(UPI) An Ohio pumpkin festival kicked off with a state record being broken by a giant pumpkin that weighed in at a staggering 2,195 pounds.

Jeff Theil, of Dillonvale, took the top spot in the 57th Barnesville Pumpkin Festival's King Pumpkin weigh-off Wednesday night, when his gargantuan gourd tipped the scales at 2,195 pounds, more than 100 ...Read more

(UPI) A Pennsylvania man said his wife dubbed him "the luckiest person she knows" after he collected a $1 million lottery prize just months after winning $100,000.

Ray Boose Jr., of Cumberland County, told Pennsylvania Lottery officials his latest win came when his wife asked him to stop at the Ugo store in Mount Holly Springs.

"The day I won ...Read more

(UPI) A 58-year-old Canadian strongman broke a Guinness World Record in New York by pulling a 33,400-pound bus 16 feet by using his upper body.

Kevin Fast, appearing on ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, pulled a 40-foot, all-electric Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus on West 67th Street in Manhattan to break the record for heaviest ...Read more

(UPI) A wallaby escaped from a Scottish petting zoo just hours after being delivered to the facility and was spotted hopping outside a local pub.

Nikki Johnstone, who runs the Waulkmill Menagerie petting zoo near New Deer, Aberdeenshire, said 6-month-old wallaby Eddie was one of two wallabies brought to the attraction Sunday night alongside a ...Read more

(UPI) Animal rescuers in New York said a bull that was on the loose for two months after escaping slaughter in Long Island has been captured and is headed to a new home at a sanctuary.

The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the bull, nicknamed Barney or Barnie by locals, was located Wednesday night at a former ...Read more

(UPI) Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a specific reason for his rugged appearance this NFL season, which includes long hair and an unshaven face. He plans to dress up like one of his "heroes" for Halloween.

The reigning NFL MVP told The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that he started preparations for his costume a year ago with ...Read more

(UPI) A Maryland who called himself "Touchdown Joe" won a $100,000 top prize in the state's new Ravens X5 scratch-off game.

The 57-year-old Silver Spring man purchased the $5 ticket at an Annapolis Wawa, where he and his wife were playing scratch-off games. He uncovered a football emblem on the bottom of the ticket and one of seven top prizes ...Read more

(UPI) Authorities in a Greenbelt, Md., wrangled a 4-foot ball python spotted near a children's play area.

Public Works Department employee Brian Townsend saw the snake on a sidewalk between Buddy Attick Park and the public works headquarters and called for help, WUSA-TV reported. Townsend helped police and animal control officers capture the ...Read more

(UPI) An Australian woman found picking up a lottery ticket for her mother paid off when she was awarded a free bonus ticket that earned her more than $72,000.

The Clare, South Australia, woman told The Lott officials she hadn't actually intended to buy a lottery ticket for herself when she stopped at Clare Pharmacy to buy a Lucky Lotteries ...Read more

(UPI) A North Carolina State University football fan who lost his wedding ring while tailgating before a game received some help from an unexpected source: Wolfpack basketball coach Kevin Keatts.

Will Yadusky, of Raleigh, who recently celebrated his 16th wedding anniversary, and said he was tailgating outside Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh ...Read more

(UPI) A rumored monkey spotted in an Indiana city was confirmed to exist when it was caught on video in a hotel parking lot.

Bloomington Animal Care and Control said the first monkey sighting was reported Sept. 8, when several people reported seeing a man riding a scooter with a monkey on his back.

Reports of the scooter sighting also were ...Read more