Free

Reindeer escapes from Santa at mall

DILLON, Colo. (AP) -- 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 reports 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 and get it back into a trailer.

Couple mistakenly handed bag of cash at McDonald's drive-thru

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A suburban Nashville couple got more than they expected in their to-go order in a McDonald's drive-thru: A bag of cold cash. WTVF-TV reports thousands of dollars in cash packaged for a bank deposit had been placed in a paper to-go bag near the drive-thru orders on Tuesday morning. An employee mistakenly passed the bag to Greg and Stacye Terry who had just been looking for breakfast. The employee realized the mistake almost immediately and followed the Terrys to their home a short distance away. Meanwhile, the couple was ready for breakfast.

So long, minivan. Hello ... cargo bike?

SEATTLE (AP) -- One fisherman uses a bike to deliver hundreds of pounds of salmon to local markets. A mom who regularly shuttles her two kids around town once tried to haul a twin mattress home. And some companies are using the bikes to deliver beer kegs or pick up recycling. Cyclists are pushing the limits of what they can haul on cargo bikes -- sturdy two-wheelers built to haul lots of stuff. The so-called SUV of bicycles are increasingly popular in pedal-friendly communities, from Washington state to Massachusetts.

Dylan's electric guitar sells for nearly $1M

NEW YORK (AP) -- Like Elvis' no-hips-allowed appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," or the Beatles' arrival in America, or Woodstock, it is considered one of the milestone moments in rock history: Bob Dylan going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. On Friday, the Fender Stratocaster that Dylan plugged in at the festival sold for nearly $1 million -- the highest price ever paid for a guitar at auction. A buyer identified only as a private individual agreed to pay $965,000 at Christie's, including the auction house's fees, for the sunburst-finish electric guitar.

The PE Sneak Peek: Dec. 6, 2013

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Friday: * Have you seen these suspects? Local police are on the hunt for three people wanted in connection with a burglary. See their photos. * A man with a knife is scared off after he demands money at a food stand in the middle of the night. Read all about it in our online report. * Workers facing a factory shutdown are being recruited by another company in the region.

Berwick football game postponed

ALLENTOWN - The Bulldogs will have to wait until tomorrow to face off against Archbishop Wood. Organizers postponed the football game, originally scheduled for tonight, due to fear of freezing rain. The teams will now face off in Allentown's J. Birney Crum Stadium at 5 p.m. Saturday for the right to represent the East in the PIAA Class AAA title game.

Pig-farm neighbors overrun with rats, they say

SMITHFIELD, Maine (AP) -- Residents of one Smithfield neighborhood say they're being overrun by rats from a nearby pig farm, but the farmer tells town officials he's addressing the problem. Andrew Landry says he has cellphone videos that show dozens of rats fleeing his mother's chicken coop. He says rats are chewing through plastic water lines, insulation and walls and threaten his mother's radiant heating system and entering homes through clothes dryer vents.

Woman, 82, gets prison for poisoning son's girlfriend

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) -- An elderly northeastern Pennsylvania woman convicted of poisoning her son's girlfriend with antifreeze was sentenced Thursday to 5 1/2 to 12 years in prison. A Luzerne County jury convicted Helen Galli, 82, of aggravated assault and other offenses after finding she gave the woman fruit juice laced with antifreeze. The victim, Dawn Simyan, spent several weeks recovering in the hospital. "I beg this court to lock Mrs. Galli up and throw away the key," Simyan told Luzerne County Judge Fred Pierantoni.

Oil workers endure even when wind chill drops to 40 below

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- With the wind chill falling to almost minus 40, Steve Hendershot's mind was elsewhere Thursday as he and his crew of roustabouts worked an oil rig in North Dakota's booming oil patch. On palm trees and beaches, in fact. "Sometimes you just got to close your eyes and dream of a warm, happy place," said Hendershot, working near Souris. "I'm doing that today."

Pages