New Mexico on Tuesday declared the "bolo" tie as the official neckwear of the southwestern U. S. state. Bolo ties consist of a piece of a cord fastened with an ornamental bar or clasp. It's "our bipartisan fashion statement," Gov. Bill Richardson said as he signed the measure into law, according to the Associated Press reports.

A Dallas-bound American Airlines flight from Tokyo was forced to make an emergency landing in Honolulu after its pilots heard some noise in the cockpit; which later turned out to be a squirrel. Airline spokesman John Hotard told The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the pilot made the decision to land midway as he feared that the animal could have chewed through wiring or caused other problems.

Picky travelers keen on comfort have rated a former flop house as one of the five best hotels in America for 2007. The 28-room Mansion on Delaware Avenue earned the Zagat guide's highest ranking for service and tied for the second-highest ranking for room quality in a hotel with under 100 rooms. The Mansion was the only urban hotel in the U. S. to earn high rankings from travelers responding to Zagat's survey.

Iowa University has installed special software in its laundries that lets students communicate with washers and dryers. The software, called LaundryView is an Internet-based system that sends e-mail alerts to students for the availability and current status of washers and dryers. According to the University officials, the system will help save the time of students who visit laundry to find the washers and dryers already booked. Moreover, it will be an alarm for those who forget to remove their clothes once they have loaded the machines.

Fox Executives are about to show America whether or not some adults are smarter than fifth graders. The network will launch a new game show called, "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" It will feature adults answering questions found in fifth grade textbooks. The show will air later this year.