) -- The California-based Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council said watch companies have reported declining sales of between 8 percent and 15 percent since 2006.

Watch companies and retailers said the business seems to be on its way out as more and more consumers gets their time updates from cell phones and computer desktops, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Tuesday.

"The business seems to be dying out," said Derek Molnor, owner of Derek Molnor Vintage Watches in New Kensington, Pa. "Twenty years ago, there were a lot more watches around and a lot more interest in it. People are moving on."

While sales of higher-end wristwatches, including Rolexes, seem to have remained consistant, falling sales have led companies including Timex and Fossil to begin phasing out their watch production in favor of sunglasses and other accessories, the Tribune-Review reported.

"You can't make enough on watches to stay alive," Buschek said. "Yes, you're going to see the disappearance of wristwatches."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELIZE

A BREAK FROM THE NORM.

TODAY IS INDEPENDENCE DAY IN BELIZE AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO WISH EACH AND EVERY BELIZEAN A HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

WHEN I AM NOT AT HOME IN BELIZE, I AM AT HOME IN MEXICO. HOWEVER, I WILL ALWAYS BE BELIZEAN AND I WILL ALWAYS BE MEXICAN, ALSO. MY SENSE OF PRIDE AT BEING ALLOWED TO HAVE DUAL NATIONALITY STEMS HIGH AND STRONG. I HOLD TRUE TO BOTH COUNTRIES AND I WILL ALWAYS SPEAK WELL OF BOTH.

ALTHOUGH I WILL NOT BE IN BELIZE TODAY, I TAKE IN MY HEART THE PRIDE AND JOY OF THE DAY. I MARCH IN THE MIND AND THE HEART. I SING THE PRIDE OF THE COUNTRY I CALL HOME AND I SEND ALL MY LOVE.

GOD BLESS BELIZE AND ALL BELIZEANS.

NO TE METES CON LOS PAJAROS

Couple Attacked by Nesting Sea Birds
KIRKWALL, Scotland (UPI) -- A London couple who got lost on the island of Hoy in the Orkney Islands north of Scotland had to be rescued by the coast guard from angry sea birds.

The couple inadvertently wandered into a nesting colony of great skuas Monday, The Scotsman reports. The coast guard sent a helicopter to get them away from the birds.

Great skuas, known as bonxies in the Orkneys, are large gull-like birds with no fear of humans. They are known for dive-bombing puffins to steal their food and for their aggressive behavior towards intruders in nesting colonies.

Chris Booth, an ornithologist working in the Orkneys, wears a helmet to protect himself.

"They are just defending their nests. If you walk into their territory they will attack you but they don't attack for any other reason," Booth said. "These people were wandering around a bit aimlessly and went into a skua territory and the birds were telling them to get out of the way."

Other experts recommend carrying a stick and lifting it high if birds attack because they go for the highest point.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

VIVEN LA CHUPACABRAS?

Lawmen Say They Saw Mythical Texas Animal
CUERO, Texas (UPI) -- Two deputies in rural south Texas say they may have sighted a chupacabra, a hairless, short-legged creature that has long been a part of regional folklore.

Cpl. Brandon Riedel told KSAT in San Antonio he was in the midst of a training session Friday with a new recruit to the DeWitt County Sheriff's Department when they saw the animal running down a dirt road. He grabbed his video camera.

"You need to record something like this because it's not every day you find something that looks like this running around out in the middle of the county," he said.

Riedel is not completely convinced the animal is a chupacabra. It has a long snout that looks coyote-like.

Last year, a rancher found a carcass he said appeared to be a chupacabra. Some residents say there is no point in being too skeptical.

"It's like every good urban legend," Erik McCowan said. "Maybe it's better to just think it is the chupacabra and just leave it at that."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

JUST LIKE ANY POLITICIAN!!

Politician Accused of Watermelon Theft
EDENTON, N.C. (UPI) -- A man running for the Chowan County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina has been charged with stealing a $3 watermelon from a farmer's field.

Dana Soles is scheduled to appear Sept. 23 in District Court on a felony larceny of ungathered crops charge, which could land him in jail for up to 30 months if he is convicted, the (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday.

Soles said he was en route to delivering groceries to the family of a former colleague who had lost his job Aug. 21 when he came across a field of watermelons that he said he heard was due to be tilled. He said he took the watermelon and placed it in his car and admitted to initially denying he had put anything in the vehicle when a deputy stopped to ask if he was having car trouble, Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin said.

Goodwin said Soles eventually admitted to taking the watermelon and was issued a summons Aug. 29.

Soles said the watermelons "were rotting out there" and he "honestly didn't know it was a crime" to remove one of them.

Soles is running on the Republican ticket for District 1, Seat 1 in November's race against Democrat Emmett Winborne.

He said he offered to pay the farmer for the watermelon and he believes his prosecution is politically motivated.

"Had I not been running for office I think things would have been different," he said. "I don't feel I'm the criminal they're making me out to be."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

NILE MONITOR SCARE

Oregon Family Finds Giant Lizard in Backyard
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (UPI) -- Members of an Oregon family say they were shocked to find a 6-foot Nile Monitor lizard in their yard just feet from where their children were playing.

Ryan Nelson of Grants Pass said he was taking his young children inside for their baths when he saw the 60-pound reptile in his peripheral vision, KTVL-TV of Medford reported Tuesday.

"I heard a noise. I thought it was cats at first. And I looked and it's a -- what I thought was -- an alligator at first," Nelson said.

"It freaked me out. I was just boggled about why it was in my yard and how it got here and how long it's been here because the kids are out here playing all the time."

Nelson said his wife phoned MB Reptiles, which sent Dalton Brown to capture the Nile Monitor. Nelson and Brown said it took several minutes to capture the lizard, which had taken refuge under the family's deck.

A neighbor claimed ownership of the lizard. MB Reptiles said he will be able to take the lizard home if he presents proof of ownership and compensates the pet store for the time it has been in its care.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

QUE PIENSAS DEL EMU?

Emu blocks traffic for two hours
NEW STANTON, Pa. (UPI) -- Pennsylvania State Police say they used a stun gun to subdue an emu that blocked traffic for about two hours near the Pennsylvania Turnpike's New Stanton exit.

State troopers said the emu, an Australian cousin to the ostrich, had become trapped Monday between 5-foot-high traffic barriers and resisted all previous attempts to catch it -- including a an attempted cowboy-style lassoing, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported

"It created a backlog of traffic," said state police Sgt. Anthony DeLuca. "Vehicles almost wrecked into each other, into the bird. We tried to chase it down and tried to catch it.

"Once it got in there it got stuck, and it didn't know what to do."

He said troopers eventually used a stun gun on the 4-foot-tall bird and moved it to the side of the roadway but it died shortly after.

"I think what happened is after about two hours of running on the roadway, it probably had a heart attack," he said.

He said authorities are still unsure of the bird's origin.

"It doesn't belong to any local farmers," DeLuca said. "We believe it might just have escaped from a truck that might have been hauling emus."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

IN SEARCH OF A SKATEBOARDER

Police seek 62 mph skateboarder
ULM , Germany (UPI) -- Police in Germany say they are on the lookout for a skateboarder who used a boost from a motorcycle to travel 62 mph down the Ulm-Stuttgart motorway.

Authorities said the skateboarder, whose feat was captured on video and broadcast on German TV, traveled for two miles down the steep stretch of highway at excessive speeds, Sky News reported Wednesday.

The man, who police said they believe to be a professional stuntman, wore a helmet and a red and white protective suit while speeding down the road. Investigators said he held onto the back of a motorcycle for some time to help him pick up speed.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

VOLANDO CON LOS ELVIS

Flying Elvi are rock and roll aerial stars
SANTA FE, N.M. (UPI) -- The Flying Elvi, it seems, is still getting work following its breakthrough appearance 16 years ago in "Honeymoon in Vegas."

The parachuting group that dresses like rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley, ahs had one booking after another ever since sharing the screen with Nicolas Cage in the 1992 comedy that co-starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Flying Elvi member Rich Brooks told the Albuquerque Journal.

"The movie came out and then people wanted Flying Elvi," Brooks said.

The group's performances now include a sighting above Santa Fe, N.M., where the group jumped from a plane and glided to the ground as part of the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino's grand opening.

The Journal said Wednesday's event offered a bit of Las Vegas glamour with the jumpsuit-clad Elvi along with more traditional New Mexico fare in the form of pueblo dancers and Beau the white buffalo.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

HOMBRE A HOMBRE

Police: Man ignited sleeping man's pants
GODFREY, Ill. (UPI) -- A Godfrey, Ill., man has been arrested after he allegedly lit a sleeping man's pants on fire, causing second and third degree burns, authorities said.

Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Brad Wells said Joseph Hornsey, 21, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery after he allegedly used a cigarette lighter to ignite frayed strings on the 20-year-old victim's pants, The Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat reported. Wells was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.

The victim, whose name was not released, had been drinking alcohol and was camping out in Hornsey's backyard at the time of the incident, Wells said.

"The victim was able to put the fire out on his pants and fell back asleep," Wells said.

He said the victim awoke Sunday morning to find he had suffered burns from his blazing trousers and was taken to a St. Louis hospital for treatment.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

CUENTA CELLULAR

Family gets $19,370 cell phone bill
PORTLAND, Ore. (UPI) -- An Oregon family racked up a $19,370 cell phone bill in international charges, they said.

The Terry family's 200-page AT&T cell phone bill mostly lists fees for sending e-mail messages and photos, which are otherwise covered in their unlimited plan, KPTV of Portland, Ore., reported Thursday.

But because a laptop using an AirCard was used in Canada to send e-mails back home, fees began to add up.

AT&T says the AirCard allows users to connect to e-mail, the Internet and business applications while traveling, but international use is not included in the Terry's cell-phone plan.

They said they asked an AT&T employee about the service before their son left the country. They said they were not warned about international fees.

"(We) have a bill that runs normally $250 to $300 for our cell phones," Dave Terry said. "When AT&T saw the numbers getting over $1,000, I would think it's their responsibility to inform us that something was amiss because that card could have been stolen."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

CRY COCKADOO

Pet cockatoo's cries bring police
TRENTON, N.J. (UPI) -- Police in a New Jersey city responding to a call of a woman screaming discovered that the noise was coming from a pet cockatoo.

Passersby thought the sounds coming from a house in Trenton were those of someone screaming in terror and thought that they heard the words "Help me," WCAU-TV in Philadelphia reported.

Police officers had difficulty getting into the house, which was also home to a large German shepherd. Once inside, they found a talking bird named Luna.

Luna's owners face no charges.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

HOME TO STAY

Philly, Baltimore dispute Poe's body
BALTIMORE (UPI) -- Edgar Allan Poe may have wandered in life, but the curator of Baltimore's Poe House says his body will remain where it has been for 160 years -- in Baltimore.

Jeff Jerome is scheduled to travel to Philadelphia in January to debate Poe's proper burial place, The New York Times reports. Freelance writer Edward Pettit says Philadelphia has a superior claim because Poe wrote many of his best-known stories there.

Poe, who was 42 when he died in Baltimore in 1849, was born in Boston and spent much of his childhood in Richmond, Va., with foster parents -- although the family moved to Britain for a few years. As an adult, he served in the Army in South Carolina, published his first book as "A Bostonian," attended West Point in New York, married in Baltimore and lived in New York and Philadelphia.

Last year, Pettit, in an article in a Philadelphia weekly, urged body-snatching. Jerome says he has a cadre of Baltimoreans ready to defend Poe's grave.

"If they want a body they can have John Wilkes Booth," Jerome said, offering the Lincoln assassin, who is also buried in Baltimore.

The Jerome-Pettit debate is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2009, at the Philadelphia Free Library. That's six days before the bicentennial of Poe's birth.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

PORQUE MENTIR

Police: Scam forced marital lie from man
OCALA, Fla. (UPI) -- A 27-year-old man told his wife he had been robbed to avoid revealing he actually had been tricked by a scam artist, police in Florida say.

Marion County sheriff's deputies said Mario Oscar Carlos initially told authorities he and his wife he had been robbed of $8,000 in cash, but the man allegedly later confessed to making the story up to avoid embarrassment, the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner reported.

A police report alleged that after officers noticed inconsistencies in his robbery account, Carlos admitted he actually lost the money to a spiritual healer.

Carlos allegedly told police the healer told him to place the cash inside a sock so it could be blessed and then put it in the trunk of his car. He said when he checked on the money Friday, he found the cash-filled sock had been replaced by one filled with only $50, the report alleged.

The Star-Banner said for his marital and legal lie, police charged Carlos with filing a false police report.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

NAME OF ONE, FACE OF THE OTHER

N.Y. man has McCain's name, Obama's looks
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A New York man says he shares something in common with both major U.S. presidential candidates -- John McCain's name and Barack Obama's looks.

The 40-year-old musician -- whose name just happens to be John McCain, same as the Arizona senator who is the Republican nominee -- said he repeatedly has been told he looks like Obama, the Democratic nominee, the New York Daily News reported.

"I travel to Europe a lot, and a few people have said I look like Obama," the lesser-known McCain said. "When people ask me my name, I always say John McCain, like the senator."

While McCain says he has not used his famous name and face for any sort of advantage, he admits it comes in handy when calling radio talk shows.

"Once I mention that I'm interracial and my name is John McCain, they put me right through," he told the Daily News.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

LA JUVENTUD ES MUY LISTO ESTOS DIAS

Police: Teen burglar ordered porn
PALM BAY, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Palm Bay, Fla., have arrested a 14-year-old boy who allegedly broke into a home and ordered more than $100 worth of porn movies on a TV.

Officers said the boy was charged with occupied burglary and grand theft after he allegedly entered a family's home and used its TV account to order about $129 worth of pornographic films, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.

Police said the family had arrived home from shopping to find the alleged perpetrator watching their television.

The teenager has previously been arrested on felony charges, police said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International