PROVO, Utah — The pig couldn’t fly, the cowboy got away, and the pilot’s OK. So it went Thursday at an Independence Day festival in Utah, where officials said a pig-shaped hot-air balloon descended quickly to the ground after hitting a Wyoming cowboy-themed entry. Paul Warner, a festival executive, said the licensed pilot of the … Read more
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — A man in southwestern Connecticut who mistakenly bought the wrong lottery ticket is $30,000 wealthier. Bob Sabo, of Easton, says he didn’t want to wait in line to buy a lottery ticket at the Super Stop & Shop in Fairfield, so he decided to buy a ticket from a lottery vending machine … Read more
KELSO, Wash. — High school graduates in Kelso, Washington, discovered an error when they received their diplomas during Saturday’s graduation ceremony. The covers protecting the diplomas carried the state seal of Oregon. Kelso High School is in southwest Washington. KPTV-TV in Portland, Oregon, reports (http://is.gd/djlSOh ) that the diplomas did list the correct high school. … Read more
ALAMEDA, Calif. — A giant purple blob from the sea — a slug — is invading East Bay beaches and waterways this summer, and some experts say it may be caused by warmer temperatures near coastal waters. These California sea hares are harmless plant eaters. But their big size and unusual abundance this year is … Read more
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ambulances, law enforcement officers and several emergency responders rushed to a property in southwest Missouri upon receiving a report of a possible plane crash. Instead, they found a man washing his jet-powered semi — named “Shockwave” — on Monday afternoon. Owner Neal Darnell’s new neighbors called 911 after hearing the loud noise … Read more
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A man who served time for robbing a shoe store is now headed back to prison for another robbery at the same New Jersey store — as the same clerk was behind the counter. Christopher Miller was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison. The 41-year-old Bridgeton man had pleaded guilty … Read more
More on this HOBBS, N.M. — A New Mexico man is facing charges after police say he walked into an unlocked home, stole car keys and stunned a resident who found him baking a potato and raking leaves. Patrick Lynn Waits, 45, was arrested early Tuesday following a bizarre chain of events that confused residents … Read more
A New York man who sought help from a fortuneteller to fix a romantic relationship says she scammed him out of more than $700,000. Now the allegations have the Manhattan psychic, Priscilla Delmaro, and another person facing charges of grand larceny. The 32-year-old Brooklyn man told police he consulted Delmaro in August 2013 who told … Read more
By RIK STEVENS, Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. — Sorry, baby, your picture isn’t going to be on the front of any beer bottles in New Hampshire. Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan on Tuesday vetoed a measure that would have allowed some images of minors to grace alcoholic beverage labels as long as they didn’t encourage young … Read more
SOMERSET, Pa. — Police say a man who set up a drunken-driving checkpoint complete with road flares while pretending to be a Pennsylvania state trooper was drunk. Troopers say 19-year-old Logan Shaulis, of Somerset, parked his vehicle diagonally across state Route 601 and set up road flares at about 4 a.m. Saturday. A motorist who … Read more