Tony Hawk's legendary skateboard just sold for a record-breaking $1.15 million
The skateboard Tony Hawk used to make history in 1999 has sold for a record-breaking $1.15 million. Julien's Auctions announced the sale of the Birdhouse “Falcon 2” deck on Wednesday. Hawk used it to land the first-ever 900 trick at the San Francisco X Games. After over 10 failed attempts, he finally succeeded, thrilling the crowd. Hawk, already a decorated skateboarder, became a household name after this feat. The auction also included other Hawk memorabilia, with proceeds benefiting The Skatepark Project, his nonprofit foundation. Hawk says he hopes the buyer truly appreciates the skateboard's significance.
Fried Rice combo sparks jokes among Yankees pitcher Max Fried and catcher Ben Rice
NEW YORK (AP) — A Fried Rice combo left Ben Rice hungering to yuk it up with Max Fried. About to catch his Yankees teammate for the first time, the New York catcher couldn’t wait to mention the battery word play when he walked into the pregame meeting. “It’s such a layup of a joke I had to say it right right when we got in there,” Rice said after Fried pitched the Yankees over the Chicago White Sox 8-1. “First Fried Rice combo of the year.” Fried became the major leagues’ first 19-game winner. He is 6-0 with a 1.55 ERA in his last seven starts.
'Very mean squirrel' seeking food has sent at least 2 people to the ER in a California city
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Residents of a San Francisco Bay Area city are on the lookout for an aggressive squirrel that has sent at least two people to the emergency room. Joan Heblack told ABC affiliate KGO-TV that she was walking in a San Rafael neighborhood when a squirrel attacked her leg. Isabel Campoy says she too had been walking in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San Rafael when the squirrel attacked, leaving her arm bloody. Flyers are now posted warning residents of the “very mean squirrel.” Experts say the squirrel was likely accustomed to people feeding and caring for it. Squirrels are not vectors for rabies.
A Bangkok road collapse creates a sinkhole disrupting traffic and prompting evacuations
BANGKOK (AP) — A part of a road has collapsed in Bangkok, leaving a large sinkhole that disrupted traffic, damaged infrastructure and prompted evacuations in the surrounding area. The city's governor says there were no casualties but three vehicles were damaged by the collapse Wednesday. He says officials believe the collapse was caused by construction work at an underground train station. One edge of the hole stopped in front of a police station, exposing its underground structure. A nearby hospital says it plans to close the outpatient services for two days. Electricity and water in the area were cut as a precaution.
Maine wardens rescue moose trapped for hours in abandoned well
PEMBROKE, Maine (AP) — A bull moose that fell into an abandoned well in Maine was pulled to safety during an elaborate five hour rescue. The operation happened Wednesday after the family that owned forested land in northern Maine discovered the moose looking out from well that was about 9-feet deep. They alerted the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. A biologist sedated the moose and then wardens put straps on the moose. Using an excavator provided by family, they gingerly lifted the moose out of the well. It eventually woke up and ran off — seemingly unhurt by the ordeal.
Ancient spear-throwing tool brings fun and history to Vermont competition
ADDISON, Vt. (AP) — A few dozen enthusiasts of ancient hunting tools participated in the Northeast Open Atlatl Championship in Addison, Vermont. The competition took place on Saturday. Humans invented the atlatl thousands of years ago for use as a spear-throwing hunting tool. They were used to hunt massive animals such as woolly mammoths in the days long before recorded history. Now, they are the passion of a group of hobbyists and anthropology lovers who see the atlatl as a way to learn about history and have fun.
Does painting cows with stripes prevent fly bites? Researchers who studied this win Ig Nobel prize
BOSTON (AP) — A researcher who studied fingernail growth and a group that explored whether painting zebralike stripes on cows reduced fly bites are among the winners of this year's Ig Nobels. Held less than a month before the actual Nobel Prizes are announced, Thursday’s 35th annual Ig Nobel prize ceremony was organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a digital magazine that aims to make people laugh and think. The handcrafted prize is awarded to comical scientific achievement in 10 categories. Last year's winners included a study that explores the feasibility of using pigeons to guide missiles.
One man in an Italian supercar atop an aircraft carrier has a record in his sights
CIVITAVECCHIA, Italy (AP) — A driver off Italy’s central coast has made a bid for a new world record for the fastest car on a boat. Fabio Barone raced a Ferrari SF90 across the flight deck of a navy aircraft carrier on Thursday in Civitavecchia, on the coast near Rome. Last year, he reached 152 kilometers per hour on another ship. This time he was hoping to break 160. After speeding across the deck and coming safely to a stop, he announced to the crowd that he had clocked in at 164 kilometers per hour. The Guinness World Records says they look forward to reviewing Barone's application to have his record certified.
What to know about Fat Bear Week, and the brawny bruins ready to battle for the title
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The annual Fat Bear Week featuring gluttonous brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve is back. Online voting for the fattest juvenile bear begins Thursday. The main event starts Tuesday, when organizers pit 12 of some of the largest brown bears on the planet against each other in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament online. People can vote at fatbearweek.org after watching livestreams featuring the bears at explore.org. The contest started in 2014, and drew only about 1,700 votes from dedicated bear cam viewers. But the event has exploded online, and more than 1 million votes were cast last year.
A mysterious envelope from Czechoslovakia's founding father has been found
PRAGUE (AP) — Unknown musings of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the founding father of independent Czechoslovakia, are believed to have been unearthed. An envelope, previously unknown to his family, was unveiled on Friday in a live broadcast with President Petr Pavel in attendance. It’s believed Masaryk dictated his thoughts to his son Jan about 90 years ago when he was bedridden at the presidential palace. The envelope, handed to the National Archive in 2005, contained five pages of handwritten notes. Experts say the notes appear genuine and suggest Masaryk thought his “days are numbered” but was not afraid of dying.
