BAREFOOT-SHOE THEFT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - It didn't take police gumshoes long to track down a suspected shoe thief in Knoxville, Tenn. Authorities caught up with him after he was seen sauntering through the parking lot of a Knoxville shoe store earlier this week. He was barefoot. Police say an employee identified him as the man who crammed shoes into his pockets at the store Tuesday and pushed her out of his way as he left. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that police have arrested 46-year-old Vincent E. Salters. He's charged with theft under $500 and assault. He's also charged with public intoxication. Police didn't find the shoes, but they probably wouldn't have been of much use to the suspect. An officer says the four or five shoes stolen were all leftfeet. The right foot shoes were being used in a display.

FROG KISSING PRINCIPAL
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (AP) - A school principal in West Virginia willdo a lot to help those less fortunate. Even kiss a frog. Bluefield Intermediate School Principal Cathy Daniels engaged in the cross-species smooch to fulfill a pledge to her students. The kids had rounded up more than 1,400 canned goods to donate to the Bluefield Union Mission. As their reward, the students got to see Daniels belly up to a fire-belly toad. The director of the Bluefield Union Mission says the school's contribution is the largest donation they've received this year. For the record, Daniels says kissing the toad was "sticky."

ELDERLY SCHOOL VOLUNTEER
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Genevieve Russo may be 95 years old, but she still goes to school every day. She's a volunteer at Pathways Elementary School in Ormond Beach, Florida. Russo works in the office, where folks call her a gentle, positive soul who keeps a smile for everyone. MRusso says she is rewarded in kind by the children's smiles andthe many friendships she's made. Her typical day includes volunteering at Pathways from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., then spending the afternoon at her computer to catch up on e-mails with friends as far away as South America. To stay sharp, she plays cards, as well as matching and spelling games.

GOVERNOR-TOILET PAPER
DENVER (AP) - That wasn't fresh mountain snow blanketing the front lawn of the Colorado governor's mansion early Thanksgiving morning. It was toilet paper. Gov. Bill Ritter tells KUSA-TV he and his wife noticed shortly after dawn that someone had "TPed" the front lawn. Officials say it's the first time that's happened in the history of the 101-year-old landmark. Ritter thinks it's funny. He has teenage children at home and
thinks it's probably a prank. First Lady Jeannie Ritter says she'd be worried if the house had been egged or damaged, but toilet paper is harmless. The 1908 Georgian revival home is near the state Capitol in
Denver.

MARIJUANA-SUBMERGED VEHICLE
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Authorities in Texas say they've recovered nearly $1 million worth of pot in the Rio Grande. They say the marijuana was found in a vehicle that smugglers submerged as a way of hiding it. They say smugglers often do this to avoid being caught. They apparently try to come back later to salvage as much as they can. The San Antonio Express-News reports that Border Patrol agents and state troopers found the Mercury Grand Marquis in question had about 1,227 pounds of pot. Efforts are under way to remove such vehicles to minimize environmental damage to the river. The 25 bundles of marijuana have an estimated street value of $981,600.

by Kate McKenna

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)