Published: May 20, 2008 12:52 pm      

Odds and Ends

Veggie Pride Parade urges “Give Peas a Chance”

NEW YORK (AP) — The veggies your mom implored you to eat are getting their own celebration in New York City: The Veggie Pride Parade.

Rain or shine, the parade is expected to wend its way through Manhattan’s old meatpacking district on Sunday before ending at Washington Square Park.

Along the route, costumed bride and groom Penelo Pea Pod and Chris P. Carrot will exchange veggie vows and ask observers to “Give Peas a Chance” and “Go Vegetarian!”

Parade organizer Pamela Rice says the mission of the parade is to promote vegan and vegetarian lifestyles and the ethical treatment of animals. It was inspired by a similar parade in Paris, France.

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On The Web:

Veggie Pride Parade: http://www.veggieprideparade.org



Florida firefighters help catch fleeing suspects

PLANTATION, Fla. (AP) — A group of Florida firefighters recently found themselves fighting crime instead of fire.

The firefighters of Engine 14 in Broward County were on their way back to the firehouse Friday afternoon when they saw two masked men walk out of a business and run for a white sport utility vehicle.

They followed the SUV for several miles but the suspects realized they were being tailed — it’s hard to be discreet in a fire truck.

Fire Lt. Dean Meadows acknowledged that fire trucks “aren’t made for chases.” But the firefighters’ directions did help a sheriff’s helicopter find the vehicle.

The suspects crashed their SUV and were taken into custody. The Plantation Police are investigating.



Big, hairy pig attracted gawkers in Wisconsin

VIROQUA, Wis. (AP) — A steady stream of vehicles pulled along the shoulder of the road to get a look at it: an enormous, hairy pig that apparently had been struck and killed by a vehicle.

“I took a look to see if it had any tusks,” Andy Sherry of Viroqua said. “If it did, somebody got to them before I did. It was really a big, big pig.”

Large populations of the hard-to-find, feral animals are thought to live in southwestern Wisconsin.

The animal was found on the highway five miles south of Viroqua 61 Friday morning. It appeared to have been dragged from the center of the road, and it had a severe head wound.

Vernon County chief deputy Jim Hanson said a semi driver hit the 450- to 500-pound sow early Friday and apparently didn’t have reportable damage. He said a removal company took care of the carcass.

“It’s not a real common occurrence,” he said.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources considers feral pigs an exotic species that poses a threat to the environment and to agriculture. Anyone with a small-game license is allowed to hunt them at any time of the year.



Company to reprint yearbooks after head switching

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — School officials say they are appalled by altered photos — including heads on different bodies — in hundreds of McKinney High School yearbooks delivered this week.

Besides the head and body switching, some necks were stretched, one girl’s arm was missing, and another girl’s head was placed on what appeared to be a nude body, with the chest blurred.

A spokeswoman for Minnesota-based Lifetouch National School Studios Inc. said the alterations were “an unfortunate lapse in judgment” by an employee but didn’t believe it was malicious.

The high school had required Lifetouch to make heads the same size and eyes at the same level in all student photos, company spokeswoman Sara Thurin Rollin said Saturday. The request was “unusual and definitely very particular, but that’s not to suggest what happened here is acceptable,” she said.

Rollin declined to say if the company fired or reprimanded the employee who altered the images. She said Lifetouch is taking full responsibility for the altered pictures, about 30 in all, and will pay to have the publication reprinted before the seniors graduate.

Lori Oglesbee, the school’s yearbook adviser at McKinney High School, said the yearbook staff would spend the weekend rebuilding the yearbook.

McKinney is about 20 miles north of Dallas.



Mont. gov. speaks at commencement for class of one

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Jeff Greenwood is in a class by himself.

He was the only student to graduate from Opheim High School this year, but the small event Friday drew a big name. Gov. Brian Schweitzer gave the commencement address.

Greenwood, who plans to attend Dickinson State University in North Dakota, said the high school is the “hub of activity” for rural Opheim, a town about 10 miles south of the Canadian border.

“The student-to-teacher ratio is pretty good,” said Greenwood, who is the student body president and, of course, the senior class president.

Greenwood had a few classmates before high school, but his last remaining classmate moved to Utah during freshman year. He took some classes alone his senior year while sharing others with juniors at the school.

“You get to know everybody and you’re friends with everybody,” Greenwood said. “At the same time, you can’t get away with anything.”

Principal LeRoy Nelson, who has also been school superintendent, said he thought this was the first time the school graduated just one student. Six students graduated last year and 12 are on track to graduate in 2009.

Nelson said he thinks single-member classes will become more common as enrollment drops at rural schools. Last year, one other Montana school had one graduate. Schweitzer spoke there as well.