Leavenworth, Washington, has become a tourist destination because of the Bavarian theme businesses have adopted there, NPR reported. One shop, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, houses the world's largest nutcracker collection, thanks to 101-year-old Arlene Wagner. Wagner started the collection in 1976, and soon after, she and her husband were going to estate sales and auctions in the U.S. and Europe to find rare examples. Once they'd collected 7,000, Wagner said, "It was time to share it with people," and they opened the museum. The oldest nutcracker she has is a bronze device made between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. Now, Wagner is training a new "Nutcracker Lady," Michelle McMullen. [NPR, 12/9/2025]

The Aristocrats

On Dec. 7, The Washington Post reported, a drone flew over the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina, and dropped the ingredients of a swishy holiday dinner: steak, crab legs (along with a small container of Old Bay seasoning), two bags of marijuana and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. The contraband was picked up by law enforcement before reaching its intended recipients, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said. Spokesperson Chrysti Shain said the prison receives "nightly attacks" of drones trying to drop drugs into the prison yard, "but this was a bit unusual, even for us. I'm guessing the inmates who were expecting this package are a bit crabby." [Washington Post, 12/10/2025]

Truth Is Stranger Than Netflix

When law enforcement questioned Calvin Johnson, 36, about the stolen BMW he had just crashed in Ormond Beach, Florida, they got an earful, The Smoking Gun reported. Investigators say Johnson took the car on Dec. 8 and drove it at speeds exceeding 100 mph before the crash, but Johnson had a different explanation. He said he was "teleported into the vehicle" and told officers, "You saved me from the aliens." He was charged with grand theft auto and driving on a suspended license. [The Smoking Gun, 12/9/2025]

"Bright" Idea

Officers stopped a speeding car on Dec. 5 in Door County, Wisconsin, WBAY-TV reported. The sheriff's office said the car was also missing a front headlight on the driver's side, but no worries: A handheld flashlight had been jerry-rigged in the spot where the headlight should have been. "A flashlight is not a safe or legal replacement for proper headlights," authorities said. [WBAY, 12/8/2025]

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

No one was seriously injured on Dec. 8 in Brevard County, Florida, when a small plane crashed into a moving 2023 Toyota Camry on I-95 around 5:45 p.m., Spectrum News 13 reported. The 27-year-old pilot was attempting an emergency landing, Lt. Tara Crescenzi said. He and his passenger remained at the scene. The 57-year-old driver of the car was taken to the hospital. Jim Coffey and his son, Peter, were in the car behind the Camry; Peter said, "I thought it might maybe aim around and not hit the car, but bam, the wheel just smacked right dab on the back of the car." [Spectrum News 13, 12/9/2025]

Animal Antics

Andrew Mackay, a politician in Sydney, Australia, was surprised in early December when he checked in on his dogs via a pet-cam, CBS News reported on Dec. 10. His dog Thunder nuzzled open a sliding glass door to get outside, but a couple of typically outdoor animals took advantage. A steer named Sue and a horse named Cricket soon appeared on the camera. "Over the next hour and a half," Mackay said, "they took turns playing inside, knocking things off cabinets. The fish tank has been drunk from." [CBS News, 12/10/2025]

Least Competent Criminal

A clumsy 20-year-old burglar bungled his own effort to break into a home in Spanaway, Washington, on Dec. 5, KIRO-TV reported. Homeowners called police because someone was banging on their front door, trying to get in. The intruder then moved to the back of the house and tried to break a window. As he attempted to escape, deputies said, he tried to crawl under a fence, but got his foot stuck. Law enforcement used bolt cutters to free his foot before arresting him on charges of residential burglary. [KIRO, 12/8/2025]

Weird in the Wild

Austin Dirks, a hiker in Arches National Park in Utah, found himself in a sitcom-worthy predicament on Dec. 7, CBS News reported. As he explored a small canyon on the second day of his backpacking trip, Dirks sank up to his thigh in quicksand. Fortunately, he had brought along an emergency satellite beacon, which was picked up by Grand County emergency responders. The team positioned a ladder and boards near him and slowly worked his leg loose. Once he was free of the quicksand, Dirks was able to hike out on his own and offer a few insights about the mythical substance. "In quicksand you're extremely buoyant," he said. "Most people won't sink past their waist in quicksand." Well, that's a relief! [CBS News, 12/11/2025]

Weird Science

In October 2024, an Idaho man was scratched by a skunk on his property, The New York Times reported on Dec. 6. Weeks later, he collapsed and died, presumably from a heart attack. The man's family donated several of his organs, and a Michigan man received a kidney. But a week later, he was hospitalized with fever, difficulty swallowing and fear of water -- symptoms of rabies. He died after a week in the hospital. Doctors believe the skunk that scratched the Idaho man had contracted rabies from a bat, but organ donations are not typically tested for rabies, according to the CDC. "Overall, the risk is exceptionally small," said Dr. Lara Danziger-Isakov, a board member of the American Society for Transplantation. [NY Times, 12/6/2025]

Awesome!

Among the 80,000 items that were traded in to GameStop for store credit during the retailer's first-ever "Trade Anything Day" on Dec. 6 were a goose, a framed dog portrait and a tiny Jesus, KENS-TV reported. But a store in Corsicana, Texas, may have received the weirdest item: a lounging taxidermic bobcat. A company spokesperson said the stores gave out about $400,000 in trade-in credit vouchers. "Our customers showed up with big imaginations ... We are very happy with the turnout." [KENS, 12/9/2025]

That's Bananas!

Cargo vessels have been in the news lately, but this fruity mishap has folks in southern England on high alert. On Dec. 6, eight containers full of bananas went overboard from a cargo ship, Yahoo! News reported. In West Sussex, rotting fruit has been washing up on the pebbled beaches, the U.K. coast guard said, adding that the public should avoid the areas littered with debris. They also discouraged the public from eating the floating fruits. [Yahoo! News, 12/9/2025]

Who Knew?

In Japan, millions of families will head to their local KFC on Christmas Day for chicken and fixins, Yahoo! News reported on Dec. 3. "Stores with the Colonel statue will dress him in Christmas attire," said Takuma Kawamura, a KFC marketing manager. Fans will indulge in special "Party Barrels" with chicken, side dishes and ice cream or cheesecake. Not a terrible idea ... [Yahoo! News, 12/3/2025]

Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, Texas, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle, Texas, were indicted on Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court for a bizarre plot to carry out a coup on Gonave Island, near Haiti. The New York Times reported that the men hatched their plan in 2024; both were learning Haitian Creole, and Weisenburg joined the North Texas Fire Academy to learn "command-and-control protocols." He flunked out in February 2025. Thomas joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Maryland, and both men planned to recruit homeless people from around Washington, D.C., to assist in the coup. After sailing to and gaining control of the island, Weisenburg and Thomas planned to kill all the men and make the women and children sex slaves. The would-be conquerors could face up to life in federal prison. [New York Times, 11/22/2025]

Perspective (or Lack Thereof)

On Nov. 7 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Corey Johnson, 35, of Alexandria, Louisiana, tried to exit the short-term parking lot, but he wasn't able to pay the fee. People magazine reported that Johnson at first refused to move his Jeep out of the exit lane but later agreed to pull aside while he worked out payment. Around 10 p.m., while Johnson was still stuck in the parking lot, the airport's Aviation Communications center received a threatening phone call, suggesting a bomb would be detonated if the operator did not "page Hassan." The center received another call around 10:35, saying he wanted "Hassan" "to bring the bomb to level three." Deputies pinged the phone making the calls and traced it back to Johnson; by 11 p.m., he was under arrest. On Nov. 20, Johnson was indicted for willfully conveying a bomb threat. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine -- way more than the parking fee. [People, 12/3/2025]

Raccoons Gone Wild

-- An ABC liquor store in Ashland, Virginia, had a break-in early on Nov. 29, but it wasn't a robber. The New York Times reported that a raccoon fell through the ceiling of the store, then set about trying a wide variety of alcohol: rum, moonshine, peanut butter whiskey, vodka and, of course, eggnog. "It broke several bottles and consumed the spirits," said Carol Mawyer, PR manager for Virginia ABC. When police and animal control responded, the blotto beast was passed out face-down on the floor of the bathroom. The raccoon woke up after about 1 1/2 hours and showed no signs of injury. It was released back into the wild. [New York Times, 12/3/2025]

-- No good raccoon deed goes unpunished, as a man in Cherokee County, Georgia, learned during Thanksgiving week. CBS News reported that the unnamed man saw the injured animal in the road and stopped to help it, wrapping it in his coat and holding it against his chest as he drove to the Chattahoochee Nature Center more than an hour away. At some point, the raccoon became loose and bit the man on his face and hands. At the center, employees urged him to go to the hospital; meanwhile, the raccoon was euthanized and tested for rabies. Result: Positive. "Please take a minute and assess the situation before attempting to capture wildlife without direction," the center posted. [CBS News, 12/1/2025]

Suspicions Confirmed

Police in Auckland, New Zealand, are holding a man in custody, presumably awaiting a certain biological development, after he was accused of swallowing a $19,000 Faberge egg pendant on Nov. 28, the BBC reported. Officers went to Partridge Jewellers and arrested the 32-year-old man, who has undergone a medical assessment. Talk about crap duty: "An officer is assigned to constantly monitor the man," Inspector Grae Anderson said. "At this stage, the pendant has not been recovered." The egg is set with white diamonds and blue sapphires and has an 18-karat-gold miniature octopus inside. [BBC, 12/3/2025]

Government in Action

Rankin, Pennsylvania, got its first snowfall this week, but it was less than prepared, KDKA-TV reported. Alas, Rankin has only one public works employee -- and that employee isn't licensed to operate a snowplow. Still, borough resident Marcus Clay cut them some slack: "They didn't do too bad. It was better than it was last year." Borough council member Walter Sewell hopefully noted, "We're working through it." The city subcontracted with some local businesses, and in the spirit of the season, even residents chipped in, shoveling and salting their own blocks. It takes a village. [KDKA, 12/2/2025]

Workers' Comp?

-- The perils of working ... outside. On Dec. 2, as Jessica Tyson, 32, filmed a segment for a current affairs show in Auckland, New Zealand, a low-flying bird struck her in the face, United Press International reported. Tyson shared the clip to social media, commenting, "POV Just trying to do your job when nature has other plans. Everything is fine, just got a little scar above my eye." She's looking forward to indoor assignments from now on. [UPI, 12/3/2025]

-- Utility lineman Werner J. Neubauer responded to a prickly situation in Cochise County, Arizona, United Press International reported on Dec. 1. A bear was stuck at the top of a utility pole and was in danger of being electrocuted, Neubauer said. He shut off electricity to the pole and used a bucket truck to get to the bear's level, where he poked at it with a fiberglass stick until it slid back down the pole. [UPI, 12/1/2025]

Bright Idea

Magician and molecular biologist Zi Teng Wang of St. Louis, Missouri, came up with a fun idea a few years ago: He implanted an RFID chip in his hand and used it to perform magic tricks, Yahoo! News reported on Nov. 28. But the tricks faded and other uses fizzled out, and Wang went on with his life. "When I went to rewrite the chip, I was horrified to realize I forgot the password that I had locked it with," he said. "I'm still locked out of my own body's tech, and that's inconvenient but hilarious." Ah, techie humor. [Yahoo! News, 11/28/2025]

Nope

Fox News reported that a sky-dining -- that's right, DINING, not DIVING -- attraction in Kerala, India, froze at its full height with two adults, two children and a staff member on deck on Nov 28. The dining experience involves a crane lifting a platform 120 feet in the air, allowing diners to enjoy a panoramic view. However, the hydraulic system powering the lift failed, leaving the riders with no way to get down. Instead, firefighters used ropes to climb to the platform, then put each person in a harness and lowered them to the ground. The whole operation took about four hours. No injuries were reported. [Fox News, 12/1/2025]

Wait, What?

Quick, get your Christmas order in before Dec. 11 for Mug Root Beer's limited-edition cologne, "Daddy's Home." Fox5 Atlanta reported on Dec. 3 that the company is for the first time detouring into personal care with the scent, which includes aromas of cedar, sandalwood, vanilla and caramel. "It's the kind of scent that whispers 'come to papa' to dogs and dawgs alike," the company said. The package includes a 1.7-ounce cologne and a 10-pack of MUG Root Beer mini cans for the low, low price of $15. "Daddy's Home by Mug Root Beer is for our die-hard MUG fans who believe root beer rules every sense, not just taste," a statement read. [Fox5, 12/3/2025]

Pope Francis' popemobile has been repurposed as a mobile health clinic for children in war-torn Gaza, NBC News reported on Nov. 25. Francis used the vehicle during a visit to Bethlehem in 2014 and blessed the project before his death in April. The open platform where he stood has been enclosed and converted to a treatment area. Caritas, the Catholic organization tasked with the conversion, said the vehicle will be able to treat about 200 children per day. [NBC News, 11/25/2025]

But the Turkey Is Doing Fine

Two men resorted to gunplay on Nov. 13 at a Food Lion in High Point, North Carolina, WBTV reported, with one suffering a gunshot wound to the arm. It all started when one of the men argued with an employee over a turkey; the second man allegedly stepped in, and both of them left the store to get their guns. The two men shot at each other outside the store. Police said one man was interviewed by detectives, but it was unclear whether either had been charged. [WBTV, 11/15/2025]

Precocious

On Nov. 14, a mom popped into W.A. Wright Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to deliver some paperwork, leaving her 10-year-old son in the car outside. She returned to the parking lot to find the car gone, WSMV-TV reported, and assumed it had been stolen with her son inside. A witness said they'd seen the car driving recklessly out of the parking lot. But when police checked the family home about a mile away, they found the car in the garage and the child in the house with his dad. He explained that he'd had an argument with his mom and decided to drive himself home. Officers declined to charge the boy because he's too young to be held criminally responsible. [WSMV, 11/15/2025]

It's Raining ...

A woman driving to work on Nov. 19 in Bryson City, North Carolina, was stunned when a cat fell from the sky and crashed through her windshield, shattering about half the glass on the passenger side. The Charlotte Observer reported that the cat had been seen by a witness struggling with the eagle that was flying with it; the car was traveling at about 55 mph when the cat made impact. The driver was uninjured, the cat didn't make it, and the eagle made a quick exit. [Charlotte Observer, 11/21/2025]

The Passing Parade

Kohl Bertels, 33, had an unusual explanation for breaking into a Circle K store on Nov. 23, eating a bag of beef jerky and drinking a sweet tea, The Smoking Gun reported: "I know you're going to think I'm crazy," he said, "but there is an AI intelligence speaker in my neck." Bertels kicked through the glass door of the store in St. Charles, Missouri, around 2:15 a.m. He explained that the voices in his head told him to break the door, since it was locked. He faces charges of burglary and property damage, but it's not his first rodeo: His rap sheet is full of felony burglary convictions. [The Smoking Gun, 11/24/2025]

Recurring Theme

A Buddhist temple near Bangkok, Thailand, was the site of an unsettling situation on Nov. 23 after a woman was brought in for cremation, the Associated Press reported. The "deceased" was in a white coffin that her brother delivered to the temple, but as workers went to unload the cargo from the bed of a pickup truck, her brother heard a faint knocking. "I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," said the 65-year-old brother. "I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time." The woman's brother said she stopped breathing two days before; after her startling recovery, she was sent to a local hospital. [AP, 11/25/2025]

Bright Idea

CNN reported on Nov. 25 that an unnamed 57-year-old man in Borgo Virgilio, Italy, dressed up as his mother, Graziella Dall'Oglio, and tried to renew her government ID card so that he could continue to collect her pension. He wore a wig, makeup and her clothing, but authorities were tipped off by the hair on his neck and chin. Inconveniently, the signora passed away in 2022 at age 82. Her son, an unemployed nurse, did not report her death to authorities. When they visited his home, they found his mother's mummified body in the laundry room closet, wrapped in sleeping bags. An autopsy was ordered, and the son was held in a local jail. [CNN, 11/25/2025]

Scrooge Lives

On Nov. 22 (which, arguably, is a tad early for Christmas carolers), Paul Brian Susie, 58, was taken into custody in Annapolis, Maryland, after he allegedly pointed a firearm at three 12-year-old girls who arrived at his house to sing Christmas carols. WMAR2-TV reported that the incident happened around 8:30 p.m.; police recovered a loaded .40-caliber Glock handgun from Susie's home. Exhibiting "loud and belligerent" behavior as he was questioned, Susie admitted to pointing the gun at the girls. He was charged with first- and second-degree assault. [WMAR2, 11/25/2025]

Redneck Chronicles

Around 1 a.m. on Nov. 19, Hancock County (West Virginia) Sheriff's officers responded to a call about a man suffering a gunshot wound while a rifle was being cleaned. WKRC-TV reported that when officers arrived, two men at the home revealed the real story: They had been shooting out the second-story window of the home at rats, they said, and the gun went off when one man tried to take it from the other. The victim was transported to the hospital; homeowner Mark Fuller was charged with wanton endangerment involving a firearm and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling. [WKRC, 11/21/2025]

Questionable Judgment

Fifteen-year-olds aren't known for their excellent judgment, but this kid's antics were on another level. On Nov. 24 in Jerusalem, firefighters were called to a 36-story skyscraper with a crane on top -- and a 15-year-old atop the crane. The teenager was trapped on a small platform above the building. The kid told rescue teams he had scaled the crane around midnight to "see the view," the Associated Press reported. Fire official Eyal Cohen said they've responded to a number of cases of young people scaling large buildings. "This is a serious incident that ended in a miracle," Cohen said. [AP, 11/24/2025]

Goals

In northern China, an unidentified 23-year-old man was the victor in a lying-flat contest, the South China Morning Post reported. The contest at a shopping mall on Nov. 15 started out with about 240 people lying flat on mattresses; 186 of them had quit within 24 hours. After 33 hours and 9 minutes, just three contestants were left, and organizers upped the competition by asking them to raise their arms and legs. "My girlfriend sent me a link to the competition and suggested I have a go," the winner said. His prize was about $420. "I will use the money to treat my friends for a hotpot dinner," he said. [SCMP, 11/23/2025]

It's a Mystery

Authorities in Flagler County, Florida, are trying to solve the mystery behind some "suspicious incidents," Click Orlando reported. Between Nov. 12 and 17, in seven separate circumstances, a masked man was captured on surveillance video leaving a piece of wood and a $1 bill on front porches of homes. One family, who received two different deliveries, said the second one had writing on the wood: "The Midnight Stalker is coming for Palm Coast." Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly called the incidents "unnerving" and said the person could face charges of trespassing, loitering and prowling, and littering. [Click Orlando, 11/21/2025]