Weird news ...

Fla. - A man faces fraud charges after reportedly pretending to be his twin brother after he was pulled over for driving under the influence. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office reported that 43-year-old man was pulled over Jan. 20 and charged with DUI. But deputies said the man initially identified himself as his brother and signed that name on his citation and jail forms.



Deputies discovered the suspect's real identity the next day. He reportedly told deputies that he used his brother's name because his driver's license was suspended.  Besides the DUI, the man was charged with fraudulent impersonation, altering a public record certificate, passing a forged-altered instrument and several misdemeanors. He was being held on $31,250 bail. And now his brother is going to KILL him for taking his identity!

Kan. - A Clark County undersheriff said he was just following his instincts when he found more than $1 million during a traffic stop. The Undersheriff stopped a vehicle last week on U.S. 54 just outside of Minneola and became suspicious of the driver.


He searched the car and found a hidden compartment with the money packed inside. He said the money smelled like marijuana. The total amount was $1,017,183.  Paperwork has been filed with the Clark County Attorney's office to begin the asset forfeiture process.   What's an undersheriff?  Is that like an undertaker??

Ill. -- A Roman Catholic priest was accused of shoplifting butter and a sofa cover at a Walmart in southern Illinois. Police arrested 41-year-old the priest on Friday. He's charged with two felony theft counts. Investigators said Poole failed to scan a $3.22 container of butter and a $60 sofa cover at a self-checkout. He then allegedly went to the store's bedding section, picked up a memory foam mattress and switched the pricing bar code. That caused the $145 item to be scanned for $31.  Doesn't he know the 10 Commandments?   He must have been absent when they talked about Number 7  - Thou Shalt Not Steal!


Ore. -- An overdone bagel forced the evacuation of Portland's City Hall. The Oregonian reported that City Hall emptied for about 20 minutes Wednesday morning while firefighters dealt with the burning bagel in the break room of the Mayors office. There's no immediate word on who burned the bagel in the toaster oven or what type of bagel it was.  I wouldn't fess up either!

Finally -

Pa. -- An animal rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.



People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.

The president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.   Does anyone else see something wrong with this? 

BTW - February 2 is my brothers 50th birthday!  Happy Birthday Rick.