Odd Stories

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first Italian woman in space is now the world’s first orbiting barista. Over the weekend, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti fired up the first espresso machine in space. She posted a photo of herself on Twitter from the International Space Station on Sunday, sipping from a … Read more

VATICAN CITY — Hang up on Pope Francis and you might get a hug. Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano says earlier this week, Francis dialed an ailing Italian man to comfort him. Francis has a habit of calling people who he has heard are suffering and telling them “Hello, I’m Pope Francis” when they answer their … Read more

By LISA RATHKE, Associated Press BURLINGTON, Vt. — The sound system next door is making it hard for Olga Lopatina to love thy neighbor: Christ the King church. Since last summer, the church has been broadcasting the sounds of bells and hymns to its Burlington neighborhood, a joyful noise unto the Lord that some here … Read more

WARWICK, R.I. — A Rhode Island woman thought a pipe burst when she returned home to find water pouring from her garage ceiling. But the culprit turned out to be an unusual houseguest that dropped in. WLNE-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1P9elks ) Nancy Page went upstairs to find the source of the running water and discovered a … Read more

By STEVEN DUBOIS, Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. — Some companies boast of making beer with spring water from majestic mountains. They won’t be competing in the upcoming Pure Water Brew Challenge, in which an Oregon wastewater treatment operator has asked home brewers to make great-tasting beer from hops, barley, yeast and the key, not-so-secret ingredient: … Read more

MONROVIA, Ind. — A central Indiana man who hid inside a wall in his home to avoid arrest had to be rescued by firefighters after he became wedged next to its chimney for more than a day. Steven Shuler was trying to avoid arrest on a probation violation Monday when he squeezed down a narrow … Read more

LONDON — Don the Sheepdog might want to learn a new trick: applying the brakes. The border collie inspired a traffic scare and social media gold after he plunged down a hill and onto a highway in his master’s vehicle. Wednesday’s incident near Abington, Scotland, began when farmer Tom Hamilton left Don sitting in his … Read more

PITTSBURGH — State police say a Pittsburgh man drove for several miles through seven communities with another man clinging to the hood of his vehicle after an argument. The driver, 46-year-old Dwayne Harvard, is charged with aggravated assault and other crimes after the Sunday night incident. He tells local TV reporters he was just defending … Read more

SITKA, Alaska — An Alaska woman suspected her family’s dog snatched her wedding ring, but she couldn’t find proof — until the diamond-encrusted platinum band turned up months later at a local ball field. Nikki Balovich lost her ring in January, when she was pregnant and often took it off her swollen finger, the Daily … Read more