ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Run, run Rudolph: Reindeer escapes from Santa at mall

DILLON, Colo.

A runaway reindeer broke free from Santa Claus at a Colorado mall Thursday while the Big Man was inside visiting with children.

KYSL in Summit County reported that the reindeer escape happened outside the La Riva Mall in Dillon.

While Santa was inside listening to children’s Christmas wish lists, the reindeer jumped over its enclosure, leading police officers on a healthy jog through town.

The reindeer was located on the other side of a nearby reservoir.

The Summit County sheriff’s office brought in another reindeer to lure the runaway animal and get it back into a trailer.

No hugs allowed? Madison targets pro cuddlers

MADISON, Wis.

Wisconsin’s ultra-liberal capital city is a place where just about anything goes, from street parties to naked bike rides. But city officials say a business is pushing even Madison’s boundaries by offering, of all things, hugs.

For $60, customers at the Snuggle House can spend an hour hugging, cuddling and spooning with professional snugglers.

Snugglers contend touching helps relieve stress. But Madison officials suspect the business is a front for prostitution and, if it’s not, fear snuggling could lead to sexual assault. Not buying the message that the business is all warm and fuzzy, police have talked openly about conducting a sting operation at the business, and city attorneys are drafting a new ordinance to regulate snuggling.

“There’s no way that [sexual assault] will not happen,” assistant city attorney Jennifer Zilavy said. “No offense to men, but I don’t know any man who wants to just snuggle.”

Snuggle House owner Matthew Hurtado hasn’t responded to multiple requests for an interview. His attorney, Tim Casper, said in an interview last month the business is legitimate and Hurtado has put precautions in place to protect clients and employees from each other.

In recent days, it’s become unclear whether or not the house is still in business. No one answered the door there Saturday. A posting on a Facebook page claiming to be the Snuggle House’s site said it had closed, but the page owner wouldn’t identify themselves — or confirm if it was the home’s official site. Neither Hurtado nor Casper have returned phone and email messages.

Madison’s concern seems to be deeper than in other cities where similar businesses have set up shop as cuddling has grown into a cottage industry over the past decade.

Associated Press