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Published January 13, 2015
A Milliken, Colo., man was psyched to learn he had won a car — until he got a look at it.
Last month, Daniel Barbiere attended the opening of Boulder's newest auto dealership, Champion Ford (search), and entered a prize drawing, reports the Daily Camera of Boulder.
A few days later, he got a call saying he'd won and headed back to the dealership to pick up the car.
But it wasn't a new car. In fact, Barbiere says, it turned out to be a 1993 Saturn SL1 (search) with a cracked windshield, bald tires, four different kinds of paint on the body and 125,000 miles on the odometer.
"I should have known," Barbiere sighed to the Daily Camera.
It wasn't free, either. The dealership said Barbiere would have to pay $495 in taxes and "dealer handling fees" to take possession of the car.
No thanks, said Barbiere, who refused the car.
Dealership manager Steve Valasquez, who estimated the Saturn was worth between $1,000 and $2,000, was disappointed.
"The car runs fine. He just didn't like the vehicle," said Valasquez, who also offered to put new tires on it.
Barbiere was told the Saturn was in perfect running condition, but he doubted it.
"You'd have to give it away," he said. "You couldn't sell that car."
— Thanks to Out There readers Peter L. and Jamie A.
Man Tries to Buy Pizza With Pot
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Police arrested a 21-year-old man early Saturday after he allegedly assaulted a pizza delivery driver who refused to take marijuana as payment for a pie, police said.
Pizza Patrol (search) driver Atif Yasin thought the man was asleep when he arrived to deliver a medium pizza and 20-ounce soda. After knocking a few times and calling the man on his cell phone, Yasin said he answered the door in his boxers.
The man took the pizza, spent a few minutes looking for money and then offered to pay with marijuana, Yasin said.
Yasin said when he told the man that he either needed money or the pizza, the man began to yell and pushed him and punched him in the face.
Officers who arrested the man said he was intoxicated, Sgt. Shannon Ruziska said.
Yasin, a 22-year-old Minnesota State University Moorhead student, did not seek medical attention for his injuries. The right side of his face was still red and swollen Saturday afternoon, he said.
The man, charged with robbery, was released from the Cass County Jail after posting $5,000 bond.
Man Offers to Buy Sex With Steak
WOONSOCKET, R.I. (AP) — He didn't have any money. But police say that didn't stop Wayne Glaude, 22, from soliciting sex from an undercover officer Thursday night.
Instead, police said, he offered steak.
Glaude, who works at a meat company, tried to strike a deal with the undercover officer, according to Detective Capt. Luke Gallant.
"He didn't have any money and had a couple of nice T-bones sitting at home," Gallant said.
Glaude, of Woonsocket, was arrested and pleaded innocent Friday in Providence District Court (search) to a count of soliciting from a motor vehicle. He was released on personal recognizance.
Gallant said Woonsocket police had never had a case like it.
"I can honestly say it's the first time," he said.
Girl Scouts Sue Over Unpaid Cookie Bills
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Girl Scout cookies aren't free, as a few alleged deadbeats are about to find out.
One Scout group has filed small-claims lawsuits against people who failed to pay up.
Christine Slowinski, communications director for the Girl Scouts' Great Blue Heron Council (search), said the legal action Thursday came only after several efforts to collect the money from sales of cookies in the annual fund-raising campaign over the past two years.
The amounts owed by two couples and three other women ranged from $301.42 to $1,485.68.
"We call many times before taking this step," Slowinski said. "We send them letters. When all else fails, this is our last resort."
Form letters that preceded the legal action read, "Please note that nonpayment for Girl Scout cookies represents fraud," and advised the non-payers to arrange a repayment plan.
Hong Kong Rebuilds Bun Towers of Steel
HONG KONG (AP) — Think of it as rock climbing — except on a mountain of Chinese buns.
Hong Kong is relaunching the annual bun-snatching tradition on suburban Cheung Chau island after a 26-year break. Officials called off the ritual of climbing up a tower of buns after one tower collapsed in 1978, injuring 100 people.
The official 46-foot bun climbing tower, 10-feet in diameter, is now buttressed by a concrete foundation designed by government architects and supported by a steel frame.
Competitors are trained by the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union (search). Padding is installed at the bottom of the bun tower.
The result: modern rock climbing meets Hong Kong tradition.
On Sunday, bun snatchers wearing gloves with ropes attached to their bodies scrambled up the scaffolding — free of buns for now — in a preliminary competition. The 12 who reached the top of the tower fastest qualified for the final.
In the final on May 16 — which coincides with Cheung Chau's "bun festival," featuring a parade of traditional floats — competitors must grab as many buns as possible from a designated area of the tower within a given time.
Town's Smoking Ban Affects Absolutely No One
TIMNATH, Colo. (AP) — This small town south of Fort Collins has banned smoking in bars, restaurants and indoor work places — as soon as they get them.
The only bar and restaurant in town, the landmark Colorado Feed & Grain Roadhouse (search), shut down earlier this year after losing its liquor license.
"We talked about doing an education program, but then we realized there really isn't anyone to tell," Mayor Donna Benson said. "But this is more about a vision for the town and setting a course for what we want to become."
The ordinance was approved Tuesday for this town of 223 citizens.
"Now is the time to pass this ordinance before Timnath sees a rush of new businesses," Benson said.
Fort Collins passed an ordinance banning smoking in most public places in 2002. After that law passed, the Feed & Grain got noticeably smokier, Benson said. That was one of the reasons Timnath residents started looking at a smoking ban.
Compiled by FOX News' Paul Wagenseil.
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