OFFBEAT NEWS

Last Update on May 15, 2012 09:06 GMT

FIST-PUMPING RECORD

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- James Peterson probably will want to keep his hands down for a while. He's trying to claim a new Guinness record for fist pumping. The northeast Ohio man did it for 16-hours straight, beginning Friday and ending early Saturday. The Akron Beacon Journal reports the record attempt was recorded by a video crew and submitted to the Guinness people for verification. The unemployed electrician wasn't taking any chances that a fist pump might become a wave by mistake. Peterson super-glued his hand into a clenched fist just to make sure.

EX VERSUS EX

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) -- It's the battle of the exes. New York state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel is being challenged by her ex, Mark Schimel. She's a Democrat and he's a Republican. Michelle Schimel charges the G-O-P is trying to manipulate a personal family matter. But a Long Island Republican leader tells Newsday the party has been assured it will be a dignified and issue-oriented campaign. The couple has been separated for about a year.

FUSELAGE FISH

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- What a flying fish. A giant salmon will take to the sky, thanks to Alaska Airlines. The airline is painting a Boeing 737 to look like a wild Alaska king salmon. It's to promote Alaska seafood and the airlines' role in getting it to market. There will even be fish scales on the plane's winglets. The new flying fish is set to go into service this coming fall. It replaces an earlier fish, from 2005.

POTATO SPILL

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- They're spuds -- with a thud. A wreck involving two trucks spewed potatoes across I-5 in southern Oregon yesterday morning. A front-end loader was called in to clean up the mess. Truck driver Jose Gonzalez tells the Grants Pass Daily Courier his truck was hit from the rear. He says he lost a day -- and now his load is "mashed potatoes." Police report no one was hurt because of the tater troubles.

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Census: Minorities now surpass whites in US births

Calif. woman apparently burned by rocks in pocket

Tropical Storm Aletta weakening in the Pacific

CA museum gets big gift to build shuttle exhibit

FBI links white-powder envelopes to Texas

Crews try to stop AZ blaze from crossing fire line

Seattle car vandal takes nothing, leaves tortillas

Report questioning execution doesn't sway lawyers

Authorities: Trooper gets text seeking illegal buy

Army launches review of PTSD diagnoses

BUSINESS NEWS

Stocks inch higher but worries about Europe linger

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hopes that the U.S. housing market is starting to recover sent stocks edging higher on Wall Street.

CONSUMER INFO

Honda shows robotics for easy and hands-free ride
TOKYO (AP) -- Look, no hands. Scooting about on what looks like a floating car seat is no sweat for anyone with Honda's new hands-free robotics technology. ...

SCIENCE/TECH NEWS

IN THE NEWS: DIFFERENCES IN MAJOR CELL PHONE COMPANIES NARROW

NEW YORK (AP) -- Which cellular phone company is the best?

IE6 Float Fix