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Ohio woman offers beer, smokes as lost dog reward

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio woman made fliers offering a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes as a reward for finding her lost dog -- and it worked. Twenty-three-year-old Abigail Miller of Dayton offered the unusual reward after her two dogs escaped through an open gate on Jan. 2. She found one of them at a local animal shelter a few days later, but the other, a Husky named Zoro, remained missing. The Dayton Daily News reports that Miller came up the reward because she could afford it and figured it would attract attention.

Woman's body found in Pa. wildlife preserve

STEVENS, Pa. (AP) -- The death of a woman found in a central Pennsylvania wildlife refuge has been ruled a homicide. Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman said the woman's body was found by a hiker late Sunday afternoon at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Clay Township. County coroner Stephen Diamantoni on Monday said the body "suffered substantial trauma" and appeared to have been outside for several days. Diamantoni said dental records are being examined in an effort to identify the victim.

Chihuahua, bright collar help collar burglar

PINEVILLE, La. (AP) -- A Chihuahua-carrying burglar was collared after detectives spotted the pooch in its owner's yard, less than a mile away, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office said. Investigators don't know why the Chihuahua was brought along, said Lt. Tommy Carnline, spokesman for the department. "We have no clue. We have no idea. People do the strangest things," he said Monday in a brief phone interview. But the dog caught the eye of a homeowner who zipped home Saturday to check an alarm and saw someone jump out of his window.

State Police probe western Pa. milk tanker spill

NEW PARIS, Pa. (AP) -- State police have been investigating a tanker truck crash that spilled about 6,000 gallons of raw milk onto privately owned marsh and meadowlands in southwestern Pennsylvania. Troopers from the Bedford barracks say the crash happened Saturday in East St. Clair Township. That's about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, near New Paris. Although milk isn't a hazardous material, it can kill fish and other aquatic life if it reaches a waterway in high concentrations.

Pa. man convicted in 143 mph DUI

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) -- A man accused by police of having driven more than 140 miles per hour while intoxicated a year ago has been convicted of driving under the influence, reckless driving and speeding. The (Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era says 23-year-old Daniel Mentzer of Pequea argued Friday in Lancaster County that Southern Regional police had no good reason to subject him to sobriety tests. Officer Charles Grimasuckas said he clocked Mentzer's car at 143.8 mph in Pequea Township in December 2012.

Cat rescued after 3 winter days in drainpipe

FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) -- A cat that spent at least three winter days in a northwest Ohio drainpipe has been rescued after initially refusing attempts to lure it out with tuna, the classic call of "here, kitty, kitty" and even a cellphone app that meowed. The Courier newspaper reports a resident in Findlay heard the cat's cries Wednesday. Groundskeepers at a school cut through the pipe Friday to free the orange cat, which was muddy, emaciated and hypothermic.

Mile marker 420 becomes 419.99 to thwart thieves

DENVER (AP) -- Colorado officials think a difference of one-hundredth of a mile will be enough to stop thieves from stealing the mile marker 420 sign along Interstate 70. Amy Ford of the Colorado Department of Transportation says the "MILE 420" sign near Stratton was stolen for the last time sometime in the last year, and officials replaced it with a sign that says "MILE 419.99." Ford says it's the only "420" sign to be replaced in the state that recently legalized recreational marijuana. Most highways aren't long enough to need one.

Police: Pa. man stole hand sanitizer to drink

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities say a man stole 12 bottles of hand sanitizer from a central Pennsylvania hospital so he could mix it with orange juice and drink it for the alcohol it contained. The Altoona Mirror reports 51-year-old Lee Ammerman has been mailed a summons requiring him to surrender Feb. 5 on charges of theft and receiving stolen property. Police say an employee at UPMC Altoona hospital saw Ammerman steal a bottle of sanitizer in October by hiding it in an arm sling he was wearing. They say Ammerman returned to steal more sanitizer twice in December.

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