Guard helps Sierra town remove huge snowpack

Guard helps Sierra town remove huge snowpack

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif.

The Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes got so much snow this winter that it had to get removal help from the California National Guard.

Faced with more than 40 feet of snow, the Mono County community declared a state of emergency and a request for snow removal assistance was sent to the state Office of Emergency Services, which called in the Guard earlier this month.

The Guard sent 10 heavy trucks and 17 troops who hauled away 4,000 tons of snow.

Capt. Will Martin tells the Los Angeles Times that snow-related calls usually involve search-and-rescue, and no one can recall something like the snow-removal mission.

Woman says she crashed because she saw sasquatch

MOSCOW, Idaho

A northern Idaho woman told police she crashed into a deer because she was distracted by a sasquatch in her rearview mirror.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports the 50-year-old woman was driving south on U.S. 95 recently when she struck a deer near Potlatch.

The woman told Benewah County Sheriff’s officials she saw a sasquatch chasing a deer on the side of the road while driving.

She says she checked one of her mirrors to get a second look at the beast and when she looked up, the deer ran in front of her.

Sheriff’s officials marked the incident as a vehicle versus deer collision but did not report any evidence of Bigfoot.

Man carrying a sword, dressed as Joker arrested

WINCHESTER, Va.

Police in Virginia have arrested a man who was dressed as comic book villain the Joker and reportedly carrying a sword.

Winchester Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hall said in a news release that the department got several 911 calls recently reporting a man made up as Batman’s nemesis.

He was wearing a cape and carrying a sword.

Thirty-one-year-old Jeremy Putman has been charged with wearing a mask in public, a felony that can result in a year in jail.

Associated Press