UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Manure spilled on more than 1 mile of road

ELLICOTT CITY, Md., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Authorities in Maryland said they do not know the origin of liquid manure dumped over a 1 1/2-mile stretch of a city's Main Street.

Howard County Fire Battalion Chief Eric D. Proctor said crews spent 3 hours Sunday cleaning up the mess in Ellicott City, The Baltimore Sun reported Monday.

Proctor said the liquid manure stretched onto Frederick Road in Baltimore County.

Main Street resident Mark Bowman said he awoke to the powerful stench from the spill.

"It was disgustingly epic," he said.

Authorities said they are investigating the origin of the manure.

Girl, 2, played hide-and-seek with police

SKANE, Sweden, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Police in Sweden said a 2-year-old girl reported missing from her home was found to have been playing hide and seek with searchers.

Skane police said the girl disappeared while her parents were cleaning their home Saturday and a search party including local residents, more than 60 police officers, sniffer dogs and a helicopter scoured the area for the toddler, The Local reported Monday.

The search went on for several hours before a police dog discovered the girl sleeping in her bed.

Police said the girl must have been moving through her house during the search, playing a hide and seek type game with the searchers.

"It's a little curious that she managed to move around while so many participated in the search. She must have been very careful," police spokeswoman Helena Ralmark said.

Escaped 8-foot snake found in Florida

TEQUESTA, Fla., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said they have recovered an 8-foot boa constrictor after it was reported missing from its owner's home.

Tequesta Police said the tan and brown snake appeared healthy and uninjured when officers were called Friday to the corner of Tequesta and Riverside drives by residents who reported seeing a large snake at the side of the road, The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post reported Monday.

Police said a friend of the snake's owner, David Brown, called authorities about 8 p.m. Thursday and told them the reptile had gone missing from its cage on an enclosed screen porch. The owner said the snake was friendly and would likely not pose a danger to humans.

New Heinz packets headed for Wendy's

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. announced its redesigned "Dip and Squeeze" Heinz Ketchup packets will replace the old style packets at Wendy's restaurants.

The company said the packets, which were designed to be able to be squeezed onto burgers or simply opened for dipping fries, were created after three years of development and are already available at other chains including Chick-fil-A, Smashburger and Dairy Queen, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The packets, which hold three times as much ketchup as the previous Heinz design, are now being rolled out in Wendy's fast-food restaurants. McDonald's and Burger King said the packets are being tested but company officials declined to comment on the results.