UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Fried mouse found in Frito Lay bag

HAVRE, Mo., July 23 (UPI) -- A Havre, Mo., resident said he would never buy barbecue potato chips again after finding a deep fried mouse in a bag of Lays K.C. Masterpiece chips.

Jack Hines, 66, discovered the deep fried mouse when he reached into a bag of Lays June 19, the Havre Daily News reported.

"I just about put it in my mouth," said Hines. "I was sitting there watching TV in the dark and I grabbed for three fingers of potato chips and I grabbed a mouse. It shook me up a bit and I threw it over my head."

After finding the rodent he contacted Gary and Leo's IGA in Havre, where he purchased the chips, to see what he should do about it.

"They told me to call the 800 number on the back of the bag," Hines said. "The lady that I talked to (from the 800 number) said they wanted the mouse and the bag of remaining chips that were left. They did ask me if I was feeling sick, and I said no I am not."

He said a Frito Lay representative is scheduled to come to Havre to pick up the mouse and bag of chips.

Chicago students denied bathroom break

CHICAGO, July 23 (UPI) -- Suspensions were canceled for two Chicago students after it was revealed their teacher did not allow them a bathroom break.

The suspensions for 12-year-old seventh graders Keefe Ammons Jr. and Seneca Ammons, who are cousins, were dropped prior to a planned hearing Monday to appeal the punishment handed down for the two boys exiting the school library without permission, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday.

Chicago Public Schools officials are investigating the actions of two administrators, a teacher and a substitute librarian at Cuffe Math and Science Academy, a year-round school.

The boys' teacher, Regina Shields, canceled the class's post-lunch bathroom break -- the only bathroom break of the day for the class -- after a group of girls raised a disturbance in a hallway line.

By last period, the two boys said they were having trouble holding it in, but the substitute librarian would not let them leave.

"We all had to go. I wasn't going to sit there and urinate on myself," Seneca Ammons said. "Kids are cruel. They will call you a lot of names if you urinate on yourself, so I just stood up for what was right."

Chihuahua saves baby from snake

MASONVILLE, Colo., July 23 (UPI) -- A couple living on a farm near Masonville, Colo., said their 1-year-old grandson was rescued from a rattlesnake by the family's chihuahua.

Monty and Denise Long said a rattlesnake on their backyard had lunged for baby Booker West, but he was saved from the animal's fangs when 5-pound, 1-year-old chihuahua Zoey threw herself in the path of the snake, taking the bite on her head and face, the Loveland (Colo.) Daily Reporter-Herald reported.

"She got in between Booker and the snake, and that's when I heard her yipe," Monty Long said.

"(Zoey) took the bite for him," he said. "If I hadn't been paying attention to her yipe telling me something was wrong, (Booker) would have been next."

The Longs said Zoey was rewarded for her efforts with a trip to the veterinarian's office to reduce the swelling of her head, which had reached the size of a grapefruit. They said she nearly lost an eye to the snake's fangs.

"Once (Zoey) could see (after the swelling went down), she was following Booker around," Denise said. "She had snake on her mind."

Expensive kitchenware hits British markets

LONDON, July 23 (UPI) -- The newest items on bridal gift registries in Britain are diamond encrusted cutlery sets and pots ranging from $200,000 to $400,000.

Two retailers, Selfridges and Harrods, are tapping into the newly discovered high-end market -- Selfridges with a diamond-encrusted cutlery set priced at $411,872.58 and Harrods with a "show-stopping" gold and diamond-studded cooking pan costing $205,924.29, The Scotsman reported Monday.

Harrods department store said their pot, which contains 200 diamonds of various sizes, is "probably the most precious pot in the world."

Selfridges' 144-piece solid-silver cutlery set was made with 4,000 diamonds weighing 74 carats and is made-to-order.

"This wonderful cutlery set is catering to customers who have a passion for craftsmanship of the highest order where money is no object," said Kit Li-Perry, the head of Selfridges' home department. "We know this is exactly what some of our customers want from Selfridges and we are delighted to be able to satisfy their expectations."