PETA proposed robotic groundhog

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — An animal-rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each year in Punxsutawney. PETA suggested the use of an animatronic model.

But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania."

The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.

According to tradition, if Phil sees his shadow on the unofficial holiday, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not, there will be an early spring.

Alleged car thief found playing 'Grand Theft Auto'

ORLANDO, Florida — Sheriff's deputies in central Florida found a suspected car thief playing the "Grand Theft Auto" video game, and they later charged him with just that.

Polk County deputies investigating the theft of a 1998 Dodge Durango arrested 30-year-old Michael Ray Ekes on Jan. 21. They found the sports-utility vehicle outside a Haines City home. Ekes was inside in the house, playing the popular video game.

Ekes was charged with grand theft auto, burglary and drug possession. At the time of his arrest, he was out of jail on bond for another grand theft auto charge, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Burglar allegedly got ride to scene from mom

GROVE CITY, Pa. — A western Pennsylvania man has been ordered to stand trial on charges he burglarized a home after getting a ride to the crime scene from his mom.

That woman, 50-year-old Judith Martin, of Cochranton, still faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 3 on conspiracy and other charges she faces in the Jan. 13 break-in allegedly committed by her son, 20-year-old Robert Martin.

Police said Robert Martin took knives, jewelry, a telephone answering machine and other items from the home in Liberty Township, Mercer County, about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.A neighbor recognized Martin and police said they found some of the stolen items at his mother's house.

Man finds $3,100 hidden in trashed picture

STUART, Fla. — A Florida man rescued a framed space shuttle photo from a trash bin — and found a wad of treasure in the process. Stuart Police said Warren Bendix was going to put the photo in a different frame and discovered $3,100 in cash stuffed behind the picture.

He had found the picture in the trash near his apartment.Police said Bendix can claim the money if the owner doesn't turn up.

Kermit the Frog causes school closure

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Boulder authorities locked down a Lafayette school while they examined a duffel bag left at the campus that ended up containing a Kermit the Frog doll.

Boulder County's bomb squad responded to the Peak to Peak Charter School after an employee there called at about 7:15 a.m. Wednesday to report the unattended bag.

Authorities used a robot with movable arms and a camera to investigate the bag. Authorities cleared the scene at 10 a.m. Students and staff were locked down until then in a campus building.

Senior class photo prank spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E

HOUSTON — A spelling prank in a class photo for more than 600 seniors led to suspension of three students. Some students wore T-shirts spelling out "CLASS" as part of "Class of 2010" in a formal shot.

KHOU-TV Houston reported in a later informal shot, students representing "C'' and "L'' moved from the front row, leaving behind an offensive three-letter word.

Administrators at Cypress Ridge High School cited the school's code of conduct and suspended the students for three days. Senior Austin Knight says "C and L ran off" and it's not the fault of the three students, wearing A, S and S, who also were fined $135. The money pay the cost of retouching the photo.

--The Associated Press