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Officer thanked 21 years after good deed

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 3 (UPI) -- A police sergeant in Kansas says he recently received a thank-you letter from a man he helped 21 years ago.

Overland Park police Sgt. Dan Carney said he received a letter and an $8 money order Wednesday from Alfred Edmond, who ran out of gas in Overland Park 21 years ago while on his way to a job interview from his home in New Mexico, KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Mo., reported.

Edmond did not have enough money for gas so Carney gave him $8 to fuel up his motorcycle. Edmond said he wrote down the police officer's name so he could send a thank-you, but he misplaced it and did not find it until much later.

"I doubt if it means much to you now, but thank you for being there for me 21 years ago, and may God bless you always. Gratefully yours, Alfred," the note read.

"Unbelievable," Carney said. "One little comment, or a little thing here or there can mean so much to somebody. That's wonderful."

Carney said he does not plan to cash the money order.

Investigators say ghost at university

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa., March 3 (UPI) -- Paranormal investigators said they encountered what appeared to be the spirit of a young child at Pennsylvania's Slippery Rock University.

John Lewis, owner of Baelfire Paranormal Investigation in Titusville, Pa., said his team of 10 investigators sought evidence of ghostly activity in university buildings, using infrared cameras, digital and analog audio recorders, digital and 35-mm still cameras, electromagnetic field meters, computers and other equipment, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

"Michael Peters, the medium who was with us for the investigation, did some channeling and reported having some personal experiences with the spirit of a little girl," Lewis said. "That really didn't surprise us because we've had reports of people hearing voices and conversations involving a little girl."

Lewis said his team will likely post their findings on the group's Web site, www.baelfireparanormal.org, after reviewing the collected data, a process he said will likely take about two weeks.

New headstone a mystery at Va. cemetery

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 3 (UPI) -- The appearance of a new headstone honoring a man who died in 1779 has officials at an Isle of Wight, Va., cemetery confused, a church historian says.

Church historian Pam Glanville said no one knows where a white marble headstone honoring a Revolutionary War soldier came from -- and equally mysterious is whether the soldier was ever buried at St. Luke's Cemetery, The (Newport News, Va.) Daily Press said.

The headstone was first noticed at the cemetery in early February in the wake of a cemetery official's annual walk-through of the site.

St. Luke's Assistant Director Cami Brooks said after checking cemetery records, she found no sign of a Jesse Barlow, the name on the gravestone, ever being buried at St. Luke's.

"It was a shock," Brooks said. "We have no records of his being buried anywhere on the grounds."

The Daily Press said the headstone was the same type of those used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and marker was found surrounded by freshly packed earth.

Miss Outdoors a whiz at muskrat skinning

CAMBRIDGE, Md., March 3 (UPI) -- The key to successful muskrat skinning is a very sharp knife the outgoing Miss Outdoors, Dakota Abbott, said at a competition in Dorchester County, Md.

The 17-year-old girl, who won the Miss Outdoors title in 2008, earned $100 and a set of muskrat traps by winning the women's junior championship trophy in a muskrat-skinning contest last weekend, the Los Angeles Times said.

"You want a real sharp knife and a good grip," Abbott said at Saturday's event.

The tradition of Miss Outdoors competitions and muskrat skinning began in 2003 when contestant Tiffany Brittingham donned a sharp knife, along with jewelry and makeup to show off her skinning skills.

This year's competition even included a contestant who scalded a large chicken before plucking the feathers from the bird, the Times said.

But once the judges' votes were tallied in this year's Miss Outdoors event, Abbigail Tyler was victorious -- thanks to her singing performance of "Red High Heels."

Emcee Buddy Foxwell had one unusual pageant request for all contestants.

"All contestants are reminded to take your carcasses home with you," Foxwell said.