Watercooler Stories

Austin, Texas, to build largest fur ball

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- An Austin, Texas, organization said it is working to build the world's largest ball of dog fur and has asked for donations.

Texas Hearing & Service Dogs is building a ball of dog fur, named Fur-O-Sphere, that is larger than 67 pounds, The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman reported Saturday.

"It's a fun concept because it's simple and visual and disgusting and people like that," said Sheri Soltes, founder and president of Texas Hearing & Service Dogs.

Soltes said the Fur-O-Sphere will be a 5-foot-wide and 5-foot-tall clear ball in which dog owners will deposit their dogs' hair clippings. It will be presented to the public at the 14th annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk on April 7.

"I'm very proud of this ball," said Bobbi Leverich, development specialist for the service dog group. "It's clear plastic so you can see the hair. It's very special. We're very excited to have it come."

PSU raises $10 million in dance-athon

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- More than 10,000 spectators packed the stands inside Bryce Jordan Center Penn State University, University Park, to cheer on participants of a dance marathon.

The 708 participants danced for 46 hours, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, on the area floor to raise money for Four Diamonds Fund at Hershey Medical Center, which helps families struggling to pay medical bills not covered by insurance, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

"I had never seen that many people, the students and the families, so passionate about a single cause," said Lauren Richards, a Penn State junior who attended the event. "That really hooked me. I had to do more."

An annual event at the university, and the world's largest student-run philanthropy, has raised $78 million since it began in 1973.

This year the dance-athon made more than $10 million, the event's Facebook page boasted.

"I couldn't be more proud," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "These students are an inspiration to all of us."

Emu on the loose on Vermont island

GRAND ISLE, Vt., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The residents of the island town Grand Isle, Vt., have been struggling to catch an emu that has been on the run for the past several weeks.

The elusive emu, which escaped from a farm five weeks ago, was last seen, and nearly captured, on Friday, WCAX-TV, Burlington, Vt., reported.

Steve Berard said he spotted the bird outside of an elementary school Friday morning. He said he grabbed an extension cord and headed toward the school's playground.

"It will stand still and that is how I actually had it around its neck, I had the wire around its neck and I was trying to lasso it a little better. I did not want to hurt it. Then it laid its neck back, but I was right next to it like you to me, I was grabbing it. I could have sat on him. He did not kick or nothing. ... People say he will hurt you, but I don't know," Berard said.

Berard, however, was not able to keep control of the bird and it ended up getting away.

"When I lost her she was right in here," Berard said. "You gotta watch the wings. Like a turkey them wings can really do some damage. Birds are tough. His feet are as big as my hand."

The owner of the bird said he bought it and two others for his grandchildren, but they don't make great pets.

"The Grand Isle farmer has posted an ad into the paper that has said, 'Free emu if you can capture it,'" said Tonya Poutry of the Islander Newspaper.

Drunk driver crashes into county jail

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A 22-year-old Florida man was arrested after allegedly crashing into a set of gates at a county jail, then nearly sideswiping a deputy while driving drunk.

Joseph Carrara of Port Orange allegedly rammed his car into the northern gate of the Volusia County Jail at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, then sped away off, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

Sheriff's deputies combed the area in search of Carrara with little success.

Then, at 4:20 a.m., Carrara allegedly almost ran into a deputy's patrol car in DeLand while speeding.

Sheriff's deputy Scott Gering pulled Carrara over. Carrara admitted to being drunk and that he had driven onto jail property, but denied he slammed into the jail's northern perimeter gates, the arrest report states.

Carrara was charged with criminal mischief with damage to property, trespassing, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving and taken back to the county jail.