It's News to Me

The small town of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky is gearing up to vote for mayor starting August 31, but the only candidate on the ballot is Lucy Lou, a border collie.

This wouldn't be the first time a canine has stepped in to play the role of mayor -- the previous mayor was a black labrador retriever named Junior Cochran, who died May 17.

According to the town's Web site, Lucy Lou is eligible for the position:

"Candidates for the office must reside in the Rabbit Hash precinct boundaries, which by definition, is that distance covered by a dog chasing a rabbit at full speed in one hour's time from any direction even across the river if both the dog and the rabbit make the swim alive. No ducks or geese."

As for the town's odd name -- it originated from a flood that drove the local rabbit population to higher ground, creating a food staple for the townspeople. The special stew made from the rabbits was called "hash."

An Italian priest will be hosting an online beauty contest, with one catch - the contest is only open to nuns, the Associated Press reports.

Dubbed "Miss Sister 2008," the contest will begin in September on a blog run by Rev. Antonio Rungi, who hopes to expand it into a real pageant similar to the annual crowning of Miss Italy.

The nuns can wear their full habits, or let their hair down for the photos, which will be accompanied by a few small details about each nun's life.

But don't worry, Rungi tells the AP the sisters won't be parading around in bikinis.

"We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits," Rungi told the AP. "But being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn't hide it."

However, not all Catholics are pleased with the idea, as the association of Catholic teachers criticized the plan, which they say "belittles the roles of nuns."

- Kat

Middle school students at some D.C. middle schools will be receiving a huge jump in their allowance starting in October, all for good grades. Under a pilot program in the District, students could earn up to $100 per month.
Parents, of course, will promptly require that the money be saved in a bank account the child won't have access to until college. At the same time, negotiations between students and parents to raise home allowances have failed.
But students in Harrold, Texas wish they were half as lucky as those in the nation's capital: The small district is allowing teachers to pack heat, in the form of concealed weapons, while on school property.
The superintendent of the school district insists that teachers could help prevent the shootings that have plagued middle and high schools in the past decade.
But, with 110 students in the district plus cameras and locked doors, some parents are questioning the action and whether it will create a more hazardous learning situation for their children.
In other news, remember that online beauty contest for nuns we discussed a couple days ago? Well, I'm sad to inform you all that it's been cancelled.