PA. HIGH SCHOOL PUTS ITSELF UP FOR SALE ON EBAY: LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) — Forget magazine drives and candy sales. A cash-strapped high school near Philadelphia hopes to raise money by auctioning itself on eBay.
The starting bid of just under $600,000 for The Learning Center in Langhorne, Pa., is designed to offset steep budget cuts. A tongue-in-cheek listing describes the alternative school for at-risk teens as "pre-owned" and "slightly used."
The winner won't own the facility, which is part of the Neshaminy School District. But he or she will get a plethora of goodies, including a naming opportunity, a free large pizza, a personalized school coffee mug and the chance to deliver a speech at graduation.
Not to mention the satisfaction of "delivering an education to a group of kids who could really use it," according to the ad.
MICHIGAN DEPLOYS TALKING URINAL CAKES IN DUI FIGHT: DETROIT (AP) — Michigan hopes to keep drunks off the road with the help from a special message in men's bathrooms featuring an attention-getting woman's voice.
Talking urinal-deodorizer cakes have been distributed to Michigan Licensed Beverage Association members in Wayne County, including Detroit, state officials announced. A recorded message will play reminding men who step up to the urinals to call a cab or a friend, if needed, to get home safely.
"Not only do we want to turn some heads and get people talking, we hope everyone takes the message to heart," Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, said in a statement.
Bay, Ottawa and Delta counties also are getting them. The motion-activated messages are part of a statewide Fourth of July education and enforcement effort. The federally funded drunken driving crackdown runs through Sunday. It also includes stepped up patrols in 26 counties involving a number of agencies.
LOOSE KANGAROO STARTLES WASHINGTON STATE DRIVERS: PASCO, Wash. (AP) — Startled drivers weren't seeing things — it really was a kangaroo hopping down the highway in Washington state.
The meandering marsupial nearly caused a couple of accidents Saturday and police responded, keeping the 'roo off the road while its owner tracked it down and caught it with help from friends.
The owner lives in an area of the state where it's legal to own exotic pets. The Franklin County resident also has a zebra.
MIAMI RAPPER PITBULL MAY HEAD TO ALASKA: ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Miami rapper Pitbull might soon be chilling out in Alaska.
In a marketing deal, Walmart will send Pitbull, aka Armando Christian Perez, to the store that gets the most "likes" on its Facebook page.
Right now, the leading candidate is Kodiak, Alaska. And there might be a reason.
A writer for The Boston Phoenix newspaper thought it'd be funny to send Pitbull to the most remote Walmart possible, and is encouraging people to "like" the Walmart in Kodiak.
It seems to be working.
The Kodiak Walmart had more than 35,000 "likes" Monday, more than five times the town's population.
Other Walmart shoppers have until July 16 to like their local stores and pull ahead of Kodiak.
ZOMBIES IN DETROIT? LIVE-ACTION GAME ZONE FLOATED: DETROIT (AP) — A man is floating an idea to use some vacant property in Detroit for a live-action game zone where players would try to stay ahead of a growing zombie horde.
Marc Siwak is calling the idea "Z World Detroit." He says he envisions a structured game using old buildings where "professional zombies" would get the game going. It currently lacks funding or permission.
A spokeswoman for Detroit's mayor declined to comment Monday to The Associated Press.
