oddly enough

oddly enough

Stun gun, lasso used to round up horse on Pa. road

CALIFORNIA, Pa.

State police say they used a stun gun and lasso to catch an unbridled horse that was running loose on a Pennsylvania highway.

State police say the horse was spotted near the California, Pa., exit of the Mon- Fayette Expressway about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Police say the horse would run away when they approached, so they used the stun gun and lasso to subdue and control the animal.

Police say they can’t find the owner. They say the animal wasn’t saddled and had no identifying brandings or other marks.

The horse was taken by Washington County Animal Control. A veterinarian was called in to tend to the horse.

California is about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh.

Arizona asks for haikus to promote dust-storm safety

PHOENIX

Arizona transportation officials are getting the message out about dust-storm safety — in precisely 17 syllables.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is encouraging Twitter users to tweet haikus around the theme safe driving in haboobs — severe dust storms that hit Phoenix in the summer.

An example, from Phoenix resident Mindy Lee, who goes by the Twitter handle mindyblee: “Haboobs blow through town/In one instant it is dark/Pull over and wait.”

Transportation department spokesman Timothy Tait says the agency was looking for a creative way to engage residents in its “Pull Aside Stay Alive” campaign.

So far, they’ve seen more than 30 entries and are re-tweeting some of the best ones.

The haiku challenge runs through today. Tweeters are asked to include the hashtag #HaboobHaiku.

Hoax promising Taco Bell disappoints Alaska town

BETHEL, Alaska

Some residents in Bethel, Alaska, may have thought their pleas of, “Yo quiero Taco Bell!” finally had been heard.

Yellow fliers announcing the opening of the fast-food restaurant started showing up in this southwest Alaska community of 6,200 people last week, complete with instructions of how to apply for a job.

KYUK reports that it turned out to be an elaborate hoax, with a fake phone number and website listed on the flyer.

Denali Foods Inc., which operates all Taco Bells in Alaska, says there are no plans to open a location in Bethel.

It’s not known who is behind the hoax or why.

And for Bethel residents needing a Taco Bell fix, the closest location will require a plane ride to Anchorage, 400 miles to the east.

Associated Press