Sunday, 7-30-06: Mel Gibson was arrested in California for driving 80 MPH in a 45MPH zone. He was drunk, verbally abusive, anti-Semitic, threatened a deputy and tried to escape. "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," he said. I didn't realize George Bush was Jewish.... In local news, a man named Allen Heckard has been suing Michael Jordan and Nike founder Phil Knight for more than $800 because he's tired of being mistaken for Michael Jordan. But he's given up his defamation lawsuit. The Nike spokesman said, "He finally realized he would end up paying our court costs if the lawsuit went to trial." Monday, 7-31-06: In local news, a pilot's estate is being sued for $2 million. The son and daughter of a couple were killed in the crash of a private plane. The lawsuit says that Michael McCartney "failed to maintain control of the aircraft." The trustee of McCartney's estate says it isn't worth anywhere near $2 million. The suit is based on loss of society, companionship, services and future earnings. The plaintiffs haven't decided yet how much they're going to seek in punitive damages. Tuesday, 8-1-06: Rex, the dog who won top honors at the Western States Police Canine Association competition in Boise. Deputy Clint Brown says this makes up for rex eating his best sunglasses, his ballistic vest, his truck's headrest and even the wires connecting the lights and siren of his patrol car. Wednesday, 8-2-06: The Stilletto Run is a race hosted by Glamour Magazine. In the Amsterdam race in March, contestants in the 100 meter race had to wear stillettos at least 3 inches high and no more than half an inche wide. The winner said it was her first time wearing high heels. She won 10,000 euros. The State Board of Education in Kansas has 4 of its 10 seats open for election. One anti-evolution guy won his primary, and one pro won, and pros are leading in two races. These "skirmishes between faith and science have opened Kansas up to international ridicule." Scientists have found that it rains on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. Only it rains methane rather than water. It's a slight drizzle, and it rains day in and day out, creating methane mud. A cloudburst over a village in north India dropped a rain of small fish. Scientists were surprised that the fish were still alive. Falls of fish and frogs have been reported all over the world, but falls of live animals are rare. A 29-year study of parrots by an American scientist indicates the birds are as smart as a 5-year-old child, but their communication skills are only those of a 2-year-old child. 50,000 dogs were killed in southwest China because of a rabies scare. 3 people died of rabies this time, and 20,000 die every year in China from rabies. During the 5-day slaughter, dogs being walked were seized from their owners and beaten to death right in front of them. Horrifying!... As if things weren't bad enough in Lebanon, a third of their coast is an ecological disaster. Israel bombed a coastal power plant, and 110,000 barrels of oil is fouling the beaches and drifting out into the ocean. It's so bad the ocean is burning off Beirut, and waves of smoke roll over the city. And cleanup can't start till the fighting stops. The longer before cleanup starts, the greater the longterm damage. Ironically, Lebanon is one of the few Arab countries that pays attention to pollution. In local news, a cage fight at the Josephine County Fairgrounds got out of the cage. Fighting broke out in the audience, and deputies used stun guns on two members of the crowd and ejected 10 others. Friday, 8-4-06: Remember the local story of the woman who called 9-1-1 to get the phone number of a cute cop who'd just been at her door? Lorna Dudash was sentenced yesterday to 2 years on probation, 100 hours of community service, and a fine of $693. It's a little odd she'd want to date a cop, as she has a record of hit-and-run, drunken driving, harassment and giving false information to the police.... Saturday, 8-5-06: During an interview, Paris Hilton said, "I'm not having sex for a year, I've decided. I'll kiss, but nothing else."