Funeral home has bicycle hearse for 1 last ride

An Oregon funeral home in Eugene offers natural burials where the ride to the person's final resting place is on the back of a three-wheeled bicycle.

Birth of anteater has Conn. zoo staff puzzled

An anteater has given birth at a Connecticut conservation center, prompting officials there to wonder how the mother conceived.

Alaska man runs onto frozen lake to avoid jail

Anchorage police say a young man who didn't want to return to jail ran out onto the uncertain ice of an Alaska lake to escape officers armed with an arrest warrant.

Aussie minister sorry he 'liked' exposed teen pic

An Australian politician says he has learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he "liked" a Facebook photo without realizing that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself.

Texas senior, 18, bags 800-pound record alligator

A Houston-area high school senior has bagged a 14-foot, 800 pound alligator _ the heaviest ever certified in Texas _ on his first alligator hunt.

Wash. state woman spots stolen car in drive-thru

A Washington woman whose car was stolen from her apartment complex saw the stolen SUV hours later _ in the drive-thru of the McDonald's restaurant where she works.

Coin tossing breaks tie in Philippine mayoral race

What do you do when two candidates running for mayor in the Philippines get exactly the same number of votes? You get them to toss a coin.

Deer smashes Pa. bus windshield, takes short ride

A deer has taken a ride on a western Pennsylvania bus.

Tiny camera in Illinois offers bug's eye view

A tiny new camera developed at an Illinois university is giving researchers a bug's eye view.

NH city sues parking meter 'Robin Hood' group

The city of Keene, N.H., has sued a group that feeds change into parking meters that are about to expire, saying members are harassing enforcement officers.

Stinky corpse flower blooms again at Ohio State

By KANTELE FRANKO

A large rainforest plant known as a corpse flower because of its awful smell has bloomed again at an Ohio State University greenhouse, and there's more excitement because another corpse flower there is expected to open soon, a spokeswoman said.

Fighting eagles crash land on Minn. airport runway

Two bald eagles locked together by their talons in a midair battle survived a crash landing onto a runway at a northeastern Minnesota airport.

Man charged in overnight feast at Ky. supermarket

Authorities in Kentucky have charged a man who officers say had an overnight feast in a closed supermarket outside Louisville.

Wisconsin boy gets handwritten response from Biden

It might not be unusual for schoolchildren to write to the president or vice president. But one Wisconsin boy got an unexpectedly personal response.

Calif. man who said he fled zombies pleads guilty

A Tennessee man who stole a big-rig truck in California, caused several accidents and told investigators he was fleeing zombies when he did it has pleaded guilty to several felonies.

NYPD officer tries to help cat in tree, gets stuck

Authorities say a New York police officer who went after a cat stuck in a tree got caught himself and needed a little help getting back down to the ground.

UN: Eat more insects; good for you, good for world

By FRANCES D'EMILIO

The latest weapon in the U.N.'s fight against hunger, global warming and pollution might be flying by you right now.

Ice from Minn. lake pushed ashore to doorsteps

Strong winds have pushed huge ice sheets ashore at a northern Minnesota lake and right up to people's doorsteps.

Richard Branson swaps suit for skirt to honor bet

By SEAN YOONG

British business magnate Richard Branson has lost his latest job because of orange juice.

Bold turkey: woman hits cop to kick smoking habit

Think you've heard of every way possible to quit smoking? Etta Mae Lopez came up with a new one: slap a cop and go to jail, where smoking isn't allowed.

Durango, Colo., area couple gives up catwalk fight

A Durango area couple is giving up their fight to keep a 13-foot escape route for their cats outside their Colorado apartment.

Celebrity panda at center of Thai-China deal

Thailand's celebrity baby panda Lin Ping is almost 4 years old now. It's time to move to China, find a mate and have cubs.

Ore. smokejumpers skydive into illegal pot garden

A team of smokejumpers parachuting into a fire in the mountains of Southern Oregon landed in an illegal marijuana garden being prepared for growing season.

Mass. panel: No profanity on rapper's headstone

Commissioners at a Massachusetts cemetery have said no to profanity on headstones.

Brazilian woman survives harpoon shooting

By STAN LEHMAN

A 28-year-old woman miraculously survived after her husband accidentally shot her in the mouth with a harpoon, Brazilian officials said Wednesday.

Kenya co. turns old sandals into colorful objects

By JOE MWIHIA

The colorful handmade giraffes, elephants and warthogs made in a Nairobi workshop were once only dirty pieces of rubber cruising the Indian Ocean's currents.

Scratch-and-sniff cards prompt natural gas scare

Those scratch-and-sniff cards the energy company sends to customers to teach them to recognize the artificial smell added to natural gas? Turns out they work pretty well.

Critter cams provide peek into the lives of bears

Biologists at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are getting a peek into what city bears do all day.

NJ governor 'saves' children from spider

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasn't in a pardoning mood when an itsy, bitsy spider crawled on his desk while he spoke to a group of schoolchildren.

Wash. State graduate wears wedding gown under robe

With friends and family already gathered for her graduation from Washington State University, Cassie Dotts thought it would be a good time for another ceremony _ her wedding.

Utah cabin had uninvited guests _ 60,000 bees

By PAUL FOY

It was the biggest beehive that that Ogden beekeeper Vic Bachman has ever removed _ a dozen feet long, packed inside the eaves of a cabin in Ogden Valley.

Collector keeps his 29 boa constrictors _ for now

A Utah snake collector who says his rare boa constrictors are getting a bad rap has won at least a temporary reprieve from an order to remove more than two dozen of the exotic pets from his home.

Gerbils strut their stuff at New England pageant

By RODRIQUE NGOWI

The American Gerbil Society's annual pageant brought dozens of rodents scurrying to New England this weekend for a chance to win "top gerbil."

9-inch copter lands in arms of Ohio court statue

An unwanted modern addition has flown into the arms of a Lady Justice statue that sits atop a county courthouse in north-central Ohio.

Small Wash. school closes because of nice weather

In a sun-deprived part of Washington state, the promise of nice spring weather prompted a small private school to give students a day off to enjoy the sunshine.

Proposed SC budget says no junk food for governor

By SEANNA ADCOX

Lawmakers in South Carolina are trying to keep junk food out of the governor's mansion.

Giant rubber duck makes splash in Hong Kong harbor

By ANNIE HO

A six-story-high rubber duck is making a big splash in Hong Kong.

Former hostage left bemused by UK piracy mix up

Arrrrgh! That must've been embarrassing.

Official: Shiny dog bowl sparks Calif. house fire

A Northern California couple might be able to blame this one on the dog.

2 pounds of loose skin removed from fat Oregon dog

Obie the formerly obese dachshund is recovering after surgery at an Oregon veterinary clinic that removed 2 1/2 pounds of loose skin.

End of the world as we know it? Region residents feel fine

Ashley Boyer Times Correspondent

Will Friday really be the end of the world as we know it? From movies and music to documentaries and television series, the notion that the world may end on Dec. 21, 2012, has dominated popular culture in recent years.