PROSTITUTE RAFFLE
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - It's certainly no church raffle. Police in Columbus, Ohio, report busting a hooker raffle. Authorities say customers bought $10 tickets at a house party, where the prize was the services of a hooker. According to investigators, the raffle was organized through Craigslist. Police say one organizer invited men who had posted online reviews of prostitutes and some of the top-rated women. Authorities report the two organizers were arrested and charged with promoting prostitution.

BAY-GREEN CHRISTMAS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Officials in San Francisco want to help people celebrate a green Christmas. The Department of the Environment and Friends of the Urban Forest are offering alternative trees. People pay $90 for a potted tree during the holidays. After the ornaments and lights are put away, officials say the trees will be picked up for planting along city streets. The trees aren't traditional, with varieties that include southern magnolia and New Zealand Christmas. The experts say they'll do best in the Northern California climate.

SENIOR COP
SEATTLE (AP) - "Officer Wes" has been patrolling Seattle streets for more than 40 years. At 71, Officer Wes Ferris he has no plans to retire. He says he feels great and can still run down crooks if he has to. There's no mandatory retirement age, but the old officers still have to pass the same qualifying tests as the young guns. Officer Wes tells the Seattle Times he's been blessed. He can't remember ever having to draw his gun. He says he has the understanding and compassion needed to keep the peace.

NOSTALGIA TRAIN
NEW YORK (AP) - It's a time machine -- subway style. New York City holiday shoppers are getting a chance to travel back in time. The transit agency is running a Nostalgia Train, featuring vintage cars. The old-school subway runs on the V line Sundays, between Queens and lower Manhattan. The service will operate until the end of the year. The vintage subway cars have ceiling fans, padded seats and regular light bulbs instead of fluorescent tubes. One thing that isn't being rolled back is the fare. Instead of a nickel, a ride on the Nostalgia Train costs two bucks.

WWII SCOOTER
GRANDVIEW, Wash. (AP) - Dick Herriman has his World War II surplus motor scooter back. The Washington state retiree bought it for 20 bucks in the 1940s when he was a teenager. A few years later, Herriman sold it to a neighbor. That old Cushman scooter sat outside for more than 50 years and was a rusted hulk. The ex-neighbor gave it back to Herriman in 2002. Herriman recently finished restoring the scooter to it's like-new condition, complete with sidecar. Herriman says tells the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper his old Army Air Corps scooter is going to go on display at an area aviation museum.

OLD SPICE-DELAY
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) - It's not often you get a rain delay -- during a basketball game. The game between Michigan State and Wichita State at the Old Spice Classic was put on hold for 45-minutes yesterday. A heavy rainstorm in the Lake Buena Vista, Fla. area caused the ventilation system to leak. Water was dripping from the ceiling vents, forming puddles underneath the Michigan State basket. Both teams were sent to their locker rooms while workers sopped up the water. Michigan State went on to win 65-57.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)