"Some people may say it's goofy. I don't think it is," says, Konieczka, who paints his animals every bear and deer season to keep them safe.

A retired Elvis Presley impersonator helped police catch a man suspected of stealing more than $300 000-worth of memorabilia from the Elvis-a-Rama museum in Las Vegas. Duke Adams, a 62-year-old "older-era Elvis", says he was approached while in line at a pharmacy by a man offering to sell him items once owned by the "King", including jewelry, clothing and the Presley's revolver.

The nation's motor vehicle thieves continue to favor imports over domestic brands as their targets of opportunity. Hot Wheels, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's companion repiort to its annual Hot Spots auto theft investigation, reviews data reported to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2004.

Managers at Ford Motor Co. 's Michigan Truck plant will start collecting weekly data to monitor rest room breaks, according to the memo, distributed to workers at the plant this week. Ford says workers taking longer breaks are slowing down production.

The latest venture by Honda Motor Co. involves a dog-friendly car design. The W. O. W. Concept, which stands for "wonderful openhearted wagon," is an exhibition model with no plans for commercial sale. The model will be exhibited at the Tokyo auto show later this month. A special crate for dogs in the glove compartment allows owners to interact with their pets while driving. A bigger crate pops up from the floor in the back seat area and can be folded back into the floor when it's not needed. Even bigger dogs can be buckled up with a special seat belt from the floor.