Scrabble brains

Scientists writing for the journal Psychological Research have discovered why men seem to perform better at Scrabble tournaments. According to University of Miami researcher Jerad Moxley, men do better in Scrabble competitions because women aren’t as likely to devote hours of practice into what they consider to be a pointless set of skills. “Just because there’s a huge gender difference, it doesn’t mean there is a huge ability gap,” Moxley told The Times of London. Instead, he said his research uncovered that women enjoy playing the game as a hobby or for fun, whereas men are more likely to be willing to practice anagrams and memorize words that contain an X or a Q.

Running on empty

Sean Harris, 33, allegedly robbed a gas station in LaCrosse, Ind., on Sept. 13—and then promptly ran out of gas. Police say they found Harris on the side of the road legally drunk and with his vehicle out of gas. Harris reportedly robbed the gas station of food, drinks, and cigarettes but no gas.

Hot dog harassment

Mayor Charles Pender has a problem. Vandals in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, in Canada have been harassing Pender with hot dogs as he conducts his reelection campaign. In early September, Pender said someone cut holes in his campaign signs to make it look as if he were eating hot dogs. On Sept. 7, the mayor tweeted a picture of his car’s windshield covered with hot dogs left on the wiper blades. Calling the vandalism unnerving, Pender said he filed an official police report and made a public appeal for the hot dog attacks to stop.

Oktober feet

Just in time for Oktoberfest, Adidas has released a new shoe that promises to provide style and comfort while defending itself against unwanted fluids that may be on floors during the Oktoberfest season. The German company says the Adidas München will be beer-proof as well as vomit-proof thanks to a coating on the outer part of the shoe. Inside, the München shoe features a red-and-white check inner lining to match tablecloths at Germany’s premier beer festival.

Scary sock

A British family unnerved by what they believed was a lizard under a bed in their home was chagrined to learn it was only a dirty sock. The Coventry, U.K., family called the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to remove the lizard. RSPCA worker Vic Hurr arrived at the home to check under the bed and try to identify what sort of lizard she was dealing with. Hurr observed the object to be about 7 inches long. After turning on her flashlight, though, she realized it wasn’t an animal at all, but rather a pink stripy sock covered in dust.

Pool guest

It may not be unusual for the star of a music video to spend time swimming in a hotel swimming pool, but that didn’t reassure police in Atlantic City, N.J., when they found a 3-foot-long alligator in the pool at the Bayview Inn & Suites on Aug. 15. Police discovered the animal while there to investigate a different matter, and they learned that the makers of a music video had brought the reptile to the hotel for their video shoot. Later that day, animal control workers were able to trap the animal and move it to a nearby zoo.

A new look

Cicero Creek in Tipton, Ind., didn’t look like itself on Sept. 12. Instead of having clear water or even muddy water, the creek was milky white. The reason: A food processing plant reportedly spilled up to 300 gallons of milk into the creek. Authorities say the spill wasn’t a health hazard, and the creek returned to normal after cleanup crews took 14,000 gallons of the milky liquid out of it.

Airborne drop

Before flying his single-engine plane back to his rural North Dakota home, Nathan Howatt figured he might do his friend a favor. Howatt stopped at a Devil’s Lake, N.D., Subway restaurant to pick up a 6-inch sandwich with melted pepper-jack cheese, ranch dressing, and banana peppers and fly it to his friend Mitchell Wirth who lives near his route home. Rather than land the plane and hand deliver the sandwich, Howatt buzzed a dirt road where Wirth was standing and tossed the Subway bag out of the plane. Wirth captured the high-speed delivery on his phone, uploading the video to Snapchat and adding the caption, “Thanks buddy nice shot.” Subway found the video and posted it on the company’s Facebook page, saying, “Friend level: Expert.”

Travel companion

Some flee on foot. Some flee by car. Zachary Kingsbury fled into the ocean attempting to evade police after an Aug. 30 incident in Surf City, N.C. Police say the 20-year-old initially ran away from a traffic stop before jumping into the Atlantic Ocean. For the first hour in the water, Kingsbury was trailed by a police drone, and, according to the drone’s footage, a 5-foot shark swimming just 60 feet from him. After an hour, the drone lost battery power. More than two hours after that, police finally found Kingsbury as he tried to climb back onshore at a beach some distance away. Police charged the man with resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine.