Man claims Va. deputies beat him for burping
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- A Roanoke man claims sheriff's 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, the sheriff's office and the sheriff. According to the lawsuit, the deputies were annoyed by Vandegrift's burping, which was caused by acid reflux....

Complaint claims mayor uses mute button on speakers
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles County prosecutors are looking into a complaint that the mayor of Carson 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 that Mayor Jim Dear hits the mute button on speakers before the three-minute time limit is up....

Man allegedly steals ambulance with patient inside
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Authorities say a drunken man stole an ambulance from a Wisconsin ski area with the patient and paramedics still inside. The Dane County Sheriff's Department says 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. They say a 24-year-old Illinois man got into the vehicle and drove it around the parking lot....

Makeup bandit returns after 6 month absence
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) -- A bandit who likes to steal makeup from a well known drug store chain has returned after a six month absence. Chandler police said the "Blue Basket Bandit" attempted a theft Monday at a Walgreens store. 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....

Dog waste piling up at Wyoming forest trails
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) -- A smelly problem is piling at trails around Jackson where people go hiking and cross-country skiing with their dogs. How big is this problem? Bridger-Teton National Forest officials say they recently counted 173 piles of dog waste around just one trailhead....

Man rescued after 3 days in snow-covered SUV in CO
SAGUACHE, Colo. (AP) -- A 31-year-old Indiana man says he had not food but kept himself hydrated with Mountain Dew and snow while he was stuck in his snow-covered SUV in southwestern Colorado for three days....

Cattle battle: NZealand has more cows than kiwis
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealanders who for decades have endured jokes about being outnumbered 20-to-1 by sheep have a new farm animal majority to worry about: cows....

Man points gun at neighbor over snow shoveling
NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) -- New Castle County Police said a man pointed a gun at a neighbor who was shoveling snow on Saturday at the Hampton Walk Apartments. A man told police a neighbor came outside while he was shoveling, pointed a gun and threatened to shoot him if he didn't stop shoveling snow onto his car....

Teen crashes car into school, drives down hall
SHORELINE, Wash. (AP) -- Sheriff's deputies said a 17-year-old boy crashed his parents' car through the doors of Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, then drove it down the hall. The car finally stopped 75 yards later when it hit a security office. Two school workers were still on the property and heard the crash....

Rotten radishes prompt gas leak calls in Ohio
DEFIANCE, Ohio (AP) -- 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 in northwest Ohio responded to five reports of suspicious smells in 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....