Couple gather wild weeds for a picnic salad

Vermont - For one Vermont couple, "local" doesn`t mean heading to the farmers market. It means finding a natural salad bar at your picnic spot - or maybe even inyour backyard. Nova Kim and Les Hook live on a lush farm between a large lake and the Connecticut River near the Vermont-New Hampshire border. Over the decades, they`ve become skilled gatherers of edible wild foods, which they sell to high-end restaurants. The couple`s wild salads tend to be finely minced. Each crunchy bite of this one tastes a little bitter, a little sweet and a little sour, especially after adding the tangy ginger-root dressing. If you aren`t good at identifying plants, or knowing which ones are safe, pack a reliable field guide. More

Upset at World`s Ugliest Dog contest

PETALUMA, California - A huge-headed, duck-footed mix of beagle, boxer and basset hound was the upset winner at the 25th annual World`s Ugliest Dog Contest. Walle, a 4-year-old mutt from Chico, Calif., who was entered at the last minute, was judged most unsightly of 30 dogs at the Northern California competition. "This dog looked like he`s been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals," judge Brian Sobel said. Walle overcame the dominance in recent years by nearly hairless Chihuahuas, Chinese Cresteds, or combinations of the two. More

Woman saves deer with plastic jar stuck on its head

HERMANTOWN, Minnesota - A whitetail deer got its head stuck in a clear plastic jar that prevented it from eating or drinking for several days, until a resourceful Duluth-area woman managed to pop the jar off. The deer kept showing up around Janet Murphy`s Hermantown home, the jar covering its head just below its ears, the Duluth News Tribune reported. Murphy tried calling to 911 and the state Department of Natural Resources for help but got nowhere, she said. Farzad Farr, a Wildwoods volunteer, came to Murphy`s home bearing a 10-foot catch-pole. The contraption consists of a long, metal rod with a cable noose at the end that can be slipped over an animal`s head and cinched. More

Bank employee falls asleep on keyboard, transfers $293 million

Germany – An obviously tired German bank employee fell asleep on his keyboard and accidentally transformed a minor transfer into a 222 million euro ($293 million) order, a court heard Monday.
The Hessen labor court heard that the man was supposed to transfer just 62.40 euros from a bank account belonging to a retiree, but instead “fell asleep for an instant, while pushing onto the number 2 key on the keyboard” — making it a huge 222,222,222.22 euro order.
The bank discovered the mistake shortly afterwards and corrected the error. More

Dog shoots man with a .380 handgun

Sebring, Florida – A Highlands County man is recovering after police say he was shot by an unlikely suspect: his pet dog.
35-year-old Gregory Dale Lanier was driving with his pet pooch when the dog kicked a .380 pistol that was on the truck’s floor.
Lanier thought the gun was unloaded, but quickly learned otherwise after hearing a “boom, saw smoke and felt a burning in his leg,” Highlands Today reports.
The gun had discharged, firing a single round into Lanier’s leg.
He was not seriously injured.
No attempted murder charges are expected for Fido – police have ruled the shooting accidental. More

Order mistake leaves Girl Scout troop with 6,000 boxes of cookies to sell

San Antonio, Texas - A Texas Girl Scout troop has bitten off more than it can chew. Troop 1497 of San Antonio faces looming debt after its leader accidentally ordered 500 cases of Girl Scout cookies instead of 500 boxes, KENS 5 reports. A letter from the Girl Scouts organization says the troop has until June 3 to fulfill payment of the order, or else the debt will be handed to a collection agency. The troop leader resigned after making the order, leaving the San Antonio Girl Scouts with 6,000 boxes of cookies to sell. More