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Woman bikes 26 miles to apply for job

CHERRYVILLE, N.C., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A North Carolina woman who has been unemployed for a year and a half said she made a 26-mile round trip on her daughter's bicycle to put in a job application.

Kimberly White, who was laid off from her administrative assistant job in February 2011 and ran out of unemployment benefits two weeks ago, said she rode her daughter's pink mountain bike from her Cherryville home to the JobLink Career Center in Lincolnton Sept. 10 to get her application in before the deadline for a posting, the Gaston (N.C.) Gazette reported Wednesday.

"I do like to get out and bike, so I didn't think that that was too much to ask to get a really good job," White said. "I never thought twice about hopping on the bike and trekking up there. A good job is a make it or break it for my household."

White said the 26-mile round trip took her about 3 hours.

She said she was waiting to hear a response to her application.

Mo. man: Ordinance 'killed Christmas'

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Mo., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A Missouri man said a city ordinance has "killed Christmas" for him by making his annual holiday display too expensive.

Mike Babick of Prairie Village said he has spent the last 47 years creating elaborate Christmas displays at his home, but the Prairie Village City Council passed an ordinance this week requiring permits for any "special event" lasting more than five days that is likely to create crowds sufficient in size to obstruct, delay or interfere with the safe and orderly movement of ... traffic," The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported Wednesday.

Babick said the ordinance would require him to pay off-duty police officers $44.69 per hour to handle security issues when the crowds are large.

"It stinks," Babick said. "They've killed Christmas for me. Just killed it."

Babick said his attorney and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri are looking into the matter.

"It's the goofiest permit ordinance that I've ever seen," ACLU attorney Doug Bonney said. "Pretty clearly, this is targeted at this one guy."

Lifeguards fired over YouTube video

EL MONTE, Calif., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A group of California lifeguards fired over a parody they made of popular music video "Gangnam Style" asked the City Council for their jobs back.

The 14 part-time El Monte lifeguards, who were fired for using their Parks and Recreation Division-issued swimwear and the city pool for their "Lifeguard Style" YouTube music video, appeared before the City Council Tuesday alongside a group of supporters to ask for their jobs back, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

"At first, we were shocked at all the attention this was getting," said lifeguard Jacob Lopez, 19. "But the more supporters there were, the more it made me believe in what we were doing."

The lifeguards said they have even received support from Psy, the South Korean musician behind the original "Gangnam Style" video.

The City Council did not make a decision on the issue Tuesday.

Man wrestles gator to rescue dog

THE VILLAGES, Fla., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A 66-year-old Florida man said he wrestled a 7-foot-long alligator to rescue his "best friend," a West Highland Terrier.

Steve Gustafson of The Villages said he was trimming an oak tree outside of his house Friday when he heard his 9-year-old dog, Bounce, cry out in pain, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Wednesday.

Gustafson said he looked to the source of the sound and saw Bounce was being held by the collar and shoulder in the mouth of the gator, which was attempting to carry her out into the water of a nearby pond.

"I just knew that my best friend was going to be dead," Gustafson said. "And I took off.

"For whatever reason, I don't know, I just yelled, 'you're not going to get her!' and just leaped on the gator ... just like you do some silly belly flop in a pool," the Iowa native said. "The only difference was I landed on top of a gator."

Gustafson said he was able to free Bounce from the reptile's jaws and carry her back to shore.

He said neither dog nor human suffered any serious injuries.

Gustafson said a trapper snared the alligator Sunday -- and he plans to have it processed and put it on display at his home.