PAWN FOR BAIL
HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Stolen items. Bail money. Not a great idea. Police in Helena, Mont., charge two men on probation tried to pawn a truckload of stolen stuff to bail a friend out of jail. Authorities say the pair of 21-year-olds showed up at a pawn shop with everything from TVs to tools. A clerk was suspicious and called the cops. Officers questioned the men, but didn't immediately arrest them. Less than an hour later, police in Bozeman started getting theft reports. Officers called the men and told them to turn themselves in. They did and were arrested on probation violations.

ARMED ADOPT A HIGHWAY
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) - They're armed -- and dangerous to trash. A group called Minnesota Carry Permit Holders is taking part in the Adopt a Highway program. Members pack heat while picking up litter along a stretch of Minnesota Highway 55. The volunteers note they all have permits and all the guns they carry are legal. Jason Walberg picked up trash on a recent Sunday morning with .40-caliber, semi-automatic handgun clipped to his belt. He tells a local paper (St. Paul Pioneer Press) theirs is "is the safest stretch of road right now in the state."

RABBIT-CRASH
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - It was the Mercedes driver versus the 6-foot-tall orange rabbit in a Portland, Ore., courtroom. Edward Cespedes-Rodriguez claimed he didn't see Kate Altermatt, who was dressed in an orange bunny suit for Easter. She was peddling a pedicab and the crash sent her flying. Cespedes-Rodriguez testified last week he was fumbling for his dropped cell phone at the time. But the court sides with the bunny. The Oregonian newspaper reports Cespedes-Rodriguez was convicted of hit and run. But he was cleared on another charge.

MELLOW DISPUTE
LAS VEGAS (AP) - It's Mellow versus mellow -- in a court case that's anything but. Venice, Calif.-based Mellow Beverage is suing Beverage Concepts of Las Vegas. Mellow Beverage charges trademark infringement. The suit claims Beverage Concepts is using slogans like "Mellow, be happy ... drink Mellow." Mellow Beverage says it was first with Mellow brand relaxation and sleep aid drinks. The case is being heard in a Las Vegas federal court.

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING-TICKETS
WASHINGTON (AP) - It's one of the hottest tickets to one of Washington's coldest events. The National Park Service is trying something new this year for the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Nearly 10,000 free tickets will be given out in an online lottery. The drawing begins at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. The tree lighting is scheduled for the evening of Dec. 3 on the Ellipse across from the White House. The president traditionally uses the occasion to deliver a message of peace.

BEST CHILE BURGER
GRANTS, N.M. (AP) - Badlands is good -- for burger lovers. Badlands Burgers owner Daniel Chavez recently won the New Mexico Governor's Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge at the State Fair. Now, the place on Route 66 is packed. Chavez says the response is overwhelming. He tells the Gallup Independent newspaper his restaurant crew was in shock for the first few days. The prize-winning burger has green chile, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, cheese, sliced onions and comes with a large side of fries.

by Jamie Friar

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)