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Diamond ring lost at rest stop returned

FLORENCE, Ky., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- An Ohio woman is getting back a $24,000 diamond ring she lost at a Kentucky highway rest stop, officials say.

The ring's owner, Phyllis Steelsmith, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, discovered she had left the ring behind on New Year's Day at the Interstate 75 Welcome Center in Florence, Ky., and had given it up for lost when she was contacted with good news, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday.

Eileen Dillon of Trenton, Mich., like Steelsmith, had stopped at the Welcome Center on her way to Florida and spotted the ring on the floor, thinking it was a piece of costume jewelry. But weeks later when she had it appraised and discovered its value, she immediately contacted the manager of the rest stop, Jeff Thoke of the Kentucky Department of Travel.

Thoke knew that Steelsmith had reported the ring as missing and that a State Farm Insurance Co. adjuster had come to rest stop looking for it, but the adjuster hadn't left his name. Using the Internet, Thoke succeeded in tracking down the right insurance agent, and Steelsmith Wednesday was awaiting return of her diamond ring, the Enquirer said.

Volunteers matching 100,000 unsorted shoes

NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Volunteers with a charitable project in Norfolk, Va., say they are tirelessly working to match up 100,000 unsorted shoes donated by a national manufacturer.

Volunteer John Wright said he and his wife, Kimberly, are coordinating a Hope Charitable Services project focused on sorting out 50,000 pairs of shoes from a mismatched donation from the Timberland company, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot said Wednesday.

The couple began working on the shoe project in June and to date a total of 7,000 shoes have been matched together. That leaves volunteers with only 93,000 more to go.

"I foresee another year of this," Wright said. "It's a labor-intensive process."

Kimberly Wright said there has been at least one bit of luck in regards to the mismatched shoes, the sizes of the footwear.

"All of the women's shoes are size 7 and the men's have all been size 9, so that's helped," she told the Virginian-Pilot.

The newspaper said the matched-up shoe pairs have already been sent to Haiti as part of the charitable project.

Clerk hands over $1,200 in discovered cash

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A convenience store clerk in South Salt Lake, Utah, says he gave authorities $1,200 in cash he found at his workplace in an attempt to do the "right thing."

Julio Venegas, a Chevron gas station clerk, said after finding the cash in front of his cashier's counter, he quickly decided to hand over the money to authorities to help return it to its rightful owner, the Deseret News in Salt Lake City said Wednesday.

"I wanted to do the right thing," Venegas said of the cash he found last Thursday. "I wanted to give it to the person it belonged to."

Police were able to link the cash to Richard Fairbanks, an area landlord who had apparently dropped the money on the station's floor while putting away his wallet during a recent visit.

South Salt Lake police Detective Gary Keller said Venegas' decision to return the cash to Fairbanks, who had given up hope in being reunited with his funds, has reignited his hope in humanity

"It re-establishes your faith in mankind," Keller told the Deseret News.

Police: Robber used 'Star Trek' weapon

COLORADO SPRINGS, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Authorities in Colorado said they are searching for a suspect after two 7-Eleven stores were robbed Wednesday by a man bearing a weapon inspired by "Star Trek."

Colorado Springs police said the man, described as a white and in his 20s, entered the first 7-Eleven store at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday and brandished an object described by the store clerks as a "Batleth," a sword-like weapon used by the Klingon race of aliens on the "Star Trek" movies and TV shows, KMGH-TV, Denver, reported Wednesday.

The suspect left the store with an undisclosed amount and entered the second 7-Eleven about a half an hour later. However, the clerk at the second store refused to hand over any money and the man fled the store on foot, police said.

Police said no one was injured during the incidents.