Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Norwegian health center requests exorcism KARASJOK, Norway, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A healthcare facility in northern Norway has enlisted a minister to perform an exorcism on the building to stop doors slamming and objects falling from shelves. Advertisement One elderly resident said his room is haunted, as did the previous occupant, the VG newspaper said. As well, night watchmen at the Karasjok health center complained they feel uneasy in the facility, so the operators consulted with the Rev. Arild Hellesoy about driving out the evil spirits, Aftenposten reported Thursday. Hellesoy accepted the assignment, and said he would bless the facility, but offered no details on what else was involved in the ritual. Budapest streets going to pot BUDAPEST, Hungary, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Weather is foiling efforts in Budapest to battle seasonal potholes, which are appearing as often as 600 times a day, the Budapest Sun reported Thursday. Advertisement The municipal Public Place Maintenance Company is being swamped with calls from angry drivers whose cars have been damaged. A company statement said there are around 1,500 potholes in the city, 10 percent of which are deep enough to be classified "dangerous." It also noted how unchanging weather had affected the repairs. The company normally received 10 reports of potholes each day in the last weeks of December, the number has jumped to 25-30 complaints a day, with one day spiking at 600, the newspaper said. There are 12 workers assigned to repairing the damage, but Gabor Esztergalyos, the chief architect for the company said rainy, cold weather wasn't cooperating. "There are two crucial criteria to be able to begin the reconstruction works -- the roads have to be dry and it has to be at least 41 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside," he said. Deer invade Kansas school ARKANSAS CITY, Kan., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A fifth-grade class in a Kansas school was interrupted when a deer jumped through a window into the classroom. As a teacher escorted the children out of the room at the Frances Willard School in Arkansas City, they encountered a second deer in the corridor, the Wichita Eagle reported. That one apparently came in through a window in an empty room. Advertisement Both deer left the building hurriedly, one through a glass door and the other through a window. Classes were scheduled to resume Thursday with the broken glass swept up and windows repaired. Imports said outdoing California wines LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Two studies of the U.S. wine market had some bad news for California vintners: American consumers prefer wines from Italy and Australia. The studies said California was losing out to foreign competitors in both market share and consumer perception, The Los Angeles Times reported. A study by the Wine Market Council found that consumers liked foreign vintages for two reasons: taste and price. U.S. consumers scored Italian wines higher than the state's varietals on satisfaction. The same wine drinkers said Italian and Australian wines were of better quality while Australian wines were deemed the best value. The study followed a report by New York brokerage Merrill Lynch & Co. that said California was slowly losing market share to imported wines in grocery store sales.
