A North Dakota farmer has a unique way of forecasting the weather - using pig spleens. Paul Smokov swears his method is 85 percent accurate, insisting the weathermen - with their state-of-the-art radar and other scientific equipment - "aren't any better. "

An anonymous donor dropped $3,000 into the Salvation Army of Pottsville's red kettles for its campaign. According to 18-year-old Andrew Hunt, the bell ringer who was on duty Monday, a man put 30 $100 bills into the kettle at the Schuylkill Mall in Frackville.

Two playful squirrels caused power outages in two states Monday, affecting more than 1,500 customers and interrupting supply for nearly an hour. Squirrels are the leading causes of outages in the United States, next only to severe weather. Thus, power companies make it a point that these curious animals either do not come in contact with the lines or have no way of entering their facilities.

estern Europe's highest peak Mont Blanc (French for white mountain) is taller than ever as snow piled atop its summit, experts described it as a weather change related occurrence. The height was found to be 15, 783. 79 ft (4,810. 90 m) on Sept. 15 and 16 respectively - a 7. 05 ft (2. 15 m) increase in two years.

Kimono-clad Japanese businessmen littered the busy streets of Baguio Saturday to help clean the summer capital of the Philippines. Japanese traders in kimono jackets swept the landmark Session Road and hauled trash away amidst monsoon rains and thick fog.