oddly enough

oddly enough

Drugs worth $246M found in steamroller

SYDNEY

Australian police seized $246 million worth of cocaine and methamphetamine found inside a steamroller shipped from China.

Australian Federal Police said Wednesday that they arrested a Canadian man and a U.S. man in Sydney after finding 350 kilograms (770 pounds) of cocaine and meth. The men were charged with importing drugs and face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

It was the police agency’s second major drug bust in a week. On Friday, police said officials had tracked down a boat carrying 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of cocaine to Australia after it ran aground in the small island nation of Tonga. A corpse was found on board. Officials are trying to determine the cause of death.

Black Friday deal on cats offered by shelter

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

A western Massachusetts animal shelter is getting in on the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

The Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society is charging just $5 today to adopt a cat that’s at least six months old. The normal adoption fee for a cat that age is $95.

The shelter has facilities in Springfield and Leverett.

Candy Lash tells WGGB-TV that the $5 fee includes spay or neuter surgery, micro chipping, vaccination, testing, collar and tag and a starter kit of food.

Dakin hopes the promotion frees up some space for cats from shelters destroyed by superstorm Sandy.

Kid’s meal provides city’s holiday trree

MANSFIELD

Mansfield has chosen a city Christmas tree that began as a 6-inch sapling from a fast-food children’s meal.

The News Journal reports resident Harold Masters and his grandsons got several saplings in 1996 when McDonald’s distributed them to mark Arbor Day. Masters planted them in his yard, and one grew into the 39-foot Canadian blue spruce chosen to be decked out in lights downtown this year.

City officials had told Masters to trim or cut it down because it was so big it was blocking drivers’ vision. Masters didn’t want to trim one side, so he jumped at the city engineer’s suggestion to cut it down as the city’s holiday tree.

The 84-year-old says he’s glad the tree isn’t going straight into a wood chipper.

Associated Press