A long-lost ancient Roman artifact reappears in a New Orleans backyard
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A family cleaning their backyard in New Orleans discovered an unusual marble tablet with some characters in Latin. Daniella Santoro turned to an archaeologist friend for help. It turns out to be a grave marker for a 42-year-old Roman sailor named Sextus Congenius Verus, who died 1,900 years ago. The tablet had been held at a museum in the seaside town of Civitavecchia that was destroyed during World War II. That's where the grandfather of the home's previous owner was stationed, and fell in love. The couple apparently brought the tablet from Italy after the war. Now the FBI is in talks with Italian authorities to repatriate the tablet.
Scrapple sculpture contest winner prevailed in Eagles country by putting the pig into pigskin
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In the contest for best scrapple sculpture in Philadelphia on Friday it was the “Mush Push” fashioned from the regionally popular pork breakfast meat that got Patrick Moser’s entry over the goal line. The Norristown tattoo artist’s tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles’ trademark short yardage play known as the “tush push” took the top honor Friday. He won a lighthearted art contest to kick off the Scrapple and Apple Festival. The contestants at Reading Terminal Market were allowed 90 minutes to fashion art from five pounds of the pork-based breakfast meat. Scrapple is sometimes the butt of jokes, but when made properly it’s a porcine delicacy.
Critically endangered baby black rhino makes its debut at Cleveland zoo
CLEVELAND (AP) — A baby eastern black rhino has made its debut at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, giving a boost to efforts to conserve the endangered species. The 120-pound rhino, which made its public debut Friday, was born earlier this month to 22-year-old mother Kibibbi and 25-year-old father Forrest. The rhino could be seen running around its enclosure in the Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve. The zoo was also holding a contest to name the rhino. The zoo has a long history of caring for the species, which has fewer than 583 adults in the wild.
After a police pursuit of a huge inflatable pumpkin, body cam video shows officer struggling with it
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — The subject of an Ohio police pursuit took off down the road, a flash of orange in the darkness, but officers eventually caught up and grabbed the escapee: a runaway inflatable pumpkin as tall as them. Body camera footage shared this week by the Parma Heights Police Department in northeast Ohio shows an officer struggling to grasp the floored gourd as he describes to a clearly amused colleague how he chased it as it kept blowing away. Officers eventually squished the decoration into the back of a police car to return it to the home where it was displayed.
Eeyore the dog helps a Florida deputy find a missing 86-year-old woman, video shows
DESTIN, Fla. (AP) — A dog named Eeyore became a hero by leading a Florida sheriff's deputy to a missing 86-year-old woman who had fallen while walking him. The woman's husband reported her missing on the night of Sept. 25 after she didn't return from her walk. The man told an Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy that she usually took only 10 to 15 minutes. The deputy began searching the neighborhood and spotted Eeyore in the road. The dog then led the deputy to the woman, who was alert and later taken to a medical facility. She was amazed by Eeyore's actions.
Dozens of ailing animals found in New York home where elderly woman was 'trapped' by debris
NORTHPORT, N.Y. (AP) — More than 200 animals were found at the home of a wildlife rehabilitator in New York where authorities also discovered a 95-year-old woman who was essentially trapped in her room due to clutter in the residence. Suffolk County prosecutors say cats, dogs, parrots, roosters, hedgehogs, chinchillas, guinea pigs, voles and flying squirrels were among the 206 animals found Oct. 1 at the Northport home. The residence was infested with insects and “extremely cluttered” with debris, garbage and household waste, making certain areas impassable. The elderly woman was removed from the home, but further information about her condition was not disclosed.
Purrfect ending: Missing Virginia store cat found after hitching a ride to another state
Francine the cat is back home at a Lowe’s store in Virginia after going missing for a few weeks. The calico cat hitched a ride to a sister facility in another state. After employees at the Richmond store discovered Francine was missing, surveillance footage revealed she had hopped onto a delivery truck. An employee shut the door and off it went to a distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina. Eventually, humane traps were set and Francine was caught. Two employees made the 90-minute drive Monday to pick up Francine. She was back on the job Tuesday, playing with customers, posing for photos and soaking in affection.
Hair museum filled with century-old mementos closes its doors, scattering contents around the nation
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — Century-old wreaths made from human hair fill the walls of Leila’s Hair Museum, and glass cases overflow with necklaces and watch bands made from the locks of the dead. There also are strands of hair purported to come from past presidents, Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe and even Jesus. For around 30 years, this small attraction in the Kansas City suburb of Independence attracted an eclectic group of gawkers that included the likes of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne. But the museum’s namesake, Leila Cohoon, died last November at the age of 92. Now the collection of more than 3,000 pieces is headed to museums around the country.
The Button King's legacy lives on in quirky South Carolina museum
BISHOPVILLE, S.C. (AP) — J.D. Stevens feels his late father's presence when he enters a shed near his South Carolina home. It's the home of the Button Museum, filled with creations by Dalton Stevens, known as the Button King. Dalton Stevens began sewing buttons on a denim suit in 1983 during sleepless nights. His fame grew from a newspaper story to a local TV spot picked up by then-upstart news network CNN eventually leading to "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1987. Dalton's fame lasted for decades, with appearances on various talk shows. The Button Museum in Bishopville has objects made of buttons, including a hearse, coffin, outhouse and piano, all created by Stevens.
