MARS ROVERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sixteen miles might not sound like much --
unless it's out of this world. The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are now entering their seventh year of operation. The little robot vehicles have traveled a total of 16 miles on the Martian surface. What was supposed to have been a three-month mission has stretched way beyond the warranty period. NASA engineers worry that Spirit might be stuck in the sand as the Martian winter approaches. But they say even if Spirit's roving days are over, it still can beam back useful data from a fixed position.

POKER CHIP COLLECTOR
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) - Richard Jimenez isn't about to cash in his chips. The Idaho mall owner collects poker chips. Jimenez started 25 years ago and figures he has 260 different kinds. He estimates his chips are worth about 30-grand. Idaho outlawed gambling in 1949. But in the years before, nearly every bar, cigar store and pool hall had poker games, many with their own custom-made chips. Jimenez tells the Post-Register that he gets a lot of tips from senior citizens on where to find the old chips.

FITNESS CHALLENGE
ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Forget the doughnut jokes. Cops are competing to see who are the biggest losers. In South Dakota, officers from Webster will be going belly-to-belly with Day County deputies. They're part of the National 911 Fitness Contest and will weigh-in tomorrow. They'll step on the scales again April 1. Proceeds from the challenge benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. There are five regions in the national contest. The team with the greatest improvement in each region receives $5,000 and a trip to Orlando, Fla.

SIGN TWIRLER
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Anthony Carvo is a spinner. He's one of those guys who stands on a street corner twirling a six-foot-long
advertising sign. The 18-year-old Carvo thinks of himself as an entertainer. He tells Maryland's Annapolis Capital newspaper he likes to make people laugh. He works for AArrow Advertising, a national firm that employs more than 500 young adults. Carvo says spinning has some expected perks. He says some people tip him, others will offer a soda.

HEROIN GUIDEBOOK
NEW YORK (AP) - It's a New York City guidebook -- but you won't find pictures of the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. The city health department is out with a guide for dope addicts. The illustrated manual shows how to shoot heroin. There's information on cleaning needles with bleach and what to do if there's an overdose. A top official with the Drug Enforcement Administration calls it a "step-by-step instruction on how to inject a poison." But city health officials defend their guide as a way of saving lives.

DOLL DOCTOR
WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) - Sandy Hohne is a doctor, but her patients don't complain about their aches and pains. She's a certified doll doctor. Once a month, Hohne sets up a table at the Westminster Antique Mall, northwest of Baltimore. She does repairs and appraisals there. Hohne says while many adults prize their doll collections, kids don't seem to care. She tells the Carroll County Times that kids today want video games, not something made from cloth and porcelain.

by Jamie Friar

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)