Lion dies after eating rubber ball

A lion at a Nevada zoo died after eating part of a rubber ball.

What troubles Dingle, with the zoo 29 years, isn't so much that Midas died. It's the circumstances.

The week before, zookeepers discovered a half-eaten rubber football in the lion exhibit. Dingle believes the lion died as a result of eating the ball.

The exhibit's fence borders the back lot of a Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada thrift store. Dingle said store employees have a history of tossing unwanted items into the exhibit and dumping waste next to the fence. "They (the lions) dig up the ground right by that fence, trying to get at the stuff those guys dump," he said.

Once he discovered a pool of bubbling chemicals that had drained into the hole, which he said has to be refilled with dirt constantly.

After securing the lions and removing the chemicals, Dingle confronted a thrift store employee to ask if he'd dumped the waste.

"He said, 'Yeah, we always dump it there.' I gave him a piece of my mind about that, and they stopped," he said.

Although Dingle said he's complained many times to store employees, Leslie Carmine, community relations coordinator for Catholic Charities, said the information hadn't gotten back to executive management.

Catholic Charities is conducting its own investigation into the matter, including complaint history.

"We don't know the truth yet," she said. "That's part of the investigation. ... It is a real unfortunate tragedy."

Carmine said there's been a history of trespassing at the store, and employees have had to contact police.

"People break in and go through our dumpster, which is near the corner where the lion cage is located," she said.

Because no one saw the rubber football tossed into the exhibit, Dingle can't pinpoint a particular person.

But because of the history, he said he's sure.

"I don't believe in coincidences," he said.

How horrible for the lion to die from something totally preventable.

Teens build swingset on top of high school

Six high school seniors in Wisconsin built a swing set on top of their high school.

The "swing set six" were originally told they couldn't go to graduation. But on the eve of that ceremony, there was a last minute decision by the school's principal. The six Brookfield East seniors will be at graduation.

Student Zachary Domack is relieved. "He has been very gracious enough to let us walk across the stage and actually attend the ceremony." Something the principal announced Friday afternoon.

The teens were originally banned from that ceremony after building a swing set on the roof of their school. The guys admit it was a senior prank but point out it wasn't destructive. They also meant it as a "thank you" for the principal and teachers for a great four years.

They even left a note and snacks for the staff. Nate Hoaglund said, "We're definitely not thinking we should just be let off the hook or anything. We know that we should be punished."

A construction worker spotted the teens on the roof and called police. All six were slapped with $300 tickets for "prowling." They also served a one-day suspension.

I'm glad that their principal used some common sense when giving them their punishment. They can't encourage pranks, but there is no reason to ruin the kids lives like other principals have done. A $300 fine (which hopefully their parents will make the kids work to pay) and a one day suspension sounds perfect.

Fish coughs up watch

A fisherman in Hawaii was surprised when the fish he caught coughed up a gold watch.

Carish says he was enjoying a picnic Wednesday on Port Allen beach when he saw the nenue fish awkwardly swimming close to shore.

He says a friend gave him a bamboo stick and told him to get the fish. So he jumped into the waist-high water and hit the nenue until it went limp.

He noticed the fish had an abnormally large belly as he tossed it into a cooler.

A friend opened the cooler later to discover a gold watch next to the fish's mouth.

Carish says the watch was ticking and keeping correct time.

The fish took away the excuse he wanted to give to his wife for coming home late.

Man holds treasure hunt for diamond ring

A New Zeland man is having a hunt for the engagement ring that was returned to him by his ex.

Anyone keen to pick up the ring, valued at NZ$5,000 ($3,268), will need to be in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, on Saturday to join the hunt, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.

"I met this girl I thought was pretty cool, bought a ring, turns out she wasn't as keen," Anthony Gardiner, a 29-year-old call-center worker, told the Dominion Post.

Clues to the ring's whereabouts will start being posted on social networking site Twitter (http:/twitter.com/donoogle_com) at 8 a.m. local time on Saturday (2000 GMT on Friday).

Gardiner says he will keep posting clues, and if the ring is not found by the end of the day, "my clues will suddenly change into directions."

Having bought the ring in Hong Kong, he couldn't return it, and didn't want to sell it, so he hit upon the treasure hunt.

See, I would have just sold it. That's a really high dollar item to give away. I hope the lucky winner enjoys their ring though, I know I would.

Have you seen a runaway tortise?

A Pennsylvania woman is missing her fifty two pound tortoise. It ran away.

“I am devastated that this turtle is gone, and I feel responsible and I feel heartbroken,” the Chester Springs woman said.

“It’s just terrible, and I want to make sure she’s safe. People out here eat snapping turtles, so I’m concerned someone will find her and make dinner.”

Last today, the 52-pound, two-foot African sulcata tortoise — one of the world’s largest types — pushed open a gate left partly unsecured after some duck chow was delivered. She is still missing.

Dougherty, 48, who runs Chester Springs School & Little Farm a day care for children in her house, also cares for a lot of pets and rescue animals — a lamb, a miniature horse, dogs, goats, unwanted Easter chicks and ducks — on her acre of propertyNala was an unwanted pet, too — brought about 2 1/2 years ago by a landlord who took her from a troubled tenant trying to terminate the terrapin, hoping to make soup.

Less than a half-hour passed before Dougherty realized the tortoise was gone. But by then, Nala had hightailed it for parts unknown — probably toward the Kimberton-Phoenixville area, Dougherty said.She’s really fast this time of year,” she added.

When Nala escaped two years ago, a deck contractor had put her outside the fence, thinking she was a wild snapping turtle who got trapped.“She got three miles away within 24 hours,” Dougherty said. “She went to my neighbor’s house and tried to get in their door.”

Sounds like the tortise still wins the race.

Company to produce James Bond popsicle

Daniel Craig has won a Del Monte contest as one of the coolest celebrities and will have his likeness made into a popsicle that will be sold for the UK's ice cream week.

The food company said a poll of 1,000 British women resulted in the 41-year-old "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" star being named Britain's Coolest Smoothie, The Mirror reported Monday.

For just a week, Del Monte will be offering its Craig-inspired Superfruit Smoothies -- blueberry, pomegranate and cranberry flavored -- in the shape of Craig's head and torso. It's all part of Britain's inaugural National Ice Cream week.

"Daniel Craig topped our poll of Britain's coolest celebrities and, thanks to our Del Monte lolly replica, he is officially immortalized as super smooth and licensed to chill," spokesman Matt O'Connor said in a statement.

That's just wrong. You know people would be outraged if those were Pamela Anderson pops. Could you eat one of those in public?

Florida inmates grow veggies for local food banks

Inmates in a Florida prison have been growing vegetables to donate to food banks.

The gardening program has become so successful that it was scheduled weekly into the RECAP program, which includes inmates with substance-abuse problems, county officials said. And Huber inmates without jobs soon will work in the garden.

"They're so proud of what they're doing out here," Sgt. Laurie Sprecher said. "They're doing a good day's work and accomplishing something positive."

Rock County UW Extension and the master gardener program teach inmates about gardening. They work in a half-acre of soil off Highway 14 east of the jail. Inmates grow everything from tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes to peppers, asparagus and strawberries.

"We long ago realized that this is not about teaching them gardening," said Mike Maddox, Rock County UW Extension's horticulture educator. "This is about working together, teamwork and working independently."

The garden is a safe environment for inmates, Maddox said, and inmates talk about their kids, wives and families while working.

"It becomes kind of a reflection time," he said.

What a wonderful program. Teaching the inmates to value hard work and allowing them to produce a product that helps the community. I just hope that they get to eat some of those veggies.