Offbeat News

URANUS, Mo. (AP) — The Uranus Examiner, a small Missouri newspaper whose name inspired chuckles and groans when it launched a few months ago, is closing. The paper’s editors announced the end of publication Friday, after publishing just five editions since September. In statements posted

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Many Ohio State University students are taking a break from studying for final exams by making a bacon run. Senior Sarah Page, who studies meat science, says the bacon vending machine at the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has turned out to be

BRISTOL, N.H. (AP) — A turtle given to a bedridden little boy in New Hampshire back in 1968 celebrated her 50th birthday with party hats, a sheet cake with the right number of candles and many well-wishers. Diane the Turtle was given to Jim Tonner when he was 12 and being treated for hip

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man has his wallet back nearly four years after it apparently fell out of his pocket while riding a roller coaster. It was a running family joke to tell the kids to look for dad’s wallet every time they visited Hersheypark. Jon Anson tells WHTM-TV he got

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont woman whose family peacock ran off with a flock of turkeys says she’s hopeful to get close enough to catch it with a net. The peacock belonging to Rene and Brian Johnson has been on the run for six weeks. On Wednesday, the Johnsons posted a message on the

OSSINING, N.Y. (AP) — A police officer who saved a chicken from becoming a roaster is taking a ribbing from his fellow officers. Body cam video released by the Ossining, New York, police shows the officer responding to a shed fire on Saturday. He removed some propane tanks when he discovered

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A commercial pilot is under investigation after falling asleep in the cockpit of a freight plane and overflying his Australian island destination by 46 kilometers (29 miles), officials said Tuesday. The pilot, who has not been identified, was the only person aboard

WESTTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — An elephant that was burned by napalm during the Vietnam War has been returned to an upstate New York animal sanctuary after taking a late-night stroll. State police say they went to the Sanctuary for Animals in Westtown on Sunday night when they got a call about a

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Officials in an Alabama county have a financial mess to wipe up after the sheriff’s department mistakenly ordered 24,000 extra rolls of toilet paper. WAFF-TV reports the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office mistakenly spent $22,000 on toilet paper and another