RSS CP Odd News

Birth of anteater has US zoo staff baffled

2013-05-17T13:19:16-04:00

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

Coin tossing breaks tie in Philippine mayoral race

2013-05-16T08:32:23-04:00

MANILA, Philippines - 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 US bus windshield, takes short ride

2013-05-15T18:55:51-04:00

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A deer has taken a ride on a Pennsylvania bus.

Stinky corpse flower blooms again at Ohio State

2013-05-15T00:25:31-04:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio - 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.

Man charged in overnight feast at Ky. supermarket

2013-05-14T07:35:31-04:00

MOUNT WASHINGTON, Ky. - Authorities in Kentucky have charged a man who officers say had an overnight feast in a closed supermarket outside Louisville.

NYPD officer tries to help cat in tree, gets stuck

2013-05-13T21:53:11-04:00

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Authorities say a New York police officer who tried to rescue a cat stuck in a tree got caught himself and needed a little help getting back down to the ground.

Bold turkey: woman hits cop to kick smoking habit

2013-05-10T17:50:27-04:00

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - 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

2013-05-10T17:50:00-04:00

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

Edmonton police try two-wheeled tool

2013-05-10T11:12:09-04:00

EDMONTON - Police in Edmonton are trying a two-wheeled tool to fight crime.

US smokejumpers skydive into illegal pot garden

2013-05-09T19:27:32-04:00

MEDFORD, Ore. - 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.

Police pull over speeder, make fishy discovery

2013-05-09T18:12:24-04:00

STONY PLAIN, Alta. - It was the catch of the day for Edmonton-area Mounties.

Mass. panel: No profanity on rapper's headstone

2013-05-09T18:11:24-04:00

LYNN, Mass. - Commissioners at a Massachusetts cemetery have said no to profanity on headstones.

Wife's advice turns into $15.8M lottery win

2013-05-08T18:17:42-04:00

CALGARY - An Albertan who won a $15.8-million share in a record Canadian lottery prize has his wife to thank for making him buy the ticket.

Python found in Winnipeg Dumpster

2013-05-08T18:15:10-04:00

WINNIPEG - Winnipeg police faced a slithery situation Tuesday night when a citizen came across a live python in a Dumpster behind an apartment complex.

Giant condoms encourage spaying and neutering

2013-05-06T15:28:44-04:00

CALGARY - Former TV game show host Bob Barker would be proud.

Camels, and llamas and football? Oh my!

2013-05-06T09:42:33-04:00

VIENNA - Camels and llamas — and football? Oh my!

9-inch copter lands in arms of Ohio court statue

2013-05-04T14:07:35-04:00

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

Deep-fried butter on list of Stampede foods

2013-05-03T18:58:15-04:00

CALGARY - Hold onto your hearts — deep-fried butter will be one of the midway snacks for sale at this year's Calgary Stampede.

Small Wash. school closes because of nice weather

2013-05-03T17:42:55-04:00

SEATTLE - In sun-deprived 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

2013-05-03T16:16:03-04:00

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Lawmakers in South Carolina are trying to keep junk food out of the governor's mansion.

Official: Shiny dog bowl sparks Calif. house fire

2013-05-02T18:14:22-04:00

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A Northern California couple might be able to blame this one on the dog.

2 pounds of loose skin removed from fat Oregon dog

2013-05-02T10:31:13-04:00

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

Trusty dog stays by owner trapped in mud hole

2013-05-01T18:07:37-04:00

HALIBURTON, Ont. - A central Ontario woman didn't panic when she was stuck knee-deep in mud for 12 hours because her dog snuggled up to keep her warm and calm.

Calif. school blunder: All dressed up but no prom

2013-05-01T13:34:48-04:00

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Everyone got stood up at one Southern California high school's prom. The dance itself was a no-show.

Pink Floyd poser arrested for theft by swindle

2013-05-01T12:38:18-04:00

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - A man is accused of pretending to be a member of British rock band Pink Floyd at a U.S. hospital — and racking up as much as $100,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Montana man loses bird over mistaken identity

2013-04-30T12:30:22-04:00

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The macaw that a Great Falls man thought he had found again turned out to be a bird of a different feather.

Woman, 80, swallows diamond at Fla. charity event

2013-04-26T18:07:10-04:00

TAMPA, Fla. - The idea behind the Tampa Woman's Club charity event was simple. For $20, you could buy a flute of champagne and a chance to win a one-carat, $5,000 diamond.

Well-groomed man sought in Rogaine, pill thefts

2013-04-25T19:08:24-04:00

GOLDEN, Colo. - Authorities in Colorado are looking for a well-groomed man suspected of stealing more than $2,600 worth of teeth-whitening strips, weight-loss pills, probiotics, condoms, Rogaine and other hair-growth products from several Walgreens stores.

Prof wants to test benefits of nose-picking

2013-04-24T21:52:15-04:00

SASKATOON - If you don't like gross things, this story is snot for you.

Ore. department's concrete police pig back in pink

2013-04-24T21:12:29-04:00

ASTORIA, Ore. - The Astoria Police Department's concrete pig is back in the pink and ready for another 20 years of duty.

'Zombies' invade University of Michigan campus

2013-04-23T21:49:09-04:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - You can learn a lot from a zombie.

Pup named Huckleberry crowned 'Beautiful Bulldog'

2013-04-23T00:34:33-04:00

DES MOINES, Iowa - If at first you don't succeed, wipe the slobber off and try again.

Kan. woman meets circus tiger in bathroom

2013-04-22T14:12:45-04:00

SALINA, Kan. - A central Kansas woman likely won't remember her first circus for the clowns or performances — it'll be the tiger in the bathroom.

Oregon juror jailed for texting during trial

2013-04-18T22:47:43-04:00

SALEM, Ore. - A judge in Oregon noticed an unexpected glow on a juror's chest while the courtroom lights were dimmed during video evidence in an armed-robbery trial.

Wallabies on the loose in Austria - yes, Austria

2013-04-18T17:32:28-04:00

VIENNA - Volunteers are searching for a pair of wallabies hopping through Austria — yes, Austria.

Introducing Frazer, Faro, Fantom and Flixx

2013-04-16T15:56:51-04:00

INNISFAIL, Alta. - Ten puppies at the RCMP dog training centre in central Alberta have their official names thanks to youngsters from across the country.

Pa. woman cited for calling 911 seeking divorce

2013-04-15T12:30:46-04:00

GIRARD, Pa. - Police have cited a 42-year-old Pennsylvania woman for disorderly conduct after she called 911 requesting a divorce and police assistance to make her husband leave.

Judge holds self in contempt for his smartphone

2013-04-15T12:30:15-04:00

IONIA, Mich. - A Michigan judge whose smartphone disrupted a hearing in his own courtroom has held himself in contempt and paid $25 for the infraction.

$3,200 swallowed ring recovered by police in US

2013-04-14T00:26:56-04:00

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Police say they've got the $3,200 engagement ring a U.S. man allegedly swallowed during an attempted jewelry store theft.

Romania: thief steals car with kid in it

2013-04-12T18:19:40-04:00

BUCHAREST, Romania - The dad forgot his car keys. The thief forgot to check the rear view mirror.

Judge holds self in contempt for his smartphone

2013-04-15T15:46:58-04:00

IONIA, Mich. - A U.S. judge whose smartphone disrupted a hearing in his own courtroom has held himself in contempt and paid $25 for the infraction.

Chicago woman fighting $100,000 parking fine

2013-04-12T08:51:32-04:00

CHICAGO - A Chicago woman is trying to get out of paying a parking fine that has snowballed to more than $100,000.

Honolulu court screeners find pet duck in bag

2013-04-12T01:41:04-04:00

HONOLULU, Hawaii - Security screeners at a Honolulu courthouse noticed something moving inside a defendant's bag as it passed through an X-ray machine earlier this week.

Thirsty Ore. burglars left telltale juice carton

2013-04-10T20:54:36-04:00

MEDFORD, Ore. - Authorities in southwest Oregon say two burglars took silver ingots, collectible coins, electronics and jewelry in a break-in last fall. They also took a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator, shared it and left the carton on the garage floor. Uh, oh.

Wrong turn leads Germans from home town to Austria

2013-04-10T14:05:31-04:00

VIENNA - Instead of a five-minute trip home, a wrong turn led to an all-night drive for a pair of Germans that ended when police stopped their car in far-away Austria for heading the wrong way on a six-lane bridge.

Circus elephant shot in drive-by shot in Miss.

2013-04-10T08:37:24-04:00

TUPELO, Miss. - Authorities say a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant was hit by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in Tupelo, Miss.

Couple unaware for months of winning ticket

2013-04-09T22:05:34-04:00

REGINA - A Regina couple could have been sitting on a beach all winter long, if only they'd checked their lottery ticket.

Ind. man calls 911, reports he's driving drunk

2013-04-08T14:00:08-04:00

ROSELAWN, Ind. - A northern Indiana man who called 911 and told dispatchers he was driving drunk and needed to be taken off the road got his wish when a sheriff's deputy arrived.

Montana pet owner to feds: The dog ate my money

2013-04-08T13:59:29-04:00

HELENA, Mont. - A Montana man whose 12-year-old golden retriever ate five $100 bills hopes to be reimbursed by the federal government.

Circus elephant shot in drive-by shot in Miss.

2013-04-09T17:16:57-04:00

TUPELO, Miss. - Authorities say a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant was hit by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in Tupelo, Miss.

Iowa museum says tortoise was never stolen

2013-04-05T18:29:50-04:00

DUBUQUE, Iowa - An African leopard tortoise thought to be stolen from an Iowa museum was actually trapped behind paneling in her enclosure, and a misguided employee who found her lied to keep up the story about her theft, the museum announced Friday.

NYC 'zombie' finds long-lost cat in Times Square

2013-04-04T20:46:12-04:00

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A New York City man dressed as a zombie for his job at a haunted house is being credited with rescuing a cat that disappeared from his owner's home two years ago.

A goat walks into a bar in Butte, taken to shelter

2013-04-03T11:47:40-04:00

BUTTE, Mont. - Butte barflies may have thought they had one too many when a goat walked in to one tavern.

All 18 taxis in NH's largest city pulled off road

2013-04-03T11:47:24-04:00

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Odds are you won't get a cab in New Hampshire's largest city after police sidelined all 18 licensed taxis for inspection failures or failing to show up for inspection.

"Help!" Strange cries bring police

2013-04-02T14:13:33-04:00

BROCKVILLE, Ont. - Repeated cries for help prompted neighbours in a Brockville, Ont., apartment building to call police.

Freezing weather wipes out German flea circus

2013-03-31T11:02:52-04:00

BERLIN - An entire troupe of performing fleas has fallen victim to the freezing temperatures currently gripping Germany.

Austrian police chase herd of cattle through town

2013-03-29T08:07:40-04:00

VIENNA - Austrian police and firefighters have taken on the role of urban cowboys in a two-day round-up of a herd of cattle that broke out of a fenced-off pasture and decided to go into town.

Worker denies drinking old whiskey at Pa. mansion

2013-03-28T18:43:36-04:00

SCOTTDALE, Pa. - A former mansion caretaker denied that he drank four dozen bottles of well-aged whiskey worth $100,000, claiming it would have been unsafe to drink and saying the booze had "evaporated" instead.

3 accused of smoking pot in NJ police parking lot

2013-03-28T18:43:21-04:00

TOTOWA, N.J. - State troopers in northern New Jersey didn't have to go far to make a pot bust. They didn't even have to get in their cruisers.

Ga. woman's camera washes ashore in Taiwan

2013-03-27T21:05:08-04:00

NEWNAN, Ga. - A Georgia woman has been reunited with her camera and photos after the camera she lost during a 2007 trip to Hawaii washed ashore in Taiwan.

Finnish hotel seeks professional guest for 35 days

2013-03-27T12:04:38-04:00

HELSINKI - Fed up with the neighbours? Pipes burst in the kitchen? Or, you just want to get away from it all for a while?

Charges: Pa. man bagged deer Wal-Mart lot deer

2013-03-27T11:56:45-04:00

BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. - They say you can get almost anything at Wal-Mart. But the Pennsylvania Game Commission says one deer hunter took it too far.

Man's car ends up on neighbour's roof

2013-03-26T09:28:18-04:00

GLENDALE, Calif. - A Southern California man's car ended up on his neighbour's roof in an unusual accident over the weekend.

Belgium's chocolate stamps offer lick with a kick

2013-03-25T17:20:55-04:00

BRUSSELS - Feel like having chocolate at Easter in Belgium? Well, send a letter and really lick that chocolate-flavoured postal stamp.

US Treasure hunt for girlfriend prompts bomb scare

2013-03-25T12:51:29-04:00

ST. GEORGE, Utah - A bomb squad thought a package marked "Army" was suspicious, but it was just part of an elaborate plan by a guy trying to ask a girl to a dance.

Pa. caretaker charged with drinking old whiskey

2013-03-22T20:16:03-04:00

GREENSBURG, Pa. - Fifty-two bottles of well-aged whiskey disappeared between his lips, police said, and now it's time for a western Pennsylvania man to settle up.

Harper Canada? A rebranding bridge too far

2013-03-22T19:11:23-04:00

OTTAWA - Oh Harper Canada, our home and native land?

Goblin-proof chicken book wins odd-title prize

2013-03-22T12:15:54-04:00

LONDON - A supernaturally tinged barnyard manual has won Britain's quirkiest literary award, the Diagram Prize for year's oddest book title.

Deer bolts from car trunk past stunned officer

2013-03-20T16:54:48-04:00

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Talk about junk in the trunk.

Thieves target Maine trees for syrup-making sap

2013-03-20T16:54:23-04:00

PORTLAND, Maine - Thieves are illegally tapping maple trees on private property in Maine and stealing sap that is used to make maple syrup.

Former NBA star has new job as crossing guard

2013-03-19T11:25:39-04:00

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Retired NBA star Adrian Dantley spent years guarding opponents on the court. Now he's guarding schoolchildren as they cross the street.

Speeding US dad ignores police with baby coming

2013-03-19T03:33:27-04:00

IOWA CITY, Iowa - A man who was pulled over for speeding as he rushed his pregnant wife to the hospital said he was determined to keep going despite the police lights flashing behind him.

Authorities: Burglar tracked by pickax bar code

2013-03-18T09:50:15-04:00

METAIRIE, La. - Authorities in Louisiana say they tracked a man accused of stealing drugs from a pharmacy because he left behind a pickax he used to break in — and forgot to remove the price tag.

Mich. minor-league team to offer bacon-shell taco

2013-03-15T18:56:55-04:00

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - A Michigan minor league team plans to offer its fans an oink-tastic treat this summer.

Iowa officer stops speedy SUV, helps deliver baby

2013-03-14T12:13:22-04:00

IOWA CITY, Iowa - An Iowa City police officer pulled over a speeding SUV — then helped the driver and his passenger deliver a baby.

Teen bugles way to first at elk-calling contest

2013-03-13T13:31:58-04:00

WEIRDALE, Sask. - A 15-year-old teenager from northern Saskatchewan may have found his calling.

Silicone fingers fool punch-in clock in Brazil

2013-03-13T11:54:05-04:00

RIO DE JANEIRO - The Brazilian newspaper O Globo is reporting that a doctor in Sao Paulo was arrested after being caught in the act of using fake fingers made of silicone and imprinted with real finger prints to defraud a hospital's biometric punch-in clock.

Book returned to Estonian library 69 years late

2013-03-12T11:40:46-04:00

TALLINN, Estonia - An Estonian man has returned a library book 69 years late, partly blaming a World War II aerial bombing that damaged the library for the late return.

Police:Man used fake police lights to beat traffic

2013-03-11T18:23:22-04:00

PORTLAND, Ore. - Police in Oregon say a Washington man wove through interstate traffic at 80 mph with phoney police lights flashing.

Fat cat in Texas now slims down, adopted by vet

2013-03-08T17:57:50-05:00

DALLAS - An obese stray cat found wandering six months ago near Dallas has slimmed down to 34 pounds and been adopted by the veterinarian overseeing his care.

Stray seal shows up at Maine hospital entrance

2013-03-08T17:57:26-05:00

PORTLAND, Maine - A young seal somehow wandered up a steep embankment and crossed four lanes of traffic to make an unexpected appearance at the entrance of Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine.

Play ball! Team shovels snow to clear way for game

2013-03-08T17:56:55-05:00

MUSKEGON, Mich. - A community college baseball team in West Michigan took to the field with snow shovels in attempt to clear the way for next week's home opener.

Fla. company rewards workers with Beer Cart Friday

2013-03-08T11:57:07-05:00

PORT ORANGE, Fla. - Employees at a Florida health care company are allowed to drink on the company's tab, on company time, thanks to a perk known as "Beer Cart Fridays."

Pole taken to hospital with screwdriver in head

2013-03-08T09:28:24-05:00

WARSAW, Poland - Polish doctors say a 25-year-old man has undergone a three-hour operation to remove a screwdriver lodged about five centimetres (two inches) into his head.

NY town OKs ban on booing at board meetings

2013-03-07T16:46:40-05:00

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. - Cheers? Yes. Jeers? Not so much.

Pa. business auctions vandal's brick for $1150

2013-03-07T11:19:19-05:00

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - It's like throwing money out the window, only backward.

Tubby tabby finds home with couple, fellow fat cat

2013-03-07T11:18:48-05:00

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - A St. Louis-area animal shelter has found a home for a 37-pound cat named Biscuit. It even found him a sympathetic shoulder to meow on.

NY man gets summonses for laughing too loudly

2013-03-06T09:22:08-05:00

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. - A Long Island man says he didn't know it was a crime to laugh.

People, pooches team up to fight flab at Ill. gym

2013-03-06T09:21:33-05:00

CHICAGO - Can't get rid of that paunch?

106-year-old Mass. man gets high school diploma

2013-03-05T13:32:07-05:00

BEVERLY, Mass. - Fred Butler was married for 65 years, raised five children, served in the Army during World War II and worked for years for the local water department, but the fact he never earned a high school diploma always bothered him.

State slug? Michigan's UP having fun with effort

2013-03-05T13:31:54-05:00

MARQUETTE, Mich. - People are having a little fun with an effort in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to make a fictional creature the state's official slug.

Missing Pa. church pipe organ found; all forgiven

2013-03-05T12:58:19-05:00

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Pittsburgh Roman Catholic church says the mystery of its missing pipe organ has been solved.

'Batman' hands suspect over to UK police

2013-03-04T12:20:54-05:00

LONDON - A man dressed as Batman has brought a suspected burglar into a police station in northern England.

US police dog accidentally fires gun with paw

2013-03-04T09:22:07-05:00

LAWRENCE, Mass. - Police in the U.S. say a dog searching for a gun in a snowbank accidentally pulled the trigger with its paw, firing the weapon.

Giant icicle comes down over safety concerns

2013-03-01T18:07:48-05:00

SASKATOON - A worker trying to remove a three-storey-tall icicle from a Saskatoon apartment building quickly found the first cut is not always the deepest.

Cat that weighs as much as a child seeks US home

2013-03-01T14:22:31-05:00

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - At 37 pounds (16 kilograms), Biscuit the cat is about the right weight for a 4-year-old — human, that is.

Thousands of caterpillars seized at UK airport

2013-03-01T09:59:52-05:00

LONDON - British customs agents made a creepy discovery when an airline passenger was found with 94 kilograms (207 pounds) of caterpillars in his luggage.

Fries anyone? Ketchup crash snarls traffic in Nev.

2013-02-28T23:17:01-05:00

RENO, Nev. - They didn't need any ambulances, but they could've used some fries.

Tumbleweeds invade West Texas home

2013-02-27T22:46:50-05:00

MIDLAND, Texas - A brutal storm system that brought 19 inches of snow to some areas of West Texas has delivered something entirely different to one homeowner.