F R I D AY, A P R I L 1 4 , 2 0 0 6USA Today's Across The USADirectorboy and I were trolling for offbeat news stories that mightinspire a "Law & Order" episode and that led me to read a section ofUSA Today I'd always skipped over: a 50 state roundup of local newstidbits compiled from AP stories by some cub reporter.</p><p> It's a crazy,entertaining melange of true crime stories, dull press releases,desperate attempts to find SOMETHING newsworthy for every stateand the delightfully odd.</p><p> It's not available online as far as I can tell, buthere are the highlights from yesterday's column.In Santa Cruz, California, military recruiters left a job fair when about60 anti-war demonstrators bullied them into going away.</p><p> Shouldn't themilitary be better at fighting than granola-eating war protestors?In Tallahassee, Florida, they're proposing legislation about pythons. 95pythons were captured last year in Florida after being set free and thatdoesn't count "a 13-footer that exploded after trying to eat an alligator."In New Bedford, Massachusetts, a former teacher pled guilty to fakingcancer and collecting more than $35,000 from friends and coworkers.27 year old Heather Faria used the money to go on vacation and buy abig-screen TV, jewelry and other stuff.In Montana, absolutely nothing happened and they were reduced toreporting that students in Billings raised $189 to buy a new "therapydog" for their school counselor.In Williston, North Dakota, students who want to enter their prom willhave to take a Breathalyzer test.In Ogden, Utah a charter school thought it had booked Jon Stewart fora lecture when in fact it had booked Jon A.</p><p> Stewart, a businessman andpart-time professional wrestler.</p><p> Now that's the place where I want tosend my kids.And in Las Vegas, Nevada, an "international sleight-of-hand jewelthief" (is that an actual thing?) made a deal with prosecutors afterripping off several Vegas stores. 75 year old Doris Payne pleaded noNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: USA Today's Across The USAhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/usa-todays-across-usa.html 1 of 37/29/09 2:05 AMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SMichael in New YorkAaronBiboy POPSURFING.COM: USA Today's Across The USAhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/usa-todays-across-usa.html 2 of 37/29/09 2:05 AMPOPSURFING.COM: USA Today's Across The USAhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/usa-todays-across-usa.html 3 of 37/29/09 2:05 AM
