Police in several Connecticut towns said they're dealing with a sticky situation - chewing gum thefts. According to authorities, the number of people caught stealing chewing gum has noticeably increased recently. They believe the chewy contraband is ending up on the black market, where it's harder to trace than some other stolen goods.

Joey Chestnut maintained his dominance in the sport of competitive eating - and expanded his palate - by winning the first-ever Martorano's Masters Meatball Eating Championship in Las Vegas. Chestnut on Sunday gobbled 50 meatballs in 10 minutes at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino. The 6.25 pounds was a new world record and earned him the first-place prize of $1,500.

The Brazilian government sought an explanation Monday from the private university that expelled a woman for wearing a short, pink dress to class, creating an uproar on the Internet and throughout a nation where skimpy attire is common.

It was the roll of a lifetime.

Police in Florida say a graffiti artist who apparently ran out of paint midway through a spray-painted creation left a note to potential critics to explain the unfinished work.

The California Highway Patrol say a man stole a car to make a court appearance on a previous auto theft charge.

A sculpture of a New Zealand government minister crafted from cow manure sold for New Zealand dollars 3,080 ($2,220) on an auction Web site. The bust of New Zealand Environment Minister Nick Smith, sculpted as a protest by artist Sam Mahon, attracted 112 bids before being picked up by an anonymous buyer on Friday.

A single hole-in-one is a big enough dream for most golfers. But two in one round? That's some luck. Reeves Barbour, the 30-year-old son of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, had two aces in a single round Oct. 25 on a Robert Trent Jones course in Gainesville, Va.

Retired orthopedic surgeon Chris Smith thought his hunt was over when he bagged a white tail deer with a bow and arrow near Sheridan. Because the light was fading, he decided to return the next day to recover the deer. But when he returned Wednesday morning, the carcass had been covered by grass and bush - which is what mountain lions typically do.

A wind-power company says a western Maine site it's been looking at is too windy for turbines. First Wind's Matthew Kearns told a public meeting in Rumford on Thursday that its proposed Longfellow wind farm on Black Mountain and North and South Twin mountains may not be viable.

Charges have been filed against three men accused of beating a man who sleepwalks after they found him asleep in one of the men's apartment. Iowa City Police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said the 21-year-old victim who was not identified, suffered injuries over most of his body. Kelsay said the man's injuries did not appear to require hospitalization, but the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Operating a motorized recliner while drunk apparently drives up the chair's value. Police in northern Minnesota listed the "DWI chair" on eBay after the owner was arrested for driving it into a parked car last year. It sold Thursday for $10,099.99.

Oregon police have charged a man with drunken driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road.

Oregon police have charged a man with drunk driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road.

A Florida thief with a peculiar penchant for Rolex watches faces up to 25 years in prison.

A woman in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's license with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time. The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won ($4,200) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.

Workers are altering part of the Vigo County jail to fix a design flaw that allowed inmates to crawl through the ceiling to visit other cells. Eight pods in the 7-year-old addition to the original jail are getting sturdier ceiling panels to prevent excursions by inmates under a settlement with the original architect.

An eastern Indiana woman says her family's dog deserves a special treat after his barking saved her family from an early morning house fire. Laura Sizemore said Dash, a 2-year-old border collie-Australian shepherd mix, began growling and barking about 3 a.m. Wednesday, awakening her and her husband, Stacy.

Jim Stevens said he's not particularly religious and is clueless about why an image resembling Jesus Christ keeps appearing on his pickup. Stevens, of Jonesborough, said nearly every morning, an image that looks to him like the face of Jesus Christ has appeared in the condensation on the driver's side window of his Isuzu truck. A Johnson City Press photo of the truck showed a facial image.

Federal authorities said twin sisters from the Detroit area sold their children's Social Security numbers to people who claimed the kids as dependents on their tax returns. Karhonda and Kashaunda Prophet were charged Thursday with assisting the preparation of false returns over a two-year period.

Unemployed and desperate, a 19-year-old Sheboygan man is trying to sell one of the only things he owns - his name. Calvin Gosz has put the rights to give him a new name on eBay. He said if people can have a name like Mercedes for free, "why wouldn't McDonald's pay for me to have Ronald McDonald as a name?" Gosz said he moved to Wisconsin from Florida in September. He's filled out more than a dozen job applications, but so far no luck.

Police officers reported finding a mail carrier passed out drunk in his U.S. Postal Service mail truck in Boynton Beach. According to a release, police received a 911 call Wednesday afternoon reporting a mail truck parked on the side of a road with the driver slumped over the wheel. Officers found a 29-year-old man, whose blood alcohol content was tested to be .264 and .258, more than three times the legal limit.

A 20-year-old man who called 911 to get his fast-food order straightened out has been told to pay a $300 fine. Washington County, Ore., sheriff's deputies said Raibin Raof Osman called the emergency line to complain that a McDonald's in Aloha had left out a box of orange juice from his drive-through order. A restaurant employee later called 911 to report that Osman and others who were with him were blocking the lane, knocking on restaurant windows and intimidating employees.

An Atlanta man who rescued one stray dog from traffic now has his hands full with 10 pooches. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that Gary DeNicola rescued the dog in late September with plans to take it to a shelter the next day. But it turns out the dog was pregnant and gave birth to nine puppies that night. Now DeNicola is running an animal shelter of sorts himself and he's looking for good homes for the dogs.